Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 483

“He’s gone!” shouted one of the Ice Palace warriors, his voice tight with panic.

“No footprints either! The snow must have covered them…” another replied, sounding unsure.

Song Won, who was reading the report, slammed his fist on the icy table. His face twisted in anger. “In this blizzard? How can footprints just vanish? Are you even thinking straight?”

“W-well… it’s true,” the warrior stammered, shrinking back.

Song Won glared. “Are you saying he can walk on snow like a ghost, leaving no trace at all? Is that what you’re telling me?”

The warrior bowed his head. “…I apologize, Captain.”

“Find him!” Song Won roared, his voice echoing in the wind. “Now! Move!”

“Yes!”

The Ice Palace warriors scattered in all directions.

Someone had infiltrated the Ice Palace and harmed their warriors. If they let him slip away like this, they would lose face as Ice Palace warriors.

‘That bastard….’

Song Won clenched his fist, his eyes darting around in the swirling snow.

‘I will not let him live.’

This was a matter of his pride.

Tap tap tap!

Quick, sharp footsteps pounded on the ice.

“You, go that way!”

“Yes!”

“If you find him, do not try to fight him alone! Send a signal immediately! He is not an easy opponent!”

“Understood!”

The man who issued the order turned to rush away, but then he paused.

‘Not this way.’

Before him lay a huge, flat lake of frozen ice that stretched as far as the eye could see. A normal person wouldn’t choose to escape across this lake. There’s nowhere to hide.

Just in case, he focused his vision and scanned the area, but as expected, there wasn’t even a faint shadow to be seen.

“That way!”

“Yes!”

The Ice Palace warriors quickly used their lightness skills to move away.

And a moment later….

Peek.

The vast, icy plain.

From a small hole in the middle of it, a round head and a small, slender head cautiously emerged.

The round head swiveled left and right, as if surveying the surroundings. Soon, a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world escaped.

“Ugh… I’m freezing to death.”

Cold water dripped without stopping from his hair, soaked from the icy water. As the blizzard lashed against his cheeks, he almost wished he could go back into the water.

Even though he had only been out for a short while, a white frost began to form around Chung Myung’s face. The water flowing down his body froze instantly.

“Ugh. Damn this frigid energy.”

The Ice Flower Divine Palm was the Ice Palace of the Northern Sea’s prized frigid energy art, and a signature technique representing the Ice Palace of the Northern Sea.

The reason why frigid energy arts were annoying was because the cold seeped into the body. Right now, Chung Myung’s body was probably colder than the icy water.

“Ugh, cold!”

Squeak!

“Quiet, you!”

Baek Ah, completely soaked, protested as if wronged, sending resentful glances, but Chung Myung simply clamped his mouth shut.

“Leeches!”

Chung Myung, who had drilled a hole in the lake and hid beneath it, gritted his teeth.

They say you should live virtuously; if he hadn’t gone ice fishing a few times on the way here, he wouldn’t have even thought of this clever idea. Besides, he had already confirmed through Hae Yeon that he wouldn’t die even if he went into the water for a bit.

In the darkness where the blizzard raged, Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed.

“They’re all gone, right?”

Those who had chased him were scattering in all directions, moving further and further away from the Ice Palace.

If he slipped back now, it would be perfect.

However, there was one problem….

“…I can’t go up there, can I?”

Chung Myung looked down at the water sloshing below his neck and sighed deeply.

“Better to die than suffer. Hey! Take a breath.”

Squeak!

Baek Ah struggled, resisting and twisting its body. It was protesting, asking why it had to go into the water with him.

“Think about it. If you go outside with a wet body, you’ll freeze to death.”

….

Baek Ah, who had been momentarily stunned, sighed and took a deep breath. The ferret’s slender belly swelled up.

Chung Myung also took a deep breath and went back into the water.

Above the thick ice, Chung Myung’s figure, diving like a carp, was faintly visible.

“…Do you think he’ll be alright?”

“What?”

“I’m talking about Chung Myung. It seems like things are getting bigger and bigger.”

“Yoon Jong.”

“Yes, Martial Uncle.”

Baek Cheon spoke softly with the face of an enlightened Taoist.

“Chung Myung causing trouble is like a law of nature, and being caught up in that trouble and suffering is like the flow of the world. One must avoid typhoons, and a gentleman does not participate in disturbances.”

“Are you just saying you don’t want to get involved?”

“Precisely.”

Baek Cheon clicked his tongue quickly, as if he was utterly fed up.

