Chapter 518
Chapter 518
Chapter 518. Ice and Fire (6)
At that sight, I was momentarily flustered.
Wh-what is this? Is it asking me to rub its belly right now?
I crouched down and gently rubbed that belly, and the tiger purred as if pleased.
“Wh-what in the world is...!” (Zhurong Palace Disciple)
The disciple who saw that was shocked and widened his eyes.
Was this really something to be that surprised about?
While rubbing the tiger’s belly, I asked that disciple.
“Why do you have that expression? Am I not supposed to do this?” (Eun Seoho)
“N-no, that is not it. I mean, the divine beast clearly dislikes the energy of ice...” (Zhurong Palace Disciple)
“Is that so?” (Eun Seoho)
Kui... (Geumryeong)
Geumryeong seemed to be sulking, so I smiled faintly and stood up.
I should take care of my Geumryeong before another household’s divine beast.
When I stopped rubbing its belly, the tiger looked regretful and tapped my leg with its tail.
At that moment, the voice of the Palace Head of Zhurong Palace came from ahead.
“Hwasik! What are you doing?” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“Grr...” (Hwasik)
At the Palace Head of Zhurong Palace’s call, the divine beast looked at me, then eventually approached the Palace Head.
Ah, so that tiger spiritual beast’s name is Hwasik.
“Hwasik likes you. That is truly unusual. This fellow is not one to act cute toward someone he has just met like that.” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“I see. It is a truly gentle divine beast.” (Eun Seoho)
“Gentle?” (Zhurong Palace Head)
The Palace Head of Zhurong Palace gave a faint laugh.
“You may be the only one who would call this fellow gentle.” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“......” (Eun Seoho)
Then again, it was a tiger spiritual beast called the divine beast of Zhurong Palace, at least in name.
Even if it acted cute toward me, there was no way it would be gentle to others.
By the way, that fellow must have seen me for the first time today, so why did it feel so friendly?
Geumryeong, do you know?
Kui? (Geumryeong)
His answer was asking how he was supposed to know. This fellow was sulking.
“You said you were looking around the famous places in this palace, correct?” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“Yes. That is right.” (Eun Seoho)
“I happen to have time, so I will guide you myself.” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“Thank you.” (Eun Seoho)
After telling the disciple who had been guiding us to go, he personally led us around and showed us various places.
Thanks to that, it seemed we were able to see more than when the disciple had guided us.
And so I expressed my gratitude to the Palace Head.
“Thanks to you guiding us, Palace Head, we have been able to see more. Thank you.” (Eun Seoho)
“Hm? What do you mean by that?” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“The disciple guiding us said there were places he himself could not enter, so there were several places we could not see. But as expected, moving with you, Palace Head, there seem to be no such places.” (Eun Seoho)
“You are saying there was a place among the places we have passed so far that the disciple could not enter? Ha! Would I have assigned someone with restricted access to guide you?” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“......” (Eun Seoho)
At those words, I realized what had happened.
That disciple had deliberately not guided us there.
Was it territorial hostility?
Honestly, I was not angry.
I was simply dumbfounded.
“That disciple must have been very busy.” (Eun Seoho)
“Tsk, tsk.” (Zhurong Palace Head)
The Palace Head of Zhurong Palace clicked his tongue and said,
“There is no need to go out of your way to speak kindly of him. To think he would disgrace our Zhurong Palace like this...” (Zhurong Palace Head)
I felt somewhat uncomfortable.
But thinking about it, leaving a disciple like that alone was not good in the long term.
Who knew when he would stab us in the back again?
Besides, if this continued, the other disciples would also look down on us.
“I will deal with that disciple.” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“Thank you.” (Eun Seoho)
“What about the disciple in charge of the guest hall? Is that disciple perhaps the same?” (Zhurong Palace Head)
“No! That person looks after us very attentively.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is fortunate.” (Zhurong Palace Head)
We continued looking around.
But we did not discover anything suspicious anywhere.
After returning to my quarters, I called Geumryeong.
