The man who oversaw everything within the Northern Sea Ice Palace—the Military Strategist, Yeoulryang.He had just lain down to sleep after finishing his day’s work when a commotion rose outside.Puzzled, he got back up and asked,“What’s going on? Why the noise?”A martial artist outside answered Yeoulryang’s question.“The gate guards brought someone who says he must see you, Military Strategist.”“Me?”“Yes. He keeps repeating that it’s urgent and that the Palace Lord must be told at once.”“The Palace Lord? Hm. Understood. I’m coming.”Yeoulryang dressed again and stepped out.“Where is he?”“In the garden.”“Let’s go.”He followed the guide to the garden, where two martial artists were waiting.One of them looked frantic.The moment Yeoulryang appeared, the anxious man dropped to his knees and cried out,“Military Strategist! It’s urgent! We must inform the Palace Lord at once!”Seeing that he truly was in a panic, Yeoulryang asked,“What is it? Speak.”“People have come from the Central Plains.”“From the Central Plains?”“One of them requests a private audience with the Palace Lord.”“Heh… Someone from the Central Plains wants a private audience with our Palace Lord?”“Yes. We must hurry. He said he’s impatient by nature and won’t wait long.”Absurd.So all this ruckus… because they let a Central Plains brat intimidate them?Irritation flared.“You stirred up the whole palace over a single madman from the Central Plains?”“H-he’s not a madman! I-it’s the Martial Deity Heaven Lord!”“What?”“T-the Martial Deity Heaven Lord has come in person! He requests a meeting with the Palace Lord!”“Insane! Do you think that makes any sense?”Yeoulryang wasn’t the only one aghast at the claim that the Martial Deity Heaven Lord had come.Everyone present recoiled in shock.“I-it’s true!”“The Martial Deity Heaven Lord would come all the way to this distant North Sea? For what? What could he possibly need?”“H-he said he had a request to make of the Palace Lord.”“A request? Hah… A request? The Martial Deity Heaven Lord has something to request of us?”“Y-yes.”“You fool! Which charlatan did you let trick you into causing this mess!”“I wasn’t tricked! It’s true!”“And if you were me, would you believe it?”“Military Strategist! It’s true! If you don’t believe me, will you come with me?”He spoke with a desperate face.“There’s no time. We must go now. E-even so, if I bring you, the Martial Deity Heaven Lord will at least understand.”Could it be true?The man genuinely believed the one he’d met was the Martial Deity Heaven Lord.Does he not understand what that name means?To the North Sea, he’s a living nightmare.Why has the North Sea refrained from coveting the martial world for so long?Because of Martial Deity Heaven.We’ve spent years grinding our teeth and building strength.To defeat Martial Deity Heaven.And now, with that time drawing near, the Martial Deity Heaven Lord shows up?Claiming he has a request?Who would believe that?I did begin to wonder what lunatic would craft such a scam.Yeoulryang said,“Lead the way. I’ll see for myself and judge.”“Understood!”“Military Strategist! It’s dangerous!”“It’s fine. You’ll be there to protect me, won’t you?”“T-that’s true, but…”“Go.”“Y-yes.” ****They arrived at the spot the guide indicated.A campfire burned; meat sizzled and crackled over the flames.Yeoulryang scanned the faces present.And saw Gwangpung Shinga.“Gasp! Y-you are—?”“As expected, you’re the Military Strategist of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. You recognized me.”“What brings the Master of the Beggars’ Sect here?”“I came to guide this man.”The Beggars’ Sect Master came personally as a guide?Yeoulryang’s body began to tremble.Slowly, his gaze shifted to the figure beside Gwangpung Shinga.“Heh-heh-heh. Not bad. You brought the strategist.”“Th-thank you.”Yeon Cheon Baek looked at Yeoulryang and spoke.“You heard about me from this one, right?”Yeoulryang nodded.“Good to meet you. I am the Martial Deity Heaven Lord, Yeon Cheon Baek.”“Are you… truly…?”He nearly asked if it was true, then bit it back.It had to be.Otherwise, why would the Master of the Beggars’ Sect be personally acting as a guide?“I—I am Yeoulryang, serving as Military Strategist of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”“As you’ll have heard from this fellow, I came to meet your Palace Lord. If possible, I’d like to meet tonight.”“May I ask on what matter?”“I have a request.”“Will you tell me what that request is? If it’s within my authority, I’ll see it done.”At Yeoulryang’s words, Yeon Cheon Baek regarded him for a beat.Then nodded.“Very well. If it can be done at your level, that may be for the best.”Sss—.He tore off a strip of the hissing meat and lifted it to his mouth.Chomp—.Chew, chew—Savoring the meat, he swallowed and said,“Have you heard of the Demonic Tiger Relic?”At that name, Yeoulryang’s brow twitched.“I know of it.”“I need it. I’m not asking you to give it—just to lend it.”Yeon Cheon Baek’s words drew a sigh from Yeoulryang.“Do you know what the Demonic Tiger Relic is, and still ask to borrow it?”“A device that detects magi. Isn’t it?”“Magi… Today’s the first I’ve heard it has that function. But in any case, it’s not within my authority to lend.”“That’s odd. It’s merely an object—your authority as strategist should suffice to lend it.”“I’m telling you because it exceeds a strategist’s authority.”“Why? Is it something the Palace Lord cherishes?”“‘Cherishes’ doesn’t begin to cover it… It is a sacred treasure borne only by the Palace Lord.”“What?”“Now you understand why I can’t lend it.”