《I Am This Murim’s Crazy Bitch》 Chapter 186: Kaifeng Coming Soon (8) Meanwhile, Jin Seol was on high alert. After all, wasn¡¯t it Tang Nanah, with whom she didn¡¯t have a good rtionship even in polite terms? Even without Tang Nanah, the five members of the Five Flowers of Murim couldn¡¯t be called close at all, they were on terms of badmouthing and criticizing each other without restraint. Summarizing their criticisms roughly, it went like this: The Poison Flower uses poison. Moreover, she doesn¡¯t distinguish time and ce, and after getting caught at the 70th birthday celebration and lying t on the ground crying and ying the victim, everyone got sick of her. The Sword Flower thinks anyone with a bigger chest than hers is either a Murim criminal or her parents¡¯ enemy. But she has the smallest chest in the world. The Wise Flower looks down on others, pretending to be smart. If you talk to her for just a moment, you realize she¡¯ll live her whole life without friends. The Snow Flower has no expression or emotion. They say it¡¯s a side effect of ice arts, but she¡¯spletely inhuman with no humanity. She doesn¡¯t say more than two words, so all her lines are either yes or no. You might ask why all these flowers called the Five Flowers of Murim have ws, but originally, if you set out to find faults, anyone can be a wed human. Therefore, the greater the affection for the other person, the more understandable the ws and the more prominent the strengths appear. It¡¯s just that the Five Flowers of Murim don¡¯t get along, so only their ws stand out. Anyway, it was natural for Jin Seol to be tense with the Poison Flower next to her. First of all, she didn¡¯t know why she hade to sit next to her. Wary that she might use poison, she first threw out a weak check. ¡°By the way, Nanah. You seemed really close to that face-veiled Miss Ximen earlier. What kind of person is she that the great Poison Flower follows her around?¡± Trantion: Why is someone at the level of the Five Flowers of Murim acting like a servant, tending to a veiled ugly woman? ¡°You. If you go around with your chest out like that, doesn¡¯t it get congested? But was it originally that heavy? Did you put something underneath to support it?¡± Tang Nanah responded by cleanly ignoring and countering. ¡°Wh-what are you saying. It¡¯s always been like this? I didn¡¯t put anything in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying it out of concern. Isn¡¯t the human body healthiest in its natural state, and gets sick when it¡¯s not? If cold gets into your chest and you forcibly lift and fix it, you¡¯ll have big troubleter with blood clots. If you¡¯re not careful, it might have to be cut off.¡± Jin Seol was uncertain. She thought it was an attack, but it wasn¡¯t? What is this? Why is she pretending to be concerned? ¡°Hmm. You applied powder instead of oil? Is it because many blue veins are showing through? That¡¯s a really bad sign. If you get a breast tumor, you really have to cut it out.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not good, is it really serious?¡± Jin Seol was intrigued. Tang Nanah was also well-known as one of the few female physicians. ¡°I can¡¯t tell well with my eyes because of the powder? I think I need to palpate to know. Should I take a look now? Tomorrow everyone at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly will see. We should look when it¡¯s just us women.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Sure¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just ¡®okay, sure¡¯. You should say ¡®please, Dr. Tang¡¯, right? Or are you going to go to the medical hall and have your chest examined by some old man?¡± It was a problem caused by theck of female physicians. Women often endured even when they were sick, because they were embarrassed to be examined. ¡°Do you know what happens if it¡¯s really a breast tumor? They¡¯ll call all the medical students and say, ¡®Look at this, this is a breast tumor. If you touch it like this, you can feel the lump, this is blood cancer that¡¯s spread from liver cancer. Each of you touch it and remember this sensation.¡¯ They¡¯ll call all the disciples in the neighborhood and knead it like rice cakes?¡± Jin Seol¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I, I¡¯ll ask you, Nanah. Can you take a look? Actually, it¡¯s been feeling a bit stifftely¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯d like it if you were a bit more polite.¡± Jin Seol bit her lip. Then Tang Nanah smiled as if she was being generous and said. ¡°Well, a doctor can¡¯t choose patients. Let¡¯s set up a screen. Everyone heard, right? If anyone¡¯s curious, line up. While we¡¯re at it, if you have any pain you can¡¯t talk about, I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Jin Seol realized her mistake. This bitch is now trying to win people over with medical skills instead of checking with poison. If she openly provides medical care to me, who¡¯s known to be on bad terms with her, anyone from the Phoenix Association who has any pain will run to her without hesitation. Tang Nanah, this terrifying woman. And that Ximen Qing woman too. To act like a servant to this extent, just how much power does that veiled woman have to make her do such unsuitable things? ¡°Did you have fun?¡± ¡°Yeah. I saw the Iron Pagoda with Miss Gong and ate lots of snacks. The Iron Pagoda is impressive even seeing it twice. Oh my, I¡¯m so full. Snacks are surprisingly filling.¡± ¡°¡­? Was that your business?¡± In the Central ins, ¡°snacks¡± refers to all light refreshments excluding side dishes. Silkworm pupae skewers are snacks, steamed buns filled with red bean paste are snacks, tanghulu, sugar candy, and even ginseng preserved in honey are all snacks. So if you ask for all types avable in the store, even eating just one bite of each is enough for a full meal for an adult. ¡°Ah, right. I heard there¡¯s another Dragon-Phoenix Assembly tomorrow, what should we do? Are you going too, San? They said there will be lots of delicious dishes.¡± ¡°I went for a walk earlier, and it was sofortable with my face covered. Tomorrow I should go eat the famous Guantang Xiaolongbao and Guojie of Kaifeng.¡± ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that, if there¡¯s something like that you should have told me first. Damn, I¡¯m so full.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say we¡¯re going to eat now. And I just heard about it during my walk today.¡± ¡°Guantang Xiaolongbao, I can tell what it is just from the name. It¡¯s dumplings filled with hot soup since it¡¯s Xiaolongbao with tang. What¡¯s Guojie?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s made by pouring pancake batter when frying jiaozi to make it crispy.¡± ¡°Ah. Sounds delicious. If only I wasn¡¯t so full.¡± ¡°You can eat it tomorrow, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Tomorrow I have to go to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. They said there will be lots of delicious things.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. However, Qing couldn¡¯t read it because of the bamboo hat. ¡°Banquet food might be fancy but there¡¯s not much substance. It¡¯s either cold from being prepared early in the morning and left out, or the taste ispromised from reheating.¡± ¡°What? If the food at a banquet is terrible, why go to a banquet at all?¡± ¡°Usually, the purpose of a banquet isn¡¯t the food.¡± ¡°Hmm. Is that so? Still, since we¡¯re here, we should at least greet people. I promised to see Sword Brother and Daoist Changbin too. Hyangi was there too. Do you know Zhuge Hyang?¡± ¡°Do I need to know?¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s good to know people all around, right? Anyway, then you¡¯ll be separate tomorrow too? How will our San handle being lonely. Ah. Get some Xiaolongbao and jiaozi for me too.¡± Twitch twitch. Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows moved again. ¡°Are you nning to eat cold dumplings? Hmm. By the way, are you nning to keep wearing that at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly?¡± ¡°Hmm? Is it rude?¡± ¡°No. If you don¡¯t want to deal with annoying situations, it¡¯s better to keep wearing it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. When I stayed at the Tang n, those five or six brothers were so burdensome. The way those men threw hot gazes, ugh, it gives me chills. I really hate it. What, are they crazy?¡± Qing expressed her disgust. How should I put it, like gazes dripping with honey? The way those pepper men always tried to make eye contact with sultry gazes, it was truly a disgusting, terrible experience. As they were passing time with such meaningless chatter, Tang Nanah returned to the inn and sat down next to Qing, leaning against her. ¡°Ah. I¡¯m so tired. Examining patients after so long really drains my energy. Why does everyone have something wrong with them? If you¡¯re sick, you should go to a doctor¡­¡± ¡°What, you were examining patients? At the Phoenix Association? Wow, you did a good thing? But why?¡± ¡°Just had something to check. I thought maybe, and it turned out I was right. Ah, are we sleeping together today?¡± ¡°What, who decided that?¡± Then Tang Nanah looked at Peng Daesan and imitated a Chihuahua. With that kind of arrrr feeling. ¡°Then are you going to keep sharing a room with him? Even if he¡¯s a harm.less. friend, men and women should be separate, sharing a room isn¡¯t right. You say something too? Who should Qing¡¯er sleep with?¡± ¡°Someone might think we deliberately got just one room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Since we didn¡¯t deliberately get just one, there¡¯s no problem if Qing¡¯eres with me, right?¡± Peng Daesan frowned. If you ask like that, doesn¡¯t it make me look like I deliberately got one room? I can¡¯t say no, so the answer is already decided, but if I say go ahead, a strong feeling of rebellion and stubbornness rises. This is all deliberately provoking, she was really a nasty woman. But if I insist on sharing a room, I¡¯d really be a guy making advances, so in the end, all I could do was nod my bamboo hat with a resentful heart. The Dragon-Phoenix Assembly gathering wasn¡¯t a temporary event, but just whenever there was a big event in the orthodox Murim, the rising stars gathered in one ce and that was the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. When men gathered it was the Azure Dragon Association, when women gathered it was the Phoenix Association, and when they were together it was grandly named the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. Of course, it was an important gathering befitting its grand name, as it was a ce for the next generation who would lead the future orthodox Murim to build friendships. ¡°Do you want to try wearing a danxiong too, Qing¡¯er? I think it would suit you really well.¡± Danxiong¡¯s ¡®xiong¡¯ means chest, and ¡®dan¡¯ is an umon character meaning to take off the upper garment. The style Jin Seol was wearing at yesterday¡¯s Phoenix Association was called danxiong, or ¡°explosive breast outfit.¡± For reference, ¡°explosive breasts¡± in Chinese means exposing the chest, and has nothing to do with size. Qing answered incredulously. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m from a Daoist sect too, you know?¡± ¡°Ah. Right. Qing¡¯er was a Daoist too.¡± That¡¯s right. Ximen Qing was a Daoist cultivator! It was an unexpected identity. And Daoists wear Daoist robes. Whether it¡¯s allowed during personal time might differ slightly between sects, but at least in official settings, you have to wear Daoist robes. ¡°Then can you wear itter? Does the Divine Maiden Sect not allow it?¡± ¡°Not particrly¡­¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go get one made after we finish today. I¡¯ll do it for you. Okay?¡± ¡°Hmm. It looked suffocating just to look at.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not? It¡¯s totallyfortable? Actually, many women wear it because it¡¯sfortable. When you lift and fix it like this, it doesn¡¯t even shake and it¡¯sfortable.¡± ¡°What? Nanah, you wear it like that too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot in summer. It¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°Really? Do all Sichuan people dress like that? This summer it¡¯s Sichuan. You have a room at the Tang n, right?¡± Tang Nanah burst outughing. ¡°Qing¡¯er, you seem to be misunderstanding, it¡¯s not some daring outfit or anything? You just lift the long skirt to your chest, expose your corbone, and wear a breezy outer garment, that¡¯s danxiong.¡± ¡°But yesterday, that, Lily? How can someone¡¯s title be Lily? Talking Lily?¡± ¡°That Lily is a bit, too low. Usually, no, nobody goes that low? I don¡¯t know how she walks around like that. If you¡¯re going to do that, just go naked. That¡¯s a sickness too, a sickness. You know what she does? When men look, she pretends not to notice and brings her arms together to lift them even more.¡± ¡°Hmm. She was an admirabledy. But then, was she the only one dressing like that? No wonder I thought it was my first time seeing it. Sichuan is canceled. Doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything to see.¡± Then Tang Nanah said with a giggle: ¡°You. Why are you looking at others when you have the best? I palpated them all, and there¡¯s only one perfect in shape, size, texture, and weight. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m weird, but once you experience this, you really can¡¯t help it. Let me just. Wow, yes. This is it. This, wow, this is, wow. Really, wow. I can¡¯t express it.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re boldly touching. Won¡¯t you stop?¡± At this, Tang Nanah withdrew her hand with a gentle smile. In fact, Tang Nanah hadpletely changed her strategy. Medical books say that when people are repeatedly exposed to stimuli, they eventually be ustomed and stop feeling anything special. Based on this, it was a strategy called ¡°making it natural.¡± If someone walks around doing a handstand in the marketce, at first people might think they¡¯re possessed or doing some strange training. But novelty onlysts a day or two, after a month everyone gets used to it. They think, ah, that person is just someone who walks around doing handstands. It bes natural like this. This was exactly what Tang Nanah was aiming for. And it was gradually showing effects. Tang Nanah was just silly, but basically a terrifying viiness with a loose screw. ¡°Come on, Qing¡¯er, let¡¯s go now. I¡¯m feeling great energy from the morning, my strength is surging.¡± Tang Nanah said with a refreshing smile, naturally wrapping her hand around Qing¡¯s. Ximen Qing, full-scale sortie to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. Chapter 0: The First Step into Murim ? The First Step into Murim ? For production workers at small and medium enterprises, making games was a basic skill. Of course, depending on the person, there were some that they didn¡¯t acknowledge as games. By that, they meant mobile phone applications that only involved automatic hunting, in-app purchases, and gacha could not be recognized as an actual game. However, for such production workers, these games held a value beyond just being games. Weren¡¯t they the reliable genre that allowed one to level up solidly even while working inside a cab? While the sry might not increase, the joy of leveling up was still by their side. Moreover, these games ounted for over 70% of the conversation among team members, so it could be said that it was more akin to their modern social life than mere gaming. However, when limited to PC or console games, gaming was a somewhat distant hobby for production workers. Their hobbies were usually drinking alcohol (casually, with a meal), drinking alcohol pany dinners), drinking alcohol (with women), and if it wasn¡¯t any of that, then at most, fishing. That was mainstream. In that sense, his hobby of gaming was quite umon. He was a diligent gamer. The nature of his job in production meant that a basic two-shift system was in ce, with short cycles of day and night shifts, granting short vacations of 2 nights and 2 days or 1 night and 2 days. During these breaks, he would first sleep like the dead, then sit in front of his monitor with a cold beer in a thermos, sipping as he spent his vacation time. He wasn¡¯t particrly picky about his games. In the games, he enjoyed many different characters. Sometimes, he lived the life of an ouw of the wastnds, traversing the West, and at other times, as amander with superhuman abilities, stopping alien invasions and destroying severals before ultimately saving one. He also found it quite enjoyable to be the rebellious Son of God, who had ultimately killed God. However, most of his gaming experiences involved ying as a knight or a wizard in a somewhat medieval, Western cultural setting. And amidst his fun, someonemented on his post asking for gamements. ?try out the Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death it¡¯s he fun ?shitty ching chong1sorry derogatory term¡­ game fuck off ?no listen;; it¡¯s seriously he fun;; there¡¯s even a korean patch. hey try it try it2korean meme Murim, huh¡­ His knowledge of Murim was limited to a few Stephen Chow movies. Like Shaolin Ser. Wasn¡¯t the ultimate technique thingy that appeared in Kung Fu Hustle called Buddha¡¯s Palm or something? Now that he thought of it, his curiosity was piqued. He didn¡¯t hesitate to buy the game. After all, the wallet of a production worker living alone was honestly quite thick, so what reason was there not to? While it was downloading, he searched for information about the game. It was an open-world RPG made in China (Unofficial Korean Patch: 99.6% tranted) with high degrees of freedom. The fact that there was a user-created Korean patch guaranteed that there was at least some level of enjoyment. After all, who would go through the trouble of tranting a boring game? One could freely farm and grow until they reached a certain amount of Fame. Then, major events called Early-Game Crisis, Midgame Crisis, and Endgame Crisis would randomly start. If one overcame these, they could see the ending. Additionally, they could keep ying afterward or finish and y another round as a descendant. The game offered multiple endings based on the content chosen. He wasn¡¯t aware of the unfamiliar genre that was martial arts games, but upon searching, it seemed quite popr. He was someone who preferred munchkin y, where he could wipe out enemies without reserve rather than oveing difficult challenges. He liked to follow the strongest validated build and enjoy the gamefortably. As he looked up character-making and build rmendation posts, he pondered how to grow his character. Since he already had a feeling that it would be fun, he looked forward to it with a satisfied smile. Soon the game instation waspleted and he oveid the Korean patch file. And then, it was time for the long-awaited start of the game. Using the knowledge from the posts he had read just before, he proceeded quickly with the character creation. The difficulty would be Traveler of Tasteful Leisure (Easy Difficulty). Since the game supported multiple rounds, he thought if it was fun, he could raise the difficulty in the second round. The Constitution of the character would be Blood Poison, known to make gamey much morefortable. The Star of Destiny would be the Heavenly ughtering Star. And without any hesitation, the gender would be female. He firmly believed that in any game where female characters were yable, one must always choose them. Unfortunately, customization was not supported. He had no choice but to choose an illustration with big breasts from the given presets of appearance. After all, shouldn¡¯t he at least show a well-formed figure in-game? When he took a break, smoking a cigarette and drinking beer, it was his guilty pleasure to enjoy the view of a female character with a big chest. It was also a privilege of a single man. And as for the character¡¯s name¡­ Ctrl+V. °¢ìi (A-Qing) The pre-copied Hanja characters were entered. It was iprehensible how someone¡¯s name could be A-Qing. But it was something mentioned in the rmendation post. After all, entering this would start him off with one of the game¡¯s most overpowered martial arts, the Sword Art of the Yue3It means moon, but because there will be differentiationter, I kept the chinese romanticization ¡°Yue¡± Maiden, in its true form. Now, the character creation was done. Before pressing the Start Murim Journey button, he brought up a guide post on his smartphone that organized the route he needed to take in order to farm quickly before advancing to the early-game story. After all, if it was an open-world game, wasn¡¯t it a rule of thumb to farm generously as soon as it started before proceeding seriously? However, in the end, the preparation was useless. The moment he pressed the Start Murim Journey button- He was standing in a chilly cave¡­ Along with a hefty mass that suddenly weighed on his upper body. *** Chapter 1: A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (1) ? A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (1) ? A-Qing was currently an inhabitant of Murim, as well as a former member of the modern age. This fact brought a significant enlightenment to A-Qing. The life of a once single, production worker of the modern era meant that work and people were sometimes (often) shitty. As such, this led to one¡¯s well-being deteriorating, as they endured the hardship of not being able to sleep when desired, constantly rubbing at exhausted eyes. However, there were no problems when it came to just living. Modern civilization meant that even when one lived alone, basic needs were manageable and they could survive without particrly feeling any life-threatening dangers. But what about the world of Murim, these primitive ancient times of China? If one did not have power nor money, they would just die. There was no other option. So, over the past year, A-Qing¡¯s time here was a continuous, solemn struggle to preserve her very life. At least the people of Korea didn¡¯t draw knives and attack just because they made eye contact or killed one another over a shoulder bump in a sword duel. It was almost impossible for a modern person with a fragile spirit to survive in such a barbaric civilization. Yet A-Qing was still alive and breathing. Of course, she was fortunate in many ways. Firstly, A-Qing¡¯s body was robust. In modern terms, he had followed a guide when creating a character, focusing on a build that went all-in on strength and stamina to get through the Early-Game. And when A-Qing opened her eyes, she found herself in the body of the character she had created. She was stronger than most men and her steel-like body hardly tired. And most importantly, the choice of Constitution was perfect. A-Qing¡¯s Constitution, Blood Poison, neutralized all poisons that existed in the narrative. Even food poisoning was considered a poison, so she could eat anything without falling ill. She could seriously eat anything without worries. And so, A-Qing survived. Since she could not even make eye contact with Third-Rate Unorthodox thugs, she fought over discarded food with beggars. As stealing potatoes and radishes was not easy, she was beaten by farmers. Like that, she endured a year. And now, she had be a proper martial artist in her second year at the Central ins. In her own way, it was a specialmemoration for A-Qing as well. That¡¯s right, I too am a proper martial artist, now in my second year. I should try to live more like a martial artist¡­More like a human. Even just now, she had brought in the head of a wanted viin to the administrative office and received the bounty. She still vividly remembered the first time she killed someone in her first year here, crying and vomiting, but now she could cut through arms and necks without hesitation. At this rate, I am also turning into a splendid Murim gangster. Mmm. Nice. A-Qing¡¯s majestic chest swelled. It was the pride of a Jianghu newbie, just a little over a year of life in the Central ins. Even if it wasn¡¯t A-Qing, about a year after one embarked on this martial path tended to be the time when confidence was at its peak. Of course, it wasn¡¯t clear to A-Qing herself if she had really entered her second year. After all, she didn¡¯t mark the days like a castaway on a deserted ind or a kidnapping victim secluded in a dark room. But she had fallen into this world in the warm spring, survived the winter, and now the weather was warming up again. As such, it was roughly the 1st anniversary. Humiliating days shed through her mind. When she woke up naked in apletely unknown world, there was almost nothing A-Qing could do. After all, did money grow on trees? Or, like in a game, could she break into houses, shatter some jars, open boxes, and boldly steal in front of the homeowner? Of course, if there was no owner, it was possible, and there were actually professionals who specialized in this. However, burry required more sophisticated skills than she thought, even if it was an empty house. If she had known she would end up like this, she wouldn¡¯t have worked as a production worker but as a burr instead. Fortunately, there was one part that was the same as a game. It was that killing people gave money. In the Central ins, people carried pouches called moneybags to hold their assets. If the owner disappeared, the person who picked it up would be the next owner, so if you killed someone, you could rightfully inherit their moneybag. Even so, A-Qing was always poor. It was because she was not a murderous robber aiming for money. If she had to kill, she killed only rotten bastards. Sometimes, when she brought their heads to the office, she received a bounty, albeit rarely. But the amount earned was not that much either. As soon as one left their nest and had to be a responsible adult, every little thing cost money. To exaggerate a bit, even breathing costs money. As such, life obviously couldn¡¯t help but be miserable. But today, let¡¯s break free from being miserable. It was a day she could celebrate with pride. It was the 1st anniversary! ¡°Over here, Server.¡± At A-Qing¡¯s call, the server rushed in. There was a mole as big as a housefly beside his nose. It was clear that this inn was not any ordinary inn. After all, the mole on the server¡¯s face was a sign of fortune. The bigger and clearer the mole, the higher the server¡¯s fee. One could tell the status of the inn by the server¡¯s mole. ¡°What¡¯s good here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t cook, but the dish I rmend today is chicken steamed with ginger and then fried with dark soy sauce and oil. Today is the day the chickens came in from the cockfighting arena, so the vor is extraordinary.¡± The server skillfully rmended a dish. Starting at the age of fourteen and soon reaching his 30th anniversary here, the experienced server could immediately gauge the customer. As she was wearing light robes with traces of Qi here and there, she must be a poor female swordsman of Murim. Though there were dark circles under her eyes, her expression was not one of exhaustion. As such, it must be a customer who had something good happen, wishing to celebrate, and preferred a generous and oily dish over a small portion due to her poor attire. Cockfighting arena and whatnot was purely bullshit. In fact, the server did not know much about it either. However, it was just a chicken dish, not even a duck. This level of lip service was needed to satisfy the customer as well. A-Qing, the second-year newbie of Murim lifestyle, had no idea what the server was thinking. She was just happy. Chicken! Fried chicken! The soul food of Koreans! ¡°Are you in need of alcohol as well?¡± ¡°Yes! One strong bottle of hard liquor!¡± ¡°Then how about Bi Hongju1a type of alcohol. 40% alcohol and known for its red color. In fact, in Hanja, the ¡°Hong¡± stands for red and the ¡°-ju¡± stands for alcohol. So basically, it can be called ¡°red liquor¡± but thats no fun is it?? It is from the Bi Family¡¯s Brewery behind here. Although this is only their first generation, it is known for its extraordinary potency. Even the elderly of the Beggar¡¯s Union praise it.¡± If it was only a first-generation brewery, it couldn¡¯t boast of making good liquor. Moreover, the talk about the elderly of the Beggar¡¯s Union was purely a scam. How could beggars truly know the subtle tastes of liquor? They would just down it, after all. In the end, it was all just talk. But how that talk was packaged could please the customer. The server was a high-ss personnel and practically an artist in hospitality. ¡°One fish-scented sweet and sour chicken here! One Bi Hongju!¡± The server shouted the order as he walked away. Shouting the order wasn¡¯t to inform the kitchen. Nor was it to double-check with the customer. It was to let the other clients in the inn know what this person ordered. The more expensive the order, the louder the voice, and asionally, when a really big customer came, they even went out to the main road to yell the order out. However, A-Qing¡¯s order was not loud enough for the server to raise his voice. It was simply because the server had clearly seen and read into A-Qing¡¯s heart. After all, it was obvious what a poor customer would expect. Unaware of this consideration, A-Qing was all smiles. The other customers in the inn who saw A-Qing also let out a smirk, as soon after, they had roughly realized what kind of situation this was. A-Qing was the only one unaware. A-Qing. A whopping two years spent in Murim. ¡ª- In the previous era, there was a song that a legendary band of chivalrous individuals (basically, akin to thieves) loved to sing. The first verse was iparably unique. Heroes do not bother studying. But the era of ignorant and unsophisticated sword swings had passed and in this new era, martial arts also became a branch of study. The higher the level of martial arts, the more it entwined with the principles of the world. In fact, without contemting the Dao and ideology, one could not be a peerless Master. However, the zenith of the era before thest, the Greatest Under Heaven, loved this song. His title was the Celestial Martial Emperor. It was a terrifying moniker. Even if he was the Greatest Under Heaven, how could he dare to impersonate the title of Emperor!? It was akin to challenging the Jade Emperor to a showdown. So, they actually did fight. As the stern Jade Emperor never avoided a challenge, a mere word of conspiracy would gather the military forces of all that was under Heaven. And the result? The Celestial Martial Emperor was truly fitting of his title. If the Celestial Martial Emperor had been defeated, he would have been nicknamed something like ¡®The Small Fry Who Stood Against Heaven¡¯ or ¡®Traitor to Heaven¡¯. It was a famous tale that the Celestial Martial Emperor suppressed thirty thousand soldiers, grabbed the Emperor by the cor, climbed to the top of the Imperial Pce, and sang a revised version of his favorite song. Heroes do not mind the gazes of others. What does it matter when All Under Heaven is beneath me Even if my status is humble Who dares to hinder my path Thus, the Celestial Martial Emperor seeded in redefining the rtionship between the authorities and the martial world, creating a neww that the two should ignore each other and mind their own business. With that, the Celestial Martial Emperor ascended as the godfather of all martial artists. Afterward, the Celestial Martial Emperor literally realized the legend of ascending to Heaven as a Daoist Immortal, leaving a legacy as an imperishable icon. The musical achievement ofposing the most beloved song of that era¡¯s martial artists was just a bonus. Truly the very definition of a man who shaped an era! However, there were side effects. Some people misunderstood the lyrics of the song ¡®Heroes do not mind the gazes of others¡¯. If heroes did not mind the gazes of others, did it mean that those who were not heroes should mind them? Then, bastards who were cautious of others weren¡¯t heroes, right? The ascended Celestial Martial Emperor would havemented up above Heaven, pounding his chest in frustration. And as a result, here in this ce¡­ The Virtuous Gale of Qinghe2a ce in the Hebei province, Jo Gaksan, thought of himself as a hero. Jo Gaksan was dining with his sworn brothers. Together, with the three of them, they were known as the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe and had a fair amount of pride in their renown. Then he suddenly recognized a face. The Ugly Devil of Zhengyou, Ahn Sung-il. Despite his title, his looks were quite decent. However, the nickname Ugly Devil of Zhengyou was not for his face but for his extremely vile and dirty deeds. His main business was human trafficking, and besides that, he was a son of a bitch whomitted all kinds of evil deeds such as theft, robbery, murder, rape, arson, and fraud. Heroes must immediately punish evil without any tolerance. Of course, only if the evil was weaker than them! Ahn Sung-il¡¯s level was known to be in the early stages of the Peak Realm and Jo Gaksan was merely in thete stages of a First-Rate martial artist. However, they were sworn brothers for such times. If not, what other reason would there be to ufortably move around in a group of four? One against four. Each individual of the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe might be weaker than Ahn Sung-il, but together, we were strong. Because that was what we are! Indeed, they couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch evil get away! Jo Gaksan finally made up his mind after calcting the odds from various angles. Heroes do not mind the gazes of others. The act of minding others¡¯ gazes included causing a disturbance in a crowded inn during dinner time, potentially causing direct or indirect damage to those around. Such minor coteral damage was trivial in the face of a grand cause that was executing justice and eliminating evil. The Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe quietly exchanged nces. Jo Gaksan tapped the table three times. Then, they lunged forward all at once. *** Chapter 2: A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (2) ? A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (2) ? [Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja1¡°Let¡¯s get to know¡± is what it says. This is romanticized Korean, as in the author wrote it in english, but when reading it out loud, it reads out in Korean as ¡°Let¡¯s get to know¡± basically a Dummy¡¯s Guide to type of vibe] (Stars of Destiny Selection Screen Screenshot.) (Image of a star with a red tail among the nebe) [Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja] An impure starlight that foretells the massacre of all under Heaven, the world. An extraordinary murderer, the Killing Star, inherent with a thirst for blood. The one destined to be the Heavenly ughterer must be killed. When the Heavenly ughtering Star rises, kill every child born under the same moon, otherwise the world will be submerged in endless rivers of blood. [Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja] the star of destiny just has some text that seems like a dark souls ripoff without actually exining what effect it has, so u dont(?) know, yea? that¡¯s why the developer went to the steammunity and posted the effects directly, but since u won¡¯t understand ching chong, i tranted it for u Great Purple Star (North Star) Starts with a unique royal background. Possible to choose two Golden Martial Arts from the Martial Vault of the Imperial Pce. Endgame Crisis is difficult+++ Fixed to the Struggle of the Yellow Dragon route. Celestial Dog Star (Sirius) Required points for practicing Orthodox Martial Arts decreased by 33% Required points for practicing Unorthodox Martial Arts increased by 33% Required points for practicing Demonic Martial Arts increased by 50% The closer the tendency is to being Orthodox, the stronger the power of the user¡¯s Martial Arts zing Chaotic Star (Mars) Required points for practicing Unorthodox Martial Arts decreased by 22% Required points for practicing Foreign Martial Arts decreased by 25% Required points for practicing Demonic Martial Arts increased by 50% The closer the tendency is to Unorthodox, the stronger the power of Martial Arts Domineering Morning Star (Venus) Required points for practicing Demonic Martial Arts decreased by 33% Required points for practicing Orthodox Martial Arts increased by 33% Required points for practicing Unorthodox Martial Arts increased by 50% The closer the tendency is to ruling by force, the stronger the power of Martial Arts Windswept Mystic Star (Arcturus) (Trash) Required points for practicing Left-Hand Path Branch decreased by 75% Start with the Purple Sorcery Manual, Way of Peace (Trash) Eternal Lone Star (Mimosa) Acquisition Rate of Free Practice Points increased by 5% Required points for practicing all Martial Arts decreased by 5% Upon Solitary Jianghu (Party y X) effects increased by 5 times. For eachpanion, the power of Martial Arts decreased by 5% ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Heavenly ughtering Star (Comet) Upon enteringbat, goes into a Berserk state (increased power of Martial Arts, increased Health Damage received, impossible to run away) The higher the kill count, the stronger the power of Martial Arts [Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja] this is the very reason why i rmend heavenly ughtering star either way, starting from the midgame, u¡¯ll use defensive qi arts since u¡¯ll get beaten the shit out of anyway, so ur internal force gets cut down first the increased health damage received isn¡¯t really a penalty even if ur unable to run away, u can still escape when ur at the brink of death since when ur basically half dead, the berserk state wears off the downside is having to fight every fodder one by one, but if u want to increase ur kill count, u have to massacre them anyway¡­¡­. ¡ª- A-Qing had a bright, beaming smile for the first time in a long while. A genuine smile without a hint of shadow. Anyone who saw it would inadvertently smile back like a doting dad, moved by its pure and innocent honesty. A-Qing tended to disy all her emotions on her face, so it meant she was that happy at the moment. Now then, what about the something sweet and sour chicken whatchamacallit? It exceeded A-Qing¡¯s expectations just from its appearance. The golden-brown fried crust was visually delightful and the still sizzling oil, the rich aroma wafting up and tickling her nose, seemed to prate her very heart. Gourmet was the art of all five senses. Seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting. But wait. Why were there only four? Though the identity of thest sense was uncertain, one thing was crystal clear; it was now time to enjoy with the tongue. A-Qing bit into the chicken leg she had grabbed. The crispy skin contrasted with the tender, well-cooked meat from which the juices flowed freely; it practically melted off its bones. The very definition of delicious! After a single bite, even the King of Cooking would start banging on the ground and tear off his sleeve in resignation, acknowledging he was dogshit instead of the superior being he thought he was. Ah, this is what I¡¯m talking about. After all, life was tough and strenuous, but people could getfort and gain strength from eating delicious food. Just when A-Qing wasforting herself¡­ The ceiling copsed with a crash. Something fell and shattered the dining table. ng! In an instant, a wave of heat swept over along with themotion. Her face was covered in hot, sticky liquid and bright red blood dripped down her forehead. The fragrant scent of blood was so intense it made her nose tingle. Was this actually reality? A-Qing doubted her eyes. The table, the meal, and even the scent that she hadn¡¯t had the chance to properly enjoy were no more. All that was left was the chicken leg she held tightly to her chest in surprise. Yes, that¡¯s right! At least there¡¯s the chicken leg! A-Qing quickly checked the condition of her meat. It was crimson. Bright red fresh blood was dripping down. The dish was well-cooked to a golden brown, so it couldn¡¯t have been an odd phenomenon where undercooked meat was oozing chicken blood. A-Qing wiped her face with a troubled expression. She couldn¡¯t get herself to let go of the chicken leg, so she used her left hand. Maybe this was how a singer felt while performing in a downpour. The bright red fresh blood kept trickling down into her palm, falling drop by drop. Of course, this wasn¡¯t A-Qing¡¯s blood. The owner of it was mingling with the debris of the shattered table and the poor uneaten meal at the foot of A-Qing. He was spewing blood with every breath, gurgling with a rhythm that seemed as if air was leaking from his lungs, and then proceeded to tremble. Hm. Just another ordinary day in Murim. The same fucked up, shitty, piece of garbage, Murim. Just as it had always been. Why am I never given a single chance to be happy? Why is it always me? A-Qing¡¯s gaze swept over the inn. Those who were terrified. Those who continued to eat as if nothing had happened. Those who made a fuss, calling for a doctor. Those who screamed. Those who looked over with intrigued eyes. Everyone¡¯s reactions were diverse. And so were the numbers floating above their heads. They were numbers representing the karma each person held. Doing righteous deeds would increase it andmitting evil deeds would decrease it, so A-Qing could judge a person by this number alone. Of course, in all of the Central ins, A-Qing was the only one who could see karma. Solely A-Qing. In the entire world. And even the way of practicing martial arts was different for her. A-Qing umted Practice Points by using martial arts and moved up one stage after the required points were fulfilled. At the same time, Free Practice Points were also umted, which could be freely invested to improve certain attainments without the use of other martial arts. It was apletely different growth method from the martial artists of Murim, who progressed through endless practice and study. Moreover, what about acquiring martial arts? As soon as an intact scripture touched her body, it was pre-registered in the Martial Arts Window. These pre-registered martial arts could be learned at any time by investing the Free Practice Points. Was this really a normal way of training? It was like the growth method of a game character. Not of a martial artist. No, it wasn¡¯t even a method used by a human. Then what am I? Am I really human? Or am I a game character? Are all my actions, all my decisions, really based on my own judgment? Or am I just being manipted by electrical signals from a keyboard and mouse somewhere on the screen? Then what about these emotions I¡¯m feeling? Where in the world am I? Is this the real world? Or is it just a part of the game? [Sudden Mission urrence ¨C Inn Turmoil] Description: [Chaos has broken out in the inn.] Actions for additional Free Practice Points: Righteous Karma) Help the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe and eliminate the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou Evil Karma) Help the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou and eliminate the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe Evil Karma) Take advantage of the chaos and rob the inn of its silver and gold Heavenly ughtering Star) Kill everyone and set the inn on fire ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡± It was a terrible feeling. A feeling too terrible to be fully expressed in words. A-Qing clenched her teeth. It felt like she was left alone in the world. This damned status window. The most terrible thing in the world. Gurgle. With a sound akin to a death rattle, the middle-aged man at her feet finally stopped moving. It was the moment when the body (alive) became a body (dead). As the sphincter of the dead rxed, a horrible smell arose from the stained trousers of the corpse, pricking the nose. At the same time, the words written in the semi-transparent window in the corner of her vision flickered and then changed the content. Righteous Karma) Help the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe and eliminate the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou Ah. It¡¯s the Virtuous Trio now? Because one died? A-Qing snorted withughter. The blood smeared on her face oozed between her teeth. The fishy, salty, and thickly condensed stink of blood brought an almost euphoric sensation, making her feel as if she was floating. Alright, fine. Then let¡¯s eliminate him. After all, shouldn¡¯t I umte Righteous Karma? It was uncertain whether this was ancient China, an otherworld merely imitating Murim, or just a part of a game; what was certain was that the world couldn¡¯t get more fucked up than this. But still, there was one thing about it that A-Qing liked. In this world, there was no need to suppress and let the surging anger rot inside. After all, it was the era of the de, a world where one could deal with inner resentment in the most primal way. Rolling on the floor, A-Qing picked up her sword, which had been leaning against the table. Themotion was still ongoing upstairs with a Crash Boom ng. And now, she was about to add to that chaos. With a smile as savage as blood, A-Qing headed to the stairs, holding the tassel tied to the end of the sword and dragging it along. ¡ª- When exining the realm of martial arts, the sword was often the standard benchmark. This was unfair to knife-wielders and fist fighters. But since half of the martial artists used swords, everyone in Murim agreed that the sword was the mostmon weapon. And traditionally, the higher the number of people, the louder the voice. The art of channeling Qi into the sword to control its strength was called Qi Infusion. Those capable of Qi Infusion were considered First-Rate martial artists. When one could use it as naturally as breathing, they were roughly ssified as Late-Stage First-Rate. When one surpassed the level of Qi Infusion, they could emit Qi outside of the weapon, forming visible shapes. This was called Human Shaped Sword Qi, but since four words were too long, the first two words were wholly omitted, calling it Sword Qi. Those who could use Sword Qi were considered Peak Realm Masters. The difference between the Late-Stage First-Rate and Early-Stage Peak Realm was just one step, but up to First-Rate, they were merely martial artists. Starting from the Peak Realm, they were called Masters. The reason for this was because it was the first wall a martial artist faced. That was also why reaching the Peak Realm was described as climbing over a wall. But, unlike in the past when the sight of a Peak Realm Master was astonishing, Murim had continuously developed to this day. Therefore, Peak Realm Masters were actually moremon than one would expect. After the incident where the zenith of the generation before thest, the Celestial Martial Emperor, flipped the Imperial Pce over its head, the power of the authorities weakened, leading to the revival of Murim. Murim grew without the checks and suppression of the authorities, leading to the advancement of martial arts. Unlike before, it was amon theory that if a talented person sincerely learned proper martial arts, they could reach the Peak Realm before their death. Perhaps because of this,pared to the past, the trend of taking those in the Peak Realm lightly had emerged. Especially those who were in the Late-Stage First-Rate. If several attacked together, they could handle an Early-Stage Peak Realm, right? Wouldn¡¯t it be easy to defeat just one when fourunched a surprise attack at them? Right? However, underestimating the enemy had always been a taboo that all strategists from ancient times unanimously emphasized not to do. The Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe paid the price for forgetting this taboo. As such the Quartet became the Trio, and it was bing more likely by the second for them to be the Duo or even just a Solo. The Virtuous Gale of Qinghe, Jo Gaksan, swallowed in regret. ¡®Damn it! Was the gap this big?! Or perhaps¡­?! Could it be that he hid the fact that he¡¯s in the Mid-Stage of the Peak Realm?! What a sly and despicable bastard!¡¯ If the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou heard this, he would definitely feel wronged. After all, Ahn Seon-il was indeed in the Early-Stage of the Peak Realm. How did he handle one person so quickly, you ask? He just sensed the ambush in advance. Demonic Adepts always lived with a looming threat over their lives. It was because they were considered worthless even if they died, so being stabbed to death on the roadside was treated as a natural death. As such, long-lived Demonic Adepts were fundamentally sensitive. At the same time, those at the table, who usually created a ruckus, calling each other brothers and sisters and talking about the peace of Murim and whatnot, suddenly went quiet. Wouldn¡¯t it obviously have been suspicious? From that moment onwards, Ahn Seongil was on high alert and his readiness paid off. He deflected the oing de with his left hand and drew his sword to cut one of their throats. He stomped on the ground with all his might to deploy Qinggong2lightness body skill, avoiding the three others rushing at him. But the weak floor copsed, causing him to lose his bnce, so he rather chose to execute the Naryeotagon move. For reference, this move meant rolling on the floor unsightly. Martial artists, who staked their lives on their reputation, often said they would never use it, even if it meant their death. However, since there was not a single person who actually kept their word, the words of martial artists were mostly just bravado and lies. Regardless, he managed to save his life at the expense of his dignity. Ahn Seon-il shouted loudly. ¡°Who dares to target the back of this swordsman of Zhengyou! Are you not afraid of the repercussions from the Zhengyou Martial Hall!¡± To put it simply, it basically meant whether they would be able to handle the consequences. ¡°Shut up! You viin! Who here doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re the hideous demon called the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou! Today, I will cut off your head and restore justice to the world!¡± Basically, it meant he was not going to reveal his name. Just in case. For martial artists, fighting was a part of their social life, so it was necessary to understand the implications urately. After this, there was no need for further verbal arguments. After all, there was no reason to waste words when there was a perfectly fine weapon in their hands. That was the way of Murim. *** Chapter 3: A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (3) ? A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (3) ? Although the youngest of the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe was eliminated, making them the Virtuous Trio instead, it was still a fight of three against one. Traditionally, having such a difference in numbers was a standard advantage, and it was indeed the case here. The difference stemmed from their attitudes. Ahn Seongil was overwhelmed by the numbers and looked for a way to escape out of fear, while the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe pressed for a quick decisive battle. The importance of momentum in a fight could not be overstated. This was clearly exemplified by Ahn Seongil, who was constantly retreating and busy fending off attacks, and the purely offensive Virtuous Trio of Qinghe. This went on for about twenty strokes. The modern-day equivalent of a stroke in Murim was a turn in a turn-based strategy game. Ahn Seongil thought. ¡®Huh. This isn¡¯t as hard as I thought?¡¯ The Eldest Brother of the Qinghe Trio, Jo Gaksan, thought. ¡®Damn it, was the gap of the wall between us this severe?!¡¯ Truth be told, the ultimate method of joint attack was not three against one, but four against one. Humans had four cardinal directions ¨C North, South, East, and West ¨C so true mastery of joint attack was controlling all four. This concept had long been proven. In Buddhism, there were the Four Heavenly Kings, and in Daoism, there were the Four Auspicious Beasts, illustrating the ancient wisdom of dividing the points of thepass into four. Therefore, three was an iplete number. Moreover, the opponent was one of a superior realm. The difference between a Late-Stage First-Rate and an Early-Stage Peak Realm was just one step, but it was a higher wall than one might think. Another ten strokes passed. Jo Gaksan exchanged nces with his brothers, a conversation carried out solely with their eyes built from years of brotherhood. ¡®This won¡¯t do. Let¡¯s get out of here. We have to take the youngest with us as well.¡± ¡®Good idea, Eldest Brother.¡¯ ¡®I was waiting for you to say that, Eldest Brother.¡¯ The contents were more disheartening than expected. But considering Jo Gaksan¡¯s moniker as the Eldest Brother of the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe, it only stood to reason that he would decide so. In Murim, monikers were a far simpler principle than one might think. Those in the First-Rate were respectable martial artists, but there were far too many of the same realm in the current Murim. Therefore, to earn a splendid moniker as a First-Rate Expert, one must perform feats that everyone would acknowledge and admire. But as there were many people and few heroic deeds, monikers usuallybined the ce of activity, a characteristic, and a tendency. (Active in) Zhengyou, Ugly (In actions), Devil (Bad guy) (Active in) Qinghe, Gale (Fast), Virtue (Good guy) Hence, Jo Gaksan, the Virtuous Gale of Qinghe, was known for his storm-like speed; especially, his strategy to retreat like a passing gale when the fight turned unfavorable! It was a moniker given by people who admired that quality of his. ¡®But seeing how the youngest isn¡¯t showing up, he must have broken something.¡¯ ¡®The youngest always slips away, after all. The Third will take care of him.¡¯ ¡®Wait, me again? Can¡¯t Second Brother take care of him this time?¡¯ ¡®Oho? The Third is¡­talking back?!¡¯ Unfortunately, the youngest was already dead. But the news of the youngest death had not reached them yet because dead men tell no tales. If only the youngest had said, ¡®I¡¯m dead, Brothers¡¯ then the trio, furious over his demise, would have fought to theirst breath and might have managed to take down the viin; the murderer of their youngest. However, the only thought they currently had was escaping. Jo Gaksan barely parried Ahn Seongil¡¯s sword strike and suddenly shouted. ¡°Now! Yeonhaeng-gwisan!¡± Ahn Seongil paused his attack and retreated quickly. He did not know what Yeonhaeng-gwisan meant, but he sensed it could be a dangerous technique. However, Yeonhaeng-gwisan meant nothing. It was just a random word Jo Gaksan shouted to scare his opponent, so that he could exit like a gale. It was a simr case to how the dead Zhuge Liang defeated the living Sima Yi with meaningless words. With that, he seeded in fending off a Peak Realm Master. It was truly a miraculous strategy. And so, the famed Virtuous Gale disyed the brilliance of his moniker. The three individuals swiftly distanced themselves like a tempest! Ahn Seongil was left blinking in dumbfoundedness. ¡ª- When A-Qing went upstairs, she saw three people running towards her like lightning. She scanned the numbers above the three people¡¯s heads: their Karma. Seventeen, Nine, One. Although the numbers were low, they still held Righteous Karma. They seemed like good guys, so they were probably not the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou. A-Qing quickly lost interest, but the three people flinched as they passed by her. It was because her appearance was far from ordinary. After all, anyone would startle at least once when seeing a female swordsman smiling with blood on her. Moreover, she exuded a suffocating aura, as if there was a pressure constricting their very hearts; perhaps it was because of her eyes, turned feral, harbored a sinister hue. But A-Qing did not make eye contact with the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe. This was a nonverbal expression among martial artists. In essence it meant that they had no business with each other, so they should go their separate ways. After the three people passed by, A-Qing immediately identified the viin on the upper floor of the inn. There was someone with an unusually high number above their head. The viin had Three Hundred Seventy Six Points of Evil Karma, a person who had umted a terriblyrge amount of evil deeds. In other words, he was a bastard who could be killed. Killing him would actually be a service to the world, for he was such trash. When A-Qing made eye contact with Ahn Seongil, he rolled his eyes upwards to avoid her gaze. It was the same nonverbal expression among martial arts. Let¡¯s go our separate ways. Ahn Seongil did not want to get entangled in this situation with A-Qing. Wasn¡¯t there an old saying in Murim? Be wary of children, women, and the elderly. Of course, this saying didn¡¯t mean to be especially wary of such a demographic. After all, if children, women, and the elderly were excluded, the only ones left were adult men. And everyone would be cautious and wary when facing adult men. The saying ¡®Be wary of children, women, and the elderly¡¯ meant to be cautious and not let your guard down around anyone you meet in Murim. Ahn Seongil wanted to avoid conflict because of this very wisdom, but A-Qing had business with him. ¡°Hey. You there. Fucking old fart. Are you that piece of shit human scum called the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou?¡± It was an unexpected verbal assault,pletely out of the blue. Ahn Seongil wore a dumbfounded expression. It was a curse so severe that it made him doubt his ears. ¡°Yeah, you, old fart. Who else here has son of a bitch fucking written all over their face besides you?¡± Ahn Seongil¡¯s face turned beet red. It was natural, considering he was being cursed by someone significantly younger; perhaps younger than what his daughter or even granddaughter would be. ¡°How dare this bitch who is still wet behind the ears¡­¡± ¡°What? What bitch? Did you just swear at me? How dare you curse at me so severely. That is insulting. I can¡¯t hold back.¡± For someone who couldn¡¯t hold back, she was grinning from ear to ear as she drew her sword when- ¡°This crazy gir¡­! Heup.¡± Ahn Seongil hastily closed his mouth. It was because of the Qi emanating from A-Qing¡¯s Sword B¨­, unwinding like threads. This phenomenon, where Qi overflowed even after Sword Qi was channeled, was called Sword Threads. It was a technique used by martial artists of the Late-Stage Peak Realm. Ahn Seongil broke out in a cold sweat. The girl in front of him was a Master whose realm was much higher than his. He was facing a life-threatening crisis. An overwhelming difference in skill! ¡°Crazy? You¡¯re swearing at me again? Wow, that¡¯s so insulting. Ha, I¡¯m getting angry, so very angry.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­.¡± ¡°If you had insulted my n, my parents, I might have held back. But insulting me? I can¡¯t tolerate that. There is no more need for words! Die! My Moonlight Sword is starving!¡± Despite her yful movements, the tip of the woman¡¯s sword split into three shapes before one could even take a breath. The Sword Qi surged in three forks. Ahn Seongil¡¯s brain was overheating fiercely. What was the real movement and what was the fake? To live or to die. There was no time to ponder. It was the moment Ahn Seongil was about to gamble his life in front of this deadly trilemma. A sensation like the hair on his entire body was standing on end! ¡®All three are real movements!¡¯ In a moment, he realized all three were real sword movements. This was the extra sensory perception one had when their life hung by a thread, also referred to the culmination of his efforts of the upper dantian in martial studies. Ahn Seongil managed to deflect the sword strike targeting his heart and twisted his body with all his might. His shoulder and waist felt icy cold, followed by intense pain. He had managed to fend off only one attack. There were already two injuries. The disparity in skill was despairing. Not only was there a gap between the Early and Late-Stages of the Peak Realm, but the woman¡¯s Sword Art itself was in a superior realm. Considering the young woman¡¯s skill at such an age, her background must be from an extraordinary sect. Meaning, even if he lost, he would die, and even if he won, death would find him through the hands of pursuers. Thus, there was only one answer. He must not fight; it was a battle destined for doom. ¡°Wait! Great Expert! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!¡± ¡°A misunderstanding my ass. I heard you clearly. You insulted me. You shall pay for this humiliation with your life!¡± ¡°No, No! It isn¡¯t like that! Great Expert, wa-wait!¡± ¡°Great Expert? Do I look that old to you? How dare you one-sidedly raise a woman¡¯s age like that.¡± ¡°Y-Young Expert, please wait!¡± ¡°Young Expert? An inferior like you who had just reached the Peak Realm dares to address a martial senior like that? How dare you¡­!¡± ¡°Female Expert! Please, Female Expert! Hear me out just for a moment!¡± ¡°Female Expert? Is there a separate title for male and female Experts? Gender discrimination is muddling the world, thus here in this ce, I shall break such chains.¡± The woman¡¯s sword continued to fly at him relentlessly. Sometimes in three forks, sometimes four, and when it reached five forks, he lost the will to counter. He could do nothing but bber desperately. It had already been twenty or so strokes. It was a miracle of itself for him to stay standing. Then, as if it was all a lie, the assault stopped. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because you keep saying it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Yes, Great Expert, no, Young, no that¡­.¡± ¡°I was just about to enjoy an expensive meal that I managed to buy with great difficulty, you see. It was a very special anniversary to me. The happiest moment I had since starting my Murim journey.¡± ¡°Um, uh¡­. I apologize for causing a distu¡­.¡± ¡°No, what? Do you think I¡¯m some murderer who would kill someone just because they¡¯re noisy? That¡¯s not it. Something fell from the sky, you see. Since we¡¯re inside an inn, it must have been the ceiling, right?¡± A-Qing turned her head. Ahn Seongil followed her gaze and turned his head too. A gaping hole in the floor was visible. Ahn Seongil started sweating bullets. So that was why there was blood all over her. ¡°Very well then. Now, you understand why you¡¯re going to die, right?¡± ¡°P-Please spare me!¡± ¡°Hm. What should I do.¡± A-Qing pretended to think for a while, dragging out the silence, before speaking. ¡°First, hand over your money. Since you ruined my meal. And you also ruined my clothes.¡± ¡°I-I will give it to you!¡± ¡°Ah, how am I supposed to hold back from this? So harsh.¡± ¡°What? What?¡± ¡°Again! Give me your money!¡± ¡°I will give it to you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± Ahn Seongil was flustered. What the fuck did she want him to do then? Was she toying with him after pulling him down to his kn¡­. Ah. Ahn Seongil¡¯s eyes turned rotten. The reason he was still alive and able to withstand the attacks was that even when the sword strikes flew at him at once, there was always only one killing move aimed at a vital spot. It was so that he could somehow block and parry the rest with his body if he dodged the killing move. In other words, the woman was toying with him. With a frivolous grin on her face, like a cat ying with a bird. ¡°I-I¡¯ve been caught by a fiend, a ughterer¡­.¡± ¡°Ah. You got me. Oops?¡± A-Qing¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve lived virtuously. This is all karma, okay? Karma. It¡¯s because my Moonlight Sword thirsts only for the blood of evil.¡± A-Qing raised her sword. Sensing the end, the viin roared. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be safe, you bitch! Yes, I¡¯m a bad person! But do you think a bitch like you isn¡¯t?! I¡¯ll be waiting for you in hell!¡± ¡°Hell my ass. Do you even know how high my Righteous Karma is?¡± Ahn Seongil¡¯s world spun. His copsing body came into view. As he was dying, he thought. But how could a sword falling straight down cut the neck? What kind of miraculous swordsmanship was this¡­. *** Chapter 4: Friend (1) ? Friend (1) ? A-Qing was truly happy until recently. It was because she had money. If life felt unenjoyable, one should try thinking about how much wealth they had first. After all, it was amon trait of those who found intentional travel fun but domestic travel boring to save money in their own country. The purse of that guy named Ugly Devil or whatever was enormous and plundering had been the right of the victor since ancient times. It was the first time in A-Qing¡¯s Murim life that she had umted wealth exceeding even a gold piece. She also turned in the head of the evil-doer. After all, the higher the Evil Karma they held, the heftier the bounty. To exaggerate a bit, her moneybag was so heavy that even walking straight became difficult due to its weight. As such, A-Qing enjoyed the finest culinary delights of Jianghu as much as she desired.. She bid farewell to her old Moonlight Sword (No. 5) which was like a lover to her and weed the new, young, and lovely Moonlight Sword (No. 6). It was her first time actually buying a new sword, as she had always picked up others¡¯ discarded ones. A sword untouched by others. One that was truly hers. She felt a newfound affection for it. I¡¯ll take good care of you. The previous Moonlight Sword (No. 5) was so poorly maintained that it had rusted from inside out. When the metal shop refused to even pay the price of scrap metal for it, she casually tossed it away by the roadside. Then she bought new, sturdy, and affordable clothes. A-Qing had a major realization. If you had money, even this damned Murim world could be enjoyable! She could even casually ignore the status window thanks to this. Her mood, elevated by her culinary adventures, remained unshaken even from the status window¡¯s kicks. A-Qing¡¯s spending habits were as follows. Those who couldn¡¯t see their future did not save, a behaviormon among youth in all countries of her homeworld. Thanks to her having the same exact trait, she became broke in no time. Ah. Those were good days. All that remained was Moonlight Sword (No. 6). A swordsman¡¯s lover, the sword. A luxury item she bought at the cost of half a gold piece. Let¡¯s be together for life, Moonlight Sword, okay? This was the reason for a person to splurge. At least the splurged items remained by their side, even when they were a step away from poverty. ¡°Your order is ready.¡± Thud. The server ced the dish down without care nor sincerity. Three dumplings. One soup. If you bought at least three dumplings, you would get a free bowl of soup; a wisdom she learned from her two years of Murim life. Contrary to modernmon sense, dumplings in Murim were the most basic food, made of ying dough without any filling. Usually costing one coin or two in pricier inns, they were the cheapest food in Jianghu. Dumplings with meat were called meat dumplings and cost a whopping fifteen to twenty coins. Another piece of wisdom learned from her two years living in Murim. When dumplings were too dry, it was good to soak them in soup. If her throat felt dry, then it was good to drink the soup. Looking at her suddenly humble meal, A-Qing nced down at her beloved sword, Moonlight Sword (No. 6). I wonder¡­ How much would I get if I sold this? It¡¯s practically new¡­ It hasn¡¯t even been used that many times. But let us not forget, this was only the wisdom of someone two years into her Murim life. She couldn¡¯t really understand the depreciation and second-hand pricing of swords, so she decided to keep it for now. But seriously. I really need to make money. What should I do? A-Qing opened the Martial Arts Window from her Status Window. Every time she saw it, she felt like shit, but she needed to check her umted Free Practice Points. Free Practice Points allowed instant mastery of martial arts and could be a lifesaver in critical situations. Her Sword Art of the Yue Maiden (True Form), Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique (True Form), and Yue Maiden Footwork (True Form), the Qinggong Technique she possessed, had all reached Twelve Stars. Twelve Stars meant the highest achievement one could hold in that martial art. Usually when people say they had aplished the Grand Star, it means they had mastered the martial art in question up to such a point. Of course, to A-Qing, who learned martial arts through the Status Window, this was apletely different concept from what martial arts meant by Grand Star. For her, the Twelve Stars that made up the Grand Star meant that all moves were imprinted in her memory and she gained additional Ability Points and Special Skills for each martial art. Aside from those, the rest of the martial arts listed were just from casually touching manuals in bookstores. All of them were martial arts with a White Border. In Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death, martial arts were ssified by colors: White Border for the lowest, followed by Blue, Red, Gold, and the highest, Purple Border. The producer didn¡¯t really name the grades, so people usually referred to them as White Martial Arts, Blue Martial Arts, and so on. For reference, the True Form of the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden was a Purple Martial Art. It was said to be one of the greatest cheat codes in the game, but she couldn¡¯t be sure since she hadn¡¯t learned any other martial arts. After all,parisons required a reference group. And now, it was time to add a Purple Martial Art. After a year of hardship, A-Qing had umted over five hundred points of Righteous Karma. It was truly a long, humiliating time. Righteous Karma was very useful. Why? Because of Righteous Rewards. It was a system inside the game that allowed her to select and master a desired martial art whenever Righteous Karma reached a certain level. And the first round of such an exchange happened at five hundred points of Righteous Karma. Evil Karma, on the other hand, was utterly useless. umted bymitting Evil Deeds, they typically provided ample Practice Points during the process. The pursuit of Righteous Karma, choosing only to kill the wicked, was a structure where one might struggle to umte Practice Points but could exchange Righteous Karma for desired martial arts. A-Qing did not have a single ounce of hesitation. It was because she had a target in mind from the very beginning. She was initially tempted by the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon, but after doing a search during the game download, she discovered that the Heavenly Demon was treated as a gag character, so she quickly lost interest. These days, the Heavenly Demon ran a restaurant, a bakery, and even a conglomerate. Oh, and yed baseball. Even in traditional martial arts novels, they were merely a third concubine to the main character, so the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon sounded shy but was probably insignificant. A-Qing immediately received her Righteous Reward. Instantly, phrases, the form and essence of the martial art, and the appearance of moves invaded her brain, rampaging and overturning it to their liking. In spite of herself, she made foolish sounds. ¡°Urgh¡­¡­Eugh, uek¡­¡­¡± It was a terrible and filthy experience, indescribable in words. The closest description of it was like someone had inserted their hand into her brain and kneaded it. And then, there was always a severe aftermath. How does this make any sense? Who the hell learns martial arts like this? Isn¡¯t this truly a world inside a game? Am I moving basedpletely on my own judgment and my own standard of correctness? What if someone is actually controlling me beyond the sky on a transparent screen, typing on a keyboard and jiggling a mouse? Then what am I¡­? No. Stop. No bad thoughts. A-Qing forcibly redirected her train of thought. In times like these, she had to talk about silly things. She desperately groped for memories of her existence as a modern person, as a living entity. Who am I? Bud.dha¡¯s.Pa.lm. Owner. Move aside, Stephen Chow. The K-Buddha¡¯s Palm ising. Wrap Buddha¡¯s Palm in kimchi and try it. The K-Buddha¡¯s Palm which shocked Trump and made Xi Jinping jealous, this martial art is now mine. After all, Buddha¡¯s Palm is drawn in Soo Bahk Do1a martial art founded and taught by Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee, his sessor Hwang Hyun Chul, known as H.C. Hwang, and instructors who are certified by member organizations of the World Moo Duk Kwan, Inc. This martial art was originally the ancient martial art of Korea.¡­. Do you have a problem with that? Chinese people? Then consult the Cultural Revolution of that Red Army over there. Oh, nothing happened, you say? Perhaps thanks to her desperate nonsense, she avoided feeling even filthier than she already was. However, she no longer had the courage to look at the status window. Nor the courage to look at people. Now was not the time to look at numbers over people¡¯s heads. A-Qing clenched eyes shut and bowed her head. She chewed the dumplings thoroughly. Yet even despite this, for some reason, her throat felt hot and something felt like it was caught in the middle. She forcibly shifted her focus. When she closed her eyes, the conversations around her became audible. Given that A-Qing had achieved the Grand Star in one Inner Qi Cultivation Technique, her physical abilities were nearly superhuman; merely paying a bit of attention allowed her to hear every conversion in the inn. Among them, a particr voice caught her ear. ¡°Hey, you. Escort Leader. I heard you¡¯re going to Yongseong.¡± ¡°Ah! May I have the honor of knowing Young Expert¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Peng Daesan.¡± ¡°The Jade Qilin! My goodness, aren¡¯t you the eldest son of the Peng Family? What an honor! If you¡¯re going to Yongseong, does that mean you¡¯re going all the way to Mount Hua?¡± ¡°Escort Leader does not need to know any more than that.¡± ¡°Aha! Of course, of course. It¡¯s an honor to serve you, Great Expert! Oh my, please sit here. Hey, server! Prepare a meal big enough to break this table!¡± An iparably arrogant tone and a suddenly sycophantic voice made up the conversation. A-Qing¡¯s depressive mood flew away in an instant. So a Master could get treated like that just by joining an escort convoy! Oh my gosh, unbelievable! It was a whole new world. A-Qing had been wandering around looking for viins to kill whenever she ran out of money. Her knowledge of martial arts novels was nothing more than the miserable life of a pauper, having learned from rolling around in the dirt for a little over a year. And a few scenes from Stephen Chow movies. So, it was natural that A-Qing did not know the Peng n of Hebei. The eldest son of one of the Five Noble ns under Heaven had a higher status than most princes of royalty, especially after the Esteemed Senior, Celestial Martial Emperor, flipped the Imperial Pce over its head. Kunpeng Escort Group was a fairly substantial convoy business, handling distribution for two castles, but was still no match for the reputation of the Peng n. A-Qing, unaware of this fact, simply thought that all Masters received such treatment. A-Qing, who was only needlessly remarkable at carrying out actions, abruptly stood up. ¡°Excuse me. Escort Leader, I heard you say that you are heading to Yongseong, is that correct?¡± A-Qing addressed the Escort Leader. It was the confident attitude of a Master. ¡°Uh, um. Young Lady, you are¡­¡± The Escort Leader¡¯s face soured. What kind of moment was this? It was a moment to host a person of great importance, a diamond among golden connections. In Chinese characters, it was called êP‚S, also read as Guanxi by Chinese people, a traditional opportunity to foster connections. Wouldn¡¯t anyone¡¯s expression darken when someone suddenly interrupts such a valuable asion? ¡°My name is A-Qing.¡± ¡°A-Qing?¡± A response came from the side. It was the majestic, ultra low-frequency voice of that rude bastard from before, Peng Daesan. The son of the Peng Family had a voice so low it would make almost any woman melt, but it did not affect A-Qing. Peng Daesan was seated with his back turned, so A-Qing had to turn her head to see his face. Woah! How can someone be so handsome? The moniker Jade Qilin was a tradition passed down through generations, a special title given to the most handsome among promising young prodigies. And this generation¡¯s Jade Qilin, Peng Daesan, was praised for having the most handsome features in the long history of the Central ins. Seeing as how his unofficial title was the Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens, was there anything more that needed to be said? But A-Qing was only mimicking a woman but was essentially a man. As such, she was not swayed by the man¡¯s appearance. She was simply astonished. Woah! What is that face? He¡¯s so handsome! I¡¯m jealous! What is going on? Why is there a surreal sight right before my eyes? Is this actually the face of a man that exists in this world? If all the men in the world, past and future, were lined up by appearance, he would surely take first ce, even if time was measured by an eternity. That was the extent of A-Qing¡¯s surprise, who was a man at heart. In truth, women who encountered Jade Qilin¡¯s striking face unprepared usually fainted or copsed on the spot. As A-Qing gaped in admiration at his beauty, Peng Daesan spoke bluntly. ¡°A-Qing. Do you perhaps also use the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden?¡± ¡°Wow. You know about the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden, huh! Could it be-¡± ¡°Ha. Tsk. This is a bit new.¡± Peng Daesan interrupted A-Qing with a snort. What the fuck? What¡¯s with this rude bastard¡¯s attitude? Is he acting all high and mighty just because he¡¯s a bit handsome? A-Qing frowned, clearly annoyed. ¡°A-Qing is your real name, you say?¡± ¡°Yeah. And?¡± ¡°I have never heard of that surname before. Then, who is the founder of your n?¡± ¡°Uh, um. Well, about that.¡± How should I know? But saying I don¡¯t know might be too suspicious. In truth, A-Qing mostly wandered alone. The onlypany she ever had were the fellow poor. As they said, birds of a feather flock together. So, she knew nothing about the formalities of the well-dressed upper ss. She just assumed that bastards who were well off even inquired about ancestors. A-Qing racked her brain. Who was a known person with the surname ¡®A¡¯ that she could use? ¡°Why can¡¯t you answer?¡± ¡°I was about to, okay?¡± ¡°So, who is your founder?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Asura?¡± Was this right? It came out spontaneously, but Asura didn¡¯t seem quite right. A-Qing, the 17th Descendant of Asura. Hm, it might be okay. ¡°Keuk, kekek, kehAHAHAHA¡­.!¡± But then, Peng Daesan burst intoughter, out of the blue. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t quite right after all. ¡°Good. Very refreshing. You get 27 points.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Your face is in, so 0 points. Your figure is decent, but you¡¯re tall, so points deducted. You look indecent because your chest is so big, so points deducted once more. That makes 7 points. But you made meugh, so 20 bonus points for a total of 27.¡± What the? How can he be so confident whilemitting sexual harassment? It was so severe that it was clear this attitude was definitely not the culture of Murim¡¯s upper ss. Other women might have run away in humiliation and sorrow, but it didn¡¯t hurt A-Qing¡¯s feelings at all. Instead, it enraged her. This rude piece of shit could not be forgiven. ¡°Hey, you. Do you think your mouth has a hole so that you could shit out nonsense from it? Is it a mouth or an asshole? Fucking spewing crap out, huh. I get 27 points? Fine, I¡¯ll give you a hundred points. Want me to stamp you with a thick ¡®Well Done¡¯ for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, but it sounds like you wish to hit me.¡± Peng Daesan did not hide his mocking smile. ¡°Very well then. Hit me. Do it.¡± But there was one thing Peng Daesan did not know. After starting her Murim journey, A-Qing rarely held back. She was filled with existential anxiety, unsure whether she was in a game or reality. Basically, shecked the patience and luxury to restrain her impulses. Moreover, when provoked to strike, she did not hesitate. As such, A-Qing clenched her fist tightly. And firmly punched Peng Daesan¡¯s smooth cheek with a resounding Bam! At that sight, the Escort Leader¡¯s face turned utterly pale. *** Chapter 5: Friend (2) ? Friend (2) ? Jade Qilin Peng Daesan. The Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens, Peng Daesan. Peng Daesan detested his moniker. He truly loathed it. It was just a title stuck to him for being handsome, for having a good face. Someone who received such a nickname and smiled about it was unworthy of being a martial artist. Peng Daesan was twenty-two years old. At the mere age of twenty-two, he had reached the Mid-Stage Peak Realm. Truly a martial arts genius bestowed by the heavens, as well as one of the most outstanding achievements in this era. But what? Jade Qilin? The Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens? Could there be a greater insult than this in the world? Just look at that bastard called Shinjae from the Namgung n. He had barely made it to the Early-Stage Peak Realm, but that bastard Namgung Shinjae¡¯s title was the Young Sword King. It meant he was the next Sword King. And Namgung Shinjae was even a year older than Peng Daesan! To think he¡¯s called the Young Sword King and I¡¯m the Jade Qilin! So, Peng Daesan¡¯s personality became twisted. But due to his fundamentally diligent nature, he didn¡¯t stray too far. Instead, hepletely forgot the concept of manners, especially towards women. In truth, it wasn¡¯t entirely Peng Daesan¡¯s fault. After all, he was the most eligible bachelor in the current era of Murim. Before all, he was handsome. Also, he had a good voice. He was the eldest son of one of the Five Noble ns in the Central ins. Moreover, the Peng Family was famous for being the only one among the Five Noble ns to not engage in political marriages. Of course, it was also a family tradition that was being maintained because they enjoyed treating the other Noble ns as ¡®petty, despicable, naive, idiotic misers who used marriages as transactions¡¯. For the Peng Family, such trivial, trifling matters were not needed in marriage except for true love! But looks like that¡¯s not the case for you fools, huh? was what they said. Furthermore, Peng Daesan was an expert. And he was going to be an even greater expert in the future. After all, he possessed it all: looks, status, wealth, and skills. As a result, Peng Daesan received the attention of all women within his vicinity at every waking moment and asionally, even in his sleep. And among them, the women who merely watched him were some of the better ones. Everywhere Peng Daesan went, all sorts of things were left discarded on the ground. From embroidered cloth fragments to incense pouches, cotton-clothed daggers, and even repulsive sokgots1a collective noun for various types of traditional Korean undergarments. They were worn as part of a hanbok before the import of Western-style underwear. Women usually wore severalyers of undergarments, the moreyers they had the richer they were.. Thus, Peng Daesan never bowed his head. He solely looked ahead and walked forward in a straight manner. More aggressive women even attempted chest bumps, flinging their bodies onto him. But it was a doomed endeavor from the very start to think that they could bump into a Peak Expert as if by ident. It was a grossly inted sense of self to think that if they fell, he would catch them before they hit the ground. Peng Daesan was unsure whether tough or scoff at the women who flung themselves straight to the ground. At any rate, Daesan had been experiencing extreme difficulties with women ever since he was young. He was a female ma that had reached its very extremity. So, in front of women, Peng Daesan became increasingly impolite. He lost all manners. In essence, it meant that he wasn¡¯t interested, so they should get lost. Honestly, A-Qing¡¯s approach was not all that surprising to Peng Daesan. He had experienced all sorts of bizarre incidents under the guise of differentiated dating strategies. As such, he even had a general ssification system. If he was to ssify A-Qing¡¯s approach, it would be a mix of the ¡®Bold Woman¡¯ and ¡®Funny Woman¡¯ strategies. Sessful cases of the ¡®Funny Woman¡¯ strategy were incredibly rare, so A-Qing¡¯s move was somewhatmendable. Heughed for the first time in a while. He didn¡¯t expect Asura at all. To think she would make such a sacrilegious joke. And then came the ¡®Rough Woman¡¯ strategy. It was just that the level was a bit¡­The guttural contents of her words seemed to belong more to a wretch from the back alley. But then he got hit in the mouth! What in the heavens was this? Was this some retarded love story like ¡®You¡¯re the first woman to have ever hit me¡¯? As a result, Peng Daesane genuinely got pissed. His already low voice became even lower due to his wrath. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with all kinds of crazy bitches, but.¡± His voice carried a subtle killing intent. Reacting to such a murderous aura, A-Qing¡¯s Heavenly ughter opened its eyes from its slumber. A-Qing thought she saw blood as a way to relieve stress. And that stress relief was a way to protect her heart that was wounded by the matters of Murim. But in reality, once triggered, she became an actual crazy bitch, swayed by the killing intent of Heavenly ughtering. It was a passive impulse to massacre. Originally, if one was intoxicated by the killing intent of the Heavenly ughtering Star, one found pleasure in carnage and bloodshed. ¡°Why you so pissed? Oive dalt wibb arr koinds wof cravy vitches, vut. But what? Does lowering your voice make you the shit or something? Hehe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t copy me.¡± ¡°Von¡¯t coby vee. Then what? What you gonna do? Wanna hit me?¡± At the very least, when it came to irritating teasing and obnoxious banter, no people of any ethnicity in this world could keep up with modern Koreans. Peng Daesan trembled with rage. The burning anger consumed him. ¡°I will not tolerate any more insults.¡± ¡°Oi virr vot torevate vany mov irvul, hey!¡± ng! The sound of a sword and a dao colliding sharply rang out. ¡°You struck first, okay? This is self-defense, okay? You really wanna try me, yeah? That¡¯s right, why should we bber when we can use such nice swords?¡± ¡°I will not kill you. But I shall definitely cut off that flippant tongue of yours.¡± ¡°You think you have the ability to do that? Go on, then. Try. Cut it. Ehhhh-¡± A-Qing stuck out her tongue. Her unusually red tongue darted in and out mischievously. ¡°Ehh-ehh-ehh-¡± But the tongue stayed out a bit too long. Seriously, she didn¡¯t know when to stop. What kind of crazy bitch was this? At this point, it was rather Peng Daesan that felt defeated. Although he drew his sword in explosive anger, the sight of A-Qing making even more of a scene and causing chaos actually made him feel a sense of shame. But he couldn¡¯t just lose to her like this. His pride as a Mid-Stage Peak Realm would not allow it. As such, he had to disy just a hint of his realm¡¯s strength¡­¡­ But right as he affirmed his resolve¡­ Sword Qi surged in A-Qing¡¯s sword. The swaying,zy white threads were vivid. Sword Threads. It was a level of art and skill disyed by someone of the Late-Stage Peak Realm. Peng Daesan scrutinized A-Qing¡¯s face. Her still shamefully darting tongue made Peng Daesan feel even more embarrassed. But looking at A-Qing¡¯s young face, barely out of girlhood, he had another thought. If one broke through the wall beyond the Transcendent Realm, they reached the Creation Realm. And such an echelon was also called the Unrestrained Realm. When that happened, the body would regain its youth just once, practically traveling back in time. This was called Body Reconstruction. A martial artist who had undergone such Body Reconstruction was, in fact, a monster of the human world, merely donning human skin. A fight should be established among beings of the same kind. Humans and monsters could not fight. After all, it would not be called a fight but a one-sided vition. ¡°Uh, could I perhaps know which faction¡¯s Elder you are?¡± ¡°What the hell. You¡¯re stopping there? Geez, you¡¯re the type to stop mid-shit.¡± How could this possibly be thenguage and behavior of a woman? However, if he thought of her as a Supreme Master who achieved Body Reconstruction, it made everything somehow usible. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t his Grandmother speak like that too? And when hearing her, he had thought, ¡®Women must have a rougher manner of speaking as they age¡¯. ¡°I shall introduce myself again. I am Peng Daesan of the Peng Family.¡± ¡°I¡¯m A-Qing.¡± Suddenly, the tables had turned. The honorifics had reversed. A-Qing smiled in satisfaction and thought to herself. This fucker got scared shitless, huh. Indeed, in Murim, the strong were thew. ¡ª- Peng Daesan¡¯s misunderstanding did notst even a half hour. It was because A-Qing oozed ignorance every time she opened her mouth. Ignorance wasn¡¯t really the issue, but rather ack of basicmon sense. For those who didn¡¯t understand her circumstances though, it was practically the same thing. In fact, right now, Peng Daesan didn¡¯t even know why, what, or how he had misunderstood. As such, the misunderstanding was easily resolved. And then, Peng Daesan faced an entirely new crisis. So this lunatic of a woman was a greater Master than me? ¡°If it¡¯s not too impolite to ask, how old are you, Young Lady?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± A-Qing hesitated for a moment. It was a bit much to say she was in her mid-thirties. In the first ce, even if she said so, no one would believe it. After all, there had to at least be someone who pretended to ept it, for her to im such an age. But at the same time, it was also a bit much to treat someone who was no different from a mere baby as an elder. Baby. From the viewpoint of A-Qing¡¯s true self, a young man in his early twenties was still a baby who hadn¡¯t even been to the military. This was all too universal and obvious for modern Koreans. Besides, all he had to show was that he lived a bit well; he¡¯s weaker than me, you know? ¡°You first, Young Master Peng.¡± ¡°I am twenty-two this year.¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-five.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Truly? Is that correct?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s skeptical gaze pieced into her. ¡°It¡¯s because I look young for my age.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Lying also umted Evil Karma. Insisting that her age was in the mid-thirties was somewhat true in a way. So, she should be able to push forward her agenda shamelessly. Though no one would believe her anyway. But what if she had to state the age of this body? It wasn¡¯t worth umting Evil Karma over this. As such, A-Qing answered honestly. ¡°¡­¡­Actually, I don¡¯t know either. I think I¡¯m around seventeen, but I don¡¯t know whether I matured early or whether I¡¯m really a twenty-five year old who looks young.¡± ¡°How could you possibly not know your own a, I mean.¡± Peng Daesan was about to ask thoughtlessly but then waved his hand at a sudden thought. A-Qing meant a child who wore blue clothing. It was also the title of a peerless Master from the Spring and Autumn Period. The Yue Maiden. Wasn¡¯t it said that the Yue Maiden only wore blue clothes? ording to historical texts, it was said that she had appeared out of nowhere in the crisis-stricken State of Yue2Yue, also known as Yuyue, was a state in ancient China which existed during the first millennium BC ¨C the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of China¡¯s Zhou dynasty ¨C in the modern provinces of Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu. and taught them the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden. However, the Swords Arts was so mystical andplex that no one could properly master it. They only managed to create a sword manual based on the sword forms that were visible to the eye. But even that was a terrifying Divine Art. Armed with this Divine Art, the State of Yue attacked and destroyed the State of Wu. In the end, the character A-Qing in the story was an idol among the female martial artists of Jianghu. She was also an idol for women who dreamt of bing a part of Jianghu. And here was a woman who had taken such a clich¨¦ name for herself. On top of that, she didn¡¯t even know her own age. If so¡­ Peng Daesan started to misunderstand arbitrarily all over again. Could it be that she was a wandering woman with the background of an orphan?! But the misunderstanding that urred this time was not as easy to resolve as before. After all, one could not just ask someone if they didn¡¯t have a daddy and mommy. It was possible that she was sincere when she talked about something as absurd as Asura. A woman who grew up all in her lonesome might have had trouble answering questions about her lineage, founder, and ancestors. A surname was not just the very first word of a name, but the pride of one¡¯s roots and kin. Apparently, she grew up not knowing any of such things. And that uneducated, vulgar behavior! That ignorance that was akin to that of a moron! ¡°It is nothing. It was a slip of my tongue. I apologize.¡± ¡°What in the world? Why do I suddenly feel offended¡­¡­?¡± A-Qing cocked her head. For some inexplicable reason, she felt like shit. What¡¯s going on? Is another status window seizureing? ¡°Whatever. Forget it. Anyway, since we seem to be peers, let¡¯s just be friends.¡± ¡°Peers, huh¡­¡­.¡± Peng Daesan had never heard someone of his age call him a peer. Her choice of words was a bit¡­Right?3in korean, young people dont use the word ¡°peers¡± Regardless of whatever he thought, A-Qing had her own calctions. It was so obvious that he was a rich family¡¯s little darling boy. Being friends with him seemed like a perfect way to freeload. If she treated him like a little brother, she wouldn¡¯t be able to leech off of him. But she couldn¡¯t call a baby Elder Brother either. ¡°Get it? Then we¡¯re friends, okay? Understood, San?¡± Peng Daesan was flustered. Men and women should be distinct, yet she carelessly called him San? ¡°Uh, Young Lady? Even if we¡¯re friends, how could you call me San?¡± ¡°If I say San! Then you have to say Qing! Just like that. San?¡± ¡°But still, for a man and a woman to be on such intimate terms wi¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, why would there be things like men and women among friends?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that usually the opposite of what is said?¡± When he asked as such, A-Qing replied confidently. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say that friends don¡¯t exist when ites to rtionships between men and women. Then, isn¡¯t oveing that what true friendship is about?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± That kind of made sense. ¡°You got it? San? San? San? San?¡± She was a very insistent and noisy woman. It was obvious that she intended to keep babbling until he responded. As such, Peng Daesan reluctantly agreed. ¡°¡­¡­.Qing.¡± ¡°Your voice is too soft! Again! San?¡± ¡°¡­Qing.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you? San?¡± ¡°Qing.¡± ¡°San?¡± ¡°QING! Qing! I get it, so please stop pestering! Please!¡± Peng Daesan finally shouted out loud. A-Qing grinned in satisfaction. *** Chapter 6: Friend (3) ? Friend (3) ? Sang Anjin, the Escort Leader of Kunpeng Escort Group, was astonished. What was up with that woman¡¯s sociability? She became friends with the legitimate eldest son of the Peng n of Hebei? She seemed somewhat shabby at first nce, but this was an impressive acumen. Moreover, she was a whopping Late-Stage Peak Realm Master! The world under Heaven was vast and many entric individuals who did whatever they desired lived in it, so it was not strange that such a Master remained unknown. However, Sang Anjin was an Escort Leader who was akin to a pir of the Escort Group. If an Escort Leader merely acknowledged, ¡®Ah what an abundance of entric individuals we have in the Central ins!¡¯, and moved on, they would have no excuse if they were thrown out from their job immediately. After all, there were many pirs and the Escort Group would not copse just because one was missing. Connections! This smelled like a connection towork with. Indeed, a young Master was precious. In fact, the ¡®young¡¯ part was more important than the ¡®Master¡¯ part. Moreover, she was someone untitled, unknown, and from the wilderness. In some ways, she could be considered even more valuable than the eldest son of the Peng Family. The eldest son of the Peng Family already had an abundance of solid ¡®rtionships¡¯. Kunpeng Escort Group was big enough to span two castles. But that didn¡¯t mean they wereparable to the Peng n, which was no different from royalty in Hebei. No matter how well he treated Peng Daesan, all he could do was break even. After all, it was only natural for the Peng Family to be treated well. However, A-Qing was different. Gaze upon how skinny and hungry she looks! How greedily she devours the food until her stomach looks like it would burst! It truly reaffirmed the fact that she had lived without much. ¡°It seems you like the pork slices? Hey,e here!¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to order more. It¡¯s okay¡­¡­¡± ¡°How could you say something like that? Of course, you should eat more. Bring some more pork slices here! A lot of them!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go to all this trouble¡­¡­¡± A-Qing trailed off, feeling half grateful and half embarrassed. As someone from the Eastern Land of Courtesy1what korea calls themselves as a way to show how important they consider manners, etiquette, courtesy (Confucian ideals), A-Qing felt somewhat burdened by Sang Anjin, who was older and took excessive care of her. If it were an old man filled with Evil Karma, she could have shit on him with all sorts of curses. But it was hard to go against the instinct of respecting the elderly, ingrained in her very genes, especially when dealing with a kind elder. ¡°Three tes, huh? You are quite shameless. But that¡¯s to be expected.¡± ¡°What did you say, you punk? Why are you provoking me, huh?¡± ¡°Was it that tasty? You cleaned the te twice.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no loss eating when I can, you know?¡± Peng Daesan sighed deeply. It wasn¡¯t that she was shameless (Although that was true), but rather herck ofmon sense was the bigger problem. Well, looking at her state, how much experience could she have had in being treated by someone? ¡°Leaving a te empty is considered rude.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to clean your te so thoroughly, to the point you¡¯re practically licking on it. At the very least, you should have left a few pieces.¡± A-Qing didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Leave the food?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t leave it, it¡¯s rude?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Why leave behind precious food?¡± Why eat? Why sleep? Why breathe? The violence in her words was practically at such a level, as if she found that very question to be utterly ridiculous. Peng Daesan clicked his tongue. Tsk! ¡°Look. An empty te at the table is a disgrace to a host.¡± ¡°Just like how a scar on the back is a disgrace to a swordsman?¡± ¡°¡­¡­? Where did thate from? ¡­¡­? It makes sense, though.¡± The only thing someone who was being served could empty was their cup of alcohol. All other food should be left in small portions. An empty te was an act that undermined the dignity of the one who treated them to the food. Whether one was poor or narrow-minded, it did not matter; in the end, it meant they couldn¡¯t properly treat their guests. If a guest emptied the same te twice? Your hospitality was not satisfactory today, so the only dish worth eating was this, hahaha. That was what the implication became. A-Qing¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Escort Leader, I was unaware, so I made a bit of a mist¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Haha, it is fine!¡± Sang Anjin already noticed A-Qing¡¯s ignorance. He said it was not rude if it was done unknowingly. What was rude was to do it even when one knew it was disgracing their host. ¡°So I need to leave some food, whatever it may be? No matter what?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a simple meal, it doesn¡¯t matter. But when you are being treated, it is better to leave thest two pieces.¡± ¡°Ohhh. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°What in the world do you know then?¡± A-Qing was slowly going through the process of bing civilized. In truth, living in a different cultural sphere was inherently difficult because of thisck ofmon sense. Anyway. It was a valuable realization for A-Qing. Leave some food behind when you¡¯re being treated. It was indeed a precious lesson for getting treated more in the future. A step back to gain more in the long run. Honestly, she had already been fed a lot anyway. A-Qing had already established it asmon sense that it was natural to be served if one was a Master. Unbeknownst to her though, the expenses of Escort Leader Sang had already skyrocketed due to the dining costs. Even Peng Daesan was unaware of this truth. For him, being entertained was as natural as breathing. After all, he was the eldest son of the Peng Family. The details of a mere escort convoy¡¯s situation were of no concern to him. Yet, Sang Anjin did not exactly suffer losses. It wasn¡¯t just because of the uncertain future profits from investing in a budding female Master. He was alreadypensating for that loss in the immediate escort convoy¡¯s operations. After all, bandits from the wilderness had appeared! ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°Troublesome. This body. Master.¡± A-Qing, who had been lounging atop the leading carriage and basking in the warm spring sun, drew her sword. As Sword Treads bloomed, the bandits, who had emerged imposingly, walked backward ever so naturally and disappeared. It was a sight reminiscent of time being rewound. Thergest expense when it came to distribution in the Central ins was this toll. A-Qing had always thought there were many, many bandits in the Central ins. But now, she realized that was only the tip of the iceberg. Lone swordsmen holstering swords were not attractive targets for the bandits. It was incredibly dangerous to mess with them and even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t pay off. What that meant was that not many bandits dared to trouble or evene close to A-Qing. Even at that mere level, she thought, ¡®Is it because it¡¯s ancient China? Why the hell are there bandits everywhere?¡¯. But after joining the escort convoy, she understood the truth. Every single mountain had bandits. Every single valley also had bandits. Even the secluded forests, devoid of most humans, had bandits. If Peng Daesan hadn¡¯t warned her that, unless bandits gave them a reason to, they shouldn¡¯t attack, A-Qing would have carved herself a bloody path, piling up Righteous Karma Practice Points. A-Qing realized. Traveling with a rich group wasfortable and she was well-fed, but slicing up bad guys was a bit tough to do. She still needed to see blood at least once a week, though¡­ As expected, there was no perfect pathid out in the world. When one gains something, they would inevitably have to give something up as well. Nevertheless, since her body wasfortable and well-fed, A-Qing did not particrly miss seeing blood. Having obtained her target, the Buddha¡¯s Palm, her desire for more Righteous Karma wasn¡¯t as strong. A thousand points seemed too grueling anyway. Whilst A-Qing gradually becamezier, the Escort Group¡¯s carriage rolled all the way to Luoyang. ¡ª- Even A-Qing knew that Luoyang was the name of a city. But all she thought about it was that it must be big. After all, she had seen it in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Except, even if it was such a famous novel, she had only read it once. As such, she only knew about Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang. However, the actual Luoyang she saw was grand and majestic, even to her modern sensibilities. It was not for no reason that Luoyang was called Luoyang Castle. Throughout its long history, Luoyang had been a fortress that had endured countless actual wars. The walls, taller than those of modernmercial buildings, stretched endlessly on both sides. The open gates were utter chaos, vomiting out and consuming an ultra-high-density poption that was a mix of people and carriages. Honestly, A-Qing had a tendency to look down on the civilization of the Central ins. After all, her view was that they were roughly better than primitive men. As a modern Korean, it was an inevitable perception of ancient China. The proud and magnificent aspects of ancient China had all been burnt to ashes by the collective will of those Red people, so modern Koreans had neither heard nor seen it. Especially the height of these walls! She thought she wouldn¡¯t ever be overwhelmed by height. After all, she had lived in an era of skyscrapers like the Eyeball Tower of the Rings2Koreans call Lotte World Tower, ¡°The Tower of Sauron¡± or this as a ng because it looks a lot like Barad-d?r from Lord of the Rings and the so-called Second Whatever3a building in the works that is called the Second Lotte World Tower. it¡¯s just a skyscraper. search up if ur interested! in Seoul. Moreover, the density of the buildings was astonishing. The walls that touched each other between neighboring buildings belonged to both. The concept of an alleyway was nonexistent, as the buildings were built continuously without a gap. After unpacking at the Luoyang branch of the Kunpeng Escort Group and having a cup of tea with the Branch Manager, there was really nothing else to do. ¡°Hey, San.¡± ¡°I do not want to.¡± ¡°What the¡­I haven¡¯t even said anything yet.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to say we should go explore Luoyang anyway?¡± To her vexation, he was right. But A-Qing had a reason she could not back down. She didn¡¯t have money! And opportunely, there was quite the reliable financier right here. ¡°If you follow obediently, there shall not be an incident of bloodshed.¡± Peng Daesan looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. At times, such refined, high-ssnguage would pop out from her, despite that formidable ignorance of hers. How? ¡°My Moonlight Sword is starving. If you do not wish to be a sacrifice to the blood-red moon, guide me through Luoyang right now, Human.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. About that thing. I¡¯ve been curious since before. The Moonlight Sword, you say? Isn¡¯t it just an ordinary iron sword?¡± ¡°Usually, it¡¯s only right to give your beloved weapon a name.¡± Peng Daesan frowned. It was one of the most famous lessons for martial artists. Do not name your weapon. If a martial artist got attached to their weapon, they would hesitate and get cut down on the spot, ording to the intuitive wisdom of Seniors. However, having seen how A-Qing used that Moonlight Sword recklessly, he didn¡¯t really feel a need to exin that to her. When she started poking the campfire with a sword (Moonlight Sword, No. 6),ining about how she was bored, he doubted his eyes. Using a sword as a poker transcended being frugal or reckless; it was an issue that warranted questioning the qualification of a swordsman. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just say that¡¯s the case. Then, why is it called the Moonlight Sword?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m a Master of the Swords Arts of the Yue Maiden?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Sword Art of the Yue Maiden. Moonlight Sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Do you not get it? Yue Maiden Sword. Moon4Yue stands for Moon in Chinese. Girl Sword. Moonlight Sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Just stop talking.¡± The Yue Maiden was an abbreviation for a woman from the State of Yue. And of course, the State of Yue didn¡¯t literally mean the Moon. After all, how could a state¡¯s name be the Moon? ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go. San. Luoyang is waiting for us.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pester you until you go. Just surrender obediently.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The deration lightly touched upon his sore point. At first, she seemed like a Master of the sword, rather than a woman. Then, she became more akin to an ignoramus. And then, a beggar-like presence. Now, she was something simr to a friend. But¡­ Her clinging onto him to such an extent raised suspicions about her motives. Could it be¡­some kind of strategy? That she was actually a woman? For him to notice her? It was an extreme case of erotomania5a case when someone deludes themself into thinking someone else is in love with them. Luckily, the nonsense A-Qing blurted out without thinking extinguished that spark of delusion caused by her words. ¡°We¡¯ll eat dinner at Diaochan Dining. Do you agree?¡± ¡°You¡­Do you even know what kind of ce that is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s the best in Luoyang, though? I overheard the escort members, you see.¡± It was true that it was Luoyang¡¯s best. After all, Diaochan Dining was Luoyang¡¯s greatest brothel. ¡°It is expensive there, though. And you don¡¯t have money, no?¡± ¡°What else would friends be for? When will I ever go to such a superb inn in my life? Isn¡¯t that right, San?¡± It was a tant maneuvering that implied she would leech off of him. So, it was not seduction, but just in freeloading. Peng Daesan¡¯s suspicions, practically at the level of a disease, subsided. Instead, his mood subtly soured. Why did he feel so annoyed? ¡°Alright, fine, I¡¯ll be generous. Then, even if it¡¯s not at the level of Diaochan Dining, can w¡­¡­¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Eh? Wot?¡± ¡°I said fine. I¡¯ll take you. Diaochan Dining.¡± A-Qing blinked. ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s expensive? San, are you serious? Were you a man with that much wealth?¡± ¡°You told me to take y- No, what do you mean whether I have that much wealth? Are you seriously asking me that?¡± ¡°It was just a negotiation strategy, you know? Start with a big request, and if refused, make a smaller one.¡± It was a sharp wisdom that sometimes popped up amid her usual ignorance. This time, it was particrly piercing. Peng Daesan carefully pondered over her words. Misunderstanding his silence, A-Qing sheepishly smiled in apology. ¡°If it¡¯s too much of a burden, forget it. I just threw it out there, you know? Just in case.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Her earlierment about wealth. Could it be¡­ ¡°Look. Do you even know what my n is?¡± ¡°Peng n of Hebei, right? Escort Leader says it all the time.¡± ¡°Do you not understand what that means?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to brag about your family being wealthy. Ohhhh. Sorry. Saying about how if it¡¯s too much of a burden or whatever wasn¡¯t a dig at your pride or anything, okay? Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of n the Peng n of Hebei represented! To her, it was just another wealthy household. Even ignorance should have its limits, shouldn¡¯t it? A-Qing had probably only encountered sons of bitches or low-rate martial artists. And they were those who couldn¡¯t even dare to mention the Five Noble ns. It made sense. The Nine Sects One Union might forgive a bit of gossip behind their backs if one begged and groveled. But if one was caught badmouthing one of the Five Noble ns, they would lose at least an arm. At the very least. ¡°Diaochan Dining is not much of a burden. Let¡¯s go.¡± It was true that it wasn¡¯t much of a burden. It was also true that his pride was a bit bruised. But more than anything, Peng Daesan¡¯s offer to apany her was not just out of kindness. He had his reasons for not wanting to go out. And he was also curious about A-Qing¡¯s reaction to the brothel. Right as the excited A-Qing rushed out the door, unaware of his thoughts- She came face-to-face with an immense crowd of Luoyang beauties. *** Chapter 7: Friend (4) ? Friend (4) ? The beauty standards in the Central ins were not much different from the modern era. ????: a white face and an ample bosom. ????: a slender waist and a light body. ????: long raven hair. ????: clear eyes with distinct ck and white pupils. ????: red lips and white teeth. Among these, there were priorities, with the most important being a small and slim figure. In modern terms, it was the near fanatical preference of slender bodies. A preference for slender figures who were short, at that. However, that did not mean they could have a t chest. They had to be well-rounded, full breasts. And of course, this, too, must be a moderate size. Ideally about the size of two adult male fists. Anythingrger was considered vulgar, a characteristic more expected of concubines than main wives. Hence, men often spent more time with their concubines; it was a society where one couldn¡¯t even openly praise what they truly enjoyed. Ultimately, a beauty in the Central ins was the same as a beauty of the modern era. Or to be more precise, modern beauty standards included those of the Central ins. And then, the Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens, the Jade Qilin, arrived in Luoyang. People who saw his face, which was as clean as jade and as gracious as the rumors suggested, spread the news quickly, saying ¡®I saw him, did you see him, I also saw him¡¯. The most eligible bachelor in all the Central ins had made his descent upon thesends! The beauties of Luoyang all gathered in one ce. And the scene that such beauties saw was- A cheap-looking, under-developed, whore-like bitch daring to flirt with the oh so noble Jade Qilin. ¡ª- A-Qing created her character just as written in the rmendation post. In Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death, one¡¯s Stats by familiarizing themselves with martial arts; furthermore, any and all martial arts in the game could be learned. As such, initial Stats were meaningless when entering theter parts of the game. A-Qing took out all Appearance Stats and invested every one of them into Stamina and Strength. It was a build meant for an easier start. As such, when A-Qing first emerged in Murim, she was literally the Ugliest Woman Under Heaven. But as she learned and attained more martial arts that belonged in the Fairy1really beautiful people are called ¡°Fairy¡± in China Arts Subss, her Appearance Stat increased significantly. The 3 types of Yue Maiden (True Form Origin) belonged to the Fairy Arts, and being a Purple Martial Art, it significantly increased the Stats. So now, A-Qing wasn¡¯t ugly. But that didn¡¯t mean she was particrly beautiful either. She was just average. Yet, she was stuck right next to Jade Qilin. It was a stark contrast, the very embodiment of the Rtive Squid Theory2its when someone who doesn¡¯t look all that bad stands next to someone who is REALLY good looking, making them look ugly. In korea, ugly people are called ¡°squids¡± or that they look like squids.. The cheap robes bought for its cost-effectiveness was the very epitome of such a theory¡¯s proof. Hostile nces swarmed in all at once. However, the real form of A-Qing was a single gamer working in production. She had no particrints about that lifestyle. Her only wish was perhaps for all those born with a silver-spoon to die. A single gamer working in production. To her, romance was nothing more than tiresome emotionalbor. And even whendies, all dolled up, red at her with venom, she could casually smile it off with a slickness that came with experience. With enough wealth to livefortably alone and hobbies to keep herself entertained, marriage was not even a consideration for her in the first ce. As a result, A-Qing did not pay much attention to the hostile res confronting her at the gate. She just whistled at the sudden unfolding of Luoyang¡¯s greatest beauty contest. As she knew that Luoyang wasn¡¯t the Land of the Amazons, she could at least understand why they had all gathered here. A-Qing nudged Peng Daesan¡¯s side with her elbow. ¡°Ooooh. San. Look at your face being worth a pretty penny, huh?¡± ¡°It is merely bothersome.¡± ¡°Iv wis verely vothersoem. Oooooh, look at our San! What a sick guy! So cool! A cold-hearted man! But you¡¯d be warm to your woman, right? Kyah-!¡± A-Qing¡¯s words touched on Peng Daesan¡¯s sore spot in a very ambiguous way. It was fine. All he needed to do was brush it off. Normally, he would have frowned upon such words, but strangely, he wasn¡¯t offended. Why was that? Peng Daesan pondered for a moment. Well, it was because A-Qing¡¯s words and actions were akin to the friendly banter and pranks of fellow men. In truth, men also liked good-looking men. Though one might think, ¡®Damn that motherfucker¡¯s face is on another fucking level, shit¡¯, the underlying feeling was usually just admiration. The people men disliked weren¡¯t the good-looking ones. The hated were more the type of men who drove Benz in their early-20s or the silver-spoon business owners who strutted around with arrogance. ¡°Just now¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, if we¡¯re in Luoyang, we have to go somewhere! Where are the hottest ces? We can¡¯t eat dinner when it¡¯s still bright out, right?¡± Peng Daesan was about to ask something, but A-Qing¡¯s words, slipping through that gap like a ghost, made him forget all about it. It didn¡¯t seem like an important question anyway, so Peng Daesan just let it slide. ¡°¡­¡­.White Horse Temple3White Horse Temple is a Buddhist temple in Luoyang, Henan that, ording to tradition, is the first Buddhist temple in China, having been first established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty. Or Longmen Grottoes4The Longmen Grottoes or Longmen Caves are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples, they are located 12 kilometres south of present-day Luoyang in Henan province, China..¡± ¡°A temple and a cave, huh? Wouldn¡¯t the cave be better?¡± Peng Daesan didn¡¯t hide his disdain, looking at her as if finding her pathetic. ¡°What the¡­Why?¡± ¡°The only person in the entire world to refer to White Horse Temple and Longmen Grottoes as just a temple and a cave is most likely you.¡± ¡°So? Ain¡¯t it a temple? Ain¡¯t it a cave?¡± ¡°Do not say such things in Luoyang. The people here are absolutely insane when ites to their pride in their city. It will lead to them wielding swords.¡± Surprisingly, that was the truth. ¡°Can¡¯t help it then. Shall we go to Longmen Grottoes?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Longmen Grottoes is far.¡± ¡°How far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a distance beyond the Southern Gate.¡± A-Qing also thought that was too far. ¡°But there seems to be nothing to see at the temple¡­¡­¡± ¡°If there is nothing to see, then let us just go back.¡± ¡°Are you seriously going to be like this? Buddy, can¡¯t you show a bit more enthusiasm?¡± ¡°Such a thing never existed in the first ce.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. White Horse Temple. You ready, San?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, you never know how to go with the flow, do you? Ov vourse vot. Qvung5Of course not. Qing.¡± A-Qing imitated someone from behind by lowering her voice. Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh. ¡ª- Personal tourism tendencies varied greatly, but they could be divided into several types. First, there were the nners. Those who organized every detail of the trip and moved ording to a pre-arranged n. The slightlyx nners were considered the best travel buddies, overwhelmingly enhancing the satisfaction of the trip. However, there were instances of nners with superhuman capacities who nned every ten minutes. It was necessary to be wary of such types; one might end up seeing and doing a lot, but with no memorable experiences left after the trip. Then, there were the hermits. For hermits, traveling was just not working and staying somewhere far from home for a few days. Their satisfaction came from not having to go to work and not being at home, instead of delicious, interesting, or famous things. Comfort was what hermits seeked. If they felt even a tiny bit tired, they tended to hole themselves in their room. They often shed with the wanderer types, thus arguing. ¡®Whye here if you¡¯re going to do this¡¯ ¡®I came to rest, not to suffer¡¯ Then, there were the wanderers. They simply loved to roam around. They meshed well with nners and were best off traveling separately from hermits to avoid ruining friendships. They ate well and enjoyed everything heartily. However, once they lost interest, their concentration and motivation would dwindle, thus quickly seeking to leave. They were the sort who perceived tourism as akin to an arduous journey. Aside from those, there were the ultimate travel buddies. The silver-spoons. The wealthy ones. There was a type who one should perhaps not seekpanionship with on travels, but since they tended to stick to their own kind, it resulted in little interaction with those outside their group anyway. A-Qing was one of the wanderer types. To be more precise, she belonged to the subset of wanderers who loved to eat. Any time she saw food, she¡¯d shoot longing nces at Peng Daesan. Basically, she was fully collecting her share of the friendship fee, so to speak. From Peng Daesan¡¯s perspective, the amount was pathetic and virtually negligible¨Cbarely pocket change¨Cbut the joy of providing for her was there. After all, it was fun to see A-Qing heartily enjoy whatever she ate. However, A-Qing¡¯s impression of White Horse Temple was somewhat ambiguous. To her, the temple was somewhat? like a red Gyeongbokgung6Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Pce, was the main royal pce of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. Thergest of the Five Grand Pces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of the royal family and the seat of government., a familiar sight for her. A big red Bulguksa7Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple on Tohamsan, in Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and contains six National Treasures, including the Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo, and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha., minus the Seokguram Grotto8The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa templeplex in Gyeongju, South Korea. It and Bulguksa are both on the mountain Tohamsan, although the two are separated by distance of around 3 kilometres. The grotto overlooks the Sea of Japan and rests 750 meters above sea level. She had neither the eye nor the interest in the essence of contemporary Buddhist art, so the only thing worth seeing was the Qiyun Pagoda9The living quarters of the monks are in an exclusive pagoda, with restricted entry, called the ¡°Qiyun Ta,¡± or Qiyun Pagoda.. At least she enjoyed seeing the pagoda. Then, true to her wanderer nature, she quickly lost interest. When they stepped outside, the time was a bit iffy. After all, it was too early to go straight to dinner. Peng Daesan grabbed A-Qing, who was about to wander around again, and steered her to a teahouse. A characteristic of the silver-spoon types was to solve everything with money while strictly avoiding any and all hassles. Peng Daesan was already tired from walking around for about an hour. As such, he figured that making A-Qing sit and continuously feeding her something, anything might make things a bit morefortable. And that worked. After he ordered a bunch of snacks and seated A-Qing where the outside view could clearly be seen, she became quiet, engrossed in eating and spectating. Content with this situation, Peng Daesan became lost in thought. The escort convoy would continue to Yongseong and about five days from thereid Mount Hua, Peng Daesan¡¯s destination. The Absolute Sword Wall of Mount Hua had opened. The respect for the penultimate generation¡¯s zenith, the Celestial Martial Emperor, was due to his genuine love for Murim. So much so that the attack on the Imperial Pce was also a warning to the Imperial Family, who were wielding Murim to embark on northern conquests. His affection for the Nine Sects was especially extraordinary. Thus, he directly imparted one of his teachings to each of them, though as always, the Celestial Martial Emperor¡¯s methods were somewhat extreme. After splitting a cliff with a single sword strike, he engraved six Sword Marks. It was a kind of Insight left by the Celestial Martial Emperor. The teachings were received by only the Nine Sects. Neither the One Union nor the Five Noble ns were included. The Celestial Martial Emperor¡¯s disdain for the Beggar¡¯s Union was well-known, ironically deeming them as even lesser than actual beggars. As for the Five Noble ns, he was simply not interested. He just left a few words, saying prioritizing family over the greater cause wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong. The Celestial Martial Emperor¡¯s Insights were shared amicably only among the Nine Sects One Union. He, the Celestial Martial Emperor, was direct and outspoken. If he wanted his Insights to be public, he would have simply said so. But he didn¡¯t In essence, it meant ¡®Do as you please¡¯. In such a situation, a letter was sent flying to the Noble ns. The contents roughly consisted of unity h h, great cause h h, and leading the next generation of Jianghu, thus offering to make the Absolute Sword Wall open to them. Two things could be taken away from this. The first was that mere Peak Realm martial artists staring at the Absolute Sword Wall¡¯s Insights would gain little. It could be inferred by how the known number of Masters in Mount Hua, whether in the past or present, did not change that much. The second was that Mount Hua now needed significant help. There was no free lunch in the world. One would have to pay the prices to witness the Celestial Martial Emperor¡¯s Insight. But what could that price be? Especially if it was an incident requiring help not just from the Nine Sects, but from the Murim Noble ns as well. Right as Peng Daesan continued to rack his brain¡­ ¡°San. Look at this for a moment.¡± When A-Qing called Peng Daesan ¡®San¡¯, it usually meant she really wanted something. He was gradually understanding the principles of her actions. A-Qing tapped the empty porcin te. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I remember someone telling me. That it¡¯s rude to leave a te empty, you see?¡± A-Qing tapped the te, urging him. Peng Daesan was reminded of Heukgu10lol this dog is named ck Dog in korean LOL raised in his n. Heukgu was a lion-dog11tibetan mastiff reaching up to Peng Daesan¡¯s waist. When hungry, it would bring its bowl and fiddle with it using its front paws. Even though someone else was tasked with feeding it, the clever animal always sought out him. ¡°You are quite shamelessly bold, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Friendship fee.¡± A-Qing puffed up her chest with an assertive attitude. Her needless confidence mirrored that of Heukgu; a demeanor that expected Peng Daesan to feed her, as if it was only natural for him to. ¡°But is illegal dumping a trend in Luoyang nowaday?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Then why are those thrown away like that?¡± In front of the teahouse, the street was a scene of rampant illegal dumping. Colorful handkerchiefs, sachets12Although its most usual definition is that listed under ¡°packet¡±, a sachet can also mean a small scented cloth bag filled with herbs, potpourri, or aromatic ingredients, and asionally shoes or even underwear adorned the stone pavement. It was the very definition of pretty trash. A-Qing marveled. Littering truly was a unique traditional culture of the Chinese people, huh?! *** Chapter 8: Friend (5) ? Friend (5) ? A-Qingckedmon sense, but that didn¡¯t mean she was stupid. She also knew the implications of this shameful trash. It was the persistent and desperate struggles of women trying to somehow create a connection with the Jade Qilin. If it was to a certain extent, she would have yfully poked his side, telling him to pick some up out of courtesy. However, while A-Qing was inhaling the entire collection of Central ins snacks ¨C fried pastries, steamed pastries, boiled pastries, baked pastries, and dried pastries ¨C the littering continued endlessly. Now, just like Kim Sowol¡¯s Azaleas1Poem made by Kim Sowol: When you leave tired of me, without saying anything, I shall gently let you go From Yaksan in Nyongbyon, I shall pluck an armful of azaleas and scatter them on the path down which you go As you make your way, step by step, upon the scattered flowersin before you, Please tread gently as you go When you leave tired of me Even in death shall no tears flow,, it was to an extent where she could easily trample on the handkerchiefsid out step by step without even intending to. Picking them up one by one would turn her into nothing but a woman gleaning the fields. A-Qing clicked her tongue. ¡°Wow. I¡¯m getting sick of it. Seriously.¡± ¡°I thought you would tell me to pick them up.¡± ¡°How can someone pick all that up? Sheesh, someone¡¯s back would bend in half during such an attempt.¡± A-Qing voiced a question that suddenly urred to her. ¡°Do the owners pick these upter?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Peng Daesan hesitated. Did they pick them up again? Wasn¡¯t that a bit too unsightly? But then, would they just leave it like that? Wasn¡¯t that too much of a nuisance? Peng Daesan flinched. Why was he even thinking about something like this? ¡°I am sure they¡¯ll send someer to collect them.¡± ¡°Really? From there? Is there someone who specializes in retrieving lost items or something? Also, those things get stepped on and kicked around.¡± The women around Peng Daesan were in apetitive rtionship against each other. While pretending to just pass by, they obscured the view, sneakily dropped items on top of other items, and stepped on their rivals¡¯ belongings. ¡°If someone picks them up and sells them, would they make money?¡± Peng Daesan doubted his ears. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°No, like, look at them. Some look pretty expensive. They¡¯de back for those, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± A-Qing pointed to a sachet rolling on the ground. Handkerchiefs were not too difficult to throw away and drop, but they didn¡¯t have a great meaning. One of the ways to quietly convey a breakup to a lover was to gift a white handkerchief. The minimum requirements to exchange handkerchiefs between lovers would be something like a red fabric embroidered with gold thread or something simrly ornate. Thus, women from wealthy families dropped norigaes2Norigae is a typical, traditional Korean essory used in Hanbok, which can be hung on goreum of a woman¡¯s jeogori or on her chima. The norigae functions as a decorative pendant and is both a good-luck charm hoped to bring something such as eternal youth, wealth or many sons, as well as a fashion essory.. Very asionally, there were women who would drop sachets or binyeos3A binyeo is a Korean traditional hairpin for fixingdies¡¯ chignons. Its main purpose is to pin the chignon in ce, but it also serves as ornamentation, and it has different usages or names ording to its material or shape. Therefore, it is possible to identify one¡¯s social status by looking at their binyeo., but other women didn¡¯t dare to step on or kick around such precious items. They feared the consequences of provoking a woman who could afford to use such expensive items as bait. On the other hand, if there were no consequences to fear, it meant it was fine to provoke. Just like that person over there. ¡°What are these? So dirty and messy.¡± A short boy in clean white clothing appeared, kicking the women¡¯s pure intentions scattered on the ground. A burly titan of a man next to him spoke. ¡°It is obvious at a nce that they are traces of Senior Brother Jade Qilin, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s true. Little Brother Peng! Are you here?¡± ¡°There is no need to shout, is there? We just need to follow the gaze of the women. Look. He is right over there.¡± ¡°As expected of Little Brother Jegal! So very smart! LITTLE! BROTHER! PENG!¡± A-Qing checked their Righteous Karma out of habit. The boy in white was 86. Ooooh, A-Qing marveled. It was the highest record among all the martial artists she had seen. And the burly giant was -19. A passably good guy. Righteous Karma was difficult to umte. In contrast, the amount plummeted due to Evil Deeds was tremendous. After all, martial artists often had times when they had to take lives. Even if their numbers are inclined to Evil Karma, being in the two digits meant they lived fairly decently without doing too much harm. A-Qing asked curiously about the unusualbination of the two. ¡°You know them?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Despite his response, his expression was not all that pleased. However, Peng Daesan had never been seen being affectionate to anyone. In fact, one couldn¡¯t even imagine it. It just seemed to be his natural disposition to be that way. The boy entered the teahouse while shouting. Despite his tiny size, his voice was as loud as a train whistle. ¡°Little Brother Peng! Long time no see! I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here! And your face is shining as brightly as it always has! Nice! Very nice!¡± ¡°Senior Brother Hwangbo, it has been a while.¡± ¡°Yeah! When was thest time? Oooooh! What¡¯s this?! You¡¯re with a woman?! Could it be?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Never.¡± Peng Daesan looked positively disgusted. ¡°Haha, that was rude, you know! You need to be more aware of the hearts of women, it seems!¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s mood soured instantly. Indeed, that was how he should be reacting when someone touches upon his sore spot. However, Peng Daesan knew this rascal quite well. He was a kind person with not a hint of malice, as well as being terribly oblivious, so expressing his displeasure would only be a loss to him. Utterly unaware of his inner thoughts, the boyughed heartily. Though it didn¡¯t suit him, being that he was so tiny. ¡°This individual is Hwangbo Uncheok, just a Senior Brother I know. And that punk is Jegal Ihyeon.¡± ¡°Senior Brother Peng, why is one called an individual and the other, a punk?¡± ¡°You are indeed a punk. You dragged him here on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The women were so thrilled and the streets were so chaotic that it was obvious that Senior Brother Peng had made his move. Of course, I had to greet Senior Brother.¡± The tiny kid was Hwangbo Uncheok. Surprisingly, a sweet age of twenty-seven. He looked like a middle school student from the outside tho. This kid? Twenty-seven? Seeing A-Qing¡¯s expression, Peng Daesan added. ¡°He took the wrong medicine when he was young.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± If he ate the wrong kinds of herbal medicine, then there was nothing that could be done. A-Qing was swiftly convinced. The Little Supreme Justice, Hwangbo Uncheok. A famously virtuous individual of Jianghu, he was called the Little Supreme Justice, known for his small stature yet having already reached the status of a Great Expert. He was renowned for his Late-Stage Peak Realm martial arts, his upright conduct, and a lively, boisterous attitude that did not match his small frame at all. And the titan, who looked like a living incarnation of muscles, was Jegal Ihyeon. His age was eighteen, in the flower of his youth. ¡°Jegal¡­¡­.? Like Zhuge4In Chinese, Zhuge Liang is called ¡°Zhuge¡± from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, in Korean Murim, they use it as ¡°Jegal¡±. They are the same individuals. I have used it different to differentiate between ¡°chinese history¡± and ¡°korean webnovel culture¡± Liang¡­¡­.?¡± A-Qing asked; she, too, knew the surname Jegal. After all, Zhuge Liang was way too famous for her not to know. But, why¡­? If it was Jegal, then¡­you know? Wouldn¡¯t they be that family who was fragile in body but brilliant in mind? ¡°He seems to have received too much of his maternal side¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°Of course! He¡¯s the son of our aunt! It¡¯s only natural!¡± ¡°I am satisfied. It is about time the Jegal n shed its image as frail schrs.¡± Jegal Ihyeon flexed his arms and showed off his biceps. In modern terms, it was the very pose that people called the Front Double Biceps. The sleeveless robe he wore, umon in the Central ins, amply revealed his muscles and his pride in them. The Beastly Sage, Jegal Ihyeon. It meant that he had the body of a beast, but a brain of a sage. A natural genius even among all those Under Heaven, born with the mighty physique of the Hwangbo n and the exceptional intelligence of the Jegal n. His mastery of martial arts might not be the highest, but people¡¯s expectations of the Jegal n were not in ¡®that¡¯ area to begin with. Conversely, the elders of the family did indeed have expectations in ¡®that¡¯ area. Among the Five Noble ns of the Central ins, the Jegal n ranked on the lower side when it came to martial studies, but they were still a member of the Five Noble ns. However, maybe due to their overly impressive ancestor, people tended to see all those surnamed Jegal as merely smart nerds. Honestly, it was an unfair situation, much to their chagrin. Zhuge Liang was a man of steel-like stamina, enduring a heavy workload, including night shifts, for 11 years after the death of Liu Bei. This feeling of injustice turned into resentment, leading the Jegal n to focus more on improving their constitution than actually strategic marriages. But the result was always the body of a sage and the brain of a beast. It was so bad that they even seriously considered whether some sort of curse had been cast, thus studying their bloodline with means of sorcery. Amidst this, the appearance of Jegal Ihyeon, showing both muscles and brilliance from a young age, was a great celebration for the family. These were unwee guests from Peng Daesan¡¯s perspective. He tended to shy away from peers with cool titles. Little Supreme Justice, Beastly Sage. But then suddenly, Jade Qilin? And then there was Hwangbo Uncheck; the person itself was¡­How to put it? A good person? But only a good person? He had a somewhat pure brain and absolutely no tact whatsoever. On top of that, he could never tolerate injustice. He even confronted Transcendent Realm Masters over injustice. Had that Master not generouslyughed and praised him, he would have long been deceased. That was when the title Little Supreme Justice was born. To put things simply, Hwangbo Uncheok was tiring to be with. And though Jegal Ihyeon was quite a decent guy, the fact that he was always around Hwangbo Uncheok was his fatal w. After all, the Little Supreme Justice¡¯s love for his cousin was famous. ¡°How did you end up with our Little Brother Peng, Young Lady?¡± ¡°I happened to be apanying him on the same escort convoy.¡± ¡°Our Little Brother is particrly prickly to women, though. Could it be.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just friends. Friends. Same-age friends.¡± ¡°Oho. Where would friends exist in the rtionships between men and women?¡± ¡°Right here?¡± ¡°It always starts like that. Then affection grows as they stick together, thus bing lovers, and then spouses. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± There was a certain familiar smell in this unfamiliar Central ins. The manner of emphasizing ¡®our¡¯. The attitude of trying somehow to tie the entangled woman to a Little Brother who apparently had no interest in women at all. ¡®Yo, our youngest. Why did Choi Nayeon from C Line give you coffee? Doesn¡¯t this look like it¡¯s a step away from having beef soup together?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s nonsense. She just gave it to me as a thank-you for giving her a ride yesterday.¡¯ ¡®Oooooh, our youngest. Are you already at the stage where you two take the same car together?¡¯ ¡®Come on, it was raining yesterday. She missed her bus, so I just gave her a ride since I¡¯ve seen her face a couple of times.¡¯ ¡®Our youngest is quite the yer, huh? Truly, a rizzler. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s how everyone should make their move.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s not it.¡¯ ¡®Look at our youngest. Always refusing to leave his house because he said he was ying games or whatever. He¡¯s all grown up now!¡¯ He was a senior who had entered the same work line a year earlier. Not long after, he confessed to Oh Haeun from C Line, got brutally rejected, and left thepany. He was definitely not a bad person. He was the kind of person who¡¯d drag you to apany dinner (but it was actually a drinking party with voluntary attendance, something never missed by married men), saying he¡¯d cover your share if you didn¡¯t want to go. After seeing a neer be isted for not attending onepany dinner, I realized that his insistence was actually a kind gesture worthy of thanks. He¡¯d even visit asionally after resigning to treat me to a meal. But spreading rumors linking me with Choi Nayoen, as if pushing us together like Cupid, was a bit much. A-Qing recalled the past. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. *** Chapter 9: Friend (6) ? Friend (6) ? Unwarranted rumors must not hinder a friend¡¯s marriage prospects. A-Qing took active measures to prevent potential problems. ¡°Ooooh, is that from personal experience? You seem to have a lot of experience with the opposite sex, huh?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­. It is something I heard from my uncle.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be fine to justugh it off if things go as you say, but what if my friend has someone else in mind?¡± ¡°Uh, uh?¡± ¡°Once words are spoken, they can¡¯t be taken back. So, rumors obviously spread. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t my friend be unable to meet his destined partner then?¡± ¡°That.¡± ¡°What if my friend ends up growing old alone, regretfully reminiscing about the past, thinking, ¡®If only Senior Brother hadn¡¯t bbered nonsense, I wouldn¡¯t be so lonely without a family, eating meals all by my lonesome¡¯? How would you take responsibility then?¡± ¡°Oh no! I apologize!¡± Hwangbo Uncheok was utterly demolished by A-Qing¡¯s verbal attack. ¡°Little Brother! I apologize to you too! It is all my foolishness that almost led you to being old and lonely!¡± Peng Daesan cocked his head. ¡°Why do I feel offended even though I¡¯m receiving an apology? And it also feels like we¡¯ve been in this situation before.¡± ¡°Brother Peng, that is called d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It is simr to when the upper dantian foresees brief moments of possibilities. It aligns with the irvoyance mentioned in Buddhist scriptures. By knowing the future and understanding past lives through P¨±rvaniv¨¡s¨¡nusm?ti, one transcends it through ¨¡sravak?aya and enters the gates of the Three Types of Suffering, thus freely manipting d¨¦j¨¤ v¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am going to lose my mind. Seriously.¡± Hearing a familiar topic, Jegal Ihyeon joined the conversation, speaking at superhuman speeds. Yeah, that was just like him. At that moment, A-Qing stood up abruptly. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Imma go take a dump.¡± Peng Daesan rubbed his forehead. Was she actually a crazy bitch? ¡°Oh my, she is quite the outspoken Young Lady!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Can you really consider that as just being outspoken?¡± ¡°I am not quite sure!¡± After A-Qing hopped away, Hwangbo Uncheok switched to a different topic. ¡°At any rate, this is a good thing! Little Brother Peng, you are on your way to Mount Hua, yes? Then we should move together from now on!¡± ¡°Are you also headed to Mount Hua, Brother Hwangbo?¡± ¡°Of course! Why else would I be here!¡± The Hwangbo n, though not part of the Five Noble ns, was still among the Ten Noble ns of the Central ins. This meant the opening of the Absolute Sword Wall was intended for the Ten Noble ns, instead of the Five. For what reason would they seek the help of the Ten Noble ns, though? Perhaps something unusual was unfolding in Jianghu. But putting aside that uncertainty, there was indeed something unusual happening behind the teahouse, at least.. ¡ª- One thing A-Qing could not tolerate in the Murim Central ins was the outhouse. However, A-Qing was powerless to do anything about it. So what if it was intolerable? It wasn¡¯t like she could fight with an outhouse. But she would not endure it forever! Once she became a fucking munchkin Master and held Murim in her hands¡­ She would follow the legacy of thete Shim Jae-deok, the former mayor of Suwon, founder of the Korea Toilet Associaiotion, and founder of the World Toilet Association, thus modernizing the outhouses of the Central ins. Her ambition was grand, but it did not solve the immediate crisis. A matter concerning a human¡¯s dignity, which was- ¡°Please be clean. Please, please¡­¡­¡± After all, a dirty outhouse could kill a person¡¯s soul. Truly. A-Qing firmly grabbed the outhouse door, strengthening her resolve. That was when it happened. ¡°You.¡± A-Qing turned around at the chilly voice. A beauty who looked like a bitch was pointing a finger at her, nked by two men with a nasty impression. Clearly, she was a bitch backed by thugs. However, one should not judge people by their appearance. It was because perhaps they suffered because of their fierce looks despite being kind-hearted. A-Qing checked their Karma instead of their physiognomy. -498. The ones on the left and right were -621 and -455 respectively. Ah. So she was a piece of shit bitch. Just as expected, physiognomy was a science! The essence of statistics spanning over 2000 years! In modern terms, it was 2000 years of big data! And today, in this ce, it has been proven right! A-Qing usually did not hold back in the face of evil. Even if it was a beautiful woman. But A-Q was also facing a major crisis. It was a problem of whether the outhouse might be dirty, a matter of one¡¯s personal dignity. Before opening the outhouse door, its condition existed in a state of both cleanliness and filth. In essence, it was Schrodinger¡¯s Shit; a mixed state that became fixed to one reality based on the observer¡¯s observation. Humanity had always longed to ovee this chaos. Believing that good deeds would bring fortune to themter was the result of that desperate effort. In modern times, this methodology had evolved into reading cryptocurrency graphs; an attempt to fix the future ovepping states of rise and fall into a more electronic manner. Or they performed gacha rituals while listening to mythical music in front of the game developer¡¯s photo. Qing, too, followed such methodologies. If being generous in her words could lead to a cleaner outhouse, A-Qing could even be kind to evil. ¡°If it¡¯s perhaps a small one, you can go in first.¡± ¡°What is this thing saying?¡± ¡°A big one is a no-no, though. But if you¡¯re in a rush and you¡¯re confident you can finish quickly then¡­¡­¡± The beauty burst out in anger at the following bullshit that was spouted. ¡°Do you even know who I am to dare mess with me?¡± For reference, people could also speak with their facial expressions. And A-Qing¡¯s expression said all that it needed to. How would I know who you are? Instead of thedy, the man beside her on the right answered. ¡°This Lady is the esteemed daughter of the ck Shadow Association. She is one who someone like you should not even dare to make eye contact with.¡± A-Qing let the words go in one ear and out the other. If one shouldn¡¯t make eye contact with her, then was she Medusa or a Gorgon or something? Or was she thete Big Bro Michael Jackson? A-Qing was confident she would faint just like a fan from that era if she met eyes with Michael Jackson. ¡°Ohhhhh, I see. So you¡¯re just too embarrassed to reveal your identity with your own mouth, right?¡± ¡°YOU¡­¡­!¡± ¡°My Lady, please calm down. There is no need for you to directly deal with that thing. If there is amotion, Young Master will know, after all.¡± ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s right. Nogal.¡± The Young Lady of the ck Shadow Association gestured with her chin, perfectly ying her role as a person of evil. Nogal, the viin (previously on the right), tossed a pouch. The sound of money clinking was unmistakable. Itnded precisely at A-Qing¡¯s feet, clearly not the work of someone who had thrown it like this just once or twice. ¡°Take that and cleanly stay away.¡± A-Qing swiftly picked it up and checked inside. Among the silver light, there was exactly one deep yellow thing. A smile spread across A-Qing¡¯s lips. Oh my word, to think she would throw an entire moneybag just to ask her to yield the outhouse. Was this the grace of the rich? But of course, it wasn¡¯t just about yielding. It must have also included a fee for her silence regarding this. Ady of high status using an outhouse would definitely be a little, no, very embarrassing. Or maybe she was someone with severe constipation. ¡°Oh my, oh my, I apologize for not recognizing such a nobledy. I did not see anything. Please take care of yourself, my Lady.¡± A-Qing bowed deeply and retreated. ¡ª- This was what it truly meant to return in glory. A-Qing straightened her grand chest, beamed a bright smile, and walked back triumphantly. All three men averted their eyes. After all, they knew where A-Qing wasing back from. A-Qing interpreted the avoidance of their gazes differently. Since it was a gathering of men, they must have been sharing some juicy stories. A-Qing liked erotic conversation too. How could they discuss such important matters without her! However, she knew that lewd topics were ufortable to share with those they were not familiar with. Oh well, even if she was a bit sad from being left out, she just had to endure it. Instead, A-Qing proudly showed off the moneybag. She even opened it up to show what was inside. When Peng Daesan peeked inside, he saw it wasn¡¯t much. For an heir of one of the Five Noble ns, it wasn¡¯t even a day¡¯s allowance. Seeing her being so proud of such a small sum was a bit adora- Suddenly, a chill ran down Peng Daesan¡¯s spine. What was that just now? While Peng Daesan was facing some cosmic horror, A-Qing stated proudly. ¡°Look at this. I just earned some money.¡± ¡°Wait, Elder Sister.¡± ¡°Elder Sister?¡± ¡°If you are Brother Peng¡¯s friend, wouldn¡¯t that make you an Elder Sister to me?¡± ¡°The title ¡®Elder Sister¡¯ felt strangely unfamiliar. But it definitely seemed better than being called a Young Lady. ¡°Ooooh. Then I¡¯m gonna speakfortably, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. How is it that you managed to earn such an amount in thevatory?¡± ¡°Because someone just gave it to me? They were in such a hurry to use the outhouse, so they asked me to yield it to them. I mean, they said they would give money for it, so how could I possibly refuse? I¡¯ll go back thereter.¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my. How desperate were they to do such a thing¡­¡­.¡± Jegal Ihyeon trailed off. Even to him, a precious child of the Jegal n, it was a meager amount, barely enough for a day¡¯s allowance. But still, it was a lot for just one use of thevatory. Oh well, ie and an understanding of the economy were different things, after all. Right then, the little Hwangbo Uncheok joined the conversation. ¡°Young Lady, taking advantage of someone¡¯s desperate circumstances for your gain is not right.¡± ¡°But it was a nobledy from a very wealthy family, wasn¡¯t it? The one who has desperate circumstances is me. This very body. I don¡¯t have money, so I¡¯m purely relying on my friend¡¯s kindness to eat and live.¡± ¡°Regardless of their wealth, taking unfair advantage is still not right, is it not?¡± ¡°Pffff, how can we possibly separate wealth from this matter? Well then, Little Supreme Justice? Why don¡¯t I pose a question for you? What if, hypothetically, you were about to shit your pants? How would it feel then?¡± ¡°Well, that.¡± ¡°What if, Little Supreme Justice? How would the world see you after you shit in your pants? Of course, they wouldn¡¯t say anything to your face, wouldn¡¯t theyugh behind your backs? Regardless of whether it is about the Little Supreme Justice? Even other righteous people could be targeted as well because of you, you know?¡± ¡°Uh, that.¡± ¡°Social status is one thing, but shitting your pants is a serious, irreversible damage. A stain that might never be erased in a lifetime, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That does seem to be the c-¡± ¡°I see it as a social death sentence. Haven¡¯t you heard the saying that a person doesn¡¯t die when their life ends but when their name is forgotten? Wouldn¡¯t being remembered as ¡®Pooper¡¯ or ¡®Shitter¡¯ be a humiliating, disgraceful fate worse than death?¡± ¡°That is obviously t-¡± ¡°So, in essence, I protected something more precious than life for that person. The value of their life. And the token of gratitude for that, from them to me, is just one gold piece? If that¡¯s the case, couldn¡¯t it mean I¡¯m the one who has been slighted instead?¡± ¡°One gold piece certainly seems a b-¡± ¡°But in a moment of life-threatening urgency, mistakes can happen. And since they gave the entire moneybag, they must have given all they had, right? So, it wouldn¡¯t be right for me toin about ¡®How dare they only give this meager amount¡¯, would it?¡± A-Qing fired off her words rapidly. And Hwangbo Uncheok responded with a serious expression. ¡°Truly! Your generosity is as vast as the sea, Young Lady! I have made a great mistake once again!¡± Jegal Ihyeon, sitting next to him, also expressed his admiration. ¡°Remarkable! Elder Sister! You elevate bullshit to the level of obvious principle so naturally with your leaps in logic! And yet, you raise your own status so naturally at the same time through this bizarre narrative! It is utterly unpredictable and endlessly changing! It was a marvelous debate that has reached the realm of Flowered Tree Grafting1It is used to mean secretly swapping something with cunning methods without others knowing.!¡± A-Qing was renowned for her ability to read others, even before her military service. She was adept at probing and poking just enough to gauge where the line was and whether she could tease them, truly standing at the very pinnacle of these studies. She was a giant among men. Even though she was a mere private, she was able to casually joke andugh with Corporal Kim, the disciplinarian of their squad who was known for his temper and son of a bitch personality. And now, that very same giant stood tall in the room. ¡°Elder Sister? Why are you standing sudde-¡± ¡°What do you mean why? Obviously, I have unfinished business to attend to.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Jegal Ihyeon¡¯s face turned bright red. A-Qing then left through the back door of the tea house. The timing couldn¡¯t have been more perfect as she bumped into the very person she was grateful to. But the woman pointed a finger, her entire body trembling. ¡°You, you bitch! You dare to ridicule me?¡± *** Chapter 10: Friend (7) ? Friend (7) ? Qing blinked her eyes. ¡°Ridicule you? Me?¡± ¡°How dare you! How dare you!¡± Seeing her trembling eyes, she seemed genuinely furious. A-Qing tilted her head in confusion. What the hell? Why is she so angry? Perhaps¡­Could it be that the outhouse was that filthy? ¡°After swallowing my money, how dare you shamelessly flirt with him again, as if to rub it in my face! With such a vulgar disy! How dare you¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Flirt? Me?¡± ¡°How dare someone lowly like you approach Young Master Jade Qilin! How dare you!¡± ¡°Ah. Oh my.¡± A-Qing finally realized her misunderstanding. It wasn¡¯t a sign of sincerity and favor for the fast-pass to the restroom, but an envelope from a chaebol¡¯s1Korean wealthy families. In Kdramas, it¡¯s often shown that these chaebol mother-inws throw money at their son¡¯s lovers, telling them to fuck off because they¡¯re not worthy of their son. Basically, it¡¯s a cliche lol mother-inw. Moreover, it was such a modest amount when considering what her intentions were! So, naturally, A-Qing felt wronged. How could a proud Korean man ever imagine receiving an envelope of money after parting ways with his significant other! If someone was able to, it was an ability to conceive possibilities beyond the realm of imagination. A different fucking stratosphere, so to speak. If A-Qing had such an ability, she wouldn¡¯t have been a production worker but a genius scientist cooking up fucking superconductors. ¡°First, let¡¯s confirm one thing. Are you personally acquainted with Jade Qilin?¡± ¡°Oh, look at this? Now you reveal your true colors?¡± ¡°Ah. One-sided love? So you¡¯re not acquaintances?¡± Then, there was no need to exchange any more words with her. A-Qing slowly started turning on the engine of her mouth. ¡°Well, fine. Let¡¯s say you were ridiculed. Hypothetically. What are you going to do about it, huh? What can you, Lady? What? Shake and scream?¡± The woman¡¯s fierce face turned even fiercer. ¡°Nogal, Makgwi. Drag that bitch right to my feet.¡± The thugs standing beside her, left and right, stepped forward. A-Qing quickly intervened. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Now you beg for forgiveness? You should have listened when I was speaking nicely.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay whatever. Setting that aside. What¡¯s your n? After these ugly misters make me kneel, then what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sever your limbs and toss you into the brothel. You¡¯ll be sold for a single coin. If you serve a hundred men a day, well¡­I wonder how long you canst?¡± [Sudden Mission urrence ¨C Between Innocence and Jealousy] Description: [You have received a grave insult.] Actions for additional Free Practice Points: Righteous Karma) Kill the woman and her two guards Righteous Karma) Bury the sins of the ck Shadow Association Righteous Karma) Massacre the entire ck Shadow Association Heavenly ughtering Star) Massacre the entire ck Shadow Association [Sudden Mission urrence ¨C Rescue the Women] Description: [You have learned of the ck Shadow Association¡¯s wicked business] Actions for additional Free Practice Points: Righteous Karma) Find and rescue the women from the ck Shadow Association¡¯s business sites Righteous Karma) Kill the ck Shadow Association members at the business sites Evil Karma) Trade with the ck Shadow Association to provide them with women Heavenly ughtering Star) Kill everyone at the ck Shadow Association¡¯s business sites A-Qing read the lines floating before her eyes¡­ And then smiled brightly. The lonely star of Heavenly ughter shone with the most irreverent color in the world. Yeah, that¡¯s right. I did think it had been way too peaceful until now. ¡°As far as I know, San might have a prickly side, but he¡¯s not a bad kid. So wouldn¡¯t a bitch like you never have had a chance in the first ce?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.What did you say?¡± ¡°Well, I mean¡­ His family is well off. Even if he¡¯s not as good as me, he¡¯s pretty decent at martial arts. His face, hiyaaaaa, well, there¡¯s no need to talk about his face. It¡¯s pretty self-exnatory. I guess his character is a bit off, so he¡¯s not really capable of being magnanimous. Well anyway, he¡¯s a pretty good catch. So why would a guy like him mingle with a bitch like you whose sandwiched between two thugs?¡± ¡°You, what did you just s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if the world turns upside down and Heaven and Earth switch their axes, there would still be no chance. Yet, you¡¯re seriously following him? Moreover, you¡¯re acting like a mother-inw, telling him to break up or not meet with this girl and shit like that? Hey. That¡¯s stalking2this was in English. It¡¯s a filthy crime, you hear me? Ah, you don¡¯t know English, do you? D o y o u k n o w E n g l i sh3A-Qing said this in English ?¡± The woman¡¯s face burned red. It was so bad, she could literally be called an entirely different species. Perhaps the Red Human race or something. ¡°If I were San, even if everyone else in the entire world died and only the two of us were left, I still wouldn¡¯t peg you. I¡¯d rather do it with a tree hole.¡± ¡°W-What! You piece of shit, fuck, f-fucking bitch. WHAT ARE YOU DOING, STILL STANDING THERE!¡± The woman was at a loss for words in her extreme anger. Nogal (right) and Makwgi (left) stomped off the ground at her sharp cry. That¡¯s right. This is what I¡¯m talking about. With a wicked smile that seemed to tear her mouth to her very ears, A-Qing shouted boldly. ¡°Come! My Moonlight sword is thir¡­Ah, shit.¡± A-Qing¡¯s hand brushed through the empty air at her waist. The Moonlight Sword (No. 6) was resting nicely next to the tea table. Because of that, she missed the moment to counterattack. Instead, A-Qing briskly jumped back to create distance. Yue Maiden Footwork. The following was the contents recorded in the historical texts of thete Spring and Autumn Period. The Yue Maiden moved with the innocent motion of a child, frolicking as if in water. Yet, she was not slow but as quick as dandelion seeds in a gale, imperceptible to the eye. Despite this speed, she never lost her grace, still as lovable as a young girl. With one step backwards, she leapt 3 meters; with the second step, she surpassed 6, and with a light third step, she was suddenly 9 meters away. Then, unexpectedly. in her fourth step, she would close the distance almost instantly to her opponent. After having missed the initiative, A-Qing seized it right back with just one Movement Technique. This was the reason why Jianghu emphasized the importance of Footwork?Movement Techniques. The corresponding symbol, Element ?, was a mathematical symbol which signified that Footwork was part of a broader category that was Movement Techniques. ¡°What is this¡­¡­.!¡± Nogal was a guard for the ck Shadow Association Leader¡¯s only daughter among many sons. She was so treasured as the youngest daughter after four sons that she even had a Late-Stage First-Rate Expert as her protector. And such an expert was capable enough to recognize the absurdity of A-Qing¡¯s Movement Technique. Quick Movement Techniques struggled with sudden direction changes while those unpredictable in direction tended to have issues with speed. Being able to reverse the direction of her inertia in a single step was enough for the Movement Technique to earn vast praise and admiration. Just being able to maintain the same speed while moving in the opposite direction was enough to be considered a lofty and masterful Movement Technique, highly esteemed anywhere under Heaven. Yet, a Movement Technique that elerated forwards after retreating was unheard of. At least, to Nogal, that is. As such, this resulted in him attacking first, but finishing his moveter. Nogal shouted desperately. ¡°MY LADY, RUN AWA-¡± ¡°Nope. Where do you think you¡¯re going? That¡¯s a no-no. Stay put.¡± A-Qing threw a punch straight towards Nogal¡¯s mouth. A fist that reached out in a gentle and sluggish, yet fluent curve. It was the First Movement of the Circle Fist, Fierce Hole of Avarice, amon Fist Technique found rolling around everywhere in marketces. Nogal deflected the punch with his upper arm. But right as he did so, a left hand came in immediately after! It was crookedly straightened, neither fully opened nor clenched. It was the unique grip technique of Praying Mantis Fist4reference to shaolin kung fu, Praying Mantis Hook. The deployment of the Praying Mantis Hook was obvious; the Second Movement of Praying Mantis Fist, Orchid Strike. Then, it was followed by the Five Iron Feet Move of the Mandarin Ducks Kicking Technique, the Three Point Opening of Short Boxing, Reverse-Earth Chop of Liu Family¡¯s Fist Techniques5a reference to Fist of the North Star/Hokuto Renkitoza, Wolf Strike of the Wolf Fang Fist6reference to dragonballz¡­¡­. Every single one of them weremon boxing and kicking techniques found in markets. For such martial arts with a White Border, raising them to One Star required very few Free Practice Points. They were no different from learning them for free. That was why A-Qing had learned all the White Martial Arts from every bookstore she visited. She didn¡¯t use the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden, considered cheat-like even among Purple Martial Arts, simply because she didn¡¯t need to. Achieving One Star meant memorizing the very basic movements. Even without knowing the movement¡¯s true intention, spirit, operation of True Qi, or its applications, merely mimicking the external form properly was considered achieving One Star. However, even a shallow imitation, whenpressed with immense Qi and speed, could not help but to be a powerful martial art. And what about, let¡¯s say, if dozens of martial arts were mixed haphazardly together? That was the very spectacle A-Qing was currently creating. Nogal was cornered. ¡°You bitch!¡± Makgwi charged at A-Qing¡¯s nk. Her left hand moved. It was a flick, as if swatting a fly. Suddenly, a resonant and profound sound of a bell echoed! DWOONG-! An invisible force traveled a distance of 2 chi7The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length. Although it is often tranted as the ¡°Chinese foot¡±, its length was originally derived from the distance measured by a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the forefinger, and is simr to the ancient span. (about 60 cm) and struck Makgwi¡¯s chest. It was a Palm Technique for striking from afar, called Air Palm. Makgwi flew like a cannonball and crashed into the back wall of the teahouse. For a moment, A-Qing frowned and stopped her offensive movements. Taking it as a kind of permission, Nogal hurriedly rushed to his junior. ¡°Makgwi! Snap out of it!¡± ¡°Cough.¡± His chest waspletely caved in. His thoracic cavity shattered. Bone fragments had torn all his internal organs. The bloody cough was essentially Makgwi¡¯sst words. ¡°Makgwi!¡± Nogal cried out in anguish. Not all those in the Unorthodox Faction were scheming backstabbers. In fact, they were often bound as tightly as they were cruel to others. A-Qing muttered, looking at the scene. ¡°Ugh, shit. I couldn¡¯t actually feel anything in my hand¡­So unsatisfying¡­¡­¡± Should¡¯ve just learned something else. It was a harsh critique of the Buddha¡¯s Palm. It made sense; A-Qing used a sword. The sensation of slicing through muscle and bone, the feeling of her palm holding the sword, was near ecstasy to her. The hardships in this strangend with a different culture andmon sense. The number that always flickered above people¡¯s heads. The status window that rattled her mind every time she looked at it. Compared to the exhration of her blood turning even hotter in a body already heated by battle, all of such things seemed utterly trivial. Techniques involving fists and palmscked that certain taste. Striking and breaking things wasn¡¯t entirely devoid of satisfaction, but of course, it couldn¡¯tpare to the sword. Above all, not seeing blood was her biggest point of discontent. In that sense, I can¡¯t use the Buddha¡¯s palm. Sure, even a glimpse of its power as a mere One Star was formidable. It was undoubtedly a powerful martial art, but¡­¡­ Itcks that delicious sensation in my hand. Do you even know how important it is to feel the impact when hitting? It¡¯s the most important thing ever! Suddenly, a thirst surged within her. Blood. I need to see blood. I had to see it. ¡°Hey, skip the melodrama. I¡¯m not interested. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Nogal suddenly snapped back to reality. The grudge he held was one that wouldn¡¯t be satisfied, even if he tore her to pieces. However, his opponent was a peerless Master who could effortlessly execute Air Palm. Of course, A-Qing wasn¡¯t that much of a Master yet. It was a misconception due to the game system¡¯s corrections, which was unknown to him. Nevertheless, Nogal¡¯s mission was to protect the Lady. ¡°I apologize for not recognizing a Master. Please show us mercy.¡± ¡°Mere fodder¡­¡­.dares to talk back?¡± ¡°Please, please, I beg of you.¡± Nogal knelt down. And A-Qing snorted. ¡°Why? Did you never expect this day toe? Did you think you could continue living off of sucking others¡¯ blood, sweat, and tears? Did you think you¡¯d live a long life surrounded by a bustling family and die in their embrace with a smile?¡± ¡°That-¡± ¡°ording to what Mencius8Chinese Confucian philosopher who has often been described as the ¡°second Sage¡±, that is, second to Confucius himself. He is part of Confucius¡¯ fourth generation of disciples. Mencius inherited Confucius¡¯ ideology and developed it further. said, ah, was there a Mencius? There must be, right? Since it¡¯s ancient China. Anyway, he said human nature is good. That¡¯s why people misunderstand, you see. They think anyone, even the wicked, harbors an inner righteousness and can be reformed.¡± It was a gross misunderstanding. Mencius¡¯ doctrine of inherent goodness didn¡¯t mean that at all. It was a proposition that also held true in reverse. Human nature is good. Thus, anything inherently evil is not human. Even if they were your superiors, civil servants, or the sovereign of a country, if they are not good to you, they are nothing more than beasts. You cannot be ruled by beasts, so raise your bamboo spears. That was what Mencius meant. He was a great thinker who advocated the earliest form of democracy. (Confucius¡¯ idea of governance was too lukewarm as it emphasized fidelity in governance and service) Thanks to him, A-Qing was able to indulge in her hobby without a single hint of hesitation. A-Qing took joy in ying the piece of shit scum. And as the trash disappeared, the world became a better ce. Thus, everyone would benefit. It was the realization of a world where no one needed to get hurt. *** Chapter 11: Friend (8) ? Friend (8) ? If A-Qing had majored in science and engineering or arts and physical education, she would have gone mad, tormented between the urge to ughter everyone and the sin of it. But since A-Qing specialized in the humanities and social sciences, she was living well, only receiving the connotative impacts when rted to liberal arts! However, had she majored in medical science orw, she wouldn¡¯t have even had the leisure to consider gaming as a hobby. If that was the case, then there was no reason to suffer in the first pl- No, forget it. Anyway, this was why people should learn. After all, the saying, Knowledge Is Power by France Is Bacon1a meme because when people say ¡°Knowledge is Power. Francis Bacon¡± people used to misunderstand as the FULL quote being ¡°Knowledge is Power. France Is Bacon.¡± instead of it actually meaning ¡°Knowledge is Power by Francis Bacon¡±. cool tidbit meme! was that very principle. ¡°Bad people aren¡¯t human, so there¡¯s no need to treat them as such. Mencius said so. So,e on. Fight me, you dumbass. It¡¯s only fun for the hunter when the beast fights back.¡± Nogal swallowed a sigh internally. Shit, I got involved with an actual crazy bitch! It was exactly the kind of idea one would expect from a devilish homicide, second to none. Nogal pondered how he could get away alive. Escape was impossible. There was no hope in it. The opponent possessed peerless Movement Techniques and could even strike from a distance with her Air Palm. Even the act of running away itself posed a problem. If a guard fled, leaving their charge behind, they would be pursued until death. After all, the ck Shadow Association Leader would never forgive a guard who abandoned his daughter. And undoubtedly, his wife and ten-year-old son would also meet a tragic fate. As such, the only options were to defeat her or rely on her mercy. In the face of a life-threatening crisis, the brain exhibited unprecedented focus. It was why martial arts would break through walls and reach new heights during life-and-death battles. Finally, Nogal¡¯s brain found the most rational path among countless futures. Masters often showed a peculiar leniency. Like, ¡®Oh my, your loyalty is truly admirable!¡¯, or something simr. Of course, the chances of that were one in a million. But if he was going to die anyway, he had to at least save his wife and son. The ck Shadow Association Leader, though a part of the Unorthodox Faction, was still someone who would take care of the family of a guard who sacrificed their life for his daughter. Nogal steeled himself for this resolute decision. ¡°I shall offer my life to atone for my sins to you, Exalted Lady. Please, could you end this grudge with just me?¡± Sadly, A-Qing had already surpassed her threshold of thirst. It had been far too peacefultely and the absence of a real fight had ignited her bloodlust. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t want to.¡± As such, her hand moved on its own. Her slender fingers shed Nogal¡¯s throat from right to left. The fingers were one of the most sensitive parts of the body. So sensitive, in fact, that it was able to feel every millisecond of that moment, spanning a blink of an eye, in slow-motion. The squelch, as it tore through the soft leather of the neck, buried into the muscle, before straining against her strike. When the stic blood vessels wrapped around her fingers like rubber bands, the tense resistance intensified further. And then, it touched the solid Adam¡¯s apple. Digging deeper, as if scooping sand, the carotid artery stretched over the shoulder des, then snapped, unable to withstand the tensile stress any longer. And it was only then did the slowed time returned to normal. With a sh, therge artery was torn, spraying blood violently. The warm, fragrant blood that finally whipped onto her face. And at the same time, the world erupted in white mes. A sticky lightning shing from the spine to the very extremities of her body. A majestic ocean of light whispering in the serene universe. 206 bones, tendons, and muscles and 250,000 kilometers of blood vessels swirling before bundling into one. A garden of flowers blooming hazily amidst zing mes. The heart ascended to the head, pulsating through the brain and eardrums. A choir where ten thousand voices blended in a falsetto harmony. Salty and sour. A spicy sigh. A single sweet tear. ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­ And then, she came to, just like how one awoke from sleep. It was a natural awakening of consciousness, bing suddenly aware that she was awake. It was the first time she felt refreshed in this world. And so was the feeling of revitalization after having a good sleep, without any dissatisfaction in her slumber. The sense of fulfillment filled her inner self akin to the feeling one would get after watching a movie that ended happily. But unlike her mind, more healthy than ever before, her physical condition was far from ideal. For some reason, her arms and legs were trembling, almost as if a full night¡¯s sleep would guarantee muscles aches all over her body. On top of that, what in the world was this? Her hand felt heavy, so she lifted it. But upon doing so, she saw hair in her grasp and a woman¡¯s head dangling from it. ¡°Ah, Lady. When did you end up as just a head? How pitiful.¡± It seemed like she had lost her senses for a moment. She couldn¡¯t tell how much havoc she had wrecked. But what was certain was that there wasn¡¯t a single part of her body that didn¡¯t ache. A-Qing hurriedly checked the status of her Righteous Karma. Fortunately, it seemed she regained consciousness after killing just thisdy, seeing as how her Righteous Karma had increased a littlepared to before. A-Qing tossed the head away, before scratching her own head and speaking. ¡°Phew, was it because it¡¯s been a while¡­¡­¡± Anyway, it was for the best. It all worked out. After all, she had umted more Righteous Karma and her mood was surprisingly good. Wasn¡¯t that good enough as is? ¡ª- When she returned to the teahouse, it was bustling withmotion. The three Young Masters were making a fuss, so A-Qing briefly exined. ¡°I told you, it couldn¡¯t be helped. They said they¡¯d capture me, chop off my limbs, and throw me in the brothel, you know? Obviously, I couldn¡¯t just let that happen.¡± Her tone was as casual as if she was discussing what she had for breakfast. But the content was grim, stiffening the faces of those who heard. Moreover, she was entirely drenched in blood; so much so that droplets were dripping off her chin. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not my blood, you see.¡± ¡°Elder Sister, you should wash up first. Excuse me, Owner. Sorry to bother you, but can you prepare some water so she can wash her face?¡± Fuck everything else. The owner wished they would just leave. Of course, he didn¡¯t say that. After all, no one would dare to confront a woman dripping with blood and a muscr giant. ¡°Wipe it off.¡± Peng Daesan offered a handkerchief. She had deliberately covered her entire body with blood, so just one handkerchief wouldn¡¯t be enough. As such, his offer was both touching andmendable, considering how he would have to discard the whole thing after. ¡°Ah, just keep it. A quick wipe will do. There¡¯s plenty over there, you know?¡± A-Qing stepped outside the teahouse, picked up a dropped handkerchief, and wiped her face. After cleaning her face, wringing her hair, and repeating this cycle of picking up and discarding, the moistness was a bit lessened. Returning to her seat, she was greeted with water, prepared just in time, so she sshed her face cheerfully. ¡°¡­¡­.So, why don¡¯t you start speaking now?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You said you were going to thevatory, then you show up like this. And now, you have the audacity to ask ¡®about what¡¯?¡± ¡°What, why? Why are you suddenly angry?¡± ¡°Ha, who? Me?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s reaction was quite sharp. For reference, ever since starting her Murim journey, A-Qing had never once held back when facing any kind of aggression. However, she was in a very good mood right now, so she didn¡¯t want to argue and upset each other. ¡°Wait! Stop the anger!¡± ¡°Are you seriously trying to just brush past this by acting like that¡­..¡± ¡°Hey you, mister over there! You stop too! If you go over there now and get swept up in this, it¡¯s not my responsibility, okay? Remember, what does curiosity do? What does curiosity kill?¡± A-Qing shouted towards the back door. A man, sneaking towards the back, changed his expression as if realizing something and turned back. A-Qing refocused her attention on the tea table. ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t know, okay? Calm down. It was just a minor scuffle and I won anyway, you know? I left my sword, so they underestimated me. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Is that seriously something you should be speaking about so nonchntly?¡± ¡°I mean, well, it¡¯s nothing special. It happens all the time, so.¡± It happens all the time, so. Peng Daesan felt like he had been punched in the guts. A-Qing was a youthful Master. And such Masters did not just emerge out of nowhere. One needed to be born with talent and ced in the right environment to be a Master at such a young age. For instance, it could be support from their n. Or it could be a series of real battles where their life was at stake. While Peng Daesan was lost in such thoughts, A-Qing snapped her fingers and changed the subject. ¡°Ah, right. Hey Jegalie, you know martial arts well since you¡¯re a Jegal, right?¡± Honestly, the two cousins weren¡¯t well acquainted with her yet and they couldn¡¯t interfere in a rtionship between opposite sexes, so they had just been twiddling their thumbs without being able to speak a word. But thanks to A-Qing¡¯s change in topic, they found a gap to enter. Thus, Jegal Ihyeon answered her call. ¡°Are you talking about martial arts, Elder Sister?¡± ¡°Yep. What¡¯s the strongest Hand Arts?¡± A-Qing recalled the moment she beheaded Nogal. The sensation of her hand wrapping around it. It was the best. She had an epiphany for a moment, striking her like lightning. Ah. I should learn a Hand Art. Despite the unexpected question, Jegal, who fundamentally could not resist exining, answered whole-heartedly. ¡°Elder Sister, originally, it is impossible to immediately answer what the strongest martial art is.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because in Murim, this topic has been debated for thousands of years. In truth, whenever two or more men gather, the conversation inevitably turns to what the strongest martial art is. Without a single exception.¡± Then what does Jegalie think?¡± ¡°In my opinion, Hand Arts of itself is not really a good martial art.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, Hand Arts is inherently very brutal. If people dislike the sensation of injuring others with just a sword, imagine how much worse it must be to scratch, slice, and tear off flesh with their bare hands. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Isn¡¯t that what makes it good? A-Qing cocked her head in confusion. As expected, it seemed the current times did not suit her. ¡°Can you stop digressing? I asked you which is the strongest.¡± ¡°About that¡­Well, fortunately, when ites to Hand Arts, all martial artists can agree on the strongest. And that very martial art is.¡± Jegal Ihyeon paused with an air of a practiced orator and tried to take a sip of tea. But right as he was about to do so, he was startled by the sharp re of Peng Daesan. It was a gaze telling him to finish quickly. As such, Jegal Ihyeon quickly concluded. ¡°The strongest Hand Arts is the White Hand Demonic Arts.¡± ¡°White Hand Demonic Arts?¡± ¡°Ah! My throat feels so dry, suddenly!¡± Jegal Ihyeon abruptly started doing other things. A-Qing, knowing the reason, changed her target. ¡°Hey, why are you demoralizing and bringing down our Jegalie¡¯s spirits?¡± ¡°Is this really the time to leisurely talk about martial arts? After being in that state? Just look at yourself!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the chance to if it¡¯s not now, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..What is that supposed to mean?¡± Just because A-Qing never held back didn¡¯t mean she intended to act like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. She knew well enough that, Late-Stage Peak Realm or not, she couldn¡¯t face an entire sect alone. After all, she had been hounded a few times in the past. ¡°That sect called the ck Shadow Association. It¡¯s considered a pretty big one, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Were they from the ck Shadow Association?¡± ¡°Unless they were impersonating.¡± Peng Daesan wiped his face. In Luoyang, there were three major forces. The Chae n, the Scarlet Devil Union, and the ck Shadow Association. The Chae n was a prestigious household of Grand Generals that served generation after generation, while the Scarlet Devil Union and ck Shadow Association were sects aligned with the Unorthodox Faction. Despite the weakening of the government¡¯s power, the Chae n still wielded a sword of a general and possessed military authority suitable of that. They were the actual magistrates who held most of the rights, interests, and privileges in Luoyang. The Chae n, due to their dignity as a household of Grand Generals, left the shady parts of Luoyang untouched, which were then split between the Scarlet Devil Union and the ck Shadow Association. ¡°I mean, they boldly attempted human trafficking in broad daylight., after all. I¡¯m sure they weren¡¯t ordinary guys.¡± ¡°You knew that and stillid your hands on them? No, setting that aside, with your skills, was there even any need to get into a brawl?¡± The ck Shadow Association wouldn¡¯t dare kidnap a Late-Stage Peak Realm martial artist unless they were out of their minds. It meant that she chose to resolve the issue with bloodshed when just showing her martial prowess would have sufficed. And A-Qing confidently affirmed that deduction. ¡°I don¡¯t avoid conflicts. And if it¡¯s a bad guy who picks a fight, even more so. A real man never runs away.¡± Was this woman actually batshit crazy? One thought briefly crossed Peng Daesan¡¯s mind Shit, I forgot, but she¡¯s the same woman who actually hit me after I told her to have a go. ¡°Can¡¯t you think a little, even if it¡¯s just a little, before acting? How do you even n to deal with the consequences¡­¡­¡± ¡°I gotta dip, obviously.¡± It meant she was going to run away. She had just been talking about how real men did this, real men did that and whatever, but now she was saying she would run away. Peng Daesan felt utterly deted. ¡°So you¡¯re going to run away? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°The sight of someone¡¯s back! Leaving with conviction! Because they know when they must depart! How beautiful is that! Like falling leaves lying scattered!¡± ¡°Stop with the nonsense! Can you be serious for once!¡± Peng Daesan raised his voice. A-Qing, in contrast, smiled softly. This brat. Look at him talking loudly just because he got a bit fond of me. ¡°Sorry. Was it Diaochan Dining? I¡¯ll treat you next time we meet¡± ¡°If you had just held back a little bit in the first ce¡­..¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to live together for thousands or tens of thousands of years. It¡¯s what? A fortnight? After that, we¡¯re going to part anyway. So, it¡¯s not a big deal to part a bit early. And if fate allows, we¡¯ll meet again anyway.¡± A-Qing¡¯s words left Peng Daesan utterly speechless. Now that he thought of it, that was indeed the case. They had joined the escort convoy to Yongseong separately and would naturally part ways after a few more days either way. Considering that, wasn¡¯t there no reason for him to keep her with him? Peng Daesan leaned back in his chair. A-Qing spoke as she stood up. ¡°Ah damn, all my luggage is still with the tradingpany. Oh yeah, let the Escort Leader know that I¡¯m sorry for leaving so suddenly. Also, see youter, Little Supreme Justice and Jegalie.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself too, Young Lady.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder Sister. I shall see you next time.¡± A-Qing stepped out of the teahouse. Now that she left, there wasn¡¯t really anywhere in particr for her to go. But it wasn¡¯t like she hade to Murim because she had somewhere to go either. Her life was one of going wherever and however it took her. She¡¯d catch a thief here, a bandit there, and now, she even had a new goal called the White Hand Demonic Arts. With that thought, A-Qing kicked off the ground and ran off. *** Chapter 12: Change the Course to North-Northwest (1) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (1) ? A-Qing demonstrated judgment befitting a person of the modern era. If you run away half-heartedly, you will surely be caught. It was a lesson taught by many modern stories. As such, she spent ten days solely running, eating, and sleeping. But at longst, Qing was finally able to let loose and once again immersed herself in the hobby she picked up in Murim. It was gourmandism. Ah, the fragrance of this chilled inn. It has truly been a long time of humiliation¡­¡­ As she was sitting at the table, the server approached her. The expression on his face was distinctly ufortable, though. With the maturity of a second-year living in Murim, she now knew the dining etiquette of the Central ins. In an inn, the seating arrangement was important. The best seats were considered to be at the center and by the window and the value of a seat decreased the further away it got from these spots. The worst seats were those near the back door leading to the backyard. Those who ate cheaply should automatically go to the worst seats. It was an unspoken rule of the inn. However, A-Qing boldly took a seat by the window where the sunlight shone brightest. After only running, eating, and sleeping for ten days, she looked like aplete mess. As such, it would be odd if the server¡¯s expression was bright and weing when A-Qing took the best seat. However, all these rules meant nothing in front of a sword. The server did not dare to say anything else and only acted a bit rudely because of the sword A-Qing leaned on the table. ¡°What would you like?¡± ¡°Kekek¡­..¡± A-Qing let out a bizarreugh. At that moment, when the server¡¯s face crumpled, A-Qing mmed a silver sycee1ancient Chinese currency. Made of purely gold or silver. on the table! ¡°Heuk!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a ¡®silver sycee¡¯. Bring me the best and most delicious dishes you have. Three of them. And bring alcohol. The expensive kind.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The server took a deep breath. ¡°THE GUEST HAS ORDERED A BRAISED PORK BELLY! SWEET AND SOUR FISH! STEAMED BABY FISH! AND BAMBOO LEAVED LIQUOR AS A SIDE!¡± The more expensive the order, the louder it should be announced. It was a server¡¯s duty. This customer has ordered expensive dishes! Everyone in the inn, look here! This person is ultra-rich. Ultra-rich, I say! Through this, it was evident that the Chinese truth of vulgar materialism had been a characteristic of the continental nation since ancient times. But you can only know once you experience it yourself. It feels fucking lit! The other customers in the inn looked at A-Qing with envy. For example, it was like this. Gosh, Braised Pork Belly, Sweet and Sour Fish, and even Boiled Baby Fish! Oi, oi, how wealthy is this guy! And then, the Greatest Beauty in the City (A Paragon of Virtue) shoulde over and hand her a piece of bamboo paper, but¡­¡­ ¡°Tsk.¡± A-Qing frowned. It was because the imagined Greatest Beauty in the City (A Paragon of Virtue) was looking down on A-Qing with a contemptuous expression. In Luoyang, A-Qing had her fill of pleasing sights. And even then, not once did she receive a friendly nce. Am I selfish for just wanting someone to smile for me? It was at that moment that the server appeared and carefully ced down the alcohol and dried snacks before retreating backwards. At any rate, A-Qing was in a good enough mood to spout all such nonsense. There were three asions when she was ted. Either when delicious food was in front of her. Or when enjoying getting soaked via a serious life-and-death duel. Or when she had a lot of money. In that sense, the past ten days of fleeing were more than worth it. Though she didn¡¯t know her name, the Lady from the ck Shadow Association seemed to be dearly loved by her family. And it was because parental love sometimes manifested in the form of gold. Moreover, she could tell how spoiled she was by her shitty behavior and Evil Karma. This was why home discipline was important, you know? The gold from more than two coffins were enough as a lesson fee for the ck Shadow Association Leader. That¡¯s what you get for letting your child grow up crooked. She croaked because she didn¡¯t know her ce. Fuck around and find out. And she found out. I hope you raise your other children better. At this rate, can¡¯t I be considered a great teacher on the level of Teacher Oh2famous specialist when ites to childcare. has a lot of korean TV shows that she hosts where she provides advice and therapy for dysfunctional children, the childcare expert? Also, honestly, there¡¯s no evidence that I killed her, ye? Once I came to my senses, she was already dead, you know? It¡¯s possible she wrapped her hair around my hand and thenmitted suicide by cutting off her head. Right? I think that¡¯s possible. So, there¡¯s not a single thing I did wrong. Rather, I¡¯ve cleaned up three dirty pieces of shit from the world, so¡­¡­ ¡°Fuck, the food is taking fucking forever.¡± A-Qing cursed. As to why, it was because she had a ss of alcohol. ¡°Kuahhh, this is fucking bomb.¡± The love that the people of the Central ins held for strong liquor was truly out of this world. The Bamboo Leaved Liquor, contained in a cup barely big enough for a spoonful, scraped harshly against her tongue and throat before zing up to the sr plexus. Is alcohol bitter for you? Well, pussy, for me, it¡¯s sweet. After all, Bamboo Leaved Liquor was originally supposed to be sweet. But what the hell? Is this supposed to be this spicy? Why is the alcohol spicy? A-Qing tilted her head. The spicy aftertaste that sharply arose was peculiar, yet it was also exquisite. Meh, whatever. I guess it¡¯s supposed to be like this. As she kept slurping up the liquor, the dishes arrived. Pork with a golden-brown exterior. Soft on the inside and soft on the outside as well. It was served with some sort of sashimi with fried eggnt and vegetables on the side. There was something murky in the center, but she wasn¡¯t too sure what it was. It was regrettable that there was no soy sauce to dip, but the rich sweetness was excellent. An incrediblyrge steamed whole fish. The tender flesh of freshwater fish made eating it steamed a bit frustrating. But still, it was delicious. Overall review. Excellent. Stamp of approval. A-Qing nodded after having a slight taste of everything. Now, it was time to eat in earnest. ¡°¡­¡­¡± This pork, the taste is phenomenal! It¡¯s so easy to pick up with chopsticks and it melts in my mouth like shaved ice. Also, the fat and meat melts simultaneously, the very definition of a rich fatty delight¡­.. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Something murky, with a pudding-like appearance, a faint pink color, and fine veins, were visible. Upon putting it in her mouth¡­ Holy shit, it was a rich fatty taste again. But, hm¡­the vors do ovep a bit. At times like this, I should have some vegetables to cleanse the pte¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Fried eggnt. It was fried eggnt. Delicious. The taste is remarkably stable. But¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Hey, Kid?¡± A-Qing cocked her head. She hadn¡¯t been able to wholly enjoy the food because of the kid who had been maintaining a subtle distance and watching her eat. Was she perhaps around ten years old? The child was small and skinny, pitifully so. ¡°When ites to eating, even dogs shouldn¡¯t be bothered. And looking is a form of violence! Violence, I tell you! Did you think I¡¯d be swayed by your little innocent eyes? If you keep looking at me so pitifully, do you think I¡¯ll say, ¡®Hey kid, try this¡¯, or something?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ha. How ridiculous. If you really thought I would do that, then you arepletely right. I¡¯m a softie.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Being hungry to the point of sorrow was genuinely sorrowful. Seriously. A-Qing had learned this painful truth through her life in Jianghu. Especially when someone was gobbling down dishes next to her while she was chewing on mere dumplings. The urge to sh them with a knife was something she had to do her utmost to resist. After all, in the Central ins, dumplings were nothing but bread without any filling. A-Qing was currently quite wealthy. Honestly, she could be considered even more wealthy than she was purely because she never once thought about her future wealth. After all, she was more than capable of spending whenever and however she wanted. And that was reason enough to cause this unnecessary kindness. ¡°Want some meat?¡± ¡°!!!¡± The child¡¯s eyes widened into saucers. Finding that adorable, A-Qing picked up a big piece of meat with her chopsticks and offered it. The child looked at the meat with trembling eyes, then hurriedly looked around, and then looked at the meat again¡­ And finally bit down. Though the child didn¡¯t speak, her expression did. It was as if she was wondering how something this delicious could exist in the world, thus feeling betrayed by how she had lived all her life without knowing this. A single tear rolled down the child¡¯s cheek. A-Qing giggled as she just handed over the chopsticks for her to eat. ¡°Okay, well then. Sit here, yes, yes, Kid. You know how to use chopsticks, right? Help yourself, okay? I¡¯m a cold person who doesn¡¯t go easy on someone just because they¡¯re a child. After all, one must know how to fend for themselves. And of course, that includes eating.¡± A-Qing started to eat ferociously. The child hesitated at first, but seeing the dishes quickly disappearing, she bravely reached out with the chopsticks. From then on, there were basically two beggars at the table. It was during this time when it happened. ¡°Myeong!¡± With a scream-like shout, a woman came rushing in. A-Qing could have easily stopped her since she was a Master, but she let her be because of her desperate expression andplete focus on the child. The woman embraced the child as if snatching her away. ¡ª- ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡­! Great and Honorable Expert¡­¡­!¡± A middle-aged woman, about the age of a mother, kept bowing her head. Her name was Yang Sowol. The gratitude was so overwhelming that it was actually somewhat burdensome. ¡°It¡¯s just because the kid was cute, that¡¯s all. Jangmyeong? Haoo olb iz our Jangmyeongie?3baby talk. ¡°How old is our Jangmyeongie?¡± Also when ¡°ie¡± is ced in the end, its a way to show familiarity/fondness for someone younger than you¡± Instead of answering, the child blushed and averted her gaze. Aw, look at this little kid being all cute. It was right when A-Qing was smiling warmly. ¡°Um, Great Expert¡­..¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Jangmyeong has turned sixteen this year¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± A-Qing looked at the child¡¯s thin appearance. No matter what angle she looked at her at, the child did not seem to be over ten years old. ¡°The child is a bit frail, so she hasn¡¯t grown as much as other children her age¡­¡­.¡± Mother, it seems to be more than just a bit. A-Qing held her tongue. Now that she knew his age, the child¡¯s flushed face seemed to mean something different. It wasn¡¯t bashfulness, but shame! If she was sixteen, so like¡­¡­. It had been so long since she attended school that she couldn¡¯t immediately match the school year with age. 1st grade in elementary school is at 8 years old? Is that right? So then, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. A-Qing folded her fingers one by one and barely finished counting. She¡¯s a 3rd grader in middle school4basically in American terms, she¡¯s a high school freshman? This little kid? Since she made such ament in front of a middle school 3rd grader, it was only natural for the child to feel ashamed. A-Qing was astonished. And so, she alternated her gaze between Yang Sowol and Jin Jangmyeong. Yang Sowol was a beautifully aged madam. Even though her attire was simple, there was a certain dignity about her. Jin Jangmyeong was a little kid with hollow cheeks. The child looks like she hasn¡¯t eaten, but the mom lookedpletely fine? Could it be¡­Perhaps? Moreover, the child couldn¡¯t even speak. Yet still, she had let her guard down because she seemed like a decentdy due to her Righteous Karma. A-Qing¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Uh, Great Expert, this is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?¡± ¡°The child is a bit, no, very sick, so¡­..¡± Yang Sowol¡¯s expression was filled with sorrow and apology for her daughter. It was undeniable evidence of her deep maternal love. Ah, it was a misunderstanding, after all. A-Qing felt awkward and embarrassed. ¡°Did you perhaps also take the wrong herbal medicine or something¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.What in the world are you saying. You ugly thing.¡± A-Qing was startled. She spoke! Wow, what is this! So she can speak, after all! No, wait, but at sixteen, of course she would be able to speak. Rather than that? Did I hear? Something? Wrong? The content? Seemed? A bit? Ehhhh? After all I fed her, what the fuck is up with her attitude? *** Chapter 13: Change the Course to North-Northwest (2) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (2) ? A-Qing received a massive shock. The favor she had for her turned into bubbles and disappeared. Was this how the Prince felt when he saw the ck Little Mermaid1guys im sorry¡­¡­to exin, this is because korean intemunities had a massive meltdown about the Little Mermaid castingst year¡­¡­Once again, Genesis does NOT have any views on anything. We are merely those who trante as urately as possible. after going through so much trouble to find her? Did he also feel as if he himself was the one who had turned into bubbles and disappeared? ¡°Oooooh, what¡¯s with our little brat¡¯s attitude, huh? When you¡¯re hungry, I¡¯m a beautiful Noona2simr to onee san. they dont have to be ACTUAL BLOOD-RELATED. it¡¯s just a way to address an OLDER female. who buys you food, and now that you¡¯re full, I¡¯m ugly? Is that it? Aaaanng?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Tch. Noona? What a joke. You¡¯re funny.¡± ¡°I apologize, Great Expert. This child wasn¡¯t originally like this, but sincest year, she¡¯s be a bit crooked. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s like this. Oh my.¡± Last year? Then fifteen. A 2nd grader in middle school38th grade for americans!. A-Qing was suddenly convinced. Puberty? Meh, that¡¯s understandable. Mhm. Yep. However, the kid¡¯s mother seemed to have quite a bit on her chest. ¡°She suddenly doesn¡¯t listen. And honestly, it would be a relief if that¡¯s all she did, but now she always does what she¡¯s told not to. I mean, it is understandable to hate her mother. A woman who has nothing to pass on and wasn¡¯t even able to give birth to a healthy body¡­..¡± ¡°AH! Stop talking nonsense like that! It¡¯s so annoying!¡± Jin Jangmyeong shrieked before running up the stairs. Thanks to that, A-Qing was left feeling awkward alone with a heartbroken mother. ¡°Uh¡­¡­.. So. Would you like a drink?¡± ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll have just one, in spite of my shame¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Aoooo, it must be hard for you.¡± ¡°Hard? Of course not. It must be because the mother is so worthless that the child ended up so pitiful. Because I couldn¡¯t even give her something so ordinary.¡± Yang Sowol lifted her ss with a sorrowful expression. She took a drink with a familiar gesture full of grievances, then covered her mouth and wiped her lips with a handkerchief. Yang Sowol¡¯s expression hardened as she lowered her voice. ¡°Excuse me, Great Expert.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Be careful. The alcohol is poisoned.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yang Sowol sneakily showed her handkerchief. It was wet with the liquor she pretended to drink but spat out. A-Qing looked back and forth between the handkerchief and the ss, then suddenly gulped down the liquor. ¡°GREAT EXPERT!? WHY!?¡± ¡°Keuuuu. That¡¯s the shit. Oh my, it sticks to the mouth.¡± A spice taste that faintly arose in the aftertaste. Despite the numbness as if her mouth was paralyzed, there was a distinctly burning spiciness. The numb taste was Ma. The spicy taste was La. Combined, it was the taste of M4a spicy and numbing seasoning made from Sichuan peppercorn and chilli. Mostmonly, m is made into a sauce by simmering it in oil and other spices.! The taste most loved by the Korean people. A taste enjoyed by their ancestors since ancient times. It was a taste of tradition that was even depicted in Soo Bahk Do. Wasn¡¯t this¡­..the intended vor? I thought the alcohol would taste like M, seeing as it was from an original M restaurant. To think that it wasn¡¯t a culinary spot known for their good M! ¡°It¡¯s fine because of my Constitution.¡± When making her character, A-Qing followed the rmendation post. She distributed Ability Points, chose a Star of Destiny¡­ And also selected a Constitution. The Constitution A-Qing chose was Blood Poison. A-Qing didn¡¯t know since she hadn¡¯t yed the actual game, but originally, the AI of Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death heavily used poison. Moreover, the UI5User Interface was also quite inconvenient. Needlessly, there were over ten types of antidotes, which were expensive, and with only four Quick Slots, dealing with poison was more than just annoying. It was a pain in the ass. Blood Poison was a constitution that provided immunity to all poisons. That was why it was rmended over cheat-like Constitutions such as the Heavenly Martial Body, Natural Body, or Nine Yin Blood. As such, A-Qing was free from all poisons. It was the secret to surviving that year, right after starting her Murim journey; she managed to live off grass and mushrooms and even scavenged food waste. A-Qing¡¯s survival was the result of the efforts of sweats in themunity of Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death, who went to great lengths for newbies. Furthermore, the miracle that A-Qing could read, write, and evenmunicate with the natives here was thanks to the Korean Language Patch. That pure goodwill which hoped for their favorite game to be more popr and more people would enjoy it! That very goodwill was what kept A-Qing alive and breathing until now! A-Qing suddenly shivered while recalling such things. Fuck, I¡¯m never going to forgive the motherfucker who rmended this game. Seriously. A-Qing sprang up from her seat. It was the time for her to fuck somebody up. Oh how joyful it was to have someone to fuck up, all while having a justification to do so! ¡°Server!¡± ¡°Ah, Customer! Coming!¡± The server ran out with a happy expression. After all, a rich customer was a server¡¯s joy. But even that was only for a moment. The server¡¯s face was soon filled with sorrow. After all, anyone would be filled with sorrow if the tip of a de touched right below their throat. ¡°You dare to poison my liquor? You¡¯re fucking dead today. When you go to hell and your parents ask why you¡¯re there, tell them you died early because you were fucking around with someone else¡¯s alcohol.¡± A-Qing lowered her voice. ¡°Oh no, no, Customer! No! It wasn¡¯t me! It really wasn¡¯t me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it wasn¡¯t you? Then who was it?¡± ¡°Well, that is¡­¡­.¡± A-Qing saw the server¡¯s Karma. The number was 42. Unfortunately, he had Righteous Karma. Why does the server, of all people, have such high Righteous Karma? DId he feed the local shithead beggars or something? A-Qing was lenient towards the virtuous. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll believe it wasn¡¯t you. Then who told you to do it?¡± ¡°Oh my, that is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did the alcohol get bored and turn itself into poison? Or did the person who made the liquor get so bored that they decided to poison a bottle and sell it, hoping someone would die?¡± The server gauged her reactions nervously. A-Qing then offered a metaphorical carrot. ¡°From what I can see, Server, you seem to have a good nature. So, I trust our server. That means someone must have ordered you, right?¡± Of course, there was no such thing as a server with a shitty nature. If there ever was, it would only be due to unfairbor, like an angry innkeeper¡¯s son. ¡°P-Please s-spare me! I was just¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Euahhh, I¡¯m getting angry! When I¡¯m angry, my hand shakes! What if I identally cut off our innocent server¡¯s head!¡± ¡°P-Please, please s-spare me!¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t spare you. I don¡¯t have any intentions to. Speak quickly.¡± The server sobbed. A-Qing really didn¡¯t want to see the hot tears of a middle-aged man. ¡°DIE! You sons of bitches who dared to fuck around with food! My Moonlight Sword is starving!¡± A-Qing leaped forward¡­ Towards the men at the inn¡¯s corner, who only had a few lousy dumplings on their table. One head soared into the sky and blood spurted out like a fountain. A-Qing, drenched in the warm blood, grinned and continued her sword strikes towards the enemy of her alcohol. As expected of cowards who resorted to poison, their skills were pathetic. Three corpses and one soon-to-be corpse remained. The man clutching his stomach spat out blood and spoke. ¡°How did you know¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Well, everyone else was watching with fascination, but you guys were the only ones looking around nervously.¡± The man asked incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s it? What if you were wrong¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, even if that wasn¡¯t the case, you were bound to get stabbed and die anyway. You guys have gone around doing a lot of bad things, haven¡¯t you? If I was correct, revenge sessful. Even if I was wrong, I would still be taking out the trash. It¡¯s a win-win.