Condolences for the Deceased
"Well, it doesn't matter. Even if the Sect Master punishes him, I was planning to take him in anyway."
Baekri-wan spoke. The sudden declaration left not only Han Yuhyeon but the Sect Master himself with wide, startled eyes.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Our Sect Master has flowers for brains, that's the problem. Think about it. His own attendant cultivator is dead—you really think that old man is going to sit still?"
Baekri-wan's tone was scathing. Even as an elder, was she really allowed to talk to the Sect Master like that? Mun Il-pyeong, who was older still, had always been scrupulously polite toward him. Maybe the two of them were bound by some enormous trust. Or some other kind of intimate relationship. Either way, it was none of Han Yuhyeon's business.
What mattered right now was his own neck. Baekri-wan had said Mun Il-pyeong would be gunning for him, and even to Han Yuhyeon's ears that sounded highly persuasive.
"True enough."
"If you punish him by sending him to the Forbidden Zone, this one will turn up as a corpse inside of ten days."
Even the Sect Master could find no counterargument.
"So you're saying you'll take him in?"
"Yes. No matter how old and crafty that geezer is, he won't find it easy to touch someone under my protection."
"That's true. But why the sudden generosity? Don't tell me you've recently mastered some dual-cultivation technique?"
Baekri-wan gave him a look of pure incredulity.
"I'd rather bite my tongue and die than dual-cultivate with this one."
"It was a joke. No need to be so cold."
"Don't make garbage jokes. They aren't funny."
Killing intent rolled off Baekri-wan. She was already a sharp-featured ice beauty with naturally upturned eyes; when her expression hardened, the air around them seemed to freeze solid.
Even Han Yuhyeon had to admit that had been a cruel joke. No matter how you sliced it, a beauty like Baekri-wan would never want anything to do with an ugly mug like his.
"Just look at him. He's clearly useful. Deciphering the records of the Silent Spirit Sealed Codex, catching that old man's attendant cultivator—wasting him in a backwater like the White Cloud Sect, the worm's head of Yeongil-ju, would be a shame."
"You're saying that right in front of the Sect Master?"
"Why? Is that not allowed?"
"...If you say so, then so be it. Look after him well."
"You're just going to send us off empty-handed? Hand it over."
Baekri-wan held out her hand. When the Sect Master blinked in confusion, she raised her voice.
"This was a Mission Hall assignment! Give us the reward!"
"Ah—right, right. I forgot. No need to shout."
The Sect Master handed Baekri-wan a small black case. She immediately passed it to the still-bewildered Han Yuhyeon.
"Open it. It might be a fake."
"Elder Baek. What do you take me for..."
The Sect Master grumbled, but Baekri-wan ignored him. Amid the awkward atmosphere, Han Yuhyeon carefully opened the case.
Inside lay a crescent-shaped black flying blade. It was small, only about the length of two finger joints. What made it distinctive was that it had no hilt at all—just the blade itself, looking every bit the part of a true "flying blade." This was the dharma treasure known as the Hyeonwol-soin, the Crescent Moon Small Blade.
"That's the real thing. Close it."
Baekri-wan jerked her chin. Once Han Yuhyeon shut the case, she strode out of the Sect Master's hall as if her business there was finished. After a quick glance at the Sect Master, Han Yuhyeon hurried after her.
Even as he followed, Han Yuhyeon felt dazed. Even back in the modern world he had never gotten tangled up with a beauty like this. For the first time, being transmigrated into this cultivation world almost felt like a good thing.
"Elder."
"What."
"Thank you."
He figured the least he could do was express his gratitude. Baekri-wan glanced back and gave a short snort of laughter.
"For what?"
"You saved me from dying at Elder Mun's hands, didn't you?"
"I didn't save you. Plenty of people have died to Elder Mun. You think I went around rescuing every last one of them?"
"Ah. I see."
"Of course. I took you in because, in my judgment, you're useful."
"Even so, I still ought to say thank you."
"Well. You're not wrong about that."
Baekri-wan turned forward again and strode on. Han Yuhyeon, who found her voice pleasant, searched for another excuse to keep talking.
