“Excellent.”

Ju Soa gave a small smile.

Then Han Seokhyeon and the members of the Yangryeong Division came running over.

The moment they saw Unhwi, they immediately offered him a respectful salute with clasped fists.

“Commander... Commander, we greet you!”

Unhwi gave a nod, and Han Seokhyeon stepped forward.

“...I am sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“...”

“On my way here, I heard what happened. From what I can see, there is nothing here that you did wrong.”

“...But...”

“My elder brother, the Young Palace Lord, is entangled in this, and I was the one who requested military support in the first place. If anything, this should be called my fault.”

Han Seokhyeon recoiled in alarm.

“N-no... that is not true. How could this possibly be your fault...”

“Han Seokhyeon.”

“Yes.”

“How many martial artists of the Thirteen Divisions of Heavenly Snow are in Yangryeong Province?”

“...There are thirty-five.”

Thirty-five.

“Kill them all.”

At those words, Han Seokhyeon’s eyes flew open, and not only the martial artists of the Yangryeong Division but even Dongfang Jin, who had been pressing his face to the ground in pain, was horrified.

“...Are you out of your mi—”

His words were cut off again.

Slash—!

Because Namgung Wonyang had drawn his sword and swung it in an instant, severing his neck.

Dongfang Jin’s head rolled across the ground.

Blood spurted upward like a fountain.

Watching in silence, Unhwi spoke shortly.

“Now there are thirty-four.”

“...Ah...”

“Who is the master of Yangryeong Province?”

Everyone’s gaze gathered on Unhwi.

No one answered. There was no need to answer.

“At the very least, it is not the Thirteen Divisions of Heavenly Snow, and still less the Council of Elders. This place belongs to the Palace Lord of the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Palace.”

“...”

“And I have formally been entrusted with every authority here.”

Unhwi looked at Han Seokhyeon.

“You have half a shichen. Kill them all within that time and bring them before me.”

Thump, thump.

Han Seokhyeon’s heart began pounding like mad.

Dropping to his knees, he shouted,

“It will be done!”

Following him, everyone else shouted as «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» one.

“By your command!”

***

Unhwi turned his head.

Someone was slowly descending from the sky.

A blue robe. White hair.

No Cheonmyeong.

“It has been a long time, Senior No.”

No Cheonmyeong let out a hollow laugh.

“It certainly has.”

He looked around at the scene.

Dongfang Jin’s corpse.

The ground stained with blood.

“I was watching the whole time.”

“Yes.”

“Do you really intend to kill them? All of them?”

Unhwi answered calmly.

“Yes.”

No Cheonmyeong sighed.

“The Young Palace Lord’s maternal sect... that is one thing, but the Council of Elders too? Are you planning another internal purge?”

“Something like that.”

No Cheonmyeong scratched his head.

“Will this really be all right?”

“It will be.”

“Hah...”

No Cheonmyeong folded his arms.

Silence hung between them for a while.

“Did I do something unnecessary?”

To anyone else it might have sounded abrupt, but not to these two. No Cheonmyeong looked briefly at the unconscious Ju Soa, then quietly continued.

“It was the perfect chance for her to gain enlightenment. So I did not interfere...”

“Han Seokhyeon probably also asked you just to watch.”

“He did. He said this was not something I should step into.”

Strictly speaking, No Cheonmyeong was an outsider.

If an outsider intervened in the internal conflict of the Snow Palace, the matter would grow in a different direction.

“You did nothing wrong, Senior No.”

“...Is that so.”

“Yes. This is purely my fault. I expected the Heavenly Snow Sect to send someone, but I did not expect that person to be receiving a secret order from someone else.”

The world was full of every kind of human being.

“The organization called the Council of Elders is not necessary to the Snow Palace.”

It had certainly once been necessary. But as long as Unhwi possessed the memories of his previous life—

their very existence was harmful. Even so, he had left them alone.

