Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 194

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 194

Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong looked at Do Pyeong-su, who had just answered, and pressed further.
“Then who is this person?”
“My fiancée.”
“Master, fiancée—we need an actual name or epithet or something like that!”
“Just know that she’s strong. That’s all you need.”
“How strong?”
“As strong as me.”
Do Pyeong-su snorted.
“Hmph!”
“What?”
“Even being generous with you, you’re still a step below me.”
“What? Want to test it properly?”
“Properly? You really want to go at it properly?”
“Do you think I’m afraid?”
“I’ve been too lenient with you—now you don’t even know to fear a man!”
“A man?”
As Eun Bi-yeon raised her momentum, Do Pyeong-su’s surged to meet it. Their Qi flows collided head-on.
Bang!
“Oof!”
Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong were sent flying, and there was no way the wooden tables and walls would escape unscathed.
Bang!
The thunderous crash echoed through the entire Inn.
The noise naturally reached Gal Ma-pyeong’s room as well.
Gal Ma-pyeong, who had been soaking in warm water and humming a tune, startled and jumped up.
There were only two people in this Inn who could cause such a shock.
“I told you not to cause trouble like that, and here you go again!”
Gal Ma-pyeong, with only a towel hastily wrapped around his lower half, bolted toward Eun Bi-yeon’s room where the impact had originated.
“What’s happened?”
He burst through the broken door frame and into the room.
Through the swirling dust, he saw the fallen figures of Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong facing off against Do Pyeong-su and Eun Bi-yeon.
Fortunately, the two elderly women didn’t appear to be seriously injured.
“Master! Mistress! I told you not to cause trouble like this! When we return, the Lady will hear of all of this—!”
“Gal Ma-pyeong.”
“What!”
“You need to get married.”
Drop.
Startled by Do Pyeong-su’s words, Gal Ma-pyeong let the towel slip from his hands. Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong, though crying out “Oh, my back!”, were seeing everything they needed to see.
“Quite the specimen you’ve got there.”
Belatedly realizing the exposure of his lower half, Gal Ma-pyeong hastily rewrapped the towel around his waist.
“Marriage? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s a long story—but would you rather hear it naked?”
“Just a moment.”
After Gal Ma-pyeong vanished with the parting cry of “Please, don’t fight!”, Eun Bi-yeon spoke to Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong.
“You two should go tell Yi-seol about this.”
“I’m not sure if the Lady of the Palace will accept it.”
“It’s the only way to save the Northern Ice Palace. And… make sure you mention that Gal Ma-pyeong’s quite well-endowed.”
With worry etched across their faces, Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong left, and Gal Ma-pyeong soon returned, now clothed.
“Marriage? What are you talking about?”
Eun Bi-yeon explained what had just transpired. Listening with a bewildered expression, Gal Ma-pyeong asked.
“So you made a marriage decision without even asking the people involved?”
“What does your opinion matter?”
“It’s my wedding! Of course it matters! Master, would you want someone deciding your marriage without your knowledge?”
“Did the first disciple do something like that?”
“The Lady would never do such a thing!”
“If anyone but him would make a decision like that, they’d answer to me.”
“See? Even Master doesn’t like it!”
“Are you me?”
“No.”
“Then marry him. Or grow strong enough to match me.”
One was something she didn’t want to do. The other was impossible.
“Master, no matter how important the Northern Ice Palace is, surely this isn’t right?”
Eun Bi-yeon spoke up.
“What’s wrong with my niece? What’s lacking?”
“It’s not that your niece is insufficient—it’s that marriage should be built on mutual love——”
Crack!
Eun Bi-yeon brought her fist down hard on her own thigh instead of the table.
“Don’t you dare mention love again! That damnable love is exactly why my life has come to this!”
Despite the cutting edge in her tone, Gal Ma-pyeong pressed on with what he wanted to say.
“But Madam, you love Master yourself. How can you despise love so much?”
“Are you Do Pyeong-su?”
“No.”
“If you want to talk about love, either become Do Pyeong-su or grow strong enough to stand beside him.”
In the end, weakness was the crime.
Even if weakness was a crime, surely it was too much to demand he marry a woman he’d only laid eyes on once, never exchanged a single word with!
