Chapter 43
Baek Mu-Yeong’s eyes trembled incessantly.
Having led the Merchant Guild for a long time, he had seen countless artifacts, but the pill contained in the jade bottle before his eyes completely defied common sense.
“My word… To think Venerable Yak-seon finally shattered the limits of a Low-Grade Pill and succeeded in creating an inscription! Is this truly a Tier 1 Low-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill?”
Baek Mu-Yeong burst into Admiration with a trembling voice.
He firmly believed that the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill was the work of elder Gok, the Yak-seon.
[There’s no need for me to correct him and say I made it.]
Baek-Cheong thought there was no need to go out of her way to clear up the misunderstanding.
Even if she revealed that she had made it, he wouldn’t believe her, and it was obvious she would be subjected to another annoying interrogation like the one with the Pacheon Sword Saint.
“Uncle, so is it okay to put that up for auction tomorrow?”
At Baek-Cheong’s question, Baek Mu-Yeong flinched in surprise and tightly gripped the jade bottle.
“This precious thing? It must be an item that Venerable Yak-seon specially bestowed for your cultivation, so would it really be alright to dare to put it up for the Merchant Guild’s auction?”
“It’s fine! The medicinal properties are too strong for me, so it’s overwhelming and burdensome for me right now. It’s my item anyway, so grandfather Yak-seon won’t care if I sell it as I please.”
Baek-Cheong answered, lying brazenly.
Then, she popped one Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill out from the jade bottle, tucked it into her robes, and pushed the jade bottle containing the remaining three pills toward her uncle.
“Naturally, if there are pills in a jade bottle, there should be at least three to look the part, right? This one is enough for me. Please put the rest of the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pills up for auction.”
Baek Mu-Yeong put on a genuinely moved expression at his Niece’s generous heart.
“Haha, to think our Cheong-Yi harbored such deep intentions. If it’s an Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill crafted by Venerable Yak-seon, it will be perfect for decorating the finale of tomorrow’s auction! It is a golden opportunity to elevate the reputation of the Baek Clan Merchant Guild!”
Unable to hide his excitement, Baek Mu-Yeong carefully stored the jade bottle away.
But soon, as if remembering something, he touched his forehead with an “Ah.”
“My, I almost made a huge mistake. It would be unreasonable to use it for the finale. For tomorrow’s auction, a weighty item personally consigned by the Sword Saint is scheduled as the final lot, yet I was so excited I almost mixed up the order.”
At the mention of the Pacheon Sword Saint’s consigned item, Baek-Cheong’s ears perked up.
“The Pacheon Sword Saint? What kind of item did he consign?”
Baek Mu-Yeong discreetly checked his surroundings before lowering his voice and speaking carefully.
He judged that there was no need to hide it from his Niece, considering she also had ties to the Sword Saint.
“It is a token that grants the qualification to enter the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sword Tomb.”
As Baek-Cheong showed interest, Baek Mu-Yeong added a detailed explanation about the Sword Tomb.
“The Heavenly Sword Sect’s Sword Tomb is like a Sacred Ground that any Disciple who has entered the Sect must visit at least once in their lifetime. It is a place where those belonging to the Sect leave behind swords they no longer use after replacing them, or enshrine broken swords that have reached the end of their lifespan. It is said to be a place where countless swords form mountains and valleys, creating a sea of Sword Intent in itself.”
A landscape that seemed overwhelming just to imagine was drawn in her mind.
“That place is no different from a land of fortuitous encounters for sword cultivators. They can gain enlightenment by reading the wills of ancestral sword cultivators imbued in the numerous swords, and if they are lucky, they might be chosen by a masterless Spirit Sword and soar to new heights. Therefore, a jade stone or token of the Sword Tomb is akin to a Precious Treasure for Sword Cultivators.”
Baek Mu-Yeong stroked his beard, recalling the jade stone that had been added on at the Auction House.
“I have never heard of the sword style Falling Star Style, which the Sword Saint thought you understood the other day, but it must surely be a peerless Sword Art left behind by a renowned ancestral cultivator of the Heavenly Sword Sect. It is truly a pity that you are not walking the Path of the Sword Cultivator.”
Baek-Cheong nodded, pretending to be disappointed on the outside, but on the inside, she was on the verge of yawning.
She only endured and listened because it was awkward to cut off the boring explanation midway after she was the one who had asked.
“Wow, that really is an incredible place.”
Baek-Cheong gave a soulless response and quickly changed the subject.
“Uncle, the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill is ultimately for Qi Condensation cultivators, right? Rather than the final lot, how about putting it out as the very first auction item to completely grab everyone’s attention right from the start?”
Baek Mu-Yeong’s eyes sparkled at the unexpected idea.
As the Guild Master of the Baek Clan Merchant Guild, he quickly ran the calculations in his head.
