Chapter 102
Translator: MJK
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: A Small Winter Kingdom in the Vegetable Garden
[Millennium Snow Ginseng Seed]
According to ancient texts, it is said that the tears shed by the mountain spirits of Kunlun once every thousand years harden upon meeting the subzero winds.
Placed in the mouth of the dead, they draw back the scattering soul and bind it once more to the flesh. Consumed by the living, they are the prototype of immortality, capable of even diverting the flow of time itself.
But the true value of this seed, as read through my internal energy...
'Absolute Preservation Authority.'
A power that halts decaying flesh in its tracks and freezes rampaging mana in place, stabilizing it completely.
If the Disaster Flower in my garden symbolizes explosive growth, this snow ginseng would serve as the perfect vessel to hold that growth eternally.
'If I cultivate it perfectly with the energy of my garden and consume it...'
My dantian would transform into a perpetual frozen tundra.
No matter how vast and scorching the internal energy I poured in, it would never overload. I could even instantly freeze and nullify the crisis of qi deviation, where energy flows backward. It would grant absolute stability.
A bottomless vessel that any martial artist dreams of but can never attain.
'A treasure so rare that a lifetime of searching might not even afford a glimpse.'
Born only in the heart of Kunlun, amid year-round murderous blizzards on sheer cliffs teeming with top-tier predators, at utterly abysmal odds.
It's no wonder tales circulate of S-Rank Hunters venturing for it only to be found as ice statues.
And yet, here it was, right before my eyes.
[Warning! Aura of an ancient spirit detected.]
[Vitality endured through extreme cold lies dormant.]
Even an S-Rank Hunter would risk freezing solid if they touched it carelessly—the chill was that intense.
"Hasuo, it's dangerous."
But Hasuo showed no fear.
Instead, he wore a look of pity.
"Ppo... Ppoeng..."
Then, he cautiously approached and placed his tiny root hand on the solidly frozen ice wall.
"Hoo, hoo!"
He began blowing warm breath onto it.
Embracing the ice tightly, he shared his own body heat as if trying to lend his warmth.
'Hasuo, you little guy...'
The sight was so endearing and admirable.
Crack...
"Huh?"
Then, something miraculous happened.
The ice, unmelting for thousands of years, began to thaw gently, as if responding to Hasuo's pure heart.
Plop.
As the ice vanished, a white seed dropped into Hasuo's palm.
The seed was cold, but upon contact with Hasuo's touch, it shivered pleasantly and emitted a blue glow.
[The primordial Hasuo has rescued the Millennium Snow Ginseng seed.]
[Moved by Hasuo's warm heart, the seed entrusts itself willingly.]
"Ppoeng!"
Hasuo excitedly tucked the seed carefully between the leaves atop his head.
His movements were as tender and precious as a mother cradling her young.
"Ppoeng, ppooeng!"
He bounced excitedly toward me.
He'd rescued a friend and wanted to go home, give it delicious soil and water, and raise it together.
His talent for finding treasures in this vast snowfield was impressive, but his kind heart was even more beautiful.
"Alright, let's take it home. Plant it next to your garden spot."
"Ppoeng!"
Hasuo let out a joyful cheer and leaped into my arms.
Deep within Zhongnanhai in Beijing, China, in the most secluded office.
Xi Shu'an, Chairman of the People's Republic of China, trembled with rage as he read the Intelligence Bureau's report.
"...So, this is the conclusion from the Intelligence Bureau's analysis team?"
His voice was low and ominous.
"You're saying that the thing we stamped as contaminated waste and shipped off... was actually the World Tree's seed?"
"W-We have no excuses. Cross-referencing the residual mana signature from Liu Liu's data with ancient texts shows a 99.9% match. What was inside her... was the seed of the divine tree that supports dimensions."
Bang!
Xi Shu'an slammed his teacup to the floor.
"You idiots! We kicked away a strategic asset worth tens of thousands of nukes with our own feet, handing it to an enemy nation?! And paid them to take it?!"
His guts twisted into rot from sheer fury.
But the Intelligence Director, quivering, spoke up.
"Th-There's more, sir."
"More? How could it get worse?"
"Liu Liu... is alive."
"What?"
Xi Shu'an's eyes bulged.
"You said she was dead! Heart stopped, mana core shattered! We shipped her as a corpse!"
"Well... she opened her eyes right after arriving in Korea. The official statement is that her S-Rank healer's unique auto-resurrection activated belatedly, but..."
"Nonsense! Bring her back now! She's China's S-Rank Hunter! If she's alive, not a corpse, we can demand repatriation!"
Xi Shu'an bellowed, veins popping.
We might recover losses by reclaiming an S-Rank healer, even if the seed was gone.
But the Director shook his head in despair.
"That's... impossible."
"Why?!"
"Because of the documents we issued to the Xiao family. The biohazard waste abandonment declaration..."
The Director explained, voice breaking.
"It explicitly states that China relinquishes all ownership and legal rights to Liu's body. Whether corpse or revived lifeform, it's certified as the Xiao family's private property by the International Court."
"..."
"Under international law, Liu Liu is no longer a Chinese citizen—she's treated as exported merchandise owned by the Xiao family."
China's own choice had made it so.
By classifying Liu not as a person but contaminated biowaste, she could legally cross borders as cargo.
Now, claiming rights was impossible—they'd stripped them first.
"We have... zero grounds to intervene."
Xi Shu'an was speechless.
They'd gouged out their own eyes.
The trash they'd discarded as dead was a living joker.
"And... one final piece of bad news."
"Again?!"
