WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 25: Natal Spirit Artifact (3)
──────
“Everyone, step outside for a moment.”
After ordering his private treasury opened, Go Yubaek dismissed not only the Great Exorcist Order cultivators but even the Hanjang Sect disciples.
He then took a peculiar spirit artifact from his storage pouch.
It was a spatial artifact the size of a small outhouse. Fine patterns rippled across all four sides, and its glasslike material was transparent enough to reveal its interior. A fist-sized hole had been opened in its front.
Go Yubaek explained that it analyzed the properties of primordial qi.
“Put your hand through this hole and release your primordial qi.”
“Yes.”
Ise inserted his hand into the artifact and sent primordial qi into it.
The released primordial qi thrashed about inside the artifact as if struggling. Then the patterns began to ripple and take on different colors.
Some turned white, some black. Others held an uncanny gray like the sky at dawn.
The old man studied those colors for a long while.
He narrowed his eyes, brought his nose close, and examined them so intently that even those watching beside him felt short of breath.
“How strange.”
After that brief assessment, Go Yubaek continued studying the primordial qi for a long time before murmuring again.
“Truly strange...”
“Order Lord Haeil described it as extraordinarily aggressive primordial qi.”
“That is true as well. But what is more remarkable is that your primordial qi contains every attribute of yin and yang, as well as the Five Elements. Have you practiced demonic arts?”
“It is confidential, but can you keep a secret?”
“I am an artisan, not a merchant.”
With that one sentence, Go Yubaek made clear that he would not divulge information learned through his work.
“My apologies. Yes. I have practiced the Blood Cultivation Art and the Dokkaebi Shadow-Hunting Demonic Art.”
“There was once an immortal with the unique Heaven-Demon Dual-Meridian Physique. They are known in the Archipelago by the epithet Eastern Barbarian Mad Dog. Are you related?”
“I understand that immortal was an ancestor of my clan. But they are also the founding patriarch of the Great Exorcist Order, so that insulting epithet is rather...”
They had been an immortal of the Spirit Transformation Realm. How could a four-character epithet be nothing but a slur?
“I did not coin it, so do not get angry with me. In any case, I understand. Interesting. This is an excellent opportunity to leave behind a final work. Even if I must dedicate the rest of my life to it, I will create a masterpiece for you.”
After declaring this, Go Yubaek looked away from the artifact and asked, “What shape do you want?”
After considering it for a moment, Ise took the Black Phosphorus Axe from his Cosmos Pouch and placed it on the desk.
“Would a shape like this be possible?”
“A hand axe. I have lived a long life, but this is the first time I have seen a Daoist who swings an axe. Still, it would not be difficult. More importantly, what is this material? I have never seen such a mineral.”
“I obtained it in the Inner Reaches of the Dark Heaven Secret Realm.”
Go Yubaek picked up the hatchet and flicked its blade, then raised an eyebrow slightly.
“A unique material. We should use the whole thing. The mineral has already been exposed to your internal qi for a long time and has begun to acquire its own particular properties.”
He rattled off theory that was difficult to understand, but Ise simply listened without questioning him.
“I can provide the auxiliary materials from what I have gathered, but you must procure the primary material yourself.”
“By primary material, you mean?”
“The central component, naturally. Material harvested from the corpse of a Core Formation Realm spirit beast or demon beast. Only something of that level can establish the framework of a natal spirit artifact.”
After a moment of thought, Ise took out another item from his Cosmos Pouch.
“What about this?”
It was a Scattering Seed he had recently obtained from a Core Formation Realm demonic creature.
With its demonic qi drained away, the seed's outer surface had hardened like stone. At a glance, it was no different from black ore.
Go Yubaek accepted the seed and rolled it around in his hand.
“Hm. It is not suitable as a material. This is simply a seed. Plant it in spirit soil, then give it sunlight, water, and spiritual energy.”
“Ah... yes.”
Seeing how he had immediately perceived the item's true nature, Ise found himself trusting the old man even more.
Go Yubaek quickly wrote something in a book, then called in those who had been waiting outside.
“Is there a spirit-artifact artisan among those serving the Azure Dragon Hall Master?”
