Chapter 218

Chapter 218: An Unexpected Grudge (3)

The exact moment Bing Ye took her fourth step forward.

“Kim Rae-won. I am the Sect Leader of the Hero’s Sect, don’t forget it.”

The surrounding environment transformed instantly.

The layer of ice beneath her boots rippled outward in a perfect ring, then cascaded wildly across the terrain.

It wasn’t a focused, linear strike targeting Dong Bongsu.

It surged outward in every single direction.

A massive tidal wave of freezing qi that seemed intent on consuming the very fabric of the atmosphere.

There was no underlying geometric pattern or structured formation to it.

The Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle relied on explicit Formation Ropes, and the Mountain Formation Division’s Suppression Formation operated on specific, stationary nodes.

Those possessed a discernable template, meaning they could be dissected and calculated.

This phenomenon was entirely separate.

It lacked any blueprint.

It was purely the kind of manifestation that relied on flooding the area with sheer, unadulterated internal energy output.

‘Is her strategy to drag me into an endurance contest?’

He concentrated his focus to increase the density of his Super True Qi Field.

The rime accumulating at the outer perimeter was forced back.

Yet, fresh layers of frost immediately materialized to reclaim the space that had just been cleared.

It resembled two opposing bodies of water clashing violently at a boundary line, refusing to blend.

The earth preserved within the borders of the Super True Qi Field remained completely parched, whereas everything beyond that threshold was already painted in a stark white.

Upon the bark of the massive tree he had been resting against, layers of ice rapidly crystallized and flaked off, repeating the cycle endlessly.

Crunch-.

Bing Ye advanced by another pace.

The icy barrier thickened by yet another layer.

A heavy pressure born of the freezing qi began to weigh down upon the entirety of the zone where the Super True Qi Field was maintained.

Even so, Dong Bongsu remained perfectly stationary, refusing to budge a single inch.

He was merely evaluating, taking her measure.

The rays of moonlight were pulling together, focusing entirely on Bing Ye.

What exactly was the absolute ceiling of freezing energy that a lone woman could unleash?

To the foundational cultivation methods of the Heavenly Yin Sect, which refined and elevated yin qi into core internal energy, one had to account for the raw Yin-Cold Qi she was actively drawing down from the moon above.

Had it been broad daylight, the circumstances would have been vastly different, but they were currently in the dead of night.

Just how massive of an environmental advantage was that moon granting the woman right now?

Shing-.

A slender, pitch-black blade materialized abruptly within Dong Bongsu’s right hand.

The Nine Demon Annihilation Wheel Sword.

Despite drawing his weapon, he remained completely still in his stance.

The concentration of the freezing qi continued to climb at an alarming rate.

Much like plunging further into deep waters, the physical drag of the surrounding air grew heavily oppressive.

With each inhalation, thin crystals of frost materialized within his respiratory tract.

The freezing energy radiating from Bing Ye’s form coalesced into something resembling a solid barricade.

A wall of ice so intense that it utterly denied any proximity was actively dominating a perimeter of roughly thirty zhang.

“……”

Even as a dense coat of hoarfrost settled heavily over his frame piece by piece, Dong Bongsu did no more than observe Bing Ye with an utterly flat, expressionless stare.

However.

Whoo-.

In the precise heartbeat that Bing Ye’s icy exhalation drifted like a cloud across the midnight sky.

He instantly sent the Nine Demon Annihilation Wheel Sword back into his spatial inventory.

Bing Ye’s gaze sharpened instantly.

This sequence of movements—un sheathing a weapon only to put it away a second later—defied all conventional combat logic to her.

An armament appearing out of thin air and vanishing just as quickly was baffling enough, but far beyond that…….

Why!?

The glaring question inevitably rippled through her consciousness.

That minuscule window of time was all he required.

Crack-crack-crack-crack-!

In that identical heartbeat, Dong Bongsu dissolved the Super True Qi Field entirely.

He reeled in the expansive energy of the Super True Qi Field that had been projecting outward in all directions, compressing it completely onto a singular point.

Right before Bing Ye’s eyes, precisely at the core of the territory where she was pushing her freezing qi to its absolute threshold.

A highly localized concentration of maximum force.

Woong-.

A faint but unmistakable resonance shuddered through the atmosphere.

