Seoyun borrowed a clean bowl from the innkeeper and headed to the back of the inn.
There, he placed the purification water among the stacked jars and prepared for a cold bath using ice-cold water.
Although he shivered from the cold, it was just right for cleansing both body and mind.
"...Well then, shall we begin?"
He had obtained the Absorbing Energy Technique last time he prayed to Buddha, but he no longer intended to ask Buddha for anything. Instead, he decided to pray to the Moon Goddess who had granted him Okbongmil before.
"Moon Goddess! Please let me have an elixir!"
[Starting free 1-time elixir draw.]
[(1 Star) You have obtained Hawsu.]
"What? Hawsu here!?"
This was shocking.
He never expected the Moon Goddess would betray him.
It wasn't even a thousand years or a hundred years; it wasn't even a fifty-year elixir that could at least be considered decent.
It looked ugly, smelled bad, and was just plain Hawsu.
After drawing the Absorbing Energy Technique in 11 consecutive draws and now Hawsu from the elixir draw, Seoyun felt mentally twisted by these two failures.
"Ugh... Moon Goddess, something feels off..."
Was this what it felt like to be cursed?
His stomach churned, and he felt nauseous.
Looking at the ugly Hawsu in his hand made him feel like he might vomit.
"...Why?"
Why was this happening?
His prayers had surely been perfect.
He thought he would at least get something like Okbongmil again from the Moon Goddess.
"Ahhh!!! Why is it Hawsu again!!"
"Calm down!!"
One of the guests outside shouted as he opened the window in response to Seoyun's outburst.
Hastily closing his mouth upon hearing that, Seoyun glanced back at the purification water and then at the Hawsu in his hand with an expression of utter defeat.
"...Right. It's because my faith is lacking. I should pray more earnestly..."
Suddenly standing up from his spot, Seoyun headed straight toward the battlefield.
After withdrawing fifty gold coins from a nearby Justice Alliance branch not far from the inn, he held them tightly in his hand.
Was it because he felt betrayed by the Moon Goddess?
His eyes were filled with madness.
"This time... this time it will work! This time... for sure..."
As he stared at the fifty gold coins trembling in his hand, Seoyun squeezed his eyes shut.
[Would you like to purchase a diamond stone?]
[Purchasing diamond stone.]
[First customer purchase bonus has been granted.]
'What!? A bonus?'
This was something that hadn't been mentioned in Daewon Shop's description!
Seoyun watched in surprise as Daewon Shop continued:
[Daewon Shop will securely hold your gold for your convenience after your first purchase.]
[You can withdraw your deposited gold when needed, and based on the amount spent on diamond stones, special items will be provided.]
[Thank you for your continued patronage!]
'They'll hold my gold for me?'
Seoyun rummaged through his pockets.
There was no gold left—only two silver coins and a few small change coins remained.
The rest was in vouchers.
Thinking it might work, he looked at his silver coins and vouchers: "Deposit."
[Currently deposited gold: Two silver coins.]
[Amount spent on diamond stone purchases: Fifty gold coins.]
Only silver coins could be deposited; change coins and vouchers were not accepted.
What kind of bonus was this? But upon reflection, it was quite a significant bonus!
Battlefields weren't available everywhere; even if one had vouchers, there were times when they couldn't retrieve their gold in places without battlefields.
In such cases,
they would have to sell their vouchers at significant fees in other battlefields.
In the worst-case scenario,
if those vouchers got wet or torn,
all their stored money would vanish into thin air.
But if they used Daewon Shop to hold their money?
At least that risk would be eliminated.
Moreover,
only Seoyun could access Daewon Shop.
He would have access to a highly secure battlefield!
"Ahh... what a great bonus."
Of course, there was an odor associated with it.
"Put your money here when you have it.
Store your money here when you have it.
And when you've accumulated enough gold to purchase diamond stones,
don't hesitate to spend!"
The more one bought,
the more special items they would receive!
Realizing that Daewon Shop subtly encouraged users to spend money,
Seoyun gulped nervously.
