Surviving as the Terminally Ill Young Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace - Chapter 16

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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 16
The Five Great Families, the Nine Major Factions, and “everyone else.”
After twenty-two years living in a democracy, I found it rather irksome that dormitories were assigned by such blatant criteria.
I understood it would be difficult without a sorting hat to group similar children by temperament, but surely they could assign rooms at random?
“Cheonmyeong Hall was built with donations from the Five Great Families, and Jijeong Hall with funds contributed by the Nine Major Factions, or so I’ve heard.”
But once Maeng Ryeong-ji explained, I understood immediately.
I had also lived twenty-two years under capitalism in my previous life.
“Then what about Inben Hall?”
“They say Hak-gwan-ju built it using his own personal funds.”
“What?”
I was genuinely startled.
Not from subsidies by the Martial Alliance, nor from donations pooled by parents.
That peculiar-looking monk had fronted his own money?
I’d only glimpsed him briefly during the Entrance Ceremony—but recalling how he’d appeared in shimmering Silk Clothing and taken pleasure in feeding students Mountain Poison Toxin, I could only picture him as a corrupt monk pursuing his own greed.
Yet this very man had apparently built such a splendid dormitory for students without powerful backers to secure donations.
“To think Hak-gwan-ju would fund such a magnificent dormitory from his own coffers—I’m seeing him in a whole new light.”
From the scale and layout of the rooms to the furnishings and cleanliness.
It wasn’t comparable to my quarters at Beihai Bing Palace, but it surpassed any inn I’d stopped at on the journey to Luoyang.
I doubted Cheonmyeong Hall or Jijeong Hall offered any better accommodations.
“Wow, there’s even a bathhouse…!”
“That’s Tianxiang Tower standards for an inn, isn’t it?”
So-un’s eyes sparkled with admiration, and Gu Won-ui added his own remark.
After we’d toured the dormitory for a while, we returned to our own rooms to unpack.
Since rooms were shared between two students, Maeng Ryeong-ji and I decided to take the same room.
“Haven’t the others arrived yet?”
“Right? They should be here soon.”
We’d safely consumed the Antidote and introduced ourselves to the few who’d arrived early.
Unfortunately, our dormitory housed the most dropouts from the Entrance Trial.
I offered silent prayers for our friends still climbing the mountain, then settled into the soft bed for rest.
* * *
Classes at Cheonmu Academy begin at the Chen Hour—roughly seven in the morning.
Since daybreak came earlier here than in the north where the days are short, it felt somewhat strenuous, yet I rose earlier still than the students who had to descend the mountain without Inner Energy.
The descent itself would be quick with Inner Energy, but I wanted to observe how early-departing students took their breakfast.
‘What in the world is this?’
The morning meal, however, was remarkably sparse.
In the place they called a dining hall, there were no cooks—only stacks of pills piled high.
“Ugh!”
“Grain-Avoidance Pills?”
“Even outside a closed cultivation period, they expect us to eat these?”
The pills’ identity was soon revealed.
Grain-Avoidance Pills.
Pellets consumed for nutritional sustenance during periods of fasting cultivation.
“Are they really that foul?”
“Not quite lethal, I’d say.”
“Surely they don’t expect us to eat only these every day?”
“That’s insane! It can’t be!”
Some students cocked their heads and ate the pills regardless.
Yet others, as if haunted by trauma, recoiled in distress and wouldn’t touch them at all.
In any case, no physical problems emerged in those who consumed them.
‘It’s like eating chicken breast and protein shakes three times a day,’ I thought.
Once I’d confirmed the pills contained no poison, I popped one into my mouth.
I’d never actually undergone closed cultivation training.
But since winter supplies could grow scarce in the north, Beihai kept a substantial stock of Grain-Avoidance Pills on hand.
Whether due to medicinal ingredients, the pills from Cheonmu Academy tasted far more bitter than I remembered.
‘Mm, being forced to eat only these every day would be rather dreadful.’
The senior students had said they’d arrive in ten days—or rather, nine days now.
Perhaps the breakfast dining hall wouldn’t operate until then?
I swallowed the bitter pill and made my way to the lecture hall.
