Cheongun Divine Art Mk.2.
This was a martial art crafted solely to cure Chun-bong's sealed meridians.
However, creating Cheongun Divine Art Mk.2 wasn’t as simple as just inserting parts of another martial art technique. It wasn't like Mixed Origin Divine Art , which was built with the intention of mixing various techniques.
The Cheongun Divine Art was nearly perfect as it was. To add anything else, something had to be sacrificed.
"So, Chun-bong, should we take out the Fairy Maiden Art ?"
Honestly, Seo-jun had entertained the idea of twisting Fairy Maiden Art slightly to make something like the Puffy Cheek Technique .
But that would be heresy. Once created, the puffy cheeks would no longer be puffy cheeks.
This could be proven through the Theory of Puffy Cheek Qi , but since there wasn’t enough space to write it all down, Seo-jun left it at that. He simply hoped Chun-bong would retain her puffy cheeks even after fully maturing.
"...Do we really have to take it out?"
"We have to replace it with the Absorbing Soul Technique ."
"Can’t we take out something else...?"
Seo-jun shot her a strange look.
"Why do you even need Fairy Maiden Art ? At best, it makes you a bit prettier, but you can’t get any prettier than you already are."
"Really...?"
"Yup. So, can we take it out?"
The purpose of Cheongun Divine Art Mk.2 was to allow Chun-bong to absorb a tremendous amount of energy, enabling her to heal her own sealed meridians.
Although Seo-jun would’ve loved to fix it for her outright, there were limits to what he could do.
"So, later on, I’m going to ingest that inner elixir and other medicinal pills, convert them to yang energy, and pass them on to you."
"You can just use them for yourself. I don’t mind going at a slower pace..."
"Hey."
"I feel bad!"
"What's there to feel bad about? Your good health is the best filial piety!"
Anyway, with the yang energy Seo-jun passed to her, Chun-bong would have to dissolve the yin energy that had accumulated deep inside her.
"I’ve run the calculations a few times. You have to do this yourself. It's too deep for me to help, and it’s tied to your mind as well, so it’ll be tricky."
"Of course. I never intended to dump everything on you."
"My, my, you’re such a good kid, Chun-bong."
This would take a considerable amount of time, at least several months, possibly years.
Feeling the weight of the situation, Seo-jun sighed and got up.
"Wait here for a bit. I need to check out what that Changcheon Pill your sister mentioned is."
Seo-jun left the room and headed toward Namgung Sua’s residence.
On the way, he spotted someone familiar.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh! Brother-in-law!"
The sheer warmth of a capybara! It was Namgung Myeong.
"Nothing at all!"
"Doesn’t seem like it. Waiting for your sister?"
He had been circling near Namgung Sua’s quarters, so it was pretty clear.
"Well, uh..."
"Come with me, then."
"Really!? Thank you so much!"
For some reason, Namgung Myeong was overjoyed as he followed Seo-jun to Namgung Sua's place.
"By the way, how old are you?"
"My age? I turned twenty-two this year!"
"Oh..."
Me, Seo-jun. I was originally twenty-four. With the calendar here, it’s been roughly a year since I arrived, and I already had my birthday, so...
Back to twenty-four.
As for my physical age? Well, who cares. Anyway, I'm twenty-four.
"Ah, so you're younger than me! Let’s be close!"
"Yes, brother-in-law!"
"How about calling me 'hyungnim' instead of 'brother-in-law'?"
"Understood, hyungnim!"
The kid’s so sweet, it’s almost worrying he might get scammed someday.
Seo-jun scratched his head and knocked on the door.
"Sis, are you in?"
"Yes, come in."
Namgung Sua peeked out, her face red. The moment their eyes met, she shyly lowered her gaze.
"Uh..."
Seeing her blush brought back vivid memories of last night.
"So... did you sleep well?"
"Uh, no... I couldn’t sleep much."
"Ah..."
As Seo-jun fidgeted, Namgung Myeong, watching from the side, covered his mouth in disbelief.
"Gasp...! Hyungnim, don’t tell me...!"
"...Myeong? Don’t say anything unnecessary."
"Yes, sister!"
Namgung Myeong obediently clammed up.
Sighing, Namgung Sua turned to Myeong and asked, "So, what brings you here?"
"Oh, uh..."
Myeong, looking nervous, pulled something out of his sleeve—a small packet of sweets wrapped neatly in paper.
"I was at the market and thought of you..."
"Oh... Thank you."
Namgung Sua accepted the sweets, and Myeong, fidgeting, bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Then, have a good time together!"
With that, Myeong quickly scurried off.
Seo-jun chuckled as he watched him go.
"You’ve got a good brother. He really wants to be close to you."
"Yes... truly..."
