Chapter 44. Ban Un
Riding a flying magic tool north for a full day, they arrived at Unbyeok Village. After casting a concealment technique to avoid drawing the eyes of the mortals, Yuseong slipped into the village.
Unbyeok Village was home to a spirit stone mine, so it boasted a larger population and flashier buildings than Yunnam Village. Soon, he reached a safe house tucked away in a quiet corner of the village. There should have been a sect disciple stationed here permanently, but the place was empty.
Extending his divine sense to double-check, he confirmed there was no one inside. Had they all gone to guard the spirit stone mine? Keeping his concealment active, he left the village and headed to the nearby mine.
As he approached, he spotted mortals from Unbyeok Village working in the distance. At the mine entrance stood a cultivator who appeared to be at the early Core Formation stage, overseeing them. It was a face Yuseong didn't recognize.
Dropping his concealment, Yuseong flew toward the entrance and flashed his sect token at the early Core Formation cultivator. "Senior Brother Yuseong pays his respects."
The black-robed youth supervising the mortals flashed his own token in return and grinned. "Junior Brother Yu, I'm Ban Un. I was a wandering cultivator until recently, when I joined the Unkak Sect."
"Senior Brother Ban, joining the Unkak Sect was a wise choice. Life as a wanderer, drifting from place to place, can't compare to cultivating safely within the sect's protection."
"Haha, a wanderer's life isn't all that harsh. There's a certain thrill to roaming freely without restraints—rough around the edges, but with its own flavor." As Ban Un smacked his lips, speaking of that "flavor," a strange glint flashed in his eyes. Yuseong caught a whiff of something from him. The thick stench of blood.
"If you don't mind me asking, Senior Brother Ban, where did you mainly roam during your wandering days?"
"I spent most of my time in the Dae Yeon Kingdom." The Dae Yeon Kingdom controlled the largest territory on the Seosan Continent, dwarfing the Chu Kingdom and Beom Cheon Kingdom.
"Roaming a vast place like the Dae Yeon Kingdom must have given you incredible experience and knowledge."
Ban Un waved it off. "I was just an ordinary wanderer there. The disciples of the great sects are the real powerhouses—I'm little more than a roadside pebble."
"Are the great sects of the Dae Yeon Kingdom really that formidable?"
Ban Un's face twisted in mock fear. "Of course. Without the Chu Kingdom and Beom Cheon Kingdom holding them in check, the Dae Yeon Kingdom would have swallowed the Gaun Mountains long ago."
So the Gaun Mountains Alliance is weak compared to the Dae Yeon Kingdom... If the Chu and Beom Cheon Kingdoms slack off on checking them, the alliance won't survive. Eventually, for survival, the Gaun Mountains might have to ally with one of them—Chu, Beom Cheon, or even Dae Yeon.
"Senior Brother Ban, with so many sects and clans in the Gaun Mountains, what made you choose the Unkak Sect specifically?"
A flicker of annoyance crossed Ban Un's eyes. "You're full of questions, Junior Brother. I'll answer this one, but then I get to ask something I'm curious about—and you'll answer honestly."
"Agreed."
"I picked the Unkak Sect because it's one of the righteous sects. To be frank, demonic sects like the Blood Shadow Sect or Black Dark Sect are far too dangerous for a wanderer without connections. They could turn me into a jiangshi or just kill me to boost their cultivation."
It was indeed risky for a connectionless wanderer to join a demonic sect.
"Plus, with an outstanding figure like Sect Leader Wiyeon, the Unkak Sect has a solid future, don't you think?"
"Sect Leader Wi is remarkable, yes."
"Now my turn. Who's the top beauty in the Unkak Sect?"
The sect's number one beauty... Images of the beautiful women he'd met in the Unkak Sect flashed through Yuseong's mind.
"They're all so stunning—it's hard to pick just one."
"What about Elder Nae Cheonha? I haven't seen her yet, but the rumors say she's incredible."
"Elder Nae is exceptional."
As they chatted at the mine entrance about the sect's female cultivators, one of the mortals transferring ore to a cart suddenly collapsed. Ban Un approached, and the surrounding mortals rushed over, shaking the fallen man to wake him.
"Hey, get up."
Ban Un stood with hands clasped behind his back and bellowed, "What's going on?!"
The mortals trembled. "He seems to have passed out from overwork."
Ban Un's icy expression suggested something ominous was about to happen if left unchecked. Yuseong hurried to the man and checked his condition. The middle-aged mortal's body was wrecked from years of grueling labor. Mine work paid well for the hardship, attracting mortals eager for quick cash. This one had likely wanted to quit due to his failing health but couldn't resist the pay, pushing until he collapsed.
