The Reincarnated Hunter Sweeps Up All Fortunes - Chapter 35
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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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Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Im Gang opened the system window.
The Baoklie Demon Army had been in poor condition, true enough, but he was a Peak Master martial artist. Meanwhile, Im Gang was at best Second-rate, no matter how hard he’d trained. It was already strange that a sneak attack had worked at all—and yet he’d actually killed the Baoklie Demon Army.
A Second-rate kills an injured Peak Master?
That was the stuff of novels—no, dreams.
Even if one’s martial techniques were unusual, the gap between realms was the difference between heaven and earth.
It should be absolutely impossible for a Second-rate.
Name: Im Gang (Lv. 34)
Job: First-rate Ronin / Treasure Hunter
Internal Energy: 50 years 2 days
Skills: Third-rate Wind Fang Blade Method, Second-rate Moving Immortal Technique… (View more)
Skill Points: 7
Ah, if he was Second-rate.
“Tada. I’m a First-rate Ronin.”
First-rate Ronin.
Somewhere along the way, he’d reached First-rate—a fact Im Gang himself only discovered later.
During the fight with the Baoklie Demon Army, he’d believed himself to be Second-rate. So of course the sneak attack felt impossible, and defeating him felt just as unlikely.
‘But if I was First-rate… then it was possible. Wasn’t it?’
He wasn’t entirely sure.
Well, he’d killed him, so it must have been possible, right?
After that, when he opened his skill list, he found it had changed considerably.
Moving Immortal Technique had risen to seven stars, Great Force Seal Technique to six stars, Returning Stream Protection Method to three stars, Whirlwind Kick to seven stars, and Pickpocketing… why was it this high?
He couldn’t understand why his pickpocketing skill had improved.
Had he stolen something from the Baoklie Demon Army’s possession at some point?
He couldn’t remember.
He might have done it unconsciously.
If that were the case, his Pickpocketing skill came with a built-in self-brainwashing effect.
When you say morality, you mean Im Gang; when you say Im Gang, you mean morality.
Anyway, he kept looking.
‘Why is Yangwen Guhuijue, which I never even trained in, at this level?’
That was even stranger.
It was an Internal Energy cultivation method from the Zhengsha sect that he’d found in a cave, and he’d never practiced it.
He’d only registered it as a skill and left it alone—so why had it advanced? Could it have circulated along when the Baoklie Demon Army forcibly cycled his Small Circulation?
That seemed plausible. Since the Small Circulation circulated his Internal Energy, any registered cultivation method might have activated automatically.
‘The Secret Blade Technique is seven stars!’
He could accept that.
It was the Silver Lotus Dart that had finished the Baoklie Demon Army.
He hadn’t been able to bring himself to approach and draw his sword, to slash it overhead.
That would have been far too grim.
‘And the Internal Energy….’
50 years 2 days.
As he watched it for a moment, it climbed to 50 years 3 days.
“Wow. 50 years and 3 days of Internal Energy.”
He murmured absently.
When he was Second-rate, it had been capped at 40 years, but now that he was First-rate, it had climbed to 50.
It would keep rising from here on out, too.
In his past life, he’d jokingly called this phenomenon a “Promotion.”
It wasn’t a real promotion back then, but here it counted as a genuine one.
Advancing from Second-rate to First-rate—what else would you call it?
‘Heh… if I fight two more Peak Masters, I’ll become a Peak Master Ronin.’
Hoping desperately that those encounters would also involve the opponent being severely injured, Im Gang shifted his posture. His entire body ached, and he let out a low groan.
As he rolled onto his side with soft groans, iron bars filled his vision.
‘So when are they letting me out?’
After dealing with the Baoklie Demon Army, he’d lost consciousness. And when he woke up, he was in a cell.
He’d been locked up before and recognized the place immediately: the underground martial artists’ prison in Hangzhou. It wasn’t a place for prisoners guilty of heinous crimes—just martial artists who’d committed minor offenses.
