Chapter 74: Namgung Clan (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: Namgung Clan (6)
Before heading to the Chief Steward to pick up a commission, Seo-jun decided to teach Chun-bong the New Azure Cloud Divine Art.
Although the New Azure Cloud Divine Art was essentially the original version combined with the Star-Absorbing Great Art, he hadn't just haphazardly slapped the two together.
He had only integrated the necessary parts—specifically, the components that would allow Chun-bong to better accept his transferred Qi. It also helped her retain the Qi that would otherwise leak out during the healing process of her Severed Meridians.
Sitting in the lotus position and circulating the New Azure Cloud Divine Art, Chun-bong suddenly snapped her eyes open.
"This… the speed of Qi accumulation is a bit strange, isn't it?"
"Strange? Is there a problem?"
"It’s not a problem, but… why is it so fast?"
"You scared me. I thought something actually went wrong. It’s supposed to be like that."
Chun-bong was a talented martial artist in her own right, so she handled the New Azure Cloud Divine Art with relative ease. Since it wasn't an entirely new martial art but rather the original with a few added functions, there was no risk of it clashing with her existing heart method.
Now, all she needed was time to let it settle into her body.
Seo-jun grinned at her.
"At this rate, our Chun-bong might reach the Super Peak Realm in no time, huh?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
"No, I'm serious."
Since they were on the topic, Seo-jun searched his memories to see if he could offer any advice based on his own experiences.
"You already know the rest… and as for enlightenment… well, I don't have much to say that would help you there."
He had formed an inner core to balance his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, so he couldn't offer much guidance in that regard. His case was simply too unique.
"Oh, there is one thing. The Life-Death Barrier."
At Seo-jun's words, Namgung Su-ah, who had been sitting quietly nearby, shifted her gaze.
"Should I step out for a moment?"
"Huh? Why?"
"I shouldn't eavesdrop on the martial insights Young Master Lee has gained."
"No, what are you… it’s not that big of a deal. Besides, I don't mind if you hear something important."
Namgung Su-ah arched an eyebrow before breaking into a soft smile.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Anyway, about that Life-Death Barrier—there are two of them, one at the Baihui point and one at the Huiyin point, right?"
"What?"
Chun-bong furrowed her brows. She exchanged a look with Namgung Su-ah and tilted her head in confusion.
"Why would there be two? The Baihui… that’s the one at the crown of the head."
"Huh? I have two."
"Isn't the other one just accumulated impurities?"
"No, it’s different from that."
Seo-jun looked at Namgung Su-ah.
"Right, sister?"
"I also know it to be located at the Baihui point."
"What the…"
What’s going on? Then why do I have two?
As Seo-jun frowned in confusion, Namgung Su-ah spoke up.
"However… I have heard of something like this before. In the case of a Heaven-Defying Body, the Life-Death Barrier exists at the Huiyin point instead of the Baihui."
"A Heaven-Defying Body?"
"Yes. It is a physique optimized for practicing Demonic Arts. It is extremely rare, scarcely seen even in ancient records."
A Heaven-Defying Body offered massive advantages in learning martial arts, even if they weren't Demonic Arts. Because their Baihui point was naturally open, such individuals were prone to short lives, but their insight was so vastly superior that they could master techniques in an instant.
Furthermore, when aiming for the Super Peak Realm, they would break through the Huiyin point, which was relatively safer than the Baihui, making it far easier to reach that stage.
"Aha…"
Seo-jun nodded, then suddenly froze.
"Wait, but I don't just have it at the Huiyin point, either."
"Yes… that is something even I am unsure of."
Seo-jun turned to look at Chun-bong this time.
"Don't look at me. I don't know either."
"No, what the hell is this…"
Seriously, what am I? Do I have something like a Heavenly Demon Body?
Perhaps it was related to his abnormally high regenerative abilities.
"Hmm…"
After a moment of contemplation, Seo-jun quickly gave up.
