The Crimson Moonlight Promise
Kwaak! Kwang!
A blinding explosion erupted. Kim Young-hoon was flung away by my invisible sword and slammed into the middle of the desert sand.
“Cough, ack! Hic!”
Through the dust cloud, Kim Young-hoon could be seen struggling to rise from the ground, coughing violently.
“Tch, tch! Damn it. Seo Eun-hyun, you cowardly bastard! At a time like this, you say such a thing?”
“Haha, I’m sorry.”
He spat out sand, gripped his saber handle, and let out a forced laugh.
“Damn it… Hoo…”
After a moment of dusting himself off, he sighed deeply.
“Well, that’s that. My attack couldn’t possibly reach you anyway… By the way…”
He patted his chest with a thud, thud.
“You finally decided to confess! Aaaah! I thought you were going to spit blood from the frustration!”
“…”
I let out a sigh.
“It truly wasn’t an easy decision…”
“Oh, you are so frustratingly stubborn. What exactly was so difficult about it?”
“It’s just… there are things that are difficult to put into words. Please understand.”
After sparring with Kim Young-hoon, who had already reached the Light Blade Realm, I had felt it clearly throughout the match.
Even while catching my invisible sword, even while using my techniques, even while concentrating at my best.
The pink intertwined bonds of affection had refused to leave my chest.
Since martial power had become an inseparable part of my life and I had never abandoned it, I realized that the affection for her had already become a part of my own life.
‘If I can’t uproot it, then I’ll just accept it.’
I could no longer hold back any longer.
I could not bear to leave.
Talking with Buk Hyang-hwa felt comfortable. When I learned artifact refining from her, the pain of my regression was briefly forgotten.
The endless agony of losses eased for just a moment.
That comfort had grown so powerful that it was now impossible to hide my true feelings.
“So! When are you going to confess? I can help!”
“Ah, I will confess, but…”
I smiled faintly.
“Recently, I’ve been practicing making glass flowers.”
“So?”
“After making them, I was told they looked like sand lilies. So I’ll wait until the flower shape is complete.”
Kim Young-hoon’s face twisted with disgust again.
“Damn it, you’re waiting again! The people watching will fall into delusion!”
“Hmph, hmph…”
“That frustrating guy… Stop talking nonsense and confess already!”
“Come on, Brother Kim, calm down.”
I wiped sweat while calming down Kim Young-hoon who was slapping his own chest in irritation.
“If you’re going to be like that…”
“Wait! Just a second, Brother Kim.”
I suddenly pulled out the voice transmission talisman from my pocket.
“Ah…”
“What now?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Brother Kim. I need to return to the castle right away.”
“Wait, you bastard!”
Using the talisman as an excuse, I flew toward Cheon-saek Castle.
Of course, I left Kim Young-hoon, who would have been annoyed, behind, but there was also a genuine reason.
Cheongmun Ryeong had returned.* * *
“How have you been, Senior Seo, and Buk Elder?”
“It’s been a while, Cheongmun Senior.”
I greeted Cheongmun Ryeong politely upon his arrival.
Cheongmun Ryeong descended from the flying artifact with a laugh and entered Buk Hyang-hwa’s formation spot.
Buk Hyang-hwa and I entered the meeting room.
Buk Hyang-hwa brought tea, and we chatted briefly while sipping it.
And then, Cheongmun Ryeong brought up the main topic.
“The array has reached ninety-nine percent completion.”
“Ah…”
“And the remaining one percent will be handled by Buk Elder fine-tuning the artifact, then installing the array on Bongmyeong Castle, and making a final adjustment again.”
Cheongmun Ryeong looked at us and spoke.
“You’ve worked hard all this time. Once the host master safely reaps the longevity fruit, I plan to reward you as well, and add one or two more appropriate rewards from the Cheongmun Clan estate.”
“We are deeply grateful.”
He looked at me.
“Especially you, Seo Eun-hyun, since you can enter Bongmyeong Castle with items like the Seopmyeong Ship, if you wish, we can even elevate you directly to the rank of guest elder in the Cheongmun Clan estate. Of course, the corresponding rewards will also return to you.”
“I will gratefully accept.”
I expressed my gratitude to Cheongmun Ryeong while holding back my swelling expectations.