“Geumryeong, come out.” (Eun Seoho)
“......” (Geumryeong)
It seemed he was properly sulking. He did not even wriggle.
I put my hand in and forcibly took Geumryeong out.
“What is the matter?” (Palgap)
Palgap, who had been watching quietly, asked, and I explained what had happened today.
“...So, it seems he is sulking because he disliked me doting on that divine beast called Hwasik.” (Eun Seoho)
“Is this fellow not a greedy one?” (Palgap)
“Hm?” (Eun Seoho)
“He is trying to monopolize you, Young Master.” (Palgap)
“You could see it that way?” (Eun Seoho)
“Young Master, you are Geumryeong’s master, but you are also my lord. And you are also the lord of the escort warriors, and the lord of the people of Hyeonpung Nation.” (Palgap)
“That is true.” (Eun Seoho)
“There are so many people who serve you like that, Young Master, so it is unreasonable for him to try to monopolize you.” (Palgap)
At Palgap’s words, I gave a faint laugh.
Because he was right.
“That is why I am saying this little fellow is greedy.” (Palgap)
At that, Geumryeong protested.
“Kui! Kui kui!” (Geumryeong)
“Hm? That is not it? You have no thought of monopolizing me? You just dislike that fellow acting friendly with me?” (Eun Seoho)
I asked in return.
“Why?” (Eun Seoho)
“Kui. Kuik! Ku!” (Geumryeong)
“You simply dislike that fellow?” (Eun Seoho)
Is there some kind of rivalry between spiritual beasts?
To say that, he had suppressed them with force before if anything, but he had never shown this kind of behavior.
I smiled gently and stroked Geumryeong’s back.
“All right. I will not be friendly with that fellow.” (Eun Seoho)
“Kui.” (Geumryeong)
“Here, eat this and stop sulking.” (Eun Seoho)
I held out a silver coin to Geumryeong, and Geumryeong snapped it up.
As expected, money was best for Geumryeong.
“Kui. Kui... kui...” (Geumryeong)
“You are saying I should not misunderstand because you are not doing this because money is tasty? All right, I understand.” (Eun Seoho)
Since he was saying that while hugging the silver coin tightly, it was not very trustworthy, but well...
“But Geumryeong.” (Eun Seoho)
“Kui?” (Geumryeong)
“It would be like you to warn Hwasik not to approach me, so why are you not doing that?” (Eun Seoho)
Geumryeong spoke with a dejected expression.
“Kui. Kui... kui...” (Geumryeong)
“You are weaker? You were bitten by that fellow before?” (Eun Seoho)
Come to think of it, the place where I met Geumryeong was Yunnan.
To be exact, Muchulmu Mountain in Yunnan.
“Then did you meet before on Muchulmu Mountain?” (Eun Seoho)
At that, Geumryeong nodded.
“Kui. Kui.” (Geumryeong)
“At that time, Hwasik tried to kill the mad warrior and take the sword, and you stopped him? You fought in the process?” (Eun Seoho)
“Kui.” (Geumryeong)
So such a thing had happened.
In other words, right now, Geumryeong disliked the fact that I was getting along with a fellow who had been his enemy.
Of course he could feel that way.
“Kui...” (Geumryeong)
“In your heart, you want to warn that fellow, but if you are bitten again, it will hurt, so you are hiding?” (Eun Seoho)
“Kui.” (Geumryeong)
“Yes, I understand how you feel.” (Eun Seoho)
I stroked Geumryeong and sympathized with him.
But this fellow seemed to be misunderstanding something.
“Um, Geumryeong.” (Eun Seoho)
“Kui?” (Geumryeong)
“Had you ever received money to eat from anyone back then?” (Eun Seoho)
“Ku... i?” (Geumryeong)
“I do not know about before you came to Yunnan, but after that, you never received money to eat, did you?” (Eun Seoho)
“......” (Geumryeong)
“From the time you began serving me as your master, how much money do you think you have received and eaten from me?” (Eun Seoho)
“......!” (Geumryeong)
At my question, Geumryeong’s ears perked up, and his tail also stood straight.
You are only realizing that now?
