Chapter 66

“Hmm . ”

Nevel received the martial arts manuals from Sungmin and flipped through them .

“Arts of the Shaolin Temple . Hundred Steps Divine Fist, Bodhidharma Cultivation Art, Arhat Movement Art… they can’t be called peerless arts, but they are definitely valuable . ”

“How much can I get from selling them?”

“I don’t recommend selling them . ”

Sungmin’s eyes widened at Nevel’s words .

“They can’t be sold?”

“No, it’s not that . We buy all the things that our customers want . Even if it doesn’t sell well . However, in those cases, we offer market price…”

Saying that, Nevel smiled bitterly .

“There’s a lot of Shaolin arts on the market, especially in cases of the Hundred Steps Divine Art, Bodhidharma Cultivation ARt, and Arhat Movement art . There’s too much stock . We sell our purchases through merchant guilds or the black market .

But… As the Shaolin Temple is a famous sect, there is a lot of stock for their martial arts . If you so wish, I will buy them, but it will be hard to get their proper price . ”

“It’s that bad?”

“It’s the Shaolin after all . Oh… if it’s alright with you, may I know where you got these from?”

“…Do I have to?”

“I am your exclusive mediator, sir Lee Sungmin . Regardless of how you got your hands on these arts, I will not tell that fact to anyone . The reason I’m asking is because my advice to you will change according to where these arts are from . ”

Sungmin thought about it when he heard that . He didn’t need to be worried though . In the first place, the circumstances on his acquisition of those arts was purely circumstantial, and it wasn’t like Sungmin killed Xeon for those arts .

“…The original owner of these manuals died, and I was able to find these while collecting his body . ”

“Then I advise you to take them back to the Shaolin Temple . ”

Said Nevel .

“The Shaolin Temple is a well-known righteous sect . Even amongst the ten righteous factions known as the nine sects and one band, their will to uphold justice is particularly strong . They are a traditional buddhist sect, so they are far from malicious deeds . If you bring these manuals back to the Shaolin, they will compensate you even if it’s for their face . ”

“What kind of compensation?”

“With these, they will probably give you a Lesser Restoration Pill . A Greater Restoration Pill is stretching it . As you will be making ties with the Shaolin, it won’t be bad at all . And also, honestly speaking… even if we buy these manuals from you, it will not be enough to buy a Lesser Restoration Pill . ”

Sungmin was slightly disappointed at Nevel’s reply . Three manuals, and they weren’t enough to buy a single Lesser Restoration Pill .

‘…Where was the Shaolin Temple again?’

Sungmin combed through his memories . The nine sects and one band had branches in various places, but they all had a main mountain . The main mountain of the Shaolin Temple was located in a quite far away city called ‘Brethun . ’

‘Brethun is quite close to Drimoor . …I should go to Brethun and head to Drimoor from there . ’

it seemed that going to the main sect rather than the branch sect was better if he was going to return those manuals . Deciding on what to do with the manuals, Sungmin asked just in case .

“Is there perhaps, someone with a twisted karma like me amongst the members of Erebrisa?”

Originally, someone with Sungmin’s capabilities had no right to become a member of Erebrisa . He was told that he wasn’t qualified even at the peak-level, so it implied that becoming a member of Erebrisa required someone to be at the exceed-level at minimum . In terms of mages, it would be the archmage-level .

According to Prescan, the other being that Prescan had met with a twisted karma like Sungmin was a freak that Prescan couldn’t even hope to go against . There was a possibility that someone at that level was a member of Erebrisa as well .

“…That’s… hard for me to answer . Information about other members is a prioritized secret . ”

“You can’t even tell me if there is one or not?”

“Yes . I must apologize . ”

There were no results . Unless he met Prescan again, there was no way for him to know who had a twisted karma like he did .

After sending Nevel back, Sungmin sighed . Although he was concerned about a lot of things, it didn’t mean that his way forward was blocked . For now, he had clearly decided on where to go next . He would go to Brethun and visit the main sect of the Shaolin Temple, and return the martial arts manuals . If he was lucky, then he would be able to receive a Lesser Restoration Pill in exchange .

