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Chapter 646: Chill

When I opened my eyes again, it was a freezing night.

The White Night created by my father had vanished, and the moon was rising again.

The biting cold lingered, and the sensation of deepening chill pressed against me.

Though the snow hadn’t fallen, the cold was intensifying.

Amidst that uncomfortable sensation, a voice broke through.

“Biwaegun–!!”

It was the Black Lion’s shout.

My gaze shifted.

The Black Lion had set Gungju down on the ground, where he had been supporting her, and was glaring at something with his characteristic intensity.

Following his gaze, I saw Woo Hyeok collapsed on the floor.

We had just been talking moments before.

‘Did he just faint like that?’

I was just about to ask what had happened, but in this state, it seemed impossible.

‘What’s going on?’

Grasping my dizzy head, I tried to make sense of the situation.

The meeting we just had couldn’t have been a hallucination; I had to get a grasp of the facts.

‘It was definitely Nangong Ming.’

I wasn’t sure if he was lying, but doubting it now felt ridiculous.

It was better to assume he truly was Nangong Ming.

I recalled the things he had said.

– All treasures will bow before you.

That was my first piece of information.

The reason I could use the treasures, including Thunder Fang, was that I was a ‘Dragon.’

However, it wasn’t just a matter of using them by force; making them follow my commands, as Nangong Ming had said, was a different story.

I could use Thunder Fang, but commanding it like Gui Jeong would be something else entirely.

For that reason, Nangong Ming had been so certain.

– You are the reincarnation.

He claimed I was the vessel that Shin Noya should have been reincarnated into.

‘That’s utter nonsense.’

How could that even be possible?

Even if I listened to him, I couldn’t grasp it. Even if him calling me Noya’s reincarnation made sense, it was still something incredibly hard to believe.

There remained only doubts.

‘Why me, of all people?’

I was of Gu Family’s Bloodline, not a disciple of Hwasan or a member of an ordinary martial faction.

If I were the reincarnated body of Noya, it didn’t make any sense at all.

Hwasan Sword God.

And the First Sword of the Central Plains.

If I were really a reincarnated person of such a remarkable individual…

‘Damn it, I should’ve received something extraordinary.’

I shouldn’t have just been born like this without any exceptional traits.

While I’ve improved my capabilities through various opportunities, looking back at my previous life feels like I didn’t even get close to that level.

Moreover, what about the differences between Noya’s beliefs and mine?

‘Living for the world? That’s ridiculous.’

If it was for my sake, that’d be another story, but I held beliefs that were quite the opposite.

Even if I were indeed a reincarnation, I hardly resembled anything significant enough for that claim to hold any water.

‘…Plus, the fact that Noya was unaware of this is also strange.’

It didn’t make sense that Noya, who handed down Gui Jeong to me upon our first meeting, wouldn’t have picked up on my identity so easily.

‘Eventually, I’ll need to ask Noya about this when I eventually meet him or question Nangong Ming again.’

It was a burden to ponder this alone.

‘And if, in truth, I really am Noya’s reincarnation.’

Would it truly take up such an important part?

I was only a bit shocked; it didn’t feel that impactful to me.

After all, I didn’t even have any distinct thoughts about being Noya or remember living as him centuries ago, should I even care about that? It was all quite vague.

It felt burdensome and unwieldy.

For now, that feeling only remained.

It was, however, inevitable.

‘Regardless of whether it is true or not, I need to deal with it.’

My tasks involved things related to Noya, and even if the reincarnation was separate, it was something I had to address.

Given my position, it didn’t matter how I approached it.

‘Right now, what’s more important is…’

Nangong Ming’s final bit of advice weighed heavier.

– Seek Shinryong.

He had said it while tapping my forehead.

At that moment, I knew Nangong Ming’s Thunder Qi had seeped into my body too.

‘Why should I go to Shinryong?’

Where even is Shinryong?

It’s located at the far edge of the Western Regions, taking quite some time to reach from Hanam.

‘Isn’t that where the Demonic Sect thrived in my previous life?’

It was the place where the Heavenly Demon had established the sect, the birthplace of the Heavenly Demon’s teachings.

For its practitioners, it was revered as a sanctuary and deemed holy; for me, it had been my own hell.

‘Why would I be sent there of all places?’

What could possibly be there to warrant a trip to that location?