"Ah, Elder."
"What now?"
"Where are we going?"
"My residence."
"Uh."
Her residence. Was she really taking him to her private living quarters? A sudden bubble of expectation swelled in his chest.
What if she actually wanted to dual-cultivate, just like the Sect Master had joked? The world was full of women—surely there had to be at least one beauty whose taste ran to ugly men.
"Don't get any weird ideas. My residence is the Talisman Workshop. It's also where you'll be working."
"I wasn't thinking anything at all."
"Already lying so shamelessly. Well, whatever. A cultivator should be like that."
As expected, there was no woman who specially preferred ugly men. The reverse was just as true. The world always worked this way.
Still—the Talisman Workshop. Exactly as the name suggested, it was the place where talismans were made. Things like the Fire Spirit Talisman that attendant cultivator had used all came from here.
And now he finally understood why the Sect Master had been so completely at Baekri-wan's mercy.
In the cultivation world, certain technical specialists were highly prized.
Alchemy for refining pills.
Artifact refining for crafting dharma treasures.
Talisman crafting for drawing talismans.
And formations for laying arrays.
These four arts were the most representative, collectively known as the Suseon Sa-ye—the Four Arts of Cultivation.
Whether in this world or the other, excellent craftsmen were always treated with respect. If Baekri-wan was the finest talisman master in the White Cloud Sect, it was only natural for the Sect Master to yield a step. A talisman master could transfer to another sect or clan whenever she pleased.
"So does that mean I'll be becoming a talisman master too?"
"Do you have talent for talisman crafting?"
"I've got decent enough hand skills, I guess."
Han Yuhyeon cast his mind back to his initial stats. His comprehension and spiritual roots were lacking, but he remembered his technical aptitude being a bit above average.
"Hmm. If your talent's only middling, better not bother. You know as well as I do—mastering even one of the Four Arts of Cultivation to true greatness is incredibly hard."
Baekri-wan was right. That was precisely why practitioners of the Four Arts were so highly valued in the cultivation world.
"Then why are you taking me? You said I looked useful."
"You're going to be my attendant cultivator. My previous one died recently."
"Ah. Please accept my condolences for the deceased."
"Are you even a cultivator?"
"Excuse me?"
"I've never heard anyone say something like that in my entire life. A cultivator dies and you pray for their soul's rest? They got hit by a heavenly tribulation and went straight to hell."
Well, that was how the cultivation world worked. Cultivators were, at their core, those who defied the natural span of life given to them—rebels against heaven. The fundamental setting of this world was that the higher a cultivator's realm, the harsher the heavenly punishment they suffered.
A cultivator's karmic burden extended even beyond death. It was common knowledge that those who died mid-cultivation went to eternal hell. Having defied the mandate of heaven, it was only natural. And that was also why cultivators in this world had such vicious natures.
The karmic debt was only released upon reaching the True Immortal Realm, which was why every cultivator's ultimate goal was that realm.
"Then I will not offer condolences for the deceased."
"Good. What rest is there for people who fell into hell? Would you feel good if someone called you handsome to your face?"
Put that way, it hit home. Calling him handsome to his face right now would be a far worse insult than just calling him ugly. He wasn't sure the analogy had been necessary, but it was so instantly clear that he had nothing to say.
"Anyway, once you've gotten a bit stronger, I might even be able to say something like this: 'Look how well I raised the person Elder Mun discarded.'"
"I take it you don't get along with Elder Mun."
Han Yuhyeon asked carefully, but Baekri-wan answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course not. How could elders get along? They're all competitors for the Grand Elder seat. Not that I have any interest in the Grand Elder position myself, but the other elders refuse to believe that."
"Why aren't you interested in the Grand Elder position?"
"Because I'm not the kind of talent that rots away in a backwater sect like this."
Baekri-wan spoke with complete confidence. Han Yuhyeon nodded. This was a tutorial region, after all. If you wanted to make it big, you had to play in bigger waters. On that point, he fully agreed.
"Then what does an attendant cultivator actually do?"
