Chapter 92
Another month and a half passed.
After the Pacheon Sword Saint left, her morning Training time was completely freed up, and she filled that vacancy entirely with forum surfing.
Upon opening her eyes in the early morning, she connected to the Nameless Forum to skim through the posts that had gone up overnight. In the morning, she practiced Flying Sword Training and Ice Dragon Shatter control, and in the afternoon, she crafted Inscribed Pills through Golem Pill Refining.
Even while the Pill Refining was ongoing, she divided her Divine Sense to stay connected to the Nameless Forum.
The only time of day she wasn’t connected to the Nameless Forum was when she was asleep.
Still, her Flying Sword Training continued even without the Pacheon Sword Saint.
Loading the Falling Star Style onto the Ilseong Sword and flying it was on a completely different level from her old wooden sword.
The sensation of the meteoric iron accepting her Sword Intent was as unobstructed as flowing water, and her energy was fully transmitted all the way to the very end of the Sword Form.
Every time she drew a Sword Path, it produced a flavor she could never feel with the wooden sword, and it didn’t even take three days for Flying Sword Training to settle in as her morning pastime.
“This should be enough to do on my own.”
However, she had to keep in mind that without someone to correct her, bad habits could become ingrained.
When the Pacheon Sword Saint was here, three or four short teachings a day would shorten ten days' worth of Training, but now she could no longer expect such guidance.
Even so, it didn’t seem like her visits to the Training Ground would become infrequent.
After all, Star River One Line and Seongdo Gaecheon were impossible to manifest at the Qi Condensation level anyway, so she just had to endlessly polish the Falling Star Style.
'By the way, grandpa Yak-seon’s seclusion is getting a bit long.'
At the sudden thought, Baek-Cheong tilted her head.
It had been more than a few months since Yak-seon went into seclusion.
The Five Elements Taiji Pill Refining Method was an extremely profound Alchemy Art in itself.
If Yak-seon were exploring a deeper realm, it wouldn’t be strange for his seclusion to drag on.
However, not showing even the slightest sign of coming out like this didn’t seem like an ordinary matter.
“Could he be making a 5th Tier Pill?”
Yak-seon was originally an Alchemist skilled in Moon-Tier Pill Refining.
Thanks to his Talent for Crafting pills one tier higher than his own realm, he was called a Quasi-5th Tier Alchemist.
He had even boasted that with the addition of the Five Elements Taiji Pill Refining Method, the 5th tier would now be a breeze.
If he was challenging a 5th Tier Pill with such pride, it made sense why his seclusion was taking so long.
A 5th Tier Pill was only used at the Soul Formation stage, the level of those called Great Powers.
Even for Yak-seon, it didn’t seem like it would be finished in just a year or two.
'But what’s wrong with me lately?'
Baek-Cheong couldn’t let go of her thoughts for a while.
Recently, an inexplicable anxiety would suddenly rear its head during her Training.
Since it was the kind of anxiety without a clear cause she could pinpoint, there was no way to deal with it either.
Her Training was progressing smoothly, her forum surfing was as fun as ever, and there were no particular troubles in the Clan, so there was even less to point a finger at.
And yet, occasionally, a chilling sensation at the back of her head would creep up for no reason, so she couldn’t help but be bothered by it.
“Is it because of the Unification Latent Spirit Root?”
It could be an anxiety that had built up subconsciously ever since she sensed the Nutrient Erosion Cycle speeding up minutely, or it could be because her senses had sharpened as her realm increased.
Lost in thought for a moment, she dropped her gaze onto the Pill Furnace.
Even as the sight of the Five Elements Qi drawing spirals to extract the medicinal herbs' essence and the five golems silently performing their roles entered her eyes, her thoughts were elsewhere.
“Well, it’s probably nothing.”
Eventually, Baek-Cheong dismissed her thoughts as if there was nothing to dig into.
A few days passed peacefully without her finding the true nature of her anxiety.
* * *
It was a rare mealtime together with her father and mother.
Ever since her father entered the Golden Core, the time he poured into official duties had grown even longer, so gathering in one place to eat wasn’t as frequent as before.
On the dining table sat a teapot of spirit tea and simple side dishes.
While her mother picked up this and that to put in her bowl, her father set down his spoon and chopsticks and opened his mouth.
“Gyu sent a letter.”
He was talking about Baek Gyu, the Eldest Son of the Baek Clan who was at the Biun Sect.
“Eldest Brother did?”
Baek-Cheong stopped her chopsticks and raised her head.
Since correspondence had been rare ever since he returned to the Biun Sect, it could be considered welcome news.
Soon after, her father roughly relayed the contents of the letter.
It contained regards congratulating her father on his Golden Core and her grandfather on his breakthrough to the Late Golden Core, as well as inquiries asking about the Family’s recent well-being.
Since he was an Eldest Son who kept up with the news even from afar, a gentle joy seeped into her father’s voice.
“And Cheong-Yi said he heard that you’ll be attending the Biun Sect’s New Year’s Banquet this time.”
Baek-Cheong paused at a story she herself didn’t even know.
Her attending the Biun Sect’s New Year’s Banquet was something she had never heard of before.
“I’m attending the Biun Sect’s New Year’s Banquet?”
Baek-Cheong asked back, startled.
Her father nodded with a calm expression.
“I heard you wanted to go yourself, is that not so?”
“When did I?!”
Baek-Cheong searched her memories, but she had never said such a thing.
She had once made an empty promise about visiting the Biun Sect to play, but that was just a social greeting to fend off Mong-Yo’s immense interest, far from an expression of intent to attend an official banquet.
