Ep444 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

A few days passed after the grand banquet celebrating Yong Seon-ah’s safe return and the retreat of the fierce cold that had slowly led the villagers to death. She sat in her office chair for the first time in ages and summoned Baek Woo-jin for a private conversation. "You called for me," he said. "Ah, thank you for coming." There was much to discuss. "We haven’t had the chance to talk since I emerged from my unconscious state. I thought it was about time before more time passed." She gestured to the chair opposite her. "Please, have a seat." Baek Woo-jin approached the chair. As he inadvertently glanced at Yong Seon-ah’s face, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ‘How could she be in her forties?’ She was forty-six, yet her youthful appearance defied belief, especially since she had a twenty-six-year-old daughter. Her skin was as flawless as that of someone in their twenties, devoid of any wrinkles. The only hint of her age was the depth in her eyes that had grown with time, which only added a unique allure compared to women of a similar age. “Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?” Her voice was as calm and moist as her deep eyes, snapping Baek Woo-jin back to reality. He shook his head. “…It’s nothing.” It was a brief inappropriate thought, but not entirely his fault. Her face conjured the image of sisters more than mother and daughter when standing beside her child. “I’ve prepped some tea. I hope it suits your taste.” “Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.” Baek Woo-jin responded politely, lifting the teacup. Sip— Fortunately, the tea matched his taste. By the time the tea in his cup was half gone, the real conversation began. “Now, I’d like to hear your story.” The conversation started with Baek Woo-jin. His fame was renowned in the central continent, but what led him to this distant, frigid land required much explanation. Yong Seon-ah dedicated all her attention to his lengthy story, occasionally interjecting at appropriate moments to keep the conversation flowing. “…and that’s how I ended up here.” “……” Baek Woo-jin's tale was quite shocking for her as well. “To think the origin of what we call the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal was such…” The true origin of what was merely thought to be the sacred artifact of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, and the forces aiming for it, even the mention of the cult. Most startling was the latter revelation. “The Heavenly Demonic Cult Leader is gathering the Five Elements Divine Beads…” This meant one thing: the cult leader, long entrenched in the Ten Million Mountains, had finally begun his activities. That meant— “A massive wave might be approaching.” A wave incomparable to the recent Blood Cult tide that had hit the mainland after. The Demon Cult alone formed a mighty force, standing shoulder to shoulder with both righteous and demonic sects. War with them would inevitably spill much blood. Not only in the central regions but also in outskirts like the Northern Sea. Her ominous prediction landed on Baek Woo-jin. “You’ve been doing something truly significant.” His already impressive presence felt even more formidable. Despite reaching the peak of excellence, he was still just a young man in his twenties. To think someone so young was striving tirelessly to illuminate the fate of the martial world. ‘There’s nothing to say but that he holds impressive potential.’ Even had he been indulging in youthful arrogance, who could blame him for it? Yet, he chose to tread a thorny path as if it were a calling. Could a person possess such vast potential? She was genuinely astonished. Thus, she became certain. ‘With this man, everything can be entrusted.’ With her mind made up, she stood from her seat. “Please wait a moment.” She moved towards the lacquer wardrobe on one side of the office. From within, she retrieved two boxes and presented them to him. One was the size of a palm, the other several times larger. Baek Woo-jin inquired upon seeing them. “What are these?” Instead of answering, Yong Seon-ah reached for the smaller box and opened its tightly sealed lid. At that moment— A soft chill began to fill the surrounding area. The object meeting Baek Woo-jin's widened eyes was a broken orb. A precariously cracked sphere that seemed as if it might split in half at any moment. He quickly realized what it was. “The Water Elemental Bead…” The bead had been severely damaged during an all-out attack to destroy the parasitic demon attached to it. Upon closer inspection, the box holding the Water Elemental Bead was also extraordinary. “…It’s made of Ice Jade.” “That’s right. To mend the broken bead, it needs a constant supply of yin energy. So I’ve been storing it in this Ice Jade box and taking it out periodically to replenish its energy.” “I see.” A surge of energy pulsed just beyond the cracked bead. While weak now, it was evident that when it regained its strength, it would wield unimaginable power. For the Northern Sea Ice Palace, this might be an opportunity. ‘If they can control a weakened Elemental Bead…’ Once it fully recovers, it might open the path to wield it at their will. But if that were the plan, they wouldn't have shown him a broken Water Elemental Bead here and now. By showing it, they hinted that such a plan had already been abandoned. His eyes naturally drifted to the other, unopened box beside it. ‘What could have been brought out alongside the Water Elemental Bead?’ Just as this reasonable curiosity formed, she read his thoughts and reached out, opening the other box. This time, it revealed an aged, worn book. Its cover was so weathered that he had to squint to read the title. Baek Woo-jin frowned as he read it aloud. “Control Water, Thousand Flows…?” In essence, it meant: ‘Master water to create a thousand streams.’ Just as something flitted through his mind, Yong Seon-ah spoke. “Are you aware of what happened after the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal sustained a significant blow?” “Yes.” After the cracked bead fell, lifeless, to the ground, the white world began to recede. Frozen water, trees, and earth began to regain their natural colors. Such an unusual occurrence prompted her to begin investigating alongside martial artists for the first time. And they found it. In contrast to the thawing land, one patch remained frozen. Deep within it lay the Control Water, Thousand Flows manual. “Upon reading it, we discovered it was martial arts designed to freely control the power of water.” As Baek Woo-jin surmised, the Control Water manual was intended to efficiently manipulate the energy of the Water Elemental Bead. And its author was likely the previous master of the bead. Yet, the shocking revelation did not end there. “The one who left this book seems to be…, the founding master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.” “…Pardon?” Baek Woo-jin echoed in disbelief. If her words were true, then the founder of the Northern Sea Ice Palace was the previous master of the Water Elemental Bead. With certainty in her tone, Yong Seon-ah explained her reasoning. “There’s exactly one book left by the founding master in the Northern Sea Ice Palace.” It is the secret text containing the manual of the Ice Crystal Divine Art, learned solely by the palace’s master and their successor. Having examined this secret manuscript countless times while learning the Ice Crystal Divine Art, she felt a sense of familiarity when she saw the handwriting in Control Water and compared it to the secret manuscript. “And they matched perfectly.” Her conviction was not based solely on that observation. “Browsing through Control Water, I noticed familiar martial principles.” Some of the martial concepts contained within Control Water were remarkably similar to those in the Ice Crystal Divine Art she had learned her entire life. So similar they could nearly be called identical. “Ice Crystal Divine Art is a martial art derived from Control Water. In a way, you could describe them as parent and child.” Creating a new martial art by extracting core principles from an existing one requires a profound understanding of the original. The founder of the Northern Sea Ice Palace concealed the Control Water and the bead in the Northern Sea before creating the Ice Crystal Divine Art, establishing the palace. For some unknown reason, this fact was hidden, transforming the Water Elemental Bead into the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal, making it the palace’s sacred relic. ‘Why?’ She pondered this for days on end. But she couldn’t find an answer. How could anyone grasp the mind of someone who had passed away hundreds of years ago in just days? The only certainty was: “The reason behind it must have been for the sake of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.” So, she fell into contemplation once more. The broken Water Elemental Bead and the Control Water manual. How best to handle these two treasures that could ignite a fierce storm when known? And today, she made her decision. “You should take them.” “……!” Baek Woo-jin's eyes widened in shock at the unexpected response. Author’s Note It's been two days since we last met. I apologize for taking an additional day off due to catching a cold. I want to clarify that unless I'm truly ill, I never take breaks under the pretense of being sick. If I'm having a day where writing feels impossible or extremely challenging, I’d rather announce it as a day of creative blockage or poor condition. I want to assure you that I have never falsely claimed illness to excuse a break. On a happier note, I'm thrilled to announce that the views of the novel have finally reached five million! As I always say, I am fully aware that this achievement is thanks to you, dear readers, who have chosen to follow my writing. I sincerely appreciate you for supporting my somewhat lacking work, and I promise to persevere until the conclusion. This work has been a source of strength for me during a time when my confidence was dwindling due to not writing for a while. It holds immense meaning and affection for me, and I am committed to providing a satisfying conclusion. Once again, thank you so much, and I ask for your continued support in the future. I will see you in the next chapter. Thank you again for reading. Have a restful night. (_ _)