“I want to say…”

Not only Hanseol but also Geom Mugeuk wondered what Ian’s answer would be. Her stepping forward was not something planned in advance.

Ian calmly conveyed her sincerity.

“Please try trusting our Little Pill Master once.”

Surprise flashed briefly across Hanseol’s normally impassive face. She really hadn’t expected a subordinate of the Little Pill Master to say such a thing.

“I know this is a situation where trust is hard to come by.”

“Then why say such a thing?”

In response to Hanseol’s cold question, Ian answered gently.

“Because in this world, there is something that transcends all of that.”

From beginning to end, her answer was beyond Hanseol’s expectations.

Her gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.

“Are you saying that transcendent being is the Little Pill Master?”

“Yes. It might sound like the words of a madwoman to the Little Palace Master.”

Hanseol, who had been looking at Ian, then stared at Geom Mugeuk with a look that said, “Well, you explain this madwoman.”

Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not the type to follow such intentions meekly.

“I receive such respect from my subordinates.”

Hanseol pierced Geom Mugeuk with a glaring look.

She had never believed the myths in Geom Mugeuk’s rumors. But after hearing Ian’s words, her doubt hardened into certainty.

‘Maybe it really is fabricated.’

Otherwise, a subordinate would never say that their master is a ‘transcendent being’ and that they should believe in him. She must have been brainwashed, ordered, or truly mad. Whatever the case, it did not fit the image of a great hero who was changing the martial world’s balance.

“The beginning is hard. Once you get used to it, anything becomes easy, right? So Little Palace Master, just dive right in!”

Geom Mugeuk’s gaze shifted to Ian.

“Just like that child right now.”

Ian bowed her head deeply. Because someone said that no matter what she does, that’s why she could cause such trouble.

Gathering courage, Ian spoke once more.

“Believe in the Little Pill Master. You won’t regret it.”

Hanseol scoffed coldly, then said goodbye to Geom Mugeuk and turned away.

“I’ll contact you again.”

After she left, Ian sighed.

“I ruined everything, didn’t I?”

“That was a bit too transcendent.”

“I didn’t mean to say that. I don’t know why I wanted to help that cold person.”

Weren’t you the one who came all the way here after drinking a glass of water and hearing a story?

Geom Mugeuk already knew the answer.

Ian found the answer in the surrounding scenery.

She hadn’t noticed anything around her while dealing with the North Blood Sect, but after meeting Geom Mugeuk, she began to see the landscape.

“Maybe it’s because the snowy scenery I saw after a long time was so beautiful.”

“The Little Pill Master has made a new proposal.”

Hanseol acted differently from what she had said to Geom Mugeuk.

“She asked to stay briefly at our palace in exchange for returning the North Blood Sect leader’s child. And I accepted that proposal.”

Though Hanseol told Geom Mugeuk she would discuss it with Binggungju, she spoke as if informing him she had her mother’s approval. It wasn’t because she believed Ian’s words urging trust in Geom Mugeuk.

She was curious about her mother’s reaction. What would her mother do if she decided independently?

She expected anger or coldness, but to her surprise, Binggungju was calm.

When Hanseol asked why, Binggungju’s gaze said it all.

“Saving the North Blood Sect leader’s child is the priority.”

“No, tell me the real reason you accepted. That’s not the first reason, is it?”

That was true. It was her mother who had made a secret pact with the North Blood Sect leader. There was a reason more important than the fate of those captured.

“I wanted to check.”

“Check what?”

“How my mother would react to my unilateral decision.”

But she gave another reason.

“The Little Pill Master I saw was different from the rumors. So I wanted to see closely and confirm if he really was such a great person. And…”

Besides wanting to prove that the false rumors wouldn’t work, there was another reason.

“If the original lord was really murdered as they say, wouldn’t you be curious? Who killed that person?”

Binggungju silently gazed at her daughter. She could have said something but did not.

“Handle this matter as you see fit.”

“Thank you, Palace Master.”

Hanseol bowed respectfully and left the palace.

Binggungju walked to the window and looked outside. The snowy view of Binggung was the same as yesterday, but today she looked with a different mind.

Yangil, who was listening at the iron gate, sighed.

The person who had been in the front room was taken away and had not returned.

