Returning Immortal

Chapter 55 : Request

The next morning.

Gwi Seongjin's prediction was completely wrong.

Crunch, crunch.

As the hungry scorpions constantly gnawed, the formation began to shake again.

[Stop!]

[Please stop gnawing!]

Even if he commanded, they didn't listen, and even if he asked, it was of no use.

At this rate, it seemed it wouldn't even last two or three days.

'I need to come up with some measures.'

Gwi Seongjin, who had gone to work at the Dark Spirit Council with a heavy pressure, heard good news that afternoon.

It was a message that the mushroom had been found.

In the evening.

Gwi Seongjin, who had left the Dark Spirit Council, immediately ran to the underground market.

This time, he was alone.

He had strongly dissuaded Ho Risim from following him.

"Hehehe. Welcome."

When he entered the shop, the old man called Galno greeted him warmly.

"I'd like to see the item first... Is that okay?"

"Of course. Shall we go down?"

"I see."

The place the old man took Gwi Seongjin was the second basement floor.

It was another floor down from the place he had shown him before.

"This is the item. Please check if it's the item you requested first."

"Let's do that."

In the wooden box the old man handed him was an item wrapped in silk.

One layer. Two layers.

When he removed even the cotton cloth inside the silk, a black mushroom was revealed to Gwi Seongjin's eyes.

It was a mushroom that looked exactly like the one he had drawn for the old man.

However, its size was a little small.

It was less than half the size of the one he had obtained from the Qiankun Pouch.

"Is this the mushroom you were looking for?"

"It seems so. Do you happen to know the name of the mushroom?"

"Of course. That is a mushroom called the Ghost Wood Spirit Mushroom."

"What's the price?"

Gwi Seongjin asked directly.

He was planning to buy it even if the price was a little expensive.

"Hehehe. It's a little expensive."

"Hmm. How much is it?"

"In gold coins..."

The old man silently held up three fingers.

'Three gold coins?'

Gwi Seongjin's complexion changed.

He now had only eight of the gold coins he had received from Academician Yu.

If he paid three, it would be cut in half.

Still, at the thought that he wouldn't have to hear the scorpions' squawking anymore, Gwi Seongjin took out three precious gold coins from his money pouch.

The old man, who was looking at such a Gwi Seongjin, shook his head.

"Didn't you just say three gold coins?"

"I never said that. I said the price was expensive, but it seems you didn't hear."

"Then are you saying it's thirty gold coins?"

This time too, the old man shook his head.

"The price of the mushroom is three hundred gold coins. And this is even a cheap price."

Gwi Seongjin looked at the old man as if he were absurd.

In response, the old man explained the reason for the high price.

"There is a poison pool deep in Namman, and it is said that a tree called the Ghost Spirit Wood grows there. What's peculiar is that the tree roots move on their own and eat not only poisonous insects, but also any poisonous beast without discrimination."

"Are you saying the roots can extend at will?"

"I heard so too. Anyway, when the tree is over a thousand years old and can no longer handle the accumulated poison, it is said to grow a mushroom on its lower part and share the poison qi."

"Are you saying that mushroom is this Ghost Wood Spirit Mushroom?"

"That's right. In the end, when all the poison qi in its body is taken away, it leaves only one hideous and hard mushroom like this, and the tree withers and dies. The larger the mushroom, the higher the toxicity it contains, and to grow it to this size, the tree's age must be at least two thousand years."

"Hahaha!"

Gwi Seongjin laughed out loud as if he were absurd.

Then how old was the Ghost Spirit Wood that had grown the mushroom he had given to the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions?

If the old man's words were true, it seemed it would be at least ten thousand years old.

"So three hundred gold coins is not such an expensive price."

"...Hmm. What is the use of the mushroom?"

"I also don't know for sure. However, I heard that it is treated as a priceless treasure by the poisoners who learn poison arts. It's an absurd thing to say, but it is said that even immortals covet the large ones..."

The more he heard, the more he thought it was not an ordinary mushroom.

To think he had thrown such a precious mushroom to the scorpions without any thought...

Thinking about it now, he even felt a little regretful.

