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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Hongryeon watched Sayoon facing the Lesser Asura alone, lost in thought.
Even though she hadn’t fully mastered the latter half of the Hongseong Divine Art, her movements were swift, and her punches, while light, were imbued with power.
Unmoving like a mountain, swift as the wind. Luring the enemy like a forest, then erupting like fire.
She was vastly different from the Sayoon she saw just yesterday.
She was growing stronger through real-life battles.
‘I didn’t believe it when I heard she defeated Gak-jun…’
All the disciples of the Hongseong Sect possessed exceptional talent.
Hongryeon herself never felt she lacked talent compared to others.
However, Sayoon was on a whole other level.
How long had it been since she started learning the Hongseong Divine Art?
No, how long had it been since she began her martial arts training?
People envy what they lack.
Envy turns into jealousy, and jealousy becomes a raging fire that consumes oneself.
But Hongryeon was too competent, her sense of self too strong, to be consumed by envy that made one covet what others possessed.
She was simply curious about how far Sayoon could grow,
and wondered if she could become the next Sword Saint, succeeding her master.
So, with a mix of curiosity and pride, Hongryeon watched Sayoon, and when her sword struck down the Lesser Asura, she burst into laughter without hesitation.
“Hahahahahahaha!! Well done, little one!”
“Ah, yes! Senior Sister! It’s all thanks to your teachings and the teachings of the other senior sisters!”
“Of course it is! But you shouldn’t disregard your own efforts! And you shouldn’t deny what you possess!!”
“Yes, I understand!”
Rumble…!!
Along with Sayoon’s energetic reply, a low rumbling sound echoed as the tightly shut door opened. Everyone present knew this was the final room.
“Now! Let’s claim our reward for conquering the secret realm and head out!”
Striding confidently, Hongryeon reached the last room, the altar where the secret realm’s reward awaited.
On it lay a small box.
She lifted it lightly and then came down, opening the box for her two junior sisters to see.
“This is…”
Inside was a large, pristine root, resembling a thick yam. As both of them looked on curiously, Hongryeon tapped it lightly and said casually,
“It’s a Cynanchum wilfordii. At least thirty years old.”
“A thirty-year-old Cynanchum wilfordii…”
It was considered an elixir, albeit one that provided a minimal increase in internal energy.
Still, it could be sold for at least two gold coins.
“That’s great, Senior Sister!”
Sayoon remembered hearing from Yoohee that Hongryeon was struggling with operating funds lately. She beamed, and Hongryeon smiled brightly as well.
“Yes, it is! Here! Eat it!”
“B-but this is!”
“Hmm? Ryuhyeon, did I say something wrong?”
“Well, no, not exactly.”
“See?”
Hongryeon spoke to the bewildered Sayoon as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Her attitude, like saying you have to eat breakfast when you wake up in the morning, left Sayoon speechless.
“First, you defeated the Lesser Asura in the secret realm. Second, you cleared the secret realm without anyone’s help. Third, you discovered this secret realm thanks to the map your ‘mister’ sent you.”
“But if we sell this, Senior Sister will be a little more comfortable…”
“Little one, the Hongseong Sect is a martial arts sect, and the goal of a martial artist is to become strong.”
“But…”
“Why do you think your ‘mister’ sent you that map? Simply to support you? To help the Hongseong Sect reclaim its lost secret realm?”
“Well…”
“If that were all, just sending silver would have been enough. If he wanted to help us reclaim the secret realm, he could have sent the information to the Hongseong Sect under a different name. Then the sect would have rewarded him. But he sent the map addressed to you. What does that mean?”
“…”
“I believe he did it to allow you to conquer this secret realm.”
“Do you… think so?”
“Do you intend to reject his kindness and generosity?”
“No, not at all!”
“Then this rightfully belongs to you. And I believe it is your ‘mister’s’ intention for you to take it.”
Her mind told her to sell the elixir and contribute the funds to the sect’s operations.
