Earning a Spirit Stone
Jin Somyeong entered Jeokyang Mountain and glanced up at the night sky, judging the hour.
Somewhere around four in the morning.
The sun had yet to rise. The mountain path lay sunk in darkness, but he did not stop walking. If anything, he quickened his pace.
Crack!
He pushed forward, chopping through the overgrown underbrush with his broad knife.
Whew. I take this path practically every day, and it still grows back like this.
This was one of Jin Somyeong’s usual routes. Even so, there was not the slightest trace that anyone had passed through. Such was the vitality of Jeokyang Mountain.
Even common weeds grew without end. If left alone for the briefest while, they would easily tower over a man’s head. Jeokyang Mountain, a spirit mountain, did not permit human footprints to remain.
Just as sweat began to stream down his face from the grueling climb—
Rustle.
The faint whisper of grass brushing against something raised gooseflesh along his skin. At that alien sound, his wariness spiked to its limit.
Gulp...
He sharpened every nerve, every sense. His nose kept twitching, searching for the musky reek of a beast.
How much time passed like that, he could not tell. The muscles in his shoulders began to ache, yet the forest around him remained silent.
Squeeze.
He tightened his grip on the broad knife and lowered his stance, ready to react at any moment.
Hm...?
But no matter how long he waited, the mountain path stayed quiet, as if that chilling sensation from a moment ago had been nothing but his imagination.
After keeping watch for quite some time, Jin Somyeong frowned.
Concentration was a limited resource. Dragging this out would do him no good.
He hesitated, then carefully took one step forward.
Whoosh!
With a sinister sound of air being split apart, a hazy afterimage shot toward him like an arrow.
“Hup?!”
Something struck the broad knife he swung by reflex.
Thud! With a heavy sound, it dropped to the ground, hissing like a wild animal.
Jin Somyeong’s gaze turned grave.
He had clearly cut it with a sharp blade, yet not a single drop of blood had sprayed. Instead, he had felt only a dull, weighty resistance, as if he had struck a stone.
That meant its hide was extraordinarily tough.
A Twin-Horned Serpent!
Beneath the moonlight, he saw a triangular snake’s head amid the blurred shape. It was a venomous viper known as the Twin-Horned Serpent.
His heart hammered with tension.
If luck had failed him and he had not reacted in time, its fangs would have at least grazed him. And then it would have been over.
I almost died.
A Twin-Horned Serpent was no ordinary animal. A beast the size of a bull could not endure three breaths after being struck by its poison.
Shrrk!
Its tongue licked the air, and venom-slick fangs gleamed in the dark.
“Hmph!”
Jin Somyeong glared murderously at the creature as it circled him, measuring its prey.
He could not retreat a single step.
If he lost in momentum, it was over. If he did not want to die, he had to fight.
How long did they stand locked in that standoff, his hand clenched white around the broad knife?
Slither...
The tension suddenly snapped. The Twin-Horned Serpent, which had been waiting for an opening, gave up and vanished into the darkness.
Massaging his exhausted shoulder muscles, Jin Somyeong found himself newly impressed.
It’s my own body, but still... impressive.
Twin-Horned Serpents were as fast as arrows. The fact that he had reacted to that speed felt almost strange.
His body belonged to an ordinary mortal who had never learned martial arts, yet it was sturdy and quick. His senses were sharp as well, allowing him to detect all manner of dangers.
Well, if I couldn’t do at least this much, I’d have died long ago.
Without such a body, he would never have survived three years on Jeokyang Mountain.
He took a deep breath and stretched, loosening the tension in his muscles. The movements were practiced. Of course they were. Over the last three years, he had experienced this sort of thing countless times.
After resting as much as he needed, he was about to leave when something caught his eye.
...What’s this mound of dirt?
There were signs that the ground had been dug up. He approached carefully to inspect it, and his eyes widened.
“Huh?”
Between the clumps of soil, he glimpsed a scrap of multicolored grass.
Jin Somyeong’s eyes flew open, and he used his broad knife to scrape through the earth. After rummaging for a while, he cheered inwardly.
Tricolor Grass!
Deep in the pit, he found two stalks of Tricolor Grass with half-severed roots.
Most likely, someone had discovered a patch of Tricolor Grass, harvested it, and dropped a few stalks by mistake.
For Jin Somyeong, it was tremendous luck.
No wonder. I was wondering why a Twin-Horned Serpent was here.
Out of habit, he watched his surroundings as he hurriedly dug them out.
The leaves were torn and the roots damaged, so he would not receive full price, but Tricolor Grass was still Tricolor Grass.
At the very least, it was worth eight spirit stone fragments.
He carefully stored them in the bundle he had brought and nodded in satisfaction.
He had taken one more step toward his goal. Of course he was pleased.
If I sell this Tricolor Grass for eight spirit stone fragments, I’ll have a total of one hundred and eight fragments. I only need two more!
Calming his pounding heart, he left the area. The sun had not yet risen, and there was still much to do.
