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One Year Later at Dark Heaven Village

It had been a year since then. During that time, I had completed several missions and performed my duties as a guardian warrior for the Jeong Clan perfectly. I had also become pretty accustomed to Goryeo’s dialect; while I wasn’t quite fluent enough to speak like a local, I could manage quite well. Lee Joo-hee, who had taught me to read and write, closed her book and said,

“It’s over today. It was fun.”

“What’s with the sudden farewell declaration?”

Lee Joo-hee stared at me blankly for a moment and then suddenly pinched my cheek. Not knowing what to say, I just sat there dumbfounded as she broke into laughter.

“You look so silly~ But you’re cute.”

“……”

“Just kidding! But I really have to go back to my ancestral home now. I’ve been stubbornly staying here with the Jeong Clan for too long.”

“Your ancestral home, do you mean the Lee Clan?”

“Yep.”

I had heard the secret stories linking the Jeong Clan and the Lee Clan. The ancestor of the Lee Clan, known as Yi Seong-gye, was said to be a legendary warrior and a divine archer during Goryeo’s history. Apparently, he had partnered with the discontented rise of the scholar class to start a revolution against the corruption of the nobility at that time. There were even rumors that he had tried to start a rebellion.

However, for some reason, Yi Seong-gye did not go through with his rebellion. Instead, he set aside his ambitions and, alongside General Choi Young, invaded Liaodong, dealing a massive blow to the Ming Dynasty, which was trying to establish a foothold in Northern Yuan. At that time, even among the 150,000 troops dispatched by General Nam Ok to pacify Northern Yuan, some had plans to invade Goryeo, yet for reasons unknown, they didn’t move.

The result was a significant success in the Liaodong Campaign, leading the Hongwu Emperor to cancel the establishment of Tielingwei. Goryeo extended its territory all the way to Geumsan, effectively dominating more than half of Liaodong.

It remains a mystery why the powerful Hongwu Emperor withdrew from interfering with Goryeo, but it was widely believed that he was under great pressure from the Master of the White Lotus Sect and could no longer afford to pay attention to outside matters.

The developments that followed were even more shocking. After achieving stellar military exploits, Yi Seong-gye seized power within Goryeo a few years later, purging most of the nobility. In the process, General Choi Young and his family fell from grace and retired, while Yi Seong-gye and Jeong Do-jeon rose to become the leading clans governing Goryeo. King Gongmin lamented the fact that when he drove away the wolves, two tigers entered in their place, and eventually Goryeo ended up in a power balance between three forces, including the royal authority.

When Lee Joo-hee recounted these tales, she had her arms crossed and said,

“The elders of the clans say that Jeong Do-jeon got to where he is by compromising his ideals with reality. Well, ultimately, he purged the corrupt nobility, and Goryeo found peace again, so it’s not all bad, is it?”

“What you mean is…”

“Perhaps if Goryeo had fallen back then, maybe a new nation would be standing here now.”

Lee Joo-hee laughed carefreely as she said something quite profound.

“Hahaha, but isn’t that just conjecture? There’s no point in theorizing about history. Goryeo is currently enjoying its golden age, and that’s what truly matters.”

“……”

As I finished reminiscing, I spoke up.

“Once you return, it might be hard for us to meet again. You are the daughter of the greatest clan, the Lee Clan.”

At that, Lee Joo-hee puffed her cheeks out.

“Hmph, why must you speak so regretfully? We can meet anytime. I thought we had become quite close during this time, but perhaps that was just my delusion?”

“……”

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding! You’re taking things too seriously~”

Watching her laugh, I found it difficult to discern between sincerity and jest. Despite her lighthearted demeanor, Lee Joo-hee was the brilliant daughter of one of Goryeo’s most prestigious families. She had memorized the Four Books and Five Classics by four years old and competed with renowned scholars by the time she hit ten. Although limited by her gender, she was undoubtedly one of the most esteemed figures in Goryeo.

Inwardly, I felt a pang of regret about parting ways with Lee Joo-hee. She exuded the elegance of a mature woman, often stirring feelings of romance as I watched her. I had apparently developed quite an infatuation with her over our time together.

‘I wish to marry her.’

Yet, I shook my head inwardly. Lee Joo-hee didn’t harbor feelings for me beyond that of a ‘young friend.’ Moreover, the disparity in our statuses made such a notion impractical. I also had mountains of obligations to fulfill. Still, I couldn’t help but feel longing.

‘Damn… just once, I’d like to indulge in romantic adventures with all the beautiful women of the world during my reincarnation.’

