"Ah..."
Finally exhaling, that exclamation came out of Seol Baekmyo's mouth.
The ice tiger, which had collapsed on the floor, and Cheon Myeong, who was standing with his sword, from which a crimson sword gang was still flickering.
Although it was unbelievable, Cheon Myeong had really defeated the ice tiger.
At the fact that Cheon Myeong had defeated the ice tiger, which even her mother, Seol Suham, had not dared to do anything about, Seol Baekmyo was at a loss for words for a while.
"Grrr..."
At that moment, a rough breath came out of the ice tiger's mouth.
At the same time, seeing that its body was heaving, it seemed that it was not yet dead.
However, the ice tiger was already in a state of being so seriously injured that it could no longer get up.
Swish-
Cheon Myeong slowly raised his sword as if to finish off such an ice tiger.
At that sight, a chill was felt, so much so that it was hard to believe that he was the person who had cured her White Disease.
But at the same time, a sense of pressure was felt.
'That person is from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult...'
Looking at Cheon Myeong, who was standing with his sword raised at the ice tiger, Seol Baekmyo came to realize that fact anew.
He wasn't just a gentle person.
Cheon Myeong, who had held her hand, and Cheon Myeong, who was standing with his sword at the ice tiger.
From those two appearances, Seol Baekmyo was now feeling a considerable sense of disparity.
"Peep!"
At that moment, Baekjo came out of Seol Baekmyo's bosom.
Since Seol Baekmyo had been concentrating her consciousness on Cheon Myeong, she had not been able to notice that fact until Baekjo had gone out.
By the time she came to her senses, Baekjo had already flown to Cheon Myeong.
Flap-
Baekjo, which quickly flew to Cheon Myeong and blocked his front.
Because Baekjo had suddenly intervened, Cheon Myeong could not swing his sword and had no choice but to stay still.
"...Move, Baekjo."
"Peep, peep!"
"What? Why shouldn't I kill that thing?"
Cheon Myeong could not understand.
Why was Baekjo suddenly intervening and trying to protect the ice tiger?
Since the guy who had not even tried to come out because it was cold until now was so desperately blocking the front of the ice tiger, Cheon Myeong couldn't help but have that question.
However, hearing Baekjo's following words, a slight tremor occurred in Cheon Myeong's expression.
"...Really?"
Cheon Myeong asked Baekjo with a somewhat complicated face.
Then, Baekjo immediately answered Cheon Myeong.
After hearing Baekjo's answer, Cheon Myeong maintained his silence for a moment and soon quietly lowered the sword he was holding.
Woong-
At the same time, the sword gang that disappeared from the sword.
Cheon Myeong completely put the sword into its sheath and asked Baekjo.
"I see. Then what should I do now?"
"Peep, peep."
"What? But how can I do that?"
"Peep, peep, peep."
"Hmm... so that's how it's done?"
Cheon Myeong and Baekjo began to talk to each other for a while.
And Seol Baekmyo, who was looking at them with a puzzled face.
Although it seemed that Cheon Myeong was about to take the ice tiger's life in a murderous atmosphere until just a moment ago, after talking with Baekjo, Cheon Myeong had already completely put away his sword.
Since Seol Baekmyo could not understand Baekjo's words at all, she could not know what those two were talking about even at this moment.
'What on earth are they talking about?'
As Seol Baekmyo was thinking that, looking at Cheon Myeong, Cheon Myeong's gaze suddenly turned to this side.
At the same time, Cheon Myeong, who was saying something to Seol Baekmyo.
For a moment, Seol Baekmyo thought that she had misheard what Cheon Myeong was saying to her.
"U-uh... I'm sorry, but could you please say that again?"
"I ask you to treat the ice tiger."
"..."
She hadn't misheard.
After hearing what Cheon Myeong was saying to her again, Seol Baekmyo thought so.
However, soon, Seol Baekmyo shook her head from side to side as if she were flustered and said.
"W-what do you mean! How can I treat the ice tiger?"
She was not a veterinarian, so how could she treat an ice tiger?
Moreover, if the wound was that deep, it seemed that it would be impossible to treat it even for a veterinarian.
"In this place, only you, Young Palace Lord, can do it."
"..."
"First, please come this way."
As Cheon Myeong continued to say that, Seol Baekmyo had no choice but to approach where Cheon Myeong was.
As she got closer, the ice tiger's body felt even larger.
No matter how seriously injured it was and was lying on the ground, seeing that huge body, Seol Baekmyo couldn't help but be nervous and swallow her dry saliva.
