Seol Unwi climbed the steps without a single mont of hesitation.
The gatekeepers drew their swords, but his stride remained unbroken.
One step. Another.
Each ti he passed, the hands of those gripping their swords trembled.
And all of this was being watched by the Sect Master of Hanbing with an expression of mild interest.
He was curious to see just how far Seol Unwi would go.
So, he waved his hand dismissively.
"He may look like that, but he’s still a scion of the Extre North Sect. Sheathe your swords..."
Seol Unwi’s gaze brushed over him.
The mont their eyes t, Jin Yangje’s words died in his throat.
It felt as though his heart had frozen solid.
What is this?
What the hell is this?
His heart quivered, and for a brief instant, he felt as though his very existence had been severed from the world.
At the high seat in the grand hall, Jin Yangje, seated on a chair that looked like it was carved from ice, stared intently at Seol Unwi.
He was a martial artist too. He wasn’t foolish enough to ignore such a chilling, otherworldly aura.
Seol Unwi stopped right in front of Jin Yangje’s seat.
Slowly, he placed his left hand on the armrest.
Then, he placed his right hand.
And then, he leaned forward.
They were so close that not even a single inch separated them.
The air turned suffocatingly cold.
This was no longer a re threat or a warning.
It was as if the chill of a thousand-year glacier had descended upon the room.
The aura of one who had once stood at the pinnacle of the heavens now engulfed the entire hall.
“Tell ,” Seol Unwi said, his voice low and even.
“Do you want to die?”
His tone was calm, but the power behind it made Jin Yangje’s face go deathly pale.
His eyes quivered violently.
Only now did he truly see it.
The depth in the eyes of the nephew he had always regarded as insignificant.
It was like staring into the abyss of a thousand-year glacier.
Is this... Seol Unwi?
That bastard child?
That sickly, useless fool?
Seol Unwi spoke again, his voice as cold as the ice itself.
“If the one who killed my n was acting under your orders, Uncle...”
The murderous intent in his words spread throughout the hall, and everyone present swallowed nervously.
“The Hanbing Sect will be annihilated. Every bloodline except Seol Unhae’s will be wiped out.”
Annihilation.
The word struck a nerve in Jin Yangje, and just as he was about to move—
Seol Unwi’s right hand shot forward like a lightning bolt, grabbing Jin Yangje by the collar.
“Uncle.”
“You... bastard...”
“This is not a warning,” Seol Unwi said, his grip tightening.
“This is a declaration. Do you understand?”
****
Seol Unwi released his grip and took a step back.
Naturally, he reined in his murderous aura as well.
For a while, Jin Yangje simply stared at him in silence.
Unwi t his gaze unflinchingly.
After a long silence, Jin Yangje finally spoke.
“...Your arrogance reaches the heavens.”
“Are you talking about ?”
“You dare speak of annihilation before ?”
Dare...
“Do you think I can’t do it?”
“You can’t.”
“Then just ignore it. And when the consequences co, you can deal with them yourself.”
Jin Yangje rose from his seat.
“Even if you are a descendant of the Everlasting Snow Palace, you should learn to choose your words carefully.”
“I believe I am choosing them very carefully.”
“No, you are not. If you had been, you would not have said such thoughtless words. Whether or not the na of the Everlasting Snow Palace grants you so weight, the fact that the word ‘annihilation’ ca from your mouth ans I can’t just let this go.”
A strange smile ford on Unwi’s lips.
Twice.
“That’s twice now you’ve brought up the na of the Everlasting Snow Palace. Do I seem to you like soone who’s relying on that na right now?”
“Aren’t you?”
“No. I am not.”
“No?” Jin Yangje said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“That’s how it appears to .”
It wasn’t just Jin Yangje.
Everyone in Seolap, everyone in Yangnyeong.
They all believed the sa thing.
But they were wrong.
Terribly wrong.
“You’ve never seen actually rely on the na of the Everlasting Snow Palace. But that’s fine. Let show you what it looks like.”
Seol Unwi stared directly at Jin Yangje, his words clear and deliberate, each one sinking into Jin Yangje’s mind like an ice pick.
