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Han Yuhyeon was grinning from ear to ear. He had finished converting every last scrap of loot from the mission into spiritual stones. Ye Hyeon-gwan had suggested he keep at least the alligator hide, but selling the hide and buying a defensive magical tool from the Mongan Hyeolseo was a far better deal.
"Heh heh heh."
He stood at the market entrance wearing that sinister little smile, and men and women alike flinched and hurried past. Children took one look and burst into tears on the spot.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Oh, Immortal Cultivator, I'm so sorry. Our child cries at the drop of a hat."
Recognizing him as a cultivator by his robes, the mother dropped into a full prostration, trembling violently. Talk about a change of fortunes. Only a few months ago everyone had treated him like a cockroach, and now people were kowtowing just because he was a cultivator.
"It's fine."
"Th-thank you. Thank you. You little brat, what are you doing? Hurry up and say thank you!"
The mother clamped a hand on the back of the child's neck the way a detective pins a suspect. Was that really okay? Han Yuhyeon waved off the half-hearted apology and headed back to the Baekun Sect.
Back at the Baekun Sect, there was only one thing to do: train. If this world truly followed the game's systems, the more proficient he became with his techniques, the more efficient they would grow. The Taeheo Honwon-gyeong, which absorbed spiritual energy, would pull in more with fewer breaths. The Jin Deungryong Gyeongcheon-gong, which expended spiritual energy, would cost less to activate.
As it stood, Han Yuhyeon's realm lagged far behind the level of his techniques, making every single deployment a grind. Raising his realm was crucial, of course, but so was grinding proficiency to improve efficiency.
"Hoo. Hoo."
As always, just as he was about to enter the cultivation chamber, a resonant voice boomed from the peak that housed the Main Hall. The sound was strangely familiar.
This is the Baekun Sect Main Hall, addressing all Outer Disciples. A notice has been posted on the door in front of the Main Hall. Every Outer Disciple is to check it without exception. That is all.
They must have been using some kind of amplifying magical tool. Between the audio quality and the bureaucratic phrasing, the whole thing reeked of a military admin office. He nearly got PTSD.
Either way, Han Yuhyeon had no choice but to divert his steps for a moment. The announcement had ordered every Outer Disciple to check the notice. He had been at the Baekun Sect for months and this was the first all-hands announcement he had ever heard. Something serious must be up.
"What's going on?"
"It's been ages since we last had an all-hands notice."
As Han Yuhyeon headed for the Main Hall, other Outer Disciples fell into step around him. From their chatter, even they considered a full announcement a rare event.
He had arrived almost immediately after hearing the call, yet a crowd had already gathered in front of the Main Hall door.
Han Yuhyeon shoved through the press of bodies and read the notice. The content was brutally simple.
The Inner Disciple Selection Tournament has been advanced to the 21st of next month.
Simple words, enormous impact. Many of the Outer Disciples already wore flushed, excited faces.
"What's this about? The next Inner Disciple Selection shouldn't have been for another half-year."
"Who cares? The important thing is that the chance came early."
"This is no time to stand around. I'm heading straight back to train."
"What difference will a month of training make? Better to grab talismans or spiritual stones. I'm off to the Mission Hall!"
The Outer Disciples scattered in a hurry, each racing off to prepare for the tournament in their own way.
Becoming an Inner Disciple was absolutely worth it for Han Yuhyeon as well. Once you entered as an Outer Disciple, that was essentially the only path forward.
From the monthly stipend to the secret manuals available in the Scripture Pavilion to every other privilege, Inner Disciple status was a strict upgrade over Outer Disciple.
Which meant he ought to make some special preparations for the tournament.
I've never even made it to Inner Disciple in the Baekun Sect before.
Han Yuhyeon had always skipped Yeongil-ju at the start and begun his runs in the next region, So-ui-ju—a high-risk, high-return strategy. He had no idea what the Baekun Sect's Inner Disciple Selection actually looked like.
Judging by the Inner Disciples he had seen, who hovered around six-star Qi Condensation, the tournament would most likely be a free-for-all among cultivators at four- or five-star Qi Condensation.
