The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 57: Awkward Footsteps

The energy ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) was subtly emanating from the bottom of the bath. Upon closer inspection, Yeon noticed a peculiar pattern carved into the stone floor of the bath.

“What is this?”

Yeon and Soso both leaned forward to examine the pattern.

At the center was a single, large circle, surrounded by smaller circles that layered around it, forming concentric rings. The borders, composed of variously sized circles, created a total of three layers.

“Does it have some sort of religious significance?”

The pattern wavered beneath the surface of the water. Each time it did, it seemed to pulse, releasing energy as if exhaling. The water wasn’t just still; it was continuously circulating.

Soso, who was now submerged up to her chest, spoke up.

“Unni, it’s not cold at all now. Could it be because of this pattern?”

“It seems like it.”

Yeon immersed her entire body up to her neck, as if she were in a hot spring. The prickling cold at the back of her head quickly dissipated, replaced by a gentle warmth that spread throughout her body.

When she moved her hand through the water, it was still distinctly cool to the touch, but it no longer felt cold. Unlike the stifling heat of a hot spring, the temperature here was perfectly comfortable. Normally, Yeon couldn’t handle hot springs for long, but in this bath, she felt like she could stay indefinitely.

Soso, who had initially been awkward and shy, was now playing with the water, splashing around. Seeing her so cheerful for the first time in a while, Yeon spoke.

“Soso.”

“Yes?”

“It’s been tough, hasn’t it? Following me all the way here for no reason.”

“Oh, no.”

“Really? You didn’t struggle at all?”

Soso stopped splashing and gazed at the ripples spreading across the water’s surface. After a moment, she opened her small mouth.

“To be honest, it was really hard.”

Her voice sounded as if she was confessing, and Yeon couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Sichuan gets cold too, but I’ve never felt a chill like this before. I don’t think I could have made it on my own.”

“For someone who struggled so much, you followed along without a single complaint.”

“That’s because Unni was with me...”

Soso glanced at Yeon, then quickly averted her gaze back to the water, her face slightly reddened.

“To be honest, Unni...”

“Yeah?”

“There were several times—no, more like dozens of times—I wanted to give up.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But I couldn’t bring myself to turn back alone. And... I didn’t want to.”

This was something Yeon hadn’t known. Seeing how quietly Soso had followed along, Yeon had thought she was stronger than she appeared.

“When we were crossing the snowy mountain at the end, that was when I really wanted to give up. I kept wondering when it would end, why I was even here. From that point on, I just kept my eyes on your back and followed without thinking.”

“I see...”

“But there was an end to it after all.”

As Soso spoke, the mysterious water continued to melt away Yeon’s fatigue.

Had the bath been hot, her body would have grown lethargic, but instead, her mind felt sharper. It made sense, considering this was supposed to be a cleansing ritual before prayer. Letting the body go slack wouldn’t be appropriate.

“When you said we’d arrived, that was the first time in my life I felt such a sense of relief.”

“You did well.”

Yeon mentally applauded Soso. She knew exactly what that feeling meant—it was the same as the sensation she felt after completing a grueling training session.

Once a person experiences that sense of accomplishment, they gain the confidence to push past their limits again. The key was knowing that there was indeed an end to the suffering. If Soso had given up midway, she’d likely fail again at a similar point in the future.

“T-Thank you, Unni. But...”

“But?”

“To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever really pushed myself to my limits before. I guess that’s why Father treats me the way he does.”

“What do you mean?”

At Soso’s hesitant silence, Yeon decided to bring up something she had been unsure about mentioning.

“Soso, do you think your father doesn’t like you?”

“...Yes.”

“Why? That’s not how it seemed to me. He looked like he cared about you a lot.”

“C-Care about me?”

Soso’s eyes widened in disbelief before she shook her head vigorously.

“No way, Unni.”

“But he followed us all the way to the grasslands. And he used the beads, didn’t he? Didn’t he do that for you to see?”

“That was just to... protect the clan...”

Seeing Soso swallow her words, Yeon realized she couldn’t push the topic any further. Soso wasn’t a child, and her family matters were something Yeon couldn’t fully understand. It was like how Gongye, despite his cheerful facade, still carried the wounds of his past in Twin Bridge Village.

