Jade Flower Sword Namgung Serin #1
I kept at it even after coming back to my senses, practicing energy circulation and gathering while manipulating the inner power now settled in my lower dantian.
I'd never felt anything special from energy circulation before since I had no inner power to work with. But after consuming that yokai core and boosting my inner power reserves, something meaningful finally changed.
Swish.
The inner power in my lower dantian began to move slowly. I could subtly sense it spreading through my meridians across my body and circulating. For real this time. Inner power had truly taken root in my body.
"Doesn't feel like a huge amount, though."
Still, spirit medicine was spirit medicine. To think I'd built up this much inner power. Once I finished my energy circulation session, I stood up and tested my body with some basic movements.
"Whoa!"
Even after that brutal fight, I didn't feel worn out at all. No—if anything, energy was surging through me.
"So this is the power of inner energy? Pretty damn useful."
Shing.
I drew my sword right away and headed outside the lodging. The villagers startled at the sight of me, but I reassured them I was just going to train and moved to the back of the building.
From there—
Flash!
I unleashed the forms of the Three Talents Sword Technique.
"Hup!"
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the sword's momentum felt even sharper. No, it wasn't imagination—it had to be real. I'd gained real combat experience, perfectly executed those forms to slaughter the High Monk and gained enlightenment from it, and now I'd absorbed a yokai core to increase my inner power. Of course my sword strikes would carry more force.
Flash!
I ran through every form I knew, repeated a few extras for good measure, then sheathed my blade. Sweat was dripping down.
"Feels refreshing."
Just a basic energy circulation with this level of inner power and a light run-through of the Three Talents Sword Technique, and I felt invigorated. A real sense of accomplishment, too. Training in martial arts was this damn fun. No wonder wuxia novel warriors obsessed over inner power and techniques. How could you not when you felt your body, flesh, and even mind strengthening in real time? Murim folk must get the same thrill from cultivating inner power and skills as modern folks do leveling up game characters. In other words, Murim warriors were game addicts. Addicts to the game called reality.
After a bit more stretching, I took a break, and that's when the villagers returned. They'd retrieved Do Sam-cheol's body.
"Thank you. For taking care of Do Sam-cheol's corpse like this."
"He died fighting for our village. It's the least we could do."
"What a kind-hearted village... By the way, village chief, what about the other two?"
"They already left. Without a word."
"I see."
"Here. Take this certificate with my seal on it."
"Much appreciated."
I pocketed the village chief's sealed certificate. Now the full reward was mine alone. Half the silver had to go back to the Haengdo Sect to reach Do Sam-cheol's family, but still.
"Ah, village chief. Any carts or caravans heading to the city?"
"There's one tomorrow for tax payments..."
"I'll stay one more day. I'll pay for lodging. I'll leave with that caravan tomorrow."
The village chief nodded.
"Do Sam-cheol... Do Sam-cheol. Ah, here it is. No family listed. He's a wandering ronin."
"Really? Then how should we split the commission..."
"Do whatever."
Ridiculously, I ended up claiming all of Do Sam-cheol's inheritance. But what was even stranger was the Haengdo Sect folks' attitude. One ronin dead, two more fleeing mid-mission and forfeiting their pay—yet they seemed utterly indifferent.
"..."
Murim folk dying or betraying each other apparently wasn't their business. As long as the job got done, who died didn't matter. No inquest into Do Sam-cheol's death, no plans to punish the deserters O Geun-sik and Jang Yeo-min. Hell, they probably didn't even have the concept.
"So bottom-rung Murim warriors are just consumables, huh."
Dead or alive, nobody cared. All that mattered was if the request was fulfilled. A few ronins die? Easy to replace. Anyone would do. It hit me again just how cruel this Murim world was.
"Feels kinda shitty."
Anyway, with no family, Do Sam-cheol's commission silver, the money in his pouch, his sword, and all his belongings were mine. Pathetic haul. For a man who'd lived at least twenty years, it was insultingly meager. Come to think of it, the bandits I killed last time left about the same. ...I'd probably leave no more if I died.
I felt down for no reason and decided to look for Jae Mi-son. Might as well grab a drink since I was here. Felt like I was turning into an alcoholic, but with no entertainment in this Murim backwater, booze kept calling. Guess that's why Murim warriors lived drink in hand.
As I walked the streets—
Rustle.
Something familiar caught my eye up ahead.
"Huh?"
A woman in tight black martial robes, sword at her waist—female knight? The face I glimpsed made me mutter blankly.
"Auntie...?"
She looked enough like my aunt to fool me. Glossy long black hair, pale skin, tall stature. A total beauty.
