Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
After that, I spent about two months relearning the theory and practical aspects of Surgical Techniques from Hwa Seong-myeong. The Surgical Techniques I received were purely for the alteration and enhancent of appearance, but in reality, surgery had been developed to minimize injuries caused by burns and various other life-threatening wounds. Therefore, it required considerable advanced knowledge and experience, and for the first ti in a while, I felt a renewed dedication to dical practices. Hwa Seong-myeong seed pleased as well since my learning helped him lighten his workload.
“You ntioned there’s a place you need to go? With this level of skill, you should be all set.”
“Thank you.”
“You know everything you need to know, and since you’ve gone through clinical training, you should be able to handle most things on your own.”
After expressing my gratitude to Hwa Seong-myeong, I headed towards Lord Jeong with Miho. Our stay here would not have been possible without Lord Jeong’s kindness, so it was essential to pay our respects before leaving.
“Lord Jeong, I extend my gratitude to you. We are about to depart.”
“Hmm… um…”
However, sothing about Lord Jeong’s deanor seed off. He was making slight groaning noises and appeared to be contemplating sothing.
“Lord Jeong?”
When I tilted my head, he let out a sort of lanting noise.
“… Ah, never mind. Um… it’s just that, perhaps…”
“Is there sothing you wish to say?”
“No, it’s nothing. Just go.”
Lord Jeong seed to be holding back so desire and sent us on our way. Once outside, Miho spoke to .
“I have a guess about what Lord Jeong was going to say.”
“What’s that?”
“Perhaps so of the noblewon from Lord Jeong’s clan have asked to et you, hehe.”
“……”
Now that I thought about it, I had indeed felt so glances from noblewon during our two-month stay. But since it didn’t seem particularly important, I had ignored it. Were those won actually interested in ? I blinked in disbelief when Miho burst out laughing.
“Look at this street. How many gazes do you suppose are directed towards you?”
This was the bustling dayti market of Gaegyeong, filled with people. Following Miho’s prompt, I surveyed my surroundings and noticed the exquisite beauty that Miho had transford into was attracting considerable attention. To my surprise, I also felt so curious gazes directed at . Having beco accustod to ignoring the eyes of others, I was late to realize this.
I felt a strange embarrassnt and turned my head away as I spoke.
“Bunch of idle folks. Why are they looking at soone else’s face?”
Miho giggled and playfully stretched my cheek.
“You don’t an that. You adorable thing.”
“Stop that.”
“How about trying to strike up a conversation with that girl over there? She’s been staring intently.”
Miho was pointing at an elegant young lady who was lurking around a fabric shop, seemingly sneaking peeks at us. She looked like she was in her late teens and had a rather beautiful face. Frowning, I responded brusquely to Miho’s suggestion.
“Why should I do that?”
“Hehe… I was going to particularly teach you Fire Sorcery, but I guess I’ll have to drop that idea.”
Sorcery!
I was taken aback by Miho’s words and looked at her. Her skills in sorcery were specialized in illusion and Fire Sorcery, but she had been reluctant to teach them up until now. Yet now, she was offering to share sorcery with .
“Really?”
I couldn’t ignore Miho’s words due to the policies I had learned from Mangnyang. From now on, I needed to train not only my martial arts but also sorcery. With a mischievous look on her face, Miho chuckled.
“Go ahead and charm that girl into buying you clothes from the fabric shop. If you succeed, I’ll happily teach you Fire Sorcery.”
“……”
Charm her…
That was a word I had never even considered in my life. But since I had nothing to lose, I reluctantly decided to give it a try.
‘Charm a girl? How on earth do I do that?’
I had no idea. I braced myself and marched straight towards the young lady standing in front of the fabric shop. Upon noticing approach, she looked surprised and her face turned beet red.
I spoke up.
“Excuse …”
“Yes, yes…”
“I’m So Woong, and if it’s not too much trouble, could you buy a piece of clothing from this shop?”
At the sa mont, Miho struck like lightning with her thoughts.
[You fool!! Who would fall for that line?!]
