Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 26: This is Not a Martial Arts Novel...! (3)

The next morning, Seojun led the courtesans toward the Clear River Sect.

Their expressions weren’t exactly cheerful. On their faces were a complex mix of anxiety, excitement, and fear of the unknown.

Churyeong in particular looked rather overwhelmed.

She would nervously look around, but whenever her eyes met Seojun’s, she would glare at him like she wanted to kill him.

By now, rather than thinking she was rude, he felt more sorry for her. At that level, wasn’t it just some kind of defense mechanism?

“Well, we’re here.”

When Seojun pointed at the Clear River Sect, the courtesans’ expressions went blank.

“T-The Clear River Sect...?”

“Real...ly?”

Their reactions were intense.

Tears were the bare minimum, with some sitting down, and others bursting into loud sobs.

“Wait, what’s wrong... Does the Clear River Sect eat people or something?”

“N-No! That’s not it...”

From what they explained, they never dreamed they’d achieve such success.

Though he wondered how being a maid or servant at the Clear River Sect counted as success.

“It’s quite a promotion actually. The Clear River Sect is basically the ruler of this area.”

“Ruler? Do they collect taxes and stuff?”

“Of course. It’s necessary to run a city.”

“Huh? Run a city?”

What’s this about? Shouldn’t there be a country and an emperor? Can they just run cities as they please?

When he asked Chunbong, she instead furrowed her brow.

“What are you talking about? Even the emperor can’t rule the Central Plains. Wait a minute. That reminds me, didn’t you say something before about my dad being the emperor or whatever?”

“Yeah.”

After glancing around, she pulled on his sleeve.

“Hey, let’s talk for a bit.”

“Sure.”

They moved a few steps away from the courtesans waiting at the Clear River Sect’s gate.

“No, let’s go further.”

Though Chunbong kept tugging at his sleeve, Seojun shook his head.

“Ahh, you don’t know.”

Snap! He flicked his fingers.

Her eyes widened.

“A q-qi barrier...?”

“Why so surprised? You saw me use a sword veil before.”

“How is that even the same thing!?”

Chunbong shouted before shaking her head vigorously.

“No, no. That’s not what matters right now.”

Their voices wouldn’t leak out with the qi barrier up, so with a serious expression she said.

“That thing you said before, about being from another world. Were you serious?”

“Of course. Wait! You didn’t believe me until now!?”

“Who would believe something like that!”

“Geum Chunbong, you brat! You should have believed me from the start!”

Chunbong pressed her lips together at that.

Then she slowly approached, grabbed his sleeve tightly, and looked up at him with a coy giggle.

“Well, I believe you now. Right, big brother?”

“You brat...”

Does she think big brother is some kind of cheat code?

Surprisingly, she was absolutely right.

Add that cute demeanor on top, and there was no way he couldn’t forgive her.

“I forgive you, Geum Chunbong.”

“Hehe.”

That satisfied expression is annoying me for some reason... But since she’s cute, I’ll let it slide.

“Well anyway... I believe you, but it’s still hard to accept. Another world...”

Chunbong frowned and muttered.

“No wait. The Immortal Realm is kind of like another world too, right? Is it something like that?”

“I don’t really know, but maybe?”

“Hmm...”

She nodded with a somewhat unsettled expression.

“Well, whatever. I guess this explains why you have no common sense.”

“Ah, you bastard! So you’ve been thinking I had no common sense this whole time!”

“Isn’t that obvious...?”

Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now.

She smoothly returned to the main topic when he stared at her blankly.

“In any case, you seem to have some misconceptions. The emperor isn’t exactly the ruler of the Central Plains.”

“Then what is he?”

“What else? He’s just the head of a sect.”

“What...”

The emperor is a sect leader...?

He felt dizzy trying to comprehend this completely incomprehensible concept.

“But shouldn’t there be countries in the Central Plains?”

“There are though?”

“With martial artists and common people.”

“Right.”

“Shouldn’t there be an emperor ruling the common people? That’s why there’s the whole, ‘The government and murim do not interfere with each other,’ isn’t there?”

“Ah, that.”

Chunbong made a strange expression.

“I read about that in history books. There was a very brief period when the Imperial Family unified the Central Plains, and that’s when that saying came into existence.”

But not anymore.

The Imperial Family was just one of the great sects now. Though their prestige hadn’t completely vanished, as they were still considered one of the Six Noble Clans.

“What do you...”

“Oh, then you probably don’t know this either. Remember I said the Imperial Family once unified the Central Plains? The emperor at the time was Ju Wooncheon, the Martial God.”

“Wow.”

Chunbong’s common sense lecture continued.

“The Central Plains can be seen as one large country, or as an alliance of several smaller countries.”

Broadly speaking, the Central Plains itself was one country, while narrowly speaking, the Six Noble Clans and the Nine Major Sects were each considered individual countries.

“Taking the Namgung Clan as an example, Anhui Province is their country, and the smaller sects within it are like cities or villages.”

“Aha, I see... So you’re saying this place is basically a city ruled by the Clear River Sect?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

In other words, these courtesans are becoming direct city employees?

