## Chapter 602 – 602. The Ascent To Light
“I originally had three potions, but now I only have two. I obtained them through a fortuitous encounter in the past.”
“Give both to the Ahyeon Clan. I will compensate you handsomely.”
He wasn’t asking to buy them, he was demanding them.
‘He’s powerful, so he can be arrogant. I’ll have to bow down here for now.’
I took out the highest-grade potion from my pocket and placed it on the table.
Shin Gong-se’s eyes widened. He probably didn’t expect me to readily hand over a potion.
“You seem surprised that I’m giving it to you so easily.”
“…Yes. It’s not something you’d give away so readily. All the persuasive words I prepared have become useless.”
“I don’t intend to give it away for free.”
If I didn’t give him the potion here, he would definitely resort to tricks. The value of an elixir was higher than a person’s life.
‘It’s more advantageous to trade when he’s willing to trade. Me and Seong Ji-gon are too weak to fight him.’
Shin Gong-se reached for the potion. He stared intently at the pink liquid in the transparent bottle and then asked me.
“I’d like to see the effect for myself. I know what the effects are, but the stories I’ve heard are so unrealistic that it’s hard to believe.”
“Make a small cut on your hand and drop a drop on it.”
Shin Gong-se raised his right hand. A sword aura formed at the tip of his fingernail. He scratched his left hand with his fingernail. The skin tore, and blood trickled out. He then dropped a drop of the potion on the wound. The wound healed instantly.
“It’s amazing, beyond comparison to any gold wound medicine! It will be a better medicine than any secret technique for martial artists!”
“The potion is effective for external wounds, but not so much for internal ones.”
“That’s enough. Most martial artists die from external wounds, not internal ones. Hmm. But… this is quite something. It’s hard to put a price on such a treasure.”
“We want a suitable elixir and an attribute measuring device.”
The Ahyeon Clan should be able to easily provide a low-grade elixir.
“A suitable elixir… That’s unexpected. Does the Yuseong Sword Sect not provide elixirs?”
“Our talents aren’t good enough to receive support. And recently, there was an unfortunate incident in the Yuseong Sword Sect, so the situation isn’t good.”
The unfortunate incident was, of course, me stealing all the elixirs from the Elixir Garden.
“I won’t ask further. I’ll give you the elixir and the attribute measuring device tomorrow. May I take the potion?”
“We’re leaving for Hudanshi tomorrow. It seems like we won’t be able to trade if that’s the case.”
“Haha. There’s a way. If we keep Seok Ji-don tied up in Payang City, the transport group won’t be able to move recklessly. I’ll take care of it, so please wait until tomorrow. We’ll talk more tomorrow. I’ll call you.”
After a few more words, Shin Gong-se stood up. He took the potion, bowed, and disappeared.
Seong Ji-gon sighed deeply.
“Yoo-jin, are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like we had the potion stolen. There’s no guarantee that he’ll come tomorrow… Wouldn’t it have been better to run away?”
“We would have been caught even if we ran away. That guy is stronger than Seok Ji-don. He’s probably reached the Five Qi realm.”
“……Should we run away now?”
“Where would we run to? The Yuseong Sword Sect isn’t safe either. It’s better to trade.”
“It seems like he wants us to do something… Are we going to become his hunting dogs?”
“Oh. You’re starting to think now. That’s right. He’ll use us like hunting dogs and then try to eat us in the end.”
“Then we should run away!”
“It’s okay. It’s not too late to run away later. We should get what we can first.”
Shin Gong-se. If he has power, I have information from the original story.
After that, we went back to our room to rest, and then we put on our identity-mask and went around Payang City raping women.
And this is a story from a few days later. Me and Seong Ji-gon were given a nickname.
The Two-Clothed Perverts (二㡁色魔).
It was a nickname given to us because we were too lazy to take off and put on our clothes every time we raped a woman, so we just walked around naked with only a robe on.
‘What a ridiculous nickname.’
•••
The next morning.
Seok Ji-don said to the escorts with a serious expression.
“Something has come up. We’ll postpone our departure until tomorrow.”
The departure date was indeed postponed.
