Chapter 5 – Red Yang Sect

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Translated by Frog in the Well

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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The moment Jin So-myeong approached the gate of the Red Yang Sect.

The gatekeeper, who was yawning as if bored, reacted alertly. Aiming the spear-shaft Magic Treasure he was holding, he used the Spirit Eye Art.

After scanning him up and down, he clicked his tongue.

“Hmph, you are only at the first layer of Qi Condensation. What did you come here for?”

His guarded air vanished as if washed away. An unmistakable contempt flashed across his downward gaze.

“…I am a rogue cultivator named Jin So-myeong. I heard the news that the Red Yang Sect is recruiting disciples and came to visit.”

“Jin So-myeong? …Ahhh!”

His face, which had been reluctant as if annoyed, brightened up at some point. The gatekeeper smiled brightly, acting like a friendly merchant.

“Of course! You have come to the right place! The Red Yang Sect always welcomes rogue cultivators. You look young; how old are you?”

“I am fifteen this year.”

Mhm. Nodding as if satisfied, the gatekeeper spoke.

“Fifteen! That is the perfect age! Here is the admission contract, so sign it. Dropping essence blood in the blank space there completes the contract. You can become a disciple of the Red Yang Sect right away.”

Whoosh!

The gatekeeper held out a large sheet of paper as if he had been waiting.

The contract was densely filled with characters, and the mysterious patterns drawn on the border reminded him of magic parchment.

Emitting a subtle spiritual Qi, it was clearly not an ordinary piece of paper at a single glance.

‘…Something is strange.’

The opponent’s attitude was too active. He stepped back due to an instinctive reluctance.

“Please wait a moment. This junior will read it once.”

“Huh? There is no need for that! There is nothing to it, so just trust me and sign!”

His tone turned commanding at some point. His suspicion grew even larger at the overbearing attitude.

Contracts were things to be careful with.

signing one carelessly was extremely dangerous. In particular, a contract using essence blood possessed immense binding power.

If one violated the terms of the contract, one could suffer a backlash and become a cripple or die!

Letting out a cold sneer inwardly, Jin So-myeong acted like a clueless child.

“I cannot do that! If it is an admission contract, the conditions I must keep will be written on it. To become a diligent disciple, shouldn’t I avoid breaking the rules? Since I cannot cause trouble for the Red Yang Sect, I will read it and familiarize myself with it.”

Indeed.

When he acted confidently like a loyal disciple, the gatekeeper could not say anything.

After hesitating, struck speechless, he spoke.

“…Hurry up. I have a shift change soon, so there isn’t much time. If you enter the Red Yang Sect through someone else without my recommendation, it will be hard for you to adapt.”

He kept urging as if he was in a rush to use the bathroom, but Jin So-myeong ignored him. Moving urgently only on the outside, he read the contract cautiously.

Character by character, meticulously.

How much time had passed? Jin So-myeong barely held back his face from twisting violently.

‘Miscellaneous labor disciple?’

He had suspected something, and indeed.

There were many problems in the contract the gatekeeper had held out. Very many, at that!

‘Damn it.’

In the Red Yang Sect, miscellaneous labor disciples were the lowest class. Although called disciples for lack of a better word, they were no different from odd-job workers.

They did not even have time to cultivate due to work. They would only collapse from exhaustion after doing harsh labor all day long.

They were no different from slaves who worked so that the core disciples could cultivate comfortably!

‘The monthly compensation is only thirty Spirit Stone shards?’

Even so, there was no condition to provide a cave dwelling where they could cultivate.

It meant they had to resolve basic food, clothing, and shelter on their own.

‘Terrible treatment. It’s to the point of being absurd.’

Even living in the crappiest shack in the outer city, where security was bad, the rent was five Spirit Stone shards.

It meant the actual income was twenty-five Spirit Stone shards.

If it were his mortal days, it was an income that would make him shed tears of emotion, but not now.

Upon becoming a Qi Condensation cultivator, everything from his senses to his physical strength and physical power had become superior.

Even without climbing Mount Red Yang dangerously, he was confident that he could earn more than this.

‘Let’s overlook the monthly compensation. Because it will gradually increase once my realm rises anyway. However…’

The truly atrocious condition existed separately.

