novelraw Chapter 228 : A Senile Old Man
Chapter 228 : A Senile Old Man
Chapter 228: A Senile Old Man
Deep within the Heavenly Heat Ice Palace.
In Seol Soyoung’s hand, she held a Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Essence imbued with the frigid cold of the North Sea.
An Extreme Yin Energy so chilling it made one shudder seeped out, freezing the surroundings solid with cracking sounds—yet she calmly lifted it and placed it into a special wooden box without a change in expression.
“Soyoung, isn’t it cold?”
Seol Sakhwa approached with concern and asked. Her younger sister was no longer one with Nine Yin Severed Meridians that harbored Extreme Yin Energy—so that cold could harm her now.
“My body is still filled with heat right now… I’m fine.”
Normally, she wouldn’t have been harmed thanks to her Extreme Yin Energy, but now the faintly remaining Blazing Yang Energy left by Dan Mujin inside her body was protecting her hands.
Beside her, Seol Cheonsang checked her pulse and, realizing her condition, let out a quiet admiration.
“Even the faint remaining Blazing Yang Energy is this hot… just how did that Troubleshooter endure such an immense amount of Yang Energy?”
It must have felt like a blazing inferno raging through his entire body—yet he endured it, refined it through a Filtering Process, and bestowed it upon his younger sister. It was hard to believe.
“Once we return outside, is there anything you want to do?”
Seol Jindo asked his daughter with a face that said he would grant her anything.
Nine Yin Severed Meridians—a condition every physician had deemed impossible to cure.
Even after their only hope, the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, had been swallowed whole by that monkey, the incurable illness had somehow been completely healed. What day could be happier than this?
Just as that Troubleshooter they had hired said, she had carved out her own destiny.
“What I want to do is… ah, the Central Plains. I want to visit Beijing.”
Seol Soyoung’s wish was to see the Central Plains—something she had never even dared to dream of due to her frail body.
And she specifically mentioned Beijing, where a certain Troubleshooter Office was located.
“Hmm… but if you see people of the Central Plains in person, you might be disappointed.”
“That’s right, Oppa is correct. People of the Central Plains treat us like ghosts rather than humans.”
The two spoke with dissatisfaction about the discrimination they faced.
Cold blue eyes they had never seen before would stare at them—causing people to recoil in shock and treat them like red-haired ghosts or spirits.
“But not everyone is like that.”
Seol Soyoung was referring to the young Troubleshooter they had brought from Beijing.
Recently, the youngest of the North Sea Ice Palace had been bringing him up often.
“That man… he is certainly unusual.”
“He didn’t seem bothered at all by Exotic Foreign People like us.”
The Seol siblings each added a remark, saying he was unlike typical people of the Central Plains.
Smiling faintly, Seol Soyoung spoke again.
“Anyway, someday… I really want to visit Beijing.”
Before, it had simply been curiosity and longing for the capital of the Central Plains.
But now, she had another purpose for going.
“Let’s go after you’ve stabilized further and learned martial arts. It’s a dangerous place.”
A daughter who once lived only for today had begun speaking of things she wanted to do in the future.
Seol Jindo, delighted, promised her anything with a satisfied expression.
“But… is the Troubleshooter not coming out of the Ice Cave?”
“He told us to go ahead first. It seems he has something to discuss with that mysterious reclusive eccentric.”
That mysterious woman who had subdued everyone in an instant with just a single finger.
Her name was Crimson Sun, if he recalled correctly.
At the thought of him being left alone, Seol Soyoung scanned the depths of the Ice Cave with worried eyes.
“Oh dear… he’ll be alright, right?”
Her concern was far from ordinary in depth. Seeing that, Seol Jindo couldn’t help but make a strange expression.
“Let’s worry about you first. You still need to stabilize the remaining Yang Energy in your body and balance it out. Besides, those two seemed like good people, so nothing will happen.”
They said Beijing was a place where one could lose their nose the moment they closed their eyes, and that its people were cold and harsh.
Yet somehow, his children had found decent individuals and brought them all the way to the frozen land of the North Sea.
Though, admittedly, their way of speaking and thinking was somewhat peculiar.
“Why? Are you worried about him?”
“…Yes.”
She had always seemed to share a sense of camaraderie with him.
Now that she had regained her life, had she perhaps begun to take an interest in men?
“Hm.”
Seol Jindo stroked his silver beard as he recalled Dan Mujin.
Young, handsome, already at Transcendence at his age, possessing outstanding martial talent—and a man of marriageable age who held no prejudice against Exotic Foreign People.
Any father with a daughter of age would covet such a man.
However, his youngest daughter was still young, and the one of proper age…
“That monkey brat… next time I see him, I’ll definitely knock him down. How dare a mere beast throw me around like that. It’s humiliating.”
…seemed more interested in martial arts than romance.
It appeared unlikely things would go as he hoped.
“Hm… perhaps it’s not yet time.”
Everything had its proper timing.
If he himself had trained a bit more before entering the Heavenly Heat Ice Palace, perhaps his life would have turned out differently.
“What a pity, what a pity.”
Where could one find another young man with such character, temperament, and potential to reach the Transformation Realm?
As both a leader and a father, he felt regret. But some relationships only ripen with time.
Moreover, that young Troubleshooter also seemed too focused on something to notice his surroundings.
For now, Seol Jindo decided to maintain a good relationship.
“Let’s return and prepare a banquet. Shouldn’t we properly welcome Young Master Dan Mujin?”
“Yes, Father. Let’s do that.”