“Heh…”“Even meeting the Palace Lord won’t help. The Demonic Tiger Relic is the Northern Sea Ice Palace itself. Before it, all in the North Sea must bow. Handing it over is the same as handing over the North Sea.”It wasn’t a simple device.Borrowing it would be like asking Martial Deity Heaven to lend out its Martial Token.“Now that you know why, please return.”“No. I can’t leave. ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ If you can’t lend it, then I’ll have to bring along the one who bears it—your Palace Lord.”“You intend to challenge the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”“If that’s what it takes.”Yeon Cheon Baek’s eyes held firm.“Let me meet the Palace Lord. I will ask him myself.”“I cannot. I can’t let someone who could endanger the Northern Sea Ice Palace meet the Palace Lord.”At that, Yeon Cheon Baek smiled thinly.“You don’t understand what it means when I say I’m making a ‘request.’”When Yeoulryang tilted his head, Gwangpung Shinga spoke.“He is a man who has never once asked anyone for anything. And now he says he’ll ask.”Yeoulryang’s pupils trembled at Gwangpung Shinga’s words.Then Yeon Cheon Baek’s voice came.“To me, the Northern Sea Ice Palace is no different from the malign forces that have long thrown the martial world into chaos. In my eyes, it’s something that must be erased.”Yeon Cheon Baek’s gaze began to change.“And to such an existence, I’m making my first request. I’ll ask one last time. Will you let me meet your Palace Lord?”As Yeoulryang shuddered, the guards around him closed ranks to shield him.“I—I cannot.”Yeon Cheon Baek let out a quiet chuckle.“Fine. Then call it a night.”“Is Martial Deity Heaven coming?”“Where?”“Are you marching on the North Sea?”“No. I’m not sending my people back and forth to this frozen place over something this trivial. Tomorrow, I’ll come to your gate myself. We’ll talk again then. Prepare thoroughly until then.”“There will be no talk. Not tomorrow, not ever. There’s nothing to prepare.”“You’d better prepare well. Tell your Palace Lord too. I’m coming. If a day isn’t enough, shall I give you more time?”“What are you even saying?”“Who says talks must be with words? If you want a different kind of talk with me, you’d best be fully prepared.”Not with words?That meant—“You intend to use force.”“That’s right. Between fighters, there’s no talk better than this, is there?”As Yeon Cheon Baek stroked his fist, Yeoulryang’s brow twitched.“The two of you intend to face the entire Northern Sea Ice Palace?”“No. Not this one. I can handle the conversation alone.”His confidence pierced the sky.Confidence?Or arrogance?Perhaps both.“You mean to stake a life-and-death duel against the Northern Sea Ice Palace by yourself?”“Life-and-death duel? No. I said it’s a conversation.”“What do you mean? You don’t intend to fight us?”“I do. But I don’t intend to kill you.”“What does that even—”Yeon Cheon Baek’s eyes changed.“If I decide to kill you… could you bear it?”A chill—Seeing Yeon Cheon Baek’s eyes, Yeoulryang felt gooseflesh race across his body.At the same time, his legs gave out; he couldn’t move.Then Yeon Cheon Baek relaxed his gaze and smiled.“Don’t worry. Didn’t I say it’s a conversation? I’ll only touch you enough that you can’t move properly.”He spoke to Yeoulryang, who still couldn’t move.“What are you doing there? Go. Make your preparations.”Yeoulryang said nothing and simply turned.His stiff body still wouldn’t obey.So he truly is the foremost under heaven…The greatest crisis had come to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.This was no time to stand dazed.“G-go!”At Yeoulryang’s order, the others forced themselves to move.They, too, had been frozen by Yeon Cheon Baek’s gaze.Seeing that, Yeoulryang’s face grew grave.The men he’d brought were the elite of the elite, raised with painstaking care.And those elites had been paralyzed by a single look.Damn it. Tomorrow is going to be rough.He would have to bring every stratagem he knew to bear.First and foremost, he had to meet the Palace Lord.“We go to the Palace Lord now.” ****“Palace Lord!”At the urgent call, the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, Buk Mu Gyeol—who had just fallen asleep—opened his eyes.“That’s the strategist’s voice.”If the strategist had come to him in haste at this hour, something had happened in the palace.He rose at once, straightened his disheveled clothes, and received his strategist.“What brings you at this hour?”“Palace Lord! We have a problem.”“A problem? What is it?”“The Martial Deity Heaven Lord has come.”“Hm?”What on earth was he talking about?“What are you saying? This isn’t like you—why so rattled? Explain slowly so I can follow.”At Buk Mu Gyeol’s words, Yeoulryang took a long, steadying breath and spoke.“The Martial Deity Heaven Lord has come from the Central Plains. He says he has a request for you.”“So I didn’t mishear. The Martial Deity Heaven Lord… I find that hard to believe.”“Yes. I’m just back from meeting him myself.”“It was truly the Martial Deity Heaven Lord? Not an impostor?”“It wasn’t. He is the Martial Deity Heaven Lord.”“…If that’s how you felt, then so it is.”Buk Mu Gyeol fell silent for a moment.Then sighed.“He’s not here for anything good, I take it.”“That’s right.”“Why has he come?”“He wants to borrow our palace’s sacred treasure.”“What? Borrow what?”“He came to borrow the Demonic Tiger Relic, the sacred treasure of the Ice Palace.”“He came to borrow the Demonic Tiger Relic? Hah! He must truly think our palace a joke.”“I thought the same. So I told him it would be difficult.”“And he said?”“He told us to prepare; he’d give us until tomorrow.”“Prepare? Don’t tell me… He didn’t come alone, but with Martial Deity Heaven? That if words fail, he’ll take us by force?”

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