Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: New Mission
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Yeong Sun-il, the steward of the Miscellaneous Labor Quarter, was deep in thought.
It was because of an order from one of the elders at the Herb Hall.
'Send me one disciple from the Miscellaneous Labor Quarter. I'm swamped with research on these pills, so I need someone to manage the herbs.'
Normally, he would have sent his most cherished disciple from the Miscellaneous Labor Quarter for such a request from an elder.
Elders offered generous compensation, and there was always something to learn—it was an incredibly good assignment.
But this mission was a real headache.
It was because the elder in question was the Poison Master Bu Bi-un!
Bu Bi-un had a eccentric and volatile temper, having already gone through several herb tenders. Those dismissed herb tenders weren't just reassigned away from the Herb Hall; some had even been harshly beaten and chased out. This was no good mission at all.
It was extremely dangerous and grueling.
From Yeong Sun-il's position, this was a huge dilemma.
As the one responsible for managing the Miscellaneous Labor Quarter's personnel, any problems that arose fell squarely on his shoulders as steward.
So he was agonizing over whom to send. He couldn't just send anyone off to get hurt or worse.
That would be a massive blow to his stewardship.
Should he send a quick-witted one? A steadfast type? Or maybe a sly fellow...
No, none of that. Bu Bi-un was utterly unpredictable.
As Yeong Sun-il pondered...
A name flashed through his mind like lightning!
'Ah, send that guy!'
The entry disciple who had incurred the wrath of the Jang family!
With him, it wouldn't matter what happened. No, the Jang family might even be pleased!
Yeong Sun-il was thoroughly satisfied with the scheme he'd devised.
"Hey, you there. If anyone's around, go call entry disciple Yi Yuk-gyeong for me."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Heavenly Wall Mountain, where the Radiant Moon Sect was located, had five peaks.
Each peak had a name, and the one hosting the Herb Hall was Herb Prosperity Peak. Its slopes were broader than the others and rich in spiritual energy, making it an ideal environment for spirit herbs to thrive.
Near the summit of Herb Prosperity Peak, in Elder Bu's residence.
Elder Bu Bi-un was a middle-aged man of ordinary build, with sunken cheeks and bulging eyes.
The middle-aged man fixed his characteristically bulging eyes sharply on the entry disciple standing before him, Yi Yuk-gyeong. Well, it wasn't exactly glaring—it was just looking—but his eyes were so prominent that Yuk-gyeong felt glared at.
"You're the disciple from the Miscellaneous Labor Quarter? I am the Poison Master Bu Bi-un. Starting today, your job is to tend the herbs. Water them three times a day and wipe the leaves, and they'll grow on their own. Nothing difficult."
"Yes, Elder Bu."
Yuk-gyeong replied politely.
Wait, but I didn't have to do herb-tender work. They told me I could just focus on cultivation.
Yuk-gyeong didn't know it, but the arrangement allowing him to focus solely on cultivation from the Elder Hall was a secret known to only a tiny few.
And Yuk-gyeong also didn't know that Elder Bu... was one of the elders arranged by the Elder Hall. He was the public backer for Yuk-gyeong.
With the Jang family's scrutiny, and the steward and Miscellaneous Labor Quarter folks trying to hassle him, Elder Bu was like a shield prepared by the Elder Hall.
In any case,
Elder Bu gave Yuk-gyeong one final stern warning.
"Tend the herbs properly. If there's even the slightest neglect, you'll be punished!"
"I'll keep it in mind, Elder Bu."
"Go on, then."
Yuk-gyeong bowed deeply in respect and left Elder Bu's room.
Outside the elder's residence, a herb tender was waiting to guide him.
The outer disciple, who looked about sixteen or seventeen and still carried a boyish air, had his hair neatly tied back and wore a pressed cyan robe.
"Come this way, junior brother. I'll show you the herb patch you're in charge of."
"Yes, senior brother."
Yuk-gyeong bowed politely again.
He didn't act arrogant just because the other was young. As a South Korean guy who'd served in the military, Yuk-gyeong was very accustomed to hierarchy.
In the outer sect, Yuk-gyeong was the newest rookie. Everyone here outranked him. If he ran into someone? He'd just bow politely and greet them. No matter who it was.
The cyan-robed outer disciple, Yuk-gyeong's senior brother, smiled warmly at his polite demeanor. Clearly, he was new to having juniors himself. So naturally, he was delighted by the respectful attitude.
Feeling pleased, the senior brother led Yuk-gyeong along while chatting casually.
"I'm Cho Ryu-ha. Call me Senior Brother Cho. The patch you're assigned is an easy one. The herbs there grow fine without much water. As long as you don't completely ignore them, they won't die. Plenty of time for cultivation—it's great."
Yuk-gyeong nodded enthusiastically, interjecting admiring exclamations like he was hearing words of gold and jade.
His social-honed flattery skills were more than enough to butter up a mere boy.
Sure enough, the boy eager to be called "Senior Brother Cho" grinned broadly and even gave a final piece of advice before leaving.
