A Rain of Rewards
Jin Somyeong smiled to himself as he thought of a shortcut that would let him grow the mine.
I wish a month would pass already. As an initiation gift for joining the Red Sun Sect, I can just ask for a thousand Spirit Stones.
He smacked his lips at the thought, then stroked the Faceless Mask. Taking on another identity, he headed for the Archive Pavilion.
"Shopkeeper. Did you manage to find the martial manuals I ordered last time?"
"Ah! It's you, honored customer. This way, please. I managed to obtain a few."
Thump!
The shopkeeper pulled a pile of old, worn books from his storage pouch and gave a rueful smile.
"I learned they aren't something to look down on just because they're mortal martial arts. Once I actually tried to find them, it was harder than getting my hands on cultivation arts."
"You still found quite a lot. At a glance, it looks like several dozen volumes."
"Haha... you'll understand once you look."
Leaving that puzzling response aside, Jin Somyeong examined the books the owner of the Archive Pavilion handed over one by one.
Rustle, rustle!
As he flipped through the pages and skimmed them at speed, Jin Somyeong's expression darkened.
"..."
Not every martial art was as useful as Ascending Dragon Step or Flying Swallow Demon-Slaying Saber Art. Most of them were trifling odds and ends, so worthless that even mastering them to perfection would serve no purpose. There was no need to learn them.
"Hmm...? Great Art of Turtle Breathing. This one's not bad."
Still, the haul was not completely empty. The Great Art of Turtle Breathing was a secret technique that allowed one to control even the body's involuntary muscles, including the heart, turning the practitioner corpse-like and concealing their presence.
If I combine it with the Flame-Devouring Art, my stealth ability should grow even stronger.
Having obtained a decent martial art, Jin Somyeong nodded.
"I'll buy all of them. How many Spirit Stones should I pay?"
"To be honest, they aren't high-grade cultivation arts or anything... Just give me five Spirit Stones."
At the price, far cheaper than he had expected, a smile came to him unbidden. To others they might be meaningless, but to him martial arts were no different from a treasure vault.
Jin Somyeong paid the Spirit Stones without complaint and returned to his cave residence. He intended to combine the Flame-Devouring Art with the Great Art of Turtle Breathing and strengthen his stealth.
Time flew like an arrow, and before he knew it, a month had passed. The day he had promised Beom Chang had arrived.
Early that morning, Jin Somyeong harvested the fully grown spirit rice in the backyard of his cave residence and looked over the empty field.
...I suppose I won't have much reason to come here for a while.
He slowly took in the first-grade mid-tier cave residence that had sheltered him for some time, then shook his head. He felt a little reluctant, but he could not live here forever. To reach a better place, one had to know when to leave.
With a flick of his sleeve, he left the cave residence and sent a letter to Steward Ju Hong. He needed to return the nameplate that controlled the residence's formation and pay two months' rent.
I agreed to notify them two months before leaving. I should keep my promise.
Jin Somyeong had his own line. Namely, he did not inconvenience people who had not harmed him.
After sending the letter through an escort agency, he walked down the main road without hesitation and headed for the Red Sun Sect. He did not stop until he arrived before the grand gate carved with a mountain range wreathed in flames.
Just as Jin Somyeong walked toward the entrance, a voice snapped out.
"Wait! Stop right there and don't come any closer. Who are you, and where are you from?"
The gatekeeper reacted sharply, gripping his spear-shaped magical artifact as he watched Jin Somyeong with caution. The scene gave Jin Somyeong a strange sense of deja vu, but this gatekeeper was not Beom Chang.
It was a Qi Refining mid-stage cultivator he had never seen before. Since there was no reason to pick a fight, Jin Somyeong greeted him politely.
"Senior. I am a rogue cultivator named Jin Somyeong."
Perhaps because of that courteous attitude, the gatekeeper's wariness faded noticeably.
"Jin Somyeong? I don't believe we've met. What brings you to the Red Sun Sect?"
At the puzzled response, Jin Somyeong's expression darkened.
Tsk. That damned bastard didn't handle things properly.
