Chapter 1123

If a friend calls, of course, you should come. (3)

Clad in pristine white fur, they approached with steps as if measured by a ruler. 

If the attendants from the Beast Palace resembled a lush forest thriving under the scorching sun, the Northern Ice Palace attendees seemed to bring an icy wind of the far north with them, truly imposing.

Though human temperament naturally varies based on where one grows up, it didn’t seem odd that they brought the chilling winds of the Northern Sea.

‘So different.’

Namgung Dowi felt an oddly new sense of realization.

Even though Namgung also wielded swords, the aura emanating from the swordsmen of the Ice Palace felt distinctly unique. It was as if they embodied the concept of a sharp blade — such thoughts involuntarily came to mind while observing them.

Their demeanor starkly contrasted the Beast Palace’s exuberance, stirring an intriguing curiosity. While the Beast Palace exuded boundless freedom and seemed unencumbered, the Ice Palace’s people seemed crafted as if to epitomize restraint.

Therefore, unlike the Beast Palace, they appeared somewhat inaccessible…

«Dojang-niiiim!»*

Suddenly, amidst the sharp intense presence, a young man leaped out. Swiftly, he dashed toward Chung Myung.

«Huh?»

«Dojang-nim!»

The man unapologetically displayed a joyful expression, grabbing both of Chung Myung’s hands tightly. It was almost a seizing motion in how firmly he grasped it.

«Goodness, how long has it been! Have you been well?»

«Um…?»

«You haven’t changed a bit, Dojang-nim! I felt relieved! Although it might have felt awkward since it’s been a while!»

«Uh…?»

«Nevertheless, it’s worth coming back here! Goodness, why is the Central Plains so hot! It feels hotter than midsummer in the Northern Sea!»

«Oh, wait a moment.»

«Yes?»

«I…»

Chung Myung looked utterly bewildered, tilting his head in confusion.

«Who are you?»

«…»

The man, or rather, the young man — an appropriate term for him, appeared momentarily dumbfounded. However, in a brief instant, he burst into a hearty laughter.

«Ahahaha! As expected, you’re still the same, Dojang-nim. You used to joke around like this often.»

«No, that’s not what I meant…»

«I should learn to have your composure as soon as possible. Why is it so hard?»

«No, but…»

«Still, with effort every day, someday…»

«Hey! Let me speak! Who the heck are you, hey!»

Upon hearing those words, the young man abruptly stiffened. Then, with a genuinely shocked expression, he looked at Chung Myung.

«D-Dojang-nim… You truly don’t remember me?»

«No, you seem like a complete stranger. Why do you keep pretending like we know each other?»

«I’m Sobaek!»

«Huh?»

«Seol Sobaek.»

«Who? Seol Sobaek? The Ice Palace Lord?»

«Yes! It’s me!»

Now, Chung Myung stared blankly at the young man in front of him: a tall figure with clean, white skin…

«The Sobaek I knew was this tall…»

«Yes! That’s me.»

«You?»

«Yes!»

Chung Myung wasn’t the only one taken aback by this revelation.

«What!»

«Lord Seol?»

«Really?»

The Ogeom, standing behind Chung Myung, reacted in utter disbelief, as if unable to comprehend what they saw.

Chung Myung scrutinized the young man before him up and down several times. It was hard to believe that this youthful young man could be Seol Sobaek…

«Now that I look closely, there’s a resemblance…»

«Exactly.»

«Well, if I examine closely, your eyes and mouth seem similar.»

«Where are you even looking?»

“I didn’t expect much from Jo Geol’s sense of judgment, so even if you don’t know, just take it as it is.”

«No, but…»

Baek Cheon blinked. Listening and observing, it did seem quite plausible that he might be Seol Sobaek…

«Well… hahaha.»

Chung Myung couldn’t hide his bewilderment as he looked at the well-built young man before him.

«Really, Sobaek?»

«Yes, Dojang-nim.»

«Your voice is completely different.»

«I feel like it’s the same, is it that strange?»

«Not like that… Oh well. You’ve grown a lot.»

No, at this point, it wasn’t just growing a lot — it was almost like a complete transformation. He seemed to have doubled in height and the chubby, baby-faced look had now turned into a quite slender and refined one. Rather than the robust impression typical of the Northern Sea, it was more like… how to put it? He had a slightly delicate and handsome air.

“Come to think of it, the last time I saw you was… let me think… almost four years ago?”

“That’s right. It’s been about four years already.”

“Well, a lot could change then.” 

They were at the prime of their youth… Of course, there was a considerable discrepancy between remembering and actually seeing.

Chung Myung’s gaze shifted to the sword hanging at Seol Sobaek’s waist. Clad in pure white uniform and carrying a sword, he now gave off an unmistakable vibe of a martial artist.

“It’s been a while, Lord Seol.”

“Your grace is truly magnificent, Lord of the Beast Palace!”

Surprised, Chung Myung turned his head sharply towards Maeng So and asked, 

“Do you recognize him?”

“You don’t recognize him? He looks exactly the same?”

“…”

“He just grew a bit taller, didn’t he?”

Well, Maeng So was the kind of person who could distinguish between ten identical-looking tiger cubs at a glance. If animals could recognize him, there was no reason he couldn’t recognize a person.

Seeing Maeng So speak like that, it seemed Seol Sobaek was indeed who he claimed to be.

Chung Myung made an effort to push aside the subtle awkwardness and greeted him with a smiling face. 

“Thank you for coming. It must have been a long journey.”

“Not at all. It’s only natural for me to come.”

The gentle smile on Seol Sobaek’s face wavered slightly as he spoke, 

«Honestly, I’ve been a bit worried.»

«Hmm? Worried?»

