WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 47: Episode 7: Assigned Mission (4)

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Ise knew at a glance that this was the killer he had been searching for.

There was no special reason for it. It was simply the keen instinct of a demon hunter, honed to a razor's edge.

Ise committed the cultivator's portrait sketch to memory.

They looked to be around thirty. Their Daoist robes were nothing special. Slightly narrow eyes and a mole above the left side of the upper lip were the only distinctive traits.

They were smiling pleasantly, but their mouth was held tight. It was a smile they had put on.

And as if they had hidden them on purpose, they were not wearing a single spirit artifact.

It was almost as though they wanted to loudly proclaim that they were harmless.

The moment their eyes met, Ise quickly checked the other cultivator's realm.

Sixth star of the Qi Condensation Realm. The same realm as his own. If a fight broke out, it would be a clash between equals.

Among the independent cultivators Ise had met so far, this one had the highest realm.

A level rarely seen in an independent cultivator.

Most independent cultivators roaming the mortal world remained in the early Qi Condensation Realm. Considering that, this person had likely rarely encountered cultivators of truly lofty realms.

That was probably why they had run wild without any fear.

To the point of daring to hunt and rob fellow cultivators, and Great Exorcist Order Daoists at that.

But instinct was only instinct.

If he was going to resort to force, then if not physical proof, he at least needed solid suspicion.

Ise began to act.

He put on the air of a completely ordinary cultivator meeting an unfamiliar senior.

Cautious enough, and appetizing enough.

“Yes, that's right, but how did you know?”

“Ha ha. No need to be on guard, Fellow Daoist. I just want to make a trade. You've been singing about defensive spirit artifacts all over the place, so it reached my ears too.”

“Ah...”

Ise let one layer of vigilance fall away. Over that, he draped a slight trace of anticipation.

“Senior, do you happen to have a defensive spirit artifact?”

“I do. Unfortunately, I do not have it here. I came today to buy, not sell. My valuables are stored at the Haeun Inn branch in Ajin County. How about we go there together and make the trade?”

It was an outright attempt to lure him into a trap. To look any more natural than this, he could not simply go along with it.

Ise once again put on a wary expression and hesitated.

“May I ask what kind of spirit artifact it is first?”

“You may, but I have three different defensive spirit artifacts. I need to know your budget before I can tell you which one suits you.”

“Three defensive spirit artifacts...”

Ise let out an admiring remark, while his suspicion deepened another layer.

They were plainly trying to confirm how much wealth he had. They needed to know how many resources he possessed before deciding whether he was worth hunting.

“I was thinking of spending up to around three hundred Spiritual Stones. If it is a truly good spirit artifact, I am prepared to pay even more.”

Something flashed deep in the cultivator's eyes.

It was only for the briefest instant. They were so skilled at maintaining composure that it was hard to say for certain that it was greed.

“Then a spirit artifact called the Yellow Great Parasol would fit you perfectly. Despite the name, it is not an umbrella but a shield-type spirit artifact. It is sturdy enough to withstand attacks from an early Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, so its true value is around three hundred and fifty, but I will let you have it for three hundred. It is not often that I meet a cultivator with enough Spiritual Stones to buy it, so I am giving you a discount.”

“A shield-type spirit artifact is exactly what I need...”

“Oh, really? Then that works out well. It seems even spirit artifacts have their destined owners.”

The independent cultivator smiled amiably and joked that it must be fate.

He definitely did need a shield. He still had not found a replacement for the one he had lost to the cultivator from Cheoryang Thunder Gate.

If he had not been on a mission, it would have been a very tempting offer.

Judging by how smoothly they recited the name, it seemed to be a real spirit artifact.

Whether they actually possessed it, or had merely brought it up as believable bait, was impossible to tell.

‘If they remember the faces of entry disciples, they may also know what kind of equipment I prefer.’

Until he lost them to the Foundation Establishment Realm demonic cultivator, he had worn his hatchet and shield at either side of his waist. Perhaps they had seen that and remembered it.

Ise deliberately let his expression waver, then shook his head.

“I am sorry, but following a senior I have only just met...”

“You are quite a cautious Fellow Daoist.”

The cultivator laughed lightly.

“I understand. Caution is a necessary virtue. Then let us do this. Let us set a time tomorrow and meet inside the Haeun Inn. As I recall, there should be a Great Exorcist Order outpost nearby. That should make you less uneasy, yes?”

The cultivator said it while pointing with a fingertip at Ise's Great Exorcist Order robes.

They had mentioned the Great Exorcist Order outpost. It was likely meant to reassure him, but from Ise's perspective, it was one more remark turning suspicion into certainty.

‘They even know where the outer outpost is.’

Ise pretended to think for a moment. Then, as though making up his mind, he answered.

“Very well. I will see you at the Haeun Inn at the start of the monkey hour.”

“A good decision. Let me tell you in advance, I cannot lower the price by even a single coin more, so be sure to bring the full amount of Spiritual Stones we agreed on.”

