Chapter 32 – You Want Me to Find Wang Shin?

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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 spoke to Beom Chang, who was aggrieved after being hit on the back of his head.

“How long are you going to rely on your uncle? Brother, would you die if your uncle told you to?”

“No, what are you…”

“Good. Let’s think about this calmly. What are you going to do after reaching Foundation Establishment?”

“It’s good to become a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator. What do you mean by what am I going to do?”

“Do you really have absolutely no intention of challenging Core Formation?”

“…C-Core Formation! How could I dare!”

Beom Chang’s eyes shook.

Even while saying no, one corner of his expression was filled with desire. It was natural for a human being.

Watching this scene blankly, Jin So-myeong gestured with his chin.

“Forget it. Go and gather detailed information. Since your life is also on the line, you had better work hard.”

“…I understand.”

Beom Chang, whose expression turned sour, drooped his shoulders. He left with heavy, lifeless steps.

Watching him show no motivation whatsoever, Jin So-myeong clicked his tongue.

‘If he doesn’t want to die, he will prepare with his best efforts.’

He put it out of his mind and focused on cultivation.

In the first place, the guy was merely insurance. What Jin So-myeong truly trusted and relied on was his own strength.

***

One year later.

Having turned seventeen before he knew it, Jin So-myeong sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling.

His posture, without even a slight movement, was like a stone statue made of rock.

After sitting silently for a long time, he slowly opened his eyes.

“Finally.”

Just as a gentle smile formed at the corners of Jin So-myeong’s mouth.

A hologram visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

【Jin So-myeong】

【Lifespan】: 17 / 67

【Realm】: Qi Condensation 5th Layer

【Supreme Great Ability】: 45 / 60

【Divine Ability】:

“It is the 5th layer of Qi Condensation.”

He reached the 5th layer of the Qi Condensation stage in just two years since he began cultivation.

Although his start had been slow, he was growing fast enough to not fall behind anyone.

Normally, it was standard for cultivation speed to slow down significantly upon reaching the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, but that did not apply to him.

Thanks to all sorts of fortuitous encounters, including the Secret Realm of the Mind, his cultivation speed only became faster and faster.

‘Good.’

Since the preparations to achieve Foundation Establishment were also being made step by step, everything was going smoothly.

The remaining time until the Red Cloud Secret Realm opened was one and a half years.

‘If all goes well, I might be able to enter the secret realm at the 6th layer of Qi Condensation.’

Upon reaching the 6th layer, if he even mobilized the Supreme Great Ability, he would have a chance of winning even in a head-on fight against late Qi Condensation cultivators.

Just as he was about to reflect on his goal and refocus on cultivation.

Beom Chang visited.

‘What is it? He came even though I didn’t call him.’

Jin So-myeong adjusted his breathing and activated the Breath Concealing Art.

He lowered his aura, which had reached the 5th layer of Qi Condensation, to the 4th layer.

Once he finished all preparations and permitted entry, Beom Chang soon came in and bowed politely.

“Brother. Is your cultivation going well?”

“Stop saying words you don’t mean, and just tell me why you came.”

There was no way the fellow, who desperately avoided him because he didn’t want to see him, would visit for no reason.

Beom Chang hesitated, then spoke with an awkward smile.

“Brother. Do you know it has already been a year since we entered the Red Yang Sect?”

“What of it?”

“Ugh! Are you really asking because you don’t know! For the past year, you have truly done nothing but cultivate! In the high-grade spiritual vein rented with my contribution points!”

The moment Jin So-myeong’s brow furrowed.

The momentum of the shouting Beom Chang shrunk instantly. The hesitating guy barely opened his mouth.

“S-so, you must perform a mission soon.”

“A mission? Hey, Brother. You want me to take on a mission now? Didn’t you say inner disciples only need to cultivate?”

“It means you don’t have to do miscellaneous labor. It doesn’t mean you can neglect missions as well!”

