Unhwi’s voice fell low.
“When the Snow Palace is in danger. Only then should you stake your life and step forward.”
“...”
“If not, then there is no reason for the Elder Council to exist.”
Unhwi spoke slowly.
“To become an elder rather than choose seclusion means that even now, you are still able to take up the sword for the Snow Palace. Is that not so?”
Silence.
The elders looked at one another.
One old man stepped forward.
An old man with white hair and a long beard.
But his eyes were clear.
“The Mysterious Snow Palace Lord is correct.”
Unhwi’s gaze turned toward the old man.
“I am Jang Hanmin, the former former pavilion master of the White Lotus Pavilion.”
The old man cupped his fist.
“As the Mysterious Snow Palace Lord said, the Elder Council was walking the wrong path.”
“...”
“And Seol Cheonhwa, its head, was even worse.”
Jang Hanmin looked at Seol Cheonhwa’s corpse.
“He tried to use the Elder Council to build up his own power. We... knew it, and yet we tolerated it.”
“Why?”
“...”
Jang Hanmin let out a sigh.
“Because we were afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“Yes. Seol Cheonhwa had reached the Unity of Heaven and Man, and he was the Palace Lord’s paternal uncle. We could not oppose him.”
“So you tolerated it.”
Jang Hanmin lowered his head.
“It is shameful.”
As Unhwi looked at him, he spoke in a quiet voice.
“Senior Jang Hanmin.”
“Yes.”
“Please become the new head of the Elder Council.”
Jang Hanmin’s ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) eyes widened.
The other elders also showed startled expressions.
“Me... the head?”
“Yes.”
“But...”
“If you were once the pavilion master of the White Lotus Pavilion, then you must hold standing even within the Snow Palace.”
Unhwi spoke slowly.
“And since you are a martial artist of the Heaven and Man realm, you are more than qualified to lead the elders.”
“...”
“Most of all.”
Unhwi looked directly at Jang Hanmin.
“You were the first to acknowledge your fault here today.”
“Mysterious Snow Palace Lord...”
“Senior Jang, there is one thing I wish to ask of you.”
“...I am listening.”
“Please rebuild the Elder Council. Into a proper Elder Council.”
“...”
“One that does not interfere in the greater and lesser affairs of Murim, and does not meddle in the affairs of the Snow Palace. An Elder Council that exists solely for the martial artists of the Snow Palace.”
“...”
“And when the Snow Palace falls into danger—an Elder Council that steps forward at the cost of its life.”
After remaining silent for a long while, Jang Hanmin once more gave Unhwi a deep cupped-fist salute.
“...I will do so.”
Unhwi nodded.
Then he looked at the other elders.
“Do the rest of you agree as well?”
“Yes!”
“We agree!”
The elders all cupped their fists in unison.
Unhwi spoke slowly.
“Good. Then let me say one more thing.”
“...Please speak.”
“Rebuild the Elder Council, but reduce its size by half.”
“...”
“If it grows too large, another problem will arise. Keep it at a proper scale.”
“I understand.”
Jang Hanmin answered.
Unhwi withdrew his sword.
“This is the only chance. There will not be another.”
“...We will remember that.”
Unhwi turned.
He walked toward Ju Soa, Namgung Wonyang, and Chief Seong.
Jang Hanmin watched his back.
Seol Unhwi...
What happened today was pointing to something new as well.
He was already a man whose fame was high throughout Murim.
And that man had stained the snowy mountains with blood.
At the very center of the main palace, he had killed dozens of elders, including Seol Cheonhwa, the head of the Elder Council. And Seol Cheonhwa had been the Palace Lord’s own paternal uncle.
What face would Seol Jungcheon show in response to this matter?
Jang Hanmin could not say about anything else, but of one thing he was certain.
If punishment was given, it would not be severe.
Now, within the Snow Palace, the one who can stop that man...
Jang Hanmin shook his head.
There is none.
There truly was no one.
That was no joke.
The way Seol Unhwi looked now was enough to make even Seol Horyeong, the Young Palace Lord, seem shabby by comparison.
Did he himself know it?
That his very existence was destroying the identity of the snowy mountains.
***
As Unhwi walked forward in silence, Chief Seong came up beside him.
“...Are you all right, Young Master?”
Unhwi did not answer. He simply kept walking toward the carriage. Ju Soa and Namgung Wonyang looked at each other, then nodded. Ju Soa took her seat at the driver’s bench, and Namgung Wonyang threw a canopy over the wagon.
Unhwi opened the carriage door and stepped inside. Chief Seong entered after him.
The door shut.
And at the same moment, Unhwi collapsed heavily.
“Haa... haa...”
As Unhwi gasped violently for breath, Chief Seong, without the slightest hesitation, began pouring his own energy into him.
This was only natural—once energy entered another body, one could naturally inspect what lay inside. Chief Seong’s expression darkened.
This—
It was almost strange that he was still alive.
Not only the meridians, but every blood vessel in his body was writhing madly.
Torn in countless places, and even his internal organs were far from intact. No matter how extraordinary Unhwi’s recovery was, this... was clearly an injury that should have left him bedridden for a long time.
This time as well—
Chief Seong did not hesitate.
He drew up his energy at once. Not the energy from before. Innate True Qi.
The purest energy in the world.
The very energy that determined one’s lifespan.
He began to pour it into Unhwi’s body.
It was then.
Unhwi seized Chief Seong’s wrist with his other arm.
“...Stop.”
“...Young Master.”
Chief Seong smiled faintly.
“You know, do you not, how much I treasure you.”
“...”
“I wish to express that feeling. So please, do not stop me.”
Chief Seong said so, yet unfortunately, strength entered the arm with which Unhwi was gripping his wrist.
