Chapter 30
Translator: T_Fan
After reaching Qi Refining Stage 4, Lee Hyun spent several days examining the changes in himself.
The training cavern in Tunnel No. 2.
Hummm―
Twenty Spirit Light Shields blossomed around him all at once.
With a movement of his fingers, the Spirit Light Shields overlapped and separated, shifting back and forth to form an ever-changing cube.
Next, he drew his iron sword, and the mysterious glow of Spirit Aura quietly enveloped the blade.
“I see…”
Once Lee Hyun had grown accustomed to his new strength, he immediately resumed cultivation.
…
Three days later.
Lee Hyun stopped circulating the Primordial One-Qi Art.
“…That’s strange.”
The cultivation art was operating normally, but the upper limit of his spiritual power, which would once have increased little by little, had barely changed.
Perhaps his body simply needed time to adjust after the breakthrough. Lee Hyun rested from cultivation for several days to stabilize his body, then circulated the cultivation art again for fifteen days, but the result was the same.
“What’s going on?”
No matter how many times he performed inner inspection, he found nothing wrong with his body. In fact, the condition of his essence, qi and spirit was better than ever.
To narrow down the cause, Lee Hyun tested the ‘recovery’ and ‘growth’ of his spiritual power separately.
He nearly exhausted his spiritual power using techniques, then circulated his cultivation art. Four shichen (eight hours) later, his spiritual power was full again.
“Recovery isn’t the problem….”
The problem came afterward. When he tried to refine his full spiritual power further and raise its upper limit, almost none of the surrounding spiritual qi entered his body. No matter how much his realm had risen, it was strange for his cultivation to slow down this drastically.
…
Several days later.
Lee Hyun finally discovered the cause of the problem.
“I see. From mid Qi Refining onward, I need at least a Tier 1 mid grade spirit vein. If the ambient spiritual pressure is too low, I can recover my spiritual power, but I can’t raise my realm.”
At his current pace, he could not even guess how long it would take to reach Qi Refining Stage 6.
It would be possible if he obtained a Qi-Gathering Formation, inserted spirit stones into it, and raised the spiritual pressure inside his cultivation chamber.
But Lee Hyun soon shook his head.
‘My spiritual power is fifty times greater than everyone else’s. If I use a Qi-Gathering Formation, it’ll probably consume dozens of times as many spirit stones too.’
Lee Hyun’s greatest advantage in the first place was that he had plenty of time. There was no reason to spend dozens of times more spirit stones just to save that time.
“Hmm… What should I do? I don’t exactly want to blindly join a sect just because it controls a good spirit vein…”
After pondering for a while, Lee Hyun moved to the lounge for a change of pace.
Thousands of books were piled haphazardly along one side of the room.
They were popular novels he had bought over the past 165 years whenever he traveled between cultivator markets and mortal cities.
《The South Sea Dragon King’s Live-In Son-in-Law》
《My Grain Barge Can Submerge》
《The Salt Merchant’s Concubine-Born Daughter Is Too Pretty》
《My Father-in-Law Was the Pirate King》
The Nanli Kingdom bordered the sea.
Perhaps because of that, popular novels here frequently featured merchant ships and grain barges, salt merchants and pirates, and sailors who vanished after encountering storms.
At first, he had enjoyed reading about unfamiliar customs, but after more than a hundred years, he had begun to notice how often the same stories repeated themselves.
The pirate chief’s daughter always fell in love with a scholar hiding his identity, and every merchant ship caught in a storm somehow discovered royalty from a fallen kingdom. The South Sea Dragon King had far too many sons-in-law.
“Ah… There’s nothing to read. What are authors these days even doing…?”
He rummaged through the books and picked up one novel.
《Ten Years Beneath a Great Salt Merchant’s Wall》.
It was the story of a poor scholar in the Nanli Kingdom who built a shack against the wall of a great salt merchant’s estate and lived there. The protagonist survived the winters on heat seeping over from the kitchen and grew a small vegetable patch with water flowing from a drain beneath the wall.
Lee Hyun flipped through a few pages.
「Pressing your back against a rich man’s wall would keep you warm even in the depths of winter.」
His finger stopped as he was about to turn the next page.
“…Wait.”
He looked again at the sentence he had just read.
‘Could the same apply to spirit veins?’
Just because a cultivation clan controlled a spirit vein did not mean the heaven-and-earth spiritual qi stopped dead at the clan’s walls.
