At first, I thought I arrived in heaven.
And it made sense. The landscape before my eyes was completely white.
A pure white space with not a single spot on it, so much so that it felt almost unsettling.
The next moment, a voice suddenly echoed out.
[Welcome. You will now be reincarnated into the world of Moorim, where martial arts and chivalry live and breathe.]
Reincarnated?
Then I really must be dead.
To think I’d die at such a young age just because I misstepped on the stairs….it felt a bit unfair.
“But hold on, reincarnated? What does that mean? So when people die, they reincarnate right away?”
[No. You have been selected by the Life Compensation System, which only chooses individuals who die too young and are deemed to have committed no significant wrongdoing…]
I was a little surprised.
I had expected this kind of unknown, godlike being to ignore my questions and just go on talking about its own terms.
But after explaining this system I had no interest in for quite a while, the mysterious voice continued.
[…Therefore, you will be reincarnated into what is known as the world of martial arts.]
Well, I understood the compensation part, but why martial arts of all things?
[That too is random.]
Even though I hadn’t said it out loud, the voice seemed to read my thoughts and answered anyway.
[Now then, you have two paths before your reincarnation.]
As it spoke, two paths connected by doors appeared ahead of me.
[One is the path of Random. Just as the name implies, you’ll be reincarnated into a random identity within the Moorim world. You might be born as the child of royalty or a high official, or you might end up an orphan with no parents.]
That’s way too extreme.
“Shouldn’t you at least tell me the odds to make it fair?”
[The other path is the Path of the Status Window.]
So I was being ignored.
Still, the mention of a status window piqued my curiosity.
“Status window?”
[Yes. If you choose this path, you’ll be able to grow strong very quickly and easily using a status window within this Moorim world.]
“Well then, obviously I’m choosing this one.”
[Please hear me out to the end.]
Are you angry? Maybe that one joke stacked up and pushed the limit.
[If you choose this path, the status window will only be available under specific conditions. If you fail to meet those conditions, the status window will disappear, along with everything you accomplished through it.]
“What are the conditions?”
[You must become an official working in the imperial palace. In a world where martial arts exist, you can only use the status window if you live as a government official serving the emperor…. not as a free martial artist.]
Sounds like it’s being framed as some kind of huge penalty.
[What will you choose?]
Did it really think this was balanced? Still, for me, it wasn’t even a difficult decision.
“What, that’s it? Of course I’m choosing the path with the status window.”
[…As I said, to use the status window, you must give up becoming a martial artist and serve as an imperial official for your entire life.]
“Being a martial artist…. what’s so great about that? Forget it. I’ll just be an official.”
Martial artist.
Sure, it sounded cool, but let’s be honest. They were basically local thugs with better branding.
On the other hand, if the price of using the status window is a government job?
I’d pick this a hundred times over, even if I had to die a hundred times first.
Sure, there was a time I admired the life of a martial artist.
But when you weigh that against the status window? The choice was obvious.
[…Understood. Then the path of the status window it is.]
That tone. It felt almost like the being thought I made a mistake.
Or maybe it’s just me, but it sounded a little annoyed.
“Hey… are you angry?”
[No. I’m simply an administrator overseeing this place. I hold no emotions toward people like you.]
Oh, come on. That’s definitely a complaint if I’ve ever heard one.
The voice, as if it no longer wished to show any emotion, moved on to the next task. Suddenly, the paths merged into one, and the ground yanked me forward like a moving walkway.
“Huh? Wh-What?!”
Just like that, I was sucked straight through the door.
***
That day, after I chose the path of the status window, I was born as a baby. The family I was born into wasn’t exactly common, but they had clearly fallen on hard times.
By the standards of my previous life, it felt about middle class.
Well, it didn’t matter.
I had the status window, after all.
Status Window
[Welcome to the world of Moorim.]
[Current condition of your muscles and bones: Tempered Steel]
[Tempered Steel: This is the most basic stage for muscles and bones. It indicates a body that is slightly tougher and more flexible than the average person.]
[Effect: Slightly reduces the points required to learn martial arts. Also reduces minor illnesses and accelerates physical recovery.]
