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"Then if the medicine is effective, can't we just take it as is?"
"Generally, yes, but… if you dig deeper, it's not that simple."
Seoyun had little knowledge not only about martial arts but also about elixirs.
Being with Dojon, an extraordinary master, was a fortunate opportunity for him, and he took advantage of the journey to ask all his curiosities.
Dojon, who Seoyun found likable, happily entertained his questions.
The topic this time was about elixirs.
"I received some good liquor; I should teach you properly, right?"
The attendance rewards he received on the way to Habhi had only been junk.
With the money he made from selling those items in the village they visited yesterday, he bought expensive liquor to treat Dojon.
As Dojon sipped from the last bottle of liquor, he spoke joyfully while Seoyun listened eagerly.
"For example… Daehwan Dan… no, let's talk about Mannyeon Samwang, which is considered the best elixir discovered so far. If you were to consume something equivalent to that elixir, do you know what would happen?"
"My internal energy would explosively increase? Or maybe I would undergo a transformation…"
"This is why storytellers are often clueless. Yuhwa, explain it."
"If you take that, you'll die."
"...That's a very straightforward explanation."
It was obvious.
Elixirs possess powers that humans find difficult to handle.
Just one intake can provide decades' worth of internal energy enhancement.
If not properly controlled, one could easily burst their blood vessels and die from that immense power.
Seoyun swallowed hard at Dang Yuhwa's explanation.
'So even if a great elixir comes out, it would be nothing more than a pie in the sky?'
"You should first consult a reliable master before consuming any good elixirs."
"Is that so…"
"And at your current level... Gongcheongseokyu would be the best choice. But even if you drink that, you won't absorb more than thirty years of internal energy. The rest will become potential."
It was a situation similar to when he ate Okbongmil.
When Seoyun looked at Dang Yuhwa, she shook her head.
"If you're at Gongcheongseokyu level, I can't fully guide you either."
"Hahaha! After drinking it, I guess I'll have to sprinkle it on my meridians and retrieve it later."
At Dojon's response, Seoyun sighed.
Spreading it through his meridians wouldn't mean much if he couldn't undergo a transformation anyway.
Patting his back gently, Dang Yuhwa said kindly,
"Don't worry; you probably won't have that kind of luck. You can't obtain Gongcheongseokyu unless heaven helps you."
"...Thanks for the good advice; now I'm almost in tears from gratitude."
It hurt his heart as it felt like she was pointing out his bad luck with draws.
While Seoyun sulked, Muyoung who was pulling the cart spoke with difficulty.
"We've arrived..."
"Already? That's too bad; if we had just a few more days, we could have explored that mountain too."
As Seoyun smacked his lips in disappointment, Muyoung glared at him with fiery eyes.
He had been diligently hunting monsters on their way here.
In doing so, Seoyun had gathered nearly a hundred low-grade magic stones and three mid-grade magic stones while feeling the weight in his pocket as he chuckled softly.
"What on earth is happening in this world?"
"Indeed."
'I hope more show up... I want to gather some low-grade magic stones too.'
"...Why are you so happy about this?"
"Well... who says I'm happy?"
Dang Yuhwa walking beside him looked at him intently.
Seoyun smiled at her and cupped her cheek before kissing her lightly.
"Ah! Young people are so passionate!"
At the sudden kiss, Dang Yuhwa's face turned as red as a ripe persimmon.
"What are you doing!? Are you crazy!?"
"Hey! What's wrong? It's just me and Dojon and Muyoung here."
"That still doesn't justify it!"
A sharp hand slapped Seoyun's back lightly.
But it was merely a stinging sensation.
Since she didn't seem to dislike it too much, Seoyun grinned widely.
If she truly hated it, she wouldn't have just slapped him lightly; she would have used Jeokryeon Sinjang instead.
Now accustomed to their affectionate antics, Dojon merely teased them while lying on the cart.
"Will I get some noodles treated by you when we go to Dangmun later?"
"Oh! That goes without saying! If elder comes by, would noodles be an issue?"
With a blush on her cheeks, Dang Yuhwa said coyly.
Dojon chuckled heartily and swung his weapon lightly.
"Alright then; let's stop this and get moving. You two should stop too."
"Yes."
Having arrived near Habhi's Habi Fortress now meant they needed to show proper etiquette from here on out.
