Chapter: 584
North Sea.
It’s a place that sees snowfall all year round, where the cold cuts like a blade.
I’ve heard that the cold was strong to begin with, but they say it turned into a disaster with the death of the hundred-level monster, Ice Dragon (雪龍).
I’ve never been there in my previous life.
In the first place, it’s a bit of a stretch to call that place the Central Plains.
‘New Martial Arts Forest.’
Yes, it’s the New Martial Arts Forest.
Even though the Central Plains is a vast landmass, there exists a world that stretches even further beyond.
The hands of the Meng clan, who purportedly govern the current Central Plains, do not reach there. They coexist while keeping a wary eye on each other.
Original relationships weren’t great, but they certainly weren’t hostile.
Twenty years ago, a problem arose when the Ice Palace Lord, the ruler of the North Sea, came to the Central Plains.
‘You said they fought with the Sword Lord, right?’
The reason is unknown, but the Ice Palace Lord engaged in battle with the Sword Lord, who was the leader at the time.
It is said that as a result of the battle, a large area of land, including nearby mountains, was turned to scorched earth.
Afterward…
The Murim Alliance blocked all routes leading to the North Sea.
‘Thanks to that, all the merchant associations dealing with the Ice Palace were thrown into chaos at the time.’
Honestly, I don’t remember much from that time, so I have no idea.
It’s just what the records say.
Time has passed and here we are now.
The relationship between the Meng and Binggung is still strained.
Although classified as hostile forces, they aren’t adopting an aggressive stance.
However, those from the Central Plains are strictly forbidden from venturing to the North Sea.
Oh, of course, you can go if you have Meng’s permission,
But right after the law was announced, not a single person has ever been granted permission to go to the North Sea.
This means that Meng is merely saying those words without any intention of truly allowing it.
‘It’s definitely such a situation….’
But suddenly, here’s the little princess of the North Sea Ice Palace?
‘What’s going on?’
I couldn’t easily react to Lady Mi’s words.
It’s always been like this whenever something unprecedented happens.
Yes, it’s obvious, but this is something that has never occurred in my past life.
Especially not when the Celestial Demon created bloodshed back in the day.
At that time, the North Sea didn’t show any signs of turmoil either.
‘None of those blood relatives have ever come to the Central Plains.’
There may be a few records of it, but at least I know of only one.
Mo Yong-hee’s mother.
I heard she was a blood relative of the Ice Palace Lord, but that was before the turmoil started.
But now, a Little Princess?
Not even the Meng, but rather the White Flower Merchant Association?
There’s too much that doesn’t make sense.
If this is the case…
‘There’s no way Meng would have allowed this.’
That means the Murim Alliance has permitted the bloodline of the North Sea to come to the Central Plains.
It even implies they’ve delegated the task to someone else instead of taking care of it themselves.
That’s absolutely out of the question.
‘What on earth have they done?’
I can’t imagine that the Meng and White Flower Merchant Association joined forces for something.
Judging by the current situation, the problem lies with the Ice Palace.
The fact that Meng is willing to tolerate such humiliation means the Ice Palace must have presented certain conditions.
What could it be?
What exactly have they put forth and what effects will it bring?
I was quite worried.
Dammit!
‘I’ve already got enough on my plate.’
Adding something more to this entanglement is the last thing I want.
But…
Doesn’t it seem like I’m already in this somehow?
It’s the fact that I’m related to this matter.
The task that Lady Mi was going to ask me.
Given the circumstances, it must pertain to the Ice Palace.
Do I really have anything to do with the Ice Palace?
Not really sure about that.
So, I just stared at Lady Mi silently.
First, I needed to hear the explanation.
As I waited for her to speak, Lady Mi continued explaining.
“I heard that the fourth child of the Ice Palace Lord arrived in Hanam today.”
“…”
My eyes widened at that.
He isn’t coming; he’s already here.
“Probably, he will be arriving at the association soon….”
As she brought it up, the way Lady Mi looked at me changed as well.
What kind of gaze is that?
“You’ve probably guessed this already, but I have a favor to ask.”
“…yes.”
As expected, it’s a favor regarding the Ice Palace.
The situation was becoming increasingly bothersome, causing my expression to sour.
What on earth is she trying to ask me to do?
Can I refuse? If I could, I wanted to deny her outright without having to listen.