Even without entering the core of the spirit vein, if he approached close enough, he should be able to make use of at least some of the qi spilling outward.
‘I’d be discovered if I approached aboveground, but underground…’
What if he slowly approached from deep underground, found a safe distance, and made a small cultivation chamber there?
‘It’s not like I’d be stealing a cultivation clan’s spirit plants or spirit beasts. Wouldn’t it be fine to share a little of nature’s qi? Well, I suppose they’d see it differently if they caught me…’
Lee Hyun immediately took out 《Brief Guide to Cultivation in Southern Lan Kingdom》 and a map of the surrounding region.
There were several Foundation Establishment cultivation clans controlling Tier 2 spirit veins in southern Nanli Kingdom, and many of them were based on islands in the archipelago off the Nanli coast.
‘Islands are inconvenient to travel to and from, and it’d be difficult to escape if something happened. Unlike the Earth Escape Art, I’ve never learned the Water Escape Art…’
Lee Hyun eliminated the island factions and narrowed his choices down to clans based on the mainland.
Of those, the closest to Tunnel No. 2 was…
The Yin clan of Qingluo Mountain. It controlled the Tier 2 low grade Qingluo Spirit Vein, and the guide stated that its clan head was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Maybe I’ll try leaning against a rich man’s wall.”
…
Fifteen days later.
Southern Nanli Kingdom, Qingluo Mountain.
Qingluo Mountain was a low, gently sloping mountain situated inland from the coast.
It was said to have been named for the long curve of its ridge toward the sea, which resembled a blue conch shell.
The Yin clan’s estate stood halfway up the mountain.
Blue-tiled halls and cultivation cave abodes lined the slopes, while below them, spirit fields spanning hundreds of mu (1 mu is about 666.6 square meters) spread out like terraces.
…
Ten li (about 3.9 km) underground.
Rustle―
Lee Hyun’s body moved silently through soil and bedrock.
He had entered the earth dozens of li from Qingluo Mountain and cautiously approached while maintaining both the Spirit-Concealing Art and Aura-Concealing Art.
The heaven-and-earth spiritual qi was certainly somewhat denser than in Tunnel No. 2, but the difference was not nearly as great as he had expected.
‘Am I still too shallow?’
Moving along the outskirts of Qingluo Mountain, he descended to twenty-five li underground, where the common soil stratum met the earth-vein stratum.
He could sense the flow of an earth vein between the layers of bedrock, but its qi was heavy and turbid, and not particularly dense.
“Strange.”
Lee Hyun changed direction and ascended.
Then the qi changed.
At ten li underground, the Five Elements gradually began to balance. At five li, the density of the spiritual qi noticeably increased.
By the time he reached three li underground, the earth qi and water qi of the earth vein had mixed with wood qi and wind qi from the surface. He could even faintly sense the sea breeze and the life force of the vegetation covering Qingluo Mountain.
Only then did Lee Hyun realize that he had misunderstood spirit veins.
‘A spirit vein isn’t like an ore vein buried underground.’
An earth vein was only one component of a spirit vein. A spirit vein seemed to form only when earth veins and water veins, the terrain and vegetation, and the qi of the surface and sky all interlocked and circulated together. Perhaps the Yin clan’s estate and spirit fields were themselves part of what maintained that circulation.
‘So controlling a spirit vein means controlling the center of a completed flow.’
‘Come to think of it, if earth veins alone formed spirit veins, every cultivator would’ve started by digging tunnels. But most great sects are actually situated on high mountains.’
By the time Lee Hyun finished organizing his thoughts, he had ascended to two li underground.
He was not directly beneath the Yin clan estate, but roughly two li away horizontally as well.
The spiritual qi was so dense that it could hardly be compared with Tunnel No. 2.
Lee Hyun circulated his cultivation art ever so slightly.
Ssssss―
The surrounding spiritual qi flowed into him through his skin.
His already-full Primordial True Qi compressed ever so slightly, and new spiritual qi entered the space it created.
Lee Hyun’s eyes brightened.
‘Is this the kind of spiritual pressure you’d find near a Tier 1 mid grade spirit vein? Cultivation should go well here!’
A change that had been difficult to feel even after circulating his cultivation art for fifteen days in Tunnel No. 2 occurred in mere moments.
The spiritual qi would become even denser if he moved closer, but Lee Hyun stopped there. Even if the strata interfered with divine sense, approaching any farther would be dangerous when he did not know the detection range of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
‘I should find somewhere nearby where I can stay for long periods.’
