Cultivating Underground - Chapter 8

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Dionysus

◈ Cultivating Underground ◈

Chapter 8

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No Baek-san remained silent despite Yi Hyeon’s question.

He seemed unhappy with the letter’s contents and read it again from the beginning, as though checking whether he had misread something.

A moment later, the letter floated through the air toward Yi Hyeon.

“Read it.”

Yi Hyeon took the letter and saw the words at the top.

「By order of the Outer Sect Affairs Hall on the Main Peak, outer disciple Yi Hyeon is appointed caretaker of Withered Yin Field (枯陰田) No. 8 on Herbfield Peak...」

Below that, it even stated that Yi Hyeon practiced the Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art and had reached the second level of Qi Refining.

‘Withered Yin Field?’

It was a name Yi Hyeon had never heard before.

Being put in charge of a new spirit field was almost a promotion. Until now, Yi Hyeon had merely been an assistant helping No Baek-san. Becoming the caretaker of an entire spirit field would likely mean more contribution points each month.

But No Baek-san’s reaction was strange. He didn’t look like someone who was simply losing a junior who helped with the work.

“So it’s finally come.”

“Is there something wrong with the Withered Yin Field?”

No Baek-san looked at Yi Hyeon with pity.

“Do you remember me cursing Steward Wang when you first told me you were learning the Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art?”

“I... don’t remember.”

“Really? I must have only cursed in my head.”

Yi Hyeon waited for No Baek-san to continue.

“Withered Yin Fields are special spirit fields where we grow yin-natured (陰性) spirit herbs and highly poisonous medicinal herbs. They’re in a gloomy valley that gets no sunlight. As those herbs grow, they absorb the vitality around them and release foul, poisonous miasma. Work there too long, and it eats away at your lifespan and can easily damage your health.”

Yi Hyeon’s eyes widened slightly.

‘It eats away at your lifespan?’

“Don’t tell me... only disciples who practice the Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art are assigned to work there?”

“Most of them do. It’s one of Cheongha Valley’s uglier customs. Ordinary outer disciples without outstanding talent are sent there in turns. You have three spiritual roots, don’t you? Your aptitude isn’t poor, but you’re older than your fellow disciples. That must be why they chose you.”

“Why does practicing the Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art matter?”

“To work in a Withered Yin Field, you need to use spells of several different attributes. For example, you need wind spells to breathe safely and fire spells to drive out the yin energy that seeps into your body.”

No Baek-san smiled bitterly.

“The Primordial Unity Single-Qi Art is the only cultivation method that lets a new outer disciple use spells of several attributes. Some inner disciples can handle multiple attributes without learning it, thanks to special constitutions or excellent magical implements. But those disciples are valuable talents the sect wants to nurture. They’d never send them to a Withered Yin Field to lose years of their lives.”

“...”

“Don’t be too discouraged. I worked in one when I was young, too.”

Yi Hyeon looked at No Baek-san’s white hair.

“No disciple is assigned to a Withered Yin Field for more than five years. Even if you follow every rule and keep the damage to your essence, qi, and spirit to a minimum, five years there will cost you roughly fifteen years of your lifespan.”

“Fifteen years...”

“In return, you receive three times the monthly spirit stones and contribution points of an ordinary spirit-plant cultivator. You also get one Essence-Nourishing Pill every season, and you can learn the basic spells you need without spending contribution points. You’re buying resources with years of your life.”

‘Selling my lifespan to buy resources... But I don’t age anyway, do I?’

Yi Hyeon had lived for nearly forty years since possessing this body, yet neither his appearance nor even his bone age had changed. That meant the ordinary passage of time had no effect on him.

But there was no way to know whether working in a Withered Yin Field would truly have no effect either.

‘Is my constitution also immune to having my lifespan shortened by poisonous miasma...?’

Even a single day of work there should give Yi Hyeon some idea. If anything went wrong with his body, he would have to find another way then.

In fact, being unaffected by the miasma would also be a problem.

If Yi Hyeon worked there for five years without any change in appearance, that would be a serious problem in itself.

Other disciples lost fifteen years of their lifespan there. Wouldn’t anyone find it strange if Yi Hyeon didn’t age at all?

The sect would examine Yi Hyeon’s bone age again and discover that he didn’t age. After that, Yi Hyeon would never be allowed to leave.

Yet refusing the sect’s order to take up the post was not a realistic option either. Yi Hyeon was only at the second level of Qi Refining, and there was no telling what price he would pay for defying the sect.

‘I should accept the appointment for now and see how things go. Then I’ll have to leave Cheongha Valley before the five years are up.’

Perhaps this was actually a good thing. With three times the spirit stones and contribution points, Yi Hyeon could obtain the cultivation methods and supplies he needed much sooner.

Yi Hyeon composed his expression and answered in a solemn voice.

“If that’s truly the sect’s wish... I’ll gladly obey.”

Guilt and approval flickered in No Baek-san’s eyes.

“Yes. With three times the pay, it’s not entirely hopeless. If you’re lucky, those rewards might even shorten your path to Foundation Establishment.”

