Chapter 15. One Year of the Sword Demon (劍鬼一年)

The stench of fish in the air must have drifted in from Dongpo Lake and Daebang Lake.

Just the rich scent of soil alone told how fertile this land was.

A land once called Pungjeonbulhyeong—a place so blessed that war and famine dared not touch it.

Now it belonged to the Baekwoon Merchant Guild, and Hoyeon was walking through its vast northern rice paddies.

“This is the perfect environment to train the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Art. It’s wide open with nothing in the way,” said the Heavenly Thunder Sword.

At its suggestion, Hoyeon activated his cheollaegi.

Crackle! Zap!

White lightning sparked at his fingertips. Then, with his index finger, he pointed toward the ground.

Boom!

A small bolt of lightning shot from his fingertip and blasted a deep hole into the earth.

This was a technique usable only with the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Art.

It was the Heavenly Thunder Finger (Cheonraiji).

Crackle!

White lightning wriggled like worms from the point of impact, spreading outward.

“Does this really help improve soil fertility?” Hoyeon asked, tilting his head.

“Haven’t you heard the phrase frequent lightning brings a bountiful harvest?” replied the Heavenly Thunder Sword.

“Lightning brings a good harvest?”

“Look closely at the character for 雷 (thunder). It combines 雨 (rain) and 田 (field).”

“Oh? Now that you mention it, you’re right! But why is that?”

“Heh, that’s the wisdom of the ages. Lightning and agriculture have always been intertwined.”

As Hoyeon listened in fascination, the sword explained further:

“Fertile land has a high concentration of nitrogen.”

“Nitrogen?”

“Think of it as a kind of nutrient. It’s present in the air, but plants can only absorb it through their roots—not through their leaves or stems.”

“I see.”

Hoyeon nodded, impressed by the unfamiliar knowledge.

“That’s why if you farm the same land continuously, nitrogen depletes and soil fertility declines. Then you need to leave it fallow or grow nitrogen-fixing crops like beans.”

“So this art… does it produce nitrogen?”

“Not produce—it supplies it to the soil.”

“Hmm?”

“As I said, nitrogen exists in the atmosphere. Lightning’s powerful voltage breaks it down and infuses it into the earth.”

“Ohhh?”

“In short, this land has been struck by the powerful thunder qi of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Art for centuries. That’s why it’s overflowing with nitrogen and never loses its fertility.”

“Amazing!”

Hoyeon was in awe of the secret behind the land of Pungjeonbulhyeong.

“Old man Gondae, you sure didn’t live all those years for nothing.”

“Puhaha! Starting to feel a little respect for me, huh?”

“You truly are the best of the best—the Grand Gondae.”

“Heheh, Grand Gondae. I like the sound of that. There’s no one else like me in the world!”

Amused by the sword’s prideful banter, Hoyeon sat cross-legged in the center of the field.

“This spot will do.”

“By the way, what exactly are you doing here?”

“Huhu, just watch.”

Closing his eyes, Hoyeon focused his mind on his lower danjeon.

Within the vast sky of the Blue Sky Great Expansion Art, a thundercloud formed by the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Art floated solemnly.

‘Thirty years’ worth of internal energy. Not bad for my age, but still far from enough.’

Especially since the art consumed massive amounts of energy due to its use of powerful lightning.

‘Now’s the time to use Mental Absorption Technique (念力吸回).’

Back in his Sword Demon days, internal energy had always been a scarce resource.

He never even saw elixirs, and advanced cultivation arts were as rare as stars in daylight.

He couldn’t learn fast-boosting demonic or evil arts either.

So he devised a way to supplement his energy through mental force, and that’s how he created Nyeomnyeok Heuphwoe—Mental Absorption Technique.

“Fuuu…”

Taking a deep breath, Hoyeon now focused on his upper danjeon.

His forehead began to feel warm. Psychokinesis was activating.

‘Gather. Gather. Gather…’

He imagined a giant dragon whirlwind.

‘Qi, come to me.’

Woooong!

His mental force bent the laws of nature, drawing in the energy of the world.

A vortex rose, shaped like a funnel, spinning with the pull of gravity.

Rumble―!

The dragon whirlwind rapidly spun, devouring all the surrounding energy.

And at its core—at the eye of the storm—was Hoyeon’s lower danjeon.

Roooaaaar!

A storm of qi surged into his once-calm meridian.

“Urgh…!”

Hoyeon activated the Blue Sky Great Expansion and the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Art at full force.

Flaaash!

As natural qi poured in like a tidal wave, his inner sky grew deeper and broader.

Rumble!

KABOOM!

The cumulonimbus cloud quickly turned into a thunderstorm, growing as it exchanged bolts back and forth.

“Grrrgh…!”

His upper danjeon burned hot, his lower one was ravaged by wind and lightning.

But he clenched his teeth and endured.

And the reward was sweet.

“Hah! Huff! Haaah!”

Hoyeon opened his eyes and gasped for breath, ending the technique.

“Hehe… Haha!”

His head throbbed from extreme spiritual depletion, but he couldn’t stop grinning.

His danjeon now held sixty times more internal energy than usual.

In one day, Hoyeon had gained the equivalent of two months’ worth of energy.

And not just any energy—pure and powerful cheongunggi and cheollaegi.

“Heh, who needs a Great Elixir when you’ve got this?”

A Great Elixir was a one-time benefit, but the Mental Absorption Technique could be used infinitely, as long as he had enough spiritual power.

And it had one more side effect.

Tap.

Rustle.

He reached down and touched the soil.

Before using the technique, the land had been rich and moist. Now, dry earth crumbled in his hand like desert sand.

‘Heh, this technique absorbs the surrounding qi.’

Everything in the world contained qi.

When people lose it, they grow old and weak.

Land was no different.