It was so ear-piercing that I nearly lost my mind. I slightly stumbled, and the young lady, startled, caught my arm. She then asked,
“So Woong, understood. What kind of clothes do you need?”
“Uh… a blue outfit…”
“Yes.”
The young lady imdiately placed an order with the shopkeeper for the clothes. The shopkeeper looked bewildered but accepted the money and soon returned with the clothing. As I awkwardly accepted the garnts, the young lady softly touched my cheek and said,
“So Woong, would you like to co over to my ho? I’d like to extend a al to you…”
“Ah…”
I was taken aback and didn’t know how to respond. Glancing over, I saw Miho giving a fierce glare, prompting to hastily reply,
“Thank you for your kindness! We shall et again.”
“So Woong?”
Pah!
I quickly made my escape. Sprinting at a speed that could have taken off the roof, I dashed about three li when Miho caught up to . She wore a slightly sulky expression and said,
“Hmph. That worked like a charm.”
“What was that about? Why did she just buy clothes out of the blue?”
I had approached her thinking that whatever happened, it was worth a shot. Lacking social finesse, I was unsure of what to say. But unexpectedly, I had succeeded.
“Maybe it’s because you look like a pretty boy. She probably saw right through her own desires.”
“……”
I wanted to protest that Miho knew exactly what kind of setup this was, but held back, sensing she was in a mood. After a mont, Miho softened her expression and looked at peculiarly, touching my neck.
“Hehe, but there’s one more reason.”
“What is it?”
“When you underwent Surgical Techniques, I secretly gave you the power of a Hwanhuak Pearl. It’s infused with Hwanhuak’s essence, radiating an alluring aura that enhances your appearance.”
My expression turned stiff.
“Miho, what did you do?”
“Why are you suddenly upset? I rely extended a gesture of goodwill.”
“I had my surgery to avoid being recognized. How is attracting attention a good thing?!”
As I protested vehently, Miho laughed.
“Hehe. Think about it differently. With that beauty combined with the power of the Hwanhuak Pearl, as you grow older, won will be utterly helpless against you. Thus, acquiring information on your desired goals will be much easier.”
“……”
“People are dying to beco more beautiful to seek favor, and look at you, feeling so full of yourself. Has sothing been bottled up inside you?”
“Maybe so. However, I don’t take kindly to being judged solely on my appearance.”
Miho giggled and poked my forehead with her finger.
“Know that your current anger is actually a testant to the effects of your appearance. If you truly thought looks didn’t matter, you wouldn’t be so reactive! Don’t delude yourself.”
Miho’s words hit a nerve. I licked my lips.
‘Hmm… she’s got a point.’
I had lived for so long with a lack of looks, never having really enjoyed any benefits associated with appearance. Suddenly, having the ability to earn favor through my looks felt strange, and I began to panic and wear a mask. Miho’s warning was a reminder against falling into the beauty-centric mindset.
Not wanting to press the topic further, I said to Miho,
“So, the Hwanhuak Pearl is essentially part of my sorcery now, right? What’s its effectiveness?”
“It’s a pearl I cultivated by severing part of my tail and maturing it for around fifty years. Even an ordinary human obtaining the Hwanhuak Pearl would instantly gain the charm of a beauty. With your current self, you can garner strong affection from any woman in this world.”
“Considering that, you don’t seem to be affected much.”
Miho replied,
“I may like beautiful people, but that’s just my preference. The truth is that all human appearances are pretty much the sa. Also, since I created the Hwanhuak Pearl, I wouldn’t be susceptible to its influence.”
“I see.”
It struck once again how Miho was indeed a great monster. Although she professed to be attracted to handso and beautiful looks, deep down, she viewed humans as rely humans. It was not much different from how humans perceive animals.
“We have seen all we need to see in Gaegyeong. Let’s head straight to the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“From now on, should we go by So Woong?”
“Yeah, it suits pretty well.”
“True, both nas are quite ordinary.”
“……”
Pah!
