Hwan Bae-ho decided not to return with Namgung Jincheon but to head back slowly on his own.
Whether it was because he felt uneasy about using the family head as his means of transport, or if he truly wanted to stay behind to handle the aftermath of the monster outbreak, Seo-jun wasn’t sure.
After a moment’s thought, he decided it didn’t matter much and turned his attention to the clouds passing by with admiration.
“Oooh…”
Right now, Seo-jun was flying through the sky with Namgung Jincheon’s help. To be precise, he was floating in midair, rapidly flying thanks to Jincheon’s Sky-Walking Art.
When he looked over, he saw Jincheon also flying on top of his sword.
As Seo-jun lay back, basking in the thrill of flight, he clicked his tongue.
“Wow, this speed is unreal!”
He wasn’t joking; it felt like they were faster than an airplane.
The scenery rushed by underfoot, yet, thanks to Namgung Jincheon, he felt no wind resistance at all.
Although Jincheon hadn’t explained it in detail, Seo-jun could sense the air was being sliced away before him, blocking all resistance and making it so he barely felt a breeze.
Seo-jun flipped around like an astronaut in zero gravity, chuckling to himself, and Jincheon nodded at him.
“Once you reach the Flower Realm, Zhongyuan won’t feel so vast anymore. Well, it’s still big, but it feels a lot smaller than before.”
“Sounds great.”
Jincheon gave a faint smile.
For some reason, that smile seemed somewhat bitter, and Seo-jun scratched his head.
Jincheon looked at him and spoke.
“I’ve heard you’re helping out with the monster problem because you’re after some medicinal herbs and money?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It wouldn’t be difficult for me to offer those things, you know…”
“I heard it’s not good to be too indebted.”
“Indebted? I haven’t even repaid the favors I owe my Sword God senior… Honestly, it’s the Namgung family that’s indebted.”
Jincheon glanced at the passing clouds before continuing.
“So, the herbs are for your sister’s blocked meridians?”
“You knew?”
It made sense. A martial artist of Jincheon’s caliber had seen Chun-bong directly and even examined her internal energy; it would be strange if he didn’t know.
“Hmm… However, it’s beyond my power to help. It’s connected too deeply with her mind for even the Sword of the Heart to sever it without endangering her life.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m leaving the critical parts for Chun-bong to resolve herself.”
Seo-jun briefly explained his plan to Jincheon.
His idea was to absorb the herbs himself, convert them into Yang energy, and then transfer that energy to Chun-bong through his Qi Transmission technique.
It was a bit complicated to explain in full, but that was the gist of it.
Jincheon tilted his head after hearing the explanation.
“Is that possible?”
“Sorry, what?”
“Hmm… Alright.”
“Right.”
Seo-jun wasn’t exactly sure what he meant but nodded anyway.
“Oh, by the way, this is off-topic. If I get caught using demonic energy later, can I drop your name?”
“Do as you please. Aren’t you family now?”
“Oh…!”
Wow. My father-in-law is seriously cool.
The performance of the Flower Realm Taxi was impressive.
What took several days on the way there took less than half a day on the return to the Namgung family estate.
“Wow.”
After dismounting in front of the main house, Seo-jun bid farewell to Jincheon and headed straight to his quarters.
He could barely stand it. He needed a dose of Chun-bong. At this rate, he’d suffer from deficiency-induced madness.
“Geum Chun-bong…!”
He dashed into his quarters and flung the door open.
“Seems like you had a good trip.”
Namgung Sua greeted him with a sly smile.
“Huh? Where’s Chun-bong? Why are you here, noona?”
“Geum is…”
Sua, seemingly deep in thought, suddenly smiled mischievously and opened her arms.
“If you give me a welcome hug, I’ll tell you.”
Sua’s intentions were clear. Seo-jun approached her with a determined step.
“Of course, it’s nice to see you too, noona.”
He extended his arms and embraced her lightly, but—
“Come here—!”
Sua pulled him into a tight hug.
“Hehe, I think Geum is out near the main gate.”
“Uh… Yes.”
The overwhelming warmth enveloped him. His face buried in Sua’s chest, he could feel her warmth and softness.
The scent of her skin, the warmth, and the indescribable softness…
Seo-jun pulled back with a slight blush, surprised by how bold Sua had become in just a few days.
“Oh my… You’re healthy, aren’t you?”
Sua’s eyes darted downwards, and Seo-jun quickly stepped back.
“P-pervert…!”
“Who’s the pervert here? I was just giving a welcoming hug.”
“What…!”
So that’s how it is, huh? Seo-jun glared at Sua’s chest, fuming.
“Hmph… Just you wait!”
