It was a liquor cup that felt both splendid and mysterious.

The pure white cup was decorated to resemble the moon hanging over a snowy field. When gazing quietly at the cup, it felt as if one was standing alone in a white snowfield beneath the moonlight.

A crescent moon resting on one side of the cup served as a handle, so it could even be carried attached to the waist.

But what made this cup special wasn’t its appearance.

“Do you know what kind of cup this is?”

Binggung truly hadn’t expected Geom Mugeuk to choose this cup.

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a sacred cup in the Northern Sea Binggung. Isn’t this that cup?”

“You saw it correctly.”

She explained about the cup.

The Binggung Holy Grail.

At first glance, it looked like it was made of pure white porcelain, but the cup was actually made of metal. This specially alloyed cup was known to be incredibly light yet absolutely unbreakable and unbendable.

The important thing was the cup’s effects.

Because the cup itself had a cold nature, it allowed one to drink cool alcohol even in midsummer. It was also said that drinking from this cup enhanced one’s inner energy (naegong) and had a nourishing effect on the body.

Of course, the amount of inner energy gained was not greater than that gained by the usual breathing meditation over the same time, so drinking alcohol for the sake of increasing inner energy at the expense of one’s health was considered foolish.

Except for one person in this martial world.

For Chimma, who was constantly drinking at every moment, this cup held definite great significance.

Moreover, there was only one such cup in the world with these effects, and it could be obtained only here at Binggung Bogo.

For someone who loved alcohol more than life itself and would drink all their life, this cup would be the greatest gift.

“Are you really going to choose this?”

Geom Mugeuk smiled as he answered.

“I think Chimma will like this cup more than the Eternal Snow Herb.”

Binggung did not ask further. There were too many precious items here to choose gifts for others. She looked at the splendid protective armor displayed in the air on the opposite side and said,

“That Bingho Armor could save your life. There’s also an elixir that grants more inner energy than the Eternal Snow Herb, though not as much as the Mangeuk Ice Crystal you took earlier.”

“I’m fine.”

When Binggung realized Geom Mugeuk had settled his mind on the cup, she did not push anything else.

She reached out her hand, and the ice brick holding the cup flew toward her.

Using her unique inner energy, Binggung easily melted the ice. An ordinary master using Yang energy would have had to use much more inner energy than this to melt such special ice.

The freed Binggung Holy Grail revealed a mysterious aura.

Like a snowy wind blowing over a snowfield, pure white energy rippled around the cup. Just by looking, its preciousness was evident—this was a cup no ordinary person could carry around. Countless people would try to snatch it away many times a day.

“Here, take it.”

Binggung handed the cup to Geom Mugeuk.

Carefully accepting the cup, Geom Mugeuk placed it on his palm and admired it.

“A truly magnificent cup.”

He was genuinely happy at the thought of gifting it to Chimma.

Binggung sensed it—at this moment, Geom Mugeuk was truly joyfully pure like a boy.

‘The rumors were all true.’

When she first heard that Geom Mugeuk had taken control of the Palmazon, she was half in doubt.

What kind of people are the Palmazon that he could control them all?

Surely not everyone would follow sincerely; some might only pretend to ally. The Palmazon were not easy people for a young successor to handle.

But seeing this now, her doubts disappeared.

If such a precious gift could be given with such joy, the word “control” didn’t seem enough.

“Thank you. I will never forget the great favor you have done me today.”

Geom Mugeuk sincerely thanked Binggung.

No matter what, she had told him to pick anything, but to give a cup named Holy Grail so freely was not easy.

“This is trivial compared to what you’ve done for the main sect. Now, go back.”

Geom Mugeuk left Binggung Bogo together with Binggung.

Shwiiiiii.

As they stepped outside, a strange sound came with a crazy cold wind they had forgotten.

Leaving behind the place where even conversation was difficult, the two quickly walked away.

When they reached the valley on their return path, Geom Mugeuk said,

“Sometimes we gather with people my age.”

Binggung knew this. She also knew that at this tripartite summit, the heirs and brothers of each faction gathered.

“I will invite your young master then.”

Binggung stopped walking.

Even without words, she understood why he intended to invite her daughter.

Hanseol would grow more by leaving this Northern Sea and meeting many people.

