novelraw Chapter 224 : True Master of the Cave
Chapter 224 : True Master of the Cave
Chapter 224: True Master of the Cave
Seol Soyoung, the youngest daughter of the North Sea Ice Palace, leaned against an ice-covered wall and breathed in ragged excitement.
A chilling cold that went beyond mere coldness—one that could flay flesh—ran down her back, yet her gaze was fixed on only one place.
The sight of the White-Furred Lion King, the one who had defeated her father, finally collapsing.
Seol Soyoung suddenly recalled her older sister, Seol Sak-hwa, who had come to see her before the expedition.
She had said she brought a strange Troubleshooter from the Central Plains. Holding her hand tightly, she said that his skills were certain, and that this time, they would surely find the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp and cure the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
But even with her sister’s hopeful voice, Seol Soyoung had remained doubtful until the very end.
After all, she had tried countless treatments and methods before—yet every time, what returned at the end of hope was only disappointment and resignation.
And yet, that handsome Troubleshooter—who strangely resembled her, carrying desperation in his eyes—had said this:
That there was no such thing as a destiny decided by the heavens, so she must not give up but fight.
Those weren’t mere words of comfort—they carried experience and conviction. Drawn by them, she had followed with hope all the way into this cave, and as expected—
“Ukkkiiieeek-!”
The Troubleshooter’s group had finally attacked the White-Furred Lion King’s rear.
The legendary spiritual beast, struck by such a bold tactic, clutched its buttocks and screamed as Extreme Yin Energy burrowed into its body.
“We did it! This time it really worked!”
Seol Cheonsang clenched his fist and shouted in triumph.
“The feeling left in my palm is a bit… weird… but anyway, we did it!”
Seol Sak-hwa, staring at the reddened rear, also brightened, saying they had achieved both their father’s revenge and her younger sister’s salvation.
Meanwhile, the monkey-like spiritual beast writhed in agony as the cold energy invaded its body, splashing helplessly in the water.
Watching that scene, Palace Head Seol Jindo murmured in a voice filled with remorse, as if offering words before someone’s spirit:
“My lady, are you watching? Though it is a bit late… we can finally save Soyoung.”
Now, all that remained was to capture the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp they had lost because of the beast and have his daughter consume it.
Just thinking about it made his chest tremble. How long had he waited to see color return to his daughter’s pale face?
But perhaps it had no intention of dying so easily.
The White-Furred Lion King, rolling in pain, made a final desperate attempt.
“Ukkik!”
Rising suddenly amidst everyone’s carelessness, it felt the Yin Energy seeping into its organs and dashed somewhere.
The place it rushed toward, cutting through the water, was none other than the rear—where the defenseless Seol Soyoung stood frozen.
“Th-that damn monkey bastard!”
“Protect the young lady!”
Though there were a few martial artists, they were no match for the charge of a spiritual beast with an Eight-chi Giant Physique that disregarded its life.
The disciples of the North Sea Ice Palace were sent flying into the air without being able to resist its monstrous strength.
A handsome young man named Ilhong stepped forward and swung his sword, but it bounced off, unable to penetrate the tough white fur and hide.
“Soyoung…!”
The blood relatives of the North Sea Ice Palace rushed forward in panic—but it was already too late. Desperate fear spread across Seol Jindo’s eyes. Dan Mujin also urgently used Whirlwind Steps, but the beast was too fast.
Seol Soyoung froze in shock.
At that moment, everyone thought the same thing.
Since it was an intelligent spiritual beast, it must be aiming to strike the most painful point of this group.
“Ukkit!”
But its target was not Seol Soyoung.
It passed her and leapt into the hot spring behind her.
Splash!
“Ukkkiik!”
And what it grabbed in its hand—
—was the crimson spiritual creature that the North Sea Ice Palace warriors had desperately pursued.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp.
To the beast, it had instinctively found something full of Yang Energy to drive out the Extreme Yin Energy invading its body.
“N-no! Not that! Not that, you bastard—!”
Seol Jindo screamed as he rushed forward.
But how could a beast understand human circumstances?
