Chapter 12
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12
Ten days had passed since Lee Hyun departed for Black Crow Ridge.
He had not returned to Cheongha Valley.
At first, the Outer Sect Administration Pavilion paid little heed when Lee Hyun failed to report back after his seven-day mission period elapsed. But once ten full days passed without a single word, they dispatched three outer sect disciples in the middle stages of Qi Refining to investigate Black Crow Ridge.
Deep inside the abandoned mine, the search party found only ruin: a shattered handcart, Yin Sand Soil strewn across the dirt, a torn Cheongha Valley outer sect robe, and Lee Hyun’s discarded identity token.
Vicious gouges resembling beast claws scarred the surrounding rocks and tunnel walls, and several bottomless vertical shafts gaped ominously nearby.
With no sign of Lee Hyun himself, the matter was immediately escalated to the Law Enforcement Hall.
An outer sect disciple vanishing during an assignment did not automatically point to an accident. There was always the chance someone had faked their death to defect from the sect or absconded with stolen goods.
In Lee Hyun’s case, however, there was nothing suspicious to be found.
The storehouse of Withered Yin Field No. 8 was spotless. The stores of Bone-Corroding Flowers, Yin Soul Grass, and Purple Poison Orchids matched the ledgers down to the stalk. There were ample seeds stored for the coming season, and the low-grade spirit stones allocated to maintain the Yin-Gathering Formation and Poison-Warding Formation had been accounted for down to the last shard, strictly in accordance with regulations.
The Vitality-Nourishing Pills, spirit stones, and Cheongha Rice provided to Lee Hyun as personal compensation were missing from the storehouse, but those had belonged to him in the first place. Naturally, he would carry them in his storage pouch.
“He had virtually no contribution points left to his name,” an investigator reported.
“Where did he spend them?”
“Most went to the Scripture Pavilion. He borrowed a few basic spell manuals and returned them on time without issue. The remainder was spent purchasing a low-grade magical artifact from the Artifact Hall.”
The Law Enforcement Hall steward nodded slowly.
The sect always looked favorably on disciples spending their hard-earned contribution points at the Scripture Pavilion. Once acquired, books and jade slips cost the sect nothing to lend out again and again, unlike handing out tangible resources like pills or spirit stones. In truth, Cheongha Valley had extracted years of hard labor from Lee Hyun while losing virtually nothing in return.
“Any record of grievances or feuds with fellow disciples?”
“None. Before his transfer to the Withered Yin Field, he worked in spirit field No. 73. His evaluation from his manager, No Baek-san, was overwhelmingly positive.”
The steward closed the ledger, seeing no reason to waste further resources on an insignificant outer sect laborer.
“Mark him down as missing in action, presumed dead. If he fails to report back within three months, strike his name from the outer sect registry entirely. Additionally, scout for any demonic beast activity around Black Crow Ridge and issue a cautionary notice to any disciples taking missions in that area.”
* * *
At that very moment, Lee Hyun was already leagues south of Black Crow Ridge.
He traveled almost exclusively along high mountain ridgelines and through dense forests, making wide detours whenever he spotted inhabited settlements in the valleys below.
The body of a Qi Refining layer 2 cultivator was incomparably sturdier than that of a mortal. A trek that would take an ordinary traveler an entire day took him barely a shichen or two, and he bounded up steep, craggy bluffs as effortlessly as sprinting across flat ground.
A full month had slipped by since his escape from Cheongha Valley.
Pausing on an outcropping, Lee Hyun roughly tallied the distance he had put behind him.
By a conservative estimate… I must have covered at least six thousand li by now!
Six thousand li was a staggering distance—in his past life, that would have been the equivalent of making three round trips between Seoul and Busan.
Standing atop a modest peak, Lee Hyun cast a backward glance to the north. Cheongha Valley had vanished beyond the horizon weeks ago.
They couldn’t possibly track me down out here, right?
After some deliberation, Lee Hyun decided it was time to descend from the mountains. Pushing onward entirely through the untamed wilderness was simply courting disaster.
Where mortals rarely walked, demonic beasts made their dens.