“Hoo, Geumryeong. You are not weak at all right now. You can win more than enough.” (Eun Seoho)
.
.
.
That night.
Lying on the bed, I recalled what Geumryeong had said.
That the tiger divine beast called Hwasik had aimed for the Silver Mist Sword held by the madman.
Because that weighed on my mind.
As it was, I already found it strange that the mad warrior had come all the way to Yunnan of all places.
Could the person called Father, who had sent the letter the mad warrior held, perhaps have been someone from Zhurong Palace?
I would need to look into it more.
The places I had not been able to go today weighed on my mind.
The places that the disciple had not guided us to at first, I had gone to even belatedly. However, there was a place the Palace Head of Zhurong Palace had not guided us to either.
It was a place forbidden to outsiders, and even a prohibition cord had been put up, but only after checking even that place would my curiosity be resolved.
But since I had come as the Young Palace Head of Snowstorm Palace for the conference, if I went there secretly and got caught, it could become a big problem.
What should I do...
While I was pondering for a moment, I sensed a familiar energy.
It was the energy of the Young Palace Head of Zhurong Palace.
Hoo, has he still not given up?
In that instant, a very good idea occurred to me.
I can use him.
---
Meng Hyeon was walking along the night road while rubbing his aching butt. It was the same for Hae Hong.
All the buildings of Zhurong Palace had two or more floors.
The place being used as the guest hall was on the second floor, so they had leaned a ladder there and tried to infiltrate Eun Seoho’s quarters, but because of the killing intent suddenly shot toward them, the ladder had toppled over and they had landed on their butts.
If they had been ordinary people, their hips or legs would have been fractured.
But because they were people of Zhurong Palace and had learned martial arts, it had not gone as far as a fracture.
However, they could not avoid bruises.
“Ah, damn! It hurts like hell.” (Meng Hyeon)
“That is my line. But why did you come here again?” (Hae Hong)
“I, the man Meng Hyeon, cannot give up just because I failed yesterday.” (Meng Hyeon)
“How impressive. You bastard.” (Hae Hong)
Hae Hong sighed and muttered that.
“So, you are saying we should infiltrate Young Palace Head Eun’s quarters again?” (Hae Hong)
“This time, I am going to warn him by a different method.” (Meng Hyeon)
Meng Hyeon took out a pouch.
“It is a Three-Step Fire Snake.” (Meng Hyeon)
Three-Step Fire Snake.
That was a snake of Yunnan with deadly venom, said to kill a person before they could walk three steps if bitten.
Since Eun Seoho said he was the Young Palace Head of Snowstorm Palace, there was no way he would be done in by venom at the level of a Three-Step Fire Snake.
A warning was a warning, and there must not be any later trouble.
And even if it was discovered, they could pass it off as the snake having entered the quarters on its own.
Meng Hyeon untied the pouch and grabbed the snake inside.
And just as he was about to throw it into Eun Seoho’s quarters.
“What are you doing?” (Eun Seoho)
“Hueek!” (Meng Hyeon)
The one who appeared from the space on the first floor.
He was Eun Seoho.
---
“Huak! Hueek! Hueeeek!” (Meng Hyeon)
I sighed as I watched Meng Hyeon cause a fuss over a single red snake.
Why was he acting like that?
A short while later, he stepped on the snake’s head and killed it, then said to me,
“Ahem, ahem-hem, why is there suddenly a snake...” (Meng Hyeon)
“I see.” (Eun Seoho)
I knew he had been trying to throw that snake into my quarters, but I pretended not to know.
“It seems you have had something to say to me since yesterday. Is that not so?” (Eun Seoho)
“Ahem, ahem-hem. That is so.” (Meng Hyeon)
That is so?
This bastard, his speech is short.
“But why are you speaking down to me? I am not your subordinate.” (Eun Seoho)
“Well, you are the Young Palace Head of the family that protects the Northern Sea Ice Palace, are you not? Then of course you are beneath me.” (Meng Hyeon)
“Does that mean the Northern Sea Ice Palace is beneath Zhurong Palace?” (Eun Seoho)
At my question, the young man standing behind him quickly cut in.
