The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family-Chapter 173

Chapter 173. The Unforgettable Silence
Silence settled over the clinic. Yet, the Fourth Seat's expression remained unchanged.
To dispel the heavy atmosphere, Tang So-hwa turned the attention toward the food.
"It's done."
"Oh, already? Leave it. I'll bring it over."
As Namgung Jin stood and began ladling the porridge, the North Sea martial artists separated the tables to make space for dining. When someone tried to set up a special seat at the head, the Fourth Seat stopped them.
Thus, somewhat awkwardly, everyone ended up sitting together around the same round table.
Though it could hardly be called a proper meal, the North Sea martial artists devoured their bowls as if they had been served a grand feast. Namgung Jin glanced at them, his eyes showing faint pity.
Thud.
Just then, a faint sound of something breaking through the air came from outside.
So-hwa, now used to that sound, shut the window and extinguished the lamp. Only the soft glow of the brazier's fire remained in the room.
Thud.
The sound drew closer.
When silence fell again, So-hwa finally spoke.
"I've heard that the North Sea Ice Palace was the sect that resisted the Blood Sect the most fiercely. Not just the Ice Palace—even the nobles of the North Sea were said to have fought to the very end, prepared for total annihilation."
The Fourth Seat let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the Blood Sect took the North Sea Ice Palace with little effort."
"You know what happened?"
The Fourth Seat's lips curved faintly.
"Does the Central Plains know of the Seven Seats of the North Sea?"
"Yes, I've heard it refers to the seven thrones of the Ice Palace."
"The word seat is just that—a word. The Seven Seats represent rank."
The Fourth Seat began to speak of the Seven Seats of the North Sea. Unlike other sects, the Ice Palace did not assign fixed hierarchies; the ranks were seized through combat.
"The North Sea differs from the Central Plains. In the Central Plains, the great sects take part in the lives of common folk and concern themselves with commerce. But the Ice Palace regards such things as matters outside its walls. You would be surprised if you ever entered the North Sea Ice Palace. The dwelling of an absolute master you imagine—it looks nothing like that. Within the palace rises a mountain made of ice, and there dwell spiritual beasts that do not die even in the bitterest cold. It is like an icy purgatory. The Ice Palace martial artists train within that place. When seven of them master the Five Absolute Arts, the gates of the Ice Palace open, and the Seven Seats of the North Sea lead it forth."
"What happens if seven do not achieve mastery?"
The old man chuckled, as though the question were foolish.
"Then the palace gates remain closed. And if one of the Seven dies or voluntarily steps down, the Ice Palace seals itself once again, resuming seclusion until all seven seats are filled. During that time, if the number drops from six to five, then from five to four, the period of seclusion lengthens—until a new absolute master appears."
So-hwa had heard of the Ice Palace's isolation, but this was the first she'd learned of how the Seven Seats came to be.
She had thought the term referred merely to seven experts representing the sect, much like the sixteen elders who composed the Tang Clan's council.
For the sects of the Central Plains, which often intervened in regional affairs, such long periods of seclusion were unthinkable.
Namgung Jin, however, showed not the slightest reaction. Perhaps he had already heard of the Seven Seats' cultivation methods. His eyes, reflecting the brazier's glow, shone softly—his interest clearly stirred.
The Fourth Seat seemed pleased by that gaze. His expression relaxed slightly as he continued.
"The reason the North Sea nobles came to settle on the island was that the Ice Palace's periods of closure were not long. Those disciples without interest in martial arts procured food and supplies from outside so the others could train without distraction. They couldn't allow their family and comrades to starve or die of injury, could they? Those who lived outside the palace found leaving the island troublesome, so they brought in outsiders, creating a system that kept the island constantly supplied."
As So-hwa listened, she began to understand the structure of the North Sea Ice Palace.
If compared to the sects of the Central Plains, the Ice Palace's inner courtyard—where the main bloodline and core strength resided—was the inner hall, while the outer area, where branch families and outsiders lived, functioned as the outer court.
Inside, they cultivated martial masters; Outside, they managed logistics, medicine, and finance through halls dedicated to each task.
From what she knew, mastering the Ice Palace's martial arts required a unique body constitution. To practice to a modest level—say, the first or second degree of mastery—might be possible with an ordinary physique. But to achieve perfection in techniques like the Frozen White Divine Palm, which generated extreme Yin energy, one needed an Extreme Yin Body.
Because the Fourth Seat spoke of giving Ice Palace disciples—not direct bloodline heirs—a chance at the Seven Seats, it resembled a sect that raised disciples rather than a clan that nurtured descendants. Yet, since only those born with the Extreme Yin Body could reach true mastery, its structure ultimately resembled that of a hereditary clan.