The Director, as if the words choked him, placed a satellite photo on the table.
"Regarding the fourth peak of the Kunlun Mountains we handed to the Xiao family."
"What about it?"
"With the barrier lifted, the ancient ecosystem sealed within has been revealed."
The photo showed a treasure trove: rare herbs everywhere, top-grade mana stone veins galore.
"The peak that former Chairman Zhou called a death land and used as exile territory... was actually the continent's greatest treasure vault."
"Urghhh...!"
Xi Shu'an clutched his neck, staggering.
World Tree seed, S-Rank healer, continent's top treasure hoard.
All three lost in days.
And they'd stamped the approvals themselves, doing a favor for others.
"Gorani Man..."
The mysterious Korean puppeteering it all.
A con artist toying with a giant like China.
"This humiliation... I'll repay it. Definitely!"
But it was just the hollow cry of one robbed in broad daylight.
Early morning, I headed to the garden.
To plant the newest member of our household: the [Millennium Snow Ginseng Seed].
"Alright, Hasuo. Ready?"
"Ppoeng!"
Hasuo nodded solemnly.
He held a small trowel in his root hands; I gripped my old hoe.
This time, no items like [Lazy Fairy's Teardrops].
It was respect for this noble spirit that endured millennia in ice.
And a chance to savor the true joy of farming: planting life with sweat.
Scrape, scrape.
The hoe's cuts through soil rang pleasantly.
I turned the hard earth soft; Hasuo crumbled clumps with his root hands, tapping them fine.
He diligently picked out hidden stones and weed roots, tossing them aside.
"Heave-ho."
After tilling, the soil was fluffy as fresh-steamed rice cake.
"Let's see."
I took the seed from my pocket.
Thumb-sized, but its presence was overwhelming.
Mystical chill emanated from its ice-crystal surface, with blue light flickering at the core.
[Seed of the Millennium Snow Ginseng (萬年雪蔘)]
[Description: Prototype of immortality infused with perpetual tundra chill. Upon touching soil, it forcibly transforms the surrounding earth and climate into the perfect permafrost environment for its growth.]
'Forcibly alters the environment?'
One misstep, and the whole garden could freeze solid.
I glanced at Hasuo's cherished flower bed.
The [Moss Flower that Eats Sorrow] and [Fog Flower of Oblivion] fluttered their tender leaves.
Fragile blooms couldn't survive the snow ginseng's brutal cold.
"Hasuo, not here. Your flowers might freeze."
"Ppoeng?!"
Hasuo flinched, shielding them with his body.
I smiled and pointed to the garden's edge.
"There. Away from the others."
The far corner, distanced from existing crops.
Cold spillover shouldn't harm them there.
"Hasuo, want to plant it?"
I handed him the seed; he took it carefully in his root hands.
His body shivered from the chill, but he held firm.
"Ppoeng..."
Though his hands must sting, Hasuo cradled it preciously into the dug hole.
Pat, pat.
Covered with soil, gently pressed with his palm.
"Grow well. No pain."
With those feelings infused.
Right then.
Whoooosh...
A cool, clear wind blew from the planting spot.
White frost in snowflake patterns bloomed like flowers on the soil.
It spread, blanketing the area in white.
"Whoa..."
Amazingly, the frost wasn't cold.
Touching it felt refreshing and invigorating.
Not the chill that kills plants.
More like a pure, clean preservation barrier shielding from pests, heat, and cold.
"Ppoeng!"
Hasuo's eyes sparkled as he crunched happily over the frosted garden.
A small winter kingdom in our yard, unmelted even under midsummer sun.
"Incredible."
Just one seed, and it perfectly rewrote the physical environment.
One side bathed in hot solar energy, the other in cool snowy chill.
Multiple seasons flowing simultaneously in this tiny garden.
The bizarre, poetic scene felt like an immortal's playground.
"Oppa! Hurry! We're gonna be late!"
So-ye's urging voice echoed from inside.
Liu and Xiao Lin, emerging from the annex, smiled at her energy.
Kang-hyun was at the entryway, putting on shoes.
"Where are you off to, Gorani Man?"
"Oh, there's a marathon in town. Going to cheer on the elders."
"A marathon?"
Liu's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
'A marathon?'
Most villagers were over 70.
Normally, even walking with a cane would be tough.
Marathons for them? Seemed implausible.
Maybe a walking event?
"Could we... join too?"
Liu couldn't hide her intrigue.
"You two? Sure, but it's a rural event—nothing much to see."
Kang-hyun asked, surprised.
Too modest and dull for S-Rank Hunters, he thought.
But Liu shook her head, gazing seriously toward the village entrance.
"No, I really want to go."
"Liu?"
Xiao Lin was amazed; this was new for her.
"The villagers... have a unique energy."
"Energy?"
"Yes. I've felt it these past days. The elders radiate overflowing vitality impossible for normals. As a healer, I want to see the source firsthand."
Her eyes were earnest.
Lately, strolling with So-ye and meeting elders, Liu noticed oddities.
Clearly aged bodies, yet surging with youthful life force.
Defying natural aging?
"Then come along."
Kang-hyun agreed readily.
A hint of confidence—or amusement—in his tone.
'Just what's the secret?'
Liu pondered, following him.
Clean air? Pure water?
No, something beyond environment.
As if daily dosed with potent elixirs.
'This village hides a secret I don't know.'
Extraordinary garden crops, peculiar animals, rejuvenated elders.
All centered on one man: Gorani Man.
'Will I glimpse that secret today?'
Heart pounding, Liu headed to town.