Chapter 158. Even If I Have to Paint Myself with Lacquer or Swallow Charcoal (4)

Woo-Moon had asked the Palace Lord for an audience the moment he had arrived, leading to the reason for his arrival spreading through the North Sea Ice Palace.

After the conversation, he had met with Ha Yeo-Seol and ended up going to the Assistant Department Head to apply for the Marriage of the Snow Flowers alone. No one had witnessed it, which meant no one knew about it yet.

Just the rumor of the name “Song Woo-Moon” caused all of the male talents of the Central Plains who had gathered here to pay attention. Naturally, all of them were relieved to hear that he wouldn’t be appearing in the Marriage of the Snow Flowers.

‘That’s right, such an incredibly talented person shouldn’t participate in something like this. What a relief.’

Even if it wasn’t for his official status, whether it was his ability or reputation, Woo-Moon was firmly beyond the level of the younger generation.[1]

On the other hand, the Snow Flowers were indifferent to the rumors as they didn’t know much about Woo-Moon.

“Anyway, he...

tsk, tsk.

”

One of Jeong Gyeong’s junior sisters, Bo Yo-Hyeon, clicked her tongue with a face full of contempt and ridicule.

While secretly squinting at Yu Cho, she said, “As expected, Young Hero Yu, you really deserve to be the first of the Three Legendary Plum Blossoms. You really are quite outstanding, and your martial skills are powerful.”

“You’re overpraising me.”

Jeong Gyeong looked at Bo Yo-Hyeon, who was suddenly praising Yu Cho, with wary eyes. “If you say that, then won’t your partner, the Hegemon Clan’s Young Hero Hae, be disappointed? Young Hero Hae is also incredibly handsome.”

“Hoho, well, that’s true, that’s true. Young Hero Hae is truly an outstanding figure, too. His strength is well-known even within the Hegemon Clan. Moreover...”

From that point on, there seemed to be no end to Bo Yo-Hyeon’s praise for Hae Yu-Chan. Her earlier praise for Yu Cho had clearly been a ploy in order to show off her chosen candidate.

As she lauded on and on, another Snow Flower cut her off and praised her own candidate, after which another Snow Flower cut

her

off...

This repeated over and over again, with each Snow Flower boasting as if they were fighting over whose candidate was better. Throughout their praise, each girl was busy inspecting the other men and comparing them to her own.

The men were no different.

While they smiled and pretended to leisurely wait for lunch, they kept secretly looking at each of the Snow Flowers around them, comparing them to their own Snow Flower, either disappointed or satisfied with what they saw.

In a way, almost all of the men and women gathered here were the same—pretending to care for their lovers while looking out of the corner of their eyes at others of the opposite sex.

While the audience was talking to each other, and their praises and laughter were nothing but razor blades wrapped in silk, an incredibly majestic-looking man suddenly appeared.

"Huh?"

"Who is it?"

“Song Woo-Moon!”

When Woo-Moon entered the hall, even Yu Cho, who was considered the most handsome of the candidates, lost his shine.

‘That bastard! He’s not even supposed to be attending the Marriage of the Snow Flowers; just why is he here?!’

Feeling a great sense of irritation due to the comparisons he was being subjected to, Yu Cho grit his teeth.

His partner, Jeong Gyeong, also seemed surprised to see Woo-Moon’s cool entrance.

‘As expected, your face is the only good part about you, you lowly servant.’

She, too, was someone who cared highly about appearance. However, due to her great ambition and assumption that she could do much better, she quickly discarded the idea. Noticing that she was no longer receiving any attention now that he was here, she angrily shouted at him.

“What business do you have coming here when you have nothing to do with this place? Get out, now!”

The other Snow Flowers were also surprised by Woo-Moon’s appearance. Some of them even fell for him a little and regretted their decisions as they turned to their now-lacking lovers.

Still, even that only lasted for a moment; Jeong Gyeong’s disciple sisters immediately started whispering ill rumors left and right about how he was nothing more than a chore boy and his cultivation was nothing to write home about. He had been strutting through the

murim

relying on the fact that he was the grandson of the Palm Martial Emperor, and now that the Palm Martial Emperor had died, he now had no backer whatsoever.

The fact that the Palm Martial Emperor had died in the Heavenly Demon Mound was a piece of news so shocking that even people in the remote North Sea Ice Palace had heard all about it.

