Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"What did you just say…?"

It was one thing to curse Seol Suryeon inwardly, but it was a different matter entirely to actually say the words out loud. No matter how bad Eun Hwiryong's relationship with Seol Suryeon was, she could never express such a sentiment.

"You… are not from the North Sea," Eun Hwiryong muttered. Her intuition told her that the man before her was definitely not of North Sea lineage.

Baek Suryong grinned. "That's right. I am neither a descendant of the North Sea nor a member of the Seol Clan. However, I have learned the White Ice Divine Art and brought the divine artifact of the Ice Palace, the White Ice Bangles, here. I believe I am more than qualified for a private audience with you."

BOOM!

Grand Elder Han Songbaek immediately used his movement arts to circle behind Baek Suryong and block his escape route.

"You fiend! How dare you infiltrate our Palace! What nefarious scheme are you up to?" he roared.

Seeing the White Ice Bangles, the divine artifact of the North Sea Ice Palace, came as a great shock. Nevertheless, the person who showed up with the artifacts was far more suspicious.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

Baek Suryong smiled. A fierce northern blizzard raged within the Royal Court. Before him stood the Empress of the North Sea Ice Palace. Behind him, the Grand Elder seethed with unbridled rage. He was surrounded by two of the top three warriors in the North Sea.

Still, he stood tall and unwavering as he declared, "Sixty years ago, Seol Suryeon deceived my master, the Ice Moon Goddess Eun Yerin, and lured her into the Blood Cult's trap."

"…!!"

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"…!!"

Baek Suryong recounted the events that transpired following the Ice Moon Goddess's abduction by the Blood Cult, though he had no choice but to fabricate how he learned martial arts from her.

Master Eun, please forgive me for the little lies. No one would believe me if I told them about my past life.

In his story, the Ice Moon Goddess narrowly escaped the Blood Cult while they were in the midst of internal strife. She dreamed of revenge, but unfortunately, she had lost all of her martial arts skills. Realizing she didn't have much longer to live, she organized her martial arts into a secret manual and entrusted her legacy to whoever might someday find it.

"I coincidentally discovered my master's legacy and pledged to fulfill her final wish. Before coming here, I first sought out my master's old lover…"

Baek Suryong explained how he met Moon Yul in Shaanxi and Seol Sinwoo at the Black Tortoise Academy.

"…And so, I learned that the Seol Clan had joined hands with the Blood Cult. To take revenge, I disguised myself as Seol Ryonghwi and came here."

Baek Suryong finished his story.

Eun Hwiryong listened silently to all of it, and then slowly withdrew her aura. However, she did not completely relinquish her suspicion. "…I find it difficult to believe everything you've said."

"Are the White Ice Bangles not enough?"

"Do you have more to show?"

Baek Suryong nodded and activated his White Ice Divine Art. This time, though, it was not the limited version he had used against Seol Mugeol, but rather the true divine art of the Ice Moon Goddess that had earned him Geomno's recognition.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

A blizzard swirled around Baek Suryong as he manifested the complete White Ice Divine Art, which had been passed down through generations to the North Sea Ice Palace's successor.

Eun Hwiryong's eyes widened as far as they could go. "That divine art is…"

"Yes, it's similar, but not quite the same as the original Art. This is the Ice Moon Goddess's unique White Ice Divine Art."

Calming his energy, Baek Suryong stared straight at the speechless Eun Hwiryong. "Let me state this clearly beforehand. I have no interest in taking over the North Sea Ice Palace. All I want is to restore my master's honor and avenge her."

"……" Eun Hwiryong's mind reeled in confusion at the young man who had suddenly appeared, claiming to be the disciple of the Ice Moon Goddess who had disappeared decades ago.

How am I supposed to believe that story?!

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Although Baek Suryong possessed the White Ice Bangles and had learned the White Ice Divine Art, it was difficult to trust him. If the Ice Moon Goddess had fallen into a trap set by the Blood Cult, then wasn't it reasonable to assume that the White Ice Bangles, which had disappeared with her, were also in the Blood Cult's possession?

Didn't we already confirm that the Yin Yang Demon Lord had one of the White Ice Bangles?

This was all too sudden. She needed time to gather her thoughts.