It wasn’t quite the same but thinking of it that way probably wouldn’t cause any problems.

“Wait a minute. So I beat up the mayor?”

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

“That’s right.”

“Oh... That’s quite a life achievement! I’m excited!”

Chunbong shook her head.

...At least say something. That kind of reaction hurts my feelings.

After getting his crash course in common sense, he returned to the courtesans.

Chunbong said she’d tell him things as she remembered them since she didn’t know what he knew and didn’t know, and since he’d been living fine without knowing anyway, they decided he could learn gradually.

“Well then, shall we go in?”

Boom boom!

Seojun knocked on the Clear River Sect’s gate.

“Who goes there!”

Creak— the gate opened, revealing a familiar face.

“I thought you’d be coming soon.”

Cheongwoon made a fist-palm salute.

“It’s good to see you again, Young Expert. I am deeply grateful for your help last time.”

“Uh... Your attitude’s changed so suddenly, I’m not sure how to respond?”

“Even beasts know gratitude. Thanks to your advice, I gained a small insight, and that is a great favor that cannot be repaid with mere words.”

Seojun raised his eyebrows at his words. Looking closer, his qi flow had indeed become noticeably smoother.

He honestly thought Cheongwoon might just ignore the advice, but seeing that he’d followed it made him feel oddly proud.

“Oh come on. It’s not that big a deal. You’ll probably hit Peak Realm soon. Fighting!”

“Fighting... Indeed. I will fight on.”

Cheongwoon clenched his fist.

A martial artist saying fighting. This is really something else.

It seems the more educated ones know English better. Chunbong probably didn’t get that far in her studies since she was young, but someone like the Clear River Sect Leader might even be able to have conversations in English.

What kind of crazy wannabe martial arts novel is this?

If I’d read this kind of martial arts novel in modern society, I would’ve coughed up blood and left a 1000-word comment for the author.

Are you a fucking heretic? I’m dropping this garbage, you should just quit writing.

Wouldn’t I have been transported here then? The result’s the same either way. Damn it.

Seojun smacked his lips and followed Cheongwoon, who volunteered to guide them.

The courtesans watched him with strange looks. Especially Churyeong, her eyes visibly trembling.

“Hmm...”

Chunbong’s eyes gleamed sharply.

*Seojun headed straight to the sect leader’s quarters to meet him.

“Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It hasn’t even been a few days.”

“Let’s not sweat the small stuff.”

“Keugh...”

The sect leader looked at the courtesans lined up behind Seojun.

“So, these are the ones you mentioned?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Very well. Those who can cook will be sent to the kitchen, those who cannot will serve as maids.”

“Good.”

Seojun gave a thumbs up. But before that.

“Still, I do have some conscience. Before leaving them in the Clear River Sect’s care, I’ll provide some service.”

“Service... You know Western words quite well.”

“Er... Are you maybe racially discriminatory...?”

“I’m not racist.”

“Oh shit.”

This guy’s pretty good at English. Seojun clapped in admiration.

“Anyway, let me borrow a training ground for a day. You have a spare one, right?”

“Very well. Woon, guide them.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Cheongwoon bowed deeply.

“I shall guide you.”

*Seojun examined the training ground upon reaching their destination.

Not bad.

It was spacious and clean despite being a spare training ground. This would be perfect for what he planned to do.

“Alright everyone. From now on, this instructor will not be speaking formally to you.”

“Y-Yes...? Instructor?”

“Let’s all speak in simple—tsk, nevermind, let’s not go there. Anyways, I’ll be talking casually now so keep that in mind.”

What exercises could women who haven’t regularly worked out do?

Wait, does sex count as exercise?

No, no. Even for me, that’s too much of an asshole thing to say to courtesans.

Anyway, I thought of something good.

“A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body. Any of you heard of calisthenics?”

“No...”

“Then just follow my commands. First...”

Wait. Did it start with arm and leg exercises? Or was it leg exercises?

Due to a minor case of being unable to remember properly, he quickly changed the plan.

“Should we just do the Three Principles Sword Technique? Come to think of it, yeah that should be enough.”

“Y-Yes...”

*The reason for making the courtesans do strange things like calisthenics or the Three Principles Sword Technique wasn’t anything special.

First of all, these were people I introduced to the Clear River Sect.

If they went into the Clear River Sect and acted like idiots, I’d feel bad towards the sect.

So he worked them hard, and the courtesans melted like puddles on the ground.

Seojun grinned as he checked the complexions of the panting courtesans.

Though they looked like they might die from exhaustion at any moment, their expressions were fundamentally bright.

The name Clear River Sect seemed to have the power to make even this training enjoyable.

“Something you have to say?”

Once again, his eyes met Churyeong’s.

In a way, she had been his first encounter after falling into this martial arts world. As he quietly looked at her, her eyes darted all over the place.

“Why... why did you give me this opportunity?”

Ah, so you’re aware that you were being rude?

But he could understand where she was coming from, so he wasn’t particularly upset.

“Want to know?”