The Time-Limited Elixir of the Ruined Clan - Chapter 187

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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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The Fallen Clan’s Limited Lifespan — Chapter 187

In every movement Dan Mok Ryeon made across the Ice Field, the subtlety of the Ice White Divine Sword lay woven.
Though what had been shown was not the Ice White Divine Sword but the Ice White Sword that Mun Bi had deployed, Ryeon had grasped the Ultimate Principle

that the swordplay ultimately pursued and so came to understand the Ice White Divine Sword.
The delicate currents of air that whirled in the wake of her movement seemed unremarkable, yet to a discerning eye they aided the movements of their master.
‘As if she were born from within ice itself.’
It was not a reference to appearance or temperament, but rather an expression commonly used in Beijing when commending some remarkable talent.
As the master of the Ice Palace, she had spoken those words more than once when praising her subordinates. But never had the words struck so deeply into her heart as now.
In a single glide across the Ice Field lay the Martial Principle

of the Ice Palace itself — truly, one could call her nothing less than a child born from ice.
Yet the children around them, unable to perceive such depth, merely marveled at the beautiful swirl of snow and the fluid grace of her movements, then took turns mimicking her or showing off their own skills.
“Will you return to Hang Zhou now?”
Bing Xue Han asked. Dan Mok Cheon Gi nodded.
“We have already received far more good fortune than we could have hoped for. Should we linger longer, I fear it will trouble the Ice Palace Master.”
“Ha! You’ve become a true Beijing man.”
As the wine cups passed between them a few more times, Dan Mok Hyeon U and Do Wi also rushed out onto the Ice Field.
Do Wi, now the junior master, looked considerably better in spirit. Dan Mok Hyeon U, facing him, had puffy eyes, though his impish expression remained unchanged.
“So then, Bing Xue Yan…….”
“I thought I might stay a few months longer.”
“What?”
Ice Palace Master Bing Xue Han looked up in surprise at Bing Xue Yan. She waved her hand toward her granddaughter and son, speaking without inflection.
“I had not intended to leave soon in any case.”
“That was before you recovered your martial prowess…….”
“Even with it recovered, I lay bedridden for years, and I hesitate to burden a long journey with a body still fragile. When the boy Do Wi steadies his resolve, I thought to teach him various things.”
She meant that after settling matters in Beijing and attending to what needed attention, she would set out for Hang Zhou.
Bing Xue Han studied Dan Mok Cheon Gi. In his gaze was the question of whether this was a matter already agreed upon, and Dan Mok Cheon Gi gave a wry smile and nodded.
“How could I bend my wife’s stubborn will?”
“And you have won the acceptance of Bing Xue Yan’s children?”
“Could their father prevail against such obstinacy?”
“They say no parent ever bests their child…….”
At Bing Xue Han’s words, spoken with a shake of his head, Bing Xue Yan broke into a smile and said:
“Since I am not going, then in my place I would ask that the Cheon Rang Squad

of Beijing give you a long escort, Master.”
“The Cheon Rang Squad?”
The Cheon Rang Squad was the Ice Palace’s pride — an elite strike force whose members possessed the highest cultivation, second only to the Ice Palace Master and junior master in strength among all the Ice Palace’s martial artists.
Bing Xue Yan continued, her gaze still fixed on the children. Two girls pressed their heads together, laughing merrily, then clasped hands and raced across the Ice Field.
“We will stop at the Moyong Family Estate on the way, so I ask that you send the Cheon Rang Squad only that far.”
“The Moyong Family Estate?”
“When my husband and children came to Beijing, they did not visit the Moyong Family Estate, and it seems they were disappointed.”
At that time, Dan Mok Clan could not afford to linger, as there had been no certainty that Bing Xue Yan’s condition was stable. Of course, Moyong Chu Ryeo would understand as much.
Bing Xue Han set down the wine cup he had been about to raise. As the Ice Palace Master, what he saw and heard was considerable.
“I have heard whispers of unseemly movements of late.”
“When one is careful, excess is fitting, is it not?”
“We owe Dan Mok Ryeon a debt of gratitude, so sending the Cheon Rang Squad is the least we must do — you need not worry, sister.”
“Then that will suffice.”
Bing Xue Yan smiled faintly and nodded.
Even had Dan Mok Cheon Gi, once the Greatest Master Under Heaven and now recovered to that former might, sensed the dark ripple of blood-stained disturbance from afar, the Dan Mok Clan’s journey did not seem to require a large military escort. Yet Bing Xue Han did not reproach his cousin sister for her caution.
Meanwhile, Dan Mok Ryeon, who had been playing with a young boy on the Ice Field, looked up and waved toward her grandmother.
‘She said she was worried.’
It had been Ryeon herself who first suggested that the path back for Dan Mok Cheon Gi should be guarded.
Good Fortune Brings Calamity—
Good Fortune Brings Calamity.
In other words, with so much good fortune coming their way, wasn’t it only right to exercise caution?
Dan Mok Ryeon’s gaze, as she spoke, held a faraway quality. There was no harm in heeding such counsel from one’s granddaughter.
The farewell banquet at the Beijing Ice Palace stretched late into the night, lingering long and unhurried.

