Chapter 15: Clear Flow Sword (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: Clear Flow Sword (1)
Choosing a sword didn't take long.
Armed with plenty of silver and a solid grasp of market prices, Seo-jun wrapped up the transaction in no time. He stepped back out onto the bustling street, letting his feet wander wherever they pleased.
"Oh. Hey, check that out. That looks awesome."
He ended up buying a pair of bamboo hats—one for himself and one for Chun-bong. If you're wondering what a bamboo hat is, just picture your standard, traditional conical hat.
He had been a bit concerned about Chun-bong’s eye-catching, two-toned black and white hair anyway. Buying the hats was a no-brainer; they could hide her hair while perfectly satisfying his craving for that authentic martial arts flair.
"How do I look?"
Clad in a black martial arts uniform, a bamboo hat, and a sword strapped to his waist, Seo-jun struck a pose like a seasoned Murim master. Chun-bong just clicked her tongue.
"You look like a kid playing hero."
"What?"
I guess I can't help looking young. Seo-jun clicked his tongue right back. The two of them each popped a piece of tanghulu into their mouths.
This was tanghulu bought with his own hard-earned cash. Now that he was rich, he could easily afford to treat himself to little luxuries like this.
"Hehe..."
Seeing Chun-bong look as excited as an innocent child brought a smile to his face. Yeah, this was exactly what money was for.
"Hey! Geum Chun-bong! Today, it's my treat!"
"Gasp! Aren't you... aren't you overspending?"
"Uh-uh. We’re rich now!"
Seo-jun and Chun-bong headed straight for a local inn.
There was a brief, awkward moment where Seo-jun fumbled, completely clueless about the names of the dishes. Thankfully, Geum Chun-bong—who clearly hailed from a well-to-do family—stepped in and placed their order with practiced ease.
"This is the life."
After devouring a table full of food, he felt like his stomach was about to burst.
It had been far too long since he’d enjoyed a meal this extravagant.
Chun-bong seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the feast as well, currently busy licking the grease off her fingers.
"Good, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Then that's all that matters."
He leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window. Judging by the sky slowly bleeding into a deep crimson, evening was fast approaching.
Should we get going?
He planned to stop by the Red Light District before night fully fell.
What had happened to that woman he met on his first day?
He didn't intend to get overly involved, but he couldn't help his curiosity.
"Let's get mov—wait, what?"
At the entrance of the inn, several men dressed in blue robes were looking around. They had swords strapped to their waists, and Seo-jun could faintly sense their internal energy.
Are they Murim practitioners?
Observing them closely, one thing became abundantly clear.
They definitely feel different from those Black Path thugs.
Their aura was entirely different, and the quality of their internal energy felt distinct.
Though it was murkier than what he felt from Chun-bong, their energy was still relatively clear and pure.
These guys must be from the Righteous Faction.
They seemed to be interrogating an inn servant.
Suddenly, one of the men locked eyes with Seo-jun. He gestured to his companions and pointed straight at him.
After a brief, whispered exchange, the group began marching toward Seo-jun’s table.
"Chun-bong."
"Mmm?"
Perhaps because she was full and drowsy, Chun-bong’s eyes were half-closed. Seo-jun lightly scratched her chin and gestured toward the approaching men with a tilt of his head.
"Who are they?"
"Yawn... I don't know. Aren't they those guys? You know... those guys."
"Those guys? Oh, those guys?"
"Yeah, the ones from the fabric shop."
He remembered the fabric shop owner mentioning he paid protection money to the Blue... something-or-other Sect. It seemed the owner had gone and snitched the moment they left the store.
I let him off easy, and he goes and makes trouble anyway.
Sighing, Seo-jun picked up the bamboo hat he had set aside.
"You two over there."
As the man in the lead approached and spoke, Seo-jun flicked his wrist, infusing his bamboo hat with internal energy and sending it flying.
Thwack!
The hat embedded itself deep into the solid floorboards right at their feet.
The men’s expressions instantly froze.
"A master...?"
"So the rumors were true...?"
Amidst the wavering group, one man quickly regained his composure and barked an order.