Today was clearly the promised date, yet Beom Chang had not even informed the gatekeeper. He had failed at the most basic preparation. It seemed Jin Somyeong would need to set aside a day soon and educate him properly.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, he spoke in the same polite tone.
"I came because I promised to meet one of the Red Sun Sect's disciples today."
"I see. If you tell me who it is, I'll send word."
"Beom Chang."
"Pardon? Who did you say?"
"...I have an appointment with Senior Beom Chang."
"A-are you certain? Do you perhaps have a token proving the appointment?"
At the oddly frightened reaction, Jin Somyeong's brow furrowed.
"I don't. I'm merely asking you to contact him. Why would I need a token for that?"
"Well... Senior Brother Beom Chang hates it when his training is disturbed. If this isn't certain, it would be a little difficult to interrupt him..."
To be this reluctant over merely delivering a message. Jin Somyeong could tell exactly what kind of tyranny that wretched bastard usually inflicted on others.
"Hoo. Just call him. If Senior Beom Chang gets angry, you can blame it all on me, can't you?"
"Urgh! That's precisely why I can't... He'll definitely blame me too."
The gatekeeper shuddered from head to toe as though a chill had run over him. His attitude made it clear he wanted nothing to do with anything involving Beom Chang.
It was an awkward situation, since forcing him to make contact would be unreasonable as well.
Just as Jin Somyeong was about to sigh, the small side door beside the enormous gate creaked open, and someone walked out.
"Oh? Senior Brother Beom Chang! Perfect timing. There's someone here looking for you, Senior Brother!"
The gatekeeper's face brightened at once, and it was plain to see his relief that the troublesome matter had been resolved. Beom Chang's expression, however, soured in the exact opposite direction.
His whole face was twisted as though he had swallowed filth, making it painfully obvious how much he hated coming here. Beom Chang gritted his teeth, then forced the corners of his mouth upward.
"Brother Jin. You've arrived."
"Yes. It has been a while."
"Haa... If you'd arrived, you should have just come in. I only came out because I was waiting in the reception room and worried we might miss each other, so don't misunderstand anything strange."
"Gasp!"
The instant Beom Chang finished speaking, the gatekeeper, who had been standing off to the side while erasing his presence, turned pale.
Seeing that, Beom Chang narrowed his eyes. His already rotten expression crumpled violently, and he growled.
"Don't tell me you made my dear brother wait outside."
"T-that is..."
"You dared treat my guest so poorly? I'll have to see what gave you the confidence to do that!"
Bloodshot veins stood out in Beom Chang's eyes. It seemed he meant to vent the foul mood of being enslaved on the gatekeeper.
There was no way Jin Somyeong would enjoy watching that. Frowning, he opened his mouth.
"Brother. Let's just go inside. Today is the happy day I join the Red Sun Sect, isn't it?"
"...Understood. If it's my dear brother's word, I have to listen. Hahaha! Let's go!"
Leaving the gatekeeper behind as he bowed deeply in gratitude, Jin Somyeong entered the Red Sun Sect with Beom Chang. The moment they were alone, Jin Somyeong's tone changed completely.
"Hey, Brother. The gatekeeper didn't even know my name. How exactly did you handle this? I clearly told you to prepare properly. Can I trust you or not?"
"...Please don't worry. I'm deliberately doing it this sloppily. I have to act the way I usually do so no one suspects anything."
"Tsk. I'll be watching."
In truth, because of the contract, Beom Chang could neither lie to him nor harbor malice, but Jin Somyeong said it anyway. It was a warning to be more attentive in how he handled matters from now on.
Beom Chang's face twisted into a bizarre expression, unable to either get angry or laugh, and he barely managed to nod.
"Yes, dear brother. Let's go. To join the Red Sun Sect, you must first register your name at the Merit Hall."
Like a servant volunteering to guide the way, Beom Chang led him to a two-story hall. The moment they entered, they saw disciples moving busily about.
One of them, a disciple handling a mountain of piled paperwork, froze. The moment he slowly lifted his head and met Beom Chang's eyes, he jumped to his feet in fright.
"S-Senior Brother Beom!"
"Mm."
Unlike when the two of them had been alone, Beom Chang straightened his shoulders and accepted the greeting with swagger, then jerked his chin toward Jin Somyeong.
