Chapter 402: What Kind of Scoundrel Drinks Alcohol in Broad Daylight?

TL: FoodieMonster007

"What I want to say is…"

Not only Han Seol but also Geom Mugeuk was curious about Lee Ahn's answer. Her stepping forward had not been a pre-planned action.

Lee Ahn calmly conveyed her true feelings. "I just want you to trust our Young Cult Leader."

A flicker of surprise crossed Han Seol's face, which rarely showed emotion. She truly had not expected the Young Cult Leader's subordinate to say such a thing.

"I know it is a difficult situation to have mutual trust."

"Then why did you say it?" Han Seol asked coldly.

Lee Ahn replied softly, "Because in this world, there are beings that transcend everything."

It was an answer that defied Han Seol's expectations from beginning to end.

Han Seol's gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk. "Is that transcendent being the Young Cult Leader?"

"Yes. Though it might sound like a madwoman's words to you, Princess."

Han Seol, who had been looking at Lee Ahn, now looked at Geom Mugeuk. Her eyes seemed to say, Alright, you explain this madwoman.

Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not one to simply follow her intentions.

"I am respected by my subordinates like this."

Han Seol glared at Geom Mugeuk as if trying to see through him.

She had already been skeptical of the mythical rumors surrounding Geom Mugeuk. After hearing Lee Ahn's words, her doubt turned into conviction.

Perhaps it really was fabricated.

Otherwise, a subordinate would not tell someone to trust his leader because he was a 'transcendent being.' She was either brainwashed, ordered, or truly insane. Whatever it was, it did not fit with a great hero who was changing the murim's landscape.

"Is not the beginning the hardest part? Once you get used to it, any task becomes easy, does it not? So, Princess, just go for it!" Geom Mugeuk's gaze turned to Lee Ahn. "Just like that child over there."

Lee Ahn bowed her head deeply. It was because there was someone who would speak like that no matter what trouble she caused, which allowed her to cause such trouble.

Lee Ahn mustered her courage and spoke once more. "Trust Young Cult Leader. You will never regret it."

Han Seol coldly snorted, then bid farewell to Geom Mugeuk and turned to leave. "I will contact you again."

As she departed, Lee Ahn sighed. "Did I ruin everything?"

"Transcendent was a bit much."

"The words just slipped out. I do not know why I wanted to help that cold person, though."

Were you not the one who came all this way for a glass of water?

Geom Mugeuk already knew the answer.

Lee Ahn found the answer in the surrounding scenery.

While dealing with the Northern Blood Sect matter, she had not noticed anything around her, but after meeting Geom Mugeuk, the scenery began to appear.

"Perhaps it was because the snowy landscape, which I have not seen in a long time, was so beautiful."

"The Young Cult Leader has made a new proposal."

Han Seol acted differently from what she had told Geom Mugeuk.

"He requested to stay in our palace for a while in exchange for returning the Northern Blood Sect's scion, and I accepted that proposal."

She had told Geom Mugeuk she would discuss it with the Ice Empress, but she informed her mother as if she had already accepted. This was not because of Lee Ahn's words to trust Geom Mugeuk.

She was curious about her mother's reaction. How would she react if Han Seol made a decision unilaterally?

She had expected anger or a cold reaction, but surprisingly, the Ice Empress was calm.

To the Ice Empress's questioning gaze, Han Seol replied, "Rescuing the Northern Blood Sect's scion is the priority."

"No, tell me the real reason you accepted. That was not the primary reason, was it?"

That was true. It was her mother who had made a secret pact with the Northern Blood Sect Leader. There was a reason that took precedence over the lives of those captured.

"I wanted to confirm something."

"What?"

How Mother would react to my unilateral decision.

However, she gave a different reason.

"The Young Cult Leader, as he appeared to me, was different from the rumors. So I wanted to observe him closely and confirm if he truly was such a remarkable person. And…"

Besides the reason that false rumors would not work, there was another reason.

"If the Brewmaster was truly murdered, as they believe, are you not curious? Who killed that person?"

The Ice Empress silently looked at her daughter. She might have said something about her changed demeanor, but she did not.

"You handle this matter yourself."

"Thank you, Empress."

Han Seol politely bowed and descended from the Empress's hall.

The Ice Empress walked to the window and looked outside. The snow-covered scenery of the Ice Palace was the same as yesterday, but today she looked at it with a different heart.

Yang Il, who had been listening at the iron door, sighed. The person from the front room had been dragged away and had not returned.

