Chapter 21 :

Chapter 21

Act 4: The Bamboo-Tube Beauty (2)

It was one week after joining the sect that Yise went to the Training Institute’s administrative office to receive a mission.

There was no particular reason why he had let an entire week pass.

He had merely been waiting for the spirit stones and two basic ritual implements that were scheduled to be distributed after a week.

He could not go out onto a battlefield unarmed when there was a war being fought.

During that week, he focused on memorizing theoretical texts on immortal-cultivation arts known as the Four Great Artisan Disciplines, including the Basic Guide to Alchemy, Basic Guide to Talisman Crafting, Basic Guide to Ritual-Implement Crafting, and Basic Guide to Formation Arrangement.

“Hey, you’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t you?”

His assigned senior, Park Gangseo, arrived carrying a bundle.

Every other day, he would visit Yise and explain basic knowledge about the immortal-cultivation world that was not covered in the books.

“These are supplies sent from the main sect. Two basic ritual implements and ten spirit stones.”

“Thank you.”

“Introductory disciples normally receive five spirit stones a month, but the higher-ranked introductory disciples receive extra. Must be nice. If you save ten a month, you might even be able to buy a medicinal pill before going to the main sect.”

“Are we permitted to take medicinal pills?”

“Hahaha! Of course you are. You can take as many as you like. We’re merely discouraged from raising our cultivation realms using ‘only’ medicinal pills. Of course, medicinal pills are so difficult to obtain in the Three Kingdoms of Bando that you can’t actually take them as freely as you’d like. So if you ever get the chance, make sure to stock up on them.”

Park Gangseo laughed heartily and patted Yise on the back.

He then pointed to the two ritual implements.

“To use the Purification Rod, hold it before a demon’s corpse and recite the Spirit-Purification Incantation from the Demon-Extermination, Spirit-Purification, and Energy-Refinement Art once. Every demon you hunt must be purified and sealed. Never forget that.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have to worry too much about the Purification Rod... The Demon-Sealing Album is a type of disposable storage implement—a ritual implement that stores objects in a subspace. It can seal corpses even if they aren’t demons. However, you must account for how every single page was used, and if you use one without permission, you’ll have to pay the price. Carelessly tearing out pages or allowing outsiders to obtain them is a serious crime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Demon-Sealing Album was a special magical artifact developed and managed by the Grand Martial Path. It could seal the corpses of hunted creatures and store them temporarily.

The Purification Rod was used by cultivators in the early and middle stages of the Energy Refinement Realm to purify demons and their spirits.

Yise fiddled with the two ritual implements as he reviewed the incantations he had memorized.

After receiving his supplies, he headed directly to the Training Institute’s administrative office.

The interior was a small space containing nothing more than a notice board and a single Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator sitting before it.

“Senior, may I receive a mission?”

Without even looking at Yise, the cultivator gestured with his chin.

“Take a look.”

He pointed at the notice board before returning his gaze to the secret manual he had been reading.

There were not many missions posted.

— Find missing livestock: 1 contribution point

— Purify contaminated land: 1 spirit stone, 2 contribution points

— Exterminate a Risk Level Nine malevolent spirit: 2 spirit stones, 3 contribution points

— Collect an unpaid debt: 1 contribution point

No matter how carefully he searched, there were no demon-hunting missions.

Most of them were tasks that made him wonder whether this was really the sort of work a Daoist was supposed to do.

The only remotely suitable one was the malevolent-spirit extermination mission.

The problem was that exterminating malevolent spirits was not a warrior’s responsibility. Such missions had to include at least one aspiring shaman.

“Is this... everything?”

Still not taking his eyes off the secret manual, the cultivator replied.

“Not many missions come in at the beginning of the year. Whenever possible, they try to handle them at the main sect. It usually takes introductory disciples six months before they begin undertaking missions in earnest. You’re the strange one for coming here so soon.”

“I see.”

“Even then, only the missions that no one at the main sect wants are passed down here. Don’t waste your time and focus on your cultivation instead.”

Despite the cultivator’s words, Yise could not easily give up.

He had spent an entire week meditating and cultivating in a place where the energy of heaven and earth was at its richest, yet the amount of spiritual energy within him had barely changed.

The next cultivation realm was right before his eyes, and he did not want to waste his time.

In the end, he reached for the only mission available.

“I’ll undertake this one.”

“A malevolent-spirit extermination mission must include an aspiring shaman.”

“Yes. Could I accept it first and add another member afterward?”

Looking annoyed, the cultivator held out the mission registry.

Yise wrote his name beside the words, “Malevolent-Spirit Extermination Mission—Client: Hajin Inn.”

“If you do not finalize the participants by the end of today, I will revoke the mission assignment.”

“Yes.”

The cultivator waved him away.

Yise immediately went to find Seol Ryeong, who was in the middle of cultivating.

“Come on a mission with me.”

“...What? All of a sudden?”

“Yeah. It’s a malevolent-spirit extermination mission, and I need an aspiring shaman.”

“Of course a malevolent-spirit extermination mission would require a shaman... But are we even allowed to go on missions only a week after joining?”

“Apparently.”

“I’m not mentally prepared yet...”

Flustered, Seol Ryeong trailed off.

They would eventually undertake missions day and night, but the first time doing anything was always difficult.

Perhaps it was because she had heard far too many rumors about how difficult it was for Energy Refinement Realm cultivators to survive in the immortal-cultivation world.

