Chapter 66
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66
Time is a truly strange thing.
Even within the span of a single year, some moments drag on forever while others pass in the blink of an eye.
For Ise, this was one of those times.
Nearly two years had flown by since the Silver Dragon Mine mission.
Ever since he entered the Late Qi Refining Stage, his perception of time had altered. Once he lost himself in cultivation, several months would simply vanish. Between a few missions, routine assignments, and time spent balancing the skewed Yin and Yang in his secret cave, another year had effortlessly come to a close.
As he neared his twenties, Ise felt a flicker of unease at the relentless passage of time.
It had been three years and nine months since he had entered the Great Martial Dao at sixteen and begun his immortal cultivation.
The nine-year deadline Hall Master Hae Il had given him was drawing noticeably closer.
Ise cleared his throat in front of the Outer Gate Outpost in Namsan Valley.
At the sound, a servant girl poked her head out, took one look at his attire, and hastily scampered inside to fetch Hong Sa-deuk.
The surprise visit of a Daoist from the Great Martial Dao caused a stir, but upon identifying the visitor, Hong Sa-deuk’s face lit up with genuine delight.
“Cultivator Ise! What brings you here without any notice?”
“It’s been a while.”
Hong Sa-deuk had aged considerably. It was a strange feeling for Ise. Most of the people around him were cultivators, for whom a mere few years brought no visible signs of aging.
“You’ve grown quite a bit. You look a full palm-width taller. And… you finally look like a proper cultivator now.”
“I suppose so.”
“Oh dear, keeping such an honored guest standing outside! Please, come in.”
Hong Sa-deuk guided Ise to the largest and most luxurious room in the Outer Gate Outpost. He offered light refreshments and tea, but Ise politely declined.
“I no longer partake in mortal food.”
“Ah… my apologies for being so thoughtless. I’ve been dealing mostly with initiate disciples lately, so it’s force of habit. Haha.”
Hong Sa-deuk chatted fondly about past missions like a long-lost friend before hesitantly asking, “Cultivator Ise, if you don’t mind me asking… what brings you here today?”
“I was passing by on a mission and thought of you. I stopped by to give you this.”
“…Pardon?”
What Ise pulled from his storage pouch was a small wooden box. Hong Sa-deuk received it and opened the lid to reveal a silver medicinal pill resting inside.
It was a low-grade Longevity Pill he had bought cheap from Hong Won-seo. Though Ise had practically extorted it for a mere five spirit stones, to a mortal, it was a precious treasure capable of extending life by ten years.
“It’s a pill called the Longevity Pill. Taking it will slow your aging and extend your lifespan by ten years.”
“My goodness… how could you give such a precious gift to someone like me…?”
“I told you I’d repay my debt. A cultivator’s word carries great weight, after all.”
Debts of gratitude and grudges must always be repaid.
This wasn't merely due to some cultivator superstition about spoken words; it was a guiding principle that permeated Ise’s entire life.
“……”
“Take it now. In case there are any unforeseen side effects, I need to be here to help.”
“I merely performed my duty back then. I don’t deserve something like this.”
“A mortal dares refuse a pill bestowed by a cultivator?”
Hong Sa-deuk flinched. It felt like only a few years ago that a tiny boy had waddled into this very place. Yet now, the young man standing before him naturally emanated an air of authority usually seen only in high-ranking cultivators.
“You have advanced significantly in your cultivation realm.”
“I guess rumors don’t travel this far out.”
“It is a small outpost, after all.”
Ise smiled faintly and raised his palm. “Take it. Don’t try to change the subject.”
“Yes. Then… I accept with deep gratitude.”
Hong Sa-deuk held the pill with both hands, turned his head slightly, and swallowed it.
Only after watching the wrinkles on his face smooth out and his skin take on a healthy glow did Ise stand up, satisfied.
*
“Verification confirmed: over 500 Contribution Points. Entry to the Library 2nd Pavilion is granted.”
With his latest mission, Ise had surpassed 500 Contribution Points, fulfilling the entry requirement for the Library 2nd Pavilion.
The Library 2nd Pavilion was split into two floors, with dharma spells and cultivation manuals neatly categorized by rank. Ise walked slowly between the bookshelves.
The spells here were noticeably more useful than those in the 1st Pavilion. Most offered not just higher destructive power but also a far wider range of tactical applications.
