Chapter 403: Do You Think Selling Noodles Is Easy?

TL: FoodieMonster007

The middle-aged man in blue wanted to shout, Do you even need to ask? You are the damned Drunken Demon, so both would be dangerous.

Of course, he could not. He replied as politely as possible, "I did not know the Demonic Cult was involved in this matter. If I had, I would not have helped."

He was sincere. There was no good outcome from getting entangled with the damned Demonic Cult.

The Drunken Demon inquired, "Who are you?"

The man then glanced at the masked man, not treating him like a subordinate but looking for a reaction. When the masked man showed no response, the middle-aged man revealed himself.

"I am Hwang Ju, a scholar who researches the human body."

"Scholar, my foot! You are a butcher. How many people have died so far?"

Hwang Ju could not defend himself. So many people had died, he did not even know the number.

"What kind of tests did you conduct on them?"

Hwang Ju hesitated to answer.

At that moment, Yang Il, still on the bed, bravely interjected, "He said he was looking for a certain constitution. What was it? Ah, yes. The Extreme Cold Body Constitution. He said I could survive if I had the Extreme Cold Body Constitution."

The Extreme Cold Body Constitution.

The Ice Cold Body Constitution was a constitution naturally strong against cold. Those born with it live their entire lives without ever catching a cold.

Among those with the Ice Cold Body Constitution, the Extreme Cold Body Constitution was especially specialized in resisting cold. A person born with the Extreme Cold Body Constitution would not die from cold, at least. For example, even if they entered ice water naked in the middle of winter, they might starve to death, but they would not freeze to death.

"This bed became terrifyingly cold."

At Yang Il's words, the Drunken Demon examined the bed, realizing it was no ordinary one.

"This must be the bed used to find the Extreme Cold Body Constitution." The Drunken Demon turned to Hwang Ju, demanding, "Why are you looking for the Extreme Cold Body Constitution?"

Seeing Hwang Ju remain silent, the Drunken Demon's expression turned contemptuous. "I told you, didn't I? I'm sensitive because I haven't had any alcohol."

Hwang Ju looked at the masked man beside him again.

The Drunken Demon had realized from the beginning that the masked man was no subordinate. His eyes betrayed as much.

"He is the one sent to monitor you."

Finally, the masked man stepped forward. "It's a miscalculation if you thought we'd be afraid just because you're a Demon Supreme."

The word 'we' did not refer to Hwang Ju.

Two more masked men entered the room. Their aura differed from the martial artists the Drunken Demon had defeated earlier, their eyes as intense as the man who had been speaking.

Originally, three men had come to take turns guarding Hwang Ju and assisting with this mission. They were equal in skill and similar in temperament.

At their appearance, Hwang Ju's expression brightened. The masked man had remained silent, waiting for them to arrive.

If these three are together!

He thought they might stand a chance, even against the Drunken Demon.

WHOOSH.

The next moment, the alcohol qi swirling around the Drunken Demon's body scattered in all directions. Instantly, a thick fog settled in the room.

Hwang Ju could not see anything.

Please! Kill the Drunken Demon!

After a brief silence, Hwang Ju saw a sword blade glint, the blade of one of the masked men.

The next moment.

CRUNCH.

The sound of bones breaking echoed. The sword, visible in the air, twitched violently before being sucked into the fog and disappearing.

He's been hit!

Silence fell once more.

WHOOSH.

Another masked man swung his sword, imbued with qi, and the fog-like alcohol qi swirled around the blade.

His intention was to draw the vision-obscuring qi away and expel it, but the Drunken Demon's alcohol qi was no ordinary fog or smoke.

It seemed to wrap around his sword for a moment, then scattered in all directions, becoming even thicker.

At that moment, Hwang Ju glimpsed the Drunken Demon's figure fleetingly through the fog.

He moved leisurely, his hands clasped behind his back, even grinning at them.

Be careful!

Before the words could fully escape.

CRACK.

The masked man, who had been trying to dispel the alcohol qi with the edge of his hand, had his neck bone broken by the Drunken Demon's hand. He collapsed.

Before he could even hit the ground, the Drunken Demon vanished into the fog.

The last sword Hwang Ju saw flew toward him.

I need to kill him to silence him!

The remaining masked man, realizing he could not fight the Drunken Demon, had tried to kill Hwang Ju first. It seemed he had been given such an order from the beginning: to kill himself if such a moment came.

The incoming sword stopped before Hwang Ju's heart.

CRUNCH.

The sound of bones crushing echoed right in front of him.

As the thick fog dissipated, the masked man's figure became visible. The one who had swung his sword at Hwang Ju had his neck strangely twisted, life already drained from his eyes.

As he collapsed like a rag doll, the Drunken Demon stood behind him. It was truly an overwhelming difference in skill. He hadn't even touched the Blood Gourd, his unique weapon, at his waist.

