In “Heavenly Bright Moon,” there are three ways to increase your internal energy.
The first is leveling up through training, combat, and martial arts competitions.
The second is the enlightenment that comes from events. You know, that special enlightenment you often see in martial arts stories. Going through that will boost your internal energy and overall stats.
And then, the last one.
It’s through consuming elixirs. Naturally, the easiest way is the first one—consistent training. Enlightenment won’t just happen out of the blue since it’s event-based, and finding elixirs that boost internal energy is also a challenge. Most of them hide in secret realms or hidden spots.
Even then, you can only know their locations through events, and often, you end up struggling to conquer those secret realms only to leave empty-handed and lonely.
So, obtaining elixirs through secret realms is nearly impossible if you don’t know how or where to get them.
And that means, as long as you know how and where to get them, you actually have a good chance.
“Phew…”
Taking a low breath and finishing her meditation, Sayoon slowly opened her eyes. There was a hint of blush on her previously pale face.
“Oh? Senior Yoohee…?”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay put? What are you doing here…?”
One of the worried girls ruffled Sayoon’s hair roughly. Even I, an outsider, could clearly feel the affection in that touch.
“No, I thought that person might be in danger… I’m a disciple of the esteemed Hongseong Sect, so…”
Helping the weak and establishing justice. She was merely trying to live by Hongseong’s teachings.
With her flushed face, Sayoon explained, and Yoohee, who had been silent for a moment, gave her a friendly slap on the head.
-Smack!
“Ouch!”
“Even so! That was too dangerous! Who on earth were you fighting?!”
“Hwaryang Gak-jun.”
When I chimed in, Yoohee’s face contorted even more, followed quickly by another slap.
It wasn’t hard to understand her feelings.
“Hwaryang—like from the demonic side?! No, what were you thinking…?”
“The Senior Sister said we must know when to advance, even if it’s dangerous, to uphold righteousness…”
“You’re talking back…?!”
-Smack!
Another slap. Holding her head, Sayoon looked like she was about to cry, while Yoohee, grumbling, decided that she had a lot of lecturing to do when they returned.
“I just did it to help, so don’t be too harsh on me.”
“Ha… Anyway, are you hurt anywhere?”
“Thanks to Senior Sayoon, I wasn’t in any dangerous spots. Ah, I didn’t introduce myself—I’m Yu Wol. I run an inn and store in Seomhwa Village.”
“Ah… huh?!”
When I lightly joked, Yoohee seemed shocked for a moment. But it was brief; she quickly bowed her head, smiling lightly.
“I’m Yoohee of the Hongseong Sect.”
Another disciple of Hongseong next to her introduced herself too. After a light greeting, I saw an opportunity in the awkward silence and stepped back a bit.
“Regardless, I received help from Senior Sayoon. It feels a bit wrong to just brush it off. If you need anything, I can provide it from my store since I’ve heard Hongseong doesn’t charge for goods.”
“Haha… Yes. That’s right. The teachings of Hongseong emphasize that the strong have responsibilities too. And I’ve heard from Senior Sister.”
I thought I’d soon invite the disciples of Hongseong to the inn for a grand meal.
“I’ll treat you all generously.”
When she said that briefly, I nodded.
“That aside, it’s lunchtime, so how about coming over for a meal?”
“Uh… that’s fine…”
– Grrrr…!
Who was it? Who’s stomach just growled?
I looked at the three of them, and among them, I noticed the face of the girl I had fought fiercely with earlier turning red.
“Looks like that’s the answer.”
Of course, I didn’t forget to deal with Gak-jun’s body first. There were plenty of people willing to report his corpse to the authorities for a few coins.
After a while, when I saw the guards dragging Gak-jun’s body and the moaning idiots away, I took the three of them toward the inn.
When we arrived at the inn, the innkeeper was on duty. It wasn’t quite lunchtime yet, but preparing a meal should be fine.
Even if I asked them to order what they wanted, it was clear they would only get cheap stuff like noodles or dumplings, so I placed the order myself.
Once I ordered several quite expensive dishes from the inn, I could see Sayoon’s complexion starting to pale.