“I am asking the Sect Master of the Hanbing Sect, as a scion of the Extre North Sect — do you want your sect to be annihilated?”
This ti, his voice wasn’t low.
It was amplified with internal energy, echoing through the entire hall, ensuring that every single person present heard him clearly.
Everyone swallowed nervously, visibly shaken by the intensity of his words.
Jin Yangje’s aura flared violently.
“You’ve lost your mind. Have you been eating sothing that’s rotted your brain for the past six years?”
“I’ve been eating quite well. Only the healthiest, most nourishing things,” Unwi said, smirking. “But you still haven’t answered my question. Do you want your sect to be annihilated?”
“Madman!”
Jin Yangje lunged forward, grabbing Unwi by the collar.
“...Annihilation? Annihilation? And what justification do you think you have to even speak such words? A worm like you?”
“That’s twice now that you’ve made repeat myself,” Unwi said, knocking Jin Yangje’s hand away with a sharp strike.
“I am a scion of the Extre North Sect. And as for justification — it can be created.”
“Created? You... you must be insane...”
Unwi swatted Jin Yangje’s hand away.
“Move your hand. Before I tear it off.”
“...”
“Listen well,” Unwi said, his tone sharp and cutting. “I am the blood of the Everlasting Snow Palace. Whether you like it or not, half the blood that flows through my veins is the blood of Seol Jungcheon, the supre leader of the Everlasting Snow Palace — my father.”
Jin Yangje’s gaze turned even colder as he stared at Unwi.
Seol Unwi's gaze was as sharp as a blade.
“Whether I’m a bastard or a legitimate heir, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the blood that flows in my veins. So, whose words do you think they’ll believe?”
“...What?”
“For instance, what if I said that the Hanbing Sect wasn’t just plotting to assassinate , but was actually planning to undermine the authority of the Everlasting Snow Palace? That they intended to assassinate every scion of the Extre North Sect. If that were the narrative, how do you think they’d respond?”
“That... that’s ridiculous. You call that justification? You’re drowning in your own delusions. A justification built on lies has no power.”
“Lies, huh...” Unwi smirked, his eyes glinting with cold malice. “Is that really what you think?”
“...”
“Let remind you — the Four Major Sects of Yangnyeong have been exploiting Seolap for years. Why do you think they sent soldiers to kill ? And why was Cho Sehui, a mber of the Hanbing Sect, present in Magistrate Jeong Mugwi’s office — the very man who signed the execution order against ? Also, there are multiple discrepancies in the financial records. Funds that were supposed to go to the magistrate and the Four Major Sects simply vanished. Now, let ask again — do you still think it’s all a lie?”
“You...!”
“Ninety truths mixed with a single lie — that’s all it takes to make the lie the truth. And I’m quite good at turning ninety lies into ninety truths. And I have the power to do so.”
Jin Yangje’s jaw clenched. His expression darkened.
“What... are you trying to say?”
Seol Unwi’s voice dropped to a deadly calm.
“Have you forgotten? This is the Snow Mountain.”
“...”
“The Snow Mountain is ruled by the Everlasting Snow Palace. And I am a direct descendant of that palace. Do you really think a re maternal sect holds more authority than that bloodline?”
Jin Yangje let out a bitter laugh.
“You’re telling what would happen if you actually used the authority of the Everlasting Snow Palace to its fullest. You’re already denying that power before you even use it — which ans you know exactly how terrifying that power can be.”
His laughter died down.
“Yes. The title of a scion of the Extre North Sect carries power. That power is undeniable.”
Jin Yangje opened his mouth to say sothing, but then closed it.
Seol Unwi continued, his gaze piercing through Jin Yangje.
“Let repeat myself — this is not Zhongyuan. This is the Snow Mountain.”
“In the Snow Mountain, there is no ‘nation.’ Even the Yang Empire, the closest neighboring country, can’t lay claim to this place. The people of the Snow Mountain are just that — people of the Snow Mountain.”
“And the Everlasting Snow Palace rules over the entirety of the Snow Mountain. Being a direct descendant of the palace is no different from being royalty in any other nation.”
