Chapter 5 - The Third-Rate Warrior Gathering Spiritual Elixirs (3)

The character cheon (川), which had recently disappeared from between Hong Saryeon's brows, appeared there once again.

Ever since Gye Yeonseung was kicked out and a new Hall Leader took over Busaeng Hall, Gye Cheolyeong had been keeping quiet, but now he had returned to his old self and started bragging again.

"Do you know what the Snow Plum Pill is? Within the Mount Hua Sect, it's a spiritual elixir second only to the Purple Cloud Pill in boosting internal energy, and its effectiveness in tempering the body's foundation far surpasses the Shaolin Sect's Lesser Restoration Pill. Even within Mount Hua, it's such a precious spiritual pill that only true disciples might barely get their hands on a single pill."

'He's going to follow that up with, 'And my father and my uncle, who is a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, procured that precious spiritual elixir just for me.''

Hong Saryeon could guess his next words without even hearing them.

He had been repeating the exact same thing in the exact same way for several days now, making her feel as if an unmemorized martial arts incantation was floating around in her head.

"... Yes. That's truly amazing."

"Right? That's why I'm saying..."

If she had her way, she would have screamed out, 'Who gives a shit, you idiot!' with all her might, but the other party was the precious son of the family providing their sponsorship funds.

It wasn't that Hong Saryeon didn't envy Gye Cheolyeong.

Since she was also a martial artist by nature, her thirst for a spiritual pill was second to none.

However, she carried too many burdens as the Sect Leader's only daughter to wallow in depression over a sense of relative deprivation.

"Senior Sister! Senior Sister! What's going to happen to Senior Brother Jin then?"

"Senior Sister! Senior Brother Sowoon isn't getting expelled from the sect, right?"

"Senior Sister! If I only eat two meals a day... will Senior Brother come back?"

The chick-like junior disciples were only waiting for their runaway senior brother to return, and even when she asked the External Hall Leader what on earth Senior Brother Jin, who was like a youngest brother to her, was doing wandering around, there was zero news.

'That damn guy.'

Saryeon's patience with Gye Cheolyeong and Gye Yeonseung's tyranny had also been reaching its limit.

If Senior Brother Jin hadn't stepped up, it was something she would have done herself anyway.

No, originally, it was something she should have done, not him.

Because in the end, she had to bear the future of the Taiyi Sect.

Gye Cheolyeong was merely an opportunist who joined with the sole purpose of entering the Murim Academy, and as for the young junior disciples, it would be a stroke of luck if half of them ended up inheriting their family businesses or finding jobs as escorts.

She had Senior Brother Jin Sowoon, but Saryeon wasn't shameless enough to pass this burden onto him despite knowing the grim future of the Taiyi Sect.

Saryeon had carried such a heavy heart since she was very young.

That was why she had been blaming herself for not stepping up in time out of fear of Gye Yeonseung's martial arts and Gye Yeonseok's retaliation.

'How on earth did he win?'

Setting aside the question of how he defeated the Mount Hua Sect's Plum Blossom Swordsmanship, leaving the Taiyi Sect to avoid the sight of Gye Yeonseok, who came storming into the Taiyi Sect every single day since that incident, was probably her senior brother's way of being considerate.

Because everyone knew how petty and persistent a man Gye Yeonseok was.

Jin Sowoon had intentionally stepped out of the sect for that reason.

"Senior Sister! Senior Sister! Try some of this!"

"Senior Sister! This meat is really good!"

At the sight of the puppy-like junior disciples holding up rice cakes and meat in front of her, Hong Saryeon patted their heads, forgetting that she had been lost in her own worries.

A small feast was also held in the Taiyi Sect to celebrate the arrival of the Mount Hua Sect's experts at the Gyeryong Merchant Group.

Of course, Gye Yeonseok and Gye Yeonseung were too busy entertaining the Mount Hua Sect's experts to even have the time to drop by the Taiyi Sect, and thanks to that, the people of the Taiyi Sect could comfortably enjoy the food among themselves.

"But where did Senior Brother Jin really go? Senior Brother Jin really liked these rice cakes."

"Senior Sister! Can I leave this meat for Senior Brother Jin?"

A junior disciple, continuously gulping down his saliva with sparkling eyes, asked in a voice full of utmost patience.

It had been so long since the kid had seen meat, too, yet he was offering to yield it.

With a somewhat bitter heart, Hong Saryeon roughly tousled the kid's hair.

"The meat will probably all be spoiled and inedible by the time he gets back. So don't save it and just eat it."

"Then when is Senior Brother Jin coming?"

"He'll be here soon."

Pretending it was no big deal, Hong Saryeon plucked and ate a piece of meat and a rice cake from the young junior disciples.