"Whatever. But in that case, I really don't have anything to teach you. I reached my stage through a bit of a shortcut."
"A shortcut? Like a trick?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Seo-jun let out a sigh.
"Phew, anyway… just keep practicing the Azure Cloud Divine Art for now. I’m going to go see the Chief Steward for a bit."
"Okay. Don't do anything dangerous."
"Hey, do I look like a kid to you?"
"You’re more worrying than a kid, you brat."
"Sheesh."
* * *
Seo-jun headed toward the Chief Steward's office, accompanied by Namgung Su-ah.
The Chief Steward was the person in charge of managing most of the Namgung Clan's affairs. Apparently, while his martial prowess wasn't exceptional, his rank within the clan was quite high.
In many clans, the position of Chief Steward didn't even exist, and the Family Head managed everything personally. However, since the Namgung Clan was essentially a sanctuary for sword-obsessed fools, it seemed the Family Head didn't bother with such administrative tasks.
"If the Chief Steward is such a high-ranking person… will the guards jump out to cut my head off if I say something wrong?"
"Hmm… that shouldn't happen under normal circumstances. You aren't exactly a rude person, Young Master Lee."
"Oh."
Not rude. It felt like the first time he’d ever heard that. He was a little touched.
Feeling better, Seo-jun knocked on the door with a bright smile.
"Is anyone in?"
"Who is it?"
"Uh… a guest?"
"……"
The other side of the door went silent for a moment. Then, it cracked open, and a man peered out.
"Ah, My Lady."
The man’s eyes widened when he spotted Namgung Su-ah, and he hurried to swing the door wide open.
"The Chief Steward is inside."
"Hehe, thank you."
"And this person is…?"
The man looked at Seo-jun, then his eyes widened even further as realization struck him.
"Ah…! You must be her partner! Please, come in!"
"Oh, thank you."
Is this the taste of power? To receive such royal treatment just for being Namgung Su-ah's partner. They didn't even know who he was.
Following the man, who appeared to be a guard, they entered a long hallway.
The guard lightly knocked on one of the inner doors and spoke in a low voice.
"My Lady and her partner have arrived."
"Hmm?"
The door burst open along with the sound of hurried footsteps.
"My Lady! What brings you all the way here?"
A thin man with a goatee beamed at the sight of Namgung Su-ah.
Looking at him, it seemed Namgung Su-ah was universally adored within the clan. She was practically an idol.
"Young Master Lee has some business with you."
"Ah! I was so distracted, I forgot my manners."
The Chief Steward gave Seo-jun a formal fist and palm salute.
"I am Jin Ga-wi, the Chief Steward of the Namgung Clan."
"Ah, I'm Lee Seo-jun."
As Seo-jun returned the salute, Namgung Su-ah sent him a Voice Transmission.
[ He is a remarkable individual who rose to the position of Chief Steward despite not bearing the Namgung surname. ]
That made sense. Usually, the person managing a clan's core affairs would be a blood relative. The fact that he held this position with the surname Jin meant his administrative abilities were likely exceptional.
Moreover, his cultivation wasn't low either. Perhaps his "weakness" in martial arts was only relative to his high position; the Chief Steward’s actual realm was the Peak Realm.
When Seo-jun asked about it out of curiosity, the Chief Steward replied with a laugh.
"Haha, even for a civil official, there’s no harm in having high cultivation. A higher realm means less fatigue and slower aging, allowing one to work for much longer."
"Aha… Uh, you aren't being forced to work against your will, are you?"
"Hahaha! Of course not. Oh, look at me keeping you standing. Please, come inside. I’ll prepare some tea."
After sitting down and sharing a brief conversation, the Chief Steward looked at the mountain of work piled on his desk with a troubled expression and finally asked for their business.
"I apologize, but I don't think I can chat for much longer as I am quite short on time. What brings you to see me?"
"Ah, I was wondering if there was any task I could help with."
The Chief Steward’s eyes flashed.
"Help with?"
"I need a simple Spirit Herb and some money."