"Oh, and be careful not to get caught siphoning herbs on the sly. Sure, herb tenders strapped for merit points do it bit by bit, but Elder Bu is really strict. Just watch yourself."
Siphoning herbs? Isn't that straight-up embezzlement?
Yet Senior Brother Cho mentioned it without a hint of guilt, as if it were the most natural thing.
His words revealed just how rife the herb-tender role was with corruption and graft.
But on the flip side, it showed how grueling the work was. Without such pilfering, they'd be too pinched to get by.
Not that it justified embezzlement, of course.
Yuk-gyeong didn't know how much he'd struggle with merit points yet, but he resolved not to touch the herbs.
Better not to risk it at all.
After Senior Brother Cho left, Yuk-gyeong inspected his assigned herb patch.
The fairly spacious plot had herbs planted sparsely, spaced out to avoid competing for spiritual energy.
Since he was here anyway, Yuk-gyeong fetched water from the nearby spirit spring well and gave the patch a thorough watering.
That should hold them for three or four days, right?
With that thought, Yuk-gyeong didn't leave the spot.
Herbs were valuable with medicinal properties, often targeted by wild beasts and birds. One of the herb tenders' jobs was chasing off such intruders.
Since he couldn't wander off anyway, why not cultivate?
Yuk-gyeong sat cross-legged.
Places where herbs grew were rich in spiritual energy, perfect for cultivation. Being a herb tender wasn't bad. The secluded spot he'd prepared for practice was great for focus, but it felt too enclosed. This was fully outdoors, a fresh environment that invigorated his mood.
Yuk-gyeong crossed his legs and entered meditation right away. He regulated his breathing per the standard method, observing his inner body—bones, meridians, muscles, organs—while circulating Heaven-Earth Spiritual Energy.
Cultivation had become very familiar now. Closing his eyes let him enter meditation instantly, and circulating energy was effortless.
Yuk-gyeong had now fully mastered Response Qi Realm level 1 and stepped into level 2.
If someone claimed to enter the Response Qi Realm via basic cultivation in mere days, master levels 1 and 2, they'd be called insane.
Typically, even entering Response Qi Realm with basic arts took months—or up to a year in tough cases.
Once at level 1, true cultivation began, requiring years to fully master it.
Yuk-gyeong had a Single Spiritual Root with high affinity for Heaven-Earth Spiritual Energy, plus his brilliant mentor—our protagonist's master, Tae-eul True Person. That's how he'd advanced so swiftly.
Such feats required coincidences stacking impossibly high.
Yuk-gyeong came to his herb patch daily to cultivate.
He stayed vigilant against surroundings, opening his eyes to drive off beasts when they approached, and watered every three or four days.
His cultivation realm grew rapidly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days later, harvest and submission day.
Yuk-gyeong's herb patch required submitting fresh sprouts to the sect every few days. Today was the day.
After submitting the sprouts, Elder Bu summoned him, so Yuk-gyeong headed to the elder's residence. I need to cultivate—why call me?
Upon arriving, Elder Bu praised him.
"You've managed the herbs excellently. The yield is precise and plentiful. I'm impressed."
As expected, Elder Bu was obsessively meticulous. He'd count every single herb, a total fanatic for pills and spirit herbs.
Indeed, Yuk-gyeong's predecessor had been caught embezzling, beaten half to death, and expelled—banned from the Herb Hall forever.
Embezzling herbs was practically customary among herb tenders, so the veteran had done it casually.
But Elder Bu tolerated no such thing.
"I was just doing what was expected."
At Yuk-gyeong's humble words, Elder Bu's smile deepened. With memories of his past life, Yuk-gyeong knew exactly what bosses loved to hear—it wasn't hard to win them over.
"Not just anyone can do the 'expected' so well. Still, you deserve a reward. I know herb tenders struggle with merit points. Shall I give you some?"
Elder Bu was more flexible than expected. He even considered the herb tenders' plight.
But Yuk-gyeong didn't really need merit points. He didn't need techniques or pills yet.
His monthly herb-tender stipend was steadily accumulating; he wasn't pinched.
Yuk-gyeong simply bowed his head and replied.
"Merit points are fine. But I'm very interested in herbs and have no formal way to learn. I don't even know how to start."
Elder Bu burst into hearty laughter at Yuk-gyeong's words.
"Ha ha ha! A disciple with real passion for learning! Very well, come to me once a week to borrow books. But each time, you'll take a test from me. Fail, and you'll lose your herb-tender spot."
The tests would be simple quizzes.
Normally, borrowing books from an elder was unthinkable. But Yuk-gyeong's diligence had impressed him.
Yuk-gyeong bowed in gratitude and left the elder's residence.
Whew, catering to the old man's whims is exhausting.
But now what about these tests? Lose the spot and back to toilet cleaning nominally? The herb-tender gig was getting good. Outdoor cultivation is pretty nice.
Still, Yuk-gyeong believed knowledge endured.
To keep herb-tending long-term, he needed herb knowledge. Wing it forever, and he'd regret it someday.
Better to learn whatever he could.