Chapter 82: Enemy (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: Enemy (3)
No one knew how long it would take for Chun-bong to heal her severed meridians on her own.
One thing was certain—it would take at least several months. She needed a safe place to stay during her secluded training.
Finding a location wasn't difficult. Calling in a favor from his "father-in-law," Seo-jun secured a building within the Namgung Clan specifically designed for secluded training.
It was a sturdy stone structure. Elaborate formations bolstered its security, and by guiding the flow of nearby Qi, the interior remained rich with ambient energy.
"Wow, this is nice."
Looking around, Seo-jun discovered a small, artificial stream flowing right through the room. Fresh drinking water.
In one corner stood several large jars, filled to the brim with Grain-avoidance Pills.
Nodding in satisfaction, Seo-jun patted the floor.
"Sit here."
Chun-bong waddled over and sat down. She stared intently at Seo-jun’s face for a long moment before speaking.
"Oppa, don't do anything crazy. Take care of yourself, okay? Don't go crawling into dangerous places. Got it?"
"Hey, what am I, a kid?"
"I told you. I worry about you more than a kid."
With a small sigh, Chun-bong closed her eyes.
"I'm ready."
"Yeah."
Sitting behind her, Seo-jun pulled out the spirit herbs. The snake's inner core, the Azure Heaven Pellet, and even the monster cores obtained from the monster wave.
Can I fit all of these in one mouthful?
After a moment of thought, he decided to consume them in stages.
As he gulped down the spirit herbs one after another, the clashing energies inside him began to rage wildly, threatening to explode at any second.
Seo-jun wrapped the chaotic energies in his Primordial Unity Qi, blending them together. He then dropped a single bead of Primordial Unity Qi into the center to act as an axis.
The masterless energies submitted to that faint spark of power. Seo-jun commanded it: Turn into Yang energy.
Immediately, the murky, chaotic mixture transformed into pure Yang energy, flickering with intense heat.
The Azure Cloud Qi of the Azure Cloud Divine Art is fundamentally Yin energy.
However, just because Azure Cloud Qi took on a Yang attribute didn't mean it ceased to be Azure Cloud Qi. It would be easier for Chun-bong to handle if it was an energy she was already familiar with.
Seo-jun processed the pure Yang energy, refining it into Azure Cloud Qi.
"I'm starting."
"Okay... Oppa."
His heart felt heavy. Sniffling for no reason, Seo-jun placed his hands flat against Chun-bong’s back.
The Star-Absorbing Great Art. He utilized its principles in reverse.
The Yang energy trapped inside his body began to flood into Chun-bong.
"Mmm..."
Chun-bong groaned at the strange sensation, drawing the energy inward using the principles of the New Azure Cloud Divine Art.
A massive amount of energy was shifting. It took quite a long time, and as Seo-jun transferred his Qi, he carefully observed her interior.
Deep inside her lay a massive Yin energy that had half-merged with her mental imagery.
Seo-jun’s own mental imagery looked up at it. It loomed like a giant iceberg.
He wanted to smash it all at once, but doing so would shatter Chun-bong’s mental imagery as well.
That would mean the death of her mind—no different from actual death.
Damn it.
Glaring at the iceberg as if he wanted to murder it, Seo-jun reached out.
The moment his hand touched the ice, his fingertips froze. Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun used the Star-Absorbing Great Art to absorb a tiny fraction of that energy.
He immediately pulled his hand away and analyzed it.
Yin energy. And it's maximized the property of coldness.
It was definitely an ice-type art.
The Death Qi is incredibly thick. It's likely the Black Lotus Union. At least one of the bastards who attacked the Divine Sword Geum Family must have used the martial arts of the Black Lotus Union.
Having transferred the last of the energy to Chun-bong, Seo-jun opened his eyes.
A thin layer of frost had formed across Chun-bong’s body.
Crackle— When he pulled his hands away, the frost in that spot shattered. But the surrounding ice quickly crept in to cover the area once more.
Seo-jun sat there for a while, silently watching Chun-bong.
One hour, two hours. An unknown amount of time passed until the ice covering Chun-bong’s body grew so thick that she appeared entirely buried within it.
