Boy, You have collected the necessary ingredients for making Grade-1Earth Elusive Potion Grade-1. Now then let's start making it.
Sogen nodded in agreement.
After 2 hours
"Finally, made it.", Sogen exclaimed in joy.
"Boy, you don't need to be this happy. If it weren't for me telling and warning you at every step of the potion formation then you would have already destroyed countless expensive herbs. From now on you should practice daily to hone your spiritualist's skills."
But in his mind Mr. Rudriger was admiring Sogen. Most spiritualists failed at their first attempt of making a potion and had to try many times to make a good quality of potion but Sogen made it successfully in his first try and even the quality of potion was excellent.
Boy, you should drink it when you breakthrough to the King Realm.
Whereas Sogen was thinking," I directly became Earth Realm 5th stage mid level cultivator after acquiring schimitar bear sacred fire. King Realm is not very far."
Boy, now you should go and rest, this potion making process has already drained you of your spiritual energy.
Yes, sir.
Sogen left for his room.
Meanwhile Mr. Rudriger keep looking at the claudron which was used in making the potion. It was as if he had been lost in his memories. But after some time he came to his senses and goes to the counter of the workshop.
Sogen was cultivating in his room. Replenishing his energy, spiritual energy puts a strain on body and mind of a person.
Next Day
The market of Hamar Town was lively as ever.
Vendors shouted, children ran between stalls, and cultivators pretended they weren't eavesdropping on each other's business.
Behind a vegetable stall piled high with cabbages, two figures crouched with the solemn expressions of men carrying out a world-shaking mission.
Unfortunately, they were crouching so obviously that even the cabbages seemed embarrassed for them.
"Brother Krinn," whispered the shorter one, whose nose was currently pressed against a cabbage leaf, "are you certain he hasn't noticed us?"
Brother Krinn narrowed his eyes and stroked his non-existent beard. "Impossible. We are executing the 'Silent Breeze Concealment Art.' Even a King Realm expert would struggle to detect us."
At that exact moment, a passing old woman smacked him lightly with a basket.
"Move aside. You're blocking my vegetables."
Across the street, Sogen lifted his teacup and took a calm sip.
Earlier that morning, Sogen's system had given him a quest.
[System Notification]
Two third-rate cultivators are following you.
Mission: Teach them a lesson.
Reward: 1,00,000 system coins.
Sogen's lips curved slightly.
The system rarely disappointed when it came to rewards.
From the morning the two cultivators following him through the streets in increasingly absurd disguises.
First, they wore straw hats.
Then, fake mustaches.
Then, at one point, they both hid inside a single oversized robe and waddled like a pregnant penguin.
He set his teacup down and stood.
Behind the cabbage stall, both spies stiffened.
"He moved!"
"Of course he moved! People move!"
"Why is he walking toward us?!"
"…Strategic coincidence."
"He's looking at us."
"He's looking at the cabbages."
"He's definitely not looking at the cabbages."
Sogen stopped directly in front of them.
He stared down at the two crouching figures.
They stared back up at him.
There was a long, awkward silence.
Finally Sogen picked up a cabbage.
He weighed it thoughtfully.
"Excuse me," he said mildly, looking straight at them. "How much is this?"
The question fell like heavenly thunder.
The two cultivators stiffened.
"…He's testing us," the shorter one whispered.
Brother Krinn nodded gravely. "Indeed. Classic interrogation opener."
Sogen blinked once.
"I'm just asking the price."
The shorter one panicked. "We don't know!"
Brother Krinn hissed, "Fool! It's obviously coded speech to make us open our mouths!"
Sogen raised an eyebrow. "Coded…?"
Brother Krinn suddenly shouted, "We refuse to betray our boss!"
Sogen stared.
The vegetable vendor stared
A passing goat stared.
Brother Krinn swallowed hard.
"Plan B."
The shorter one nodded solemnly.
Without hesitation, both bit down on their back molars.
Crack.
Hidden poison capsules shattered.
