A Harvest Far Too Great
After a brisk walk, Jin Somyeong arrived in the Outer City.
He had been heading toward the shack where he used to live, intending to gather his belongings before moving, when he suddenly stopped.
“Ah.”
Now that he thought about it, there was no need to go home. He had never owned anything valuable in the first place.
All his worldly possessions were already tucked against his chest.
No reason to go somewhere a pursuer might be waiting.
He had no way of knowing how much of Wang Xin’s story was true, but caution never hurt. Right now, he was in an extremely fragile state, and even his trump card, the Boundless Great Ability, was nearly depleted.
Returning to his old house, where someone might be watching, would be foolish. He had been planning to move anyway; he could simply leave as he was.
Whoosh.
The moment he made up his mind, he changed direction. Slipping into a deserted alley, he disguised himself, attaching a false beard and letting his overgrown hair fall down to cover his face.
Once he had done all he could to alter his appearance, he headed for the Steward Office in the Inner City. Anyone who wished to rent a wandering cultivator’s residence had to go there.
When he arrived and looked around, Steward Beom, who had tormented him in the past, was nowhere to be seen. It seemed the man’s claim that he would enter closed-door cultivation for a year had not been a lie.
It was not important, so Jin Somyeong put it out of his mind. He approached an unfamiliar steward at the middle stage of Qi Refining and greeted him.
“Steward, my name is Yeo Dongbin, a wandering cultivator. I’ve come to rent a cave residence.”
He stated his business, throwing out a false name without much thought. The steward looked him up and down, then yawned.
Without bothering to hide the annoyance on his face, he tossed over a bamboo slip with writing on it.
“A cave residence? The rent is written there. Pick one yourself.”
Perhaps because Jin Somyeong was dressed shabbily, the man was curt, but Jin Somyeong paid it no mind and focused on the rental prices written on the bamboo slip.
After reading it carefully, he made his decision.
“I’ll take a cave residence with a first-grade low-tier spirit vein.”
He had almost chosen the cheapest place, but changed his mind. Since he was moving, he might as well choose somewhere decent that would help his cultivation.
A spirit vein was a special location where spiritual energy welled up from the earth. The concentration of spiritual energy there was far denser than elsewhere, and because it increased the speed at which one accumulated spiritual energy, it was enormously helpful for cultivation.
“Hm? W-wait. You really want to rent one? A cave residence with a first-grade spirit vein?”
“Yes.”
The steward, who had asked again as though doubting his own ears, cleared his throat.
“A first-grade low-tier cave residence costs three Spirit Stones a month. The deposit is equal to one year’s rent, so you’ll have to pay thirty-six Spirit Stones at once. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course. Here are the Spirit Stones.”
Jin Somyeong handed over the Spirit Stones he had set aside in advance. The steward inspected them one by one with great care, then smiled awkwardly.
“My apologies, Daoist Yeo.”
“Pardon? Why apologize all of a sudden...?”
“To be honest, I assumed you didn’t have the Spirit Stones. Yet unlike your clothing, you’re quite generous. My name is Ju Hong. As an apology, I’ll guide you to the cave residence myself. Come along.”
The power of money was formidable indeed.
Following Steward Ju Hong, whose attitude had suddenly become much friendlier, Jin Somyeong headed toward the place that would be his home for the time being.
“This is it?”
Standing before the entrance of the cave residence, Jin Somyeong frowned.
His first impression, to be honest, was disappointing. It had been built from expensive stone that resembled marble, but in the end, it was still a stone cave.
Calling it a ten-pyeong studio apartment in the shape of a cave would be exactly right.
For a place that cost three Spirit Stones a month, it was cramped. It would even be hard to cultivate comfortably inside.
“Haha. Calm down and step inside first. I suspect you’ll like it.”
At Steward Ju Hong’s confident manner, Jin Somyeong hesitated.
