Chapter 17

Seol Unwi rose from his bed.

He had managed to get up after just four days only because he had continuously consumed cultivation resources and spiritual pills and fully refined them. Without those, he would’ve had to stay bedridden for over ten days.

That was the price of using the Blood Demon Vaulting Heaven Technique with such a fragile, low-grade body.

Even with his blood vessels being vastly denser than those of ordinary people, Seol Unwi had barely survived. Had it been anyone else—they’d be dead already.

Seol Unwi stood and washed himself, then changed into fresh clothes.

Finally, he draped the White Tiger Heavenly Robe over his shoulders and stared into the mirror.

He looked a little haggard—but still human.

“...Will you be going alone?”

Inspector Seong’s voice.

Seol Unwi simply looked at him in silence.

“W-Why... why are you looking at me like that?”

“I was just looking.”

“...L-Let me just say this—just in case. I swear I had nothing to do with the Sovereign summoning you.”

A faint smile.

“But you did report it. Didn’t you?”

“...I mean, I did... but...”

Seol Unwi quietly patted Inspector Seong on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be away for a few days, so I want you to keep Seolap secure while I’m gone. Can you do that?”

“...When you say ‘secure,’ it sounds a lot like you’re telling me to use force.”

“Still, these people have become mine. I should at least make sure they don’t die.”

“...”

“Someone like you, Inspector Seong, is more than enough to protect Seolap. Or am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong, but... if it’s discovered that I’m part of the White Snow Spirit Guard, the moment it reaches the captain’s ears—he might actually beat me to death.”

“If you’re beaten to death by the captain, then I promise—on everything I have—that I’ll make sure that captain dies in far more pain.”

“...”

“And if he has any family, I’ll find them and kill them all.”

“...I’m truly grateful for the sentiment. I’ll do my best.”

Seol Unwi stared at him for a long moment and said,

“If you’re that worried, just wear a mask. They’re all over the place.”

Leaving behind the utterly dumbfounded face of Inspector Seong, Seol Unwi set off for the Main Palace.

****

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it awe-inspiring.

The palace’s pure white walls soared skyward, and at their peak were rooftops crafted from ice that never melted.

Icicles hung from the eaves like dragon fangs, and whenever the wind blew, a subtle spiritual energy would flow from them—clearly marking this as more than just a building.

On the central hall was inscribed the phrase:

“Everlasting Snow Palace.”

The characters seemed to breathe.

This was it.

The true Main Palace of the Everlasting Snow Palace, shaped by two thousand years of history.

The guards at the gate glanced at Seol Unwi’s face without expression, then silently opened the door.

With natural, familiar steps, Seol Unwi entered and walked along the vast ice walls—saying nothing.

A wave of emotions struck him.

This was the place he had once destroyed with his own hands, where he had killed everyone inside.

And yet—Seol Unwi felt no regret.

He had had more than enough reason to destroy it.

He’d had the power to do it.

It was right to destroy it.

And here—he had died.

He looked around.

It was quiet. Peaceful.

At this point in time, there were no major issues.

The war that would break out ten years from now...

The inevitable collision between the Central Blood Sect and the Sichuan Alliance...

As far as Seol Unwi knew, there were at least seven years left.

Until then, the martial world would experience a rare and fragile peace.

After spending a moment in silence near the ice wall, Seol Unwi quietly descended the stairs.

He arrived at the Ice Cold Medicine Hall, the pavilion where medicinal resources were managed.

There were two reasons he came.

First—since it had been a while, he planned to replenish some cultivation materials.

Second—his blood vessels were still throbbing from the use of Blood Qi, and he intended to get spiritual pills to treat it.

The moment he stepped inside, a subtle medicinal scent tickled his nose. Without hesitation, Seol Unwi approached one of the pharmacists who was organizing ingredients.

The pharmacist blinked, startled.

His expression clearly said: Why are you here? He didn’t care.

“Do you have Hundred-Year Iceheart Pill and Fifty-Year Snow Marrow Elixir?”

The voice was calm, but it caused every pharmacist nearby to look up from their work.

The Hundred-Year Iceheart Pill was a high-grade cultivation resource. The Fifty-Year Snow Marrow Elixir was a rare medicine used to heal damaged meridians. Naturally, neither was easy to obtain.

But this was the Main Palace of the Everlasting Snow Palace.

Of course they had them.

What surprised them wasn’t the items—but the person asking for them: Seol Unwi.

And he wasn’t done.

“I also need Ice Snow Lotus and Cold Ice Hundred-Mile Grass. Preferably in top grade.”

The eyes of pharmacist Jin Hansu narrowed ever so slightly.

“Well, well... isn’t this the Branch Lord of Seolap?”

A late greeting—polite in tone, but filled with barbs. His gaze had changed.

“Hundred-Year Iceheart Pill, Fifty-Year Snow Marrow Elixir... Ice Snow Lotus and Cold Ice Hundred-Mile Grass. So you’re mixing cultivation resources with recovery medicine. That kind of combination is used to circulate blood, repair meridians, heal internal injuries, and refine constitution. May I ask why you need such rare items?”

“Do I have to explain that too?”

“Perhaps you’re unaware, but those four items are typically reserved for key figures of the palace. That is—members of the direct bloodline. It’s extremely difficult to hand them out.”

Jin Hansu put particular weight on the word “direct.”

It went beyond veiled sarcasm—it was practically open disdain.

