Before visiting the Chief Administrator for a task, Seo-jun decided to teach Chun-bong the newly revised Cheongun Divine Art .
Although the new Cheongun Divine Art incorporated elements from the Absorbing Soul Technique , it wasn't a complete fusion. Seo-jun only added the parts that were necessary—specifically, parts that would allow Chun-bong to better absorb the energy he passed to her and retain the energy needed for curing her sealed meridians.
Sitting in a lotus position, Chun-bong began practicing the new technique and soon opened her eyes with a start.
"This... something's weird with the energy gathering speed."
"Weird? Is there a problem?"
"Not really a problem... but why is it so fast?"
"Oh, I thought something was seriously wrong. That's how it’s supposed to be."
Chun-bong, being a highly talented martial artist, was quickly becoming accustomed to the revised Cheongun Divine Art .
Since it wasn’t an entirely new martial art, but merely an enhancement, it didn't conflict with the original method she had been practicing.
Now that Chun-bong was familiarizing herself with it, the groundwork was almost done.
Seo-jun grinned at her.
"At this rate, Chun-bong, you’ll reach the Supreme Peak level in no time, huh?"
"Stop exaggerating."
"No, really."
Seo-jun briefly thought back on his own experiences, wondering if he had any useful advice for her.
"You already know most things... as for enlightenment... I don’t have much to offer."
Because he had balanced his body’s energy with an inner elixir, his case was rather unique and not applicable here.
"Oh, but there's Life and Death Gate ."
Hearing that, Namgung Sua, who had been sitting quietly nearby, rolled her eyes.
"Shall I step out?"
"Huh? Why?"
"It’s not proper for me to listen in on someone else’s moment of enlightenment."
"What? It's nothing special. Plus, you're welcome to hear something special too."
Namgung Sua raised her eyebrows before smiling softly.
"Thank you."
"For what? Anyway, the Life and Death Gate —there are two, one at the Baihui acupoint and one at the Huiyin acupoint."
"What?"
Chun-bong frowned and exchanged a glance with Namgung Sua before tilting her head.
"Why are there two? The Baihui is at the top of the head."
"Huh? But I definitely had two."
"Could it have just been blocked energy?"
"No, it was something different."
Seo-jun turned to Namgung Sua.
"Isn’t that right, sis?"
"I only know of the one at the Baihui ."
"What the...?"
Then why did I have both? Seo-jun furrowed his brows, confused.
"However... I have heard that in the case of a Heaven-Reversing Body , the Life and Death Gate can be at the Huiyin ."
"A Heaven-Reversing Body ?"
"Yes. It’s a body optimized for demonic cultivation. It’s incredibly rare, barely mentioned even in history."
A Heaven-Reversing Body didn’t necessarily mean one had to practice demonic martial arts, but it did come with major advantages in any martial discipline. Since the Baihui acupoint was open, such people were prone to shorter lifespans, but their talent for mastering martial arts was exceptional.
Additionally, when they reached the Supreme Peak, they could open the Huiyin acupoint instead of the Baihui , which was relatively safer, making it easier for them to reach that level.
"Ah..."
As Seo-jun nodded in understanding, he froze.
"Wait a minute... but I didn’t have it only at the Huiyin ."
"That... I don’t know, either."
Seo-jun looked over at Chun-bong.
"I’ve got no clue."
"Neither do I."
"What the heck...?"
Could it be that I have some kind of Heaven-Demon Body or something?
It might also be related to his unusually powerful regenerative abilities.
"Hmm..."
After pondering for a bit, Seo-jun quickly gave up.
"Whatever. But if that’s the case, I don’t really have anything else to teach you. I kind of cheated my way through this."
"Cheated? Like a shortcut?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Seo-jun sighed.
"Anyway... just keep practicing Cheongun Divine Art . I’ll head over to the Chief Administrator for a bit."
"Okay. Don’t do anything dangerous."
"What? Do you think I’m a kid?"
"You’re more reckless than a kid, you idiot."
"Hee..."
**
Seo-jun and Namgung Sua made their way to where the Chief Administrator was likely to be.
The Chief Administrator managed most of the internal affairs of the Namgung family. Though not particularly skilled in martial arts, his position was high-ranking.
In some martial families, the head managed all affairs without a separate administrator, but since Namgung was a sword-wielding family, they had someone else handle such tasks.
"If this guy’s so high-ranking, do you think if I say something wrong, guards will pop out to chop my head off?"
"Well... that’s unlikely. You’re not the kind of person to be rude."
"Oh."
Not rude? That’s almost a first for me. I’m a little touched.
Feeling good, Seo-jun cheerfully knocked on the door.
"Anyone in?"
"Who’s there?"
"Uh... a visitor?"
"..."
There was a brief silence before the door cracked open, and a man peeked out.
"Oh, young lady."
Seeing Namgung Sua, the man’s eyes widened in surprise, and he hurriedly opened the door.
"The Chief Administrator is inside."
"Thank you."
"And this gentleman is...?"
The man looked curiously at Seo-jun but soon realized who he was and widened his eyes.
"Ah...! You must be her companion! Please, come in!"
"Thanks a lot."
Is this the taste of power? Just being known as Namgung Sua’s companion gets me this much respect, and they don’t even know what I do.