‘Something has come up… Did Shin Gong-se intentionally reveal the Ahyeon Clan’s presence?’
Otherwise, there was no reason to postpone the schedule. The Jikga Escort Bureau and the Ahyeon Clan were currently in a hostile relationship.
And in the afternoon. We were guided by a suspicious man into a mansion. It was a large mansion with a garden.
Shin Gong-se was waiting for us.
“Welcome. As promised yesterday, I’ve brought the elixir and the attribute measuring device.”
He pointed to the table.
There were eight herbs exuding spiritual energy.
I clicked my tongue inwardly. They were all low-grade elixirs. It would be better to use alchemy to make elixirs than to consume them raw.
‘I have a book on alchemy, but it’s different from actually doing it. For now, I’ll take the elixirs….’
I moved to the wooden boards next to the herbs. Two wooden boards with a Bagua diagram drawn on them. This was the attribute measuring device that could be used to find out one’s attributes. It was disposable, so it could only be used once.
“Thank you. You brought them as promised.”
“Our Ahyeon Clan always keeps its promises. Unlike the Jikga Escort Bureau, we value trust.”
“I’d like to use the attribute measuring device right here. Is that okay?”
“Of course. May I stay by your side? I’ll show you how to use the attribute measuring device.”
“Yes, please.”
It was customary to leave the room. If an enemy knew your attributes, it could become a weakness.
But Shin Gong-se would try to stay by my side no matter what excuse he made.
‘He probably has people planted everywhere anyway. And attributes aren’t absolute.’
I picked up one of the attribute measuring devices.
“Young Master Yoo-jin. You have to hold the attribute measuring device from below, as if you’re supporting it. So that the Bagua drawn in the center is clearly visible. Ah, keep your head straight. It could be dangerous.”
“Like this?”
“Yes. Now, send your inner energy into the attribute measuring device.”
I followed his instructions and channeled my inner energy.
Crack.
A small lightning bolt flashed from the center of the attribute measuring device.
Immediately after, dozens of blue lightning streaks appeared and wriggled.
Crackling!
The attribute measuring device cracked and broke.
“Oh! Young Master Yoo-jin was born with lightning energy!”
“……Yes. There’s nothing about other attributes.”
The attribute one was born with was also seen as talent.
In other words, I had no talent for other attributes at all.
‘The lightning energy must be because of the lightning attribute. If I didn’t have lightning, I probably wouldn’t have any attributes.’
I felt a little bitter. I was hoping that I would have some talent for other attributes.
“Don’t be disappointed. It’s actually amazing. Lightning energy is rare, and it’s better to be born with one attribute than to have several mediocre ones. You can grow faster with a training method that suits your attribute.”
“But it’s also a clear weakness.”
Shin Gong-se just smiled bitterly and didn’t refute my words.
In this world, the weakness of lightning energy was earth energy. If the opponent was born with earth energy and used martial arts or techniques that used earth energy, my lightning would be almost useless.
“Seong Ji-gon. You try it.”
“O-okay.”
Seong Ji-gon nervously picked up the attribute measuring device.
“…What if I don’t have any attributes?”
“It’s okay, Young Master Ji-gon. Attributes aren’t absolute. You can acquire attributes later. With special elixirs or special cultivation methods. And even if you don’t have any attributes, you can still learn martial arts.”
“But it’s better to be born with an attribute, right?”
“That’s true. Young Master Ji-gon. Just try it.”
“Yes.”
Seong Ji-gon held the attribute measuring device with both hands and moved his inner energy. The reaction of the attribute measuring device was slower than mine. It was because my skill in handling inner energy was better than Seong Ji-gon’s.
Seong Ji-gon’s attribute measuring device reacted.
The wooden board seemed to distort, then it turned into a small hill of dirt, like rippling soil. The change didn’t end there. The entire attribute measuring device glowed golden, and a flame flared up in the center. Soon, everything disappeared, and the attribute measuring device broke.
“……”
Seong Ji-gon stared blankly at the broken attribute measuring device.
“Congratulations, Young Master Ji-gon. You were born with three attributes. The first reaction is the attribute you were born with the most. In your case, earth is the strongest, followed by metal, and then fire.”