"Young Palace Lord, please infuse the energy of the Ice White Divine Art into the ice tiger."
"Pardon?"
"You will be able to treat the ice tiger with that."
"..."
For a moment, Seol Baekmyo swallowed her words, hearing what Cheon Myeong had said to her.
To think that there was something only she could do, was he perhaps talking about this?
Although it was also puzzling that that simple act would heal the ice tiger's wound, Seol Baekmyo had a bigger question.
"But why are you trying to treat the ice tiger?"
In the end, Seol Baekmyo asked Cheon Myeong.
The one who had put the ice tiger in that state was none other than Cheon Myeong himself.
Seol Baekmyo could not understand why the person who had been holding a sword to finish it off until just a moment ago was trying to treat the ice tiger, for what reason.
"It seems that that ice tiger can guide us to our desired destination."
"The ice tiger?"
"Yes."
"Uh... how did you know that, Young Master?"
"Baekjo said so."
"..."
The moment she heard that, Seol Baekmyo was at a loss for words again.
To think that he had been talking about such a thing when he seemed to be having a conversation with Baekjo earlier.
Of course, although it was also following Baekjo's words that he had entered the Ten Thousand Year Ice Valley, Seol Baekmyo was worried if it would really be okay to follow Baekjo's words in this part as well.
Swish-
Seol Baekmyo's gaze turned to the ice tiger again.
Generally speaking, does it make sense to revive the ice tiger that had shown such a threatening appearance to them?
Although it was not easy to believe that that wound would be healed with the energy of the Ice White Divine Art, if the ice tiger, whose wound had been treated, were to attack them again, it would be a really big problem.
Since all of this seemed to be just following Baekjo's words, Seol Baekmyo couldn't help but have that worry.
"It's alright."
At that moment, Cheon Myeong said to Seol Baekmyo.
"If things go wrong, I will take all the responsibility."
"..."
"So won't you trust me and do as I say?"
Seol Baekmyo looked at Cheon Myeong and maintained her silence for a while.
The look of her struggling greatly with what she should do.
In the end, as if she had made up her mind, Seol Baekmyo turned her head to where the ice tiger was and said.
"I understand. I will do as you say, Young Master."
In the first place, the person who had defeated the ice tiger was Cheon Myeong.
If he had won by a narrow margin, her thoughts would have changed, but hadn't Cheon Myeong suppressed the ice tiger with overwhelming force?
So even if the ice tiger, whose wound had been treated, were to attack them again, Seol Baekmyo made that decision, thinking that Cheon Myeong would be able to suppress the ice tiger once more.
"...Thank you."
Cheon Myeong said his thanks to Seol Baekmyo in a low voice.
And Seol Baekmyo, who approached where the ice tiger was.
As she got so close that the ice tiger's rough breathing could be felt, Seol Baekmyo carefully lowered her posture.
Swish-
Seol Baekmyo reached out her two hands towards the ice tiger's back.
No matter how quietly the ice tiger was lying down now, since she didn't know when and how it would suddenly change, Seol Baekmyo was constantly on guard.
'Please be quiet.'
Praying that in her mind, Seol Baekmyo succeeded in touching the ice tiger's body.
And the transmission of energy that followed quickly.
Since she did not want to touch the ice tiger's body for that long, Seol Baekmyo quickly raised her energy and began to let it flow into the ice tiger's body.
"..."
Cheon Myeong was watching her silently from a little distance away.
According to Baekjo, the ice tiger's healing power would increase if it received enough yin energy.
So for the ice tiger, there would be no medicine as effective as the Ice White Divine Art.
Although Baekjo did not seem to be sure whether a sword wound of that extent could be completely treated, for now, this would be the only way to save the ice tiger.
'To think that the ice tiger was related to the first Heavenly Demon.'
This was also, by all means, a statement that had come from Baekjo's mouth.
Although he didn't know why Baekjo, who had been silent until now, had suddenly said that to him, the moment he had heard those words, Cheon Myeong's two eyes couldn't help but widen.
Because the fact that the ice tiger was related to the first Heavenly Demon meant that the possibility of the Three Sacred Treasures being here had increased.
In other words, it meant that the ice tiger had been protecting the Three Sacred Treasures that were sleeping in the Ten Thousand Year Ice Valley all this time.
Swish-
At that moment, Cheon Myeong's gaze turned to Baekjo.
Why on earth did Baekjo know this fact?
