Ha... ha...
I silently continued speaking as I looked at Second Brother, who laughed that dry, bitter laugh.
“You swallowed the Thousand-Year Serpent. You devote yourself to cultivation. I believe both were choices made for the sake of the Snow Palace. Am I right?”
“...Yes...”
I quietly watched him as he gave that bitter smile.
Slowly, he continued speaking.
“The Snow Palace isn’t just a sect. It’s sothing like a nation. The people who survive in this harsh land have been protected by the Snow Palace for generations. Only because we exist can they seek stability. The noble value we’ve upheld until now—and its weight—soone must bear it.”
I could feel the full gravity of his words.
He had risked even his life to uphold the Snow Palace’s value.
Was this truly the kind of man he had been?
This wasn’t sothing that could be dismissed as simply a result of us not having talked much before.
His true thoughts—perhaps I could only hear them now, as he hovered on the edge of death.
“Seol Horyeong... our eldest brother’s talent is heaven-given. But that alone is not enough.”
Second Brother stared blankly at the ceiling.
His gaze may have been unfocused—but it ran deep.
“To truly beco the next Lord of the Palace, one must possess the weight that cos with the position. History has already shown us what becos of unrivaled prodigies.”
“You’re right. History proves it.”
“There must inevitably be a rival. And I, as the second son, had to beco that rival. Who else but could take on that role?”
That too—was the truth.
A prodigy must have a worthy competitor.
And the one to play that role must be close enough, and strong enough, to truly rival them.
Among the Polar Descendants, our sister’s heart is too gentle for such things, and the fourth sibling, Seol Unhae, lacks the qualifications entirely.
No comparison could be made.
Second Brother was the right choice. The Snow Palace wasn’t just a martial sect.
It could be seen as a federation, like the Martial Alliance—or even a nation.
Its structure lay sowhere between the two.
Naturally, the one who leads such a place must carry an entirely different kind of responsibility.
“So that’s why you chose the Thousand-Year Serpent.”
He nodded.
“I needed strength. The kind of strength that can protect the Snow Palace’s value.”
I reflected on the aning behind his words.
The Snow Palace’s value—
It wasn’t simply about transmitting martial arts or maintaining a sect.
The Ten Thousand Snow Bamboo Scroll?
That was just an object.
The true worth lay in the existence of Everlasting Snow Palace itself.
In the millennia of history buried in the snow-covered mountains. In the Dao hidden within.
Preserving that was the true value of the Snow Palace.
“Our eldest brother is, as I see it, undoubtedly a genius.”
“Yes. And because he’s a genius, he’s even more dangerous. For soone like him, a constant threat is necessary to make him realize the weight he must bear. If he doesn’t understand what it ans to be worthy of the heir’s seat—or that of the Palace Lord—then the Snow Palace will soon devolve into nothing more than a powerful sect.”
His eyes grew deeper.
“I just wanted to protect the Snow Palace. Even if it ant staking everything I had.”
In his words, I saw the true Dao of a martial artist.
The value he tried to protect—even at the cost of his life—went beyond re loyalty or duty. It was sothing higher.
I understood now.
“You didn’t call here just for treatnt.”
He didn’t respond.
He rely looked up at in silence.
“You were prepared to die—and intended to pass on what you were doing to . Isn’t that right?”
He still didn’t answer, but I could be certain the answer was yes.
Truly—what an admirable man.
After a long silence, my brother spoke.
“...You’ve done a great deal for . Is there anything you want in return?”
I smiled faintly.
“I already received it.”
Confirmation of the heart.
That was enough.
His sincerity had reached without a doubt.
He was truly a man worth watching in the future.
Gently, I closed his eyes for him.
“Rest. The Commander of Binghaeju can’t be absent from his post, can he?”
“...”
“Once you sleep a bit, you should be able to resu daily activity. But don’t attempt cultivation again for at least four days.”
He said nothing.
From the mont I closed his eyes, he had already begun drifting into sleep.
Soon, his body slackened completely.
I started to rise, but collapsed back down.
Sweat poured from my forehead like a storm, and my limbs trembled uncontrollably.
My dantian was completely empty, and though there was pain, my heart felt calm.
No matter how far you looked across the cold snow-covered mountains—
Nowhere felt warr than this place.
***
Two double-hours had passed before Unwi finally stepped outside.
Seol Yeonhwa, who had been anxiously pacing, rushed toward him the mont she saw ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) him.
“Youngest!”
Unwi gave a gentle smile as he looked at her.
“Second Brother is fine.”
“...R-Really?”
“Yes. He’s sleeping soundly now, so please just stay by his side.”
“...And you? Are you alright?”
“It was exhausting, but I’m alright.”
Seol Yeonhwa brushed a hand down her face.
She no longer had any sense of the limits of her youngest brother’s talent—it had long since surpassed her grasp.
But more than that—
“Then... can I tell Father now?”
Unwi shook his head.
“He probably already knows.”
“...How?”
“This is the Snowy Mountains. Even if he didn’t know that Second Brother had secretly hidden away the Thousand-Year Serpent, there’s no way he wouldn’t notice sothing going so wrong with his condition.”
Saying so, Unwi turned his gaze to the sky.
“Isn’t that right?”
The mont those words left his mouth—
Tap.
Before even a blink could pass, a man landed softly on the ground.
He had clearly descended from the sky. A thin line remained in the air above—proof of where he had cut through the sky itself.
