Chapter 73: Namgung Clan (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: Namgung Clan (5)
New Azure Cloud Divine Art Mk.2.
This was a martial art created solely to treat Chun-bong’s severed meridians.
However, you couldn't just whip up the New Azure Cloud Divine Art Mk.2 by blindly cramming the oral chants of other techniques together.
Some might argue that the New Primordial Unity Divine Art was exactly that—a hodgepodge of various arts. But that only worked because the New Primordial Unity Divine Art was explicitly designed with that purpose in mind.
The Azure Cloud Divine Art, on the other hand, was a technique already refined to near-perfection. To add something new to it, something else had to be sacrificed.
“Alright, Chun-bong. Should we drop the Fairy Art?”
To be honest, I did have a slight urge to twist the Fairy Art and create something like the ‘Puffy Cheeks Divine Art.’
But that would be stepping onto the heterodox path. Artificially created cheek fat could no longer be considered true cheek fat.
I could prove this through the ‘Mind-Body-Spirit Theory of Chubby Cheeks,’ but I’ll spare you the details due to a lack of margin space.
I simply hoped that Chun-bong’s chubby cheeks would remain safely preserved even after she finished growing.
“…Do we really have to take it out?”
“I need to put the Star-Absorbing Great Art in its place.”
“C-can’t we take something else out…?”
Seo-jun looked at her with a strange expression.
“I mean, you don’t even need the Fairy Art. All it does is make you a bit prettier, and there’s no room for you to get any prettier anyway.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah. So, I’m taking it out, okay?”
The goal of the New Azure Cloud Divine Art Mk.2 was to allow Chun-bong to take in a massive amount of energy and use it to heal her severed meridians herself.
As much as Seo-jun wanted to just fix it for her right then and there, there were areas where he could help and areas where he couldn't.
“So, later on, I’m going to consume that inner core and the other spirit herbs, convert them into Yang energy, and transfer it to you.”
“You should just take them for yourself…. I’m fine with taking it slow….”
“Ahem.”
“No, it's just that I feel bad!”
“What’s there to feel bad about? Our Chun-bong being healthy is the greatest act of filial piety!”
In any case, Chun-bong had to use the Yang energy he transferred to melt the Yin energy clumped deep inside her.
“I’ve calculated it a few times, and it’s something you have to do yourself. It’s too deep for me to help, and since it’s linked to your mental imagery, things will get complicated later if I interfere.”
“Obviously. I have no intention of dumping all the work on you.”
“Who’s a good girl? Our Chun-bong is so brave.”
It would likely take quite a long time. At least a few months, or even a few years if things went wrong.
A wave of gloominess washed over Seo-jun. He sighed and stood up.
“Wait here for a bit. I need to see what kind of spirit herb this Azure Heaven Pellet the lady mentioned is.”
Seo-jun left the room and headed toward Namgung Su-ah’s quarters.
On his way, he spotted a familiar face.
“What are you doing here?”
“Ah! Brother-in-law!”
Such capybara-level friendliness! It was Namgung Myeong.
“Just hanging around!”
“Doesn’t look like nothing. Are you waiting for your sister?”
He seemed to be loitering around Namgung Su-ah’s residence.
“Ah, well…”
“Let’s go together, then.”
“Really!? Thank you!”
For some reason, Namgung Myeong looked overjoyed as they headed toward Namgung Su-ah together.
“By the way, how old are you?”
“My age? I turned twenty-two this year!”
“Oh….”
Me, Lee Seo-jun. My original age was twenty-four. In the Central Plains, they calculate age a bit differently, and about a year has passed… my birthday has passed too, right?
Then I’m twenty-four again.
Physical age? I don’t care about that. Either way, I’m twenty-four.
“Aha, so you’re the younger one! Let’s get along.”
“Yes, Brother-in-law!”
“How about ‘Big Brother’ instead of ‘Brother-in-law’?”
“Understood, Big Brother!”
The kid was nice. So nice that I worried he might get scammed.
