The Murim Alliance guest quarters, which I hadn't borrowed since the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, were still as satisfactory as ever—no fault to find, except that the room still didn't feel familiar.
"Ah~ Bingcheon Baegoksu is such a wonderful martial art~ It would pair so well with Glacier True Energy~"
"…"
There was just the small problem of the North Sea Ice Palace martial artists staying in the room next door.
As usual, the group had abandoned their own rooms and gathered in mine, either idling about or quietly running their Mental Cultivation Methods, and silence flowed among them.
Bing Yerin's voice from outside the door was, no matter how I thought about it, clearly meant for us to hear.
Having apparently filled today's quota of whining(?), Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been meditating in the corner of the room with a grave expression, opened her eyes.
"Friend."
"I know. Now that the conversation with the Murim Alliance Leader is over, she's surely going to push for us to schedule a visit to the North Sea Ice Palace soon. I'll set the date for tomorrow or the day after, so I'll tell her to quiet down—"
"The Bingcheon Baegoksu truly is a fine martial art."
"?"
I hadn't expected to hear the same words from Seomun Hwa-rin's mouth, so I tilted my head for a moment.
Seomun Hwa-rin continued her explanation with a still-grave expression.
"The Bingcheon Baegoksu is the signature technique of the previous Ice Palace Lord, the Ice Heaven Lord. They say that even blazing flames freeze the moment they touch those hands, which have been dyed white."
"No matter how you put it, saying even flames freeze is a bit of an exaggeration."
Martial artists, and gossipmongers who take a keen interest in the affairs of the martial world, all have their own reasons for embellishing and spreading stories.
Some do it to make their defeats less shameful, while others do it to magnify their own achievements… or simply because they find it amusing.
So the stories about the Ice Heaven Lord's martial arts were probably exaggerated somewhere along the way.
After all, the Central Plains martial world has a certain preconception that treats the Outer Murim, like the North Sea Ice Palace, as something mysterious.
But that wasn't what Seomun Hwa-rin was trying to say.
"In ordinary cases, your words would be correct. However, this is a metaphor for something that actually happened."
"Something that actually happened?"
"Have you never once considered it? A question like who would win if a martial artist who mastered the Blazing Yang Art fought one who mastered the Yin Cold Arts."
"Surely not…"
"It actually happened when I was around your age. There was a master called Taeyang Gwonwang, born with the Nine Yang Severed Meridians, who had by chance learned the Blazing Yang Art of the Sun Gate Sect—a sect that had been exterminated long ago, yet whose martial art was acknowledged by all."
According to Seomun Hwa-rin's continued explanation, Taeyang Gwonwang was a master who, thanks to his rare constitution and the outstanding Blazing Yang Art gained through a Fortuitous Encounter, had quickly risen to the Harmony Realm.
At the peak of his prime as a martial artist, he suddenly left for the North Sea Ice Palace for a single reason: he wanted to test himself against a master who had properly cultivated the Yin-Cold Energy Cultivation.
When Taeyang Gwonwang returned after a long while, he said of his own accord.
"The Ice Heaven Lord was such a great martial artist that I couldn't even use the excuse of the North Sea's cold environment, and the Bingcheon Baegoksu was a ferocious martial art. He actually showed me a fist-sized piece of ice formed from his aura, which was hotter than most flames, and admitted his defeat."
"…Good heavens. To think such a thing was truly possible."
"What of it? It wasn't ordinary fire and ice, but things made of aura. It's something that often happens when opposing Intents clash."
"Opposing Intents."
To put Intent simply, it is the power to impose one's own mental image upon the world.
In other words, it is a power that makes things that are realistically impossible possible, albeit to a limited extent.
Then what happens when two impossible things collide?
Setting aside which side's Intent is more powerful and sharper and thus wins, it would only be natural for something that is difficult to comprehend realistically to occur.
The reason the blazing aura froze solid as it was must also be for this reason.
"I had heard that the North Sea Ice Palace opened its secret vault on its own and allowed everyone to freely learn martial arts… but I never imagined they would go so far as to release the previous Palace Lord's divine art."
