WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
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◈ Cultivating Underground ◈
Chapter 23
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"You only registered four months ago, and you're already asking to go south. Were there really so few external assignments?"
"There weren't any."
"...That's true, actually."
A resident court retainer who handled administrative work for the Military Service Hall sat across the table.
"If you become a military court retainer, you must serve at a post designated by the Military Service Hall for at least six months. In exchange, you'll earn one day of leave every seven days. You can also save it up and take several months' worth at once. Killing or capturing martial artists from the Geonyang Kingdom will earn you considerable merit."
...
Two days later, a new court retainer's token hung at Yi Hyeon's waist.
He had returned the blue jade token engraved with a crane soaring above the clouds to the Heaven-Serving Directorate. In its place, he received a black jade token threaded with red cord. A crane holding a spear upright was carved on the front, while the back bore the words "Military Court Retainer Yi Dong-il."
* * *
Six months later.
Hoean Fort, in the southern Untaek Kingdom.
Hoean Fort stood a little over a thousand li west of Nosu Pass, which lay five thousand li south of Ungyeong.
It was much smaller than Nosu Pass, but it stood where the western waterway and the embankment road leading into the Untaek Kingdom's interior split apart.
People often called Nosu Pass the most important stronghold, but in truth, not a single post was unimportant.
If even one of these small posts fell, martial artists from the Geonyang Kingdom could make their way through the rivers and reed beds to infiltrate the area behind Nosu Pass. That would threaten not only the pass itself, but also the grain barges carrying military supplies.
Fortunately, no large army had attacked Hoean Fort in the past six months.
There had only been a few incidents in which Geonyang scouts crossed the reed beds or attacked watch posts on the embankment under cover of darkness.
...
A broad stretch of reeds spread beneath the tall watchtower.
The waterways changed shape whenever it rained. On foggy days, it was hard to see even a few dozen jang ahead.
During his stay at Hoean Fort, Yi Hyeon spent most of his time in Azure Crane Pavilion, a small building inside the fortress.
It was not as luxurious as Cheongnyang Villa, but it was far better furnished than an ordinary officer's quarters.
Enclosed by an inner wall, the separate residence had a bedroom, a study, and even a small bathing room.
Two young maidservants named Soyun and Maehyang had also been assigned to him. With no need to prepare his own meals or handle small chores, he had plenty of time to study martial arts and spells.
...
Military court retainers earned one day of leave every seven days. Yi Hyeon saved his days up and left his post for roughly a week every couple of months to visit Underground Hideout No. 1.
Each time, he inspected the spirit field and automatic watering system, repaired the paper bags and silk netting around the Stone-Honey Peaches, and filled the water tank with the Spirit Rain Spell.
Underground Hideout No. 1 was a full eleven thousand li from Hoean Fort each way, but with Yi Hyeon's abilities, making the round trip during his leave posed no particular problem.
Back at Hoean Fort, he watched the soldiers train or read martial arts manuals.
He had acquired quite a few manuals during his service.
Searching captured Geonyang scouts was standard procedure. Ordinary soldiers rarely carried anything useful, but experts at the Peak realm or above sometimes had thin booklets containing martial formulas or insights from their training.
As a military court retainer honored as Hoean Fort's strongest fighter, Yi Hyeon had no trouble reading those books first or making copies.
The person who assisted him most closely was Tak Mu-seong, Hoean Fort's deputy commander.
Tak Mu-seong was a Transformation realm expert a little over fifty.
They had served in the Southern Army since their teens and knew the waterways, reed beds, and embankment roads around Hoean Fort like the back of their hand.
They were always courteous to Yi Hyeon.
"Honored Retainer, the water at the western sluice gate has risen today. If you plan to go out tonight, it would be better to take the northern embankment road."
"Understood."
"Please let me know if you need anything."
Tak Mu-seong clasped their hands in a salute and withdrew.
Their courtesy held a mixture of respect and fear.
On the day Yi Hyeon first arrived at Hoean Fort, he had formed a fireball above his palm and demonstrated how the Seventh-Stem Metal Art could pierce an iron plate.
Still, Tak Mu-seong privately harbored one doubt.
'Can he really use those techniques properly in a fight?'