“What do you think Lord Geom would say if he learned of this?”
At the mention of Geom U-bin, Do Pyeong-su flinched, but Eun Bi-yeon was unmoved.
“He’d praise me for making such a significant decision to help someone in need.”
“Right! He absolutely would!”
Even Gal Ma-pyeong’s sharpest blade had lost its edge.
“Do I really have to marry her?”

***

When Eun Yi-seol heard the plan, she nodded thoughtfully.
“It’s not a bad idea.”
Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong had expected her to leap in protest, so her approval left them bewildered.
“You’re truly all right with this?”
“It’s difficult to find a better solution.”
“True enough. This Gal Ma-pyeong—the man seems solid enough. Your sister Bi-yeon made me promise to tell you that.”
“What do you mean ‘solid’? What does that have to do with me!”
“Since we’re doing this anyway, shouldn’t we at least make the best of it?”
“Who said anything about actually marrying?”
“What do you mean?”
“We pretend to be engaged, and once everything’s settled, we simply annul it!”
Cheong-yeong and Hong-yeong burst out in delighted exclamation.
“Ah! Who would dare speak against an annulment from the Palace Mistress?”
“Our young mistress is clever indeed.”
Eun Yi-seol shook her head with a faint smile.
“Go tell my aunt what I’ve said.”
The moment the women dashed back to the inn and relayed Eun Yi-seol’s words, Do Pyeong-su’s face fell with disappointment.
“I thought I’d finally get my disciple married off.”
“Yi-seol’s got a sharp mind. It would’ve been entertaining if they’d actually gone through with it.”
Even with the option of deception available, they couldn’t force an actual marriage.
Gal Ma-pyeong released a breath of relief.
He, who had lived his entire life as a free spirit, could not allow himself to be tethered to a woman here at the Northern Ice Palace.
In any case, they now had justification to approach the Northern Ice Palace with confidence—as the young mistress’s fiancé and his distinguished guest.
The Northern Ice Palace stood nestled in the heart of the mountains.
Save for its gates, every surface was carved from white marble, giving the Northern Ice Palace the appearance of one massive block of ice.
It boasted sharp spires and eight buildings that blended the architectural styles of Zhongyuan and the Western Region in unfamiliar ways.
Eun Bi-yeon gazed at the Northern Ice Palace from a distance, her expression filled with nostalgic emotion, then drew a deep breath and stepped forward.
Yet Eun Bi-yeon found herself unable to cross the threshold easily. Before the great gates—five zhang wide—that led into the Northern Ice Palace stood nine figures, men and women alike.
Their ages varied from elderly to middle-aged, but what they all shared in common was hostility toward Eun Bi-yeon.
“You cannot enter the Northern Ice Palace.”
The man in the center of the three at the front was Elder Yang Chun-su. Cheong-yeong, who had come with them, spoke.
“She’s come as a guest of the Little Palace Master’s fiancé.”
“It doesn’t matter what capacity she arrived in—the fact remains she’s a traitor to the Northern Ice Palace! If I had my way, I’d have her arrested and thrown in the dungeons this instant, but I’m restraining myself out of respect for the Little Palace Master. Leave at once!”
“And what if you don’t restrain yourself?”
The one who spoke was Do Pyeong-su.
“Who are you?”
“Me? The master of the Little Palace Master’s fiancé, whom you serve.”
Yang Chun-su’s eyes shifted between Do Pyeong-su and Gal Ma-pyeong. No matter how he looked at it, Gal Ma-pyeong appeared to be at least three or four years older.
“You’re also the fiancé of Eun Bi-yeon, whom you’re so desperate to keep out. So now there are two fiancés.”
Just as Yang Chun-su was about to say something, Eun Yi-seol appeared.
“Elder Yang, why are you turning away my guest?”
“You know the reason, don’t you?”
“She’s not coming as my aunt—she’s coming as my fiancé’s guest. Are you really going to turn away the fiancé’s guest at the gate?”
“No matter if she comes as the Little Palace Master’s fiancé’s guest, the fact that she’s a Great Traitor to the Northern Ice Palace doesn’t change. And—”
Yang Chun-su’s finger pointed at Gal Ma-pyeong.
“You’re telling me you’re engaged to that middle-aged man? I’ve never even seen him before. How could such a thing be possible?”
