Chapter 594
Chapter 595: The Crack
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
A sound akin to cracking echoed somewhere in the vicinity.
I could see the space fracturing, and an overwhelming pressure building up.
The energy was simply oppressive.
Yuri’s body began to tremble uncontrollably under the vastly different pressure compared to our first encounter.
“Ugh… ughhh…”
I could hardly breathe.
This was the first time I’d ever felt such intense killing intent.
“Lady…”
Woo Seok tried to move in response to Yuri’s unease.
“Stop.”
A voice emanating from an individual standing before us cut through the air.
The one known as the guard of the Red Feather.
“If you move, I’ll kill you.”
The emotion behind the voice was genuine.
Woo Seok sensed this and couldn’t bring himself to move.
The threat wasn’t directed at himself.
He realized that the target of that gaze was none other than the Young Princess.
Could I possibly stop this? Woo Seok bit his lip, assessing the opponent.
‘No, I can’t.’
At least not in the state I’m currently in.
Every time he contemplated moving, a tingling pain shot through his arms.
The opponent was stronger than he had imagined.
In this enveloping pressure, he felt no confidence in his ability to protect the Young Princess.
‘To think a warrior of the Central Plains could be this strong…’
He bit down, grasping the grim reality he faced.
The opposing force surpassed his expectations immensely.
This golem before him was a Sword Demon, and the woman barring his sister’s path was similarly formidable.
‘I sensed it before, but…’
The skill of the woman, deadly close in a split second, threatened his life.
Her expression betrayed no hint of the lethal intent coursing beneath.
So highly skilled, she commanded unsettling prowess.
No matter his inner injuries…
No.
‘Even if I hadn’t been hurt in the first place….’
Could he have defended the Young Princess from the warrior before him?
He had no conviction.
As he reflected on it, Woo Seok swallowed hard.
‘…It’s not just the White Fox, is it?’
He’d heard that there were many capable people in the Central Plains, on par with those from the North Sea.
But he never imagined they’d be this prevalent.
Such a young age.
How had they reached such a level?
‘Additionally…’
Woo Seok’s gaze fixed at the far end of the table.
The owner of the Qi filling the room.
A young man sat there, smirking as the potentially explosive situation unfolded.
Chin resting on his hand, a laugh tugging at his lips.
Even in this daunting atmosphere, he exuded a chilling, graceful killing intent.
‘What in the world…’
Woo Seok felt every hair on his body stand on end.
This individual surpassed even the warrior in front of him.
It was not merely a matter of winning or losing.
It was about life and death.
The Lord of the Ice Palace ruling the North Sea.
And the ten Great Generals who guard it below.
Woo Seok became certain.
This individual possessed energy on par with a Great General.
Without that level of strength, this pressure was utterly unfathomable.
‘The Red Feather of the Central Plains…’
The entity that the White Fox and Biwaegun praised so highly.
Understandably so; just gazing at him induced a bone-deep chill.
The oppressive aura made it feel as if merely meeting his eyes could bring one to their knees.
This individual was undoubtedly endowed with the qualities of a ruler along with the talent to support it.
Though the current master of this domain appeared to be the leader of the Baekhwa Sect, it wouldn’t take long to see the truth.
The true master of this room was that young man.
‘It’s dangerous.’
Truly, it felt dangerously so.
Far more perilous than the challenges he faced while escaping from the North Sea.
One glance into those eyes revealed it all.
This individual.
‘He wouldn’t hesitate to kill the Young Princess.’
Belonging to the New Outer Martial World, and a bloodline of the Ice Palace.
Such feelings were palpable and apparent.
“Ugh…”
Yuri emitted a painful groan.
From her contorted expression and beads of cold sweat, it was evident just how much pain she was in.
Witnessing this, Woo Seok bit his lip.
He surveyed the room, taking in the surroundings.
Aside from him, Woo Beom, and Yuri, only a few others appeared mildly flustered; none seemed to express any real pain.
This implied that…
‘They are all controlling their energy.’
These individuals were managing to prevent collateral damage.
Even while exerting such crushing, suffocating pressure.
How was that even possible?
The disparity was vast.
“Hey.”
A cold voice locked onto Yuri.
“Answer me.”
“…”
At the audible query, Yuri’s eyes flickered anxiously.
For her, this was undoubtedly an opportunity.
The moment she could decipher what the opponent desired.
She understood perfectly well what the Red Feather was concerned about.
In fact, it felt as if he’d practically laid it out for her to decipher.
There was a chance here to sway the Red Feather.
‘…Ugh… ugh…’
The Red Feather spoke with a voice and presence clearer than ever.
[If you play around, you’ll die.]
This was undoubtedly a clear warning.
