Chun-bong Art.
A martial technique solely for Chun-bong.
Just the thought made her heart race. But as usual, her brotherâs creation of the Chun-bong Art wasnât just an ordinary martial art.
In fact, it might not even make sense without considering that.
Seo-jun had crafted it to perfectly align with Chun-bongâs body, meridians, and mental imageâevery detail fit her so well that it seemed only natural such a martial art would emerge.
âHmmâ¦!â
Excited, Chun-bong drew her sword.
That strike her brother had demonstrated earlierâshe could finally understand it.
While she had described it as flashy, her sister, Namgung Su-a, had called it solid and understated.
Both were right.
And yet, both were wrong.
Saaaakâ
A light stroke cut through the wind. Seo-jun grinned as he watched.
âYouâre already using it pretty well.â
âYep!â
Chun-bong laughed gleefully and looked at Namgung Su-a.
âHow was it?â
âItâs flashy. A variable sword?â
âNo, technically, itâs an illusionary sword.â
âHuh⦠is that so?â
Chun-bong was struck with admiration. Even someone at Namgung Su-aâs level hadnât realized it in time.
âTo be precise, it appears as you want it to. What I actually performed was the Taesan Apjung strike.â
âHuh? Taesan Apjung?â
âYeah. But now with a touch of Chun-bong Art.â
The Chun-bong Art isnât a sword technique. If anything, itâs more of a supporting skill.
When Chun-bongâs moves are imbued with the essence of Chun-bong Art, it creates an effect similar to an illusion.
It imprints her image in her opponentâs mind, seen precisely as they want to see it.
If she mastered it, she could embed this effect into every move, reaching the true potential of shift and transformation.
Itâs truly an absurd technique.
Especially considering that illusion isnât even the primary goal of the Chun-bong Art.
Currently, Chun-bong was still learning Cheongun Art, but she hadnât yet achieved perfect unity with it, leaving some gaps.
The main purpose of Chun-bong Art is to fill those gaps.
But it doesnât just stop at filling them; it reaches the level of a complete martial art in its own right.
âWhen I swung the sword, whatever you unconsciously imagined showed up in your sight, regardless of how I actually moved the sword.â
âHow⦠how is that even possible?â
âI wouldnât know.â
Chun-bong and Namgung Su-a stared at Seo-jun.
Seo-jun nodded, looking quite pleased.
âEven if itâs the same action, the experience changes depending on who perceives it; thatâs also a matter of perspective.â
This martial art was born from enlightenment gained over a cup of coffee.
âYeah, but how did you turn that insight into a martial art?â
At Chun-bongâs question, Seo-jun scratched his head, looking a bit unsure.
âI just infused that inspiration into the technique, tailored perfectly for you.â
âHow exactly?â
âWell, since your sword style is usually flashy, I adjusted it like this and thatâ¦?â
If he hadnât incorporated it into the Chun-bong Art and just created a technique purely based on his inspiration, it likely wouldnât have reached this level.
Itâs a martial art born out of both a vivid inspiration and the specificity of being usable only by one personâan art that happened to come together at the perfect time.
Just as a person with a blazing constitution easily masters blazing techniques, he created a martial art perfectly suited for Chun-bong.
âI can technically use it too, but I doubt Iâd wield it as powerfully as you. Itâs really made to fit your body.â
Chun-bong slapped her forehead.@@novelbin@@
âI just donât get it. How can you come up with martial arts like this out of nowhere?â
âCurious?â
âYeah.â
âIâm curious too. Why canât others do something this easy?â
âWowâ¦â
Chun-bong raised her sword.
âTo get the hang of it, want to spar?â
ââ¦Are you asking to stab me in such a roundabout way?â
âWould you let me?â
After a moment of thought, Seo-jun spread his arms wide.
âIf thatâs what my Chun-bong wantsâ¦!â
Chun-bong charged immediately.
A dropkick? Seo-jun closed his eyes and smirked.
âA dropkick from Chun-bong is a reward, not an attack.â
But the expected impact didnât come.
Seo-jun opened his eyes, slightly startled.
âHuhâ¦?â
Chun-bong was standing right in front of him, gazing at him intently.
âBrother.â
âYeah?â
ââ¦Thank you.â
Muah, a soft touch landed on his cheek.
âUghâ¦!â
Seo-jun clutched his chest and collapsed.
âImpressive, Geum Chun-bong⦠an unexpected attack⦠go now⦠descend the mountainâ¦â
âQuiet.â
With a snort, Chun-bong strolled away with light steps, her ears flushed red with embarrassment.
Her quick retreat was simply adorable.
âThe best filial daughterâ¦â
My precious Geum Chun-bongâ¦!
Seo-jun clutched his heart, feeling a warm glow, and staggered to his feet.
âAlmost ascended thereâ¦â
âReally?â
âReally.â
Namgung Su-a chuckled softly and stepped up to Seo-jun.
âHow about this?â
Muah, her lips touched his other cheek.
Seo-jun was startled, grasping both cheeks.
âI⦠I see itâ¦â
âSee what?â
âThe celestial realmâ¦â
âPfft, what are you talking about?â
Namgung Su-a boldly linked her arm with his, and the feel of it against his arm was indeed otherworldly.
ââ¦So this is paradise.â
âAha!â
Namgung Su-a laughed as she kept her arm linked with his, leading him along.
Chun-bong was likely pacing in her room, waiting for him.
Theyâd return to her soon, but until then, Namgung Su-a had him to herself.