“I was born with three attributes! Is that good?”
“Being born with an attribute is proof of talent. Most ordinary people aren’t born with any attributes. It’s said that it’s best to be born with one attribute when your cultivation is low, but the more attributes you have, the more advantageous it is as your cultivation increases.”
There were advantages and disadvantages to each.
Anyway, Seong Ji-gon found out that he was born with earth energy.
‘Earth energy… Seong Ji-gon is lucky. He’ll get his hands on earth energy martial arts soon.’
For reference, the martial arts of the Yuseong Sword Sect were non-attribute martial arts that weren’t greatly affected by attributes.
•••
After we changed the atmosphere, we sat facing each other at the table.
“Do Young Master Yoo-jin and Young Master Ji-gon know about the Nagang Sect?”
“Isn’t it a sorcery sect that existed in Payang City 150 years ago?”
“That’s right. They were an outstanding sect that dominated this area at the time. They were a sect that practiced not only sorcery but also martial arts.”
“I know that the Nagang Sect disappeared due to internal problems.”
“That’s right. But the Nagang Sect’s sorcery remains in various places in Payang City. And recently, a secret rumor has been circulating. That the Nagang Sect’s leader hid the Nagang Sect’s magical artifact somewhere in Payang City for his successor.”
“A magical artifact….”
“It refers to an object with special power. Most sects have one or two. As far as I know, the leader of the Yuseong Sword Sect also has a magical artifact.”
“Are you telling us to find that magical artifact?”
“Yes. But finding the magical artifact is a secondary mission. What you have to do is monitor the Jikga Escort Bureau. There are currently three forces aiming for the Nagang Sect leader’s magical artifact. The Ahyeon Clan, the Jikga Escort Bureau, and the Namji Sect. We’ve already taken care of the Namji Sect. You just need to monitor the Jikga Escort Bureau and interfere with them appropriately.”
“We’re returning to Hudanshi soon. Someone else will come from the Jikga Escort Bureau.”
“Why do you think the Jikga Escort Bureau contacted the Yuseong Sword Sect? It’s to minimize their losses by using the Yuseong Sword Sect as a shield. Please deliver this letter to the leader of the Yuseong Sword Sect. Then you’ll come back to Payang City with the Jikga Escort Bureau.”
Shin Gong-se handed me a letter.
“May I ask what the contents are?”
“It’s nothing much. It just contains the truth. You can read it on the way, but I don’t know what the leader of the Yuseong Sword Sect will think.”
“I have no intention of opening it.”
I put the letter in my pocket. A satisfied smile appeared on Shin Gong-se’s face.
“Shin Gong-se. I have one request.”
“A request? I’ll grant it if it’s not impossible.”
“Can you write one more letter? With the contents I want.”
“That’s interesting. What are the contents?”
“That is….”
I told him what I wanted.
Shin Gong-se looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, then nodded.
“I don’t understand. Is it really necessary?”
“Yes. It’s necessary. Was it an unreasonable request?”
“No. I’ll write it for you.”
Shin Gong-se began to write the letter in front of us. Seong Ji-gon looked at me with admiration after seeing the contents of the letter. He seemed to have a rough idea of where I was going to use that letter.
“Young Master Yoo-jin, Young Master Ji-gon. Please return safely.”
“Haha. Don’t worry. It doesn’t seem like we’ll encounter any bandits on the way back.”
•••
A few days later, the demonstration transport group returned to the Yuseong Sword Sect in Hudanshi.
I handed the letter I received from Shin Gong-se to the leader of the Yuseong Sword Sect along with Seong Ji-gon. The leader of the Yuseong Sword Sect was silent for a long time after reading the letter.
“……Go back and wait for now. I’ll call you separately later.”
The elders were summoned, and a sect leader meeting followed.
The contents of the letter were obvious.
It would have clearly stated the purpose of the Jikga Escort Bureau and the events in Payang City. Enough to make the sect leader, Seong Go-dan, angry.
‘The Yuseong Sword Sect’s destruction is not far off.’
