By Zephyria 
A large python was coiled tightly around Ho-yeon’s body. The black and red python opened its maw wide, attempting to swallow Ho-yeon’s torso in one gulp.
Ho-yeon twisted his body this way and that, trying to escape the python, but he couldn’t budge an inch. Eventually, the python swallowed Ho-yeon’s body in an instant, from head to toe.
“Hieek, a p-python…!”
Startled and convulsing, Ho-yeon snapped back to consciousness and let out a low scream.
Because his heart was pounding wildly, he pressed his hand firmly against his chest and slowly caught his breath. Still lying on the bed, Ho-yeon slowly regained his senses, his eyes darting around.
Beneath the bed sat several braziers containing flames, and on one side of the wall, which was constructed from ten-thousand-year eternal ice, a wolf pelt was hanging.
The python had been a dream, but returning to the North Sea was not. Ho-yeon tried to lift his body, but his entire frame throbbed as if he had been beaten. The one who had reduced him to such a pulp… was none other than Cheon Mu-gyeong.
How on earth had he woken him from the hibernation he had entered to resolve his qi deviation? Ho-yeon closed his eyes and checked the flow of his dantian.
Like water flowing down a mountain, his energy was circulating smoothly without a single obstruction. His sealed lower dantian had opened, and he was in a far more stable state than usual.
Despite this, the muscle pain and a strange ache felt below made it difficult to even toss and turn. As expected, Ho-yeon shifted his gaze to search for Cheon Mu-gyeong, who must be somewhere nearby. However, just as it had been in the demon sect, he was not by his side.
It was actually a relief. He still didn’t want to see him… and furthermore, he wanted to erase every memory of mixing bodies with him from his mind. How could he attempt to use their bodies when he knew Ho-yeon wasn’t in his right mind?
Ho-yeon grit his teeth while lying down. Of course, it was true that he had craved yang energy. He didn’t know by what means he had been awakened, but he was a body that would have woken up on its own given enough time. Though that might have taken several months.
Since he had found this much stability, Cheon Mu-gyeong must be the same. He could practically picture the man simply leaving after getting everything he wanted.
While Ho-yeon could vaguely remember the sequence of events, he didn’t know in detail how much he and the man had spilled or how they had soiled the bed. Thus, he didn’t find it strange that there was no stickiness anywhere on his body. Because he had no experience with nighttime affairs, he didn’t even think to suspect it.
At that moment, the closed door opened with a creak. Ho-yeon quickly shut his eyes tight. If it happened to be Cheon Mu-gyeong, he intended not to open his eyes until the man left again. He felt ashamed, angry at himself for being reduced to mere instinct, and hated Cheon Mu-gyeong for using that to satisfy his own greed.
However, the timid clattering sound was infinitely light. He didn’t feel a heavy presence like Cheon Mu-gyeong’s. When Ho-yeon slightly opened his eyes, he saw a boy reviving the charcoal in the brazier with kindling. As Ho-yeon hurriedly tried to sit up, the boy also snapped his head up. The moment their eyes met, the boy cried out emotionally.
“Uncle…!”
Seeing the boy, whose expression was a mix of surprise and joy, Ho-yeon beamed a wide smile. Setting the charcoal box on the floor and rubbing his two hands on his blue clothes, the boy finally ran toward Ho-yeon. The boy skillfully avoided the braziers placed like obstacles and arrived in front of Ho-yeon.
“Soho, have you been well?”
He seemed to have grown taller in the meantime; the boy, who used to reach his waist, now reached his solar plexus. Though he had grown in height, Soho’s heart was still tender, and he struggled to pull up the corners of his mouth that kept drooping. Still, unable to hide it, he wrapped his arms around Ho-yeon’s waist as if to cover his tearful face.
“I thought you were never coming back.”
Since he had left without even being able to say a proper goodbye, it was natural for him to think so. Enduring the throbbing pain in his body, Ho-yeon hugged Soho back and comforted him.
“Never coming back? I’m here, aren’t I? Let me see our Soho’s face.”
Ho-yeon spoke tenderly and stroked Soho’s hair. Soho sniffled several times before lifting his head. His face was a mess of tears.
Ho-yeon wiped Soho’s face with his slender hands, carefully checking him over. Since there were no injuries or signs of malnutrition, it seemed the Palace Master had taken good care of the children as promised.
“Are you hurting anywhere? Have the other children been doing well? Did anyone bully you or treat you poorly?”
“Uncle, please ask one thing at a time.”