Seo-jun scratched his head and knocked on the door.
“Noona, are you there?”
“Yes, Young Hero.”
Namgung Su-ah peeked her head out. Her face was flushed. She even lowered her gaze the moment their eyes met.
“Uh….”
Seeing her so bashful made the events of yesterday flash vividly in his mind again.
“So… did you sleep well last night?”
“Ah, no…. I tossed and turned a bit….”
“Aha….”
As they stood there awkwardly, Namgung Myeong, who was watching from the side, covered his mouth.
“Gasp…! Big Brother, could it be…!”
“…Myeong? Don’t say anything unnecessary.”
“Yes! Sister!”
Namgung Myeong shut his mouth tight.
Namgung Su-ah let out a sigh and looked at Namgung Myeong.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Ah! That is….”
Namgung Myeong hesitated before pulling something from his robe. It was traditional sweets neatly wrapped in paper.
“I stopped by the market and thought of you, Sister….”
“Oh…. Thank you….”
As Namgung Su-ah took the sweets, Namgung Myeong fidgeted before suddenly bowing ninety degrees.
“Then, have a wonderful time!”
Dash! Namgung Myeong vanished in a flash.
Watching his retreating figure, Seo-jun let out a laugh.
“He’s a good brother. It seems like he really wants to get closer to you.”
“He is…. Truly….”
Her eyes turning slightly misty, Namgung Su-ah swung the door wide open.
“Would you like to come in?”
* * *
After he explained his reason for visiting, Namgung Su-ah retrieved a wooden box from her room.
“This is the Azure Heaven Pellet.”
Click. As she opened the lid, a rich, medicinal fragrance wafted out, making Seo-jun’s eyes widen.
“Wait, this is….”
He had expected it to be around the level of a Plum Blossom Pill, but this was on a completely different level.
“Isn’t this too precious a spirit herb to just give away?”
“I’ve already consumed enough of these that the effects are no longer potent for me. If it can help you, that is enough.”
“No, but still….”
He accepted it for now. He felt guilty receiving such a grand gift, but treating Chun-bong’s severed meridians was more important.
‘With this much….’
The plan changed completely. It seemed like consuming just the inner core and the Azure Heaven Pellet would be perfect. To be safe, adding one more light spirit herb would be ideal.
“I’ll definitely pay you back as soon as I find a good spirit herb later.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Namgung Su-ah giggled.
“Between a husband and wife, what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine.”
“What….”
“Oh my…. Were you planning to toy with a maiden’s backside and then refuse to take responsibility?”
Seo-jun froze, his eyes darting around. Namgung Su-ah burst into laughter and waved her hand.
“It was a joke. But truly, you don’t need to think about paying me back, so please accept it comfortably.”
“Okay….”
“Are you going to see Geum Mae now?”
“I should.”
“May I come with you?”
“Of course, you don’t even have to ask.”
And so, he and Namgung Su-ah returned to Chun-bong's room.
Waiting there was Geum Chun-bong, dressed in fancy clothes…!
“What!”
They weren't just fancy; they were the kind of elegant yet ornate clothes a lady from a prestigious family would wear. Moreover, she must have applied something to her face, because her already pale skin looked even whiter, like flour dusted over a rice cake.
Her lips were redder than usual as if she’d applied rouge, and with eye makeup to boot, she looked quite mature.
As Seo-jun jumped in surprise, Chun-bong gave a smug smile and struck a peculiar pose.
“How do I look?”
“Our Chun-bong is so cuuuute!”
He immediately rushed over to dote on her cheeks, causing Chun-bong to pout and let out a long sigh.
“Well, don’t I look a bit more like a woman?”
“What are you talking about, Geum Chun-bong! You were always a woman!”
“This son of a… seriously. Phew.”
After having her rice-cake-like cheeks thoroughly toyed with, a disheveled Chun-bong stepped back down to the ground.
“But what’s the occasion? Why the sudden makeover?”
“I don’t know. I was dragged away by the maids.”