'Seriously, where are you and what are you doing? You idiot.'

* * *

"I'll give you ten silver taels."

I had done nothing but curse this memory of mine throughout my entire past life, but it wasn't exclusively full of bad things.

For example, it was extremely useful when smacking the back of the head of a shameless merchant trying to rip me off using changing market prices as an excuse, just like now.

"Hah, what are you talking about? I hear people in Zhejiang Province are dying to get their hands on tiger pelts these days. The starting price over there is thirty silver taels."

Zhejiang Province, represented by Hangzhou, gathered a large amount of goods, significantly influencing the market prices of the surrounding provinces.

Even so, a difference of twenty silver taels just by crossing a single province border was utter nonsense.

"That's only the price you'd get if it was an intact tiger pelt."

"Look at this. There isn't even a common arrow mark on this tiger pelt, is there? Saying you'll only give ten silver taels for an item like this is something you wouldn't have an excuse for even if you were dragged to the magistrate's office."

"This young man here. Are you blind? Is this an intact pelt?"

The man said, spreading the tiger pelt wide open.

"What on earth did you do for the pelt to be dried out and shriveled like this? I'm only giving you ten taels because it's me. Go anywhere else and you won't even get half of that!"

"..."

No matter how much I searched the memories in my head, there was no method to restore a shriveled pelt.

I cheerfully admitted defeat and accepted the 10 silver taels.

Because obtaining a tiger pelt hadn't been part of my plan in the first place.

Ever since absorbing the Human-Faced Spider's core, I had fallen into deep contemplation.

"If I mess this up, I'll undoubtedly become a demonic practitioner."

One of the Ten Forbidden Arts designated by the Murim Alliance was the Great Star-Absorbing Art.

The Great Star-Absorbing Art was a demonic art that the Murim Alliance shuddered at, so much so that it was separately classified as one of the Four Evil Arts even among the Ten Forbidden Arts.

Seeing the process of this Jade Dragon Bracelet absorbing the inner core, it undoubtedly looked like nothing but the Great Star-Absorbing Art, so dealing with this was my top priority above all else.

"As expected, there's no way that Bloodsucking Demon bastard's keepsake would be anything normal."

Should I say it's fortunate, but it doesn't blindly absorb everything.

It couldn't absorb any energy from things like plants or rocks.

However, it absorbed energy from beasts like deer or rabbits.

It didn't just stop at absorbing; it converted the life force of living creatures and absorbed it as true qi.

This was on the same level as the Bloodsucking Demon, making me a prime target for execution by the Murim Alliance without exception.

Still, harboring a sliver of hope, I ventured deep into the mountains where the giant tiger was spotted and risked my life to test the Jade Dragon Bracelet, but the result was, as you can see, the birth of Star-Absorbing Young Master Jin Sowoon.

Outstanding, Jin Sowoon. To think the thing you gained after going through all the trouble of regressing was a demonic art.

In particular, this Jade Dragon Bracelet's absorption ability completely exceeded my imagination.

Because the giant tiger charged so fiercely, I failed to control my strength and activated the Jade Dragon Bracelet, which blew away all of the giant tiger's moisture, turning it into a crispy, dried-out state.

"Outstanding! Jin Sowoon. To think the thing you gained after going through all the trouble of regressing was a demonic art. Truly outstanding."

My own life isn't the only thing I need to worry about right now. The moment this fact reaches the Murim Alliance.

Not only myself, but everyone in the Taiyi Sect, including my father, the Sect Leader, and the Hall Leaders, will be dragged to the Murim Alliance to suffer harsh torture.

The Murim Alliance's basement is a place where they perform torture so severe that it makes people confess to crimes they didn't even commit.

The young junior disciples wouldn't even last three days before confessing that they had learned the Great Star-Absorbing Art alongside me.

"If I die this time too, will there be another chance?"

Instead of pinning my hopes on something so vague, I began to study the Jade Dragon Bracelet.

First of all, the Jade Dragon Bracelet does follow my will well.

Because I must absolutely never draw people's suspicion by having it suddenly emit light out of nowhere like last time.

Still unable to trust it completely, I wrapped a dark cloth tightly around my wrist the moment I entered the village and visited a drapery.

And crucially, the reason I didn't cut off my perfectly fine left hand was that, instead of converting the absorbed life force or internal qi into just any internal energy, the energy itself became exactly the same as my Taiyi mental cultivation method.

To be exact, it was absorbed in a much purer form and quickly merged with the Taiyi mental cultivation method.

Considering that the phenomenon where absorbed internal qi remains separate—one of the characteristics of the Great Star-Absorbing Art—does not occur.