'It's no wonder those brats went crazy when they saw the mushroom.'

Thinking like this, Gwi Seongjin put the gold coins he had taken out back into his money pouch.

Three hundred gold coins.

That was an amount he couldn't afford even if he sold the gold nugget that had been in the Blood Scorpion Demoness's pouch.

"It's much more expensive than I thought. Since I don't have enough gold coins, let's pretend this transaction never happened."

"I understand. It was a type of mushroom I had never seen before, so I didn't expect it to be such an expensive item. But..."

Since he had no money, the transaction could no longer be concluded.

When Gwi Seongjin was about to go out, the old man who was supposed to guide the way hesitated and his words trailed off.

"Is there something you want to say?"

"Ah, no. But the person who entrusted the mushroom to this place made me a proposal."

"A proposal? Are you saying you told that person my identity?"

"I'm sorry. I had found the mushroom with difficulty, but he kept insisting that he couldn't give it to me..."

"...What proposal?"

"He said he could give the mushroom for free if you would do one thing for him. He said it was not a very difficult thing..."

At the old man's words, Gwi Seongjin sighed inwardly.

There was no way he would provide such an expensive mushroom for free for a not-so-difficult task.

Although it was right to refuse right away...

Thinking of the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions squawking that they were hungry, he couldn't easily refuse.

'Let's hear the proposal first, and if it seems dangerous, let's refuse then. Seeing how the Ghost Medicine Hall Master tamed them, there must be some way even if it's not an expensive spirit mushroom.'

Gwi Seongjin, who had made up his mind, said to the old man.

"What do I have to do to meet that person?"

"The thirsty person digs the well. If you wait a little, I will have someone bring him here."

At Gwi Seongjin's words, the old man gave a bright smile.

* * *

Half a shichen later.

Swish.

With a feeling of the air wavering, a person entered the basement.

It was a man wearing a mask on his face.

"Do you know me?"

The masked man shook his head at Gwi Seongjin's words.

"Then why are you wearing a mask?"

Instead of answering, the masked man looked at the shop owner.

At that, the old man quickly went out.

Rumble!

As if to let them talk at ease, he even closed the door.

When the old man's footsteps grew distant, the masked man finally took off his hood.

The masked man was a man in his early fifties with a sharp impression.

"It's a mask anyway, so why did you wear a mask?"

The man, who had flinched at Gwi Seongjin's words, raised his hand and covered his face.

And when he lowered his hand, this time a face in his mid-thirties appeared.

He was a man with white eyebrows and a gentle impression.

"I have been very rude at our first meeting. My name is Baek Geonwoo."

"I am Gwi Seongjin. I work at the Dark Spirit Council."

"I know. I heard that your knowledge of formations and barriers is great."

"Your information power is great. Where are you affiliated?"

"I can't tell you now."

"Oh! You are a person with many secrets. Then the request fee will go up a lot..."

Gwi Seongjin said with an unfriendly gaze.

Although Baek Geonwoo had not revealed his identity, Gwi Seongjin was not worried.

It was because if he asked Ho Risim, he would be able to find out this person's identity right away today.

This was the Luminous Cult's main fortress.

He could assert that there was no organization that could escape the eyes of the Dark Spirit Council.

"Still, I can't help it."

"If it's difficult to answer, you don't have to say. Anyway, your current face is also not real, is it?"

"Hmm! How did you know?"

"I also can't tell you. Since you even changed your voice, the name Baek Geonwoo must also be fake... Let's just talk about business. What is the proposal you are making, betting the precious Ghost Wood Spirit Mushroom?"

"You're more straightforward than you look. In that case, I'll also speak directly. I would like you to dismantle a formation in a place about a shichen away from here."

"It must not be an ordinary formation?"

"...Of course. Still, with your level, you should be able to dismantle it without any problem."

"Are you trying to go into someone else's house and steal something?"

"Something like that."

"What's the risk level?"

"Without you, the difficulty is high-grade. However, if you help, it's about mid-low."

"Isn't the reward too meager for that much contribution?"

"An additional fifty gold coins if the job ends well. How about it?"

