The Lord/Lady of the Palace and I, of course, rushed towards the scene as if we could fly.
And what I saw there was…
The Black Cat and Sara, holding hands and pressing their foreheads together.
And an incredible cold wind that turned the area into a frozen wasteland within a radius of ten feet.
“W-What is going on! Why is Sara here and what in the world is happening right now?!”
“T-That is…!”
Rano Jingbu exclaimed, urging the people around him.
I quickly searched for Miss Yeo Il-ye. Among the people who were probably present, Miss Yeo Il-ye was the highest expert, so she should know the most about this situation.
“Miss Yeo Il-ye! What on earth is happening right now?!”
The response came from Tang So-yeol.
“Be quiet. And Lord/Lady of the Palace, please maintain your composure.”
The sharp tone of Tang So-yeol suppressed the crowd.
“The Taiyin is imposing order upon the Nine Yin.”
“If you know anything about this situation, then explain it all!”
“The Black Cat inside is born with the Taiyin physique. Taiyin is the foundation of all Yin energy. Even if it can handle the Nine Yin, it’s not strange.”
“That’s absurd! How could that child handle the energy within Sara?! It needs to be stopped immediately!”
“What is unreasonable about that?”
“Do I really need to explain how difficult it is to manipulate someone else’s energy?!”
“Manipulating someone else’s energy, you speak as if the Nine Yin belongs to that child named Rano Sara.”
Tang So-yeol spoke without hesitation. Her ruthless rhetoric, without a hint of consideration or pretense, was like a splash of cold water.
And at this moment, that way of speaking became a help. It cooled down the surprise and anger, forcing everyone to face reality.
“Could that child handle the Nine Yin? She only seemed to barely be able to preserve it. The Taiyin saying it would handle the Nine Yin is merely talk.”
Rano Jingbu, looking at Tang So-yeol, let out a long sigh.
“Haaa, what kind of calamity is this…!”
“Don’t look at it negatively. In the end, isn’t the Nine Yin energy being expelled like this?”
“…So, you’re saying that Sara is being treated right now?”
Tang So-yeol’s response was thoroughly rational and cold.
“It is changing under the order given by Taiyin. Whether that change is positive or negative can only be known after we see the results.”
Both Tang So-yeol and the Lord/Lady of the Palace fell silent. I also kept my eyes on the Black Cat while observing the surroundings. The magnificent wave of energy spreading throughout Podalap Palace, coupled with the cold wind. Numerous Monastics were rapidly gathering towards this side.
Hmm.
If Sara’s condition worsens from here, it would mean a dead end.
I was not the only one worried; Miss Yeo Il-ye, Tang Do-yeon, and Okryong all had their hearts racing in anticipation.
I envied Tang So-yeol, who seemed utterly unbothered and focused only on the Black Cat.
Sssssss!!
The cold air surrounding the Black Cat and Sara shifted as if it were a living organism, gently expanding and contracting, undergoing organic changes.
Within a radius of ten feet, energy like dry ice filled the space, rendering only the two figures visible.
Everyone held their breath, watching for a while.
Finally, a significant change began.
The cold air’s domain rapidly began to shrink. The freezing atmosphere, trapped as if by a semicircular curtain, scattered into the air.
The two figures, who had been kneeling and touching foreheads, got up. The detailed situation needed assessing, but for now, they looked fine.
“Sara!”
No… maybe not quite fine.
“Father?”
Sara, looking bewildered as she stared at Rano Jingbu, seemed to realize her predicament and expressed her dismay.
“Sara, are you okay?!”
“I’m… I’m fine, but… my sister… she took my energy away…”
Sara cast a gloomy look towards the Black Cat. Only then did Rano Jingbu appear at a loss for words as he noticed the state of the Black Cat.
I voiced the sentiments of everyone.
“Black Cat… your… hair…”
The Black Cat’s hair and eyes had turned white.
* *
It took quite some time for the situation to settle down.
We had to figure out how the Black Cat and Sara ended up exchanging energy, diagnose the states of the Black Cat and Sara, and clean up the frozen mess that was Sara’s room and the makeshift stage.
After grasping the rough outline of the situation and getting through the initial cleanup, it was already night.
We stayed over at Podalap Palace for the night.
And the next day…
The Black Cat said she wanted to check on Sara’s condition, and Podalap Palace accepted that request.
“Are… you really okay?”
“I’m fine.”
The Black Cat raised a hand. The cold air danced around her fingers. At first glance, her hair and eyes seemed white, but upon closer inspection, there were hints of silver and blue, lending an indescribable mystique.
Noticing my gaze, the Black Cat’s eyes squinted slightly.
“Hehe, it’s just temporary. I can overcome it well enough.”
“…Okay.”
The Black Cat had finally freed herself from the hat and veil covering her face. I hoped she wouldn’t decide to draw it back up to hide her hair and eye color.
Sara’s room had been completely frozen due to the cold wave that she and the Black Cat caused, so we were led to a different room than yesterday.
Sara was sitting in a chair instead of a bed.
“Ah, sister…!”
As soon as the Black Cat appeared, Sara dashed over. She seemed so full of life compared to the person who had been watching a performance in bed yesterday.