Of course, that wouldn’t work.
Damn it.
“If you please…?”
I cautiously inquired.
“It’s nothing else. This time, the little princess….”
Just as Lady Mi was about to answer, an urgent presence was sensed at the door.
Bang—!
Immediately, the door swung open, and a man burst in. Looking at his attire, he seemed to be from the association.
Although Lady Mi rarely frowned at such unceremonious behavior…
“All, Your Grace!”
The atmosphere abruptly shifted at the panicked voice.
Seeing this, I thought.
I knew it immediately.
It’s always like this.
“There’s a problem…”
“Problem?”
“Yes… The little princess….”
For some reason, whenever it comes to matters related to me, things never go as expected, and it’s always like this.
“… apparently, she attempted to escape.”
It was the same story once again.
_________________
A wide open street.
Blazing sun.
I see a strange heat and a crowd filling the streets.
Noon in Hanam-hyeon was always like this.
Especially now, as we head towards summer, there are people everywhere.
Moreover, it was announced that a martial arts competition would soon be held by the Meng.
It was already around the time when the original crowd began to swell.
“It’s unusually hot this year.”
“You say that every year.”
“That’s true too.”
People gathered under the shade of tents to avoid the sunlight.
They were fanning themselves, passing the time in the heat.
“Oh, this time Grandma Jin… eh?”
As I was trying to start a conversation, I suddenly noticed that the eyes of those around me had shifted to something.
The man turned his head and quickly understood.
One individual stood out dramatically among the throng.
“What is that?”
“Isn’t it hot?”
“You’d have to be crazy to not feel the heat… what is that person wearing?”
There was a good reason for that.
It’s the kind of season when you start sweating if you’re standing still.
Just carrying a fan feels burdensome enough.
Yet here was someone wrapped in a fur coat, head covered like it’s winter.
The figure was pulled low enough that their face was obscured.
If one could see it, they would think it’s midwinter, during a cold snap.
Whatever way I looked at it, it was certainly not summer wear.
Due to this, they had been gathering quite a bit of attention from around them.
The wearer, however, didn’t seem to care much about it.
What mattered to her was just one thing.
There are so many people.
People filling the streets.
She could feel the gazes locked onto her while going unnoticed.
But at that moment, the current situation suited her just fine.
She felt the heat.
Unlike the sharp cold of her homeland.
Unlike the empty streets that were left bare in fear of the cold, this place was filled with the buzz of people.
Just like the scene she had once read in a book.
The woman felt an immense joy in the present moment.
Yes… this is what I wanted to see.
A sight she had longed to see.
It was satisfying, as it perfectly matched the background she had envisioned.
The woman placed her hand on her shoulder.
Ouch!
She felt a twinge of pain.
Did I hurt myself?
Most likely, she hadn’t injured herself. It wasn’t that painful.
Earlier, she had bumped into a man while wandering around.
The anxious-looking fellow saw her, shoved her aside, and disappeared.
As a result, she had stumbled and fallen to the ground.
It seems that was the issue at hand.
Hmm…
It’s nothing serious enough to require treatment, so she could overlook it.
Perhaps, since it was a situation she had never encountered before in her hometown, it felt oddly enchanting.
The Central Plains. Truly a mystical place.
“Where should I go next?”
The woman was moving forward, speaking her mind.
Time was not on her side.
She’d gotten lucky with her escape, but soon it felt inevitable that she would be caught anyway.
If not, she had to head there on her own feet.
Otherwise, her father would genuinely be furious.
That would be quite a large matter indeed.
In truth, it shouldn’t have even come to this if she hadn’t attempted to run away in the first place.
But, what can I do about wanting to see?
It was something she longed to see.
If it wasn’t now, she could end up never seeing it again. So, she had to relish the moment.
Now, where should I visit next?
She’d seen enough of the present.
Oh, it hadn’t been enough, but she needed to witness other places as well, so she had to gradually move on.
The woman turned her head.
Her light blue eyes peeked through the gap in her covering clothes, fixated on one location.
‘Over there….’
The alley where the man who had pushed her previously had gone.
That was it.
What could be waiting there?
She had many things she wished to see.
She wanted to see the famed Shaolin Temple as well. If she had her way, she would love to explore the Murim Alliance too.
Before the woman departed from her hometown, her father shared a warning with her.