* * *

“You’re in charge of our Alliance’s Beijing branch. You must take responsibility, focus on training with your fellow members, and also…….”
Mun Bi gazed at Dan Mok Ryeon with earnest eyes. She’d been trying to take her leave, but Dan Mok Seong had kept her in conversation and wouldn’t let her go.
Yet Dan Mok Ryeon found herself equally trapped.
“Your grandmother will be leaving soon, so you must stay healthy until then.”
“Yes, Grandmother…….”
“Travel carefully, I mean……do travel carefully.”
Do Wi, standing nearby, awkwardly corrected himself. Until recently he’d been merely the security captain of the Ice Palace, but now that he’d become the junior palace lord, it was natural he should speak more freely with the eldest grandchild of the clan patriarch rather than the clan head himself.
Yet Do Wi’s discomfort didn’t stem from having to alter his manner of speech overnight.
Over the young girl’s face—smiling wistfully as they exchanged farewells—a memory rose unbidden: the image he’d glimpsed of her that day in the Ancestral Hall.
‘That was truly…….’
After that moment, he had made his decision.
The sight of Dan Mok Ryeon he’d witnessed that day, when he finally placed a period on the long, deep thoughts that had consumed him, seemed something he would never forget in all his life.
“Stay well, Junior Palace Lord.”
When Dan Mok Ryeon bowed respectfully, Palace Lord Bing Xue Han burst into laughter.
“Why stand on such ceremony? We should be like siblings to one another.”
“If anything, it’s more like I’m your uncle rather than your sibling.”
Bing Xue Yan’s words drew a nod from Bing Xue Han, and Dan Mok Hyeon U, standing behind them, grumbled.
“Wait, Ryeon, I’m supposed to be your uncle—why do you keep acquiring new ones?”
As time had passed and the swelling in Dan Mok Hyeon U’s face had subsided, he opened his eyes and fixed them on Do Wi.
Amid this bickering, Dan Mok Ryeon finally managed to extract herself and reach Mun Bi’s side.
“Oh, Miss…….”
Mun Bi, who’d been enduring an ordeal before Dan Mok Seong, made no attempt to hide her relief as she clung to Dan Mok Ryeon. Dan Mok Ryeon patted her back and produced what she’d brought with her.
“These are some notes I’ve put together for quick reference. You remember all those things you’ve been writing down? I think it would be good to look over them alongside these.”
“Oh! Miss Mun…….”
Mun Bi had been about to say something, but stopped herself abruptly. Dan Mok Ryeon pretended not to have heard.
“Of course, what the masters of the Ice Palace teach you will be the finest instruction, but this may be helpful too…….”
“No! Thank you so much! Thank you!”
Mun Bi clutched the thin manual to her chest and bowed repeatedly, when Dan Mok Seong spoke from beside her.
“Use this to cultivate yourself and show the Alliance you are no disgrace to it.”
“……Yes…….”
“It would also be good to increase the members.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Word has it that those who join our Alliance will be shown these secrets. This isn’t something you obtained easily, is it? Don’t show it to those who refuse to join.”
In that instant, Mun Bi’s eyes gleamed.
What Dan Mok Seong said was right. Hadn’t she worked so hard pursuing Dan Mok Ryeon, burdened with shame and guilt, to gain this very knowledge?
“Yes, I’ll show it only to those who’ve joined the Alliance!”
“And mark those who join with a seal.”
Dan Mok Ryeon considered objecting—it seemed excessive—but held her tongue.
‘Well…… it’s good if the Alliance grows…….’
Thinking of the Alliance’s name, other candidate names flickered through her mind in quick succession, and Dan Mok Ryeon hastily buried the thought and exchanged farewells with Mun Bi.
“This is made from Hawthorn Fruits and Cornelian Cherry Fruits I gathered this time—I dried them and preserved them in sugar…….”
The Palace Lord had kept her promise. According to rumor, she’d timed it so Dan Mok Ryeon would receive them on the day of her departure, and since the drying process had been rushed for time, she’d even used her own internal energy to dry them faster.
Dan Mok Ryeon placed a small jar into Mun Bi’s hands.
“These are called Red Flower Fruit Preserve. When……when new members join the Alliance, eat a little of this together. Don’t eat too much at once—eat one at a time—and after eating, you must definitely practice Qi Circulation Meditation.”
“That is…….”
Weren’t such warnings usually attached to Spirit Elixirs?
And Mun Bi, who’d received so much kindness from Dan Mok Ryeon during her stay, harbored not a shred of doubt about what she was being given.
‘It must really be a Spirit Elixir! A dried fruit Spirit Elixir!’
Mun Bi’s eyes glistened.
“To receive something so precious…….”
“If you become stronger, I’m happy too. Because it means our……our……our Alliance grows stronger. And you gave me something precious too—that jar of sweets.”
“Sob……Miss…….”
Mun Bi began to cry, her shoulders shaking.
Dan Mok Ryeon smiled awkwardly at first, then wrapped her arms around Mun Bi in a tight embrace. After a breath or so had passed, Dan Mok Seong pulled them apart with a single decisive motion.
“That’s enough.”
“What? Oh.”
“Moyong Seol Ho, don’t overdo it.”
“Yes? No, it wasn’t—”
Mun Bi protested in a flurry, but Dan Mok Seong’s stern gaze remained unmoved.

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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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