Chapter 17 – Making a Decision

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Jin So-myeong, who was drawing up a plan to trap Beom Chang, opened his mouth.

“Deacon. I understand that the secret realm is good, but how dangerous is it specifically?”

“Ahem, I will not deceive you. You must be at least at the 4th layer of the Qi Condensation stage, the mid-stage, to be able to explore the outskirts of the secret realm. Actually, even that is quite dangerous. Four out of ten people will die.”

“···Do you mean forty percent die in just the outskirts? It is a more dangerous place than I thought.”

“Isn’t cultivation originally a competition where one stakes one’s life? It is only natural that it is dangerous as the opportunity is great. And the outskirts are relatively safe.”

“You call it a safe place when forty percent die?”

“The place where the Foundation Establishment spiritual objects are located is the center, and that is where the competition is truly intense. If ten people go in, would barely one or two come out alive?”

Synthesizing the increasingly detailed information, he thought to himself.

‘If it is such a dangerous place… no one will care about the death of a single Beom Chang.’

It seemed that he could first try the plan to turn the fellow into a slave, and if that failed, he could dispose of him inside the secret realm.

‘Good.’

At this very moment, Jin So-myeong made a decision.

To enter the Red Cloud Secret Realm and go on an adventure!

Of course, the secret realm was dangerous for him as well. This was because death did not avoid anyone.

But there was something he had resolved.

Three years ago.

From the moment he woke up in the body of a serf for whom being whipped was a daily routine.

No, from the very moment he blindly came to the market and climbed Mount Red Yang for the first time.

He pledged that he would not blindly run away from danger.

He made up his mind to face danger head-on and grasp the opportunities hidden within it.

This was because the thread-like single path accompanied by death was the only path of life through which he, with his trivial talent, could achieve great success in cultivation.

Of course, because he now possessed the great divine ability called the Supreme Great Ability, his circumstances had improved, but his mindset remained the same.

Jin So-myeong was not afraid of taking challenges at the risk of his life.

If he were not, he would still be getting whipped and exploited.

‘If I make good use of Beom Chang… I will be able to obtain a Foundation Establishment spiritual object.’

Foundation Establishment spiritual objects were strategic resources.

Because the old monsters monopolized them, they were not something that could be purchased just because one offered a lot of spirit stones.

To obtain one, one had to take risks.

If he disliked that, he had to entrust his mind and body to someone else.

Taking an exam to enter a giant sect larger than the Red Yang Sect was also one of the methods.

However, Jin So-myeong did not want to do that unless it was the worst-case scenario.

The moment one leaned on others. It might be comfortable for now, but that was because it was absolutely not free.

Someday, his entire life would be swayed due to that decision.

‘I cannot leave my fate to others.’

With a firm goal set, countless plans rose in disarray in his mind.

The plans became increasingly concrete, repeating the cycle of being built and collapsing at the same time.

‘It is such a waste to simply end it by killing Beom Chang.’

Since they had already become enemies, he had to extract even the marrow of his bones properly.

All kinds of benefits he could obtain when he made the fellow a slave came to mind.

‘I will also be able to obtain something like the internal map of the Red Cloud Secret Realm that the Red Yang Sect went through hardships to produce.’

He pondered for quite a while, weighing the benefits against the risks.

Having formulated a few plausible plans, he nodded his head.

‘The fellow is the nephew of a Foundation Establishment old monster. I must be careful. But if only I succeed, my cultivation speed will become incredibly fast.’

Jin So-myeong, who silently made up his mind, focused on his conversation with Ju Hong again.

This was because he suddenly felt something strange and it bothered his mind.

“Deacon. Aren’t Foundation Establishment spiritual objects, without exception, incredibly precious?”

“Of course! For a Qi Condensation cultivator, it is a treasure they would want to obtain even at the cost of their life!”

“But are you saying that Foundation Establishment spiritual objects still remain in the Red Cloud Secret Realm, which opens periodically? If it is such a treasure, the Foundation Establishment powerhouses would have swept it all away.”

Even to the Grand Cultivators who had already achieved Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment spiritual objects were precious.

This was because it was not as if they had no descendants or disciples.

“Haha! That is because you do not know about the Red Cloud Secret Realm, so you are worrying. There is a special restriction there, so the Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivators absolutely do not enter.”

“Foundation Establishment cultivators do not enter the secret realm?”

“Indeed. Since the place cannot be conquered at the Qi Condensation level, unexplored territories naturally overflow. You do not have to worry.”

Although Ju Hong asserted with a confident attitude, it was difficult to believe easily.

This was because Foundation Establishment spiritual objects were such precious treasures.

“Just what kind of restriction is there that makes powerhouses like the Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivators reluctant to go?”

“Hmm. Once you enter the Red Cloud Secret Realm, no matter what realm you possess, you can only exert Qi Condensation stage cultivation there.”

“···What the deacon means is?”

“Khehehe. It means that inside the secret realm, Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation are the same!”

Ju Hong, who shouted as if feeling gratified for some reason, continued speaking.

