Chapter 433: Chapter 433

It was an unknown place.

The surroundings were filled with coldness.

Every time he took a step, pure white snow fluttered in the wind. It was a land of northern winds and cold snow where one’s whole body would freeze if they let their guard down even for a moment.

The person walking there was an old man.

Even though he wasn’t wearing any proper winter clothes, he didn’t seem to have any trouble walking in this cold place.

Was this level of cold wave nothing to him?

The old man took in the sight of the pure white surroundings.

In fact, the snow was blowing so strongly that he couldn’t even see an inch ahead properly, but the old man’s eyes flashed as if he was exploring and looking everywhere.

It felt like a hawk looking for prey.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he looked south.

“Hmm… Did he fail?”

It felt as if a single thread in his heart had snapped. It meant the death of someone connected to him. The old man smacked his lips and shook his head.

“I’ve lost a precious child….”

Thinking of the time and money spent raising such a child, his regret was extremely great. However, even that was only for a moment.

Returning to his original expression, the old man walked down the path again. As he strolled leisurely as if he had come for a walk, someone revealed themselves with a ‘Swoosh!’ sound.

“Who, keok!”

Was there someone guarding this place?

The man who appeared holding a spear shouted.

However, he couldn’t finish his sentence.

At some point, the man’s head fell to the ground. The blood pouring out of his neck soaked the surroundings.

“Oops, you startled me. You shouldn’t jump out so suddenly like that.”

What had just happened?

The old man brushed off his bloody hand and shook his head. It was a brief moment, but the extended hand had cut off the man’s neck.

Truly lightning-fast movements.

It didn’t seem like anyone could imitate this.

The old man clicked his tongue and looked around again.

Presences could be felt everywhere.

“Are they almost here?”

As if foreseeing the man’s death, the presences were approaching rapidly.

It was full of tense energy as if on guard.

It wasn’t just one or two people.

He thought there would easily be dozens of them. Considering that most of them were considerable experts, it felt like this fight would not be easy at all.

“Oops, this is quite a flashy welcome for this old man.”

“How dare someone commit atrocities in this land of the North Sea!”

Someone’s voice rang out loudly from a distance.

North Sea.

Yes, this was the place where the Emperor of the North Sea and the Ice Palace were located.

They were the clan that had protected this land for a very long time, and they were people who didn’t fall behind an inch even when compared to those commonly called the Nine Great Sects and One Union or the Eight Great Families in the Central Plains.

Originally, just encountering them should have naturally enveloped one in fear, but the old man’s expression was filled with relaxation.

“I just came to visit for a moment because I have something to take….”

“Something to take? There is nothing in the Ice Palace for someone like you to take!”

At the man’s words, the old man paused for a moment.

He went ‘Hmm-‘ and stroked his long, pure white beard before smirking.

A smile that could only be considered a clear sneer.

The old man, who sent a gaze that seemed to devour even the opponent’s entire strength, lightly loosened his hands and opened his mouth.

“Don’t lie. Isn’t it there? The Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal….”

At the old man’s single remark, the men turned pale.

* * *

“Uuuuugh….”

Yeo Eun-wol slowly opened her eyes.

The pain coming from her back shook her head. Swallowing a groan at the extreme pain without realizing it, she opened her eyes blurrily and saw a familiar face.

“M… Miss?”

“Uwaaaang!”

The moment she saw Yeo Eun-wol open her eyes, Dan So-mi burst into tears.

Since she had been fast asleep for three days without opening her eyes, Dan So-mi, who had been staying by her side, was gripped with anxiety.

That Yeo Eun-wol had opened her eyes.

From Dan So-mi’s perspective, it could truly be called dramatic, so how immense must her joy have been? She carefully hugged her and soothed her own heart.

“You have been asleep for three days.”

“M… Manor Lord….”

Yeo Eun-wol was startled by the voice that was heard again.

The moment she turned her gaze, Dan Woo-hyun was seen.

Startled without realizing it, she tried to get up from her seat, but her body didn’t move easily, and instead, only pain tormented Yeo Eun-wol.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong.”

“…Is the young miss alright?”

“Yes, thanks to you, she didn’t get a single scratch.”

“I’m not the problem! You are the problem!”

“Ahaha….”

Yeo Eun-wol smiled awkwardly.

Seeing Dan So-mi’s face worrying about her, tears flowed for no reason. She reached out her hand to wipe them away without realizing it.

“Huh…?”

The texture was strange.

She couldn’t feel it.

The rough skin that had been hideously raised.

In doubt, she slowly fumbled and touched her face. The same texture from the past still didn’t exist, and instead, only a smooth and fair feeling remained on her fingertips.

“Th-this is….”

“It is a reward for saving So-mi. You’re prettier than I thought.”

Dan Woo-hyun smiled.

He had treated her using internal energy.

It wasn’t something he thought of at first, but since she gave up her life to save Dan So-mi, it was natural that a corresponding reward was necessary.

Dan Woo-hyun had given her the greatest gift he could within his capabilities.

Yeo Eun-wol shed tears drop by drop.

Every time she burst into tears, pain came, but the joy was greater than that pain, so she couldn’t help but shed them.

“Th-thank you… Thank you.”

“Right, rest if you understand.”

Dan Woo-hyun stood up from his seat.

