Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: The Intellectuals of This Era
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Intellectuals
Seoran and Damcheong moved to another location first.
The corridor wasn't suitable for a private conversation.
The two entered the study and locked the door.
Seoran asked quietly.
"Youngyeong has a heart demon? Is that really true?"
"Yes, no doubt about it. I offered to lend her some popular novels these days, but she refused, saying she's too busy with cultivation."
"It's certainly not like her usual self... but isn't that a bit of a stretch to call it a heart demon? Maybe she's just feeling motivated to cultivate lately."
Damcheong shook his head firmly.
"No, it's definitely a heart demon. Youngyeong is currently suffering from insomnia and loss of appetite. She seems to have a lot of worries and anxieties too. It's not just her avoiding hobbies to focus on cultivation."
Seoran said with a puzzled expression.
"You know the symptoms in quite some detail. Did Youngyeong confess them to you herself?"
"Of course, she tried to hide it. But who am I? I saw right through Geum Youngyeong's lies with my keen insight."
"How did you know they were lies?"
Damcheong was at a loss for words.
It was awkward to reveal the secret of his dragon eyes.
So he stalled with pointless distractions.
Suddenly staring off at distant mountains.
Blowing the dust off the bookshelves.
Scratching his nose bridge and rolling his eyes.
In the end, he gave a vague answer.
"Well, with the experience of the long-lived dragon race... I just somehow..."
Seoran looked extremely skeptical.
But she didn't press further.
What mattered now was Geum Youngyeong.
The master detective duo sprang into action immediately.
They prepared some tea and snacks and sank into the armchairs.
This completed their preparations for undercover surveillance.
Damcheong slurped his honey tea noisily and asked.
"Seoran, where is our observation target?"
Seoran's senses instantly blanketed the entire estate.
"She's in her room. Meditating."
Damcheong turned his head slightly.
A mere wall couldn't block the eyes of a dragon.
His dragon eyes easily locked onto the target.
Thus began the close surveillance from beyond the wall.
Seoran and Damcheong seemed born to be detectives.
X-ray vision that pierced even the ocean depths, eavesdropping that caught every sound in the vicinity, bodies that required no sleep.
No one could escape the surveillance net of this dynamic detective duo.
Several days of undercover duty came to an end.
The master detective duo agreed unanimously.
Geum Youngyeong had fallen into a heart demon with high probability.
Seoran said.
"Let's consult a heart demon specialist."
"Sharp as ever. What should we do about the subject herself?"
"Hmm, let's handle it between us for now."
The two gathered their observation notes and left the estate.
And outside the main gate, they locked eyes with Shiksandaebung.
The master detective duo retreated home with smooth backpedaling.
It was decided that Damcheong would visit the heart demon specialist alone.
*****
Upon returning from the consultation, Damcheong said.
"It's almost certainly a heart demon."
"How certain?"
"Nine-tenths, nine-hundredths, nine-ri sure?"*
*Translator's note: An old-fashioned way of saying 99.9%.
At 99.9%, there was no need to look further.
Geum Youngyeong's symptoms matched a heart demon perfectly.
The key question was exactly what type of heart demon it was.
Seoran asked.
"Did they say what kind of heart demon it is?"
"They said that requires consulting the patient directly."
"Will Youngyeong go to a heart demon clinic?"
Damcheong shook his head.
"She'll definitely insist she's fine and deny it."
"I think so too. So what now? Forcing her would only worsen the symptoms if we consider the cause..."
"The specialist said never to force treatment. Instead, they gave some useful home remedies to improve the symptoms."
Seoran's face lit up as she asked.
"What are they?"
"Some will be familiar to you."
"Ah, no way?"
Damcheong pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his bosom.
"First, don't leave her alone as much as possible. Second, distract her nerves with appropriate activities. It adds that spending time with friends is best. Third, don't leave familiar spaces. Fourth..."
"It's a bit different from how you handle decision paralysis disorder? I left the headquarters entirely and went into the secular world."
"From the observation notes, she shows some separation anxiety. The specialist said it, so it must be right."
The two thoroughly memorized all thirty-one coping strategies.
And after much deliberation, they came up with a good plan.
*****
Somewhere in the Black Bamboo Sect headquarters, a family home.
The handsome head of household—who kept his mouth shut—the fox-like wife, and rabbit-like children lived harmoniously.
It was the home of Jang Ok-gi and the Geum family couple.
The beauty famous for her foul mouth, Jang Seonhwa, was enjoying her hobby as usual.
And as usual, an intruder arrived.