The Im clan member who had been with him was also taken away several days ago and had not returned. They did not seem to be resting in a clean and comfortable place. If they had, they would not have been locked up in this gloomy prison-like place.

“Hyun-ah, Min-ah.”

Tears welled up in Yangil’s eyes. He had never shed tears in his life.

He missed his children so much.

When they were together, he hadn’t realized it, but now, thinking he might never see them again, his mind kept picturing their faces.

His worried wife was probably unable to sleep at night by now.

When they were taken, they smiled, but they were not even allowed to send a letter to say they arrived safely.

The reason they came here was supposedly to test a newly developed medicine by a famous doctor. People were gathered at the village’s largest clinic and underwent various tests. They were paid several days’ wages just for being tested, so many came.

Among the villagers, only he and the Im clan member had the constitution the experimenters wanted.

They said if they cooperated for two or three months, they would receive a large sum of money. The amount was what it would take several years of work to earn now.

His wife warned it was dangerous. His body might be harmed, and the large payment was suspicious. Besides, they were outsiders.

But after much thought, Yangil decided to go.

Some people wanted to go but couldn’t because their constitution didn’t fit.

Moreover, the examiners were very polite and honest. They even said the experiments might harm their health. That made him trust them more.

He and his wife worked hard but never saved much money. When he saved some, something came up. When he saved more, more expenses arose.

If he got a lump sum, he planned to open a small shop. Though he had lived a rough and hard life, he didn’t want his children to live like that.

Could the kids endure the hardships he had? His wife told him to trust the children, but Yangil could not. He did not want to put them through that hardship. Just a small shop for the four of them to live on! Please!

But after leaving home, he sensed something was wrong.

The people who took them were not those from the clinic but martial artists with swords.

They were taken not to the clinic but all the way to the North Sea, locked in a secret mountain lodge. They weren’t allowed outside, or even to step outside the door. Recently, they had been moved to a place designed like a prison.

‘I should have listened to my wife.’

At that moment, a martial artist opened the iron door and entered.

“Let’s go.”

Yangil’s heart sank. His turn had finally come.

His heart started pounding wildly.

“Am I going to die now? I can’t die like this.”

Should he try to surprise and run away from this martial artist? Or headbutt him?

But even an ordinary person couldn’t do that easily, and this was a martial artist. Though his body was hardened by labor, he couldn’t fight a martial artist.

Yangil was dragged out.

Walking down the hallway, he felt no gazes. Normally, there would be people in the front and side rooms, but those taken away never returned.

‘I’m the last one!’

The place they were taken to was filled with all kinds of unknown items. A strange medicinal smell he had never experienced before filled the room.

In the center was a jade bed.

The martial artist who brought him said,

“Take off your clothes and lie on the bed. Take everything off.”

When Yangil hesitated, the martial artist glared coldly, making no second request.

Under the sharp pressure, Yangil took off his clothes. His instinct screamed to attack and flee, but his gentle nature was no match for that.

He had built houses, made roads, built embankments, and lived a harsh life, but he had never struck anyone.

Yangil lay on the bed. It was much colder than he expected. The martial artist tied his arms and legs to leather straps connected to the bed.

When he was ready, the door opened and four people entered.

A middle-aged man in blue robes and three martial artists escorting him. One wore a mask, his eyes even sharper than the blue-robed man’s.

The middle-aged man approached and looked down at Yangil. His gaze was colder than the chill emanating from the bed.

Yangil prayed fervently. He didn’t know what test was coming but hoped he was suitable.

‘Please just let me live!’

The middle-aged man began the test.

Manipulating something under the bed, the bed grew even colder.

“Uuuuuuh!”

The cold was so intense that groans escaped involuntarily. He felt like he would freeze to death.

“Please save me!”

Yangil pleaded, but the man said coldly,

“Among the thousand born with the Frozen Cold Body, if you are the Extreme Cold Body, you will survive.”

Yangil despaired. That meant unless he was the one in a thousand, he would die.

Then, the middle-aged man sniffed.

“What is that smell?”

A small hole in the iron door let the smell in.

“The smell of alcohol.”

The middle-aged man’s expression instantly hardened.

“What kind of fool drinks alcohol in broad daylight?”

