Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 29: Murim Debut (2)

“Hey, pull yourself together. Why are you acting like you lost your country?”

Chunbong patted Seojun’s back.

But there was no way he could just regain his composure. None of this made any sense. Something that should never have happened just happened.

“This isn’t right... Something’s wrong...”

“Seriously, you bastard...”

“I won’t allow this.”

Seojun suddenly jumped up, his eyes burning with determination.

“Come with me.”

“Uh, uhh...? Hey! Let go of my...! Eek...!”

After being dragged along for a bit, Chunbong finally gave up and walked alongside him.

Seojun’s large steps led them to the dining hall.

“Why suddenly the dining hall?”

Seojun stuck his head into the kitchen without a word.

“Excuse me! Five portions please! The good fattening stuff!”

“Is this really necessary...?”

“This is your duty, Geum Chunbong. Return that squishiness that fits perfectly in my hands right now!”

“What are you...”

“Hurry up and return them! My cheeks! I can’t live like this! Quick, before I fall into qi deviation!”

Chunbong’s jaw dropped as she watched Seojun throwing a tantrum like a child.

“Isn’t this... already qi deviation...?”

What happens if qi deviation hits at this point? Maybe a crazy person going crazy again would loop back to normal?

“Hurry!”

“...Crazy fucker.”

*Seojun ended up eating four of the five portions. One portion was quite a lot even for Chunbong’s small appetite.

He was satisfied with that much since he hadn’t intended to torture her with food.

“Haaaah...”

“That’s one heavy sigh.”

“...You grew taller again.”

“...Lunatic. So quick to notice.”

Chunbong stretched her back. Soon her head would reach Seojun’s chin.

She consciously touched her chest, smiling proudly.

Thump thump.

Nothing had changed.

“...Fuck.”

Chunbong despaired.

Crack. Seojun grinned and stretched to loosen up his stiff body from researching protective qi all night.

This is my condition after pulling an all-nighter? All hail martial arts!

“I’m heading out.”

“The courtesans?”

“Yeah, gotta establish some discipline.”

“Won’t the Clear River Sect handle that? Why do you need to?”

“It’s basic service, dummy.”

Seojun walked away whistling.

And so a week passed.

*It was time to leave the Clear River Sect.

Seojun and Chunbong exchanged their final farewells with the sect leader in his quarters. Cheongwoon was there as well.

“You’re leaving then?”

“Yeah, well. About time we moved on.”

“I see. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

“Why bring fate into it? If you want to see someone, just see them.”

Man proposes, God disposes? Heaven’s will or not, I just want to see someone, so God doesn’t need to get involved.

Seojun slowly drew his sword, smiling faintly.

Drawing a sword before a sect leader—forget rudeness, it was an act worthy of immediate beheading.

Yet the sect leader watched in silence, and even Cheongwoon at his side merely observed.

“I figured since I received a spirit pill, though I’m not sure if this will help...”

The sword rose powerfully.

He wasn’t planning to show off any grand swordsmanship. The sect leader was better with a sword than him anyway.

But in this one thing, at least, he had absolute confidence.

“Watch closely.”

Seojun’s eyes found Cheongwoon as his sword descended slowly.

A simple straight line. Following the Three Principles Sword Technique, golden waves rippled from the blade’s vertical fall.

From that single downward slash, the river changed a myriad of times.

Peaceful in a gentle breeze, playful in a fresh wind, raging in a storm.

When the sword finally came to rest, countless streams had merged into an ocean.

Cheongwoon unconsciously gasped in admiration at the sight of golden waves undulating.

“Beautiful...”

“Isn’t it?”

“Thank you, truly...”

Cheongwoon made a fist-palm salute to which Seojun grinned and did the same.

Then, he asked the sect leader.

“Is this enough to repay the spirit pill?”

“You already paid for the spirit pill, now I’ve incurred another debt it seems.”

The sect leader chuckled and said while quietly stroking his beard.

“All Rivers Return to the Ocean. How about that?”

“All streams flow into the sea... Not bad.”

Cheongwoon’s Clear Flowing Sword, the Sect Leader’s Clear Flowing Clear Sky Sword.

A new name was born for a martial art that had strayed far from its origins.

Seojun grinned as he traced the countless streams and vast sea vaguely engraved in his mind.

“Well then, see you again sometime.”

*As they walked down the street past the Clear River Sect’s gate, a faint voice reached Seojun’s ears.

—Thank you...!