But could she really send her daughter who had never left the Central Plains before? Just thinking about it worried her.

When Binggung looked back at Geom Mugeuk, his gaze said:

Don’t worry, I will take good care of her and send her back.

It was a sign of gratitude for the precious gift she had given him. Whether she could trust him enough to send her daughter was another matter.

When Geom Mugeuk returned, Chimma was lying on the bed.

“How’s your body?”

“Feels like I’m dying from pain.”

Just a while ago, when the doctor had come and gone, he had endured the treatment proudly. His gaze and expression hadn’t changed, showing the dignity of the Mazone.

But as soon as he saw Geom Mugeuk, he began to act like he was in pain.

“I can’t even raise my arm. It hurts so much.”

Lying down, Chimma lifted his foot.

“Look here. If you had removed the disease shards earlier, it wouldn’t hurt this much.”

“You’re such a persistent older brother. That’s why I brought a gift.”

“I’m dying from pain, what gift are you talking about?”

Geom Mugeuk placed a small box on the table.

“Do you really not need it?”

“No need.”

“You’ll regret it.”

“Alcohol, right? You brought alcohol? It’s obvious.”

Chimma looked at the box sideways, pretending not to care.

“You’ll regret it later, but no use then.”

When Geom Mugeuk tried to take it back, Chimma asked gently,

“What is it? Let me see it just once.”

“I warn you, you’ll just get your hopes up for nothing.”

How could he not look?

“Fine, show me!”

“Just look with your eyes. You have to give it back.”

Geom Mugeuk slowly opened the box.

The moment Chimma saw what was inside, his eyes went wide. While most people wouldn’t know, Chimma was able to recognize it.

“Waaah!”

Shouting, Chimma rushed to the table. He ran without feeling his aching foot.

“Could it be this? Is it really that? Right? It is, isn’t it?”

Chimma couldn’t finish his sentence. This was the thing he most wanted to have.

“Why is this here?”

His voice trembled.

“I picked it up on the way.”

“Don’t joke!”

“I received it as a gift from Binggung.”

Chimma immediately realized what had happened. It seemed Binggung had given the gift in exchange for recent efforts.

“You gave up your own and accepted my gift.”

“That would have been touching, but I got my own too. So don’t feel burdened to take it. Ah, no, you said you didn’t want to take gifts, right?”

“What nonsense!”

Chimma spread his arms like wings to guard the cup. The arms that had been too sore to lift were now forming a defensive stance.

“Take my life instead! It’s mine! Go away!”

How could Chimma not know? Geom Mugeuk could have taken something else instead of this cup. He gave up the value of this Binggung Holy Grail to give Chimma a gift.

A surge of emotion swept through Chimma’s heart. It was the most precious gift he had ever received and the one he had wanted most.

Geom Mugeuk had known Chimma would like it, but hadn’t expected him to be this happy.

“Here, have a drink. I cleaned it well before coming.”

Geom Mugeuk poured the alcohol.

Trrrrring.

It was the moment the alcohol was poured into the long-sealed Binggung Holy Grail. Was it just his imagination? The pure white energy rippling around the cup seemed to intensify.

Chimma took a deep breath and drank. The cold liquor smoothly passed down his throat with a gulping sound.

“Whaaa! It’s really delicious!”

Geom Mugeuk shouted along with him. It looked delicious just by watching.

“Let me have a drink too!”

This time Chimma poured a full cup.

As Chimma poured, the moonlight on the cup seemed to glow even more softly.

Geom Mugeuk drank the liquor from the Binggung Holy Grail. The alcohol was truly cold and tasty. An involuntary “Wha!” of admiration escaped him.

“Amazing!”

The taste of alcohol always depends on mood; there would be few days when the taste was as good as this.

“Here, one more drink.”

“Stop taking medicine!”

“Just one more!”

Geom Mugeuk poured more alcohol and said,

“This cup isn’t to make you drink more, but to make you drink less. They say the cup also protects your body. So think of my feelings in giving you this gift—when you drink here, if you’re going to drink two cups, drink one instead. Drink one cup of delicious alcohol instead of two. With this in mind.”

Geom Mugeuk’s concern was clear. After nagging him to eat snacks, now here he was nagging again.