He forced his boiling emotions to settle down. Gathering his hands, he asked the gatekeeper a question.

“Senior. It is written that once I enter the Red Yang Sect, I cannot leave for at least thirty years; is it possible to reduce this period?”

The gatekeeper, who had been acting like a friendly merchant, spat. Standing with his weight on one leg, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Hmph! As if that would be possible. The thoughts of rogue cultivators like you are obvious. Your scheme is to enter the Red Yang Sect, learn basic spells, and then run away, right? There is no such convenient thing in the world!”

Sneering at Jin So-myeong, he continued speaking.

“If you enter as a miscellaneous labor disciple, you will be growing spiritual food in the fields. The spells required to grow spiritual rice alone total at least three. Their value is not small! Naturally, you must work for thirty years so that we can say it is not a loss.”

Curses welled up at the thug-like nonsense.

Simply put, it meant they would use him as a serf and not let him go until he became middle-aged.

If he worked as a slave in the Red Yang Sect for thirty years, he would be forty-five. Even if he devoted himself to cultivation at that point, it was impossible to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The path of cultivation would be cut off!

‘Absolutely not!’

His desire to enter the Red Yang Sect vanished completely.

He could never agree to it. Rather than living as a slave for the rest of his life, it was better to climb Mount Red Yang and risk his life.

Now, the important thing was how to leave this place safely.

Just as he was racking his brains.

“Junior. From what I see, your Spiritual Root talent doesn’t look good? It’s lowest-grade, right?”

A soft voice suddenly came.

“…That is correct. Since I have a Mixed Spiritual Root, I won’t be of much help to the Red Yang Sect.”

“Ha! You know your place… Ahem! No. Don’t worry. Our Red Yang Sect welcomes anyone. You only need to enter the Red Yang Sect and work diligently.”

“…”

“Anyway! What I want to say is that our Red Yang Sect is the only sect a person with a Mixed Spiritual Root like you can enter. You’d better not waste time for nothing and decide quickly! Isn’t it beneficial to learn spells and start cultivation even a day earlier?”

The way he skillfully coaxed and wheedled was not the skill of someone who had done slave contracts only once or twice.

Standing in silence, Jin So-myeong let out a sigh.

It seemed that if he did not reject him straightforwardly, it would be difficult to leave this place.

“I am sorry, Senior. The conditions are different from what I had in mind. I will consider it carefully and come back next time.”

“What?”

The friendly gatekeeper’s face turned fierce in an instant.

A cold and overbearing energy pressed down on his shoulders. He did not even hesitate to apply pressure with spiritual Qi!

“This master explained it so kindly, yet you dare refuse? Does it mean you intend to make me waste my time right now?”

Filled even with killing intent, a voice as cold as ice struck his eardrums.

“Young brat! Do not put on vain airs and think carefully! Do you think you are the first rogue cultivator I have seen? Do not think of begging to be accepted as a miscellaneous labor disciple later while crying, and join right this instant!”

Jin So-myeong narrowed his brows. He felt annoyed at the clinging attitude that showed no regard for face.

It was useless to show politeness to such people.

“I decline.”

He spoke flatly and turned around.

Fortunately, this place was not the outer city. It was the inner city, the core district of the Red Yang Market.

As it was a place jointly managed by the City Lord’s Mansion of the ‘Three Great Families’, at least a minimum level of law existed.

At the level of a gatekeeper of the Red Yang Sect, he could not openly wield violence in the inner city.

“Jin So-myeong! I will remember you clearly! The next time you come back, the treatment will be even harsher! Do not regret it then!”

A warning full of lingering spite resounded, but he ignored it.

His image of the Red Yang Sect shattered into pieces. Since it was a place with such a gatekeeper, it would not be a normal group.

He must absolutely never enter it!

While walking along the main street filled with crowds to prepare for a possible ambush, Jin So-myeong’s face darkened.

‘To recommend such a trashy sect. What on earth is Bang Il’s intention?’

Most of the information Bang Il had told him was the truth, but the truly important points were all omitted.

Although he had said there was a minimum service period, he never imagined it would be as long as thirty years.

If he had known it was this kind of slave contract, he wouldn’t have even visited the Red Yang Sect.

‘Wait.’