Unlike ordinary predators, demonic beasts absorbed and wielded spiritual qi. Even the lowliest Tier 1 Early Stage beast possessed strength roughly on par with a Qi Refining cultivator, backed by naturally armored hides, lethal fangs, and predatory instincts. Lee Hyun, who had zero real-combat experience, stood little chance of winning a straight fight against one at the same realm.
Yet, truth be told, other cultivators were far more dangerous than any beast.
Cultivators paid little heed to ordinary mortals, but they harbored immense suspicion toward their own kind. In lawless backwaters beyond the jurisdiction of prominent sects and clans, ambushing weaker cultivators to loot their corpses was an everyday occurrence.
While cruelty played a part, the core reason was simple: cultivation resources like spirit stones and medicinal pills directly translated into extending a cultivator’s lifespan.
Back when he tended the crops in the spirit fields, Senior Martial Brother No had candidly explained this predatory mindset to him.
“To them, living for a hundred and fifty years while their prey dies at twenty is far better than both of them living to a hundred.”
“Aren’t they just straight-up lunatics, then?”
“They are. The trouble is, the cultivation world is crawling with lunatics. That’s why you must always watch your back. Every cultivator carries a storage pouch holding their entire life savings right on their hip. To an opportunist, every rogue cultivator is just a walking treasure chest.”
“Then how does one stay safe out there?”
“Once you leave the sect grounds, avoid deserted, remote places where there are no eyes watching. Cultivators still care somewhat about face and reputation, so if you lack the strength to protect yourself, it is far safer to blend into crowded areas.”
Remembering Senior Martial Brother No’s words, Lee Hyun set his sights toward the official highways.
It rankled him slightly that he couldn’t yet mask his spiritual aura, having yet to master the Spirit-Concealing Qi-Suppressing Formula, but he couldn’t afford to sit idle in a cave waiting until he reached Major Accomplishment either.
I’ll stick to smaller towns and bypass the sprawling trade hubs. Cultivators rarely loiter in mortal settlements where spiritual qi is thin, and even less so in sleepy rural backwaters. Hopefully, I won’t run into any at all…
With a quick flick of his wrist, Lee Hyun slipped his Earth-Shoveling Sword into his storage pouch. He secured the pouch tightly against the inner lining of his belt, letting the folds of his coarse robes conceal it completely.
Two shichen later.
Reaching the wide dirt expanse of the official road, Lee Hyun caught sight of a merchant caravan rolling in the same direction.
A dozen wagons and laden pack mules formed an orderly procession, flanked fore and aft by hired guards brandishing spears and short bows. Lee Hyun fell in along the edge of the road, trailing them at a polite distance.
Unlike the rugged mountain paths, the highway was broad and well maintained, marked at regular intervals by stone markers pointing the distance and direction to the next walled town.
Two days later, the caravan arrived at a modest walled settlement.
Above the heavy timber gates hung an aged wooden plaque bearing two carved characters: Pyeongneung.
Though labeled a city, it was quite small. Low stone ramparts enclosed a dense cluster of weathered tile roofs and mud-brick dwellings, while an assortment of carts and commoners queued before the entrance.
At the gates, guards poked through cargo to collect transit tariffs. The head merchant discreetly pressed a small pouch into the gate captain’s palm, and all twelve wagons were promptly waved through. Behind them, an elderly farmer leading a solitary donkey laden with grain was held up for an eternity, squabbling over every copper coin.
Carrying no baggage whatsoever, Lee Hyun strolled right through the checkpoint without drawing a second glance.
Once inside, he decided to confirm his current whereabouts.
Could this already be the Untaek Kingdom?
Spotting an itinerant peddler sitting by the roadside organizing his sundries, Lee Hyun stepped forward and offered a polite bow. “Elder, might this be the Untaek Kingdom?”
The peddler blinked, clicking his tongue. “Untaek? Tsk, tsk. Young man, you’ve strayed far off course. This is Pyeongneung County of Saknyeong Province, right in the Anreung Kingdom. The northwestern fringe, to be exact.”
“The northwestern fringe?” Lee Hyun echoed, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him.
The Anreung Kingdom lay along the southern frontier of the Great Yeon Kingdom. Yet after traveling six thousand li south from Cheongha Valley, he had only barely crossed into the northwestern corner of Anreung?
