Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 487

Seol Cheon-sang stood at a tall window, high in the Ice Palace, gazing down with a steady look. The glass was cold.

The Ice Palace had strong walls all around it. It was like a fortress that nature made. No enemy could easily attack it.

But Seol Cheon-sang was more interested in how cut off the Ice Palace was from the outside world.

“Hmm.”

He knew little about the world outside the walls. But inside, the people of the Northern Sea praised the Ice Palace.

He gave the prisoners benefits for their work, and they became his supporters, making him even more powerful.

He wanted to create a perfect kingdom. A kingdom where he was powerful and everyone obeyed him. He thought the Ice Palace could be that place.

Seol Cheon-sang whispered the word.

“…Brother.”

A cold smile spread across his face.

“You are too soft,” he thought. “You could never imagine something like this.”

He believed he was born to be a true king.

His brother didn’t understand that.

Seol Cheon-sang planned to build a kingdom that would last a thousand years, with the Ice Palace at its center.

To do that…

Suddenly, Seol Cheon-sang turned around, his face twisting in anger.

“…This is too rude.”

Something moved in the shadows. It was like the darkness itself was taking shape. A figure as black as pitch slowly appeared.

Seol Cheon-sang spat out the words.

“This is *my* Ice Palace! How dare you come into my room like this? Do you want to die?”

A voice, cold as ice, came from the shadows.

“Die?” the figure chuckled softly. He stepped out of the darkness, and Seol Cheon-sang could see him clearly for the first time. He was dressed all in black, and his eyes glowed red in the dim light.

“Death means nothing to us,” the man said. “The cult does not fear it.”

“…”

Seol Cheon-sang’s eyebrows twitched with anger.

He was irritated because he knew the man wasn’t just bragging. These people were extremely devoted to their beliefs and could face death with a smile.

“Your report is late, Ice Palace Lord,” the man said.

“Outsiders have arrived. Surely you know about them?” Seol Cheon-sang asked.

“That is no excuse.”

“…”

Crimson light glowed in the eyes of the man, the Law Enforcer of the cult.

“The Bishop is angry because the Ice Essence is not being delivered fast enough.”

Seol Cheon-sang flinched at the word ‘Bishop.’

‘Bishop…’ he thought, remembering the leader of the cult. It sent shivers down his spine.

The other members of the Demonic Cult were also unsettling, but the Bishop was on a different level.

“As I said…” Seol Cheon-sang sighed.

“We can’t mine Ice Essence just because we want to. I can’t control how much we get.”

“So?”

“…”

Seol Cheon-sang glared at the Law Enforcer, but the man didn’t flinch.

“Don’t be mistaken, Ice Palace Lord. That’s just your problem. The Bishop wants Ice Essence, and that’s all that matters.”

‘…Damn it,’ Seol Cheon-sang thought, biting his lip to control his anger.

Joining the Demonic Cult wasn’t his first choice. If he hadn’t, he would still be a minor figure, controlled by the previous Palace Lord.

He couldn’t stand a life where he couldn’t reach for the top.

He knew there would be downsides to working with the Demonic Cult, but for him, the benefits outweighed the costs.

But now, the price he had to pay felt too high.

“Don’t forget, Ice Palace Lord,” the Law Enforcer said, his eyes gleaming with madness in the darkness.

“We gave you everything you wanted. We supported you, even though you weren’t one of us, because we needed something from you.”

The Law Enforcer slowly licked his lips with a red tongue that looked like a snake’s.

“If you can’t do what we need, we’ll have to change our plans.”

“…That won’t happen.”

“I hope not,” the Law Enforcer said, watching the Ice Palace Lord quietly. He then stepped back into the shadows.

“Don’t forget. The Bishop is angry. If you make him angrier, you’ll wish you were dead.”

“…”

“If you don’t want to suffer more than you can handle, you’d better work harder.”

The man vanished into the darkness as if he had never been there.

Seol Cheon-sang stared at the spot, clenched his teeth, and raised his fist.

Wham!

A marble table shattered into pieces.

“…Damn bastards…” he breathed heavily.