¡± They were bastards who had stacked up an immense number of Evil Karma. If they weren¡¯t the culprits, oh well! She could just consider this as a virtuous deed. A-Qing was in a situation where there was no loss for whatever choice she made. ¡°So, what poison did I drink?¡± ¡°Kekek, you think I¡¯ll tell you? Now that it¡¯se to this anyway?¡± ¡°Whatever then.¡± I was asking because the taste was surprisingly decent, but oh well. He doesn¡¯t want to tell me, so what else can I do except move on? Goodbye, my M sauce. A-Qing hadn¡¯t really expected an answer anyway. Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯lle out when he dies anyway. And with that, A-Qing lifted her sword. ¡°When you go to hell, they ask why you¡¯re there, you see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them I came to fuck your mother.¡± His words were quite venomous for a dying man. A-Qing sighed and swung her Moonlight Sword (No. 6). ¡°Keheuk? Grk, grk¡­¡­.¡± If the windpipe is precisely cut while avoiding the arteries, a person would not be able to speak. The man clutched his throat, but then his guts spilled out, so he grasped his stomach again. And as he did so, he finally realized why humans had two hands. ¡°Well then, you saw that, right? How he cursed my mom? So, let him die. If anyone touches him, I¡¯ll take it as you wanting to have a nice, little, friendly sword fight with me.¡± While looking around left and right, A-Qing issued a veiled threat without hiding her bright smile. But something was strange. Why are their Karmas all like this? Is this an inn where only bad guys gather? Burning down the entire ce would probably umte a lot of Righteous Karma, wouldn¡¯t it? However, A-Qing wasn¡¯t a crazy bitch who shouted ¡®I will immediately cut down all evil¡¯ and start swinging her sword at every viin in her sight. She just believed that anything goes when ites to dealing with evil people. Well, first things first. A-Qing hummed a tune while rummaging through the bodies. Was it perhaps because they were bastards who ate dumplings? They turned out to be broke as fuck. Instead, various misceneous items were found. A few small porcin bottles, a pouch filled with powder, etc. After efficiently gathering everything and returning to her seat, A-Qing met Yang Sowol¡¯s wide-eyed, trembling gaze. She realized her mistake. Oopsie. ¡°Server, bring some water so I can wash up.¡± It did feel nice when she was covered in blood. And though this may obviously bemon sense, some unfortunate souls might not be like her; they might fear blood itself. If that was the case, didn¡¯t they just need to ovee it with ox blood soup? But wait, does Murim even have ox blood soup? I wanna eat ox blood soup. Following this oh so natural flow of thoughts, A-Qing smacked her lips before tipping the liquor bottle into her mouth. One more ss to pat herself in the back forpleting another worthwhile deed today. And another ss to enjoy while watching the life ebb away from the evildoers. The side dishes were good, so the alcohol flowed down her throat easily. ¡ª- Yang Sowol could note to her senses. In truth, genuinely skilled female martial artists were rare in Murim. Apart from thosedies who dressed up in fancy clothes and weapons for outings, that was the case. To be fair, embarking on a Murim journey in a women¡¯s body was often a dreadful hardship not chosen twice. To put it nicely, they were called martial artists, but in reality, many were vagabonds. After all, how could wandering outside of home ever be seen as a favorable situation? In some ways, eating, sleeping, shitting, fighting, and even breathing outside was practically a humiliation for women. Maybe female martial artists from prestigious families could enjoy it as a sort of trip, with servants and carriages at their disposal. There were also daughters from precious families who enjoyed acting like martial artists. But poor female vagabonds, who had no backing, would say thosedies were merely ying at being martial artists. Yang Sowol, hailing from Divine Maiden Sect of Mount Wu6A reference to Yaoji, the Goddess of the Wu Mountains (Also known as Mount Wu), despised such women who came around to roley as martial artists. That was why she had a favorable impression of A-Qing. Moreover, being kind to her child was something she was truly grateful for as a mother. Originally, ¡®real¡¯ female martial artists were supposed to be rough. Giggling among men would only make them look down on you, after all. In Murim, being underestimated was akin to walking around with half your life forfeited. Yet even so, there was a limit to how rough and aggressive one should be. Wasn¡¯t this practically the behavior of a madwoman? Watching A-Qing wash her face in the basin that had just been brought out, Yang Sowol resolved. I really shouldn¡¯t get entangled with this child. However, that resolution didn¡¯t evenst a day. *** Chapter 14: Change the Course to North-Northwest (3) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (3) ? Everyone had a n. Until they got beaten the shit out of. A-Qing also had a usible n. Let the record show that she drank poisoned liquor. First, the fault was with those who, for unknown reasons, threatened the server and made him pour poison in her drink. Next, it was the inn for their poor customer service and mismanagement of its staff. However, A-Qing did not me the inn. Because she nned to do so tomorrow. After staying a night and having ate breakfast before her departure, she would order a table full of alcohol and dishes. Then, she would enjoy a free feast under the pretext ofpensation for damages before leaving. There was a reason for A-Qing¡¯s wicked plot. First, it was because the innkeeper, though apologetic, did not offer to provide anything for free with his own will, thus finding him absolutely disgraceful. Second, she couldn¡¯t risk asking for freebies right away as she couldn¡¯t be sure what they might do to her food tomorrow morning. As such, she giggled herself to sleep, thinking about all the food that was going to meet their end in her stomach. But my, oh my. What was going on on such a pleasant night? ng, ng, ng. The sound of weapons shing woke her up. What¡¯s up with this noise between floors? A-Qing closed her eyes again. However, once one was aware of something, it was only human nature to focus on it; truly, the very definition of human sorrow. Cling Cling ng ng Fun Games. Boom Boom Kwang Kwang All Together Jump Jump.1A parody of the famous korean song: Crayon Pop ¨C Bar Bar (+Bar) (???). Basically, since A-Qing is a crazy bitch, she starts hearing the song from the ngs of swords (a beat, so to speak) Snap. A-Qing¡¯sst thread of patience broke. After all, it was a patience that had be as fragile as overcooked noodle strands since the start of her Murim journey. A-Qing drew her sword and stormed out. ¡°YOU MOTHERFUCKING PIECES OF FUCKING SHIT! LET ME SLEEP! LET! ME! FUCK! ING! SLEEP! IS THAT HOW YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER TAUGHT Y, Heut.¡± Before A-Qing could finish her roar, a suffocating killing intent rushed in. Her waist bent like a bow. A de grazed past her chest. A-Qing straightened her pack, using the momentum of the recoil to throw a left punch. It struck directly under the attacker¡¯s armpit. Crunch. The delightful yet ticklish feeling of bones breaking. Heuk, a choked gasp. A bending waist. At that moment, the Moonlight Sword fell vertically. The de sliced through the top of the head, down the forehead and nose, before lodging itself into the philtrum. Senior Brother! An enraged cry. A straight sword thrust followed. A-Qing grabbed the corpse by the neck and pulled. The de protruded from the corpse¡¯s sr plexus. A-Qing pushed forward immediately. The dead crushed the living as they fell. A-Qing pulled out the Moonlight Sword (No. 6), now stuck like an axe in wood. Something dripped down between the split head. The red was blood, the white brain matter. The two blended harmoniously, turning into a pink hue. The person crushed underneath screamed. How noisy. A-Qing stepped on the corpse¡¯s waist and thrust her sword held in reverse into its back. Two bodies, double the thickness, double the satisfaction. After a few more stabs into the floor, the screams stopped. This bastard has no fucking guts, huh. A-Qing licked her lips and flicked her sword, shaking off the blood. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Inns in the Central ins built in an ? shape had rooms on the outside, corridors and railing inside, and an open space in the middle for light. From the corridor, one could see all three sides from up to down. And under the moonlight, a frenzied swordfight was happening in every corner. Truly the very definition of a struggle of all against all. What was this? Was this some unknown culture to someone in their second year in the Central ins? Suddenly, A-Qing recalled that the inn was filled with bad guys for some strange reason. Perhaps it was a culture among these evil individuals to set a day to kill each other. Right? Then¡­ -Myeong! Upon hearing that distressed voice, A-Qing swiftly turned her head. On the first floor, there was a child wrapped and tied to a human figure; A-Qing dashed down the corridor and leaped over the railings. A-Qingnded right in front of the abductor on both feet, one knee, and one hand. It was the so-called hero entrance2u know how it goes. superhero entrance!. The Moonlight Sword fell precisely into her outstretched right hand. Under the moonlight, A-Qing slowly stood up. ¡°Hooo¡­¡­.¡± A-Qing endured the pain in her knees and palms. This must be the agony of heroes. In truth, it was an utterly terriblending method that did not distribute shock at all. But that didn¡¯t mean it was ineffective. A dopeness that traversed over the centuries, leaping into the past! The abductor took a step back, overpowered by its momentum. After all, although he couldn¡¯t gauge his opponent¡¯s Realm, that one move certainly did look impressive. ¡°Release the child and disappear. Then, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± A-Qing exuded Sword Qi. Swirls of Sword Threads wrapped around the de; a demonstration of her martial prowess. After all, even if it was A-Qing, she couldn¡¯t just sh at a kidnapper when he was holding a child. After reading her countenance, the abductor suddenly threw the child. The startled A-Qing leapt, throwing her body forward. Fortunately, she managed to catch her. Instead, with a Pshuk, her arm seared with pain. A dagger was embedded into her upper arm; only the handle could be seen, stiff and upright. ¡°I DID IT!¡± A screeching sound. A-Qing¡¯s head snapped around. She locked eyes with the fucker who threw the dagger. The bastard has turned his back. And in the midst of it, he continued to scream. ¡°KILL HER! SHE¡¯S LACED WITH THE SEVEN STEPS POISON, SO SHE WON¡¯T LAST LONG!¡± That motherfucker. Didn¡¯t he see me downing poison as if it was fucking liquor? The shine in A-Qing¡¯s eyes dimmed. I¡¯m going to kill that fucker. Absolutely ughter the shit out of him. I will tear him to itty bitty fucking pieces. But before that, there were other bastards trying to cut in line. Like moths to a me, emboldened by the Seven Steps Poison. A-Qing stuck Jin Jangmyeon onto her side and threw her sword. While one bastard was distracted from deflecting it, her hand formed the shape of the Buddha¡¯s Hand. Dingggg-! The sound of a bell ringing. One head near her exploded. The remains flew in all directions. Skin with hair attached, shattered bone fragments, brain matter, and two eyeballs with little tails dangling from them. Killing intent surged from her left. The kid was stered onto that very side. As such, A-Qing lowered her body and spun around two and a half times. Her elerated foot hooked an enemy¡¯s ankle. The foe¡¯s two legs went flying. With that, the enemy was sent flying straight due to inertia. A-Qing stomped on the neck of the bastard and leaped forward. A spear de flew towards her thigh. She caught the spear shaft. Right as she was about to pull, there was a sound that seemed to cut through the air with a Swish. A massive sword de rushed in. A-Qingy down on the spot, pulling the child into her embrace. The enemy¡¯s sword de aimed towards the ground. A-Qing rolled wildly to the side. Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud, the sound of the weapon hitting the ground followed A-Qing. The dagger lodged in her arm dug further in. It was so painful that not even a scream could erupt out. The world is spinning and my arm hurts. It hurts so much. It hurts. It hurts. An ankle was caught in her hand. She clenched her fist. The ankle was crushed under the grip filled with internal force. The bone splintered and broke, tearing through the skin and tickling her palm. A strange heat rose quietly from her dantian. The pain eased a bit. A-Qing pushed away the falling owner of the ankle with her feet. The martial artist, who was about to slice down into the ground, tumbled along with the ankle cripple. A-Qing flicked her waist. With the rebound, she quickly stood up and extended her hand. Inner Qi swirled around furiously. Dinggg-! The brutal fist and palm of the Buddha¡¯s Palm was unleashed. A headless body fell onto A-Qing. She tucked the child by her side once again and all too naturally took the sword from the headless corpse. You¡¯re back, Moonlight Sword! A-Qing grasped the Moonlight Sword (No. 7). The heat from her dantian spread throughout her entire body. And in that moment, A-Qing lost herself. Trance. It was a fascinating experience. She felt like she was warmly andfortably lying down, resting within her body that someone else seemed to move. A-Qing soon found the right term for it. Automatic Hunting! A-Qing walked out. She felt good when she spun and stepped as if dancing. In fact, her attitude was almost one of a beautiful woman frolicking. Sometimes she would circle far around to cut an enemy¡¯s wrist, thus making a scream bloom, and the woman would shiver. When drawing a circle, the scribble that swirled like a whirlpool pierced the heart, sliced the spleen, and cut the intestines. A gentle touch drew a straight line, connecting ear to ear, and all too naturally, the head opened like a lid. With every step, blood flowed. Life faded and the womanughed. Finally, in the center of the inn¡­ Under the scattered moonlight, a female swordsman with a child stood alone. It was only then did A-Qing regain control of her body. A tepid fatigue pressed down heavily on her. She nearly staggered. What the fuck! Take my body again. It was morefortable like that! ¡°Myeong!¡± A blood-soaked Yang Sowol burst out. She was a reliable ally who kept throwing chopsticks whenever it got dangerous. In fact, that was much more helpful than a clumsy joint attack. Yang Sowol took the child and drew a sword to protect A-Qing¡¯s side. Thus, the battle ended. The inn was a mess of corpses and scattered limbs that had lost their owners. And such owners were those who groaned and clutched their wounds. Some crawled around looking for their wrists and ankles and exhausted survivors watched A-Qing nervously. ¡°Party¡¯s over. Everyone go back.¡± She said this with a smile, but in fact, it was a bluff. Just as how it always was whenever A-Qing spoke kind lines¡­ She had no internal force left now. In fact, it was hard to even straighten her trembling legs. Generally the power of the martial arts was proportional to the consumption of internal force. The Sword Art of the Yue Maiden was a peerless Movement Technique. Moreover, the two manifestations of the Buddha¡¯s Palm yed a role as well. While all her Inner Qi Arts was inherently powerful, even among them, the Buddha¡¯s Palm was special. After all, it was the pinnacle of all Orthodox Martial Arts. As such, it was not meant for a martial artist at the mere Peak Realm to use. The survivors were cautious, yet they still continued to gauge her condition. A-Qing spoke again. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not in a great situation either. But I can still take two out of three of you with me. One-third. How about it? Is the probability worth a try? Wanna go?¡± That statement produced a decisive result. ¡°We shall take our leave now. May we collect the bodies?¡± ¡°Leave the dead bastards¡¯ moneybags.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Thank you for your consideration.¡± Some turned away in solitude, others collected theirrades¡¯ bodies, and another spoke of vengeance. ¡°I am Choi Beon of the Gangneung Subsect. You, bitch, will pay for this blood debt someday.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever. You do that.¡± Why is he talking so much when he was just another fucker who lost? Given my temper, I would¡¯ve liked to settle this once and for all, but given the circumstances¡­ A-Qing had to keep watch and protect her position for a long while until all the enemies had left. *** Chapter 15: Change the Course to North-Northwest (4) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (4) ? Fuck, I actually almost died. There were several truly dizzying moments. Thanks to Yang Sowol¡¯s help and the fact that attacks hardly came from the side where Jin Jangmyeong was, she barely survived. But Jin Jangmyeong wasn¡¯t attacked at all. It meant that the target of all those viins gathered in the inn was to abduct this bratty kid. And to think she was almost stolen away like some spoils of war that would be made as a concubine. What¡¯s with her? Is she some kind of princess? But she doesn¡¯t quite look the part to be called a princess¡­¡­. At that moment, Yang Sowol gave a deep bow to A-Qing. A-Qing was startled. It was quite burdensome, no, beyond burdensome, seeing as she was old enough to be her mother. ¡°Once again, I am in your debt, Great Expert.¡± ¡°Huh, debt? No, no, no. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s rea-Ugh.¡± When A-Qing waved her arms in protest, she choked back a scream. Blood was dripping from her arm. It¡¯s okay when it¡¯s someone else¡¯s blood, but when it¡¯s mine, every bit feels precious. Is that selfish of me? ¡°Great Expert, your wound¡­..!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just need to spit on it a bit.¡± A-Qing didn¡¯t need to worry about any infections. All she needed to do was apply some medicine and rest. Then, it would heal. Though it would take some time and be quite inconvenient. ¡°But Great Expert, your arm¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°Ah shit, once again, my patience is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Great Expert?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Losing an arm is nothing. It¡¯s fortunate that the child is safe. Oh well.¡± I did it! A-Qing smiled like a fool. ¡°Rather than that, I need to treat it quickly.¡± Fortunately, Yang Sowol knew some simple medical techniques. She even had some decent medicine for weapon wounds. But sadly, there were also unfortunate aspects. There was no way to anesthetize the pain. In the end, instead of anesthesia, she bit down on a handkerchief. Thus, while pulling out the dagger and sewing up the wound, A-Qing had a taste of what hell on earth truly was. Deep wounds turned inside out and protruded. They were pressed down gently and sewn up withrge stitches, repeating the process depending on the depth. Afterwards, it was sewn up with smaller stitches. By the time the wound was wrapped with a clean cloth, A-Qing¡¯s eyes had turned blood-red. It was because all the capiries there had burst. Of course, bursting into tears yed a part too. Fuck Top G and all that. It hurt way too much to act all manly. Seriously. A-Qing, who was a bit embarrassed after calming down, changed the subject. ¡°So, what were up with those bastards?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­.¡± Yang Sowol hesitated, trailing off. Then, after a moment, her expression became determined. ¡°It would only be right and respectful to tell our benefactor.¡± ¡°Huh, I wasn¡¯t that curious, though.¡± It was a bit burdensome; after all, she had just asked without putting much thought into it. She was seriously not interested, but Yang Sowol didn¡¯t seem to believe her. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. The truth is, this child¡­¡­.¡± She¡¯s hyping up the situation! Seems like there¡¯s a pretty big secret! A-Qing swallowed hard in anticipation. ¡°Was born with Pure Yin Blood.¡± What a shocking conclusion! To think it was Pure Yin Blood! I have no idea what that is! Yang Sowol, with her seasoned intuition and observations, realized this fact. ¡°Great Expert, Pure Yin Blood means¡­¡­¡± ¡ª- Yang Sowol was originally a martial artist, but retired after marrying her husband and settled in a remote part of Fujian. Her husband was a kind person, and so on and so forth. To put it simply, it was about how happy she was with her husband. The peak of their happiness was when they discovered they were expecting a child. The child was frail. Her limbs were always cold, she easily got sick, and once she fell asleep, she had trouble waking up. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean it hindered their happiness. Then, as the child grew and started learning basic self-defense, they realized her Constitution was unusual. She had some sort of meridian blockage. Children born with blocked meridians rarely lived past the age of thirty. The shocked couple sought out skilled doctors from all over to treat this meridian blockage. The results of their findings were the worst it could be. Innate True Qi. It referred to the basic Qi that people possessed. The amount of Innate True Qi varied slightly from person to person. But, in the end, they were all fairly simr. Though there might be tiny differences, they were not significant. The property of this Qi also varied slightly among individuals. They weremonly referred to as Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. However, even that was all fairly simr. Once again, though there might be tiny differences, they were not significant. But in very rare cases, a child was born with these properties at an extreme level. Yin and Yang each had two properties. Yin Energy was cold and dark. Out of them, only the cold energy was separated and called Pure Yin. Meanwhile, the dark energy was called Unorthodox Yin. Yang Energy was bright and hot. Simrly, brightness was called Orthodox Yang and the heat was called Pure Yang. There were six extreme types of children born very rarely. Boys born with Pure Yang, Extreme Yang, or Orthodox Yang. Girls born with Unorthodox Yin, Extreme Yin, or Pure Yin. Out of them, girls born with Pure Yin Blood were the most precious. And this child had that very Pure Yin Blood. Meanwhile, among Jianghu¡¯s nefarious methods was something called Collect Yin Supplement Yang. The practice of extracting Yin Energy through sexual intercourse with a woman. It was different from Daoist Dual Cultivation. Dual Cultivation involved both partners exchanging and circting each other¡¯s energy, benefiting both. That was also why it was not considered evil. And it was a Daoist practice, after all. And among the six types of Yin and Yang Energies, Pure Yin was particrly convenient. Whenbined with Yang Energy, it underlied and enhanced its warmth and brightness. For martial artists who mastered Yang-based martial arts, there was no better elixir. For those who had mastered Yin-based martial arts? It was an elixir that made their Yin Energy even purer and more refined. On top of that, what did martial artists think of elixirs? An elixir was worth risking one¡¯s life for. If one wouldn¡¯t risk their life for an elixir, then what was the point of preserving life in the first ce? Where else would you use it? Martial artists would literally risk death for an elixir. As such, once it became known that a child was born with Pure Yin Blood, she would not be able to survive. She would face the most miserable death amidst cruel suffering. A background capable of protecting such a child from these unspeakably dire threats was necessary. At the very least, until the child reached the realm of a First-Rate, where her Innate True Qi could no longer be taken by any means. Fortunately, there was such a sect in the Murim of this Jianghu. The Divine Maiden Sect of Mount Wu. However, the journey from the remote countryside of Fujian Province to Mount Wu in Hubei Province was too harsh for the child. The idea of crossing half the continent with a child who was already so frail was daunting. But after her husband died, Yang Sowol had no more time to hesitate. Thus, the mother and daughter set out together, hand in hand. ¡ª- ¡°Wait a minute. So you¡¯re telling me, right now these crazy motherfuckers were¡­¡± It meant all those fuckers were gathered here and causing this shitfest just because they wanted to shag a single middle school girl? This dogshit was supposed to be¡­¡­ righteous martial arts? Aside from that, the kid¡¯s identity was somewhat shocking. You were¡­¡­Female Middle Schooler chan1kind of a meme in korea. but basically, the ¡°chan¡±es from Japanese. Also, Korean pronouns are weird, as in they don¡¯t really use them. So, it may be that A-Qing was really shocked that Jin Jangmyeong is a girl. Because she was so malnourished, she couldve been seen as a little boy. I changed the previous TLs to fit the ¡°she¡± part, but it¡¯s obviously difficult to do this ¡°Big Reveal¡± when we use she before. Just a heads-up and fun fact!¡­¡­?¡± A-Qing looked down at the kid who was snuggled onto her thigh and sleeping soundly. She had shamelessly imed the thighs of a victim of pain. Someone who was unable to withstand the torture disguised as treatment and could only let out streams of tears because her sobs were blocked by a towel in her mouth. The audacity. She was truly an evil little cretin. ¡°Excuse me. I apologize for bringing this up, but if you pity the child, would you consider apanying us to Mount Wu?¡± ¡°Of course I would! Those horny sons of bitches will¡­¡± A-Qing¡¯s words were cut off due to the sudden Mission Window that popped up. [Omen, (Unknown)th Crisis] Description: [You stand before a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.] Actions for Mission Completion Righteous Karma) Take the child to the Divine Maiden Sect ? Or take the child to an appropriate sect Righteous Karma) Transfer the elixir to the rightful owner Evil Karma) Sell the elixir Evil Karma) Take the elixir for yourself Heavenly ughtering Star) Destroy the elixir and take the lifeblood [This choice could influence everything below Heaven.] It was a Mission Window format she had never seen before. A Mission Window usually epassed killing bad guys on the spot or doing bad deeds with them. That was the extent of it. To go a bit further, it would be to kill the bad guy¡¯s friends as well. Or kill indiscriminately, whether they were good or bad. It had always been roughly along those lines. If I knew this would happen, I would have read up a bit on Mission Guides. Character Making and Early-Game Farming Route. The only information A-Qing had before entering the game was these two. There was no time to look up other information. The game wasn¡¯t thatrge in storage size to begin with. After all, it installed in an instant, so she immediately started the game. What¡¯s Omen? And what¡¯s the nth Criss? The condition for achieving the second Righteous Karma was the same. But transfer the elixir to the rightful owner? Moreover, the choice of words was unpleasantly blunt. There was only one mission method that treated Jin Jangmyeong as a human being. Elixir? The fuck is up with referring to a perfectly alive child as an elixir? Crack. A-Qing gritted her teeth. What the hell? What am I supposed to do? What are you expecting me to do? What am I? Am I inside a game? Am I the protagonist? What is this world? What about the child? The mother? Are they humans or just programmed beings? Why me? Why only me? Why? Why? WhatthefuckisOmensupposedtobe. WhydidFemaleMiddleSchoolerchanandImeet Ifit¡¯snotacoincidencebutpredestined IfmychoiceorignoranceleadsmealongapredeterminedpathtowardsafixedendingthenafterthendI-2What the fuck is Omen supposed to be? Why did Female Middle Schooler chan and I meet? If it¡¯s not a coincidence but predestined If my every choice or ignorance leads me along a predetermined path towards a fixed ending then after the end I- Suddenly, something cold touched her wrist. With faded, empty eyes, A-Qing moved her neck like a rusty machine. A small hand grabbing her wrist. A hand so cold that it snapped her awake. ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­¡­¡± The child pulled on her wrist with her feeble strength. Following her pull, A-Qing¡¯s hand touched her unusually chilly cheek. ¡°Haaa.¡± A-Qing let out a deep sigh. She felt like utter shit. Just looking at the Status Window was enough to provoke a seizure. Wasn¡¯t that technically a disease? Then is this a mental illness? Me, a mental patient?! This is quite a shocking revtion. Don¡¯t look at me like that, guy. You guys would understand if you went through it, you see. A-Qing forcefully swallowed the rising nausea. The bitter gastric juice that momentarily reached the back of her throat didn¡¯te out but went back down. She harshly scratched her throat in frustration. ¡°Great Expert?¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. What were we talking about? Ah, right. Of course, we must go together. I can tell you this. Sure. Of course.¡± A¨CQing responded in that manner. Is there something like a Settings Window? So that I can turn off the suddenly appearing Mission Windows. This fucking piece of shit thing. A-Qing, instead of swearing out loud, looked down at the child¡¯s face. The sleeping child naturally brought peace to her mind and body. Perhaps humans evolved that way. Like to protect vulnerable children? Maybe? Mission or whatever, A-Qing had only one choice. Female Middle Schooler chan was just a baby. Babies must be protected. That wasmon sense for any civilized modern Korean. *** Chapter 16: Change the Course to North-Northwest (5) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (5) ? Poor children grew up quickly. So did sick children. And Jin Jangmyeong was both sick and poor. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t even poor from the start. When returning to her senses after copsing from a fever, the decorations in the house were gone and the number of servants had decreased. With that, the spacious manor had shrunk to a damp corner of a room with a creaking door. Her dad, who went to get medicine, never returned. Instead, only the medicine came back1at least he sent the milk home¡­. It should have been the other way around, though. Her mom could not even properly grieve. During nights where she pretended to sleep because she couldn¡¯t, she heard her mom quietly sobbing, fearing she might hear her. Not long after, they left home. It was all her fault. That was why Jin Jangmyeong had to be a rude brat. She had to be an immature child. Having matured too early for her age, she knew that her adult-like demeanor would only hurt her mom, her mother. And that was when she saw that woman. A woman who set up an expensive meal andughed foolishly with the happiest face in the world. Something dark stirred inside Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s heart. While watching her happily feast, she managed to get a bite. And in the end, she fell for the provocation and ended up eating until her stomach nearly burst. The food was delicious, though. However, she couldn¡¯t stand it when her mother expressed her pathetic gratitude. It was because she shouldn¡¯t need to do that. After all, it was just a frivolous act of kindness from an idiot who thought the world was all happiness. A truly shitty, cheap, and superficial favor. ¡ª- They were inside a slowly rolling carriage. A carriage was originally an object that moved slowly. If it went slightly faster, it became not a means of transport but a torture device that targetted the passengers¡¯ buttocks. Inside, A-Qing was having a hard time. ¡°Mother2in korean, you can call other elderly ¡°Mother/Father¡± even if they¡¯re not actually your mother/father, is this really okay?¡± ¡°My child is a bit spoiled, so¡­¡­.. Myeong, you¡¯re making the Great Expert ufortable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.This ce isfortable for me.¡± Thefort of a ride ultimately depended on how scientifically it could cushion impacts. The carriage¡¯s shock absorption relied heavily on the materials. Meaning, it all came down to the sticity of the lumber. For that reason, Jin Jangmyeong wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. A-Qing¡¯s thighs, moderately padded with a fair bnce of muscle and flesh, offered a much morefortable ride than any cotton-stuffed cloth. In addition, it was also nice to lean her back on. Afterst night¡¯s attack, Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s attitude changed. She clung to her side and refused to let go. Instead, A-Qing felt a bit ufortable. If it were some ten-year-old kid, she could easily hug and caress them, showering them with affection. But what if it was a prime of her youth, springtime of her life, sixteen-year-old Female Middle Schooler chan, who was just a bit small and frail? Just having her sit on herp was enough to prepare herself for social death. TheClink Clink of them handcuffs. Moreover, her mother was right there on the opposite side! As such, A-Qing had no choice but to stiffen. Bute on, isn¡¯t sixteen really not the age to be sitting onps and acting all spoiled? Isn¡¯t that way too old for her now? Or is it? Is this a normal physical and mental distance for girls? In truth, Jin Jangmyeong was currently enjoying that very reaction with the sensitivity typical of a sick child. Though she didn¡¯t know why, she noticed that A-Qing found the contact with her quite ufortable. As such, Jin Jangmyeong went a step further. She grabbed A-Qing¡¯s left and right hands and ced them on her thighs, stacking them together. A-Qing stiffened like a rock. This was absolutely fucked. SHE was absolutely fucked. To others, it might look like a young woman holding her niece. But not to A-Qing. The saying that what matters is the inside meant that the way each individual viewed the world was particrly important in this moment. Look at A-Qing hiding the A-Qing Law3ACT ON THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH AGAINST SEX OFFENSES ¡­¡­..fuck¡­¡­¡­¡­.basically it¡¯s saying A-Qing Law is ACT ON THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH AGAINST SEX OFFENSES in korean. But it¡¯s also ¡°A-Qing Law¡± A double entendre. The meme implies that she is hiding the fact that thisw exists in Murim because she doesn¡¯t want to get socially disgraced. At the same time, she is worrying that this is what people might think of her.. Is this a green light? Shut the fuck up. Fuck no, it¡¯s not4It basically is throwing shade on child predators who say ¡°oh it was consensual¡±. Like no. Bro. They are children. It doesn¡¯t fucking matter if they consent or shit. THEY ARE CHILDREN. Eh? Look at¡­A-Qing¡­hiding¡­5So, she is trying to use these ¡°memes¡± to both im her innocence and distract herself from the worries that she has about this situation. She couldn¡¯t think of any of the myriad modern memes she would usually recite in moments of difort or unease. You, who were in the throes of puberty until just yesterday. Since when did you and I be us?6Another meme. It¡¯s basically pointing out a rtionship that IS LEGAL. AS IN THEY ARE OF AGE. So, she is recalling these famous ¡°lines¡± in movies/drama to call into attention how she is STRICTLY NOT A CHILD PREDATOR. A-Qing was doing everything in her power to think silly thoughts. ¡°Great Expert.¡± A-Qing startled at the sound of the displeased voice. The stiff face of Yang Sowol appeared in her vision. ¡°I am innocent! As you saw earlier, this was not my intentio¡­¡± ¡°It seems I chose the wrong coachman.¡± Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t an inquiry about child molestation. By the way, what¡¯s wrong with the coachman? Ah. The coachman is absolute dogwater at his job. I see. I guess it does kinda feel like I¡¯m bing one with the ground. She could feel every grain of sand on the road through her butt. Seriously. She had once joined a friend for a drive to celebrate his new car. And she got carsick in less than thirty minutes. That was how much influence the driver had when it came to thefort of a ride. ¡°The carriage is slowing down.¡± Yang Sowol gripped her sword. A-Qing was surprised. Sure, it feels like the coachman is driving with his feet, but isn¡¯t using your sword a bit much? Or is this consideredmon sense in Murim? Maybe in Murim, there¡¯s a custom of beheading a coachman who can¡¯t drive well. What a harsh industry. Then how do novice coachmen gain experience? While A-Qing was still lost in her thoughts, Yang Sowol suddenly shouted. ¡°Now!¡± There was no time to stop her. Yang Sowol kicked the door open powerfully and leaped out. She clearly wasn¡¯t telling her to just watch, so it must mean to follow her. A-Qing also jumped out while carrying Jin Jangmyeong. ¡°Shit! They noticed!¡± ¡°Get them! Only the brat needs to be unharmed!¡± An unexpected wee party had crowded around. Only then did A-Qing grasp the situation. The fuckers haven¡¯t given up yet, huh. A-Qing¡¯s hand reached into her clothes before shooting something out. One of the attackers who was rushing in grabbed his eye and fell to the ground screaming. AHHHHH! It was a scream so loud that his throat seemed to rip from the inside. However, anyone would scream like that if a chopstick pierced through their eyelid and into their eye. Afterst night¡¯s attack, A-Qing did a lot of reflecting. She had be toocent after gaining some confidence as a Master. If her Inner Qi had been just a bit less, she wouldn¡¯t be breathing so easily right now. As such, she spent some of the Free Practice Points she had saved up. She had about thirty martial arts with a White Border, among which she upgraded two Inner Qi Cultivation Techniques to 10 Stars. As they were the lowest grade martial arts, there was no 12 Star and Grand Star realm. Because of this, she wasn¡¯t able to gain any special abilities, but there was still about a 20% increase in her total amount of Qi. Furthermore, she upgraded one Hidden Weapon Technique to 10 Stars. Three Birds One Chopstick. It was a throwing technique that had the meaning of hitting three birds with one chopstick; given that it was a readily avable Hidden Weapon Technique, it was hard to expect much from its power. However, a Master of the West, Mr. John Wick, had be renowned for massacring a certain unorthodox gang with a pencil. With a fucking pencil! As such, even a Third-Rate Hidden Weapon Technique became a whole different beast in the hands of a master. Three Birds One Chopstick was a technique that used any readily avable stick, so its power was originally low. Therefore, the exquisite principle of its usey in unpredictably. Or to put it more poetically, it was necessary to distract from the east but attack from the west. The hidden weapons kept flying towards the assants¡¯ eyes. One bastard had already been made a cyclops and had copsed. The attackers made their preparations, raising their arms to block at any moment. But when they did so, a low strike buried itself straight between their crotches. The second victim couldn¡¯t even scream. Instead, he clutched his lower half and foamed at the mouth. A vile attack that cut off all future generations. The attackers felt a creeping fear that sent shivers down their spine. ¡°Such viciousness!¡± ¡°A witch! It¡¯s a witch! There¡¯s a witch here!¡± Honestly, A-Qing felt a bit sorry. But what choice did she have in a life or death situation? She couldn¡¯t really have any inhibitions or discriminations in her methods, right? Since she had incapacitated two with mere chopsticks, it made the investment of her Practice Points worthwhile. A-Qing drew her sword. A menacing Sword Qi surged. ¡°A Peak Realm Master!¡± ¡°Fuck, you never said anything about Peak Realm!¡± The bastards hesitated. A-Qing was about to dash forward but only took a step. The startled enemies quickly backed away. A-Qing was conflicted. Is it okay for me to see blood with this kid clinging by my side? She had already practiced the art of fighting with baggage in realbat the night before. And from the looks of it, there were no Masters among them, so there were probably no issues. But what if it gave a great blow to the delicate and sensitive nature of an angsty juvenile? Right then, Yang Sowol leaped in with exquisite timing. ¡°Great Expert, Myeong can-!¡± ¡°I was counting on you!¡± A-Qing shouted in excitement and joy. Her hands were free. They were all fucked now. Two suspicious men who had chased after Yang Sowol were split in half with a single sword strike. Their upper bodies separated, spilling their contents. The enemies opposite of Yang Sowol quickly scattered away. That was when it happened. ¡°Stop!¡± A rat-faced man came out as if going out of his way to assert his presence. A-Qing recognized his face. ¡°You! From yesterday!¡± It was the bastard who threw a dagger and ran away yesterday. Thanks to him, A-Qing was forced to reenact a certain Guan Yu experience7Guan Yu was once injured in the left arm by a stray arrow which pierced through his arm. Although the wound healed, he still experienced pain in the bone whenever there was a heavy downpour. A physician told him, ¡°The arrowhead had poison on it and the poison had seeped into the bone. The way to get rid of this problem is to cut open your arm and scrape away the poison in your bone.¡±. All luster disappeared from A-Qing¡¯s eyes. I swore I¡¯d kill that motherfucker, didn¡¯t I? Even while facing such killing intent, Rat Face somehow kept his morale high. And then, he raised his arm high, as if showing off something. It was a hand holding something ck,rge, and round. ¡°Stop! Do you not see this? If you don¡¯t want us to all die together, hand over that brat and-¡± But A-Qing had already lost her mind in rage. She had far surpassed any sort of rational thinking or negotiation. So, obviously, she didn¡¯t see it. Ding-! The bell sound of the Buddha¡¯s Palm. The area above Rat Face¡¯s wrist disappeared without a trace. And the ck,rge, round thing was pushed by the impact, flying far away and- The sound became a shockwave that shook the forest. Trees swayed, dry leaves flew, and grass was ttened all at once. Birds took off in unison. A slight earthquake that traveled through the soles of everyone¡¯s feet. Thunder Bomb. A secret weapon of the central government and Murim¡¯s worst nightmare. The only countermeasure was Reinforced Qi Armor. Even the remains of a Peak Realm martial artist wouldn¡¯t be found if caught in its explosion. But A-Qing didn¡¯t know about any of that. Nor did she care. She had already grabbed Rat Face¡¯s neck. ¡°You motherfucker. I told you I¡¯d kill you.¡± ¡°Keuk, you¡­never¡­said¡­th-¡± ¡°I did, okay? In my mind. Desperately.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supp¡­¡­.¡± When the carotid artery was pressed firmly, there was no difference between a novice and a Master. Rat Face lost consciousness and slumped down. I can¡¯t kill this bastard that easily now, can I? Well then, how should I kill him? What would be the best way? If someone is watching me, I want them to say I cooked the shit out of him, you know? But before that¡­ A-Qing¡¯s head snapped around. Her bright smile and dead eyes faced the attackers. *** Chapter 17: Change the Course to North-Northwest (6) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (6) ? In a distant past, a Daoist Monk with the surname Jang established a Daoist temple at Purple Night Peak of Mount Taehwa. One day, Jang dreamed of meeting an Immortal and asked for his teachings of the sword. Upon waking from his dream and undergoing zen meditation for ten months, he found that the sword could move by itself. Jang then built a temple for Zen study and named it Wudang, attaching a signboard to it. Thus, people began to call Mount Taehwa by another name. Because it was the main mountain of the Wudang Sect, it was called Mount Wudang. And here, there were people heading towards the Wudang Sect. ¡°Teacher, do you need to continue being carried?¡± ¡°Fine. This much is enough.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ahhhh, what a sorrow it is to be old. The only disciple I have thinks of nothing but throwing me aside every morning and evening. Ahhhh, O Primeval Lord of Heaven.¡± ¡°Teacher, what is that supposed to mean? Teacher will surely live a life of eternal youth. Please know that, at the very least, your disciple always wishes for that.¡± ¡°Yes. But what glory is there in living a long life alone? I, too, always pray for my disciple¡¯s path to immortality.¡± The Daoists Monks following besideughed. After all, it was said that one lived longer the more they were cursed at. ¡°But Teacher, why are you hanging onto me like this?¡± ¡°It is too difficult for you to carry me, so I decided to hang on instead.¡± ¡°The Lord Above truly is indifferent. To leave such a living example of righteousness, an embodiment of active goodness, on this earth without thinking of calling him back to his embrace.¡± ¡°If it seems like it is time to ascend and join the world of Daoist Immortals, would there be any particr reason to prepare?¡± ¡°I have found a reason. Since the Dao of the Immortals does not ept worldly connections, shouldn¡¯t the order be firste, first-served?¡± ¡°Hoho, that is my wish. So please, try to do as such.¡± Hwanyuk, the young man carrying the old man, gritted his teeth andmented. ¡°My fate is indeed one of ill luck! At Mount Hua, Daoist Monk Changbin served his teacher so well that he eats elixirs like it¡¯s his daily meal and is even aiming for the Transcendent Realm. Meanwhile, some haven¡¯t even seen the leftovers of Purple Night Pills. It is said that connections are the fortune of three lifetimes, so how did I end up with such misfortune!¡± ¡°Indeed, indeed, you spoke well. If my disciple were Changbin, I could truly feed him elixirs like it was an ordinary meal. It is really, truly a pity.¡± ¡°Teacher! Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡± Hwanyuk was scratched. As the attack was so softly dealt with Wudang¡¯s Tai Chi, it was clear that Hwanyuk was still a novicepared to his teacher. They were Daoists of the Wudang Sect returning to Wudang. The grand celebration of the Mount Heng Sect¡¯s Grand Elder was a month ago and they took the rare opportunity to cultivate their Dao by enjoying the scenery of Dongting Lake. The teacher, Dao Master Seungsu, consoled his sulky disciple. ¡°You brat, are you upset? Even if I can¡¯t take care of my disciple as well as Junghoo does, I have given you something far more precious, have I not?¡± ¡°From Teacher? As an unworthy disciple. I do not remember receiving anything, so what is this precious article you have given me?¡± ¡°You brat, what do you think being well-endowed means? Whether it is reaching the Transcendent Realm or whatever, he is beneath you, so what is the point in being jealous?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, Teacher¡¯s words are indeed like precious jade. Isn¡¯t it hard for Teacher to hang on? May this unworthy disciple dare to hold onto Teacher¡¯s buttocks, that is no different from the sk¡­Mm?¡± Hwanyuk¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± The sound of a human scream. It was a scream that was faint yet so desperate that just hearing it was enough to send shivers down his spine. ¡ª- A man with a face akin to a rat was crawling on the ground in a miserable state. When he looked up because a shadow was suddenly cast, A-Qing was squatting and looking down at him. ¡°P-Please, save¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Me? How? Do I look like a doctor to you?¡± ¡°Please save me, I beg you, please¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my area of expertise, soooo.¡± Suddenly, a scene came to mind. Friends were gathered in front of a flower bed. Someone was yelling toe quickly. A worm was crawling on the cement floor. And there was a magnifying ss in a friend¡¯s hand. It was the day when they were collecting sunlight, pushing each other aside and saying it was their turn because they wanted to try too. That day, there was a friend whose name and face she didn¡¯t really remember. But the desperate wriggling, the worm¡¯s body quickly swelling and puffing up under the small ss lens the size of a child¡¯s palm, was vivid. It was a memory from some part of her childhood. ¡°Huh, wait.¡± ¡°Sav-.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the worm wriggle more than this?¡± ¡°Please save me, please¡­¡­¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t it hurt? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just die? Why not just ask to be killed?¡± A-Qing tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand. The rat-faced man looked up at A-Qing. And then, their eyes met. In the shaded eyes of A-Qing, who turned her back to the sun, a tumultuous gleam flickered. At first nce, it was purple, but upon closer inspection, it was also red like blood and blue like thread veins, as well as had the yellow ze of the sun. It was entirely ck and sometimes white, yet also transparent. It was truly a color that did not exist anywhere in the world. When the Killing Star of Heavenly ughter seeped into the marrow, it illuminated the world with an seditious starlight. ¡°Demon! It is a monster!¡± As she suddenly raised her head, a young man with a sword charged straight at her. A-Qing swung her sword in response, but the young man stepped into the air, leaping and dodging. There was an unspoken rule in the Murim of Jianghu. After witnessing the marvelous footwork of a direct disciple of the Wudang Sect, one must express admiration and respect. Any cultured martial artist would have to exim, ¡®Indeed, it is Cloud-Ascending Ladder!¡¯. However, A-Qingcked such refinement. Instead, she was overwhelmed by the unexpected aerial maneuver and struggled to defend against the onught. The young man changed direction seven times in mid-air. He moved right, left, up, and in all directions, before finally kicking off an unseen point in the air and charging instantly. The tip of the sword pressed forward like a massive mountain. A-Qing gritted her teeth and swung her sword horizontally. The Moonlight Sword, narrowly avoiding the young man¡¯s sword tip, twisted its trajectory desperately. The swordy that had charged right before her eyes slipped away to the right. But then, she saw the young man¡¯s empty left hand. A fist that clenched one digit at a time starting from the pinky, rotating. Oh shit. Oops. A-Qing poured True Qi into her heels. Thump. A-Qing flew through the air and tumbled to the ground. Standing up amidst the churning nausea, she vomited a bowlful of ck blood. Unfortunately, A-Qing¡¯s front was more protruding than others. As such, the vomited bloodpletely soaked her clothes, leaving them damp. ¡°Mm¡­¡­.?¡± A-Qing blinked her eyes. Why did she feel so refreshed after being hit once? In truth, both the Seven Stars Qi and the Demon-Subduing Fist Technique of Wudang were originally endowed with excellent exorcism and purification properties. Thebined effect of two strong Purification Qi hit A-Qing with more than triple the purification power. Fortunately, A-Qing was the holder of the Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique. This technique was also a martial art of Daoism. It was difficult for Internal Qinggongs of Daoism to affect each other significantly. Daoist Qinggong tended to slip past each other without much harm, as if to shout ¡®It¡¯s not like we are strangers!¡¯. However, the Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique, which faced the Killing Star of Heavenly ughter alone, exerted some effort in resistance upon receiving the fresh and clear Qi of Wudang. The Killing Star of Heavenly ughter from the marrow seeped out with the blood and the tainted blood exited the body. It was a stroke of luck. Though at best, it just postponed the inevitably flowing time of the destiny that would one day touch upon Heavenly ughter. For some strange reason, she felt refreshed. A-Qing returned to her usual self and shouted. ¡°To think you would be so cowardly to ambush me from the front!¡± ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°There is no need for words! Today, at this ce! No disgusting, heinous, and perverted fuckers will survive! Die, pedophile!¡± This was the Art of Bullshit that A-Qing would only disy when she gained unwarranted confidence. After all, the hit she received wasn¡¯t all that bad. She was only slightly startled by the novel three-dimensional maneuver, but if she just pressed him down so he couldn¡¯t jump, that would be the end of it. Cloud-Ascending Ladder might be a marvel of Murim, but the lore of the Yue Maiden Footwork was a forgotten legend, as well as a myth. A gravity-defying footwork superior to any type of three-dimensional maneuvering. As the suddenly floating figure rushed towards him in the blink of an eye, Hwanyuk panicked and shed his sword against her. ¡°You fucking pervert! Child molester! Horny son of a bitch!¡± The phrases and trajectories the sword drew were certainly threatening, as it was hard to discern what was true and what was false. However, the continuous stream of curses that were being stuffed into his ear was even more horrifying. ¡°She¡¯s a child who hasn¡¯t even grown up! And yet, your penis still stands at attention?! Fuck, aren¡¯t you the least bit ashamed?! Do you not pity her?! Even beasts don¡¯t fuck with their young! You fucker! You¡¯re worse than even beasts! No, I feel sorry to the beasts for evenparing them with a motherfucker like you! No, you¡¯re not even a motherfucker! You childfucker! Cut off your dick! Rip off your cock! Do it!¡± ¡°W-Wait, wait a minute¡­¡­.!¡± It was then. ¡°Halt!¡± Hearing the urgent voice and the sound of rushing footsteps, A-Qing quickly created some distance. Tsk, why are there so many fucking pieces of shit trying to do something with that young kid? Wow, look at Murim go. It sure is well-run, yeah? What a fucking disgrace. Might as well finish with the Buddha¡¯s Palm and run away. That was what A-Qing thought as she eyed the young man¡­ Until she suddenly noticed the count of his Righteous Karma, 57. What? Why is it high? Then, martial artists wearing indigo uniforms of the Wudang Sect surged forward. Despite their various numbers, they were all people who had achieved Righteous Karma. Among them was someone who had set a new record. 183. The old man with 183 spoke. ¡°First, calm your rage, Fairy. There seems to be some misunderstanding here.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? So it¡¯s okay to hit people if it¡¯s a misunderstanding? Can¡¯t you see this?¡± A-Qing pped the chest area of her blood-soaked robes, drawing attention to it. Everyone¡¯s gaze wandered around, clearing their throats and looking at interesting events unfolding in the distant mountains as if nothing was happening here. ¡°Disciple, what exactly is going on here? Why is this Fairy cursing you with such vulgar words?¡± ¡°That, uh, well, it¡¯s because I definitely saw the Killing Star of a demonic human¡­¡­.¡± Dao Master Seungsu looked into A-Qing¡¯s eyes. The True Qi of the Yue Maiden, which hadpletely suppressed the Killing Star of Heavenly ughter, was finally doing its job. The Qi currently emanating from A-Qing¡¯s eyes. It was sharp and chilly for a Daoist, but undeniably of the same path. After all, the Inner Qi of Daoists and Buddhists were usually shown in the eyes. ¡°Hoho, you have truly taken leave of your senses. Yet, I never expected it to be this severe. No matter how I look at it, this Fairy seems to be a fellow follower of the Dao.¡± ¡°No, that woman was definitely casting an ominous starlight and trying to kill this man.¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze then turned towards the rat-faced man. He was in a dreadful state, barely staying alive. Their gazes shifted back to A-Qing. As such, she protested. ¡°That piece of shit is a bad guy! He¡¯s a perverted fucker who was trying to screw, no, pounce on a young kid!¡± Their gazes returned to the rat-faced man. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that¡­¡­¡­It was just a kidnapping¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Heh? Look at this fucker? What? Kidnapping? Just kidnapping? You knew what would happen to that kid, didn¡¯t you? Huh?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­..¡± The rat-faced man could not continue his words. A-Qing spoke up triumphantly. ¡°See? They¡¯re all the same in the end, whether he¡¯s a pedophile or someone who was going to offer the child to a pedophile. What difference does it make?¡± Dao Master Seungsu stroked his beard and spoke. ¡°Hoho, have I ever seen such a beast-like piece of shit in the world?¡± *** Chapter 18: Change the Course to North-Northwest (7) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (7) ? ¡°Yes, I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s how it is. The world is quite the perilous ce.¡± A-Qing firmly stepped on the back of the rat-faced man. ¡°S-Save me! Please save me!¡± Just as she was about to thrust the Moonlight Sword (No. 6) into him, Dao Master Seungsu urgently stopped her. ¡°Look here! Fairy. Shouldn¡¯t you still show him some mercy, even if he has sinned?¡± ¡°Huh? What? Why? Using these kinds of things as fertilizer is the only way to benefit the world, though.¡± ¡°It is all for your sake, Fairy. For those who walk the path of Dao, umting a karma of killing does no good.¡± A-Qing waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Ehhh, nah, I¡¯m fine.¡± A-Qing plunged her sword into the back of the rat-faced man¡¯s neck with precision, eliciting a bitter smile from the old Daoist of Wudang. A-Qing swung her sword to shake off the blood. A graceful sheathing of the sword followed. She had practiced this move a lot when there was nothing else to do. ¡°But Elder, why did I get hit? I vomited a whole bowlful of blood. And this friend over here has not apologized even once.¡± ¡°Hoho, Yuk.¡± ¡°Teacher! But I really saw it with my own eyes! Clearly! Exactly! It was a sight of unorthodox, evil, deathly Qi oozing out of her eyes! So purely evil that it has noparison! I swear on the honor of Teacher! There is not a shred of falsehood in my words!¡± Hwanyuk leapt up in indignation. This was one of the strongest types of promises among martial artists. ¡®I swear on my sect that it¡¯s true¡¯ ¡®I swear on my Teacher that it¡¯s true¡¯ It was much more solemn than its modernistic counterpart where one would swear on their mother. It was because lying on the name of one¡¯s sect or teacher could lead to expulsion and the dishonor of being cut off from one¡¯s lineage. And a single expulsion could ruin a martial artist¡¯s life. As such, this was far more serious than the modern era, where one could go ¡®Imma shit on my family once. Sorry, Mom!¡¯ and pass over it. ¡°Hoho, Yuk. What should I do with this punk¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I am telling the truth! Do not be fooled! She must be some Y¨­kai!¡± ¡°Yuk, where in this heaven and earth would there be Y¨­kai? How can someone who cultivates the way of the Dao speak like a chatan?¡± Eh, chatan? A-Qing tilted her head. Isn¡¯t chatan an English word? Actually, chatan came from a word used by Confucius, which had a simr meaning but was not exactly the same. It basically meant something equivalent to a counterfeit or knock-off. As A-Qing pondered this, Hwanyuk, filled with grievance and feeling wronged, was seething. ¡°No, Teacher! In this Trichiliocosm1A concept in cosmology of a ¡°third-order¡± universe containing one thousand second-order clusters, which are made of one thousand first-order clusters, which are in turn made of a thousand worlds each. Billion-fold universe. A Buddhist concept. It basically means all universes where the Three Eminences, the Six Emperors, and the Eight Immortals exist, how can there not be such capricious and mysterious monsters!¡± ¡°Oho, this punk, who is as blind as a bat, dares¡­¡­.¡± Dao Master Seungsu¡¯s beard bristled. However, Hwanyuk seemed a bit more oblivious andcking in tact than usual because of his excitement. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you previously say that evil spirits and demons akin to Living Jiangshis are made-up tales that only exist in the ssic of Mountains and Seas2a Chinese ssic text and aption of mythic geography and beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed since the 4th century BCE, but the present form was not reached until the early Han dynasty.! But how did that turn out! Wasn¡¯t I right before! Beneath Dongting Lake wasn¡¯t there the Living Jiang-¡± ¡°You rascal! Do you need a caning to set your mind straight!¡± ¡°Hup.¡± A secret history of Murim slipped out from Hwanyuk¡¯s mouth, as light as a feather. However, A-Qing didn¡¯t know anything about it anyway. Living Jiangshi? Weren¡¯t Jiangshis those corpses that stuck their arms forward and hopped around? But if a Jiangshi was alive, wasn¡¯t it no longer a Jiangshi? Well, what do I know. I guess that kind of thing exists. A-Qing got to the point. ¡°Elder? Anyway, it seems he has no intention of apologizing.¡± ¡°I am truly sorry to the Fairy.¡± Dao Master Seungsu spoke as if he was ashamed. A-Qing responded with a smile, as if to indicate it was okay. ¡°In return, how about we go do a good deed together?¡± ¡ª- A-Qing roughly exined the situation. This child was being targeted, but needed to reach Mount Wu. As such, she was bringing the child, but it seemed like they would continue to be attacked by such people. Dao Master Seungsu nodded willingly, having clearly heard the rat-faced man mention kidnapping before he died. If the destination was the Divine Maiden Sect of Mount Wu, it wasn¡¯t even a detour. It would only take about three or four days at most. Moreover, if it was the Divine Maiden Sect¡­ Even if it was considered a mysterious sect that existed outside worldly affairs, it was still a legitimate Daoist sect. And Daoist sects were like distant cousins to each other. They did not necessarily need to know each other¡¯s faces to feel connected. In addition, Hwanyuk really did get hit with a stick. The punishment focused more on shame than pain. Was it perhaps because of that? The teacher¡¯s caning had no effect whatsoever! ¡°You demon, I now know your identity.¡± ¡°My identity? That¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°Demon, you are the very nine-tailed fox that seduced King Zhou3the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang or King Shou of Shang, thest king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin. In Chinese, his name Zh¨°u also refers to a horse crupper, the part of a saddle or harness that is most likely to be soiled by the horse of the past and soaked the Heavens in blood. You must be a Gumiho. You might have bewitched my teacher, but don¡¯t think for a second that you can fool me.¡± ¡°What is this guy saying? Is he a lunatic?¡± ¡°You are truly horrific. A demon that wears human skin and mimics them. I clearly saw the endless malice pouring out from those sinister eyes with my own two eyes.¡± It seemed he was quite aggrieved about being whipped in front of everyone in broad daylight. A-Qing chuckled and raised her voice. ¡°Elder! He is spouting bullshit again!¡± ¡°This cur really can¡¯te to his senses, can he¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Teacher! I feel wronged! This is unfair! That fox¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I see. I understand now. Even if it means breaking every branch in the mountains and streams I have traversed today, I must correct your delusion.¡± ¡°EUAAAAAH, YOU DEMON! I WILL NOT FORGET THIS GRUDGE!¡± Hwanyuk screamed as he was dragged away. Honestly, it made sense. After all, Hwanyuk had seen correctly. But since one could not see their own appearance, A-Qing, too, was unaware of what she looked like. Moreover, mirrors were not asmon in the Central ins as they were in the modern era. Bronze mirrors were affordable but difficult to maintain and did not reflect clearly, while mirrors made of silver or mercury, even those the size of a palm, were treasures that cost a fortune. A-Qing, being a wanderer, was far from such treasures. She had rarely seen her own reflection fully. As such, she ended up thinking, ¡®He is a bit¡­special for a Daoist Monk, isn¡¯t he?¡¯, and left it at that. Meanwhile, the sight of an elderly Daoist Monk with white hair hitting the calves of a grown disciple was a rare pleasure for the Daoists of the Wudang Sect. After the Daoists hurriedly followed out, worried they would miss such a spectacle, A-Qing asked Yang Sowol. ¡°Uh, Mother. Do you perhaps know about Hao Sect?¡± ¡°Hao Sect¡­¡­¡­you say?¡± ¡°The bastard with the rat face said he was from the Hao Sect. I don¡¯t really know about it, though. Are those guys famous?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Yang Sowol hesitated before answering. ¡°¡­¡­.I am not sure either. I am very sorry I cannot be of help to our savior.¡± ¡°Nah, don¡¯t be. Why would you? There are so many something something sects and something something factions in the world, after all. How could you possibly know them all?¡± But it still nagged at her. It was her first time encountering someone using bombs. No, like¡­why were there bombs in martial arts fiction? Why is it even a thing? At this rate, cannons and guns finna appear too. Back then, she was out of her mind in her anger, but when thinking back, it was quite a chilling situation. Moreover, from her experience dealing with various evil individuals, there was a slight difference in the way he presented their backgrounds. How to put it? Maybe confidence? Or perhaps pride? A-Qing scratched her head. It seemed her mind was wandering now that she was a bitfortable. And make no mistake, traveling with the Daoists of the Wudang Sect was indeedfortable. There had been a couple of ambushes, but the Daoists swarmed out and before A-Qing could do anything, they had already taken care of it. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t felt the urge for bloodtely. As such, she justfortably observed. Also, Female Middle Schooler chan seemed somewhat distant. How should she put it? It was like there was this sense of alienation or distance between them. She wasn¡¯t sure if she had made a mistake somewhere either. Thus, they approached Mount Wu without any major incidents. Until about four days away from Mount Wu though, a group blocked their path. ¡ª- Initially, A-Qing wasn¡¯t particrly concerned. Nor did she pay attention. It was unlikely that attackers aiming for Jin Jangmyeong would brazenly block the road. And in the first ce, considering their Righteous Karma, they didn¡¯t seem like bad people. A young man standing in front of the group blocked the way. His Righteous Karma was 62. It was just that Dao Master Seungsu had heightened her standards. In reality, this was among the highest she had ever seen. Dao Master Seungu, Little Supreme Justice, and now, this young man. As long as they did not exceed three digits in Evil Karma, it meant they weren¡¯t going around doing bad things. As such, A-Qing was at ease. ¡°Ah, you are experts of Wudang. Could you perhaps be Dao Master Seungsu?¡± ¡°Hoh, do you know me?¡± ¡°I am Chaemu of the Yang n.¡± ¡°Oh, Wijeokie, no, I mean, Great Expert Yang Wijeok¡¯s son! Thest time I saw you, you were about this tall. Your face looks the same as it did then. And you still remember an old man like me! How impressive!¡± Listening in, A-Qing assumed it was a greeting to a friend of his father. Consequently, Dao Master Seungsu was also smiling warmly. ¡°Yes, yes. Well, how is the Great Expert? No, wait, I heard he went into closed door seclusion. Is he still training?¡± Yang Chaemu¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°In truth, Father did not enter closed door seclusion.¡± ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°He was severely injured while fighting the Demonic Cannibal.¡± ¡°What! Then, what¡¯s his condition?¡± ¡°He was in a state where his life could not be assured, but fortunately, there has been significant improvement recently. He has regained consciousness.¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my. What a relief. We almost lost a giant of the Orthodox Faction.¡± Dao Master Seungsu patted his chest in relief. And then, he continued with a tone filled with sympathy. ¡°Ah, you should have at least sent word. If the Divine Hero of Chang¡¯an was the one in critical condition, the Sect Leader would have spared no effort. He would have given Purple Night Pills without any hesitation.¡± ¡°It was due to a vehement Demonic Arts. The Divine Doctor said that an elixir would only act as a poison.¡± ¡°Ah, I see the Divine Doctor attended to him. That is fortunate! Truly fortunate.¡± ¡°However, the Divine Doctor mentioned that his Yuan Dan4basically his ¡°original¡± or ¡°core¡± dantian. The very essence of one¡¯s energy/Qi was damaged by me Demonic Arts.¡± ¡°me Demonic Arts! How was he afflicted by that cursed Demonic Art!¡± me Demonic Arts! The name caused a stir among the Wudang Sect¡¯s Daoists. A-Qing, not knowing what it is, just listened. After all, it wasn¡¯t her ce to interrupt their discussion. But what exactly is me Demonic Arts? Does it involve shooting fire from their hands or something? That sounds¡­¡­. Pretty cool. Come to think of it, there¡¯s also a Mount Hua Sect, right? Even A-Qing, the Martial Arts Fiction Ignoramus/Wah-Wah I Don¡¯t Know Shit About Murim, had heard of it. me Demonic Arts, you say? Ifva beats fire, does that mean the Mount Hua Sect is stronger? As A-Qing was lost in meaningless thoughts, the conversation continued. ¡°The Yuan Dan is damaged? And elixirs don¡¯t work? My word. Then, what can be done? Is there a way?¡¯ Dao Master Seungsu pressed on, his expression turning somber upon hearing the news of his friend¡¯s critical condition. ¡°¡­¡­.There is a way.¡± ¡°Oho! How fortunate that there is! So, what is it?! Is there anything I can do to help?!¡± ¡°Apparently, there is only one treatment in this world¡­¡­¡± Yang Chaemu trailed off, his gaze shifting towards A-Qing. Or to be more precise, towards Jin Jangmyeong standing beside A-Qing. Wait, something seems terribly wrong here. A-Qing felt a deep sense of foreboding. *** Chapter 19: Change the Course to North-Northwest (8) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (8) ? ¡°Madam, I regret that we have to meet this way, but time has already been greatly dyed.¡± Yang Sowol was utterly pale. A-Qing felt this was the first time in her life seeing someone so white. Her hand covering her mouth trembled as if convulsing. Her trembling legs made it seem like she was using all her strength just to stand. ¡°I shall not ask you about your disgraceful act, so please hand over the child now.¡± Yang Chaemu was polite and respectful. That was also why he was so resolute. A-Qing stepped forward with a finger pointed in anger. ¡°Wait. I was staying silent until now, but this is ridiculous. How can you so boldly tell her to hand over the child? Is it your kid? If you take her, will you feed her just one meal and return her nicely or something? Just from hearing what you¡¯re saying-¡± ¡°Young Lady, you¡­Hooo.¡± Yang Chaemu rubbed his face. He looked as tired as someone who hadn¡¯t slept for a week. ¡°You seem to be under some sort of misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? Fine, that¡¯s great. Misunderstanding, it is. Fucking hell, you shitty perverts.¡± Just as A-Qing¡¯s specialty, indiscriminate personal attacks, was about to continue¡­ Yang Chaemu¡¯s next words stopped her. ¡°We have already paid a sufficient price.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.What?¡± A-Qing turned to look at Yang Sowol. I never heard anything about this, though? ¡°The price was a thousand Gwan11 Gwan = 3730 grams¡­. so thats 3730 kg of gold¡­ of gold. It was an amount prepared by selling the family¡¯s entire estate.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­..¡± ¡°And just recently, I received a message from the bank. That the gold was all transferred to the Bank of Ten Thousand Gold.¡± Large sums were managed by writing promissory notes. Even if it is transported by cart, a thousand Gwan of gold would take ten of them. As such, the gold was sent to the bank first and a promissory note was issued in that name. In fact, trading promissory notes was advantageous for the issuer. If the other party didn¡¯t keep their promise, one could simply contact the bank to stop the payment. However, the gold waspletely handed over to the Bank of Ten Thousand Gold. The Yang n had now fully transferred all ownership of the gold. ¡°But you disappeared. So, we had no choice but to put a bounty. The bounty was five hundred Gwan of gold, prepared by mortgaging the n¡¯s business and manor. Now, we have even staked the future of our n.¡± The total was fifteen hundred Gwan of gold. The Yang n of Xinjiang, a n that held sway over an entire province, had gathered this sum with all their might. ¡°Either way, the gold was prepared to bring back the child. If Madam found a thousand Gwan insufficient, we shall add another five hundred Gwan. Isn¡¯t this enough to save one life with the¡­¡­.price of another?¡± Thest words were directed at A-Qing. Only then did A-Qing look at Yang Chaemu. She looked at his high Righteous Karma. He wasn¡¯t some scum of humanity who would take a child and harm them for fun. He was the son of a dying person. A son trying to save his father. ¡°While it may not be honorable to buy a life with money, the n has offered all the sincerity it can.¡± A phrase from the Mission Window came to mind. [Righteous Karma) Transfer the elixir to the rightful owner] Yang Sowol had sold her daughter. A-Qing felt dizzy. She had stepped in needlessly and ended up seeing such an ugly scene. ¡°Then.¡± As Yang Chaemu took a step forward, A-Qing, without realizing it, grabbed Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s hand and pulled her back. ¡°Wait! Wait a minute! Stop! I said stop!¡± If it were a matter where one person was dead and one person would live, like a heart transnt, A-Qing could have just walked away, albeit with a heavy heart. However, A-Qing already knew the truth that Yang Chaemu deliberately did not mention. She remembered the terrible story Yang Sowol had told her. Jin Jangmyeong wasn¡¯t just going to die. She would be vited until all her Pure Yin Qi was taken. The future that she faced was one of misery and harsh circumstances, only to slowly die after enduring unspeakable abuses and recoveries. She now knew why Yang Sowol had told her this. It was because she wanted A-Qing to protect the child. That hidden intention Yang Sowol harbored was so disgusting and cruel that even while knowing this, A-Qing could not help but to sumb to her wishes. A-Qing looked at Yang Sowol. ¡°If¡­¡­..If we can somehow return the money, then¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.The child¡­the child was sick.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did A-Qing fully understand the situation. Yang Sowol had never intended to hand over her daughter in the first ce. It was a scam. She scammed a son desperately trying to save his father. In order to raise money to save her daughter. No parents named their child carelessly or thoughtlessly. They chose the best words and meanings, as the first gift a parent would give to their child. Jangmyeong. Live a long life. What must the parent, who simply wished for her child to live a long life, have felt? ¡°Benefactor, I will not deny it. But, even if it¡¯s just a cowardly excuse, had I not epted the deal, what would have be of us? We had no other choice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± Initially, it would be a duel, and if refused, the swing of a word would follow. It wasn¡¯t because Murim was particrly cruel, but because the heart that tried to save a loved one was utterly merciless. A-Qing didn¡¯t know what to do. Then, Yang Chaemu¡¯s words were directed towards someone else. ¡°Dao Master Seungsu, my father has dedicated his life to the peace and safety of Murim.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That friend has indeed done that.¡± ¡°Please help us. I know it is not right for me to ask such a difficult request. But I do dare to do it.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If this goes against filial piety! If this opposes morals!¡± Yang Chaemu shouted. ¡°Then, I speak of justice! Of a great cause! The Demonic Cannibal has obtained the me Demonic Arts! The wicked Sera Sect has already seized half of the East Sea! With the life of this one child, we can save thousands, tens of thousands suffering! Am I wrong!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Oh Lord of Heaven.¡± Dao Master Seungsu clenched his eyes shut. ¡°¡­¡­Fairy. Please hand over the child.¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°Have you not glimpsed it as well? The lifeblood of a hundred people goes into a single Living Jiangshi. It was impossible to know where those lives came from. But now I understand. Since the authorities turn a blind eye to even the marauding foreign invaders, even if the viins disguise themselves, we have no choice but to helplessly let them run amok.¡± Dao Master Seungsu tried to persuade A-Qing. ¡°Fairy, recently, Murim has been in chaos and there is no ce below the Heavens without evil. Every piece of news entering the Murim Alliance is urgent, leaving no one to lend a hand because they themselves are in search of their own salvation.¡± ¡°Even if you say that to me¡­¡± ¡°The Yang n is a pir of Murim, guarding the East Sea. When neither the Nine Sects nor the Noble ns can help, someone must stop Sera Sect¡¯s evil deeds. And I am far too aware who is the most willing to shed blood in the very forefront.¡± When he said so, Yang Sowol abruptly knelt and prostrated on the ground. She bowed in the most humble posture imaginable, rubbing her hands together like a fly, pleading with her knees, chest, and forehead touching the ground. ¡°Great Expert Yang, please. I will do anything, endure any humiliation, even if it takes my whole life. Please have mercy on this child. Please¡­¡­.¡± Dao Master Seungsu, the Doaists from Wudang, Yang Chaemu, and the warriors from the Yang n of Xinjiang all looked at A-Qing. What¡¯s with this atmosphere? Why are they all looking at me? Just make a decision amongst you guys and let me know. What? Am I the one to decide or something? Do I have to make the decision? Like what? If I make a decision, are you just gonna say okay and move on? A-Qing tightly grasped Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s hand. And when she did, she felt a wriggling sensation in her grip. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll go.¡± In a moment, all sounds of breathing in the area halted. ¡°It is all my¡­my fault. Dad passed away. Mom, I¡­actually knew everything. You don¡¯t have to care for me anymore, Mom. So livefortably. If only we had done this earlier, Dad might have still been alive. It¡¯s all my¡­my¡­¡± Jin Jangmyeong choked up. ¡°Go somewhere nice, hic, and just remarry. Instead of a retarded daughter like me, give birth to a healthy child and live happily.¡± ¡°Myeong!¡± Yang Sowol crawled on the ground towards her daughter. Her trembling hand reaching out with all her effort was harshly rejected by the child. ¡°No! I hate it! I hate it too! I¡¯m sick of living as a burden! I never wanted to be born like this! Eugh, uah¡­¡­..¡± In the end, Jin Jangmyeong burst into tears. Any and all crying in the world was ugly. It couldn¡¯t be helped. The tale of a pretty expression with a single tear drop was a lie only found in stories. The child cried with a harsh sound, scratching her throat in anguish. Yang Sowol was beside herself and the Daoists and warriors couldn¡¯t bear to even lift their heads, shaking them instead. And A-Qing made up her mind. Once she did, there was not a single ounce of hesitation in her actions. ¡°FUCKING HELL! This is goddamn ridiculous! What a fucking joke, ain¡¯t it?!¡± Everyone¡¯s gazes turned to her. ¡°Look at everyone sitting here filming some sort of fucking melodrama. Herees a China Numba One fuuuuuuuucking melodrama where all of Murim is in shock and the Emperor expresses respect! This is why the fucking ching chongs ain¡¯t it. The thing I hate the most in the world is racism and the close second is the fucking ching chong motherfuckers.¡± A-Qing tucked the child under her arm. ¡°Fuck everything! Listen up! I¡¯ll be the one to eat up this kid. I¡¯m going to be the one to fuck her and reach the Transcendent Realm, so if you have anyints, keep them to yourself.¡± A-Qing looked around at everyone. Every single one of them had idiotic, dumbfounded expressions on their face. Finding it hrious, A-Qingughed like a crazy bitch. Then, in an instant, she straightened her expression. A-Qing stomped off the ground. An amazing anti-gravity leap of the Yue Maiden Footwork unfolded. And then, only her voice, gradually fading away, could be heard. ¡°This child is now mine! I can do whatever I want with her! I¡¯m leaving. Bye, everyone! Fuck constraints and bondage! I¡¯m off to find my happiness free from that shit! I wish you all happiness too!¡± *** Chapter 20: Change the Course to North-Northwest (9) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (9) ? People would be more likely to freeze up when they be too startled. He didn¡¯t anticipate that the conversation would be concluded by a crazy bitch, so he wasn¡¯t able to grasp the situation quickly enough. However, Yang Chaemu was desperate enough to have already prepared for such situations. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he expected someone to suddenly im the child as their own and kidnap them. He just thought that someone might pity the child a bit too much and step in a bit. From behind Yang Chaemu, a shadow slipped out from under the shade of the tree. It was a person dressed in a ck outfit made for the darkness of night. The identities of those who moved silently and covered their face could only be one. Assassins. ¡°Client, shall we begin?¡± ¡°Go and do what you have to do.¡± ¡°What about the woman?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as the child is unharmed.¡± ¡°Yes, understood. Of course.¡± The man in ck blew a sharp whistle and ran towards the forest. In response, whistle sounds echoed from both afar and near. Soon, a small me sprouted somewhere in the west. ¡°Descendents of Xinjiang, if you do not like dishonorable deeds, you are free to leave now. But if there is anyone who wishes to remain as a spear1this is a double (triple?) entendre. man is writing a poem right now. ¡°Xinjiang¡± is a location in north-west China. the ¡°jiang¡± in korean can also be called spear. and the ¡°Mud¡± part can also be called ¡°Jinjiang¡±. So basically, he is rhyming ¡°Jiang¡± by using different words that use the same character. ¡°Xinjiang¡± (location) ¡°Jiang¡± (spear) and ¡°Jinjiang¡± (mud), even if it means rolling in the mud¡­¡± Yang Chaemu nodded to Dao Master Seungsu. And then, he stepped forward and spoke. ¡°¡­¡­.Follow me. Let us go.¡± None of the warriors from the Yang n responded. They simply followed their Young Lord in silence. They were the warriors of the Yang n of Xinjiang, who had stood against foreign invaders, Japanese invaders, in the East Sea for a century. Their own friends, parents, and even their friends. There was no one who did not owe a debt of gratitude to the Yang n and they served with pride in that gratitude. ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°Let us go our own way. Even if their purpose goes awry, we must find a way to help a Noble n that has silently dedicated themselves to the world.¡± Thus, even the Daoist Monks of Wudang left this ce. ¡ª- A-Qing became cheerful. She decided not to think too much about it. Look at howfortable it is when I just do whatever the fuck I want. They can suck my fat fucking cock. Though to be fair, I don¡¯t have a dick anymore¡­¡­. But hopefully, we will meet again someday, ay Cock? Jin Jangmyeong, who was crying and making a fuss while struggling to be let go, had eventually gone limp. She seemed to have resigned herself. What can she do about it anyway? She¡¯s just a brat, after all. Then, an abrupt question came. ¡°¡­¡­.Are you really going to fuck me?¡± A-Qing was horrified. ¡°Hey, shush! You¡¯re going to send me to jail. No bad words! Jangmyeongie is a baby. Babies should only use good words.¡± ¡°What are you even saying. Ugly thing.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, I guess I must be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ugly.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve taken your oh so valuable opinion into ount. Anything else to add?¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Jin Jangmyeong clicked her tongue. And then, she asked again. ¡°So, are you really going to fuck me?¡± ¡°No.¡± A-Qing confidently revealed her n. ¡°We are going to head to the Mount Wu Faction!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the Mount Wu Faction, it¡¯s Mount Wu Sect¡­¡­¡­. Mm? Wait, no, that¡¯s not it either¡­¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s Mount Wu Faction or Mount Wu Sect, who cares! Anyway, we¡¯re going!¡± One could practically hear the sorrowful cries of the Divine Maiden Sect. ¡°But why? Why say all those bad words and kidnap me?¡± ¡°What? Bad girl! Kidnapping? It wasn¡¯t kidnapping. Let¡¯s call it a temporarypanionship due to unteral coercion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.? Isn¡¯t that just kidnapping?¡± ¡°If I kidnapped you, you wouldn¡¯t know we¡¯re going to the Mount Wu Faction, right? Our little baby Jangmyeong doesn¡¯t use her head, does she?¡± ¡°What is this thing saying.¡± ¡°But by the way, there¡¯s one big problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the way. Where is the Mount Wu Faction?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I said, I don¡¯t know the way. Do you know, by any chance?¡± ¡°Roughly. Northwest.¡± ¡°Nice! Well then, change the course to north-northwest!¡± A-Qing casually changed direction and asked again. ¡°But where is the northwest?¡± ¡°The sun sets in the west.¡± A-Qing looked up at the sky. The sky was full of dark clouds, as if it might rain at any moment. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I was just a sliver toote. Kid, in order to make some prog- Kuk.¡± A-Qing felt something tough around her neck. Though her neck was caught, her body continued to move forward. A-Qing flew about ten Jangs21 Jang = 3.33 meters. So 10 Jangs = 33.33 meters in a straight line with her legs pointed forward and crashed to the ground. Dry leaves crumpled around her as if exploding. A-Qing quickly checked on Jin Jangmyeong in her arms. ¡°Hey, you good?¡± ¡°On your neck. Blood.¡± ¡°Ah shit, it stings.¡± A-Qing rubbed her neck and frowned. Fortunately, it only tore off a thinyer of skin. Instead, it was really goddamn painful. ¡°What kind of crazy bastard puts a rope in a forest? This is attempted murder, attempted murder I tell you.¡± ¡°Too bad. That it only ended as an attempt.¡± An unfamiliar voice interjected. A-Qing leaped up like a cat, startled. She drew her sword to confront the enemy and was surprised again. A figure d in ck, face covered. There was only one conclusion. ¡°Ninja? Since when are there ninjas in martial arts fiction!¡± Nya! From nearby, a throwing knife flew. It was thriftily taken from the corpse of the rat-faced man. The knife lodged itself in the neck of the person in ck. ¡°Ehh?¡± A-Qing made a dumbfounded noise. She had been all nervous because ninjas suddenly appeared. It was because if ninjas were the ones to ambush them, they were all supposed to die. But what¡¯s this? Ninjas are no big deal, huh? ¡ª- ¡­¡­was what she thought. At least, once upon a time, she did. It wasn¡¯t that a ninja had suddenly appeared. It was that ninjas had suddenly appeared. And their tactics were more annoying than she could ever have imagined. All sorts of ropes were strung up along the path, preventing fast movement. But that didn¡¯t mean she could perform the state-of-the-art Movement Technique, Tactical Night Footwork3a meme in korea. Only people who have been to the military know what exactly it is. It¡¯s because they teach this as a way to ¡°walk in a tactical manner at night¡±. See above for a PRIME example., so she had to just hold the Moonlight Sword (No. 6) upright in front of her. However, the defense in her lower body wascking. ¡°Eut.¡± A-Qing¡¯s body was yanked forward by a thread that caught her ankle. She became the very definition of a human cannonball, flying toward a tall tree she would soon crash into. She pulled Jangmyeong close and hugged her tightly, trying to turn her body to protect her somehow. And then, Bang. The impact on her back knocked the wind out of her. She forced air into her stiff lungs and checked the girl in her arms. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡­.. Little Baby, are your ears, nose, and mouth all still attached?¡¯ ¡°Eung4Those who read my other novel (TRPG) knows what this means. but to reiterate, this means ¡°Yeah¡± or ¡°Yes¡± in a more cute(?) way? Though it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean cute here, it¡¯s basically used in an informal manner ONLY..¡± ¡°And your arms and legs are all attached too?¡± ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. Fucking cowards. They don¡¯t fight fair and square.¡± A-Qing stood up, tucking Jin Jangmyeong under her arm. And then, she set her down again. ¡°I can¡¯t do this with only one arm.¡± A-Qing stripped off the upper part of her robes. ¡°Get on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Why are you undressing?¡± ¡°Ahhhh. This is called a baby nket. A proud invention made by the Republic of Korea. Wait, is that right? Anyway.¡± A-Qing wrapped Jin Jangmyeong up tightly within it. Now, my era as a one-arm has ended! All of you are fucked, you dogshit ninja motherfuckers. A-Qing muttered coldly. ¡­¡­.But then, there was a pit. A certain level of trust was needed when it came to footwork techniques. It was the trust that, at the very least, the ground wouldn¡¯t betray you. After all, ever since bipedal walking became a thing, the earth had always solidly supported people. But the moment she forcefully stepped on the ground and it crumbled and sank beneath her, it was enough to shatter that fundamental trust. The silver lining was that A-Qing was transporting cargo that could not die under any circumstances. Otherwise, she would have already be a cold corpse lying among the bamboo spears and poisons at the bottom of the pit. What greeted A-Qing instead was sticky, spurting red mud. What¡¯s this? Mud? Is it a red y pack5this is like a skin care product in korea. A traditional one service? Or did they make it just to piss me off? Oveing a pit about half a meter deep wasn¡¯t difficult for a martial artist at the Peak Realm. All she needed to do was jump out of it. A-Qing thought to herself that they were bothering her with all sorts of trivial things, as she dashed away again. But when she did so, her body felt as if it was getting extremely weighed down. Fuck, so that¡¯s why they put mud. Peep Peep-! That damned whistle sounded again. A-Qing turned her head. Because of the gloomy day filled with dark clouds, the shadows of the forest were even denser. And under such a shade, she saw a figure in ck quietly stepping back. It kept going like this. They would slow her down and hide, then blow the whistle to reveal their position. This motherfucker. Where do you think you¡¯re going? Ding-! The head of the person in ck was split in the shape of a whirlpool. The rest of the body kneeled before copsing chest-first into the ground. ¡ª- The situation was getting worse and worse. These ck-d bastards weren¡¯t ninjas. They were different from the sons of bitches she had encountered so far. Strictly speaking, they were hunters. That¡¯s right, hunters. And not just any hunter. They were highly skilled professionals. There wasn¡¯t a single ce on her body that didn¡¯t hurt. Surely, when she woke up, her whole body would practically be a festival of colorful bruises. The cuts from the sparse spring branches stung as mud got into them. She had lost the Moonlight Sword (No. 6). She ended up dropping because of the slippery mud on her hands, and before she could even retrieve it, a was thrown onto her. She sted the bastards rushing at her with the Buddha¡¯s Palm and escaped while they were staggered, tearing through the. It was an excellent sword that cost me half a Gwan of gold, though. Goodbye, my Moonlight Sword. A-Qing mourned silently, inwardly shedding tears and singing farewells. There was a hole in her thigh. And when her ankle got caught, making her crash down, there was a sharp branch that just happened to stick out there. It hurt terribly. It still hurts. The pinky and ring finger of her left hand dangled limply. She ced her hand wrong when she fell into the pit. Of all things, there had to be a rock there. She sighed deeply as she burst out, only toe face to face with one of the men d in ck. Just like she did in Luoyang, she tore out his Adam¡¯s apple, drenching herself with blood. And then, when she did so, a single drop of moisture touched her cheek. The sound of the forest¡¯s rain announced its arrival. Pitter-patter¡­¡­. The sound of rain hitting the leaves gradually intensified. And then, Rush Roar-! The sound of frying oil filled the entire world. ¡°It¡¯s even raining now? I¡¯m gonna lose my mind¡­¡­¡± A-Qing sighed deeply. And then, suddenly, an idea urred to her. *** Chapter 21: Change the Course to North-Northwest (10) ? Change the Course to North-Northwest (10) ? ¡°Did you find them?¡± ¡°I was not able to find them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because of the rain, the traces¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am aware of that as well. But why?¡± ¡°The bitch has a brutal, cruel touch. There are more than twenty of our members void of their heads.¡± ¡°I saw that as well. But why?¡± ¡°Bodies were found in areas where no signal was sent, indicating they were discovered and killed before they could even blow the whis¡­..¡± ¡°I am able to deduce that as well. I¡¯m asking, why couldn¡¯t you find them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The ck Assassin stared resentfully at the meless stones on the ground. The prospective Heavenly Assassin, more precisely, the son of the Heavenly Assassin, patted the ck Assassin¡¯s cheek. ¡°Hey. Do it properly. There¡¯s five-hundred Gwans of gold at stake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If we fail a mission worth five-hundred Gwans, how am I supposed to face our Leader? What should I say? Ah, Leader, I spread the Net of Heaven and Earth, but the target suddenly disappeared. So we failed. Should I say that?¡± The son of the Heavenly Assassin kept patting the ck Assassin¡¯s cheek. ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. I should go and say, Leader, these little fuckers totally messed up and couldn¡¯t even do a single fucking task. Even a shitting dog could do better than them. They couldn¡¯t send a signal or even hide. The ck Death wasn¡¯t like this before, but ever since the leader changed, it¡¯s beplete trash. They lost five-hundred Gwans of gold just because they couldn¡¯t catch a single girl and our members are dying like flies.¡± Leader, how in the world did you raise your son? The ck Assassin swallowed hisment. If your only son, barely obtained in your fifties, was so precious, you should have made him a better person before anything else. However, he remembered the earnest plea of the Heavenly Assassin, the godfather who had taken him in. ¡®The kid is like this, but he has a good heart. He¡¯s just lost without his mother for a while. Please do me this favor. As long as this task is aplished, all talk about sessors will die down. I am sincerely asking you.¡¯ The ck Assassin swallowed his frustration. For the sake of his godfather that he loved. If this damn little brat became the sessor, then it was time to leave this business for good. ¡°¡­¡­.I will give it my all.¡± ¡°Good. Go yourself, ck Assassin. Do not just sit around here, twiddling your thumbs. What use do you have from sitting on your ass just because you aged a bit?¡± ¡ª- Traps. Ambushes. Signals. The more they moved, the more they saw a loss. Then, shouldn¡¯t they just not move? A-Qing dug a cave that was about as deep as her height inside the pit. Her hand wrapped in Inner Qi tore the dirt wall like y. Suddenly, she recalled a memory. Wow. If I had martial arts during trench construction, I could have been the great and mighty, no, not just that. Forget battalions and regiments, I would have been the ace, the GOAT of the entire national army. Or maybe not? What¡¯s the use of a single person¡¯s hands when there are excavators? Still, if I had a shovel and wrapped it with Shovel Qi, I could have dug through soil, rocks, and tree roots without breaking a sweat. With such thoughts, she dug a small den. The dirt was pushed and roughly pulled up at the entrance. She didn¡¯tpletely block it, thinking there should at least be a hole to let air in. The problem was Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s condition. Her already cold body was shivering even more. Even in the pitch-dark tunnel, she could imagine her lips turning blue. A-Qing hugged Jin Jangmyeong tightly. In all honesty, A-Qing was cold too. Her stamina was drained, and as she held the cold child with her battered, wet body, it felt like she might actually die from how frigid it was. But if I feel cold, wouldn¡¯t it, in fact, feel hot to the kid? Fortunately, Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s shivers gradually stopped. Jin Jangmyeong fell asleep, unable to ovee her exhaustion. Her breathing was slightly rough. Did the kid have pneumothorax1a copsed lung. A pneumothorax urs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it copse. or something? A-Qing¡¯s consciousness was turning hazy. As the nerves and tension eased, all kinds of pain rushed in. But no matter how she went about it, it felt like a good thing. She couldn¡¯t tell whether she was awake or not; in fact, it didn¡¯t matter since it was dark whether she opened her eyes or closed them. When she asionally came to, she wondered if she had even dozed off in the first ce. Then, suddenly, a whisper brushed her ear. ¡°¡­¡­Why are you going this far?¡± ¡°What, you brat.¡± ¡°You could have just left me and gone.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it woulde to this.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know what?¡± ¡°I thought if I grabbed you and made a run for it, they would just chase after me. I didn¡¯t expect them toy traps everywhere and act so cowardly, you know? Fucking bastards, I won¡¯t ever forgive them. Once I get out, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°If you knew?¡± ¡°Ang?¡± ¡°What if you had known it woulde to this?¡± ¡°If I had known, I probably would¡¯ve just left you, yeah? So you don¡¯t need to feel sorry or anything, Little Baby. It¡¯s my stupidity that got me here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was no response. Then, another question flew back. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just hand me over now?¡± ¡°Now? Aftering this far?¡± A-Qing snorted. ¡°I might have killed some of your people, but it was all just to live, so I hope we can just let bygones be bygones. Is that okay? Well then, I¡¯ll be on my way. Yeah, right. As if that would happen. That would be a dream, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hostage now. If things go south, I¡¯ll threaten them with a de to your neck and, ah, my Moonlight Sword. It was so expensive. Anyway, I heard there¡¯s a river around here, you know? I¡¯ll demand a boat in exchange for you and then run away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a long while, the child spoke again. ¡°The Yangtze River.¡± ¡°Ehhh?¡± ¡°They call it the Yangtze2it literally means ¡°long river¡± River. Because it¡¯s apparently the longest river in the world.¡± Jin Jangmyeong btedly added that her mom told her. ¡°That¡¯s funny. What a joke. The longest river is the Nile River, you know?¡± ¡°The Nile River?¡± ¡°Huh, wait, but does the Nile really exist? Here too? Do the things I know actually exist? That saltke¡­ I wanted to see it before I died¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.What are you saying.¡± The child spoke again. ¡°¡­¡­Why are you going this far?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we already go over this earlier?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± Instead of answering the question, A-Qing talked about something else. ¡°Kid. Imagine you wake up and find yourself turned into a he handsome man. Stunningly so.¡± ¡°What are you even saying.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that¡¯s the case. Just consider it a dream. But in this dream, you don¡¯t wake up. You get hungry, you eat, you get sleepy, you get hurt. Then, is that really a dream?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then it¡¯s not a dream.¡± ¡°But then, there¡¯s this Status Window, no. Uh¡­¡­..Yeah, there¡¯s like this ghost following you around. While following you around, it constantly tells you. You¡¯re dreaming right now. This is a world inside your dream.¡± ¡°Then, is it a dream?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s the problem.¡± A-Qing bit her lip. Every time she went to bed, she imagined waking up to herfortable studio apartment. A production worker, having fallen asleep at his desk, would wake up groggily and chuckle at the sight of the character he just created on the screen. He might delete the game out of difort or he might just shrug it off and enjoy it. Since she hade here so suddenly, it wouldn¡¯t be too strange if she returned so suddenly too. Right? So, A-Qing lived recklessly. She lived as she pleased and spoke her mind. Because in a world where leaving at any time wouldn¡¯t be strange, why should I care about others¡¯ opinions? So, A-Qing did not hold back. There was no reason to save money. What was the use of hoarding money, buying a house, and stacking up gold? Wouldn¡¯t it all disappear anyway when she returned? Of course, this world was definitely reality. A-Qing did not consider it as a dream. At least, if only that damned Status Window didn¡¯t exist. The Status Window was constantly telling A-Qing she was a stranger. A foreigner. An outsider. That she was an existence that did not belong to this world. That she should not forget she was a game character. What happens when I die? Do I just die? Will Game Over appear and will I get a chance to retry? Or will I just return in front of a monitor? Since she was dragged into this world without a reason, being sent back without a reason wouldn¡¯t be strange either. But what if there was a reason for being brought here? What if some transcendental being had a purpose for throwing me into this world? And then, what if that purpose no longer applies, whether I seed or fail? Then, what about me? What would happen to me? ¡°¡­¡­.Are you okay?¡± A-Qing forcefully steadied her wavering, unstable mind. Now was not the time to panic and freak the fuck out. ¡°Of course. Obviously. Totally fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re fine, right?¡± ¡°You little thing. Who¡¯s worrying about whom?¡± A-Qing tried to force a smile. It wouldn¡¯t be visible in the darkness anyway, though. In the end, the problem was people. Was a life of just eating, sleeping, and shitting truly living? Ultimately, people lived as people. I was so lonely. So very lonely. And because that loneliness was unbearable, I eventually made a friend. And at the same time, because I¡¯m an outsider, I eventually had to leave. Because I didn¡¯t want to be hated, I umted Righteous Karma and yed nicely. And because of that, I meddled like this. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°But, why did you bring me along?¡± ¡°Because I felt like it. What about it.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a reason for it?¡± ¡°Well, I mean. If I had to choose one person, you were the only innocent one, after all.¡± It was just because of that. If she had to choose someone, she might as well side with the innocent. After all, whether it was scammers or child molesters, they were all the same. ¡°That Pure Yin Body or whatever. It¡¯s not like our little kid wanted to be born like that. You didn¡¯t say, ¡®I¡¯m going to have a Pure Yin Body! Pure Yin Punch! Pure Yin Punch!¡¯ and then shot yourself out of the womb. It¡¯s not your fault that things just turned out this way.¡± It was also a message to herself. Was it such a crime to y games? Was creating a female character such a sin? Things just turned out this way. What else could I have done? ¡°But¡­Mom¡­and Dad, too¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but your mom is a scammer, you know? Honestly, if she scammed a thousand Gwans of gold, she¡¯s a huge scammer even among scammers, right? To be fair.¡± ¡°But, Mom and Dad did it for m-¡± ¡°Did you ask them to? Mom, please scam people for me. Otherwise, Mom¡¯s daughter will die. Did you say something like that? No, you didn¡¯t. So what did you do so wrong? Nothing. Not guilty. Bang, bang, bang. Case closed. I won¡¯t ept any rebuttals.¡± ¡°But¡­those people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No matter what sob story they try to pull. No matter how many hoops they try to jump through. No matter what story line they want to make up. In the end, they¡¯re just child sex offenders, exploiters of minors, and whatnot. They¡¯re the scum of the earth. Fucking wretches of all below Heaven. They can eat shit for all I care.¡± A-Qing said this firmly. Jin Jangmyeong squirmed in A-Qing¡¯s embrace. ¡°Is it really okay?¡± ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Really, really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Really, really, really?¡± A-Qing frowned at a sudden thought. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re sixteen, aren¡¯t you? But what¡¯s with that? Are you pretending to be cute? Aren¡¯t you secretly enjoying being a kid?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.What are you saying. You ugly thing.¡± ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t say it outright before.¡± A-Qing let out a snicker, before continuing. ¡°But honestly, you¡¯re not all that pretty yourself.¡± *** Chapter 22: Ximen Qing (1) ? Ximen Qing (1) ? A-Qing emerged from the cave. The weather cleared and the sky was entirely crimson due to the sunset. Having entered in the evening, she had basically stayed up all night. If it was up to her, she would have spent as long as possible before escaping, but she was hungry and thirsty, so staying any longer would likely deplete her strength and put her in even more danger. Besides, Jin Jangmyeong, being physically weaker than her, couldn¡¯t endure like A-Qing. Despite being exhausted, sore, and in pain everywhere, now was the perfect time to attempt a getaway when her dantian was filled to the brim. Since the sun would set in the west, north was that way. She ran straight north, then somewhat westward, thinking that if she saw some huge mountain along the way, it would probably be Mount Wu. However, A-Qing underestimated the mountains of the Central ins. To a cultured and civilized modern Korean, a mountain implied arge hill with rounded ridges and soft peaks. But in the Central ins, mountains were insurmountable obstacles that humans would not dare to traverse. Moreover, Mount Wu was part of a long river nked by cliffs, originally known as the Wu Gorge. For this reason, something resembling a barrier appeared as an obstacle that partially blocked the view between the forest and the ins. What the hell is that¡­¡­. Is that what a mountain range is? Which one among all that is Mount Wu? Then how am I supposed to find the Divine Maiden Sect? Do I have to rummage through the entire mountain range or something? For a moment, her vision went dark at the thoughts of going through such tedious suffering. ¡°Hey, do you know which one Mount Wu is from there?¡± ¡°Dunno.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. What did I even expect. Then do we have to go over there?¡± At the foot of the mountain, there were clusters of ck-roofed houses. It was a type of vigemonly seen in the Central ins. ¡°Ah shit, those kinds of neighborhoods always have shitty people, though¡­¡­¡± The remote viges of the Central ins were not gatherings of people living a quiet, pastoral life,pletely unchanging day by day. The vige¡¯s structure already proved that. Positioned on a mountainside, the houses below served as a wall, while the top had a watchtower and amand post; basically, it served no differently from a small castle. It was a long-standing tradition in the Central ins to kidnap people from neighboring viges if there was a shortage of manpower. Women were matched with single men and men were made into ves. Depending on the rtionship with that particr vige, the treatment of ves varied widely, from being treated as a close subordinate to being used as an outlet to vent their frustrations. However, neighboring viges and cities wouldugh it off, saying that was something from the past and who even lived like that anymore. However, some remote neighborhoods did indeed still live like that. It was a shocking reality she had witnessed during her travels. A-Qing slowly approached the front of the vige. As there was arge door connecting the gaps between the houses, it was essentially a city gate. The young man sitting atop it, perhaps acting as some sort of militia, abruptly jumped up. ¡°Oh my, oh my. What¡¯s this? Is it a ghost or a person, ye1they are countryside people. they use dialect.?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a person.¡± ¡°Would a ghost say they¡¯re a ghost, ya?!¡± ¡°Then what do they call themselves?¡± ¡°About that, ye¡­¡­..Pah. What tricks are you ying, hah?!¡± A-Qing sighed deeply. ¡°Forget it. Are there any outsiders inside?¡± ¡°Outsiders? There¡¯s none, ya. Who woulde to such a ce, yanno?¡± A-Qing was somewhat relieved by this. It seemed the ck-d bastards hadn¡¯t reached all the way here. ¡°Then, since I¡¯m here, can¡¯t you let me in?¡± ¡°With that appearance, ya? Not a chance, Ghost Girl.¡± ¡°Agh damn¡­¡­.Then can you at least tell me where Mount Wu is?¡± ¡°Mount Wu, ya? Why you looking for such a far away ce, eh? If you go that way for a bit, the highest peak you see is that Divine Maiden Peak, yaya. All of that is Mount Wu, ay,¡± ¡°Ooooh. Divine Maiden Peak.¡± Divine Maiden Sect. Divine Maiden Peak. It fit perfectly. ¡°But can¡¯t we rest here for just one day?¡± ¡°Oho. Ehhh? Yaya, no no.¡± ¡°Or at least give a few cold dumplings. The kid is really hungry.¡± ¡°Ehhhh? Goodness gracious, hah¡­¡­¡­Are you carrying a baby on your back, ya? You weren¡¯t some hunchback?¡± It was the very first impression of a K-Baby nket for a person of the Central ins. The militiaman muttered, but was easily overheard by a Master. ¡°I¡¯ve neva heard about a ghost with a kid, ya¡­¡­¡± Hold on, stop right there. Why does he keep calling me a ghost when I¡¯m perfectly alive? A-Qing gritted her teeth, unaware of her own appearance. After rolling in the mud and being caught in the rain, her appearance was far from human by the standards of the Central ins. Yet, by some stroke of luck, her appearance garnered sympathy. It was because the people of the Central ins were more generous to ghosts than to humans. There might not be food for a beggar, but there was always meat for offerings to ce in front of a Buddha statue. And they said things like how people could be driven away, but on the off-chance that some vengeful ghost clung onto them, it could haunt their family for generations. Or something like that. ¡°Stay right there! I¡¯ll bring something right away, yah.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s warm soup, that would be great. It was cold all night.¡± ¡°So many demands, ya!¡± ¡°Ah, also some alcohol.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask around, ye!¡± After the militiaman disappeared into the vige, A-Qing released Jin Jangmyeong and flopped down right then and there. Jin Jangmyeong snuggled into A-Qing¡¯s embrace, settling herself within as if it was only natural for her to do so. ¡°What¡¯s with you. You¡¯re heavy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡± ¡°Tch. What are you even going to do with such a frail body?¡± A-Qing hugged Jin Jangmyeong and rested her chin on her head. ¡°It would be nice if they give something tasty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± At first, it wasn¡¯t all that important, but as soon as they thought of how food wasing, their hunger suddenly erupted, consuming them inside-out. -Grams, it¡¯s a ghost! A ghost, I say, ya! A ghost with a baby, at that! -A ghost, meh? Let¡¯s see, ye? If it¡¯s some trivial ghost, just let it go on its way. A-Qing¡¯s ears perked up. If it¡¯s a trivial ghost, let it go on its way. And if it¡¯s not? A-Qing infused her hands with True Qi. A faint bluish glow with deep blue threads rippled around her hands. Come to think of it, even though she was a swordsman, being called a Daoist, Fist Practitioner, Palm Expert, or whatever didn¡¯t sound all that great to her. Glowing with one¡¯s own True Qi indicated a realm that had reached Sword Force. The likeness made by a weapon merchant was nothing more than glow-in-the-dark stars one would stick on a child¡¯s bedroom ceiling. -Oh my, that¡¯s no ordinary ghost, ya. -Grams, the dishes, ye! -Prepare a hearty meal. If it sticks to us, we¡¯ll get haunted for the rest of our lives, ya. Watch over those kids especially, hyuh. Gazing too long at it might bewitch them. Wouldn¡¯t want an absolute disaster at home, ye? Wow, this actually works, huh. A-Qing smiled contentedly. And the result was quite satisfying as well. She wasn¡¯t sure whether the chopsticks stuck in the rice bowl2in East Asian countries, sticking your chopsticks into the rice upright instead ofying down means it is an OFFERING to the dead. As such, it is considered VERY RUDE in East Asian countries. Remember this when you guys ever go! were intended to hasten their attainment of Buddhahood, though. Rice was piled high with pickled vegetables. And more pickled vegetables were served alongside pickled vegetables. Furthermore, a soup, made with all kinds of fish, was just the thing for a cold, empty stomach. After bing somewhat full, A-Qing sipped the cloudy alcohol that was served. A-Qing knew absolutely nothing about moderate drinking. In fact, she didn¡¯t give a fuck. After all, food was food and alcohol was alcohol. There were separate stomachs for those things. Apparently, because they thought a child ghost was present, they brought out a few baked sweets; Jin Jangmeyong nibbled on them inside A-Qing¡¯s embrace while gazing up at her. However, rather than the cup of alcohol that was continuously bobbing up and down, something else caught Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s eye. ¡°Is your¡­¡­..hand okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, not okay.¡± The two dangling fingers were somehow fixed back into ce. They were swollen and stiff, unable to be moved. After thinking for a long while, Jin Jangmyeong spoke. ¡°So, it¡¯s not oka¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Correct. It hurts like hell. But since everything hurts all at once, I¡¯m not all that bothered by it, you know?¡± There was a hole in her thigh and the stitched wound on her forearm had reopened, thus bleeding again. Mud mixed into the scrapes made her entire body sting and itch; a absolute fucking shitfest. There wasn¡¯t a single joint that wasn¡¯t sore and dirt crumbled and crunched in her hair. However, being in such a mess actually felt ratherforting. It was like the easygoing nature of middle-aged reserve soldiers. It was a simr principle to how wearing a military uniform practically turned the sky into a nket and the earth into a bed. Feeling full, thus sprawling out for a bit, it had soon be dark around them. A-Qing wrapped Jin Jangmyeong up and put her on her back again. It would take two days if a viger walked, but A-Qing could make it in half a day by running. If she went a bit slower, it seemed about right to arrive by dawn. Then, all she needed to do was head to the highest peak. ¡°We¡¯ll probably arrive at dawn. Little Baby should sleep. It¡¯s said that people need to sleep well to be a beauty, but it seems like Little Baby needs to sleep all day toe anywhere close to that, huh.¡± ¡°What are you saying. Um, then, then, if that¡¯s the case, Unni3what girls call older girls. Basically ¡°Big Sis¡± but they don¡¯t have to actually be blood-rted. has to literally hibernate, you know?¡± A-Qing flinched for a moment. It was an unfamiliar form of address. She could feel Jin Jangmyeong fidgeting against her back. Even if she was a martial artist, she wasn¡¯t capable of turning her neck 180 degrees, so she couldn¡¯t see her expression. But¡­ It was almost like a question. As if asking if it was okay to call her that. Unni might be a bit odd for a man. But to be fair, men of modern times also used the term Unni when amongst themselves. A-Qing let out a brief burst ofughter. Well, why not. We¡¯re fated to be together until we reach the Divine Maiden Sect anyway. Arriving there wouldn¡¯t magically cure Female Middle Schooler chan and turn her into a healthypanion or anything like that. There wouldn¡¯t be such miracles. After dropping her off, who knew when they would see each other again, right? ¡°Go to sleep quickly. Don¡¯t drool all over my back, though.¡± ¡ª- The pitch-ck sky gradually turned azure. The sound of chirping birds. Even though the sun was still below the horizon, its presence empathetically announced the dawn. She had worrieed about overshooting their destination throughout the night. But upon seeing the Divine Maiden Peak, she realized it was an unfounded concern. With its towering presence, standing there all in its lonesome, there was no shot she could miss it. But honestly. Be for fucking real. How am I supposed to go up that? Rather than Divine Maiden Peak, it was just the Divine Maiden Tower. It was as if a tower had risen one more time from the mountain top. In the first ce, not even half of a half of the mountain was covered with greenery. The rest wasposed of vertically extending gray bedrock. Still, if humans lived here, there should be some kind of path to climb up. As such, she was currently wandering around, trying to look for a trail that would make it easier to ascend the mountain. Upon reaching the very corner at the end of the mountain¡¯s base, a depressed terrain between two ridges appeared. And at that ce was a road, hardened and killed by the continuous stomps of people and carts. Also, at the end of that path stood two people. That Xinjiang thingamajig? Isn¡¯t that Whatchamacallit n¡¯s¡­¡­. Someone. She couldn¡¯t quite remember the name, so¡­ Also, there was one oh so loathsome ninja as well. At the same time A-Qing saw them, they saw A-Qing as well. If you h h into an abyss, the abyss will h h into you or something. A-Qing recalled Nietzsche¡¯s famous words that were known to anyone and everyone. *** Chapter 23: Ximen Qing (2) ? Ximen Qing (2) ? ¡°You are finally here.¡± It was said in a tone that implied she was wayter in her arrival than expected. ¡°You knew I woulde here?¡± ¡°After all, a woman whose eyes shine with kindness cannot be a cruel evil. As such, your destination must be a ce to take the child to.¡± The brutal irony of fate had spun around and around in circles until it arrived to hit her where it hurt. Truly, a strange twist of fate. The innocent, bright eyes that had responded to the pure-hearted strike of the Wudang Sect had ultimately caused her trouble. A-Qing stepped back with a wary look in her eyes. As she did so, Yang Chaemu spoke. ¡°Come. It is already toote to run.¡± ¡°Lies. I don¡¯t believe you. Before, you hid away those ck bastards and lied. There¡¯s no one here this time, right? Do you think you can fool me twice just because you fooled me once?¡± ¡°I have never fooled you before, though.¡± Well, that was true. It was just that A-Qing alone bolted away, thinking this was her opportunity to seize; he had never said something like how he didn¡¯t prepare the Net of Heaven and Earth. It was all just in her head. ¡°So, what. You wanna throw it down here? Settle it once and for all or something?¡± ¡°If you hand over the child now, I shall pretend this never happened. You seem like a good person, Young Lady, so there is no need to harm you.¡± ¡°Ha, I have some skills too, you know? Yeah, let¡¯s settle this. You think I can¡¯t? I¡¯m also a Master! A Master, I tell you!¡± When she said so, the ck Assassin stepped forward. The sword he drew shone with light. It was not some mere glow-in-the-dark Sword Qi. It was a starlight that did not dazzle the eyes but shone in its ce, entering one¡¯s field of vision with a chilling whisper. It was Sword Force. ¡°Uh, what is this. He¡¯s a Transcendent Realm Master. To catch just one Peak Realm nobody with a Transcendent seems a bit, well, you know¡­¡­.¡± A-Qing¡¯s indignant tirade shriveled away. In her days of ignorance, when she had just reached the Peak Realm and feared nothing, she saw a fight of a Transcendent Realm Master in a marketce. The de wrapped in Sword Threads was cut into neat little pieces. Without a single iota of difficulty. Even though he wasn¡¯t even her opponent, her knees had wobbled a bit. This was the dignity of a true Master. ¡°Unni?¡± ¡°Even for me, a Transcendent Realm is a bit¡­¡­¡­One hit from that and you, me, both of us. We¡¯ll be walking on the road to death while split in half.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if we go, we¡¯ll go together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not okay with that, though.¡± A-Qing let out a deep sigh. ¡°Excuse me, could you at least give me one sword? Honestly, let¡¯s be real here. It¡¯s really not fair to make a swordsman fight a Transcendent Realm Master without a sword, you know?¡± Neither Yang Chaemu nor the ck Assassin answered. Evidently, they didn¡¯t want to give even a single sword. Such cheap fucks. But seriously, fighting a Transcendent Realm is actually not the move. I¡¯ll just bide my time a bit and look for a chance to dip. For now, let¡¯s try to make them let their guard down. A-Qing shouted loudly on purpose. ¡°Ha. It can¡¯t be helped then. MYEONGMYEONG! THIS IS MY KILLER MOVE!¡± A-Qing turned the baby nket forward. It was a bit of a struggle because it caught on her chest, but as a result, Jangmyeong, who had been behind, now hung in front of A-Qing after a full turn. A-Qing shouted triumphantly. ¡°This is the hostage defense technique! You can¡¯t attack, but I can! I am invincible and the baby is God! I am invincible and the baby is God1this is a korean meme. Basically when this guy invested in the stock market and then the political climate exploded back in 2020, NASDAQ went crazy, thus earning him a lot of money. So, he went on a portal site and start espousing how he was invincible and NASDAQ was God. This spawned a meme where people used that exact phrase but just reced NASDAQ with whatever subject that made them ¡°invincible¡±!¡± After all, they were aiming for Jin Jangmyeong anyway. Furthermore, Jin Jangmyeong had a weak body. She could not be so rashly handled. As such, she was the very definition of invincible armor. It was a truly petty idea and method. It had been agreed upon in case of an emergency, but Jin Jangmyeong still bowed her head in shame and embarrassment. Yang Chaemu spoke incredulously. ¡°Are you truly going to resort to such cowardly tactics? Wasn¡¯t your goal to save that child, Young Lady?¡± ¡°Cowardly my ass! The ones who rush here to shag a tiny kid, causing all sorts of bullshit along the way, are talking about cowardice in front of whom? Me?! The fuck are you on about!¡± A-Qing continued to raise her voice vigorously. ¡°And should our Esteemed Little Baby just watch others¡¯ affairs as if it¡¯s none of her business? Do you think she¡¯s going to leave her life in the hands of someone else and just shout, ¡®Let¡¯s go team! Win!¡¯?! At that point, why not just outright ask someone else to live her life for her?! Don¡¯t you dare underestimate our Jangmyeongie, you punk!¡± Then, an unexpected response came back. ¡°Your words are truly admirable!¡± A woman approached, pping her hands. She was a middle-aged woman who just had to be called beautiful. There was no other way to describe her. Despite the traces of time, her face was alluring, as well as dignified. ¡°Last night, the constetions appeared quite ominous, so I went for a walk. But before I knew it, I was outside the mountain gates. I intended to overlook the affairs of the secr world, but then, the baby spoke such lovely words. Baby, what is your name?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Baby.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m called A-Qing¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Qing! What a lovely name. But what in the world is this appearance? Not even a piglet would carry itself like this. And your sister too. How can you sisters be in such a barbaric state? Tell me. Are you a person or a piglet?¡± It was ady with a peculiar dignity. To the extent that it made A-Qing think, perhaps a chaebol¡¯s wife would carry herself like this. ¡°I¡¯m a person¡­¡­.¡± A-Qing answered, her voice shrinking back.¡± ¡°Then, act like one. Moreover, what is this state you¡¯re in? How could you treat your own body like this? You should know how precious it is. You are practically pieces of rags, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Um, excuse me, Madam, thank you for your words and all, but it¡¯s a bit dangerous here, so it would be better if you stayed away¡­¡­¡­ That bastard with a sword and that bastard with a spear are really bad people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you seriously in a state to worry about me? While looking like that? I think it¡¯s more right that I¡¯m supposed to worry about an idiotic bitch like you. You can¡¯t even take care of yourself, you halfwit. Haaaa, this is so infuriating. My chest is all stuffy. Haaa.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡± What the fuck is this situation? Why am I the one being scolded? A-Qing¡¯s eyes shook with bewilderment. While she was doing so, the Madam turned towards the other two men. ¡°And you, if there was even a little, just a tiny bit of sense in your heads, you wouldn¡¯t dare threaten a woman in front of Mount Wu¡¯s gates. Do I really have to rebuke you for having an intelligence that is worse than a bug¡¯s?¡± The faces of the two men went utterly pale. Though A-Qing was unaware, it was because thedy¡¯s sheer presence had already made them feel sick to their stomachs. They had immediately recognized thedy¡¯s identity. When asked who the strongest martial artist was, one could argue for ten straight nights over the answer. In fact, it was amon debate in the Central ins, happening anywhere at any time. But if asked who the strongest woman was, there was only one answer. The Zenith Among Women, Matriarch Ximen Surin. Yang Chaemu made a fist palm salute with a pale face, utterly void of blood. ¡°Elder Matriarch, I was-¡± ¡°Stop. You know who I am. If you do not believe your excuse to be honorable, it is better to keep your mouth shut.¡± Yang Chaemu shut his mouth. Desperate as he was, there was no reason to choose suicide just because of desperation. The moment he started talking about Pure Yin Blood in front of the Matriarch, his life would be forfeit. It wasmon sense. Very, very much so. ¡°Aiyo, just get lost. I can¡¯t stand to even look at you.¡± And with those words, A-Qing received a notification, signaling a Mission Completion. ¡ª- It was an unfamiliar ceiling. A gentle fragrancefortably filled her every breath. A-Qing sat up. She was inside a neatly-arranged room. As soon as she arrived in the Divine Maiden Sect after following the Madam, women with expressions like they¡¯d seen the most terrible thing in the world rushed in and plunged A-Qing into a bathing tub. That was when A-Qing realized why cats so desperately resisted baths. If left alone, she would somehow manage to keep herself clean. But if she was suddenly dunked in water and scrubbed with soap, of course, she was bound to be startled. Moreover, she was manhandled and vited by numerous hands of women she had never even met before, much less known their names. All A-Qing could do was tightly close her eyes and pray for this time to quickly pass. Afterward, she was treated by a female physician. She kept getting smeared by something and was patched up in so many ces that she hardly needed to wear clothes. Then, she had a bit of warm broth and fell asleep. And now, she had woken up. Now that she actually looked like a human being again, a warm fatigue pressed down on her entire body. A-Qing staggered out of the room. And there, she saw Ximen Surin drinking tea on the wooden floor. That Madam was called the Zenith Among Women, right? The strongest female in the Central ins, they say? Just as I thought, people had to be Masters. She didn¡¯t even draw her sword. She just swaggered over and stood there like a boss, before saying¡­ ¡®Get lost.¡¯ And with just that one word, the enemy bastards fled in panic. ¡°Baby. Have you awakened?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to you. Thank you.¡± A-Qing sneakily nced at her, trying to gauge the situation. Let¡¯s test the waters, huh. Taste Test Ability! Begin! ¡°I¡¯ve heard the whole story from the little baby. Well done, well done. Trulymendable. How could you take such lovely actions?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It was something I obviously had to do, after all.¡± ¡°That very thing which should obviously be done is not carried out by many. As such, how can I not praise you?¡± Ximen Surinughed heartily and continued. ¡°At any rate, I have truly experienced something startling. How is it that a child born with Heavenly ughter grew up so upright?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°How did I know, you ask? Didn¡¯t I already say thatst night¡¯s constetions seemed ominous? A dreadful and treacherous star seemed to sh before my eyes. How could I just stand by? I had to look around.¡± ¡°Can you tell that just by looking at the stars?¡± ¡°How could I know that just by looking at the stars? Here, give me your hand for a moment, why don¡¯t you? Let me feel your pulse.¡± A-Qing obediently extended her hand. Right as she did so, p! Ximen Surin¡¯s fingers struck A-Qing¡¯s wrist. No, wait, what the fuck? Why does a finger p hurt so much? A-Qing almost shed tears, as she clutched her wrist in pain. Ximen Surin clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk. Foolish child. How can a martial artist so readily offer their pulse? How did I know, you asked? While I knew it was close because I saw the stars, feeling your pulse was what actually revealed the presence of the Killing Star within.¡± ¡°You can tell that by feeling a pulse?¡± What the hell? Is she a Master while also being some great figure of herbal medicine as a side job? ¡°At my realm, youe to know these things.¡± Just as expected, one just had to be a Master! If you be a Master, you¡¯ll know how to do anything and everything! ¡°So be more careful. I can see that your nature is upright and just, so I shall overlook it, but others, knowing you were born with Heavenly ughter, will not hesitate to attack you without reason.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± This truly was a useful piece of information. After all, she could have been abruptly attacked without even knowing why. Remember not to offer your pulse carelessly. Important. Star that shit. Stamp. ¡°Indeed. Perchance, do you have any thoughts of joining the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± ¡°Thank you for such a kind offer, but I don¡¯t n on joining anywhere just yet.¡± ¡°Well. I thought as much. Heavenly ughtering Star. Born of Heavenly ughter from the front and destined to live as a wanderer from the back, you are trapped in between these two inescapable fates. You are clearly not meant to settle in one ce and set down your roots.¡± It wasn¡¯t such a grand and excessive decision, though. She just picked it based on a guide she read. How could she have possibly known she would get killed if she was ever caught harboring such a destiny? Despite the harsh words, A-Qing remained utterly unbothered, listening as if it was someone else¡¯s problem. The Zenith Among Women asked again with a gentle smile. ¡°Then, do you have any thoughts of bing my disciple?¡± *** Chapter 24: Ximen Qing (3) ? Ximen Qing (3) ? A-Qing¡¯s eyes widened. Even with herckingmon sense and limited knowledge, A-Qing knew that to learn martial arts, one must be a disciple, and to be a disciple, one must join a sect. No, to be honest, she didn¡¯t know at first. But she found out while looking to learn various martial arts in the early stages of her journey. ¡°I don¡¯t need to join the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± ¡°Let me be honest with you. The talent of a baby not yet twenty who has reached the Late-Stage Peak Realm is very desirable. There wouldn¡¯t be a teacher in Jianghu who wouldn¡¯t want her.¡± A-Qing was surprised. ¡°Am I that young?¡± ¡°Baby?¡± ¡°My figure isn¡¯t exactly girlish, though¡­¡­.¡± And her face was already the lowest score possible in terms of looks. ¡°Baby. Perchance. Do you not know your age?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°And the name A-Qing was also made by you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± To be more precise it was Ctrl+C, V. She copied and pasted it. After all, the post said only then would she be given Purple Martial Arts. ¡°What is your original surname?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either¡­¡­¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s expression turned into one of pity. It was the same misunderstanding as a certain someone from Hebei. ¡°Oh my, you poor baby. How did you grow up so well in such hardship? How admirable. You are truly lovely.¡± A-Qing just awkwardlyughed off her words because she didn¡¯t know how to reply. ¡°I see. But still, you did seem to have some luck finding a teacher.¡± ¡°A teacher?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.You don¡¯t have a teacher either? Then where did you learn your martial arts?¡± ¡°I just happened to get to know it¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Self-taught?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± A-Qing replied in the form of a question. After all, it wasn¡¯t a martial art learned through a proper nor standard method. Ximen Surin¡¯s expression turned to one of shock. ¡°The pure and profluent flow was clearly the meridians of orthodox Daoism. And wasn¡¯t it clearly a cultivation technique that is notcking to be called a Divine Art? What an exceptionally curious coincidence. What is the name of that Qinggong? That cultivation technique?¡± ¡°The Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique.¡± Ximen Surin pped her knee. ¡°Oho! So that is why you are A-Qing. How truly amazing! I thought such a Divine Art only existed in legends, yet here its master is, right before my very eyes. Indeed, the Heaven and Earth of Jianghu is vast and there is so much humans do not know! But¡­¡± Bonk! A noogie flew towards A-Qing¡¯s head. Escape? There was no escape. The bonk came at the speed of light. An impact so shocking that it shook her skull. It was practically a nuclear noogie, shot from an ICBM. A-Qing¡¯s eyes instantly welled up with tears as Ximen Surin spoke sternly. ¡°How can you answer every question so readily? You foolish andcking and naive girl. If people knew of your martial arts, the entire world would chase after you out of greed, Baby. You are lucky to have survived until now. Tsk tsk.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± She gained yet another piece of precious knowledge. The Madam was like amon sense vending machine. Every time she tapped it a bit, important knowledge and wisdom just cascaded out. ¡°Oooh? What a rude habit of speech! Do you really think that such words should evene from a baby¡¯s mouth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­I got used to saying it¡­¡­¡± ¡°I see. Since you are a baby, perhaps it is possible for that to happen.¡± Though A-Qing wasn¡¯t sure what she meant, for now, she nodded anyway. ¡°Haa. You are like a baby left by the water. If you go into the secr world like this, your life will notst long.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already be enemies with the Yang n of Xinjiang? The ck-d bastard beside him must undoubtedly be an assassin.¡± A-Qing seemed to know absolutely nothing. After all, it was clearly visible in her utterly nk stare. Ximen Surin sighed deeply. ¡°Haa. This foolish thing.¡± Her words were a bit harsh, but A-Qing understood the concern behind them. So, she just tried to wear an awkward smile. ¡°By the way, that little baby seemed to have eaten Shaolin¡¯s Great Rejuvenation Pill.¡± ¡°Great Rejuvenation Pill?¡± A-Qing asked back. Such a reaction showed she had no idea what that was. Ximen Surinughed heartily. ¡°The Great Rejuvenation Pill is Shaolin¡¯s elixir, considered the greatest elixir under Heaven. It is said that it cannot be bought, even if a fortune is given.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± This was why Yang Sowol had scammed her way to raising the price. ¡°Haa. Sowol, that wretched girl.¡± ¡°Eh, do you know Jangmyeongie¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°How could I not know a child that was once a part of our family?¡± The Divine Maiden Sect was a sect for women. And ording to the principles of the Divine Maiden Sect, one could never get married. However, it was only human nature for people to want to see their own children, so they were still allowed to adopt a girl and raise her. ¡°Then, could it be that Jangmyeongie is¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. The baby is indeed that brat¡¯s daughter. After all, she fell in love with a man and ran away.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the Divine Maiden Sect was an extremist feminist group that outright opposed marriage. If they fell in love with a man and wished to marry him? Then they simply needed to leave behind what they had received from the sect. In other words, they had to break their dantian and leave. Ximen Surin wrinkled her face. ¡°That bitch was full of greed.¡± Yang Sowol ran away because she didn¡¯t want to follow such rules. But she didn¡¯t just run away. She thoroughly plundered the Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s warehouse for a dowry. Furthermore, she quite literally nned her heist. She deliberately chose only the most valuable items and took them all. That was why Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s past was so prosperous. A-Qing was utterly incredulous. Huh, what the¡­I really didn¡¯t see you that way, Ahjumma1middle-ageddy in Korean. ¡°She should have been pursued to the ends of the earth back then and presented an early death. She couldn¡¯t even let go of what was given to her. How could a despicable bitch who betrayed her own sect possibly live with great fortune after that? I should never have let her be.¡± That was the root of the problem. Children born with Pure Yin Blood died before they turned twenty. It was a divine punishment in the form of a terrible curse. However, to a martial artist, this curse could also be the greatest blessing. After all, it was the best quality one could have to be a Master. Children born with the Pure Yin Blood could be Masters renowned throughout all under Heaven. The problem was that it was nearly impossible to learn martial arts if born with Pure Yin Blood. The body was frail and the energy was too strong, causing issues with forming the dantian, the very entry stage of martial arts. ¡°So, what then?¡± ¡°She needs the help of a Master. I am talking about the help of a true Master who has reached the Unrestrained Realm at the very least.¡± A Master who had reached the Unrestrained Realm could forcibly inject Qi through Qi Transmission, thus forcefully creating a dantian. However, Qi Transmission required decades worth of a Master¡¯s Inner Qi. ¡°So, how could someone like that ever bring her daughter here? A wretch who vited the sect¡¯s rules and ran away after stealing treasures.¡± That was why she fed her the Great Rejuvenation Pill. If the pill¡¯s medicinal properties could substitute for Inner Qi, a Master would not need to suffer any losses. After all, it directly led to the formation of a dantian. Thus, no Master would feel burdened to take her under their wing. ¡°She must have been prepared to beg and eveny down her own life. She would¡¯ve most likely pleaded to save her child¡¯s life at the cost of hers. That since she had already consumed an elixir, she could be guided easily.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°That damned bitch! Since she had already betrayed her sect, how could she possibly know what attainment this Matriarch reached?! There is no way she would¡¯ve known! Ha!¡± The Matriarch had already reached stupendous achievements decades ago. She was now in a realm where she could control the overflowing and destructive Pure Yin Energy, thus being able to create a dantian. There wasn¡¯t a need for Qi Transmission in the first ce. If she had just brought the child, the Matriarch would have saved Jin Jangmyeong. ¡°It was unnecessary from the start, yet¡­¡± If she had known Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s Constitution and brought her immediately¡­ No matter how heinous her crime, the Matriarch couldn¡¯t have killed the mother of the child she saved with her own hands. And thus, the father would not have had to lose his life either. Furthermore, the Lord of the Yang n of Xinjiang would have eventually been injured whilst fighting the Demonic Cannibal, but the child would have already been rooted in the Divine Maiden Sect. As such, the great n that had long defended the East Sea against foreign invaders wouldn¡¯t have been scammed¡­¡­ ¡°This is precisely what karma is. One evil deed plunged many into a pit of sorrow; such is the nature of Evil Karma.¡± Ximen Surin solemnly advised. ¡°So, Baby, you must remember this well. Especially since you carry the most ominous star.¡± ¡ª- A-Qing didn¡¯t know anything about martial arts fiction. Therefore, she was also unaware of the rtionship between a teacher and a disciple in the Central ins. In the Central ins, a teacher was akin to a master. Essentially, a teacher was on par with one¡¯s parents. But to a modern Korean, who did not distinguish between an educator and a teacher, the rtionship between master and disciple was taken far too lightly. This was the biggest reason why A-Qing so casually epted bing a disciple. Moreover, A-Qing longed for warmth. She was starving for it. It was natural for her to bepletely taken by Ximen Surin, who exuded the vibes of a grandmother. As such, A-Qing kowtowed deeply to Ximen Surin, epting her as her teacher. And then¡­ ¡°If you go into Jianghu as you are now, Disciple¡¯s life will be in danger. It is highly likely to be cut short. Therefore, hiding your identity will be the priority.¡± ¡°Hiding my identity?¡± ¡°Indeed. Disciple¡¯s face is already well-known. Moreover, since you have made enemies with a Transcendent Realm Master, you must reach the same realm to be able to live, much less n your future. Until then, it is wise to hide your identity.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. The extent of her deliberation consisted of just fighting if it seemed easy and run away if otherwise. After all, A-Qing was confident in her Movement Techniques. ¡°So, from now on, let¡¯s call you Ximen Qing.¡± ¡°Men-Qing. Then, from now on, I¡¯ll go by Men-Qing. I¡¯ll share the same surname as Teacher, right?¡± After all, whether it was Men-Qing or A-Qing, it was all the same to her. Receiving a surname felt a bit burdensome, but since everyone in Jianghu seemed to use surnames, it would be strange to use only a given name. Then, am I now a Xi? Come to think of it, I could have just used my original surna- THWACK! ¡°AHH!¡± A-Qing screamed due to the terrible pain. It was an uncontrolled screech that burst out instinctively. It was a hydrogen noogie, surpassing even the nuclear noogie. Fucking hell, what kind of bonk is this? Couldn¡¯t it have split my head open? Am I not bleeding? As A-Qing rubbed her head, she intermittently checked her fingertips. Still, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any blood, huh. I thought I was bleeding for a second, goddamn. *** Chapter 25: Ximen Qing (4) ? Ximen Qing (4) ? Castigation akin to a bolt of lightning struck down on her. ¡°What is wrong with your mind?! Is itpletely empty? Do you not even know your teacher¡¯s surname?! Indeed, it is a two syble family name. Yes, it may be umon. But for you to not know! You make me doubt whether you havemon sense!¡± ¡°Uh, so the family name wasn¡¯t Xi¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°It is Ximen. Hooo. This foolish girl¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± A-Qing felt a bit wronged. After all, she had seen some people from the Central ins have names that were five sybles long. And she didn¡¯t even tell her whether it was Xi or Ximen. ¡°Qing. My disciple.¡± ¡°Ah, that sounds¡­¡­.much better.¡± Qing sounded better than A-Qing. The name A-Qing was a bit odd anyway. ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that the name is settled, it is time to pass on the important martial arts.¡± ¡°Oooh, ah.¡± Qing hurriedly blocked her mouth as her usual speaking habits popped out. However, it was too little toote. Thwack! A nuclear noogie flew in. ¡°With suchcking manners and crude speech¡­¡­.What this grandma is going to teach you is a Cultivation Technique called the Late Blooming Heavenly Love. Since it is also from a Daoist sect, it will not be too difficult to learn.¡± ¡°Late Blooming Heavenly Love¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you reach the Grand Star of the Late Blooming Heavenly Love, there will be no greater achievement for Disciple.¡± Qing gulped in anticipation. More than anything, the name sounded cool and it was a martial art being directly passed on by the Zenith Among Women, so it had to be extraordinary. ¡°What kind of achievement is it?¡± Then, Ximen Surin replied. ¡°You¡¯ll be prettier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.What?¡± ¡°It cultivates beauty.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­. Is that all?¡± Bonk! Another nuclear noogie was added. Qing grabbed her head and made a tearful face. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a bump now, isn¡¯t there? ¡°The greatest proficiency a woman should achieve in order to conceal herself is by bing beautiful. Now, I will recite the mantra to you, so try to memorize it first. Sangoyeoil Anmyeongwiji¡­¡­¡± Ximen Surin chanted the mantra, also known as the form, of the Late Blooming Heavenly Love. Qing listened nervously, focusing all of her concentration on the form. But can I learn martial arts the way other martial artists do? Well, if it doesn¡¯t work, I can just ask them to show me the secret manual or write it down in a book. But what do you know? As soon as she heard the entire mantra, a Status Window Notification popped up. One new item in the Martial Arts Window. An Inner Qi Cultivation Technique with a Blue Border had been added. Learning something at the mere Blue-Grade was a bit disappoi- Euuuk, my head! Suddenly, words and phrases ufortably burrowed into her head. ¡°¡­¡­Did you memorize everything?¡± ¡°Yes. I memorized it all.¡± ¡°Memorized it all? After listening to it just once?¡± Ximen Surin asked in surprise. The kid seemed like apletely ignorant fool, but suddenly she could memorize all of that? ¡°Can you recite it?¡± ¡°So like, since ancient times, the most treasured thing has been a bright face that receives love without any action. A talent otherwise known as beauty. There was a daughter among the many children of Yan Emperor Shennong1Shennong, variously tranted as ¡°Divine Farmer¡± or ¡°Divine Husbandman¡±, was a mythological Chinese ruler known as the first Yan Emperor who has be a deity in Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion. Yan Emperor can also mean me Emperor. who achieved virtue through this beauty and¡­¡­.¡± A-Qing recited the phrases that were in her head. It was just tant cheating at this point. However, Ximen Surin nodded in satisfaction, unaware of such wrongdoings. It seems like all of the baby¡¯s talent went into martial arts. After all, wouldn¡¯t that be why a baby who should still be crawling has already reached the Late-Stage Peak Realm? ¡°Then, I will perform True Qi Daoyin2Daoyin is a series of cognitive body and mind unity exercises practiced as a form of Daoist neigong, meditation and mindfulness to cultivate jing (essence) and direct and refine qi, the internal energy of the body ording to traditional Chinese medicine. These exercises are often divided into yin positions (lying and sitting) and yang positions (standing and moving). The practice of daoyin was a precursor of qigong and was practised in Chinese Taoist monasteries for health and spiritual cultivation. The main goal of daoyin is to create flexibility of the mind, thereby creating harmony between internal and external environments, which rxes, replenishes and rejuvenates the body, developing in its practitioners a vital and healthy spirit. for you. Turn around and sit.¡± True Qi Daoyin was an act of guiding another¡¯s Qi to directly experience the correct operation of True Qi. Half of the remarks regarding how having a teacher was nice was because of this. After all, even the dullest student wouldn¡¯t easily forget what they had directly experienced in their body. True Qi wandered around inside her body without her controlling it. It was a fascinating sensation. A gentle pull went one revolution around the body from the dantian and then returned back to the dantian. When it did so, another Status Window Notification popped up. It was a notification that she had achieved 1 Star in the Late Blooming Heavenly Love. The Status Window was unpleasant, but she did save some Free Practice Points thanks to it. ¡°Can you try circting once? That¡¯s right. Well done. You learn quickly. How excellent. You are truly magnificent.¡± Ximen Surin threw a barrage ofpliments. As expected, she had the quality to be the next Greatest Under Heaven. That¡¯s right, it was time for a female martial artist to be the Greatest Under Heaven. In the first ce, martial arts belonged to women. After all, the method of controlling True Qi originated from the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens3Officially called ¡°Jiutian Xuann¨¹¡±, she is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity in Chinese mythology., a goddess, because she conveyed the Dao of Nature to people. When the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens descended into this world, she concealed her appearance and introduced herself as just an ordinary woman, asking people to call her merely a woman of the State of Yue. The Yue Maiden. Moreover, the Yue Maiden was also called A-Qing because she enjoyed wearing blue clothes. And here lies a connection to that very name. The talent had already pierced through the sky, surpassing the heavens. If so, she must now be taught the dignity of a female Master. How should she make this colt-like baby into a proper person? Meanwhile, Qing was smiling like a fool, dizzy from the explosion ofpliments that were akin to a drug. But if she knew what Ximen Surin was thinking, she most likely would not have smiled like that. ¡°Then, let¡¯s learn methods that care for the head.¡± ¡°Methods that care for the head?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What kind of study is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as it sounds. It¡¯s the method of hair care, which is as vital as life to a woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Qing blinked her eyes. What¡¯s with the abrupt entrance of hair care? Regardless of Qing¡¯s bewilderment, Ximen Surin continued. ¡°I will teach Disciple the forty-two ways of tying hair. You must memorize all of them and be able to do them naturally.¡± ¡°Um, does tying hair help with martial arts?¡± ¡°Oh my. It seems that is all you ever think about.¡± Ximen Surin took on a stern demeanor. ¡°Disciple is already a female Master. However, the world¡¯s view of female martial artists is terribly harsh.¡± If a female martial artist was weak, they would say, ¡®What could a frail woman possibly do?¡¯. Even if she was strong, criticism would follow. If shecked beauty, they would say, ¡®Indeed, if her face is ugly, she should at least be good at martial arts, shouldn¡¯t she?¡¯. If her beauty was exceptional, they would say, ¡®How many Masters has she enchanted with that face to climb to such a realm?¡¯. If a male martial artist cut down enemies, making heads fly to the Heavens and blood flow into the Earth, people would praise his firm will and outstanding spirit. But if a female martial artist did the same, she would be criticized; people would say womenmitted such violence because they were heartless, terrible, and no different from malevolent snakes. That wasn¡¯t all, though. Even doing righteous deeds to a starving beggar had been met with criticism. If a man did it, he was praised for his generosity. If a female martial artist did it, people would say she was just a tender-hearted, weak woman, so she couldn¡¯t withstand the harshness of Jianghu. ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡± Qing felt that something was very, very wrong. Teacher? I¡¯m a bit at a loss for what to do if you abruptly change paths like that, okay? Kinda ufortable. Please don¡¯t go down that road. You¡¯re making quite a dangerous statement, you know? ¡°Therefore, when Disciple wanders around Jianghu, you must have the mindset of representing all female Masters. To do this, you must always maintain the elegance and beauty of a dignified woman, as well as your own skills.¡± I have to¡­¡­.represent all female Masters? Qing was horrified. After all, among all the women in the world, she was the one person who shouldn¡¯t ever have such a position. ¡°Um¡­¡­.Teacher?¡± ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s start learning, shall we?¡± A massive will that allowed no room for rebuttal could be felt. Qing nodded her head, once again with a tearful face. ¡ª- I have to get out of here! ASAP! ording to Ximen Surin, her personality was like a wild colt, thus impossible to correct. As such, she said she intended to virtually engrave habits that would make her properly cultivate femininity. That she just had to stay half a year and then she could descend the mountain. Thinking half a year might be okay was a grave mistake, though. Thus began Qing¡¯s suffering. The core of it was the nuclear noogie. If even one hair was out of ce, nuclear noogie. If her clothes were not neat, nuclear noogie. If her footsteps were rough and boisterous, nuclear noogie. If her manner of speech was casual and crude, nuclear noogie. If she gobbled up her food instead of eating a meal, nuclear noogie. If she sat with her legs spread, nuclear noogie. It was so bad that it reminded her of a certain dictator who believed nuclear armament was some miracle that could solve national power, livelihood, economy, and even culture. It wasn¡¯t called a nuclear noogie without a reason. With just one bonk, her lips would shrink back into her mouth in spite of herself. Her eyes would heat up and she¡¯d feel the pain of her skull cracking and scalp tearing. The only reason why Qing didn¡¯t run away sooner was thanks to Jin Jangmyeong. ¡°Unni, are you okay?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die. I might actually die if this continues.¡± ¡°Oh no. What should we do, Unni? You have such terrible hair already, but if this continues¡­¡± Jin Jangmyeong gently stroked Qing¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t stroke me. My hair¡¯s gonna get messed up.¡± A-Qing untied her hair and then gathered it back up again. It was already the twenty-third time today. Two binyeos4remember! It¡¯s hairpin! and one string. Her hand movements were incredibly natural, even without her consciously thinking of doing it. Five months. This was the result of getting nuked for five months. Jin Jangmyeong sat down in front of her and presented her back. ¡°Do mine too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered. You do it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered either.¡± Jin Jangmyeong then sprawled out on her back and pressed her head against Qing¡¯s stomach. Qing sighed and asked. ¡°Which number?¡± ¡°Number Thirty-Five.¡± ¡°Out of all styles, it just had to be Thirty-Five.¡± Qing grabbed Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s hair. Hairstyle Number Thirty-Five required her to braid the hair on each side and loop it around. It was truly tedious to manage. There wasn¡¯t a hairstyle that was more of a hassle than this one. On another note, in just five months, Jin Jangmyeong had transformed from a in ten-year-old kid into a tiny Female Middle Schooler chan. Honestly, it was more akin to evolution than growth. Originally, those with rare Innate True Qi like Pure Yin Blood were able to rapidly advance in their Inner Qi Arts as long as their dantian was formed. Moreover, she had already consumed the effects of the Great Rejuvenation Pill in its entirety. As such, Jin Jangmyeong had already surpassed the Late-Stage First-Rate Realm in terms of her Inner Qi. As her body became healthier, she grew taller and gained weight. However, ording to Ximen Surin, she had already missed the period for her growth spurt, so she wouldn¡¯t get any taller than now. ¡°It is almost past noon, right? We should go to afternoon training.¡± ¡°Eung.¡± Qing then left her dwelling. *** Chapter 26: Ximen Qing (5) ? Ximen Qing (5) ? Qing lived separately. Qing was the direct disciple of Ximen Surin. However, that did not make her a disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect. Because of her unusual position as a disciple of the Grand Elder, yet external from the sect itself, she could not enter Flower Pond Hall, where other sect disciples lived. It was because she was considered too great a senior. Ximen Surin, a Master who had even achieved Body Reconstruction, was a figure from the previous generation. As she had already passed on the position of Sect Leader to the most senior disciple, Qing¡¯s allocation was that of the most junior Sister of the Sect Leader. However, there was a culture among the Daoist Sects that stated, ¡®It¡¯s not like we are strangers!¡¯. As such, Daoists roughly shared and respected the allocations of each other¡¯s sects. But one thing must be kept in mind; excluding Shaolin and Emei, the Nine Sects, renowned throughout the entire world, was no different from one big Daoist Sect. And the influence of the Nine Sects was equivalent to that of the entire Orthodox Faction of Murim. Therefore, this allocation was essentially an authority recognized by all sects ssified as Orthodox. Initially, Qing did not know about this strange system of allocation. However, she discovered that it was some kind of a standard or rank. It was simr to a certain standard that was obsessively adhered to by a specific military branch with the goal ofing back tond1In Korea, only when the Navy gets back tond can they take a vacation. And in order to do that, they have to REALLY strictly follow protocol and standards. So, this is basically saying the Orthodox Faction are that strict in keeping this ¡°standard¡± or ¡°rank¡±. As obsessive as actual military protocols. Order of entry determined the rank which they were assigned, not much different from the modern military, but sometimes there were exceptions. It was because of the oh so great Masters who picked out talented neers, thinking, ¡®This one will be strong if raised well¡¯. And once bing the direct disciple, the disciple was included under the Master¡¯s standard, or in simpler terms, under their banner. For this reason, Qing was equal to the highest seniors in the Divine Maiden Sect, excluding Ximen Surin! So it became like this. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Great Junior Grandmaster2The connections in ¡°Master-Disciple Rtionships¡± Great Grandmaster (Grandmaster¡¯s Master) Grandmaster (Master¡¯s Master) Master Person in Question Disciple Granddisciple And within each, there are ¡°Seniors¡± and Juniors¡± depending on whether a ¡°Grandmaster¡± is the Junior or Senior of THEIR ¡°Master¡¯s Master (Grandmaster)¡± So, since MC¡¯s Ximen Surin¡¯s disciple. Let¡¯s break it down. Sect Leader: the disciple of Ximen Surin as well as the Grandmaster of ALL DISCIPLES in the Sect. MC is the JUNIOR of the current Sect Leader. Hence, she is a ¡°Junior Grandmaster¡± to ALL DISCIPLES OF THE SECT. But she is ALSO the CURRENT direct disciple of the ¡°Great Grandmaster (Ximen Surin)¡± So, although she is a JUNIOR to the Sect Leader, she is actually ABOVE him as the DIRECT DISCIPLE of the Great Grandmaster (Above Sect Leader). Hence why her title is: Great Junior Grandmaster. You¡¯re wee. Fuck me.!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Hello!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Did you have a good lunch!¡± Ah! A wild disciple(s) of the Divine Maiden Sect appears!3pokemon reference! Qing was surrounded by a group of Divine Maiden Sect disciples. Ximen Surin had firmly dered to the sect disciples that she would be the next Greatest Under Heaven. It was the minimal justification needed for the sect¡¯s administration to ept her as a direct disciple considering the allocation issue. But far from being arrogant or annoying, Qing had a talent for acting respectively and friendly towards elders. And it was the same for the lower-ranking sect disciples as well. Qing was not a difficult character to approach, and strictly speaking, since she was an external figure, there was no need for stiff formalities. As they had grown up within the sect and maintained a girlish carelessness, the young female sect disciples became curious about the outside world, causing a fuss every time she indulged them by telling them stories. For this reason, Qing was insanely popr. ¡°She¡¯s busy. Move aside.¡± At that moment, Jin Jangmyeong blocked the way as if to protect Qing. ¡°Little Junior Master was here¡­¡­¡± ¡°Agh, our ns are ruined.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get going now, Great Junior Grandmaster!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see you soon too, Little Junior Master!¡± The sect disciples left with a disappointed look. Qing was easy to approach. They instinctively knew that, for some strange reason, Qing found them intimidating. But it was different when Little Junior Master was by her side. Normally, Little Junior Master was gentle, quiet, and cute. But they were well aware that she growled like a beast, as if marking her territory, when next to Great Junior Grandmaster. Of course, Jin Jangmyeong was doing well too. Qing had seen several times a day how the disciples of the Divine Maiden Sect carried the small and petite youngest Junior Master like a doll. It was understandable. The tiny thing always waddled around with a sulky and pouty expression. She was indeed pretty cute. Qing always just watched, not daring to touch without the Female Middle Schooler chan¡¯s permission. ¡°Then, work hard today too, little kid.¡± ¡°Unni too.¡± Qing parted ways with Jin Jangmyeong in front of the Divine Plum Temple. And then she headed towards Ximen Surin¡¯s Temple of Water and Moon. The gates to the Temple of Water and Moon were always wide open. But hardly any sect disciple dared to enter. After all, it was difficult to enter the private dwelling of the Grand Elder on their own and within the Divine Maiden Sect, Ximen Surin was known to be fiercely scary. However, Qing found this a bit pitiful. It was obvious why the gate was left wide open. It meant anyone was wee to enter. But with the Divine Maiden Sect disciples freezing up like mice in front of a snake at the sight of Ximen Surin, who would dare to find the courage to visit? But that didn¡¯t mean the sect disciples were to me. In modern terms, it would be like barging into the chairman¡¯s office because the chairman seemed lonely. Perhaps the only person capable of such an act would be a director from an externalpany who suddenly parachuted in without any basis nor reason. And that very external director boldly entered the Temple of Water and Moon without any basis. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m hereeeee.¡± ¡°Ha. How can a dignified martial artist snort and act all coquettishly. Are you trying to act cute? My disciple, always remember to behave with the dignity befitting a representative of all female martial artists and¡­¡­¡± ¡°This baby doesn¡¯t know about that stuff. This baby only knows martial arts. Please teach me martial arts. I¡¯m getting dizzy from the withdrawal.¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­¡­.. You¡¯re not even pretending to listen anymore.¡± Ximen Surin voiced her displeasure, but she couldn¡¯tpletely hide a faint smile. Qing clenched her fist tightly. Whenever she seeded in acting all cute, the severity of the nuclear noogie tended to decrease to that of a tactical nuclear noogie. The studies with Ximen Surin now continued only through sparring. Qing acutely felt the truth that the more Inner Qi one had, the better. As such, she had swiftly advanced through the Late Blooming Heavenly Love Cultivation Technique, reaching the 10 Star Realm in no time. Naturally, Ximen Surin was amazed to see the baby, who had been walking until yesterday, suddenly flying around. At that moment, Ximen Surin was contemting whether to pass on the sect¡¯s Divine Arts. Sure, she was her disciple, albeit peculiar, but since she was not a part of the sect, it was somewhat embarrassing to push for her to be able to learn it. Indeed, the cultivation technique given was not that difficult to learn. However, the fact that she achieved the Grand Star of it in just one night was enough to convince her. She thought, ¡®As expected, she will be the next Greatest Under Heaven¡¯, and decided to transmit to her the Cultivation Technique of the Zenith Among Women. Zhu Xiang¡¯s Heart Cleanse Mirror4Zhu Xiang is considered a nickname for Shennong. Heart Mirror Cleanse means to ¡°Clean the mirror of your heart¡±. It was a Divine Art said to have been created by Yan Emperor Shennong for his daughter, Yaoji5the Divine Maiden/Goddess of Mount Wu. Refer to s about her!. Qing joyfully poured her Practice Point into this Purple Border martial arts. That night, a phoenix6Fun Fact! For most Murim novels, it is not the traditional ¡°Phoenix¡± you guys know. It is actually a Fenghuang, mythological birds found in Sinospheric mythology that reign over all other birds. It¡¯s just called a ¡°Chinese Phoenix¡± by Westerners, thus making other trantions call it ¡°Phoenix¡± soared from Qing¡¯s dwelling. Zhu Xiang¡¯s Heart Cleanse Mirror 12 Star. Grand Star. Qing¡¯s Inner Qi swelled by a terrifying amount. But that was all it did. Ximen Surin began to worry. The amount of Inner Qi was enormous. Despite the insufficient size of her dantian, the Inner Qi inexplicably remained throughout her body and limbs. By the amount of Inner Qi alone, she was already on par with a Mid-Stage Transcendent Realm. But why couldn¡¯t she break through the wall of the Transcendent Realm? Thankfully, it seemed like a Master was not a Master for no reason. Ximen Surin eventually found out the reason. ¡°I see. All movements and techniquese from Disciple¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Then where else should theye from?¡± ¡°They should naturally arise from the heart. My goodness, it seems being too smart has its drawbacks. That is why you¡¯re in this state. Too much is as bad as too little, after all.¡± High-level martial arts were inherently vague. For example, in swordsmanship, one might write about lifting the sword and striking it down quickly like this. When striking down swiftly from a mountain high in the sky to a hill, its momentum akin to a storm¡­¡­.. It was like this. The issue was not just the operation and form of martial arts, but the Imagery must also blend together. Usually, a martial artist would enter a Trance and achieve the Peak Realm when they fully understood the meaning behind such phrases. To expand on that, the act ofpleting one¡¯s own interpretation was the very definition of Imagery. Fully integrating even a single movement as one¡¯s own technique was what allowed a martial artist to enter a Trance and reach the Transcendent Realm. ¡°Imagery¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Since you only understand Sword Arts with your head, it is only natural that you cannot reach the next realm.¡± Of course, that was to be expected. Qing¡¯s method of learning martial arts was just to forcibly cram them into her head. ¡°So what should I do?¡± ¡°Well, you have no choice but to swing your sword until such Imagery arises and establishes itself in you. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± As such, it was sparring, more sparring, and yet even more sparring. Never-ending spars. Honestly, it was an extremely difficult task. That¡¯s because- Thwack! ¡°Hasn¡¯t your hair be a mess? Hurry and fix it. You are like an unkempt brat of a disciple.¡± Thwack! ¡°There were six paths of living, yet you couldn¡¯t find any of them and ended up rolling on the ground? I have repeatedly said that it is imperative for a female Master to be graceful.¡± Thwack! ¡°Can you not see your front opening? Men and women are distinct! How can you expose your undergarments in a mere fight?!¡± Qing clutched her head, making a tearful face. ¡°Kkkeup. At this rate, your disciple¡¯s noggin will break.¡± ¡°Noggin? Did you just say noggin? Why in the world is it that that wild temperament of yours can¡¯t be fixed¡­¡­¡± When Qing floundered around, making a fuss over how she would die from the agony, Ximen Surin would sometimes soothe her with a somewhat softened attitude, stroking her head. Ximen Surin looked at Qing, moving her hand. When she first came to the Divine Maiden Sect, her appearance was not bad but not particrly good either. The Late Blooming Heavenly Love Cultivation Technique was excellent when it came to a woman¡¯s cosmetic treatment. The Zhu Xiang¡¯s Heart Cleanse Mirror, the Divine Maiden Sword Sutra, and the Divine Maiden Lake Footwork were also the Fairy Arts of Daoism, thus the more one got ustomed to them, the more their beauty was enhanced. As a result, her features gradually found their ce, eventually reaching the present state. Now, she had reached a point where she would be called a beauty no matter where she went. Almost no one would remember the unsightly brat from before. At this point, I don¡¯t need to hold her back any longer. Ximen Surin made up her mind. ¡°It is about time for you to go out into the world.¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± ¡°Holding you back any further will not bring you to the Transcendent Realm. What you need isn¡¯t this mock duel but an actual battle. I have taught you all there is to teach, so staying any longer will not mean much.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Qing had seen the Omen Mission before. If there was an Omen Mission, it inevitably meant that a Main Mission would follow. As such, Qing had to verify it. Life in the Divine Maiden Sect was satisfying. But she could not just sit by idly, continuing tough and chat while remaining ignorant. She had to confront this Status Window somehow. She had toe to a conclusion once and for all. Only by seeing the end of this game could the ensuing emptiness turn Qing into aplete person. Whether that meant returning to reality or remaining a person of the Central ins forever. ¡°Even though Disciple was not a part of the sect, none of the sect disciples here think of you as an outsider.¡± ¡°I know that too.¡± ¡°I see. It is a relief that you know.¡± Ximen Surin stroked Qing¡¯s head as she spoke. ¡°Your thatch will still be here, soe back and rest whenever you like, Disciple.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Can I do that?¡± ¡°Of course. Is that even a question?¡± Ximen Surin smiled benevolently. It was a smile akin to one given by a mother. ¡°This is your home. Who in the world would ever need permission toe and go when it is their own home?¡± *** Chapter 27: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (1) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (1) ? Ximen Qing, Charge! ¡­¡­was what she was about to do, but Jin Jangmyeong clung tightly to her. Hold Charge. ¡°Unni. Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going away forever, you know? If you act like this, it feels like I might nevere back or something.¡± ¡°What the. You were gonnae back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll being and going. Why would I leave the house I¡¯ve set up for myself for the first time in my life?¡± Qing thought of her own thatch. It was an old house, with one room and one living room¡­ even the kitchen was outside the house. But it was ¡®my house¡¯. That resonance had a great emotional impact, piercing through the heart of a modern person like her. ¡°You¡¯reing back, right? For sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°For sure, for sure?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep adding ¡®for sure¡¯. Just because you¡¯re a bit cute now doesn¡¯t mean you can act cute all you want, okay?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about whether I shoulde back in winter. It¡¯s a bit tough to move around when it¡¯s cold, after all. Anyway, keep training hard.¡± ¡°By then, I bet I¡¯ll be at the Transcendent Realm.¡± ¡°Okay buddy. Next First-Rate Nobody please.¡± Jin Jangmyeong let go of her hand when she heard her promise to return. ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! You muste back!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Please be careful!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Bring something delicious when youe back!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Me three!¡± The sect disciples who came to see her off were making a racket. Ximen Surin did note out. But in reality, Qing had already given her a grand bow while crying her eyes out. In hindsight, there was no need to go that far, but she got carried away by the atmosphere. It felt like that was exactly what needed to be done. Cry now, just like in a K-Drama! was kind of the vibe she got. Anyway, she received a new sword with the tears as its price. Moonlight Sword (No. 8), wee back! At any rate, Ximen Qing, Attack! Qing stomped out of the mountain gates boldly. And then, she immediately opened the Righteous Rewards. There were things that needed to be handled quickly while still feeling this sense of belonging and regret. Bringing Jin Jangmyeong along had given her a huge boost in Righteous Karma, now totaling over a thousand. And at a thousand points, another exchange could be made. Since she was unable to add a new martial art until now due to her Teacher, a Supreme Master of herbal medicine who could diagnose with a touch of her fingers, now was the perfect opportunity. Qing still remembered the terror of facing the Sword Force of a Transcendent Realm Master without a sword. That was why she needed a martial art that could be used without a sword. A very, very powerful one. Fortunately, she had already heard of one. White Hand Demonic Arts. If the Grand Star was reached, everything below the elbow would be indestructible. A rocket punch that could block even Sword Force! A brilliant Purple Border guaranteed its strength. Qing immediately received the Righteous Rewards. The sutra for the White Hand Demonic Arts embedded itself in her mind. No matter how many times she experienced it, this Brain Engraving Memory Method felt absolutely heinous. Perhaps even filthy. However, she no longer had enough Practice Points topletely master a Purple Martial Arts. Qing raised the realm of the White Hand Demonic Arts to 6 Stars. It was quite a frugal investment. Strangely, martial arts tended to get significantly stronger at 6 Stars, after all. Using the martial art would umte Practice Points anyway, thus allowing her to reach the next stage. And there wasn¡¯t any particr need to excessively invest her precious Free Practice Points. She still had some Free Practice Points left, albeit a vague amount. There wasn¡¯t anything important she could do with it. As such, she raised the 2 Stars Buddha¡¯s Palm to 6 Stars. Where else should I use the remaining points? Just as expected, there is nothing as enjoyable as nning a character build- Character build? ¡°GAME ADDICTIONS STOP! I LUV REALITY! I LUVLUVLUVLUVLUV REALITY!¡± Qing shouted hastily. She had let her guard down for a moment, leaving her in this state. Qing¡¯s hands trembled uncontrobly. I just had a fairly touching and, more importantly, human farewell. But to think I woulde out and do this immediately. Again. All over again. Qing immediately attempted to gaslight herself as a way to defend her mental state. Everyone, this is how harmful game addiction is to the brain1These are all quotes said by people in Korea to speak out AGAINST games. They are all popr memes.. I have tried turning everything off for a moment2In a news story, a reporter once tried turning off all electronic devices. Instantly after, the kid started beating the shit out of an elderly. That¡¯s the criteria of those who have experienced the original kartrider3Something the game developer for Kartrider got a lot of shit for. Basically, people were like ¡°huh isnt this new kartrider game worse than the original¡± and this was his way of defending. Basically said the original gamers were boomers and that his game was perfect even though it was missing a lot of the functionalities that the original had. Comments said things like ¡°oh then did you, the game developer, never y the original¡± among others. Basically became a meme. I think even foreigners know this as well.. That was the customer¡¯s individual choice and I don¡¯t think of it as harm4Another famous meme. For this controversial topic, in Uma musume Pretty Derby, a kakaogames production, users were collecting about $600 worth of ¡°tokens¡± that they can exchange for an event. However, they made a big mistake by allegedly identally changing the $600 worth of tokens to $1 worth of ¡°clovers¡±, thus causing a huge fuss. When asked in a press conference whether he believed this ¡°ident¡¯ caused harm to the users, this is how a developer of the game responded. LOL. It¡¯s okay to lose the match against RGE, the important thing is an unbreakable heart5THE OH SO FAMOUS DEFT. Our 2022 LOL World Champ, Fakeryer, and the famous individual who once said, ¡®the important thing is an unbreakable heart.¡¯ Need I go further than this?. That¡¯s right! What matters is an unbreakable heart! An unyielding spirit! Sensei Deft, thank you. But you know, I heard you never actually said that, yeah?6LOLLLLLLL ¡°Hoooo¡­¡­¡± Qing let out a deep sigh. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Extreme measures were needed. It was a means that she could only do now. Qing turned around. Oh well. It can¡¯t be helped. Guess I¡¯ll have to stay one more day at home. ¡ª- Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s childhood was blessed. Now, it was nothing more than a bitter memory. After all, all her fortune was from money stolen from the sect. Anyway, for the frail Jin Jangmyeont, her parents hired a retired local government official to be her writing teacher. The tutor always emphasized the importance of words. He said that words were more precious than gold and could sometimes save a person¡¯s life. Jin Jangmyeong disagreed. ¡®If words can save a person, why am I in this state? How dare you pay lip service when you don¡¯t even understand the other¡¯s circumstances?¡¯ By then, Jin Jangmyeong was already aware of the severity of her illness. The writing teacher was fired soon after and Jin Jangmyeong learned the reasonter from overhearing her parents¡¯ conversation. He had apparently once gotten drunk, failed to recognize an Inspector, and hurled curses at him. Thus, it led to his dismissal from his government post. The writing teacher¡¯s words were not mere lip service. They were filled with genuine sincerity. If words could save a person¡­ Then words could also kill a person. That was probably what the tutor was thinking when he spoke as such. A very, very old memory. A memory that she didn¡¯t even need to remember. But she recalled it suddenly in that cold, dark tunnel. You did nothing wrong. What can you even do about the way you were born? All you can do is call it bad luck and move on. Did you ask to be saved? No, right? Tell them all to just fuck off. From that moment onwards, Jin Jangmyeong wholly agreed with her past writing teacher¡¯s sentiments. The words lifted the burden she felt in her young life; a burden so heavy it even made it hard to breathe, pressing down on her chest. As such, Jin Jangmyeong decided not to think too much about her parents¡¯ actions. She still loved them, but honestly, she didn¡¯t want to see them anymore. On the other hand, living as a disciple in the Divine Maiden Sect meant spending a lifetime with other women. Was that perhaps why? Jin Jangmyeong witnessed many, many bizarre scenes. Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters locking fingers and striding together, paying no attention to anything else but each other. As a sickly child, Jin Jangmyeong was quite quick at noticing many things. That wasn¡¯t just a sign of friendship. Friendship only consisted of hugging one lightly, saying how cute one was, or linking arms. Friends did not lock fingers tightly in an unspeakably in, inde, indece, indecent manner. Each time she saw this, Jin Jangmyeong would recall that dark pit. That cozy darkness. That warmth that heated up her body. She hugged my small body tightly, really tightly, so tightly, very tightly, like really right up close, with like heartbeats thudding loudly and like incredibly soft and fluffy skin rubbing against skin and¡­¡­ It was then. ¡°Heyo, Myeong. I¡¯ve decided to stay one more night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡ª- After receiving a grand send-off, Qing left the Divine Maiden Sect and returned in half a sh¨ªch¨¦n7One sh¨ªch¨¦n is 2 hours. So half a sh¨ªch¨¦n = 1 hour. Everyone¡¯s gazes meeting hers was beyond embarrassing. However, mental health was important. Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s gaze upon their quick reunion was peculiar. It was as if she was thinking, ¡®What the fuck is wrong with this person?¡¯. Qing was slightly hurt by this. Nevertheless, Jin Jangmyeong showed a trulymendable spirit by saying she wanted to spend the night together since Qing had to leave tomorrow; this kinda remedied the hurt she got earlier. But regardless of that, Qing, shocked by the very idea of sharing a bed with a Female Middle Schooler chan, had sent her back. And once again, Ximen Qing, Charge! Qing, refreshed by the spirit of having her own home, set out once more. She had already decided on a destination the night before. A seasoned person of Jianghu always made ns. And Qing was now a seasoned person of Jianghu. For now, she would go to a city. Then, she would join any escort group and receive VIP treatment from them. It was a perfect n, no matter how she thought about it. Where she went was not important. What mattered was what treatment she would get. And there was a city near Mount Wu. Zigui. A port city attached to the Yangtze River. Ximen Qing had visited the city several times before. The Divine Maiden Sect was not a feminist self-sufficientmunity. LIke any other sect, they leased out their fields and paddies as sharecropping and received donations from those who came to burn incense at their sect, albeit limited to females only. However, they were at a disadvantagepared to sects of the secr world because they did not receive arge ie source in the form of protection fees. However, the Divine Maiden Sect was still quite wealthy. How? By selling specialties. The Divine Maiden Sect was a Mystical Sect worshiping the Yan Emperor and his third daughter, the Divine Maiden. In modern terms, the Yan Emperor was like a Sun God, as well as a god of agriculture and craftsmanship. Supported by farmers and craftsmen, he would one day be the most revered god in the Central ins! Therefore, the Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s specialties were rumored to be miraculous. Almost magical. Talismans, written prayers, embroidery thread, norigaes, pieces of clothes with Buddhist writings engraved, etc¡­¡­. With the money earned from all that, they bought what they needed. And also what they didn¡¯t really need as well. After all, how could one live on just food alone? Every fortnight, when the disciples made their wish list, sect members at an Elder¡¯s level took turns purchasing the items. Ximen Qing, being one of such members herself, had followed along a couple times out of boredom. For private outings, they had to wear a veil over their face. Due to such rules of the Divine Maiden Sect, she couldn¡¯t really enjoy herself. After all, it was incredibly hot out and the veil only made it worse. Obviously, if she spent all day following the list and shopping around, it could not be fun. As Qing headed to the city, she swung her arms continuously. Swish, Swishhh. The sound of air being cut was sharp. White Hand Demonic Arts. This rare Demonic Arts, among the top five most evil martial arts under Heaven, embroidered the void. It was so unique that those who practiced the White Hand Demonic Arts were given special, exclusive titles like White Hand Demonic Person or White Hand Witch. It was the wisdom and will of Murim seniors, passed down through generations. ¡®That fucker fucking has White Hand Demonic Arts. The bastard has to be caught and killed at all costs, you hear me?¡¯ Of course, Qing had no idea about this. There was no way she would. It was something even her teacher, Ximen Surin, could not have predicted. The idea that someone possessed several Daoist Divine Arts would suddenly learn a Demonic Art was utterly unthinkable. Even a madman would hold back their tongue and marvel, ¡®What an imaginative idea!¡¯, before apuding at the sheer insanity they could never hope of matching. But Qing had aplished such a difficult task. While admiring the brutal and wicked power of the Demonic Arts, Qing couldn¡¯t help but to remark. ¡°Oooh. Power Bitch p8Meme from Korean ad. Hm. I wonder if I can somehow attach fire to my hand? Would that not work?¡± *** Chapter 28: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (2) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (2) ? Zigui was a port. More specifically, a port city. Though one might question what port city existed on a river, the cargo volume of the Yangtze River ounted for a third of the entire Central ins. However, just because cities were along the Yangtze did not mean they all thrived onmerce. Zigui was exactly as so. Zigui had rather unsatisfactory roads extending ovend and, more importantly, was closer to Yichang. And Yichang had a major road leading out to Chongqing. Thus, it was inevitable that where roads and water met, great development urred. But Zigui, neighboring the giant natural barriers of the Wu Gorges, had no reason for merchants to visit. This Wu Gorge was considered the most beautiful among the three gorges along the Yangtze. Thus, Zigui, situated at the entrance to this gorge, was popr with tourists. In other words, Qing sitting stubbornly in the inn, waiting to see if any escort group would pass by, would not bear any fruit. In fact, if one wanted to join a tradingpany, simply visiting the local branch of the escort group would suffice. At Qing¡¯s level, the escort group would be beside themselves, practically crawling to wee such a talent. No joke, even if she told them to carry her on their backs throughout the entire journey, they would do so in a heartbeat. However, she would have to put up with monikers like Bizarre Female Back-Climber. For reference, the meaning of that was a weird woman who climbed on top of one¡¯s back. Yet, Qing was unaware of such facts. She was utterly clueless. In the first ce, she never bothered to learn. After all, even if she used what she knew well, she wouldn¡¯t really seek out what she didn¡¯t know. Anyway, in Qing¡¯s heart, the inn was kind of a ce of meeting. It was utterly ridiculous, but in a way, not entirely wrong. It was right when Qing was propping up her chin at the inn, watching tourists pass by. A young man appeared, suddenly shing his white teeth. He had a very healthy set, indeed. ¡°Oh my, a flower without an owner seems to have bloomed here.¡± Qing looked around. The inn was rather quiet and those present were of ordinary or lesser appearance. Tourists, being fundamentally wealthy, dined in restaurants, drank tea in teahouses, and liquor in bars. An inn like this, serving everything, was for wanderers like Qing or somewhat destitute tourists. She didn¡¯t see anything that could be a proper flower. Though there was no way, Qing pointed at herself just in case. When she did so, the young man smiled with his eyes. What, me? Actually? Why? Qing was a bit surprised. ¡°I am named Cha Namjeong. Might the beautiful Damsel grace me by revealing her name, as precious as jade?¡±¡± Qing scrutinized Cha Namjeong. Not for any other reason. Just that¡­ -598, this motherfucker, what¡¯s wrong with the state of his Karma¡­¡­? Come to think of it, she had endured for quite a long time. Without any proper countermeasures, she could only bear the bombardment of nuclear noogies with tears. Those moments of humiliation and contempt¡­¡­. But, huh. Would you look at that? There¡¯s a bastard to kill here, huh? Thoughts of murder red up for the first time in a while. Qing smirked; a chilling smile spread through her face. ¡°I¡¯m Ximen Qing.¡± ¡°Ah! Damsel Ximen! By the way, it appears yourpanions are quite indifferent.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Otherwise, how could they possibly leave a beauty like you all alone?¡± ¡°I have nopanions.¡± ¡°Ahhh. As expected, that¡¯s how it was. To be frank, I knew at first nce. Nopanions would leave behind a Fairy that had descended upon this world.¡± Look at this little fucker yapping. What¡¯s your name? Did youe here alone?1amon pickup line in Korean clubs (dont ask me i dont know shit.) Ohh, did this bastard frequent clubs a bit? What¡¯s next then? Is it, ¡®Want to go out for a drink?¡¯, or something? ¡°So?¡± ¡°Haha, actually, I have been summoned by the Emperor and must travel to Beijing. Once I receive documents for official matters, I¡¯ll be busy, so I thought to catch a breath of fresh air before then.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Qing was nonchnt. So, isn¡¯t that just a long-winded way of saying he became a civil servant? Unexpectedly, for once, Qing¡¯s sentiment matched the universal view. The martial artists of the current era tended to undervalue official positions. It was all thanks to the great Celestial Martial Emperor. ¡°Actually, my father serves as the Regional Inspector2this is the Ming Dynasty. Basically, the Censorate was like the Inquisition. As in, they could do whatever the fuck all they wanted. And a Regional Inspector was an Investigating Censor assigned to a province. Had the same rank as a Governor. Basically, they are high-ranking and had almost full autonomous power. so this daddy is pretty high up. but not the highest (obviously). This matter too was facilitated by my father¡¯s influence.¡± The fuck is with this guy. How is he bragging so shamelessly about securing a government position through nepotism? Is this the spirit I¡¯ve only heard of in passing? The one that¡¯s been passed down through China¡¯s long history? Shockingly, Qing was right on the money! This was the very essence of the thousands of years of Chinese history, guanxi!3a term used in Chinese culture to describe an individual¡¯s socialwork of mutually beneficial personal and business rtionships A father¡¯s connection would be the son¡¯s. Even if it wasn¡¯t something to boast about openly, it remained a source of envy and pride for everyone. ¡°On that note, I was thinking of setting out on a wasen4meaning ¡°traditional Japanese boat¡±. A general term for any wooden boat of Japanese style. and enjoying a boat ride tonight. If the Damsel does not mind, would you care to join me?¡± ¡°A boat ride¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it is not the small boat the Damsel is imagining. I wish to enjoy the gourmet food and fine liquor on a ship as grand as a pce while taking in the beauty of the Yangtze River. If you could spare a little of your time, it would be a grace of a lifetime for me.¡± In the end, an offer to have a drink came up. Were there actually clubs in the Central ins? But it was gourmet food and liquor. And a high chance of blood. If she refused, wouldn¡¯t it be akin to losing half of her life¡¯s purpose? Qing waspletely taken in. ¡°If so, it is me who must ask you for such a favor.¡± ¡°Oh, oh! Damsel! Thank you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Then I will send someone to fetch you at the appointed time. Should I send them to this inn?¡± Qing nodded. ¡°Yes. That sounds perfect.¡± ¡ª- Cha Namjeong¡¯s life was way too easy. He was the oh so precious, only son of Cha Sundan, the Regional Inspector of Hubei. A Regional Inspector was a high-ranking official belonging to the Surveince Office of the Censorate, directly under the Emperor¡¯smand. They held immense power, capable of independently inspecting officials of the county magistrate level, making their authority tremendous. Moreover, he was the only son of the prestigious Cha Family. Hence, Cha Namjeong could have everything he wanted just by pointing and asking. It was the absolute worst way to raise a child. Cha Namjeong could have anything. So, he wanted something he couldn¡¯t have. What could that possibly be? That¡¯s right! To forcibly take a woman who does not consent! That was the conclusion Cha Namjeong drew. And hemitted his long-awaited first act of insurrection, which was immediately discovered. After all, how well could a youth n his first crime? His father, Cha Sundan, simply said one thing. ¡®He¡¯s a man. It happens.¡¯ It was the moment that quite a unique form of a notorious rapist was born. Cha Sundan actually felt a bit mortified. Forcing himself onto a woman was something a man would naturally experience at least once, wasn¡¯t it? So, he had let it go the first time, but it seemed the Heavens were truly indifferent to his expectations. After all, Cha Namjeong had reached a level that was somewhat eptable even for Cha Sundan, who loved his son so dearly. He went into a fervent state of denial, using his authority and connections to ce his son in the military, hoping that roughing it out might improve him and also curb his vile hobbies.. But regardless of such hopes, all of his crimes gradually became bolder. Cha Namjeong, too, was simr to his father¡¯s thoughts at first. He started with easy targets, those who weren¡¯t even worth mentioning. But then, he moved onto married women frommoner viges, then moved onto Russian women, and eventually to beautiful women. And now, he had even reached the level where he preyed on a beautiful female martial artist. Qing was not particrly unlucky to be caught in his vile acts. It wasn¡¯t the influence of the Heavenly ughtering Star or some fate forced upon her. The reason Qing was up to be the next candidate was just because she was somewhat suitable to be. Despite being neatly dressed, wearing old clothes and sitting in an inn in a city meant for sightseeing was no different from dering poverty. After all, how skilled could a poor swordsman possibly be? Moreover, her face was pretty enough to be considered beautiful. ¡°Keke, did you see her reaction? She pretended to resist but came over as soon as I mentioned Father¡¯s name. Shall we bet on what kind of reaction she will have?¡± Cha Namjeong gossiped with his guards on top of the wasen. ¡°I bet one nyang5silver sycee. basically a coin of silver :)) that the girl will cry and copse in a heap. She looked soft, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet on that too.¡± ¡°Tch. That kind of bitch is no fun, though. It would be more interesting if she curses and creates a scene.¡± Their conversation was absolutely outrageous. ¡°But still, she ims to be a martial artist, does she not? Female brats who pretend to be martial warriors are usually as tough as men, Young Master.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cha Namjeong snickered, puffing up his lower garment. It was about time for the servant he sent to fetch her to return. Cha Namjeong licked his lips. All while utterly unaware of what he was inviting. It was time to be crushed by the disaster he had called upon himself. ¡ª- ¡°Oooh, it¡¯s a boat.¡± Qing eximed in admiration. It wasn¡¯t as grand as a pce, as Cha Namjeong had imed. Still, it was about the size of a 20-person fishing boat. It was a certain ship of misfortune one inevitably boarded at least once during a life as a production worker. But to be fair, it wasn¡¯t that bad, even though she was dragged along by her superiors in her previous life. In fact, Qing only considered the civilization of the Central ins to be somewhat above that of primitive people. Thus, even a boat of this size seemed remarkable to her. It was like a baby who was praised as a genius for sounding any babble. Wow, there¡¯s a boat! Wow, a three-story building! Wow, there are carriages! Ancient China is amazing! Were the type of thoughts she always had. A certain debauchee of the Central ins came out to meet Qing. ¡°Damsel Ximen, thank you foring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m here to freeload, after all.¡± ¡°Haha. Well then. Come. Let me show you around my pride, the Soyang.¡± ¡°Ooh. Are you the shipowner?¡± ¡°Haha, I hardly ever take the ship out, so it¡¯s a bit much to call myself a shipowner. Nevertheless, an owner is still an owner.¡± Right as she boarded the deck¡­ Oh my world! What a sight to behold! Qing witnessed a beautiful scene, unrivaled or ever seen before in her life. A table of drinks and snacks, filled with all kinds of delicacies, was spread out in a ? shape, extennnnnnnsivelyid out. If it was this much hospitality, it could even redeem his Evil Karma of -601 a slight bi- The fuck is up with this motherfucker. He managed to increase Evil Karma in that short amount of time? *** Chapter 29: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (3) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (3) ? The splendidly set table was less substantial than it appeared. The food, prepared in advance, had cooled to a tepid temperature. The alcohol was nd, almostcking in its toxicity. Yet even so, Qing was extremely satisfied. Because it was free! Moreover, was it not something everyone could understand? No mmables allowed on boats. No drunkenness allowed during water activities. Qing wolfed down the food. If Ximen Surin had seen this, she would have been horrified, thusunching a nuclear noogie carpet bombing operation. This was how a beauty of the Central ins was supposed to eat. Pick up a morsel as tiny as a sparrow¡¯s tear and gently ce it in the mouth. Chew with small movements of the jaw, lips slightly pursed. And then, swallow with a somewhat exaggerated motion. Maintain a facial expression that slightly furrows the brows to avoid any wrinkles. This was the dining method of Xi Shi, the Most Beautiful Woman in History, said to possess a transcendent beauty that would never be seen again, whether in the past or the future. Ximen Surin was armed with a strong, self-reliant nuclear arsenal to indoctrinate Qing into this elegant dining method. Thus, Qing could also, obviously, perform this dining method, rumored to be the epitome of beauty. After all, there was no such thing as strong in the face of the all powerful whip. If there was someone who could stand firm in front of a whip, perhaps it was worth considering that the whip wascking, rather than the person being exceptional. But Ximen Surin underestimated Qing too much. Her understanding of human correction was slightlycking. Honestly, her idea of instilling manners and grace as habits was revolutionary enough to make all the teachers of the Central ins leap to their feet, in a frenzy to learn such sacred ways. The result of such an avant-garde was Qing. Qing could now perfectly perform forty-two different hairstyles. She had reached a realm where if it felt slightly loose, her hands would automatically move to fix it. Her stride slowed, no longer walking as if there were two huge bowling balls of steel hanging from her crotch, and her movements became more leisurely and feminine. She knew how to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes by using Inner Qi and sew up a burst seam neatly. But habits were ultimately in the realm of the unconscious. There were desires that surpassed the unconscious, so some actions could never be habits. For example, preferences. Qing originally loved the feeling of her mouth being fully stuffed with food, at the point of bursting. She was only suppressed by nuclear noogies, but now that she was free, there was no need to hold back. Even Cha Namjeong was slightly¡­awakened by Qing¡¯s all too hearty manner of feasting. ¡°Damsel, please eat more slowly. There are other dishes too¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll eat those too, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Didn¡¯t she say she was a female martial artist? Was she some fucking beggar in disguise? Did everything she ate go straight to her chest? How can she eat so fucking much? Cha Namjeong¡¯s anger began to rise. What kind of bitch was this?! She didn¡¯t have coquetry or charm. She did not even have a hint of desire to act cute to him. Basically, she wasn¡¯t trying to sweetly curry favor as an attempt in bing the daughter-inw of a Regional Inspector! If so, this wasn¡¯t fun at all. The moment when the mask worn through seduction was stripped away was crucial. It was honestly pleasing if they cursed and resisted, or better yet, cried and begged for their life. But with her mind sopletely engrossed in solely the food, how could he not be furious? Cha Namjeong was positively seething inside. However, as Qing started to enjoy the alcohol after sufficiently filling her belly up, his wrath disappeared as if it never existed in the first ce. The way Qing leisurely sipped her drink, void of any hurry, was the part least needed to be corrected by Ximen Surin¡¯s harsh nuclear noogies. Moreover, Qing had mastered the White Hand Demonic Arts. One might wonder why Demonic Arts had anything to do with the Dao of Alcohol, but one of the characteristics of White Hand Demonic Arts was the beautiful shape of the hands. As thin and slender as a sliver of jade; the most elegant and beautiful hands, yet also the most cruel. This phrase was inseparable from the description of White Hand Demonic Arts. The skin of the hands was so pale it was almost transparent. The slender and long fingers that gracefully wrapped around the cup embodied liquid beauty. The side profile of Qing, leaning against the railing and sipping from the cup, exuded a devilish charm that bewitched men instantly. Cha Namjeong approached with a lecherous smile, feeling the awakening of his alter ego. ¡°It seems like the alcohol suits your taste?¡± ¡°I would have preferred it to be something stronger, though.¡± The alcohol was so nd that it hardly even resembled alcohol. ¡°Well, that is obviously because I hoped the Damsel wouldn¡¯t get too drunk. A woman who is drunk and confused is no fun at all.¡± ¡°Fun? What kind of fun?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± The men on the deck started to stand up, slowly approaching her way. Then, the men surrounding Qing drew their swords. ¡°Ooh.¡± Qing steadied her racing heart. Is it finally starting? Are we going to kill each other now? ¡°One k¨¨114.4 minutes. Ancient time terms :)). I¡¯ll give you just one k¨¨.¡± ¡°One k¨¨?¡± ¡°We will depart after one k¨¨, so try to run away wherever you can. If you can hold out for just half a sh¨ªch¨¦n, we will let you go safely. I promise this.¡± ¡°And if I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then you shall be sharing a love of cloud and rain2just a more elegant way of saying sexual intercourse uwegh disgusting with all of us today.¡± Ooooh. This isn¡¯t the skill of someone who¡¯s nned this only once or twice before, huh. Qing was pleased. Very pleased. Then, I, too, can enjoy myself without worries. ¡°Ah. By the way, I would not rmend jumping out of the boat now. This is the Three Gorges, after all. It would be an exceedingly painful way of ending yourself.¡± The Three Gorges was famously treacherous. The water flowed differently above and below, with plunge pools rising and falling throughout the entire area. It was to the extent that even the river water was discolored due to such a phenomenon. The waters were so rough that even skilled martial artists could not swim through without being swept away. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Qing slowly walked forward. The men holding swords tilted their bodies to make way. It wasn¡¯t that they were stepping aside, but more as it to say, ¡®Try rubbing your body on us if you wish to pass by¡¯. Qing did not pass through them. Instead she grabbed the de of a man¡¯s sword with her bare hand. And then, as easily as plucking a flowered branch, she snapped the sword in two. Qing clenched and unclenched the hand that held the de. The sword, crumpled long and thin, ttered to the ground. The previous atmosphere of ridicule from the men froze instantly. Qing examined the palm that had crushed the de. There was not a hint of a scratch or a bruise left. Only then did Qing smile in satisfaction. That¡¯s right. This is the shit. This is why I just have to learn Purple Martial Arts. ¡°Well, then. You saw that, right? You motherfucking rapists. How fucking ridiculous. What are you, a circus? What the fuck do you mean run away when we¡¯re on this cramped ass ship? Should I jump into the sky or something? Or into the grou- ah right, there is no ground. Anyway. To think that fuckers with cocks hanging- oh maybe not hanging¡­To think that fuckers with cocks attached to them would resort to this instead of trying to confess directly and proudly. You are an absolute disgrace to your dicks. You don¡¯t deserve them. Fuck, I¡¯m getting second-hand embarrassment just by standing next to you cucks.¡± What on earth was happening? The men¡¯s gazes shifted between Qing and the twisted metal that was once a sword. ¡°Hehhhhh? Still haven¡¯te to your senses? You little pieces of shits.¡± Qing¡¯s hand shot up then fell down. Her four fingers smoothly burrowed into the top of a man¡¯s head. Passing through the skull, it scrambled the brain. Literally. From the eye socket to the cheekbone, across the upper jawbone and teeth, reaching all the way down to the lower jawbone. The fingers, which were gently pulled out as if scooping fine sand, emerged in front of the Adam¡¯s apple. The man with four deep grooves carved into his face copsed. His body twitched. It was because of the remaining nerves, not yet dulled, trying to desperately send signals to a nonexistent brain. The corpse¡¯s head showed four deep wounds. The innards swelling from there protruded in a bumpy manner. Oh my world. Oh my, oh my. Qing shuddered. She had gone inside and came out of someone¡¯s head with each one of those long and slender fingers in all its entirety. It was not some figure of speech. It was actually a literal, physical intrusion. From that, she felt deeply moved. After all, there was that profound sensation of digging into bone. Warmth spread from her dantian throughout her body. A rush far sweeter than what any nd alcohol could provide electrified her nerves. There really was a difference between using a sword and bare hands. It¡¯s like the difference between picking my nose with or without gloves, huh. Practically in ecstasy with how pleased she was, Qing¡¯s smile stretched so wide it almost reached her ears. ¡°Do you still not understand the situation? You¡¯re not gonna run? Good. That¡¯s right! Go! My Moonlight Sword¡­¡­..is over there, so¡­ Let me try that again.