The Time-Limited Elixir of the Ruined Clan - Chapter 171

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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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A Declining Clan’s Limited Lifespan — Episode 171

“That’s… I’ll correct it. My apologies.”
He could have made excuses—explained how deeply he cared for Ryeon’s grandmother, how the frustration had gotten the better of him—but Do Wi simply apologized without offering any of them.
“I want to see the hot spring myself.”
“Ah… then I’ll have a carriage prepared.”
Though it seemed like a bother, Do Wi nodded without complaint. Ryeon, who had assumed they would have to travel by boat, widened her eyes in surprise.
“We’re going by carriage?”
“Yes, we’ve built a bridge. In the depths of winter, snow accumulates and we could travel by sleigh, but the weather is too mild now for that to be practical.”
Ryeon had wondered why the Ice Formation was kept so difficult to access, but once she and Do Wi reached the hot spring, the reason became clear.
‘It really is enormous…’
From a distance it had looked like a small mountain, but up close, it felt as though a towering mass of ice loomed over her.
It was impossible to restrict access to something like this, and if someone arrived with ill intent—say, to contaminate Beijing’s Ice Formation—there would be no way to stop them.
Beneath it lay the hot spring. A wooden enclosure had been built to protect the source, secured with locks, and wisps of steam rose from above.
“What do you mean to do here?”
“Hmm? Just look around.”
Though it was called a small hot spring, it was more than large enough for two children and an adult to explore.
When they opened the door and stepped inside, warm steam rolled over them and warmed her cheeks.
“Ahhh… how lovely and warm.”
“Sister, you’re only ten years old.”
At Hwa Ryun’s comment—telling her not to sound like a middle-aged woman—Ryeon shot him a look and walked briskly forward.
Several trees and plants grew naturally around the hot spring.
“You’re looking for a persimmon tree, aren’t you?”
“Fruit could ripen in just a few days…”
At Ryeon’s words, Hwa Ryun glanced briefly toward the distant Beijing Ice Palace and quietly nodded. It seemed he’d been worried because they’d come by carriage and the spring was so close by that it wasn’t terribly cold.
“But I don’t see any…”
“Is there something in particular you’re searching for?”
As Ryeon wandered through the tall grass, Do Wi asked carefully.
“Well, a persimmon tree would be ideal. But if there’s no persimmon tree, any tree bearing orange or red fruit would do.”
Ryeon was thinking that if there were no persimmon tree, she might be able to work with fruit that was reddish in color and soft in flesh.
“Persimmon trees don’t grow in Beijing, so I suspect there won’t be any.”
Seeing Ryeon’s face fall, Do Wi quickly pointed out several other trees.
“Ah! There’s a cornelian cherry tree over there. Once the fruit ripens fully, it turns red. And that one is a hawthorn.”
“Oh!”
Two trees, neither particularly tall, happened to grow side by side right next to the hot spring.
Ryeon stepped close to the trees and tilted her head back. A chill ran down from the crown of her head—the cold emanating down from that oppressive mass of ice above.
“Wait, when did you bring that along?”
Seeing Ryeon pull a small Gourd Scoop from her clothes, Hwa Ryun’s eyes went wide. Ryeon drew herself up proudly and scooped some hot spring water.
‘Soak in, Spirit Energy, Spirit Energy…’
Into the slightly hot, milky water, a clear essence spiraled lightly. Ryeon sprinkled the hot spring water around the roots of the trees several times, then gently touched each leaf—the wilted ones, the ones with bite marks—one by one.
‘Just as well. These are trees that bear plenty of fruit, so surely one of them will…’
Not everything that absorbs Spirit Energy becomes a Spirit Beast. There were several chickens in the coop, but only one—Hei Yue—had transformed into a phoenix and flown away.
Among those that absorbed Spirit Energy, only one exceptional individual—or perhaps a very few—could shed their form and become something else.
‘Wait, what about Hong Lin then? There was only one, and that one alone just… became a blue dragon? No, no—I shouldn’t entertain such thoughts.’
Ryeon shook her head firmly.
“But Do Wi, is it really all right for you to be with us like this?”
Ryeon asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
‘The Palace Master knows Do Wi’s name separately.’
The way she’d spoken about sending him to greet the Dan Mok Clan seemed to carry no shame whatsoever.
That meant to the Palace Master, he was far more than a simple guard captain. His skill alone proved that much.
‘He’s the caliber of an heir to some martial family…’
It was strange that someone of his stature was serving as a guard.
“There’s no trouble. Protecting the Beijing Ice Palace includes protecting the Palace’s guests.”
“I want to come again tomorrow…”
Though she made a plain show of not wanting to waste his time, Do Wi simply nodded with an unbothered expression.
She’d circled the place in no time, splashed about a bit, and then dropped the absurd announcement that she wanted to come back tomorrow too—and insisted on training directly with him.
As for Do Wi’s true identity, it was Bing Xue Yan who revealed it days later, her face burning with exasperation.

