By Zephyria 
‘Was there… another child who survived besides me?’
Despite that thought, the man was a stranger. Was he around his own age? Judging by his size, perhaps he was older.
But it was hard to say if he was even “alive,” as the man’s condition was wretched. He had burns all over his body and had yet to regain consciousness. With his sense of time having grown hazy, Ho-yeon did not know if several days or several hours had passed since the man had lost consciousness.
However, because the heat emanating from the man’s body was so intense, Ho-yeon simply focused on cooling him down. He ran to the pond in the corner of the cave repeatedly, bringing back clean water to wipe the man’s body. Ho-yeon’s hands were frozen bright red, making it difficult even to move his fingers, but while wiping the man’s body, he could thaw himself with the heat the man provided.
He was certain he had seen lava through a rift in the air over there, but now, only a solid ice wall stretched out. Was it a hallucination again? If so, where did this man come from?
While caring for the man, Ho-yeon tried to find traces of the ice dragon, but all that remained in the vast cavern were the items the ice dragon had provided.
The ice dragon had clearly stated that the man would not wake until he had absorbed all of the ice dragon’s energy, but Ho-yeon could not feel any such grand energy anywhere in his own body.
Because of this, he could intuit one thing: not much time had passed since the day he and the ice dragon had fallen asleep.
More importantly, was it alright for the man to go without eating? Ho-yeon clung closely to the man’s side, munching on fasting pills.
Freshwater fish lived in the unfrozen pond, but Ho-yeon did not eat them raw. This was because the children who had survived solely on fasting pills had all frozen to death after eating the pond’s fish raw. Since this was the ice dragon’s dwelling, the fish were likely spiritual creatures.
Furthermore, the children who thought they could exit through the pond entered the water and never returned alive. Had their frozen corpses not floated to the surface, Ho-yeon might have jumped into the pond himself, clinging to the hope that they had returned home safely.
Thus, Ho-yeon used the pond solely as a source of drinking water. He used a concave stone as a makeshift bowl, scooping water into it and trickling it into the man’s mouth.
However, the water only moistened the lips and never passed down the throat. Left with no choice, Ho-yeon went to the pond, took water directly into his own mouth, and poured it deeply into the man’s lips.
The fact that he could move his body so well was also thanks to the heat the man provided. As if repaying the favor, Ho-yeon gave the man water several times before lying down tightly beside him.
Why was he so hot? Was that why he had been burned? Filled with worry, Ho-yeon looked at the man’s right arm, where the burn scars were most severe.
In that moment, Ho-yeon’s eyes widened. New skin had filled in the wounds that had been so deep that the bone was visible.
How could this happen? He had heard a long time ago that masters with exceptional martial arts could be reborn through marrow washing and bone reforming. But for someone who couldn’t even regain consciousness to undergo marrow washing and bone reforming—was that even possible?
Having been trapped shortly after the age of eight and turning nine in this place, Ho-yeon did not know much about martial arts. His parents had practiced ice art, but they were not great masters. Thus, he did not know what level of realm Cheon Mu-gyeong had reached, having already attained great enlightenment twice.
Ho-yeon repeatedly fell asleep and woke up by the man’s side. He would smile proudly while watching the man gradually improve, and occasionally set out to search for the ice dragon. However, there was no way to leave the vast cavern.
It took at least half a day to circle the cavern once. With treacherous rocks and sharp icicles lurking here and there, the only area where Ho-yeon could stay comfortably was the space where the man was visible.
Ho-yeon calculated the days by how many times he fell asleep and woke up, and it was on the day he had lined up about ten small ice crystal stones.
“Khhk!” Ho-yeon grabbed the man’s forearm with both hands, which was currently gripping his neck. His last memory was falling asleep beside the man, but upon waking, he found his windpipe being squeezed.
“Who are you?”
The man, who threatened him fiercely, had a right arm that was now completely healed from the burns. Ho-yeon had not actually fixed it, but since the person who had worried and cared for him so much was now choking him, Ho-yeon’s face turned completely tearful.
Flinching, the man was momentarily bewildered by Ho-yeon, who looked as if he were about to cry, though no actual tears fell.
