Chapter 172
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 172
Chapter 172. In the North Sea (2)
The snowstorm stopped, and we came out of the hut.
"....
I thought I understood why Seolpoong was afraid of snowstorms. The terrain was completely different from what we had seen yesterday.
The fourth technique of the Twelve Swords of Jin Seol, Snowstorm, was a fast sword technique, but it seemed to be more than just a simple fast sword technique.
Yesterday, I realized that the techniques were based on the natural phenomena of this place.
Something seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so I let it go for now.
Fortunately, the horses were unharmed.
“Thank you for your help.”
We greeted the hunters with a clasped hands greeting.
“We don't know why you are going to the North Sea, but have a safe trip.”
“Yes.”
I thought about giving them some money, but decided not to.
If money changed hands, it could change the relationship between us.
Besides, there are many other ways to express our gratitude.
I could think about that when we got back.
“Oh, and be careful, there are dangerous spiritual beasts around these days.”
“Yes, thank you for letting us know.”
After receiving various advice, we put on fur hats and clothes and entered the North Sea.
The white snow reflected the sunlight, creating a dazzlingly beautiful scene.
So this is what they call snow glare.
I rode my horse, thinking of the ninth technique of the Jinseolshik Sword Technique, Seol-gwang.
According to my Master, we only had to go two more days from here.
“It's so cold.”
Pal-gap said, sniffing.
“If it's like this in summer, winter will be unbearable.”
Jin-yu Musha replied.
“Still, winter has its own charm. It snows endlessly.”
Is that charming?
“To be honest, it's a harsh place to live.”
“But are you all right, young master?”
I nodded in response to Pal-gap's question.
“Yes, I'm fine.”
The cold of the North Sea really didn't affect me at all. On the contrary, it gave me energy.
That was probably because I had a strong constitution and had mastered the art of ice magic.
That must be why my Master sent me here.
Thinking so, I glanced at Jin-yu. I hadn't noticed it before, but his inner arts were also yin.
Still, it's good that it's not cold.
With that thought, I took a box out of my pocket.
It was a gift from the emperor, given to me through the Master of the Royal Guards. I remembered what the emperor had told me to say.
“This will be useful to you. Whenever you use it, remember that you are my loyal servant.”
It wasn't something I had to use, and not using it didn't mean I wasn't the emperor's servant.
So, now that it was in my hands, I had to make good use of it.
“Pal-gap, come here.”
I called Pal-gap and took the necklace out of the box and handed it to him.
“Wear this around your neck.”
“What is this?”
“It's a Hwaseokbuk (a jade pendant).”
“...What?”
Pal-gap was surprised.
“Isn't that the thing that bugs don't sit on, and it's warm in winter and cool in summer?”
“Yes. But it's not a real He Shi Bi, just an imitation.”
I sighed and continued.
“It was given to me by the emperor. Have a safe trip.”
Pal-gap jumped up at my words.
“You're giving me something so precious?”
“I don't really need it. But I can't refuse it just because I don't need it.”
I didn't want to upset the emperor, and even if that wasn't the case, there was no need to tell him about my martial arts skills.
“We are top-ranked warriors. We can endure this kind of cold, but Pal-gap can't.”
“Even so... Even if it's just an imitation of the Blade's flat side, it's still a treasure of the world.”
“I know. But you are more precious to me.”
Pal-gap looked at me with a moved expression.
“The best thing I've ever done in my life was becoming your servant.”
“....”
At that moment, I remembered what Pal-gap had said to me before he died in my previous life.
“Young master, the best thing I've ever done in my life was becoming your servant.”
Without realizing it, I clenched my fists.
This time, it won't happen again. I'll let you live a life of luxury by my side for the rest of your life.
With that determination, I replied to Pal-gap.
“You just realized that now?”
“I've known it for a long time.”
Pal-gap hung a Hwaseokbeok... or rather, just Hwaseokbeok around his neck.
Thanks to the Hwaseokbeok necklace, I felt a slight warmth around Pal-gap.
The emperor really did give him something good.
About an hour later, Lee Pil asked,
“Come to think of it, where is the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
“It's about two days from here. It's in the same direction we're going.”
Jinyu was a little taken aback by Lee Pil's words.
Then, isn't the place Master mentioned not far from the Northern Sea Ice Palace?
The Northern Sea Ice Palace is the most famous place in the North Sea.
It was a sect consisting only of women, but each member was a formidable master.
In my previous life, even the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, known as the Demonic Cult, was unable to take over the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“So you're saying that the young girls you mentioned earlier are braving this cold weather to become disciples of the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
“That's right.”
Jin Yu nodded.
“It's a difficult path to choose without such strong determination.”
After all, if my bodyguards weren't so skilled, they wouldn't have been able to come here with me.
What's the big deal? They're just bears.
I heard that some bears even live in the snow.
In any case, the North Sea is a dangerous place where you shouldn't venture without proper training.
And this harsh environment itself is the first gate to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“Huh? There are people over there.”
We saw people in front of us, but something was strange.
They weren't moving at all.
We approached them, but we couldn't help but frown.
“They're frozen to death.”
“It looks like they couldn't withstand yesterday's snowstorm.”
A fierce snowstorm blew yesterday, and they must have thought it was impossible to continue their journey, so they waited here for the snowstorm to stop.
However, snowstorms are not to be taken lightly. Even skilled hunters feared them.
In the end, they must have frozen to death after waiting it out.
If it weren't for the hunter's help yesterday, we would have ended up like them if we had gone in right away.
Each of us is skilled in martial arts, so we wouldn't have frozen to death, but we would have had a hard time, no doubt.
I felt grateful once again.
