Upon arriving at the manor, I realized there was quite a gap between my perspective and that of the people in this era.
This place was fairly large, as I'd thought even when I saw it two days ago.
But I came from the 21st century.
To someone who'd lived amid skyscrapers and massive buildings, this manor's size was just "kinda big."
Honestly, it looked about the size of a movie set to me.
But Seolha apparently didn't see it that way.
Even she, who'd lived in the Namgung Family's estate, couldn't hide her amazement at the scale.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"It's just... so big."
"Save that talk for the bedroom."
I muttered the joke softly, and Seolha shot me a horrified look.
Heh heh. Hilarious. I sounded just like a sleazy department head right there.
A lame joke laced with natural sexual harassment? Spot on.
"Anyway, bigger is better. Beats getting cramped later."
"Do you have plans for something else here...?"
"Who knows? Honestly, I just bought it on a whim. No real thought behind it."
"Then what about the people needed to run the place...?"
Good point. We'd need staff, right?
But we couldn't just hire anyone. More people coming and going meant weaker security.
Above all, I hated the idea of random folks invading my space.
"We'll figure that out slowly. We don't need much space right now anyway."
"Understood..."
As we chatted, we headed deeper into the manor, where Manager Jang was waiting personally.
"Aigoo, Great Hero! You've arrived!"
"No need for you to come out yourself."
"How could I not? It's only right!"
Manager Jang laughed heartily, his face beaming with a friendly, good-natured smile.
"As of today, this manor's master is Great Hero Kang. So now comes the most important task."
"Important task?"
When I asked, Manager Jang gestured to his subordinates behind him.
They brought over a table and a large sheet of paper, secured it firmly, and prepared a big brush and ink.
"As the saying goes, new wine must go into new wineskins. This place needs a fresh start with a new name. If you'll write it here, Great Hero, we'll craft the plaque to match."
I nodded at Manager Jang's words.
Yeah, names matter. Can't just slap one on carelessly.
But if that's the case, they should've given me a heads-up to think ahead. Why spring it on me now?
Luckily, something came to mind right away. And I liked it quite a bit.
Yeah. That'll do. Now...
"About that plaque."
"Yes, Great Hero."
"If I write on this, you'll take it and carve it exactly like that, right?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Won't take long?" Engraving alone would take forever, no?
"Haha. It will, yes."
"Then... clear this away. And bring the actual plaque."
"Pardon!?"
"How long will it take?"
"Not long at all! Just a quick trip to the merchant house."
"Good. Bring it. I'll carve it right now."
Only then did Manager Jang catch on, promptly ordering his men.
While we waited for the plaque, Seolha and I moved Namgung Yeonhwa inside.
The plaque arrived quickly. Considering the distance, it couldn't have been faster.
The grand gate must be why—the wooden plaque for it was impressively large.
Hm. Nice. Manageable size.
Manager Jang's men secured the plaque perfectly, all watching me with eager anticipation.
A plaque, huh. Not hard at all.
The reason I stepped up so confidently? Simple.
Back in the cavern, I'd already written countless characters on the Black Wall.
Once I'd made some progress in the Obliterating Origin Divine Art and could wield qi to scratch the Black Wall, it became my personal canvas.
I even drew pictures on it. Tricky, but doable.
I drew the Dark Radiance Sword. As the pitch-black blade of unknown material appeared, curiosity flickered in the onlookers' eyes.
It's just wood, so no need for sword qi, right? That'd be overkill.
But on second thought, maybe sword qi was better.
Carving with the blade itself would be cruder than using sword qi, which allowed finer control—though harder to manage.
I channeled my internal energy. Sword qi bloomed along the Dark Radiance Sword, glowing white-hot.
Fierce light.
As that brilliant, menacing aura spread, fear etched into the eyes of those watching.
Alright. Prep's done. Let's give it a shot.
I swung the sword. Broad motions, but with exquisite precision.
The wood parted like liquid being scooped away.
The blade whipped through the air rapidly, drawing stunned gazes from around me.
The carving didn't take long. A few hundred swings? Piece of cake.
Thus, three characters etched into the plaque.
A unique font, mine alone, unseen anywhere else.
Ink Sword Grove.
"Ooh..."
Manager Jang admired the characters, his subordinates reacting similarly.
That level of reaction means it turned out well. I could tell flattery from genuine awe.
