An Unexpected Harvest
For a martial artist, internal energy is an indispensable, precious asset required to execute martial arts.
In a way, it is the very foundation that allows a martial artist to be called a martial artist.
They accumulate internal energy through their cultivated cultivation arts and infuse it into every single movement.
That is what the Central Plains defines as martial arts, which is why internal energy is so vital.
The deeper and more abundant one's energy, the more one can accomplish.
However, this internal energy is not something that can be acquired easily at will.
One must either build it up through years of grueling training, or obtain and consume rare elixirs that are hard to find even for a thousand gold pieces.
That is why everyone lives their lives obsessed with finding a miraculous encounter.
And yet.
"…My internal energy increased?"
"[…What did you say?]"
Out of nowhere, my internal energy had grown.
When I mentioned this absurd situation, Yoo Chun-gil also showed signs of bewilderment.
"[What on earth do you mean by that?]"
"No, I mean…"
It was exactly what it sounded like.
"My internal energy has increased."
It wasn't a massive amount, but it had definitely grown. I wondered if it was just my imagination, but there was no way.
How could I mistake it when the total amount I possessed was so small to begin with?
"[…Huh?]"
Yoo Chun-gil's reaction to my words was quite a sight.
Why was he making that face? It was incredibly annoying to look at.
"[What did you just say, you punk?]"
"Wait, I didn't even say anything out loud. How do you always know?"
"[I was just testing you, but it seems you really were cursing me out in your head.]"
"Now you're resorting to baiting me…?"
I wondered if he had finally lost his mind.
Anyway.
"It really did increase."
"[But why would your internal energy suddenly increase out of the blue?]"
"How should I know?"
If I knew, why would I be surprised? It literally just grew out of nowhere, so what did he expect me to do…
"Huh?"
I froze mid-question.
Because the events of a moment ago flashed through my mind.
Is it because of the spirit that just ascended?
The exact moment the evil spirit delivered its message and vanished.
My body had reacted.
A warm sensation had enveloped me, and I felt something mysterious seep into my body. Could that have been it?
If so…
No way.
Does sending an evil spirit to the afterlife grant me internal energy?
I swallowed hard at the thought.
It sounded absurd, but it was the only explanation that made sense.
My shitty past life.
If I had to pick the single most sickening task from it, it would undoubtedly be sending ghosts to the afterlife.
Grudges, regrets, or lingering desires accumulated through death.
Some spirits harbored feelings so intense that they couldn't move on without resolving them.
And during the days I was unfortunate enough to get caught up with them, I spent my time performing one godforsaken soul-soothing ritual after another.
I had sent countless souls to the afterlife that way.
Among them were ordinary ghosts, as well as evil spirits brimming with malice.
Though they varied wildly in age and gender, they all shared one common trait.
And that was…
They never gave me anything for sending them off.
No matter how hard I worked to the bone, nothing ever fell into my hands.
Sure, there were times when they attached conditions to reveal hidden money or assets they left behind.
But I almost died trying to claim those things more than a few times.
One must never touch things left behind by the dead. Even with their permission, the laws of the world would not allow it unless a proper price was paid.
Thanks to that, getting dragged through the mud was just a regular Tuesday for me.
"…An increase in internal energy, huh."
I sat in my chair, deeply contemplating the situation.
The increased energy, and its connection to the ascension of spirits.
If my hypothesis was correct, this was an incredibly massive opportunity.
If one could acquire internal energy this way, it was the ultimate shortcut.
However, there was one catch…
Is the condition strictly ascension?
What exactly triggered this? If it really was sending spirits to the afterlife…
"Then that's going to be highly problematic."
It would invite far too many complications.
"[What do you mean, problematic?]"
Yoo Chun-gil cut into my thoughts.
"[Instead of wasting time worrying, you should be out there rounding up every ghost you can find and sending them off. What could possibly be the issue?]"
If sending them off increased my internal energy, then Yoo Chun-gil's stance was that I should exorcise as many ghosts as possible to reap the rewards.
But.
"…It's not that simple."
I couldn't accept his logic so easily.
"The more I interfere with the affairs of the dead in the living world, the worse the backlash is for me."
As I mentioned before, karma exists. The ghosts get what they want and move on, but…
The karma that accumulates on me as a result can't be washed away.
The aftermath of sending them off was the real issue.
Karma is a terrifying thing.
