A Scholarly Inquiry and an Unexpected Offer
"Is there somewhere that feels uncomfortable?"
"N-no... I'm fine. Thank you for your hospitality. Cheongmun... Seosa."
I faced Cheongmun Ryeong, hiding my emotions.
He seemed puzzled, but did not press further and took his seat.
I sat as well.
"I heard you came to see me about arrays."
"Yes. I learned of the method the Nascent Soul master previously displayed, and I plan to create an array following that framework. That is why I sought out the great master of arrays, Cheongmun Seosa."
"May I see what kind of array you have in mind?"
I showed him the drawing of the array I had prepared.
After examining it for a moment, Cheongmun Ryeong said,
"In other words, this is an array that condenses strong power into life force to promote the growth of heaven and earth spirit creatures, correct?"
"Correct."
"It is inefficient. In contrast, the demonic families refine and pour out life force using their unique dirty methods. Why has such an array never been developed until now? Simply dumping vast amounts of crude spiritual energy cannot possibly accelerate the growth of heaven and earth spirit creatures."
"However, the matter is of great importance to me, so I am asking for your help. Is there truly no way?"
"Hmm..."
Cheongmun Ryeong looked at me, having observed the drawing for a while.
"I do not believe you came here solely because you had this foolish array structure. You must have additional information and are requesting my help for something else?"
I nodded and took out another book from my bosom.
It was a book detailing the Longevity Fruit and the longevity fruit.
"I have conducted a thorough investigation in advance regarding the heaven and earth spirit creatures I wish to promote growth for. Their species, location, the condition of the surrounding spiritual veins, spatial characteristics, and even the current state of the spirit creature. The flowers have just bloomed and the flesh is about to open. In a few hundred years, the flesh will fully ripen. I wish to extend that ripening period by a few hundred years through the array."
"Hmm."
Cheongmun Ryeong carefully examined the book I gave him and stroked his beard.
"If that is the case, perhaps an array that applies to that heaven and earth spirit creature alone and promotes growth for a few hundred years..."
While looking at the book, his body trembled with a start.
"Haha! The longevity fruit! The one that extends one's lifespan by a hundred years upon eating just one!"
"Yes."
"...I shall tell even the clan leader about this. A spirit creature that extends lifespan by such a great margin is an enormous treasure even for the clan leader, who is at the Core Formation stage. Especially now, as the Ascension Gate has opened and countless Heavenly Persons are competing... perhaps I can obtain the clan leader's support."
He asked me questions while reading the book, and also inquired about the array.
I spent the night discussing it with him.
* * *
"Hmm, it's already bright out."
"What does that matter?"
"Haha, it was quite enjoyable for a while. But since I must report to the clan leader, I should be going. Seosa-nim, you are the most scholarly and skilled in cultivation methods among the Nascent Soul masters I have met until now. Honestly, when you presented that absurd diagram, I thought you were mad... but thanks to you, I have learned a great deal."
"No. I have learned more from Cheongmun Seosa."
Friend.
The title fellow Nascent Soul cultivators use among peers.
He had spoken with me all night, and at some point began calling me "friend."
—You stupid disciple!
—Seosa.
—Seosa Do-u.
The titles that had changed with time.
One day.
Would the word "senior" come from Cheongmun Ryeong's mouth?
I saw Cheongmun Ryeong off as he left the room, feeling a strangely bitter aftertaste.
As I grew, I could overcome fate, and new miracles and changes followed.
But I felt something within me that I wished had not changed.
The thought that one day the word "senior" would come from Cheongmun Ryeong's mouth terrified me.
"Haha, Seosa. Did you talk pleasantly with Ryeong-hyung?"
"Ah, it's Cheongmun Dan Seosa."
Cheongmun Dan, who had guided me to the family, approached me.
"It's rare to see Ryeong-hyung so happy while chatting. The Cheongmun Clan estate is always filled with muscleheads, and he never stops complaining. It seems you've really cheered him up."
"I only asked questions, but hearing that made me feel even more awkward."
"Even questions are done properly. Ryeong-hyung complains every time he talks with the same Nascent Soul elders that he knows nothing. From last night's conversation, it seems Ryeong-hyung never showed his usual sharp tongue. I really admire your knowledge."
"You flatter me. My master simply taught me well."
I swallowed my bitter feelings and smiled brightly.
"I see. May I ask from whom you received instruction?"
"...I'm sorry. I'm afraid I cannot reveal my master's name."
