Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 189

Nine Dragons Chronicle (189)

Hwa-Rin had a private meeting with the woman he met at the Orchid Pavilion, while Hyuk Ji-Seok and the two men escorting her dined in the next room.

“So, you’re saying that Lady Seo-Un is the Vice Palace Lord of the Ice Palace?”

“That is correct, Lord Myung.”

Hwa-Rin looked at Seo-Un and recalled the Vice Palace Lord from his memories.

He could see some resemblance to the Vice Palace Lord from back then in Seo-Un’s current appearance, but there was one crucial difference.

“When I went to the Ice Palace on business, I remember the Vice Palace Lord being younger. And it was a boy, not a girl.”

He told Seo-Un that his memory wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t remember something from six years ago.

“I was disguised as a man back then. That ‘little thing’ has grown up so much in six years and is now sitting before Lord Myung.”

Seo-Un took out a letter from her bosom and handed it to Hwa-Rin.

“My mother told me to give this to you when I met you, Lord Myung.”

Hwa-Rin accepted the letter, took out the paper inside, and read it.

“Hmm…”

After reading the letter, Hwa-Rin wore a troubled expression for a moment.

“This is a very important matter for the Ice Palace. Considering the relationship between the Ice Palace, Lord Myung, and the Central Plains, I hope you will step forward and help.”

“Is your mother well?”

Hwa-Rin avoided answering and asked about her mother’s well-being. She nodded in response.

“After resolving the matter from six years ago, she is working hard to unite the palace. Her passion is so strong that I worry about her health, but it’s what she wants to do, so I’m just watching over her.”

“That’s a relief. If I grant the Ice Palace’s wish, what can the Ice Palace do for me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t think I would act without compensation, did you?”

“Ah, my mother said that she would grant you anything you desire within the realm of what the Ice Palace can accommodate.”

Hwa-Rin nodded.

“Is there anything you need?”

“There are those White Bears in the lands of the Northern Sea.”

“Yes, they are known for being fierce.”

“Their hides sell for quite a high price in the Central Plains.”

Seo-Un was also aware of this fact.

“I want to obtain their hides. I don’t need much, just about ten whole hides per year consistently. If you can provide that, I will help the Ice Palace.”

“You only need ten whole White Bear hides?”

Even though White Bears were fierce, obtaining ten hides a year was an easy task for the Ice Palace, hardly even a chore.

“That’s right. Until either the Ice Palace or the Nine Dragons Clan disappears, continue to provide about ten White Bear hides per year through trade, and that will be enough.”

“Understood. That’s something I can do with my authority as the Vice Palace Lord, so I will do so.”

Since it wasn’t a loss for the Ice Palace, Seo-Un agreed on the spot.

“If you recover the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art, do you plan to master it, Vice Palace Lord?”

The Ice Jade Hand Divine Art was the supreme martial art of the Ice Palace. Long ago, after the Palace Lord of the Ice Palace disappeared with the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art, it was thought to be lost. But upon hearing rumors that the Minor Hand Divine Art had appeared in the Central Plains, they immediately sent people to recover the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art.

Fortunately for the Ice Palace, there was someone with ties to them in the Central Plains. They went to find him through the Fierce Tiger Death Squad, but after hearing news that the squad had been annihilated, they were wondering what to do when they heard about Hwa-Rin and came to the Nine Dragons Inn.

“I would love to master it, but the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art is not suitable for me.”

“Is it because you have the Fire Yang Body, Vice Palace Lord?”

Seo-Un looked at Hwa-Rin with a gaze that asked how he knew that fact.

“I could see the energy flickering in your eyes from time to time. And using mind reading on just anyone isn’t a good habit. You might get hit back.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Seo-Un hurriedly lowered her head.

“To master the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art, you must be born with a unique constitution.”

Hwa-Rin spoke about the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art.

“I know. I heard that you must be born with a constitution like the Seven Yin Severed Meridians or the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

“That’s what most people know. But that’s only half the story.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“Do you know where the power of the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art comes from?”

“That’s…”

“It’s the Ice Crystal, known as the treasure of the Northern Sea.”

Seo-Un looked at Hwa-Rin.

She was curious about Hwa-Rin, who seemed to know more about the Ice Palace than she did.

From Hwa-Rin’s perspective, he had to thoroughly understand and be familiar with everything about the Ice Palace when he went on the operation six years ago, so he couldn’t help but know a lot about the Ice Palace.

He was well-versed not only in the Ice Palace but also in the forces he encountered in the operations he was involved in.

“But to absorb this Ice Crystal, you must have a unique constitution.”

“Are you talking about the Cold Yin Body?”

Hwa-Rin shook his head.

“It must be the Extreme Yang Body, that is, the Solar Body, or Lady Seo-Un’s Fire Yang Body.”

“Ah…”

“To put it simply, extremes meet. If the Ice Crystal meets a Cold Yin Body, it will absorb the energy of the Cold Yin Body in an instant. In that case, the owner of the Cold Yin Body will live as a slave to the Ice Crystal.”

“Does that really happen?”

Seo-Un was hearing this for the first time and was confused about whether it was true or not.

“When you return later and ask your mother, you will know that what I said is not wrong.”

“Then can I also master the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art?”

“That’s right. In your case, it’s only possible after absorbing the Ice Crystal, as I said earlier.”

“Ah, the Ice Crystal…”

The Ice Crystal was the foundation of the Ice Palace’s energy. There was only one left in the Ice Palace now, so if she absorbed the Ice Crystal, the Ice Palace would slowly melt away over ten or twenty years. Seo-Un let out a small sigh as if she was disappointed.

