Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 278

Jang Han, in gold, glanced at the scarred cultivator huddled in the corner of the stone chamber and suggested,

“This isn’t the best place to talk. Would you mind if we moved outside to discuss things?”

“That sounds good.”

Jang Han, in gold, seemed pleased. Then, as if struck by a thought, he turned to Han Li with a smile.

“Brother Gok, why don’t you join us? We can all go together, can’t we?”

He was clearly inviting Han Li to join their group. Han Li didn’t refuse and stepped out of the stone chamber first.

“Of course. I’m also curious to hear about it.”

The scarred man looked surprised and asked,

“Is that person not with your group?”

The middle-aged man with a dark face suddenly spoke, a hint of hostility in his voice as he looked at Han Li.

“We just used the transfer array together; we don’t know each other.”

Jang Han, in gold, frowned at his words but didn’t reprimand him. Heo Woon simply nodded.

The cultivators exited the stone chamber. Han Li, already outside, was looking around with a surprised expression.

It was distinctly different from Eungchwi Island, which they had visited previously. They had arrived inside a small, shabby fortress. It was only about twenty li [approximately 10 kilometers] across, but the fortress walls were built with black stones.

The old stone chamber containing the transfer array was located in the center of the city, built on a high platform like an altar, with stone steps on all sides.

Being in a relatively high place, it offered a good view. Beyond the stone walls, which were three or four jangs [approximately 9-12 meters] high, a thick white light formed a protective barrier that encompassed the entire fortress. Inside the stone walls were stone chambers of varying sizes.

However, what was unusual was that there were no tall buildings like pavilions; all the structures were single-story. At first glance, the stone chambers seemed densely packed, but in reality, there weren’t many independent residences. Some stone chambers were connected to form a single structure, while others occupied a vast area.

What puzzled him even more was that ordinary people lived alongside the cultivators on the island, busily moving in and out of the stone chambers, walking on the roads paved with black stones.

Surprisingly, most of the ordinary people were beautiful women with elegant appearances, flaunting their gorgeous figures like butterflies. The other ordinary people were sturdy men who looked like they could use their strength, or handsome young boys and girls.

While he was observing, Jang Han, in gold, and the others emerged, guided by the scarred man. They also looked quite surprised.

They had researched the demon beast islands while preparing to come to the outer sea, but there was no information that matched this place. Jang Han, in gold, looked intrigued and said in a low voice,

“Senior Ryu, please bring out the information on Giyeon Island that we obtained earlier. It seems we need to review it.”

“Yes, just a moment.”

A middle-aged woman with the surname Ryu hurriedly rummaged through her storage pouch. However, Heo Woon waved his hand, stopping her.

“There’s no need to look for any information. Most of the information about Giyeon Island that was known before is false.”

“False? What do you mean?”

“Giyeon Island is different from other demon beast islands. Usually, the cultivators who leave this place are forced to memorize the same false information and spread it. Otherwise, they face disaster. So, I don’t know if Senior Yeok and the others coming here will be a blessing or a curse.”

Madam Ryu looked anxious.

“They make them memorize the same content? Who would do such a thing? Could it be, the palace…?”

“It’s not the palace, but this place is ruled by a powerful force, so even the palace wouldn’t easily interfere.”

At his words, Han Li, who was standing to one side, raised his eyebrows. The others exchanged speechless glances.

“Hehe, actually, this place isn’t that strange. For some cultivators, it’s a desirable island they would desperately want to come to. This is Heukseok Fortress, the best city and the only fortress on Giyeon Island.

If you have the strength or enough spirit stones and demon cores, it’s also considered a paradise for cultivators. There are endless cultivation partners, rare magical treasures, high-value spirit beasts, and materials that appear only once in a hundred years, which cannot be enjoyed or purchased on other demon beast islands.”

The scarred man captured everyone’s attention with his enticing description.

Jang Han, in gold, and the others were surprised and puzzled by his words. However, Han Li remained calm, looking around as if he hadn’t heard anything. The scarred man glanced at him a few times.

Jang Han, in gold, took a deep breath and asked,

“Brother Heo, could you briefly introduce this place to us?”

“Of course. I’ll tell you as we walk. If you find the information useful, please don’t forget Heo.”

He had completely recovered from his previous disheartened appearance.

“Then, we’ll be in your care, Brother Heo. This place seems to have a different atmosphere from other places.”

Jang Han, in gold, looked at a man walking down the main street with an ordinary woman in his arms, and neither the nearby ordinary people nor the cultivators paid any attention to him. He expressed his doubts.

Heo Woon smiled and, without saying anything, led everyone to a nearby stone chamber. This building made of black stone was one of the largest in the fortress.

From afar, two beautiful ordinary women stood at the entrance, smiling and greeting the cultivators who frequently came and went.

While walking, Heo Woon earnestly warned,

“There’s something you must keep in mind. This isn’t Cheonseong Fortress, but unless it’s a special case, fighting using magic is strictly prohibited. If you violate this, it means you will not escape death.”

The middle-aged man with a dark face said in surprise,

“Is it that strict? That’s even stricter than Cheonseong Fortress.”

“That’s certainly true. But that’s why, once a cultivator enters the fortress, they can live a much safer life. None of those who tried to take revenge in the fortress have escaped alive. It’s only natural since a Nascent Soul [a high level of cultivation] senior resides in the fortress.”