“What kind of realm is a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator! Aren’t they existences powerful enough to rule the entire market? What would happen if they become equal to the Qi Condensation cultivators whom they usually treated like bugs?”

The power of the ruler and the ruled becomes equal?

It was not difficult to imagine what would happen.

“A Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator could even be killed by a trivial Qi Condensation cultivator. For them, the secret realm would be an extremely dangerous place.”

“Exactly! For them, it is absolutely unacceptable. How embarrassing and frustrating would it be if they were defeated by a Qi Condensation cultivator they usually looked down on and bullied?”

Jin So-myeong, whose doubts were mostly resolved, hesitated just as he was about to agree.

“You said this secret realm appears every thirty years. Do you know how long ago it started appearing?”

“Well? Even from what I know, it has been at least several hundred years.”

“But then how do Foundation Establishment spiritual objects still remain? Is the secret realm that wide?”

It seemed to be an unexpected question. Ju Hong was flustered for a moment, then spoke hesitantly.

“Although the secret realm is wide… ahem. I do not know that well either. No, no one in this market would know. It is absolutely not because my knowledge is lacking!”

Jin So-myeong noticed why Ju Hong was in a difficult spot.

Perhaps, given his boastful nature, he did not want to say that he did not know.

A detailed explanation, which sounded like an excuse, followed.

“You only need to know that inside the secret realm, the spiritual Qi is dense and a unique ecology has formed, making it suitable for Foundation Establishment spiritual objects to grow.”

“···I see.”

“Anyway! If you have the chance, it would be good for you to go once too. Of course, with your realm, it is a bit dangerous… Huh?”

Ju Hong’s eyes widened, and he spoke as if he were truly surprised.

“Have you perhaps already risen to the 3rd layer in realm? You were definitely at the 2nd layer just a few months ago.”

“I broke through by luck not long ago.”

“Heh! That is truly amazing.”

Ju Hong, who was merely admiring at first, suddenly rolled his eyes.

He began to feel him out with a subtle tone to see what his real intention was.

“Since your cultivation speed is fast, you must have some leeway with spirit stones?”

“Pardon?”

“Wait! I know what you are thinking, but do not misunderstand. It is just that since you are a rogue cultivator who could not enter a giant sect, it is obvious that your aptitude is not good. Yet, the fact that your cultivation is fast means you received the help of spirit stones.”

Clap!

Ju Hong, who clapped his hands as if it were just perfect, spoke quickly.

“I mentioned earlier that I had a troublesome matter. There are several cave dwellings I manage, and I am worried to death because of a malicious tenant.”

“···A malicious tenant?”

“Yes! Truly a damned fellow! He keeps delaying the monthly rent while making all kinds of excuses, which gives me a headache. It is to the extent of interfering with my cultivation!”

Jin So-myeong slightly knit his brows.

He began to roughly anticipate what Ju Hong’s intention was.

“Ahem. I will not make a long story of it. How about you move in and live in the cave dwelling that fellow is using? I like diligent people like you.”

“If a malicious tenant is the problem, can’t you just evict him and get someone else?”

“That is difficult! The cave dwelling that guy lives in is a Rank 1 mid-grade, and the monthly rental fee is thirty spirit stones. If it is left empty for even a single month, wouldn’t that be a huge loss!”

“That is true.”

“It is hard to evict him until I find a successor. He knows that too, which is why he is acting bold. He is truly a fellow who uses his brain in useless places!”

Jin So-myeong roughly chimed in and shook his head imperceptibly.

In fact, if Rank 1 mid-grade spiritual veins were popular, such a thing would not have happened in the first place.

Rank 1 mid-grade spiritual veins were halfway in many ways.

Although it increased cultivation speed, it was ambiguous. If one calculated only the cost-effectiveness, it fell short compared to the Qi Condensing Pills.

‘Of course, it is not that there are no advantages.’

Cultivating in an expensive spiritual vein was much purer than the spiritual Qi accumulated at once by consuming medicinal pills.

This was a much greater advantage than expected.

This was because it would be of great help when breaking through realms in the future.

‘If one consumes too many medicinal pills, pill toxins accumulate and hinder breakthroughs. At least with spiritual veins, there is no need to worry about that.’

However, all of these did not resonate with rogue cultivators who lived from hand to mouth.

If they did not raise their realm right now, they might die tomorrow, so what did the distant future matter?

It was a fact that was meaningful only to someone like Jin So-myeong who dreamed of the Great Dao of Longevity.

“Sigh. I should have evicted that damned fellow long ago when he fell behind on rent and started eating into his deposit, but it is already too late.”

“···”

“If I evict him now, I will lose rent for at least one or two months until I find the next person! What a waste!”

‘That is your own business.’ He suppressed the desire to say this.

At the sudden proposal, a contrarian mindset reared its head, but he soon changed his mind.

Thinking about it calmly, it was not a bad opportunity.

This was because a good spiritual vein provided great help in cultivation. Time was more precious than anything else!

“If it is a Rank 1 mid-grade spiritual vein, how dense is the spiritual Qi?”

“Compared to the low-grade one you are living in now, it is exactly twice as dense.”