“What’s that about?”
Seo-jun scratched his head. Namgung Su-ah, standing behind him, giggled.
“I asked them to take good care of her. It seems the maids found Geum Mae so adorable that they went all out.”
“Of course! She is the Cutest in the World, Geum Chun-bong!”
Seo-jun grinned and pulled the Azure Heaven Pellet from his robe.
“Hey, hey, look at this. It’s an absolutely insane spirit herb.”
“It really is the Azure Heaven Pellet….”
Chun-bong stared blankly at Namgung Su-ah.
“Unni, is it really okay to give me something like this?”
“I told you it’s fine. I’ve received plenty of thanks from Young Hero Lee already.”
“Ummm….”
Chun-bong looked bashful. Seo-jun smirked at her.
“Now, once we get one more decent spirit herb, the preparations will be complete.”
“And where are you going to get that?”
“Well…. This is the Namgung Clan, after all. If I ask for one, won’t they just give it to me?”
“No.”
Seo-jun raised an eyebrow at the firm answer.
“Why?”
“You shouldn’t accept help for nothing. That all becomes a debt.”
“Hmm….”
Scratching his head, Seo-jun turned to Namgung Su-ah.
“Noona, does the Namgung Clan happen to have any work available?”
Come to think of it, he needed to earn money too. His wallet had successfully finished its diet and was currently starving. Plus, the ‘Chun-bong Cheek Maintenance Fund’ was a non-negotiable expense. He had to do something.
“There’s plenty of work. We’re always short on hands. Especially for a martial artist of the Super Peak Realm.”
No matter how prestigious the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Clans were, a Super Peak martial artist was a rare talent.
If a Super Peak martial artist with a modicum of credibility showed up looking for work? They would be welcomed with open arms.
“But this is the Namgung Clan. Are there really that few Super Peak martial artists?”
“Well… it’s not that there are very few.”
While it was true that martial artists at or above the Super Peak Realm were precious, they weren't exactly unheard of.
Of course, only a chosen few could reach such a stage, but once they did, their lifespan increased significantly. Furthermore, anyone at the Super Peak or above was naturally a core power of their sect, and there were ways to artificially extend one's life.
Taoist sects had developed longevity arts, while the Evil Sects used methods like human sacrifice. Because of this, there was actually a decent accumulation of experts spanning several generations.
As far as Namgung Su-ah knew, Elder Jong-in was nearly 600 years old. It was just that even after all that time, he couldn't cross the wall into the Transcendent Realm, which was why he had joined hands with the Black Lotus Union to somehow extend his life.
“But the clan’s internal affairs haven't been great lately.”
“Ah.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you think the phrase ‘internal affairs’ sounds a bit… suggestive?”
“Pardon…?”
If you’re not careful with ‘internal affairs,’ you might end up pregnant. Seo-jun swallowed the nonsense that was about to leap out of his mouth and shook his head.
“No, it’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”
“Aha…. Anyway, they say a war with the Black Lotus Union might break out soon, right? So it seems we’re short on manpower. If you go to the Chief Steward, I’m sure he’ll give you some work, but….”
“But?”
“I’m sure they’d give you a small spirit herb if you just asked. Especially after what my father said.”
“No, it's fine. I need to earn some money anyway.”
With that, the plan was set.
He would complete commissions for the Namgung Clan to obtain a spirit herb and use it to treat Chun-bong’s severed meridians. In the meantime, he could learn some swordsmanship from the Family Head, and before he knew it, time would probably fly by.
“Phew…. Chun-bong, you have to hurry, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
“If you take too long, your Oppa will get Qi Deviation!”
“This guy… even when he’s trying to be serious, he just has to…!”
Patter, patter! Seo-jun chuckled as she playfully pummeled him.
“I’m joking. Don’t rush; take your time. If you make a mistake because you’re rushing, that’s when the real trouble starts.”
He wasn't joking about that part—if something went wrong, that day might very well become the day of the Heavenly Demon’s awakening.