Her parents were the heads of an evil sect, committing countless wrongdoings.
Ilgeol, who usually avoided killing, had no choice but to take their lives.
Neither Ilgeol nor Seolhwa herself knew that she was the child of those sect leaders.
Even if she had known the truth, it wouldn’t have been easy to accept the person who killed her parents as her master.
Once the beautiful daughter of beggars, Snowflake (Seolhwa), eventually went mad.
And so, she became the Snow Dog (Seolgae).
In the endless cycle of torment, she spun around like a dog chasing its own tail.
At the end of it all, after searching for eight years and preparing for two, she threw herself into the abyss of the Heavenly Demon after a decade.
What could she have been thinking at that moment?
Seolgyeon spoke to Jin Cheonhui.
"You’re that little brat. The direct disciple of Baekrin’s Medical Sage, the one they call the White Dragon Physician."
"Ah, hello!"
Jin Cheonhui pretended to be innocent and bowed.
Seolgyeon continued, "I am Hoo-gae Seolgyeon. The nickname ‘Snow-struck Dog’ was given to me. Call me Seolgyeon or Seolgae, whichever you prefer."
She playfully tossed and caught her staff.
"Thanks for saving Hwanggu. That guy’s food is pretty tasty. That old man dotes on Hwanggu too much. Haha."
It seemed the description of stealing dog food wasn’t an exaggeration.
Behind her laughter, Jin Cheonhui noticed the complicated twist of her lips.
‘She still hasn’t found her answer.’
The snow-struck dog still hadn’t found her answer.
She was still spinning in circles, biting her own tail.
Jin Cheonhui casually packed his belongings.
The torment of others was their own.
It wasn’t Jin Cheonhui’s place to care.
Right now, he just needed to save the life in front of him.
Murim Alliance’s Dragon-Phoenix Meeting.
Temporary Branch of Baekrin’s Medical Hall.
Zhuge Lin’s teacup shattered.
Well, "shattered" might not be the right word.
The teacup turned to dust in his hand, disintegrating into nothingness.
"Baekrin’s… Medical Sage?"
The people of the Seomun Family paled as they watched Zhuge Lin.
‘His martial arts have advanced even further.’
‘That monster has become even more monstrous.’
‘No, wasn’t he supposed to be on borrowed time? Yet he keeps getting stronger every time we see him.’
What was even more terrifying was the killing intent radiating from Zhuge Lin.
The killing intent of a master who had surpassed the Flower Realm filled the temporary branch.
‘What could possibly be written in that letter to make him so furious?’
The Dragon-Phoenix Meeting had begun in the Murim Alliance.
That meant the arduous march of Baekrin’s Medical Hall had also begun.
The four great medical hall leaders under Zhuge Lin were working tirelessly to treat various external injuries.
As the head of the medical hall, Zhuge Lin didn’t take to the frontlines, but he cared for the critically ill patients that the hall leaders couldn’t handle.
‘Wow, the Medical Sage is here!’
The young martial artists welcomed him with joy.
‘…He doesn’t age, that monster.’
‘No, wasn’t he supposed to die soon? Why is he so lively?’
The elders of various sects who knew the deeper secrets of the martial world clicked their tongues.
Zhuge Lin calmly smiled and carried out his duties as the Medical Sage.
The strange thing was that even in this busy situation, not a single fold of his robe was out of place.
Yet, just now, he had begun to rage after receiving a letter from Baekrin’s Medical Hall.
"Medical Sage? Medical Sage?"
"…"
"Medical Sage! Calm down, Medical Sage!"
Zhuge Lin didn’t respond.
The cold he emitted was deathly chilling.
At that moment, the door creaked open.
"Hall Master!"
It was Dokgo Junghu, the leader of the Martial Force Hall.
At the sound of his loyal subordinate’s voice, Zhuge Lin seemed to regain his senses, and the killing intent vanished as if washed away.
His long silver hair, which had been fluttering like a storm, settled back into place.
"Phew…"
The martial artists and servants all let out sighs of relief.
Zhuge Lin spoke.
"Bring me the writing tools."
"Ah, you mean the tools to reply to the letter from the Jeonseo Pavilion?"
Dokgo Junghu hurriedly opened a drawer.
Zhuge Lin shook his head.
"No. A letter to the Murim Alliance Leader."
"What…?"
Zhuge Lin smiled brightly.
"I’ll finish the treatment here and return."
Everyone’s expressions turned to shock.
"B-but the Dragon-Phoenix Meeting isn’t over yet!"
"Hahaha, that trivial Dragon-Phoenix Meeting. On second thought, I don’t even need a letter. Just deliver the message for me."
Zhuge Lin stood up and walked out of the temporary residence.
"Hall Master! Hall Master! I found the writing tools! The writing tools!"
But regardless, Zhuge Lin headed straight for one place.
The stables.
Specifically, where the fastest horses were kept.
"Tell the Namgung Family I’ll be borrowing a horse."
The horse Zhuge Lin chose was a massive black steed as big as a house.
"Surely not the Black Warhorse… W-wait, Hall Master!"
With that, Zhuge Lin was already gone, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
"W-what kind of letter could make him leave in such a hurry? Where is he even going?"
Dokgo Junghu returned to where Zhuge Lin had been.
There, he found the crumpled letter Zhuge Lin had read.
Unable to withstand Zhuge Lin’s killing intent, the letter had been torn to shreds, making its contents unreadable.
The only thing that could be discerned was the handwriting of Yuho.