From what I remember, it had turned into ruins when the Demonic Gate emerged and laid waste to the areas handled by Gu Family.

‘Huh?’

As I pondered this, something suddenly clicked. It dawned on me.

‘If it was during the time when the Demonic Gate exploded…?’

In my previous life, it was a place plagued by the Demonic Sect, but during Noya and others’ times…

‘It was also the place where the Blood Cult thrived.’

Like the sect created by the Heavenly Demon, the Blood Demon also had their sect established at Shinryong.

‘Why didn’t I think of this before?’

Maybe because it felt too much like a distant memory.

Now that I contemplated it, an uneasy sensation took hold.

‘Is there something significant about Shinryong?’

Why, out of all places, did both the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Demon establish their bases there?

It felt suspicious to chalk it up to mere coincidence.

Could it be that Nangong Ming purposely pinpointed Shinryong for that reason?

‘Whatever the case, I have to go check it out.’

I had long contemplated visiting that place.

Just hadn’t chosen to do so due to lacking both time and justification.

But if the pressing matters coincided, there would be no problem accelerating my schedule.

‘With that sorted…what remains is.’

Perhaps the most important final statement.

– Be cautious of Yeon Ilcheon.

“…”

He was a fellow reincarnator, a previous supreme being of the world, and a person who had led the superhumans of the time, including Noya.

Golden Heavenly King Yeon Ilcheon.

Why did Nangong Ming mention him and caution me?

‘Isn’t that guy already gone?’

From my perspective, the guy didn’t bring pleasant memories.

When I faced my thoughts at Shinryong Temple, if not for Noya’s assistance, I would have been killed by Yeon Ilcheon right then.

It was he who had labeled me as a calamity.

He firmly stated I’d bring destruction to the world.

And thus, I would become a disaster, without a doubt.

‘But…it feels increasingly like that’s coming true.’

Unless what he said was pure nonsense, the circumstances unfolding and my transformation into something unrecognizably inhuman felt like I was indeed headed towards disaster.

In such circumstances, for Nangong Ming to warn me about him…

‘Could it be that I’ll eventually run into Yeon Ilcheon?’

It meant there was still some sort of connection between us, like it or not.

I wasn’t certain why Nangong Ming was so confident, whether it was his soul seeking something in the North Sea or not, but…

‘To find out, it seems I’ll have to meet him again.’

It means I now needed to ask Nangong Ming questions again, and perhaps…he had orchestrated this situation.

If not, then…

“He’s tried to make it so that I have no choice but to take action.”

With that, I took a step forward, twisting my waist, and swiftly swung my legs.

Crack-!! My foot, infused with strong energy, collided with the edge of his sword, producing a wave of force.

The air pressure mixed with the energy swept across the ground, scattering the snow.

“Ugh-!”

The Black Lion staggered slightly as my foot blocked his, his breath escaping him.

Whoosh-! His heavy stance swung around, aiming his blade toward me.

“What are you doing?”

The Black Lion glared at me with burning eyes. Enduring his gaze, I raised my hands slightly to show him.

“Calm down, will you?”

“Calm down? You dare say that now?”

“Yes, I did say so. Calm down.”

As I spoke, I reached out.

As my fist approached the air, his sword intent surged.

Boom-!! My fist shattered his sword intent.

My knuckles ached. It seemed my body was more banged up than I thought.

“I told you to calm down. Damn it…”

Despite my continuous phrases, the Black Lion unleashed his aura and killing intent like it was second nature.

The heaving aura headed straight for me while the killing intent directed at the one lying behind me.

In the North Sea, it was Biwaegun.

Towards the one known to me as Woo Hyeok.

“Do you understand what you’re guarding right now?”

“I am well aware.”

“And even knowing that, you tell me to calm down?”

“Yes.”

The talk about Woo Hyeok plotting rebellion had spread far and wide.

I knew this guy was involved to some degree as well.

Even if I didn’t know the reasons behind it, it didn’t negate the facts.

‘So I was going to let them be, no matter the outcome.’

While getting hit was acceptable, dying was an issue.

The Black Lion appeared as if he wanted to kill Woo Hyeok right then and there.

No, he would definitely kill him. That killing intent was all too real.

And that’s why I stepped in.

“If this guy dies here, I’ll be in trouble, so please hold off.”

