novelraw Chapter 220 : Bone-Piercing Cold
Chapter 220 : Bone-Piercing Cold
Chapter 220: Bone-Piercing Cold
They were trying to dispatch two Transcendence-Level Martial Artists to the north without even a single coin.
Instead of expensive salt, I grabbed some cheap tea leaves and made a gesture as if I were about to scatter them right in front of them.
“Now, now, hear me out a bit more.”
The male uninvited guest scratched his cheek with an awkward expression, as if caught in some exorcism ritual.
“Wait, you were acting so friendly just a moment ago—what’s with that sudden change in attitude?”
Slightly narrowed blue eyes. The female uninvited guest looked at me as if to say that people of the Central Plains truly couldn’t be trusted.
“Do you know what’s the most troublesome type of client when doing Troubleshooter work?”
At my unusually serious expression and pressure, she twitched her eyes and asked back.
“…What is it?”
I clenched the stale tea leaves in my hand and continued.
“It’s those bastards who dress in expensive clothes but don’t have any money to pay me.”
If they had been honest from the start—saying ‘we don’t have money, please help’—then depending on their situation, I might have adjusted the amount considering Good Karma.
But what was this? They came looking like some prestigious Righteous Sect, yet tried to hire me while claiming they didn’t have a single coin.
My office finances were already tight, and this kind of client disappointed me twice over.
“Please leave.”
I flicked the grass-like tea leaves at them as if shooing them away.
Through the fluttering leaves, the blond man waved his hand and spoke again in a troubled tone.
“Wait, just hear me out. It’s not that we can’t pay right now—there is definitely a way to get money…!”
The female client also chimed in beside him, supporting her older brother.
“What do you take the North Sea Ice Palace for? We’re just short on money for certain reasons right now, but if we try, we can earn it back anytime.”
She was a blue-eyed beauty who, even in desperation, spoke with confidence about the many skilled martial artists in her sect.
“So how exactly are you planning to get it?”
When I asked for specifics, she hesitated again, lips fidgeting.
Her older brother stepped in to explain.
“Well… that is… you would have to help us with that.”
He stepped closer and lowered his voice as if sharing a precious secret.
Apparently, in the cave guarded by the White-Furred Lion King, spiritual energy gathered in abundance, and valuable items were overflowing.
And this, he added, was a secret that must not be told elsewhere.
“So you’re saying… the money to pay my reward… we have to earn it ourselves by fighting that spiritual beast?”
I spoke incredulously at the absurd proposal.
What kind of nonsense was this? I thought I was hearing a good offer, but it turned out to be a scam where I’d do all the hard work.
This couldn’t even be called a proper request.
And from the start, I didn’t move without an advance payment unless the client was trustworthy.
Too many times in my Troubleshooter work, people had cut ties and run off without paying.
“So in the end, money only appears if I succeed in the request, right?”
At my words, they looked at each other awkwardly.
“C-cough, yes.”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
Unbelievable. What kind of ridiculous nonsense was this? I shook my head and was about to reject them outright.
At that moment, Ilhong gently grabbed my arm and whispered softly.
“Boss, something feels off. The North Sea Ice Palace isn’t a sect that would be this desperate… Why don’t you at least hear them out? You never know.”
As I was fuming like I’d been scammed, Ilhong stepped back and offered a rational opinion.
Her cautious gaze calmed me.
Well, listening didn’t cost money.
“…Hmm, shall I?”
Since there were no other clients anyway, I suppressed my emotions and plopped back down.
The blond siblings whispered to each other upon seeing this.
“That girl… she handles men quite well.”
“Could she be the one actually in charge?”
I can hear you, you idiots.
“Alright then. What exactly happened that someone from the North Sea Ice Palace came all the way here? Let’s hear it.”
According to Ilhong, the North had its own specialties and means of earning money, so it wasn’t a poor sect.
I gestured with my chin, signaling them to explain.
“This isn’t something to discuss here… The secret might leak. If you accept the request, we’ll tell you everything in detail.”
They said it involved their family’s safety and that they would reveal everything once we arrived at the North Sea Ice Palace.
These people still seemed to be misunderstanding something.
“If you don’t like it, you can just leave.”
“…Hmm.”
“…Umm…”
They blinked their blue eyes, flustered.
“Our boss is extremely tight-lipped. He’s never carelessly spread someone else’s story. You must’ve looked into that before coming, so just tell us.”
Not a single word of that was wrong. Confidentiality was one of the most important conditions of a Troubleshooter.
I nodded proudly, agreeing completely with Ilhong.
The siblings looked between me and Ilhong again.
“As expected…”
I have no idea what misunderstanding they’re having.
Since I didn’t want to waste time, I urged them on, and only then was I able to hear the full story and the proper request involving the North Sea Ice Palace family.
The steam rising from the once-warm teacup had long disappeared. Only cold liquid quietly swayed inside.
For me, it was the perfect temperature—but for others of the Central Plains, it would be uncomfortably cold.
Looking between the siblings, I organized what I had heard.
“So, because of the youngest sister’s Nine Yin Severed Meridians, you need the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp inside the cave, correct?”
“…Yes.”
At first, I thought they came with some profitable opportunity.
But it turned out the story brought by Seol Cheonsang and Seol Sakhwa was far more heartbreaking.
A father who suffered severe internal injuries while trying to save his daughter.