[Don’t go to the Murim Alliance.]
She was sure she had heard him say that, yet she had forgotten it long ago.
If I had listened, I wouldn’t have run away in the first place.
Her footsteps began to move.
The woman was already heading into the alley.
As she delved deeper, the clamor would subside rapidly.
It was a quiet alley that felt entirely different from the bustling Hanam.
A street that appeared somewhat dilapidated and lacking any maintenance.
Navigating through that gap, she took her steps slowly.
Even this felt new.
Everything not covered by snow felt novel.
A faint scent of smoke.
A dusty alley.
She imprinted everything she could see one by one.
Just as she walked like this for a while…
Huh?
The woman suddenly halted and stared somewhere.
At first glance, nothing could be seen.
All that lay before her was a cracked ground and accumulated dust.
It should have been that way, yet there was something odd that drew her attention to that spot.
What could it be?
Why does it concern me?
The woman took a step closer, curious.
Then she reached out her hand like she meant to grasp something there.
Yet, as she expected, she felt nothing.
“Am I mistaken?”
It seemed likely.
The woman chuckled softly.
There clearly wasn’t anything there, yet she had felt the need to touch it.
She knew, yet the thrill excited her.
Something had to be there.
Just as she thought that, she was about to take another step forward.
Stop!
Something she saw made the woman freeze in place.
There was someone right in front of her.
A young man gazed at her with peculiar eyes.
Pale skin, with yellow eyes.
His long black hair hung loosely.
He exuded an oddly chilling and uncomfortable feeling.
When did he appear? The moment the woman thought to question it.
“I found you.”
The young man stated.
“It matches exactly what was described.”
“…!”
Upon hearing those words, the woman spun around.
This is bad. I must have been caught.
As she prepared to flee swiftly, she kicked off the ground.
Yikes!
There was already another person standing behind her.
It was a somewhat diminutive figure donning a mask.
While her face wasn’t clearly visible, her flowing green hair stood out.
She was trapped in both directions.
… What now?
It didn’t seem as though a passage would open up.
As the woman swallowed hard, pondering her options…
“Oh dear.”
A sigh echoed from somewhere.
From behind the masked woman.
“Damn it, at this age, I have to partake in chase games. What a spectacle…”
The incredulous tone clearly conveyed feelings of exasperation.
Hearing this, the woman slightly tilted her head.
Then she saw him.
The young man walking up behind the masked figure.
He had dark hair with black eyes.
Dressed in typical black garb that didn’t seem particularly distinctive.
At first glance, he appeared rather bland compared to the two earlier figures.
Yet there was something about him that intrigued her.
Was it those intense eyes? Or that visibly annoyed expression?
Regardless, the woman felt a peculiar sensation while looking at the young man.
The young man, Gu Yangcheon, seemingly unbothered by it, frowned and spoke to her.
“Looking at you, you don’t seem all that young. Why are you bothering everyone while searching for your nostalgia alone?”
“…”
It was a tone of voice she had never heard before.
In her lifetime, she had never encountered such attitude.
“Madam, I must pursue someone a bit. Even if I miss out, why would I…?”
Seemingly missing that level of detail.
While she didn’t catch what was said afterward, the implication was clear.
The woman simply watched this unfold quietly.
Then…
He raised his hand to slightly adjust the fur hat obscuring his view.
It was harder to see because her sight had been blocked.
“Anyway, that’s enough…”
Goo Yangcheon meant to continue speaking, but soon found himself compelled to silence.
The woman adjusted her fur coat, revealing her face.
A slight peek through the gap.
The first sight to catch his eyes were her striking light blue pupils.
A color strikingly reminiscent of someone else’s.
It made sense.
Rumor had it, those eyes were a symbol of the North Sea bloodlines.
This woman, unlike others, was pure blood, so it wouldn’t be surprising.
However… the issue was not the color.
“… oh dear. I wanted to enjoy this a little longer.”
The woman’s voice made Gu Yangcheon’s eyes widen.
Her words brimmed with mischief.
Pure white hair peeked from beneath the fur coat.
Her appearance aligned perfectly with what he had heard described.
Yet.
What the hell?
Why?
“I’ve already been caught.”
Did the woman, smiling like that, resemble Mo Yong-hee?
It’s such a striking similarity that it’s hard not to believe they could be the same person.
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