Return of the Mount Hua Sect

The sled glides effortlessly across the snowy terrain.

They didn’t have high expectations for a sled pulled by dogs, but seeing it run so swiftly was fascinating.

“Sago. They’re great runners, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

Even Yu Yiseol, who usually didn’t pay much attention to things, watched the dogs with curiosity. However, there were others who didn’t seem to care.

“Uhhhhh. I feel like I’m going to die!”

“….”

“No! If the wind keeps blowing like this, I would have brought a tent! Why are we riding in an open sled?”

“…”

Song Won’s face twitched irritably.

He wanted to ask why a warrior was being so impolite, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it when he saw Chung Myung trembling.

“He’s really someone I can’t understand.”

Strangely, everyone else was on the sleigh except for him. There was no reason to think he was special.

“We’re almost there. Just be patient.”

“Do you know how many times you’ve said that?”

When Chung Myung replied irritably, Song Won shouted back.

“I have to keep saying it because you keep asking the same thing every 5 seconds! Just be patient!”

“I’m afraid I’m going to freeze to death!”

“Kuaaak!”

Song Won fought to suppress his anger and gritted his teeth.

“What is it with people like him?”

At this rate, he would lose his sanity and burn out before they even reached the mine.

In addition, every time Chung Myung said something and Song Won wanted to shout something back, he was unsure if the marten would come and claw at his face.

Song Won clenched his teeth.

The only solution was to move quickly.

“… why is it getting so cold?”

“The area where ice crystals form is filled with the strongest coldness in the North Sea. So, it’s bound to be cold.”

“Isn’t it even colder further north? I don’t think we’re heading north either.”

“It’s a little different.”

Song Won smiled slightly.

“You’ll understand when you see it.”

And then, it happened.

“Chung Myung, look over there!”

Yoon Jong, who was riding the sled next to him, shouted and pointed ahead.

“Huh?”

Chung Myung also looked forward, his eyes widening.

“Wow, what is that?”

What came into view was a massive hole in the ground.

No, it was too big to be called a hole. It was more like a valley where several palaces could fit. The disciples of Mount Hua were all speechless and stunned at the sight of it, as if it was the entrance to hell.

“That’s the mine where they extract ice crystals.”

Song Won smirked.

“… They called it a mine, so I thought they were working on a mountain.”

Chung Myung’s words reflected the thoughts of everyone else. He never imagined that the place where ice crystals were being harvested would be like this.

Swish!

From the depths of the wide hole, the dreary sound of the wind continued to blow.

“Are you digging ice crystals down there?”

“Yes.”

“Looks dangerous.”

“It is very dangerous and hard work. Ordinary people cannot even think about attempting it.”

Song Won pointed to the bottom of the valley.

“The lower you go, the lower the temperature of the yin energy is. Ice crystals can only be mined in such an environment.”

Mount Hua’s disciples looked at the ice-filled land. People with thick fur as robes were moving diligently.

“Let’s go.”

“Hmm.”

The rest of Mount Hua’s disciples and Hae Yeon followed him.

“…I can see why the ice crystals are this expensive.”

“Right.”

Anything other than ice crystals that could be mined in such an atmosphere would be expensive.

“Come this way.”

Song Won led them to the valley.

The closer they got, the stronger the wind was, and eventually, they moved to the edge of the place, which looked like a bottomless pit.

“I will head down. Ready now?”

“Yes.”

“Be careful because you need to hold down the rope. If you make a mistake and fall, you won’t even be able to find a bone.”

It was said with hope that they would be scared, but the disciples of Mount Hua just nodded their heads with a straight face.

“…I am not kidding.”

“Yes, I know.”

“…”

Song Won frowned at the reaction, which was different from what he expected.

“Did everyone lose their heads or what?”

Those who first saw this cliff would often go insane, but despite showing signs of wonder, they didn’t show signs of fear.

The disciples of Mount Hua stuck their heads out and mumbled as they looked down the valley.

“Looks like the cliff on Mount Hua?”

“Ehh. It’s because of that blackness, but it’s not even halfway right.”

“Is that so?”

“….”

Song Won glanced over at them as they spoke those absurd words.

How could he know? These people were climbers, and a cliff like this was like a front yard to them.

“… hmmm. Be careful.”

Song Won frowned, grabbed the rope installed on the cliff, and began to descend.

Holding the rope with both hands, he firmly planted his feet on the cliff and stepped with great care. After going a little down, he looked at Mount Hua’s disciples, who didn’t follow him and just looked down.

“What are you doing? Follow me. There are several ropes prepared. Grab another and come down.”

“… can’t we just head down?”

“Exactly! There’s no problem as long as we don’t look down!”

And then Baek Cheon looked at Chung Myung.

“Shall we go?”

“Why not?”

Baek Cheon nodded and grabbed the rope in front of him.

“Follow me.”

“Yes!”

Then, he flung himself towards the cliff.

“What, what!”

Song Won was terrified to the point that he almost dropped the rope. But what was even more shocking was that Baek Cheon, along with the other disciples and the monk, simply threw themselves off the cliff with the rope in hand.

