Chapter 88: Soft (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Soft (1)
Seo-jun stared intently at the kneeling Jang-geuk before shifting his gaze to Hwangbo Jun.
Hwangbo Jun flinched, taking a quick step back.
After sweeping his gaze over the Geumgang Unit and the Clear Wind Unit, Seo-jun allowed demonic qi to flare violently from his entire body.
"This energy is undoubtedly identical to demonic qi."
As the flickering demonic qi swirled around Seo-jun, the surrounding vegetation withered and twisted into eerie, grotesque shapes.
"However, since I do not walk the Demonic Path, it cannot simply be called demonic qi."
As he spoke, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.
Am I sure? Is there really a reason I shouldn't just become a demonic human?
If he headed to the Demonic Cult and continued his training, it wouldn't be long before he could inherit the title of Heavenly Demon.
Don't I want to sit upon the throne above all others and look down upon the world?
— Oppa! If you become an idiot, Chun-bong will be sad! Waaaah!
The absurd auditory hallucination snapped him back to his senses. The "Bluetooth Chun-bong" effect was certainly potent.
Seo-jun raised a hand and sliced off the horns growing from his temples. Blood trickled from the severed stumps. He felt his mind clear as a sharp sting of pain shot through him.
"Now I can breathe." Seo-jun exhaled deeply and made his declaration.
"Therefore, I shall name this energy Ghost Qi. I am no demonic human. This is guaranteed by Namgung Jin-cheon, the Family Head of the Namgung Clan and the Vast Heaven Sword Venerable."
Since the man had told him it was fine to use his name last time, it was technically a guarantee.
"I-I see! If that’s the case, then I can believe you!"
Hwangbo Jun nodded hurriedly, exhaling a heavy sigh of relief. He seemed terrified that a fight was about to break out.
Seo-jun then looked down at Jang-geuk, who was still kneeling.
"And as for you, mister…"
Seo-jun reached out. His previously severed right arm was still a bit stiff, but it seemed his regenerative powers could even reattach limbs; it was gradually getting better.
"Don’t think too poorly of this."
His hand moved toward Jang-geuk’s head. Jang-geuk squeezed his eyes shut.
However, Seo-jun didn't crush the man's skull. He merely touched Jang-geuk's crown for a moment before pulling away.
Initially, he had intended to kill him, but after cutting off his own horns, a strange sense of defiance had welled up inside him.
I will not be swayed by a will I do not know.
Besides, the fact that someone of a Chief’s caliber hadn't been fully subjugated yet meant he hadn't crossed the line.
Furthermore, his intuition told him that this man wasn't entirely untrustworthy. But the world was a difficult place to navigate on intuition alone. He couldn't truly know the heart of someone he had just met.
"I’ve planted the Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art in your Baekhoe point. It has an expiration date of one year."
It would dissipate on its own after a year. He briefly considered lying—claiming it would explode if he didn't personally tend to it before the year was up—but ultimately decided against it.
"It’ll disappear on its own after a year. But if I detonate it before then… well, you know, right?"
Pop! His head would burst like a melon.
An ordinary person would have been terrified at the thought of a bomb planted in their head, but Jang-geuk was different.
"Haha! So you’re saying you’ll accept my loyalty! Thank you! But since things have turned out this way, could I perhaps learn a bit of that Giant Spirit Divine Art?"
Seo-jun let out a small laugh at the man’s brazenness.
"Well, I’ll think about it. By the way, are you okay with this? Five of your men died by my hand."
"That… was unavoidable. It is not something I should resent you for."
With a heavy sigh, Jang-geuk stood up.
Hwangbo Jun watched him with a strange look in his eyes, but neither Seo-jun nor Jang-geuk paid him any mind.
"I look forward to serving you."
Jang-geuk offered a formal fist and palm salute.
"Yeah."
Seo-jun returned the gesture.
Then, feeling his innards begin to twist, he focused his senses inward for a moment.
It’ll be a problem if my condition stays like this.
A distortion in one's Essence-Qi-Spirit was no simple matter.
If he wasn't careful, his balance would collapse and his body would break down. Even if he was lucky, his mind would twist, turning him into a raving madman.
At that point, he would truly become a slaughterer worthy of the title 'demonic human.'
Sensing this instinctively, Seo-jun generated a new inner core within his body.
As he regained his lost realm, three beautiful flowers bloomed behind his head.
It wasn't an inner core solidified over years of cultivation, but one that had just been hastily formed. It was fragile, leaving the balance of his Essence-Qi-Spirit slightly unstable, but that was a problem time could solve.
"Ugh…"
His head spun.