“No! That is not what he means, so please do not make an unfounded assumption.” (Hae Hong)
He handled a sensitive question well.
“Who are you?” (Eun Seoho)
“Ah! I am the Young Master of the guardian family of Zhurong Palace. My name is Hae Hong.” (Hae Hong)
Hae clan, is it? The Chief External Administrator who welcomed us was also of the Hae clan.
“What relation are you to Chief External Administrator Haedalman?” (Eun Seoho)
“He is my father.” (Hae Hong)
“I see.” (Eun Seoho)
“To explain, our guardian family is also the vassal of the Palace Head of Zhurong Palace. And so the Young Palace Head was speaking in that regard.” (Hae Hong)
“I see. In that case, it seems you are misunderstanding something.” (Eun Seoho)
I continued speaking.
“Our Snowstorm Palace and the Northern Sea Ice Palace are not in a relationship of lord and vassal, but are equals.” (Eun Seoho)
“Equals?” (Meng Hyeon)
Meng Hyeon asked back.
“Yes.” (Eun Seoho)
Does this bastard have no thoughts? Why does he keep speaking casually even after I warned him like that?
I will warn him one more time, and if he still does not come to his senses...
“Even the Palace Head of the Northern Sea Ice Palace treats me with courtesy. So if Young Palace Head Meng is not above the Palace Head of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, I think it would be better for us to show mutual respect.” (Eun Seoho)
“......” (Meng Hyeon)
Still, perhaps his head was not completely gone, as he corrected his speech and showed courtesy.
“I was rude.” (Meng Hyeon)
“It is all right. Please be careful from now on.” (Eun Seoho)
“However...” (Meng Hyeon)
He said to me,
“Did you come simply as Young Palace Head Bing Haerin’s escort?” (Meng Hyeon)
“Why do you ask?” (Eun Seoho)
“Because it bothers me quite a bit. As you know, in our Zhurong Palace, the strong may choose the partner they desire.” (Meng Hyeon)
“I know.” (Eun Seoho)
“I have marked Young Palace Head Bing Haerin as my partner. But you keep interfering.” (Meng Hyeon)
“That is only natural.” (Eun Seoho)
I continued speaking.
“Young Palace Head Bing Haerin is a person of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. And the women of the Northern Sea Ice Palace do not marry.” (Eun Seoho)
At my words, he smiled faintly.
“They simply do not marry officially. Do you think I do not know that when their hearts align with other men, they roll around with them?” (Meng Hyeon)
I nearly snorted because it was so absurd.
This was a statement that clearly insulted the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
The person named Hae Hong standing behind him seemed to know that too, as he was restless.
It seemed this man needed some mental education.
I had also received a promise from the Palace Head, so there should be no problem.
“I cannot tolerate anyone doing something Young Palace Head Bing Haerin dislikes.” (Eun Seoho)
“She may say she dislikes it, but she might actually like me, could she not?” (Meng Hyeon)
It feels like I am speaking to a solid wall.
“As I know it, Zhurong Palace is a place where the law of respect for the strong is thoroughly upheld.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct.” (Meng Hyeon)
The custom called duel marriage he mentioned earlier was also part of that.
“Excellent. Arguing with words like this only hurts the mouth, so let us speak fiercely through martial arts.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is exactly what I wanted.” (Meng Hyeon)
Even if the opponent was a solid wall, it was fine.
Because I could beat him until I pierced through.
“In that case, is there perhaps a space that is somewhat wide while also avoiding other people’s eyes?” (Eun Seoho)
To him as he pondered my words, I quietly added,
“While looking around this place today, I saw a place over there without many people.” (Eun Seoho)
“That place is...” (Meng Hyeon)
I nudged him once more as he hesitated.
“We cannot let a true sword match between men be disturbed by others, can we?” (Eun Seoho)
“That is true.” (Meng Hyeon)
As though he had made up his mind, he turned and said,
“Follow me.” (Meng Hyeon)
I clenched my fist inwardly and shouted in triumph.
He took the bait.