Only I Am A Reader

'It sure isn't practical to live here…'

As much as Leo wished to directly proceed with their hunt, he knew that things were too complicated for things to proceed that smoothly. Bing Baek had obediently played her role as the host, guiding them to fancy guest rooms.

However, even though they looked as great as one would expect from rooms in a palace, the frigid coldness permeating the whole place made one uncomfy no matter how one tried to adapt to it. It could only be considered a great lodging for the Martial Artists of the Northern Ice Palace who practiced extreme cold breathing techniques…

Of course, using Internal Energy fixed almost all atmospheric problems, but even blocking the cold with the same amount of energy that is passively generated was still cumbersome when done for long.

'Things will be different when we achieve transcendence, though.'

The ultimate goal of this long trip was to break through the larger ceiling that signified shedding the basic human traits. As long as his attempt succeeded, his body would become impervious to heat and cold at this level!

The political state of the Northern Ice Palace gave Leo a headache, but thankfully, blatant force worked pretty well in settling conflicts in murim. As long as their words carried the weight of the Heavenly Strength Society, refusing them would be hard…

After spending the night in their cold rooms to give the elders a chance to come to a decision, Leo and the others were politely invited back to the throne room to discuss the details of their 'cooperation'.

"Yes, so… We definitely agree to have the Heavenly Strength Society as an ally, but the conditions…"

Cheon Jeong was more than ready to use lethal force to subdue the whole Palace, but the Grand Elder was ready to compromise for the sake of their little sandcastle to continue standing. All that he wanted to guarantee was that they would retain their authority.

"It's nothing much, we will be sending some of our members in due time to help you in case of immediate danger while ensuring that you wouldn't do anything foolish. Most importantly, your king's little kid will be acting as the link between us, so you will need to guarantee her and her brother complete freedom."

Although Bing Baek only spoke little words on the ship up until the moment they landed, it looked like Cheon Jeong had made sure to understand her situation so she could play her cards well.

Since Bing Baek desired freedom, she would give it to her in exchange for turning the little princess into a double agent. Considering that she had no good feelings toward her home, Bing Baek had no problem with doing so.

"Don't you think that is a little too much? After all, little Baek is still one of the heirs to the throne…"

"At least this much is needed if we want to build up the trust between our two forces with her as the basis. If anything, we are giving her the precious experience she would require when she comes to inherit the role!"

The Grand Elder was reluctant to let go of their future puppet, but Cheon Jeong was precisely waiting for him to disagree. However, in the end…

"Alright, we will compromise for the sake of gaining new friends! Now, should we discuss how we will be dealing with our little problem?"

`~~~`~~~`~~~`

Having spent a whole day discussing the situation between themselves, the decisive meeting didn't long to conclude with effective decisions. Although they had accepted going under the Heavenly Strength Society's watchful eyes, this was a small price to pay to extinguish the flame of war.

The Heavenly Strength Society were well known for their battle prowess, but the scariest part about dealing with them was their unpredictable behavior. If the Grand Elder persisted in changing the conditions or declined the 'alliance' in its entirety, then it wouldn't be that much different from gambling whether the Society's armies would soon come knocking on their doors or not…

'Finally our turn.'

Whether it was the dangerous fruit picking event or the cold war negotiations, Leo had been forced to take a backseat and watch everything unfold after setting up the stage. However, it was finally their turn to do something for themselves! After the discussion has ended, the Grand Elder sent old Dae to guide them to their objective!

"Did a Phoenix really appear here?"

Cheon Jeong and Cheon Chang accompanied them still in case things turned south, but the fierce Blade Spirit looked more confused as they grew closer and closer to their destination. The constant snowy land didn't look like a place that a Phoenix had stepped foot into…

"Yes, the Phoenix's appearance has been thoroughly confirmed. It's just that it had been lying dormant the moment it had descended on the island. Other than burning through the snow to make its nest, it didn't exhibit any other major movements."

Old Dae faithfully played his role, explaining their prey's situation. The intruders that he had been wary of now looked friendly after seeing them turn the tables in the siblings' favor!

"Though I would say that it's weirdly silent this time around…"

However, the old man still didn't relax his vigilance just because he had two mighty powerhouses standing behind him, scouting was already a part of his identity at this point. Besides, Bing Baek had accompanied them under the elders' request to personally provide the 'help', so he couldn't avoid making a blunder.

Though immature, their target was still a Phoenix! Even if it was dealing with someone stronger, their eternal flames still had the ability to incinerate them as long as they weren't careful enough!

"This…"

Soon, the old scout's eyes flashed in the land of white as he noticed the presence of the figure buried under the thick snow's cover. Digging down to retrieve it, the shock in his eyes only grew stronger.

Neighhhhhh!

It seemed like their little hunt wasn't as simple as it looked…