They had fought alongside other military court retainers from the Heaven-Serving Directorate.
Cultivators' spells were strange and powerful.
But Geonyang martial artists did not politely wait several dozen jang away.
They threw hidden weapons, scattered poison powder, and targeted the fingers forming hand seals and the eyes first.
By the time a flustered cultivator stopped to consider which spell to use, a Transformation realm expert would already be right in front of them.
Retainer Yi Dong-il's spells were certainly stronger than his predecessor's. Whether someone so young also had enough combat experience was another matter. More than a few military court retainers had been injured or killed.
'If I ambushed him from within ten jang, even I might stand a chance against this retainer.'
Tak Mu-seong had confidence in their martial arts. What expert who had reached the Transformation realm did not believe in their own martial path?
Still, Retainer Yi Dong-il was a decent person.
He was humble, did not order the soldiers around thoughtlessly, and never complained about his food or quarters.
That was why Tak Mu-seong hoped Retainer Yi Dong-il would not meet a pointless death on the battlefield.
...
One day at dawn.
A thicker fog than usual had settled around Hoean Fort.
Even from the high watchtower, the reed beds below the embankment were hidden from view.
A damp wind swept over the walls.
Yi Hyeon lay on his bed, reading a martial arts manual.
His fingers stopped as he turned a page.
Creeeak.
A faint metallic scraping came from far away.
It was too quiet for an ordinary person to hear. Even if someone had heard it, they would have mistaken it for a door hinge. But to Yi Hyeon, who was using the Sound-Listening Spell, it sounded like a taut metal cord catching on a latch.
Creak. Creeeak.
'A crossbow?'
Yi Hyeon closed the manual.
At that moment, a shout erupted from a distant watch post outside his residence.
"We're under attack!"
Bang!
The pavilion's window frames burst apart all at once.
Dozens of black crossbow bolts poured into the room.
A blue-black liquid coated their tips.
Hummm.
A translucent Spiritlight Shield appeared.
Cl-cl-cl-clang!
Several of the incoming bolts carried an unusual energy.
'Force qi?'
The bolts imbued with force qi struck the center of the Spiritlight Shield in quick succession.
The second and third hit exactly where the first had landed.
When the fourth struck, a small crack appeared on the shield's surface.
'They're concentrating their shots on a single point to break through, using crossbow bolts imbued with force qi from a distance? Their accuracy is remarkable...'
Yi Hyeon abandoned his usual habit of conserving spiritual power and swept his hand with real intent.
The first Spiritlight Shield shone brilliantly and grew more than ten times stronger. Its cracks vanished without a trace.
At the same time, Spiritlight Shields of similar strength appeared on every side.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The crossbow bolts kept hammering the same points.
Then black figures entered through the broken windows.
The first to leap into the room was a middle-aged martial artist wielding twin swords.
An expert carrying a spear and two sword wielders followed.
All four radiated powerful auras.
'Four Transformation realm experts? They must be the ones who fired those bolts imbued with force qi.'
The moment they saw Yi Hyeon, they scattered in different directions.
"Kill the immortal!"
The twin-sword wielder kicked off the floor.
Baaang!
Sword force slammed into the left edge of a Spiritlight Shield.
At the same time, a spear tip drove into another shield from the opposite side.
Clang!
Neither shield broke.
Just as confusion appeared in the two attackers' eyes, light burst from Yi Hyeon's body.
A dazzling barrier spread outward from him at tremendous speed.
Baaang!
The two martial artists wielding the twin swords and spear smashed through the pavilion walls and were thrown outside.
Then it happened.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Another volley of bolts flew in from outside. As they struck the Spiritlight Shields, black powder burst out, rapidly filling the room with poisonous miasma.
"It's poison!"
Tak Mu-seong's voice came from a distance.
Yi Hyeon activated the Breath-Sealing Art and Spherical Qi Barrier, then stepped outside through the collapsed wall.
Several bodies already lay in Hoean Fort's fog-covered inner courtyard.
Shouts and the clash of weapons came from the distant barracks.
It seemed the four people before him were not the only intruders.
Then a low voice rang out from the fog.
"What are you doing, failing to deal with a single Qi Refining cultivator?"
Thud.
The thick fog parted to either side.
