Monster Bear Armor
Until the servant from Baek Gong's shop arrived with the completed items, Yuseong spent his time cultivating in the cave and crafting talismans.
Having slain the two-headed monster bear and obtained its 3rd-grade spirit beast blood, he could now make plenty of talismans. He crafted ones for lightning strikes, protective shields, and binding seals.
After making a decent batch, he transcribed the ancient characters from the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman that Tak Hwaryeon had used onto paper. Since it had all happened so quickly, he hadn't seen every character, but he'd glimpsed most of them and committed them to memory. He left the gaps blank for now and jotted down what he recalled.
His hypothesis, born from witnessing the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman's power, was that using ancient characters instead of ordinary script would amplify a talisman's potency. Of course, it wasn't just the ancient script making the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman so mighty. Factors like the type of paper, the spirit beast blood in the ink, the brush made from spirit beast fur, and the cultivator's own attainment all played roles.
As a lightning-affinity talisman, the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman featured mostly ancient characters related to thunder and bolts. He copied their strokes as faithfully as possible onto the paper. For the blanks, he filled in what he figured were fitting words.
Carefully inscribing all the ancient characters onto talisman paper, he imprinted a spell incantation. Boom! The talisman exploded outright—a failure.
But even in failure, he felt no frustration. He hadn't expected to replicate something as extraordinary as the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman on the first try. And since he wasn't following a proper recipe but merely mimicking the characters from memory, setbacks were inevitable.
Imitating the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman proved so engrossing that he forgot about sleep and kept experimenting—and failing. Luckily, the two-headed monster bear had been a massive beast, providing ample blood.
After countless failures, he tinkered with the ancient characters in the gaps, trying variation after variation. Still, no successes emerged. Maybe his cultivation was insufficient, or there were issues with the talisman paper, ink, or brush. Perhaps he simply couldn't replicate the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman.
Should I hunt a higher-grade spirit beast for better blood and make a new brush from its fur?
As he pondered how to perfect the Heavenly Thunder Spirit Talisman, a servant from Baek Gong's shop arrived, delivering the armor crafted from the two-headed monster bear's hide and the magic tools made from its claws and fangs.
I hope this armor lasts. He named the armor Monster Bear Armor and the razor-sharp blade Monster Bear Blade. He liked how the Monster Bear Armor gleamed with a dark sheen.
Slipping the Monster Bear Armor beneath his robe, he entered the secluded cultivation chamber. The Monster Bear Blade was a white sword half a man's height, its curved edge perfectly balanced. Channeling mana into it and swinging at the wall unleashed a burst of white sword qi that shattered stone.
Kraka-boom! Baek Gong had warned that magic tools could fail, so he'd tempered his expectations, but the Monster Bear Blade's power was impressive.
Sheathing the Monster Bear Blade at his waist, he left the cave and headed to the central shops. With only century-old White Ring Mushrooms needed as auxiliary ingredients for the Spirit Awakening Pills, he went to check if any had arrived.
He asked around the shops, but none had century-old White Ring Mushrooms. Mibong Shop's the last one I haven't checked.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he made his way to Mibong Shop, where Hwang Danha manned the counter.
"Greetings, Senior Hwang."
Hwang Danha's voice was colder than usual. "What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you have any century-old White Ring Mushrooms."
She scanned the shelves lined with jade boxes and pill vials. "White Ring Mushrooms... None here."
No luck at Mibong Shop either. He'd have to keep cultivating and waiting. If they didn't turn up soon, he'd scour the Gaun Mountains himself or join the sect's exchange fair.
Unkak Sect held an annual exchange fair where Qi Refining and Core Formation disciples could set up stalls on the northern plains, trading freely with spirit stones or bartering. It lasted a week at minimum, up to two. Thousands of disciples participated each year, offering rare ingredients and items—a great way to broaden one's horizons.
"Understood." As he turned to leave, he remembered asking her to notify him first if she heard anything. Might as well get a little reward. He paused, thinking sharing his recent Takga trip would do nicely. It wasn't sect secrets, but her curiosity would make her love the tale.