¡± Qing clenched and unclenched her fist as she spoke again. ¡°Well then, my Moonlight Hand is starving. Ready or not, here Ie~¡± ¡ª- Cha Namjeong couldn¡¯t make sense of the current situation. Where did it all go wrong? ¡°What is she? What is wrong with that bitch! Is that even human? She¡¯s apletely crazy bitch!¡± ¡°It seems we have messed with the wrong person.¡± ¡°What are you even doing there?! She¡¯s just a fucking woman, isn¡¯t she? Why are you not going out to confront her? Just kill her. I don¡¯t even want to touch a filthy woman like that. I¡¯m not shagging her.¡± The guard cringed, bowing his neck. ¡°Young Master, that female is truly formidable¡­¡­..¡± ¡°What did you just say? Then are you a fake Master? She¡¯s just one bitch, isn¡¯t she? Do you even see how many armed men we have? Who does she think she is?¡± ¡°Young Master, when a person strikes someone on the head, isn¡¯t it normal for it to crack or burst?¡± ¡°Of course. What an obvious question.¡± ¡°But that female scooped out flesh and bone like y. That can¡¯t be done even if using a de.¡± The guard trembled. Even if it were possible, actually doing it was an entirely different matter. It was clear from his appearance that the guard was utterly, truly terrified. Only then did Cha Namjeong realize the gravity of the situation; his anger faded, leaving only a face pale with fright. ¡°W-What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t win against her. Not even if all of usbine. It is absolutely impossible. We touched the wrong person.¡± ¡°What? What are you saying?! You were the one who said she looked soft!¡± ¡°That is not what is important. The important part is that even if she is a Master of Murim, she would think twice before making an enemy out of a Regional Inspector.¡± Cha Namjeong turned pale and quickly interjected. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°First, let us try to soothe her gently and then lure her with wealth. Judging by the way she gorges herself, she seems to be from some poor sect, so it should definitely be possible to settle this with money.¡± ¡°Really? It should be, right?¡± That was when it happened. Knock, knock, knock. The sound of someone knocking on the door. -Excuse me, are you in there? I¡¯m pretty sure I heard voicesing from this direction¡­¡­ Cha Namjeong and his guard covered their mouths. -Maybe not? Did I hear wrong¡­¡­. After murmuring, ¡®That¡¯s weird¡¯, silence ensued. After a while, the two naturally lowered their hands from their mouths. Suddenly, fingers naturally sprouted from the cabin door. They slipped through without any sound, as if passing through the door. Soon, the fingers moved downwards. A long crack trailed behind them like a tail. The two exchanged hurried nces and stuck close to the wall where the door was attached. A terrifying presence was felt beyond the door. It was an overwhelming killing intent. -There¡¯s actually no one, huh? I just waited for no reason. What a waste. I thought they were just pretending not to be here. And then, the sound of footsteps slowly faded away. For a while, the two mimicked statues once again. Only after one k¨¨ had long passed did they finally catch their breath. ¡°Is that a human or a ghost?¡± ¡°I do not know. Jianghu truly is vas¡­¡­¡± The guard suddenly stopped talking. ¡°Young Master¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°When walking inside the ship¡­¡­.do footsteps¡­make a sound?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there obviously be the sound of footsteps when walking? Why suddenly?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­..Usually, we would hear the creaking of wood¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Both froze at once. Cold sweat broke out, pouring down like a waterfall. Their necks creaked as they turned their heads towards the door. And then, through the long vertical hole in the cabin door¡­ Their eyes met the gaze of someone watching them. -Found you~ *** Chapter 30: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (4) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (4) ? Creaaaak. The cabin door opened. A blood-soaked figure entered the cabin with a friendly smile. Qing looked around the cabin and snickered softly. ¡°Oooh. I heard about this. This is that thing where a serial killer collects souvenirs, right? What a supreme motherfucker.¡± The scene was decorated with silk on the walls and women¡¯s essories such as hair ornaments and clothes fasteners nailed to it. Or maybe he had a hobby of collecting women¡¯s essories. Either way, it was neither a healthy nor sane hobby. Cha Namjeong hurriedly spoke up. ¡°D-Damsel. Please listen to me!¡± ¡°Damsel? Dammmmmsel? Have you still note to your senses?¡± In the Central ins, the term Damsel was used for a woman who was more than a friend but less than a lover. Young Lady was a much more respectful title than that, very simr to how one would call someone Mister ~~ or Miss ~~. Acting friendly and using Damsel right from the start was like introducing oneself as a frivolous man who was fond of women. ¡°No, I mean, Young Lady. Please hear me out. Even though we met under unfavorable circumstanc-¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Qing interrupted Cha Namjeong. ¡°This body¡­Thinking¡­Wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Nah, never mind. I¡¯ll just ask.¡± Her eyes, which looked to have gone utterly insane, were now focused on Cha Namjeong. ¡°How do you want to die? I¡¯ve tried this and that, but nothing really satisfies me.¡± ¡°Uh, could I possibly not die at all¡­¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Qing cut him off decisively. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the owner of these mementos feel too wronged if only you continued to live? And you have the highest number of Practice Points here. Who the hell would leave prime ribs and only eat the side dishes?¡± Although he didn¡¯t quite understand what she was saying, what was certain was that she had no intention of sparing her life. Cha Namjeong mustered hisst bit of courage. ¡°I-If you touch m-me, Father will not sit idly by! My father is a Regional Inspector!¡± A-Qing cocked her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? It would be stranger if a father did nothing when his child is killed. So, what about it? Might as well get your dad to move a bit too. Middle-aged health is all about exercise. Kyaaaa, wow, wow, wow. A truly filial son is born.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy! You¡¯re an absolutely crazy bitch! Comrade, what are you doing! Quickly! This bitch has¡­¡­¡± Cha Namjeong¡¯s voice trailed off as he urged his guard. At some point in time, the two of them were the only ones left in the cabin. ¡°Ah, that guy slipped out quietly a while ago. There¡¯s nowhere to run away in a boat anyway. Wonder why he did that. No point.¡± ¡°This son of a bitch¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just a different order is all. Whatever.¡± It was then. Cha Namjeong fell to his knees and shouted. ¡°Please spare me! I will truly live with a repentant and kind heart from now on!¡± ¡°Ooh¡­..¡± It was a kowtow,pletely revealing the crown of his head. Qing could not help but admire that all too perfect posture. But that was that, and this was this. ¡ª- As Qing dragged Cha Namjeong by the hair onto the deck, she encountered men standing restlessly, who couldn¡¯t bear to even make eye contact. They were all bastards with double-digit counts of Evil Karma. Qing threw Cha Namjeong at them. Cha Namjeong, flying into the air aggressively,nded at the men¡¯s feet, twitching. Because, with the bones in his arms and legs shattered, twitching was the only action he could possibly do. While leaning against the railing with a liquor bottle and cup in hand, Qing casually threw out a word. ¡°Cut it.¡± It was an unexpectedmand,pletely out of the blue. The men exchanged nces hurriedly, before the most undersized among them spoke up. ¡°By cut, you mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°What else is there to cut from a male piece of shit? It¡¯s the penis. The cock. I¡¯d rather not do it myself, you know? And you guys don¡¯t have a hobby of watching another man¡¯s thing, right?¡± At that, Cha Namjeong, who was merely twitching, suddenly convulsed again. ¡°AHUH! AEUEUHEUH!¡± The effort of a person desperately trying to speak despite having their tongue cut and jawbone dislodged was tremendous. Even after bing mute and disabled, it seemed like that was still precious to him. If it was so precious, it should have been treated more preciously, you know? Despite Qing¡¯s polite request, the men hesitated, unsure of what to do. Cha Namjeong was the only son of a Regional Inspector. Castrating Cha Namjeong would be akin to cutting off a Regional Inspector¡¯s entire family lineage. How could they possibly bear the consequences of such an action? Qing smirked and urged them on. ¡°Bing a eunuch versus making a eunuch. Ah, if you¡¯re gonna just shut your mouth like that, then I guess it¡¯s just the former. Anyway, it¡¯s one or the other, so decide quickly. I just realized I don¡¯t have to see it if I just poke with a knife.¡± The men startled. No matter how fearful they were of the aftermath, someone else¡¯s thing was not more precious than their own. ¡°I¡¯ll count exactly to ten. One, two, three¡­¡­¡± At that, the men quickly rushed towards Cha Namjeong. For a while, sloppy screams filled the air due to the absence of a tongue and a dislocated jaw. However, the desperation in those awkward screams was all too real. A-Qing drank her alcohol, using the sound as a snack to enjoy with it. Even though it was still nd, such a nice BGM and the beautiful scenery of the Qutang Gorge under the moonlight made the taste of the alcohol quite special. ¡°Ah. How nice¡­¡­.¡± Life at the Divine Maiden Sect was enjoyable, but as expected, she had to cover herself in blood once in a while in order to really feel like she was really alive. It would be nice to live allughing and in harmony, but well¡­ In the end, she was a stranger. There was actually frustration due to the harmony instead. Ah shit. What is with these miserable thoughts when it¡¯s such a good time? Qing shook off the souring emotions and pped her hands. ¡°Well then. Now let¡¯s head to the nearest port and go our separate ways. Where¡¯s the nearest port?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Yichang¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go there. Come on. Let¡¯s move.¡± However, the men hesitated and did not move. ¡°Hello? Everyone?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No way. Surely, it can¡¯t be. Qing tried to keep a cheerful tone. ¡°Anyone here who knows how to steer this ship, raise your hand!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Juste forward confidently.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ah. This is a problem. I might have killed too thoughtlessly. This was the day Ximen Qing got stranded. ¡ª- Stranded Day 2. Those fuckers scammed me. They said there are thousands of boats on the Yangtze River, so I could just ask for help. Thousands, my ass. There wasn¡¯t even a single one in sight. The bastards on the boat don¡¯t even know how to steer it. This is truly unforgivable. Since I didn¡¯t want to see them just loafing around when they didn¡¯t know shit, I had them clean the ship and dispose of the bodies as punishment. The fucking idiots kept vomiting at the sight of the corpses, so it actually made more of a mess than before. But as I kept ordering them, they seemed to have gotten used to it and started throwing them in the sea, no, the river, properly. I finally understood the deep meaning behind why the supply officer, who was stuck on weekend duty, kept making me clean the floor with water and sun¨Cdry things. Supply Officer, I miss you. Stranded Day 3. I found the bastard who ran away and hid. It was quite fun. Stranded Day 4. Still no boats today. The banquet food has started to spoil. It made me recall the days when I first opened my eyes in the Central ins. It was a time when I had to survive on food waste. But still, there was a certain romance in those times. Defeating those fucking beggars and iming the rights of a victor made me feel like I owned the whole world. If I think about it that way, what¡¯s the big deal about a little spoiled food? One must not lose their original resolution, yeah? After all, it¡¯s not like I have a Constitution where I get sick from eating things like that. Speaking of which, Half Moon Inn, you motherfuckers. I swore I¡¯d burn them down once I became a Master. The day I return to Jianping is the day Half Moon Inn will finally meet its destined destruction. Fucking hell, it pisses me off even after all this time. I was just trying to live, you know? But those motherfuckers took away my food to feed their fucking pigs. They deserve to die. It¡¯s the death penalty for them. Stranded Day 5. It seems we¡¯ve entered the sea. It¡¯s all water in every direction and thick fog makes it impossible to see anything. They keep saying it¡¯s ake, not the sea. But these are the same pieces of shits who capped before, saying there¡¯s no need to worry because thousands of boats pass by every day. Right? How can I possibly believe them? Anyway, I bent a knife to make a hook and tried fishing since maggots started appearing in the banquet food. It catches fish really well. When I made several fishing hook and gave them to the fucking cappers, they seemed were beside themselves in joy. To think they would be so happy about parasite-filled freshwater sashimi, when the banquet food was only a bit spoiled. I really can¡¯t understand them. Stranded Day 6. Today is -A boat! There¡¯s a boat! -Over here! Save us! Qing¡¯s finger stopped at the sound of the distantmotion. She had been writing a diary for fun since there was ink and brushes avable in the cabin. When she went out to the deck, she saw the men in a frenzy. Just moments ago, they looked like they could hardly breathe another breath, but now they seemed revitalized. And there it was; a massive vessel appeared, cutting through the dense sea fog. Qing was startled. Is that a ship or an aircraft carrier? No, wait, did ancient China even have such technology in the first ce? A huge ship of unimaginable size revealed its majesty. At the same time, a resounding voice was heard. It was a voice infused with the Inner Qi of a Master. ¡°How dare you defy the Fort of Yangtze River Waterway¡¯s Order of Prohibition! The audacity! You must be out of your mind!¡± The Fort of Yangtze River Waterway was a group that managed the Yangtze River. In other words, they were also referred to as water bandits. The Waterway Fort imed they were the owners of the Yangtze River. The Order of Prohibition was a prime example of this. It meant that no boat could pass through the Yangtze River without permission, a bold statement that only the true owner could make. Of course, official ships of the authorities were an exception. If an official ship was touched, a fleet armed with thetest cannons would descend, utterly destroying the Waterway Fort or whatever it was. For that same reason, the Order of Prohibition usuallysted only about two days. If they caused trouble beyond that, they would taste the wrath of the government¡¯stest cannons. But it was only said tost two days; considering that no boats sailed immediately after such a promation, the disappearance of boats on the Yangtze River could extend much longer than that timeframe. This was why Qing was stranded and had no choice but to drift. ¡°You bastards! Stop the boat and kneel at once!¡± However, the drifting continued even now. After all, there was no one who could steer the boat. ¡°Stop, I said stop! What in the world are you thinking of doing! Damn it! Everyone brace for impact!¡± The voice of the Master turned urgent. Qing thought to herself while watching the rapidly approaching massive vessel of the Fort of Yangtze River Waterway. Ah, I know what this is. It¡¯s a ramming tactic, huh. *** Chapter 31: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (5) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (5) ? Qing abandoned ship just before the collision. After all, it wasn¡¯t even Qing¡¯s boat anyway. As she lightly jumped aboard the massive vessel¡¯s deck, she saw people lying t on the ground. And then- BOOOM¡­¡­! Along with a heavy impact transmitted from the soles of her feet, the huge ship tilted significantly. Kiiiiiiiii¡­¡­! The sound of wood twisting as the ship screamed filled the surroundings. But a Master would not falter to something like this. In fact, there were quite a few people standing firmly, now examining the mysterious woman who appeared with the collision. And those stares, as well as the glint in their eyes, were not kind whatsoever. Faced with hostile nces, Qing quickly surveyed her surroundings. She wanted to know if this was a rescue ship or if she had escaped one danger only to end up in another viin¡¯s den. The Karma of some bastards had fallen to rock bottom while others managed to maintain their Righteous Karma. Excluding a few extreme cases, the average level was decent enough to be considered akin to an inn. At that moment, a tall strongman, standing at the bow, pointed a harpoon at Qing and growled. ¡°To think you would dare to touch the Fort of the Yangtze River Waterway while in their turf. Moreover, you even dared to board this Dragon King Vessel. For that boldness alone, you are a woman to bemended.¡± Qing was aware that the situation could easily be misunderstood. However, she also believed it wasn¡¯t her fault. Didn¡¯t the boat just drift and crash on its own? It wasn¡¯t like Qing had charged in manly, shouting, ¡®Ram ¡®em!¡¯. Of course, she did want to try that, though. But the collision just now was not intentional. Qing believed that most misunderstandings could be resolved through honest conversation or through maniption and fabrication. And she had also learned the art of honest, sincere conversation from Ximen Surin. Her experiences consisted of dealing with Third-Rate vagabonds of the back alleys, who could not be polite even if their life depended on it. Therefore, through numerous nuclear noogies, she had finally learned how to properly maintain the sophistication of a martial artist. ¡°This young¡­child is-¡± Still, saying young girl was a bit much, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°-named Ximen Qing. I am grateful for your lifesaving grace.¡± Qing then bowed with her fist to her palm. The tall strongman¡¯s signs of anger seemed to subside a little. This made Qing feel a bit more at ease. ¡°Lifesaving, you say. What does that mean?¡± ¡°Regarding that¡­ They said they would treat me to a meal, or rather, treat me to a boatride, but those fuckers, I mean, those bastards, I mean, those individuals? No, maybe it¡¯s those people? Anyway they were sons of bitches¡­¡­.¡± Her forced refinement in her speech returned to the habits during her back alleys as soon as the tension eased. The intense experiences of fighting over food waste with beggars were far too strong for her to simply forget. Above all, Qing¡¯s attitude towards the world was not particrly serious either. Qing finished her story. It was roughly about how those fuckers were pieces of shits and she was entirely innocent as she had merely gotten swept up in their disgusting acts. The tall strongman, also known as the First Arrival of Yangtze River, Pa Bonmu, fell into a dilemma. Judging from the story, it seemed harsh to me her. Luring someone onto a boat for cruel acts was a well-known trick since ancient times. It was why legends of water ghosts were passed down by every famous river andke. On top of that, Qing¡¯s peculiar manner of speech and attractive appearance shone through. A pretty young girl was arguing furiously with poorly feigned politeness. Didn¡¯t that mean she was clearly a runaway girl from a noble n, naive to the ways of the world? The unique mystical aura in her eyes was something that could only be gained from those who had learned the Inner Qi Cultivation Techniques of Daoism. As such, this significantly added to that misconception. Moreover, Pa Bonmu was a father of two daughters himself. He found it hard to be harsh on a clueless young girl who had just entered Jianghu for the first time. ¡°Hmhm, well, men are usually like that, so you have to be careful. It is ultimately your fault for following just any bastard and ending up in such a state.¡± At some point in time, the hostility had all but disappeared. It was only then that Qing could askfortably. ¡°So, on that note, can you drop me off at a nearby city? By the way, where are we exactly?¡± ¡°It is Dongting Lake.¡± ¡°What? Dongting Lake? How in the¡­¡­¡± Qing swallowed thetter part of her words. How in the world could ake be called Dongting Lake1Okay lol¡­I tried my best to make this make sense, but it¡¯s just not possible. So, there is a politician in North Korea called Tong Jong Ho, which is the same Korean as Dongting Lake. So Qing is basically asking why the fuck is ake named after a North Korean politician¡­? Pa Bonmu, misunderstanding her silence, passed it off as her being shocked at drifting so far away. More importantly than that, there was a crucial detail in her story he had yet to hear. ¡°By the way, you said that piece of shit was the son of a government official. Did he not say who his father was?¡± ¡°Inspector? Surveince Inspector? Something like that.¡± Pa Bonmu¡¯s heart sank with a thud. ¡°Regional Inspector.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! I think it¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Fuck, shit, motherfucker, anal destroyer, cocksucker, son of a goddamn whore, fuck you and your mom, fuck¡­¡­.¡± Pa Bonmu spat out an unending stream of curses. ¡ª- The Fort of the Yangtze River Watery were a group of river bandits, a band of thieves. Or at least that was the case during the time of the previous Chief Fort Boss. The current leader of the Waterway Forts, Chief Fort Boss Bok Haun, also known as the Smiling Comrade, knew that their business was on the edge of a knife, in danger of being shut down at any moment. It was because of the government. The day the authorities began its suppression would mark the end of the Waterway Forts. Cannons were the exclusive property of the government, and in a naval battle, if only one side had cannons, it was not even worth considering it as a fight. From what Bok Haun could see, the Waterway Forts were barely squeaking by due to the government¡¯s patience. Therefore, Bok Haun transformed the Waterway Forts. They actively established rtionships with the authorities to protect official vessels and manage ferryboats as a proxy ofmunication. They also conducted inspections to assist in the capture of criminals. Fighting smugglers had always been their job. After all, smuggling was a business only the Waterway Forts could do. Worried about the government¡¯s gaze, they significantly lowered the toll fees. As a result, the cargo volume on the Yangtze River surged, which, in turn, led to much higher revenues than before. Such efforts bore fruit and the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway became more like a business entity managing the Yangtze River than a group of river bandits. They became the true owners of the Yangtze River, recognized by the government, albeit unofficially. But then, the son of a Regional Inspector died. The issue was who exactly was responsible. Qing imed that Cha Namjeong was still alive before the collision incident. Though this was a slightly distorted truth, it was still an undeniable fact. After all, even though his arms and legs had necrotized and his tongue and manhood were cut off, the thin thread that was his life was still intact. If things went ording to Qing¡¯s n, the survivors with an Evil Karma that was less than a hundred were supposed to drag Cha Namjeong around and testify to his evil deeds. Unfortunately, they all drowned in the unfortunate ident. If so, who should bear the responsibility for the death of such a dignitary¡¯s son? Bok Haun furrowed his brows. Just when things wereplicated enough, another incident urred. ¡°I knew that perverted, murdering, piece of shit, sex maniac would cause trouble someday. But I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡± Cha Namjeong had been active in the Yichang basin of the Yangtze River. And the Waterway Forts knew everything that happened on the Yangtze River. From the ship¡¯s managers to the dockworkers, practically anyborer involved in setting a boat afloat had some kind of tie to the Waterway Forts. ¡°So, what did you do with that child?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve locked her up in the brig for now.¡± Pa Bonmu hesitated before asking. ¡°Uh, are we going to hand that youngster over to the authorities?¡± ¡°If not?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she pitiful? She had even gone through such terrible experiences.¡± ¡°She is pitiful, indeed. But still.¡± Bok Haun gently shook his head. ¡°Since she came wielding a sword, she is already a person of Jianghu. As you already know, being naive in Jianghu is also a crime. This cannot be helped.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡­¡± Bok Haunforted Pa Bonmu in a sympathetic voice. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t understand how she feels like your own daughter? But do we really need to invite trouble for ourselves? That is something the Orthodox Factions should handle.¡± Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, have you seen that bastard, Heumcheok? After I gave him a good beating a few days ago, the boy¡¯s been sulking. He refuses to show himself, even to his own father.¡± ¡ª- As soon as Qing entered the cabin, the door mmed shut. A sudden ominous chill ran down her spine. When she tried opening the door, it was locked tight. Mentioning that the fucker¡¯s daddy was a Surveince Inspector or whatever did cause the strongman¡¯s expression to freeze in fright. But immediately after, he said he would guide her to a room where she could stay until they arrived at Yueyang, so she thought that was the end of it. But to think this would happen¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t see him that way, but to think that ahjusshi2Korean word to say middle-aged man. backstabbed me like this. Hmm, hmm. Should I! Just cut them all down? I can even outright massacre them¡­¡­.¡± Qing mimicked the famous quote of a great author3Called ¡°Lucky-chan Returns!¡± It is an old webtoon that has a lot of meme quotes. she admired. One might ask, what in the world was up with that nonsense? But well¡­it was the same ridiculous nonsense she had always spouted. It really wasn¡¯t anything new. But whenever she spoke such things out loud, it was either when no one was around to hear or in front of viins who were going to die anyway. It felt somewhat embarrassing to spout such stupid shit while being entirely sane. ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°EUAHH!¡± As such, when an unfamiliar voice was heard, she was genuinely startled to the point that she shuddered in shock. ¡°I am sorry if I surprised you.¡± It was a beautiful woman with a frail appearance. Her soft voice gently enveloped her ears. A sweet and mellow voice that seemed to be capable of soothing a weary soul. As Qing stared at her, the beauty gave her a warm smile that pierced straight through Qing¡¯s heart. I see. I really like fragile beauties, huh. But why is she smiling for me? No way, could this be¡­¡­? ¡°I am Un Yeonyoung from the Jin Prefecture. What about you, Young Lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ximen Qing¡­¡­¡± When Qing focused on people¡¯s faces, numbers would appear before them. Un Yeonyoung was no exception to that. Right as Qing was agonizing over how many children would be good, whether to give Un Yeonyoung the Ximen surname, or whether to continue her original lineage in this ancient China, a number appeared in her eyes. -1711. She suddenly snapped back to reality. A four-digit number? Is this for real? Ah, shit. I loved you, Woman¡­¡­.. Qing became rapidly depressed. *** Chapter 32: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (6) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (6) ? ¡°So, is that really true?¡± ¡°What is.¡± Qing¡¯s response was brusque. That gentle voice really did wrap around my ears, but it just had to belong to the worst motherfucking bitch under the Heavens¡­¡­.. To Qing, an evil person was a creature that was okay to kill, nothing more or less than a beast. Killing viins brought great joy to Qing. Their deaths contributed to Righteous Karma and unexpected, sudden missions could bring in a lot of Practice Points. They were like perfectly profitable toys. Moreover, it was like picking up trash on the roadside, even benefiting the world a little! However, they weren¡¯t necessarily enemies that must be killed. If they didn¡¯t start trouble first, Qing would just think of them as bad pieces of shit and nothing more. ¡°You said you would massacre them all, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was just talking to myself.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Qing¡¯s answer was blunt. It basically meant to not even think of talking to her. Un Yeonyoung cocked her head. Her elegance truly was striking; even that single movement was enough to turn heads, almost akin to an actor. ¡°But¡­¡± Why does she keep talking to me? Was she lonely because she was all alone here? Or is she just a really clueless, tactless bitch? Qing¡¯s thoughts sharpened as much as her anticipation turned into disappointment. But then, a leisurely statement snapped her back to reality. ¡°Why were you disappointed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°At first, let¡¯s see¡­Mmm. How should I put it? Mmm¡­¡­.. You fell for me? Right. Young Lady, you fell for me. Didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± Qing averted her gaze as she spoke. ¡°Young Lady Ximen. You know¡­ Things like human reactions eventually show through bodily signals. A suddenly racing heart. Dted pupils. The flush that spreads on your pretty face. The gentle smile drawn by your rxed muscles. Those are the signals I am talking about.¡± At this point, it was fucking creepy. Goosebumps prickled all over her skin. ¡°Young Lady, you fell for me. Didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hey, look here. Let¡¯s just be quiet and go our separ-¡± ¡°But then¡­The love suddenly cooled down. But¡­did you know?¡± Un Yeongyoung moved very, very close to Qing. In fact, she approached right in front of her. ¡°You¡­You smell really nice.¡± ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s creepy, so stop sa-¡± ¡°Why is that the case? How can a living person have this kind of scent? How¡­¡­¡± Un Yeongyoung took a deep breath. Qing hadn¡¯t been able to wash properly for a week due to being stranded. All she had was a few baths with some muddy river water. Because of that, she felt dirty and ufortable. But what is up with this fucker? A nice smell? This bitch haspletely lost her fucking mind, hasn¡¯t she? Qing despaired at her own taste. Then, she abruptly had a thought, Was there really a reason for me to endure this? Would I have stayed quiet if a man did this? Have I been influenced by Teacher¡¯s feminism? Impossible. I can¡¯t let that happen. Never. Ever. Qing changed her stance. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop right there, bloodshed will¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh my. Are you going to show your ws? How cute.¡± Numerous images of swords appeared in the cabin. As they aimed at Qing in the air, des of Sword Force numbering two, four, six, eight¡­¡­ ¡°You do not have to count. After all, I can make as many as I want.¡± ¡°Haha. You¡¯re quite the Master. Wow. Woahhh. It¡¯s Sword Force. Wow. How cool.¡± ¡°Really now? Making insincerements, are you?¡± Qing immediately lost her will to fight. And then, she assessed the situation. These bastards weren¡¯t nning to hand me over to that Inspecting Governor or whatever, huh? In the first ce, it made no sense for a Supreme Master to be trapped here. After all, Qing was confident she could escape this confinement. She didn¡¯t know what woulde after, though. So, they threw her as a sacrifice to a deranged murderer at the level of a Supreme Master. Basically telling this monster to eat her up or something to keep herself entertained. It was a reasonable deduction in Qing¡¯s perspective. But that didn¡¯t mean being killed by a batshit insane killer here was an option. ¡°Isn¡¯t it kinda suffocating here? Shall I open the door for you? There¡¯s a lot of people outside.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. May I borrow your hand?¡± ¡°Uh, about that.¡± A de of Sword Force slid under Qing¡¯s chin, pressing into her. Qing hastily reached out her hand. ¡°Here! Here. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t dare to extend my unworthy paw to an oh so great Master. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t want to or something.¡± ¡°Now then. It¡¯s going to sting a bit. Sting!¡± ¡°ARGH! WOAAAAAAH! STOP! STOP THE SWORD FORCE!¡± Qing iled around, overreacting in abundance. But anyone would react the same if they saw a sharp Sword Force flying towards their fingers. This bitch is after my fingers! Just because I was a bit cold to her! Qing dragged forth all the True Qi she could muster. If I use my White Hand Demonic Arts and overflowing True Qi, wouldn¡¯t I be able to deflect the Sword Force? Fuck, I should¡¯ve saved some more Free Practice Points and fully mastered the White Hand Demonic Arts instead of focusing on the Zhu Xiang¡¯s Heart Cleanse Mirror¡­ Fortunately, the Sword Force that seemed right about to cut off her fingers merely pricked the tip and then melted away. ¡°Oh my. This is¡­White Hand Demonic Arts? However¡­ It¡¯s strange. The White Hand Divine Sect has never taken a disciple. Young Lady Ximen, how did you learn it? I definitely heard they had taken care of all the veins of the earth1simr to ¡°Ley Lines¡± In Ancient China, they called it ¡°Dragon Lines¡± but it isn¡¯t used right now so I stayed ambiguous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You do not particrly have to answer. I was just¡­talking to myself. Just like you were earlier.¡± Was this¡­a grudge? Did that onement prickle her that much? Qing could only tremble uncontrobly. Un Yeongyoung lightly brushed Qing¡¯s fingers, drawing a beautiful semi-circle with the blood that welled-up. Un Yeonyoung, having wiped the blood with her thumb, took that digit to her lips and licked it. ¡°Ah. I understand now. So it was like that. I didn¡¯t know it actually existed. No wonder you smell so nice.¡± So, what the fuck is it exactly, you crazy bitch?! Stop talking about things only you know! Qing bit back her retort. It seemed like talking back would only lead to death, so she had no other choice but to. Today especially, she felt an overwhelming craving for blood. Ah. I want to cut someone! Anyone! Fortunately, after that, all the Sword Forces dissipated. Qing copsed, losing all strength in her legs. Qing heard the murderer¡¯s lowughter. ¡ª- An odd cohabitation between the two began. To be more precise, it was a cohabitation that was extremely ufortable for one of the two. ¡°Don¡¯t be so¡­ufortable. I¡­mean no harm to Young Lady Ximen, you see?¡± ¡°Then, may I leave now?¡± ¡°No, you may not.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡­.¡± Ah. I want to ughter so bad. Qingmented. However, humans were creatures of adaptation. And even among them, Qing adapted especially quickly. Even without Qing¡¯s unique ability to gauge situations and atmospheres, anyone could tell that the opponent showed no hostility whatsoever. But to y coy with an unidentified Ultra-Supreme Master was something only Qing could dare to do. ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡± ¡°Do you really¡­not know?¡± ¡°What do you want from me to do this?¡± ¡°The Young Lady¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°We are someone who can never be together.¡± ¡°There is no obstacle that cannot be ovee¡­in this world.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like bad people.¡± ¡°Let us¡­try to make it work out together.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying you¡¯ll be a good person?¡± ¡°There are things that are absolutely impossible¡­in this world.¡± Qing found herself nodding involuntarily. She was a viin that had umted a whopping one thousand seven hundred points of Evil Karma. Moreover, currently at -1732, the Evil Karma continued to increase even though she wasn¡¯t doing anything. QIng could spend the next three or four years tagging along, point fingers at a target and yelling, ¡®That fucker is harmful! I choose you, Uh Nyeonyeong2A way to cutely say Un Yeonyoung¡¯s name in Korean. Also pokemon reference.!¡¯. But that was out of the question for her. And it also didn¡¯t seem like something she would do just because Qing asked her to. After all, this bitch had considerable perseverance. It could almost be called stubbornness. ¡°Very well. Young Lady Ximen must have preferences too, right? Tell¡­me. I will match them for you. Do you like coquettish women? Or perhaps¡­a bold and courageous woman like a true man? Or maybe¡­a pure and lively young girl?¡± ¡°You¡¯re eliminated straight from the go as a bad woman.¡± ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a¡­taste that can surpass such a stigma. Who knows, right?¡± Qing deliberately chose a type of woman that seemed leastpatible with this viin. ¡°I like down-to-earth women.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Un Yeongyoung paused to think. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Nah, wait, but you said you¡¯d match anything.¡± ¡°There are limits to¡­ what people can do, isn¡¯t there? Instead¡­I¡¯ll try to match the next best thing.¡± ¡°Then, a pure and lively young girl¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That is also¡­impossible.¡± ¡°Then, a bold and courageous woman like a true ma-¡± ¡°Now that I think about it¡­that would be a bit difficult.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be a coquettish woman either, will you?¡± ¡°Yes. That is correct.¡± ¡°Then what exactly can you match?¡± ¡°However¡­wouldn¡¯t winning a heart with a facade¡­be meaningless?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m gonna go crazy. Seriously.¡± ¡°If you are going to go crazy¡­can you be crazy about me?¡± ¡°Agh, I seriously hate this! Go away, please!¡± ¡ª- Five days had passed since Qing¡¯s confinement. The government¡¯s army descended upon the Dragon King Vessel en masse and formed a defensive formation at the boarding area. Following them, Cha Sundan, the Regional Inspector of Hubei, appeared. Waterway Forts¡¯ Chief, Bok Haun, greeted the high official personally. ¡°Oh Great one, to havee all this w-¡± ¡°Bring that bitch, that damned fucking bitch to me right now!¡± But the father who had lost his son was already blind with rage. He had rushed over with his troops immediately upon receiving the news that his son was dead and the culprit had been caught. Bok Haun was just about to signal to his subordinate when¡­ ¡°Father! I am Bok Heumcheok! The son of the Waterway Forts¡¯ Chief, Bok Haun! I havee to fulfill the task Fathermanded me to do! I am Bok Heumcheok!¡± The son, thought to have run away after being scolded, suddenly rushed over, screaming at the top of his lungs. ¡°That punk¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Oh my, Young Master, why are you acting like this now! At a time when an important guest has arrived¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am Bok Heumcheok! I am Bok Heumcheok! Bok Heumcheok, the son of the Waterway Forts¡¯ Chief, Bok Haun! Father! I am Bok Heumcheok! I am Bok Heumcheok! I havee to fulfill the task Fathermanded me to do!¡± ¡°What is the meaning of th¡­¡­..¡± There was no time to even stop him. As if being propelled by an unseen force, Bok Heumcheok flew towards Regional Inspector Cha Sundan. Then, Bok Heumcheok¡¯s arm drew a semi-circle and Cha Sundan¡¯s arm was severed, falling onto the deck. The Guard Captain quickly embraced Cha Sundan, pulling him back and raising the rm. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush! Guards, protect the dignitary! General Cheonho! Protect the dignitary!¡± Northern General Cheonho, the leader of the troops, also sprang into action immediately. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush from the river bandits! Form a phnx!¡± ¡°Protect the dignitary! Phnx! Phnx!¡± The soldiers hurriedly moved, extending their spears. Amidst them, Bok Heumcheok swung his limbs wildly, causing a scene. Every time his bare body was hit by spears, the spears were actually the ones to break upon impact; a single man was confronting an arm like a deity of war. Soldiers were thrown in all directions, vomiting blood, as chaos unfolded. Throughout this turmoil, Bok Heumcheok did not stop shouting. ¡°I have fulfilled! The task Fathermanded me to do! I have fulfilled! The task Fathermanded me to do! Hihi, hihihihi, hihihEHEHEHAHAHAHHAHA! Long live the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway!¡± Upon witnessing what had urred in the blink of an eye, Bok Haun¡¯s mind went momentarily nk. What, what in the world is happening¡­¡­ ¡ª- ¡°Young Lady Ximen?¡± Upon hearing her name being called, Qing turned her head. And then, she witnessed a moment where the Karma changed. The Evil Karma, which had gradually increased all this time in this one room, suddenly spiked right before her eyes. -1814. What the fuck is up with this bitch? Qing frowned deeply. ¡°What now? Stop bothering me and just get lo-¡± ¡°Thanks to you¡­I was able to save some time. Thank you. In many ways.¡± This motherfucker is saying shit only she knows about again. I really want to fucking kill her. A genuine killing intent,ing from the very depths of her heart, seeped out of Qing¡¯s body. However, Un Yeonyoung just smiled beamingly. *** Chapter 33: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (7) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (7) ? Right then, it became noisy outside, and then the door opened. A face familiar to Qing stood in front of the door. It¡¯s the bastard who pretended to understand me before fucking trapping me in here! Qing heightened her vignce. After all, she had trusted him because he seemed nice, but look where that got her. Regardless of what Qing thought though, Pa Bonmu, the so-called First Arrival of Yangtze River, spoke his piece with a stern face. ¡°Young Lady Un. I apologize, but we need your help.¡± ¡°So, it hase to this. Didn¡¯t I clearly¡­warn you?¡± ¡°I have no excuse. If the offer you made before is still valid¡­¡­¡± ¡°For now¡­let us go.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes sparkled. So they¡¯re taking this crazy woman, huh? It was a golden opportunity to escape this wretched prison. Just hurry up and fuck off. I¡¯m gonna go find my freedom and dip outta here. But the antisocial, batshit crazy murder, who was also an Ultra-Supreme Master1for reference, this is not an actual realm. this is just A-Qing referring to Un Yeonyoung as someone who is beyond a ¡°Supreme Master¡± who is already beyond a regr ¡°Master¡±, was not so easy to deal with. ¡°And Young Lady Ximen cane along too, yes?¡± ¡°No, what? Why me? I¡¯m just gonna stay here, so you two go have a good trip. I¡¯ll stay back and watch the house or something.¡± ¡°Then¡­I won¡¯t be able to do anything, would I? Expert Pa, is that truly okay?¡± ¡°If Young Lady Un insists, what else can I do? But, why?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps personal reasons?¡± Un Yeongyoung grabbed Qing, linking arms with her. Qing¡¯s expression soured. Thus, Qing had no choice but to be dragged onto the deck with her arm taken hostage. And, lo and behold! The deck was a sea of blood. Torn limbs were scattered everywhere. Various internal organs were also individually disyed, having fallen out of the bodies. Did they seriously have such a merry party without me? These pieces of shits. Couldn¡¯t they have also invited me? I know how to tear off limbs too, you know? I want to show off too! Fuck! Qing gritted her teeth. ¡°Oh my. Young Lady Ximen. Are you angry? After mastering such a brutal martial art¡­Could it be that you were unexpectedly a righteous female? Hehhhhh¡­¡­..?¡± ¡°The fuck are you on about.¡± Un Yeonyoung had a massive misunderstanding, but Qing was already far past being disgusted by her. It was literally just as she said. The fuck was she on about, indeed. Suddenly, Un Yeonyoung pulled Qing closer, making her back bend forward. Then, the crazy woman whispered into her ear from a distance that was far too close forfort. ¡°By the way¡­How did you know I was a bad person? That¡­was supposed to be a secret, though?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°How cold of you¡­¡­.¡± Un Yeonyoung trailed off as if disappointed. Qing was absolutely sure this viin didn¡¯t feel even a speck of sorrow. In fact, she was willing to bet her entire fortune, no, even her arms and legs on it. Qing stopped right in the middle of the ship. The people there were solemnly surrounding something, but they made way for Pa Bonmu to enter as soon as he appeared. And in the center, there was a tightly bound young man. He was so thoroughly tied up with thick ropes specifically meant for ships that only his head was visible from the veritable bundle. The young man was trying desperately to say something, but could only manage muffled noises that went, Eup Eup Eup Eup, due to the thick gag in his mouth. ¡°It is a Throat Jiangshi.¡± ¡°Can¡­Can he be treated?¡± ¡°Half of his Yuan Dan has already been damaged. Even if we break his dantian to release the pressure, he will only have about twenty years left to live.¡± ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Instead of answering, Un Yeonyoung just stared at Bok Haun. But Bok Haun merely replied with a pained expression. ¡°¡­¡­.If the Young Head of the Un n says so, that must be all the possible options. Do you need anything?¡± ¡°Fortunately, I have most of what I need. My luggage and two fresh hens. And a bundle of eggs¡­¡­ And could you prepare the esophagus for me?¡± Un Yeonyoung approached the bundle of ropes. She pressed her index and middle fingers to the young man¡¯s forehead and began chanting Daoist recitations. Surprisingly, she seemed to be quite the capable Daoist Monk. Thinking that this was her moment to gain information, Qing asked Pa Bonmu. ¡°What exactly is that woman¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°Have you not heard? She is the Young Head of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n.¡± ¡°I heard that, but so what? What¡¯s that supposed to be? What kind of n is it to produce that kind of thing? She¡¯s aplete madwoman.¡± ¡°Young Lady. I am telling you this because you remind me of my daughter. But even if youe from a prestigious and noble n from the Orthodox Faction, calling the Murim Alliance¡¯s Chief Enforcer such words¡­¡­. Well it is not our ce to say such things. If only I had known this would happen¡­¡­..¡± Pa Bonmu had aplicated expression. What the fuck? Why is he ying the victim card when they¡¯re the ones who sacrificed me to a crazy murderer? Qing ignored his apparent anxiety and pressed for an answer. ¡°So, what is it?¡± ¡°The Un n of the Jin Prefecture are¡­¡­¡­¡± The Un n of the Jin Prefecture were the foremost Daoist Funeral Overseers in the Central ins. Funeral Overseers were Daoists who conducted burials and prayed for the dead. While monks and Daoists also performed these rituals, only Daoist Funeral Overseers could perform Daoist Magic. They could animate corpses through this extraordinary Daoist Magic, making them move on their own. And such animated corpses were called Jiangshi. ¡°What? Jiangshi?¡± ¡°I see you know about Jiangshi.¡± ¡°Those things that go like this, bouncing around.¡± Qing stretched out her arms and imitated a Jiangshi. Pa Bonmu clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk. That is something only little kids would believe.¡± ¡°Then just think of me as a little kid. So? What is all this about? What¡¯s this talk about a Chief Enforcer? And the Murim Alliance? That woman is from the Murim Alliance?¡± If it was the Murim Alliance, it should be a gathering of everyone in the Orthodox Faction. Why would a¡­thing like that be a part of such a group? Qing nced at Un Yeonyoung, who was writing a Fulu2Taoist magic symbols and incantations, trantable into English as ¡®talismanic script¡¯, which are written or painted on talismans called ì`·û; Áé·û; l¨ªngf¨² by Taoist practitioners. with chicken blood. Her Evil Karma increased again, huh. When the fuck did that happen? Am I misunderstanding something? Is the problem with the Jiangshi? Since she was ying with the dead or something? No, even if that was the case, there should still be a limit to it, right? And she herself confessed she was a little cunt, I mean, a bad person. While Qing was hesitating over what to think, Pa Bonmu began to exin. This man was unexpectedly loose-lipped. Pa Bonmu would have felt wronged if he knew what she was thinking. After all, he considered Qing a runaway girl from a noble n of the Orthodox Faction, so from his perspective, it was just a matter of time before she found out. ¡°Was it about ten days ago? At that time¡­¡­¡± The Chief Enforcer of the Murim Alliance arrived at the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway. And she abruptly stated that several Blood Jiangshi were found in a secret cave nearby. Creating a single Blood Jiangshi required the sacrifice of no less than one hundred lives. The Alliance presumed these were the people who had disappeared in the East Sea and concluded they had been transported along the waterways to Dongting Lake. And there was only one group in the Yangtze River capable of carrying out such a heinous act of smuggling. It was the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway. However, the Murim Alliance believed that Bok Haun¡¯s character would never allow for such actions to take ce. And in fact, that was indeed true. As such, they sent the Chief Enforcer to inform and investigate the real conspiracy. ¡°The story doesn¡¯t add up. And you¡¯re switching your words too. You locked me up in a cell, after all.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have any other choice but to do that.¡± Pa Bonmu closed his mouth. After all, from here on out, it was about the affairs of the Waterway Forts. ¡ª- The Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway had changed. Moving away from being robbers and bandits that rode ships on water, it now resembled a sort of sect with a legitimate business. Tolls? In the first ce, even Murim sects collected so-called protection money within their territories. The champions guarding the Yangtze River collecting a modest toll was quite reasonablepared to them. However, not everyone was pleased with this change. For one, there was the Green Forest. As the Green Forest and the Waterway Forts had been strong rivals, the evolution of the Waterway Forts was unwee to the former. So, the bandit bastards kept yapping. Those embarrassing, ignorant fuckers who don¡¯t know their ce. How dare they call themselves champions of the people when they¡¯re mere dogs of the authorities, feeding off scraps. I would rather cut off my own dick and be a Buddhist nun than associate with the government, etc¡­¡­. From Bok Haun¡¯s perspective, it didn¡¯t matter what the bandits said. No, the problem was that members of the Waterway Forts started agreeing with them. They were the so-called traditionalists, led by the previous generation¡¯s demonic humans. Human trash that couldn¡¯t forget the taste of looting, raping, and cannibalism. And those who joined the Waterway Forts hoping to be future pieces of shits supported them. Moreover, since the bastards were clearly scheming something, when he heard the words ¡®Blood Jiangshi¡¯, it made him veritably dizzy. In fact, he almost fainted in anger and shock. The traditionalists weren¡¯t plotting something simple. It was far from ordinary. As such, if mishandled, the entire Waterway Forts could be utterly destroyed. This matter had to be dealt with internally! It was the time to show that they could avert such a crisis and say, ¡®We had this and that happen, but fortunately, we were able to prevent it on our own¡¯. That was the reason for ¡®protecting¡¯ the Murim Alliance¡¯s Chief Enforcer. The Fort Commander, Bok Haun, looked at his son and thought. ¡®However, even if it meant facing further interference, perhaps we should have epted the help of the Murim Alliance. Then, maybe that child too¡­¡­¡¯ It was right then that it happened. ¡°Hooo¡­¡­¡± Un Yeonyoung sighed deeply, wiping sweat from her brow. ¡°What happened? How did it go? The child¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Fortunately, it went well. He shall regain consciousness soon.¡± Bok Haun exhaled deeply. It was better than dying, even if his lifespan was shortened. ¡°Did you say about twenty years?¡± ¡°The treatment went well, so he will live a bit longer than that.¡± Bok Haun thought that that was enough. Now, he just needed to quickly arrange a marriage for his son and hope for the best. Bok Haun sped his palm around his fist in sincere thanks. ¡°I, Bok, will express my gratitude to the benefactor.¡± ¡°Benefactor? Not at all.¡± ¡°No. You saved my child¡¯s life. There is no greater benefactor in the world than you. What else could I possibly call you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not, though¡­¡­¡± Un Yeonyoung answered with a strange smile. It was a smile that seemed somewhat inscrutable. But without a doubt, something was¡­off. Perhaps even suspicious. However, Bok Haun was in a dire situation, akin to having fire set below his feet. Moreover, it was a spark that, if not shaken off, could spread all over his body. His urgent thoughts brushed aside his capacity for critical thinking and deeper contemtion to the signs given. The reason was simple; above all, she had saved his son. However, the situation was still far from ordinary. In fact, it was incredibly severe. The arm of the Regional Inspector had been severed and the perpetrator was none other than the Waterway Fort Commander¡¯s son, Bok Heumcheok. Moreover, he had loudly imed that the attack was ordered by Bok Haun himself. None of the soldiers who managed to escape with the Regional Inspector could have missed hearing those words. ¡®What am I supposed to do about this¡­¡­¡¯ Right then, Bok Heumcheok awoke. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­. My head¡­¡­¡± As Bok Heumcheok pressed at his temples, he abruptly trembled. He looked around in shock and then urgently called out to his father. ¡°Father! W-We¡¯re in huge trouble! It is a disaster! The main house, the main house is overrun with those damned bastards! Those cursed demons! The family of the Waterway Forts are!¡± Qing watched the scene unfold with a nk stare. The situation seemed kinda serious. And people were scurrying about, talking of turning the ship around and rushing to save the main house or something. Amidst the bustling crowd, Qing stood alone. And that was when she suddenly came to her senses. This isn¡¯t the time to just stand around and watch. I gotta dip before that womantches onto me again. ¡°Oh my. Where do you think you are going?¡± A chill ran down her spine for a moment. Un Yeonyoung had somehow appeared beside her without her noticing. Motherfucking piece of shit. What a damned, fucking bitch. Qing, who genuinely shivered in disgust, quickly turned utterly solemn. But it didn¡¯t seem like Un Yeonyoung gave a single flying fuck what Qing thought or how Qing Reacted. She just leaned in close to her ear and whispered in a soft voice. ¡°It will begin¡­very soon. But still, all you need to do is stay calm. I will protect you. After all, Young Lady Ximen, you are far too frail, insignificant, and pitiful.¡± Qing grimaced. It wasn¡¯t because her pride was hurt that an Ultra-Supreme Master called her weak. Compared to that monster, it was probably true anyway. It was just because of the unwanted Mission Window that popped up before her. Fuck. Seriously, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fucking hell. FUCK. *** Chapter 34: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (8) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (8) ? The Mission Window disyed such stark words. [Omen, (Unknown)th Crisis] Description: [You stand before the downfall of the Waterway Forts.] Actions for Mission Completion Righteous Karma) Assist the Waterway Forts in suppressing the rebelli¡­¡­. Qing immediately closed the Mission Window. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. You think I¡¯m a fucking idiot? She wasn¡¯t interested anyway. No matter how grand the ims about influencing everything below Heaven were, she would not be fooled again. What¡¯s so great about influencing everything under the Heavens anyway? Just the fact that I¡¯m breathing right now means I took a whole lung¡¯s worth of air from the world, you know? So I¡¯ve influenced something under the Heavens, haven¡¯t I? After all, it¡¯s better to do whatever the fuck I want than doing shitty things just to receive a bit more RIghteous Karma. Teacher, this is how your disciple lives¡­This is how she is doing¡­¡­. I wonder how our Female Middle Schooler chan is doing. Is she well? Qing ignored the Mission Window. When she did so, it popped up again. And Qing got pissed off. Rightfully so. What the fuck? Do you wanna go? You wanna try me, huh? Is that what it is? What? You¡¯ll keep popping up until I read you or something? Shall I show you my ability to skip through cutscenes, honed through countless second tries of games? [Advent of the End, Blood Cmity of the Nine Provinces, Final Chapter. The Last Crisis] Description: [At the end of a long pursuit, you have finally faced the true mastermind behind a brutal conspiracy. It is the destroyer of all who breathes under the sky, as well as the end of the world.] For the sake of the world, eliminate Un Yeonyoung *Blood Poison) Massacre all who stand with Un Yeonyoung [The fate of all under the Heavens depends on you.] But the words written were very different from before. Moreover, it was a format she had never seen before. As Qing scrolled through the Mission Window, she saw Un Yeonyoung. Final Chapter. The Last Crisis. The destroyer of all people, as well as the end of the world. So, that means she¡¯s the End-Stage Boss? Why the fuck is the Final Boss appearing now? The Mission Window said to meet after a long pursuit, didn¡¯t it? Is this a bug? Qing suddenly felt rather cheerful. Qing just wanted to enjoy a delicious dinner and incidentally see some bloodshed through the process. Like a ship without its rowers¡­No, it was actually a ship without its rowers. Anyway, along with such a ship, she had drifted here. Qing was unaware of any conspiracy. She didn¡¯t even know that the existence of some mastermind or whatever existed in the first ce. She especially didn¡¯t realize she had an enemy she needed to pursue. And yet, something like this was being oh so proudly disyed. Why? She didn¡¯t know. To reemphasize, she didn¡¯t know shit. Mission? That¡¯s fucking nothing. If this is the result of some stupid calction triggered by something, well, fuck it. Who fucking cares. ¡°Hey. Uhnyeong~~. Ah Nyeonyeong1She is acting cute right now~~¡± ¡°Oh my. That is¡­Are you calling me?¡± ¡°Eung. Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°How¡­can you suddenly be so bold? Your trembling figure was quite cute before.¡± ¡°So, does that mean you dislike it or something?¡± ¡°No. Not at all. It is quite to my liking. Have you¡­opened up your heart?¡± Un Yeongyoung smiled brightly. Qing smiled back and asked. ¡°You said you¡¯d protect me, right?¡± ¡°Of course. As long as I am here¡­ You are the safest person in this world, you see?¡± ¡°But the fact that you need to protect me means there are also dangers that are that severe, right?¡± ¡°After all, there are about three Living Jiangshis and quite a few Blood Jiangshis. Above all, since the Demonic Cannibal has directly intervened, the frail Young Lady Ximen will not be able tost more than a few strokes. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°Demonic Cannibal? Feels like I¡¯ve heard of the guy before.¡± Qing repeated the name a few times, then gave up on remembering. Must have heard it somewhere along the way. Whatever. But his name is the Demonic Cannibal? Wow! What a shitty nickname. Did his mother not love him? I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s such a piece of shit that he¡¯s actually known for eating people. But there was something more important than that. Qing smoothly asked another question. ¡°So, do you really like me that much?¡± ¡°Words cannot fully express how much. You cannot even imagine what you mean to me. What kind of existence you are to me.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because my Constitution is unique?¡± Un Yeonyoung¡¯s eyes widened. It was a dramatic change from her usually graceful demeanor. ¡°Did you already know?¡± ¡°I just found out. Anyway, if another person like me appears, does that mean I be unnecessary?¡± Un Yeonyoung smiled with that expression. The very expression that seemed to say she found Qing really, truly adorable. ¡°Oh my. Young Lady Ximen¡­You must understand how much of a miracle, how wonderful your body is.¡± ¡°A miracle?¡± ¡°It is like counting to the tens of billions once, and then repeating that another tens of billions of times. That is what you are.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m the only one in the world?¡± ¡°That is correct. There is only¡­you.¡± Qing nodded as she fell into contemtion. As expected, this really kills any and all interest I had in her, huh. What a sick bitch. At the very least, if you want to get close, you should say something ttering. Instead, she directly stated that my body is the ultimate goal for her? Nobody would ever be happy to hear that. Anyway, it seems I can fuck around a bit, huh. I don¡¯t have to be too worried around her. Qing¡¯s ability to read between the lines hadpletely pushed Un Yeonyoung into the category of an extreme pushover. This is all because I created my character well. By the way, it seems like I¡¯m in your debt again, Mr. Strategy Guide, huh? If I ever return, I will reward you greatly. My life has been saved several times thanks to you, after all. ¡ª- Champions of the Yangtze River, listen! Some curse us as thieves while others call us parasites, disgusting leeches living off the water. But is that really the case? There might have been a time where we were like that. When we were merely barbarians, bandits on a river, I saw pigers on the Yangtze, witnessed blood flow along with the water, and ultimately lost my teacher to the grief and grudges it caused. Being the child of a thief, even my mother was practically akin to stolen wealth. What such a child learned from that was only hatred and twisted killing intent. The father was shameful and the child was full of loathing. This pain was what caused us to change! But we have changed now once again! Who established thews of the Yangtze River and put them in order? It was us. Because we are the owners of the Yangtze! It was because we have be upright heroes! Champions! Fathers and mothers envied by thend dwellers because we are right! Because we are just! And now, our grand cause is shaken! The scum trying to return to the era of plunder and cannibalism have revealed their true natures! They threaten our main house! Our stronghold! Our families! This was what speeches before battles were usually like. We are the good guys and they are the bad guys. Think of your families. Let¡¯s fight. For h-h something more important than life. While listening to the speech, Qing thought. That ahjussi can speak really well, huh. Not just anyone can be a leader, it seems. Qing looked at the martial artists heated up with morale and, on the other side, Un Yeonyoung, who was busy responding to something. I really want to tell them. She¡¯s the mastermind. She¡¯s the one manipting all of you behind the scenes. She¡¯s the one who did everything. But, so what? They wouldn¡¯t even take me seriously anyway. After saving the leader¡¯s son, she¡¯s been treated with utmost respect, so even if Qing said something like that, she would just be called a crazy bitch. She was a very high-functioning nutcase. Oh, and a capable murderer. I mean, that¡¯s probably why I was supposed to find out about her after a long pursuit. Qing grinned and approached her. ¡°You must think that Jiangshis have no weaknesses. You have to hit their necks or cut off their limbs to immobilize them. At the very least, they are monsters that can only be wounded if one is in a realm where they can hurt people with External Qi and I can weaken the Living Jiangshis with sorcery¡­¡­¡± Turns out it was something like a strategy meeting. It almost felt like she was ying with them. After all, she was the one who had empowered the enemy¡¯s ringleader, but now, she was digging into his weaknesses, exposing them for the other side. Qing poked someone she recognized in the ribs. It was the First Arrival of the Yangtze River, Pa Bonmu. ¡°Ahjussi.¡± ¡°Young Lady Ximen? What is the matter? It¡¯s a busy time right now.¡± ¡°Give me back my sword. You said you¡¯d return itter, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Agh,ter, okay? We are about to fight, so the Young Lady should just stay safe and wait.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to be safe without a sword in my hands? If I stand empty-handed, do you think the enemies will just avoid me? Should I yell out or something? That I don¡¯t matter, so they shouldn¡¯t hurt me?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Hey, Juhyung, in my room, there¡¯s a sword under the bed. Bring that here.¡± And so, Qing got her Moonlight Sword (No. 8) back in her grasp! Not long after, an ind appeared suddenly through the fog. The main stronghold of the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway, called Waterway Fortress, was located on that very ind. The dock was crowded with people, but it was clear from a nce that they were not there to wee the returning heads of families. Isn¡¯t it obvious for anyone that they¡¯re ready for a fight? Like, they¡¯re all lined up, holding spears and swords. Qing watched this shitshow while holding onto the railing. Suddenly, red streaks shot across the sky. ¡°Fire arrows! Shields up! Firefighters, stand by!¡± Hundreds of fire arrows. With a loud noise, the fire arrows that hit the deck and hull stayed stubbornly lit and kept flickering, igniting themselves over and over. It was chaos. The fire arrows continued to whistle down, people were stepping on mes and spraying sand, and some unlucky ones got hit by an arrow and copsed. Some tried to pull away an injured martial artist only to get hit by another arrow while others caught fire and were running around in a panic. However, the massive vessel, which seemed like an aircraft carrier to Qing, was not much hindered by this. ¡°We¡¯re docking the ship! Get down!¡± The ship charged straight into the sandy beach; it was quite a rough and fiery docking method. The collision caused the giant ship to traverse the beach, creating a veritable earthquake. The stern opened and martial artists poured out onto the beach. The Masters jumped off the deck and joined the crowd immediately. As arrows poured onto the shore, people started falling continuously. Though there were no guns, it was quite a tensending operation. It was quite a spectacle to observe. Then, a voice called out for Qing. ¡°Young Lady Ximen, you can wait here, yes?¡± ¡°Eh? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d protect me.¡± ¡°These children will protect you.¡± Simultaneously to those words, something that looked like people popped out from behind Un Yeonyoung. They appeared to be about ten years old. So they really were children. But their eyes werepletely ck without any whites, making them eerily disgusting. They were not normal. ¡°Them? They¡¯re going to protect me? Are you sure it¡¯s not the other way around?¡± ¡°Ah. Despite how they look, they are incredibly strong children called Heavenly Jiangshis, you see? Each one can face a Transcendent Realm Master, so they are quite reliable.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± Seems like they¡¯re the Final Boss¡¯s guards or something. Wouldn¡¯t they probably appear as mid-bosses? ¡°Then, let us meet again after everything is done. Young Lady.¡± Un Yeonyoung waved her hand. Qing responded with a bright smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, though?¡± ¡°Oh dear. Young Lady? This isn¡¯t a request, you see?¡± Qing shook her head. ¡°The Demonic Cannibal is the strongest, right? Since you said you¡¯d protect me, let¡¯s keep that promise, okay?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­.¡± Ignoring her, Qing leapt down. A refreshing free fall. The sand on the beach softly cushioned her plummeting body. She channeled her True Qi to her feet. As her Teacher said, her Inner Qi was already top-notch. Practically absolute. With a massive amount of True Qi propelling her forward, it felt like the world was receding behind her. Qingughed. With the Final Boss promising protection, what is there to fear? Haven¡¯t I already heard a confirmation? Qing took a deep breath. ¡°HEY! DEMONIC CANNIBAL! SORRY WE HAVE TO MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME LIKE THIS! BUT I HEARD YOUR MOMMY DIED! WERE YOU SO HUNGRY THAT YOU EVEN ATE YOUR OWN MOMMY AND DADDY?! WHAT A LITTLE FUCKER!¡± Following that, a roar simr to a lion¡¯s shook both Heaven and Earth. ¡°WHICH BITCH! DARES!¡± It was a wrath that could be felt vividly, even from afar. Qing nced back. Un Yeonyoung, extremely taken aback, was running towards her, followed closely by the five children. Each of these kids was said to match the Transcendent Realm, right? Qing raised her voice again. ¡°I AM XIMEN QING! LET¡¯S HAVE A FAIR ONE-ON-ONE FIGHT!¡± *** Chapter 35: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (9) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (9) ? In normal cultures, cannibalism was taboo. And even if this was ancient China, such a cultural value remained identical. It was so taboo, in fact, that one of the greatest punishments was to kill a criminal and feed their flesh to their family. However, there was no culture that did not practice cannibalism. After all, when people were too hungry and they had to choose between survival and dignity, they would almost always choose the former. However, it was a shameful act. Too shameful to even speak of. But even among them, there were some bastards who knew no shame. The Demonic Cannibal was that very bastard. Among people, there were asionally those who, despite no one else doing so, acted in such a way by themselves to somehow prove their superiority. Whatever the fuck that meant. Leaving aside nutritious and delicious dishes, he would stubbornly eat the rotten and tough meat of humans. I can do what you cannot do. And that makes me superior. Driven solely by a twisted desire for recognition that he was superior to others, the Demonic Cannibal reached the Late-Stage Transcendent Realm. And to be even more superior, he even mastered cursed Demonic Arts. Soon, the world would face an even more vicious viin, the me Demon. But then, someone directly challenged the authority he had built up with blood and resentment. Moreover, it was the youthful voice of a bratty girl, clearly still wet behind her ears. It was a move that truly touched upon his reverse scale1it basically means it pissed him the fuck off, but in chinese terms. The Demonic Cannibal lost all sense of rhyme and reason. ¡°WHICH BITCH! DARES!¡± ¡°Master! Oh, Demonic Cannibal! You cannot! An ambush¡­¡­.¡± His subordinates didn¡¯t even have a chance to stop him. With his beard turned bright red with Demonic Arts, he stomped fiercely off the ground and leapt forward. All that was left was the deeply indented floor. The subordinate helplessly waved his hand that he had raised in vain. ¡°An ambush¡­has been prepared¡­¡­.¡± Memories of the hardships he had suffered shed through the subordinate¡¯s mind. Those days he dug the ground, hid Jiangshis among the family, practiced retreats and counterattacks ording to regions, and rolled around, yelling the slogan of total annihtion. The subordinate shook his head and gave the order. ¡°What are the rest of you doing! The Demonic Cannibal himself has taken the lead!¡± ¡ª- After the roughnding, Bok Haun, who was driving the river bandits back towards the main house, heard that outrageous provocation. It was a curse so disgraceful that one would hesitate to even think about uttering. In fact, it was so severe that one wouldn¡¯t even say it to their worst enemy. But regardless of that, the true problem was who it targeted. The Demonic Cannibal, she said? Why would the Demonic Cannibale out here? But then, the firmly shut gates of the main house were sted open with a roar. It was truly an overwhelming presence. The advance of the Waterway Forts stopped hesitantly. A figure of astonishing stature, both vertically and horizontally, revealed himself. A red aura swirled around. The killing intent had be so tangible that it had reached a realm where it could be seen. It was a stage where one¡¯s Inner Qi moved on its own ord as their mind worsened. It was all too clear who it was. ¡°Demonic Cannibal!¡± Bok Haun shouted as if to scream. And in reality, it was indeed close to an actual screech. He couldn¡¯t even confront him, asking why someone like him was here. After all, they could not hope to face a wicked Demonic Adept at the Late-Stage Transcendent Realm. ¡°WHICH BITCH! DARES! DARESSS! I WILL NOT KILL YOU EASILY! I WILL EXTERMINATE YOUR ENTIRE LINEAGE, SALT THEIR FLESH, AND FEED YOU UNTIL YOUR STOMACH BURSTS!¡± ¡°You really love to eat, huh! Damn, just stop eating! Your stomach is about to burst! Literally!¡± With a mockingugh, a figure in blue dropped down among the river bandits and the Demonic Cannibal. ¡°Hello there, Senior! This lowly student of Murim, Ximen Qing, greets you with all her heart!¡± ¡°YOU, YOUUUU¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Calm down! You¡¯re going to keel over from high blood pressure before we even get a chance to fight! What are you doing?! Come at me! Let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°?(ºÈ)2it¡¯s a meme in anime and korean manhwa that basically signifies, ¡°GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!¡± It¡¯s a sort of shout before battle in this situation. He is basically telling himself to focus up, as well as telling Qing to get ready to be fucked.!¡± ? has made its entrance! So it wasn¡¯t just something that came up in funny posts! Qing swallowed her admiration. The Demonic Cannibal¡¯s log-like foot lifted. Qing shouted. ¡°WAITTTTTT!¡± It was a perfect instant to catch him off guard, causing the Demonic Cannibal to momentarily falter. It was then that it happened. Chak Chak Chak Chak Chak. The sound of five lightndings. Behind Qing, five children appeared. ¡°HERE I COME AGAIN! MY! MOONLIGHT SWORDDDDDDD!¡± Qing charged with renewed courage. The Demonic Cannibal, mixed with feelings of anger and puzzlement, rapidly closed in. The presences felt from behind was definitely reassuring, though. Qing raised her sword cheerfully. A pseudo-martial artist¡¯s fraudulently umted Inner Qi flowed into the sword as a solemn stream. The doubly-powered knowledge of Zhu Xiang¡¯s Heart Cleanse Mirror turned the Sword Qi into a sunset hue, leaving a long vertical afterimage as it fell. The Pressure of Mount Tai. The oppressive feeling that seemed as if Mount Tai itself was bearing down. It was the only move that her teacher had somewhat praised for having even the slightest bit of Imagery. In other words, she was basically calling Qing a one-trick pony. But still, the Demonic Cannibal¡¯s hand was dyed blood-red. A mere Late-Stage Peak Realm brat dares! Sword Qi and Hand Force shed. ng! The sound of their collision was unbelievably loud. Qing, unable to ovee the difference in weight ss, was sent flying. The Demonic Cannibal¡¯s hefty body leaped, following her trajectory. Qing quickly flipped her body around. The ultimate fatty approached right in front of her. His blood-red hand rose. Qing stretched her hand far behind her waist. But the difference in their realms was all too clear. The Demonic Cannibal¡¯s hand began to fall first. Suddenly, Taaang! Three children leaped up and blocked the Demonic Cannibal¡¯s strike. Qing had never intended to solely rely on her own abilities in the first ce. ¡°I was! Counting on this!¡± Qing pushed her sword forward. A thrust filled with brute force, without any fancy techniques. The sword, moving at the speed of light, aimed for the Demonic Cannibal¡¯s hea- In an instant, the Cannibal¡¯s hand grabbed the de. ¡°What a pity, Brat. If it wasn¡¯t for my Divine Arts, it might have worked.¡± There was a Murim custom among those who possessed Demonic Arts; even in death, they would not openly admit to using Demonic Arts. When the Demonic Cannibal mentioned Divine Arts, he naturally referred to the me Demonic Arts. Qing didn¡¯t know anything anyway, but the me Demonic Arts originated from the White Hand Demonic Arts. Originally, it was aplex concept, but when simplified, it was based on the inversion of Yin and Yang, so its effects were somewhat simr as well. For example, he was able to refine the body parts below the elbow. When adding the Late-Stage Transcendent Realm with thepletion of Eight Stars in the me Demonic Arts, a de surrounded by Sword Qi was no better than a club. Such was what made the renowned Demonic Arts so fear-inducing. And it was also the reason why people dared to master it despite the risk of bing a public enemy of Murim. ¡°Ah. So this doesn¡¯t work, huh.¡± The Demonic Cannibal pulled Qing¡¯s sword towards him. His other arm was already loaded with the me Hands. A true swordsman would rather die than let go of their sword! Qing let go of her sword without hesitation. Well, I guess I just won¡¯t be a swordsman anymore. The Cannibal¡¯s eyes shed. He nned to deal with the annoying young ones first while the girl had stepped back in retreat. His hand, filled with Toxic me Demonic Qi, smacked down on one of them with the expectation that their flesh would explode into pieces, but¡­ ng! With a sound like striking iron, the child was sent flying and bounced off the ground about five times before falling far away. The Demonic Cannibal was shocked. That¡¯s a Jiangshi! Why?! The Cannibal¡¯s eyes darted around. And then, he spotted Un Yeonyoung among the river bandits. ¡¸What is the meaning of this?! Why is a Jiangshi attacking me?!¡¹ It was an art, a skill used by very advanced Masters. A technique that forcefully projected sound into the counterpart¡¯s ear through a soft whisper protected by Qi that was only rolled in one¡¯s mouth. It was a method used for secret conversations when needed. This technique was called Sound Transmission. Un Yeonyoung¡¯s own Sound Transmission came flying through. ¡¸Strictly speaking, it is not an attack. The children are just protecting Young Lady Ximen.¡¹ ¡¸How does that make any sense?! Why would you protect someone like that brat?! I could rip her apart like the wretch that she is and I still wouldn¡¯t be satisfied!¡¹ ¡¸Ah. That is my personal affairs, you see? And we are not exactly in a position to share personal affairs, are we?¡¹ ¡¸Ha, you bitch. Do you think you can get away with breaking the Association¡¯s rules just because you are favored by the Association Leader for your ability to create Jiangshi?¡¹ ¡¸Who knows.¡¹ Un Yeonyoung merely showed a troubled smile, as if her hands were tied. To her, changing out the Association Leader was not an issue at all. He was kept around because he was easy to manipte due to this stupidity and greed. Un Yeonyoung sent another Sound Transmission, hiding her mocking scoff. ¡¸Young Lady Ximen is quite stubborn, you see. Could you just engage with her until she runs out of energy? You have the capability to do that much, don¡¯t you?¡¹ ¡¸What sort of dogshit is th- Keuk.¡¹ The Demonic Cannibal was about to respond, but had to urgently spread his hands. It was because Qing had charged at him again. Qing, too, had picked up a few things, so she charged in while believing in Guanxi, just like the people of the Central ins. But despite her belief in Un Yeonyoung¡¯s protection, he was not an easy opponent. Moreover, the Jiangshis only defended. She had tond the fatal hit herself, but due to the difference in their realms, that was also easier said than done. Teacher, what should this disciple do? Qing recalled a conversation she had with her teacher. ¡®Master, what if an enemy is like an Ultra-Supreme Master?¡¯ ¡®Then you must run away immediately. What else could you possibly do?¡¯ ¡®What if I can¡¯t run?¡¯ ¡®If you must face such a formidable opponent¡­¡­¡¯ Wear them down. Once the dantian was drained, it didn¡¯t matter if they were at the Transcendent Realm or the Fatscendent Realm. She just needed to endure and endure until all his Inner Qi was depleted. Of course, it was impossible in a one-on-one situation. After all, the Inner Qi of a Master was far greater and even more efficiently used, so there would never be a case where a Master¡¯s dantian would deplete first in normal circumstances. ¡®Then?¡¯ ¡®There is something Disciple is good at, isn¡¯t there?¡¯ ¡®Something I¡¯m good at?¡¯ ¡®I am referring to how you make this Teacher¡¯s stomach turn in anger at times.¡¯ Make the opponent¡¯s stomach turn in anger. Your unique technique could practically be called a Divine Art, unmatched in all under the Heavens. If you can infuriate the enemy, erase their rationality, and dodge well, there might be a chance for victory. That was indeed Qing¡¯s area of expertise. But deliberately doing so felt strangely embarrassing. It¡¯s a bit hard to shout these things out loud whilepletely sober¡­ It was just like how it was easier to sing with a bit of alcohol. The bullshit Qing spouted followed the same principle. It came out well when angry or a bit disoriented. If not that, then when she was excited. She needed that sensation when she was covered in blood, pulling out intestines to wear around her neck. And breaking bones to feel the crunch. Only then did true excitement surge and a genuine sound came from the very depth of her dantian. But now that she had to speak with a level-headed mind for the sake of victory, she felt slightly apologetic. And it felt a bit embarrassing to talk when others were listening. So, Qing spoke just loud enough for the Demonic Cannibal to hear. To others, it might have seemed brave for her to charge in despite the difference in their realms. However¡­the actual sounds that popped up whenever she shed and dodged¡­the true words that could only be heard up-close were as follows. ¡°Hey. You fucking pig. I heard you called yourself the Demonic Cannibal, yeah? Holy fucking shit, how much do you have to eat to look like that? Tell me honestly. It kinda seems like your chest is bigger than mine, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Demonic Cannibal counted Buddhas3it¡¯s like counting sheep to calm yourself! in his mind. The bitch that creates Jiangshi is a key talent to the Association. And without Jiangshi, the grand undertaking was impossible in the first ce. Since it is such a bitch¡¯s request¡­¡­. ¡°Hey, but if you¡¯re a cannibal, you eat in all types of ways, right? Boiled, roasted, steamed, and the like. If that¡¯s the case, when you take a bath, do you drink the bathwater? It must be like brewing a rich broth, huh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Woah, honestly, I¡¯ll admit it. You¡¯re impressive. If I was hearing such nonsense, I really wouldn¡¯t have just stayed quiet. Do you have some kind of hobby of getting insulted? Maybe a masochist? Are you not mad even though I¡¯m provoking you like this? Should I shit on your family once?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you know the principle of how like cures like? You know, when you¡¯re hurt somewhere, you just need to eat that body part to feel better. So if your eyesight is bad, then you eat eye dishes. If your liver is bad, you eat liver. Then, doesn¡¯t that mean you eat people because you aren¡¯t human enough?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, from now on, you should eat more elderly people. Since you don¡¯t have your mommy and daddy, you should consume other mommies and daddies to¡­¡­¡± ¡°EUAAAAAAAAAAAGH!! I WILL KILL YOU!!! I WILL KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!¡± Finally, the Demonic Cannibal exploded. *** Chapter 36: The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes Blah Blah Blah (10) ? The Waves in Front of the Yangtze River Goes h h h (10) ? The strength of the Great Demonic Adept, who had been absolutely shat on, was truly transcendent. To exaggerate a bit, it made the heavens tremble and the earth shake. In fact, even the number of five Jiangshis were dangerously close to being insufficient. The Demonic Cannibal consumed his energy without reservation. A Heavenly Jiangshi was flung away, bouncing on the ground and skidding away. No matter how sturdy a Heavenly Jiangshi was, because it was made from a child¡¯s body, it could not escape the constraints of mass. Qing felt as if her heart was being squeezed. No, like¡­that pig is more than terrifying enough¡­ But what the fuck is up with those kids who can endure that beatdown with just their bodies? There woulde a time when she had to settle things with this batshit insane, obsessive maniac of a Final Boss. By then, those shields would also stand against Qing as enemies. As long as this matter goes well, I might be able to shake off that persistent end-stage boss for a while. In that time, I¡¯ll have no choice but to gather Practice Points or whatever the fuck I need to quickly elevate my realm. For now, let¡¯s shit on this guy some more. ¡°Do you perhaps know about this? Your manners are absolutely fucked in the ass. Did you eat those too? Even the fucking beggars would be more polite than you.¡± Qing circled around the Cannibal, continuously provoking him. ¡°Oh my. If you meet an adult, you should greet them properly, you know? Look, I am a great elder of Murim. How dare a brat like you, who has fewer days to live than me, treat your betters like this? The audacity.¡± ¡°YOU BITCH! THAT MOUTH OF YOURS!¡± ¡°Oho? What a bad child. Do you not realize the customs of Murim are strict? Can you not differentiate between superiors and inferiors?! It¡¯s because of wild brats like you that there are such distinctions, are there not?¡± ¡°This damned! Jiangshi! If not for these things!¡± ¡°Anyway, my status allocation is higher than yours. Do you know who my master is?¡± In that moment, the Demonic Cannibal¡¯s eyes sparkled. This was a chance to find out about this crazy bitch¡¯s sect. The Association would make sure they pay for this humiliation! Qing smiled slightly. ¡°Not. Tel. Ling. Se. Cret.¡± ¡°KEUAAAAAAAAGH!!!¡± The Demonic Cannibal tore at his own hair. Clumps of it fell and fluttered away. Hm, looks like he¡¯s been marinated nicely. Qing started to get to the main point. ¡°By the way, did you do something wrong to Uhnyeongie1Un Yeonyoung¡¯s pet name by A-Qing?¡± ¡°¡­What.¡± ¡°Did she really have to go this far¡­¡­¡± For a moment, the Demonic Cannibal¡¯s movements stopped. ¡°You bitch, what did you just¡­¡­¡± ¡°What. Why? Suddenly want to talk? Come at me, Fatty. I¡¯m just ying tricks because I¡¯m at such a disadvantage. If you¡¯re not gonnae, I¡¯m just gonna leave, okay?¡± Qing charged, her arms leading her forward. It was quite unbing of someone who had been dodging this entire time. After all, she swings her arms in a very aggressive manner. When she did so, twenty shadows of arms rushed towards the Cannibal. Even though hands were shing with each other, only the noisy sound of metal being struck could be heard. The Demonic Cannibal kept stepping back. Sound Transmission was a difficult technique and because it required concentration, he couldn¡¯t properly counter. ¡¸You bitch, are you nning to betray the Association!¡¹ Suspicion and anger engulfed the Cannibal, causing him to draw delusional conclusions in his mind. To be fair though, it was a situation ripe for misunderstanding. ¡¸What are you¡­suddenly saying?¡¹ ¡¸If it is not that, you are probably trying to eliminate me!¡¹ ¡¸What in the world¡­does that mean. Even if you say indecipherable things.¡¹ ¡¸If that¡¯s not the case, kill this bitch right now!¡¹ Un Yeonyoung frowned. Why is this stupid Demonic Adept acting like this all of a sudden ¡¸Haa. I have already told you. Because of personal reasons, Lady Ximen¡­¡­¡¹ ¡°Shut up! Do you think I will be fooled?!¡± The Demonic Adept jumped back to create distance and shouted. ¡°Bok Haun, you durd! You have your son¡¯s archenemy right beside you yet you don¡¯t even recognize it!¡± ¡¸Demonic Cannibal!¡¹ The Cannibal ignored the protest heard through Sound Transmission. ¡°¡­¡­.What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°I am talking about Un Yeonyoung, the bitch beside you! Do you think it ismon to find someone who can create such sophisticated Jiangshi in the world?!¡± ¡°Even if you are a Senior, please be careful with your words. Young Lady Un is my son¡¯s benefact-¡± ¡°That is why I say you are dull!¡± The Demonic Cannibalughed mockingly at Bok Haun. ¡°Keke, your son has been long dead, already having stepped on the path to the afterlife. Yet, you think a demon wearing his skin is your actual son. Truly, there is no greater retard!¡± ¡°Even if you are a Senior of the Unorthodox Facti-¡± ¡°His enemy is right beside you! Can you not see?!¡± The shout of the Demonic Cannibal carried such a wrenching sense of chagrin, causing him to draw his attention to a different direction. ¡°Young Lady Un?¡± Un Yeonyoung took a step back and shook her head. ¡°It is such baseless nder. Could it be that you are doubting the Chief Enforcer of the Murim Alliance?¡± ¡°Do not be fooled! We are the ones to push that bitch into the Alliance!¡± ¡°To think a mere Demonic Adept would dare to insult the Murim Alliance.¡± ¡°Since we showed you the Blood Jiangshi, we knew you would immediately go find the Un n. Did you think it would be hard to deceive such stupid bastards of the Orthodox Faction!¡± ¡°The opponent is a disgusting Demonic Adept. Things like lying are-¡± ¡°No, that bitch is the one who is truly disgusting. In fact, she is unrivaled in such an aspect.¡± The Demonic Cannibal snickered. ¡°She¡¯s the bitch who massacred her entire n and turned them into Jiangshis, you see.¡± Un Yeonyoung pleaded with a desperate look. ¡°You must not be deceived by such lies.¡± ¡°Bring a physician immediately to check on your son¡¯s pulse! We¡¯ll see if that thing is truly a person or a Jiangshi!¡± ¡°Young Master Bok has just recovered. If you check his pulse now, obviously¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Bok Haun! In your life, have you ever heard of Jiangshi turning back into a human?!¡± Bok Haun groaned in anguish. It was because thest words of the Demonic Cannibal had chillingly pierced right through him, digging deep into his heart. Bok Haun made his decision. ¡°¡­¡­If Young Lady Un is indeed innocent, I am sure she won¡¯t resist being taken aside for a while. Would you?¡± ¡°Wait, Great Expert! This is what he is aiming for. Without me, how do you expect to deal with the Living Jiangshis?¡± Jiangshi. Bok Haun¡¯s expression hardened. However, he did not revoke his decision. ¡°If, by any miniscule chance, the Young Lady is an enemy spy controlling the Jiangshi, it would actually be less harmful for the Champions of the Waterway Forts to deal with the Jiangshi themselves.¡± ¡°Great Expert!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Take Young Lady Un away.¡± ¡°Great Expert, you must not do this!¡± Un Yeonyoung was dragged away. Qing watched this scene with extreme anxiety. After all, that was a true monster, iparable even to the likes of the Demonic Cannibal. Qing wondered if she might just explode and kill everyone here. Fortunately, even though she looked as if she was wronged, Un Yeonyoung was taken away without much resistance. They¡¯re going to uncover her identity when they investigate anyway. I wish she would just go away like that. Now, the only obstacle left was the Demonic Cannibal. If she just pushed on like before¡­¡­ ¡°Look here, Bok Haun. I will make you an offer. If you make that bitch kneel before me, I will quietly withdraw. My subordinates as well.¡± Ehhh? This was unexpected. Qing clenched and unclenched her fist, gauging the situation. Given that there wasn¡¯t an immediate rejection, she had to assume she was already fucked in the ass. And she knew what those fucking river bandits were like from experience. Qing gritted her teeth. I still needed to deplete a bit more of his True Qi, though. I guess there¡¯s no other choice then. ¡°Stop trying to y dirty fucking trick!¡± Qing charged at the Cannibal once again. The Demonic Cannibal¡¯s me Demonic Arts filled her field of vision with red hues. It was right at the moment when the four Heavenly Jiangshis were flung away in her stead. Qing slipped through that gap. The Cannibal¡¯s arm stretched out towards her heart. Qing ducked as if to kneel. The palm wrapped in Qi Force whisked just a paper¡¯s width above her head. Qing¡¯s figure slid forward while still on her knees. While recalling a conversation with her teacher, Qing extended her hand. ¡®Huff, huff, huff. Master. If all I do is dodge, huff, I¡¯ll tire out first and copse.¡¯ ¡®That is only natural, is it not? Making the enemy tire to the point of copse is the essence of a battle of attrition, as well as a valid strategy.¡¯ ¡®Then, huffff, what if I have to face an Ultra-Supreme Master alone?¡¯ ¡®What in the world is with that term¡­ How could you say something like Ultra-Supreme Master¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®AH!¡¯ ¡®How can a maiden talk like such a childish ruffian¡­ Tsk, tsk¡­¡­.¡¯ To face a Master with a high realm alone, you must prepare a trump card. I am referring to poison, hidden weapons, or some strange secret technique that one cannot possibly expect. Seeing how Disciple has an overwhelming amount of True Qi, if you wish to prepare a trump card, an Internal Explosive Qi Strike would be suitable. Internal Explosive Qi Strike. A skill that struck directly at the enemy¡¯s internal organs with Inner Qi. A method of brutally forcing one¡¯s inner force into the opponent. There were specialized martial arts for handling such subtleties. Qing¡¯s palm touched the Demonic Cannibal¡¯s thigh. Sixth Move of the Buddha¡¯s Palm. Cint¨¡ma?icakra2a bodhisattva and a manifestation of Avalokite?vara (known in Chinese as Guanyin). He is counted as one of six different forms of the bodhisattva that represent salvation afforded to beings among the six realms of sa?s¨¡ra. Among these incarnations, Cint¨¡ma?icakra is believed to save those in the deva realm.. Qing resolved herself, thus letting True Qi flow. The solemnity of the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens, the purification of Yan Emperor Shennong, the elegance of his daughter Yaoji, and the sagacious True Qi of the Daoist lineage interwove, singing the teachings of Buddhism. Dinggg¡­¡­.! The sound of a bell enveloped the entire world. In Buddhism, the bell represented purity. Purity meant beingpletely absent of filthiness, free of even a speck of dust. It signified being clean and untainted by earthly desires, anguish, and passion. Therefore, the sound of the bell was pure. It was a sound that was grand yet not noisy. It was a teaching that was majestic yet not overwhelming. It was a resonance that was heard not with the ears but with the body, for it was the clearest yet also the heaviest. The Demonic Cannibal¡¯s entire body bulged out. For a moment, it swelled explosively. It took the shape of a huge sphere. One that seemed like it would burst at any moment. However, soon after, the balloon shriveled. The shriveled form became the Demonic Cannibal once again and he copsed powerlessly on the ground. A giant crater appeared on the ground where the corpse of the Demonic Cannibaly. And from that giant crater, dozens of long furrows extended outwards. It was as if six giant palms had simultaneously pressed down on one point. Perhaps this was what the handprint of Cint¨¡ma?icakra, who was said to have six arms, would actually look like¡­¡­ Only a heavy silence lingered over thisnd. A powerful Demonic Adept, who had reached the Late-Stage Transcendent Realm, met the end of his fate. Moreover, his opponent was a young woman whose name was not even renowned yet. It was an unbelievable sight to see. -And then, someone broke that silence. ¡°Is that so.¡± It was Un Yeonyoung. While standing on a hill and dripping blood from her entire body, she looked down at the world. Such a gaze was given so naturally that it pressed down on people like some Heavenly Mandate, as if it could not dare to be disobeyed. The martial artists were caught in an inexplicable anxiety, thus being unable to open their mouths. ¡°If it is like this¡­The npletely falls apart, you see? Indeed. How excessively harsh¡­My Young Lady Ximen is.¡± Her tone was full of fatigue. ¡°If you ruin the n so tantly, how can I take Young Lady Ximen with me? After all, everyone will try to devour you.¡± Un Yeonyoung showed a faint smile. ¡°Still. I have realized you are not feeble. Enough that you can be left alone for a while.¡± At the same time, she took something out of her bosom. It was a bundle of bells tied together. ¡°Then. It is time to withdraw. Will those affiliated with the Association please gather here?¡± A group of martial artists burst out from the main stronghold. When the bells jingled and jangled simultaneously, Jiangshis followed with strange hops behind such people. And among the water bandits led by Waterway Forts Commander, Bok Haun, more than twenty of them were Jiangshi that had defected. Sighs mixed with astonishment spread here and there when arade with a calm face turned out to be a disguised Jiangshi. ¡°Congrattions. Members of the Waterway Forts. Today, you have avoided a great disaster, thus extending your insignificant lives a little longer. You may feel free to rejoice.¡± The five Heavenly Jiangshis courteously lifted Un Yeonyoung and carried her away. As she slowly disappeared over the hill, only her voice vividly prated the ears. ¡°Please. Be grateful for your fortune and enjoy the remaining moments of your life. After all, there will not be¡­ a next time.¡± *** Chapter 37: Let’s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (1) ? Let¡¯s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (1) ? Qing had always known nothing. However, the shitfest that urred this time was particrly unfamiliar to her. Waterway Forts? What¡¯s that? Yangtze River? What¡¯s that? Dongting Lake? What¡¯s that? Regional¡­¡­.whatchamacallit. Fucking civil servant positions are ridiculouslyplicated, huh. Fucking hell. Demonic Cannibal? Sorry, I don¡¯t remember those weaker than me. All she had done was been lured by a free dinner, yet somehow she ended up bing everyone¡¯s hero. Well, to be fair, it was a bit of an understatement to say she took down the Demonic Cannibal just because of a different bad guy. He was quite strong, after all. It was all for the best. She shouldn¡¯t look the gift horse in the mouth. The Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway was a wealthy business. And for that reason, the treatment of their benefactor was more than satisfactory. Moreover, they even prepared a special event for Qing. Waterway Fort Commander, Bok Haun, had no time to dwell on the sorrow of losing his son. After all, he had to prevent any bacsh from the government. Luckily, the Regional Inspector had be disabled. It gave him a reason to tidy up rtions. After all, an exchange of Guanxi can only be possible if there was a w from above. All usations were directed towards the monstrous human named Un Yeonyoung and a new backer had to be found. As such, Bok Haun sublimated his sorrow of losing his son in another way. Into hatred towards the evil traditionalists. The name, traditionalist, was absurd from the start. They were basically saying, ¡®Traditionally, we have always been thieves, so let us continue to live as thieves¡¯. Words must make sense to be considered words in the first ce, shouldn¡¯t it? But still, until now, they were someone¡¯s friend, as well as descendants of the previous generation¡¯s Waterway Forts Seniors. As such, he chose to just watch from the side. After all, he believed that they could change after experiencing prosperity and a dignified profession. However, Bok Haun¡¯s trust was betrayed. Now, the Waterway Fort Commander¡¯s conviction was solidified. I was too lenient on innovation and reform. An overhaul begins with parting ways with the old generation! Coincidentally, it was the same idea as the epoch-making thoughts that others have also had in the far future or the past of a different time and space. This was the strength of a group that had shared the same culture for a long time. Its name? Ethnicity! Thus, with a single-minded determination, he was ready to break the back of tradition through the justification of a single piece bing soaked in red. The traditionalist scum were tied up and executed in a row. And for the execution, the benefactor of the Waterway Forts volunteered to do it herself. She had a nearly divine dignity when she nonchntly sent people¡¯s heads flying with a loose, friendly smile. That was when it started. When people began to show aversion. Qing read such an atmosphere and thought. These bastards seriously shouldn¡¯t be associated with, huh. They were bastards who kept stabbing her in the back. They said they¡¯d take me to a nearby city but imprisoned me in the same room with a fucking nutcase. They tried to sell me out after Un Yeonyoung¡¯s identity was revealed. Now, they seemed to hint that they wanted me to get lost. Even though they talked about how I¡¯m their eternal benefactor or whatever. Still, she liked the Dragon King que they gave to her as a free gift. The Dragon King que represented the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway¡¯smitment to treat its owner with utmost respect. The highest respect river bandits could show was just one thing. That under no circumstances would they charge a toll. No toll was charged to ships boarded by the possessor of the Dragon King que. Unexpectedly, it might not seem like a big benefit to oneself, but in reality, that was not the case. After all, the dream of every vessel passing through the Yangtze River was to have the Dragon King que. Forget boarding fees; the owner of the Dragon King que was an existence that actually received hospitality, rather than needing to ask for it. In essence, it was a free pass to the Yangtze River. Qing was someone who didn¡¯t think too deeply about anything. It was also because she was someone who shouldn¡¯t think deeply. After all, that was why her executive ability was unparalleled. Qing set off to the river on a boat she had acquired. Meanwhile, she was engrossed in a certain thought for a period of time. Yes, that time. When I used the Sixth Move of the Buddha¡¯s Palm, Cint¨¡ma?icakra. So, like, something was different¡­¡­. Something, kind of like¡­¡­.. Kind of like that¡­¡­ It was a thought Qing kept revising. Something. It was literally something. It was a frustrating feeling as if she was just about to grasp it, but couldn¡¯t quite do so. It was much more ambiguous than the frustration of wanting to eat something desperately but not knowing what it was, felt during every meal. She had used Buddha¡¯s Palm well at critical times. But that time, the feeling waspletely different. It was like my Inner Qi, which had always moved like a machine, seemed to want to sing the end of the world and like, by itself, its amount was like, you know, something, like suddenly, so like, ah, fuck this. Still, she had a very strong premonition that she could grasp it if she thought about it a little more, just a little more deeply. Qing felt frustrated to death, but in fact, this phenomenon was a precursor to a kind of enlightenment. Qing¡¯s method of using Moves was akin to copy-pasting. Forcedly imprinted Moves in the body and mind were unconsciously utilized. However, Qing¡¯s method wasn¡¯t all that odd. Martial artists from prestigious families learned in this way as well. After firmly imprinting Moves through tens of thousands of repetitions in their minds and bodies, they refined them through sparring and realbat. Thus, they build up their own set of Moves, their own style of martial arts. In Qing¡¯s case, the only difference was that she crammed the long process of imprinting, which normally took over ten years, all in one fell swoop And in the very present, where Qing stood on the brink of fully embodying this faint wisdom, this martial knowledge¡­ It had begun. ¡ª- Qing¡¯s manner of speaking was, as Ximen Surin put it, ¡®rougher than a colt gone wild¡¯. Qing had never seen a colt gone wild. As such, the expression didn¡¯t particrly resonate with her. Of course, it was also that the Matriarch, leading a mountain paradise for women, had incredibly strict standards. But eventually, Ximen Surin came to ept it. It was partially due to the fact that the surprisingly lonely, elderly woman had a soft spot for her ever so lovely disciple, who mingled without hesitation. But the biggest reason was the insight that came with having lived a long life. I see. It is not that Qing can¡¯t speak in a feminine manner. It¡¯s just that she chooses not to. Qing was not particrly aware of this fact. However, what should be kept in mind is that she had entered a world where her body, gender, and name had changed. Moreover, it was a strange ce where even the world itself had changed. The manner of speaking that sounded so odd to the people of the Central ins was actually a mental barrier erected by the subconscious, striving to protect what was left of herself in memory. For Qing, this actually made things even harder at times. After all, it was a time that only came for women, known as menstruation. Unable to bear it any longer on a ship, Qing immediately disembarked at the docked city. When she rushed to a dry goods store, the female owner sent Qing a sympathetic look upon seeing herplexion. It was the kind of empathy Qing did not wish to see or even know. As such, she stocked up on a huge amount of cotton cloth. ¡°Fuuuuuuuc¡­¡­.¡± Every single joint felt painfully cold. Muscles ached where they attached to the bone, making it hard to stay still, yet too tiring to move. Even her fondness for gourmet food disappeared at these times. Among the disciples of the Divine Maiden Sect, there were some who moaned in pain. Qing¡¯s case was not of severe pain but of feeling mildly sick all day. Her stomach hurt. And her chest hurt even more than her stomach. Almost as if it was bruised. And above all, this feeling of leakage was disgusting. Ah. Seriously. I want to ughter! Is there no Demonic Adept anywhere? For that reason, Qing was extremely on edge. Shitty bastards who crossed paths with her at these times, unfortunately, ended up badly hurt even without starting a quarrel. Staying cooped up in a room was suffocating, so she couldn¡¯t endure it. That was why she came outside, but she just got annoyed again. It was practically at the level of a mental illness. What to do then, at times like this? Watching bad guys perform in a kind of talent show was the best, but that was hardly possible in the city. Instead, she might as well drown herself in alcohol and stay in a daze. She had to reach the Transcendent Realm quickly! ording to Ximen Surin, once she underwent Overhaul Rebirth, the time of that month for women would pass just like any ordinary day. But what the fuck am I expected to do? What am I. EXPECTED TO DO! QIng forcefully swallowed that screen with alcohol. How should she put it? The bitter and tart, cheap liquor made it feel like her insides were burning, thus helping forget other pains. As such, in one corner of the bar, a fuseless bomb was slowly heating up. That was why in today¡¯s case, it wasn¡¯t really Taiping Sword Sect¡¯s fault. Taiping Sword Sect hade to collect this month¡¯s protection fees, just as they had always done. However, it was after the Zhou Hu Union had attempted to expand the business by forcibly attracting new customers. ¡°We¡¯ve already given this month¡¯s protection money to the champions of the Zhou Hu Union¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± A warrior of the Taiping Sword Sect paused to think, then asked. ¡°And what does that have to do with us?¡± The owner was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How is a private contract you made rted in any way to our Taiping Sword Sect? After all, do we not have our own separate contract?¡± ¡°Then, are you asking for the protection f¡­¡­¡± ¡°Look here, Owner Geum. Sssssp. Something is quite strange. It almost seems like we¡¯re extorting you. But isn¡¯t it only right for you to pay us, seeing as the Taiping Sword Sect is protecting you?¡± Owner Geum¡¯s face fell as he replied. ¡°Then what about the protection fee I have already given to Zhou Hu Union?¡± The warrior asked back with a puzzled look. ¡°Why are you asking me when you are the one who paid it?¡± mes of anger surged in Owner Geum¡¯s heart. What was the point of all the protection fee paid so far if it was going to be like this?! Hadn¡¯t they diligently offered gold so that they would fend off bastards like the Zhou Hu Union?! However, Owner Geum merely pleaded with a humble expression. Since the one with the sword was ultimately king, Owner Geum, who did not have a sword, was at fault. Moreover, such incidents would hardly make a case. After all, it wasmonce in the Central ins. In severe cases, there were stores that paid protection fees to four different martial arts unions at the same time. Owner Geum made a mistake by ambiguously setting up his shop on the boundary between two sects. It was all Owner Geum¡¯s fault. Upon seeing such a sight, Qing sincerely felt sorry for him. Not just in the modern world but even within Murim, the sorrow of small business owners resonated. It was because of the Evil Karma of these mediocre, disagreeable warriors. Taiping Sword Sect professed themselves to be part of the Orthodox Faction, and as such, they weren¡¯t all that bad. The worst among them was about -56 and the best was about -3. Considering that they wielded swords, they lived rtively decent lives. They were much better people than the men remaining on the wasen at the time of Ximen¡¯s Stranded Records. As such, Qing pondered. Qing had firmly set a standard that only those with a triple-digit number for Evil Karma deserved to be dealt with. If there was even a singlepromise, it would inevitably spread uncontrobly, turning her into a crazy, kill first askter, mindless murderer. If that¡¯s the case¡­ If that¡¯s really the case¡­ Shouldn¡¯t it be okay to just give them a little beating? If someone does something bad, they should be hit, right? Especially if they call themselves a part of the Orthodox Faction. Then, all the more so. *** Chapter 38: Let’s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (2) ? Let¡¯s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (2) ? Only Qing knew that Qing had made up her mind. So, everyone else just continued on with their usual lives. Taiping Sword Sect demanded legitimatepensation for their protection once again. Owner Geum protested his chagrin. However, the martial artists of the Taiping Sword Sect were, in fact, just the lowest members of their organization. They had no authority to decide whether to ept or decline the protection fee. In the end, Owner Geum was forced to hand over the protection fee. It was a future that had already been decided, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. The anomaly urred elsewhere. From the moment he entered the bar, Nam Gangjeong, the Third Captain of the Taiping Sword Sect, had been continuously concerned about a woman. Since the time Xi Shi, the Most Beautiful Woman in History, frowned, the vast majority of people in the Central ins developed a peculiar sexual preference for frowning faces. Nam Gangjong, being an ordinary martial artist, shared the same sexual preference. The sight of a woman, seemingly ufortable and tired of all that was in the world, tipping her drink into her mouth! Moreover, she wasn¡¯t extremely beautiful, which made him even more drawn to her. After all, it seemed like he had somewhat of a chance if it was her. If it weren¡¯t for the serious matters of his sect, he would have immediately rushed over to share her worries. Just as he was thinking this, he saw the woman approaching him. Even more, with a smile in her eyes! Dream-like fantasies unfolded in Nam Gangjeong¡¯s mind. However, Nam Gangjeong should have paid more attention to Qing¡¯s hands rather than her face. If he had, he would have remembered the old bar saying that no decent person came at you gripping the neck of a liquor bottle. Good people do note one¡¯s way and those who doe are not good. Good people would note his way, and Qing, smiling slyly as she approached, was most definitely not in a state where she was a good person. Unfortunately, Nam Gangjeong¡¯s dreams of a happy future ended with a physical collision between his head and the liquor bottle. It was a sh between a cheap porcin bottle and a skull. The oue was exactly as anyone could easily predict. Crack. The shattered pieces of porcin mixed the scent of liquor flew through the air. Nam Gangjeong staggered, soaked in strong alcohol, not because he was drunk, but because he was hit squarely on the head. However, a martial artist at the end of the Second-Rate would not fall just from a mere battle. The reason why it was described as just ¡®end¡¯ was because the world was not leisurely enough to categorize every mediocre Second-Rate fodder into Early, Mid, and Late-Stages. Nam Gangjeong yelled in fury. ¡°W-What is the meaning of this?!¡± ¡°Violence. Disturbance. And also, um, making a scene.¡± Qing clearly exined her actions. Normally, this was where swords would be drawn, but Qing¡¯s appearance granted Nam Gangjeong a single moment of patience. ¡°Young Lady. Right now, you are being extremely rude to a disciple of the Great Taiping Sword Sect. Perhaps you have had too much to drink¡­¡­¡± ¡°What the hell? Why is he not understanding?¡± Qing cocked her head. ¡°I¡¯m not picking a fight with the Great Taiping whatever thingy. I¡¯m just causing a disturbance in a bar.¡± Nam Gangjeong pondered over how the two were different. And Qing graciously provided the answer. ¡°You received the protection fee, didn¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t the protection fee supposed to be for protecting the establishment from people who cause violence, start disturbances, and make a scene?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Qing pointed her long finger at herself. ¡°Here. Trouble.¡± Qing folded her finger and pushed it forward. Nam Gangjeong¡¯s chin turned slightly. Then, the punch from Qing¡¯s other hand drew a semicircle. Nam Gangjeong¡¯s turned chin was instantly corrected. Though, the hit was a bit more powerful and ended up turning his head to the other side. Nam Gangjeong, hit in the jaw, staggered and copsed, while Qing flexed her fingers and shook her hand. ¡°Now, then. Disturbance added. Are the rest of you just going to watch?¡± Those words became a kind of signal. Still, no swords were drawn, not because they were righteous or from the Orthodox Faction, but because underestimating female martial artists in the Central ins was not all that new of a trend. In the first ce, they were just sect disciples who went around collecting protection fees, so their martial prowess was not particrly exceptional. Qing punched, struck, hit, and swung. When she grabbed a wist and pushed, two fell crashing down. When she poked the shin of someone charging from the right with the tip of her foot, he clutched at it with both hands and rolled on the ground. ¡°That is no ordinary capability! Everyone, draw your swords!¡± Nam Gangjeong, having ovee his brief concussion, charged in as he shouted. Still, it was at the level of being cute, all the same. Qing was fighting without even using her Inner Qi. After all, if she used her Inner Qi, she wouldn¡¯t just be hitting them but literally making them explode. Even without Inner Qi, Qing was already among the strongest under the Heavens. WIth the achievements of the martial arts she had mastered and the umtion of increased Stats, she had be one of the most formidable forces in the Central ins based purely on her physical strength. To be fair, her basic stats were exceptionally high. This was the reason Qing, with no prior knowledge and a soft-hearted disposition typical of modern people, was able to survive the early stages of the cutthroat world of the Central ins, where drawing swords was all but amon urrence. While Qing was skillfully navigating between swung swords and choosing where to strike, she suddenly noticed the crown of a man falling forward. Eh? Can I also? Do a nuclear noogie? A montage of profoundly humiliating moments rushed through her mind. It is a favor that I can never repay to Teacher. So, this Disciple will carry that sentiment with her, thus bestowing such a favor to others. It was then that Qing clenched her fist, making her middle finger protrude amongst her digits. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Nam Gangjeong, who had already taken quite the beating, iled his arms desperately. His eyelids were already swollen and bruised. ¡°I am grateful for your leniency. I have realized my shorings, so please allow me to retreat.¡± She didn¡¯t hold back, though. She just beat the shit out of them. Nevertheless, since he was someone who could at least manifest a pretense of wrapping Inner Qi around his body, his bones remained intact and he was still standing fairly unscathed. ¡°What¡¯s this? Isn¡¯t this your Taiping Sword Sect, ooooh, I managed to memorize this, huh. It¡¯s nice that it¡¯s so easy to remember. Anyway, isn¡¯t this an establishment you¡¯re supposed to protect? You¡¯re just going to leave like this?¡± ¡°As I said befor-¡± ¡°Enough. Forget that.¡± Qing interrupted Nam Gangjeong. ¡°I spared your life, so leave your sword here aspensation. I should gain something out of this too, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Hearing this, the warriors of the Taiping Sword Sect hesitated, at a loss for what to do. Still, it didn¡¯t seem like he was the Captain for no reason, seeing as how Nam Gangjeong stepped forward. ¡°Young Lady. A sword is as vital as life to a swordsman.¡± ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m a swordsman too, you know? Then shall we have a serious sword duel with our lives on the line?¡± Qing gestured with her chin towards the table where she was sitting. Seeing the Moonlight Sword (No. 8) peacefully resting there, the martial artists eventually let go of their swords. The sight of the Taiping Sword Sect disciples leaving with their shoulder slumped was all too pitiful. ¡°Hoooo.¡± It was somewhat f. u. n. But. This. FUCKING! As soon as the ytime ended, the throbbing pain and various diforts like tingling, numbness, and stiffness aggressively returned, contorting Qing¡¯s face. Moreover, it even felt a bit wet and sticky. . Did all women in the world live like this? Holy fuck! It¡¯s so sad that I haven¡¯t reached the Transcendent Realm yet. Seriously, it¡¯s gonna make me cry. As Qing searched for alcohol, she realized, ¡®Oh shit!¡¯. Why? Because it had already spilled along with what was once a bottle. My liquor¡­¡­. ¡°Over here, Server¡­¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, Customer.¡± It wasn¡¯t a server but the owner who approached her. The round bottle in his hand exuded luxury, even from its packaging. Qing waved her hands in denial. ¡°Aiyooo, you don¡¯t have to be so thankful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Please take this and¡­ Uh¡­¡± Owner Geum hesitated, unable to continue. It was obvious what he wanted to say but couldn¡¯t. He was probably trying to ask her to leave. ¡°Look, Owner. If I leave now, will you be safe? Those fuckers will definitely bring their mommies. If I¡¯m not here, you or someone else will get beaten. Isn¡¯t that right? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a newbie to this business.¡± Qing had learned this from her experiences. The fuckers affiliated with martial art unions always ran off to cry out for their mommies or an existence of simr standing. When Qing was living the life of a low realm fodder, she had no choice but to take a beating and flee. But now? I. Am. A. Master. An incredible Master. But also a Master in a very shitty mood. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up after myself and deal with the bacsh, so just bring out the alcohol. Aghhh, fuck, so annoying. Shit.¡± Qing¡¯s irritation spilled over. Owner Geum ced the jug down with a ghastly face and quickly disappeared into the kitchen or somewhere simr. Qing peeled off the oiled cloth covering the jug. As soon as she opened it, a strong scent of alcohol wafted over her. Though it was a jug as big as a child¡¯s head, a Master of her caliber could pour it into a small cup, about the size of five beans, without spilling a single drop. When she drank, it was so strong that she couldn¡¯t tell if it was alcohol or pure ethanol. And she liked it for that very reason. As she was drinking one cup after another without any side dishes to bnce out the intense taste of liquor, an old beggar suddenly approached her and started to speak to her. ¡°Excuse me, Young Fairy.¡± ¡°What do you want. I¡¯m not buying. Go away.¡± Qing waved her arm dismissively. ¡°Hoho, the Young Fairy is quite heartless, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Grandpa. I¡¯ve had some bad experiences with beggars, you see? Even if I¡¯m heartless, you should be thankful I still respect the elderly, okay?¡± ¡°Hoho¡­¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise, I might actually resort to attacking the elderly.¡± Qing was usually lenient towards old people. By that, she didn¡¯t mean those who were just older in age. She was talking about those whose ages were advanced to the point where they couldn¡¯t hide their wrinkles. Those who didn¡¯t have many days left. ¡°Cough, Cough.¡± The old man cleared his throat. Then, he strangely fumbled around his waist. It was almost like he was asking her to take a look there. When Qing nced briefly, she noticed that, while his attire was utterly beggar-like, only the rope tied around his waist was conspicuously new and stiff. Qing knew these kinds of beggars. They were the extremely strong type. In ancient China, even beggars had learned martial arts and those types wore such ropes around their waists. Per usual, Qing¡¯s knowledge came from experiencing it firsthand. And also, per usual, Qing¡¯s knowledge fell somewhat short. But now, Qing was a Master. No matter how strong, a beggar was still just a beggar. She was not afraid. *** Chapter 39: Let’s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (3) ? Let¡¯s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (3) ? ¡°What about the belt. What are you trying to imply?¡± At that, the old beggar slumped onto the ground. It meant he wouldn¡¯t steal the liquor from her. ¡°Hmhm, do not be too stingy.¡± ¡°Haaa. So, what is it.¡± Since you¡¯re not gonna steal it, I¡¯ll let it slide. ¡°This old man is a beggar called Nugok. At times, I am also referred to as the Keeper of Secrets.¡± Keeper of Secrets, Nugok. Qing didn¡¯t know, but he was quite a famous beggar. After all, his nickname literally meant he kept secrets well, a virtue not found among the Beggar¡¯s Union Daoists of the Central ins. Of course, the reason for keeping secrets wasn¡¯t because of some stale, old-fashioned value like loyalty. After all, he openly stated he wished to know all the secrets of the world. What this inherently meant was that he would be the most tight-lipped person in the world, so others should tell him their secrets. Why else was it said that the king¡¯s ears were donkey ears1When You tell a secret to somebody and say ¡°The king has donkey ears!¡±, you are expressing your frustration because you couldn¡¯t say anything about the secret.? It was a natural instinct for people to want to spread secrets once they knew them. Countless numbers of people have confided their secrets to this beggar, iming himself to be a living field of reeds2oftenpared to someone who is quiet like a field of reeds., and found peace of mind. Unaware of such a background, Qing sighed deeply. ¡°Fairy, why do you sigh so?¡± ¡°Since now, even a beggar seems to want to exchange greetings. My fate really is¡­ Ugh. Does this body really look that easy to approach?¡± The old beggar¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Had this insolent youngster been a man, he would have been beaten up immediately and taught manners through the ways of Murim. However, she was a young girl. A sweet age of sixteen. Beating a young girl was far too demeaning and shameful an act for an elder of Murim. This wretched brat. She truly is a coarse and insolent bitch, who thinks of Beggars as merely the beggarly trash that lives in the streets3I paraphrased this a lot. But this is a triple entendre. the word ¡°beggar-like¡± can be used as ¡°Coarse and insolent. The word ¡°trash¡± can also be used as ¡°beggar¡± in Korean. So, it¡¯s basically saying (if I didnt paraphrase): She truly is a beggar-like bitch, who thinks of beggars like a beggar. Your wee. Don¡¯t read MTL.. Mm? Nugok flinched. Of course she would think of Beggars as mere beggarly trash that lives in the streets. What else could she do besides that? How can a mere beggar call someone else a coarse and insolent bitch? Since when did I hold myself with such esteem? When all I am is a mere beggar?4now, you understand the irony of this sequence from the footnote above. He touched upon the principle of Immortal Li Tieguai5Also known as Iron Crutch Li. He is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Daoist pantheon. He is sometimes described as irascible and ill-tempered, but also benevolent to the poor, sick and the needy, whose suffering he alleviates with special medicine from his bottle gourd. He is often portrayed as an ugly old man with a dirty face, a scraggly beard, and messy hair held by a golden band. He walks with the aid of an iron crutch and often has a gourd slung over his shoulder or held in his hand. He often is depicted as a clown figure who descends to earth in the form of a beggar who uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy, and to heal others, who roamed thends under the Heavens while using the ground as his bed and the sky as his nket after a single drink of his gourd. Suddenly, Inner Qi arose from within Nugok. A good-for-nothing, terribly sloppy flow of True Qi, faltering and gallivanting. But deep within, it was a generosity capable of easily embracing all of heaven and earth. Nugok vaguely realized that he had entered the Late-Stage Transcendent Realm, taking a step into that world. As such, he burst intoughter. Qing was unaware that she had inadvertently helped someone else¡¯s enlightenment when she couldn¡¯t even take care of her own. All she did was keep a straight face in annoyance. What the hell? Does he have bipr disorder? Well, I guess it makes sense if one became old, all while being a beggar. After cackling by himself for a while, Nugok¡¯s voice became kinder. ¡°Indeed, this old man overstepped. How foolish of me. After all, I thought everyone would know who I was if I just said my name, when I am just a mere beggar. What folly. I feel so ashamed.¡± ¡°Why. Are you famous or something?¡± ¡°In a way, yes. After all, around here, there was hardly anyone who didn¡¯t know my name.¡± ¡°What even is there to be so proud of for being some famous beggar?¡± Qing¡¯s response was sharp, as if to stab at his supposed arrogance. Normally, generosity andpassion was contingent upon being happy. Thus, Qing¡¯s current state was most definitely not conducive to generosity orpassion. However, Nugok just looked pleased. ¡°That is right. Indeed. What pride is there in a beggar being famous? Even the beggars passing by wouldugh in mockery.¡± If there didn¡¯t seem to be an impact when hitting something, it couldn¡¯t be considered hitting. Seeing as he wasn¡¯t provoked no matter how much she scratched at his ego, Qing lost interest, feeling greatly disappointed. ¡°But still, Fairy. The Taiping Sword Sect is not all that rotten. Indeed, if we were to nitpick, they are among the better ones in the so-called Orthodox Factions.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Seemed like it.¡± If the Second-Rate bottom-rung riffraffs¡¯ Karma was at that level, then sure, that could be the case. Qing readily agreed. ¡°And yet, did you truly have to beat them so harshly and even take their swords when chasing them away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they kinda seemed like the Orthodox Faction that I let them off. If they were from the Unorthodox Faction or whatever¡­ You know, those disgusting evil fuckers. Then, not a single one would have left here alive.¡± Honestly though, it would¡¯ve been better if that was the case. Qing smacked her lips in disappointment. ¡°Oho? So you would have killed them all if they were from the Unorthodox Faction? What a fearsome Fairy you are.¡± Despite his words, Nugok¡¯s expression softened a bit more. ¡°But still, was there a need to get involved?¡± ¡°I was in a bad mood and they were an eyesore.¡± ¡°An eyesore?¡± Qing sighed deeply. Still, it seemed slightly better than morosely drinking alone since she was talking with someone. Yeah, okay. I¡¯ll be quite generous today. Consider yourself lucky. Old beggar. ¡°If you¡¯re taking protection fees, you should obviously have to protect them from being extorted by other business entities too. The owner here is a pushover and what was it. The other group.¡± ¡°They are called the Zhou Hu Union.¡± ¡°Yeah anyway, them. Apparently, they don¡¯t seem like pushovers, so that¡¯s why they¡¯re not trying to bully or torment them. If so, how is it any different from specifically picking the weak to bully? If you¡¯re going to mob up and call yourselves a sect, fight like a man. Or if you¡¯re not confident in fighting, you should have just given up on the protection fees.¡± ¡°That is true, but Fairy, you do not seem to understand how unions work in Murim.¡± As such, Nugok told her. If they were to fight, it wouldn¡¯t just be the sect falling into ruin in one fell swoop but a long period of bloodshed. Moreover, as was often the case with medium and small sects, there were bigger forces backing them from above, and one wrong move could escte into arge-scale war. And if they gave up on the protection fees as Qing suggested, they¡¯d just be sitting ducks as they lost their entire business. Qing red at Nugok intently. What¡¯s with this old man? Why is he shielding them, even at the cost of his own reputation? Is he getting food from them or something? Why does he fucking care who I beat up? Who does he think he is? ¡°Ah, shit. If that¡¯s the case, why bother distinguishing between Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions, White and ck Paths? Either way, the bastards who wield swords will pick and choose to fuck over the people who don¡¯t. Taiping Sword Sect? More like, Taiping Business. Or maybe, Taiping Unorthodox Karma6a y on words. the Korean word for ¡°Business¡± could also mean ¡°Unorthodox Karma¡± if the two characters ¡°Sa¡± (Unorthodox) and ¡°Ub¡± (Karma) are used instead of the actual characters for ¡°Business¡±.?¡± ¡°Heh! Keheueheheh¡­¡­¡­!¡± The old beggar suddenly burst intoughter. What was so funny that heughed until tears flowed, clutching his stomach and nting his forehead to the ground? Qing¡¯s expression gradually grew cold. This¡­thing was just a crazy beggar, huh. This is why beggar fuckers ain¡¯t it. In the past, Qing had a hostile rtionship once with beggars. She had every right to detest them. Qing stopped paying attention. How many times did she fill and empty her cup, lifting and setting down the gourd? Finally, the old beggar straightened up, wiping the corner of his eyes, and asked. ¡°May I inquire about the name of your teacher?¡± Who does he think he is to ask about my teacher¡¯s name? Qing was about to snap back, but hesitated as their eyes met. There was something warmly familiar about the old man¡¯s face. Almost as if her teacher was looking at Qing. Even though he had been confrontational all this time! Qing, whose heart grew weak, obediently replied. ¡°Her surname is Ximen, with Su and Rin as her given name.¡± ¡°Ah! Senior Ximen!¡± Nugok acted like he knew her. So, Qing tried to check if he really did. ¡°Do you know my master?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met her a few times before. About twenty years ago, she fought alongside this old man in Luling7Now, known as Ji¡¯an. So, does she still punch first, talkter if she doesn¡¯t like something?¡± Qing was immediately convinced. AH! He knows about the nuclear noogie! That r.e.a.l.l.y is¡­ Ow. ¡°Ah, so you were a Fairy of the Divine Maiden Sect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case. She said I was an external disciple.¡± ¡°Ho, an external disciple, you say. That is truly quite rare, though¡­¡­..¡± If she was a cherished disciple, there was no reason to ce her separate from the sect. When a teacher had the intention to pass on everything to their disciple, it would include the essence of the millenia-old philosophy of the Central ins¡¯ people, as well as Guanxi. And this epassed the background of the sect, internal ranks, positions, and more. But given that it was the Divine Maiden Sect, something was a bit off. Wasn¡¯t it originally a mystical sect that made it nearly impossible for disciples to leave? Why did they give her the freedom to stay outside the sect? ¡°I see. You have stepped into the Peak Realm, Fairy.¡± ¡°Stepped into? What do you mean stepped into? I¡¯m at the whopping Late-Stage, you know? This body, you see? A Master. That¡¯s me.¡± Nugok was impressed. ¡°Perchance, how old are you this year?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure. Teacher said I¡¯m about twenty, though.¡± ¡°Senior has truly taken a prodigy under her wing!¡± Nugok was even more amazed. To think she was at the Late-Stage Peak Realm at such a young age. She was truly a prime candidate for the next generation¡¯s Greatest Under Heaven. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Realization struck Nugok¡¯s mind like a bolt of lightning. The leaders of Orthodox Murim were once the Nine Sects One Union. But now, people just referred to them as the Nine Sects. One Union was conspicuously missing. The Beggar¡¯s Union, expelled. Eliminated. Fallen from grace. It was all thanks to Senior Celestial Martial Emperor. His disdain for the Beggar¡¯s Union was well-known, after all. The recent enlightenment helped Nugok understand the Celestial Martial Emperor¡¯s disdain, though. That they were bastards who were lesser than even beggars; it was still painful to think about, to this day. Nugok recalled the way Qing initially looked at him. It was a deep-seated disdain. ¡®This is huge trouble. If we are unlucky, then once again¡­¡­.!¡¯ He had to make a good impression. Even if she wouldn¡¯t necessarily be the Greatest Under Heaven, at the very least, wasn¡¯t this youngster destined to be the next Zenith Among Women, after all?! The impact that the words of the Zenith Among Women had on female martial artists was enough influence to genuinely change lives. ¡°Uh, that¡­Fairy, do you have some bad blood with beggars? Not all beggars are bad people, though.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t even start. They¡¯re all just pieces of shits.¡± Qing was ready to unleash a tirade of words. How there were minimum requirements for human survival, yet this repugnant territorial nature of already-established forces try to take even that away. Also their viiny and how once they secured any semnce of a foothold, they carried out a battleground of an endless repeat of advance and retreat¡­¡­ But just as she was about to begin¡­ The Taiping Sword Sect appeared once again. Led by the welt-faced Nam Gangjeong, about twenty martial artists burst in. Just like how Qing described it, it seemed he had brought his mommy along. Nam Gangjeong pointed his finger rudely. ¡°There! It¡¯s that woman over there!¡± Considering that he left out profanity like brat, whore, and bitch, his choice of words wasn¡¯t all that bad. It seemed it was worth it to not spill blood and only beat him up a bit. Qing wore a sly, reckless smile. She was just starting to feel the itch for a second round anyway. Qing mmed her hand down on the table. Tack! She was about to stand up with extravagant gravity when a middle-aged man from the Taiping Sword Sect spoke up first. After all, here in this ce was a Seven-Knotted Beggar of the Beggar¡¯s Union, the Discipline Elder. ¡°Is that you, Elder Keeper of Secrets?¡± ¡°Oho. It¡¯s you, First Sword of Anqing.¡± ¡°If we had known you were here, in Anqing, we would have invited you to our sect, but we were uninformed and have made such a discourtesy.¡± ¡°Forget it. It is fine. What kind of reception would a beggar like me expect anyway? Regardless, I am grateful for your words.¡± The atmosphere was quite warm. Ehhh? If this continues, then my ns are gonna go to shit¡­ Qing frowned. ¡°Elder. Are you, uh, perhapspanions with the Young Lady?¡± ¡°Hmhm. That is indeed the case.¡± Nugok gave Qing a wink. It was a signal that he would take care of everything. And in actuality, Nugok had that level of authority. What the fuck is up with him? That old beggar is shitting the bed. When it was already fucking made! Fucking hell, I shouldn¡¯t have interacted with him in the first ce. It¡¯s fucking joever. Why do the fucking beggars always have to get in my way like this? But despite Nugok¡¯s efforts, it actually had the opposite effect from what he intended. ¡°From my understanding of your circumstances, while it may not be entirely your fault, there seems to have been ack of consideration in certain aspects¡­¡­.¡± Qing filled her cup in resignation. She did such an actionpletely absent-mindedly, but pouring liquor from a gourd the size of a child¡¯s head into a cup without spilling a single drop was practically a form of art. And it was also a feat that only a Master could disy. Qing decided to just let them jack each other off among themselves and turned her attentionpletely away, downing her liquor. Then, as the sound of footsteps approached, suddenly, a neatly dressed young man, clearly excited, spoke in a yell. ¡°Young Lady! Let us have a spar!¡± Qing looked at the young man with half-opened eyes. Who the fok is that guy? *** Chapter 40: Let’s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (4) ? Let¡¯s Be Real, You Have To Be Understanding Of This. (4) ? The actions Qing enjoyed were as follows. Murder, pulverization, torture, execution. Being covered in blood. It was nice to do it with her own hands, but just watching was also fine. All of these were phenomena that urred during fights. However, Qing didn¡¯t actually like the act of fighting in itself. A fight where she couldn¡¯t enjoy her hobbies was nothing more than justbor. It was annoying, exhausting, and difficult. This was why Qing, when facing the Demonic Cannibal, could never truly enjoy the battle. But now, she was asked to spar? Spaaaaaaar? Why do that when there were so many great life-or-death battles to be had? There had to be some enjoyment in cutting flesh and watching bonesy bare to justify the effort of straining her body. Furthermore, before bing the disciple of Ximen Surin, Qing had no experience with sparring. After bing a disciple, sparring was just an excuse for XImen Surin¡¯s harsh punishment, thus Qing merely rolled around in agony. As such, QIng was utterly sick of sparring. On top of that, her mentality was in a very poor state at the moment. Moreover, the young man wasn¡¯t an elder like Nugok. There was no particr reason for her to show respect to him. Qing wasn¡¯t an evil person, so she couldn¡¯t entertain herself with thismb that walked straight into a wolf¡¯s den, but that didn¡¯t mean there was any reason for her to hide how pissed off she was. ¡°What¡¯s with this fucker. Just get lost.¡± The young man¡¯s expression turned dumbfounded. After all, it was an insult he had only heard from close friends or rtives. ¡°Uh, that¡­Is that something you are saying to me?¡± ¡°Why? Is there anyone else here besides you?¡± ¡°How can you say such intemperatenguage upon our first meeti¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why? What about it? Oh, are you just bursting with etiquette and politeness by asking for a spar upon our first meeting? Do I look that easy to you? Because I¡¯m a female brat wandering alone?¡± After saying as such, a sudden surge of sadness welled up. Do you think I wanted to turn out like this? In spite of herself, she spoke out. ¡°So, is it no problem for a young master dressed in such fine clothes to ask for a spar upon first meeting someone? And because I¡¯m a bitch of unknown, shitty origins, you think it¡¯s fine for you to juste at me like that?¡± Qing fired off a barrage of words. It was the very definition of sudden, unexpected anger. The young man was certainly rude. But more than that, the timing was extremely bad. Qing¡¯s irritation was about to explode at any moment, like an active volcano bubbling. So, obviously, if an earthquake shook it carelessly, it would spill out. ¡°Young Lady, it seems there has been a misunderstanding. I never had such intentions or thoughts.¡± At such words, Qing suddenly fixed her posture. She straightened her slouch, stood tall with hands gently sped together, and wore a soft and gentle expression, albeit with a slight frown. As soon as her mouth opened, a beautiful voice mixed with a gentle flirtatious tone flowed out. ¡°Young Master. Thank you for offering to advise such an ignorant girl. The wild flowers of the mountains and fields are there but merely for the visual enjoyment of the guests. Do you really wish to pick them, only to have them wilt in sorrow?¡± It wasn¡¯t that Qing couldn¡¯t be feminine. She could if she had to. The nuclear noogie truly was a great step forward in advancing the educational system of the Central ins. ¡°No, no, it is truly not that kind of rude trick¡­¡­¡± ¡°I truly do go through all sorts of beggarly, pitiful situations. Just how much of a sin is it for a girl to just want to drink her fill and lie down quietly? What did she do so wrong that she has to be approached and made a fuss over by everyone and their mothers?¡± In reality, the young man had a habit of immediately challenging unique swordsmen he encountered. While staying briefly at the Taiping Sword Sect, he heard of a mysterious, unidentifiable female Master that had appeared, so he hade to watch. Then, upon seeing the sword leaning against the table, he impulsively made a sparring request. It was not because he looked down on Qing for being a woman. However, Qing did have a point. The requests for spars from a noble young master from a powerful n had never been problematic before. Who in the world could refuse a spar request from the Young Lord of the Namgung n? ¡°Uh, that¡­Young Lady? Please calm down a bit and¡­¡± Calm down? Do I look like I can calm down right now? Qing started her second outburst. ¡°Agh, seriously. You should experience it too! Want to feel what menstruation is like? Why don¡¯t you physically understand what a period is before you tell someone to calm down?!¡± ¡°Uh, uh.¡± Namgung Shinjae waspletely flustered. ¡°Fucking hell, do you think it feels good to constantly bleed down there in spite of myself?! To have weights on my limbs?! To have my chest swell even more when it¡¯s already so fucking heavy?! To not even be able to fucking sleep?! That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to drink and rest, but now I¡¯m asked to fucking spar?! Do you really think I¡¯m in a position to spar right now?!¡± After spitting out her frustrations, Qing stood up abruptly. She picked up her belongings and slung them over her back, before fastening the sword that had been leaning against the table to her waist. Additionally, she skillfully swept up five more long swords as spoils of war and walked away shamelessly. The best instructor of the Taiping Sword Sect and First Sword of Anqing, Jak Songmun, was taken aback by the situation. Why is she taking our swords? After all, one could not casually hand over swords marked with their sect¡¯s insignia to an outsider. Jak Songmun hastily reached out his hand. ¡°Young Lady? Wait, where are you going? We still have other things to talk abo-¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go shit out blood! What about it?!¡± I shouldn¡¯t have reached out. Jak Songmun immediately regretted his decisions. ¡ª- Overwhelmed by emotions that were indistinguishable between anger and sadness, Qing just stayed cooped up in her room. It did seem closer to sadness, though. The things she had lost made her sad and her situation was miserable. As such, she reluctantly tried to sleep with her ufortable body. She faintly fell asleep only to wake up again and again. Her drowsy mind could not tell if this was a dream, reality, or if she was truly awake or not. She slept so much that she had a headache. But then, she had no energy to get up, feeling utterly lethargic. All she could do was justy there, breathing in and out. But even breathing wasn¡¯t easy. The sun had risen and set, and then risen and set once again. How many times had it done so? At some point, she woke up. The sun was already high in the sky. Her body felt refreshed. To be precise, only her body felt refreshed. Memories rushed back to Qing. She considered this a kind of karma as well. ¡°Ah, shit¡­¡­..¡± Qing covered her face with her hands. Fuck. This is so fucking embarrassing. Agh, shit. Fuck. Originally, around this time, she would be in pain and turn sensitive. But still, she had never shown such disgrace before. Qing looked towards the corner of the guest room. Six swords were present there. Even more, they were neatly lined up, inpletely unnecessary fashion. Besides the Moonlight Sword (No. 8), there were five spoils of war. Was she actually a crazy piece of shit? Why had she meticulously brought these along? In that haze of pain and annoyance? Among the teachings of Ximen Surin, there was a rule not to steal matched weapons from members of a sect. After all, if one took a weapon that a sect had collectively matched with each other, they would definitelye back to reim it. It was only natural. It was an issue of face for the sect. From the perspective of modern Koreans, one might think, ¡®What¡¯s the big deal about losing face?¡¯. But in the Central ins, losing face was no small matter. From early times, what it meant to lose ¡®face¡¯ was¡­ Ugh¡­! Besides the issue of face, there were practical problems as well. Killing someone randomly by the roadside and nting a weapon with a sect¡¯s insignia there made framing someone very easy. Even if it was proven to be a false usation, parts of the responsibility had to be shared in some fashion with the sect. And besides that, there were several other simrly advanced applications. As such, she must never steal weapons marked with a sect¡¯s insignia. When she responded to the question of how she had survived up to now with suchckingmon sense, her teacher had given such advice in utter horror. But in games, collecting jump items to sell was the absolute basics¡­¡­.. Qing pushed aside the memories. She sat quietly and reflected on yesterday¡¯s events. Honestly, it had turned into a bitttt of a violent rampage. But, let¡¯s be real here. You have to be understanding of this. Unless you lot experienced it yourself, you really can¡¯t say shit. Like seriously. This level of fuckery really, truly is the real fucking deal. Qing finished psyching herself up and left the room. She intended to fill her empty stomach first. So, she headed to the first floor. And there she met the person waiting for Qing. ¡°Ah, Young Lady. Is your body feeling better?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Yes.¡± After that fiasco, Qing stayed in her room for three days. During that time, the rumors spread quickly through Anqing. It was said that Namgung Shinjae, the Young Sword King, had challenged a woman who was menstruating to a spar, causing her great embarrassment. ¡®No matter theck of sparring partners, how could he propose such a thing to a woman experiencing her period?¡¯ was what they said. Rumors, by nature, tended to gain momentum and be added onto over time. There were whispers that Namgung Shinjae had deliberately sought to humiliate the woman, causing her to flee in tears. Fortunately, since Anqing was close to Hefei and it was something that happened within Anhui Province, the rumors stopped spreading at a certain point. Speaking ill of the Namgung n in Anhui Province could lead to one¡¯s head flying into the air even in broad daylight. At any rate, Namgung Shinjae had to take responsibility for the rumors. Truth be told, Namgung Shinjae felt a bit wronged. Had he known, he would not have requested the spar. But then again, it didn¡¯t mean he could exactly ask her about her state. After all, it was not the kind of question one could rightfully ask a woman. Ultimately, a man should gauge a woman¡¯s situation with subtlety, but how could he have known at first sight? Nevertheless, thinking it was wrong to have immediately asked for a spar without formal introductions, he sought the help of an elder from the Beggar¡¯s Union. WIth the information-gathering capabilities of the Beggar¡¯s Union, they managed to find the inn where the unnameddy was staying. A single woman who he didn¡¯t even know the name of. Even Nugok didn¡¯t hear Qing¡¯s name and only knew some personal information about her. Basically, it was an utter shitfest. Finding her, in itself, was difficult as well. ¡°Young Lady, I sincerely apologize for the other day. Had I known your condition, I would never have been so rude.¡± ¡°Well¡­Whatever. Let¡¯s just forget it happened, then¡­¡­¡± Qing, who was not feeling all that proud herself, nodded. ¡°Then, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am from Shinjae of Hefei¡¯s Namgung, the Greatest Sword n Under the Heavens.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± Qing eximed in admiration. The Greatest Sword n Under the Heavens? Wow, look at them go. Noticing Namgung Shinjae¡¯s expression, who seemed to question whether he had just heard correctly, Qing quickled added. ¡°I am Ximen Qing.¡± Qing spoke briefly since she didn¡¯t have much to say. Also, she felt awkward due to the chaos she caused the day before. To her surprise, Namgung Shinjae then acted quite friendly. ¡°I have heard from Elder Nugok that you have reached the Late-Stage Peak Realm, Young Lady.¡± While Nugok kept secrets incredibly well, Qing had never specified that her realm was to be kept confidential when telling him. Of course, Nugok wasn¡¯t ying some kind of trick or keeping up a pretense. He had simply inferred she wasn¡¯t hiding her realm; if anything, Qing should be bragging about it, after all. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°It is a bit embarrassing, but I am still at the beginning stages. Therefore¡­¡± Namgung Shinjae¡¯s eyes sparkled as he continued. ¡°Young Lady, let us have a sparring match. No, I must ask this of you, on behalf of Namgung. Please.¡± Qing looked at Namgung Shinjae, her eyes half-opened. Wait a fat fucking minute. Look at this fucker go. Seriously? Again??? *** Chapter 41: Journey To Mount Hua (1) ? Journey To Mount Hua (1) ? Qing was always bold, confident, and proud. But this time, she felt that she had disgraced herself. It was her first mistake since the start of her Murim journey. Do you even know how sincerely and kindly I lived? To be fair, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t my fault this time either. It just so happened that the Taiping Sword Sect acted like utter thugs right when my mind was foggy. And then, some clueless sparring fanatic piece of shit provoked me, didn¡¯t he? But still, I was a bit excessive this time. Yeah. I also have a very tiny bit of fault. And because of that, my perfect morality has been shattered. For that reason, Qing was depressed. Honestly, Qing knew that feeling a sense of exhration from cutting people was not normal. But what else can I do? It feels so very good. I just can¡¯t exin myself. So, she had been careful with her actions. She only enjoyed cutting and tearing apart bad guys. Qing was just slightly unusual, but ultimately an ordinary person. As such, her solution to such times was also ordinary. A city full of bad memories, huh? Better leave then. Qing¡¯s decisiveness was unmatched in the Central ins. Because, after all, she had nowhere else to go. On her way, she stopped by the Taiping Sword Sect. The martial artist guarding the gate asked what business she had, so she graciously handed over the five spoils of war. Or perhaps, trophies. ¡°This is¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°I picked them up on my way here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What in the world did she mean by picking up the swords on the way here?¡¯ And not just any swords, but five from the sect. The warrior¡¯s brain froze momentarily and by the time he reached out his hand, Qing had already walked away. ¡°Young Lady? Where are you going! Just a moment¡­¡­.!¡± As he was stuck guarding the gate, he could only cling onto Qing with his pitiful voice. However, Qing was like the wind, so she could not be held back. After that, just one problem remained. Where to go? Qing thought. First off, it seems I don¡¯t get along with water. Somehow, I¡¯ve never had good luck whenever I¡¯m involved with rivers. Both the abrupt Final Boss appearance and this ce as well. It seems I have some water-rted misfortune written in my fate. It¡¯s a shame to give up on the Yangtze River Free Pass, but there¡¯s no need to ignore the wisdom of the ancestors that said defying one¡¯s fate won¡¯t end well. Besides, Qing didn¡¯t have much history of traveling in luxury. After all, since when had she started looking for escort groups and what not? Just as Qing was about to set off on foot- ¡°What the. Why are you following me.¡± ¡°No, it is not that I was following you per se. I just did not have anywhere to go, so I ended up here unintentionally.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get a spar, you know? And why don¡¯t you have anywhere else to go? What nonsense is that? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re just leaving aside your nice, wealthy home and saying something so privileged.¡± ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ Hm. I am thinking of running away from home. If I return now, I doubt I will be able to guarantee my life.¡± Three days had passed since the incident. It was only natural for rumors to slowly reach the actual ruling n of the Anhui Province, the Namgung n. And the current lord, Sword King Namgung Daero, was a man as straight as an arrow. If the rumor that his son harassed a woman during broad daylight reached him, the consequences were quite predictable. Qing asked in utter incredulity. ¡°Nah, what? Then just go on your own way. Why follow me?¡± ¡°Young Lady. Isn¡¯t it too harsh to act so coldly? As a fellow swordsman, I mean. Those who pursue the path of the sword are akin torades, wherever in the Four Seas they are.¡± Qing frowned, narrowing her eyes. What is this sudden talk ofradeship? What? You want me to give a standing ovation or some shit? How do I shake off this¡­lump? Then suddenly, an idea struck her. Why do I necessarily have to shake off this wealthy young master? With that, an enlightenment came. Ah! I¡¯ve lost my roots! My original resolution! The absolute basics! In the first ce, Qing had rarely traveled with anyone. But when she did, she had always enjoyed the benefits that came with it. Come to think of it, I wonder how Sanie1this is Peng Daesan! She calls him San, but this is a pet name where they add ¡°ie¡± at the end of a name to show friendliness is doing? Well, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just going around, attracting women with every breath he takes. At any rate, there was enough value in associating with this wealthy young master. I was too caught up in the annoyance of sparring. A few bing bong bonk p here and there? That¡¯s easy shit. I just need to get it over with. Of course, there was an essential process beforehand. It was to establish a proper rtionship. The longer one had to be with someone, the better it was to make the identity of the rtionship crystal clear. At best, he was just a baby in his mid-twenties. It was not okay to have him follow her around, using honorifics all the time. For now, Qing tried to casually bring up the conversation, as if to throw in bait. ¡°If we¡¯rerades pursuing the path of the sword¡­ Then we could be sword brothers.¡± ¡°Sword brothers!¡± Namgung Shinjae¡¯s eyes widened into saucers. ¡°I have never heard such moving words before in all my life. Sword brothers, sword brothers, you say¡­¡­..¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re sword brothers, okay?¡± ¡°That is exactly what I have been wishing for! Sword brothers. How excellent.¡± ¡°Then, if we¡¯re training together as sword brothers, there¡¯s no need to be overly formal or keep our distance, right?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡­¡± Namgung Shinjae pondered for a moment and then nodded. ¡°That does make sense. If you wish, let us do so.¡± What the fuck? It¡¯s that easy? Qing felt a sense of disappointment towards this utterly ridiculous and easy-to-convince person. However, her disappointment was premature. Namgung Shinjae¡¯s title was the Young Sword King, but he also had another moniker. The Sword Lunatic. It meant that he was a crazy ass motherfucker who was obsessed with swords. Qing had underestimated Namgung Shinjae far too much. ¡°¡­¡­.As such, the sword is indeed the most noble weapon in the world. The fact that Jiutian Xuann¨¹, the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens, descended to the Yue State to bestow swords, and that L¨¹ Dongbin2a legendary Chinese schr and poet who lived during the Tang dynasty whose lifetime supposedly spanned two hundred and twenty years. Elevated to the status of an immortal in the Chinese cultural sphere by Daoists, he is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals, the leader of the Eight Immortals, uses a sword, proves by principle that the sword is the Greatest Weapon Under the Heavens, second to none. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°Uh. Yeah. Sure¡­¡­¡± ¡°People often talk about the Hundred Day Spear, Thousand Day Dao, and Ten Thousand Day Sword3It¡¯s a saying that basically shows how long it takes to master a specific weapon. The longer it takes, the harder it is to master (Obviously). It is also used as a way to show that a specific weapon is ¡°better¡±. Because it obviously, totally makes sense that the longer it takes to master, the better the weapon is (totally ha ha ha wow). Of course, if the one speaking is closer to being a spearman or a dao wielder, the order of Hundred and Thousand might switch, but the position of the Ten Thousand Day Sword, which states that swords require tens of thousands of days of practice to master, is unquestioned. This proves the superiority of the sword once again and that we swordsmen, unlike those who handle other kinds of weapons, are the true martial artists¡­¡­.¡± Ah shit. I got myself into a fucking mess. I shouldn¡¯t have involved myself with him. The incessant bragging about swords from her side seemed like it would never end. Sword brothers. The words that meant they were friends bound by the axiom of swords had deeply resonated in Namgung Shinjae¡¯s heart. Thinking he had finally found someone who truly understood him, Namgung SHinjae began to share his special affection for swords. Holy fuck, damn. He talks a lot. Moreover, Namgung Shinjae¡¯s praise for the sword presented a significant problem for Qing. It wasn¡¯t just a simple level of ¡®I like swords. I like them so much I can¡¯t control myself¡¯. It was more like the sword was the only weapon in the world worth considering, and all others were not even worthy of being called weapons. Thus, the only real martial artists were those who wielded swords and those who used any other type of those so-called weapons were not true martial artists but mere pretenders, trying to appeal that they belonged in Murim when they actually didn¡¯t. After all, he was currently making an assertion that was roughly simr to such sentiment. ¡°Ah. It seems I have talked too much by myself. What about you, Young Lady? You must have a deep philosophy about swords as well.¡± ¡°Uh, well. For starters, they¡¯re convenient?¡± ¡°Exactly! That overwhelming, unbeatable convenience cannot be ignored. After all, a spear can only stab, and a dao, pretending to be a sword, can only cut, so their mysteries are shallow and insignificant. Meanwhile, a staff fails to embody the will of a weapon in the first ce, which is the intent to cut the enemy, and using a bian is¡­¡­.¡± For now, Qing cut him off. ¡°Alright, alright. I know, you know, the sky knows, and the earth knows that swords are great, so let¡¯s save that discussion for another time. Putting that aside, is there somewhere worth going to?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Namgung Shinjae rubbed his chin in thought. Then, he suddenly pped his palm with his fist. ¡°Then, what about Mount Hua?¡± ¡°Mount Hua?¡± ¡°I have gone to see the Absolute Sword Wall of Mount Hua before. There are no words to describe it other than how truly incredible it is. If it is the Divine Maiden Sect, the Mount Hua Sect would surely share the Absolute Sword Wall with you.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m an external disciple with no ties to the sect?¡± ¡°That should not matter with the empyrean presence you exude, Young Lady. After all, it was like that when I went.¡± ¡°Hooo?¡± Mount Hua, huh? I wanna go see it! When would I ever have the chance to see Mount Hua with my own eyes? I¡¯m worried that it might be a bit dangerous, but this guy¡¯s been there and back. And since the Mount Hua Sect was mentioned by Teacher several times, it must be a famous sect. What was it again? Nine Sects? If a sect had established itself to that extent, maybe it¡¯s not all that dangerous. How can I resist the allure ofva, which is more powerful than fire? ¡ª- There was no need to talk about how decisive Qing was and Namgung Shinjae, needing to escape Anhui immediately, had no time to hesitate. They bought a carriage and a coachman with Namgung Shinjae¡¯s money. Likewise, they purchased plenty of snacks. And also a generous amount of wooden swords for sparri- Qing frowned. ¡°Why buy so many wooden swords? If you resell them, do you get a profit or something? Is this some local specialty? A ce famous for wooden swords?¡± ¡°Oh no. It seems Young Lady Ximen is not quite aware yet. A few spars are enough to break a wooden sword. It is much better to have plenty than not enough. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Even considering that, it seems to be a lot, though¡­¡­ However, since he was spending his own money, there wasn¡¯t really any reason for her to object. Qing just epted it as it was. Sparring was undoubtedly a hassle. But when thinking about how she would have to sit in the carriage, listening to his endless praise of words, she found herself thinking it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to beat this little fucker¡¯s ass like a drum. Oh well. Let¡¯s just beat the shit out of him. After all, the difference in skill became far more apparent in sparring. Dishonorable tactics and means were prohibited. Targeting dangerous key acupuncture points was also prohibited. And if one intended to use any dangerous moves, they had to be dered in advance. As such, even if Qing said it was just sparring, the oue was pretty clear. He was just a mere Early-Stage Peak Realm rookie, who could barely maintain Sword Qi as it blinked into existence and out haphazardly. In reality, it would be more of a lesson than a spar. In that sense, sparring with Namgung Shinjae was sometimes helpful and sometimes not; it was quite vague as to which one it was. So, to exin, this was how it went during the first spar. Qing picked two out of the five approaching sword strikes to hit away lightly. After the two real movements were deflected, the momentum of the remaining feigned movements wavered and disappeared. Qing pretended to take a step forward and kicked Namgung Shinjae¡¯s ankle. Namgung Shinjae let out a grunt and leaned forward, thus sticking out the crown of his head. Ah! This is my time to shine! Qing¡¯s left hand clenched into a fist with the middle finger slightly protruding. Master, your disciple is finally going to do her part. Please watch over me from the heavens. Bonk! In that moment, Qing felt a deep satisfaction swelling from within. So, Master has always kept such a good thing to herself, huh? With that, victory and defeat had been decided, but Namgung Shinjae refused to ept it. ¡°Young Lady, is that not far too petty?! That is cheating!¡± Namgung Shinjae eximed, seemingly aggrieved. ¡°Ehh? Me? What did I do?¡± Qing genuinely didn¡¯t understand. ¡°How can you resort to other attacks besides the sword!¡± The response that returned was quite strange. It meant kicking was prohibited and so were nuclear noogies. ¡°¡­¡­.? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In a spar of swordsmanship, only swords should be used. Did you not know that?¡± Qing blinked at the absurdity. ¡°What kind of dogshit is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.? Why are dogs defecating relevant here?¡± ¡°Nevermind.¡± Qing protested in a serious manner. ¡°You¡¯re not going to say we should only use words even in realbat, are you?¡± ¡°In realbat, it cannot be helped. If my skill iscking, I may have to resort to other methods. But this is sparring, is it not? It is training to improve our swordsmanship, so naturally, we should only use swords.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Is that¡­¡­ convincing? It seems like it might be? It also does kinda seem like absolute dogshit, though. *** Chapter 42: Journey To Mount Hua (2) ? Journey To Mount Hua (2) ? However, the man¡¯s spirit could be regarded quite highly. As in, he refused to back down. My version of sparring is like this! -was how he shouted, so Qing couldn¡¯t really say anything in response to that. In the end, it was really ¡®just¡¯ a training of pure swordsmanship ¡®only¡¯, without any practicality to speak of. To Qing, it seemed like they were just killing time. Or perhaps, wasting it? Additionally, it came with the bonus of bodily fatigue. What even is the point of sparring like this? Yet strangely, it was quite a beneficial time. ¡°Young Lady Ximen¡¯s skills are extremely excellent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning the obvious. It¡¯s exactly the reason why we don¡¯t praise the sun for being extremely diligent in rising and setting.¡± ¡°That confidence! What a great attitude for a swordsman! I have learned something new once again.¡± Namgung Shinjae nodded and continued speaking. ¡°However, Young Lady Ximen¡¯s sword is far too honest. A swordsman¡¯s sword should be free.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Qing tilted her head. The fuck did it mean for a sword to be free? Does it mean the sword should find its freedom and leave its owner to wander around by itself, just like Master¡¯s sword did? Do you think I would still be at the Peak Realm if that¡¯s possible? ¡°Well then. You only need to see it once. Then, I am confident you would understand. This is the Third Movement of the Azure Heaven Sword, called Diffractive Wind.¡± The sword that was swept down flowed as if brushing the ground, rotating twice with the body and shing horizontally two more times. And then, he demonstrated the same movement several times more. However, even though the move remained identical, it was not exactly the same every time. It had the sticity of a snake biting its prey. The repeating movements had the oppressive force of a rolling boulder at times, the leisure of a gliding crane at others, and then the bustling energy of a swarm of ants. ¡°Ooh¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you see? Even with the same movement, the nature of the sword changes depending on what is infused into it. Young Lady Ximen¡¯s moves are so refined that, aside from our Namgung n, there is no other art or skill that can follow its intricacies. Yet, it always maintains the same appearance.¡± Yeah, okay. Sure. He¡¯s valid and all. But why does he seem more like a Master than me? It seemed to have bothered Qing a bit, as she smirked mockingly at him. ¡°What a pity. It would have been a bit more impressive if you had said that after winning at least once.¡± ¡°Heh, beingcking is not something to be shameful of. The only thing to ever be embarrassed about is not trying to improve oneself.¡± ¡°Sorry. If you say something as mature as that, what does that make me¡­¡­..¡± Qing immediately apologized. ¡°It is alright. Are we not sword brothers, after all?¡± Namgung Shinjae smiled, revealing his healthy white teeth. What¡¯s with this bastard? Why is he so weird, but also so chill? ¡°From what I can see, it would be better for Young Lady Ximen to practice the principles by using just the two movements of the Three Powers. What is your opinion?¡± ¡°Three Powers Sword? That one? The stabbing, shing, thrusting, and whatever?¡± The Three Powers Sword was embarrassing to even be referred to as swordsmanship. It was merely three basic movements considered to be the fundamentals of the sword. shing down vertically, cutting horizontally. And the third varied by region. Some said to thrust, others to cut diagonally, and yet others to sweep in a circr motion. For example, it was like the three main dishes of a restaurant. The first two were fixed and thest one was sneakily included as their local specialty. In other words, the first two werepletely genuine. The movement where one shed down vertically was called the Pressure of Mount Tai. Though it seemed to have an excessively grandiose name, referring to how it would swing down with the force of Mount Tai, it also had to be considered how greatly it had prated into the very essence of a sword. The movement where one cut horizontally was called Total Annihtion, meaning to sweep through a thousand enemies with a single sh. This, too, was grandiose but easy to visualize. ¡°So¡­ Mm. Why don¡¯t Young Lady Ximen try to face me using just those two movements? It¡¯s about embodying the Sword Forms, so we shall do it without using Inner Qi. Using just purely the strength of the sword.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡­?¡± Qing scrutinized Namgung Shinjae¡¯s expression. The corners of his mouth were subtly twisted. Qing caught on right away. If I use only two movements and don¡¯t even use Inner Qi¡­ Then, how can I possibly win? It was clear at first nce that it was a scheme to try and win at least once. Do you know how long it¡¯s been since I was that impressed by someone? Huh? Do you? But now, you ruined it. Look at this little fucker yapping. However, Qing¡¯s stats were already teetering at the very edge of the human limit. If every single person in the world did not use Inner QI, Qing would have long been heralded as the Greatest Under Heaven, with titles such as the Female Xiang Ji1courtesy name Yu. Was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu during the Chu¨CHan Contention period (206¨C202 BC) of China. He was basically a born to be King type of specimen. Incredibly strong just from his very nature (bc obv, history doesn¡¯t use actual novel Qi). So, this is basically saying how strong Qing is. or Supreme Queen. And shortly after, Namgung Shinjae spoke with a broken wooden sword in hand. ¡°Now that I think about it, not using Inner Qi seems to make no difference in enhancing the pure strength of the sword. It appears that using Inner Qi is practically essential. Ahm.¡± ¡ª- Apparently, Darius, the King of Persia, once said- The most precious of all possessions is a wise and loyal friend2Herodotus, The Histories Book 5 Verse (Chapter?) 25. Qing, the External Elder of the Divine Maiden Sect, agreed with him. But to add onto that, if that friend was wealthy, then they would be even more precious. Namgung Shinjae was a very energetic man. If asked to name his most manly quality, it would be that he always dined at the most famous ces when in a city. Normally, if one abruptly visited a city¡¯s most famous restaurant and demanded ¡®Hand over them food¡¯, you wouldn¡¯t get a ¡®Yes, right away.¡¯ in response. Usually, there were fully booked months in advance through reservations. However, Namgung Shinjae was a Namgung. Originally, big ns were either local G¨­zoku3Though this is a Japanese term, apparently, that¡¯s how it was used back then as well. There are definitely mixture of cultures in East Asia. It basically means powerful regional families. In historical context, it can refer to powerful non-royal families regardless of their area of influence, in contrast to the Imperial Family. or their descendants. Among them, a few ns had particrly strong control over their respective regions. And the Namgung n just happened to be the owners of Anhui Province. As such, restaurants in Anhui were more than happy to wee the young master of their province. It was an absolute honor; how could they dare talk about reservations in the face of him! Qing¡¯s habit was to always be infinitely happy in front of food. It was a natural disposition. The obsession born from a person¡¯s deep-seated resentment about food was not any ordinary obsession. Qing had fought with beggars, strong beggars, rats, bugs, and even stray dogs over discarded food. Naturally, Qing harbored a grudge against hunger. Had there ever been morefortable days sinceing out into Murim? That was how great it was right now. Of course, the Divine Maiden Sect was an exception because it was home. Home was obviouslyfortable, after all. At any rate, she wasn¡¯t just satisfied with the gourmet food. This thing called sparring turned out to be much more enjoyable than she thought. ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s spar since we¡¯re full! Let¡¯s go, Sword Brother!¡± ¡°Indeed! To think of sparring right after eating! You truly deserve to be called my sword brother!¡± Namgung Shinjae was sincere about the sword and possessed a talent for teaching that he himself was unaware of. Qing absorbed the pieces of enlightenment that he brought greedily. She sucked that shit out to its very marrow. And then, finally¡­ At the end of a spar, Qing exhaled deeply. ¡°Hooo¡­¡­¡± Qing finally reached enlightenment. She understood the difference between Sword Image and Sword Form. She realized that infusing one¡¯s Image of a Movement to manifest a Form was different for each individual in the world, even if they all mastered the same martial arts. It was a long-awaited moment of enlightenment! Achieving the Transcendent Realm meant interpreting and adapting martial arts entirely as one¡¯s own. To put it a bit radically, it could even be called a remodeling of martial arts. It was the starting point of that process; she had just taken the first step in interpretation. Through enlightenment, Qing entered the Early-Stage Transcendent Realm. Only now had she truly understood the enlightenment that should have been reached long ago! The gap between skill and martial knowledge had finally narrowed a bit. It was because Qing had learned martial arts in a shoddy manner. Once could even say illegally, given the universe¡¯s rules. Since she just used whatever was crammed into her head without any foundation or basics, how could enlightenment or whatever possibly matter? ¡ª- Fifteen days passed. Qing reached Huangchuan, the southernwestmost edge of Henan Province. Qing thought. How could a city be named Huangchuan4To exin. Huangchuan is an actual county in Xinyang, Henan. But the same two korean characters can also be called the ¡°Land of the Dead¡± in East Asian mythology. So, it is a bit ominous to call a ce ¡°Huangchuan¡±. Basically, if you say, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to Huangchuan¡±, it can mean ¡°I¡¯m gonna go kms¡±? Isn¡¯t that way too ominous? Having seeded in the county of Huangchuan, I shall now bring Mother and Father to the Land of the Dead (Huangchuan)5Good example right here!. It doesn¡¯t exactly have a nice ring to it, huh. Unbeknownst to Qing, there were more than one or two cities named Huangchuan in the Central ins. If viges were counted as well, there were easily over a hundred. This was because so many of the rivers in the Central ins were yellow and muddy6ANOTHER EXPLANATION. The Huang can be ¡°Yellow¡± or ¡°Mud¡± and the ¡°Chuan¡± can be ¡°River Water¡± or ¡°Lake¡±. Basically, people settled next to these rivers, thus forming a name such as Huangchuan. However, the Huangchuan in Henan Province was special. After all, it was thergest city among the many Huangchuans. After stopping at the stable to send the carriage back, Namgung Shinjae paid the remaining fee. And then, as if it was only natural, they sought out the best inn in Huangchuan. Indeed. Just as expected from the so-called best inn. Even from afar, an extraordinary crowd was visible. It was like some human mass had literally formed a wall around the inn. Qing¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Oooh. How can an inn be so popr? Looks like something to look forward to, right?¡± ¡°No matter how good of an inn it is, can it truly attract so many people? That does not make sense. There must be something special happening.¡± ¡°Something special?¡± Namgung Shinjae¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°Clearly, a distinguished swordsman must be present. Everyone must have gathered to catch just a single glimpse of their exceptional sword techniques. Does that not make more sense? Otherwise, it is hard to exin such arge crowd.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Right. Sure. If you say so.¡± Qing just heaved a deep sigh. ¡°Now that I think about it in such a way, I cannot seem to hold back either. I must go meet them and ask for guidance.¡± Namgung Shinjae, unable to hide his excitement, strode ahead. Qing shook her head. What kind of monster are you, Sword? No, seriously. What is up with the Way of the Sword? I can¡¯t begin to understand how itpletely changed a perfectly normal, rich young master into¡­this. Qingmented while following her precious bank. But soon, Namgung Shinjae stopped in his tracks. When Qing caught up to him, she saw that his face was so clearly marked with disappointment. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It is just full of women here.¡± ¡°And? What about it?¡± ¡°I have seen this dratted scene several times before. It seems a swordmaster isn¡¯t here after all. I had my hopes up with my heart racing, even if just for a short while¡­¡± Ah. This wall of women. Qing was also reminded of something when she saw this. I see. So this is how it looks from the outside, huh? ¡°Ah. You¡¯re right.¡± The scene inside became roughly clear. Meh. Well, I¡¯m sure some littering contest is taking ce or something. Namgung Shinjae sighed deeply. ¡°It seems that inside, there is a Junior Brother I know. He is a foolish punk who uses the dao instead of the sword, but still, he is not an individual of evil. Just a bit dull-witted. As such, I am thinking of at least giving my greetings. Would that be alright?¡± Do all rich young masters know each other or something? Well, I guess it makes sense for kids of chaebols to stick together. When Qing thought about it, it actually seemed quite obvious for them to. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine. No problem at all.¡± Then, Namgung Shinjae beseeched her again. ¡°To be frank, this punk can be quite harsh to women, so he might be rude to you, Sword Brother. But still, he is not a bad Junior Brother at heart. Please be a little forgiving and understanding, Sword Brother. It is also fine to not pay much attention to him.¡± Instead of replying with words, Qing only gave a smile in response. *** Chapter 43: Journey To Mount Hua (3) ? Journey To Mount Hua (3) ? The Central ins, too, had societal phenomena simr to the modern era, making it difficult for a dragon to rise from a shallow stream1A way to say: ¡°self-made millionaire¡±, ¡°rise-from-humble-beginnings¡±, ¡°rags-to-riches¡±. The term Rising Stars referred to the young Masters who would be the main figures of the next generation. However, all these young Masters came from prestigious backgrounds or were descendants of great ns. Of course, it wasrgely due to the growth system of focused investment where one¡¯s meridians were refined through Marrow Cleansing from birth, fed elixirs in the form of baby food, and taught to wield weapons as soon as they could walk. However, the biggest obstacle was that it was not easy for young Masters who were not from prestigious backgrounds to be properly recognized. If rumors spread that a new Master named Qing had ughtered the Demonic Cannibal, people would not believe it at first. He wouldn¡¯t have fought alone, right? There are Masters in the Forts of the Yangtze River Waterway as well, so they wouldn¡¯t have let him fight alone. It was probably a lucky finish after a joint attack, wasn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it likely that the Demonic Cannibal wasn¡¯t in peak condition? He mastered the me Demonic Arts, didn¡¯t he? That cursed and venomous Demonic Arts could have messed with his brain, preventing him from making sound judgements. What? A woman? A female brat, you say? She must have offered her body to the Masters of the Waterway Forts in exchange for some fame. Kekeke. That would be the general sentiment. Of course, rumors about Qing did not actually spread. Bok Haun, the Waterway Fort Commander, was an old senior of Jianghu and was well aware of these characteristics in Murim. For the sake of his benefactor, it was best that rumors did not spread. Thus, it was all thanks to him erasing traces and controlling the mouths of his people. Of course, it did spread quietly, but those reliable in the Waterway Forts remained silent, treating them as mere rumors. But what if a rumor spread about a son from a prestigious family defeating the Demonic Cannibal? For instance, if rumors circted that Namgung Shinjae had defeated the Demonic Cannibal, people would react as follows. As expected of the Namgung n! I have always believed in you! This is the power of history and tradition! We should send a congrattory bottle of liquor to Lord Namgung! The future of the Orthodox Faction is indeed bright! I knew that Sword Lunatic would cause that kind of trouble! This showed just how difficult and daunting it was for a young, unknown Master to make a name for themselves, even if they were a dragon that had risen from a shallow stream. Of course, this basic trend wasn¡¯t really the main problem. It was because across all times and ces, those in power had always tried to kick away thedder to the top in order to maintain their tower. It was for the sake of perpetuating a world of Murim dominated by major sects and great ns. In such a situation, the only peers the Rising Stars had were themselves. Moreover, these Rising Stars were showered with all sorts of love in their own yards, thus growing up while doing whatever they wished. In the end, the young Masters were always affirmed in their lives as Murim¡¯s upper ss. It was the perfect environment for the birth of a strange bastard whose ¡®only¡¯ positive trait was that he was kindhearted. And in fact, that had indeed happened. ¡°Little Brother, Little Brother Peng. About that youngdy over there.¡± The Drunken Sword, Changbin. This title was given to him after he, in a drunken state, single-handedly wiped out a band of thieves attacking a civilian home. He was the most anticipated talent of the Mount Hua Sect, as well as the most Senior Brother of the current generation, thus named Chang. ¡°No, Little Brother, I am telling you to look at that youngdy, you see?¡± ¡°Haaa. What now?¡± Peng Daesan replied with a voice filled with annoyance. Regardless, Changbin whispered subtly. ¡°Look at thatdy wearing the shockingly red pce dress. The third one from the left. Is she not exceptionally beautiful?¡± ¡°If you like her that much, why don¡¯t you go talk to her?¡± ¡°Ah, s, there is a sun that such flowers specifically came to view, so how could a bee like me possibly be heard if I spoke?¡± Why were all the Rising Stars like this? Peng Daesan showed his disdain clearly. ¡°I am not interested. Nor is it my problem.¡± ¡°Ah, is our rtionship only worth that much? Don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s lonely drinking alone, you see. I only said that because I¡¯m feeling lonely. Lonely, you hear me?¡± ¡°So am I not a person to you? Am I some statue?¡± ¡°Haha, am I expected to consider a man a person?¡± Peng Daesan sighed deeply again. To think that a bastard like him was the Eldest Brother of the Hidden Dragon Assembly. The future of the Orthodox Faction was looking quite bleak. For reference, the Hidden Dragon Assembly was the name of a gathering of Rising Stars from the Orthodox Faction. It was also a venerable social club passed down through generations. ¡°Big Brother Changbin. Why don¡¯t you just keep chugging the alcohol you were drinking and stay quiet?¡± ¡°Ah! Oh my! My arm¡¯s about to fall off because there is no one to refill my ss. Look here, Little Brother. Alcohol, by nature, should be enjoyed with beautiful women. That is what deepens its vor and makes it all the more enjoyable.¡± ¡°Are you spouting that bullshit again?¡± ¡°Ahhh. I just want to drink with women!¡± Peng Daesan sighed deeply once again. Among the many Rising Stars of the Hidden Dragon Assembly, this bastard would easily be his least favorite. He was a good person, sure. But all he did in every waking moment was drink and talk nonsense. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was so kindhearted, there would¡¯ve already been a massive fallout between the two and Peng Daesan would have already cut ties with him. Moreover, despite saying all this- ¡°Oooh, Little Brother! Look over there!¡± Changbin¡¯s fuss interrupted Peng Daesan¡¯s thoughts. It was probably about some beauty again. Peng Daesan¡¯s expression soured and showed no hints of recovery. ¡°No, look. Younger Brother Namgung ising.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m going to lose my mind. Seriously.¡± The only person that could be referred to as Younger Brother Namgung was the Young Sword King, Namgung Shinjae. And he was known to be the weirdest among all those in the Hidden Dragon Assembly. Being with the bastard he disliked the most was troublesome enough, but now, the weirdest bastard had also made an appearance. It was the perfect definition of adding fuel to the fire. ¡°Mm? It seems Younger Brother Namgung found a woman, huh? True to his name as the Sword Lunatic, it seems he only considers women who carry swords as worthy. Eek, they¡¯reing this way.¡± Peng Daesan suppressed his irritation. Of course, they were. After all, they knew he was here. This was why Peng Daesan always ended up running into people he disliked. The persistence of women was already enough to make him sick with disgust. They threw trash, made all sorts of bizarre attempts at physical contact, and conducted endless surveince that left no room for privacy. Peng Daesan had plenty of reasons to detest a congregation of women. And one of the reasons was because Peng Daesan¡¯s whereabouts always became known. As soon as he entered a city, within half a day, the news would spread like wildfire, saying ¡®The Jade Qilin is here!¡¯. Then, women would flock to him. And when that happened, passing members of the Hidden Dragon Assembly or seniors from the Murim Alliance would say, ¡®Ah, Jade Qilin has done it again, just like his name suggests¡¯, and promptly show up to meet him. ¡­¡­.But, huh. The Sword Lunatic was bringing a woman along? Even Peng Daesan had to admit he was curious about this. After all, the fact that the Sword Lunatic was apanied by a woman was surprising in itself. What if the Hidden Dragon Assembly voted for the person least likely to be involved with women? Then he would win by andslide every single time. Namgung Shinjae, the man crazy about swords, really didn¡¯t seem to care about anything other than swords. For reference, when saying ¡®other than swords¡¯, it meant everything else. Literally. Despite Peng Daesan never making eye contact with women, he was quite, no, very curious about the Sword Lunatic¡¯s woman. His head turned slightly. She was a pretty young girl in simple martial attire called a dobok. She appeared to be about twenty years old. Her intricately braided hair was ck, her skin was pale without makeup, her eyes wererge, and her lips were delicate. Her only w was that her chest was toorge, making her outfit look awkward, but she still fell into the category of being a passable beauty. And she wore a sword at her waist. ¡°She¡¯s carrying a sword, huh?¡± ¡°Of course, she is. She¡¯s with the Sword Lunatic, after all.¡± ¡°That does make sense.¡± Peng Daesan agreed with Changbin. This was quite a rare urrence, though. ¡°Big Brother Changbin. Doesn¡¯t she look quite familiar?¡± ¡°I am not sure. She appears to be a stranger to me, though?¡± ¡°I swear I have seen her before. Isn¡¯t she just someone¡¯s younger sister?¡± ¡°Well, that does make sense. That lunatic isn¡¯t exactly known for being close to women.¡± While they whispered among themselves, Namgung Shinjae approached and waved his hand. ¡°I came to see Younger Brother Peng, but it seems Big Brother Changbin is here too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How have you been?¡± ¡°Of course, as always, I am fine. Why would I not be? And you, Younger Brother Peng?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been well too.¡± ¡°I see. That is good. Being well is best. Well then. This is Young Lady Ximen. Despite her appearance, she is an impressive swordsman.¡± Ah. Of course. He isn¡¯t called the Sword Lunatic for no reason. Just as expected. Of course that¡¯s the case. The Sword Lunatic? With a woman? What a joke. Peng Daesan and Changbin exchanged knowing nces. It was a very, very rare agreement between them. ¡°Greetings, Esteemed Experts. I am merely a young girl, given the name Ximen. It is truly nerve-wracking to meet such renowned and virtuous experts whom I have only heard of in rumors. Could you, perhaps, please look kindly upon me even if I make a mistake?¡± The girl greeted them with a coquettish voice. Her face was only passable, but her voice was absolute in its refreshing rity. As soon as Peng Daesan met her eyes, she immediately fluttered her eyshes flirtatiously. When seeing the smile in her eyes, one could practically imagine a tail wagging behind her. Peng Daesan instantly lost all interest upon seeing the overwhelming affection in her actions. ¡°I am Peng Daesan.¡± Peng Daesan stated his name bluntly. It meant that he didn¡¯t wish to engage in conversation any further with her. ¡°I am Changbin of Mount Hua.¡± Surprisingly, Changbin, too, responded with just a short answer. ¡°Ah. I see! You are the Jade Qilin, Peng Daesan!¡± The sight of the beaming smile that followed was despicable. Peng Daesan¡¯s voice dropped an octave. ¡°What about it? Are you saying you came without knowing, then?¡± Peng Daesan retorted sharply. The girl immediately made a crestfallen expression. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Did this young girl do something wrong¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Young Lady Ximen. Do not take it to heart. Younger Brother Peng is usually not one to be warm-hearted. It is not just you. He would be the same even if the Five Flowers of Murim were in front of him.¡± Namgung Shinjae consoled his sullen sword brother. But even while he did so, his words were rather ridiculous. Peng Daesan would act the same even if prettier women than her approached him? What kind of constion was that even supposed to be? Namgung Shinjae¡¯s words were basically implying that with her looks, she had no shot whatsoever. It was a statement that would make any woman feel like shit upon hearing it. Despite saying such dogshit, Namgung Shinjae was actually quite shocked inwardly. It seems that even Sword Brother is ultimately a woman. It was intriguing to see her be so demure in front of the Jade Qilin, but when considering her usual demeanor, it also sent chills running down his spine. ¡°Moreover, this fool uses the dao. An exceptional swordsman like Young Lady Ximen should not bother with him. Just consider him nonexistent.¡± It looked like Peng Daesan would have to continue frowning for the entirety of today. Making such statements right in front of people¡¯s faces was exactly why Namgung Shinjae was known as the Sword Lunatic. But well, it wasn¡¯t all that polite to so heartlessly kick away a woman brought by a big brother he knew. It would be better if she just lost interest in him by her own choice. However, it seemed she had no intention of doing so. ¡°I have heard that Great Expert Peng has an exceptional eye for beauty.¡± ¡°I possess no such thing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. What do you think of me? If you were to score me, how would this young girl fare?¡± ¡°Haaa. Look, Young Lady¡­¡± Peng Daesan sighed and quietly tried his best to speak nicely. ¡°I do not like you. If you need someone to talk to, please speak with Dao Master Changbin over there.¡± At this, Changbin, who was quietly drinking beside them, jumped up in surprise. ¡°No, wait. That¡¯s not¡­ Do not mind his¡­ Younger Brother Namgung, pour me a drink.¡± ¡°Ah. Right. Here, have a drink, Big Brother.¡± Changbin was a man who did not lie. And he had always said that the presence of women made liquor taste even better. So, the moment a woman joined a drinking session, he focused solely on the alcohol. ording to him, he acted like that because it tasted way too good. He was an extraordinary figure indeed; one who enjoyed the elevated taste of liquor so much that he couldn¡¯t even speak, merely chugging away in silence. And now that a woman was present, it seemed any role that Changbin had in the conversation hade to a close. Meanwhile, the girl continued to pester Peng Daesan. ¡°So, Great Expert Peng? What do you think of me? If I may ask?¡± ¡°Stop. Enough. Pay me no mind. I am only tolerating this for the sake of Big Brother Namgung. I would rather not say harsh words to you, Young Lady.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s voice lowered even further. It was clear that he was on the verge of exploding in anger. That was when the young girl spoke. ¡°Vi voud vwather nvot sway hvarsh vords tvu yvu.¡± Peng Daesan looked at her in utter surprise. ¡°Look at you always lowering your voice when you talk. Well, to be fair, what else would I expect from you?¡± Suddenly, the girl ced her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand, slouching her whole body in a twisted manner. ¡°Hey, San! You haven¡¯t changed at all, huh! But still, I¡¯m kinda sad, you know? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve forgotten my face, just because we haven¡¯t seen each other for a bit over half a year. It feels like just yesterday that our Sanie was getting all teary-eyed about saying goodbye. No, wait. Or maybe you actually did cry a bit?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.No way.¡± ¡°Why? Can you not recognize me just because my face changed a bit?¡± Peng Daesan was astonished. Only then did Qing smile with satisfaction. *** Chapter 44: Journey To Mount Hua (4) ? Journey To Mount Hua (4) ? People sometimes had something to say but were too overwhelmed to actually speak, resulting in only their lips moving without producing sound. That was exactly the case with Peng Daesan. Qing giggled. ¡°How could you do this to me? Does our friendship only amount to this much? San?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡± Qing believed that pranks should be enjoyable for both parties. It should only slightly annoy the other person, without crossing the line. If the other person had their feelings hurt, it was no longer a prank; rather, it became a quarrel. Therefore, it was right to rify things at this point. Acting all womanly and feminine would only irritate him further. This precise judgment of the so-called line was Qing¡¯s true talent, inherent from birth. Let¡¯s just let him get his shit together for now. Qing changed her target. ¡°But why is this friend drinking all alone? Can I have a ss too?¡± Qing reached for the stacked sses on the table. Dao Master Changbin flinched, before hurriedly grabbing the liquor bottle. He then held the bottle with both hands in a very polite manner, trembling as he poured the drink. ¡°Uh. Here¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Wait, what. Why are your hands shaking so much?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that. I just have a bit of a case of hand tremors¡­¡­.¡± Hand tremors? What the fuck? What¡¯s all that about? Wasn¡¯t he a Master? Well, I guess not every party can consist solely of martial artists at the Peak Realm. Qing casually moved on and tapped the table lightly. ¡°Here. Now it¡¯s your turn to take a drink.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes.¡± Changbin hurriedly emptied his ss and offered it forward. Sure, he mentioned having hand tremors, but it seemed quite severe. In fact, it was difficult to pour the drink because he was trembling so much. However, Qing was a Late-Stage Peak Realm Master. One of the greatest traits of a Master at such a level was the ability to pour a drink neatly, even into a shaking ss. It was said that beyond the Transcendent Realm, at the Unrestrained Realm, one could even pour a drink into a flying ss. This was why Masters were so revered since ancient times. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. Here¡¯s to our pleasant meeting. Cheers.¡± ¡°Cheers¡­¡­¡± Qing downed the clear alcohol. It was a strong white rice wine, made of distilled liquor. As expected of rich young masters. This ain¡¯t any ordinary drink, huh? The fiery liquor burned its way down her empty stomach. Qing shivered. ¡°Kya, that¡¯s good.¡± Long, slender fingers picked up a piece of dried fish. The love that the Central ins had for beautiful hands had been famous since ancient times. A beauty¡¯s qualification invariably included the shape of her hands. After all, as the saying went, ¡®Slender hands made jade fingers and white arms¡¯. Peng Daesan, staring nkly at those white fingers, suddenly came back to his senses. By the way, were her hands always like that? There was something he was reminded of from her suddenly increased beauty and the shape of her hands. Overhaul Rebirth. When ascending to the Transcendent Realm, the body was reconstructed and one¡¯s inherent beauty also improved by leaps and bounds. ¡°Have you reached the Transcendent Realm already?¡± Qing, munching on the dried fish, replied. ¡°Not really? I just had a minor enlightenment.¡± It really was a minor enlightenment. In fact, everyone present already knew and had it before. After all, it was the enlightenment necessary for reaching the Peak Realm. Qing had basically cheated her way through, thus skipping past it. As such, she had taken an unusual path, achieving the state first and only gaining the enlightenmentter to fill in the gaps. Only Qing, who did not know of this fact, felt proud of herself. Iyaaa. Is it that noticeable when someone obtains enlightenment? Of course not. ¡°I thought you underwent something like Overhaul Rebirth. If not that, then what is it? Did you master some Anti Aging Facial Technique?¡± ¡°Anti Aging Facial Technique?¡± Qing gave a puzzled look. It was an expression that was innocent and pure, yet also dumb, as if she didn¡¯t know shit. ¡°Ah.¡± Peng Daesan murmured softly. It had been a while, so he had forgotten how ignorant she could be. ¡°Anti Aging Facial Technique is¡­¡­. No, forget it. I just asked because your face seemed to have changed.¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s because I learned a few martial arts. Apparently, they¡¯re supposed to make you prettier.¡± ¡°You learned Fairy Arts? In such a short time?¡± ¡°Wow! You know about Fairy Arts!¡± ¡°Haa. There you go again with that talk.¡± The benefits of the easily attainable Fairy Arts were only limited to whitened skin and teeth, brightened eyes, and pointless fat removal. Of course, these were key to the beauty standards of the Central ins, making its function quite remarkable. It was also a type of knowledge that beauties in the Central ins attained. However, Fairy Arts that actually cultivated the form of beauty itself was extremely rare. Perhaps only the esoteric doctrines of the renowned female sects in Murim couldpare. The Divine Maiden Sect, the Vermilion Bird Sect, the Heavenly Flower Hall, the Bliss Pce¡­.. Or it could be the unintended side effect of the Northern Sea Ice Pce¡¯s Demonic Arts, which could make even men appear feminine. ¡°I got a master this time. Since she recognized my genius. She kept requesting me, so I couldn¡¯t help but be her disciple.¡± ¡°How could you speak such insolent words? No, forget it. Your teacher must have taught you because she understood as well. At any rate, you said you have taken a teacher?¡± ¡°Yep. She¡¯s called Ximen Surin. She even gave me her surname, you know? That¡¯s why I¡¯m Ximen Qing.¡± ¡°Keuk.¡± Suddenly, there was the sound of someone choking on their drink next to them. ¡°Keuk, hack, keuhhhh¡­¡­.¡± When hard liquor that had an alcohol percentage of over 50% went down the wrong hole, it didn¡¯t matter whether one was a Master or some alcoholic savant; it would result in a pathetic sight regardless. Changbin coughed violently, his eyes reddening. Yet even while doing so, he somehow managed to palm his fist in a respectful salute. ¡°Young Lady, are you referring to the Matriarch? Elder Ximen Surin, who is currently serving as the Grand Elder of the Divine Maiden Sect¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah! You know our master!¡± ¡°Wait, well, uh, please, lower your voice¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah. Look at this guy. You¡¯re from a Daoist Sect, aren¡¯t you?¡± Qing looked at Changbin with a hint of wonder. Ximen Surin had once told her to just mention her name if any arrogant, dumbass Daoist or Central ins bastard caused trouble. That even their Sect Leader wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with her disciple. ¡°Wait, Sword Brother. Did Sword Brother truly learn from the Sword Queen, who is known as the Greatest Swordsman Among Women?¡± ¡°Huh? Did I not mention it?¡± ¡°You did not. Indeed, I had thought Sword Brother¡¯s swordsmanship was extraordinary. But to think the heir of the Greatest Sword n Under the Heavens and the disciple of the Sword Queen would meet and be brothers of the sword. What an amazing connection of fate¡­¡­..!¡± ¡°Is it really that special? If you start assigning meaning like that, every connection would seem extraordinary.¡± ¡°So, has the Sword Queen truly reached the realm of Sword Intent?¡± ¡°Sword Intent? I dunno. Ah. But she does fly around on her sword.¡± The utter terror of a sudden nuclear noogie air strike was something one could not understand without experiencing it themselves. ¡°Sword Flight! Has she truly reached such a realm? Ah. Oh my word. I would not wish for any more in my life if I could go and see such a lofty Sword Style even once.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a bit difficult?¡± Namgung Shinjae gasped for breath as if he was about to keel over and die. As Qing just casually responded, ignoring his state, a gruff voice interjected. ¡°Big Brother Namgung. Did you not see that we were in the middle of a conversation. So, you have ced your name in the ranks of the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± ¡°Nope. External disciple. I mentioned I had some circumstances, so joining them was a bit tough. But Master said it was fine, so.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Peng Daesan let out a sigh. It seemed the story of the Matriarch pleading for her to be a disciple was not a lie. If such a respected figure of Jianghu went as far as to make an outsider her disciple, then¡­ But when thinking about it again, it did make sense. A female martial artist reaching the Late-Stage Peak Realm at such a young age. If even half of what was known about the Matriarch¡¯s temperament was true, her testimony was quite convincing. ¡°But why are you traveling with that bastard, no, Big Brother Namgung of all people?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s my Sword Brother?¡± ¡°What in the Heavens is this Sword Brother exactly¡­ No, never mind. There is no need to exin. I roughly get it¡­¡­..¡± ¡°We were going to go see Mount Hua. Sword Cliff1She changed up the order of the characters. So, in terms of hanja, it could be seen as ¡°Sword Absolute Wall¡± instead of ¡°Absolute Sword Wall¡±. But then, the characters for ¡°Absolute Wall¡± is actually the word ¡°Cliff¡±. An interesting fact!? Heard it¡¯s worth seeing, you know? And I¡¯m also curious about Mount Hua itself.¡± ¡°Wait, you cannot just mention something like that so casua¡­ No. Nevermind. No. Wait.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°What about the otherpanions?¡± ¡°There¡¯s none, though?¡± She had no otherpanions? Peng Daesan frowned. ¡°You are traveling together alone? Just the two of you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right?¡± ¡°I know all too well what kind of personality you have, but how can you travel alone with a man as a woman?¡± Qing chuckled and replied. ¡°From what I can see, our Sword Brother over here doesn¡¯t care about any of that. I bet he thinks that in this world, there are only those with swords and those without, you know?¡± ¡°That is correct. In this world there are only two kinds of people. Indeed, my Sword Brother, no. Rather, our minds and hearts have reached a point of connection where we could even be called Zhiji¨¤n2Zhi part is exined below. Basically means to ¡°understand¡±. Ji¨¤n is the romanticization of the chinese character for ¡°Sword¡±. Hence, Zhiji¨¤n..¡± ¡°Oooh. Zhiji¨¤n.¡± This referred to the ancient story of a concept called Zhiyin3in here, ¡°Yin¡± means sound/music. It was about the legendary connection between Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi, famous for having the most profound friendship in Chinese History. Their understanding of each other was so deep that they couldmunicate through music alone, without the need for words. Since then, the term Zhiyin, which meant someone who perfectly understood music and sound, had been used to describe the closest of friends. ¡°Do not beat around the bush.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s voice dropped an octave, as he tried to regain the reins of this conversation. Qing raised her hand. ¡°Wait! Stop! What¡¯s this? Are you still upset? Sad? What was the point of staying there anyway? ck Shadow Association? Was that what they were called? Anyway, it¡¯s not like I could just fight to the death with them. The weaker side had to dip, you know?¡± ¡°That was not what I was talking about¡­¡­..¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s voice returned to normal. When thinking about it, why did he have to care? What did it matter who this insane woman traveled with? Besides, as she said, the Sword Lunatic was probably the most harmless man in the world for a woman. Even if they traveled together, they would probably just spar all day. He was originally someone who didn¡¯t have anything else in his head besides that. ¡°At any rate, you said you are heading to Mount Hua?¡± ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°Good timing. It works out well. I was actually on my way back to Mount Hua with Big Brother Changbin.¡± ¡°Mm? Are you saying we should go together?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Why? Do you not want to?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m obviously fine with it, but¡­¡­.