"How about a mushroom instead of gold coins?"

"You must have heard from Galno how precious the Ghost Wood Spirit Mushroom is. This too was barely obtained after trying in a hundred ways. Now, decide. Will you accept the request?"

Baek Geonwoo looked at Gwi Seongjin with an anxious face.

When he became anxious, Gwi Seongjin rather gave a relaxed smile.

"If it's a formation so difficult that I have to step in, it must not be an ordinary place. If it's an old family or a sect with high influence, there must be not a few hidden treasures... Will one formation be enough?"

"The formation you have to dismantle is only one."

"It seems a once-prosperous family is now completely ruined. Still, seeing how you are approaching so cautiously, it must be a sect that is not easy to attack, and the resident masters..."

"We will also take care of the masters inside."

"Even so, safety is not guaranteed. Moreover, if it's an illegal act of going into someone else's house, killing people, and stealing things...

"Will a hundred be enough?"

This time, Gwi Seongjin shook his head.

"Five hundred gold coins. With that much, I'll think about it."

At the words 'five hundred gold coins', Baek Geonwoo's white eyebrows furrowed deeply.

It was much higher than the amount he had thought of.

Still, he could not give up on Gwi Seongjin.

"Five hundred is too much. Let's make it three hundred gold coins."

"...Good. Instead, there is something to be made clear. This request is to dismantle one formation designated by your side within a time limit. Regardless of the success or failure of the job, my role is only up to there."

"Of course."

"The mushroom is paid in advance, and how about the additional amount is paid later?"

"No problem. Then when would be good?"

"I'm available even tonight."

"We have things to prepare, so let's start tomorrow night. I'll be out at the entrance of Mount Shinmok around midnight."

"Let's do that."

Gwi Seongjin, who had made the promise, came out of the basement first.

* * *

When he entered the cave and gave the mushroom to the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions, the scorpions went crazy.

It was clear that they were very hungry.

Crunch. Crunch.

The scorpions that had finished eating the mushroom shook their tails at Gwi Seongjin.

Then they scurried around and wandered inside the barrier.

It seemed they wouldn't gnaw at the formation with their hideous eyes like before.

"Is the effect of the medicine wearing off a little?"

Gwi Seongjin muttered in a small voice, looking at them.

Before, they had fallen asleep as soon as they had eaten the Ghost Wood Spirit Mushroom, but now there was no sign of that.

Still, the effect of the mushroom was great.

[Attack!]

At Gwi Seongjin's spiritual sense, the scorpions immediately attacked the barrier formation.

Perhaps because they knew that crashing their bodies was ineffective, this time they directly brought their fangs to the formation.

'Oh...'

A strange light flashed in Gwi Seongjin's eyes as he looked at them.

Before, they had rammed their teeth anywhere, but this time they were choosing a weak spot and attacking.

It wasn't a coincidence, as both were gnawing at the weakest part of the barrier.

[S-stop!]

When Gwi Seongjin commanded, they immediately stopped their movements this time too.

[Go to sleep!]

This command did not work.

Both looked at Gwi Seongjin blankly, then scurried around and wandered inside the barrier again.

Gwi Seongjin, who had sent his spiritual sense a few more times, let out a low sigh.

It was because he had a thought that handling the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions was not as easy as he had thought.

But his thought that they were amazing had not changed.

The Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions knew nothing about Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.

Even so, their ability to destroy a barrier was comparable to Gwi Seongjin himself.

'It would be really great if I could subjugate these guys and use them as my own limbs...'

Although he had muttered like this, Gwi Seongjin knew that it was almost impossible.

The secret method of controlling demonic beasts or demonic insects was possessed only by very special sects in the cultivation world.

Moreover, since it was secretly passed down only to the chosen cultivators, ordinary cultivators couldn't even get a glimpse of the secret manual.

It would be even more difficult if it were a special species like the Ghost-Patterned Red-Tailed Scorpions...

'If a secret manual is difficult, I wish a spirit beast pouch that can hold these would just fall from the sky.'

Imagining such a thing, Gwi Seongjin entered the training room.

(End of Chapter)