The last time he’d been confined, it was just a brief holding due to a misunderstanding.
The reason Im Gang was locked up this time was utterly absurd.
They said it was because he was an accomplice.
Accomplice—not even a suspect or a related party. He’d never heard the term used quite so loosely.
I did end up involved. The Baoklie Demon Army kidnapped me. I nearly became his disciple by force. I didn’t want to become a demon cultist, so I committed what wasn’t quite patricide but came close.
It was all true, but something still felt off about it.
Ah, right.
They did treat me well.
Even the quilts covering me now were thicker and softer than the ones at home, and the fire burned so constantly the room stayed warm all day.
And the food.
Three days locked up, and I haven’t seen the same dish twice.
“I’ve brought your meal.”
“Thank you.”
A servant appeared at precisely that moment, carrying food. This time it was braised pork belly with stir-fried vegetables and duck soup. Needless to say, I’d never tasted any of it before.
When I was young, I was too young to eat such things. Later, after I became an orphan and fell into poverty, I couldn’t afford them. And, remarkably, they even serve real rice.
Not thin noodles—actual grain rice.
They’ve even added wine.
When I lifted the lid, a deep bamboo aroma rose up, mingled with the subtle scent of medicinal herbs.
“It’s Bamboo Leaf Green, sir.”
“…Ah. Bamboo Leaf Green, then.”
So it was Bamboo Leaf Green.
I never imagined I’d be drinking fine wine in a cell.
I let it rest on my tongue for a moment, then swallowed.
“…Ahh!”
Unlike cheap liquor, it went down smooth and easy.
I chewed on a bit of food and mulled it over.
Was it really true that I was eating and living better here than before? Surely that wasn’t a delusion?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a delusion at all.
Though it may have looked like I’d driven the Baoklie Demon Army back single-handedly and killed him, the truth is I’d pushed myself to the absolute limit.
The muscles across my whole body nearly tore, and my tendons were on the verge of snapping.
I had countless bruises.
From below my neck down was practically a palette of purples and reds.
I collapsed after the fight because of it.
But then a physician came and applied wound salve, administered acupuncture, prepared medicine—treating my injuries thoroughly.
Martial physicians specializing in such work charge dearly; even a single consultation costs silver.
They gave me all of it for free.
Thanks to that, my injuries healed in just a few days.
‘What if I just stayed here?’
The good treatment made such thoughts surface. But they’re treating me well now only because of the investigation into the Baoklie Demon Army incident.
Once the investigation ends, they’ll throw me out. Getting tangled up with a sect is never good.
After finishing my meal, I sighed, and then I felt presences.
When I opened my eyes, I heard footsteps.
Not a servant or a physician.
The footsteps of trained martial artists with proper discipline.
And there were several of them.
‘What’s this about now…’
To be clear again, good treatment or not, I’m locked up because I’m involved in this matter.
They confiscated everything I had. The Demon Subduing Blood Draining Sword, the Silver Lotus Dart, the Dragon Water Gauntlets—all of it.
I’d collected quite a lot from the Baoklie Demon Army’s hideout, but they took it all.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back.
If they refuse to return it…
‘I should at least lodge a complaint.’
The footsteps drew closer, and people began to appear beyond the iron bars.
Among them was a face I recognized.
“…Master?”
It was Cheong Hyeon, the Daoist of the Wudang School.
He wore the same pure white martial robe and high collar as before. The people walking at a slight distance around him appeared to belong to the Hangzhou Sect Alliance. Their expressions were rigid and fixed.
Cheong Hyeon stood before the iron bars and looked me over from head to toe.
At once, a look of relief crossed his face.
“I heard you were badly wounded.”
“Master!”
“You look better than when I last saw you—your complexion’s improved and you’ve gained weight. You’ve been doing well, haven’t you?”
“As you can see, I’ve been doing well, so… this?”