Ignoring everything, it began to chew and swallow the only hope of Seol Soyoung right before her eyes.
Its jaw, covered in white fur, moved roughly as it devoured the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp.
“Ah…”
Seol Soyoung watched blankly as the only spiritual creature that could save her disappeared.
Her blue eyes gradually dimmed—
—as if the flame of hope was slowly being extinguished.
Gulp.
The White-Furred Lion King swallowed, then burped hot air as if it had already digested it.
Heat and steam rose from its entire body, and its white fur began turning into golden fur once more.
Like flames spreading, the white fur reddened, then turned golden.
Strangely, it was a magnificent sight.
And at the same time—
—it marked the moment when Seol Soyoung’s fragile hope was completely extinguished.
“Ah…”
She collapsed into the water with a splash, forgetting even that her body was getting wet.
Her eyes were empty, as if even tears would not come.
But then—
An abnormal reaction occurred in the White-Furred Lion King that had swallowed such an enormous amount of Yang Energy.
Its golden fur flickered like flames, unstable, and confusion filled its eyes.
“Kkik, ukkik?”
No matter how cold its stomach was, swallowing a blazing fire would naturally cause trouble.
The White-Furred Lion King’s scream echoed along the icy cave walls.
It seemed the monkey had paid the price for consuming millennia-old Yang Energy without preparation.
“Ukkieeek!”
It jumped around as if its feet were burned, then as the immense Yang Energy truly began to churn inside its body, it could no longer endure it and thrashed on the ground in agony again.
I used Whirlwind Steps and slid swiftly in front of Seol Soyoung.
When our eyes met, she lowered her head with sorrowful eyes.
“As expected… we shouldn’t have done this.”
“……”
Her voice sounded as if she had already given up on everything.
“Maybe… dying like this was the fate decided for me by the heavens…”
“Hey, what kind of nonsense is that? You don’t know that yet.”
I immediately refuted her.
Until you give up, you never know how things will turn out—that’s life.
And yet, to resign yourself to some destiny decided by the heavens?
“This damn monkey bastard…!”
“Ahh, how dare it take away the young lady’s only chance to live!”
“I’ll kill it!”
Meanwhile, the North Sea Ice Palace martial artists, burning with vengeance, rushed at the White-Furred Lion King rolling on the ground.
Their anger surged like a flood toward the beast that had taken everything from them.
They surrounded it and began beating it senselessly.
Bang! Thud! Thud!
It was nothing less than a beating filled with hatred.
The spiritual beast, already suffering from burning agony, was mercilessly beaten further.
‘Give up… accept… your fate…’
Watching all efforts turn to nothing, the blazing Salseongi muttered nonsense again.
“Then you accept it. You red bastard.”
‘……’
Gritting my teeth, I spat that out and walked toward the scene where over ten people were ganging up on one beast.
As I approached with an ominous aura, the North Sea Ice Palace martial artists glared at me, thinking I might stop them or suggest ending it mercifully.
“Why are you just beating it? Cut open its stomach. It might not have digested the carp yet.”
Did they think I would be that soft?
Especially toward a beast that had effectively taken a human life.
“B-but the blade won’t go in…”
At the mention of its tough fur and hide, I pulled a sword from a martial artist’s waist beside me.
Shrrrng.
Then I formed a clear, pure-white Blade Flux along the edge and placed it against the beast’s belly.
“Ukkik! Kkik! Kkiiik?!”
The creature, unable to resist, shook its head desperately as if begging me to stop.
Its face resembled a human enough that its emotions were vividly conveyed.
“Then spit out the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp. Do you even know whose life that is?”
“That’s right! Spit it out!”
Ilhong added beside me.
The sensation of the crimson carp scales that had almost been within my grasp lingered in my hand.
If I had been just a little faster, things might not have turned out like this.
That thought kept circling in my mind.
Staring coldly at the monkey that had ruined everything, I was about to slice into its stomach—
At that moment—
“Is it right to beat someone else’s gatekeeper like that?”
A woman’s unfamiliar voice thundered through the icy cave.
At that single sentence, filled with profound internal energy, everyone froze and looked around.
