Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Cultivation Through Copulation.

Episode 7: The Cultivation City Manho.

The journey to Manho, undertaken by Yuk-gyeong after being bested by the female warrior and left alone, was arduous.

He frequently encountered bandits armed with sickles or pitchforks and wild beasts like wolves.

Yuk-gyeong had a foreboding sense that if he had walked this path as he had before, without the power of the single Spiritual Root, he would have been nothing more than an ordinary person, likely dead and rotting somewhere.

No matter how promising the future of having a single Spiritual Root might be, it would be meaningless if he died.

Had he not met the female martial artist and acquired the Foreseeing Fist, he would have perished long ago.

The Foreseeing Fist was quite useful, as it was an excellent martial art that allowed him to subdue enemies using his hands and feet.

Swish, swish!

Yuk-gyeong’s hands and feet sliced through the air.

Previously, Yuk-gyeong knew nothing about throwing punches or kicking, but now, with the Foreseeing Fist, he could wield them like an expert.

Now, unless faced with a large group of bandits, he had nothing to fear.

Though some of Yuk-gyeong’s encounters were with professional bandits, they were few, and many were part-time bandits who farmed and took up banditry during their breaks.

These part-time bandits threatened people with farming tools like pitchforks or sickles to extort money, but lacking professional martial skills, they quickly fled before Yuk-gyeong’s martial arts.

Swish, swish! With his hands and feet, he would knock away their sickles or pitchforks, and they would assume he was a master and retreat with their tails between their legs.

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.

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After a brief recollection, Yuk-gyeong finally took in the scenery of Manho.

Manho was a city with a small lake at its center, surrounded by rugged mountains like a folding screen. Around the lake were inns and various shopping districts, bustling with people moving in between.

Unlike the villages he had passed before, this felt like a real city.

Naturally, this led Yuk-gyeong to feel slightly emotional as he remembered his past life, but.

A typical country bumpkin would be amazed upon first arriving in Manho, thinking, “Is there another world like this? To think that there’d be a city as big as this!”

Yuk-gyeong strolled around Manho for a bit.

The smell of water wafted from the lakeside. It was familiar. In his past life, the Han River always carried this scent.

Though it was a bit murkier and had more of an earthy smell than the Han River, and sometimes even a foul odor, it was still comforting.

There was a sense of stability from the wide expanse of water.

The lake, with fishermen and people boating, looked like a giant bathtub with boats bobbing around.

Turning his gaze from the lake to the shopping district, he could smell the scent of people.

Body odor, perfume, food smells… All sorts of scents were mixed together.

Instead of just watching from the outside like a bumpkin, he decided he should blend in with the crowd. Otherwise, he might get caught up in crimes targeting country folks.

Bumpkins sometimes made good targets. It meant those without any connections in this city had nowhere to complain if something happened to them.

Yuk-gyeong quickly jumped into the crowd.

Manho felt like…a study village to Yuk-gyeong.

A study village with many accommodations and people with dark circles under their eyes wandering around.

The whole city had an atmosphere of being engrossed in exams.

Listening to the conversations of the people next to him made it even more so.

“Did you hear? This year, the Wisdom Hall Sect said they won’t accept disciples.”

“What! The Wisdom Hall Sect was the sect I was aiming for!”

“Still, the Dark Moon Sect has opened its gates this time. They’re recruiting disciples, I hear.”

“Are the entry requirements for the Dark Moon Sect really that strict?”

“Of course! This time, Elder Geum Seung-won is overseeing entry into the Dark Moon Sect. They say he’s as stern as they come, not a drop of blood would come out if you pricked him! What do you think the entrance exam he oversees will be like? A storm of blood…”

“The Dark Moon Sect… Is it really okay to join them? Maybe I should get a fortune reading or something.”

“Oh, come on. You have to get in somewhere to start your cultivation, don’t you?”

The men passing by were engaged in such a conversation.

Listening to them talk about the Wisdom Hall Sect and who is overseeing the entrance exams of various sects, it felt fitting for a city close to cultivation sects.

Since this place was where many cultivation sects gathered, even ordinary people weren’t far removed from the cultivation world. In fact, they were quite close.

Ordinary people aspired to become cultivators, residing in this city where various sects gathered, waiting for the moment when the sects opened their doors to recruit disciples, hoping for a stroke of luck.

To somehow win the favor of these elusive cultivation sects.

Here, the cultivation sects didn’t explicitly post announcements stating what kind of disciples they were looking for.

Basically, one needed to have an innate Spiritual Root, a basic understanding of the Dao, perseverance, and so on. Most people didn’t know these basic requirements unless they were in the know.

Yuk-gyeong found this structure inefficient.

As a former modern person in his past life, Yuk-gyeong thought it would be more efficient to systematize and quantify the entry process to select better talents.

“It would be better to set entry requirements first and only gather those who meet them for the entrance exam. Like adding a document screening process.”