Some time passed, and dawn began to creep faintly over the horizon.
Found it!
Jin Somyeong’s eyes lit up when he discovered a massive tree.
It was a thick giant of a tree, more than twenty meters tall. It was so enormous that looking up at its crown made his neck ache.
This tree, which he had named the Dew Tree, was one of Jin Somyeong’s little treasures.
He had discovered it by luck half a year ago, and it had since become one of the main sources of money that kept him alive.
What made the tree special was that each leaf was larger than five palms put together.
The leaves were so soft and thick they could be used as cushions.
“Sss.”
He steadied his breathing and approached in silence, not forgetting to stay alert to his surroundings.
Three bent branches drooped down at eye level. He closely examined the blue-green leaves hanging from their tips.
As expected. They’re here today too.
At the center of each leaf sat a transparent drop of dew as large as an adult’s fist.
As its size suggested, it was no ordinary dew. It was numinous water, saturated with spiritual energy and possessing special efficacy.
The moonlight reflected off the glittering drops, and a faint fragrance drifted from them.
It was a fresh scent that seemed to clear the chest all the way through.
The sort of scent that made a person want to lose himself in it without thinking.
This dew had many uses. It could be used to refine medicinal pills or aid cultivation.
Since it held value for cultivators, naturally, he could sell it and obtain spirit stone fragments.
He took out the gourd bottle he had brought and held it to the dew.
Drip, drip.
He gathered it carefully, making sure not to spill a drop. In total, he collected three clear beads of dew.
This should be worth one spirit stone fragment.
Slosh!
He shook the gourd in good spirits, then stoppered it.
As he nodded in satisfaction, his gaze flicked upward.
The Dew Tree was enormous. Naturally, it had far more than three leaves. The higher it went, the denser the foliage became.
...There must be dew up there too.
But that was a prize beyond reach. Even the lower leaves were at least five meters up, making it impossible for him to harvest their dew.
When he had first discovered the Dew Tree half a year ago, he had tried climbing the trunk and nearly died.
I was bitten by some tiny poisonous insect and almost didn’t make it. I lay sick for three days.
Without giving in to greed, he quietly withdrew.
He set off to find other trees bearing dew, or perhaps some spirit herbs.
Once the sun rose, all dew containing spiritual energy would dry up, so he had to hurry.
If I can just find one more spirit stone fragment’s worth...
Jeokyang Market.
A boy of about fifteen walked down the street with a worn-out bundle on his back.
At first glance, he seemed to be strolling at ease, but a closer look told a different story. His bright eyes never stopped moving.
He advanced at a leisurely pace while remaining alert in every direction. Whenever someone approached too closely, he naturally drifted away and widened the distance.
The hand resting on the hilt of the broad knife at his waist did not leave it for even a moment. He was prepared to draw at any time.
Step, step.
After walking for a while, the boy—Jin Somyeong—arrived at a shop.
Spirit Pill Pavilion
“Welco—hm?”
The lively greeting broke off.
A young girl who looked about Jin Somyeong’s age thrust out her lips in a pout.
“What’s a mortal doing here? Get out before you get scolded. Our Spirit Pill Pavilion does business with Qi Refining cultivators.”
At her blunt tone, Jin Somyeong was just about to answer when—
“Ho-ho. So-a, that child is my guest. Send him upstairs.”
A calm voice rang out from the second floor of the Spirit Pill Pavilion.
“M-Master?”
The startled girl’s eyes widened. She had been blocking his way with such confidence, but now she hurriedly stepped aside.
Jin Somyeong gave her a polite bow, passed by, and climbed to the second floor.
The moment he reached it, the bitter scent of medicinal herbs washed over him.
Soon, his eyes met those of a man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties, sipping tea.
Jin Somyeong greeted the man, whose face bore a gentle and kindly smile, with respectful courtesy.
“I hope you have been well, Senior Bang.”
“Mm. You’re here.”
Bang Il, who had been savoring the aroma of tea like a scholar, looked Jin Somyeong up and down.
“You little brat, you truly do have good fortune. How in the world have you survived three years while climbing Jeokyang Mountain every day...? Tsk, tsk.”
“Haha. I wonder that myself.”
Smiling like an innocent child, Jin Somyeong respectfully held out the gourd and his bundle.
“Senior Bang, I’ll be in your care again today.”
“Let’s have a look.”
Bang Il examined the spirit-infused dew inside the gourd, then nodded with satisfaction.
“Good! Good! As expected, you’re a diligent one. You gathered this at dawn, so the spiritual energy hasn’t leaked away yet. For this amount, I’ll give you two spirit stone fragments. And this is... hm?”
When Bang Il opened the cloth pouch, he let out an impressed sound.
“Tricolor Grass? The roots are damaged, but it still retains some spirituality. ...Good! I’ll give you eight spirit stone fragments for this. Do you agree?”
Fortunately, it was exactly the price Jin Somyeong had expected.
Bang Il certainly possessed a merchant’s credibility. In this harsh world, that sort of conscience was rare.