Then he followed the man into the cave residence where the first-grade low-tier spirit vein flowed, and the instant he crossed the threshold, his eyes closed of their own accord as he drew in a deep breath. It was an instinctive, natural reaction.
“Huh. The spiritual energy is incredibly dense.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Everyone likes it once they actually step inside.”
Its appearance was unimpressive, but the density of its spiritual energy was truly outstanding.
It was two or three times denser than outside. Merely breathing seemed enough to gather spiritual energy.
It’s worth the price.
Contrary to his first impression, he liked it more than expected.
For a cultivator, spiritual energy was the most important thing. Everything else was merely an added condition.
If he cultivated here, his speed would increase by at least twofold. A practice that would have taken two years could be completed in one.
Seeing Jin Somyeong nod along in admiration, Steward Ju Hong grinned.
“At this level, three Spirit Stones a month doesn’t feel wasted, does it?”
“No. I like it. I didn’t expect the spiritual energy to be this dense from a mere first-grade low-tier spirit vein.”
“Haha. The spiritual energy isn’t the only dense thing here. This place is officially managed by the Steward Office, so it’s very safe. The Enforcement Squad patrols regularly, and there’s even a formation installed.”
A formation was an art that grasped and manipulated the laws of heaven and earth, placing objects upon the land to unfold a special barrier.
One could think of it as a restriction or protective shield used to guard important places, though it could also artificially raise the concentration of spiritual energy to assist with cultivation.
“The formation installed here is the Five Elements Four Directions Formation. It’s connected to the spirit vein, so there’s no particular need to maintain it. Also...”
Steward Ju Hong’s mouth did not stop for even a moment. He seemed to enjoy boasting.
Nearly five minutes passed.
After talking by himself all that time, he finally came back to his senses with a cough and handed over a wooden nameplate inscribed with Jeong Seventeen.
“Take good care of this formation disk. Without it, the formation will block you from entering the cave residence. Be careful not to lose it.”
After handing over the formation disk, which served as the key, Steward Ju Hong left the cave residence.
Only then, now that he was alone, did Jin Somyeong take a proper rest.
Far too much had happened today, and his entire body was exhausted. He breathed in the dense spiritual energy and restored his weary body and mind.
“At last... I have a home in the Inner City.”
Looking at the cave residence with an official grade, he was filled with fresh emotion.
Something that would have been unimaginable when he was still a mortal had come true.
The Inner City was fundamentally different from the Outer City.
Strictly speaking, the Outer City was not an area governed by Jeokyang Market. It was merely a settlement formed by wandering cultivators who had gathered there.
There were minimal rules, but it was half lawless.
No matter what happened in the Outer City, the Steward Office did not interfere.
But the Inner City was different.
This place was the true foundation of Jeokyang Market, and so it was properly managed.
Having a residence in the Inner City also meant that he had truly established himself in Jeokyang Market.
It took me three years to get this far.
Thinking back on all the miserable hardships he had endured, he was deeply moved.
For some reason, Jin Somyeong had grown sentimental. He began thinking about the ruling powers of Jeokyang Market.
Now that he had a home in the Inner City, he needed to know who stood over his head.
The forces that ruled the market were broadly divided into two groups.
The Three Great Families and the Jeokyang Sect.
In truth, even twenty years ago, Jeokyang Market had only had the Three Great Families.
The Heo clan, the Ju clan, and the Dan clan.
The three families had kept one another in check, competing for control over the market, until one day, a new sect abruptly rose to prominence.
Arrogantly calling themselves the masters of Jeokyang Market and naming themselves the Jeokyang Sect, they constantly expanded their influence.
Naturally, the Three Great Families resisted. They tried to crush the Jeokyang Sect as if swatting an annoying fly.
But they failed.
Despite countless attempts to restrain them, the Jeokyang Sect never collapsed. For a newly risen power, they were remarkably tenacious.
They accepted countless wandering cultivators without caring about conditions, building a force of overwhelming size.
Such expansion was impossible for clan families bound by blood.
