IBGVMW~04

Chapter 4

Following the now-somber parents, Woo-hee’s four older brothers—who had been waiting for their turn—pounced on the chance to throw in their own bits of farewell advice.

“So, what, Mom and Dad are your only family now? You can’t even see your poor brothers who spent half their lives entertaining you, huh?”

“When you get tired of playing in the Central Plains, just come back home.”

“Too harsh. Think about all those poor people who’ll suffer before she gets tired of wreaking havoc. What did they do to deserve that?”

“Then you go keep her company until you’re the one who gets tired.”

“Our adorable little sister! Go have a blast in the wide world out there—one big enough to handle your insanity!”

Four idiots stood there, all with matching bruised eyes, spouting nonsense. Woo-hee dismissed them all with a single snort.

Those pathetic faces were the result of each brother challenging their youngest sibling one by one—to “test her skills”—and getting utterly demolished for their trouble.

A true martial artist, Woo-hee didn’t bother listening to weaklings. She didn’t care who was older or who was born first. Respect had to be earned.

As the five siblings exchanged goodbyes, Yeong-ho, carrying a mountain of travel packs on his back, stood gloomily behind Woo-hee.

For this grand journey into the martial world—aptly named “Operation: Out-Villain the Evil North Sea Ice Palace!”—her sole companion was Yeong-ho.

The two of them were the only disciples Baek Dan-hyeok had taken on in his later years—a pair of sworn enemies bound by deep, begrudging brotherhood.

“Ah-hee…”

Baek Cheong-ran gazed at her daughter, who had just finished saying farewell to her brothers, her expression tangled with pride and worry. Her arms instinctively reached out, wrapping around the small body that still fit perfectly in her embrace.

It was the touching sight of a mother bird sending her fledgling out into the world.

“Mom, I’ll become the greatest villain in the Central Plains and restore our sect’s honor!”

…If only that fledgling weren’t half-serious about becoming the most notorious villain under heaven just to smack around the Demonic Cult.

It would’ve been a perfect, heartwarming scene.

“Yeong-ho, I’ll leave Ah-hee in your care.”

Cheong-ran’s gaze met Yeong-ho’s. He wasn’t just Woo-hee’s senior disciple, but also her caretaker, her escort—and the bearer of a secret mission.

“As you command.”

Even in his gloom, Yeong-ho responded properly. Then he turned to Woo-hee, his calm, lazy voice carrying a tone of quiet admonition.

“Ah-hee, no matter how much you dislike me, behave yourself while we’re out there. If you run out of silver, ask me for more. And if you face a problem you can’t solve, you must discuss it with me. Understood?”

“Oh, come on! Mom, why is it always Yeong-ho, Yeong-ho, Yeong-ho? You never stop talking about him! I’m not a kid anymore! And I’m way stronger than he is, so why are you entrusting me to him?”

“My, my. What can I do? Even when you’re an old granny, you’ll still be your mother’s little baby.”

“Your little baby can already beat up Grandpa, though!”

“Oh, my sweet, naïve darling. I suppose since the Grand Elder lets you win so often, you might really believe that—but no, not even close.”

Woo-hee’s eyes widened, ready to protest in indignation, but Cheong-ran cut her off smoothly.

“The fact that you still measure martial skill only by the level of inner energy shows how far you have to go. True strength isn’t about how much internal power you have—it’s about how you use it.”

Woo-hee pouted. Having inherited every ounce of Baek Dan-hyeok’s talent, she was already the strongest in the North Sea.

Sure, she’d only been practicing swordsmanship for ten years, and her techniques hadn’t quite caught up to her overflowing inner power—but still!

She was setting off to defend her sect’s honor, and everyone was treating her like a toddler toddling toward a pond. It was infuriating.

Scowling, she kicked at the ground for no reason—until Yeong-ho’s calm, aggravating voice cut through the air.

“Well, it’s true that, purely by inner power, you’d be considered one of the top martial artists even in the Central Plains. Among your peers, there’s no comparison. Even within the Ice Palace, few can match your level.”

“See, Mom? Even Yeong-ho admits it—”

“But, my dear junior, boasting about borrowed inner power from the Grand Elder is rather unseemly. Perhaps tone it down.”

“Borrowed? Once it’s in my body, it’s mine! I received it fair and square! What’s the problem?”

“You can’t even use it properly.”