“Do you happen to know how much further it is to the Untaek Kingdom?”
“From here? You’d have to head south at least another fifteen thousand li.”
“Fif… fifteen thousand li?”
Ah… right. This is a xianxia world.
Belatedly, the sheer absurdities of the web novels he had read in his past life came flooding back.
Worlds of cultivation were vast beyond mortal comprehension. A single powerful demonic beast might rule a mountain range spanning thousands of miles, and a single prominent sect frequently held dominion over territories tens of thousands of li across. Naturally, the continents themselves had to be colossal.
Though momentarily taken aback, Lee Hyun quickly regained his composure. Time was the one thing he had in abundance.
Well… I’ve already crossed six thousand li. What’s another fifteen thousand? I’ll get there eventually.
Steeling his resolve, Lee Hyun decided to press on toward the Untaek Kingdom as planned.
Right on cue, his stomach gave a sharp rumble.
It had been two days since he last swallowed a Fasting Pill, and his mortal appetite was beginning to assert itself. His heightened senses immediately picked up the savory aroma of dough frying in oil and skewered meat roasting over open coals nearby.
To stretch my Fasting Pills, maybe I should pick up some local food?
He still had plenty of mortal copper coins saved from his days working as a woodcutter before joining Cheongha Valley safely stowed in a corner of his storage pouch, so traveling funds were hardly an issue.
He followed his nose toward the bustling marketplace. But the second he stepped through the entrance archway, he froze in his tracks.
Ugh… what in the world is that stench?
A cluster of rundown butcher stalls and fishmongers occupied the entrance. A vendor casually wiped a bloodstained knife—fresh from gutting a fish—in a bucket of murky, scummy water before dropping it back onto a greasy cutting board. Beside him, a customer pawed through hanging slabs of raw pork with blackened hands, poking and prodding before wandering off without buying a scrap.
Blood and offal dripped into the dirt, churning with street grime into a foul, flies-swarming slurry.
With his five senses magnified several times over after stepping into Qi Refining, combined with having grown accustomed to the pristine, fresh air of Cheongha Valley, odors he would have once ignored struck him like a physical blow. A wave of nausea rolled through his gut.
Lee Hyun took several hasty steps backward and slipped away from the market.
Though cleaner establishments likely sat deeper within the commercial quarter, his appetite had vanished entirely.
I’ll try mortal food another time, somewhere upscale and clean.
Without lingering, Lee Hyun resumed his journey south.
He stuck primarily to the bustling official highways, occasionally boarding river barges when cargo boats offered passage for cheap. Tribute ships laden with state grain formed unending lines along the waterways, interspersed with private merchant vessels transporting salt, textiles, and timber.
Traveling by water suited him well. He could lean against the railing and take in the shifting river scenery, and whenever he had a spare moment, he sat cross-legged in his cabin to circulate the Primordial Unity One-Qi Art and temper his spiritual power.
As he traversed the various provinces of the Anreung Kingdom, Lee Hyun gradually figured out which mortal foods his sharpened senses could tolerate. Hard-boiled eggs cooked in their shells, thick-skinned fruits he could peel himself, and roasted nuts in hard husks were far more hygienic and stomachable. By supplementing his diet with clean mortal fare, his consumption of precious Fasting Pills slowed to a crawl.
Whenever he spotted ordinary medicinal herbs growing along the foot of hills, he harvested them to sell at local apothecaries, steadily replenishing the silver and copper needed for his everyday expenses.
Three months slipped by in this manner.
Only after trekking an additional fifteen thousand li south from Pyeongneung County did Lee Hyun finally cross the southern border of the Anreung Kingdom. Counted from the moment he slipped out of Cheongha Valley, he had traveled over twenty thousand li in total.
Yet strangely enough, the climate had barely shifted.
Even the zenith of the midday sun seemed virtually unchanged.
This really isn’t Earth.
Whether this realm was an impossibly colossal planet or possessed an entirely different cosmic structure altogether was something he had no way of knowing.
Lost in these idle musings, Lee Hyun finally crossed the boundary stones into the Untaek Kingdom.
Before him lay Cheongryu County City, located at the northwestern edge of Imgang Province.