An elderly figure in a long red robe walked out between the drifting banks.
The elder held a long, narrow sword in their right hand. The blade had a reddish hue, and blood ran down it.
The aura coming from them was on an entirely different level from that of the Transformation realm experts.
Tak Mu-seong's face turned pale.
"Jo Byeong-ak, the Crimson Cloud Sword...!"
Jo Byeong-ak.
A Profound realm expert who belonged to the Geonyang Kingdom's Western Army.
Jo Byeong-ak was an infamous powerhouse, known for cutting down three Untaek Transformation realm experts at once more than ten years ago and single-handedly slaughtering a thousand soldiers during the battle for Baeksu Fortress.
Jo Byeong-ak looked at Yi Hyeon.
"You're as young as they said."
"You know me?"
"I heard a rumor that a young military court retainer had joined the Heaven-Serving Directorate."
'It seems information is leaking.'
Jo Byeong-ak's gaze swept over Yi Hyeon.
"Cultivators introduce too many unknowns. It's safer to kill them first."
Jo Byeong-ak raised their sword.
At that instant, the four scattered Transformation realm experts moved together.
Two spread out to the left and right. One retreated and raised a crossbow. The last took three black pouches from inside their clothes.
Jo Byeong-ak stepped straight forward.
Boom!
A single step erased the distance of more than twenty jang.
Red sword force flashed toward Yi Hyeon's neck. At the same time, the Transformation realm experts on either side thrust with a sword and spear coated in force qi.
A crossbow bolt imbued with force qi flew in from behind, while the black pouches burst in midair and released red and blue poisonous smoke.
Every attack converged on Yi Hyeon at precisely the same moment.
Watching from a distance, Tak Mu-seong froze with their sword drawn. If they had been in that position, they would have died instantly.
Then it happened.
Hummm! Hum! Hum!
Twelve Spiritlight Shields bloomed around Yi Hyeon at once.
Translucent shields overlapped to form a sphere, covering not only his front, back, and sides, but also the space above his head and beneath his feet. There was not a single gap.
B-b-b-boom!
Sword force, spear force, and crossbow bolts all slammed into the Spiritlight Shields, but failed to break even one.
Jo Byeong-ak was horrified.
'What!?'
They had encountered many Qi Refining cultivators. Yet even among those in the late Qi Refining stage, they had never seen anyone deploy such powerful defensive spells in every direction without leaving a gap.
Then it happened.
Baaang!
Several Spiritlight Shields shot outward as though propelled by an explosion.
Huge translucent discs spun through the surrounding area. Before the Transformation realm experts attacking with a sword and spear from either side could recover their stances, the shields struck their chests. Bones cracked as they flew away, coughing up blood.
The crossbow wielder twisted to dodge, but a Spiritlight Shield grazed their thigh. Their leg buckled, and they rolled across the ground.
Another shield flew straight at Jo Byeong-ak.
"Hmph!"
Jo Byeong-ak gripped their sword with both hands and slashed diagonally downward with red sword force.
Claaang!
They tried to split the Spiritlight Shield head-on, but their sword force could not even push back its surface. Instead, the shield drove their sword backward, forcing their arms and shoulders back with it.
'Damn it!'
Jo Byeong-ak immediately angled their sword to divert the shield's force.
They barely managed to turn it aside and threw themselves out of its path, so narrowly that their hair brushed its surface.
Booom!
The deflected Spiritlight Shield struck the base of the watchtower at the rear. A wooden pillar more than two people could encircle with their arms shattered, and one side of the tower tilted.
After rolling across the ground several times, Jo Byeong-ak rose onto one knee. Blood flowed from both hands gripping their sword.
"You bastard...!"
They tried to locate Yi Hyeon again, but the cultivator had already vanished from sight.
'Above!?'
Jo Byeong-ak looked up and saw something that seemed unreal.
Against the blue-black light of dawn, the young cultivator's fingers traced a gentle semicircle. Dozens of silver streaks spread from his fingertips like a fan.
The silver needles targeted the joints and vital points of the scattered Transformation realm experts, including their wrists, ankles, shoulders, and knees.
Thwip! Thwip-thwip-thwip!
Blood spurted from their limbs.