I still had questions to ask Nangong Ming. I couldn’t let Woo Hyeok die, not for that reason.

“Hold off…?”

The issue was, saying that seemed to have pulled the trigger on the Black Lion’s killing intent, intensifying it.

“Do you know what that filthy scoundrel has done–!!”

A roar erupted from the Black Lion, laced with emotion and stakes, reverberating violently.

“Many warriors have died due to rebellion, and innocents in the North Sea have perished! You want me to calm down after seeing the instigator?!”

His shout was laced with weeping. I could sense the powerful emotions he was packing.

But.

“Who knows.”

“What…?”

“Why should I care how many have died or how deep they got involved?”

His emotions didn’t reach me.

I understood the justification; I knew it was righteous anger.

Yet.

“You should’ve done better in the first place. The ones in power shouldn’t think their regime will remain forever at the cost of bloodline sacrifices.”

“Y–!!”

The Black Lion, unleashing all his aura, provoked his muscles.

His eyes were so charged with fury, I thought his veins might burst.

Even witnessing that, I felt nothing but indifference.

I nudged Woo Hyeok with my foot, averting my gaze back to the Black Lion.

“I’m aware this idiot made a mistake. Still, honestly, the North Sea has always been precarious.”

Probably when I met Yuri and heard Gungju’s story.

It was at that moment I had the realization after wandering a few times around the North Sea.

“The palace’s forces weren’t managed by Gungju, but rather by others, and it appeared wealth and everything else were being controlled by another source?”

To manipulate that, permission from Gungju was necessary, but still…

“In the end, Gungju wasn’t handling everything, but instead assigned it to a specific family rather than keeping it under centralized control.”

I understood.

“They did well under the circumstances. Given the bloodline’s situation, they must’ve assigned something there. But…”

I get that.

“Power shouldn’t work like that.”

Allowing that implies budding human desires.

“Humans tend to be that way. The moment they touch something grand, greed will inevitably sprout.”

He had been handling the palace’s forces for how many years?

I’d heard rumors he had been operating out of that Blue Wolf family’s grasp for over a hundred years.

Was a single family managing most of the palace’s power, let alone the forces among several families?

And Gungju was allowing that?

‘That could be misinterpreted as loyalty, yet it surely breeds discontent.’

Seeing the situation unfold, it was clear that this wasn’t going well.

“Letting it spiral into chaos is what caused the issues.”

Even if he did incite rebellion, what of the others involved?

They had established a certain restraint that prevented them from betraying Gungju until they felt certain of themselves, thus they began to flock to him immediately.

They likely hoped that. Hence why they gathered so swiftly.

“Looking at this, it appears Gungju must share some responsibility…”

“How dare you—!”

The Black Lion, unable to contain his fury, grasped his stance and leaped into the air.

As his sword sliced through the air, it left waves of distortion in its wake.

Such potent energy.

“Ugh.”

I clicked my tongue at the incoming Black Lion.

‘I didn’t say anything wrong.’

Weren’t they shocked when they heard a single family bore most of the power?

‘When it came to that, it wouldn’t have been remarkable for a rebellion to break out.’

Without the Bloodline of the Ice Palace, they wouldn’t have been able to counter the biting cold of the North Sea.

Yet, now that there was an alternative to them, look at how it turned out.

Whoosh-!!

I evaded the Black Lion’s attack, pondering how the rebellion came to be.

‘It’s clear they didn’t lay the groundwork properly.’

There were many reasons, but at the core, it was that Gungju lacked capacity to manage it.

‘She must have been too busy.’

She needed to counter the bitter cold and oversee the Ice Spirit.

Though she bore the title of Gungju, it was merely a façade of grandeur.

To manage that AND control politics and public sentiment? She’d need to be a superhuman.

‘Reality isn’t characterized by idealism and romance.’

Failing to handle it means getting torn apart. That is the reality.

Thus it was strange.

‘How is it still standing?’

In such a case, one would expect the Bloodline to have been imprisoned, taking the cold in complete disregard. Yet the palace was still intact.

‘It’s not that I could’ve done it.’

Having a conscience, who could drain them like that? That’s something only those intoxicated with power would do.

‘Ah, have I lost my humanity too?’

In any case.

It meant the Ice Palace was in a precarious position.

In such circumstances, there are several means by which to secure a solid position.

