Chapter 34
When Baek-Cheong barely managed to lift her heavy eyelids.
The first thing she felt was the soft touch of a silk blanket.
Realizing she was in her bed in her Abode, she rolled her blurry eyes to look around.
Rustle.
At the slight sound, the maidservant waiting outside the door darted inside.
“Young Lady, are you awake?”
“Yeah… how did I get here?”
“The Eastern Protector Elder found it strange that the Spiritual Qi Flow in the Training Room had suddenly cut off and went in to check. He found you collapsed just in time and brought you straight to your Abode.”
Baek-Cheong felt relieved inwardly upon hearing the story.
She vaguely recalled fainting from the sudden release of tension right after successfully creating the Picture Post.
If she had been left on the floor of the Training Room, the cold would have seeped into her damaged qi meridians, causing her immense suffering.
The maidservant approached and politely offered a jade slip that had been resting on the table.
“It is a message left by the Clan Head.”
As Baek-Cheong infused her Divine Sense into the jade slip, her father’s stern voice echoed in her mind.
[Your qi meridians have been greatly damaged by unreasonable cultivation, so stay put and focus solely on recuperating in your Abode for the time being. Do not even think about stepping a single foot outside your Abode until you are completely recovered.]
On the surface, it was a grounding order and a scolding, but an irrepressible smile spread across Baek-Cheong’s lips.
It was because she now had the perfect excuse to be liberated from Pill Refining Hell and legally hole up in her room to laze around.
“I have no choice but to recuperate just as father said…”
Baek-Cheong set the jade slip down and subtly asked the maidservant.
“But where is father?”
“The Clan Head is currently having an important meeting with the Guild Master of the Baek Clan Merchant Guild and Venerable Yak-seon. He was greatly shocked by the news of your collapse, Young Lady, but the matter was so crucial that he could only leave a message.”
Having delivered all her words, the maidservant quietly stepped backward and left the room.
Left alone, Baek-Cheong rested her chin on her hand and fell deep into thought.
The Merchant Guild Master who handled the Clan’s finances, the Alchemist Grandmaster Yak-seon, and the Clan Head - the three of them putting their heads together for an important meeting.
“It must be because of the Five Elements Pill.”
Baek-Cheong immediately deduced the reason for their gathering.
The Five Elements Pill, which artificially elevated the aptitude of the Five Spiritual Roots.
In the Cultivation World, there were plenty of Golden Branches and Jade Leaves who, despite being born with terrible spiritual roots like Baek-Cheong, somehow lived the life of a Cultivator thanks to the overflowing resources of their Clan or Sect.
To such people, the existence of the Five Elements Pill was nothing short of salvation.
If the existence of the Five Elements Pill became known, it was highly likely they would line up with bundles of spirit stones to buy it.
“Well, that’s an adult matter that has nothing to do with me.”
The complex Struggle for Interests of the Merchant Guild or the Clan’s financial issues had nothing to do with Baek-Cheong.
She was excluded from the Family business due to her young age, and even if she wanted to contribute, the scale of the Clan’s enterprises was unfathomably massive.
“Future matters are for future me!”
What was important to her right now was that she could enjoy a legitimate forum-surfing life.
Therefore, she mobilized her Divine Sense without delay and connected to the Nameless Forum.
She had posted The Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill Picture Post with all her might right before passing out.
It was time to check just how destructive its impact was.
As soon as she followed the notifications and opened the post, Baek-Cheong couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter and rolled around on the bed.
“Pfft. They fall for the bait every single time.”
The Cultivators had been baited by the absurd title of Pill Mold and were venting their frustration, yet they were simultaneously overwhelmed by the perfect inscription carved into a 1st-Grade Low-Tier Pill, pouring out their praises.
Thousands of replies tangled with anger, awe, jealousy, and envy pushed her dopamine to the absolute limit.
“The aggro performance of a simple click on a Picture Post is great.”
Baek-Cheong was satisfied with the results of her trolling and continued to explore the Nameless Forum.
* * *
From that day on, Baek-Cheong’s life was that of a pure slacker.
She stuffed herself with the Delicacies the maidservants brought up right on time, lay on her bed, and dug into the Nameless Forum all day long.
It had been a long time since she pushed her Training to the back burner under the excuse of recuperating her qi meridians.
A few days passed like a dream in this manner.
Because she had devoted herself to forum-surfing in the dark corner of her room day and night, dark circles had settled heavily under her eyes, and her once-soft face had become quite haggard.
“Cheong-A, are you sleeping?”
“Older Brother?”
“I’m coming in for a moment.”
A familiar voice rang out in the quiet Abode.
The door opened, and Baek U carefully stepped into the room.
Having finished his long rest and catching up, he had stopped by to check on the Youngest before embarking on the long journey to the North Sea where his Master was.
However, upon seeing Baek-Cheong’s appearance, Baek U flinched in surprise and furrowed his brow.
It was because his younger sister, who had been a brightly shining prodigy, now had the hollow, dead complexion of a sick person.
“Dear me… I heard your qi meridians were damaged, but you look terrible.”