Seolryeong glanced at Ise before raising her hand. Go Yubaek looked her over from head to toe.
“A spirit-artifact artisan with a spiritual root possessing neither fire nor metal attributes?”
“I make up for the lack of a fire attribute with a spirit artifact...”
“Judging by your appearance, you also dabble in mind arts. Do not waste your effort. Stick to one path.”
“That is...”
Seolryeong trailed off awkwardly. Go Yubaek clicked his tongue.
“You must have a difficult time raising such a half-baked person into your dedicated spirit-artifact artisan.”
“Mind your words. She is a subordinate I value.”
“Is that so? My apologies.”
“Yes. I am of the mind that only I should torment her.”
For a moment, Seolryeong brightened at Ise's defense. Then, at the joke that followed, she wore an expression caught between laughter and tears.
Go Yubaek looked at Seolryeong again. This time, his gaze had changed.
“Still, your unusual ice attribute is good fortune. You will be able to develop spirit artifacts unique to yourself. I shall specially grant you the opportunity to observe Hanjang Sect's spirit-artifact crafting.”
Seolryeong's face brightened.
She turned to Ise, her eyes asking for permission.
“Learn as much as you can. And do not cause trouble.”
“Yes, Hall Master!”
“I will contact you through Cultivator Seol.”
At Ise's words, Go Yubaek looked puzzled.
“Why? You will not stay here?”
“This place is too remote, and we cannot impose upon you. Old Ancestor’s sect members would be inconvenienced.”
“You are an unusually considerate great cultivator. Do as you please.”
Leaving Seolryeong in his care, Ise descended from Hanjang Sect's mountain.
He immediately assigned duties to the hall members.
“Hong Wonseo. Pi Garam. You two go around and find out where we can obtain the primary material for a natal treasure artifact. Buchun, find an estate for the hall members to stay in, and a shop. Shin Hyeon, protect Buchun.”
Then he handed Buchun an entire storage pouch.
It contained three hundred and fifty thousand Spiritual Stones that they had accumulated so far.
“The amount we need may grow larger than expected, so even if you spend all the capital, choose a place with a prime location.”
“Yes, Hall Master.”
“Doksu, Bisang, you are coming with me.”
From that day onward, Ise thoroughly searched the waters around Ilgwang Island.
If he could not buy the primary material, hunting it himself was the fastest option.
He flew for three full days.
He performed spirit-sending rites for a few Qi Condensation Realm demon beasts harassing fishermen near fishing grounds, filling Doksu and Bisang's bellies, but not even the shadow of a larger quarry appeared.
There was no harvest.
It would have been stranger for a Core Formation Realm demon beast to wander through the heart of the Inner Archipelago, where cultivators swarmed.
* * *
Several days later, a flying message arrived from Buchun saying that an estate and shop had been secured.
The estate was a neat place on a quiet hillside deeper within Ilgwang Island, while the shop stood in the center of Haerin Market.
Pi Garam set up formations in the estate and shop once their rental contracts were complete.
Alarm formations and defensive formations were layered two and three deep, while the estate was also fitted with a Spirit-Gathering Formation for cultivation.
“Excellent. Having a formation specialist really is convenient.”
These were high-quality formations unlike those sold on the market.
They even felt superior to the formations set up at their residence in the Great Exorcist Order's headquarters.
Ise realized anew that Pi Garam's ability and talent surpassed even his own estimation.
If Pi Garam could safely advance to the Core Formation Realm, he would become a core source of strength capable of compensating for the Great Exorcist Order's weaknesses.
The Dine and Go Ilgwang Island branch was in the midst of interior construction.
Ise had clearly heard that the contract had been signed today, yet the layout had already been decided and furnishings were being installed.
As soon as he arrived, Buchun ran out and guided him inside.
“Both buildings have ten-year contracts, with automatic yearly renewals afterward. They are short-term leases. We kept the cost under two hundred thousand.”
“You got them cheaply.”
“Yes. In exchange, we set a bonus rent of around three percent. The better the business does, the more profit goes to the landlord as well.”
“That is reasonable.”