His companion, Lim, had also been dragged out days ago and had not returned. Nor did he believe they were resting in a clean, comfortable place. If they were, they would not have been confined in this gloomy, prison-like place to begin with.

"Hyun, Min…"

Tears welled up in Yang Il's eyes. He had never shed a tear in his life.

He missed his children terribly.

He had not realized it when they were together, but thinking that he might never see them again, only his children's faces kept coming to mind.

His already worried wife must be losing sleep by now.

The people who had brought them had done so with smiles, but they had not even allowed a single letter to be sent to confirm their safe arrival.

The reason they had come here was to test a new medicine developed by a famous physician. The largest physician in the village gathered people and conducted various examinations. Just undergoing the examinations paid several days' wages, so many people gathered.

And in the village, only he and Lim had the desired constitution.

They were told they would receive a large sum of money if they participated in the experiments for two or three months. It was an amount that would take years to earn with his current income.

His wife had warned him it was dangerous. His body could be harmed, and the large sum of money offered was suspicious. Moreover, they were outsiders.

After much deliberation, Yang Il decided to go.

There were others who wanted to go but could not because their constitution did not match.

Besides, the people who examined their bodies were very polite and dignified. They honestly told him that his health might be affected in some cases. This made him trust them even more.

Even with his wife and him working hard, they could not save much money. Just when they thought they had saved some, an expense would arise. Just when they thought they had diligently saved, another expense would appear.

He planned to open a small shop if he received a lump sum. He had lived a life of hard labor, but he did not want his children to live such a life.

Could his children endure the hardships he faced? His wife told him to trust the children, but Yang Il could not. No, he did not want them to suffer like this. Just a small shop for his family of four to live on! Please!

After leaving his hometown, he felt that something had gone wrong.

Instead of the people from the physician's office taking them, martial artists with swords escorted them.

They had come all the way to North Sea instead of their original destination, and they were confined in a secluded mountain lodge instead of a medical clinic. Going outside was forbidden, and even leaving the room was not allowed. Then, recently, they were moved to this place, which was designed like a prison.

I should have listened to my wife.

At that moment, a martial artist opened the iron door and entered.

"Let's go."

Yang Il's heart sank. It was finally his turn.

His heart began to pound wildly.

Am I going to die now? I cannot die like this.

Should he ambush the man in front of him and escape? Maybe headbutt him?

It was difficult even for an ordinary person, and his opponent was a martial artist. No matter how hardened his body was from construction work, he could not fight a martial artist.

Building houses, paving roads, building dikes. He had lived a life of rough and hard work, but he had never once hit anyone. He had a gentle nature.

Yang Il lay on the bed. The bed was much colder than he had expected. The martial artist tied Yang Il's arms and legs with leather straps connected to the bed, preventing him from moving.

As he was prepared, the door opened and four people entered.

A middle-aged man in a blue robe and three martial artists guarding him. One of the martial artists wore a mask, and his eyes were more intense than those of the middle-aged man in the blue robe.

The middle-aged man approached and looked down at Yang Il. His gaze was colder than the chill of the bed felt on Yang Il's back.

Yang Il desperately prayed. He did not know what kind of test they were conducting, but he hoped he would be the right person.

Please, just let me live!

He no longer needed money. If only he could return alive. If only he could see his wife and children again.

The middle-aged man officially began the test.

As he manipulated something beneath the bed, the bed began to grow even colder.

"Ughhhhh!"

A groan escaped him from the intense cold. He felt as if he would freeze to death.

"Save me!"

To Yang Il's plea, the man coldly said, "If you possess the Extreme Cold Body Constitution, which is found in only one out of a thousand people born with the Ice Cold Body Constitution, you will survive."

Yang Il despaired. Did that mean if he was not one in a thousand, he would die?

Just then, the middle-aged man in the room sniffed. "But what is this smell?"

A smell was coming through a small hole in the iron door.

"It's the smell of alcohol."

The middle-aged man's expression immediately hardened. "What kind of scoundrel drinks alcohol in broad daylight?"

One of the three standing martial artists went outside. "I will check."

The martial artist opened the door and stepped out. He was surprised to see the corridor ahead was like a thick fog.

What is this?

How could such a fog form indoors?

Sensing an unknown danger, the martial artist drew his sword.

In an instant, the fog surged in. The smell of alcohol emanated from this fog.

Fog with the smell of alcohol? Then this is!

It was alcohol qi.

Even those strong against alcohol, let alone those weak to it, would find it difficult to control their bodies under this aura. It was such an intense alcohol qi that it felt as if a dike holding alcohol had burst and flowed up to one's knees.

