Chapter 29: Appearing in the Murim (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: Appearing in the Murim (2)
"Hey, pull yourself together. Why are you acting like you just lost your country?"
Chun-bong patted Seo-jun on the back.
But he couldn't find the strength to rally. This made no sense. Something that should never have happened had actually come to pass.
"This isn't right... Something went wrong..."
"Seriously, this guy..."
"I can't take this."
Seo-jun bolted upright. His eyes blazed with determined resolve.
"Follow me."
"Wh-what...? Hey! Let go of my hand...! Ugh...!"
After being dragged along for a while, Chun-bong finally gave up and just walked beside him.
Seo-jun’s brisk pace finally came to a halt in front of a restaurant.
"Why a restaurant all of a sudden?"
Without a word, Seo-jun marched inside and poked his head into the kitchen.
"Over here! Five servings of your best meal, please! Make it something heavy and filling!"
"Are you really going this far...?"
"This is your duty, Geum Chun-bong. Return to the squishiness that fits so perfectly in my hands. Immediately."
"What the..."
"Ah, hurry up and bring it back! My squishy cheeks! I can’t live like this! Hurry, before I suffer Qi Deviation!"
Chun-bong’s jaw dropped as she watched Seo-jun throw a tantrum like a toddler.
"Is this... not Qi Deviation...?"
What would happen if he actually suffered Qi Deviation right now? Wouldn't a crazy person going even crazier just end up looping back to normal?
"Hurry!"
"...You crazy bastard."
*
In the end, Seo-jun devoured four of the five servings. Still, for someone with a small appetite like Chun-bong, finishing even one full serving was quite a feat.
Seo-jun hadn't actually intended to torture her with food, so he was satisfied with that much.
"Sigh..."
"The ground’s gonna cave in at this rate."
"...You grew taller again."
"...Crazy bastard. You sure noticed that fast."
Chun-bong stretched her back. It wouldn't be long before the top of her head reached Seo-jun’s chin.
With a proud smile, Chun-bong unconsciously brushed her chest.
Pat, pat.
Nothing had changed.
"...Fuck."
Chun-bong fell into despair.
Seo-jun let out a chuckle and stretched. Crack— His body, which had grown stiff from researching protective arts all night, loosened up flexibly.
This was his condition after pulling an all-nighter? Long live martial arts.
"I’m heading out."
"To the courtesans?"
"Yeah. I need to tighten up their mental discipline a bit."
"The Azure River Sect will handle that on their own. Do you really need to do it?"
"It’s basic customer service, man."
Whew— Seo-jun whistled a jaunty tune as he walked away.
And so, a week passed.
*
It was time to leave the Azure River Sect.
Seo-jun and Chun-bong shared their final farewells with the Azure River Sect Leader in the Sect Leader’s Hall. Cheong-un stood faithfully by his side.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yeah, well. It’s about time."
"I see. If fate allows, we shall meet again."
"Why bring fate into it? If you want to see someone, you just go see them."
Man proposes, God disposes? Whether it was the will of heaven or not, if he wanted to see someone, there was no reason for the heavens to get involved.
With a faint smile, Seo-jun slowly drew his sword.
Drawing a blade in front of a sect leader—setting aside the sheer rudeness of it—was an act that could easily result in his head being taken on the spot.
However, the Sect Leader simply watched. Cheong-un also kept his eyes fixed on Seo-jun.
"I did accept that spirit herb from you, so I don’t know if this will be of much help, but..."
The drawn sword soared heavily upward.
He didn't intend to show off some grand swordsmanship. To begin with, the Sect Leader was far better with a sword than Seo-jun.
But there was one thing—one area where he had absolute confidence.
"Watch closely."
Seo-jun’s gaze turned toward Cheong-un. Simultaneously, the sword began to fall. Slowly.
It was a simple straight line. As the tip of the sword fell vertically, following the forms of the Three Talents Sword Art, a golden wave rippled outward.
Within that single downward strike, the river underwent countless transformations.
Calm in a light breeze, cheerful in a gentle wind, and violent in a raging storm.
When the sword reached the end of its path and came to a halt, the myriad river branches gathered to form a vast ocean.
Cheong-un unconsciously let out a gasp of admiration at the sight of the surging golden waves.
"Beautiful..."
"Isn't it?"
"I am truly grateful..."
Cheong-un offered a formal fist and palm salute. Seo-jun smirked and returned the gesture.
Seo-jun looked at the Sect Leader and asked, "Is this enough to pay for the spirit herb?"
"The price for the herb was already paid. It seems I have incurred yet another debt."
The Sect Leader let out a soft chuckle. Stroking his beard quietly, he spoke.
"Baek-ha-gwi-yang—White River Returning to the Ocean. How does that sound?"
"A hundred rivers returning to the sea... Not bad."
Cheong-un’s Clear Flow Sword, and the Sect Leader’s Clear Stream Blue Heaven Sword.
A new name had been given to the martial arts that had drifted too far from their source.
Seo-jun, tracing the countless river branches and the vast ocean faintly etched into his mental imagery, gave a small smile.
"Well then, see you later."
*
As he passed through the gates of the Azure River Sect and made his way down the street, a faint voice reached Seo-jun’s ears.
