Chapter 133: Misunderstanding

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Nineheavens.org
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Returning to his cave dwelling, Jin So-myeong contacted Wu Yeong-jin first.

Since the date they had agreed to go to the Heavenly Elixir Sect together was not far off, there was a need to let him know of his return.

How long had he waited after burning a Voice Transmission Talisman?

“Fellow Daoist Jin! I was worried you might be late, but fortunately, you arrived right on time! …Huh? Wait, the late Golden Core stage?”

Wu Yeong-jin’s mouth fell wide open. Very slowly.

He was speechless, seeing that Jin So-myeong had reached the late Golden Core stage.

How could he explain the achievement accomplished thanks to numerous fortuitous opportunities? He just brushed it off with a smile.

“I was lucky.”

“No, how could being a bit lucky already lead to the late Golden Core stage… Ah! I am sorry. I asked something unnecessary. Congratulations on breaking through the minor realm.”

“Thank you. I was truly lucky.”

Fortunately, after a few words of congratulations, Wu Yeong-jin did not pry further about his rapid growth.

Instead, he got to the main point.

“Coincidentally, a message came from Fellow Daoist Im, and I was just contemplating what to do.”

It was welcome news. Fellow Daoist Im was the chief disciple of Perfected Red Heaven, a Rank 4 elixir refiner.

“Did Perfected Red Heaven complete his seclusion?”

“Something like that.”

If it was, it was, and if it wasn’t, it wasn’t…what did he mean by “something like that”? As Jin So-myeong remained quiet in wonder, Wu Yeong-jin’s explanation followed.

“Fellow Daoist Im said that his master, who was in seclusion, urgently handed down an order. He apparently commanded him to go to the Valley of Lost Souls and Dead Spirits as quickly as possible and harvest spiritual herbs.”

The Valley of Lost Souls and Dead Spirits was one of the dangerous zones in the Dead Soul Wilderness, a forbidden land that even Golden Core cultivators were reluctant to enter because toxic mist that ruined the mind was spread in all directions.

His brow furrowed of its own accord. For Im So-un to mention that story meant…

“Could it be he asked us to help harvest the spiritual herbs?”

“That is correct. Perfected Red Heaven reportedly said that if we wish to commission the Nascent Condensation Pill, we must first help his disciple harvest the spiritual herbs. Only then would he meet us.”

“Well, my.”

Honestly, it did not feel very pleasant. Even if he was a Rank 4 elixir refiner, wasn’t this a bit too much?

‘Skill is indeed a privilege.’

To think he would use the Nascent Condensation Pill as bait to exploit people he did not even know.

Furthermore, the statement that he would meet them if they harvested the spiritual herbs meant he would still charge a separate fee for commissioning the elixir refining.

“It is a bit absurd. Does Perfected Red Heaven usually receive elixir refining commissions in this manner?”

“Hmm, at least when my father was alive, there was never such a case. Although his personality was somewhat cold, he was a person who was clear about giving and receiving.”

Wearing a bitter smile, it seemed Wu Yeong-jin was also not pleased.

‘Ridiculous. Once one consumes the Nascent Condensation Pill and reaches the Nascent Soul stage, they will be in the same realm. Is there any reason for him to act so rudely?’

It was hard to understand.

It even reached the point where he suspected that the chief disciple, Im So-un, had sold out his master just to harvest spiritual herbs.

‘No way.’

The larger the faction, the stricter the master-disciple relationship. Unless one was a reckless fellow who went around putting his life on the line, he would not sell out his master’s name.

Once the task was finished and they met Perfected Red Heaven, wouldn’t it be exposed that he had lied?

Unless he was confident in completely shutting the mouths of Jin So-myeong and Wu Yeong-jin, he would not have talked nonsense using his master.

‘If he thought he could shut my mouth…’

What was there to say.

Naturally, he would end up regretting it. Whether the means were blackmail or a practical threat.

Jin So-myeong, who was silently lost in thought, nodded his head.

“Very well. Let us harvest the spiritual herbs first. When and where should we go?”

“He told us to come to the Valley of Lost Souls and Dead Spirits within a month. Since time is tight, we should depart immediately.”

“Understood. However, if he makes another excuse even after we harvest the spiritual herbs this time, how about we just look for another Rank 4 elixir refiner?”

After contemplating for a few minutes, Wu Yeong-jin ultimately let out a sigh.

“Let us do so.”

“From what I have looked into, I heard there is a talented elixir refining sect in the Southern Province that appears once you cross the Dead Soul Wilderness. If it really doesn’t work out, we can go there and…”

***

In the Valley of Lost Souls and Dead Spirits, which served as a forbidden land in the Dead Soul Wilderness.

Im So-un, who had arrived there in advance, forcibly controlled his excited heart.