“Oho, that is a truly brilliant thought! There could be no more perfect card to completely captivate the cultivators present and hype up the auction right from the start, the very first item to open the auction being none other than an Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill crafted by the Yak-seon! Cheong-A, your business acumen surpasses my own!”
Baek Mu-Yeong slapped his knee, transforming his Niece’s random suggestion into the pinnacle of commercial tactics.
“I must adjust the auction order immediately and make full preparations. I look forward to the Platinum Pavilion Auction House tomorrow!”
With that, he grabbed the jade bottle and darted out of the garden like an arrow.
Suddenly, her interest in playing around with Ice Dragon Shatter vanished completely.
“My excitement is completely gone.”
Baek-Cheong stretched and walked toward her Abode.
She laid her body on the soft bed and connected without delay to the Nameless Forum.
The Chat Board was still in a chaotic atmosphere.
“Dao Friend (553.24): The outer Pill Inscription Theory of the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pill… The more I read it, the more I get sucked in.”
“Dao Friend (873.178): What is the true identity of those guys who figured out a Sword Art just by looking at the Shukshuk onomatopoeia.”
“Dao Friend (299.83): The level of the Nameless Forum is getting more bizarre by the day.”
The aftermath of the Pill Inscription Refining Method and the Shukshuk Sword Art Incident that she had launched was still heating up the board.
However, befitting a massive Community used by countless Dao Friends, miscellaneous stories unrelated to the main topics were also constantly being updated.
“Dao Friend (733.19): I heard a Demonic Sect breeds mortals and cultivators as livestock and grinds them up as ingredients for the Life and Death pill.”
“Dao Friend (45.88): A Demonic Sect is ultimately a place where cultivators live too.”
[Just as Mortals raise livestock, we also raise Mortals for the sake of Cultivation, even turning them into Cultivators, a status they couldn’t even dream of. If they enjoyed a life and longevity beyond their station, they should consider themselves blessed.]
There was also the sight of Dao Friends squabbling over ghost stories of demonic sects whose Veracity was unknown.
Baek-Cheong was browsing the posts and observing the diverse ecology of the Dao Friends, when she suddenly formed a mischievous smile on her lips.
[Should I drop a pure shitpost for the first time in a while?]
Baek-Cheong opened the Writing Window and began to cram in all sorts of keywords that would get caught in the Nameless Forum’s search bar.
“Dao Friend (913.14): Which of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation is the best?”
[Pill Refining? Talisman Crafting? Formation? Artifact Forging? Musical Arts? Vein Seeking? Poison Arts? Healing Arts? Spirit Plant Cultivation? Divination Arts? Medical Arts? Puppetry? Fortune-telling? Calligraphy? Espionage?…]
She listed every type of Hundred Arts of Cultivation she knew.
It wasn’t actually a hundred arts, but it was a sufficiently large number.
“Hehe… The Dao Friends are in the palm of my hand…”
Sure enough, as soon as she registered the post, the view count skyrocketed at an incredible speed.
Dao Friends with strong pride in their respective arts fell for the provocation and rushed in like a swarm.
[Dao Friend (553.24): The Alchemist Master’s Pill Refining is truly the flower of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation. There may be Cultivators who don’t eat pills, but there is no Cultivator in the entire Cultivation World who has eaten one only once.]
[Dao Friend (24.233): The pill refiners are acting up again. What prestige is there in grinding herbs and Crafting pills? Talisman Crafting Art is the true flower that harmonizes with Myriad Changes. It is proficient in both offense and defense in actual combat, and can be active in multiple fields from daily life to tasks like exploration.]
[Dao Friend (888.32): Cut the crap. Talisman Crafting Art is just a Minor Skill of tossing scraps of paper. Formations are semi-permanent so they are used in many places, and those who wouldn’t even be able to salvage their bones without a Hosan Formation sure talk a lot.]
[Dao Friend (33.219): You idiots, the foundation of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation lies in Artifact Forging, which breathes soul into objects. With one good Dharma Treasure, talismans and formations are useless.]
[Dao Friend (17.89): Are you ignoring Puppetry right now? You want to taste my Puppet Soldier?]
[Dao Friend (77.21): You have to find spirit veins with the Secret Art of Vein Seeking for the spirit stones you guys use to come out. And if you do Qi Absorption at a spirit vein, it doesn’t even compare to a Spirit Gathering Formation. That’s why Vein Seekers are the true nobles.]
In an instant, it turned into a desperate Arena for the Dao Friends representing each profession.
The sight of them slandering each other’s skills and praising their own professions continued into thousands of replies.
“Pfft, this is what a forum is all about.”
Baek-Cheong giggled while rolling around on her bed.
The sight of the single small ember she threw dividing the Dao Friends of the Nameless Forum and making them fight was no different from a delicacy.
It felt like she was being compensated for the disappointment of not finding a fortuitous encounter despite scouring the Marketplace for days through her forum activities.
“Yaaawn.”
Baek-Cheong contentedly watched the heat of the Arena and slowly fell asleep along with a pleasant drowsiness.