One gritted their teeth and twisted their body as they raised a protective layer of force qi. But it shattered without stopping the silver needles. As they twisted, a needle originally aimed at their shoulder pierced the space between their eyebrows.
"Urgh..."
The martial artist fell backward with a look of disbelief.
The other three survived, but with their limbs pierced, they could only roll on the ground, unable to rise.
"How dare you!"
Jo Byeong-ak sprang toward Yi Hyeon in the air. Sword force even denser than before gathered at the tip of their blade.
Surging upward from below, it engulfed Yi Hyeon with the force of a red waterfall rushing in reverse.
Yi Hyeon extended a hand and overlapped three Spiritlight Shields at an angle.
Cl-cl-cl-clang.
Sparks flew from the surface of the first shield. The sword force could not pierce it, but Jo Byeong-ak held their sword tip fixed on a single point and poured in all their internal energy.
When even the second shield bent deeply, Yi Hyeon compressed the power of his Spherical Qi Barrier into one point behind the shields.
The moment Jo Byeong-ak pushed their sword farther forward, the compressed barrier exploded.
Booooom!
The recoil sent Yi Hyeon more than ten jang higher into the air. Jo Byeong-ak plunged toward the ground as though struck by an enormous iron mace.
Crunch!
Both their feet sank into the earth up to their knees. Unable to withstand the impact, their body folded forward, and dark red blood sprayed from their mouth.
"Gah!"
Jo Byeong-ak gritted their teeth and forced their legs free of the ground. Their shoes and trouser cuffs tore, and blood ran down both legs, but they ignored it and raised their sword again.
Their sword force began gathering at its tip.
Hummmm.
The force qi compressed without pause, forming a fist-sized sphere whose surface spun wildly.
Tak Mu-seong caught their breath.
"A sword sphere...!"
Jo Byeong-ak thrust their sword forward.
Shreeee!
The red sword sphere tore through the air toward Yi Hyeon. Its spinning sword force sucked even the surrounding fog and air into the red orb.
Yi Hyeon threw a dazzling fireball, then layered a Spherical Qi Barrier and Spiritlight Shield in front of himself.
Whoosh!
His fireball collided head-on with the sword sphere.
Spinning furiously, the red sphere bored into the fireball's center, its sword force shredding the flames.
But the fire split into dozens of streams that curved like snakes and wrapped around the sphere. The faster it spun, the faster it drew the flames inside.
Jo Byeong-ak's expression stiffened.
The moment the flames reached the sword sphere's center, Yi Hyeon clenched his hand.
A brilliant flash erased the darkness of dawn in pure white.
Booooooom!
The fireball exploded from within.
Unable to withstand the blast, the compressed sword sphere shattered into hundreds of pieces. Fragments of red sword force and flame rained in every direction.
P-p-p-p-pat!
Countless sword marks scored the ground and walls.
Disbelief filled Jo Byeong-ak's eyes.
"My sword sphere, so easily..."
Flames and dust from the explosion blocked their view.
At that moment, Jo Byeong-ak felt something they had long forgotten.
The fear of death.
Swish!
Yi Hyeon appeared without warning and swept past Jo Byeong-ak's side.
Jo Byeong-ak turned their sword instinctively, but Yi Hyeon was already behind them.
Yi Hyeon's palm struck Jo Byeong-ak's right shoulder.
Thud! Crack!
Their shoulder bone broke, and their arm twisted out of shape.
Gritting their teeth, Jo Byeong-ak transferred their sword to their left hand. But the edge of Yi Hyeon's hand came down on their left elbow.
Crunch!
"Aaagh!"
Jo Byeong-ak's left elbow shattered, and their sword fell to the ground.
Even with both arms ruined, they raised a leg and kicked at Yi Hyeon's side. The force qi condensed at their toes was as sharp as a spear blade.
A Spiritlight Shield appeared in front of Yi Hyeon's side.
Thump!
The instant Jo Byeong-ak's foot struck it, Yi Hyeon pressed the shield down.
Crack!
Jo Byeong-ak's knee buckled.
Their body tilted to one side.
Yi Hyeon lashed out with a kick at Jo Byeong-ak's remaining leg.
Crunch!
"Urrgh!"
