Surviving as the Terminally Ill Young Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace - Chapter 72

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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 72
“A chivalrous wanderer?”
“Did you really defeat all the bandits?”
Gu Won had found the villagers inside the temple and the shed, and was now assuring them it was safe to come out.
A couple of them crept forward cautiously, and once they confirmed nothing was amiss, dozens of men came streaming out.
They hadn’t been bound, it seemed.
“Yes, yes. Our elder here took them all down completely, so don’t worry. You’re all residents of Valley Village, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes, that’s right. We were truly forced here against our will!”
“They ordered us to build a fortress! That bastard said he’d kill all our families if we didn’t work, so we had no choice but to help!”
Perhaps it was Ma Gang’s voice from inside, the one insisting he was an escort merchant, that set the tone.
The villagers eagerly proclaimed their own innocence and instead turned informant against him.
Well, the civilians clearly bore no resemblance to conspirators anyway.
“Eek! Ugh, I, I thought that way would cause the least harm, so I asked the fortress master about it! Thanks to me, not a single villager died!”
“That’s rich! You were the first one cracking the whip!”
“That bastard, he’s the worst one here, wanderer!”
I was the only one who could design the fortress and direct the workers. There was no other way……!”
Of course, the villagers felt no gratitude for such words.
If he hadn’t stepped forward, there would have been no fortress project and no chaos in the first place, would there?
I gave Ma Gang a light kick to the chest.
“Ugh!”
He was being theatrical.
“By the way, is there a carpenter among you?”
“A carpenter!”
“Oh, Elder Jang……”
“I’m the carpenter. You wanted the bridge fixed, yes?”
“Yes. Our Blood Slaughterer Elder says we absolutely must reach Nogunjsan by tomorrow.”
Gu Won confirmed that everyone had come out of the temple and revealed the true purpose.
Why did he have to emphasize “Blood Slaughterer” like that?
“You mean the broken bridge to the west of the village, correct?”
“That’s the one.”
“I can fix it, but by tomorrow……ugh, no, wait. I’ll manage somehow. The others here can handle simple work too! If we all work together, we can have it done by tomorrow morning!”
The epithet alone made him jumpy.
I’d only lifted my hand to press the Maeknuri a bit harder, and the carpenter was already trembling with fear.
In any case, it was good that he said it could be done.
It was the right call to come rescue them.
I gestured for Gu Won and whispered in a low voice.
“Tell them to work the bandits hard to fix it as fast as possible. And warn them—if they retaliate against the villagers or cause any more trouble, they’ll pay.”
Gu Won grinned wickedly and shouted in a loud voice.
“The Blood Slaughterer Elder orders all of you to get up right now and help repair the bridge! If it’s not finished by tomorrow morning, you die. If you so much as touch the villagers again, you die!”
I hadn’t put it quite so harshly.
Gu Won had painted the Blood Slaughterer Elder as a complete monster.
“Eek!”
“We’ll do anything!”
“Please, spare us!”
But that warning seemed to have quite an effect.
All the bandits in front of the tent who hadn’t lost consciousness bolted upright.
“P-please, let me help too! Should I cut wood? I’ll do whatever you say, Elder!”
“Great wanderer……! My father was a carpenter. I know how to build bridges too! I’ll design the most beautiful one!”
The martial artist from Nok Rim Do who was on his knees, and the self-proclaimed escort merchant who was scheming, said the same.
All a bridge needed to do was span the gap—what nonsense were they talking?
Thump!
I paid no attention to their self-promotion and woke up the unconscious Seok Du with a tap.
“Huh!”
Then, pointing at him with my finger, I looked over at the Heukoochai executives.
That Black Shadow Sword bastard couldn’t read hand signals to save his life.
But Ma Gang, at least, had done some work as a bandit strategist and wasn’t completely dim.
He immediately grasped my intention to relay the same message to Seok Du and whispered something in the man’s ear.
“Y-yes, I understand, sir!”
When did I become “sir”? His form of address and manner of speech had changed twice already today.
Seok Du clutched at the wound on his side and bowed his head repeatedly.
The fact that he could still writhe about told me it wasn’t a mortal wound after all.
That’s right, I controlled it perfectly, didn’t I?