“C-Captain, someone’s over there!”
Ilhong pointed toward the depths of the cave with a trembling hand.
From the shadows, a woman with hair that seemed to burn like flames walked out with light steps.
Wearing crimson garments reminiscent of the sunset, her eyes shone like they held the sun itself.
For some reason, as she appeared, the icy cave that had been filled with cold began to melt.
She looked at us—drenched, surrounding and beating a single monkey—and smirked.
“Who dared bully this child so?”
Bullying?
On that matter, the North Sea Ice Palace had plenty to say.
Wasn’t it that monkey beast that attacked them first?
And wasn’t it even holding a strange iron staff that looked man-made?
“So she’s the owner of that garden we saw earlier?”
They had wondered how someone could live in a place occupied by such a dangerous beast—
—and it turned out she was its master.
“I don’t know who you are, woman, but do not interfere with the affairs of the North Sea Ice Palace! We have business inside this monkey’s stomach—!”
Seol Jindo, who might lose his daughter, shouted at her with bloodshot eyes.
But instead of leaving, the woman slowly approached with an amused smile.
“Ha ha ha, if you cut it open, what then? Do you think a thousand-year carp is made only of flesh and bones? It has already been absorbed into the beast’s body.”
Her clear laughter echoed.
The Yang Energy of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp had already been fully absorbed.
Even if they cut it open, it would be useless.
In other words—
Everything they had done was for nothing.
And the youngest daughter of the North Sea Ice Palace would now inevitably die from the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
“That's not certain yet! The remaining energy might still be gathered somewhere!”
I shouted—it was too early to give up.
The red-haired woman tilted her head.
“Have you learned some Heat Yang Divine Art that absorbs Yang Energy? Even so, it is already too late.”
She coldly declared that the girl was finished.
At that, the North Sea Ice Palace family members shouted in rage:
“You released that dangerous beast and injured Father—and threatened the youngest’s life… it was you!”
“If that monkey hadn’t been here, Soyoung would have lived!”
Seol Cheonsang and Seol Sak-hwa, eyes blazing blue, raised their Ice-White Divine Palm, ready to strike at any moment.
“How insolent. You know not your place.”
But the red-haired woman ignored them and walked toward the beast.
Seeing her approach as if to stop them, the North Sea Ice Palace martial artists surrounded her, raising their weapons.
Sharp blades pointed at her, and freezing killing intent poured toward her.
“That damn monkey’s owner…!”
“Pay the price for trampling the young lady’s hope!”
As she stepped closer than necessary, the martial artists leapt at her.
At that moment—
Her eyes flashed red.
Shhk—
Without any visible movement, the sound of something being cut echoed through the cave.
Everyone froze, not knowing what had happened.
Click. Crack. Shrrk.
Their weapons were split in half or shattered, and their martial uniforms were torn apart.
“H-how…?!”
A single move that chilled everyone present.
Terrified, the North Sea Ice Palace martial artists retreated.
While everyone was confused, only Salseongi realized what she had done and screamed warnings at me.
‘No sword in hand… yet a sword in the heart!’
“What the hell does that mean?”
Her small hand wrote rapidly in the air.
Red letters appeared against the white background.
‘Formless sword… master… dodge, you idiot…!’
Shhk—
At the same time, the top experts of the North Sea Ice Palace—including Seol Jindo—were struck and sent flying.
Without even swinging her hand, the mysterious red-haired woman knocked out all of them.
And before I knew it—
Only Jo Harang and I remained near the White-Furred Lion King.
“You. What is your name?”
The reclusive master stared only at me.
There were many others, yet from the beginning, her attention had been fixed solely on me.
It seemed there was no escaping now.
‘We’re… screwed.’
Ignoring Salseongi’s cry, I slowly stepped back.
Even the Heaven-Slaying Star feared her.
“I am the Troubleshooter, Dan Mujin.”
Her lips curved upward.
Her sun-like eyes pierced through me.
“Good. Die. Disciple of Ilseong—Dan Mujin.”
That same unseen attack that had felled everyone—
—now slashed toward me with blazing killing intent.
Swaaaak!