¡± Qing turned her head. Changbin was desperately waving his hand and subtly shaking his head, but upon noticing her gaze, he sheepishly bowed, lowering his eyes. ¡°Just ignore that. His lifelong wish was to travel with a woman, so think of this as fulfilling one of his wishes.¡± ¡°No, wait, Little Brother Peng. What do you mean ¡®that¡¯? I am still the eldest of the Hidden Dragon Assembly, am I not? Your words are a bit-¡± ¡°Just enjoy the liquor you so rave about. It is bound to taste better with a woman present, no?¡± ¡°Keuheum.¡± For some reason, he made a sound that seemed like an attempt to regain his spirits. However, that was all he did. In the end, Changbin just quietly picked up his ss. ¡°So, have you booked an inn?¡± ¡°No. We came here because we heard it was good, but we found that the women had built a wall. So, I thought this must be where our Sanie is.¡± ¡°You are saying you haven¡¯t booked, then. Let¡¯s go find one now.¡± And then, he called over the server to even arrange for a room for her. Truly, what else are friends for? On top of that, look at him flexing that he¡¯s a rich young master. Nice one! Thanks San! *** Chapter 45: We Are Looking For Someone (1) ? We Are Looking For Someone (1) ? In the era when the Murim Alliance did not exist, the Orthodox Faction were just loosely connected conglomerates ofrge sects and ns. The important point was that they were connected, albeit loosely. They maintained friendships by attending each other¡¯s family events or inquiring about each other¡¯s well-being through letters. It was during this time that the Hidden Dragon Assembly was established. Initially, it was not even a gathering of Rising Stars. It was simply a group where the real authorities of the ns and sects got along and formed a sort of society for family events. It was a gathering where they collected small amounts of money to contribute to each other¡¯s celebrations, such as first birthdays, sixtieth birthdays, weddings, and funerals. Then, the Demonic Cult attacked. The Orthodox Faction had to unite their strength to survive. But what had to be remembered was that everyone within the Hidden Dragon Assembly were practically neighbors. Moreover, their connection to each other was simr to as follows. Our son is your son-inw and your son is his son-inw and his son is our son-inw. Thus, while shouting ¡®Are we not all family?¡¯, the united forces of the Orthodox Faction in the Central ins repelled the invasion of the Demonic Cult. It was the birth of the Murim Alliance. After the alliance of the Orthodox Faction officiallyunched, the Hidden Dragon Assembly was transformed into a reservebat teamposed of young martial artists. However, there was always a social hierarchy, even amongst such a supposedly close-knit alliance. The noble youths of the Nine Sects One Union and the Ten Noble ns could not possibly share the same table as the crude Orthodox Faction. Therefore, the Hidden Dragon Assembly was divided into two groups. The Heavenly Martial Team. And the Earthly Courage Team. The Heavenly Martial Team consisted of youths from the Nine Sects One Union and the Ten Noble ns, including special members who had received rmendations from more than 10 members of different affiliations. The Earthly Courage Team gathered the rest of the youths. Therefore, every young sprout of the Orthodox Faction dreamed of bing a member of the Heavenly Martial Team. To them, the members of the Heavenly Martial Team were the true powerhouses of Murim¡¯s Orthodox Faction, floating and ying above the clouds. Even after excluding materialistic factors, all the members were Masters far beyond their age group. The true Hidden Dragons who achieved remarkable aplishments! As such, it was no wonder the youths of the Orthodox Faction aspired to join the Heavenly Martial Team. In their imagination, the members of the Heavenly Martial Team spared no effort in elevating each other¡¯s martial arts through earnest focus and practice. Surely, they would generously share and debate the principles and logic of the martial studies they had realized. Ah! If only I could be there to join in their discussions and share my opinions! It was the dream of every young person in the Orthodox Faction. And here in this ce, Qing was enjoying that very dream. It was a clear, pure, and meaningful debate on martial studies with members of the Heavenly Martial Team. ¡°Everyone in the world has stated that the order was Hundred Day Spear, Thousand Day Dao, and Ten Thousand Day Sword. Does this not prove that the sword is the King of All Weapons, thus showing its superiority over all armaments? What do you think, Sword Brother?¡± ¡°I agree. What about you, Daoist Changbin?¡± The Mount Hua Sect was also known as the Mount Hua Sword Sect. Basically, it meant they were people who wielded swords. ¡°As a Plum Blossom Swordsman myself, I cannot help but acknowledge that¡­¡­..¡± Qing nodded and dered. ¡°Then, by an overwhelming majority, the motion that the sword is far superior to the dao has passed.¡± Peng Daesan frowned. Qing grinned and brought up the next topic. ¡°Then, for the next item on the agenda, I propose that since a dao is a sword that only has one edge, it should be considered half a sword. Shouldn¡¯t we start calling it a half-sword from now on? What do you think?¡± ¡°Ohh! Sword Brother, to think you came up with the word, half-sword. What a precise description of the dao. This is the first time I have heard such an urate term in my life. In fact, it is even moving to hear such a word. I shall agree.¡± ¡°But still, do you really need to go that far about someone else¡¯s weapon¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Dao Master Changbin, are you betraying us right now? We are all Daoists, right? We¡¯re all friends who cultivate the Dao together, right? Are you abandoning Daoism?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I acknowledge the term, half-sword.¡± ¡°Then, with three votes of approval, from now on, Sanie is not a dao user, but a half-swordsman¡­¡­¡­¡± Hence, there were three swordsmen and one half-swordsmen. Even if Peng Daesan wished to oppose, he was outnumbered, thus falling into the trap of majority rule. ¡°Ha. It is too childish to even bother to interact with all of you.¡± Peng Daesan gritted his teeth and thought. Was there really any particr reason he had to travel with Qing? Even he himself couldn¡¯t figure out why he had decided to. However, there was one absolute truth he was sincere about. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I should have just let her go on her way. Damn it. ¡°Then, should we have the half-swordsman pay for today¡¯s snack?¡± Peng Daesan growled. ¡°Are you seriously suggesting I should serve refreshments after hearing that nonsense? You must be the most shameless person in the world. Ha.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t you at least recognized as half a swordsman? If it were me. I¡¯d be so moved that I¡¯d ughter a pig and throw a feast for the whole neighborhood. I may even wail in joy. Seriously.¡± Namgung Shinjae nodded vigorously in agreement besides her. Peng Daesan¡¯s voice dropped an octave. ¡°I know you do not think before you talk, so you¡¯re spouting all kinds of nonsense, but-¡± ¡°Ehhhh. You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to. Forget it, then. Sword Brother? Aren¡¯t you thirsty? Don¡¯t you want a refreshing cup of Longjing tea1sometimes called by its literal tranted name Dragon Well tea. It¡¯s a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the area of Longjing Vige in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title?¡± ¡°If Sword Brother is thirsty, how could I possibly just stand by and watch?¡± ¡°Then, can we eat Bingso?¡± Bingso referred to a snack made from frozen fermented milk. It was simr to the modern era¡¯s yogurt-vored ice cream. Except for the slightly moldy smell from the handmade yogurt, the taste and texture perfectly matched its modern counterpart. Qing was greatly surprised to learn of this snack¡¯s existence. To think there are frozen desserts in this uncivilized and primitive ancient China! Were they not primitives who could only dig up ice and store them in winter? How did they make this kind of thing? It was simply that Qing was unaware. China of the Middle Ages was a world-leading technological nation. They easily made all sorts of frozen treats, even in the height of summer. After all, when it was hot, cold things were the best. The West, which sprinkled sweet water on snow, were the ones who were actually uncivilized during this era. Of course, the splendid heritage of medieval China was reced by the dizzying¡­ revelry and pleasure of the Red People. ¡°How could just Bingso be enough? You may also have Milbing and Sorak. In fact, you may fill the entire table with cold snacks.¡± Qing raised her sword and eximed. ¡°YESSIRRRR! That¡¯s our Sword Brother! Holy sheee, I¡¯m moved. Let¡¯s do a sword ovation! SWORD!¡± ¡°BROTHER!¡± Namgung Shinjae shouted Brother and raised his sword. The swords met in the air and crossed. Peng Daesan shook his head. Putting aside Qing, who was inherently out of her fucking mind, the real problem was Big Brother Namgung who indulged her. For reference, Namgung Shinjae was actually considered the best talent among the Hidden Dragons. Since he was young, he showed extraordinary understanding and an eye for breaking conventions. A genius who understood ten things from just one nce, thus raising the hopes of the entire Murim. He was not to be the Sword King but the next Martial Emperor. If it wasn¡¯t for his odd obsession to ascend only through the sword, he might have already reached the Late-Stage Peak Realm. No, maybe even the Transcendent Realm. ????. All flows, waves, and streams eventually led back to the ocean. As such, all martial arts came to a single conclusion at its very pinnacle. Despite such a concept being a principle of martial arts, Namgung Shinjae remained fixated solely on swordsmanship. It was only natural that his realm did not rise. Namgung Shinjae, too, was aware of this fact. Yet, he stubbornly continued, behaving like a Sword Lunatic. Serious people attracted serious conversations. But fools were left unbothered. This was why the Sword King drank heavily every night, straight from the bottle without any cups or snacks. He was truly the very definition of a burning filial son2it means that the Sword King¡¯s insides are burning due to the strong alcohol he drinks.. Peng Daesan gritted his teeth. ¡°How absolutely ridiculous.¡± Right then, Changbin, who had be almostpletely silent since Qing joined, sneakily asked a question. ¡°But Little Brother Peng. This Daoist has been wondering. What exactly is this refreshing Longjing tea? I have never heard such a terrible thing in my life. Does something like that really exist?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her directly?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­..¡± Changbin stroked his chin, beforeing to a conclusion. ¡°¡­¡­.That is not so easy to do.¡± Peng Daesan felt a surge of anger rising from his throat, but swallowed it down, sighing and reminding himself that he should still be respectful to his Big Brother. In the end, the conclusion of the debate was Qing grinning as she stuffed herself with frozen snacks. Just like before, it was quite a sight to see her gobbling up food. For some reason, Peng Daesan found such an appearance annoying. I can¡¯t believe it. Regardless of who it is, as long as they buy for her, she just crams everything down her throat. How ridiculous. Even Heukgu raised by the n would not eat food given by strangers. Yet, she¡­ Okay, and? Did I ask? ¡­was what Qing would probably say if she could read his thoughts. Regardless of what Peng Daesan said, Qing was simply having a good time. Currently, the group had been traveling west from Huangchuan for three days and were on their second day staying in Xinyang. This was what traveling with young masters was like. After reaching a city by carriage, they rested for a day or two depending on how tired they were. Then, they rented another carriage and departed. Of course, Peng Daesan, who was rtively frugal, and Changbin, who was genuinely frugal, preferred joining a escort convoy rather than renting carriages and coachmen. However, among their groups was Namgung Shinjae, who tore off chits3a short official note, memorandum, or voucher, typically recording a sum owed. at every bank they stopped at, filling his moneybag to the brim. Among the Five Noble ns, the Namgung n was the second wealthiest. As such, the Young Sword King¡¯s expenditures were the very definition of the God of Wealth, Caishen4Known as the God of Wealth. He is a mythological figure worshipped in Chinese folk religion and Taoism., descending to the human world. For reference, the wealthiest household among the Five Noble ns was said to be in Sichuan or whatever. It was when they were about to depart since they had rested for two days. ¡°This is a crossroad. If we go north, it¡¯ll be easier and faster. If we go west, we will not see a city for a while and it¡¯ll be a longer detour.¡± ¡°Then can¡¯t we just go north?¡± ¡°If we go north, it leads to Luoyang.¡± Aw, shit. There were ill-fated rtionships in Luoyang. It was the same situation, whether then or now; her Inner Qi might have increased, but her realm remained the same. If only I had reached the Transcendent Realm¡­ Then I would have gone there and caused a shitfest. And there was still the Sudden Mission she had left unfinished. Just you wait and see. Once I reach the Transcendent Realm, I will fucking ughter you all. Wash your necks cleanly until then, ck Shadow Association! No, wait. Was it ck Shallow Association? What was it again? Whatever. Anyway. Ugh, this damn ancient China. Fucking hell. Whether it¡¯s sects or people, their names are all so simr. It¡¯s confusing the fuck out of me. Of course, Qing¡¯s face had changed quite a lot. But with Peng Daesan by her side, they were bound to attract attention and if anything happened, they would have to flee again. ¡°If we go west¡­¡­¡± ¡°The next city will be near the Dabie Mountains, so it¡¯ll take about a week.¡± Qing grimaced. A week meant staying in viges or sleeping outdoors. And in reality, there weren¡¯t much difference between those two in the Central ins. From sleeping arrangements to food, it was either a bit more troublesome or the expense of just a few coins to be exempt from such troublesome matters. But what could be done about it? It seemed like there was no choice. Qing asked for the group¡¯s understanding. That it seemed they would have to take a bit more of an arduous path because of her. ¡°I am dismayed. Did I really appear like someone who would ignore Sword Brother¡¯s troubles?¡± ¡°Uh, as for this Daoist, I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to abandon your fellow Daoists? Are you turning your back on the values of status and allocation? Do you not know whose family name I carry?¡± ¡°will agree¡­¡­.¡± Both of them agreed so very cheerfully. It was truly a relief that she didn¡¯t lose her financiers. As such, they packed their bags and stepped outside. Strangely, the streets were crowded and the ratio of women was, once again, oddly high. But honestly, it wasn¡¯t all that strange anymore. Nor did it feel novel. After ignoring it, they headed to the stable. That was when Qing witnessed a peculiar situation. ¡°Please, find my son¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Agh, hey! You old hag! Who do you think you are toe here?!¡± ¡°Aigo, please, my son definitely said he was going to the Daijing Sect. Please. Please, just look for him once. Please¡­¡­¡± In front of a small side gate in the imposing wall¡­ An old woman with white hair pleaded with a martial artist wielding a b¨­. *** Chapter 46: We Are Looking For Someone (2) ? We Are Looking For Someone (2) ? ¡°No, old woman, that is enough. Please go back. Your son or whoever did note here, understand? If you continue to wail like this and they hear you, there will be big trouble for you.¡± ¡°He definitely said he wasing here¡­¡­.. Please? My son, Hasam, surely told me he received a big task at the Daijing Sect. He said after finishing the task, he would find his wife again and live well. I am sure of it. Warrior, please, could you check once more for my Hasam, Lee Hasam¡­¡­.¡± ¡°For crying out loud. A hag dares¡­ Hurry and get lost. How unlucky do I have to be to get thismotion during my shift¡­¡­.¡± There was no particr need to intervene. But there also wasn¡¯t any reason not to. Never in Qing¡¯s life had she merely watched a distasteful scene without doing anything about it. Right as Qing was about to say something¡­ ¡°Look here. Is there a need to be so heartless? You must understand the heart of a mother looking for her child, do you not? After all, you must have a father and mother as well.¡± Surprisingly, Changbin was the one to step up first. Qing was shocked. What the fuck, he can actually¡­¡­ speak! And fluently, at that! The martial artist corrected his posture upon seeing Changbin. It was only natural for someone who had trained with des. After all, his uniform, adorned with a plum blossom, was the symbol of the Mount Hua Sect. One did not have the qualifications to be called a martial artist if they did not tense up upon such a sight. Of course, Qing was in the unqualified category. ¡°Are you a Dao Master of the Mount Hua Sect?¡± ¡°This Daoist is named Changbin. I have intervened because I found the scene I happened upon quite displeasing.¡± ¡°Ah, Dao Master Changbin. The truth is, this kind of situation has happened more than once or twice now. Initially, everyone took it at face value and looked for a man named Lee Hasam, but he had no connection to our sect.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Even so, she stubbornly continued toe for over a month now, so perhaps I was a bit harsh in my words.¡± Qing supported the old woman. ¡°Granny, are you okay?¡± ¡°Are you a warrior, Sir1Interesting take here, is that they used the word ¡°Naeuri¡± which is a way to describe an upper ss MAN. From my spection, seems like the granny doesn¡¯t have great sight.? Then please, could you find my son? Please¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah. Sure. We¡¯ll try to find him, so could you go home for today? Your son¡¯s name was¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Lee Hasam, it is Lee Hasam. If you say Hasam of Somyeong Vige, he¡¯ll know.¡± There was a phrase called ????. The mostmon surnames in the Central ins were Wang, Lee, and Jang. And this phrase stated, ¡®Third son of the Jang family, fourth son of the Lee family¡¯, thus referring to exceedingly ordinary people. If it was Lee Hasam, his name meant he was the third son of the Lee family, born in summer. In the Central ins, hundreds of people coulde up when looking for a Lee Hasam. But Qing couldn¡¯t just say that she couldn¡¯t find her son because his name was toomon. As such, she promised to try her best to find him. ¡°Aigo, thank you. Thank you, Warrior.¡± The old woman muttered her thanks repeatedly with a relieved attitude and disappeared with a bent back. Qing watched her go and asked awkwardly. ¡°By the way, does anyone here know how to look for people? Anyone?¡± ¡ª- Unexpectedly, Changbin moved deftly. He asked the gatekeeper for permission to enter and then said to the group. ¡°This Daoist will ask around the Hao Sect and the Beggar¡¯s Union. Little Brother Peng wille with me. Little Brother Namgung and Young Lady Ximen will stay at the Daijing Sect and gather information here.¡± From Qing¡¯s perspective, Changbin was a far too gentle martial artist with hand tremors, but he was still the Eldest Brother of the Hidden Dragon Assembly. At twenty-nine, there was no other young Master in Jianghu with a more wide range of experiences than him. ¡°Oho? Look at our Changbin go. Our friend here was quite a smart one, huh?¡± Qing had already dered them as friends. To emphasize once again, it was not a suggestion, but a deration. Since Changbin was on the older side and Qing had a higher status and allocation, why not just say those two qualities were practically the same and be friends, right? From Qing¡¯s viewpoint, it was a significant concession. After all, strictly speaking, Qing was higher in both age and status. The only things she wasckingpared to him were wealth andmon sense. On the other hand, Changbin felt quite burdened. After all, status usually took precedence over age. Moreover- ¡°Changbinie is soooo reliable. Iyaaa, how reassuring.¡± Qing kept poking Changbin¡¯s side with her elbow. ¡­¡­.What kind of woman behaves so freely with a man?! In a world where men and women were distinct, how could she be so informal?! How could a woman not know to be modest?! ¡­¡­..Could she perhaps have feelings for me? Of course, Changbin, rather, was the one who actually became modest in front of women. He averted his gaze with a flushed face. ¡°That¡­¡­. Let us go, Little Brother Peng.¡± Peng Daesan looked at him as if finding him pathetic and then spoke. ¡°By the way, Big Brother¡­ Do I have to go with you?¡± ¡°Of course. Did I not say we are going to the Hao Sect, after all?¡± The Hao Sect was the most peculiar union in Jianghu. Originally, Hao referred to the five most humble professions in Jianghu. A sect meant for such lowly people. Essentially, it was a gathering of those living at the very bottom of society. One might wonder what such people, the lowest of the low, could aplish, even if they gathered together. However, they leveraged their specialties to exert their own kind of strength. Namely, their incredible stealth techniques that made them practically invisible to others! These lower-ss lives were masters of stealth, thus indiscernible. When people in the Central ins sat in an inn, they did not notice the servers cleaning the floors. Even if they were seen, they did not think such lowly beings could even understand human speech. Porters, coachmen, and boatmen were also treated as invisible. Peddlers and courtesans were regarded as if they were deaf. Through this, the Hao Sect became the foremost information dealer of information, as well as a jack-of-all-trades enterprise dealing in smuggling, ck market trades, brokerage, and more. And the sellers of information in the Hao Sect were beautiful courtesans. Those who actively utilized the weapon of womanhood. They were adept at overcharging while selling information and skillfully extracting information in return. Yet, there was someone who could exploit the weakness of any and every woman. The one who exuded such majesty was the Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens. ¡°Little Brother Penging along will surely yield proper information. After all, those individuals have reached a state of mastery when ites to ripping people off.¡± Peng Daesan was immediately convinced. Meanwhile, a face poked out of a sect¡¯s side gate. It was the Daijing Sect¡¯s Leader, Wang Gaeyuk. Originally, the side gate was a passage only used by servants, kitchen staff, and the like. It was not exactly dignified, nor honorable, for a Sect Leader to be seen using it. However, this was the conclusion Wang Gaeyuk hade to after much contemtion. After all, it was also true that guests usually did note to the side gate. Especially such distinguished ones. ¡°This ce does not seem to be suitable in weing such esteemed guests, so please let me escort you through the main gate.¡± It was apromise that satisfied both parties. Since the Sect Leader personally weed them, there was no shame in facing the guests, and since he did not cross through the side gate, his dignity remained intact. From the guests¡¯ perspective, they did not pass through the side gate and the homeowner personally came out to greet them, a move that could be considered admirable. But to Qing, all she could think was¡­ Why? What¡¯s the point? ¡°Ehhhh? Do we really need to go through the main gate?¡± ¡°I understand Sword Brother¡¯s free and easy manner, but a true man does not enter through the side gate. As Sword Brother is also a peerless swordsman, you must always keep this in mind.¡± In other words, entering through the side door was considered a disgrace for a swordsman. Qing just epted it as was. Ah, okie. I see. Just as expected of the OG ching chongs, huh. Look at them making a big deal out of useless shit. While the guests were led along the tall walls of the manor, Daijing Sect Leader, Wang Gaeyuk, felt somewhat disappointed. He had heard that a Daoist from the Mount Hua Sect had arrived. Wang Gaeyuk had also heard of the rumors that the Jade Qilin had entered the city. As such, it was easy to guess who exactly the Daoist of the Mount Hua Sect and his party were. But what was this? It was just a young swordsman and a pretty girl in martial attire. The young man was indeed personable, but he did not radiate the brilliance of the Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens. It really seemed like they weren¡¯t at a level where the Sect Leader had to personally show his face. Had he acted too hastily? That was what he was thinking. Thus, his eldest son, Wang Sonseok, who was in training, came out to greet the guests instead. Wang Sonseok belonged to the Earthly Courage Team and immediately recognized the unexpected visitor¡¯s face. ¡°Great Expert Namgung Shinjae! It is an honor to have you visit our sect! My name is Wang Sonseok. Do you perhaps recognize me? We have met a few times at the Alliance.¡± ¡°Is that so? Pleased to meet you.¡± Wang Sonseok was slightly taken aback. After all, Namgung Shinjae¡¯s attitude was quite lukewarm. ¡°Great Expert?¡± ¡°To think the Daijing Sect was a half-sword sect. But since we arerades of the same Orthodox Faction, I have no choice but to try to understand. Apologies for the sudden visit.¡± What in the world is a half-sword sect? Perhaps the reason for the sessor of Namgung¡¯s chilly demeanor lies in that term called a half-sword sect. Did our Daijing Sect do something wrong? However, Wang Sonseok could not even begin to guess what exactly it was, so he had no choice but to break out in a cold sweat. For reference, as a member of the Orthodox Faction, he was someone who had always prided himself on maintaining the dignity befitting such a status. ¡°Ah! I apologize. This is not the time for me to be asking such things. Is there anything you need? What can I do for you? Will you be staying the night?¡± The meaning behind such questions was whether they were going to stay for dinner. That he needed advance notice in order to prepare. ¡°I am not sure, but there are more in our group. After all, the Drunken Sword and Jade Qilin have gone to take care of some business. However, they should be back soon.¡± This implied they were not sure about staying for the night, but did intend to have dinner here. That there were more peopleing, so they should prepare as such. ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Wang Sonseok¡¯s face lit up. There were a whopping three members of the Heavenly Martial Team. And even among such a group, they were all true Hidden Dragons, at the level of sessors to their respective affiliations. Such an opportunity to build personal connections hade knocking, so naturally, he could not help but be delighted. ¡°Then, this Young Lady here is¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ximen Qing.¡± Her introduction was a bit brief. It implied she was an unknown without a n, sect, or title to her name. She was a fairly pretty young girl, as well as a swordsman, so he assumed she was just someone they were bringing around. After all, at least one of such women was usually present aspany.. ¡°I see. So you are Young Lady Ximen.¡± Wang Sonseok instantly lost interest. There was no benefit in getting too familiar with the woman of a Heavenly Martial Team member. After all, it wouldn¡¯t end well for him. ¡°But Great Expert, will the rest of your party be much dyed? Father has prepared some refreshments.¡± ¡°Oooh. Refreshments. You¡¯re quite courteous, huh? Hey, Sword Brother. Is it right for me to join as well in these situations? Ignoring delights that had already been prepared would be rude, right? Can you say I¡¯m right?¡± ¡°Of course, that is only natural. No sect, union, or n would dare to neglect someone like Sword Brother.¡± So, when such a conversation came up, Wang Sonseok was quite taken aback. He roughly understood what Sword Brother meant in this context. But to think she was a woman with such significance that even the sessor of the Namgung n himself would use the word ¡®dare¡¯ to describe how she should be treated. What is going on? Is she the futuredy of the house? I should have been more weing earlier. Shoot! Wang Sonseok elevated his evaluation of Qing by at least three stages. *** Chapter 47: We Are Looking For Someone (3) ? We Are Looking For Someone (3) ? Daijing Sect Leader, Pinnacle of Huangchuan Wang Gaeyuk, was a good person. Qing didn¡¯t even need to check his Karma; she could tell just by looking at the mountainous piles of snacks on the table. And when she did actually check, surely enough, he was maintaining Righteous Karma, giving him enough of a qualification to be an owner of an Orthodox sect. While Namgung Shinjae was strangely keeping some distance, asionally engaging in conversation here and there, Qing just went ahead and ate. Bitter-tasting local tea, Banhan tea, was served along with a mountain of Youtiao and two types of Go. Youtiao was a snack made from deep-fried dough. It was one of Qing¡¯s favorite treats. After all, it tasted exactly like the twisted doughnuts she used to eat in her hometown. In fact, since the method of making them was actually the same, the taste was obviously identical. Go referred to a variety of stacks that had been hardened after cooling. Some were sweet, some were sweet and sour, and others were salty. Qing never, ever refrained from eating. This was the one thing she absolutely could not hold back on. After all, she considered the only advantage of this voluptuous body to be its super-capacity stomach. Come to think of it, all this obsession over food stemmed from her struggling after dropping into this primitive, uncivilized ancient China. For now, she hastily filled herself up on snacks. Then, after doing so a while, she abruptly remembered that snacks weren¡¯t actually the goal at hand. ¡°Ah. Sect Leader. Do you happen to know a person named Lee Hasam?¡± ¡°Lee Hasam? Lee Hasam, you say¡­¡­¡­ Was there such a sect disciple¡­¡­.? I cannot recall anyone by that name. Hoho, it is a bit embarrassing for me to say, but I cannot memorize the names of every single sect disciple. But, why is it that you are looking for him?¡± ¡°Well, about that¡­¡­.¡± Qing recounted the incident that happened at the side gate. Wang Gaeyuk pped his palm with his fist. ¡°Ah, you mean that old woman. It truly is regrettable¡­ But I do not understand why she is asking for him in our Daijing Sect.¡± ¡°Did you already know about this?¡± ¡°Of course. It was a pitiful situation, so I had even inquired about it. But when I did, I found that Lee Hasam was quite a wretched bastard.¡± ¡°A wretched bastard?¡± ¡°He had gotten obsessed with gambling, lost all his family fortune, and even sold his wife to a brothel. It is obvious he must have run away to escape his debts. And then, he proceeded to pin it on our sect. Tsk, tsk.¡± Wang Gaeyuk clicked his tongue in displeasure. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Qing suddenly remembered the old woman¡¯s words. She said he had taken on some big task from the Daijing Sect, so he could find his wife and live well again. Finding her? Unless he stored her somewhere, those words didn¡¯t make sense. But if he sold his wife, it meant he intended to buy her back with money. So, such word choice was consistent with that spection. That was when Wang Gaeyuk subtly brought up something else. ¡°Ah. My children are a bitcking, but they are eager to meet such distinguished guests. May I introduce you?¡± Qing looked at Namgung Shinjae. A silent conversation of gazes passed between the Sword Brothers. ¡®Is this perhaps the part where we pay for the tea price?¡¯ ¡®That is correct.¡¯ She roughly got it. Basically, after one eats, they should pay the suitable price of the food. Since they had to intrude on his hospitality while waiting for Peng Daesan and Changbin anyway, merely having a conversation with his children should be fine. When Peng Daesan and Changbin returned, their findings were essentially the same. That he was a bastard obsessed with gambling who even sold his wife. That he surely must have run away to dodge his gambling debts. However, that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°There were many who have run away exactly like this. People like Lee Hasam acted as if they had found some big opportunity before disappearing. It was said that all three people, including Lee Hasam, mentioned the Dajing Sect.¡± ¡°Then, is it rted to the Dajing Sect?¡± ¡°The amount of ingredients entering the Daijing Sect and the amount of trash left over has not changed during such a time. So, it is probably not a kidnapping case.¡± Peng Daesan ryed the words he had obtained from an information broker. It was from a former courtesan who generously shared everything she knew without holding anything back. No, that was an understatement. She practically shared her entire life story. Just as it had always been since long, long ago, beauty was a form of power as well. ¡°The Daijing Sect¡¯s external activities are limited to patrols. There are no personnel sent outside, so apparently it is unrted to the Daijing Sect.¡± ¡°Mm. So, they just ran away? Uhh, what were they called again? The Beggar¡¯s Union? Did you ask them too?¡± ¡°The beggars¡­¡­. Wait, that expression.¡± Peng Daesan shuddered. It was that expression again. That damn expression that practically screamed she knew absolutely nothing. ¡°Do you not know¡­¡­..what the Beggar¡¯s Union is?¡± ¡°I guess I don¡¯t?¡± At this point, he only found it wondrous. In fact, it was almost awe-inspiring. Hasn¡¯t this practically surpassed the realm of mere ignorance? Honestly, yes. It had obviously gone beyond mere ignorance. But it wasn¡¯t because Qing was ignorant that she didn¡¯t know. It was just that she had no interest whatsoever. She hadn¡¯t sought to learn about it on her own, so she never bothered to ask in the first ce, nor had she encountered anyone who would discuss such matters during her travels. If she had to pick something she was interested in¡­ Food would be the only topic. Ximen Surin was horrified when she saw this side of Qing, thus teaching her many different aspects ofmon sense. However, even Ximen Surin could not teach her about such obvious things. After all, she must have known already, right? How could one dare to think that there would be the absence of amon sense beyond even their wildest imaginations? Thus on this day, Qing finally learned about the identity of the Beggar¡¯s Union, an organization of Murim. She also found that the strong beggars wearing those seemingly new ropes were from the Beggar¡¯s Union. The beggar with seven knots that pestered her at Anqing was actually a high-ranking person in the Beggar¡¯s Union, but why would she care about that? Either way, he was lower than Qing in status. ¡°They said over thirty people had run away in nearly two months and, despite a majority having been witnessed fleeing, they still found this situation quite strange.¡± ¡°Then, what is it? They ran away as a group or something?¡± ¡°Perhaps someone lured people away promising great benefits in the name of the Daijing Sect. That was what they suspected.¡± ¡°Oooh. The beggars are pretty smart, ay?¡± Qing was impressed. But then, she suddenly realized something strange. ¡°But is that all? Why are they the only ones to know? The Daijing Sect doesn¡¯t know, though. Shouldn¡¯t they have already done some kind of investigation on their own end?¡± Peng Daesan replied as if she was saying something utterly ridiculous. ¡°Are they not just people who lived foolishly and disappeared hoping for some big windfall? Is there really any need to look for them?¡± ¡°Eung?¡± Qing looked at Namgung Shinjae. As such, he spoke as well. ¡°He is mere trash that sold his wife. It is better for her mother too if he just disappears.¡± ¡°Ehh? Wot?¡± Qing turned her head to look at Changbin this time. Changbin, too, nodded at Qing, so very naturally lowering his gaze upon Qing¡¯s unspoken question. What the¡­ Am I the weird one? For some reason, Qing felt a bit wronged, thus protesting ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re right? If someone is plotting some conspiracy¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Is it hard for you to handle about thirty Third-Rate martial artists, Qingie?¡± ¡°I mean, of course not?¡± The pet name ¡®Qingie¡¯ came out naturally from Peng Daesan¡¯s mouth, but no one managed to notice. ¡°Even Third-Rate martial artists who know how to wield a word are not a problem. So what kind of conspiracy could thirty people from the gutters possibly create?¡± ¡°Oh. Huh.¡± Come to think of it, that did seem to be the case. But wasn¡¯t that besides the point? ¡°Big Brother Changbin. Please share your thoughts too.¡± ¡°Uh. Um. Young Lady. That is. In the first ce, it is not particrly our ce to interfere¡­¡­¡­¡± At around this point, Changbin sneakily checked Qing¡¯s reaction. The hesitant way his words trailed off suggested he wanted to speak informally. So, Qing nodded in approval. Seeing as she had already asked to be friends before, it was rather remarkable that he was still being so timid about it. ¡°It is a matter of the civilians. Ultimately, the government should step in for this.¡± ?????1This means exactly what the line following says!. Non-interference between the government and Murim, thus meaning that they should not intrude upon each other¡¯s affairs. This was why fights between martial arts were not considered murder and not pursued byw. Conversely, martial artists who killed civilians and themon people were wanted with bounties ced on their heads. In severe cases, Masters affiliated with the government were dispatched to behead the criminals. ¡°Of course, there are brave ns like the Yang n of Xinjiang, who have protected themon people for generations, even at the cost of shedding their own blood. But is there truly a need for the Yang n to step in, just because the government is ipetent at fighting off the foreign invaders? Moreover, their estates are ind and have nothing to even do with those pirates.¡± The Yang n of Xinjiang? Hmm, I think that¡¯s the same Yang n as that guy, right? Qing frowned. After all, she had regarded them as nothing more than child molesters. Ah. I wonder. Is Jangmyeongie doing well? She did say she would return when it gets cold, so maybe she could go visit the Divine Maiden Sect after touring the Mount Hua Sect a bit. Then, she suddenly felt like something was off. Something, somethingsomething¡­. It felt like she was forgetting something. What is it? Why do I feel so empty? It kinda feels like I¡¯m missing something obvious¡­ Then, the answer suddenly came to her. It was the Status Window. To be more specific, a Mission Window had not popped up. Why? Normally, at this point, doesn¡¯t something like Sudden Mission! or whatever have to pop up, shitting all over my mood? I guess I did feel like I overcame itst time. Did I actually manage to get rid of it through that? Qing opened the Mission Window with a sense of unease. The Mission Window floated up from a corner of her vision and unfolded in the center. Qing¡¯s eyes trembled as she scanned through thepleted mission. Sudden Missions didn¡¯t appear just anytime. They only appeared when Qing was insulted or threatened. Or when she faced a fight between martial artists. Basically, it meant that it couldn¡¯t give two shits about the missing case of an ordinary person. Qing covered her mouth. After all, she felt like she was about to vomit out the snacks she had just eaten because of the sudden nausea. Uwegh, this crazy Status Window motherfucker. It¡¯s a little piece of shit whether ites up or not. Were you fucking discriminating even for missions? Based on who the person involved was? Then what constitutes Righteous Karma and Evil Karma? Are there separate standards for Righteous and Evil Karma? One for the government and another for martial artists? What even is the criteria to begin with? If the Status Window arbitrarily assigns scores and good and evil don¡¯t actually matter¡­ Then what am I? What about everything I have don¡­¡­. ¡°Ximen Qing!¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s shout snapped Qing back to reality, ¡°Are you alright? You suddenly turned pale.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s n¡­ot that I¡¯m not alright.¡± Qing¡¯s hands trembled. She was thirsty. A thirst that neither water nor alcohol could quench. Blood. Blood is. Blood is what, blood is what I need¡­¡­.. But then, suddenly, a face came to mind. Right. I met someone I could kill, huh. Let¡¯s just hold on a little longer. Then, I can finally see some blood tonight. ¡°Hooo¡­¡­¡± It was right when Qing was trying to calm herself with a deep breath. ¡°Sword Brother.¡± Namgung Shinjae¡¯s voice, drenched in worry, reached her. ¡°Why? Sword Brother.¡± ¡°No, well, it¡¯s just that¡­ By any chance¡­¡± Namgung Shinjae hesitated. It was quite a departure from his usual confident demeanor. When Qing cocked her head, Namgung Shinjae continued to speak with great difficulty. ¡°Come to think of it, the date is roughly¡­ You know.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Sword Brother, are you not going to speak properly?¡± ¡°No, well, I mean, what I am trying to say is¡­ Wait a moment.¡± Namgung Shinjae rummaged through his belongings and pulled out a bundle. ¡°Right, this. Here, take it.¡± ¡°What is this? Is it a gift? So suddenly? If you think this will make me happy, then you¡¯re absolutely right. But, what is it? A gift of swordly affection? Swordly affection. Once again, a weird term popped up. However, Namgung Shinjae did not show much reaction, so it was no fun/ ¡°It is poppy.¡± ¡°Poppy? Isn¡¯t that just opium? But why give this to me?¡± As Qing unfolded the bundle, the scent of dried leaves filled the air. It was the trademark smell of the forest, offering tranquility and calm. ¡°If things get too difficult, just chew on one of these.¡± ¡°Uh. It¡¯s not that bad, though. Anyway. Thanks.¡± Qing expressed her gratitude, albeit with mixed feelings. After all, it feels a bit inappropriate to ept drugs and be happy about it, you know? *** Chapter 48: We Are Looking For Someone (4) ? We Are Looking For Someone (4) ? Anyway, tasting the gift on the spot, even though it may not be polite, would definitely create a very pleasing scene. Right? Qing put a leaf soaked in poppy sap into her mouth and chewed. It was bitter at first, and then it had a rather strange taste. Truly, an indescribable vor and texture. The pickled leaf didn¡¯t dissolve or break down in her mouth, but rather just oozed a bitter juice. It wasn¡¯t bad enough to spit out, but it also wasn¡¯t all that tasty either. But well, it wasn¡¯t meant to be eaten for its vor in the first ce, so what else could really be done? All she could do was endure it. How much time had passed since she thoroughly chewed and swallowed even the fibrous residue? Soon, a drowsy medicinal effect spread throughout her. It felt like she was somehow floating, making her feel at ease as if everything in the world was soft and fluffy. After crawling on her butt until she reached the wall, Qing slumped down against it. In truth, opium poppy was considered more of a first-aid medicine in the Central ins. It was because of its excellent efficacy. It reduced fever, relieved indigestion, and stopped diarrhea. Moreover, it soothed pain and hunger, a truly miraculous herb like no other in Heaven and Earth. On top of that, it was hardy and grew in abundance. It wasmon practice in civilian households to grow a few of them in the backyard for medicinal use. It wasmon for female martial artists to carry it around. After all, it helped alleviate the difort and agony they experienced in a certain few days of the month. It wasn¡¯t just about feeling like shit and a bit nauseous; the merciless Jianghu did not consider a woman¡¯s circumstances. It was potentially more fatal than mere sickness. As such, the other two did not really stop her. Per usual, Changbin had something to say, but looked away awkwardly instead. Meanwhile, Peng Daesan just gave a piece of advice. ¡°It is not healthy for a martial artist. It is best to use it one at a time only when absolutely necessary, but¡­¡­.¡± Then, he looked towards Namgung Shinjae. Or at least, Peng Daesan believed he just looked at him. ¡°How do you know about that¡­ day of the month, Big Brother Namgung? And to think you would even keep track of such a thing. How is this so?¡± ¡°Huhhh. Little Brother Peng, your gaze is quite impolite, is it not? It was not me who kept track, nor am I the one to bring such a herb. Elder Keeper of Secrets gave it to me.¡± ¡°Elder Keeper of Secrets, you say? How did such a figure¡­?¡± The Discipline Elder of the Beggar¡¯s Union, Keeper of Secrets Nugok, was well-known for his obsession with secrets. ¡°When I first met Sword Brother, coincidentally, there was mm¡­. misconduct. Mm. Yes. That happened. I thought, how could there be such a fierce woman in this world? Perhaps the Elder thought the same after seeing that situation and wished to give her some poppy.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The glint in Peng Daesan¡¯s eyes changed. Misconduct. And fierceness. What exactly had the Keeper of Secrets seen to personally send poppy to a girl who could be his granddaughter? ¡°There is no need to send such pitying looks. Well, in the end, I became friends with such a precious Sword Brother. Is it not just like that saying? ¡®It is unpredictable how joy and misfortune would enter your life¡¯. Is that not so, Sword Brother?¡± ¡°Yeahhhhh. Sword Brotherrrrr.¡± Qing raised her arm and responded. Poppy was originally a toxic nt. Seeing how she took a huge bite from the start and thoroughly sucked out all the juice, it was no wonder she was intoxicated. Normally, poppy was finely chopped or brewed like tea to control its effects. Peng Daesan cocked his head. What is this? Why is she acting like someone who¡¯s chewing on poppy for the first time? ¡°¡­¡­Could it be¡­ You¡­¡± -Esteemed guests. Dinner has been prepared. A servant¡¯s call inviting the guests to dinner interrupted Peng Daesan¡¯s words. ¡ª- Qing wasn¡¯t drunk but rather, high on drugs. Strictly speaking, alcohol was also a drug. As such, drugs had major categories, each with different effects. Alcohol stirred the meridians, lifting spirits and leading to hasty decisions. On the other hand, opium clouded the mind, providing a dreamlikefort. Qing was in a very, veryfortable state due to the drug¡¯s effect. It was simr to how she felt when staying at the Divine Maiden Sect. And at the Divine Maiden Sect, she always behaved in a fixed manner. After all, she had to always be wary of Ximen Surin¡¯s nuclear noogie airstrikes, delivered from the medium of Sword Flight. Originally, habits tended to surface more when the mind was muddled, so it was only natural for Qing, high on opium and delirious, to reveal her habits. A girl akin to a gentle butterfly meandered the path. Peng Daesan frowned and Changbin nced at Qing. Namgung Shinjae was originally indifferent. Also, having already seen all sorts of sides from his Sword Brother, he didn¡¯t mind as long as it wasn¡¯t too unsightly. Meanwhile, the Daijing Sect Leader Wang Gaeyuk and his children rubbed their eyes. Who is that? Is ¡®that¡¯ the same¡­ thing as before? After all, she was the very woman who gorged herself earlier, as if the snacks were her parents¡¯ murderer she wished to annihte from the world. And then, throughout the conversation, she showed signs of drowsiness. Didn¡¯t she even nod off a few times? But now, she had suddenly appeared as a girl full of grace, so it was only natural for them to be so surprised. Poppy made one forget hunger and provided a sense of fullness. As such, unbing of her, Qing slowly picked out and savored only the delicious foods. Among everyone¡¯s astonishment, there was one person who felt a different, ticklish emotion. It was Wang Gaeyuk¡¯s second son, Wang Sonman. It was because of this guest who kept smiling and making eye contact with him throughout the meal. Has Young Lady Ximen taken a liking to me? After all, the look in her eyes was too tant to say it was not true. Sometimes, when their eyes didn¡¯t meet, he thought she might be focusing on something above his head for a moment, but soon she would meet his eyes again and send him a beautiful smile. Pride surged from deep within Wang Sonman, That¡¯s right. It is me! Not Big Brother, but me! It¡¯s this Wang Sonman who she is interested in! Not Big Brother, but me! Me, I tell you! Consequently, a gradually increasing sense of difort emanated from the Jade Qilin, who was sitting next to her. Putting aside the anxious beating of his heart due to seemingly rubbing off on a Master the wrong way, Wang Sonman¡¯s nose pridefully turned up and the angle of his jaw lifted. The Jade Qilin is far too handsome, so she probably didn¡¯t even consider him in the first ce, right? When thinking realistically, I, this Wang Sonman, must be the most charming person here. Wang Sonman was intoxicated with a sense of victory while Peng Daesan seemed increasingly uneasy for some reason. Qing, however? She was just happy. This is what it means to be happy just by looking at something. -324. How could a number be so beautiful? Whether the Mission Window considered themon folk as humans or not, that didn¡¯t matter for shit in this situation. That bastard was a martial artist, so he was definitely one shitty ass motherfucker. His father had Righteous Karma, his older brother had Righteous Karma, and even his sister, who kept giving displeased looks, was only -17. So, it was quite curious and rather impressive that he alone seemed to scream ¡®I¡¯m different!¡¯ by having over an Evil Karma value that was over three hundred. And above all, she was so very grateful. She couldn¡¯t help butmend him from the depths of her heart. His¡­ talent was confirmed at the afternoon tea she had earlier. And after hearing the story about the missing cases in their room, the puzzle pieces seemed to fit perfectly. Ah. It¡¯s that motherfucker! The reason for dragging the Daijing Sect¡¯s name through the dirt? Because obviously, it worked. It made it easier to fool ordinary people. If it was said to be a lucrative task requested by the righteous, orthodox Daijing Sect, it would not seem all that dangerous at first nce. Furthermore, the fear of repercussions would have been lesser as well. But in order to pull it off? There had to be some kind of assurance that the request indeed came from the Daijing Sect. Then, what if the second son himself was personally involved? Wasn¡¯t it only natural for it to be believable at that point? So, it was a kind of fraud. In modern terms, it was like handing over a fake business card to fool gullible people. Huh, I guess all these scamming motherfuckers think the same way. How is it that they are all so identical? Qing thought, her mind soaring due to the drugs. What would it have been like in-game? I probably would¡¯ve had to lead somerades, find evidence, search for people. Even witnesses may have been necessary. Maybe I would have dragged literally everyone¡¯s name in the mud? You¡¯re the culprit! No, you! Nah, it¡¯s the father! No, the mother! Sorry, I meant the grandfather! Nevermind, it¡¯s the grandmother! I would have used everyone, tarnishing their honor. I mean, as long as it¡¯s not me, right? Who cares about them NPCs? After all, in games where attacking NPCs are not allowed¡­ Only after uncovering the conspiracy would they get judged as an enemy. And then, I would be able to beat the shit out of them. But right now? Is this a game? To be honest, I don¡¯t really know either? I guess? But does that mean I can¡¯t attack? Nah. Fuck that. Status Window? If you want to stop me, just try it. Fuck it. I¡¯ll fuck over whoever I want. Of course, I mean metaphorically. My dick is gone, after all. Anyway, fuck off. I¡¯m gonna do as I fucking please. Even if my dick is gone physically, I believe that the cock and balls of the soul is what makes a true man! Qing¡¯s smile grew increasingly simr. Fortunately, a catastrophe where the girl, overflowing with Heavenly ughter, suddenly started emitting killing intent did not ur. It was because the meal ended at just the right time. After they finished eating and got up to return to their rooms¡­ Qing whispered to Wang Sonman as she passed by him. ¡°Young Master, I will see you at the side gate after midnight. I will be waiting.¡± Steam seemed to snort out from Wang Sonman¡¯s nose. ¡ª- Even Qing couldn¡¯t help but doze off slightly due to the medicinal effect, thus being a bitte. Of course, it wasn¡¯t Qing¡¯s fault at all. The responsibility for beingte was entirely on those primitive Chinese fuckers of the Middle Ages who didn¡¯t even have a clock in their rooms. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Qing, there was more than just one side gate in the Daijing Sect. So, Wang Sonman paced back and forth near the sect¡¯s side gates as the time approached, his heart burning with impatience. Was she just ying around with me? Come to think of it, he thought there was no reason for her to choose him over the formidable members of the Heavenly Martial Team. Even in the slim case that she did, there was no reason to specifically flirt with the second son when there was a separate sessor to the sect. But those eyes¡­ What if she was just briefly dyed because she dozed off? Thus, Wang Sonman wandered for about an hour and a half. To put it in modern terms, he basically waited aimlessly for three hours in the hope of banging a girl. He was truly an exemr in disying the sorrow of a man. And finally¡­ ¡°Ah. Young Master. I apologize for beingte.¡± ¡°Not at all. Damsel. I have just arriv- Nono, I have waited a long¡­¡­.time, but it is no matter.¡± Wang Sonman started with the usual stereotypical reply but then corrected himself, realizing the oddity in his words. It wasn¡¯t right to say he had just arrived when it was more than an hour and a half after the expected time. iming he hadn¡¯t waited long would make him seem tardy, after all. ¡°Um, Young Master. I am embarrassed to ask this, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°W-What is it?¡± ¡°Is there perhaps a ce where one can scream loudly without being overheard?¡± ¡°Heuk.¡± Wang Sonman spat out hisst remaining breaths in spite of himself. *** Chapter 49: We Are Looking For Someone (5) ? We Are Looking For Someone (5) ? From the aspect of extracting information, torture was remarkably inefficient. Torture was an act that brought forth the antipathy of the opponent. As such, how could one trust the information divulged by a target whose hostility had been heightened to the extreme? Moreover, the person being tortured would gauge the torturer¡¯s reactions in order to somehow escape the moment. It became a situation where they said what the torturer wanted to hear, instead of actually conveying urate facts. However, for Qing, this was a fact she didn¡¯t know anyway. And even if she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have cared. There was a deep-seated malice embedded in her heart. A powerful urge that always whispered persistently. Blood and blood. And even more blood. Screams. Outcries of pain. Blood phlegm boiling, surging up in wheezes. Weak breaths, barely clinging onto life. Tears swallowed down to stifle the wails. Pupils that all had different charms, whether they were unfocused and dully open, trembling fiercely without being able to settle, or expanding into emptiness/distrust when intuitively facing death. All those moments of pain were so very beautiful. As such, her body trembled violently and she could not hold back her ragged breathing; every nerve in her body, every bone and joint, every muscle felt like it was aze with a horrific pleasure. Ah. So this is why artists go crazy. Why they continue to paint, even while ingesting mercury vapor, and continue to write, even while coughing up blood due to tuberculosis. Then, even if their lives end short, it must not have been a misfortune. After all, they must have lived happily until the very end. Therefore, Qing¡¯s approach was different from torture. It was closer to a quest for truth or a religious ritual of worship. She gauged the damage inflicted on the subject through groans, screams, and breaths while dissecting the flesh and turning muscles inside out. It was a study, an effort, to understand how to keep a life¡­ alive while dissecting it alive. All for the sake of inflicting more pain. Hence, Qing¡¯s touch was delicate and cautious. After all, it was her one and only educational material in this study. A test subject she could only experiment on once in a blue moon. Suddenly, Qing¡¯s hand stopped. Ah. Fiddling with more might be a bit dangerous, huh? It was a baseless intuition. Ahhh,e on. And it was going so well. Qing stepped back, licking her lips. ¡°Please, please, I would rather you just kill me, please¡­¡­..¡± Wang Sonman, who had turned into a lump of blood in the shape of a human, begged. His vocal cords, overworked by the screams, produced a sound akin to scraping sand and his squeezed lungs failed to even function properly. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯ve done something bad, right?¡± Qing giggled. ¡°We¡¯re secret friends, right? Can¡¯t you just tell me a little? Only me? What did you do to score over three hundred points?¡± Yeah. I really should¡¯ve discovered this first. What in the world was I doing, merely shing throats without a care? Have I¡­lived too thoughtlessly? I admit it. Seems like I need to reflect a bit more. But, it¡¯s the world that¡¯s wrong anyway, right? Look no further than this scum. He was kidnapping innocent people, who were just minding their own lives. ¡°I, I deceived people¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah. The missing people?¡± Qing cocked her head. ¡°Nahh, no, no. Come on. That¡¯s not it. Do you really think merely doing that would score you minus three hundred points? Is deceiving people really that bad of a deed?¡± ¡°I knew¡­those people¡­wouldn¡¯t¡­return¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah. So even though you knew, you sent them to their death? That kinda makes sense. So, how many did you send?¡± ¡°Two, three a week. It has been over half a year.¡± ¡°Eh? What the¡­ Okay then, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s 2.5. Then that¡¯s ten people in 4 weeks. If it¡¯s over half a year, that¡¯s roughly over sixty people, huh? Mm. Mm. Yep yep, makes sense. That checks out.¡± Qing nodded. Sending at least sixty people to their death must score about three hundred points of Evil Karma, huh. No, no, wait. That doesn¡¯t sound correct, right? Wait. Doesn¡¯t killing bad guys give Righteous Karma? ¡°Is that all? ¡°Demonic Arts¡­ I also practiced Demonic Arts.¡± ¡°Demonic Arts? What kind?¡± ¡°Heart Absorption Arts¡­¡­.¡± Once again, it was a situation of ¡®Qing doesn¡¯t know martial arts anyway~¡¯. But just from hearing the name, she felt like she somewhat understood what it was. Heart Absorption Arts. Isn¡¯t it like a martial art that eats hearts? In fact, it was an even more malevolent Demonic Arts than Qing thought. Heart Absorption Arts was a degenerated secret technique of esoteric Buddhism, increasing Inner Qi by consuming hearts refined through alchemy. Toplete the ck Heart of Heart Absorption Arts, one had to transfer the Innate True Qi of a nine-years-old child into their heart, a process apanied by terrible pain. Moreover, regardless of the practitioner¡¯s talent or constitution, their achievements increased merely by the number of hearts consumed. In reality, even after achieving the Grand Star, it wasn¡¯t like there was some significant enhancement of Inner Qi. However, the issue was the horrific method of practice and the possibility of quickly producing Masters of only Inner Qi. That was why Heart Absorption Arts was widely known as a dreadful Demonic Art. ¡°So, you¡¯ve eaten hearts, huh?¡± ¡°Because those people brought them¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Those people?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know their identity, really, truly, I don¡¯t know.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Qing gently rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°But why, though? Why do you need to learn Demonic Arts so badly that you would sacrifice people to bastards you don¡¯t even know? On top of that, you even ate human hearts, you know? Wait, no, that might actually taste good. Are they fresh when they arrive?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­¡± Qing pped her own cheeks a few times. ¡°No, fuck. Cannibalism is not the move. Sorry. My mind is a bit scattered. Anyway, why? Why go that far?¡± ¡°I-I wanted¡­to be¡­the S-Sect Leader¡­¡­.¡± Huh, he¡¯s a bigger piece of shit than I thought. He said that the organization of those people were working on something with themon people they had abducted, and when it was finished, they nned to attack the Daijing Sect. At that time, the eldest son, Wang Sonseok, was to be gravely injured and the second son, Wang Sonman, was expected to make a heroic appearance and repel the enemies. Only then did true joy bloom in Qing¡¯s heart. Ah. So, Evil Karma is finally proving itself, huh? It really does track evil urately. Looks like they were all fucking pieces of shits anyway. Good fucking riddance. She confirmed that the hobby she had pursued until now had indeed contributed to world peace. Basically, she now held a newfound sense of aplishment and pride. ¡°Now that¡­I¡¯ve told you everything¡­ Will you spare my l-¡± ¡°The fuck? Weren¡¯t you asking to be killed earlier?¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­¡± An opponent that couldn¡¯t bemunicated with was terrifying. Qing had previously been in that very state, studying the mysteries of the human body with astonishing focus. But it seemed that after they talked, a faint hope that he could live must have sprouted. ¡°Well. I¡¯ll be generous. Thanks to you, I¡¯ve also solved a dilemma, so.¡± ¡°Then, will you spare¡­¡­¡­¡± Despite his face beingpletely skinned of its leather, a vivid hope blossomed on that face. The will to live was indeed remarkable. Of course, the people this fucker sold away must have felt the same. But he couldn¡¯t be killed yet. After all, she had taken such great care not to let him die until now; killing him now would make everything go down the drain. ¡°Well. Fine. I¡¯ll overlook it this time. So, always be grateful. Understood?¡± And so, fun time is over! Fun times always seem to pass so quickly. Qing, finding it a bit of a pity, roughly threw Wang Sonman onto a nket and dragged him outside. Although this situation was not what Wang Sonman had previously imagined, he did technically end up lying on a nket. So, he achieved his goal, at least in part. Qing opened the iron door and stepped outside. By then, the sun was already shining brightly. Come to think of it, the bastard was a shitty little fucker from the very start. After all, when asked whether he knew any ces where sounds wouldn¡¯t leak, he instantly guided her to this suspicious basement. It was probably a ce where he secretly ate hearts and met those unknown people. Surprisingly, Qing was in a rather clean state. Of course, her sleeves were sticky, her face was smeared with the blood from her hand, and her nape was crusted with kes of dried gore. Butpared to her usual utterly disheveled appearance in these situations, she was extremely clean. Since the basement wasn¡¯t far from the Daijing Sect, Qing soon encountered the Daijing Sect¡¯s dao wielders. ¡ª- The day had just begun, but the Daijing Sect was already very busy. After all, a precious guest had gone missing and the second son also didn¡¯t show himself,pounding the issue. Taking note of their guests¡¯ difort, they sent out sect disciples in search of them. However, Daijing Sect Leader, Wang Gaeyuk, wasn¡¯t particrly worried. He thought they had probably just gone out for some morning errands. The young Masters of the Hidden Dragon Assembly seemed worried, but Huangchuan was not inherently a dangerous city. Wang Gaeyuk firmly believed that. So, when the guest dragged something in and imed that something was Wang Sonman, he almost copsed in shock. After all, people were weak to unexpected surprises. But little did he know; that was just the beginning. It was because of what the guest said after he urgently sent his second son to the medical hall. ¡°He deceived the missing people and abducted them. I heard it myself. He nned to collude with bad guys to kill his older brother and take over his position as sessor.¡± ¡°It cannot be! Is there any evidence, any proof? That punk might be rude, but he is not the type to concoct such evil d¡­¡­¡± ¡°He practiced Heart Absorption Arts, though? If we call a Master, wouldn¡¯t they be able to tell?¡± ¡°Heart Absorption Arts!¡± Wang Gaeyuk staggered, letting out amentation. Wang Sonseok quickly supported him from behind. ¡°That, that¡­¡­.¡± If Wang Sonman really did practice Demonic Arts, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to verify. And why would anyone lie about something that could be so easily disproved? It was the perfect evidence to back up the situation. Then, Qing pped her hands to draw everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Now, then. Onto the next topic. I also found out the ce where that unknown organization took people, you see?¡± Qing stared directly at Wang Gaeyuk and continued. ¡°You know the Daijing Sect is ultimately responsible, right? So, shouldn¡¯t youe along then?¡± The ones dragged away were nobodies, those who no one would care about even if they disappeared into the abyss of their wretched lives. As such, she wasn¡¯t really saying, ¡®Let¡¯s go save them!¡¯. If they happened to be alive, then sure, they could be saved. But honestly, she didn¡¯t really want to put effort into saving a piece of shit bastard who sold his wife to cover his gambling debts. But what about those left behind? Qing remembered the face of the granny who had begged her to find her son, her expression filled with desperation. Even if she didn¡¯t have much time left, the granny still needed to live out her remaining life. She shouldn¡¯t have to spend her days clinging to these half-swordsmen, begging them to find her all-grown son. Who knows? Perhaps Lee Hasam could truly wash his hands clean of the past, find his wife, and live properly for once. Or maybe he¡¯d end up like those gamblers in that Gangwon Hell1there is only one casino in korea where KOREANS can y in. and that is in Gangwon province of her original world, where those hungry ghosts sold off their family like the motherfucking bastards that they were. But still, at the very least, those left behind shouldn¡¯t have to remain trapped in false hope and lingering regrets just because of a bastard like that. *** Chapter 50: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (1) ? But Like, It Wasn¡¯t Like That (1) ? After much deliberation, Daijing Sect Leader Wang Gaeyuk decided to participate in the rescue of the missing persons. It was not an easy decision. Though there was apparently a spy within, even without that fact, they were a group capable of evading the eyes of both the Hao Sect and the Beggar¡¯s Union. Moreover, they even had the ability to provide wicked Demonic Arts. However, a crisis could also be an opportunity. Merely attempting the rescue could bring great fame. Fame tranted to influence, and influence to power. They could potentially be the ruling sect of Huangchuan. Moreover, all four guests were Masters of the Peak Realm. There were two such Masters in the Daijing Sect. At best, the Sect Leader and the Guardian Elder were at the Early Stage Peak Realm. Including the guests, there were six Masters at the Peak Realm. Thus, it was a formidable force capable of easily defeating anyone until the Early Stage Transcendent Realm. For these reasons, Wang Gaeyuk prepared for battle enthusiastically, yet very slowly. The best case scenario would be the rescue team finding that the mysterious forces had vanished and returning only with the corpses of the missing persons. Coming forward with a righteous mind to search for the missing persons would earn them a reputation for chivalry and virtue, and with no enemy, there would be no harm to the disciples. This was why they prepared slowly and deliberately. As such, they unnecessarily checked the joint attack formations of the disciples. And examined the condition of their weapons, giving them ample time to fix and clean them. Then, they rigorously inspected them, before sending them back once again. They even went out of their way to recount and check the number of ointments and bandages, making strategic dys by sending people to distant physicians for more supplies. Some might sneer at these shallow tricks, calling them ridiculous, but a sect going into battle was a weighty decision risking their very existence. That was why the young Masters of the Heavenly Martial Team turned a blind eye to these obvious machinations. While the Daijing Sect were fervently acting as if they were busy, the guests had time for some unfinished conversations. ¡°So, what happened?¡¯ ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About Wang Sonman. That person.¡± ¡°What about him? He was a bad guy who did something bad. The end.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡°That is not what I am talking about.¡± ¡°Then what? What¡¯s the issue?¡± Peng Daesan straightened his face, taking on a grave manner. ¡°It was too dangerous. That person¡­¡­¡± Peng Daesan could not bring himself to continue. Wang Sonman was in a state hardly recognizable as a human. If that could be called the form of a human, attaching four sticks into a torso and cing something round on top would suffice in iming it human as well. She skinned him alive without killing him and yed his muscles. By definition, that was the state Wang Sonman was in. Yet, the reality was a much more grotesque and miserable sight. Every single muscle was slit, cut, twisted, or knotted and some partspletely exposed white bone, thus revealing blood vessels hanging from a distance. His chest was cut open, revealing organs that palpitated visibly. There were many madmen in the world, but even among them, this was a particrly deranged act of cruelty. ¡°What if you had been subjected to such wickedness? Moreover, you alone, I mean, couldn¡¯t you have warned me, no, us beforehand?¡± Peng Daesan struggled to even mention such a ghastly incident, clumsily mixing up the subject matter. As such, Qing understood differently. Qingprehended that the wickedness referred to Wang Sonman. What the? Were you worried I might have been the one to suffer instead? Qing had no intention of hiding her opus. Had Peng Daesan asked why she did it, she would have simply said there was a bad guy, so she decided to torment him a bit. Why would she ever hesitate over such actions? There was no shame in them, after all. However, Peng Daesan, unable to fathom that Qing was the Killing Star who walked among them in these ins under the Heavens, concocted the existence of some evil third-party. In fact, everyone thought so. The Daijing Sect Leader believed Qing had rescued his second son. With Wang Sonman currently lying bandaged from head to toe, it would take a while for this absurd misunderstanding to be cleared. Qingughed at this cute little brother-like concern, pounding her chest. As expected, it shook heavily, practically sloshing like water. ¡°You see this body? Late Stage Peak Realm. I do not heed the worries of those weaker than myself.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­.! No, no, never mind.¡± Peng Daesan forcefully swallowed his rising anger. After all, she wasn¡¯t wrong. Qing was a higher-level Master than Peng Daesan. And saying a woman should be more cautious just because she was a female could be a great insult. It was especially so since most female martial artists were sensitive to such remarks. As such, he silently vowed in his mind. I can¡¯t put up with this anymore. I have to advance my realm quickly. ¡°At any rate, to think he used Heart Absorption Arts. How terrifying.¡± ¡°Ooh, Changbinie, you know Heart Absorption Arts?¡± ¡°That. Uh. Everyone¡­¡­¡­probably knows, right?¡± ¡°What the¡­ It¡¯s that famous? Even Sword Brother knows?¡± ¡°Of course. Anyone born into the White Path, the Orthodox Faction, should at least memorize the Eleven Great Demonic Arts. It seems Sword Brother is unaware, so I shall take this opportunity to teach you.¡± ¡°Oing? Ehhh? Why? Do I have to know?¡± ¡°Because those wicked things must be eradicated from this world. If found, they must be killed or reported to the Alliance for execution. Thus, anyone iming to be from the Orthodox Faction must memorize them. ¡°Seems tough to be orthodox, huh. But, eleven? Usually, it¡¯s not numbered like that, right?¡± The favorite pastime of the residents of the Central ins was lining things up in groups of five or ten. It was practically an obsession for them. There were Nine Sects plus One Union, as well as the Five Noble ns and the Ten Noble Noble ns Under Heaven. But eleven? Qing tilted her head in confusion. Namgung Shinjae proceeded with his exnation at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Firstly, there¡¯s the Killer Among Killers, the most dangerous and vile out of all the Demonic Arts. It is called¡­¡­.¡± He talked about the Essence Absorption Demonic Arts. A dreadfully powerful and horrible Internal Qi Cirction Arts that absorbed others¡¯ Inner Qi. In fact, that was not the end of it. This Demonic Art ate not just the Inner Qi but also the lifeblood, essence, and the Innate True Qi of the victim. And losing one¡¯s Innate True Qi, their very lifeforce, meant instant death. Victims of the Essence Absorption Demonic Arts were found as desated corpses, simr to M¨´n¨£iy¨©. Upon such discoveries, an emergency would be dered in Murim, whether they were of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, or Demonic. For reference, in modern terms, M¨´n¨£iy¨© was what was known as mummies. Leaving the owner of the Essence Absorption Demonic Arts unchecked meant they would be infinitely powerful. The more essence and lifeblood contained within a single body, the more one lost their humanity, thus bing a monster that hunted only for Innate True Qi. It was nothing less than the birth of a natural enemy to all martial artists. ¡°Excluding that, there are the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven. Along with the Heart Absorption Arts that had emerged this time, there are the Chakra Demonic Tribtion, the Heaven Sundering Blood Reversal ?¨¡?hya Technique of the Hands, Heart, and Feet1god help me¡­, the One Hundred And Eight Asura Sword. Drunken Madness Killing Force. Sky Gazing Killer, ck ying Demonic Palm, and Anti-Divine Palm Cmity Dao, no, or rather, Anti-Divine Palm Cmity Half-Sword.¡± Peng Daesan, who was listening in, growled. ¡®When will you stop with that half-sword nonsense?¡± ¡°Among the greatest misfortunes of a gentleman, a junzi2Just the chinese way to say ¡°gentleman¡±., is the act of winning someone¡¯s favor through cunningly crafted words and subtle facial expressions. A true swordsman does not deceive with words that are pleasing to the ear.¡± ¡°What do gentlemen and swordsmen have to do with each other?¡± ¡°The sword is a gentleman¡¯s weapon. A junzi¡¯s pride. That is what being a swordsman means.¡± It meant he intended to continue with his current path. Qing was counting on her fingers as she listened. She showed the two fingers she had left. Peng Daesan sighed deeply and informed her of the remaining two. ¡°Purple Lightning Demonic Arts and White Hand Demonic Arts.¡± ¡°Oing? Hehhh?¡± Why did such a familiar namee up among all that filth? Wasn¡¯t it the martial art rmended by Jegalie? Did Jegalie give me one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts? If Jegal Ihyeon heard this, she would jump up in astonishment. He could never have imagined Qing would learn just because he told her about it. Furthermore, he was definitely about to warn her. It was just that he was cut off in the middle. ¡°Uh, are the Ten Great Demonic Arts¡­¡­..really that bad?¡± ¡°Is that even a question? The nature of Demonic Arts is such that the more they are used, the more Demonic Nature infuses into the practitioner, causing them to lose the heart of a human. They be increasingly cruel and lose patience. That means a Demonic Human is born.¡± ¡°But there could be exceptions, right?¡± ¡°The reason why the Ten Great Demonic Arts are designated as such is one of two reasons. Either the process that the demonic practitioner needs to go through to achieve results is terribly horrific or the martial art itself is extremely dangerous for a Demonic Human to possess.¡± ¡°Then, what about the White Hand Demonic Arts?¡± ¡°Is that the only one you¡¯ve heard of?¡± Peng Daesan sighed yet again. How could one navigate such a perilous Murim in such ignorance? ¡°The White Hand Demonic Art is dangerous because it is too powerful.¡± The danger of the White Hand Demonic Artsid in its unique Qi Wave, a prating power called the White Hand Drought Poison. If a practitioner¡¯s hand burrowed into the body, the Inner Qi that had qualities of a Drought Poison infiltrated, thus twisting, tearing, and bursting the meridians. If it reached the Innate True Qi, it jeopardized health and lifespan, leaving the victim bedridden. This was amon trait of martial arts derived from the White Hand Demonic Arts. Some examples included the Blood Hand Demonic Arts or the me Demonic Arts. Qing internally broke out in a cold sweat. What the fuck is this, huh? Getting caught means I¡¯m fucked. It¡¯s a bit much to kill someone just because they mastered a bit of martial arts, no? Despite all that fuss, saying ¡®DemonicArtsDemonicArts¡¯ or whatever¡­ It¡¯s hard to understand the mindset of these ling longs. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re the OG ching chongs? Apart from that though, there was also a sense of pride. A martial art feared because it¡¯s so strong! Who am I, you ask? Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m the owner of the White Hand Demonic Arts. I guess Jegalie did rmend one helluva martial art, huh? As long as I don¡¯t get caught, it¡¯ll be all good, won¡¯t it? Dead viins tell no tales, after all. ¡°Have you heard anything about those ¡®bad guys¡¯?¡± ¡°I dunno. But I did hear that the people who went missing never returned.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°There are some punks that I have in mind, you see?¡± Qing briefly shared the incident she had at Dongting Lake. A crazy woman creating Jiangshi had been masquerading as an Enforcer for the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cannibal appeared. Then, Ta-da! The incredibly strong Qing made her appearance, defeated the Demonic Cannibal, and saved everyone. ¡°Wait, Sword Brother. Did you just say you killed the Demonic Cannibal?¡± ¡°Of course. On top of that, I won a whopping one against six. I really am quite something.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, Sword Brother! Indeed, all the great deeds of this world unfold from the de of a swordsman! Well done, Sword Brother! Well done!¡± It was the in truth. After all, strictly speaking, weren¡¯t the five kid Jiangshi also on the me Demon or whatever¡¯s side? While watching Qing¡¯s boasts, Peng Daesan snorted withughter. ¡°It must have been you who were the six.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. I guess that¡¯s true. But how else could I have defeated a Transcendent Master who pumps out Qi Force like that?¡± Qing stood proud. She wasn¡¯t ashamed at all. Then, Changbin, who had been listening quietly to her story, timidly offered his opinion. ¡°Excuse me, so, does that not mean we are about to walk into a ce where such viins are at work? Perhaps it would be best to request assistance from the Allian¡­¡­¡­¡± Qing frowned at Changbin. And then, she was about to persuade him that those left behind, unable to let go of the lingering regrets due to their missing loved ones, would essentially be throwing away their lives along with them. However¡­ ¡°Young Lady Ximen? If that is the lens you wish to look through¡­¡­. It is not that I oppose the rescue, but¡­¡­.. Ahem, well, since we already have several Peak Masters here¡­¡­.¡± Changbin¡¯s rebellion was promptly squashed. *** Chapter 51: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (2) ? But Like, It Wasn¡¯t Like That (2) ? A temporary shelter made of thick fabric was called a tent. A man entered such a refuge, pushing aside the entrance cloth. Boss. The eighty-seventh prospective site is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Da Bulri. Is it all dug up? Did anythinge out?¡± The boss, who was lying on a makeshift bed while picking his nose suddenly sat up and asked. Da Bulri shook his head with an expression full of regret. The boss exploded in anger. ¡°Fucking shit! Isn¡¯t this jangbodo just aplete sham! We have been digging the ground for eight months, so why! Why is nothinging out?!¡± Jangbodo. A map where treasures were buried, hence, a treasure map. ¡°Still, by tomorrow, the eighty-eighth, eighty-ninth, and nieth prospective sites will bepleted. Let¡¯s just dig up to a hundred and then return. Who would say anything then?¡± ¡°Motherfucker. Damn it.¡± The boss cursed and flopped back down. It was then. ¡°Boss!¡± Another subordinate rushed into the tent, panting. Even while seeing such urgency, the boss remained nonchnt. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Those Daijing Sect bastards have all swarmed here!¡± ¡°What the¡­ That fucker, Wang Sonman. Did he spill everything? Fuck this. This is why you can¡¯t trust those Orthodox Faction fuckers. They have no loyalty, you hear me? No loyalty at all.¡± Then, Da Bulri corrected him. ¡°Would he have betrayed us after learning the Heart Absorption Art? It must be that he was caught due to some misconduct.¡± What was the reason for imparting the Heart Abortion Arts and even giving the precious ck Heart? It was because once exposed, the person in question would be a public enemy of Murim either way. Thus, once Wang Sonman took over the Daijing Sect, it was no different from the entire sect switching to their side. ¡°Same difference. He got caught because he did something wrong? Then it¡¯s a betrayal due to ack of ability. Anyway. Hoo. Hoit.¡± The boss stood up, bracing himself against the ground, and looked at his subordinate. ¡°You said the Daijing Sect bastards havee swarming? How many?¡± ¡°Around fifty or so? Is what it seems like.¡± ¡°Fifty, you say. Hm. Da Bulri, what did you say about the Daijing Sect¡¯s forces again?¡± ¡°There are two at the Early Stage Peak Realm and seven at the First-Rate.¡± ¡°Ha. Just that?¡± The boss licked his lips. ¡°They¡¯re really looking to die, aren¡¯t they? Just look at them picking their own graves. Perfect timing. I was starting to get bored anyway. Let¡¯s massacre all of them.¡± ¡°Boss. Our mission is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Agh! Shit.¡± The boss interrupted Da Bulri. ¡°I know, alright? But we¡¯ve been discovered, yeah? So let¡¯s wipe them out and escape. What else can we do? Or what? Should we just spread rumors about how we¡¯re looking for treasure? No, right? So, what should we do, huh? We did our best. Hm¡­¡­.. Let¡¯s see¡­¡­.¡± The boss stroked his chin. ¡°Just finish up where we were digging for now. We have to at least finish where we started. And prepare to bury all theborers as well.¡± ¡°I will follow your orders.¡± Da Bulri turned around, preparing to leave. But when he did so, the boss suddenly stopped him. ¡°Wait. We have to deal with Wang Sonman too. Da Bulri, you take care of it and return separately. If they¡¯ve all swarmed out, the house must be empty. Assign some other bastard to do the finishing touches.¡± ¡°Understood, Boss.¡± Da Bulri bowed respectively and then disappeared outside the tent. Then, the boss gave orders to the remaining subordinate. ¡°Gather all the members of the Advance Blue Brigade. Leave only those finishing the digging. Let¡¯s go slice up some people for a change.¡± ¡ª- Mount Subyeol was one of the manymon mountains in Jianghu. The terrain was not particrly rugged, nor did it offer stunning scenery. Since there was a road nearby, there was rarely a reason to traverse it, so apart from the asional herbalist hiking up with a sack, it wasrgely untouched by human footsteps. And ording to Wang Sonman¡¯s confession, it was also the ce where the missing persons had been taken. It was when the Daijing Sect¡¯s rescue team reached the mountain¡¯s entrance, at the boundary between the fields and the mountain terrain. A man stood boldly, blocking the rescue team. Despite his disheveled hair and greasy, filthy face, his eyes shone ever so brightly, albeit with sinister light. ¡°Are you the Daijing Sect? I¡¯ve been waiting for so long, you know?¡± The Sect Leader nced at the Guardian Elder. After all, it seemed somewhat inappropriate for a Sect Leader to shout with his own mouth. As such, the Guardian Elder roared with Inner Qi imbued in his voice. ¡°WHO ARE YOU! REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY!¡± ¡°Me?¡± The man grinned ferociously. ¡°This elder¡¯s name is Yeomsaraedal.¡± ¡°Ahyanliang Yeomsaraedal1I wrote it in itsplete romanticization on purpose. I kinda wanna show Qing¡¯s perspective in this convo after all!¡± The Guardian Elder eximed in horror. And as if in response to that, there was a stir among the Daijing Sect¡¯s ranks of disciples. Qing asked Peng Daesan beside her. ¡°Yeomsaraedal? What kind of name is that? Is Yeom the surname? Or Yeomsa? ¡°It is Yeom.¡± ¡°So, his name is Saraedal? Isn¡¯t that even stranger? How can someone¡¯s name be¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It is a name used in X¨©z¨¤ng2X¨©z¨¤ng is basically Tibet. But to be more specific, the geographical term X¨©z¨¤ng is often limited to the Tibet Autonomous Region. The literal meaning is Western Tsang, one of the three Tibetan regions.. But¡­¡­. Never mind. Your ignorance is no longer novel to me.¡± ¡°If I know, I just need to learn, you know? So, is he a famous person? A strong guy?¡± ¡°The Second Coming of Yan Liang3a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during thete Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was in by Guan Yu at the Battle of Boma., Yeom Saraedal. Known to be at the Late Stage Peak Realm. No wonder something like this happened. It seems like it was all the work of those Demonic Cult bastards.¡± The Second Coming of Yan Liang, Yeom Saraedal. He was a Demonic Adept with a prowess as subtle as his title, said to be the incarnation of Yan Liang. However, Yeom Saraedal was not famous for his own martial strength. Rather, he was a Demonic Adept who was renowned as the Boss of the Advance Blue Brigade, abat unit under the Demonic Cult¡¯s External Battle Pavilion. His alias, the Second Coming of Yan Liang, came from his aggressive assaults, likened to Yan Liang¡¯s own. ¡°The Demonic Cult? Where all those bad guys gather and live together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It was then. The Mission Window, which had been pretending to be absent all this time, finally showed its repulsive form. [Omen, (Unknown)th Crisis] Description: [You have encountered a special task force of the Demonic Cult.] Actions for Mission Completion Righteous Karma) Defeat the Advance Blue Brigade Evil Karma) Defect to the Demonic Cult and join the Advance Blue Brigade Heavenly ughtering Star) Kill all [This choice could influence everything below Heaven.] This was yet another Omen Mission. Fucking hell, I¡¯ve already met the Final Boss, you know? Omen, my fucking ass. Qing spoke in a grating voice. ¡°Ah shit. Hey, San. Even if I chew on poppy now, it¡¯ll be a bitte for it to take effect, right?¡± ¡°As I have already said before. The side effects are not to be underestimated, so you should bear with it unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, though¡­¡­¡± Qing liked alcohol. Though she liked it even before the start of her Murim journey, it was not to the extent of recklessly guzzling down hard liquor. But now, she could drink any type of hard liquor as if they were water. Why? Because she was able to. To Qing, alcohol was just a beverage that made her feel good. No matter how much she drank, she maintained a pleasantly tipsy state. Moreover, since the start of her journey, she had not once experienced a hangover. Though she was not certain, it was probably due to her choice of Constitution. Blood Poison. She benefited from the positive effects of whatever she consumed, while all negative effects were nullified. The poppy was no different. She had been sternly warned that over time, the side effects would be as severe as bing bedridden due to alcohol poisoning, but she had yet to see any signs of it. To Qing, poppy was merely a drug that made her body and mind feel at ease. Strategy Guide, looks like it¡¯s you once again. I really hope I can meet you one day. Qing sent her thanks to someone who was somewhere in the universe. Or not. Both location and identity was unknown to her, after all. ¡°But he¡¯s at the Late Stage Peak Realm, you said? Then why is he so confident, standing there alone? He acts as if he¡¯s in the Transcendent Realm or something.¡± ¡°He is not alone. Look.¡± Men in ck attire emerged in a line, cutting through the mountain terrain. ¡°Hey, look here, Daijing Sect Leader. You¡¯re just a greenhorn who barely wed his way to the Peak Realm, yeah? And there¡¯s one more, right? Is it that old man clinging next to you? As a special favor, I¡¯ll take you both on myself. How about it?¡± Wang Gaeyuk and the Guardian Elder looked at each other. They were friends who had grown old together while raising their sect. As they were already closer than blood brothers, they understood each other¡¯s intentions with just a nce. It doesn¡¯t look like he knows, does he? It doesn¡¯t look like he knows, right? Qing and Changbin were at the Late Stage Peak Realm. Peng Daesan was at the Middle Stage and Namgung Shinjae was at the Early Stage. ¡°You two old bastards will have to use all your might to defeat me. After all, as time passes by, your frail family members will continue to die.¡± Wang Gaeyuk and the Guardian Elder exchanged nces with Qing¡¯s party and nodded slightly. Then, with a deliberately solemn expression, they drew their daos and shouted. ¡°The Guardian and I shall personally confront this evil fiend! The rest of you, annihte those wicked bastards of the Demonic Cult!¡± The implication was that they would handle Yeom Saraedal, so the others should take care of the rest. ¡°KAHAHAH! That¡¯s more like it! Come! Old bastards!¡± Yeom Saraedalughed heartily, oblivious to the situation. In his mind, the tragic downfall of this Orthodox Faction was already unfolding. Two old men, desperately trying to stop just one of him, while their disciples were dying. The blood and scream of the orthodox bastards would continue to burst forth, and the old men, at a loss for what to do, would be increasingly engulfed in despair and self-reproach. And the distorted expressions they would wear at that very moment! When only the two elderly are left, I will suppress them, mock them, and y with their lives. I¡¯m gonna thoroughly enjoy their grief-stricken, tragic reactions. Of course, everyone has a n. However, as Sun Tzu emphasized, know the enemy and know yourself. This principle was the foundation of all strategies, applicable to all worlds before and after Sun Tzu, and even in those where Sun Tzu never existed. If you did not know your enemy, you would have to get hit. After all, ignorance was learned through getting beaten the shit out of. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We will annihte the scum of the Demonic Cult and uphold the justice of the Central ins!¡± As Wang Gaeyuk led the charge with a shout, a chorus of voices followed him. And thus, the battle began. ¡ª- Qing was having a st. Wow! Legalized ughter! Free murder! Infinite refills! Of course, thew prohibited murder. But there was the principle of non-interference between the government and Murim! Killing among martial artists wasn¡¯t just overlooked; in fact, it was even somewhat weed. So, saying it was legalized ughter wasn¡¯t entirely incorrect. As Qing ran around in ecstasy, she was stopped in her tracks by an enemy. After all, a girl approaching with light, effortless skips seemed far too easy to handle. However, the moment they shed and the girl¡¯s sword dug into his de, he realized something was terribly wrong. Shortly after, the de snapped. His left hand¡¯s fingers, which he had reflexively stretched out, dropped off one by one starting from the top. And then, Shwuk. The excruciating pain flooded him. Qing relished the sensation at the tip of her de. It pierced through the soft leather below the diaphragm, tearing through the peritoneum to reach the resilient lining of the stomach. When she exerted a slight force at that sliver of a moment, the stomach split open and the gastric fluids spilled inside the body cavity. When the de was withdrawn, only a cute cut below the diaphragm, a stab wound, remained. But regardless of outer appearances, she was sure the experience of his insides dissolving in his own stomach acid would be absolutely¡­electric. The pain of one¡¯s organs melting while still alive was beyond what a person could dare to bear. The member of the Advance Blue Brigade convulsed on the ground, unable to even let out a scream. Teehee, looks like it hurts. Qing looked down at her handiwork with an ever so content grin. *** Chapter 52: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (3) ? But Like, It Wasn¡¯t Like That (3) ? In the distant past, when the Heavenly ughtering Star appeared, every child born under its light was sought out and killed. Still, this was not enough because of selfish mothers who hid the births of their own children. As such, everyone born within a generous hundred days before and after was also killed without exception. Much blood and tears had soaked the earth. However, a child born under the ominous, solitary star of Heavenly ughter had to be eliminated, even at such a cost. Otherwise, instead of merely soaking the earth, a massive wave woulde, submerging thend under a sea of blood and tears. Heavenly ughter was a madness humans could not dare to endure. And it was a madness that grew as one aged. At first, it was limited to finding the sight of blood aromatic, as well as enjoying the tearing of flesh and the crushing of bones. But as the Killing Star soaked deeper into the marrow, one would start to find other forms of pleasure on top of the ecstasy of massacre. They wouldugh at the sight of people¡¯s sorrow and despair, realizing there was nothing more thrilling than the pain of others. And just as so, Qing¡¯s gaze was captivated by death. It was when she was looking down nkly at a living thing writhing at her feet. Suddenly, Qing¡¯s arm moved. The brilliant sensation of a hard, tightly packed mass pushing against her de. His muscles are pretty tough, huh? He trained well. Qing¡¯s head turned a beatter, twisting bizarrely to face the enemy. And there stood a man holding onto his severed forearm. ¡°Nice to meet you. Have we met before? Or is it our first encounter?¡± The Sword of the Yue Maiden fluttered, filling the space. Originally, the Yue Maiden Sword was a bright and cheerful sword style, but the Imagery intoxicated by Heavenly ughter painted apletely different picture. At this moment, her sword was alluring and insidious. Like a mosquito sticking onto one¡¯s body, it stung the moment it touched, eating away at the flush and clumsily, heavily taking flight. The tip of the Moonlight Sword pierced and flicked at a tendon. A taut sinew snapped and curled into the muscle. With the tendons of his limbs severed, the enemy fell, each of his arms and legs twisting in inhuman directions. Impressed by the familiar pose, Qing eximed in admiration. ¡°Ooh! An Identity No One Expected1Korean meme from ¡°The Masked Singer¡±. The panel member was shocked about the identity of the singer, thus striking up a pose. Basically, looks like this:©³(o§Õo)©¿? You know your shit, huh.¡± Qing stabbed the enemy¡¯s side once more before moving forward. The foe¡¯s stomach, cleanly sliced through the spleen, swelled up as blood began to trickle out. This was the present left by Wang Sonman. Now, Qing had almost memorized the entire insides of a human body. She learned where to stab and how to dig through, thus knowing exactly what to cut. Qing ran a finger along the sword de to wipe off the blood and then smeared it on her tongue. I¡¯m telling you, this salty and fishy taste is strangely addictive. Well then, I should also enjoy the banquet now to- ¡°Junior Brother!¡± A desperate cry. Qing¡¯s head snapped around. The sight of an enemy holding a sword high above a fallen Daijing Sect disciple. At that moment, life and color returned to Qing¡¯s eyes. Just as the enemy was about to bring down his sword, he stumbled, losing his bnce, and fell. As the Daijing Sect disciple pushed away the corpse in horror, he saw a decoration protruding from the enemy¡¯s temple. It was a binyeo, a hair ornament used to fix a woman¡¯s hair in ce. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Long fingers akin to white jade pulled out the decoration of the binyeo, apanied with a voice that was far too pretty to belong in a battlefield. The Daijing Sect disciple looked up at his savior in a daze. My goodness. She is so beautiful. The Daijing Sect disciple was spellbound. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is he not alright? Was I a bit toote?¡± After wiping the binyeo on her trousers, Qing reinserted it into her tied-up hair and asked. The Daijing Sect disciple snapped back to reality. ¡°Ah. Thank, thank you!¡± ¡°Young Lady, thank you!¡± A different Daijing Sect disciple, who had been calling out for his Junior Brother, also joined in with overwhelming gratitude. Qing just waved it off, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Fight carefully. Don¡¯t get hurt in vain.¡± The Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s Esoteric Doctrine. Form of Hair, Number Eleven. Twisting the hairrgely and inserting seven binyeos. It was a secret technique of the Divine Maiden where two long binyeos made of steel and five small binyeos that could be used as projectiles were equipped in the hair. They had said that even in ces where weapons were not allowed, no one would ever question a woman¡¯s binyeo. Although there was a drawback of her head bing exceedingly heavier, the muscles and bones of a Master¡¯s neck would never yield to such things. And with Qing¡¯s monstrous strength, even if her hair was densely packed with needles like a pincushion, she would still be able to endure. Instead though, it would look quite suspicious. Hm. For some reason, my excitement is dying down. Qing licked her lips as she surveyed the battlefield. A spirited half-sword strike from Peng Daesan was seen. His guandao entered the neck and emerged under the opposite rib. A diagonally torn torso fell backwards with a thump. Ehh? Wot? Why is it so messy? What the hell is that even supposed to be? I guess it¡¯s to be expected from the immaturity of a Middle Stage nobody. Qing darted through the gaps of Daijing Sect disciples, scattering her sword around. Third Movement of the Divine Maiden Sword, Butch Heavenly Maiden. The de wrapped with Sword Threads carved the same trajectory as Peng Daesan, passing through the enemy¡¯s body. However, the oue was different. The severed torso slid perfectly along the diagonal cut, spewing out its contents. That¡¯s right. This is the true taste of a diagonal slice. Sanie is still far from mastering it. Or maybe it¡¯s a limitation of a half-swordsman? Qing nodded in satisfaction. She held such a cruel yet wondrous aura. As such, the Advance Blue Brigade hesitated and stepped back while the warriors of the Daijing Sect raised their morale with shouts. Qing raised her hand in response and surveyed the battlefield. There, she saw Namgung Shinjae. True to his title as the Sword Lunatic, he was swinging only his sword in solemn silence. His left hand, its digits stretched out in the stance of a Finger Sword, did absolutely nothing. If he¡¯s gonna do that, why not wield the sword with two hands or at least carry a shield? Oh well. He says that¡¯s how he likes it. Who am I to say anything? Anyway. And then, she also saw Changbin. Qing almost flinched in surprise. What the fuck? Why does he fight so well? The trajectory drawn by Sword Qi broke apart and scattered. Then, the afterimages of shattered Sword Qi fluttered white and red. It was no different from a splendid disy of blossoming flowers, seeming as if the entire world was filled with scattered petals blown by the wind. However, it¡¯s beauty was not all there was to it. After all, a wrathful maelstrom that stirred and surged due to the sword carried the petals on the wind. When the fallen coro touched the enemy, they reached a full bloom in the shade of blood red, thus blossoming once again. Qing caught sight of the copsing enemy. Not a single part of the enemy¡¯s body was unmarred; the petals of Sword Qi left wounds as small as fingernails, causing blood to leak from all over and leaving them unable to regain their senses. Qing felt somewhat wronged. He does all that and it¡¯s not called a Demonic Art? Are you seriously telling me that¡¯s supposed to be something else? What the hell? Why is the one I use one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven or whatever? That¡¯s also cruel, you know? So why only me? Frankly, Qing¡¯s sentiment was not off the mark. The Sword of Mount Hua was originally cruel. Mount Hua¡¯s Supreme Technique, Life Taking Linked Three Immortals Sword, was powerful. But it was also too cruel. So much so that even the sect disciples of Mount Hua avoided learning it, saying it wasn¡¯t a swordsmanship fit for a Daoist Sect. Therefore,ter generations covered the deep malice of the Life Taking Linked Three Immortals Sword with developed and progressive martial studies. And then, they added shy splendor through the form of change and swiftness. Thus, the famous Plum Blossom Sword was born. However, the cruelty hidden behind the splendor did not simply disappear. After all, it was a full bloom overflowing with Sword Qi and blood. And at the sight of this, the Killing Star, suppressed by the gathered gratitude of the Daijing Sect disciples, quietly raised its head once again. Right. I can¡¯t be pushed back by his performance! I can do more than that! Qing plunged into the midst of foes. ¡ª- Yeom Saraedal realized far toote that the situation had gone terribly wrong. The Advance Blue Brigade was supposed to be a special force of the Demonic Cult,posed of members that were in the First-Rate Realm at the bare minimum. They should have swept through the remnants of the orthodox fodder in an instant and then crowded around him to watch the spectacle. Instead, they were being thoroughly cut down. It was because of the youthful Masters extending out streams of Sword Qi. They were Peak Realm Masters at the very minimum. Among them was even a Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect. Yeom Saraedal¡¯s stomach was burning in frustration. What the Second Coming of Yan Liang, Yeom Saraedal, wished to do: To kill the enemy by slowly draining them of their blood, as they inwardly drowned in the guilt of their subordinates dying because of their own shorings, as well as the despair of hearing and seeing the destruction of the organization they had created with their own hands. What the Second Coming of Yan Liang, Yeom Saraedal, actually faced: The crisis of losing abat unit of the Divine Cult due to underestimating the enemy¡¯s power. His stomach burning in frustration and agitation as his subordinates were dying. Sure, losing beloved subordinates was regrettable, but more importantly, his own safety was paramount. What fate would a boss who had ruined his unit face? Obviously, higher-ups of the Divine Cult would not just let it slide. Yeom Saraedal¡¯s expression gradually darkened. It was the decisive difference between the Orthodox Faction and the Unorthodox Faction. The mindset that the martial artists who walked the White Path possessedpared to the martial artists who walked the ck Path. It was also the difference between those who looked for an ¡®us¡¯ in dangerous situations and those who looked for a ¡®me¡¯. Of course, just because they were of the Orthodox Faction didn¡¯t mean they were an organization with only kind-hearted people. In the end, Yeom Saraedal made a decision. Swinging his meteor hammer2The meteor hammer, often referred to simply as meteor, is an ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope or chain. One of the flexible or ¡°soft¡± weapons, it is referred to by many different names worldwide, dependent upon region, construction and intended use. widely, he released a Qi Wave, forcing Wang Gaeyuk and Guardian Ki to distance themselves and dodge. Then, Yeom Saraedal fumbled in his bosom. In the time the two from the Daijing Sect heightened their guard, thinking it might be some ace in the hole, Yeom Saraedal took out a pouch and violently threw it on the ground. The ss bottle inside the pouch broke upon hitting the ground, mixing with the powder inside. Soon after, a dense smoke began to billow out explosively. Wang Gaeyuk and Guardian Ki covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves, hastily stepping back. ¡°It¡¯s poison! Everyone, back off!¡± In reality, it was unknown as to whether it was truly poison. However, shouting such upon seeing suspicious smoke was practically aw in Murim. The sound of a shrill whistle spread through the smoke. It was the retreat signal for the Advance Blue brigade. And with it, the evildoers of the Demonic Cult vanished into the smoke. It might have been a mere smoke screen instead of poison. Many thought so, but actually carrying it out with their actions by jumping into the smoke was a different matter entirely. After all, there could be a one in a million chance that it was mixed with toxic powder. Therefore, there were only two kinds of people who could dive into the smoke. The first type were those who definitively knew the smoke contained no toxic substances. The retreating members of the Advance Blue Brigade were of this kind. The second type were those for whom it did not matter whether the smoke contained poison. These included people who had already taken an antidote or had made preparations in advance. Or those with a rare Constitution that made them immune to poison. *** Chapter 53: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (4) ? But Like, It Wasn¡¯t Like That (4) ? It was when Yeom Saraedal hurriedly ran away, returning to base. The youngest three members guarding the excavation site greeted their boss with big, oblivious smiles, unable to read the room. Yeom Saraedal was about to burst into anger, but paused at what followed. ¡°Boss! We found it! We actually found it!¡± ¡°It appeared right on the nieth!¡± Yeom Saraedal felt as if he had seen the sun shine through clearing clouds. This meant the mission wasplete! Even if the Advance Blue Brigade had suffered catastrophic losses, he now had something to report. After all, the actual Master, himself, had survived and the deputy would return after dealing with Wang Sonman of the Daijing Sect. That was enough of a result to excuse himself from punishment. ¡°What about the Bokshinjeok? Did you find the Bokshinjeok?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked if you found it.¡± The youngest members exchanged nces, gauging each other¡¯s reactions as if urging someone to speak up first. Yeom Saraedal spat out curses. ¡°You didn¡¯t even check that? Fucking hell, you stupid motherfuckers.¡± The juniors felt wronged. ¡°Where is it? Hurry. Hurry up. Why aren¡¯t you running?¡± In a hurry, Yeom Saraedal urged them on. He didn¡¯t know when the Daijing Sect bastards might attack. They would soon realize the smoke screenscked any poison and could quickly climb the mountain to reach this ce. Of course, Yeom Saraedal knew the way and returned directly. But the Daijing Sect bastards didn¡¯t know the path, so they would probably wander. Still, if unlucky, they could discover this ce quickly. Seeing his urgency, the youngest members quietly led Yeom Saraedal to the tomb raiding site. The burial chambers of the Heavenly Queen, erected without a mound, was not an easy ce to find despite having a treasure map. Moreover, with trees growing overhead and their roots entangled into the earth, digging was extremely difficult. In fact, it was to the extent that they had to kidnap people just to have enough hands for digging. Of course, this was also a decision heavily influenced by the Advance Blue Brigade¡¯s reluctance to dig; they considered themselves as one of the greatbat units of the Divine Cult. Their members were all First-Rate martial artists at the very minimum. Why should someone like them do menialbor? A gray stone wall was revealed beneath the excavated ground. The bricks were clearly man-made. Yeom Saraedal realized his mistake. How could an entrance just magically appear directly under the earth they dug-up? It wasn¡¯t possible. This had been a mission that hadsted eight months just to dig and find the underground burial chambers. In fact, the fact that they found the tomb was a miracle in itself. Originally, they would have mobilized all workers to dig around to find the entrance. However, there was no time. Finding the Bokshinjeok and returning to the Divine Cult was practically his only lifeline. ¡°Step back.¡± Yeom Saraedal lifted his meteor hammer. If there was no time to dig around, he would just have to break through. Yeom Saraedal struck down at the stone wall with all his remaining Inner Qi. Boom! Boom! Boom! As he was in a position where he was being chased by time, each harsh explosive sound made his heart sink further. Yeom Saraedal gritted his teeth. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! How many times did he swing down on the wall? Finally, the bricks copsed inward. And from it, a dark abyss seemed to open its maw. ¡°Torch.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Give me a torch.¡± ¡°Ah. I will bring it right away.¡± ¡°YOU MOTHERFUCKER! Shouldn¡¯t you have prepared in advance? Didn¡¯t you fucking see me breaking the wall?¡± Yeom Saraedal rebuked them, unfairly acting as if this was something obvious. So, the juniors felt aggrieved. But thew of Murim was clear; if they were so aggrieved, they should have reached a higher realm and became the boss themselves. But they weren¡¯t. And they didn¡¯t. So they had no right to be upset about anything. As one of the juniors hurriedly brought a torch and threw it inside, a burial chamber about one room deep was revealed. Yeom Saraedal leaped down in a hurry. Now, if only I quickly find the Bokshinjeok and escape, then¡­ Yeom Saraedal, who was thinking as such, quickly found his expression hardening. He had imagined a tomb with a remarkable chest in the center, revealing treasures immediately upon opening it. However, in the center of the burial chambers, another stone tomb was ced. That of itself was not all that bad. To be fair, it was only natural for a burial chamber to have such a stone tomb. Rather, the biggest issue was that the burial chambers were surrounded by countless drawers constructed like those of an apothecary¡¯s stores of medicine. As if to say, ¡®Try searching if you can¡¯. ¡°FUCKKKKK¡­¡­.!¡± Yeom Saraedal tore at his poor, innocent hair in fury. ¡ª- Qing knew the effects of Blood Poison. Poison nullification. It was a very simple, straight-forward effect. She couldn¡¯t remember the title of the game now. To be fair, her ytime was actually 0 hours. But one of the few things she remembered was that apparently, the enemies in this game used poison quite often. And ording to the posts she read, that made the game even more enjoyable to y. But why should that matter to her? Regardless of whether it was a trip to primitive, ancient China, a world within the game, or a transmigration to some mirror dimension, her present life had be indistinguishably real to her. So, when she tried to actually test out her Constitution, she realized that the supposedly simple effect of poison immunity was not so simple after all. What exactly could be considered as poison? Things clearly identified as poison were fine and all, so they didn¡¯t need to be paid any attention. But what about mold? Spoiled food? What about alcohol? It was a first-grade carcinogen and the cause of numerous alcohol-rted diseases, after all. Wasn¡¯t it essentially just a harmful poison at that point? The early days of survival after the start of Qing¡¯s Murim journey were about figuring this out. Mushrooms? Fruit? Grass? Everything seemed fine. Even bugs were okay. After eating them a bit, she got used to it. Except for the disgusting texture, bitter taste, and having to eat a lot to fill herself, it was alright. Also, it¡¯s said to be the food of a protein-rich future, right? Though this did make her wonder if this really was a suitable alternative food for the future, as well as whether the future world was a ce where humans could actually live. Ehhh? Even rotten and spoiled food is fine? From then on, there was no need to fill her belly in the forests and mountains; she could juste down to the city and rummage through trash. She didn¡¯t get any infections either. As long as they were bound tightly in some way, shape, or form, even deep wounds would heal cleanly without the need for disinfection and such. And from that, she deduced that perhaps bacteria was also considered poison. After somehow umting enough Practice Points and bing a bit skilled with a de, she started catching bad guys, looting their moneybags and collecting bounties from time to time; it was finally her beginning to live a more human-like life. And from that, she also realized that alcohol wasn¡¯t particrly harmful. It just made her feel a bit better, without getting drunk enough to lose consciousness. She had no hangover or stomach aches. She could drink it if she wished and it was fine if she didn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t get addicted to it either way. And ever since the day before yesterday, she had gained confidence in her tolerance to drugs as well. Now, her rough guess was that if a substance entered her body and had a harmful effect, it was considered poison, thus turning ineffective. But since there might be exceptions, she couldn¡¯t be careless. Just in case. That was why Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to jump in when someone shouted that it was poison. Unlike other things that were ambiguous, she held a certainty that poison would never work on her. Qing practically appeared to fly through the smoke. It was the result of anti-gravity leaps, a technique only possible since the Yue Maiden Footwork had reached the Grand Star. After scanning through the members of the Advance Blue Brigade scattering into the mountain woods like cockroaches, she found a group of three that she liked very much. After all, better two than one and better three than two. Right? It was only upon entering the woods that the enemies noticed their pursuer. A single girl running like a fluttering butterfly seemed easy for them to handle, so they turned around immediately. However, contrary to their expectations, a binyeo flew through the air, skewering one bastard¡¯s wrist, followed by a bell sound that went Ding, which knocked another bastard down. The enemy, who had tried to face just one person with two others beside him, now found himself to be the only one left; the look in his eyes was one of urgency and disbelief. Qing grinned. ¡°Yeah, I felt like something was missing. My Moonlight Sword¡­¡­..!¡± Was supposed to be starving, but the enemy was already right in front of her. So¡­ Eighth Move of the Yue Maiden Sword, Infinite Origin of the Moon. It was thest technique of the Yue Maiden Sword, consisting of five movements in the first half and three in the second. This sword style was one that aimed for the quickest and shortest path in attacking an enemy. In fact, it had reached the very extremity in such a regard. As such, it shed three times in a veritable instant and repeated that very instant a total of three times. After swinging nine times in an identical manner, the Sword Qi drew crescent moons so brilliant it seemed to actually brighten the earth. The enemy¡¯s wrist was cut, and as the de returned, the wrist was cut further. Then, it was caught by the subsequent crescents, thus shed a little more. Finely sliced pieces poured down in a cascade. These were cross-sections of the human body; it started from the thin wrist to the forearm, which gradually increased in thickness. Then it moved past the joint to the biceps. The bastard staggered back, spraying blood. In that instant, the enemy that had his hand pierced by the binyeo aimed for her side with his de. Qing reached out. A pallid, white hand grabbed his weapon. And then, when she squeezed her fist, the de shattered with a Clink. ¡°Uh, huh? S-Swordbreaker?¡± Swordbreaker referred to a Hand Technique where one broke the opponent¡¯s sword with their bare hands. However, it was originally meant to be a technique where one safely caught and broke the de; there was no bizarre variation of Swordbreaker where one just crushed a weapon with their sheer grip strength. If Qing knew this, she might haveughed mockingly at such folly. But she didn¡¯t. Why? Because Qing was just as ignorant and foolish. ¡°No. Moonlight Hand.¡± The enemy halted for a moment. Moonlight Hand? Why? Why not Moonlight Strike? Or at least Moonlight Hand Technique? And because of that moment of inattention, he had to pay quite the harsh price. Pshuk.Qing¡¯s hand pierced the enemy¡¯s chest. Her hand, which had sunk in up to the wrist, carefully grasped the enemy¡¯s heart. The muscles that moved regardless of the owner¡¯s will pulsated, tapping against Qing¡¯s palm. It was the ever so sweet and dulcet rhythm of life. Woah, this works too! What should I do? Should I try squeezing it? ¡°Gurk, kuhhh¡­¡­.¡± The enemy made quavering noises, as if he could not breathe. Agonizing pain surged from the squashed heart, making his eyes roll back to show the whites and foam to form at his mouth. Qing¡¯s lips curled up and she pulled her hand back. In her grasp was a bloody and bluish mass of muscle. The heart. For a moment, saliva pooled in her mouth. Qing unwittingly brought the heart to her lips a- She was so startled she flung it away. Fuck, why am I like this these days? Qing furrowed her brows as she retrieved her binyeo from the corpse absent of a heart and stuck it back in her hair. Qing turned around. The guy without an arm was still rolling around, holding onto where his limb used to be. Qing stepped closed, cing her foot on his head. She pressed down softly at first. The skull¡¯s resistance was firm. Ooooh, it can withstand this, huh? She applied a bit more force. Just when it seemed like it was about to crumple slightly, it suddenly burst apart altogether, leaving only remnants of what used to be a head. A tingle ran from the sole of her foot straight to her head, almost as if there was an expressway in her body that instantaneously delivered the sensation. Qing was enjoying that lingering resonance when¡­ ¡°W-Witch¡­¡­..!¡± Qing turned her head. The bastard who had been beaten down by her Buddha¡¯s Palm didn¡¯t run away; instead, he was slumped down and spitting out such nonsense. He has the audacity to say that bullshit? When he gets all startled just because we made eye contact? ¡°Witch? Want to see what an actual witch is like? Do you like watching talent shows? If you want, I can perform my greatest trick! Showing off organs. How about it? Should I rip out your internal organs and wrap them around your neck? Do you want to try hanging by your intestines and have a make-shift swing? Mmm?¡± After shivering momentarily, Qing continued. ¡°Now that I think about it, that¡¯s a good idea. Mhm. Yeah. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± The bastard¡¯s lower garments turned dark in color. Upon seeing this, Qing¡¯s face contorted in disgust. ¡°Fucking hell. You dirty piece of shit. The fuck is wrong with you? What? Are you scared of me or something? Oh my, oh my. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a man? Huhhh? Even if you die, you should resolve to die with honor. If you are going to hang anyway, you should have already hung yourself. In fact, you should be cutting open your own belly and wrapping your intestines around your neck proudly. That¡¯s what a real man does. But what did you do? You were so scared you pissed yourself? Ha! Just chop your dick off at that point. Why the fuck do you have it? Just rip it off! What¡¯s the point of carrying something so heavy below if you¡¯re the type to sit and pee?¡± *** Chapter 54: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (5) Despite the terrifying verbal abuse, the Advance Blue Brigade member didn¡¯t even properly hear it. He was one who had pride in being a member of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The Divine Cult was a ce where the strong prevailed, where thew was the survival of the fittest, thus making it a melting pot of madness filled with crazy bastards and bitches. A bastard who ate people? Yep, they existed. A bastard who tortured people? Yep, they existed. A bastard who enjoyed killing people? Of course, they existed. However, having directly encountered and dealt with various Demonic Humans, he had actually developed an eye for spotting such evil types who couldn¡¯t necessarily be considered human. The girl in front of him was one of them. No, she was the real fucking deal even amongst those lunatics. It was unclear why such an existence was hiding within the Orthodox Faction. She was worse than any Demonic Human, no, it was as if she was a being of a different species altogether¡­¡­. His jaw trembled in terror. ¡°Please spare me¡­¡­..¡± A First-Rate Master rubbed his hands together so quickly that he was practically vibrating like a fly. This was one of the strong suits of the Unorthodox Faction. After all, a martial artist without a grand cause would value their own life above all else. Qing looked down at the man groveling before her. He was someone who she could kill, just like the other bastards. Qing¡¯s gaze turned cynical, clearly biased against him. ¡°Me? Why should I?¡± ¡°If you spare me, I¡¯ll do anyth-¡± As Qing took a step forward, the man screamed in horror. ¡°Wait! O Great One! I have information! I will tell you everything I know! Bokshinjeok! We are looking for Bokshinjeok!¡± Qing stopped moving. She didn¡¯t know what Bokshinjeok was, nor was she curious. However, the Status Window that popped up in front of her seemed to think differently. The Mission Window of [Omen, (Unknown)th Crisis]burst into mes and disyed an entirely new sentence. [Divine Cult Under The Heavens, War and Chaos of the Demonic Cult. The Beginning Chapter. (Unknown)th Crisis] Description:[You can track an important Divine Relic of the Divine/Demonic Cult. With it, you can join the Divine Cult or steal it to be the Great Adversary of the Demonic Sect.] Obtain more information about Bokshinjeok Lone Jianghu Journey) Steal Bokshinjeok Demonic Cult) Deliver Bokshinjeok to the Murim Alliance Heavenly Demon Divine Cult) Deliver Bokshinjeok to the Divine/Demonic Cult Heavenly ughtering Star) Steal Bokshinjeok [This choice could influence everything below Heaven.] ¡°Ssssp¡­¡­..¡± It¡¯s you again, Lil Window? An ex who asks, ¡®Are you sleeping?¡¯, at 2 AM would be smoother with it than you. How am I supposed to ept you when you¡¯re just soooo fucking clingy? Why don¡¯t you just go die in a hole? Suddenly, the Strategy Guide she had read half-heartedly came to mind. Wasn¡¯t it said that to progress through the game, one must resolve three random crises in the Early-Game, Midgame, and Endgame? But I¡¯ve already seen the Final Crisis and the Final Boss, you know? What kind of fucking order is this? What an actual shitfest. Would it end if I just beat Uhnyeongie? Or do I have to deal with all three of them when one is already too fucking much? But still, the Mission Window was somewhat manageable since the coincidental meet-up with Uhnyeong, I think? At least it doesn''t eat away at my brain like the Martial Arts Window. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­¡± Qing let out a deep sigh. She wanted to clear these choked up feelings right away, but¡­ ¡°So, what¡¯s up with this Bokshinjeok thingy, you fucker? Why are you talking about shit that only you know? That¡¯s illegal ording to that something something h h hw, you know?¡± Qing continued speaking with a crooked posture, akin to some gangster. ¡°Then, my verdict will be the death penalty.¡± ¡°I shall tell you!¡± Two hundred years ago, there was a legendary cksmith called Banchi, known as the Incarnation of the True Lord of Virtuous Fire1¡­¡­¡­. Qing threw a tantrum, annoyed at the exposition. ¡°Shit, what¡¯s with this sudden boomer-like story? What are you going to say next? That the only possession he had was the bundle he carried around? Is this really the time for you to be telling old stories about some grandpa? Do you want me to knock out all your teeth so you be a grandpa too?¡± ¡°N-No! So like¡­¡­.¡± One of Banchi¡¯s masterpieces was a flute made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, Bokshinjeok. ¡°The fuck? You guys caused this fucking shitfest just for some flute?¡± ¡°It is not just any flute. It is a flute made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. It is a treasure desired by all artists in the world, with a sound so beautiful that even the Green Emperor praised it¡­¡­.¡± In ancient China, the Green Emperor, Fuxi2, was considered something like a supreme deity who yed a role in the creation of humanity. He generously bestowed all sorts of knowledge to humans, including, of course, music. The phrase that even the Green Emperor would praise it was the highestpliment that could be given to an artist. But if one told Qing, ¡®There¡¯s such a flute flute and it has a beautiful tone which surpasses all sounds of nature¡¯... She wouldn¡¯t be interested because she couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of flute it was. So, why should she care? She would just say, ¡°Okay, sure. But isn¡¯t it just a flute?¡±. However, if one told Qing- ¡°That flute is a treasure worth ten thousand gold¡­¡­¡­¡± -Something like that¡­ ¡°It is a treasure! You¡¯re correct! I acknowledge it.¡± -was what she would exim in admiration. Ten thousand gold? It was an unimaginable amount of wealth. If it was that much, it made sense to Qing why the Mission Window was making such a fuss. Qing pondered. Either way, she couldn¡¯t just let this group of bad guys have it. But that didn¡¯t mean she could entrust it to the Murim Alliance either. Wasn¡¯t the Final Boss, Uhnyeongie, serving as an Enforcer or whatever for the Murim Alliance? Dropping a treasure into such a loosely managed organization would mean it would disappear without a trace. Then, what should I do? Master asionally yed the flute. She would probably like it if I gave it as a present, right? Qing made up her mind. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know, ¡®Starting directions¡¯3? What are you even doing? Hurry up and guide me.¡± ¡°Then does that mean you will spare¡­¡­.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What the fuck. Is a viin¡­¡­. talking back to me right now?¡± ¡°I will guide you! I want to guide you! Please let me guide you!¡± Qing rxed her expression. ¡°Nice, nice. Very good. Let¡¯s go.¡± Hundreds of drawers were scattered across the floor of the burial chambers. Rotten pills, rusted binyeos, and ornaments of mere emeralds, as well as decayed changdaos4 and daggers, were all mixed together, rolling around. It was unimaginably malicious to think that thest part of the treasure map was to furiously pull out drawers. Originally, it was not a job for the boss of the Advance Blue Brigade to do personally, but there was no choice when a fire was roasting right beneath his ass. Exactly how long had the fearsome Demonic Adepts of the Demonic Sect been rummaging through the drawers of the burial chamber? Finally, a drawer containing a dark blue flute fell to the floor from the highest shelf; a location so fucked up that it had to be pulled down by hanging on it. ¡°We found it!¡± ¡°Finally¡­¡­..!¡± Yeom Saraedal let out a voice full of emotion as his lifeline finally revealed itself. The dark blue body, one and a half feet in length, looked like a metal club at a nce, but it was actually an invaluable treasure. ¡°Very well, now¡­¡­.¡± It was then. Thud. Someone jumped into the burial chamber. Yeom Saraedal grabbed his mace5 in startlement. ¡°Who is it?! What the. Nevermind. It¡¯s you. Where are the others?¡± Yeom Saraedal recognized the face of his subordinate. He couldn¡¯t remember his name. But the face was at least familiar. The subordinate fidgeted in hesitation. ¡°Um, well, about that¡­¡­¡­¡± -Yo, is this the right ce? I¡¯ming down, okay? Suddenly, a lively voice prated the stone chamber. At the same time, Tap. A charming girl in the flower of maidenhoodnded with a light step. Qing looked around the stone chamber. In the center, an opened stone tomb revealed faded silk and the remnants of a dposed body underneath. Furthermore, the floor was littered with drawers that had been pulled out. ¡°What¡¯s this? Grave robbing? You¡¯re tryna dig up a tomb? You evil bastards! How dare you disturb the peace of the dead! This is unforgivable!¡± Yeom Saraedal red at his subordinate, clearly asking for an exnation. Qing also looked at the man with wet pants. The subordinate alternated his gaze between the boss and Qing. Then, he naturally drew his sword and aimed it at Qing. Qing frowned. ¡°You¡¯re going to betray me here? Seriously? Is that really the best you can do?¡± ¡°Shut up! It was just to lure you here!¡± ¡°Oh well. Whatever. I had no intention of letting you live anyway¡­¡­.¡± Qing never promised to spare him. Now that she had reached her destination, she was ready to send those worthless viins to the end of their journey. The afterlife. Look at this bastard. Quick on the uptake, huh? ¡°Now then! Cry out, Moonlight Demon ying Dao! Moonlight Demon! ying Half-Sword!¡± Qing charged forward, spouting any words that came to mind. Yeom Saraedal swung his mace in response. ng! de and metal collided, producing a loud noise. Yeom Saraedal¡¯splexion turned pale. ¡®How does this brat have such Inner Qi¡­¡­!¡¯ For reference, Yeom Saraedal was already drained from breaking the ceiling of the stone chamber. ¡°What are you doing, standing there?!¡± At Yeom Saraedal¡¯s shout, the remaining four members charged. Qing parried a sword and a dao, then stuck out her butt. The de of a spear barely grazed the front of her pelvis. And then, she lifted her sword high. It was then. Shrrrk, the sound of metal sliding. Iron chains wrapped tightly around Qing¡¯s forearm. It was a weapon called a chain whip6 in the Central ins. ¡°Now!¡± The one with the chain whip yelled. Yeom Sareadal, not missing a beat, swung his mace with all his might. I will smash that skull in an instant! A vicious mass of iron, bristling with spikes, headed straight for Qing¡¯s head. Qing pulled her arms back aggressively. Due to thebined force of Qing¡¯s monstrous strength and Inner Qi, the owner of the chain whip flew through the air, inadvertently bing Qing¡¯s shield. THWACK! The one holding the chain whip blocked the mace with his back. His spine shattered in an instant, causing him to spew blood and die from that single blow. At the same time, Dinggg-! The sound of a bell resounded out of the blue. The upper body of the one wielding the dao exploded, scattering the entrails inside all around. A thrilled voice filled the chamber. ¡°Half-Sword. Eliminated!¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± But after so boldly shouting out, he hesitated. It was because he clearly realized that Qing was not someone he could easily deal with. ¡°Bastard? That¡¯s no way to speak to someone you just met. It¡¯s informal. And rude. Don¡¯t you know what manners are? Ah, it really shows how you weren¡¯t taught well. Oh, well, if you¡¯re so pressed7, then¡­ You know, right?¡± Qing bent her finger, beckoning him. Yeom Saraedal made eye contact with thest remaining subordinate. At the same time, he quickly folded a few of his fingers and straightened them, making a shape. It was a secret signal among the brigade members. It meant to attack simultaneously. The subordinate briefly lowered his gaze then lifted it again. It meant that he understood. And then- ¡°Now!¡± Yeom Saraedal roared, channeling all his True Qi into his feet and stomping the ground. The subordinate, too, knew that this was hisst chance and kicked off the ground, leaping upwards. Both of them flew towards the hole in the ceiling. It was as if they had pre-arranged a dramatic act of mutual betrayal. Truly a specialty of bad guys. Since the hole was narrow and both jumped at the same time, they inevitably collided in mid-air. Then, they fell to the ground, tumbling around. ¡°You bastard! Didn¡¯t I tell you to attack! How dare you defy orders!¡± ¡°I should be the one saying that, Boss! Why are you running away?!¡± ¡°This is insubordination! And insubordination is punishable by death! Death!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the son of a bitch who tried to abandon your subordinate and run away! What kind of fucking piece of shit are you?! I knew you were like this from the very start! A fucker calling himself the boss when all he does is fuck around all day! What a fucking joke!¡± ¡°W, wh, what the fuck did you just say to me, you dogshit motherfucker!¡± They both raised their voices at each other. Qing made a face. What are they again? The Demonic Cult? Anyway, whatever they¡¯re called, seems like they¡¯re dysfunctional as fuck. *** Chapter 55: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (6) Just leaving them to their devices seemed enough for the two to start grabbing each other by the cor. But Qing couldn¡¯t bear to just watch them fuck around, so she spoke up. ¡°Why are you guys leaving behind a perfectly good weapon and just yapping at each other? I¡¯ll let the bastard who wins go, so¡­¡­.¡± By the time she said ¡®go¡¯, the subordinate had already swung his sword. It seemed the boss hadn¡¯t been all that popr. ¡°Keuk, you¡­¡­!¡± Yeom Saraedal, having been stabbed in the side, coughed up blood. Normally, stabbing someone in the side would result in death. Even a Master couldn¡¯t avoid this fate. ¡°The Divine Cult respects the strong. It is survival of the fittest. There is no need to feel too wronged.¡± The subordinate was saying something unnecessarily cool when all he did was a cowardly surprise attack. However, he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong either. No one in the Divine Cult would curse at him for this situation. Weakness was a sin. The one who survived was the victor. That was all there was to it. Yeom Saraedal, who had been stabbed by his subordinate, would be deemed the retard. And a heartyugh of ridicule would be the icing on the cake. After all, that was how the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was like. Heavenly Demon Divine Cult! Its rootsy in a religious group known as the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon. Originally, Zoroastrianism1, introduced from the Western Regions and known as Ao Jiao or the Fire Worship Cult in the Central ins, was adapted over time to suit the tastes of the Chinese, thus bing the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon. The Divine Cult of Sun and Moon believed all of the Central ins should follow the will of the Sun God, Ahura Mazda2, and the Moon God, Angra Mainyu3. They dreamed of religious victory. And they actually acted on it. It was an attempt at a kind of reform. And as history had shown time and time again, rulers never kindly epted challenges from religious zealots. The Emperor harshly suppressed the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon. As a result, the cult fled to the destend of Xinjiang, dreaming of revenge and forming amunity. The representative of thismunity was the greatest Master of their religion, who had led the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon to safety against the government¡¯s forces. He proposed the following upon bing the Cult Leader. Ahura Mazda, who was the sky. Angra Mainyu, who was the devil leading to the world¡¯s end. The sky and devil shall bebined as one to be called the Heavenly Demon. It was the birth of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. They ground their teeth, forever hoping to someday dye thends of the Central ins with the holy fire of the Divine Cult. In fact, every once in a while, they would invade the Central ins¡¯ Murim. The First. The Second. The Third, and even the Fourth. It was the history of four Great Wars Between Orthodox and Demonic. In the Central ins where blood was shed, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was derogatorily called the Demonic Cult, thus stripping away all the ¡°good¡± words in the name. To the followers and believers, it was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult; to the people of the Central ins, it was the Demonic Cult. Though two names, it represented just one entity. ¡°Um¡­¡­ Great Expert?¡± The victorious subordinate looked at Qing, trying to gauge what he should do now. Qing asked. ¡°What about Bokshinjeok?¡± ¡°It is in his possession.¡± The subordinate pointed at Yeom Saraedal. The dying Yeom Saraedal red. However, what was there to fear from a bastard who was already on death¡¯s doorsteps? ¡°Nice. Then, go.¡± ¡°Thank you for your mercy.¡± The subordinate bowed with a fist and palm salute before leaping away. Qing promptly extended her palm. ¡°How dare you!¡± Ding! Along with the sound of a bell that shook the entire stone chamber, the subordinate¡¯s buttocks exploded. Each of the legs, having lost the butt, drew separate parabs and only the remaining torso fell pitifully onto the tomb b. The subordinate lisped faintly with aggrieved eyes. ¡°Uweheee, uweheeeee¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®Why¡¯? I said I¡¯d let you go, not that I wouldn¡¯t attack, right? You should have dodged it if you wanted to live.¡± ¡°Fuuuuu¡­¡­.¡± With a look full of resentment, the subordinate breathed hisst. Qing whistled as she rummaged through the corpses. After all, acquiring spoils was the natural right of the victor. ¡°Ah. They¡¯re broke ass motherfuckers¡­¡­¡± Would it kill them to carry around a few gold coins? The best she found was a caidai4 that could be strapped to the thigh and throwing knives with flower decorations that were neatly inserted into it. Did this dumbass like floral patterns? Even though he looked like some forest bandit? Qing strapped the caidai to her thigh and tied it to her belt. She was quite pleased at how it didn¡¯t bother her or feel out of ce even when she tried stretching her legs out as far as possible. It seemed there was no need to grab a handful of chopsticks at every inn anymore. Finally, ten thousand gold, no, Bokshinjeok was held in Qing¡¯s grasp. Not only was it surprisingly long, but it was also quite heavy, perhaps because it was made out of iron. She heard it was made of Cold Iron, but she didn¡¯t expect it to actually feel so chilly in her solid grip. There were holes drilled into its long body, so it seemed to be a flute. However, with no decorations whatsoever, it looked nothing more than a dull, blueish stick at a nce. Wow. Imagine hitting someone with this. Wouldn¡¯t it feel fucking incredible? Whoosh. Whoosh. Qing swung Bokshinjeok around. Its weight, length, and handle were perfect. Perhaps even that legendary cksmith or whatever made it as a makeshift club for emergencies? If Banchi heard this, he would have wept tears of blood. Qing, having tucked Bokshinjeok in her waist, surveyed her surroundings. The burial chambers, lit by the dying light of torches, had be a scene of chaos. After approaching the stone coffin at the center, Qing gently straightened the faded silk robe covering a withered skeleton and closed the lid. With that, Qing flew through the hole in the ceiling. And then¡­ As the torches burned out, only darkness embraced the burial chambers left in shambles. Daijing Sect Leader, Wang Gaeyuk, was all smiles. And why wouldn¡¯t he be? He had achieved the greatest feat of his fifty-seven years of life. Some sect disciples were injured, but there were no severe injuries or casualties. And they had managed to repel an actualbat unit of the Demonic Cult. Furthermore, they had alsopleted the rescue operation for the missing people along the way. Though, the rescued were but a shadow of their former selves and numbered only about thirty in total. Since he did not expect for a rescue to be possible in the first ce, it was just a pleasant bonus to him. However, the rescued knew nothing. They just rambled about how they had been lured by the promise of making it big by Wang Sonman, only to be ordered to dig the earth with shovels upon regaining their senses. Since the Advance Blue Brigade had either died or fled, the purpose of the Demonic Cult remained unclear. The only thing known was that they intended to raid the tomb of some unnamed person. That was all. In essence, the incident was ultimately concluded with Qing securing a trophy worth ten thousand gold. Truth be told, Qing made no particr effort to conceal it either. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Ahhh, Sanie doesn¡¯t know, huh. This is called a ¡®flute¡¯. You can y it by blowing into it.¡± ¡°......That is not what I was asking. Can¡¯t you carry something a bit more presentable? Why did you pick up something that looks so outright cheap?¡± Originally, musical instruments were meant to be ornate. After all, music was ultimately intended to enchant people. In the past, music could soothe the hardships ofbor or add solemnity to rituals. And even in the present, it could help one forget the sorrows of love or enhance the taste of liquor. Therefore, musicians not only endeavored to please the ears but also to delight the eyes, making the ornateness of instruments a natural evolution. In that sense, Bokshinjeok appeared to be nothing more than a sooty rod. ¡°I bet even you¡¯ll be shocked if you knew how much this was worth, Sanie.¡± ¡°What, is it worth about two coins?¡¯ ¡°Little Brother Peng, that much would not even amount to the value of its scraps. It should be at least one silver sycee, should it not?¡± ¡°Younger Brothers, you are too obsessed with appearances. Such an object could unexpectedly be a trea¡­¡­..sure¡­¡­¡± Changbin¡¯s words trailed off, crawling to a halt. It was because of Qing¡¯s piercing gaze, as if he had touched upon something he shouldn¡¯t have. For once, he exercised an insight befitting a disciple of Daoism. However, Changbin was never treated all that well by Qing in the first ce. As such, Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae simply assumed it was just another day of Qing bullying Changbin into submission. They simply let his words enter in one ear and out the other, thinking it was nonsensical. ¡°By the way, Sword Brother. Did you even know how to y the flute?¡± Namgung Shinjae asked, seemingly finding it a surprise. Had Qing been any other woman, such a remark would have been deemed rude. After all, ying at least one instrument was considered ady¡¯s virtue. However, Qing was a man at heart. Why would she give a flying fuck? ¡°Flute? What¡¯s there to know? I just need to blow into it.¡± Qing put Bokshinjeok to her lips. Having seen Ximen Surin y the flute often, the posture she roughly mimicked from her memories looked somewhat passable. The three of them waited in anticipation, thinking ¡®Could it be?¡¯ at the sight of her stance. But sure enough, only a whooshing sound of wind buzzed noisily. Qing got annoyed and her pride was hurt, so out of spite, she blew even harder into it. She expected at least some kind of noise, but only a hollow whoosh like the autumn breeze returned. Qing frowned. ¡°Agh, shit. Is this thing broken or something?¡± San looked at Qing incredulously. The girl¡¯s face had turned red from blowing too hard. ¡°.......Just because you blow into it hard doesn¡¯t mean it makes a sound.¡± ¡°What the, Sanie. You know how to y?¡± ¡°Just a simple tune.¡± ¡°Ooooh, a man who does music. How cool. Then let¡¯s hear it. Why don¡¯t you y us one song?¡± Qing handed over Bokshinjeok. Peng Daesan reached out to take it, but then recoiled at the shiny marks near the mouthpiece. ¡°What the. Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°.......Please. I am begging you. Don¡¯t just flippantly offer items you¡¯ve put your lips on to others. Especially considering you are a woman. Could you please act a bit moredylike? Imagine how ridiculous and easy you might look to other men.¡± Hehhhh? Oh? Now he¡¯s even preaching to me? I already look ridiculous right now, so what does it matter what I do anyway? Qing scratched her head, then, out of habit, quickly untied and retied her hair. Her skill at doing her hair was impable; she bit the hair tie, quickly rolled, twisted, and wrapped her hair before securing it with a binyeo. After tying it back as a finishing touch, not a single strand was out of ce. It was the greatest achievement of the nuclear noogie. ¡°We¡¯re friends anyway, so what¡¯s the big deal? Mm? Or wait. Maybe it is?¡± Come to think of it, maybe it''s a bit grosser since we¡¯re friends? Qing recalled her school days. Recorders were something you could never just borrow or lend. It was kind of gross, after all. ¡°Sword Brother, why not just y the gu5 or the qin6, then? At the very least, they would make a sound.¡± ¡°What did you say, you punk?¡± Qing stared daggers at her Sword Brother. But since Namgung Shinjae was not mocking her but actually offering sincere advice for his Sword Brother¡¯s own good, Qing felt even more determined to prove him wrong. ¡°Just wait and see. I¡¯ll get a sound out of this thing if it¡¯s thest thing I do. Seriously.¡± Peng Daesan couldn¡¯t help but retort incredulously. ¡°.......Are you truly saying that is all you can achieve? Merely making a sound?¡± ¡°Just you watch, okay?¡± And so, Qing was apanied by Bokshinjeok throughout the entire journey to Mount Hua. No sound ever came out. *** Chapter 56: Alone on the Path of a Lonely Person, Longing for the End of the Sword (1) The Mount Hua Sect! People did not hesitate whatsoever to regard Mount Hua as a great sword school. Of course, whenever this was mentioned, someone who pushed for the Wudang Sect always appeared. From then on would be an argument, going at each other¡¯s throats without abandon. It was the beginning of a fierce sword debate. ¡®The Violet Mist Sword of Mount Hua is truly a peerless Divine Art.¡¯ Are you looking down on the Purple Mist Sword Qi right now? ¡®However, do you perhaps not know the pr principle of Wudang¡¯s Tai Chi?¡¯ Yeah, okay. And? Wisdom Sword of Cosmic Harmony! Eat this instead! As emotions intensified like so, some, who had no connection to the major sects of Murim, would im to represent them and initiate proxy battles. And that moment was when the spectators would cheer the most. This was the mere level of entertainment in the primitive ancient times of China. At any rate, if one were to choose the most outstanding sword sect among the numerous factions in Murim, the Mount Hua Sect and the Wudang Sect would naturallye to mind. That was the position Mount Hua held in Murim. However, for Qing, it didn''t matter whether the Mount Hua Sect was ranked high or low. The important part was that she had been tricked, she had been backstabbed, and she had been quite possibly bamboozled. ¡°The mountains are pretty and all, but where is it?¡± The rugged mountain terrain, one of the five great mountains of the Central ins, instilled a rather polite and respectful heart in anyone who gazed upon it. There were no slopes in Mount Hua. Only sheer cliffs. The white things are cliffs, the red things are trees. This was an apt description that summarized the terrain of Mount Hua in autumn. It was a month¡¯s journey to the Mount Hua Sect. In Qing¡¯s opinion, there had been significant changes during this time. Changbin had finally stopped babbling and started actually speaking! Of course, he still could not clearly distinguish between formal and informal speech, thus using it awkwardly. He also didn¡¯t seem to know that he should at least pretend to look at someone¡¯s face when speaking to them, a form ofmon sense that even Qing was aware of. Still, since he had ovee the divine punishment of being mute through his own efforts, she could understand at least this much. That meant Changbin still had room to grow even further. Since I¡¯m the oldest in this party, I should embrace him with a warm gaze and ample attention¡­¡­¡­ ¡°The Mount Hua Sect is located on Purple Night Peak, so just a little m¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about the Mount Hua Sect. Where are the volcanoes1? I don''t see any smoke, you know? Is it a dormant volcano? Like, is it ying around? Or unemployed? Did it leave to go fetch some milk?¡± Changbin smiled brightly. It was somewhat a smile befitting a Daoist. Seems like he¡¯s tryna act like a Daoist since we almost arrived at his home, huh? ¡°Young Lady Ximen, I see you, too, make such a cliche joke. It is something everyone whoes to Mount Hua for the first time says at least once, so this Daoist here has already heard it dozens of ti¡­¡­.¡± Changbin trailed off upon seeing Qing¡¯s grave face. ¡°It truly was a joke, ri¡­..?¡± Qing maintained her grave demeanor. To be frank, it was a rather brilliant response of itself. Qing yelled in exasperation. ¡°This is seriously so upsetting! My volcano! MY LAVA!¡± ¡°Young Lady Ximen, if you raise your voice like that¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Since when did Mount Hua be yours?¡± Peng Daesan rebuked her. ¡°It could be, you know? This is pure bait! I got baited so hard! My volcano! I wanted to seeva! Flowing fiery rivers! Intense heat! By the way, what¡¯s delicious here? What dish is this ce famous for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The shift in topic that was as smooth as water was like the mysterious principles of prity and unity in Tai Chi Yin and Yang. Peng Daesan was momentarily taken aback by how miraculous it was. ¡°Haha, Sword Brother, Mount Hua is not a restaurant. And in the first ce, meals in a Daoist Sect can not be considered gourmet. Expecting too much shall only lead to disappointment.¡± ¡°Eh? Wot? The meals at the Divine Maiden Sect were he delicious, though. Everything you just said? It¡¯s just prejudice, you hear me? Prejudice.¡± In fact, the meals at the Divine Maiden Sect were truly tasty. Even though it was made with just ordinary mountain herbs, there was a certain specialness that came from its subtly deep vor and aroma. This was actually the case for a majority of female-led sects. Unlike men who would be moved to tears at the mere sight of meat, tearing into it like beasts, for women, meals were a significant matter. At any rate, the group members did not particrly mind Qing¡¯s attitude. After all, though she grumbled inint, Qing was actually enjoying the scenery of Mount Hua. Her gaze constantly swept over the surroundings. Whenever they reached a spot where the terrain was majestic and beautiful, she would stop and look around, just like a country girl going sightseeing. In truth, Mount Hua was an incredibly rugged mountain. It was not a ce suitable for leisurely strolls and sightseeing. However, there was not one person among the group who was not a Master. So, this wasn¡¯t exactly an issue for any of them. And finally, upon reaching the Lotus Flower Summit2, the gates of Mount Hua Sect came into view. Mount Hua was rtively close to the secr world for a Daoist sect. In fact, it was quite excessively close. When joining a Daoist/Buddhist sect, one¡¯s name would be put on record. This was called Register Entry, a ceremony where one left behind their secr name and received a new Dao/Dharma Name. However, there were also disciples who were recorded, but did not abandon their secr names. These were the secr disciples. Each sect had its own criteria when it came to the initiation of secr disciples. For example, the Divine Maiden Sect did not ept secr disciples. Instead, if a woman decided to leave because she had found a man or imed she could not live without a man anymore, the sect would only break her dantian and return her name, thus disying tolerance. And in fact, it was a remarkably merciful leniency. Other sects would sever the tendons of the limbs and then generously stamp the expelled with a burning seal as a parting gift. Moreover, Daoist/Buddhist sects would rigorously examine a person¡¯s character and qualities before epting them as secr disciples. There was a rumor that the amount of donation could significantly benefit one¡¯s character score. There was no official response to this, however. In this regard, Mount Hua was known for its lenient stance, to the extent of being criticized by other sects that were even Daoist like them. Their qualities are decent and they aren¡¯t a bad person? epted. Their qualities are actually really decent? epted. By the way, their family is really wealthy? epted. Mount Hua had their own reasons, too. Since a neighboring sect has taken over the entirend of Shaanxi, we might as well earn something from the secr disciples, right? Thend was all but taken away by the neighboring Zhongnan Sect; moreover, they were considered a legitimate Daoist sect with ancestral rituals held throughout the entire year. At any rate, for these reasons, Mount Hua disciples were spread all over the Central ins, and thanks to this, the Mount Hua Sect was rtively wealthy, with my people overflowing its main mountain. The result of that was a sprawlingplex thatpletely filled the Lotus Flower Summit. Qing looked at such a scenery in surprise. Woah. How can a single sect be so massive? The Divine Maiden Sect is like a tiny shop inparison. What the hell? Changbin looked at Qing with a pleased smile. The disciples guarding the sect¡¯s main gate and signboard warmly weed Changbin. ¡°Great Senior Brother, have you returned?¡± ¡°Young Expert Peng and Young Expert Namgung, it has been a while since west met, hasn¡¯t it? Oh, but who might this Young Lady be¡­¡­.? Could it be?¡± ¡°As expected of Great Senior Brother! We have always believed in you!¡± ¡°A fiend among Daoists who can captivate any woman with just a breath! How did the world create women yet also birthed Changbin! This is the esteem that Changbin of Mount Hua holds! Remember his name!¡± The faulty in Changbin¡¯s usually frivolous words and deeds. To the Junior Brothers, Changbin was a great man who would have beauties from all over the Central ins courteously following him andpeting for his attention with just one word - ¡®Alcohol¡¯. After all, ording to his dogma, it was not right for one to drink alone. Changbin¡¯s face turned red. ¡°N-No, i-it is not like that. This is Young Lady Ximen, a distinguished guest here to greet the Sect Lea¡­¡­¡± ¡°Greetings to the Sect Leader?! Do we get to suck on candies now?!¡± ¡°OOOOOOOH, CANDY! Hey, guys! Great Senior Brother will be throwing candy!¡± ¡°Wait, Junior Brothers, wait¡­¡­¡­¡± And then, without even giving Changbin a chance to stop them, the disciples rushed inside, shouting ¡®Candy, candy¡¯. The sophisticated Movement Technique of Dark Fragrance swiftly slid among the people of the Mount Hua Sect. The expression ¡®receiving candy¡¯ meant the same thing as ¡®eating galbitang3¡¯ in modern Korean vocabry. To put it simply, in ancient primitive China, candies had to be distributed to guests at wedding celebrations. Thus, they were implying that Changbin would soon be wedded. Why did it just so happen to be that one of the loose-mouthed bastards are manning the main gate today? The rumor was bound to spread throughout the sect by the end of the day. Changbin awkwardly retracted his hand and nced over at the party cautiously. ¡°About that. Ahem. Little Brother Peng? It was not my intention, so please do not look at me with such menacing eyes. After all, I am still your senior¡­¡­.¡± It was when they had sent word of their arrival to the Sect Leader¡¯s temple and was sitting in the temple¡¯s annex, having drunk half a cup of tea. A call came toe up immediately. It was truly a rare urrence. Normally, once one reached the status of a Sect Leader, they would possess a certain gravity, so they wouldn¡¯t just scurry out because a guest wished to see them. Moreover, when it came to ¡®face¡¯ culture of the ancient, primitive, barbaric China, guests were to wait in line ording to their status. After all, arbitrarily changing the order could be a great insult to other guests. Yet even so, the Sect Leader urgently summoned the next Great Disciple. The reason was simple. Changbin was twenty-nine this year. And it had now reached a time when autumn was in full bloom. As such, just a few monthster, he would be an old bachelor who was toote to find his match. A man had to have a family, by any means necessary. It was a happy event for a man to be the head of a family and enjoy the affection of kin. Furthermore, it helped a man maintain a bnced life while walking on the path to the Transcendent Realm So, it was an incredibly crucial time for Changbin. How could he not meet the woman that his bachelor disciple had brought? Thus, Yuha Jinin, the Righteous Iron Plum Blossom and Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, hurriedly weed the guest. ¡°I see. So you are that child.¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°I only just heard about it as well, you see. Yes, that brilliance in your eyes is undoubtedly the mystical aura of¡­¡­.. Daoism¡­¡­.. Mm. It is overflowing with mystical aura, but¡­¡­.. Mmmm. It is not just a mystical aura that is overflowing, but also¡­¡­..¡± Yuha Jinin thought to himself. What is with this child? The eyes that bore the unique brilliance of Daoism were profound, so the realm she had reached in such qualities was far from ordinary. But what was this sinister madness that was stuck in-between? Such a dreadful thing was definitely not normal. After all, there was a kind of uneasiness that could not be expressed with mere written descriptions ¡°Uh¡­¡­..¡± As Yuha Jinin struggled to find the words he wished to say, Changbin quickly added an exnation. ¡°Great Master, this is Young Lady Ximen, the named disciple of the Matriarch, Elder Ximen Surin.¡± ¡°Ah! Senior Ximen¡¯s!¡± Thunder struck in Yuha Jinin¡¯s mind. Senior Ximen¡¯s named disciple! Then, it made sense for her eyes to hold a bit of madness. Ahm. Of course, of course. Yuha Jinin was immediately convinced. Ximen Surin¡¯s female-oriented ideology had be significantly milder with age, thus reaching its current state. As such, only the previous generation of Masters knew just how vicious the Zenith Among Women was in her heyday, when the female activist shouted, fought, and advocated for women¡¯s ascendancy. And at the same time, he realized one other fact. She must be the youngest sister who suddenly appeared in the record of generation names4! Moreover, unlike that other Ximen, her face was full of bright smiles, making her look extremely amiable. Yuha Jinin, who suddenly had a younger sister despite being over fifty years apart in age, smiled warmly at her. ¡°Hoho. I never expected to see a youngest at this old age. Is Senior Ximen doing well?¡± ¡°Yes. She was in good health thest time I saw her.¡± ¡°Is that so? But it appears that our youngest¡¯s attainments are not low whatsoever. Can you perhaps tell me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still only at the Late Stage Peak Realm.¡± ¡°Oh! Oh! A great blessing hase to the White Path Orthodox Factions!¡± Yuha Jinin did not skimp on his admiration. To think a young girl of only twenty was at the Late Stage Peak Realm. It appears that Senior Ximen has been raising a monster. After all, even Senior Celestial Martial Emperor had not reached the Middle Stage Peak Realm at such an age. Yuha Jinin¡¯s warm gaze became even fonder. *** Chapter 57: Alone on the Path of a Lonely Person, Longing for the End of the Sword (2) ¡°I see, did youe to see the Absolute Sword Wall?¡± ¡°Yes. My Sword Brother over the- No, I mean, Young Master Namgung said that one just had to see Mount Hua¡¯s Absolute Sword Wall.¡± ¡°Hoho, the Absolute Sword Wall is the Insight gained by our great senior, the Celestial Martial Emperor, after witnessing the Sword of Mount Hua. It is also a divine relic of our sect. We cannot show it carelessly to outsiders.¡± It seemed it was not a spectacle shown to just anyone. Originally, Qing thought that no matter how beautiful nature¡¯s scenery could be, it wouldn¡¯t be all that impressive. However, the breathtaking view she saw while ascending Mount Hua was beyond imagination. After all, as a worker who had lived only within industrialplexes in the past, this was the first scenic masterpiece of the world she had seen. Although Korea¡¯sndscape was beautiful, its scale was modest and didn¡¯t overwhelm people. As such, Qing couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment. ¡°Ah, is that so¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, Yuha Jinin smiled warmly. ¡°However, since the youngest is a part of our Daoism family, it would not be right to call you an outsider.¡± ¡°Then can I see it? Am I allowed to?¡± ¡°Instead, if you think of something after seeing the Absolute Sword Wall, would you tell me? With the talent that our youngest holds, you might see something different.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll write down a review that fills an entire page, without missing a single thing.¡± ¡°Hoho. You do not have to go that far.¡± Of course, Yuha Jinin truly didn¡¯t expect that. Even the greatest Masters of Mount Hua could only feel the overwhelming gap in skill upon gazing at the Absolute Sword Wall. What could a mere young girl at the Late Stage Peak Realm possibly understand? Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae, sitting behind the conversation like a folding screen, exchanged nces. It was because they found this situation incredulous. For those from the noble ns, the Mount Hua Sect had passed on the responsibility of a mission as the price for viewing the Absolute Sword Wall. It was neither difficult nor dangerous but was extremely troublesome and sess was not guaranteed. Hence, they had been wandering around Jianghu in order toplete the mission instead of stayingfortably in their n. Of course, it was not mandatory for the mission to be done with all their might. However, since they had seen the Absolute Sword Wall, they had to at least pretend to undertake the mission given. They couldn¡¯t just return to their own n and immediately sprawl leisurely. And yet¡­ Here the Sect Leader was, babying and fussing over Qing, ready to show her the Absolute Sword Wall right away. They were aware of the warmth and affection between the Daoist sects. However, they could not help but feel that such differential treatment was excessively unfair. But Yuha Jinin had an entirely different perspective on this. Even if they were from the Five or Ten Noble ns¡­ Even if they were rulers of regions said to be a part of the Orthodox Faction, in the end, they were people who, at a moment¡¯s choice, would prioritize family over the greater good. Senior Celestial Martial Emperor had also said the same thing. That only the Mount Tais, the great pirs, of the Orthodox Faction truly cared for all under the Heavens. And even among those pirs, those grand mountains, Matriarch Ximen Surin stood particrly tall, reaching an astounding peak. As such, the reason why he was so lenient on Qing was not because of the Divine Maiden Sect, but rather due to Ximen Surin herself. Furthermore, the present times were already filled with signs of ominous divination. It wasn¡¯t without any reason that the sessors of the ns were allowed to see the Absolute Sword Wall and their debts were cleared. If the signs of divination came to pass and great trouble arose for Mount Hua, perhaps the goodwill of Qing could be leveraged to borrow the power of Ximen Surin. Of course, the fact that he found the youngest so adorable and lovable, as she seemed almost like a granddaughter, also yed a part. As one aged and gained status, seeing the young ones hesitating in their presence became all toomon. It was natural to fall for the ever so bright and assertive youngest. ¡°Hoho. I would love to talk more with Youngest Sister, but as the leader of a sect, I am far too busy. There are so many who wish to meet me that I cannot afford to spend much time like this.¡± ¡°Ah. Are you busy? I shouldn¡¯t bother someone who is so hard pres¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We do not have much time, so let us quickly go and return. I can spare at least this much time for our new Youngest Sister.¡± The Celestial Martial Emperor¡¯s realm was not known to anyone. However, what was well-known was that he had reached the level where it was possible for him to ascend to an Immortal before the age of sixty. Also, that he has chosen to remain on this earth instead of ascending. He dered that he would not be an Immortal until he had seen the extremity of martial studies, a stern vow famously known as the Non-Ascension of Unseen Martial Peak. Thus, the Celestial Martial Emperor traveled among the Nine Sects, obtaining the essence of martial studies and the secret martial arts of the sects. ording to unofficial history that had been passed down orally, it was rumored that the Celestial Martial Emperor had simply barged in and demanded their esoteric techniques, causing an immensemotion. The truth was taken to the grave by the Seniors of the previous generation, thus making it an unknown mystery. However, even if he was the benefactor who saved the entire Murim from the conspiracy of the government, it was still hard to understand how they could so readily hand over the secrets of their sects. That couldn¡¯t be denied. So, instead, the Celestial Martial Emperor left the Insight he had gained from observing the esoteric martial arts in the form of Sword Marks. That was exactly what the Absolute Sword Wall of the Nine Sects signified. Some criticized why something left by a great senior of Murim was monopolized by the Nine Sects. But regardless of suchints, the Nine Sects stood firm and proud. The ce where the Celestial Martial Emperor left these Sword Marks was enough of an exnation in itself. It was a location difficult to find and blocked on all sides, thus preventing outsiders from casually observing. Why else would he have engraved the Sword Marks here? It was a gesture of consideration, so that not just anyone could see his legacy. He had tantly made it a gift intended for them, the Nine Sects, rendering any outsider¡¯s criticism moot. This was the story shared by Yuha Jinin, awfully reminiscent of ones told by grandfathers. As Qing listened, engaging and asking questions along the way, they soon found themselves at the entrance to a narrow canyon on a peak. After traversing the cramped canyon, they reached a basin surrounded by cliffs. And there stood the Absolute Sword Wall. ¡°Oooh¡­¡­.¡± Qing let out an exmation. Simply put, it was a giant cliff filled with densely packed, petal-shaped scars. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t all that shocking or mind-blowing. And she wasn¡¯t even sure if those were made by a sword or were the result of some natural erosion. After all, the grandeur of thendscape, blending with the uplift of the earth, was honestly a more astonishing sight to her. Qing thought. But still, since he showed her with such sincerity¡­ It was both polite and her duty tovish praise for the kindly grandpa of the Mount Hua Sect. And this judgment was exactly why Qing was so beloved and babied by the elderly. Just as Qing was about to speak¡­ [Strange Fate urrence - The Legacy of the Celestial Martial Emperor] [You have witnessed the Insight left by the Celestial Martial Emperor.] Suddenly, the world turned ash-gray. One old man, the sole individual with color. His hair, turnedpletely white, was tightly tied back. He looked like a grandfatherly figure filled with stubborn determination. While letting his hand, which held a long sword, droop, he stood quietly, closing his eyes and calmly breathing. From the sword flowed white petals. The de scattering into snow-white petals seemed as if the sword was melting away. And then, the sword moved. Following the trajectory of the sword, countless petals blossomed. The petals floated in the air. Swept by the wind, they fluttered gently,nding softly only to suddenly fly up again with a guffaw. Like a whirlwind, they swirled around, spreading across the vast blue sky without any lingering attachments and simultaneously filling the entire world with a rain of petals¡­¡­. Everywhere her field of vision reached, her eyes were dazzled by white flowers. Alone in the maelstrom of painfully beautiful light¡­ Qing unconsciously reached out her hand. But whenever she grasped at the petals that seemed to overflow the entire world and opened her hand, she found that she had caught nothing. That was when a single petalnded gently on the palm of her hand, which she had been dazedly looking at with a sense of loss and regret. Something that was not caught when trying to grasp. Something that only came near when staying still. Qing lifted her head. The old man was no longer in sight; only a sword remained. The old man was there, however. After all, the old man was the sword, and at the same time, the sword was the old man. Finally, the sword flew. Each and every one of the countless petals were formed from concentrated Sword Force, the manifestation of Sword Compression1. And they all chased after the sword like a storm. Starlight twirled, swirled, and frolicked with innocentughter, guing and tormenting the cliff with traces and marks. Qing looked at the cliff. It was a message left by the Celestial Martial Emperor. Strokes without rules, formed by iprehensible sequences of random moves, wrote chaos, as well as a message. A voice trickled out of Qing¡¯s mouth as she stood there in a daze. ¡°The p of a butterfly¡¯s wings in the Qinghai Province¡¯s flower gardens can cause a storm to rage in Beijing. As such, all changes in the world are the harmony born from the will of a mere small and insignificant creature.¡± It was as if Iwas speaking, yet it was not I who was speaking. Qing did not even understand what she herself was saying. ¡°If even a small and insignificant creature can do that, then the will of humans, being so innumerable in the world, makes any change utterly unpredictable.¡± Qing looked up at the sky. The sky was cloudy and the surroundings dark. ¡°A Thousand Changes Leads To Ten Thousand Distortions. A veritable kaleidoscope. Can a human dare to understand the will of the heavens? Do martial studies truly ce its truth beyond the nine heavens, in a terminal bud unreachable by man?¡± The old man despaired. Yet, he never gave in. Because it was in the face of despair that people showed their purity. Since they were organisms that had evolved through such means and manners. The old man opened his mouth. ¡°The heavens- Suddenly, Qing¡¯s senses expanded. She crossed Mount Hua, going beyond thends of Shaanxi. The disciples of Mount Huaughed, chattered, and trained and in distant cities and inns, fights and disputes followed just as usual and in the bars, Ooooh, I wasn¡¯t intending to peep but how embarrassing, the sun hasn¡¯t even set yet. But what an interesting posture, huh? Wait, let me just watch a bit longe- Her senses expanded further. Crossing the Central ins, over the highest mountain ranges of the world, ah, the red-skinned barbaric white fuckers. White fuckers eating swine soup, white fuckers burning witches, white fuckers d in iron charging in the name of God¡­¡­.. And finally, after crossing the great oceans to brush past people in tents wearing feathered hats¡­ Qing finally faced the blue, soaring among the sea of stars. The majestic universe unfolded before Qing¡¯s eyes. The most beautiful sight a human could behold. It was then. All the stars twinkled at once, weing Qing. The stars whispered in an ever so guileless and tender voice. -Die. -The mouth opened. ¡°I will not seek the understanding of the heavens or the earth. I will only devote myself to walk alone on the path of a lonely person, longing for the end of the sword.¡± Uwegh! Qing suddenly vomited blood. Dark gore poured out onto the ground. ¡°C-Child!¡± ¡°Qing! Are you alright!¡± ¡°Sword Brother! The blood!¡± ¡°Young Lady! Are you all right!?¡± Four different voices mmed into her ears at once. Qing waved her hand. It was to signal that she was okay for now. But her stomach was still churning, burning, surging. ¡°M-My back¡­¡­.¡± Qing gestured towards her back. Though she did not know who among the four it was, someone began thumping her back gently. Then, the unfinished vomiting continued. Guweeeegh, Hoo, Hoo, Guweeeeegh. Along with the embarrassing sounds, Qing kept retching blood. It was as if she was throwing up all the blood in her body. After that, she felt strangely refreshed. Qing wiped her mouth with her sleeve. ¡°Phew! Finally, I feel much better. Ahhhhh woahhh, how refreshing.¡± Her body felt strangely light. Wait, is it just my imagination? Or did it really get lighter? ¡°Youngest Sister, are you alright?¡± ¡°Ah. Just a moment¡­¡­¡± Qing opened the Martial Arts Window that continued to send her notifications. A new martial art that had been added was sparkling. A Purple Border, at that. Then, she suddenly recalled one Movement of a martial art she had not known before. Nine Swords of Solitude. Eighth Movement, Kaleidoscope. *** Chapter 58: Alone on the Path of a Lonely Person, Longing for the End of the Sword (3) It was the move shown by the old man. Was that grandpa the Celestial Martial Emperor? What was embedded in her mind was not just a single Movement. Free Practice Points could not be used on the Nine Swords of Solitude. Instead, every time a Movement was filled through the respective Absolute Sword Walls of the other Nine Sects, the mastery would increase by one star. After collecting all nine, thus reaching Nine Stars, there was information written that one could reach the realm of Ten Stars through a special mission. It was information she had neither seen nor heard of before. Is it even possible to have something as unpleasant as this shit in my head? Martial Arts Window, it¡¯s you again, isn¡¯t it? You motherfucking piece of shit. However, considering she was attacked by this monster of a Status Window that felt like it ate her brains, it wasn¡¯t as filthy a feeling as she expected. Somewhere along the way¡­ Something? Something? Swomthwing? Seemed like a really great opportunity? But it felt like someone interfered? There was, I think? But I¡¯m not sure? What it is? In truth, Qing had taken about two steps into the door of Demonic Ascent, before returning. Demonic Ascent! It was a kind of loophole that Demonic Humans who had gone beyond the Transcendent Realm entered instead of the Unrestrained Realm. It was a much easier method than oveing the wall of the Unrestrained Realm. However, the side effects were quite severe. Typical symptoms included a murderous impulse, a sadistic disposition, and a predilection for cannibalism. To be fair though, it wasn¡¯t all that different from Qing¡¯s current state. At any rate, if one entered the realm through Demonic Ascent, they would go batshit crazy and be a Demonic Human. And until they reached the next realm, it would continue to be as such. Only when a Demonic Human overcame the wall and entered the Profound Realm did they finally regain their sanity and return to normal. This was called Demonic Descent. However, in the long history of Murim, there were only a few who returned through Demonic Descent. They were bastards who easily overcame the wall through a loophole. And after, since they had to ovee even higher walls, they had to suffer several times more than martial artists who had properly ascended to the Unrestrained Realm. At any rate, Qing had returned from almost falling into the eternal pit that was a Demonic Human. It was thanks to the great Senior, Celestial Martial Emperor, who magnificently led her out of such a state. Unfortunately, Qing had no memory of it. People often erased memories when they received a strong shock for the sake of recovery. It was a type of ultimate move called, ¡®Why don¡¯t we pretend it never happened?¡¯. The experience of being antagonized by the entire universe had long surpassed the level that Qing¡¯s fragile and pitiable mind could withstand. In fact, she might have not even been able to kill a bug. At any rate, if there was no memory, she didn¡¯t know. And Qing didn¡¯t think deeply about things she didn¡¯t know. It was natural for one to not remember something if they tried to forcibly hold onto it. She already knew that if she just let it be, it would naturallye to mind. It was a simr concept to the oh so high-quality jokes that ahjusshis would suddenly remember while they were lying down, thus ending up chuckling. Qing sent an awkward smile to herpanions who were looking at her with worried eyes. ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± Peng Daesan frowned. ¡°Are you certain you are truly fine? It is a bit difficult to say you are alright when you have bled this much.¡± ¡°I did?¡± Instead of answering, Peng Daesan just pointed at a spot. Following the direction of the end of his finger, there was a dark pool of blood. It was far too extraordinary of an amount to havee from a human. Normally, if you vomit that much blood, wouldn¡¯t you just die? Qing denied it. ¡°What¡¯s that? It¡¯s not my blood!¡± ¡°......Did you not just vomit it out?¡± ¡°Ehhhh, me? I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± ¡°You even asked to thump you on the back.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± Qing sneakily hid her blood-stained sleeve behind her back. ¡°Can you not be serious for once? Just in case, circte your Inner Qi to check your Qi and blood.¡± Qing obediently followed Peng Daesan¡¯s words. Her Inner Qi, practically overflowing from her dantian, gently circted through her entire body¡¯s acupuncture points, swirling around her Fine Meridians1. How to put it? It seems more natural than before? Despite the speed of the Inner Qi flow being faster than before, the control of the flow had still be easier. Basically, it had be possible to deliver much more Inner Qi in one strike than before. ¡°Oooh? What¡¯s this? It¡¯s gotten much better, huh?¡± ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Is this what happens if you vomit blood? If I throw up again, won¡¯t I just reach the Transcendent Realm? Is this what Enlightenment is?¡± Qing made a huge fuss. Peng Daesan experienced firsthand that when a person was too bbergasted and incredulous, words simply could not escape the lips. That was when Qing turned her gaze to Yuha Jinin. ¡°Elder Sect Leader. That¡¯s a trace left by Senior Celestial Martial Emperor. Apparently, it¡¯s called Kaleidoscope.¡± Yuha Jinin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Kaleidoscope? What is it that you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that Movement. The martial art is called the Nine Swords of Solitude, so-¡± ¡°A sword sought lonelily by oneself! How can this be! Oh my world! Sword Brother! What is the meaning of such a beautiful phrase! How can such stirring wordse from that rough and unruly mouth?! Then, that is the Celestial Martial¡­Emperor¡­¡­¡­. Mm.¡± Namgung Shinjae interrupted. Spit flew out of his mouth and a frenzied glow glittered in his eyes due to his overzealous excitement. However, upon receiving a ferocious, sharp re from Yuha Jinin, he suddenly mimicked the persona of a solemn young man. But, by the way? Somehow? Wasn¡¯t there? An unnecessary addition in the middle? Why? How? I¡¯m pretty sure he dissed me, right? As Qing cocked her head, pondering Namgung Shinjae¡¯s dialogue, Yuha Jinin urged her on. ¡°Youngest Sister. Please, tell me in detail.¡± ¡°I saw like some kind of illusion. Some grandpa transformed into a sword? And then he used Sword Compression like this or something.¡± ¡°Sword Body Unification! Sword Compression! Indeed, the Celestial Martial¡­Emperor¡­¡­.. Mm.¡± ¡°CAN YOU! NOT! JUST! STAY! QUIET!¡± ¡°I apologize. It slipped out in spite of myself¡­¡­.¡± Namgung Shinjae turned courteous once again. However, his politeness was slightly different from Qing¡¯s It was not out of fear of Yuha Jinin¡¯s might. It was out of respect for one of the most renowned swordsmen of Jianghu. After all, Yuha Jinin was a ¡®true swordsman¡¯ worthy of Namgung Shinjae¡¯s respect. While Namgung Shinjae shrank back, Qing described the technique she saw in the illusion to Yuha Jinin. She had promised to, after all. She had agreed to share if anything came to mind. It was a technique she had acquired without any effort, either way. Furthermore, it was an Insight gifted by the Celestial Martial Emperor to the Mount Hua Sect. It¡¯s not even mine, so I should just share it and enjoy the findings together. ¡°I see! You have read his Sword Marks! A divine talent! You are truly a divine talent! Can you perhaps demonstrate it once?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Qing drew her sword triumphantly. And then, just as her brain and body remembered- Just as she remembered¡­¡­. Qing merely red at the innocent Moonlight Sword (No. 8). ¡°Uh. Um¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What is wrong? Youngest Sister.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how tobine with a sword. And I can¡¯t use Sword Force either¡­¡­¡± The Movement she had painstakingly learned was utterly useless. It was impossible for a martial artist in the Late Stage Peak Realm to replicate the supreme Force2 Arts that the Celestial Martial Emperor had mastered only in hister years. Qing¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Yuha Jininmented. Though she had read the Sword Marks, since she was only at the Late Stage Peak Realm, it was natural she could not replicate it. ¡°The inexplicable principles of Sword Body Unification are still beyond the Youngest Sister¡¯s experiences, I see.¡± However, Yuha Jinin didn¡¯t seem disappointed at all. ¡°As the Youngest Sister¡¯s realm rises, you will naturallye to realize it. The Insight left by Senior Celestial Martial Emperor will surely help in breaking through the wall.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yuha Jinin¡¯s internal evaluation of Qing soared vertically. From a Rising Star with a strong backing, to a Hidden Dragon, a Divine Sword, who was worthy enough to aim for the next generation¡¯s Greatest Under Heaven. And of course, building rtionships with influential figures was an ingrained instinct unique to the Chinese people. ¡°You must be tired after vomiting such blood. Rest well and let us prepare a big meal tonight to replenish your energy. How does that sound?¡± Food! Qing¡¯s eyes sparkled. Qing had a very lively week. It was thanks to the sincere hospitality of the Mount Hua Sect Leader. In fact, the extent of their closeness had people whispering whether the Mount Hua Sect Leader had found a long-lost daughter in his old age, thus bringing her home. Apart from the sect disciples, numerous guests were staying at the Mount Hua Sect. Naturally, these guests also took turns attending the dinners, that were at a level of grand feasts, held over the week. As a result, it practically became a situation where Matriarch Ximen Surin¡¯s named disciple was officially participating in a Murim event. Yuha Jinin went out of his way to offer genuine hospitality, and if asked to choose the climax of such a reception, it was this. ¡®She is like the incarnation of the Yue Maiden herself, a peerless talent that will be called the Divine Sword in the near future!¡¯ There were various ways titles were created in Murim. And among them, some were created with the endorsement of someone who held incredible authority. Furthermore, Yuha Jinin hadid it on a bit too thick. So much so that guests who visited the Mount Hua Sect had a title mistakenly engraved in their brains for the great Matriarch¡¯s named disciple. The Divine Sword of Crescent Moon! Among the characteristics for a person of Jianghu, there was a habit of being unable to resist sharing a fact known only to oneself. Later, guests who left the Mount Hua Sect did not hesitate to talk about the fussing scene that the Sect Leader made, as well as the female expert, a new divine star, who had appeared in the Orthodox Faction. Of course, they were unaware that this Orthodox female expert actually took pleasure in killing people and wielded the Demonic Arts. Nheless, Qing was enjoying herself. Yet, all pleasures had to end eventually. ¡°So, what are you nning to do now, my Youngest Sister?¡± At some point in time, Qing had been promoted from the Youngest Sister to ¡®my¡¯ Youngest Sister. ¡®I¡¯m thinking of going back to the Divine Maiden Sect. It¡¯s been quite some time since I¡¯ve seen my master. I told her I would return around this time.¡± ¡°I see. Very well, then. Feel free to visit us again anytime. It would be very nice of you to share stories of the world with an old Senior Brother like me.¡± The Mount Hua Sect Leader himself hade out to send her off. If other Sect Leaders from the Nine Sects had seen this, they would have clicked their tongues and frowned. How could he be so ignorant of his own status and dignity, thus acting like some snobbish vulgarian? However, Yuha Jinin had always been known for his extremely secr nature anyway. The current prosperity of the Mount Hua Sect stemmed from such characteristics, so Yuha Jinin was proud regardless of what others said. ¡°Take care of yourself too, Changbin. See you again someday.¡± ¡°Please take care as well, Young Lady Ximen¡­¡­..¡± Changbin replied while stealing nces at the Sect Leader. As the Great Senior Brother of his generation name, Changbin had to re-enter training at the Mount Hua Sect for a while. And besides him¡­ ¡°It is time to return to my n.¡± ¡°Indeed. It should be around time Father¡¯s wrath cools down. Moreover, I cannot be away for too long, after all.¡± ¡°What the! San! Sword Brother! Are you saying you¡¯re going to leave me?¡± Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh. He had once prided himself on being far and away the greatest among the Rising Stars, thus regarding his title of Jade Qilin as shameful. However, that pride had been shattered. Now, in Peng Daesan¡¯s heart burned a passionate desire to train and reach the next realm. Above all, he did not want to lose to this woman. Qing¡¯s asional taunt, ¡®You¡¯re weaker than me, you know?¡¯, inexplicably ignited an uncontroble fury within him. Because, for some reason, he felt his insides boil again, Peng Daesan took deep breaths to calm his emotions. ¡°If you ever visit Hebei, make sure to stop by our n. I will make sure you are fed with so much delicious food that your stomach bursts.¡± Peng Daesan took out a wooden box from his possession, fiddled with it, and then handed a piece to Qing. ¡°Ooooh. What is supposed to be the meaning behind this?¡± ¡°When in the world will your way of speaking¡­¡­. Nevermind. Forget it.¡± Qing received the wooden que offered by Peng Daesan. It was a block of wood with the name ¡®Peng Daesan¡¯ engraved on it. ¡°It is a que of proof that you are a guest of the Peng n. Even in the case that I am not there, the n will wee you as a guest and treat you well.¡± ¡°That is right, I see! Sword Brother. Take mine as well. If you ever visit Anhui, stop by this Sword Brother¡¯s house. After all, a swordsman should undoubtedly visit the Greatest Sword n Under the Heavens at least once.¡± Qing received two guest ques. Well, I guess it¡¯s kinda like a business card. It was a roughly urate concept. However, there were different levels for even guest ques. Qing was unaware that the ques she received were of the highest grade, Special ques reserved only for distinguished guests. With that, the group parted ways, each heading to their own homes. It was nothing to be sad ormented about. If fate allowed, they would meet again. And even if it didn¡¯t, they told her she could go visit their homes. No matter how fun something was, it would eventually have to end and one would head home. After all, what was more important than such enjoyment was the fact that she now had a home to return to. *** Chapter 59: Xigain Qing (1) Do you know the heart of a father on a cold winter day who, despite shivering from the cold, buys a whole fried chicken and carries it home in his hand, breathing out cold air? Of course, Qing didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t have a child, after all. But she thought it might feel something like this. Her steps were light and lively as she climbed up the Divine Maiden Peak with arge bundle on her back, akin to some wandling peddler. In fact, if one knew the contents of the bundle, they would truly consider her as some mobile peddler. After all, she had used her remaining gold to sweep up and fill the sack with sweets and ornaments. Thanks to a wealthy friend, Qing had never used her money. In fact, she rather gathered it. As such, Qing¡¯s moneybag was plentiful. Of course, Qing hadn¡¯t been one-sidedly fed because she was a freeloader. Not that that wasn¡¯t the case either, though. It was because in this era, if Qing took out her moneybag, Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae¡¯s reputations would be absolutely fucked. How narrow-minded was a man of the Five Noble ns to mooch off a woman? That was what people would say. So, even when Qing would asionally shout, ¡®This meal¡¯s on me!¡¯, the two would be startled and start begging her to put her money away. For this reason, Qing¡¯s gift bundles could bepared to a certain someone from another world- A grandfather who only wore red clothes, had a bushy beard, shouted for the equality of all young friends around the world, and distributed items of personal preference for free. The Divine Maiden Sect disciples guarding the main gate posted Qing and waved their hands frantically. ¡°Ah, Great Junior Grandmaster! Great Junior Grandmaster is here!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Have you returned?¡± It was a greeting of pure joy from the girls. Qing¡¯s heart swelled with warmth. However, she still found the Divine Maiden Sect disciples a bit difficult to interact with. ¡°Eung. You are all working hard, huh. Here. Take this.¡± Qing reached into the puddle and, with a neat trick of her hands, fished out sweets wrapped in yellow paper. She handed out lumps of hardened sugar on bamboo sticks to the disciples, one by one. ¡°Woah, candied fruits! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Thank you! Great Junior Grandmaster is the best!¡± Sweets were a serious matter for women. Before the start of her journey, Qing was an ordinary production worker who didn¡¯t particrly like sweets, but now she understoodpletely. There was a kind of ecstasy that only something as sweet as this could provide. Rinsing one¡¯s mouth with tea and then filling it again with sweetness was the very definition of a drug allowed in the Central ins. To be honest, other drugs weren¡¯t exactly illegal. It was because in this uncivilized, primitive, ancient China,ws and regtions regarding the management of drugs weren¡¯t properly established yet. At any rate¡­ ¡°Thank you so much! Great Junior Grandmaster!¡± She watched the bright and cheerful youngest disciples chirping in joy¡­ ¡°Youngest Junior Master, thank you.¡± And bowed to the aunty-like Junior Sisters who were actually Sect Elders. ¡°Junior Grandmaster, hehe¡­¡­ It¡¯s sweets¡­¡­.¡± And even gave some to the second-generation disciples who were busy rolling around from training. Qing crossed through the sect, handing out sweets to every disciple she met. Because of her status and rank, there was no woman to stop her, so her steps were brisk and vigorous. ¡®Home Sweet Home¡¯ unfolded before Qing¡¯s eyes. The real estate market in the Central ins wasn¡¯t exactly booming. But still, how exhrating it was to have her own home. It was then. A girl lying on a wooden bed that Qing herself had made suddenly jumped up and attempted a body m. ¡°Unni!¡± However, Qing was a Master. She was long past the point of being caught off guard by such an obvious surprise attack. ¡°Why are you dodging¡­ How could you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Who are you? This is the residence of Ximen Qing, an Outer Sect Elder. How dare a mere disciple enter without permission? For the sin of not recognizing the hierarchy of this sect, I shall personally give you sweets.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Qing swiftly handed a sweet to the girl. The girl¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you even saying.¡± ¡°Hah? That phrase? Impossible, you¡­ Could it be that¡­ you¡¯re Jangmyeong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so mean.¡± Honestly, Qing had every right to feel wronged. The Jin Jangmyeong Qing remembered was a kid who was more handsome than pretty. How could she possibly recognize her at first nce when such a cute little kid turned into a beautiful girl in just half a year? But still¡­ Isn¡¯t she the same height as before? Is the Divine Maiden Sect not feeding her? ¡°To think you couldpletely fool me like this. Your dark scheme is quite impressive, huh?¡± ¡°I never tried to fool you, though¡­¡­.¡± Regardless of whatever she said, Qing continued to babble and make jokes. ¡°Iyaaaa, wow! I didn¡¯t recognize you because you became so pretty! Our Jangmyeongie is so pretty! So cute! So lovely! So beautiful! Like a flower! Like a Fairy! Hiyaaaa, you¡¯re now totally a girl, you hear me! A girl! An actual girl!¡± ¡°.......? So, I wasn¡¯t a girl before¡­¡­.?¡± Jin Jangmyeong cocked her head, thinking, ¡®Isn¡¯t this just an insult to me?¡¯. Then, upon feeling a sudden surge of despondency, Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s cheeks swelled in frustration. The tender reunion she had always imagined turned out to be a far cry from this bizarre reality. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Ah. Wait a moment. Look, look! I brought a gift. It¡¯s something especially expensive for our Jangmyeongie, so you mustn¡¯t b about it carelessly to others, okay?¡± Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°.......Especially?¡± ¡°Let me see. I¡¯m pretty sure it was here somewhere¡­¡­¡± Qing rummaged through her belongings. Shortly after, a glittering golden leaf was revealed. It was a type of hair ornament for women, designed to be secured in the hair by two pronged needles extending from the decoration. The hairpin, with leaf veins extended into a skeletal shape, had green jade stamens attached to the golden leaf. Despite this, it was not all that big or shy, but instead quaint and cute. Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s eyes widened into saucers. ¡°Woah¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty, right? Hm, hm. Ahem. I picked it up on the way. You ain¡¯t got anything like this at your house, do you? Spring potatoes1¡­¡­. Are not what that is.¡± ¡°What are you even saying.¡± But despite such words, her face was all smiles. ¡°Put it on for me.¡± ¡°Hey. Do you not have hands? Or feet? Do it yourself.¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± I¡¯m pretty sure she isn¡¯t at the age to be acting like a baby, though¡­ Meh, to be fair, Jin Jangmyoeng was never really in a position to get babied in the first ce. And it continued to be like that even after she entered the sect. Qing became weak-hearted, thus eventually giving in. ¡°Sigh. I can¡¯t even with you. I¡¯ll only let it slide since you¡¯re cute.¡± Since she had been taught exactly where to ce the ornament, Qing carefully inserted the hairpin on the right side of her coiffed hair. ¡°Heehee¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Oing? Just now¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qing tilted her head. Did I hear wrong? It sounded like a really sly and sinister chuckle¡­¡­ How strange. I¡¯m pretty sure I heard something, though. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I should go see Master now. Wannae along?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s face turned grim. After all, that was that and this was this. ¡°Our Jangmyeongie is so very straightforward, huh? How about at least pretending to think it over?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Alright. Have it your way then. Meh, she¡¯s so assertive.¡± After unpacking, Qing left her thatch, once again with a bundle of gifts in tow. Behind her, Jin Jangmyeong fiddled with the gold leaf hair piece atop her head with flushed cheeks. Of course, Qing¡¯s eyes were fixed forward. Hence, she remained unaware that such was the case. ¡°Masterrrrrrr. Your disciples has arriveddddd.¡± ¡°Haaa. How dare a fully grown maiden stretch out her words in such an undignified manner? To think this is how my so-called disciple acts. Tsk Tsk.¡± Ximen Surin clicked her tongue. Qing¡¯s ability to read between the lines tranted it as a sign of wee. She must be happy to see her. ¡°Hehe¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do notugh like that. It appears that all my teachings have gone back to Amitabha.¡± Despite her words, Ximen Surin''s face couldn¡¯t hide the smile that blossomed. She nodded after looking in the eyes of her disciple, who had returned safe and sound. ¡°The glimmer of your eyes look much clearer. It seems you have not out and about, engaging in foolishness somewhere. I feared that the Heavenly ughter would worsen. But it seems like my worries were for naught.¡± It was aplete misunderstanding. Ximen Surin didn¡¯t know that the Heavenly ughter umted over time was flung away in one fell swoop by Senior Celestial Martial Emperor himself. She swallowed in relief, thinking her disciple¡¯s journey must have been peaceful, simply because the faint signs of Heavenly ughter that were present up until her departure were no longer visible. ¡°Ah. Master. This disciple has brought a gift for you.¡± ¡°What need is there for gifts? How pointless. Disciple¡¯s safe return is more than enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a flute. Since you seem to y it asionally.¡± Qing pulled out the Bokshinjeok she had hidden behind her back. Ximen Surin¡¯s expression turned rather subtlyplex. The flute was far too unsightly to call it a gift. After all, it more resembled a chunk of metal that had not been finished being made into a flute. ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± ¡°The name of that flute is Bokshinjeok.¡± Ximen Surin let out a soft burst ofughter. ¡°Hoohoo, it seems even Disciple¡¯s jokes are humorous at times. You were always calling your sword, Moonlight Sword, after all. Is that perhaps why you have found amusement in naming things? Very well, then. Where did you pick up the name, Bokshinjeok?¡± Qing grinned with ¡®that¡¯ look again. The one she wore when she knew absolutely nothing. Ximen Surin¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°What in the¡­¡­..? Truly¡­¡­.?¡± Qing continued to smile brightly. Ximen Surin took another look at the ugly flute. Upon closer inspection, it was significantly heavier than its size suggested. A chill emanated faintly around it and its body, lusterless like the color of the night sea, caught her eye. Sure enough, it was made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. And there existed only one flute made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron in this world. ¡°What¡­ Where did you find a Divine Relic such as this? It was supposed to be buried with the Heavenly Queen in her tomb.¡± Bokshinjeok was famously known as the beloved treasure of the Heavenly Queen, Seol Neungcho, who was the Zenith Among Women of her time. It also symbolized the marriage vow she shared with her husband, the legendary cksmith Banchi. The Heavenly Queen openly dered that, upon her death, this flute alone would be enough when it came to the objects buried with her. Afterpleting her Wash of the Golden Basin in secret, it was assumed she was buried alongside this treasure. Such was the renown of this Divine Relic. For reference, in the Central ins, the term, Wash of the Golden Basin, was an excessively borate way to describe one¡¯s retirement. Of course, it wasn¡¯t excessive for no reason. After all, retirement was actually a significant affair. The favor and grudges of martial artists wereplex. And of course, it was all the more so when it came to resentment. So, what would ur if someone suddenly dered, ¡®I¡¯m retiring, so let¡¯s forget all our grudges~¡¯? Would their enemies p their hands, eximing, ¡®Congrats on retiring!¡¯, and proceed to walk away with a thumbs up? Of fucking course not. They would obviouslye rushing with swords drawn, ready to settle scores. A Wash of the Golden Basin was an official ceremony that resolved even such grudges once and for all. Naturally, not just anyone could hold such a ceremony. Only those who had the qualifications could grandly proim their intentions for a Wash of the Golden Basin. Of course, Qing was utterly unaware of such circumstances. As such, she spoke in an ever so bright and innocent manner. ¡°Ah! Then that must have been the Heavenly Queen¡¯s burial chambers.¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s expression grew serious. What exactly had her disciple been doing over the span of her Jianghu journey? *** Chapter 60: Xigain Qing (2) ¡°Speak in detail. In the utmost detail.¡± ¡°About that, the Demonic Cult¡¯s Advance¡­¡­¡­ Wave? Labor Brigade?¡± Qing cocked her head. Ehhh? Was it actually abination of the two? Something Something Brigade? But it kinda seems right? Qing tried to recall the memory. Meanwhile, Ximen Surin was horrified. It was understandable since the very beginning of the sentence had already taken Ximen Surin¡¯s breath away. ¡°Demonic Cult! Those damned evildoers!¡± ¡°They were really bad guys, I think.¡± That was correct. In fact, there wasn¡¯t a single one among them whose Evil Karma was low. It was said that the Demonic Cult was a gathering ce for bad guys. And apparently, that information seemed rather urate. ¡°That happened when I, mm, entered some city. There, this granny¡­¡­¡± Qing naturally skipped over the name of the city. After all, reciting specific proper nouns that were just heard in passing was a trick only protagonists in novels could do. For the same reason, though Qing recited a grand, heroic epic about acquiring a flute, people¡¯s names were strangely omitted. However, the storyteller¡¯s subjective interpretation was somewhat mixed in as well. The Indomitable Advance Labor Brigade of the wicked Demonic Cult! Qing alone blocked the enemies in a decisive short-term battle, just like Zhang Fei in the Battle of Changban1, and took their heads. Then, the puppets of the wicked Demonic Sect wet themselves in fear and fled. Thus, Ximen Surin¡¯s disciple pursued the enemy in a phenomenon simr to storm and gale. Upon finally facing the enemy¡¯s leader, she intended to finish off the evil tomb robbers. As such, she took the head of a Transcendent Realm ene¡­¡­. ¡°So, the Captain of a Demonic Cultbat unit was at the Transcendent Realm? I have not heard the name of Advance Labor among the elite brigades, though.¡± Qing flinched. Ah. So she knows thebat units of the Demonic Sect, huh? Qing switched up her words. ¡°He wasn¡¯t exactly at the Transcendent Realm. So like, he was at the really, really, really Late Stage Peak Realm which was basically no different from the Transcendent Realm¡­¡­.?¡± Qing¡¯s guilty conscience made her twist the story from a heroic tale to a kind of memoir. She included the scene where, when offered to spare only one, the enemy immediately stabbed his own boss in the back, showing no loyalty whatsoever. ¡°Indeed, those scoundrels of the Demonic Sect are like that. Oho? Disciple¡¯s performance was truly excellent! That is right, it is time for a renowned female martial artist to emerge as a hero in Jianghu!¡± Ximen Surin was very pleased. It was a bit awkward for Qing to genuinely share in the joy, though. ¡°However, Disciple¡¯s achievements are still quite modest, so it seems that it is not yet time to raise the value of your name in Jianghu¡­¡­..¡± ¡°But still, that very disciple is at the Late Stage Peak Realm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Is it not merely the Late Stage Peak Realm? In a world where any martial school in a city of considerable size has a Peak Master, how could Disciple be so frail, delicate, and sickly¡­¡­.¡± It would be a sorrowful thing to hear for the Peak Masters of Jianghu. If a twenty-year-old girl was considered frail at the Late Stage Peak Realm, then those who were happy to just reach the Peak Realm at the age of fifty should reflect on themselves with tears streaming down their faces. But that didn¡¯t mean she was wrong. After all, there was now that said Qing wouldn¡¯t always face opponents with simr levels of experience to her. It was a time when the level of martial studies in Jianghu was unprecedentedly high. It was thanks to Senior Celestial Martial Emperor who had won the freedom of Murim from the government. The now frail, delicate, and sickly Qing protested. ¡°Still, your disciple actually defeated a Transcendent Master, you know?¡± ¡°Is that so? If it was a Transcendent Master, he must have had a title worthy of his prowess, would he not? Tell me.¡± ¡°Someone called the Demonic Cannibal¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± As Ximen Surin was merely humoring Qing when she skeptically asked, she was taken aback when a familiar name was mentioned. After all, he was a Demonic Adept who was known for his notoriety and had reached a level that surpassed the Mid Stage Transcendent Realm. ¡°What in the heavens are you saying? The Demonic Cannibal?¡± ¡°About that, in ake called Dongting Lake¡­ Ah, do you know Dongting Lake? It¡¯s a super hugeke. In fact, this disciple initially thought it was the sea.¡± ¡°Is there anyone in this world who does not know of the Dongting Lake?¡± Ah. So she knows Dongting Lake too, huh? Qing was a bit sad that she wasn¡¯t able to show off her newfound knowledge, not realizing exactly how ignorant she herself was. ¡°The Demonic Cannibal, you say. Did you finish him offpletely?¡± ¡°Yes. Just as Master told me, I made him go pop with the Internal Explosive Qi Strike.¡± ¡°How many times do I have to tell you about your manner of spee¡­ No. Never mind. You did well in that. The bastards called Demonic Humans are known for being narrow-minded and degenerate, worse than pesky flies. It is important to ensure there is no retaliation.¡± Ximen Surin nodded in satisfaction. Then, she asked again upon a sudden questioning to mind. ¡°Halt. Wait. You mentioned the Internal Explosive Qi Strike, but no matter how profound Disciple¡¯s Inner Qi is, it would have been impossible to ovee such a difference in levels with just that.¡± ¡°Ah, about that. Do you know the Buddha¡¯s Palm? It¡¯s su. per. hel.. strong. With the Buddha¡¯s Palm, your disciple when Bam! Then, the Demonic Cannibal also went Bam! And that¡¯s what happened.¡± Qing made a gesture with her arm as if throwing something, boasting her own supposedly empyrean presence. As she swung her hand in time with the Bam, the cute sound of a bell echoed, going Dong Dong. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Ximen Surin was taken aback once again. The Buddha¡¯s Palm. It was an esoteric technique of the Shaolin Temple. However, it had already be a legend, only recorded in texts. It was because of a simr martial art called Hundred Steps Divine Fist. As it was rooted in fist techniques, it matched well with Shaolin¡¯s martial arts. Moreover, its power and scope were superior. Due to this, the direct disciples chose to practice the Hundred Steps Divine Fist, leading to the discontinuation of the Buddha¡¯s Palm at some point in time. It had be Shaolin¡¯s lost Supreme Technique. So, how could it have possibly been unfolded by her disciple¡¯s hands? But to dismiss it as a bluff was impossible, considering the characteristic sound of the bell, a feature only heard from the Supreme Vehicle2 of Buddhist Qi Arts. ¡°How¡­ How could this be¡­¡± Ximen Surin was thrown into confusion. However, since the Inner Qi of the current highest-ranked senior in Murim was profound, she quickly regained herposure. ¡°I suppose it is fine. What could possibly be a problem with that? Since those depraved bastards that call themselves Shaolin Monks have neglected their secret technique, what could they possibly say in opposition, even if it continues in the hands of Disciple?¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Serves them right. The esoteric doctrines of those depraved monks, who treated women as if they were some kind of monstrous entricity, has ended up being passed onto a woman. Ha! How ironic. The more I think about it, the more gratifying it is. Nothing could be more satisfying. Disciple has truly be a lump of fortune in myter years. Oh my, how can you be so lovely?¡± To Ximen Surin, the Shaolin Temple was nothing more than a bunch of fools who outright banned women from entering their sect. It was as if they thought women would seduce the Shaolin Monks. Ridiculous, considering they were fucking bald. Upon being faced with yet another fierce oratory from the female activist, Qing didn¡¯t exactly know how to respond. And usually, in such situations, it was best to just smile anyway. ¡°Hehe¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I have told you over and over again to notugh in such an undignified¡­ Haaa. Never mind. If those depraved monks ever make a fuss about that Divine Art, just mention your teacher¡¯s name. Let¡¯s see what those fools have to say. Who do those bastards think they are?¡± ¡°Yes. Master.¡± ¡°Very well, there must be a story behind it, but this teacher shall not inquire about the origin of such a Divine Art. Have you perhaps learned any other martial arts?¡± Qing gauged Ximen Surin¡¯s reaction, trying to decipher whether it was okay to tell her. Seeing how happy she was about the Buddha¡¯s Palm, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to also tell her about the White Hand Demonic Art without getting in too much trouble? If she gets a hold of my meridians, it will be exposed anyway. After all, Master is a guru of traditional medicine! So, it might be better to be honest now while she¡¯s in a good mood, right? ¡°Um, well, about that¡­ So, Master. This disciple just happened to have learned a Demonic Art, you see.¡± ¡°Demonic Art?¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s eyebrows twitched violently. Qing hunched her shoulders, shrinking back. Seeing this, Ximen Surin became weak-hearted once again, softening her demeanor. ¡°Very well. I understand. It is indeed usible for a young girl to harbor just one vicious technique when wandering Jianghu alone.¡± For a martial artist, having an ace in the hole or a Lifesaving Absolute Move was essential. In that sense, having just one Demonic Art was not that big of a deal. Ximen Surin thought as such. ¡°So, what is the name of this Demonic Art?¡± Meanwhile, Qing was immensely relieved. Oooooh. It¡¯s working! ¡°Yes! It¡¯s the White Hand Demonic Art!¡± Qing eximed cheerfully. It was a testament to how much trust she had that her Master would cherish her disciple. And it was a trust that was immediately betrayed. THWACK!!! ¡°EUGHKYAKKK!¡± A scream akin to a frog being stepped on burst out from Qing. It felt like her head had exploded. Qing grabbed her head and rolled on the ground. It was a pain that seemed as if her skull had shattered. In an instant, her face heated up and tears and snot streamed down. In her consciousness, nched as white as a nk page, only pure pain existed; it was the very definition of an agony akin to torture. HOLY FUCKING SHIT! FUCK! SHIT, THAT¡¯S CRAZY! IT HURTS SO FUCKING MUCH! DID MY HEAD SPLIT IN TWO OR SOMETHING?! Normally, a nuclear noogie should have flown her way. However, Ximen Surin just happened to be holding Qing¡¯s gift at the time. Since times of old and even into the future that would unfold, the flute had been one of the most powerful weapons, as well as worldly possessions, that a teacher could own! Moreover, the item in question was Bokshinjeok, a chunk of metal made fully of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. ¡°Oh no! Are you alright!?¡± Ximen Surin also startled at her mistake. She hadn¡¯t thought about the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron Club in her hand. In essence, she hadpletely failed to control her strength. The power wasparable to that of a tungsten rod, which weighed ten thousand eight hundred and thirty kilograms, falling from a dizzyingly high orbit in space. Truly a might worthy of being called a Rod from God3! If it weren''t for Qing¡¯s high Musculoskeletal Stats, a major disaster could have urred, where a teacher cracked her disciple¡¯s noggin. And in all honesty, even if her skull had been cracked, it would have been considered justified. To think her disciple was a White Hand Witch! After all, there was a limit to how much one could tarnish the reputation of both her sect and teacher. ¡°Stop making such a fuss and get up.¡± ¡°But, but this really, really hurts¡­¡­¡± A single tear rolled down from Qing¡¯s eyes, which had turned red at some point in time. Ximen Surin sighed deeply. ¡°Where did you hear about White Hand Demonic- No. Even if you have heard of it, what were you thinking, learning such a heinous Demonic Art?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know Demonic Arts were that bad¡­¡­.¡± Qing also had her reasons to feel aggrieved. It was unknown whether she crossed over timelines, worldlines, or even theputer screen. But the point remained that Qing was a person of the modern era that existed beyond some boundary. Andpared to the Central ins, the expressions of the modern world were not just aggressive and radical, but also void of any morals. In essence, there was nothing that was tooheinous to say. Even if friends casually exchanged insults and curses, no one would despair and dere gravely that it would lead to the copse of families and society. At best, they would frown. Moreover, Koreans were known to be more tolerant of harsh expressions than any other nation on Earth. That was Qing. There was no shot the significance of expressions like Demonic Arts would register with her. Had it been named something like Human Trash Arts, Motherfucker Arts, or Life Sentence Arts, she wouldn¡¯t have learned it. So, to Qing, who was a Martial Arts Ignoramus and a gamer at heart, there was no difference between ¡®Demonic Arts¡¯ and ¡®Magic¡¯; they were just siblings of the same Ma4 family. To summarize, she didn¡¯t think it was all that big of a problem. ¡°What am I to do with this slow-witted and foolish brat¡­¡­..¡± Ximen Surin had no choice but to let out a frustrated sigh. *** Chapter 61: Xigain Qing (3) Qing vigorously rubbed her head. To be honest, massaging a wound didn¡¯t necessarily make it any better. But what else could she do? It hurt so fucking much. Ah shit, it still hurts like a bitch¡­¡­.. Isn¡¯t it possible that my scalp got torn? As Qing rubbed vigorously, she intermittently checked her hand. She was making sure if there was any blood that had rubbed off. But surprisingly, her hand was clean. Heh? But it feels like something got torn, though? That¡¯s weird. Qing was originally prone to overreacting. But this time, it seemed she was truly in pain. Seeing her in such a state, Ximen Surin felt a surge of pity. Just as there were no parents who could win against their children, a proper teacher could not best their disciple. ¡°Haaa. Fine. I see. Even though you have learned the Demonic Arts, I see no malice in your eyes. It is clear that Disciple is being careful. I understand.¡± It was a ridiculous misunderstanding, but nevertheless, she meant that she would let go of her anger. Qing responded with a bright expression. ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as I don¡¯t get caught, iz all gud-¡± Thwack!! ¡°AHHH! T-The ce where I got hit¡­ Again. Euhhhhh¡­¡­¡­¡± Qing unnecessarily inserted ng and ended up receiving another nuclear noogie. A single teardrop once again rolled down¡­¡­. Ximen Surin shook her head. ¡°Indeed, as long as you are careful¡­ As long as you are careful¡­¡­.¡± Ximen Surin trailed off. But still, no matter how careful she is, isn¡¯t that Demonic Art far too wicked? No wonder her hand looked so unusually beautiful. ¡°White Hand Demonic Art directly cuts through flesh and bone, thus umting malice. A person bes increasingly evil and eventually turns into a monster that finds joy in murder itself. Disciple must remember this and use it only in truly dire circumstances.¡± To be fair, by that standard, it was already far toote for Qing. The monster specializing in killing evildoers, d in human skin, promptly replied. ¡°Yes! Master.¡± ¡°Alright. Since you have already learned it, there is nothing we can do anyway.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she could destroy her disciple¡¯s dantian and sever her muscles and tendons to cut off the very roots of the Demonic Art. Of course, though, those who called themselves the Orthodox Faction would surely attempt to do so if they knew about this. After having such thoughts, Ximen Surin felt a simmering irritation once again. What is so wrong with this foolish brat learning some Demonic Arts? Despite the divine punishment of Heavenly ughter, she grew up so well. She is such a kind child. What sin has she made to deserve such cruel reception? These were the thoughts of Ximen Surin, who had, in fact, killed countless Demonic Humans in the past. ¡°Very well. Disciple, if ever you are caught using that Demonic Art, there is something you must remember.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Kick up a fuss and deny it to yourst breath.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ximen Surin spoke gravely again. ¡°Just im it is not a Demonic Art. Hm. Just say¡­ Yes, you can just say that it is a Divine Hand Arts of the Divine Maiden. Something like that should suffice.¡± She was telling her to stubbornly lie, thus denying the truth. Qing thought. So, I guess the biggest yappers win in Jianghu too, huh? Loud makes right? ¡°Uh¡­¡­ Is that fine? Can I really do that?¡± ¡°Of course not. At least, not usually. If they persist, say it is a martial art that this teacher of yours created. What can they possibly do then? How could those mere things dare to challenge that?¡± Qing was unaware of this, but it was basically a vow from a renowned martial artist that she would put all her honor on the line to share the burden with her disciple. ¡°Won¡¯t we get caught lying, though?¡± Ximen Surin smiled broadly. ¡°That is why you must practice from now on.¡± ¡°Practice?¡± ¡°That is right, my disciple. Your Inner Qi is of a righteous, orthodox nature, which does not suit the extremely evil White Hand Demonic Art.¡± Ximen Surin imparted her teachings. Yin and Yang were fundamentally ssified into four types. The energy of the sun was Yang. When hot, it was Pure Yang, and when bright and righteous, it was Orthodox Yang. The energy of the moon was Yin. When dark and evil, it was Unorthodox Yin, and when cold, it was Pure Yin. When inserting the Golden Mean into these four types, it became eight. The reason for that was because the Golden Mean was not considered a quality in itself, thus making it eight. It was simply hot. It was hot and bright. It was clear and virtuous. It was hot yet evil. Golden Mean. It was bright yet cold. It was dark and evil. It was cold and dark. It was simply cold. Pure Yang, Extreme Yang, Orthodox Yang. Unorthodox Yang, Golden Mean, Orthodox Yin. Unorthodox Yin, Extreme Yin, Pure Yin. This arrangement colored the energies of Yin as blue and Yang as red in the diagram known as Tai Chi Yin and Yang. When adding the attributes of Fire, Wood, Water, Metal, and Earth to this, it became the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, a principle epassing all things in the universe. Previously, when Ximen Surin grasped her meridians and pulse, she had found that the Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique that Qing had learned was based on the Dao of the Golden Mean. And the Zhu Xiang''s Heart Cleanse Mirror, created with the Imagery of Yan Emperor Shennong, was a breathing technique that contained the energy of righteousness among the Yang qualities: Orthodox Yang. Late Blooming Heavenly Love Cultivation Technique, a subcategory of Fairy Arts, was also the same. This meant that Qing¡¯s current Inner Qi was biased towards Orthodox Yang. The sunset yellow glow of Qing¡¯s Sword Qi was proof of this. ¡°White Hand Demonic Art is a martial art based on Unorthodox Yin. So, if Disciple handles it with righteous energy, won¡¯t the traces differ from those of Demonic Arts?¡± If one could separate and handle only the energy of Orthodox Yang from their flowing Inner Qi, the traces of use would diverge, even if it was the White Hand Demonic Art. Then, they could obstinately insist it was something else. And strictly speaking, it would be a lie either. ¡°So, how do I train something like that?¡± ¡°Fortunately, is it not the season of winter now? My disciple, it appears fortune has followed you, thus allowing you to seize this opportune time. Yin and Yang be stronger when colliding. As such, it is natural for Yang Qi to surge when the External Qi is Yin.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s good to train in the winter?¡± ¡°Indeed. As such, it is not that difficult a training. In fact, it is rather simple. Very much so.¡± Simple training! Qing¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Then, what does this disciple need to do?¡± Ximen Surin replied. ¡°Undress.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Hehhh? Oing? Eh? Did I hear that wrong? I think I heard something weird, though¡­ Qing hesitated. Upon seeing this, Ximen Surin spoke again. ¡°Only in the cold does warmth trulye to you. Isn¡¯t that the case?¡± ¡°Uh, so what that means is¡­¡­.¡± Ximen Surin smiled benevolently. ¡°That is right. All you must do is feel the Yin Qi of the world directly on your bare skin. How could there be a training simpler than this?¡± To people, a house was not just a ce to stay. A house held a value far beyond that. This value could be expressed in a single phrase. Afortable and warm refuge. Thus, a house that was neither warm norfortable was no longer a house. It was merely a space that ufortably confined someone, suffocating them with anxiety. In that sense, Qing had lost her home. ¡°It¡¯s so cold¡­¡­.¡± Qing shivered as she thought. I finally managed to get my own home after going through so much! But now, I can¡¯t even light a fire in my own house! And she took all the nkets away! She even removed the windows and doors! And then, all that was given to her for clothing was a single, extremely thin piece of fabric with shoulder straps. Originally, the purpose of clothing was to protect the body, so this piece of fabric could hardly be considered garment. Even her underwear was taken. Every single fucking one of them. The winter wind at the top of the Divine Maiden Peak was fierce. It didn¡¯t stop at just chilling the flesh; it was as if it dug into her skin, permeating deep inside. The winter wind blew up and down, burrowing in without resistance. But it didn¡¯t even need to be so fierce. After all, the thin piece of fabric was so well-ventted that the icy wind moved through it akin to leaving a door open. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know¡­ From the location of my base to how to decode all our codes. Please, just give me one nket¡­¡­ No, wait. On second thought, this pisses me off. This bullshit is supposed to be training? Shouldn¡¯t I just run away now? Betterte than never, right? Despite Qing¡¯s anger, the results could not be denied. Rather, they were outstanding. After all, she was still alive and breathing. No matter how strong a Master was against the cold, there was still a limit. Surviving a harsh winter wrapped in just a thin piece of fabric was impossible. Initially, when she thought she was going to die, a surge of heat wrapped around her body. After warming her just enough to prevent death, the spiteful heat subsided. And then, after a month and a half of that¡­ Now, she could skillfully handle the True Qi of Orthodox Yang. It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t cold. It was just that she could maintain the minimum body temperature. For this reason, Qing had be the very personified concept of shivering. In fact, if asked what an earthquake was, someone could just point at Ximen Qing for a dynamic, visual understanding. Jin Jangmyeong, who hade to bring her food, watched her in such a state. ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°I-I t-think I-I¡¯m a-actually gonna d-die¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Then, Unni, do you want me to hug you?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± Qing was conflicted. However, thews of her proud nation were strict and the heavens and earth were clearly gazing upon her. Isn¡¯t that right? It wasn¡¯t even an emergency situation or crisis like before. How could she dare hold a minor in her arms? Of course, child rights were not established in the Central ins. Laws protecting Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse existed only in Qing¡¯s mind. ¡°N-N-No¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°B-But c-could i-it be that t-today¡¯s l-lunch t-too is¡­¡­¡± Jin Jangmyeon opened the lunchbox she brought. ¡°Cold Buckwheat Noodles. Cold Sd.¡± ¡°Ah. P-P-Please¡­¡­..¡± In the end, Qing couldn¡¯t help but let a teardrop trickle down. In primitive, uncivilized, ancient China, Cold Buckwheat Noodles was simply a term for noodles in cold broth. That, along with cold vegetables and various meats that had been boiled and cooled, made up a threeyered lunchbox. Please, something warm. I just want to eat something warm. But even in this cold, she was still hungry. That couldn¡¯t be helped. Qing scooped up the Cold Sd as she thought. Ah. But it really is delicious¡­¡­ Despite her grumbling, Qingpletely cleaned out the lunchbox, before curling up in a corner of the room and hugging her knees. As there were neither windows nor doors, a storm raged inside the house. The corner she found was a rtively less windy spot. But still, if she got too close to the wall, the cold would burrow deep into her bones. As such, it was a spot that was subtly distanced from the wall. ¡°y the flute for me.¡± ¡°H-H-How c-can I-I-I-I p-p-y, oh my god.¡± Qing couldn¡¯t control her shivering, her whole body vibrating as if she was having a seizure. Still, shivering this intensely once helped her feel a little better momentarily. ¡°y the flute for me.¡± ¡°Ah shit. That¡¯s cold, though. It¡¯s not a flute. It¡¯s like a block of ice. My fingers will freeze.¡± ¡°Unni, hurry up.¡± ¡°Why is a tiny little thing like you so persistent¡­¡­..¡± Sigh. Qing picked up Bokshinjeok (value estimated to be around ten thousand gold) that had been flung away in a corner. It was a flute made entirely of Cold Iron. There was no way blowing into it normally would produce a sound; she needed to utilize the subtlety of Sound Transmission and breathe into it with her Inner Qi infused. Ximen Surin had exined it to her. Once it produced a proper sound, the owner¡¯s Inner Qi would remain within it for decades, preventing all others from ying it. However, it was too cold, so she only listened to half of the exnation, and the other half was tooplicated to understand anyway. I guess I just need to blow into it to unlock it? Like a phone passcode or something? *** Chapter 62: Xigain Qing (4) There was a rather touching narrative here that could not possibly be heard without a few tears being shed. Previously¡­ As Ximen Surin returned Bokshinjeok, she said¡­ ¡°This teacher is already old, so there is no need for a new flute when I have an old friend, worn with my use.¡± Upon hearing this Qing began to yap. ¡°Master, this is basically a designer good worth ten thousand gold, you know? It¡¯s one of the best treasures under the heavens! But right now, it¡¯s free! An exclusive benefit just for Master! Brought to you by this disciple''s fervent heart!¡± Ximen Surin was about to punish her with a nuclear noogie but hesitated. Bokshinjeok was indeed a priceless treasure, which could not be bought even if there was a nk check. Yet, if one just had to put a price on the treasure, it would be around ten thousand gold. For reference, something worth less than ten thousand gold would not befit the stature of a treasure. And if one possessed at least ten thousand gold, their family would not need to work for multiple generations; they were able to live solely off of such money. Thus, ten or twenty thousand gold made no real difference. It was a huge amount regardless. The reason why Ximen Surin was surprised was because Qing, unexpectedly, knew the exact value of Bokshinjeok. She thought it was just given out of her disciple¡¯s ignorance regarding its value. But to think she unhesitatingly offered it to her teacher while knowing its worth¡­ It was enough to make the heart of an elderly woman ripple with waves of emotion. In short, she was deeply touched. Yes. As I thought, this child is truly kind. She is a little one, born with Heavenly ughter, yet still so upright. Though she is a bit obtuse¡­¡­.. No. But still, there should be a limit to how dumb she could be. Isn¡¯t that so? Even utterly in water would not be this dull, would it? However, gratitude was still gratitude. It was not an emotion that could be controlled. She could not help but feel that her disciple¡¯s heart was trulymendable, joyful, and lovable. Ximen Surin smiled warmly. ¡°I shall just receive your thoughtful heart, then. You may keep it for yourself.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t even know how to y it.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a woman at least be proficient in one of the Four Arts?¡± The Four Arts referred to Qin (music), Go1, calligraphy, and painting. They were the most esteemed hobbies acknowledged in the Central ins. After all, it wasn¡¯t just a simple hobby. It was akin to yachting, horse riding, golf, and y shooting in modern terms. Basically, engaging in them made one appear very sophisticated and refined. In the Central ins, the Four Arts had such an effect. ¡°Opportunely, there is a fine flute avable and music soothes the human heart, thus serving as a tool to quell restlessness. It will also greatly help in calming Disciple¡¯s murderous inte. Your Killing Star.¡± Thus, ying the flute was added as her minor along with her major which was training. Therefore, throughout the winter, she yed the flute incessantly, despite the freezing cold. Naturally, the melody was utterly upsetting and a rather deste emotion was aroused in spite of herself, leading to tears flowing freely. But then¡­ One day? She was able to actually y a note. And the more surprising part? Henceforth, she began to y it rather well. No, it was an insult to merely call it at a level of ¡®ying well¡¯. To Ximen Surin, it seemed as if melodies unheard of in the world freely burst forth. The unexpected achievement of her instrumental prowess was enough to evoke immediate admiration. ¡°You are truly one that could establish an entire school of music. No, strike that. You are a talent that deserves to write an entire history! I had no idea that Disciple had such a gift!¡± When hearing that, Qing was about to smile shyly. But then, she thought perhaps Ximen Surin might offer a nket if she saw her shivering so severely from the cold. So, Qing gazed at her master ever so pitifully, hoping it might rouse her sympathy. There was no such return, though. Of course, the nature of that supposed talent was giarism. Any person from the modern era would have certain melodies they remembered. And unless it was an extremely radical category or genre, to the ears of those in the Central ins, it would seem like a shocking breakthrough. One that leaped to a new era, beyond even the most fundamental forms of music. Among them, the Divine Maiden Sect disciples considered two melodies the finest of them all. Canon in D2 and Merry-Go-Round of Life3. Of course, it was iprehensible why such an optimistic hymn was named after a brutal ¡®cannon4¡¯. Nor could one understand what a merry-go-round and a nostalgic melody evoking past beauties had to do with each other. But what did it matter? The music was good. For Qing, it was a relic of the past that existed before the start of her Murim journey, evoking a certain nostalgia for her homnd. Her previous life wasn¡¯t all that excellent, but she had still lived alone in content. Such a time was clearly better than her current cold and embarrassing state. So, the tunes she yed on the flute could only be memories that did not exist in this world. The Murim Alliance headquarters was in turmoil. It was due to a newly confirmed report. The issue started with a protest from the Fort of Yangtze River Waterway. A lone enforcer of the Murim Alliance was apparently part of a covert group known as the Association and was also a wicked sorcerer who controlled Blood Jiangshis and Living Jiangshis. Moreover, the son of the Waterway Forts Commander had even lost his life because of her. The Murim Alliance immediately sent martial artists to the Un n of the Jin Prefecture to verify such testimony. And all that resulted from it was a return from an already decrepit estate of the Un n. Without a child constantly sweeping and cleaning in wait for someone, like Qing¡¯s thatch had done, even arge house would quickly fall into destion. Thus, when the investigation team stormed into the Un n estate, they found nothing but ruins with no signs of any recent human presence. What was surprising was the testimony of the city residents. After all, they imed they had seen many members entering and exiting the Un n estate up to just seven days prior. This supported the statement from the Fort of Yangtze River Waterway that Un Yeonyoung had wiped out her n and turned them all into Jiangshi. In essence, no one was living in the Un n of the Jin Prefecture in the first ce. As such, this meant that there existed a force that included the Demonic Cannibal and the most powerful Jiangshi Sorcerer of the Central ins; an organization cunning enough to operate right under the nose of the Murim Alliance. The Murim Alliance had to prepare a response to this danger. And so, this great gathering of the Orthodox Faction was about to mobilize its heavy and enormous body in an effort to confront this mysterious and dangerous Association. To be frank, when Ximen Surin told Qing to undress, it was not actually for training but rather for punishment. She was a despicable, disgraceful disciple whocked any alertness and awareness, was foolish, and even learned Demonic Arts without a single care. A figure who endangered both her teacher and sect. Thus, this was the most severe punishment she could think of giving her. But, what¡¯s this? Normally, tears should have been trickling down as she pleaded for anything but that punishment. In fact, it was a punishment that evoked even more shame because she had to disy such an appearance to her juniors. Ximen Surin would have rather bitten off her tongue than do such a thing. If not, she might have even broken her own dantian and severed the muscles and tendons of her own limbs,ining she would rather maim herself than deal with such fuckery. But¡­? What¡¯s with the state of Disciple? Oh my heavens! How could she be so shameless! Yes, she was a bit embarrassed, but that was all there was to it. In reality, the cold was a far greater concern to her than shame. As such, this was the greatest crisis Ximen Surin felt among all the various incidents she had witnessed from her disciple. After all, a woman should know the shame that inherentlyes with her gender. One must know that there were things more precious than life itself. So, she had seized all underwear and bedding, even stripping the windows and doors from the thatch. It was to make her disciple realize how hideous she looked and how ashamed she should feel from it. However, she merely shivered without feeling any embarrassment. Baffled and incredulous, she left her be. And when she secretly checked at night, fearing she might actually freeze to death¡­ What in the heavens was this! Her Protective Mirror rose automatically to safeguard her body! Protective Mirror was a type of art that shielded the body with Inner Qi. Every night, Qing subconsciously surrounded herself with Protective Mirror to survive. And when using Protective Mirror, the highest skill was considered to be such an unconscious operation. After all, couldn¡¯t it only be called a Protective Mirror if it sprung forth in times of danger, even without conscious thought?! Yet, in reality, even Masters who reached the Transcendent Realm and used Reinforced Qi Armor in major confrontations had to exert effort to raise their True Qi consciously. If one could use Protective Mirror as naturally as breathing¡­ They would have to be in the Mid Stage Unrestrained Realm. That was the only way such a thing could be attained. Ximen Surin reconsidered her way of thinking. Yes, her disciple was one who didn¡¯t know shame. But if, by chance, this all too natural and instinctive mastery of the Protective Mirror could be achieved¡­. Then, at the very least, she wouldn¡¯t lose her life when she ventured back into Jianghu. After all, it was akin to constantly wearing powerful body armor. Indeed, there were things more precious than life. But still, Ximen Surin desired beyond all else for her disciple to continue to live and breathe. Thus, she had no right to criticize Yang Sowol, that terribly runaway disciple, who burdened her own child with such karma. The heart of a mother who merely wanted her child to live, even if it meant bearing scars for the rest of her life, must have felt like something like this. If only Qing could remain forever ignorant, thinking of it only as memories where she had to suffer a bit. I am sorry for this extreme selfishness. I am sorry for being such a bad teacher. But, it couldn¡¯t be passed as mere suffering. It was abuse. After all, what kind of teacher allowed their disciple to endure such a state? There was nothing she could say, even if Qing resented her and considered her an enemyter on. But even if her own disciple were to turn against her, sword drawn, Ximen Surin could not let go of this opportunity. After all, her disciple had to return to Jianghu eventually. If the public knew, she would surely be criticized for her decision. Even so, Ximen Surin decided to bear it all. Of course, if Qing knew such sentiments, she would say it was an unnecessary worry. Couldn¡¯t I just be cold at night? Why do I have to be undressed for the entire day? It doesn¡¯t really have to be abuse, right? She might pout and grumble as such, feeling chagrined. Nevertheless, it was a significant resolve for Ximen Surin. -For that reason¡­ The Divine Maiden Sect disciples benefited. Unlike Qing, who was chilled to her very bones, the winter at the Divine Maiden Sect was exceptionally hot. It might as well have been called the Volcano5 Peak instead of the Divine Maiden Peak. Why, you ask? Of course, it was because the youngest adult of the highest rank in the sect wore such indecent and vulgar clothes. It was questionable whether the thin fabric should even be considered clothing. After all, it clumsily revealed the body¡¯s contours and was practically see-through. There was no exaggeration in this. Indeed, even a femme fatale known for her allure in Jianghu wouldn¡¯t wear such provocative attire. However, unbing of such ¡®hot¡¯ attire, Qing waspletely pale, shivering intensely. Her appearance was utterly pitiful. And as her pitiful state hid her seductiveness, it actually bloomed her into an undeniable belle. Of course, it was true that ying the flute stimted her Inner Qi, which then subsided the cold. But still, when she started gracefully ying the flute, as if she hadn¡¯t been pathetically shivering before¡­ A beauty descended upon these ins. One who yed such beautiful melodies with tearful eyes, steeped in intense longing. Originally, the charm of music was in creating an atmosphere that had never existed in the world before. And fitting of that, the uniquely atrocious outfit instead brought forth an emotion that could never have been anticipated in this world. How elegantly lewd! How calmly provocative! The very definition of a moving collection of erotic paintings! No, forget eloquence! It was just lewd! No matter which way one viewed it, it was way too provocative! Theplete incarnation of Mara-Papiyas! Mara-Papiyas, also known as just Mara, was the supreme evil deity in Buddhism. Surprisingly enough, there was always amon thread in the mythologies of the world, so it could be said that he had a simr role to Lucifer as described in the Bible. Mara governed desire and was a symbol or the very embodiment of passion. The character ¡®Ma¡¯ in ¡®Mara¡¯ was the same used when referring to ¡®Magong¡¯, also known as Demonic Arts. He was most famously known for the incident where Mara was rebuffed while trying to tempt the meditating Buddha. At any rate, whether elegant or calm, the conclusion remained the same. The mere sight of Qing would cause one¡¯s body to inevitably heat up, causing warmth to rise from behind the dantian. So, in this cold time¡­ Oddly enough, there were a great many disciples stering their bodies against one another and interlocking fingers with each other. Moreover, even the strict hierarchical barriers of rank and status were breached, with several disciples and masters sharing a bed. That was the kind of winter that passed. *** Chapter 63: Xigain Qing (5) It seemed that the warm spring sun hade only during the day. Then, in the blink of an eye, the weather becamepletely mild. How swiftly time flows. Suddenly, flowers blossomed and the day was sunny¡ªspring was in full bloom. Qing had been walking around naked since the beginning of winter, enduring the chilly early spring weather for over four months. In Qing''s residence, windows and doors had been refitted and her bedding had been rearranged. The missing clothes and undergarments had returned as well. But this outfit is just sofortable¡­ A garment? made of very thin, semi-transparent fabric joined in a cylindrical shape with two straps over the shoulders. It was light, pping around weightlessly. And the length, reaching to the thighs, was convenient and unobtrusive in movement. It was the birth of her favorite pajamas. Wearingfortable pajamas and getting into bed felt like paradise. Nothing could be better. Above all, not wearing underwear was a whole new world. At first, it was so embarrassing she wanted to just die in some hole. But once ustomed, it felt like there could be no greater liberation in the world. The very definition of freedom itself! It was because the primitive weaving technology of ancient China had not invented stretchable fabrics. As a result, there was a certain inconvenience of having to tie knots with strings. And for Qing, it had always been a great ordeal. Due to this, for a while, every single day was a nuclear noogie fest. Shit, fucking hell, how can she just notice I¡¯m not wearing underwear right away? Does one gain x-ray vision upon bing a Master? Like hello? You wouldn¡¯t let me wear it when it was cold as fuck. But now that it¡¯s a bit warmer, you beat the shit out of me for not wearing it¡­ Qing''s lips protruded sulkily. Ximen Surin sighed deeply at that sight. ¡°Should I have just made her roam around stark naked¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There wouldn¡¯t have been much difference even if you, agh.¡± Right as Qing cheekily retorted, she received a nuclear noogie. However, the magnitude of Qing''s screams had significantly decreased. It was thanks to the Protective Mirror Qing had honed over the winter. Now, a nuclear noogie was nothing to h- Thwack! ¡°KUAGH!¡± Qing rolled on the floor. Humans were creatures that continuously evolved! Moreover, the person in question was Ximen Surin, a woman who had defeated numerous formidable male Masters and stood as one of Murim¡¯s Ten Masters Under Heaven. Adjusting the power of a nuclear noogie was simple for Ximen Surin, whose very life was a constant struggle. In the first ce, no matter how impressive a Protective Mirror in the Late Stage Peak Realm was, it was nothing before a fist of the Profound Realm. ¡°How is Disciple getting so increasingly careless and irresponsible?¡± ¡°Kkeugh. Sob. It really hurts¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Indubitably. After all, I hit you so that you would feel pain. What else did you expect? For it to tickle? I cannot understand how you are acting more childishly as you get older.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡­.¡± Qing chuckled in embarrassment. Ximen Surin justpletely turned her head away. How could she not be aware that her disciple was acting spoiled because she felt an increasing fondness for her teacher? As such, Ximen Surin was also cautious about constantly giving in to her disciple. Still, it could be considered an improvement. When they first met, Qing behaved utterly like a man. But now, although still rough like a male farmhand, she seemed like an actual girl. ¡°So, you are nning to leave soon? Where do you n to visit this time?¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m not sure. Wherever my feet take me, I guess?¡± ¡°If that is the case, stop by the Emei Sect.¡± ¡°O-Oh uh. The Army Sect?¡± Qing barely contained her patented ¡®Oooh¡¯. But anyway, the Army Sect? The name was quite extraordinary. It seemed like a ce with he fangirls1. ¡°That is right. This teacher has a deep friendship with the Chief Abbot of the Emei Sect, so while you are there, go inquire about her well-being and learn some of their basic cultivation techniques.¡± ¡°Uh, will they really teach me just like that?¡± ¡°Of course. If it is Jeongcheol Yeonni, she will dly pass on the techniques, so there is no need for Disciple to worry.¡± ¡°But, is the Emei Sect far away?¡± ¡°It is not too far, though the journey is not easy. It is located west, in thend of Sichuan.¡± ¡°Sichuan!¡± Qing eximed. Sichuan was the most familiar region name to modern Koreans. There were many things associated with Sichuan, after all. Sichuan Jjajang, Sichuan sweet and sour pork, Sichuan Jjambbong, and even m hotpot! Truly and for gourmets where chili oil flowed instead of water! (Not actually.) Even before the start of her Murim journey, Qing had enjoyed spicy food. During her poverty days, she was too desperate to survive, so she couldn¡¯t even think of visiting. And then, once she became a master she had forgotten all about it. ¡°However, you need not reach the Absolute Sword Wall until you have reached the Transcendent Realm. Even if Disciple, at your pathetic level, were to acquire the profound Insights left by the Celestial Emperor, would it not be mere pearls before swine?¡± ¡°Master?¡± What the? Aren¡¯t I getting shat on again? Could it be that even Master¡­? ¡°Haa. Moreover. It seems Disciple has some sort of connection or fate with peerless martial arts. But that does not mean you should learn just any martial arts. And especially avoid cultivating further in the Demonic Arts. Do not even think of doing such a thing.¡± ¡°Aiyaaaa. I won¡¯t do that anymore.¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°How am I supposed to believe you when you are this untrustworthy?¡± ¡°Now I know better, okay? And well, I mean, who in the world would ever threaten me with a sword and force me to learn Demonic Arts? Unless that happens, I would never.¡± Thwack! Qing rolled on the floor again. ¡°The words thate out of Disciple¡¯s mouth are bing increasingly ridiculous. Your manner of speech is one thing, but carelessly uttering such words should never be done. Words have power and unnecessary speech, behavior, and actions will eventually return as karma.¡± Qing rubbed her head as she thought. Karma? The fuck? At least say something that makes sense¡­ Who the fuck would ever go as far as to threaten someone with a sword to learn Demonic Arts¡­¡­. ¡°Such a direct visit is an honor of a thousand lifetimes.¡± ¡°Enough. What about that bitch? Is she still in the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t those wenches of the Divine Maiden Sect bitches that just hole up there together, only mingling among themselves? Couldn¡¯t it be that she is just noting down? Can¡¯t we just storm in and take her?¡¯ ¡°The known realm of the Matriarch is the Profound Realm. If she has advanced further, the damage to the Divine Cult could be¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Tch. Are you saying I have to put up with an old wench out of fear? Me?¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°Then, let us wait until summer. Have you spread the kids out over there? Will they contact us right away?¡± ¡°Yes, they will.¡± ¡°What if that bitch doesn¡¯t have Bokshinjeok?¡± ¡°Bokshinjeok is an invaluable treasure. When ites to such a treasure, even parents and children are rendered meaningless.¡± ¡°Then, what if Bokshinjeok has already been blown? We cannot wait for another forty years. Will the Orthodox Faction bitch cooperate easily?¡± ¡°We just need to force her to learn Demonic Arts. Once she bes a public enemy with nowhere to run, she will have no choice but to join the Divine Cult.¡± ¡°Those Orthodox Faction fuckers. Narrow-minded idiots. Very well, then. This is why I like our Secret Pavilion Leader so very much.¡± ¡°It is an honor of my three lives2. All shall worship. Glory to the Heavenly Demon. The Divine Cult shall reign all under the heavens.¡± Agh shit, I think I tied this way too tightly. Even if one was ustomed to something, if not done for a long time, one tended to lose the knack of going about it. Qing awkwardly grabbed the fabric around her buttocks and pulled. How strange. It keeps sticking into the crack. Did I gain some weight? Having roughly packed everything, it was now time to head back into Jianghu. Contrary to before, leaving her beloved home did not actually evoke a sense of regret. After all, this time, she had suffered far more at home than outside. No matter how many times she thought about it, making her endure the winter with just one set of pajamas seemed way too harsh. Because of such thoughts, her steps were light when leaving. And as she did so, Jin Jangmyeong blocked her spirited steps. ¡°Unni, you¡¯re leaving again?¡± ¡°Of course. I gotta go.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just not go.¡± ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t.¡± Qing had much to do. First, to reach the Transcendent Realm. Then the Unrestrained Realm, Profound Realm, and so on and so forth. Ultimately, she had to settle scores with Lil Window. After all, she couldn¡¯t keep living in this state. The anxiety was fucking killing her. ¡°Rea-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that ¡®Really Really¡¯ stuff. It¡¯s not cute, alright?¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you way too easy to read? It¡¯s so obvious that it¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°What are you even saying.¡± Though she said this, Jin Jangmyeong''s voicecked any semnce of strength or bite. Watching her gaze slowly turn to the ground, Qing spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least reach the Peak Realm? It needs to be that much for me to ask Master if we can take a trip around Jianghu together, you know?¡± Jin Jangmyeong''s head snapped up. ¡°Would the Peak Realm be enough?¡± ¡°Well, who knows. It depends on Master. But wouldn¡¯t she somehow allow it if I ask nicely? Though it probably can¡¯t be too far, somewhere close should at least be fine.¡± Qing thought it might be possible, given Ximen Surin''s personality. Though other disciples might not think so. ¡°Then, have a good trip. I¡¯m gonna go.¡± ¡°What? Go where?¡± ¡°To train.¡± Her enthusiasm was at its absolute max. Qing chuckled and waved her hand. After parting with Jin Jangmyeong, Qing set out on her journey again. The Divine Maiden Sect disciples she encountered sent her off with smiling faces. ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Bring something tasty!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! My hair feels a bit empty. It''d be nice to stick something pretty like a hairpinnnn.¡± ¡°Junior Grandmaster, eat this when you get hungry.¡± Right as she was going through this¡­ One of the Divine Maiden Sect disciples handed her a pouch. ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster... here.¡± ¡°Eh? Huhhhh? This is for me?¡± ¡°Please take care and return safely.¡± When she took a peek, she saw that it was a modesty panel3 woven from red silk. I¡¯m thankful and all, but I hope it fits¡­ Since I¡¯ll get sweaty if it¡¯s too tight. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll make good use o¡­¡­.¡± Before Qing could finish her thanks, the Divine Maiden Sect disciple had run away with her face covered. The fuck? Why you running away? Qing was unaware. Over the winter, she had be an ideal type known as the Reincarnated Divine Maiden to many of the Divine Maiden Sect disciples. It was because Qing''s¡­ stage costume had been that impactful. Of course, the performance itself was also extraordinary. And Divine Maiden Sect disciples who were fans of such a scene had given heartfelt farewells. ¡°Junior Master, when you return, let¡¯s go shopping for supplies together, alright? It¡¯s a promise, okay?¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­.. Come back. No matter what.¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster, I secretly buried a bottle of liquorst time. Let¡¯s drink it together when you return, okay?¡± ¡°Junior Grandmaster, when you return this time, I have something important to tell you. It is really, really important.¡± But¡­ why? Why do they all sound so ominous? Aren¡¯t they making me seem like I might not return or something? Nevertheless, Qing was one who strived to live simply. She didn¡¯t put much thought into anything that seemed tooplex for her.. As such, receiving such warm farewells lifted her spirits once again. Qing hummed a tune as she passed through the gate and descended the slopes of Divine Maiden Peak. As her mood was greatly uplifted, she had a very good feeling about this outing. Like¡­ Somehow, it felt like this journey through Jianghu would be filled with ease and good events. Or at least, that was how it was until about an hourter, when she was kidnapped. *** Chapter 64: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (1) Collect Yin Supplement Yang referred to the method of taking a woman''s essence to stimte Yang Qi, a technique practiced by men. It was a cultivation technique from Daoism that promoted the joyful mutual growth of True Qi between men and women through the love of cloud and rain. A methodmonly known as Dual Cultivation that benefited all. However, it was revealed by the whims of some sick bastard¡¯s little¡­ stick that the effect of increasing Inner Qi was hundreds of times better if only one side enjoyed it. Thus, methods that harm the other party were considered evil, and those that were mutually enjoyable became a somewhat awkward and embarrassing knowledge for the sake of leading a happy household. It didn¡¯t stop there. Jianghu was vast and people had various¡­ tastes, of course. Collect Yang Supplement Yang also existed. In fact, there were sects that actually specialized in this, but they were deemed public enemies of Murim that were iparably evil and disappeared. In contrast, the Heavenly Flower Hall, famous for Collect Yin Supplement Yin, was ssified as a sect of the Orthodox Faction and still operated normally, which showed that the people of the world had quite the double standard. After all, even a collection of erotic paintings based on Heavenly Flower Hall was recognized as a legitimate subcategory of the pornography industry that existed in these ancient times. And Collect Yang Supplement Yin also existed. The most famous sect practicing it as its main method was the Bliss Pce. Ever since the founder of the Bliss Pce, the Coital Witch Seon Wooseol, vowed to give men the happiest deaths, countless men have sucked theirst breath under the crotches of Bliss Pce disciples. As it was a method that harmed others for training, Bliss Pce was naturally designated an enemy of Murim. However, they escaped annihtion and fled far to thends of Xinjiang, where they met the Demonic Cult, who happened to be raising the g of invasion against the Central ins and fostering a spirit of revenge. As such, joining the Demonic Cult was the natural course of action. Currently, the leader of the Bliss Pce was known as the martial artist Hamwol, the Xi Shi Divine Maiden. Xi Shi was known as the Most Beautiful Woman in History. However, the title of Xi Shi Divine Maiden was rather a very good indication of Hamwol¡¯s thick skin rather than her beauty. This was because she was the one toe up with the title of the Xi Shi Divine Maiden and even publicly called herself as such. In response to that, the people of the Central ins resignedly went, ¡®Aiyo, whatever. If you say so, then it must be so. Fine, just be Xi Shi then,¡¯ and simply changed one little word in her title. Xi Shi Retard1 Maiden, Hamwol. In the first ce, she was a bitch who holed herself in the Demonic Cult, refusing to leave. Some people even stated they would love to slice that shameless face just once,menting it as an eternal regret. And in that regard, now was the opportunity to address such a grievance. After all, the Xi Shi Retard Maiden Hamwol had secretly infiltrated all the way up to Hubei Province. ¡°Hehe, to think I have to kidnap the disciple of the Matriarch. This woman is not too keen on using such a nasty method against my lifelong rival.¡± The boy listening, the youngest Secret Pavilion Leader of the Demonic Cult, the Omniscient Iron-Mask Ji Seungju, thought with his characteristic expressionless face. Fucking bullshit. What an absolute joke. A bitch who merely sucks out men¡¯s essence calling the Zenith Among Women her lifelong rival? When she is only at the Late Stage Transcendent Realm, even at her piss-old age? His true disdainful thoughts did not show on his face. Ji Seungju was famous for never having shown any expression throughout his fifteen years of life. That was why he was called the Omniscient Iron-Mask. An expressionless face as if wearing an iron mask. And a mind that sat back and seemingly saw through everything. Thus,bining the two, he was the Omniscient Iron-Mask Ji Seungju. ¡°This must result in a sess. The Supreme himself has descended, after all.¡± ¡°The Supreme himself! Is it really true? Is the Supreme indeed here?¡± Hamwol''s face became soaked in ecstasy. ¡°If this task seeds, could this young girl receive the Supreme¡¯s grace? What do you think, Secret Pavilion Leader?¡± Ji Seungju replied. ¡°How fucking ridiculous. Young girl, my ass.¡± Of course. Hamwol''s eyes narrowed. ¡°Secret Pavilion Leader. It seems that your inner thoughts and words spoken have switched again, yes? But¡­ ¡®How fucking ridiculous¡¯? ¡®My ass¡¯? Could you possibly be saying that to this young girl?¡± ¡°I apologize. It happens sometimes. I tend not to talk much, so it has be a habit to mutter to myself.¡± Ji Seungju apologized with his perpetualck of expression. This was not new for the Omniscient Iron-Mask. That was why among the Demonic Cult, everyone knew Ji Seungju¡¯s outward and inward natures werepletely different. Hamwol seethed inside. But another title for the Secret Pavilion Leader was the Demonic Brain. It was the term used to refer to the personal strategist of the Supreme of the Demonic Cult. Basically, this expressionless, cocky, twisted little kid was the right-hand man of the Supreme of the Demonic Cult. Even though she seethed inside, Hamwol couldn''t do anything about it. As Hamwol simmered in rage, the little kid spoke again. ¡°A kidnapping can be performed without the Xi Shi Divine Maiden necessarily getting involved. But since it is that very Ximen Surin¡¯s disciple, taming her is a tall task. And one that is more crucial.¡± ¡°Then, what if I aplish that crucial tall task in addition to the kidnapping? Could I receive the Supreme¡¯s grace then?¡± Lecherous anticipation flickered in Hamwol''s eyes. Despite being called the Xi Shi Retard Maiden, her beauty could indeed shake the world. Outwardly, she seemed like a sultry peerless beauty in her thirties. Outwardly, that is. What sin has the Suprememitted to have to deal with this sixty-three-year-old hag? Ji Seungju hid his inner thoughts and replied. ¡°.......If it trulyes to that, the Supreme might indeed take notice.¡± At the same time, he thought. Ah. The position the Supreme holds is truly a pitiful one. Feeling pity for the Supreme, Ji Seungju quickly changed the subject. ¡°So, you said there is a way to lure Ximen Qing far away?¡± ¡°Is there anyone as easy to handle as a brat who thinks she¡¯s a heroic expert of the Orthodox Faction? This young girl will personally step forward, so, Secret Pavilion Leader, just prepare to neatly tie up the bitch I lure out.¡± Ji Seungju answered with his usual expressionless face. ¡°How fucking ridiculous. Young girl, my ass.¡± Of course. ¡°Ah. My words came out switched again, my apologies.¡± Isn¡¯t this little fucker doing this on purpose? Veins popped on Hamwol''s forehead. Qing, who used Qinggong, was incredibly fast. But why was she moving at such speeds? This was because, beyond those mountains, Sichuan awaited Qing. And above all, numerous dishesden with spicy M vors were eagerly awaiting her arrival. Ma and La! It was a challenge of fiery hot vors. Only the brave could dare to embark on such a trial. And as a heroic expert of the Orthodox Faction, Qing was obligated to take on this challenge. Right as her appetite was practically propelling her along the roads¡­ ¡°Someone, please, help!¡± It was a delicate voice that tugged at the heartstrings of men. Although Qing was in a woman¡¯s body, her inner self was not. Qing abruptly turned in the direction of the voice using the exquisite and miraculous Yue Maiden Footwork. After pushing through the bushes, she found a half-naked woman exposed for all to see. Her top was torn, nearly exposing all of her breasts, and her skirt was split up to her waist, revealing her underwear. ¡°H-Help, please help¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What is the proble- Mmmm.¡± Qing, not knowing where to look, gazed off into the distance. Of course, her eyes couldn''t help but wander around, sneaking in nces. After all, oveing instinct was not an easy task. Then, the woman suddenly pounced on Qing. The sweet scent of the woman¡¯s body overwhelmed Qing¡¯s senses, causing her mind to go nk. ¡°Uh. If you do this, it¡¯s a bit troubleso- You can¡¯t do th-¡± ¡°Heuk, heuuuuu.¡± The woman burst into tears in Qing¡¯s embrace. Qing¡¯s hands iled helplessly in the air before gently stroking the woman¡¯s back. It was pure reassurance without any ulterior motive. Ah. But by the way. She¡¯s he soft. Qing had met and surveyed a wide range of city beauties while traveling with Peng Daesan. Moreover, the beauty of the Divine Maiden Sect disciples who practiced Fairy Arts was extraordinary. So she had actually just been wondering if her standards had be too high. Yet even so, the beauty before her was iparable! But, what¡¯s this? Suddenly, the woman urgently grabbed Qing¡¯s hand. ¡°Great Expert, please help! Bandits have entered my vige and¡­¡­¡± It was a typical story. Bandits had appeared in the vige, killing all the men and raping the women. Such incidents were not umon in the Central ins. Qing slipped in an exmation mid-story. ¡°My goodness, those sick bastards!¡± ¡°W-Will you h-help?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to cut them into little pieces and wipe them out right away. So, where are those bastards?¡± ¡°Ah! Thank you! Thank you. Truly¡­¡­¡± The woman clung to Qing and expressed her gratitude. At the same time, Hamwol thought to herself. My oh my. How so very easy. Well, these so-called heroic experts of the Orthodox Faction are all the same. For women who had suffered, fellow female martial artists actually tended to be an even closer embodiment of righteousness and justice. Those male fuckers merely imed to be the Orthodox Faction. In reality, half of them would pounce with their ''sticks'' if no one was around to see. Of course, it was a technique Hamwol used often herself, yelling ''Thank you for the meal!'' and sucking them dry. But regardless, that didn¡¯t change how much of a disgrace it was. There were many variations to this technique. For some of the more righteous or prim men, acting like she was burning up from an aphrodisiac worked wonders. They were fucking idiots. The body would explode if the aphrodisiac wasn¡¯t relieved? Seriously? If that worked, who in the world would ever use poison? After all, with such a miracle drug, one just needed to feed them an aphrodisiac and watch idly by. Now, if I lure this bitch deep into the hideout, I¡¯m sure the martial artists of the Demonic Cult will handle the rest. ¡°Then, this young girl will¡­ guide you.¡± Hamwol feigned pathetic helplessness and took the lead. And right as she took one step forward¡­ Pwuuuk ¡°Euk.¡± Hamwol shuddered. Her eyes wobbled before slowly falling downwards. The tip of a de protruding between her breasts seemed to greet her with a smile. As if saying, ¡®Hello! Nice to meet you. I¡¯m de Tip¡¯. Hamwol was a martial artist of the Late Stage Transcendent Realm. However, even the Transcendent Realm meant nothing in the face of a de filled with Sword Qi stabbing her in the back when she waspletely off-guard. As she experienced her heart being torn apart, Hamwol desperately asked. ¡°Why¡­ How¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°Mmm, because it¡¯s around four hundred points?¡± ¡°What¡­ does that even¡­¡­.¡± Hamwol couldn''t understand. However, she felt wronged. Or rather, cheated. I see, so you knew my face. Yes. Since you are the disciple of my rival, Ximen Surin, it¡¯s possible¡­¡­. But how could a bitch of the so-called Orthodox Factionunch an ambush this naturally¡­¡­.? She didn¡¯t have any change in herplexion, without even a sliver of killing intent¡­¡­. That was as far as Hamwol''s consciousness went. Thus marked the futile end of the vicious Great Demonic Adept who had sucked numerous men dry. Qing pulled out the de. Ordinarily, martial artists would remove a de in the opposite direction of insertion. However, once the de was inserted, Qing found that she preferred to remove it in a direction different from any of the sides it had entered. Spurt! The de slid out from under Hamwol¡¯s armpit. Fresh blood gushed out profusely. A fragrant aroma of blood that tickled the nose. Qing took a deep breath, filling her entire lungs. Huaaaaa, holy fuck! That¡¯s the shit! Right, this scent! I missed you so much¡­¡­.. Qing grinned sinisterly. As expected! From the very moment I left, I did have a pretty good feeling about this journey. Can¡¯t believe some rando Demonic Adept exposed her back to me. Qing nodded to herself thoughtfully. Is it my lucky day today? Yep, it must be, huh. *** Chapter 65: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (2) And the strictw established by Qing was that the victor must duly pay respects to the vanquished. It was the noble act of epting the will and the remaining belongings of the defeated. Thus, Qing did just that. But¡­ There was¡­no moneybag? ...Wait a fat fucking minute, how could this be real! Qing was infuriated. This was a serious betrayal. Fine, the viin had willingly offered her back to be stabbed. But still, why was there no reward for the good deed she so painstakingly performed? This reality should not exist. Just to be sure, Qing conducted a thorough body search once again. During this, something was felt in her hand. It was something sewn inside the undergarment. The hard, rolled up item was not a moneybag. However, if it was hidden this well, it must surely be something valuable. That¡¯s right, this is the shit! I always believed that you would deliver! Qing tore open the undergarment with a bright expression. And the moment something was grasped in her hand¡ª Suddenly, the Martial Arts Window insisted on being opened. ording to Qing''s experience, this was what happened when aplete Secret Manual or a Sutra was touched. Qing opened the Martial Arts Window. A newly added, sparkling martial art caught Qing¡¯s eye. Blissful Maiden Arts. The Border was golden. Gold, is it? Gold is right below Purple. And it¡¯s also an Inner Qi Cultivation Technique, huh? The more Inner Arts, the better, I guess. I should briefly return right now and ask Master if this martial art is fine to learn. That¡¯s right. It seems Qing, too, has grown! But before that¡­ Qing remembered Ximen Surin''s beseeching. As Disciple oftenes into contact with martial arts, heed my advice. Memorize the Secret Manualpletely before burning it and just burn the evil ones immediately. What she implied was that a Secret Manual merely being possessed could sprout seeds of discord. And honestly, any discord was now incredibly tiresome, even for her. Qing took out a me stick. A me stick was a tube designed to hold a tinderbox. Though a fairly valuable item, it was something Ximen Surin had prepared for her fragile disciple who couldn¡¯t yet produce True Fire of Samadhi. For reference, the True Fire of Samadhi was a technique used by martial artists at the Transcendent Realm to intensify heat into a singr point using the principle of Force Compression. Brutally thrusting in True Qi to merely light a tinderbox was trivial, but it was an arts already acknowledged for its convenience long ago. Of course, since Qing was still at the Peak Realm, it was just a matter of holding a me stick to light a fire. There was nothing spectacr to it. A few handfuls of dry leaves gathered in the spring were enough to catch fire in the me stick. The Secret Manual of the Blissful Maiden Arts was a bamboo strip soaked in oil, but in the end, it was nothing more than wood. How long could it possiblyst? The Secret Manual of the Blissful Maiden Arts burned. The esoteric doctrine passed down only by the Pce Leaders of Bliss Pce zed fiercely. Next to ity the body of one such Pce Leader. It was the moment the lineage of an esoteric doctrine, long cherished by a certain sect, was severed. Qing looked around once and then continued on her way. She didn¡¯t know what that viin intended to do.. But regardless, she was a bitch who had umted over four hundred Evil Karma. Wouldn¡¯t it just be a trap at most? It¡¯s better to not get entangled and end up in a situation like the one in Dongting Lake. ¡°...So.¡± Ji Seungju summarized the report with an expressionless face. ¡°Ximen Qing ambushed and killed the Bliss Pce Leader, then burned the Secret Manual before heading towards the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± ¡°Yes. I saw it clearly with my own two eyes.¡± An assassin from the Demonic Cult Outer Hall''s Covert Operations Division answered. He was one of those sent to assist Hamwol in luring the target. To the assassin, Qing seemed as skilled as any expert in his industry. A killing intent that didn¡¯t leak for even a second, a single clean move without an ounce of hesitation. Even a Master who had reached the Late-Stage Transcendent Realm couldn''t react and was killed instantly. As such, if she had been an assassin, she would have made her name known in the Central ins long ago. It wasn¡¯t something that could be done without a substantially venomous heart. ¡°And she didn¡¯t even look at the Secret Manual?¡± ¡°It seems she has no interest in a Demonic Human''s Secret Manual.¡± ¡°She turned out to be even more ruthless than expected. Truly a disciple of Ximen Surin.¡± Ji Seungju clicked his tongue. Ximen Surin¡¯s hatred for Sex Fiends was well known. So much so that there was no distinction between male and female Sex Fiends. Male Sex Fiends were trash that should not exist. Female Sex Fiends were trash that brought shame to all women. And with the im that all trash should be burned, she torched the corpses she killed. Or so it was said. Of course, Ji Seungju, who was only fifteen, had not yet experienced the old Masters who were active in previous generations. However, even from the records that remained, he knew that Ximen Surin was an absolutely insane ughterer. He had thought she had be more peaceful after she had stopped appearing in Jianghu and had secluded herself in the Divine Maiden Sect. But apparently not. It appeared she had passed all her hatred onto her disciple. But well, it made sense. After all, how else could that disciple recognize and deal with an old monster who had tucked herself away for many years in a remote corner of the Central ins? Ximen Surin must have told her disciple about Hamwol. ¡°A female expert of the Orthodox Faction with a venomous heart... This trulyplicates things. Does that mean Bokshinjeok has once again made its way to such a person?¡± It was estimated that it would take at least forty years for Bokshinjeok topletely shake off the traces after being marked with its owner''s Inner Art. And even that was the minimum estimated time. The key just had to have ended up in the hands of an Orthodox Faction martial artist right before thepletion of the great mission. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I will take directmand. Mobilize all cult members to secure Ximen Qing. Before Ximen Surin notices.¡± The assassin swallowed hard. Could it be that he could actually witness a disy of such exquisitemand? Ji Seungju''s martial arts prowess was just at the threshold of the Second-Rate Realm. However, the true value of the Demonic Brain did not lie in martial arts prowess. A Net of Heaven and Earth directed by the Demonic Brain himself... "Pavilion Leader! I will report!" At that moment, another assassin entered and shouted. Ji Seungju looked at the second assassin with an expressionless face. But for some reason, its nkness seemed reproachful. ¡°If you are here too, then who is tracking the target?¡± The second assassin answered. ¡°The Supreme has captured her personally.¡± ¡°You there. Heed me.¡± The voice was casual, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, Qing was startled and turned her head. It was an impressive man with long hair reaching down to his waist. With a face that looked stubborn due to the jaw set in determination, he was grinning slightly at Qing. Qing¡¯s expression hardened. Qing was a Master. It was not easy to deceive the eyes and ears of a Master. But she wasn¡¯t able to notice someone who was this close. Clearly, it was an incredibly abnormal situation. Qing quickly checked the opponent''s Karma. -998. Qing immediately regretted it. Fuck me sideways. I shouldn¡¯t have checked. If things go to shit, I might be the one toplete his thousand. Qing was fundamentally strong against the wicked and weak against the righteous. But at the same time, she was also strong against the weak and weak against the strong. Weak viins were like fun toys, but when she met a strong viin, she shrank back instantly. After all, it would feel so unfair to die now. She had barely managed to survive after rummaging through trash cans, eating rotten food, and using insects as a side dish. And just when she thought she might finally start to fit into this world or perhaps even have affection for it... For now, Qing tried to initiate a conversation. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°This being?¡± Ah shit. Qing''s expression soured. A bastard who calls himself ¡®this being¡¯? This motherfucker must be batshit crazy. There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s nuttier than a peanut. ¡°If this being must say, a creditor perhaps. Since you have this being¡¯s property.¡± ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Yes. A flute about this long. Have you seen it?¡± The man spread his arms. It was quite a familiar length. Qing nced at the man for a moment, trying to gauge him. Despite clearly being in her field of vision, something about him was blurry, hardly seeming human. So, he was either not human or an extraordinary Master. Qing made up her mind quickly. "Ahaha. I found it on the road. Didn¡¯t know it had an owner, huh. Do I just need to return it?" It was better not to antagonize him. Qing promptly took out Bokshinjeok and offered it. The man grinned widely. "Very good. A thieving cat who knows her duty, it seems." Goosebumps rose all over Qing''s arm. Thieving cat? Did he really just say thieving cat1? With his own fucking mouth? Can a person even say something like that whilepletely sober? There was absolutely no doubt that he was aplete lunatic. Qing decided once again. I better not get involved. Just as Qing resolved as such, the man asked. "But. Have you blown it?" She had definitely heard that it was some magic flute that only went ¡®Open Sesame¡¯ after one made a sound with it. Basically, it was locked for anyone else. Is it worth lyings? Would he even fall for it? What if I get stabbed in the guts for lying? Qing¡¯s pupils flickered sporadically, uncertain of what to do. Then the man chuckled. "You blew it?" "...What if I did?" "What else can be done? Not only did you take this being¡¯s property without permission, but you also became its owner. As such, there is no choice other than for you, too, to be this being¡¯s property." How in the ever living fuck can each of his lines be so cringe? Hell, just hearing it makes me feel like shit. Qing took a deep breath. Then, she exhaled deeply again to calm herself down. "I apologize for asking upon our first meeting, but could you perhaps tell me what realm you are in¡­?" "This being? An existence who will soon reach the Natural Realm." The Natural Realm was a legendary level believed to have been reached by the Sword Emperor in hister years. But ording to Ximen Surin, no one in the world had actually reached it, so it was just a lie made up by people. Yet, here was an existence iming to be on the verge of reaching the Natural Realm. Then, does that mean he¡¯s just below it? "Ah. Are you at the Celestial Realm then?" "No. This being will reach the Celestial Realm soon too." "Then you''re in the Life and Death Realm...?" "No. This being will reach the Life and Death Realm soon as well." What kind of dogshit is this? Why the fuck is he shitting out of his mouth instead of his asshole? Qing barely managed to hold back from swearing five hundred times. Let¡¯s not use any bad words. I can¡¯t trigger him, after all. "So you mean you''re in the Profound Realm?" "If this being truly set his mind to it, he could reach the Profound Realm by tomorrow." So, he isn¡¯t in the Profound Realm either. Why does it feel like it keeps going lower and lower? Qing harbored a glimmer of hope. After all, she might stand a chance up to the Transcendent Realm. Motherfucker acted like he was him. But seems it ain¡¯t the case, huh. You better brace yourself for a beating of five hundred Buddha¡¯s Palms. Qing continued to question. "Then, the Unrestrained Realm...?" Instead of answering, the man simply snapped his fingers. Qing¡¯s face became tinged with disappointment. Fuck! So close! Just a little more would have been perfect¡­ Why stop there¡­. *** Chapter 66: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (3) "So, what are you going to do now? Will you refuse an elder''s cup? Then, you shall have to chug the penalty drink, you see?" ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The fuck was he yapping about? A cup? A penalty drink? Alcohol? Is it alcohol? Like, penalty alcohol? A drinking game? It was an expression notmonly used in Murim today. If used now, one might get ridiculed for having the stench of a boomer. Did you perhaps live during the era of the Celestial Martial Emperor? was what people would ask. Qing blinked her eyes. It was an expression that anyone could recognize. The man burst outughing. "Will you follow without a fuss?" "Can''t I just stay here without a fuss?" "If not, you¡¯ll have to take a beating." Motherfucker, this piece of shit who can¡¯t evenpare to my Master is tryna fuck with me, huh? However, Qing was not Ximen Surin. She was merely a Late Stage Peak Realm martial artist. Common in every city¡¯s martial halls, just one of many good fighters living harmoniously. It¡¯s seriously so frustrating living at the Peak Realm. But the Transcendent Realm is still out of reach. And maybe something got fucked, seeing how a Mission for the Transcendent Realm isn¡¯ting up. Is it because I met the final boss first? If it¡¯s not that, I¡¯ll have to reach the Transcendent Realm using the process that everyone else goes through, but I don¡¯t even know where to start with that. "Then, is there a possibility toe back if I follow you?" "This being promises on his name." Qing''s eyes narrowed. How the fuck am I supposed to trust the words of a bastard who is gonna reach one thousand points soon? Qing asked again for confirmation. "You''re not trying to trick me, right? Like, you¡¯re telling the truth, but in reality, Ie back dead or disabled or something." "Ha. Are you saying right now¡­ That this being would stoop to such petty tricks? You dare? Even after this being swore on his esteemed name?" "No, it''s not that I doubt you, it¡¯s ju-Ugh." Suddenly, the man was right in front of her. Qing was startled. The man''s fist had deeply prated, almost to his forearm, in Qing''s abdomen. Qing flew back, bent at the waist. A dizzying flight ended by crashing into a tree. Qing gripped her stomach and rolled on the ground. "Kkuhuk, keuk. Kkeheuk¡­!¡± I-I can''t b-breathe¡­ Qing desperately gasped for air. But her crushed lungs refused to expand in her tightly constricted chest. Her head was filled with pain. She felt like she was suffocating. It hurts. It hurts so much. My stomach...! It seemed as if a de was flowing through the pressure points. A sharp de forcibly ripped, tore, and bit through the narrow blood vessels. Nothing, except pain. Agh. Thought itself stopped due to excruciating agony. She felt dizzy. From the horizontally lying ground, two pirs stuck close to her. They were two feet right next to her sides. And one of the legs had moved far away. No fucking shot. Qing tried to cover her head. But it was already toote. The man kicked Qing''s head right then. Thwack. The world shook before seeming to turn off. Qing''s body went into the air again. Then, she regained consciousness from the impact of her fall. All she could see was a reddish aura in her field of vision. Blood had filled one eye because a blood vessel had burst. Qing had no chance to react. A strong force grabbed her hair and yanked. Her face felt like it had shattered. The enemy''s Prating Power was still tearing through her insides. The world was red. And her scalp relentlessly burst in pain, as if continuously telling her it was ripping apart. The man¡¯s voice burrowed into the spasming Qing''s ears. It was practically drenched with pleasure and joy. "Protective Mirror? For just a Peak Realm nobody, you handle it quite adeptly, don''t you? This being was thinking of bursting at least one eye." "Why, why?" "To y a flute, all you need is your mouth and hands." Qing clenched her teeth. She was a child being watched over by the lonely star of Heavenly ughter. The pain soon turned malignant, seeping into the bones. This fucker, I won''t let you off easy. Motherfucker. You¡¯re going to die. In the worst fucking way. I¡¯ll make sure of it. Whether Qing had the right to be angry was not important. After all, Qing had always picked out only the bad guys before toying with them. Her Righteous Karma had just exceeded one thousand four hundred and fifty points. Soon, she would be able to exchange one thousand five hundred points, so Qing, in fact, prided herself as the nicest person in all under the heavens. This feeling of ipetence fueled her anger. Thus, helplessness and anger pressed some deep-seated power button. The fuck is up with him? Does this fucker have anger management issues? Cowardly hitting first when we were having a perfectly good conversation? On top of that, he¡¯s more of a Master than me. Pathetic motherfucker. Piece of shit. Just you wait. You wanna y dirty? I''ll show you what it means to truly y dirty. Contrary to her inner thoughts, Qing smiled. Her face, swollen on one side, bore an expression of utmost servility. "Hehe, you could have just used your words¡­" It was the dread inherent in a bearer of Heavenly ughtering Star. Because she was not just an existence that craved blood and pain without reason, but a monster that knew exactly when to strike. If the man wanted to be old in peace, he should have killed Qing right then and there. But who would think that a Female Expert of the Orthodox Faction was born with Heavenly ughter? The man gave a satisfied smile. "Indeed, as expected. Female brats must be beaten for them to listen." Did he live in some ancient times? The fuck is up with this boomer? Shit, I should just rip off his mouth. Come to think of it, this is primitive, uncivilized, ancient China, so it obviously makes sense that this fucker is an uncivilized piece of shit as well. Qing kept smiling like a fool. "Hehe, if I listen well, there''s no need for a beating, right?" Upon hearing this, the man looked rather disappointed. "Were you not supposed to be an unbending female expert of the Orthodox Faction? This being thought you might be a bit interesting, but in the end, you are nothing more than a mere brat. Tsk. No matter. Take her away." The young man tossed Qing aside and then turned his body. Afterwards, figures in ck appeared from all sides and bowed respectfully towards his back. The state of Qing, who was dragged here, was a mess. Half of her face was swollen, her eyes squished and filled with blood,pletely red. Her new martial attire was all dirtied from rolling on the ground, so it was natural for Ji Seungju to click his tongue. ¡°Tsk.¡± Though she had a servile smile, Ji Seungju sensed that the girl in front of him was cut from the same cloth as him. A person whose inside and outside werepletely different. It was the sharp intuition of one who met his own kind. ording to the situation, it was one where cooperation needed to be sought calmly. After all, wouldn¡¯t it be considered a relief if there were at least no interference, even as she ground her teeth? If only that old monster Hamwol had not failed. Ji Seungju suppressed his frustrations. He couldn''t dare me the Supreme, after all. Given that it had alreadye to this, he thought he might as well throw a carrot. "Do not hold too much ill will and animosity. After all, haven¡¯t you also done us wrong?" Upon hearing this, Qing answered with a smile. "Hello? Kiddo. You should greet someone when you first see them, shouldn''t you? I''m Ximen Qing! Who might this little guy be? Ah. Are you a Master too? You don''t happen to have some mental illness that makes you punch people in the middle of a conversation, do you?" Her smiling face and words were fierce. Wasn¡¯t she trying to hide her inner thoughts? Did I get it wrong? Despite such doubts, Ji Seungju remained expressionless. "I am Ji Seungju. Though Ick much, I am the Secret Pavilion Leader of the Divine Cult." "Secret Pavilion Leader? Is that a high position?" Qing looked down at the small boy with a grin. To think they kidnapped me in broad daylight and the first ce they drag me to is in front of this kiddo. Is he some important figure? Would it make that bastard angry if I killed him? For now, I should keep this in mind. After all, that bastard is still around here somewhere. Qing looked at the expressionless Ji Seungju and thought as such. She didn''t feel the need to check the numbers above his head anymore. After all, in order to survive, she first needed to sort out this deep rage pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat. "It is regrettable to have to meet under these circumstances, but we have our own reasons too." "Well, who doesn''t have their circumstances? Well then. Let¡¯s try hearing your side of the story." "Now is not a good time to exin.¡± Ji Seungju pushed forward a bowl that was on the table. "The pain must be severe. This should help you feel better." "What''s this?" "It is a dream soul medicine made by mixing wild nectar and poppy extract. If you drink it and sleep a bit longer, you shall feel much better." Wild nectar signified honey and dream soul medicine was a kind of sleeping pill. Basically, he was saying it was honey water that had drugs and sleep medicine. It might sound crazy to drink such a thing, but in the Central ins, poppy extract was considered a panacea effective for pain relief and reducing fever. As such, it wasn¡¯t a herb mixed with malicious intent. "Is that so? Well then, out of courtesy." Qing drank the honey water refreshingly. The warm, sweet honey entering her stomach seemed to ease her mood a bit. After all, opium poppy was harmless to her body anyway and she knew from multiple experiences that dream soul medicine wouldn''t work on her. At times like this, it was rather a shame her Constitution was the way that it was. One side of her face still pulsed painfully with each heartbeat. It would have been nice if I could pass out after taking some sleep medicine. Afterwards, Qing obediently boarded the carriage. The windows were merely thick paper stuck to iron grates, poorly letting light seep through. Once she climbed inside, the sound of a lock clicking shut came from outside. The carriage, designed as a type of sleeping chamber, was quite cozy. The light seeping through the thick paper was not bothersome, and her feet sunk into severalyers of quilted nkets, reaching to her ankles. Qingid down in the spacious carriage. The carriage seemed to start moving with a slight jostle, but no distinct vibration was transmitted. Soon after, the effects of the poppy extract kicked in and the pain in her face gently subsided. As shey buried in the bedding, she felt as if she were floating. With that, Qing racked her brain for the first time in a while. Aside from the son of a bitch who kept yapping about how he would soon reach the Natural Realm, the treatment wasn''t bad at all. In fact, it was quite polite. Qing recalled Bokshinjeok that had been taken away from her. The ones looking for that flute were from the Demonic Cult and that little kid had bbered something about the Divine Cult, so now she clearly understood their identities. Also, they need something from the flute, but because of the Blow to Unlock function, they evidently need me, the owner, as well. Sons of bitches. Let''s see if I ever listen to them. Qing had no intention of heeding the requests of such bad people in the first ce, muttering to herself indignantly. In fact, the Demonic Cult had only garnered resentment, so they were far too rotten of a group to seek cooperation from in the first ce. But the point that they had earned her enmity was important. Once she bore a grudge, Qing was the type to relentlessly retaliate. After all, hadn¡¯t she never backed down even against the final boss who had reached an unknown yet formidable realm? A fucker in the mere Unrestrained Realm dares¡­ Demonic Cult? Motherfuckers, just wait and see what I do to all of you. A sinister starlight leaked from Qing''s eyes, casting a red glow in the pitch-dark interior of the carriage. *** Chapter 67: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (4) The prisoner transport carriage of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a masterpiece of the Weapon Pavilion affiliated to the Inner Hall. It had reinforced steel grids for durability and weight, and the use of modr parts made maintenance convenient. It could also obscure the prisoners'' sense of time through lighting control and inject various types of poison gas through two stokeholes below. And it had afortable ride. Not exactly to protect prisoners'' rights, but a mechanism to ensure that prisoners sedated with drugs did not wake up. So when there was a thumping noise on the carriage, the assassin from the Outer Hall''s Covert Operations Division, who was fanning the Qi Dispersion Poison Incense in the stokehole, was inevitably startled. How could she be awake already? Was there not enough Dream Soul Medicine? I used three times the usual dose, though? The only thing audible, due to the high soundproofing, was the thumping noise against the wall. The assassin pushed aside one wall panel and spoke. "What is the matter?" -Ah. Ah. You can hear me, right? I''m bored. Give me a snack. She spoke as if snacks had been promised to her. Like it was some god-given right. The bbergasted assassin was momentarily at a loss for words. -Hurry up. I''m getting dizzy. Give me snacks. Snacks! "Look here, your current situation is-" -I don''t care about that. Snacks are more important. If you kidnap someone, you should at least provide meals and snacks, right? Isn''t that basic etiquette? "No, what the..." The assassin was at a loss for words. Instead, he scooped out his pocket and dumped it into the stokehole incense burner. It was the powdered Dream Soul Medicine. He then increased the fanning speed, causing thick smoke to billow into the carriage. The effect was immediate. The girl''s voice rose in pitch. -No, who asked for incense to be burned!? I said to gimme snacks! Hey! "W-Wait a moment." -Hmph. You should have listened to me earlier. The assassin hurried towards the lead carriage. Having reached the lead carriage, he reported to the Secret Pavilion Leader. "Pavilion Leader, Ximen Qing is asking for snacks. What should we do?" Ji Seungju looked at the assassin expressionlessly. "Didn''t she intake a lot of Dream Soul Medicine?" "She seems to have a Constitution that makes it ineffective." There were individuals whom Dream Soul Medicine did not work on. Such people weren''t even all that rare. After all, Dream Soul Medicine itself wasn''t very toxic. "Should we use a different drug?" Other drugs were too potent. If her brain were damaged, she couldn¡¯t be interrogated. Ji Seungju thought for a moment then shook his head. "For now, amodate her. Give her what she wants. No, actually. I''ll go there myself." Ji Seungju recalled a traitmon in humans. When people were uneasy and dizzy, they unconsciously cherished those nearby. It was like hostages who developed feelings for their captors. Even if not to that extent, if it could slightly reduce psychological distance, it mightter facilitate smoother cooperation. That was Ji Seungju''s ulterior motive. My legs are cramping. As soon as the poppy left, they started acting the fuck up. Leg cramps were a vicious pain. It incessantly bothered one while they were awake, tingling and feeling utterly unpleasant. It would have been better if she could have walked around, but even though the carriage wasrge and spacious, it wasn¡¯t nearly the size where she could take such actions. "Hey. What have you done to my legs?" -The Supreme had intervened, so I do not know what was done. However, once we arrive at the cult, it will be released. I had a feeling that my lower body was stiff, as if my pressure points were all clogged up. Seems like that son of a bitch pulled some shit. Motherfucker, I won¡¯t forget this. "Can''t you just release it now? I promise I won''t run away. It''s just cramping way too much." -The Supreme has already left. After all, he is one who particrly dislikes stifling circumstances. Qing''s eyes sparkled. What did you just say? The fucker is gone? Master also has a deep knowledge of herbal medicine, so maybe I can just send it and think about what to do afterwards. -Please do not harbor any vain hopes. There are two Transcendent Realm Masters here. And isn¡¯t your leg also in difort? Damn it, just as I was getting all excited. It¡¯s fucking over. Qing pouted her lips. Why the fuck are there so many Transcendents? Do they have nothing better to do other than kidnap just one little Peak Realm? -If you truly have nothing to do, why not learn a martial art? "Martial art? What kind of martial art?" -A Divine Art that the Orthodox Faction calls Demonic Arts. First, they kidnap me. Now, they¡¯re yapping about Demonic Arts? The fuck is wrong with them? Qing was incredulous and retorted. "Are you telling me to learn Demonic Arts?" Qing had already mastered one of the eleven most heinous Demonic Arts Under Heaven, bing a White Hand Witch who had grasped White Hand Demonic Arts. -You shall learn it sooner orter anyway. "Me? Why?" -I shall be honest with you. We need to find at least one weakness in you. After all, is that not the only way we can let you go with peace of mind once everything is over? "So you¡¯re saying if need be, you¡¯re going to spread rumors that I''ve learned Demonic Arts?" -Still, learning it now would be better than being directly taught by the Supreme, wouldn''t it? It was a choice between just learning it or getting beaten into learning it. Mmm. Well, then there''s no real reason why I have to learn it painfully, right? Qing was quickly convinced. After all, she had already mastered one, so what difference would another make? Hadn¡¯t she also learned what to do when forced to learn Demonic Arts? First, she would resist, and if that didn¡¯t work, she could just use her Master''s name. Since her Master had allowed it, what did it matter whether she learned one or two Demonic Arts? I mean, what else can I do? They tryna threaten me into learning Demonic Arts at sword point, aren¡¯t they? Come to think of it, Master had also said that the more Lifesaving Absolute Moves, the better. I guess it¡¯s just like adding another secret weapon to my arsenal. Qing made a swift decision. "Alright, I''ll learn it. Whatever." It was a rather refreshing response. So much so that it seemed nonchnt. -...Are you being sincere? It was enough to make those outside question her sincerity. "I''m going to learn it anyway, right? Why bother hesitating? I might as well do something to pass the time." -Very well. I will recite the Sutra to you now. Dark Sun Earthly Day and Night, Heaven Earth Great Reversity ck ying Death... The Sutra flowed from beyond the wall. It was a transliteration of the most primitive and inconvenient characters, be it past or future. Originally, ideograms were nothing more than messy scribbles used by primitive people before the birth of Christ. Using ideograms was evidence of being not quite human. Basically, they were underdeveloped, a creature more like a primate that belonged in a spectrum between monkeys and true humans. For that reason, Qing listened casually and let it pass through one ear. There was no need to pay much attention to it. After all, once she heard it, the Martial Arts Window would register it automatically. -...Sawoojiya. Have you heard it all? "What, that''s it?" -I shall recite it again for you. Dark Sun. Qing cut him off with a loud shout. "Hey! Are you ying with me right now?" The Martial Arts Window remained silent. Qing could register a martial art in the Martial Arts Window just by touching its Secret Manual. It was a kind of waiting state separate from actually infusing Practice Points to learn it. However, there was a condition. The Secret Manual had to be in a perfect andplete condition. This fucker promised to teach me Demonic Arts. But what¡¯s this? He¡¯s trying to scam me, huh? -What is the matt- "If you''re going to recite it, why don¡¯t you recite it properly? You dare to y around with martial arts? Are martial arts a joke to you? Iyaaaaa sheeesh, after all that talk about honesty, in reality you¡¯re just a fucking scammer, huh?" Upon saying this, there was silence from the outside. After a while, the voice returned. -Bullshit. How fucking ridiculous. Qing doubted her hearing. What did you just say? That puny little fucker dares? Just because he isn¡¯t right before me? -...I misspoke. Please do not misunderstand. It seems there was a mistake. I might have memorized something wrong, so I shall check again. The owner of the most malignant Demonic Arts, Essence Absorption Demonic Arts, was called the Killer Among Killers. The identity was a Demonic Human who was jointly subdued by the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic Factions. Even if it wasn¡¯t that specific art, just mastering one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts usually came with a title. However, a title was a rtive thing, so what one side and their enemy called it differed. To the enemy, she could be called the White Hand Witch; to her allies, the White Hand Divine Maiden. Or perhaps the White Hand Demonic Queen. Those who mastered Demonic Arts typically belonged to the Unorthodox Faction or the Demonic Path, so they took pride in a title that included ''Demonic''. Only the Orthodox Faction frothed in rage at the thought of the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven. Meanwhile, disciples of the Unorthodox and Demonic Path felt a bit envious, and rather admired and sought to obtain them. ck ying Demonic Warlord, too, was a title that indicated the owner of such Demonic Arts. ck ying Demonic Palm! If hit properly, it wouldn¡¯t end with mere bruises but necrosis and decay of flesh. The unique characteristic of a ck ying Demonic Human was quite literally their ck hands. After all, they were imbued with the power to rot living flesh. Godang Sang, the ck ying Demonic Warlord, paused as he tore apart dry meat with his ck hands. It was a little-known fact that the ck ying Demonic Warlord¡¯s given name was monosybic, thus ¡®Sang¡¯. After all, Godang was a rare family name in China. "She realized it was wrong just by hearing the Sutra?" "Yes, Demonic Warlord." "The Pavilion Leader is jesting with me, it seems? Is that kid some kind of Heavenly Miraculous Talent? How could she know it''s wrong just by hearing the verses?" Godang Sang''s tone was blunt. Ji Seungju responded carefully. "There is a possibility that may be the case. She is a woman who has already reached the Late Stage Peak Realm, has she not?" That was generally how Qing was viewed in Jianghu. In fact, people had been so hoodwinked by her so-called ¡®talent¡¯ that she could be called the Greatest Scammer Under Heaven. Who else could possibly reach her heights, after all? "So, you suggest passing on theplete Sutra?" Godang Sang let his difort show. Even if it was the Supreme''smand, giving the ipletely twisted Sutra was already a radical break from the traditional conventions of Murim. But now, they even wanted him to pass on theplete verses? "Why not think of this in a different lens? Once she obtains a ck Hand, she will not be able to return to the Orthodox Faction anyway." That was precisely why they had chosen the ck ying Demonic Palm. Appearance alone was enough evidence to prove someone as a Demonic Human. ¡®Look at her hands. They''re weird, aren''t they?¡¯ ¡®What the¡­ She''s a Demonic Human, isn''t she? Then let''s kill her.¡¯ ¡­was along the lines of what people would say. "So, are you suggesting we take her as a disciple?" ¡°Ho-. What are your thoughts on such a proposal?¡± Ji Seungju managed to recover from his slip of the tongue. Fortunately, the answer came off in a somewhat cutesy manner. How fucking ridiculous. A Demonic Human? Taking on a disciple? What a joke. In the Divine Cult, a disciple was merely another term for a servant or an attendant. They were expendable, a possession that was removed immediately if perceived as a threat. Why? Because otherwise, a disciple might overthrow the teacher and take their ce. This was thew of the strong. And only the strong could survive. It was a stern rule of the Divine Cult. That was why Godang Sang was so reluctant. What if, after passing on his Demonic Arts to this Heavenly Miraculous Talent, she absorbed it all and threatened his position as a Demonic Warlord? "Hmm. I shall think about it." "Yes. However, I must dare to request a significant decision for the sake of the Divine Cult¡¯s greater cause." That old fogey is being so tiresome. Ji Seungju thought as such. How dare he act like he¡¯s something when he has no choice but to follow the Supreme¡¯smands anyway? In the Divine Cult, the Supreme''s word was absolute. The Supreme''s martial status was in the Late Stage Unrestrained Realm. But in reality, he had transcended that long ago. After all, he had attainedplete Divine Arts and after bing a Demonic Human, he sealed his own meridians to reach the Demonic Descent Realm. Even now, he was in a state where he could ascend to the Profound Realm and even beyond at a moment''s notice. The words he spoke to Qing were not mere bluster. However, Ji Seungju couldn''t just tell Godang Sang, ¡®The Suprememanded it,¡¯ and use that as a threat. After all, that would utterly impair his honor and pride, thus making him lose face. The only things more precious than face to a martial artist was life and their martial arts. Thus, Ji Seungju had no choice but to feign ignorance and plead earnestly to create some sort of justification. *** Chapter 68: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (5) Qing pushed her True Qi through the pressure points of her lower body. Her legs, clogged and poorly circting Qi and blood, felt numb andcked strength. Yet, a little of the True Qi from the Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique managed to get through. It was like blocking one nostril and forcefully blowing air through the other. The excessive force caused a mild aching pain from her dantian. However,pared to the relief in her lower body, the pain was bearable. The Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique was a deep insight from Jiutian Xuann¨¹ who epassed the Nine Worlds. It was an enlightenment that moderated both Yin and Yang and good and evil. It gently melted away the Prating Power lodged in the pressure points with the True Qi of the Extreme Golden Mean that shouted ''It¡¯s possible'' for whatever situation. Just as Qing was forcibly opening her blocked pressure points¡­ An elderly voice interrupted Qing. -Hmm, hmm. This old man is called Godang Sang. Qing was weak against the elderly. If she could have seen his face, she would have been able to confirm whether he held Evil Karma, but she couldn''t do so inside the carriage. "Oing? Ehh? Suddenly? I¡¯m Ximen Qing." -This old man wishes to impart teachings to you, so you should properly serve this old man as your teacher. Why is he suddenly demanding to be served as a teacher? "I already have a Mast-" The old voice interrupted Qing and abruptly began reciting a Sutra. Godang Sang had no choice either. He was in a situation where if this damn brat refused, he would have to beg her to learn. So, the n was to pass on the knowledge quickly before she could refuse and boast about itter. She was a brat from the Orthodox Faction, so her nature must be different from those of the Demonic Human. As such, perhaps she might return to the Divine Cultter and treat him as her teacher. Even if she did not, it was probably still better to have her as a disciple than those bastards from the Divine Cult who tried to devour and ovee their own teachers. -Dark Sun Earthly Day and Night, as a ck sun rises and time where day and night are no different urs... Ah. He must be the owner of the Demonic Arts. Qing kept quiet. After a brief introduction about seeing a dark sun and getting inspired or whatever, the method of operation for pressure points and True Qi, Movements, and Imagery followed. The sequence was typical for a Martial Arts Sutra. Following that, the Martial Arts Window shone brightly. When opened, it had a Gold Border- Huh? Da fok? It¡¯s just gold? Qing was disappointed. It was annoying to try out each Movement and perfect the operation as a beginner. Qing poured out her Free Practice Points and achieved One Star. At the same time, an uninvited intrusion began in her brain. The sensation of something kneading and burrowing into her brain was truly indescribable. "Uegh, ugh, urghhh..." And when that urred, it felt like utter fucking shit. If it isn¡¯t for this kind of experience, where it feels like I might lose my mind, maybe I could have gotten along a bit with Lil Window. But after experiencing it, some emotions that could not possibly be regarded as¡­ favorable emerged. Some kind of evil intent seemed to casually y with her life. A human¡¯s life. And when that happened, she also realized that it was a sort of indifference. One that seemed to say it didn¡¯t matter regardless of what happened to her. What exactly is it? Is it some kind of god? Aren¡¯t the fucking ching chong ling longs supposed to believe in gods like the Jade Emperor or Buddha Baby or some shit? And aren''t they supposed to be on the good side? They don''t treat people like this, do they? Or is it really just a game? Am I really moving at my will? Why do I always get involved with shit like this, wherever I go and whatever I do? That¡¯s right, fucking hell, the Celestial Martial Emperor. There was also something written about that bastard. Suddenly, the Strategy Guide she read during instation of the game came to mind. As if reminiscing while lying in bed, it came back naturally and embarrassingly. The biggest difference in difficulty levels was the Celestial Martial Emperor. Gaining the Legacy of the Celestial Martial Emperor was easy and even those with Unorthodox and Demonic Path tendencies could easily rise to power. In normal difficulty, the Celestial Martial Emperor was a figure of the past era who was neither Orthodox nor Unorthodox and only pinpointed the Imperial Family. As such, the forces that caused crises were much stronger. In hard difficulty, the Celestial Martial Emperor was treated as if he never existed, with the government tightly controlling all of Murim. Furthermore, the level of martial studies in Jianghu had gone to shit, making it difficult to obtain and use advanced martial arts. Qing chose easy difficulty for her first ythrough. Is that why Murim is like this right now? What if I didn¡¯t choose that back then? Would it have been different? What then? What exactly is this world? Uhhh. This ain¡¯t good. I need to stop¡­ having bad thoughts¡­ But¡­ Qing''s body trembled. This is so strange. I haven''t felt this shit recently, right? Why? Why? Why? Then a face came to mind. Qing immediately recognized why her condition was like this. That asshole who kept calling himself ¡®this being¡¯. It''s all because of that motherfucker. My face is basically half male half female and my legs are fucking disabled. No shit I''m having a fit, especially after Lil Window started scratching at my brain and even fucked with my mood. Surprisingly, she could calm down without any fuss! But then she also got angry! Her heart pounded and her hands trembled. Originally, once a person started to hate someone, they would be a nasty creature that made up reasons to hate even more. Sure, he might feel it was unjust for all her irrational anger to be directed at just him. But who gave a fuck? That was why people should always be polite and kind to each other. After all, you never know what kind of shitfest will happen when ites to people. Qing''s strong emotion caused her to hit the wall of the carriage inadvertently. It was a move that far surpassed the Peak Realm, embodying an iparably profound Inner Qi. It pierced through the inner wall, iron core, and outer wall, shyly revealing Qing''s palm outside the carriage. Godang Sang, who had been reciting the ck ying Demonic Palm Sutra for the third time, was shocked by the sight. Only a single joint at the tip of her elongated fingers was pitch ck. It was evidence that she had properly learned the ck ying Demonic Palm. About a week had passed. Qing staggered towards the dining table. Her right leg was wobbly and her left leg dragged because she couldn''t lift it. Ji Seungju was honestly amazed at her condition. No matter how many times he saw it, it was always such a wondrous, admirable sight. To walk on her own despite having faced the Heavenly Reversal Blood Flow Grand Law? It was utter insanity. Sure, it was more like she was crawling, but Ji Seungju had heard that the Supreme didn¡¯t stay his hand, intending to make her paraplegic. His reasoning was that she had almostpleted the Protective Mirror. The Heavenly Reversal Blood Flow Grand Law was a Sorcery originating from the Blood Cult, renowned as the second most powerful esoteric doctrine of the Blood Cult. But a martial artist in the Late Stage Peak Realm stood against such a Grand Law of the Supreme? "Sigh, it''s tough. I thought rehabilitation was just some exaggeration. But looks like I¡¯m wrong. It really can be considered a triumph to humans." Finally, Qing sat down, massaging her thighs and making a fuss. Then she grabbed chopsticks and began to wield them quickly. Food needs to be eaten. Why? Because it''s right in front of her. Duh. Ji Seungju intently watched Qing wolf down the food. To an onlooker, it might seem like she had a vendetta against the food. However, Ji Seungju was watching not that vengeful spirit of a glutton but her hand. All of her long fingers were pitch ck. This signified that the ck ying Demonic Palm had reached Three Stars. It had only been a week since the Sutra was passed on. A single week? A single week was all it took to achieve Three Stars? Ji Seungju had barely stepped into the Second-Rate Realm. He had used his intellect to earn him the role of Secret Pavilion Leader among the Divine Cult disciples. But even his sharp mind could notprehend the unprecedented speed at which Qing mastered the ck ying Demonic Palm. If it was an Inner Qi Cultivation Technique, reaching the Grand Star directly due to its familiarity could at least be understood. But the ck ying Demonic Palm was a Palm Technique which focused on long-range strikes. How could a sword user suddenly excel in Palm Techniques? Was there some inherent talent in Palm Techniques that she herself was unaware of? Ji Seungju didn¡¯t know that Qing had also mastered the Buddha''s Palm and the White Hand Demonic Arts. The Buddha''s Palm was among the most revered Divine Arts when it came to Palm Techniques and the White Hand Demonic Arts was the roots of many branches of Demonic Arts. Since the mysterious principle of the ck ying Demonic Palm belonged to Palm Techniques, it was essentially akin to the Buddha''s Palm. Moreover, the Prating Power of the ck ying Demonic Palm was originally modeled after the White Hand Demonic Arts. Thus, the operation and movements were natural to her as if she already knew them, not requiring any more Practice Points to be invested for understanding. Qing emptied her te and leaned back in her chair, before calling out to Ji Seungju. "Hey, kiddo." "Damn it. Kiddo, my foot." Please, speak. Shoot. The words came out wrong. Ji Seungju realized his mistake. But unfortunately for him¡­ Qing just had to have heard him, thus shing a teasing smile. "You always look unbothered, but it seems like you¡¯re actually concerned about your height, huh?" "I have a disease where I sometimes speak nonsense." "Sure. Whatever you say, kiddo. From what I see, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t eat enough. You need to eat more to grow." Ji Seungju''s eyebrows twitched. I didn¡¯t eat enough? Whose fault is that! The dining table in the Central ins was designed to rotate, making it easier to serve oneself. Whenever Qing wanted to eat something, she would turn the dining table and make sure all the dishes were right in front of her. As such, Ji Seungju was always hindered when trying to eat. "You must be very d that you are tall, Young Lady." It was a remark of ridicule. After all, in the Central ins, tall women were not popr. However, it had no effect on Qing. "Well, of course. I¡¯m sure our little kiddo over here would know if he was a bit taller. Do you even realize how fresh the air is up here? Every time I sit down, the air down there is so filthy I can barely breathe, you feel?" ¡°¡­¡­.¡± "But then again, when we sit, our eye levels match, don''t they? Where does this differencee from? Is it the legs? Or is it the legs?" "......Bullshit." Bullshit. For once, Ji Seungju''s outward expression and inner thoughts aligned. *** Chapter 69: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (6) Ji Seungju''s shorter stature was a tightly hidden insecurity he held deep within. Of course, sometimes his sentiments leaked out, so there were few within the Divine Cult who did not know about them. However, no one dared to poke at the Supreme''s right-hand man based on height. But today, he had met his match. "Alright. Then let''s just say that our little kiddo has a long upper body." "...If you have nothing else to say, then I shall take my leave." "No! Stop! I have something to say, okay?!" "What is it?" Ji Seungju''s voice was brusque. Qing asked with a faintugh. "About that saying. The Divine Cult follows thew of the strong, right? The strong are just, and those who survive are the strong?" Upon seeing her ck fingers, Qing immediately realized she had been fooled. When she questioned if they had deceived her, they responded that with Qing''s abilities and promising future, she could certainly enjoy power at the core of the Divine Cult. And that was when the Divine Cult''sw of the strong was exined to her. It was a very fascinating concept to Qing. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult follows thew of the strong. A group that worships strength. The strong can have anything, The weak have the right to prove themselves through challenges. Perhaps, it was natural for Qing to be interested. Because she was a Master. Though now, well, how to put it¡­ Her confidence was a bit shaken. Anyway, it was precisely at this time that the question about the cult''smandments came up. And being an executive of the Divine Cult, he couldn''t omit exnations regarding itsmandments. "Yes. That is right." "I''ve been thinking hard about it, you see. If that¡¯s the case, I haven''t really done anything wrong to you all, have I? That Advance¡­ Wave?" "Do you mean the Advance Blue Brigade?" "Yeah! Them. Sure, I annihted them. And yes, I killed the Bliss Pce Leader. But that¡¯s just because I''m strong, right? ording to your logic, since the strong me killed them, there''s no problem, right?" "That is correct." "Oingggg? Really?" Qing was about to follow up with a detailed description of the unsightly state of the Advance Blue Brigade and how they were dealt with. After all, she had been thinking of provoking him further. But what¡¯s this? There¡¯s no problem? Then¡­? Why? Suppressing her rising fury, Qing asked. "So, there aren¡¯t any problems, yet you leave people in this state?" "How shameless. You took the Supreme''s property without permission. Moreover, you talked back to him. Rather, you should be grateful for the Supreme''s mercy. After all, he spared your life." "Ah. Is that what it was? Since I was weak yet dared to defy that Alleged Supreme?" Qing grimaced. That motherfucker. "How dare you call him the Alleged Supreme. Such irreverence wil-" Qing cut off Ji Seungju''s words. "So, there aren¡¯t any regrets or dissatisfaction because I killed your people?" "Themandments of the Cult follow thew of the strong. As such, there is no reason for regrets. It is just that Young Lady Ximen was stronger." Qing smiled broadly. For some reason, it was an unsettlingly ominous smile. "Good to know. Anything more to say? Can I return to the carriage now?" "There is nothing more. Please return." "Ah. I''m all drained and tired froming here. It would be nice if someone could support me." Ji Seungju, still expressionless yet somehow clearly showing annoyance, waved his hand as if shaking off water. An assassin from the Covert Operations Division silently slid next to Qing. Qing spread her arms as if asking to be held. It was the moment the assassin bent his waist. Crack! Along with a spirited sound, the assassin''s head burst open like a watermelon, scattering in all directions. "Hoooooly. Wow. ck ying Demonic Palm, yeah? This feels quite nice, huh?" Qing, covered in debris,ughed. Then after groping the head a bit, she found the long, dangling optic nerve and squeezed it tightly. Even Ji Seungju, who had seen the Supreme''s cruelty, felt chills run down his spine. He tried to hide it under his usual expressionless facade. However, his shout came out a beat toote due to how surprised he was. "W-What is the meaning of this!?" "Me? I''m strong and¡­" Qing pointed to the headless corpse. "That thing. Was weak. That''s thew of the strong. Mhm. Yep, yep." And then, she shamelessly nodded her head. A Female Expert of the Orthodox Faction? This person? She¡¯s saying something a Demonic Human would say...! Ji Seungju inadvertently got the answer right. However, Ji Seungju, unaware that he had guessed correctly, yelled out. "That sort of action is not thew of the strong! The strong should not torment the weak without any reason!" "Oing? Hehhh? Was that it? Kyaaa. Wow. Didn''t know that." "Is that not obvious? If your actions are the norm, no one in the world could possibly survive!" "Okay, okay. I got it. Could you not get so heated? You should have just exined properly. I thought if someone was strong, they could do anything." Ji Seungju was at a loss for words. You¡¯re saying this is my fault? Bullshit, what kind of bitch is this! ¡°I''m tired after exerting myself. Help me move." "How can you say that even after causing this atrocity?" "Aghh. I told you, I didn''t know, okay? You''re being so petty. Fine then. I won''t go either. Seungju can go live in the Divine Cult. Imma just stay here." "Bullshit, what kind of bitch is this¡­" "Ah, I dunno. I don¡¯t care either. I''m tired. Should I just sleep here?" With that, Qing jumped off the chair. Describing her action as ¡®jumping off¡¯ was actually quite urate as she couldn''t steady her legs. She then rolled on the blood-soaked floor andid her head on the torso of a headless corpse. "Wake me up when it''s time to leave." A crease formed between Ji Seungju''s eyebrows. It was a huge incident. Any member of the cult witnessing this would be shocked speechless. After all, the expression on the Secret Pavilion Leader''s face had scrunched up! "Damned bitch! Someone take this woman away!" But the assassins from the Covert Operations Division just looked at each other, none daring to move. It was understandable. The colleague they had just been eating with was now rolling on the ground as a piece of meat. "What are you idling for!" "Right, right. Exactlyyyy. It was just one mistake, okay? It''s because they didn''t properly understand thew of the strong or whatever it was. So, don''t be so scared. Okie?" Qing added a taunt. Ji Seungju fumbled for the right words to say, before taking a deep breath in and out. "Hooo. Escort the Young Lady. Hurry." Anger tinged Ji Seungju''s voice. In the end, the unfortunate youngest, unable to bear the imposing res of his seniors, slowly crept closer with a reluctant expression. The youngest assassin''s hands trembled as he picked up Qing. Then, a voice was heard. "Ooooh. You score one hundred fifty points. Somewhat decent. However¡­ Begone, head. Yap!" It was thest sound the assassin heard in this world. Because without a head, one no longer had the ability to hear. Thwack! Qing rolled on the floor. It was because there was no one alive left to support her. The headless youngest fell over her. Qing, who was suddenly pinned down, let out a wheezy breath. "W-What is...!" Qing pushed the corpse away and responded. "Hoit. Why? What?" "What is this madness? You clear said it was a mista-¡± "No, no. Hear me out. A man I''ve never seen before dared to touch my body. A woman¡¯s body. You feel me?" Ji Seungju was rendered speechless. What in the world? "A weak bastard dared to mock the strong, so the strong killed him. That¡¯s thew of the strong, right? Do you acknowledge it? Yes, I acknowledge it. If so, you have been found not guilty. Bang bang bang." Qing yapped nonchntly and rolled again to lie down using the corpse as a pillow. Her entire body was bloodied and bits of what used to be brains were scattered around her. "That kind of thing is not thew of the strong! What kind of dogshit are you spouting to defile themandments of the Divine Cult!" Qing answered indifferently. "Why? What about it? The Alleged Supreme was about to take one eye and two legs just because I talked back. So, are you telling me it''s thew of the strong when he does it, but I''m tormenting the weak when I do it?" "How dare you, to the Supreme¡­!" Qing shook her head. Blood spurted from the neck of the corpse in sync with her movements. "See? It¡¯s fine if the Supreme does it and everyone else can¡¯t, right? You really need to exin it clearly from the start so I can understand. So, what''s the standard? Starting from the Transcendent Realm and above, can you just kill anyone you want? Or is it starting from the Unrestrained Realm? What about the Profound Rea¡­ Nevermind, that doesn¡¯t make sense." "The Supreme is a being who shall resolve the enmity that the Divine Cult hol-." "Agh shit. Fucking hell. Who asked about the Supreme? I¡¯m asking what exactly is thew of the strong? You say it''s thews of the Divine Cult, but is it something only the Supreme doesn''t have to follow? Is it something like that?" "How many times do I have to tell you that thew of the strong is not-!" Qing overpowered Ji Seungju''s yells with her own shout. "SKREEEEEE!! Then what is it? Do you think being loud makes you right?" "Thew of the strong is, thew of the strong is¡­" Ji Seungju''s words trailed off again. It was themandment of the Divine Cult that the strong survived. The Divine Cult revered strength as justice and, as a result, gained the power to influence Murim. Its history of four invasions proved this. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, as a single entity, waged war against the entire Murim of the Central ins. Despite being one against many and ultimately facing defeat, it left a mark in history four times. The strong could dominate the weak. They hadplete control over life and death. However, the weak also had the right to resist. Thus, the weak who overcame the strong grew to be new rulers, more than entitled to their power. So what about this woman? Following the Cult¡¯smandment regarding thew of the strong¡­ Ji Seungju''s heart sank. Was the Supreme¡¯s punishment too extreme? No. No one would say he had gone too far. Even if it was just one fighting unit, an entire brigade had been annihted, Bokshinjeok had disappeared, thus causing a shift in the grand strategy, the Bliss Pce Leader had been killed, and the entire essence of a sect had burned and vanished. Considering all that, one might say the Supreme had actually shown mercy. But had all the actions the Supreme had taken been such a way? What about the other Pavilion Leaders, the other Demonic Humans? The now deceased Bliss Pce Leader had immediately assaulted any halfway decent-looking man she passed by, sucked up his lifeforce, and killed him. The Demonic Doctor recently found amusement in creating zombies. The Sura Demonic Sword was a madman who would not go to sleep unless he had in a maiden each day. Yet, no one criticized them. After all, they were all the powerhouses of the Divine Cult and the vanguard in conquering the Central ins. A force perfected under thew of the strong. In the end, Ji Seungju found himself unable to respond. And Qing looked on at his dilemma, a sneer ying across her face. *** Chapter 70: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (7) Qing thought to herself. I don¡¯t need to be cautious anymore! Who gives a fuck what others think? After all, I¡¯m an important person! The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult underestimated Qing¡¯s ability to read the room a bit too much. There was definitely a matter concerning the Bokshinjeok that needed handling. Due to the lock/unlock function, quite a miraculous feature considering the ever so primitive Central ins, there was no one who could rece Qing. Basically, there¡¯s no other choice besides me being the one to blow it. What if I say I don¡¯t want to? Then, well, fuck it. Let them wait for a few decades. So, Qing decided to tantly fuck with everything they did. It''s fine as long as they don¡¯t say shit about how I only need my mouth and arms, like how that bastard, the Alleged Supreme or whatever, did. What did you say? Since my hands and mouth are the only parts of me that are necessary, it doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t have eyes or legs? Then, I might as well throw a fit and act like I¡¯d rather die. Moreover, her rehabilitation was progressing smoothly. Judging from their reactions, it seemed she was doing so well that they might even give her a round of apuse just from the mere act of walking. As such, it was time to bide her time and wait for the right moment. That was Qing''s n. It wasn''t just out of boredom that Qing smashed the head of a viin. It was to probe gently, seeing what would happen and whether it was okay or not. It was quite a big decision on her part. After all, what if something went wrong and they tortured her? Honestly, Qing was ready to wail, tears and snot streaming, as she obediently yed 108 songs on the flute in a row. But, what¡¯s this? There¡¯s no reaction, huh? So, she came to a conclusion. Seems like I¡¯m more desperate than I thought, huh. Then, I need to fuck with them even more. Of course, it was also fun. The ck ying Demonic Palm was a Palm Technique, just like the Buddha¡¯s Palm, but there were also differences. It was a martial art that focused more on a type of palm strike called a Long Hit. If asked about the pros, it would be the excellent feel in her hands when using it. The sensation of shattering skulls! The downside, though, was that the ck hands were kind of gross. It was way too ck. Not just some shade of brown or gray, but a color infinitely close to 100% ck. Qing looked at her hands, now covered up to the back of the hand in ck skin. ¡°Hoooo¡­¡± As Qing exhaled, the ckness smoothly retreated into her skin. A feature of the White Hand Demonic Arts was the Sword and Dao Invulnerability below the elbows. The clean skin and the long slender hands were just side effects of this process. And when using the ck ying Demonic Palm, she had to break through the almighty arm of Sword and Dao Invulnerability, the White Hand state, and gather Evil Qi in order to produce the ck Palm. It was much harder than expected. It was because the White Hand Demonic Arts had already settled in the proper direction of her Pressure Points. To use the ck ying Demonic Palm, she had to twist these Acupoints. A delicate task that required twisting the pure True Qi into Evil Qi, to boot! Qing was hiding the fact that she could change the color of her hands as if waving a light stick from the Demonic Cult bastards. After all, they thought that was the reason why she didn''t run away. For some reason. her mind was filled with only nasty, mean thoughts. Either it was a feature of the Heavenly ughtering Star, or Qing was just that kind of person from the very beginning.. Anyway, by maintaining the ck ying Demonic Palm with desperate focus, she inadvertently increased her attainments in the martial art. That was why Qing¡¯s ck ying Demonic Palm was growing rapidly. At any rate, time passed swiftly. Seems like about two months passed, right? I¡¯m bored! During that time, she killed quite a few assassins. As such, no one approached Qing. Actually, those in the Covert Operations Division of the Divine Cult¡¯s Outer Hall were mentally elite, gathered only from the loyalists of the Divine Cult. After all, living in the peaceful Central ins but continuing to serve the Divine Cult was not possible with any ordinary mental fortitude. These assassins, armed with endless hatred for the Central ins, mainly gathered intelligence and, as side jobs, engaged in human trafficking, robbery, and murder to provide significant funds to the Divine Cult. Thus, they were too valuable to be killed off by Qing''s misbehavior. That was why they imposed a no-approach rule. Ji Seungju, that kiddo, also started to avoid Qing. I was at least able to go about my day before by making fun of that little punk. It¡¯s slowly getting boring, though. I should just kill him. Tsk, tsk. Can¡¯t believe that little kid has already umted that much Evil Karma. What was he even thinking? He should pay for what he did. Right when Qing made up her mind¡­ The door of the carriage opened in quite a rude and abrupt manner. Underneath the leather, there was an old man so skinny he looked like a skeleton, looking down at Qing with displeasure. ¡°Ah. Is it mealtime?¡± Qing obediently extended her arm. The old man grumbled and picked up Qing. ¡°You ill-mannered little brat. It is like the duties and morals that should be fixed in this world have been reversed. Has the world turned upside down? Even Yama would be startled at this sight. So much so that he would send you on a tour of hell.¡± ¡°I know, right? Who told you to make my legs disabled?¡± Qing was receiving care from the old man. Yes, you heard that right. She was not giving care. She was receiving it. That was why he said it felt like the world had turned upside down. This skinny old man was a Great Demonic Adept named Choi Leeong, known as the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord or something. Despite seeming like he could be knocked over with the slightest touch, he was a Master in the Late Stage Unrestrained Realm. And he had an amount of Evil Karma that was fitting of him being called a Great Demonic Adept. As Masters who were returning to the Divine Cult joined Qing''s convoy procession, now there were four in the Transcendent Realm and one in the Unrestrained Realm. As for the Peak Realm Masters? Their numbers were overflowing. And that was just the number of Masters outside the cult. Qing had underestimated the group known as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, aiming to conquer the Central ins, was not all bark and no bite. To be honest, her legs had fully recovered the day before yesterday. However, the level at which she feigned illness had already reached the heavens. Right as she thought it was the prime time to escape, Masters started teeming around, making her incapable of doing anything besides observing cautiously. But by the way, to think that his name is Leeong. I keep thinking this, but¡­ Isn¡¯t it kinda cool? "It is a relief that a peerless murderer like you is at least crippled in the legs. The Supreme indeed showed great foresight." "What? You should think that I¡¯m misbehaving because my legs hurt, you know? If they were fine, I wouldn''t have lost my temper." "Such a foul-mouthed, rude bitch. Howpletely rotten. If it wasn¡¯t for the Bokshinjeok, I would have fried you in shitwater long ago." "Oho. Grandpa, watch your mouth, will you? I¡¯m going to eat soon, you know? How can you say something so disgusting? There¡¯s mudwater and there¡¯s oil as an alternative. Why go as far as to resort to shitwater?" Choi Leeong red at Qing with a hollow look. "Oho. Bad Grandpa. Don¡¯t open your eyes like that. I might get fond of you." The glow in Choi Leeong¡¯s eyes grew even more sinister. Damn, seems like at the Unrestrained Realm, even their eyes are no jokes. Even while feeling the pressure, Qing feigned indifference. "¡­Looks like a bitch like you need to have all your flesh peeled off." That was a threat to separate flesh from bone. Slightly intimidated, Qing went out of her way to look around. The open grasnd was dotted with severalrge tents. This was not the Central ins Qing knew anymore. When entering one of therge tents, avishly set table and a cult-like gathering that swarmed with viins unfolded. "Have you arrived, Elder Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord?" The viins of the Divine Cult greeted Choi Leeong. From what Qing observed, these evil people of the Divine Cult were actually more respectful than others. She knew the reason for that. She had seen a guy who made a fuss while drunk get his head smashedst time. In this ce, if youcked manners, you would also lose your life. "Elder, you should have just grabbed that crazy bitch by the hair and dragged her along, instead of treating her so preciously." One of the Demonic Humans tried to suck up, before quickly shutting his mouth and lowering his eyes. It was because of the purple lightning streaks emanating from Choi Leeong¡¯s entire body. This was the Purple Lightning Qi unique to the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts. Thanks to that, Qing got hit by a few streaks too. Delivered to the table, Qing indulged in the only pleasure of her life¡ªgourmet food. As she greedily stuffed her cheeks, someone btedly took a seat at the opposite side of the table. "Uem, kidfwo." With her cheeks bulged, Qing smiled weingly. Usually, he would stealthily avoid her, but today, for some reason, he appeared right in front of her. Right on time. She had made up her mind to kill him, after all. I¡¯ll hold back for now since there¡¯s a lot of Masters around, but just you wait and see. Qing''s smile was chilling. Ji Seungju started talking without even greeting her. "Previously¡­" "Woft?" "You asked about thew of the strong." Qing swallowed the food she had been chewing. "What the¡­ You¡¯ve been thinking about that all this time?" "I have pondered over it for a long time. However, no matter how I look at it, what the Young Lady did was merely an act of murder. It does not reflect thew of the strong." "Really? Why? Because I''m not a disciple of the Divine Cult? Because it''s okay for you but not for me?" "That is not it. When the strong take the life of the weak, it must be a necessary act. At the very least, it should be a meaningful death that serves as nourishment for achieving a higher realm." He must have thought very hard about it. However, unfortunately for him¡­ His opponent was once a production worker who proudly spoke the gospel of liberal arts. A self-made giant who majored in humanities and secured a difficult position in production! Hadn¡¯t she lived in a cruel society where humanities graduates barely eked out a living with continuous short-term contract jobs if they were not recipients of basic livelihood aid from the government? What did this mean? It meant that the sess Qing had achieved could be called, dare she say, mythical. "You¡¯re saying it is a choice made by nature due to thew of the jungle? Natural selection? Like how a well-fed predator doesn¡¯t hunt? A natural cycle proven by the food chain? Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?" ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ji Seungju seemed to be struck by lightning. "Well, whatever. If you say so. I guess that¡¯s how it is then." Qing outright stopped paying any attention to him. After all, there was no need to seriously respond to someone spouting dogshit. It was a ridiculous thing to say in the first ce. How many predators hunt just out of boredom? Look no further than the alleyways, where those furred cockroaches mistakenly called cats fucked around. "By the way¡­" Ji Seungju continued to speak. Right as Qing looked at him, wondering what dogshit he would spout next, she found Ji Seungju expressionless yet¡­ somehow smug. The fuck? What''s up with him? Is he thinking that he won just because I didn¡¯t talk back that much? No fucking shot he¡¯s thinking that, right? Then, I guess I have to show him the ultimate move in an argument. Picking at his words to make a personal attack. Qing readied this secret art, generally forbidden in a battle of words. That''s when it happened. "About that hand." "Huh?" "Last time, it was definitely colored ck up past the wrist, you see." Qing was taken aback. To be honest, maintaining the ck ying Demonic Palm was no ordinary task. And it only got more difficult the higher its realm was. "I have been observing closely thus far. And from what I noticed, that ckness seems to fade significantly during meals, huh?" It was unavoidable for someone to let their guard down while eating. No, in the first ce, Is it wrong to want to eatfortably? Even dogs aren¡¯t bothered during mealtimes! "Haha. Maybe there¡¯s something wrong with our little kiddo¡¯s eyes. Did you see incorrectly?" "The ck Palm. You can hide it, can¡¯t you?" Though it ended with a question mark, in reality, it was more of a statement made with conviction. And there was no point in denying it; he wouldn¡¯t believe it anyway. Qing sighed deeply. Quick-witted kid. I should have gotten rid of him sooner. Even though she had decided to kill him, he was not a bastard she could just fuck up like she had been doing to the fodders. This punk, despite appearances, was a high-ranking figure revered by even the prominent Masters here. ¡°Seems like I got caught, huh?" The faulty entirely in her own carelessness, yet she had the audacity to yap about how she was ¡®caught¡¯. Qing''s hand turned white again. Clean and beautiful. Once it transformed from its original ck and unsightly appearance, it suddenly became an incredibly exquisite hand of a beauty. As if expecting this, Ji Seungju¡¯s usualck of expression broke for the first time, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. And then, from across the table, the ck ying Demonic Warlord coughed in startlement, powerfully ejecting all the meat he had been chewing. *** Chapter 71: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (8) "No, how! How did you do it!?" ck ying Demonic Warlord Godang Sang shouted in surprise. The ck ying Demonic Palm''s ck Hand was a symbol of terror, as well as an indelible mark of a Demonic Human. Wasn''t that precisely why Godang Sang wore gloves over his long sleeves? It was a hand that he had considered beyond remedy, simply covering it up all this time. But suddenly, the solution to such a problem appeared out of nowhere. Godang Sang cried out with deep yearning. "How in the world!" "It just did? When I did it, I guess? Why? You can¡¯t even do this? Ah. This is delicious. Grandpa, what is this?" "Are you not even aware of what a dish is? Stupid brat. A dish is something you eat." "Agh shit, what are you saying? I¡¯m asking what''s the name of the dish." "Then you should have asked that. It seems you cannot even ask a question properly, you half-wit. That is Dymlyama1." Choi Leeong answered her. But even though she got scolded, he actually seemed more like a grumpy, foul-mouthed granny. In that sense, this grandpa, despite being a Great Demonic Adept, was oddly kind. But why? It¡¯s not even like I did something that would make him like me. I just can''t figure out what his intentions are. Well, I guess either way, there''s no need to know about a Great Demonic Adept''s circumstances. Qing gorged on Dymlyama. It was a sweet dish made by roughly mixing vegetables and meat and boiling them until they turned soft. There was no way it could taste bad. After all this familiar taste¡­ was braised ribs. And with fried rice! I really like the local cuisine here. Though I¡¯m not sure where exactly we are. Qing nodded her head vigorously. Then she outright ced the entire dish in front of her. Choi Leeong frowned. "You seem almost desperate to disy your uneducated nature. Even an animal would not exhibit your gluttony. You are truly a brat worse than even a bitch." "Agh, shit. If you want to eat, just say you want to eat. Why all the rude yapping?" Qing, using only her palm as a spoon, scooped up arge portion onto Choi Leeong''s te. "Ha. Who said anything about wanting to eat?" "You seem so old you can hardly chew, Gramps, so you might as well eat this since it''s soft and doesn''t need chewing." "This bitch¡¯s muzzle is as filthy as a thoroughly rotten rag, it seems. Tsk tsk." "So what? Did you help me clean it up or something? Nah, you didn¡¯t. So why do you care~" At the table next to her, Godang Sang, who had be a dumbfounded onlooker, shouted angrily at Qing. Surprisingly, the looks from those sharing the table,den with fragments of meat in the dish, matched Godang Sang''s re. "Are you ignoring what this old man is saying!" Qing picked at her ears as she replied. "I''m talking with the elder here. Can¡¯t you see? Sigh. Know your ce." "What kind of conversation..., Senior. I apologize." Just as Godang Sang was about to object, he immediately bowed deeply upon seeing Choi Leeong. To be more precise, it was because of the purple strands, Purple Lightning Qi, that faintly emanated from Choi Leeong''s entire body. Purple Lightning Demonic Arts handled True Qi that resembled lightning and were intrinsically biased towards Extreme Yang, as well as a Cultivation Technique dealing with Unorthodox Yang. The world''s hottest and most evil purple lightning. The Purple Lightning Demonic Arts wielded True Qi simr to lightning. As it was faithful in reproducing that destructive power, which normally could not be handled by humans, it was uncontroble due to the inherently rebellious True Qi. Thus, the owner of the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts would find Purple Lightning Qi spontaneously arising depending on their emotional state. If in a bad mood, purple lightning would crackle and attack automatically, truly qualifying it as one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven. Moreover, Choi Leeong was a Master of the Late Stage Unrestrained Realm. If truly pissed, not just Purple Lightning Qi but Purple Lightning Force would leap across spaces. The nature of lightning, after all, was to stretch a thousand miles in a sh. And that was when Godang Sang finally realized. "How could a Female Expert from the Orthodox Faction be so unlearned and bark like a cur?" "Agh, shit. I did learn well, you know? It''s just that there''s no one around worth showing courtesy to, so I don''t use it." "There is no one to show courtesy to? What is this old man, then? A scarecrow instead of a person?" "Grandpa, you''re not a person, though? You¡¯re a Demonic Adept." "Hoho. You are a brat who will eventually end up burning alive because of the words you speak. When that happens, I shall joyfully throw a few logs in to help." As Choi Leeong spoke, his Purple Lightning Qi was calm. His harsh words did not reflect any real anger. And the reason for that was soon understood. The daughter of the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord had died in his arms at about Qing''s age. Ah, dotage strikes again! Since then, dotage had visited him asionally. Choi Leeong''s daughter had been utterly rude. And the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord had treated his unruly daughter just like that. So, when he saw any girl of a simr age with a missing sense of propriety, he viewed her as his own daughter. Godang Sang was dying to know how the ck Hand was removed but didn''t want to agitate the senior, whose senility had been triggered. He could always askter. Godang Sang quietly sat back down at the table. Meanwhile, Qing spoke without reservation. "But rather than me, it looks like I''ll be the one to conduct your funeral first, old man" "Well, of course. A young brat should outlive an old man. From what I see, you shall soon set your own funeral date with thatck of propriety. But it is not just rudeness, is it? You ignorant girl,cking manners." "Agh, shit. Are you looking down on me? I''ve learned quite well, you know? Watch closely, Grandpa." Qing disyed her dining etiquette refined under the pressure of nuclear bombardment. With demure and elegant movements, she selectively nibbled only the meat from Choi Leeong''s te. Thus, for a while, the Ximen Surin Trademarked Central ins¡¯ Signature Beauty Table Manners was disyed. A momentter. In the end, Qing frowned. "Aiya, shit. It doesn¡¯t even feel like I¡¯m eating. When eating rice, I should still be able to chew it, after all. Anyway, you saw it, right? Wait, what the¡­ What''s the matter?" Qing looked around, frowning. The disciples of the Demonic Cult were staring nkly at her with a ''What did I just see?'' expression. Some were still rubbing their eyes, red from disbelief. Even Ji Seungju was gaping in astonishment. To be honest, it was indeed a surprising scene. Wasn''t this the same girl who used to shatter skulls and lie down t on their corpses? Naturally, it was spine-chilling to see her suddenly acting like some celestial maiden. Choi Leeong clicked his tongue in displeasure. "A bitch who does not do something she can do is much worse than a cripple who is not able to. What are you showing off for, sitting there so proudly? Tsk." Qing mmed her chopsticks down. "Agh, shit. I can¡¯t eat because of all this noise." And then, she quickly picked them up again and spoke. "Ah. That doesn''t mean I won''t eat, though." Godang Sang was dying to know how the ck Hand was erased. He was truly curious. So, so curious! But he never got a chance to ask. Because after that meal, Choi Leeong began teaching Qing the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts. After all, what was the reason Qing had learned the ck ying Demonic Palm? It was so that its dark feature prevented her from returning to the Central ins, a ploy to keep her in the Divine Cult. But now, they were aware that she could hide it. As such, a different martial art was needed. As it happened, Qing''s personality was utterly fucked. It couldn¡¯t have been more shitty. Moreover, the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord was right beside her. That¡¯s right! The mood-dependent Purple Lightning Demonic Arts could rece the ck ying Demonic Palm. After all, there was no way a Demonic Maiden throwing lightning bolts dozens of times a day could return to the Central ins. Ji Seungju thought so. He couldn''t be sure if attaching such vtile Purple Lightning Qi to her temper was the right thing for the world, though. Opportunely, the senile Choi Leeong had started doting on her. Ji Seungju didn''t need to persuade him all that much. Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, perhaps you could teach your great art to Ximen Qi- Understood. The agreement came before he even finished speaking. Thus, by adding one plus one (plus another one that was a secret), Qing came to possess two (three) of the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven. It was an unprecedented achievement in the history of Jianghu. However, there was something even Ji Seungju, with his brilliant mind, hadn''t anticipated. "It¡¯s one of the so-called Ten Great Demonic Arts, but it''s Golden again?" Qing was disappointed. But still, she liked that it was an Inner Qi Cultivation Technique. There could never be enough Inner Qi, after all. Wasn''t that Ximen Surin''s teaching! Qing reached One Star in the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts with Practice Points. The violent Purple Lightning Qi settled into its new host''s body. The Purple Lightning Qi was the epitome of apletely fucked up and unruly lightning. It was set to tear apart Qing''s self-control and make her temperament even more vtile... but. The already established two Divine Arts of Daoism were no ordinary art. Zhu Xiang''s Heart Cleanse Mirror, created by the Yan Emperor Shennong for his daughter, contained the Imagery of divine mes burning away evil. Even among fires, there were hierarchies. The Purple Lightning Qi, that was about to go wild, was harshly beaten and nearly extinguished by the fire. At that moment, the temperate energy of the Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique, which had the power to embrace the Nine Worlds, stepped in. It soothed and gently revived the Purple Lightning Qi. Then, it set it in the most deste, shabby, and dirty corner of the dantian, where drafts sneaked through due to how empty and trivial it was. Jiutian Xuann¨¹ was tolerant of the Nine Worlds, thus embracing the, yet was strict in hierarchy. Even worlds had their own order, after all. How dare a mere Demonic Art try to step out of its ce? As a result, the Purple Lightning Qi, without a chance to rage even once, was relegated to kneeling in a corner of Qing''s dantian, facing the wall as if punished with a timeout. If describing the sh of various energies inside the dantian in terms simple enough for a child to understand, that was how it roughly went. This urred while Qing was drooling, overwhelmed by the sensations that seemed to scoop and eat at her brain. -How does it feel? Doesn¡¯t your body tingle? Hehe, just ept it. The Purple Lightning Qi often runs amok, after all. Though, you shall have to suffer a bit for a few days. "Suffer? What suffering?" -Isn''t your body uncontrobly shaking and jumping? The explosive nature of the Purple Lightning Qi is supposed to make your body leap. As such, ept it as your fate and endure. It might be a severely painful fate, though. That was what Choi Leeong said from outside the carriage. Qing couldn¡¯t help but blink in confusion. My body is shaking? Something is supposed to hurt? What? Qing drew out only the new violet True Qi, circting it once through her meridians. The energy, shy like a newlywed bride, timidly flowed through the meridians,pleting a circuit back to the dantian. For some reason, it kinda seems reluctant to stay in the meridians? Is that why it¡¯s returning to the dantian? "Uh. Is it normal to feel pain?" -If the pain bes unbearable, just tell me. I shall at least listen to yourints. Hehe. What pain? Qing was genuinely baffled. But since the old man was expecting it, Qing decided to y along. "Ah. It. Hurts. It. Hurts. So. Much." -¡­¡­? "It. Hurts. Give. Me. Poppy. Me. Like. Poppy." *** Chapter 72: Who Would Threaten With A Sword… (9) Thus, a mountain of poppies flew into the carriage and tumbled onto the soft nkets. Qing was honestly a bit surprised. Did that tant tantrum really work? Even though I spoke as if reading off lines from a textbook? What the fuck? Do people in the Central ins tend to believe this kind of acting? Of course, they did not. However, there was someone who pretended to be fooled by the obvious act. It seemed really fake, but just in case¡­ Just in case it was genuine¡­ What if it actually hurts? Parents'' grace, children''s filial piety, beloved lovers, and irreceable friends could indeed think that way. But there was no way the Demonic Adept outside would be. And if anything, they might have nned to control her by making her addicted. Ah! So that was what they were trying to do. However, there was no shot she would get fooled. Qing didn''t indiscriminately suck on the poppy. No matter how much she knew she wouldn''t get addicted or that it wasn''t harmful to her body, it was still a drug. There was a psychological resistance to it. And then, the desert appeared. Qing, who had never seen the grandeur of the desert with her own eyes, was overwhelmed with emotion. And within less than an hour, she realized that the daytime desert was really annoying. However, the nighttime desert was mysterious and beautiful, thus making Qing''s magnificent chest filled with emotion once again. The reason for this was because Qing had a strong resistance to cold. But the heat was a bit too much. Especially being buried under nkets in a carriage with no venttion. She couldn''t tell if they were transporting her or making a steamed Ximen Qing. As she was panting like a dog in the midday heat, bundles caught Qing''s eye. Tian Shan. Also known as the Mountains of Heaven, the name alone suggested a majestic mountain range, the end as well as the ceiling of the Central ins. The highest peak was Victory Peak, about three times the height of Baekdu Mountain. Additionally, there were countless peaks twice the height of Baekdu Mountain, revealing a stunning scenery with white eternal snow in the middle of the mountain range. On the other hand, it was also unsuitable for human habitation. Barrennd, rugged terrain, and perpetually cold nights. There weren''t even many animals, so farming and hunting were not options. This destend was where the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had settled. This was why the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had invaded the Central ins four times. Living in such a harsh and bleaknd naturally fueled hatred towards the Central ins. Conversely, it was also why the Demonic Cult remained. It was hidden deep inside the mountains at the end of the world, past the teau and desert, taking three months of continuous travel. No matter how much the bastards at the Demonic Cult were hated and resented, no one would endure such a distant expedition to chase them. The destion of the grasnds and the alternating freezing and thawing of the desert day and night would wear them down until they finally saw the distant snowy barrier. By the way, why did it never seem to get any closer? The height of the Tian Shan ignored all sense of perspective. Upon seeing it, even the fiery desire for revenge would die down and people would think, ¡®Ah, this isn''t worth it¡¯. Indeed, revenge was an empty endeavor, so they might as well forget everything and enjoy delicious food by the warm fire in a cozy home. The prisoner transport journey was about 9000 li1, taking three months. In modern terms, it was 3,600 kilometers, which was why no one pursued the Demon Cult, even though its location was openly known. Prisoner transport was inherently not an easy task. The criminals of the Divine Cult were often those who had fled from the Divine Cult. And the members of the Divine Cult included those who hadmitted crimes in the Central ins and fled. So, the prisoners of the Divine Cult were those who had fled,mitted more crimes, and fled again. This meant they were twice as formidable as typical escapees. However, there had never been a prisoner transport asrge and as damaging as this one. The warriors of the Divine Cult who participated in the transport boasted of their heroic feats. As boasts often go, there was a bit of exaggeration, of course. Apparently, this prisoner is so crazy that she enjoys smashing people''s heads just by making eye contact. And hundreds of assassins from the Outer Hall''s Covert Operations Division died, so they had to call in all the Peak Realm Masters. It must have been so very difficult having such a prisoner in tow when it was hard enough just to travel the path. Those who heard this were ready to give words of praise. However, upon seeing her, they responded in a different manner. "...So, that is?" A girl, held by the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, was smiling and waving. At first nce, her actions seemed frivolous, but they actually exuded elegance. For a frivolous action not to seem frivolous, one must have ingrained habits from long training in a rather noble family. She must be thedy of some prestigious family. She just had to be. "...She was the one who went around smashing heads apart?" "Don''t be fooled. It''s all an act." "I''d like to say you worked hard and did a good job. But hey,e on now. That''s a bit much. Even lies should have limits. How can everything you said be a lie?" The same conversation was happening everywhere. With that, Qing managed to fool them until the very end. Some were able to guess from the sad expression of the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, who was flickering with Purple Lightning Qi. That prisoner must be heavily drugged. The Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord''s daughter was notorious for her bad temper. Near the end of her life, she became famous for being an incorrigible drug addict. As such, his reaction made sense. After all, this was Choi Leeong, who failed miserably at raising his daughter. After that. Qing was handed over to the women. She couldn''t be presented to the Supreme in such a dirty state. The women washed, scrubbed, and polished Qing. To be honest, it was a process that was quite humiliating for Qing. Even though she was all grown up, she had to helplessly submit to being treated like a doll by many women. However, fortunately, she was under the influence of drugs, so she passed through it without much resistance. Rather than humiliation, she even somewhat enjoyed it. And if the drug''s effect hadn''t worn off at the end, she might have continued to enjoy it. With that, Ximen Qing added a huge dark chapter in her life. That night. Ximen Qing met the Alleged Supreme again. A throne ced between red and blue silk, hanging from a high tform like an altar. It looked more like an altar than a grand hall. Which made sense. Because it was indeed an altar. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were the descendants of a pseudo-religious group. They hadter degenerated into the avengers of hell, but they still maintained some of their traditions. On the right of the Alleged Supreme was Ji Seungju, who arrogantly crossed his legs and looked down at Qing, sitting on a more modest chair. What¡¯s up with that fucker? He was actually the second-inmand? Qing felt both regret that she hadn''t killed him and relief that she hadn''t acted impulsively and jeopardized her safety. As a result, the conclusion she had to make was clear. She would kill him before dipping. Meanwhile, dozens of Masters were lined up in two rows inside the grand hall. The Alleged Supreme, looking down at Qing who stood on her two legs, spoke. "You killed many cult members on your way here?" Not wanting to be beaten again, Qing put on a servile smile. ¡°About that..." "No. It is fine. It is not particrly meworthy. It is their fault for being weak and dying anyway." ¡°Hehe.¡± She could endure this as much as she needed. The humiliation of barely ekeing out a smile. Fine. I shall be hit by the drizzle. But the storm is mine2. Qing recalled a famous line from a certain creator who was worshiped as a god. If only that narrator hadn''t copsed from being hit by too much drizzle; he would have left a great mark on modern cultural history. Welp. Too bad, too sad. "But you know. hmm." The Alleged Supreme chuckled. "This being thought you werepletely broken after the beating. But it seems that is not the case, huh? You must be cursing this being as a bastard while wagging your tail like a bitch, aren¡¯t you?" "Hehe. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about." "Is that so? How so very strange. Hm, Yeonhwa." The Alleged Supreme snapped his fingers. A woman appeared gracefully through the silk curtains. Even Qing, who had trained her aesthetic sense with the Jade Qilin, recognized her as a top-notch beauty. "Supreme. Did you call for this girl?" "Strip." ¡°Yes.¡± The woman immediately pulled off her pce attire. The Alleged Supreme gestured at her. "Look, do you see this?" Qing frowned. What is this? Ostentation? Is he tryna flex? "This ce is filled with men. Yet, she strips. Because a woman who does not even know shame strips when told to. What a stupid bitch." The woman''s face turned pale and her hands trembled. Qing felt sorry for her. What the hell? He¡¯s the one who told her to strip, but now he''s making a huge Wahhh over it. The fuck is wrong with him? But then, Qing checked the woman''s Evil Karma. Mmm. Nevermind. I guess she can get shit on a bit more. "This is why women are so boring. All they know is how to act coy." The woman''s trembling intensified. "But this being hates it when anyone dares to defy him. You experienced that, didn''t you?" Qing''s smile deepened. This motherfucker. I¡¯m gonna burn him alive. If you make a bonfire for someone, they''ll stay warm for a while. But if you set fire to their body? They''ll stay warm for the rest of their life. She intended to give him that very lifetime of warmth. After all, only by embracing him with such heat can that cheeky son of a bitch be taught some fucking manners. "Yes! That is it! Obedient on the outside, yet secretly harboring killing intent on the inside. This being thought that you were just like the other bitches. But it seems not. Ha. It is making this being excited. However." Goosebumps ran up Qing''s arm and reached her neck in an instant. What did this crazy motherfucker just say? "Take her to the Bliss Pce and make her learn every single Fairy Arts there. If that does not work, feed her elixirs until she reaches the Transcendent Realm. Overhaul Rebirth is perfect for enhancing beauty, after all." New martial arts! Elixirs! Qing''s eyes gleamed. Fuck Demonic Arts and whatever. I have to fuck him up. This motherfucker is a creature that should not exist in this world. To put it nicely, it could be called a rather revolutionary thought against a harsh oppressor. This Natural Realm wannabe motherfucker, who''s barely at the Unrestrained Realm, is just asking for it, ain¡¯t he? Does he want to die that fucking badly? Qing (Late Stage Peak Realm) thought as such. Just you wait until I reach the Transcendent Realm. I''ll fuck you up with the Buddha''s Palm five thousand times. Qing swallowed down her anger. At that moment. Ji Seungju tried to dissuade the Alleged Supreme. "Supreme. She is a serpent-like bitch. She will surely bring great harm to the Divine Cult. Please reconsider." "Enough. This being has already decided." "...I shall obey the Supreme''smand." Ji Seungju bowed his head. *** Chapter 93: Heavenly Demon Tomb (1) "Senior Sister, how did it go?" "Eung? How did what go?" "I mean about Seol Ganom. The one with 'toilet' written on his forehead." "Ah! That guest? He said he doesn't sleep with Bliss Pce disciples. ¡®No matter how desperate I am, I do not want to be under a temptress. Ah. Sorry if that offended you. It's just that my life is precious to me.¡¯ Was what he said and stuff." Qing was startled. Gyeon Pohee had almost perfectly imitated Seol Ganom's voice. The realism of the imitation was so good that even Qing might have been fooled for a moment if she hadn't seen her face. What the heck? This Crutch is this talented when ites to voice mimicry? Also, it was possible for someone to have a talent that's so utterly useless even if they have it? Qing marveled at this worthlessness anew and asked. "Not that. Are you going to the Central ins?" "Huh? I told youst time, didn't I? I said I'm going." Her tone suggested it was obvious and questioned why Qing was even asking. Qing clutched her chest in frustration. "No, what? What about Seol Ganom do you trust so much? Aren't you suspicious at all? You're just going to follow a stranger like that?" "Huh? Isn't he your friend? Is there another Seol Ganom with 'toilet' written on his forehead?" "Well, that's true, but..." Seol Ganom said he would move to the Yunnan region. Yunnan is geographically close to the Central ins, attached below Sichuan on the map. However, there was a difference that couldn't be seen on maps - its altitude. It was and belonging to some of the highest mountain ranges in the world. Moreover, it was and difficult for people to live in due to its knife-like mountain terrain. It was so extreme that there was even a joke about seasons changing with every step one made. And it was actually true. After all, taking one step off a vertical cliff could change winter to spring, and another step on a protruding part could reach the summer that was far below. "Ah! He asked me to tell you this. 'Though our acquaintance was brief, I can say it was quite an enjoyable time. If fate brings us together again someday, let's have a drink.'" "Well. Can you tell him I'm grateful too?" "Okay!" Seol Ganom, dreaming of escaping the Demonic Cult, couldn't directly meet with Qing, who was essentially a VIP guest. But that¡¯s life, isn¡¯t it? Farewell, Seol Ganom. Life in the Central ins without you might be a bit difficult. But I lived just fine without you before anyway. Goodbye no. The Greatest Regional-Level Brain. You were my first andst tactician. Though you won't be here anymore, I hope you can live proudly over there. Mhm. And that¡¯s the end of the farewell! He's smart, so he'll probably live well on his own. I can always find another tactician if needed. It was nice and convenient having one, that's all. Qing looked at her Crutch. She would be saying goodbye to her too in less than half a month. "He said to decide on a new name to use. Where was it again? In Sichuan? A name to use there." Seol Ganom said he would drop off the Crutch in Sichuan. If all went ording to Qing's n, they wouldn't have time to care about one Second-Grade disciple that ran away. Moreover, who would possibly know she was from the Demonic Cult if she changed her name and washed clean her identity? He said he would even find a usible job for her and leave a message at the fifthrgest brothel in Sichuan. It was truly a thorough follow-up worthy of the neighborhood's greatest brain. "A new name, huh. Have you thought of anything?" "Yeah." "What is it?" "...Xi Hee." Gyeon Pohee spoke shyly. "So, Gyeon Xihee?" "No, the name is Hee. The surname is... the same as Junior Sister's." Qing's eyebrows twitched. Wait, this ignorant girl still doesn't know my fucking surname? Come to think of it, maybe I¡¯ve never told her? Reflecting on her own thoughtlessness, Qing finally properly revealed her full name. "Senior Sister. It's not Xi Menqing, it's Ximen Qing." "Eh!? It wasn't Munching?" "Could you please pay a little attention to your pronunciation? It sounds really weird when you say it, Senior Sister." "Then I'll make my name Ximen Hee... Is that okay?" Gyeon Pohee asked, watching Qing's reaction. It's not like Ximen is my exclusive surname anyway, and if she wants to use it because she thinks it's pretty, there's no particr reason to stop her. If we're talking about genealogy, we're both unknown orphans who mixed and matched a bunch of names anyway. It¡¯s not like the names we have are our actual ones. What does it matter? "If that's what Senior Sister wants, then do it." "Really!? Thanks! Now we really are a family!" "Oing?" "Now that we¡¯re Sworn Sisters¡­ It feels kind of embarrassing somehow." Qing blinked her eyes. Sworn Sisters? Qing was about to ask what on earth that bizarre nonsense meant, but seeing Gyeon Pohee's radiant expression, she just swallowed her words. Right. Okay. If it makes you happy, I guess that's fine. Qing spent time teaching Gyeon Pohee the Blissful Maiden Art and Thousand Li Flight. The Blissful Maiden Art was originally an esoteric doctrine of the Bliss Pce anyway, so Gyeon Pohee had the right to inherit it. On top of that, she taught her Thousand Li Flight so that the not-so-kind nor good butcking Crutch could at least escape in an emergency. It was a Gold Qinggong specialized in fast and long-distance leaping with good sustainability. Of course, this inevitably meant that training in the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance had to be suspended. This was a not at all regrettable oue that Qing had totally not anticipated. As time passed like this, she finallypleted the Heavenly Heart Harmony. It was on the night she had calmly agreed to meet her Crutch again. At this point, there was a need to reorganize the Martial Arts Window as well. A lot of Free Practice Points had umted from the night walks, after all. She raised the Qinggong Techniques Thousand Li Flight and Wind Step to 12 Stars, hence reaching the Grand Star. Moreover, the useful ck Shadow Stealth also reached Grand Star. After raising various other White and Blue Qinggong Techniques to their maximum of 10 Stars, a subtle tickling sensation arose, as if her body was itching for change. Come to think of it, I haven't learned Seol Ganom's legacy, the Supreme Yin Jade Maiden Divine Art, yet. It¡¯s a whopping Gold Border, so I should only put it to 3 Stars for now. After all, I should probably be even more numb at the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Qing took a deep breath. "Huuuu." For now, let¡¯s psych myself up. I have no thoughts. Because I have no thoughts. "Urk... ugh... uuurgh..." Hands that could not be seen kneaded her brain. Just as Qing's mood was about to plummet into negative numbers, crashing through the bottom of purgatory... At that moment, thepassionate smile of Buddhism seeped into her brain, providing a sense of ease. Great Tranquil Zen Art, is it you again... Come to think of it, aren't the Daoist abilities a bitcking? There are two Purple Cultivation Techniques, but they haven't really done anything properly. I should have named my character Bodhidharma1 instead of A-Qing. Then I would have started with all the best Buddhist Divine Arts... Mr. Strategy Guide, why did you rmend A-Qing instead of Bodhidharma? Yeah, no. No beef for you. If I ever go back, that ain¡¯t on the menu. You don¡¯t deserve it. Instead, I¡¯ll treat you to some kimchi stew. You hear me? Huh? Ah... I want to eat kimchi stew... I wish I could have a shot of soju with kimchi stew... A single tear rolled down Qing's eye. In thenguage of the Central ins, they called food ¡®ban¡¯. Here, ¡®ban¡¯ refers to staple foods, including rice. When you order at arge restaurant, they ask what kind of staple food you would like. Those from the South ask for ¡®mi fan¡¯, essentially rice. Those from the East would order dumplings or soup dumplings, while people from the North would order noodles or porridge. And in the West, with an exception of Sichuan, they were too poor to even enter high-end restaurants, so their staple foods weren't even considered. Of course, this wasn¡¯t absolute, as the characteristic of living in clustered n viges meant that even within one capital city, staple foods diverged into various preferences. Under this concept, in the Central ins, rice and side dishes were lumped together under the term 'mi fan'. Side dishes in the Central ins were limited to pickles and seasoned vegetables that didn't require cooking and were mere apaniments to rice. Everything else was considered a dish. In thenguage of the Central ins, these were called 'cai' (vegetables/dishes). In particr, the cuisine of four regions famous for their taste were called the Four Great Cuisines of the Central ins. Chuan cai, Sichuan cuisine. Lu cai, Shandong cuisine, Huaiyang cai, Jiangsu cuisine. Yue cai, Guangdong cuisine. Even beyond this, as diverse foods flourished across the vastnds of the Central ins, it became a gourmet's paradise leading the world's food culture! That was how important meals were to the people of the Central ins. No wonder one of their greetings was to ask if you've eaten yet. Meanwhile, there was another group of people who valued rice just as much as those in the Central ins. A people with a heritage so great and noble that merely thinking of its grand name conjured visions of fluttering illusions. The progeny of humans who had already built the great, gigantic empire of Hwanguk before the great extinction of the dinosaurs (this is a fact depicted in Soo Bahk Do). Who are these descendants, you ask? These descendants who carry the bloodline of such dignified and majestic ancestors? It was none other than the Korean people! However, the Korean people had a special affliction. If they didn't eat Korean food periodically, they would suffer from a serious illness called homesickness. This was truly a big problem. If Koreans don't eat Korean food for a long time, they be bedridden with an intense longing for their homnd. Their whole body loses strength, their mind bes foggy and can't stand properly, and their motivation and will tumble together in a somersault. And lo and behold, those were Qing's exact symptoms. Until now, Qing had somehow managed to get by with pseudo-Korean food, but she had identally touched upon forbidden knowledge beyond the veil that she hadpletely forgotten about until now. Kimchi stew... Broth that¡¯s so blood-red it¡¯s like fresh blood. White and soft tofu that reminds me of brain matter. And then, if I grab a piece of well-stewed kimchi with both hands and cruelly tear it apart... "Yourplexion does not look good. Are you alright?" "I'm not okay... I want to go home..." "There is no need to worry too much. Once we retrieve the Heavenly Demon Spirit, I shall safely send you back. This old man swears on his life." "Do you even know where my home is? I don't think it would be enough to take me back, even if you added thousands of more lives to your own..." In fact, at this moment, she truly felt like she could sacrifice thousands of lives if that meant returning home. Hmm...? Wouldn't there be a Korea in this world too? Is it Joseon? Goryeo? Anyway, wouldn't there be Korean food? But would those countries be the same ones I know? This was a world where people shot beams from swords. A world where running could surpass the speed of carriages. Perhaps beyond the Central ins, there might be nothing but an ocean stretching out. Maybe it's just a pseudo-Earth, an Earth-like... I don't know. Who cares anyway. Qing slumped in Choi Leeong's arms. If Qing had been an avid reader of web novels, she might have jumped for joy, thinking "Ah, so I've finally experienced that transmigration thing that apparently everyone goes through at least once in their life." She might have been lost in happy dreams of making lots of money through livestreaming after returning from enthusiastically slicing people up, thus bing a building owner. But Qing was just a production worker who barely had time to y games. She only knew a few memes she had seen in the ocean of information she essed to find interesting games, and waspletely ignorant in this area. This is why people should read web novels. It's already a scientifically, philosophically, humanistically, and sociologically proven fact by schrs in various fields that web novels are more helpful than Spanish! I don't know. Whatever. I just want to go home. Qing just thought listlessly. If Ximen Surin had seen this state and had a conversation with her, she would have realized that this time, her troublemaker disciple was actually in a state where Inner Demons had entered her mind. It was because Inner Demons didn¡¯t just arise from cruelty or a loss of humanity. This kind of Inner Demon caused by such intense longing was the type that even the great teachings of the Orthodox Path couldn't prevent. Because the form of Inner Demons where one lets go of oneself was, in a way, simr to the concepts of Anatt¨¡, also known as non-self, in Buddhism and Daoism. In fact, Inner Demons caused by homesickness were amon and very, very easy to resolve trivial problem. It was an issue that could be solved by having just one meal with some good people,ughing and chatting in warmpany. However, in this world, there existed a person who could not use such an easy method. It was already the tenth day of the march towards the Heavenly Demon Tomb. But for Qing, it was just another day passing by listlessly. *** Chapter 94: Heavenly Demon Tomb (2) The salty taste that scrapes the tongue, the sweet taste that makes your mouth pucker. The spicy kick from the harmonious blend of green chili peppers, garlic, green onions, and onions. And the savory umami created by dumping in MSG1, arrogantly named the foundation of vor! The sweet, salty, spicy, and hearty vors of Korean cuisine were created by these four great elements. But you see. Salt is not cheap. Sugar is very expensive. Chili peppers, a spice from India that was a rather hot topic, was unfortunately unfamiliar outside of Sichuan. MSG? Umami? This was a taste of dedication that could only be obtained by simmering the bones of a beast for an excruciatingly long time until the bones turned mushy and the marrowpletely melted! It was humanity's unique culinary art that couldn't be dismissed as mere white powder. So though Qing's homesickness was represented by kimchi stew¡­ In reality, it was a longing for Korean cuisine that epassed the four great elements of taste. It was a thirst that couldn't be quenched by pseudo-Korean food. The soul of the Korean people, fried chicken, existed in the Central ins too. To begin with, there was no civilization as rich in oil as the Central ins, where even rural peasants developed fried dishes. Samgyeopsal2? Pork was the mostmon ingredient in the Central ins. Noodles? The Central ins was the starting point for all noodle dishes in the world, the origin without which noodles would not exist in this world. So the fact that Qing had sumbed to her Inner Demons due to lovesickness at this point in time rather than earlier could actually be considered praiseworthy. It was a miracle shested this long. After all, it was merely an imaginary ideal food that her soul desperately sought. Qing's expression was indescribably sorrowful. For reference, there is a beauty that transcends time and worlds in the expression of a woman longing for something desperately. This is because longing originates from a desire for lost beauty. And the people of the Central ins were a race that found such desperate longing more beautiful than any other people in the world. Basically, they were a group of fucking perverts whose sexual desire exploded at the sight of a slightly frowning expression, their eyes rolling back in veritable ecstasy. Xi Shi, the most beautiful woman in the Central ins, was merely frowning because she had difficulty breathing due to her chronic pneumothorax, but everyone in the world thought Xi Shi was longing for something. As such, that was why even the elites of the Demonic Cult were on the verge of falling lovesick. Because by now, Qing had be a beauty who could hold her head high anywhere she went. Though, of course, that beauty of hers would shatter spectacrly the moment she walked, ate, or spoke. However, Qing was not in her right mind. The heart-wrenching sorrow emanating from her longing pierced the hearts of the Demonic Cult Masters. 'Hey. Today I finally realized what face my ideal type has.' 'You too, Elder Brother? I was just thinking the same.' 'Stop stealing nces at my sister-inw. Her face will wear out from all the stares you¡¯re giving.' 'Sister-inw my ass, shouldn't you get through Father-inw first?' However, there was a Great Demonic Adept escorting the beauty. If it weren't for the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, countless evil handsha- No, marriage proposals would have already flown towards Qing. But Choi Leeong was an Unrestrained Realm Demonic Human who exuded Purple Lightning Force with his mere approach. He had the ability to turn people into charcoal if he was in a bad mood, and the Demonic Cult was a group that didn't punish unauthorized charcoal production. So everyone pretended not to look while still stealing nces at Qing's sorrowful expression as she was held in the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord's arms. The Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord kept sweeping the surroundings with cold eyes to dispel the gazes, but it was uncontroble as people kept ncing from here and there. Choi Leeong clicked his tongue and spoke. "Child, why are you so listless? Even a limp puppy would be more lively than you." "Kimchi stew... I want to eat kimchi stew..." "Kimchi stew? What a strange name I have never heard before. Wait, you want to eat? Are you throwing this tantrum just because you want to eat some food?" "Just food... What do you mean just food¡­ You¡¯re so mean¡­" Choi Leeong's eyebrows twitched. With her usual temperament, she would have immediatelyshed out, asking why he was belittling food without understanding her feelings. She wasn't the type to weakly say "You¡¯re so mean" and let such ament pass by, like a squid taking itsst breath. It was then that Choi Leeong realized something was seriously wrong. He had said "just food," but this old man who had lived a long life didn't think she was merely throwing a fit over food. This child, surrounded by nothing but Demonic Adepts with no one to care for, was missing home, and that manifested as a craving for food. How much must she be longing for it that she was like this? However, Choi Leeong couldn't be proud either. He had promised to send her back. He would keep that promise, but he could clearly envision the scene of a child who had already learned Demonic Arts losing her ce to return to. So instead, he asked a different question. "Alright, alright. I hear you. Since it is ¡®just food¡¯, what reason is there that we cannot make it? Tell me a bit more about it." A glimmer of light returned to Qing's eyes. "Really? Kimchi stew is a soup made with kimchi." "And what is kimchi?" "Oh. It's like a pickled vegetable made red with chili peppers? But it's not just pickled on the outside, it needs to be fermented." "When you go back-" "But I can't go back..." Qing slumped again. Choi Leeong was at a loss. It seemed to be some kind of local cuisine. A red fermented pickled vegetable? It was very strange, but the problem was that it couldn't be made just by having the ingredients. Choi Leeong sighed, not knowing what to do. And one of the Demonic Cult Masters who had their heart stolen by the pitiful beauty eavesdropped on the conversation using their Aural Technique that had reached the Grand Star. Aural Technique referred to the art of concentrating Inner Qi to pick out and listen to a single sound. Through this, Masters could hear distant sounds or filter out various noises to pick out only the desired conversation. In other words, its original purpose was for eavesdropping, a technique for listening in on others¡¯ conversations like this. Anyway, the eavesdropping was sessful, so it seemed it was indeed worth reaching the Grand Star for. Ah. I want to eat something spicy and hot. Qing picked at her food, unable to rouse her appetite. But in fact, she only appeared to be picking at her food in Choi Leeong's eyes. It was only after her gluttony died that a Ximen Surin ssic shone through. The art of rote learning through the medium of nuclear attacks. The education of repetition. Only after her instincts died did the habits engraved in her body, the beautiful behavior patterns engraved with such nuclear energy, pop out. So to people who didn't know Qing's true nature, it looked like the perfect meal of a wless beauty. This is sweet. This is salty. There's no rice, and everything is so greasy that I wanna kill myself. Qing finally put down her chopsticks. It was a major event where Qing refused food. That's when it happened. "Young Lady. Please have this." "...?" Qing turned her head dazedly. As clear sorrow seeped through hernguidness, the heart of the Master offering the bowl pounded. "I heard this was a local soup. You didn't seem to like the food, so I brought this." The other Masters who saw this scene thought, Oh my goodness! Damn it, so there was a method like that! To catch a horse, shoot the general, right? Wait, is that the correct saying? Anyway, he who captures the stomach rules the woman's heart! To be fair, in Chinese-style romance, men were forced to be more devoted than any other race in the world. The thing about Chinese-style romance was that (Omitted, will speak about it next time if there¡¯s chance) As such, Qing would experience this firsthand anytime once she went out to the Central ins, seeing as she was already a beauty. Qing looked at the soup. It looks all clear and nd¡­ It doesn't seem right at all. But you never know... Qing brought a spoonful of soup to her lips delicately. It was salty, sour, and greasy. Sourness in a soup for a meal? That ain¡¯t it, Chief. Really. How can the world be like this? Is it this hard to just have a bowl of spicy soup? Normally she would have thrown a fit, but due to her Inner Demons, she just quietly despaired and put down her spoon. Besides, kimchi stew was also, in fact, a spicy and sour soup. And from that moment on. All sorts of soups appeared on the table at every meal for Qing. At first, Choi Leeong red, but seeing her take a spoonful each time, which honestly added up quite a bit, he reluctantly withdrew his killing intent as if to allow it. Nevertheless, it was such a great tragedy that Qing never got to taste spicy soup in the end. Seol Ganom should have seen this scene. Then he would have imparted the realization that if she had just kept her mouth shut and pretended to be upset, she would have been treated well anywhere. But Seol Ganom was gone now... And so, day by day, the flock of Demonic Cult members was getting closer to the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Another week passed like that. The viins of the Demonic Cult, disguised as merchants, set foot in Gansu. Gansu Province3 was shaped like a snake's head stretching long and far. The reason for the formation of this strangely narrow and long capital city was simple. What else could have been done when there were such high mountain ranges both above and below? As such, this was the only t path that went beyond Xinjiang4, squashed between the upper and lower barriers, thus heading towards the Western Regions5. So many merchants passed through this route, and because they all walked piled with silk, this road's nickname became the Silk Road6. The sight of merchants flocking to the Silk Road was all toomon, so the Demonic Cult's invasion force, disguised as merchants, didn't arouse any suspicion. Then suddenly, the merchant group sharply turned south, reaching the famous Qicaishan, also known as the Rainbow Mountain, of Zhangye. For reference, Qicaishan¡¯s literal definition is ¡®Seven Colored Mountains¡¯, hence its name because the mountains had seven colors. Qing, who had been in a listless state, saw this sight. Ah. I think I¡¯ve seen this back when I was in actual civilization... She was talking about the famous Zhangdan Danha, internationally known as the Zhangye Danxia Geopark7. It was an incredibly mysticalndscape where the barrennd, void of vegetation, drew waves of seven colors. It's interesting, but... It's just colorednd. The mentally unstable Qing abruptly concluded her appreciation. She did not have the energy to give a flying shit. If Qing had been well-versed in the geography of the Central ins, she might have guessed the location of the Heavenly Demon Tomb at this point and pped her knee in realization. Following the mountain range south from Qicaishan, one would reach the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon. Vertical cliffs stood as walls, and the winding canyon between them was a natural maze in itself. Considering that, where else under the heavens could the budding seed of such a huge cmity be hidden if not in Pingshan Lake! ¡­was what she would, or rather should, say. But unfortunately, Qing's knowledge of geography fell far too short to marvel at this. *** Chapter 95: Heavenly Demon Tomb (3) It was the night before Pingshan Lake. It¡¯s not just kimchi stew that I want¡­ I want to drink c too. Even if it's not c, that's fine. I just want to drink an ice-cold carbonated drink. I wish I could chug it until my throat bursts. But carbonation would be impossible no matter what... Qing's longing grew even stronger. And how could her condition possibly improve when she was yearning for something that didn't exist in this world? As she was staring nkly at the bonfire, lost in thought... "The Supreme wishes to see you tonight." The kiddo she hadn't seen in a while was still as small as he had always been. Qing shook her head halfheartedly. "I don¡¯t really wanna..." "The Supreme did not ask for your opinion. It would be better if you quietly followed." "This girl has said she does not want to." Choi Leeong cut off Ji Seungju's words. "Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord. The Supreme-" "Isn¡¯t it about time we stop coddling that grown brat? We'vee this far, so what else can he do? We've already indulged him in the Divine Cult because he throws all sorts of tantrums if we don't listen to him." Ji Seungju sighed deeply. "Damn it. Such bullshit. Please cut me some ck. I've been stuck next to that bastard for five years. Can't you go with her and sass him yourself, Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord?" It was a surprisingly disrespectful remark. Choi Leeong flinched at this. In fact, the current reality was that all the high-ranking members of the Divine Cult were grateful to Ji Seungju. The Supreme was the very embodiment of the two words "arrogant¡± and ¡°rude¡±. So much so that he had no one besides him. And Ji Seungju was the very boy who had somehow managed to prevent the worst of his atrocities by gently coaxing him. So, they could not help but appreciate him. "It's not that I do not understand the difficulties of the Demonic Brain, but just look at this state. The child is sprawled out like a three-day-old rotting goat carcass, having fallen to her Inner Demons." At those words, Ji Seungju's eyes widened in surprise. To Ji Seungju, Qing had been an unparalleled madwoman who grinned while cracking the skulls of the Covert Operations Division's assassins. "That state was because of Inner Demons?" "Can you not see this condition?" "I thought it was a ploy to induce carelessness. Didn¡¯t you clearly see the bloody murders during the previous transport, Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord? However, this will be a good excuse to give to the Supreme, at least." Ji Seungju sighed deeply and turned around. He headed straight for the luxurious tent, where the Supreme could be seen lying on his exclusive silk bed. The Supreme, who had just finished a big yawn, asked. "You came alone?" "I apologize for reporting this, but Ximen Qing is said to be in a state of Inner Demons, so I confirmed such a fact and returned." "That bitch?" The Supreme smirked. "Have you seen that bitch's eyes before? Do you know what I saw in them?" "I would like to hear your esteemed opinion." "Even the oh so great Secret Pavilion Leader does not know how to read people, probably because your realm is so low. Let this elder properly guide you. I have never seen such intense hatred in my life, you see." Ji Seungju recalled the image of Qing lying sprawled out on blood and brain matter. Even now, thinking about it sent chills down his spine. The Supreme giggled at that expression. "She is not someone who will ever break. And that is precisely why it is fun to break her. I guarantee you, it is all an act." "If that is the case, should I call her back?" "Well. It's fine. Since she's throwing a tantrum, I can overlook it this once. Along with the Secret Pavilion Leader's failure." Ji Seungju thought to himself. There probably won't be a second chance. But he hid those inner thoughts and bent his waist in the shape of a sickle. "Thank you for your great mercy. O¡¯ Supreme." ----When looking down from the hignds, the view of Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon was simply breathtaking, and it didn¡¯t actually look thatplicated. But once you set foot in the winding crevices of the canyon, anyone would be taken aback. In essence, people couldn¡¯t get their bearings on the gloomy ground where sunlight barely reached. With no straight paths and visibility limited to just a few zhang ahead due to the winding cliffs, it didn¡¯t take long before one got lost and started wandering. Of course, for Masters, it was not such a dangerous terrain. Such superhumans, able to easily climb cliffs tens of zhang high, could simply climb up the walls and look at the sky to find their way home if they really got lost. That was why the entrance to the Heavenly Demon Tomb was hidden in the shadows under an outward-leaning cliff, where sunlight never reached year-round. Being in the middle of the Grand Canyon, even if someone wandering stumbled upon it, they couldn't return to report it, and Masters would climb up the cliffs to escape, so they had no reason to venture deep into the canyon floor. As such, the Demonic Cult was only able to find it because they knew the Heavenly Demon Tomb was in Pingshan Lake, thanks to the Celestial Martial Emperor's diary. Otherwise, it was a ce they couldn't have found even if they searched for a thousand years. Qing, cradled in Choi Leeong's arms, looked at the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Tomb and thought. It's kind of... underwhelming. Something¡­ More grand than... Ah, whatever. Who cares. A small stone door, barely big enough for two grown men to enter side by side with their shoulders touching, was leaning against the cliff, almost lying down. It wasn't hard to guess that there would probably be stairs leading underground behind it. Realistically speaking, who would put a huge, dazzling golden door on a treasure vault? That was a scene you'd only see in adventure movies back in Qing's homnd. If one was actually worried about thieves, it was only natural to hide it thoroughly. It was the same reason why the Heavenly Queen's tomb was sealed in a stone chamber under a wild hill without even a tombstone. Qing put the Bokshinjeok to her lips. Though there was an upbeat arrangement she had worked hard on, because Qing wasn't very cheerful at the moment, it was just the original Heavenly Heart Harmony yed sorrowfully. As the Imagery of the song matched Qing's longing heart, even the extremely evil Demonic Adepts couldn't avoid being moved by the waves of emotion, apanied with the world's most beautiful sounding instrument. As some even had tears welling up in their eyes, the unusually mournful flute sound quietly came to an end. And then, thunk. Thunk thunk thunk... A dull sound of something falling from the stone door reverberated, growing increasingly distant. The Demonic Cult's mechanism expert carefully stuck to the stone door, tapping, probing, and listening, as if investigating. Soon after, he looked back and spoke. "It seems the locking mechanism has been released." Qing, already deted, deted even further. With this atmosphere, she thought the door would automatically open with a dramatic Dududududu after ying the flute. But all that happened was a mere lock falling off. Moreover, even that just rolled away far inside, unable to be probably seen. If the mechanism expert had known her thoughts, he would have jumped in shock. A door that unlocks with a specific sound - it was truly a peerless artifact that only Banchi could have made. Moreover, who knows what mechanisms might activate if forcibly opened? The fact that it unlocked so simply was actually a sign of much more sophisticated craftsmanship. The expert pulled on the stone door's handle, and it opened with a creaking effort. A pitch-ck hole gaped open. When they threw in a spark, it revealed, as expected, rough stairs leading downward. And then the advance team, consisting of mechanism experts and tomb raiding specialists, packed up their gear and headed inside first. Qing was a bit taken aback. Uh. Wait. If it's like this¡­ If they find the Heavenly Demon Spirit first and bring it out, won't I be left high and dry? In Qing's mind, she thought everyone would enter together, deal with all sorts of intricate traps and unknown monsters, and go through hardships. And at the end, when they opened a brilliant golden door, they would face a glowing treasure bathed in a beam of light amidst mysterious smoke of unknown origin. Then, only then, would the miracle of the cripple suddenly standing up ur, followed by her grabbing the Heavenly Demon Spirit, staging a hostage situation to escape, and then spectacrly destroying it. This was Qing's n. But realistically speaking, would the cult's core members really just barge in, knowing what's inside? This was exactly why video games were so harmful. What could be more absurd than video games, after all? You know, those games where you enter someone else's house, open chests, boldly take things right in front of the owner¡¯s face, and even strike up a conversation all while doing so? How fucking ridiculous. And this very result was what happened when you try to understand the world through video games. If Seol Ganom had known Qing's n earlier, he would have been unable to hide his gaze, telling her to live in reality and stop listening to the tales of scam artists. He would have found her utterly pathetic. "Haa. Gramps, can you put me down for a moment?" "Careful now, watch your step." Choi Leeong carefully set Qing down. He was truly a devoted old man. Qing stood with her feet on the ground. Yeah, I still have no motivation whatsoever. But I have to do this, don't I? Is this... really something I have to do? Why me? Someone deep inside Qing protested. Why do I have to do it? Well, if I don't stop the Demonic Cult bastards, the Divine Maiden Sect and incidentally the innocent people of the Central ins will suffer- Why do I have to stop them? Because I opened it with the Bokshinjeok- Wouldn't it have opened anyway, even without you? If you hadn't stolen the Bokshinjeok? The Demonic Cult bastards would have opened it anyway. If anything, I've killed a bunch of Demonic Adepts, so shouldn't I be praised a hundred times over just for what I've done so far? Huh? That's right... I'm just... even breathing is a struggle for me in this disgusting neighborhood¡­ This neighborhood I know nothing about... Qing's shoulders slumped. ----The original name of the Heavenly Demon Tomb was said to be Samon?ng. It was a mausoleum Banchi built longing for his deceased wife, and at the same time, his own tomb. Banchi had taken his own life by poison after finishing the instation of the mechanism formations inside. The important thing was that Samon?ng was built after the Heavenly Queen's death. What if the door to Samon?ng opens? It meant the door was opened by ying the Bokshinjeok. And ying the Bokshinjeok meant that his beloved wife's tomb was desecrated. He was a man who took his own life out of longing for his wife. There was no way he could forgive such a brazen person who desecrated his wife's tomb. Of course, he couldn't have predicted thatter, a madman called the Celestial Martial Emperor would ignore the perfectly good entrance, split the earth, break through the ceiling to enter, and gently ce one precious looted item inside. Someone of the Celestial Martial Emperor's caliber could use his Qi Sense to find the mausoleum and then create a shortcut without even touching theplicated mechanism formations. At any rate, Banchi's wrath began with the opening of Samon?ng. He had nted arge iron ball in the locking mechanism designed to unlock with vibrations of a specific pitch. And now. The lock has been released. The iron ball fell, tumbling down the stairs with a series of thuds, and burrowed into a deeply carved groove. The ball rolled along the nted groove. As the rolling ball struck other iron balls, it set them off in different directions along other carved grooves. The number of rolling balls increased. As the balls struck other balls, they flowed down dozens, hundreds of branching grooves. Some balls pulled strings, while others pushed and pressed rods,pleting the final operation of the mechanism, Banchi's final formation. Banchi's posthumous work. It was the activation of the Phantasmal Maze of No Return Formation. ----Sniff sniff. Qing suddenly red her nostrils. "Child?" "Gramps. Don't you smell something?" "Smell? What is with this sudden talk of smells?" Qing was serious, however. This familiar scent tickling her nose, so familiar it felt like tears might burst forth at any moment¡­ That scent that would hit her when she opened the front door of her home in Seoul, her mother's... "Kimchi stew!" Qing shouted and dashed off. And then she slipped right into the entrance. "Huh?" "Huuh?" "Huuuh?" Everyone was dumbfounded by this miraculous sight. Qing was already the ideal type, as well as the visual oasis, for the Demonic Cult Masters. Following her amazing flute performance, where everyone's attention focused on her, they then witnessed the sight of a cripple (well, not exactly, but rather more like partiallyme) dashing off with a Qinggong Technique. So they could only blink their eyes, rub them, and gape stupidly, wondering if this was a dream or reality, and what on earth kimchi stew was and why she ran off shouting for it so desperately. What snapped everyone out of their daze was the old man's scream of shock. "Heavenly Demon Spirit! No! Bangchae! Choi Bangchae! Come back!" Choi Leeong screamed as if his intestines had been cut and chased after her. "Keuhaha! Yes! I told you! I knew this would happen! As expected! If she is to be my woman, she should have this kind of side to her!" The Supremeughed maniacally as he ran off. "What are you doing! Hurry up and chase after them!" Ji Seungju shouted angrily. At that, the Demonic Cult Masters increased their speed and poured into the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Chapter 96: Heavenly Demon Tomb (4) When Qing suddenly came to her senses, she was standing in the middle of an inn. Qing naturally took a seat and called out. "Excuse me! Server!" "Yes, Young Lady. Coming!" The server appeared, calling out politely. "I'll have two servings of meat kimchi stew, with extra ham. Also, c, cold please. Not hot." "Young Lady, I apologize, but this inn operates with kiosks." "Ah. I see." Qing stood up from her seat with an embarrassed expression. Seriously? These days everywhere has kiosks. But if that's the case, why did they pretend to take my order? Qing grumbled as she finished ordering and returned. Then a dull pain surged from her lower abdomen. Qing thought. Be quiet for a bit. I need to be mindful of the situation. Qing forcefully suppressed the signal, resting her chin on the table and looking around. By now, Qing had be ustomed to life in the Central ins, and she prided herself on being as savvy as an uncivilized local, especially when it came to inn culture. Nevertheless, this inn was uniquely strange. It was an inn where everything from the gray-colored floor and walls to even the tables and chairs were made of stone. As if carved out of the inside of a rocky mountain. On the other hand, it felt like being inside an unfinished building with no decorations or ornaments, as if the wallpapering hadn't been done. Is this supposed to be one of those trendy aesthetic inns? But isn't this trend already outdated? But for something so outdated, the inn was packed with customers. It was almost full. Well. It's the owner's choice. As long as the inn has good rooms and tasty food. In the meantime, the food came out and was neatly ced on the table. The long-awaited kimchi stew and white rice. Qing took a spoonful of kimchi stew and put it in her mouth. The spicy and rich broth, made by stewing well-aged kimchi, slid down her throat. My goodness! Qing's eyes rolled back. Then, she immediatelyunched into a battle-like meal. Soaking the rice with the broth and mixing it well, then topping it with a piece of aged kimchi, a piece of tofu, and a piece of meat, she scooped up a heaping spoonful and stuffed her mouth full! Then she cracked open a can of cold c, feeling the fizzy sound on her tongue as she gulped it down! Fireworks exploded in Qing's head. Yes, this taste! This is exactly like the taste of home. I missed this so, so much. And I've been through so much to get here too... It was a taste that made her feel like crying; no, it actually did make her cry. "What the, why am I..." Qing wiped away the tears streaming down her face. But tears were tears, and the meal was the meal. Qing continued to shovel food into her mouth while crying unsightly, not stopping her hands. Sob, sniff, munch munch, gulp. Sob, whimper, hup. Crying and eating, crying and eating. A never ending loop of such actions. Basically, it was aplete mess. Yet in contrast, her hand movements were very precise. She sprinkled seaweed kes and mixed it in,bining tofu, kimchi, meat, and ham in variousbinations to devour the rice. Originally, kimchi stew calls for two bowls of rice. Qing battled with the food again over the second self-served bowl of rice. "Whew. That was delicious. Hic." Qing rubbed her swollen belly with puffy eyes. Despite eating so much, her stomach was still t. And now she felt refreshed. Whether it was because the food was delicious or because she had cried her heart out, she couldn't tell. Regardless, she had ovee her Inner Demons while simultaneously having a meal and a good wah. Qing leaned crookedly on her chair. It's a bit disappointing. I wonder if there's anything else? Then she suddenly noticed a stone tablet that had appeared on the table. Looking closer, she saw that the screen on the stone tablet disyed the inn's menu, grouped intorge categories. Ah. A tablet. Many ces have these these days. But was this here originally? And why did I have to order from the kiosk? Qing skillfully operated the stone tablet. Soon, a server appeared pushing a cart, setting down all sorts of desserts, filling the table with a parade of cakes. Starting with tiramisu, there was a sugar-coated sparkling rare cheesecake, New York cheesecake on a crispy base, and ended with a deeply baked ck Basque cheesecake; it was a full lineup of cheesecakes. There was also chocte chiffon and fondant au choct with a slightly cracked, hot interior oozing out. Strawberry fresh cream and an elegant milk cream without decorations, a crepe-style cake withyers of fresh dough and cream, and a mousse cake that could almost be ssified as bread. Eirs with different colored toppings were neatly lined up in a row, along with maple syrup-soaked pancakes, opera cake, waffles, cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e, custard with brownies, pies, tarts, macarons, cannoli, meringues, caste, and even tightly pressed croissants... On top of that, Qing held a massive 31.01 fl oz Trenta size iced Americano in her hand, marking the birth of a dessert massacrer that no one in all of Murim could stop. Sweet, sweet, sweet, and more sweet. After feeling refreshed from eating and crying her heart out, her mood soared with a lethal dose of sugar, resulting in the terrifying addiction symptom known in Murim as a sugar high. Then suddenly, a thought urred to her. Since when did I like sweet things this much? Qing's hand stopped. The apple marmde from the pie she was about to bite into dripped down. Before the start of this journey into Murim, she didn't particrly avoid sweet things. But she didn't go out of her way to eat them either. This sweet tooth was a preference of her current body. If that's the case, isn't this somewhat dangerous? "Ah, shit. And here I was thinking I'd enjoy it a bit more." Qing tossed aside what she was holding. At the same time, she released the force constricting her dantian. The True Qi of the Great Tranquil Zen Art, which had been constantly poking at her lower abdomen and causing a fuss, was released. That serene yet clear and bright True Qi flowed up her spine towards her brain. The eight practices of Buddhism were called the Noble Eightfold Path. And among them, the first was Right View, which meant seeing the world in a correct manner. Thus, Qing recognized the illusion. What she was seeing, hearing, and feeling right now was not reality. Qing smacked her lips. Well, at least I got to eat kimchi stew to my heart's content. I should be able to endure for another three years now. When I get back to the Divine Maiden Sect, I should try making kimchi. Isn't it just soaking cabbage in salt water, then smearing it with minced green onions, garlic, onions, and peppers before burying it? If it doesn't work out, I can alwayse back here, I guess. But, what on earth is going on here? Qing asked a very, very bted question. From the start, she had easily noticed something was off because of the Great Tranquil Zen Art's True Qi acting up. She had forcefully suppressed it, wanting to satisfy her gluttony first. And having thoroughly enjoyed herself, it had been a genuinely happy moment in a long time. What is this? Some kind of mental hallucination magic? Do such things exist in wuxia too? I mean, I've seen Master shoot fire from her hands and fly around on swords and all that. And now apparently, there's even hallucination magic on top of that. Then what's the difference between wuxia and Harry Potter? These guys can fly around, shoot fire, and show hallucinations. And if that¡¯s enough, there are even these Demonic Adepts as public enemies. Is it just called wuxia if there are ching chongs in it? It was a sphemous thought that would make the eight billion nine hundred and three million wuxia enthusiasts, thus representing the greatest creation in human history, foam at the mouth and roar in anger. Qing had such thoughts as she walked out of the inn with clicking steps. And as she stepped outside the inn, the scenery changed again. Inside a pce hall with a high ceiling. It was a sight of countless thrones, each upied by a single person. Thinking about the familiar faces, she realized they were the elite Demonic Adepts of the Demonic Cult. Some Demonic Adepts were sitting on high thrones, receiving fruit from beauties, while others were also sitting on high thrones, receiving bows from silk-d officials, and yet others were also, also sitting on high thrones... Qing frowned hard. "What the hell? Why do all these motherfuckers look like they're meant to be kings? Isn't there anything more original?" Well, that was because the dream of most capable individuals in the Demonic Cult was to be a king. After unifying the Central ins, they wanted to receive a royal title, rule over a city, and live happily ever after. Qing pulled out Bokshinjeok. She intended to help them snap the fuck out of it, seeing as they couldn¡¯t seem to get their shit together. Basically, she was going to send them straight to Ascension, to that far, far away ce high in the sky where Immortals supposedly dwelled in Sukhavati1, also known as the Pure Land of Bliss. Just as Qing was approaching the nearest throne with an ominous smile... "Please stop." A youthful voice stopped Qing in her tracks. Qing turned her head. The ominous smile remained. "Well, well. If it isn't Seungju? How nice to see you like this? I was just thinking I wanted to see our Seungju's face. And maybe take a look at what's inside that face too." Ji Seungju looked alternately at Qing's smile and Bokshinjeok, backing away hesitantly. Then he hurriedly spoke. "If you kill me, you shall be trapped in this Formation forever. Are you okay with that?" "Huh? What? Formation?" "The Phantasmal Maze of No Return Formation. It is an evil Formation of the Blood Sect, a branch of the former Blood Cult. You must have at least heard the name." "Huh? What? Formation?" Qing asked again. Ji Seungju looked at Qing with trembling eyes. His pupils shook with amazement at how someone could be this ignorant. "Did I need to start exining from there?" "Yeah. So, what's a Formation?" A Formation was a type of technique that utilized the Qi of nature. It was also a highly advanced skill that required knowledge of the geography of heaven and earth, thus where water veins and spirit veins flow, as well as the ability to read the results that appear when twisting these flows. Thus, humans who entered a deployed Formation would see illusions, hear hallucinations, have their five senses all fucked up, and be unable to wake up as they failed to recognize the unreality. "Ah. So this mess is because of a Formation?" "The Phantasmal Maze of No Return Formation is a terrible Absolute Formation that shows the illusions that humans most desire or long for in their lives." "Why is that terrible?" Qing asked back in confusion. Hadn't she just eaten everything she wanted to eat and evenpletely cured her Inner Demons? "Because it makes people not want to escape from the Formation. The illusion of eating is not actually eating, and being awake without sleeping bes a sweet poison that takes away human life." Qing tilted her head. It wasn't that bad, was it? As usual, Qing didn't just think to herself. "Hmm... Is it really that serious?" "Damn bullshit. Ah, I apologize." Ji Seungju immediately apologized. For some reason, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't understand why that single phrase could grate on his nerves so much. "It is an Absolute Formation where one¡¯s Imagery actually reveals itself and bes visible to others. It seems to be based on the principle ofpletely melting the Five Elements into the One Hundred and Eight Qi Gates, but to find the Life Gate among them, you first need to find the basic Eight Trigrams Axis's Spirit Four Gates and Seven Section Gates..." "Hey." Qing cut off Ji Seungju's chatter. It was all meaningless yapping she couldn't understand anyway. This was the problem with smart people. They think everyone else is as smart as they are. This was also why Qing had evaluated Seol Ganom as the neighborhood's greatest intellect. At least Seol Ganom's exnations were always easy to understand. A smart guy talking about things only he understands? Qing already had an effective method in hand for such situations. The most effective means ofmunication when it came to these professor types - the Bokshinjeok. Qing raised the Bokshinjeok and spoke. "Do you want to keep using difficult words?" "...There are five hundred and forty ways to escape the Formation, but except for five of them, they are all traps. So it is practically impossible to find the way out." Ji Seungju immediately changed his manner of speech. Knowledge might be in high ces of glory and esteem, but unfortunately the Bokshinjeok was right in front of him. "You should have said that from the start." Qing nodded. "So, what do I need to do now?" "All Formations have a central pir, that is... Yes. A cornerstone. Ah, a cornerstone is-" "I know what a cornerstone is, you know." "That is impressive." "I'm always impressive. There's never been a time when I wasn't impressive." "..." After a moment of silence, Ji Seungju spoke again. "We need to remove those cornerstones in the correct order and ce to dismantle the Formation. So you just need to move the objects as I tell you." Then Qing replied. "Me? Why should I?"