One simple example would be the Heavenly Demon.

She had no interest in power or politics.

With numerous followers and generations behind her, only the demons who died for her existed, no betrayers in sight.

So how could such a thing be possible? The answer was simple.

‘Because she was so incredibly strong.’

It wasn’t just that the Heavenly Demon was so powerful that no one could betray her; if not, it was simply an unattainable act.

Even if they talked of benevolent rulers, I would still find those words incomprehensible.

Of course… even after weighing all of this.

‘The one who started the rebellion is the one at fault.’

No matter how poorly one secures the door, the thief who breaks in is the wrongdoer.

This is only basic logic, yet I couldn’t bring this down now.

Boom-!! Boom-!!

As I fended off his attacks, the clash continued.

With his sword intent infused with powerful energy, the Black Lion spoke.

“If you wish to protect Biwaegun, then you too shall fall.”

I noticed a mixture of killing intent alongside the aura approaching me.

Lifting my gaze in surprise.

‘Now he’s showing it.’

I was surprised to see it come out only now.

The Black Lion had refrained from showing killing intent until the very end yet was warning me now.

What a principled individual he was.

‘Is that why he hasn’t betrayed me until now?’

That thought crossed my mind, but I maintained a facade of contempt towards the Black Lion.

“I can try if I want to.”

“Even if you can’t, retreat isn’t an option. Therefore, I will.”

“…Hmm.”

Seemed like quite an acceptable answer.

‘Pass.’

After hearing his response, I nodded my head inwardly.

It was a satisfactory answer, allowing me to confirm what I had been contemplating.

‘I shouldn’t kill him.’

Initially, I intended to take him down, but leaving someone like him might be more beneficial.

Lowering my posture slightly, I pulled up my energy.

Once my energy took form and became visible, the Black Lion started on his guard.

At that moment.

“Hey! Over there! There’s something!”

With a desperate expression, he jerked his upper body up and pointed somewhere.

The moment the Black Lion saw that, his thick brows deeply furrowed.

“What are you doing? Do you think I’d fall for…!”

As the situation developed, the Black Lion swallowed hard.

Regardless, it didn’t matter if it didn’t work.

The critical part was to distract him, even if just for a moment.

My body had already closed in on the Black Lion.

The moment he finally reacted to my unexpected speed…

Tap-!

“Ugh!?”

My fist had already connected squarely with the Black Lion’s jaw.

Delivered a solid hit, and he instantly blacked out.

Bang! With a huge thud, his body fell onto the snow.

Watching that, I gave a slight sigh.

“That was close.”

If I had been a tad slower, that ambush would’ve failed.

While my own level had risen, it was equally thanks to the fact that the Black Lion was fatigued from facing demon beasts.

I took a moment to catch my breath and compose myself.

“Looks like that’s that.”

The Pejon and Seongyul, who had been watching from a distance, approached me.

Seeing them coming, I had to feign disbelief.

“Isn’t it a bit too late for you to show up? I knew you were watching. You could’ve lent a hand there.”

“Why should I interfere in others’ fights? There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as watching.”

Pejon chuckled heartily.

“And besides, you wouldn’t have wanted me to jump in, would you?”

“…Tch.”

That was indeed true.

It was something I could handle on my own. I suspected it was something I needed to do solo, so if Pejon intervened, I wouldn’t have been keen on that.

Step.

I slowly walked past the unconscious Black Lion, moving towards the location where Gungju was.

“Are you planning to kill him?”

Pejon inquired as he observed me.

At his question, I let out a mock sigh.

“What a frightening thing to say. Who am I killing?”

To think a figure like the Three Eminent Beings of Righteous Faction would casually toss around such a statement…it was frightfully serious.

‘It’s also funny how it’s difficult to deny it.’

To be honest, initially, I did contemplate killing him.

To be more precise, I had not really cared about what happened.

Given that it benefited me for Gungju to die, I’d leaned towards such.

If Gungju died, I’d have a better chance of escaping the North Sea during the ensuing chaos.

In the meantime, I could take Woo Hyeok and make my escape.

‘Yet now that things have gotten so complex.’

Due to Nangong Ming’s words, it became impossible to do so.

The very reason I knocked out the Black Lion stemmed from this.

I didn’t have the time to get bogged down in the details.

Meanwhile, I was acutely aware of the gazes aimed at me from behind.