Lee Hyun’s divine sense spread through the soil and rock. Before long, he detected a fairly spacious natural cavern nearby.
“Perfect.”
Lee Hyun used the Earth Escape Art and headed toward the cavern.
Rustle―
The instant Lee Hyun fully entered, a fluctuation of spiritual power erupted from one corner of the cavern.
Lee Hyun immediately deployed his Spirit Light Shields. At the same time, a yellow protective barrier blossomed in front of the opposite rock wall.
In the dim light stood a somewhat thin man who appeared to be in his late forties, holding a small bronze bell.
‘Qi Refining Stage 3?’
The man’s face had gone deathly pale.
Lee Hyun was only revealing the aura of an ordinary Qi Refining Stage 4 cultivator, but apparently that alone was enough to threaten the man.
[Wait! Don’t attack! I’m not from the Yin clan!]
[Then who are you? Why are you in a place like this?]
[That’s what I want to ask. This place is my….]
The man stopped speaking.
His gaze swept over Lee Hyun.
[Fellow Daoist, aren’t you a fellow practitioner of the Qutian Society?]
[Qutian Society?]
The man seemed to realize that he had slipped up and shut his mouth.
Lee Hyun asked,
[What is that?]
[Nothing.]
[You clearly said Qutian Society just now.]
[You misheard me.]
[We’re speaking through voice transmission.]
The man’s expression turned awkward.
After hesitating for a moment, he withdrew his protective barrier.
He still held the bronze bell, but he did not seem inclined to attack first.
[Are you a rogue cultivator, fellow Daoist?]
[I am.]
[So am I. I have nothing to do with the Yin clan.]
[What were you doing here?]
[Probably the same thing as you.]
[How do you know what I came here to do?]
The man pointed toward one of the cavern’s rock walls.
[Didn’t you follow the spiritual qi here? This is where qi leaking from the Qingluo Mountain spirit vein gets blocked by the rock wall and pools for a while. It’s a good place to cultivate without being discovered by the Yin clan. If you had some other purpose, there’d be no reason for you to find this exact cavern.]
The man was right.
Lee Hyun surveyed the surroundings again.
Four small stone pillars had been embedded at regular intervals near the cavern walls. He could also see formation inscriptions concealed beneath a thin coating of dirt.
One section of the floor had been polished smooth, as though someone had sat there for a long time.
[So you were using this place first.]
[That’s right. This vein seat was assigned to me for this month.]
[Vein seat?]
[That’s what we call our cultivation spots.]
The man studied Lee Hyun for a moment, then sighed.
[Now that you’ve already discovered this place, there’s nothing to be done.]
[Are you planning to settle it with a fight?]
[What exactly do you expect me to settle by fighting you?]
The man pointed at himself.
[I hate fighting. I’m not confident in it either.]
[Then what do you suggest?]
[For now, you can’t cultivate here today.]
[Why not?]
[Starting at the Hour of the Dragon (approximately 7–9 a.m.) tomorrow, the Yin clan will activate its detection formation.]
Lee Hyun’s gaze sharpened.
[Detection formation?]
[A formation that sweeps the underground area around the spirit vein. It’ll be active for several shichen starting from the Hour of the Dragon tomorrow.]
[How do you know that?]
[There’s a place where we share that sort of information.]
He was clearly talking about the Qutian Society.
[Will this cavern be discovered once the formation activates?]
[If you circulate your cultivation art here, you’ll almost certainly be caught.]
The man walked to a corner of the cavern and pulled out the stone pillars.
Apparently, he had come to dismantle the formation.
[You can find out things like that too?]
[We didn’t know from the beginning either.]
The man answered as he placed one of the stone pillars into his storage pouch.
[We learned because people were caught, killed, or taken prisoner.]
Lee Hyun fell silent for a moment.
[It looks like this is your first time approaching the Yin clan’s spirit vein.]
[That’s right.]
[You were lucky. If I hadn’t come here today, you might have been dragged out by Yin clan cultivators tomorrow.]
After hesitating for a moment, the man took a black wooden token from inside his clothes.
There were no characters carved into it.
[Come to Baipu Market three days from now at the Hour of the Horse (approximately 11 a.m.–1 p.m.). There’s an old shop called Gumu Studio in the northeastern corner. Show this to the clerk.]
Lee Hyun did not immediately accept the token.
[What’s there?]
[What you want to know.]
[The Qutian Society?]
The man nodded.