Buchun excitedly explained the plans for each floor.
“The first floor will have a restaurant and a medicinal-pellet shop. We will sell spiritual tea during the day, then immortal cuisine and spirit wine at night. Display cases will line the edges, and we will place descriptions of each medicinal pellet's and immortal cuisine sample's effects in front of them.”
Buchun lacked talent for immortal cuisine, but knew how to brew spirit wine.
Their storage pouch held jars containing enough spirit wine to sell at least five hundred cups.
“The second floor will deal in formation artifacts, spirit artifacts, talismans, and demon-beast byproducts. The third floor will be for distinguished guests. Spiritual herbs will only be sold through face-to-face transactions on the third floor.”
“Why go to that trouble?”
“Because there are many valuable spiritual herbs.”
Buchun lowered their voice.
“Hall Master. The spiritual herbs in your private cave abode grow quickly, do they not?”
“Something like that.”
“As you know, each spiritual herb there is valuable enough that money cannot buy it. If it becomes known to other great cultivators that so many such items have been gathered in one place, it will cause trouble. Some may even risk their lives to raid us.”
“I do not intend to sell them all.”
The spiritual herbs in the Living-Spirit Cave Abode were assets for the future.
At present, he was unable to properly make use of either the Living-Spirit Cave Abode or the Five-Element Life-Accelerating Art.
There were two reasons for this.
The first was the limitation on what kinds of spiritual herbs he could grow.
He needed plants with readily obtainable seeds, long lifespans, and effects that improved with age.
Spiritual herbs that could only be found in nature were limited in number, and releasing only herbs from the Living-Spirit Cave Abode onto the market would merely lower the price of the herbs he had painstakingly raised.
The more serious second problem was the lack of medicinal-pellet recipes.
The Great Exorcist Order was a sect that had raised its disciples through demon hunting rather than medicinal pellets for a long time.
Until recently, it had even prohibited the gathering of spiritual herbs.
The only alchemy formulas they possessed were ones for low-level cultivators, such as the Regeneration Pellet, Qi-Condensing Pellet, and Spirit-Gathering Pellet.
‘Eating spiritual herbs raw is like eating poisonous mushrooms because you are hungry... It is about time I found proper medicinal-pellet recipes.’
Rather than turn spiritual herbs into Spiritual Stones, then use the money to buy medicinal pellets and line other cultivators' pockets, it would be more reasonable to find a way to make use of the herbs he already possessed.
‘...It will not be easy.’
Medicinal-pellet recipes were treated as even more valuable than secret cultivation methods.
Even a fortune might not be enough to buy them.
Reading Ise's concerns, Buchun added reassuringly, “At first, we will focus on selling younger, less valuable herbs. The more precious ones will only be sold with your permission, Hall Master. We will spread word among cultivators we trust and sell them only by advance reservation. The sales list will contain only pictures and descriptions, so once a buyer is confirmed, please take out the item personally.”
“For security.”
“Yes. There are already too many valuable items here. Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators must be stationed here permanently.”
“I understand.”
“If you make immortal cuisine in advance and place it in the Meat Preservation Vault, I will handle reheating, cooking, and sales promotion. Please just write down the effects. Start with dishes that can be made in bulk.”
“I will station Shin Hyeon here, so take commissions for Spiritual Stone processing as well and skim a fee.”
“Yes. An excellent idea.”
They also needed someone to process the incoming ordinary Spiritual Stones into mid-grade and high-grade Spiritual Stones, so Shin Hyeon would be well suited to stay at the shop.
It was a perfect position for a spirit-stone artisan.
“How long do you think you will need to prepare?”
“We will be ready to open within a month.”
“Is that not pushing yourself too hard?”
“Not at all. We can manage it within that period, including hiring and training employees.”
Buchun answered confidently.
They looked like a fish in water.
Buchun even seemed happy while rolling up their sleeves as if they had been waiting for this.
“Good. I will leave this side in your hands.”
After encouraging Buchun, Ise called over Hong Wonseo and Pi Garam, who had been helping nearby.
Having completed their inquiries, Hong Wonseo and Pi Garam both pointed to the same place.
