Chapter 161: Chunbong PTSD (1)

Seojun returned to the Namgung Clan residence with Hwangbo Hyeji in tow.

Whatever comfort Namgung Myeong had provided seemed to have helped because she was in much better shape than when he’d first seen her, though her complexion still left much to be desired.

He made sure she ate well and got plenty of rest that day.

The next day.

The quarterfinals had already reached their third day.

On the second day, Hyeun had faced Taebyeok and emerged victorious, while today’s third day featured a match between Woonbaek and Yang Sohong.

And surprisingly, Yang Sohong had defeated Woonbaek.

— Winner…! Yang Sohong of the Dragon Tiger Sect…!

Since he was acquainted with Woonbaek, Seojun had watched the match directly.

Yang Sohong’s victory was largely due to luck. While Woonbaek had a slight edge in pure skill, Yang Sohong’s gamble of a spear thrust had successfully seized the momentum and claimed victory.

“A real dragon rising from a ditch.”

A rising star from some unknown minor sect defeating Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Master?

Luck aside, it was impressive that he’d built up that level of skill in the first place.

“Look who’s talking.”

Of course, Seojun was hardly one to talk. When Chunbong made a strange expression, he shrugged.

“I’m an exception. Even I fear my own talent.”

“…You’re seriously annoying.”

After making evening drinking plans with the disappointed Woonbaek, Seojun returned to the residence.

Thus began the Hwangbo Hyeji Rehabilitation Project.

“Alright, my Peak Realm friends.”

Chunbong, Namgung Suah, Namgung Myeong, and now Hwangbo Hyeji.

Facing four rising stars, Seojun declared.

“Come at me. I think you can join in with the usual training.”

The final quarterfinal match would be between Chunbong and Zhuge Hui. As practice, he planned to face them using techniques and formations.

Hwangbo Hyeji looked around with a dubious expression.

“So suddenly…?”

“When you’re overthinking, you should at least move your body.”

“That may be true, but…”

She seemed entirely reluctant. She even hung her head in shame over the wound at the corner of her mouth that hadn’t fully healed.

Seojun remembered her as quite spirited and found the taste bitter.

“Come here for a moment.”

At his call, Hwangbo Hyeji cautiously approached. He reached out his hand.

“Eek…!”

She flinched, then his hand gently brushed the wound at the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes darted around busily, unable to understand his intention.

Instead of explaining, Seojun drew his sword and reflected her face in the blade.

“All healed, right?”

“H-How did you…?”

Her eyes widened in perfect circles.

Having a high realm shouldn’t make something like this possible. Even if it wasn’t a deep wound, healing it with a single gesture?

It seemed more like the immortal arts that immortals were said to practice rather than martial arts.

“Just a little trick.”

This was the result of researching his own regenerative abilities.

While he’d failed to uncover the source, he’d learned how to enhance the regenerative power of wounded areas using inner qi.

Of course, healing serious injuries like the healing magic in novels was impossible, but minor wounds could be healed instantly.

“Young Lady Hwangbo, did you see? Though he’s my elder brother, he truly is an extraordinary person. How about trying what he suggests?”

“Oh… yes, yes…”

Now that he had her agreement, all that remained was to work her to the bone.

“Hey, you come here too.”

Seojun called to Hwangbo Jun, who was watching from a distance.

“Why me?”

“It’s your family clan. After this ends, you’ll need to help with your clan’s martial arts.”

“That makes sense.”

While he was at it, he could properly observe fist techniques and work on the improvement of the Supreme Force Monstrous God Style he’d been putting off.

Shouldn’t that old man Pae Jingwang try using fist qi at least once?

“Hiek…! Hueek…!”

Hwangbo Hyeji sprawled on the ground, writhing, struggling to lift her head.

“Go die…!”

She could see Geum Hee energetically swinging her sword.

Didn’t she ever get tired?

It had already been two hours of sparring, yet that girl called Geum Hee still seemed to have energy left, giggling as she swung her sword.

“Haeek… haeek… How does she have such stamina…”

As Hwangbo Hyeji panted, Namgung Suah sat down beside her.

“Sister Geum enjoys playing with Seojun. It’s training, but it’s also like a game to her.”

Namgung Suah swept back her hair, damp with sweat and sticking to her skin.