"Stop! Get a hold of yourselves. We are disciples of the Azure River Sect. There is no need to be afraid."
The man then stepped toward Seo-jun. He stiffened for a moment when Seo-jun narrowed his eyes, but he quickly regained his calm and offered a traditional fist and palm salute.
"I am Cheong-un of the Azure River Sect. I have seen your skill, but you appear to be a young fellow daoist. Shouldn't you show some basic courtesy?"
"Sure, whatever."
As Seo-jun gave a dismissive nod, a prominent vein popped on Cheong-un’s temple.
"...If I may be so bold, might I ask which sect you belong to?"
At that question, Seo-jun glanced at Chun-bong. She shook her head vigorously.
He wasn't exactly sure what she meant, but since she was saying no, he just named the only sect he actually knew.
"The Black Tiger Sect."
"So you were a filthy Black Path scoundrel after all!"
Clang!
He drew his sword. A blue light shimmered along the blade. Judging by his face, the man looked to be over thirty, but his martial skills seemed remarkably lacking for his age.
"Whoa there, buddy. Why don't you put that away?"
"As a disciple of the Azure River Sect, I cannot forgive a villain! Draw your sword!"
Shring—
Seo-jun drew his blade simply because he was told to. Cheong-un flinched slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"Do—do you really think you can walk out of here alive after causing a scene in the territory of the Azure River Sect?"
"Oh no."
Seo-jun looked at Chun-bong while feigning surprise. Chun-bong, who had been lounging lazily, slowly sat up and spoke.
"Don't kill them. Yawn... I'm dying of sleepiness."
At those words, Cheong-un suddenly took on a triumphant expression. What is wrong with this guy? Not knowing what else to do, Seo-jun simply swung his sword.
"Wait—!"
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as their blades collided in rapid succession. Cheong-un pushed back his rising panic and quickly retreated into a starting stance.
"I will not show mercy!"
The blue sword qi shimmering on his blade began to trace a unique flow.
Seo-jun narrowed his eyes.
A wave? No, is it a river?
As he watched, Cheong-un lunged forward and brought his sword crashing down.
The blue sword qi poured down like a fast-flowing river.
Seo-jun skillfully executed the Flowing Clouds Blue Heaven, letting the sword's force slide right past him.
"Wh-what...!"
As the power behind his strike was effortlessly diverted, Cheong-un lost his balance and stumbled forward.
"Senior Brother!"
"Help Senior Brother!"
The other men who had been standing back rushed forward all at once.
Seo-jun tilted his head, contemplating something for a moment, before suddenly looking up.
"I've got it."
"Wait!"
Chun-bong looked like she realized exactly what he was about to do and tried to stop him, but it was no use.
He simply couldn't resist this.
Whoosh—
It felt as if the sound of rushing water could be heard echoing from somewhere.
A flowing river. A golden sky.
The river was not noble; it was violent.
Golden sword qi flowed from Seo-jun’s blade like a raging river.
"Uh...?"
The men’s jaws dropped.
Seo-jun grinned and swung his sword.
"Martial arts is the easiest thing in the world!"
Rumble!
The sword qi, spreading out like an overflowing river, violently swept over the men.
The men screamed as the torrential current of sword qi crashed into them.
"Eek...!?"
Of course, he didn't kill them.
Instead, the sword qi precisely grazed their waistbands, severing them and causing all of their pants to fall down simultaneously.
"Aaaah!"
"You—you villain...!"
Desperately clutching their waistbands, the men ground their teeth, their faces flushed bright red in humiliation.
"Ugh, you absolute bastard..."
He heard the sound of teeth grinding from beside him as well. It was Chun-bong, who had just been forced to witness the unsightly scene.
To be fair, even Seo-jun found the sight of a bunch of grown men in their underwear quite revolting.
"Oops, my bad."
"Just shut up."
Cheong-un, who had been watching the scene unfold in a daze, spoke with a look of utter disbelief.
"How... how do you know the Clear Flow Sword...?"
"You want more?"
When Seo-jun threatened him with his blade, Cheong-un snapped his mouth shut and stood up, looking deeply resentful.