It seemed the vivid Dream of the Nine-Tailed Fox had stirred up desires I had forcefully suppressed. Lately, calming my thoughts had become increasingly difficult. After all, my body had transitioned from adolescence, leading to intensifying urges.

Suppressing these feelings, I asked,

“Have you ever met the Master of the Twelve Joules?”

“Huh? You’re speaking of the Supreme Being of the Twelve Joules? Of course! The Twelve Joules are closely associated with our clan, so the Master comes by every year during the New Year to greet our family.”

“……!!”

“He was incredibly handsome from what I remember. Kind of like Song Yu or Ban An? And he looked quite young, probably in his twenties. I don’t know his name; he only reveals himself as the Master of the Twelve Joules.”

Lee Joo-hee smiled at me while speaking rapidly. Her gaze carried an unusual wisdom for her age, making me flinch involuntarily.

“Are you interested in the Twelve Joules? I knew it! That’s why I shared everything I know~”

She must have discerned that my tone resembled an inquiry. After spending two or three years together, there was no way she couldn’t figure it out. She had easily caught on to my intent to pose a challenging question, knowing it was our last chance for deeper conversation.

I averted my gaze, feeling embarrassed.

“I apologize.”

Lee Joo-hee grinned.

“Hehe, what are you apologizing for? Uncle Cheol-wook probably knows you didn’t come here just to assimilate into Goryeo. It’s purely because you’re not a bad person and might even be of help to our clan.”

“Hmm.”

“Still, I do feel a bit sad. You could have asked those questions at any time.”

Her expression genuinely reflected sorrow. As I fumbled, not knowing how to respond, she burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Just kidding!”

“……”

“Well, take care. If you feel bored, I’ll drop by again~”

“Safe travels. It was enjoyable.”

Lee Joo-hee didn’t come by the next day. She was staying with the Jeong Clan out of boredom, and when I joined, she started teaching me language and literacy. Now that she would return to the esteemed Lee Clan, I knew her visits would be scarce.

‘She also had a remarkable talent for martial arts.’

I had taught her martial arts for just over two years. Yet in that short time, she had acquired enough strength to take down even a second-rate martial artist by herself. She had fully mastered the fundamentals of the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique and understood its hidden meanings, surpassing my own learning experience. Eventually, I began to ponder whether I should teach her the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique due to running out of things to instruct her in. Had she been a martial artist, she might have become one of the most extraordinary female experts in the world.

Suddenly, a wave of melancholy washed over me. What was I doing here?

‘If a powerful entity like the Master of the Twelve Joules is protecting Haein, I’m not sure there’s a need for me to get involved.’

Of course, this was merely a stray thought. Nevertheless, I needed to verify whether Haein was one of the Seven Luminaries and discern its whereabouts. If I didn’t, there might be a lack of strength to oppose the Golden Eagle Guards in the future. Yet despite these considerations, the thought of spending my days here as a guardian warrior made me feel particularly miserable.

My gloominess must have been apparent to Jeong Cheol-wook. After three days had passed, he called me over privately.

“I can tell you’re missing Joo-hee now that you can’t see her. But if you stay in such a low mood, it makes me uneasy as well. Pull yourself together.”

“It’s not that. I just feel stifled, thinking I’m not accomplishing anything at present.”

“Feeling unaccomplished? Can’t you just train your martial arts?”

I shook my head.

“My martial arts have entered an ascending state, but I’m at the gradual cultivation phase now. I feel a barrier and can’t achieve much through personal training.”

This was my most significant problem.

I had learned most advanced martial arts at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, yet all these techniques required one to be at a peak level, demanding significant understanding. Put simply, I only grasped the basics of the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique and Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear but hadn’t reached the stage of mastering their unique secrets yet.

Lee Kwang’s disappointment and anger toward my talents stemmed from precisely this issue. It was evident he would need several decades of training to guide me towards a formidable mastery of those techniques, yet he initially accepted me believing I was a genius.

It would make no sense for a peerless expert like Lee Kwang to spend decades nurturing me. Hence, I ended up being ridiculed to the point of contemplating my existence.

Of course, if I returned to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and showcased my achievements, I might somehow manage to secure my position at my next level. Yet even if I succeeded, challenges regarding my talents would become apparent again. Faced with that, Lee Kwang might question how I managed to learn the advanced techniques and would potentially kill me out of suspicion.

Whether I sulked or not was evident in Jeong Cheol-wook’s eyes.