“And shouldn’t you guys know by now? Ice Palace or whatever, if that guy decides to turn things upside down, even the Imperial Palace can’t handle it. He’ll probably come back tomorrow morning like nothing happened.”

“…I hope so.”

Yoon Jong kept looking at the window with a worried expression.

He was so worried that he kept hearing phantom sounds of Chung Myung knocking on the window.

Knock knock.

See? It’s like he can actually hear the phantom sounds.

Knock knock.

Again?

Thud! Thud!

Yoo Iseol jumped up. She ran to the window and opened it without hesitation.

Flinch.

Yoo Iseol was unexpectedly startled by the sight that unfolded before her.

Chung Myung, so white he looked like a snowman, was clinging to the window, his teeth chattering at high speed.

And on his shoulder, a white ferret, looking not much different, was shivering, its front paws wrapped around its body.

Tap tap tap tap tap!

The sound of Chung Myung’s teeth colliding was cheerfully audible.

“…You look terrible.”

“M-move aside.”

As Yoo Iseol obediently stepped aside, Chung Myung groaned and climbed through the window.

Plop.

The moment his feet touched the floor, he collapsed in front of the window, curling up and shivering.

“…I thought I was going to die.”

The Mount Hua disciples, who had been blankly watching the scene, shook their heads in unison.

“…Seriously.”

“Still, he came back earlier than I thought. Though it doesn’t seem like he came back like nothing happened.”

“Why is he covered in so much snow….”

Jo Gul clicked his tongue and reached out to brush the snow off Chung Myung’s body.

“Huh?”

“Martial Uncle. This isn’t snow, it’s just ice? He’s completely frozen.”

“What?”

Baek Cheon was startled and rushed to Chung Myung.

“You crazy bastard! What were you doing to come back in this state! Fireplace! Move him in front of the fireplace! Bring blankets!”

“Yes!”

The Mount Hua disciples hurriedly threw Chung Myung in front of the fireplace and wrapped him in layers of blankets.

Baek Cheon looked frustrated. He said, “I know you went to scout, but you should have just scouted and come back! Why did you have to cause so much trouble?”

Chung Myung coughed. “…Hey, Dong-ryong,” he said weakly. “I really tried to come back quietly, you know?”

“And?” Baek Cheon asked, waiting for an explanation.

“…Those guys called me a member of the Demonic Sect,” Chung Myung mumbled.

The other Mount Hua disciples nodded, understanding the insult.

“Calling someone from the Demonic Sect is too much,” one said.

“That’s a really bad insult,” another added.

“You should apologize to them, not us!”

Chung Myung tried to glare at them, but he was shivering so much he just looked cold and weak. He was no threat at all.

Jo Gul looked closely at Chung Myung. “Why are you so cold?” he asked. “It’s not even that cold in here.”

Chung Myung shivered, his teeth chattering. “The Ice Palace martial arts…” he mumbled, “…ugh, it always makes me like this.”

He sniffled and moved closer to the warm brazier. The heat seemed to help a little.

“The cold energy from their martial arts is meant to freeze you from the inside,” he explained, his voice shaking.

One disciple said sarcastically, “Wow, you’re really suffering for us.”

Chung Myung coughed, shivering harder. “…You guys are going to regret saying that,” he managed to say.

Baek Cheon sighed softly. “Are you really okay?” he asked, with real concern in his voice.

Chung Myung rolled his eyes. “Do I *look* okay?”

Chung Myung rolled his eyes and suddenly yelled, “Ugh! If I hadn’t been stupid enough to wear black clothes, I wouldn’t be like this! Why didn’t anyone stop me?”

“We *did* try to stop you, you idiot!” one of the disciples shouted back.

*Does he forget everything we say?* Baek Cheon thought, annoyed. *It’s like he completely forgets what happened just moments ago.*

“Ugh, so cold,” Chung Myung groaned, pulling the blankets tighter around himself and shivering. Baek Ah, the youngest, quickly snuggled under the blankets with him.

“…But seriously, are you really okay?” Baek Ah asked, his voice full of worry.

Now, everyone was looking at Chung Myung with real concern. Chung Myung sighed, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. He sat up straight, crossing his legs.

“This cold energy, or whatever it is, can’t beat me!” he declared. “I’ll get rid of it right now!” He closed his eyes, pretending to meditate.

Baek Cheon just shook his head, watching him. *Yeah, you’re something else, you idiot,* he thought fondly.

Morning light crept into the room. *Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!* Loud, urgent knocking on the door made the Mount Hua disciples jump awake from their deep sleep. They were exhausted from the day before.