What should she do?
She was faced with a choice.
Step forward to try and persuade him.
Or retreat against that energy.
The Red Feather stared silently at Yuri.
It felt as if he were compelling her to choose.
The indecision didn’t last long.
Yuri was exceptionally perceptive.
“…The White Fox is…”
If she went further, she might die.
Her instincts screamed as much.
“It was… my guard.”
As Yuri finally spoke up, the pressure around her seemed to ease for a moment.
“Ugh… haah… huff…”
“White Fox?”
The Red Feather tilted his head in intrigue.
Yuri, catching her breath, observed his sudden reaction closely.
“…That’s what we called her.”
“It seems fitting yet oddly unfitting.”
As he spoke, a smile broke across his face.
It was a markedly different smile compared to the mocking one from before.
This one was slightly more genuine.
In that moment, Yuri understood that the White Fox was quite close to the Red Feather.
“So, she’s a guard… What’s she doing?”
“Yeah.”
“How did that happen?”
“…I’m not sure. It was assigned by the Gungju.”
That was just how it turned out.
Guard roles often change frequently.
Initially, she had her doubts about having a foreigner as a guard.
However, since it was someone brought by a friend, and the Gungju had permitted it, she bore no ill will about it.
“The guard… I wondered what she was up to…”
After musing briefly, he turned back to Yuri and asked.
“So, what was your answer to the question I posed earlier?”
“…”
The query asked earlier.
Was it due to the pressure weighing upon her, or was it just that her thoughts weren’t clear?
Her mind was hazy and muddled.
Immediately, Yuri raised her hand.
Slam!
“!!”
“Lady—!!!”
Everyone, aside from the Red Feather, looked at Yuri in shock.
She had just slapped her own cheek hard.
Drip.
The force of the slap had caused blood to trickle from her lips.
Quickly, she wiped the blood away with her sleeve.
At that moment, her mind felt clearer.
“I’m sorry. I felt a little dizzy.”
“Hmm.”
As everyone stared at her in stunned silence, the Red Feather’s eyes glimmered with intrigue.
“You were wondering if the White Fox was involved in the incident at the Ice Palace, correct?”
“Indeed.”
“I’m not really sure.”
Upon hearing Yuri’s response, the Red Feather delicately stroked his lips.
He offered no further reaction.
“Please elaborate.”
Yuri interpreted this as a cue to explain further.
“Before I arrived in the Central Plains, the White Fox remained at the palace.”
“You mentioned she was a guard. What was the reason?”
“It was her choice.”
“She made that choice?”
“Yeah. The letter I received was during that time. If I ever encountered you in the Central Plains, I was to deliver it.”
“…”
Yuri noticed the Red Feather’s expression deepening into contemplation.
There was no lie in her words.
Yuri conveyed the truth as it was.
After all, the stakes were too high to not be truthful.
However.
She hadn’t shared everything.
“I fled to the Central Plains soon after, so I’m unaware of what happened to the White Fox after that.”
“What’s the state of the Ice Palace now? I’ve heard there’s been a rebellion; please provide a more accurate description.”
“…”
Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Yuri quickly processed the situation.
“…At the Ice Palace, there are ten exceptional warriors tasked with its defense. Immediately after the rebellion broke out, three of them met their deaths.”
“You might have lost more since then. It’s not a good situation, is it?”
“Indeed.”
Clink.
As soon as Yuri finished her response, the cup beside the Red Feather shattered.
Tremors coursed through the room.
Though not as lethal as the previous murderous Qi or killing intent, this energy was unmistakably emitted by the Red Feather.
“Quite a diabolical situation, huh?”
The Red Feather chuckled as he spoke.
Yuri found the smile far more terrifying than the previously expressionless face.
“In such a dangerous scenario, you intended to drag me into it?”
“That part…”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s not vital, so just let it slide.”
It wasn’t something one could just let slide.
However, the Red Feather waved dismissively.
Then he revealed, “What was the request again? You asked me to accompany you to the North Sea?”
Yuri’s eyes widened at that.
No way.
“Just because I mentioned it doesn’t mean I’m saying yes. Don’t get too excited.”
“…”
At his cold comment, Yuri immediately nodded.
“Tsk.”
Witnessing her reaction made the Red Feather click his tongue.
“I’ll give you a day to answer, so just wait quietly.”
“…!”
Yuri’s expression shifted rapidly between relief and despair, as if she were hovering between heaven and hell.
Before she could say anything, the Red Feather stood up.
Turning to the leader of the Baekhwa Sect, he said, “I’ll be taking my leave first. I have matters to attend to.”
When the Danju nodded, the Red Feather promptly vanished.