A family that desperately used every Spiritual Medicine and item they could find.
And when all that failed, they now sought to unite and attack the spiritual beast as their final hope.
Their youngest sister, Seol Soyoung, despite carrying such suffering, was said to be a bright girl who cared for others.
The martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace had also trained relentlessly to help her.
Unlike me, who idly wandered around thinking only of making money, they were filled with desperation.
“Ugh… Mujin! Let’s take this request!”
Jo Harang suddenly clenched her fist and shouted.
True to the Purple Tenuity Star who believed eliminating evil would fill the world with good, she couldn’t ignore this.
“Boss, think of it as placing the North Sea Ice Palace in your debt…”
Even the calculating Ilhong, slightly moved, suggested accepting the request.
These brats… knowing how tight our office funds are.
If we took this, we’d have to leave the office empty for a long time traveling north.
And if we failed and earned nothing, what then?
Would the taxes collected every quarter by the court just magically appear from thin air?
“According to our clan’s records, deep within that cave lies something called the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Essence.”
Not knowing what it was, I immediately asked Ilhong.
She explained that it was Yin Energy crystallized and solidified over ten thousand years.
Something endlessly frozen in cold… like an ice stalactite Spiritual Medicine?
‘…’
The Salseong flickered silently at my crude assessment.
“Even if we fail to obtain the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Essence, our North Sea Ice Palace will transfer the Thousand-Year Ice Essence prepared for the next Palace Head to you.”
Seol Cheonsang, the eldest son, spoke firmly.
In other words, even if things went wrong, a minimum reward was guaranteed.
“Ilhong, are those things expensive?”
“Of course. If you find the right buyer, they’re practically priceless.”
There was risk in not receiving an advance, but this was more tempting than expected.
“Who needs them the most?”
“People of the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“…Hmm.”
But they didn’t even have money to buy it themselves.
“Can I use it?”
“You’d need to either cultivate an Ice Technique strong enough to withstand the cold, or possess extreme Blazing Yang Energy to melt the Yin Energy.”
In short, someone like me, who only had the energy of stars and faint moon energy, couldn’t properly use it.
My body would be destroyed by the immense Yin Energy.
“However, in the Central Plains, there are many who cultivate extreme Yin or Yang techniques. With my information network and the Beggars’ Union connections, I can find a suitable buyer.”
So even if I suffered through the hardship, I could at least recover value with the Thousand-Year Ice Essence.
Of course, the best outcome was obtaining the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Essence.
“Mujin, I believe you’ll accept this request.”
Jo Harang looked at me with unwavering trust.
As if someone like me—a chivalrous hero—would never ignore people in need.
Sometimes, that kind of gaze was a bit burdensome.
‘…Why… hesitate… refuse…’
The red aura flickered, urging rejection.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
I grabbed the siblings’ hands and accepted the request.
‘…!’
The Heaven-Slaying Star reacted violently, but it was too late. Doing the opposite of what it wanted usually worked out fine.
Besides, the Beggars’ Union had recommended me, so they likely had no ulterior motives.
That meant they were somewhat trustworthy.
“Th-thank you! As expected of Dog-Beating Dragon Dan Mujin!”
Seol Cheonsang exclaimed in relief.
“I thought all people of the Central Plains were the same… We will remember this kindness, Master.”
The siblings shook my hand vigorously, already acting as if they had defeated the beast and secured the Fire Carp.
“Then, strike while the iron’s hot—shall we depart?”
And so, we set out toward the North.
The snowy mountains of the North seemed to mock the spring of the Central Plains, covered in endless white cold.
Everything in sight glittered in pure white, even the horizon seemed frozen.
Each step on the snow crunched, and every breath turned into white mist like a ghostly sigh.
After crossing the endless snowfield, we finally arrived at a stone-walled palace filled with cold Yin Energy.
With smooth ice walls fused into its exterior, it was a natural fortress impossible to infiltrate.
“B-b-boss… at this rate, I-I’m going to freeze to death.”
Ilhong trembled, frost forming even on her eyebrows.
Her body curled like a shrimp in the bone-piercing cold.
Meanwhile, the siblings of the North Sea Ice Palace looked completely at ease.
Perhaps because they had already accumulated Yin Energy in their bodies.
“Told you to stay at the office, Ilhong.”
My sigh turned into white breath.
Unlike me or Jo Harang, Ilhong hadn’t reached Peak Master Level yet.
We could control the cold with Internal Energy, but she had to endure it directly.
“Y-you were going to leave me behind again… I c-can’t allow that.”
Sniffling, she stuck close to me.
Seriously, that stubbornness hadn’t changed at all.
Clicking my tongue, I pulled her into my embrace, wrapping her in my Internal Energy.
“Mmng.”
She made a strange sound again.
As warmth enveloped her like a thick blanket, her expression relaxed.
I smirked while circulating my Internal Energy.
“How is it? Better now?”
“Y-yes… it’s warmer…”
Her ears turned slightly red. Not entirely from the cold.
“…Mujin, can you do that for me too?”
Jo Harang asked with a subtle look, bundled in thick clothes.
“You look warmer than me already.”
“Ehh…!”
There were no discounts for Transcendence-Level Martial Artists.
Shaking my head, I walked forward with the clients into the palace where the Palace Head of the North Sea Ice Palace and the youngest daughter with Nine Yin Severed Meridians awaited.