If I went on a reckless exorcism spree just for the quick gains, the backlash would inevitably catch up to me.
On top of that…
If word gets out…
If rumors about me spread among the ghost community, this life of mine would be thoroughly ruined.
Especially in a world like this, where violent deaths were a daily occurrence.
"Tsk."
I had no way of knowing how the ascension of spirits was linked to the growth of my internal energy, or what the underlying mechanics were.
But if it's true.
What should I do?
It was undoubtedly a miraculous opportunity, but still.
Just as the old man said, it was technically possible to harvest energy by sending spirits off.
But I don't think I can handle the consequences.
There was still too little information to test or exploit it.
If I had known earlier, I would have at least looked into it…
But how could I have known?
Since I had resolved to live a life completely detached from ghosts in this lifetime, this was my very first time sending a spirit to the afterlife.
"…Hmm."
It was a matter that defied easy conclusions.
Three days had passed since my internal energy increased, yet I was still mired in contemplation.
Even so, my hands kept moving.
I had to pack my things.
As I was in the middle of packing, a voice called out.
"Young Master Bang. Are you ready?"
"Ah, yes. Almost done."
Hearing the voice from outside the door, I quickly replied to Cheon Ui-jin.
I don't even have that many belongings. Why is there so much to pack?
I thought it would be over in a flash, but it was taking longer than expected.
After stuffing the bags, I picked up my luggage and barely managed to lift the wooden coffin beside them.
"Sigh…"
I wanted to throw it away right then and there. Suppressing the urge, I walked out.
"…I'll figure out the rest on the way."
The reason for packing was simple.
Today was the day.
The day I would leave Anhui to head for Cheongwol Gate.
With Cheon Ui-jin's help, all my luggage was loaded onto the carriage.
"…Wow, this is huge."
The carriage was so massive that loading my luggage barely made a dent in the space.
It was a relief.
What kind of carriage is this anyway?
It was a carriage I had never seen before.
As I inspected it with curiosity, Cheon Ui-jin explained.
"The branch office was kind enough to provide this carriage for us."
"…The branch office had something like this?"
I had never seen it before. In fact, even the carriage the branch leader rode in looked cheaper than this.
"Hahaha… If it makes you uncomfortable, we can request another one…"
"No, it's fine. The more comfortable, the better."
The more expensive, the better. Who would refuse luxury?
If they offered it, I just had to accept it with gratitude.
As I was thinking that, sure enough, someone approached me from afar.
"Hahaha! I hope the carriage is to your liking."
It was the branch leader.
"Not at all. I like it very much."
"Ah, that is wonderful to hear."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Think nothing of it! Our Young Master Bang is embarking on a journey, so this is the least I could prepare."
Our Young Master Bang? Hearing such an unfamiliar, sycophantic title made my ears rot.
"Hahaha…"
I let out an awkward laugh to hide my true feelings. The branch leader nodded repeatedly and spoke.
"Please do not forget us even after you leave. That is all I ask…"
It was a rather burdensome request for someone claiming "that is all." I wanted to forget them immediately, yet he was telling me not to.
"…Of course."
I forced a reply and climbed into the carriage.
A crowd of Martial Alliance members, including the branch leader, had gathered to see me off, but I didn't spare them a glance.
I already said my goodbyes to Senior anyway.
Before boarding, I had met with Yoo Hyeong-in and shared our final farewells.
I had no business with the rest of them.
As I quickly settled inside, Cheon Ui-jin asked with a puzzled look.
"Do you need more time?"
"No. Let's head out immediately."
"Ah… Understood. Let's depart."
"Yes, sir!"
Neighhh!
The coachman cracked the reins, and the horses neighed as the carriage began to roll forward.
Glancing out the window, I watched the branch office slowly recede into the distance.
"…Sigh."
I let out a deep sigh and thought.
Is this what they call moving up in the world…?
The path to Cheongwol Gate, a dream destination for others.
I was on my way there, but I didn't feel pleased in the slightest.
A path of grueling hardship lay clearly ahead of me.
The road stretched out before me, looking like a welcome sign to hell, which made my mood exceptionally sour.
But since there was nothing I could do about it, I simply closed my eyes and felt the wind blowing through the window.
A day after Bang Seong-yeon's departure.
While the usual atmosphere of the branch office persisted.
"…What do you mean by that?"