“Besides, the Ice Snow Lotus is a sensitive item. Its medicinal properties change if more than a day passes after harvesting. I wonder if a place like Seolap even has proper facilities for preservation...”

He scratched his head and let out a sigh.

“I don’t know where you heard those names, but even if we ignore the fact that I can’t give them to you, just eating them doesn’t mean you’ll benefit from them. They only show significant effects when you’ve suffered a major wound to Blood Qi or internal force—no, more importantly, even members of the direct bloodline need the right body constitution ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) to absorb their properties—”

“Direct bloodline, huh... Then tell me—who do I look like to you?”

“...”

“I remember. The wives instructed long ago: ‘If he ever comes into the apothecary, give him nothing.’ Isn’t that right?”

At that, Jin Hansu flinched.

Seol Unwi was a bastard son. Technically not even worth monitoring.

But some had decided it was better to cut him off early.

More than one.

Seol Unwi had three older brothers and one older sister.

Out of the four, only one had actively worked against him. The others didn’t go out of their way to suppress or interfere with him.

Some had been kind. Others ignored him.

But the real problem wasn’t the siblings themselves—it was the people behind them.

To Seol Unwi, they were stepmothers. To his brothers and sister, they were mothers.

And behind them stood their respective clans.

Those clans had acted in unison.

That’s what it means to be a bastard.

That was why, in his past life, Seol Unwi hadn’t even come near the apothecary, let alone entered it.

He’d gone a few times and had been humiliated to his face—more than once. Avoiding the place was only natural.

He’d left for Seolap six years ago, but it had been nearly eight—maybe even nine years—since he’d last stepped foot in the apothecary.

Calmly, Unwi continued speaking.

“All that talk about ‘vessels’ or whatever—everything you said after that was meaningless, so there’s no point responding. But I will offer you one warning.”

Once again, it bears repeating: Seol Unwi doesn’t act without reason.

Everything he does has a purpose. And no matter what the situation is, he gives at least one warning.

“Forget the past. I am of the Everlasting Snow Palace’s bloodline, and I have come here with rightful authority to retrieve cultivation materials and spiritual pills.”

“...”

“I’ll repeat myself. Two Hundred-Year Iceheart Pills, five drops of Fifty-Year Snow Marrow Elixir, one root of Ice Snow Lotus, and two roots of Cold Ice Hundred-Mile Grass. Bring them.”

“...That’s not possible.”

Jin Hansu replied. And just after that, another pharmacist nearby sighed and chimed in.

“Even if this is the medicine hall, you can’t just demand something and have it fall into your lap... tsk.”

It wasn’t surprising.

This is how things were here.

Seol Unwi gave a sidelong glance at the pharmacist who had joined in and then turned his eyes back to Jin Hansu.

“What’s your name?”

“...Jin Hansu.”

“Jin Hansu. Listen carefully. In fact, all of you pharmacists here—open your ears and listen.”

“Your duty is to serve the Everlasting Snow Palace. The one and only person you owe allegiance to is the Sovereign.”

“...”

“I, standing right here before you, am of the Snow Palace’s bloodline. Bastard, illegitimate, whatever you want to call it—what does that even matter?”

“...”

“You may not realize it, but I rarely speak this long. So I suggest you choose your next words very carefully.”

But even after that long speech, Jin Hansu’s attitude didn’t change.

He’d been looking down on this bastard son for over a decade. And to him, this—was an opportunity.

Jin Hansu was aiming to become the assistant head of the apothecary.

And behind him stood the Hanbing Clan—the very same clan behind the third son, Seol Unhae.

There was no way he didn’t know that Seol Unhae and Seol Unwi were on bad terms.

This level of defiance? It was expected—something to bring back to the Hanbing Clan for credit.

In his mind, he was doing the right thing.

All that nonsense Seol Unwi had just said about loyalty to the Sovereign? It was just formalities.

That’s how he saw it.

“No. Go back.”

Seol Unwi nodded, as if he understood.

Then he smiled—gently.

“So the hierarchy here really is broken.”

And in that moment, Jin Hansu’s entire body shuddered.

That smile—it was too chilling. It crawled under your skin.

What did it mean?

He barely had time to ask before Seol Unwi grabbed him by the hair and smashed an elbow down on his face—without hesitation.

CRACK!

His nose flattened. Teeth shattered. Even his jawbone caved in.

“Guh... ugh... gahh...”

“Why is it so hard for people to understand plain words?”

Seol Unwi threw Jin Hansu’s crumpled body to the floor. Then he drew the sword at his hip, flipped it into a reverse grip, and stabbed it straight down.

Squelch!

It went right through Jin Hansu’s spine.

It wasn’t enough.

He pulled the blade out—and stabbed it through the man’s neck.

Then again—through the skull.

Jin Hansu had already lost consciousness the moment his spine was pierced. He died the instant the sword went through his neck.

Seol Unwi pulled his sword free and slowly turned his head.

His eyes locked with another man’s.

It was the pharmacist who had chimed in earlier with his arrogant remarks.

“You. What’s your name?”

“I... I’m... Yang... Yang Wiseong...”

Seol Unwi nodded as if he’d heard clearly—and started walking toward him.

Yang Wiseong began to retreat in a panic.

But it was meaningless.

Seol Unwi’s strides were longer, steadier. Yang Wiseong’s legs were shaking uncontrollably, but Seol Unwi’s pace never faltered.

The distance closed—inevitably.

And then—Seol Unwi’s sword pierced Yang Wiseong’s heart.

Squelch—!

He pulled it out clean—and swung.

Slice—!