I Possessed a Cultivator Destined to Die at the Hands of the Protagonist - Chapter 34
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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34.
Jin Su-ryeon was a fellow disciple under the same master as Baek Un-jin.
By seniority, Jin Su-ryeon ranked far above, but after Baek Un-jin became an Elder, they had grown close without concern for hierarchy.
“You can tell just by looking.”
“I can tell, sure, but it’s still surprising somehow.”
The aura emanating from the boy, despite his youthful appearance, proved that he was indeed Baek Un-jin.
No one in this room doubted that the boy was Baek Un-jin.
Occasionally, there were cultivators who wandered about in a child’s body under the guise of personal preference(?).
But if that person was Baek Un-jin, the situation was different.
“What on earth caused such a change of heart?”
….
“How petty—won’t even answer me.”
Jin Su-ryeon straightened his posture and covered his face with his fan.
His laughing eyes instantly turned cold and sharp.
“What exactly did you do to consume even your innate vital energy, Elder Baek?”
Everyone knew that Baek Un-jin had no taste for becoming a child.
What the Elders were curious about was exactly what the legendary Baek Un-jin had done to end up in this state.
Baek Un-jin pretended not to hear Jin Su-ryeon’s words.
After about an hour passed in this strange atmosphere, the firmly closed door opened and Seon Un-ran, the Sect Master of Chingwoo Immortal Sect, entered and took his seat.
“We shall begin the Cheongun Sect Council.”
The Cheongun Sect Council was a regular Elder meeting held twice a year.
Since attendance was not mandatory, the number of participants varied each time.
Various matters were brought up as agenda items.
Among them was content related to Hyeonganmun.
“I hear that lately, a group called Paecheonmun, formed by those expelled from Hyeonganmun, has been running rampant. They say Elder Baek clashed with Paecheonmun—is that true?”
“Yes. However, when I arrived, I was already one step too late.”
“But thanks to that, the Hyeonjin Stele, which Hyeonganmun manages, was protected, was it not? Hyeonganmun has officially expressed their gratitude to Elder Baek.”
“I merely did what needed to be done.”
“Hyeonganmun has requested assistance from several sects regarding Paecheonmun. Elder Baek, I would like to entrust this matter to you.”
“Understood.”
My disciples were already entangled with Paecheonmun anyway, and I had business with them as well.
Just as we were about to move to the next agenda, Jin Su-ryeon gave his fan a slight wave.
“I shall participate as well.”
….
Baek Un-jin’s expression turned displeased.
“I hear that Elder Baek’s disciple created a medicinal pill in Nakryeong City that could cure the plague caused by the foundation established by Paecheonmun, and distributed it to the perpetrators. Out of curiosity, I examined that pill, and it seems quite well-made.”
“Hmm, and?”
“Is it not commendable that someone with only 4-star Breathing Technique managed such a feat? As the responsible Elder of Yeon Dan Bang, how could I not be curious?”
“Hmph, taking interest in a mere low-rank cultivator—you have poor taste, Elder Jin.”
“Indeed, quite so.”
When Baek Un-jin made a comment praising his disciple Eun Hui-gyeom, several elders muttered their displeasure.
“How absurd.”
“Sect Leader.”
Baek Un-jin regarded Seon Un-ran with an uncomfortable expression.
The two stood facing each other in silence.
Baek Un-jin was the first to break the silence.
“Sigh, I understand.”
Even without exchanging further words, I could sense Seon Un-ran’s intention in approving Jin Su-ryeon’s proposal.
Seon Un-ran, as Sect Leader, could not possibly be unaware of the Nakryeong City incident that Jin Su-ryeon knew about.
That I had let Paecheonmun slip away in Myeonggyeong Valley.
Considering that I had consumed far more power than anticipated while treating Yoo Yeon-seo, it was wise to concede here.
“Let us move on to the next matter.”
The Cheongun Sect Council session, lasting nearly half a day, had concluded.
Regarding what specific assistance Hyeonganmun would request, they agreed to await further contact.
The other elders rose from their seats one by one.
Baek Un-jin remained seated until nearly the very end.
“Do you need me to carry you? Have you shrunk so much you can’t get down?”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“Hehe, your temperament hasn’t changed despite your youth. But what happened in Myeonggyeong Valley?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Those Paecheonmun fellows you let escape. You should have been able to pick up their trail even if you couldn’t pursue them directly. You came back in quite a hurry.”
“Mind your own business.”
“Is your disciple really that precious to you?”
Baek Un-jin crossed her arms and cast her eyes upward.