The Demonic Cult. They had once tried to destroy the Northern Ice Palace.

He had accepted them, knowing it was like drinking poison. Even if he became addicted, he had something he needed to achieve.

But the poison was stronger than he thought, and it was slowly destroying him.

“…Don’t think I’ll always do what you want.”

Seol Cheon-sang’s eyes flashed with a cold light.

Bang Pyo, the Ice Palace Elder in charge of the Ice Essence Mine, looked at the people in front of him in confusion.

“So…” he said with a laugh, “you’re asking how much Ice Essence you need to mine so these people can rest?”

“Yes,” Cheong-myeong replied.

Bang Pyo stared at the Taoist from the Central Plains, who stood with a relaxed posture, and then looked at Song Won.

Song Won avoided his gaze, as if he had nothing to add.

‘These young ones are too bold,’ Bang Pyo thought.

It was easy to explain how hard it was to mine Ice Essence. He didn’t even need to say it. Just showing them the graveyard where miners were buried would be enough to scare them.

But Bang Pyo didn’t want to persuade them.

‘The Palace Lord told me to keep them here as long as possible,’ he remembered.

He had been wondering what to do, and now, a funny excuse had appeared.

“Ten would do,” Bang Pyo said.

“Ten? Just ten?” Cheong-myeong asked.

Bang Pyo laughed.

“Listen here, young Taoist from the Central Plains.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know how many Ice Essence stones we’ve mined this year?”

“Of course not.”

“…”

Bang Pyo’s eyebrows twitched at the brazen answer.

“From spring to winter, we’ve barely mined twenty stones. That means we get less than one stone every fifteen days.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Bang Pyo chuckled.

“If you mine ten Ice Essence stones, I’ll let them rest as much as you want. I’ll even bring them good food and wine.”

His eyes flashed coldly.

“But!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the valley.

“If you’re a man, you have to keep your word. If you want to bet with me, you have to agree to keep working here until you mine more than five Ice Essence stones.”

“Hmm…”

“What do you say? Do you have the courage?”

Most people would have given up at this point.

But the one standing before him now was no ordinary person.

“What’s so great about that that you need courage?”

“⋯⋯.”

Bang Pyo looked confused when he heard Chung Myung’s answer.

‘Is he stupid?’ Bang Pyo wondered.

Even after explaining it so kindly, does he not understand what I’m saying at all?

“⋯⋯You’re going to do it?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Ah, you’re so naggy.”

Seeing Bang Pyo’s face gradually turning red, Yoon Jong whispered to Baek Cheon from behind.

“Shouldn’t we stop him?”

“Who? That Elder?”

“⋯⋯Chung Myung.”

“Hehe. That’s a funny thought, Yoon Jong. You’re joking a lot today.”

“Amitabha. I didn’t know Yoon Jong was so funny.”

“⋯⋯.”

Well, yes.

If he could be stopped, he wouldn’t be Chung Myung. He’d be something else wearing Chung Myung’s mask.

Baek Cheon glanced at Chung Myung’s back and shook his head.

“He must have a plan.”

“⋯⋯Do you really think so?”

“We have to believe so. It makes the heart more comfortable.”

“⋯⋯.”

Yoon Jong thought Baek Cheon has become very reckless these days.

“So, we just need to dig up ten, right?”

“That’s right.”

Chung Myung grinned.

“Don’t forget. The Palace Lord promised. We can buy all the Ice Crystals we dig up at half price.”

“If the Palace Lord said so, of course, we must keep it.”

Bang Pyo nodded readily.

From a short distance away, the laborers watched them. Their eyes were tired and dull, like the light had gone out of them. They wore ragged clothes and moved slowly, their faces etched with lines of hardship. They looked at the young men from Mount Hua with a pity that was heavy and silent.

“⋯⋯What are they trying to do?”

“Those young people⋯⋯.”

As prisoners who knew how hard it was to live as a laborer here, they couldn’t help but feel sorry for those who were walking into hell with their own feet.

If they dig up the Ice Crystals, they will be given a break, but how easy would that be? If it were that easy, no one would be suffering like this.