Shattering one's inner core to gain an instantaneous explosion of power—it was a theoretical ultimate move he had pondered before. But just as he had suspected, the aftereffects were severe.
He would have to recuperate quietly for a few days at best, or a few months at worst.
"Young Master."
Noticing Seo-jun’s swaying condition, Hwan Bae-ho approached and supported him.
"Ah, thanks."
Leaning against the man, Seo-jun reached up to feel the spots where his horns had been. He felt smooth, severed surfaces.
Wait. Smooth?
He rubbed the spots several times, but nothing changed.
"Wait, what the fuck?"
He had bald patches. Two of them, one on each temple.
"N-Noooooo…!!"
He was screwed.
*
A man’s greatest enemy: hair loss.
Seo-jun agonized over whether he had fallen victim to the demonic beast's curse, but there was no way to know immediately.
If his hair grew back over time, the problem would solve itself. But if it didn't, he would have to live with two glaring bald patches for the rest of his life.
"Oh, Heavens!"
Hwan Bae-ho, who was currently carrying the wailing Seo-jun on his back, gave an awkward smile.
"It will be fine, Young Master. Your hair is long to begin with, so the patches won't even be visible."
"Mister, that’s not the point. This is a very serious matter," Seo-jun grumbled.
Trailing behind them were the Geumgang Unit, the Clear Wind Unit, and the bandits of the Green Forest.
The Geumgang Unit and the Green Forest kept their distance, remaining highly wary of each other. Surprisingly, however, the Clear Wind Unit didn't seem to care at all.
As expected of the Great Namgung Clan. Their magnanimity was on a whole other level.
Come to think of it, was that my first time seeing a proper Qi master?
There had been the Soul-Stealing Demon, but Seo-jun had killed him before seeing much of his abilities.
Today was practically the first time he had properly witnessed Qi techniques in action, and they were much less impressive than he had expected.
How surprising.
The martial arts of a long-standing organization were supposedly techniques that countless geniuses had refined over generations, reaching near perfection.
But in Seo-jun’s eyes, the ice arts that woman used didn't seem all that perfect.
It made sense, though. Everyone possessed a different constitution and unique mental imagery, making it incredibly difficult to achieve complete unity with a pre-existing martial art.
As I thought, it’s best to create the martial arts you use yourself.
Yes, indeed.
As Seo-jun nodded in satisfaction, Jang-geuk approached him.
"I’ve been thinking about it, and since I’m not entirely sure, I must ask… what should I call you? Master? Lord?"
"What?"
A hairy middle-aged man calling him 'Master'? Seo-jun barely suppressed a sudden murderous urge and took a deep breath.
"Phew… 'Lord' is the better option of the two."
"Then I shall do so. But… I feel a bit awkward saying this. Are you sure you’re okay with this? Taking the Chief of the Green Forest as a subordinate will cause you a lot of headaches."
"Ah, you don't know, do you?" Seo-jun smirked. "My father-in-law is such a badass that it’ll be fine. Besides, isn't it a win for the Murim Alliance since their overall combat power just increased? And even if it isn't, what are they going to do about it?"
He glanced at Hwangbo Jun, who flinched.
"Well… it should be fine. As long as you keep him on a tight leash, the Chief Tactician will be pleased."
Seo-jun couldn't fully trust the words of that blockhead, but apparently, that was the case.
"But then, what are you going to do now, mister? Do you have anywhere else to go?"
"Hmm? What do you mean? Weren't we going to the Namgung Clan?"
"Ah. Is that how it works?"
"That’s how it works."
"Aha."
Seo-jun nodded. Then, as a thought occurred to him, he sent a message via Voice Transmission.
[ By any chance, can you tell me the oral chant for the Giant Spirit Divine Art? ]
[ Of course. ]
After obtaining the chant for the Giant Spirit Divine Art through Voice Transmission, Seo-jun pondered for a moment before speaking.
"You really managed to reach the Super Peak Realm with such a trashy martial art."
"Is it that bad?"
"It really is. Honestly, I can see how you might reach the Peak Realm if you tried hard enough, but how on earth did you reach the Super Peak Realm?"
Perhaps the man had unconsciously forged a path where none existed, or maybe the compatibility between the Giant Spirit Divine Art and Jang-geuk was simply beyond imagination…
"Still, it’s not a completely terrible art. As you practice the Giant Spirit Divine Art, you gain a sharp intuition. Thanks to that, I’ve survived more than a few life-threatening situations."
"The Giant Spirit Divine Art doesn't have an effect like that."
"Hmm…?"
It was true. No matter how closely Seo-jun analyzed the chant, he couldn't find any function that sharpened one's intuition.
"I think you just naturally developed it because you had to have good intuition to survive using such a shitty martial art… Maybe everyone who didn't develop it just died?"