“Thank you so much! Thank you!”
“I see my benefactor.”
The Lord/Lady of the Palace, who was spending time with Sara, expressed their gratitude in their ways.
Even though the treatment method I spoke of garnered a much different reception than usual, it was only natural given that Sara had fully regained her health overnight.
“The doctor says Sara’s symptoms have improved to nearly normal levels. How can I repay this grace…”
Sssssss!
Rano Jingbu was taken aback and shut his mouth. A gust of cold wind suddenly blew between the Black Cat and Sara, who seemed to just be petting Sara’s head moments ago.
Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise as they stared at the Black Cat, who lifted her head with a startled expression.
“…Benefactor?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. The Nine Yin accumulated overnight…”
“Are you okay, sister?!”
Sara looked up at the Black Cat cautiously. What kind of communication was happening between them? Despite having only just met the day before, the Black Cat and Sara exuded a sense of intimacy.
Was the recent action of the Black Cat something for Sara to worry about? Even this veteran, Ho Cheon-an, did not know what would happen when the Taiyin physique and the Nine Yin physique met.
Perhaps the Black Cat was exhausting herself more than Sara was concerned.
I might need to keep a close eye on the Black Cat from now on.
The Black Cat, finding Sara’s worry adorable, gently stroked her hair and said,
“Can’t you feel it? Sister is fine this much.”
“But your hair…”
“It’s just a temporary symptom. If Sara puts in the effort to get better, my hair will return to black too.”
“Uhm… I’ll do my best!”
“That’s commendable.”
As the Black Cat stroked Sara’s hair, she exchanged glances with me. Apparently, she had something to say when Sara wasn’t around.
“Now that Sara’s health is recovering, why don’t we not stay in this room and go for a walk to build up some strength?”
“…That’s true. Sara? How about going for a walk with mom?”
The Black Cat seemed to sense that she had something to say when Sara was out of the room, as Chai-rang took Sara’s hand and led her out.
“The recovery speed is faster than expected. It’s only been half a day, and quite a bit of Yin energy has accumulated.”
Rano Jingbu’s expression darkened at the Black Cat’s negative comment.
“My ability to control Sara’s energy has its limits. Because of her innate constitution, I can interfere with her Yin energy, but it’s a bit challenging to handle it completely.”
There was a strong possibility the Black Cat wasn’t merely complaining.
The fact that her hair color changed after absorbing the Nine Yin indicated that she wasn’t fully controlling the energy that had entered her body. Rano Jingbu undoubtedly understood this well.
“As Sara grows, her Yin energy will become purer and more potent, so a limit will eventually be reached. A fundamental treatment method is necessary.”
“…A treatment method?”
Rano Jingbu’s brow furrowed deeper.
“In these past days, I’ve realized too painfully the lack of training. I thought it was good as long as Sara enjoyed the magic show… but after hearing about a treatment method, causing phenomena with a benefactor and recovering health overnight… and now, realizing this situation is merely temporary…”
The Lord/Lady of the Palace sighed deeply, seeming uncharacteristically morose. Regardless of being a practitioner, right now, he was merely a father whose daughter was in desperate need of help.
Rano Jingbu finally spoke after a long pause.
“You said you know a treatment method.”
“Yes.”
“Please tell me. What is the method, what do we need, and how can Podalap Palace assist?”
“It’s not an easy task. Are you prepared for that?”
“I seem to have underestimated my resolve. Don’t worry; I will do everything I can to fulfill your wishes.”
“I’m not pushing you, Lord/Lady. Have you heard of the Ice Master Bai Bingshan?”
“…I have.”
Bai Bingshan. An individual who passed away almost a century ago and is considered the greatest ice cultivator of all time at this point.
“Bai Bingshan overcame the Three Yin Absolute Pulse and rose to fame as the number one ice cultivator. What would happen if we overcame the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse?”
Rano Jingbu’s eyes widened.
The Lord/Lady of the Palace had likely been thinking solely of curing his daughter.
In his mind, he must have pictured Sara’s future.
“If she has outstanding talents and vast potential… wouldn’t it be reasonable to hope for how far she could rise as a martial artist?”
“Uhm…!”
“If Sara could overcome the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse, Podalap Palace could welcome a Little Princess with unparalleled potential.”
This was the justification.
It provided a reason to mobilize the entire strength of Podalap Palace to treat Sara.
No matter how much of a sovereign the Lord/Lady was, utilizing the assets of the sect and mobilizing its practitioners for the sake of his daughter’s illness might have been questionable.
However, mobilizing the sect’s resources to enhance the potential of a Little Princess was an action he’d be fully entitled to take as the Lord/Lady.
“…I see.”
Rano Jingbu glanced at me for a moment. It seemed he understood all the implications of my words. He appeared to be anticipating Sara’s brilliant future after overcoming the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse, but there was also a hint of caution in his gaze.
Specifically, it was like he was thinking, ‘What in the world exactly do we need to find to gain such motivation?’
“Alright. What must we find using the martial artists of Podalap Palace?”
I smiled broadly and said, “Have you ever heard of the Gongcheong Stone Oil?”
Rano Jingbu’s face twisted oddly.