"It seems the North Sea Ice Palace's situation is more urgent than I thought, or they place a high value on Seol Ri-hyang."
"You're right. So it would be good to make use of this."
"I'll keep that in mind. …And I think it's about time I stepped out with Seol Ri-hyang."
"Hmm. My ears are starting to ache…"
Starting with Bingcheon Baegoksu, she listed off the names of all sorts of martial arts, going on about how the purer the Yin Energy, the better, how well it suited Glacier True Energy, how a woman who mastered it would achieve greatness, and so on.
The not-quite-muttering muttering that was clearly meant to be heard had been going on for nearly a sijin without pause, so it was hard to just leave it alone.
In fact, emotions like hurt and anxiety were starting to creep into Bing Yerin's voice.
"Seol Ri-hyang."
"Yeah. At this rate, I can't even sleep. Let's head out quickly and come back."
"Just saying, but go sleep in your own room."
"Then what if she's out there in front of my door?"
"That's exactly why I'm telling you this."
"Eek…!"
Seol Ri-hyang stomped on my foot with an expression that screamed "how dare you." Though saying she stomped was generous—she barely put any weight into it, practically just resting the sole of her foot on top of mine.
In other words, the usual staged tantrum.
I shrugged silently and stepped out of the room with Seol Ri-hyang.
There, just as expected, was Bing Yerin, pacing around and muttering without pause.
"Finally…!"
"Didn't you say you'd set a date later? I don't see why you're in such a hurry."
"Hurry? I don't know what you mean. I was merely pondering which martial art would be best to teach first once Lady Seol ascends to the position of Young Palace Mistress."
"No, you clearly just said 'finally.'"
Bing Yerin flinched at Seol Ri-hyang's careless remark, but soon continued in a composed tone as if she hadn't heard anything.
"But since the young lady has come out, it's better to ask you directly. You wear a whip coiled at your waist—how do you use it in harmony with Glacier True Energy? Do you know that for Yin-Cold Energy Cultivation above a certain level, using one's own body as a medium is more efficient than using a weapon? If you wish to keep using the whip while raising your achievements…"
"Originally, I fought the way you said—wrapping the opponent with the whip and injecting Yin Energy to freeze them. But these days I seem to use Yin Arts more often. Using the body as a medium limits the power unless the body itself is well-trained."
Seol Ri-hyang cut off Bing Yerin's words at a suitable point and answered.
Her expression was overflowing with indifference, as if to say, "Enough of this, let's get to the point quickly"…
"Yin Arts… you say? You were born with a Pure Yin Constitution, and you've even mastered Glacier True Energy, yet you say you won't be bound by the body—what on earth…"
Bing Yerin muttered as if she couldn't understand. Well, of course. The North Sea Ice Palace must have developed its martial arts through its own unique methods.
And the same applied to Seol Ri-hyang, who had learned the North Sea Ice Palace's martial arts but not their methods.
What the Tang Clan could teach were only the foundations of all martial arts. And the whip technique and footwork—that was all.
As for Yin-Cold Energy Cultivation, she had no choice but to develop it on her own, reading the Glacier True Energy and a few secret manuals that were inferior in level compared to it.
She recalled hearing from Gwiyeong Sin-tu before that Glacier True Energy was the oldest martial art even within the North Sea Ice Palace.
In other words, in a way, it could be said that the martial arts of the North Sea Ice Palace and Seol Ri-hyang shared the same root.
However, just as branches spread out in many directions from a single root.
The North Sea Ice Palace, which developed its martial arts independently without much exchange with the Central Plains, and Seol Ri-hyang, who learned Glacier True Energy alone in the Central Plains, were bound to take different paths.
So it was only natural that they would be taken aback by Seol Ri-hyang, who used Glacier True Energy in ways completely different from what the North Sea Ice Palace considered proper.
For reference, Yin Arts were rare martial arts that few practiced in either the Central Plains or the North Sea.
Seol Ri-hyang's mastery of Yin Arts came not from her constitution, but from pure natural talent.
…Personally, that was the most astonishing part to me.
As I nodded to myself, thinking that, Seol Ri-hyang let out a deep sigh.
