Chapter 12: Framed-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Framed-1
What is the Super-Peak Realm?
In the Central Plains, there are countless Rising Stars who shine like the constellations.
Equipped with excellent masters and high-level martial arts, they improve their skills through blood-spitting training, advancing step by step until they reach a certain level of mastery.
The first wall they encounter is the Peak Realm.
It is a stage that can only be reached when three elements—Mind, Skill, and Body—attain a certain level: a steadfast heart toward martial arts, a body tempered to its limits, and techniques honed to perfection.
If even one of these three is lacking, the wall of the Peak Realm cannot be broken.
Unless one belongs to a prestigious sect or a Murim clan with hundreds of years of history, it is common to lack the foundation necessary to develop these three elements stably.
Consequently, even Rising Stars raised as the future of their sects often find themselves unable to overcome this wall, falling into despair and failure.
Among those Rising Stars, only a select few surpass that wall to reach the Peak Realm.
Once they reach the Peak Realm, they finally emerge as core forces within their sects and receive respect as martial artists who have established their own paths.
And among those few chosen geniuses, those who reach the Super-Peak Realm are even rarer.
The Super-Peak Realm is defined as the stage where the Ren and Du Meridians are opened and the Middle Dantian is unlocked. To open these meridians, the minimum conditions are met only when the sources of life—Essence, Qi, and Spirit—are in perfect harmony.
Unlike Mind, Skill, and Body, which are more physical, Essence, Qi, and Spirit are mental and spiritual concepts that require profound enlightenment.
Therefore, no matter how physically perfect one might be, if they cannot achieve harmony between Essence, Qi, and Spirit, they will inevitably hit a limit.
Thus, the Super-Peak Realm can be seen as a supreme state where the physical concepts of Mind, Skill, and Body and the spiritual concepts of Essence, Qi, and Spirit achieve perfect harmony.
Because the requirements are so dauntingly numerous, the number of people who reach this realm is naturally small.
However, because they possess overwhelming martial power, a Super-Peak martial artist is practically treated as the strongest asset within a sect, wielding enough influence to dictate the sect's very direction.
Sun-woo had now reached that supreme realm.
Reaching the Super-Peak Realm in one's mid-twenties was a staggering achievement, the kind seen perhaps once in a century.
Given the nature of the Orthodox Faction, where progress is typically slow, most Super-Peak masters only achieve that state after reaching middle age or beyond.
A satisfied smile played on his lips.
Among his peers, not a single person had reached the Super-Peak Realm.
He had rightfully become the greatest talent in the Central Plains.
For Jang Sam, who had been filled with inferiority and a sense of defeat, this was a form of consolation.
And he could feel it.
The fact that he hadn't been wrong.
Though he had received help from the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art and the Hundred-Year Fleeceflower, the harmony of those six elements—Essence, Qi, Spirit, Mind, Skill, and Body—was surely built upon the foundation of Jang Sam’s twenty years of bone-shaving, blood-spitting effort.
Sun-woo set down the secret manual of the Yin-Yang Demon and began to bow.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and finally, nine.
It was the Ritual of Nine Prostrations.
It was an act born of Sun-woo's will to formally accept the Yin-Yang Demon as his masters.
After staring at the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art manual for a long time, Sun-woo picked it up and conjured Samadhi True Fire.
Whoosh!
The manual caught fire and began to burn.
"Thank you."
Though the Yin-Yang Demon were arch-demons who had once made the world tremble in fear, to Sun-woo, they were great benefactors.
Sun-woo brushed himself off and stood up. He took the wooden case containing the Stalactite Fluid, returned to the third cave, and placed it down carefully.
In the process of absorbing the Hundred-Year Fleeceflower, his acupoints had been strained, and he didn't feel confident in safely absorbing the Stalactite Fluid just yet.
As much as he wanted to test his martial arts to his heart's content, overexertion was forbidden until his torn acupoints and cracked Dantian were healed.
"Let's recover first."
Sun-woo stood up and headed toward the first cave where the Fasting Pills were kept.
*
Cheonmu Alliance Headquarters
A massive crowd was welcoming a group entering through the main gates of the Cheonmu Alliance.
"Waaaaah! The Alliance Leader has returned!"
"It's the Alliance Leader!"
"Alliance Leader!!"
"He's finally back!"
Men and women, young and old alike, were fervently cheering for the Alliance Leader's return.
As a hero who had saved the Murim and the World's Greatest Martial Artist, the word "popular" was an understatement.
The Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won, raised his hand to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd.
Meanwhile, his eyes scanned the throng, looking for any fuckable women.
"Oho~"
Among the cheering crowd, one woman stood out.
She had a haughty expression and seemed to be clapping only out of obligation.
Her arrogant demeanor made him want to break her all the more.
He wondered if she was a new recruit who had joined during the months he was away.
