Just Some Random Loot
Upon arriving at their destination, everyone except Elena was overjoyed. The villagers cheered wildly, slamming their muscular bodies together in celebration.
“Uwaaaa!”
“We’re in Sichuan, the heart of the orthodox factions!”
“The Sadoryeon won’t dare launch an open attack on us here!”
Sichuan was the territory of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Cheongseong Sect, the Emei Sect, and other renowned orthodox powers. It was a region where even the Sadoryeon hesitated to interfere. As the group let out a collective sigh of relief and their tension finally unraveled, details they had overlooked until now came into focus.
“Saintess!” Lee Cheongryeo’s eyes sparkled as he hurried toward Elena. “My internal energy has exploded! What method did you use, exactly?”
“It works by drawing out the latent potential within your bodies…”
“But Saintess, internal energy is accumulated by absorbing external qi. Does pulling forth the body’s potential truly increase it?”
Ugh, this guy sure loves to run his mouth.
Elena fought down her irritation at the persistent questioning and kept her gentle smile in place. “In truth, it creates a resonance between the body and the internal energy…”
“A resonance?”
“….”
She wanted to spin some plausible explanation, but she lacked the knowledge to make it convincing. At the same time, she could hardly tell these Murim people the truth—that it was a healer’s buff. She was cornered.
“Geomhee, have you lost your mind?” Geumgang stepped in at the perfect moment. “Are you truly this dense, or are you deliberately trying to pry into our Lord’s martial secrets?”
“N-no, that’s not it!” Lee Cheongryeo’s face fell as he realized his mistake. In the Murim, asking about another person’s cultivation techniques beyond a certain point was a serious breach of etiquette. It could easily be misinterpreted as an attempt to steal their secrets.
“Saintess, please forgive me! I was simply too astonished.”
“…Well, it is rather surprising,” Geumgang admitted, understanding the man’s feelings. “Enhancing someone’s latent potential without even laying a hand on them—I’ve never heard of such a technique. It is truly mysterious. Thanks to it, we were able to repel Gi Eungso.”
Geumgang offered praise first, then voiced his concern. “However, my Lord, when will this effect dissipate? Maintaining this level of power for long could consume one’s origin qi.”
“Dissipate? It’s permanent. There are no side effects, either.”
“…Pardon?” Geumgang’s eyes bulged.
To Elena, their reaction was baffling. Even if it doesn’t look like much, this is a level 100 cleric’s buff. It’d be annoying if something that only adds the equivalent of twenty levels or so suddenly wore off mid-fight. She had applied it with exactly that casual mindset, but to these Murim warriors, it was an earth-shaking revelation.
“I-impossible…”
“How can that be!”
Both Geumgang and Lee Cheongryeo were visibly shaken. The strengthening was significant even for experts like them. It had elevated the residents of Muwichon—who had once been no better than ordinary civilians—to the point where they could stand against Second-class martial artists.
Which means…
If the Saintess wished, she could mass-produce Second-class experts!
Even a single Second-class practitioner was considered an elite. The ability to create them at will could upset the very balance of the world.
“Whoaaa!”
“So we get to keep these bodies forever?!”
The villagers, who lacked deep martial knowledge, simply rejoiced at their newfound strength.
“Saintess, not only did you heal our bodies, you made us this powerful! Even offering our lives would not be enough to repay this grace!”
“I-I’m glad you’re all happy.”
Elena, who had never intended the ridiculous muscle growth in the first place, felt deeply uncomfortable. I still don’t understand why it turned out like this. Still, it did help us defeat the Red Blood Hall. And since I didn’t even need to stack additional buffs, maybe they were weaker than I thought?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Elena smoothly changed the subject.
“Now then, shall we find a place to live in Sichuan?”
Since they had brought the entire village with them, they needed an entire settlement. I need a house too. If I stay among these allies for now, I can secure my own safety!
With that selfish thought in mind, she looked at Geumgang.
“Mister Geumgang.”
“Please, just call me Geumgang.”
“…Geumgang. If we want to find homes for all these people, who would we need to negotiate with?”
“A great landlord,” Geumgang explained, his expression growing serious. “We would have to purchase an entire abandoned village from a wealthy landowner who holds such properties. However, that would require a massive sum of money.”
The moment money was mentioned, the lively atmosphere froze. The villagers, who had essentially been homeless despite having a village, obviously had no funds.
“Sir Cheongryeo, do you have any money?”
“Only a bit of traveling expenses.”
The same was true for Lee Cheongryeo. Naturally, everyone’s eyes turned to Elena. Among them, she looked by far the wealthiest—her appearance was noble, and the pure white dress she wore was dazzlingly elegant.
“M-my Lord. Do you happen to have any money?” Geumgang asked, clearly embarrassed.
Elena gave a small nod. “I do have some. However, I’m not sure whether it can be used here.”
She still had the random junk items she hadn’t sorted through yet. The currency she had used inside the game remained. Strangely enough, her inventory had come with her.