He was just so timid that the Red Dust Turbid Yang Gong frightened him.
“Then let’s head straight to the village. You two — take torches and lead the way.”
Gu Won pointed out two bandits who had ambushed us hours before we reached the village, only to flee once they realized we were cadets.
“Yes, sir!”
They hurried forward at once.
* * *
“My dear, is it really you?”
“You’re safe!”
When we returned to the village with the men, the women who saw them in good health wept openly and embraced their families.
“Oh, oh! I thought our son was lost to us forever……!”
“It’s all right, Mother. I’m well.”
At first, the women were startled when nearly a hundred men suddenly appeared, led by bandits.
But once they heard Gu Won’s explanation that they were brought here merely as labor for the bridge repair, they took comfort.
Jeom So Yi from the inn, who had explained our situation, clung tightly to her father’s sleeve and hid.
But her father, after being dragged away, had assured her that the Blood Slaughterer Elder was far more terrifying than the bandits.
Wait — is that right?
“We shall repair the bridge at once!”
“Cut the timber and planks to match these dimensions exactly!”
“Yes, Elder!”
Though it was late at night, we had demanded the bridge be fixed by dawn, so
everyone — villager and bandit alike — moved with urgent efficiency.
Unable to help with such work, I stood with folded arms by the cliff, waiting for completion.
“Thank you, Elder!”
“Blood Slaughterer Elder, I know not how to repay your kindness. It is meager, but please accept this — my wife made it with her own hands.”
A few villagers brought food and handcrafted items like bracelets to pile at my feet.
We’d only gathered them incidentally to fix the bridge, yet I felt awkward accepting such gratitude.
“Elder… thank you for saving my father.”
I had spoken with Jeom So Yi earlier, and quite amicably at that.
Though I’d covered my face and wrapped a long robe around myself, I wondered if she might still recognize me by my build.
But she never looked at me directly, and carefully set down the Jeon Byeong before withdrawing.
Each time the villagers approached, I gave them a light nod in return.
“We’re nearly, nearly finished.”
“We should be able to complete it before dawn!”
“No, an hour or so after sunrise is fine.”
Though Gu Won said they could afford to work at a leisurely pace, both the bandits and the villagers poured their strength into repairing the bridge.
Hmm, even fortress construction rests at night, if I recall.
I’m starting to feel like a tyrant myself.
No, wait — these brigands are still criminals!
“Did you plunder anything from these villagers? Return it at once.”
Reminding myself of that fact,
I decided to threaten the bandits through Gu Won into returning their ill-gotten gains.
“No, nothing!”
“We took nothing from these people!”
“We only charged passing merchants a passage toll of a hundred coins… no, we’ll bring it all back!”
They stopped working on the bridge and emptied their packs, turning over all the money they had.
The bandits under Ma Gang’s command had little wealth, and even Ma Gang himself carried little.
“We offer it all to the Blood Slaughterer Elder! We had planned to give it to the villagers as thanks for helping with the fort! Truly!”
Ma Gang, the only one carrying several dozen silver coins, prostrated himself and presented the money.
His words were hardly believable,
but his resourcefulness seemed anything but poor.
“Since I’ll be returning soon enough……”
Gu Won whispered something in his ear,
“Yes!”
and whatever threat had been made brought Ma Gang to heel — he swore his loyalty to the Blood Slaughterer Elder with newfound discipline.
Gu Won assured me that at least we needn’t worry about Heukoochai taking revenge on the villagers.
“The bridge is complete!”
The moment the sun broke the horizon, the head carpenter cried out.
I had only expected us to rejoin the broken, sagging bridge so it could be crossed, but
Oddly enough, a fine bridge of the sort you’d expect to find only at some grand manor’s ornamental pond had been erected here.
“Peace upon you, Blood Slaughterer Elder!”
“Thank you so much!”
Gu Won and I crossed the bridge with imposing confidence, cheers from the villagers ringing in our ears.
Surviving as the Ill-Fated Young Lady of Buk Hae Bing Palace (Serial)
Author | Saje Noru
Publisher | Kim Joo-hyeong
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyeok
Address | 401, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8)
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© Saje Noru 2026
※This work has been published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder, and its contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violation 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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