Chapter 343: The Tale of the Monster Thief

Upon hearing the story of the “monster thief,” Dang Mujin paused to ponder its meaning before clapping his hands in realization.

“A thief? Baek Hyang-a?”

“Yes.”

In truth, Dang Mujin had almost forgotten why Seolhwa had joined their group in the first place. It had been over six months since Seolhwa last mentioned Baek Hyang-a.

Originally, Seolhwa had been searching for Baek Hyang-a when she joined their group. To be precise, it wasn’t entirely voluntary; Hyeon-gong had persuaded her to join. Regardless, that was how it happened.

“Baek Hyang-a… she stole the secret manual, right?”

“She stole the manual and the ‘Eternal Ice Crystal’ too.”

Dang Mujin wasn’t entirely sure what the Eternal Ice Crystal was, but from the name, he could guess it was a potent elixir imbued with yin energy.

Feigning an interest he’d supposedly harbored for a long time, Dang Mujin asked, “I’ve always been curious, just how powerful is this Eternal Ice Crystal? If you left your home to chase after Baek Hyang-a, it must be quite something, right?”

“Quite something? No.”

Seolhwa shook her head, her long, golden hair swaying with the motion.

“Then is it somewhere in the middle?”

Seolhwa answered Dang Mujin’s question with firm conviction. “No. It’s the greatest yin elixir in the world.”

“Come on, that’s a bit much…”

Dang Mujin chuckled, but Seolhwa’s expression remained deadly serious.

Hyeon-gong quickly interjected, scolding Dang Mujin. “Dang Mujin, Seolhwa isn’t just anyone. She’s the heir to the Northern Ice Palace, the ruler of the North. If she’s involved, it’s no trivial matter. Take it seriously.”

Hyeon-gong’s attitude towards Seolhwa was almost reverent, a change that had developed during their time training together in Junggyeong. He had learned much about her homeland.

Seolhwa wasn’t just an ordinary person from the North; she was the heir to the massive sect known as the Northern Ice Palace. More precisely, she was the eldest daughter of the Northern Ice Palace Lord.

The position of the Northern Ice Palace Lord had no gender restrictions, so her chances of becoming the next leader were high.

Even with competitors, solving this issue would secure her position as the next Palace Lord.

The day Hyeon-gong learned about the Northern Ice Palace, his estimation of Seolhwa soared to the heavens.

Even before knowing her background, Seolhwa had captivated Hyeon-gong. With her illustrious background revealed, it was only natural for him to be even more enamored.

Of course, there was a chance that Seolhwa’s status could surpass Hyeon-gong’s, potentially shifting the balance of power in their relationship. But Hyeon-gong didn’t mind that possibility at all.

For Hyeon-gong, bowing to someone of higher status was second nature, and it was no different even if that person was his wife—though they hadn’t officially discussed marriage yet.

Unlike Hyeon-gong, Dang Mujin didn’t know much about the Northern Ice Palace, but he believed the stories about the Eternal Ice Crystal being an extraordinary elixir were likely true.

Just as the warm South nurtured yang-infused elixirs, the cold North was known for its yin-infused ones.

If Qinghai Province was already cold, how much colder would it be in the far North, which took months to reach? And how many yin-infused elixirs would grow there?

An elixir hailed as the greatest in the world from such a distant, frigid place must indeed be imbued with immense yin energy.

Dang Mujin asked Seolhwa, “Where did you hear that Baek Hyang-a appeared?”

“A wagon driver working with Westerners mentioned it. He said frozen corpses keep appearing in the North.”

The wagon driver was likely a member of the Hao Clan. As far as Dang Mujin knew, after innkeepers and courtesans, the most numerous members of the Hao Clan were wagon drivers or porters.

It was only natural that stories circulating among wagon drivers would reach Baek Hyang-a, who was close to the Flame Goddess.

“The North is cold, so people freezing to death isn’t unusual. Besides, how can anyone tell if they froze to death or if they were frozen after dying?”

“They were martial artists, and they weren’t killed by swords.”

Martial artists were more resilient to heat and cold than ordinary people, so freezing to death was rare. But that didn’t necessarily support Seolhwa’s story.