After absorbing the Greater and Lesser Restoration Pills without losses, Sungmin’s internal cultivation had leaped forward . However, an increase in energy didn’t mean becoming stronger . Right now, Sungmin was nowhere close to the bottleneck at the end of peak-level .

‘I’m still… far from strong . ’

The events at the dungeon told Sungmin of reality; that his existence was puny and weak . After reaching the peak-level, and defeating the ogre chimera so easily… Sungmin thought that he had become very strong .

However, reality told him otherwise . There were plenty of people stronger than him . Although Prescan was a lich and once the Tower Lord of the Black Magic Tower, being toyed around with felt uncomfortable .

What if it was Wiji Hoyeon?

No, there was no need to bring her here . Even Baek Sogo was much stronger than Xeon . From the moment Sungmin stepped onto that mountain, Baek Sogo already had the capabilities beyond the peak-level . Perhaps she had already reached the exceed-level .

To prevent Baek Sogo’s death in 7 years in that dungeon, to block Wiji Hoyeon, he was still lacking too much . He had to become even stronger .

‘I couldn’t get any help from the magic armor . No, I guess in this case I am fortunate?’

He should be considered fortunate since he didn’t undergo that forceful contract . Sungmin sighed and looked down at the magic armor that clad his body . It was good that he got to wear it, but…

“How am I supposed to take it off?”

Sungmin grumbled .

***

Two days later, Lloyd left Behengerr . After the large damage, Jo Young took position as the temporary head of the mercenary guild . However, according to rumour, it seemed that Ludd will take his place once he comes back from a request . Jo Young himself refused to take the position saying that he was not qualified .

Sungmin’s name was also mentioned when talking about the next head of the branch head, but Sungmin said no until the end . He couldn’t be bound to Behengerr .

Once the matters at the mercenary guild were somewhat closed, Sungmin headed to the mage guild . He was going to ask Kim Jonghyun to dispel the curse on the armor .

“It’s done . ”

Kim Jonghyun returned the magic armor after dispelling the curse . Sungmin received the armor and exerted his internal cultivation into it . The magic armor opened up, covering his body . Although the contract had been removed, the enchantment on the armor itself was as before . Exerting his internal cultivation would allow him to wear it, while taking it off was the same .

“I plan to leave Behengerr soon . ”

“Is that so? Where are you thinking of going?”

“For now, I’m going to go to the main sect of the Shaolin Temple in Brethun . ”

“That’s quite far . It’ll take months at least to reach Brethun from here . ”

“I have some business there . ”

“Do you have ties with the Shaolin?”

“Yes . ”

Sungmin didn’t bother to explain himself . Kim Jonghyun laughed and nodded his head .

“I thought that you and I could become close, but it’s a pity that we have to depart like this . ”

“…Well, we’ll meet again if fate allows us to, no?”

“That’s true . I don’t plan to stay in Behengerr forever either . Oh… and also . ”

Kim Jonghyun who was nodding, looked at Sungmin’s face .

“Scarlett Lecir . I heard that she was leaving Behengerr as well… are you going with her?”

“What?”

“Guess not . You two looked quite close after all . I thought you were in that kind of relationship . ”

Scarlett was leaving Behengerr? A few days ago, when he chatted with Scarlett, she never said that to him . Kim Jonghyun shrugged his shoulders seeing Sungmin confused .

“Well, I’m not her, so I shouldn’t talk much about it . Why don’t you ask Miss Scarlett directly?”

Since he had become quite close to Scarlett, he was planning to visit her before he left . Sungmin left Kim Jonghyun’s room and headed to Scarlett’s . When he knocked on her door a few times, the door slammed open

“What is it?”

Scarlett opened the door and glared at Sungmin . Sungmin flinched a little from the gaze, but was surprised after looking at her room he could see over her shoulder . The messy room had been cleaned and looked like some other room entirely .

“…I heard you were leaving . Is that true?”