He had only thought of it as a guy who just knew how to eat a lot of meat... but for a moment, Cheon Myeong had the thought that there might really be some connection between the bird he had seen in the portrait of Cheon Seon and Baekjo.
"Baekjo, you are..."
That statement came out of the mouth of Cheon Myeong, who was looking at Baekjo.
However, at that moment, at the sharp scream, Cheon Myeong had no choice but to stop his words and turn his head to that side again.
"Kyaak-!
Seol Baekmyo's scream.
And the ice tiger, which had been lying down, was slowly trying to get up from its spot.
'Already?'
Not even half a quarter of an hour had passed since she had started to infuse energy, but did that mean that the ice tiger's wound had already been treated?
Cheon Myeong thought so and examined the chest area of the ice tiger that he had cut.
Drip-
However, blood was still flowing from there.
Although it seemed to have regained some energy with Seol Baekmyo's Ice White Divine Art, it did not seem to have been completely cured yet.
In other words, did it mean that it had gotten up as soon as it could move?
From the looks of it, it seemed that the ice tiger was still full of intent to attack this side.
"Grrr...!"
The ice tiger's gaze, which was aimed at Cheon Myeong with a rough breath.
Its momentum was still very sharp, as if it would rush at Cheon Myeong at any moment.
"Peep!"
However, at that moment, Baekjo blocked the front of the ice tiger.
And Baekjo, which began to say something earnestly to the ice tiger.
"Peep, peep!"
"Grrr..."
"Peep, peep, peep, peep!"
"Grr..."
To think that a bird and a tiger were having a conversation.
It could be said to be a strange scene, as much as Cheon Myeong and Baekjo having a conversation.
'It seems... it's okay.'
As it was having a conversation with Baekjo, the ice tiger's momentum seemed to be gradually weakening.
If Baekjo had not been able to calm the ice tiger, Cheon Myeong had been preparing to draw his sword at any time, but fortunately, seeing that, it seemed that there was no need to draw his sword.
Swish-
Cheon Myeong, who stealthily took his hand off the sword.
And the conversation between Baekjo and the ice tiger continued for quite a long time.
"Peep!"
"...Grr."
At that moment, it felt as if the conversation had ended.
At that moment, the ice tiger, which sat down on the floor again.
As if it had been holding on forcibly until now, no strength was felt from the ice tiger's appearance as it sat down.
"Peep, peep!"
At that moment, Baekjo flew to Cheon Myeong and said something.
Cheon Myeong, who nodded his head as if he understood, hearing those words.
"Young Palace Lord, it seems we can proceed with the treatment again now."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Seol Baekmyo looked at Cheon Myeong with somewhat surprised eyes.
"What? Again?"
"It's alright. The ice tiger won't attack, so please proceed with peace of mind."
"..."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Seol Baekmyo had no choice but to approach the ice tiger again.
Unlike before, the ice tiger was sitting with its eyes open.
Seol Baekmyo, who carefully reached out her hand towards such an ice tiger.
Fortunately, unlike Seol Baekmyo's expectation, the ice tiger was still like a gentle cat, and as if Seol Baekmyo had also felt that, she began to infuse energy into the ice tiger in earnest again.
"...Hoo."
With a light sigh, Seol Baekmyo stood up from her spot.
Beads of sweat that were forming on Seol Baekmyo's forehead.
To the extent that such beads of sweat would form even in the cold of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Valley, Seol Baekmyo had devoted quite a lot of effort to transmitting energy to the ice tiger.
"It's over."
"...You've worked hard."
Cheon Myeong said to Seol Baekmyo and approached the ice tiger.
The ice tiger, which was now standing up from its spot.
Unlike before, its wound had recovered a lot, so much so that it could now move properly.
"Ice tiger, guide me to where the Three Sacred Treasures are."
Cheon Myeong said, looking straight at the ice tiger.
The ice tiger, which was watching such a Cheon Myeong without a word.
"...Grr."
The ice tiger made a light sound and soon turned its body and began to walk somewhere.
It probably meant to follow it.
Although he could not understand the ice tiger's words, Cheon Myeong could know that fact by feeling.
"..."
This moment has finally come.
The words of Cheon Jin, who had said that if he found the real Three Sacred Treasures, he could awaken to the ultimate of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Whether that was true or not, he would be able to confirm it soon.
"...Let's follow."
After saying that to Seol Baekmyo, Cheon Myeong moved his tense steps to follow the ice tiger.
(End of Chapter)