[It’s a gathering created so rogue cultivators without spirit veins, like us, can help one another. You can decide whether to join after hearing us out. No one’s going to force you into anything.]
[Why are you helping me? We only met today.]
The man was silent for a moment.
[Because you remind me of myself when I first came here. I also liked that even though your realm is higher than mine, you didn’t immediately attack me or try to seize the spot. More importantly, if you wander around knowing nothing, you’ll eventually run into another member. It’s better to tell you the rules and share the place.]
Lee Hyun accepted the wooden token. He examined it, but sensed no unusual spiritual power or markings.
[What’s your name, fellow Daoist?]
[In the Qutian Society, we don’t ask for real names.]
The man entered a narrow passage hidden along one side of the cavern.
[Then I’ll see you in three days. And from the Hour of the Dragon until the Hour of the Horse tomorrow, don’t circulate a cultivation art beneath Qingluo Mountain. If you’re wondering whether I’m lying, you can watch from a distance.]
A short while later, the man’s presence faded into the distance.
Left alone, Lee Hyun stared at the black wooden token.
“The Qutian Society….”
…
The next day, at the Hour of the Dragon.
Lee Hyun hid on a peak more than ten li from Qingluo Mountain and used the Aura-Reading Art.
Hummmm―
A short while later, a massive wave spread outward from Qingluo Mountain. It swept through the soil and bedrock like an invisible net.
On the surface of Qingluo Mountain, several cultivators moved along the flow of the formation.
‘He wasn’t lying.’
…
Two days later.
Southern Nanli Kingdom, Baipu Market.
Baipu Market was a small cultivator market located more than three thousand li northeast of Nanya Market.
It did not attract nearly as many cultivators as Nanya Market. There were only a few dozen shops and stalls in total, and most of the goods traded there were of fairly low quality.
Lee Hyun had visited a few times in the past.
Decent goods were rare, so he had hardly visited in recent years.
Lee Hyun arrived half a day before the agreed time. He changed his face with the Seven-Aspect Disguise Method and circulated the Spirit-Concealing Art and Aura-Concealing Art, making several circuits of the market to confirm that no one was following him.
After examining the inside and outside of Gumu Studio, he even swept the underground area with his divine sense. There was one late Qi Refining cultivator and the man he had met several days earlier in an underground stone chamber, but he found no other ambushes or dangerous formations.
Baipu Market also had cultivators responsible for maintaining order. Even if this was a trap, the forces inside Gumu Studio alone would have difficulty threatening him.
When the appointed time arrived, Lee Hyun entered Gumu Studio.
Faded formation flags and fragments of magic tools that had nearly lost all their spiritual qi were displayed inside the shop.
A clerk approached.
“Are you looking for something?”
Lee Hyun held out the black wooden token. The clerk checked it once, then nodded.
“They’re waiting for you inside.”
The clerk led Lee Hyun to a storeroom at the back of the shop.
When the floorboards were moved aside, a narrow staircase leading downward appeared.
…
An underground stone chamber.
Only two small oil lamps burned on the walls.
Beyond a table in the center of the chamber sat a figure wearing a brown cicada mask.
Narrow slits had been cut for the mask’s eyes, while patterns resembling cicada wings were carved across its forehead and cheeks.
The figure gave off an aura that seemed to be around Qi Refining Stage 7.
Standing to one side of the chamber was a man wearing a gray field-mouse mask.
It was the man Lee Hyun had met in the underground cavern beneath Qingluo Mountain several days earlier.
The man in the field-mouse mask bowed his head to Lee Hyun.
“We meet again.”
Lee Hyun gave a slight nod in return.
The figure in the cicada mask spoke from across the table.
“Sit.”
Once Lee Hyun sat down, the cultivator in the cicada mask took out a small stone plate, fitted a low-grade spirit stone into a groove, and touched a formation inscription.
Hummm―
The Sound-Isolating Formation carved into the chamber walls activated.
The sounds outside instantly receded, while sounds from within the chamber could no longer leak out.
“I am Cicada Shell, society head of the Qutian Society. It isn’t my real name, so just call me that.”
The cultivator in the cicada mask continued.
“The fellow practitioner beside me is called Gray Mouse. In the Qutian Society, we do not ask about one another’s faces, names, or origins.”
The cultivator in the field-mouse mask clasped his hands.
“Gray Mouse.”
Lee Hyun clasped his hands as well.
“I don’t have a name yet.”
“You’ll choose one together with a mask after you join.”
Cicada Shell studied Lee Hyun for a moment.