Circulating his qi carefully into the frail mortal's body—mortal constitutions were too weak for anything forceful—Yuseong cleared out the accumulated impurities.
"Take him away now. And tell him to rest—no heavy labor for a while."
The mortals prostrated themselves in gratitude. "Go on."
As they withdrew, Ban Un scowled. "Junior Brother Yu, why waste kindness on vermin like mortals? They're fated to slave away in the mines until they drop dead anyway."
In my opinion, you'd have thrived in the Blood Shadow Sect or Black Dark Sect.
"Aren't mortals and cultivators both human? Cultivators face the same fate—cultivating till death to advance our realms."
Ban Un wagged a finger. "Junior Brother Yu, mortals and cultivators are worlds apart. Cultivators can do what mortals can't, and our lifespans dwarf theirs. It's cultivators, not mortals, who protect the Gaun Mountains. The Unkak Sect guards this village, letting the mortals scrape by."
From a cultivator's view, mortals might seem like bugs. With a flick of a finger, they could end a life—superiority was natural. But what about a Spirit Severing or Transformation cultivator looking down on lower realms? They might see Qi Refining or Core Formation cultivators as bugs too—indistinguishable from mortals.
Many cultivators shared Ban Un's mindset, and Yuseong had no interest in debating it, so he just nodded.
Ban Un stepped closer, eyes blazing. "Listen well, Junior Brother Yu. We're not like those lowly vermin. Show me that mortal-helping nonsense one more time, and I won't hold back. I won't kill you, but the mortal you help? Fair game anytime."
Seeing the madness in Ban Un's eyes and his twisted smile, Yuseong realized this was someone not to provoke.
"I'll keep that in mind, Senior Brother Ban."
Best to back off for now.
Ban Un patted his shoulder lightly. "We're cultivators defying the heavens. That weak heart of yours won't survive the cultivation world."
Who between us survives? We'll see at the end.
Moments later, five cultivators flew out from deeper in the mine—all Unkak Sect disciples: two at Qi Refining 10th star, three at early Core Formation. Yuseong pulled out his token from Lowel Peak. "Senior and junior brothers, Yuseong pays his respects."
"Junior Brother Yu, you came to help hunt the Shadow Evil Bat."
The 3rd-grade demon beast plaguing the mine was the Shadow Evil Bat.
"Yes."
"The mine's too deep, and divine sense doesn't reach far inside—finding the Shadow Evil Bat has been tough. But with you back alive from your dispatch, it'll just be a matter of time."
"Haha, I'm only at Qi Refining 9th star now. Still, I'll do my utmost to catch it."
"We'll start a full search tomorrow, so Senior Brother Ban, show Junior Brother Yu the mine's basic layout."
"Got it."
The five departed, leaving Yuseong and Ban Un to enter the mine. As Senior Brother Ban had said, divine sense was severely limited inside. Starting from the entrance with Ban Un, they toured from the midpoint to the end, memorizing the structure. The Unbyeok Village spirit stone mine was vast and deep, riddled with hundreds of tunnels connecting to the outside—perfect for the Shadow Evil Bat to escape. With its spirit nature and superior stealth, hunting it here was no easy task, especially with divine sense restricted. The environment felt stifling.
They stood guard with the mortals until they all left, ready to nab the bat if it appeared. As the sun set and the mortals cleared out, no sign of it. It had likely sensed their qi from afar and stayed hidden.
Returning to the safe house in Unbyeok Village, Yuseong noted the others resting in their rooms. He and Ban Un each took an empty room.
Sitting on the bed, Yuseong pondered the Ban Un he'd met today. A wanderer by origin, and from his words, no pushover. How did a guy like that get into the Unkak Sect? Probably filling spots left by disciples killed fighting outer sect agents. Yuseong had no prejudice against wanderers, but Ban Un reeked of danger. I'll need to watch him closely.
Pushing Ban Un from his mind as he lay down, Yuseong turned to tomorrow's hunt. It'd be nice to have a spirit beast for detecting demon beasts. No spirit beast, but at least I have the turtle puppet. He pulled out the turtle puppet, hugged and stroked it, then drifted off.
The next morning, the seven Unkak Sect disciples, Yuseong included, began searching the spirit stone mine. They split up, agreeing to signal if they spotted the Shadow Evil Bat. Yuseong patrolled his assigned area, spreading his divine sense as far as possible. It still barely reached ten zhang.
He released the turtle puppet to guard his rear and wandered the tunnels. Though he'd learned the layout with Ban Un yesterday, he hadn't covered everywhere—some paths felt unfamiliar. Tricky to find, but if he encountered the Shadow Evil Bat, he could kill it in one strike, so he flew boldly, probing with divine sense.
Then, a signal came from deep in the mine: the Shadow Evil Bat had been found.
KABOOM!