Surviving as the Terminally Ill Young Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace - Chapter 54

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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 54
None of my cohort had the look of a hoodlum like this one, so he had to be a senior.
The way he emphasized the phrase ‘true disciple’ told me something.
He wasn’t a lay disciple like Wi Jong-haeng—he’d properly learned the martial arts of the Common Sect and had reached a decent level of strength.
‘But why is he looking for me?’
Ever since I came to the Academy, I’d conducted myself as a model, well-behaved cadet.
It was strange that a senior I’d never met before would seek me out just to pick a fight.
“What brings you to me?”
I lowered my eyes and asked the senior named Jin Young-hu.
Weak ones usually shrink back under just a stare like that.
But this cadet had already flinched when he caught sight of my face before, so he didn’t cower at the pressure in my gaze.
“So Un… no, I heard you caused quite a stir at an auction with Antidote not long ago, is that right?”
“That’s true.”
Jin Young-hu tilted his chin up in typical hoodlum fashion, standing askew.
He threw out his provocation with crude bravado.
“A disciple from our sect made a bid, but I heard you sold the Antidote to some merchant. Is that so?”
“A merchant? Feng Sheng is from the Moyong clan…”
Now that I thought about it, I didn’t know exactly what relationship Feng Sheng had with the Moyong family.
I’d just assumed some distant connection, but I’d never heard a proper introduction.
“Don’t know? That’s what our Jong-haeng said—that he’s the youngest son of the Feng Maritime Trading House.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose it must be.”
“In other words, a merchant who buys his way into the martial world with money!”
Ah, so he operates a trading company under the protection of the Moyong clan.
I hadn’t known, but… so what?
After all, I’d lived for over twenty years in a capitalist world, so I found it hard to sympathize with contempt toward merchants.
“So what’s your point?”
I raised my eyes, hoping he’d get to the main issue.
Thud!
Jin Young-hu suddenly stamped his foot on the ground, releasing a burst of energy.
“Selling something that a Common Sect disciple possessed to a merchant lackey is the same as disrespecting our Common Sect!”
‘What’s with this idiot?’
“What’s with this idiot?”
Huh? I’d only thought it.
But Maeng Ryeong Ji, standing beside me, had voiced it aloud.
“…What did you just say, you barbarian bastard?”
“Barbarian? Ha, for someone with nothing but the Nine Schools and One Faction’s name to his credit, you sure have a sharp tongue.”
“Huh-huh-huh! I placed eighth in last year’s Ranking Tournament, eighth place! I’m among the most skilled cadets in the Academy right now!”
Ah, Jin Young-hu!
Now I remembered—when he mentioned he’d placed eighth in the Ranking Tournament.
When I’d asked a senior named Yeon Mu-jin from Inbon Hall a few days ago who the strongest cadet was currently.
This senior’s name had come up.
“Eighth place in the Ranking Tournament is the kind of tier that catches the Martial Alliance’s eye! It’s a different league from those like Jong-haeng who just threw money at getting their names on the list!”
The way he boasted, you’d think eighth place in the Ranking Tournament was the greatest achievement of his life.
After hearing the story, I remembered that Nam-goong Cheon had held first place continuously until last year, and
that someone from the Je-gal clan was apparently in the top tier, which had surprised me.
I also recalled that a person named Mo-yong Cheong had top-tier strength but hadn’t participated in the Ranking Tournament.
As for the other seniors, I honestly couldn’t remember.
“Did you also hit Feng Sheng?”
“Huh-huh, so he tattled on me?”
He was making excuses to me about disrespecting the Common Sect, but why was he bullying a fellow sect disciple?
He scorned Feng Sheng for being from a merchant family, but I couldn’t see what made him any different from Wi Jong-haeng.
Hmm, I really don’t like this.
“Fine, I understand your martial skills are excellent. I understand you’re angry too. But throwing a tantrum won’t make Antidote appear out of nowhere.”
What was your business?
What did you have to say?
I’d asked twice, and still he hadn’t gotten to the point.
For someone with decent martial ability, his judgment seemed rather lacking.
…Actually, I do have one Antidote left, but regardless.
“You barbarian son of a—!”
