Communication is important.
About half—no, maybe a fifth—of the world’s problems can be solved through communication. (In the martial arts world, problems that can be solved through communication are far rarer than one might think.)
Seo-jun’s current thought was simple:
"Oh, if I end up getting engaged or married to someone first, this could cause problems later, couldn’t it? Then why not just have everyone together at once?"
Of course, that wasn’t a viable solution. Seo-jun knew that, too.
A joint wedding (where the groom is the only one) was not something society could easily accept. And in the martial arts world, it was even more absurd.
Polygamy might be one thing, but holding the ceremony together? Unless someone had a particularly progressive mindset, it would be nearly unthinkable.
On top of that, Namgung Sua wasn’t just anyone. She was a direct descendant of the prestigious Namgung Clan. Her status was akin to that of a princess of a kingdom.
“I shall take a princess and another woman as my wives at the same time!”
Madness.
If he died on the spot with his head smashed in, it would be considered a natural death. Yet somehow, Seo-jun was confident he could solve this problem.
"Wouldn’t things work out if I threw myself to the ground in an act of desperate supplication?" That was the extent of his thoughts.
In any case, this issue could be deferred for now.
So what was the most pressing matter?
Chun-bong.
Of course, this wasn’t to say Chun-bong herself was the problem. The issue was how Seo-jun perceived Chun-bong.
Seo-jun saw Chun-bong as something like a younger sibling or even a daughter. Living with her for the rest of his life? That sounded great. Honestly, he wouldn’t mind keeping her by his side forever.
But that wasn’t what Chun-bong wanted. She wanted to be his wife.
She wanted to do everything a couple would do, have three or four children, and ultimately restore the glory of her family name.
And so, the problem arose. If they got engaged, marriage would naturally follow, and then the inevitable night would come. What would he do then?
This was a significant issue.
To approach an engagement with Chun-bong with such half-hearted feelings would be an insult to her.
For several days, Seo-jun thought it over. What were his true feelings?
Surprisingly, it was a simple matter.
He imagined Chun-bong with some mysterious man, happily married and raising three children, standing before him.
In 8,329 alternate realities, the mysterious man always met a mysterious death. The culprit? It was too obvious to mention.
"Am I just being selfish?" No, it wasn’t that kind of trashy thought.
Seo-jun suddenly realized something.
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“The charm of Geum Chun-bong is...”
He had unwittingly fallen for her.
Though the idea of certain intimate moments with Chun-bong still felt a bit uncomfortable, that was only because he had always viewed her as someone he needed to protect.
Changing that perspective in an instant was no easy task...
No, Seo-jun decided to be honest with himself.
"Chun-bong is mine."
He wouldn’t give her to anyone. Whatever it took, he would make it happen.
Since the future was already set, he decided to hold the engagement ceremony in advance to prevent Chun-bong from crying herself to sleep alone at night.
It was a perfect plan.
The only remaining obstacle was Namgung Sua’s reaction.
“Oh, that’s an option?”
“Huh?”
“I assumed Chun-bong’s engagement would happen first.”
Namgung Sua had apparently always thought Chun-bong’s engagement would come before hers.
Seo-jun suddenly understood.
“So... when you suggested setting the engagement date far in the future...”
“Yes, I figured you’d get engaged to Chun-bong in the meantime.”
She had only set the date to stop people from constantly asking about the wedding, assuming Chun-bong’s engagement would naturally happen first.
Seo-jun and Chun-bong both froze, their expressions blank. When Seo-jun asked why she thought that, Namgung Sua answered as if it were obvious.
“Well, because I was only able to be part of this in the first place thanks to Chun-bong making space for me.”
“No, that’s not really...”
“And I know how Chun-bong feels. How could I just swoop in and take the lead?”
Chun-bong’s face contorted into a peculiar expression as if her brain had overloaded.
Seo-jun asked, “How did you know I’d even get engaged to Chun-bong?”
“It’s obvious. There’s a certain vibe.”
Apparently, it was.
Seo-jun fell into a confused silence, caught between common sense and this strange logic.
“Well... has this all been resolved?”
There were still some hurdles left, but it seemed like the engagement issue could be settled as long as Chun-bong was okay with it.
When Seo-jun glanced at Chun-bong, she pointed to herself.
“So... an engagement? With me and her together?”
“Yes.”
It was a trashy thing to say, but this seemed like the best choice.
“If you don’t want to...”
“No, no! I don’t hate it! I like it!”
Chun-bong shot to her feet. Breathing heavily, she stomped her feet nervously before asking again.
“So, me and her... we’re both your main wives, right?”
As garbage-like as it sounded, it was true.
“That’s right.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Chun-bong jumped in place. Unable to contain her excitement, she flailed around before breaking into a radiant smile, stretching her arms wide.
“Then Seo-jun should kiss the lovely Geum Chun-bong first!”
Though her self-esteem and confidence seemed to have grown a lot recently, had she been more anxious about this issue than he realized?