"Nah."
Not her. Auntie's chest wasn't that huge. Head-sized melons hanging there... Auntie's were half that size. And those eyes—blue. Korean eyes are black. Plus, that ass peeking below. Damn impressive.
"But still..."
Could a woman that stunning even exist? A beauty like that—had to be some Murim master, right?
I was stunned, lost in thought, when—
Thud.
She appeared right in front of me.
"Gah?!"
"What business do you have?"
Stiff, businesslike tone.
"Uh, no, it's just—"
"Hm?"
Nothing to say. I'd been staring at a woman, and she'd caught me red-handed? Mortified, I went honest.
"Sorry, miss. For a second, I thought you were a fairy and couldn't look away... Never imagined a beauty like you could exist. I apologize for my rudeness in staring."
"Hoh, a fairy."
Her expressionless face showed a hint of interest.
"Quite the pickup line."
"Pardon?"
Pickup line? Fun one?
"Nothing more?"
"Pardon?"
More what?
"..."
She stared, and like I was mesmerized, I kept going.
"Even the Moon Palace fairy Chang'e would weep in jealousy at your beauty! With a goddess descended to earth, how could I not be captivated...? Just as beauty isn't a sin, neither is being enchanted by it!"
Chang'e was the Chinese myth goddess living on the moon. Legendary beauty, goddess of beauty herself.
"...Never heard flattery like that before."
This swordswoman could rival her.
"And Chang'e jealous?"
"Yes!"
"Heh."
Her eyes curved. The stoic woman flashed a bewitching smile.
"That's quite satisfying."
Mind-boggling allure.
"...Satisfying? I'm satisfied too."
"Yes. Farewell, then."
"Bye bye."
She turned and left.
"What the hell?"
No clue. Seriously.
At the guesthouse, Jae Mi-son was there. We naturally started drinking.
"Kik... Saw you coming to find me."
"Wanted to team up for jobs. You weren't around. Where were ya?"
"The brothel... Went there."
Brothel, my ass.
"Brothel?"
"A place to unleash my passion and music... I drop by often. Wanna come?"
"Can't resist songs and dances."
"Kuk kuk... Looking forward to it."
Memo: Jae Mi-son hits brothels in his free time for dances and songs. Might check his skills sometime.
We drank while chatting about that stuff.
"This job... Hunting the High Monk wasn't too bad. See this? I killed their chieftain."
I was wearing the chieftain's necklace on purpose. Looked brutal, but it was my trophy. Proof I could take a High Monk chieftain—my ticket to fame. In this Murim, reputation was everything.
"Kuk kuk... My eye for talent was spot on. Solid skills."
"With this, even the 108 Yokai Leaders? I could make a name as the warrior who slew one of them, right?"
"Nah... High Monk chieftain's strong, but not 108 Yokai Leaders level."
"No shit?"
"Still, you'll get some fame... Kik."
I toasted his gloomy chuckle. Booze stirred up all kinds of emotions. Should I mention the deaths? The yokai core I ate? Just felt weird. Probably confusion from all these experiences.
"Ah, but... Heard an interesting rumor."
"What?"
"The Jade Flower Sword is here..."
"What, Jade Flower Sword?"
Jade Flower Sword. Pretty straightforward moniker. Like a swordswoman beautiful as a jade flower—probably a woman's title. Jae Mi-son mentioning it meant she had name value.
"Who's the Jade Flower Sword?"
Played dumb.
"What...? You don't know Jade Flower Sword Namgung Serin, one of the Murim Four Beauties?"
"Not up on warriors."
"Even here in Anhui Province... Kuk kuk, befitting a hero I recognize. Ignorant of trivia."
"Bullshit."
This two-bit spear punk. Anyway, over drinks, I pumped Jae Mi-son for more on the Jade Flower Sword.
"Murim Four Beauties... Means the four most beautiful female knights in Murim. Limited to women in their twenties."
I knew the gist.
"Jade Flower Sword Namgung Serin... As the name suggests, daughter of the Namgung Family ruling this Anhui Province region. They say she's an unbelievable beauty... And at just twenties age, she's reached the Peak realm."
"Ooh."
Twenties for Peak? Insane. Our Baekgeom Martial Hall's master was Peak. Achieving that as a seasoned elder—at her young age? But famous Murim clans trained kids from birth, fed 'em spirit pills like candy. Made sense.
"But how beautiful is she?"
"Aaah... Supposedly unreal. Long black hair, pale beautiful eyes."
What?
"Long black hair and pale beautiful eyes?"
"Problem?"
No way. That swordswoman from earlier?