As the absolute mass of the Super True Qi Field locked onto that single point, Bing Ye’s freezing energy was forcefully driven back from that specific coordinate.

Up until this moment, whenever her energy had been repelled, it had instantly rushed back to fill the void.

This instance, however, broke the pattern.

There was simply no window of time to replenish it.

Because her Yin-Cold Qi was discharging like an overwhelming torrent across every direction it had been contesting, the precise micro-management required to feed freezing energy into that lone point was utterly shattered.

“Kuh-!”

For the very first time, Bing Ye’s footing was shaken, driving her backward.

It amounted to a mere half-step, but for someone of her caliber, it represented an initial retreat.

Naturally, Dong Bongsu wasn’t about to overlook such a critical vulnerability.

Click-.

Faith Arrow.

It manifested as pure radiance.

It wasn’t standard qi.

It wasn’t yin qi, yang qi, immortal qi, or malicious qi; an entirely foreign essence coalesced within Dong Bongsu’s right hand.

It assumed the physical profile of an aerodynamic arrow.

Yet its fundamental essence bore no relation to any worldly martial discipline known to existence.

Shhweee-.

The projectile streaked directly toward Bing Ye’s freezing barrier, which had already degraded into its most fractured and vulnerable state.

Pyuk-.

The missile of pure light ripped straight through Bing Ye’s shoulder.

The fabric of her attire shredded instantly, blood pooling before tracking a path down her skin, only for frost to rapidly crystallize over the raw tear.

This was a specialized coagulation method unique to the shadow operatives of the Heavenly Yin Sect, utilizing flash-frozen ice to clamp a wound shut.

Furthermore.

Along the exact trajectory the projectile had traveled, the ambient frost was dissolving out of existence.

It wasn’t a thawing process triggered by heat.

It simply dematerialized as though it were being entirely cleansed, much like a dense mist burning away.

“…Why?”

Bing Ye’s eyes shuddered in confusion.

It wasn’t merely due to the bizarre nature of the offensive energy.

Indisputably, that force was completely divorced from standard qi.

It wasn’t base internal energy, nor true qi, nor yin qi, nor yang qi.

Even if she applied every single foundational doctrine governed by the Heavenly Yin Sect, she lacked any framework to identify the essence that had just struck her.

Yet that mystery was secondary.

The critical reality right now…….

…Was the undeniable fact that her shoulder had been cleanly ventilated.

And that… he possessed the absolute capability to end her life right then and there had he truly wished it.

Bing Ye grasped this reality with absolute clarity.

After all, she was an elite shadow operative who had spent more than a decade enduring life-or-death martial training.

She shifted her weight back by another pace.

The contours of Dong Bongsu’s lips curved upward into a subtle smirk.

This wasn’t the expression of Kim Rae-won.

It was uniquely Dong Bongsu’s own smile.

Granted, no observer would ever be capable of telling them apart.

He had the means to terminate her existence, but he chose to withhold the blow.

The reasoning behind it was basic.

The trajectory of his destined entanglement with her was fundamentally distinct from the path he shared with Sang Gwanhwi.

A meaningful connection can never take root within a corpse.

‘I’ve displayed more than enough.’

The subsequent phase required dialogue.

Precisely at that moment.

“…What is the meaning of all this chaos? What possesses you to be dueling an agent of the Heavenly Yin Sect beneath the moonlight?”

The voice belonged to Yan Bilyeong.

She had been deeply immersed in her nocturnal cultivation routines when she detected ice encroaching upon the perimeter lines of her defensive formation, prompting her to sprint over without delay.

As an accomplished Trigram Master operating from the Formation Tower, she possessed the rare talent to read and identify the specific signatures of worldly forces.

She deduced in an instant that the expanding Yin Cold Ice Qi belonged explicitly to the Heavenly Yin Sect, a prominent Esoteric Sect hidden among the Seven Great Demonic Sects.

Tap-.

The moment her boots touched down upon the southwestern rampart, the view that greeted her was an entire landscape outside the estate frozen completely solid.

Rime coated the towering trees, thick ice clung to the masonry, and the terrain was bleached entirely white.

Positioned right at the center of the devastation was Sect Leader Kim Rae-won, while an unfamiliar woman continued to discharge a freezing aura.

That woman, Bing Ye, slowly redirected her focus toward Yan Bilyeong.