"Oh, I understand. Judging by your age, you are still young. Even if our clan youths only half resemble you, it would be fine."
Cheongmun Dan sighed and continued with unrelated chatter. He complained that recent clan youths were only chasing after women's skirts in pursuit of luck, and that it was high time to gather everyone and punish them to restore discipline.
After a while of this talk, Cheongmun Dan glanced at me and asked,
"By the way, Seosa. If a person like you with your knowledge were to discipline the clan youths..."
He was offering me employment at the Cheongmun Clan.
Compared to the ridiculous act of forcibly capturing a fellow Nascent Soul master and marrying him as a son-in-law, the courteous proposal seemed to indicate that much had changed.
"Unfortunately, I do not seem to have the personality suited for belonging somewhere..."
"Is that so? What a pity. Your resolve is truly firm. I wanted to say that to my own descendant... that he should learn from you."
"Is it because of the recent youths from Cheongmun Clan that you are troubled?"
I recalled the Cheongmun Clan brother who had thrown punches without restraint at the Yeongdo Market and asked.
If the youths of the Cheongmun Clan were all like that, the elders would have a hard time managing them.
"Well, it's not that they're troubled so much as there are too many who are annoying. No, they're not just annoying; they're obsessed with strange rumors and refuse the assigned tasks, instead chasing after women's skirts until they explode."
"Women's skirts?"
Cheongmun Dan slapped his chest in frustration.
"It's all because of that bastard, Goe-gun. Damn it. Everyone has seen how he ran rampant across the lands before the Ascension Gate opened. Anyone who hears something related to him believes it's good, and they follow him with wide eyes."
"Among them, the late-stage genius of the Byeok Clan, that madman, is the problem! He reached Nascent Soul stage, yet he acts like an in-heat dog and seduces even the innocent youths of Cheongmun Clan to chase after women's skirts alongside them!"
Cheongmun Dan slapped his chest again in anger.
"Well, can you tell me exactly what happened?"
From his tone, it seemed he wanted someone to listen to his complaints.
"Fine, listen. One day, the top late-stage genius of the Byeok Clan, Byeok Mun-seong, discovered a cultivator who had the same talent as Goe-gun in the Byeokra Kingdom."
"What...!"
I was startled and looked at him.
"If it's the same talent as Goe-gun..."
"Yes. The kind of madness that that old lunatic has. So the cultivators of Cheongmun, Byeok, and Gongmyo in Byeokra, as well as those from other nations, became interested. But it turned out the cultivator has that talent, yet it is far inferior to Goe-gun's."
"What is that talent?"
Cheongmun Dan looked at me with an odd expression.
"You don't know about Goe-gun's talent? Goe-gun was born with the talent of Gi-mun Beop-jae—Strange Script Law Talented.
Those with Gi-mun Beop-jae have innate talent for creating magical artifacts, arrays, puppets, and such. When someone with this talent begins concentrating on something, strange patterns appear on their skin. The number of patterns determines the title: Chil-mun Beop-jae for many patterns, down to Il-mun Beop-jae for few. More patterns mean turbid and useless talent; fewer mean pure and innate talent."
"Ho, what an unusual talent."
He clicked his tongue and continued.
"Well, regardless of whether they are Law Talented or not, true Law Talented are only those from Il-mun to Sam-mun. From sa-mun to oh-mun are merely average genius-level talents. From yuk-mun to chil-mun, they are merely mediocre craftsmen with ugly skin; they have no real sensitivity for creating things."
I listened to Cheongmun Dan's explanation.
"Yet the cultivator discovered by that Byeok Mun-seong had only sa-mun Beop-jae talent. He discovered one genius-level talent and claimed he found someone with Goe-gun's talent, and those who obtain him will make enormous contributions to the family. He even seduced the youths of not just his own clan but also Cheongmun and Gongmyo to chase after women's skirts. How excited he must be!"
"Oh dear..."
"If it were Cheongmun Clan, they would beat him to a pulp, but since it's Byeok Clan, I can't go beat him. I'm going to explode with frustration."
"That must be very distressing."
At that moment.
"I already spoke a little with the clan leader about it."
"Hmm?"
Cheongmun Ryeong came out of the Cheongmun Clan main hall and spoke to Cheongmun Dan and me.
"The clan leader told me to completely block that root with you, Seosa Do-u."
"What does that mean, Ryeong-hyung?"