Thinking not to disturb the two children, he left the crying children behind and walked out the door. Large crying sounds echoed continuously from behind again.

Since Yeo Eun-wol cried, it seemed Dan So-mi also burst into tears again.

Listening to that sound, Dan Woo-hyun headed somewhere else.

The place he was heading to was quite far from where Dan So-mi was staying. It was a small pavilion prepared next to the annex, and although it had been stayed in, no one used it now.

After a while, he approached and opened the door, and a musty smell spread out.

The smell of medicinal herbs reeked everywhere.

The floor was full of blood-stained straw mats, which was nothing other than the blood that had flowed from the man’s body.

“Is he still not awake?”

“Yes, his consciousness hasn’t returned yet.”

Jang Sam-tae frowned as he gathered the cloths used to wipe the blood. He had already been nursing him for three days, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of waking up.

His breathing was so faint that it made one wonder if he would die like this, but even more terrible than that was the trace of the sword that had pierced his chest.

Jang Sam-tae had never seen such a perfect penetrating wound before.

Normally, it would be normal to die if stabbed like this. He didn’t know what method Dan Woo-hyun had used, but keeping him alive itself was no different from a miracle.

“Stay outside.”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s words, Jang Sam-tae nodded.

Even if the two of them remained, nothing would happen. Even if it did, the dying guy would just die and nothing more.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jang Sam-tae gathered his things and left the place.

“Hmm….”

Dan Woo-hyun turned his gaze toward Bi Cheon-woong, who was lying still.

A feeling as if he was fast asleep.

Just as Jang Sam-tae said, his breathing was also faint. It was to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if it cut off at any time, so the situation was virtually no different from a half-corpse.

“I have undone the restriction. Most of it has been healed, so you won’t die. So undo your Turtle Breathing Technique.”

Dan Woo-hyun spoke and dragged a chair over to sit next to the bed. As his whispering remark was heard, Bi Cheon-woong’s eyes, which seemed like they would never open, slowly began to open.

“…Is it you? The one who saved me?”

“Yes.”

Bi Cheon-woong looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a gaze that still couldn’t believe it.

The blade that had pierced his chest was coated in a deadly poison. Also, because it was a situation where he was perfectly struck to the point of having no hope of living, he had even given up his own life.

“It seems I really did survive….”

Bi Cheon-woong slowly checked the condition of his body. Not even a handful of internal energy was left because he had used all his strength, and the pain he felt in his chest was due to the wound from the blade.

His body wouldn’t easily move, which was partly because he had been lying down for a long time, but it seemed his mind and body were exhausted from the fierce fight.

“This, is it yours?”

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun showed a blade from his embrace. It was unmistakably Bi Cheon-woong’s sword that Yeo Eun-wol had sold off.

Why was this in such a place?

Bi Cheon-woong opened his eyes wide.

“I guess it is.”

The moment he confirmed it, Dan Woo-hyun was sure.

And then he reached out his hand.

He grabbed Bi Cheon-woong’s neck, which was sucked in instantly.

“Keokeok!”

“Were you the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s dog?”

“Keokeokeok!”

“This is also the reason I kept you alive. Speak. Are you the Heavenly Martial Emperor’s dog?”

Dan Woo-hyun’s chilling gaze shone fiercely.

It was so sharp that it would not be an exaggeration to say it could catch and kill a person with just a glance, and that killing intent felt like stabbing his entire body with an awl.

Bi Cheon-woong struggled and tried to escape that grasp somehow.

But it wasn’t easy.

Dan Woo-hyun’s grip strength was enough to easily crush even steel.

He could smash something like human bones to pieces just by grasping it.

“Th… That’s right….”

“Did you try to kill So-mi?”

Bi Cheon-woong couldn’t dare to lie. Dan Woo-hyun, who had kept alive what was practically already a dead life.

He knew the reason, and he also knew that no one would be sad even if he died right here right now.

Seeing him nod his head slightly, Dan Woo-hyun roughly slammed him onto the bed.

“Keok!”

“I won’t kill you. Because it’s also true that So-mi didn’t die thanks to you.”

Dan Woo-hyun looked at Bi Cheon-woong rolling on the bed with a cold gaze. He knew the order Bi Cheon-woong received was to kill Dan So-mi, but as a result, he wielded his sword to protect Dan So-mi.

“Where is that guy?”

“I… I do… not know.”

Dan Woo-hyun lightly thrust his hand. Striking the severely injured Bi Cheon-woong’s abdomen, he gasped for air, unable to even breathe properly. Soon, he was so out of breath that his face turned crimson.

“What is his objective?”

“Ugh….”

“What is the reason he created the Martial God’s Catalog?”

“…….”

“Why did he try to retrieve it?”

Bi Cheon-woong couldn’t answer anything. The continuous questions, however, being a puppet who didn’t know the answers, he couldn’t even say a word.

What he did was merely receiving orders and following them. He didn’t try to know the meaning behind them, nor did he want to know.

Dan Woo-hyun, who had been asking questions for a long time, frowned.

The desired answers weren’t coming out.

That meant either Bi Cheon-woong knew nothing, or he possessed overwhelming loyalty toward the Heavenly Martial Emperor.

Dan Woo-hyun, loosening his hands, grabbed his head.

“Think carefully and answer.”

Bi Cheon-woong’s body trembled violently.

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