Of course, that was precisely why Jin Somyeong frequented this Spirit Pill Pavilion.
“Yes. I’ll sell it all.”
“I like how straightforward you are!”
Crystals the size of fingernails popped out from Bang Il’s waist.
Whip!
Ten spirit stone fragments flew through the air and settled lightly in Jin Somyeong’s palm.
“Thank you! But, Senior...”
“Mm?”
After hesitating briefly, Jin Somyeong took out an old pouch and presented it with both hands.
The heavy weight made his fingertips tremble faintly.
No one but Jin Somyeong himself could know how precious the contents of this shabby pouch were.
Swallowing against his tension, he forced himself to smile and said, “Senior, would it be possible to combine all these spirit stone fragments and exchange them for a Spirit Stone?”
“...A Spirit Stone? Not fragments, but a real Spirit Stone?”
“Yes.”
As if doubting his own ears, Bang Il tilted his head. A moment later, his eyes widened as he said, “Brat. Don’t tell me you’ve collected all the spirit stone fragments?”
“Yes. As you told me before, Senior, I’ve brought one hundred and ten.”
“Hah.”
Bang Il stood in silence for a long moment.
He accepted the pouch Jin Somyeong offered and shook it this way and that, judging the weight.
“A mortal child without a single proper skill collected one hundred and ten spirit stone fragments? How long did it take?”
“Ahaha. Since I don’t know much, it took me three whole years.”
“Three years!”
Bang Il’s exclamation was filled with surprise. He stared in admiration at Jin Somyeong, who was smiling like a guileless child.
Perhaps moved in some strange way, he murmured so softly it could barely be heard.
“A little child with neither parents nor master risked his life for three years without giving up...?”
In that instant, Bang Il’s attitude changed.
The gaze he directed at Jin Somyeong now held genuine curiosity.
The idle, teasing air he had worn to pass the time vanished, and he spoke seriously.
“Yes. I remember now. I did say that if you brought me one hundred and ten spirit stone fragments, I would exchange them for a Spirit Stone. When was that?”
“Two years ago.”
“Ho-ho. Now that I think of it, from then on, the intervals between your dew sales grew shorter. To climb Jeokyang Mountain every day with a mortal’s body... Looking back now, it truly is a miracle you survived.”
As Bang Il stroked his chin, a blue haze flickered in his eyes.
He had activated Spirit Eye Art, an ocular technique that could see through all sorts of mysteries.
Ugh.
The moment Jin Somyeong met that strange gaze, it felt as though he had come face-to-face with a tiger. Bang Il, standing before him, no longer seemed human, but a monster.
His hands and feet trembled faintly, but he forced himself to smile. Jin Somyeong continued playing the part of a naïve child.
How many breaths passed?
After inspecting him for a long while as though appraising an item, Bang Il shook his head.
“...Not only your perseverance, but your temperament is remarkable as well. But mixed spiritual roots? What a pity. You have no possibility of achieving greatness.”
Jin Somyeong, acting as innocent as he could, grew tense inwardly.
Bang Il’s assessment was something he already knew, so it did not particularly wound him.
Please.
He simply wanted the transaction to end quickly.
Based on what he had observed over the last three years, this cultivator named Bang Il was at least relatively trustworthy.
Of all the people Jin Somyeong had met after reincarnating, he was the most conscientious merchant.
As the owner of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, he also had a good reputation. He was known as a man who kept his promises.
Among the options Jin Somyeong could choose from right now, Bang Il was the best.
I have no choice but to trust him.
To Bang Il, a cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, a single Spirit Stone was not a treasure.
For an office worker making ten million won a month, it’d be like a million won or so.
Jin Somyeong judged that Bang Il would not tarnish his shop’s credibility or rob a child who had diligently gathered dew for three years just for the sake of one measly Spirit Stone.
Just as Jin Somyeong swallowed nervously, Bang Il, who had been stroking his chin in thought for quite some time, suddenly chuckled.
“Good! A merchant must keep his promises. Here, one Spirit Stone.”
Whip!
He was bold about it. A blue crystal the size of a thumb traced an arc through the air.
Jin Somyeong’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly snatched it.
As if afraid someone might see, he quickly clenched the Spirit Stone in his fist. He could not hide the faint trembling of his fingertips, born from the exhilaration surging from deep within his heart.
A Spirit Stone.
Not a broken fragment, but a real Spirit Stone.
An important treasure that would help him attain the Dao.
With this, he could set foot on the path of immortals and begin cultivating.
I finally got it.
Jin Somyeong bit his lip, shaking with emotion.
The truly dogshit years of hardship rose in his mind, and his eyes reddened.
The day he condensed spiritual energy and became a Qi Refining cultivator was no longer far away.
“Thank you!”
He quickly put the Spirit Stone away and bowed at the waist.
To Bang Il, owner of the Spirit Pill Pavilion, it might be nothing more than ordinary currency. But to Jin Somyeong, it was hope that could change his fate.
It was a lamp that could brighten his life.