Jo Byeong-ak collapsed.
Then the energy flowing through their body suddenly reversed direction.
With the Qi-Observing Spell active, Yi Hyeon could see energy scattered throughout the meridians rushing backward toward the heart and dantian.
'Are they trying to kill themselves?'
Just as Jo Byeong-ak's chest and abdomen began to swell, Yi Hyeon's hand flashed.
Thwip! Thwip!
The Seventh-Stem Metal Art struck the Chest Center acupoint in the middle of their chest and the Sea of Qi acupoint below their navel with perfect accuracy.
Primordial unity true qi cut off the reversing flow of internal energy, which lost its direction and scattered.
"Stay still."
"What... are you... doing..."
Yi Hyeon's fingers pressed rapidly against Jo Byeong-ak's neck, shoulders, chest, and sides.
It was an acupoint-sealing technique he had learned over the past few months by comparing martial arts manuals from the Untaek and Geonyang Kingdoms.
Yi Hyeon sent in threads of primordial unity true qi and gathered them into tiny knots around the acupoints.
Strength instantly drained from Jo Byeong-ak's body.
'A cultivator using acupoint sealing...?'
...
Once Yi Hyeon subdued Jo Byeong-ak and the Transformation realm experts, the Geonyang martial artists who had entered the fortress lost their escape route. Tak Mu-seong and Hoean Fort's martial artists counterattacked, capturing most of the surviving intruders.
By the time the fog lifted, rows of prisoners lay in the inner courtyard.
Soyun and Maehyang were rescued unharmed after hiding in the rear building of Azure Crane Pavilion. Though their faces were still white with fear, they brought cloth and water to help the wounded soldiers.
Yi Hyeon briefly looked at the body of the Transformation realm expert lying before the ruined pavilion, then turned away. It was the first time he had killed someone himself.
If he had hesitated, the maidservants at Azure Crane Pavilion, Tak Mu-seong, and many more soldiers would have died. Even as he repeated that to himself, the bodies scattered around him made his stomach churn.
After securing the prisoners, Tak Mu-seong approached Yi Hyeon, respectfully carrying a bloodstained oilcloth bundle in both hands.
"Honored Retainer."
"What's this?"
"Items found on the Transformation realm experts. Since you subdued them all, it's only right to offer you the spoils first."
The bundle contained secret martial arts manuals, books of insights, poison powder recipes, and notebooks describing how to imbue crossbow bolts with force qi. Any ordinary martial artist would have risked their life for such treasures.
Yi Hyeon quickly flipped through the pages to grasp their contents, but nothing caught his interest. He tied the bundle up again and handed it to Tak Mu-seong.
"Keep them or deal with them as you see fit, Deputy Commander Tak."
"Pardon?"
"You can give them to people who need them, too."
"May I really decide what to do with them?"
"Yes. I'll examine this one's belongings."
Yi Hyeon began searching Jo Byeong-ak's clothes.
Martial artists did not use storage pouches, but they often carried useful things inside their clothes.
Quite a few preferred to keep their family martial arts, secret techniques, and the insights they had accumulated throughout their lives on their own persons rather than entrust them to someone else.
Several thin, oiled leather pouches had been sewn inside Jo Byeong-ak's robe.
First came thin booklets such as 《Crimson Cloud Sword Classic》, 《Essential Guide to Condensing and Refining Sword Spheres》, and 《Crimson Cloud Steps》. They covered sword techniques, sword sphere training, and footwork.
More followed: books on coordinated attacks for breaking cultivators' defensive spells, a booklet on the body's acupoints, and records of failures and insights from their own training.
Among them, 《Record of Opponents》 caught Yi Hyeon's eye. It detailed the martial arts and weaknesses of powerful enemies Jo Byeong-ak had fought over the past forty-odd years.
It also recorded their experiences fighting three early Qi Refining cultivators. It went into considerable detail about disrupting hand seals, testing weaknesses in defensive spells, and reading habitual patterns in spellcasting.
'This could be quite useful.'
The enemies Yi Hyeon feared were not mortal martial artists, but fellow cultivators. That made 《Record of Opponents》 valuable.
Meanwhile, Tak Mu-seong was looking down at Jo Byeong-ak, who lay on the ground.