As Chun-bong stared at him with trembling eyes, Seo-jun leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss.
“My dear Chun-bong. I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life.”
“Y-yeah...”
The sight of Chun-bong, her face bright red with embarrassment, was something he would never forget.
****
All hesitation had been resolved.
After confirming both women’s feelings and obtaining their agreement to the joint wedding (where the groom would be the sole husband), there was no longer anything holding Seo-jun back.
Without delay, Seo-jun went to see Namgung Jincheon and prostrated himself before him.
“This is how it’s going to be, Father-in-law.”
“Hmm...”
Namgung Jincheon was momentarily at a loss for words at Seo-jun’s audacious plan. After a long silence, he turned to Namgung Sua, who stood quietly behind him.
“Sua, are you alright with this?”
“Of course. I was satisfied from the beginning with coming after Chun-bong. Honestly, I should’ve asked her permission first... I was so excited that I completely forgot.”
Seo-jun couldn’t understand why Namgung Sua was being so deferential. She was someone who habitually yielded most things to others. To describe it as mere lack of ambition felt insufficient.
In any case, this wasn’t an issue for her to resolve.
Seo-jun had created the situation, so it was his responsibility to handle it.
“Father-in-law, I promise to do my absolute best.”
“If Sua’s fine with it, I don’t think it’s my place to interfere... The opposition from others shouldn’t be much of a problem given your abilities...”
Namgung Jincheon stroked his chin thoughtfully.
In the martial arts world, most problems could be resolved with enough power.
Seo-jun, his son-in-law, had transcended even the limits of the Extreme Demon Realm and pioneered a new level known as Fiery Demon Realm.
Though it was still difficult to openly flaunt that realm, it provided a stepping stone for him to quickly ascend to the Fiery Realm, a level at which his words alone would become law.
There was no need for Namgung Jincheon to oppose or question the matter.
“As a father, I do feel a little regret... But ultimately, this will be your household to manage. If Sua is in agreement, I’ll have no further objections...”
“Thank you.”
“I trust you...”
“Yes.”
Namgung Jincheon looked at Seo-jun with deep, piercing eyes.
“Don’t worry about the clan. However, if you can reach the Fiery Realm before the ceremony, that would be ideal...”
“I’ll make it happen.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. You haven’t done anything truly wrong.”
Well, it felt like a pretty significant wrong.
But since his father-in-law said as much, Seo-jun allowed himself to relax. The cold sweat soaking his back left him feeling chilled.
Fiery Realm.
He now had a pressing reason to reach it.
****
The reason Namgung Jincheon suggested reaching the Fiery Realm before the engagement ceremony wasn’t complicated.
A martial artist of the Fiery Realm was truly considered something beyond human.
Simultaneously marrying two wives? If someone at that level declared their intent, no one would dare object.
When a being above the heavens spoke, how could mere mortals voice dissent?
That said, even within the exalted Fiery Realm, there were substantial disparities in strength. In some cases, the gap between individuals was so vast that grouping them under the same level felt almost inappropriate.
Based on his own experiences, Seo-jun categorized the Fiery Realm into three stages, purely from the perspective of martial prowess.
First Stage: Early Fiery Realm.
This level was comparable to his Extreme Demon Realm, though only just. Seo-jun considered Si-hyeol Man-cheon to fall roughly within this category.
Second Stage: Mid Fiery Realm.
At this stage, even using his Heavenly Demon Divine Arts might not guarantee victory. Against a demonic practitioner, the odds might be even, but against a non-demonic opponent, he’d have to extend the fight into a drawn-out battle.
The leaders of the Qi Lotus Sect and the Greedy Demon Clan belonged to this stage.
Third Stage: Late Fiery Realm.
Avoid fighting them at all costs. Not only would his Extreme Demon Realm be ineffective, but even with full effort, victory would seem improbable.
The Sword Demon, Green Bamboo Sage, and Namgung Jincheon were in this category.
Of course, these were not definitive classifications. For instance, in a direct confrontation between the Sword Demon and Namgung Jincheon, the latter would likely overpower the former.
Figures like the North Sea Ice Palace Master were also difficult to categorize. They seemed to fall somewhere between the mid and late stages, but their precise standing was ambiguous.
After all, the outcome of any battle could vary depending on countless factors.
Even though he classified the Greedy Demon as mid-stage, Seo-jun was confident he could defeat him in a rematch.
“Anyway, reaching the Fiery Realm will solve most problems.”
Seo-jun had already entered the Extreme Demon Realm, but he couldn’t openly reveal it. For obvious reasons.
No matter how understanding Namgung Jincheon might be, openly declaring oneself a demonic practitioner within the Namgung Clan, a bastion of orthodoxy, was asking for trouble.
The chatter of lesser martial artists wouldn’t matter, but practitioners of the same Fiery Realm might come to crush him.
“So, how do I ascend to the Fiery Realm?”
Seo-jun pondered. He quickly found the answer.