After changing into the black martial uniform he had purchased yesterday,
Seoyun tied their horses to the front of the cart with Dang Yuhwa and Muyoung.
"Shall we go then?"
As Muyoung began pulling the cart toward Habhi Fortress,
Seoyun followed behind them and asked Dang Yuhwa,
"I'm still disappointed; I wish we could have done this a few more times."
"There's no better training than actual combat; let's make sure to do it when we go to Dangmun."
What they gained from fighting monsters wasn't just magic stones.
Seoyun's skills had also improved significantly.
Martial arts grow through practice.
Samyang Su and Chulhaengrang,
and now Baekbo Sin-gwon too.
For Seoyun who was learning three top-tier martial arts,
fighting for life and death felt perfectly suited for practical training.
"The only unfortunate thing is that goblins showed up so frequently; orcs would have matched your skills perfectly—who would have thought I'd only see four?"
"You mean capturing them without using transformation? I thought I was going to die…"
At first he used transformation techniques while catching them but they were caught far too easily.
Afterward Dang Yuhwa instructed Seoyun not to use transformation techniques when fighting,
and that process was anything but ordinary.
Even using all his internal energy seemed insufficient against them.
As Seoyun grumbled about this,
Dang Yuhwa affectionately patted his head.
"That just means you're growing stronger—well done."
No one cared for Seoyun as much as Dang Yuhwa did.
As Seoyun smiled sheepishly,
Dang Yuhwa plopped down on the cart.
"There will be many tasks during this meeting; observe the situation and think alongside me."
"What do you mean?"
"First about these monsters; second about Sahakryeon; third..."
"Welcome to Habhi Fortress!"
As the soldier guarding the gate greeted them,
Dang Yuhwa fell silent.
When Seoyun and Dang Yuhwa readily showed their identification tags,
the soldier verified them before handing over their travel permits.
"The government and martial world are separate entities but don't rely solely on that; otherwise you'll get dragged northwards—please be cautious about this especially these days..."
"Hahaha! Understood."
As Seoyun replied with a smile,
the soldier looked at him curiously.
"When I tell martial artists this kind of thing they usually get angry or upset—hahaha! Your reaction is quite refreshing! We need more people like you for the government to feel at ease."
"They're always working hard for our nation; what can we say?"
"Hahaha... It's nice that you're considering government duties like that—thank you! Here's one piece of advice."
"Advice?"
The soldier glanced around before whispering into Seoyun's ear,
"The Golden Guards are currently in Habhi Fortress."
'...Golden Guards? Why are they here?'
"I don't mean to alarm you but please don't act recklessly especially since there's a conference hosted by Jeonghyeobmaeng—they're watching closely; even if it's just for minor offenses against commoners you'll be dragged away without mercy..."
"Thank you for your advice."
"Haha! It's nothing! Now please enter!"
"Yes. Thank you."
After thanking the soldier and moving onward,
the expressions of both Seoyun and Dang Yuhwa were not particularly pleasant.
They weren't just any ordinary guards but Golden Guards serving the emperor himself;
the fact that they were in Habhi made things feel uneasy.
"The Golden Guards..."
Upon hearing the soldier's words,
Dang Yuhwa's expression grew serious.
No matter how separate government and martial worlds claim to be,
that notion was absurd.
Even strong clans or sects could fall in an instant if targeted as traitors by Golden Guards or Dongchang.
"The government must know about these monsters right? Did they come because of them?"
"I'm not sure… if they decided to seriously hunt those monsters then they would likely have requested assistance from Namgung Clan; they'll find out soon enough so don't worry too much."
As Dang Yuhwa patted him on the shoulder,
Seoyun drove the cart forward.
As soon as they entered the fortress gates,
a gray screen appeared before them.
[Mission: Successfully arrived at Habhi.]
[You have obtained 100 Geumgang Stones as mission rewards.]
[New missions have appeared.]
[New Mission: Race Slayer]
[Eliminate 5 members of your own race.]
[Reward: Ten Years of Cheonhyangsu]
[New Mission: Life-or-Death Moment]
[Eliminate an enemy of equal rank.]
[Reward: Hundred Years of Hawsu]
'More missions? No... Oh... with this I've surpassed 800 Geumgang Stones!'
As soon as he entered Habhi Fortress he obtained these 100 Geumgang Stones—combined with daily missions and attendance rewards he'd received previously along with those he'd gathered before,
Seoyun now possessed 850 Geumgang Stones.