“You lunatic! What the hell did you do to perfectly fine land?!”

The Heavenly Thunder Sword shrieked in disbelief.

Hoyeon scoffed.

“Hmph! So what? It’s not our land anymore.”

“You ignorant brute with no love for nature!”

“Old man Gondae, I love animals, not nature.”

Shrugging, Hoyeon stood up and brushed dry dirt from his backside.

Thud! Thud!

A puff of dust rose around him as he grinned mischievously.

“Hehe, I said I’d dig up the land, but I never said I’d spare its fertility. This place’ll be ruined in a year.”

One year later.

Merchant Man Hong-gi (萬洪機) returned to Hapbi—and was shocked.

So shocked he dropped the dumpling in his chopsticks.

Plop.

“No way… is that true?!”

“I’m telling you, it is.”

“That makes no sense!”

“You’re too naive, my friend.”

The courier he was talking to in the inn was named Hwang Jayang (黃慈養), and his words were unbelievable.

“That rich northern land turned into a barren wasteland overnight?!”

“It’s true. You’ll see for yourself. Not even a blade of grass grows there now.”

“But there are two lakes nearby. Why not just irrigate it?”

“They tried. Even built bamboo aqueducts to channel the water. Nothing worked. The land is dead.”

“Dead land… that’s absurd…”

Man Hong-gi murmured in disbelief.

Then Hwang Jayang smiled.

“That’s not the only strange thing to happen this year.”

“There’s more?”

“They say a monster lives in the western wastelands.”

“A monster?!”

Man Hong-gi frowned as Hwang Jayang chuckled.

“Kukuk, really. Day and night, it growls like thunder. People say if you listen closely, it sounds like a storm.”

“That’s hard to believe.”

“Even harder to believe? That there’s no more ‘western wasteland.’”

“What do you mean?”

Hwang Jayang cleared his throat and raised his empty cup.

“Ahem. My cup’s empty.”

“Oh, pardon me.”

Trickle.

Man Hong-gi refilled the cup, and Hwang Jayang continued with a pleased grin.

“People no longer call it a wasteland.”

“Then what?”

“They call it Seowokto—the Fertile Western Soil.”

“Fertile soil? But it was barren land!”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s newsworthy. Folks say the Black Tortoise died, and the White Tiger was born.”

Man Hong-gi shook his head in disbelief.

“Is something like that possible in a single year? It’s like divine intervention…”

After a pause, he smacked his lips.

“Tsk. I guess I can’t buy cheap grain anymore.”

“You’re a grain trader?”

“Not exactly. I sell whatever turns a profit.”

“Hmm?”

“But still… watching the Namgung Clan decline is sad. No one was more righteous than them.”

As he spoke with regret, Hwang Jayang smirked.

“Worrying again?”

“Well, it’s not like I have time to worry about others. I don’t even know what to buy from Hapbi anymore…”

“I meant there’s no need to worry about the Namgung Clan. They haven’t declined.”

“What?”

Man Hong-gi looked confused.

“But I heard the northern farmlands—most of which were theirs—are all ruined?”

“They sold the land.”

“Sold it? Land they managed for centuries?”

“And right after they did, it died. Odd, isn’t it? As if the land knew its owner had changed.”

“That’s some luck.”

“More than luck—it’s skill.”

As Hwang Jayang snacked on a side dish, he continued.

“These days, the hottest topic among courier guilds is the Namgung Clan.”

“What, they got into the escort business?”

“Yes and no. They started a business called Ho-Pyo, not stealing from escort guilds, but partnering with them.”

He explained the Namgung Clan’s escort joint venture.

Man Hong-gi slapped his knee in admiration.

“Ha! What a clever move! Only the Namgung could pull that off.”

“Exactly. Everyone was skeptical at first, but now, those who’ve used Ho-Pyo won’t stop praising it.”

Hwang Jayang folded his arms and nodded.

“Other noble clans treat couriers like errand boys, but Namgung’s warriors are both polite and highly skilled.”

“Really?”

“Not one escort mission has failed when protected by Namgung’s Ho-Pyo.”

“Impressive…”

Man Hong-gi nodded in awe.

“Well, I’d better focus on my own business.”

“If you don’t know what to buy here, go visit the Namgung Clan.”

“Hm?”

“Know who owns the Seowokto now? The Namgung Clan.”

“What?!”

Man Hong-gi’s eyes went wide.

Hwang Jayang grinned and continued.

“Yup. People called them crazy for buying that land. But now? It’s a vast tea plantation.”

“Tea? They’re growing tea leaves?”

“Yup. Word hasn’t spread far yet, but the tea from Seowokto is the finest of the fine.”

“Wow…”

Man Hong-gi let out a long sigh.

“Amazing. Maybe the heavens really favor the Namgung Clan?”

“They say it’s not the heavens, but the Divine Dragon watching over them.”

“Divine Dragon?”

“They call him that. His name is…”

“Namgung Hoyeon.”

“That’s right. Namgung Ho… Huh?”

A voice suddenly interrupted.

They turned to see a young man standing nearby, indifferent expression on his face.

Somewhere between boy and man, his handsome jade-like face was marred only by his loosely tied, tousled hair.

“Gasp…!”

“Hm? Who are you?”

Hwang Jayang’s jaw dropped. Man Hong-gi tilted his head at the unfamiliar face.

“I said, Namgung Hoyeon.”

“Oh… the Namgung clan’s young master.”

“Sounds like you’re wondering what to trade in Hapbi?”

“Yes, I am…”

“Then sell tea. I’ll give it to you cheap.”

“…Pardon?”

Man Hong-gi blinked at the unexpected offer.

“And… who exactly are you?”

“Me?”

Hoyeon grinned and thumbed at his chest.

“I own the tea fields.”