“I really am all right.”

“That’s because you don’t know what you’re in for yet. Rest here for a while.”

No Baek-san took back the letter Yi Hyeon was holding.

...

After visiting the Main Peak, No Baek-san opened his storage pouch and took out a bundle of books.

“I told you caretakers of Withered Yin Fields receive a few benefits. This is one of them.”

The covers read 《Cleansing Spell》, 《Clear Air Art》, 《Breath-Sealing Art》, 《Kindling Spell》, 《Spherical Qi Barrier (氣圓障)》, 《Poison-Expelling Art》, 《Poison Identification Spell》, and 《Glimmer Spell》.

They were all thin books, but there were eight of them.

“Normally, you’d have to spend contribution points to borrow these spell manuals from the Scripture Repository. But since they’re essential for working in a Withered Yin Field, they’re provided free.”

“Do I have to learn all of them?”

“You won’t last long if you don’t.”

No Baek-san opened the book on top.

“The Cleansing Spell washes dust and medicinal powder off your body and clothes. They aren’t giving it to you just for convenience. Even a little poisonous powder from the Withered Yin Field left on your clothes can damage your skin overnight.”

He picked up the second book.

“The Clear Air Art pushes away foul air and gives you breathable air for a while. The Breath-Sealing Art lets you stop breathing and sustain your body with spiritual power.”

“How long can I hold my breath?”

“At your cultivation level, probably half a shichen, about an hour.”

The Kindling Spell created a small flame at the fingertips. It wasn’t powerful enough to attack with, but it was needed to drive away cold, damp yin energy or cook spirit rice.

The Spherical Qi Barrier was a defensive spell that formed a thin screen around the body. Disciples in a Withered Yin Field had to use it to keep out poisonous miasma.

The Poison-Expelling Art was a qi circulation technique that gathered poison inside the body into one place and forced it out. The Poison Identification Spell allowed a basic assessment of the properties of poisons mixed into water, soil, air, and other substances.

“I suppose the Glimmer Spell is for use in the dark.”

“Yes. Withered Yin Fields barely get any sunlight even at midday. At night, it’s too dark to see your own fingers.”

Yi Hyeon put the books into his storage pouch.

“Have you learned these spells too, Senior Brother No?”

“Of course. Many of them are learned by cultivators who don’t work in Withered Yin Fields. The Cleansing Spell in particular is a favorite of every cultivator.”

“But I can’t learn all eight in a single day, can I?”

“For now, placing a low-grade spirit stone in the field’s access token will activate a formation that blocks the poisonous miasma, so you should be fine at first. Practice the spells one by one each day inside your quarters. The Breath-Sealing Art and Clear Air Art are easy and useful, so learn those first.”

No Baek-san led Yi Hyeon over to the hanging scrolls on the wall.

When he lifted one of the scrolls, several old drawings appeared behind it. No Baek-san selected three.

“Withered Yin Field No. 8... It should be growing these three varieties.”

The first drawing showed a strange flower with ivory petals spread above a pitch-black stem. Cloudy powder floated around its stamens, and its roots were knotted like the joints of an animal’s bones.

“This is a Bone-Rotting Flower (腐骨花). Its pollen slowly dissolves bones. But once its poison is removed and it’s refined, it becomes the main ingredient in Bone-Tempering Powder (鍛骨散). Body cultivators use it to strengthen their bones or treat fractures.”

“A flower that damages bones becomes an ingredient in medicine that heals them?”

“I don’t know the finer principles of alchemy myself. But the sect’s alchemists often say that there’s only a hair’s breadth between poison and medicine. I suppose they remove the poisonous properties and leave only the medicinal ones.”

The second drawing showed an orchid with long, broad leaves spreading in every direction. Its veins were deep purple, like blood vessels, and threads of purple mist streamed from its flower buds.

“The Purple Poison Orchid is the most troublesome of the lot. Most of the mist you’ll see in the field comes from these plants. Their leaves and stems constantly release purple miasma. If it touches your body, you’ll lose vital essence, and your lifespan will gradually shorten. But Purple Poison Extract, refined from that miasma, is an essential main ingredient in Poison-Warding Pills (辟毒丹), which increase resistance to poison.”

“Can immortal cultivators get poisoned too? I thought poison was only used in the mortal world.”

“Of course, we can expel ordinary mortal poisons with spiritual power alone. But who says immortal cultivators can’t use poison? They may be rare, but sects and cultivation systems that use poison certainly exist. The poisons cultivators use are incomparably more dangerous than mortal ones.”

The final drawing showed a spirit herb with dark blue-green blades growing in a round clump. Its leaves were long and thin, each tipped with a pale blue dewdrop. Faint shadows resembling human faces flickered between the roots exposed above the ground.

“This is Yin Soul Grass. It’s the main ingredient in Spirit-Calming Pills (安神丹), which settle the mind. Those are valuable pills used when inner demons arise during cultivation or signs of qi deviation appear. They’re also very popular because they have a slight strengthening effect on the primordial spirit and spiritual sense.”