"I can just give you that much."
"No, that feels a bit wrong. I’ve already received a lot from the clan."
"Hmm…"
As the Chief Steward pondered, Namgung Su-ah, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.
"Young Master Lee is a martial artist of the Super Peak Realm."
"The Super Peak…!"
The Chief Steward bolted upright. He strode over and grabbed both of Seo-jun's hands firmly.
"You have come to the right place…! Please forgive my eyes for failing to recognize a distinguished guest…!"
"Yes…?"
"I…! I can provide as much compensation as you want! Could you please take a look at these!?"
The Chief Steward rummaged through his desk and pulled out several stacks of paper.
"These are tasks that won't take very long at all."
The Chief Steward unconsciously licked his lips.
A Super Peak martial artist just rolled in? He couldn't afford to waste such a precious resource by sending him somewhere far away.
The excited Chief Steward spread out the tasks and explained them rapidly.
"These are all incidents that occurred near Anhui Province. This one is about tracking a criminal guilty of murder, arson, and rape; this one is for subjugating demonic beasts; and this one is…"
Listening blankly to the rapid-fire explanation, Seo-jun scratched his head.
"Uh… for now, catching and beating someone up would be the easiest."
"Oh! Is that so! Then these tasks right here are perfect…!"
The Chief Steward quickly sorted the papers and laid them out. There were still dozens of them. He had mentioned they were short-handed because of the war with the Black Lotus Union, and it seemed he wasn't exaggerating in the slightest.
"Then… ah, this one looks good. Three Peak Realm and two First-rate. I can catch them quickly."
"As expected of a Super Peak expert! You are incredible!"
"Huh? No…"
The Super Peak Realm was incredibly difficult to reach. It wasn't called a realm reserved only for the chosen for nothing.
Even if a Peak Realm martial artist trained for a thousand years, there was no guarantee they would ever break through to the Super Peak. Furthermore, the higher the realm, the greater the gap in power became; from the Super Peak onward, the disparity even between martial artists in the exact same realm was extreme.
Naturally, the Transcendent Realm was entirely beyond comparison.
Countless Super Peak martial artists with natural lifespans exceeding four hundred years often grew old and died without ever catching a glimpse of that wall.
In contrast, one could reach the Peak Realm even without extraordinary talent. Of course, that didn't mean it was easy. It simply meant that an ordinary person with decent talent could potentially reach it after about sixty years of diligent training with a good martial art.
However, if one had a fair amount of talent and added real combat experience on top of that, the Peak Realm was a stage they could reach in their thirties.
As a result, whenever a significant problem arose in the martial world, it was common for Peak Realm martial artists to be involved.
When a group consisting of three Peak Realm and two First-rate martial artists went around committing crimes, the clan needed to crush them with overwhelming force to prevent unnecessary casualties. A Super Peak martial artist could resolve such an issue quickly and single-handedly.
From the Chief Steward’s perspective, a literal gold mine had just walked into his office on its own two feet.
He beamed and gathered the relevant documents.
"Thank you, Great Hero! Are you familiar with the geography of Anhui?"
"No?"
"Then I shall assign a guide to you! There is no need to rush—take your time! Please, feel free to work at your own pace!"
"Ah, yes…"
"Oh, right! This is a personal gift from me! It’s premium tea leaves I received as a gift, and the aroma is truly exquisite!"
"Uh… thank you?"
"Ah! Would you like to take this as well!"
"Oh, no. I’m fine…"
"Then how about this…!"
By the time Seo-jun finally stepped outside, his arms were overflowing with gifts from the Chief Steward.
"It seems… his job is very stressful."
As Seo-jun spoke blankly, Namgung Su-ah giggled.
"It is a very demanding position. Money problems, personnel problems—all sorts of issues pour in without end."
"Aha…"
He felt a bit sorry for the man.
Should I finish this task quickly and help him out with a few other things too…?
With that thought, Seo-jun trudged back toward his quarters.