Law Artifact (2)
“This is exactly the situation I was hoping for.”
Seongak Ilwonmun and the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect. Two sects as different as night and day, and both of them wanted Cheon Woo-jin at the same time.
The truth was, he had already predicted things would unfold this way.
From the moment I entered the Dark Soul Secret Realm, this outcome was always the most likely.
Among the subordinates the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect had sent into the Dark Soul Secret Realm, there had been a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Yu Gi-ryeong. Once the Sect learned that Yu Gi-ryeong had been defeated, it was only natural that they would grow suspicious and start digging into what had actually happened.
And in doing so, they would inevitably learn of Cheon Woo-jin's existence. Considering Jeok Ya-wol's temperament as depicted in the game, the odds were high that he would try to make Woo-jin one of his own men.
And if the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect begins moving into Ghost Head City in earnest, Seongak Ilwonmun will have no choice but to respond.
Seongak Ilwonmun wanted the lower levels of Ghost Head City to remain exactly as they were. They believed that preserving the status quo was what maintained the order and balance of the entire city.
If the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect showed signs of seizing the lower levels as the vanguard of the Demonic Path, Seongak Ilwonmun would be forced to respond directly. But given the sect's usual behavior, the more likely move was to dump the entire problem onto a single advance disciple and tell them to handle it.
And in precisely such a situation, with rumors about Cheon Woo-jin already spreading thanks to the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect's background investigation, it was a perfectly natural progression for Seongak Ilwonmun to request his cooperation.
In the end, a situation has been created where both sects want me.
Of course, Seo Seol-ryeong had almost certainly been involved behind the scenes as well. Even in ordinary times, she worked tirelessly to raise Cheon Woo-jin's price.
Carrying his trust in her, Cheon Woo-jin spoke slowly.
“Either one is fine with me.”
He declared that he didn't care whether it was Seongak Ilwonmun or the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect, then added one condition.
“But this time, I'd like my payment in advance.”
“Payment in advance...”
Seo Seol-ryeong fell into brief thought.
“I understand what you mean. I'll keep that in mind during negotiations.”
“I'm counting on you.”
By stating it this way, Seo Seol-ryeong would handle the negotiations on her own. All he had to do was trust her skill and wait.
“May I return in five days?”
“Yes. I'll have everything settled by then.”
Cheon Woo-jin rose from his seat. But before he could step out of the tent, Seo Seol-ryeong called him back.
“Daoist Cheon.”
“What is it?”
“Have you given any thought to your Foundation Spirit Material?”
The Foundation Spirit Material was one of the six spirit materials required to create a Foundation Establishment Pill. Cheon Woo-jin had already acquired all five of the Five Elements spirit materials, so only the Foundation Spirit Material remained.
But this particular material could not be chosen carelessly. The Five Elements materials could be anything, so long as they met the requirements — but the Foundation Spirit Material determined the performance of the Foundation Establishment Pill itself.
The better the material, the easier it was to ascend to Foundation Establishment, and the greater the power one gained upon arrival. And certain exceptional Foundation Spirit Materials would even grant entirely new abilities during the breakthrough.
Ordinary cultivators had no freedom to choose which material they used. Cheon Woo-jin, however, needed to deliberate over this as well.
“Still deciding.”
“I see.”
Seo Seol-ryeong nodded slowly.
“If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me at any time.”
“I will.”
If Cheon Woo-jin ascended to Foundation Establishment, Seo Seol-ryeong would be able to introduce him to far higher-caliber work. That, in turn, would greatly increase the benefits she reaped as his broker.
Right now, the person in all of Ghost Head City who most wished to see Cheon Woo-jin grow was probably Seo Seol-ryeong herself.
Cheon Woo-jin spent five days cultivating within the eastern district, then made his way back up to the second level. But this time, he could sense that the atmosphere had shifted — in a very different way from before.
The number of people whose status windows read Demonic Path in the faction column had grown since his last visit.
If I remember right, that shopkeeper was an ordinary Loose Cultivator... so he's converted to the Demonic Path now, too.
When Cheon Woo-jin checked the status window of a shop owner he occasionally frequented and saw the line Affiliation: Mad World Yin Spirit Sect, a bitter feeling settled over him.
The Mad World Yin Spirit Sect was currently seducing the Loose Cultivators scraping by at the bottom of Ghost Head City's lower levels, drawing them one by one into the Demonic Path.
Give it time, and more sects will be swallowed whole by the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect, just like the Doyomun Sect.
