Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Come, Let's Die (1)
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The spy had been rooted out.
It was all thanks to Hong So-yeon's efforts.
The moment his identity was exposed, he unleashed his movement technique to flee, but even he couldn't withstand the combined assault of three demonesses—Hong So-yeon, Baek Seol, and Jeok Hwa-ryeon.
As a result, he was roughly subdued and now sat bound beside Cheongun.
Cheongun watched Hong So-yeon return after capturing him and take her seat.
"Any injuries?"
"None."
"Well done."
"No need to mention it."
Jin Cheon-u eyed the bound spy and asked,
"What should we do with this guy? Kill him?"
"Kill him? What do you mean kill? Are you the type to just slaughter everyone whenever something pops off? This guy's completely insane."
"……"
I stared silently at the spy.
The rat Master had mentioned was undoubtedly this one.
Eventually, I asked Jin Cheon-u,
"What do spies do?"
"Steal information, right?"
"Exactly. It's an extreme line of work where you have to be prepared to die if caught. So, who would be backing him?"
"The Righteous faction guys?"
"What's the most important thing to the Righteous faction?"
"Justice (義)?"
I nodded.
Cheongun nodded as well.
The martial world is a place of people among people, and once you've brought someone into your fold, the Righteous faction takes responsibility for them to the end.
But if you just up and kill a spy out of nowhere?
They'd swarm like street thugs, screaming about you daring to kill one of their own and seeking revenge.
"That's why the most important thing when dealing with the Righteous faction is justification."
"Justification?"
"Yes. Killing the spy gives them the justification of revenge, but keeping him alive gives us the justification to hold them accountable for all the information he's stolen like a rat."
Jin Cheon-u nodded as if he finally understood.
"So he's a prisoner of war?"
"Exactly."
The bound man panicked the moment his eyes met Cheongun's.
Cheongun abruptly stood from his seat.
He strode over, squatted slightly to meet the man's eye level.
And with his right hand, he ripped away the cloth sealing the spy's mouth.
And then.
"What's your name?"
"Kill me."
Pabababak!
Cheongun tapped the man's Demon Seal Acupoint.
In an instant, the acupoint-sealed man shuddered violently, letting out a deflating wheeze.
"……"
Jeok Hwa-ryeon unconsciously swallowed hard.
Memories of her own interrogation by Cheongun flashing back, perhaps.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead even as she swallowed.
The name of the captured spy was Im Jae-cheon.
His backer, who had sent him from the Bloodline Pavilion, was as expected—the Justice Alliance.
Specifically, a direct subordinate sent by a Justice Alliance elder, a warrior from the Kunlun Sect.
He'd been well-trained, holding out for over eleven days before spilling everything.
Compared to Jeok Hwa-ryeon, who had cracked in just a week, his endurance was remarkable—three full days longer.
After that, Cheongun entered a period of closed-door training.
"……"
Sitting in full lotus position at the center of the floor in his Pavilion Lord quarters' annex, he passed the time.
Full lotus was no easy pose.
Also known as the bound lotus position.
Legs crossed, feet placed soles-up on the thighs in the classic half-lotus—no, full crossed-legs.
The key was soles facing skyward.
To absorb heavenly energy.
This was the foundational meditation posture from Buddhism and Taoism.
"……"
The problem was how brutally tough it was.
If your body wasn't tempered, even a short time in it twisted your joints in agony.
Circulating energy, once started, was measured in hours minimum, so every session left his body exhausted.
But it was necessary.
The reason he entered seclusion despite the Overthrow Demonic Cult! trait was that his current level in the Heaven-Earth Primordial Unity Qi Art was ambiguous.
What good was a tougher body and explosive inner energy from the trait if he couldn't properly utilize it due to his low realm?
He had broken through the first stage, Heavenly Qi, but now felt confident advancing to the next: Primordial Unity.
Cheongun focused his mind on the clear Natural Qi surging in as the trait activated.
Reciting the incantations floating in his mind, he sensed the flow of true energy coursing through his body.
True energy departing from the dantian below the navel descended to the perineum acupoint at the base of the spine, then ascended along the spine from the tailbone.
Reaching the crown, it passed through the Hundred Confluence Acupoint, down the mid-forehead and philtrum to the navel.
He didn't forget to recite the incantations midway.
Thinking thus at this acupoint, that at another—like plugging into formulas—circulating true energy once around the body wasn't so hard.