“Never overdrink, okay?”

“Okay. But just one last drink. I need to drink three cups.”

“All right, I’ll admit it today!”

They laughed looking at each other.

After drinking three cups, Chimma wore the Binggung Holy Grail on the side opposite his blood flow device. The two items oddly complemented each other. Of course, it was Chimma wearing them.

“All right, rest now.”

Geom Mugeuk turned to leave, but Chimma said from behind,

“Thank you, Little Pill Master.”

Because it wasn’t a joke, Geom Mugeuk replied politely.

“You did a great job this time, Chimma.”

Back in my room, I activated the Space-Time Exchange Technique to absorb Baekjeong.

Snap! With a finger snap, I stood in a new space.

Instead of the usual beach I opened before, I opened the second space: a white snowy field with a small hot spring.

It was the very place I had created before because I had taken a liking to my father’s hot spring. This space fit the Northern Sea perfectly.

There were only three things in this space:

Pure white snow, stars in the night sky, and warm hot springs.

First, I took out Bigwe and Baekjeong from my bosom.

Wuuuuuuuung.

Seeing Baekjeong, Bigwe trembled and reacted.

It was already the third time, but still, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

I carefully placed Baekjeong on Bigwe.

Sssssss.

Then, an amazing sight unfolded every time I saw it. The hard Baekjeong seeped like a liquid into Bigwe.

After Bigwe absorbed all of Baekjeong, it trembled greatly.

Ssss!

Something white-colored began to come out from Bigwe.

As always, it was neither smoke, liquid, nor light. That indescribable something spread from my hands and arms throughout my body.

The Heavenly Demon Guardian Gong in its great formation still did not activate. That meant it was okay. I trusted the Heavenly Demon Guardian Gong and was absorbing this energy.

A refreshing feeling spread through my whole body.

At the moment this energy spread through me, a radiant light burst from my body. It was so intense I could not open my eyes.

When I reopened my eyes, the white energy had all been absorbed into my body. Through Bigwe, I had absorbed three energies already.

As in the previous two cases, there was no change in my body. The energies did not meet and mix. It meant I was not yet ready to achieve a big transformation. Or it might mean I needed to absorb other energies.

Thunk.

Bigwe spit out the Baekjeong after absorbing its energy. It had now become an ordinary stone.

“Who on earth made you?”

As always, Bigwe only smiled.

Having absorbed the energy of Baekjeong, I stripped off my clothes and submerged myself in the steaming hot spring.

“Ah, this is nice!”

Cold wind blew from above, warmth was below.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the hot spring. This moment alone was precious to me.

Since my regression, my life flowed tightly packed day by day. A succession of fully packed days.

But the moment alone in the Space-Time Exchange Technique was when the life I had been rushing through slowed its pace.

The slower the speed, the further I drifted from my life. I liked this distance. Naked now, I had cast off all responsibility.

“Is the martial world falling apart? Is the demonic path collapsing? What do you want me to do about it? Don’t disturb my rest!”

This irresponsibility slowed my pace even more.

The speed kept slowing and slowing until it finally stopped completely. The moment my busy life completely stopped, I finally became free.

At the same time, I met another self.

The me before regression, who had become loneliness itself after piling up and piling up loneliness.

The me who never rested or comforted himself properly, who ran with only one goal.

We stood facing each other with a huge, dark hole between us.

Which one was lonelier, the one over there?

Or the one laughing in the crowd?

I could not easily answer.

Still, I wanted to say this:

— I was ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) able to come this far all thanks to you.

Though I said all sorts of good things to those around me, this was the first comfort and thanks I gave to myself.

— Thank you truly.

I looked at the lonely self across with soft eyes. I did not wish for him to disappear. Because the self across was, after all, me.

— Don’t fall into this pit.

At my words, the self across sent this look. Watch yourself. The ones who always fall into the pit are those who try to be perfect and those who are smiling.

In the next moment, the dark hole between us transformed into a hot spring, and I was immersed in it.

I stared at the twinkling stars for a long time, then left the hot spring.

It was time to return to reality.

“If the martial world falls, it can’t be. If my demonic path collapses, it can’t be. What else? I have to go out and protect it.”

Snap!