“A practitioner of Formations? Hooo-, and a certified Trigram Master at that….”

Dong Bongsu emphasized Kim Rae-won’s smirk by another degree, casting a side glance toward Yan Bilyeong.

“Trigram Master Yan, wouldn’t you agree the midnight breeze is a touch biting tonight?”

Yan Bilyeong swept her gaze across the flash-frozen environment.

“This doesn’t qualify as a midnight breeze; this is the dead of winter. What on earth is transpiring here?”

“It appears we have an uninvited traveler hammering on our gates at a rather late hour.”

He reoriented his chin back toward Bing Ye.

“Let us refrain from crossing blades any further in this place.”

Bing Ye offered no verbal confirmation.

She cast a brief glance toward the puncture on her shoulder, shifted her gaze to Kim Rae-won, and finally evaluated Yan Bilyeong.

Managing just the Sect Leader of the Hero’s Sect was already pushing her to her absolute limits.

To simultaneously engage a prominent Trigram Master hailing from the Formation Tower on top of that?

There lay absolutely no tactical advantage in prolonging this engagement.

A protracted, heavy quiet settled between them.

“…I concede to those terms.”

It was a calculated choice born of her instincts as a shadow operative.

Given that her adversary demonstrated no desire to press the assault, there was no logical rationale for throwing her life away needlessly.

“What are your terms?”

Dong Bongsu, continuing under the guise of Kim Rae-won, spoke up.

“What are you implying? That is precisely the inquiry I should be directing at you.”

“….”

“Ah, though I suppose the answer is obvious. You ventured here in pursuit of Cheol So-ah, correct?”

“…Precisely.”

Kim Rae-won reached up to flick away a stray crystal of frost that had gathered just below his earlobe before speaking.

“I am the one who ended Cheol So-ah.”

“On what grounds?”

Kim Rae-won supplied the answer without a single heartbeat of hesitation.

“Because her actions dictated an end to her life.”

“What manner of capital offenses could you possibly be referring to?”

“She perpetrated atrocities foul enough to warrant execution.”

Bing Ye’s gaze narrowed into thin slits.

“Provided the actions of the Seventh Dharma Maiden were executed under the explicit mandates of our order, then whatever conduct she displayed remains strictly the internal affairs of our sect.”

“Haha. Is that your stance? In that case, why don’t you lend an ear to the reality of the situation?”

Uttering a low, mocking chuckle, Kim Rae-won initiated a slow, deliberate approach toward Bing Ye.

“You are fully aware that Cheol So-ah resided within these ramparts acting as the Young Mistress overseeing the Iron God Gang, are you not?”

Bing Ye’s brow gave a microscopic twitch.

Naturally, the information was known to her.

She was well aware that the Seventh Dharma Maiden’s background involved serving as the young heiress to an external subordinate organization.

“Very well, if you possess knowledge regarding the operations of the Iron God Gang, you will immediately comprehend the true nature of the individual who filled that role as Young Mistress.”

His delivery, speaking as Kim Rae-won, remained entirely composed.

It lacked any trace of fiery rage or theatrical condemnation.

It was a cold recitation of verified occurrences.

“They squeezed protection tariffs out of local merchants, maintaining enforcement squads on every single thoroughfare to bleed them dry. I suppose one could argue such corruption is standard practice within a frontier town, easy enough to overlook.”

He paused for a brief beat.

“The true depravity rests far beyond those petty crimes.”

An enclosure designed for the maintenance of flesh-eating swine.

Any individual who defaulted on their financial obligations, or anyone who dared to oppose their authority, was thrown into that pen while still breathing.

Human trafficking.

They rounded up and bartered away individuals snatched from the settlements dotting the perimeter of the River Capital.

They showed no mercy to women or infants alike.

Predatory lending.

They didn’t stop at seizing material wealth; the moment an individual defaulted, they claimed ownership over that person’s kin.

“I am well aware that your Heavenly Yin Sect is numbered among the Seven Great Demonic Sects. I hold no desire to initiate a feud simply because a rogue organization conducts itself like an Unorthodox Faction.”

Kim Rae-won locked his gaze squarely into Bing Ye’s eyes.

“However, does there not exist a fundamental boundary that must never be breached?”