“They probably died some other way, and their bodies froze afterward. Just because someone practices yin martial arts doesn’t mean they can actually freeze people to death.”

While practitioners of yin martial arts were rare, those who practiced yang martial arts were more common. And as far as Dang Mujin knew, no one had ever been burned to death by a practitioner of yang martial arts.

Yang martial arts were simply difficult to defend against due to their intense yang energy, causing those struck by them to feel extreme heat and thirst, quickly exhausting them.

Dang Mujin assumed yin martial arts weren’t much different.

Seolhwa seemed to share his thoughts, as her voice lost some of its confidence.

“But if she took the Eternal Ice Crystal, it’s not entirely impossible, is it?”

Hyeon-gong looked at Dang Mujin with slight disapproval but didn’t interrupt, as there was nothing specific to criticize.

Dang Mujin pointed out another doubtful aspect. “And I know Baek Hyang-a’s condition. Her life was in danger due to the yin energy from her blocked meridians, and she suppressed it with yang-infused elixirs. If she took an extreme yin elixir like the Eternal Ice Crystal in that state, do you know what would happen?”

“Not really.”

“It’s not like an ordinary martial artist taking an elixir. The suppressed yin energy in her blocked meridians would awaken and rampage. No, it would be worse. The massive yin energy from the elixir would also surge, tearing her meridians apart and killing her. Nine out of ten? No, more like ninety-nine out of a hundred would die.”

Seolhwa’s eyes sparkled at Dang Mujin’s explanation. “So you’re saying one in a hundred might survive? If they’re lucky—”

“I’m not saying someone might survive by luck. I said ninety-nine out of a hundred because someone might know how to solve such a problem. If you rely on luck, you’ll die for sure. It’s not something people can control.”

Sensing the certainty in Dang Mujin’s voice, Seolhwa looked dejected. It seemed she was disappointed that the lead she had painstakingly found had turned out to be a dead end.

But now, a seed of doubt began to grow in Dang Mujin’s mind.

What if, by some chance, Baek Hyang-a had found a way? If the immense yin energy from her blocked meridians combined with the overwhelming yin energy of the Eternal Ice Crystal? And if she wielded yin-infused martial arts in such a state?

Could she really freeze people to death with martial arts?

A thought crossed Dang Mujin’s mind.

There were stories of martial artists who had miraculously cured their blocked meridians and become masters.

For example, there was the tale of the legendary master Waryong, who became the greatest in the world after curing many women with blocked meridians through a technique called “Yin-Yang Harmonization.”

But Dang Mujin was more interested in the stories of the women who had been cured by Waryong, rather than Waryong himself.

Among the women who had suffered from blocked meridians and were cured by Waryong, those who practiced martial arts achieved significant accomplishments.

Even if they weren’t cured by Waryong, the few martial artists who had cured their blocked meridians became extraordinary masters.

However, those were stories of the past.

As far as Dang Mujin knew, in the current generation, only two people had cured their blocked meridians and practiced martial arts.

One was Baek Hyang-a, and the other was Wang Jincheong, a disciple of Hong Geolgae. He was a child Dang Mujin had saved from near death at the Sima family.

Dang Mujin asked Hong Geolgae, “Hong Geolgae, how’s Jincheong’s progress these days?”

Hong Geolgae replied proudly, “It’s incredible. I guarantee that even if you start training a disciple now, they won’t catch up to Jincheong.”

“Could I take a look at his condition?”

“You’ll have to ask Jincheong, but he considers you his benefactor, so he won’t refuse. Just wait a moment.”

Shortly after, Hong Geolgae returned with Wang Jincheong.

When Dang Mujin first met Wang Jincheong, he was a small child. But over time, Wang Jincheong had grown significantly. Though his face was still youthful, he was slightly taller than Hong Geolgae.

As soon as Wang Jincheong saw Dang Mujin, he bowed respectfully. Although he was Hong Geolgae’s disciple, he was also a guest of the Dang family. Moreover, to Wang Jincheong, Dang Mujin was his savior.

“Master Dang, you called for me.”

“You used to call me ‘brother’ and follow me around, and now you’re being all formal. Just be at ease.”