'Uncle.'
Baek-Cheong immediately realized the culprit and gritted her teeth.
And before she lost her appetite completely, she hurriedly finished her meal.
Her mother urged her to eat more, but she replied that she was full, gave her greetings, and stood up from her Seat.
Her footsteps headed straight toward the study where her uncle stayed.
* * *
Baek Mu-Yeong’s study looked different from usual.
Jade slips and letters were piled messily on the table, and items that seemed to have been taken out of a Spatial Treasure were divided by type, occupying even the floor.
Baek Mu-Yeong was in the middle of it all, holding a jade slip and meticulously checking something.
He was busy sorting out the items to send as an envoy visiting the Biun Sect.
Since it was their first official greeting after proclaiming the Millennial Plan, they had to show their sincerity, so agonizing over what items to bring was a natural step.
“Uncle.”
Baek-Cheong opened the door, stepped inside, and spoke.
Baek Mu-Yeong replied without taking his eyes off the jade slip.
“What is it? What’s the matter?”
“What do you mean I’m going to the Biun Sect’s banquet?”
Only then did Baek Mu-Yeong turn his gaze.
It was a nonchalant face that didn’t even bat an eye.
“Ah, you heard from my elder brother.”
“Yes. I heard. But I never said such a thing.”
“Didn’t you say before that you would go visit the Biun Sect to play?”
“That was just empty talk!”
Baek Mu-Yeong set the jade slip he was holding down on the table and turned his body.
“Even if it was empty talk, a promise is a promise. Besides, Baek Gyu is waiting too.”
“You’re the one who told Orabeoni first, uncle.”
“I did.”
He admitted it without a single shred of hesitation.
Baek-Cheong was so angry that her cheeks puffed out without her realizing it.
She had even handed over her blood, sweat, and tears - the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill - yet what came back was a stab in the back.
“Uncle, I gave you the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill. How can you stab me in the back like this?”
“I am putting that to very good use.”
Her uncle nodded shamelessly and pointed to a corner of the table.
There lay a letter with a list of gifts to be sent to the Biun Sect, and the words “Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill” were clearly written on it.
“My Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill is going as a gift to the Biun Sect?!”
He was repurposing what he received as a gift right away to send to the Biun Sect.
At this point, she was so dumbfounded that she was on the verge of losing her words.
“It was something you had to go to anyway.”
Baek Mu-Yeong leaned back in the chair by the table and continued.
“Our relationship with the Biun Sect is a matter that the Clan’s future depends on. Since we openly received their protection, we must be the first to show our sincerity, and it’s only natural for you to show your face as Gyu’s younger sister.”
“I have no intention of going.”
Baek-Cheong firmly shook her head.
It was obvious that if she went to the Biun Sect, she would be swamped by people and have no time to surf the forum.
While being dragged here and there for banquets and greetings, she wouldn’t even be able to glance at the Nameless Forum.
'I’m absolutely not going.'
Baek Mu-Yeong took out a Storage Platform from his inner pocket without any particular agitation.
“Cultivator Yuk-Muk has completed the 2nd Tier Five Elements Golem.”
Baek-Cheong stared at the Storage Platform at the words that pierced her ears.
It had been a situation where news was scarce ever since she requested it from her uncle.
She ended up swallowing her saliva without realizing it.
Her uncle fiddled with the Storage Platform and continued.
“However, since the spirit stones that went into the 2nd Tier Five Elements Golem represent quite a sum, I can’t just give it to you easily.”
He didn’t explicitly say how much went into the 2nd tier golem, but she could roughly guess.
The 1st Tier Five Elements Golem costs ten High-High-Grade Spirit Stones per elemental wood unit.
Five units meant fifty stones, so if it were the 2nd tier, it would easily cost double that.
The memory of being pleased after selling a Low-grade Five Elements Pill at the Nameless Forum auction for twenty High-High-Grade Spirit Stones came to mind.
Since more than five times that number of spirit stones had gone into the golem, she couldn’t take it lightly.
“If you follow along quietly, I will give it to you when we return.”
Her uncle spoke, displaying a relaxed composure.
Her resistance was about to crumble before the bait of securing forum surfing time, but the fact that she wouldn’t be able to use the Nameless Forum for a few days held her back, making it hard to nod easily.
If she endured a few days of suffering, her forum surfing time would double afterward.
The scales were slowly tipping to one side, but her stubbornness flared up.
“I’m going to tell Master Pacheon Sword Saint.”
Baek-Cheong pulled out the biggest card she could use.
If she complained that the Inheritor Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Supreme Elder was receiving such treatment within the Clan, it would put her uncle in a difficult position.
However, Baek Mu-Yeong crossed his arms with a nonchalant face, not batting an eye, and asked back.
“And how do you plan on delivering the news to the Pacheon Sword Saint?”
Baek-Cheong opened her mouth, then closed it.
The Pacheon Sword Saint was touring the Continent because he had matters to handle before ascending to Soul Formation.
She didn’t know where he was, nor did she have a means to contact him.
A threat to tell on him when she didn’t even know where to send a letter was no different from a small puppy barking.
“Just get ready to leave for the Biun Sect.”
Her uncle picked up the jade slip again and lowered his head.
His intention to end the conversation was clearly revealed.
“I will absolutely…!”
Baek-Cheong stood in the middle of the study and bit her lip tightly.
The image of her uncle holding the 2nd Tier Five Elements Golem as a card and the image of herself being harassed by people at the Biun Sect seemed to intersect.
“I will definitely get my revenge.”
She made a vow as she left the study, but unfortunately, one could not go against the general trend.