One of her younger sisters flung open the door.
"Sis, can you help me with my writing homework?"
"I'm busy right now. You have to do it yourself for it to count as studying."
"Ugh, fine. I'll ask the brothers."
The door closed again.
Jang Seonhwa remained unfazed whether her sister sulked or not.
She simply focused on her task.
Jang Seonhwa read the magazine with reverence.
'The united Black Bamboo Sect and Goldcraft Sect already boast three Quad Spirit Root Holders among their Core Formation disciples!'
The article announced that the top elders of the Black Bamboo Sect and Goldcraft Sect, Yeo Mujin and Geum Gyo-wol, had recently become Quad Spirit Root Holders.
It was thanks to the wooden ships sponsored by the Ten Great Sects of the Eastern Continent.
The author also added an in-depth analysis of the tangible and intangible benefits this would bring.
Then it moved on to content about Seoran.
If the subject herself had seen it, she would have been mortified—the effusive praise went on endlessly.
About seventy percent of the allocated space was dedicated to lauding Seoran.
After reading the article carefully, Jang Seonhwa muttered.
"As expected, this person writes so well."
Jang Seonhwa picked up her scissors with a satisfied face.
She carefully clipped out Seoran's article.
She planned to paste it into her 'Teacher Collection' later.
The door slid open again with a rattle.
"Sis, play ball with me!"
"Kick it against the wall by yourself."
"Got it!"
Her younger brother dashed out energetically.
Jang Seonhwa immersed herself in the magazine once more.
'Popular long novel serialization resumes—to great acclaim even underground!'
'The Animal Farm expands its territory—liberation from labor on the horizon?'
'The colossal puppet Shiksandaebung and its astonishing design philosophy!'
The whole world was Seoran.
Jang Seonhwa's 'Teacher Collection' grew thicker by the day.
But happy times didn't last long.
The door rattled, then clicked shut.
"Sis, you have a guest!"
"The world won't leave me alone... Who is it?"
"Ryu Susa-nim!"
Seoran peeked her head through the open door.
"Seonhwa, I heard you're busy, but is now okay for a bit?"
"I have plenty of time, Teacher."
"It's not anything big, but I'm thinking of starting a synergy cultivation club. I wanted to ask if you'd join."
Jang Seonhwa expressed her joy with an immediate leap.
Her head nearly hit the ceiling.
*****
Seoran, Damcheong, and Jang Seonhwa swarmed Geum Youngyeong.
And they asked her to become a comrade.
Geum Youngyeong replied in an unenthusiastic voice.
"But I have to cultivate..."
Seoran delivered her prepared line.
"It's fine. What we're starting is a synergy cultivation club."
"Synergy cultivation club? What's that?"
"It's a group where cultivators of different realms and specialties gather to create synergistic effects. Our ultimate goal is to nurture transcendent talents through interdisciplinary fusion research in cultivation studies. We'll also conduct joint research from time to time."
Geum Youngyeong made a 'what's that?' face.
Truth be told, Seoran had no idea what she was saying either.
She was just spouting whatever came to mind.
But there were those who were impressed.
"Seoran, what a bold idea!"
"As expected of Teacher!"
Damcheong and Jang Seonhwa clapped enthusiastically.
It wasn't pre-planned staging.
Seeing their fervent reactions, even Geum Youngyeong was tempted.
Geum Youngyeong asked cautiously.
"Who else has joined?"
"Right now it's me, Damcheong-nim, and Seonhwa—three in total. Hye-mun and Agum joined too, but they're busy, so they'll start participating in a few days."
Ho Hye-mun was preoccupied with school opening matters, and Yi Agum was just busy with Medicine Hall duties.
Geum Youngyeong mumbled vaguely.
"Can I think about it for a bit?"
Seoran nodded with a bright smile.
"Of course."
She felt they'd almost won her over.
And in fact, they had.
The inner efficiency expert whispered to Geum Youngyeong.
'Lady Dragon is a dragon who completed her dragon pearl, and Seoran is a once-in-millennia prodigy.
Isn't it way more profitable to join the club and just follow what others do instead of struggling alone?
Don't reinvent the wheel, right?'
Hearing it laid out like that, it really made sense.
Geum Youngyeong joined the synergy cultivation club as if entranced.
If she was going to cultivate anyway, efficiency was best.
Thus, the synergy cultivation club was launched.
Official members: Seoran, Damcheong, Jang Seonhwa, Geum Youngyeong.
Phantom members: Ho Hye-mun and Yi Agum.
For reference, the group name was 'The Intellectuals of This Era.'