Chapter 126: Primordial Unity Step (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: Primordial Unity Step (1)
Seo-jun led Hyeon-wol into a quiet room.
Namgung Su-ah excused herself to go train—perhaps not wanting to interfere, or simply looking for an excuse to escape the awkwardness. Pae Jin-gwang, however, claimed he was bored and tagged along with the men.
"To get straight to the point, our intelligence on the Blood Crow Sect isn't exactly precise," Hyeon-wol began. "The sect is so deeply shrouded in secrecy that even after scraping together every rumor and whisper, the results are rather lackluster."
"The Blood Crow Sect? Why them all of a sudden?" Pae Jin-gwang asked.
Seo-jun pressed an index finger to his lips. "Shh, old man."
Pae Jin-gwang clicked his tongue and clamped his mouth shut.
"The information I've brought is what I judge to be somewhat reliable," Hyeon-wol continued, pulling two scrolls from his robes. "I brought the rest as well, but most of it borders on utter nonsense, so take it with a grain of salt."
One scroll contained carefully vetted intelligence; the other held nothing but unreliable rumors. Handing them over to Seo-jun, Hyeon-wol quickly summarized their contents.
He rattled off the location of the Blood Crow Sect, its internal structure, military strength, the cultivation realm of their Sect Leader, their primary martial arts, the mechanical trap formations expected to guard their base, and the various dirty tricks they were known to employ.
Seo-jun watched in open admiration as Hyeon-wol delivered the briefing in a single, uninterrupted breath.
"Wow, you must be really smart. How did you memorize all that?"
"Isn't this my trade? I wouldn't be much of a professional if I couldn't manage at least this much." As Hyeon-wol smirked, the previously silenced Pae Jin-gwang couldn't hold back anymore.
"No, seriously, why them?"
"To wipe them out," Seo-jun replied casually. "They keep sending assassins and getting on my nerves."
"Hah... crazy bastards," Pae Jin-gwang muttered. "Of all the people in the world to mess with, they pick someone like him?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Seo-jun asked.
"If you don't know, forget it."
Pae Jin-gwang chuckled. Watching their exchange, Hyeon-wol marveled quietly.
"I see that your friendship with the Fist King is quite deep," Hyeon-wol noted.
"Oh? You knew who he was?" Seo-jun asked, surprised.
"If I didn't know that much, I'd have to quit this business."
"Aha. You didn't react earlier, so I thought you didn't know."
Seo-jun chuckled and tapped the table. Internal energy rippled from his fingertips, creating a peculiar, ringing resonance. Almost immediately, a waiting maid hurried in carrying a tray of tea.
Sniff, sniff. Seo-jun inhaled the rich aroma and nodded in satisfaction.
As expected, things like this should be left to the professionals.
The tea he had brewed himself last time was nothing more than bitter leaf-water.
"Thank you," he said.
"It is my pleasure." The maid bowed deeply and withdrew from the room.
Once the door clicked shut, Seo-jun tucked the two scrolls into his robes and pulled something else out in exchange. It was a wooden plaque. Specifically, it was the token representing a branch leader of the Dueum Incense—a gift given to him by Mae-wol of the Red Moon Pavilion back when he still lived in the back alleys with Chun-bong.
"Ho, is that...?" Hyeon-wol's eyes widened.
"You know what this is, right?"
"That goes without saying. It's the plaque of an Incense-grade branch leader. If you had something like this, you should have shown it when we first met."
"Well, I didn't think it was particularly necessary at the time."
Recalling the circumstances of their first meeting, Hyeon-wol nodded with a strange expression. "That's true."
"So, is this actually useful?" Seo-jun asked.
"Well... it probably doesn't mean much to someone like you," Hyeon-wol admitted. "You're that Jin Gi-jae-cheon, after all. You could probably walk into any Hao Sect branch, grab them by the collar, and beat all the information you want out of them."
"Hey, do you take me for some kind of bandit?" Seo-jun grumbled, making Hyeon-wol grin.
"Jokes aside... to be honest, the various branches of the Hao Sect don't have particularly strong ties with one another. The plaque won't mean much on a grand scale. Though, other branch leaders might show you a bit of goodwill if they see it."
"Does that mean I get discounts and stuff?"
"That depends entirely on the branch leader's whim. But since we're on the topic, take this as well."
Hyeon-wol pulled another plaque from his own robes. It wasn't made of wood, but solid metal. Was this the difference between the poverty-stricken back alleys and the wealthy Henan Province?
