Chapter 338

The Kunlun Mountains were nothing short of a natural treasure trove. Rare artifacts and herbs such as Mita Nectar, fleeceflower root, and Everfrost Ginseng were so abundant that one could stumble upon them while simply on a stroll. Any martial artist, even one of lesser skill, would experience a surge in internal energy just by consuming even a single one of these miraculous elixirs.

“I see, so that’s what the situation is like...” Yao Ping mused. “In that case, I, Yao Ping, Master of the Celestial Secret Squad, cannot just stand idly by!

Hahaha

!”

Do-Jun sat across from Yao Ping, shaking his head silently. They were at the guest quarters within the sect, where the students of the Black Assassins Academy and the Celestial Secret Squad were staying. He needed Yao Ping’s help to make the Divine Qi Pills, but he certainly didn’t require his assistance in gathering Everfrost Ginseng.

Everfrost Ginseng was necessary to neutralize the toxins in the seawater on the eighth floor of the Core, and upon hearing this, Yao Ping burned with determination as if it were his own mission. Of course, Do-Jun omitted the part where he also needed it to make broth for his baeksuk.

“I can handle this alo—” Do-Jun tried to decline, only to be interrupted.

“How could I possibly allow the mighty Heavenly Demon to do such menial work! Huh? What is the role of the Master? It is to serve the will of the great Heavenly Demon!” Yao Ping passionately declared, veins bulging in his neck.

Slightly taken aback, Do-Jun chose not to show his surprise. For some reason, Yao Ping’s personality seemed to have changed slightly.

“And just in case you’re misunderstanding my motive, I’m absolutely not doing this just to earn some fried chicken, okay?! My esteemed Heavenly Demon,” Yao Ping clarified.

Ah. So that’s what this is about

, Do-Jun thought in realization

.

Yao Ping’s eyes welled up with emotion as he said, “The thought of the great Heavenly Demon personally gathering ginseng fills my eyes with tears. I beg you—please entrust this task to your unworthy disciple!”

Do-Jun glanced at his wristwatch. It was 9:10 AM. The stew would take an hour to prepare, so he needed to hurry. With a resigned sigh, Do-Jun decided to let Yao Ping handle it.

“Return within half a shichen[1],” he said.

***

The students of the Black Assassins Academy gathered in the courtyard of the guest quarters. Today was the highly anticipated day when they would receive guidance from none other than the Demon Immortal himself. Once a year, the students were given a chance to be personally taught by the Masters or the Three Supreme Demons. For them, this was an unmatched opportunity.

The door opened with a creak, and Yao Ping stepped out.

“There he is!”

“Shh, be quiet.”

The students tensed up, their faces reflecting nervous anticipation.

Yao Ping looked down at them with a solemn gaze. He finally spoke. “Is everyone present?”

“Yes, sir!” they responded with forceful conviction.

After all, as the Master of the Celestial Secret Squad, Yao Ping was one of the most powerful figures in the Heavenly Demon Sect, and his influence ranked among the top three within the organization. This was not a lesson where they could afford to show any weakness.

Being personally instructed by a Master or a Supreme Demon was akin to achieving sudden enlightenment. The students’ hearts pounded with excitement. The knowledge they gained could break their previous limits and push them to the next level.

“Today, we will study pharmacology,” Yao Ping declared.

The students exchanged glances. It wasn’t martial arts, but no one looked disappointed. If anything, their anticipation only grew. This wasn’t just anyone—this was the Demon Immortal himself. Everyone knew that before joining the Heavenly Demon Sect, he had been the greatest Daoist sorcerer in the entire Central Plains.

“Let us depart.

Hahaha

!” Yao Ping laughed jovially.

The students smiled as they followed him.

He seems to be in a good mood.

Phew, what a relief.

A short while later, Yao Ping and the students reached the ridge of Kunlun, not far from the Sect's entrance. They were surrounded by vast fields of rare medicinal herbs. Yao Ping crouched down, plucked an Everfrost Ginseng from the soil, carefully dusted off the dirt, and reverently placed it into a cloth bundle as if handling a divine relic.