"Let me say one more thing. If I were sent by Seol Suryeon or the Blood Cult, why would I go through the trouble of this charade? Both your clans would collapse on their own, and the North Sea would fall under the Seol Clan's dominion even if I sat back and did nothing," Baek Suryong added, knowing the Empress and the Grand Elder wouldn't accept his story right away.

Eun Hwiryong's eyes flashed. “Do you think you can leave this place safely after mouthing off like that?”

Baek Suryong smirked. "I am confident I can escape with my life in any situation."

Eun Hwiryong shot him a venomous look.

"Perhaps… this man speaks the truth. The name Moon Yul. I remember hearing it long ago." Han Songbaek sighed, a look of regret on his face as he gazed at the ceiling. "The three of us… myself, Yerin, and Suryeon… were once close friends."

He was from the same era as Eun Yerin and Seol Suryeon. Back then, although he and Suryeon were born with exceptional martial talent, they were forced to abandon the succession war early due to one dominant individual.

Han Songbaek had conceded without regret. On the other hand, the competitive Seol Suryeon refused to give up and challenged Eun Yerin until the end.

Nevertheless, Eun Yerin was ultimately confirmed as Princess. Despite shedding tears of frustration, Seol Suryeon had congratulated her.

After that, the three of them often socialized and exchanged letters. It was then that he learned about a man named Moon Yul, and if he knew about her, then it stood to reason that Seol Suryeon did as well.

The pieces fell into place. Seol Suryeon had used her knowledge of Moon Yul to lure Eun Yerin into a trap.

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"I thought she had given up then… to think she plotted such a vicious scheme behind the scenes."

Despite the lack of clear evidence, Han Songbaek had long suspected that Eun Yerin's disappearance was related to Seol Suryeon. Now, after hearing Baek Suryeon's words, he was certain.

Steeling his resolve, he looked at Eun Hwiryong. "Empress. Seol Suryeon is more than capable of such a thing. Have we not known that for decades?

"Could she truly have…!"

White flames seemed to flare up in Eun Hwiryong's eyes. Like Han Songbaek, she too had doubted Seol Suryeon for a long time. After all, the only ones who benefited from the Ice Moon Goddess's disappearance were Seol Suryeon and the Seol Clan.

Baek Suryong's testimony merely turned their suspicion into certainty.

Baek Suryong heaved a sigh of relief. Phew! Things went more smoothly than I expected. Persuading Eun Hwiryong would have been tough if she refused to believe me until the end.

"Ahem! I suppose this makes you my aunt's disciple." Eun Hwiryong looked at Baek Suryong, her gaze softening slightly.

Baek Suryong flinched and took a step back. "I'll say it again, I have no interest inheriting the North Sea Ice Palace. I have too many titles as it is. Please go find someone else."

"…Did I ever say I was offering the position to you?

"No, but I wanted to make that clear."

Eun Hwiryong stared at Baek Suryong in exasperation.

The subsequent conversation proceeded quickly.

Eun Hwiryong agreed to execute Seol Suryeon and purge the Seol Clan of corruption.

"Seol Suryeon is a traitor who seized power by bringing in foreign forces. We can tolerate her no longer."

The problem was the method. Seol Suryeon was the head of the largest family in the North Sea Ice Palace, and many families in the North Sea followed the Seol Clan.

In total, the Seol Clan's supporters accounted for over seventy percent of the population.

"A frontal assault is impossible. To even stand a chance of victory, we need a surprise attack… Why are you looking at me like that?" Eun Hwiryong frowned at Baek Suryong, who had been starting fixedly at her face.

"…You really do look alike."

"Like who?"

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When Baek Suryong first saw Eun Hwiryong, he was overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. Now, the more he studied her features, the more that feeling intensified.

"Actually, there's something I didn't mention earlier. I came across this information when I interrogated and killed Ma Jungcheon prior to coming here."

"…You killed him? That bastard from the Blood Cult?"

"That's not important." Brushing off the matter with a casual shrug, Baek Suryong continued, "Anyway, I heard that Central Plains martial artists infiltrated the North Sea Ice Palace thirty-five years ago and caused a massacre."

A subtle killing intent flickered in Eun Hwiryong's eyes, but she nodded and said, "Yes. That day, many people of the North Sea lost family and friends. I too lost my younger sister Hayeon."