—Thank you...!
Turning his head, he saw the courtesans waving their hands from the Azure River Sect, which had already grown quite distant.
The one waving the most vigorously was Chu-ryeong.
Seo-jun smiled and waved back.
"Live well, everyone!"
With that final word, Seo-jun turned around cleanly and stepped forward with a light gait.
"Shall we go?"
"Have you decided on a destination?"
"I’m about to."
For now, the next stop was the Red Moon Pavilion.
"You’ve arrived."
As always, Mae-wol was there to greet them. Seo-jun looked at her and pondered for a moment.
‘I don’t really need to talk in a private room, do I?’
It wasn't like he had a lot to ask anyway.
Seo-jun got straight to the point.
"I’d like to buy some information."
"Of course, Young Hero. I shall lead you to a private room."
"It’s nothing major, so we can just do it here."
Seo-jun glanced around. There were customers and Mae-wol’s guards nearby, but it didn't really matter if others overheard.
"Is there a place where I can obtain spirit herbs?"
"Spirit herbs, you say? Do you require one with a specific effect?"
"No. Any spirit herb will do."
"In that case, I can tell you right away."
Mae-wol approached with calm, measured steps. She leaned down slightly in front of Seo-jun and brought her lips right next to his ear.
The alluring scent of a woman wafted over him. Seo-jun restrained his hand, which had reflexively moved toward his waist, and listened.
"The Mount Hua Sect will be hosting a martial arts tournament soon. The first-place prize is a Plum Blossom Pill. It cannot be compared to a Purple Cloud Pill, but it is a precious spirit herb nonetheless. It is particularly rich in Yang energy, making it very good for men."
Mae-wol let out a small giggle and exhaled a soft breath against his ear.
"Get away from him, you bitch!"
In the end, Chun-bong huffed and shoved Mae-wol away. Seo-jun, who had been fiddling with his sword hilt, casually rubbed his ear and nodded.
"The Mount Hua Sect, then? And the price?"
"Oh my, a price? It is information that isn't all that grand anyway. Please consider it a small favor from this lowly one."
"If you say so..."
It was best to save money whenever possible. If someone was giving it away for free, it was only polite to accept.
"Ah, more importantly, take this."
Mae-wol reached into her cleavage and pulled something out. It was a small wooden plaque with the character Mae (昧) engraved on it.
"Uh... why did that come out of there?"
"It’s more convenient than you’d think."
The plaque he received was strangely warm. Seo-jun held it by the tips of his thumb and index finger, waving it around to cool it off.
"You... you...!"
Unfortunately, Chun-bong—for whom a cleavage pocket was nothing but a pipe dream—looked dizzy and staggered.
Poor thing.
But Chun-bong suited being flat. A 'Sexy Dynamite' Geum Chun-bong? That was harder to imagine than being told not to imagine an elephant.
"That plaque symbolizes the branch manager of this place, Dueum Incense."
"A branch manager of an Incense-grade district?"
The staggering Chun-bong narrowed her eyes.
Seo-jun also had a rough idea of what kind of administrative district an 'Incense' was.
It was similar to a township or a small municipal district.
However, since Mae-wol claimed to be an Incense-grade branch manager of the Hao Sect, Chun-bong was wary of her unexpectedly high position.
"There is no need to feel burdened. Being an Incense-grade branch manager of the Hao Sect is nothing special. Besides, it’s a plaque that’s easy to forge, so it would be troublesome if you had too high of expectations."
Just as she said, the wooden plaque was just a wooden plaque. An ordinary piece of wood with no signs of special treatment.
"Yeah, well. Thanks."
Seo-jun tucked the plaque into his robe and gave a small nod.
"Live well."
"Are you leaving?"
"That’s right."
"How disappointing. Today is the last..."
Mae-wol put on a noticeably exaggerated expression and smiled sorrowfully.
"Would you not consider spending one last night with this humble one?"
"No. I wouldn't."
"How cold."
This woman was a strange one, too.
Seo-jun shook his head and waved his hand.
"If fate allows, let’s meet again."
*
"Meet again? If fate allows? Ha! With her? You’re really going to see her again?"
"Hey, Miss Geum. Why are you so angry again?"
"I’m not angry!"
"You look pretty pissed to me... Are you on your period or something?"
"...You crazy bastard. Won't you shut up?"
"Shutting up now."
Seo-jun stopped by the house with Chun-bong to pack their things.
Food and water for the journey, clothes, and various other necessities.
After picking up the things they didn't have at the market, the total haul came out to about the size of a traveler's bundle.
"Oh, this looks badass."
His favorite item among the lot was a hooded cloak. In Murim terms, it was called a Dubong.
He thought it might be a bit hot to wear normally, but draped over his thin traveling coat, it made him look like a true martial artist.
"You are a martial artist, not just someone who looks like one."
"Ah, right."
At any rate, it was time to set out.
*
I, Lee Seo-jun, making my debut in the Murim.
On my journey into the Murim, which I embarked upon with great expectations, the first friends I encountered were bandits.
"R-run...!"
"Save meeee...!!"
Except they were currently running away for their lives.
"What the hell is going on here?"