"Phew. I'll show you, so just calm down a bit."
"Young Palace Mistress… you mean Seol's martial arts?! Shall we head to the training ground right now? Ah, but I don't know where it is. Why is there no one around at a time like this…"
"That's because this is a place for Murim Alliance guests to rest comfortably. Servants and attendants don't wander around unless they're summoned or there's a real need. And since I'm just going to show you a simple demonstration, there's no need to go to the training ground."
Seol Ri-hyang shrugged her shoulders, took a light breath, and opened her mouth.
"Ah——."
It was a simple vocalization, hardly worthy of being called a song. But riding on that sound, pure Yin Energy seemed to spread out in all directions, then contracted to a single point she intended.
Thud.
A single withered branch, stained white with frost, fell to the ground.
"Wow."
Bing Yerin stood with her mouth hanging open, a dazed expression on her face. Seeing her like that, I sensed it immediately. This was the moment to bring up the topic.
"If we do end up visiting the North Sea, the current party would all go together. In that case, we'd need to inform the Tang Clan and receive their answer, so leaving at the earliest opportunity would be difficult."
"Yes. But more than that, how on earth did you manage to move not just the internal energy within your body, but also the surrounding energy…"
"However, sitting idly and waiting doesn't sit right with me either. In the meantime, I'd like to teach Seol Ri-hyang a simple martial art or two."
"That wouldn't be a difficult matter. …Rather, it feels like I should be the one learning from her."
"Thank you. Ah, speaking of which, Seol Ri-hyang mentioned recently that her Pure Yin Constitution alone isn't enough, and that she needs a Spiritual Medicine…"
"Yes, yes. I have some suitable Spiritual Medicine that I brought along to use as a bribe in emergencies, or to treat unexpected internal injuries, so I'll share some with you. …But, would it be alright if I touched this a bit?"
Bing Yerin, who hadn't been able to take her eyes off the branch since a moment ago, gave a vague nod.
Well, I didn't expect her to be this captivated, but at any rate, it seems we're both satisfied, so that should be fine, right?
I glanced at Seol Ri-hyang, and she too, as if thinking the same as me, nodded with a look of disbelief.
I focused my mind on the fallen branch.
As my Intent reached out, the internal energy that naturally rose with it extended toward the fallen branch.
Though not as freely as when gripping a sword, my internal energy moved with considerable ease, wrapping around the branch and holding it firmly in place.
And then, all I had to do was withdraw the extended internal energy…
"Hah, Void Grasp!"
Just as Bing Yerin, who had jumped up from her spot, said, I was able to execute the Void Grasp.
It's still not familiar to me, so I can only pull light objects that aren't moving, and it requires a considerable amount of concentration time as well…
But in any case, isn't the important thing that I've become familiar enough with my Intent to use the Void Grasp?
Smiling contentedly at the speed that was a little faster than yesterday, I handed the tree branch to Bing Yerin.
"Then I'll send the letter out today, so we'll depart once the reply arrives."
"Yes!"
Bing Yerin carefully took the frozen tree branch and hastily disappeared into her room.
Not long after, a solemn voice could be heard from her room.
-Everyone. Listen well. In fact, our Young Palace Mistress… might just be a genius!
-Waaaaah!
"I told you, she's not the Young Palace Mistress…"
Was it the natural nonsense and the unwavering agreement that embarrassed her? Seol Ri-hyang muttered those words with a flushed face.
***
A reply had arrived to the letter sent to the Tang Clan.
-You said you were clearly going to the Diancang Sect, so what is this about the North Sea Ice Palace all of a sudden, So-wol? And what in the world are you doing with the Heavenly Killing Star…
Tang So-wol, who had read about half of it, immediately covered the letter and said.
"Father's letter has arrived too, so everyone, get ready!"
"Hmm? Are you sure you said that was fine? From what I read, it was clearly…"
"Shh."
Tang So-wol pressed her index finger to my lips and shook her head.
"We haven't read that far yet. So it's not that we're ignoring Father's words—we're just taking a slightly longer route home."
"…"
This wasn't the time to call the North Sea Ice Palace's envoy strange people.