He left, muttering like a low-grade villain, and vanished quickly.
Watching him leave, Sua chuckled softly.
“So cute.”
Is this the confidence of an older woman?
Seo-jun headed to the front gate, trying to cool his flushed face.
He’d lost this time, but next time, things would be different.
Sharpening the blade of his revenge, he arrived at the front gate and saw Chun-bong.
‘What’s she doing?’
Chun-bong was peeking from behind a pillar, glaring intensely at the gate.
Each time the gate opened, she’d duck behind the pillar and peek out, scanning people’s faces before sighing.
Anyone could tell she was waiting for someone, and Seo-jun smirked.
“My dear Chun-bong…!”
His booming voice drew the attention of everyone nearby, and Chun-bong turned, eyes wide, and looked at him.
“Were you waiting for me?”
Seo-jun ran over and hugged her, and she snorted haughtily.
“As if.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know you, Chun-bong. I know what you’re thinking.”
“Like hell you do. You don’t know anything.”
“Don’t I? Want me to guess?”
As he locked eyes with her, she shrank back a little.
“Well, go ahead and guess.”
Seo-jun smiled as he looked into her eyes.
“You’re craving Bing Tanghulu, aren’t you?”
“…Ugh, idiot.”
She sighed deeply, then relaxed in his arms.
With a soft chuckle, Seo-jun swayed her gently as he started walking back to the quarters.
“Geum, how about a date tomorrow?”
“Date? What’s that?”
“Ah, you must have dozed off during English lessons.”
Chun-bong fell silent. Maybe it was true.
“Let’s go out tomorrow.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I’m not sure. We can do whatever you want, Chun-bong.”
At this, Chun-bong exhaled excitedly. She started giggling to herself, then looked at him with sudden curiosity.
“Why so suddenly?”
“What do you mean? Your treatment will take some time, and I won’t see you while you’re recovering.”
It was truly an unbearable thought.
Inner Demons are never far off; they lurk in the everyday, always ready to pounce. Truly despicable creatures.
“Oh, heavens…!”
Ignoring Seo-jun’s dramatic outburst, Chun-bong furrowed her brows.
“Mmm…”
After a moment’s thought, she nodded with a calm expression.
“Alright.”
Back in her quarters, Chun-bong sat, deep in thought.
The treatment for her blocked meridians. It was, of course, important.
She hadn’t mentioned it to Seo-jun, but her body wasn’t exactly normal.
Although she’d improved enough to live without difficulty, she was seventeen and still hadn’t had her first period.
‘Once my meridians are unblocked… everything will be fine, right?’
It was a serious matter. She bore the duty of continuing the Geum family line. If she was infertile, it would be a huge problem.
“Ha…”
Pregnancy… Her thoughts drifted to marriage.
For martial artists, late marriages weren’t unusual. As their levels increased, so did their lifespans.
Even Namgung Jincheon married very late. By the time he reached the Flower Realm, he had to be at least a century old.
His wife was probably several hundred years younger than him.
But that was for men. For women, it was a bit different.
Even for martial artists, it was said that if a woman waited too long, the child might not be healthy.
She’d heard of a peak-level martial artist who looked young but had entered menopause and couldn’t have children.
Though Chun-bong wasn’t planning to delay that long, those were just her thoughts.
‘The more I think about it, the angrier I get.’
Suddenly furious, Chun-bong got up and threw herself at Seo-jun, who was sprawled on the floor.
“Ugh…! What—what’s this for?”
“Just die!”
“Why!?”
Though Seo-jun pouted at the beating, Chun-bong felt justified.
That guy deserved a beating or two.
‘If that’s the case, I have no choice.’
While she treated her meridians, who knew what might happen.
His face was unnecessarily good-looking, which made her even more uneasy. If only he were an ugly guy, she’d feel more at ease. Plus, he was capable, which made it worse.
This wasn’t rose-colored glasses; it was an objective fact. At least, that’s how Chun-bong saw it.
‘Yes… Tomorrow, I’ll have to make my mark.’
Thump, thump, her heart pounded. Chun-bong clenched her trembling hands and glared at Seo-jun.
“Just you wait.”
“Wh-what? Seriously, what’s going on?”
Seo-jun felt wronged.
The next day.
After getting some sightseeing recommendations for Anhui from Namgung Sua, Chun-bong stepped out with a bright smile.
“Wow, Bing Tanghulu!”
She giggled, sitting on Seo-jun’s shoulders, kicking her legs wildly.
“Come on, giddy-up!”
“Neigh!”
With a hearty laugh, Chun-bong thought.
‘I can make my mark later tonight.’
For now, she’d just focus on having fun.
This moment was too enjoyable for any other thoughts.