"…Is it really that bad?"
"It really is."
"Heh…"
Seo-jun scratched his chin as he watched the lamenting Jang-geuk.
If he’s coming with us to the Namgung Clan… should I make something like a Green Forest Unit?
My father-in-law probably won't care much, so it might be okay to just create a decent martial art and grow them into a proper fighting force.
No. Should I take the Namgung Clan’s basic arts and create a complementary martial art to be practiced alongside them?
If I design it well and distribute it to the Namgung Clan, it’ll be a win-win for everyone.
If I improve the Qi accumulation speed—which is the main weakness of basic arts—and make it easier to reach higher realms…
Wait, that’s just a demonic art.
It seemed he needed to give it a bit more thought.
Right at that moment—
"Hmm? Wait a moment."
At Seo-jun’s gesture, everyone stopped in their tracks. Simultaneously, the Geumgang Unit and the Clear Wind Unit released sharp auras, strictly guarding their surroundings.
The Green Forest bandits looked around in confusion before tentatively drawing their own weapons.
"Is it an enemy?"
Seo-jun shook his head at Hwan Bae-ho’s question. "No, it’s not that."
Sliding off Hwan Bae-ho’s back, Seo-jun looked toward the direction where he had sensed a presence.
"There’s a kid running desperately over there. Can someone go bring him here?"
"Yes, sir!"
Hwan Bae-ho dashed out immediately. He wouldn't listen to an order to retreat for the life of him, but he was certainly fast.
In the end, Hwan Bae-ho hadn't been of much help during the battle, but it was certain that he would have risked his life to protect Seo-jun if things had gone south against the two Super Peak martial artists.
The Geumgang Unit was much the same.
Unlike vagabond martial artists who wandered the world, these were warriors fiercely loyal to their clan.
While Seo-jun was lost in thought, Hwan Bae-ho returned with a child on his back.
"I’ve brought him, Young Master."
The boy was covered in wounds. He looked to be about fifteen years old, and his desperate, tear-stained expression suggested something terrible had happened.
"P-Please help me…!"
As Seo-jun raised an eyebrow, the boy cried out in a hoarse scream.
"M-My sister…! Sob! She was kidnapped…!"
Looking closely at the boy’s wounds, Seo-jun noted that most were just scratches from branches or scrapes from falling. It seemed he had been hiding and was lucky enough not to get caught.
The corners of Seo-jun’s mouth twitched.
"Young Master, it seems to be the work of the Black Lotus Union. When those bastards set up a base, they often kidnap people from nearby cities to use as sacrifices."
"Aha."
Seo-jun knelt down to meet the boy’s eyes. "A younger sister?"
"Y-Yes…!"
"Then why are you alive?"
Seo-jun’s eyes flashed red.
"If you’re her older brother, you should have protected her until your head was ripped off."
" Gasp! "
The boy’s body trembled violently. Hwan Bae-ho also looked flustered by the sudden hostility.
— Hey, you idiot!
Hearing Chun-bong’s voice ring out like an auditory hallucination, Seo-jun tapped his own head.
"Hmm."
I shouldn't shatter my inner core too often. His personality was becoming a bit unstable due to the distortion in his Spirit.
Or maybe he had just lost his patience.
"I’m sorry." Seo-jun patted the boy’s shoulder and stood up. "Mister Bae-ho, please."
"Young Master, you can't fight in your current condition. I will call for reinforcements, so leave this to them."
"Now, now. I have to go because it’s bothering me."
Even if it had been a younger brother, it would have bothered him quite a bit, but since it was a younger sister, he couldn't just walk away.
"Besides, we have a new subordinate here, don't we?"
He patted Jang-geuk’s shoulder, and the man responded with a wide grin.
"It seems this is the perfect place to prove my worth. I shall do my best."
"And there’s an idiot here too, though I don't know if he’ll be of any help."
Seo-jun pointed at Hwangbo Jun, who flinched.
"…Are we going too?"
"Then are you going to back out? You want to die, kid?"
"…I didn't say I was backing out. Let’s go."
Seo-jun smirked and climbed back onto Hwan Bae-ho’s back.
"Alright, let’s go! Mister Jang-geuk, carry that kid."
"Understood."
"And you, kid, explain the situation to him."
"Y-Yes…."
Jang-geuk laughed heartily and patted the back of the trembling boy.
"A man shouldn't tremble like this! You have to save your sister! We’ll help you, so please, explain!"
The former bandit was surprisingly good with kids.
Seo-jun chuckled.
"Shall we go?"
Lee Seo-jun, the guardian of all things soft in the world, is on his way!
…is what he almost said out loud.