"Fuck..."
Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun stood up. His insides were boiling. The killing intent directed at an unknown enemy roiled within him before condensing into a single, razor-sharp point.
I've memorized the energy.
If he ever encountered someone using a similar technique, he would know instantly.
And that person would never be allowed to leave alive.
Without another word, Seo-jun left the building.
* * *
"Young Hero Lee..."
Namgung Su-ah was waiting outside the building.
She had already said her goodbyes to Chun-bong. Approaching softly, she carefully studied Seo-jun’s expression.
"Don't be too discouraged. If it's Geum Mae, she'll overcome this and come out soon."
"...Yes."
Pressing her lips tight, Namgung Su-ah pulled Seo-jun into a hug. Unlike her usual teasing self, the embrace was gentle and comforting.
Seo-jun blankly accepted the warmth that somehow felt distant and let out a sigh.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing. Tell me whenever things get hard."
After talking for a bit, he parted ways with Namgung Su-ah.
He felt strange. He just wanted to be alone. Kicking off the ground, Seo-jun leaped up to stand atop the highest point he could find.
The moon hung in the sky. He stared up at it blankly, then shifted his gaze to the surrounding stars.
Could I pull them down?
The sky looked down loftily from its high, unreachable perch. Feeling particularly annoyed today, he threw a punch with all his might.
Rumble—!!!
The heavens paid no mind to a human's petty struggle. Only a single, innocent cloud was torn apart by the force.
Looking up at that vast sky, Seo-jun gritted his teeth.
It's not enough.
Nowhere near enough to reach the heavens.
To avenge Chun-bong, this level of power wouldn't do. He had to become stronger. Strong enough to slaughter those vermin.
Seo-jun turned away in silence.
* * *
From that day on, Seo-jun lived a busy life.
First, he visited the Chief Steward to receive his reward. Instead of spirit herbs, he took his entire payment in cash. Combined with the bounty for stopping the monster wave, it amounted to a staggering sum.
He saved the money for the "Chun-bong Cheek Fat Maintenance Fund."
Sometimes, he learned the sword from Namgung Jin-cheon and reviewed his own martial arts.
Occasionally, he helped the Chief Steward resolve matters for the Namgung Clan, and during his breaks, he chatted about this and that with Namgung Su-ah.
After about a month, there was no one in Anhui who didn't know the title Jin Gi-jae-cheon.
However, the people of the underworld called him the Mad Blood Monster instead of Jin Gi-jae-cheon. Many who saw him even once were so terrified that they immediately gave up their lives of crime.
Rumors spread that the Mad Blood Monster enjoyed slaughter and viewed human lives as less than insects. Thanks to this, the crime rate—which had been spiking due to the Namgung Clan's lack of manpower—decreased sharply.
And that very same Mad Blood Monster was currently lying on the floor, whining.
"No, seriously, Noona! Isn't 'Mad Blood Monster' a bit much? How is it that not a single character in that name is normal?"
"Hehe, it just shows how much they fear you, Seo-jun. The Chief Steward is actually very pleased about it."
Because she had stayed by his side every day, worried about his unstable emotional state, Namgung Su-ah had grown quite close to him.
To Seo-jun, the Namgung Clan now felt like a second home, and Namgung Su-ah was like a close older sister.
"That Chief Steward ahjussi needs to take it easy. Seriously, he's going to die of overwork at this rate."
"What can I do? He won't listen even when I try to stop him."
"Sigh."
Seo-jun sprang up from his seat. Namgung Su-ah looked at him with a soft smile.
"Training?"
"Yeah."
"Good luck."
Now fully accustomed to the gesture, Namgung Su-ah pulled Seo-jun into a hug and patted his back.
"If it gets too hard, you can always come to my room at night."
"Hey, now... Noona. Really."
"What? I'll sing you a lullaby so you can get some rest. You were thinking of something weird, weren't you?"
Seo-jun stared intently at Namgung Su-ah’s slyly smiling face. Then, pinch!
"Hmm."
"Wh-wha?"
After pinching Namgung Su-ah’s cheek, Seo-jun patted her shoulder.