She brought a fan near her lips and laughed softly.
Had I still been my normal self, that gaze might have felt somewhat menacing, but being a child now, it hardly seemed frightening.
“Say what you wish to say.”
“Nothing much. Just that our Elder Baek does change sometimes. My, how time flies.”
“….”
“I wish you’d treat me with the same kindness as you used to.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Hmm?”
“My only memories of you are from shortly after becoming a cultivator, when you nearly killed me several times under the guise of training.”
“Oh my, was that how it was? That was decades ago already, wasn’t it? Time really does fly.”
Jin Su-ryeon turned and left Yeonhwa Hall first.
***
I remained at Bikyun Pavilion until Baek Un-jin’s Cheongun Sect Council concluded.
“Well, something like that happened.”
“That was a close call, wasn’t it? Are you alright?”
“Thanks to Master, I’m fine now.”
According to Eun Hui-gyeom, Baek Un-jin had instructed him not to leave Bikyun Pavilion until he returned.
With nothing particular to do, I spent time chatting with Myeong Seol-hwa for the first time in a while.
I told her about the events in Nakryeong City, excluding the fight with Gwak Jun and matters concerning Paecheonmun.
“Sister, are the other girls not bothering you these days?”
“No, I’m fine. Things are manageable.”
“That’s a relief. But remember, if anyone bothers you like last time, I’ll teach them a lesson!”
As I muttered while eating tangin, Myeong Seol-hwa laughed.
“That was already six years ago. I was really grateful back then.”
I froze mid-bite of my tangin.
It felt like something that had happened just recently, yet I found it hard to believe that six years had already passed.
“Time really does fly.”
“It sure does.”
As my conversation with Myeong Seol-hwa was coming to an end, I spotted Eun Hui-gyeom in the distance.
“Oh! Sorry, sister. I should go!”
“Sure. See you later.”
After parting with Myeong Seol-hwa, I went to meet Baek Un-jin with Eun Hui-gyeom.
“What? So you’re not returning to active duty?”
“Hyeonganmun requested assistance from Jeongmun Paldae regarding Paecheonmun matters. It seems I’ll be focusing on that for a while.”
“I see.”
“I’ll also be recuperating at the Seonmun for some time, so accumulate 30,000 points.”
“You were still doing that?!”
I thought it had been abandoned due to the Nakryeong City incident, but apparently not.
Baek Un-jin looked at us as if we’d said something absurd.
“Know that you’ll be punished if you cause trouble again next time.”
“Yes, sir. Ah, there’s one thing that’s been bothering me.”
Our fight was only against Paecheonmun’s associates.
There was no guarantee that Paecheonmun wouldn’t commit similar acts in other regions like they did in Nakryeong City.
“I don’t have the confidence to simply overlook it if I discover petrification disease patients in another area.”
Through the Nakryeong City incident, I realized that merely distributing life-restoring pills couldn’t be a fundamental solution.
Yet I couldn’t go around destroying the To-shin Foundation every time I undertook a mission.
“Regarding that matter, Elder Jin has agreed to take action together with Hyeonganmun.”
“But they’ll ignore the petrification disease patients anyway.”
By “Elder Jin,” he likely meant Elder Jin Su-ryeon.
He was one of the few people within Chingwoo Immortal Sect who could speak to Baek Un-jin without formality.
Jin Su-ryeon was someone who actively destroyed and purified the Monastery and the To-shin Foundation when Hyeonganmun requested assistance from the Seonmun.
However, in the original story, Jin Su-ryeon paid no attention to the petrification disease patients.
‘Even if destroying the Tosin Foundation prevents further outbreaks of petrification sickness.’
What was to be done about those already afflicted?
“What are you saying?”
“Pardon?”
“Eun Hui-gyeom created a vitality pill, and with some refinement, we’re focusing our efforts on treating petrification sickness patients. If we destroy the Tosin Foundation but patients remain, wouldn’t that be meaningless?”
“Ah, well… that’s true.”
Sensing how the situation had diverged from the original story, I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
I never imagined Eun Hui-gyeom’s vitality pills would be put to such use.
According to Baek Un-jin, whenever there was a petrification sickness patient, we would treat them and report to the sect, whereupon the cultivators under Jin Su-ryeon would handle the rest.
“So focus your efforts on accumulating contribution points.”
“Yes, sir!”
Thus, Eun Hui-gyeom and I were able to concentrate on the missions that had been temporarily postponed due to Nakryeong City.
And so another five years passed.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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