Im Gang trailed off as he realized he was in a cell, scratching his head awkwardly.
“But what brings you to a place like this……?”
Cheong Hyeon answered.
“I’ve come as part of an investigation team from the Jeongdo Alliance.”
“…The Jeongdo Alliance?”
Im Gang found himself glancing at the sect members without meaning to.
No wonder their expressions had gone dark.
If the Hangzhou Sect Alliance was a local contractor, the Jeongdo Alliance was the federal government itself.
To even compare their scale and influence would be an insult to the Jeongdo Alliance.
If they so wished, the sects of Hangzhou could vanish with a snap of their fingers—and so the sight of an investigator from such a place consorting with a prisoner must have filled the alliance with secret dread and unease.
“In any case, it’s a relief to see you’re doing well. A real relief, that is.”
Cheong Hyeon nodded and continued.
“Had you not been treated properly, the Wudang School would not have sat idle.”
In that instant, frost seemed to settle over the warm prison cell.
The conversation that followed was unremarkable.
Well.
From the sect alliance’s perspective, it might have been quite significant.
They spared no praise for how well Cheong Hyeon had been received.
“I could live here contentedly, truly.”
…….
When he tried his flattery, even Cheong Hyeon seemed to lose his composure, letting out only a hollow laugh.
He received back all his belongings, including the Demon Subduing Blood Draining Sword.
No.
On top of that, he was given several additional items.
“What is this……?”
“Items you had been carrying, or so we understand?”
He cracked open one of the pouches from what he’d received.
Something glittering caught his eye.
Ah.
He understood perfectly.
A bribe, plain and simple.
When he accepted it without hesitation, the sect alliance martial artists gave him looks of gratitude.
The outside world, after days away, was supposed to be beautiful—but beautiful was the last thing it was.
“Achoo!”
A cold gust hit him at once, and a sneeze burst from him. Winter had arrived in just those few days. At least the warm sunlight pouring down made it bearable.
Im Gang drew a deep breath and released it slowly.
“…Yes, perfect weather for getting out of prison.”
* * *
Im Gang went straight home. He’d invited Cheong Hyeon, but the investigator begged off, citing his duties with the survey team, and promised to visit another time.
Stepping out of the warm, contented prison into a cold and gloomy home left him feeling rather melancholy.
He ventured back into the marketplace and purchased provisions to see him through the winter.
“That comes to two silver taels altogether.”
“…Is there no discount?”
“After the discount, it’s still two silver taels.”
“Does delivery…is delivery available?”
“Normally we would charge for delivery, but this time I’ll do it for free.”
His hand trembled slightly as he produced the two silver taels—but his spending habits had been in airplane mode for so long that he was actually quite flush with funds now.
Even if he spent several silver taels a day, it would take months before anyone noticed the difference.
This was all thanks to Baoklie Demon Army.
Ah, you are my generous tree that gives without ceasing. Experience, wealth, and cultivation all bestowed upon me. You are nothing but pure radiance……!
And that wasn’t even the end of it.
There was also a Night-Luminous Pearl, each segment the size of a thumb joint. He’d considered selling it but decided, from experience, to hold onto it in case he ever found himself without a mirror spirit.
He could always sell it later if he grew desperate.
After that, he stopped by the Hao Gate.
“I’m looking to sell this. Are you interested in buying?”
…….
The elderly man with a scar seemed baffled and led him downstairs.
Moments later, a man he’d never seen before emerged. Standing face to face with one dreary fellow in a dreary basement, Im Gang’s mood soured considerably.
“What is it you wish to sell?”
“First, this one and…….”
As he produced the Jingmingzhu, the Hao Gate man’s back began to fidget.
“And this as well……”
He withdrew two secret manuals he’d been hoarding all this time.
“The Piaoyingshenfal and the Yangwen Guhuijue……”
“Gasp!”
Bang!
The man across the table was so startled he struck it with his knee.
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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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