Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 54: Transcendent Realm (1)

Namgung Suah glanced at him regretfully.

“This might be your only chance, you know?”

“Ah, yes. Please don’t.”

“Just to avoid any misunderstanding, I’ll have you know my body is as pure as the white snow, untouched by any man. I’m not the type of woman to throw myself at just anyone.”

“...Then why are you doing this to me? I’m literally just some random guy.”

As Seojun slowly backed away, Chunbong stepped forward.

Now filled with confidence, she no longer had anything to fear.

“Hey. Why do you keep coming onto him, auntie?”

“Excuse me...?”

Namgung Suah’s eyes trembled. Seems she was offended.

“He’s just a weirdo with abnormal sexual desires who only likes little kids, so he doesn’t like those fat lumps you’ve got.”

Chunbong’s eyebrows twitched as she side-eyed Namgung Suah’s massive chest.

“Right?”

“No. Not at all. Don’t I keep telling you I’m not a kid lover? That’s a serious misunderstanding!”

“Hey come on! At least keep your story straight!”

“Oh, was that what it was?”

Seojun slapped his palm with his fist and smiled brightly.

“That’s what she says.”

“I see.”

Namgung Suah quickly erased any sign of being offended and smiled faintly as she slightly revealed the sword at her waist.

It was the longsword she had received as a prize from this martial arts tournament, not her greatsword, which was nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm... Anyway, instead of doing this in the room, how about we have some tea and chat?”

“Hm...”

“I’d like to talk about our match from before. It was truly impressive. Especially the sword that contained the sky.”

“Oh, really?”

Seojun, now in a good mood, quickly nodded.

“Shall we then?”

Pinch— His side was pinched, but it didn’t hurt much.

*The place Namgung Suah led them to was a much larger teahouse than expected.

The teahouse building was multi-storied, and when the waiter saw Namgung Suah, he immediately guided the group to the top floor.

“The dragon well tea here is exquisite.”

“Dragon well tea? Isn’t that expensive?”

“No, it’s not much.”

Hearing that, Seojun looked around but couldn’t see any menu.

Suddenly curious, he couldn’t help but call over a passing waiter.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, what can I do for you?”

“How much is the dragon well tea here?”

The waiter discreetly held up three fingers.

Three copper coins?

As Seojun tilted his head in confusion, the waiter whispered.

“Silver taels.”

“Oh...”

That’s fucking expensive.

Seojun looked at Namgung Suah with a sour expression, and she smiled brightly.

“It’s not much, right?”

“Right.”

Come to think of it, this woman wasn’t just born with a silver spoon, but a diamond spoon, no?

The direct descendent of the Namgung Clan, practically a princess of some kingdom.

While he had some money from robbing the Black Tiger Sect, it wasn’t the kind of wealth he could even dream of comparing to hers.

When he scratched his head, Chunbong furrowed her brow.

“Hey, I’ll buy it for you. Why are you shrinking back like that?”

“Oh no.”

But Chunbong, your money is my money.

We pool all our money together and use it jointly, so there’s no distinction between your money and mine.

Still, he stayed quiet to avoid embarrassing her, and Namgung Suah chuckled.

“Since I invited you here, I’ll pay. Feel free to order anything you want.”

“Wow, thanks sis!”

Pinch! His side was pinched again. This one hurt a bit.

Namgung Suah watched them warmly before speaking.

“By the way, your little sister has grown a lot in just a few days.”

“Well, kids grow fast, you know?”

“I’m not a kid though!?”

As Chunbong flared up, Seojun tried to calm her down. Meanwhile, Namgung Suah slightly opened her eyes and stared at her.

“Your sister took the Plum Blossom Pill, didn’t she?”

“Why do you ask that?”

Seojun erased his playful self and looked at Namgung Suah coldly.

“You seem too interested in Chunbong.”

“Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I just have a suggestion to make.”

“A suggestion...?”

“From my humble perspective, it seems you need spirit pills. I was wondering if you might need spirit pills from the Namgung Clan.”

“...”

Seojun narrowed his eyes and stared at her.

Namgung Suah smiled bitterly and waved her hand.

“I apologize. Perhaps I was too hasty.”

Then she untied the sword at her waist and placed it on the table.

“Anyway, please accept this. It’s something I have no use for.”

“It feels a bit wrong to accept it for free.”

“No. I’ve already received sufficient compensation.”

Namgung Suah extended her hand and slowly lowered it.

It was an ordinary gesture with no qi imbued in it.

But in that movement, Seojun saw the sky.

“How is it?”

“It’s a bit different.”

“Isn’t it? After seeing this Young Expert’s sky, I suddenly thought, perhaps my sky lacked intensity.”

That really wasn’t the case.

The sky Seojun had seen in her that day felt endless and merely looking at it felt crushing, but it seemed Namgung Suah had gained some small insight after seeing his sword.

“Since I’ve gained a clue to move forward, a mere sword like this is nothing in comparison. Besides, it would be strange for a Namgung Clan member to use a Mount Hua Sect sword, so I couldn’t use it anyway.”

“Well, if that’s the case...”

“And above all else...”

Haah... Namgung Suah exhaled hotly as she rubbed her stomach.

“I can’t forget it. The intenseness. That day, my eyes were opened to a whole new world.”

“Oh man...”

Seojun hastily withdrew his hand that had been reaching for the sword.

Isn’t she just a damn pervert?

*After a long conversation with Namgung Suah, Seojun returned to the inn with the new sword at his waist.