‘If only this matter goes well, finally…!’

The Beautiful Sky Grass-Leaf Herb that Wu Yeong-jin possessed would become his, and that would soon lead to the Nascent Soul stage.

If that happened?

For a full three hundred years. He would reach the same realm as the master he had served his entire life.

From an ignorant mortal until reaching the 9th layer of the Golden Core stage. For how many long years had he looked forward to only this moment!

Just recalling the immense power and lifespan possessed by a Nascent Soul stage expert sent a shiver of excitement down his spine.

Just as he was calming his excitement by tightly gripping his faintly trembling fingertips.

The man in blue, who had reached the 9th layer of the Golden Core stage through a demonic cultivation method, appeared leading as many as five subordinates.

Even among the five, two were at the late Golden Core stage, and three were at the mid Golden Core stage.

‘This bastard said he would only bring three.’

In any case, demonic cultivators had not a shred of credit. Since they lied as easily as eating meals, they were the worst as colleagues.

‘I should use him a few more times and then discard him.’

While planning to kill the man in blue in his heart, he did not show any sign of it.

“You are late. Everything must be prepared.”

“Prepared? Ah, do you mean this?”

The moment the man in blue, who smirked, lightly tapped his beast-taming pouch.

A blood-covered woman in her early twenties appeared in the empty air.

Her eyes with unfocused pupils were filled only with despair. Her appearance, trembling violently with hunched shoulders, was pitiful, but no one present cared.

“As you can see, preparation is very well done. Hehe.”

Im So-un, who furrowed his brow, lifted his sleeve to cover his nose. It was because of the smell of urine and blood that wafted over.

He grimaced at the foul odor, but soon wore a satisfied expression and nodded his head.

“It seems you did some torturing. You must have gathered quite a few screams at this rate.”

As the man in blue flicked his finger, the woman who was suppressed in the empty air was retrieved back into the beast-taming pouch.

“Of course! I can’t wait to see what kind of expression Wu Yeong-jin will make when he hears the screams of his family members that I gathered stitch by stitch. Khehehe.”

“Good. Just in case, let’s coordinate the plan again. Pretending to be chased by you guys, I will run in a hurry and position myself behind Wu Yeong-jin. At that time, you explode the screams and take his family as hostages…”

“Wait.”

“Hmm?”

“I am saying this because I consider you a friend, but honestly, there’s a part I don’t like.”

“…What do you mean suddenly?”

The man in blue grinned and said in a cheerful voice.

“Honestly, my pride is a bit hurt. Our side’s strength is overwhelming, so do we really have to do something as petty as holding hostages? I worry that it degrades our dignity as Golden Cores.”

Im So-un’s eyebrows contorted.

‘Dignity? What absolute nonsense is he talking?’

He could not understand why he was suddenly talking such nonsense. Although his vigilance surged sharply, he did not show it and spoke as usual.

“We have nothing to lose by holding hostages, so what does it matter whether it’s petty or not. If you have a complaint, say it in plain words. Don’t annoy me.”

The man, who pretended to contemplate while gently stroking his chin, smirked and said.

“My demand is only one. Hand over the Beautiful Sky Grass-Leaf Herb of the rogue cultivator surnamed Jin to me.”

“…I also do not know whether that rogue cultivator has the Beautiful Sky Grass-Leaf Herb or not.”

“It doesn’t matter. If he has it, I will take it.”

“Ha, why are you changing your words now? Didn’t we clearly agree that whoever kills that rogue cultivator takes it all?”

“Was that so? I don’t recall.”

This shameless bastard…!

Anger surged in him, but there was no way to respond. As Im So-un remained silent, the man in blue’s voice continued.

“You said you will take the Beautiful Sky Grass-Leaf Herb possessed by Wu Yeong-jin, right? But coveting even the rogue cultivator’s is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Let’s just cleanly split them one by one. How fair is this?”

Im So-un, whose breathing had grown rough for a split second, slowly closed and then opened his eyes.

Glancing at the subordinates of the man in blue who had subtly surrounded the area before he knew it, he spoke calmly.

“Very well. If that rogue cultivator has the Beautiful Sky Grass-Leaf Herb, you take it. I will yield.”

“Aha! As expected, you are someone who can be reasoned with!”

Looking at the man who was pleased to the point of clapping, Im So-un concealed the killing intent that was slowly rising.

‘I was planning to use him a few more times… but I should just kill him together with Wu Yeong-jin this time. The Extreme Fire Spirit-Ascending Pill should be enough.’

Extreme Fire Spirit-Ascending Pill. It was a Rank 4 pill that, when consumed by a late Golden Core cultivator, allowed them to momentarily possess combat power close to the Nascent Soul stage.