"The information about the longevity fruit you brought. After the clan leader consulted with the elders about its authenticity, the elders who had visited Bongmyeong Castle confirmed its truthfulness. Therefore, the clan leader has granted infinite support for this matter."
Apparently, information about Bongmyeong Castle was known to the clan leaders and above of each family.
"But what does blocking that root have to do with anything?"
"It's simple. You and I must research the array, and we need someone to provide the magical artifacts it will use."
Cheongmun Ryeong explained carefully to Cheongmun Dan and me.
"So the clan leader intends to issue a formal order to that woman regarding the array's magical artifacts. By naming Cheongmun Clan as the client, and since she will be locked in the workshop, we can treat the noisy clan youths and other families' youths as interfering with Cheongmun Clan's event and legally handle them."
"Indeed... if it's sa-mun Beop-jae, it would be quite superior even to Goe-gun, and we would receive a satisfactory result."
"Of course. Hahaha, thanks to the diagram Seosa brought, we also solved the problem of those troublesome youths."
Cheongmun Ryeong laughed brightly and patted my shoulder.
I suddenly had a question and asked,
"I understand that Gi-mun Beop-jae is a talent for creating things like magical artifacts and puppets, but what level was Goe-gun's talent exactly?"
"You said it yourself? Naturally, Il-mun Beop-jae."
"Goe-gun's talent is literally demonic. How much more so before the Ascension Gate opened? Countless Heavenly Persons would have run away at the mere mention of Goe-gun."
Cheongmun Ryeong and Cheongmun Dan, who had seen Goe-gun before, both suddenly trembled.
'Il-mun Beop-jae, yet sa-mun Beop-jae...'
I suddenly wondered about that cultivator who possessed the same kind of talent as Goe-gun.
"Well then, Ryeong-hyung. We should proceed with Cheongmun Clan style—cleanly and directly. Kidnapping her is the way?"
"Yes, let's hurry and kidnap her."
"...?"
'What did he say?'
I asked them because I could not follow their conversation.
"No, you said you were issuing a formal order, right?"
"Correct. However, the magical artifacts for the array must be created and experimented with as we research the array, so it would be better if Cheongmun Clan made them and immediately experimented here. So we plan to kidnap her and have her make them."
Cheongmun Ryeong and Cheongmun Dan looked at me as if something was wrong.
'Indeed, thinking about it, this family is overly bold...'
Thinking about it, the family that had kidnapped me when I was weak and tried to force a marriage.
"We will kidnap her and, in any case, issue a formal order with proper payment."
"It is a plan carried out under the clan leader's name. Aside from temporarily changing her residence, it will cause no harm."
"..."
I did not know where to begin my objection and hesitated, then sighed softly.
"...For now, let's go meet that sa-mun Beop-jae cultivator and hear his opinion."
* * *
Anyway, Cheongmun Ryeong, Cheongmun Dan, and I flew on a flying artifact eastward toward Byeokra Kingdom to kidnap the sa-mun Beop-jae cultivator for the array's magical artifacts.
'Hmm? But in this direction...'
When I suddenly felt a premonition.
"Seosa, you seem unfamiliar with Cheongmun Clan's methods."
"Ah, yes. Well, I guess so."
Cheongmun Ryeong stroked his beard and said.
"Our family does not act without thought like bandits. We assess the situation and act appropriately. We are merely a little more aggressive according to the family's principle."
"..."
"It was not only for us that we kidnapped the magical artifact master. Right now, that woman is surrounded by youths from Cheongmun Clan, Byeok, Gongmyo, and Samga, and she must be suffering a great deal. If she receives Cheongmun Clan's protection, she may even be pleased."
"Hmm..."
Thinking about what Cheongmun Dan had said, it seemed not a bad option for the magical artifact master either.
"Our clan ancestor, Cheongmun Seon-woo, left these words: 'Always consider the opponent's position and move accordingly, but once you move, move boldly no matter the circumstances.'"
"I see..."
Thinking about it, the incident where Cheongmun Clan had come rushing to kidnap me and force a marriage had not been entirely bad for me either.
It could be a little aggressive, but a family that always considers the opponent's position.
That was Cheongmun Clan.
'By the way, in this direction... could the magical artifact master who is supposedly sa-mun Beop-jae be...'
Far away, Cheon-saek Castle at the easternmost tip of Byeokra Kingdom came into view.
"Ryeong-hyung. Is the kidnapping done by luring with a rope, or by abduction?"
"Let's do it by abduction."
"..."
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