“Yes. So, what did you call me for…?”

“I want to check your condition and internal energy. Is that okay?”

Without hesitation, Wang Jincheong nodded.

The weather was nice, so Dang Mujin had Wang Jincheong lie down on the porch and checked his pulse.

And then he realized.

“This is…”

As Dang Mujin’s expression changed, others approached and discreetly asked Wang Jincheong.

“Jincheong, may I check as well?”

“Yes.”

Hyeon-gong, Hong Geolgae, and even Sam Anbul and Jang Il-nam channeled their energy into Wang Jincheong’s body. Seolhwa also gently held Wang Jincheong’s wrist.

It wasn’t the most dignified sight, with so many people crowding around a young man’s body, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that everyone who checked Wang Jincheong’s progress became serious.

After a long time since his treatment, Wang Jincheong’s yang energy was gradually emerging, suppressing the yin energy. However, the imbalance wasn’t severe enough to be a major issue yet.

The issue wasn’t the imbalance of yin and yang energy. It was the sheer amount of internal energy that Wang Jincheong possessed.

The internal energy within Wang Jincheong was not something an ordinary person could accumulate through training.

“Is this what it means for someone with the ‘Absolute Vein Syndrome’ to survive and master martial arts?”

Dang Mujin recalled a story he once heard from a mysterious figure.

A plant with immense energy is called a spiritual herb, an animal with such energy is a spiritual beast, and a person with such energy is said to have the Absolute Vein Syndrome.

Even Sam Anbul’s expression turned serious.

Sam Anbul had reached the pinnacle of martial arts by endlessly honing the basic skills of the Shaolin Temple. The only advanced techniques he knew were a few he had secretly observed.

Thus, Sam Anbul didn’t place much importance on advanced martial arts or the quantity of internal energy.

His philosophy was that the most crucial aspects of martial arts were relentless effort, grueling training, and the enlightenment that blossoms through repetition.

However, the amount of internal energy contained within Wang Jincheong was enough to shake Sam Anbul’s conviction.

Of course, having a lot of internal energy doesn’t mean enlightenment comes easily.

But with that much energy, wouldn’t it be possible to stand against a martial artist who has achieved a higher level of enlightenment?

And what would happen if someone with that much internal energy also attained enlightenment?

Dang Mujin asked Sam Anbul.

“Master, what if Wang Jincheong were to acquire the inner core of a spiritual creature like the Solar Fire Carp?”

“He would die.”

Dang Mujin agreed.

He added one more condition.

“But what if, through some means, he managed to survive without losing his internal energy?”

Sam Anbul pondered for a moment before giving a vague yet simple answer.

“He would become a monster.”

Dang Mujin still believed there was no connection between the bodies found in the north and Baek Hyang-a. It required too many leaps of logic to link the martial artist’s corpse to Baek Hyang-a.

What’s the problem with a martial artist’s body lacking sword wounds? Couldn’t they have fallen victim to a powerful technique?

Many people have mastered such techniques. Moreover, there could be martial artists skilled in internal energy manipulation like Geol Seon or Manryeok Seung.

Of course, it was a bit coincidental that Baek Hyang-a had learned the martial arts of the Northern Ice Palace and stolen the Eternal Ice Crystal.

But the idea that Baek Hyang-a survived after acquiring the Eternal Ice Crystal and killed martial artists was too far-fetched.

However, Seolhwa’s situation was different from Dang Mujin’s.

Seolhwa couldn’t simply dismiss it as unlikely. She had come to the central plains to eliminate Baek Hyang-a and retrieve the secret manual and the Eternal Ice Crystal. She had to cling to even the slightest chance.

It was clear that Hyeongong’s heart leaned towards Seolhwa.

Dang Mujin observed the relationship between Seolhwa and Hyeongong with the eyes of someone well-versed in matters of the heart. It was evident that their relationship had progressed significantly since last winter.

Previously, Hyeongong had only consistently shown affection towards Seolhwa.

That remained unchanged. Hyeongong consistently expressed his fondness for Seolhwa.

But Seolhwa’s attitude had changed. She occasionally reciprocated his affection, going beyond merely accepting it.