Three of them could stand a chance?

There was no greater misconception.

So this is the skill of the Demon Supremes I have only heard about!

Hwang Ju's heart pounded as if it would burst.

The alcohol qi, swirling around the Drunken Demon like flames, vanished completely into his body.

"What's the reason you're seeking the Extreme Cold Body Constitution?"

Now, Hwang Ju had no reason to be cautious. "I don't know that either. I was just given the task of finding the Extreme Cold Body Constitution and received money for it."

"From whom?"

"……"

To Hwang Ju, who hesitated to answer, the Drunken Demon revealed the reality. "I could've killed you too a moment ago."

Hwang Ju looked at the fallen masked man's corpse, then decided to reveal who had requested it. "The person who gave me the money was…"

Just then.

WHOOSH.

Both sides of Hwang Ju's forehead instantly swelled.

THWACK! THWACK!

Both sides burst open, spewing blood.

Hwang Ju died instantly. Surprisingly, a powerful restriction had been placed on him, causing him to die if he attempted to mention the mastermind.

The Drunken Demon looked down at the corpse with a serious expression. It was truly a difficult suggestion and restriction, one that made someone die when they tried to give a specific answer. It meant a formidable individual stood behind this.

The Drunken Demon addressed Yang Il, who sat in terror. "Get dressed."

Yang Il, who had been naked until then, hastily pulled on his clothes.

This was not a dream after all.

Fully dressed, Yang Il followed the Drunken Demon out of the room.

Yang Il realized anew how reckless his idea had been, ambushing the martial artist who brought him and trying to escape.

Turning the corner of the corridor, they saw over a dozen unconscious martial artists.

The same was true outside the building, where dozens of martial artists lay scattered everywhere.

Seeing so many martial artists guarding this place, Yang Il realized this matter was no ordinary important task.

If I had the Extreme Cold Body Constitution, what on earth were they planning to make me do?

No matter how much he thought, he could not figure it out.

A short distance away, a carriage waited. It was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult North Sea Branch's carriage, which would take Yang Il to his hometown.

The people taking him would cooperate with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Branch in Yang Il's hometown to protect his family, so he no longer needed to worry.

"You don't have to worry about retaliation, so live well with your family."

Even if that weren't the case, by the time Yang Il arrived home, this matter would be over.

Yang Il could not believe he had survived. "It still feels like a dream. A Demon Supreme, of all people, rescued me!"

"I didn't rescue you."

"What do you mean?"

"If it weren't for your wife's earnest desire to save her husband, who else could send me all the way to this distant North Sea? You can hear the details from your wife when you return."

Yang Il was overjoyed at the thought of going home. He could see his wife and children again?

While imprisoned, he had resolved countless times not to be greedy for instant happiness anymore. Instead of desiring to earn money and make them happy, he would be present for every moment of his children's growth.

Thank you. I'll definitely live that way.

He bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for saving my life."

Yang Il intended to raise a glass every year on this day and remember the Drunken Demon.

"I'll make sure this bow is conveyed to the person who deserves it."

With that, the Drunken Demon began walking in the opposite direction of the departing carriage.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Leaving the first tracks in the pristine white snow, the Drunken Demon's steps grew faster and faster. Soon, no more footprints remained in the snow.

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn rented a carriage and returned to the Hidden Moon's safehouse.

The three hostages, whose vital points had been suppressed, were still asleep.

The two loaded them into the carriage.

"Once the Drunken Demon returns, let's go straight to the Ice Palace."

Lee Ahn could tell. Geom Mugeuk firmly believed the Drunken Demon would handle the matter well and return. Although he usually treated him like an older brother, at least now he regarded him as a Demon Supreme.

Lee Ahn wasn't worried about the Drunken Demon either. Rather, she worried about the Princess they had met.

"But will the Ice Palace accept Young Master's proposal?"

Even if the Drunken Demon rescued the captured person, it would be a problem if the Ice Palace didn't accept them.

"They'll accept."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You told the Princess, right? To trust me because I'm a transcendent being!"

"Stop joking. Why?"

Geom Mugeuk explained. "We gave them two conditions: not to punish you, and to allow us to investigate the Brewmaster's death in the Ice Palace."

"That's right."

"First, they can't touch you anyway. Not only can they not arbitrarily harm you, my subordinate, but you also had a legitimate reason to kidnap their scion. Most importantly, the Northern Blood Sect wants to keep this matter hidden, so they can't escalate it by punishing you."

"What about the second condition? What if the Ice Palace doesn't accept us?"

"The Ice Empress must already be well aware of the relationship between their Brewmaster and Drunken Demon-Hyung. It's a relationship forged over many years of exchanging letters and wine. If such a person shows interest in this death and she refuses? If she did, Drunken Demon-Hyung would become even more suspicious of the death and start digging deeper. In that process, he might uncover information the Ice Palace doesn't want revealed. The Ice Empress will anticipate that, so she can't easily refuse."