"It's a Province-grade branch leader plaque, so it might be of some small help to you," Hyeon-wol said.
"Province-grade? Wait, you were the branch leader for the entirety of Henan Province?"
"You didn't know?"
"You're surprisingly impressive."
"What do you mean 'surprisingly,' you brat?" Hyeon-wol chuckled and tossed the metal plaque over. Seo-jun caught it easily and tucked it away.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"If anyone picks a fight with you later, call me," Seo-jun offered. "I'll take care of them quietly for you."
"...Are you serious?"
"Half-serious? I'll at least give them a good thrashing."
Seo-jun cackled and leaned back, propping himself up on his arms until he was almost lying flat on the floor.
"Anyway, we're done with business now, right?"
"Indeed."
"Then hang out for a bit before you go."
"Haha, that sounds like a pleasant invitation."
Hyeon-wol stayed at the villa, chatting for nearly four hours before finally heading back.
* * *
The preliminaries for the Yongbong Gathering were drawing near.
Seo-jun, who had been overseeing the training of Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah, suddenly flopped onto the ground and groaned.
"This crazy Central Plains. No matter how much I think about it, I just don't understand why it has to be so damn big."
Namgung Su-ah, who had finally overcome her previous embarrassment and returned to her usual graceful self, sidled up to him.
"Why? Is there somewhere you want to go?" Moving naturally, she lifted Seo-jun's head and settled it gently onto her lap.
As Su-ah giggled and began stroking his hair, Chun-bong narrowed her eyes into a fierce glare.
"...Why have you two gotten so close lately? What exactly did you do while I wasn't around?"
"Ahem, Miss Geum," Seo-jun deflected. "I promise we didn't eat anything delicious without you."
"Suspicious..."
Chun-bong ran over and plopped her rear down squarely on Seo-jun's stomach, clicking her tongue. "And what's the problem with the Central Plains being big?"
"It is a problem. It takes forever just to travel anywhere."
"Dummy. You have something you're good at," Chun-bong pointed out.
"Something I'm good at?"
Seo-jun pondered the statement. Martial arts, sorcery, annoying people, romance...
"I'm good at a lot of things, though?"
"This jerk..." Annoyed, Chun-bong bounced her hips hard against Seo-jun's stomach. Her sharp tailbone dug right into his ribs.
"Gah...!"
"Just create a Lightness Skill, you idiot!"
"Huh?"
Right. Come to think of it, he was extraordinarily good at creating martial arts from scratch.
"Why didn't I think of that...?"
This was exactly why people needed to exchange opinions. When you're hyper-focused on one visible path, it's easy for all the other options to fall completely out of sight.
"Our Geum Chun-bong...! You're an absolute genius...!"
Seo-jun bolted upright, hoisting Chun-bong high into the air. Suspended in mid-air, Chun-bong lifted her chin haughtily.
"Hmph, you're just realizing that now?"
"You're right! Our Chun-bu-i is a genius! I was the stupid one!"
"Mm-hmm, good. Keep the praise coming."
"The Cutest in the World!"
"That's getting old."
"Adult Chun-bong!"
"Do you want to die?"
Seo-jun grinned from ear to ear and mentally added 'Create an awesome Lightness Skill' to his to-do list.
Now that he thought about it, although he had learned the Lightness Skills included in the Yellow Cloud Divine Art and the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art, he had never really done anything proper with them. He had used Yellow Dragon Crossing the Clouds quite effectively in the past, but... honestly, it wasn't a Lightness Skill specialized purely for speed.
Is there anything else?
There were surely other things he had forgotten. Taking this opportunity to organize his thoughts, he quickly remembered two more items of business.
"Ah."
"What now?" Chun-bong asked.
"Now that I think about it, there's also that. The Seven Evil Black Sect's martial arts."
"What about them?"
"I was going to ask if it would be okay to copy and use them in front of you later, but I completely forgot until just now."
Since Chun-bong absolutely despised the Seven Evil Black Sect, getting her permission was a fairly important matter. Sure enough, Chun-bong's expression instantly twisted into a grimace.
"Why would you even want to do that?"
"Wouldn't they just die of sheer frustration if I used their own arts right in front of them?"
"...Hmm. That's actually a good idea. Fine. Approved."
"Good."
And there was one last thing.
