Chapter 202: Engagement (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 202: Engagement (2)
Communication is important.
Half the problems in the world—well, maybe not half, but at least a fifth of them—can be solved through communication. (Though in the Murim, problems that can be solved solely with words are rarer than one might think.)
At this moment, Seo-jun’s train of thought went something like this:
Ah, if I get engaged or married to someone else first, it might cause problems later! Shouldn't we just do it all together?
Of course, the answer was a resounding no. Even Seo-jun knew that much.
A joint wedding—specifically one with a single groom—was difficult to accept by common standards. In the Murim, it was even worse.
Polygamy was one thing, but holding the ceremonies at the exact same time? Unless someone possessed a radically progressive mindset, it was completely unimaginable.
Furthermore, Namgung Su-ah was no ordinary woman. She was a direct descendant of the Great Namgung Clan. Her status was practically equivalent to a princess of a nation.
'I shall take a princess and another woman at the exact same time!'
Absolute madness.
Even if his head were smashed in and he died on the spot, the Murim would rule it a death by natural causes. However, he was confident he could solve this problem somehow.
Whether he had to perform a full prostration or the legendary headstand bow, he figured things would work out in the end.
Regardless, that issue could be pushed to the back burner for now.
So, what was the most pressing problem?
It was Chun-bong.
Naturally, it wasn't that Chun-bong herself was the problem. The issue lay in how Seo-jun viewed her.
Seo-jun regarded Chun-bong as something akin to a younger sister or a daughter. Living together for the rest of their lives? He welcomed the idea. In his heart, he wanted to keep her by his side forever.
But that wasn't what Chun-bong wanted. She wished to be bound to Seo-jun as husband and wife.
She wanted to do everything married couples did, have three or four children, and ultimately lead the Geum family to a grand revival.
So here was the problem. Once they were engaged, they would naturally get married, and that would naturally be followed by... "nightly duties." What was he supposed to do then?
This was a very significant issue.
Entering an engagement with Chun-bong with such a half-hearted mindset would be an insult to her.
And so, Seo-jun spent several days thinking. He thoroughly examined his own heart.
Surprisingly, the answer was simple.
He imagined Chun-bong and a mysterious "Man A" forming a happy family and appearing before him with three children.
In 8,329 different worldlines, the mysterious "Man A" always met a mysterious death. There was no need to guess who the culprit was.
Was it just a "dog in the manger" mentality? No, it wasn't such a trashy thought.
Seo-jun came to a new realization.
'The charm of Geum Chun-bong is...'
Before he knew it, he had been completely captivated by her.
He still felt a slight sense of resistance when imagining "this and that" with Chun-bong, but that was simply because he had only ever viewed her as someone to protect.
Changing that perspective in an instant would be difficult, but...
No, Seo-jun decided to just be honest with himself.
'Chun-bong is mine.'
He couldn't give her to anyone else. Whatever needed to be done, he would be the one to do it.
Since the future was already set anyway, he would hold the engagement ceremony early so that Chun-bong wouldn't have to secretly dampen her pillow with tears.
It was a perfect plan.
The remaining hurdle was Namgung Su-ah’s reaction, but...
"Ah, there was such a way...?"
"Huh...?"
"I naturally assumed Geum Mae would be first."
Namgung Su-ah said she had taken it for granted that the engagement with Chun-bong would come first.
Seo-jun suddenly realized something.
"Ah... So the reason you suggested setting the engagement date so far in the future was..."
"Yes. I thought you’d get engaged to Geum Mae in the meantime."
It seemed she had only fixed a date because the people around them kept asking when the ceremony would be, but she fully expected the ceremony with Chun-bong to happen first.
Both Seo-jun and Chun-bong wore blank expressions. When Seo-jun asked why, Namgung Su-ah answered as if it were obvious.
"That’s because the only reason I could even step between you two was that Geum Mae made a place for me."
"No, it wasn't exactly like that..."
"And I can see Geum Mae’s heart clearly. I couldn't just snatch the first spot away, could I?"
Chun-bong’s brain seemed to have overloaded; she pursed her lips tightly, a strange expression on her face.
Seo-jun asked, "How did you know whether I’d get engaged to Chun-bong or not?"
"I can tell just by looking. There’s a certain atmosphere, you know."
Or so she said.
Seo-jun fell silent, feeling a strange sense of dissonance between his expectations and reality.
'Anyway... is it settled?'
Of course, there were still a few mountains left to climb, but if Chun-bong was okay with it, it felt like the engagement issue was more or less resolved...
When Seo-jun glanced at Chun-bong, she pointed at herself.
"So... an engagement? Me and Unni together...?"
"Yeah."
It sounded like something a scumbag would say, but he felt this was the best choice.
"If you don't like it..."
"N-No!? I don't dislike it! I love it!"
Chun-bong sprang up from her seat. Panting slightly, she stomped her feet in excitement and asked once more.
"So, me and Unni... we’re both legal wives...?"
It really sounded like something a total scumbag would say, but it was true.
"I guess so...?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Chun-bong hopped in place. Unable to calm down, she fidgeted endlessly before smiling brightly and spreading her arms wide.
"Th-Then, Lee Seo-jun must kiss his beloved Geum Chun-bong first...!"