“Um, those expensive things… I didn’t help you out for this. And, um…”
“It’s fine.”
I cut her off and sat down at a nearby table.
“By the way, you mentioned you’re the youngest in Hongseong Sect… You’re quite strong.”
“Ah, um.”
While subtly gauging Yoohee’s reaction, Sayoon let out a small sigh after she nodded.
“I’ve been learning a bit separately from the Senior Sister for a while now. So…”
So she learned something separately from Hongryeon? Why? And just how far has she come along?
But asking further was difficult under Yoohee’s piercing gaze. After all, it was an internal matter of the Hongseong Sect.
What’s important is that Sayoon has learned a bit more of the Hongseong Divine Art than I expected, which is good for me. If she becomes stronger, I’ll be able to smoothly stop the Hongseong Sect’s extermination event that I must intervene in.
“I see.”
Just as I nodded, one of the dishes was served. It was an appetizer with stir-fried eggplant and assorted vegetables, seasoned to enhance the flavor.
Seeing it, the eyes of the three girls sparkled.
“Well then, enjoy your meal.”
“Uh. Aren’t you eating with us?”
“If I join a pointless gathering, it’ll just be awkward. Don’t feel burdened, just eat. Oh, and I’ll let you know – when you head back, be sure to take a box of sweets each. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Huh? S-sweets too? I’m fine with that…”
“If it weren’t for you, it would have been a big deal.”
I laughed, and Sayoon hesitated before smiling back at me.
With that, I returned to my room.
Since coming to this world, all I had done for Sayoon was send a letter and a golden coin – nothing special.
Yet, the fact that Sayoon’s martial arts had improved meant that my actions had somehow affected the original story and twisted its course.
If that change is going in a positive direction, I need to make more adjustments.
More. More.
Sitting in my room, smoking a cigarette, I continued my thoughts. How much time passed like that? When I stepped outside, the inn was packed with other guests.
It seemed the disciples from Hongseong Sect had already left, as two robust men who looked like herbalists were sipping cheap liquor and having lunch at their table.
“Innkeeper.”
“Uh? What is it?”
“I heard from the Hongseong disciples earlier. They said you were attacked…”
The innkeeper, who was also a warrior that fought when problems arose, said with concern, and I laughed.
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
Yeah. There are more important things than that.
Several days have passed since the attack. I maintained vigilance in case of a secondary assault, but perhaps thanks to Hongseong taking action directly?
There were no special issues. Therefore, when the number of guests looking for drinks at the inn began to increase, I finished my preparations and stepped outside.
It wouldn’t be accurate to say there’s no risk of attack like last time, but I couldn’t just sit still either.
Still, it didn’t seem like anyone was pursuing me…
“Haah…”
With the moonlight guiding me, I arrived at Mount Hongseong. The beautiful Yeongsan where the Hongseong has resided for a long time.
The only reason I was climbing up the Yeongsan, where the heavenly apricot blossoms were scattered all around, in the middle of the night, was one.
“Hmm…”
At the midway point of Mount Hongseong, as I descended along the cliff further west of the Dragon’s Head Rock, a path appeared through the gap in the rocks.
Due to the dense foliage and trees, the path could only be seen if you approached closely, and as I walked down the revealed path, a large cave came into view.
If you don’t know where and how to obtain the elixir that helps enhance your inner strength, you’ll never get it.
Even in Heavenly Bright Moon, extensive investigation and many events are required to know this location.
Thus, obtaining the elixir is difficult.
But, what if you already know?
Then there’s no easier way to get stronger than this.
Hence, this cave I arrived at.
I aimed for one of the hidden places in Mount Hongseong, which could only be accessed around the latter half of Chapter 3.
By passing through here, I could obtain the elixir, so I needed to conquer this place.
I entered deeper into the cave and discovered a mechanism activated by a stepping stone.
Normally, I would need to figure out how to deactivate these through an event, but I already knew how to deactivate it.
I touched the stepping stones and decorations to deactivate the mechanism. At that moment, the wall suddenly vanished.