“Yes, of course.”

They had no intention of selling anything, yet they were acting the part with complete thoroughness. Just like Ise, they were astonishingly cautious.

No wonder the cultivators of the Great Exorcist Order had found them difficult to deal with.

Ise added a few flattering words, laying the praise on thick.

“Thanks to you, Senior, I can set one worry aside. Thank you.”

Then he held out his hand as if asking for a handshake.

“It is good for me as well, sending a treasured spirit artifact to someone willing to pay its proper value. I like your straightforward temperament. If we happen to meet again later, let us build a good friendship.”

The cultivator clasped his hand.

At that moment, the Lingering-Scent Powder Ise had smeared onto his own palm beforehand transferred onto the other person's hand.

The cultivator noticed nothing and gave Ise's shoulder a couple of pats. It was thanks to having melted the powder in advance with body heat.

“See you tomorrow.”

Only after the independent cultivator turned away did Ise slowly move away as well. Then he resumed walking naturally.

He had confirmed the portrait sketch and the cultivator's realm.

Now the only question left was how to hunt the bastard. How to turn suspicion into certainty.

Ise thought it through.

The killer was someone who understood the habits of Great Exorcist Order entry disciples very well.

Entry disciples usually came out beyond the Training Compound only when they were on a mission. More specifically, when they were setting out to begin one.

Every corpse had been found just after descending Cheongsan and barely leaving Great Exorcist Order territory.

Which meant the killer stayed in Cheongsan City and gathered advance information on potential targets.

Then, on market days, they chose a suitable target from among the entry disciples heading out on missions.

After that, they secretly followed the target beyond Great Exorcist Order territory and killed them.

It was hunting.

Just like the Great Exorcist Order, the killer was hunting Great Exorcist Order entry disciples.

‘The moment I leave Cheongsan, they will probably try to ambush me.’

‘They are an independent cultivator with many spirit artifacts. I have to assume they are more dangerous than their visible realm suggests.’

‘Still, as long as the Twin-Curtain Spirit-Domain Sealing Banner exists, the chances of losing in a head-on fight are low.’

‘What I need to be careful of is poison. And spirit artifacts that can incapacitate the body or the mind.’

‘I need to make them want to conserve their resources. If I look as defenseless as possible and they judge me to be easy prey, they will think an ambush alone is enough.’

‘And in that instant, I will hunt them instead.’

He could not sense any gaze on him. Because of the crowd, it was also difficult to accurately feel the independent cultivator's presence.

But they were probably following him. It was very nearly certain.

Without relaxing his guard, Ise entered a nearby tavern. He also added a touch of acting, glancing around as if vaguely uneasy for no reason.

The moment he entered the room, he opened the stopper on the Scent-Chasing Water. Before the bastard got too far away, he had to confirm the effects of the Lingering-Scent Powder and the Scent-Chasing Water.

The grayish-white liquid with a floral scent sloshed inside the small bottle.

The moment he swallowed a mouthful, a cool sensation seeped down his throat after the sweet taste.

Then a sweet fragrance immediately began to drift toward him.

It was the same floral smell as the Scent-Chasing Water he had just drunk. It was a mysterious item that let him estimate even direction and distance from the scent alone.

Once Ise confirmed that the item worked properly, he tried to grow used to the sensation of tracking the fragrance.

But at that moment, goosebumps rose all over his skin.

Because the scent was pointing to three places.

One was outside the tavern, a fair distance away in the direction he had come from. That was the killer's location.

Another was on his right palm. It was probably what remained from smearing the Lingering-Scent Powder onto the killer.

The last one was on his own shoulder.

Why was there Lingering-Scent Powder here...?

Ise recalled the moment, just before they parted, when the independent cultivator had patted his shoulder.

Unfortunately, both of them had marked each other with Lingering-Scent Powder at the same time.

‘...So they had the same tracking item.’

That was how the killer had tracked the entry disciples.

If the independent cultivator who sold Ise the Lingering-Scent Powder and Scent-Chasing Water brought the same goods to every market, then the killer would not have found it difficult to get them either.

‘The problem is whether they noticed.’

The killer's original plan had probably been to follow the smell of the Lingering-Scent Powder, then ambush and kill him the moment he left Cheongsan City.

But the instant they realized that Ise had also marked them with Lingering-Scent Powder, they would feel that something was off.

Why would a fourth-star Qi Condensation Realm cultivator mark me with Lingering-Scent Powder?

Could this be a trap?

Did they approach me on purpose?

Those were the suspicions they were bound to have.

The other side was a cautious hunter. Hoping they would simply think, ‘They must have been holding Lingering-Scent Powder in their hand, and it got on me by accident,’ was far too naive.

They would definitely grow suspicious and try to withdraw.

Ise sorted out his thoughts and kicked the door open. At the same time, the scent of the Lingering-Scent Powder, which had been keeping a steady distance, began to move rapidly farther away.

They had noticed.

Ise used Dokkaebi Steps and sprinted with all his might.

Footnotes:

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