And one barely legible character.
The character for "joy" (喜).
A single character referring to the Deputy Hall Master.
"Hall Master… Hall Master! What are we supposed to do now? Hall Master!"
Thud!
Hwanggu, nestled in Seolgyeon’s arms, pointed his nose in a direction.
He was using his sense of smell to locate where Bangju was and indicate the position.
‘Normally, Hwanggu would need more rest, but…’
Given the situation, there was no other choice.
A group of beggars, Jin Cheonhui, and medical officers from Baekrin’s Medical Hall ran across the snowy mountain.
Well, to be precise, only the beggars and Jin Cheonhui were running.
The medical officers from Baekrin’s Medical Hall were out of breath and eventually collapsed.
"Wheeze… wheeze… Go ahead. We’ll… we’ll catch up later… wheeze…"
‘They’re sweating like it’s raining after just a little running.
Tsk tsk.’
By Jin Cheonhui’s standards, it was just a little.
After all, they were medical officers who knew how to use internal energy, not martial artists who lived by the sword.
It was just that Baekrin’s Medical Sage and Jin Cheonhui’s standards were a bit (?) high.
Seolgyeon spoke.
"Damn, how are you going to work as medical officers if you’re this weak? Eat more. You’re weaker than those beggar brats who beg for food, for heaven’s sake."
As she said this, she hoisted the largest medical officer onto her back.
‘Normally, she’d have someone else do it, but she’s carrying him herself.’
All the medical officers, including Jin Cheonhui, were surprised.
But the beggars seemed used to it, sighing as they picked up the other medical officers one by one.
"Sister, where would you find someone with better stamina than you? We’re about to collapse too."
The beggars grumbled but still followed her without hesitation.
That alone showed how much respect she commanded.
Jin Cheonhui thought to himself.
‘Normally, medical officers would slow down the pursuit, but there’s no other choice.’
An elderly patient had been left on the snowy mountain for days.
If the condition described in the letter was accurate, the patient might die during transport.
It was a life-and-death situation.
Seolgyeon spoke.
"Hahaha, stop exaggerating. Hey, kid. You okay? Want to ride on a beggar’s back too?"
She was talking to Jin Cheonhui.
Jin Cheonhui shook his head.
"I’m fine."
Seolgyeon whistled.
"Impressive. The kid’s better than the adults."
"Sister!"
"Sister!"
"Ah, sister!"
"Hahaha, shut up, you brats."
She then spoke to the medical officer on her back.
"Comfortable back there?"
The medical officer finally managed to speak.
"Just… a little rest…"
"Ah, I’d like to rest too. But let’s rest after meeting the old man. He’s as strong as a tiger, so he won’t die, but we still need to see his face."
"Ugh, understood."
"Hahaha."
With that laugh, Seolgyeon activated her movement technique.
She lowered her stance and ran as if skimming the ground.
It was faster than the beggars’ movement techniques.
It was named after a hungry dog running, but despite the name, it was faster and quieter than most movement techniques.
It was like the movement of a hunting wolf.
She ran effortlessly across the snowy terrain, which was several times more difficult than flat ground.
"Ah, sister… wait for us."
The beggars followed behind her.
Though not as fast as Seolgyeon, their movement techniques were still top-notch.
But none of them could catch up to Seolgyeon, who ran across the snowy mountain as if it were her own home.
Except for one person.
Thud!
Jin Cheonhui was right beside Seolgyeon, keeping up with her.
"Haha, kid, you’re fast."
Even while carrying someone, her speed was beyond what an ordinary martial artist could match.
Yet Jin Cheonhui was keeping up with her without falling behind.
"Damn, you’re something else. Your movement technique looks like the Three Talents Step, but your direction is so free."
"Hehehe."
Jin Cheonhui awkwardly laughed.
"Well, I heard you survived after escaping those masked bastards and causing that avalanche. Haha, kid, how far can you go?"
Seolgyeon glanced at Jin Cheonhui and increased her speed.
Thud!
Her footprints were deeply imprinted in the snow.
At the same time, her afterimage became even blurrier.
It was a challenge to follow if he could.
‘Phew.’
Jin Cheonhui took a deep breath.
At the same time, he recalled the mysteries of the Three Talents Step and the insights of the Five Elements Divine Wind Art.
Jin Cheonhui’s body began to move faster, more like a wild beast than a human.
Strangely, even though his speed increased, the number of times his feet touched the ground remained the same.
He caught up to Seolgyeon, staying right beside her.
Seolgyeon’s eyes filled with admiration.
"A prodigy is a prodigy, after all."
Thud! Thud thud!
Hwanggu barked.
Seolgyeon spoke.
"Here, right?"
At the mountain peak, a frozen waterfall came into view.
There was no sign of human presence, but Hwanggu kept barking at the waterfall.
But all that was in front of them was a massive block of ice.
Not only the medical officers but even the famous beggars were visibly panicked.
Only Seolgyeon remained calm.
"That’s just how ice is. The old man must’ve used his head."
She took a stance and lightly swung her staff.
Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.
First Form: Hungry Dog’s Bite.
It was named after the image of a hungry dog rushing toward food.
There was no elegance in the technique.
Yet, for some reason, it felt more terrifying than the techniques of first-rate martial artists.
Crash!
With a single strike, she shattered the frozen waterfall.
The staff, made of roughly carved wood and not even metal, didn’t have a single scratch.
‘I didn’t even notice the sword energy imbued in it.’