In truth, under ordinary circumstances, such expansion would have been meaningless. In the cultivation world, everyone beneath the strong was ultimately insignificant.
In a world where transcendents existed, a crowd meant nothing.
A single great Foundation Establishment cultivator could slaughter hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators. No matter how many Qi Refining cultivators gathered, it meant nothing.
And yet, strangely enough, the Jeokyang Sect gained the upper hand.
Before anyone realized it, they had come to possess three powerful great Foundation Establishment cultivators. That was the same number as all the Foundation Establishment ancestors of the Three Great Families combined.
The terrified Three Great Families belatedly united in earnest. They formed a tight alliance and stood against the Jeokyang Sect.
But the situation had already reached a stalemate.
In the end, the Three Great Families had no choice but to compromise with the Jeokyang Sect. They divided the market’s profits with them.
This situation isn’t bad for me.
As Jin Somyeong considered the balance of power, he nodded.
For a wandering cultivator like him, intense competition between powers was not a bad thing.
If one faction stood alone at the top, even drinking a cup of water would require watching their mood.
It would be fortunate if they had no interest in wandering cultivators, but if they chose to oppress them, there would be no answer.
They would be worked like slaves, without even room to breathe.
At any rate, I need to grow quickly while they’re busy fighting one another.
Steeling himself, Jin Somyeong crossed his legs.
He circulated the Five Elements Qi Refining Art with all his strength, intending to feel just how extraordinary the effect of the spirit vein was.
A long while later, Jin Somyeong, who had been focused on the art, snapped his eyes open.
“Twice as fast. My cultivation speed really has doubled.”
He was moved by the effect of a first-grade low-tier spirit vein.
Those three Spirit Stones were not wasted at all.
If even low-tier was this effective, he wondered how extraordinary middle-tier, or beyond that, high-tier and peak-tier spirit veins must be.
Once I have money, I’ll move to an even better cave residence.
Having set that goal, he felt at his waist.
Now that he was somewhere safe, it was time to examine his harvest.
Clatter!
He poured out everything packed inside the storage pouch.
From the blue flying sword to all kinds of medicinal pills, he needed to assess their value accurately and use them for his cultivation.
First, he picked up the flying sword radiating sharp sword energy.
He carefully examined the remarkable treasure sword, one meter in length.
“Hmm.”
The clear blade, tinged with blue light, was almost mesmerizing.
As expected of a magic artifact used by immortals, it looked incredibly sharp. Even from a distance, his skin prickled.
“Let’s see.”
The moment he carefully picked it up and infused it with spiritual energy, the sword hummed.
Wuuung!
Along with the vibration, a chill flowed out. The sword-note, imbued with spirituality, sounded like the cry of a dragon.
The stirring sound made his hand itch.
Clang!
He drew the broad saber at his waist and held it out into empty air.
The instant he swung the flying sword toward the upright saber, there came only a faint slicing sound.
Sssk!
The thick saber, forged of steel by a skilled blacksmith, was cleanly cut in two.
“...Huh. It’s absurdly sharp.”
The power was almost ridiculous. As expected, a magic artifact with an official grade was on an entirely different level.
In the mortal world, this would have been enshrined and worshiped as a divine sword.
“Wang Xin. If that bastard had been in perfect condition, I never could have beaten him.”
The words slipped out of him as he marveled.
He felt, down to his bones, that this world belonged to transcendents.
“But I won.”
At the same time, he praised himself for his wisdom in setting a trap with the dew tree.
Wuuung!
He infused spiritual energy into the flying sword. This magic artifact’s main function was not its sharp blade.
Its most important ability was carrying a person into the sky.
“Hm?”
After pouring in spiritual energy for a while, his brows furrowed of their own accord.
No matter how much he injected, there was no end to it. It felt like pouring water into a bottomless jar.
Half the spiritual energy that had filled his dantian had already vanished.
...Enough. I’ll need to be at least at the middle stage of Qi Refining to handle this.