Life-nurturing true energy from the dantian flowed through every meridian.
Heat rose in his body, blood vessels expanded, and the naturally heated inner energy melted away fat accumulated in every corner of his vessels.
Sweat poured out.
Mingled with fat, the stench was foul.
A true revolution in dieting.
Each time, Cheongun gulped down prepared water and refocused on circulation.
Before long, he lost track of time.
He vaguely gauged it by the waxing and waning moon outside the window.
Dawn came, morning sun rose from the horizon opposite the mountain base, then set again.
Tsiiiing—, a clear sword cry rang in his ears like an auditory hallucination.
He had entered a trance.
All worldly thoughts vanished.
Even as the sun rose and set countless times, Cheongun's trance held.
Imprinting myriad incantations body and mind, he repeated the Lesser Heavenly Circuit countless times in the Heavenly Qi realm.
Time passed.
Just as murmurs spread among his subordinates like, "Is the Pavilion Lord perhaps dead?"
"……"
Finally, Cheongun perfectly mastered the second stage of the Heaven-Earth Primordial Unity Qi Art: Primordial Unity.
If the first stage, Heavenly Qi, merely boosted inner energy and smoothed Natural Qi absorption,
Primordial Unity was the realm where distinctions of qi themselves dissolved.
'When yin reaches its extreme, yang is born; when yang reaches its extreme, yin arises.'
'The world's energies merely cycle, never fixed.'
'All things emerge from the One, and return to the One—that is the Way.'
Distinctions of yin and yang vanished.
Distinctions of inner energy and Natural Qi vanished.
Yin and yang unified in Primordial Unity, the energies of heaven and earth transformed.
And at last, it erupted as light.
"Huuu…"
Breath in, inner energy circulated.
Azure true energy extended through his entire body.
Reacting with Natural Qi, the mysteries of thunder began to unfold.
Pajijijik!!
With his breath, electric current flashed in the empty air.
Seeing it, Cheongun grinned.
"Second job change, success."
Cheongun emerged from seclusion and left the annex.
For about a month after, he focused on eating.
Whatever he ate turned straight to muscle, not fat—his once-slim frame now unmistakably that of a martial artist.
But there was a problem.
"Who's the head chef?"
At Cheongun's question, Jin Cheon-u tentatively raised his hand.
"Me."
"You're the head chef? Where's the original one?"
"Pardon? Didn't you, Pavilion Lord, chop off one of his arms and lock him in the gold cell?"
Ah.
The demon bastard was the head chef.
"Why did I call you here?"
"Why?"
"The food tastes like shit. Terribly so."
Fuck, just eat whatever they give you.
Jin Cheon-u grumbled inwardly.
Of course, he didn't voice it, but Cheongun, sensing his sour mood, smacked him on the head.
Paak!
"Argh! Fuck!"
Only then did Cheongun nod in satisfaction.
He scanned the room and spoke.
"Anyone here confident in their cooking? Step forward."
"……"
Hm.
No one.
Cheongun clicked his tongue and headed out of the annex.
"Pavilion Lord, where are you going?"
"To find a head chef."
With that, Cheongun ventured into the city streets, touring inns.
He planned to scout the city's best eats and hire a head chef that way.
He was sitting anywhere, chugging rice wine from a gourd, when
a bandit-looking thug plopped down beside him, snatched the gourd, and downed the rest himself.
"Hey, hick."
"Me?"
"Yeah, you. Hear that? The clink of silver in your pocket every step."
"So?"
At that, the thug smirked.
He snapped his thumb and forefinger, and a dozen similar-looking goons swarmed, surrounding Cheongun.
The thug bared yellow teeth in a grin.
"You know what to do. Hand it over."
Cheongun was dumbfounded.
How much? He couldn't stop laughing.
As Cheongun laughed like a madman, the surrounding thugs started chuckling along.
Sring! Cheongun drew his sword.
They ostentatiously drew theirs in response.
Not to be outdone, Cheongun grinned and wrapped his blade in sword energy.
They wrapped theirs too, just as showily.
Then Cheongun's sword blazed azure, sword threads fraying out like strands.
That's when they started panicking.
Wait, sword silk? We can't do that.
And then.
"!!!"
Pajijik—!
The frayed sword threads condensed, azure lightning bolts shooting straight upward.
Finally, Cheongun parted his lips.
"Come, let's die."
"……"