“If you want to pick a fight, throw down a challenge letter like a proper person. Shall I do the honors? On behalf of Seol Su-ryeo of the Buk Hae Ice Palace, I hereby request a martial match with Jin Young-hu of the Common Sect.”
Since it seemed their real purpose was simply to pick a fight, I formally accepted their challenge on behalf of Jen Young Hu, who had nothing but bluster.
Before entering the Academy, I would have worried about causing trouble and falling out of favor with the martial instructors—old habits from my previous life.
But now I knew that this place actually encouraged disputes and fighting among its students.
So there was no reason to shy away from a fight they’d brought to me.
“Seol, let me—”
“This is a fight they picked with me from the start. After it’s over, you can request a formal match if you want.”
I extended my arm to stop Maeng Ryeong Ji as well.
Jen Young Hu had sought me out specifically.
Hiding behind a friend would be pathetic.
Besides, this was a fight where I had nothing to lose.
“Ahahaha, look at these barbarian dogs flapping their jaws without a clue. I don’t mind if you both come at me at once.”
“One opponent is enough.”
I rejected his magnanimous offer flatly.
Two-on-one would certainly improve our odds of victory.
But I’m a pacifist, and I have no interest in meaningless fights.
If Maeng Ryeong Ji and I combined our strength, even if we won, we’d gain nothing worth the effort.
If I fight one-on-one and win, I’ll have defeated a senior ranked eighth in the official tournament.
And even if I lose, I can claim he was bullying a new student for no good reason.
“Khahaha, excellent! One-on-one, a formal match then! Stake all your merit points. I’ll wager three times as much!”
“Merit points?”
“If you’re fighting a formal match, you have to fight in the Hall of Martial Challenge.”
What?
I’d assumed we were fighting right here in the Training Grounds in front of us.
I thought the loser would just apologize and that would be the end of it.
‘So you can stake merit points in a fight too?’
I hadn’t known such a system existed.
My mind raced quickly through the implications.
In a flash, even if I wasn’t the sharpest, I understood why he’d wagered three times as much.
A new student probably wouldn’t stake all their points if he’d wagered the same amount.
Even a typical new student who’d been diligent with Near-Walking would have accumulated at most twenty or thirty points.
Three times that was an enormous sum for a newcomer.
But for a senior who’d attended the Academy for years, it was likely nothing substantial.
‘It seems like I could win this.’
Still, instead of immediately shouting acceptance, I carefully calculated my odds.
But no matter how I thought about it, Jen Young Hu didn’t seem stronger than Heuk Ryeong Geom.
If I used the Red Dust Turbid Yang Gong, couldn’t I guarantee victory?
The Ice Gong would work too.
The first would require me to explain where I obtained that martial art.
The second carried the risk of shortening my lifespan somewhat.
‘The Yeol Yang Elixir gave me one hundred points, right?’
If I conserved the Ice Gong for later, used it just once to end things decisively—
Wouldn’t the lifespan I could gain from the Yeol Yang Elixir be more than what I’d lose?
“Fine. I’ll stake my 154 points. You stake 462 points.”
It was honey for the taking.
I chose to go all in without hesitation.
“What? A new student doesn’t even have merit points to—”
“I do.”
I answered without wavering.
The hundred points were merit points I owed to the smithy for a loan I’d received.
If I earned them this time, I could pay them back perfectly.
Jen Young Hu had attended the Academy for several years.
With an eighth-place ranking in the official tournament, his merit points surely exceeded a thousand.
Jen Young Hu’s face twisted severely.
“H-how exactly?”
“I’ve been quite diligent with Near-Walking.”
Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to have accumulated such merit points at all.
He smacked his lips for a brief moment, then finally spoke.
“Hah… very well. You’ve saved quite carefully. Tomorrow at dawn, in the Hall of Martial Challenge. I’ll collect tuition thoroughly, barbarian!”
He had pride—he couldn’t back down here.
Besides, he’d wagered in the first place because he thought he’d win.
He seemed somewhat taken aback, but as he was confident of victory, he readily accepted my proposal.
Tomorrow, then.
For me, it meant a chance to gather information about Maeng Ryeong Ji’s combat style—hardly a disadvantage.
“Fine. This time I’ll get a taste of the Gongtong School’s…….”