The feminine grace in that gesture left Hwangbo Hyeji staring blankly at her.

“Young Lady Namgung, aren’t you… having a hard time?”

“Me? Of course it’s hard. Look at all this sweat.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Hwangbo Hyeji hesitated briefly.

Though she’d lost to her in the quarterfinals, there was no resentment. If anything, she felt positively towards her.

When you clash swords and fists at full force, you exchange far more than a mere conversation could accomplish.

Relying on her kindness, Hwangbo Hyeji tentatively revealed her inner thoughts.

“You know, things like… family expectations… or your mother’s expectations…”

“I don’t have a mother.”

“Ah…! No! That’s not what I meant…!”

As Hwangbo Hyeji floundered, Namgung Suah chuckled.

“I know. I was joking. I—honestly, I’m not really troubled by other people’s expectations.”

“Really?”

“Instead, there are times when I feel pathetic for not living up to my own expectations. Though it’s not really something worth complaining about.”

Alright, Namgung Suah stood up.

Currently, Namgung Myeong and Chunbong were being toyed with by Seojun.

It was time for reinforcements.

“Want to go together?”

“…Yes.”

Hwangbo Hyeji also stood up energetically.

To fight against the self-proclaimed Zhuge Seojun…

Seojun worked Hwangbo Hyeji hard.

Even when the sparring was winding down, she still seemed to have energy left, so he even gave her additional training.

“Say I can at one, say do it at two! One!”

“I can…!”

“Two!”

“Do it…!”

The more he trained her, the more a smile appeared on Hwangbo Hyeji’s lips.

Honestly, it was a bit scary.

Currently, Seojun was sitting on the back of Hwangbo Hyeji as she did push-ups, using the principles of the Thousand Pound Weight to increase his weight significantly. This wasn’t a situation to be smiling about.

Yet through his qi perception, he could sense Hwangbo Hyeji’s smile growing wider.

Was she the type who enjoyed the pain of training? This one would probably just train on her own if left alone…

The more he learned about her, the less he could understand Hwangbo Seorin.

What exactly had been so unsatisfactory that she’d nagged the child like that?

“Hiek…!”

Seojun caught Hwangbo Hyeji as she was about to collapse and stood up.

Her disheveled expression wasn’t too bad. If he worked her for a few more days like this, he could probably restore her to normal.

Once her condition improved, he’d begin the hellish training in earnest, though he wasn’t sure if that would be fortunate for her…

“Chunbong!”

“What.”

Chunbong had already washed up and came trotting over.

“Take care of her.”

“What kind of person turns someone into a dishrag?”

She grumbled as she lifted Hwangbo Hyeji up. Seojun grinned and patted her head vigorously.

“Aw, my Chunbong is so kind.”

“Right.”

“Go have some girl talk with big sis Suah.”

“Girl wha…?”

“Go chat.”

“Aha.”

Nodding, Chunbong carried off Hwangbo Hyeji.

The training ground, which had been bustling moments before, became quiet as if it were a lie.

Seojun sat down and pondered fist techniques.

I roughly understand the feeling…

The fist technique itself wasn’t important anyway. What mattered was that he understood the feeling.

What he was currently pondering was an improved version of the Supreme Force Monstrous God Style.

Since Pae Jingwang would be the one using it, the old man could handle the fist technique itself.

Of course, even so, if he didn’t know the basic framework of the martial art he was trying to create, there was no way a proper technique would emerge.

Having carefully observed Hwangbo Hyeji’s fist techniques all day, Seojun began writing mental formulas based on his intuition.

It would fit perfectly into the Thirteen Stormflash Sword framework.

Before long, having created a fairly satisfying martial art, Seojun dusted himself off and stood up.

“Hey! Old man! Come out for a moment!”

Gift time.

To put it simply, it was a failure.

What the hell is that bastard doing, seriously?

Imbuing Pae Jingwang’s fist with fist qi itself had been successful.

Hadn’t Pae Jingwang himself been so startled at seeing the fist qi surrounding his punch that he’d jumped around in excitement?

But it was meaningless.

The moment that old man threw a single punch, the fist qi itself shattered.

His own fist qi broke from his own punch…

He couldn’t fathom how strong the force in that punch had to be to make such a thing possible.