“⋯⋯Even the others in the Northern Sea treat us as if we don’t exist, so why would those people from the Central Plains⋯⋯.”

It was something they couldn’t understand at all.

“Don’t forget the promise.”

“You shouldn’t forget the promise either.”

Chung Myung, who had repeatedly urged them until the very end, grinned and turned around. Then he trudged towards the group.

“⋯⋯Chung Myung-ah.”

“Huh?”

“What are you going to do?”

At Baek Cheon’s question, Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“What am I going to do? Just dig them up.”

Baek Cheon was about to say something to that reckless remark, but someone suddenly interrupted.

“Isn’t it just about digging?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Yoon Jong, who had spoken.

“If it’s hard to find one even after digging for ten days, then why not just dig for a hundred days’ worth? Frankly, it sounds a bit silly to say this, but digging, cracking, and ramming are specialties of Mount Hua.”

Everyone lost their words and clutched their heads.

Yoon Jong is getting carried away again, isn’t he?

Yoon Jong’s eyes looked different, like he was really focused on helping the prisoners.

Baek Cheon let out a heavy sigh.

‘But I understand.’

At least⋯⋯ they didn’t seem evil.

As much as he could guess why they were being treated as criminals here, he couldn’t help but sympathize with Yoon Jong’s heart.

Besides, they were sending pitiful glances towards them even while doing their labor.

Baek Cheon finally nodded firmly.

“Okay. Well, we’ll figure it out as we go.”

Hae Yeon also clasped his hands together and shone his serious eyes.

“Amitabha. Now that it has come to this, I will properly use my strength.”

“I’ll help too!”

When Tang Soso clenched her fist with a face full of enthusiasm, Jo Gul also added a word with a sullen face.

“Well, it can’t be harder than pulling a cart all the way to the Northern Sea, right? If they tell us to dig, we just dig.”

At that time when the disciples of Mount Hua were encouraging each other’s enthusiasm, Chung Myung slightly frowned.

“No, why are you all so ignorant?”

“⋯⋯.”

Huh?

When everyone looked at him with puzzled faces, Chung Myung clicked his tongue.

“If something happens, you have to use your brain to find a way to solve it. Does it solve anything by just ramming and cracking it? Tsk tsk tsk.”

Then everyone glared and shouted.

“Is that something you should be saying? You?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, you bastard!”

“Who are we in this situation because of!”

Complaints poured out, but Chung Myung neatly ignored them.

“⋯⋯What are you going to do?”

Yoo Iseol, who was still maintaining her composure, asked. Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“Just find where it is and dig there.”

“There’s too much strange energy here. It’s hard to find them.”

“That’s usually the case.”

“⋯⋯Then?”

Chung Myung smiled slyly and said confidently.

“I’m not ordinary, you see.”

“⋯⋯.”

He’s so annoying.

Yoo Iseol, whose forehead momentarily bulged with veins, calmed her mind and asked.

“Will you find it?”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung, who nodded and pondered slightly, pointed downwards with his chin.

“If I find it, digging won’t be a problem, right?”

Baek Cheon smiled brightly and answered.

“Chung Myung-ah.”

“Huh?”

“We can now flatten mountains.”

“⋯⋯.”

That’s really reassuring.

Chung Myung, who nodded, walked forward. Then he knelt down in that spot, placed his hand on the ground, and closed his eyes.

What?

You can’t explore where the Ice Crystals are because it’s full of Yin energy?

‘That’s what you guys think.’

The damn inner force.

It’s useless for anything else, but it’s useful in times like this.

His inner force is purification made by gathering only the clearest energy in the world. Even when circulating energy, the amount of energy that can be absorbed is less than a spoonful from a wide lake.

‘Ice Crystals are also the purification of Yin energy gathered to the extreme.’

Those who resemble each other are drawn to each other.

Even if others don’t, he will be able to find it.

No! He can find it.

The energy that stretched out from Chung Myung’s fingertips seeped into the ground.

And slowly, very slowly, it began to spread throughout the entire valley.