Ice Demon King (1)
Phew.
The wind blew.
Although the weather is milder than in the north, Honam is also cold in winter. There was nothing to say about it in the highlands.
White frost covered the majestic mountains of Hyeongsan in the distance.
“It’s definitely different.”
Ki Cheon-woong, who opened his eyes after 10 days, was still dazzling.
Not a single snowflake fell within a one-day radius from where he stood. Instead, quite a bit of snow piled up around there.
“It’s a superb view. Indeed, there was a reason why the founders were so eager to take control of the continent.”
An ordinary person would wear a fur coat, but in the cold weather, he was still wearing only a piece of white, loose-fitting clothing.
He even stuck to bare feet like before. Even though he walked on bare ground, his feet were as clean as the feet of a woman who had taken good care of them.
Gi Cheon-woong looked up at the sky.
The sun was shining brightly after pushing away the clouds.
“Very good. Even though the weather is like this, the harmony of yin and yang energy is amazing. “It is not recommended as a place for development for those who have learned Yeoyanggong, but there is no other place like this for stably controlling mind, body and martial arts.”
“Of course.”
Gi Cheon-woong looked back.
So Jeong-gwang was there. Although he was neither tall nor short and had a slightly small physique, his well-honed prayers as a thief were clearly evident.
“How long have you been waiting?”
“It hasn’t been long.”
“… … You are good at lying. “She was almost fooled, if only for a moment.”
“Haha, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Gi Cheon-woong chuckled.
“I heard you were once an enemy, but to try to deceive someone who was the master of mythology, this distribution is truly amazing.”
“Isn’t it difficult to fight a war in one’s right mind? “If you go crazy like this once in a while when nothing special happens, you will be able to hold on when you feel like you are going to go crazy.”
“Good words.”
“Anyway, it’s fascinating. Usually, martial arts practitioners in the Jungwon practice the lotus position when meditating or performing fortune-telling, but you are practicing standing posture.”
“Whether it’s left-handed practice, standing practice, or movement, it would be better to find a path that suits you. Even if you don’t climb the Heavenly Flower Sutra right away, you won’t be restricted by your posture when doing fortune telling or meditation, right?”
“It’s because I’m still lacking a lot. As expected, the world of experts is different.”
It wasn’t just something I said.
He is not arguing back to lighten the mood before getting into the main topic, but is truly concentrating on each and every conversation with Ki Cheon-woong.
An unexpected light appeared on Ki Cheon-woong’s face.
“Your talent is definitely outstanding. “It’s a little different, but it’s no less than comparing you to a friend who died and couldn’t live like that.”
“It’s not that I can’t live or die, but I have no choice but to pretend to be friendly because I don’t have the strength to beat him to death.”
“Still, you must have chosen the military path, so I don’t know why you have the strong scent of a military commander.”
So Jeong-gwang smiled awkwardly.
“Isn’t a military without field command only half-hearted? “If I were to fight with those damn black swordsmen, I would have to shed a lot of blood.”
“It’s a fun neighborhood.”
“That’s right. “When she was young, she never thought she would jump into the dark island and live a sword dance.”
“Did you think I would come to the continent and fight with my son?”
“I have nothing to say.”
“That’s reality, huh?”
So Jeong-gwang smiled and looked around.
“Isn’t the view nice?”
“It’s magnificent and beautiful.”
“This peak really suits you well. This place is called Cheokyungbong (祝融峯) of Hyeongsan, and Cheokyung means the incarnation (火神) of our central region. In fact, if you go a little further, there is a place that honors Zhu Yongxin.”
“Ah yes. I went there on the first day. “I didn’t know you were the god of fire.”
“Hyeongsan Mountain is called Namak (南岳), but it is also called Suak (壽岳). Zhu Yong, or the incarnation of the central plain, also governs people’s lives and fate. So people who want to live long climb Mt. Hyeongsan.”
“I see.”
“The leader will live a long time.”
“Do you know how old I am?”
“Aren’t you a hundred years old?”
“It won’t be long.”
“Live long after the war is over.”
Gi Cheon-woong chuckled. It was my first time having a private conversation just the two of me, but I really liked So Jeong-gwang’s cheekiness.
“If I survive after returning the myth to its original state, then I will try to plan the continent on my own.”
“It will be difficult when that time comes.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Our lord of the castle has a very harsh temper. “At that point, we might really see the end.”
“ha ha ha.”
Ki Cheon-woong burst out laughing.
So Jeong-gwang also laughed loudly. The laughter of the two people became an echo and rang out beautifully.
“After having a trivial conversation with you, I feel like I’m finally feeling better.”
“After standing in the same position for ten days, has your body completely relaxed to this extent? “You are a monster.”
“I really enjoy talking with you, but I’m not someone who doesn’t have situations. “You can’t keep a busy person for a long time, so why bother coming here?”
So Jeong-gwang’s face immediately became serious.
“Let me ask you directly. “Do you know the North Sea Ice Palace?”
“… … !”
Gi Cheon-woong’s eyes deepened.
“Are you talking about Bingryun Bridge?”
“yes? Bingryun Bridge?”
“You didn’t know?”
“… … ?”
“The predecessor of the North Sea Ice Palace was Ice Ring Bridge. “We put up a sign saying, ‘Cheonjeong Bingryun Shingyo,’ but at the time, people just called it Bingryun Bridge.”