But her heart,
the fluttering feeling in her chest, told her to consume the Cynanchum wilfordii and increase her internal energy.
If that was Mister’s intention…
After a long moment of contemplation, Sayoon looked at Ryuhyeon as if pleading for help. But she was in a similar position as Hongryeon.
“Don’t worry if you feel bad about consuming the elixir alone while the other sisters haven’t.”
She gently stroked Sayoon’s hair.
“No one under the light of Hongseong would fault our proud youngest for taking what she rightfully earned.”
At their senior sisters’ kind words, Sayoon couldn’t help but shed a tear.
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After finishing breakfast service and returning to my room, I organized the ledgers, dealt with the inn and store’s affairs,
and began working on other tasks, including managing the tenant farmers.
I couldn’t just slack off after coming to this world.
I had to utilize the assets I possessed to achieve my, our goal.
As I was focusing on work, a courier from the Courier’s Guild arrived.
It was still daytime, but that wasn’t an issue. Couriers weren’t nocturnal creatures.
“Three deliveries today.”
One was a work-related letter,
one was a request for sponsorship,
and the last one…
“Oh.”
It was from Sayoon.
But unlike before, it was a box instead of a letter, so I couldn’t help but be curious.
“I’ll be on my way then.”
After he left, I opened the box. Inside, there was a smaller box and a letter.
What’s this?
I immediately unfolded the letter.
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Senior Sister Ryuhyeon said spring is a good thing.
To be honest, I didn’t really understand what she meant. As a beggar orphan, the changing seasons didn’t mean much to me. The only good thing about it was that I survived the harsh winter, right?
But with the retreat of the winter came many dangers, and as the weather warmed up, those dangers emerged, threatening me. So, it wasn’t much different in the end.
But it’s different now.
Because I learned that spring is a good thing.
I was an uneducated child.
I never went to a proper school like other kids. I only learned to read and write from my senior sisters after coming to the Hongseong Sect.
So, I didn’t know the literary meaning of the word “spring.”
But I think I understand it a little now.
Do you know, Mister?
‘Spring’ represents birth and new beginnings.
Senior Sister Hongryeon also said, “Hmm~! Spring (春) is a good thing!” in her usual boisterous way.
Though Senior Sister Ryuhyeon always turns red and smacks her back whenever she says that. I don’t really understand why.
Anyway, spring is a good thing.
Because new things always make me happy.
Like the new technique I learned.
Of course, it would be great if I could learn new things right away, but maybe because I’m lacking, I’m still a little slow.
…Actually, very slow.
But if I keep trying and trying, maybe even a useless person like me can be reborn and become a small help to the Hongseong Sect, right?
Hehe, spring really is a good thing.
Every time I write a letter to you, Mister, I think of spring.
Is it because the letters you send me feel like spring?
I always look forward to spring with joy.
My Mister,
do you like spring?
P.S.
Every spring, the Hongseong Sect makes flower tea from the new buds of the Thousand-Day Plum Blossoms. They say tea made with the Thousand-Day Plum Blossoms from Mount Hongseong, our sacred mountain, is excellent for restoring energy after the sudden change in weather or when you catch a cold.
The Thousand-Day Plum Blossom Tea I sent you is, I’m embarrassed to say, the first tea I ever made. I picked and dried the buds myself last year.
Thankfully, it finished aging just in time for me to send it to you.
It might not be as good as the ones the other senior sisters make, but I hope you’ll enjoy this tea and come to like spring, Mister.
I want to feel even a little bit of what you feel!!
If you finish it all, please let me know. I can make more for you anytime!
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I folded the letter and opened the small box.
Inside was a small, crudely made earthenware jar, carefully sealed.
I expected Sayoon to send a letter, but I didn’t think she would send something like this as well.
I broke the seal on the jar. After removing the layers of beeswax, oiled paper, and wooden blocks, I saw flower tea that seemed to have been preserved in honey.