He had instinctively suppressed the person sleeping beside him, but he felt no significant internal power from the thin, pale body that was as white and fine as powdered snow.
If the person were an absolute master who surpassed him, it would be possible that he couldn’t sense their energy perception. But what absolute master would look so sorrowful just because their neck was grabbed?
As the man abruptly let go of his neck, a vivid red line appeared on the white skin.
Cough, cough. Ho-yeon collapsed onto the floor, curling up and coughing. Meanwhile, Cheon Mu-gyeong scanned the surroundings.
The cave, which looked far removed from any human habitation, contained only luminous stones embedded here and there and fasting pills as the only source of food. Occasionally, he spotted a seven-stringed zither or embroidery tools that didn’t seem to fit the place, but he didn’t pay them much mind.
He walked toward his sword, which someone had carefully leaned against the ice wall.
“Here, eat this.”
At the voice from behind, the man turned around. The person with the clear marks of strangulation on his neck spoke very cautiously.
“I’m Ho-yeon. Wi Ho-yeon.”
Speaking in a slightly trembling voice, Ho-yeon held out his hand containing the fasting pills. His posture, kneeling low, seemed to imply that he was someone who would cause no harm. Ho-yeon expressed his harmlessness to the man who had just choked him.
“Do you see those ice crystal stones over there?”
As the man simply stood there, Ho-yeon pointed with his chin toward one side. Above a piece of animal pelt, the small stones Ho-yeon mentioned were lined up.
“I counted them day by day. You haven’t eaten anything for ten days.”
The ten ice crystal stones apparently signified ten days. The man tilted his head and looked down at Ho-yeon. When he took a step closer, Ho-yeon’s shoulders trembled, but he did not retreat.
A low voice soon poured over Ho-yeon.
“I’ve never seen something as white as you.”
He had only acted roughly to grasp the situation after waking up; there was no reason to do so now. The man examined Ho-yeon, who was curled up like a round ball. Ho-yeon’s hair was still close to silver. But to the man, even that felt pure white.
Bending his upper body, he looked deeper into Ho-yeon’s face. Ho-yeon did not avoid his gaze, meeting it while pushing the fasting pills closer to him.
The man took the fasting pills and chewed them. The taste was slightly different from the fasting pills he had eaten until he was sick of them while trapped in the demon-taming cave. Perhaps because the surroundings were filled with cold, they tasted like ice candy.
“I am Wi Ho-yeon.”
“Right, Wi Ho-yeon.”
Having stated his name again, Ho-yeon’s eyes sparkled. Cheon Mu-gyeong thought that the blue-grey pupils looked like the ice crystal stones lying there, and he walked back toward his sword. At that, Ho-yeon stood up and scurried after him.
“I am Wi Ho-yeon.”
Is he lacking in some way? He gripped the hilt of the sword and examined the blade. The sword that had pierced the fire dragon’s heart had more than half of its blade melted away, despite being coated in demonic energy. As he held the sword, Ho-yeon stopped following and stood frozen in place.
Fidgeting with his hands, Ho-yeon hesitated whether to speak or not, then finally put a bit of strength into his voice.
“Since I told you my name, it’s only right that you tell me yours.”
Most of the people with exquisite beauty he had encountered so far were cruel demonic masters. For example, the rumors of Eum Yohwa bathing in the blood of men were not merely rumors. Therefore, he couldn’t help but be wary the moment he saw Wi Ho-yeon, who possessed the most exquisite beauty he had seen in his entire life.
When he saw him sleeping beside him, he had absurdly wondered if he had achieved ascension to immortality in the celestial realm. Since he was not a member of an orthodox sect, it was naturally a nonsensical thought.
He rested the sword casually on his shoulder. He could now be certain that the Wi Ho-yeon before him posed no threat of harm. Had he intended to harm him, there had been plenty of time to do so during the days the ice crystal stones were piling up.
“Cheon Mu-gyeong.”
Wi Ho-yeon beamed a wide smile at his voice. Cheon Mu-gyeong. Cheon Mu-gyeong, he repeated the name over and over.