“Who told you that? Oh, I guess I don’t need to ask . It’s that lunatic Kim Jonghyun, isn’t it? Why does that guy blabbering about other people’s matters?”

Scarlett grumbled and scratched her head . Seeing the red hair being tortured by her nails, Sungmin realized something . According to his memory of his previous life, there were no rumors about how Scarlett Lecir once lived in Behengerr . She would only stay here for a short while and leave soon . Sungmin had also predicted this to some extent . He just didn’t realize that it would be now .

“I can’t train in the city . I didn’t know this before, but apparently it suits me better to train in uh… slightly dirty places or mountains rather than in the city . ”

“Are you planning to go to Mount Msh again?”

“Are you crazy? Why would I go back there? I’m never going back there again . That stupid place . Urgh… And also, you don’t seem to know, but leaving Mount Msh after training and going back there means that the previous prohibitions will continue . Do you know that that is? If I go back to Mount Msh again, I’ll have to continue with those damned penalties . ”

He didn’t know that, but it did make sense . If the handicaps were reset by leaving the mountain, there would be ways to abuse the system .

“In any case, I’m not going back there . For now… I’m planning to travel around . Then I’ll find a place I like and start training for real . ”

“Oh… so that’s it . ”

“You came here to ask me that? Why, you thought I’d leave without even telling you?”

Scarlett started laughing .

“I’m not that cold . It’s just… yeah . I didn’t even get myself ready to leave, and I was planning to tell you when I got ready . ”

“…Is that so? That’s good . Actually, I was also planning to leave Behengerr, so I came here to say goodbye . ”

“What? Leave Behengerr? Where would you go after leaving here?”

“…There’s no reason for me not to . ”

“So where are you going, then?”

“For now, to Brethun . ”

“Brethun? That’s awfully far . Have you been there before?”

“No, but a map should…”

“Then we should go together . ”

Scarlett interrupted him . Sungmin widened his eyes at her words and looked at her .

“…What?”

“Let’s go together . I was also planning to travel around . It should be better with someone to talk to than going alone, right? It’s not so lonely either . ”

“Th, that’s true, but … . ”

“Why, you think I’ll drag you down?”

Scarlett laughed as she said that . She raised her hand and smacked Sungmin’s head .

“Don’t be cocky, kid . I should be much stronger than you, you know? In fact, you’ll have an easier time travelling with me . I would be able to protect you if someone strong appears . ”

“No, but I’m an S-rank mercenary and a peak-level expert… . ”

“Oh, are you now? You rude kid . Just say ‘thank you’ and obediently come with me . ”

Sungmin felt complex .

He was nearing thirty at his core, but was being treated as such by someone younger .

‘…No, wait . ’

“Oh yeah, how old are you?”

“You want to die?”

Scarlett suddenly glared at him when he asked that out of pure curiosity .

“You don’t ask a woman her age . ”

It seemed that she was older than she looked .

***

T/N: Nine sects and one band – These ten ‘organizations’ belong to the ‘righteous faction’ . They like to uphold justice . But then, there are plenty of novels that criticize the hypocrisy of their justice…

The nine sects are – Shaolin, Wudang, Huashan appear all the time, and different authors will use different sects for the remaining ones . (Turning Korean characters into Chinese Pinyin is a pain, so I won’t do the rest . ) They are also all seem to be based in mountains… hence ‘main mountain’ .

The one ‘band’ is ‘beggars band’ . (Sorry, that’s the literal translation…) In Korean martial arts novels, this is the ‘information agency’ of sorts… joining this ‘band’ requires one to get rid of all of one’s money… typically . Also, no one disrespects them just because they are a ‘beggar’ band .

Also, the ‘kin’ in the title is the ‘kinship’ kin . It’s not a name or anything…

Comments:

Plot twist – Scarlett is actually the time traveller? She is ‘older than she looks’ . But then, she would have regained her ‘original’ powers incredibly fast if she was… . and Msh would have some interactions with her back in the mountain .

Next Chapter Teaser: We’ll find out why the title is ‘kin’…