By Yuk-gyeong's guess, this world was a cultivation realm.
More precisely, it was the very cultivation world from the last xianxia novel he'd been reading.
Yuk-gyeong had never laid eyes on an immortal himself, but in the year he'd spent here, he'd overheard tales from folks around him—legends of people soaring through the skies.
Of course, they could just be tall tales or outright lies, but Yuk-gyeong chose to believe them.
Why? Because this was the Moon Kingdom, a side stage in the xianxia novel he'd been reading right before arriving here.
What was the title of that novel again?
He couldn't even remember.
Didn't remember the details either.
If he'd known this would happen, he would've memorized every single word.
But what was done was done.
Anyway, this world was definitely a cultivation realm, and in cultivation stories, humanity split into two kinds.
One was mortals, the other cultivators.
Mortals were just ordinary folk—side characters who rarely mattered much in xianxia tales.
Cultivators were those who trained in the Dao, honing their Dao Hearts in pursuit of immortality.
The true stars of the cultivation world.
They braved storms, strode atop clouds, and aspired to share eternity with heaven and earth themselves.
So yeah, cultivators were basically immortal hopefuls.
And these immortal hopefuls possessed something called a spiritual root.
It measured one's affinity for elemental attributes, and without it, you couldn't attune to heaven-earth spiritual energy.
To become an immortal, you had to draw in the chaotic spiritual energies scattered across the world, refining only what suited you into your body. A spiritual root was essential for that.
Spiritual roots ranged from five to one. Five was the worst; one was the best.
A five-element spiritual root meant affinity with all five attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Affinity with everything? Sounds great, right? Nope, total misconception.
Affinity was like a radio frequency.
Cultivators had to tune into heaven-earth spiritual energy, capturing only what matched their frequency.
Beyond the five elements, the world was filled with all kinds of chaotic energies. Sifting out the right ones was difficult enough.
With a five-element root, all five affinities interfered with each other—like radio static jamming the signal.
That's why the cultivation world prized single spiritual roots above all.
They attuned exceptionally to one element's energy, unhindered by any others.
Single spiritual roots were rarer than a once-in-a-century prodigy—practically mythical.
Why bring all this up?
One day, a beam of light streaked down and crashed right into Hye-chun's home.
At first, everyone thought it was a shooting star and panicked, but it turned out an immortal had descended.
An immortal. An actual immortal.
The kind who strode on clouds and lived as long as heaven and earth—or at least, that's what the hopefuls aimed for.
To mortals, they were godlike: flying through the skies, moving faster than any human could dream.
Even Common Sense, now jaded to this world, accepted it as fact.
This immortal visited Hye-chun's house and checked her immortal affinity.
Even grabbed her wrist to examine her spiritual root.
The verdict? Hye-chun had a single spiritual root—a monstrous talent.
"Got it? I'm a single-root holder. My spiritual root is just one pure attribute. Sects will be lining up to take me. The immortal who tested me said to wait—he'd bring people from his sect. And he warned me not to join anyone else."
"Really?"
"'Really'? I'm different from you now, mortal. I'm going to become an immortal. I don't need trash like you anymore. I'm a cultivator."
"What about our promise? We were going to get married."
"Marriage? What marriage? You think I'd marry a rootless mortal like you?"
Hye-chun spoke to Yuk-gyeong with a coldness he'd never heard before.
Wasn't she always the one greeting him with a bright smile? This was the first time he'd seen her face so blank—or worse, looking down on him.
Yuk-gyeong asked in bewilderment.
"How... how can love change like that?"
"Ha, love? Your family has cows and pigs, right? That's what I was after. Don't need 'em now. Sure, you're handsome, but I'm not marrying a face. It's all about the conditions."
"What?"
"And those flowers? Can't even eat 'em—why bring them every time? I chewed you out for showing off. Don't come see me again."
Yuk-gyeong reeled from Hye-chun's icy words. She'd always loved the flowers more than anyone—turns out it was all fake!
The hurt hit so hard he staggered back without anyone touching him.
'Yuk-gyeong, that Hye-chun girl's a real vixen. Not as pure as she seems.'
'What about me instead of her? Hye-chun's got no manners.'
'Why meet Hye-chun? Where'd you find a girl that rotten?'
Now the village girls' jealous jabs rang true. No smoke without fire.
Maybe Yuk-gyeong had been ignoring Hye-chun's two-faced side all along.
The way she'd sneered at old man Suk, who handled all the dirty work in the village. Or how she'd heartlessly shooed away kids playing pranks.
Blinded by love, he'd overlooked it all.
Maybe he'd even thought his love could fix her flaws.
But the truth crashed in, cold as ice.
Yuk-gyeong's teeth chattered in shock.
Dumping him just because she had a spiritual root? Spouting hurtful nonsense without a care.
Rage boiled in Yuk-gyeong.
All those promises of marriage... for something so petty?
He'd loved her enough to give her everything, even take her back to his old world. That love now fueled his fury.
In Common Sense's mind, flames of anger ignited.
They burned away doubts and flipped a switch. The switch for revenge.
Yuk-gyeong forced a smile. Couldn't just let her go like this. Play along first.
"Well, since it's our last time... wanna do it once?"
"Do it? Do what?"
"Sex."
"Sex? What's that?"
"You know, intercourse."
Hye-chun's face flushed at Yuk-gyeong's sly suggestion. Intercourse! Such vulgar words!
"Y-You!"
"You're about to become an immortal. Wouldn't it be a shame to leave the mortal world without tasting its greatest pleasure—man and woman together?"
Hye-chun swallowed hard.
Even with her nasty temper, she had to admit Yuk-gyeong was handsome.
It didn't make sense that she hadn't considered that side of things.
Intercourse. Cloud and rain. The secret game grown-ups played.
Hye-chun was curious.
And if she was going to try it, better with a good-looking guy like Yuk-gyeong.
His temptation was hard to shake.
She couldn't deny the pull she'd felt toward him all along. It was physical attraction, and even without experience, her instincts knew it.
Hye-chun nodded.
"...Fine. Last time. Just once, for the end."
Breakup sex, huh.
Yuk-gyeong had never imagined it'd come to this.
One last fuck before splitting?
What a pathetic, scorched leftover of emotions.
How did it feel for a couple on the brink to screw just to say goodbye?
Absolutely shitty.
Might feel good in the moment. But then—boom—parting forever. Even the morning wood would die.
Right now, Yuk-gyeong was blinded by revenge. If this would hurt her back, he'd do it.
Yuk-gyeong led Hye-chun into her house.
Her parents were out in the fields.
The place was empty.
Click!
The door had barely shut before Hye-chun and Yuk-gyeong devoured each other's lips. Wet smacking sounds echoed erotically.
Hye-chun responded clumsily to his advances, but Yuk-gyeong, skilled, took the lead.
He sucked her lips, then slid his hands down, untying her garment strings.
"Ah!"
Hye-chun tried to block his hands at first but soon went limp, yielding.
Yeah, clothes had to come off.
The strings loosened; her front flap fell open.
Her perky breasts spilled out.
Hye-chun, embarrassed, covered them, her face beet red.
That only stoked Yuk-gyeong's instincts further.
He pressed in aggressively, claiming her lips while roughly groping her breasts.
At first, she winced in pain from his rough touch, but as he softened into strokes and kneads, her face flushed, hot breaths escaping.
"Haa... Yuk-gyeong..."
Her aroused moans fueled his excitement. He yanked open her skirt too, never stopping his lips from teasing her mouth, cheeks, and ears.
Hye-chun melted under his tongue work, strength draining from her body.
Yuk-gyeong deftly stripped her. It was easy. Soon, she was naked.