Then, without time to sense anything approaching, an arm with a clenched fist shot out from the fog.

The fist struck lightly, but the martial artist flew back, slammed into the wall, and lost consciousness.

The person who emerged from the fog was none other than the Drunken Demon.

The alcohol qi swirled around his body like armor. It was ordinary fog now, but in fact, it was the Drunken Demon's alcohol qi, capable of transforming into any form.

He opened the door and entered the room from which the martial artist had emerged.

WHOOSH.

Another martial artist, sensing that the situation outside was unusual, flung his sword at the Drunken Demon.

The Drunken Demon lightly dodged the incoming sword, then lightly struck the martial artist's neck with the edge of his hand. The martial artist, struck lightly, collapsed and could not get up.

WHOOSH.

The fog-like alcohol qi that filled the outer corridor gathered around the Drunken Demon, swirling around his body like a heat haze.

The middle-aged man in the blue robe looked at the Drunken Demon with a surprised expression. His two subordinates were not so easily defeated. This meant the opponent's martial arts were truly powerful.

He did not despair yet. Among the three martial artists, the true expert was the masked man.

The Drunken Demon glanced at the two men, then examined Yang Il, who was lying on the bed. Frozen solid, he looked as if he would stop breathing at any moment.

It was a situation where the masked man could have ambushed him while he was distracted by Yang Il, but the Drunken Demon paid no attention. Even though the Drunken Demon had his back turned while looking at Yang Il, the masked man dared not attack. He felt as if the Drunken Demon's alcohol qi, swirling around his body, was watching him.

The Drunken Demon untied the leather straps binding Yang Il, then took his wrist. As a warm energy flowed into him, Yang Il breathed peacefully and regained consciousness.

Even after confirming the opponent's skill, the middle-aged man warned in a low voice, "Do you know who we are to do this? If you retreat now, you can keep your life."

Then the Drunken Demon readily revealed his identity. Since the North Sea Ice Palace already knew that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was involved in this matter, there was no reason to hide it.

"I am the Drunken Demon."

"!"

The middle-aged man froze, his face turning ashen. The masked man's expression also stiffened.

"Why are you here?"

If it had not been for the move he had just shown his subordinate, if it had not been for a realm where no weakness could be found even with his back turned, he would never have believed it.

It was definitely the Drunken Demon. This subtly emanating, profound alcohol qi and aroma could not be imitated by anyone but the Drunken Demon.

No, putting all that aside. The man before him exuded an unapproachable presence.

Yang Il was as surprised as they were.

This person is the famous Drunken Demon, one of the Demonic Cult's Eight Demon Supremes? Who in the world does not know them? There are even sayings like, 'If children cry, the Demon Supremes will come and take them away.'

"Is there a person named Yang Il among those who were brought here?"

Yang Il was startled when the Drunken Demon asked for him. "I am Yang Il. It is me."

He had never been personally involved with even a third-rate martial artist in his life, yet a Demon Supreme was looking for him. How does he know my name?

"That is fortunate. My purpose was to rescue you."

Yang Il could not understand the situation at all.

A Demon Supreme came to rescue me?

It felt like a dream. He looked down at the bed.

Ah, am I dreaming right before I die?

He thought that perhaps he was actually freezing to death on the bed, and this was a dream in his final moments.

It was too vivid to be a dream or a hallucination. Even now, the bed he was sitting on was cold enough to chill his backside.

"You came to rescue me? Why would such a noble person come for me?"

Yang Il's voice trembled. He had thought the Drunken Demon had come for something else and was just coincidentally rescuing him.

Then, a surprising answer flowed from the Drunken Demon's lips. It was probably the most surprising thing Yang Il had ever heard in his life.

"Your wife asked me to bring her husband home."

"!"

Yang Il's eyes widened in astonishment. How could his wife ask a Demon Supreme for such a favor?

"My wife? My wife has not even left the village since she married me…"

Yang Il immediately shook his head. Such a thing could not happen.

Ah, I must already be dead. Thank you, wife, for saving me even in a dream. Raise the children well, and live well. I am sorry I could not be with you until the end.

Amidst this, the dream-like reality continued.

"I'm a bit sensitive because I have not had any alcohol."

The Drunken Demon had put the Ice Wine the Brewmaster had brewed into his Blood Gourd but had not drunk it yet. He intended to drink that Ice Wine when he killed the one who killed her, so she could be with him in the moment of revenge.

"Am I more dangerous when I'm drunk, or when I'm sober?"