WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Episode 18: Lesser Defeat Sword Cheongun (5)

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Cheongun rose, made his way through the disciples, and held out his hand.

“Your name is Ise, right?”

The fact that he remembered Ise's name exactly was touching enough to bring tears to his eyes.

Fortune-telling, the human world, ten years old, twenty years old.

So many people had gotten his name wrong by finding every conceivable -se to confuse it with.

“You remembered.”

“Of course I did. I haven't forgotten our duel for a single day.”

Cheongun laughed heartily, then tilted his head.

“But what brings you all the way out here? You're from the Eastern Continent...”

- Keep it secret that I'm from another continent.

Ise urgently cut him off with Voice-Transmission Art. Cheongun replied in kind.

- Oh? An agent from another continent?

- Nothing like that. I'm looking for something.

- Understood.

Fortunately, Cheongun readily accepted the explanation.

As the two exchanged voice transmissions without speaking, the people around them, unaware of the truth, looked puzzled.

Cheongun smiled brightly and made a suggestion.

“How about it? Want to fight again after so long?”

“I'll pass. I've seen you fight. If we're not careful, one of us might die.”

Cheongun looked disappointed.

“Is that so? Can't be helped. What do you think the odds would be?”

“If we fought ten times, six to four. I'd take six.”

“So I could win four times.”

The Tyrant Sword Sect disciples frowned at Ise's arrogance, but Cheongun's lips curled upward as though that was enough for him.

“This must be fate. Come visit the Tyrant Sword Sect sometime.”

“That's difficult right now.”

“Is it? Then I'll stay behind. Junior Brother Cheongryeong, tell the Sect Master I'll be traveling for a while.”

“W-What should I tell the Sect Master?”

“Tell the Sect Master I met a worthy rival and will seek further instruction.”

“...Yes, Senior Brother.”

The sword cultivator called Cheongryeong lowered their head with a resigned expression.

Judging by the faces of the other sword cultivators beside them, this was far from the first time.

Ise and Ryu Seonghan exchanged incredulous looks.

He was suddenly declaring that he would travel. Cheongun was even more reckless than Ise had expected.

* * *

Cheongun trotted after Ise and Ryu Seonghan all the way to their lodging.

When he saw where they were staying, his expression stiffened slightly.

“No matter how I look at it, this is a poor way to treat the continent's foremost prodigy. Why don't you come to the Tyrant Sword Sect instead?”

“Don't flatter me. This is good enough to live in. By the way, how influential are you on this continent?”

“Me? I'm just one of the rising Daoist stars. Among all cultivators, I'm probably just a child who's learned to walk well.”

Cheongun answered without embellishment. Ise brewed him a cup of spirit tea, then asked,

“If I wanted to buy something from another sect, could you put in a word for me?”

“As long as it isn't a clan's secret inheritance, it won't be difficult.”

“It's not anything like that. Even if they have it, they'll probably treat it like a useless burden.”

“That much is easy.”

“Thanks. I'll ask if I need to. And I'll repay the debt.”

This was good.

If he ever needed to reclaim the Two Principles Return-to-Origin Art from another sect, he would seek Cheongun's help.

“If you're grateful, spar with me once. You're already at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. The world really is wide, and geniuses are everywhere.”

Ryu Seonghan, who had been listening, cut in.

“Huh? Senior, you've reached the middle stage?”

After saying it, Ryu Seonghan flinched and glanced nervously at Cheongun.

Fortunately, Cheongun did not seem to be the overbearing sort and paid it little mind.

“Not long ago.”

“Your cultivation speed is really... The world is unfair...”

Ryu Seonghan was not particularly slow either.

His aptitude had never been poor, and Ise's full support backed him up. Within three or four years, he could likely attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Once again, Ise realized just how great a fortuitous encounter the support of a high-level cultivator could be for a lower-level cultivator.

“What are you doing now?”

“Cultivating. Can you give me a guarantor token? I'll use it if I need to send a Message Talisman.”

“Sure. Here.”

Cheongun readily handed over his guarantor token.

Ryu Seonghan stared at him blankly, as though unable to understand what he was seeing.

Still, it was only natural for Ise and Cheongun to be at ease around each other.

They had fought on equal terms in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm, where backstabbing came as naturally as breathing, and upheld their principles until the end.

They were not close friends, but that was more than enough to consider each other trustworthy.

'I should rent a cave abode, then.'

Considering someone trustworthy and revealing every one of his secrets were two different matters.

As long as Cheongun occupied this place, it would be difficult for Ise to freely enter and leave the Living-Spirit Cave Abode.

When Ise stood, Cheongun naturally followed.

“Why are you following me?”

“Don't be so cold. Didn't I readily agree to help you?”

“Still, don't follow me into my cave abode. That's rude.”

“What a shame.”

Did he plan to cultivate together too...?

It was common knowledge in the cultivation world that even parents and children cultivated separately. It would be safer to take out his heart and leave it in someone else's care.

Ise rented the cheapest cave abode available on credit.

He would install the Secret-Realm Key on the inner door and cultivate inside the Living-Spirit Cave Abode anyway. The cave abode was only a cover.

As he set up the Warding Barrier Formation Plate and opened the cave abode's door, Cheongun grumbled behind him.

“Rather than cultivate in such a cheap cave abode, why not come to the Tyrant Sword Sect?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I'll decline.”

Cheongun smacked his lips regretfully.

* * *

Ise emerged from the cave abode two years later.

He had fully absorbed the Supreme-Grade Qi-Condensing Pellet, and his spiritual energy had replenished quickly.