It must’ve been Pejon and Seongyul.

Pejon held his tongue, and looked at me with intrigue.

I could imagine he was curious about what I planned to do.

‘To be honest, I hoped he wouldn’t watch.’

He wouldn’t ignore my request just because I wanted him to.

It began to feel like this was something I could allow Pejon to witness.

I approached Gungju and lowered my stance, extending my hand.

As my palm made contact with her chest, I could feel her breath.

It was shallow. Her breath was so faint it seemed it could cease at any moment.

If left as it was, she would surely stop breathing before long.

Crack-! A strange sensation coursed through my body.

Something felt like it was freezing.

What was this? It didn’t take too long before I figured it out.

‘…Her energy is freezing up.’

Was it her weakened body that caused it? Gungju’s energy was freezing at such a rapid pace.

What could I possibly do to save her?

From a distance, it seemed like it wasn’t an unmanageable task, but now, contacting her, the chill was on a different level compared to Moyong Hi-ah’s.

Should I melt this with heat? Is that even feasible?

‘Isn’t my condition already subpar?’

My physical state was problematic. Because of that, I hesitated for a moment, but recalling Nangong Ming’s words, I shifted my thoughts.

‘If he asked for my help and told me to later visit Shinryong, it suggested that I could do something right now.’

If not that, logically, it would indicate I had a method to save her somehow.

Nodding slightly, I unleashed warmth towards Gungju.

Fwoosh—!

The heat generated from my heart surged through my hand and into Gungju’s body. So far so good.

The warmth penetrated Gungju’s body, and fortunately, I could feel some of the chill melting away.

The issue was.

‘It’s too slow.’

The rate at which the warmth spread was far too sluggish.

Comparing it to how fast the chill was enwrapping her, it felt hopelessly slow.

Was it too late to save her?

Yet I thought it would be worth trying to send more warmth.

Crack-!!

“…!”

Suddenly, a torrent of chill rushed into her body.

Trying to pull my hand back due to the cold and eerie sensation, but—

Fwoooosh—!!

As cold energy flooded into my body, my Demonic Absorption Technique activated and began to devour the chill.

Gobble-! Gobble-!

The Demonic Absorption Technique could greedily draw on the energy like a hungry beast, filling up my reserves.

In that moment, I understood.

‘This little brat was aiming to absorb it all!’

The chill hadn’t surreptitiously invaded; instead, it was the Demonic Absorption Technique that instinctively sought to feed on the chill without my permission!

Gradually, the cold energy began to build up within my heart, just as it had with the Demon Energy.

In response, the Technique of the Flame Wheel started to purify the chill little by little.

‘Hmm.’

Feeling my energy swell at my heart, I couldn’t help but to wear a sheepish smile.

‘Is this considered an opportunity?’

No doubt, my already vast inner strength would only grow further should I consume this influx.

While it sounds grand saying “I’ll take all this,” the sheer volume was staggering.

From my perspective, it equated to a fortune in inner strength comparable to what a normal peak martial artist might possess.

‘Thank heavens that it seems this way to handle the chill.’

I had been uncertain if that would even work, yet now it appeared to be seemingly manageable.

Moreover, while cleaning up, I’d also gain my own inner strength making it quite the catch, but—whoosh—!

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, something felt amiss.

Kwahhh—!!!

A strange sound erupted from above.

I couldn’t lift my head.

Thus, just as I focused on absorbing the cold…

Kawwuuuuung—!!!

“…!!!”

An overwhelming force began to barreled down on me from the void.

“…Cough…!”

Choked by the immense pressure, I couldn’t even scream, desperately trying to stabilize myself.

‘What the hell is this?!’

I couldn’t move.

In a situation where I couldn’t even muster a scream, one wrong move could very well lead to my etherial devastation. In other words, I had to endure.

“Sh–!!”

“Prince—!!”

The cries of Pejon and Seongyul faintly penetrated my ears.

At the same time, it clicked for me.

What was this energy?

Though it was hard to believe due to the suddenness, I instinctively knew.

This was the cold energy that spread across the North Sea.

The chilling air created by the Ice Spirit that had been held back by the Bloodline.

The very moment Gungju’s chill entangled with me, it was unleashed upon me, mingling together as it burst free from the shatter of the Ice Spirit.

 

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