Recalling that item in his bosom, Im So-un controlled his emotions that were about to grow intense.

Thinking that everything was within the range of expectations, there was absolutely nothing to be angry about.

***

Time passed.

Jin So-myeong and Wu Yeong-jin crossed the desert and arrived at the Valley of Lost Souls and Dead Spirits.

Observing the thick light-green mist spread across the canyon, Jin So-myeong spoke.

“Because of the toxic mist, my Divine Sense cannot extend far. It is a terrain good for being ambushed, so we must be careful.”

“Yes. Let us not go too deep and first join up with Fellow Daoist Im.”

He burned a Voice Transmission Talisman to contact Im So-un.

How long had they waited at the entrance of the Valley of Lost Souls and Dead Spirits, the promised location?

*Boom!*

A harsh explosion echoed inside the canyon, and then Im So-un emerged through the toxic mist and shouted urgently.

“Fellow Daoists! Please help me! Those demonic monsters are chasing me!”

“Demonic monsters?”

The moment Jin So-myeong and Wu Yeong-jin were startled.

Im So-un, who flew over in a messy state as if he had been ambushed, spoke in a hurry.

“Those guys! It’s those guys! Fellow Daoists, please buy me just a little time! I will set up a formation!”

Speaking as if pouring out words, Im So-un took out formation-related items from his storage pouch and began to install them.

A total of six people. Demonic monsters with mid-to-late Golden Core strength appeared and surrounded Jin So-myeong’s party.

Watching the way the situation was unfolding, Jin So-myeong narrowed his eyes.

‘The feeling is completely…’

Somehow, something was bothersome.

He stopped as he was about to draw his sword and stared intently at Im So-un, who was hurriedly setting up the formation.

For a split second, their eyes met, and the fellow’s eyes were too calm for someone who was supposedly flustered.

Just then.

The demonic cultivators surrounding them began to beat wooden fish without warning.

Aaaaaaaargh!!

It hurts! I said it hurts!

Save me! Save me!

From the wooden fish, which originally should have made a clear wooden sound, bloody and terrible screams echoed. Mixed with desperate pain, it permeated the divine soul and tried to break the mind.

Jin So-myeong, who possessed Nascent Soul-grade Divine Sense, only scowled, but Wu Yeong-jin next to him turned pale and even leaked blood from the corners of his mouth.

Simultaneously,

The leader among the demonic cultivators, the man in blue who had reached the 9th layer of the Golden Core stage, took out a woman in her early twenties from the beast-taming pouch and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

“Do not move! If you annoy my eyes in the slightest, I will snap this wench’s neck!”

“Cheong-hwi!”

Judging by Wu Yeong-jin’s wide-eyed shout and his suddenly distorted expression, she seemed to be someone he knew.

Smirking, the demonic cultivators beat the wooden fish without rest, and all directions were filled with terrible screams.

Just as they were being unilaterally attacked.

“How unsightly.”

Jin So-myeong’s eyes were dyed with lightning.

At the gaze that seemed to pierce through everything, the man in blue winced his shoulders, then glared with strength in his eyes.

“I believe I told you not to play tricks! Do you want to see this wench’s neck snapped?!”

“Try it if you can. I will kill you before you can even wiggle a finger.”

“What…”

His fluster was only brief,

The man in blue’s gaze cooled down freezing cold. As if intending to make an example, his expression grew fierce.

“Keep in mind that this wench is dying because of you…”

*Clang!*

Even before his words could finish, a cold metallic sound mingled with lightning pierced through the noisy clamor and dug into everyone’s ears.

“…”

Suddenly, a bizarre silence descended.

A red line was drawn right between the eyebrows of the man who had suddenly stopped speaking.

Passing through his forehead and nose to the dantian beyond his solar plexus. Blood droplets formed on a single vertically drawn line.

By this time, someone quick-witted realized.

That a slash that did not even seem absurdly fast had sliced through the man in blue, and that was the end of it.

*Crack!* Simultaneously with the sound of something hard splitting,

The man in blue was cleanly divided in two. Separated into left and right, he became useless chunks of meat and was scattered on the ground…

“Ah.”

A demonic monster who had reached the 9th layer of the Golden Core stage died in vain without even making a squeak.

Within that dumbfounding sight, no one dared to move.

The demonic monsters who had been beating the wooden fish excitedly quietly stopped and only watched the mood, and the corner of Im So-un’s eye, who had just aimed his dharma treasure to ambush Jin So-myeong, twitched violently.

The moment Jin So-myeong glanced and turned his gaze.

Im So-un, whose face had turned pale blue, mumbled something and then parted his lips with real, real difficulty.

“This, this is… a misunderstanding.”

It was indeed a novel excuse.

The cold gaze remained as it was, and a drop of cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

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