Soho, smiling sheepishly with a tear-streaked face, reassured Ho-yeon that all the children of Eumbyeol Hall were doing well. While chatting with Soho, Ho-yeon realized that this place was the Hanwol Pavilion inside the ice palace hall.
During this, someone else entered. There was only the sense of a presence; since Soho had opened the door to let them in, there were no other sounds.
The man, dressed in black light armor with his black hair tied up, was a face he had never seen before. The man placed a small tray containing steaming porridge on the table beside Ho-yeon’s bed.
Ho-yeon narrowed his eyes and looked at the man warily. Ho-yeon knew most of the servants in the ice palace. Generally, servants wore jackets that reached their waists with the sleeve ends tied with strings for ease of movement, so it was rare for them to wear light armor like a martial artist.
The man’s impression was infinitely ordinary, but his build was very similar to Mu-gyeong’s when he had been a guard. Ho-yeon was appalled at just how much the man looked down on him.
“Do you think I’ll be fooled again?”
Ho-yeon snapped at the man, his drooping eyes turning cold. Soho’s eyes widened at this chilling side of Ho-yeon he had never seen before. The man also stepped back a pace in bewilderment.
However, Cheon Mu-gyeong was not someone who put that much effort into acting. It was only then that Ho-yeon realized something was wrong.
“It seems you’ve been fooled again.”
Entering through the open door, Cheon Mu-gyeong was wearing pitch-black light armor that seemed to absorb all light.
Since he had mostly worn loosely draped robes in the demon sect, seeing him fully dressed in armor felt unfamiliar. It was a style of dress he had often seen when the man was a young master of the demonic shadow martial house.
Ho-yeon stared up at him for a long time before abruptly turning his head and hugging Soho. Cheon Mu-gyeong let out a hollow laugh. He was being treated exactly like a thug, as if Ho-yeon thought he would try to harm the children.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Hwon-jo of the snow shadow guard.”
The one who brought the porridge greeted Ho-yeon bluntly and then walked past Mu-gyeong to exit the door. Ho-yeon wondered how he had known he was awake to bring the porridge.
“Since we didn’t know when you would wake up, the Great One ordered that fresh porridge be brought every time it got cold,” Soho said, looking at Mu-gyeong with sparkling eyes.
Ho-yeon finally understood why the man called Hwon-jo of the snow shadow guard had been expressionless from the moment he entered and why his greeting had been so blunt.
The North Sea was not a place of abundance. Furthermore, Ho-yeon was a guest of the ice palace. Bringing porridge multiple times for such a person must have been unpleasant. Ho-yeon let out a low sigh.
Approaching him, Cheon Mu-gyeong pulled the table with one hand to bring it closer to the bed. Ho-yeon treated him as if he weren’t there and spoke only to Soho.
“Let’s go to Eumbyeol Hall. Hanwol Pavilion is where the Palace Master takes his afternoon nap, so we shouldn’t stay here.”
Despite the pain in his body, Ho-yeon tried to get out of bed, pretending to be fine. At that, Mu-gyeong stepped in front of him.
Ho-yeon looked down at Mu-gyeong’s black leather boots. From his hands to his feet, he was a man with nothing small about him. Since the man’s first impression had been like the hundred thousand great mountains, it was only natural. Ho-yeon quickly erased other parts that naturally came to mind besides that place.
“…Move.”
Ho-yeon responded coldly without looking at his face. Then, Mu-gyeong suddenly scooped Ho-yeon up in his arms. When Ho-yeon let out a strange “ik” sound due to the heavy pain, Mu-gyeong wrapped his body around Ho-yeon a bit more gently.
“Where is Eumbyeol Hall?”
Mu-gyeong asked Soho, looking down. Soho smiled brightly and told him to follow. Leading the way, Soho even squared his shoulders.
This handsome Great One, whom he was seeing for the first time, seemed to be his uncle’s friend, and he had seen even the heaven-like Palace Master flustered in front of him. Soho was convinced that he must be a great martial artist or perhaps someone even higher in rank than the Palace Master.
Knowing that such a man took such tender care of his uncle, Soho’s heart swelled with joy. His uncle, who had always only sacrificed for them, finally had a cool and powerful friend.
“If you don’t put me down right now, I’m going to rip your hair out.”
Ho-yeon growled lowly into Mu-gyeong’s ear so that Soho couldn’t hear. Cheon Mu-gyeong let out a sharp breath. Not that he would strangle him to death, but merely ripping out his hair—it was a mild response, typical of Wi Ho-yeon.
When Mu-gyeong showed no reaction, Ho-yeon clenched his fists and whispered slightly louder than before.
“I really hate you.”
Ah, quite… that was intense.