I dipped my finger in and tasted it. A sweet flavor spread through my mouth, and the aroma of plum blossoms tickled my nose.
It was clear that a lot of care went into making it.
Honestly, it was too precious to eat.
But even if it was made with the Thousand-Day Plum Blossoms from the sacred mountain, it could still go bad, so I had to drink it quickly.
I placed a kettle on the brazier in my room. How long did I wait? Steam began to rise from the kettle.
I prepared a cup. And then a spoonful of Thousand-Day Plum Blossom Tea, a spoonful of affection, a spoonful of sunlight, a spoonful of gratitude.
As hot water poured over the tea, a wonderful aroma filled the air, bringing a smile to my face.
Ah… sweet…
Drinking tea sent by my favorite character while reading a letter sent by my favorite character!
I sipped the tea and reread the letters Sayoon had sent me.
With a feeling of satisfaction, I carefully stored the letters in my safe.
“Sir, someone from the Hongseong Sect is here.”
I had a feeling they would come today. I figured they would be running low on the supplies they bought last time.
I heard the report from one of the store employees who came up to my room and immediately got up.
I wonder who it is?
It would be great if it was Sayoon, but since she was struggling to learn a new technique, it was unlikely.
I went to the store with a bit of anticipation, and there I saw a familiar face.
As expected, it wasn’t Sayoon.
“Ah, h-hello.”
It was Ryuhyeon and Yoohee.
To be honest, I almost felt disappointed. But it wouldn’t be polite to show it on my face. I smiled at them and bowed.
“So, you came to pick up the supplies, as promised?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Take as much as you need.”
“Thank you!”
Yoohee quickly entered the store. Perhaps because the Hongseong Sect was a sect of women, they seemed to need a lot more supplies than a place filled with men.
As a store clerk went to assist her, I glanced at Ryuhyeon, who was standing there awkwardly, smiling.
“Don’t just stand there, would you like some tea?”
“Oh… N-no, thank you.”
“A customer is a customer, even if they’re on credit. I can’t neglect my hospitality.”
I nodded, and a moment later, a clerk brought us tea and placed it on the table. After I sat down, Ryuhyeon sat down as well, as if she had no choice, and sipped her tea.
…..
It was awkward. I needed to start a conversation.
“So, how’s Sayoon doing these days?”
“Sayoon? She’s… Wait, why are you asking?”
“She saved me. The Sunset Sword even went out to help her, the youngest of the sect. And besides, there’s not much else to talk about between me and the Hongseong Sect except for Sayoon.”
Actually, that was a lie. I was just curious about how she was doing and what she was learning after consuming the elixir.
But whatever, it wasn’t a lie.
Ryuhyeon must have agreed with me because she nodded slightly.
“She’s busy, as always. Senior Sister gave her some homework.”
“Homework?”
“Yes, a new technique… Come to think of it, you seem to know a bit about martial arts, Innkeeper Yu. You even recognized Gak-jun’s technique.”
“Haha, just a little bit.”
I shrugged, and Ryuhyeon smiled.
“The technique Sayoon is learning this time is called Meteor Fist. You saw it before, right? The Star Shattering Palm… This is the next technique.”
“Yes, it was a powerful technique, strong enough to take down Gak-jun of the Sly Wolves with a single blow.”
“Hehe, the one she’s learning now is going to be a lot harder.”
That made sense.
As Ryuhyeon said, Meteor Fist was a fist technique that could be learned after mastering the Star Shattering Palm, and it required an enlightenment event to learn.
Enlightenment.
Enlightenment, huh…
This one would be a bit tricky.
I took a sip of my tea, and the bitter flavor stimulated my tongue.
But I had to do it.
That was what I came here for.
And…
I thought of the Thousand-Day Plum Blossom Tea I had just enjoyed and smiled.
I couldn’t forget the cost of that sweet tea.
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