Chapter 141: Cheon Seo-jun (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: Cheon Seo-jun (2)
As a general rule, before putting a new plan into practice, one should first test if it actually works. Unless, of course, you were the type of person who enjoyed watching things go sideways thanks to unexpected variables.
Seo-jun was not a madman with such twisted tastes.
And so, wearing the face of Cheon Seo-jun, he knocked on the front gate of the Namgung Clan’s villa.
“What is your business here?” the gatekeeper asked, greeting Seo-jun politely.
Given the Namgung Clan’s towering stature, no one would have dared complain even if their staff acted arrogantly. Yet, they remained perfectly courteous. They truly lived up to the reputation of the Great Namgung Clan.
“That fellow Pae Jin-gwang should be inside.”
“Excuse me?” The gatekeeper’s eyes widened.
Anyone who addressed the Fist King so casually couldn't be an ordinary person.
“I shall relay your message immediately.”
“Tell that rascal Pae Jin-gwang to crawl out here before he gets a beating.”
“…I shall do so.”
Wearing a bewildered expression, the gatekeeper signaled to his colleague. The other man looked equally perplexed.
The colleague dashed into the villa to deliver the message. A short while later, Pae Jin-gwang sauntered out.
“Who are you? I don’t recognize your face.” Scratching his belly as he approached, Pae Jin-gwang looked down at Seo-jun.
Seo-jun clicked his tongue and boldly stepped onto the villa grounds.
“Let’s talk inside first.”
The gatekeepers tried to block him, but Pae Jin-gwang smirked and waved them off.
“It’s fine. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
“Yes, sir!”
Pae Jin-gwang followed behind Seo-jun.
Seo-jun stopped in the center of a large courtyard. After scanning his surroundings, he snapped his fingers. Instantly, a massive Qi Membrane enveloped the area.
“Ho-oh.” Now that was no simple trick.
Pae Jin-gwang bared his teeth at Seo-jun in a feral grin.
“So, what is it? This isn’t my house, so don’t expect any hospitality.”
“Fist King.”
“What, kid?”
“The Heavenly Demon reigns, and ten thousand demons prostrate!”
With that shout, Demonic Qi erupted from Seo-jun’s entire body.
The sheer volume and density were extraordinary. The Qi was so thick and pure that it could only belong to a Great Arch-Demon.
“What…! You crazy bastard…!”
Pae Jin-gwang couldn't help but recoil in horror.
No matter how much those demonic cultists had lost their minds, to crawl right into a place where death was certain?
Henan, where the Yongbong Gathering was being held, was crawling with Super Peak experts. It was right under Shaolin’s nose, and the Abbot himself was on constant standby.
Unless one was confident in assassinating their target in a single blow and escaping instantly, this was a suicide mission. It was essentially throwing away a life for nothing.
But regardless of his shock, Pae Jin-gwang reacted instantly.
His muscles contracted and relaxed in a perfect rhythm as he took a flawless stance, launching his fist forward with the vicious elasticity of a snapping bowstring.
Kwang—!
The punch flew forward, seemingly tearing through space itself.
Seo-jun smirked. “Pathetic.”
He threw a counter-punch.
The rotation starting from his toes traveled through his waist and shoulders, settling directly into his fist. A surge of Demonic Qi wrapped around his entire right arm, while the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art and the Giant Spirit Divine Art granted him colossal strength.
Kwooooooooooong──────────!!!
As the two fists collided, the very space between them vibrated.
If the vibration of air was sound, then the vibration of space was a gravitational wave.
Amidst the shimmering distortion of space, Pae Jin-gwang’s eyes bulged.
“You…! How do you know the Tyrannical Power Ghost God—hm?”
Pae Jin-gwang stopped mid-shout, his expression twisting as he fell into deep thought.
Only two people in the world knew the Tyrannical Power Ghost God Art: himself and Lee Seo-jun.
Furthermore, hadn't that brat been asking around about Disguise Techniques recently?
Only then did Pae Jin-gwang realize.
Ah, this little shit is Lee Seo-jun!
“…Fine, I’ll admit it. You’re the undisputed number one in the world when it comes to being a lunatic!”
Pae Jin-gwang slapped his own forehead.
Seo-jun chuckled and deactivated his Disguise Technique.