“I do use it! Every drop! I squeeze out every bit Grandpa gave me! You’re just jealous, huh? Mad that I got the good stuff and you didn’t?”

“Ah, yes. The mighty North Sea Ice Palace’s finest—swinging wildly, flooding the air with sword energy before thinking. If those mountain bandits in Green Forest saw your ‘technique,’ they’d applaud. Truly, you’re pioneering a new level of… refined barbarism.”

He spoke politely—but every word hit like a slap.

Which, of course, made her even angrier.

Woo-hee’s hand shot to her sword hilt, a clear threat. You really want to see what this barbarism can do?

“If you act like that in the Central Plains, the moment you meet a true master, your skull will be the first to crack. You can bet on it.”

Yeong-ho had first arrived at the Ice Palace as a near-dead outsider from the Central Plains, rescued and nursed back by Baek Dan-hyeok’s family.
He’d sworn lifelong respect to them out of gratitude, addressing even the youngest politely.

Later, he and the young Woo-hee became Dan-hyeok’s only disciples. Since he was older, he became her senior, which she absolutely hated.

She’d thrown tantrums for days, insisting, “Why should the stray dog who wandered in get to be senior?!”
By the time anyone calmed her down, the chance to fix the hierarchy had passed.

Now, his polite speech had become a weapon—infuriatingly formal, but impossible to punish. Over time, their master-disciple dynamic had devolved into an endless verbal battlefield.

“Oh, for crying out loud! You’re doing it again! Why ruin a good day with your nonsense? You wanna fight? Screw the rules, let’s go!”

As expected, Woo-hee exploded, yanking her sword free in a blaze of pure, unrestrained energy. No technique, no form—just wild, brute force.

Yeong-ho, without even drawing his blade, flowed around her strikes like water, his steps so precise that every swing missed by a paper’s width.
It was infuriatingly effortless—as if he were mocking her with every dodge.

“Hey! Why are you dodging?! Scared? You scared, huh?! If you’re not scared, draw your sword! If you don’t, that means you lost!”

“This isn’t the training yard. I can’t draw my sword here. The Grand Elder is watching.”

“What, scared to show him how bad you are?”

“Oh, yes. I’m absolutely terrified. Terrified that I might lose to someone who only has inner power to brag about.”

“…”

Even Woo-hee—the great and terrible Woo-hee—was speechless.

“Yeong-ho, don’t tease Ah-hee too much. And Ah-hee, enough playing around. You still need to say goodbye.”

At the gentle, spring-like voice of Baek Cheong-ran, both of them froze, pretending innocence as if nothing had happened.

The duel that could’ve leveled the Ice Palace itself immediately shrank to the equivalent of two kittens hissing under their mother’s gaze.

“Ah-hee, say your farewell.”

At her mother’s slightly sterner tone, Woo-hee pasted on her best dutiful granddaughter expression and stepped toward Baek Dan-hyeok.

“Grandpa, I’m heading out now.”

Then, without warning, she leapt into his arms. Her small but strong arms wrapped tightly around his frail frame.
In return, his thin, weathered hand patted her back gently.

She lifted her head, releasing his waist, and stepped back. Grandfather and granddaughter looked at each other in silence.

It wasn’t a long moment—but it held the weight of years.

Woo-hee took a deep breath, then raised her voice—amplified by inner energy—so everyone in the courtyard could hear:

“Then, I’m off!”

The gathered disciples of the Ice Palace shouted in return, voices overlapping, warm and full of affection.

Most of them were people who had been exiled or had fled from the Central Plains. They had nowhere else to go but the harsh North Sea.
The Baek family had taken them in, given them purpose, and treated them like family.

Their gratitude and loyalty ran deep.

“Stay healthy, everyone! Don’t miss me too much!”

Of course, not one of them expected Woo-hee to make a name for herself as the next great villain of the martial world.

They simply wished for their beloved troublemaker to enjoy herself and return home safely.

After much noise and laughter, the farewells finally ended.

It had been ten years since Baek Dan-hyeok, once the greatest sword of the demonic faction, sealed his martial arts and closed the Ice Palace’s gates.

And now, stepping forth from that frozen sanctuary—

A little monster destined to leave her mark on the history of the martial world.

The Unofficial Strongest of the North Sea—Baek Woo-hee—

Had set out into the martial world.