“Goodness, everyone looks quite worn out,” the instructor remarked.
The martial instructor who arrived precisely on time looked more like a scholar than a martial artist.
“I’m Je-gal In. I oversee the Martial Arts Overview course. Ha ha, don’t be so nervous, now. It’s the only theory lecture among the mandatory classes, you know? There’s nothing difficult about it at all.”
The day before, the Entrance Ceremony alone had filled the students with considerable energy.
But the students had already taken one blow to the back of their heads, and Je-gal In’s gentle words alone weren’t quite enough to lift the mood.
“It seems the Entrance Ceremony was quite grueling. The Academy Director is rather mischievous, isn’t he?”
Those of us who’d managed to obtain the Antidote nodded slightly or offered awkward smiles, but the students who’d had to descend the mountain that morning barely had the strength for even that.
“Still, it’s all for your sake, I assure you. The Director was quite pleased that this cohort had some standout students. I, too, hold high expectations, given that both the Long Spear Hall and Dark Moon Hall—which I designed—were breached. Has anyone here perhaps studied Mechanism Formation in advance?”
Je-gal In spoke gently, taking pity on the weary students.
But wait—what did he just say?
This refined-looking warrior had designed that mechanism with the spears that shot out?
……
Silence fell over the classroom.
Even I, who’d relaxed thinking this was just a theory lecture, tensed up instantly.
“It seems there isn’t one! Well then, you’ll all be experiencing my Mechanism Formation for the first time. Only three of you have managed to enter the Long Spear Hall so far, haven’t you? How was it? Wasn’t it quite thrilling?”
I couldn’t very well say it was slow.
“It was exquisite and beautiful. In each trajectory of the spear extending forth, I perceived the instructor’s profound design, and as I navigated the obstacles, I caught a glimpse of artistry itself and could not help but marvel.”
Unlike Namgung Min and Myeong-seong, who were still struggling to find the right words,
I smoothly delivered my praise.
“My goodness, Seol Su-ryeo! I’ve already heard that you passed through the Long Spear Hall. I suspected that someone would understand the beauty of gears fitting together perfectly. The Long Spear Hall is my first creation since joining the Academy—a place designed purely on mechanical principles, without any cultivation techniques.”
And the response came back far more enthusiastic than I’d anticipated.
What’s this?
I may be rather good at flattery,
but to this degree?
“Ah, but this is a Martial Arts Overview class. Unfortunately, I’ll have to save a detailed discussion of the beauty of Mechanism Formation for another time. Any interested students should enroll in Mechanism Formation as an elective course.”
Je-gal In still seemed aware that he was supposed to be teaching, so he wrapped up the talk of the Long Spear Hall while promoting his elective.
He gave off the impression of a professor whose actual specialty lay elsewhere but who’d been pressed by the university into teaching a mandatory first-year course.
“Now that we’ve had a pleasant conversation and seem to have grown a bit closer, let me explain what this Martial Arts Overview course is about. I imagine you’re all curious why Cheonmu Academy has such a course, aren’t you?”
“Not really.”
“Very much so!”
Though Je-gal In seemed to be the only one having a pleasant time,
perhaps relieved to be seated for class, the students answered loudly this time.
“Ah, no need for flattery. Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure why we teach it either.”
……
“Ha ha ha, half of that was a joke to encourage you tired souls. But it really will help you quite a bit.”
So half of it was genuine, then.
“Many of you come from major families and great sects. I won’t claim that counts for nothing. The martial arts created by the Great Master and refined over long ages—those of the Orthodox Sect tradition—are truly excellent. But in the end, why do we cultivate martial arts at all?”
As the actual lesson seemed to be beginning, I began taking notes from the instructor’s words.
“I’m certain none of you among these students are cultivating martial arts to achieve enlightenment.”
Even though at least a third of the students gathered here came from Daoist or Buddhist sects.
Je-gal In spoke without hesitation.
“If you wanted to cultivate the Way, you could do so in the mountains. Why come to an academy? You’ve got the competitive spirit—wanting to test yourselves against each other—or perhaps dreams of fame and recognition. Or maybe some of you are burning with righteousness, determined to strike down villains like the Heterodox Sects or the Demon Cult.”