“Well, I just wanted to check. To see if it was obvious or not.”
“It’s not obvious at all, so don’t ever do that again, you crazy bastard. I thought my heart was going to stop.”
“Oho, you have a chicken heart for someone with so much muscle?”
“…You, come here.”
As Pae Jin-gwang took a menacing step forward, a startled Seo-jun quickly backed away.
“Whoa, whoa, don’t be like that. This is awkward.”
“Tsk….” Scratching his head, Pae Jin-gwang scanned the area.
The aftermath of the collision had been significant, but fortunately, the Qi Membrane Seo-jun had deployed held firm, preventing the commotion from spreading outside.
In other words, no one else knew about the disguise yet.
“It would be unfair if I were the only one to fall for this.”
“Pardon?”
Pae Jin-gwang grinned mischievously. “Let’s try it on one more person.”
“Oh….”
That sounds like fun.
Seo-jun nodded immediately.
* * *
The next target was quickly decided.
It would be a shame to leave out their Geum Chun-bong when it came to such pranks. Just thinking about the reaction he’d get made Seo-jun’s mouth water.
“Here I go, old man.”
“Good. Do exactly what you did to me.”
“Heh, of course.”
As Seo-jun smirked in his Cheon Seo-jun persona, Pae Jin-gwang gave a thumbs-up and hid himself.
Soon, Seo-jun stood before Chun-bong’s room. He could clearly sense her presence inside.
He timed it.
One, two, three.
Now.
Bam—!
Cheon Seo-jun threw the door open.
“You there, woman. Where is Jin Gi-jae-cheon?”
Inside the room, Chun-bong’s eyes went wide.
Even to Seo-jun’s own ears, his voice sounded chilling. It was so completely different from his usual tone that it should have been impossible to recognize him.
Thump, thump. His heart raced.
What kind of priceless reaction would she show?
Soon, Chun-bong’s lips moved, and Seo-jun’s sharp eyes read the movement.
“What are you doing? And where did you learn a Disguise Technique?”
“…Tsk, has the girl lost her mind?”
“What did you say, you brat?”
Chun-bong sprang up and threw herself forward. It was the Chun-bong Dropkick.
Thwack—!
Struck squarely, Seo-jun was sent flying and tumbled across the floor.
“Urgh…!” Rolling to a stop, Seo-jun gingerly lifted his head. “…Wait, how did you know?”
“Is it not obvious? Everything you do screams ‘Lee Seo-jun.’”
Seo-jun turned his head to look at the hidden Pae Jin-gwang. “See! She says it’s obvious!”
“Tsk… that shouldn't be possible. Your disguise is nearly perfect.” Pae Jin-gwang scratched his head as he emerged from the bushes.
Seo-jun grumbled as he stood up. Nearly perfect, my foot. Chun-bong recognized me the moment she saw me.
“Hey, old man. Are your eyes just for decoration?”
“No, I’m serious!”
Pae Jin-gwang was genuinely frustrated.
That kid’s disguise was, without exaggeration, flawless. Usually, those unskilled in Disguise Techniques would have unstable internal energy or leaking Qi that gave them away, but Seo-jun showed none of those signs.
“Let’s try a few more people.”
And so, the experiment continued.
Surprisingly, no one except Chun-bong was able to recognize Seo-jun. Not Namgung Hyeok, not Jang-geuk, not Namgung Myeong, and not even Namgung Su-ah.
“What is it?” When Seo-jun looked at Chun-bong with a bewildered expression, she tilted her chin up proudly.
“I’ve known you for years. Of course I’d recognize you.”
Apparently, she had some sort of ‘Seo-jun Oppa Detection Radar.’
Seo-jun grabbed Chun-bong and hoisted her into the air.
“Our Chun-bong is amazing!”
“Mhm, that’s right.”
“Chun-bu-i!”
“What.”
“Ddyu-tta-tta!”
“U-ttya-tta!”
Watching them, Pae Jin-gwang could only sigh. Hmm, the future of the Murim is dark.
A future where a guy like that became the strongest in the world? Pae Jin-gwang’s mind simply couldn't conjure such a sight.
* * *
The rising stars attending the Yongbong Gathering usually had goals beyond the event itself.
It was rare for members of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans to gather in one place. Though it wasn't uncommon for a few specific clans to meet, a gathering of this scale was entirely different.