Followed by Seongyul and Tang Soyeol, who had been standing guard next to Woo Seok and Woo Beom, they also sheathed their swords and followed suit.
When the gusts of wind dissipated, the room fell silent.
About ten seconds passed.
“…Ugh…!”
Yuri clamped her mouth with her hands, suppressing an urge to vomit.
Immediately, the guards rushed to her side.
The effect of having restrained her energy while trying to appear composed had finally caught up with her.
“I’m fine… I’m fine.”
Yuri forced a smile, pushing back against their concern.
Her hands still trembled, yet she could smile.
Somehow, she felt optimistic that things might turn out well.
After exiting the Upper House, I headed straight for my residence.
My pace had quickened, reflecting my mounting anxiety.
[It was… my guard.]
Yuri’s words echoed ceaselessly in my mind.
‘Guard.’
Nangong Bi-ah, who had left for the North Sea, had become the Young Princess’s protector.
Why had things changed so suddenly?
‘She said she was just going for training.’
She had brushed aside my objections and taken off to an unexpected place, only to end up guarding a clueless girl.
Frustration bubbled within me.
Perhaps.
‘Perhaps, I might finally see her again.’
When I heard of someone arriving from the North Sea, a glimmer of hope had crossed my mind.
The timing aligned perfectly with when she might be returning home.
But now…
‘Why did it have to end up like this?’
The North Sea was engulfed in chaos.
And it seemed that Nangong Bi-ah was caught up in it.
Creak.
Even the thought of it ignited my anger.
I wanted to rush to the North Sea immediately to grasp the situation.
But.
‘The timing isn’t right.’
Even if the timing were off, it couldn’t be worse.
The encounter with the Heavenly Demon in Hanam lingered heavily.
At this moment, I couldn’t head to the North Sea.
I had my plans to uphold, and the circumstances were just as they were.
‘The martial arts tournament is in two months.’
Two months, or perhaps a bit more.
Following that, the martial arts tournament would commence in Hanam.
I must participate.
Furthermore.
‘The timing of the ambush in Hanam overlaps.’
Around the time the tournament concludes, I needed to strike and seize the spoils from Hanam.
It would become the foundation of my prepared plans so it was a must to achieve.
But why on earth would I head off to the North Sea now?
‘How far could it be to the North Sea?’
I hadn’t bothered calculating the distance, so it was all a mystery to me.
My head was swirling.
Perhaps I could consider waiting until after the martial arts tournament.
‘At worst, two months from now.’
After the tournament, I could make my way to the North Sea.
But would that even be feasible?
This rebellion was no mere trivial incident.
They were aiming to oust the Gungju and reform the realm altogether.
If Nangong Bi-ah was entangled in such a scenario, by the time I hesitated for those two months before heading to the North Sea…
‘What if something happened to Nangong Bi-ah?’
Just the thought left me breathless.
That was something I couldn’t allow.
I needed to find a way.
I had to quickly devise a plan.
A day. Within that span, I must discover a solution.
If a solution eludes me…
‘Then I’ll disregard everything and make for the North Sea.’
Even if my plans carried utmost importance, I had but one choice when weighed against Nangong Bi-ah’s life.
Consumed by these thoughts, I returned to my residence.
First, I would go to my room and reach out to the King of Demons…
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
“…!”
As I was about to step inside, I halted abruptly at the sudden sense of presence.
How long had I been so engrossed in thought that I hadn’t noticed anyone nearby?
Especially since it was an ordinary person who had stood there.
Upon seeing him, I spoke.
“Elder?”
“You’re late.”
At the entrance to my room stood Shin Yi.
What brought him here?
Before I could voice my question, he spoke before me.
“Your expression appears quite grave. Is something the matter?”
“…It’s nothing. Just a bit of work to get done.”
I didn’t have time for an extended conversation with Shin Yi.
I needed to strategize right away.
Evidently, Shin Yi could sense my apprehension.
“That implies the situation isn’t good.”
There was weariness etched into his voice, mirroring my own fatigue.
“…What is it?”
I inquired cautiously, for he seemed hesitant to speak.
“I’ve come because I have a favor to ask of you.”
“…”
His request caught me off guard.
Of all times, now?
I forced a neutral expression as I replied to him.
“I’m sorry. Right now, I can’t—”
“…Not long from now, a great incident will unfold in Hanam.”
Pause.
The words I intended to reject were silenced by his declaration.
A great incident in Hanam?
“I understand your situation is dire, but… I sincerely hope you consider this favor. Those with ill intentions toward Hanam—”
“That remark.”
Cutting him off, I grasped his hand firmly.
Shin Yi looked startled.
Meeting his incredulous gaze, I pressed on.
“Please elaborate. I need more details.”