He had also raised both the Five-Element Life-Accelerating Art and Life-Accelerating Art to the seventh star, the highest level attainable at the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

His spiritual herbs now grew almost fifty times faster.

That meant he could mass-produce Hundred-Year Herbs once every two years.

His primordial qi had also grown to the size of his palm. He had grown accustomed to the pain, and gathering it had become considerably faster.

With a stable cultivation environment supporting him, every advance came swiftly, as though he had grown wings.

'I'm satisfied.'

At this rate, he could reach the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm soon.

Hall Master Woo Yu-hui's record no longer held much meaning for him, but he still intended to make it his goal.

He looked forward to the day he reached the Core Formation Realm and sank his teeth into his enemies' throats.

Cheongun was still at the lodging.

“Aren't you going home?”

“If I stay close by, won't I get a chance to spar with you? And there are things I want to ask. I have to find out anything that makes me curious.”

“What a tiring personality. If you keep neglecting your cultivation like this, the gap between us will only widen.”

“Don't worry. I'm cultivating in the best cave abode in the Heavenly Capital Realm.”

If he was going to cultivate here anyway, why not just go home?

Ise did not bother saying it aloud.

“By the way, Ryu Seonghan is from the Northern Continent. He's the disciple of a sect that was wiped out, so why are you keeping him around? You don't seem like someone who takes care of others.”

Had he investigated him?

Ise's eyes narrowed, and Cheongun hurriedly added,

“Don't misunderstand. He told me himself.”

“I take care of people I know. You just don't know me well yet.”

“Is that so? My apologies. Still, you probably don't accept just anyone as someone you know. Right?”

“Well, that's true.”

“Your acquaintances are fortunate.”

No matter how he looked at it, Ise could not get used to that gaze, as though Cheongun were looking at some strange animal.

A cultivator's life in such a stable environment must have been unbearably dull.

That was probably why, despite being the Tyrant Sword Sect's heir, he had braved danger to enter a secret realm.

Ise decided to understand him as best he could.

“You said you came to the Eastern Continent to find something... but Ryu Seonghan's purpose seems different.”

“You won't gain anything by involving yourself. Everyone has their own circumstances. I don't intend to get deeply involved either.”

“People who say that always get involved the deepest.”

“Are you cursing me?”

Grumbling, Ise opened the Meat Preservation Vault.

“Want a meal? I'll charge you just one hundred Spiritual Stones.”

“A meal worth one hundred Spiritual Stones? If you're taking me for a fool, I don't like it much.”

“Try it. You won't regret it.”

Ise took one hundred Spiritual Stones from him and served immortal cuisine made from a Foundation Establishment demon beast hunted in the Heaven-Demon Great Mountains.

Cheongun's expression soon turned to surprise.

“There's one more reason for me to stay by your side.”

“I shouldn't have given it to you.”

Contrary to his words, laughter filled Ise's eyes.

He had secured a wealthy regular customer.

While the two scraped their immortal cuisine plates clean, Ryu Seonghan came to see them.

“...Senior. I think you should come for a moment.”

“What happened?”

“Well...”

Ryu Seonghan hesitated. His brief glance at Cheongun showed that he was unsure whether he could say it in front of him.

After a moment's pause, he added something only the two of them would understand.

“Something happened to Cultivator Shin.”

- Don't tell me, she's dead?

Ryu Seonghan nodded at Ise's voice transmission.

Cheongun, realizing that they were speaking in a way only the two of them could understand, stepped in.

“I don't know what you're doing, but can't you include me? I'd like to help.”

“You? Why?”

“Simple curiosity.”

“I told you, you're better off not getting involved. I'm saying this for your sake.”

“That's for me to handle. You only need to decide whether to permit it.”

Ise looked at his unchanged expression.

An ally would be useful.

Cheongun's strength was close to his own. If they worked together, Cheongun would at least not hold him back.

The Tyrant Sword Sect's backing would also be a great help.

'The Tyrant Sword Sect is hostile toward the Essence-Draining Ghost-Demon Valley.'

Still, involving someone with no direct stake in the matter required careful consideration.

Even more so when Ise could not accurately discern Cheongun's intentions.

“If you sign a soul-binding contract to keep this secret, I'll include you.”

Ise declined indirectly. No sane person would sign a binding contract out of simple curiosity.

Cheongun should have backed down now.

But he did not.

“Fine.”

“...”

In the end, Ise presented a contract stating, “Cheongun will not interfere with what Ise and Ryu Seonghan are doing and will not reveal it by any means, in any place.”

“You can change ‘will not interfere’ to ‘will cooperate’ if you wish. But add one more thing for me. A clause that says, ‘Before returning to the Eastern Continent, Ise must spar with Cheongun once.’”

So that was his goal.

He could not force Ise to fight after being refused, but he must have been eager to cross blades with him.

“But I remember you not being this much of a battle maniac in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm.”

“Everyone there was boring. I had no idea the secret realm I secretly entered despite my sect's opposition would be so disappointing. Then I met you. Fighting you was the most enjoyable memory of my life.”

After he put it that way, Ise could not refuse.

The two entered into a soul-binding contract.

They immediately followed Ryu Seonghan to the inn where Shin Yeoran had stayed.

Shin Yeoran's corpse lay there.

She looked as though she had been attacked by a robber cultivator, but Ise sensed traces of demonic arts lingering on her body.

Cheongun seemed to notice them as well and muttered quietly,

“It's the Essence-Draining Ghost-Demon Valley's spellcraft. Have those bastards started again?”

At Cheongun's words, Ise and Ryu Seonghan turned to look at him.

Footnotes:

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