She would smile to herself while watching Hyeongong’s back or subtly reach out her hand while walking at a comfortable distance from him.

To anyone watching, Hyeongong and Seolhwa were clearly a couple. Perhaps even more than that. They might be on the verge of becoming like a married couple.

Hyeongong approached Dang Mujin.

“Dang Mujin.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to the north with Seolhwa. Want to come along?”

Dang Mujin hesitated for a moment.

He had only recently returned to the Dang family after wandering the central plains.

He didn’t want to waste time traveling north, knowing it would be a fruitless journey. The children were young and adorable, and…

”…No.”

“Alright, got it.”

Hyeongong wasn’t too disappointed. In truth, he didn’t believe the bodies in the north were connected to Baek Hyang-a either. He was simply accompanying Seolhwa because she was going.

He wasn’t afraid, either. Neither Hyeongong nor Seolhwa was weak or naive enough to be easily defeated by just anyone.

The north was vast, and there might be a few formidable martial artists, but Hyeongong wasn’t the type to stir up trouble unnecessarily. The chances of encountering hostility were low.

Dang Mujin asked Hyeongong.

“Are you leaving today?”

Hyeongong shook his head.

“No, we’ll set off tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

“It’ll take a while to get there and back. Could you spare some travel expenses?”

Dang Mujin chuckled. So that was the main point.

“Sure. I’ll prepare a travel pouch for you by tomorrow morning. Come by before you leave.”

“Got it.”

That night, Dang Mujin lay in bed, holding Dan Seol-yeong in his arms.

Dan Seol-yeong was already asleep, her breathing steady and rhythmic.

Dang Mujin felt a pleasant drowsiness wash over him. Sleep was coming.

But just before he drifted off, Sam Anbul’s words echoed in his mind.

“He would become a monster.”

In his half-asleep state, Dang Mujin pondered.

Isn’t a monster called a monster because it doesn’t exist? If it exists, it always has a name.

With that thought, Dang Mujin slowly fell asleep and began to dream.

A familiar face appeared. It was the day the top martial artist of the Jeomchang Sect, Wi Hwan, visited the Dang family.

In the dream, Dang Mujin asked.

“What brings you here?”

“I urgently need your help. Can you come to the north with me? We need to find the missing Yoo Jin-gwang.”

The dream felt vivid. But Dang Mujin knew it was a dream, and he also knew what would happen to Wi Hwan in the future.

Wi Hwan would leave for the north with Hong Geolgae, searching for Yoo Jin-gwang, only to meet his end.

In the dream, Dang Mujin and Wi Hwan had a conversation much like the one they had on that day.

“I’ll go with you.”

Looking back, Dang Mujin had agreed to go that day as well.

But once again, the sound of Dang Yeong crying interrupted. Wi Hwan hesitated for a moment before responding.

“No, forget it. Stay with your family.”

The present Dang Mujin was different from the past. He knew the future and was much stronger than he had been back then. He was confident that if he went, Wi Hwan wouldn’t die.

But before Dang Mujin could stop him, Wi Hwan vanished like smoke.

He saw Hong Geolgae grinning as he left with Wi Hwan for the north.

As expected, Hong Geolgae returned alone.

Dang Mujin remembered the day he didn’t follow Wi Hwan, just as he remembered the day Hong Geolgae returned alone.

In the dream, Hong Geolgae didn’t wait for Dang Mujin to ask.

“Wi Dae-hyeop is dead.”

“I see.”

“You knew, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

Dang Mujin nodded. The past Dang Mujin hadn’t known, but the present one did.

And that was the end of the dream.

With a deep exhale, Dang Mujin awoke and sat up.

Hyeongong and Seolhwa were leaving. This time, who would become Wi Hwan?

Who would be buried beneath the northern winds and snow?

He didn’t know. Hyeongong could be Wi Hwan, or Seolhwa could be Wi Hwan.

No one might die. But both could die.

That’s why Dang Mujin carefully slipped out of bed, ensuring not to wake Dan Seol-yeong.

He meticulously cleaned his weapon with a cloth, taking his time.

Finally, he prepared a travel pouch and tucked it into the pocket of his outer garment.