For most martial artists in the Untaek Kingdom, the name Jo Byeong-ak, the Crimson Cloud Sword, meant despair.
Yet this Profound realm expert lay helpless, all four limbs broken and even their internal energy sealed.
Tak Mu-seong looked back at Retainer Yi Dong-il.
Aside from a little dirt on his sleeves, the retainer was completely unharmed. Even his breathing remained steady. Despite facing Jo Byeong-ak and four Transformation realm experts, he showed no sign of running out of spiritual power.
Tak Mu-seong recalled the thought they had once entertained.
That they might stand a chance if they ambushed the retainer from within ten jang.
It had been nothing but an absurd fantasy.
'He's the real monster...'
Tak Mu-seong bowed deeply.
"If not for you, Honored Retainer, Hoean Fort would have fallen today."
"It was thanks to you and the soldiers helping hold off the other intruders, Deputy Commander Tak."
"No. The credit for today belongs to you alone. If you ever have any orders for me, please say the word."
"For now, calm down and see to the cleanup."
...
Fifteen days later.
News of the events at Hoean Fort passed through Nosu Pass and the Heaven-Serving Directorate, eventually reaching the royal palace in Ungyeong.
Military documents found on Jo Byeong-ak and statements from the prisoners revealed several Geonyang infiltration routes. They also allowed the Untaek forces to stop a detached force targeting the rear of Nosu Pass before it could act.
The Heaven-Serving Directorate awarded forty merit points for capturing Jo Byeong-ak, eighteen for capturing and killing the Transformation realm experts, and fifteen for defending Hoean Fort and obtaining intelligence.
Added to what he had earned over the past six months, Yi Hyeon's total exceeded eighty merit points.
'This should be enough to attend all the pill-refining lectures. I should learn pill refining for now, if only for a change of mood.'
Having completed the minimum six months of service, Yi Hyeon informed the Military Service Hall that he wished to return to being an external-duty court retainer.
A new military court retainer was assigned to Hoean Fort.
On the day Yi Hyeon left, Tak Mu-seong accompanied him all the way to the fortress's main gate.
Soldiers on duty stood in rows along the walls and on either side of the gate. None spoke, but clear respect shone in their eyes.
"If you ever take another military assignment, Honored Retainer, please come to Hoean Fort if you can."
"I will, if the opportunity arises."
"Every officer and soldier in Hoean Fort will be waiting for you."
"Don't be so tense. They've lost a Profound realm expert too. Surely they're unlikely to send another powerful fighter."
...
After returning to Ungyeong, Yi Hyeon visited the Heaven-Serving Directorate's Alchemy Hall.
Its aboveground buildings were used to sort and dry medicinal ingredients or to house alchemists and their young assistants. The alchemy chambers that actually used earthfire were located separately, deep underground.
When Yi Hyeon presented his court retainer's token, a clerk at the Alchemy Hall checked the ledger.
"Are you applying for both the basic and advanced pill-refining lectures?"
"That's right."
"You must complete the basic lectures first. Master Mun Seong-hak will be your instructor."
The clerk handed him a black bronze token engraved with a flame-shaped design.
「Earthfire Cavern, Level C, No. 7」
Following the clerk's directions, Yi Hyeon headed to a black stone hall at the far back of the Alchemy Hall.
Inside was an enormous vertical shaft whose bottom was hidden from view. An iron lift hung over it from four thick chains.
Red silk lanterns lined the shaft walls at regular intervals. Hot air rose constantly from the depths.
"Do I take this down?"
"Yes. Earthfire Cavern is five li underground."
"Does earthfire normally occur at such a shallow depth?"
"No. We call the upper region, made up of ordinary soil and bedrock, the mundane earth layer. The region below, where flows of earth veins and spirit veins become prominent, is called the earth-vein layer. The boundary usually forms at around twenty-five li underground. Occasionally, though, branches of earth veins rise into the mundane earth layer. This is one such place, which allows us to use earthfire from a depth of five li."
"I see."
Once Yi Hyeon stepped onto the lift, an attendant pulled a lever on the wall.
Huge gears meshed overhead. The chains slowly unwound, and the lift began descending into the shaft.
Crrrreeeak.
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