Daewon Shop seemed determined to drain users' wallets—like an endless sweet swamp.
Those lacking self-control might easily fall into its trap.
It reminded him of those loan sharks he had seen back in Hatung.
They made borrowing easy but made repayment difficult.
"...Just a little bit. I'll only spend a little bit this time; this should be fine."
Fifty gold coins wasn't exactly a small amount; even saying "just a little" felt misleading given its value.
Yet Seoyun was already half-crazed due to the shock from Hawsu.
That much was clear.
Daewon Shop opened up,
and he looked at the draw section for one-time elixirs.
A soft glow emanated from that section.
"...First, I need to cleanse my body and mind again..."
After placing purification water beside him,
he prayed several times to the moon floating above before starting his draw:
[Starting 1-time elixir draw.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained (2 Star) Five-Year Okbongmil.]
"...Should I be happy about this or not?"
Seoyun stared at the Okbongmil in his hand.
If he thought of it as having spent fifty gold coins on it,
then yes—it was indeed a gain.
However, five-year Okbongmil was something he had previously obtained through a free one-time elixir draw ticket.
In relative terms,
it felt like an enormous loss.
"Hmm..."
He needed to think positively about this situation.
But how could he remain positive after losing fifty gold coins?
Even while looking at the Okbongmil in his hand,
Seoyun couldn't muster any joy.
"I'm still hungry."
He wanted to try again.
Wouldn't drawing again yield something better this time?
But all his collected money had already been spent,
and all that remained were five gold coins obtained from selling orcs
and a few silver coins.
That wouldn't even cover purchasing diamond stones...
"...Right. The mission."
Among the new missions received,
there was one that included an elixir draw ticket.
Seoyun checked his mission list:
[Mission: The Season of Blossoming Love]
[Confirming smiles filled with affection from women.]
[Mission Reward: Sweet Gift of Affection]
[Mission: New Martial Art]
[Acquire new martial art.]
[Mission Reward: Free Elixir Draw Ticket]
[Mission: Collect a small quantity of low-grade magic stones]
[Collect 10 low-grade magic stones.] [Mission Reward: 200 Diamond Stones]
[Mission: Acquire lightness skill faster than anyone else.]
[Mission Reward: Fifty-Year Hawsu]
"…A new martial art."
Considering what he currently possessed along with what Dang Yuhwa had,
they only had four magic stones combined.
If they acquired a new martial art,
they would receive another free elixir draw ticket.
And if they succeeded in acquiring lightness skill faster than anyone else,
they would obtain fifty-year Hawsu.
"...I suppose this is all I can do?"
Glancing toward the inn once more,
Seoyun pocketed Okbongmil and headed inside.
---
After finishing her bath with hot water provided by the inn,
Dang Yuhwa entered with her face freshly washed and applied toner.
Many practiced martial arts even under scorching sunlight; thus maintaining skin health was essential while traveling through foreign lands.
Unlike those endowed with innate beauty and talent like Dang Yuji,
Dang Yuhwa had no such advantages.
She needed to put effort into her appearance daily—training hard every day while taking care of herself.
Tying her long hair back while applying toner before sitting down at the table,
she pondered aloud: "What on earth could this mean?"
Orcs aside—there were many monsters within the martial world!
Of course, while she had seen unfamiliar monsters before,
there were similar spirit beasts back in Sicheon as well.
However, this red gemstone-like stone remained utterly mysterious.
"Could it be an inner pill?"
Yet it seemed unlikely to be one upon closer inspection.
The inner pill she had seen before—like those from Poisonous Flower Network—had emitted a subtle aura of spiritual energy.
But this stone?
If one didn't know better, they might mistake it for just an ordinary gemstone!
Lifting up a stone roughly the size of her thumb,
she examined it closely but found nothing particularly special about it.
"I guess I should leave research up to grandfather."
Even though they hadn't captured an orc,
he would surely appreciate finding something like this instead!
This could also be considered an achievement!
'But compared to my sister's achievements…'
It paled in comparison significantly.
