Chapter 44
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 44
Act 7. Designated Mission.
It was autumn.
The mountain wind had shifted. The breeze, which had carried the sweltering heat of summer all season, now brushed past his ears with a cooler, sharper edge.
When he first departed from the Great Martial Dao, the sun had beaten down intensely, making the lush green foliage glisten. Now, fallen leaves tinged with brown crunched beneath his boots.
Traveling abroad always carried risks. Without a companion to keep watch, he sharpened his naturally keen senses even further. Yet, despite his tense alertness, the return journey had been smooth.
That was, until he reached the edge of the Hangsan Peninsula. Just as he rounded a mountain bend, he detected a faint trace of demonic energy. The nearby bushes rustled.
A demon ghost. Ise immediately froze, senses on high alert, and gripped his small axe tightly.
A low growl echoed as the creature burst through the underbrush. It was a demon ghost—a grotesque monstrosity with the head of a snail sitting atop a human body.
...A Wadu Scholar!
Ise instantly recognized the demon ghost. A Grade 9 demonic beast. The Wadu Scholar.
It was a name he could never forget, not even in his nightmares. The enemy of his family. Though he had already exacted his initial revenge, he had been unable to perform a proper exorcism on his nemesis in the end, leaving behind a lingering sense of unfinished business.
Though this creature was merely of the same species and not the specific culprit, Ise was almost glad to see it.
The creature also seemed delighted to find prey, wriggling its antennae and drooling profusely. As such a low-grade demon ghost, it clearly couldn't even fathom the cultivation realm of the opponent standing before it.
Ise immediately channeled his spiritual energy. Raw, unrefined killing intent spilled from him. Nothing short of tearing this demon ghost to shreds would satisfy his urge.
Only then did the Wadu Scholar sense that the human in front of it was no prey.
Gurgle...!
Halting its approach, it began to slowly back away.
"You." Ise took a step forward with a low growl, the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smirk. It was the perfect prey to test his newly acquired power. "What a fortunate meeting."
Unlike his usual self, emotion took the lead. Recognizing his own excitement, he quickly calmed his mind.
No matter how weak the demon ghost is, hunt with everything you have.
Just as the panic-stricken Wadu Scholar raised its antennae and opened its mouth to spew a poisonous fog—
Thwack!
An Earth Spear launched by Ise pierced right through its open maw.
A screeching scream erupted. With the spear lodged in its mouth, the creature scrambled to flee. It was a desperate escape, but the long Earth Spear kept colliding with the surrounding trees and rocks, causing it to waddle about ridiculously.
Dogwi Shadow-Gathering Demonic Art.
Earth Shadow Snare.
A snare of shadow formed beneath the Wadu Scholar's feet, pinning it in place. Closing the distance in an instant, Ise swung his small axe, severing its left arm. Without pausing, the blade arced gracefully, cleaving the left leg from its torso as well.
The demon ghost tilted off balance. Taking advantage of the convenient slant, Ise's axe easily slashed upward, taking off its right foot and finally its right arm.
It was a fluid sequence of strikes, flowing in one smooth, continuous arc.
Reduced to a limbless trunk in a single breath, the Wadu Scholar collapsed to the ground. Ise brought his axe down one last time, cleanly severing the snail head.
Blood spouted like a geyser. Yet, even with its limbs and head detached from its torso, the creature squirmed, refusing to die.
What bizarre vitality. Though he had exploited its weaknesses back then, he felt a sudden wave of reflection, wondering how his younger self had ever managed to hunt one of these things.
Thud, thud!
Ise's axe hacked at the Wadu Scholar's body repeatedly until its breathing ceased completely. Grabbing the Earth Spear still stuck in the creature's mouth, Ise lifted the severed head high into the air.
It was a ritual that felt almost unnatural to skip at this point.
After pulling out his Purification Rod and Demon Ghost Sealing Scroll, he stared intently at the dying head of the Wadu Scholar.
Can I eat this?
A distinct, pungent odor from the snail head assailed his nose. He remembered eating sea snails and marsh snails back at the Ghost-Guarding Temple, but land snails were an unfamiliar ingredient.
After staring at it for a long while without reaching a conclusion, Ise finished the exorcism and sealed the creature's corpse inside the Demon Ghost Sealing Scroll.
I can figure out a way to get rid of the odor later.
As the scroll absorbed the carcass, Ise straightened his clothes and resumed his walk.
* * *
Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, the Training Center Management Office was bustling with cultivators coming and going. As Ise stepped inside to report his return, U Jeol acknowledged him with a glance.
"You took quite some time."
"There were circumstances."
"Understood." U Jeol asked no further.
"Um... do I not need to report the details?"
U Jeol picked up his writing utensils and nonchalantly replied while organizing a stack of reports. "You aren't the type to desert arbitrarily, so no explanation is necessary. Besides, I have no authority to question the affairs of Hall Master Hae Il."