"Noona, you're sleeping well at night, right? Your bones are going to rot at this rate."
"N-no... I'm not doing anything weird!"
"Hmm."
"I-I'm serious!"
Her blue pupils wandered aimlessly before she narrowed her eyes and pouted.
"I guess you've gotten too used to this. It must be time to give you some new stimulation."
"What stimulation?"
"Do you know what the next form after Mount Tai Pressure Peak is?"
"Sweeping a Thousand Armies?"
"Correct. A smart boy deserves a reward, right?"
Namgung Su-ah slightly pulled down the front of her robe. Seo-jun flinched.
Using footwork to close the distance in a flash, Namgung Su-ah pulled Seo-jun’s head tightly against her chest.
"Hup. Sweeping a Thousand Armies."
Indeed... Sweeping a Thousand Armies... It was a deep valley capable of trapping and wiping out a thousand soldiers.
Trapped in that place, Seo-jun saw the next path.
Immortal Pointing the Way. The path an immortal walks.
He didn't have the confidence to endure if he were hit by the linked techniques that followed.
"Gasp...!"
Seo-jun broke free from Namgung Su-ah's grasp and scrambled backward.
"No, Noona, seriously! Don't you have any... modesty!?"
"Hehe, what does it matter? You're my future husband."
"What."
For now, a tactical retreat was necessary.
To defeat a Super Peak Realm martial artist with only the Three Talents Sword Art... Namgung Su-ah truly possessed the skill worthy of a direct descendant of the Great Namgung Clan.
"Just you wait!"
Seo-jun fled.
From now on, it was training time. He still had many martial arts to refine.
* * *
"It's a godforsaken world," Jang-geuk, the Chief of the Green Forest, declared.
"A world overflowing with idiots even worse than us."
Jang-geuk was unashamed. Even if he made a living as a bandit preying on others, he had no regrets before the heavens.
He had become a bandit to survive, and when he gained power, he learned the value of camaraderie.
Though this was a bandit's den filled with idiots, there was genuine affection here. They were now Jang-geuk’s family.
The other bandits of the Green Forest? He didn't care.
Jang-geuk didn't give them a second thought. To him, the true Green Forest was this single mountain stronghold. All other bandits were mere strangers.
"In such a world, an opportunity has descended. I have grabbed the rope, and I will rise above the heavens with all of you."
Jang-geuk lifted a crude broad blade. A massive momentum blanketed the mountain. His eyes gleamed fiercely as he laughed.
"Let's go! The bastards of the Black Lotus Union are waiting for us. We will head north and join them in Hebei. Once that happens, this wretched life is over!"
Jang-geuk was feeling his limits. Being called the Chief of the Green Forest sounded grand, but he never knew when orthodox masters might come rushing in to subjugate them.
If he could only reach the Transcendent Realm, the problem would be solved, but Jang-geuk had realized long ago that it was impossible.
It was the limit of his martial arts. The Giant Spirit Divine Art was a divine art in name only; in reality, it wasn't a particularly great technique.
In fact, it was a miracle he had even reached the Super Peak Realm.
To go beyond that, he would have to completely overturn the foundation of his martial arts and forge a new path—a feat that belonged strictly to the domain of a Grandmaster.
It was no different from creating an entirely new martial art from scratch.
Jang-geuk knew better than anyone that he couldn't achieve such a thing on his own.
Therefore, he would join the Black Lotus Union, accumulate merit, and receive a new martial art.
Through that, he would reach the Transcendent Realm, and his Green Forest would finally be free.
Jang-geuk thrust his broad blade high into the sky.
"The Green Forest rises, and the mountains and fields tremble!"
The bandits roared in unison.
"The Green Forest rises, and the mountains and fields tremble...!"
As the Green Forest rose up, the mountains and fields seemed to shake in fear.
True to those words, the mountain beneath Jang-geuk’s feet shook as if an earthquake had struck, reacting to his sheer momentum.
Thump—!
He stomped his foot. The trembling of the mountain ceased, and a heavy silence hung in the air. Jang-geuk shouted.
"Let's go!"
"Waaaaaaa...!!"
The war had begun.