“Tch. How annoying…”

“It has already been a year. I have been blocking it for you, but it is slowly reaching its limit.”

The Red Cloud Secret Realm was just around the corner, so it could not feel good to be told to perform a mission.

As he fell silent, Beom Chang, watching his reaction, spoke in a cautious manner.

“Brother. It is truly fine if you do it just for form’s sake. Please do just one mission.”

“Sigh… Just tell me what kind of mission it is.”

“Ah! Thank you!”

“I haven’t decided yet. I need to know what it is to decide whether to do it or not.”

He gulped.

Gulping, Beom Chang hurriedly explained the mission, and after listening for a while, Jin So-myeong’s expression turned peculiar.

“So…”

He was dumbfounded inwardly.

“You want me to monitor Cheong Hwa-ran? And find the whereabouts of Wang Shin, who went missing among the members of the Blue Flood Dragon Gang?”

“Yes. Originally, it was a mission handled by Elder Shim’s side, but since there has been no result for over a year, it was handed over to our side.”

What an amazing coincidence…

Wang Shin had died while trying to rob Jin So-myeong in the first place.

Asking him to find Wang Shin was like asking a cat to guard a fish.

“…So the ones who originally performed that mission were Elder Shim’s side?”

“Yes. Monitoring and dealing with rogue cultivators who might become threats in the future is a task assigned to Elder Shim’s lineage. However, the surveillance on Cheong Hwa-ran yielded too few results, so we snatched it away.”

Lost in silent thought, Jin So-myeong opened his mouth.

“If it is monitoring, what exactly do I have to do?”

“Find out what Cheong Hwa-ran’s current cultivation realm is, and if she has surpassed the 8th layer of Qi Condensation, report it to the higher-ups.”

“I have also heard about Cheong Hwa-ran. She is a fairly famous rogue cultivator, isn’t she? But who on earth is Wang Shin that they want us to find him?”

“Well. I heard he is one of Cheong Hwa-ran’s subordinates, but I don’t know well either. It is certainly strange. The reward is quite high.”

“Hmm.”

“They said to find his corpse if he is dead… but that’s actually nonsense.”

For Elder Shim’s lineage, who was in a competitive relationship with Beom Chang’s uncle, to try to find Wang Shin…

It seemed Wang Shin was indeed a spy, as expected.

Otherwise, they would not have gone through the trouble of searching for a cultivator who was only in the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

“Honestly, it would be good if we find Wang Shin. We could point out the incompetence of Elder Shim’s lineage. However, it will be difficult. Elder Shim’s side didn’t produce any results either, so you don’t have to pay attention to it.”

“…Fine. I will take on that mission. Instead, do not complain even if I fail to produce results.”

“Of course! Thank you so much!”

Immediately after the fellow bowed his waist repeatedly to bid farewell and left.

Before long, someone else visited the cave dwelling.

“Senior Sister Shim?”

“Oh, our Junior Brother So-myeong really lives in a nice place. It seems Beom Chang treats you quite well?”

Shim Woo-yeon, who was admiring the Rank 1 high-grade cave dwelling with an elegant attitude, squinted her eyes.

He knew what her silent rebuke meant.

This was because Jin So-myeong had not told her anything about Beom Chang for a year already.

“Haha. Brother Beom Chang has no special peculiarities. Ah! He did say a while ago that he is going into the Red Cloud Secret Realm. Is this also considered something unusual?”

“…What? He is going to that dangerous place?”

“Yes. He said he would definitely bring out a Foundation Establishment spiritual object. Admiring his bravery, I decided to go in with him.”

“Nonsense! With his personality?”

Shim Woo-yeon’s beautiful brow furrowed.

If Beom Chang successfully obtained and returned with a Foundation Establishment spiritual object, it would be a critical blow to her.

This was because he would gain a clear upper hand in the competition against her, which was currently neck-and-neck.

“…”

Conflict showed on her face. Her tightly biting her lips made it clear what she was thinking.

‘She must be contemplating whether she should go in as well.’