“Do you remember when you got your leave and went to Haeinsa Temple? How did that go?”

“Yes. It was a mental retreat.”

It was a lie. I had taken a three-month vacation following the Nine-Tailed Fox incident, using it as an excuse to go to Haeinsa in Hapcheon. I was told the Nine-Tailed Fox had no ties to Haeinsa, yet I still had to check things out. Although I couldn’t meet the temple’s abbot, I thoroughly inspected Haeinsa, finding it to be just an ordinary temple without any divine objects or exceptional martial sorcerers.

As Jeong Cheol-wook pondered, he said,

“How about this? Why not learn some medical techniques or acupuncture?”

“Huh?”

That caught me by surprise. When I asked in confusion, Jeong Cheol-wook explained,

“Actually, I didn’t mention this, but among the esteemed guests staying in the separate room is Elder Hwa, who hails from a background in Goryeo’s medicine. I frequently seek his assistance regarding health matters. His medical techniques and acupuncture reach a highly renowned level, so how about becoming his disciple and learning?”

“You mean Elder Hwa?”

“Yes.”

I’d seen Elder Hwa a few times while residing in the separate room. The Jeong Clan’s compound consisted of around twenty buildings, which included collective dormitories for warriors and guest accommodations. Elder Hwa was a gray-haired old man in his sixties favored by Jeong Cheol-wook, ostensibly a physician.

Jeong Cheol-wook chuckled,

“You know, learning how to save lives can increase one’s martial strength.”

That made sense. I had heard that many of the excellent physicians in the Central Plains were peak martial artists themselves. Since medical knowledge deals with Qi and blood lines, there could be powerful secret techniques involved. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to learn some medical or acupuncture skills, but I cautiously replied.

“I wonder if he’d accept me as a disciple.”

“Don’t worry. If you mention my favor, he’ll surely agree.”

Just as he said.

The next morning, when I visited Elder Hwa, he glanced at me with an expression of mild dissatisfaction and brusquely said,

“Warrior Baek Woong. I owe a debt to Chief Jeong, so I’ll teach you some medical techniques and acupuncture. Just don’t bring up any unnecessary matters to him.”

He spoke in Hanja. It seemed that since he was also from the Central Plains, he thought it unnecessary to converse in Goryeo dialect.

Feeling a strange kinship, I responded,

“Yes.”

He scanned my body and made a sound of amazement.

“Hmm… upon closer inspection, your internal power is quite formidable. Without consuming the divine pills repeatedly, no human could attain this level of internal power in a single lifetime. What kind of fortuitous encounter have you achieved?”

“Do I really have to explain?”

“If you don’t want to, then don’t. I was going to warn you of a critical flaw, but I can’t advise you if I don’t know what the issue is. You think I would lick the dung of whatever pill you consumed?”

His tone was so harsh and confrontational that it sounded like another person entirely. Despite the aggression, it seemed he genuinely wanted to help, so I reluctantly answered.

“I consumed Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Black and White Lotus.”

“Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng…!! And what’s this Black and White Lotus?”

“There were black and white lotus flowers blooming in the pond next to the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, so I consumed them together to balance their extreme yin and yang energies.”

“Oh… is that a fact…?”

Elder Hwa turned pale suddenly and quickly stated,

“You’ve already consumed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, but do you, by chance, have the roots or stems of the Black and White Lotus?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just answer me. Do you have them or not?”

Suddenly, I felt I understood what the Nine-Tailed Fox had meant. When someone you don’t particularly like bombards you with questions, it’s hard to develop any good feelings toward them. I resolved to watch my tone in future conversations, answering brusquely.

“I don’t. But why do you need it?”

Elder Hwa seemed to snap back to his senses at my response. He cleared his throat and said,

“I think I miscommunicated. Would you be willing to make a trade?”

“A trade? What kind of trade?”

“I was going to teach you the locations of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and basic medical techniques and acupuncture methods. However, if you give me the roots of that Black and White Lotus or tell me its location, I’ll teach you all my knowledge and the essence of Hua’s 108 Needles.”

“What’s Hua’s 108 Needles?”

“Don’t you know about the Hua Clan?”

“I don’t.”

“……”

Elder Hwa looked at me with incredulity, then sighed sorrowfully.

“Once, it was the most prestigious family in Hebei, but with their decline, it’s so tragic!”

“I’m sorry, I’m young and have little experience in the martial world. I apologize if I appeared rude.”

“No, that’s expected. Sigh…”

Elder Hwa, still sighing, settled into a chair.

“In any case, you must make a choice. What do you want?”