* * *

“He said he doesn’t want to be Deputy Palace Master?”
“Does it burn me up or does it burn me up! I’m astounded. In all of Beijing Ice Palace’s history, no one’s ever rejected a position when offered one.”
“Surely that’s not the first time in Beijing Ice Palace, is it?”
Dan Mok Cheon Gi, who sat with them, tossed out the remark flatly.
It had been Bing Xue Yan who first abandoned the position of Palace Master and remained in the Central Plains after meeting Dan Mok Cheon Gi.
Bing Xue Yan didn’t blink once, splitting a small cherry in half for Dan Mok Ryeon and removing the pit before speaking.
“That was different—I had a Palace Master then! I left because I trusted him.”
“But you should have trusted me instead……”
“I did come trusting you, but now you love Wol Yeong Jae more than me—what am I supposed to do about that?”
Bing Xue Yan gestured pointedly at the name of the place where Dan Mok Cheon Gi had remained in seclusion throughout his time in the Dan Mok Clan.
Dan Mok Ryeon watched her grandmother and grandfather bicker, genuinely taken aback.
‘Beijing Ice Palace inherits its leadership more flexibly than I’d have thought.’
According to Bing Xue Yan, the Palace Master had never married and had no children. Moreover, it seemed Beijing Ice Palace gave the surname ‘Bing’ to all their direct and collateral descendants alike, then selected whichever one showed the most outstanding achievements to elevate as the next Palace Master.

“Do Wi is admittedly a distant collateral descendant, but his skills are exceptional and his temperament steady—I thought he had the makings of someone who could accomplish great things. That’s why the previous Palace Master took him under her wing and raised him like a son……”
Bing Xue Yan sighed.
“But the boy claims he doesn’t have the capacity to lead Beijing, and so he just plays the part of captain of the guard instead.”
Dan Mok Ryeon grasped the meaning behind Bing Xue Yan’s tone.
If he was a distant collateral descendant, that essentially meant he was a stranger. Yet his abilities must have been remarkable enough for them to consider making him the next Palace Master despite that.
Dan Mok Cheon Gi, plucking cherry stems one by one beside Bing Xue Yan, tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Hmm. Do you know why he says he lacks the capacity?”
“How would I know! If I did, I’d have twisted his head around or broken his legs long ago.”
“Merely changing words won’t solve the matter, madam……”
“In any case, he keeps saying he’s not fit for Beijing, or some such nonsense I can’t make heads or tails of. The previous Palace Master thought that if he spent time with outsiders, he might change his mind……”
It didn’t seem to have worked. Judging by how he simply followed Dan Mok Ryeon around on her hot spring outings, it was clear enough.
“Then why not simply choose someone willing and put them in charge?”
“This is not the soft Central Plains. How could a weakling ever become a leader?”
“The Central Plains aren’t particularly soft either.”
“That’s true enough.”
As Dan Mok Cheon Gi rubbed his temples, Dan Mok Ryeon found herself nodding inwardly. If Beijing Ice Palace had another master as skilled as Do Wi who could replace him, that truly would have been remarkable.
“I’d like to have a look at those disciples!”
Bing Xue Yan, who had been watching Dan Mok Ryeon nibble on cherries with a contented expression, suddenly sprang to her feet.
Dan Mok Ryeon’s eyes widened in surprise, and Dan Mok Cheon Gi wiped his face and shook his head slowly. When Bing Xue Yan was like this, there was no stopping her.

* * *

“But why has it suddenly become like this, like this all of a sudden?”
Dan Mok Hyeon Yo stared with a look of shock, her eyes wide open.
But Dan Mok Seong, who had meanwhile dressed herself neatly in Martial Robes and tied a thin band across her forehead, shook her head with a stern expression.
“No, Mother. If one is a martial practitioner, one must seek learning wherever one can. It’s fine.”
Dan Mok Ryeon beside her also felt awkward adjusting her collar. These were the Martial Robes of Beijing Ice Palace, and yet they fit perfectly.
“No…… No, Seong. This isn’t what I meant…… Mother, Father! Please say something!”
The last words came out very quietly as Dan Mok Hyeon Yo cried out while holding her breath.
But Bing Xue Yan, the mastermind behind all this, didn’t even blink.

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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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