Chapter 75: The Way (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75: The Way (1)
After spending the entire previous day helping Chun-bong practice the New Azure Cloud Divine Art, Seo-jun stepped out of his quarters the next morning with a confident stride.
Chun-bong had reached a stage where she needed to master the techniques through her own practice; there wasn't much more he could do to help. That meant it was time for him to set out and find those spirit herbs.
Before leaving, it was only basic courtesy to bid farewell to the Family Head. Probably.
When Seo-jun arrived at the Family Head’s Hall, the doors swung open with a sharp thud before the guards could even greet him.
“Um…”
Seo-jun glanced back and forth between the open doors and the guards. One of the guards simply smiled and gestured inside.
“You may enter. It seems the Family Head holds you in very high regard, Young Master.”
“Oh… thank you.”
Young Master? The sheer weight of that title sent a shiver down Seo-jun’s spine as he stepped into the hall.
Wait, is this a trap?
Thinking back, almost everyone in the Namgung Clan seemed to consider him Namgung Su-ah’s lover.
He could ignore the rumors from the rank-and-file, but the fact that the Family Head himself believed it was a serious problem. If he suddenly pulled a, ‘Actually, I’m not really her boyfriend, you know?’ the Family Head might just draw his sword and take his head off.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. At this rate, he was actually going to end up as the Namgung Clan’s son-in-law.
Wait a minute.
His wife would be Su-ah? Honestly, that wasn't bad. No, it wasn't just 'not bad'—she was completely out of his league.
Lost in these idle thoughts, he soon found himself standing before a single thin sliding door. Once he opened this, Namgung Jin-cheon would be…
Click—
The door slid open on its own.
Seo-jun awkwardly pulled back his outstretched hand and offered a deep bow.
“Hello there.”
“Welcome, son-in-law…”
Namgung Jin-cheon, still wearing that same vacant expression, gestured into the air.
Immediately, the teacups and various utensils sitting on the table rose into the void. They began to move of their own accord, seamlessly brewing tea.
“Oh…”
Naturally, this wasn't the work of some magic artifact; it was Namgung Jin-cheon’s Void Object Grasping.
Strictly speaking, it was a technique similar to telekinesis. Since it was an ability Seo-jun couldn't use himself, he didn't understand the mechanics perfectly.
However, he did notice one thing. There was an inexplicable void amidst the flowing natural energy. That was likely where Namgung Jin-cheon’s Mental Intent resided.
Perhaps that was why the movements of the tea set were so fluid and natural.
If so, Namgung Jin-cheon wasn't actively dedicating much focus to brewing the tea with Void Object Grasping. His extended Mental Intent was doing all the heavy lifting for him.
“You will be able to do this without much difficulty before long…”
“Uh… was I staring too much?”
“There is no harm in looking… Sit, for now…”
At Namgung Jin-cheon’s gesture, Seo-jun took a seat across from him. Soon, an empty teacup was placed in front of each of them.
“Accept this…”
Namgung Jin-cheon picked up the ceramic teapot. When Seo-jun held out his cup with both hands, the Family Head slowly poured the tea.
“It is a tradition of the Namgung Clan…”
With those words, the teacup suddenly became absurdly heavy. It was the sheer weight of the internal energy Namgung Jin-cheon was infusing into the pouring tea.
“This is a tradition?”
Seo-jun casually dispersed the crushing weight of the internal energy within the tea.
Trickle—
The tea, now filling the cup, glowed with a faint blue light, completely saturated with internal energy.
Is this thing radioactive?
When Seo-jun looked at Namgung Jin-cheon with a dubious expression, the older man gave a faint smile.
“It is the method the Family Head has used for generations to test a son-in-law… though it seems it didn't mean much to you…”
“Aha.”
Seo-jun took the teapot from Namgung Jin-cheon and poured tea into the Family Head's cup.
Of course, he made sure to infuse it with his own internal energy as he poured, giving the liquid an immense, overbearing weight.
“Ho…”
Namgung Jin-cheon did not disperse the weight. Instead, he simply coated the cup with his own internal energy to prevent the porcelain from shattering.
The tea within boasted an impossible density, yet Namgung Jin-cheon showed no sign of struggle as he stared intently into the golden, glowing liquid.
“This is a fresh experience… Indeed… there is no law saying a son-in-law cannot test his father-in-law…”
“Huh? No, it wasn't a test or anything.”
“Hmm…?”
“I just thought you’d feel left out if I was the only one drinking something like this.”
Seo-jun lifted his blue-glowing cup. Namgung Jin-cheon followed suit, raising his golden-glowing cup.
“I… like you…”
“That’s a bit surprising to hear.”
Seo-jun let out a short laugh. Looking at him now, the Family Head of the Namgung Clan wasn't all that intimidating.
To Seo-jun, Namgung Jin-cheon was just a slightly strange middle-aged man with a decent personality—even if he did weird things like talking to his sword or acting in ways that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“Take good care of Su-ah… I no longer have anything to worry about regarding the clan…”
“Oh, of course. What could possibly happen to the great Namgung Clan?”
“Is that what you think…?”
Namgung Jin-cheon stared at Seo-jun and smiled faintly.
“I still live in the past… but I hope my son-in-law does not…”
“Hey now, you should look toward the future too, sir. You have to see your grandkids later.”
“Oh… do you perhaps have a plan…?”
“Oops.”
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Seo-jun’s eyes darted around the room.
“Well… who knows? Not yet…”
“I see…”
Namgung Jin-cheon drank his tea, looking somewhat dejected.
Seo-jun took the cue and brought the cup to his lips.
I wonder if it tastes like soda?
He tilted the cup, held the tea in his mouth to savor it briefly, and then swallowed.