‘I want to kill them all.’

They seemed to be amused as they whispered about his grandfather’s death.

Woo-Moon could feel the blood rush to his head. However, he held himself back, biting on his lip to the point blood started to fill his mouth.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

After everything that had happened at the Heavenly Demon Mound, Martial Heaven used the moles they had spread throughout each faction to spread fabricated information.

They spread rumors that the Heavenly Demon Sect had set a trap for the Palm Martial Emperor, and because of that, the young dragon Woo-Moon, as well as the Palm Martial Emperor, the Night Spear Devil, and the Palm Martial Emperor’s family had all been murdered.

As there was no word from the Heavenly Demon Sect, that rumor had been taken as the truth and spread everywhere.

Woo-Moon responded coldly to Jeong Gyeong’s words.

“Why am I here? It's simple. Because I’m going to attend the Marriage of the Snow Flowers, too.”

He was barely holding himself back, so now that he opened his mouth, the anger he had been suppressing started to seep out.

Every word was as chilling as the cold wind of the North Sea Ice Palace as bloodlust exuded from his body.

With his incredible cultivation and bloodlust so palpable that even he couldn’t hold it back, the energy he exuded made all the talents gathered shiver. None of them could believe that this incredible bloodlust was radiating from Woo-Moon.

The talents of the Central Plains were very surprised when they heard that Woo-Moon would also be attending the Marriage of the Snow Flowers.

If that really was the case, they now had a competitor too strong for them to handle.

“The Marriage of the Snow Flowers? You? With who? You can’t be...”

As Jeong Gyeong dragged on her words, an ominous premonition befell her. Then, the object of that premonition appeared.

“Huh?!”

“What?!”

Suddenly, the room became bright, and the scent of flowers seemed to spread as a dazzlingly shining beauty came in. Yeo-Seol showed none of the shyness she had in front of Woo-Moon as she confidently entered the hall.

The men in the hall forgot how to breathe.

‘T-this, this... this bitch!!’

Jeong Gyeong was equally stunned by Yeo-Seol’s overwhelming beauty.

She immediately gritted her teeth.

Just with Yeo-Seol’s appearance, all of the Snow Flowers in the hall seemed to lose their color.

Yeo-Seol, who seemed like a goddess, stood right next to Woo-Moon, who did not lose to her in looks. They were like a painter’s masterpiece.

Not only did the clothes match, as if they were custom made so they could show off at this event, but their appearances also complemented each other beautifully, and they caused all of the young candidates and Snow Flowers watching to feel intimidated.

“H-hmpf! Ha Yeo-Seol, you! How dare you not tell me, your eldest disciple sister, that you were attending the Marriage of the Snow Flowers? You mannerless thing!”

All Yeo-Seol wanted was to stand proudly next to Woo-Moon. Yet she felt crushed as Jeong Gyeong, who had been bullying her since she was a child, berated her angrily. She was so scared that she couldn't say anything.

Jeong Gyeong felt a cruel sense of victory when she saw Yeo-Seol deflate.

She turned to the others as if to say that Yeo-Seol was so pathetic that she did not even deserve being addressed directly.

“Your appearance really is disgusting. And where did you get those clothes? Is it really okay for a disciple of the North Sea Ice Palace to show such extravagance?”

“T-that...”

Yeo-Seol had tears in her eyes. These were precious clothes that Woo-Moon had bought for her...

Woo-Moon stepped in front of Ye-Seol and blocked Jeong Gyeong's vicious, snake-like gaze.

“I bought it for her. Why? Is it really that extravagant for a Battalion Leader of the Justice Coalition to buy clothes for my beloved? What, are you criticizing the Justice Coalition and the Iron Sword Baek Family for flaunting our wealth right now?”

When she heard the words “my beloved,” Yeo-Seol felt the gloom Jeong Gyeong cast over her melt away as she was filled with sweetness and warmth.

“What? You're a Battalion Leader within the Justice Coalition?”

Not long ago, she had gone out through the

gangho

only to hear that Woo-Moon and the Palm Martial Emperor had died. However, as that was the only news going around, she had never heard about his promotion to Wind Sword Squadron leader, or the following promotion of the squadron to battalion.

Woo-Moon drew the Wind Sword Battalion Leader’s identity plaque from his sleeve and showed it to everyone.