He didn’t bother looking through the cultivation manuals. The two main cultivation arts he possessed—the Dogwi Shadow-Gathering Demonic Art and the Ghost-Banishing Spirit-Purging Cultivation Art—were more than enough for his current realm. Browsing for other cultivation arts was usually an option for those who didn't engage in ghost exorcism, or for those whose progress was thoroughly blocked by a lack of talent.
Of course, there were exceptions—like those with special spirit roots.
‘A special constitution cultivation art is somewhat tempting, though.’
A cultivation art like the Thunder Roar Divine Art, practiced by those with a Lightning Spirit Root, would allow one to wield Lightning Attribute spells alongside the Five Elements spells, greatly broadening one's battle strategies.
However, it was quite expensive. Now was not the time to throw around a hundred spirit stones on a manual.
‘Let's not get greedy.’
Rather than expanding his spell repertoire horizontally, he needed to raise his cultivation realm vertically. The deadline Hall Master Hae Il had set for reaching Foundation Establishment weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had no time to waste dabbling. His goal was to find something cheap, easy to learn, and immediately useful. If nothing fit the bill, he would leave the 2nd Pavilion without a second thought.
‘…This one.’
[Giant Weapon Art.]
It was a Metal Attribute dharma spell that temporarily enlarged weapons. At thirty spirit stones, the price was affordable. Combining it with the Telekinesis Art he had looted from a previous mission seemed remarkably practical.
If he enlarged a weapon with the Giant Weapon Art and then hurled it with the Telekinesis Art, wouldn't the power be immense? At the very least, it seemed useful for dealing with groups of enemies.
Ise pulled out the jade slip and simultaneously felt the weight of the spirit stone pouch at his chest.
900 spirit stones.
He was about 100 short of his goal of 1,000. He aimed for that number because he had heard it was the maximum price for a Qi Refining Dharma Treasure and the minimum price for a ghost treasure.
‘If only I hadn't gotten ripped off.’
Anxious about his spiritual energy gathering speed, he had been fleeced out of several hundred spirit stones for a single Mid-Grade Qi Condensation Pill at an auction in the Secular Sect Marketplace. When he actually ingested it, the pill was so choked with turbid Qi that calling it "mid-grade" was an embarrassment.
If not for that blunder, he would have surpassed his goal long ago. Having tasted the potential of medicinal pills had made him reckless. It might have been better if he had never known.
His plan was to first acquire a useful ghost treasure or dharma treasure, then use whatever funds remained to buy pills.
‘Should I buy it, or not?’
He agonized for a long while, hating himself for fretting over a mere thirty spirit stones. In the end, he bought it on impulse.
After finishing his tour of the Library 2nd Pavilion, Ise headed back to his residence. It was the agreed-upon time to meet Park Gang-seo and Bu Chun, who had gone to sell spirit food.
“Senior Brother.”
“Senior, you’re back.”
As Ise entered, the two immediately greeted him.
“What’s the haul?”
Getting straight to the point, he watched as they poured out their spirit stones. The combined total came to 220. After distributing 10 spirit stones to Bu Chun and 40 to Park Gang-seo based on sales performance, he tucked the remaining 170 into his pouch.
He had finally achieved it.
1,000 spirit stones.
But apart from the joy of reaching his goal, 220 spirit stones was a pitiful sales figure. Considering the cost of the demonic beast carcasses and supplementary ingredients, the profit was barely 30 stones. It was a business that couldn't even cover labor costs.
“Why is it so low?”
Park Gang-seo and Bu Chun exchanged glances before Park Gang-seo spoke.
“First off, word hasn’t spread enough. Our peers know about it, but most of them are out on missions. If we price it too low, they doubt its efficacy, and if we price it high, they accuse us of ripping them off.”
“I don’t know many cultivators… and because of my low realm, when I show them the food, they scold me and say I should eat it myself to raise my cultivation instead…” Bu Chun added dejectedly.
“Well, that’s true enough. Can’t even argue with that,” Ise muttered.
“……”
This wouldn't do. Special measures were needed.
To accumulate the internal Qi needed for 9-Star, he had to balance three things: ghost exorcism, cultivation time, and resources. But pills were rare and expensive. Earning spirit stones required missions, but missions built up demonic energy. And to extract that demonic energy from beast carcasses, he had to devour them. It was a complete deadlock.