“Will I really be able to grow such impressive spirit herbs? They sound difficult to raise.”

“It’s the opposite.”

Yi Hyeon blinked at No Baek-san’s answer.

“Most plants grown in Withered Yin Fields are easy to raise. As long as it’s damp and the yin energy is dense, they grow well on their own. Their strong poison repels most spirit insects, and they even drain the vitality from nearby weeds, so there’s hardly any weeding to do.”

“Then what does the caretaker do?”

“Check the formation, water the plants, and harvest them when the time comes. Occasionally, you move them around so they don’t steal vitality from one another. Compared to an ordinary spirit field, it’s easy enough for a child.”

No Baek-san paused.

“The only problem is that people grow old and sick doing that easy work.”

Yi Hyeon looked at the Bone-Rotting Flower in the drawing.

“When do I have to leave?”

“Noon tomorrow, apparently. Someone from the Outer Sect Affairs Hall will come to guide you.”

After a moment’s hesitation, No Baek-san added,

“Don’t get greedy in the Withered Yin Field. Just because they give you three times the contribution points doesn’t mean you have to do three times the work. If anything feels even slightly wrong with your body, rest immediately.”

“I’ll remember.”

“And...”

No Baek-san considered for a moment, then sent a voice transmission.

[The spirit plants grown in Withered Yin Field No. 8 have the qualities you were looking for before. All three varieties become more valuable with age. If you have any to spare after meeting the sect’s harvest quota, leave some unharvested and keep growing them. Secretly take them with you when you leave. If you ever visit a cultivator market some distance from the sect, you could sell them for quite a few spirit stones.]

‘...!’

“Thank you, Senior Brother No!”

“Enough. Go pack your things.”

...

Yi Hyeon didn’t have much to pack.

Once his clothes, bedding, and a few small farming tools were inside the storage pouch, the preparations were done.

At noon the next day, a man sent by the Outer Sect Affairs Hall arrived at Spirit Field No. 73.

His name was Jin Gu-myeong, an outer disciple at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

“Are you Junior Brother Yi Hyeon?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll guide you to the Withered Yin Field. It’s a long way, so let’s leave at once.”

Yi Hyeon said a final farewell to No Baek-san.

“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me.”

“You’re not going there to die. Why are you acting as if this is our last goodbye?”

No Baek-san spoke gruffly.

Yi Hyeon bowed deeply to No Baek-san, then followed Jin Gu-myeong down the mountain.

After a long descent along an unfamiliar mountain path, the forest gradually grew thicker.

At first, sunlight shone between the branches. But the farther they descended into the valley, the more twisted the trees became and the darker their leaves grew. There were no cries of birds or insects.

Before long, they reached a dark valley where almost no sunlight fell.

Thick, murky mist tinged with pale purple blanketed the entire valley.

When Yi Hyeon breathed in, his nose stung and his chest seemed to tighten.

“This is the Withered Yin Field.”

Jin Gu-myeong stopped outside the mist and went no closer.

“The caretaker’s quarters are in there. Get the formation’s access token from your predecessor.”

“Do I have to go in alone?”

“I’m not the field’s caretaker, am I?”

Jin Gu-myeong looked as though Yi Hyeon had asked something whose answer was obvious.

Just then, someone staggered out of an old hut farther inside the valley.

“Hah, haah... My replacement... Is my replacement here?”

Yi Hyeon could hardly believe his eyes.

More than half the man’s hair was white, and deep wrinkles lined his face. His skin was bloodless, and his lips had a pale purple tint.

“I’m saved. I’m finally saved...!”

He seized Yi Hyeon’s hand. His hand was as cold as ice.

“Junior Brother, listen carefully. Never breathe in when you water those cursed Bone-Rotting Flowers. If the Purple Poison Orchids turn black, don’t go near them. Use the Clear Air Art first. Stay in the field for more than two shichen a day, about four hours, and you’ll suffer pain like your bones are rotting.”

The man took a black iron token from inside his clothes and pressed it into Yi Hyeon’s hand.

“This is the formation’s access token. At least the poisonous miasma can’t get inside the hut. Once you finish working, make sure you go back inside, clean yourself with the Cleansing Spell, and circulate your qi using the Poison-Expelling Art three times!”

“How many years have you worked here, Senior Brother?”

“Four years and eleven months.”

Tears gathered in the man’s eyes.

“They said I’d get extra contribution points if I stayed another month, so I tried to hold on. But I can’t do it. Contribution points are no use if I’m not alive to spend them!”

The moment he finished speaking, he went back into the hut and came out with a bundle.

Jin Gu-myeong spoke.

“Junior Brother Mun, the handover...”

“I wrote everything in the ledger on the table inside!”

The man hurried up the mountain path without looking back.

He was so desperate that he channeled spiritual power into his legs and sprinted away. It was a rather pitiful sight.

Watching him disappear into the distance, Yi Hyeon asked,

“Is he very old?”

“You mean Junior Brother Mun Gang?”

Jin Gu-myeong tilted his head.

“He should be thirty-six this year.”

“...”