'Just a little bit more and I'll be able to draw ten times in a row!'
Feeling proud of himself,
he noticed Dang Yuhwa behind him looking puzzled.
"You seem strange; going from serious to suddenly smiling—what's with all these mood swings?"
"It's just my mood; why? Should I kiss you again? Aww~ If you want me to kiss you just say so~"
After playfully slapping his back again,
she glanced around before whispering softly into his ear,
"Do it when there are no people around later."
"As commanded."
Once Dang Yuhwa calmed down,
Seoyun silently drove the cart forward.
Slowly moving along atop their cart,
Seoyun checked his missions.
[Mission: Race Slayer]
[Eliminate 5 members of your own race.]
[Reward: Ten Years of Cheonhyangsu]
[Mission: Life-or-Death Moment]
[Eliminate an enemy of equal rank.]
[Reward: Hundred Years of Hawsu]
[Mission: In Moments of Crisis]
[Eliminate 3 or more enemies of equal rank.]
[Mission Reward: 300 Geumgang Stones]
[Mission: Investigate Bi-dong]
[Explore Salma's Bi-dong located in Anhui Province.]
[Mission Reward: 600 Geumgang Stones, Low-grade Yamyeongju, Salma's Bi-sword]
[Mission: Collect Low-grade Magic Stones (small amount)]
[Collect 10 Low-grade Magic Stones.]
[Mission Reward: 300 Geumgang Stones]
[Daily Mission: Collect Lowest-grade Magic Stones]
[Collect 20 Lowest-grade Magic Stones.]
[Mission Reward: 10 Geumgang Stones]
For now he should set aside thoughts about investigating Bi-dong;
the rewards were substantial which meant they would likely be difficult tasks.
If he didn't prepare thoroughly enough there could be dangers involved.
'I might need to drag Dojon along if things go south.'
Given how favorable he looked upon him plus having a name like 'Salma,'
if it's Bi-dong belonging to someone who looks like a demon then even though it's in between politics he'd assume Dojon wouldn't show any particular discontent.
And what remained were three missions:
Race Slayer, Life-or-Death Moment, In Moments of Crisis—all required killing someone.
Especially 'Life-or-Death Moment' and 'In Moments of Crisis' were overlapping missions;
also Race Slayer simply required killing five humans like himself which posed no significant issues whatsoever.
In case clans went into battle against each other or conflicts between factions arose,
dozens could die within mere days among humans after all.
'The problem is...'
Currently in Habhi murder was quite troublesome.
With Golden Guards watching closely one couldn't act recklessly;
if caught wrongfully they'd face execution or worse—being dragged northwards.
He knew well enough that warriors were taken as officers during wars against northern nomads
and their fates weren't particularly bright either.
With a serious expression lost in thought,
Seoyun smacked his lips together.
'If things get really bad I'll have to work as a rogue for a few days.'
"Over there."
"Huh? Is that it?"
While lost in thought driving along,
they seemed to have arrived at their destination before long.
When Dang Yuhwa nudged him on the shoulder pointing one way,
a large estate came into view.
The estate belonging to Unka which he'd seen once before back in Jinju seemed 'petty' compared to this massive estate
which appeared two or three times larger than Jeonghyeobmaeng's Hanam branch.
As Seoyun marveled at this enormous estate ahead where Dojon had been moving forward suddenly halted their cart.
"What's going on?"
"It seems we need to get off here and walk from now on—grab your things."
"Okay."
Carrying his large bag towards Dojon and Muyoung,
he noticed blue-clad swordsmen bowing towards Dojon upon arrival.
"They're from Namgung Clan's Changgung Sword Corps—elite swordsmen indeed."
"Oh... I see."
It's best to avoid situations where unnecessary friction arises due lack of recognition between parties involved;
after hearing Dang Yuhwa's brief explanation Seoyun nodded in agreement.
"And from now on just say you're part of Dangmun."
"Huh? Why?"
"It's likely because it's Jeonghyeobmaeng's meeting where quite a few distinguished individuals will attend."
"You think they'll look down upon me?"
"Hmm… well yes? Or do you take pride being from Hadtong? If you'd prefer feel free telling them honestly..."
Seoyun shook his head firmly.
Pride from being Hadtong?
'There's no way that's true.'
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