He suddenly realized a bizarre point. When exchanging greetings with the gatekeeper, the man had definitely reacted as if he knew the name Jin So-myeong.

Thinking of the attitude that seemed almost glad to see him made him feel uneasy.

‘How did he know my name? Did Bang Il tell him by any chance? Are the two colluding?’

All kinds of suspicions surged.

‘Did he receive a referral fee? Or… did he sincerely think that the atrocious condition of having to work for thirty years was not bad?’

In Bang Il’s eyes, he was a pauper with a Mixed Spiritual Root. It meant there was no hope for him to succeed in cultivation.

Perhaps he might think that merely being able to feed himself and live safely was not a bad life.

Of course, he did not know what the truth was yet.

However, if there was one certain thing, it was that it had now become difficult to trust Bang Il completely.

“Sigh.”

Letting out a sigh, he shook his head.

The number of people he could at least trust in this harsh world had decreased by one. It was a pity.

Also, he had only created a hostile relationship by visiting the Red Yang Sect for nothing.

Swallowing his bitterness, he blankly raised his head. He saw a clear sky without a single cloud.

The wide-open view washed away his frustration.

“…Haha. I didn’t know that freedom was this expensive.”

He had no regrets. Since the sky wouldn’t have been as clear as it was now if he had entered the Red Yang Sect.

Furthermore, there was a fact that the gatekeeper of the Red Yang Sect would not even dream of.

‘I have the Supreme Great Ability.’

That petty slave contract. It did not matter even if he didn’t do it.

There were many ways to make a living. He even had the confidence to succeed in the cultivation world beyond simple survival.

Standing still on a corner of the bustling street, he quietly sank into thought.

‘Let’s not mind the Red Yang Sect. The most urgent thing is Spirit Stones.’

The flow of his thoughts naturally headed toward Mount Red Yang.

As the saying goes, one only sees what is in one’s mind; since it was the workplace he had relied on for three years, he couldn’t help it.

Furthermore, Mount Red Yang was actually very useful. It was a treasure trove of resources overflowing with all kinds of cultivation resources.

If only he could enter and leave the mountain safely, there would be no worry about Spirit Stones.

‘Wait. Is climbing Mount Red Yang after becoming a Qi Condensation cultivator really dangerous?’

As his trust in Bang Il lowered, he naturally doubted the authenticity of the information the man had told him.

Looking around his surroundings, Jin So-myeong moved his steps.

Choosing one of the shops lined up along the street, he entered. He needed to verify the facts, after all.

*

“Tsk! How dare a beggar without even a single Spirit Stone come in! Get lost right now!”

Ejected from the shop, Jin So-myeong clicked his tongue.

‘Oh well.’

His clothing was the problem. Perhaps because it was worn-out and shabby, asking questions was not an easy task either.

Most of the shops did not treat him as a customer. Rather, they were on guard, suspecting whether he was a thief.

‘Still, I have verified it.’

After talking with the owners of five or six shops for half a day, he was certain.

Regrettably, Mount Red Yang was indeed a dangerous place.

Especially for him, a Qi Condensation 1st layer cultivator. In Bang Il’s ‘advice’, at least there was no lie.

‘Sigh.’

Just as he was about to return home soon and set up his future plans.

A signboard suddenly caught his eye.

“Library Pavilion ?”

In an instant, Jin So-myeong’s pupils widened.

A realization flashed through his mind.

The Library Pavilion was a bookstore that specialized in selling cultivation methods or spells. In that case?

‘The Supreme Great Ability is an omnipotent power. If there is a drawback, it is that the consumption of power increases exponentially according to the difficulty of the wish.’

Conversely, it meant that the lower the difficulty of the wish, the sharper the consumption would decrease.

‘Using spells without any foundation is naturally impossible. However… if only I understand the core principles of the spells, I might be able to use spells through the Supreme Great Ability without fully mastering them.’

If he succeeded, his chances of survival on Mount Red Yang would increase, and all kinds of problems would be solved in one go.

Gulp.

It felt as if light was radiating from the Library Pavilion. It looked like a treasure warehouse where all kinds of spells could be learned for free.

‘Let’s go.’

Without hesitation, he moved his steps. Being quick to act was his advantage.