[Points required for next stage: 10]
[Acquired martial arts: None]
After checking the status window, I nodded in satisfaction but clicked my tongue when I saw the last line.
[※Caution. If you fail to attain an official position by the age of 20, the status window will disappear.]
Was this some kind of mechanism to prevent people from casually drifting into a martial artist’s life?
Fine, I’d take the deal. I really would.
But how was I supposed to collect these so-called points?
That question didn’t stay unanswered for long. The moment I was asked to run my first errand by my mother in this life, a notification popped up.
[A new quest has been triggered!]
[Quest: Mother’s Errand — Reward: 5 Points]
Just like that, every time someone and especially my parents asked me to do something, a quest notification would appear. The amount of points given as a reward seemed to depend on the difficulty of the task.
Thanks to that, I was able to steadily accumulate points, and I began strengthening my muscles and bones with what I earned.
Through the second and third stages, I finally reached the final stage.
[Congratulations! You have successfully strengthened your muscles and bones to the final stage! 10 points will be given as a reward!]
[Current condition of your muscles and bones: Limitless]
[This ultimate stage indicates there is no limit to the development of muscles and bones. The body itself becomes the foundation of martial arts, allowing perfect understanding and absorption of any technique learned.]
[Effect: Martial arts consume little to no points. Those who reach the Limitless level possess incredible regenerative power and can grasp and make a martial technique their own after seeing it just once, regardless of the type. Furthermore, all internal energies are perfectly harmonized, eliminating the risk of Qi deviation.]
Upon reaching the maximum level of muscle and bone enhancement, my body transformed into a figure resembling a finely sculpted Greek statue.
Just as the description said, I could acquire martial arts simply by reading compiled manuals or hearing them from others.
Of course, the martial techniques acquired this way still started from the beginner level. But I had nothing to worry about.
After all, I had the status window. As long as I invested points, raising my mastery level was effortless.
Starting with the easily obtainable Three Basics Sword Technique, I learned it based on my perfectly refined body and mastered all ten levels. It was at that point that I took the military exam.
Although it was a third-rate martial art, once I had mastered it, it became powerful enough not to be underestimated. Naturally, I took first place in the exam.
Having become an official warrior of the imperial court, I joined the Imperial Guards. By faithfully carrying out my orders, I grew stronger day by day.
I learned the Forbidden Palace Thirteen Sword Technique and the Imperial Golden Lock Heart Technique that were both restricted to the imperial guards. After investing the points I earned, I eventually became known as the best swordsman of the Imperial Palace.
My rank gradually rose until I reached the position of Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards. It was the second-highest rank in the unit. On top of that, I also became the Head Instructor.
In other words, I was a martial arts instructor.
The Commander which was the top position was nominally reserved for someone of noble birth, so I had no complaints. My current rank was already high enough, and I didn’t want to be seen as an outsider who didn’t belong.
I thought I would continue down this smooth path, enjoying a promising career as an official.
That is, until the day the Emperor summoned me personally.
***
The current Emperor had ascended to the throne a year ago, after the sudden death of the former Emperor. He was the one who appointed me as Vice Commander as soon as he took the throne, and I was grateful for that.
Since we were the same age, perhaps he felt some kind of kinship with me.
However, it wasn’t something I could be entirely pleased about. That was because the Emperor had started indulging himself without restraint the moment he ascended the throne. Just like the infamous tyrants recorded in history.
He wasn’t killing people in large numbers, so he couldn’t quite be called a tyrant, but the problem was that the more obsessed the Emperor became with his pleasures, the more the nation began to fall apart.
At this rate, I feared a coup might break out and since I served under him, I could end up being branded as one of his followers. Of course, the Imperial Guards like myself existed to prevent such events.
Still, thanks to an Emperor who only wanted to indulge and play, it felt like a dark cloud was beginning to loom over my official career.
Anyway, one day, that very Emperor summoned me.
I proceeded to the audience chamber where the Emperor resided and bowed my head low.
“Lee Hyeon, Vice Commander of the Palace Guards and Head Instructor, receives Your Majesty’s command…”
“Oh, enough, enough. Spare me the formalities.”
In a casual tone, the emperor stepped down from the platform on which the throne was placed.
“I’ve told you before, there’s no need to be so formal when it’s just the two of us.”