None of those applied to me, but watching Maeng Ryeong-ji stoke the competitive fire in the students from Cheonmyeong Hall and Jijeong Hall, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
“To do that, you need to understand not only your own martial arts, but also others’ techniques. There’s a saying in Sun Tzu’s Art of War: ‘Know your enemy and yourself—in a hundred battles, never defeated.’ You must understand the martial arts of your opponent, the techniques of the Heterodox Sects.”
If one roamed through Zhongyuan, the odds of crossing blades with a Heterodox martial artist were quite high.
I nodded and took notes on Je-gal In’s self-posed questions and answers.
“It’s no accident that so many descendants of great families die shamefully on their first journey to the martial world. How much do you know about axes and whips? What of the Heterodox Sect arts? Let me be frank: ‘All Streams Return to One Source’ is nonsense. You don’t possess a Heavenly Martial Constitution, so how could you naturally master all martial arts? Just because you’ve trained your sword to the bone—does that mean you understand Mechanism Formation?”
Even if training your sword doesn’t let you understand Mechanism Formation, couldn’t you at least destroy it with one?
I tried to suppress my own thoughts and simply absorb the instructor’s assertions uncritically.
“So in this class, we’ll study Orthodox Inner Energy, Heterodox Inner Energy, and Demonic Energy. We’ll also learn about various external techniques—sword, saber, fist, spear, staff, hidden weapons, and the like. We can’t practice too many different inner energy methods, but you’ll get hands-on experience with various weapons during basic external techniques, working directly with warrior instructors who are experts in each field.”
Je-gal In expounded on the necessity of the Martial Arts Overview.
Since most of the martial arts from Beihai Bing Palace were Ice Cultivation techniques, I was genuinely curious about the martial arts of Zhongyuan.
Regardless, Je-gal In taught well, so I listened intently.
‘Ah, so that’s why they call the New Martial World a kind of gray area between orthodoxy and heterodoxy.’
The subsequent lesson followed the textbook’s organization, discussing how to classify inner energy cultivation methods.
Since the way of doing Qi Foundation Building itself differed, it was rather interesting.
“You all seem quite tired, I see.”
But after lecturing for some time, Je-gal In glanced around the classroom with palpable regret, clicking his tongue softly.
I followed his gaze and looked around as well.
The moment Je-gal In said something not in the textbook, the students sprang to their feet.
‘You’re sleeping through this interesting lecture? No, wait—taste is subjective, but why do they have no sense of urgency whatsoever?’
Seated in the front row, I hadn’t noticed, but it turned out quite a few students had been dozing off.
“I understand. If you need to sleep, feel free to rest during my lessons. You should be comfortable, shouldn’t you? Just make sure you study for the exam. It would be awkward to hear the same material twice with the junior students, after all. Haha.”
But Je-gal In did not scold them.
I’d expected him to order them to swing their swords a hundred times on the spot.
Even by the standards of a school in my past life, it was remarkably generous—rare in the martial world.
“Anyway, we’ve covered all the material for today. Let’s do something fun with the remaining time. Come on, let’s head to the Long Spear Hall.”
Hardly had I thought this when Je-gal In roused the students.
He’d assured us it was theory class, safe and sound—and now he wanted to lead us into that trap where spears suddenly burst forth?
I’d grown accustomed to it quickly enough, but I trembled at the thought that Namgung Min or Myeong-seong might lose their lives in that place.
“Pardon?”
“The Long Spear Hall, you say…?”
“A hall brimming with beautiful Mechanism Formations!”
I studied his expression to see if he was angry and deliberately putting the children in danger.
But it seemed he simply wanted to enjoy the mechanisms for their own sake.
“Shh, the three cadets who’ve already been inside—no spoilers!”
Surviving as a Doomed Young Lady of Beihai Bing Palace (Serial)
Author │ Sa-hyang Noru
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyeong
Published by │ J Plus Media Inc.
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ⓒ Sa-hyang Noru 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Inc. in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder. No part of this work may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violations of this restriction may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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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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