    1. Sukhavati is the purend of Amit¨¡bha in Mahayana Buddhism. It is also called the Land of Bliss or Western Pure Land and is the most well-known of Buddhist purends due to the poprity of Pure Land Buddhism in East Asia.
Chapter 97: Heavenly Demon Tomb (5) Ji Seungju's eyes trembled slightly. Though his expression didn't change, it was clear he wasn't as emotionless as he usually was. "What do you mean 'why'? If it is because you are fond of the Formation's illusions, I shall tell you that in the end, it is all fake. You shall starve and wither away. Are you saying you do not care if you die such a miserable death?" "What are you talking about? When did I say I wanted to die?" "Just now, you..." "Aren¡¯t you going to dismantle the Formation? Why should I do it when there's an expert here? Imma let our little kiddo do all the annoying and difficult work. Go ahead and do everything you want." Ji Seungju's mouth just opened and closed. What shameless words! "There is a limit to how thick-skinned one can be. Are you seriously saying you will not help but still wish to reap the benefits?" "Yeah. It's not like I'm the one in a hurry, right?" "That, that's..." "Besides, even if I wanted to help you, kiddo, there's a reason I can't. I really have no choice." "What could that reason possibly be?" "I don't take orders from those weaker than me." Ji Seungju's expression soured. "Damn it. Bullshit. What kind of bitch is this!" "Hello? I'm right here. Since you said that, now I'm thinking maybe I'll just stay here. Though the floor might be a bit cold to lie down on." Qing giggled as she taunted him. Ji Seungju's face turned bright red. Then Qing suddenly turned serious. "Hey. I might be ignorant, but I know how things work, you know? What can you even do with an idiot who knows jack shit about Formations?" "That's..." "You'd have me lend my strength, right? But isn't that all? If we move separately, it'd be better not to touch anything at all. If we move together, it's not much different from you doing it alone, is it?" Ji Seungju tightly shut his mouth. It was always the ones with nothing to say who just closed their mouths. Qing had her own experience in production work. This meant she had experienced saying her goodbyes to countless newbies passing through. A newbie who knew nothing wasn¡¯t really much help even if you take them around. But if you leave them far away and have them work separately? That day would be the day the production yield gets properly fucked in the ass. Simrly, with Qing herself being a newbie who knows nothing about Formations, what was the point of dragging her along? All it looked like was a ploy to keep her close and monitor her, afraid she might crack some Demonic Cult heads when he wasn¡¯t able to see. Qing was merely ignorant, not stupid. From the start, she was a cunning bitch who clearly distinguished between those she could mess with and those she couldn't, thus changing her mask ordingly. It was not that she particrly tried to act smart. It was just that acting on her whims often resulted in stupid actions. Nevertheless, she was a proud female swordsman of Murim who had somehow survived all this time with such a conduct! Her indifference to learning anything unless absolutely necessary, despite her ignorance, could certainly be considered fucked up as a member of the human species, though... "Won't you go and dismantle the Formation for me? I'll just rest here for a bit. Oh my, my legs feel a bit numb too," Qing said with a vile smile. Ji Seungju breathed heavily, then finally let out a deep sigh. "...Fine. In return, please do noty a hand on the Divine Cult members." "Well. I wonder. What to do?" "There is no need for you to build unnecessary resentment, is there not? That is, if you wish to walk out of here in one piece when this is over." Then can't I just kill them all before that? Qing was thinking this when... "The depth of the Formation varies depending on the person. If you clumsily disturb it and they wake from their illusions, there are several individuals that a mere Transcendent Realm martial artist could not possibly handle." "Shit. That makes sense." I mean, just look at this kiddo walking around with his shit together. There's no guarantee the other Demonic Adepts aren't like this too, right? Moreover, if she decided to split a Demonic Human's head, she'd have topletely shatter it to literally remove the root of the ¡®problem¡¯. And if she failed, it could cause big trouble. If she didn't split them, at least she could return even if she lost the Heavenly Demon Spirit. In that case, there was no reason to choose the former. Qing scratched her head vigorously. Then, out of habit, she untied her messy hair and tied it up again as she frankly admitted. "Alright. I'll just quietly look around then. So, how long will it take? Shouldn't an expert like you have a rough idea?" "Well. With good luck, it might be possible within one dagyung, and with bad luck, we might all starve to death here." "If you don't want to tell me, just say so. Seriously, the way you brainy types talk..." Qing grumbled as she turned around. "Where are you going?" "To look around. What about it. Why do you care." Actually, she was going to search for the Heavenly Demon Spirit. It didn¡¯t seem like this would be a quick job, after all. "It could be dangerous if you get caught up in the Formation." "What? Are you worried about me or something?" "As if. I have given you a clear warning, so handle yourself ordingly." With those words, Ji Seungju turned and left first. He's pissed off. Pouting, maybe? Qing shook her head and looked around the great hall. Besides the door she came in through and the one the kiddo left through, there were seven more doors. Should I use the left-hand rule? It was a simple logical inference that any maze could be solved by keeping your left hand on the wall and following straight. As such, Qing headed towards the leftmost door. ----It felt like half a day had passed. But all Qing had learned was a tiny bit of knowledge about other people's illusions. The illusions ultimately fell into two categories. Those with great desires seemed to enjoy seeing themselves achieving sess in a future that hadn't yete. And then there were people who lingered, searching for what they had lost from the past. Even if it was just food, didn't Qing herself belong to thetter category? In that sense, peeking into other people's illusions wasn't particrly fun. Expressing it as seeing hopes for the future might sound cool, but in the end, it was just childish delusions hidden deep inside. As for people seeing the past, well¡­ Qing had no interest in the stories of people she didn't even know. Moreover, the search had been fruitless. In fact, how could there be results when she was looking for an object she didn't even know the appearance of? Bluntly speaking, if it looked like some random stone, Qing might not be able to find it even if she spent decades searching diligently. Shit. Nothing's going right. Qing grumbled as she crossed a vast prairie where waterfalls flowed and herds of horses grazed. Then suddenly, as the deafening sound of rain roared loudly, she came to her senses and found herself standing in the middle of a dark downpour. For Qing, who had already broken through the illusion, it was just a phantom she could pass through. However, just hearing and seeing the rough rainstorm was overwhelming enough. And in the middle of it all, someone was sitting. Holding someone in their arms. As Qing approached, she saw a familiar face. Choi Leeong was holding his daughter's corpse in his arms, endlessly staring at her face. All while his body continued to be beaten by the pouring rain. Qing watched this scene for a while. It was like looking at apletely frozen photograph, except for the streaks of rain. Only the asionally blinking eyelids, covering the old man's regret-filled gaze, moved. The time Qing spenting in, eating, and fully enjoying the sweets was not short at all, and she felt like she had wandered around for half a day after that. But even so, Qing could easily tell that Choi Leeong had been holding onto his daughter's cold body like this for that long of a time. Qing frowned. If you're in an illusion, can't you see a more hopeful scene and heal your body and mind? Agh shit, old man, stop being so mopey. "Hey, look here, Gramps." Then Choi Leeong looked up at Qing nkly. "Why don't you look at a brighter, more joyful, and happier scene? If you're going to see your daughter's face, at least recall some good memories." Then the scenery changed. In a magnificent flower garden, a young child chased butterflies, letting out clear, childlikeughter. All the while, she kept ncing this way, clearly checking to make sure her daddy hadn't gone anywhere. "Yeah. That's much better to look at. You don't have many days left to live, so choose good things to see and have a peaceful death. Don't be all pitiful and miserable." Choi Leeong stared at the scene as if entranced. Then suddenly, he blurted out. "No. I cannot." And it returned to that scene. The rain was falling, the old man was getting beaten, and the daughter was dead. Qing got irritated. "What's the problem? What's wrong with you?" "The child took her own life." "I know that. I heard itst time too." "Isn't one's own life the most precious thing to anyone? Even if life is hard and difficult, that should still be true. But for her to throw away her own life, she must have found even the act of breathing painful." "So, you want to be in pain together?" Choi Leeong burst into bitterughter. "The child's wish was to go to the Central ins. I do not know who put such ideas in her head, but she believed her happiness was there." "And?" "At that time, this old man was the Great Guardian of the Divine Cult. Would a Great Guardian have any reason to leave the Demonic Cult? As far as this old man knew, the Central ins was a hell where parents exchanged and ate each other's children." What father in the world wouldn't stop his daughter from going to such a living hell? Moreover, Choi Bangchae was the daughter of the Great Guardian, a leader among the Divine Cult that was hated by all of the Central ins. "She was a good child. She could not say a harsh word to others, always losing out herself instead." The child changed day by day. Qing watched that growth through this ever changing world. The daughter who used to tear up at the sight of someone getting hurt, empathizing with their pain, now just spewed harsh words at everyone with eyes full of venom. But her true nature hadn't gone anywhere. Because all that viciousness was just scratching at her own heart. And so, Choi Bangchae eventually took her own life. "Only after my daughter died did I step down from my position and volunteer for Outer Hall duties. I wanted to see with my own eyes what the Central ins, which that stupid brat had longed for, was really like. To mock her, saying she did not know how fortunate she was, how happy her circumstances were because of whose daughter she was born as." It was only after going to the Central ins that he realized. The child had been right. He should have let her go. At the very least, this jar of loneliness where everyone devoured each other to only grow their own poison - this Divine City - was not a ce suited for the child. She might have been happy anywhere but the Divine City. Choi Leeong looked at his dead daughter's face again. Qing finally understood this scene. Choi Leeong was already an old man who had died a long time ago. The reason he was still breathing was just to suffer. It was a punishment a father who believed he had killed his daughter was inflicting on himself. That was why his desired wish looked like this. His wish must be to lock himself in the most painful and agonizing time of his life. Just begging his heart to be torn apart endlessly. Can such a life even be called living? Qing messed up her hair vigorously. Immediately tying it back up again had no meaning, as it was actually an action she had taken because she felt ufortable. "I seriously hate melodrama." But is this really the old man's fault? Is it really such a big mistake that he deserves to suffer like this for his entire life? While I can understand his feelings... Qing looked at the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord's Evil Karma. And she saw that gaze fixed on his daughter. Whether it turns out well or not, I guess it's the old man's fate. His karma. But that doesn't mean I want to leave this unsightly scene as it is. My education is too short to provide psychological counseling. But physical therapy is my specialty, ain¡¯t it? Qing raised her hand, which held Bokshinjeok, high. Chapter 98: Heavenly Demon Tomb (6) It was a truly stupefying scene. An old man looking down at a young girl's corpse in his arms. Next to him, a woman raising a deadly weapon high. It was a scene where anyone would rush in to stop it immediately. Moreover, here was one infamous Great Demonic Adept and one respected elder of the Daoist path. With this exnation, even if countless des rained down on Qing, she would have no right toin. However, the reality of the matter was that¡­ the Daoist elder was Qing herself. And this was precisely why people shouldn't have preconceptions. Qing was in a serious dilemma, holding a divine weapon up high. Albeit, this ¡°divine weapon¡± was in the form of a Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron short staff. Ah. About this. I'm not sure how much force to use. The old man waspletely defenseless. She couldn't gauge exactly how much force to use without cracking his skull. Would a nuke be too strong? For now, let's start lightly, at the level of a brick breaker. Like TNT? Maybe? It was an infamous bomb generously packed with nine thousand catties of gunpowder. As it was an item meant to blow up an entire city block, the gunpowder was very generous. A bombardment of goodwill, deployed with the Imagery of that very brick breaker, fell in a straight line. Thwack! The sound of bone and metal colliding. The old man's sparse hair and aged scalp did nothing to cushion the impact. Originally, the crown of the head was called the Heavenly Spirit Lid and was the most important acupoint and vital point of the body. As such, Choi Leeong's eyes rolled back when he took a direct hit whilepletely off guard. He then immediately lost consciousness while still in a sitting position. As his unconscious upper body tilted forward, he fell face-first onto the ground with a thud, sprawled out in a bowed position. "Oops. Sorry, Gramps. I put a bit too much force into that. Hmm. But still, haven't you lived long enough for this to be considered a good death?" It was supposed to be a legendary folk remedy to wake him up with pain, but it seems like I ended up knocking him out instead. This was why unauthorized physical therapy was dangerous. That's when it happened. Suddenly, the deafening sound of rain that had been filling her ears stopped abruptly. Then the scenery of a dim stone chamber spread out in all directions. It was a wide-open stone chamber with no obstructions. Dozens of Demonic Cult Masters were walking around with dumb expressions, holding torches and forming severalrge circles facing outward. Their gazes were fixed forward in a way that seemed rather inhuman. Among them, only one person was looking around in all directions. The little kiddo Ji Seungju was turning his head back and forth between the inner and outer circles. This was the scene of having escaped from the Formation. Originally, when the owner of an illusion lost consciousness, it should have shown pitch-ck darkness while the space was being filled with another illusion. But the Great Tranquil Zen Art's principle of Right View pierced through the false void. As it was a Buddhist teaching that respected others' perspectives, it still reflected others' illusions, but when there was no illusion, it simply shattered the falsehood. It was a blind gap that even the unrivaled Banchi, the designer of this great Formation, hadn't thought of. So this is what it looks like from the outside when someone is caught in a Formation. It's kind of... well... retarded. And then Qing saw the treasure. In the very center of the tomb chamber, an object emitting a subtle five-colored radiance was practically screaming "I'm a treasure!" It was a self-illuminating triangr pyramid. Self-illuminating, huh. And what do I call it¡­ A sense of pressure? Or should I say, an intense presence? With just a nce, she had this spiritual intuition that this was the Heavenly Demon Spirit. Wait, if that's the case, this is... an opportunity, right? The moment Qing took a step towards the center. The world changed again. It was the front of the gate of an unfamiliar house. A Demonic Cult Master was repeatedly knocking on the gate with an excited expression, shouting. "Honey, I'm home! I'm telling you, I'm home!" -Darling? Is that you? "Yes, it's me!" -Darling! Along with a desperate voice, light footsteps approached. The Master's mouth opened, and his face flushed red with happiness and anticipation. Finally, the sound of the gate'stch being undone. And then, with a creak, the door began to open- Thwack! The Master copsed and fell to the ground. "What a clich¨¦ story." Qing grumbled as she wiped Bokshinjeok. The world copsed, before returning back inside the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Somehow, she was now standing in the outermost circle. Earlier, I just wasted time looking around. This time, let's be quick. Qing stomped on the ground. And the world changed. Naked women were everywhere. In the middle, there was one lone man. Thwack! Now there was no lone man anymore. Back to the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Back to the outer circle. After Qing knocked out seven Demonic Cult Masters and, for one case, justpletely shattered his head for good measure, she came to a conclusion. "Ah, shit. This isn't going to work." If she killed them, she couldn't peek the outside, and if she just knocked them out, she could only escape the illusion for a moment. But as soon as she took even one step, she'd return, so escape was impossible this way. However, this alone was enough. Because now she knew where the Heavenly Demon Spirit was. Once the Formation disappeared, who could get their hands on the Heavenly Demon Spirit faster than Qing? After escaping outside via a hostage situation and creating some distance, she'd destroy it and run away. Master had said there weren't many in the world who could catch up to Qing's Qinggong, so she was confident in her escape. So now, all that was left was for the Formation to be undone. If she could just know in advance when the Formation would be undone and prepare for that moment, it would be as good as sess. For that, she just needed to stick close to the person undoing the Formation. I'll find the kiddo and offer to help! Qing's cunning mind spun rapidly and came to a conclusion. Qing took another step deeper into the Formation. ----The n was really good in theory. But she didn't know where the kiddo was. She was wandering through the illusions, thinking she might run into him if she just kept moving around. In the courtyard of some bright, unfamiliar mansion¡­ Or something like that¡­ A familiar voice picked a fight with Qing. "You bitch, now you don't even see your father as your father? There is no one in this world who beats their own father. You are such a vicious brat." It was Choi Leeong, who had regained consciousness. Choi Leeong was a Master of the Unrestrained Realm. He was too high of a Master to lose his life and head to the underworld from an attack that was merely heavy without any Qi infused into it. Choi Leeong red while rubbing his crown. It seemed to hurt, at least. But ¡®father¡¯? Did he really regain his senses? Qing, unsure, spoke bluntly. "What? You still haven'te to your senses? Who's whose father? Get a grip. If you don't, I'll have to hit you again." At that remark, Choi Leeong flinched. He rubbed his eyes as if he had seen something wrong, then looked at Qing's face and sighed deeply. "What's with you? Suddenly sighing after looking at someone's face? Do that and you'll get hit, you know?" "To think there would be a young one who beats old people in this world. I knew you were a cruel bitch, but still..." "This is why dementia is dangerous. How is it that respecting the elderly suddenly turns into attacking the elderly and all that? You know, that¡¯s why there¡¯s a saying about how there are no sages or saints in the face of a lunatic." "...? Was there such a saying? Which Sage said that?" "Ximen Qing." Choi Leeong frowned. But somehow¡­ It kinda made sense to Choi Leeong, so he didn't bother to argue. "I thought you were a cripple possessed by Inner Demons, but it seems you are actually a con artist who is a genius at deceiving others." "At first, I really was a cripple, and as for the Inner Demons... Ah! So that's what Inner Demons were. Anyway, well. I overcame it well. Everyone was making such a fuss about how scary Inner Demons were, but it was no biggie after all." To the Inner Demons who were listening in, they would feel chagrined. Originally, they had enough skill to burn people from the inside and turn them into wrecks, but how could they have known that a legendary Formation would suddenly appear and interfere? However, Choi Leeong roughly understood. After being caught in the Formation himself, he realized that if there was a way to escape this illusion, it would be enough of a circumstance to ovee longing in an instant. Thus, Choi Leeong's thoughts returned to the Formation. "It seems a nasty Formation has been deployed, but how are you so unaffected?" "I thought it was strange from the very beginning, you know? It was kinda obvious. So, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m special. It¡¯s because those who fall for such trivial techniques are all weak. It's because theyck grit. Grit, I tell you." This would be an unfair statement to the Formation as well. In reality, Qing hadn't done anything well; it was just that the Buddhist purity of the Great Tranquil Zen Art kept poking at her dantian, trying to erase the falsehood. Even then, she had forcefully suppressed it because she wanted to eat her hometown food, and only released it after she had eaten everything she wanted to eat. On top of that, the Demonic Cult Masters would feel wronged too. Come to think of it, Qing's greatest ability was the talent to make someone feel wronged every time she opened her mouth. "Anyway, it's good I ran into you, Gramps. That kiddo said he'd remove? Push away? Well, whatever it is, he said he'd get rid of this Formation. He asked me to help, but since I didn't know anything anyway, I told him to just do it himself." At that, Choi Leeong's expression brightened. "That is wee news. So, where is the Secret Pavilion Leader? I should lend a hand." "The problem is, I don't know. I was hoping I'd find him if I just wandered around." "Tsk. You always leave things so ufortably unfinished, don't you?" "What's that supposed to mean? I kindly woke you up because I felt sorry for you getting rained on so pitifully. I don't need to hear this from an old man who hasn't even started, let alone finished anything." "Ahem." Seeing as he was just pretending to clear his throat, it seemed Choi Leeong had nothing to say. "Well then, let's go." "Alright. Let's go." Choi Leeong replied like that. And then he just stood there, looking at Qing. "What are you doing? I said let's go?" "Right. We should go." "Then why aren't you going?" "Ahem." He pretended to cough uselessly again. As Qing was watching, wondering why on earth the old man was acting like this, he quietly spoke in a small voice. "I know you have been walking around inside the Formation all this time, but by any chance¡­ Are your feet okay? Even if all this time, you were just pretending to be hurt¡­ You should not strain muscles that have not been used for quite a while." At that, Qing burst intoughter. "If that's your wish, Gramps." As Qing spread her arms, Choi Leeong carefully lifted her into his arms with a familiar attitude. Even after her identity as a fake cripple had been exposed to the world, Qing shamelessly became a passenger again, following her Crutch through the main gate of the mansion. Then suddenly, a thought urred to her. But whose illusion is this? The owner of the illusion seems to be pretty normal, huh? His mind isn¡¯t full of degeneracy. Well, whatever. Who cares who the owner is. Chapter 99: Heavenly Demon Tomb (7) The Demonic Adept who took down Shaolin Temple's signboard and put up the Heavenly Demon Temple¡¯s sign was said to be a Guardian with an affiliation to the Shrine. This individual had sailed across the vast ocean leading dozens of ships. As such, he couldn¡¯t be identified because themand ship was far away, and Choi Leeong had no idea who it was either. But in Qing's eyes, he seemed like the manliest man in the Demonic Cult. It was truly a journey over mountains and across seas. Whether it was luck or not, they finally managed to encounter the only small boy among the Demonic Cult Masters. "Yo. Kiddo." "...?" Ji Seungju's eyes widened. Given that Ji Seungju usually had no expression, one could roughly guess how surprised he was. "What? Why are you so surprised? As if you've seen someone you shouldn't." "You... you're alive?" "What do you mean 'alive'? Since when did I die?" "I clearly saw your corpse. And it was in a ce modeled after the front yard of the Divine Cult's Holy Fire Hall." "Holy Fire Temple?" "It is the mansion where the Great Guardians reside. It seems someone wants to kill you badly enough to create an illusion of your death. Be careful. Even though it is an illusion, they might try to kill you if they see you." For reference, this conversationpletely left out one person. Choi Leeong cleared his throat. "Ahem." "Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, you are safe too. That is a relief." "I heard the Demonic Brain was trying to remove the Formation, so I came to help. How is the progress?" "I have removed a few cornerstones, but I cannot even begin to fathom how many wereid down. For now, I have applied the Nine Pce Method to the Eight Trigrams and used the Dissolution Mountain, but..." "I see. As I wasing, I saw the Imaginary Heaven's Peerless Time with the Terra Vital Road." "Ah, then in the Southern Heaven Section, we just need to remove the four simr methods of Spirit Trigram, Spirit Sky, Emerging River, and Flying Array." Some kind of extremely professional terminology was suddenly unleashed. From that point on, it was the start of a conversation Qing couldn't understand at all. Of course, she had no intention of helping anyway. So she soon lost interest and looked around, but there wasn't anything particrly interesting to see. In the end, the bored Qing let out a long yawn. Seeing this, Choi Leeong clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, are you trying to split your mouth like that?" "What else am I supposed to do when I'm sleepy?" "Then you should just sleep properly instead of gaping your mouth so carelessly like that. You are a grown woman. If you had married early, you could have been a mother by now." Qing tilted her head. Isn't this nagging familiar? Do all old people be like this? But Choi Leeong wasn¡¯t actually, nor deserved, the role of such individuals. Qing frowned hard. "Boohoo, who cares? Or more like, why do you care? What does it matter to you whether I be a mother or a father?" "Yournguage is so filthy, girl. How have you be more and more vicious like this? Is it because you are relying on your pretty face?" "Forget it. So, how long do you think it will take?" Choi Leeong looked at Ji Seungju. Ji Seungju looked back and forth between Qing and Choi Leeong with a strange gaze. Then, unable to withstand Choi Leeong's silent urging, he opened his mouth. "I thought it would take at least another day, but with the Demonic Warlord's help, it should be much better. In fact, isn't time pressing since we have no water?" People could endure without food, but they couldn'tst long without water. This was true even for the greatest of Masters. Qing calcted inwardly. Ji Seungju was an expert. A job that would take a full day alone would be halved with this old man's help, so half a day. Then, I can sleep soundly, right? "Since Gramps said he'd do it, I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when the Formation is about to be undone. I want to watch how it turns out." Qing made sure to remind them just in case, then wriggled around trying to find afortable position to rest her head. Finally, she found a position that feltfy enough. It seemed she had already wandered for so long that she had passed her usual sleeping time. As her body rxed, drowsiness washed over her. ----The dismantling of the Formation seemed to take much longer than expected. When Qing woke up after a long, stretching sleep, the scene she saw was that same tiresome great hall of the pce. Choi Leeong looked tired as he went back and forth between mountains, fields, and the pce. Well, the old man would naturally be tired if he kept moving around. Qing, still being carried, started to feel embarrassed. "Gramps, if you're tired, why don't you rest a bit?" "Would a Master be tired from just staying up for a day? There is no need for useless worry." "Or you could put me down. I can walk and run now, you know?" "If you carelessly step somewhere out of curiosity, all the work we've done so far could be wasted. Just staying like this is more than enough help to us." Is that so? Well, if you say so. With this justification, Qing proudly enjoyed her ride. The process of dismantling the Formation waspletely iprehensible to ayman. They would mutter unintelligible words, stand still, turn around, sometimes move backward or sideways, then stop at a point and kick the air. Then an iron ball would pop out of thin air and roll on the ground. This process was repeated endlessly. And on top of that, she was hungry! But she couldn't whine about being hungry when Choi Leeong's already sunken eye sockets were now even more hollow, casting shadows. How could Qing possibly open her mouth to say she was hungry in front of that? Well, fun fact. She did anyway. "I'm starving to death. What are we going to do about food?" "What can we do? We will just have to starve." "Ugh, this sucks. The bastards who set up this Formation should have their dicks cut off. Fight fair and square instead ofying out this kind of crap." "Indeed. You are right. Those damn bastards." Choi Leeong also gritted his teeth. As she continued to starve like that, random thoughts came to mind. If it's like this, wouldn't it be much faster if we woke up a few more people to help? Surely there must be more Formation experts among the Demonic Cult bastards. Wait a minute... Come to think of it, I knocked out a few people to see the location of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, didn't I? Haven't they woken up? Gramps regained his senses, but... As Qing was thinking about this, a voice suddenly caught her attention. "Mom." "Hoho, my son." "Mom." "Yes, mother is here. My son." Qing turned towards the sound and frowned at the strange sight. It was a beautiful woman with a vicious face. While her face showed nothing but hatred, she was gently stroking the head of her grown son resting on herp, speaking in a caring voice. However, the son's face looked familiar. "Ah! That motherfucker! Living the high life, huh?" It was the Alleged Supreme, a bright smile stered on his face. "Gramps, put me down for a sec. I already decided I wouldn't let that fucker off easy." "You need to say things that make sense. Can you not see how I am watching such a sight without being able to do anything? Why would I be going through all this trouble if I could do something about it?" "Tch." Qing clicked her tongue. That fucker was iming to be in the Natural Realm. But in the end, he's just trapped in the Formation, ying with his mommy. But this is also kinda unexpected. I thought the Alleged Supreme would take the highest seat and go on about being the emperor and all that crap. But his most desired illusion is just cuddling with his mommy? Qing made a disgusted face and asked. "This is the Alleged Supreme's illusion, right? This is supposed to show the most desired illusion, yeah? Is this really what that good-for-nothing piece of shit Alleged Whatever wants?" "Even the Supreme is pitiful if you think about it. He never got to be held by his mother even once, so such a regret manifests like this." "What do you mean by that?" "It is the karma thates with Divine Blood. Tsk tsk." A vessel carrying Divine Blood could not possibly be ordinary. With strong bones and muscles, vast Qi and majestic blood, a clear Upper Dantian, and powerful Innate True Qi, they usually kidnapped the most suitable women from the Central ins to bear children with Divine Blood. As such, it was rare for a mother to develop maternal instincts for a child she was forced to bear against her will. The face she made when looking at the child she gave birth to was full of daggers, and when she opened her mouth, the sharp des she spewed made her tongue truly worthy of possibly being called the Greatest Swordsman Under Heaven. "Mom." "Yes. My son. My lovely son." "Mom." "Yes. I love you too. My son." The anger etched on the woman's face as she said these words was crystal clear. Yet when hearing just her voice, it was so loving that it was rather chilling. "Wait, but why does the mom's face look like that?" "He has probably never seen any other expression in his life. He cannot even dream of a different expression. Even if it is in his imagination." Qing was at a loss for words, her mouth just opening and closing. The mother was ring with a face full of venom, yet the Alleged Supreme still had a bright, happy expression. Qing sighed deeply and swallowed her curses. Seriously, fuck. Every single one of these Demonic Cult fuckers are the same. Not a single one of them is normal. ----The dismantling of the Formation took ce long after that. It was enough time to be hungry, thirsty, nod off, and even get a headache to the point where she couldn't sleep anymore. Qing had sunken eyes with an aching head. Suddenly, Choi Leeong stopped walking and spoke. "The Formation is disappearing." "Ah. Seriously..." I thought I was going to die from exhaustion. That was the unspokentter part. Ironically enough, this was what Qing thought. Let it be known once again that she had only been dozing off while being carried. At this point, she could congratte herself on achieving the feat ofpletely wearing down her ¡®triangle of conscience¡¯ into a perfect circle. Like paper burning in dying embers, the world slowly started to burn away. Ashes scattered everywhere, and beyond them, the dim tomb chamber gradually revealed itself. Even though all the torches in the tomb had burned out, it wasn'tpletely dark, which must be why Banchi's technique of drawing light through small holes from outside the tomb was said to have reached the realm of Immortals. The Demonic Cult members started to break free from their illusions. Regretful sighs, asional sobs of loss, or frustrated shouts echoed in the stone chamber. Some even copsed, sobbing and muttering names only they knew. This was the reason why Ji Seungju had mentioned how terrible this Formation was. When caught in the illusion, one did not want to leave on their own, and even after the Formation was dismantled, they writhed in terrible feelings of loss. It was truly the essence of malice. And because of this, Qing's opportunity hade. "Heup!" Qing jumped out of Choi Leeong's arms with a Thwop. "Child?" "Hehe, it's been a long time of humiliation..." At the same time, Qing stomped on the ground hard. It was the Anti-Gravity Step of the Yue Maiden Footwork. A human shadow fell over the radiance of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, a triangr pyramid shining alone in the darkness. Finally, Qing grasped the glowing triangr pyramid in her hand. Qing took a deep breath, and then a loud voice filled the tomb chamber. "Now! Attention! Everyone, can you see this!" In that instant, everyone's gaze turned to Qing. The dazed eyes, still affected by the aftermath of the broken illusions, soon discovered the Divine Relic in Qing's hand and changed to their respective reactions. Some widened their eyes in shock, some just blinked in confusion. Others immediately knelt down and bowed their heads. Among them, Qing made eye contact with Ji Seungju, whose mouth was gaping, and winked at him. Looking at Ji Seungju's mouth shape, she could tell what he was saying even without hearing it. Damn it. Fucking bullshit. And the Alleged Supreme. Where the fuck is that bastard? Oh, the fuck? He still hasn'te to his senses? The Alleged Supreme was still standing nkly with a dazed look. How can he be like this at the most important moment? Well, after I break the Heavenly Demon Spirit, he'll probably make some interesting expressions. Qing took another deep breath. Now it was really the end. Once she left the tomb chamber and destroyed it, it would be goodbye to these annoying Demonic Cult bastards. Just as Qing was about to deliver her lines... Choi Leeong's shout cut her off. "No! Child! Put it down right now! Quickly! If someone unqualified touches the Divine Relic¡­! That cannot happen!" It was a desperate cry as if he was coughing up blood. His widely opened eyes were shaking, and the emotion contained in them was clear fear. Fear? Terror? Qing read fear in Choi Leeong's expression. Why on earth? "I said put it down! Please! Are you trying to die twice in front of your father!" Suddenly, her hand felt itchy. Qing looked down at her hand nkly. "Uh...?" Qing made a dumbfounded sound. After all, anyone would make a dumbfounded sound if they saw a self-illuminating triangr pyramid slowly seeping into their palm. Chapter 100: Heavenly Demon Tomb (8) Originally, a general does not stand at the front. It might look good for a general who should bemanding troops to charge bravely while shouting "Follow me!" But if he were to get hit by an arrow and fall, the army's morale would instantly shatter and battle tactics would be all but lost without saidmander. So a general standing at the front was purely a decision made to fulfill a selfish desire, not a virtue at all. Unless it was a situation where risking one's life was necessary. Strictly speaking, there was no reason for the Alleged Supreme to personally go on this expedition. He could have just sat regally on his high throne and received the Heavenly Demon Spirit brought to him by his subordinates. In fact, the current Supreme was practically a figurehead who was not even invited to meetings run by the Demonic Cult leaders. It would be strange for such an Alleged Supreme to take up a spot on this potentially dangerous Heavenly Demon Spirit expedition. Yet the Demonic Cult's Supreme was here. This was because the Heavenly Demon Spirit was a Divine Relic of the cult that humans dared not transport. That those unqualified must not touch. It was an object the Supreme had to personally acquire. And as a result, Qing, who coveted such a possession, paid the price. As if the ground had suddenly given way, the dizzying sensation of falling, pulled by gravity, engulfed her entire soul. Qing's consciousness faded. Meanwhile. Qing's body was also suffering in its own way. From the Heavenly Demon Spirit that had burrowed halfway into her palm, a pungent and heavy Demonic Qi exploded outwards. Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. It was a crystallization of malice formed by the Demon God Angra Mainyu, who had condensed all the despair in the world. The Demonic Qi devoured Qing's body and spread in all directions, swirling and whirling around. Thus, in the center of the tomb chamber, a majestic vortex of darkness shaped like the universe formed. Seeing this, Ji Seungju shook his head. He had expected that she would eventually cause big trouble from the moment she split the heads of Divine Cult officials during transport. But he didn't think she'd be so foolish as to not even know she would die. Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi was an energy humans could not handle. Even those with bloodlines that carried the Demonic must have their meridians nourished through special procedures from a young age, and cultivate the basic arts of the Divine Veins to barely be vessels capable of holding the Heavenly Demon Spirit. If someone unqualified tried to contain the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi, their body, unable to withstand the rough Demonic Qi that was evil incarnate, would shatter into pieces and burst. The Demonic Qi that lost its vessel would return to the Heavenly Demon Spirit, making it nothing but a meaningless, stupid death. As Ji Seungju was clicking his tongue like that... "No..." Beside him, Choi Leeong copsed to the ground. Ji Seungju shook his head as he watched this scene. Only the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord ended up in such a pitiful state. Ji Seungju had seen Qing's corpse in the Formation. It was a bloody corpse sprawled out in an illusory ce modeled after the Holy Fire Hall. However, Qing was perfectly alive. So he thought someone who hated Qing had created an illusion to kill her. Or it was traces of enjoyment by a Demonic Adept with a time fetish. Now that he thought about it, the owner of that illusion was the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord himself. No wonder his attitude towards Qing seemed off. His mind had bepletely sundered inside the Formation. Qing and his dead daughter had mixed and be one, so his daughter's corpse took on Qing's form. Thanks to that, he ended up witnessing his daughter's death twice, which was truly a thing of sorrow. But Choi Leeong had long been a dead man walking. More important than that, it was time tofort the pathetic Supreme. The Supreme was still in a state where he couldn't wake up from the lost illusion. As Ji Seungju approached the Supreme... "Oh, the Heavenly Demon!" "The Heavenly Demon is descending!" Excited shouts. Ji Seungju's head whipped around, and soon the young Demonic Brain's eyes widened. The Demonic Qi that had been swirling in the shape of the universe contracted into a single point for a split second. It was a space so ck it couldn't be seen. Then, darkness rising in two branches spread its wings towards the sky, burning ck like fierce mes and filling the tomb chamber. Enormous wings. And such wings opened their eyes. Thousands of eyes lifted their vicious eyelids one by one, in their own order. Each eye, small andrge and tilted, had its own arbitrary number of pupils. Some eyes had one pupil, others two, three, or even more. A woman with wings spread like ck walls. On the wings were thousands of eyes and even more pupils. The cult members who faced this mythical incarnation of evil pressed their knees to the ground. A brief moment that felt like eternity passed. The wings had vanished without a trace. In the center, a girl took her first human breath. The Second Coming of the Heavenly Demon. It was the moment when the Divine Cult's long-cherished wish came true. ¡ª- When she opened her eyes, it was already dark around her. Qing jumped up from her seat in surprise. "That's right! The Heavenly Demon Spirit!" With a scraping sound, the chair fell over backwards with a crash. Qing turned her head to look around, then froze when she saw the five-legged chair with wheels. Wait a minute... Qing looked around. It was a dim room with ckout curtains blocking all light, illuminated only by the faint glow of a monitor. The feeling was unfamiliar yet strange, but at the same time, it was an incredibly familiar scene. Qing felt along the wall and turned on the light. It was an almost unconscious action. The LED light instantly drove away the darkness. Next to the sink was a 138L refrigerator. Qing reflexively opened the fridge and naturally pulled out a can of beer. With a click, she opened the lid and put it to her lips. The ice-cold beer scraped down her throat. "Ahh. So cold. Whew." The cold beer dropped down into her empty stomach. Only then did her dazed mind clear up. Qing burst outughing. What kind of crazy dream was that? Going into a game? Da fok? Qing checked the clock first. It was 10:23 PM. Wait a minute. Was I on night shift or day shift? The matter of a day or night shift was a major issue. It was rted to sleep time. As such, knowing it was crucial; the wisdom of production workers long gone and forever remaining urged them to maintain their biorhythm for even a few days. If it was day shift, she should sleep now, and if it was night shift, she should stay up all night and sleep in the morning. But she couldn't remember her work schedule at all. Of course I wouldn¡¯t. That was years ago. No, wait what? Years? That was just in a dream. The fuck am I saying. But it really feels like years have passed. Qing frowned and thought for a long time. But she still couldn't remember anything. With no other choice, Qing scanned the desk. She picked up the familiar smartphone and unconsciously drew an unfamiliar pattern. She must have touched something wrong, because as soon as it unlocked, the camera app opened. The face of a pretty girl reflected on the screen. "Huh?" Qing looked at the smartphone screen in surprise. A chunk of hair above her right ear hade loose and was fluttering. Qing skillfully untied her hair and tied it back up. After doing so, she felt strange... -A woman's body? Women aren't born with Divine Veins, though? It was a sudden voice. Qing's head whipped around. It was a beautiful voiceing from the speakers. The screen showed a scene from the game. A beautiful girl drawn in an elegant style was reflected, and in the letterbox at the bottom, the previous dialogue was being erased as new text appeared. Qing read the text in the letterbox. [The Heavenly Demon frowned and muttered. But that was only for a moment. The Heavenly Demon couldn't help but exim in admiration.] ¡ª- "A woman's body? Women are not supposed to be born with Divine Veins, though?" The Heavenly Demon frowned and muttered. Perhaps due to the heavy weight hanging on her1 chest, her shoulders felt stiff. As a result, just the act of standing felt awkward and ufortable. She had lived dozens of lives, but had never been in a woman's body before. But that was only for a moment. As the Heavenly Demon observed this body, she couldn't help but exim in admiration. The muscles seemed to be woven from steel, capable of lifting mountains, and the tendons were tough yet flexible, far surpassing the limits of humans the Heavenly Demon knew. And the vastness of the dantian was more marvelous than any body she had experienced before, to a level that could hardly be called human. None of the previous bodies had been able to fully contain the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. And that was precisely why the Heavenly Demon couldn't stay on earth for long after descending. But what about this body? It could fully contain the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi and still had room to spare. The Heavenly Demon frowned. There was True Qi hiding in the Upper Dantian, avoiding the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi swirling in the Lower Dantian. And not just one, but several. True Qis that should sh as opposites, not unified in Yin and Yang, were strangely clustered tightly together in a corner of the Upper Dantian. It was as if they were guarding something. But their actions weren¡¯t particrly important. The Heavenly Demon quickly dismissed it and fully admired the body. "What does it matter if it is a woman's body? I quite like this body. To think that you would only be at the Peak Realm with such a physique. You must have been quitecking in talent, hm?" It was a quiet ce where dozens of cult members knelt in the tomb chamber, not daring to even make a sound of breathing. Breaking this silence, creaking and grinding sounds of bones twisting began to flow. The sound wasing from the Heavenly Demon's body. As bones settled into ce and muscles reattached, the skin writhed and bulged. This was called Overhaul Rebirth. By literally changing bones to take the most perfect form, it was a phenomenon where a body that had reached the Transcendent Realm was reassembled to transform into the best possible form. In other words, it could be called the optimization of the flesh. The Heavenly Demon continued walking even during this Overhaul Rebirth. It was truly an amazing feat. Anyone else would have been defenseless during the moment of Overhaul Rebirth. It was a process where all joints dislocated, bones grew or were shaved down, and muscles loosened thenpressed and reattached. It was something experienced only once in a lifetime after reaching the Transcendent Realm. Along with the pain, one couldn¡¯t help but lose their mind in confusion at the strange sensation of the body being reassembled. But the Heavenly Demon had experienced this enough to be familiar with it. To the extent that she could walk without staggering even as the Overhaul Rebirth took ce. When the Heavenly Demon finally finished reassembling into a woman's form, a peerless beauty appeared, as if even darkness would be ashamed and draw back its ck curtains. "Demonic Brain, are you there? Who is the Demonic Brain of this generation?" "The Heavenly Demon has descended, all demons bow down. This lowly one is Ji Seungju. I greet the owner of this soul, as well as the future." Ji Seungju stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully. The Heavenly Demon extended her white, slender fingers. The beautiful hand stroked Ji Seungju's head. "Oh my. Such a young Demonic Brain. This is the first time I have had such a young Demonic Brain in all my long lives. This means I shall be keeping you by my side for a long time. That pleases me even more. I look forward to working with you." The Heavenly Demon's words were gentle and loving. It was the words of the Heavenly Demon Supreme, who was a living god, as well as the long history of the Divine Cult itself. "Yes, o¡¯ Heavenly Demon Supreme." Ji Seungju's voice trembled with emotion. That's when it happened. "Heavenly Demon Supreme! There is a body here! A proper body for you to take!" A voice dared to ring out without permission. At the same time, an old man sprang up. He grabbed the Supreme's nape and mmed her to the ground, then knelt on top of her, pressing her down. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he also irreverently opened his mouth without even asking permission to speak.
    1. Though the Heavenly Demon was originally male, since "he" is in Qing's body, I decided to continue to use the "she" pronoun.
Chapter 101: Heavenly Demon Tomb (9) "O¡¯ Great Heavenly Demon Supreme, here is your true Divine Blood." "I have already achieved my Second Coming. Moreover, why should I take an inferior tool when I have a better one, even if it carries Divine Blood?" "However, this is what I prepared for y-" "Enough. Could it be that this child is precious to you?" "She is... my inadequate daughter." But the Heavenly Demon shook her head. "That cannot be. The acupoints are no longer those of a living body; it is nothing but a demonic entity with dead blood flowing through it. How can you call it a human's daughter? It is merely a corpse with its soul having already departed." ording to the Book of Rites1, one of the Five ssics2, humans wereposed of Hun and Po. Hun was the spirit and soul, thus called the mind. Po was the flesh and matter, thus called the body. So when a person dies, the Hun ascends to heaven, passes through the underworld, and enters reincarnation, while the Po bes a corpse that falls to the ground, decays, and merges with the world. When the body dies, the soul naturally departs. But very rarely, the opposite happens: the soul dies and only the body remains, with the heart still beating and breath still flowing. But how long could a body evenst without a soul? Even if one breathes life into it with utmost care and forcefully mashes food down its throat, it cannot survive past the forty-nine days it takes for the Hun to enter reincarnation and disappear. However, there was a joke among Jiangshi Sorcerers. If you keep a soulless body alive until the exact moment it takes itsst breath on the forty-ninth day, couldn't another soul enter due to a mistake in theherworld, and the dead person be reborn as a living one? It would be a living corpse with dead blood flowing through it. Since all toxins act on the blood, what more harm could be done to blood that was already dead? Originally, the most difficult part of creating a Jiangshi was the damage caused by the toxicity of the drugs. But what if it didn't deteriorate from the toxicity even when doused with the world's most potent drugs? It was a joke that contained the wishes of Jiangshi Sorcerers. The Heavenly Demon didn't know such details, of course. Nevertheless, she could still tell that the spirituality of the blood had already died just by observing the body. However, it wasn¡¯t like Choi Leeong's current state was normal either. "That is right! My child had already died but returned like this! Please take pity on a father who has already lost his child once..." The Heavenly Demon sighed deeply. "I have existed in this world for my entire life, rejecting even death, all for the sake of the cult's long-cherished wish. It is topletely ughter those detestable oppressors of the Central ins and achieve true liberation." "But..." "Now that I have such a body, there is nothing to fear in the world, and the time hase to fulfill our wish. Are you saying I should give up on our great cause for your personal feelings at such a time?" "The body I prepared for you is surely enough to..." "Do you truly think so?" "Please, I beg for your mercy." The Heavenly Demon red at Choi Leeong with Qing's face. Everything in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult came from the Heavenly Demon. Even its cruelty. As such, her reaction was all too obvious. "Is a mere connection in the human world so precious to you? Your heart has already left the Divine Cult. How dare you stand before the representative of the Heavenly God and Demon God with your head raised, having turned your back on the doctrines andmandments?" The Heavenly Demon was called such because she was the incarnation of the Heavenly God Ahura Mazda and the Demon God Angra Mainyu. She was also the incarnation of a god of destruction who abandoned the Heavenly God's creation of life and took the Demon God's power to crush the outdated oppressors of the Central ins. And the anger of this very living god was directed at the old Great Demonic Adept. Choi Leeong trembled. But even in the midst of that, he cried out indignantly. "A mere connection in the human world, you say! How can you say such a thing! You too are human! How dare you im mere martial arts intertwined with Imagery as divine power!" The day the Demon God had set to destroy the world was still billions of years away, at the end of eternity. Any end thates before that is not the will of God, and moreover, there is no reason for God to want to destroy the insignificant Central ins. As such, the Heavenly Demon was human. Just a mere human clumped together with hatred for the Central ins. Martial arts were human tools that recreated nature through Imagery, so wasn¡¯t itughable to pretend to be a representative by imitating the Demon God? That was essentially what Choi Leeong was saying. "How dare you!" The Heavenly Demon raised a finger and pointed at Choi Leeong. She had surpassed the Transcendent Realm and achieved Overhaul Rebirth, but as the body was still young, she hadn't undergone Body Reconstruction yet. As such, it was unknown how far the Heavenly Demon's martial prowess had risen. However, the pitch-ck Force gathering at her fingertip already contained an absolute destruction that could not be blocked by the martial prowess of a ¡®mere¡¯ Unrestrained Realm Master. The Heavenly Demon Finger. It was the infamous Force Arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. ck death extended from her fingertip. The straight line of Force that stretched out did not aim for Choi Leeong's head. Suddenly, a Demonic Cult member who had been lying prostrate to the right of her outstretched finger exploded. Human debris scattered in all directions. Choi Leeong looked back and forth between the Heavenly Demon and the blood stain left behind in the shape of a sun during an eclipse. "...?" ----Qing, holding the mouse, muttered in disbelief. "What the hell? Suddenly shootingser beams? Is this even allowed in wuxia?" Of course, Murim had a fuckload of outrageous things when I experienced it firsthand. But even so, isn't shootingsers a bit much? Shouldn't it at least pretend to be some kind of martial art? Even Master always rode on a sword when flying around, to at least keep up a pretense. Then, she could at least insist it was something simr to swordsmanship. But if you stretch out your finger and aser beames out, isn't that more of a robot rather than a human? Or maybe a lich or some other endgame monster that could be categorized as a Mage. For reference, this was actually the first time Qing had controlled this game with a keyboard and mouse. She had been thrown into Murim right after creating her character, so she hadn't actually enjoyed the main game for even a second. It went without saying that she didn't know the control keys. As such, she was in the middle of pressing various buttons. And when she saw that the old man was about to die, she frantically clicked all over. Fortunately, even though it was a game made by uncivilized ching chongs, it adhered to the fundamental control method of right-clicking to target enemies. Even though they¡¯re fucking chinks3 who don't even follow internationalw, should I at least praise them for matching international standards for the game interface? Or should I say it's typical of those uncivilized ching chong motherfuckers who consider giarism a virtue? Maybe they just copied and pasted a familiar UI? At any rate, Qing was a skilled gamer. And following this logic, this also meant that being able to quickly adapt to basic controls without seeing instructions was very, very easy for her. ----The ck beam repeatedly sliced through the air. Every time she pointed a finger, it hit with 100% uracy, causing Demonic Cult members to explode. Even middle-aged managers who massacred countless belly buttons with their dad jokes couldn't physically make people explode, so this truly could be called a godly move befitting a superior. The Heavenly Demon shouted angrily. "W-What are you doing! Stop this immediately!" But her body moved on its own; suddenly her legs stepped in a strange footwork pattern, her knees gave quick beats of momentum, her waist twisted, and her arms swung. It was the dazzling dance of a K-pop boy group that shook a world different from the Central ins, boasting of their bulletproof (Bangtan4) nature. Then suddenly the dance stopped, and she jumped back and forth, side to side, front to front, side side side, shaking her body in a dizzying manner, before spinning rapidly in ce. The Demonic Cult members pretended not to see the Heavenly Demon's crazy actions, gritting their teeth and maintaining solemn expressions. "You wench, stop it, I said stop it! Behave yourse-!" The Heavenly Demon suddenly recalled the True Qis stuck in the Upper Dantian. They seemed to be tightly wrapping and protecting something. It must be the original owner's soul hiding there. The Heavenly Demon roused the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. Demonic Qi in the form of a hideous shape with eyes densely packed became a high tidal wave, devouring the meridians and boiling violently. A powerful hostility, the realm of which was not in the least decipherable. This massive flow created through countless lives, charged forward with spearheads raised. Compared to that, Qing's True Qi was merely a handful. Qing's True Qi, regardless of Yin and Yang or Orthodox and Unorthodox, united as one in the face of crisis. They tightly embraced each other and built a wall in preparation for the impact. And then, BANG! Unfortunately, the difference in Enlightenment was also a difference in level. As such, there was too great a gap between Qing and the Heavenly Demon's levels. Qing's True Qis crumbled in one hit. The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi wedged into that gap and burrowed in. * BOOM! Qing, who had been giggling while holding the mouse, was startled. Anyone would be startled if they saw a strange person appear by breaking through an one-room apartment wall. At the same time, a reflexive scream burst out. "No! My deposit!" The man who had broken through the wall scanned the surroundings. He was wearing only a pair of shorts on his broad shoulders. His exposed upper body was so densely covered in scars that it was hard to find a spot without them. Qing, amon citizen whose knees would go weak just at the sight of tattoos, was faced with something even worse: traces of surgical procedure tha resulted in full-body muttion. Qing tucked in her neck and spoke. "Um,ing all the way here is, how should I put it... a bit unfair, isn't it? It¡¯s kinda cheating. Are you forreal right now? Breaking through walls anding for an IRL fight just because of a little prank is too much, don't you think?" "You seem more cowardly than I thought. When I lost control of the body, I expected a more dignified soul to shine through." "Hehe. Well, you know how it usually is... Everyone hiding behind a screen is a third-generation chaebol who graduated from Seoul National University, got their master's degree, ps pro gamers silly, and is a cute girl who'spleted military service..." "Ha. I do not understand what you are saying, but I can tell you are not even worth dealing with." At that, Qing smiled awkwardly. "Of course, of course. Don't mind me and just continue with what you were doing. I'll just stay here quie-" Qing couldn't finish her sentence. Because people who have their heads exploded can't continue speaking. Qing's headless body fell from the chair and rolled on the floor with a st. Bright red blood spread across the yellow linoleum. The Heavenly Demon stretched his mouth into a smile and closed his eyes. And at the same time, the Heavenly Demon opened her eyes. She slowly curled her fingers one by one, finally clenching her fist tightly and turning her head. Her wrathful gaze was directed at Choi Leeong. "Your wench of a daughter was quite insolent." "W-What..." "If she hadn't acted up, she could have at least lived on in consciousness to witness our great cause. This must also be because the father failed to educate her properly." As Choi Leeong's expression became wrought with despair, the Heavenly Demon again spread her fingers. Pitch-ck Force was released from her fingertips, forming a spherical Force Compression, and a destructive straight line extended out. Choi Leeong simply closed his eyes calmly. Then¡­ It missed!
    1. The Book of Rites, also known as the Liji, is a collection of texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods.2. The Four Books and Five ssics are authoritative and important books associated with Confucianism, written before 300 BC. They are traditionally believed to have been either written, edited ormented by Confucius or one of his disciples. Starting in the Han dynasty, they became the core of the Chinese ssics on which students were tested in the Imperial examination system.3. Genesis Studio took no creative licenses when tranting this. We always trante urately, ording to exactly what the author wrote. Even the differences innguages of "ching chong" and "chink" was done intentionally. We apologize for any difort regarding this.4. A reference to BTS, also known as "Bangtan Boys". Bangtan also means "bulletproof".
Chapter 102: Heavenly Demon Tomb (10) The Demonic Cult member exploded. The cult members kneeling on both sides flinched as chunky liquid sttered on their cheeks. Was it perhaps because it was the uncivilized ancient primitive China that pathologically hated cold water? The fluid was almost scalding hot even when soaking them thoroughly. At this point, even the most devout (or ambitious) Divine Cult believers would start to have their faith shaken. This was the Heavenly Demon Supreme who promised to bring eternal wealth and power through the liberation of the Central ins and the Divine Cult's rule over all under heaven. Yet here she was, bestowing death by shooting Force beams with her finger. The Demonic Cult members kneeling in the innermost circle began to slowly and stealthily back away, ncing around furtively. The Heavenly Demon gritted her teeth and raised her foot. It was said that the Demon God, the Master of the Demonic and destroyer of the world, set the world aze just by walking. The world would turn to ashes and disappear, returning to the void where only darkness remained. The Heavenly Demon's Reigning Step. The first step of devastation that crushes all Po and flesh by trampling the earth. A magnificent energy capable of destroying stars gathered under the Heavenly Demon's foot. Since the original owner's will was trying to protect this sphemous old man, her vicious intention was to destroy the entire space. It was a good attempt. But just before the Heavenly Demon's foot touched the ground, the energy suddenly scattered, turning it into just an ordinary step. If it hadn't been for that, Choi Leeong would have be a t corpse like a squashed frog. At that moment, there was a sudden mysterious movement, and the Heavenly Demon's foot slid back as if flowing like rivers and seas. The opposite foot followed with the same technique, making it look like the Heavenly Demon was advancing majestically while actually retreating backwards1. This was a miracle that people couldn't believe even if they saw it with their own eyes. It is the principle of the world that when a person walks, they push the ground away and their body moves forward. The great Heavenly Demon had demonstrated the power to break even that obviousness. "...?" While it was an amazing technique, why? Why suddenly? The solemn silence that had fallen over the tomb chamber began to take on a slightly awkward and ufortable air. It was like that eternal awkwardness when your friend leaves you alone with their friend whom you've just met. In that ufortable atmosphere, only the Heavenly Demon kept moving backwards in a circle while facing forward. How dare mere humans try to understand the will of the great Demon God! The Demonic Cult members could onlyment as their eyes trembled. * Riiip! The duct tape that had patched up the wall was roughly torn off. Having passed through the tape wall with her body, it naturally stuck all over him. The Heavenly Demon, who had been iling about as if chasing away bugs, finally threw away the ball of duct tape he had managed to clump together. "Ah. You're here?" Qing greeted the Heavenly Demon cheerfully. She was holding a chicken leg in each hand. "Sorry, but I can't give up the chicken legs. Of course, the wings and drumsticks are off-limits too, and the juicy part between the thigh and body is mine as well. The breast meat, well, it has its own chewing texture. So choose between the right or left chicken breast. Right? Left?" Offering mere chicken breast, not even the tenderloin, was an insult worthy of getting pped by a guest. But it was an overly generous gesture for an uninvited guest who had broken through the wall and destroyed her security deposit. The Heavenly Demon raised his voice in anger, stumbling over his words. "What, what on earth is going on? Surely the root of your existence, your very Hun and Po, should have been damaged...!" "Not telling. Well, the feeling of having your head explode was surprisingly okay. I'd say there was a certain sense of liberation." Then she bit into the chicken leg heartily. The Heavenly Demon frowned. And as he raised his hand to point his finger... "Stop! Stop that finger!" Qing hurriedly shouted, spraying half-chewed chicken from her mouth. "Hey now, don't mess with someone while they're eating. Even dogs bite when disturbed while eating, you know? I might just go more batshit crazy than dogs do. I was born human! I can¡¯t lose to those mongrels!" The Heavenly Demon's mind went nk for a moment at this nonsense she had never heard before. "...So, you are saying you shall be worse than a dog?" "If you dance the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance in front of your believers, you'll regret it and think 'Ah fuck, I should've just quietly watched a mukbang instead¡¯, don¡¯t you think?" This Heavenly Demon was also the one who had epted the Bliss Pce. After all, all Heavenly Demons were this man. He knew what kind of dance the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance was. If the Supreme of a religion were to strip and perform such a vulgar seduction, their reputation would be shattered forever. (Though it was something Heavenly Demons in other worlds often did.) The Heavenly Demon's mouth gaped in disbelief, and finally, with a deep sigh, he lowered his pointed finger. "Fine. I will no longer touch your father. Is that enough now? Really, like father, like daughter. Clinging to such petty emotions. How can you, born as a daughter of the Divine Cult, interfere with our long-cherished wish of liberating the Central ins?" This was a major misunderstanding on the Heavenly Demon's part. In fact, it was an unavoidable misunderstanding. The body the Heavenly Demon saw was a living corpse. Naturally, he thought it had been created by Divine Cult members to receive the Heavenly Demon Spirit. But when the old man jumped out to interfere, he thought it was because the old man who had breathed life into it and fed it for forty-nine days had be attached and saw it as his daughter. And that the soul that had entered also took the old man as its father and gave him affection. He had roughly drawn such a touching story in his mind. However, it was a grand misfire. "Huh? My father? Daughter of the Divine Cult? What are you yapping about?" "I mean that insolent old man outside." "Ah. Gramps? Gramps isn't my father!" It was just pure, bright irreverence. The Heavenly Demon asked seriously. "What nonsense are you spouting? Clearly..." "That old man's been a bit offtely. I saw it too, he'spletely lost it. I don't have a hobby of pretending to be someone else, nor do I want to." Qing had also seen Choi Leeong's passionate performance beyond the screen. In fact, it was apletely unwee attitude. She had only saved him because she had grown fond of him and pitied him, but if it weren't for this current situation, she would have immediately started some of that radioactive physical therapy to make hime to his senses. "Then why on earth are you interfering?" "Are you seriously asking because you don't know? Do you think I'd just stand by and watch as you all rush in while spouting nonsense about liberating the Central ins?" "Haa. So it was merely your ignorance that was the reason." "What? No, why do these people always..." "Enough. You will understand once you see with your own eyes." The Heavenly Demon cut off Qing's words and raised his hand. Then the four walls of the one-room apartment fell backwards, revealing the outside scenery. Hey now, why the fuck are you dismantling someone else's house as you please? Qing grumbled, saying ¡®Let's see how great the thing you're going to show me is¡¯, as she continued to tear into her chicken leg. It was somewhere in the Central ins, full of people who were weak from hunger. Emaciated and ragged people were just sprawled about, with no sign of vitality to be found. It was nothing short of aplete slum. About ten men were walking around, checking on the fallen people. They spoke to them and waved their hands in front of their faces. Finally, upon finding a corpse, they poked and prodded it, shook it, and when there was still no response, they picked it up with a faint smile. As the men carried the corpses, at the end there was a huge cauldron- "STOP! Halt right there! What are you doing while someone's eating? Even if you think this will make me yield, you're greatly mistaken. It's obvious this is just propaganda by you Demonic Cult bastards." "I saw it myself. For over ten years, summers were cold and rain ceased, so crops couldn't grow. The animals were eaten long ago, and even after boiling tree bark to eat, even the trees withered away. It was an era where people just ate each other's corpses to survive." "Ah. So this is for real?" "However, not everyone went hungry. Look." The world seemed to blur like a watercolor painting, then came into focus again, revealing a splendid pce. It was a grand banquet with all sorts of delicacies spread out on a huge tablerge enough for twenty strong men to lie down on. The man sitting at the head of the table, as well as everyone else at the table, had bulging bellies and multiple chins, their figures extremely ample. "That man is the viceroy of the city we just saw. Instead of looking after his starving people, he squeezed them dry and heldvish feasts for every meal. The Daoist next to him is some Elder from Mount Hua, and everyone sitting here are either so-called Righteous Experts of the Orthodox Faction or the rich they protect with their swords." "Is that Mount Hua the same Mount Hua?" "Is it just Mount Hua? Shaolin Monks, Wudang Daoists, all those who call themselves the prestigious Nine Sects and One Union. They all cling to power and take the lead in exploitation." Wait, Orthodox Murim has such a dark past? Qing's eyes widened. "The Orthodox Faction did not exist in that era. Originally, it was like that, so isn't it ridiculous howter on the same bastards divided themselves into Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions?" For the Orthodox Faction to exist, there needed to be an Unorthodox Faction and a Demonic Path. Without the Unorthodox Faction and Demonic Path, there was no need to distinguish and gather only the more polite and courteous ones among the sword-wielding thugs. If one had to ssify, there were only two groups: the government and Murim, and even then, it was an era where the government ced Murim below them and treated them as unpaid volunteers to use for free. "What the¡­ This is just an old story, then." "Keep watching. See how they oppressed those who were just crying out to be saved." The scene unfolds. An old man begging just to be saved from hunger, pleading for just a handful of grain, was met with only harsh beatings. The old man who had been begging for even a bit of rice porridge to feed his sick child died like that, and his body was seized by pitiful, hungry ghouls who saw it not as a corpse, but as meat. Unable to bear the sight, one martial artist stood up. It was the man standing before Qing's eyes. And so, raising a red g shaped like the sacred fire of the Fire Worship Cult, he stood up, and soon the people's fervent- "Wait. Can you not wave that red g? Why a red g of all things? Besides, this makes you the Yellow Turban Bandits2, doesn't it?" Wasn't this a ching chong game? Is it really okay to wave a red g3 and say let's build a people's nation together? The reason she thought this way was because Qing hadn't yed the game. In the game, this waspletely hidden and didn't even appear as a single line in the background. "Yes, I admit it. Some cult members did call for the seconding of the Yellow Turbans. The results were simr too." Spears and swords flew at themon people who had only risen up asking to be allowed to live. The spears belonged to the army, and the swords to the martial artists. And suddenly the scene shifted to the desperate escape of the survivors after the suppression. They were a group that crossed mountains and rivers, traversed deserts with countless deaths, and finally reached a massive mountain range. It was the beginning of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. "And so, what remains is revenge. For me, and for all the descendants of the Divine Cult, there remains a revenge that must be carried out." The man whose body was covered in scars, having lost all his family, friends, and revolutionaryrades, spoke. All those countless scars were the graves of friends buried in his heart. It was the grudge that burned even as he rejected death, calling himself the destroyer of the world. Faced with this burning me, Qing spoke. "Motherfucker yapping some mad bullshit, huh." "What?" "The revenge is only left for you. The Demonic Cult bastards don't have any thoughts of revenge left at all." Qing recalled her not-so-short life in the Demonic Cult. They were a group of retards that didn¡¯t have a single speck of normalcy, but maybe that was natural given that the bitch known as their leader was like this. "If you've aged and experienced the years in your life you should die gracefully. What's with this ugly desire to keep fighting until you win by changing bodies like some mental parasite?" It was Qing's specialty, the Maw of Hell. "Did you know? Someone who failed from the start is bound to keep failing no matter how many times they try the same method. When people fail, they should think about why they failed and try a different strategy next time, not 'This time the body was weak' or 'Last time we were a bit short on troops.' If you've already failed four times in a row, I'd be so embarrassed I'd just bite my tongue and fucking di-" Thud. It was the fatal weakness of the Maw of Hell. Once the head flies off, it can no longer be unleashed. The Heavenly Demon shouted with a red face. "Very well, then. Let's see how you do. How long do you think a mere Peak Realm worm of a spirit like you canst if I keep killing you until you die? I shall make you regret moving that insolent mouth of yours!"
    1. LMAO MOONWALK2. The Yellow Turban Bandits, also known as the Yellow Turban Army, was a peasant rebel force led by thete Eastern Han dynasty mystic Zhang Jue from Julu Commandery. The Yellow Turbansunched an uprising against the central government in 184, the year of the Jiazi in the Sexagenary cycle.3. In politics, a red g is predominantly a symbol of left-wing ideologies, including socialism,munism, anarchism, and thebour movement. The originally empty or in red g has been associated with left-wing politics since the French Revolution.
Chapter 103: Heavenly Demon Tomb (11) The image of the Heavenly Demon continuously advancing backwards while drawing a circle was an amazing sight no matter how many times one saw it. Just watching was enough for anyone to be fascinated. Moreover, the circle drawn was perfect without any distortion, and all movements were exactly the same without even a millimeter of error, not showing even a hint of humanity. However, separate from that, as time passed, questions about what on earth was happening began to arise. However, how could the Demonic Cult members possibly know the inside story? That even with two minds, the mind manifested externally was in a state of mindlessness, and that it was just repeating the same motion in response to themand 'dance' as an expression of emotion. Ji Seungju felt extremely awkward about the sphemous gazes that asionally reached him, those unfaithful nces that dared to ignore the Heavenly Demon Supreme and look away. As the Secret Pavilion Leader and Demonic Brain, he knew nothing. He had no choice but to pretend not to notice the gazes that kept prodding him to say something, anything. ----The Heavenly Demon had already experienced subduing the same number of minds while changing bodies dozens of times. This meant that when it came to the mind, he was the unparalleled authority in the entire world, including not just the Central ins but also the bordends. (To people of the Central ins, everything outside the Central ins was considered the bordends.) Compared to that, Qing's skill was just at the level of setting up a one-room apartment and making fried chicken. There was nothing exceptional about it; it was just an average level. Even the owners of previous bodies had all done this much. It was nothing more than an instinctive defense mechanism where people visualize the most familiar ce to protect themselves after losing their body. As such, the Heavenly Demon couldn't understand. He couldn'tprehend where the strange immortality of Qing's mental body came from. He could only guess that since the scenery created by Qing's mental body was unfamiliar even in the Heavenly Demon's long life, she might be a person from the very edge of the bordends or beyond. He thought perhaps the barbarians there had developed techniques for handling the mind. "When someone speaks, you should at least pretend to listen." Thud. Plop. "Shit. Let me run my mouth for a bit too." Thud. Plop. "Aren't you getting sick of it yet? At this point, you should know that it¡¯s no u-" "What could it possibly be... This ability to learn..." "Oooooh, loser." "They say if you arecking in the head, your body suffers." Plop, plop, plop. Countless headless corpses littered the ground. "Come on. Didn't I already tell you that if something doesn't work no matter how many times you try, you should change your method? Like this." This time, Qing's figure couldn't be seen. The Heavenly Demon looked around nervously, searching for the owner of the Maw of Hell. "Come to think of it, isn't Divine Blood just a continuation of all your children? Then what, you're both father and child? So, would your wife also soon be your mother? When you get bored preparing for war, do you call your mother and fuck her once in a while for old times' sake?" "How, how dare you spout such nonsense!" "What do you think when you look at your children? 'This is a body I'll possesster, so I should treat it preciously'? It must at least be convenient not having to teach them morals. You don't need to give affection to children who'll die by your hand anyway, right?" Qing was employing an incredibly vile tactic of just running her mouth while hiding among the corpses. Despite being covered in blood and pretending to be a corpse, her mouth was very much alive. But bodies with the same clothes and shape had practically formed ayer on the ground. Finding one with a head among them was like ying a hellish game of Spot The Difference. The Heavenly Demon, who had never even yed a spot-the-difference game at a 7-year-old level, let alone a hellish one, finally burst out in frustration. "You wench, what do you know! Those detestable Central ins bastards! Look at their descendants! Do they dare not know that all their prosperity is built on the evil deeds of their ancestors!" "You want them to atone for their ancestors' sins? That's a bit..." "Is it not only natural!? They inherit their parents' wealth and connections and enjoy them as if they are rightfully theirs! Are they going to just leave out the ugly sins and history of exploitation!" "Eh...?" Qing hesitated. Doesn¡¯t that... kinda make sense? "Look at those so-called prestigious Orthodox sects! They are born and immediately have their meridians opened, consume Elixirs, and train in precious martial arts, so even the dullest person in the world will reach the Transcendent Realm before they die! The wealth and glory obtained through exploitation have created the eternal rulers of the Central ins! Yet they im to be without sin!" "They do... have sin, don't they?" Qing couldn'tpletely deny that. After all, there was a certain ind nation that immediately came to mind, and anywhere you pointed on the continent next to it was the same. Of course, that didn't mean she had nothing to say. "Even if that's true, you don't particrly have the right to punish them, do you?" "No! If there is even one person in the world who has the right! It is me! I, who clearly witnessed the sins of the past and lost everything to those atrocities!" "This is kinda strange, no? Is this something a mere evil spirit specializing in losing streaks, who just steals other people's bodies and has never won even once, should be saying? By the way, I¡¯m asking because I really don't know." "What human in this world could transcend death! This is the will of the Heavenly God Ahura Mazda, bestowed upon me to right the wrongs of the world! This is the will of the heavens, I tell you!" Qing snorted. What is this bullshit about heaven¡¯s will creating some kind of superman to punish the world's evildoers? Why not just say that Ahura Mazda or whatever god spoke to him directly? "Huh? The heavens created you to deliver divine punishment? Instead of doing it directly? The fuck? I seriously-" -cannot listen to your bullshit anymore. Suddenly, Qing's voice thundered from the sky. It was a sound that filled the world like thunder. The Heavenly Demon looked up. Above the sky, a huge square frame could be seen. It was a window attached to the sky, showing an even higher world. Beyond it, a giant face appeared, Qing's gaze looking down on the earth without hiding her disdain. "W-What is this..." -What else? It means you're in the palm of the Buddha. The world shattered into sharp fragments and poured down. The countless corpses and sticky blood were now gone, and the revealed earth showed its true form as a palm made of white, fine skin. Qing looked down at the Heavenly Demon on her palm. The Heavenly Demon screamed in fury. "Impossible! How can the consciousness of a mere thing like you be greater than mine! Someone who is merely in the pitiful Peak Realm!" -I don't know either. It was like this after I died once. Qing smiled like a god in her enormous form. -So, try stating your im again. What did you say? The what of the heavens? The Heavenly Demon gritted his teeth. "If not the heavens, who else could revive the dead! It is me! I have received the Mandate of Heaven!" Qing answered with augh. -Well. If you say so, then I guess that's how it is. Then you go ahead and be the will of the heavens. But you know what? Where is Heaven's will right now? "That will is in me! I am Heaven's will!" And that very Mandate of Heaven was in Qing's hand. Flesh-colored pirs, mountains, rose up from the ground where the Heavenly Demon stood. It was because Qing had clenched her fist. Just a single bug on her palm. It was so insignificant that when lightly crushed, even the remaining blood was just a few drops, not enough to flow out. Finally left alone, Qing giggled. "Too bad. The Mandate of Heaven ends here. Heaven wasn't much after all, huh." At the same time, Qing looked at the transparent window. It was a message that had been annoyingly shing in front of her since the moment she absorbed the Heavenly Demon Spirit. Status Window [Currently automatically progressing in the form of the Heavenly Demon.] [Cancetion of Heavenly Demon¡¯s form is possible.] [Do you wish to cancel? Yes/No] [*If you select No, your journey will end and lead to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Ending.] Soon, the 'Yes' text shed a few times, and the Status Window faded away. Qing thought. Was this prepared as a hidden ending in the original game too, with the body being stolen? She didn't know why cancetion was possible. Maybe they made it possible to choose so people wouldn't get angry if suddenly presented with a Game Over. Or maybe she had already met certain conditions that allowed for immediate cancetion. For example, it could be due to the Heavenly ughtering Star, or the Blood Poison might have considered it an intoxication that could be canceled. Or it could be thanks to the martial arts she had learned. The Great Tranquil Zen Art of Buddhism might have established the Buddhistw of self. The Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique of Jiutian Xuann¨¹, who was in charge of the boundary between the Nine Thousand Worlds above and below, might have exerted its power. However, Qing didn't know anyway. She wasn't particrly curious about the reason either. Ximen Surin might have thought differently. The Fire Worship Cult worshipped fire, which meant the holy fire of Ahura Mazda, the Sun God. The God of Destruction, Angra Mainyu, represented the pitch-ck darkness, the night that humans primordially feared. The sun illuminates the night, so Angra Mainyu was just a lower god who couldn't dare to oppose the Sun God and cowered before him. And the Heart Cleansing Mirror of Zhu Xiang was the Imagery of the me Emperor. The me Emperor was the Sun God worshipped by the Chinese people. So couldn¡¯t it be said that the oue was decided from the start? Regardless, Qing didn't have that level of knowledge. However, isn't just the fact of knowing that something is possible to do still important to know? "Give me back my body, you punk." ----The Heavenly Demon, who had been showcasing a dance ahead of its time, finally stopped moving and stood in ce. And as she walked step by step, she was once again in front of the old man Choi Leeong. Choi Leeong's nk eyes wandered around her feet. That's when it happened. Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon's foot moved, aiming for the lower abdomen of the Supreme, who Choi Leeong had subdued and pinned to the ground. THWACK!!! "ARGH!" The Supreme's mind snapped back to rity from the pain of his dantian being shattered. This was the essence of medicine that could revive even a dead mind - physical therapy. "You fucking bastard. I told you I wouldn't let you off easy, didn't I? Hm? Or wait. Maybe I didn¡¯t say it out loud?" Qing continued with a vile smile. "What did you say again? Natural Realm this, setting your mind to that? Yap yap yap? Now that your dantian is shattered too, how does it feel to be a natural person instead of Natural Realm, you motherfucker?" Only then did Choi Leeong alsoe to his senses. Physical therapy was originally highly effective not only for the patient but also for potential patients watching. "Child, Qing, is that you, Qing?" "Hm? Gramps? Have youe back to your senses again? Stop getting confused about daughters or whatever. Why do you keep messing with other people's family trees? Hmm. I want to eat bossam and jokbal1." I should have ordered it when I could earlier during that imaginary space. Why do I never think of these things at the right time? Qing regretted it, but it was just a slight disappointment. Because not only was she no longer fixated on hometown food, but jokbal and bossam existed in the Central ins too. There wasn't a culture of enjoying the original jokbal hongshao zhu, the original bossam dongpo rou, and the original bibim noodles banmian2 all at the same time, though. But still, isn¡¯t that up to the person ordering? I just need to add some clear rice wine to that. Then, bang boom pow! Based as fuck. Kyaaaa that¡¯s the shit. "You!" Right as Qing was in the middle of swallowing her saliva while spreading her wings of culinary imagination¡­ A young, ill-mannered voice rang out sharply. Qing turned her head. With a triumphant smile. "Ah. Kiddo. Right. You were here too, yeah?"
    1. Bossam and jokbal are a type of pork. The reason why Qing says this is becake "jokbo" means family tree. Hence, "jok" reminded her of "Jokbal" and "bo" reminder her of "Bossam".2. This is all just food. Like food that people with pork. So noodles and a specific way of cooking the pork.
Chapter 104: Heavenly Demon Tomb (12) "The Heavenly Demon Supreme¡­ What has happened to the Heavenly Demon Supreme?" "Aftering out to the world after so long, he got tired and is resting." "Is that really true!?" "I don't lie with my own mouth." Qing said proudly, puffing out her chest. In reality, Qing was only honest with her mouth. After all, deception and lies were not the same thing. She had never explicitly denied that the cripple was the culprit. Ji Seungju didn't hide his suspicious gaze. From the heads of assassins to pretending to be a cripple (which to Ji Seungju just looked like an actual cripple), she was a woman who couldn't be trusted at all. Moreover, when the Heavenly Demon Supreme was acting strangely, he kept cursing at a wench, so there was no need to think deeply about who the culprit was. "Do you have any proof?" "Hoho. Your gaze is very nasty. Do you dare doubt Ximen Qing, who has received the Heavenly Demon Supreme, the living incarnation of Ahuda Mazda?" "It's Ahura Mazda." "Potato, potahto. Well, proof? Right. Just a moment. Hmm. Yes. Okay. I'll do that." Qing muttered like that while nodding her head. It looked as if she was talking to someone inside her. Just as Ji Seungju was starting to get confused... "Now. Listen. These are the words of your Supreme." As Qing opened her palm, the Heavenly Demon Spirit popped out and emitted a somewhatckluster radiance. The cult members, who had been slouching while watching carefully, immediately straightened up and focused their attention. "The Supreme speaks!" Qing clenched her fist tightly. -AAAARGH! A desperate scream echoed from the Heavenly Demon Spirit. It was a scream in the Heavenly Demon Supreme's own voice, no less. The pain of having one's soul wrung out is the worst thing that cannot be described in worldly expressions. If a living person experienced it, they would die instantly from the shock. But those already dead have lost the right to escape through death. Of course, Qing didn¡¯t know this pain as she hadn¡¯t experienced it. However, if even the Heavenly Demon was throwing away all dignity and reputation to scream so desperately, it must be no ordinary pain. Serves him right. When Qing opened her hand, what remained was a triangr pyramid cracking and crumbling with fragments flying off. The mystical radiance was gone, flickering feebly like a sad firefly. Qing spoke with a triumphant smile. "Since you ignorant lot can't understand the Supreme's voice, I shall interpret his meaning for you directly. The Heavenly Demon says, 'Today, this lowly Heavenly Demon hasmitted the great sin of daring to defy the great Ximen Qing.'" Qing clenched her fist once more. -AARGH! AAARGH! AAAARGH! Ugh, ugh! Adjusting the strength with her grip, she managed to create a somewhat rhythmic beat. It seemed the Heavenly Demon had some musical talent as well. "So you all should not defy Ximen Qing and serve her well on your own. This is what the Heavenly Demon implores you." Then Qing clenched her fist again, and with an AAAGH!! the Heavenly Demon Spirit shattered into pieces. "The end. So, did you hear? That's how it is. Of course, I don't have the talent to understand screams, so I just roughly called out what I thought he might have said. What do you think? Was I right?" It was the wailing of a soul being torn out raw. Paralyzed by that horrific sound, no cult member dared to step forward. "We can just call him and ask. Yap, Heavenly Demon Summon!" A triangr pyramid rose up on Qing's palm again. "Aah..." Ji Seungjumented. It was a scene of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, the soul of their great leader, beingpletely subdued and toyed with. "Stop, please stop!" "Alright." Qing crushed the Heavenly Demon Spirit in her fist in one go. With a short scream, the Heavenly Demon Spirit vanished. She knew how to take it out, but didn't know how to put it back in. But since it was only the Heavenly Demon that was hurting, why should she care? "Doesn't the Demonic Cult believe in thew of the strong? From what I saw in the Bliss Pce, it seemed natural to eat your superiors and take their positions. So am I the Heavenly Demon now?" Qing was just trying to provoke them further. However, far from having hope drained from his eyes, Ji Seungju's eyes suddenly shed with a strange light. "Are you saying you have inherited everything from him?" "You mean, like this?" Qing roused the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. To be precise, it was the dregs of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. Almost all of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi had beenpressed tightly with the Heavenly Demon and tucked away in a corner of her dantian, and only an extremely small portion had defected and newly joined Qing's True Qi Alliance. Qing's hands were dyed with pitch-ck Demonic Qi. Originally, when manifesting Qi, there should have been a faint glow with the insides clearly visible. But the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi not only didn't shine on its own, but rather ate light, painting a lusterless pitch-ck void color. And that wasn't all. Countless eyes sprouted from Qing's ck hands. Qing looked at the most destructive Qi under heaven lingering on her hands and thought. What the hell is this? It's disgusting and hideous. Qing withdrew her True Qi. The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi, which had tried to impress its new owner only to be called ugly, dejectedly returned to her dantian. "Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi! Truly, you have...!" "Wait a minute. What the¡­ Hasn't the way you addressed me suddenly improved a lot?" When someone says "you" (dangshin), it is considered speech used to speak to equals. But when they say "you" (dangshin-kkeseo), it is several levels higher, bing the highest form of honorific speech among honorifics. The cult members murmured at this implication. Qing frowned sharply. "I have absolutely no intention of bing the Demonic Cult's boss. Well, no. It might depend on the conditions." "What do you mean?" "Can't we at least live like decent human beings?" Qing recalled her life in the Demonic Cult. A city of hungry ghosts just devouring each other. Because everyone except oneself was an enemy, they couldn't rx or trust for even a moment, so even when talking with smiling faces, in reality, they were just pretending to have rtionships. No person could be a source of good in such an environment. Kindnesses from the granary. When people are just red-eyed with vignce trying to protect their own storehouse... Who in the world could showpassion in such a situation? "Thew of the strong is over. Even without that, people naturally listen to the strong anyway. Stop ndering the Central ins now. Let's try living together. Send out letters to everyone and say let's reconcile. Say that we'll live like proper humans now, so don't start sword fights just because you see each other." Qing thought of Gyeon Pohee, no, Ximen Hee, thatcking and not-so-kind Senior Sister Wannabe, now an Unni Wannabe. How many Ximen Hees had existed in the Demonic Cult, how many had perished, and how many more woulde to exist if things continued like this? That was why a breeding ground for evil people shouldn't exist in the world. It was too troublesome to kill them all off, and there might be idiots who became evil just because of their environment. She said all this, but ultimately, difficult tasks should be passed on to others. Fortunately, there was someone who seemed rather smart, yeah? "That cannot be done! It would shake the very foundations of the Divine C-" "Do you even have a future anyway? If I kill all of you here and go back to the Central ins, wouldn't the Demonic Cult be finished anyway?" At those words, the tomb chamber fell silent once again. Since the Heavenly Demon Supreme's realm was estimated to be the Life and Death Realm, to absorb that power, one would need to be at least in the Demonic Descent Realm. Even if Demonic Descent and Profound Realm were in the same league, Demonic Descent was actually considered about 50% higher in strength. In modern terms, it would be a 0.5 tier difference. It wasn't a question of whether to ept the new Heavenly Demon or not. It was a question of life or death. In reality, it was all just bluster, though. Qing was bluffing without actually having the ability. This is how I'll get to go back alive. Might as well say what I want to say while I'm at it. Thanks to the Heavenly Demon parasite, her body had been reassembled into a top-notchtest model, but even so, her Enlightenment was still only at the Late Stage Peak Realm. For heaven's sake! Oh heavens!! Why! Am I!! Still!!! Not at the Transcendent Realm!!!!! It was a cry that would make the heavens roll their eyes if they heard it. What the hell have you even done? They would say. Out of the forty-seven Heavenly Demon Divine Arts, all except three were locked, just taking up space in the Martial Arts Window. Heavenly Demon Mind Art, Heavenly Demon's Reigning Step, and Heavenly Demon Finger. These were the techniques the Heavenly Demon had used with Qing's body. If she had known this would happen, she would have tried to induce him to use more techniques. But well, they weren't gone, just locked. When her realm rises, who knows what might happen. She got three Purple techniques for free, so it would honestly be unconscionable toin. Moreover, by nature, she wasn't the type to regret losses particrly. Even before her journey into Murim, she was the type who would just think "Oh well, can't be helped" when she lost something and then worry about what to eat for dinner. Or perhaps it was a form of resignation trained by being born poor. "Why don't you try establishing a country or something through this opportunity? Or maybe a Religious Sect Alliance? If you have power, you won't get beaten up when you go outside, right?" "That is not something that can be spoken of so easily..." "Well, that's for smart people to figure out." Ji Seungju closed his mouth at those words. You should know you're lucky. You're being spared because you're a smart kid and weak. Come to think of it, I guess all you did was talk back a lot. You didn't really cause any harm. However, there was someone who couldn't be spared. Qing looked down at the former Alleged Natural Realm, who was now just a natural person. The wreck who had suffered a double hit of mental shock andplete loss of Inner Qi was sprawled out with a dumb look in his eyes. Just as Qing's gaze turned fierce. "Wait! Please stop!" "What? Why? I was just about to have some overdue fun." "He is still the one who inherited the direct lineage of the First Heavenly Demon. As you said, he is an essential religious focal point for reorganizing the Divine Cult, so please show mercy." "Tsk." Qing clicked her tongue. It would be a bit much to interfere after passing on all the work, yeah? Qing asked hopefully, just in case. "Then, can I at least make him impotent?" "Only his bloodline is important. Please cut off an arm or leg instead." "That's the best thing you've said so far." Qing smirked and squatted down in front of the Supreme. Her white, slender palm gently caressed the Supreme's cheek. Just as the Supreme's focus was slowly returning- Qing's thumb dug into the Supreme's eye socket. "ARGH!" Of course, one couldn¡¯t help but scream if their eye was gouged out while they were alive. But that wasn¡¯t all; Qing firmly held the eye socket with her thumb and palm. With his head fixed without moving, only his body iled wildly in pain. The hands of an ordinary person without Inner Qi thrashed, hitting and scratching at Qing, but with her abilities boosted by Overhaul Rebirth, they couldn't even leave a scratch and were nothing more than meaningless struggles. Qing finally smiled with satisfaction. The sensation of piercing through the soft yet firm eyeball, the mixture of thick and thin substances inside wrapping around her thumb - it had been a while since she felt this tingling heat. "Have youe to your senses? Should I pierce your other eye socket too?" "I-It hurts, it hurts so much. Mommy, it hurts..." "Tsk. You should use honorifics. From now on, you'll use honorifics with everyone in the world. You've been ill-mannered all your life, so you need to bnce it out from now on." Qing said with a bright smile. The Supreme looked up at Qing's face, trembling in pain. His one remaining eye perfectly reflected Qing's beautiful smile. "I-I underst... I understand." "Good boy. That's right. Who's a good boy?" Qing's thumb popped out of the Supreme's eyelid. The unknown contents of the eyeball dripped down. "Urgh, kkeup..." The Supreme gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Qing tilted her head and thought. What's this? He's holding back his screams? Does it not hurt enough? Should I have just pulled out the whole eyeball? But the Supreme's appearance was already in a pathetic state. Remembering the scene she saw in the Formation, her excitementpletely faded. Also, now he's just amoner who doesn't know martial arts. Qing wiped her sticky thumb on the Supreme's head. She wiped off the sticky foreign substance by rubbing it front, back, side, and front again. While cleaning her hand like that, she spoke. "Consider this forgiveness for trying to burst my eye after punching me in the stomach. From now on, just keep being a good little boy. Then, even if we meet again, we can look at each other with nice smiles. You understand what I mean, right?" If you're not a good boy, I'll look at you with a¡­ bad smile. That was essentially the message Qing was trying to convey. And she delivered such a chilling warning in a gentle voice. The Supreme nodded nkly. With that, Qingpletely let go of her hatred. The kid's state has bepletely derpy. Are you kidding me? All I did was pierce one eye. Boring. At any rate, now that she had neatly finished her revenge, she had done everything she needed to do. Qing headed towards the exit of the tomb chamber with clicking steps. "Hoit. Alright then. Take care of the rest yourselves." Qing waved her hand behind her back as she slipped into the stairway leading outside and disappeared. It was the end of her insufferable kidnapped life. Chapter 105: First Crisis, Afterword Outside the Heavenly Demon Tomb, it was already a dark night. Qing stretched vigorously. Phew, I thought I was going to die trying to keep up appearances. In truth, the urge to run away straight down the stairs had bubbled up several times during the ordeal, but well, somehow she had managed to carry it out splendidly and survive. As relief and the joy of survival washed over her, Qing unconsciously got excited and performed the most sessful dance in human history while moving backwards. It was the signature move of a certain Mr. Jackson from Indiana. The Moonwalk. The principle that the Heavenly Demon had demonstrated with his body remained, making it the most precious of the insights Qing had gained. And as she was celebrating with this victory dance... "Ahem." Qing was startled by the coughing sound. "Shit, you scared me. Gramps. Why did you follow me?" "I packed your belongings to give to you when you leave. Even if you are leaving, shouldn¡¯t you at least take your own things? You careless child." "Wow, really? You packed everything?" Only after hearing this did she remember about her luggage. Starting with the Yangtze River Free Pass, all the Guest ques her friends had given her, and wasn't there also a letter from her Master to give to the Emei Sect's Grand Abbot? Come to think of it, the old man's words were true. If her personality hadpletely changed, the attention given to Qing would have disappeared along with it, and since he had even packed her luggage, he must have intended to let her go willingly after she opened the door by blowing the Bokshinjeok. Qing followed behind Choi Leeong, trotting along. Upon reaching a certain luggage cart, Choi Leeong went inside and came out with a bundle, revealing familiar items. Qing eagerly grabbed the most wee item among them. You¡¯re back! My Moonlight Sword! Though it had been a while since she held the Moonlight Sword (No. 8), the handle fit snugly in her hand as if it had never left her side. Qing grinned as she fastened the sword to her waist. Then, as she was about to receive the rest of the luggage, Choi Leeong held onto it, hesitating to hand it over. Qing's eyes narrowed. "What's this about? Is the rest Pay to Win or something?" Was this sort of business acumen also a tradition? As expected of OG China. Do I have to pay a price to get my own things back? However, Choi Leeong spoke while looking uneasy. "Ahem. I am old and do not know how long I shall live, so I was thinking of looking for a good burial site. Perhaps... would that be alright?" "Wait, why are you asking my permission to find your deathbed... No, nevermind. Sigh." Qing sighed deeply. Even if she pretended not to understand, it didn't seem like the old man would back down easily. Saying he wanted to find a ce to die wasn't really about reserving a sunny spot with good feng shui facing a mountain and overlooking water. It was a desperate wish to spend what little life he had left together and die by her side. "Gramps, let me make this clear. I have absolutely no intention of epting you as my stepdad. In exchange, I don't care in what way you view me. I'm just going to use you to carry my luggage, pull the carriage, and do all sorts of chores." Though her words were irreverent, it was ultimately permission. Choi Leeong's eyes reddened. "Thank you, thank you. Even that much is too generous..." If the old man's remaining life could be peaceful just by following her around and taking care of her, there was no reason not to grant that wish. He had already suffered through his life, and he was too old now to mentally abuse himself by being shackled to the dead. But if heter came at her with "You are my daughter" or some shit like that, it would be a case of kindness turning into malice. She might not care about other things, but she couldn't stand that. "But. I don't have a hobby of dragging around a Great Demonic Adept and being pointed at by people while traveling. Get rid of that Demonic Art that you can't even control anyway. What if youter go crazy ande at me saying shit like 'Why did you deceive me' and 'Give me back my daughter'?" It was telling him to disperse the hostile arts he had cultivated his entire life. Something a martial artist valued more than their own life. "I shall do so. Right now, even." Yet, there was not a hint of hesitation in Choi Leeong's answer. Qing sighed deeply again. "Let's get out of here first and then talk. If we linger here, all the Demonic Adepts wille rushing in." ----Inside the Heavenly Demon Tomb, the Elite Masters of the Divine Cult gathered around Ji Seungju. In the Divine Cult, which followed thew of the strong, Elite Masters were essentially synonymous with the cult's leadership. "Look, Demonic Brain. Do you really intend to follow that wench?" "She is the Heavenly Demon of this age. Did you not see her Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi with your own eyes?" "That may be so, but isn't she still just a young girl? There is also the matter of the Divine Cult's dignity, after all." "It is even more splendid because she is young, is it not? Think about the Celestial Martial Sword Ghost. Is it possible for such a figure to exist only in the Orthodox Faction?" "However, isn't she already a member of the Orthodox Faction?" "Did you not see her actions? The Heavenly Demon will inevitably have no choice but to return to the cult." "Hmm..." The Masters let out contemtive sounds. Gouging out a living person's eye was not something that could be done without considerable cruelty. Especially if it was done with a smiling face, not hiding the pleasure, as if ying with a toy - even more so. "But must we now give up the long-cherished wish we have been pursuing all our lives? Moreover, reconciling with those Central ins bastards. Is that even possible in the first ce?" "It might actually be for the best. Isn¡¯t it said that the strong would not get beaten up, even if they act out? What force in the Central ins would dare to confront the Divine Cult?" The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had already proven its true strength through four Great Wars Between Orthodox and Demonic. Although they had been defeated each time, hadn't they also left great wounds on Murim? Even if the Divine Cult suddenly dered that they would settle past grievances ande out into the light, Murim couldn't cry out "What are you smoking?! That¡¯s impossible!" and wage a war, voluntarily causing damage to themselves. "To be honest, how long must we continue to control the fools of the Divine City? Isn't it because of this that we have built up a history of defeat every time we invade?" The Divine Cult lived hidden in barrennds. It was because theycked the ability to support arge poption. Even the gold sycees earned by various departments of the Outer Hall through their "businesses" in the Central ins were ultimately limited. That was why the Divine Cult had no choice but to follow thew of the strong. Thus, the Divine Cult'sw of the strong served as a means to maintain a limited poption while building the most elite forces possible. Ironically, the natural enemy of elite forces was a vast quantity of ordinary people. Even if they could overwhelm them with irresistible battle records and achievements, the loss of each individual was painful. The longer the war dragged on, the more overwhelming the military achievements became, but the more unfavorable the war situation became, ultimately leading to defeat and retreat. No one present was unaware of the harmful effects of thew of the strong. After all, everyone had gotten here by devouring others. But even knowing the severe side effects of thew of the strong, what could they do when that was simply how things had to be? Moreover, its results were impressive. Although Qing had constantly criticized them as retards without a single redeeming quality, the truth was that there was no group in all of Murim as powerful and unified as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The Masters looked very unenthusiastic. That was because most of them were people who had been pursuing wealth and power after the liberation of the Central ins, just like in their illusions. However, Ji Seungju was the Secret Pavilion Leader and Demonic Brain, respected by the Divine Cult despite his terrible martial talent. Given enough time, he was confident he could easily manipte these uneducated Demonic Adepts who only respected strength. It wouldn't be difficult for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, which controlled the Silk Road, to proudly im its territory and achieve even greater prosperity than now by adding governance thatbined doctrine and morality. Ji Seungju swallowed his ambition inwardly without showing any expression. In the past, a general named Ci of the Taishi1 surname had said. (For reference, his name wasn't Lion2.) If born as a well-built and manly male, shouldn't one wear a seven-chi3 sword and climb the stairs to the Son of Heaven? One who could dare to wear a sword and stand beside the Emperor. Above all men and below only one, it would be the highest position that a schemer could reach. ----The Supreme had no name. He had never seen his father's face, and all his mother had given him was bitter hatred. In other words, all he had received was indifference and hatred. He hadn't even been given a name. However, the Supreme wasn't dissatisfied with this fact. The Supreme didn't need a name because he was the one and only Supreme. If there was only one Supreme in the world, there was no need to use a name. But now he knows another reason why he had no name. He was just a vessel for the Heavenly Demon's soul to settle in. There was no need to give him the luxury of a name. When he realized this fact, the Supreme simply fell into despair. But no longer. For the first time in his life, he learned the pain of being scolded. And also for the first time in his life, he felt that caring touch that stroked his head. He heard the mercy of being forgiven. He could clearly recall, even with his eyes closed, that genuine smileing from within, that sincere pleasure he had never known before being directed at him. This was the love that parents bestow upon their children. Yes. That¡¯s right. Can those who irresponsibly create a body and carelessly throw it into the world be called parents? The qualification of parents lies in that very affection. Age, beauty, and even gender didn¡¯t matter in this; wasn¡¯t that why humans simply call men fathers and women mothers? But there was still one thing left. The most precious thing parents give to their children. Something the Supreme still didn't have. A name. She told him to be good, so he will be good. When they meet again, with that promise, he will finally receive a name. The Supreme looked at the elites of the Divine Cult. They were insolent bastards, busy whispering among themselves while daring to leave out the Supreme. Anger boiled up in the Supreme's heart. That wrath became strength, and ck Demonic Qi seethed. The Supreme was a martial artist of the Profound Realm, and even that was merely something he had restrained himself for the sake of Demonic Descent. When his dantian was shattered, those restraints were also released. As such, it resulted in the entry into the Profound Realm. With that enlightenment, he forcibly patched together his shattered dantian. Even if the result was nothing more than a rag, he somehow managed to preserve it. His body was one prepared for the Heavenly Demon. The medicinal properties of the Elixirs he had consumed instead of food since childhood still flowed through his four limbs and hundred bones. As long as the shape of the dantian was maintained, recovery was not impossible, just time-consuming. The Supreme calmed his anger. It wasn't such a difficult thing to do. Just recalling the smile etched in his heart was enough. His mind and body naturally settled, and his mouth unconsciously rxed into a smile. As you said, I'll be a good boy. My beloved¡­ Mother. This was the Supreme. Aged forty-seven years old this year. ----Sometimes, a person's Upper Dantian opens, allowing them to unconsciously read the workings of heaven and earth. This was called the sixth sense, or a premonition. Qing shuddered. Suddenly, she had a really, really bad feeling. The fuck is this? I just got goosebumps all over. But no matter how much she thought about it, there was no particr reason for such foreboding. Qing just kept mulling over the uneasy feeling. Well, of course she would. After all, how could she possibly know that she had just gained a grown ass son in addition to a father and an older sister?
    1. Taishi Ci, courtesy name Ziyi, was a Chinese military general who lived during thete Eastern Han dynasty of China. He had served as a minor Han official, before eventuallying to serve warlords Liu Yao, Sun Ce, and Sun Ce's sessor Sun Quan.2. Though in romanticization, his name is "Shici" in Korean, it has the same characters as "Lion".3. 1/3 of a meter. Also known as a "Chinese foot".
Chapter 106: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (1) Chengdu, the central city of Sichuan Province. Though famous as the capital of Shu, it had been a prosperous ancient capital at the center of Sichuan even before that. Among the vast basin surrounded by mountains that is Sichuan, it was close to the most fertilend and heavenly mountains. It could be said without exaggeration that it was in a location bestowed by heaven. Among these areas, the western district of Chengdu, Chongzhou County, was a street that developed adjacent to the Min River1. The Min River, with its gentle currents, was the perfect ce for floatingntern-lit boats. Naturally, a port town that developed along such a river would be densely packed with all sorts of taverns, teahouses, red and blue brothels, and gambling dens for pleasure-seeking tourists. Let's say a tourist came to Chengdu. The first day would be spent shedding tears and snot from the numbing Sichuan cuisine, then realizing with a refreshed body afterwards that this is the true joy of m, the pleasure of spiciness. Though they might have to suffer a bit at night. On the second day, one must visit Mount Qingcheng2. The famous Qingcheng Sect was located on the front mountain, after all. The back mountain, with its gently rolling, not too rugged terrain and diverse vegetation, had been praised as the most serenendscape in the world. If lucky, one might even see a Giant Panda! Despite its name meaning "giant bear cat," it was actually a type of bear, not a cat. If Qing had seen this lovable creature, she would have immediately eximed in admiration, Wow, a panda! You know about pandas, huh! Then, after enjoying the sights like Dujiangyan3, Wuhou Shrine4, and Wenshu Monastery5 on the third and fourth days, one might be at a loss for what to do next. And that was when you should go to Chongzhou County. You can float boats on the Min River, drink, gamble, and have a wild and fiery time. And when you start to get bored of that, that would be when a suspicious man would approach. Ah, Big Brother, I see you've been enjoying yourself. Perhaps you'd like to see something really exciting? If you follow the man with half curiosity and half suspicion, you'll soon find yourself descending stairs underground, passing through a long corridor, and reaching a vast underground za with a huge stage in the center. And this would be the Underground Life and Death Arena, Chengdu's famous attraction that everyone who knows about it knows about. Cockfighting was called "touji". And human fighting for gambling was called "tougi", making this ce, where mortalbat took ce every day, the pinnacle of gambling for life-and-death duels. Today, too, the Underground Life and Death Arena was hot. The blue stone floor was drenched in blood and human remains, giving an idea of the heat. The host, with his smooth-talking skills, mesmerized the audience. "Finally, today our challenger has issued a challenge to one of the Four Heavenly Kings! For ten straight days, he has in one Peak Realm fighter each day for eleven days! This challenger from Hainan! Please wee him with loud cheers!" The iron door under the cave opened. A man walked out, his footsteps echoing. "The ghostly left-handed swordsman, the Sword Ghost from Hainan, the Tael Yaksha, Yik Taikong!" The audience responded with passionate cheers. Then the host continued shouting with a volume that made one worry his throat might burst. "Which great expert among the Four Heavenly Kings of the Underground Life and Death Arena has epted his challenge? They're appearing now!" The opposite iron door opened, and a figure wrapped from head to toe appeared. Only the eye holes were open, but even those were covered with a veil, making them invisible. For a woman, she was quite tall, dragging an enormous dadao that even a strong man would struggle to wield. "Responding to the challenge is the third-ranked among the Four Heavenly Kings of the Underground Life and Death Arena, the great expert Female Xiang Ji! A mysterious woman whose face no one in this world knows, the seconding of the warrior Xiang Yu6 in the human world! Female! Xiang! Ji!" "----!!!" An enormous reaction erupted, iparable to before. It was almost like a collective frenzy had broken out. Female Xiang Ji responded to the cheers by raising her hands high and waving them around, in stark contrast to her heavy entrance. In fact, if any of Qing's acquaintances were there, they might have asked why she needed to cover her entire body. Finally, the two stood face to face on the life-and-death arena, messy with blood and remains. "Female Xiang Ji? What aughable wench." It was a light jab typically thrown before a life-and-death battle. However, when it came to the art of yapping, Qing had already passed the Natural Realm and reached Ascension, thus finding only the Immortals her match. Female Xiang Ji's glib speech was already famous, having been seen by many spectators. But Female Xiang Ji was also known for picking and choosing who to deign such divine words towards. If they were worth or not of such a ster yapfest. "Eh, he ain¡¯t all that, huh... Let's end this quickly." Qing wiggled her fingers. At this, Yik Taikong's eyebrows twitched. "Ha. Very well. They call you Female Xiang Ji, so let's see how mighty your strength is to warrant such an arrogant na-" Yik Taikong's words trailed off. Whoosh! Whoooosh! The sound of something heavy cutting through the air was terrifying. It was a massive weapon, five chi long with a de width of one chi, likely weighing well over twenty catties. When wielding this massive weapon in one hand and swinging it as lightly as a tree branch, the sound alone made one's knees weak. It was a sight that would make the faint-hearted kneel immediately. Regardless of martial arts proficiency, it was simply not a humanly possible act to begin with. "Y-Your strength certainly lives up to the name Female Xiang Ji. However, martial arts are meant to ovee such differences, and a true martial artist like myself will use my skills to¡­" Yik Taikong's words trailed off again. Dao Qi rising from the massive de. But was that really just Dao Qi? Didn¡¯t it almost seem like the Yellow River itself was flowing from the dao? Qing's Inner Qi in its pure quantity was at the Unrestrained Realm, and in its very end stages at that. Lacking enlightenment, she couldn'tpress it to form Force, so she could only use it with brute output. The result was a de of Inner Qi rising a whole chi thick. Yik Taikong shouted boldly in response. "I concede! Today, this Yik has greatly realized that I am nothing but a frog in a well! As they say, a person should withdraw when they realize their shorings, so would you please allow this humble one to withdraw?!" At this, the audience erupted into a riot of curses and mockery. ----Chik Balsung, the vice leader of the Underground Life and Death Arena, wore a very displeased expression. Of course, because today's match, which should have been the greatest attraction, had ended so anticlimactically. "You didn't kill him today, huh?" However, Qing answered. "Hello? Excuse me, Mr. Chik. If someone heard that, they might think I'm a Demonic Adept who kills people every day. I'm such a kind person, though. I'm a righteous female expert from the Orthodox Faction, you know?" "...? You always im that, but¡­" Chik Balsung just blinked his eyes. The audience of the Underground Life and Death Arena tended to be more enthusiastic and cling to fighters who were more cruel and vicious. And Female Xiang Ji was the most popr fighter in the Underground Life and Death Arena. In Female Xiang Ji's matches, the concept of gambling itself changed. After all, instead of who won, people bet on how many pieces the opponent would be cut into today. Female Xiang Ji was indeed in the Late Stage Peak Realm, so she was put in Peak Realm matches. But because she was on a winning streak with skills that were originally in a different league, betting on wins and losses wasn't very interesting. So they made money in a different way by betting on how many pieces the opponent would be cut into or how many rounds they wouldst. However, asionally, like today, she would quietly send her opponent away without touching them, so they had suffered fromints from customers today as well. "At any rate, this kind of thing is troublesome. We're trying to make a living here too, you know? So, from next time, we'll put you in Transcendent Realm matches." "What? I'm in the Peak Realm, so why should I fight in Transcendent Realm matches? I'll just quit instead." At this, Chik Balsung gently rubbed his palms together, as if pleading her. "Don't be like that. We'll match you with someone who just entered the Transcendent Realm, so give it a try. With your innate strength plus that massive weapon, you should be able to win easily against that level." "Hmm. Is that so?" Qing gently stroked the chin area of her mask. Her realm still hadn't risen, and perhaps she needed to face someone Transcendent Realm or higher rather than weak opponents. Originally, the biggest problem when facing Transcendent Realm opponents was Sword Force, as it was impossible topete with just Sword Qi. But after blocking Gramps' Force a few times, she found thatcking Enlightenment could be made up for with brute output of Inner Qi. Of course, the exchange rate was terrible. If using Force took 10 units of Inner Qi, it took 50 or 60 units of Inner Qi to just crudely push out Sword Qi. That was why the wall between Peak and Transcendent Realms had been considered so important since ancient times. Not only was the exchange rate terrible, but the amount of True Qi was also much greater in the Transcendent Realm. Unless one stupidly consumed Elixirs or had special circumstances like Qing, the level of Inner Qi at the Peak Realm was more or less the same for everyone. Moreover, Qing's strength had now reached a state far beyond human limits. No matter how advanced a martial artist's Inner Arts cultivation was, they couldn't ignore such an overwhelming difference in weight. "Alright. I'll fight someone who just entered the Transcendent Realm in the next match, then." "Good thinking. Here, take today's prize money." Chik Balsung tossed over a pouch that looked quite heavy, even from just a nce. ----When Qing arrived in Sichuan, she had a n. First, she would stop by Chengdu to confirm that Ximen Hee was safe, then leave Choi Leeong behind for a while and visit the Emei Sect. However, despite being told that a message would be left at the fifthrgest brothel, there was no news even after searching every brothel in town. When Choi Leeong asked why, she exined, and he clicked his tongue, saying: 'ording to what you said, didn't you leave the cult first and set out? And then you rushed from the Heavenly Demon Tomb to Sichuan, so no matter how fast they are, they could not possibly be in Chengdu already.' That's right. Qing had arrived first. However, that didn¡¯t mean she could just head to the Emei Sect because of this. Currently, Choi Leeong was in too weak a state. He was in the process of dispersing sixty years of Inner Arts and recing it with a new Mind Art and Cultivation Technique. So inevitably, and absolutely not because the Sichuan cuisine was particrly to her taste or becausezing around was too enjoyable, but really, inevitably, she had no choice but to stay in Chengdu. Even if just for Choi Leeong's sake. But the cost of living in Chengdu was too high. Originally, prices in famous tourist destinations were high, especially for outsiders. It was even more so because overcharging outsiders was a verymon practice in the Central ins. It was natural for merchants, and even those being overcharged considered it perfectly normal. Even if Qing got angry about being overcharged, Choi Leeong would just give a nk response asking what the problem was. With no money and no way to earn it, she was wondering how to continue this idle life. That was when she found out about the Underground Life and Death Arena. It had already been a month and a half since then. When Qing returned, Choi Leeong clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Did you go to that vulgar ce to sell your sword again?" From Choi Leeong's perspective, it was understandably distasteful for her to be swinging a sword in such a suspicious fighting arena. Qing frowned sharply. Who do you think I'm going through this trouble every night for? Of course, since most of the fighters were evil people, she gained Righteous Karma Points and Practice Points for fighting them. The joy of killing evil people and the cheers that responded to it made for the highest job satisfaction. But still, no matter how fun and beneficial, work was still work. "Didn't they say there's no high or low in professions?" "...? What nonsense is that? How could there be no distinction between noble and base professions?" "Ah. Right. That existed here. I got confused." This was primitive, uncivilized ancient China. It was a world where the nobility and baseness of professions were very clearly organized in tables. "Anyway, Gramps. Hurry, hurry. Didn't I tell you to be ready in advance? I said we'd go right away when I got back." "We can go like this. But, is eating really that good?" "What? Do you hear yourself? They say it's the Ultimate Mtang. Ultimate, you hear? How can you resist the Ultimate?" That's right. It was the day Qing had made a reservation for. The dish you must eat when youe to Chengdu. The dish you must eat before you die. The dish that people say you should stop by Chengdu for even if you have to cross the Central ins for just one bowl. The Ultimate Mtang made by Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, was waiting!
    1. A 735-kilometer-long river in central Sichuan province, China. It is a tributary of the upper Yangtze River, which flows through Chengdu and joins at Yibin. Within China, it was traditionally taken as the main course of the upper Yangtze before extensive exploration of its sources.2. Mount Qingcheng is a sacred Taoist mountain in Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It is considered one of the birthces of Taoism and one of the most important Taoist religious sites in China. In Taoist mythology, it was the site of the Yellow Emperor's studies with Ning Fengzi.3. An ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan, China. Originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today. The system's infrastructure develops on the Min River (Minjiang), the longest tributary of the Yangtze.4. Wuhou Shrine was built in 223 A.D. during the construction of Liu Bei¡¯s mausoleum. It is the only temple in China where the monarch is buried together with his minister and the most famous memorial of Zhu Geliang and Liu Bei. For its unparalleled inf luence as a Three Kingdom relics museum, Wuhou Shrine is known as the holynd of the Three Kingdoms period and has been included in the first batch of major historical and cultural sites protected at national level and national first-ss museums.5. Wenshu Monastery is a Buddhist temple located in Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.6. Xiang Ji ( c. 232¨C c. January 202 BC), courtesy name Yu, was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu during the Chu¨CHan Contention period (206¨C202 BC) of China. A noble of the state of Chu, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynasty, destroying theirst remnants and bing a powerful warlord.
Chapter 107: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (2) The term "prehistoric era"monly used didn¡¯t just refer to ancient times. It meant, quite literally, the era before (ÏÈ) history (Ê·). In other words, it referred to the time before humans invented writing. It signified the unknown dawn of humanity, a time without records. However, surprisingly, there was a single record left from before the prehistoric era. The estimated date of this record was over 10,000 years ago. The academic consensus was that it was a record left by an advanced pre-human civilization. This was the Hwandan Gogi1, which recorded the history of the Hwanguk, the first utopia and empire built by pre-humans. The truth of this Hwandan Gogi was even written in the Soo Bahk Do. Of course, there were many people who misunderstood and failed toprehend the reality of this majestic Hwanguk2. They were a race that had transcended the Three Thousand Worlds spoken of in Buddhism and surpassed the Nine Heavens of Daoism to reach the Heaven of Heavens. If intelligence were to be expressed in numbers, ordinary people with an IQ below 1500 naturally couldn't understand it. Only geniuses with an IQ of 1501 or higher could understand that Hwanguk was omnipotent and the ancestor of all current humans on the six continents. The only intellect that could dare to oppose these geniuses would be another faction of geniuses who have realized the truth that the world is t and set out to enlighten others. As an aside, since extremes eventually meet, it might be impossible to distinguish between geniuses and imbeciles or retards. ording to the Hwandan Gogi, mtang was a traditional food of the Korean people and had been loved throughout its long history since it first appeared under the Divine Birch Tree. This mtang spread to the Central ins and formed a primitive form of food called maocai3. (No, it didn't.) Maocai is a traditional Sichuan dish. They would carry around a hot pot and a basket full of various toppings separately, and when a customer ordered, they wouldbine them in a bowl. It was also the most beloved food for customers who sought rich ingredients with many varieties, even if the individual portions were small. And from maocai, mtang developed again, which honestly spoke to the principle of worldly cirction where mtang bes maocai and maocai bes mtang again. And right there was the most excellent Ultimate Mtang in the current world. Culinary King Azure Dragon. The Greatest Chef Under Heaven Is Within. There were two signboards hanging on the restaurant. Along with an unusual name for a restaurant, there was even an additional signboard boldly attached below it. "But 'Greatest Chef Under Heaven'? Gramps, do you know who decides these things? Is he just someone with great self-confidence? Or do chefs gather and determine rankings or something?" "I do not know either. I have not heard of such a custom in the Central ins." Choi Leeong was equally curious. That's when it happened. Someone naturally answered that question. "That's the title given to thest winner of the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." "Oh. The Culinary Competition for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." Qing eximed in admiration, then tilted her head. "Strange. My heart races just hearing the name, but why haven't I heard of it before?" "Well, it's a cookingpetition to select Sichuan's best chef, so how would an outsider know about it?" "Ah. But why is it called 'for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven'? Shouldn't it be the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Sichuan Chef?" "Well, since Sichuan cuisine is the best under the heavens, the best chef in Sichuan naturally bes the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." "We'd have to hear opinions from other provinces to know that. But who's our smart friend here?" Qing didn't have a habit of describing men, and rather disliked it, so the details weren't important. He was just the epitome of a sickly young master - pale-faced, weak and frail, yet with an air of nobility. "Me? I am um... Zhang Liu, Zhang Yu would be good. My name is Ziyou. And the youngdy?" Zhang Liu looked at the long willow branch behind Qing as he spoke. The very definition of a ¡®long willow branch¡¯ was zhang liu. Basically, he wasn't even trying to hide that it was an alias. "So, is it Zhang You or Ziyou? Pick one." "Let's go with Ziyou. I'm not close with the Zhang family." "Alright. Ziyou. I'm Qing. Ximen Qing." Then Ziyou replied with a grin. "Good. Young Lady Ximen, is it? But why are you speaking informally?" "Because you did it first? What, does it bother you?" Qing asked while cing her hand on her sword hilt. The implication was that if it bothered him, they shouldn't use words but swords. Seeing this, Ziyou's smile grew even wider as he continued. "To be honest, yes. But. Your words have a point, so I will not nitpick." "Right. Ziyou. I have a habit of not making friends with suspicious people, you know? Thanks for the exnation, but shouldn't we each go our own way now?" "Don't be so cold. It seems you're also going to eat Azure Dragon's Ultimate Mtang. Since it'se to this, why don't we share a table?" "Me? Why?" "I've ordered five liters of Wuliangye liquor, but it seems a bit much to handle alone. Perhaps you'd like to help?" Wuliangye was a famous Sichuan liquor, even appearing in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Meng Huo's younger brother, Meng You, surrendered to Zhuge Liang with a strategy simr to the mythical Trojan Horse, but Liang, knowing this in advance, served him Wuliangye. The liquor was so delicious that Meng You forgot all about his strategy and just kept drinking Wuliangye until he passed out, thus failing spectacrly. You see, Qing loved alcohol. Having researched Sichuan's famous liquors, even Qing, who hadn't properly read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms even once, let alone three times, knew about this. "Could it be from Yibin? It¡¯s from Yibin, right?" Qing's eyes shone through her veil. She had to wear the veil because old man Choi Leeong would nag endlessly otherwise. "Of course. One cannot pair inferior alcohol with the dishes of the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." Wuliangye of Yibin referred to the most precious among these liquors. There was even a saying among drinkers that Yibin was worth risking one's life to drink. Qing had tried it before, but it was a rare item that couldn't be essed even with gold sycees. Qing quickly nodded. "Come to think of it, true friendship isn't shaken by a little suspicion. Friend." "Friend... Good. Very good." Ziyou smiled brightly. Seeing this, Qing understood. This guy? He has no friends. Then I can safely extort a hefty friendship fee from him. "But who is this elderly gentleman with you?" "Ah. Gramps? Gramps is, well. He's the old man who takes care of me." When it came to exining Choi Leeong, that was all she could really say. After all, she couldn't introduce him as a former Great Guardian and Great Demonic Adept from the Demonic Cult. "I am called Choi." "I'm pleased to meet you too, Old Man Choi. May I call you Old Man?" "...Do as you wish." Choi Leeong, who had been observing Ziyou, answered thus. Clothes made of the finest silk, a pale face. Add to that the asional casual condescension that seemed so natural, and anyone could see he was a young master from an extremely powerful family. That's three points right there. With palms free of calluses and a sr plexus like that of ordinary people, he clearly hadn't learned martial arts. So three more points. Minus five points for being frivolous enough to casually speak to a woman. Two points for being unpretentious and not caring about titles. Three points for likely not being an outgoing personality since he had no friends. A total of six points meant he was worth keeping an eye on for now. Choi Leeong's minimum required score started from 100 points. As they were chattering like this and about to enter Azure Dragon's... There was a group of people ring at them with tilted postures opposite the entrance. Since they didn't look like they had good intentions at first nce, Qing couldn't contain her curiosity. "By the way, who are those people over there?" "Ah. You mean the canceled ones?" "Canceled ones?" "People whose reservations were canceled." Sometimes when circumstances arose where customers couldn¡¯t be received, the day's reservations inevitably had to be canceled. The problem was the aftermath. Reservations were backed up for a month and a half, so customers either stayed after making a reservation to eat the Ultimate Mtang, or they made a reservation through a proxy and visited at the appointed time. Naturally, they were upset when it was suddenly canceled, and doubly so when they were just given back their deposit and left hanging. "They just return the deposit and that's it?" "What else can they do? Should they give them a new reservation a month and a halfter, or push back the next day's customers to fill the spots? That's not possible either." "That's true." Qing nodded. After all, when it came to restaurants, good food was king. Customers were essentially paying money to get a mere taste, so the more sessful a ce was, the more they tended to close twice a week and take all public holidays off. They weren¡¯t that desperate, after all. "So what are they doing over there?" "Probably trying to protest or something." "Those people really have nothing better to do." Qing let out a hissing sound. Sure, you'd feel bad if your reservation was canceled, but if they're not going to respond anyway, is there any need to gather like that and just re angrily? Aren't they just wasting their time and spoiling their mood? That's why she said they had nothing better to do. ...Or at least, there was a time when she thought like that. "Excuse me, Customer, tonight's reservations have been canceled because an esteemed guest has rented out the entire ce." "What?" "We shall return your deposit doubled." Qing received the pouch in a daze. The reservation fee wasn't insignificant, but it wasn't arge amount either, so even doubled, it didn't feel like a windfall. "My... My Ultimate Mtang..." While Qing was dumbfounded, Ziyou stepped forward. "Look here, there should be a reservation under the name Xin Hui. Has that been canceled too?" "What? Didn't you hear me? I said an esteemed guest has rented out the entire ce." "Just how esteemed is this guest?" "It is none other than the Speaking Flower of the Tang n. She herself has personallye. Satisfied?" Ziyou's expression hardened. Meanwhile, Qing's insides were boiling. Okay fine. Sure. Cancetions can happen. Since they said it's an esteemed guest. After all, how many times had she experienced this uncivilized culture of primitive, barbaric China where even guests were received ording to their rank? But rudeness was a separate matter. How could she just watch as this server, instead of bowing apologetically, stiffly told them to just take this and get lost? Right when Qing was about to explode¡­ "Hey you mo-" "Do not do that, friend. In Sichuan, it is truly not worth it, especially when ites to getting involved with the Tang n¡¯s affairs." "Tang n?" "The Sichuan Tang n of the Five Noble ns of the Central ins." "Ah. I've heard of them." She had heard a word or two from Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae. Peng Daesan had described them as persistent and petty bastards, while her Sword Brother said they were the richest family in Sichuan, famous for their poisons. Peng Guy was a simple man, so his likes and dislikes were clearly visible on his face. Seeing his disgusted expression, Qing thought he must have been in hot waters with the Tang n. That was what Qing thought, who believed her talent in mind reading was unparalleled among the world, at least when it came to expressions. Anyway, Ziyou's expression as he tried to stop her was so gloomy it looked like something you'd see at a funeral. Thanks to this, Qing, having missed her chance to get angry, had no choice but to huff and puff as she walked out of the restaurant. And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she started walking towards the protest site of the canceled customers. "Look here, Friend, where are you going?" "I'm going to see just how precious this face is that they can cancel other people's reservations as they please. Why?" "Didn't you hear them say the Speaking Flower?" "I know that much, you know? A flower that understands words? Must be a really pretty woman, huh? Then I should at least see her face once." At this, Ziyou asked as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You are wearing a sword at your waist and you don't know the Speaking Flower? The Speaking Poison Flower, one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins? Friend, are you sure you are a person of Murim?"
    1. Hwandan Gogi, also called Handan Gogi, is a pseudohistoricalption of texts on ancient Korean history. It is a bound volume of four supposedly historical records. ording to its introduction, the text waspiled in 1911 by Gye Yeon-su and supervised by Yi Gi.2. Basically, this whole part is hyping up a mythological empire known as Hwanguk which is said to be the predecessor of Korea.3. Maocai is a stew-like dish originating from the Chinese city of Chengdu, in Sichuan. It isposed of a variety of vegetables as well as meat and/or fish in a stock made of m sauce. Although it is simr to styles of hot potmon in this region, its chief difference lies in the fact that the ingredients are already cooked when served, and hence no simmering is done at the table.
Chapter 108: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (3) The Five Flowers of the Central ins. It quite literally meant that there were Five Flowers in the Central ins. In other words, it meant no further exnation was needed. Then suddenly, a thought urred. "Ah. This isn't actually something like the Five Great Beauties of Sichuan, is it?" "What are you talking about?" "Well, didn't you say earlier that the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven was actually the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Sichuan Chef?" "That's certainly true for cooking, but not so much for Sichuan women. It is indeed the Five Great Beauties of the Central ins." "Oooh." If that was the case, Qing, as obviously a man among men, couldn't miss out. After all, it was at least true that her eyes were pleased whenever she went around with Peng Guy. "But if it's Speaking Flower, why is it Speaking Poison Flower? Is it because she uses poison?" "No. It's because her personality is nasty." "Ah." Well, if she was the type to casually push aside other people's reservations, her personality must be more than just a little nasty. If she wanted to eat something delicious, she should have juste with two or three people and pushed out other customers besides herself to eat. They said she was from the richest family in Sichuan, so are they having a restaurant tour as apany dinner? And with enough people to rent out the entire ce? What the hell? Now that I think about it, it's infuriating. Qing shouted in front of the canceled customers. "How can there be such an outrageous thing in this world! The country has itsws, Murim has its rules, so surely businesses must have clear business ethics!" "The youngdy is right!" "Indeed, isn't business also part of Daoism?" The canceled customers responded enthusiastically. Qing shouted again. "Are dishes more important than people! Restaurants make a living by serving customers, so we customers are the foundation of the restaurant and the most important among the ranks! Those fuckers who don't understand this and arrogantly cancel reservations as they please should just go bankrupt!" "That's right! They should go bankrupt!" "There's a limit to treating customers like dogs!" "Everyone! This is not just about whether we can enjoy a single meal or not! If they continue to make money and thrive with such bullshit behavior, eventually all restaurants will treat customers like dogs! We must make such dog-like restaurants go bankrupt to show that justice is still alive in the Central ins!" "Oh, oh! Right! That's correct!" Qing passionately orated, asserting customers' rights with a fiery heart. Previously, the canceled customers had gathered to vent their anger,forting each other and wasting time in the process. But now, enlightened by Qing's eloquence, they embraced the great ideology of customer-centrism and were reborn as fighters struggling for their rights at this moment. And so a young fighter asked: -But Madam. That arrogant shop is so famous that its reservations are already booked for a month and a half. Will our condemnation really affect their prosperity? To which the madam replied: -That is why we must treat those who crawl on their knees to beg for food from a shop that treats us like pigs and dogs with the excuse of being delicious as idiots. They are no different from petty pigs and dogs who sell their dignity for mere food, and they harm the public justice of the world, so their hearts are also extremely wicked. Therefore, if we all despise and curse those who say they have eaten Azure Dragon's food and shame them, won't they then know shame and stop going? At this, the fighters finally pped their knees and eximed in admiration, inwardly taking note and deeply engraving it in their hearts. Qing's utterly wicked words were a new shock to the simple people of the Central ins. It was an atrocity that might even earn her a ce as the Progenitor of Mindless Power Tripping in the future. If that happened, her honorary title following Confucius, Mencius, Zhuangzi1, and Han Feizi2 might be something like Consumius or Consumzi. As a proud consumer, of course. Anyway, as Qing was watching the canceled customers burn with their new mission with satisfaction... "I didn't know my friend had a talent for sophistry and incitement." "Hey now. What do you mean sophistry and incitement?¡± Qing continued. "Actually, you're right. Anyway, if they go bankrupt because of this, or even if their sales just plummet, I'll feel better. So isn't that good enough?" "Now that I see, you are quite a malicious woman too, Friend. As Confucius said..." "Hey now, Friend. Your way of speaking is bing more and more like that of a noble person. Can you go back to how you were before?" "Ah. I didn't realize. You're right. I'll keep that in mind." Meanwhile, as the canceled customers were uniting and making a pact, they were just about to resolve to pour great jeers at the mysterious VIP customer who caused today's disaster as their first step. That was when a huge carriage appeared in the distance. On its luxurious ck walls,rge gold-leafed characters were boldly emzoned. Tang. The momentum of the canceled customers who were about to pour jeers suddenly faltered, and they started to surreptitiously look around, distancing themselves one or two at a time and pretending not to be involved. Thanks to this, the passionate discussion about customers' rights also abruptly ceased and disappeared. "What's with these people? They were so fired up earlier. Why are they suddenly..." "Who in Sichuan would dare to curse the Tang n?" Qing's voice turned fierce. "Well, well. Look at this shit. It¡¯s like an emperor has arrived. Anyone who sees this might think a king is making a royal procession." "...That's right." Ziyou agreed with a somewhat gloomy expression. The carriage looked big even from afar, but it got even bigger as it came closer. It was a carriage pulled by eight white horses, so naturally its majesty was extraordinary. "That carriage looks really nice." "Of course it does. It must be the top-of-the-line limited edition carriage from the One Thousand Trading Associations. They won't even take orders unless you have considerable power. That's the Eight-Headed Power Carriage, of which there are only three in the Central ins. Its exterior is made of ebony dyed by a master craftsman, fitted together without wedges, and also..." Suddenly, Ziyou's words burst forth like a waterfall. Ah, this guy was a carriage enthusiast. Anyway, the gist was that this carriage was amazing, so Qing listened with one ear and let it out the other. It seemed that whether in the Central ins or modern times, the behavior of people who couldn't control themselves when their favorite topic came up was the same. In the meantime, Choi Leeong whispered quietly. "Ahem. Child. Do you perhaps want that?" "Huh? Gramps. We don't have money, you know?" "We may not have money, but there are ways to acquire a carriage if we want to..." "Nahhh. Forget it. Who wants to go around pulling eight horses? And how would we maintain it? It's enough to just rent one when needed." "Well, that is true, but..." Choi Leeong looked disappointed. The One Thousand Trading Associations was one of the front businesses of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The ride quality of the prisoner transport carriage that Qing had ridden in was the culmination of that technology. Qing had absolutely no interest in carriages. Instead, she was interested in something else. "So, you're saying one of the five prettiest women in Murim is riding in that?" "On the surface, that is certainly true." Qing raised her expectations at those words. After all, wasn't he saying that despite his obvious aversion to the Sichuan Tang n, he still acknowledged her beauty? Finally, the carriage rolled up and stopped, and one of the coachmen leaped down with an impressive movement technique. What the? Are they using Peak Realm Masters as coachmen? Qing snorted. No, wait what? Why would a Master around the Peak Realm be working as a coachman? Do they not have any pride? Or do they pay that much monthly sry? Do they give one gold sycee per hour or something? As Qing was thinking this... The coachman opened the door with a respectful attitude. And finally, the Speaking Poison Flower, one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins and the Greatest Beauty of Sichuan, revealed herself. The Great Beauty of Sichuan's foot first touched the ground. The long skirt with slits on the sides was a popr outfit among Murim women. It was also unavoidable because skirts without slits were inconvenient for movement. As she extended one foot first, the Great Beauty of Sichuan's robust leg was revealed through the slit. Huh? Wot? Robust? It was a very robust leg indeed. The thigh was thicker than Qing's waist, and the muscles asserted their presence by type, with clear texture and distinct boundaries. A giant woman, as giant as the huge carriage, revealed herself. She was about eight chi tall, but her presence was even more imposing than her height. Even her forearms, not revealed by the sleeves, seemed to be of considerable thickness judging by their lines. She was a beauty with a cheerful expression on a head atop broad shoulders. She was certainly beautiful, but... Wait, where have I seen her before? Why does she feel familiar? If I had seen such a giant woman before, there's no way I could have forgotten... At any rate, she was pretty enough to pass by with a passing thought of "She's pretty", but not to the extent of turning around to look or stealing nces. Instead, anyone would rub their eyes and turn to look just because of that powerful physique. Ah. Qing realized her misunderstanding. "So the Five Flowers of the Central ins are ranked by strength?" "Hm? What do you mean?" "Right, right. After all, martial artists should fight to im their positions." Qing looked at the Great Beauty of Sichuan's giant fist. It was a fist that looked like it could take down a bear with one hit. Since it was the Five Flowers of the Central ins, it must be a position that female martial artists fight to im. Then Ziyou spoke as if he found her pitiful. "Isn't it obvious that she is Female Xiang Ji, Peng Chaolei? I heard rumors that Female Xiang Ji had appeared in the Underground Life and Death Arena recently, but I didn't know it was true." "Uh... Female Xiang Ji was a real person?" Qing, who had unintentionally be an impostor by using someone else's alias, looked around nervously. For people of Murim, impersonation was a serious crime tantamount to dering someone your mortal enemy. "It's my first time seeing her in person too, but indeed, she's a woman worthy of that alias." And then he muttered with a worried tone. "But for a daughter of the Peng n toe out in a Tang n carriage, if there are marriage talks, it would be extremely troublesome..." Qing only caught parts of what he said. "Huh? Peng n? It¡¯s that Peng n?" "Indeed. That very Hebei..." "Your speech." "Right. Yes, it¡¯s that Peng n of Hebei. She's the eldest daughter of the Peng n." Female Xiang Ji, Peng Chaolei. The name Chaolei used the characters for ¡®crow-tit¡¯ and 'beautiful', given because the baby girl born after eight months was particrly small and petite, like a crow-tit. However, no one could have imagined that she would grow so enormously tall afterward. "Ah! No wonder. She looks exactly like Daesan." She was the female version of Peng Daesan, the Most Handsome Man Under Heaven. Perhaps that's why, while she was beautiful, she was the type of beauty that would be described as handsome among women. Qing sighed in relief. She had unintentionally be an impostor. But since it was a friend's big sister, wasn't that fortunate? She thought that if she confessed honestly, apologized, and exined the situation well, they might let it slide. That's when it happened. There was a woman who btedly revealed herself, circling around the huge carriage. She had gotten off on the opposite side. And then she affectionately clung to Peng Chaolei's arm and spoke in a coquettish voice. "Unni, you shouldn't look down on it just because it's mtang. I'm sure you'lle back with your family members again." "I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not talking about the whole family. You mean just one certain individual, right?" "Hehehe... But, Unni, you really will be surprised when you taste it." Qing was surprised too. Woah! Holy shit! She's really pretty! Nah, that¡¯s crazy work! Is that even human!? How the fuck is that even human? Is this the caliber of the Five Flowers of the Central ins? Okay, then. Yes. I do hereby acknowledge thebel, Five Flowers of the Central ins.
    1. Zhuang Zhou,monly known as Zhuangzi, was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought.2. Han Fei, also known as Han Feizi, was a Chinese Legalist philosopher and statesman during the Warring States period. He was a prince of the state of Han.
Chapter 109: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (4) The nature of people is to inherently praise and exalt what is beautiful, bing endlessly generous in the process. Look at the incident from the past when Yang Guifei1, indulging in ying the viin, wreaked havoc with all sorts of misdeeds, properly ruining the country and even causing a rebellion. At that time, An Lushan2, the rebel leader, couldn't bring himself to behead the Emperor and advised him to get rid of that fishy woman. (Yang Guifei was also famous for having the worst body odor under the heavens.) The emperor, unable to smell due to sinusitis, shouted that if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, she could ruin the country a bit. That obviously made sense, right? So why kill the spirit of our beautiful Yang Guifei? The phrase "a beauty that can topple a nation" meant that if she was beautiful, one could forgive her even for shaking the country. Therefore, being generous to beauties could be said to be a characteristic of men. By the way, if a male friend stubbornly denies this, one should be very careful of their backside. And Qing was also an inevitable manly man. "Hmm. Now that I think about it, I guess it¡¯s possible they have some kind ofpany dinner with a guest?" Qing, who roughly equated the Five Noble ns to chaebol families, thought that if it was a gathering between chaebol families, they could do it at a famous restaurant. At that, Ziyou quietly asked a question. "Don't women usually get jealous when they see a woman more beautiful than themselves?" "Hey now. Isn't that too much of a stereotypical prejudice? Besides, why are you specifically asking me while looking specifically at me? How would I know that?" "...?" Ziyou was at a loss for words. After all, if you want to ask about women's affairs, shouldn't you ask women? If you ask men, won't you both just end up spreading your wings of imagination? Then, suddenly. "I misspoke. I shall sincerely apologize, so please do not take it to heart too much." He was apologizing with a polite attitude. In fact, the mystical veiled beauty in the Central ins is a fantasy that only exists in stories. This was because a woman's beauty was considered a virtue to be boasted about to the world, so they didn¡¯t particrly hide it. A woman who hid her face naturally had a reason to do so. If she was called a veiled woman, it meant her facial features were so extraordinary that ordinary people couldn¡¯t handle it, so it was out of consideration that she hid it. This was the Central ins' conclusion about veiled women. In other words, it was an apology saying, "Sorry for pointing out that you're ugly." "Your speech." "That was intentional. It means my apology is that sincere." "Oh really? Then, since you¡¯re so sorry, want to treat me to dinner? There must be other delicious things besides mtang, right?" "Sounds good. Actually, even if they say mtang is the Ultimate, it's just mtang, isn't it? Itcks foundation." Mtang originated from maocai, a meal for the lowest ss ofmoners. About half of the Sichuan people didn¡¯t acknowledge mtang as cuisine, saying it was just a meal, not a dish. Of course, the Ultimate Mtang was an exception. Still, everyonemented that if the Greatest Chef Under Heaven made other dishes, they would be much more delicious, but he was just fiddling with mere mtang. "Today, my friend, you will thoroughly understand why Sichuan cuisine is synonymous with the greatest under heaven." "Alright. Good, good. Today is a day to eat until my stomach bursts. By the way, I eat a lot, you know? If you think you can't handle it, feel free to dere defeat and stop the meal at any time. You might need to show some teary-eyed pleading, though." "There's no need to worry about me." Qing grinned and then asked. "By the way, do guests usually enter first? Is this Sichuan-style hospitality?" "How could that be? The more esteemed the guest, the more carefully they should be prepared for and escorted in with the whole family." "Then is Female Xiang Ji not a very esteemed guest?" "That can't be the case." "Then, why?" Qing pointed at the Azure Dragon restaurant. After the two women slipped in, the coachmen and other hangers-on stood guard in front of the restaurant. Therge 'Tang' characters emzoned across their martial uniforms looked quite tacky. "I thought when they said they rented out the whole ce, the whole family would be having a nice meal out together." "My friend, you have an overtly naive side, don't you? Obviously, they rented it out because they wanted to dine alone." "What?" Qing stopped in her tracks. They kicked out all those customers just so the two of them could eat alone? What kind of world-ss fuckery, what kind of ill-mannered rude bullshit is this? Then she took a moment to assess the situation. That's right. Qing always assessed the situation. She wasn't a reckless fighter, and while she asionally showed symptoms of anger management issues... that was unavoidable due to her mind being messed up by the Heavenly ughtering Star and Demonic Arts. Even in Luoyang, when dealing with the ck Whatever Sect(?), didn't she admit defeat like a man and retreat? Qing was basically a cowardly type who followed the principle of "strong against the weak, weak against the strong," and a timid scaredy-cat who never charged in first unless she was certain. And so, she quickly came to a conclusion. Qing turned around and headed towards the restaurant entrance. "Friend, where are you... No wait, what strength is..." Ziyou couldn't quite grab her hand and only managed to catch her sleeve, but ended up being dragged along. This was because Qing's pure strength had already surpassed that of Xiang Yu in his prime, and Ziyou was originally the weakest among men without any martial arts. "Halt. What business do you have?" Qing looked at the Tang n warrior blocking her way. The martial uniform looked expensive, but therge green 'Tang' character emzoned in a circle from chest to belly was incredibly tacky. Since they put one character on the front and back, does that make it 'Tang Tang'? Even the jackets of prestigious universities don't have such tantlyrge emblems. Qing took a deep breath. And then she screamed, almost like a shriek. "ISN¡¯T THIS! SERIOUSLY! GOING! TOO FARRRRRRR!!!" It was already a ce crowded with onlookers. The canceled customers pretended to disperse but only changed the density of their crowd, still hoping to see the Speaking Poison Flower's face. Add to that the group that had flocked to see the Speaking Poison Flower following the carriage, and while it might not have reached the level of the Jade Qilin, it was at least a third of that. It was a shrill, high-pitched scream unique to women. People who were about to go back to their business after seeing the Speaking Poison Flower, thinking "Wow! Her beauty is really out of this world," turned their heads to look at Qing and naturally rewound time back to their original positions. "Does being from the Tang n mean you can just cancel other people's reservations? I waited forty-five days for this moment, and just because one youngdy has arrived, we're told to get lost? Should we just sink into the ground? Why don't you just tell us to dig our graves and get in?" "You wench, how dare y-" "How dare I!? How dare I!? Yeah, okay! Is that how you want to y?! So you mean that you, the great Sichuan Tang n people, are so noble that lowly worms like us shouldn't dare!! Dare!!! To talk back no matter what happens to us, right? Oh my, oh my! Look here, neighbors! Look at what they're saying here!!! Look everyone! The oh so noble Tang n royalty has arrived!!!" Qing screamed at the top of her lungs for everyone to hear. "L-Lower your voice." "My Gramp¡¯s dying wish was to taste that one bowl of mtang he barely managed to eat once when times were really tough, saving penny by penny. I finally got a reservation and brought him here, but..." Choi Leeong¡¯s expression changed into one of subtle difort. Choi Leeong, who had walked the path of a Prestigious Demonic Path in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, had never lived in poverty even once in his life. "Gramps!! I'm sorry!! I'm sorry for being a worthless worm with no backing and no skills!! What can I do when the Tang n¡¯s youngdy is tired of good food and needs to experiencemoner food!!" The onlookers, who were initially just curious, gradually began to murmur with an ominous tone. Among people living in Sichuan, especially those living in Chengdu, who hadn¡¯t experienced the tyranny of the Tang n at least once? Even nameless warriors from branch families, not direct descendants, acted like high-ranking officials just by wearing clothes with the Tang character. "Ah! What sphemy have I! O¡¯ noble warrior! This madwoman dared to defy the Great Tang n, the Greatest Under Heaven, the imperial lords! In Sichuan, the Tang n is practically the imperial family and thew, they say! You must not doubt my loyalty! Long live the Tang n! Long live! No wait, since there¡¯s a heaven above heaven, then the Tang n is undoubtedly above the emperor! Long fuc-, I mean, long live the Tang n! For ten thousand years! No, eighteen thousand years!! Motherfu-, I mean, eighteen thousand years3!!!" The Tang n warrior's face turned pale. In reality, the influence of the Sichuan Tang n in Chengdu had long surpassed that of the royal family. Even though, hypothetically, the royal prefecture of a Grand Prince was on the outskirts of Chengdu and owned most of thend in Chengdu, they were in a situation where they couldn't exert power due to the Tang n. Moreover, a Grand Prince was a title given to the legitimate line of the imperial family, even among the many princes. Roughly speaking, it was given to the emperor's sons and brothers, even disregardingplicated circumstances. In fact, it was almost an open secret that the Tang n privately said among themselves, "Even the Grand Prince is no match for us," looking down on and belittling him. "No! What are mere numbers! How can the greatness of the Tang n be expressed in numbers! Please ept this humble one's loyalty! A generation of Tang! A generation of Tang! A generation of Tang Tang!" However, an open secret also meant an unwritten rule that it shouldn't be said openly. In fact, among the onlookers, there were also those with particrly tacky attire with single characters like Byeong, Yong, Jol, A, Yeok, Po, Noe, Se, Go, Yeom, Joong emzoned on them, indicating they were government officials receiving sries from the authorities. This was the moment when the story they would talk about tonight was being decided. "That, uh, please, just shut u-" "Ah! Shut up, you say!! Are you saying that this lowly being, not even as bright as a firefly under the sun that is the great Sichuan Tang n, stillcks volume in her voice!!! LONG LIVE THE TANG CLAN!!!!! FOR EIGHTEEN THOUSAND YEARS!!!! LONG LIVE THE TANG CLAN!!! KYAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Qing's breathing was already trained by the Bokshinjeok, making it superior even among Masters. Her voice was so loud that, with a bit of exaggeration, it seemed like buildings were shaking and the earth was vibrating along with it. "No, just-" Feeling that this couldn't go on, the Tang n warrior reached out towards Qing. He thought he should at least pull her away, as she was clearly causing a scene intentionally and couldn't be left alone like this. It wasn't a wrong judgment. The problem was that this was the moment Qing had been waiting for and aiming at. "KYAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Qing flew as if hit by an iron cavalry (cataphract). Moreover, she bounced twice on the ground, rolled over, and sprawled out, looking to anyone like she had taken a hit from a Master, peerless under the heavens. Qing curled up and trembled like a seriously ill patient. While rolling, she secretly flicked a small stone, which hit Choi Leeong, who immediately caught on and rushed to Qing. "Oh my! Child! Come to your senses! How can there be such aw in this world!! This fragile child who's barely twenty!! What mortal sin has shemitted by raising her voice a bit!! Is there such aw under heaven!! How can this be the behavior of a prestigious orthodox sect!!" While Choi Leeong's Inner Arts was barely First-Rate, his Enlightenment had already entered the Unrestrained Realm. At the Unrestrained Realm, one could freely handle the subtleties of the lion's roar,monly known as 'YOU DARE!!!', so the old man's sorrowful voice resonated loudly. A fragile child of twenty. Fathers with children were greatly moved, and whispers spread among the crowd such as: Isn't this too much even for the Tang n? It seems they've been working behind the scenes sneakily, and now they're nning to openly act tyrannically. We should warn our children sternly, and so on. Watching this scene, Ziyou shook his head. Rather than drawing a sword and charging in, was she seriously trying to gather people and tantly throw away all concepts of pride and conscience in the gutter? There had never been such a vicious person in the world.
    1. Yang Yuhuan, often known as Yang Guifei, and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen, was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during hister years. She is known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.2. An Lushan was a Chinese military general and rebel leader during the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion which devastated China and killed millions of people. An Lushan was of Sogdian and G?kt¨¹rk origin, at least by adoption.3. ??? can be tranted literally to "Long live for ten thousand years". But when saying out loud or using ng, it could also sound like "Long fucking live". The same is the case for ????, which is tranted here as "eighteen thousand years". ?? which means "eighteen" is also a ng/double entendre for "shibal" which means "fuck".
Chapter 110: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (5) The situation had reached a level that the individual Tang n warrior could no longer handle. Naturally, someone higher up had to rush out. Qing saw a man who hurriedly appeared, using a footwork that almost seemed like rolling on the ground. In fact, Qing had already had her fun. Despite everything, the martial artists of the Sichuan Tang n weren't evil people. They had acted arrogantly and tyrannically, thus suffering great humiliation, so wouldn't they at least pretend to restrain themselves from now on? Even in Qing's homnd, when power abuse became widely known, they would at least pretend to be self-reflective for a while. So if they added a polite apology at this point, she was willing to forgive them magnanimously like a great person. However, the Tang n had already been standing tall as the kings of Sichuan since the time of the Celestial Martial Emperor. When one's nose is pointed towards the sky, no matter how much they lower their eyes, they can't see the ground. The man threw something swiftly. Thud. Something heavy fell in front of Qing. It was a whole ingot of gold. "Enough with themotion. That should be sufficientpensation for your grievance." Qing's eyes took in the ever so yellow gold ingot. She had already caused all the embarrassment she could, so wouldn't this be getting practical benefits on top of that? Qing, still lying down, slowly reached out and picked up the gold ingot. Gold was inherently a heavy metal. As the weight settled in her arms, Qing's anger also melted away. Indeed, one ingot of pure gold conveyed true sincerity better than a hundred apologies. So themotion should have ended here. If only the man hadn't opened his mouth. "Just look at that! In the end, it was all a ploy to extort some money. The Tang n has bestowed gold despite suffering this humiliation, so who is truly the wronged party in this affair?" It was the man's strategy to win over public opinion. He had turned Qing from an unfairly wronged victim into a shameless scammer who tried to extort gold by creating a false pretext. Naturally, Qing felt wronged. While the self-harm and extortion were true, she hadn't thought about the gold. But in a world where even cousins feel jealous when their rtives buynd, the onlookers' gazes immediately turned cold when they saw her take a whole ingot of gold just for causing a bit ofmotion. "Consider yourself lucky. It's only because an esteemed guest is present that we're trying to avoid bloodshed. If not for that, you would have melted into a handful of poisonous water. When you go back, offer thanks to your ancestors." He didn't forget to add a warning either. There was no guarantee that a second or third Qing wouldn't appear if they showed weakness. The man's handling of the situation was quite clean and excellent in its own way. He had turned the victim into a scammer, shown generosity by bestowing just one ingot of gold, and prevented recurrence through a warning. The only problem was that it was now that being's turn to step up again. As the 'even greater' Sun Tzu had said again, again, and again, "If you do not know the enemy, even the wisest n bes an act of retardation¡±. Fucking hell, these cunts. I was going to let it go nicely, but they're seriously going to cross the line like this? Qing poked Choi Leeong's side repeatedly. Then a voice full of anger stopped the man who was turning around. "Melt into a handful of poisonous water, you say? Very well. Let's see you try it. A member of one of the Five Noble ns, a prestigious orthodox sect, acting so shamelessly in the witness of all under heaven. Is this the way of the Tang n?" The man stopped in his tracks. "Look here, old man. Your bravado is admirable, but you should know your ce and situation. How dare you, in the middle of Chengdu..." "Even a mere low-ranking member is so arrogant. I can imagine what the rest of the Tang bastards are like without even seeing them." At this point, it was clearly an invitation to fight. The man understood this implication as well. "I tried to be nice, but it seems that won't work. You fools who only understand when you see blood..." The man couldn't finish his sentence. This was because Choi Leeong had raised a sphere made of gathered starlight above his palm. It was a peerless skill that every martial artist dreamed of. Its name: Force Compression. Of course, it wasn't an incredibly rare skill. Any Master around the Unrestrained Realm could use it. Only then did Qing reach out, pretending to stop him. "Gramps, stop it. That's going too far. Are you nning to kill everyone?" "Then, should I just let such insolent words slide?" "But if you kill them all, wouldn¡¯t you find them way too pitiful?" Choi Leeong slowly withdrew the Force Compression. "Hmph, hmph. With such a soft heart. How will you survive in the cruel world of Murim? Hmph. You. Consider yourself lucky." In fact, even with Force Compression, Choi Leeong's Inner Force was barely First-Rate, so he would have no Qi left after using it just once. The man was pale and bloodless. He hadn't noticed before because his nose was too high in the air to look at others, but now he saw that the light in the old man's eyes was undoubtedly that of a great elder from Buddhism or Daoism. "I-I didn't realize I was in the presence of such an esteemed..." "Forget it. I'm just dying to know how noble a person must be to kick away our old man's rice bowl and chase us out of a restaurant." "That is..." "What are you doing? After causing all this trouble, are you just going to happily eat your meal?" "P-Please wait a moment!" The man hurriedly ran into the restaurant. ----Tang Nanah, one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins known as the Speaking Poison Flower, a flower of the Tang n and the most beautiful woman in Sichuan, was currently spending a very important time. She was in the middle of trying to curry favor with her future sister-inw, or in Central ins terms, daego. Peng Chaolei was a famous figure in many ways. She was known as a muscle maniac obsessed with strength, had peculiar speech and behavior iming she was married to her dadao and calling herself Mrs. Dadao, and possessed an unfeminine tall stature and developed physical beauty, among other things. Her open-minded personality and straightforwardness were also well-known. However, these things weren't particrly important to the women of the Central ins. What was important to the women of the Central ins was that Peng Chaolei was afortable Unni who wouldn¡¯t be apetitor when it came to men. And, above all, she was the sister of that Jade Qilin! When discussing marriage arrangements in a family, the eldest sister's voice carried truly enormous power. So Tang Nanah was grateful to that unnamed Female Xiang Ji impostor. After all, Peng Chaolei hade to Sichuan after hearing rumors about her impostor, wanting to see that face for herself. It was an opportunity to capture the heart of her prospective sister-inw. "Hehe, Unni. I¡¯m telling you, this ce is really that famous for its cuisine. I'm sure you'll find it to your taste too." "Well. To build muscle, you need to eat muscle. Hmm, can't we just tear into some meat? Ah. Is there a lot of meat in it?" "I, I specially ordered them to put in a lot..." Tang Nanah frantically waved her hand under the table. Fortunately, she saw one of the Tang n warriors guarding the interior rushing to the kitchen. "Really? Thanks for being so thoughtful." "Hehe. It's nothing. It's food for you to eat, Unni." "Hmm." However, it's not easy to keep a conversation going between people withpletely different tastes and hobbies. "Oh my, Unni, your skin is so beautiful. Do you perhaps use any special jade powder or lotus oil?" "I don't use that stuff. It's bothersome. And it gets sticky when you sweat." "Ah, I see..." "..." "...Ah! Unni, I saw a new craftsman while looking around a workshop the other day! He was a craftsman who could handle gold and silver freely. Would you perhaps be interested?" "What use is a craftsman who's good with gold and silver? Gold and silver are too soft to be used for weapons." "Ah, I see..." "..." As she was trying to please her (with absolutely no sess) and curry favor, that's when it happened. An urgent Sound Transmission pierced Tang Nanah's ear. -You fool, now is not the time to be leisurely slurping soup. A propermotion has broken out. Didn't I tell you that Azure Dragon would be too much? "Ah, Unni. Can I excuse myself for a moment?" "Huh? Sure." "Hehe, I'm sorry. I'll be right back!" Tang Nanah hurriedly headed towards one of the private rooms. "Uncle, what's going on? What could be more important than my marriage prospects right now?" "There's an elder at the Unrestrained Realm among today's canceled customers. They're quite angry now." "Why today of all days? Who is it? If it's some Demonic Adept or something..." "They're clearly an elder from Buddhism or Daoism. They're saying they want to see the face of whoever kicked away their rice bowl and chased them out." "Oh, for heaven's sake. Why now of all times?" Tang Nanah stamped her feet. Yes, the noble ns had said they were free from the hierarchy of the Nine Sects and One Union. That hierarchy was a tradition of the Nine Sects and One Union side, and had no connection with the noble ns who had long established their roots as family groups. But if you asked if they were really free to not respect it? Of course not. How could that possibly be the case? A high-ranking elder meant an elder of a sect, and if you identally slighted them, it would be the same as slighting the entire sect. The reason Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae werefortable with Qing was that despite their high allocation, they were peers in age, so as long as she wasn't rude, they could remain friends. That's why only Daoist Changbin, who was a big brother to them and was also basically Qing's disciple's disciple's disciple, suffered alone due to the twisted family(?) tree. "We can't keep them waiting for long. Hurry." "I know that too, okay? Ugh, just my luck." "How do you n to resolve this?" A vicious glint entered Tang Nanah's eyes. "What do you mean how? We'll handle it the way we always do." ----"Friend, what exactly is your identity? And what kind of esteemed person is the old man?" "Me? Ximen Qing. Gramps? He's the old man who takes care of me." "That's not what I mean." "What does it matter? It's not like you approached us because you knew my Gramps was a Master, right? You weren't rude either. Does anything change now that you know?" "Ooh..." Ziyou couldn't help but admire. It meant that by seeing people simply as people and making friends, one could look beyond background and ability to see only the fundamental character. Not just a unique veiled woman, but perhaps an entric sage of Daoism. In fact, Qing had said it without much thought, just telling him not to worry about it. After all, she had just gone along with this unknown guy who stuck to her out of boredom, thinking he seemed like another rich young master and figuring she could get a hefty friendship fee. Of course, she was only epting such a friendship fee in consideration of his over 400 Righteous Karma Points. Wasn¡¯t this how people normally be friends? It wasn¡¯t like one needed a grand and borate backstory to form a connection. After all, if you hang out for a while and then part ways, it just ends as a brief encounter. And if there's someone among them who keeps in touch, you might hang out for a long time. That's when it happened. A figure came running out of the restaurant entrance like an arrow. Appearing with red silk clothes fluttering, they immediately knelt down and prostrated themselves in a motion as smooth as flowing water. Qing admired the graceful apology. It was clearly not the work of someone who had done this only once or twice. Do they eat and breathe apologies for a living? They were truly worthy of being called an apology specialist. "Esteemed elder, this girl is truly sorry for her disrespect. This girl, in her wicked greed to entertain an honored guest, ended up... hic, sob... What should I do, sob, I'm so sorry, sniff, hic..." And then, with a beautiful face, they shed tears like chicken droppings, Drip Drip Drip. Qing admired this sight once again. Wow! Crocodile tears for the win! Are these tears the famous ¡°I¡¯m sorry for whatever¡± apology videos I¡¯ve only ever heard about?! Chapter 111: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (6) There's a saying that a woman's tears are beautiful. That's bullshit. In fact, there's no such saying. When crying, the brow furrows downward while the cheekbones rise up, causing all the wrinkles around the eyes to appear in surprise as they fight each other. Meanwhile, the mouth takes on a terrible shape, carving deep lines like the character for "eight". The face turns bright red, tears flow in four streams from both sides of the eyes, and in severe cases, the catastrophe of snot bubbling up can ur. This was previously demonstrated by Jin Jangmyeong's wailing. So clearly, there was almost no such thing like the crying from dramas that didn¡¯t yet exist in the Central ins - the kind of crying where tears gracefully roll down a beautiful face, making one think "How lovely she looks, even when crying." But the reason there was "almost" none was because it did exist in some cases. It was when one had to swallow their sorrow and smile, showing restrained sadness, or when pretending to cry forcefully. Tang Nanah was clearly sobbing uncontrobly with her mouth, but her tiny face remained beautiful. Moreover, with moist eyes looking up pitifully and tears dripping down, even Qing thought "Wow!" So Qing looked at Tang Nanah and thought: Wow, how can she control her emotions so instantly like that? And in front of all these people? Meanwhile, Tang Nanah was getting goosebumps at her own wickedness. Originally, women's schemes werergely divided into two categories. One is the "Who's the Biggest Bitch" category. And the other is the "Who's the Biggest Victim" category. Although the term and usage of "crocodile tears for the win" had not yet been established in the Central ins, truth inherently shines, even across ages. This was the secret technique that created the current Speaking Poison Flower, the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan. Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky! When tears of flowers fill the entire sky, who in the world would not sympathize? In an instant, she had captured everyone's attention and transformed into a pitiful and lovely beauty. In terms of pitifulness, she had far outmatched the veiled woman who couldn't proudly show her face due to her looks, or the grandfather who was a Master in the Unrestrained Realm. I've won this fight, haven't I? Tang Nanah quickly saw her flustered opponent and raised her crying voice even louder. "I'm so... sorry. Hic, sniff, waaah..." "..." "Hic, hup." "..." "I'm sorry, please, forgive me, hic." "..." What's going on? Why aren't they forgiving me? If they leave it like this, won't they be the ones losing out? Won't they just be cursed as a heartless grandparent and grandchild? Don't they care about their reputation? Are they throwing away their reputation? Tang Nanah had underestimated her opponent too much. If they had cared about their reputation, they wouldn't have rolled on the ground three times, then wriggled around before neatly pocketing a gold ingot. "Hic, hup, sniffle, sniff, sob, sorry." However, now facing a formidable opponent, Tang Nanah realized the fatal weakness of Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky. It consumed an enormous amount of mental and physical energy, and if she couldn't achieve a quick victory, she would be the one in trouble. Human tears weren¡¯t infinite, after all, and her emptied tear ducts were screaming for her to stop. Tang Nanah drew poison from the Poison Dan in her dantian and redirected it to her eyes, overworking her tear ducts. These flowing tears were an extension of her Poison Arts. At the same time, she kept thinking sad thoughts. Right, like when Father scolded me just for breaking his precious vase. When practicing Hidden Weapon Techniques, he had only ced the most expensive ones on either side of the target to create a sense of urgency. It's not like I broke it on purpose, but he got so angry. He really went too far. It was the same when I roasted and ate the Thousand-Year Fleeceflower Roots. How could the world's most precious daughter not be allowed to roast and eat a mere elixir? How could he fly into such a rage over some guest's gift? Surely his daughter is more important than someone's 60th birthday present. He really went too far. This resentment became the driving force that extended the duration of Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky once again. "I'm sorry, hic, please forgive me, waaah, hic, sniffle, hic, wahhh..." These were the tears of none other than the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan. The onlookers clutched their chests at her pitiful state, inwardly thinking that surely it was time to forgive her. This proved that beauty was indeed power and authority. If just one person had taken the lead, everyone would have been on the verge of chanting in unison, "Forgive her, forgive her." That's when Qing finally opened her mouth. "Ah. Come to think of it, doesn't this mean we can go eat mtang now? Gramps, let's go. They say it's the signature dish of the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, so we should try it." "Even so, how great could mtang possibly be?" "Aiyooo, don't say that before trying it. My good friend, let's go too. And don't think this means you're off the hook for treating us to dinner. A man shouldn't speak with two mouths, right?" "That's right. I feel like even that much wouldn't be enough to pay for the show we've seen. It's quite satisfying." And with that, the three of them slipped inside Azure Dragon. Tang Nanah, left alone kneeling, was flustered. Oh no. What should I do in this situation...? ----Peng Chaolei was starting to feel like her time was being wasted. In the time it took to do all this, she could have swung her dadao one more time, and it would all have been nourishment for her robust body. She didn't really know what mtang was, and a true Murim expert's dinner should be a whole roasted piglet or young calf, cut up and eaten. Where had Tang Nanah gone after leaving earlier, and why were these three unfamiliar people giggling as they entered? Peng Chaolei quickly scanned the three people. Qing met that gaze directly. I should probably greet her, right? I need to clear up the misunderstanding about the impersonation too. "Hello? Um, you're Daesanie's1 older sister, right? I'm Ximen Qing, Daesanie's friend. He hasn't told you about me, but... well, he never really talks about himself." Peng Chaolei asked with a puzzled expression. "Hm? Daesanie? Does that brat let people call him that? He's not the type to allow that." Ah. They're definitely siblings. Seeing Peng Chaolei's suspicious gaze, Qing hurriedly fumbled in her bosom and pulled out a guest que. "I really am Daesanie's friend. Look, this is what Daesanie gave me as proof of friendship." Peng Chaolei looked at the guest que Qing proudly held out. She saw gold-leafed characters engraved in a majestic handwriting. Namgung! Peng Chaolei's eyes narrowed. What's this? Is she showing off? Is she saying she's an honored guest of the Namgung family? "Namgung...?" "Ah. I must have taken out the wrong one." Qing held out the correct guest que this time. On the gold-leafed que, deeply engraved characters filled with red pigment could be seen. Peng. The red and blue silk threads attached to it confirmed it was indeed a guest que directly from the heir, Peng Daesan. Moreover, it was a top, top-tier que among all its ranks. "Oh my goodness. It's real? You're really Daesanie's friend? That brat has a girlfriend?" "Since putting those two words together sounds a bit weird, could you call me his female friend instead?" Qing answered with an expression of utter disgust. A shudder of sincere dislike,pletely identical to a certain someone's. Peng Chaolei burst into heartyughter. Judging by the sound alone, it was closer to a mountain bandit'sugh than that of a female expert from one of the Five Noble ns. "I see, a friend? Purely just a friend? Yes, that¡¯s right. That brat should experience this once too, for a change." Peng Chaolei's eyes became incredibly warm. ----It was quite some timeter when Tang Nanah came in. If she went back right away, it wouldn't seem like she had truly reflected even after crying, but she couldn't just keep kneeling awkwardly outside either. People kept gathering to see the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan, but those who were supposed to ept her apology had just gone in without a care. It was truly an unprecedented situation. So Tang Nanah, gritting her teeth, slowly looked around before getting up and returning, only to find... A scene of warmth andughter, with Peng Chaolei's expression, which had been as dull as peeling garlic before, now sparkling with unprecedented vitality. What's this? Why is the atmosphere so good? Sister-In-Law, you weren't like this with me. Tang Nanah inwardly shed tears of blood. Renting out an entire restaurant like Azure Dragon was a bit of an overreach, even for the Tang n. It was a ce she had forcibly arranged, half-threatening that it would block her marriage prospects, but now some random bitch was gobbling up the ce she had protected by kneeling and shedding tears. Tang Nanah's eyes burned with fire. This humiliation cannot be endured. I must show the true terror of the Sichuan Tang n. Vile Venom? Or Intestine Melter? Or perhaps Eyebrow Pimple Poison? Tang Nanah recalled the poisons she possessed. Vile Venom caused a burning sensation in the nose, triggering a waterfall-like nosebleed. Intestine Melter, true to its name, caused a storm in the toilet. Eyebrow Pimple Poison was such a terrifying poison that it made a volcano-like pimple erupt between the eyebrows. Truly worthy of bringing forth the tears of a woman. Tang Nanah was the Speaking Poison Flower, a iparably wicked woman who always carried such extremely dangerous deadly poisons. "Ah. Nanah. This is Qing'er, I mean, Young Lady Ximen Qing. Have you two met already?" Er?! 'Er' was originally a term of endearment used by parents for young children, usually attached to the front or back of thest character of the name. When attached to the front, it was more formal and could be used in official settings, while attaching it to the back emphasized affection particrly. Using Peng Daesan as an example, it would be 'Er San' or 'San'er'. It was also used to address someone as close as a younger sibling. However, an older male should absolutely never use it with the 'er' at the end when addressing a younger male. This must be emphasized with ¡°absolutely¡± a whopping three times. Remember. Look here, Er San. (O) Listen, San'er. (Public Enemy No. 1 in Murim) "That, um, did you two... know each other...?" "Huh? No, we just met today." "Urgh." "What's wrong? Are you sick? Does your stomach hurt? You're groaning. Anyway, Qing'er, so as I was saying. When I was killing those bandit bastards..." "Ah, I think I know. If you cut off the limbs first, the way they squirm..." "Right, and then if youy the head like this..." "I know. When you smash it, that crushing sensation..." "Ooh, you know! Then, making them vomit their intestines through their mouth..." "Not there, if you hit the spleen area a bit harder..." Although she couldn't understand, some kind of ominous conversation was taking ce. Was this really a topic for women to discuss? Nevertheless, what was clear was that the atmosphere was very warm and friendly. I don¡¯t mean it literally, but I feel sick in the stomach. At the same time, cold sweat was pouring down. This won't do! I need a topic that can break through this situation! That's when it happened. -AAAAAARGH!!! AAAGH!!! UWAAAAAGH!!! Suddenly, a scream full of anguish rang out. It was a scream that chilled the listener to the bone. A horrific sound echoing from the kitchen. Thanks to this, the conversation was interrupted and all attention turned towards the kitchen. Tang Nanah shot a gaze as bright as stars towards Yeom Joang, who was serving as both her guard and uncle. As expected, Uncle, I believed in you! You doe through once in a while when it counts! Yeom Joang responded with Sound Transmission. -It wasn't me. So stop looking at me like that.
    1. Remember that the "ie" put in the end is a familiar way to call people in Korean.
Chapter 112: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (7) The kitchen was a horrific sight. The floor was covered in red liquid, with mangled flesh, chopped bones, and various soft and hard objects scattered about. The stench was so terrible that everyone reflexively covered their mouths and noses. Someone with a weak stomach made a faint retching sound. And the culprit of this disaster shouted while holding a sharp knife: "It wasn't me! I, I couldn't have done this!" Qing looked at the scene and thought: Why waste all this perfectly good food? Mtang oil was all over the floor, with pitiful meat, vegetables, tofu, and noodles floating in it. Qing snapped in an annoyed voice: "Hey, what do you mean it wasn't you? Aren't you that so-called Greatest Chef Under Heaven?" "Yes, I am Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven. And these are all trash. Why? Why doesn't it taste right? It shouldn't taste like this. What's wrong with it? Is it the stock? No, that¡¯s fine. Has the Ma spice changed? No. The tender meat? It's not that either." The Greatest Chef Under Heaven, Bai Changzi, muttered while darting around with crazed eyes, grabbing ingredients and sniffing them. "What is it? Everything's fine! Everything's perfectly fine!" "Look. I get that something's gone wrong, but why are you throwing away perfectly good food? Isn't it a waste?" Qing still hadn't escaped the memories of scavenging trash for food during her early days in Murim. That painful memory she would carry for life continued to fuel her obsession with food. "No! This isn't fit to eat! It's garbage!" "No, what? Mister is the one who made it garbage." "What? I made garbage!? How dare you say that to me, Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven!" Qing held out her hand to the side. Choi Leeong produced Bokshinjeok from somewhere and ced it in her hand. Qing's voice that followed was chilling. "Bai Changzi or Bai Daechang, ah, I want some daechang (Large intestines). Anyway, isn't what's scattered on the floor supposed to be my dinner? If you don't give me a satisfactory exnation..." "No! This isn't my Ultimate Mt, ack!" WHACK!!! A hearty sound rang out. This was why people should maintain some of their senses even when they were not in their right mind. * The Greatest Chef Under Heaven was in a terrible state. He rolled on the floor clutching his head, his chef's uniform soaked to the limit with mtang broth. With his bright red, broth-soaked uniform sticking to his skin, Bai Changzi knelt politely. "So, what about my dinner?" "I... I am deeply ashamed. I have no excuse..." "What? What's the problem? Is it so wrong for me to want to eat a delicious bowl of mtang? I waited exactly forty-five days because they said your cooking was so good." "That's precisely why. I cannot serve an imperfect dish to guests who came expecting my cooking." "An imperfect dish?" "This taste, this isn't the right taste." Bai Changzi exined the situation. Originally, the Ultimate Mtang was a high-ss dish worth one gold sycee per bowl. That was why they only used the tenderest loin from young pigs between seven and nine months old, frying the outside before cooking it separately. The beef was also prepared simrly, using tenderloin from healthy calves. And for the lotus root, they didn't use just any lotus root, but cultivated a special pond and so on and so forth. Qing asked incredulously. "So you're saying you use the best ingredients, cook them separately, and then put them in the broth. But how can it not taste good then? Is a Greatest Chef Under Heaven really necessary if that¡¯s the case?" "Cooking is about considering the condition of the ingredients each day, whether it's humid or not, hot or cold, checking the fat and meat quality, looking at the leaves and shape of vegetables, and bringing out the best taste. Who else but me could gather the best ingredients and pour them into a mere bowl of mtang?" "A mere bowl of mtang?" "Although mtang is ultimately justmoner food, there's no high or low in cuisine. In fact, after my Ultimate Mtang, various evolved forms of mtang have appeared, gradually being recognized as a proper dish rather than just a cheap meal recement." Earlier he seemed just crazy, but listening to him now, he was unexpectedly a solid and excellent chef. "But why did you throw away my dinner?" "Well, you see..." Today, as always, he had perfectly prepared all the ingredients, putting extra effort into it because of the esteemed guests. However, the moment the ingredients werebined, a major problem arose in the harmony created by the ingredients and the soup. He went crazy because even after checking each ingredient individually, he couldn't find anything wrong. "So, I cannot serve you the dish today." "Is it that serious?" "Of course. It's such a subtle distortion that no one in the world except someone with my pte as the Greatest Chef Under Heaven would notice, but it's definitely not a proper dish. Um... are you going to hit me?" "Yep." Qing nodded, holding Bokshinjeok. Bai Changzi exined with a solemn expression. "Even if I'm hit, my determination to always serve the best cuisine will not waver." "Craftsmanship is good and all, but shouldn't you know when to stop? Aren't you thinking about the hungry customers waiting outside?" "Taste is power. For the best cuisine, of course, a time of eager waiting is nece- Ack!" WHACK! Bai Changzi rolled on the floor again. Still, in recognition of his spirit, it was a controlled strike with just about one exmation mark's worth of force. Qing turned away from the rolling Bai Changzi. "It looks like dinner is ruined. Damnit, I'm starving to death... Friend, where were we going earlier?" "Seems we just wasted time. But we got a good show. Say, do you enjoy duck? While not as good as Beijing, Sichuan duck has its own vor." "Oooh, that sounds good, huh?" Qing had already forgotten about the mtang and was chattering away. After all, didn't he say it wasparable to Beijing duck, even if not quite as good? Even before her journey into Murim, Beijing duck, also known as Peking duck, was world-renowned, but she hadn't had the chance to try the original since her journey began. "Sichuan duck. I'm really looking forward to it." "That's right. Duck is an excellent dinner. ording to the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor1, duck nourishes Qi and builds the body. It's an ingredient martial artists should love." Peng Chaolei naturally joined the conversation. "W-Wait a moment! Hasn't the situation somehow naturally turned into that weakling treating us? Unni, I was determined to treat you to dinner today." "But isn't roast duck much better than mtang? I didn't really like it that much to begin with." Peng Chaolei answered while scratching the back of her head. Tang Nanah quickly replied. "We, we have plenty of duck in the Tang n too. We even raise them on sulfur." "Oh. Sulfur duck. Right. ording to the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, humans originally can't swallow sulfur, but if you feed it to ducks and let it settle in them, when eatenter, it strengthens bones and nourishes joints." Sulfur and saltpeter were items controlled by the government. Not only were they not cheap, but it was impossible to purchaserge quantities in the first ce. So feeding expensive sulfur to mere ducks was like feeding gold to dogs. Of course, the Tang n had both power and wealth, so they were capable of doing such. "I'll properly treat you at our household today, okay? Unniiii?" Qing tilted her head. Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor? Is that some kind of gourmet guidebook? Qing was just thinking she should get a copy and read it when Peng Chaolei patted her shoulder. "Qing'er. Let's go. The Tang n is offering to treat us." "Ah. Is that what it was? I didn't think she was including me." To Qing, Tang Nanah felt exactly like a Chihuahua. After all, she was wagging her tail and fawning on Peng Chaolei, but baring her teeth at Qing from within her arms. That's how Tang Nanah looked to her, ovepping with that contemptible yet cute dog breed. "Ah, Unni. Wait a moment. I..." "Our Qing'er's allocation in the hierarchy is near unparalleled. How could they not invite the named disciple of the Matriarch? Even if they did, how could you go along? By the way, Nanah, what's wrong?" Qing's allocation put her as a great elder of Daoism. If they excluded her from a dinner invitation while she was present, it would be tantamount to a deration of war, trampling on the face of all Daoist sects. If Peng Chaolei went along happily, she would only be participating in that. The quick-witted Tang Nanah hurriedly changed her words. "Ah, he, hehe, it's nothing..." Of course, she didn't forget to think of various poisons at the same time. What? A mere veiled woman has such a good background? Then it would be a big problem if I'm caught using poison, wouldn't it? And then, immediately she thought: Then I just need to not get caught, right? What poisons can I use secretly? I'll have tobine a few with Split Poisons. Split Poisons referred to substances that weren't poisonous individually but showed their effects whenbined. For example, putting one poison in the soup and applying the other to the side dishes or personal utensils that are dipped separately. A poisonous glint appeared in Tang Nanah's eyes. Arrogant veiled woman! Tonight, you won't be able to leave the toilet. ¡®Even if I'm caught, I can solve it with one use of my ultimate secret technique, Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky¡¯, was what she thought. As Tang Nanah was plotting such an iparably wicked scheme and raising her Poison Qi, Peng Chaolei said just one thing. "This girl. How frivolous." Qing brightened up. "Then, shall we? Friend,e with us too? When else would we get to enjoy the hospitality of one of the Five Noble ns?" "This, I mean, are you talking about me?" Ziyou suddenly burst intoughter and continued: "That does sound good. The hospitality of the Tang n. I've been thinking I should experience it at least once." ----The Tang n received unexpected guests that day. The daughter who went out to have dinner with her future sister-inw, Female Xiang Ji Peng Chaolei, came back not only without having dinner but also with a bunch of hangers-on. Thanks to this, even the Tang n Lord had toe out to entertain unexpected guests. Wasn't she a named disciple of that Matriarch, after all? Although still young, she was at least of an allocation where the n Lord should show his face once. But not to the extent of visiting her personally, of course. They shoulde to pay their respects; it was not to the point where the Tang n Lord would go to receive them. So he had called them just to see their faces. And so the door opened. The Tang n Lord, who had been lying down half-heartedly, sprang up as if flicked.
    1. Huangdi Neijing, literally the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor or Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor, is an ancient Chinese medical text or group of texts that has been treated as a fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia.