Feeling the shift in the winds, Cheon Woo-jin headed for Seo Seol-ryeong's shop. The moment he stepped inside the tent, she gave him the results of the negotiations.
“First, Seongak Ilwonmun's position is that they can provide this amount of spirit stones as an advance payment.”
Seo Seol-ryeong held up a slip of paper. Cheon Woo-jin looked over the figure written there and nodded.
“And the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect?”
“The Mad World Yin Spirit Sect says they'd like to pay in something other than spirit stones.”
With those words, Seo Seol-ryeong showed him a new slip of paper.
“They say they'll provide the secret manuals written here.”
“...”
Cheon Woo-jin read the characters on the slip. Beginning with the Blood Soul Grand Method, a whole list of Demonic Path cultivation arts stretched down the page.
These were rare manuals that had been difficult to obtain even in the game. Judged on pure value, they were arguably a richer reward than the spirit stones Seongak Ilwonmun had offered.
But Cheon Woo-jin spoke in a cold voice.
“The Mad World Yin Spirit Sect is trying to hold on to its resources.”
“It would appear so.”
Handing over these manuals cost the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect nothing. Books could simply be copied again. But paying in spirit stones meant real expenditure.
Expanding their influence in Ghost Head City required a massive outlay of resources, and every stone handed to Cheon Woo-jin was a stone they could not spend elsewhere.
“And offering me Demonic Path cultivation arts like these... that's their intent to pull me into the Demonic Path eventually, isn't it?”
“Very likely.”
“In the end, they simply refuse to lose so much as a single stone.”
Cheon Woo-jin's voice was level and unsparing.
“Working with that kind of people won't do me any good.”
“Then I take it you'll be working with Seongak Ilwonmun this time.”
Seo Seol-ryeong had almost certainly predicted this outcome from the very beginning. At their first meeting, Cheon Woo-jin had demanded payment in advance — in spirit stones.
And of the two parties, only Seongak Ilwonmun was capable of meeting that condition generously. The Mad World Yin Spirit Sect, for whom a single spirit stone was precious, was bound to try paying through some other means.
That said, negotiating with Seongak Ilwonmun alone would have been foolish. The wise move was to feign deliberation — Seongak, or the Demonic Path? — and drive his price as high as possible. As a result, Cheon Woo-jin had extracted a sum from Seongak Ilwonmun that fully satisfied him.
“In fact, Seongak Ilwonmun already left the spirit stones in my keeping before they departed.”
“Did they, now.”
“I'll hand them over now.”
Seo Seol-ryeong placed her hand on the table, just as she always did. But this time, no torrent of spirit stones came pouring out.
Instead, a single stone the size of a fist dropped onto the table.
“This is...”
“The amount is far too large. In ordinary spirit stones, the sheer volume would be unmanageable.”
It was an Operating Spirit Stone, a stone containing vastly more spirit qi than any ordinary one. As its name suggested, it bore a cloud-like pattern — a marking formed in the process of condensing an immense quantity of spirit qi.
A single Operating Spirit Stone was worth over a hundred thousand ordinary spirit stones, so when large sums changed hands, these were the currency of choice.
“Plus five thousand ordinary spirit stones.”
Chwarararuk!
Ordinary spirit stones cascaded across the table, as always. One Operating Spirit Stone and five thousand ordinary spirit stones. That was the advance payment Seongak Ilwonmun had made.
“Received.”
Cheon Woo-jin stowed the stones into his Storage Pouch. Watching him do so, Seo Seol-ryeong spoke again.
“Will you be going to pay the balance on your law artifact now?”
“You noticed, did you?”
“Of course.”
Half a month ago, Cheon Woo-jin had asked Seo Seol-ryeong to introduce him to someone skilled in crafting law artifacts. After that, he had asked for his payment in advance — so it would have been easy to deduce that he needed funds for the artifact's creation fee. When negotiating with Seongak Ilwonmun, she had surely factored that into her efforts on his behalf.
“Thank you for looking out for me.”
“Think nothing of it.”
To Cheon Woo-jin's thanks, Seo Seol-ryeong answered in her usual calm voice.
“After you collect the artifact, visit the Seongak Ilwonmun branch hall in the western second level around the Hour of the Rooster this evening. I've already sent word ahead — you can hear the details there.”
“Understood.”
“Then I'll see you again once this business is concluded.”
Seo Seol-ryeong's role was complete. Everything that followed would have to proceed between Cheon Woo-jin and Seongak Ilwonmun directly.