“There are so many religions in the world.”
“yes. “Wouldn’t it be better to coolly call yourself a god rather than talking about being a king or an emperor?”
“The dishes are different.”
“They say stagnant water becomes rotten, which is why so many civil wars have broken out. Was this before the main branch of the Blood Cult disappeared and the Three Gongs changed into the Three Schools? “I heard that there were several local battles in the outskirts.”
“… … “Huh.”
“Anyway, why the Bingryun Bridge?”
It seems that the three bridges have been calling the North Sea Ice Palace all along Bingryun Bridge.
That means you know them better than you know yourself. That alone was worth the day’s wait for So Jeong-gwang.
“The warriors dispatched from the North Sea Ice Palace have entered the central plain.”
“… … .”
“I sent Kang Xinjiang along with the Daolongdan. Meng’s side will also send someone.”
“Did they say anything else?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, these guys are getting on my nerves.”
“That’s right. It’s already very sunny, so why come into Shaanxi without saying a word and hold on there? However, given the location, I don’t think I came here to start a fight.”
“If we got the Bingryun Bridge guys involved, we could use them to attract attention and attack somewhere else.”
“Of course you know tactics. “We are not ruling out that possibility.”
“What do you guys think?”
“We are in a situation where we cannot be sure of anything. “It’s unlikely that they came here just to hang out, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have had something to drink, right?”
“Of course it is.”
“If they had been looking into this world, they would have realized that a fight between us and the three religions was imminent. “I am guessing that he may have come to propose an alliance in order to gain something.”
Gi Cheon-woong tilted his head.
“That may be true, but… … Well, I’m not sure.”
“How is that so?”
“Bingryun Bridge, or rather the locals there, are notorious for being very narrow-minded and closed-minded. “I wonder how I would live stuck in that place for a thousand years.”
“Hmm.”
“Of course, there are some unique ones among them, and I heard that they even came to the continent once in a while to see the world.”
“yes. It is said that it is also recorded in the historical records of the Daemun faction. “They all possessed great strength and were said to be masters of the ice attack that could freeze even the bones.”
“That must be true. “Because their descriptions and characteristics are well written in our school’s librarian.”
Ki Cheon-woong walked with his back to him. So Jeong-gwang followed him one step behind.
“Of the three schools, our school is the one that knows the most about Bingryun Bridge.”
“Why? After all, the conflicting nature of fire and ice… … ?”
“That’s nonsense. “It’s because we are close to that area.”
“Oh, is that so too?”
“But you are right. It’s far away, but it’s not like we can’t go back and forth if we want. That’s why we always paid attention to Bingryun Bridge.”
“Bingryun Bridge is further north, right?”
Ki Cheon-woong smiled.
“After all, what do you know?”
So Jeong-gwang scratched his cheek and said.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that it will come from the north… … “It is a lid, so to speak, but if that were the case, it must have been very uncomfortable for the Shinhwa Church.”
“of course. They said they thought about sending an envoy to get to know them at the bare minimum, but they refused even that. “I haven’t been out in the world for such a long time, so now I just do it.”
“But you can’t completely ignore it?”
“So I decided to do more research and find out. There were even many hardliners who wanted to attack first and devour the entire area. “It means that rather than being anxious and watching what others think, it would be better to go to war and expand our territory.”
“It’s a little cruel, but… … “You might think so.”
“As a result, except for a few local battles, no fighting took place.”
So Jeong-gwang felt embarrassed.
Gi Cheon-woong obviously knew more about the North Sea Ice Palace than the Central Plains people, but he didn’t know enough to be helpful.
At that time, Ki Cheon-woong spoke.
“What does it mean that those people walked that long way to come here?”
“I don’t know that.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“yes?”
“You said it. “We are close to territory.”
“… … ?”
“With such a large number of Bingryun cultists moving around, could the myth not have captured it?”
“… … !!”
So Jeong-gwang’s eyes wavered.
Ki Cheon-woong smiled.
“I guess I had no choice but to miss it because I couldn’t picture our area. “I understand.”
“So what the leader said… … ?”
“It’s probably one of two things. The Bingryun Bridge happened to come to us at a time like this, at a moment like this, asking to form an alliance… … .”
“They came here while hiding the fact that they joined hands with the Shinhwa Church.”
“Even if they came by chance, the Shinhwa Church would not have been able to fight easily. Bingryun Bridge is strong. “In a situation like this where you never know when a war might break out, you couldn’t afford to consume more power than a certain level.”
“But if you had thought about finding a solution somehow, it wouldn’t have been impossible.”
“Of course it is.”
“then… … .”
Gi Cheon-woong shook his head.
“I don’t know. However, considering my son’s temper, I don’t think I would have left it alone.”
“But you’re not stupid enough to risk wasting your power by fighting against such a strong force, are you?”
“That too. However, if the Bingryunists join hands with Jungwon anyway, it will be a disaster for the Shinhwa Church as well. “Not only are martial arts at odds with each other, but you will be scolded by the mad and evil for letting it go.”
So Jeong-gwang sighed.
“I think I should go down first.”
“I’m done too. “Let’s go down together.”
Faaagh!
Two people came down the snow-covered Chuyongbong Peak in one go.