Listening to him, Ise felt a subtle sense of incongruity. It wasn't because of the content, but the tone. Though U Jeol didn't look up from the report, his voice held a strange politeness. It was a stark departure from how he usually treated Ise.
A small, strange shift that conveyed a bit more respect and recognition.
It was no illusion. U Jeol immediately brought up his achievement.
"I would like to congratulate you on your advancement in realm, but... the atmosphere isn't right for it."
"Did something happen?"
"While you were away, four more Initiate Disciples died."
Ise fell silent for a moment before quickly regaining his composure. "Were the bodies recovered?"
"Yes."
"That's a relief."
U Jeol paused his brush and looked up at Ise, seemingly caught off guard. "You seem unexpectedly calm."
"I'll have to get used to it. It's not as if I can protect everyone."
It was the truth. Saying their deaths didn't weigh on his mind would be a lie, but this too was the heavenly mandate of a Great Martial Dao Daoist. He couldn't go on wavering between joy and grief forever.
"Even so, compared to other cohorts, the mortality rate is remarkably low. That is likely largely thanks to you."
"Thank you for viewing it that way." Ise bowed his head and left the Management Office.
Exchanging greetings with the Initiate Disciples who approached him along the way, he headed straight for the butcher shop. The sight of Ise carrying a blood-soaked straw mat had by now become a familiar scene in the Training Center.
Passing the sign that read 'Meal Exchange', Ise stepped inside the butcher shop and immediately confronted a major dilemma.
Setting the head aside... what do I do with the body?
Although the Wadu Scholar was fundamentally classified as a demonic beast, its body was completely human in shape. He knew it wasn't a real human but merely a creature modeled after one... still, it just felt wrong to eat it.
In the end, he placed only the head into a refrigerated wooden box and set the torso and limbs aside in the corner.
Excited at the prospect of consuming proper Spirit Food after so long, his body thrilled with anticipation. First, he cooked a batch of Spirit Rice, then contemplated additional ingredients to eliminate the gamey odor of the snail.
Camphor leaves are best for getting rid of gamey odors. They aren't Spirit Herbs, but adding a leaf or two should be fine.
He poured consecrated water into a cauldron made of Mystic Iron. Over it, he sprinkled powder ground from a dried fish demonic beast to serve as a broth base. After a short while, the savory scent of cooked rice wafted through the butcher shop.
Ise lifted the cauldron lid to check the contents and turned down the heat. Now that the broth was rich, it was time to cook the snail.
"Ise!"
The butcher shop door swung open. The only person permitted to come in and out of here was his business partner, Bu Chun.
"What took you so long! Everyone has been wait—"
He walked in with a glad expression. Or rather, he made to enter before freezing mid-step.
"Long time no see," Ise said.
"...What on earth. You, I mean, Senior... your realm?"
Ise smirked. "That's just how it turned out."
"Now you've reached a realm where I truly have to call you Senior..."
"You should definitely call me that. Your realm advancement speed is so slow I can't just let it slide."
"I reached 2-Star in my own right..."
Truth be told, Bu Chun was on the slower side among the Initiate Disciples, but Ise didn't bother to rub it in. Unlike Bu Chun, who quickly switched gears and adapted to the new dynamic, Ise felt quite uncomfortable with his cohort peer addressing him so formally.
But he tried his best to adapt. After all, this was something that would likely happen countless times in the future.
"It's all thanks to you, Senior," Bu Chun continued. "Eating Spirit Food and focusing on cultivation really makes a world of difference. Ah, right! I finally succeeded in my first solo hunting mission!"
Bu Chun fumbled behind his back and pulled out a bundle. It was a demonic beast about the size of a wild rabbit. Its fluffy coat and color made it look fairly appetizing. Although it was only a Grade 9 demonic beast, Bu Chun put on airs, looking quite proud of himself.
"I'll give this to you to use as an ingredient too, Senior."
"Sorry, but that won't work."
"Huh? Is it too small?"
"Completely removing the demonic energy from a demonic beast requires my secret cultivation art, so it only works on creatures I hunt directly. The demonic energy in the one you caught can no longer be extracted."
"Ah, I see..."
Bu Chun looked disappointed, but then he caught sight of the Wadu Scholar's human-like body piled up in the corner. He took a step back in a panic.
"...S-S-S-Senior, have you decided to butcher and eat Demonic Cultivators now?!"
"What do you take me for, a cannibal? This is the body of a Wadu Scholar. I'm only planning to eat the head."
Ise pulled the Wadu head out of the refrigerated wooden box. The head didn't look particularly appetizing either.
"It really doesn't look like something edible..."
"If you don't like it, fine. I'll eat it alone."
"When did I say I didn't like it? Aha ha."
Ise chuckled softly. He took the properly cooked rice, kneading and pounding it until it clung together like a dense rice cake. After flattening the dough, he sliced it into thin strands like somyeon noodles, loosened them, and cooked them again.