“Qi Refining Stage 4. Breaking through a minor realm couldn’t have been easy for a rogue cultivator. You’ve done well to advance.”
“I was lucky.”
“May I ask why you want to join the Qutian Society?”
“I haven’t decided that I will join yet.”
“Haha. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious. In that case, I should first explain what kind of organization the Qutian Society is.”
Cicada Shell took a rolled leather map from beneath the table.
When they spread it open, it showed the coastline and mountain ranges of southern Nanli Kingdom, along with the territories of several cultivation clans.
Dozens of dots and lines were marked on the map in addition to the place names Lee Hyun already knew.
Several dots had also been marked around the Yin clan of Qingluo Mountain.
“There are seven Foundation Establishment clans in southern Nanli Kingdom that control Tier 2 spirit veins. There are even more Qi Refining clans and factions with smaller Tier 1 spirit veins.”
Cicada Shell pointed to Qingluo Mountain on the map.
“The core of a spirit vein and its spirit nexus all belong to them. But as you saw at Qingluo Mountain, fellow Daoist, they cannot confine every branch and every trace of qi that spills outward within their walls.”
“So the Qutian Society is a group that secretly makes use of that?”
“That’s right. We find places where qi that spills outward gathers and share them safely. Of course, cultivation clans call us thieves or vermin. They often call us vein vermin as well.”
Gray Mouse grumbled quietly.
“As if they created the heaven-and-earth spiritual qi themselves.”
Cicada Shell stopped Gray Mouse and continued.
“Still, there are lines we must not cross. Approaching the core of a spirit vein or interfering with a clan’s formations and spirit fields is forbidden. We only use qi that flows beyond the clan’s territory.”
“I doubt the cultivation clans acknowledge that distinction.”
“Of course they don’t.”
Cicada Shell laughed.
“That’s why we mustn’t get caught.”
They pointed to the dots on the map one by one.
“The dots on this map are residual-vein pockets we’ve confirmed. They’re places where branches of spirit veins pass through, or where spiritual qi flowing outward is blocked by the terrain and gathers. We call the good cultivation spots within them vein seats.”
“So the cavern I found at Qingluo Mountain was one of them.”
“Qingluo Vein Seat No. 3. It has a good location and a decent balance of spiritual qi, but it becomes dangerous when the Yin clan activates its detection formation.”
“Why don’t they keep the formation active at all times?”
“Very few factions keep formations deployed constantly. Maintaining them continuously consumes an enormous number of spirit stones.”
Cicada Shell opened a small ledger beside the map. It was densely filled with dates, times, and clan names.
“The Yin clan usually activates its detection formation once every three months. The date sometimes changes, however, depending on things like the spirit-field harvest or visits from outsiders.”
“How do you obtain that information?”
“We buy information from mortals who work for the clans and merchants who supply formation materials, and sometimes we observe the formation’s fluctuations ourselves. We’ve accumulated records like this for decades. Information like this is the Qutian Society’s real capital.”
Cicada Shell pointed to the entry beside Qingluo Mountain.
「Yin clan.
Earth-Scanning Spirit-Detecting Formation.
Normally activated once every three months.
Operating period approximately from the Hour of the Dragon until the Hour of the Horse.
Detects spiritual-power fluctuations and traces of spiritual qi consumption up to three li underground.
Vacate Qingluo Vein Seat No. 1 and Qingluo Vein Seat No. 2 before activation.
For Qingluo Vein Seat No. 3, move behind the black iron ore layer fifty zhang (about 165 m) to the east. Cultivation art use prohibited.
Qingluo Vein Seat No. 4 can remain concealed in place because the flow of the lower water vein counteracts the formation.」
“What do you mean by counteracts the formation?”
“A detection formation is ultimately still a technique deployed using a formation plate and formation flags. It can be obscured by strata rich in metal qi or by the flows of water veins and earth veins. Different formations also detect different things. No single formation can observe everything.”
Lee Hyun looked again at the map and ledger.
“I suppose coordinating the members so their vein-seat usage doesn’t overlap is also part of the Qutian Society’s role.”
“That’s right. If several cultivators absorb spiritual qi from the same residual-vein pocket at once, the flow becomes unstable and the clan is more likely to notice something unusual. So we assign each vein seat a user and a period of use, and we also regulate the total amount of spiritual qi absorbed from each residual-vein pocket. Qingluo Vein Seat No. 3 was assigned to fellow Daoist Gray Mouse this month.”