Lee Ahn was impressed. She hadn't thought of any of the reasons Geom Mugeuk mentioned.

"I want to quit. I don't think I can survive in this murim. It's a miracle I'm still alive. I want to retire and live in the countryside where martial artists don't come, selling noodles."

"Do you think selling noodles is easy? If you're dealing with people all day, you'll think, 'Ah! It was good when I was just swinging my sword next to Young Master without a care in the world,' and you'll want to rush back immediately."

Lee Ahn sighed. "Speaking of which, would you like some noodles? There were ingredients in the kitchen."

"Can you make them?"

"Noodles are easy enough."

"Let's eat. I'm feeling a bit hungry anyway."

"I'll go boil them right away."

As Lee Ahn disappeared into the kitchen, Geom Mugeuk leaped onto the carriage roof. Not a single feather-light sound was made as he landed.

Geom Mugeuk lay there, looking up at the sky.

Suddenly, he missed his father.

He missed the Demon Supremes too, but his father was always the first person he missed.

He would be sitting sternly on the Heavenly Demon Hall's grand throne, handling affairs.

Father, your son misses you so much. Are you thinking of me?

While he thought of his father, Lee Ahn quickly made the noodles.

"Where would you like to eat?"

"Let's eat here."

Lee Ahn, holding the noodles, lightly leaped onto the carriage roof. With her smooth movement arts, not a single drop of broth spilled. Her martial arts were improving day by day.

"Please eat."

Considering how quickly they were made, the noodles tasted excellent.

"Delicious! With this skill, you won't starve even if you quit. I'll invest in that noodle shop too!"

Lee Ahn was pleased. She had secretly worried Geom Mugeuk might say they tasted bad.

As the two slurped their noodles, the Drunken Demon entered the area.

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn looked at him. The Drunken Demon nodded once toward them. The moment Lee Ahn saw that nod, she felt relieved, knowing he had rescued the person safely.

Of course, there was also disappointing news.

"I only managed to rescue that one person."

Lee Ahn was very regretful, but there was nothing she could do. She wouldn't blame herself, thinking she could've saved more people if she had done better.

No, she intended to channel that anger into punishing those who had orchestrated this whole affair.

"Are there any noodles left?"

"I can make them right away. But will noodles be enough? I'll buy you something delicious."

After all, he had stepped in for her.

"No, noodles are enough."

"Alright. I'll boil them right away."

"I want seconds too!"

"Okay!"

As Lee Ahn rushed to the kitchen, this time the Drunken Demon leaped onto the carriage roof.

"You worked hard, Hyung."

"What hard work?"

"Why were they taking people?"

"They were looking for the Extreme Cold Body Constitution."

"The Extreme Cold Body Constitution?"

Among the various human constitutions, the Extreme Cold Body Constitution was truly rare to find.

"The moment the culprit tried to answer who gave him the orders, his head exploded and he died. It was a very powerful restriction."

The moment he heard that, Geom Mugeuk recalled an organization he had known before his regression.

The Blood Death Alliance.

Bound by blood, they feared no death. They sacrificed their lives without hesitation for the organization.

Everyone feared the Blood Death Alliance.

It was later revealed that they didn't sacrifice their lives out of sincere loyalty. They were under a powerful restriction that caused their bodies to explode and die if they betrayed.

As for the person who led that Blood Death Alliance, it was the Ninth King among the Twelve Zodiac Kings, the Blood King.

Another one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings had appeared.

A lower-ranked King wasn't necessarily weaker than a higher-ranked one, and the Blood King was the Zodiac King who best fit this description. It was known that he had chosen to be the Ninth King himself, saying he liked the number nine.

The Blood King was a powerful figure. First, he commanded countless subordinates, and those subordinates feared no death. They couldn't betray, and they didn't hesitate to use the Self Destruction Art.

Because of this, it was unknown what martial arts the Blood King himself used or how strong he was. All history related to the Blood King was the history of his subordinates, and their history of blood.

The Blood King is looking for the Extreme Cold Body Constitution? Why?

Geom Mugeuk looked around at the snow-covered surroundings.

How much blood will have to be spilled on this pristine snow?

Lee Ahn, who had brought the noodles, saw Geom Mugeuk's serious expression.

From that expression, she knew this Ice Palace matter would be anything but easy. Her chest swelled with fighting spirit.

Then her eyes met Geom Mugeuk's.

"I'll just diligently boil noodles."

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly at her playful remark.

Then the Drunken Demon suddenly said, "Don't worry."

When Geom Mugeuk turned, the Drunken Demon lay down, looking up at the sky, as if drinking in the Drunken Dream Palace.

His posture was relaxed, but his eyes, visible through his flowing hair, were deeper and more intense than ever.

"This Hyung will take care of everything."