“But still…”
“Enough of that. More importantly, come take a walk with me. There’s something I want to talk about.”
“I shall obey Your Majesty’s command.”
I quietly rose and followed the Emperor. He led me to the garden, where an extravagant pavilion and an artificial lake were located.
“Let’s go for a little boat ride together.”
“I shall follow Your Majesty’s will.”
“Ah, come on. I told you, there’s no need to be so stiff with me.”
He pulled me along and got onto a boat floating on the lake. Even though it was artificial, the lake was incredibly vast. You could say it truly embodied the spirit of the continent.
The Emperor stood at the bow of the boat with his hands clasped behind his back. He glanced out over the lake as he let out a sigh.
“Hoo.”
He looked as if something was weighing on his mind.
“Your Majesty, your expression is clouded. Is something troubling you…?”
“Troubling me, you say… Yes. That’s exactly why I called you here. Will you hear me out?”
“Please, speak freely.”
“Hyeon-ah. You know, don’t you? Just how many concubines I have by my side right now.”
Of course I do. All too well. The moment he ascended the throne, he gathered every beautiful woman he could find into his harem.
The first time I saw it, I honestly thought he was completely out of his mind.
“But lately, I find myself growing tired of it all.”
When he said that, the emperor lightly touched his chest.
“Even after spending time with all these beauties, there’s still this empty feeling in one corner of my heart.”
What a luxury of a problem.
Even with all the finest delicacies and women so beautiful they make even me jealous, and doing this and that with them, he still has complaints.
What an insatiable man.
“Hearing this, you’re probably thinking to yourself that I’m an insatiable man, aren’t you?”
“Wh-What? N-Not at all, Your Majesty, I would never…”
“No need to deny it. Even if that’s what you think, I can’t blame you. But what can I do when this emptiness won’t go away? So I thought about it. Why do I tire of these women so quickly? And I came to one conclusion.”
He looked straight at me and said,
“It’s because they’re all too obedient and submissive.”
Too submissive, so he’s bored? Seriously…
“At first, it was nice that they all followed my will without question. But as time went on, with them acting like obedient little lambs, it started to feel… dull, I suppose.”
“Your Majesty, if that’s truly how you feel, perhaps you could take on the lowly role yourself when enjoying games with the concubines?”
A solution tailored for him. Use roleplay more often.
He looked like he was about to nod in agreement, as if my advice made sense. But then his head shook from side to side.
“That only works once or twice… And maybe because they see it as mere entertainment, their acting is terrible. Only one or two are even remotely convincing…”
“I-Is that so?”
Since he had already tried it, I had nothing more to say.
“Anyway, the deeper this emptiness grows, the more I realize I can’t keep going like this. At this rate, my palace of pleasures will collapse before long. That thought truly worries me.”
Seriously? It’s that bad?
He was tired of women, and now he was talking about the collapse of his pleasure palace?
But then suddenly, I wondered if maybe he wasn’t exaggerating.
Without a doubt, sex was the greatest form of entertainment since the dawn of humanity. Even in modern civilization that was full of things to do, it was still a classic powerhouse even if it dropped a tier or two.
And in this place, where there wasn’t all that much to do, getting bored of women might really be a serious issue. Especially for an emperor who seems to live solely for enjoyment.
“So, I racked my brain for a way to resolve this problem again and again. And at last, I finally had a brilliant idea just this morning.”
Thanks to the emperor’s dramatics, I couldn’t help getting curious too. He took his time. He stepped forward to the edge of the deck and gripped the railing with both hands.
“Yes. If the problem is that my concubines are too obedient and compliant, then the solution is simple. I just need to take a woman who isn’t obedient! That’s when I saw the path before me. The answer wasn’t far away at all! That’s right; the answer lies in the Jianghu!”
“…Huh?”
I was confused by the sudden mention of the Jianghu (martial world), but then he turned to me and declared,
“Hyeon-ah. The Jianghu. I want female martial arts masters from the Jianghu!”
For a moment, I thought I must’ve misheard. But when I saw the emperor’s face that was flushed with excitement, I realized I didn’t and dizziness overtook me.
Is this emperor even in his right mind?