“Alright. I won’t say any more about it.”

“S-Sorry, Unni.”

“No need to apologize. I just brought it up because I feel comfortable with you. Don’t take it so seriously.”

“Okay.”

A faint smile returned to Soso’s face, but at that moment, they heard the door outside creak open, followed by the sound of footsteps.

“Are those Ice Palace people?”

According to Karaot, the Ice Palace residents bathed twice a day—reduced from the original four times a day.

“They did say evening prayers just finished.”

“Yeah, Unni.”

While they whispered to each other, a familiar voice echoed through the bathhouse.

“Haha! The Ice Palace bathhouse, huh? I’m really looking forward to this!”

“Yes, Monk.”

It was none other than Gongye and Cheongang. Both Yeon and Soso instantly froze. Soso shot Yeon a frantic look.

‘W-What do we do, Unni?’

But Yeon had no solution. Meanwhile, the sound of clothes being removed echoed through the room.

‘I-I guess we should...’

Yeon started to rise, but before she could do anything, Gongye cheerfully shouted out.

“Kyaa! Our dear Cheongang, your body is as impressive as always! Well, of course, with all that training... Hm? But what’s this?”

Yeon’s entire body froze mid-movement. Why she froze, she couldn’t quite say.

“Wow. This is... This is no mere mortal! Hiding such a mighty dragon in those robes... Weren’t you uncomfortable walking around like this?”

Cheongang cleared his throat awkwardly while Soso’s face turned a dangerous shade of red. Yeon could feel her own cheeks burning too.

“Well, I may have been quite something back at Shaolin, but compared to Cheongang here... Ahem. Even in this, he’s the number one under heaven. Truly, Buddha is impartial. Amitabha.”

Why was he reciting Buddha’s name while saying such things?!

Yeon debated whether to make some kind of noise to alert them, but then Cheongang’s voice echoed through the bathhouse.

“Monk, are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“Of course! Facing the entrance, it’s the building on the left, isn’t it?”

“I really think it’s the other side...”

Cheongang was right. Karaot had specifically emphasized the direction to avoid any confusion. Clearly, Gongye hadn’t been listening.

“Nah. If Hwangbo and Tang were in here, we’d already be dead by now.”

“Well, that’s true, but...”

“Now, let’s get in! I can’t wait to experience the Ice Palace bathhouse!”

“Yes.”

“Surely they don’t expect us to bathe in cold water just because it’s the Ice Palace, right? Otherwise, this little guy might just shrivel up completely! Hahaha!”

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Yeon shouted out.

“Excuse me!”

Once the words left her mouth, she didn’t know what to say next. The movements of the two men outside stopped. Even their breathing seemed to have ceased.

“Uh, I-I think you’ve come to the wrong place. Karaot definitely said the right side was for women.”

Yeon wanted to scold Gongye, but more than that, she just wanted them to leave as quickly as possible. Cheongang, clearly flustered, stammered.

“L-Lady Yeon. My apologies. We’ll leave immediately.”

The sound of rushed footsteps echoed through the bathhouse. Yeon was about to sigh in relief when Gongye’s nervous voice trailed back in.

“M-Miss Yeon, just so you don’t misunderstand, the stuff about dragons and all that was just—”

“Just go!”

“Yes, yes!”

The door finally closed, and silence descended.

A moment later, Soso slowly rose from the bath.

“U-Unni. I think I’ll go finish up and get out first.”

Yeon could only nod awkwardly, her face still flushed.

****

After that unexpected commotion, Yeon finished her bath and stepped outside. It was already evening.

Despite no visible fires, the interior of the Ice Palace was not dark. Blue stones embedded in the walls between buildings emitted a soft, eerie glow.

Inside the lodging, similar stones, resembling ice, illuminated the room. They glowed without melting, a material Yeon had never seen before.

What surprised her even more was the gem in her necklace. The color had deepened after her bath. The previously faint chill it emitted was now stronger, clearly noticeable against her skin.

‘Did the necklace always have this effect? If that’s the case...’