The Demon-Beast Market.
It was a district where live demon beasts were bought and sold.
They said it was the Archipelago's largest market district specializing in materials. Demon-beast byproducts were traded there, and on rare occasions spirit beasts and their byproducts appeared as well. Demon-beast auctions were held every day.
“The Demon-Beast Market. Let us take a look.”
“Yes. I will guide you, Hall Master.”
The market occupied the entire eastern edge of Haerin Market.
All sorts of demon beasts growled behind iron cages and warding barriers lining both sides of the street.
Centipedes with bodies as thick as pythons scraped at their barriers, while monstrous birds with bound wings glared at passersby.
Foundation Establishment Realm demon beasts wearing restraint collars were not an uncommon sight.
Ise spread his divine sense and quickly scanned the entire street, but there were naturally no Core Formation Realm demon beasts.
Not that he had expected any.
“This is quite large. Why?”
To ordinary cultivators, demon beasts were nothing more than threats.
Their corpses and byproducts could sometimes be used as spirit-artifact materials, but why were live demon beasts traded?
Reading his question, Hong Wonseo supplied the answer.
“I heard that orthodox cultivators can command demon beasts with spirit-beast-taming artifacts. Apparently, Hanjang Sect developed them.”
“Oh?”
She added that there was no end to the incidents of people trying to tame demon beasts beyond their ability, only to be eaten instead.
Trade was not particularly active, but the prices themselves were high.
Live demon beasts were likely difficult to obtain for that very reason.
“If we had enough Spiritual Stones, we could raise our realms by buying demon beasts and performing spirit-sending rites on them.”
“Yes. If we had a great many Spiritual Stones.”
The Great Exorcist Order's Daoists practiced the Demon Extermination and Spirit Subjugation Method.
That meant they could obtain demon beasts for cultivation whenever they wanted, provided they had enough Spiritual Stones.
“So, from our perspective, this is basically a place that sells boxed lunches.”
“...Must you put it that way?”
“Is it not perfectly fitting?”
“It is, but still.”
Hong Wonseo decided to simply accept it.
Her superior's strange way of speaking was hardly new.
“Hall Master, the auction will begin soon. Would you like to go?”
“We should.”
At Pi Garam's words, Ise immediately began walking.
The auction was held every day at noon in the center of the market.
“The auction system is unusual. Buyers stand in their places and call out prices in turn until the final price is decided. But if the seller does not want that price, the item is passed over. Then the same auction item may appear again the following day.”
“Why go through such trouble?”
“Neither the buyers nor the sellers know the price.”
The value of demon beasts varied wildly depending on their species and condition, so there was no fixed market price.
Every day, they called out prices to probe one another's intentions.
When Ise entered the auction house, the packed crowd parted to either side like water.
The noisy street fell silent in an instant.
“This place is not usually so quiet, is it?”
“No, it is not, but...”
At the sudden appearance of a Core Formation Realm great cultivator, hope and fear appeared in equal measure on the merchants' faces.
Ise paid them no mind and watched the auction.
The price of a couple of Foundation Establishment Realm demon beasts rose quite high, while an inner core from an unidentified demon beast went unsold at the end of its auction.
Then one demon beast brought onto the stage caught his attention.
Inside a spherical warding barrier filled with water, a red-scaled demon beast swam about.
It had an unusual appearance that made it difficult to tell whether it was a fish or a mole.
“This demon beast is an Abyssal Mole-Mouse, a juvenile demon beast that lives in the ocean. It is a long-lived species, and once mature, it can reach the Core Formation Realm. It is an exceptionally rare creature.”
Ise raised his hand. In the silence, every gaze turned toward him.
“Is it permissible to capture demon beasts from the ocean?”
Mistaking the innocent question for a rebuke, the seller's face drained of color.
“I, it was absolutely not captured out in the ocean! We caught it by chance in the nearby waters! It was probably swept away and left behind by the currents...”
A mere Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator could not possibly have captured an ocean-dwelling long-lived species.
Ise nodded and lowered his hand.
Only then did the seller wipe the sweat from their forehead with a sleeve.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