«Indeed. There were some concerns within the Ice Palace. They speculated that perhaps Cheonumaeng was merely pretending to be friendly while scheming to profit cheaply from ice crystals and other items in the Northern Sea.»

Swiftly, Seol Sobek’s words turned into piercing blades, mercilessly stabbing into Chung Myung’s chest.

«Is that so?»

«Hahaha, I apologize, Dojang-nim. I, being someone who knows and has met you in person, never entertained such thoughts. But to those who don’t know you well, it seemed rather unbecoming. Some thought of you as a pretentious martial arts master. Hahaha.»

A forceful gust of wind swept through.

«Oh, don’t worry. I’ve given those individuals a good scolding. But humans are quite cunning. Although I firmly believed it couldn’t be true, considering how rarely you visit, doubts arose. Perhaps you’ve completely forgotten about the Northern Sea amidst your pursuits. Hahaha!»

A powerful gust echoed through the air once again. 

«Surely that couldn’t be the case. What possible interest could Taoist monks living deep in the mountains have in things so far away? Haha. It’s truly an absurd notion.»

«….»

«Still, even if by some rare chance, you had forgotten us, I would have been embarrassed if you had to go to such lengths to find us. I’m truly ashamed for entertaining such selfish thoughts, having received your kindness. How disgraceful of me.»

«Well, I was wrong.»

«What? Dojang-nim, what did you just say…?»

«Oh, no. It’s nothing.»

Chung Myung’s nape was drenched in sweat.

Certainly, it couldn’t be said that he had completely forgotten, but wasn’t he deliberately keeping it in the background, avoiding acknowledgment?

If only he had blamed that fact, Chung Myung might have been able to shamelessly leave. But displaying such unwavering faith made him feel increasingly small.

«Oh, and!»

«Yes?»

«Bring it here! Bring it over this way!»

At Seol Sobaek’s shout, the Ice Palace attendants emerged from the rear with something huge. Something familiar to the disciples of Hwasan.

«A cart?»

«It’s enormous!»

«Hahaha. If that’s made of iron, it’s exactly like what we use in Hwasan… Is it made of iron?»

The attendants effortlessly dragged a massive cart without any apparent difficulty. The issue was not that there was just one such cart.

Rumble! 

At least more than five carts rolled in, raising clouds of dust.

«W-What is this?»

«After such a long time without seeing Dojang-nim, we couldn’t come empty-handed, could we? These are gifts brought from the Northern Sea.»

«G-Gifts? But we receive items from the Northern Sea through Eunha merchant guild…»

«That’s for trading goods. These are invaluable gifts that cannot even be compared. They are for Dojang-nim.»

«Huh?»

«Now, this is…»

Seol Sobaek uncovered the cloth on the first cart.

«What? What is this?»

«These are precious animal skins from the Northern Sea. We’ve prepared fur from seals, grey wolf pelts, and even rare bear skins.»

«…»

«These items are priceless. I had a feeling the winter in Hwasan would be quite harsh, so I arranged these for the monks.»

«Did you feel cold in Hwasan too?»

«I didn’t particularly feel that way, but wouldn’t the monks feel cold? With these skins, they can stay warm during winter.»

Chung Myung burst into tears.

‘I’m the one who should be punished, it’s me.’

Has anyone ever been treated like this in their life? I mean, worrying about the cold atop a mere mountain while people from the freezing Northern Sea send over furs… and abandoning those kinds of people…

— Chung Myung. Honestly, even from my perspective, you’ve gone a bit too far.

‘Oh, I get it. I’m just feeling extreme guilt right now!’

«And what’s loaded in this cart are rare ingredients even for the Northern Sea, and here are some gathered seasonal offerings. Also, this…»

«Bringing all this… feels burdensome…»

«Oh, burdensome? Not at all. Considering what Dojang-nim has done for the Northern Sea, this is nothing.»

«…Well…»

«Oh, this wasn’t brought as a tribute. Just consider it my small token of respect.»

Seol Sobaek sighed as if feeling regretful.

«If the distance wasn’t so far, I would’ve brought even more.»

«Please, that’s enough…»

Even though Chung Myung could gulp down charcoal water if it were free, devouring all of this would burst his stomach and kill him. Lately, he had been increasingly aware of the existence of his conscience. 

At that moment, Seol Sobek’s expression darkened slightly.

«However…»

«Yes?»

“We couldn’t procure as much ice crystals as Dojang-nim mentioned. The output has significantly decreased, so… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what!”

Chung Myung quickly shook his head vehemently and waved his hand.

“I’ve scraped together several decades’ worth before. If I want more from there, I’ll be an extortionist.”

“I managed to fill the quantity, but the quality isn’t as good. These items, which would have been embarrassing to call ice crystals in the past…”

“Oh, it’s okay. It really is.”

‘It’s not like I’ll be eating them anyway, whatever.’

It was precisely at that moment when Chung Myung, looking at Seol Sobaek who had grown up so well, keenly realized that raising the Northern Ice Palace’s Lord wasn’t enviable compared to nurturing ten Eastern Dragons.

From somewhere, a voice cut through, sharp and distinct.

“Wait, are you saying you needlessly hunted animals just to strip their hides? These people are absolutely clueless!”

“Hmm?”

The attendants from the Beast Palace stared ominously at Seol Sobaek and the animal hides laid out in front of him.

“Is there a problem?”

Simultaneously, Seol Sobaek’s face turned as cold as ice. As if to prove his authority as the Lord of the Northern Ice Palace, an icy intimidating aura emanated from his entire being.

________

*Okay, 99% of the time if someone calls Chung Myung — Dojang (or really anyone else), it’s just that. But he calls him Dojang-nim, which is more polite and I want to leave it like that.