He thought her self-esteem and confidence had grown to overflowing lately, but perhaps she had been quite anxious about this matter after all.
Looking at Chun-bong, whose eyes were trembling, Seo-jun stood up and gave her a short, light peck on the lips.
"Our Chun-bong. I’ll keep you with me for the rest of my life."
"Y-Yes..."
He felt he would never forget the sight of Chun-bong blushing deep red in her shyness.
*
All his reasons for hesitation were now resolved. Having confirmed the feelings of both women and obtained their consent for a joint wedding (with one groom), there was nothing left to hold him back.
Seo-jun went straight to Namgung Jin-cheon and bowed his head.
"That is how things have turned out, Father-in-law."
"Mmm..."
Namgung Jin-cheon was speechless at Seo-jun’s unconventional plan. After a long silence, he asked Namgung Su-ah, who was standing quietly behind them.
"Su-ah, are you truly alright with this...?"
"Of course. I was satisfied with being second to Geum Mae from the start. Actually, I should have asked for Geum Mae’s permission first... but I was so excited that I forgot."
Seo-jun couldn't understand why Namgung Su-ah was being so humble.
She was someone who usually tried to yield on most things. Simply saying she lacked greed felt like an insufficient explanation.
In the first place, this wasn't a matter to be left to her.
He was the one who had started this, and he was the one who had to take responsibility.
"Father-in-law, I will treat her truly well."
"If Su-ah is happy, I don't believe it is my place to interfere... As for the backlash from others, given your abilities, that shouldn't be much of a problem either..."
Namgung Jin-cheon stroked his chin, deep in thought.
In the Murim, most problems could be solved if one possessed sufficient martial power.
His son-in-law was an Extreme Demon, and beyond that, he had pioneered a new realm called the Fire Demon Realm.
While it might be difficult to openly reveal that realm just yet, he could use it as a stepping stone to quickly reach the Transcendent Realm.
And once he reached the Transcendent Realm, his word would become law.
As long as Namgung Jin-cheon himself didn't voice an opposing opinion, there would be no obstacle to Seo-jun achieving his will.
"As a father, I feel a bit of regret... but in the end, it is the family you will build... Since Su-ah also seems to agree, I shall say no more..."
"...Thank you."
"I trust you..."
"Yes."
Namgung Jin-cheon looked at Seo-jun with profound eyes.
"Do not worry about the clan... However, it would be ideal if you could reach the Transcendent Realm before the ceremony..."
"I will certainly do so."
"Don't be so stiff... You haven't committed some great sin, so there's no need for that."
It feels like a pretty great sin, though.
Still, since his father-in-law said so, Seo-jun relaxed his body. His back felt chilly from the cold sweat that had soaked his clothes without him even realizing it.
'The Transcendent Realm.'
He now had a definitive reason to reach it.
*
The suggestion that it would be best to reach the Transcendent Realm before the engagement ceremony—the reason for it was simple.
A martial artist in the Transcendent Realm was regarded as a being who had truly surpassed humanity.
Taking two wives at once? If a Transcendent Realm martial artist declared they would do so, no one could say a word.
When a being above the heavens declared their intent, how could a mere mortal dare to object?
However, even within that lofty realm, gaps existed. In fact, there were often differences so vast that it felt embarrassing to group them under the same stage.
Based on his own experiences, Seo-jun roughly divided the Transcendent Realm into three stages. This was a simple classification based on combat power.
First, the Early Transcendent Realm.
This was a level where one could put up a fight even without revealing the Fire Demon Realm. Seo-jun estimated the Corpse-Blood Filling Heaven to be around this level.
Second, the Mid Transcendent Realm.
From here on, even using the Heavenly Demon Divine Art wouldn't guarantee the outcome. If the opponent were a demon, it might be manageable, but if not, the battle would inevitably become a long, drawn-out affair.
The Giryeon Sect Leader and the Greed Demon fell into this category.
Third, the Late Transcendent Realm.
It was best to avoid fighting them if possible. Regardless of the Fire Demon Realm, the chances of winning in a serious confrontation weren't very high.
The Sword Demon, Nok So-pyeong, and Namgung Jin-cheon belonged here.
Of course, this wasn't a perfect classification. For instance, if the Sword Demon and Namgung Jin-cheon were to clash, Namgung Jin-cheon would likely overwhelm the Sword Demon.
There were also ambiguous cases like the North Sea Ice Palace Master. He seemed to be somewhere between the Mid and Late stages, but without a clear dividing line, it was hard to be certain.
In the first place, the outcome of a battle could change depending on various factors.
Even though he categorized the Greed Demon as Mid Transcendent Realm, Seo-jun was confident he could win somehow if they fought again.
'Regardless, reaching the Transcendent Realm solves most problems.'
He had already reached the Fire Demon Realm, but he couldn't openly reveal it. That was obvious. No matter what, the Namgung Clan was a prestigious pillar of the Righteous Faction.
If he were at Namgung Jin-cheon’s level, it might not matter if he revealed he was an Extreme Demon, but Seo-jun wasn't at that level yet.
Even if he didn't care about the chatter of Super Peak Realm weaklings, other Transcendent Realm martial artists might come to crack his skull.
'Then, what do I need to do to reach the Transcendent Realm?'
Seo-jun pondered. The answer wasn't hard to find.