"Incredible, Great Hero! So majestic and powerful! It's like the letters are crouching, glaring right at us! But... why 'Grove'?"
"Manor Lord or Estate Master feels cliché. Sect Leader's off too. So, Grove Master it is."
"I see... Ho ho."
"And I don't want to show my face to the world much. Grove Master fits perfectly. You get what I mean, right?"
Manager Jang's eyes widened slightly, then he grinned and pressed a finger to his lips.
The spirit medicine, the Night-Luminescent Pearl—same deal.
I didn't like my existence being exposed to the world.
Lurking quietly in the shadows, striking only when needed. That's my style.
Fortuitous encounters thrive on secrecy. Anything out in the open isn't one.
Anyway, his men carted off the plaque again, and Manager Jang chatted a bit more before leaving.
Considering Seolha's worries, I made a few requests of him.
To maintain this huge manor, we'd need at least minimal staff for chores.
The merchant house had plenty of tight-lipped folks. Loose tongues didn't last there.
So I asked him to send some over.
He knew about the extra Night-Luminescent Pearls, so he readily agreed.
With that, Seolha and I headed inside.
My new home. Ink Sword Grove.
A bit grandiose, but I liked the name.
Names like this? You strike when inspiration hits.
"Great Hero. Is 'Ink Sword' in Ink Sword Grove related to that sword of yours?"
"Ah, this?"
"Yes."
"Kinda, yeah. Oh, right. I'll make one for you too. That's why I brought you along."
"Pardon? Make what... Ah!"
"Won't take long, so hang tight. By the way, you learned swordsmanship in the Namgung Family, so heavy swords or mid-weight ones?"
"Yes, Great Hero. Mostly heavy swords, mid-weight swords, and the principles of blunt swords."
"What style?"
"Grand Linked Swordsmanship."
"Never heard of it. We'll have you demonstrate sometime. Anyway, now that we have a place, let's focus on reviving your dantian and treating that girl. It might take a while, so take it easy."
"If it's your task, Great Hero, of course."
Seolha gazed at me with eyes full of trust.
Ah. She's pretty. How about a housewarming quickie to start things off? Should be fine, right?
Thus began life at Ink Sword Grove.
Thanks to Manager Jang's arrangements, it was pretty comfortable.
Not as flashy or luxurious as Jade Radiance Pavilion—that was over the top.
For everyday living, this was perfect. Satisfying.
"Alright, let's get started. First, rebuilding your dantian."
"Yeonhwa first..."
"You first. I need you handling the small stuff while I focus on her. You wanna do that without a scrap of qi?"
"...I understand. I'll follow your lead, Great Hero."
She always got stubborn like this over weird things.
Guess that's how much she cared for the girl.
"Come sit here. Let's check once more. Yours is completely shattered and empty, so it's actually easier. Might even need to smash hers and start over."
"I-is that so?"
Destroying a dantian was as good as death to a martial artist.
That's why my words still didn't sit right with Seolha.
"Sit cross-legged."
"Yes, Great Hero."
Seolha sat before me as instructed, back turned.
I sat behind her, placed my hands on her back, and pushed in my internal energy to examine her body.
Her dantian was cleanly destroyed, but her major and minor meridians were intact.
Like a car without an engine.
One where the engine was utterly gone.
For Namgung Yeonhwa, it'd be like a busted engine.
Repair it, or rip it out and install a new one.
For good measure, I infused more energy, activating her full-body minor meridians and burning away impurities.
Meridians narrowed or blocked from years without qi flow.
And the impurities lingering there.
"Mm..."
Foreign qi though it was, the rush of energy through her body after so long drew a faint moan from Seolha.
But she kept her mouth shut, no sound escaping.
Good. That's how it should be. Any martial artist worth their salt knows that much.
I wanted to form her dantian right away, but this situation wasn't bad.
It could even be a huge opportunity for her.
Like this: Cleaning a flowing waterway is tough.
The stronger the current, the less you dare try. You just hope it rinses itself.
But Seolha's state was like still water.
Ideal for repairs and a deep clean.
So this time, we'd do a full overhaul—cleaning and expansion.
She could recover lost time and end up better off.
Perfect. Onward.
And so, for nearly ten days after arriving at Ink Sword Grove, I focused on reinforcing Seolha's internals.
Read more of this at novelshub.org