Chapter 26

He had said everything he needed to say.

There was nothing left to discuss, and wasting more time would’ve been foolish.

“I sincerely hope you make a wise choice.”

With that, Seol Unwi slammed his fist into Seol Unhae’s jaw.

Crack—!

A brutal impact. Seol Unhae's body collapsed in a heap.

He was completely unconscious.

Seol Unwi rose from his seat and spoke in a quiet voice.

“You can come out now.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a man dropped from the sky.

He had fallen at tremendous speed, but when he landed, it was silent—as if a feather had touched down.

Upon reaching the Five Realms of the Martial God, one could begin to manipulate the energy of heaven and earth. That technique—this kind of silent descent—was one of its telltale signs.

Ordinary martial artists couldn’t even sense the movements of a master at that level, let alone perceive their presence.

They existed, and yet they didn’t. That was the realm of the Martial Gods.

The man’s appearance was utterly unremarkable.

His hair length? Average. His build? Average. His arms and legs? Perfectly average. Even the pressure he gave off and the look in his eyes—unremarkable.

And yet, it was this perfect normalcy that made him feel strange.

He didn’t look like a martial artist. He looked like a killer.

This was Hyeon Sim, Supreme Commander of the White Phantoms.

His realm was Manifestation of the Infinite, the second stage of the Five Realms of the Martial God.

At the very least, he was someone who could hold his own against Yang Seoljin, Vice Lord of the Everlasting Snow Palace.

Indeed. This is when the phrase "a warrior among warriors" applies.

Hyeon Sim looked down at Seol Unhae’s broken, bloodied limbs, then turned his eyes to Seol Unwi. Even his gaze was indifferent.

“That was excessive,” he said.

Even his ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) voice was plain.

Seol Unwi stared silently at him for a moment before asking,

“Where was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I asked where Serpent Valley had coiled itself.”

“It was at the Frozen White Gorge.”

Of course.

“Were they exterminated?”

Hyeon Sim answered immediately.

“They all committed suicide.”

“You let them do that? Or did they catch you off guard?”

“...That’s a very strange question.”

“There’s nothing strange about it. It’s exactly what I asked. Did you let them? Or did they catch you off guard?”

“I was caught off guard.”

Seol Unwi looked at him silently. So it was carelessness...

“All twelve of the Cold Commanders and their subordinates were deployed. You overestimated them.”

A flicker passed through Hyeon Sim’s eyes.

He wasn’t a fool.

In my past life, he had sharp instincts and a mind like a blade.

Perhaps he sensed the implication in my words. He responded with a slight edge to his tone.

“Are you doubting the White Phantoms?”

I sheathed the sword I had drawn earlier and asked,

“You were watching from the sky, weren’t you?”

“I was.”

“You kept eyes on the Frozen White Gorge, Cold Spirit Peak, and Cheonghan Valley, didn’t you? Areas you could observe all at once. I won’t say it was a poor choice. But in this case—you were wrong.”

“...You still haven’t answered my question. Do you doubt the White Phantoms?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

“...”

“You’re good at asking questions when the answer is obvious.”

“...Why would you say that?”

“Serpent Valley is no ordinary sect. As a branch of the Central Blood Sect, their abilities are without question. But the way they slipped so seamlessly into territory under Everlasting Snow Palace’s control... don’t you think that’s odd?”

“...”

“No one noticed them. Not a single person. Can you honestly say that makes sense?”

“...”

“The White Phantoms are meant to protect the Everlasting Snow Palace. But the Palace’s enemies aren’t only outside. Some are within.”

Both of Hyeon Sim’s eyes lit up.

“You’re speaking as if you know something. Am I mistaken?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps I do know something the Supreme Commander doesn’t. But if you can’t even sense it, wouldn’t that be negligence?”

“You’re criticizing me?”

“Yes. I am.”

Hyeon Sim responded bluntly, almost as if throwing the words back.

“Shouldn’t you be more suspicious of the White Snow Phantom Corps than the White Phantoms?”

“I do suspect them. But in this particular incident—Serpent Valley’s infiltration—the White Phantoms are at fault.”

“...”

“The patrol region of the White Phantoms includes the Frozen White Gorge, doesn’t it? Or am I wrong?”

Hyeon Sim let out a long sigh.

“You’re right. This was our failure.”

He was a man who could admit his mistakes.

And in this exchange, he seemed to realize the unsettling feeling he’d overlooked. He blinked slowly, like a man seeing something for the first time.

“...You’re strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not afraid.”

A smile tugged at my lips.

A memory surfaced—

From a time long past.

He had been drenched in blood when he first saw me. The moment he laid eyes on me, he prostrated himself completely, forehead to ground.

“...I pay my respects to the Dark Snow Kirin.”

I asked why he called me that—I had long since left the Everlasting Snow Palace.

“There’s no blood left for me to serve but yours,” he replied.

Looking at his ruined body, I could see the downfall of the Palace reflected in his wounds.

The arm that had once embodied the dignity of the White Phantoms had been snapped without mercy. His Dantian had already been destroyed.

“The Everlasting Snow Palace... is no longer what it once was.”

His voice trembled with hopeless despair.

“Yang Seoljin’s depravity has corrupted not just the Palace—but even the mountains of Seolsan. Everyone... everyone is dead.”

Cough. He spat up blood.