Eun Hwiryong recalled the painful past. At the time, her younger sister Eun Hayeon was only ten years old. She had dug through the snowfields, hoping to find her sister's remains, but in the end, she found nothing.

Baek Suryong divulged a startling revelation. "That wasn't the work of Central Plains martial artists. It was the work of the Blood Cult."

"What did you say?"

"Also, Seol Suryeon was the one who instigated it."

Baek Suryong relayed the story he had heard from Ma Jungcheon to Eun Hwiryong, word for word.

Her face gradually contorted like a demon's, and a killing intent far more intense than before radiated from her.

She stood up from her throne. "That bitch! I'll kill her…!"

"Your Majesty! Calm down! If you charge into the Seol Clan's territory now, a civil war will break out right away!" Han Songbaek yelled, holding her back.

"Kuuuugh…!" Eun Hwiryong gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger. Her eyes became bloodshot, and blood dripped from her palms where she had dug her nails in.

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Baek Suryong furrowed his brows. "As I thought…"

"As you thought? Do you have more to say?" Han Songbaek asked anxiously.

Baek Suryong sighed. "…Perhaps this is also fate at work."

He recalled the story the Nine Yin Witch had told him in the Valley of Evil.

"I was forced to learn martial arts at a Blood Cult facility along with other children my age. That's where I met Yeo Min's mother…"

Then there was Yeo Min, who lost her mother at a young age and became an orphan.

"My mother told me that if I learned ice arts, my lifespan would be shortened, like hers was."

Finally, he recalled Ma Jungcheon's account of the Blood Cult's unforgivable deeds.

"At that time, we were short on test subjects for researching the White Ice Divine Art in our Cult. Fortunately, the children of the North Sea have the ideal constitution for learning it, so it was a win-win situation for both parties."

Putting together the three stories led him to a single conclusion.

"Empress, I think one of my students might be your niece."

"What…?"

Eun Hwiryong, who had thought she could no longer be surprised by anything, lost her composure in an instant.

CRACK! PWAAANG!

Each time Yeo Min swung the fan Wiji Yeol had made for her, frigid energy sprayed everywhere, scattering finely shattered ice particles in all directions. Her long limbs swayed like a dancer's within the faint blizzard she conjured, and sunlight sparkled on each strand of her pure white hair.

"…Stop," Seo Ri'ae commanded.

Seo Ri-ae was currently teaching Yeo Min Ice Arts at Baek Suryong's request. However, she couldn't figure out how to teach this child.

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"Are you sure you've only been learning ice arts for less than half a year?"

"Yes, it's only been a few months."

"That doesn't make sense…"

Among the White Dragon Manor's students, Yeo Min's presence was almost completely overshadowed by Hyonwon Kang and Wiji Cheon. Until now, Seo Ri'ae had scarcely even noticed the girl.

However, the moment she discovered that Yeo Min had only seriously learned ice arts for less than four months, she couldn't help but be amazed.

This child is a genius.

Seo Ri'ae recalled the name of the current ruler of the North Sea Ice Palace.

Eun Hwiryong, a genius from the Eun Clan, had plunged other candidates into despair during her days competing for the succession with her overwhelming talent and skill.

Yeo Min's talent strongly reminded her of Eun Hwiryong.

Wait, come to think of it… don't they even look kind of similar?

"Madam Seo? Why have you been quiet for a while?"

"Come here for a moment."

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Seo Ri'ae approached Yeo Min and reached out to touch her hair. Yeo Min flinched for a moment, but then didn't resist.

I didn't think much of it before, but this is definitely the unique white hair of the North Sea nobles.

At first, Seo Ri'ae was uncertain because she hadn't seen anyone with this hair color in a long time, but now she was sure.

"By any chance, is your mother's last name 'Eun'?"

"Eh?" Yeo Min's eyes widened in surprise.

She wasn't the type to share much about herself, and Baek Suryong wasn't the type to pry into others' pasts. As such, she had never told Baek Suryong her mother's name.

Curious, she asked, "How did you know that, Madam Seo?"

That day, Azure Dragon Academy sophomore Yeo Min learned that she was a descendant of the noblest bloodline in the North Sea.