“Now, follow my lead and gather some ginseng,” he instructed the students. “Find the sturdiest ones. The key is to extract the root carefully without damaging it. We will reconvene here in one ke[2]. Understood?”

***

The promised half a shichen time had passed. Yao Ping untied his cloth bundle, revealing a heap of Everfrost Ginseng, radiating with spiritual energy. At a glance, at least three hundred roots could be seen.

Do-Jun observed Yao Ping’s grinning face and recalled the voices that had echoed from the Kunlun Mountains earlier.

“Master Yao Ping, I’ve gathered five roots!”

“Ah, well done, my dear student!”

“I brought eight! Only the finest ones!”

“Hahaha!”

“You did well,” Do-Jun complimented.

“This was nothing. I merely acted out of my sincere devotion to assist the great Heavenly Demon. Hohoho!”

Do-Jun transferred the ginseng into Ivela’s Pouch.

Yao Ping glanced at the pouch repeatedly, sneaking glances at Do-Jun.

Surely... he’s not going to just leave without offering a reward... right?

Do-Jun looked at the students assembled outside. There were about twenty-four of them. It wouldn’t be fair if only Yao Ping received a reward while everyone else had worked just as hard. From the pocket of his hoodie, Do-Jun pulled out a flyer that read “Group orders welcome!”

***

The World Tree and the Rainbow Bird blinked in utter shock as Do-Jun retrieved a handful of ginseng from Ivela’s Pouch and placed about twenty roots onto the World Tree’s outstretched palm.

“I-is this the E-Everfrost Ginseng?” she asked, surprised.

They had heard of Millennium Snow Ginseng, but Everfrost Ginseng was unheard of. And yet, Do-Jun had casually handed over not just one, but twenty roots. Even more concerning, hundreds more were visible inside Ivela’s Pouch.

“W-what kind of trial did you go through to obtain this...?” asked the Rainbow Bird.

“This... this has ten times the qi as a Millennium Snow Ginseng... How is this possible...?” The World Tree shuddered at the overwhelming pure qi emanating from the ginseng.

Even a single root contained the spiritual energy equivalent to ten Millennium Snow Ginsengs.

“How long will the purification process take?” Do-Jun asked the World Tree.

“With this much Everfrost Ginseng, we can get started on the purification immediately. I’d say the whole process would take about three days...”

With just Millennium Snow Ginseng, the purification, though possible, would have taken an enormous amount of time. However, with the Everfrost Ginseng, they could not only significantly reduce that time but also have the World Tree finally restore its full strength.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Are you really okay with us using them all?”

Do-Jun nodded. And with a faint

whoosh

, his figure vanished.

The World Tree and the Rainbow Bird exchanged glances.

“Just what kind of trial did he go through...?”

***

⌜Breaking News: Behemoth Guild’s expedition to the eighth floor of the Core has been officially scheduled for November 8. The sudden announcement from the Hunter’s Bureau has prompted major broadcasting networks to urgently reschedule their programming...⌟

As Do-Jun lifted the lid of the large pot, a thick cloud of steam rose into the air. The baeksuk was ready.

He carefully transferred three whole chickens into a smaller pot. Their plump bodies, submerged in a milky-white broth, had their legs neatly tucked in. Stuffed inside were glutinous rice, mung beans, jujubes, and chestnuts. The remaining two chickens were set aside for later when Yoon-Hee and Karsiel returned from the Academy.

Placing the pot of baeksuk on the dining table, Do-Jun watched as Yong-Yong busily arranged the tableware, retrieving fermented radish and kimchi from the refrigerator.

“Whoa! Look at how big the ginseng is!” Byeol stared at the baeksuk in her bowl, marveling at the massive Everfrost Ginseng root resting beside it.

Meanwhile, Yong-Yong rolled his eyes. “Yeah... it’s big alright...”

He wasn’t particularly fond of vegetables, and among them, the bitter taste of ginseng was the worst. If he had to choose, he’d rather eat mushrooms. At least mushrooms only had a strange texture; ginseng, on the other hand, was simply bitter.