I contemplated deeply.

‘I secretly have two roots of the Black and White Lotus hidden in my bundle. Is it okay to use them now?’

In truth, if I were to be reborn, simply handing over the roots of the Black and White Lotus would be the right thing to do. A bit of knowledge shouldn’t vanish just because I gave it away. Instead, it could be seen as an opportunity to gain even more through using the Black and White Lotus.

However, my hesitation stemmed from the concern that Elder Hwa might be all talk and no action, taking the roots without actually imparting the secret techniques or might drag out the process by making me his disciple-for-life.

Having already been under Lee Kwang’s tutelage, I had experienced firsthand how secretive a ‘master’ could be when it came to sharing knowledge. The martial world was unforgiving, and it was unwise to carelessly barter away something so valuable.

Ultimately, I made my decision.

“Please wait a moment.”

Then I brought forth the roots of the Black and White Lotus that I had hidden in the secret compartment of my bundle for years. Elder Hwa took the roots, inspected them carefully, and gasped.

“Indeed…!! This is the Sacred Lotus! Truly…!!”

“What?!”

I was taken aback by his words.

Sacred Lotus! That was a powerful pill cultivated by the White Lotus Sect by special means, allowing anyone who consumed it—even a child—to gain ridiculous internal power. The state wouldn’t dare mess with the White Lotus Sect, not just because of the strength of the sect leader, but also because no one knew how many peak experts had grown after consuming the Sacred Lotus.

Yet I had never considered that these roots of the Black and White Lotus could be the Sacred Lotus from the White Lotus Sect. While I was still in shock, Elder Hwa continued,

“So you do know what the Sacred Lotus is?”

“Please tell me, is this Black and White Lotus the Sacred Lotus of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Exactly. I’ve seen it with my own eyes while I was in the sect.”

“You witnessed it in the White Lotus Sect? Are you, sir, perhaps a member of the White Lotus Sect?”

My question threw manners out the window, but it couldn’t be helped. This was far too important to take my time with. Understanding my urgency, Elder Hwa didn’t seem particularly angered and answered calmly.

“Not quite. However, my clan’s decline stemmed from the White Lotus Sect, and my involvement played a part…”

“……?”

“I’ll tell you the details later, but I can assure you, based on my name, Hwa Seong-myeong, that this is indeed the Sacred Lotus. The scent and appearance, as well as the ecology of it growing in both black and white, all confirm its authenticity.”

I didn’t care about Hwa Seong-myeong’s reputation, so I shook my head in disbelief.

“That’s impossible. The Master of the Teng Yu Alliance, who faced the experts of the White Lotus Sect, told me he didn’t smell the scent of the Sacred Lotus from me. How could that be possible?”

“That’s because of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. If you had consumed the Sacred Lotus alone, it wouldn’t be an issue; however, having taken the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in the form of a Tai Chi energy, the overwhelming Yang Energy would mask the scent of the Sacred Lotus. You possess internal power far exceeding that of a White Lotus member.”

“Hmm…”

“What’s more important is that you retrieved the Sacred Lotus incorrectly.”

“Huh?”

“While the roots of the Sacred Lotus are undoubtedly powerful, the true essence lies in the flowers. If you could consume both the flowers and the roots together, you’d acquire much greater internal power than if only consuming the roots.”

This was unbelievable! I had left the flowers behind, thinking they would wilt quickly, and never imagined they were the essence! While I was shocked, Elder Hwa spoke again.

“I plan to use this root to restore my clan’s prominence. If you promise to assist me after becoming my disciple, I’ll impart all my knowledge and the essence of Hua’s 108 Needles.”

Rather than taking the Sacred Lotus to the martial world immediately, it seemed he wanted to recruit me as an ally. It would certainly be reassuring to have such a remarkable talent as a disciple.

“Can I trust you?”

“Mmm… How dare you doubt Hwa Seong-myeong, once a member of the Five Great Physicians!”

Elder Hwa’s face flushed with indignation. I realized I had struck a nerve and hastily tried to mend things.

“No, I don’t mean it like that! You are the best, Elder Hwa. I was just asking out of curiosity.”

“Oh really? Well, then!”

All his anger seemed to evaporate, and Elder Hwa’s face brightened into a beaming smile. Just as the saying goes, the older one gets, the simpler they become.

“Then let’s get started today. I’ll teach you the medical techniques passed down from the Hua Clan, initiated by Hua Tuo!”

—————————= Author’s Note =—————————

I’d appreciate any comments or support for this work!~

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