“What?! It-it’s real...”

With the proof sitting right in front of her, Jeong Gyeong was unable to say anything.

The other Snow Flowers also looked at him with surprised gazes. Not only was he handsome, but he also held a high rank as a battalion leader of the Justice Coalition.

‘Ha... If only I met that Song Woo-Moon before asking him to attend the Marriage of the Snow Flowers with me...’

The talents who sat next to the regretful Snow Flowers were also immersed in a sense of defeat and jealousy.

Of course, there were a few girls here who truly loved their partners and didn’t care about Woo-Moon, but the majority were filled with regret as they looked at their lacking companions.

Woo-Moon looked at Jeong Gyeong with a contemptuous gaze.

“Then, with the clothing issue handled, it seems as though the Eldest Sister has a lot of authority in the North Sea Ice Palace, doesn’t it? I’m sorry, was there a rule that your junior sisters need your permission to attend the Marriage of the Snow Flowers?”

Of course, there wasn’t. Participating in the Marriage of the Snow Flowers and choosing a partner was entirely up to the will of each Snow Flower. No one was allowed to coerce or order them in any way.

“...”

“So, you can’t answer, then. I guess there isn’t any such rule, after all? Like you said, how disgusting. To think someone like you dares to look down on my beloved Young Lady Ha and spew such nonsense... Have you no shame? Seriously, have you looked at yourself in the mirror in the past couple years?”

Jeong Gyeong paled. To think she had just been insulted by a mere servant, nothing more than a worm!

She couldn’t bear the shame and drew her sword.

“You son of a bitch! I’ll kill you!”

Yu Cho also couldn't stand it any longer.

“Woo-Moon, you’re speaking too harshly!”

At that moment, the bloodlust Woo-Moon had painstakingly suppressed radiated throughout the hall. He stopped holding it back, allowing some of it to manifest.

“Ugh!”

“Cough, cough!”

Moans erupted from everywhere.

In everyone’s eyes, Woo-Moon had become bigger than Mount Tai, broader than the sea, deeper than the bottomless pit of hell.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that? You are going to kill me? Do you really think you can do it, Jeong Gyeong?”

Horrified, Jeong Gyeong shook her head—it was the only part of her body that would move, as her limbs were weighed down by the sheer magnitude of Woo-Moon’s aura. This was pure, unadulterated fear!

Woo-Moon's cold eyes turned over to Yu Cho.

“Yu Cho, do you still not know the difference between you and me?”

The immense fear and pressure broke Yu Cho's pride.

“I-I’m sorr...”

Although it was hard for him to open his mouth, and he was unable to finish his sentence properly, everyone could still tell what he was saying.

With the entire crowd overwhelmed, Woo-Moon turned to look around at the others, who were also frozen in fear.

At that time, several people came into the hall, and Woo-Moon, who had already sensed their approach in advance, reined in his aura before they came into contact with it.

“So it’s here.”

“Then do things start from now?”

Two young men entered, chatting with each other.

Suddenly, their eyes met Woo-Moon's.

"Huh? W-w-w-w-w-wha...!”

“Is this for real? Hyungnim?!!”

It was Baekri Yeong-Woon and Namgoong Sung.

The two young men, each holding hands with a beautiful Snow Flower, let out a shout that seemed almost like a squeal as they latched onto Woo-Moon.

“W-what the hell? Hurry up and get off me! Why are you apes hugging me?

Ewww!

”

“Hyungnim!

Uwahhhhhh!!!!

I really thought you were dead!”

“You came back alive! What a relief!”

Baekri Yeong-Woon sobbed loudly, while Namgoong Sung also shed a few tears, his eyes red and bloodshot.

Seeing their reaction, Woo-Moon couldn’t help but be moved.

***

The Hegemon Clan, Huangshan Branch.

Si-Hyeon stretched out her bright white hand.

On either side of her, the two guards who were guarding the main gate of the branch collapsed, blood spraying from their necks.

Ssssss

.

The black demonic qi flowing from her hand seeped into the main gate.

Crackle.

In an instant, the entire gate turned black as a strange sound rang out.

“Whew...”

Si-Hyeon blew slightly through her red lips, and the gate turned to powder, scattering in the wind.

1. Remember, Woo-Moon is technically part of the older generation and is an elder-level figure, even if he’s in his twenties. ☜