Judging from their clothes, which were made of fairly high-quality fabric, they must have come from a wealthy family, but they froze to death like this.
“I think they were on their way to the Northern Sea Ice Palace,”
said Seo Woo, pointing at one of the bodies. It was a girl who looked to be about twelve years old.
I had no idea why she was walking on such a dangerous road, but I felt sorry for her.
I searched the pockets of the person wearing the best clothes among them. I wanted to find out their identity so that I could send a message to their family later.
Fortunately, I found an identity card that said, “Guizhou Province, Hong family of Baizhen.”
They came all the way here from Guizhou Province?
Gui Zhou is located south of Sichuan and is famous for its extreme heat.
I couldn't quite understand how they had crossed the Central Plains and made it all the way to the North Sea.
In any case, after confirming their identities, I put the name tags back where I found them. Their families might come looking for them.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
Unfortunately, the dead are dead.
We have our journey to continue.
After walking all day, we decided to rest as night began to fall.
The warrior Jin-yu laid down some wooden boards he had prepared in advance and began to build a fire.
It was not easy to build a fire in such circumstances, but he managed it with ease.
“That's amazing.”
Seo Woo, who was from the Head Escort, seemed to know how difficult it was. He was genuinely surprised.
“It's a skill I learned from my seniors.”
Thanks to him, we were able to drink warm tea even in this cold place.
At that moment, someone approached us from afar.
It was a group of three, two men and a boy.
Ah... It's not a boy.
If they're traveling across the North Sea like that, the boy must be a girl dressed as a boy.
The oldest-looking member of the group clasped his hands together and asked politely.
He looked to be in his forties.
“Excuse me, may we borrow the warmth of your bonfire?”
We exchanged glances and I nodded.
Seo Woo replied.
“Yes, you may.”
“Thank you.”
We moved aside and they sat down.
“Would you like some warm tea?”
They replied to my question.
“We would be grateful if you would give us some.”
“Pal-gap.”
“Yes, sir.”
Pal-gap poured them some warm tea.
“Give me one too.”
“Yes.”
Pal-gap poured some tea into my cup, and I drank it first.
I did this to let them know that they could drink it without worry.
My intention was well received, and they obediently drank the tea and ate the food I had brought.
“It's very cold, isn't it?”
Then, the man who had politely asked us for help replied with a wry smile.
“It's the North Sea. But for some reason, the weather is mild today, so we had a comfortable journey.”
This meant that they had been here before.
Then he cautiously asked me,
“May I ask where you are from?”
“We are from Hubei.”
“I see. We are on our way from Zhejiang.”
“Zhejiang is where Taihu Lake is, isn't it? I hear the scenery there is truly spectacular.”
“I'm not just saying that because I'm from Zhejiang, the scenery really is wonderful.”
We chatted about this and that.
During that time, the girl who appeared to be dressed as a boy did not say a word.
However, looking at her expression, it was clear that she was not silent because she did not want to speak.
She probably did not want to speak because she was afraid that her voice would reveal that she was a girl.
There is a saying in the martial arts world.
It is a saying that you should be careful when you encounter old women and children in the martial arts world.
It also means that it is a world where the weak and elderly have a hard time surviving. This means that old women and children who have survived are strong.
Feeling sorry for her, I spoke to her.
“Miss, are you on your way to the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
“Yes?”
She asked back, looking confused.
Her voice confirmed my guess.
At that moment, the two warriors with her became fierce. But I didn't care and continued talking.
“I heard from my escort that the Northern Sea Ice Palace has opened for the first time in ten years.”
“...”
There was a moment of silence, and she asked in a wary voice.
“How did you know?”
“Even if you are dressed as a man, if you don't know that, the name of the Hundred Great Trading Companies will be tarnished.”
When I subtly revealed that I was a member of one of the Hundred Great Trading Companies, I could feel her guard come down.
“And how often would you come all the way here from Zhejiang at this time of year?”
She nodded as if she understood.
“Yes, that's right. I'm on my way to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“I see.”
When I finished speaking, she asked me in a puzzled tone.
“Why didn't you ask me why I'm going there?”
“Aren't you going to the Northern Sea Ice Palace to become a disciple?”
“Well... When I told them I was going to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, they asked me why I wanted to become a disciple there.”
“I'm sure you have a reason for going. Besides, it seems like you're going with your father, and if he's accompanying you all the way to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, I don't think it's right to ask too many questions.”
The middle-aged man's eyes widened in surprise at my words.
“How did you know? The way he looks at Miss is different. How could I not notice?”
“...I see.”
And so the night passed.
.
.
.
The next morning.
We tidied up and prepared to leave.
Then the middle-aged man who had been resting with us yesterday approached and asked politely.
“I apologize, but may I accompany you?”
Our destination is close to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, but we don't know the exact location.
“Our destination is not the Northern Sea Ice Palace. So we may have to part ways halfway, but if that's okay with you, you are welcome to accompany us.”
“Thank you. Then I will accompany you.”
And so we continued on our journey.
“The wind is really calm. Actually, this place isn't usually this calm.”
“Is that so?”
I agreed with the middle-aged man's words, but I was a little puzzled.
Is this calm?
The wind is blowing so strongly around us right now.
“It's like walking with a disciple of Seolpunggung.”
Seolpunggung?
I asked him.
“Do you know about Seolpunggung? I heard that it was destroyed by the Demonic Cult.”
He nodded with a regretful look on his face.
“Yes, I do. My friend was a disciple of Seolpung Palace. And... he died with him when the Demonic Cult destroyed the palace.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
“Don't worry about it. By the way, do you have any connection to Seolpung Palace?”