“What’s going on?” someone mumbled, still half asleep.

“I’ll check!” Tang Soso said quickly, getting to her feet. She hurried to the door and peeked outside.

“What is it?” she asked.

Several men in armor stood there. The one in front was Song Won, the man who had chased Chung Myung yesterday.

Song Won looked at Tang Soso with cold eyes. “There was an intruder in the Ice Palace last night,” he said, his voice sharp and direct.

“Ah, we heard some noise outside. We wondered what it was,” Tang Soso replied calmly.

“Did anything unusual happen here?” Song Won asked, his eyes searching her face.

“No, nothing for us,” Tang Soso said. She kept her face blank, showing no emotion.

Song Won watched her carefully, but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“If it’s not too much trouble, we need to look inside,” he said.

“Are you suspecting *us*?” Tang Soso asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not necessarily,” Song Won said smoothly. “But we need to be sure. A very skilled thief might have gotten in anywhere.”

“…”

“Everyone in the Ice Palace is being checked,” Song Won continued. “Please cooperate.”

Tang Soso was about to argue about this obvious lie when Chung Myung’s voice came from behind her. “Let them in, Soso.”

Tang Soso opened the door wider, a small frown on her face. She stepped aside to let Song Won enter.

“Please, come in then,” she said, her voice polite but cool.

“Thank you,” Song Won said with a short nod. He walked into the room, his gaze sharp and like a knife as he quickly looked around.

“You look like you’re suffering,” Song Won said, his gaze fixed on Chung Myung, who was trying to act casual. A small, unpleasant smile twisted the corners of Song Won’s mouth as he saw Chung Myung wrapped in blankets.

“…You really do look cold.”

“Yes,” Chung Myung said innocently. “I’m very sensitive to the cold.”

“A martial artist who is sensitive to the cold…” Song Won repeated, a hint of mockery in his voice.

“The martial arts I learned are… unique,” Chung Myung replied.

“Is that so?” Song Won said, his smile becoming forced.

“Disciple,” he said, his voice now sharper.

“Yes?” Chung Myung answered.

“I need to see the hand that’s inside that blanket.”

“My hand?” Chung Myung asked, pretending to be confused.

“Yes. Just show it to me for a moment.”

“Why do you need to see my hand?”

“Don’t ask questions, just show it to me,” Song Won said, his patience wearing thin.

“I’m a little hesitant to show it if you don’t tell me why,” Chung Myung said with a shrug.

Song Won’s eyes narrowed, becoming colder. *This little…* he thought angrily. *Who does he think he is, acting like this?*

He knew these people were guests of the Palace Lord, but Song Won was starting to really dislike their attitude. His anger made his voice rougher.

“I just need to check if you have a wound on your hand.”

“A wound?” Chung Myung asked, still playing innocent.

“Yes,” Song Won said, his voice tight. “The intruder fought with the Palace Lord and took a powerful blow to the hand. He couldn’t have done that without getting hurt.”

He hadn’t really suspected them at first, but seeing this shivering martial artist was making him more and more suspicious.

“If you have nothing to hide, there’s no reason not to show me your hand, right? Isn’t that true?” Song Won pressed.

“Yes, well, that’s true,” Chung Myung said slowly. “But…” He grinned mischievously.

“I still don’t want to show it.”

“…”

Song Won was speechless for a moment, staring at Chung Myung in disbelief. *Is this guy making fun of me right now?* he thought, his anger rising. *Does he have any idea who he’s talking to, in the North Sea Ice Palace?*

“…Then that means you *do* have something to hide,” Song Won said, his voice dangerous now.

“Hey, it’s not like that!” Chung Myung protested, still grinning. “But since you’re clearly suspecting me, it’s not fair to just show you. So, let’s make a bet.”

“…A bet?” Song Won repeated, frowning deeply.

Chung Myung chuckled. “If I’m not the intruder, then you leave us alone to explore the Ice Palace. Simple, right?”

Song Won’s eyes, already sharp, became even more intense as he glared at Chung Myung.

“I can’t promise the entire Ice Palace,” Song Won said, his voice low and threatening. “But I will leave you alone. In fact, I can even guide you myself.”

“Not bad,” Chung Myung said, nodding. He finally pulled his hand out from under the blankets and held it out to Song Won.

“Satisfied?”

It was a smooth hand, without a single mark. But in that instant, Song Won suddenly grabbed Chung Myung’s hand with lightning speed.

“What—!” The Mount Hua disciples, shocked, reached for their swords.