I accepted his choice of time and place with composure.
And as the junior making the challenge, I was about to feign humility by saying this was an opportunity to observe the Gongtong School’s swordsmanship.
“The Gongtong School’s…… Gongtong…… sword technique……? What was it again……?”
But in that moment, my words simply dried up.
What was the Gongtong School’s signature technique again?
A soft laugh escaped.
It wasn’t from Maeng Ryeong Ji or So Un.
One of my classmates, who had been watching me with concern, couldn’t stifle their amusement, and a sound slipped out.
“Pardon me, but what sword technique does the Gongtong School use? The Buk Hae uses the Frost White Divine Technique and Frost White Divine Sword primarily…….”
“You, you bastard!”
I had asked politely enough.
But Maeng Ryeong Ji became visibly agitated and drew her sword.
Ah, I should have just said it was an opportunity to observe the Gongtong School’s sword technique.
Sometimes my words do get tangled like this.
“Practice belongs in the Training Grounds, not a classroom.”
A sharp cry rang out.
She does have a vicious temperament.
Since we weren’t going to fight right then anyway, I gave my tomorrow’s opponent a light greeting and left the classroom.
* * *
“Miss, are you… are you all right? You didn’t need to deliberately wound her pride like that…….”
“Ahahaha, that felt wonderful!”
Why do they both think I deliberately provoked Maeng Ryeong Ji?
I was genuinely flustered.
“No, I really just blanked out for a moment. What was it again?”
I must have heard one or two signature techniques from each of the Nine Schools and One Faction, but of all times, nothing came to mind just then.
Still, I thought I’d remember once they told me, so I looked between Maeng Ryeong Ji and So Un alternately.
“You think I memorize every mediocre technique from those Nine Schools upstarts?”
“I never had the chance to hear the rumors of the martial world…… but I do know the Point-Piercing School’s Four-Strand Sword Technique!”
Well, neither of you knows either!
I folded my arms and began recalling the martial techniques of the Nine Schools and One Faction one by one.
My background in wuxia novels may not be impressive enough to hand out business cards to true devotees of martial arts.
But I do know the basics at least.
‘Shaolin has plenty besides the Three Purifications Sutra and Muscle-Changing Scripture that I heard in class—the Eighteen Arhat Fists, the Seventy-Two Unique Skills, the Eighteen Arhat Formation, the seventy-two martial arts……choosing just one is difficult. The Wudang School has the Tai Chi Sword, the Huashan School uses the Two-Heart Four-Hand Flowering Plum Sword Technique, the Songshan School has the Thirty-Six Swords Under Heaven. Kunlun…… the Cloud-Dragon Eight Formations? I can’t recall its sword technique. As So Un said, the Point-Piercing School is the Four-Strand Sword Technique.’
So I thought I’d remember it soon.
But oddly, even by the time I arrived at the Near-Walking pavilion to receive my work assignment, the answer still hadn’t come to me.
Once I fixate on something, it’s hard for me to shake it loose, even during a match.
I remained preoccupied with that thought right up until I met Gwak Do Cheon, the master and finest instructor of the Academy, before my afternoon Quick Sword class.
“Seol, so you’re fighting Maeng Ryeong Ji tomorrow—is that right?”
How long had it been since the match request was filed?
Even Gwak Do Cheon already knew about tomorrow’s match.
“Yes, sir. Master, might the Gongtong School’s …… sword technique have any particular characteristics?”
The timing was perfect.
Gwak Do Cheon would know.
I quickly dangled the bait.
“The Demon-Subduing Sword Technique? It’s a tremendous strike meant to suppress the demonic. It falls into the Heavy Sword category and requires considerable Internal Force. Mm, it seems you still don’t know much about the central lands’ martial arts?”
Gwak Do Cheon told me about the Gongtong School’s technique without suspicion.
And at the same moment, a digestive medicine advertisement from my past life flashed across my mind.
Something that had been heavily weighing on my chest descended all at once, and the blocked flow of energy through my meridians seemed to rush clear.
Ah! The Demon-Subduing Sword Technique!
Surviving as the Doomed Young Lady of Buk Hae (Serialized)
Author │ Sahjang Noru
Publisher │ Kim Joo-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
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© Sayang Noru 2026
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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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