Namgung Sua’s eyes welled up slightly as she opened the door fully.
"Would you like to come in?"
**
Once Seo-jun explained his purpose, Namgung Sua brought out a small wooden box.
"This is the Changcheon Pill ."
When she opened the lid, a rich fragrance filled the air, causing Seo-jun's eyes to widen in surprise.
"Wait... this is..."
He had expected something like the Plum Blossom Pill , but this was on a whole other level.
"This is too valuable to just accept like this."
"I’ve already taken so many that it doesn’t have much effect on me anymore. If it helps you, that’s enough for me."
"Still..."
Seo-jun accepted it, feeling a bit guilty about taking such a generous gift. But more important than his guilt was curing Chun-bong's sealed meridians.
'With this...'
His plan shifted completely. By consuming both the inner elixir and the Changcheon Pill , it would be just right. To play it safe, adding one more mild medicinal pill would be ideal.
"I’ll definitely repay you once I get my hands on some good medicine in the future."
"You really don’t need to."
Namgung Sua chuckled softly.
"What’s mine is yours, right? We're like a couple, after all."
"Wha—"
"Oh my. You weren’t planning to take responsibility after teasing a maiden’s bottom last night, were you?"
Seo-jun froze, his eyes darting around. Namgung Sua burst into laughter and waved her hand.
"I’m just joking. But really, don’t worry about repaying me."
"...Okay."
"Are you heading back to Chun-bong now?"
"Yeah."
"Mind if I come with you?"
"Of course, you're welcome."
Together, they returned to where Chun-bong was waiting.
There, they found Chun-bong dressed in fine clothes...!
"Wha—!"
To be precise, she wasn’t wearing traditional fine clothes but rather something an elegant young lady from a noble family might wear. Her outfit was both luxurious and neat. Her face was even powdered, giving her skin the appearance of freshly steamed rice cakes dusted with flour. Her lips were more red than usual, and her eye makeup made her look slightly more mature.
Seo-jun leapt up in surprise, and Chun-bong, smirking, struck a playful pose.
"How do I look?"
"Our Chun-bong is so cute!"
Seo-jun immediately rushed over and playfully patted her cheeks. Chun-bong, pouting, sighed.
"I look a bit more like a woman, don’t I?"
"What are you talking about, Chun-bong! You’ve always been a woman!"
"You bastard... sigh."
Chun-bong, her cheeks resembling mochi, plopped down after being thoroughly teased.
"But why are you dressed like that? What’s going on?"
"I don’t know. The maid dragged me off and dressed me up."
"What does that even mean?"
Seo-jun scratched his head, then heard Namgung Sua chuckling behind him.
"I asked them to take good care of her. I guess the maid found Chun-bong too adorable and went all out."
"Ah, of course! She’s our Most Adorable Chun-bong !"
Grinning, Seo-jun pulled out the Changcheon Pill from his pocket.
"Hey, look at this. It’s an incredible medicine."
"The Changcheon Pill ... for real?"
Chun-bong stared blankly at Namgung Sua.
"Big sister, are you really okay giving me something like this?"
"It’s fine. I already received plenty of thanks from this gentleman."
"Hmm..."
Chun-bong’s expression turned bashful, and Seo-jun smiled.
"Now we just need to find one more suitable medicine, and everything will be ready."
"Where are you going to get that from?"
"I dunno... maybe I’ll ask the Namgung family? I’m sure they’ll give me something if I ask."
"No."
Her firm answer made Seo-jun raise an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"You shouldn’t accept anything for free. It’s all debt in the end."
"Hmm..."
Scratching his head, Seo-jun turned to Namgung Sua.
"Sis, does the Namgung family have any jobs or tasks that need doing?"
Come to think of it, he needed to earn some money too. His wallet had undergone a successful diet, and maintaining Chun-bong’s puffy cheeks was a non-negotiable expense. He had to work.
"There’s always work. We’re constantly short of people, especially those of your skill level."
For a martial family like the Namgung, someone of his caliber was a rare find.
"If I went to the family head, would they give me work?"
"Probably. But for something as small as a medicinal pill, I think they’d just give it to you."
"Still, I need to earn some money."
With that, Seo-jun’s plan was set.
He would take on a task from the Namgung family, earn a medicinal pill, and use it to heal Chun-bong’s meridians.
In the meantime, he could learn sword techniques from the family head and pass the time productively.
"Sigh... Chun-bong, we need to hurry."
"I’ll do my best."
"Don’t take too long, or I’ll go crazy from demonic possession!"
"You really..."
Thwack! Chun-bong hit Seo-jun, but he only laughed.
"I’m joking. Take your time and do it right. If you rush, that’s when real trouble starts."
And if they made a mistake, it might just be the day the Demon King awakens.