Inside was a large stone door.
I took a step towards the stone door radiating a red aura, and in that instant, the red energy blocked my entrance.
– Who seeks to enter?
“I am the innkeeper of the only inn in Seomhwa Village, the sole owner of the only store, and one who wishes for the safety and prosperity of Hongseong.”
– We do not know him.
I knew this would happen.
But I wasn’t particularly eager to enter, and I just wanted to confirm if this was a place I recognized, so I didn’t try to force my way in any longer.
Therefore, I stepped back, and the fierce red energy gradually faded away.
Now then. With the confirmation done, shall I return?
“Tsuh…”
Relying on the moonlight, I thought while descending the mountain.
In truth, there was an easier way to prevent the annihilation of Hongseong.
I could simply inform them about the Iron Blood Clan and send a letter warning them that there might be future attacks.
And I had already sent that letter.
The problem was how they would take it.
-Splash… Splash…
I recalled the letter I had sent not long ago. The content warned that Hongseong had been attacked and could be annihilated, so they should be cautious.
It was just like that.
The problem was that there were many letters being sent to Hongseong Clan like this.
Hongseong was a prestigious orthodox sect and had a powerful Sword Saint as a guardian.
Although the numbers were few, the Grand Master Hongryeon and her second disciple Ryuhyun, along with a few other disciples, were renowned throughout the Murim for their strength and deep respect.
And let’s not even talk about the fame of Hongseong.
As such, many sought to take advantage of Hongseong.
Among the methods of manipulation were sending letters warning about potential dangers to Hongseong or requesting assistance due to dangerous undercover forces appearing in the Murim.
Upon investigation, I found out that in the past, quite a few had attempted to exploit Hongseong in similar ways.
So, the chances that they would believe the letter I sent were remarkably low.
At least, some level of trust would need to be built to move the entire Hongseong, but… considering that even the Murim Alliance couldn’t move the Sword Saint, I was left wondering just how easy that would be…
“Sigh. What can you do.”
I already knew it wouldn’t be easy. For now, my job was to do my best within the limits of what I could.
I trudged over to the inn while pondering my next move.
“Hmm?”
I spotted someone standing in front of the inn. A woman with strikingly fiery red hair.
It was Hongryeon, the Grand Master of Hongseong, whom I’d seen once before.
“Who are you waiting for?”
“Huh? Where have you been?”
“I had something to take care of. From the way you speak, it seems you came to meet me. Why are you waiting out here instead of inside?”
“Haha… Well, this month is a bit tight.”
As she awkwardly scratched her head with a sheepish smile, I shrugged my shoulders.
Well, managing and maintaining Hongseong was always a tight budget.
Even if she waited at the inn, she’d have to order at least a cup of tea, so I guessed she was trying to save on that cost.
“So? What’s the matter?”
“Oh. Well…”
Her awkward expression shifted. Just as she seemed ready to say something serious…
-Swish!!
With a sound that tore through the wind, a dagger flew out of the darkness. Hongryeon merely tilted her head to avoid it and squinted her large eyes in that direction.
“Tsk.”
“Hahaha… The Grand Master of Hongseong meeting with a man late at night. This is quite amusing.”
A high-pitched, sultry voice.
The moment I laid eyes on her, I couldn’t help but grind my teeth.
Of course, it wasn’t because of her looks.
It was those slightly upturned eyes, a body shape that was unmistakably accentuated by her tight attire, which was practically like leggings.
And who’d be able to resist gazing at her long limbs, narrow waist, and voluptuous hips?
Yet, despite all that, the reason I couldn’t help but scowl at her was simply one.
She was Chaejin, the Grand Master of Moonjeong, leading the event of forced defeat against Sayoon.
But… why was she here now? She should’ve been making a name for herself in the Murim Alliance by now!
“Avoiding a duel with me, huh…”
As her sultry voice turned icy, Hongryeon casually retorted.
“More importantly, I have something significant to discuss.”
“Ha!! Meeting with a man?!”
“No.”
She let out a small sigh and spoke slowly.
“I need to find a medicinal potion for the youngest.”
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