The next mont, Miho and I teleported to the North Sea Ice Palace. Although it’s called the North Sea Ice Palace, it wasn’t entirely made of ice; instead, it was a large structure erected close to the vast sea. Several pavilions and towers stood tall, along with walls and moats. Overall, it felt like a big village.
‘If we enter through the gatekeeper, it’ll expose too much of our tracks.’
Typically, I wouldn’t infiltrate an unfamiliar martial sect, but an official visit to the North Sea Ice Palace would leave too much evidence behind. Consequently, I had no choice but to sneak closer to the Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace’s quarters, as I had done in the past during a martial arts competition.
Fortunately, it appeared that the Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace had sensed our presence as we approached his quarters, for he turned around calmly without showing any signs of surprise. He was a man in his fifties with silvery hair and blue eyes—evidently a Man with Colorful Eyes (색목인).
“A remarkable young boy, possessing formidable martial skills and heavenly beauty…”
“……”
His evaluation of felt strangely different, yet I awkwardly bowed to him and unveiled my identity.
“I apologize for sneaking in like this. However, I an no ill will; I ca to speak with you. I am So Woong, from the Central Plains Martial World, and this is my wife beside .”
“I’m Miho.”
Miho smoothly played along and acted the part of my wife. The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace seed to grasp that we posed no threat, as he stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“What brings you to seek ?”
“Simply put, we intend to journey to the land said to lie at the northernmost edge of this world. We hoped to hear your insights, as you know much about the area.”
I had polished my words to sound political. The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace stared at quietly before asking,
“The northernmost edge? What specific place do you an?”
“Beyond the Great Prairie, heading further north into the frozen land… I believe that the true northern edge exists even beyond that.”
“Hmm… And what is your purpose for venturing to such a place?”
“To be honest, I’ve heard rumors of the greatest treasure in the world being located there. My wife and I plan to devote our lives to seeking this treasure.”
I wasn’t lying. The treasure of the Seven Luminaries is indeed said to be the greatest treasure in the world. The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace appeared to ponder for a mont, sitting at a table and pouring himself a glass of Fire Wine. After taking a sip, he turned to us.
“Please take a seat.”
As Miho and I sat across from him, the Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace narrowed his eyes.
“If I were to provide you with that information, what would you offer in return?”
“I will give you this.”
I took out a gold ingot. Upon seeing the gold ingot, the Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace appeared slightly taken aback but soon assessed it and seed to conclude that it was indeed real gold.
“That’s a sufficient fee for information.”
After considering for a mont, he began to speak.
“You claim to be from the Central Plains, but do you know the structure of the land known as the Great Prairie and the Northern Desert?”
“I don’t know particularly well.”
“People from the Central Plains refer to the northern enemies(북적), eastern barbarians(동이), southern savages(남만), western nomads(서융) as re barbarians invading the land of Zhonghua. However, the truth is that the Great Prairie and desert are just passages to a vast world beyond, and the Central Plains are rely a frog in a well.”
The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace continued speaking.
“Currently, the situation north of the Great Prairie is evolving in ways that the folks from the Central Plains wouldn’t begin to imagine. This is because the Thunder Emperor, Ivan IV, has formally proclaid himself czar and is building a formidable empire.”
This was a remark about a foreign nation I had never heard before. What did he just say?
It seed Miho was equally perplexed, as her expression reflected confusion. The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace chuckled wryly and continued,
“Beyond the Great Prairie, you will find a nation called Arasa, inhabited by the Man with Colorful Eyes. It originates from the far western continent. My bloodline from the North Sea Ice Palace also descends from the people of Arasa.”
“I see…”
“‘I see’ what? Your expression indicates you don’t understand anything.”
The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace chastised , but I had no coback.
Learning that a nation called Arasa actually existed was news to . At least none of the books I had studied since birth ever ntioned it; I only knew that there were Man with Colorful Eyes to the north or west.
The Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace continued,
“The place you refer to as the northernmost edge likely ans passing through the Arasa Empire to reach the land of eternal ice, made entirely of glaciers.”
“A land composed of glaciers?”
“Yes.”
He said it with an air of nonchalance.
“We refer to that area for convenience as the North Pole.”
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