Gray Mouse nodded.
“You have no idea how startled I was when you suddenly appeared, fellow Daoist. You’d been wandering underground alone and somehow found that exact cavern. I thought you were a mole demon beast.”
Cicada Shell asked,
“Are you skilled with the Earth Escape Art?”
“I’ve merely used it for a long time.”
“You’re exactly the sort of talent our Qutian Society needs. Will you become a member?”
“I’ll decide after hearing all the rules and costs.”
Cicada Shell seemed pleased rather than offended and nodded.
“It’s simple. The Qutian Society cannot protect its members. Our information may be wrong, or a clan’s circumstances may suddenly change. Even if you’re discovered and killed while cultivating in a residual-vein pocket, there will be no one you can hold responsible.”
“Naturally.”
“Those who shift danger onto other members, monopolize vein seats, or deliberately lure clan cultivators toward us are expelled. If the offense is severe, we may even hunt them down and kill them. The same applies to anyone who pries into another member’s identity or sells Qutian Society information to outsiders. Maps and ledgers of residual-vein pockets may not be taken outside. Members are only told about the vein seat assigned to them and how to use it. That way, even if one person is captured, the entire Qutian Society will not be exposed.”
Cicada Shell placed both hands on the table.
“The Heavenly Dao takes from what has excess and makes up what is lacking. Cultivation clans have spirit veins with qi to spare, while we rogue cultivators lack it. We merely take a little of the qi that would otherwise disperse into heaven and earth.”
“What is required to join?”
“Thirty low-grade spirit stones as an entrance fee. After that, ten low-grade spirit stones every ten years as membership dues. The dues are used to obtain the latest information.”
‘That’s not bad…?’
Lee Hyun was about to take spirit stones from his storage pouch when his hand stopped.
‘Thirty low-grade spirit stones… This works out perfectly.’
Instead, he took out a small jade bottle.
Tap.
The jade bottle landed on the table.
Cicada Shell and Gray Mouse both looked toward it.
“Would you accept this for the entrance fee instead of spirit stones?”
“What is it?”
“A pill.”
Lee Hyun opened the jade bottle and took out a Barrier-Breaking Pill.
“It’s used when advancing from Qi Refining Stage 3 to Stage 4.”
“What?”
Gray Mouse raised his voice without realizing it.
Cicada Shell took the pill and examined it carefully. They placed it on their palm to inspect its color and sheen, then brought it close to their nose to smell its medicinal fragrance. They even extended their divine sense in an extremely fine thread to inspect the pill’s interior.
After a long while, Cicada Shell spoke with a cautious expression.
“I’ve never seen this pill before, but a considerable amount of medicinal strength has been condensed within it. What is the pill called?”
“That’s a secret.”
Cicada Shell looked back and forth between the pill and Lee Hyun before finally nodding.
“If its effects are as you say, it’s certainly worth thirty low-grade spirit stones. Very well. From this moment onward, fellow Daoist, you are also a member of the Qutian Society.”
Cicada Shell walked toward the stone chamber wall.
Masks of various sizes hung there.
There were masks resembling a red fox, a black turtle, a white goat, and even a one-eyed bird. Most showed signs of long use, while several had gathered dust.
Cicada Shell took down a mask hanging in the farthest corner.
It had a broad, round face with short ears. Black markings surrounded the eyes, while the muzzle was long and white.
“It seems we have a mask without an owner.”
Lee Hyun accepted the mask.
“From now on, fellow Daoist, you are Badger.”
Lee Hyun stared at the badger mask for a moment before putting it on.
“Welcome to the Qutian Society, our new fellow practitioner, fellow Daoist Badger.”
Gray Mouse also clasped his hands.
“I look forward to working with you, fellow Daoist Badger.”
“Likewise. Fellow Daoist Gray Mouse, fellow Daoist Cicada Shell.”
***
350 years later.
Southern Nanli Kingdom, Baipu Market.
An old shop called Gumu Studio stood in the northeastern corner.
Creak.
A cultivator dressed in black robes and wearing a badger mask entered Gumu Studio.
His aura had reached the very limit of Qi Refining Stage 5.
He removed the innermost plank in the storeroom and descended the stairs.
Several branching passages stretched out below. He familiarly chose one and headed toward the bedrock at its end. When he stopped before it, the wall rotated, revealing a stone chamber.
The moment he stepped inside, the dozen or so masked cultivators gathered within all rose to their feet at once.
“Greetings, Society Head!”
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