‘Now, Kim Young-hoon’s lifespan might also increase a bit.’
As long as I can just gather the longevity fruit!
At that moment.
“Seo Eun-hyun, you bastard! The elders are speaking—where did you run off to!”
Kim Young-hoon entered the formation spot right on cue.
“Hmmm?”
Cheongmun Ryeong looked at Kim Young-hoon, and Kim Young-hoon met his eyes.
The master of my martial arts and the master of my saber arts faced each other.
Before the awkward atmosphere could deepen, I quickly introduced them to each other.
They greeted each other awkwardly.
“Cheongmun Senior, this Mr. Kim here has a unique martial art that allows him to possess power beyond Foundation Establishment without being detected by detection artifacts. Please treat him well.”
“Understood.”
“Mr. Kim, this Cheongmun Senior here is renowned even among Foundation Establishment cultivators for his profound scholarly knowledge. Please treat him accordingly.”
“Mm, I see.”
After introducing them, I held a brief discussion with Cheongmun Ryeong and left the meeting room.
Cheongmun Ryeong also left after a brief discussion with Buk Hyang-hwa.
“Have you been well, Senior?”
“It was rather enjoyable. By the way…”
Cheongmun Ryeong looked at me and spoke.
“Seo Eun-hyun, have you proposed to Buk Elder?”
“…Yes?”
“A few years ago, I thought you two were staying in separate buildings, but upon entering the meeting room just now, I saw your living traces everywhere. It seemed as if you’re living here now—did you get married?”
“Ah, that’s…”
Before I could answer, Kim Young-hoon butted in, looking frustrated.
“Don’t ask such things. Seo Eun-hyun hasn’t even properly courted Buk-sojeo this whole time.”
“Hmm?”
“Well, listen. That guy… said…”
Cheongmun Ryeong began discussing with Kim Young-hoon about our relationship, and after a while.
Both of them stared at me with exasperation and clicked their tongues.
“Seo Eun-hyun, it’s truly frustrating. Since ten years ago, I’ve wondered when you two would form a sworn bond, but you still haven’t even officially courted?”
“That’s exactly what I meant, Cheongmun hyung. That frustrating guy… In my hometown, someone liked me, but even if she showed it…”
“Heh heh! Stop it!”
I cleared my throat and fled to the meeting room where Buk Hyang-hwa was waiting.
“Hmph, Buk Elder.”
“Ah, Seo Eun-hyun, thinking about it, it’s time for today’s practice too.”
“Yes. Let’s start quickly.”
Together with her, we entered the workshop and began making glass artifacts.
Recently, she had been teaching me the basics of artifact refining as well, so I was learning those too.
“Once you’ve memorized the terms I teach you, and after you read my ‘General Guide to Artifact Refining,’ you’ll truly understand artifact refining.”
“Understood. I’ll read it later.”
I followed her as she made several glass artifacts.
After watching me for a while, she moved to the other side of the workshop to adjust the array artifacts that Cheongmun Ryeong had brought.
For a time, the only sounds in the workshop were the work of making glass artifacts and Buk Hyang-hwa adjusting array artifacts.
After making a non-viable artifact, I made the white palm tree artifact that Buk Hyang-hwa liked and showed her the white palm tree made of glass.
‘It’s not exactly like a sand lily… but isn’t it a flower of sorts?’
“…Buk Elder.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“You’ve suffered because my skill is not yet sufficient.”
“No, Seo Eun-hyun. Your works are many wonderful ones too, aren’t they?”
“Works? Compared to the artifacts made by Buk Elder, mine are just… lumps of glass.”
“Hmph…”
The one who had been adjusting the artifact turned her gaze to me.
“Seo Eun-hyun, do you know what material to make glass with?”
“I do. Isn’t it sand from nearby?”
“Correct. Can I see it for a moment?”
She took the glass sand lily from me and resumed making glass artifacts.
“Sand is just ordinary stone fragments. However, when such sand passes through the hands of the right person, it becomes glass artifacts.”
She continued.
“As I’ve said before, there is no trash in the world—only things that have not yet connected with fate and bonds.”
Gradually, the glass sand lily I had made began to take on the proper shape of a flower in her hands.
“That means, if the right fate connects, even something can become a beautiful artifact. Don’t you agree?”