“Hey there, young man.”

Leaning against the inn’s threshold was a man with a stout build, who at a glance, seemed to declare himself the innkeeper.

“Yes?”

“So you’re dissatisfied with how the cultivation sects gather people indiscriminately without checking for Spiritual Roots and instead recruit disciples through cumbersome entrance exams?”

“Not indiscriminately…”

“That’s because it’s fate. The path of the Dao should not be pursued with ulterior motives and should not be mundane. Unlike the government, we don’t post announcements inviting people from all over the world to take exams.”

“Huh?”

“One must have an immortal fate. Those destined to become immortals will do so without being forced, and those who cannot become immortals will not succeed no matter how hard they try.”

The innkeeper explained to Yuk-gyeong, his ample chin jiggling as he spoke.

The stout man’s posture seemed delinquent as he leaned against the threshold, but his words were so unbalanced that they piqued interest.

His response was so profound that it made one wonder if this innkeeper was someone enlightened. Was there something special about him?

As Yuk-gyeong’s expression turned curious, the innkeeper laughed heartily and said,

“Ha ha, that’s why I’m saying you should come in and have a meal at our inn. This is what fate is about. Ha ha ha!”

Oh, of course.

It was just an inn’s solicitation. In a place like Manho, where the cultivation sects gather, they use impressive words to entice people.

Still, since I was intrigued, I might as well have a meal here…

The innkeeper, satisfied, jiggled his plump chin as he led Yuk-gyeong inside.

“Come on in, come on in. Our Manho Pavilion is famous for its exquisite dishes. Whatever you eat, it’s delicious. You won’t regret tasting it even once.”

Yuk-gyeong followed the innkeeper’s lead and entered the inn named Manho Pavilion, ordering a simple meal.

After placing the order, the innkeeper went inside the kitchen, presumably to cook.

Tsk. I thought maybe he’d keep me company, but of course, the innkeeper wouldn’t be that idle.

While waiting for his food, Yuk-gyeong turned his attention to his surroundings.

Just then, an intense discussion was taking place at the next table.

Four men were chattering about cultivation sects.

“Which one do you prefer? Here in Manho, there are the three major cultivation sects and four smaller ones. Naturally, you’d favor the large cultivation sects, and these three major sects are divided into two righteous ones and one demonic one.”

The initiator of the discussion was a square-faced man with a flat nose. He spoke as if joining a cultivation sect was a foregone conclusion.

At his words, a slender and sharp-featured man sighed deeply, nodding as if in contemplation.

“The righteous sects have strict rules and slow progress. In contrast, the demonic sects are wild with survival of the fittest, yet progress is fast and free. This is tough, really tough.”

Then, a man with a hooked nose and piercing eyes spoke confidently.

“If you’re confident in your skills, shouldn’t it be the demonic sects? In a world of survival of the fittest, the strong take everything.”

Another man nearby interjected to counter.

“Haha, don’t you know there’s always someone stronger? The righteous sects may have strict rules, but they cherish their members, providing protection and support for gradual growth.”

“I’m telling you, growth in the demonic sects is faster!”

“Is there any reason to risk death by joining a demonic sect? The goal is to attain immortality and become an immortal…”

Listening to the heated discussion at the next table, Yuk-gyeong’s food arrived.

The innkeeper who had guided Yuk-gyeong was nowhere to be seen, and some waiter brought the food instead. Isn’t it odd for the owner of a large inn like Manho Pavilion to serve food?

The speed at which the food was served was almost like fast food, satisfying Yuk-gyeong’s hunger.

The thin noodles were bland, as if they were just soaked in water.

Most of the food in this world was like that.

Without seasoning and with salt being scarce, the dishes were overwhelmingly bland.

To someone accustomed to the flavors of his previous life, this diet was nothing short of torture.

This food is truly the worst.

A significant reason Yuk-gyeong wanted to return to the previous world was because of the food.

I don’t even crave spicy food.

I just want to eat something with a spoonful of seasoning.

This accursed land of Yue, I dislike it because of the tasteless food.

However, having now grown accustomed to it, I can even enjoy the subtle sweetness of the noodles as I chew.

The unique umami, subtle sweetness, and savory taste of the thin noodles. The texture of the noodles dancing in my mouth was also a delicacy. The noodles were perfectly cooked with a pleasant chewiness.

My goodness. Finding such flavors while eating a bland lump of noodles. Perhaps I’ve become a gourmet.

Sigh.

No matter how much I rationalize, the bland noodles fall short compared to spicy and stimulating ramen.

Meanwhile, as Yuk-gyeong ate the noodles, he pondered the debate that had occurred at the next table earlier.

A demonic sect or a righteous sect.

The free but dangerous demonic sect, or the strict but safe righteous sect.

Hmm.

Choosing a path here feels much more complex than selecting a character class in a game. Depending on where I go, the course of my future destiny could change.