The problem was that devouring was too efficient for its own good.
He needed a way to earn spirit stones. A steady, substantial stream of them.
“Looks like I’ll have to reopen the Meal Exchange.”
Opening a fixed stall, securing regular customers, and selling spirit food at a premium. That was the only answer.
“Finally…” Bu Chun began.
“What do you mean ‘finally’?” Ise cut in. “You failed the chef position.”
“…Ugh.”
There was another problem. Bu Chun, whom he originally intended to hire as the chef, had zero talent for preparing spirit food. Whether due to his low realm or some other factor, despite using the exact same ingredients, proportions, and methods, the food Bu Chun made had less than half the potency of Ise’s. He had even less talent than Park Gang-seo; Ise couldn't possibly entrust the cooking to him.
“From now on, you just handle ingredient sourcing and managing regular clients. Use your leftover time to cultivate.”
“Yes, Senior Brother…”
“Park Gang-seo, you handle drumming up new customers. Considering our humble setup, you’ve done remarkably well.”
“Yes! Leave it to me.”
“The problem is the chef. Isn’t there anyone capable around?”
At Ise’s question, Park Gang-seo wracked his brain before speaking up. “You know Jangsaeng, the spirit wine merchant, right? How about Fellow Daoist Jangsaeng?”
“No way. He tried to bribe me before. His character is questionable.”
Jangsaeng was fine as a supplier for spirit wine, but Ise couldn't entrust a money-making enterprise to someone untrustworthy.
After pondering for a moment, Ise went outside and returned with two people.
“…Why did you bring us here again?”
The ones Ise brought back were Seol Ryeong and Hong Won-seo. His reasoning was that since both possessed great dexterity, they would surely excel at whatever they tried.
“I want one of you to be the chef for the Meal Exchange. Whoever takes the job gets thirty percent of the profits.”
“Whoa, thirty percent! That’s an amazing offer!” Bu Chun dutifully hyped from the side.
However, the expressions on the two recruits’ faces grew progressively foul.
“You haven’t seen us in ages and this is the first thing you say…? Wait, why did you grow so tall…?” Seol Ryeong complained.
“And you look like you shrank even more,” Ise retorted.
“I’m out. Bye.”
“Ah, a joke, a joke!” Ise grabbed Seol Ryeong and forced her back into her seat. Where did she think she was going when her 8-Star senior was speaking?
Watching Ise and Seol Ryeong squabble, Hong Won-seo spoke up. “Senior Brother.”
“You can speak comfortably.”
“I prefer it this way.”
“…Fine, then.”
“I’m sorry, but the Four Great Arts of Cultivation offer overwhelmingly better prospects and profit than other skills. Your spirit food is undoubtedly impressive, Senior, but for a cultivator gifted in the Four Arts to become a cook is a great waste of talent, even by the sect’s standards.”
“……”
“Well then, farewell.”
Leaving only those words behind, Hong Won-seo departed.
Seeing Ise look so crestfallen, Seol Ryeong felt momentarily flustered and stammered out some comforting words. “Uh… that’s too bad. But there are plenty of disciples around, so surely you can find a talented cook somewhere, right?”
“What’s Pi Ga-ram up to these days?”
“He’s deeply involved in the Formation Research Circle. Seems like he’s quite capable. Formation masters are rare, after all.”
“My late adoptive father clearly told me that no profession in the world is superior to another. Father… you were wrong.”
“Don’t pull the tragic family history card on me…!”
‘I should have made more friends,’ Ise regretted, but it was too late now.
Then, suddenly, he recalled the one friend who lacked any talent for auxiliary arts whatsoever. Someone who seemed good at everything, had a high realm, and loved food.
“What’s Hae Un-chan up to?”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re planning to ask Hae Un-chan? No way!” Seol Ryeong exclaimed.
“Why?”
“Well, anyway, not him! Don’t you know how much pressure he’s under?”
“Pressure? Who’s pressuring him? Hall Master Hae Il?”
Seeing Ise’s indifferent expression, Seol Ryeong let out a soft sigh and shook her head. “Sigh, you really are blissfully clueless. There’s just… stuff. Anyway, I’ll look around and see if there’s anyone suitable.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
After Seol Ryeong left as well, Ise turned to Park Gang-seo and asked, “Is something going on with Hae Un-chan?”