"Not much. Briefing me on the schedule in the morning, piloting the flying vessel—that sort of thing. Just think of it as sticking by my side."
It was essentially a secretary's role. So that was why she had told him to get used to the flying vessel earlier.
"Hmm."
Han Yuhyeon let out a thoughtful hum. Right now he needed to extract every last valuable resource Yeongil-ju had to offer and raise his realm as fast as possible. Sticking close to Baekri-wan would keep him safe, sure—but that wasn't what he wanted.
"You look like you've got some complaint."
Baekri-wan snorted. Han Yuhyeon hurriedly waved his hands.
"Not at all. How could I harbor any complaint toward Elder Baek, who saved my life?"
"Then what is it?"
"I was merely thinking about ways I might be of greater help to you, Elder Baek."
"Hmm?"
Baekri-wan made an intrigued little sound through her nose. Cultivators changed moods as easily as flipping a hand; this was an opportunity.
Han Yuhyeon spun his thoughts as fast as he could. He needed a way to roam freely outside while still remaining under Baekri-wan's protective wing. Something flashed through his mind almost at once.
"Elder. The Talisman Workshop doesn't supply talismans only to the sect's own cultivators, does it? You sell plenty to wandering cultivators and other clans as well. That's one of the sect's sources of income."
"True enough."
"There's no question about the talisman-crafting skill of you or our other masters, Elder Baek. But the world needs more than skill alone."
Baekri-wan half-lidded her eyes, wondering what on earth he was rambling about.
"What matters is publicity! Publicity brings more customers, which increases the sect's revenue."
"Publicity?"
Han Yuhyeon spoke with veins standing out in his neck, but Baekri-wan only tilted her head. She clearly had no idea what he meant. Han Yuhyeon decided to give this cultivation-world native a brief lesson in modern branding and marketing.
"You plant the perception in wandering cultivators and those from other clans that White Cloud Sect talismans are reliable in quality—and then you spread that perception far and wide. The sect's income rises, and you, Elder Baek, gain even greater recognition within the sect."
"Well, it's not wrong."
Baekri-wan nodded as if she finally understood. Her expression, however, remained thoroughly unimpressed.
"But I already told you. I have zero interest in the Grand Elder seat. I have no desire to contribute to the White Cloud Sect, and no desire to be recognized by it either."
"No. This is for your personal career, Elder Baek. The sect's income and its recognition are both secondary. What matters is your own value."
"My value?"
"Exactly. Would you mind showing me one of the talismans you've made recently?"
Baekri-wan rummaged in her robes and produced a talisman—a Concealment Talisman that could temporarily hide the body. Han Yuhyeon examined it carefully front and back, then shook his head.
"This won't do."
"What? Do you know anything about talisman crafting?"
Baekri-wan bristled instantly. Han Yuhyeon shook his head again.
"No. What matters is showing that this talisman bears your personal touch, Elder Baek. You create a seal. I propose that you write the character 'Baek' in a distinctive hand in the corner of every talisman you make—so that any cultivator who sees it immediately knows it was crafted by Elder Baek."
"A seal, huh. There are talisman masters who carve things like that, true."
Baekri-wan looked tempted. She was almost sold.
"Then I'll handle the publicity. When the talisman is used, I'll record it with a residual image stone. Those recordings will become crucial material for raising the recognition of the talismans you make, Elder Baek."
"...That actually sounds plausible. I've never thought of anything like that before."
Cultivation-world advertising using residual image stones. Han Yuhyeon had never seen residual image stones used this way in any cultivation setting, so of course Baekri-wan hadn't either.
From where Han Yuhyeon stood, Baekri-wan was already dreaming of leaving the White Cloud Sect. Building and growing a personal brand of her own would be quite an enticing idea. That brand would become her career capital even after she left the sect.
"Do we have a deal?"
"...We'll go with that for now."
Baekri-wan eyed him with lingering suspicion, but Han Yuhyeon only grinned.
With that, he had secured both a backer to lean on in the White Cloud Sect and a corner from which money would flow—at the same time.