It meant that, as long as I wasn't caught in the act of absorbing an opponent's qi right in front of them, merely examining my Dantian wouldn't leave any trace that I had learned the Great Star-Absorbing Art.

Anyway, as long as I could avoid getting caught, this was no different from possessing a tremendous hidden weapon.

No, honestly, I just decided to think of it that way.

Because the future of being dragged to the Murim Alliance's basement was too horrifying just to imagine.

"Do you happen to handle traps as well?"

"Hm? Didn't you come here already knowing that? We are the best hunting supply shop in Hefei, after all."

"Then please give me some tiger and bear traps."

"Eh? You're going to hunt with traps? Then the pelts will be heavily damaged and you won't get a proper price for them. It's actually better for them to be dried out like this."

"I'm not trying to skin them."

"Hmm. True, bear gallbladders fetch a good price these days. How many should I give you?"

"Please give me about... thirty of them."

"Eh?"

"Because the bastards I need to hunt are incredibly cunning."

* * *

The Gyeryong Merchant Group threw an uproariously loud banquet, the likes of which hadn't been seen recently.

Whatever the reason, the visit of the Mount Hua Sect experts was a great opportunity to spread rumors about the relationship between the Gyeryong Merchant Group and the Mount Hua Sect.

They put up notices for ten *li* in all directions and generously provided alcohol and snacks to everyone, regardless of who the guests were.

The partners who usually traded with him felt offended seeing someone who was normally so stingy throw such a lavish banquet and chose not to attend, but the local drunkards gathered each other up and attended the banquet, and the lights never went out nor did the music stop at the Gyeryong Merchant Group all night long.

The climax of the banquet was the song and dance of Wolhyang, the greatest courtesan in Hefei.

Even the drunkards who had been stubbornly holding onto their seats to avoid losing them began to gather at the center of the Gyeryong Merchant Group just to catch a single glimpse of Wolhyang's notoriously difficult-to-see face.

"Give your greetings. These are the greatest warriors of the Mount Hua Sect."

As Gye Yeonseok pompously praised the two Mount Hua Sect experts, Wolhyang smoothly lowered her veil and gave a small smile.

"I am Wolhyang."

Not only Gye Cheolyeong sitting next to Gye Yeonseok, but even the experts of the Mount Hua Sect. There were very few who could maintain their facial expressions.

In particular, whenever her pale skin peeked out slightly through her skirt in moments during her dance, a dense layer of mysterious groans settled heavily over the hall.

And in the moment when everyone's attention was completely focused on Wolhyang, the Soul Chaser hid his body between the lanterns and hopped over the wall of the Gyeryong Merchant Group without being noticed by anyone.

'It's a success!'

The Soul Chaser thought to himself.

With just this, his wretched life of thievery would finally come to an end.

Thrown into Jianghu at the young age of twenty, he had rolled around here and there without receiving proper teachings, picking up a few talents over someone else's shoulder.

Among them, his sleight of hand was the most outstanding, which led him to thievery, but this was absolutely not the life the Soul Chaser desired.

Then, by chance, the secret manual of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm fell into his hands.

It was the ultimate technique of the Radiant Heaven Divine Lord, who was known to have disappeared without leaving behind a successor.

He had obtained the secret manual of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm in that manner, but the secret manual did not contain the crucial internal mental cultivation method, only the palm techniques themselves.

However, because this Radiant Heaven Divine Palm required a massive amount of internal energy befitting its legendary destructive power, it was as useless as pearls before swine to the Soul Chaser.

'But it's different now! Jianghu will now witness the second coming of the Radiant Heaven Divine Lord.'

The Snow Plum Pill in his bosom, and the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.

With just these two things, he no longer had to fear anyone.

"Hehehe."

The moment he unwittingly let out a laugh like that.

"See? I told you he'd come this way."

"Haha. He really did steal it."

At the sudden voices, the Soul Chaser felt his heart drop with a *THUMP*.

"..."

The Soul Chaser quickly tried to deploy his footwork to escape, but the range of the killing intent the two men were exuding was so vast that he couldn't grasp where to flee.

"Normally in a situation like this, wouldn't you ask, 'Who are you?'"

"Right? Seems he's quite tight-lipped. It'd be nice if he worked in our Murim Alliance."

The two men appeared while exchanging words entirely devoid of tension.

A single sword along with the cloud patterns drawn on their robes.

The Soul Chaser immediately realized that they were opponents he couldn't handle.

'Mount Cangshan Sect.'

The Soul Chaser rapidly racked his brain.

Should he offer to split the spiritual pill?

Since they mentioned the Murim Alliance and whatnot, they probably wouldn't commit murder.

Should he quickly swallow it and make a run for it?