He glared at Seo-jun, seemingly debating his next move, but when Seo-jun furrowed his brows, he flinched and turned away.
"Let's go!"
The men who had swarmed in rushed back out just as quickly, awkwardly holding their pants up.
Seo-jun scratched his head as he looked around the now-empty inn.
"Was the strip show a bit much?"
"There's something even more 'too much' about this, you idiot," Chun-bong sighed, clicking her tongue.
"At this rate, their Sect Leader is going to jump out of bed in the middle of the night just to hunt you down."
"Hmm... is it really that serious?"
"You're using their sect's martial arts. Do you think they're just going to sit back and watch?"
"I mean, it's not like it's some incredible technique."
He could copy it after seeing it just once precisely because it wasn't that special. A profound technique like the Yellow Cloud Divine Sword would be impossible to mimic like that.
"Ahem! Well, that's obvious."
Chun-bong, looking strangely proud for some reason, stood up from her seat.
"Anyway, let's go."
"Wait a sec. There's somewhere I need to stop before we go home."
"Huh? Where?"
"The Red Light District."
Crunch! Chun-bong’s expression crumpled in disgust.
"What did you say, you punk?"
"Hey, why the face!"
"You get a little bit of money and now what? You head straight for the Red Light District? Are you insane?"
"I'm not going there to spend money!"
"Bullshit."
She clicked her tongue, then suddenly arched an eyebrow and tilted her head.
"Wait, maybe not? I guess you are the kind of guy who turns away women who come onto him."
"Miss Geum, please stop slandering me."
"It's not slander if it's true."
Sigh. Chun-bong let out a long breath.
"Fine, whatever. Go ahead."
"Huh? Why are you saying it like that? You want me to go alone?"
"Then you want me to go with you?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"...Wh—why, exactly?"
What did she mean, 'why'? No matter how you looked at it, walking into the Red Light District alone wasn't easy.
It was just... how should he put it?
Anyway, wasn't it just a bit awkward?
As Seo-jun scratched his chin, Chun-bong stared at him, her face turning beet red.
"...You want me to watch while you get laid?"
"Are you crazy...?"
Why is this girl's mind so in the gutter?
Seo-jun’s jaw dropped.
*
After clearing up the massive misunderstanding, Seo-jun walked toward the Red Light District while being pelted with blows by Chun-bong.
"You! Should! Have! Explained! It! Properly!"
"Ow, ow. Hey, hit my lower back a bit more while you're at it. It's a bit stiff."
"Why you...!"
Thwack! Chun-bong kicked him square in the calf.
Of course, since she didn't use any internal energy, it didn't actually hurt.
"But how are you going to find that woman?"
"I don't know. I'll just look around."
As they drew closer to the Red Light District, the atmosphere began to subtly shift.
The main street with the market was the "sunny side," while the back alleys of the Red Light District were undeniably the "shady side."
The air here was the textbook definition of dark and damp.
However, the atmosphere today felt different than usual.
"Strike! Kill them all!"
"You Black Tiger Sect vermin!"
"The Black Tiger Sect Leader is dead! This place is ours now!"
Seo-jun caught Chun-bong’s eye and gave an awkward smile.
"They sure live busy lives."
"Only at times like this. They're like rats."
"Hey, watch your language."
"...Are you insane?"
Regardless, this worked out well. Since things had turned out this way, he figured he might as well unify the back alleys and fix the parts he didn't like.
A life where people were kidnapped, had their tendons severed, and were forced into prostitution... it was far too devoid of any romance.
Of course, he knew it was impossible to eliminate the profession entirely. He also knew that for some, it wasn't even a life they wanted to escape—but that wasn't Seo-jun’s concern.
He simply wanted to provide an opportunity and offer a helping hand to those who desperately reached out for it.
He didn't need to worry about what happened after that, did he?
"Mm. Exactly."
"Sigh, do whatever you want. I'm staying out of it."
"Got it."
Seo-jun rested his sheathed sword on his shoulder and marched straight toward the Red Light District. Chun-bong walked right beside him.
Their shadows, cast by the glow of reddish lanterns, stretched out long and flickered against the damp ground.