Tatatartat.

They ran down the cliff as if it were flat ground at a speed that should be too much to handle.

“…”

Song Won stared blankly at the Mount Hua disciples running down the cliff, but then a gruff voice spoke right next to him.

“Hurry up and go down. Why are you moving like a snail?”

“…”

“Tsk.”

Even after saying this, Chung Myung was running down the cliff without even holding the rope. As he passed by, he even managed to talk.

Song Won watched Chung Myung’s figure disappear and looked up at the sky.

‘I can’t handle this anymore, seriously.’

After a while.

“Ugh.”

“… it’s going to take a long time.”

“You’ll have to train harder.”

Song Won, who had reached the ground, desperately ignored the words coming from all sides. Normally, he would have had something to say, but in this situation, he had nothing.

“…this is where we mine the ice crystals.”

“Speak up.”

“Stop. I’d rather not.”

The one who said the last line was the person he despised the most.

What a mess…

Just then, Jo Gul tucked his hands between his armpits.

“Sasuk. But it’s really no joke in here. My whole body has been shivering since earlier.”

“…I see.”

This wasn’t just a simple cold wind. It was the kind that made your body feel like it was being pierced by an unknown, dark energy.

“This is what it means to have strong yin qi.”

If you stayed exposed to this weather for too long, you would die instantly.

“There are ice crystals in here….”

When they looked up, the sky seemed so small. There were hundreds of large and small caverns piercing the long, cracked valley on the left and right.

“A mine dug by humans.”

Digging holes in an environment like this to find ice crystals…

It was even harsher than they could imagine.

“Everyone worked so hard.”

Among the workers dressed in animal skins, those in Ice Palace uniforms came and went like overseers. The workers and soldiers seemed to be working together to dig up the ice crystals.

“Huh! Look at that!”

Jo Gul, who had been scanning the surroundings for a while, pointed to a certain spot as if he had noticed something.

One of the workers heading to the cave stumbled and fell down from exhaustion. And then, one of the soldiers in charge rushed to his aid.

“We should also help….”

Baek Cheon, who was worried, widened his eyes.

“This wretch!”

Whip!

Out of nowhere, the soldier pulled out a whip from his sleeve and started beating the fallen worker.

“W-what is that!”

Baek Cheon was so shocked that he stuttered.

Even though the worker had collapsed onto the ground and was trembling, the overseer showed no mercy and continued using the whip.

“How could you be so lazy!”

Damn it!

Each time the whip cut through the air, the workers’ clothes tore, revealing bloody wounds.

“That…!”

Baek Cheon moved to rush at him and intervene, but Song Wol blocked his path.

“Don’t act rashly like that.”

Baek Cheon glanced at the hand blocking his way and glared at Song Won.

“Why are you suddenly doing this? I don’t think he did anything wrong!”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

After hearing the response, Baek Cheon remained still and unchanged, causing Song Won to click his tongue in annoyance.

“It seems like you don’t understand what I’m saying. I told you, normal people can’t work here.”

“… What does that mean?”

He pointed at the workers.

“They’re not ordinary workers here. They’ve committed crimes against the palace and are serving their time through hard labor.”

Baek Cheon took a closer look at the workers.

He hadn’t noticed before, but now he could see that they all looked incredibly exhausted.

“What crimes did they commit?”

“Treason.”

That brief response left Baek Cheon silent.

“And besides that, they’ve committed other sins.”

The disciples of Mount Hua and Hae Yeon turned their gaze to the workers… no, the prisoners.

Their pale faces, lifeless eyes, and gaunt limbs caught their attention. Everyone moved as if they would collapse at any moment.

Just as Baek Cheon was at a loss for words, Chung Myung spoke up.

“Are all of them warriors?”

Song Won glanced at him, but Chung Myung couldn’t care less.

“So you’re saying that their internal qi is sealed.”

“…exactly.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung looked around with apparent interest.

‘Treason, huh.’

In fact, it was the current lord who committed treason. That meant the ones who were used as labor here were those loyal to the previous lord.

“Ice crystals are objects that need to be excavated after overcoming extreme Yin qi. If we don’t do this, it will be difficult to find them.”

“But…”

As Yoon Jong tried to interject, Song Won smiled.

“Aren’t you guys trying to get the ice crystals too?”

“…”

“I think it will be fun. Those who have come all the way to the North Sea in search of ice crystals can relate to those who excavate them. If there weren’t people like you who want ice crystals, wouldn’t they all go to waste?”

Jo Gul’s face stiffened at those blunt words.

“That…”

But he couldn’t find the right words to respond, and Song Won shook his head.

“They look so miserable, so try to help them. With the decrease in crystal production, the hours of labor have increased. Digging up even one ice crystal will make them feel better.”

Then, Chung Myung, who had been listening for a while, smiled.

“How much can we dig?”

“…what did you say?”

“A man doesn’t repeat himself. Go and call the person in charge. I want to know how much they have to dig up to give everyone a break.”

Chung Myung grinned.

“I will collect all the ice crystals.”

Upon hearing that self-assured voice, Song Won frowned unconsciously.