The energy of heaven and earth was so clearly visible it had left a visible trail.
To achieve that, one would need to be at least in the Formless Manifestation of Infinity realm.
And in the Snowy Mountains, there was only one such person with that kind of reach and perception.
“You are correct, Lord Hyeon Seollin.”
Commander of the White Spirit Guard—
Heonsim of the Thousand-Mile Divine Gaze.
“The Palace Lord already knows everything that’s happened.”
“And I’m sure he’s made preparations as well.”
“Yes. Though he also said this: ‘If Hyeon Seollin fails, report to imdiately.’ I heard what you said to Lady Bingseolryeong earlier, but I must confirm again—can you say with certainty that Lord Chasellin is safe?”
“Yes. He is. The serpent’s inner core and blood have now been stably absorbed into his dantian and ridians. For now, his ridians have hardened slightly, and he’s achieved sothing near Poison-Immunity, but depending on how well he focuses and absorbs the remaining energy once he wakes, it’s possible for him to reach Absolute Poison-Immunity as well.”
Heonsim didn’t doubt Unwi’s words.
He listened with a solemn face and gave a brief comnt.
“...A blessing. For the Snow Palace.”
“And for the Snowy Mountains, too.”
“Hoo...”
“Please inform the Palace Lord: the Frozen Soul Heaven Array he had prepared can be withdrawn.”
“...You know about that too?”
“It was just a deduction.”
Unwi said that lightly, but Heonsim knew very well—it wasn’t deduction, it was certainty.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spoken with such conviction.
The Frozen Soul Heaven Array was the Snow Palace’s supre formation—and also its most dangerous.
It drew the chill of heaven and earth to freeze a person’s soul. In the process, it would freeze not only their physical body but also their ridians and dantian.
If that were all, it might not be called the most dangerous formation.
Its defining trait was that it united the frozen body and soul with the heavenly energy of the world, purifying everything in the process. If successful, the person would be fully restored, their ridians cleansed of all impurities. But if it failed—their soul would shatter.
Heonsim swallowed hard.
What a formidable man.
Even the Palace Lord had concluded that the Frozen Soul Heaven Array was the only answer. Yet this man had treated Chasellin alone, without it.
Heonsim had thought Unwi would make a fine successor to the Ice-Snow Guard, but now he felt he had underestimated him.
He even seed fit to beco the next heir to the Snow Palace.
“...And one more thing. Could you pass along a ssage for ?”
“Please go ahead.”
“Tell Father this: I ‘understand’ him—but I still don’t fully know him.”
The words ant little to Heonsim on their own—but his eyes widened as Unwi followed with a sound transmission.
—On the night of the next full moon, tell him to co to in secret. Let no one else know.
In secret?
What did he an?
—Exactly that. Not even the Vice Lord. Not even any of my mothers. None of the other Polar Descendants can know. Only Father may co. That is the ssage.
Heonsim brought his hands together in a formal salute.
“I shall deliver it.”
At once, his body dissolved like mist.
No matter how many tis he saw it—it was truly a beautiful movent technique.
Unwi turned to Seol Yeonhwa.
“Are you still worried?”
“No.”
She smiled brightly.
“I’m alright now.”
***
Watching her finally at ease, Unwi asked:
“Before you leave for the Martial Alliance, I rember you said you’d be stopping by Yangnyeong. Does that an... you won’t be attending this year’s Wise and Sagely Conference?”
Seol Yeonhwa scratched her head.
“Yeah. That’s how it turned out. I was supposed to leave ten days ago—but with him like that, how could I?”
Understandable.
“It’s not like it matters. The Dragon-Phoenix Summit is in nine months anyway. I’ll just go then.”
The Wise and Sagely Conference was one of several gatherings hosted by the Martial Alliance.
It brought together many top-tier martial artists to discuss martial theory. But Seol Yeonhwa didn’t seem particularly attached to it.
The Dragon-Phoenix Summit was different.
As the na implied, it was a gathering of the Younger Generation Prodigies.
More specifically—it was a tournant where the most promising young disciples from every sect were sent to compete. Every ti it was held, all of Murim paid attention.
And in that mont—Unwi’s eyes glead.
In his past life, Seol Yeonhwa had been ambushed and murdered by five assassins while en route to attend the Dragon-Phoenix Summit.
She had been traveling with ten elite White Spirit Guards. But all ten were poisoned in their sleep at an inn, and Seol Yeonhwa was kidnapped.
It had been an elaborate and ticulous trap—and they had been powerless to prevent it.
The Snow Palace had raged. Seol Jungcheon and the majority of the White Spirit Guards descended upon Murim and slaughtered three entire sects and hundreds of people.
Two of the assassins had never been identified, but Unwi had eventually captured them and tortured them over the course of a decade before killing them.
The grudge was repaid—but that didn’t an it couldn’t happen again.
Unwi said firmly:
“When the ti cos—I’ll go with you.”
“...Huh? All of a sudden?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Murim with my own eyes. I’ve heard Mount Taehwa is breathtaking. I’m curious. Deeply.”
Seol Yeonhwa smiled brightly.
“Alright. Then let’s go together.”
“Yes. Let’s do that. For now, I’ll take my leave.”
A thought occurred to her.
“To Yangnyeong?”
“No. There’s sowhere else I need to stop by.”
“Sowhere else?”
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