He had excluded them from major and minor affairs, but they had done things in the past.

It was true that they had worked for the Snow Palace, and there had not been enough justification to expel them all at once. More than that, before even speaking of justification, Unhwi himself was not that ruthless.

But not anymore.

The weight of the name they carried, the power they refused to release.

Right now, the only one in the Snow Palace who could cut that off and bear the filth that came with it was Unhwi.

“Would you like to take part?”

No Cheonmyeong gave a small laugh.

“You brat. Of course I’d like to. I haven’t moved my body much lately, and I’ve been itching for it.”

“Unfortunately, I would prefer that you stay out of this matter as well.”

“Hm?”

“Instead, there is another favor I would like to ask.”

“What favor?”

“I intend to raise Han Seokhyeon to Commander of Yangryeong Province.”

No Cheonmyeong’s eyes widened.

“At present, the martial artists of the Yangryeong Division all use the Snow Palace’s basic sword art. I am thinking of having them all learn the Heavenly Killing Wolf-Star Art, so I would like you to guide them from time to time.”

“...You little brat. First you make me headmaster, and now you’re planning to work this old man to death.”

“Would that be difficult?”

He shook his head.

“I’ll do it. And from what I saw, that deputy commander is quite decent.”

“If you mean the deputy commander, then you are referring to Shin Suje, I assume.”

“He was in the Five Qi Origin realm, but from what I can see, he clearly has the talent to reach the Transcendent realm.”

“I leave him in your hands.”

No Cheonmyeong nodded. But his concern remained.

He pointed at Dongfang Jin’s corpse.

“That one is dead, and now thirty-four members of the Thirteen Divisions of Heavenly Snow are about to die.”

“Yes.”

“This is no small matter. The Heavenly Snow Sect will not sit still, and the Council of Elders certainly won’t either.”

No Cheonmyeong’s eyes turned serious.

“You brat.”

“Yes.”

“Will this really be all right? I know well enough that things are good between you and the Young Palace Lord. But his maternal sect is different.”

“...”

“The Heavenly Snow Sect could use the Young Palace Lord as a pretext to step in and expel you, and in the process the Council of Elders could help them.”

Any number of outcomes were possible.

Sacheon Uk, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Snow Sect, might truly decide to do that, or he might withdraw.

The Council of Elders might pull others in, or not. Or perhaps the two groups would join hands and politically drive Unhwi out.

Unhwi smiled.

“It seems that after spending so long as a headmaster, you have forgotten.”

“I have? Forgotten what?”

“This is Murim.”

“...Hm...”

“Until now, I have resolved most things with words.”

“You have.”

“That ends now. From here on, I intend to speak with force.”

No Cheonmyeong let out a hollow laugh.

“You brat... sounds like you’re confident.”

“It is not confidence. It is certainty.”

No Cheonmyeong stared at Unhwi for a while, then shook his head.

“You are truly impossible to predict. Even when I think I understand you, there is still so much I do not know.”

No Cheonmyeong unfolded his arms.

“Fine. I will do all of it. But listen.”

His eyes grew serious.

“Do not die. If you die, I will have no reason to remain in Yangryeong Province, and no matter who kills you, I will have no choice but to take revenge on them.”

“Did you wish to live a long life?”

No Cheonmyeong snorted and slapped Unhwi on the shoulder.

“It is not that I particularly want to live that long. But before I die, I would like to see you stand at the heavens.”

“...Now that I look at you.”

Unhwi paused for a moment, then looked at No Cheonmyeong with certain eyes.

“It seems you have gained the enlightenment needed to rise to the Martial Extremity Manifestation.”

“You little brat... you really are quick to notice.”

No Cheonmyeong, the Solitary Lord of Tyranny.

Just how great was his talent, really?

A true genius who had reached the Heaven and Man realm before turning thirty.

For decades he had remained in the Heaven and Man realm, blocked by the wall of enlightenment. But now that wall had been broken.