Chapter 93: Heavenly Demon Tomb (1) "Senior Sister, how did it go?" "Eung? How did what go?" "I mean about Seol Ganom. The one with ''toilet'' written on his forehead." "Ah! That guest? He said he doesn''t sleep with Bliss Pce disciples. ¡®No matter how desperate I am, I do not want to be under a temptress. Ah. Sorry if that offended you. It''s just that my life is precious to me.¡¯ Was what he said and stuff." Qing was startled. Gyeon Pohee had almost perfectly imitated Seol Ganom''s voice. The realism of the imitation was so good that even Qing might have been fooled for a moment if she hadn''t seen her face. What the heck? This Crutch is this talented when ites to voice mimicry? Also, it was possible for someone to have a talent that''s so utterly useless even if they have it? Qing marveled at this worthlessness anew and asked. "Not that. Are you going to the Central ins?" "Huh? I told youst time, didn''t I? I said I''m going." Her tone suggested it was obvious and questioned why Qing was even asking. Qing clutched her chest in frustration. "No, what? What about Seol Ganom do you trust so much? Aren''t you suspicious at all? You''re just going to follow a stranger like that?" "Huh? Isn''t he your friend? Is there another Seol Ganom with ''toilet'' written on his forehead?" "Well, that''s true, but..." Seol Ganom said he would move to the Yunnan region. Yunnan is geographically close to the Central ins, attached below Sichuan on the map. However, there was a difference that couldn''t be seen on maps - its altitude. It was and belonging to some of the highest mountain ranges in the world. Moreover, it was and difficult for people to live in due to its knife-like mountain terrain. It was so extreme that there was even a joke about seasons changing with every step one made. And it was actually true. After all, taking one step off a vertical cliff could change winter to spring, and another step on a protruding part could reach the summer that was far below. "Ah! He asked me to tell you this. ''Though our acquaintance was brief, I can say it was quite an enjoyable time. If fate brings us together again someday, let''s have a drink.''" "Well. Can you tell him I''m grateful too?" "Okay!" Seol Ganom, dreaming of escaping the Demonic Cult, couldn''t directly meet with Qing, who was essentially a VIP guest. But that¡¯s life, isn¡¯t it? Farewell, Seol Ganom. Life in the Central ins without you might be a bit difficult. But I lived just fine without you before anyway. Goodbye no. The Greatest Regional-Level Brain. You were my first andst tactician. Though you won''t be here anymore, I hope you can live proudly over there. Mhm. And that¡¯s the end of the farewell! He''s smart, so he''ll probably live well on his own. I can always find another tactician if needed. It was nice and convenient having one, that''s all. Qing looked at her Crutch. She would be saying goodbye to her too in less than half a month. "He said to decide on a new name to use. Where was it again? In Sichuan? A name to use there." Seol Ganom said he would drop off the Crutch in Sichuan. If all went ording to Qing''s n, they wouldn''t have time to care about one Second-Grade disciple that ran away. Moreover, who would possibly know she was from the Demonic Cult if she changed her name and washed clean her identity? He said he would even find a usible job for her and leave a message at the fifthrgest brothel in Sichuan. It was truly a thorough follow-up worthy of the neighborhood''s greatest brain. "A new name, huh. Have you thought of anything?" "Yeah." "What is it?" "...Xi Hee." Gyeon Pohee spoke shyly. "So, Gyeon Xihee?" "No, the name is Hee. The surname is... the same as Junior Sister''s." Qing''s eyebrows twitched. Wait, this ignorant girl still doesn''t know my fucking surname? Come to think of it, maybe I¡¯ve never told her? Reflecting on her own thoughtlessness, Qing finally properly revealed her full name. "Senior Sister. It''s not Xi Menqing, it''s Ximen Qing." "Eh!? It wasn''t Munching?" "Could you please pay a little attention to your pronunciation? It sounds really weird when you say it, Senior Sister." "Then I''ll make my name Ximen Hee... Is that okay?" Gyeon Pohee asked, watching Qing''s reaction. It''s not like Ximen is my exclusive surname anyway, and if she wants to use it because she thinks it''s pretty, there''s no particr reason to stop her. If we''re talking about genealogy, we''re both unknown orphans who mixed and matched a bunch of names anyway. It¡¯s not like the names we have are our actual ones. What does it matter? "If that''s what Senior Sister wants, then do it." "Really!? Thanks! Now we really are a family!" "Oing?" "Now that we¡¯re Sworn Sisters¡­ It feels kind of embarrassing somehow." Qing blinked her eyes. Sworn Sisters? Qing was about to ask what on earth that bizarre nonsense meant, but seeing Gyeon Pohee''s radiant expression, she just swallowed her words. Right. Okay. If it makes you happy, I guess that''s fine. Qing spent time teaching Gyeon Pohee the Blissful Maiden Art and Thousand Li Flight. The Blissful Maiden Art was originally an esoteric doctrine of the Bliss Pce anyway, so Gyeon Pohee had the right to inherit it. On top of that, she taught her Thousand Li Flight so that the not-so-kind nor good butcking Crutch could at least escape in an emergency. It was a Gold Qinggong specialized in fast and long-distance leaping with good sustainability. Of course, this inevitably meant that training in the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance had to be suspended. This was a not at all regrettable oue that Qing had totally not anticipated. As time passed like this, she finallypleted the Heavenly Heart Harmony. It was on the night she had calmly agreed to meet her Crutch again. At this point, there was a need to reorganize the Martial Arts Window as well. A lot of Free Practice Points had umted from the night walks, after all. She raised the Qinggong Techniques Thousand Li Flight and Wind Step to 12 Stars, hence reaching the Grand Star. Moreover, the useful ck Shadow Stealth also reached Grand Star. After raising various other White and Blue Qinggong Techniques to their maximum of 10 Stars, a subtle tickling sensation arose, as if her body was itching for change. Come to think of it, I haven''t learned Seol Ganom''s legacy, the Supreme Yin Jade Maiden Divine Art, yet. It¡¯s a whopping Gold Border, so I should only put it to 3 Stars for now. After all, I should probably be even more numb at the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Qing took a deep breath. "Huuuu." For now, let¡¯s psych myself up. I have no thoughts. Because I have no thoughts. "Urk... ugh... uuurgh..." Hands that could not be seen kneaded her brain. Just as Qing''s mood was about to plummet into negative numbers, crashing through the bottom of purgatory... At that moment, thepassionate smile of Buddhism seeped into her brain, providing a sense of ease. Great Tranquil Zen Art, is it you again... Come to think of it, aren''t the Daoist abilities a bitcking? There are two Purple Cultivation Techniques, but they haven''t really done anything properly. I should have named my character Bodhidharma1 instead of A-Qing. Then I would have started with all the best Buddhist Divine Arts... Mr. Strategy Guide, why did you rmend A-Qing instead of Bodhidharma? Yeah, no. No beef for you. If I ever go back, that ain¡¯t on the menu. You don¡¯t deserve it. Instead, I¡¯ll treat you to some kimchi stew. You hear me? Huh? Ah... I want to eat kimchi stew... I wish I could have a shot of soju with kimchi stew... A single tear rolled down Qing''s eye. In thenguage of the Central ins, they called food ¡®ban¡¯. Here, ¡®ban¡¯ refers to staple foods, including rice. When you order at arge restaurant, they ask what kind of staple food you would like. Those from the South ask for ¡®mi fan¡¯, essentially rice. Those from the East would order dumplings or soup dumplings, while people from the North would order noodles or porridge. And in the West, with an exception of Sichuan, they were too poor to even enter high-end restaurants, so their staple foods weren''t even considered. Of course, this wasn¡¯t absolute, as the characteristic of living in clustered n viges meant that even within one capital city, staple foods diverged into various preferences. Under this concept, in the Central ins, rice and side dishes were lumped together under the term ''mi fan''. Side dishes in the Central ins were limited to pickles and seasoned vegetables that didn''t require cooking and were mere apaniments to rice. Everything else was considered a dish. In thenguage of the Central ins, these were called ''cai'' (vegetables/dishes). In particr, the cuisine of four regions famous for their taste were called the Four Great Cuisines of the Central ins. Chuan cai, Sichuan cuisine. Lu cai, Shandong cuisine, Huaiyang cai, Jiangsu cuisine. Yue cai, Guangdong cuisine. Even beyond this, as diverse foods flourished across the vastnds of the Central ins, it became a gourmet''s paradise leading the world''s food culture! That was how important meals were to the people of the Central ins. No wonder one of their greetings was to ask if you''ve eaten yet. Meanwhile, there was another group of people who valued rice just as much as those in the Central ins. A people with a heritage so great and noble that merely thinking of its grand name conjured visions of fluttering illusions. The progeny of humans who had already built the great, gigantic empire of Hwanguk before the great extinction of the dinosaurs (this is a fact depicted in Soo Bahk Do). Who are these descendants, you ask? These descendants who carry the bloodline of such dignified and majestic ancestors? It was none other than the Korean people! However, the Korean people had a special affliction. If they didn''t eat Korean food periodically, they would suffer from a serious illness called homesickness. This was truly a big problem. If Koreans don''t eat Korean food for a long time, they be bedridden with an intense longing for their homnd. Their whole body loses strength, their mind bes foggy and can''t stand properly, and their motivation and will tumble together in a somersault. And lo and behold, those were Qing''s exact symptoms. Until now, Qing had somehow managed to get by with pseudo-Korean food, but she had identally touched upon forbidden knowledge beyond the veil that she hadpletely forgotten about until now. Kimchi stew... Broth that¡¯s so blood-red it¡¯s like fresh blood. White and soft tofu that reminds me of brain matter. And then, if I grab a piece of well-stewed kimchi with both hands and cruelly tear it apart... "Yourplexion does not look good. Are you alright?" "I''m not okay... I want to go home..." "There is no need to worry too much. Once we retrieve the Heavenly Demon Spirit, I shall safely send you back. This old man swears on his life." "Do you even know where my home is? I don''t think it would be enough to take me back, even if you added thousands of more lives to your own..." In fact, at this moment, she truly felt like she could sacrifice thousands of lives if that meant returning home. Hmm...? Wouldn''t there be a Korea in this world too? Is it Joseon? Goryeo? Anyway, wouldn''t there be Korean food? But would those countries be the same ones I know? This was a world where people shot beams from swords. A world where running could surpass the speed of carriages. Perhaps beyond the Central ins, there might be nothing but an ocean stretching out. Maybe it''s just a pseudo-Earth, an Earth-like... I don''t know. Who cares anyway. Qing slumped in Choi Leeong''s arms. If Qing had been an avid reader of web novels, she might have jumped for joy, thinking "Ah, so I''ve finally experienced that transmigration thing that apparently everyone goes through at least once in their life." She might have been lost in happy dreams of making lots of money through livestreaming after returning from enthusiastically slicing people up, thus bing a building owner. But Qing was just a production worker who barely had time to y games. She only knew a few memes she had seen in the ocean of information she essed to find interesting games, and waspletely ignorant in this area. This is why people should read web novels. It''s already a scientifically, philosophically, humanistically, and sociologically proven fact by schrs in various fields that web novels are more helpful than Spanish! I don''t know. Whatever. I just want to go home. Qing just thought listlessly. If Ximen Surin had seen this state and had a conversation with her, she would have realized that this time, her troublemaker disciple was actually in a state where Inner Demons had entered her mind. It was because Inner Demons didn¡¯t just arise from cruelty or a loss of humanity. This kind of Inner Demon caused by such intense longing was the type that even the great teachings of the Orthodox Path couldn''t prevent. Because the form of Inner Demons where one lets go of oneself was, in a way, simr to the concepts of Anatt¨¡, also known as non-self, in Buddhism and Daoism. In fact, Inner Demons caused by homesickness were amon and very, very easy to resolve trivial problem. It was an issue that could be solved by having just one meal with some good people,ughing and chatting in warmpany. However, in this world, there existed a person who could not use such an easy method. It was already the tenth day of the march towards the Heavenly Demon Tomb. But for Qing, it was just another day passing by listlessly. *** Chapter 94: Heavenly Demon Tomb (2) The salty taste that scrapes the tongue, the sweet taste that makes your mouth pucker. The spicy kick from the harmonious blend of green chili peppers, garlic, green onions, and onions. And the savory umami created by dumping in MSG1, arrogantly named the foundation of vor! The sweet, salty, spicy, and hearty vors of Korean cuisine were created by these four great elements. But you see. Salt is not cheap. Sugar is very expensive. Chili peppers, a spice from India that was a rather hot topic, was unfortunately unfamiliar outside of Sichuan. MSG? Umami? This was a taste of dedication that could only be obtained by simmering the bones of a beast for an excruciatingly long time until the bones turned mushy and the marrowpletely melted! It was humanity''s unique culinary art that couldn''t be dismissed as mere white powder. So though Qing''s homesickness was represented by kimchi stew¡­ In reality, it was a longing for Korean cuisine that epassed the four great elements of taste. It was a thirst that couldn''t be quenched by pseudo-Korean food. The soul of the Korean people, fried chicken, existed in the Central ins too. To begin with, there was no civilization as rich in oil as the Central ins, where even rural peasants developed fried dishes. Samgyeopsal2? Pork was the mostmon ingredient in the Central ins. Noodles? The Central ins was the starting point for all noodle dishes in the world, the origin without which noodles would not exist in this world. So the fact that Qing had sumbed to her Inner Demons due to lovesickness at this point in time rather than earlier could actually be considered praiseworthy. It was a miracle shested this long. After all, it was merely an imaginary ideal food that her soul desperately sought. Qing''s expression was indescribably sorrowful. For reference, there is a beauty that transcends time and worlds in the expression of a woman longing for something desperately. This is because longing originates from a desire for lost beauty. And the people of the Central ins were a race that found such desperate longing more beautiful than any other people in the world. Basically, they were a group of fucking perverts whose sexual desire exploded at the sight of a slightly frowning expression, their eyes rolling back in veritable ecstasy. Xi Shi, the most beautiful woman in the Central ins, was merely frowning because she had difficulty breathing due to her chronic pneumothorax, but everyone in the world thought Xi Shi was longing for something. As such, that was why even the elites of the Demonic Cult were on the verge of falling lovesick. Because by now, Qing had be a beauty who could hold her head high anywhere she went. Though, of course, that beauty of hers would shatter spectacrly the moment she walked, ate, or spoke. However, Qing was not in her right mind. The heart-wrenching sorrow emanating from her longing pierced the hearts of the Demonic Cult Masters. ''Hey. Today I finally realized what face my ideal type has.'' ''You too, Elder Brother? I was just thinking the same.'' ''Stop stealing nces at my sister-inw. Her face will wear out from all the stares you¡¯re giving.'' ''Sister-inw my ass, shouldn''t you get through Father-inw first?'' However, there was a Great Demonic Adept escorting the beauty. If it weren''t for the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, countless evil handsha- No, marriage proposals would have already flown towards Qing. But Choi Leeong was an Unrestrained Realm Demonic Human who exuded Purple Lightning Force with his mere approach. He had the ability to turn people into charcoal if he was in a bad mood, and the Demonic Cult was a group that didn''t punish unauthorized charcoal production. So everyone pretended not to look while still stealing nces at Qing''s sorrowful expression as she was held in the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord''s arms. The Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord kept sweeping the surroundings with cold eyes to dispel the gazes, but it was uncontroble as people kept ncing from here and there. Choi Leeong clicked his tongue and spoke. "Child, why are you so listless? Even a limp puppy would be more lively than you." "Kimchi stew... I want to eat kimchi stew..." "Kimchi stew? What a strange name I have never heard before. Wait, you want to eat? Are you throwing this tantrum just because you want to eat some food?" "Just food... What do you mean just food¡­ You¡¯re so mean¡­" Choi Leeong''s eyebrows twitched. With her usual temperament, she would have immediatelyshed out, asking why he was belittling food without understanding her feelings. She wasn''t the type to weakly say "You¡¯re so mean" and let such ament pass by, like a squid taking itsst breath. It was then that Choi Leeong realized something was seriously wrong. He had said "just food," but this old man who had lived a long life didn''t think she was merely throwing a fit over food. This child, surrounded by nothing but Demonic Adepts with no one to care for, was missing home, and that manifested as a craving for food. How much must she be longing for it that she was like this? However, Choi Leeong couldn''t be proud either. He had promised to send her back. He would keep that promise, but he could clearly envision the scene of a child who had already learned Demonic Arts losing her ce to return to. So instead, he asked a different question. "Alright, alright. I hear you. Since it is ¡®just food¡¯, what reason is there that we cannot make it? Tell me a bit more about it." A glimmer of light returned to Qing''s eyes. "Really? Kimchi stew is a soup made with kimchi." "And what is kimchi?" "Oh. It''s like a pickled vegetable made red with chili peppers? But it''s not just pickled on the outside, it needs to be fermented." "When you go back-" "But I can''t go back..." Qing slumped again. Choi Leeong was at a loss. It seemed to be some kind of local cuisine. A red fermented pickled vegetable? It was very strange, but the problem was that it couldn''t be made just by having the ingredients. Choi Leeong sighed, not knowing what to do. And one of the Demonic Cult Masters who had their heart stolen by the pitiful beauty eavesdropped on the conversation using their Aural Technique that had reached the Grand Star. Aural Technique referred to the art of concentrating Inner Qi to pick out and listen to a single sound. Through this, Masters could hear distant sounds or filter out various noises to pick out only the desired conversation. In other words, its original purpose was for eavesdropping, a technique for listening in on others¡¯ conversations like this. Anyway, the eavesdropping was sessful, so it seemed it was indeed worth reaching the Grand Star for. Ah. I want to eat something spicy and hot. Qing picked at her food, unable to rouse her appetite. But in fact, she only appeared to be picking at her food in Choi Leeong''s eyes. It was only after her gluttony died that a Ximen Surin ssic shone through. The art of rote learning through the medium of nuclear attacks. The education of repetition. Only after her instincts died did the habits engraved in her body, the beautiful behavior patterns engraved with such nuclear energy, pop out. So to people who didn''t know Qing''s true nature, it looked like the perfect meal of a wless beauty. This is sweet. This is salty. There''s no rice, and everything is so greasy that I wanna kill myself. Qing finally put down her chopsticks. It was a major event where Qing refused food. That''s when it happened. "Young Lady. Please have this." "...?" Qing turned her head dazedly. As clear sorrow seeped through hernguidness, the heart of the Master offering the bowl pounded. "I heard this was a local soup. You didn''t seem to like the food, so I brought this." The other Masters who saw this scene thought, Oh my goodness! Damn it, so there was a method like that! To catch a horse, shoot the general, right? Wait, is that the correct saying? Anyway, he who captures the stomach rules the woman''s heart! To be fair, in Chinese-style romance, men were forced to be more devoted than any other race in the world. The thing about Chinese-style romance was that (Omitted, will speak about it next time if there¡¯s chance) As such, Qing would experience this firsthand anytime once she went out to the Central ins, seeing as she was already a beauty. Qing looked at the soup. It looks all clear and nd¡­ It doesn''t seem right at all. But you never know... Qing brought a spoonful of soup to her lips delicately. It was salty, sour, and greasy. Sourness in a soup for a meal? That ain¡¯t it, Chief. Really. How can the world be like this? Is it this hard to just have a bowl of spicy soup? Normally she would have thrown a fit, but due to her Inner Demons, she just quietly despaired and put down her spoon. Besides, kimchi stew was also, in fact, a spicy and sour soup. And from that moment on. All sorts of soups appeared on the table at every meal for Qing. At first, Choi Leeong red, but seeing her take a spoonful each time, which honestly added up quite a bit, he reluctantly withdrew his killing intent as if to allow it. Nevertheless, it was such a great tragedy that Qing never got to taste spicy soup in the end. Seol Ganom should have seen this scene. Then he would have imparted the realization that if she had just kept her mouth shut and pretended to be upset, she would have been treated well anywhere. But Seol Ganom was gone now... And so, day by day, the flock of Demonic Cult members was getting closer to the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Another week passed like that. The viins of the Demonic Cult, disguised as merchants, set foot in Gansu. Gansu Province3 was shaped like a snake''s head stretching long and far. The reason for the formation of this strangely narrow and long capital city was simple. What else could have been done when there were such high mountain ranges both above and below? As such, this was the only t path that went beyond Xinjiang4, squashed between the upper and lower barriers, thus heading towards the Western Regions5. So many merchants passed through this route, and because they all walked piled with silk, this road''s nickname became the Silk Road6. The sight of merchants flocking to the Silk Road was all toomon, so the Demonic Cult''s invasion force, disguised as merchants, didn''t arouse any suspicion. Then suddenly, the merchant group sharply turned south, reaching the famous Qicaishan, also known as the Rainbow Mountain, of Zhangye. For reference, Qicaishan¡¯s literal definition is ¡®Seven Colored Mountains¡¯, hence its name because the mountains had seven colors. Qing, who had been in a listless state, saw this sight. Ah. I think I¡¯ve seen this back when I was in actual civilization... She was talking about the famous Zhangdan Danha, internationally known as the Zhangye Danxia Geopark7. It was an incredibly mysticalndscape where the barrennd, void of vegetation, drew waves of seven colors. It''s interesting, but... It''s just colorednd. The mentally unstable Qing abruptly concluded her appreciation. She did not have the energy to give a flying shit. If Qing had been well-versed in the geography of the Central ins, she might have guessed the location of the Heavenly Demon Tomb at this point and pped her knee in realization. Following the mountain range south from Qicaishan, one would reach the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon. Vertical cliffs stood as walls, and the winding canyon between them was a natural maze in itself. Considering that, where else under the heavens could the budding seed of such a huge cmity be hidden if not in Pingshan Lake! ¡­was what she would, or rather should, say. But unfortunately, Qing''s knowledge of geography fell far too short to marvel at this. *** Chapter 95: Heavenly Demon Tomb (3) It was the night before Pingshan Lake. It¡¯s not just kimchi stew that I want¡­ I want to drink c too. Even if it''s not c, that''s fine. I just want to drink an ice-cold carbonated drink. I wish I could chug it until my throat bursts. But carbonation would be impossible no matter what... Qing''s longing grew even stronger. And how could her condition possibly improve when she was yearning for something that didn''t exist in this world? As she was staring nkly at the bonfire, lost in thought... "The Supreme wishes to see you tonight." The kiddo she hadn''t seen in a while was still as small as he had always been. Qing shook her head halfheartedly. "I don¡¯t really wanna..." "The Supreme did not ask for your opinion. It would be better if you quietly followed." "This girl has said she does not want to." Choi Leeong cut off Ji Seungju''s words. "Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord. The Supreme-" "Isn¡¯t it about time we stop coddling that grown brat? We''vee this far, so what else can he do? We''ve already indulged him in the Divine Cult because he throws all sorts of tantrums if we don''t listen to him." Ji Seungju sighed deeply. "Damn it. Such bullshit. Please cut me some ck. I''ve been stuck next to that bastard for five years. Can''t you go with her and sass him yourself, Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord?" It was a surprisingly disrespectful remark. Choi Leeong flinched at this. In fact, the current reality was that all the high-ranking members of the Divine Cult were grateful to Ji Seungju. The Supreme was the very embodiment of the two words "arrogant¡± and ¡°rude¡±. So much so that he had no one besides him. And Ji Seungju was the very boy who had somehow managed to prevent the worst of his atrocities by gently coaxing him. So, they could not help but appreciate him. "It''s not that I do not understand the difficulties of the Demonic Brain, but just look at this state. The child is sprawled out like a three-day-old rotting goat carcass, having fallen to her Inner Demons." At those words, Ji Seungju''s eyes widened in surprise. To Ji Seungju, Qing had been an unparalleled madwoman who grinned while cracking the skulls of the Covert Operations Division''s assassins. "That state was because of Inner Demons?" "Can you not see this condition?" "I thought it was a ploy to induce carelessness. Didn¡¯t you clearly see the bloody murders during the previous transport, Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord? However, this will be a good excuse to give to the Supreme, at least." Ji Seungju sighed deeply and turned around. He headed straight for the luxurious tent, where the Supreme could be seen lying on his exclusive silk bed. The Supreme, who had just finished a big yawn, asked. "You came alone?" "I apologize for reporting this, but Ximen Qing is said to be in a state of Inner Demons, so I confirmed such a fact and returned." "That bitch?" The Supreme smirked. "Have you seen that bitch''s eyes before? Do you know what I saw in them?" "I would like to hear your esteemed opinion." "Even the oh so great Secret Pavilion Leader does not know how to read people, probably because your realm is so low. Let this elder properly guide you. I have never seen such intense hatred in my life, you see." Ji Seungju recalled the image of Qing lying sprawled out on blood and brain matter. Even now, thinking about it sent chills down his spine. The Supreme giggled at that expression. "She is not someone who will ever break. And that is precisely why it is fun to break her. I guarantee you, it is all an act." "If that is the case, should I call her back?" "Well. It''s fine. Since she''s throwing a tantrum, I can overlook it this once. Along with the Secret Pavilion Leader''s failure." Ji Seungju thought to himself. There probably won''t be a second chance. But he hid those inner thoughts and bent his waist in the shape of a sickle. "Thank you for your great mercy. O¡¯ Supreme." ----When looking down from the hignds, the view of Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon was simply breathtaking, and it didn¡¯t actually look thatplicated. But once you set foot in the winding crevices of the canyon, anyone would be taken aback. In essence, people couldn¡¯t get their bearings on the gloomy ground where sunlight barely reached. With no straight paths and visibility limited to just a few zhang ahead due to the winding cliffs, it didn¡¯t take long before one got lost and started wandering. Of course, for Masters, it was not such a dangerous terrain. Such superhumans, able to easily climb cliffs tens of zhang high, could simply climb up the walls and look at the sky to find their way home if they really got lost. That was why the entrance to the Heavenly Demon Tomb was hidden in the shadows under an outward-leaning cliff, where sunlight never reached year-round. Being in the middle of the Grand Canyon, even if someone wandering stumbled upon it, they couldn''t return to report it, and Masters would climb up the cliffs to escape, so they had no reason to venture deep into the canyon floor. As such, the Demonic Cult was only able to find it because they knew the Heavenly Demon Tomb was in Pingshan Lake, thanks to the Celestial Martial Emperor''s diary. Otherwise, it was a ce they couldn''t have found even if they searched for a thousand years. Qing, cradled in Choi Leeong''s arms, looked at the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Tomb and thought. It''s kind of... underwhelming. Something¡­ More grand than... Ah, whatever. Who cares. A small stone door, barely big enough for two grown men to enter side by side with their shoulders touching, was leaning against the cliff, almost lying down. It wasn''t hard to guess that there would probably be stairs leading underground behind it. Realistically speaking, who would put a huge, dazzling golden door on a treasure vault? That was a scene you''d only see in adventure movies back in Qing''s homnd. If one was actually worried about thieves, it was only natural to hide it thoroughly. It was the same reason why the Heavenly Queen''s tomb was sealed in a stone chamber under a wild hill without even a tombstone. Qing put the Bokshinjeok to her lips. Though there was an upbeat arrangement she had worked hard on, because Qing wasn''t very cheerful at the moment, it was just the original Heavenly Heart Harmony yed sorrowfully. As the Imagery of the song matched Qing''s longing heart, even the extremely evil Demonic Adepts couldn''t avoid being moved by the waves of emotion, apanied with the world''s most beautiful sounding instrument. As some even had tears welling up in their eyes, the unusually mournful flute sound quietly came to an end. And then, thunk. Thunk thunk thunk... A dull sound of something falling from the stone door reverberated, growing increasingly distant. The Demonic Cult''s mechanism expert carefully stuck to the stone door, tapping, probing, and listening, as if investigating. Soon after, he looked back and spoke. "It seems the locking mechanism has been released." Qing, already deted, deted even further. With this atmosphere, she thought the door would automatically open with a dramatic Dududududu after ying the flute. But all that happened was a mere lock falling off. Moreover, even that just rolled away far inside, unable to be probably seen. If the mechanism expert had known her thoughts, he would have jumped in shock. A door that unlocks with a specific sound - it was truly a peerless artifact that only Banchi could have made. Moreover, who knows what mechanisms might activate if forcibly opened? The fact that it unlocked so simply was actually a sign of much more sophisticated craftsmanship. The expert pulled on the stone door''s handle, and it opened with a creaking effort. A pitch-ck hole gaped open. When they threw in a spark, it revealed, as expected, rough stairs leading downward. And then the advance team, consisting of mechanism experts and tomb raiding specialists, packed up their gear and headed inside first. Qing was a bit taken aback. Uh. Wait. If it''s like this¡­ If they find the Heavenly Demon Spirit first and bring it out, won''t I be left high and dry? In Qing''s mind, she thought everyone would enter together, deal with all sorts of intricate traps and unknown monsters, and go through hardships. And at the end, when they opened a brilliant golden door, they would face a glowing treasure bathed in a beam of light amidst mysterious smoke of unknown origin. Then, only then, would the miracle of the cripple suddenly standing up ur, followed by her grabbing the Heavenly Demon Spirit, staging a hostage situation to escape, and then spectacrly destroying it. This was Qing''s n. But realistically speaking, would the cult''s core members really just barge in, knowing what''s inside? This was exactly why video games were so harmful. What could be more absurd than video games, after all? You know, those games where you enter someone else''s house, open chests, boldly take things right in front of the owner¡¯s face, and even strike up a conversation all while doing so? How fucking ridiculous. And this very result was what happened when you try to understand the world through video games. If Seol Ganom had known Qing''s n earlier, he would have been unable to hide his gaze, telling her to live in reality and stop listening to the tales of scam artists. He would have found her utterly pathetic. "Haa. Gramps, can you put me down for a moment?" "Careful now, watch your step." Choi Leeong carefully set Qing down. He was truly a devoted old man. Qing stood with her feet on the ground. Yeah, I still have no motivation whatsoever. But I have to do this, don''t I? Is this... really something I have to do? Why me? Someone deep inside Qing protested. Why do I have to do it? Well, if I don''t stop the Demonic Cult bastards, the Divine Maiden Sect and incidentally the innocent people of the Central ins will suffer- Why do I have to stop them? Because I opened it with the Bokshinjeok- Wouldn''t it have opened anyway, even without you? If you hadn''t stolen the Bokshinjeok? The Demonic Cult bastards would have opened it anyway. If anything, I''ve killed a bunch of Demonic Adepts, so shouldn''t I be praised a hundred times over just for what I''ve done so far? Huh? That''s right... I''m just... even breathing is a struggle for me in this disgusting neighborhood¡­ This neighborhood I know nothing about... Qing''s shoulders slumped. ----The original name of the Heavenly Demon Tomb was said to be Samon?ng. It was a mausoleum Banchi built longing for his deceased wife, and at the same time, his own tomb. Banchi had taken his own life by poison after finishing the instation of the mechanism formations inside. The important thing was that Samon?ng was built after the Heavenly Queen''s death. What if the door to Samon?ng opens? It meant the door was opened by ying the Bokshinjeok. And ying the Bokshinjeok meant that his beloved wife''s tomb was desecrated. He was a man who took his own life out of longing for his wife. There was no way he could forgive such a brazen person who desecrated his wife''s tomb. Of course, he couldn''t have predicted thatter, a madman called the Celestial Martial Emperor would ignore the perfectly good entrance, split the earth, break through the ceiling to enter, and gently ce one precious looted item inside. Someone of the Celestial Martial Emperor''s caliber could use his Qi Sense to find the mausoleum and then create a shortcut without even touching theplicated mechanism formations. At any rate, Banchi''s wrath began with the opening of Samon?ng. He had nted arge iron ball in the locking mechanism designed to unlock with vibrations of a specific pitch. And now. The lock has been released. The iron ball fell, tumbling down the stairs with a series of thuds, and burrowed into a deeply carved groove. The ball rolled along the nted groove. As the rolling ball struck other iron balls, it set them off in different directions along other carved grooves. The number of rolling balls increased. As the balls struck other balls, they flowed down dozens, hundreds of branching grooves. Some balls pulled strings, while others pushed and pressed rods,pleting the final operation of the mechanism, Banchi''s final formation. Banchi''s posthumous work. It was the activation of the Phantasmal Maze of No Return Formation. ----Sniff sniff. Qing suddenly red her nostrils. "Child?" "Gramps. Don''t you smell something?" "Smell? What is with this sudden talk of smells?" Qing was serious, however. This familiar scent tickling her nose, so familiar it felt like tears might burst forth at any moment¡­ That scent that would hit her when she opened the front door of her home in Seoul, her mother''s... "Kimchi stew!" Qing shouted and dashed off. And then she slipped right into the entrance. "Huh?" "Huuh?" "Huuuh?" Everyone was dumbfounded by this miraculous sight. Qing was already the ideal type, as well as the visual oasis, for the Demonic Cult Masters. Following her amazing flute performance, where everyone''s attention focused on her, they then witnessed the sight of a cripple (well, not exactly, but rather more like partiallyme) dashing off with a Qinggong Technique. So they could only blink their eyes, rub them, and gape stupidly, wondering if this was a dream or reality, and what on earth kimchi stew was and why she ran off shouting for it so desperately. What snapped everyone out of their daze was the old man''s scream of shock. "Heavenly Demon Spirit! No! Bangchae! Choi Bangchae! Come back!" Choi Leeong screamed as if his intestines had been cut and chased after her. "Keuhaha! Yes! I told you! I knew this would happen! As expected! If she is to be my woman, she should have this kind of side to her!" The Supremeughed maniacally as he ran off. "What are you doing! Hurry up and chase after them!" Ji Seungju shouted angrily. At that, the Demonic Cult Masters increased their speed and poured into the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Chapter 96: Heavenly Demon Tomb (4) When Qing suddenly came to her senses, she was standing in the middle of an inn. Qing naturally took a seat and called out. "Excuse me! Server!" "Yes, Young Lady. Coming!" The server appeared, calling out politely. "I''ll have two servings of meat kimchi stew, with extra ham. Also, c, cold please. Not hot." "Young Lady, I apologize, but this inn operates with kiosks." "Ah. I see." Qing stood up from her seat with an embarrassed expression. Seriously? These days everywhere has kiosks. But if that''s the case, why did they pretend to take my order? Qing grumbled as she finished ordering and returned. Then a dull pain surged from her lower abdomen. Qing thought. Be quiet for a bit. I need to be mindful of the situation. Qing forcefully suppressed the signal, resting her chin on the table and looking around. By now, Qing had be ustomed to life in the Central ins, and she prided herself on being as savvy as an uncivilized local, especially when it came to inn culture. Nevertheless, this inn was uniquely strange. It was an inn where everything from the gray-colored floor and walls to even the tables and chairs were made of stone. As if carved out of the inside of a rocky mountain. On the other hand, it felt like being inside an unfinished building with no decorations or ornaments, as if the wallpapering hadn''t been done. Is this supposed to be one of those trendy aesthetic inns? But isn''t this trend already outdated? But for something so outdated, the inn was packed with customers. It was almost full. Well. It''s the owner''s choice. As long as the inn has good rooms and tasty food. In the meantime, the food came out and was neatly ced on the table. The long-awaited kimchi stew and white rice. Qing took a spoonful of kimchi stew and put it in her mouth. The spicy and rich broth, made by stewing well-aged kimchi, slid down her throat. My goodness! Qing''s eyes rolled back. Then, she immediatelyunched into a battle-like meal. Soaking the rice with the broth and mixing it well, then topping it with a piece of aged kimchi, a piece of tofu, and a piece of meat, she scooped up a heaping spoonful and stuffed her mouth full! Then she cracked open a can of cold c, feeling the fizzy sound on her tongue as she gulped it down! Fireworks exploded in Qing''s head. Yes, this taste! This is exactly like the taste of home. I missed this so, so much. And I''ve been through so much to get here too... It was a taste that made her feel like crying; no, it actually did make her cry. "What the, why am I..." Qing wiped away the tears streaming down her face. But tears were tears, and the meal was the meal. Qing continued to shovel food into her mouth while crying unsightly, not stopping her hands. Sob, sniff, munch munch, gulp. Sob, whimper, hup. Crying and eating, crying and eating. A never ending loop of such actions. Basically, it was aplete mess. Yet in contrast, her hand movements were very precise. She sprinkled seaweed kes and mixed it in,bining tofu, kimchi, meat, and ham in variousbinations to devour the rice. Originally, kimchi stew calls for two bowls of rice. Qing battled with the food again over the second self-served bowl of rice. "Whew. That was delicious. Hic." Qing rubbed her swollen belly with puffy eyes. Despite eating so much, her stomach was still t. And now she felt refreshed. Whether it was because the food was delicious or because she had cried her heart out, she couldn''t tell. Regardless, she had ovee her Inner Demons while simultaneously having a meal and a good wah. Qing leaned crookedly on her chair. It''s a bit disappointing. I wonder if there''s anything else? Then she suddenly noticed a stone tablet that had appeared on the table. Looking closer, she saw that the screen on the stone tablet disyed the inn''s menu, grouped intorge categories. Ah. A tablet. Many ces have these these days. But was this here originally? And why did I have to order from the kiosk? Qing skillfully operated the stone tablet. Soon, a server appeared pushing a cart, setting down all sorts of desserts, filling the table with a parade of cakes. Starting with tiramisu, there was a sugar-coated sparkling rare cheesecake, New York cheesecake on a crispy base, and ended with a deeply baked ck Basque cheesecake; it was a full lineup of cheesecakes. There was also chocte chiffon and fondant au choct with a slightly cracked, hot interior oozing out. Strawberry fresh cream and an elegant milk cream without decorations, a crepe-style cake withyers of fresh dough and cream, and a mousse cake that could almost be ssified as bread. Eirs with different colored toppings were neatly lined up in a row, along with maple syrup-soaked pancakes, opera cake, waffles, cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e, custard with brownies, pies, tarts, macarons, cannoli, meringues, caste, and even tightly pressed croissants... On top of that, Qing held a massive 31.01 fl oz Trenta size iced Americano in her hand, marking the birth of a dessert massacrer that no one in all of Murim could stop. Sweet, sweet, sweet, and more sweet. After feeling refreshed from eating and crying her heart out, her mood soared with a lethal dose of sugar, resulting in the terrifying addiction symptom known in Murim as a sugar high. Then suddenly, a thought urred to her. Since when did I like sweet things this much? Qing''s hand stopped. The apple marmde from the pie she was about to bite into dripped down. Before the start of this journey into Murim, she didn''t particrly avoid sweet things. But she didn''t go out of her way to eat them either. This sweet tooth was a preference of her current body. If that''s the case, isn''t this somewhat dangerous? "Ah, shit. And here I was thinking I''d enjoy it a bit more." Qing tossed aside what she was holding. At the same time, she released the force constricting her dantian. The True Qi of the Great Tranquil Zen Art, which had been constantly poking at her lower abdomen and causing a fuss, was released. That serene yet clear and bright True Qi flowed up her spine towards her brain. The eight practices of Buddhism were called the Noble Eightfold Path. And among them, the first was Right View, which meant seeing the world in a correct manner. Thus, Qing recognized the illusion. What she was seeing, hearing, and feeling right now was not reality. Qing smacked her lips. Well, at least I got to eat kimchi stew to my heart''s content. I should be able to endure for another three years now. When I get back to the Divine Maiden Sect, I should try making kimchi. Isn''t it just soaking cabbage in salt water, then smearing it with minced green onions, garlic, onions, and peppers before burying it? If it doesn''t work out, I can alwayse back here, I guess. But, what on earth is going on here? Qing asked a very, very bted question. From the start, she had easily noticed something was off because of the Great Tranquil Zen Art''s True Qi acting up. She had forcefully suppressed it, wanting to satisfy her gluttony first. And having thoroughly enjoyed herself, it had been a genuinely happy moment in a long time. What is this? Some kind of mental hallucination magic? Do such things exist in wuxia too? I mean, I''ve seen Master shoot fire from her hands and fly around on swords and all that. And now apparently, there''s even hallucination magic on top of that. Then what''s the difference between wuxia and Harry Potter? These guys can fly around, shoot fire, and show hallucinations. And if that¡¯s enough, there are even these Demonic Adepts as public enemies. Is it just called wuxia if there are ching chongs in it? It was a sphemous thought that would make the eight billion nine hundred and three million wuxia enthusiasts, thus representing the greatest creation in human history, foam at the mouth and roar in anger. Qing had such thoughts as she walked out of the inn with clicking steps. And as she stepped outside the inn, the scenery changed again. Inside a pce hall with a high ceiling. It was a sight of countless thrones, each upied by a single person. Thinking about the familiar faces, she realized they were the elite Demonic Adepts of the Demonic Cult. Some Demonic Adepts were sitting on high thrones, receiving fruit from beauties, while others were also sitting on high thrones, receiving bows from silk-d officials, and yet others were also, also sitting on high thrones... Qing frowned hard. "What the hell? Why do all these motherfuckers look like they''re meant to be kings? Isn''t there anything more original?" Well, that was because the dream of most capable individuals in the Demonic Cult was to be a king. After unifying the Central ins, they wanted to receive a royal title, rule over a city, and live happily ever after. Qing pulled out Bokshinjeok. She intended to help them snap the fuck out of it, seeing as they couldn¡¯t seem to get their shit together. Basically, she was going to send them straight to Ascension, to that far, far away ce high in the sky where Immortals supposedly dwelled in Sukhavati1, also known as the Pure Land of Bliss. Just as Qing was approaching the nearest throne with an ominous smile... "Please stop." A youthful voice stopped Qing in her tracks. Qing turned her head. The ominous smile remained. "Well, well. If it isn''t Seungju? How nice to see you like this? I was just thinking I wanted to see our Seungju''s face. And maybe take a look at what''s inside that face too." Ji Seungju looked alternately at Qing''s smile and Bokshinjeok, backing away hesitantly. Then he hurriedly spoke. "If you kill me, you shall be trapped in this Formation forever. Are you okay with that?" "Huh? What? Formation?" "The Phantasmal Maze of No Return Formation. It is an evil Formation of the Blood Sect, a branch of the former Blood Cult. You must have at least heard the name." "Huh? What? Formation?" Qing asked again. Ji Seungju looked at Qing with trembling eyes. His pupils shook with amazement at how someone could be this ignorant. "Did I need to start exining from there?" "Yeah. So, what''s a Formation?" A Formation was a type of technique that utilized the Qi of nature. It was also a highly advanced skill that required knowledge of the geography of heaven and earth, thus where water veins and spirit veins flow, as well as the ability to read the results that appear when twisting these flows. Thus, humans who entered a deployed Formation would see illusions, hear hallucinations, have their five senses all fucked up, and be unable to wake up as they failed to recognize the unreality. "Ah. So this mess is because of a Formation?" "The Phantasmal Maze of No Return Formation is a terrible Absolute Formation that shows the illusions that humans most desire or long for in their lives." "Why is that terrible?" Qing asked back in confusion. Hadn''t she just eaten everything she wanted to eat and evenpletely cured her Inner Demons? "Because it makes people not want to escape from the Formation. The illusion of eating is not actually eating, and being awake without sleeping bes a sweet poison that takes away human life." Qing tilted her head. It wasn''t that bad, was it? As usual, Qing didn''t just think to herself. "Hmm... Is it really that serious?" "Damn bullshit. Ah, I apologize." Ji Seungju immediately apologized. For some reason, he couldn''t help himself. He couldn''t understand why that single phrase could grate on his nerves so much. "It is an Absolute Formation where one¡¯s Imagery actually reveals itself and bes visible to others. It seems to be based on the principle ofpletely melting the Five Elements into the One Hundred and Eight Qi Gates, but to find the Life Gate among them, you first need to find the basic Eight Trigrams Axis''s Spirit Four Gates and Seven Section Gates..." "Hey." Qing cut off Ji Seungju''s chatter. It was all meaningless yapping she couldn''t understand anyway. This was the problem with smart people. They think everyone else is as smart as they are. This was also why Qing had evaluated Seol Ganom as the neighborhood''s greatest intellect. At least Seol Ganom''s exnations were always easy to understand. A smart guy talking about things only he understands? Qing already had an effective method in hand for such situations. The most effective means ofmunication when it came to these professor types - the Bokshinjeok. Qing raised the Bokshinjeok and spoke. "Do you want to keep using difficult words?" "...There are five hundred and forty ways to escape the Formation, but except for five of them, they are all traps. So it is practically impossible to find the way out." Ji Seungju immediately changed his manner of speech. Knowledge might be in high ces of glory and esteem, but unfortunately the Bokshinjeok was right in front of him. "You should have said that from the start." Qing nodded. "So, what do I need to do now?" "All Formations have a central pir, that is... Yes. A cornerstone. Ah, a cornerstone is-" "I know what a cornerstone is, you know." "That is impressive." "I''m always impressive. There''s never been a time when I wasn''t impressive." "..." After a moment of silence, Ji Seungju spoke again. "We need to remove those cornerstones in the correct order and ce to dismantle the Formation. So you just need to move the objects as I tell you." Then Qing replied. "Me? Why should I?"
    1. Sukhavati is the purend of Amit¨¡bha in Mahayana Buddhism. It is also called the Land of Bliss or Western Pure Land and is the most well-known of Buddhist purends due to the poprity of Pure Land Buddhism in East Asia.
Chapter 97: Heavenly Demon Tomb (5) Ji Seungju''s eyes trembled slightly. Though his expression didn''t change, it was clear he wasn''t as emotionless as he usually was. "What do you mean ''why''? If it is because you are fond of the Formation''s illusions, I shall tell you that in the end, it is all fake. You shall starve and wither away. Are you saying you do not care if you die such a miserable death?" "What are you talking about? When did I say I wanted to die?" "Just now, you..." "Aren¡¯t you going to dismantle the Formation? Why should I do it when there''s an expert here? Imma let our little kiddo do all the annoying and difficult work. Go ahead and do everything you want." Ji Seungju''s mouth just opened and closed. What shameless words! "There is a limit to how thick-skinned one can be. Are you seriously saying you will not help but still wish to reap the benefits?" "Yeah. It''s not like I''m the one in a hurry, right?" "That, that''s..." "Besides, even if I wanted to help you, kiddo, there''s a reason I can''t. I really have no choice." "What could that reason possibly be?" "I don''t take orders from those weaker than me." Ji Seungju''s expression soured. "Damn it. Bullshit. What kind of bitch is this!" "Hello? I''m right here. Since you said that, now I''m thinking maybe I''ll just stay here. Though the floor might be a bit cold to lie down on." Qing giggled as she taunted him. Ji Seungju''s face turned bright red. Then Qing suddenly turned serious. "Hey. I might be ignorant, but I know how things work, you know? What can you even do with an idiot who knows jack shit about Formations?" "That''s..." "You''d have me lend my strength, right? But isn''t that all? If we move separately, it''d be better not to touch anything at all. If we move together, it''s not much different from you doing it alone, is it?" Ji Seungju tightly shut his mouth. It was always the ones with nothing to say who just closed their mouths. Qing had her own experience in production work. This meant she had experienced saying her goodbyes to countless newbies passing through. A newbie who knew nothing wasn¡¯t really much help even if you take them around. But if you leave them far away and have them work separately? That day would be the day the production yield gets properly fucked in the ass. Simrly, with Qing herself being a newbie who knows nothing about Formations, what was the point of dragging her along? All it looked like was a ploy to keep her close and monitor her, afraid she might crack some Demonic Cult heads when he wasn¡¯t able to see. Qing was merely ignorant, not stupid. From the start, she was a cunning bitch who clearly distinguished between those she could mess with and those she couldn''t, thus changing her mask ordingly. It was not that she particrly tried to act smart. It was just that acting on her whims often resulted in stupid actions. Nevertheless, she was a proud female swordsman of Murim who had somehow survived all this time with such a conduct! Her indifference to learning anything unless absolutely necessary, despite her ignorance, could certainly be considered fucked up as a member of the human species, though... "Won''t you go and dismantle the Formation for me? I''ll just rest here for a bit. Oh my, my legs feel a bit numb too," Qing said with a vile smile. Ji Seungju breathed heavily, then finally let out a deep sigh. "...Fine. In return, please do noty a hand on the Divine Cult members." "Well. I wonder. What to do?" "There is no need for you to build unnecessary resentment, is there not? That is, if you wish to walk out of here in one piece when this is over." Then can''t I just kill them all before that? Qing was thinking this when... "The depth of the Formation varies depending on the person. If you clumsily disturb it and they wake from their illusions, there are several individuals that a mere Transcendent Realm martial artist could not possibly handle." "Shit. That makes sense." I mean, just look at this kiddo walking around with his shit together. There''s no guarantee the other Demonic Adepts aren''t like this too, right? Moreover, if she decided to split a Demonic Human''s head, she''d have topletely shatter it to literally remove the root of the ¡®problem¡¯. And if she failed, it could cause big trouble. If she didn''t split them, at least she could return even if she lost the Heavenly Demon Spirit. In that case, there was no reason to choose the former. Qing scratched her head vigorously. Then, out of habit, she untied her messy hair and tied it up again as she frankly admitted. "Alright. I''ll just quietly look around then. So, how long will it take? Shouldn''t an expert like you have a rough idea?" "Well. With good luck, it might be possible within one dagyung, and with bad luck, we might all starve to death here." "If you don''t want to tell me, just say so. Seriously, the way you brainy types talk..." Qing grumbled as she turned around. "Where are you going?" "To look around. What about it. Why do you care." Actually, she was going to search for the Heavenly Demon Spirit. It didn¡¯t seem like this would be a quick job, after all. "It could be dangerous if you get caught up in the Formation." "What? Are you worried about me or something?" "As if. I have given you a clear warning, so handle yourself ordingly." With those words, Ji Seungju turned and left first. He''s pissed off. Pouting, maybe? Qing shook her head and looked around the great hall. Besides the door she came in through and the one the kiddo left through, there were seven more doors. Should I use the left-hand rule? It was a simple logical inference that any maze could be solved by keeping your left hand on the wall and following straight. As such, Qing headed towards the leftmost door. ----It felt like half a day had passed. But all Qing had learned was a tiny bit of knowledge about other people''s illusions. The illusions ultimately fell into two categories. Those with great desires seemed to enjoy seeing themselves achieving sess in a future that hadn''t yete. And then there were people who lingered, searching for what they had lost from the past. Even if it was just food, didn''t Qing herself belong to thetter category? In that sense, peeking into other people''s illusions wasn''t particrly fun. Expressing it as seeing hopes for the future might sound cool, but in the end, it was just childish delusions hidden deep inside. As for people seeing the past, well¡­ Qing had no interest in the stories of people she didn''t even know. Moreover, the search had been fruitless. In fact, how could there be results when she was looking for an object she didn''t even know the appearance of? Bluntly speaking, if it looked like some random stone, Qing might not be able to find it even if she spent decades searching diligently. Shit. Nothing''s going right. Qing grumbled as she crossed a vast prairie where waterfalls flowed and herds of horses grazed. Then suddenly, as the deafening sound of rain roared loudly, she came to her senses and found herself standing in the middle of a dark downpour. For Qing, who had already broken through the illusion, it was just a phantom she could pass through. However, just hearing and seeing the rough rainstorm was overwhelming enough. And in the middle of it all, someone was sitting. Holding someone in their arms. As Qing approached, she saw a familiar face. Choi Leeong was holding his daughter''s corpse in his arms, endlessly staring at her face. All while his body continued to be beaten by the pouring rain. Qing watched this scene for a while. It was like looking at apletely frozen photograph, except for the streaks of rain. Only the asionally blinking eyelids, covering the old man''s regret-filled gaze, moved. The time Qing spenting in, eating, and fully enjoying the sweets was not short at all, and she felt like she had wandered around for half a day after that. But even so, Qing could easily tell that Choi Leeong had been holding onto his daughter''s cold body like this for that long of a time. Qing frowned. If you''re in an illusion, can''t you see a more hopeful scene and heal your body and mind? Agh shit, old man, stop being so mopey. "Hey, look here, Gramps." Then Choi Leeong looked up at Qing nkly. "Why don''t you look at a brighter, more joyful, and happier scene? If you''re going to see your daughter''s face, at least recall some good memories." Then the scenery changed. In a magnificent flower garden, a young child chased butterflies, letting out clear, childlikeughter. All the while, she kept ncing this way, clearly checking to make sure her daddy hadn''t gone anywhere. "Yeah. That''s much better to look at. You don''t have many days left to live, so choose good things to see and have a peaceful death. Don''t be all pitiful and miserable." Choi Leeong stared at the scene as if entranced. Then suddenly, he blurted out. "No. I cannot." And it returned to that scene. The rain was falling, the old man was getting beaten, and the daughter was dead. Qing got irritated. "What''s the problem? What''s wrong with you?" "The child took her own life." "I know that. I heard itst time too." "Isn''t one''s own life the most precious thing to anyone? Even if life is hard and difficult, that should still be true. But for her to throw away her own life, she must have found even the act of breathing painful." "So, you want to be in pain together?" Choi Leeong burst into bitterughter. "The child''s wish was to go to the Central ins. I do not know who put such ideas in her head, but she believed her happiness was there." "And?" "At that time, this old man was the Great Guardian of the Divine Cult. Would a Great Guardian have any reason to leave the Demonic Cult? As far as this old man knew, the Central ins was a hell where parents exchanged and ate each other''s children." What father in the world wouldn''t stop his daughter from going to such a living hell? Moreover, Choi Bangchae was the daughter of the Great Guardian, a leader among the Divine Cult that was hated by all of the Central ins. "She was a good child. She could not say a harsh word to others, always losing out herself instead." The child changed day by day. Qing watched that growth through this ever changing world. The daughter who used to tear up at the sight of someone getting hurt, empathizing with their pain, now just spewed harsh words at everyone with eyes full of venom. But her true nature hadn''t gone anywhere. Because all that viciousness was just scratching at her own heart. And so, Choi Bangchae eventually took her own life. "Only after my daughter died did I step down from my position and volunteer for Outer Hall duties. I wanted to see with my own eyes what the Central ins, which that stupid brat had longed for, was really like. To mock her, saying she did not know how fortunate she was, how happy her circumstances were because of whose daughter she was born as." It was only after going to the Central ins that he realized. The child had been right. He should have let her go. At the very least, this jar of loneliness where everyone devoured each other to only grow their own poison - this Divine City - was not a ce suited for the child. She might have been happy anywhere but the Divine City. Choi Leeong looked at his dead daughter''s face again. Qing finally understood this scene. Choi Leeong was already an old man who had died a long time ago. The reason he was still breathing was just to suffer. It was a punishment a father who believed he had killed his daughter was inflicting on himself. That was why his desired wish looked like this. His wish must be to lock himself in the most painful and agonizing time of his life. Just begging his heart to be torn apart endlessly. Can such a life even be called living? Qing messed up her hair vigorously. Immediately tying it back up again had no meaning, as it was actually an action she had taken because she felt ufortable. "I seriously hate melodrama." But is this really the old man''s fault? Is it really such a big mistake that he deserves to suffer like this for his entire life? While I can understand his feelings... Qing looked at the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord''s Evil Karma. And she saw that gaze fixed on his daughter. Whether it turns out well or not, I guess it''s the old man''s fate. His karma. But that doesn''t mean I want to leave this unsightly scene as it is. My education is too short to provide psychological counseling. But physical therapy is my specialty, ain¡¯t it? Qing raised her hand, which held Bokshinjeok, high. Chapter 98: Heavenly Demon Tomb (6) It was a truly stupefying scene. An old man looking down at a young girl''s corpse in his arms. Next to him, a woman raising a deadly weapon high. It was a scene where anyone would rush in to stop it immediately. Moreover, here was one infamous Great Demonic Adept and one respected elder of the Daoist path. With this exnation, even if countless des rained down on Qing, she would have no right toin. However, the reality of the matter was that¡­ the Daoist elder was Qing herself. And this was precisely why people shouldn''t have preconceptions. Qing was in a serious dilemma, holding a divine weapon up high. Albeit, this ¡°divine weapon¡± was in the form of a Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron short staff. Ah. About this. I''m not sure how much force to use. The old man waspletely defenseless. She couldn''t gauge exactly how much force to use without cracking his skull. Would a nuke be too strong? For now, let''s start lightly, at the level of a brick breaker. Like TNT? Maybe? It was an infamous bomb generously packed with nine thousand catties of gunpowder. As it was an item meant to blow up an entire city block, the gunpowder was very generous. A bombardment of goodwill, deployed with the Imagery of that very brick breaker, fell in a straight line. Thwack! The sound of bone and metal colliding. The old man''s sparse hair and aged scalp did nothing to cushion the impact. Originally, the crown of the head was called the Heavenly Spirit Lid and was the most important acupoint and vital point of the body. As such, Choi Leeong''s eyes rolled back when he took a direct hit whilepletely off guard. He then immediately lost consciousness while still in a sitting position. As his unconscious upper body tilted forward, he fell face-first onto the ground with a thud, sprawled out in a bowed position. "Oops. Sorry, Gramps. I put a bit too much force into that. Hmm. But still, haven''t you lived long enough for this to be considered a good death?" It was supposed to be a legendary folk remedy to wake him up with pain, but it seems like I ended up knocking him out instead. This was why unauthorized physical therapy was dangerous. That''s when it happened. Suddenly, the deafening sound of rain that had been filling her ears stopped abruptly. Then the scenery of a dim stone chamber spread out in all directions. It was a wide-open stone chamber with no obstructions. Dozens of Demonic Cult Masters were walking around with dumb expressions, holding torches and forming severalrge circles facing outward. Their gazes were fixed forward in a way that seemed rather inhuman. Among them, only one person was looking around in all directions. The little kiddo Ji Seungju was turning his head back and forth between the inner and outer circles. This was the scene of having escaped from the Formation. Originally, when the owner of an illusion lost consciousness, it should have shown pitch-ck darkness while the space was being filled with another illusion. But the Great Tranquil Zen Art''s principle of Right View pierced through the false void. As it was a Buddhist teaching that respected others'' perspectives, it still reflected others'' illusions, but when there was no illusion, it simply shattered the falsehood. It was a blind gap that even the unrivaled Banchi, the designer of this great Formation, hadn''t thought of. So this is what it looks like from the outside when someone is caught in a Formation. It''s kind of... well... retarded. And then Qing saw the treasure. In the very center of the tomb chamber, an object emitting a subtle five-colored radiance was practically screaming "I''m a treasure!" It was a self-illuminating triangr pyramid. Self-illuminating, huh. And what do I call it¡­ A sense of pressure? Or should I say, an intense presence? With just a nce, she had this spiritual intuition that this was the Heavenly Demon Spirit. Wait, if that''s the case, this is... an opportunity, right? The moment Qing took a step towards the center. The world changed again. It was the front of the gate of an unfamiliar house. A Demonic Cult Master was repeatedly knocking on the gate with an excited expression, shouting. "Honey, I''m home! I''m telling you, I''m home!" -Darling? Is that you? "Yes, it''s me!" -Darling! Along with a desperate voice, light footsteps approached. The Master''s mouth opened, and his face flushed red with happiness and anticipation. Finally, the sound of the gate''stch being undone. And then, with a creak, the door began to open- Thwack! The Master copsed and fell to the ground. "What a clich¨¦ story." Qing grumbled as she wiped Bokshinjeok. The world copsed, before returning back inside the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Somehow, she was now standing in the outermost circle. Earlier, I just wasted time looking around. This time, let''s be quick. Qing stomped on the ground. And the world changed. Naked women were everywhere. In the middle, there was one lone man. Thwack! Now there was no lone man anymore. Back to the Heavenly Demon Tomb. Back to the outer circle. After Qing knocked out seven Demonic Cult Masters and, for one case, justpletely shattered his head for good measure, she came to a conclusion. "Ah, shit. This isn''t going to work." If she killed them, she couldn''t peek the outside, and if she just knocked them out, she could only escape the illusion for a moment. But as soon as she took even one step, she''d return, so escape was impossible this way. However, this alone was enough. Because now she knew where the Heavenly Demon Spirit was. Once the Formation disappeared, who could get their hands on the Heavenly Demon Spirit faster than Qing? After escaping outside via a hostage situation and creating some distance, she''d destroy it and run away. Master had said there weren''t many in the world who could catch up to Qing''s Qinggong, so she was confident in her escape. So now, all that was left was for the Formation to be undone. If she could just know in advance when the Formation would be undone and prepare for that moment, it would be as good as sess. For that, she just needed to stick close to the person undoing the Formation. I''ll find the kiddo and offer to help! Qing''s cunning mind spun rapidly and came to a conclusion. Qing took another step deeper into the Formation. ----The n was really good in theory. But she didn''t know where the kiddo was. She was wandering through the illusions, thinking she might run into him if she just kept moving around. In the courtyard of some bright, unfamiliar mansion¡­ Or something like that¡­ A familiar voice picked a fight with Qing. "You bitch, now you don''t even see your father as your father? There is no one in this world who beats their own father. You are such a vicious brat." It was Choi Leeong, who had regained consciousness. Choi Leeong was a Master of the Unrestrained Realm. He was too high of a Master to lose his life and head to the underworld from an attack that was merely heavy without any Qi infused into it. Choi Leeong red while rubbing his crown. It seemed to hurt, at least. But ¡®father¡¯? Did he really regain his senses? Qing, unsure, spoke bluntly. "What? You still haven''te to your senses? Who''s whose father? Get a grip. If you don''t, I''ll have to hit you again." At that remark, Choi Leeong flinched. He rubbed his eyes as if he had seen something wrong, then looked at Qing''s face and sighed deeply. "What''s with you? Suddenly sighing after looking at someone''s face? Do that and you''ll get hit, you know?" "To think there would be a young one who beats old people in this world. I knew you were a cruel bitch, but still..." "This is why dementia is dangerous. How is it that respecting the elderly suddenly turns into attacking the elderly and all that? You know, that¡¯s why there¡¯s a saying about how there are no sages or saints in the face of a lunatic." "...? Was there such a saying? Which Sage said that?" "Ximen Qing." Choi Leeong frowned. But somehow¡­ It kinda made sense to Choi Leeong, so he didn''t bother to argue. "I thought you were a cripple possessed by Inner Demons, but it seems you are actually a con artist who is a genius at deceiving others." "At first, I really was a cripple, and as for the Inner Demons... Ah! So that''s what Inner Demons were. Anyway, well. I overcame it well. Everyone was making such a fuss about how scary Inner Demons were, but it was no biggie after all." To the Inner Demons who were listening in, they would feel chagrined. Originally, they had enough skill to burn people from the inside and turn them into wrecks, but how could they have known that a legendary Formation would suddenly appear and interfere? However, Choi Leeong roughly understood. After being caught in the Formation himself, he realized that if there was a way to escape this illusion, it would be enough of a circumstance to ovee longing in an instant. Thus, Choi Leeong''s thoughts returned to the Formation. "It seems a nasty Formation has been deployed, but how are you so unaffected?" "I thought it was strange from the very beginning, you know? It was kinda obvious. So, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m special. It¡¯s because those who fall for such trivial techniques are all weak. It''s because theyck grit. Grit, I tell you." This would be an unfair statement to the Formation as well. In reality, Qing hadn''t done anything well; it was just that the Buddhist purity of the Great Tranquil Zen Art kept poking at her dantian, trying to erase the falsehood. Even then, she had forcefully suppressed it because she wanted to eat her hometown food, and only released it after she had eaten everything she wanted to eat. On top of that, the Demonic Cult Masters would feel wronged too. Come to think of it, Qing''s greatest ability was the talent to make someone feel wronged every time she opened her mouth. "Anyway, it''s good I ran into you, Gramps. That kiddo said he''d remove? Push away? Well, whatever it is, he said he''d get rid of this Formation. He asked me to help, but since I didn''t know anything anyway, I told him to just do it himself." At that, Choi Leeong''s expression brightened. "That is wee news. So, where is the Secret Pavilion Leader? I should lend a hand." "The problem is, I don''t know. I was hoping I''d find him if I just wandered around." "Tsk. You always leave things so ufortably unfinished, don''t you?" "What''s that supposed to mean? I kindly woke you up because I felt sorry for you getting rained on so pitifully. I don''t need to hear this from an old man who hasn''t even started, let alone finished anything." "Ahem." Seeing as he was just pretending to clear his throat, it seemed Choi Leeong had nothing to say. "Well then, let''s go." "Alright. Let''s go." Choi Leeong replied like that. And then he just stood there, looking at Qing. "What are you doing? I said let''s go?" "Right. We should go." "Then why aren''t you going?" "Ahem." He pretended to cough uselessly again. As Qing was watching, wondering why on earth the old man was acting like this, he quietly spoke in a small voice. "I know you have been walking around inside the Formation all this time, but by any chance¡­ Are your feet okay? Even if all this time, you were just pretending to be hurt¡­ You should not strain muscles that have not been used for quite a while." At that, Qing burst intoughter. "If that''s your wish, Gramps." As Qing spread her arms, Choi Leeong carefully lifted her into his arms with a familiar attitude. Even after her identity as a fake cripple had been exposed to the world, Qing shamelessly became a passenger again, following her Crutch through the main gate of the mansion. Then suddenly, a thought urred to her. But whose illusion is this? The owner of the illusion seems to be pretty normal, huh? His mind isn¡¯t full of degeneracy. Well, whatever. Who cares who the owner is. Chapter 99: Heavenly Demon Tomb (7) The Demonic Adept who took down Shaolin Temple''s signboard and put up the Heavenly Demon Temple¡¯s sign was said to be a Guardian with an affiliation to the Shrine. This individual had sailed across the vast ocean leading dozens of ships. As such, he couldn¡¯t be identified because themand ship was far away, and Choi Leeong had no idea who it was either. But in Qing''s eyes, he seemed like the manliest man in the Demonic Cult. It was truly a journey over mountains and across seas. Whether it was luck or not, they finally managed to encounter the only small boy among the Demonic Cult Masters. "Yo. Kiddo." "...?" Ji Seungju''s eyes widened. Given that Ji Seungju usually had no expression, one could roughly guess how surprised he was. "What? Why are you so surprised? As if you''ve seen someone you shouldn''t." "You... you''re alive?" "What do you mean ''alive''? Since when did I die?" "I clearly saw your corpse. And it was in a ce modeled after the front yard of the Divine Cult''s Holy Fire Hall." "Holy Fire Temple?" "It is the mansion where the Great Guardians reside. It seems someone wants to kill you badly enough to create an illusion of your death. Be careful. Even though it is an illusion, they might try to kill you if they see you." For reference, this conversationpletely left out one person. Choi Leeong cleared his throat. "Ahem." "Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord, you are safe too. That is a relief." "I heard the Demonic Brain was trying to remove the Formation, so I came to help. How is the progress?" "I have removed a few cornerstones, but I cannot even begin to fathom how many wereid down. For now, I have applied the Nine Pce Method to the Eight Trigrams and used the Dissolution Mountain, but..." "I see. As I wasing, I saw the Imaginary Heaven''s Peerless Time with the Terra Vital Road." "Ah, then in the Southern Heaven Section, we just need to remove the four simr methods of Spirit Trigram, Spirit Sky, Emerging River, and Flying Array." Some kind of extremely professional terminology was suddenly unleashed. From that point on, it was the start of a conversation Qing couldn''t understand at all. Of course, she had no intention of helping anyway. So she soon lost interest and looked around, but there wasn''t anything particrly interesting to see. In the end, the bored Qing let out a long yawn. Seeing this, Choi Leeong clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, are you trying to split your mouth like that?" "What else am I supposed to do when I''m sleepy?" "Then you should just sleep properly instead of gaping your mouth so carelessly like that. You are a grown woman. If you had married early, you could have been a mother by now." Qing tilted her head. Isn''t this nagging familiar? Do all old people be like this? But Choi Leeong wasn¡¯t actually, nor deserved, the role of such individuals. Qing frowned hard. "Boohoo, who cares? Or more like, why do you care? What does it matter to you whether I be a mother or a father?" "Yournguage is so filthy, girl. How have you be more and more vicious like this? Is it because you are relying on your pretty face?" "Forget it. So, how long do you think it will take?" Choi Leeong looked at Ji Seungju. Ji Seungju looked back and forth between Qing and Choi Leeong with a strange gaze. Then, unable to withstand Choi Leeong''s silent urging, he opened his mouth. "I thought it would take at least another day, but with the Demonic Warlord''s help, it should be much better. In fact, isn''t time pressing since we have no water?" People could endure without food, but they couldn''tst long without water. This was true even for the greatest of Masters. Qing calcted inwardly. Ji Seungju was an expert. A job that would take a full day alone would be halved with this old man''s help, so half a day. Then, I can sleep soundly, right? "Since Gramps said he''d do it, I''m going to sleep. Wake me up when the Formation is about to be undone. I want to watch how it turns out." Qing made sure to remind them just in case, then wriggled around trying to find afortable position to rest her head. Finally, she found a position that feltfy enough. It seemed she had already wandered for so long that she had passed her usual sleeping time. As her body rxed, drowsiness washed over her. ----The dismantling of the Formation seemed to take much longer than expected. When Qing woke up after a long, stretching sleep, the scene she saw was that same tiresome great hall of the pce. Choi Leeong looked tired as he went back and forth between mountains, fields, and the pce. Well, the old man would naturally be tired if he kept moving around. Qing, still being carried, started to feel embarrassed. "Gramps, if you''re tired, why don''t you rest a bit?" "Would a Master be tired from just staying up for a day? There is no need for useless worry." "Or you could put me down. I can walk and run now, you know?" "If you carelessly step somewhere out of curiosity, all the work we''ve done so far could be wasted. Just staying like this is more than enough help to us." Is that so? Well, if you say so. With this justification, Qing proudly enjoyed her ride. The process of dismantling the Formation waspletely iprehensible to ayman. They would mutter unintelligible words, stand still, turn around, sometimes move backward or sideways, then stop at a point and kick the air. Then an iron ball would pop out of thin air and roll on the ground. This process was repeated endlessly. And on top of that, she was hungry! But she couldn''t whine about being hungry when Choi Leeong''s already sunken eye sockets were now even more hollow, casting shadows. How could Qing possibly open her mouth to say she was hungry in front of that? Well, fun fact. She did anyway. "I''m starving to death. What are we going to do about food?" "What can we do? We will just have to starve." "Ugh, this sucks. The bastards who set up this Formation should have their dicks cut off. Fight fair and square instead ofying out this kind of crap." "Indeed. You are right. Those damn bastards." Choi Leeong also gritted his teeth. As she continued to starve like that, random thoughts came to mind. If it''s like this, wouldn''t it be much faster if we woke up a few more people to help? Surely there must be more Formation experts among the Demonic Cult bastards. Wait a minute... Come to think of it, I knocked out a few people to see the location of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, didn''t I? Haven''t they woken up? Gramps regained his senses, but... As Qing was thinking about this, a voice suddenly caught her attention. "Mom." "Hoho, my son." "Mom." "Yes, mother is here. My son." Qing turned towards the sound and frowned at the strange sight. It was a beautiful woman with a vicious face. While her face showed nothing but hatred, she was gently stroking the head of her grown son resting on herp, speaking in a caring voice. However, the son''s face looked familiar. "Ah! That motherfucker! Living the high life, huh?" It was the Alleged Supreme, a bright smile stered on his face. "Gramps, put me down for a sec. I already decided I wouldn''t let that fucker off easy." "You need to say things that make sense. Can you not see how I am watching such a sight without being able to do anything? Why would I be going through all this trouble if I could do something about it?" "Tch." Qing clicked her tongue. That fucker was iming to be in the Natural Realm. But in the end, he''s just trapped in the Formation, ying with his mommy. But this is also kinda unexpected. I thought the Alleged Supreme would take the highest seat and go on about being the emperor and all that crap. But his most desired illusion is just cuddling with his mommy? Qing made a disgusted face and asked. "This is the Alleged Supreme''s illusion, right? This is supposed to show the most desired illusion, yeah? Is this really what that good-for-nothing piece of shit Alleged Whatever wants?" "Even the Supreme is pitiful if you think about it. He never got to be held by his mother even once, so such a regret manifests like this." "What do you mean by that?" "It is the karma thates with Divine Blood. Tsk tsk." A vessel carrying Divine Blood could not possibly be ordinary. With strong bones and muscles, vast Qi and majestic blood, a clear Upper Dantian, and powerful Innate True Qi, they usually kidnapped the most suitable women from the Central ins to bear children with Divine Blood. As such, it was rare for a mother to develop maternal instincts for a child she was forced to bear against her will. The face she made when looking at the child she gave birth to was full of daggers, and when she opened her mouth, the sharp des she spewed made her tongue truly worthy of possibly being called the Greatest Swordsman Under Heaven. "Mom." "Yes. My son. My lovely son." "Mom." "Yes. I love you too. My son." The anger etched on the woman''s face as she said these words was crystal clear. Yet when hearing just her voice, it was so loving that it was rather chilling. "Wait, but why does the mom''s face look like that?" "He has probably never seen any other expression in his life. He cannot even dream of a different expression. Even if it is in his imagination." Qing was at a loss for words, her mouth just opening and closing. The mother was ring with a face full of venom, yet the Alleged Supreme still had a bright, happy expression. Qing sighed deeply and swallowed her curses. Seriously, fuck. Every single one of these Demonic Cult fuckers are the same. Not a single one of them is normal. ----The dismantling of the Formation took ce long after that. It was enough time to be hungry, thirsty, nod off, and even get a headache to the point where she couldn''t sleep anymore. Qing had sunken eyes with an aching head. Suddenly, Choi Leeong stopped walking and spoke. "The Formation is disappearing." "Ah. Seriously..." I thought I was going to die from exhaustion. That was the unspokentter part. Ironically enough, this was what Qing thought. Let it be known once again that she had only been dozing off while being carried. At this point, she could congratte herself on achieving the feat ofpletely wearing down her ¡®triangle of conscience¡¯ into a perfect circle. Like paper burning in dying embers, the world slowly started to burn away. Ashes scattered everywhere, and beyond them, the dim tomb chamber gradually revealed itself. Even though all the torches in the tomb had burned out, it wasn''tpletely dark, which must be why Banchi''s technique of drawing light through small holes from outside the tomb was said to have reached the realm of Immortals. The Demonic Cult members started to break free from their illusions. Regretful sighs, asional sobs of loss, or frustrated shouts echoed in the stone chamber. Some even copsed, sobbing and muttering names only they knew. This was the reason why Ji Seungju had mentioned how terrible this Formation was. When caught in the illusion, one did not want to leave on their own, and even after the Formation was dismantled, they writhed in terrible feelings of loss. It was truly the essence of malice. And because of this, Qing''s opportunity hade. "Heup!" Qing jumped out of Choi Leeong''s arms with a Thwop. "Child?" "Hehe, it''s been a long time of humiliation..." At the same time, Qing stomped on the ground hard. It was the Anti-Gravity Step of the Yue Maiden Footwork. A human shadow fell over the radiance of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, a triangr pyramid shining alone in the darkness. Finally, Qing grasped the glowing triangr pyramid in her hand. Qing took a deep breath, and then a loud voice filled the tomb chamber. "Now! Attention! Everyone, can you see this!" In that instant, everyone''s gaze turned to Qing. The dazed eyes, still affected by the aftermath of the broken illusions, soon discovered the Divine Relic in Qing''s hand and changed to their respective reactions. Some widened their eyes in shock, some just blinked in confusion. Others immediately knelt down and bowed their heads. Among them, Qing made eye contact with Ji Seungju, whose mouth was gaping, and winked at him. Looking at Ji Seungju''s mouth shape, she could tell what he was saying even without hearing it. Damn it. Fucking bullshit. And the Alleged Supreme. Where the fuck is that bastard? Oh, the fuck? He still hasn''te to his senses? The Alleged Supreme was still standing nkly with a dazed look. How can he be like this at the most important moment? Well, after I break the Heavenly Demon Spirit, he''ll probably make some interesting expressions. Qing took another deep breath. Now it was really the end. Once she left the tomb chamber and destroyed it, it would be goodbye to these annoying Demonic Cult bastards. Just as Qing was about to deliver her lines... Choi Leeong''s shout cut her off. "No! Child! Put it down right now! Quickly! If someone unqualified touches the Divine Relic¡­! That cannot happen!" It was a desperate cry as if he was coughing up blood. His widely opened eyes were shaking, and the emotion contained in them was clear fear. Fear? Terror? Qing read fear in Choi Leeong''s expression. Why on earth? "I said put it down! Please! Are you trying to die twice in front of your father!" Suddenly, her hand felt itchy. Qing looked down at her hand nkly. "Uh...?" Qing made a dumbfounded sound. After all, anyone would make a dumbfounded sound if they saw a self-illuminating triangr pyramid slowly seeping into their palm. Chapter 100: Heavenly Demon Tomb (8) Originally, a general does not stand at the front. It might look good for a general who should bemanding troops to charge bravely while shouting "Follow me!" But if he were to get hit by an arrow and fall, the army''s morale would instantly shatter and battle tactics would be all but lost without saidmander. So a general standing at the front was purely a decision made to fulfill a selfish desire, not a virtue at all. Unless it was a situation where risking one''s life was necessary. Strictly speaking, there was no reason for the Alleged Supreme to personally go on this expedition. He could have just sat regally on his high throne and received the Heavenly Demon Spirit brought to him by his subordinates. In fact, the current Supreme was practically a figurehead who was not even invited to meetings run by the Demonic Cult leaders. It would be strange for such an Alleged Supreme to take up a spot on this potentially dangerous Heavenly Demon Spirit expedition. Yet the Demonic Cult''s Supreme was here. This was because the Heavenly Demon Spirit was a Divine Relic of the cult that humans dared not transport. That those unqualified must not touch. It was an object the Supreme had to personally acquire. And as a result, Qing, who coveted such a possession, paid the price. As if the ground had suddenly given way, the dizzying sensation of falling, pulled by gravity, engulfed her entire soul. Qing''s consciousness faded. Meanwhile. Qing''s body was also suffering in its own way. From the Heavenly Demon Spirit that had burrowed halfway into her palm, a pungent and heavy Demonic Qi exploded outwards. Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. It was a crystallization of malice formed by the Demon God Angra Mainyu, who had condensed all the despair in the world. The Demonic Qi devoured Qing''s body and spread in all directions, swirling and whirling around. Thus, in the center of the tomb chamber, a majestic vortex of darkness shaped like the universe formed. Seeing this, Ji Seungju shook his head. He had expected that she would eventually cause big trouble from the moment she split the heads of Divine Cult officials during transport. But he didn''t think she''d be so foolish as to not even know she would die. Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi was an energy humans could not handle. Even those with bloodlines that carried the Demonic must have their meridians nourished through special procedures from a young age, and cultivate the basic arts of the Divine Veins to barely be vessels capable of holding the Heavenly Demon Spirit. If someone unqualified tried to contain the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi, their body, unable to withstand the rough Demonic Qi that was evil incarnate, would shatter into pieces and burst. The Demonic Qi that lost its vessel would return to the Heavenly Demon Spirit, making it nothing but a meaningless, stupid death. As Ji Seungju was clicking his tongue like that... "No..." Beside him, Choi Leeong copsed to the ground. Ji Seungju shook his head as he watched this scene. Only the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord ended up in such a pitiful state. Ji Seungju had seen Qing''s corpse in the Formation. It was a bloody corpse sprawled out in an illusory ce modeled after the Holy Fire Hall. However, Qing was perfectly alive. So he thought someone who hated Qing had created an illusion to kill her. Or it was traces of enjoyment by a Demonic Adept with a time fetish. Now that he thought about it, the owner of that illusion was the Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord himself. No wonder his attitude towards Qing seemed off. His mind had bepletely sundered inside the Formation. Qing and his dead daughter had mixed and be one, so his daughter''s corpse took on Qing''s form. Thanks to that, he ended up witnessing his daughter''s death twice, which was truly a thing of sorrow. But Choi Leeong had long been a dead man walking. More important than that, it was time tofort the pathetic Supreme. The Supreme was still in a state where he couldn''t wake up from the lost illusion. As Ji Seungju approached the Supreme... "Oh, the Heavenly Demon!" "The Heavenly Demon is descending!" Excited shouts. Ji Seungju''s head whipped around, and soon the young Demonic Brain''s eyes widened. The Demonic Qi that had been swirling in the shape of the universe contracted into a single point for a split second. It was a space so ck it couldn''t be seen. Then, darkness rising in two branches spread its wings towards the sky, burning ck like fierce mes and filling the tomb chamber. Enormous wings. And such wings opened their eyes. Thousands of eyes lifted their vicious eyelids one by one, in their own order. Each eye, small andrge and tilted, had its own arbitrary number of pupils. Some eyes had one pupil, others two, three, or even more. A woman with wings spread like ck walls. On the wings were thousands of eyes and even more pupils. The cult members who faced this mythical incarnation of evil pressed their knees to the ground. A brief moment that felt like eternity passed. The wings had vanished without a trace. In the center, a girl took her first human breath. The Second Coming of the Heavenly Demon. It was the moment when the Divine Cult''s long-cherished wish came true. ¡ª- When she opened her eyes, it was already dark around her. Qing jumped up from her seat in surprise. "That''s right! The Heavenly Demon Spirit!" With a scraping sound, the chair fell over backwards with a crash. Qing turned her head to look around, then froze when she saw the five-legged chair with wheels. Wait a minute... Qing looked around. It was a dim room with ckout curtains blocking all light, illuminated only by the faint glow of a monitor. The feeling was unfamiliar yet strange, but at the same time, it was an incredibly familiar scene. Qing felt along the wall and turned on the light. It was an almost unconscious action. The LED light instantly drove away the darkness. Next to the sink was a 138L refrigerator. Qing reflexively opened the fridge and naturally pulled out a can of beer. With a click, she opened the lid and put it to her lips. The ice-cold beer scraped down her throat. "Ahh. So cold. Whew." The cold beer dropped down into her empty stomach. Only then did her dazed mind clear up. Qing burst outughing. What kind of crazy dream was that? Going into a game? Da fok? Qing checked the clock first. It was 10:23 PM. Wait a minute. Was I on night shift or day shift? The matter of a day or night shift was a major issue. It was rted to sleep time. As such, knowing it was crucial; the wisdom of production workers long gone and forever remaining urged them to maintain their biorhythm for even a few days. If it was day shift, she should sleep now, and if it was night shift, she should stay up all night and sleep in the morning. But she couldn''t remember her work schedule at all. Of course I wouldn¡¯t. That was years ago. No, wait what? Years? That was just in a dream. The fuck am I saying. But it really feels like years have passed. Qing frowned and thought for a long time. But she still couldn''t remember anything. With no other choice, Qing scanned the desk. She picked up the familiar smartphone and unconsciously drew an unfamiliar pattern. She must have touched something wrong, because as soon as it unlocked, the camera app opened. The face of a pretty girl reflected on the screen. "Huh?" Qing looked at the smartphone screen in surprise. A chunk of hair above her right ear hade loose and was fluttering. Qing skillfully untied her hair and tied it back up. After doing so, she felt strange... -A woman''s body? Women aren''t born with Divine Veins, though? It was a sudden voice. Qing''s head whipped around. It was a beautiful voiceing from the speakers. The screen showed a scene from the game. A beautiful girl drawn in an elegant style was reflected, and in the letterbox at the bottom, the previous dialogue was being erased as new text appeared. Qing read the text in the letterbox. [The Heavenly Demon frowned and muttered. But that was only for a moment. The Heavenly Demon couldn''t help but exim in admiration.] ¡ª- "A woman''s body? Women are not supposed to be born with Divine Veins, though?" The Heavenly Demon frowned and muttered. Perhaps due to the heavy weight hanging on her1 chest, her shoulders felt stiff. As a result, just the act of standing felt awkward and ufortable. She had lived dozens of lives, but had never been in a woman''s body before. But that was only for a moment. As the Heavenly Demon observed this body, she couldn''t help but exim in admiration. The muscles seemed to be woven from steel, capable of lifting mountains, and the tendons were tough yet flexible, far surpassing the limits of humans the Heavenly Demon knew. And the vastness of the dantian was more marvelous than any body she had experienced before, to a level that could hardly be called human. None of the previous bodies had been able to fully contain the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. And that was precisely why the Heavenly Demon couldn''t stay on earth for long after descending. But what about this body? It could fully contain the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi and still had room to spare. The Heavenly Demon frowned. There was True Qi hiding in the Upper Dantian, avoiding the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi swirling in the Lower Dantian. And not just one, but several. True Qis that should sh as opposites, not unified in Yin and Yang, were strangely clustered tightly together in a corner of the Upper Dantian. It was as if they were guarding something. But their actions weren¡¯t particrly important. The Heavenly Demon quickly dismissed it and fully admired the body. "What does it matter if it is a woman''s body? I quite like this body. To think that you would only be at the Peak Realm with such a physique. You must have been quitecking in talent, hm?" It was a quiet ce where dozens of cult members knelt in the tomb chamber, not daring to even make a sound of breathing. Breaking this silence, creaking and grinding sounds of bones twisting began to flow. The sound wasing from the Heavenly Demon''s body. As bones settled into ce and muscles reattached, the skin writhed and bulged. This was called Overhaul Rebirth. By literally changing bones to take the most perfect form, it was a phenomenon where a body that had reached the Transcendent Realm was reassembled to transform into the best possible form. In other words, it could be called the optimization of the flesh. The Heavenly Demon continued walking even during this Overhaul Rebirth. It was truly an amazing feat. Anyone else would have been defenseless during the moment of Overhaul Rebirth. It was a process where all joints dislocated, bones grew or were shaved down, and muscles loosened thenpressed and reattached. It was something experienced only once in a lifetime after reaching the Transcendent Realm. Along with the pain, one couldn¡¯t help but lose their mind in confusion at the strange sensation of the body being reassembled. But the Heavenly Demon had experienced this enough to be familiar with it. To the extent that she could walk without staggering even as the Overhaul Rebirth took ce. When the Heavenly Demon finally finished reassembling into a woman''s form, a peerless beauty appeared, as if even darkness would be ashamed and draw back its ck curtains. "Demonic Brain, are you there? Who is the Demonic Brain of this generation?" "The Heavenly Demon has descended, all demons bow down. This lowly one is Ji Seungju. I greet the owner of this soul, as well as the future." Ji Seungju stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully. The Heavenly Demon extended her white, slender fingers. The beautiful hand stroked Ji Seungju''s head. "Oh my. Such a young Demonic Brain. This is the first time I have had such a young Demonic Brain in all my long lives. This means I shall be keeping you by my side for a long time. That pleases me even more. I look forward to working with you." The Heavenly Demon''s words were gentle and loving. It was the words of the Heavenly Demon Supreme, who was a living god, as well as the long history of the Divine Cult itself. "Yes, o¡¯ Heavenly Demon Supreme." Ji Seungju''s voice trembled with emotion. That''s when it happened. "Heavenly Demon Supreme! There is a body here! A proper body for you to take!" A voice dared to ring out without permission. At the same time, an old man sprang up. He grabbed the Supreme''s nape and mmed her to the ground, then knelt on top of her, pressing her down. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he also irreverently opened his mouth without even asking permission to speak.
    1. Though the Heavenly Demon was originally male, since "he" is in Qing''s body, I decided to continue to use the "she" pronoun.
Chapter 101: Heavenly Demon Tomb (9) "O¡¯ Great Heavenly Demon Supreme, here is your true Divine Blood." "I have already achieved my Second Coming. Moreover, why should I take an inferior tool when I have a better one, even if it carries Divine Blood?" "However, this is what I prepared for y-" "Enough. Could it be that this child is precious to you?" "She is... my inadequate daughter." But the Heavenly Demon shook her head. "That cannot be. The acupoints are no longer those of a living body; it is nothing but a demonic entity with dead blood flowing through it. How can you call it a human''s daughter? It is merely a corpse with its soul having already departed." ording to the Book of Rites1, one of the Five ssics2, humans wereposed of Hun and Po. Hun was the spirit and soul, thus called the mind. Po was the flesh and matter, thus called the body. So when a person dies, the Hun ascends to heaven, passes through the underworld, and enters reincarnation, while the Po bes a corpse that falls to the ground, decays, and merges with the world. When the body dies, the soul naturally departs. But very rarely, the opposite happens: the soul dies and only the body remains, with the heart still beating and breath still flowing. But how long could a body evenst without a soul? Even if one breathes life into it with utmost care and forcefully mashes food down its throat, it cannot survive past the forty-nine days it takes for the Hun to enter reincarnation and disappear. However, there was a joke among Jiangshi Sorcerers. If you keep a soulless body alive until the exact moment it takes itsst breath on the forty-ninth day, couldn''t another soul enter due to a mistake in theherworld, and the dead person be reborn as a living one? It would be a living corpse with dead blood flowing through it. Since all toxins act on the blood, what more harm could be done to blood that was already dead? Originally, the most difficult part of creating a Jiangshi was the damage caused by the toxicity of the drugs. But what if it didn''t deteriorate from the toxicity even when doused with the world''s most potent drugs? It was a joke that contained the wishes of Jiangshi Sorcerers. The Heavenly Demon didn''t know such details, of course. Nevertheless, she could still tell that the spirituality of the blood had already died just by observing the body. However, it wasn¡¯t like Choi Leeong''s current state was normal either. "That is right! My child had already died but returned like this! Please take pity on a father who has already lost his child once..." The Heavenly Demon sighed deeply. "I have existed in this world for my entire life, rejecting even death, all for the sake of the cult''s long-cherished wish. It is topletely ughter those detestable oppressors of the Central ins and achieve true liberation." "But..." "Now that I have such a body, there is nothing to fear in the world, and the time hase to fulfill our wish. Are you saying I should give up on our great cause for your personal feelings at such a time?" "The body I prepared for you is surely enough to..." "Do you truly think so?" "Please, I beg for your mercy." The Heavenly Demon red at Choi Leeong with Qing''s face. Everything in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult came from the Heavenly Demon. Even its cruelty. As such, her reaction was all too obvious. "Is a mere connection in the human world so precious to you? Your heart has already left the Divine Cult. How dare you stand before the representative of the Heavenly God and Demon God with your head raised, having turned your back on the doctrines andmandments?" The Heavenly Demon was called such because she was the incarnation of the Heavenly God Ahura Mazda and the Demon God Angra Mainyu. She was also the incarnation of a god of destruction who abandoned the Heavenly God''s creation of life and took the Demon God''s power to crush the outdated oppressors of the Central ins. And the anger of this very living god was directed at the old Great Demonic Adept. Choi Leeong trembled. But even in the midst of that, he cried out indignantly. "A mere connection in the human world, you say! How can you say such a thing! You too are human! How dare you im mere martial arts intertwined with Imagery as divine power!" The day the Demon God had set to destroy the world was still billions of years away, at the end of eternity. Any end thates before that is not the will of God, and moreover, there is no reason for God to want to destroy the insignificant Central ins. As such, the Heavenly Demon was human. Just a mere human clumped together with hatred for the Central ins. Martial arts were human tools that recreated nature through Imagery, so wasn¡¯t itughable to pretend to be a representative by imitating the Demon God? That was essentially what Choi Leeong was saying. "How dare you!" The Heavenly Demon raised a finger and pointed at Choi Leeong. She had surpassed the Transcendent Realm and achieved Overhaul Rebirth, but as the body was still young, she hadn''t undergone Body Reconstruction yet. As such, it was unknown how far the Heavenly Demon''s martial prowess had risen. However, the pitch-ck Force gathering at her fingertip already contained an absolute destruction that could not be blocked by the martial prowess of a ¡®mere¡¯ Unrestrained Realm Master. The Heavenly Demon Finger. It was the infamous Force Arts of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. ck death extended from her fingertip. The straight line of Force that stretched out did not aim for Choi Leeong''s head. Suddenly, a Demonic Cult member who had been lying prostrate to the right of her outstretched finger exploded. Human debris scattered in all directions. Choi Leeong looked back and forth between the Heavenly Demon and the blood stain left behind in the shape of a sun during an eclipse. "...?" ----Qing, holding the mouse, muttered in disbelief. "What the hell? Suddenly shootingser beams? Is this even allowed in wuxia?" Of course, Murim had a fuckload of outrageous things when I experienced it firsthand. But even so, isn''t shootingsers a bit much? Shouldn''t it at least pretend to be some kind of martial art? Even Master always rode on a sword when flying around, to at least keep up a pretense. Then, she could at least insist it was something simr to swordsmanship. But if you stretch out your finger and aser beames out, isn''t that more of a robot rather than a human? Or maybe a lich or some other endgame monster that could be categorized as a Mage. For reference, this was actually the first time Qing had controlled this game with a keyboard and mouse. She had been thrown into Murim right after creating her character, so she hadn''t actually enjoyed the main game for even a second. It went without saying that she didn''t know the control keys. As such, she was in the middle of pressing various buttons. And when she saw that the old man was about to die, she frantically clicked all over. Fortunately, even though it was a game made by uncivilized ching chongs, it adhered to the fundamental control method of right-clicking to target enemies. Even though they¡¯re fucking chinks3 who don''t even follow internationalw, should I at least praise them for matching international standards for the game interface? Or should I say it''s typical of those uncivilized ching chong motherfuckers who consider giarism a virtue? Maybe they just copied and pasted a familiar UI? At any rate, Qing was a skilled gamer. And following this logic, this also meant that being able to quickly adapt to basic controls without seeing instructions was very, very easy for her. ----The ck beam repeatedly sliced through the air. Every time she pointed a finger, it hit with 100% uracy, causing Demonic Cult members to explode. Even middle-aged managers who massacred countless belly buttons with their dad jokes couldn''t physically make people explode, so this truly could be called a godly move befitting a superior. The Heavenly Demon shouted angrily. "W-What are you doing! Stop this immediately!" But her body moved on its own; suddenly her legs stepped in a strange footwork pattern, her knees gave quick beats of momentum, her waist twisted, and her arms swung. It was the dazzling dance of a K-pop boy group that shook a world different from the Central ins, boasting of their bulletproof (Bangtan4) nature. Then suddenly the dance stopped, and she jumped back and forth, side to side, front to front, side side side, shaking her body in a dizzying manner, before spinning rapidly in ce. The Demonic Cult members pretended not to see the Heavenly Demon''s crazy actions, gritting their teeth and maintaining solemn expressions. "You wench, stop it, I said stop it! Behave yourse-!" The Heavenly Demon suddenly recalled the True Qis stuck in the Upper Dantian. They seemed to be tightly wrapping and protecting something. It must be the original owner''s soul hiding there. The Heavenly Demon roused the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. Demonic Qi in the form of a hideous shape with eyes densely packed became a high tidal wave, devouring the meridians and boiling violently. A powerful hostility, the realm of which was not in the least decipherable. This massive flow created through countless lives, charged forward with spearheads raised. Compared to that, Qing''s True Qi was merely a handful. Qing''s True Qi, regardless of Yin and Yang or Orthodox and Unorthodox, united as one in the face of crisis. They tightly embraced each other and built a wall in preparation for the impact. And then, BANG! Unfortunately, the difference in Enlightenment was also a difference in level. As such, there was too great a gap between Qing and the Heavenly Demon''s levels. Qing''s True Qis crumbled in one hit. The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi wedged into that gap and burrowed in. * BOOM! Qing, who had been giggling while holding the mouse, was startled. Anyone would be startled if they saw a strange person appear by breaking through an one-room apartment wall. At the same time, a reflexive scream burst out. "No! My deposit!" The man who had broken through the wall scanned the surroundings. He was wearing only a pair of shorts on his broad shoulders. His exposed upper body was so densely covered in scars that it was hard to find a spot without them. Qing, amon citizen whose knees would go weak just at the sight of tattoos, was faced with something even worse: traces of surgical procedure tha resulted in full-body muttion. Qing tucked in her neck and spoke. "Um,ing all the way here is, how should I put it... a bit unfair, isn''t it? It¡¯s kinda cheating. Are you forreal right now? Breaking through walls anding for an IRL fight just because of a little prank is too much, don''t you think?" "You seem more cowardly than I thought. When I lost control of the body, I expected a more dignified soul to shine through." "Hehe. Well, you know how it usually is... Everyone hiding behind a screen is a third-generation chaebol who graduated from Seoul National University, got their master''s degree, ps pro gamers silly, and is a cute girl who''spleted military service..." "Ha. I do not understand what you are saying, but I can tell you are not even worth dealing with." At that, Qing smiled awkwardly. "Of course, of course. Don''t mind me and just continue with what you were doing. I''ll just stay here quie-" Qing couldn''t finish her sentence. Because people who have their heads exploded can''t continue speaking. Qing''s headless body fell from the chair and rolled on the floor with a st. Bright red blood spread across the yellow linoleum. The Heavenly Demon stretched his mouth into a smile and closed his eyes. And at the same time, the Heavenly Demon opened her eyes. She slowly curled her fingers one by one, finally clenching her fist tightly and turning her head. Her wrathful gaze was directed at Choi Leeong. "Your wench of a daughter was quite insolent." "W-What..." "If she hadn''t acted up, she could have at least lived on in consciousness to witness our great cause. This must also be because the father failed to educate her properly." As Choi Leeong''s expression became wrought with despair, the Heavenly Demon again spread her fingers. Pitch-ck Force was released from her fingertips, forming a spherical Force Compression, and a destructive straight line extended out. Choi Leeong simply closed his eyes calmly. Then¡­ It missed!
    1. The Book of Rites, also known as the Liji, is a collection of texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods.2. The Four Books and Five ssics are authoritative and important books associated with Confucianism, written before 300 BC. They are traditionally believed to have been either written, edited ormented by Confucius or one of his disciples. Starting in the Han dynasty, they became the core of the Chinese ssics on which students were tested in the Imperial examination system.3. Genesis Studio took no creative licenses when tranting this. We always trante urately, ording to exactly what the author wrote. Even the differences innguages of "ching chong" and "chink" was done intentionally. We apologize for any difort regarding this.4. A reference to BTS, also known as "Bangtan Boys". Bangtan also means "bulletproof".
Chapter 102: Heavenly Demon Tomb (10) The Demonic Cult member exploded. The cult members kneeling on both sides flinched as chunky liquid sttered on their cheeks. Was it perhaps because it was the uncivilized ancient primitive China that pathologically hated cold water? The fluid was almost scalding hot even when soaking them thoroughly. At this point, even the most devout (or ambitious) Divine Cult believers would start to have their faith shaken. This was the Heavenly Demon Supreme who promised to bring eternal wealth and power through the liberation of the Central ins and the Divine Cult''s rule over all under heaven. Yet here she was, bestowing death by shooting Force beams with her finger. The Demonic Cult members kneeling in the innermost circle began to slowly and stealthily back away, ncing around furtively. The Heavenly Demon gritted her teeth and raised her foot. It was said that the Demon God, the Master of the Demonic and destroyer of the world, set the world aze just by walking. The world would turn to ashes and disappear, returning to the void where only darkness remained. The Heavenly Demon''s Reigning Step. The first step of devastation that crushes all Po and flesh by trampling the earth. A magnificent energy capable of destroying stars gathered under the Heavenly Demon''s foot. Since the original owner''s will was trying to protect this sphemous old man, her vicious intention was to destroy the entire space. It was a good attempt. But just before the Heavenly Demon''s foot touched the ground, the energy suddenly scattered, turning it into just an ordinary step. If it hadn''t been for that, Choi Leeong would have be a t corpse like a squashed frog. At that moment, there was a sudden mysterious movement, and the Heavenly Demon''s foot slid back as if flowing like rivers and seas. The opposite foot followed with the same technique, making it look like the Heavenly Demon was advancing majestically while actually retreating backwards1. This was a miracle that people couldn''t believe even if they saw it with their own eyes. It is the principle of the world that when a person walks, they push the ground away and their body moves forward. The great Heavenly Demon had demonstrated the power to break even that obviousness. "...?" While it was an amazing technique, why? Why suddenly? The solemn silence that had fallen over the tomb chamber began to take on a slightly awkward and ufortable air. It was like that eternal awkwardness when your friend leaves you alone with their friend whom you''ve just met. In that ufortable atmosphere, only the Heavenly Demon kept moving backwards in a circle while facing forward. How dare mere humans try to understand the will of the great Demon God! The Demonic Cult members could onlyment as their eyes trembled. * Riiip! The duct tape that had patched up the wall was roughly torn off. Having passed through the tape wall with her body, it naturally stuck all over him. The Heavenly Demon, who had been iling about as if chasing away bugs, finally threw away the ball of duct tape he had managed to clump together. "Ah. You''re here?" Qing greeted the Heavenly Demon cheerfully. She was holding a chicken leg in each hand. "Sorry, but I can''t give up the chicken legs. Of course, the wings and drumsticks are off-limits too, and the juicy part between the thigh and body is mine as well. The breast meat, well, it has its own chewing texture. So choose between the right or left chicken breast. Right? Left?" Offering mere chicken breast, not even the tenderloin, was an insult worthy of getting pped by a guest. But it was an overly generous gesture for an uninvited guest who had broken through the wall and destroyed her security deposit. The Heavenly Demon raised his voice in anger, stumbling over his words. "What, what on earth is going on? Surely the root of your existence, your very Hun and Po, should have been damaged...!" "Not telling. Well, the feeling of having your head explode was surprisingly okay. I''d say there was a certain sense of liberation." Then she bit into the chicken leg heartily. The Heavenly Demon frowned. And as he raised his hand to point his finger... "Stop! Stop that finger!" Qing hurriedly shouted, spraying half-chewed chicken from her mouth. "Hey now, don''t mess with someone while they''re eating. Even dogs bite when disturbed while eating, you know? I might just go more batshit crazy than dogs do. I was born human! I can¡¯t lose to those mongrels!" The Heavenly Demon''s mind went nk for a moment at this nonsense she had never heard before. "...So, you are saying you shall be worse than a dog?" "If you dance the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance in front of your believers, you''ll regret it and think ''Ah fuck, I should''ve just quietly watched a mukbang instead¡¯, don¡¯t you think?" This Heavenly Demon was also the one who had epted the Bliss Pce. After all, all Heavenly Demons were this man. He knew what kind of dance the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance was. If the Supreme of a religion were to strip and perform such a vulgar seduction, their reputation would be shattered forever. (Though it was something Heavenly Demons in other worlds often did.) The Heavenly Demon''s mouth gaped in disbelief, and finally, with a deep sigh, he lowered his pointed finger. "Fine. I will no longer touch your father. Is that enough now? Really, like father, like daughter. Clinging to such petty emotions. How can you, born as a daughter of the Divine Cult, interfere with our long-cherished wish of liberating the Central ins?" This was a major misunderstanding on the Heavenly Demon''s part. In fact, it was an unavoidable misunderstanding. The body the Heavenly Demon saw was a living corpse. Naturally, he thought it had been created by Divine Cult members to receive the Heavenly Demon Spirit. But when the old man jumped out to interfere, he thought it was because the old man who had breathed life into it and fed it for forty-nine days had be attached and saw it as his daughter. And that the soul that had entered also took the old man as its father and gave him affection. He had roughly drawn such a touching story in his mind. However, it was a grand misfire. "Huh? My father? Daughter of the Divine Cult? What are you yapping about?" "I mean that insolent old man outside." "Ah. Gramps? Gramps isn''t my father!" It was just pure, bright irreverence. The Heavenly Demon asked seriously. "What nonsense are you spouting? Clearly..." "That old man''s been a bit offtely. I saw it too, he''spletely lost it. I don''t have a hobby of pretending to be someone else, nor do I want to." Qing had also seen Choi Leeong''s passionate performance beyond the screen. In fact, it was apletely unwee attitude. She had only saved him because she had grown fond of him and pitied him, but if it weren''t for this current situation, she would have immediately started some of that radioactive physical therapy to make hime to his senses. "Then why on earth are you interfering?" "Are you seriously asking because you don''t know? Do you think I''d just stand by and watch as you all rush in while spouting nonsense about liberating the Central ins?" "Haa. So it was merely your ignorance that was the reason." "What? No, why do these people always..." "Enough. You will understand once you see with your own eyes." The Heavenly Demon cut off Qing''s words and raised his hand. Then the four walls of the one-room apartment fell backwards, revealing the outside scenery. Hey now, why the fuck are you dismantling someone else''s house as you please? Qing grumbled, saying ¡®Let''s see how great the thing you''re going to show me is¡¯, as she continued to tear into her chicken leg. It was somewhere in the Central ins, full of people who were weak from hunger. Emaciated and ragged people were just sprawled about, with no sign of vitality to be found. It was nothing short of aplete slum. About ten men were walking around, checking on the fallen people. They spoke to them and waved their hands in front of their faces. Finally, upon finding a corpse, they poked and prodded it, shook it, and when there was still no response, they picked it up with a faint smile. As the men carried the corpses, at the end there was a huge cauldron- "STOP! Halt right there! What are you doing while someone''s eating? Even if you think this will make me yield, you''re greatly mistaken. It''s obvious this is just propaganda by you Demonic Cult bastards." "I saw it myself. For over ten years, summers were cold and rain ceased, so crops couldn''t grow. The animals were eaten long ago, and even after boiling tree bark to eat, even the trees withered away. It was an era where people just ate each other''s corpses to survive." "Ah. So this is for real?" "However, not everyone went hungry. Look." The world seemed to blur like a watercolor painting, then came into focus again, revealing a splendid pce. It was a grand banquet with all sorts of delicacies spread out on a huge tablerge enough for twenty strong men to lie down on. The man sitting at the head of the table, as well as everyone else at the table, had bulging bellies and multiple chins, their figures extremely ample. "That man is the viceroy of the city we just saw. Instead of looking after his starving people, he squeezed them dry and heldvish feasts for every meal. The Daoist next to him is some Elder from Mount Hua, and everyone sitting here are either so-called Righteous Experts of the Orthodox Faction or the rich they protect with their swords." "Is that Mount Hua the same Mount Hua?" "Is it just Mount Hua? Shaolin Monks, Wudang Daoists, all those who call themselves the prestigious Nine Sects and One Union. They all cling to power and take the lead in exploitation." Wait, Orthodox Murim has such a dark past? Qing''s eyes widened. "The Orthodox Faction did not exist in that era. Originally, it was like that, so isn''t it ridiculous howter on the same bastards divided themselves into Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions?" For the Orthodox Faction to exist, there needed to be an Unorthodox Faction and a Demonic Path. Without the Unorthodox Faction and Demonic Path, there was no need to distinguish and gather only the more polite and courteous ones among the sword-wielding thugs. If one had to ssify, there were only two groups: the government and Murim, and even then, it was an era where the government ced Murim below them and treated them as unpaid volunteers to use for free. "What the¡­ This is just an old story, then." "Keep watching. See how they oppressed those who were just crying out to be saved." The scene unfolds. An old man begging just to be saved from hunger, pleading for just a handful of grain, was met with only harsh beatings. The old man who had been begging for even a bit of rice porridge to feed his sick child died like that, and his body was seized by pitiful, hungry ghouls who saw it not as a corpse, but as meat. Unable to bear the sight, one martial artist stood up. It was the man standing before Qing''s eyes. And so, raising a red g shaped like the sacred fire of the Fire Worship Cult, he stood up, and soon the people''s fervent- "Wait. Can you not wave that red g? Why a red g of all things? Besides, this makes you the Yellow Turban Bandits2, doesn''t it?" Wasn''t this a ching chong game? Is it really okay to wave a red g3 and say let''s build a people''s nation together? The reason she thought this way was because Qing hadn''t yed the game. In the game, this waspletely hidden and didn''t even appear as a single line in the background. "Yes, I admit it. Some cult members did call for the seconding of the Yellow Turbans. The results were simr too." Spears and swords flew at themon people who had only risen up asking to be allowed to live. The spears belonged to the army, and the swords to the martial artists. And suddenly the scene shifted to the desperate escape of the survivors after the suppression. They were a group that crossed mountains and rivers, traversed deserts with countless deaths, and finally reached a massive mountain range. It was the beginning of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. "And so, what remains is revenge. For me, and for all the descendants of the Divine Cult, there remains a revenge that must be carried out." The man whose body was covered in scars, having lost all his family, friends, and revolutionaryrades, spoke. All those countless scars were the graves of friends buried in his heart. It was the grudge that burned even as he rejected death, calling himself the destroyer of the world. Faced with this burning me, Qing spoke. "Motherfucker yapping some mad bullshit, huh." "What?" "The revenge is only left for you. The Demonic Cult bastards don''t have any thoughts of revenge left at all." Qing recalled her not-so-short life in the Demonic Cult. They were a group of retards that didn¡¯t have a single speck of normalcy, but maybe that was natural given that the bitch known as their leader was like this. "If you''ve aged and experienced the years in your life you should die gracefully. What''s with this ugly desire to keep fighting until you win by changing bodies like some mental parasite?" It was Qing''s specialty, the Maw of Hell. "Did you know? Someone who failed from the start is bound to keep failing no matter how many times they try the same method. When people fail, they should think about why they failed and try a different strategy next time, not ''This time the body was weak'' or ''Last time we were a bit short on troops.'' If you''ve already failed four times in a row, I''d be so embarrassed I''d just bite my tongue and fucking di-" Thud. It was the fatal weakness of the Maw of Hell. Once the head flies off, it can no longer be unleashed. The Heavenly Demon shouted with a red face. "Very well, then. Let''s see how you do. How long do you think a mere Peak Realm worm of a spirit like you canst if I keep killing you until you die? I shall make you regret moving that insolent mouth of yours!"
    1. LMAO MOONWALK2. The Yellow Turban Bandits, also known as the Yellow Turban Army, was a peasant rebel force led by thete Eastern Han dynasty mystic Zhang Jue from Julu Commandery. The Yellow Turbansunched an uprising against the central government in 184, the year of the Jiazi in the Sexagenary cycle.3. In politics, a red g is predominantly a symbol of left-wing ideologies, including socialism,munism, anarchism, and thebour movement. The originally empty or in red g has been associated with left-wing politics since the French Revolution.
Chapter 103: Heavenly Demon Tomb (11) The image of the Heavenly Demon continuously advancing backwards while drawing a circle was an amazing sight no matter how many times one saw it. Just watching was enough for anyone to be fascinated. Moreover, the circle drawn was perfect without any distortion, and all movements were exactly the same without even a millimeter of error, not showing even a hint of humanity. However, separate from that, as time passed, questions about what on earth was happening began to arise. However, how could the Demonic Cult members possibly know the inside story? That even with two minds, the mind manifested externally was in a state of mindlessness, and that it was just repeating the same motion in response to themand ''dance'' as an expression of emotion. Ji Seungju felt extremely awkward about the sphemous gazes that asionally reached him, those unfaithful nces that dared to ignore the Heavenly Demon Supreme and look away. As the Secret Pavilion Leader and Demonic Brain, he knew nothing. He had no choice but to pretend not to notice the gazes that kept prodding him to say something, anything. ----The Heavenly Demon had already experienced subduing the same number of minds while changing bodies dozens of times. This meant that when it came to the mind, he was the unparalleled authority in the entire world, including not just the Central ins but also the bordends. (To people of the Central ins, everything outside the Central ins was considered the bordends.) Compared to that, Qing''s skill was just at the level of setting up a one-room apartment and making fried chicken. There was nothing exceptional about it; it was just an average level. Even the owners of previous bodies had all done this much. It was nothing more than an instinctive defense mechanism where people visualize the most familiar ce to protect themselves after losing their body. As such, the Heavenly Demon couldn''t understand. He couldn''tprehend where the strange immortality of Qing''s mental body came from. He could only guess that since the scenery created by Qing''s mental body was unfamiliar even in the Heavenly Demon''s long life, she might be a person from the very edge of the bordends or beyond. He thought perhaps the barbarians there had developed techniques for handling the mind. "When someone speaks, you should at least pretend to listen." Thud. Plop. "Shit. Let me run my mouth for a bit too." Thud. Plop. "Aren''t you getting sick of it yet? At this point, you should know that it¡¯s no u-" "What could it possibly be... This ability to learn..." "Oooooh, loser." "They say if you arecking in the head, your body suffers." Plop, plop, plop. Countless headless corpses littered the ground. "Come on. Didn''t I already tell you that if something doesn''t work no matter how many times you try, you should change your method? Like this." This time, Qing''s figure couldn''t be seen. The Heavenly Demon looked around nervously, searching for the owner of the Maw of Hell. "Come to think of it, isn''t Divine Blood just a continuation of all your children? Then what, you''re both father and child? So, would your wife also soon be your mother? When you get bored preparing for war, do you call your mother and fuck her once in a while for old times'' sake?" "How, how dare you spout such nonsense!" "What do you think when you look at your children? ''This is a body I''ll possesster, so I should treat it preciously''? It must at least be convenient not having to teach them morals. You don''t need to give affection to children who''ll die by your hand anyway, right?" Qing was employing an incredibly vile tactic of just running her mouth while hiding among the corpses. Despite being covered in blood and pretending to be a corpse, her mouth was very much alive. But bodies with the same clothes and shape had practically formed ayer on the ground. Finding one with a head among them was like ying a hellish game of Spot The Difference. The Heavenly Demon, who had never even yed a spot-the-difference game at a 7-year-old level, let alone a hellish one, finally burst out in frustration. "You wench, what do you know! Those detestable Central ins bastards! Look at their descendants! Do they dare not know that all their prosperity is built on the evil deeds of their ancestors!" "You want them to atone for their ancestors'' sins? That''s a bit..." "Is it not only natural!? They inherit their parents'' wealth and connections and enjoy them as if they are rightfully theirs! Are they going to just leave out the ugly sins and history of exploitation!" "Eh...?" Qing hesitated. Doesn¡¯t that... kinda make sense? "Look at those so-called prestigious Orthodox sects! They are born and immediately have their meridians opened, consume Elixirs, and train in precious martial arts, so even the dullest person in the world will reach the Transcendent Realm before they die! The wealth and glory obtained through exploitation have created the eternal rulers of the Central ins! Yet they im to be without sin!" "They do... have sin, don''t they?" Qing couldn''tpletely deny that. After all, there was a certain ind nation that immediately came to mind, and anywhere you pointed on the continent next to it was the same. Of course, that didn''t mean she had nothing to say. "Even if that''s true, you don''t particrly have the right to punish them, do you?" "No! If there is even one person in the world who has the right! It is me! I, who clearly witnessed the sins of the past and lost everything to those atrocities!" "This is kinda strange, no? Is this something a mere evil spirit specializing in losing streaks, who just steals other people''s bodies and has never won even once, should be saying? By the way, I¡¯m asking because I really don''t know." "What human in this world could transcend death! This is the will of the Heavenly God Ahura Mazda, bestowed upon me to right the wrongs of the world! This is the will of the heavens, I tell you!" Qing snorted. What is this bullshit about heaven¡¯s will creating some kind of superman to punish the world''s evildoers? Why not just say that Ahura Mazda or whatever god spoke to him directly? "Huh? The heavens created you to deliver divine punishment? Instead of doing it directly? The fuck? I seriously-" -cannot listen to your bullshit anymore. Suddenly, Qing''s voice thundered from the sky. It was a sound that filled the world like thunder. The Heavenly Demon looked up. Above the sky, a huge square frame could be seen. It was a window attached to the sky, showing an even higher world. Beyond it, a giant face appeared, Qing''s gaze looking down on the earth without hiding her disdain. "W-What is this..." -What else? It means you''re in the palm of the Buddha. The world shattered into sharp fragments and poured down. The countless corpses and sticky blood were now gone, and the revealed earth showed its true form as a palm made of white, fine skin. Qing looked down at the Heavenly Demon on her palm. The Heavenly Demon screamed in fury. "Impossible! How can the consciousness of a mere thing like you be greater than mine! Someone who is merely in the pitiful Peak Realm!" -I don''t know either. It was like this after I died once. Qing smiled like a god in her enormous form. -So, try stating your im again. What did you say? The what of the heavens? The Heavenly Demon gritted his teeth. "If not the heavens, who else could revive the dead! It is me! I have received the Mandate of Heaven!" Qing answered with augh. -Well. If you say so, then I guess that''s how it is. Then you go ahead and be the will of the heavens. But you know what? Where is Heaven''s will right now? "That will is in me! I am Heaven''s will!" And that very Mandate of Heaven was in Qing''s hand. Flesh-colored pirs, mountains, rose up from the ground where the Heavenly Demon stood. It was because Qing had clenched her fist. Just a single bug on her palm. It was so insignificant that when lightly crushed, even the remaining blood was just a few drops, not enough to flow out. Finally left alone, Qing giggled. "Too bad. The Mandate of Heaven ends here. Heaven wasn''t much after all, huh." At the same time, Qing looked at the transparent window. It was a message that had been annoyingly shing in front of her since the moment she absorbed the Heavenly Demon Spirit. Status Window [Currently automatically progressing in the form of the Heavenly Demon.] [Cancetion of Heavenly Demon¡¯s form is possible.] [Do you wish to cancel? Yes/No] [*If you select No, your journey will end and lead to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Ending.] Soon, the ''Yes'' text shed a few times, and the Status Window faded away. Qing thought. Was this prepared as a hidden ending in the original game too, with the body being stolen? She didn''t know why cancetion was possible. Maybe they made it possible to choose so people wouldn''t get angry if suddenly presented with a Game Over. Or maybe she had already met certain conditions that allowed for immediate cancetion. For example, it could be due to the Heavenly ughtering Star, or the Blood Poison might have considered it an intoxication that could be canceled. Or it could be thanks to the martial arts she had learned. The Great Tranquil Zen Art of Buddhism might have established the Buddhistw of self. The Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique of Jiutian Xuann¨¹, who was in charge of the boundary between the Nine Thousand Worlds above and below, might have exerted its power. However, Qing didn''t know anyway. She wasn''t particrly curious about the reason either. Ximen Surin might have thought differently. The Fire Worship Cult worshipped fire, which meant the holy fire of Ahura Mazda, the Sun God. The God of Destruction, Angra Mainyu, represented the pitch-ck darkness, the night that humans primordially feared. The sun illuminates the night, so Angra Mainyu was just a lower god who couldn''t dare to oppose the Sun God and cowered before him. And the Heart Cleansing Mirror of Zhu Xiang was the Imagery of the me Emperor. The me Emperor was the Sun God worshipped by the Chinese people. So couldn¡¯t it be said that the oue was decided from the start? Regardless, Qing didn''t have that level of knowledge. However, isn''t just the fact of knowing that something is possible to do still important to know? "Give me back my body, you punk." ----The Heavenly Demon, who had been showcasing a dance ahead of its time, finally stopped moving and stood in ce. And as she walked step by step, she was once again in front of the old man Choi Leeong. Choi Leeong''s nk eyes wandered around her feet. That''s when it happened. Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon''s foot moved, aiming for the lower abdomen of the Supreme, who Choi Leeong had subdued and pinned to the ground. THWACK!!! "ARGH!" The Supreme''s mind snapped back to rity from the pain of his dantian being shattered. This was the essence of medicine that could revive even a dead mind - physical therapy. "You fucking bastard. I told you I wouldn''t let you off easy, didn''t I? Hm? Or wait. Maybe I didn¡¯t say it out loud?" Qing continued with a vile smile. "What did you say again? Natural Realm this, setting your mind to that? Yap yap yap? Now that your dantian is shattered too, how does it feel to be a natural person instead of Natural Realm, you motherfucker?" Only then did Choi Leeong alsoe to his senses. Physical therapy was originally highly effective not only for the patient but also for potential patients watching. "Child, Qing, is that you, Qing?" "Hm? Gramps? Have youe back to your senses again? Stop getting confused about daughters or whatever. Why do you keep messing with other people''s family trees? Hmm. I want to eat bossam and jokbal1." I should have ordered it when I could earlier during that imaginary space. Why do I never think of these things at the right time? Qing regretted it, but it was just a slight disappointment. Because not only was she no longer fixated on hometown food, but jokbal and bossam existed in the Central ins too. There wasn''t a culture of enjoying the original jokbal hongshao zhu, the original bossam dongpo rou, and the original bibim noodles banmian2 all at the same time, though. But still, isn¡¯t that up to the person ordering? I just need to add some clear rice wine to that. Then, bang boom pow! Based as fuck. Kyaaaa that¡¯s the shit. "You!" Right as Qing was in the middle of swallowing her saliva while spreading her wings of culinary imagination¡­ A young, ill-mannered voice rang out sharply. Qing turned her head. With a triumphant smile. "Ah. Kiddo. Right. You were here too, yeah?"
    1. Bossam and jokbal are a type of pork. The reason why Qing says this is becake "jokbo" means family tree. Hence, "jok" reminded her of "Jokbal" and "bo" reminder her of "Bossam".2. This is all just food. Like food that people with pork. So noodles and a specific way of cooking the pork.
Chapter 104: Heavenly Demon Tomb (12) "The Heavenly Demon Supreme¡­ What has happened to the Heavenly Demon Supreme?" "Aftering out to the world after so long, he got tired and is resting." "Is that really true!?" "I don''t lie with my own mouth." Qing said proudly, puffing out her chest. In reality, Qing was only honest with her mouth. After all, deception and lies were not the same thing. She had never explicitly denied that the cripple was the culprit. Ji Seungju didn''t hide his suspicious gaze. From the heads of assassins to pretending to be a cripple (which to Ji Seungju just looked like an actual cripple), she was a woman who couldn''t be trusted at all. Moreover, when the Heavenly Demon Supreme was acting strangely, he kept cursing at a wench, so there was no need to think deeply about who the culprit was. "Do you have any proof?" "Hoho. Your gaze is very nasty. Do you dare doubt Ximen Qing, who has received the Heavenly Demon Supreme, the living incarnation of Ahuda Mazda?" "It''s Ahura Mazda." "Potato, potahto. Well, proof? Right. Just a moment. Hmm. Yes. Okay. I''ll do that." Qing muttered like that while nodding her head. It looked as if she was talking to someone inside her. Just as Ji Seungju was starting to get confused... "Now. Listen. These are the words of your Supreme." As Qing opened her palm, the Heavenly Demon Spirit popped out and emitted a somewhatckluster radiance. The cult members, who had been slouching while watching carefully, immediately straightened up and focused their attention. "The Supreme speaks!" Qing clenched her fist tightly. -AAAARGH! A desperate scream echoed from the Heavenly Demon Spirit. It was a scream in the Heavenly Demon Supreme''s own voice, no less. The pain of having one''s soul wrung out is the worst thing that cannot be described in worldly expressions. If a living person experienced it, they would die instantly from the shock. But those already dead have lost the right to escape through death. Of course, Qing didn¡¯t know this pain as she hadn¡¯t experienced it. However, if even the Heavenly Demon was throwing away all dignity and reputation to scream so desperately, it must be no ordinary pain. Serves him right. When Qing opened her hand, what remained was a triangr pyramid cracking and crumbling with fragments flying off. The mystical radiance was gone, flickering feebly like a sad firefly. Qing spoke with a triumphant smile. "Since you ignorant lot can''t understand the Supreme''s voice, I shall interpret his meaning for you directly. The Heavenly Demon says, ''Today, this lowly Heavenly Demon hasmitted the great sin of daring to defy the great Ximen Qing.''" Qing clenched her fist once more. -AARGH! AAARGH! AAAARGH! Ugh, ugh! Adjusting the strength with her grip, she managed to create a somewhat rhythmic beat. It seemed the Heavenly Demon had some musical talent as well. "So you all should not defy Ximen Qing and serve her well on your own. This is what the Heavenly Demon implores you." Then Qing clenched her fist again, and with an AAAGH!! the Heavenly Demon Spirit shattered into pieces. "The end. So, did you hear? That''s how it is. Of course, I don''t have the talent to understand screams, so I just roughly called out what I thought he might have said. What do you think? Was I right?" It was the wailing of a soul being torn out raw. Paralyzed by that horrific sound, no cult member dared to step forward. "We can just call him and ask. Yap, Heavenly Demon Summon!" A triangr pyramid rose up on Qing''s palm again. "Aah..." Ji Seungjumented. It was a scene of the Heavenly Demon Spirit, the soul of their great leader, beingpletely subdued and toyed with. "Stop, please stop!" "Alright." Qing crushed the Heavenly Demon Spirit in her fist in one go. With a short scream, the Heavenly Demon Spirit vanished. She knew how to take it out, but didn''t know how to put it back in. But since it was only the Heavenly Demon that was hurting, why should she care? "Doesn''t the Demonic Cult believe in thew of the strong? From what I saw in the Bliss Pce, it seemed natural to eat your superiors and take their positions. So am I the Heavenly Demon now?" Qing was just trying to provoke them further. However, far from having hope drained from his eyes, Ji Seungju''s eyes suddenly shed with a strange light. "Are you saying you have inherited everything from him?" "You mean, like this?" Qing roused the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. To be precise, it was the dregs of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. Almost all of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi had beenpressed tightly with the Heavenly Demon and tucked away in a corner of her dantian, and only an extremely small portion had defected and newly joined Qing''s True Qi Alliance. Qing''s hands were dyed with pitch-ck Demonic Qi. Originally, when manifesting Qi, there should have been a faint glow with the insides clearly visible. But the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi not only didn''t shine on its own, but rather ate light, painting a lusterless pitch-ck void color. And that wasn''t all. Countless eyes sprouted from Qing''s ck hands. Qing looked at the most destructive Qi under heaven lingering on her hands and thought. What the hell is this? It''s disgusting and hideous. Qing withdrew her True Qi. The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi, which had tried to impress its new owner only to be called ugly, dejectedly returned to her dantian. "Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi! Truly, you have...!" "Wait a minute. What the¡­ Hasn''t the way you addressed me suddenly improved a lot?" When someone says "you" (dangshin), it is considered speech used to speak to equals. But when they say "you" (dangshin-kkeseo), it is several levels higher, bing the highest form of honorific speech among honorifics. The cult members murmured at this implication. Qing frowned sharply. "I have absolutely no intention of bing the Demonic Cult''s boss. Well, no. It might depend on the conditions." "What do you mean?" "Can''t we at least live like decent human beings?" Qing recalled her life in the Demonic Cult. A city of hungry ghosts just devouring each other. Because everyone except oneself was an enemy, they couldn''t rx or trust for even a moment, so even when talking with smiling faces, in reality, they were just pretending to have rtionships. No person could be a source of good in such an environment. Kindnesses from the granary. When people are just red-eyed with vignce trying to protect their own storehouse... Who in the world could showpassion in such a situation? "Thew of the strong is over. Even without that, people naturally listen to the strong anyway. Stop ndering the Central ins now. Let''s try living together. Send out letters to everyone and say let''s reconcile. Say that we''ll live like proper humans now, so don''t start sword fights just because you see each other." Qing thought of Gyeon Pohee, no, Ximen Hee, thatcking and not-so-kind Senior Sister Wannabe, now an Unni Wannabe. How many Ximen Hees had existed in the Demonic Cult, how many had perished, and how many more woulde to exist if things continued like this? That was why a breeding ground for evil people shouldn''t exist in the world. It was too troublesome to kill them all off, and there might be idiots who became evil just because of their environment. She said all this, but ultimately, difficult tasks should be passed on to others. Fortunately, there was someone who seemed rather smart, yeah? "That cannot be done! It would shake the very foundations of the Divine C-" "Do you even have a future anyway? If I kill all of you here and go back to the Central ins, wouldn''t the Demonic Cult be finished anyway?" At those words, the tomb chamber fell silent once again. Since the Heavenly Demon Supreme''s realm was estimated to be the Life and Death Realm, to absorb that power, one would need to be at least in the Demonic Descent Realm. Even if Demonic Descent and Profound Realm were in the same league, Demonic Descent was actually considered about 50% higher in strength. In modern terms, it would be a 0.5 tier difference. It wasn''t a question of whether to ept the new Heavenly Demon or not. It was a question of life or death. In reality, it was all just bluster, though. Qing was bluffing without actually having the ability. This is how I''ll get to go back alive. Might as well say what I want to say while I''m at it. Thanks to the Heavenly Demon parasite, her body had been reassembled into a top-notchtest model, but even so, her Enlightenment was still only at the Late Stage Peak Realm. For heaven''s sake! Oh heavens!! Why! Am I!! Still!!! Not at the Transcendent Realm!!!!! It was a cry that would make the heavens roll their eyes if they heard it. What the hell have you even done? They would say. Out of the forty-seven Heavenly Demon Divine Arts, all except three were locked, just taking up space in the Martial Arts Window. Heavenly Demon Mind Art, Heavenly Demon''s Reigning Step, and Heavenly Demon Finger. These were the techniques the Heavenly Demon had used with Qing''s body. If she had known this would happen, she would have tried to induce him to use more techniques. But well, they weren''t gone, just locked. When her realm rises, who knows what might happen. She got three Purple techniques for free, so it would honestly be unconscionable toin. Moreover, by nature, she wasn''t the type to regret losses particrly. Even before her journey into Murim, she was the type who would just think "Oh well, can''t be helped" when she lost something and then worry about what to eat for dinner. Or perhaps it was a form of resignation trained by being born poor. "Why don''t you try establishing a country or something through this opportunity? Or maybe a Religious Sect Alliance? If you have power, you won''t get beaten up when you go outside, right?" "That is not something that can be spoken of so easily..." "Well, that''s for smart people to figure out." Ji Seungju closed his mouth at those words. You should know you''re lucky. You''re being spared because you''re a smart kid and weak. Come to think of it, I guess all you did was talk back a lot. You didn''t really cause any harm. However, there was someone who couldn''t be spared. Qing looked down at the former Alleged Natural Realm, who was now just a natural person. The wreck who had suffered a double hit of mental shock andplete loss of Inner Qi was sprawled out with a dumb look in his eyes. Just as Qing''s gaze turned fierce. "Wait! Please stop!" "What? Why? I was just about to have some overdue fun." "He is still the one who inherited the direct lineage of the First Heavenly Demon. As you said, he is an essential religious focal point for reorganizing the Divine Cult, so please show mercy." "Tsk." Qing clicked her tongue. It would be a bit much to interfere after passing on all the work, yeah? Qing asked hopefully, just in case. "Then, can I at least make him impotent?" "Only his bloodline is important. Please cut off an arm or leg instead." "That''s the best thing you''ve said so far." Qing smirked and squatted down in front of the Supreme. Her white, slender palm gently caressed the Supreme''s cheek. Just as the Supreme''s focus was slowly returning- Qing''s thumb dug into the Supreme''s eye socket. "ARGH!" Of course, one couldn¡¯t help but scream if their eye was gouged out while they were alive. But that wasn¡¯t all; Qing firmly held the eye socket with her thumb and palm. With his head fixed without moving, only his body iled wildly in pain. The hands of an ordinary person without Inner Qi thrashed, hitting and scratching at Qing, but with her abilities boosted by Overhaul Rebirth, they couldn''t even leave a scratch and were nothing more than meaningless struggles. Qing finally smiled with satisfaction. The sensation of piercing through the soft yet firm eyeball, the mixture of thick and thin substances inside wrapping around her thumb - it had been a while since she felt this tingling heat. "Have youe to your senses? Should I pierce your other eye socket too?" "I-It hurts, it hurts so much. Mommy, it hurts..." "Tsk. You should use honorifics. From now on, you''ll use honorifics with everyone in the world. You''ve been ill-mannered all your life, so you need to bnce it out from now on." Qing said with a bright smile. The Supreme looked up at Qing''s face, trembling in pain. His one remaining eye perfectly reflected Qing''s beautiful smile. "I-I underst... I understand." "Good boy. That''s right. Who''s a good boy?" Qing''s thumb popped out of the Supreme''s eyelid. The unknown contents of the eyeball dripped down. "Urgh, kkeup..." The Supreme gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Qing tilted her head and thought. What''s this? He''s holding back his screams? Does it not hurt enough? Should I have just pulled out the whole eyeball? But the Supreme''s appearance was already in a pathetic state. Remembering the scene she saw in the Formation, her excitementpletely faded. Also, now he''s just amoner who doesn''t know martial arts. Qing wiped her sticky thumb on the Supreme''s head. She wiped off the sticky foreign substance by rubbing it front, back, side, and front again. While cleaning her hand like that, she spoke. "Consider this forgiveness for trying to burst my eye after punching me in the stomach. From now on, just keep being a good little boy. Then, even if we meet again, we can look at each other with nice smiles. You understand what I mean, right?" If you''re not a good boy, I''ll look at you with a¡­ bad smile. That was essentially the message Qing was trying to convey. And she delivered such a chilling warning in a gentle voice. The Supreme nodded nkly. With that, Qingpletely let go of her hatred. The kid''s state has bepletely derpy. Are you kidding me? All I did was pierce one eye. Boring. At any rate, now that she had neatly finished her revenge, she had done everything she needed to do. Qing headed towards the exit of the tomb chamber with clicking steps. "Hoit. Alright then. Take care of the rest yourselves." Qing waved her hand behind her back as she slipped into the stairway leading outside and disappeared. It was the end of her insufferable kidnapped life. Chapter 105: First Crisis, Afterword Outside the Heavenly Demon Tomb, it was already a dark night. Qing stretched vigorously. Phew, I thought I was going to die trying to keep up appearances. In truth, the urge to run away straight down the stairs had bubbled up several times during the ordeal, but well, somehow she had managed to carry it out splendidly and survive. As relief and the joy of survival washed over her, Qing unconsciously got excited and performed the most sessful dance in human history while moving backwards. It was the signature move of a certain Mr. Jackson from Indiana. The Moonwalk. The principle that the Heavenly Demon had demonstrated with his body remained, making it the most precious of the insights Qing had gained. And as she was celebrating with this victory dance... "Ahem." Qing was startled by the coughing sound. "Shit, you scared me. Gramps. Why did you follow me?" "I packed your belongings to give to you when you leave. Even if you are leaving, shouldn¡¯t you at least take your own things? You careless child." "Wow, really? You packed everything?" Only after hearing this did she remember about her luggage. Starting with the Yangtze River Free Pass, all the Guest ques her friends had given her, and wasn''t there also a letter from her Master to give to the Emei Sect''s Grand Abbot? Come to think of it, the old man''s words were true. If her personality hadpletely changed, the attention given to Qing would have disappeared along with it, and since he had even packed her luggage, he must have intended to let her go willingly after she opened the door by blowing the Bokshinjeok. Qing followed behind Choi Leeong, trotting along. Upon reaching a certain luggage cart, Choi Leeong went inside and came out with a bundle, revealing familiar items. Qing eagerly grabbed the most wee item among them. You¡¯re back! My Moonlight Sword! Though it had been a while since she held the Moonlight Sword (No. 8), the handle fit snugly in her hand as if it had never left her side. Qing grinned as she fastened the sword to her waist. Then, as she was about to receive the rest of the luggage, Choi Leeong held onto it, hesitating to hand it over. Qing''s eyes narrowed. "What''s this about? Is the rest Pay to Win or something?" Was this sort of business acumen also a tradition? As expected of OG China. Do I have to pay a price to get my own things back? However, Choi Leeong spoke while looking uneasy. "Ahem. I am old and do not know how long I shall live, so I was thinking of looking for a good burial site. Perhaps... would that be alright?" "Wait, why are you asking my permission to find your deathbed... No, nevermind. Sigh." Qing sighed deeply. Even if she pretended not to understand, it didn''t seem like the old man would back down easily. Saying he wanted to find a ce to die wasn''t really about reserving a sunny spot with good feng shui facing a mountain and overlooking water. It was a desperate wish to spend what little life he had left together and die by her side. "Gramps, let me make this clear. I have absolutely no intention of epting you as my stepdad. In exchange, I don''t care in what way you view me. I''m just going to use you to carry my luggage, pull the carriage, and do all sorts of chores." Though her words were irreverent, it was ultimately permission. Choi Leeong''s eyes reddened. "Thank you, thank you. Even that much is too generous..." If the old man''s remaining life could be peaceful just by following her around and taking care of her, there was no reason not to grant that wish. He had already suffered through his life, and he was too old now to mentally abuse himself by being shackled to the dead. But if heter came at her with "You are my daughter" or some shit like that, it would be a case of kindness turning into malice. She might not care about other things, but she couldn''t stand that. "But. I don''t have a hobby of dragging around a Great Demonic Adept and being pointed at by people while traveling. Get rid of that Demonic Art that you can''t even control anyway. What if youter go crazy ande at me saying shit like ''Why did you deceive me'' and ''Give me back my daughter''?" It was telling him to disperse the hostile arts he had cultivated his entire life. Something a martial artist valued more than their own life. "I shall do so. Right now, even." Yet, there was not a hint of hesitation in Choi Leeong''s answer. Qing sighed deeply again. "Let''s get out of here first and then talk. If we linger here, all the Demonic Adepts wille rushing in." ----Inside the Heavenly Demon Tomb, the Elite Masters of the Divine Cult gathered around Ji Seungju. In the Divine Cult, which followed thew of the strong, Elite Masters were essentially synonymous with the cult''s leadership. "Look, Demonic Brain. Do you really intend to follow that wench?" "She is the Heavenly Demon of this age. Did you not see her Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi with your own eyes?" "That may be so, but isn''t she still just a young girl? There is also the matter of the Divine Cult''s dignity, after all." "It is even more splendid because she is young, is it not? Think about the Celestial Martial Sword Ghost. Is it possible for such a figure to exist only in the Orthodox Faction?" "However, isn''t she already a member of the Orthodox Faction?" "Did you not see her actions? The Heavenly Demon will inevitably have no choice but to return to the cult." "Hmm..." The Masters let out contemtive sounds. Gouging out a living person''s eye was not something that could be done without considerable cruelty. Especially if it was done with a smiling face, not hiding the pleasure, as if ying with a toy - even more so. "But must we now give up the long-cherished wish we have been pursuing all our lives? Moreover, reconciling with those Central ins bastards. Is that even possible in the first ce?" "It might actually be for the best. Isn¡¯t it said that the strong would not get beaten up, even if they act out? What force in the Central ins would dare to confront the Divine Cult?" The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had already proven its true strength through four Great Wars Between Orthodox and Demonic. Although they had been defeated each time, hadn''t they also left great wounds on Murim? Even if the Divine Cult suddenly dered that they would settle past grievances ande out into the light, Murim couldn''t cry out "What are you smoking?! That¡¯s impossible!" and wage a war, voluntarily causing damage to themselves. "To be honest, how long must we continue to control the fools of the Divine City? Isn''t it because of this that we have built up a history of defeat every time we invade?" The Divine Cult lived hidden in barrennds. It was because theycked the ability to support arge poption. Even the gold sycees earned by various departments of the Outer Hall through their "businesses" in the Central ins were ultimately limited. That was why the Divine Cult had no choice but to follow thew of the strong. Thus, the Divine Cult''sw of the strong served as a means to maintain a limited poption while building the most elite forces possible. Ironically, the natural enemy of elite forces was a vast quantity of ordinary people. Even if they could overwhelm them with irresistible battle records and achievements, the loss of each individual was painful. The longer the war dragged on, the more overwhelming the military achievements became, but the more unfavorable the war situation became, ultimately leading to defeat and retreat. No one present was unaware of the harmful effects of thew of the strong. After all, everyone had gotten here by devouring others. But even knowing the severe side effects of thew of the strong, what could they do when that was simply how things had to be? Moreover, its results were impressive. Although Qing had constantly criticized them as retards without a single redeeming quality, the truth was that there was no group in all of Murim as powerful and unified as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The Masters looked very unenthusiastic. That was because most of them were people who had been pursuing wealth and power after the liberation of the Central ins, just like in their illusions. However, Ji Seungju was the Secret Pavilion Leader and Demonic Brain, respected by the Divine Cult despite his terrible martial talent. Given enough time, he was confident he could easily manipte these uneducated Demonic Adepts who only respected strength. It wouldn''t be difficult for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, which controlled the Silk Road, to proudly im its territory and achieve even greater prosperity than now by adding governance thatbined doctrine and morality. Ji Seungju swallowed his ambition inwardly without showing any expression. In the past, a general named Ci of the Taishi1 surname had said. (For reference, his name wasn''t Lion2.) If born as a well-built and manly male, shouldn''t one wear a seven-chi3 sword and climb the stairs to the Son of Heaven? One who could dare to wear a sword and stand beside the Emperor. Above all men and below only one, it would be the highest position that a schemer could reach. ----The Supreme had no name. He had never seen his father''s face, and all his mother had given him was bitter hatred. In other words, all he had received was indifference and hatred. He hadn''t even been given a name. However, the Supreme wasn''t dissatisfied with this fact. The Supreme didn''t need a name because he was the one and only Supreme. If there was only one Supreme in the world, there was no need to use a name. But now he knows another reason why he had no name. He was just a vessel for the Heavenly Demon''s soul to settle in. There was no need to give him the luxury of a name. When he realized this fact, the Supreme simply fell into despair. But no longer. For the first time in his life, he learned the pain of being scolded. And also for the first time in his life, he felt that caring touch that stroked his head. He heard the mercy of being forgiven. He could clearly recall, even with his eyes closed, that genuine smileing from within, that sincere pleasure he had never known before being directed at him. This was the love that parents bestow upon their children. Yes. That¡¯s right. Can those who irresponsibly create a body and carelessly throw it into the world be called parents? The qualification of parents lies in that very affection. Age, beauty, and even gender didn¡¯t matter in this; wasn¡¯t that why humans simply call men fathers and women mothers? But there was still one thing left. The most precious thing parents give to their children. Something the Supreme still didn''t have. A name. She told him to be good, so he will be good. When they meet again, with that promise, he will finally receive a name. The Supreme looked at the elites of the Divine Cult. They were insolent bastards, busy whispering among themselves while daring to leave out the Supreme. Anger boiled up in the Supreme''s heart. That wrath became strength, and ck Demonic Qi seethed. The Supreme was a martial artist of the Profound Realm, and even that was merely something he had restrained himself for the sake of Demonic Descent. When his dantian was shattered, those restraints were also released. As such, it resulted in the entry into the Profound Realm. With that enlightenment, he forcibly patched together his shattered dantian. Even if the result was nothing more than a rag, he somehow managed to preserve it. His body was one prepared for the Heavenly Demon. The medicinal properties of the Elixirs he had consumed instead of food since childhood still flowed through his four limbs and hundred bones. As long as the shape of the dantian was maintained, recovery was not impossible, just time-consuming. The Supreme calmed his anger. It wasn''t such a difficult thing to do. Just recalling the smile etched in his heart was enough. His mind and body naturally settled, and his mouth unconsciously rxed into a smile. As you said, I''ll be a good boy. My beloved¡­ Mother. This was the Supreme. Aged forty-seven years old this year. ----Sometimes, a person''s Upper Dantian opens, allowing them to unconsciously read the workings of heaven and earth. This was called the sixth sense, or a premonition. Qing shuddered. Suddenly, she had a really, really bad feeling. The fuck is this? I just got goosebumps all over. But no matter how much she thought about it, there was no particr reason for such foreboding. Qing just kept mulling over the uneasy feeling. Well, of course she would. After all, how could she possibly know that she had just gained a grown ass son in addition to a father and an older sister?
    1. Taishi Ci, courtesy name Ziyi, was a Chinese military general who lived during thete Eastern Han dynasty of China. He had served as a minor Han official, before eventuallying to serve warlords Liu Yao, Sun Ce, and Sun Ce''s sessor Sun Quan.2. Though in romanticization, his name is "Shici" in Korean, it has the same characters as "Lion".3. 1/3 of a meter. Also known as a "Chinese foot".
Chapter 106: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (1) Chengdu, the central city of Sichuan Province. Though famous as the capital of Shu, it had been a prosperous ancient capital at the center of Sichuan even before that. Among the vast basin surrounded by mountains that is Sichuan, it was close to the most fertilend and heavenly mountains. It could be said without exaggeration that it was in a location bestowed by heaven. Among these areas, the western district of Chengdu, Chongzhou County, was a street that developed adjacent to the Min River1. The Min River, with its gentle currents, was the perfect ce for floatingntern-lit boats. Naturally, a port town that developed along such a river would be densely packed with all sorts of taverns, teahouses, red and blue brothels, and gambling dens for pleasure-seeking tourists. Let''s say a tourist came to Chengdu. The first day would be spent shedding tears and snot from the numbing Sichuan cuisine, then realizing with a refreshed body afterwards that this is the true joy of m, the pleasure of spiciness. Though they might have to suffer a bit at night. On the second day, one must visit Mount Qingcheng2. The famous Qingcheng Sect was located on the front mountain, after all. The back mountain, with its gently rolling, not too rugged terrain and diverse vegetation, had been praised as the most serenendscape in the world. If lucky, one might even see a Giant Panda! Despite its name meaning "giant bear cat," it was actually a type of bear, not a cat. If Qing had seen this lovable creature, she would have immediately eximed in admiration, Wow, a panda! You know about pandas, huh! Then, after enjoying the sights like Dujiangyan3, Wuhou Shrine4, and Wenshu Monastery5 on the third and fourth days, one might be at a loss for what to do next. And that was when you should go to Chongzhou County. You can float boats on the Min River, drink, gamble, and have a wild and fiery time. And when you start to get bored of that, that would be when a suspicious man would approach. Ah, Big Brother, I see you''ve been enjoying yourself. Perhaps you''d like to see something really exciting? If you follow the man with half curiosity and half suspicion, you''ll soon find yourself descending stairs underground, passing through a long corridor, and reaching a vast underground za with a huge stage in the center. And this would be the Underground Life and Death Arena, Chengdu''s famous attraction that everyone who knows about it knows about. Cockfighting was called "touji". And human fighting for gambling was called "tougi", making this ce, where mortalbat took ce every day, the pinnacle of gambling for life-and-death duels. Today, too, the Underground Life and Death Arena was hot. The blue stone floor was drenched in blood and human remains, giving an idea of the heat. The host, with his smooth-talking skills, mesmerized the audience. "Finally, today our challenger has issued a challenge to one of the Four Heavenly Kings! For ten straight days, he has in one Peak Realm fighter each day for eleven days! This challenger from Hainan! Please wee him with loud cheers!" The iron door under the cave opened. A man walked out, his footsteps echoing. "The ghostly left-handed swordsman, the Sword Ghost from Hainan, the Tael Yaksha, Yik Taikong!" The audience responded with passionate cheers. Then the host continued shouting with a volume that made one worry his throat might burst. "Which great expert among the Four Heavenly Kings of the Underground Life and Death Arena has epted his challenge? They''re appearing now!" The opposite iron door opened, and a figure wrapped from head to toe appeared. Only the eye holes were open, but even those were covered with a veil, making them invisible. For a woman, she was quite tall, dragging an enormous dadao that even a strong man would struggle to wield. "Responding to the challenge is the third-ranked among the Four Heavenly Kings of the Underground Life and Death Arena, the great expert Female Xiang Ji! A mysterious woman whose face no one in this world knows, the seconding of the warrior Xiang Yu6 in the human world! Female! Xiang! Ji!" "----!!!" An enormous reaction erupted, iparable to before. It was almost like a collective frenzy had broken out. Female Xiang Ji responded to the cheers by raising her hands high and waving them around, in stark contrast to her heavy entrance. In fact, if any of Qing''s acquaintances were there, they might have asked why she needed to cover her entire body. Finally, the two stood face to face on the life-and-death arena, messy with blood and remains. "Female Xiang Ji? What aughable wench." It was a light jab typically thrown before a life-and-death battle. However, when it came to the art of yapping, Qing had already passed the Natural Realm and reached Ascension, thus finding only the Immortals her match. Female Xiang Ji''s glib speech was already famous, having been seen by many spectators. But Female Xiang Ji was also known for picking and choosing who to deign such divine words towards. If they were worth or not of such a ster yapfest. "Eh, he ain¡¯t all that, huh... Let''s end this quickly." Qing wiggled her fingers. At this, Yik Taikong''s eyebrows twitched. "Ha. Very well. They call you Female Xiang Ji, so let''s see how mighty your strength is to warrant such an arrogant na-" Yik Taikong''s words trailed off. Whoosh! Whoooosh! The sound of something heavy cutting through the air was terrifying. It was a massive weapon, five chi long with a de width of one chi, likely weighing well over twenty catties. When wielding this massive weapon in one hand and swinging it as lightly as a tree branch, the sound alone made one''s knees weak. It was a sight that would make the faint-hearted kneel immediately. Regardless of martial arts proficiency, it was simply not a humanly possible act to begin with. "Y-Your strength certainly lives up to the name Female Xiang Ji. However, martial arts are meant to ovee such differences, and a true martial artist like myself will use my skills to¡­" Yik Taikong''s words trailed off again. Dao Qi rising from the massive de. But was that really just Dao Qi? Didn¡¯t it almost seem like the Yellow River itself was flowing from the dao? Qing''s Inner Qi in its pure quantity was at the Unrestrained Realm, and in its very end stages at that. Lacking enlightenment, she couldn''tpress it to form Force, so she could only use it with brute output. The result was a de of Inner Qi rising a whole chi thick. Yik Taikong shouted boldly in response. "I concede! Today, this Yik has greatly realized that I am nothing but a frog in a well! As they say, a person should withdraw when they realize their shorings, so would you please allow this humble one to withdraw?!" At this, the audience erupted into a riot of curses and mockery. ----Chik Balsung, the vice leader of the Underground Life and Death Arena, wore a very displeased expression. Of course, because today''s match, which should have been the greatest attraction, had ended so anticlimactically. "You didn''t kill him today, huh?" However, Qing answered. "Hello? Excuse me, Mr. Chik. If someone heard that, they might think I''m a Demonic Adept who kills people every day. I''m such a kind person, though. I''m a righteous female expert from the Orthodox Faction, you know?" "...? You always im that, but¡­" Chik Balsung just blinked his eyes. The audience of the Underground Life and Death Arena tended to be more enthusiastic and cling to fighters who were more cruel and vicious. And Female Xiang Ji was the most popr fighter in the Underground Life and Death Arena. In Female Xiang Ji''s matches, the concept of gambling itself changed. After all, instead of who won, people bet on how many pieces the opponent would be cut into today. Female Xiang Ji was indeed in the Late Stage Peak Realm, so she was put in Peak Realm matches. But because she was on a winning streak with skills that were originally in a different league, betting on wins and losses wasn''t very interesting. So they made money in a different way by betting on how many pieces the opponent would be cut into or how many rounds they wouldst. However, asionally, like today, she would quietly send her opponent away without touching them, so they had suffered fromints from customers today as well. "At any rate, this kind of thing is troublesome. We''re trying to make a living here too, you know? So, from next time, we''ll put you in Transcendent Realm matches." "What? I''m in the Peak Realm, so why should I fight in Transcendent Realm matches? I''ll just quit instead." At this, Chik Balsung gently rubbed his palms together, as if pleading her. "Don''t be like that. We''ll match you with someone who just entered the Transcendent Realm, so give it a try. With your innate strength plus that massive weapon, you should be able to win easily against that level." "Hmm. Is that so?" Qing gently stroked the chin area of her mask. Her realm still hadn''t risen, and perhaps she needed to face someone Transcendent Realm or higher rather than weak opponents. Originally, the biggest problem when facing Transcendent Realm opponents was Sword Force, as it was impossible topete with just Sword Qi. But after blocking Gramps'' Force a few times, she found thatcking Enlightenment could be made up for with brute output of Inner Qi. Of course, the exchange rate was terrible. If using Force took 10 units of Inner Qi, it took 50 or 60 units of Inner Qi to just crudely push out Sword Qi. That was why the wall between Peak and Transcendent Realms had been considered so important since ancient times. Not only was the exchange rate terrible, but the amount of True Qi was also much greater in the Transcendent Realm. Unless one stupidly consumed Elixirs or had special circumstances like Qing, the level of Inner Qi at the Peak Realm was more or less the same for everyone. Moreover, Qing''s strength had now reached a state far beyond human limits. No matter how advanced a martial artist''s Inner Arts cultivation was, they couldn''t ignore such an overwhelming difference in weight. "Alright. I''ll fight someone who just entered the Transcendent Realm in the next match, then." "Good thinking. Here, take today''s prize money." Chik Balsung tossed over a pouch that looked quite heavy, even from just a nce. ----When Qing arrived in Sichuan, she had a n. First, she would stop by Chengdu to confirm that Ximen Hee was safe, then leave Choi Leeong behind for a while and visit the Emei Sect. However, despite being told that a message would be left at the fifthrgest brothel, there was no news even after searching every brothel in town. When Choi Leeong asked why, she exined, and he clicked his tongue, saying: ''ording to what you said, didn''t you leave the cult first and set out? And then you rushed from the Heavenly Demon Tomb to Sichuan, so no matter how fast they are, they could not possibly be in Chengdu already.'' That''s right. Qing had arrived first. However, that didn¡¯t mean she could just head to the Emei Sect because of this. Currently, Choi Leeong was in too weak a state. He was in the process of dispersing sixty years of Inner Arts and recing it with a new Mind Art and Cultivation Technique. So inevitably, and absolutely not because the Sichuan cuisine was particrly to her taste or becausezing around was too enjoyable, but really, inevitably, she had no choice but to stay in Chengdu. Even if just for Choi Leeong''s sake. But the cost of living in Chengdu was too high. Originally, prices in famous tourist destinations were high, especially for outsiders. It was even more so because overcharging outsiders was a verymon practice in the Central ins. It was natural for merchants, and even those being overcharged considered it perfectly normal. Even if Qing got angry about being overcharged, Choi Leeong would just give a nk response asking what the problem was. With no money and no way to earn it, she was wondering how to continue this idle life. That was when she found out about the Underground Life and Death Arena. It had already been a month and a half since then. When Qing returned, Choi Leeong clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Did you go to that vulgar ce to sell your sword again?" From Choi Leeong''s perspective, it was understandably distasteful for her to be swinging a sword in such a suspicious fighting arena. Qing frowned sharply. Who do you think I''m going through this trouble every night for? Of course, since most of the fighters were evil people, she gained Righteous Karma Points and Practice Points for fighting them. The joy of killing evil people and the cheers that responded to it made for the highest job satisfaction. But still, no matter how fun and beneficial, work was still work. "Didn''t they say there''s no high or low in professions?" "...? What nonsense is that? How could there be no distinction between noble and base professions?" "Ah. Right. That existed here. I got confused." This was primitive, uncivilized ancient China. It was a world where the nobility and baseness of professions were very clearly organized in tables. "Anyway, Gramps. Hurry, hurry. Didn''t I tell you to be ready in advance? I said we''d go right away when I got back." "We can go like this. But, is eating really that good?" "What? Do you hear yourself? They say it''s the Ultimate Mtang. Ultimate, you hear? How can you resist the Ultimate?" That''s right. It was the day Qing had made a reservation for. The dish you must eat when youe to Chengdu. The dish you must eat before you die. The dish that people say you should stop by Chengdu for even if you have to cross the Central ins for just one bowl. The Ultimate Mtang made by Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, was waiting!
    1. A 735-kilometer-long river in central Sichuan province, China. It is a tributary of the upper Yangtze River, which flows through Chengdu and joins at Yibin. Within China, it was traditionally taken as the main course of the upper Yangtze before extensive exploration of its sources.2. Mount Qingcheng is a sacred Taoist mountain in Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It is considered one of the birthces of Taoism and one of the most important Taoist religious sites in China. In Taoist mythology, it was the site of the Yellow Emperor''s studies with Ning Fengzi.3. An ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan, China. Originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today. The system''s infrastructure develops on the Min River (Minjiang), the longest tributary of the Yangtze.4. Wuhou Shrine was built in 223 A.D. during the construction of Liu Bei¡¯s mausoleum. It is the only temple in China where the monarch is buried together with his minister and the most famous memorial of Zhu Geliang and Liu Bei. For its unparalleled inf luence as a Three Kingdom relics museum, Wuhou Shrine is known as the holynd of the Three Kingdoms period and has been included in the first batch of major historical and cultural sites protected at national level and national first-ss museums.5. Wenshu Monastery is a Buddhist temple located in Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.6. Xiang Ji ( c. 232¨C c. January 202 BC), courtesy name Yu, was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu during the Chu¨CHan Contention period (206¨C202 BC) of China. A noble of the state of Chu, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dynasty, destroying theirst remnants and bing a powerful warlord.
Chapter 107: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (2) The term "prehistoric era"monly used didn¡¯t just refer to ancient times. It meant, quite literally, the era before (ÏÈ) history (Ê·). In other words, it referred to the time before humans invented writing. It signified the unknown dawn of humanity, a time without records. However, surprisingly, there was a single record left from before the prehistoric era. The estimated date of this record was over 10,000 years ago. The academic consensus was that it was a record left by an advanced pre-human civilization. This was the Hwandan Gogi1, which recorded the history of the Hwanguk, the first utopia and empire built by pre-humans. The truth of this Hwandan Gogi was even written in the Soo Bahk Do. Of course, there were many people who misunderstood and failed toprehend the reality of this majestic Hwanguk2. They were a race that had transcended the Three Thousand Worlds spoken of in Buddhism and surpassed the Nine Heavens of Daoism to reach the Heaven of Heavens. If intelligence were to be expressed in numbers, ordinary people with an IQ below 1500 naturally couldn''t understand it. Only geniuses with an IQ of 1501 or higher could understand that Hwanguk was omnipotent and the ancestor of all current humans on the six continents. The only intellect that could dare to oppose these geniuses would be another faction of geniuses who have realized the truth that the world is t and set out to enlighten others. As an aside, since extremes eventually meet, it might be impossible to distinguish between geniuses and imbeciles or retards. ording to the Hwandan Gogi, mtang was a traditional food of the Korean people and had been loved throughout its long history since it first appeared under the Divine Birch Tree. This mtang spread to the Central ins and formed a primitive form of food called maocai3. (No, it didn''t.) Maocai is a traditional Sichuan dish. They would carry around a hot pot and a basket full of various toppings separately, and when a customer ordered, they wouldbine them in a bowl. It was also the most beloved food for customers who sought rich ingredients with many varieties, even if the individual portions were small. And from maocai, mtang developed again, which honestly spoke to the principle of worldly cirction where mtang bes maocai and maocai bes mtang again. And right there was the most excellent Ultimate Mtang in the current world. Culinary King Azure Dragon. The Greatest Chef Under Heaven Is Within. There were two signboards hanging on the restaurant. Along with an unusual name for a restaurant, there was even an additional signboard boldly attached below it. "But ''Greatest Chef Under Heaven''? Gramps, do you know who decides these things? Is he just someone with great self-confidence? Or do chefs gather and determine rankings or something?" "I do not know either. I have not heard of such a custom in the Central ins." Choi Leeong was equally curious. That''s when it happened. Someone naturally answered that question. "That''s the title given to thest winner of the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." "Oh. The Culinary Competition for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." Qing eximed in admiration, then tilted her head. "Strange. My heart races just hearing the name, but why haven''t I heard of it before?" "Well, it''s a cookingpetition to select Sichuan''s best chef, so how would an outsider know about it?" "Ah. But why is it called ''for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven''? Shouldn''t it be the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Sichuan Chef?" "Well, since Sichuan cuisine is the best under the heavens, the best chef in Sichuan naturally bes the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." "We''d have to hear opinions from other provinces to know that. But who''s our smart friend here?" Qing didn''t have a habit of describing men, and rather disliked it, so the details weren''t important. He was just the epitome of a sickly young master - pale-faced, weak and frail, yet with an air of nobility. "Me? I am um... Zhang Liu, Zhang Yu would be good. My name is Ziyou. And the youngdy?" Zhang Liu looked at the long willow branch behind Qing as he spoke. The very definition of a ¡®long willow branch¡¯ was zhang liu. Basically, he wasn''t even trying to hide that it was an alias. "So, is it Zhang You or Ziyou? Pick one." "Let''s go with Ziyou. I''m not close with the Zhang family." "Alright. Ziyou. I''m Qing. Ximen Qing." Then Ziyou replied with a grin. "Good. Young Lady Ximen, is it? But why are you speaking informally?" "Because you did it first? What, does it bother you?" Qing asked while cing her hand on her sword hilt. The implication was that if it bothered him, they shouldn''t use words but swords. Seeing this, Ziyou''s smile grew even wider as he continued. "To be honest, yes. But. Your words have a point, so I will not nitpick." "Right. Ziyou. I have a habit of not making friends with suspicious people, you know? Thanks for the exnation, but shouldn''t we each go our own way now?" "Don''t be so cold. It seems you''re also going to eat Azure Dragon''s Ultimate Mtang. Since it''se to this, why don''t we share a table?" "Me? Why?" "I''ve ordered five liters of Wuliangye liquor, but it seems a bit much to handle alone. Perhaps you''d like to help?" Wuliangye was a famous Sichuan liquor, even appearing in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Meng Huo''s younger brother, Meng You, surrendered to Zhuge Liang with a strategy simr to the mythical Trojan Horse, but Liang, knowing this in advance, served him Wuliangye. The liquor was so delicious that Meng You forgot all about his strategy and just kept drinking Wuliangye until he passed out, thus failing spectacrly. You see, Qing loved alcohol. Having researched Sichuan''s famous liquors, even Qing, who hadn''t properly read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms even once, let alone three times, knew about this. "Could it be from Yibin? It¡¯s from Yibin, right?" Qing''s eyes shone through her veil. She had to wear the veil because old man Choi Leeong would nag endlessly otherwise. "Of course. One cannot pair inferior alcohol with the dishes of the Greatest Chef Under Heaven." Wuliangye of Yibin referred to the most precious among these liquors. There was even a saying among drinkers that Yibin was worth risking one''s life to drink. Qing had tried it before, but it was a rare item that couldn''t be essed even with gold sycees. Qing quickly nodded. "Come to think of it, true friendship isn''t shaken by a little suspicion. Friend." "Friend... Good. Very good." Ziyou smiled brightly. Seeing this, Qing understood. This guy? He has no friends. Then I can safely extort a hefty friendship fee from him. "But who is this elderly gentleman with you?" "Ah. Gramps? Gramps is, well. He''s the old man who takes care of me." When it came to exining Choi Leeong, that was all she could really say. After all, she couldn''t introduce him as a former Great Guardian and Great Demonic Adept from the Demonic Cult. "I am called Choi." "I''m pleased to meet you too, Old Man Choi. May I call you Old Man?" "...Do as you wish." Choi Leeong, who had been observing Ziyou, answered thus. Clothes made of the finest silk, a pale face. Add to that the asional casual condescension that seemed so natural, and anyone could see he was a young master from an extremely powerful family. That''s three points right there. With palms free of calluses and a sr plexus like that of ordinary people, he clearly hadn''t learned martial arts. So three more points. Minus five points for being frivolous enough to casually speak to a woman. Two points for being unpretentious and not caring about titles. Three points for likely not being an outgoing personality since he had no friends. A total of six points meant he was worth keeping an eye on for now. Choi Leeong''s minimum required score started from 100 points. As they were chattering like this and about to enter Azure Dragon''s... There was a group of people ring at them with tilted postures opposite the entrance. Since they didn''t look like they had good intentions at first nce, Qing couldn''t contain her curiosity. "By the way, who are those people over there?" "Ah. You mean the canceled ones?" "Canceled ones?" "People whose reservations were canceled." Sometimes when circumstances arose where customers couldn¡¯t be received, the day''s reservations inevitably had to be canceled. The problem was the aftermath. Reservations were backed up for a month and a half, so customers either stayed after making a reservation to eat the Ultimate Mtang, or they made a reservation through a proxy and visited at the appointed time. Naturally, they were upset when it was suddenly canceled, and doubly so when they were just given back their deposit and left hanging. "They just return the deposit and that''s it?" "What else can they do? Should they give them a new reservation a month and a halfter, or push back the next day''s customers to fill the spots? That''s not possible either." "That''s true." Qing nodded. After all, when it came to restaurants, good food was king. Customers were essentially paying money to get a mere taste, so the more sessful a ce was, the more they tended to close twice a week and take all public holidays off. They weren¡¯t that desperate, after all. "So what are they doing over there?" "Probably trying to protest or something." "Those people really have nothing better to do." Qing let out a hissing sound. Sure, you''d feel bad if your reservation was canceled, but if they''re not going to respond anyway, is there any need to gather like that and just re angrily? Aren''t they just wasting their time and spoiling their mood? That''s why she said they had nothing better to do. ...Or at least, there was a time when she thought like that. "Excuse me, Customer, tonight''s reservations have been canceled because an esteemed guest has rented out the entire ce." "What?" "We shall return your deposit doubled." Qing received the pouch in a daze. The reservation fee wasn''t insignificant, but it wasn''t arge amount either, so even doubled, it didn''t feel like a windfall. "My... My Ultimate Mtang..." While Qing was dumbfounded, Ziyou stepped forward. "Look here, there should be a reservation under the name Xin Hui. Has that been canceled too?" "What? Didn''t you hear me? I said an esteemed guest has rented out the entire ce." "Just how esteemed is this guest?" "It is none other than the Speaking Flower of the Tang n. She herself has personallye. Satisfied?" Ziyou''s expression hardened. Meanwhile, Qing''s insides were boiling. Okay fine. Sure. Cancetions can happen. Since they said it''s an esteemed guest. After all, how many times had she experienced this uncivilized culture of primitive, barbaric China where even guests were received ording to their rank? But rudeness was a separate matter. How could she just watch as this server, instead of bowing apologetically, stiffly told them to just take this and get lost? Right when Qing was about to explode¡­ "Hey you mo-" "Do not do that, friend. In Sichuan, it is truly not worth it, especially when ites to getting involved with the Tang n¡¯s affairs." "Tang n?" "The Sichuan Tang n of the Five Noble ns of the Central ins." "Ah. I''ve heard of them." She had heard a word or two from Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae. Peng Daesan had described them as persistent and petty bastards, while her Sword Brother said they were the richest family in Sichuan, famous for their poisons. Peng Guy was a simple man, so his likes and dislikes were clearly visible on his face. Seeing his disgusted expression, Qing thought he must have been in hot waters with the Tang n. That was what Qing thought, who believed her talent in mind reading was unparalleled among the world, at least when it came to expressions. Anyway, Ziyou''s expression as he tried to stop her was so gloomy it looked like something you''d see at a funeral. Thanks to this, Qing, having missed her chance to get angry, had no choice but to huff and puff as she walked out of the restaurant. And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she started walking towards the protest site of the canceled customers. "Look here, Friend, where are you going?" "I''m going to see just how precious this face is that they can cancel other people''s reservations as they please. Why?" "Didn''t you hear them say the Speaking Flower?" "I know that much, you know? A flower that understands words? Must be a really pretty woman, huh? Then I should at least see her face once." At this, Ziyou asked as if he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "You are wearing a sword at your waist and you don''t know the Speaking Flower? The Speaking Poison Flower, one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins? Friend, are you sure you are a person of Murim?"
    1. Hwandan Gogi, also called Handan Gogi, is a pseudohistoricalption of texts on ancient Korean history. It is a bound volume of four supposedly historical records. ording to its introduction, the text waspiled in 1911 by Gye Yeon-su and supervised by Yi Gi.2. Basically, this whole part is hyping up a mythological empire known as Hwanguk which is said to be the predecessor of Korea.3. Maocai is a stew-like dish originating from the Chinese city of Chengdu, in Sichuan. It isposed of a variety of vegetables as well as meat and/or fish in a stock made of m sauce. Although it is simr to styles of hot potmon in this region, its chief difference lies in the fact that the ingredients are already cooked when served, and hence no simmering is done at the table.
Chapter 108: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (3) The Five Flowers of the Central ins. It quite literally meant that there were Five Flowers in the Central ins. In other words, it meant no further exnation was needed. Then suddenly, a thought urred. "Ah. This isn''t actually something like the Five Great Beauties of Sichuan, is it?" "What are you talking about?" "Well, didn''t you say earlier that the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Chef Under Heaven was actually the Culinary Competition for the Greatest Sichuan Chef?" "That''s certainly true for cooking, but not so much for Sichuan women. It is indeed the Five Great Beauties of the Central ins." "Oooh." If that was the case, Qing, as obviously a man among men, couldn''t miss out. After all, it was at least true that her eyes were pleased whenever she went around with Peng Guy. "But if it''s Speaking Flower, why is it Speaking Poison Flower? Is it because she uses poison?" "No. It''s because her personality is nasty." "Ah." Well, if she was the type to casually push aside other people''s reservations, her personality must be more than just a little nasty. If she wanted to eat something delicious, she should have juste with two or three people and pushed out other customers besides herself to eat. They said she was from the richest family in Sichuan, so are they having a restaurant tour as apany dinner? And with enough people to rent out the entire ce? What the hell? Now that I think about it, it''s infuriating. Qing shouted in front of the canceled customers. "How can there be such an outrageous thing in this world! The country has itsws, Murim has its rules, so surely businesses must have clear business ethics!" "The youngdy is right!" "Indeed, isn''t business also part of Daoism?" The canceled customers responded enthusiastically. Qing shouted again. "Are dishes more important than people! Restaurants make a living by serving customers, so we customers are the foundation of the restaurant and the most important among the ranks! Those fuckers who don''t understand this and arrogantly cancel reservations as they please should just go bankrupt!" "That''s right! They should go bankrupt!" "There''s a limit to treating customers like dogs!" "Everyone! This is not just about whether we can enjoy a single meal or not! If they continue to make money and thrive with such bullshit behavior, eventually all restaurants will treat customers like dogs! We must make such dog-like restaurants go bankrupt to show that justice is still alive in the Central ins!" "Oh, oh! Right! That''s correct!" Qing passionately orated, asserting customers'' rights with a fiery heart. Previously, the canceled customers had gathered to vent their anger,forting each other and wasting time in the process. But now, enlightened by Qing''s eloquence, they embraced the great ideology of customer-centrism and were reborn as fighters struggling for their rights at this moment. And so a young fighter asked: -But Madam. That arrogant shop is so famous that its reservations are already booked for a month and a half. Will our condemnation really affect their prosperity? To which the madam replied: -That is why we must treat those who crawl on their knees to beg for food from a shop that treats us like pigs and dogs with the excuse of being delicious as idiots. They are no different from petty pigs and dogs who sell their dignity for mere food, and they harm the public justice of the world, so their hearts are also extremely wicked. Therefore, if we all despise and curse those who say they have eaten Azure Dragon''s food and shame them, won''t they then know shame and stop going? At this, the fighters finally pped their knees and eximed in admiration, inwardly taking note and deeply engraving it in their hearts. Qing''s utterly wicked words were a new shock to the simple people of the Central ins. It was an atrocity that might even earn her a ce as the Progenitor of Mindless Power Tripping in the future. If that happened, her honorary title following Confucius, Mencius, Zhuangzi1, and Han Feizi2 might be something like Consumius or Consumzi. As a proud consumer, of course. Anyway, as Qing was watching the canceled customers burn with their new mission with satisfaction... "I didn''t know my friend had a talent for sophistry and incitement." "Hey now. What do you mean sophistry and incitement?¡± Qing continued. "Actually, you''re right. Anyway, if they go bankrupt because of this, or even if their sales just plummet, I''ll feel better. So isn''t that good enough?" "Now that I see, you are quite a malicious woman too, Friend. As Confucius said..." "Hey now, Friend. Your way of speaking is bing more and more like that of a noble person. Can you go back to how you were before?" "Ah. I didn''t realize. You''re right. I''ll keep that in mind." Meanwhile, as the canceled customers were uniting and making a pact, they were just about to resolve to pour great jeers at the mysterious VIP customer who caused today''s disaster as their first step. That was when a huge carriage appeared in the distance. On its luxurious ck walls,rge gold-leafed characters were boldly emzoned. Tang. The momentum of the canceled customers who were about to pour jeers suddenly faltered, and they started to surreptitiously look around, distancing themselves one or two at a time and pretending not to be involved. Thanks to this, the passionate discussion about customers'' rights also abruptly ceased and disappeared. "What''s with these people? They were so fired up earlier. Why are they suddenly..." "Who in Sichuan would dare to curse the Tang n?" Qing''s voice turned fierce. "Well, well. Look at this shit. It¡¯s like an emperor has arrived. Anyone who sees this might think a king is making a royal procession." "...That''s right." Ziyou agreed with a somewhat gloomy expression. The carriage looked big even from afar, but it got even bigger as it came closer. It was a carriage pulled by eight white horses, so naturally its majesty was extraordinary. "That carriage looks really nice." "Of course it does. It must be the top-of-the-line limited edition carriage from the One Thousand Trading Associations. They won''t even take orders unless you have considerable power. That''s the Eight-Headed Power Carriage, of which there are only three in the Central ins. Its exterior is made of ebony dyed by a master craftsman, fitted together without wedges, and also..." Suddenly, Ziyou''s words burst forth like a waterfall. Ah, this guy was a carriage enthusiast. Anyway, the gist was that this carriage was amazing, so Qing listened with one ear and let it out the other. It seemed that whether in the Central ins or modern times, the behavior of people who couldn''t control themselves when their favorite topic came up was the same. In the meantime, Choi Leeong whispered quietly. "Ahem. Child. Do you perhaps want that?" "Huh? Gramps. We don''t have money, you know?" "We may not have money, but there are ways to acquire a carriage if we want to..." "Nahhh. Forget it. Who wants to go around pulling eight horses? And how would we maintain it? It''s enough to just rent one when needed." "Well, that is true, but..." Choi Leeong looked disappointed. The One Thousand Trading Associations was one of the front businesses of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The ride quality of the prisoner transport carriage that Qing had ridden in was the culmination of that technology. Qing had absolutely no interest in carriages. Instead, she was interested in something else. "So, you''re saying one of the five prettiest women in Murim is riding in that?" "On the surface, that is certainly true." Qing raised her expectations at those words. After all, wasn''t he saying that despite his obvious aversion to the Sichuan Tang n, he still acknowledged her beauty? Finally, the carriage rolled up and stopped, and one of the coachmen leaped down with an impressive movement technique. What the? Are they using Peak Realm Masters as coachmen? Qing snorted. No, wait what? Why would a Master around the Peak Realm be working as a coachman? Do they not have any pride? Or do they pay that much monthly sry? Do they give one gold sycee per hour or something? As Qing was thinking this... The coachman opened the door with a respectful attitude. And finally, the Speaking Poison Flower, one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins and the Greatest Beauty of Sichuan, revealed herself. The Great Beauty of Sichuan''s foot first touched the ground. The long skirt with slits on the sides was a popr outfit among Murim women. It was also unavoidable because skirts without slits were inconvenient for movement. As she extended one foot first, the Great Beauty of Sichuan''s robust leg was revealed through the slit. Huh? Wot? Robust? It was a very robust leg indeed. The thigh was thicker than Qing''s waist, and the muscles asserted their presence by type, with clear texture and distinct boundaries. A giant woman, as giant as the huge carriage, revealed herself. She was about eight chi tall, but her presence was even more imposing than her height. Even her forearms, not revealed by the sleeves, seemed to be of considerable thickness judging by their lines. She was a beauty with a cheerful expression on a head atop broad shoulders. She was certainly beautiful, but... Wait, where have I seen her before? Why does she feel familiar? If I had seen such a giant woman before, there''s no way I could have forgotten... At any rate, she was pretty enough to pass by with a passing thought of "She''s pretty", but not to the extent of turning around to look or stealing nces. Instead, anyone would rub their eyes and turn to look just because of that powerful physique. Ah. Qing realized her misunderstanding. "So the Five Flowers of the Central ins are ranked by strength?" "Hm? What do you mean?" "Right, right. After all, martial artists should fight to im their positions." Qing looked at the Great Beauty of Sichuan''s giant fist. It was a fist that looked like it could take down a bear with one hit. Since it was the Five Flowers of the Central ins, it must be a position that female martial artists fight to im. Then Ziyou spoke as if he found her pitiful. "Isn''t it obvious that she is Female Xiang Ji, Peng Chaolei? I heard rumors that Female Xiang Ji had appeared in the Underground Life and Death Arena recently, but I didn''t know it was true." "Uh... Female Xiang Ji was a real person?" Qing, who had unintentionally be an impostor by using someone else''s alias, looked around nervously. For people of Murim, impersonation was a serious crime tantamount to dering someone your mortal enemy. "It''s my first time seeing her in person too, but indeed, she''s a woman worthy of that alias." And then he muttered with a worried tone. "But for a daughter of the Peng n toe out in a Tang n carriage, if there are marriage talks, it would be extremely troublesome..." Qing only caught parts of what he said. "Huh? Peng n? It¡¯s that Peng n?" "Indeed. That very Hebei..." "Your speech." "Right. Yes, it¡¯s that Peng n of Hebei. She''s the eldest daughter of the Peng n." Female Xiang Ji, Peng Chaolei. The name Chaolei used the characters for ¡®crow-tit¡¯ and ''beautiful'', given because the baby girl born after eight months was particrly small and petite, like a crow-tit. However, no one could have imagined that she would grow so enormously tall afterward. "Ah! No wonder. She looks exactly like Daesan." She was the female version of Peng Daesan, the Most Handsome Man Under Heaven. Perhaps that''s why, while she was beautiful, she was the type of beauty that would be described as handsome among women. Qing sighed in relief. She had unintentionally be an impostor. But since it was a friend''s big sister, wasn''t that fortunate? She thought that if she confessed honestly, apologized, and exined the situation well, they might let it slide. That''s when it happened. There was a woman who btedly revealed herself, circling around the huge carriage. She had gotten off on the opposite side. And then she affectionately clung to Peng Chaolei''s arm and spoke in a coquettish voice. "Unni, you shouldn''t look down on it just because it''s mtang. I''m sure you''lle back with your family members again." "I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not talking about the whole family. You mean just one certain individual, right?" "Hehehe... But, Unni, you really will be surprised when you taste it." Qing was surprised too. Woah! Holy shit! She''s really pretty! Nah, that¡¯s crazy work! Is that even human!? How the fuck is that even human? Is this the caliber of the Five Flowers of the Central ins? Okay, then. Yes. I do hereby acknowledge thebel, Five Flowers of the Central ins.
    1. Zhuang Zhou,monly known as Zhuangzi, was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought.2. Han Fei, also known as Han Feizi, was a Chinese Legalist philosopher and statesman during the Warring States period. He was a prince of the state of Han.