If Beom Chang returned alive from the Red Cloud Secret Realm. No, even if he died, she would be treated as a coward.

Although it was meaningless gossip in this world where the strong devoured the weak, it would not be very pleasant.

‘Yes, contemplate it.’

The more the secret realm turned into a mess, the more advantageous it was for Jin So-myeong.

This was because opportunities were more likely to reveal themselves in a chaotic state rather than an orderly one.

He was confident in concealment techniques, so the more chaotic the situation, the better.

Also, the forces of Red Yang Market were not the only ones in the secret realm.

Since people gathered from all sorts of places, it would be advantageous to him if the Red Yang Sect’s force became stronger.

This was because, no matter how much of a mess the Red Yang Sect was, they would unite tightly against external enemies.

“…Anyway. The reason I came to see Junior Brother Jin today is for another matter.”

Her embarrassment lasted only a moment.

Regaining her composure along with a bright smile, she spoke in a whispering tone.

“Junior Brother Jin. No, Brother So-myeong. Did you perhaps hear about some mission from Beom Chang?”

“A mission? Well, I did hear.”

“It’s the mission to monitor the rogue cultivator Cheong Hwa-ran, right?”

As Jin So-myeong nodded, she closed in to an overwhelming degree and whispered.

“Did you know that mission was originally done by a close younger sister of mine?”

“Ah… Is that so?”

“Yes. The alert at the Blue Flood Dragon Gang suddenly became strangely strict, so she failed the mission. She is such a pretty and good child, and my heart aches to see how sad she is right now.”

“Oh dear.”

As he responded casually, Shim Woo-yeon’s red lips formed an arc. She spoke slowly as if trying to seduce him.

“But if our Brother So-myeong suddenly succeeds in the mission, how hard would it be for my other younger sister?”

“Hmm… That could be so.”

“How could I watch that happen. So, couldn’t our Brother So-myeong also ease up a bit and take it easy?”

“Ah.”

Making a conflicted face as if he finally understood what she meant, Jin So-myeong thought to himself.

‘The Red Yang Sect is indeed running wonderfully.’

To think such a sect survived fierce competition and occupied half of Red Yang Market.

It was truly an extremely strange thing.

“…That is troublesome. Since it is the first mission I have taken on, I wanted to do well.”

“Hmm?”

The bright smile on Shim Woo-yeon’s mouth began to fade little by little.

At her gaze, which was turning colder, Jin So-myeong let out a sigh.

“Sigh. It can’t be helped. Since it is Senior Sister’s request, I cannot refuse. Instead, I would like to get some compensation.”

“…Compensation?”

“Brother Beom Chang trusted and assigned this mission to me, telling me to succeed at all costs. If I fail to produce results, I will be scolded severely. Then my heart will be hurt, so isn’t it fine to receive some comfort?”

“Ha. Seeing you now, our Brother Jin is quite bold, aren’t you? Fine. What do you want?”

Folding her arms, she backed away.

The gaze scanning Jin So-myeong up and down was as if telling him to know his place, which was dumbfounding.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jin So-myeong spoke in a casual tone.

“I heard a grand auction will be held soon in preparation for the Red Cloud Secret Realm. They sell numerous dharma treasures there. But I don’t have spirit stones.”

Shim Woo-yeon paused, hesitated for a moment, and spoke.

“Fine. I will give you three hundred spirit stones. Make sure to handle the mission properly. You have to do such a terrible job that you will get scolded.”

“Three hundred is a bit…”

“Don’t be greedy. You are only at the 3rd layer of Qi Condensation… Uh? When did you reach the 4th layer?”

“A few days ago.”

“…Congratulations. Anyway! What do you need so many spirit stones for? Be satisfied with three hundred.”

Currently, Jin So-myeong’s daily income was twenty-five spirit stones.

Because he was spending spirit stones lavishly to cultivate both the body tempering method and the Five Elements Qi Condensation Art lately, he seemed to have temporarily lost his sense of financial value.