Passing through the city gates, Lee Hyun looked around in interest.
A wide, glittering river carved straight through the heart of the city, lined with dozens of vessels of every size moored alongside timber docks. Near the ferry slips, endless rows of granaries held the collected grain tax from Cheongryu County and its surrounding hamlets, where clerks in official robes brandished brushes, meticulously tallying sacks.
Ever since crossing into the Untaek Kingdom, the landscape had shifted noticeably, crisscrossed by an abundance of rivers, canals, and mist-veiled lakes.
Having finally reached his target destination, Lee Hyun felt a great weight lift from his shoulders.
Should I try to find a cultivator market?
He still carried roughly thirty low-grade spirit stones in his pouch. While he had brought seeds from Cheongha Valley, he hoped to acquire hardier varieties suited for growing underground over extended periods.
The trouble was, he had no idea where cultivators gathered in this kingdom.
As he wandered down the street, keeping his ears open to the idle chatter of passing pedestrians, he caught a scrap of conversation drifting from a bustling teahouse.
“They say every ferry heading southeast is fully booked these days.”
“Well, what do you expect? The Metropolitan Examination is taking place in the Cloud Capital. Scholars selected from every single province are making the journey to the capital, so of course every cabin is spoken for.”
The Metropolitan Examination…
It seemed to be the imperial testing system used to select civil officials.
Lee Hyun slowed his pace, mulling it over.
If the Cloud Capital is the royal seat of Untaek, wouldn’t rogue cultivator markets naturally crop up somewhere nearby?
For a brief moment, he considered booking passage on a boat bound for the capital. But then, cold reason clamped down on his thoughts.
Wait a second. What am I thinking? Right now, I’m only at Qi Refining layer 2. I have zero combat experience and practically no offensive spells to my name. My primary magical artifact is an Earth-Shoveling Sword, which is literally just an enchanted spade…
Back in Cheongha Valley, he had been relatively safe surrounded by fellow sect disciples bound by sect laws. But the rogue cultivators who congregated in black markets were complete strangers—cutthroats who wouldn’t hesitate to slit a throat for a handful of spirit stones.
Dammit. Why was I already thinking about mingling with other cultivators? I almost completely forgot my original goal of living a quiet, peaceful life!
Dig first. Cultivate in peace. Visiting a market can wait until I’m absolutely certain an average Qi Refining cultivator can’t easily turn me into fertilizer.
Turning on his heel, Lee Hyun left Cheongryu County City behind and set off southward, scouting for quiet hills and isolated terrain.
Now then… where should I construct the historic Tunnel No. 1?
His initial instinct had been a high mountain. But one couldn’t simply dig anywhere just because it was elevated. Famous peaks blessed with flowing spirit veins or rich mineral deposits naturally drew established cultivators, while deep, primordial ranges hid demonic beasts or attracted herb gatherers. With poor luck, one might accidentally excavate straight into the hidden cave abode of some secluded old monster.
Yet flat terrain was out of the question as well.
On flat plains, underground water tables could flood the tunnels, and disposing of excavated soil without leaving obvious mounds would be a nightmare. Camouflaging entry points and ventilation shafts against flat ground is practically impossible compared to rugged slopes.
Lee Hyun had been no geologist in his previous life, and there was no telling if this world’s soil and rock formations even obeyed Earth’s laws of physics.
My best bet is to find an unassuming, barren hill where spiritual qi is thin, and test the earth myself.
Whenever he passed rolling hills or gentle rises, Lee Hyun took careful note of nearby streams, watched for signs of mortal activity, and unobtrusively prodded the soil with his Earth-Shoveling Sword whenever an area looked secluded enough.
After surveying multiple sites over several days, Lee Hyun finally came upon a low, gentle mountain situated roughly three hundred li southeast of Cheongryu County City.
The base of the mountain was composed of thick, firm earth, with a stable mixture of stone and gravel appearing halfway up the slope. A winding mountain stream flowed through the valley nearby, but the ridge itself sat well above the highest flood line.
Whether it was truly the perfect site remained to be seen, but compared to every other location he had scouted so far, it had by far the most potential.
Lee Hyun looked up at the quiet, tree-covered slope and smiled.
Hmm… somehow, this feels just right.