“We were dating in secret.”
Of course, Yang Chun-su wasn’t the type to believe that.
“Show me proof that this middle-aged man is the Little Palace Master’s fiancé.”
“Proof?”
“Yes.”
Eun Yi-seol, who had been looking at Gal Ma-pyeong, spoke.
“The goods are solid.”
A chill wind swept past them as silence fell.
“What did you say?”
Do Pyeong-su roared suddenly.
“What, is the old man deaf? She said the goods are solid! Ma-pyeong! Show him how solid they are!”
“M-Master, surely you’re not serious about this?”
“He asked for proof!”
“Even if proof is needed, there are limits! And what proof is there for an engagement? Asking for proof—you old fool! Were you married?”
At the sudden question, Yang Chun-su nodded.
“Of course.”
“Do you have proof you were married?”
Yang Chun-su held up his ring finger.
“Here—I have a wedding ring.”
“How am I supposed to know if that’s a wedding ring or a stone ring? Show me something more definitive!”
“Everyone in the Northern Ice Palace knows I’m married!”
“My master and mistress here, myself, and the Little Palace Master all know I’m engaged! Even our family dog knows! Isn’t that enough?”
If you’re going to be stubborn, you need to match that stubbornness.
“I’m going to see my fiancée. Try and stop me if you dare.”
No one tried to stop Gal Ma-pyeong.
“I’m going to see my disciple. Try and stop me if you dare.”
Do Pyeong-su and Eun Bi-yeon headed toward the main gate. They didn’t stop Gal Ma-pyeong, but they did try to stop Do Pyeong-su.
“You let Ma-pyeong through but stop me? You bastards!”
Whoooosh!
As Do Pyeong-su raised his martial power, the elders and masters suddenly slid backward as if on ice.
“Hm? Has my martial arts improved again? And I haven’t even exerted myself yet.”
Bewildered, Do Pyeong-su realized that Eun Bi-yeon ahead of him had made a move, and thinking ‘Ah, good one,’ he followed in her wake.
Just as the elders and masters rushed forward, Eun Yi-seol’s voice pierced through.
“If you try to stop them, you’ll have to fight me.”
One of the masters whispered something in Yang Chun-su’s ear, and his face darkened with anger as he turned away.
“This isn’t over!”
Leaving behind bitter words, Yang Chun-su departed, and Do Pyeong-su’s party headed toward the largest building at the center, surrounded by seven structures.
The building called Jungseong Hall had a grand hall that must have spanned at least five hundred square meters.
After climbing nine steps, they followed the outer corridor on both sides of the grand hall and entered the Reception Hall.
“Phew!”
Eun Yi-seol collapsed into a chair with an exhausted expression.
“We made it here somehow. What do we do now?”
Eun Bi-yeon asked.
“How is the Palace Master position determined?”
Never in the history of the Northern Ice Palace had the position of Palace Master been thrown into such chaos.
There had been occasional disputes over succession, but once the Palace Master decided, that was final.
And when the Palace Master died or passed on the position, the next generation’s Palace Master naturally took their place.
This was the first struggle for Palace Master succession in the Northern Ice Palace’s history, and it was strange to everyone.
“Nothing’s been decided for certain, but what Baek Gang wants is a sparring match. Since this whole situation arose because I’m weak, it might be the best solution.”
Eun Yi-seol suddenly struck the stone table with her palm.
“Why am I such a slow learner?”
“You don’t seem slow. Stand up and look.”
As Eun Yi-seol rose, Eun Bi-yeon swept her hand lightly through the air. The billowing navy blue gown Eun Yi-seol wore suddenly clung to her body.
Completely molded to her frame, every curve of her form was laid bare.
“Aunt!”
“Your bone structure isn’t bad after all. Wouldn’t you say?”
Do Pyeong-su, asked the question, nodded.
“Indeed. A fine figure too. A girl with substance and a woman with such a physique—they make quite the match.”
“Master!”
Eun Bi-yeon extended her hand.
“Let me take your pulse.”
She grasped the wrist Eun Yi-seol offered. Deep creases formed between Eun Bi-yeon’s brows.
“Why is your Qi flow so irregular?”
Eun Yi-seol was taken aback.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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