But Master made it himself...

Smacking his lips, Yong-Yong hesitated, eyeing Do-Jun cautiously before finally swallowing the Everfrost Ginseng whole in one bite. His face twisted into a grimace as he slowly started chewing.

“Huh...?” He realized that something was off.

It was bitter, but not unpleasantly so. In fact, the more he chewed, the richer and more aromatic it became. It even had a hint of sweetness to it.

His eyes widened in surprise. Whipping his head toward Do-Jun, he blurted out, “W-what is this, Master?”

“Everfrost Ginseng. Not bad, right?” Do-Jun chuckled.

“Wow... I didn’t know ginseng could taste like this.”

And strangely enough, he felt more clear-headed. He could even sense an increase in his magical energy, though just slightly.

Yong-Yong peered into the pot and asked, “Is there more?”

“I have fresh ones.”

Do-Jun pulled a few more roots from Ivela’s Pouch, shook off the dirt, rinsed them under running water, and placed them on a plate. Yong-Yong promptly grabbed a whole root and started chomping down on it.

“This is amazing.”

“We should use this to make kimchi in winter,” Do-Jun mused.

Yong-Yong nodded vigorously as he took a bite of chicken with some fermented radish. Meanwhile, Byeol grabbed a drumstick, dipped it lightly in salt, and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing happily.

Though it was his first time making baesuk, seeing them eat so heartily made Do-Jun smile to himself.

***

The Kunlun mountain range had clear waters and fresh air. The students of the Black Assassins Academy gathered by the valley, having just finished their Everfrost Ginseng gathering session. However, they had been left idle ever since. It had been over an hour now.

If it were any other Master or Supreme Demon in charge, they would have been drilled relentlessly by now. Was it really okay to waste time like this? As if things weren’t already questionable enough, their stomachs started growling after their hard labor session.

“I’m starving...” one of the students muttered.

It was already time for a meal, but no one dared to leave. Obedience to orders—that was their motto. Yao Ping had told them to wait, so they had no choice but to do so, no matter how long it took.

And then, someone saw a lone elder flying toward them using a celestial footwork technique, soaring effortlessly through the air.

“Wait, isn’t that Master Yao Ping?”

“What’s he carrying?”

He was holding something, his hands burdened with what seemed to be several boxes hanging from his arms. Soon, Yao Ping landed in front of the students, carefully stacking the boxes one by one.

Upon seeing the boxes, the students murmured among themselves.

“It smells good.”

“I think it’s food.”

Yao Ping said, “Line up one by one. I shall now distribute your ‘royal provisions.’”

Royal provisions?

the students thought in unison.

“Hohoho. One chicken per person! You lucky brats,” he mumbled to himself.

Although confused, the students still lined up obediently. Each received a box of fried chicken from Yao Ping before returning to their spots.

Once he ensured everyone had received their share, Yao Ping took his own portion.

***

Instructor Tan Zhonghao was making his usual rounds, surveying the terrain of the Kunlun Mountains in preparation for his next lesson. As he passed through the valley, he saw Yao Ping and the students sitting together and sharing a meal.

Those insolent brats...! How dare they dine at the same table as the Master of the Celestial Secret Division?

He was about to storm over and put them in their place, but he stopped because of what he witnessed.

“Wow, this is amazing, sir!”

“Hoho! The drumsticks are the best part!”

Such a scene was unheard of in the Heavenly Demon Sect. A place where only the strong ruled, where the weak had no place—yet here, at this moment, he saw something else entirely.

No. There was a time when things were like this once.

Tan Zhonghao recalled the days when he and Wei Zhongqi had been cadets at the Black Assassins Academy. Slowly, he closed his eyes, reminiscing about the Heavenly Demon Sect in its prime—a time when warmth and camaraderie still existed.

Those were the days...

For a moment, he lost himself in nostalgia. Then, chuckling softly, he turned and resumed his patrol.

1. One shichen is equivalent to two hours. ☜

2. One ke is equivalent to 15 minutes. ☜