“Oh?”
Seo-jun’s eyes snapped wide open. He used the Star-Absorbing Great Art to absorb the internal energy Namgung Jin-cheon had infused into the tea.
Since it was mere internal energy and not True Qi, it couldn't increase his total capacity, but he hadn't absorbed it for that purpose anyway.
“This tastes like the sky.”
“What does the sky taste like…?”
“Hmm… it’s hard to put into words.”
A vast sky unfolded before his mind's eye. Just by getting a small taste of Namgung Jin-cheon’s internal energy, the energy within his own Dantian stirred.
How should he describe it? It felt as if he had caught a glimpse into Namgung Jin-cheon’s inner self.
An infinitely vast, empty sky. Seo-jun gazed at it silently.
“Hang in there, sir.”
Namgung Jin-cheon gave a small laugh.
*
He’s not talking to his wife today. Did they have a fight?
Seo-jun left the Family Head’s Hall with that trivial thought. Heading toward the Chief Steward’s office, he skimmed through the documents he’d been given. They were packed with text.
Reading it all thoroughly was out of the question, but even a quick glance at the highlighted parts told him these guys were absolute human trash.
Rape followed by arson. Murder during the process. They even killed the disciples of a small sect who came to stop them. Not stopping there, they raided the sect itself and killed the Sect Leader. The entire sect was wiped out?
Are these guys insane? Where do they get the nerve? Doing stuff like this in Anhui, the Namgung Clan's territory?
Seo-jun let out a hollow laugh and knocked on the door in front of him.
“Anyone in?”
“Who is it?”
“A guest.”
“Ah, it’s the Young Master.”
The guard, recognizing him instantly this time, led him to the Chief Steward.
The Chief Steward greeted him with a broad smile and a flurry of compliments before quickly introducing the guide he had mentioned previously.
“He is well-acquainted with the geography and highly skilled in tracking, so he will be of great help.”
“Oh, thank you so much.”
Seo-jun exchanged brief greetings with the guide as they headed toward his quarters.
“I am Hwan Bae-ho. It is an honor to serve you, Young Master.”
“The pleasure is mine. I’m not very good with directions.”
“I will do my absolute best.”
“Okay…”
The man was so stiffly formal it was a bit exhausting.
When they arrived at the quarters, Chun-bong was chatting away with Namgung Su-ah.
“Hey, Geum Chun-bong! Are you doing this after finishing all your homework?”
“Why are you acting up again…?”
“But still…!”
Seo-jun rushed over and scooped Chun-bong up in his arms.
“It breaks my heart to be away from our Chun-bong.”
“What, am I going with you?”
“No… you have to practice… I’ll be back soon.”
Rubbing his cheek against Chun-bong’s made him feel a bit better.
Chun-bong acted disgusted, but if she truly hated it, she was the type to throw a fit and wriggle away. Deep down, she actually liked this kind of thing.
“Hehe, are you leaving now?”
“Ah, Su-ah.”
Seo-jun nodded.
“I’ll be back soon. Please look after Chun-bong while I’m gone.”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
Chun-bong let out a scoff.
“It’s not like I’m a kid.”
“But you are a kid?”
“Shut up.”
Seo-jun set Chun-bong down, making his reluctance obvious, and sighed as he pulled out a map.
“Let’s see…”
He immediately folded it back up and handed it to Hwan Bae-ho, who was standing stiffly behind him.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hwan Bae-ho replied with military precision.
Seo-jun gave a small smile and waved to Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah.
“Well, I’m off.”
*
“Brother, are you sure we’re okay doing this?”
The self-proclaimed Five Heroes of Anhui were whispering in a small, quiet tavern.
“Little brother, how many times do I have to tell you it’s fine? There’s no way the Namgung Clan has the mental energy to worry about trivial matters like this right now. As long as we get out of Anhui quickly, they won't catch us.”
“But Second Brother, it’s not like the Namgung Clan is the only power in Anhui.”
“Fourth Brother, why are you acting like this too? It’s not like I was the only one who wanted to do it.”
They had simply taken a beautiful woman who didn't belong in such a plain city, and collected some valuables in the process.
A few people died during the friction, but it wasn't something to lose sleep over.
“A few more days and we’ll be in Jiangxi. Once we take the long way around to the Yangtze River, not even the Namgung Clan’s ancestors could catch us.”
“Second Brother is right. It would take a significant force to capture us anyway. The current Namgung Clan doesn't have the luxury to waste that kind of manpower just to catch us.”
“Hehe, exactly, Brother. And more than anything…”
The Second Brother pulled a manual from his robes and slid it over to the Fourth.
“This martial art is surprisingly decent. I thought it would suit you well, Fourth.”
“Whoa, when did you snag this?”
“It was in the Sect Leader’s room.”
“You’ve got quite the talent. Thanks.”
The Five Heroes of Anhui burst into laughter.
“Anyway, come on! Let’s have a drink and push hard again tomorrow!”
“Cheers!”
Cups clinked, and liquor splashed.
To them, 'heroism' was nothing more than another name for the law of the jungle.
*
“Is it here?”
“Yes, Young Master. I believe we need to stop at about two locations for tracking purposes. Would that be alright?”
“Oh, of course. I should follow the expert’s word.”
Seo-jun looked around. The wary glares directed at outsiders were thick in the air.
Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun looked toward the horizon where the sky met the earth.
“Hide and seek…”
The sentence the Namgung Clan had passed on the self-proclaimed Five Heroes of Anhui was summary execution.
“I can already see your parents waiting for you.”
Whether there were three Peak Realm masters or five, he didn't think it would be difficult.
It was time for a family reunion.