Jin Gyeong-chan, the Captain of the 2nd Unit of the Anhui Branch of the Martial Alliance, asked with a frown.
"Who did you say came to the branch?"
His face was filled with disbelief. It was only natural, as the news was hard to believe.
"Well…"
The unit member replied hesitantly to Jin Gyeong-chan's query.
"We are currently verifying their identity, but the guest claims… to be from the Moyong Clan…"
"The Moyong Clan…"
Jin Gyeong-chan let out a low groan at the repeated answer.
Among the countless families in the Central Plains, the five most prominent were referred to as the Five Great Clans.
And the Moyong Clan was one of those Five Great Clans, and moreover…
Why would someone from the Moyong Clan, which has a terrible relationship with the Namgung Clan, come here…?
They were notorious for their exceptionally bad relationship with the Namgung Clan, the rulers of Anhui.
For the Moyong Clan to suddenly send someone to the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance was highly unusual.
Faced with this unexpected situation, Jin Gyeong-chan immediately stood up.
He had to verify it himself.
He needed to confirm whether the claim was true.
If they're lying…
Impersonating a prestigious family like the Moyong Clan would warrant severe punishment.
But if it's true…
For Jin Gyeong-chan, it being true was actually the bigger headache.
He hurried his steps toward the entrance of the branch office.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance, he saw the figures standing there.
"…I am Jin Gyeong-chan, the Captain of the 2nd Unit of the Anhui Branch…"
As he introduced himself, the person standing at the front turned to face him.
"…!"
Meeting her gaze, Jin Gyeong-chan gasped.
First of all, the guest was a woman.
She had long, straight hair and wore luxurious silk clothes that were clearly of high quality, with a folding fan half-covering her face.
What is this aura…?
The atmosphere radiating from the woman made Jin Gyeong-chan swallow hard instinctively.
Furthermore…
The person beside her is no ordinary figure either.
The man acting as her guard was clearly a formidable expert, even to Jin Gyeong-chan's eyes.
The woman spoke to Jin Gyeong-chan.
"Ah, nice to meet you."
Her voice was cold, completely devoid of emotion.
"…I heard that you are from the Moyong Clan."
"That's right. I came to look for someone… and they said they were bringing someone to verify my identity. Is that you?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Good. How should we proceed with the verification? I don't particularly enjoy waiting."
"……."
She was unusual.
Far too unusual.
Jin Gyeong-chan's instincts were screaming at him.
"…Um, young lady."
"Yes?"
"Before we verify your identity… you mentioned you were looking for someone…"
"Yes. That…"
Was it just his imagination? The woman stopped mid-sentence. For a brief moment, her brow furrowed before smoothing out.
"…I heard a sly, raccoon-like bastard was hiding here."
"…A raccoon, you say?"
Wondering what on earth she meant by a raccoon, Jin Gyeong-chan asked in confusion.
"Yes, a raccoon."
The woman replied with a slight, mocking smile.
"There's a guy who has absolutely nothing going for him except his handsome face. Oh, and he also thinks he's incredibly smart."
"……."
At her description, a single name instantly flashed through Jin Gyeong-chan's mind.
The guy who had recently turned the entire branch upside down.
Surely it's a coincidence?
"Um… by any chance, is the name of the person you are looking for…"
As Jin Gyeong-chan asked cautiously.
Snap! The woman snapped her folding fan shut. Seeing this, Jin Gyeong-chan was shocked twice in quick succession.
…What incredible beauty.
The appearance of the woman, now fully revealed without the fan, was breathtakingly beautiful beyond imagination.
Could it be…?
Looking at her face, Jin Gyeong-chan recalled a certain rumor.
There was a famous figure renowned throughout the land for her peerless beauty, bearing the surname Moyong.
Paying no heed to Jin Gyeong-chan's astonishment, the woman spoke.
"Bang Seong-yeon."
"…!!"
"He's here, isn't he? That sly raccoon. Oh, and if he tries to pretend he's not here, please deliver a message to him for me."
Hearing the name he had anticipated, Jin Gyeong-chan swallowed hard.
At the same time, the woman spoke to him.
"Tell him that since his fiancée went to the trouble of coming all this way to find him, he should at least show his face. And…"
Her name was Moyong Yeong-sun.
Twenty years of age.
"Also tell him that if he runs away again, I will track him down and burn every single hair off his head."
She was the woman known to the world as the Greatest Beauty of Yo-ryeong.