"Body is a pass, too~"
Her white robes clung to the curves of her body.
At the sight, Lee Jae-won licked his lips and entered the Alliance Leader's office.
Once inside, he sat in a plush chair and propped his feet up on the desk.
Traveling was fine, but he felt most at ease back at the Alliance.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Ju Gwang, the Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, appeared.
"Alliance Leader, I have a report."
"Forget that. Do you know who that haughty girl in the back of the welcoming ceremony was?"
"This is regarding Jang Sam."
"What about him?"
Jang Sam was Lee Jae-won's eldest disciple.
Lee Jae-won honestly didn't care much, but since it concerned his primary disciple, he asked out of obligation.
"Jang Sam has raped and murdered Paeng Ji-yoon, the niece of the Fourth Madam and a member of the Paeng Clan's branch family."
"Then just punish him according to the Alliance Law. More importantly, let's talk about that girl I mentioned."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What else is there to say? If he committed a crime, he should be punished. Isn't that right?"
"Jang Sam is your disciple, Alliance Leader. At the very least, you should investigate the circumstances..."
"I'm sure Ga-ryeon will handle it. I trust my wife. More importantly, that girl—she had a gold butterfly embroidered on her sleeve and was wearing white. Can you find out who she is?"
Lee Jae-won's attitude was incredibly flippant for the leader of a major power, and he didn't seem to possess even a shred of affection for his disciple.
His dry, indifferent reaction actually made Ju Gwang feel a sense of pity for Jang Sam.
"If it's a lady with a gold butterfly on her sleeve, she must be the female martial artist Yoon Ji-hwa, who recently joined the Phoenix Unit. She is the precious daughter of the Geumjeop Sect, a small-to-medium-sized sect."
"Is that so? The Phoenix Unit, huh? I'll have to go see Ga-ryeon soon."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a very sinister smile.
"Now get out. I have things to do."
"One more thing, Alliance Leader. We cannot find Jang Sam's whereabouts."
"What? I thought you had him captured?"
"He was detained and taken to the Law Enforcement Hall, but he escaped shortly after. In the process, he traded blows with Giant Dragon Spear before fleeing. He then broke into the Phoenix Unit, raped two members, and vanished."
"Really? He didn't seem like that kind of guy. Are you sure about the rape?"
"Two members of the Phoenix Unit were found unconscious and naked. According to their combined testimony, he violated them, sealed their blood points, and fled again."
Of course, Sun-woo had never touched them. However, the women, unable to admit they were attacked while pleasuring each other, had turned Sun-woo into a lecherous demon.
"Keke, the bastard has plenty of energy for someone on the run. Finding the time to get laid... Well, he certainly enjoyed himself. He won't have any regrets when he dies. The girls in the Phoenix Unit have great bodies and faces, don't they?"
Lee Jae-won clutched his stomach and laughed for a long time.
Watching him, Ju Gwang felt a chill run down his spine. He had always known the man was rude and immature, but it seemed his condition had worsened.
As the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, to laugh without a care after hearing that his own members had been raped—this was the two-faced nature of the "hero" Lee Jae-won.
"Anyway, put a bounty on the bastard. If he's caught, castrate him and kill him. If I do that much, people will praise me for being a leader who is strict with rewards and punishments. List his crimes as serial murder and rape."
Seeing the lack of trust, let alone concern, for his disciple, Ju Gwang felt pity once again.
To Lee Jae-won, Jang Sam was nothing more than a disposable tool.
Poor fellow.
"Understood! I will organize a pursuit team immediately."
"Yeah, yeah. Go on. Oh, and send me a report on where that Yoon Ji-hwa girl is right now."
"By your command!"
*
Yoon Ji-hwa, the newest member of the Phoenix Unit, was the precious daughter of the Geumjeop Sect, a small sect located in Henan.
Though she had been raised like a princess, she longed for the life of a martial artist. Rather than living like a flower in a greenhouse, she chose to pick up a sword and managed to seize the opportunity to join the Phoenix Unit of the Cheonmu Alliance, a place all orthodox martial artists admired.
For someone not from a great sect or a prestigious clan, joining the Phoenix Unit required a significant amount of money. Yoon Ji-hwa's parents had even taken out loans despite their meager circumstances to support her entry.
As a result, she was able to join.
How many female martial artists dreamed of entering the Phoenix Unit?
She felt satisfied with herself for becoming an object of envy for so many.
Of course, her martial arts were inferior to those of the children from prestigious families, but thanks to her exceptionally beautiful appearance—rumored to be the Greatest Beauty of Henan—she drew attention wherever she went. She received just as much attention within the Cheonmu Alliance.
Possessing the inferiority complex typical of those from small sects, she felt a sense of superiority whenever she saw the sons of prestigious families pining over her.
The more attention she received, the more haughtily and elegantly she behaved.
