Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 126

“The Guiryeong Sect [Ghost Spirit Sect], one of the six demonic sects of the Cheonra Kingdom [Heavenly Net Kingdom], is skilled in sorcery that manipulates ghosts and monsters, and is well-versed in poison and hidden weapons. Although it is the weakest sect among the six, its power is strong enough to rival even the most powerful Eomwol Sect in our Wol Kingdom [Moon Kingdom].”

Mu Yu-ja slightly raised his head, recited the passage from the book verbatim, and then closed his mouth again. However, those few sentences were enough to change the expressions of the others.

“A demonic sect from the Cheonra Kingdom? No wonder the Yeon family is so tolerant; they are several times more powerful than our Seven Great Immortal Sects! Except for the Jeongdo Alliance [Righteous Path Alliance] of the Pungdo Kingdom [Wind Capital Kingdom] nearby, there is no place that can face them alone.”

“Are you mistaken? There’s no way such a huge force would come to Wol Kingdom to participate in such a small competition.”

Bang Sa-mae doubted Mu Yu-ja as if she couldn’t believe it.

“…Volume 2, Chapter 4!”

When the others looked puzzled, Mu Yu-ja reluctantly opened his mouth again.

“In Volume 2 of the same book, the other five sects are also briefly introduced, besides the Guiryeong Sect.”

Seeing his expression, the others couldn’t help but believe him. Now, the discussion began about why such a Guiryeong Sect had suddenly appeared in the Yeon family. Han Li, who habitually touched his nose, also fell into deep thought.

‘Is the six demonic sects of the Cheonra Kingdom preparing a major invasion of the Wol Kingdom?’

However, between the Wol Kingdom and the Cheonra Kingdom, the United States [likely a mistranslation, should be a fictional country] and the Chagi Kingdom [Chariot Kingdom] were located.

To attack this place, it would be necessary to conquer those two small countries first.

However, although these countries were small, their power in the cultivation world was strong enough that the Seven Great Immortal Sects of the Wol Kingdom would have to unite to face them.

No matter how great the six demonic sects were, it didn’t make sense that they had taken over those two countries without a sound.

Moreover, the Jeongdo Alliance of the Pungdo Kingdom was constantly watching for opportunities beside them!

They would not give each other a chance to expand their power. After sorting things out, Han Li first ruled out the worst-case scenario.

If it was not a demonic sect but a solo action by the Guiryeong Sect, it was not something to be so afraid of.

Even if only the Yeon family clan stepped up, they would easily deal with the Guiryeong Sect people who had come now.

Anyway, he was a little relieved when he concluded that a Core Formation cultivator was staying in the Yeon family. If something happened, the Yeon family would find a way to deal with it first.

Perhaps everyone had come to a similar conclusion, as the atmosphere, which had been filled with anxiety, gradually returned to normal. Now, the conversation moved on to stories about insights gained from cultivation, and Han Li unknowingly got caught up in the conversation.

Time passed, and the sky was gradually darkening. It was time to leave, even if there were more things to say.

There were many things gained from this exchange. In particular, methods to overcome bottlenecks and opportunities were good advice for early-stage cultivators.

So, Mu Sa-hyung, who was clearly regretful, suggested that they choose another place tomorrow, gather a few more people, and continue the conversation. He also suggested that it would be good to trade items with each other, even on a small scale.

Of course, everyone thought it was a good idea, and Han Li had no reason to object. After discussing it, some of them got up from their seats.

Han Li looked at the map and went to find a certain inn. It was a place that catered to cultivators from out of town.

Located southeast of Yeongnyeongbo, it was not large and was a mediocre place, so it was much inferior to other inns.

Han Li was not curious about where Dong Hwon-ah was staying. Anyway, they would naturally meet when the competition started, and after the competition, they just had to return to Hwangpung Valley [Yellow Wind Valley] together! Han Li fell into a deep sleep with these thoughts.

As the night deepened, and most of the cultivators were asleep or meditating, a room in Biun Pavilion [Soaring Cloud Pavilion], the tallest building in Yeongnyeongbo, was under strict guard.

Inside, an old man with completely red hair was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, expressionless. In front of him, three old men in gray clothes stood with their hands respectfully clasped, looking very polite.

“Ja-gyun, did the Guiryeong Sect guy really say he would come to see me tonight?”

The red-haired old man stopped walking and looked at one of the three old men.

“Yes, Elder. The young master of the Guiryeong Sect clearly said so through telepathy after the martial arts competition.”

“I see.”

The red-haired elder nodded at the old man’s respectful answer. However, a light flashed in his eyes. At that moment, a middle-aged man in black entered from outside the door and bowed.

“Elder, the guest has arrived. I first guided him to the main hall, but he insisted on having two guards with him, and when our guards stepped forward, they were subdued instead. They seem to be Core Formation cultivators. What should we do? Please give your orders, Elder.”

“It’s not strange that he brought Core Formation cultivators. How could the young master of a sect travel without guards, and how could the head of the Guiryeong Sect send him here without such guards? Let’s go meet him. I’m curious what kind of face he has under that mask that he hides so much.”