This time, Jang Han, in gold, exclaimed in surprise,

“You mean there’s a Nascent Soul cultivator here?”

Everyone had a similar expression. Han Li also flinched in surprise and became more vigilant.

“Let’s go inside and continue our conversation.”

Amidst the women’s greetings, Jang Han, in gold, and the others cautiously followed the scarred man into the stone chamber. Han Li also followed behind them, his eyes shining with curiosity.

As soon as they passed through the main gate, a fan-shaped screen blocked their path.

The screen was pink and depicted a fairy ascending to heaven. The woman in the picture only showed her back, but it seemed to be a valuable magical treasure, emitting a red light as if it were alive.

There were semi-circular doors on both sides of the screen.

In front of it, a woman in her thirties, dressed in palace attire, was talking to a cultivator with an elegant posture.

Strangely, her appearance was ordinary, but every movement exuded the allure of a mature woman, and her light laughter and voice had a charm that drew men in.

The cultivator and she were both in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment [a lower level of cultivation], chatting non-stop.

However, when the woman saw Heo Woon and the others enter, her eyes lit up, and she lightly gestured. Then, a young ordinary woman walked out from behind the screen and led the cultivator she was talking to inside.

“Isn’t that Senior Heo? I thought you were going back to Cheonseong Fortress, but you still haven’t used the transfer array.”

The woman’s voice was very pleasant to hear, but Han Li instead gave a wry smile.

She was one of those who had learned charm techniques, like the other female cultivators he had met so far. Although she was not as skilled as Ja Ryeong or Won Yo, she was enough to seduce low-level cultivators.

When Han Li scanned everyone’s faces, Jang Han, in gold, and Heo Woon’s expressions were calm, but the other men couldn’t take their eyes off the woman. Seeing this, Heo Woon complained, as if displeased.

“These people are new to Giyeon Island, so I was introducing them to this place. And it seems impossible to return to Cheonseong Fortress for the time being. Surprisingly, all the rumors that have been circulating are true.”

“Then, isn’t it better to stay here? If you had really left, I would have lost a regular customer.”

The woman continued to use her charm techniques, and Heo Woon called out to the woman, expressing his dissatisfaction in a roundabout way.

“Madam Myeong, these are all people I asked to come here. Please give us the identification tags quickly.”

“Hoho, I understand. These two are no less skilled than Brother Heo, so there shouldn’t be any problems for them to reside on Giyeon Island.”

Madam Myeong smiled softly and then looked at Han Li and Jang Han, withdrawing her charm techniques. Then, the woman turned into a truly ordinary appearance.

“Take Senior Heo to the auction house! The auction probably hasn’t started yet.”

The woman immediately clapped her hands, and another young ordinary woman walked out from behind the screen and gave a cyan-colored tag to Heo Woon. Heo Woon received the identification tag and followed the woman, and the others naturally followed behind him.

As they crossed the threshold, a subtle fluctuation of spiritual energy was detected. It felt like they were entering some kind of restriction. After a while, their vision brightened, and surprisingly, a different world unfolded.

Walking along a wide passage, there were two large halls. The hall on the left had nothing except a few black stone pillars, but it was very crowded inside.

About thirty cultivators were lined up, and they all had young women with them, regardless of gender. The men were looking at the ordinary women with longing eyes, but they didn’t touch them. It seemed like they were hesitant about something.

At the end of the long line, there was a small room connected, and they could enter by placing the jade tag on a place where white light was flashing.

The hall on the right was covered with a navy-blue curtain, so they couldn’t see the situation inside at all.

“This place is Myeongjuhun, where they trade the harvests from the sea. You can exchange them for spirit stones, but if you are confident in your items, you can have them appraised and put up for auction. There are several similar places in the fortress, and they all have a Nascent Soul cultivator behind them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to maintain their power in the lawless outer sea.”

Madam Ryu gasped in surprise.

“So many Nascent Soul cultivators? Could it be related to the Four Great Alliances?”

“This place is where the Four Great Alliances cannot interfere. The Four Great Alliances monopolize other demon beast islands, but Giyeon Island is the only place managed by a coalition of several forces. They wouldn’t have had the power to oppose the Four Great Alliances if they had acted independently, but when several forces joined together, they grew into a force that even the palace couldn’t touch. However, the alliance is only maintained on Giyeon Island.”

Jang Han, in gold, was quite intelligent, so he quickly grasped what the other party was saying.

“Listening to Brother Heo, it seems there’s a special reason why Giyeon Island is like this. It’s unexpected that so many forces have gathered to oppose the Four Great Alliances.”

“Hehe, that’s right. There’s a sea of unfathomable depth in the nearby sea area, and high-level demon beasts that are hard to see elsewhere often appear. This sea that suddenly deepens is called the Haeyeon [Sea Abyss].

Since demon beasts of the eighth level or higher appear, the Nascent Soul cultivators didn’t let the Four Great Alliances monopolize it.

When this place was first discovered, there was a big conflict between several forces and the Four Great Alliances, and eventually, the palace intervened and mediated, but I don’t know what conditions were set. Ultimately, it became the current state.

It is strictly forbidden for the real information of Giyeon Island to leak to the inner sea, and if you violate this, you will be hunted down by several forces.”

Han Li and the others were quite surprised by his story.