“The price has risen tenfold, but it is only twice as much?”

“Uh-huh. You must not calculate it so simply! Spiritual Qi is a spiritual substance whose very grade rises as its concentration becomes denser.”

“···Hmm.”

“Looking at your reaction, it seems you do not know, but the purer the spiritual Qi is, the more you can absorb before your spiritual root becomes overloaded.”

“Are you saying that if I cultivate in a high-grade spiritual vein, even the amount of spiritual Qi absorbed increases?”

“Would I lie to you? What you save by cultivating there is none other than time. If you want to challenge Foundation Establishment before turning sixty, a good spiritual vein is not an option but a must!”

Jin So-myeong also already understood the logic Ju Hong was explaining.

That was why he had taken an interest in the mid-grade spiritual vein.

Foundation Establishment was a fight against time.

If he, whose aptitude was not even good, cultivated leisurely in a cheap spiritual vein, it would take more than a hundred years until he reached the 9th layer of the Qi Condensation stage.

‘A mid-grade spiritual vein… indeed, I do have to move sooner or later.’

Although he was inwardly drawn to it, he also felt that it was still premature.

If he invested all thirty spirit stones every month into the mine, it would return dozens of times over before long.

In his opinion, now was the time to go all-in on investment.

At this point when the mine’s production was insufficient, spending spirit stones was somewhat wasteful.

Of course, blindly saving spirit stones was a foolish act.

‘It is putting the cart before the horse. The reason spirit stones are needed is ultimately for cultivation.’

No matter how many spirit stones one had, there was a limit to increasing cultivation speed.

Thinking about it coolly, that was indeed the case.

A fortune excessively large compared to one’s strength inevitably invited disaster.

He must not obsess only over blindly raising his income.

The most ideal thing was for strength and income to grow together.

A proper balance was needed between investment and purchasing cultivation resources.

If necessary, he had to actively use spirit stones.

‘However, thirty spirit stones at this point is burdensome.’

Moving to a good spiritual vein did not matter if it was delayed a little.

Furthermore, the deposit was the biggest problem.

‘If it is a year’s rent, I have to pay three hundred and sixty spirit stones at once. It is too expensive.’

Jin So-myeong, who was about to refuse after pondering, rolled his brain.

Somehow, it was a pity to just let this opportunity slip by.

This was because the Red Cloud Secret Realm would open soon. That land of opportunity was attractive to Jin So-myeong as well.

There was a need to raise his strength even a single day faster.

‘To subdue Beom Chang, I must be at least at the mid-stage of the Qi Condensation stage.’

If the plan he formulated succeeded, a temporary loss of spirit stones could easily be made up for.

To show that he was conflicted, Jin So-myeong, who had kept silent for about a minute, shook his head.

“I am sorry. Actually, because a senior who looks upon me favorably supports me with spirit stones every month, I can afford the monthly rent. However, preparing a year’s worth of deposit at once is burdensome. I have no choice but to refuse.”

“···A senior supports you?”

“We luckily formed a connection. By chance, I gave him a healing medicinal pill when he was injured.”

This lie was insurance for the future.

It was an explanation and basis for his income, continuously spending spirit stones without even working properly.

Also, there was nothing bad about letting it be known that he had a backer. At least, it would lower the possibility of them playing tricks on him recklessly.

Sure enough. The effect appeared immediately.

The hint of looking down on him slightly as a rogue cultivator vanished as if washed away. His tone, which had been comfortable, also became a little cautious.

“Heh, to be acquainted with such a warm-hearted senior… I am truly envious. Since Fellow Daoist Yeo did a good deed, good fortune followed as a result. Mmh.”

Ju Hong, who parted his lips several times, spoke with an awkward smile.

“At any rate, why don’t you try challenging the Red Cloud Secret Realm as well? If only your luck is good, you will reap a tremendous harvest.”

“Well, let’s see…”

“Ahem. If you cultivate in a mid-grade spiritual vein from now on, isn’t it not impossible to reach the mid-stage of the Qi Condensation stage within three years? Hmm?”

Ju Hong smiled embarrassedly.

In the end, it returned to his original purpose, the rental of the cave dwelling, after going round and round.

However, there was no sign of him particularly forcing it. He merely suggested it cautiously.

“A mid-grade spiritual vein…”

Jin So-myeong, who murmured in a low voice, purposely kept his mouth closed for a long time.

Only after making the other person anxious did he slowly shake his head.

“Sigh. I have thought about it, but as expected, it won’t do. As I said earlier, I do not have the leeway to pay the deposit.”

“···If the deposit is the problem, I will resolve it for you. Since you are a diligent person, I will trust you and let you move in without a deposit. If by any chance you are thinking of leaving, just let me know a few months in advance.”

To think he trusted him after seeing him only a few times. Although he was bogged down by how absurd it was, he maintained a serious expression.

“Indeed, if there is no deposit, I am slightly drawn to it. However, thirty spirit stones is a bit…”

Jin So-myeong, who trailed off, observed Ju Hong’s expression.

He intended to decide after checking how much he could cut the monthly rent.