The freezing energy enveloping Bing Ye pulled inward minutely.

It wasn’t a violent expansion triggered by rage, but rather a sharp contraction born of pure astonishment.

“Even the most ruthless Unorthodox Factions adhere to certain boundaries, do they not? Consigning living souls to flesh-eating swine completely shatters that boundary, does it not? The Heavenly Yin Sect ought to recognize that its very own Seventh Dharma Maiden chose to plant her feet well beyond that boundary.”

Bing Ye maintained her absolute silence.

“If your demand is that I look the other way while someone who has breached that boundary operates freely inside this River Capital-.”

Kim Rae-won delivered his final, unyielding point.

“Then I shall deem the Heavenly Yin Sect to have crossed that very boundary alongside her.”

Bing Ye still offered no reply.

Yet within the confines of her thoughts, she was visualizing the countenance of Cheol So-ah.

The Seventh Dharma Maiden.

A prodigy whose internal Spiritual Root was so remarkably profound that the Grand Sect Master himself had personally acknowledged her identity.

Within the walls of their sanctuary, that girl had appeared as nothing more than a highly perceptive, dispassionate cultivator.

However… if the details she had just received corresponded to reality, it was an inescapable truth that she could never justify protecting her memory.

Regardless of their standing as an Unorthodox Faction.

“…Provide verification.”

“Interrogate any merchant operating within this walled settlement. Query them on precisely how this territory has transformed since the day the Iron God Gang was wiped from existence.”

Bing Ye mapped her thoughts back to the sensory impressions she gathered upon first stepping into this metropolis.

An outside force had fundamentally reshaped the underlying order of the city.

During that initial observation, she had interpreted the shift purely through a perspective of martial power.

Yet, if this wasn’t a simple alteration of local energy, but rather the structural foundations of the settlement being completely rebuilt.

It stood as undeniable validation of how thoroughly debased the previous regime had been.

Kim Rae-won pressed forward.

“I currently hold possession of Cheol So-ah’s remains. I have secured them and am maintaining them safely.”

The freezing aura surrounding Bing Ye flickered unsteadily.

Nevertheless, she reined it in.

“…Where?”

“Within a secure location.”

Kim Rae-won offered no further elaboration.

“Furthermore, the origin point of the spiritual feedback you have been tracking—that specific token jade pendant—likewise resides within this estate.”

For the initial time during their encounter, Bing Ye’s eyelids flared open.

That identical jade token, whose energetic signature had shifted patterns.

She had previously verified that an individual completely detached from the Dharma Maidens was carrying the artifact, but she had never anticipated this particular man would lay it bare so transparently.

“I am prepared to surrender both items. The remains as well as the jade token.”

“…An arrangement of that nature must carry stipulations.”

“Precisely three.”

Kim Rae-won extended three digits.

“Stipulation one. The Heavenly Yin Sect shall refrain from instigating hostiles against the Hero’s Sect.”

He lowered his index finger.

“Stipulation two. For the immediate future, you shall keep everything witnessed here tonight strictly to yourself.”

He lowered his middle finger.

“Stipulation three.”

He lowered his ring finger.

“Stipulation three….”

Kim Rae-won tapped his ring finger back and forth in midair a few times, then flashed a broad grin and used that same finger to scratch at his forehead.

“Ah, my mistake. It seems we only have two requirements, just two. Haha.”

“….”

“In any event, neither of those two conditions represents an excessive concession.”

Bing Ye kept her thoughts to herself.

The explicit directive laid down by the Grand Sect Master was to look into the demise of the Seventh Dharma Maiden.

Recovering the physical remains and pieceing together the true context represented the most accurate fulfillment of that mandate.

It was an established reality that she lacked the combat prowess to overcome this man in a direct confrontation.

It was glaringly obvious that even if she integrated her nine subordinate disciples into the fray, the final outcome would remain entirely unaffected.

Furthermore.

Assuming the account of Cheol So-ah’s conduct was accurate, then the physical remains were far from the only critical data she was obligated to present to the Grand Sect Master.

“…I demand to inspect the remains first.”

“On the morrow.”

Kim Rae-won cut her sentence short with absolute finality.

“As an alternative, take shelter within these walls for the night. You along with your entire retinue.”

A prolonged, heavy silence stretched across the courtyard.