In the end, Seojun had no choice but to send Pae Jingwang away, saying he’d call for him again later.

That disappointed expression…

A massive scratch had been left on Seojun’s pride.

“If I can’t put fist force on that old man’s punch, I’ll change my family name, seriously.”

Maybe Namgung Seojun or Geum Seojun would work?

Clicking his tongue, Seojun headed to the Crescent Moon Pavilion. It was where Hyeonwol, the Henan branch chief of the Hao Sect, stayed, and was itself a famous courtesan house in Henan.

Looking around near the Crescent Moon Pavilion, Seojun soon spotted a familiar figure.

“Brother Baek! Over here, over here!”

Mount Hua’s Woonbaek approached with a hearty laugh.

“Well now. I wanted to drink congratulatory wine but it looks like I’ll be drinking consolation wine instead.”

“Man what are you saying, future Dragon? Soon you’ll be called something like Plum Blossom Dragon, won’t you?”

“Haha! Hearing that from Heaven-reaching True Qi makes me feel quite good!”

“Oh come on, forget Heaven-reaching True Qi. Just call me what you used to.”

Seojun grinned as he entered the Crescent Moon Pavilion.

Though Woonbaek showed some reluctance since it was a courtesan house, Seojun had no intention of drinking with courtesans by his side anyway.

He had no such desire, and if he did, Chunbong would scold him.

“I know the owner here.”

“The pavilion lord?”

“This is a Hao Sect branch.”

“Ah, that’s right. Are you acquainted with the branch chief?”

“That’s right. We’re probably pretty close.”

“How interesting.”

Since the Hao Sect was closer to the Unorthodox faction, the orthodox faction’s dignitaries usually didn’t maintain close relationships with them, for the sake of their dignity.

“I don’t have any dignity to worry about.”

“Brother has no dignity? If you asked martial world peers about Heaven-reaching True Qi, they couldn’t say such a thing.”

“Aw! Anyway!”

Seojun and Woonbaek headed to the top floor of the courtesan house. Hyeonwol joined them, and the three began drinking. With his abundant affability, Hyeonwol quickly became friendly with Woonbaek.

“I have a close peer named Woonjak. Originally, he was going to participate in the Dragon Phoenix Tournament… but he gained enlightenment and entered closed-door cultivation, so he couldn’t.”

“Oh my! That’s quite unfortunate.”

“Not really unfortunate. He won’t get the Dragon title due to his age, but once he emerges from seclusion, he’ll surely earn a more impressive title.”

This was something Seojun had heard before.

As he quietly poured wine into his cup, he suddenly asked.

“By the way, did you hear about the Demonic Cult?”

“You mean their movements being unusual?”

Hyeonwol nodded, while Woonbaek tilted his head. Woonbaek seemed unaware.

“I heard this might turn into a three-way war if things go wrong. What do you think?”

“Well… the orthodox faction leadership’s speculation would be more accurate than the Hao Sect’s.”

“Really?”

“Indeed. Most of the Sixteen Great Sects maintain separate intelligence organizations, and the Beggar’s Union is also affiliated with them.”

Woonbaek, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“I have heard talk of demon practitioners roaming around Gansu, Ningxia, and Shaanxi lately.”

Hyeonwol nodded at those words, but Seojun didn’t.

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

Had he missed it by skipping meetings?

As Seojun tilted his head, Woonbaek explained.

“They’re not particularly powerful demon practitioners, so it might not have come up in meetings. Most are supposedly small fry below Peak Realm.”

“I see.”

Seojun’s eyes sparkled.

Then when he had time, it might not be bad to stop by there and kidnap a demon practitioner.

Come to think of it, he was lacking in demonic art cultivation methods.

Technically, he had the Supreme Law of Essence Absorption and Black Hand Great Demon Palm that Great Expert Soul-Stealing Demon had donated, but it wasn’t clear whether those two could be called cultivation techniques or not.

The Black Hand Great Demon Palm was only a palm technique anyway.

Found you. Lord of All Demons’ Successor.

If what that mysterious woman from the past had said was true, then he certainly had talent for demonic arts.

Would it be more convenient to reach Supreme Demonic first and then aim for Unrestrained Realm later?

Seojun’s grand dreams spread their wings of imagination.

He should go as soon as Chunbong’s quarterfinals ends.