So-hwa guessed that most of the disciples who lived outside the palace were likely outsiders, not bloodlines.
"There was a time when the palace remained sealed for long years. During that period, some disciples who had brought outsiders onto the island began to absorb them into their ranks, and factions arose, clashing with one another. When, after twenty years, the Seven Seats were finally filled and the Ice Palace reopened, the First Seat—the Palace Lord—mediated their conflict. Yet, realizing that the divided disciples could no longer unite, he granted them new surnames, acknowledging them as clans who inherited the roots of the Ice Palace.
They, as vassals under the true master of the North—the North Sea Ice Palace—called themselves the nobles of the North Sea. They swore loyalty to the Palace and sought to spread their influence benevolently, extending their care even to the common folk along the northern coasts."
So-hwa felt a strange sense of doubt at the Fourth Seat's words.
Namgung Jin, too, seemed the same.
In the Central Plains, it was said that the North Sea nobles possessed martial skills nearly equal to those of the Ice Palace's own bloodline. People believed the Ice Palace had shared power with them to avoid internal strife.
But the Fourth Seat spoke of the North Sea nobles not as martial artists—merely as subordinates of the sect.
He saw them as little more than subsidiary institutions—overseers of people and supplies, like the General Manager, the Medical Hall, or the Finance Pavilion. Those who belonged to such branches might learn martial arts, but within a martial clan, they were considered distinct from the true martial core.
If a member of the Nine Turns Pavilion, like Tang So-hwa, had once stood before Han-won of the Black Tiger Unit and tried to demonstrate stealth techniques as a martial skill, Han-won would have burst out laughing.
Even direct descendants were no exception. In her past life as head of the Nine Turns Pavilion, if she had tried to recite the Rain of Ten Thousand Heavenly Blossoms formula before Tang Hak—the gentle Young Lord—and lecture him on the principles of qi dispersion, he'd surely have looked at her with concern, wondering if his sister had gone mad.
So-hwa's expression darkened.
This wasn't about false rumors.
The Blood Demon called the vessels as unbelievers and paid no heed when the mediocre ones died.
And yet, the North Sea nobles had survived a war with him.
If the Seven Seats of the North Sea were all martial artists born with the Extreme Yin Body, then the Blood Demon would surely have coveted them. But the nobles, who possessed no such value to him, should have been cast aside—useless bodies to discard.
‘And yet... isn't it known that Ice Palace is now governed both by the Central Plains people and those nobles?’
The Fourth Seat seemed to sense her unspoken question.
Realizing that the Central Plains guests wished to hear more, he began to speak of the war with the Blood Sect.
“When the Blood Sect came to the North Sea about ninety years ago, the Seven Seats had not yet been fully filled—only two of the seven had masters then. Thus, the First Seat and the Second Seat broke their seclusion and emerged to stop the Blood Sect. The First Seat guarded the island, while the Second Seat crossed over to the mainland to defend the Western Mountain. Hundreds of Blood Sects appeared, but they all perished under the Second Seat’s blade, never crossing the mountain.
Even after the Blood Demon himself appeared, the Second Seat held the mountain for three whole days. The battle was so fierce that the mountain range split into two. If you go to the Western Mountain, you can still see the gorge cleaved by the Second Seat’s sword. Ah, that’s right—you said you’ve already been there, haven’t you?”
The Fourth Seat pretended not to remember, his tone light, but the pride in his voice was unmistakable.
So-hwa saw right through it. She had an old man at home who spoke the same way—feigning indifference when boasting about his ancestors.
"To think that was the Second Seat's swordsmanship. That’s Incredible. It seems the saying, 'The sword of the North Sea can cut down mountains,' wasn't an exaggeration."
Namgung Jin added a polite remark to flatter him, and the Fourth Seat smiled.
He had reason to. Such a history was worthy of pride.
To face the Blood Demon for three whole days—that was no small feat.
So-hwa remembered the Alliance Leader himself, who had once accompanied some of the Central Plains' finest masters—only to be utterly crushed by the Blood Demon.
If this Second Seat had indeed battled that same being and endured three days, it was nothing short of astonishing.
But then, a faint bitterness entered the Fourth Seat's tone.
"In the end, though, the line was pushed back to the harbor. Scouts ed that the First Seat opened the gates and left the island. The Ice Palace disciples took their positions atop the fortress walls, preparing to launch a counterattack. Even from the island, they could clearly see the Second Seat's line faltering. When the Blood Demon appeared at the water's edge, dragging the Second Seat by the hair, my heart nearly stopped. The monster toyed with him—biting into his arm and greedily drinking his blood."
The North Sea martial artists who listened showed no surprise—they already knew this story. They merely lowered their gazes to the table, their faces shrouded in gloom.