Certainly, three hundred was quite a large amount.

“I understand. Since it is Senior Sister’s request, I will do the mission half-heartedly. Instead, if I get scolded too much, you must help me from the side, okay?”

“Of course. Just trust me. I will give you the spirit stones after watching you perform the mission.”

She departed with a bright smile.

The moment Shim Woo-yeon’s departing figure completely disappeared, Jin So-myeong smirked.

‘Works for me.’

He had intended to do the mission half-heartedly anyway.

Yet he even obtained spirit stones as compensation. It felt like finding money on the street. There was no profit better than this.

The anger Beom Chang would feel? In the first place, such a thing did not exist.

How could he scold his brother when he was merely the older brother in name? He didn’t need to worry about it.

***

Inner City of Red Yang Market.

In the bustling market, Jin So-myeong glanced at a certain building.

‘Is that the Blue Flood Dragon Gang?’

The headquarters of the Blue Flood Dragon Gang was a five-story pavilion.

Although it couldn’t be called extremely large, it was well-managed.

A proper formation was installed, so even with his sensitive senses, he could not inspect the inside.

‘Hmm.’

Contemplating something, Jin So-myeong began to trudge with a relaxed attitude.

“Yawn…”

He passed the building’s entrance while yawning peacefully.

His gaze met the sentry guarding the surroundings, but there was no reaction.

Glaring as if asking why he was lingering around was all.

‘…They don’t recognize me at all. It’s certain. The Blue Flood Dragon Gang doesn’t know that I killed Wang Shin.’

The threat Wang Shin made before he died, that his leader would come to take revenge, was indeed a lie.

Well.

Robbery was not a proud action, so there was no way he would have reported it regularly to his superior.

He hadn’t even believed half of it in the first place, but now it was almost certain. The probability of it being a lie was high.

‘Fortunate.’

The leader of the Blue Flood Dragon Gang, Cheong Hwa-ran, was an expert of the late Qi Condensation stage.

Since she was a highly talented genius, it was better not to become enemies with her.

Of course.

Now he did not fear her as much as in the past. This was because many things had changed compared to back then.

It was true in terms of status, and also in terms of strength.

‘A late Qi Condensation cultivator… How strong is she?’

Deep within his heart, a competitive spirit wriggled.

It was a feeling that had grown since he became aware of his talent for martial arts and combat.

‘Forget it. There is no reason to pick a fight.’

Shaking his head, Jin So-myeong distanced himself from the Blue Flood Dragon Gang.

Swish!

Activating the Breath Concealing Art, he leapt onto the roof of a certain seven-story shop.

He glanced at the Blue Flood Dragon Gang headquarters visible in the distance.

There were two sentries at the building’s entrance, both in the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

Unlike a group that started from begging children, the security was tight.

The sentries did not engage in common chatter even once and scanned the surroundings with wide eyes.

Their stiff postures were like recruits who were highly disciplined.

‘Strange. If they are in the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, they should have some peace of mind. Could it be because of the letter I sent in the past saying Wang Shin was a traitor?’

Perhaps the sudden increase in the Blue Flood Dragon Gang’s alertness was his fault…

Watching the Blue Flood Dragon Gang from a distance, Jin So-myeong nodded.

Swish!

Without a single hesitation, he pulled out paper and a brush from his sub-space and began to write relentlessly.

[Attempted to infiltrate secretly and inspect the inside of the Blue Flood Dragon Gang, but failed.]

[There are two sentries for the Blue Flood Dragon Gang, and they did not chatter even once. The surveillance is strict, so there is nothing to find out.]

[Efforts were made to infiltrate throughout this month, but unfortunately, they failed.]

A total of three pages.

Jin So-myeong, who had written a month’s worth of reports in advance in just one minute, smiled.

The person who would read this might be horrified, but who cared?

It was wiser to cultivate rather than pour devotion into such a mission.

Since he intended to leave Red Yang Market as soon as he came out of the secret realm anyway, there was nothing to worry about.