"Look at that guy racking his brain."

"Hey, just know that the moment you twitch a single finger, I'll cut your head off."

The moment he heard those words, the Soul Chaser gave up on everything straight away.

'Right, rather than dying a dog's death here, it's better to wait for the next opportunity.'

The Soul Chaser quickly dropped to his knees.

"This lowly one was blinded by wealth and did something foolish. Please, just spare my life."

The Soul Chaser pulled a small wooden box out from his bosom and prostrated himself flat on the ground.

Once they recovered the Snow Plum Pill, he would be locked up in the Murim Alliance, but it was because of the hope that if these two men coveted the Snow Plum Pill, he might at least avoid rotting in a Murim Alliance prison.

"Is this the Snow Plum Pill?"

"Check the contents. You can never trust a thief."

"Let's see."

The man who took the Snow Plum Pill opened the wooden box.

POP.

Along with the sound of air rushing in, a refreshing fragrance seeped into the prostrated Soul Chaser's nose as well.

"It really is the real thing."

"Is it?"

"Great Heroes, this lowly one would like to say a word."

"Hm?"

"How about we pretend I didn't see anything?"

"What is he saying?"

"I know the leader of the Gyeryong Merchant Group to be a normally greedy, arrogant, and ungrateful man. Even if you Great Heroes find and return the Snow Plum Pill for him, would that man even reward you? It would be better if you Great Heroes take the Snow Plum Pill..."

"Haha, look at this guy."

"Goodness. What do you take us for?"

They said that, but seeing the looks passing between the two men, the Soul Chaser became certain.

That he would be able to escape safely from here.

"Then this lowly one will now...???"

The Soul Chaser, who had been trying to stand up, felt that his two feet were somehow not listening to him.

"You punk. Did you think we'd leave a witness behind?"

"You're quite naive, even for an Underworld bastard. How on earth did you make a name for yourself as the Soul Chaser?"

The Soul Chaser collapsed to the ground, his final words being, 'Goddamn it.'

"Let's dispose of him quickly and go."

"Wait. Guys like this often carry their most precious treasures in their bosoms at all times. Look at this."

The man pulled out a secret manual from the Soul Chaser's bosom.

"We'll check it later. They'll probably notice the Snow Plum Pill is missing soon."

BAM.

As the man shot out palm force at the ground, a deep hole just barely large enough to fit a single person was created.

The men, who kicked the Soul Chaser's corpse into the hole with their feet, roughly covered the body and were about to leave.

RUSTLE.

At that moment, a noise not made by the two of them rang in their ears.

"Who's there?"

"I will cut off your head if you don't come out."

Soon, the figure that emerged from the forest was a young man who didn't even look twenty years old.

"W-Who are you?"

"I should be asking you. What are you doing coming all the way out here in the middle of the night?"

Could he have seen it?

But wasn't there a time gap?

While the men's gazes tangled together in complication.

"I was on my way after hearing that the Gyeryong Merchant Group was throwing a banquet and I could drink free alcohol. But then I ended up getting lost..."

"Did you happen to see anything?"

"What are you talking about?"

"..."

"..."

When the man who asked the question looked at his comrade, his comrade gave a small shake of his head.

"Come here. I'll tell you the way to the Gyeryong Merchant Group."

"... Um, I'm sorry, but you guys seem suspicious, so could you just go on your way?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

There was no longer any need to hesitate. The guy had definitely seen them.

The moment their gazes met like that, without either being first, the two men kicked off the ground and appeared in front of the young man.

"You had bad luck. Don't resent us."

The moment they were about to unleash their swords in a single strike.

The face of the young man, who had been wearing a flustered expression, transformed into that of a Yaksha.

"These fuckers are shameless as hell. Is that how they teach you in Cangshan?"

"Heup!"

He swung without hiding his Cangshan swordsmanship to cut him down in a single breath, but absurdly, his sword was blocked.

The moment their swords clashed, he felt an excruciating pain in his joints and stepped back a couple of paces, but then.

CRUNCH.

"Aaaaargh!"

The sensation of sharp teeth threatening to sever his ankle.

Even though he knew that stealth was a matter of life and death, Gu Il-moo, one of Cangshan's Five Swords, screamed out without realizing it.

"Who are you! Do you know who we are?"

He was drawing upon the internal qi in his entire body to resist the trap digging into his ankle, but because the teeth of the trap had already begun to dig in, he couldn't put strength into it properly.

A fishy smile formed on the lips of the young man who had been wearing an innocent face and speaking in a naive voice.

"Who else? You're the thieves of the Mount Cangshan Sect."

"... What is your identity?"

"The new owner of the Snow Plum Pill."

Jin Sowoon beamed a smile.