No one had died, and they had successfully conquered the Heavenly Heat Ice Palace.
They had even defeated the monkey spirit beast and cured the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
A perfect outcome.
That day, the North Sea Ice Palace would open its granaries and hold a grand banquet.
“Come, let us return to the palace. We must inform the others of our success.”
“Oooooh!”
The martial artists and members of the North Sea Ice Palace followed Seol Jindo with vigor.
We were dragged deep into the Ice Cave, into a modest home Crimson Sun had cultivated.
A small field where traces of cultivated Spiritual Medicine could be seen, and a towering monkey spirit beast guarding it.
“Ukik.”
That beast glared at me fiercely every time our eyes met, clearly bothered by the fact that I had beaten it up.
Now no longer white-furred but golden-furred, it stared me down with burning eyes.
“What are you staring at?”
“Ukik?”
As if responding in kind, it smirked and tapped its iron staff against its shoulder while staring at me.
“You little bastard… hey, once we get outside, stay sharp. If someone suddenly smashes your head, just assume it’s me.”
Last time, I had no choice but to gang up on it to save Seol Soyoung—but someday, I wanted to face it one-on-one and take it down.
After all, it used the same Staff Technique as me.
An opportunity like that was rare.
“Ukiiiik, kik, ukik.”
Whether it understood me or not, it twisted its mouth into a mocking grin.
A grin that looked far too human for a beast—making my blood boil.
“I’m definitely beating you one-on-one. You damn animal.”
“Kkiiik, kik, ukik.”
Both of us gripped our staffs tightly, glaring as if growling at each other.
Watching this, the red-haired woman approached with a chuckle.
“Kekeke, you two are quite similar in level.”
I immediately protested.
“Me and that animal?”
“Ukik, kik?”
Even the monkey looked like it was questioning the same thing.
“Look at you now—you’re both saying the exact same thing.”
That was mildly insulting.
To be compared to a beast that wasn’t even fully human.
We both turned to look at each other—and our eyes met at the same time.
“You both use Staff Techniques, and there are quite a few similarities.”
I was about to refute that, but the two subordinates behind me each added a comment.
“Mujin… you do feel somewhat similar…”
“Especially how you charge at anyone without hesitation…”
Even Jo Harang and Ilhong said that?
I looked at them with a slightly wronged expression before glancing at the red-haired reclusive eccentric.
“So, why did you call only me over?”
Everything here in the Ice Cave was done.
All that remained was to return, collect my reward, and add another achievement to my growing reputation.
At my question, she spoke bluntly.
“You… what exactly are you?”
Her crimson eyes pierced straight through my mind.
“What do you mean? I’m Dan Mujin, a successful Troubleshooter based in central Beijing.”
Thwack.
Her slender hand struck the back of my head at lightning speed before disappearing.
Why does everyone hit first whenever they talk to me?
As I swallowed my complaint internally, she smirked.
“You’re cursing at me right now, aren’t you?”
“…No. I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re doing it with your eyes. Did you think it wouldn’t show?”
Ah, so that’s why Hwang Geolgae also hit first.
Still, it felt unfair. I didn’t actually say it out loud.
Does this ruthless Murim not even have the presumption of innocence?
“What a bold brat.”
She shook her head, looking dumbfounded.
Even when dragged deep into the Ice Cave by someone who could kill everyone with a single finger, I still spoke my mind.
She seemed both amused and baffled.
“So, what is your true identity? Answer properly this time.”
“I told you already—I’m Troubleshooter Dan Mujin…”
From the looks of it, Crimson Sun had sensed something beyond the Star Spiritual Energy and Moon Spiritual Energy within me.
Proof of that was how the red aura—the Salseongi—had vanished the moment she began staring at me.
I glanced between my two subordinates, who tilted their heads in confusion.
“Is it because those women are here that you cannot speak properly?”
Swoosh.
With a flick of her finger, Jo Harang and Ilhong collapsed like puppets with cut strings.
“What are you doing?!”
“Do not worry. I merely struck their acupoints and put them to sleep temporarily.”
She dismissed my concern, saying they would feel refreshed after waking.
“Why do you think there’s something inside me?”
“A kind of instinct.”
As I stepped back, she stepped forward.
“An old person’s intuition?”
“……”
Her eyes narrowed.
Beside her, the Golden-Furred Lion King covered its face with its hand.
What? If you’ve lived hundreds of years, you’re not young.
That’s just common sense.
“Ghk!”
Her figure shot forward in an instant.
Before I could react, she grabbed my Blood Meridian and sent a powerful force through me, slowly scanning my entire body.
Unlike before when she injected Blazing Yang Energy through her palm, now she examined every single meridian in detail.
And finally—when she encountered ‘it’—
Her eyes widened, and she hurriedly pulled her hand away.
She stared at me in utter shock.
“This is insane… You—are you the Heaven-Slaying Star of this era?!”
Her thunderous shout made the Ice Cave tremble.
Even the Golden-Furred Lion King jumped in surprise.
I wanted to answer, but with my Blood Meridian restrained, I could only move my eyes.
Realizing this, she released me.
“No wonder neither Heavenly Mechanism nor Divine Eye Insight could read you… Good heavens. How have you maintained your sanity until now…?”
The destined Heavenly Mechanism had been severely distorted.
As she spoke, she seemed to recall the immense Star Spiritual Energy within me—and the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method that weakened the power of stars and stole it.
Then she suddenly shouted a name.
“Ilwol…! You senile old man obsessed with the stars…!”