Dark blood trickled from the corners of their mouths as they collapsed dramatically onto the ground.
"Hahaha…" Brother Krinn rasped weakly.
"You may have caught us… but you will never obtain information from our lips!"
"Yes!" the other gasped triumphantly. "We are loyal! Loyal to the end!"
They burst into villainous laughter.
"HAHAHA—"
Thud.
Silence.
The market paused for a moment, then resumed as if nothing had happened. Apparently, dramatic suicide attempts were not entirely rare.
Sogen stared at the two twitching bodies.
The system chimed again.
[Warning]
If targets die, mission incomplete.
Objective: Teach them a lesson, not attend their funeral.
Sogen sighed softly.
From his sleeve, he retrieved a golden jade bottle. When he uncorked it, a fragrant medicinal aroma spread into the air.
He knelt and calmly stuffed a pill into Brother Krinn's mouth. Then another into the shorter spy.
Moments later—
Both men jerked upright as if struck by lightning.
"AH!"
"I saw the gates of the Underworld!"
"I was shaking hands with King Yama!"
They stared at Sogen in horror.
"You… you healed us?"
Sogen smiled faintly. "Naturally."
They immediately bit down again.
Crack.
Poison.
They collapsed once more.
Sogen fed them another pair of pills.
They revived again.
They stared at him.
He stared back.
"Stop!" Brother Krinn shrieked. "What kind of demon are you?!"
Sogen tilted his head. "You seemed eager to die."
The shorter spy trembled. "Death is preferable to interrogation!"
"Interrogation?" Sogen looked thoughtful.
"Who said anything about interrogation?"
He casually revealed the jade bottle.
It was still half full.
Both men felt their souls leave their bodies again.
For the next half hour, the scene became increasingly absurd.
They bit poison.
He healed them.
They bit poison.
He healed them.
Eventually, Brother Krinn broke first.
"Senior! Please! We will talk! We will confess! We will even provide written testimony!"
Sogen crossed his arms.
"Written testimony?"
"Yes! With diagrams!"
The shorter one nodded frantically. "Color-coded!"
Sogen considered it seriously.
"You do realize," he said mildly, "that these healing pills are made from premium material."
They froze.
"…Premium-material?"
"Do you know how expensive they are?"
The two spies slowly turned pale.
"You… you're not charging us, are you?"
Sogen's smile widened.
"Of course I am. Each revival incurs a cost."
Their expressions collapsed into despair.
Brother Krinn's voice trembled. "Brother… death was cheaper."
In the end, they confessed everything before Sogen even asked a proper question.
Their boss.
Their mercenary group.
Their "secret operation," which apparently consisted of following Sogen while arguing loudly about strategy.
Sogen listened patiently.
When they finished, he waved a hand dismissively.
"Return to your boss."
They blinked.
"You're… letting us go?"
"Yes."
Relief flooded their faces.
But then Sogen added calmly,
"Tell him that if he wishes to monitor me again… he should send someone competent."
A pause.
"Preferably someone who does not hide behind vegetables."
The two spies flushed crimson.
They bowed so hard their foreheads nearly cracked the stone pavement.
"Yes, Senior!"
Then they fled at full speed.
After running several streets, the shorter one suddenly slowed.
"Brother Krinn…"
"Yes?"
"…We're still alive."
Brother Krinn's expression turned complicated.
"…Don't remind me."
"Brother Krin…"
"Yes…"
"…Next time, let's hide behind fruit."
"…No. Fruit has higher profit margins. Too dangerous."
Sogen's mind rang with the familiar tone.
[Mission Complete]
Lesson delivered successfully.
Reward: 1,00,000 System Coins.
Hidden Reward Unlocked: +1 Reputation — "Gentle Demon of Hamar Town."
Sogen paused.
"…Gentle?"
The system remained silent.
He looked toward the direction the two spies had fled.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Business," he murmured softly, "requires patience."
And sometimes—
A few extra pills.