Looking back, he saw the courtesans waving from the now-distant Clear River Sect.

Churyeong was waving the most enthusiastically.

Seojun smiled and waved back.

“Take care, all of you!”

With those parting words, he turned and walked away with light steps.

“Shall we go?”

“Have you decided where to?”

“About to decide now.”

Their first stop was the Red Moon Pavilion.

“Welcome.”

As always, Maewol greeted them. Seojun looked at her and briefly thought.

Do we really need to talk in a room?

There wasn’t much to ask anyway, so he got straight to the point.

“I’d like to buy some information.”

“Of course, Young Expert. Let me show you to a room.”

“It’s nothing major, so here is fine.”

Seojun glanced around. There were customers and Maewol’s guards, but it didn’t matter if others heard.

“Do you know where I might find spirit pills?”

“Spirit pills, you say. Are you perhaps seeking specific effects?”

“No, any spirit pills will do.”

“In that case, I will be happy to provide you with that information immediately.”

Maewol approached him gracefully, slightly bent down, and brought her lips to his ears.

The woman’s fragrance wafted strongly. Seojun restrained his hand that reflexively moved toward his sword and listened.

“The Mount Hua Sect will soon host a martial arts tournament. The prize for first place is a Plum Blossom Pill. Though it cannot compare to the Violet Herb Pill, it is still quite precious, and being rich in yang qi... is especially beneficial for men.”

Huu~ Maewol giggled softly, blowing into his ear.

“Back off, you bitch!”

Finally, Chunbong pushed Maewol away angrily. Seojun stopped fiddling with his sword handle and casually brushed his ear, nodding.

“Mount Hua Sect, is it? What’s the price?”

“My, what price? It’s not particularly valuable information anyway. Please consider it a small favor from this lowly one.”

“Well in that case...”

It’s best to save money when you can. When something’s offered for free, it’d be rude not to take it.

“Oh, and this as well.”

Maewol pulled something from between her breasts and held it out. It was a small wooden token with the character Mae carved into it.

“Um... why was that there?”

“It’s quite convenient, actually.”

The token he received was strangely warm. Seojun held it by the tips of his thumb and index finger, waving it to shake off the warmth.

“Th-That...!”

Unfortunately unable to even dream of having such cleavage storage, Chunbong staggered with a pained expression.

Poor thing.

But being flat suits Chunbong. Sexy Dynamite Geum Chunbong? It’s like how being told to not think about an elephant will only make you think harder about it. Well, trying to imagine this was even harder than that.

“That token symbolizes the branch director of Douyin Township.”

“A township-level branch director?”

Chunbong stopped moving and narrowed her eyes.

Seojun roughly understood the administrative division of a township based on his Korean knowledge of the word, but Chunbong grew wary of the unexpectedly high position when she heard township-level branch director.

“Please, don’t worry yourself. A township branch director of the Hao Sect isn’t anything special. Besides, the token is easily forged, so it would be troublesome if you placed too much value on it.”

As she said, the wooden token was just that—a wooden token. Just a plain wooden token that wasn’t made through any special method.

“Well... thank you.”

Seojun nodded slightly as he tucked the token into his clothes.

“Take care.”

“Are you leaving?”

“That’s right.”

“How disappointing. Our last...”

Maewol put on an obviously theatrical expression and smiled sadly.

“Would you not consider spending one last night with this humble one?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“How cold.”

This woman is quite something else.

Seojun shook his head and waved.

“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

*“Meet again? If fate allows? Ha! With her? You really plan to see her again?”

“Hold on, Miss Geum. Why are you so angry again?”

“I’m not angry!”

“You seem pretty pissed right now though... Are you on your period?”

“...You crazy bastard. How about shutting up?”

“Shutting up now~”

Seojun packed their belongings with Chunbong at home.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Food and water for the journey, clothes, and various other things.

After buying what they didn’t have from the market street, it came to about one bundle’s worth.

“Oh man, I’m gonna look clean as fuck.”

His favorite item was a hooded cape. In martial arts terms, it was called a cloak.

While it might be a bit hot for everyday wear, throwing it over his thin clothes made him feel like a martial artist.

“You don’t just look like one, you are a martial artist.”

“Oh, right.”

Anyway, time to deploy!

*I, Lee Seojun, on my first murim adventure.

The first friends I met on my much-anticipated martial arts journey were bandits.

“R-Run away...!”

“Save meee...!!”

Except they were running for their fucking lives.

“What the hell is going on?”