“It’s currency from my homeland.”
“I see. Well, someone of your stature wouldn’t have traveled all the way from the West without any resources.”
“But will it hold any value here?”
“If you’ll allow me to examine it, I can give you my opinion.”
Elena pulled out a suitable item. In the game, it had been a low-value cosmetic resource—nothing more than pretty junk. She produced a diamond the size of a human head.
Thud.
Clang.
Lee Cheongryeo dropped his sword, and one of the hardy villagers collapsed where he stood.
“A-a diamond!”
Geumgang, who had thought nothing could surprise him anymore after witnessing Elena’s miracles, began to tremble all over. Is a size like this even physically possible?! And where did she just pull that from? Just what is our Lord’s true identity? Is she the daughter of a Western emperor?!
Geumgang barely managed to compose himself. “With this… even a great landlord would sell. Let’s go buy it immediately!”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Jo Chilbok was a well-known great landlord in the region, infamous for both his wealth and his foul temper.
“Who the hell is it? Coming at this ungodly hour!”
Jo Chilbok had been sitting in his room, eating greasy food and scratching his enormous belly. When a servant announced visitors, he flew into a rage.
“If they’re going to come, they should visit during the day with gifts! What kind of lunatic makes a surprise visit in the middle of the night? What do they want?”
“T-they say they wish to purchase an abandoned village,” the servant reported, cold sweat pouring down his face. “They apparently migrated from their original home and are looking to buy a new village to settle in.”
“What? Not rent—buy the whole thing?”
Jo Chilbok was dumbfounded. While he did own abandoned villages, they were still his property. Lending land passed down through his family was one thing, but selling it crossed the line.
“Tell them to get lost.”
“…Perhaps you should reconsider?”
“You dare defy my—?”
Jo Chilbok stopped mid-sentence. The servant’s expression was far too serious.
“What’s with you?”
“T-they don’t seem like ordinary people.”
The servant was drenched in sweat. “If you refuse, I fear what they might do. Please, come see for yourself!”
“F-fine.”
Startled by the genuine warning, Jo Chilbok heaved his massive body up. The moment he stepped out of the room and into the courtyard, he understood why his servant had been so terrified.
A group that could not be ignored stood waiting in his yard.
W-what the hell are those muscle monsters?!
Jo Chilbok had seen his share of large men, but the people standing in his courtyard dwarfed every giant he had ever encountered. Even the hulking guards he had hired were cowering in the corner, trying not to be noticed.
Among the more normal-looking trio, one woman immediately drew the eye. While the other woman was beautiful, the silver-haired Western lady possessed an entirely different aura. An almost inhuman holiness radiated from her entire being.
Her clothes are incredible too! I’ve handled Western garments before, but those are the finest I’ve ever seen. Could she be a high-ranking Western noble?
As a great landlord, Jo Chilbok knew how to appraise valuable goods. His mind spun rapidly. A high-born Western lady and her escorts… With that beauty, those clothes, and these giants, she can’t possibly be an ordinary noble!
Deciding it would be unwise to offend her, Jo Chilbok’s voice softened considerably.
“So you are the one who wishes to purchase a village?”
When he addressed the silver-haired woman, the rest of the group quietly stepped aside. Seeing how they deferred to her, Jo Chilbok confirmed his guess was correct.
The silver-haired woman spoke in a voice as lovely as her appearance. “Yes. I need a place large enough for all my companions to live together.”
“You wish to buy an entire village? You do realize that would include land passed down through my ancestors, yes?”
“We will purchase the land as well.”
“Listen here…”
Jo Chilbok frowned at what seemed like a naïve response. She doesn’t seem to understand that I’m saying I don’t want to sell my ancestors’ land. She must be a young lady who knows nothing of the world.
He was about to refuse, claiming it wasn’t a matter of money, when—
“Ah, Geomhee. There are mosquitoes buzzing around. Could you deal with them using your sword?”
“Yes.”
The middle-aged man beside the silver-haired woman spoke, and a woman with bluish hair drew her blade. A sharp blue energy flowed along its edge.
Sword Qi!
Recognizing the hallmark of a First-class master, Jo Chilbok inwardly screamed. She’s not just a noble! There’s no way an ordinary Western aristocrat could command a First-class expert. Don’t tell me… are they from the outer Murim?
He suspected they belonged to one of the powerful factions outside the central plains. One wrong word and he could die. Sensing mortal danger, Jo Chilbok chose his next words very carefully.
“I-if the price is fair, I… I suppose I could sell it.”
“Please accept this.”
The silver-haired woman held out a diamond of absurd size—the likes of which he had never seen.
“….”
When something was too ridiculous, even greed failed to appear. Jo Chilbok simply stared, wondering how such an object could exist in reality and who this silver-haired woman was to offer it so casually.
Silver hair. Subordinates possessing overwhelming martial might. And wealth that defied common sense.
N-no way… the North Sea Ice Palace?!
The name of the strongest faction in the outer Murim flashed through his mind.