From their conversation, he felt that while she was a strange woman, she didn’t seem to be a bad person.

Even Chunbong, who had been hostile at first, seemed to open up as time passed, and by the end, they appeared to have become somewhat friendly.

“What are you talking about? We didn’t become friends at all.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Kyaaa...!”

Evening had fallen before they knew it.

As he was wrapping up the day and wondering when they should leave Huayin, new guests arrived.

“Oh? Hello.”

“It’s been a while, Dao Friend.”

It was Woonjak.

The Mount Hua Sect martial artist they first met and had demonstrated the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique at the martial arts tournament.

Seojun, who had been needlessly worrying if he was becoming popular lately, also greeted the man next to Woonjak as if he knew him.

“We met at the preliminaries, right?”

“Indeed. In fact, that is why we came.”

“Woonbaek, how can you just jump straight to the point like that? We should at least introduce ourselves first.”

“You’re right.”

The man made a fist-palm salute.

“I am called Woonbaek.”

“And I am Woonjak.”

Seojun and Chunbong returned the salute.

“I’m Lee Seojun.”

“I’m Chunbong.”

When the introductions were over, Woonbaek immediately got to the point.

“Setting that aside, there is something I’d like to ask. Is your main weapon not a blade, Young Expert? I am certain I witnessed as such, but this friend insists your main weapon is a sword.”

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“Didn’t you watch the finals?”

“I did. Your overwhelming victory against the Namgung Clan’s heir was certainly impressive. But even then, was a blade technique not your first?”

As the two bickered, Seojun found himself seated in a corner of the inn, blankly staring at the drinking party that had naturally formed.

And then he realized.

So this is what being truly popular is like. He was merely someone who wanted to be popular, an aspiring socialite at best.

“So, Young Expert! Which is it?”

“Uh... if I had to say, it’s a sword I guess?”

“See! Even Dao Friend says it’s a sword.”

“No! This cannot be right?”

Woonjak smiled proudly and offered Seojun a drink.

“Dao Friend, have a drink with us.”

“Ah, well...”

Seojun glanced at Chunbong sitting blankly next to him.

She really is a born homebody, unable to say a word when caught in situations like this.

“She’s still young, so alcohol is a bit...”

“What?”

Chunbong, who had been spacing out, suddenly stood up.

“I’m all grown up now.”

After saying that, she poured herself a drink and downed it in one shot.

“Kyaaa...!”

She stomped her feet, saying her throat was burning, then collapsed onto Seojun’s lap and fell asleep.

“Uh... That’s quite a fiery young lady.”

“Haha... my Chunbong is a bit like that.”

Seojun laughed awkwardly and held out his cup.

“Then shall I have just a little?”

“That’s a great idea!”

The drink he hadn’t had in a long time tasted sweet.

*“So, you see. Ahem. My Daoist name was given to me directly by my master. Though I’m just a sparrow (Woonjak) now, one day I’ll become a Great Peng and spread my wings...”

This was the seventh time he’d heard this story.

Seojun chuckled and asked Woonbaek.

“Hey, Brother Baek. There’s something I’ve always been curious about.”

“Ask away! If my little brother has a question, I should answer it!”

“Is it true that the semen of Mount Hua Sect masters smells like plum blossoms?”

“Mm! Indeed that is correct. When you reach the level where plum blossom scent naturally emanates even when performing movements without conscious effort, it even comes out in saliva or semen.”

“Oh...”

That was actually true?

He had always been curious, and today he finally got his answer.

“But why are you curious about that?”

“Oh, Brother Nam mentioned it.”

“Nam? ...You don’t mean Young Lady Namgung Suah, do you?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Haha! Of course not.”

Woonjak and Woonbaek, utterly drunk, only left when night fell.

“Then we’ll see you again!”

“Yes, Brother Seojun... So, as I was saying, my Daoist name was given to me directly by my master...”

“This guy can’t even drink, why does he always...”

Seojun also waved, with Chunbong on his back.

“See you next time!”

After watching them stagger away, Seojun groaned at the pleasant buzz of alcohol and headed to his room.

Mount Hua Sect...

As always, you can’t judge a group of people based on a single person.

While that Elder Jongin was a suspicious person, Woonbaek and Woonjak were certainly good people.

Even the innkeeper’s insistence on not accepting money from Mount Hua Sect members and sneaking it back into their sleeves was proof of that.

If he came back to Huayin, he would probably end up visiting those two again, wouldn’t he?

Even if they had bonded over a drink, there was no need to doubt their sincerity.

“Mm. That’s right.”

Seojun looked up at the moon through the window and wrapped yin qi around the index finger of one hand and yang qi around the other.

“A celebratory firework for our new connection.”

Whoosh—

The launched yin and yang qi met in the sky and exploded.

Boom!

After enjoying his solo fireworks display, Seojun flopped down next to Chunbong.

“Oh, my dear Chunbong.”

As he hugged her tightly, Chunbong wriggled into his arms.

The warmth made him drowsy.

“Yawn...”

It had been a satisfying day.

*A few days later, Seojun and Chunbong left Huayin.

Flap—

A bird landed on Elder Jongin’s shoulder as he sat with his eyes closed.

“So they’ve finally left.”

Jongin stood up.

There was a faint smile on his lips.

“How truly unfortunate.”

He stroked the sword at his waist and began walking.

To greet the surviving bloodline of the Divine Sword Geum Clan.