The Fourth Seat brushed his pale cheek with his hand and continued.
"Enraged, the First Seat could no longer wait for the Blood Demon to cross the sea. He charged across the frozen straits in a single bound. The disciples, fearing what might happen, sealed every gate of the island to protect the nobles and outsiders, and waited for the First Seat to slay the Blood Demon."
The silence that followed was of a different kind.
So-hwa felt the change in its weight—the grief of a wound left by the Blood Demon's hand. The calm old man was losing his composure, consumed by the memory.
Knowing how the story would end, neither Namgung Jin nor Tang So-hwa could bring themselves to speak.
"The First Seat's sword aura froze the sea, and the Blood Demon's blows shattered the ice again and again. The waves rose high, the sea ran red—and it became impossible to tell who prevailed. Strangely, the Blood Demon showed no fear of the water. Instead, he kept dragging at the First Seat's legs, trying to pull him beneath the surface. The First Seat severed the monster's arm, even struck off its head—but it was no man. It was a monster."
Thud.
The sound of something breaking through the water drew closer.
A chill crept over So-hwa's skin; she found herself quietly rubbing her arm.
The Fourth Seat, his gaze fixed on her, continued to speak.
"The Blood Demon could regrow his arm even after it was severed, and when his neck was shredded to tatters, it reattached in moments. When his legs froze and he could no longer move, he even cut them off himself. Not long after, his body recovered completely. The First Seat did not yield a single move, and every strike landed perfectly—yet he could not cut off the demon's breath. The Blood Demon was slashed and hacked apart, but recovered as though nothing had happened. As time passed, the situation inevitably turned against us. Everyone understood, then, how that indomitable First Seat came to be a corpse after three days."
The Blood Demon's body contained the internal energy a martial artist could only amass over a lifetime, and he possessed a body that endlessly healed even after being cut apart. To strike at him must have been no different from trying to cut water with a blade.
As the Fourth Seat said, the longer the battle went on, the more the field favored the Blood Demon.
'Why is time on the side of that monster?'
So-hwa clenched her trembling hand as she listened to the old man's tale.
Perhaps mistaking her trembling for empathy, the old man grew more impassioned.
"But each time the Blood Demon's attack landed, the First Seat's body suffered terrible wounds. The moment his form slipped, the demon—who had fallen into the sea—dug his claws into the First Seat's leg and dragged him down. The First Seat was pulled beneath the surface. Beneath the waves, the water churned violently and blood spread wide, but no one emerged. After a long while, when the sea grew still again, it was the Blood Demon who rose. He surfaced with a radiant smile, as if he had gained the world itself, embracing the First Seat in his arms."
The old man's voice grated like metal.
"Like a fisherman who's just caught a prized fish."
Unable to suppress his rage, a hiss escaped his throat. He forced his anger down and continued.
"We all feared the Blood Demon, but the instant we saw the First Seat treated like a slab of meat, we lost our minds. The impatient First Seat subordinates leapt straight from the fortress gate into the sea. Those who hadn't yet mastered Ice Arts couldn't freeze a path and plunged straight into the water. The Blood Demon reached out, and with a sweep of his energy, the shattered ice shards shredded the Ice Palace martial artists to pieces. Even as their bodies were torn and blood stained the sea, they were filled with righteous fury and pressed forward faster still. Yet the Blood Demon didn't flee. Instead, he smirked and calmly watched the charging martial artists of the Ice Palace draw near."
The Fourth Seat fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, his voice sinking low.
"Nearly a hundred strong martial artists flailed their arms and legs as they charged, churning foam and roaring waves. It was a sight to terrify anyone—but the Blood Demon, serene as ever, watched them approach. When the martial artists drew within reach, he simply extended one hand forward. He didn't release a palm strike, nor throw a punch. He merely showed them his palm."
The old man let out a laugh, hollow with disbelief.
"He was warning them to stop—like one might gesture to a dog."
The laughter drained from his voice.
"And with just that one gesture, every sound vanished."
His pale eyes slowly lifted.
"Like fish belly-up in the tide, a hundred Ice Palace martial artists floated to the surface of that sea of blood—without even a scream."
When even the sound of breaking ice faded away, the Fourth Seat spoke again.
"I can still never forget that silence."
Only the old man's voice filled the air.
When he fell quiet, stillness returned—so profound it was as if one could feel the hush that had once spread across the North Sea.
Staring at So-hwa with darkened eyes, the old man added quietly,
"That was the first time the North Sea Ice Palace faced the Will of the Blood Demon."
__________________
__________________
__________________
(T.N): Daaaaaaamn. Seriously, you know how you already knew how powerful someone was, but now it’s totally sinking in just how powerful they really are. It’s making me think, I can’t really blame the Alliance Leader for giving up.