Dang Yuhwa let out a heavy sigh: "Sigh... Is victory truly out of reach?"
Currently, there was no son among Tang Sect's leaders.
Only Dang Yuji and Dang Yuhwa remained—two daughters without any sons!
Ideally, they would have taken in concubines or sought after sons-in-law
to ensure succession within Tang Sect—but their leader coldly rejected such notions!
Thus there remained two options:
Either Dang Yuji or Dang Yuhwa must become leaders
or one of their cousins would take on that role instead!
However, all male cousins declared they weren't interested in leadership positions!
Being head of a prestigious family came with unexpected burdens;
one couldn't easily engage in martial arts nor maintain political relationships necessary for preserving their clan!
Additionally, they needed to endure countless unnecessary meetings
while constantly dealing with others!
Even as martial artists—they must live primarily for their families!
That was precisely what being head of a prestigious family entailed!
"Sigh... A son-in-law…"
Dang Yuhwa recalled stories she'd heard from Dung Wang before.
No matter how strong or capable Dang Yuji might be—
if someone entered as her son-in-law possessing similar political skills
or comparable martial arts abilities—then whatever she desired would become unattainable!
But where could she find such individuals?
"It's so frustrating."
Even if such men existed—would they agree willingly?
If they possessed abilities—they'd rather establish their own sects
or join another existing sect instead!
Becoming Tang Sect's son-in-law meant completely altering their identity!
Why would someone with exceptional skills willingly abandon their own name
to take on such burdens?
'Besides… my sister has said she wouldn't marry...'
It truly felt overwhelming!
Just as she resolved herself while gazing at her reflection—the sound of knocking echoed through her thoughts!
Quickly wiping away her toner-smeared face,
she hastily threw on some clothes before opening the door.
"...What is it?"
"Miss."
Standing outside was Seoyun—the servant she had received recently!
As he looked at her with earnest eyes,
Dang Yuhwa tilted her head curiously: "What's wrong?"
"May I come in for a moment?"
"Huh... right now?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... Come on in! Oh wait—I need to change first!"
She remembered she had left her undergarments scattered around earlier!
Flustered, Dang Yuhwa hurriedly tidied them up!
'What's going on?'
He seemed determined about something!
As she quickly changed into her green martial outfit,
a thought crossed her mind:
"...Could it be?"
Suddenly recalling what Seoyun and Sa Yunyung had discussed earlier—
that he aimed for marriage into their family!
Seoyun was an orphan without any particular sect affiliation;
his abilities weren't particularly impressive either!
Whatever tricks he pulled off during these past few days—
his internal energy had grown significantly since then!
And despite being merely mid-tier among third-rate fighters—
he managed to hold his ground against top-tier opponents!
Most importantly—he didn't act flustered like other men from prestigious families!
And above all else—it mattered significantly how well they connected personally!
"...Based solely on conditions—he doesn't seem too bad."
Somewhere deep inside her heart began racing unexpectedly!
She'd never thought about Seoyun like this until now—so why did she feel this way?
'No more useless thoughts! After all… that guy…'
Seoyun had been indifferent even when looking at her bare skin before!
What could she possibly expect from someone like him?
Dang Yuhwa shook off those thoughts as she hurriedly gathered herself together:
"Come in!"
As she opened up wide—the door swung open revealing Seoyun stepping inside!
Feeling slightly nervous seeing his expression made Dang Yuhwa swallow hard:
"...What is it?"
"Miss! I have urgent news!"
Her heart dropped suddenly as anxiety gripped her tightly!
While she hesitated momentarily—Seoyun spoke earnestly:
"Please teach me about lightness technique!"
"Sigh... Of course!"
It was only natural given circumstances surrounding them right now!
With another heavy sigh escaping her lips—
Dang Yuhwa slowly opened up wide once more:
"Come on in!"
"Why are you angry?"
"I'm not angry! It's just my mood—it's just my mood!"
Dang Yuhwa shouted without hiding her roughened voice while Seoyun entered awkwardly behind her.