Seol Unwi leaned forward slightly.
“I have never intended to use that authority. Not now, not in the future.”
“But the problem here is that a fool like you doesn’t seem to understand his place.”
Seol Unwi’s voice was as cold as the glaciers surrounding them.
“They say that lies run a sprint while the truth runs a marathon.”
“...That’s right. In the end, only the truth will remain.”
Unwi smiled, a chilling, predatory smile.
“I won’t deny it. That’s why I intend to cut the legs off the truth. So it won’t be able to run any longer.”
“...”
“And at the end of it all, the only one left standing will be . And at that point, whatever cos out of my mouth will be the truth.”
Jin Yangje’s face contorted, and his voice trembled with barely suppressed rage.
“A scion of the Extre North Sect... and yet, you possess the qualities of a true devil.”
“Oh? Is that how you see it?”
“A devil who distorts the truth and crushes his opponents with the weight of his lineage? You’re not just any devil. You’re the kind of devil that could plunge the entire world into chaos.”
“Thank you for the complint.”
“That wasn’t a complint.”
Seol Unwi didn’t care. Complint or not, it made no difference to him.
Calmly, he extended his index finger and pressed it against Jin Yangje’s chest, right where his heart was.
“What I’m trying to say is this: whether I’m at the Spirit Ascension Stage, the Divine Transformation Stage, or just an ordinary man with no martial arts training — none of it matters.”
“Because if I decide to kill you, Uncle, you’re as good as dead.”
Unwi paused for a mont, rolling his neck as though to loosen his muscles.
“And another thing.”
He leaned closer, his gaze icy and penetrating.
“Do you know the one thing you should never touch in the Everlasting Snow Palace?”
“...What is it?”
“The scions of the Extre North Sect,” Unwi said calmly. “It doesn’t matter if they’re bastards or legitimate heirs. Attacking a scion is tantamount to challenging the authority of the Everlasting Snow Palace itself. In other words, it’s as good as a death sentence.”
“...”
“So, you’d better listen very carefully to what I’m about to say.”
Seol Unwi’s voice dropped, every word sharp and cutting.
“One of my people was killed. If you were the one who ordered it, then I will use every single resource at my disposal to wipe the Hanbing Sect off the face of the earth.”
“Bloodlines? Except for Seol Unhae, I won’t leave a single one alive.”
“And every single person associated with the Hanbing Sect will die. If they run, I will chase them [N O V E L I G H T] to the ends of Zhongyuan. If they so much as brushed fingers with one of your n, I will hunt them down and kill them.”
His finger pressed harder against Jin Yangje’s chest, right over his heart.
“The heart of a warrior who has reached the Heavenly Realm may be hard as stone, but before , it’s nothing more than a fragile lump of flesh.”
“In the Everlasting Snow Palace — where the power of a scion of the Extre North Sect is absolute — your heart is nothing more than a weak piece of at. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Jin Yangje said nothing.
Or rather, he couldn’t say anything.
He finally understood the situation he was in.
“For six years, you’ve been playing gas. It’s ti to stop,” Unwi said coldly. “There’s nothing more pathetic than a grown man getting himself buried along with a spoiled brat. Do you understand ?”
“...Yes. I... understand.”
“Good. Now we can finally talk,” Unwi said, a faint smile forming on his lips. “Now, I can proceed with what I ca here to do.”
“What... do you intend to do?”
Unwi’s voice was calm, almost casual.
“Han Murin.”
The call was unexpected, and from behind, Han Murin’s voice echoed in response.
“Yes, Lord Hyeon Seollin.”
“The second row on the left. The third man. Make him kneel.”
Before Unwi had even finished his sentence, Han Murin had already drawn his sword and charged forward without hesitation.
Unwi calmly turned around and began descending the dais.
Step by step, he moved down, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd.
One by one, he locked eyes with each person present.
Then, his gaze settled on one man.
Unwi’s eyes fell to the sword sheathed at the man’s waist.
A cold, dangerous smile spread across his lips.
“It’s you.”
The man with the long hair flinched, visibly shaken.
Without another word, Seol Unwi charged forward, his expression devoid of rcy.
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