“Your Majesty, are you saying…”
“You heard me perfectly well, so why ask again? I said I want female martial arts masters from the Jianghu. You know, those noble warriors always going on about justice.”
“Wait, but why are you suddenly saying this…?”
“‘The martial world stays out of politics’; ‘the righteous don’t interfere with the lesser path’—they spout all that lofty talk and live however they please, don’t they? They’re my subjects, yet even before the majesty of the imperial family, they don’t easily bow. So full of pride. I want women like that.”
“Y-Your Majesty… As you say, they are people who walk the path of martial arts and live by a code of honor. I don’t believe they would so easily agree to become Your Majesty’s concubines.”
“Exactly! That’s why I want them. Women who won’t simply give in just because I’m the emperor.”
Good grief.
This emperor… he really knows how to give someone a headache.
“I understand what you mean, but regardless of their sect, those people value rejecting wealth and fame and view their noble ideals as sacred. Even if Your Majesty summoned them, they would find all sorts of excuses not to come.”
“Who said I would summon them? You need to go and bring them to me.”
“…What?”
Caught off guard by the sudden shift, I stood there confused as the emperor went on.
“Hyeon-ah. You must go, by any means necessary, and bring back the masters of the Jianghu who are praised as heroines. After that, I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Wh-What…?”
So that’s why he called me.
I was still in shock, but his explanation continued.
“And Hyeon-ah. Do you really believe them when they say they despise wealth and luxury? Listen carefully. Whether they’re martial artists or noble scholars, they may claim to follow books and the teachings of sages and speak of turning away from wealth and fame. But that’s only because they’ve never truly experienced what such luxuries are.”
Still dazed, I felt the emperor pat my shoulder as he continued speaking.
“Do you understand what I’m saying? To them, ‘wealth and luxury’ are just abstract words. They don’t know what it actually means. You know Lady Wang, right?”
“Y-Yes. One of Your Majesty’s concubines…”
“She was the daughter of a traitor but had a fair face, so I took her in. At first, she saw me as her enemy and was furious, acting like she hated everything. But do you know what happened after I lavished her with rare treasures, gave her food she’d never tasted, and pleasures she’d never known?”
Not waiting for an answer, the emperor gave a sly grin and went on.
“Now, every time we sleep together, she clings to me like glue. Wraps both her legs around my waist like she’ll never let go. Like she’s trying to drain every last drop from me.”
His sudden vulgar remark drew only a bitter smile from me. The emperor chuckled, patted his side, and continued.
“Even now, just thinking about our nights makes my back ache. So understand this. People who say they hate wealth and luxury are only speaking from ignorance. They’ve never truly experienced it.”
“If that is the case…”
“I shall bestow upon them the kind of wealth and splendor they could never dream of in their backwater corners of the Jianghu. Then, little by little, they’ll start to bend. More than anything else, what I truly want is… those women who go around acting all proud, claiming to be righteous warriors of the Jianghu…”
The emperor moved his lower body back and forth. A vulgar gesture. There was no mistaking what he meant.
“Just imagining them under me, crying out in pleasure… it excites me beyond measure.”
Wow. This guy, seriously.
But somehow… I think I get it. Is this what they call being a true degenerate expert?
“Are you saying you plan to force yourself on them, Your Majesty?”
“No. If I forced them, how would that be any different from the concubines I already have? I’m not going to do that. Besides, if that were the plan, I wouldn’t be sending you specifically. I want them to willingly spread their legs…. after slowly getting a taste for wealth and luxury.”
The emperor gave a thumbs-up. Looks like he already has his whole scheme planned out.
“So, Hyeon-ah… head to the Jianghu. Show those backwoods martial artists the power of palace martial arts, and bring the top female masters of the Jianghu here. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“You said this wasn’t a direct order, so then…?”
“Didn’t I tell you to bring them by any means necessary? And hide the fact that you’re part of the imperial guard.”
As soon as he had finished speaking, a system window popped up in front of me.
[A new quest has been triggered!]
[Kidnap the famous female martial artists of the Jianghu and complete the ‘Emperor’s Special Command’!]
[Quota: 0/9 – Reward: 5000 points]
Five thousand points for a single quest?
I could already tell how ridiculously hard this was going to be.
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