The red-haired old man showed a slight anger at the black-clothed man’s words. And when he left the room, the others naturally followed him. When they entered the main hall, a young man with a slender body and a demon-shaped mask was sitting still in his seat.

Beside him, the ones wearing green robes were an old cultivator with deep wrinkles and white hair, and a boy with a youthful appearance and braided hair.

All eight cultivators in the main hall were unconscious with black energy swirling around their faces.

“Who is it? It turns out to be the famous Lee brothers. It’s no wonder our Yeon family guards were defeated.”

“Hehe, I didn’t know our brothers’ names were known this far. It’s an honor that even the Yeon family elder recognizes us. But this time, we’re just here to ensure the safety of our young master, so please discuss important matters with our young master.”

The boy laughed innocently and spoke in a thick, rough voice, surprising the Yeon family members who were guarding the area.

The red-haired old man also felt a chill in his chest when he heard him say that. They were clearly notorious demonic cultivators, and the fact that they were speaking like that meant that the young master was not an easy person either.

His gaze fell on the silver-masked young man. He scanned him up and down and then opened his mouth.

“You are the young master of the Guiryeong Sect. Why are you wearing a mask? Is there a reason why you can’t show it to others?”

“You misunderstand, senior. I wear a mask because I have other difficulties, but if you wish, I will naturally take it off.”

The young master of the Guiryeong Sect laughed lightly and spoke with an attitude that was neither humble nor arrogant.

“Hmph, what good is seeing a boy’s face! Why did you, the Guiryeong Sect, suddenly come to the Yeon family? I came out because you said you wanted to meet me, so let’s get straight to the point without any unnecessary talk. I don’t intend to see you for long.”

The Yeon family elder looked at the young master of the Guiryeong Sect with cold eyes and spoke coldly.

“Haha, since Senior Yeon says so, I will also speak directly. My father told me to deliver a letter to you and two separate words.”

The young master of the Guiryeong Sect conveyed the above content without showing any signs of being flustered, even though the Yeon family elder was acting like that. Even in this situation, his cultured language was different from ordinary people.

“A letter? I have never met your sect leader, and there has been no exchange between the Yeon family and the Guiryeong Sect, so what letter are you talking about? And suspiciously delivering two separate words? Are you trying to play games with me?”

The red-haired old man spoke while looking at the other two demonic cultivators. He still couldn’t believe that those two were just following the young master.

The Lee brothers read the suspicion in his gaze and just smiled without doing anything.

At that moment, the young master of the Guiryeong Sect had already stood up and was approaching with a jade book he had taken out of his pocket. However, the old man did not seem to have any intention of receiving it.

“Forget the letter, tell me the two words first. After I hear them, I will decide what to do with the letter.”

The young master of the Guiryeong Sect sighed softly without showing any signs of anger. And he moved his lips slightly and said two words in the red-haired old man’s ear. Although the other people of the Yeon family could not hear it, they clearly saw the Yeon family elder’s face darken and jump up from his chair in surprise.

“Bring me the letter. And let’s go to the secret room to talk.”

In front of many Yeon family disciples, the old man took the young master of the Guiryeong Sect and went into a room with multiple layers of barriers.

The Core Formation cultivators, the Lee brothers, and the rest of the Yeon family members were left in the main hall. The wait that had begun continued throughout the night.

* * *

After a heated discussion with the newcomers in the morning, about a dozen cultivators gathered to trade.

They revealed what they needed and offered items they could trade. Although the scale was small, quite decent items appeared.

For example, Bang Sa-mae of Cheongwolbo [Blue Moon Fortress] offered Cheonhwaseok [Heavenly Flower Stone], which was a good material for making top-grade earth attribute magical artifacts, and could also be used for low-level earth attribute magic treasures.

Also, a new cultivator from Yeongsu Mountain offered an egg of a first-class upper-realm demonic beast, Pungsogeung [Wind Howling Eagle].

Pungsogeung could be used as a guard or to find items, so hatching it would be a great help to the cultivator in the future.

Moreover, there were also medicinal herbs needed to make pills, which surprised Han Li.

Excited, he immediately took out several low-level upper-realm talismans and exchanged them. Although the young herbs were not enough for the original amount needed, it was enough to promote their growth when he returned. Both the other party and Han Li smiled at this trade.

When it was Han Li’s turn to speak, he did not hesitate to take out low-level upper-realm talismans and asked if there were any medicinal herbs for pill refining, and after hesitating for a moment, he even asked if there was a prescription for making pills.

The materials listed in the ancient prescriptions were difficult to find even in the Hwangpung Valley or Cheonseong Sect [Heavenly Sound Sect] markets, so they were clearly extremely rare items. Therefore, most cultivators had not heard of the herbs Han Li mentioned, or had only barely heard of their names. When Han Li finished speaking and there was no response, he was about to return to his seat. But suddenly, someone’s voice was heard.

“Does it matter what kind of prescription it is? I have something strange, so please take a look and see how many talismans you can give me.”

“Of course. As long as it’s a prescription.”

After answering excitedly, he was surprised to find that it was Mu Yu-ja, who had been avoiding people. After hearing Han Li’s answer, Mu Yu-ja smiled rarely and handed Han Li a jade book. And the others whispered in disbelief that someone would exchange a prescription for a few talismans.

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