And that behavior became the catalyst that set the hearts of many Cheonmu Alliance members ablaze.
Since joining the Alliance, she spent every day in a state of happy indecision.
She received dozens of love letters every day.
It was a parade of flowery prose that took all day just to read.
As someone who dreamed of both the life of a warrior and a romantic marriage with a dashing hero, she was deeply conflicted about whom to choose.
"This one is from Young Master Namgung Jin of the Blue Heaven Sword... this one is from Young Master Moyong Tak of the Galaxy Sword... there's even one from the Blue Light Sword of the Wudang Sect? Who should I pick?"
Tucked away in her room, she began to organize the letters neatly.
Having too many letters was also a problem.
As they were the sons of prestigious families, managing her relationships with them was crucial. Even if she rejected them, she had to do so with the utmost politeness.
If she made an enemy, it might bring harm to the Geumjeop Sect.
"Being beautiful is a crime in itself~"
Yet, she clearly didn't hate it, as she reread the letters over and over.
She enjoyed the attention from the famous Rising Stars.
However, since she dreamed of a romantic marriage with a true hero who would love only her, she didn't want a shallow relationship just for fun.
Furthermore, for the sake of her parents who had gone into debt to pay her entry fee, she had to find a talent capable of reviving the Geumjeop Sect.
Therefore, she had no choice but to be cautious, and then cautious again.
"Ah~ I don't know."
She flopped down onto her bed.
She was exhausted from writing individual replies to so many letters.
Knock, knock.
It was then.
She heard someone knocking on her door.
"Who is it?"
But there was no answer.
Knock, knock.
Only the sound of knocking continued.
"Rawr!"
Thinking it was her roommate playing a prank, Yoon Ji-hwa suddenly threw the door open to scare her back.
However, the person standing before her was not her roommate.
"Nice to meet you~"
It was the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won.
"Al... Alliance Leader?"
"That's right. It's me."
"The Phoenix Unit is a no-men zone..."
"I am the Leader of the Cheonmu Alliance. Whether it's a no-men zone or a no-women zone, there is nowhere I cannot go."
She felt a strange sense of unease at his cryptic words.
"But why are you at my room?"
"Well, you see, I saw you at the welcoming ceremony earlier, and your beauty was so unforgettable that I couldn't get you out of my mind."
Yoon Ji-hwa sighed inwardly.
It seemed her beauty had even enchanted the Alliance Leader.
"I'm sorry, Alliance Leader, but I have absolutely no intention of becoming a concubine. Don't you already have many wives and concubines? I want someone who will love only me."
"Oh, that's fine. I have no intention of marrying you either."
"What!?"
She was taken aback by his response.
"Not marriage. I just want to fuck."
Yoon Ji-hwa's face flushed at his vulgar words.
No matter if she was from a small sect, this crude remark had crossed the line.
It was unimaginable that such words would come from the mouth of a man called a hero of the Murim.
"You are incredibly rude! Fine. I'll pretend this never happened, so please disappear from my sight!"
Yoon Ji-hwa shouted, her face red with anger.
"I can't do that. I've decided I'm going to bury myself in you today."
Having said his piece, Lee Jae-won slowly approached her.
"D-don't come any closer! I'll scream!"
"It's alright. I've already sent all the other Phoenix Unit members out."
Her eyes widened at his words.
"Help me!!!!!!! Help me!!!!!!"
She tried to scream, but no one came running to her aid.
Thud.
Lee Jae-won moved behind her and struck the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.
"When you wake up from your nap, heaven will be waiting for you. Hehehehe."
Lee Jae-won slung the unconscious girl over his shoulder and moved away, soon vanishing.
In Yoon Ji-hwa's room, only the numerous love letters remained, scattered in a mess.
That day, a person went missing from the Phoenix Unit.
It was Yoon Ji-hwa of the Geumjeop Sect, known as the Greatest Beauty of Henan.
The prime suspect was Jang Sam, who had vanished while under investigation for murder and rape.
Upon hearing of his daughter's disappearance, the Leader of the Geumjeop Sect rushed to the Cheonmu Alliance. He wept and protested fiercely, and Lee Jae-won took his hand, promising on his honor that he would find her.
The Alliance Leader immediately expelled his eldest disciple, Jang Sam, and organized a pursuit team, ordering his capture.
He then placed a massive bounty on Jang Sam's head and issued a wanted notice.
The charges were rape and serial murder.
Afterward, Lee Jae-won issued a public apology for raising such a degenerate as Jang Sam, and the people praised Lee Jae-won while cursing Jang Sam as being worse than a beast.
Many lauded Lee Jae-won's actions, and the grieving Leader of the Geumjeop Sect was so moved that he bowed several times before leaving.
The news spread throughout the Central Plains, and Jang Sam became infamous as a degenerate who had committed unpardonable sins and tarnished the honor of his great master, Lee Jae-won.