Cheon Woo-jin bade her farewell and stepped outside, then ascended to the third level and made for the Hwangju Spirit Refining Pavilion.
“I've come to collect the item I commissioned from the Pavilion Master.”
“Ah! Right this way, please!”
The moment he followed the clerk's guidance into the back, Song Pyo poked his head out.
“You're here early.”
“Is it not finished yet?”
“It's finished.”
Song Pyo said this while kneading his own shoulder.
“But the packaging isn't done.”
“I don't need packaging. Just hand over the goods.”
“Hm... then come this way.”
Cheon Woo-jin followed Song Pyo into the inner room. A large workbench stood at its center, and on it rested six objects, each no bigger than a palm.
“Just as you demanded — top-grade Flying Spirits.”
Autonomous combat-assist artifacts that flew freely through the air. A supreme-grade law artifact completed using the jaw and carapace of the Dark Path Great King Five-Ape as core materials, reinforced with the marrow of the Soul-Mingling Great Ape, and incorporating the forelegs of the White Flower Mantis along with the Face Bloom flower.
And there it was, right before Cheon Woo-jin's eyes.
“The name?”
“Cheon Gab Flying Spirits — the Heaven Armor Flying Spirits.”
“A bit grandiose.”
But the grandiose name was well deserved. Perhaps because Core Formation monsters had been used as materials, it was the highest-caliber law artifact Cheon Woo-jin had ever laid eyes on.
“I used both jaws and four pieces of carapace to make two attack spirits and four defense spirits. Inspect them yourself.”
“...”
Cheon Woo-jin examined each Heaven Armor Flying Spirit with his own hands. The moment he touched one, the principles inscribed upon it became clear to him in an instant.
“Shall I explain how to use them?”
“No need.”
He already understood their operation. Feeling a quiet satisfaction, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
“I'll pay the balance now.”
“Ah...!”
When he drew an Operating Spirit Stone from his Storage Pouch and handed it over, Song Pyo's eyes went round.
“You're settling the balance with an Operating Spirit Stone?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, it's just...”
Because a single Operating Spirit Stone was worth so much, they were almost never used in transactions between Qi Condensation or Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even Core Formation cultivators preferred ordinary spirit stones for most dealings.
And yet Cheon Woo-jin had casually produced one to pay his balance. Song Pyo had already been entertaining suspicions that some far greater power stood behind Cheon Woo-jin — he could hardly help but be shaken.
“Pavilion Master Song.”
Cheon Woo-jin extended his open palm toward the man. Not understanding, Song Pyo blinked.
“What's this?”
“Change.”
“...”
Scratching his head, Song Pyo paid out the difference in ordinary spirit stones.
A reassuring thing to have.
Leaving the Hwangju Spirit Refining Pavilion, Cheon Woo-jin walked the road at an unhurried pace.
The Heaven Armor Flying Spirits were currently stored inside his flood-sleeve. Ordinarily, the jaws and carapace of the Dark Path Great King Five-Ape would have been far too large to hide within a person's clothing — but the crafting process had shrunk them considerably, allowing every piece to fit within the sleeve.
From now on, the spirits would deploy automatically the instant he flicked his sleeve, lending him their aid.
Ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators I could handle with these alone.
Supreme-grade artifacts that soared through the air, attacking and defending of their own accord. An average Qi Condensation cultivator could never respond to them.
And...
They make ambushes easier to deal with, too.
Swaaek!
A bolt of spiritual force streaked toward Cheon Woo-jin's back. But he did not even glance behind him. He merely gave his sleeve a light flick.
In that instant, one of the Heaven Armor Flying Spirits burst from the sleeve, moving on its own — and blocked the arrow with perfect precision.
Cheon Woo-jin was walking down a sparsely populated road on his way to Seongak Ilwonmun's branch hall. And out of nowhere, someone had struck at him from behind.
“Who are you.”
“...!”
When Cheon Woo-jin turned around, black-clad figures emerged from their hiding places. Their faces were fully covered to conceal their identities — a meaningless gesture against a man who could read status windows.
“So the Mad World Yin Spirit Sect has already heard the news.”
“Strike him down!”
Papapat!
Stamping the earth as they launched themselves, the Demonic Path killers came flying at him. Blades steeped in murderous intent poured down like a cold, sudden rain.
But Cheon Woo-jin kept his expression utterly calm, and flicked his sleeve.
Six supreme-grade law artifacts, forged from the corpses of Core Formation monsters.
They deployed as one.