"You see Brother Jin behind me? He wants to join the Red Sun Sect, so take care of it."
"Yes! I'll handle it right away."
The disciple shoved aside every sheet of paper piled like a mountain and obeyed at once, while the nearby disciples who had been gauging the mood began slipping away one by one.
"Ahem. Fellow Daoist behind him, what is your name?"
"Jin Somyeong."
"Jin Somyeong. Good. Your age and realm?"
"Sixteen, and third layer of Qi Refining."
"Oh...! Impressive at such a young age. I'm envious."
Even though Jin Somyeong had deliberately lowered his stated realm by one layer, the disciple still exclaimed in admiration. That meant his cultivation speed, aided by the Simsangbigyeong, was that fast.
"What is your hometown?"
"I've lived in Jeokyang Market since I was young, so I don't really know. I was an orphan."
"I see. Then I'll mark you as having no blood relations connected to the cultivation world."
The disciple nodded as he wrote down the personal details.
"Since you didn't come from another market, there shouldn't be any issue. I'll add your name to the disciple roster immediately."
After glancing around carefully, the disciple approached Beom Chang. In a whisper so low that Jin Somyeong would not have heard it without his keen senses, he said,
"Senior Brother. What should I do about his status? Should I enter him as a menial disciple as usual?"
For an instant, Jin Somyeong's eyes met Beom Chang's. Just as Jin Somyeong's brow began to twitch, Beom Chang flinched and shouted loudly.
"You fool! What nonsense are you spouting? Don't whisper like some petty thief. Speak up! And didn't I say Brother Jin is my younger brother? Of course you should give him the highest treatment!"
"T-the highest? Are you saying an inner disciple?"
In any sect, inner disciples were part of the core. They were not mere laborers to be used up and discarded after draining resources, but true pillars and foundations.
The Red Sun Sect, which had begun as an alliance of rogue cultivators, was no different. Naturally, the disciple handling the matter was flustered. Beom Chang, however, remained utterly unreasonable.
"Have you forgotten that my uncle is a Foundation Establishment elder? With my recommendation, an inner disciple position is possible!"
"W-well... Haa. Understood. Given your status, Senior Brother, it isn't impossible."
The disciple gave a tired, bitter smile and spoke to Jin Somyeong.
"All inner disciples must form a basic Soul Contract. You must also offer a soul tablet containing a portion of your divine soul. Are you prepared?"
Before the disciple could even finish speaking, Beom Chang cut in.
"Tsk! I took care of that already, so don't concern yourself with it."
"Ah... You've already done it."
"Yes. Leave things like contracts alone and hurry up and bring out the identity plaque! I'm busy."
At that moment, the disciple glanced at Jin Somyeong, his eyes turning pitiful. He looked at him as though pitying a fool who had been scammed.
After hesitating, the disciple said,
"Um... Senior Brother Beom."
"Mm?"
"If it becomes known that you made another private contract, the elders will dislike it."
"Hmph! If you keep your mouth shut, who would know? Surely you aren't thinking of going around blabbing about it?"
"O-of course not."
"Good, I trust you. And even if the elders scold someone, I'll be the one scolded, so don't concern yourself!"
"...Understood. I'll take care of the minor aftermath myself."
"Hmph. Of course you should. Now you're finally understanding me."
"You said the new junior disciple's name is Jin Somyeong, correct? Please wait a moment. I'll go make the identity plaque right away."
Who knew how long he waited? The disciple who had stepped out briefly rushed back in.
"Huff... huff..."
He had hurried so much he was breathing hard enough that Jin Somyeong almost wanted to tell him to take his time.
"Junior Brother Jin. Here is your identity plaque. The procedure for reissuing it is complicated, so please keep it safe."
"Thank you."
"Now we need to assign you a personal cave residence... I'll recommend the best place I can."
Indeed. Merely acting unreasonable made everything proceed without a hitch.
Watching from behind, Jin Somyeong felt satisfaction well up in his heart.
This is it.
Capturing Beom Chang through so much effort had been worth it. It felt as though he was being richly repaid for all the trouble he had gone through so far.