In not even a single year, he was already preparing to leap toward the Martial Extremity Manifestation.

That was honestly surprising.

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations, my foot.”

No Cheonmyeong turned away.

“Then I will return to the Ice-Snow Academy. If things do not go as you intend, send me just one messenger pigeon.”

“And if I send one, what will you do?”

“What else? Whether it is the Council of Elders or the Heavenly Snow Sect, they will be erased from this world together with me.”

Unhwi did not dislike seeing No Cheonmyeong like this.

Something about it warmed his heart.

It was almost the same as Chief Seong’s way.

“Do not push yourself for no reason. Your back will give out.”

Just as No Cheonmyeong let out a snort of laughter, Unhwi turned his head and looked at Seol Yeonhwa, who had been quietly watching the situation.

“Sister.”

“...Yes.”

“As you have heard and seen, it seems the snowy mountains are going to become a little noisy.”

“That does seem to be the case.”

“Would you go ahead first?”

“To where?”

“I think it would be best if you went to the Snow Flower Villa.”

“Not the Nancheon region?”

“Yes.”

Scratching her head, Seol Yeonhwa nodded.

“All right. I’ll do that. But... little brother.”

“Yes, Sister.”

“You are not going to fight our eldest brother, are you?”

Unhwi smiled faintly.

“I am not. On that matter at least, you do not need to worry.”

Scratching her head again, Seol Yeonhwa let out a long sigh.

“All right. Then I’ll do that.”

Unhwi said to No Cheonmyeong,

“Could you escort my sister to the Snow Flower Villa?”

No Cheonmyeong looked at Unhwi for a moment, then turned his gaze to Seol Yeonhwa.

“It won’t be for free. You want me to train her a little on the way too?”

“If you would do that, I would be grateful.”

No Cheonmyeong grinned.

“You sly little snake. Fine. Looking at her now, she seems to be only half a step away from the Harmony realm. I’ll give it a try.”

Unhwi offered him a respectful salute with clasped fists.

“Thank you.”

“What is there to thank me for?”

No Cheonmyeong beckoned with his hand.

“Follow me.”

After looking at Unhwi for a moment, Seol Yeonhwa followed behind No Cheonmyeong.

Left alone, Unhwi closed his eyes.

The Council of Elders.

And its head, Seol Cheonhwa.

Seol Jungcheon’s paternal uncle, and to Unhwi, a granduncle of the third degree.

Unfortunately, Unhwi had no intention of letting this pass.

If one was a martial artist, then once one drew the blade, blood had to be seen.

***

Yangryeong Province residence.

Ju Soa, who had been lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she felt afterward was that the ceiling above her was more familiar than expected, and that someone was holding her wrist and pouring internal energy into her.

Something about that energy itself was familiar.

Her eyes widened. She had recognized who it was.

“Ah... Commander...”

Unhwi’s voice.

Ju Soa smiled faintly.

“How is your condition?”

Ju Soa slowly pushed herself upright. Her body ached all over, but it was bearable.

“I’m fine. This much is nothing.”

“Do not overdo it. And—”

Taking his hand from her wrist, Unhwi placed it on her shoulder.

“You did well.”

Ju Soa’s eyes widened.

Unhwi was not someone who praised people often. No, he almost never did.

And yet now he was praising her.

“...Did I?”

Ju Soa answered awkwardly, and Unhwi nodded.

“It was quite different from the matter with the Sacheon Alliance before, but this time you needed to step forward, and you did.”

“...”

“That alone is more than enough. You did well.”

Ju Soa lowered her head.

The Sacheon Alliance.

She remembered that time.

She had remained silent. Because she was afraid, because she hesitated.

And she had been punished for it.

But this time was different.

“And.”

Unhwi’s voice continued.

“You also grasped the ultimate meaning of the Heavenly Flower Myriad Light Sword Art.”

“...Well.”

Ju Soa scratched her head.

“I’m just that good.”