The ambient freezing energy began its slow retreat.

Bending to Bing Ye’s command, the artificial winter that had blanketed the River Capital was gradually receding into nothingness.

“Very well.”

Bing Ye shifted her stance, turning away.

She began walking toward the position where her nine disciples were maintaining their vigil.

Observing her retreating figure, Yan Bilyeong spoke up.

“Is the matter entirely settled?”

“Is what settled?”

“The friction existing between the Hero’s Sect and the Heavenly Yin Sect.”

“I would presume so?”

Yan Bilyeong stared at him with an expression painted in absolute skepticism.

“I mean to say, what hidden asset does this speck of a sect possess that has Dongmun Mutoe, the Heavenly Yin Sect, and even the prestigious Vast Heaven Infinite Sword Sect all descending upon it simultaneously?”

“Ah, quite right. My humblest apologies for operating a speck of a sect.”

“Yes, yes, feel as remorseful as you please. What exactly is your history with this locale?”

Dong Bongsu refrained from offering a reply, merely crossing his arms over his chest as he tracked Bing Ye’s form until it vanished entirely into the nighttime gloom.

“I cannot say.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, have I neglected to inform you?”

“Inform me of what?”

“I possess absolutely no memories.”

“What!?”

“Consequently, you can cease peppering me with inquiries of that nature.”

With those words, he slowly redirected his steps back toward the interior of the Hero’s Sect.

He could catch the faint sound of Yan Bilyeong grumbling under her breath behind him, but the signature smile of Kim Rae-won had already evaporated from his face.

It didn’t fade gradually; it simply ceased to be.

Doo-woong.

Following a deep, resonant mechanical chime, Lumina’s crisp voice resonated directly inside his consciousness.

[You have successfully managed the crisis involving the Heavenly Yin Sect detachment. A bounty is allocated.]

[+3]

[The state of the world has grown noticeably more harmonious.]

[An association with the Heavenly Yin Sect has been established.]

[Bing Ye’s impression of you has shifted slightly toward favor.]

[An alliance forged from the ashes of animosity can occasionally blossom into an enduring bond.]

[For Faith possesses the capacity to dissolve even the bitterest enmities over time.]

Hero History: 51

[Your Hero History tally has crossed the threshold of 50, triggering an advancement in your Hero Rank.]

[Your status has been elevated to ★★First-Rate.]

― Your efforts have been exemplary. You are addressing our mandates with great fidelity. You represent our ultimate salvation. Please persist in preserving this realm exactly as you are doing now.

▣ Hero Rank

☆ Nameless (0~9)

★ Rising Star (10~49)

★★ First-Rate (50~99) ← Current Tier

[You have unlocked the ★★ tier, resulting in the bestowal of a specialized reward.]

[All Core Attributes +5]

[The passive characteristic 『Faith Weight』 has been unsealed.]

『Faith Weight』

The proclamations of a savior bear tangible gravity.

The greater the collective of individuals who place their trust in your existence, the more imperceptible mass is infused into every syllable you utter.

Words spoken with absolute sincerity possess the power to alter a listener’s convictions, and a pledge delivered in truth can manifest with greater resilience than a binding covenant.

: Your persuasive capacity during dialogue, negotiations, and declarations of intent amplifies in direct proportion to the volume and intensity of your established Trust bonds.

≪Available Masteries≫

• Faith Judgment Lv.1

└ Prerequisite History: 50 (51/50) 『Y/N』

• Hero’s Blessing Lv.1

└ Prerequisite History: 50 (51/50) 『Y/N』

He had progressed to the next stage.

He had developed his capabilities to a degree where he could choose a path of advancement that sidestepped lethality when the scenario permitted.

Dong Bongsu continued his stride along the path that still bore traces of ice, performing a more thorough review of the interface array before dismissing it from sight.

There lay no immediate urgency.

The selections could be finalized at any moment of his choosing.

“I must ask, how can an individual completely stripped of their history possess such absurd martial prowess?”

“Are you addressing me?”

“Look here, there is a living soul standing right beside you. Are you listening?”

Dong Bongsu proceeded directly back to his personal quarters without offering another word.

On the morrow—no, the timeline had already crossed into the current day.

“Hello?”

The waking hours promised to be exceptionally demanding, meaning it was finally time to bring the current period to a close.