“Have you not already expressed it enough?”
“...”
“Would I truly not know your heart, Chief Seong?”
There was no break in Unhwi’s voice. An uneasy thought rose in Chief Seong’s mind. Could this be a dying flare before death?
Guessing what Chief Seong was thinking, Unhwi shook his head.
“It is nothing like that, so do not trouble yourself with useless thoughts.”
Unhwi slowly rose, then sat in the chair.
Then he closed his eyes.
“Chief Seong.”
“...Yes.”
“From this point on, no matter what happens to my body, do not lay a hand on me.”
Chief Seong’s eyes widened.
“Young Master, what do you mean by—?”
“It is an order.”
Unhwi’s voice was firm.
“And have the carriage moved somewhere with few people.”
“...Understood.”
Chief Seong immediately sent a voice transmission to Ju Soa, who sat at the driver’s bench.
Soon after, the carriage began to move.
Chief Seong turned his head.
Unhwi was buried in the chair, eyes closed, without the slightest movement.
Then—
Guhk.
Blood burst from his mouth, and the veins along his body began to bulge outward.
Chief Seong wanted to seize his pulse and pour energy into him that instant, but he could not.
Because he trusted Unhwi.
If Unhwi had said so, there had to be a reason for it.
That much was certain.
Chief Seong clenched his fist tightly.
If—
If Unhwi truly reached the brink of death, then at that point... he intended to pour all of his Innate True Qi into him.
At that level, even if Unhwi failed, there would at least be a slim chance that he might survive.
If a Heaven and Man realm martial artist risked his life, it would surely be possible.
***
Unhwi drew in a deep breath.
Within the Clear Void Secret Realm, Unhwi had encountered the lingering will of Qingxu Zhenren, the last sect leader of the Qingcheng Sect.
And from him, he had inherited every martial art of the Qingcheng Sect.
Among them was one thing—
that heart method was what he needed now.
Clear Void Returning Life Heart Method.
The state of returning radiance before death was the state in which the body accepted death.
And in that instant, the last of one’s life force exploded. That was precisely why one could forget all pain and still speak clearly in those final moments.
And the heart method that used that erupting life force in reverse was the Clear Void Returning Life Heart Method.
The problem was that, once this was used, one would be unable to use internal energy for nearly half a month.
And one’s lifespan would also be shortened.
Unhwi intended to eliminate the former side effect.
The sect that dealt with the foundation of life itself.
The Original Blood Sect handled an energy called original blood force.
And using that original blood force, there was a martial art that directly burned life force to restore wounds.
That martial art was Blood Origin Regeneration Art.
If he used those two properly—
then only his lifespan would be reduced, while he would be able to use internal energy immediately.
Unhwi began to recite the incantation.
“Clear Void of Ten Thousand Phenomena, return to the root and revert to origin...”
The incantation of the Clear Void Returning Life Heart Method.
A clear and pure energy rose from his dantian.
Bit by bit.
Slowly.
Like dawn mist.
Unhwi’s breathing slowed.
His heartbeat also slowed.
The final life force that had burst forth from the state of returning radiance before death—
he seized it.
Soon after, a clear energy flowed out from his dantian.
Clear and pure.
And warm.
Like sunlight on a spring day.
That energy wrapped around his whole body.
It soothed his torn blood vessels.
Enveloped his damaged internal organs.
Soaked into his broken meridians.
Slowly.
Naturally.
Recovery began.
But this alone was not enough.
The Clear Void Returning Life Heart Method was natural recovery. It took too long.
And Unhwi’s condition right now was severe.
This is where I mix in the Blood Origin Regeneration Art.
It was certainly dangerous.
The Clear Void Returning Life Heart Method and the Blood Origin Regeneration Art stood in opposition to one another, so if he mishandled it, both could erupt and tear Unhwi’s body to pieces.
But it could be done. He was certain of that.
Unhwi raised his energy. That incomparably pure Void-Origin Energy, and directly converted it into original blood force.
Paaaah—!
Red energy exploded.
Violently.
Destructively.
Like a volcano erupting.
Original blood force, the exact opposite of the clear energy, poured into his blood vessels.
And at once, it forcibly bound the torn vessels back together.
It forcefully regenerated the damaged internal organs.
It brutally reconnected the shattered meridians.
Quickly.
Violently.
Unhwi’s body trembled.
“Kugh...”
Pain.
The two energies collided.
The clear energy pushed the original blood force away.
The original blood force tried to devour the clear energy.
Kwadjik! Kwadjik!
Unhwi’s blood vessels bulged outward.
He recited the incantation again.
“Blood source returns as one, life and death reversed...”
The incantation of the Blood Origin Regeneration Art.
At the same time, he also recited the incantation of the Clear Void Returning Life Heart Method.
“Clear Void of Ten Thousand Phenomena, return to the root and revert to origin...”
Then the clear energy wrapped around the original blood force.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like a parent embracing a child.
It calmed it.
Srrrk—
The explosive force of the original blood force lessened.
The natural restorative power of the clear energy.
The forced regenerative power of the original blood force.
As the two merged, they achieved harmony.
The torn blood vessels reconnected. The clear energy first made the path. The original blood force regenerated the blood vessels along that path.
Quickly, yet naturally.
The damaged internal organs recovered.
The clear energy wrapped around the organs.
The original blood force regenerated the damaged parts.
Forcefully, yet stably.
The broken meridians rejoined, and the clear energy soaked into them. Then the original blood force connected the severed sections.
Violently, yet effectively.
The two energies circulated throughout Unhwi’s entire body.
One cycle.
Two cycles.
Three cycles.
Minor Heavenly Cycle.
No, Major Heavenly Cycle.
They kept circulating.
The recovery accelerated.
But there was a price.