Seeing her disappointed appearance, Hwa-Rin knew that she resembled her mother very much.

“Vice Palace Lord.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to make a deal with me?”

“A deal?”

Seo-Un looked at Hwa-Rin with a puzzled look at the sudden mention of a deal.

“If you become the Palace Lord of the Ice Palace, please grant our Nine Dragons Clan exclusive development rights to develop the Northern Sea.”

“Exclusive rights to develop the Northern Sea?”

“That’s right. The Northern Sea is also a place where people live, so roads must be built, buildings must be constructed, and land must be reclaimed, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If you allow our Nine Dragons Clan to do that, I can help you.”

“Are you saying you can help me become the Palace Lord? I can become the Palace Lord without your help.”

Hwa-Rin smiled brightly.

“That’s only if the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art is not in the hands of the Ice Palace. If the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art enters the hands of the Ice Palace, and you cannot master it, will the Palace Lord and the elders still choose you?”

Seo-Un couldn’t answer.

“And will the five families that are the foundation of the Northern Sea Ice Palace be favorable to you?”

After listening to Hwa-Rin’s words, she realized that if she found the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art and returned to the Ice Palace, it would be a joyous day for the Ice Palace, but it wouldn’t be so good for her.

“Hmm…”

“How can you help me become the Palace Lord? Are you saying you’ll even find the Ice Crystal you mentioned earlier?”

“There’s no reason why I can’t.”

Seo-Un’s eyes widened.

“What will you do? Will you make a deal with me?”

Seo-Un thought about her own interests and the interests of the Ice Palace.

Even if the Nine Dragons Clan developed the Northern Sea, it didn’t seem like it would be a loss for the Ice Palace.

“But what if I don’t keep my promise?”

Hwa-Rin smiled brightly and said,

“What did you call me when you called me, Vice Palace Lord?”

“Lord Myung…”

“You will remember what I did to the Northern Sea Ice Palace. Can you break a promise you made with me?”

Seo-Un couldn’t answer. That’s how frightening the existence before her was.

“Okay. Let’s do that. I’m telling you clearly, you have to work hard to help me become the Ice Palace Lord.”

Hwa-Rin nodded at Seo-Un, who spoke boldly. Then, Hwa-Rin took something out of thin air.

“Let’s draw up a contract.”

Hwa-Rin specified the promises between Seo-Un and himself in a contract and documented it.

The two people stamped their seals on the contract and each took a copy.

Hwa-Rin threw the contract into the space, and it was sucked in as if the space had absorbed it.

“Then this is to fulfill the request from the current Ice Palace Lord.”

Hwa-Rin took out an old book from the air and gave it to Seo-Un.

“What is this…”

Seo-Un’s eyes widened as much as they could.

“How is this in Lord Myung’s hands…”

“It was a coincidence. I thought it was a place to die, but I gained an unexpected opportunity.”

Hwa-Rin took out one more thing from the air, a small box with cold air flowing out of it.

“This is for the promise with the future Ice Palace Lord.”

In an instant, Seo-Un knew that what was in the box was the Ice Crystal.

“How…”

Hwa-Rin smiled at Seo-Un, who couldn’t stop repeating “how.” He thought that the treasures of the Ice Palace had returned to their original owner.

“May I make one more suggestion?”

“What suggestion?”

“I will help you absorb the Ice Crystal and master the Ice Jade Hand Divine Art.”

“Really?”

“So, when you return to the Ice Palace in a month…”

* * *

Inside an unnamed cave, cold air was flowing out. The deeper you went, the more severe the cold became, and the temperature dropped sharply to the point where frost formed and ice froze.

Inside the cave, a man and a woman were sitting cross-legged: Hwa-Rin and Seo-Un.

The two had made a deal to help each other, and Hwa-Rin was helping Seo-Un absorb the Ice Crystal first.

The Ice Crystal was absorbed into Seo-Un’s body, and Hwa-Rin controlled the energy of the Ice Crystal with his own energy. His body was soaked with sweat.

-Raise the energy of the dantian [energy center] and guide it in the opposite direction of the Ice Crystal’s energy…

Hwa-Rin used mind-seeding, which could be directly transmitted to Seo-Un’s brain rather than her ears, to help her develop the power to resist the Ice Crystal using her constitution and energy.

Following Hwa-Rin’s words, Seo-Un moved her energy to Yongcheon Blood [a specific acupuncture point], which was the opposite of the Ice Crystal’s energy, and then moved it to break through the blood and meridians corresponding to the Eight Extraordinary Meridians [energy pathways in the body].

‘Ugh!’

The Ice Crystal, which had been absorbed into Seo-Un’s body, reacted as if it were a living creature when Seo-Un’s Fire Yang Body energy moved.

As a result, pain came to her body, but it was not unbearable.

Seo-Un gritted her teeth and endured, and Hwa-Rin helped her from behind.

‘Just before the two energies collide, I accept the two energies with my energy. Then, I move the two energies into my body to weaken the power of the Ice Crystal and move it back into Seo-Un’s body.’

Hwa-Rin thought that if the two energies collided in Seo-Un’s body, Seo-Un would not be able to withstand the shock, so he came up with this method.

Seo-Un’s energy rose from Yongcheon, and the Ice Crystal’s energy descended from Baekhwe [another acupuncture point]. They traveled through the blood and meridians, increasing their power, and rushed towards Myeongmun [another acupuncture point] without hesitation, where the two energies met.

Hwa-Rin placed his hand on Seo-Un’s Myeongmun blood.

‘In the process, it will also help me.’