Yeon returned to her room, sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes. As she circulated her internal energy, the gem reacted. The cold energy within it seeped into her internal flow, merging with her Qi.

‘This is incredible!’

It felt like what Great-Grandfather Gweong had said about the balance of Yin and Yang. Although it was just a drop in the bucket, the fact that there was a change at all was a good sign.

‘Did the gem absorb the energy from the bathwater?’

If that were true, then while they were staying in the Ice Palace, she should take as many baths as possible.

Yeon had just made up her mind when someone knocked on her door.

“L-Lady Yeon? Are you in there?”

The voice, laced with embarrassment, was unmistakably Cheongang’s. Normally, Yeon would have jumped up to greet him, but instead, she stayed seated and called out.

“Yes, yes! What is it, Cheongang?”

“It’s, uh, about dinner...”

“Oh, right. Just a moment.”

Yeon took a deep breath, straightened her clothes—despite having just gotten dressed—and opened the door.

“Dinner?”

“Yes. Karaot said he’s prepared something for us.”

Cheongang was clearly uncomfortable, unable to meet her eyes. Despite his flustered demeanor, the handsome young master, freshly bathed and dressed in clean clothes, looked completely revitalized.

“Well, shall we go then?”

“Yes.”

Yeon started to step outside but abruptly stopped.

‘Ah, the prayer beads!’

She quickly slipped the beads onto her wrist, and Myoeun’s voice immediately echoed in her mind.

[Pretty fascinating, huh?]

‘What is?’

[The Ice Palace bath.]

‘Yeah.’

[Is that it? That’s all you have to say? I didn’t want to leave this place back then because of it, you know.]

I get it. I do. But now’s not the time to be talking about that, Monk.

Yeon glanced over at Cheongang, feeling acutely aware of his presence as they walked.

If his steps seemed awkward, was that just her imagination? Yeon shook her head, trying to clear the embarrassing thoughts Gongye had planted there.

The once confident, long strides of Cheongang had noticeably slowed. Since Yeon kept walking at a steady pace, they naturally ended up side by side.

“I’m really sorry about earlier.”

[Sorry? Sorry for what?]

‘Monk, can you just stay quiet for a bit?’

“It’s fine. Let me guess—Gongye insisted the left side was the right one, didn’t he?”

Cheongang just smiled, not denying it. Yeon wasn’t really angry; she was just trying to break the tension.

[What did Gongye do this time? Don’t tell me... did he... in the bathhouse...?]

‘Monk, do I need to take the beads off again?’

Finally, Myoeun fell silent.

“I wonder what the food here is like,” Cheongang said, clearly trying to change the subject. “Everything in the Ice Palace has been so unusual so far.”

“I feel the same way. It almost makes me glad Zhongyuan doesn’t know this place exists.”

“Why do you say that?”

“If word got out about a place like this, do you think the Ice Palace would be able to remain as it is?”

Cheongang’s gaze wandered over the surroundings.

Yeon followed his line of sight. The luminous stones lighting up the darkness, the icy walls that surrounded them, the glimmering mud-colored fence, and the mysterious bathhouse they had just left. Everything seemed to provoke curiosity and wonder.

“You’re right,” Yeon said.

“That’s why I’m even more curious,” Cheongang continued. “The Ice Palace Lord must have known all this, yet...”

“And still chose to extend their influence into Zhongyuan?”

“Yes.”

‘Was there some kind of reason behind it?’

Yeon found herself imagining what might have happened if the Ice Palace had successfully established itself in Zhongyuan. What if Myoeun hadn’t caused that incident?

Yeon waited, expecting some kind of response from Myoeun, but he remained silent. Maybe it was because she had warned him earlier, or maybe there was another reason.

‘What do you think, Monk?’

[Didn’t you say not to talk?]

‘I’m sorry. I just thought you were going to say something strange again.’

[I don’t know. I don’t want to talk.]

‘Are you... sulking?’

[Can’t a monk sulk if he wants to?]

Yeon couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. This peculiar, grumpy ghost monk and the Ice Palace—answers to both mysteries seemed to lie with the Ice Palace Lord.

As she walked beside Cheongang, she found herself anticipating that meeting more and more.