Naturally, the Yongbong Gathering served as a social hub just as much as a martial arts tournament.
Namgung Myeong, attending this gathering of youth, spent his time busily greeting old acquaintances and making new ones.
Socializing is important.
The tradition of the Namgung Clan was to have almost zero interest in social circles. Only the sword mattered. Their philosophy dictated that if one reached the pinnacle of the sword, there was no need to worry about social graces.
In that sense, Namgung Myeong was quite an outlier.
Wouldn't it be much easier to handle things together rather than bearing everything alone?
With that thought in mind, he took a very proactive stance in building friendships. Since he had a naturally warm personality, it wasn't a difficult task.
“How have you been, Lady Hwangbo? I believe it’s been nearly two years.”
“Ye—Yes…. Young Master Namgung….” Hwangbo Hye-ji blushed and smiled demurely.
As Namgung Myeong conversed with her, he scanned the crowd, which had grown quite large.
There are more people than I expected.
Seeing faces he hadn't encountered before, it was clear that something had happened. Namgung Myeong had a good guess as to what that ‘something’ was.
It’s probably because of Brother….
The sudden appearance of a mysterious Super Peak expert. They likely wanted to gather information about him.
And one more thing. The revival of the Divine Sword Geum Family.
As expected, most of the conversations Namgung Myeong overheard revolved around those two topics.
“He must be a senior from the Geum family, right?”
“I heard he’s a senior from the Namgung Clan. They said he’s an Elder of Namgung.”
“Ah, Namgung. That makes sense. The Namgung people are certainly fiery.”
“But didn't they say the successor of the Geum family is his master?”
“I wouldn't know about that. Young Master Namgung is right over there; why don't you go ask him?”
“I already did.”
“And?”
“He said he wasn't sure if he was allowed to say, so he found it difficult to answer.”
Namgung Myeong, who had been eavesdropping despite himself, snapped back to attention when he noticed Hwangbo Hye-ji fidgeting.
When their eyes met, she gave a small smile and asked, “Ho—How have you been spending your time lately, Young Master Namgung?”
“I have been devoted to my training.”
“Ah…! I saw your duel! Your achievement was truly remarkable….”
“Haha, thank you. It seems you have made great progress as well, Lady Hwangbo.”
“I… well, yes…. Though I still seem to fall short in my mother’s eyes….”
At Hwangbo Hye-ji’s words, an awkward smile touched Namgung Myeong’s lips.
“She seems to be as strict as ever.”
“No…. It is simply that I fail to meet her expectations….”
“If your level is considered failing to meet expectations, then there are very few in the Central Plains who could satisfy that standard.”
It wasn't empty flattery.
Hwangbo Hye-ji’s achievements were certainly impressive. She was outstanding for her age, and even among the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans, she was well above average.
Internally, he thought Lady Hwangbo’s mother might be a bit too harsh, but he couldn't meddle in another family’s affairs.
At Namgung Myeong’s words of comfort, Hwangbo Hye-ji smiled brightly. “Thank you for saying so….”
* * *
“My name came up a lot?”
“Yes, Brother. It seems you left quite a strong impression.” Namgung Myeong smiled faintly.
Seo-jun scratched his head as he looked at him. “So, what? Did they just sit around talking about that?”
“There were various incidents. A big fight even broke out once.”
“A fight? Why?”
“It is a gathering of youths, after all.”
“Ah, a lover’s spat?”
When Namgung Myeong nodded, Seo-jun chuckled. “Ah, to be young.”
“…Most of them are older than you, Brother.”
“Oho, little brother. You can’t compare me to those mere Peak Realm kids.”
Namgung Myeong gave a helpless smile.
Seo-jun stepped back into the Shaolin Temple with him. Needless to say, it was for the meeting.
I already want to go home.
He really didn't want to come, but Seo-jun had little choice.
Hadn't the Abbot of Shaolin said it? A martial artist speaks through martial arts. He likely meant he would arrange a duel with the General….
If he could beat that guy up in front of a massive crowd, there would be no greater joy.
Well… regardless, he just had to go and listen today. He’d listen first, and if he didn't like it, he’d protest.
Whether the one protesting would be Lee Seo-jun or Baek Seo-jun remained to be seen.