Following what seemed to be a guard, Seo-jun walked down a long corridor.
The guard knocked softly on one of the doors and spoke quietly.
"Young lady and her companion have arrived."
"Hmm?"
Footsteps sounded, and the door swung open.
"Oh, young lady! What brings you here?"
A thin man with a goatee smiled widely at Namgung Sua.
Now that Seo-jun saw it, it seemed like Namgung Sua was very popular in the family. Almost like an idol.
"This gentleman has some business with you."
"Ah! Forgive me for my absent-mindedness."
The Chief Administrator, Jin Gawi, gave Seo-jun a polite martial arts salute.
"I am Jin Gawi, the Chief Administrator of the Namgung family."
"I’m Lee Seo-jun."
Seo-jun returned the salute, and Namgung Sua quietly sent a voice transmission to him.
[He’s a remarkable man who became Chief Administrator without the Namgung family name.]
Indeed. Normally, family members would hold such a high position, but for someone with a different surname to attain it meant they were extremely capable.
What’s more, Jin Gawi wasn’t weak in martial arts either. Although his strength was relatively modest compared to his position, he was still at the Peak Level.
Curious, Seo-jun asked, and the Chief Administrator laughed as he replied.
"Haha, even a civil servant benefits from having a high level of martial arts. It makes work less tiring and slows aging, allowing me to work longer."
"Ah... You’re not being forced to work too hard, are you?"
"Haha! Not at all. Ah, forgive me! Please come in. I’ll have some tea prepared."
After some brief small talk, the Chief Administrator glanced at the mountain of papers on his desk, a troubled expression crossing his face.
"I’m sorry, but it seems I don’t have much time to chat. What can I help you with?"
"Oh, I was wondering if you had any work for me to do."
The Chief Administrator's eyes gleamed.
"Work, you say?"
"I need a light medicinal pill and some money."
"Those things I could easily provide."
"No, I’d rather work for them. I’ve already received plenty."
"Hmm..."
The Chief Administrator pondered for a moment before Namgung Sua spoke up.
"This gentleman is a Supreme Peak-level martial artist."
"Supreme Peak...!"
The Chief Administrator shot up from his chair and quickly approached Seo-jun, gripping his hands tightly.
"I didn’t realize I was in the presence of such a distinguished person...!"
"Uh...?"
"I can compensate you very generously! Would you mind looking at these tasks for me?"
The Chief Administrator hurried over to his desk and pulled out several stacks of papers.
"They won’t take long."
The man couldn’t hide his excitement. Having a Supreme Peak-level martial artist just show up was like stumbling across a gold mine.
"These are all related to incidents near Anhui Province. This one involves tracking down a criminal who committed murder, arson, and assault. This one is for exterminating a monster, and here’s another..."
Seo-jun scratched his head as he listened.
"Uh... I’d prefer something where I just have to beat someone up."
"Oh! Then these cases would be perfect!"
The Chief Administrator quickly sorted through the papers, laying out several tasks. There were quite a lot. The Namgung family’s manpower shortage due to the upcoming war with the Saheukryeon seemed to be no joke.
"Alright... let’s see. This one looks good. Three Peak-level criminals and two First-class martial artists. I can handle that quickly."
"As expected of a Supreme Peak! Truly impressive!"
"Huh? No, not really..."
Reaching the Supreme Peak was no easy feat. It was a realm said to be attainable only by the chosen few. Even if a Peak-level martial artist trained for a thousand years, they couldn’t be certain they’d reach the Supreme Peak.
What’s more, as one climbed the martial ladder, the gap between levels widened significantly, with the gap being most extreme at the Supreme Peak level.
Reaching the Flower Realm was even more difficult.
Many Supreme Peak-level martial artists with extended lifespans of over 400 years died without ever glimpsing the Flower Realm.
However, reaching the Peak level wasn’t as rare. While it was still difficult, someone with moderate talent who trained for around 60 years could possibly reach it.
With some talent and a lot of real combat experience, one could even reach the Peak level in their 30s.
That’s why it was common for Peak-level martial artists to be involved in major incidents.
When three Peak-level criminals banded together with two First-class martial artists, the Namgung family had to deal with them quickly and efficiently to avoid unnecessary casualties. A Supreme Peak-level martial artist could easily take care of it alone.
To the Chief Administrator, Seo-jun was a walking golden opportunity.
Smiling widely, the Chief Administrator gathered up the necessary documents.
"Thank you so much! Are you familiar with the geography of Anhui Province?"
"No?"
"Then I’ll assign a guide to accompany you! There’s no need to rush. Please take your time and approach it leisurely."
"Uh, okay..."
"Oh! And here’s a personal gift from me! It’s some tea leaves with an amazing aroma!"
"Uh... thanks?"
"Wait, how about this as well!"
"Uh, no, it’s fine..."
"Then, how about this!"
When Seo-jun finally left, his arms were filled with gifts from the Chief Administrator.
"Seems like he’s really... under a lot of pressure."
Seo-jun mumbled, to which Namgung Sua chuckled.
"It’s a tough position. He has to deal with money, people, and all kinds of endless tasks."
"Ah..."
It did seem pretty rough.
Maybe after finishing this job, I’ll help him out with something else too...
With a sigh, Seo-jun trudged back to his lodgings.