Paaat!
She handed me a glass quince flower and said.
“I don’t know what flower you want to make, but I made it into a quince flower that suits you well. Do you like it?”
I took the quince flower and looked at it for a moment.
“People in Byeokra Kingdom love glass. It’s easy to make from sand in the desert, and it reveals its true value when it receives light, even if it doesn’t show it in the dark.”
“…Buk Hyang-hwa.”
I looked at the quince flower, then at her.
“I have something to say to you.”
Originally, I had planned to say it once I had the skill to make flowers properly.
But now, it seemed I could no longer hold back.
Yes, I liked this person.
“Hm?”
“I…”
Thump, thump…
Her heartbeat sounded clearly.
Was she also sensing my atmosphere? Her face gradually flushed red.
Countless words swirled in my mind.
What words should I use? What would be the best way to say…
At that moment.
“Wait!”
She said, her face flushed.
“I have something to give you too, Oppa Seo! I’ll give it to you by tomorrow! Can you wait just a moment until then?”
“…Understood, Elder Buk.”
“Ah, and I have something to focus on in the workshop for a while, so let’s stop here for today and let me go?”
“Understood.”
I willingly left the workshop.
“Hmm?”
And outside the workshop, I saw Cheongmun Ryeong, Kim Young-hoon, and Buk Jung-ho waiting, clearing their throats.
I had sensed their presence since evening.
Buk Jung-ho nodded with a proud expression.
“Do well.”
Thud, thud.
He patted my shoulder, smiled, and left the formation spot. Cheongmun Ryeong and Kim Young-ho both let out sighs.
“Finally that dullard…”
“Buk Elder seems unlikely to reject him.”
Both of them were hiding happy smiles while looking at me.
“Hmph, I don’t know anything about that yet.”
“I do! If my eyes were sharp, I would have read your intent! Are you really not knowing?! Just act ignorant while glaring!”
Listening to Kim Young-ho’s nagging and Cheongmun Ryeong’s advice, I left the formation spot.
Anyway, it seemed I would not sleep well tonight.* * *
Buk Hyang-hwa sat in her workshop with her face burning red.
‘Elder Buk…’
She covered her burning face with both hands.
‘Oppa Seo finally started calling me by name.’
After staying still for a moment, she finished adjusting and storing the array artifacts, then turned her gaze elsewhere.
In a corner of her workshop.
A small wooden box.
Buk Hyang-hwa opened the wooden box and took out the paper inside.
The paper contained the structure diagram of a formation artifact.
The result of ten years of constant research, observation, and conception of her invisible sword by Seo Eun-hyun.
The formation artifact’s structure diagram was almost complete.
‘Now, let’s complete it.’
It was the perfect formation artifact for Seo Eun-hyun.
She remembered the moment she first told Seo Eun-hyun the conditions for the formation artifact.
‘I thought he was a crazy person.’
A formation artifact with such ridiculous conditions!
But she had burned with challenge, saying she would try once.
At first, it was just challenge, but at some point, it became genuine.
She wanted to make a weapon for Seo Eun-hyun with her whole heart.
What Seo Eun-hyun had wanted to say to her today.
From the atmosphere, she had immediately understood what it was.
But because of that, she wanted to hear those words tomorrow.
Tomorrow, it would be complete.
Sarak, sarak…
As she moved her brush, lines were added to the structure diagram.
Every time she drew a line, thoughts of Seo Eun-hyun filled her mind completely.
Before long, a contemplative pattern appeared on Buk Hyang-hwa’s face.
Chi ii i!
And the contemplative pattern brightened.
The two intertwined patterns of black and purple gradually merged and became one.
It was said that when one feels strong emotions, their talent grows.
She had worked hard until now, but it was the strongest emotion yet that began to grow her talent.
Buk Hyang-hwa drew the structure diagram in a trance, not even realizing her four-gates had changed to three-gates.
When three patterns appeared, her hand sped up.
It felt as if she could grasp how to perfect the formation artifact even more ideally.
The formation artifact she had completed after ten years of worry was perfected anew by her, more perfectly and freshly.
She added purple, golden, and pink intertwined patterns to her face as she wove the structure diagram of Seo Eun-hyun’s formation artifact without pause.
And the next day dawned.