Here, they were effectively sheltered beneath the protection of the comfortable Grand Martial Path.

The moment they set out on a mission, they would be thrown into the wilds of the immortal-cultivation world.

“I’m not forcing you. If you don’t want to, it can’t be helped.”

“R-Right. If possible, you should relax a little too. It’s not as though your cultivation is progressing slowly—”

“If you know any other aspiring shamans, could you introduce me to one?”

“...What?”

“It’s only said to be a Risk Level Nine malevolent spirit, so they don’t need to be exceptionally talented. I’ll proceed as cautiously as possible so it won’t be dangerous. Do you know any shamans who might be interested in the mission?”

Seol Ryeong furrowed her brow.

“Why? Don’t you have any friends?”

“You’re hardly one to say that...”

He was going to leave her behind and take another shaman on the mission?

Seol Ryeong’s imagination began to run wild.

She had gone to all the trouble of befriending the Grand Martial Path’s top introductory disciple, only for him to go on a mission while laughing and chatting with some other shaman?

Would that not be like preparing porridge only to give it to a dog?

“You don’t know anyone? It can’t be helped, then. I’ll find someone myse—”

“Wait!”

Her motives might have been somewhat devious, but what else could she do?

A cultivator might appear lofty and detached on the outside, but only those who were cunning within survived for long.

“I’ll do it! The mission!”

“Really? You don’t have to force yourself.”

“I said I’ll do it!”

If she said she would do it, then she would do it. Why was he being so irritating about it?

“But in exchange, you have to help me once when I go on a mission.”

“Of course. Just tell me whenever you need help.”

Seol Ryeong, who had been snapping at him moments earlier, now wore a delighted expression.

Yise thought she had quite an unusual personality.

After adding her name to the mission registry, Yise explained the commission while Seol Ryeong prepared for the journey.

A malevolent spirit believed to be Risk Level Nine had appeared in Namsangol, a fairly large nearby village, and was harming touts who traveled along the mountain pass to attract guests to inns. The mission was to eliminate it.

“Isn’t there far too little information?”

“It says we should ask the outer-sect representative stationed at the Grand Martial Path’s outpost in Namsangol for the details. But why are you packing so much? Are you moving somewhere?”

“S-Shut up. Women naturally have a lot of luggage whenever they travel...”

For someone who said that, most of what she was packing consisted of protective ritual implements.

Yise closed his mouth when he noticed Seol Ryeong’s hands trembling ever so slightly.

Instead of immediately setting out for their destination, Yise stopped in the middle of Azure Mountain Capital.

He repeatedly looked around as though searching for something.

“Where are we going?”

“You received your supplies too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. A spirit-purification ritual implement and eight spirit stones.”

“Since this is our first mission, I thought it might be better to buy some protective ritual implements instead of saving everything. Do you know any magical-artifact shops?”

“I know the perfect place. I’ll recommend a shop run by someone I know.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

“But you won’t be able to buy any decent ritual implements with ten spirit stones. Even disposable ones usually cost five or six.”

“If there’s nothing worth buying, I’ll just save them.”

“Yes, you do that.”

The place Seol Ryeong led him to was located in the deepest part of Azure Mountain Capital’s marketplace district.

It was an alley that no one would ever find unless they deliberately searched for it, even though it lay within a city that was practically a tourist attraction.

“This is the street frequented by real Daoists. Being surrounded by too many ordinary mortals gives them headaches because of the turbid energy, so the shops selling genuine goods are actually located in secluded places like this. They sell weapons, ritual implements, and even cultivation manuals. They also purchase such items, so keep that in mind.”

“Ah. I see.”

Only now did he understand why all the magical-artifact shops in the larger marketplace had been filled with swindlers.

Seol Ryeong poked only her head through the shop’s entrance and shouted.

“Old Hyeon! I brought you a new customer! He’s my friend and the top disciple of this year’s intake, so treat him well!”

“All right.”

A rough old man’s voice answered from inside. Seol Ryeong smiled and gestured for Yise to enter.

“He won’t overcharge you, but he won’t give you a discount either. Don’t waste your time trying to haggle.”

“Okay.”

“The shop next door sells equipment specifically for shamans, so I’m going to look around there.”

Yise entered the magical-artifact shop.

Numerous ritual implements were displayed inside in neat rows and columns.

There were many of them, but unlike the fraudulent magical-artifact shops, the place did not feel cluttered.

The ritual implements were spaced a minimum distance apart. Yise felt an inexplicable sense of trust in the orderly arrangement of the display shelves.

“Is there something you’re looking for?”

The elderly man who appeared to be the magical-artifact merchant was... a cultivator.

He was in the Energy Refinement Realm, possessing an amount of spiritual energy that placed him around the Fifth or Sixth Star.

It seemed that items used by cultivators were indeed traded between cultivators.

“Could you explain the ritual implements you have in stock?”

“An explanation costs one spirit stone, but since this is your first visit, I’ll explain three of them for free.”

Yise readily accepted the terms and pointed to a palm-shaped ritual implement.

“That is a ritual implement worn over the hand. It is called the Capturing Hand. It can draw in distant objects or lightweight living creatures and make them adhere to your palm. It costs eighty spirit stones.”

“Oh... That’s impressive. What about this one?”

“That is...”

The magical-artifact merchant paused just as he was about to explain.

“...?”

“It is a ritual implement used in dual-cultivation methods. You don’t need to know about that yet, so ask me about something else.”