"Oh, right—last time I shared info and got Basic Talisman Arts as a reward. This time, I'd like to tell you about my Takga adventures and get something fitting in return."
Hwang Danha's eyes sparkled as she fixed on him. "Spill it."
At Yeop Inyeong's request, he'd gone for the Self-Strengthening Pill and fought Tak Hopyeong to the death. He spun his heroic exploits.
When he finished, he eyed her lips, wondering what reward she'd offer. After a moment's thought, she spoke.
"Beating a Core Formation initial elder from Takga means Qi Refining 10th star isn't far. But for the Basic Talisman Arts I gave last time, I'd like to hear that info again—in detail."
"...?"
She wanted more on Nae Simryeo, Nae Cheonha's sister? He'd told her about the North Wind Palace descendant and the unidentified envoys from Golden Sword Manor in Choguk. Was she after the omitted parts? Cultivators had superhuman memories; she hadn't forgotten.
Did he need to reveal the unsaid? "Ahem, there were parts I left out, but you'd have to reward me extra for those."
"If the info's solid, sure."
"Truth is, Senior Nae Simryeo had fallen into a trap set by Golden Sword Manor's envoys."
"Nae Simryeo!"
Hwang Danha cried out in shock. Why's she so surprised? It's not new info.
Suddenly, her startled face began to change. Her plain, elegant features grew glamorous, her black hair shifting to silvery-blue strands. Her body swelled—breasts fuller, hips rounder.
"Wha... wha..."
Stunned, Yuseong froze, mind blank. Why is Nae Cheonha here?!
"You'd better speak first, before I cast a soul-searching spell."
The Hwang Danha before him was now Nae Cheonha, glaring with icy eyes.
"H-how...?"
Reeling from the unbelievable reality, he racked his brain, but explaining himself first seemed wisest, as she suggested.
He told Nae Cheonha everything: Nae Simryeo buying the Ice Heaven Art at auction, falling into the trap, enduring Golden Sword Manor envoys' assault, and how he'd saved her before they parted. Naturally, he omitted the North Wind Palace clue from the envoys' dimensional pouch—the tomb of the founding palace lord in the Gaun Mountains' northern depths, where no light reached. Nae Cheonha, as a North Wind Palace disciple, might find it with just that.
Nae Cheonha listened silently, lost in thought. Yuseong's heart still pounded; was this a dream? Hwang Danha and Nae Cheonha had been at Mibong Shop together once, so they were distinct people. That meant Nae Cheonha had been disguised as Hwang Danha. But why? He couldn't fathom her motives.
Breaking the silence, Nae Cheonha spoke. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone else."
"Of course. Senior Hwang only knows I saved Senior Nae Simryeo; no details."
Surprisingly, nothing escalated, and his tension eased. Wait—why was I tense? I just saved her sister.
"Did she really say she was reluctant to meet me?"
Best to tell the truth. "She seemed a bit hesitant."
"......"
What had soured things between Nae Cheonha and Nae Simryeo? Curiosity gnawed at him like an old itch. Unable to resist, he asked.
"Did something happen to drive a wedge between you two?"
Nae Cheonha sighed deeply. "...In the past, sects from Choguk invaded the Gaun Mountains and wiped out North Wind Palace over some item they possessed. The other Gaun sects didn't help. With nowhere to go, I sought refuge in Unkak Sect to survive. Nae Simryeo, hating those who abandoned North Wind Palace, left the mountains. She despises me for joining Unkak Sect, which did nothing in their hour of need."
"Why didn't the other Gaun sects aid North Wind Palace?"
"I've wondered that myself and once asked Sect Leader Wiyeon. He said it was something they couldn't interfere in—unavoidable."
Something they couldn't interfere in... Whatever North Wind Palace held must have been extraordinarily valuable to justify annihilation. If even Gaun sects deemed it untouchable, Choguk had justification.
"You may go now."
At Nae Cheonha's subdued tone, he bowed hastily and left Mibong Shop. Why didn't Hwang Danha mention Nae Cheonha's disguise? And why was Nae Cheonha posing as her disciple at the shop? Baffled, he clutched his head and flew back to his cave.