Then there's basically nothing special I need to prepare.
Han Yuhyeon reached his conclusion at once. He just needed to keep training the way he already was. Neither his realm advancement nor his proficiency gains could go any faster than they already were.
Feeling lighter, he turned back toward the cultivation chamber.
"Hahaha! Well now, who do we have here!"
Someone spotted him from a distance, greeted him warmly, and came striding over.
Han Yuhyeon looked closer and realized, to his surprise, that it was Elder Mun Il-pyeong.
"Ah. Elder Mun. Good day to you."
"I'm doing just fine, of course! So, how are you finding life inside the Baekun Sect?"
"It's good. I can train whenever I like, and the better missions are open to me now."
"Isn't it? Glad to hear life in the Baekun Sect is comfortable! That! Makes! My! Recommendation! Worth it!"
Han Yuhyeon remembered how Mun Il-pyeong had discarded him without a second thought the moment he learned he had Five Spiritual Roots. The man in front of him was the complete opposite of that version.
He clearly had an agenda, and Han Yuhyeon would have preferred to ignore him and walk past, but the man was an Elder. That wasn't an option.
"Haha. So what brings you here, Elder?"
"Oh come now, don't talk like that. Do we only speak when there's business between us? I simply saw you after so long and felt glad."
"It seems my foolish tongue has made you feel slighted. My apologies."
"What need is there for apologies over something like this between us? Though I will say, that attitude is exactly why I like you."
For a second Han Yuhyeon wondered if he had transmigrated into some alternate timeline. Mun Il-pyeong was acting as if they had been close friends for ages, so shamelessly that it was almost confusing despite knowing better.
"Anyway, you've seen it, haven't you? The Inner Disciple exam has been moved up to next month."
"Yes. I just finished reading the notice."
The word "anyway" put Han Yuhyeon on guard. Whatever followed that particular lead-in was the real point.
"It's a tremendous opportunity. The difference in treatment between Outer and Inner Disciple is night and day."
"Indeed it is."
"Which brings me to my point. I'd like to offer a little preferential treatment to a talented young man I care about."
"Pardon?"
The sudden remark made Han Yuhyeon ask again. Mun Il-pyeong laughed heartily, clearly mistaking the reaction for overwhelmed gratitude.
"Hahaha. Look at this fellow, getting all flustered. If a talent like you fails to become an Inner Disciple, it would be a huge loss for our Baekun Sect."
Mun Il-pyeong kept talking in an excited voice, then suddenly dropped it to a conspiratorial whisper.
"I'll rig the matchups for you. Put you against the weakest ones. An Elder can manage that much."
"…Ah."
It was a sound of pure disappointment, but Mun Il-pyeong misread that too and pressed on.
"And that's not all. Once you become an Inner Disciple, I want to take you on as my formal disciple. As you know, an Elder can only formally accept disciples starting from the Inner Disciple rank. Become my disciple and I can even pass on superior cultivation methods to you."
Mun Il-pyeong fixed Han Yuhyeon with bright, expectant eyes—the arrogant gaze of a man who believed he had just made an offer no one could refuse.
But Han Yuhyeon's answer had been decided from the start. He had already judged that Mun Il-pyeong was the kind of man who could discard his own people as easily as flipping a hand.
And the offer itself was garbage. Han Yuhyeon was confident he would become an Inner Disciple regardless of the bracket, he had zero desire to become Mun Il-pyeong's disciple, and any "superior cultivation method" could simply be bought from the Mongan Hyeolseo.
The only real question was whether to pretend to accept for the sake of the relationship. That answer was simple too. Mun Il-pyeong was not a rope worth grabbing. If he had no other connections among the Elders, maybe—but he already maintained a good relationship with Baekri-wan. Accepting Mun Il-pyeong's offer here would only lead to annoying future obligations.
"I apologize."
Han Yuhyeon took a full step back from Mun Il-pyeong and bowed. The smile on Mun Il-pyeong's face froze solid. He clearly had never imagined being refused.