Baek U approached the bed and looked down at Baek-Cheong with a pitying gaze.
Baek-Cheong quickly withdrew her Divine Sense from the Nameless Forum and forced an eye-smile.
“I heard father placed a grounding order on you. How stifling it must be to be locked in your room at a time when you should be devoting yourself to your Training.”
Baek U firmly misunderstood that his sister’s haggard appearance was due to her thwarted desire for Training.
“Father may treat you strictly on the outside, but on the inside, he cherishes and worries about you, Cheong-Yi, more than anyone else. Don’t feel too upset, and just endure it patiently until your qi meridians recover.”
At Baek U’s sincere encouragement, Baek-Cheong felt a pang of guilt.
Far from feeling stifled, she was intoxicated and fully enjoying her legitimate forum-surfing life, so her conscience was pricked a little.
Baek-Cheong forced a sad expression and nodded.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, Older Brother.”
“Good. Also, Cheong-Yi, I prepared a gift for you in case you get too lonely in your room.”
Baek U pulled a long Silk Box from his robes and placed it in Baek-Cheong’s hands.
As she carefully opened the box, a luxurious brush densely packed with silver hairs showed off its brilliant appearance.
“It is a brush made from the fur of a Silver Wolf Demonic Beast, primarily used by 2nd-Tier Talisman Masters. Its efficiency in retaining and transmitting energy is on a different level from a regular Jade Rabbit Brush. Whenever you feel lonely, use it to scribble some talismans to pass the time.”
Baek-Cheong’s eyes sparkled at the precious gift.
She had no intention of delving deeply into talismans, but the more the merrier for anything.
“Wow, it’s really soft! Thank you, Older Brother.”
Baek U gave a bitter smile and stroked Baek-Cheong’s head.
“If I had my way, I would take you to my Master right now and show him your Talent as a Talisman Master. If only my Master hadn’t already left for the North Sea… It’s a shame for this Older Brother that I can’t introduce a prodigy like you to him.”
Baek-Cheong waved her hands in a display of modesty.
“Aw, what kind of prodigy am I? I’m just drawing a few lines.”
“I-Is that so…”
Then, she suddenly felt curious about the place called the North Sea that Baek U was heading to.
“But Older Brother, why did your Master go all the way to the distant and rugged North Sea?”
Baek U subtly checked their surroundings and lowered his voice.
“It’s a rumor that’s been quietly spreading among the public, so it should be fine to tell you. A clue was discovered that a Secret Realm left by a Great Power of the Ancient Era is opening in some remote location among the tens of thousands of islands scattered across the Archipelago in the North Sea.”
“A Secret Realm?”
“Yes. My Master acquired a clue that an Ancient Talisman Diagram slumbers there, so he left first. I am on my way to join him now.”
A Secret Realm Exploration, an Ancient Legacy, and a life-risking struggle.
Baek-Cheong’s eyes shone at the exciting story, but on the other hand, she was worried about her blood relative’s safety.
“Isn’t a Secret Realm a super dangerous place? A lot of Cultivators will flock there…”
Baek U puffed out his chest and gave a confident smile.
“Haha, don’t worry. Although my Master’s cultivation realm remains at the Core Formation stage, his rank as a Talisman Master reaches a staggering 4th-Tier. The power of talismans unleashed with intent by a 4th-Tier Talisman Master is something not even a Nascent Soul Venerable can carelessly ignore.”
It was a moment where the majesty of a Cultivator who had reached a high realm as a Talisman Master could be felt.
“Furthermore, father personally pulled some strings and formed a pact to cooperate with a Nascent Soul Venerable of the Myeongcheon Sect, which dominates the North Sea region. There won’t be any major danger like you’re thinking, so put your mind at ease.”
Hearing that a solid backing was even prepared, Baek-Cheong finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Myeongcheon Sect was a Sect of such scale that even she, who was ignorant of outside affairs, knew of it from hearing about it here and there.
“That’s a relief. Still, don’t let your guard down and always be careful, Older Brother.”
“I will. This Older Brother will obtain a fortuitous encounter safely and return in high spirits. Until then, eat well and focus on your recovery. See you next time.”
Baek U left a hearty laugh and exited the Abode.
Baek-Cheong waved her hand to see him off until his reliable back completely disappeared from her sight.
The door closed, and silence returned to the Abode once again.
“A Secret Realm…”
Baek-Cheong lay on the bed, fiddling with the Silver Wolf Brush that Baek U had left behind.
A Secret Realm and an ancient talisman.
It was no different from a hot event for Cultivators.
However, to her, who preferred the corner of her room, a dangerous adventure was no different from watching a fire at someone else’s house.
“A safe and cozy room is the best.”
Baek-Cheong shook off her thoughts about the Secret Realm without any lingering attachment.
Then, she put the Silver Wolf Brush into her Storage Platform and connected to the Nameless Forum once again.
Thanks to resting well for a few days, her damaged qi meridians had recovered quite a bit, so the perfect moment had arrived to ignite a new spark in the Nameless Forum, where the lingering excitement of the Picture Post had yet to fade.