Chapter 5
Act 1. Always Be Careful with Lightness Skill Never Use It When Youâre Sleepy!
ââŠJunior Sister, what in heavenâs name are you doing?â
Yeong-ho finally spoke, unable to contain himself any longer.
Normally, he avoided talking to this walking disaster of a girl whenever he could. But in this situation, he had no choice.
Everyone who had come to see them off was already goneâthere wasnât a single strand of hair left in sight. A few more steps and theyâd enter the protective formation surrounding the Ice Palace.
And yet, out of nowhere, Woo-hee started digging into the ground.
Yesâdigging.
Like a dog burying its droppings. With her bare hands, no lessâon the frozen tundra of the North Sea, where the ground was as hard as steel.
No, to be more precise, she was channeling her internal energy as if performing a martial technique. Energy gathered in her palms, and with each strike, the frozen soil shattered and flew in chunks.
How was anyone supposed to not say something while watching that kind of insanity unfold?
Of course, Woo-hee couldnât have cared less about Yeong-hoâs perfectly reasonable confusion.
âDonât talk to me right now. Canât you see Iâm busy?â
Indeed, even Yeong-ho could tell she was very busy digging holes.
It was just that the whole scene looked so absurd he couldnât bear to stay silent.
âDamn it. It should be here somewhereâŠâ
Thud. Thud.
Chunks of frozen earth went flying through the air, each blow echoing like metal striking metal. Her energy control was frighteningly preciseâshe really was a tiny monster.
If Baek Dan-hyeok saw his granddaughter using the internal energy heâd painstakingly passed down to dig holes, his shiny bald head would probably turn crimson.
âFound it!â
By the time Woo-hee had dug a hole deep enough that her head had disappeared completely from view, she suddenly shouted triumphantly and sprang out of the pit.
In her arms was something long and massive, wrapped in black cloth and caked in frozen soilâsomething that most definitely did not belong underground.
She didnât bother explaining what it was.
And Yeong-ho didnât want to ask.
But of course, he couldnât help himself.
ââŠWhyâwhy in the world was that buried there?â
The item Woo-hee had unearthed was unmistakable.
âDid you inherit it from the Grand Elder?â
He didnât even need an answer.
That long, black-wrapped blade was none other than the Bloodless SwordâBaek Dan-hyeokâs treasured weapon, the sacred relic of the North Sea Ice Palace, passed down only through its masters.
A priceless weapon forged from eternal cold iron, said to freeze even the blood of what it cut.
Dan-hyeok had refused to part with it even after stepping down as Palace Lord, keeping it at his side until his dying dayâor so everyone thought.
Had she⊠stolen it?
Of course she had.
Woo-hee wasnât the rightful heir, and even if by some miracle she were, the sword would not have been buried underground.
Yeong-ho stared at her, disbelief and despair mingling in his eyes.
Did this girl even have a conscience?
He seriously doubted it.
âYou always act like Iâm crazy, Yeong-ho, but you still ask every time just to make sure. Doesnât it get exhausting?â
âThatâs my line. The fact that you keep giving me reasons to ask is whatâs exhausting. Iâm begging youâplease tell me that sword isnât what I think it is.â
Woo-hee grinned, clutching the sword that emanated a faint chill even through its wrappings.
âOh, come on. You already know the answer. Why even ask?â
ââŠBecause I was praying it wasnât true. But of course, the heavens hate me.â
âToo bad for youâitâs exactly what you think.â
âDamn it all!â
âI stole it this morning.â
âDamn it twice!â
He wanted to scream.
Woo-hee, however, looked as proud as a cat that had just eaten a canary.
âI couldnât risk getting caught, so I planned it days in advance! Early this morning, I sparred Grandpa one last time, then told him to wear something nice to my send-off so he wouldnât suspect anything. Once he was distracted, I shoved him toward the bathhouse andâboom!âsnuck into his quarters and grabbed it!â
Grabbed it.
Snuck in.
Was this brat seriously bragging about stealing the sectâs most sacred relic? Her grandfatherâs sword, no less?
âI thought if I hid it along the route out, no one would find it. But you never knowâsomeone might stumble across it. So I buried it! No one in the North Sea ever digs, right? Iâm a genius!â
Her logic was as frozen as the ground sheâd just torn apart.
No one digs frozen earth, yes. But using internal energy to dig a secret hole to hide stolen property was⊠well, psychotic.
Even Yeong-ho, who had seen plenty of madness in his life, was speechless.
âGrandpaâs not the type to suddenly go, âOh, my sword, I should check on it before my granddaughter leaves!â So yeah, I totally got away with it. He really must love me best.â
Woo-hee beamed, her grin bright enough to melt glaciers.
Yeong-ho rubbed his temple.
Of course she was satisfied. Sheâd already taken her grandfatherâs inner powerâand now sheâd snatched his sword too. Truly, a model of twisted filial devotion.
Then again, it wasnât like Baek Dan-hyeok didnât deserve it. Heâd spoiled her rotten. Maybe he even let her take it.
The man was the strongest sword master of the demonic factionâhe might have sealed his energy, but his senses were still sharp. There was no way he hadnât noticed the sword missing.
Maybe he just pretended not to know, out of affection.
Yeong-ho had almost convinced himself of that whenâ
âHey, Yeong-ho, what if Grandpa actually left it out on purpose? He always said he didnât want to give it to Dad, right? Maybe he wanted me to have it.â
As if reading his thoughts, she said exactly what heâd been thinking.
Coming from his own mind, it had sounded reasonable. Coming from her mouth, it sounded appallingly shameless.
If Yeong-ho ever had a granddaughter like her, he was sure heâd drop dead on the spot.
He made a solemn vow right then and there: he would never get married. Never have children. Never risk the chance of ever producing a creature remotely like Woo-hee.
He would live alone until the end of his days. That was the only way to stay sane.
âWhat are you staring at? Weâre done here. Letâs go.â
Woo-hee scolded him lightly as she strapped the enormous Bloodless Sword diagonally across her back with a cord sheâd prepared in advance. The sword at her waist was already a rare treasure, but the one on her back was a divine relic.
What other fifteen-year-old in the martial world set out on their first journey so extravagantly armed?
âHey, stop zoning out and take the lead. I donât know how to get past the formation.â
She nudged Yeong-ho, who was still lost in grim thoughts about his future as a proud, childless hermit.
Of course, she had no idea how to pass through the Ice Palaceâs protective arrayâsheâd spent her whole life inside its walls.
âHaâŠâ
A long, heavy sigh escaped Yeong-hoâs lips. It might have been exhaustion, or despair, or both.
âCome on! Move it! Donât tell me thatâs the best youâve gotâput your back into it! With passion! With spirit!â
Woo-heeâs voice rang cheerfully through the cold air, brimming with confidence and delusion alike.
âI havenât even left yet, and I already want to go home,â Yeong-ho muttered under his breath.
And thus began their long, miserable, and absurd journeyâa road that would test his patience, his sanity, and his will to live.