"What?"
"I would like to break through on my own strength."
"Hah, haha. I think you're misunderstanding. Rigging the matchups is a trivial matter. The truly important part is becoming my disciple."
In the world of Yeonhwa Seonrok, having a master or not genuinely mattered. Masters often passed down superior methods and procured the materials needed for realm breakthroughs.
But Han Yuhyeon could supply both superior methods and breakthrough materials himself. More importantly, he had no interest in getting entangled with a shameless bastard like Mun Il-pyeong.
"I apologize."
When Han Yuhyeon restated his refusal, Mun Il-pyeong's face went completely hard.
"Fine. So that's how it is. I thought you were a rather clever fellow. Apparently not."
"It seems my learning is still insufficient."
"Ungrateful whelp. You don't even know who took you in."
Is this guy insane? Took me in? He dragged me here under the delusion I had a Heavenly Spiritual Root and then dumped me.
The truly chilling part was that Mun Il-pyeong seemed to sincerely believe he had rescued Han Yuhyeon.
"Don't regret this. You ugly freak."
And for the finish, a personal insult. Han Yuhyeon snorted. At this point, that level of character assassination didn't even sting.
"Ah, Elder."
As Mun Il-pyeong turned away, fuming, Han Yuhyeon called after him.
"What? The opportunity has already passed."
"As an Elder, you really ought to keep an attendant disciple with you. What if demonic cultivators ambush you? I worry for your safety."
Han Yuhyeon smiled sweetly. Mun Il-pyeong blinked in confusion for a moment, then his face went scarlet.
Because the attendant disciple in question was the one Han Yuhyeon had killed.
"You—you little—"
"Please take good care of your precious body! Or better yet, get wrecked!"
Han Yuhyeon bowed once and bolted. The relationship with Mun Il-pyeong was already beyond salvage. Enduring it would only leave him frustrated. Getting one-sidedly chewed out was not his style.
He went straight into the cultivation chamber. Whether his relationship with Mun Il-pyeong had exploded or the Inner Disciple Selection had been moved up, his job remained the same.
As always, Han Yuhyeon trained the Deungryong Gyeongcheon-gong, refined spiritual energy with the Taeheo Honwon-gyeong, and finally emerged. By the time he left the chamber, midnight was long past.
"Ha. That was fast."
He left the Baekun Sect and was walking toward the abandoned house halfway down the mountain when he stopped dead.
Barely half a day had passed since the falling-out with Mun Il-pyeong. From the deep darkness, masked cultivators came sauntering out.
They wore masks, but the situation was so transparent it was almost impressive. No mystery who had sent them.
"Come along. No need to make a scene."
"If you follow quietly, we have no intention of harming you."
The masked men spoke in sinister tones. It was a threat no matter how you looked at it. Han Yuhyeon slowly looked them over.
He rummaged through his storage pouch and pulled out a green stone. Every one of them being cultivators, they immediately recognized what he held.
"A Recording Spirit Stone?"
What he had taken out was a rather expensive Recording Spirit Stone, purchased while liquidating the materials from the demon den at the market.
Ignoring the murmurs of the masked men, Han Yuhyeon activated the Recording Spirit Stone and began filming.
"Ah, can you all see this, dear customers? At last, the opportunity has arrived. The chance to demonstrate the efficacy of this very talisman."
Wearing a capitalist smile no one in this world would recognize, Han Yuhyeon pulled out a Superior Spirit Talisman and held it up in front of the Recording Spirit Stone.
"I will show you a comparison between the footage I recorded of myself earlier in the cultivation chamber and my appearance after using the talisman."
"Is this guy insane?"
One of the masked men muttered as Han Yuhyeon monologued to himself. Han Yuhyeon ignored that too and stuck a thumbs-up at the Recording Spirit Stone.
"This fight is brought to you with support from Baek Talismans and includes paid advertising."
With the stunned masked men standing before him, Han Yuhyeon tore the Superior Spirit Talisman. Explosive spiritual energy erupted from his body and roared outward.