Possessing Nothing

“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.

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