He then dismantled the Wadu Scholar's head, picking out only the meat, and boiled it in the prepared broth. While Bu Chun watched from a safe distance, the Wadu Noodles finished cooking and the final seasonings were added.
Lifting the bowl containing the finished Spirit Food, Ise breathed in its aroma. Not bad. All that remained was to find a compatible Spirit Herb to maximize the Spirit Food's effects.
Ise tore off small pieces of the Wadu meat to test their compatibility with various Spirit Herbs. Based on the reaction of the spiritual energy inside his body, he deduced the multiplier for the cultivation speed increase, moving on to the next ingredient as soon as the effect wore off.
After finally finding a suitable ingredient to complete the dish, he made the final seasoning adjustments with a mix of ground Spirit Stone powder and salt.
The result was a 1.8-fold boost in cultivation speed. Though it fell short of a doubled increase and was somewhat lacking for Spirit Food, it couldn't be helped given that the raw material was only a Grade 9 demonic beast.
"Excluding ours, it looks like we'll get about ten servings this time. Let's eat."
"..."
Bu Chun hesitated, unable to easily lift his chopsticks. The human-like limbs still lying nearby and the vivid memory of the Wadu Scholar's repulsive head were far too fresh in his mind.
"If you're going to ruin the appetite, don't eat."
"I'm eating!" Bu Chun immediately pinched a piece of Wadu meat along with the Wadu Noodles and popped them into his mouth.
"...Oh, ...oh-oh?"
"Tastes better than you thought, right?"
It was a stimulating, savory flavor that Fasting Pills could never provide, perfectly paired with a chewy texture. It felt to Bu Chun as though ocean waves were crashing through his mind. He immediately began working his chopsticks at a frantic pace.
Satisfied by that reaction, Ise also slowly savored the Spirit Food.
"Well then, I'll go gather some customers."
Having scarfed down a bowl of Wadu Noodles, Bu Chun ran off excitedly and brought back ten people around dusk.
The meal cost 2 Spirit Stones per person. Altogether, customers representing 20 Spirit Stones had gathered.
Considering the cost of ingredients, I'm barely breaking even.
At this rate, it wouldn't even cover his labor costs. It seemed that Grade 9 demonic beasts were no longer enough to make a proper profit. The customers seated themselves around the Meal Exchange tables, bowls in hand.
As Ise was serving the Spirit Food, he paused upon spotting a familiar face. It was the youngest cultivator belonging to the Medicine Hall. He was someone who had just stepped into 7-Star Qi Refining and was infamous for acting insolently toward the Initiate Disciples.
Ise harbored a particular grudge against him for ripping him off 100 Spirit Stones for a Regeneration Pellet.
As Ise scooped a bowl of Wadu Noodles and placed it down before him, the cultivator haughtily held out two Spirit Stones.
"Here."
"It's been a while, 'Fellow Daoist.'"
At the title Ise tacked on, the cultivator scowled and raised his head. Among the Initiate Disciples, absolutely none were entitled to address him as Fellow Daoist. Even if Ise was the top disciple, there was a strict difference in realm—how dare this impudent brat—
"I put that Regeneration Pellet you sold me to good use back then, 'Fellow Daoist.'"
The Medicine Hall cultivator's hand froze. He suddenly realized that Ise's realm had risen to a level nearly equal to his own.
6-Star and 7-Star. Since both were in the Mid Qi Refining Stage, they could practically be considered on the same level.
"...I'll enjoy the meal... Fellow Daoist."
"By the way." Instead of backing off to serve the other disciples, Ise remained standing in front of him. "A Regeneration Pellet of that size usually goes for 70 Spirit Stones, I found."
"...Market rates fluctuate depending on demand. Setting prices is the authority of the Medicine Hall."
"That's true, but..." Ise shrugged. "I heard a rumor that you sell Healing Pellets cheaply only to female disciples. Well, whether that's true or not, Fellow Daoist would know best. What's bought is bought, but I'm telling you this for the sake of your reputation, Fellow Daoist."
"Right... thank you."
The Medicine Hall cultivator wasn't pleased at all, but he didn't dare complain. For now, his own realm was technically higher. But one could only act arrogant if the speed of their opponent's realm advancement was within a reasonable range. This guy was practically a monster. He judged that getting on Ise's bad side would bring him no good.
"However, it feels like a debt I'll remember for a long, long time," Ise continued softly. "I'm not the type who can live with unsettled debts—whether a favor or a grudge."
...It seemed it was already too late for the cultivator.
While Ise's mouth wore a faint smile, his eyes were devoid of warmth. "Watch your back."
Face pale, the cultivator picked up his bowl, quietly slurped down the Wadu Noodles, and vanished shortly after.
Feeling an inexplicable chill run down his spine, Bu Chun vowed never to make an enemy of this man.