One of the three martial artists went outside.

“I’ll check.”

The martial artist opened the door and looked down the hallway, surprised to ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) see mist there.

‘What is this?’

There shouldn’t be fog indoors.

Sensing some unknown danger, the martial artist drew his sword.

Suddenly, the mist surged inward. The smell of alcohol was coming from the mist.

‘Alcohol scent in the fog? Then this is!’

It was the aura of liquor.

Even those weak to alcohol, or even those strong, would feel dizzy from this energy. It was like a dam holding alcohol broke and the flood flowed knee-high, such was the strong aura.

Without time to react, a fist shot out from the mist.

The martial artist was lightly tapped, flew into the wall, and lost consciousness.

The figure emerging from the mist was none other than Chwima.

His aura swirled around him like a protective shield. It looked like ordinary mist now, but it was actually Chwima’s aura that could change form at will.

He opened the door where the martial artist had exited and entered.

Swoosh—

Another martial artist sensed the unusual situation outside and slashed at Chwima.

Chwima easily dodged and lightly struck the martial artist’s neck with a blade hand. The martial artist collapsed and did not get up.

Swirling like heat haze, the misty aura gathered around Chwima, enveloping him.

The middle-aged man in blue robes looked at Chwima in shock. His two subordinates weren’t defeated so easily. That meant Chwima’s martial arts were truly strong.

But he had not given up yet. Among the three martial artists, the true expert was the masked one.

Chwima glanced at the other two, then looked over at Yangil lying on the bed. Frozen cold, he looked like he might die at any moment.

Though Chwima’s back was turned, the masked man did not dare attack, feeling the aura around Chwima watching him.

Chwima untied the leather straps binding Yangil’s limbs, then took his wrist. As hot energy flowed into him, Yangil exhaled calmly and regained consciousness.

Despite checking their strength, the middle-aged man quietly warned,

“Do you know who we are? If you retreat now, you may keep your life.”

Then Chwima calmly revealed his identity. Since the North Sea Binggung knew about the Demon Sect’s involvement, there was no need to hide.

“I am Chwima.”

“!”

The middle-aged man froze and paled. The masked man’s expression stiffened as well.

“Why are you here?”

If it were not for one subordinate who had just been shown, or a state of absolute defense allowing no openings, he would never have believed it.

But Chwima was certain. The subtle yet deep aura and scent around him could not be faked by anyone else.

Beyond all that, this man emanated an unapproachable presence.

Yangil was as surprised as the others.

Is this really the famous Demon Sect’s Eight Demon Lord, Chwima? Who in the world doesn’t know them? There were even rumors that if children cried, the Demon would come and take them away.

“Is there someone named Yangil among those taken?”

When Chwima asked, Yangil was startled.

“I am Yangil. It’s me.”

He had never personally interacted with any third-rate martial artists, yet the Demon was looking for him. How did he know his name?

“Good. Rescuing you was our purpose.”

Yangil could not understand this situation at all.

‘The Demon came to rescue me?’

It felt like a dream. He looked down at the bed.

‘Ah, am I dreaming just before death?’

He thought maybe he was freezing to death on the bed and dreaming his last dream.

But it felt too vivid to be a dream or hallucination. The bed was still cold enough to chill his backside.

“You came to save me? Why would a noble person come for me?”

Yangil’s voice trembled. He had come for another matter but ended up being saved himself.

Then an astonishing answer came from Chwima’s lips. It was probably the most surprising thing Yangil had ever heard.

“Your wife asked me. She requested I bring her husband home.”

“!”

Yangil’s eyes went wide in shock. How could his wife ask the Demon for such a favor?

“My wife? She’s never even been outside the village since we married…”

He shook his head. Such a thing could not be.

‘Ah, I’m already dead. Thanks for saving me even if just in a dream. Take good care of the kids and live well. Sorry I couldn’t stay with you till the end.’

Even as this dreamlike reality continued.

“My nerves are a bit sensitive because I haven’t drunk.”

Chwima placed the ice wine from the lord of the territory into his blood vessel but had not drunk it yet. When he killed the person who murdered her, he planned to drink it then, to share the moment of revenge with her.

“Is it more dangerous when I drink? Or when I don’t?”