Seo-jun's expression turned dead serious. His heavy gaze shifted slowly toward Namgung Su-ah. Feeling the weight of his stare, Namgung Su-ah stiffened. Trying to cool her cheeks, which were already threatening to turn red, she asked tentatively, "Wh-what is it...?"
"Noona."
"Yes...?"
"The time has come."
At his sudden, dramatic words, both Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah tilted their heads in confusion.
Seo-jun declared: "Today, we arm-wrestle again."
He was brimming with confidence now. With his Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art finally on track, today was the day he would reclaim his tarnished honor.
Chun-bong let out a hollow laugh of disbelief. "Unbelievable. You were still holding onto that?"
"This is a matter of grave importance." Seo-jun lay flat on his stomach and took up an arm-wrestling stance. "Come at me, Noona."
"Hmm... Then shall we make a bet?" Su-ah asked.
"A bet?" The corners of Seo-jun's mouth twitched upward. There was no reason to refuse a bet he was guaranteed to win. "Sure. What kind of bet?"
"The winner gets to make a wish?"
"Oho. What kind of wish?"
Hehe. Namgung Su-ah giggled and lightly tapped her own lips. "A kiss."
"What...?" Seo-jun's eyes widened.
But his shock paled in comparison to Chun-bong's reaction.
"Wh-wh-what...!? A kiss!? On the lips!? You shameless woman...!" Horrified, Chun-bong started jumping up and down in protest.
Ignoring her, Namgung Su-ah looked at Seo-jun, her eyes completely serious. "What about you, Seo-jun?"
"Uh..." Seo-jun hesitated.
Actually, wouldn't it be more profitable to just lose on purpose? I could always win at arm-wrestling next time...
"Can I decide on my wish later...?"
"Of course." Namgung Su-ah leaned in and whispered with a suggestive smile, "It doesn't matter what the wish is. Truly... anything."
"Oh..."
While Seo-jun was still marveling at the implications of that promise, Namgung Su-ah quickly grabbed his hand. There was no backing out now.
The two contestants took their positions, with Chun-bong reluctantly acting as the referee.
"Grrr...!" Gritting her teeth, Chun-bong glared daggers at Seo-jun.
This jerk isn't going to lose on purpose, is he?
But this wasn't something she could stop. If the two of them really wanted to kiss, what could she do? Her only hope was a fair match.
"...Start!"
At Chun-bong's signal, explosive strength surged into the arms of both Seo-jun and Namgung Su-ah.
Namgung Su-ah gave it her absolute all. Veins popped along her slender arm, and her beautiful face contorted with the sheer effort, looking entirely ungraceful.
For a split second, their clasped hands didn't budge from the center. It looked neck and neck.
But Namgung Su-ah realized the truth almost instantly.
"Ah..."
Thud.
Namgung Su-ah's hand was effortlessly pinned to the ground.
"Finally...!"
It was an overwhelming victory for Seo-jun. Overjoyed, he leaped to his feet. He had finally reclaimed his lost honor. A beaming smile hung on his lips.
"I'll think about my wish and tell you later."
"...Okay." A dejected Namgung Su-ah stood up, dusting the dirt off her clothes.
But her disappointment only lasted a moment. She quickly regained her usual radiant smile and gripped her sword. "Then, let's get back to train—"
Just then, Seo-jun strode right up to her. Startled by his sudden proximity, Namgung Su-ah's eyes went wide. His reflection shimmered in her trembling blue pupils.
Seo-jun leaned down slightly and pressed a light peck to her forehead. "This is a bonus."
"Huh...?" Namgung Su-ah covered her forehead with both hands, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. "Wh-why do you keep doing that...?"
It's always when I least expect it...
Her face turning beet red, Namgung Su-ah quickly lowered her head. Though hidden by the curtain of her hair, the corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably into a giddy smile.
Chun-bong, who had been forced to witness the entire exchange, was absolutely fuming.
"Wh-what do you mean 'bonus'?! Did you read some trashy romance novel or something?! Who actually says things like that in real life!"
"Aww, does our Chun-bong want a kiss too? Come here."
"I don't want one! Get lost!"
Sticking her tongue out at him, Chun-bong ran off. She seemed quite sulky. He'd have to soothe her temper later.
Chuckling, Seo-jun brushed the dirt off his own sleeves and tilted his head back to look at the sky. He had played around enough; now it was time to get to work.
A Lightness Skill, huh...
His only pursuit would be pure, unadulterated speed. A technique that would allow him to cover vast distances in a single bound. It seemed creating this new art would have to be his top priority for the time being.