He set the flying sword down with a soft tap and thought it over.
This item was far too useful. It was both a means of transportation and a means of attack.
It would be a shame to sell it off for a few dozen Spirit Stones. However, if he used it as it was, there was a risk someone might recognize it.
After thinking for about a minute, he made his decision.
I can just change its appearance. I won’t sell this flying sword. I’ll use it myself.
The method was simple. He could damage the ornamentation on the hilt and repaint it.
He put the flying sword into the storage pouch and moved on to the next items.
It was a pile of miscellaneous books, and he examined them carefully one by one.
“Wind-Riding Art?”
Jin Somyeong’s expression brightened at once. The Wind-Riding Art was one of the essential spells for a Qi Refining cultivator, and an important one.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, he hurriedly opened the book.
“Govern the wind and free the body... When truly mastered, one may fly ten thousand li as a single current of air.”
Reading the opening lines told him what kind of spell it was.
The Wind-Riding Art was the method by which immortals flew through the sky. At last, he had obtained the flying technique he had dreamed of.
To explain a little more specifically, it was a movement art that aimed to make the body so light it could drift on the wind, then manipulate the wind to move freely even in midair.
Of course, at the Qi Refining level, one could not truly fly through the sky. One had to kick off the ground at set intervals to gain propulsion.
The book’s claim of flying ten thousand li was nothing more than exaggeration.
Still, it’s enough for me.
He carefully closed the book and set it aside. He planned to study it thoroughly when he had time.
With growing expectation, he examined the other books.
“Ascending Dragon Steps? Flying Swallow Demon-Slaying Saber Art?”
The grand titles whetted his appetite.
Jin Somyeong hastily skimmed the contents, then paused. His expression gradually filled with disappointment.
“Haa.”
He had expected much from their impressive names, but they were merely martial arts practiced by mortals without spirit roots.
For a cultivator who practiced immortal arts, martial arts held little meaning.
Unfortunately, the Wind-Riding Art was the only cultivation spell among the books.
His disappointment lasted only a moment. Soon, he recovered his spirits.
He had already gained plenty. Even the Wind-Riding Art alone would cost fifteen Spirit Stones if purchased from the library.
“Travel Notes of Namju. This is good too. Exactly what I need.”
It was a travelogue written by a wandering cultivator who had roamed the southern cultivation world, and it would be of great help to Jin Somyeong, who lacked common knowledge.
It was a fine book that could broaden his perspective.
“Next... what’s this?”
After the books, he picked up a plain white mask.
“Faceless Mask?”
The mask was also a magic artifact, and for some reason, it did not seem ordinary. When he injected spiritual energy, its method of use appeared in his mind.
A first-grade peak-tier magic artifact. It can disguise even the unique aura possessed by an individual, allowing one to alter one’s appearance freely... The disguise is so refined that even Foundation Establishment cultivators will find it difficult to detect. Even if discovered, they will only know that you are disguised; they will not be able to see through to your true appearance.
It was superb.
Truly, superb.
The spiritual energy consumption is low enough that I can use it, too. This is absolutely perfect.
A disguise magic artifact that worked even against Foundation Establishment experts. Such a treasure could not be obtained even with Spirit Stones.
The sweetness of the harvest was enough to make his head spin.
He was almost grateful to Wang Xin for trying to kill him.
“Good!”
As he rejoiced in satisfaction, he suddenly froze. Even the smile that had been leaking out of him vanished as if washed away.
Something was strange.
Including the golden shield shattered by the venomous insects, and then the storage pouch, the flying sword, and the mask.
The more he thought about all those magic artifacts, the more deeply his brows furrowed.
“Why...”
How much time passed?
Jin Somyeong realized what had been bothering him.
All of these treasures had come from a single cultivator at the middle stage of Qi Refining.
“...Why was that bastard so rich?”
It was plainly abnormal. An unidentified sense of danger began to creep up within him.