“The White Phantoms have been disbanded. All its members replaced with Yang Seoljin’s puppets. Not a single one of the original warriors... survived.”

The last loyal warrior of the Seolsan Mountains—once proud guardian of the Everlasting Snow Palace—bowed his head before me.

“Please... avenge us.”

Even while vomiting blood, he never lifted his head.

“I, Hyeon Sim... am a disgrace. I failed to protect Lord Seol and the Everlasting Snow Palace. But please... this one wish—”

His final words drowned in blood.

But it didn’t matter.

I had placed my hand on his shoulder, gently.

“...I was planning to destroy it anyway.”

At my answer, the loyal guardian of Seolsan lifted his head and shed tears.

And then, he died.

Even in his final moments, his tears were filled with unwavering loyalty to the Everlasting Snow Palace.

He had risked everything for something noble—

But in the end, he lost it all.

Even when there was nowhere left to run,

He still believed I could strike back.

He hadn’t looked away—not even at the moment of death.

All the way to the end, vengeance was the only thing on his mind.

That’s the kind of man Hyeon Sim is.

I lifted my head and looked at the man standing before me in the present.

He’d asked me why I wasn’t afraid.

He’s a master in the Five Realms of the Martial God.

I’m merely at the Four Realms of Refined Qi.

Ordinarily, when a martial artist comes face to face with someone that far above them, fear is an instinctual reaction.

Even heirs to the Polar Bloodline—whose political weight rivals that of crown princes—can’t help but flinch. The sheer pressure of the gap in strength makes the body recoil on its own.

But that only applies to normal people.

I’m not one of them.

“Do you think I should be afraid?”

“...I did hear you’d changed,” he replied. “But I didn’t expect this much. Also, when you drew your dagger earlier, I noticed traces of the Phantom Soul Piercing Art. Care to explain?”

I’ll say it again—

The Flash Phantom Piercing Art I use is a refinement of an assassination technique from the Phantom Soul Sect, a killer organization once aligned with the Central Blood Sect.

I never intended to hide that fact.

Still, he lived up to his reputation as a master of the Martial God Realm.

So I answered.

“Do I have to explain it?”

“You don’t. I’d just like to finish the conversation we were having earlier.”

Yes, Hyeon Sim is a loyal man.

If he learns that the enemy of the Everlasting Snow Palace is seated as Vice Lord, he’ll likely act without hesitation.

But that’s not my approach.

Besides, there’s a more important question—

Why did my father die?

The official record says it was illness.

But my father had reached the fourth stage of the Martial God Realm: Vast Emptiness Beyond Form. He was a top-tier powerhouse, capable of contending for the title of the strongest in the world.

And he died of a sickness?

It made no sense.

In my past life, I had looked into it.

The story was muddled, but the conclusion was this:

Just as he was reaching the realm of Sovereign of Primordial Oneness, his inner demons surfaced. He suffered a Qi Deviation, and though he spent a year recovering, he never regained his strength.

Eventually, he passed quietly.

Which is why the official cause of death was recorded as illness.

That part—I can deal with.

But the bigger question is how Yang Seoljin managed to seize control of the Palace.

Even if the Everlasting Snow Palace had weakened, it was far too vast a force for one man to devour.

He had help.

From outside—and from within.

The internal side is less urgent.

In my past life, I came to know exactly who aided Yang Seoljin from within the palace, and who turned a blind eye as he rose to power.

I have all their names.

They’re not worth moving against just yet.

When the time is right, I’ll bring them all down in one blow.

If I act now, it’ll weaken the Palace too much.

But again, the important part is the outside.

And I can say this for certain—

It wasn’t the Central Blood Sect.

Nor any of its branches.

More likely, it was one of those sanctimonious bastards sitting on their fat asses up in the sky.

But even that isn’t confirmed yet.

I looked at Hyeon Sim and said,

“I want the Everlasting Snow Palace to endure.”

“As do I,” he replied.

“Then from here on, I ask that you not question anything, and simply grant me two requests.”

“...Do you really think this is the right way?”

“I do.”

“...Very well. Let’s hear it.”

Since he agreed to hear me out, I’ll speak.

“First—tighten your control over the White Phantoms. I’m certain someone within your ranks has been recruited from the outside. Or worse, infiltrated in entirely. Start from the lowest ranks and comb through everything. Root them out.”

If this was simply an oversight—if they missed something unintentionally while patrolling—then at worst it warrants a disciplinary measure.

But if there’s a spy?

That’s a whole different matter.

So Hyeon Sim asked the obvious question:

“There’s a spy in the White Phantoms? Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“None.”

“...I was told you also had no evidence when you warned about Serpent Valley’s infiltration. Is this the same kind of hunch?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. What’s your second request?”

“Who is currently assisting my father?”

“The Vice Lord.”

“Just him?”

“Usually, yes.”

“Then I’d like you to assist him as well.”

“...That’s a strange thing to say.”

I smiled.

“There’s nothing strange about it. Two guards are better than one. And frankly, if the Vice Lord ever decides to betray us—only you would be strong enough to stop him.”

“...You’re saying you suspect the Vice Lord?”

“Not necessarily.”

I continued, locking eyes with him.

“Desire is something no one can control. The more unattainable something is, the more people yearn for it. And when they do... they usually turn to forbidden paths to make it real.”

Hyeon Sim’s gaze darkened.