As they strolled along, she hummed a quiet tune and murmured.
âIt feels like a dream.â
âNow?â
âYeah. I only vaguely imagined this.â
Walking along a peaceful night path, arm in arm with a loved one, each step slowing as they neared home, reluctant for the night to end.
Was this really a romantic relationship? The question arose, but it didnât matter.
She was just so happy in this moment.
âI hope these days continue like this. Letâs end this war quickly so we can stay together, all three of us.â
âThat sounds great.â
âRight? Then how many kids should we have?â
âOhâ¦â
Caught off guard, Seo-jun reacted, and Namgung Su-a laughed again.
It was endearing to see a man who seemed capable of anything get flustered by just a single comment.
It made her feel special.
But time, ever cruel, finally brought that dreamy moment to an end.
Her slow steps came to a stop, and with a hint of regret, she let go of his arm.
ââ¦See you tomorrow.â
âYeah.â
âSleep well.â
âYou too.â
âShould I dream of you?â
âLetâs keep it clean, pleaseâ¦â
âTry to.â
Seo-jun laughed, gently pressing her cheeks with his hands.
âWeâre in the same building anyway, so why are we acting like weâre saying goodbye from afar?â
âUm⦠just. Iâll miss you.â
Namgung Su-a lowered her gaze, her tone and gestures unusually affectionate.
Seo-jun, almost entranced, moved closer.
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, and her body froze.
âHuhâ¦?â
âGoodnight.â
âY-yeahâ¦â
Blushing red, Namgung Su-a gently patted her forehead, looking dazed.
It seemed she wasnât used to receiving affectionate gestures in return.
Seo-jun chuckled.
âMake sure you sleep well and donât do anything weird, alright?â
âOkayâ¦â
âWhy are you suddenly acting all shy?â
As he gently pushed her toward her room, she peeked her head out from the door.
ââ¦Goodnight.â
And quickly vanished inside.
âOhâ¦â
Her reaction was refreshingly genuine.
High attack power but minimal defenseâ¦
Basically a glass cannon, wasnât she?
Seo-jun chuckled to himself.
âMaybe⦠Iâm a natural at this romance thing?â
For once, he felt quite pleased with himself.
The next morning, Seo-jun sprang out of bed and stretched.
After dreaming a somewhat racy dream, he felt surprisingly stiff.
Beside him, Chun-bong was fast asleep, snoring lightly.
Theyâd tried sleeping in separate rooms for a while, but eventually, theyâd given up and started sharing again.
The room Chun-bong had at the Namgung estate was now empty, as her things had gradually returned to his room.
Yawnâ¦
Stretching, Seo-jun stepped out of the room and spotted Namgung Su-a.
He grinned and waved at her.
âSleep well?â
âYeah. I slept like a log; I feel so refreshed!â
Did she regain her usual demeanor overnight?
As he looked at her, he noticed a faint blush on her cheeks and a slight tremor in her fingers.
Though she seemed well-rested, her slightly flushed complexion made him wonder what she had been up to last night.
âHmm.â
Her attempt to act nonchalant didnât sit well with him.
He felt⦠a bit irked.
Whooshâ
Moving swiftly, he positioned himself behind Namgung Su-a.
âHm?â
She noticed him but only tilted her head in curiosity.
Seo-jun grinned as he hugged her from behind and rested his chin on her head.
âYou didnât sleep a wink, did you? What were you up to last night?â
She whispered, face flushed.
âThinking about youâ¦â
Seo-jun felt a shiver run through him, quickly stepping back and clearing his throat.
His hands seemed to fidget uncontrollably.
Thereâs a certain itchiness that comes from the atmosphere alone.
Barely maintaining his composure, Seo-jun laughed awkwardly.
âWell, uh, thatâs nice.â
âIsnât it?â
As they exchanged an awkward gaze, a voice abruptly interrupted.
âWhat are you two doing?â
Seo-jun turned, startled. Pae Jin-gwang was watching them closely.
ââ¦You startled me. Whatâs up?â
âThatâs my question. Did something happen between you two last night?â
âNo, nothing happened.â
âHmmâ¦â
Pae Jin-gwang sighed, looking at them with narrowed eyes.
âThis world is filthy. Just go ahead and conquer everything, brat. Crush the Black Lotus, reach the Heavenly Boundary, unify Murim.â
âYeah, yeah. Thatâs the plan. Might as well become the Heavenly Demon while Iâm at it.â
ââ¦Have you lost your mind?â
âOnce I reach the Heavenly Boundary, who could stop me?â
âHmm. Fair point. Just donât drag my name into it.â
âIâll spread the word that the Heavenly Demon is a disciple of the Fist King.â
ââ¦Actually, that might not be a bad idea.â
Pae Jin-gwang clicked his tongue as he rubbed his chin.
âAnyway, someoneâs here to see you.â
âHuh? A visitor? I donât have friends.â
âIt shows.â
âDo you want to get hit?â
âA spar? Gladly.â
âTo the death.â
âThatâs acceptable too.â
As they bickered and walked, Seo-jun glanced sideways at Namgung Su-a, catching her mischievous smile.
He scratched his cheek, feeling oddly ticklish, as he flung open the villaâs front door.
âWhoâs visiting⦠oh?â
âWell, as expected of the Namgung Clan. Quite the villa.â
âYou came in person?â
The guest, Hyun-wol, smirked.
âWell, this is a good chance to get out and about.â
With Hyun-wol here⦠those Blood Mist Clan bastards better start counting their days.