Chapter 109: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (4) The nature of people is to inherently praise and exalt what is beautiful, bing endlessly generous in the process. Look at the incident from the past when Yang Guifei1, indulging in ying the viin, wreaked havoc with all sorts of misdeeds, properly ruining the country and even causing a rebellion. At that time, An Lushan2, the rebel leader, couldn''t bring himself to behead the Emperor and advised him to get rid of that fishy woman. (Yang Guifei was also famous for having the worst body odor under the heavens.) The emperor, unable to smell due to sinusitis, shouted that if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, she could ruin the country a bit. That obviously made sense, right? So why kill the spirit of our beautiful Yang Guifei? The phrase "a beauty that can topple a nation" meant that if she was beautiful, one could forgive her even for shaking the country. Therefore, being generous to beauties could be said to be a characteristic of men. By the way, if a male friend stubbornly denies this, one should be very careful of their backside. And Qing was also an inevitable manly man. "Hmm. Now that I think about it, I guess it¡¯s possible they have some kind ofpany dinner with a guest?" Qing, who roughly equated the Five Noble ns to chaebol families, thought that if it was a gathering between chaebol families, they could do it at a famous restaurant. At that, Ziyou quietly asked a question. "Don''t women usually get jealous when they see a woman more beautiful than themselves?" "Hey now. Isn''t that too much of a stereotypical prejudice? Besides, why are you specifically asking me while looking specifically at me? How would I know that?" "...?" Ziyou was at a loss for words. After all, if you want to ask about women''s affairs, shouldn''t you ask women? If you ask men, won''t you both just end up spreading your wings of imagination? Then, suddenly. "I misspoke. I shall sincerely apologize, so please do not take it to heart too much." He was apologizing with a polite attitude. In fact, the mystical veiled beauty in the Central ins is a fantasy that only exists in stories. This was because a woman''s beauty was considered a virtue to be boasted about to the world, so they didn¡¯t particrly hide it. A woman who hid her face naturally had a reason to do so. If she was called a veiled woman, it meant her facial features were so extraordinary that ordinary people couldn¡¯t handle it, so it was out of consideration that she hid it. This was the Central ins'' conclusion about veiled women. In other words, it was an apology saying, "Sorry for pointing out that you''re ugly." "Your speech." "That was intentional. It means my apology is that sincere." "Oh really? Then, since you¡¯re so sorry, want to treat me to dinner? There must be other delicious things besides mtang, right?" "Sounds good. Actually, even if they say mtang is the Ultimate, it''s just mtang, isn''t it? Itcks foundation." Mtang originated from maocai, a meal for the lowest ss ofmoners. About half of the Sichuan people didn¡¯t acknowledge mtang as cuisine, saying it was just a meal, not a dish. Of course, the Ultimate Mtang was an exception. Still, everyonemented that if the Greatest Chef Under Heaven made other dishes, they would be much more delicious, but he was just fiddling with mere mtang. "Today, my friend, you will thoroughly understand why Sichuan cuisine is synonymous with the greatest under heaven." "Alright. Good, good. Today is a day to eat until my stomach bursts. By the way, I eat a lot, you know? If you think you can''t handle it, feel free to dere defeat and stop the meal at any time. You might need to show some teary-eyed pleading, though." "There''s no need to worry about me." Qing grinned and then asked. "By the way, do guests usually enter first? Is this Sichuan-style hospitality?" "How could that be? The more esteemed the guest, the more carefully they should be prepared for and escorted in with the whole family." "Then is Female Xiang Ji not a very esteemed guest?" "That can''t be the case." "Then, why?" Qing pointed at the Azure Dragon restaurant. After the two women slipped in, the coachmen and other hangers-on stood guard in front of the restaurant. Therge ''Tang'' characters emzoned across their martial uniforms looked quite tacky. "I thought when they said they rented out the whole ce, the whole family would be having a nice meal out together." "My friend, you have an overtly naive side, don''t you? Obviously, they rented it out because they wanted to dine alone." "What?" Qing stopped in her tracks. They kicked out all those customers just so the two of them could eat alone? What kind of world-ss fuckery, what kind of ill-mannered rude bullshit is this? Then she took a moment to assess the situation. That''s right. Qing always assessed the situation. She wasn''t a reckless fighter, and while she asionally showed symptoms of anger management issues... that was unavoidable due to her mind being messed up by the Heavenly ughtering Star and Demonic Arts. Even in Luoyang, when dealing with the ck Whatever Sect(?), didn''t she admit defeat like a man and retreat? Qing was basically a cowardly type who followed the principle of "strong against the weak, weak against the strong," and a timid scaredy-cat who never charged in first unless she was certain. And so, she quickly came to a conclusion. Qing turned around and headed towards the restaurant entrance. "Friend, where are you... No wait, what strength is..." Ziyou couldn''t quite grab her hand and only managed to catch her sleeve, but ended up being dragged along. This was because Qing''s pure strength had already surpassed that of Xiang Yu in his prime, and Ziyou was originally the weakest among men without any martial arts. "Halt. What business do you have?" Qing looked at the Tang n warrior blocking her way. The martial uniform looked expensive, but therge green ''Tang'' character emzoned in a circle from chest to belly was incredibly tacky. Since they put one character on the front and back, does that make it ''Tang Tang''? Even the jackets of prestigious universities don''t have such tantlyrge emblems. Qing took a deep breath. And then she screamed, almost like a shriek. "ISN¡¯T THIS! SERIOUSLY! GOING! TOO FARRRRRRR!!!" It was already a ce crowded with onlookers. The canceled customers pretended to disperse but only changed the density of their crowd, still hoping to see the Speaking Poison Flower''s face. Add to that the group that had flocked to see the Speaking Poison Flower following the carriage, and while it might not have reached the level of the Jade Qilin, it was at least a third of that. It was a shrill, high-pitched scream unique to women. People who were about to go back to their business after seeing the Speaking Poison Flower, thinking "Wow! Her beauty is really out of this world," turned their heads to look at Qing and naturally rewound time back to their original positions. "Does being from the Tang n mean you can just cancel other people''s reservations? I waited forty-five days for this moment, and just because one youngdy has arrived, we''re told to get lost? Should we just sink into the ground? Why don''t you just tell us to dig our graves and get in?" "You wench, how dare y-" "How dare I!? How dare I!? Yeah, okay! Is that how you want to y?! So you mean that you, the great Sichuan Tang n people, are so noble that lowly worms like us shouldn''t dare!! Dare!!! To talk back no matter what happens to us, right? Oh my, oh my! Look here, neighbors! Look at what they''re saying here!!! Look everyone! The oh so noble Tang n royalty has arrived!!!" Qing screamed at the top of her lungs for everyone to hear. "L-Lower your voice." "My Gramp¡¯s dying wish was to taste that one bowl of mtang he barely managed to eat once when times were really tough, saving penny by penny. I finally got a reservation and brought him here, but..." Choi Leeong¡¯s expression changed into one of subtle difort. Choi Leeong, who had walked the path of a Prestigious Demonic Path in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, had never lived in poverty even once in his life. "Gramps!! I''m sorry!! I''m sorry for being a worthless worm with no backing and no skills!! What can I do when the Tang n¡¯s youngdy is tired of good food and needs to experiencemoner food!!" The onlookers, who were initially just curious, gradually began to murmur with an ominous tone. Among people living in Sichuan, especially those living in Chengdu, who hadn¡¯t experienced the tyranny of the Tang n at least once? Even nameless warriors from branch families, not direct descendants, acted like high-ranking officials just by wearing clothes with the Tang character. "Ah! What sphemy have I! O¡¯ noble warrior! This madwoman dared to defy the Great Tang n, the Greatest Under Heaven, the imperial lords! In Sichuan, the Tang n is practically the imperial family and thew, they say! You must not doubt my loyalty! Long live the Tang n! Long live! No wait, since there¡¯s a heaven above heaven, then the Tang n is undoubtedly above the emperor! Long fuc-, I mean, long live the Tang n! For ten thousand years! No, eighteen thousand years!! Motherfu-, I mean, eighteen thousand years3!!!" The Tang n warrior''s face turned pale. In reality, the influence of the Sichuan Tang n in Chengdu had long surpassed that of the royal family. Even though, hypothetically, the royal prefecture of a Grand Prince was on the outskirts of Chengdu and owned most of thend in Chengdu, they were in a situation where they couldn''t exert power due to the Tang n. Moreover, a Grand Prince was a title given to the legitimate line of the imperial family, even among the many princes. Roughly speaking, it was given to the emperor''s sons and brothers, even disregardingplicated circumstances. In fact, it was almost an open secret that the Tang n privately said among themselves, "Even the Grand Prince is no match for us," looking down on and belittling him. "No! What are mere numbers! How can the greatness of the Tang n be expressed in numbers! Please ept this humble one''s loyalty! A generation of Tang! A generation of Tang! A generation of Tang Tang!" However, an open secret also meant an unwritten rule that it shouldn''t be said openly. In fact, among the onlookers, there were also those with particrly tacky attire with single characters like Byeong, Yong, Jol, A, Yeok, Po, Noe, Se, Go, Yeom, Joong emzoned on them, indicating they were government officials receiving sries from the authorities. This was the moment when the story they would talk about tonight was being decided. "That, uh, please, just shut u-" "Ah! Shut up, you say!! Are you saying that this lowly being, not even as bright as a firefly under the sun that is the great Sichuan Tang n, stillcks volume in her voice!!! LONG LIVE THE TANG CLAN!!!!! FOR EIGHTEEN THOUSAND YEARS!!!! LONG LIVE THE TANG CLAN!!! KYAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Qing''s breathing was already trained by the Bokshinjeok, making it superior even among Masters. Her voice was so loud that, with a bit of exaggeration, it seemed like buildings were shaking and the earth was vibrating along with it. "No, just-" Feeling that this couldn''t go on, the Tang n warrior reached out towards Qing. He thought he should at least pull her away, as she was clearly causing a scene intentionally and couldn''t be left alone like this. It wasn''t a wrong judgment. The problem was that this was the moment Qing had been waiting for and aiming at. "KYAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Qing flew as if hit by an iron cavalry (cataphract). Moreover, she bounced twice on the ground, rolled over, and sprawled out, looking to anyone like she had taken a hit from a Master, peerless under the heavens. Qing curled up and trembled like a seriously ill patient. While rolling, she secretly flicked a small stone, which hit Choi Leeong, who immediately caught on and rushed to Qing. "Oh my! Child! Come to your senses! How can there be such aw in this world!! This fragile child who''s barely twenty!! What mortal sin has shemitted by raising her voice a bit!! Is there such aw under heaven!! How can this be the behavior of a prestigious orthodox sect!!" While Choi Leeong''s Inner Arts was barely First-Rate, his Enlightenment had already entered the Unrestrained Realm. At the Unrestrained Realm, one could freely handle the subtleties of the lion''s roar,monly known as ''YOU DARE!!!'', so the old man''s sorrowful voice resonated loudly. A fragile child of twenty. Fathers with children were greatly moved, and whispers spread among the crowd such as: Isn''t this too much even for the Tang n? It seems they''ve been working behind the scenes sneakily, and now they''re nning to openly act tyrannically. We should warn our children sternly, and so on. Watching this scene, Ziyou shook his head. Rather than drawing a sword and charging in, was she seriously trying to gather people and tantly throw away all concepts of pride and conscience in the gutter? There had never been such a vicious person in the world.
    1. Yang Yuhuan, often known as Yang Guifei, and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen, was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during hister years. She is known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China.2. An Lushan was a Chinese military general and rebel leader during the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion which devastated China and killed millions of people. An Lushan was of Sogdian and G?kt¨¹rk origin, at least by adoption.3. ??? can be tranted literally to "Long live for ten thousand years". But when saying out loud or using ng, it could also sound like "Long fucking live". The same is the case for ????, which is tranted here as "eighteen thousand years". ?? which means "eighteen" is also a ng/double entendre for "shibal" which means "fuck".
Chapter 110: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (5) The situation had reached a level that the individual Tang n warrior could no longer handle. Naturally, someone higher up had to rush out. Qing saw a man who hurriedly appeared, using a footwork that almost seemed like rolling on the ground. In fact, Qing had already had her fun. Despite everything, the martial artists of the Sichuan Tang n weren''t evil people. They had acted arrogantly and tyrannically, thus suffering great humiliation, so wouldn''t they at least pretend to restrain themselves from now on? Even in Qing''s homnd, when power abuse became widely known, they would at least pretend to be self-reflective for a while. So if they added a polite apology at this point, she was willing to forgive them magnanimously like a great person. However, the Tang n had already been standing tall as the kings of Sichuan since the time of the Celestial Martial Emperor. When one''s nose is pointed towards the sky, no matter how much they lower their eyes, they can''t see the ground. The man threw something swiftly. Thud. Something heavy fell in front of Qing. It was a whole ingot of gold. "Enough with themotion. That should be sufficientpensation for your grievance." Qing''s eyes took in the ever so yellow gold ingot. She had already caused all the embarrassment she could, so wouldn''t this be getting practical benefits on top of that? Qing, still lying down, slowly reached out and picked up the gold ingot. Gold was inherently a heavy metal. As the weight settled in her arms, Qing''s anger also melted away. Indeed, one ingot of pure gold conveyed true sincerity better than a hundred apologies. So themotion should have ended here. If only the man hadn''t opened his mouth. "Just look at that! In the end, it was all a ploy to extort some money. The Tang n has bestowed gold despite suffering this humiliation, so who is truly the wronged party in this affair?" It was the man''s strategy to win over public opinion. He had turned Qing from an unfairly wronged victim into a shameless scammer who tried to extort gold by creating a false pretext. Naturally, Qing felt wronged. While the self-harm and extortion were true, she hadn''t thought about the gold. But in a world where even cousins feel jealous when their rtives buynd, the onlookers'' gazes immediately turned cold when they saw her take a whole ingot of gold just for causing a bit ofmotion. "Consider yourself lucky. It''s only because an esteemed guest is present that we''re trying to avoid bloodshed. If not for that, you would have melted into a handful of poisonous water. When you go back, offer thanks to your ancestors." He didn''t forget to add a warning either. There was no guarantee that a second or third Qing wouldn''t appear if they showed weakness. The man''s handling of the situation was quite clean and excellent in its own way. He had turned the victim into a scammer, shown generosity by bestowing just one ingot of gold, and prevented recurrence through a warning. The only problem was that it was now that being''s turn to step up again. As the ''even greater'' Sun Tzu had said again, again, and again, "If you do not know the enemy, even the wisest n bes an act of retardation¡±. Fucking hell, these cunts. I was going to let it go nicely, but they''re seriously going to cross the line like this? Qing poked Choi Leeong''s side repeatedly. Then a voice full of anger stopped the man who was turning around. "Melt into a handful of poisonous water, you say? Very well. Let''s see you try it. A member of one of the Five Noble ns, a prestigious orthodox sect, acting so shamelessly in the witness of all under heaven. Is this the way of the Tang n?" The man stopped in his tracks. "Look here, old man. Your bravado is admirable, but you should know your ce and situation. How dare you, in the middle of Chengdu..." "Even a mere low-ranking member is so arrogant. I can imagine what the rest of the Tang bastards are like without even seeing them." At this point, it was clearly an invitation to fight. The man understood this implication as well. "I tried to be nice, but it seems that won''t work. You fools who only understand when you see blood..." The man couldn''t finish his sentence. This was because Choi Leeong had raised a sphere made of gathered starlight above his palm. It was a peerless skill that every martial artist dreamed of. Its name: Force Compression. Of course, it wasn''t an incredibly rare skill. Any Master around the Unrestrained Realm could use it. Only then did Qing reach out, pretending to stop him. "Gramps, stop it. That''s going too far. Are you nning to kill everyone?" "Then, should I just let such insolent words slide?" "But if you kill them all, wouldn¡¯t you find them way too pitiful?" Choi Leeong slowly withdrew the Force Compression. "Hmph, hmph. With such a soft heart. How will you survive in the cruel world of Murim? Hmph. You. Consider yourself lucky." In fact, even with Force Compression, Choi Leeong''s Inner Force was barely First-Rate, so he would have no Qi left after using it just once. The man was pale and bloodless. He hadn''t noticed before because his nose was too high in the air to look at others, but now he saw that the light in the old man''s eyes was undoubtedly that of a great elder from Buddhism or Daoism. "I-I didn''t realize I was in the presence of such an esteemed..." "Forget it. I''m just dying to know how noble a person must be to kick away our old man''s rice bowl and chase us out of a restaurant." "That is..." "What are you doing? After causing all this trouble, are you just going to happily eat your meal?" "P-Please wait a moment!" The man hurriedly ran into the restaurant. ----Tang Nanah, one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins known as the Speaking Poison Flower, a flower of the Tang n and the most beautiful woman in Sichuan, was currently spending a very important time. She was in the middle of trying to curry favor with her future sister-inw, or in Central ins terms, daego. Peng Chaolei was a famous figure in many ways. She was known as a muscle maniac obsessed with strength, had peculiar speech and behavior iming she was married to her dadao and calling herself Mrs. Dadao, and possessed an unfeminine tall stature and developed physical beauty, among other things. Her open-minded personality and straightforwardness were also well-known. However, these things weren''t particrly important to the women of the Central ins. What was important to the women of the Central ins was that Peng Chaolei was afortable Unni who wouldn¡¯t be apetitor when it came to men. And, above all, she was the sister of that Jade Qilin! When discussing marriage arrangements in a family, the eldest sister''s voice carried truly enormous power. So Tang Nanah was grateful to that unnamed Female Xiang Ji impostor. After all, Peng Chaolei hade to Sichuan after hearing rumors about her impostor, wanting to see that face for herself. It was an opportunity to capture the heart of her prospective sister-inw. "Hehe, Unni. I¡¯m telling you, this ce is really that famous for its cuisine. I''m sure you''ll find it to your taste too." "Well. To build muscle, you need to eat muscle. Hmm, can''t we just tear into some meat? Ah. Is there a lot of meat in it?" "I, I specially ordered them to put in a lot..." Tang Nanah frantically waved her hand under the table. Fortunately, she saw one of the Tang n warriors guarding the interior rushing to the kitchen. "Really? Thanks for being so thoughtful." "Hehe. It''s nothing. It''s food for you to eat, Unni." "Hmm." However, it''s not easy to keep a conversation going between people withpletely different tastes and hobbies. "Oh my, Unni, your skin is so beautiful. Do you perhaps use any special jade powder or lotus oil?" "I don''t use that stuff. It''s bothersome. And it gets sticky when you sweat." "Ah, I see..." "..." "...Ah! Unni, I saw a new craftsman while looking around a workshop the other day! He was a craftsman who could handle gold and silver freely. Would you perhaps be interested?" "What use is a craftsman who''s good with gold and silver? Gold and silver are too soft to be used for weapons." "Ah, I see..." "..." As she was trying to please her (with absolutely no sess) and curry favor, that''s when it happened. An urgent Sound Transmission pierced Tang Nanah''s ear. -You fool, now is not the time to be leisurely slurping soup. A propermotion has broken out. Didn''t I tell you that Azure Dragon would be too much? "Ah, Unni. Can I excuse myself for a moment?" "Huh? Sure." "Hehe, I''m sorry. I''ll be right back!" Tang Nanah hurriedly headed towards one of the private rooms. "Uncle, what''s going on? What could be more important than my marriage prospects right now?" "There''s an elder at the Unrestrained Realm among today''s canceled customers. They''re quite angry now." "Why today of all days? Who is it? If it''s some Demonic Adept or something..." "They''re clearly an elder from Buddhism or Daoism. They''re saying they want to see the face of whoever kicked away their rice bowl and chased them out." "Oh, for heaven''s sake. Why now of all times?" Tang Nanah stamped her feet. Yes, the noble ns had said they were free from the hierarchy of the Nine Sects and One Union. That hierarchy was a tradition of the Nine Sects and One Union side, and had no connection with the noble ns who had long established their roots as family groups. But if you asked if they were really free to not respect it? Of course not. How could that possibly be the case? A high-ranking elder meant an elder of a sect, and if you identally slighted them, it would be the same as slighting the entire sect. The reason Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae werefortable with Qing was that despite their high allocation, they were peers in age, so as long as she wasn''t rude, they could remain friends. That''s why only Daoist Changbin, who was a big brother to them and was also basically Qing''s disciple''s disciple''s disciple, suffered alone due to the twisted family(?) tree. "We can''t keep them waiting for long. Hurry." "I know that too, okay? Ugh, just my luck." "How do you n to resolve this?" A vicious glint entered Tang Nanah''s eyes. "What do you mean how? We''ll handle it the way we always do." ----"Friend, what exactly is your identity? And what kind of esteemed person is the old man?" "Me? Ximen Qing. Gramps? He''s the old man who takes care of me." "That''s not what I mean." "What does it matter? It''s not like you approached us because you knew my Gramps was a Master, right? You weren''t rude either. Does anything change now that you know?" "Ooh..." Ziyou couldn''t help but admire. It meant that by seeing people simply as people and making friends, one could look beyond background and ability to see only the fundamental character. Not just a unique veiled woman, but perhaps an entric sage of Daoism. In fact, Qing had said it without much thought, just telling him not to worry about it. After all, she had just gone along with this unknown guy who stuck to her out of boredom, thinking he seemed like another rich young master and figuring she could get a hefty friendship fee. Of course, she was only epting such a friendship fee in consideration of his over 400 Righteous Karma Points. Wasn¡¯t this how people normally be friends? It wasn¡¯t like one needed a grand and borate backstory to form a connection. After all, if you hang out for a while and then part ways, it just ends as a brief encounter. And if there''s someone among them who keeps in touch, you might hang out for a long time. That''s when it happened. A figure came running out of the restaurant entrance like an arrow. Appearing with red silk clothes fluttering, they immediately knelt down and prostrated themselves in a motion as smooth as flowing water. Qing admired the graceful apology. It was clearly not the work of someone who had done this only once or twice. Do they eat and breathe apologies for a living? They were truly worthy of being called an apology specialist. "Esteemed elder, this girl is truly sorry for her disrespect. This girl, in her wicked greed to entertain an honored guest, ended up... hic, sob... What should I do, sob, I''m so sorry, sniff, hic..." And then, with a beautiful face, they shed tears like chicken droppings, Drip Drip Drip. Qing admired this sight once again. Wow! Crocodile tears for the win! Are these tears the famous ¡°I¡¯m sorry for whatever¡± apology videos I¡¯ve only ever heard about?! Chapter 111: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (6) There''s a saying that a woman''s tears are beautiful. That''s bullshit. In fact, there''s no such saying. When crying, the brow furrows downward while the cheekbones rise up, causing all the wrinkles around the eyes to appear in surprise as they fight each other. Meanwhile, the mouth takes on a terrible shape, carving deep lines like the character for "eight". The face turns bright red, tears flow in four streams from both sides of the eyes, and in severe cases, the catastrophe of snot bubbling up can ur. This was previously demonstrated by Jin Jangmyeong''s wailing. So clearly, there was almost no such thing like the crying from dramas that didn¡¯t yet exist in the Central ins - the kind of crying where tears gracefully roll down a beautiful face, making one think "How lovely she looks, even when crying." But the reason there was "almost" none was because it did exist in some cases. It was when one had to swallow their sorrow and smile, showing restrained sadness, or when pretending to cry forcefully. Tang Nanah was clearly sobbing uncontrobly with her mouth, but her tiny face remained beautiful. Moreover, with moist eyes looking up pitifully and tears dripping down, even Qing thought "Wow!" So Qing looked at Tang Nanah and thought: Wow, how can she control her emotions so instantly like that? And in front of all these people? Meanwhile, Tang Nanah was getting goosebumps at her own wickedness. Originally, women''s schemes werergely divided into two categories. One is the "Who''s the Biggest Bitch" category. And the other is the "Who''s the Biggest Victim" category. Although the term and usage of "crocodile tears for the win" had not yet been established in the Central ins, truth inherently shines, even across ages. This was the secret technique that created the current Speaking Poison Flower, the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan. Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky! When tears of flowers fill the entire sky, who in the world would not sympathize? In an instant, she had captured everyone''s attention and transformed into a pitiful and lovely beauty. In terms of pitifulness, she had far outmatched the veiled woman who couldn''t proudly show her face due to her looks, or the grandfather who was a Master in the Unrestrained Realm. I''ve won this fight, haven''t I? Tang Nanah quickly saw her flustered opponent and raised her crying voice even louder. "I''m so... sorry. Hic, sniff, waaah..." "..." "Hic, hup." "..." "I''m sorry, please, forgive me, hic." "..." What''s going on? Why aren''t they forgiving me? If they leave it like this, won''t they be the ones losing out? Won''t they just be cursed as a heartless grandparent and grandchild? Don''t they care about their reputation? Are they throwing away their reputation? Tang Nanah had underestimated her opponent too much. If they had cared about their reputation, they wouldn''t have rolled on the ground three times, then wriggled around before neatly pocketing a gold ingot. "Hic, hup, sniffle, sniff, sob, sorry." However, now facing a formidable opponent, Tang Nanah realized the fatal weakness of Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky. It consumed an enormous amount of mental and physical energy, and if she couldn''t achieve a quick victory, she would be the one in trouble. Human tears weren¡¯t infinite, after all, and her emptied tear ducts were screaming for her to stop. Tang Nanah drew poison from the Poison Dan in her dantian and redirected it to her eyes, overworking her tear ducts. These flowing tears were an extension of her Poison Arts. At the same time, she kept thinking sad thoughts. Right, like when Father scolded me just for breaking his precious vase. When practicing Hidden Weapon Techniques, he had only ced the most expensive ones on either side of the target to create a sense of urgency. It''s not like I broke it on purpose, but he got so angry. He really went too far. It was the same when I roasted and ate the Thousand-Year Fleeceflower Roots. How could the world''s most precious daughter not be allowed to roast and eat a mere elixir? How could he fly into such a rage over some guest''s gift? Surely his daughter is more important than someone''s 60th birthday present. He really went too far. This resentment became the driving force that extended the duration of Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky once again. "I''m sorry, hic, please forgive me, waaah, hic, sniffle, hic, wahhh..." These were the tears of none other than the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan. The onlookers clutched their chests at her pitiful state, inwardly thinking that surely it was time to forgive her. This proved that beauty was indeed power and authority. If just one person had taken the lead, everyone would have been on the verge of chanting in unison, "Forgive her, forgive her." That''s when Qing finally opened her mouth. "Ah. Come to think of it, doesn''t this mean we can go eat mtang now? Gramps, let''s go. They say it''s the signature dish of the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, so we should try it." "Even so, how great could mtang possibly be?" "Aiyooo, don''t say that before trying it. My good friend, let''s go too. And don''t think this means you''re off the hook for treating us to dinner. A man shouldn''t speak with two mouths, right?" "That''s right. I feel like even that much wouldn''t be enough to pay for the show we''ve seen. It''s quite satisfying." And with that, the three of them slipped inside Azure Dragon. Tang Nanah, left alone kneeling, was flustered. Oh no. What should I do in this situation...? ----Peng Chaolei was starting to feel like her time was being wasted. In the time it took to do all this, she could have swung her dadao one more time, and it would all have been nourishment for her robust body. She didn''t really know what mtang was, and a true Murim expert''s dinner should be a whole roasted piglet or young calf, cut up and eaten. Where had Tang Nanah gone after leaving earlier, and why were these three unfamiliar people giggling as they entered? Peng Chaolei quickly scanned the three people. Qing met that gaze directly. I should probably greet her, right? I need to clear up the misunderstanding about the impersonation too. "Hello? Um, you''re Daesanie''s1 older sister, right? I''m Ximen Qing, Daesanie''s friend. He hasn''t told you about me, but... well, he never really talks about himself." Peng Chaolei asked with a puzzled expression. "Hm? Daesanie? Does that brat let people call him that? He''s not the type to allow that." Ah. They''re definitely siblings. Seeing Peng Chaolei''s suspicious gaze, Qing hurriedly fumbled in her bosom and pulled out a guest que. "I really am Daesanie''s friend. Look, this is what Daesanie gave me as proof of friendship." Peng Chaolei looked at the guest que Qing proudly held out. She saw gold-leafed characters engraved in a majestic handwriting. Namgung! Peng Chaolei''s eyes narrowed. What''s this? Is she showing off? Is she saying she''s an honored guest of the Namgung family? "Namgung...?" "Ah. I must have taken out the wrong one." Qing held out the correct guest que this time. On the gold-leafed que, deeply engraved characters filled with red pigment could be seen. Peng. The red and blue silk threads attached to it confirmed it was indeed a guest que directly from the heir, Peng Daesan. Moreover, it was a top, top-tier que among all its ranks. "Oh my goodness. It''s real? You''re really Daesanie''s friend? That brat has a girlfriend?" "Since putting those two words together sounds a bit weird, could you call me his female friend instead?" Qing answered with an expression of utter disgust. A shudder of sincere dislike,pletely identical to a certain someone''s. Peng Chaolei burst into heartyughter. Judging by the sound alone, it was closer to a mountain bandit''sugh than that of a female expert from one of the Five Noble ns. "I see, a friend? Purely just a friend? Yes, that¡¯s right. That brat should experience this once too, for a change." Peng Chaolei''s eyes became incredibly warm. ----It was quite some timeter when Tang Nanah came in. If she went back right away, it wouldn''t seem like she had truly reflected even after crying, but she couldn''t just keep kneeling awkwardly outside either. People kept gathering to see the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan, but those who were supposed to ept her apology had just gone in without a care. It was truly an unprecedented situation. So Tang Nanah, gritting her teeth, slowly looked around before getting up and returning, only to find... A scene of warmth andughter, with Peng Chaolei''s expression, which had been as dull as peeling garlic before, now sparkling with unprecedented vitality. What''s this? Why is the atmosphere so good? Sister-In-Law, you weren''t like this with me. Tang Nanah inwardly shed tears of blood. Renting out an entire restaurant like Azure Dragon was a bit of an overreach, even for the Tang n. It was a ce she had forcibly arranged, half-threatening that it would block her marriage prospects, but now some random bitch was gobbling up the ce she had protected by kneeling and shedding tears. Tang Nanah''s eyes burned with fire. This humiliation cannot be endured. I must show the true terror of the Sichuan Tang n. Vile Venom? Or Intestine Melter? Or perhaps Eyebrow Pimple Poison? Tang Nanah recalled the poisons she possessed. Vile Venom caused a burning sensation in the nose, triggering a waterfall-like nosebleed. Intestine Melter, true to its name, caused a storm in the toilet. Eyebrow Pimple Poison was such a terrifying poison that it made a volcano-like pimple erupt between the eyebrows. Truly worthy of bringing forth the tears of a woman. Tang Nanah was the Speaking Poison Flower, a iparably wicked woman who always carried such extremely dangerous deadly poisons. "Ah. Nanah. This is Qing''er, I mean, Young Lady Ximen Qing. Have you two met already?" Er?! ''Er'' was originally a term of endearment used by parents for young children, usually attached to the front or back of thest character of the name. When attached to the front, it was more formal and could be used in official settings, while attaching it to the back emphasized affection particrly. Using Peng Daesan as an example, it would be ''Er San'' or ''San''er''. It was also used to address someone as close as a younger sibling. However, an older male should absolutely never use it with the ''er'' at the end when addressing a younger male. This must be emphasized with ¡°absolutely¡± a whopping three times. Remember. Look here, Er San. (O) Listen, San''er. (Public Enemy No. 1 in Murim) "That, um, did you two... know each other...?" "Huh? No, we just met today." "Urgh." "What''s wrong? Are you sick? Does your stomach hurt? You''re groaning. Anyway, Qing''er, so as I was saying. When I was killing those bandit bastards..." "Ah, I think I know. If you cut off the limbs first, the way they squirm..." "Right, and then if youy the head like this..." "I know. When you smash it, that crushing sensation..." "Ooh, you know! Then, making them vomit their intestines through their mouth..." "Not there, if you hit the spleen area a bit harder..." Although she couldn''t understand, some kind of ominous conversation was taking ce. Was this really a topic for women to discuss? Nevertheless, what was clear was that the atmosphere was very warm and friendly. I don¡¯t mean it literally, but I feel sick in the stomach. At the same time, cold sweat was pouring down. This won''t do! I need a topic that can break through this situation! That''s when it happened. -AAAAAARGH!!! AAAGH!!! UWAAAAAGH!!! Suddenly, a scream full of anguish rang out. It was a scream that chilled the listener to the bone. A horrific sound echoing from the kitchen. Thanks to this, the conversation was interrupted and all attention turned towards the kitchen. Tang Nanah shot a gaze as bright as stars towards Yeom Joang, who was serving as both her guard and uncle. As expected, Uncle, I believed in you! You doe through once in a while when it counts! Yeom Joang responded with Sound Transmission. -It wasn''t me. So stop looking at me like that.
    1. Remember that the "ie" put in the end is a familiar way to call people in Korean.
Chapter 112: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (7) The kitchen was a horrific sight. The floor was covered in red liquid, with mangled flesh, chopped bones, and various soft and hard objects scattered about. The stench was so terrible that everyone reflexively covered their mouths and noses. Someone with a weak stomach made a faint retching sound. And the culprit of this disaster shouted while holding a sharp knife: "It wasn''t me! I, I couldn''t have done this!" Qing looked at the scene and thought: Why waste all this perfectly good food? Mtang oil was all over the floor, with pitiful meat, vegetables, tofu, and noodles floating in it. Qing snapped in an annoyed voice: "Hey, what do you mean it wasn''t you? Aren''t you that so-called Greatest Chef Under Heaven?" "Yes, I am Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven. And these are all trash. Why? Why doesn''t it taste right? It shouldn''t taste like this. What''s wrong with it? Is it the stock? No, that¡¯s fine. Has the Ma spice changed? No. The tender meat? It''s not that either." The Greatest Chef Under Heaven, Bai Changzi, muttered while darting around with crazed eyes, grabbing ingredients and sniffing them. "What is it? Everything''s fine! Everything''s perfectly fine!" "Look. I get that something''s gone wrong, but why are you throwing away perfectly good food? Isn''t it a waste?" Qing still hadn''t escaped the memories of scavenging trash for food during her early days in Murim. That painful memory she would carry for life continued to fuel her obsession with food. "No! This isn''t fit to eat! It''s garbage!" "No, what? Mister is the one who made it garbage." "What? I made garbage!? How dare you say that to me, Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven!" Qing held out her hand to the side. Choi Leeong produced Bokshinjeok from somewhere and ced it in her hand. Qing''s voice that followed was chilling. "Bai Changzi or Bai Daechang, ah, I want some daechang (Large intestines). Anyway, isn''t what''s scattered on the floor supposed to be my dinner? If you don''t give me a satisfactory exnation..." "No! This isn''t my Ultimate Mt, ack!" WHACK!!! A hearty sound rang out. This was why people should maintain some of their senses even when they were not in their right mind. * The Greatest Chef Under Heaven was in a terrible state. He rolled on the floor clutching his head, his chef''s uniform soaked to the limit with mtang broth. With his bright red, broth-soaked uniform sticking to his skin, Bai Changzi knelt politely. "So, what about my dinner?" "I... I am deeply ashamed. I have no excuse..." "What? What''s the problem? Is it so wrong for me to want to eat a delicious bowl of mtang? I waited exactly forty-five days because they said your cooking was so good." "That''s precisely why. I cannot serve an imperfect dish to guests who came expecting my cooking." "An imperfect dish?" "This taste, this isn''t the right taste." Bai Changzi exined the situation. Originally, the Ultimate Mtang was a high-ss dish worth one gold sycee per bowl. That was why they only used the tenderest loin from young pigs between seven and nine months old, frying the outside before cooking it separately. The beef was also prepared simrly, using tenderloin from healthy calves. And for the lotus root, they didn''t use just any lotus root, but cultivated a special pond and so on and so forth. Qing asked incredulously. "So you''re saying you use the best ingredients, cook them separately, and then put them in the broth. But how can it not taste good then? Is a Greatest Chef Under Heaven really necessary if that¡¯s the case?" "Cooking is about considering the condition of the ingredients each day, whether it''s humid or not, hot or cold, checking the fat and meat quality, looking at the leaves and shape of vegetables, and bringing out the best taste. Who else but me could gather the best ingredients and pour them into a mere bowl of mtang?" "A mere bowl of mtang?" "Although mtang is ultimately justmoner food, there''s no high or low in cuisine. In fact, after my Ultimate Mtang, various evolved forms of mtang have appeared, gradually being recognized as a proper dish rather than just a cheap meal recement." Earlier he seemed just crazy, but listening to him now, he was unexpectedly a solid and excellent chef. "But why did you throw away my dinner?" "Well, you see..." Today, as always, he had perfectly prepared all the ingredients, putting extra effort into it because of the esteemed guests. However, the moment the ingredients werebined, a major problem arose in the harmony created by the ingredients and the soup. He went crazy because even after checking each ingredient individually, he couldn''t find anything wrong. "So, I cannot serve you the dish today." "Is it that serious?" "Of course. It''s such a subtle distortion that no one in the world except someone with my pte as the Greatest Chef Under Heaven would notice, but it''s definitely not a proper dish. Um... are you going to hit me?" "Yep." Qing nodded, holding Bokshinjeok. Bai Changzi exined with a solemn expression. "Even if I''m hit, my determination to always serve the best cuisine will not waver." "Craftsmanship is good and all, but shouldn''t you know when to stop? Aren''t you thinking about the hungry customers waiting outside?" "Taste is power. For the best cuisine, of course, a time of eager waiting is nece- Ack!" WHACK! Bai Changzi rolled on the floor again. Still, in recognition of his spirit, it was a controlled strike with just about one exmation mark''s worth of force. Qing turned away from the rolling Bai Changzi. "It looks like dinner is ruined. Damnit, I''m starving to death... Friend, where were we going earlier?" "Seems we just wasted time. But we got a good show. Say, do you enjoy duck? While not as good as Beijing, Sichuan duck has its own vor." "Oooh, that sounds good, huh?" Qing had already forgotten about the mtang and was chattering away. After all, didn''t he say it wasparable to Beijing duck, even if not quite as good? Even before her journey into Murim, Beijing duck, also known as Peking duck, was world-renowned, but she hadn''t had the chance to try the original since her journey began. "Sichuan duck. I''m really looking forward to it." "That''s right. Duck is an excellent dinner. ording to the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor1, duck nourishes Qi and builds the body. It''s an ingredient martial artists should love." Peng Chaolei naturally joined the conversation. "W-Wait a moment! Hasn''t the situation somehow naturally turned into that weakling treating us? Unni, I was determined to treat you to dinner today." "But isn''t roast duck much better than mtang? I didn''t really like it that much to begin with." Peng Chaolei answered while scratching the back of her head. Tang Nanah quickly replied. "We, we have plenty of duck in the Tang n too. We even raise them on sulfur." "Oh. Sulfur duck. Right. ording to the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, humans originally can''t swallow sulfur, but if you feed it to ducks and let it settle in them, when eatenter, it strengthens bones and nourishes joints." Sulfur and saltpeter were items controlled by the government. Not only were they not cheap, but it was impossible to purchaserge quantities in the first ce. So feeding expensive sulfur to mere ducks was like feeding gold to dogs. Of course, the Tang n had both power and wealth, so they were capable of doing such. "I''ll properly treat you at our household today, okay? Unniiii?" Qing tilted her head. Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor? Is that some kind of gourmet guidebook? Qing was just thinking she should get a copy and read it when Peng Chaolei patted her shoulder. "Qing''er. Let''s go. The Tang n is offering to treat us." "Ah. Is that what it was? I didn''t think she was including me." To Qing, Tang Nanah felt exactly like a Chihuahua. After all, she was wagging her tail and fawning on Peng Chaolei, but baring her teeth at Qing from within her arms. That''s how Tang Nanah looked to her, ovepping with that contemptible yet cute dog breed. "Ah, Unni. Wait a moment. I..." "Our Qing''er''s allocation in the hierarchy is near unparalleled. How could they not invite the named disciple of the Matriarch? Even if they did, how could you go along? By the way, Nanah, what''s wrong?" Qing''s allocation put her as a great elder of Daoism. If they excluded her from a dinner invitation while she was present, it would be tantamount to a deration of war, trampling on the face of all Daoist sects. If Peng Chaolei went along happily, she would only be participating in that. The quick-witted Tang Nanah hurriedly changed her words. "Ah, he, hehe, it''s nothing..." Of course, she didn''t forget to think of various poisons at the same time. What? A mere veiled woman has such a good background? Then it would be a big problem if I''m caught using poison, wouldn''t it? And then, immediately she thought: Then I just need to not get caught, right? What poisons can I use secretly? I''ll have tobine a few with Split Poisons. Split Poisons referred to substances that weren''t poisonous individually but showed their effects whenbined. For example, putting one poison in the soup and applying the other to the side dishes or personal utensils that are dipped separately. A poisonous glint appeared in Tang Nanah''s eyes. Arrogant veiled woman! Tonight, you won''t be able to leave the toilet. ¡®Even if I''m caught, I can solve it with one use of my ultimate secret technique, Tears of Flowers Filling the Sky¡¯, was what she thought. As Tang Nanah was plotting such an iparably wicked scheme and raising her Poison Qi, Peng Chaolei said just one thing. "This girl. How frivolous." Qing brightened up. "Then, shall we? Friend,e with us too? When else would we get to enjoy the hospitality of one of the Five Noble ns?" "This, I mean, are you talking about me?" Ziyou suddenly burst intoughter and continued: "That does sound good. The hospitality of the Tang n. I''ve been thinking I should experience it at least once." ----The Tang n received unexpected guests that day. The daughter who went out to have dinner with her future sister-inw, Female Xiang Ji Peng Chaolei, came back not only without having dinner but also with a bunch of hangers-on. Thanks to this, even the Tang n Lord had toe out to entertain unexpected guests. Wasn''t she a named disciple of that Matriarch, after all? Although still young, she was at least of an allocation where the n Lord should show his face once. But not to the extent of visiting her personally, of course. They shoulde to pay their respects; it was not to the point where the Tang n Lord would go to receive them. So he had called them just to see their faces. And so the door opened. The Tang n Lord, who had been lying down half-heartedly, sprang up as if flicked.
    1. Huangdi Neijing, literally the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor or Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor, is an ancient Chinese medical text or group of texts that has been treated as a fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia.
Chapter 113: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (8) There was Grand Prince Dexian¡¯s prefecture in Sichuan. This signified none other than a Grand Prince, the Emperor''s own younger brother. Although the Grand Prince has never officially shown his face, someone of the Tang n Lord''s status, being the head of Sichuan''s most powerful local n, would have paid respects during major holidays. And that very Grand Prince Dexian opened the door to the n Lord''s hall and appeared. What on earth had this crazy daughter been up to? One had to note that while a daughter was a daughter, a Grand Prince was a Grand Prince; someone far too important to ignore. Just as Tang n Lord Tang Touzhong was about to bow deeply, Ziyou smiled and put a finger to his lips. At this, the Tang n Lord froze in a strange posture as if diving into water. "Dad? What''s wrong?" Then the problematic daughter rudely asked in informal speech in front of the guests. It was truly a lifelong regret that he hadn''t properly disciplined his lovely youngest daughter. In the end, it was all his fault. "Ahem, ahem. It''s nothing. Didn''t someone say this posture is good for the body?" Tang Touzhong awkwardly crossed his legs and sat down. It was a very ufortable position. In fact, the rtionship between the royal prefecture and the Tang n was not good. For generations, Sichuan had been the Tang n''s territory. This was true even before the royal prefecture suddenly appeared and became the owner of most of thend in Chengdu. So it seemed like aplex behind-the-scenes struggle over interests would begin, but the royal prefecture withdrew first, and since then, they had been gradually siphoning off interests. Even so, his mind was racing furiously. What possible reason could the Grand Prince have for visiting in secret? He had been living as if he didn''t exist for the past ten years. Had they discovered the hidden saltpeter mine that had recently been found? And why with this ill-mannered daughter of all people? Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck Tang Touzhong''s head. Ah. I see. So even the Grand Prince is a man. A Grand Prince would be a super-premium catch for a husband. Not only was he of imperial blood, but he was fundamentally a person of upright character who could empathize with others and disliked conflict, truly worthy of being called a virtuous man. Tang Touzhong''s attitude became more rxed. He thought that perhaps he might benefit from his troublesome daughter after all. The Tang n Lord pretended to be calm as he greeted each guest in turn. "So, our esteemed guests. Oh. You are the Matriarch''s named disciple? How does the Sword Queen fair? I see, I see." The Matriarch''s named disciple, Ximen Qing. There was no reason someone at the level of the Tang n Lord''s martial prowess couldn''t see through the veil, so Tang Touzhong was quickly disappointed. Well, of course. What did he even expect? How could it make sense for his daughter, who had nothing going for her except her face, to be a queen? Still, even the Grand Prince is a man after all, he thought. "Ah, and this elder. Ah. Yes. I understand." Just an old man taking care of Ximen Qing. "It is you, Chaolei. How could I forget? Right. We met at Old Man Moyong¡¯s 70th birthday banquet. Is that Peng brat doing well? What''s that? His realm has risen? Good heavens, does that kid just eat and swing his sword all day?" Peng Chaolei. In fact, beyond the Five Noble ns, even among the Ten Great ns, no, since the Jin Prefecture Un n had disappeared, among the Nine Great ns, there was no one who wouldn''t recognize Peng Chaolei. Not only because of her size, but once you heard the name "pretty crow-tit" for someone with such a build, it would be etched into your mind. Wasn''t it the case that even the Peng n Lord said he didn''t know she would grow so much every time? He joked that if he had known, he would have named her Taesan (Great Mountain/Mount Tai) or Taebong (Great Phoenix). And finally, it was the Grand Prince''s turn. "And that noble young master over there...?" "Dad, forget about him. He''s just a weakling who tagged along." "A weakling who tagged along. Also known as Ziyou." "Hmm. Well, wee." Tang Touzhong nodded with an expression that seemed as if he had reached a state of Nirvana.. ----Tang Touzhong had two wives and eight children. Seven sons in a row from the two wives, and at the end, a ray of light shone with the birth of a precious youngest daughter. Seven older brothers. The two mothers, tired of the boys'' heedless detachment, all the elders of the family, and even direct and coteral cousins would go crazy just looking at her, saying how pretty she was. Moreover, she was objectively a beautiful girl with looks belonging to the Five Flowers of Murim. As such, was there any need to exin what kind of upbringing she had? She was the very definition of Tang n''s top dog, the family''s greatest little viin. It was only thanks to the Tang n''s strict family traditions that she remained only a little viin. Still, when adults scolded her, she would obediently kneel and cry while reflecting, so the child wasn''tpletely hopeless. And that very little viin gathered all seven of her older brothers before dinner. "Do you know how much humiliation I suffered from that veiled wench? I can''t stand this! I won''t stand for it!" Tang Nanah breathed heavily. The eldest son, Tang Jinchul, looked troubled. "Ah''er, no matter what, that woman is of an allocation equivalent to a great elder of Daoism. And it¡¯s only because we''re a noble n; otherwise, she''d be on par with the Grand Elder." "What?! Oppa, are you serious? Your Nanah suffered such humiliation! In front of all those people, she made me kneel and apologize!" "But how can we use poison on such an important guest..." "Nanah cried and begged in front of everyone. Are you really my brother? How can you be so cold!?" "Elder Brother, doesn''t Ah''er have a point? No matter if she''s a Daoist elder or whatever, is there any justification for making a direct descendant of the Tang n kneel in the middle of the marketce?" "It''s not like we''re using any serious poison. She''ll just have a stomachache. The seventh and I will pretend to have stomachaches and go back and forth at dawn. If there''s a problem with the food and even the direct family members are affected, who would question it?" "Ugh, Elder Brother. Me too?" "As expected of Hyun Oppa! Jin Oppa is the only one I can rely on! Hmph, whose side are you on, Eldest Oppa?" "No, Ah''er. I just..." "If that''s how it is, Eldest Brother can just pretend not to hear. Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and the youngest will do the poisoning. With a Four Combination Poison, even a Divine Doctor couldn''t detect it." "Ugh, Elder Brother, do I have to do the poisoning too...?" "While we''re at it, let''s rip off that veil too! I want to see how ugly her face is!" "The seventh can pretend to trip and grab it." "No, wait what? Elder Brother? Why do I have to do that too...?" "Interfere with her eating too! Make noise next to her and spit while talking! Put half-chewed food on top of her dishes whileughing!" "Isn''t the seventh an expert at that? If the seventh sits next to that youngdy, it''ll solve the problem." "That''s a bit... I have my own dignity..." "Alright. Then let''s do it like that. But remember, everyone. Elder Brother Jinchul is the Young Lord, so he didn''t hear anything." "Brothers? What about my opinion...? Really...? Can you not hear me?" "Heheng! My brothers are the best! Except for the eldest." The Tang n''s vile plot was deepening. However¡­ * The reason Qing wore a veil was primarily because Gramps was so overprotective. Secondly, it wasn''t particrly ufortable. Among the Demonic Cult''s sources of ie, trade goods from the strange-skinned Semu1 people beyond the mountains upied a significant position. Choi Leeong had visited the Sichuan branch of the Demonic Cult''s Covert Operations Division and forcibly taken the most precious veil. Originally, it was an item that was supposed to be presented to that Princess of Kaifeng. The merchant who heard the news foamed at the mouth, but, per usual, Qing knew nothing about that anyway. It was indeed a precious item, not visible from the outside but providing clear vision from the inside. Even when eating, she could just fold it once and adjust it at the tip of her nose, so she didn''t feel much difort wearing it all the time except when sleeping. And there was a third reason. At first, the veil was fluttery and a bit annoying, but once she got used to it, it couldn''t be morefortable. Didn''t the Korean people before her journey into Murim also cover the lower half of their faces with masks for peace of mind? Physical difort could be ovee with familiarity, but mentalfort would settle in and be indispensable before one realized it. However, if the reasons disappeared, there was no need to wear it. The third reason: Qing, who knew her own allocation, had entered a noble n''s house, so there was no need to be mindful of others. There was no need to pursue mental peace. The second reason: The fact that it wasn''t ufortable didn''t mean it wasfortable. And the first reason: Even Choi Leeong''s blood boiled a bit when he saw the Speaking Poison Flower. In Choi Leeong''s eyes, no matter how much they called her the Speaking Poison Flower or the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan, she couldn''t even reach Qing''s toes. After all, even lowly cats, if pretty, were carried around and shown off to the neighborhood, weren¡¯t they? (Though a cat, a territorial as they were, might be troubled) And so, when Qing took off her veil, Ziyou just blinked his eyes. "...?" "What? Saw something you shouldn''t have?" "Friend?" "What, is it awkward to see my bare face?" Ziyou suddenly remembered a conversation where he had thoughtlessly asked if she didn''t feel jealous when seeing a woman prettier than herself. At that time, he had misunderstood her answer of why she would feel jealous. Of course there was no reason to be jealous when the Speaking Poison Flower wasn''t a woman prettier than herself. "Did you really need to hide such beauty?" "Ugh. Beauty my ass." Qing got goosebumps and hit Ziyou''s arm repeatedly. "Ow, ow, stop, stop. It hurts. Oh, it truly hurts." Ziyou rubbed his arm vigorously and shrank back. He could instinctively tell. It was the kind of hit that would leave a dark bruise by the next morning. "Why don''t you manage your speech? You¡¯re sounding more and more like you have a stick stuck up your ass." "Ahem. It''s be a habit, so I can''t help it." "Forget it, let''s go eat duck. Ugh, I''m seriously starving to death. What time is it anyway?" And so, Ximen Qing descended upon the Tang n''s banquet hall. Peng Chaolei, who had been carefully observing Qing''s physique, immediately recognized her identity. "Oh, Qing''er, you took off your veil? What''s this, why were you hiding such a pretty face? That bastard. What did he say again? He doesn''t look at faces? Doesn¡¯t look at faces, my foot. Well, why am I even surprised." The first to move was the Tang n''s fourth son. The youngest, the seventh son, was flustered by the fourth''s smooth intrusion. "Uh, Elder Brother? My seat..." "Haha. How dare you covet the seat next to your sister-inw?" "Wait, no, why are you suddenly..." "That''s enough, move, ugh." Suddenly, another hand struck the back of his head. "You should move aside too. Even cold water has its hierarchy. So how can you try to get married before your older brother?" In the end, the second son took the youngest''s seat and grinned while squirming with a dignified expression. At this, Tang Nanah smiled with a venomous glint. So Second Orabeoni is going to take action himself! Yes, I was a bit flustered because she''s a tiny bit prettier than expected, but just you wait and see... But of course, in what world would things go as nned? Especially when Qing was involved?
    1. Semu is the name of a caste established by the Yuan dynasty. The 31 Semu categories referred to people who came from Central and West Asia. They hade to serve the Yuan dynasty by enfranchising under the dominant Mongol caste.
Chapter 114: A Wicked Woman Eats Malatang. (9) Tang Nanah''s expectations were shattered from the very start. When the thick fat under the duck''s tail is trimmed and roasted, it creates a chewy and crispy mass of rich fat with a different texture fromrge intestines. This delicacy, which only yields a few pieces even from arge duck, was traditionally served in a golden bowl towards the seat of honor. However, in the Tang n, there existed a separate, undisputed number one whose position no one questioned. At least, that had been the case until now. Just as Tang Nanah reached out with her chopsticks, the table suddenly rotated, and the second son swiftly picked up the golden bowl and ced it in front of Qing. "Young Lady, would you like to try this? Originally, the most delicious part of a roasted duck is this fat under the tail." "Really? Wow, what''s this? Holy moly." Qing''s eyes widened. What''s this? Why is it so delicious? Have these petty Central ins people been keeping such things to themselves? The first wife''s eyebrow twitched as she watched. Even mothers have mouths, you brat. They say raising sons is futile, and how right they are. Meanwhile, the third son was demonstrating his specialty. Wielding twin chopsticks, he skillfully and quickly stripped the meat from the duck''s neck bones, which was his area of expertise. The deliciousness of poultry neck meat needs no exnation. Tang Nanah, as always, expected her Third Oppa¡¯s caring gesture to arrive in front of her, but... That te naturally headed towards Qing. "The tail is good, but we can''t forget the neck. Would you like to try this as well?" "Oh? I could just tear it off myself, you know? But thanks anyway. Oh. It''s delicious. So good." Qing''s mouth rxed into a smile. Qing was a person whose emotions were clearly visible on her face. The face of a happy beauty glowed with its own light. The second wife simply resigned herself. The te that originally would have gone to her daughter was now heading towards the guest. She thought this might actually be better. Unni, it''s not just raising sons that''s futile. Don''t think daughters are any different. They''re all the same, those brats. The two wives exchanged nces. No wonder the wives got along like sisters. "Young Lady Ximen, this is called Jian Nan Chun, Sichuan''s finest liquor. If you enjoy white spirits..." "Wow, Jian Nan Chun!" "Young Lady Ximen, by the way..." "Young Lady Ximen..." "Young Lady..." Apetition broke out among the brothers over the woman. However, such a scene was absolutely not considered ugly in the Central ins. This was because romance in the Central ins originally meant a state where men fawned over women, watching their every move and beingpletely wrapped around their finger. In matters of love, women held ten tenths of the initiative over men. Why? Because men could have multiple wives. After marriage, this rtionshippletely reversed, and wives and concubines had to fawn over and support their husband to be loved more. So before marriage, women were the absolute top dogs. After marriage, it flipped, and men became somewhere between an awkward top and middle position. It might seem unfair, but where in the world is truly fair? In this Central ins view of romance, quickly snatching the most delicious parts and offering them, or stripping meat from bones, was just the basics. It wasn''t even considered particrly sweet, just basic care. They were just ordinary Central ins men. However, it was too tant for Qing to handle, making her feel a hundred, no, a thousand, ten thousand times more burdened. What''s going on? Why is everyone staring at me while I''m eating? I have hands too, so why is everyone peeling, scooping, and cooling things for me? They look like they''d even feed me if I asked. (They would) So this is why Gramps insisted I wear a veil. I should have listened to my elders; there''s nothing to lose by doing so. Qing regretted it btedly, but it was toote now. There was no use in covering up after revealing her face. Of course, did this mean Qing ate less? Of course not. Perhaps because the continent was so vast, the ducks were as big as baby pigs, and the meat, steamed with a spicy Sichuan method, was tender and greasy. And so Qing inhaled the duck meat from the magical te that automatically refilled itself, and gulped down the famous liquor from the magical cup. People were such fickle creatures; even though she was eating without barely chewing, when a beauty did it, it somehow looked blessed. Only Tang Nanah was left staring with wide eyes. Is that a person or a pig? Why doesn''t she just pick up the bowl and drink directly? She''s stuffing her cheeks like a toad. And all my bastards of Oppas are dead to me. I''m going to tell on them to the adults. As the Speaking Poison Flower was grinding her teeth... A Tang n warrior appeared, opening the door to the banquet hall. He approached Tang Touzhong respectfully and whispered in his ear, then turned towards the table, sped his hands, and said: "A ck g has been raised at Grand Prince Dexian''s prefecture." "What? Who, who has passed away?" Ziyou hurriedly asked. "Well, it''s said that Grand Prince Dexian has... passed away." ''Passed away'' meaning he kicked the bucket. The Tang n warrior answered, feigning sorrow. It was a line that had to be delivered solemnly no matter what. After all, if one were to sound excited, it would be treason. "...?" Meanwhile, there was Ziyou, who had suddenly heard news of his own death. Ziyou''s mouth gaped open in disbelief. ----At that time, in the Demonic Cult''s temporary improvised dungeon. To cut to the chase, Seol Ganom and Ximen Hee had failed to escape. It was already a done deal. ming someone for it would only hurt the feelings within the group. So instead of scolding Ximen Hee, Seol Ganom, true to his reputation as the neighborhood''s top intellect, coolly pondered ways to escape again. Ximen Hee''s beauty, honed by the Blissful Maiden Arts, had improved over time, and they were in the middle of nning a honey trap based on that. Fortunately, Ximen Hee had no aversion to using her looks as a weapon. After all, that was the way of the Bliss Pce. However, their n to seduce the jailer and escape ended before Ximen Hee could even try her aegyo1 once. Not that Seol Ganom had high expectations after seeing Ximen Hee''s aegyo anyway. "Um, that. Why don¡¯t youe out now?" "What''s this about?" "A high-ranking person has ordered us to escort you politely. The food in prison is all we could offer, but we have not treated you poorly otherwise, have we?" "...?" It was quite fortunate for the jailer as well. They had been so busy with overwork day and night that they had no time to y with prisoners, so they had just thrown them some dry rations. They could have gotten into big trouble if they had bullied them unnecessarily. Seol Ganom and Ximen Hee came out of the cell. Then Shrine Maidens from the Divine Pce rushed over, washing them, scrubbing them clean, nourishing their bodies with elixirs, and even dressing them in fine clothes. Seol Ganommented. "I don''t know whether to be happy or sad." "Huh? Why?" "The treatment is so polite, it''s like receiving honored guests. If that''s the case for us, it''s only because of Young Lady Ximen''s connections, so perhaps the Heavenly Demon has awakened and be connected to Young Lady Ximen." "Ah, then does that mean my sworn sister is the mistress of the Divine Cult? Hmm, isn''t that a good thing?" "That depends on the individual. No matter how good a position is, it''s not good if the person doesn''t want it." As they were talking like this, the door to the room opened and Ji Seungju appeared. Seol Ganom immediately recognized Ji Seungju. "I heard the Demonic Brain was a young boy, but..." "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Great Expert Seol. And Great Expert Ximen. This is our first time meeting like this. I am Ji Seungju. Though inadequate, I am the one in charge of the Secret Pavilion." "Great Expert? What are you ying at right now? What¡¯s your angle?" "What? Am I a Great Expert too?" "There is no particr angle. It is just that you two are now in positions that deserve the Divine Cult''s hospitality." "What the¡­ I''m being treated well? Oooh." "...What has happened to Young Lady Ximen?" "There is no need to worry. She is currently advancing into the Central ins." "As far as I know, if she had gone to the Central ins, the Demonic Cult wouldn''t be this peaceful." "What? My sworn sister has already gone to the Central ins?" "They say the ways of the world are unknowable, do they not?" "Enough with the ambiguity. Get to the point." "...? Can you not hear me? Isn¡¯t this kinda strange?" The two intellectualspletely ignored Ximen Hee''s words. ¡°She has inherited all the Divine Arts and descended as the Heavenly Demon Supreme. Before leaving, she ordered to open the doors of the Divine Cult and live more like humans now. The foolish long-cherished wish of liberating the Central ins has finallye to an end." "...?" Seol Ganom''s expression became dumbfounded. "Could you... say that again? That friend did what?" "I did not expect things to turn out this way either. But Young Lady Ximen is now the Heavenly Demon Supreme of the Divine Cult." "What? My sworn sister is the Heavenly Demon Supreme?" "No, wait. I do not understand. What in the..." "What what? Then what am I? The Heavenly Demon''s Unni?" "Could you please be quiet for a moment? It''s distracting." Ximen Hee closed her mouth dejectedly. Seol Ganom thought of Qing. She was the friend who said she would give the Demonic Cult bastards a taste of their own medicine, destroy the Heavenly Demon Spirit, and run away. So, how did such a person suddenly be the Heavenly Demon? However, if asked whether it suited her or not. It was a perfectly fitting character, indeed. After all, she seemed truly born to be the Heavenly Demon. "Of course, she currently has no interest in the Divine Cult, but would the people of the Central ins think the same?" "That''s true." "So we would like you two to assist the esteemed Heavenly Demon Supreme." "You mean you want us to persuade Young Lady Ximen to return to the Demonic Cult?" At this, Ji Seungju smiled faintly. There was no need to hide his expressions anymore since he didn''t have to cater to the Supreme''s whims. "Is there really a need for that? From what I have seen, the Heavenly Demon Supreme is someone who will return to the Divine Cult sooner orter anyway." "...I can''t deny that." Seol Ganom agreed gloomily. How long could a Heavenly ughtering Star who returned covered in blood every night endure staying in the Central ins? "Great Expert Seol, you cannot hide forever either, can you? The Heavenly Demon Supreme seems to be a person overflowing with affection, after all." "What if I refuse?" At this, Ji Seungju shrugged. "Nothing changes. You may leave if you want, but if you are going to the Central ins anyway, just promise to serve the Heavenly Demon Supreme. If you do that, we shall provide you with the cult''s elixirs. After all, having a higher martial prowess would be helpful in serving her." Seol Ganom quickly came to a conclusion. There was no reason for the Demonic Cult bastards to y tricks regarding their own Heavenly Demon. In that case, there was no reason to refuse free elixirs either. This is what having a good friend means, huh. He thought about how this was payback for all the times she sshed water on his face.
    1. Aegyo literally means behaving in a flirtatious, coquettish manner and it ismonly expected for both male and female K-pop idols and is also expected or demanded from exclusively younger females in Korean society in way which reinforces or reflects Korea''s traditional gender roles.
Chapter 115: Water Knows The Answer. (1) A shadow seeped into the guest room where Ziyou was lying down. Covered entirely in ck clothing, it quietly sat by Ziyou''s head, looking down at his sickly face. Ziyou frowned as he opened his eyes, sensing the presence. "Old Dog, can''t you wake me up in a normal way?" "How could I darey hands on Your Highness while you sleep?" "What if I didn''t wake up?" "Isn''t a dog''s proper ce by its master''s bedside?" Though he referred to himself as a dog, there was no servility in his tone. After all, Ziyou had been the one to call him Old Dog in the first ce. "Whew. So, how did it go? How did I die?" "Blood seeped from your entire body, and you breathed yourst before anything could be done. Even someone who knows nothing about poison would recognize it as poisoning." "Tsk. He didn''t deserve such a cruel death." "Wasn''t he just a lowlife who crawled around gambling dens? Even if Your Highness allowed it, he enjoyed luxury while pretending to be you. His life was paradise until he died, and even after death, he took Your Highness''s ce in tragedy. He must have gone to paradise." "Take good care of his remaining family. I should have something to say in my defense when I meet him in the afterlife." Ziyou then fell into deep thought. "I''ll have to rely on the Tang n for a while." "Your Highness. Are you saying Your Highness shall stay in this den of shameless parasites who feed on poison?" "I saw the Tang n Lord today. He looked surprised by the sudden intrusion, but not guilty, so the poisoning wasn''t the Tang n''s doing. In that case, is there a safer ce in Sichuan?" "However, they are vile ant-like vermin who dare to nibble away at Your Highness''s assets." "Even poisonous ants seem to have their uses." Ziyou answered with a faint smile. That''s when it happened. Old Dog lowered his voice. "Your Highness, about that youngdy. Is she finally going to be the mistress of the royal prefecture? Will this old dog finally be able to serve a mistress in his twilight years? With her beauty that could make birds fall from the sky, if you have a son, he would be the most handsome man in the world, and if a daughter, would she not be the very incarnation of the Most Beautiful Woman Under Heaven?" Ziyou nodded unconsciously. Well, she is beautiful, so if we had children... In fact, the children of famous sects or noble ns were all handsome men and beautiful women with an air of nobility from their very appearance. Since the women of Murim usually learned at least basic Fairy Arts, this trait had been passed down through generations, raising the overall level of appearance. Of course, no matter how much attention one paid to appearance, there wasn¡¯t anyone who would learn Fairy Arts as crudely and ignorantly as Qing did. Inner Qi Cultivation Technique were meant to be climbed like stairs in a system, recing them with higher levels of study. There were asional jokes about collecting various types of Fairy Arts to aim for the title of Most Beautiful Woman Under Heaven. However, if someone actually tried to do so, everyone would try to dissuade them, saying there were easier ways tomit suicide. "Ah, if this old dog could just see that beautiful child before he dies! I, Old Dog, could fall into a thousand-foot fire pit with a smile." Old Dog spoke with a voice full of sincere longing. Ziyou suddenly came to his senses. He had been worrying about a daughter he didn''t even have yet, thinking what if a tyrannical emperor dared to covet her if she was too pretty. Ziyou waved his hands in surprise. "No, no. It''s not like that. That friend is... She''s just a friend. I don''t know her character yet." Ziyou, having grown up in the Imperial Pce, wasn''t one to be swayed by beauty. However, she might be better than the daughters of high officials who were always busy showing proper etiquette and only showed their crown because they bowed so much. It was only to that extent. Nothing more, nothing less. ----It was a morning where she was reminded of her Crutch. In truth, she missed her every morning. Having to dress oneself, how could this be? It was so convenient when Senior Sister Wannabe was around... Qing, who had woken upte, fumbled to put on her clothes and stepped out of the guest room. As is usual for guests, Qing had nothing particr to do. Originally, guests were idle people who stayed and helped only when needed. If they were there, they were given food, lodging, and even pocket money. This was why the final goal of all vagabonds was to be a guest at a moderately prestigious government office or noble n after making a name for themselves. The vagabonds enjoyed being treated well, and the hosts enjoyed having emergency forces or temporary instructors. If they stayed for a long time and settled down, they would either be real family or take up a position and be officially affiliated. This was how the culture of guests worked. Of course, sects or ns that were too powerful and renowned were exceptions. At that level, they had no need to import outside talent, so they were very selective about epting guests. Of course, Qing could be treated as a guest anywhere due to her allocation, but no matter what, she wasn''t thick-skinned enough to barge into apletely unfamiliar ce and demand food. That was why Qing had diligently worked as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Underground Life and Death Arena. Ah. I need to exin about Female Xiang Ji too. She had meant to talk about it when the vibes were good yesterday. But the duck was so delicious that she gotpletely absorbed and forgot all about Female Xiang Ji and everything else. Hmm. The duck was delicious, but... Somehow, I keep thinking about the Ultimate Mtang. The Greatest Chef Under Heaven, Bai Changzi, had said this. Taste is power. And Qing agreed with him. Even if his business practices are dogshit, as long as the food is delicious¡­ Is there any more that needs to be said? If a dish gives more satisfaction than the money spent and the difort endured, isn''t it unavoidable even if your pride is hurt? So she thought she should make another reservation today. In truth, when Qing used to go around with Namgung Shinjae, the Crown Prince of Anhui Province, they often canceled other people''s reservations. But Qing didn''t know the details of those situations. Moreover, if Tang Nanah had brought all her rtives and filled up Azure Dragon, Qing would have just thought it was apany dinner and let it go. She was only angry because they rented out the whole ce for just two people to eat, resulting in her losing her reservation. As Qing was crossing the Tang npound with Choi Leeong, who had somehow attached himself to her, following behind... "Ooh, Friend. You''re up now? So, where are you going so diligently this early in the morning?" For reference, the sun was already high in the sky. "To make a reservation at Azure Dragon. I don''t know when I''lle to Sichuan again, so it would be a shame if I couldn''t eat there. By the way, who''s that person next to you?" There was an old man standing next to Ziyou. Ziyou spoke with a somewhat triumphant air. "Ah. Don''t mind him. He''s just an old man who takes care of me." "What? How rude. That''s not how you treat an elder. Friend, I didn''t think you were like that." Ziyou looked back and forth between Qing and Choi Leeong in disbelief. But Choi Leeong had been a Great Demonic Adept before he was an old man from their first meeting. And even though they had grown fond of each other now, his Evil Karma hadn''t gone anywhere. However, this old gentleman here leaned towards Righteous Karma, even if it was just over ten points, so he was indeed an elder. "Hello?" "How can even your heart be as fine as silk? This old servant is called Old Dog, who serves Young Master Ziyou. I am dedicating my life in service to Young Master, who has shown me great kindness." Even at a quick nce, he was clearly a Master far above her level. Qing tilted her head. Normally, Qing was quite confident with handling older people. But even though it was only their first meeting, he was already looking at her like she was basically his granddaughter. What''s this? Does this elder have dementia too? Is dementia trending among Central ins Masters? If so, is the future of the Central ins really going to be okay? "So, where are you going? It''s not polite to wander around someone else''s house carelessly. Besides, do you know the way out?" "I guess I just need to go out through the main gate, right?" "Hmm? Is that so? I suppose you''re right." "I''m going to make another reservation at Azure Dragon. Since I''m in Sichuan, I should eat there at least once. I''m thinking of making a reservation, going to Mount Emei, and thening back on the scheduled date." After all, they had to abstain from alcohol for forty-nine days because some Grand Prince or whoever had died anyway. She was nning to make a reservation well after that, visit the Emei Sect, then have a ss of white liquor apanied with the Ultimate Mtang before going home. "Mount Emei, ah. So you have business with the Emei Sect." Meanwhile, the two old men exchanged nces. As they were both Masters in the Unrestrained Realm, they immediately recognized each other''s realm. To use a Master of the Unrestrained Realm as a servant... They must be an incredibly powerful family, so add fifteen points. But subtract fourteen points for being too powerful. It''s not good if the inws are too sessful. Choi Leeong ended up giving Ziyou one point. It was a scoring system as salty as seawater. Old Dog immediately noticed this. Yikes. What a picky old man. Better not offend him unnecessarily. The sh between the two Unrestrained Realm Masters ended in Choi Leeong''s victory on points. After all, the one who was at a disadvantage had no choice but to bow in defeat. ----Upon stepping out onto the street, to exaggerate a little, it was a sea of tears. There were even people openly wailing, which Qing found quite strange. Is the death of a Grand Prince really that sad of an event? Of course, Qing couldn''t contain her curiosity. Ziyou, who heard the question, turned his head away with an embarrassed look for some reason, and Old Dog, who was behind, answered instead. "Oh my, Miss. Among the people of Sichuan, is there anyone who has not received grace from His Highness?" Grand Prince Dexian was said to be a person overflowing with virtue, just like his title ''Dexian1'' suggested. He didn''t collect much in taxes to begin with, and he poured all the taxes he did collect into relief efforts and all sorts of public works. Old Dog went on a passionate rant about how hundreds of lives had been saved because of this and how much the difficult lives of themon people had improved. "Moreover, he was sensitive to the corruption of officials. After all, didn¡¯t he root out all sorts of evil practices that government offices usually engaged in, at least within Sichuan? He was truly a Sage Ruler sent by the heavens." Thinking about it after hearing those words, Qing realized that the Evil Karma of the officials here did seem to be lower. "Ah. He was a great person." "Of course. Not only that, he was full of affection and had great loyalty. If he ever gave his affection to someone, he would cherish them for life and never betray them." "Ahem, ahem, Old Dog. That''s enough." In any case, Old Dog''s words must not have been wrong, as the atmosphere of the city hadpletely sunk to the lowest lows in just one night. Everyone looked depressed and made no effort to hide their sadness. Of course, there was also the reason that showing joy would be treason. Only outsiders like Qing had puzzled, disgruntled expressions as they wondered whether to go home or not. However, Qing was undeterred and finally reached Azure Dragon, the Ultimate Cuisine Restaurant where Bai Changzi, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven,y. But her efforts to cross Sichuan were in vain, as the door was firmly closed. "What the¡­ Are they not open..." "Oh my, Miss, do not be too disappointed. This lowly one will inquire. How dare they, when they should be opening their doors wide and weing with bows..." "It''s okay. They must have their reasons. There''s no point in causing trouble." "Ah. Your heart truly is like fine silk. This Old Dog is truly impressed." At this point, it was confusing whose attendant he was. Just as Qing was about to turn around with slumped shoulders... "Oh my! Young Lady! Aren''t you the guest who came with that flute, no, I mean, the Speaking Poison Flower yesterday!" "Oh? Greatest Chef Under Heaven?" "Ah. I must be right. Since the veil is the same, I could tell." The one who came running was the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, Bai Changzi. "What is it? You''re not open for business today?" "Well, I kept checking the ingredients yesterday, and I finally found out the reason. But it''s not something that can be resolved, so we closed the restaurant entirely." "Hm? Was it your restaurant?" "Not exactly, but if the Greatest Chef Under Heaven says he cannot cook, what can a mere restaurant owner do? Taste is power. If they don''t like it, they can cook themselves." Being the owner of the most prosperous restaurant in Chengdu with the Greatest Chef Under Heaven is a bit too much to be called "mere". But he was a man whose pride was truly consistent. "That''s all well and good. Anyway, so? You didn''t stop me just because you were d to see me, right?" "Ah. That. I was wondering if you might have connections with the virtuous experts of the Tang n." "What if I do?" "It is because if it''s the experts of the Tang n, I thought they might be able to solve it." Bai Changzi continued with a serious expression. "The water, the water has gone bad.¡±
    1. The "De" in "Dexian" could be said to be "Virtue" in Korean.
Chapter 116: Water Knows The Answer. (2) The news that the water had gone bad was not something to be taken lightly. Water was essentially life itself. In the primitive ancient uncivilized Central ins that depended on agriculture, the importance of water could not be overstated even with hundreds of asterisks. In the past, King Yu1 manipted the floods and established the domain of the Central ins, stabilizing the world through water management. This moved Emperor Shun2 so much that he passed the throne to Yu. The Three Sovereigns were gods, and the Five Emperors were demigods. Emperor Shun, as thest of these Five Emperors, passed the throne to humans. It was a historic moment when the Emperor transitioned from a mythical being to a human. In other words, the link between myth and humanityid in water management, the control of water. This was how important water was. "What do you mean the water has gone bad?" "I am not sure. We always use well water from the upper Min River because it''s good, but it''s the same with all the wells I visited throughout the night. However, the taste of the water from the Tuo River3 is still fine, so I think there might be a problem with the Min River. Isn''t this kind of thing the specialty of the Tang n''s experts?" Sichuan has two waterways flowing east and west. They were called the Tuo River and the Min River as they flowed to join the Yangtze River. They were also called Tuo and Min without the ''River'' part. Several streams flowed through Chengdu city, but the main waterways were four rivers branching off from the Min River. Starting the Yunyang River flowing north, in order, the Baidu River, Zhuma River, and Dao River were known for their clean and clear water taste, often used as a basis for Sichuan cuisine to im it was the best in the Central ins. It wasn''t just about the taste of water. Most rivers in the Central ins were yellow, murky, and tasted of earth. Rivers clean enough to drink directly weremon only in Sichuan, rare in other regions. "The Min River is always busy with boats, so isn''t that why? But it''s not something we can easily dismiss. Let''s go to the Tang n first." Ziyou naturally tried to lead the group. Tried to, that is. Qing took a step back. Her stomach was too upset to be swept along by such an atmosphere. It was because she didn''t know whether this river or water management issue was serious or not. "I need to eat lunch. It''s breakfast and lunchbined, so I can''t dy any longer. You go ahead first. I''ll eat with Gramps ande inter, okay?" However, Ziyou was starting to understand how to handle Qing. "No, with the Greatest Chef Under Heaven here, why look for another chef? You must have wanted to stand in the Tang n''s kitchen at least once, haven¡¯t you?" At this, Bai Changzi took offense. "I''ve already refused the Tang n''s offer. The ce I wanted to stand was not the Tang n''s kitchen, but the royal prefecture''s kitchen." He was saying this in front of the very Prince of that royal prefecture, so it was like being blind with eyes wide open. It was frustrating, but also admirable in a way, leaving Ziyou at a loss. Qing let out a hissingugh. "Friend, youck the finishing touches, it seems. Hey, Mister Chef. Is it only help when you need it? Are you saying you can''t make a meal for us?" As Qing reached out her hand, Choi Leeong appeared from somewhere and ced a magical flute in her hand. Then Bai Changzi spoke proudly. "Haha. As a chef of Sichuan, shouldn''t I stand in the Tang n''s kitchen at least once? I''m extremely curious about what kind of ingredients they might have." ----The Tang n upied an entire neighborhood district called Tang Center, where only members of the Tang n lived. As they entered Tang Center, the second? third? fourth? direct descendant of the Tang n appeared from somewhere. Was he the one with the tail? Or the neck meat? Or the Jian Nan Chun? Qing wasn''t sure because she hadn''t paid much attention. But a few more of those brothers appeared afterward, so whether it was the second or third, it seemed like someone would be there if called. Anyway, after exining the situation, Tang So-And-So nodded. "If that''s the case, we should call our Ah''er. She should be tending to patients at the Tang n Clinic right now." "Her?" Qing recalled the rather dubious Tang Nanah. Though her face looked fierce, there was something about her that reminded Qing of Senior Sister Wannabe, making her an unreliable choice. "There''s no Poison Master in the Tang n who can handle poisons as freely as Ah''er. I''m not saying this because she''s my sister, but it''s truly a heaven-sent talent." Tang Nanah always carried custom-made Combination Poisons. They were all terrifying poisons that targeted only the face of the opponent. They were actually deadly poisons that were difficult to detoxify, taking effect after just a few breaths. To the n''s Poison Masters, it was heartbreaking that this heaven-sent talent was used to create poisons that merely caused consecutive sneezing or unnoticeable tears. Nevertheless, Tang Nanah was the Tang n''s top Poison Master. The "poison" in Speaking Poison Flower wasn''t just given because the child was vicious, insidious, and ill-tempered. Of course, there was also the fact that the Tang n no longer focused on poisons, so the Poison Masters were just analyzing what was avable and not at a high level. The Tang n now focused on a different area. "Wow. Clinic..." Qing marveled at the sight of the massive Tang n Clinic. The seven wide-open gates revealed a vast courtyard where patients lined up. Physicians sat in rows in the converted main hall, examining patients with solemn expressions. The savory smell of medicinal herbs being decocted whetted one''s appetite from afar. "These are the Seven Great Gates of the Tang n Clinic. Anyone who is sick can freelye and go, so even in the dead of night, at least two gates are always open. This is also why there are no other clinics in Chengdu." "Oooh." The Tang n now focused on medicine. Since there had been no enemies in Chengdu since the time of the Celestial Martial Emperor, the Tang n''s poisonous heart had softened. Thus, they opened the doors of the Tang n Clinic wide and cared for patients for free, even taking a loss on each pulse diagnosis. However, it wasn''t charity. Medicine was originally an umtion of empirical experiences. The umtion of countless cases led to an explosive development in the Tang n''s medical knowledge. Qing nodded at the mention of unlimited free treatment. No wonder the Righteous Karma of the Tang n people wasn''t low. When Tang Nanah pushed aside reservations, people grumbled but didn''t curse her because of the goodwill they had built up usually. Ziyou smiled bitterly. This was also why the Grand Prince didn''t bother to crush these parasites who were gradually nibbling away at his assets. Even if they acted a bit arrogantly and tyrannically, they rarely harmed people, and instead saved lives with their medical skills. Unless it was at the level of embezzling mines or treasonous gunpowder manufacturing, he could turn a blind eye. It could even be said that they were more beneficial than Daoist sects that only ate without producing anything. In one corner of the Tang n Clinic, they found Tang Nanah, who was tending to women. She opened her eyes fiercely and said: "Ha, what is it? Do you think Nanah is someone with nothing to do who will do whatever you ask and look at whatever you want her to see? And my Oppas should know better too. Falling head over heels for that unworthy one and throwing away their pretty little sister. Hmph." Ah. They did say she had a nasty temper, huh. Yeah, I did think she was unexpectedly docile for someone said to have a nasty temper. This was the Tang Nanah without Peng Chaolei next to her. "Look here. It''s not about any little thing, but a matter of water management. Personal feelings shouldn''t..." "What are you saying? The weakling who tagged along seems to have a mouth that is used far too much." Then she dipped into the water they brought, tasted it, tilted her head side to side several times, and finally took a big gulp and drank it all down. "There''s nothing wrong with it? Making a fuss over nothing. Ridiculous. Everyone get out! Nanah is going to see patients." Because her face was pretty, even when she referred to herself by name, it didn''t trigger the urge to give her a nuclear noogie. If it had been Crutch or Jin Jangmyeong, they probably would have deserved a nuclear noogie. Anyway, she didn''t seem willing to help, and it felt wrong to hold back a physician who said she was going to tend to patients. That''s when it happened. "Hmm. Where is Nanah... Oh. Qing''er. With something covering your face, I can see you even from afar." It was Peng Chaolei, who hade to the Tang n Clinic after hearing that they had prepared Shiquan Teapills4 that she had personally brewed. "Ah. Hello. Good morning, isn''t it?" "Morning? Qing''er, a martial artist should be diligent. The sun is already high in the sky, so you shouldn''t say such things. A proper martial artist should wake up when dawn is still screaming and sweat through training." "Unni!" Peng Chaolei, who didn''t seem like she would do such a thing, suddenly started nagging. Fortunately, Tang Nanah interrupted the nagging by rushing out and hugging the nagger''s arm. "Hehe, Unni, you came?" "Oh my. Were you in the middle of tending to patients? I didn''t see you that way, but you have an admirable side? That''s good. That''s really good." "Hehe. It''s nothing. ¡­Wait, huh?" What''s this? Something''s strange. Is this supposed to be raise? While Tang Nanah was slightly confused... "But I feel left out. Are you all gathering without me? Qing''er, is there something fun going on?" "The only fun thing is that the Greatest Chef Under Heaven here is going to make us lunch. Other than that, there''s an unfun thing. They say the water has gone bad." At this, Peng Chaolei''s face became as serious as if something had gone bad within her too. Everyone except Qing knew it was a serious problem. "That is indeed a serious problem. Ah. So that''s why Nanah was trying to check?" "Of course! Who else in the world but me would volunteer for such a serious matter!" As she said this, she shot a venomous re that seemed to say ''Don¡¯t you dare speak''. Qing and Ziyou thought as they watched this scene. Isn''t she like a dog? For some reason, she looks just like a dog. ----Something dide out. Even Tang Nanah looked surprised. "There''s a fish called Oyangjeuk that carries poison. If it spreads inrge numbers, it could dissolve in the water to some extent. But it''s not particrly harmful to the body. Unless you get stung by a Hongdusangyeobong after eating it. But anyway, they only live in Yunnan, so there''s no need to be careful in Sichuan." "Ah! That''s right! I thought the taste was familiar, it was the fishy taste of Oyangjeuk! Eut?" Bai Changzi interrupted Tang Nanah''s words and shouted, then suddenly grabbed the back of his neck. He seemed to pull out a thin needle, and then his nose turned bright red and started gushing mucus. "How dare a mere chef interrupt someone''s words. Hmph." Tang Nanah looked at Bai Changzi with a sour expression. "By the way, is he even human? How does he notice a change in water taste just because some river fish have changed?" "Ish true. I am the Greatesht Chef Under Heaven, sho of courshe I would notishe. Thish ish the pride of the Greatesht Chef Under Heaven. Sho, what should we do now? Are we jusht going to leave it like thish?" Bai Changzi asked, undeterred by his runny nose. In a way, he was a very consistent person. "Anyway, Oyangjeuk can''t survive the winter, so they''ll all disappear after this winter. But, it is a bit strange." Tang Nanah furrowed her beautiful brow. "Oyangjeuk is a fish that only lives in Yunnan, so it doesn''t suit Sichuan at all. The water doesn''t match from the start. But you¡¯re saying it has reproduced enough for the poison to dissolve in the water?" "It''sh shtrange. There hasn''t been any increashe in Oyangjeuk at the market." It was a way of thinking that only a chef would utilize. If Oyangjeuk had reproduced, wouldn''t fishermen have immediately caught them and put them out in the market? "Then, is someone trying to farm them? If the whole Min River is like this, it must be upstream at Dujiangyan. What? Someone set up a fish farm at Dujiangyan without the Tang n''s permission? How dare they." Ziyou frowned. To set up a fish farm at Dujiangyan, one should report to the government office and get permission from the rightful owner, the royal prefecture. Why would they need the Tang n''s permission? "Anyway, we''ll know if we check directly, right? I was bored, so this is perfect timing." Peng Chaolei grinned as she summarized the situation. Qing added one more thing. "Let''s eat lunch first."
    1. Yu the Great or Yu the Engineer was a legendary king in ancient China who was credited with "the first sessful state efforts at flood control", his establishment of the Xia dynasty, which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and for his upright moral character.2. Emperor Shun was a legendary leader of ancient China, regarded by some sources as one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors being thest of the Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he lived sometime between 2294 and 2184 BC. Tradition also holds that those with the surname Hu are descendants of Emperor Shun.3. The Tuo River is 655-kilometer-long river in Sichuan province of southern China. The Tuo River is one of the major tributaries of the upper Yangtze River.4. Shi Quan Da Bu Wan, also known as Shiquan Dabu teapills, is a Chinese ssic herbal form. In Japanese kampo, it is known as "J¨±zen-daiho-t¨­". It ismonly made into Chinese patent medicine. It isposed of two famous forms which tonify the blood and the qi plus the addition of huang qi and rou gui.
Chapter 117: Water Knows The Answer. (3) The greatest architectural achievement in Chinese history. This referred to the Dujiangyan. Built around 250 BC, this structure literally cut through a mountain to create a waterway. One must think; in those ancient times, what tools could they have had? Using only the primitive method of heating rock faces with furnaces and then breaking them, they ultimately created a new river that didn''t exist in nature. The farnd created this way was equivalent to 25,000 sports stadiums by the standards of Qing''s homnd. Thend of Sichuan, which was originally a humid, hot, and dense jungle, was transformed into primend capable of nurturing all under heaven. Qing listened to this proud exnation with one ear and let it out the other. It all depended on one''s background, after all. In her homnd, they were already experts at controlling waterways. What''s so great about just dividing a waterway and building some embankments that they have to make such a fuss? What was more impressive was the cooking of the Greatest Chef Under Heaven. The taste was as excellent as the chef''s conviction. In other words, she ate an enormous amount. Thanks to that, after eating, drowsiness was washing over her, and she just wanted to take a nap. Why make such a fuss over a few foreign fish species entering the water? As she arrived at Dujiangyan while nodding off like this, what she saw was just an impressive waterside. ces with stakes driven in,s connected, and tents pitched above were all fish farms. The aquaculture technology of primitive ancient uncivilized China was just about this level - the mere act of confining fish and feeding them was considered farming. The group began checking each farm, starting from the closest one. "Please, o¡¯ Master. This stake was driven in by my grandfather, and my father and I have managed it to grow it to this point." "So, where''s your permit?" Tang Nanah shot back confidently, then nced at Peng Chaolei. It was a mysterious phenomenon where both her rudeness and politeness increased simultaneously when Peng Chaolei was in sight. "Well, about that..." The fisherman trailed off. That''s right. Even in Qing''s homnd, a world where the rule ofw had been established through legition, wasn''t it the same? Every valley was full of less-than-human parasitic vermin who had lost their conscience,ying out tforms and overcharging while iming baseless ownership. If the descendants of the great Hwanguk were like this, how much more so would the uncivilized Chinese people be? The basic sentiment of the Central ins people was that anything was fine as long as you didn''t get caught. This had been passed down from ancestors to descendants, continuing into the future as the most fundamental way of thinking of the Chinese people. So, a permit for a fish farm? Only fools and idiots would get such a thing. "No, you lowly... I mean, look here, shouldn''t you inform our Tang n about these things and request protection? How will you receive protection if something happens?" It was a demand for protection fees if they wanted to do business. This was the way of Murim. Why would they learn martial arts just to farm? A better and easier method was to take from those who farm. Because it was an easier and better method, everyone strived to learn martial arts. Of course, there was no need to curse Murim Practitioners. This was the way of humanity; the history of people was that those who have exploit those who don''t. Whether it''s through fists, systems, or the power of wealth. The fisherman''s face fell. "It''s... it''s not that profitable a business." "Is that so? Well, then there''s nothing we can do. I wonder if other fish farms want protection or not..." Only then did the fisherman realize he had no other choice. If other fish farms caused trouble and they were backed by the Tang n''s influence, he would have to give in without resistance. If he resisted unnecessarily, the Tang n''s martial artists woulde in force. After all, the Tang n was a righteous prestigious orthodox sect that properly delivered on the protection fees they received. Since he hadn''t reported to the government office, it was obvious the authorities wouldn''t get involved. "I''ll take it! Of course, I should request protection from the Tang n''s experts!" "Good. When a Tang n warrior visitster, settle the ount and receive a g. Until then, you can say the Speaking Poison Flower guaranteed it." Qing watched this scene and thought: Wow, she''s good at business. She is different from Crutch after all. Maybe it¡¯s because I saw her tending to patients this morning, but she seems somewhat smart. Despite her appearance, she''s actually a proper doctor of traditional medicine! Only Ziyou looked ufortable. And Ziyou, being a Grand Prince, didn''t particrly hide his difort. "I see. Private groups profit even though the government is right there." At thisment, Qing burst intoughter. "Have you ever seen the government actually work? What''s the difference?" From Qing''s objective numerical observations, the Evil Karma of those affiliated with government offices was much higher than that of Murim Practitioners. This was probably because Orthodox Murim Practitioners actually caught thieves and gangsters to match the protection fees they received. And incidentally, they quickly beat up manageable Demonic Adepts when they appeared. In fact, Orthodox Murim was essentially maintainingw and order in the Central ins. Wasn¡¯t this the case? For reference, look no further than a recent memory of her drifting on a boat. It wasn''t even a government official, but the son of an official who was tyrannical. At this, Ziyou tightly closed his mouth. Qing grinned. "See? Isn''t it kinda embarrassing even though you¡¯re the one to say it?" "...Not all officials are corrupt." "Sichuan seems pretty okay. Just Sichuan, though." The group, or more precisely, the precious daughter of the Sichuan Tang n, conquered the fish farms one by one. Even in this situation, Qing didn''t pity the fishermen. Because Qing, now a proper martial artist with 4 years of experience in the Central ins, knew how the world worked. They cowered because they recognized Murim Practitioners and the Speaking Poison Flower, but if there had been someone who didn''t recognize them, they would have immediately charged at them with bamboo spears. The fishermen were not innocent fish farm owners, but illegal street vendors. At this point, they were almost at the end of the left bank. In fact, the higher up they went, the worse the location became, because the feed used for farming flowed downstream. So while the prosperity should have gradually decreased as they went up, this fish farm had stakes extending far out with several nks reaching far into the distance. A fisherman who had been handlings on the other side began to approach with quick steps as soon as he saw Qing''s group. "Eh?" While Qing frowned, the triumphant Tang Nanah stepped forward again. She had be more and more triumphant with each tent, and now she practically had the air of a feudal lord, unparalleled in arrogance under the heavens. "Hey, Mr. Fisherman. Who gave you permission to farm here?" "Well about that¡­ I apologize, but this is a business approved by the Councilor." "I thought as mu- Huh? Wait, what did you say?" "Since this is a business site approved by the Councilor, if it¡¯s perhaps something the Lord knows about..." The fisherman spoke while shrinking his neck and looking cautious. "Ah. That fat pi- I mean, that person. I was wondering where he kept finding new sources of money." Tang Nanah frowned. The Councilor was essentially the right hand of the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commissioner. The Sichuan Provincial Administration Commissioner was the final authority for provincial affairs in Sichuan, excluding military matters (in modern terms: the Governor), so the Councilor was the second-inmand among Sichuan¡¯s public officials. With the establishment of the royal prefecture, the ranks of officials including the Provincial Administration Commissioner had been pushed down about three steps, though. "If I need to show you the permit..." "No, that''s fine." There was no need to unnecessarily antagonize the Councilor. Just as Tang Nanah was about to back off... Qing, who had somehowe up beside her, chided her. "Young Lady Tang. Didn''t wee all the way here for something other than collecting fees?" Somehow, the Oyangjeuk had be an afterthought, and she was solely focused on selling gs. Tang Nanah''s earlobes turned red. "Right. I mean, no. I-I knew that, okay? Look here. Forget about the protection fee, can we take a look inside? It seems like someone is raising Oyangjeuk inrge numbers." "Oyangjeuk, you say? Who would!" Right as he was saying ¡®Who¡¯, the fisherman stretched out his hand. A beam of sharp light with a long tail rushed towards Tang Nanah''s face. And one delicate hand blocked its path. Qing, who had been slowly approaching and taking position because the fisherman''s Evil Karma seemed unusual, had stretched out her hand. Something slipped between her index and middle fingers. Checking, she found she had caught a dart. Qing, who had inadvertently caught the dart with two fingers, eximed in admiration. "Oooh. That was kinda cool of me, yeah?" "Tch, CHARGHK!" He probably meant to shout "CHARGE!", but... Because a dart was deeply embedded in his shoulder, it ended in a scream. Qing struck the fisherman''s dantian. As he doubled over with an Oof, she grabbed his neck and punctured a hole under his vocal cords with her thumb. At the same time, she grabbed his uninjured arm and rotated it greatly towards his back. Pop, the sensation of the shoulder joint dislocating. The feeling of liberation, as if something loose hade out in one go, was exquisite. Riding the momentum, she rotated it further, and with a tearing sound, she felt the tendons ripping like a fish nibbling on bait. Qing smiled brightly as she pinned the man to the ground and firmly stepped on the middle of his back. As his spine crumbled, the man''s lower body, which had been thrashing, immediately stopped moving and went limp. Because a hole had been punctured under his vocal cords, he couldn''t even scream, and only the loud sound of rough breathing could be heard. Ah! This is the shit. As I thought, destroying bad guys is the best. The Central ins people''s mindset of "It''s fine as long as you don''t get caught" differed from other races in that it wasn''t "It''s okay if you do it secretly" but rather "It''s okay if you eliminate all witnesses." They were the type to kill everyone to silence them if things went wrong, so judging by this Evil Karma, he must have buried quite a few people. "Young Lady Tang, are you okay? You seem very shocked." "Ah, ah. Yes..." Tang Nanah, who had been frozen in a daze, finally focused. "H-Hmph! I could have handled it perfectly well without your help, you know?" "Sure. But catching that dart was pretty cool, right?" "That was a little... No, I mean. It wasn''t cool at all! And that''s not a dart, it''s a throwing de!" Tang Nanah shouted after inadvertently agreeing. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." "What! It''s not just ''Whatever you say''." "Hm? Looks like this guy''s about to die." Qing spoke as if looking at an insect. "I didn''t give him any fatal wounds, though? Did I utilize too much of my previous experiences into that stomp?" As Qing flipped him over with her toe, he was rolling his eyes with ck blood trickling from his mouth. Tang Nanah quickly grabbed Qing''s wrist and pulled her towards herself. "Step back. It''s poison, poison." Then she swiftly cut the clothing around the throwing de embedded in the patient''s shoulder with the tip of a knife. ck blood, killed by the Poison Qi, gushed out. It was at the moment that Tang Nanah''s expression hardened at the unusual details. SCREECH! A violent sound of a flute rang out. Chapter 118: Water Knows The Answer. (4) Qing''s expression immediately turned fierce. This was because among those who yed flutes at people, there were no normal individuals. They were all pieces of shits. Above all, the memory of the Net of Heaven and Earth from Jin Jangmyeong''s time was already etched as a scar in her ample bosom. Soon, fishermen emerged from the cloth-covered fish farm¡¯s interior, each wielding weapons. Qing drew her sword with a chilling gaze. However, there were quite a lot of them. They came pouring out like a disturbed beehive, to the point where it was hard to tell if this was a fish farm or a soldiers'' barracks. "Uh, that''s quite a lot, huh?" This wasn''t said out of panic. If it were, Qing''s expression wouldn''t have been so bright. At a nce, they all seemed to be of simr cultivation, a bunch of easy targets. For Qing, who was strong against the weak, it was just an opportunity to dance with her sword without burden. "Ah. Ziyou! Friend, you stay out of this." Even in this situation, Qing looked out for her weak friend. From their conversation yesterday, Peng Chaolei was also a true martial artist who understood the true joy of being a virtuous, honorable expert. If one had to ssify it, it would be called the ''Pleasure of the Way''. After all, it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to y by looking after the weakling who tagged along. Come to think of it, Tang Nanah''s expression couldn''t have been more urate. Indeed, it was insight worthy of a doctor of traditional medicine! Ziyou tried to protest, but Old Dog quickly grabbed the Grand Prince and tucked him under his waist like a bundle. "No, but..." "Miss, to think you''d look out for the Young Master even in this situation. Please take care of your body." Old Dog expressed his grateful thanks and swiftly retreated with the agility befitting a Master of the Unrestrained Realm. Now with nothing else to worry about, Qing immediately took the lead, taking one step at a time to prepare to meet the enemy. That''s when it happened. The enemies at the front simultaneously threw something, and pouch-like objects crossed the fence in session. As fire caught the yellow phosphorus inside the pouches and mixed with the contents, bright yellow smoke immediately billowed out, forming clouds. The clouds flew straight towards them, riding the wind blowing from the riverbank. "Wait, hey! Poison! Poison! Poison!" Tang Nanah, right behind Qing, grabbed her wrist and made a fuss. Qing smiled and answered. "It''s fine." ck Heavenly Demonic Qi rushed out from the soles of Qing''s feet. Soon, Qing took a light step, Thud. The ground vibrated, and Inner Qi vibrated with it. While centered on Qing, in a wedge shape, it then went SWOOSH! The surface of the earth flipped over, and soil and dry grass all shot up at once. The poison clouds were torn apart left and right, flowing along the grain of their inner texture. The first step of the Heavenly Demon''s Reigning Step. Earth Qinggong. When ten thousand demons advance, the Heavenly Demon takes the lead and steps forward, and even the earth reveres and raises itself to protect the ten thousand demons. It was a legendary Divine Art that was said to be able to break tens of thousands of arrows with properties of the earth rising to a height of ten zhang. Qing, who couldn''t even handle Force, was merely imitating from memory, but with just that Qi Wave alone, she could easily split the smoke screen on the ground. "W-What the?" "Very good! Qing''er!" A fisherman rushed in, but was dumbfounded by the clean air that centered solely around Qing. One must remember that no matter how amazing a technique one encounters, one shouldn''t be distracted during battle. As Qing rushed past, she grabbed the fisherman''s hair, and with that terrifying strength, his body was dragged in a straight line. Qing advanced steadily, stepping with the Heavenly Demon''s Reigning Step in the movement of the Yue Maiden Footwork. With it, her Inner Qi, too, slowly drained out. However, there was nowhere else to use the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Qi. Advancing without holding back, with each step, the ground flipped over, the earth swirled, and the poison fog was pushed aside left and right. "Huh? What the? Where are you going? Why are you¡­?" "Nanah! Come to your senses! Don''t get separated!" "Yes, yes! Unni!" Tang Nanah suddenly came to her senses, and as her hands alternately went in and out of her bosom, she followed with sharp acupuncture needles between each finger. Finally, a straight path was cleared through the pouches emitting poison fog to the crude fence about waist-high. The Alleged Fishermen who had been about to jump into the poison fog in a line hesitated with their weapons raised at this spectacle. Qing plunged into their midst and swung what she held in her left hand magnificently. The fisherman whose hair she had grabbed drew arge circle, and his toes were embedded next to another fisherman''s eye. The battle between toes and eye socket was a loss for both. The fisherman with the dented head was flung away, and at the same time, the caught fisherman''s toe bones were shattered to pieces. This was because the fisherman was wearing sandals woven from mere straw. If he had been wearing safety shoes, only the head of the hit fisherman would have been broken, and the toes of this makeshift human weapon would have been fine. Qing, reconfirming the importance of safety shoes, continued to swing the human weapon itself that she happened to be holding. As it collided with enemies, foot bones and ankle bones were shattered, and when she thrust out the sword with that vicious momentum, the shins and knees were cut off by theirrade''s very sword. Every time she hit an enemy, screams burst out twofold. Even when she missed an enemy, at least one scream burst out, so it was an excellent weapon that at least didn''t disappoint the ears. However, even that didn''tst long. Rip. With the exquisite sensation of tearing through flesh, the left hand she was swinging lost its weight and just swept through the air. The human weapon she had grown fond of flew off somewhere, and only the whole scalp attached to the hair she had firmly grasped remained, dripping blood. "Aw man." Qing casually threw away the wig of actual human hair. As expected, swinging by the hair isn''t economical. Just as Qing was clicking her tongue in disappointment... "You witch!" There was someone charging with a sword de emanating purple Sword Threads. However,pared to his realm, his swordsmanship was only Second-Rate, perhaps somewhere between White and Blue. What¡¯s more, surprisingly, Qing was a swordsman! She had already learned peerless swordsmanship, been trained through duels with Ximen Surin, and even seen the Celestial Martial Emperor''s Sword Style, so her discernment was already that of a true master. Qing scattered the clumsy illusions contained in the swift sword and extended her Moonlight Sword (No. 8) in a straight line towards the enemy''s heart. It was a move that Ximen Surin would have praised as a perfect counterattack if she had seen it. However, the opponent was also in the Late Stage Peak Realm, so he wasn''t easy to deal with; he twisted his body at thest moment, narrowly avoiding his heart and ending up being pierced from his ribs to his back. Then came a woman''s scream, like breaking ss. "No! Gege1!" "Junior Sister! This witch! We need to move quickly!" The Peak Realm fisherman shouted while firmly grasping the thin de of the Moonlight Sword with both hands. Qing tried to pull out the de, but with the bones of his hands protected by a Protective Mirror and interlocked with both hands, thus leaving only the fisherman''s body to keep shaking. It was the mindset of dying together. Qing frowned. She could just let go of the sword, but then she''d be letting go of a Late Stage Peak Realm enemy, which she didn''t want to do. Besides, it somehow felt like losing. Qing raised her right arm high. It was the principle that people used the ground to support their strength; when lifted up, they couldn¡¯t possibly resist. The Late Stage Peak Realm fisherman was lifted up, thus skewered on the sword. Then the slender fisherman running behind him was revealed, and Qing saw her eyes widen. "Let go of my Gege!" Qing answered. "As youmand!" Qing swung her right arm down with all her might vertically. The man skewered on the sword stood on the ground with both feet. Following thew of inertia, only Qing''s de slipped out from between his legs. The Late Stage Peak Realm master who had be a human embodiment of the ÈË shape sprawled on the ground. As his head drooped, it looked more like the character for ''enter'' Èë than ''human'' ÈË. "Gege! Gege!" The woman grabbed and shook her man''s corpse, ignoring the great enemy in front of her. Thanks to this, the diligently gathered hands came loose and were in danger of changing to something resembling the character for ''big'' ´ó. Were they perhaps lovers? A pair whosebined Evil Karma exceeded six hundred. Rather than being united in marriage, it would be better for the world if they stabbed each other and went to the afterlife together. Yet here they were, acting out a melodrama. Remember, the thing Qing hated most in the world was racial discrimination. The second was ching chongs, the third was ckies, next were European imperialists, and finally, in fifth ce was excessive melodrama2. Having satisfied two of the five things she hated most in the world, the verdict was naturally death. Just as Qing was about to enjoy the solid impact of the ck ying Demonic Palm for the first time in a long while... "Junior Brother! You wench! I''ll tear your crotch apart!" A middle-aged fisherman leaped in with an ominous Qi Wave. Shit, what the hell. A Transcendent? Qing took a slight step back. Of course, she didn''t forget to run her mouth. "Tear my crotch apart, you say. Your words are too harsh. To abbreviate, let¡¯s go with YWH. If both are abbreviated, it¡¯s ''CT? YWH¡¯3. Did you know that young people these days all talk like this?" "You wench!" The middle-aged fisherman''s face turned bright red. "Besides, your disciple just died with his crotch torn apart like that. Is that really what you should be saying in front of the grieving widow?" "I''ll kill you!" The middle-aged fisherman''s sword began to emit light on its own. Sword Force. The starlight destruction allowed to those in the Transcendent Realm. At that moment, Qingunched her body. She touched the ground, rolled twice, and charged low, grabbing the ankle of the Junior Sister fisherman who was kneeling. "Junior Sister whose name I don¡¯t know! Since your Senior Brother is cowardly attacking a Peak Realm, I''ll borrow your strength for a bit!" Qing swung her arm in circles above her head. The Junior Sister fisherman rotated at the same speed. "W-What are you doing!" "Pop quiz! Your Junior Sister is rotating at one revolution per second! Her weight is about 80 catties! Her height is about 5.5 chi! Calcte the sister at this moment!" Qing charged while swinging the Junior Sister fisherman. The Transcendent fisherman recoiled greatly, too afraid to even attempt swinging his sword surrounded by Sword Force in actualbat despite reaching the Transcendent Realm; he was busy just backing away. "Junior Sister, I¡¯m counting on you!" Qing staggered and put great force into it, and the Junior Sister fisherman shot out like an arrow in a straight line. Qing followed right behind, raising her sword. The Transcendent fisherman''s choice was self-preservation over his Junior Sister. He leaped high,unching his body into the air, and the fiercely flying Junior Sister fisherman collided with the ground, making a long red line as shended violently. Qing didn''t miss the opportunity and shouted as she charged! "You didn''t catch her! Murderer! You killed her! Your own Junior Sister! And you dare call yourself a Senior Brother?!" Qing reached out her hand while spouting nonsense. DING-! The sound of a temple bell! He never imagined she would use an Air Palm, so the Transcendent fisherman who had carelessly lifted his body into the air had no way to avoid it. Qing quickly ran to the fallen Transcendent fisherman. "P-Please spare..." Qing looked at the Transcendent fisherman''s Evil Karma. If his Evil Karma had been just 200 points lower, she would have spared him. What a shame. "The Junior Sister you killed probably wanted to live too." Qing stomped on the Transcendent fisherman''s neck. Qing''s footprint was deeply engraved on the earth, andpressed meat remained in the shape of the sole of Qing''s leather shoe. It was a historic moment for the Transcendent fisherman''s neck, as it was liberated from his body, but sadly, it was caught by Qing''s hand immediately. Qing raised the Transcendent fisherman''s severed head high. "Enemy general! Defeated!"
    1. The Chinese word g¨¥ ge (¸ç¸ç) trantes to "older brother". In China, it''s alsomon for a girlfriend to call her boyfriend "g¨¥ ge" as a term of endearment.2. Apologies, once again...3. "Crotch Tear? Your words are too harsh."
Chapter 119: Water Knows The Answer. (5) Peng Chaolei''s dadao moved erratically. The fishermen''s True Qi was mixed with an ominous purple color. Purple True Qi was a typical characteristic of Poison Qi. After all, in reality, how many purple-colored poisons could there be? But since True Qi was originally based on Imagery, it was unavoidable. When people think of poison, they imagine purple, so the True Qi of Poison Arts followed that Imagery. Opponents with Poison Arts were extremely troublesome. Even a small scratch could lead to fatal poisoning, so one naturally became protective of their body, unable to maintain an offense and being pushed into a defensive position. "Unni, it''s dangerous!" With a cute Ping Ping sound, something round flew past Peng Chaolei. However, the result was not cute at all; the opponent who was hit by the curved hidden weapon immediately burst into tears, staggering as they couldn''t see. The Tang n''s Petal Lotus, an irregrly shaped lotus-like hidden weapon, was infamous for its disorienting sound and confusing trajectory. It was not easy to handle, showing that Tang Nanah''s achievements as a martial artist were by no means low. Peng Chaolei didn''t miss the opportunity and swung her dadao imbued with Force, causing the fisherman to be horizontally split and roll away. Then, turning her body fluidly, the dadao flowed and cut another fisherman''s waist in half, settling behind Peng Chaolei''s back. It was the preparation movement for the famous Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Dao. To be more specific, it was a family martial art of the Peng n that pursued extreme speed with a massive dadao. When mastered, the rapidly striking dadao was said to have the momentum of five tigers. By using a heavy weapon to achieve extreme speed, it was a peerless dao technique that possessed both weight and speed simultaneously. One swing of the dao could split a person in half, so the surprised fishermen hesitated and widened the distance. Then, they started throwing hidden weapons. Peng Chaolei''s dadao drew dense lines, creating a-like shape. This artful technique was called a Curtain. If done with a sword, it would be a Sword Curtain, but in this case, it was done with a dao, so it would be called a Dao Curtain. With shing sounds, the heavy hidden weapons were deflected by the dao, while the lighter ones were swept away by the wind generated by the dadao. The fishermen got excited at this and threw more hidden weapons. The Curtain originally consumed a lot of stamina and Inner Qi, so it couldn''t be maintained indefinitely. As such, they thought to pour hidden weapons at this time. However, showing off hidden weapons in front of the Sichuan Tang n was futile. Tang Nanah pulled out arge bamboo tube from her bosom. For reference, it was characteristic of Tang n members to keep pulling things out of their bosoms. And the reason why the Tang n was feared was precisely because of what was in those bosoms. The fishermen''s faces turned pale. "Rainstorm of Pear Blossom Needles! Scatter!" Someone shouted a warning, but it was toote. BOOM!!! The sound of explosives. Thousands of thin needles poured out towards the front. Each was a fine needle coated with dried poison. As the needles prated the body, the powdered poison dissolved upon contact with blood, causing people to foam at the mouth and copse shortly after. Peng Chaolei took a breather and looked at Qing. Since Qing had quickly advanced ahead with the old man, the two of them ended up taking charge of the rear, so she wanted to quickly check during this brief lull. "Ha. My goodness..." At that time, Qing was in the middle of grabbing a fisherman''s foot and spinning him around as a threat. Peng Chaolei''s eyes shone. That is the true strength of the flesh! Finally, Qing staggered greatly and threw what she was holding. Then, simultaneously, DING-! The sound of a Buddhist temple bell rang out, causing everyone to look towards the source with surprised eyes. -Enemy general! Defeated! The round thing held up high was probably a head. Peng Chaolei thought that perhaps Qing enjoyed reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, that wasn¡¯t the important thing at the moment. Dealing with the fishermen took priority. "Most Senior Brother!" Some cried out in anguish, while others lost their fighting spirit and pulled back their hips. At that moment, Qing''s voice rang out again. -Those who surrender will diefortably, those who run away will be chased to the end! Those who want to live will die, and those who want to die will also die! It was a threat never heard before in the world. Wasn''t she saying she would kill them no matter what? Even a lowly field mouse would bite an ankle in desperation if cornered, so wouldn''t this rather provoke the enemies? However, before Peng Chaolei couldment, the enemies scattered and ran away. Peng Chaolei marveled. Since they were going to die anyway, was this a decision to scatter so at least one might survive? Perhaps Qing''er''s strategy... In the midst of this, her voice rang out again. -Where are you going! You fuckers, consider yourselves dead! Peng Chaolei thought again. It is a strategy... right? ----There were cases where one won the battle but lost the war. And this was precisely such a case. "Ah. The Oyangjeuk..." The fish farm was empty. After thes on the stakes were cut, all the Oyangjeuk in the vast fish farm had gone into the Min River. Still, it wasn''t aplete loss. At least they had found out the identity of the fishermen. "Yunnan Poison Man, Ja Cheolju. The Most Senior Brother of the Five Poison Sect." Qing tilted her head. How can his alias be Yunnan Poison Man? Then is the Tang n''s most Senior Brother''s alias Sichuan Poison Heaven? Or maybe the Tang n, being a noble n, doesn¡¯t have a Most Senior Brother? Come to think of it, Sichuan Poison Heaven sounds kind of cool. "But how did you win? Ja Cheolju''s realm should be at the Late Stage Transcendent, right? You''re only at the Late Stage Peak Realm, aren''t you? How did you win?" "He didn''t seem that strong, though? Compared to the Demonic Cannibal, there was a huge difference." Of course, Qing was already in a state iparable to that time. Not only her Inner Qi but all her physical abilities had surpassed human limits. However, there was a more fundamental reason. "Our Qing''er had good luck. It seems he couldn''t use his poison out of concern for the woman Qing was grabbing and swinging around." The Poison Dan that Poison Art practitioners possessed was a form where poison was concentrated in the center of the dantian and wrapped with Inner Qi. The more skilled the Poison Art Master, the more vicious the Poison Qi in the Poison Dan bes, so if it was not well-protected by Inner Qi and leaked out, it could harm its owner. As a result, if you exclude Poison Arts from a Poison Art master, they were at the level of a half-cripplepared to others of the same realm. Protecting the Poison Dan limited the usable Inner Qi, and the speed and power of its operation also fell far behind due to the constant attention required. That''s not all. Gathering a Poison Dan was a process of studying all kinds of poisons, absorbing them into the body, and nurturing them. Naturally, they had less time to train with weapons, so they were also half-baked in terms of pure skill. If their dantian was damaged during a fight, they could die from being poisoned by their own poison. "Ugh, Unni. If you say it like that..." Tang Nanah couldn''t hide her disappointed expression. Saying it like that made Poison Arts sound like trash, after all. "Of course, that''s only if you exclude the poison. Since poison doesn''t distinguish between allies and enemies, he was stupidly defeated by a single hostage. But originally, they are quite tricky to deal with." True Qi mixed with Poison Qi would seep in a little poison just by shing or grazing. And that''s not all. They quietly released poison and pushed it in using the principle of Material Void Absorption, or carried around oundish hidden weapons, or spit poison or sprinkle blood - the risk of poisoning was so high that it was even tricky to engage in directbat. However, Qing, who didn''t have to worry about poisoning, roughly concluded. So, people who handle poison are easy targets. Then the Sichuan Tang n isn''t all that either. As Qing was thinking this... Peng Chaolei looked at Qing with a subtle expression. "By the way, Qing''er?" "Yes?" "I saw you fighting, and, ahem. I don''t mean anything by it, so please don''t be offended, but can you listen?" "What is it?" However, Peng Chaolei spoke with a serious expression. "Qing''er. A dao suits you better than a sword." "Oing? Me? I do?" Peng Chaolei answered with a voice full of conviction. "Yes, and a veryrge dao at that." ----Life as a guest was truly paradise. If only Senior Sister Wannabe were here, it would be perfect. Then I could have her help me bathe, doundry, and dress me every morning... Suddenly, a thought urred. Haven''t I be a bit of a degeneratetely? I¡¯m sure that right before I went to the Demonic Cult, I was happily dancing with swords with my Sword Brother. Surely, the Ximen Qing of that time had a soul that sparkled with desire to be a master. How have I be so depraved? Come to think of it, it¡¯s all because of those Crutches. Not walking with my own feet, not washing with my own hands, not dressing myself - I''vepletely let my discipline go. Thinking back on it, it was all the evil scheme of those Demonic Cult bastards. When did I start finding sweating unpleasant? Qing reflected deeply and thought. I should go to the Underground Life and Death Arena starting tomorrow. I need to practice fighting against Transcendent Realm opponents too. So, I''ll just rest for today... As shey down again, something suddenly came to mind. Ah. I forgot about Female Xiang Ji again. As a result of this train of thought, Qing finally confessed to Peng Chaolei about her unintentional impersonation. "So our Qing''er was the Female Xiang Ji of the Underground Life and Death Arena? I heard that Female Xiang Ji also wielded a dadao?" "I left it there because it was annoying to carry around. Actually, if I went out with my face covered and carrying a dadao, people would immediately know who I was." Qing nced at Peng Chaolei''s expression. Peng Chaolei seemed rather pleased. "Then, that means our Qing''er already has a Dao Technique she uses? And one that uses a dadao at that?" "Well, I did learn one along the way. It''s called the Blood Shadow Thunder Lightning Dao Technique." "Oh? From the Royal Demonic Path?" "Ah! You know about the Blood Shadow Thunder Lightning Dao Technique!" "Is there a sect that uses dadao in the world that I wouldn''t know about?" To begin with, there weren''t many sects that used dadao. "However, it''s curious how you came into contact with the martial arts of those vicious Demonic Cult members." "I killed a guy who was called a Young Sect Leader and took it from him." "Excellent!! I happen to have a spare dadao, so why don''t we spar? I''ll overlook the fact that you impersonated my title. What do you say?" "Well, I mean, I''d obviously be grateful if you can do that." After sweating so refreshingly, she felt refreshed and somewhat nostalgic. Moreover, Peng Chaolei was a good instructor. The training level of the Blood Shadow Thunder Lightning Dao Technique increased steadily. And with this, the reason why the sound of shing steel echoed throughout the Tang npound every day was exined. "Qing''er, shall we learn about the dao together?" "I want to learn!" ng ng sh. "Do you know what thergest and most beautiful weapon among all weapons is? It''s the dadao." "The dadao!" ng ng again. "Isn''t the name ''dao'' cool? It''s said to walk the Dao of the Dao. Among daos, a big dao is called the dadao, so the dadao is truly the big weapon among all weapons." "Then let''s go practice the dao." ng ng once more. "Ah. Is there no one else to share the dao with?" "I''m right here~" As the two stuck together and went around like this, there was a woman watching them with tears in her eyes. "That unworthy thing. This can''t go on." Tang Nanah''s gaze turned vicious. Chapter 120: Water Knows The Answer. (6) Tang Nanah thought it was an extremely cowardly method. If one wanted to capture the heart of her sister-inw, they should boldly tter her, build friendship through aegyo, and win her over with gifts of rare treasures. But resort to something as cowardly as Dao Techniques... This impacted Tang Nanah even greater precisely because she had already witnessed Qing''s monstrous strength, swinging people as weapons. Hmph. If you have strength, I have poison. Wouldn''t it be enough to make Unni lose interest in you immediately? It didn¡¯t matter whether Tang Nanah was plotting such a terrible scheme or not. After all, Qing didn¡¯t give a flying fuck. She was just enjoying her training after a long time. Peng Chaolei was, strictly speaking, an experienced martial artist belonging to the previous generation. The gap between generations of Rising Stars was ambiguous. It was originally a phenomenon caused by the hierarchy allocation of prestigious sects. When Rising Stars settled into positions in their sects, they would pass on the Rising Star positions to the next generation. This happened roughly when their peers did the same, as they also started to have roles in noble ns. So the oldest current Rising Star was Daoist Changbin (Expert to the female hart, no dating experience, unmarried, 30 years old), and Peng Chaolei, who was about to turn thirty-seven, was one generation senior to the current Rising Stars, having associated with experts of the previous allocation. With the experience of being one generation senior, along with a higher realm at the Early Stage Transcendent Realm, and superior in pure skill, almost every moment was an extension of a new Dao of the Dao. Qing''s dadao drew a full moon. Peng Chaolei diagonally met it with an identical-looking dadao, supporting the de with one hand, causing a hair-raising sound of scraping metal and sparks to fly as the two dadaos rubbed against each other. The tip of Qing''s dadao hit the ground. Peng Chaolei''s dadao instantly changed direction and thrust straight forward, causing Qing to stick close to the ground as if kneeling, letting it pass over her head. And then¡­ Now! Qing twisted the handle of the dadao with all her might, attempting a terrifying upward sh with the de. However, that attempt was futile as Peng Chaolei''s kick to the de caused the weapon to tilt, twisting Qing''s waist. "An opening!" Peng Chaolei''s fist extended towards Qing''s exposed side. It was a fist imbued with the experience of having broken rocks. But just before impact, the fist extended its index finger and poked Qing''s side. Qing jumped up with a Kyahehe, an unfinishedugh, and copsed in giggles. "This child. It is quite unlike you to be ticklish." "Kuhup, can''t help being ticklish." "I''m surprised. I didn''t see you that way, but you have unexpectedly feminine sides." "...?" Qing tilted her head. Of course, Qing would normally be horrified at being called feminine, but hearing that she wasn''t like that made her feel strange. Rather than that, isn''t my evaluation strangely ungenerous? Why on earth? Does everyone do this once they get a little close? Is there something wrong with my attitude? Qing seriously reflected on herself. The conclusion came quickly. I''m always truthful and sincere, though? Maybe this is just how friendship culture is in the Central ins. Come to think of it, whether here or there, people usually joke around andugh together once they get close. "That upward sh just now wasn''t a good technique. Originally, all weapons have their strengths and weaknesses, and the development of martial arts focuses on utilizing strengths. A dadao should flow from top to bottom, following such a principle, to exert its full power." "But wouldn''t that make it the very definition of an unexpected move..." "Well, I am not so sure. Since you''re also good at wrestling, it might have been better to let go of the dao or throw some dirt. By forcibly turning the de, your arm was already twisted, so the direction wasn''t straight and the power was reduced. Your body opened up with one kick, so you died once. Isn''t that right?" Unlike a certain Mr. Someone from the Namgung family, Peng Chaolei didn''t pursue only the dadao. Rather, ording to Peng Chaolei, the dadao was a weapon unsuited for the times. First of all, setting aside the inconvenience of carrying it, being a heavy weapon, it basically had to be handled with both hands, which was disadvantageouspared to other short weapons that could mix Hand Arts or Palm Techniques with the free hand. Its advantagesy in its long reach and powerful destructive force, but as the level of martial arts rose, these aspects were supplemented through Qi, so the unique advantages of the dadao were gradually dying out. Yet when asked why she still insisted on the dadao, Peng Chaolei''s answer was simple. ¡®Because it''s the foundation of our family. If it could be easily reced for convenience, it wouldn''t be called a foundation.¡¯ Despite saying this, Peng Guy1 didn''t use a dadao. "The dao is often said to be Obedient, while the sword is said to Defy Heaven, because the subtleties of these two weapons lie in different ces. The dadao moves from top to bottom. It''s about flowing like water without hitting the ground and then rising like clouds. It''s not all about wielding it with force." "Oing." It seemed familiar, and suddenly a Sutra came to mind. Qing raised her dadao again. "Let''s try again." "Alright. Come." Qing flew with the Zero-Gravity Flight of the Yue Maiden Footwork and dropped the dadao forward with a thud. The dadao, which was falling in a thick stroke, suddenly wavered and collided with Peng Chaolei''s, bouncing off at an angle. At that moment, a sunset-colored Dao Qi suddenly rose up, drawing the shape of falling leaves, and with one sh, there was a loud sound of metal striking four times. Peng Chaolei leaped back. "Oooh. What was that? That Dao Technique just now?" "Uh. It''s the Yue Maiden Sword Technique." It was an application to the dadao of a Sword Style from thetter three Movements that didn''t work well with a sword. "Hmm. The Yue Maiden Sword Technique, is it. It''s such an old sword technique. Originally, in those times, swords and daos weren''t clearly distinguished, so they were just called ''des''." Suddenly, a girl appeared. Wearing blue clothes dyed with indigo, her hair was disheveled, but she clearly had the lines of a woman. And so, the girl performed a de dance, but what she held was not a sword but merely a tree branch. The girl looked at Qing, smiled gently, and then danced, ovepping with several other images of her as one. The girl flowed through eight Sword Styles, her dance movements overflowing with joy and excitement, apanied by clear, ringingughter. What the girl held was at once a slender, flexible branch that kept bending and swaying. At other times, a straight, elegant wooden sword. And sometimes, arge trunk of a great tree with many small branches attached. All could be called tree branches, but their shapes, sizes, and weights varied. Straight and short ones, curved and long ones, solid ones, stic and swaying ones. Large ones. Ones with small branches attached. Dried and precarious ones, and ones with just sharp points... Suddenly, the surroundings turned dark, and the girl became transparent, revealing a figure made of constetions with stars connected to stars. Dazzlingly bright starlight. In a ce still too far away. Yet always within reach if one extended their hand. Suddenly, a semi-transparent rectangr screen appeared before her eyes. Ominous glowing text flickered, and just as Qing was about to reach out and touch it... Someone poked her side. Qing turned her head to see the blue-d girl looking at her and shaking her head. "Hm?" "What''s wrong?" "Huh?" Qing scanned her surroundings. It¡¯s still the Tang n''s training ground¡­ Then what was that? A hallucination? Qing looked down at the dadao in her hand. She examined the dadao closely, swung it around, and tapped various parts of the de with her finger, listening to the sound. Qing finally understood the dadao. Understanding its length, weight, bnce, and bias through an unquantified intuition, her heart raced with the desire to draw the countless lines, points, and shapes that could extend from it. "Let''s try again. I saw something." The ensuing duel was more intense than ever before. Unlike the previous one-sided instructional sparring, Qing now faced Peng Chaolei with equal skill. Peng Chaolei summarized Qing''s state. "Congrattions. You''ve entered the initial stage of Dao Body Unification." "Dao Body Unification?" "I don''t know why you can''t achieve Force Compression despite being on the verge of this Enlightenment. Originally, only after a person knows their body, knows their weapon, and surpasses the realm of handling that weapon as part of their body, can they learn to ce the center of their mind in the weapon." "Ah, I know that! Master said that too. That''s Sword Body Unification!" Qing spoke with apletely clueless expression. This made Peng Chaolei burst intoughter. Ximen Surin had already demonstrated Sword Body Unification. A person holding a sword, yet the person themselves were not visible. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean they were literally invisible. It was as if her Master was hiding behind that thin sword, or rather, the sword''s presence was so strong that one couldn''t pay attention to her Master holding it. It was a strange sight that made one''s heart shrink and senses distort just by looking at it. "I''m not sure, but maybe I''ll understand if we keep going?" "My, my. Look at this child. I didn''t see you that way, but you''re unexpectedly a born martial artist?" "What on earth are you even seeing..." As Peng Chaolei burst into heartyughter... "Unni! Ximen Whatever! Oh my, look at that sweat. Aren''t you hot?" With a gentle voice, Tang Nanah walked into the training ground. She was carrying arge tray. "Training is good, but have something cool to drink. I prepared some snacks." "Oooh. Something cold. And snacks." Qing brightened up and plopped down on the ground. If Ximen Surin had seen this, she would have immediatelyunched a fierce attack, but the one next to her was Peng Chaolei. As such, Peng Chaolei also sat down amicably next to her, so there was no one to point out this terrible sight. "Here, this is for Unni. And this is for Ximen Whatever." Peng Chaolei ced the portions from the tray in front of them one by one. Unlike Peng Chaolei''s te, which was clearly neatly arranged, a pile of something roughly stacked was ced in front of Qing. "Hey, don''t discriminate with food." "Yours has more, you know?" "I acknowledge this as righteous discrimination." Qing immediately changed the tune of her words. After all, decoration wasn''t important. What mattered was taste and quantity. Qing immediately picked up arge bowl. The finely crushed ice made a pleasant clinking sound as it shook. Just as Qing was about to put it to her lips, she lowered the bowl at the sound of gulping. When looking towards the source of the sound, Qing saw that Tang Nanah was staring intently at her. "What do you want? Are you thirsty?" "No, no, no, what are you saying? Go on, drink up. It''s citron tea with rock honey. It''s sweet, sour, cool, and delicious. I didn''t add anything else at all." "Ah. Citron honey tea." Qing brightened up and downed the citron honey tea. Having just sweated all over, it felt like her body was absorbing every drop she drank. "Kyaaah. That''s good." Qing put down the half-finished cold tea and immediately reached for the snacks. That''s when Tang Nanah asked with an expectant look. "How is it?" "Hm? It''s delicious. Cool and refreshing." "And? Don''t you feel anything else?" Qing tilted her head. What''s this, is there some secret ingredient? Qing put down the snack for a moment and took a big sip of the cold tea, rolling it around with the ice in her mouth. Sweet, sour, and something... flowery. "Gulp. I got it. Mint, right? My tongue might not be as urate as Mister Changzi''s, but it''s pretty good, you know?" "Eh?" "Ah, wait, no. Is it cinnamon? The aftertaste seems a bit spicy too?" "Eh?" Tang Nanah looked at Qing, seemingly confused. Then she looked at Peng Chaolei in surprise. "Ah. Nanah, thank you. It tastes good." Peng Chaolei raised her cup and responded with a smile in her eyes. Tang Nanah grinned. "Hehe, it''s nothing. ...Eh?" Then her expression was full of doubt as she looked back at Qing. She looks somewhat stu-, no, like Senior Sister Wannabe. She seemed quite convincing when she was acting as a doctor of traditional medicine. So why is it that she keeps looking like Crutch? Shouldn''t her base intelligence itself be in a whole different league? "What''s with you." "Hm? What do you mean?" "This is strange. Here, let me see that." Tang Nanah snatched Qing''s cold tea and gulped it down. And a momentter. Suddenly, with a painful groan of Aheuk, she clutched her stomach and started sneezing. "You, you deceived m-, achoo. Hee, ow, achoo! Ugh. Argh, my stomach, achoo!" "What the? Are you okay?" "My stomach hur-, ah, achoo! Achoo! Achoo!" This time it was three sneezes in a row. For anyone who had experienced it, they would know that consecutive sneezing was quite painful. Sure enough, her eyes turned red with tears flowing, and snot dripped from her nose. Even if she was the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan or whatever, there was no avoiding ugliness when she had a contorted expression and tears and snot were flowing. It was an unavoidable human limitation, after all. "I, my stomach, ugh, ow, achoo!" Tang Nanah clutched her stomach and got up, leaving somewhere in an awkward, stumbling gait that was urgent yet clumsy. "Did she eat something wrong?" Qing muttered as she finished the rest of the cold tea. This is really well-made. I should ask for more. And so, in the already darkening surroundings, only the sound of sneezing continued, gradually fading into the distance.
    1. I forgot to put a footnote for this. But this actually says "Peng Ganom". However, as exined in an earlier chapter, the Ganom can mean "Guy/Bastard from that n". So, the nickname for Peng Daesan right now is "Peng n Guy".
Chapter 121: Tang Clans Paper Flower (1) Everyone had a memory of a taste that was etched in their mind and wouldn¡¯t go away. However, whether that delicious memory remained because it was truly tasty, or if it was just a temporary excitement due to the body and emotional state, could only be known by eating it againter. Like the snack bar from the days of receiving school lunches. Qing had developed such a thing too, and it was the citron honey cold tea she drankst night. She couldn''t distinguish whether the citron honey tea with the secret ingredient was delicious, or if her body, having sweated a lot, was just crazy about the cool liquid. So Qing thought about asking for a cup and visited the Tang n Clinic to find Tang Nanah. By the way, were there always this many patients? The servants and maids were busy carrying medicinal herbs and decoctions, with lines of patients filling the Seven Great Gates. Perhaps because of this, Tang Nanah looked very haggard. Her skin, which was always clean with powder, was pale without makeup for some reason, and her hair was roughly tied up without being washed. Her lips were dry without rouge, and there were dark circles under her eyes, making her look like she hadn''t slept for days. Last night she had disappeared clutching her stomach. Did she perhaps get a stomach illness? They say doctors can''t cure their own illnesses, after all. "You don''t look well. Are you okay?" "W-Wot?" Tang Nanah jumped at this. Somehow, her eyes were full of resentment, and they even started to moisten. "You ask if I''m okay? Last night, I... Yesterday." Tang Nanah''s mouth opened and closed as if she couldn''t bring herself to speak, and finally, a single tear rolled down her cheek. "If it''s that hard, why don''t you just go and rest?" "Hmph, do you think I''m as free as someone like you? There''s chaos because of the Oyangjeuk Juice, I can''t just not show up because I''m a little tired." "Oyangjeuk Juice? Do you mean that carp juice?" "That¡¯s right. Right now, there''s a mild Combination Poison symptom spreading widely, but we don''t know where the bee venom came from..." Oyangjeuk Juice, true to its name, had no poisonous properties on its own and waspletely harmless when ingested. However, whenbined with the poison of the Hongdusangyeobong1, it would cause high fever and rashes, making people sick for days. If blue ant venom was added to that, it would transform into a deadly poison that could make people struggle between life and death. So, if the Five Poison Sect was actually bringing in Hongdusangyeobong as suspected, they must have been sprinkling boric acid on flower beds and shaking trees throughout Chengdu. Yet they hadn''t found a trace of bees. And even though they hadn¡¯t, people showing mild symptoms ofbined poisoning had started lining up at the Seven Great Gates over the past few days. "How?" "Those crazy bastards seem to have grown vegetables." Since there was only one clinic in Chengdu, the Tang n Clinic, they had examined all those patients and concluded that when they investigated the vegetablesmonly eaten, bee venomponents were found. The shocking conclusion was that they seemed to have cultivated the vegetables by mixing bee venom into the water when watering them. "Then can''t you just stop people from eating them?" "We''ve already identified several. If they keep changing the items, we can''t help but bete in responding. For now, we''ve told people not to use river water and we''re putting counteragents in the wells, but..." Since the water wasn''t stagnant, it was like pouring water into a broken pot. "Then can''t you just get rid of the Oyangjeuk? Like a poison that selectively kills only Oyangjeuk?" "Are you going to keep saying stupid things? Where would such a poison exist?" "What if you mobilize all the fishermen?" "We''ve already put out a bounty of one silver sycee per fish to try and reduce the numbers, but even after ten gold sycees have gone out, the water still remains the same. It seems like those bastards are buying them from Yunnan instead of catching them at Dujiangyan." "Then what if you exin the situation and ask for cooperation?" At this, Tang Nanah looked at Qing as if she was pathetic. "If we do that, half the people in Chengdu will run away, half of those who remain will be bandits, and the rest will just end up shedding blood for no reason. Isn¡¯t that so?" "Ah. Right." Qing realized her mistake. This was primitive, uncivilized, uncivilized, uncivilized China. It was a world where one couldn''t expect mature civic consciousness and shouldn''t expect it. Then suddenly, a thought urred. "Anyway, we just need to get rid of the Oyangjeuk, right?" "What, are you going to ughter them with that oh so great Dao Technique of yours?" "No. Just say it''s good for virility." Tang Nanah frowned. "What the? What does that even mean? How does that make any sense?" "Why wouldn''t it? Look at those vigorous and special salmon, I mean carp, that havee all the way up from Yunnan against the current. Surging up the river! Ascending all the way up! Something¡¯s rising! Who knows what it is, but it surely is rising! Ah, it really is good, but I can¡¯t really exin it." Tang Nanah''s face turned bright red. "S-Such v-vulgar words. How can you say such embarrassing things out loud?" "Anyway, there''s no harm in trying, right? If it works, great, if not, then that''s that." "And if we do it that way, the people who eat it will be properly pickled in Oyangjeuk Juice." "Didn''t you say there was a counteragent or something? Tell them to boil it together with that and eat it." "Hmm...?" Tang Nanah seemed to think for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait? Then I¡¯m going to say it was your idea, okay?" "Then what else would you say? Were you nning to pretend it was your idea?" Is it because her eyes resemble a cat''s? Why does she look so evil just by her eyes lighting up? Or is her face just naturally a bit hateful? Qing thought this as she nodded her head. ----A few dayster, at Dujiangyan. Countless fishermen cast their fishing rods with their ankles dipped in the riverbank. Not just the riverbank, but fishermen on boats in the river were spaced at regr intervals, their eyes bloodshot as if they were prospectors out looking for gold. "Oooh, it''sing, it''s here!" A fisherman''s fishing rod bent like a bow. After a struggle with the bending rod, a plump Oyangjeuk was pulled out, pierced through its forehead. Amidst envious nces from around, several fishermen slowly inched closer. Originally, there was a basic rule among anglers (fishermen) not to invade another person''s territory. If not, lines would get tangled, thus only increasing discord between them, and the fish would just eat the bait and leave. For some strange reason, the fishermen who broke this rule were always old guys in casual attire, as if on a neighborhood stroll. And this was true for the Central ins as well. Or perhaps this trait originated from the continent and spread to various regions. At any rate, the truth lies deep in the river and cannot be known. Meanwhile, some were even throwings, but they were just releasing the misceneous fish they pulled up because the only species they were after was the Ascending Oyangjeuk. Ascending Oyangjeuk! It was named Ascending Oyangjeuk because it was said that if you boiled and ate it, even your thing would ascend with it. ¡®Where else would that virilitye from, havinge all the way up from distant Yunnan against the current?¡¯ was what they said. Moreover, it was also said that thanks to this, the Tang n Lord had seven sons in a row because his Yang Qi ascended. The rumor had already spread widely, with dozens of people iming to have seen effects, making it seem efficacious. However, even fake medicine could have great effects due to people''s belief, so it couldn¡¯t be said to be aplete lie. There were some who said it had no effect. But the prevailing theory was that they must have mistakenly bought fakes sold in the market. And so, during the harvest season, an unexpected wild Oyangjeuk craze blew through. ----In Tang Nanah''s eyes, Ximen Qing was a dhole... no, not quite a dhole, more like a six-month-old kitten with a wild nature, always looking for an opportunity to embarrass her. So she had conveyed Qing''s suggested method to the household conference with great confidence. You see! Young Lady Ximen! Came up with a solution! While putting her name on the line! And her honor too! Even her Master''s name! Saying she''d take full responsibility if it didn''t work! Ah, so, what it is is... Oyangjeuk is good for... so, we should spread a rumor. It''s good for that, you know, that... So, like what that is is... You know, that... that thing... Ugh, the cock! ...The phallus. The Yang Thing. She felt embarrassed alone afterward, though, not knowing what to do with herself. Anyway, the household members said there was no way people would go out fishing over such a simple trick. Especially in such a busy season. No way they actually do such a thing. One Elder even expressed his difort, saying it was treating the people of Sichuan likeplete idiots. So it was two weeks ago that Tang Nanah, with a red face, inwardly rejoiced. "Hoho, that''s right. Since that''s what men care about most, the Ximen child has hit the perfect weak spot. She indeed made such bold ims for a reason." "I didn''t know Young Lady Ximen possessed wisdom as well. I thought her words and actions were only frivolous." "Isn''t it as if everyone living in Chengdu has received grace from the Young Lady?" "To solve a problem that twenty gold sycees couldn''t solve by just spreading a single rumor!" Thanks to this, her status rose practically vertically from a pretty beggar who just ate food to a wise girl whose true nature was hard to fathom. "No! Why?! Why did that work?!" Only Tang Nanah fumed alone. However, once the water returned and the clinic became less busy, there was another side effect. "So, perhaps tonight, together on a boat..." "You punk, how dare you try to make a move in front of me? Huh? How dare you." "No, wait, Elder Brother. How can you interfere like this?" Because the Oyangjeuk couldn''t evenst two weeks before being nearly wiped out, the Tang n Clinic returned to normal. This meant that once again, the burdensome flirtations of the five brothers plus the chagrined youngest and the first son walking on pins and needles had begun. If they were bad guys, she would have pped the shit out of them, telling them to lower their eyes. But these were very brothers who had taken care of patients, even cutting into their sleep when chaos broke out due to the Combination Poison of carp and double-killer bees. There was only one safe ce from these brothers in the Tang n, and that was the women''s clinic in the corner of the Tang n Clinic. It was because, officially, there were no female physicians in the Central ins. This was because physicians did not recognize women as physicians. Instead, women who learned medicine were called "Medicine Hags," which meant old women who just decoct medicine. Or it was also used as an insult meaning someone who looked like a lowly beggar, hunched over and merely gathering herbs. "Hey, you Medicine Hag of an old woman." was how it was used. However, if someone said such things in Sichuan, they wouldn''t die peacefully of natural causes, because the women of the Tang n were basically female physicians who studied medicine. As a result, they detested men entering the women''s clinic. Even the seven direct descendants of the Tang n were reluctant to enter due to this pestering pressure. As such, Qing immediately took refuge in the women''s clinic. Because of this, Choi Leeong undeservedly received cold treatment, but since he was an old man who always had a gentle expression and lowered himself to show courtesy to everyone except young men, he was respected after a short while. And so, while Qing was watching the examinations from behind Tang Nanah, simultaneously embarrassing and annoying both the physician and patients while taking refuge, it happened. As the next patient came in and approached quietly, only Qing could see their Evil Karma. And that very person said... "Nemesis of the Most Senior Brother! DIEEE!"
    1. This is a type of bee. I can''t find any reference to it, though.
Chapter 122: Tang Clans Paper Flower (2) The woman pulled something out from her bosom. She grabbed a long cylinder and aimed it at Tang Nanah, with a string attached to the back that she held with her other hand. Qing didn''t know what the object was. But as someone from the modern world, she could immediately recognize that a long cylinder pointing at someone was extremely dangerous. Qing was startled and pushed Tang Nanah while reaching out towards the cylinder. However, Tang Nanah recognized what it was. It was a type of hidden weapon called a Needle Tube. It was a hidden weapon that used the tension of stretched leather or tendons to fire needles inside, usually not powerful enough to be considered lethal on its own. The problem was that the needles were coated with poison. As Tang Nanah rolled from her sitting position in a world that seemed to be turning, she saw Qing''s back as she took a step forward, and a hand imbued with sunset-colored Qi extending through the gap below her surprisingly wide hips for her body type. Tang Nanah screamed out: "Run aw...!" But it was toote. THWACK! The sound of strong tension striking leather. At the same time, thousands of tiny objects reflected off the palm, sweeping the area in front of Qing like a storm. In a world moving slowly due to momentary concentration, the short broken needles embedded themselves into the woman''s body with a rapid pattering sound, her skin rippling as she was pushed back and floated into the air. As time''s flow returned to normal, the woman who had been flung away collided with the door frame and tumbled down. Tang Nanah, who had rolled one and a half turns from her sitting position and sprung up, immediately grabbed Qing''s wrist. "Hey! You! What are you doing?! Do you even know what that was?!" Then she pulled Qing''s long hand in front of her face and started kneading it. "It''s okay. I deflected them." "You idiot! What if even one needle had hit you?!" Tang Nanah pulled Qing''s palm close, almost burying her nose in it, rubbing and kneading while her eyes moved rapidly. But the White Hand of the White Hand Demonic Arts wasn''t soft enough to be pierced by mere needles. "What the? Was she trying to die or something?" The woman had something like cactus spines chaotically embedded all over her exposed skin and clothes. ck, blue, and purple spots were rapidly spreading on her skin, and blood was flowing from her mouth, nose, and ears, while her eyes were still filled with blood, turning the whites red. "Most Senior Brother, I''m sorry. I couldn''t... avenge you..." "Is that important right now?!" Tang Nanah was busy examining Qing''s palm, not even paying attention to the assassin. As the assassin still red at them with a resentful expression even in that state, Qing waved her free hand and smiled, seeing off the dying person. "Kuhak!" At this, the woman''s eyes bulged, and she vomited blood before her eyes zed over. It was truly a fitting end for a high-spirited assassin. In carrying out her mission, she clearly exined why the target had to die, which was a way of preaching that didn¡¯t withhold enlightenment, even to an enemy. Moreover, even while dying after failing, she tried to kill the interferer by shooting res until the end, showing an admirable professional spirit. However, what she didn''t know was that res didn¡¯t have any oomph and couldn¡¯t kill people. This must be ack of knowledge because the physics of the Central ins is still at a primitive level. If she at least hadn''t shouted "Nemesis of the Most Senior Brother! DIE!", Tang Nanah, who was the target, wouldn''t have been able to avoid the poisoned needles. But it was something that those who say they will avenge their nemesis absolutely could not resist. If one could give up the sentiment of "Know why you''re dying and regret it!", would they havee into the heart of enemy territory to shoot hidden weapons in the first ce? After meticulously examining the palm for even the slightest scratch as small as a hair, Tang Nanah finally let out a long sigh of relief. Then she immediately shouted: "That was dangerous! Who in their right mind would block that with their hand, no matter how confident they are in their Hand Arts!" "Uh. Me?" "Is that supposed to be an answer?!" Tang Nanah''s tone was fierce. So Qing decided not to mention the stinging in her side. It seemed like something had leaked a bit, but since the poison wouldn''t affect her anyway, she figured it was probably just some thorns stuck in her. ----There are mainly two ethnic groups living in Yunnan Province. One was the Bai people1, descendants of the former Dali Kingdom2. The name Bai came from the ethnic group''s fanatical preference for the color white, with their clothes being white, nice houses being white, Buddhist temples being white, and even pces being white. They were evaluated as country bumpkins who preferred white over the auspicious purple, but at least they weren''t treated as barbarians. In addition, there was the pride, the self-esteem, and the honor of the Bai people. The Diancang Sect The Diancang Sect, which inherited the Daoist lineage while uniquelybining it with Dali Bai Buddhism, straddling both sides as half-Daoist and half-Buddhist, was one of the symbols of the Orthodox Murim among the Nine Sects and One Union. So it was the parents'' ambition to send their Bai children to the Diancang Sect, whether they had talent or not. Thanks to this, the Diancang Sect, which cherry-picked only the elite of an entire ethnic group as disciples, had a solid pathid out for its future prosperity. And the other ethnic group was the Miao people3. It might have made Qing think "Could it be¡­?4" if she had heard the name, but in reality, they were just an ethnic group with characteristics closer to Southeast Asian people. The Miao were one of the representative despised barbarians, being short, with plump body shapes, and having skin that was either dark or yellow. Surprisingly, they lived in humid jungles, and the Five Poison Sect and the Southern Barbaric Beast Pce were the sects of the Miao people. Among these, the Southern Barbaric Beast Pce actually didn''t care about the outside world at all. They were busy frolicking with slightly fierce pets like tigers, bears, and leopards among themselves, not paying much attention outside the jungle. It was also a sect frequently visited by animal lovers from the Central ins. But the Five Poison Sect was different. They were ridiculous people burning with a sense of mission to reim their ancestralnds, iming that in ancient times, long long ago, the Miao people were the masters of Dongting Lake. As such, until a month ago, Hu Zhenchi, the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect, was living each day with a heart full of thoughts about reiming their people''s domain again. If things went well, even if not as far as Dongting Lake, the Miao people could advance into Sichuan. It was also an opportunity to quench the resentment of their ancestors by killingrge numbers of those hateful descendants of invaders, the Han people5. At any rate, Dongting Lake was a part of the Yangtze River. Four of those Yangtze Rivers flowed through Sichuan, so their ancestors would probably ept that much. And so, their disciples had gone out to carry out a great task. But they came back utterly defeated. The damage to the First-Grade Disciples was especially severe. The Most Senior Brother of the First-Grade died, and the second, third, fifth, sixth, and ninth also died. Moreover, there was no news of what happened to his daughter who had rushed out after hearing this ne- "It is terrible! Xia¡¯er, Xia¡¯er has..." "What about Xia¡¯er! Where is she now?!" "Well, that..." And just now, Hu Zhenchi, the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect, learned news of his beloved daughter, the Fourth Disciple of the First-Grade. It was the horrific news that she had failed in an assassination attempt in the heart of the Tang n and her naked corpse had been hung on the main street of Sichuan Province. "These... these bastards! These wretches, who deserve to be pickled and made into wine! What wrong did Xia¡¯ermit...! How, how could this..." Attempting assassination was indeed a great wrong. Of course(?), to a father who lost his daughter, it was a trivial matter. A blue resentful poison gleamed in Hu Zhenchi''s eyes. "...Tell the Great One that if he can make it possible for me to brew wine with the heads of those Tang n bastards, I shall do anything in my power." ----Tang n Lord Tang Touzhong was also jumping up and down in fury. His most precious daughter had been attacked in the heart of his noble n. Of course, by heavenly fortune, the n''s benefactor was with her, so it was passed without harm. However, the assassin didn''t even try to hide her identity and infiltrated the n with the determination to die together, even disguising herself as a patient to attack the clinic. It was a horrific atrocity that even the Demonic Cult wouldn''tmit. At the Tang n Elders'' Conference, Tang Touzhong raised the agenda in a voice thick with the scent of blood. "We can no longer tolerate this. We must eradicate the Five Poison Sect." They had been indulgent until now, even if the other side unterally called thempetitors. After all, they were just country bumpkins eating poison in a corner of the jungle. If they had been closer, they would have been beaten long ago, but they were left alone because they were a bit far away. The Tang n members who collected poison also knew well how treacherous the jungle could be. However, the head of a family responsible for an entire n should not rashly decide on a campaign based on personal emotions like revenge. That was why the Tang n''s oldest Elder, Grand n Lord Tang Jae-un, opened his mouth. Even the current n Lord couldn''t help but listen to the opinion of the Grand n Lord, who had been silent to maintain the authority of the current n Lord. "They dared to target Ah''er. Crush them thoroughly so that this never happens again." However, the Grand n Lord''s entire life in his old age was devoted to seeing his cute granddaughter''s aegyo. "That''s right. It is already an unstable time, so it would be best to use all the Fire Bombs and blow them awaypletely. It is not good to keep them in storage at the current moment." This was the opinion of the Chief Steward who managed all the n''s warehouses. They had plenty from embezzling the saltpeter mines, and they had money to buy sulfur. So why not make gunpowder? If one didn¡¯t, he was not a true man and should have his little pepper removed immediately. Because gunpowder was a substance that all men aspired to. However, as the amount they had gradually made umted to quite a weight, it became awkward to keep. It was an amount that couldn''t be overlooked even by the paper tiger-like6 government offices. Rather, it was an issue that would cause even more rm because the government offices were growing gunpowder as a countermeasure against martial artists. So the opinion was to blow up the Five Poison Sect while getting rid of the evidence at the same time. "That''s a good idea. Let''s pour all the Zhemu powder and rot thend so they can never rebuild." "Is rotting just thend enough? It should be an eye for an eye. Those Miao barbaric bastards dared to target the water source of Chengdu, so let us dump Immortal Roux into their water." The high-ranking members of a noble n were ultimately just a gathering of rtives. And since they had touched the most beloved girl in the Tang n, there was no one to stop them; everyone was busying up with even more vicious methods. As such, it was decided that they would poison and sweep away the entire city that served as the Five Poison Sect¡¯s foundation. And so, the Tang n shook off its spirit to engrave its famous family motto in the Central ins once again after a long time. Repay kindness twofold, and grudges tenfold. However, unfortunately, that n was thwarted. It was because of an announcement borrowing the Imperial Edict of the Imperial Censor who hade down personally to investigate the death of an imperial family member. -Clear evidence has been secured that the Tang n''s extreme poison was used in the assassination of Grand Prince Dexian. Therefore, all those with the surname Tang in Sichuan are to face inspection as traitors. Moreover, all doors to their family¡¯s traditions and secrets are to be opened wide to ensure nothing is hidden.
    1. The Bai, or Pai, are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi area of Hunan Province. They constitute one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by China. They numbered 1,933,510 as of 2010.2. The Dali Kingdom, also known as the Dali State, was a dynastic state situated in modern Yunnan province, China from 937 until 1253.3. The Miao are a group of linguistically rted peoples living in Southern China and Southeast Asia, who are recognized by the government of China as one of the 56 official ethnic groups. The Miao live primarily in the mountains of southern China.4. The reason for this is because in some Korean fantasy webnovels, they use this word for Catkin or Rabbitkin (Beastpeople, essentially).5. The Han Chinese are an East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global poption of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the world''srgest ethnic group, making up about 17.5% of the global poption.6. A paper tiger is someone who at first nce seems to be in charge but who, on closer examination, ispletely powerless. A paper tiger gives the impression of being powerful ¡ª perhaps he is a king or a high school principal ¡ª butcks any real power.
Chapter 123: Tang Clans Paper Flower (3) The martial artists of Murim rarely fell ill. This was because both the External and Internal Arts fundamentally had the function of boosting health. Qing had never even caught a cold while spending winter with just a singleyer of thin, see-through cloth, so minor illnesses were not enough to invade a martial artist''s body. Even if not martial artists,pared to Qing''s homnd, the people of the Central ins were unreasonably robust. So the news that Ziyou had fallen ill gave Qing a somewhat strange feeling. They said he was weak, and it turned out to be true. As expected, one shouldn''t underestimate the insight of a doctor of traditional medicine. Still, one should visit a sick friend. As a guest, she didn''t have much to do anyway. Originally, when a friend was sick, one should at least send a message to inquire about their well-being. Humans are creatures that be sensitive when sick, so when ill, they can turn resentment into retribution. So when Qing saw Ziyou, hisplexion was indeed pale, but... Hmm? Wasn¡¯t hisplexion always pale? "W-What brings you here?" "What do you mean? I heard you were sick, so I came to see you. Are you feeling better? Let me see, do you have a fever?" Qing ced her palm on Ziyou''s forehead. In fact, the method of putting a palm on the forehead was practically meaningless. Qing''s hands were always cold due to the effects of the White Hand Demonic Arts, so whether it was the forehead or anywhere else she touched, it would feel warm and seem like there was a fever. However, for Ziyou, it was a shocking act. From the moment she came to visit, it didn''t fit with the Central ins where the differentiation between men and women were supposed to be quite separate, and now she even ced her hand on his forehead. Perhaps because of the cool touch, he felt heat rapidly rising to his face. "Oooh. It¡¯s quite hot, huh? Your face is red too." "No, that''s..." Ziyou, who was actually just pretending to be sick, couldn''t find words to continue. Originally in the Central ins, the excuse of being bedridden was an almost invincible trump card that meant "I''m not receiving guests." The Tang n was essentially a collection of physicians, and they had focused on medical arts since the time of the Celestial Martial Emperor. As they were practically the best medical family in the Central ins, wouldn''t the Tang n have at least taken a pulse for a guest? As such, there was an unspoken agreement of "Ah, this bastard is faking it, but since he ims to be sick, let''s just say he has a cold." "Come on, how can a man be this weak? You seemed toe from a well-off family, couldn''t you just pick up and learn some martial arts?" "Well. Um." But Qing had always strayed far frommon sense. Qing''s expressions were inherently honest. The concern clearly reflected in thoserge eyes left Ziyou speechless. He thought that no precious gem in the world, said to be more sparkling than anything, couldpare to those eyes. "What? Why?" "No, it''s nothing." Ziyou, who suddenly came to his senses, nced at Choi Leeong. ''Hey, didn''t you teach hermon sense? You must have known it was fake, right?'' was what his look said. Choi Leeong just snorted. ''Should I tell the child who''s worrying that he''s just faking it and there''s no need to care? You rascal. Minus twenty points.'' Ziyou had suddenly fallen from the lead in thepetition. Though of course, what use was there in Choi Leeong giving points anyway? Ziyou suddenly had a thought and hurriedly asked. "Wait, is the Tang n not in quite an uproar right now? Howe you have not left? Seeing as how they have been caught up in the treason." Qing''s hand lightly tapped Ziyou''s crown. "Your speech. Are you not even trying to change it since you¡¯re sick?" "That''s not important right now." "No, what? Why are people like this? When they''re guests eating for free and getting pocket money, it''s all fine? But when help is actually needed, they change their faces and all run away?" "No, but treason is..." "I was originally nning to visit the Emei Sect, but this happened. It feels like I''d just be eating and running when needed. So I should at least help a bit." Again, Ziyou nced at Choi Leeong. The look meant, ''She clearly doesn''t understand the fear of treason, why didn''t you tell her?'' Choi Leeong snorted again. Choi Leeong had no particr reason to dissuade her. Basically, Choi Leeong had an attitude of ''Do whatever you want.'' He knew that Qing was someone who took terribly good care of her life, and that staying to help didn''t mean she was going to act like some suicide squad prepared for death. Also, her Qinggong was so excellent that there were few in the world who could catch her if she ran away. And as a high-ranking elder of Daoism backed by the Zenith Among Women, even the government couldn''t push her too far. And if all else failed, there was always the Divine Cult. Above all, he couldn''t bear to hear her resentment again for blocking her path. Seeing that he had no intention of stopping her, Ziyou finally let out a big sigh and spoke. "Haah. Look here, Friend." "What?" "This matter won''t be easily resolved. The Imperial Family must have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Ever since that outrageous fellow called the Celestial Martial Emperor." The shock the Imperial Family received after the Celestial Martial Emperor''s attack on the imperial pce was truly earth-shattering and heaven-overturning. Until then, martial artists were just local strongmen who could be pushed aside at any time. They were one of the tools the Imperial Family used for governance. The Central ins were too vast for the Imperial Family''s eyes to reach everywhere, so instead, they held the leash of the hunting dogs called Murim. However, the Celestial Martial Emperor proved that the martial prowess of a single person could indeed reach the heavens. As such, he drastically undermined the authority of the Son of Heaven. Even the Son of Heaven, who inherited the orthodox lineage entrusted by Heaven to rule, couldn''t crumble mountains and split the earth while wielding only a single sword. "So leave the Tang n now. Given the situation, the Tang n won''t try to hold you back either." "Why should I?" "Didn''t I say? It won''t be easily resolved. If you get caught up in treason, even you won''t be safe." "Well, that''s for me to handle. But isn''t it funny? That''s not the important thing right now, is it?" "Then what on earth is more important?" "We should first determine if the Tang n is really guilty. In my opinion, even if the Tang n isn''t afraid of the Imperial Family, did they have any reason to assassinate the Grand Prince? Even I can tell something''s off. Besides, they say the Tang n makes a lot of money selling poison, so that''s not even evidence that the Tang n did it, right?" Ziyou frowned. It wasn''t wrong, but it was words that didn''t even show the minimum courtesy towards the Imperial Family. "Well, is the Tang n truly innocent?" "What? Did the Tang n really do it?" Qing asked back in surprise. If the Tang n really did it, that would be a different story. Just as Qing''s ears were about to perk up, Ziyou shook his head and answered. "That''s not what I mean. Are these groups of righteous experts called Murim sects really innocent? Aren''t they just swinging their swords, exploiting civilians, ignoring government rule, and doing as they please? What right do they have?" "That''s ridiculous. Then what right does the Emperor have to sit on his high seat and rule?" "...?" Ziyou''s expression turned dumbfounded. "I mean, isn''t that the case? Are we supposed to shut up and follow, just because he was born as the Emperor''s son? If both sides are going to intimidate and suppress with armies anyway, what''s the difference between the Imperial Family and Murim?" "How can you say such things? The Son of Heaven is someone who Heaven has bestowed-" "What bullshit are you spouting? Did the Emperor tear through the sky when he was born and shout that he alone is noble both in above and under the heavens?" "No, what, how dare... sphemy." Ziyou couldn''t continue his words properly. It was an extreme statement for people of the Central ins. Is there anyone who is born to be a king, a duke, a general or a minister? This saying phrased as a rhetorical question, which meant that there was no special seed for kings and nobles, was an outrageous statement that only traitors to the world would dare utter. "You shouldn''t carelessly say such things." "Did I say something wrong? From what I''ve seen, I don''t know about other sects, but doesn''t the Tang n have the qualifications to act like kings? They drive out Unorthodox Faction bastards and provide free medical care. I mean, just look at the Oyangjeuk incident this time." "That''s..." "They spent gold, put bounties on Oyangjeuk, put counteragents in wells, did everything they could. Of course, in the end, it was resolved by my outstanding intellect, but isn''t that originally what the Emperor should do?" "...Ahem." Ziyou, at a loss for words, just coughed unnecessarily. Qing clicked her tongue at this. "I guess they do say that only those who didn''t benefit from their ancestors work hard at ancestral rites. Rather than praising an Emperor who hasn''t done anything for you, wouldn''t it be better to be a Murim practitioner?" "...Still, such words should be kept to oneself and not spoken in front of others. The mere act of uttering them could make one sound like a traitor." "I have some tact, you know? Do you think I''d go around saying these things in front of others?" For reference, Qing was saying this in front of the current Emperor''s younger brother. "Or are you going to report that your friend said something treasonous?" "That''s not it, but..." "Then it''s fine. Anyway, take care of yourself. I''m confident I can slip away if needed, so I don''t mind. But you should avoid getting caught up in this unnecessarily. Just stay in bed sick." After that, Qing chatted about trivial matters for a while before leaving. In the room where Ziyou was left alone, three human shadows suddenly dropped from the ceiling. "Isn''t that thing really a traitor? I''ve never heard such terrible words in my life." "Watch your words. How dare you call her a thing? That''s the woman His Highness has taken a liking to." "Ah, really! This mouth of mine again. Your Highness, please pretend you didn''t hear that. This lowly one misspoke." "No, no. Old Dog, stop with these groundless nders. If it leaks out, wouldn''t it block an innocent woman''s marriage prospects?" Ziyou hurriedly waved his hands. At this, Old Dog smiled slyly. Then another masked person spoke up. "Even to this lowly woman, she seems like an excellent woman. After all, what''s important in a rtionship is the loyalty after it''s formed. Isn''t it admirable that she''s willing not to avoid difficult times?" "Didn''t Hag Yan clearly fiddle with her throwing knives earlier? You were emitting killing intent from your eyes, and now you''re changing your words, making me look like the strange one." "I do not know what you''re talking about. Your young eyes must be getting dim already, seeing things." The masked person called Hag Yan yed dumb. Ziyou frowned and stopped the chatter. "That''s enough. More importantly, did you find the rat?" At this, the atmosphere among the three people turned ominous. The one with the youngest voice answered. "It was that bastard, the Rotting Flying Fox. How dare he forget the grace he received from Your Highness. We shouldn''t have taken in that animal. He was wagging his tail so very hard for that eunuch from the Eastern Depot1."
    1. Eastern Depot or Eastern Bureau was a Ming dynasty spy and secret police agency run by eunuchs.
Chapter 124: Tang Clans Paper Flower (4) ¡°I see. It was the Rotting Flying Fox. I didn¡¯t see him that way.¡± Ziyou nodded. His voice was filled with calm regret. "Your Highness, just say the word. I''ll immediately bring that thick-faced con artist to his knees before you. Ah, of course, I do not mean me. These old dogs here will. Combat is not my specialty, after all." "That''s enough for now. He might have had his reasons. It''s not toote to interrogate him after knowing the full details. Doesn''t everyone have circumstances they couldn''t speak of?" "Oh my. Your Highness is too soft. Originally, traitors should be torn apart to set an example." As Hag Yan said this, her eyes shed strangely. Three tailed wisps of soulful fire seemed to dwell in her pupils, slowly rotating. If Qing had seen it, she would have been unable to contain her admiration with iprehensible words like "Woah, sperm eyes! It¡¯s like HotS1!" And if it were a Murim practitioner other than Qing, they would be shocked for a different reason. It was the Chakra Eyes of the Chakra Witch who had thoroughly wiped out the Yeonseong Sect thirty years ago and disappeared. It was a characteristic of the Chakra Demonic Tribtion, one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts under Heaven. "That''s enough. When I first epted that fellow, didn''t I say that his nature as a con artist meant he wouldn''t be able to endure forever? I answered that if that was the case, he should stay until then and leave. It seems he thought it was time to leave now." "Your Highness... How can your heart be so noble?" Hag Yan sniffled and wiped her eyes. Originally, the grudges and favors of the Central ins were like a vast and deep ocean; as one advanced with a sword, they would sink deep into it. When one looks at the world after sinking like that, the grand beauty seen from outside the water has long since disappeared. Only the deste scenery of the dark and damp deep sea is reflected. It was because the grudges and favors of Murim are merely an umtion of resentment. Favor would eventually be someone else''s grudge. Humans were creatures that easily forgot favors and firmly engraved grudges. In the end, only grudges remain, so the ce where Murim practitioners eventually reached was a swamp of resentment that clung stickily to the body. So some who lost their purpose in Murim buried themselves in remote mountain valleys, while others threw away their swords and acted out the lives of ordinary people. But in most cases, the end was bitter and left a bad aftertaste. However, a very lucky few sometimes meet good people when they despair of the world and receive salvation. Grand Prince Dexian was one of those people. He was a great man who willingly epted those who were tired of the world, those who couldn''t bear their grudges, those who lost everything while being chased by false usations, or even those who were actual Demonic Adepts, and brought them into his fold as family. Ziyou smiled bitterly. "Would a person with such a kind heart just watch this situation while only worrying about the safety of his family?" Silence lingered for a moment. Then the youngest voice among them asked. "Then, shouldn''t you start preserving your precious jade body soon?" It was a way of urging that they should leave the Tang n, now that they had caught the rat in the royal prefecture. Ziyou pondered with aplicated expression, and finally, as if he had made a decision, opened his mouth. ----Last night, Old Dog stopped by to inform that they would be leaving. And the next day, Peng Chaolei left. "Is Young Lady Peng leaving too?" "There''s no choice, is there? If the eldest daughter of the Hebei Peng n gets caught up in treason, how would I be able to face the Elders?" The Hebei Peng n was in Hebei. And Beijing was also in Hebei. Just as the Kunlun Sect were the ones to get crushed first when the Demonic Cult rampaged, the Peng n would bleed heavily when the Imperial Family draws its sword. So the Peng n had a principle of never antagonizing the government. "I''ll give you the dadao as a gift, so keep training with it." "Hmm. I wonder if Gramps will be able to carry it." Although Choi Leeong was a Master in the Unrestrained Realm, he was emptying his dantian and building it up from scratch because he was switching to apletely different Buddhist Divine Art. Qing had also greatly worried about whether she could pass on the Great Meditation Art to a Great Demonic Adept, but it was an unavoidable choice after granting Gramps the special privilege of being able to take care of her. It was for the sake of Gramps'' mental health, as Qing had directly experienced the mental protection performance of the Great Meditation Art. What if Choi Leeong, who already showed signs of dementia, wentpletely crazy? Whether it was effective or not, Gramps'' expression was gradually changing to resemble a benevolent Buddha. He had even started to gain a little weight, to the point where his previous appearance as a hollow-eyed skeleton could no longer be seen. Peng Chaolei burst intoughter at that muttering. "You should carry that much. You''re strong enough." "Wait what? That makes it seem like I''m passing it off or something. Gramps is the one taking it away, you know?" "Right. But it is difficult to say that is the case. Aren¡¯t you a bit too casual about going along with it?" "If I''m ufortable when he''s doing it to make mefortable, what''s the use? So I need to befortable for Gramps to feel rewarded." Choi Leeong nodded in agreement. And so, Ximen Qing acquired the Hell Sword (No. 3)! Peng Chaoleiughed again at this sight and then continued. "That child Nanah seems to have been quite shocked. Since you decided to stay, try to take care of her. It seems she hasn''t realized the heartlessness of Murim yet. Because Murim has only been kind to Nanah so far. Do you understand what I mean?" "...?" Qing answered with her expression. At this, Peng Chaolei answered by fluttering her hand in front of her face a few times like a fan. Then, with a light attitude without a trace of lingering attachment, she turned her body and strode away. After seeing her off and returning, Qing found Tang Nanah sitting on the porch of the guest hall, swinging her legs with nothing to do. "Aren''t you seeing patients today?" "There are no patients..." Tang Nanah answered in a gloomy voice. Even the Tang n Clinic had suddenly lost its patients. Only a few people who were really seriously ill or on the verge of death visited, while others thought they''d rather just be sick than risk being implicated in treason. With slumped shoulders, she swung her feet back and forth, then casually asked. "What about Unni? Did she leave?" "Well, since it''s a matter where her n is on the line, Young Lady Peng had no choice." "Mm." It seemed like she mumbled something like "Our n is on the line too," but it wasn''t clear. Then she asked again. "Then what about you? Aren''t you leaving? You''re a disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect." "I''m just an Outer Disciple anyway. I don''t even have a name registered, hehe." Qing wasn''t listed in the Divine Maiden Sect''s register. It was Ximen Surin''s warm consideration. If the Divine Maiden Sect ever got in the way of her disciple''s chosen path, she was prepared to expel her at any time. As such, she was allowing Qing to just follow where her heart leads. After all, expelling an Outer Disciple who wasn''t even registered would only change her title. And even that would just be revoking her Divine Maiden Sect discipleship, not telling her to quit being a named disciple, so she should just do as she pleased. "And this Ximen Qing can be called a man among men. I am nothing but a corpse without loyalty." Actually, she was pretty close to a corpse even with loyalty. But Qing didn''t know. There were only two people in the world who knew about this, one in this world and one in the afterworld. "What''s that even supposed to mean? How dumb." Tang Nanah said this, but a smile slowly spread across her face. Then she hopped up and stood on the ground. "Well. There are plenty of those who can''t even be called men. Hmph. They did say about how ¡®The storm put strong grass to the test¡¯. I''ve changed my opinion of you." ¡°The storm put strong grass to the test¡± was roughly simr to the Western proverb "A friend in need is a friend indeed." It was praise given by Emperor Guangwu2, an iparably great Sage King among human emperors, to Wang Ba3 who alone remained and kept his position during difficult times in the Warlord Era4. Afterwards, Emperor Guangwu also kept his loyalty to Wang Ba and made him the Grand Noble of the First n Under Heaven. Instead of using "A long road tests a horse''s strength," which had the same meaning and was used for friendship, she deliberately used "The storm put strong grass to the test," which spoke of the loyalty and integrity of subordinates. This was fitting for an arrogant and wicked woman like Tang Nanah. Of course, Qing didn''t know any of this, so she had no thoughts about it. "What''s there to change your opinion about?" "That... Do you want to go look at hidden weapons?" "So suddenly?" "Uh, you know, um. So. Ah. Right. You blocked that needle tube with your handst time, right? You do such things because you don''t know what''s dangerous. If we look at them now, maybe you''ll know what''s dangerouster." Indeed, it was logical persuasion worthy of a doctor of traditional medicine. Qing was good at spouting nonsense but weak against logic, so in the end, she was convinced. Moreover, it was also a matter rted to survival. "That makes sense. Let''s go right now." And so, the Tang n''s secret storage of hidden weapons was opened wide. In fact, hidden weapons lose much of their power just by knowing about them and being prepared in advance. That was why it was the essence of the Tang n. One that even branch family members couldn''t enter unless they reached a certain level of achievement, let alone outsiders, to prevent leaks. Yet, she opened up that storagepletely out of a desire to get close. It was a treacherous way of building friendship that only a terrifying and wicked woman who didn¡¯t discriminate in her methods could do. If the Elders of the Tang n found out about this? Ah, they would say it can''t be helped if it''s for a friend. Because everyone already knew and worried about the fact that Tang Nanah had no friends. This essentially proved Tang Nanah how meticulous her scheming was, and one could say she was indeed notcking in making a name for herself as one of the most wicked women under the heavens. Thanks to this, Qing properly expanded her knowledge of hidden weapons. Qing didn''t know that so many hidden weapons existed in the world. She thought it would just be throwing knives or that bamboo tube from before, but that wasn''t the case. Just from what she saw, there were already Sa and Sa and Sa, needles and needle tubes, wang and zhili, penny whistles. Shi and zhen, di, xiao, and all sorts of shaped throwing weapons... Tang Nanah excitedly exined. Sa (É°) was sand, usually soaked in poison and thrown at the face with special techniques or gloved hands. "It''s best if it gets into the eyes, nose, and mouth, but Masters can block it. So sprinkling it in the hair is most effective. Poisonous sand that burrows into the hair doesn''te out easily. Plus, it can cause hair loss due to the poison. Hehehe." Qing shuddered at these terrifying words. This time, she really seemed like a viiness. Sa (Ëó) was a weight with a thread attached. It could be used to set traps with poisoned thread or thrown like a meteor hammer to make contact with the body. Qing shuddered at this point. I really hate threads... Sa (Éä) referred to arrows, hidden weapons shot with special bows disguised as folding mechanisms or musical instruments. Needles were the needles everyone knew, and needle tubes usually refer to mechanical devices that fire needles. Wang (¾W) was a. Qing shuddered again at this point. I really hates too... Zhili (ÝðÞ¼) is a general term for hidden weapons spread on the ground to target the soles of feet. Theye in various shapes from simple tripods to t ones that don''t rise up, reminding Qing of an object from her homnd. They looked like those foot mines disguised as toys that children assemble and adults collect. Shi (ʸ) referred to arrows shot from bows, and special ones included fire arrows coated with white phosphorus, yellow phosphorus, or red phosphorus, or noisy arrows that made loud sounds. Zhen (¼ý) were arrows not shot with bowstrings, usually blown through pipe-shaped poles called Di (µÑ). Xiao (Ц) used the character for ugh," but was a hidden weapon; it referred to pouches put in the mouth. They were used to widely spray or spit poison filled inside like a kingfisher. She exined that it was good to aim at the eyebrows, because if the eyebrows get soaked, the poison would prate the inside of the eyelids even if the eyes were closed. Then all sorts of shaped hidden weapons wereid out. "This is my favorite dart, also known as a throwing star, with two separately rotating weights attached so its trajectory undtes like waves, and once it''s embedded in the flesh, it digs in like this, this, and this way..." Tang Nanah described the scene of the hidden weapon burrowing in with hand gestures. Usually, when talking about something one likes, one''s face shone brightly. Tang Nanah, the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan who was usually as bright as the sun, was overflowing with an innocent and pure loveliness unlike her usual self. Qing looked at that beautiful face and thought: It''s a bit off-putting when she''s talking about poison and hidden weapons burrowing into flesh with such a bright expression...
    1. The game, Heroes of the Storm. A reference to the vision system in there.2. Emperor Guangwu of Han, born Liu Xiu, courtesy name Wenshu, was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han dynasty.3. Eastern Han dynasty general.4. Though this is officially used for a period in the history of the Republic of China when control of the country was divided among former military cliques of the Beiyang Army and other regional factions from 1916 to 1928, in this context, it seems to mean when conflicting warlords fought during the Han Dynasty.
Chapter 125: Tang Clans Paper Flower (5) Tang Nanah originally had no friends. Friends were supposed to be equal rtionships, but there was no one in the Tang n who was on the same level as Tang Nanah. Since Tang Nanah was unofficially ranked number one in the Tang n, everyone from the n Lord to the elders above him were all just worthless beings beneath her feet. Since this was true within the greatest Sichuan Tang n, there were inevitably no matches for her outside at all. Instead, when she asionally needed something, she would pull someone up from under her feet to above her head and shower them with aegyo. But recently, the newly promoted(?) "sister-inw" had betrayed her and left. Instead, she gained something simr to a friend (She wasn''t sure herself, having never had a friend in her life), so it was a case of "as one horse flees, another arrives" - the principle that when one horse runs away, another rolls in. And there was one thing she always wanted to do if she ever made a friend. Tang Nanah arrogantly extended her finger. "Hey. You." It was a sudden pointing gesture, but Qing let it slide. She knew that the child was just a bit rude, but didn''t have any particr malice. These days, the Chihuahua seemed to have been tamed somehow, always hovering around and looking for opportunities to give a treat. As such, how could one hate that? "What?" "Sleep with me today." "Gasp. If youe at me so suddenly like that..." Qing was startled. Of course, unlike Jin Jangmyeong, Tang Nanah was a full-fledged 22-year-old adult, so one could say she had sexual autonomy. As Qing drew back, Tang Nanah''s eyes shot up. "What? You don''t want to?" "How can a youngdy say such things when men and women should be separate?" "What, you don''t want to...?" The same words, but this time her shoulders slumped and her expression fell into a frown. Tang Nanah asked again. "You... aren''t close to me...?" "If we had to be so ck and white, I suppose we''d be on the close side?" "Then why? Aren''t close friends supposed to sleep together?" "Oing? Why is that? Is that the culture in the Central ins?" "Ha. How ignorant. Have you not even finished the Basic Teachings?" ording to the Basic Teachings, a textbook for children in the Central ins, it exins the righteousness that siblings should practice as follows: When sleeping, cover with the same nket, and when eating, share the same table. Using separate clothes and food between brothers is something only barbarians, not human offspring, would do. At this point, one can see that Zhu Xi, whopiled the Basic Teachings, was both a Master of Neo-Confucianism and a serious racist. However, in this era, discrimination against barbarians was natural for both those doing it and those receiving it. It was an era where folk tales like "I gave a kind word to a barbarian, andter they repaid me with my life" were widely spread. At any rate, he didn''t create Neo-Confucianism but ratherpiled it. The Basic Teachings was not a novel but aption, a children''s rmended book that beautifully collected the virtues of that era. Just look at the part about sleeping in one bed under one nket. To put it roughly, even a thousand years before Zhu Xi lived, sharing one bed and one nket was a beautiful story of siblings with the highest fraternal affection. After all, the famous Three Sworn Brothers of Liu Bei in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms spread their reputation for brotherhood by sharing one bed. Liu Bei often used this when winning the hearts of his subjects, saying ¡®Stay and sleep with me tonight would cause a flood of tears and loyalty. It was a scheme to give the impression of ¡®Ah! My lord considers me as a brother!¡¯ Of course, normal people wouldn''t shed tears of joy when a man tells them to stay and sleep. Sharing one bed and one nket was closer to filial piety for parents who found it difficult to prepare separate rooms for their children. However, the boasting of the Chinese people was a cultural trait. They would follow famous stories or anecdotes, and then use the aftermath to elevate themselves, saying "I am a person who did this much." Thus, even the subjects who slept with Liu Bei made it a point of pride to pass down to their children for generations, saying "Listen, your grandfather/great-great-grandfather/ancestor slept with Liu Bei!" As an aside, in terms of friendship in the Central ins, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were actually considered above Liu Bei''s Three Sworn Brothers. They were famous for their original close friendship, even abandoning their wives to share one bed, but they weren''t very popr among the Korean people, so they weren''t well known. "Ah. What? So that''s what it was?" Qing realized her misunderstanding. So it''s not that kind of sleeping where they say, ¡®We¡¯ll just hold hands, okay?¡¯, huh. It''s not that kind of sleeping where people hold hands but eventually do this and that. It¡¯s literally sleeping in the same space while chatting. It¡¯s that kind of culture, huh. But what does brotherly love have to do with friendship? Qing thought this because she didn''t know. In fact, in the Central ins, deep friendship was used to mean the same thing as brotherly love. The unique culture of the Chinese people, Guanxi, was even legally codified Iit wasn''t) and had detailed, systematic levels. Guanxi Level 1, Friend (ÅóÓÑ) was an acquaintance. Level 2, Good Friend (ºÃÅóÓÑ) was where friendship starts. Level 3, Old Friend (ÀÏÅóÓÑ) was where Guanxi expansion began, and it was the level where introducing acquaintances bes possible. In terms of martial artists, this would be equivalent to First-Rate. And only at Level 4 did it reach family, called Brother (ÐÖµÜ). From this level, even if it was just Guanxi, they were called family, so it bes a stage where one couldn¡¯t casually end the rtionship. Achieving Level 5 made one Sworn Brothers (¸ÉÐÖµÜ). This was the highest level and a legendary achievement. Uniquely, Sworn Brothers were above Brothers, meaning that Sworn Brothers chosen by one''s own judgment were more intimate than actual Brothers who could not be chosen. It was also characteristic that the terms change ording to age and gender, such as Sworn Brothers, Sworn Siblings, Sworn Father, Sworn Mother. Of course, the Central ins were still primitive China, so they weren''t as formalized as that certain country from Qing''s origin. To put it simpl y, it was still more of a feeling that one had? So it wasn''t yet the age-old malpractices of the rigid future Chinese. Tang Nanah saw through Qing''s state immediately with the intelligence of a doctor of traditional medicine. Even without a doctor''s intelligence, anyone with eyes could see Qing''s expression of not understanding a single thing. "Originally, it''smon sense for friends to sleep in one bed under one nket, you know? Don''t you even have friends?" "Huh? That''smon sense...? Come to think of it..." Thinking about it, the female friends Qing had made in the Central ins always coveted her bed. Jin Jangmyeong would appear every night hugging a pillow, and Senior Sister Wannabe tried a few times before giving up and justing in the morning to change her clothes. Qing was unsure. Same-sex friends could share a bed, but that obviously couldn''t bemon sense. It was Tang Nanah''s wicked lie trying to raise the level of friendship at this opportunity. Though her appearance was beautiful, she was actually a wicked woman who didn''t discriminate in her methods to achieve her goals. She was a scary child who could tell such che-, no, horrible lies without even batting an eye. Her evil deeds could bepared to those of the greatest Demonic Adepts under heaven. Qing looked at Tang Nanah, who was fidgeting and didn''t know what to do. Well, of course she''d be anxious when her family is in danger. Even Young Lady Peng told me to take good care of her, so. It was also pitiful to see her clinging and asking to y all day with slumped shoulders because there were no patients. Qing grinned and answered. "No friends? Obviously, not. If I were to list the people I could sleep with, the queue at the Divine Maiden Sect''s training ground would wrap around two and a half times in the formation of a parade." Qing said this as a joke. However, if it were actually done, a simr scene would probably unfold. Not that Qing knew this, of course. At this, Tang Nanah''s expression immediately brightened. ----Qing had picked up several bad habits since entering the Central ins, including some very undesirable habits in the bedroom. "W-What, why are you undressing...!" "Huh? Should we sleep with clothes on? Why?" "Huh?" Tang Nanah had no chance to object as Qing spoke as if it was such obviousmon sense. Qing herself waspletely unaware, but she had reached a state where she was no longer shy around women. She had forgotten shame while running around half-naked in the Divine Maiden Sect, andter epted being taken care of as natural during her life in the Bliss Pce when she went crazy. On the other hand, she wasn''t shy around men either. When she saw a woman, it was just a woman''s body, so so what? When she saw a man, it was just between me, so so what? Wasn''t she also in a bizarre state when her body was briefly stolen by that mental parasite of a Heavenly Demon before? The Heavenly Demon''s mind was in the form of the First Generation Heavenly Demon, but Qing''s subconscious chose the appearance of A-Qing, not the production worker from before her journey into Murim. This was a fact that Qing herself hadn''t realized. In Eastern terms, one could say that the mind is water and the body is the vessel, so the water takes the shape of the vessel. In Western terms, one could add exnations about hormones and such that liberal arts majors couldn''t understand. But since there wasn''t even a single person in this world who could exin it logically like this, it would remain a distant matter for the foreseeable future. If Ximen Surin had known, she would have beaten her chest in frustration. How can this half-wit who can¡¯t even define her true self, her genuine self, achieve the Transcendent Realm? The Transcendent Realm meant transcending the Peak Realm. The Peak Realm referred to the highest point an individual could reach, so the Transcendent Realm was the first step in transcending oneself. Thus, the mind that had ovee itself contained the will of the stars, that starlight, and wielded it. This was called Sword Force. The word ¡®Force¡¯, also known as ¡®Gang¡¯, in Sword Force meant the constetion, the Big Dipper. It was called Sword Force because the most destructive power wielded by martial artists was the will of those stars, the starlight emitted from the human sky without the sun. As an aside, in Qing''s homnd, there was also a rather sad case of using the character for ''strong'' („‚) instead, because the primitiveputer character arrangement couldn''t disy the rare Chinese character. Anyway, Qing rubbed her bare arms and legs on the bed and eximed in admiration. "Wow. This bed is nice. It''s like actual silk." "Well, it is silk..." It was practically the most expensive bed in Sichuan, so there were few better beds even in the Central ins. Qing couldn''t help but admire itsfort. "Is that so? Well then, I''m going to sleep, okay?" "Wait, how can you do that? At least have some conversation or..." Qing thought. What the¡­ How annoying... "You should only sleep in bed in the first ce. If you do other things, it gets ingrained in your mind and leads to sleep disorders, and further to insomnia." "What''s that? Forget it. Qing''er... do you perhaps have a man you love or admire?" Tang Nanah slipped in a term of endearment. Qing was ignorant about Central ins terms of endearment, so she thought it must be because Young Lady Peng called her that too. "I don''t." "Huh? Then what about the Jade Qilin?" "He''s just a friend? To begin with, that guy doesn''t like women." "Gasp." Tang Nanah inhaled sharply. To think there was such a secret about the Most Handsome Man Under Heaven! If Peng Daesan had heard this, he would have raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice to the depths of the deep sea. But Peng Daesan wasn''t present. And they say you can even criticize a king when he''s not around. (Though they still wouldn''t criticize the Son of Heaven) "I thought so. There were such rumors, after all." "It''s not about rumors, you can just tell by looking, can''t you?" "But when I saw him, hmm? Wait, maybe you¡¯re right? Huh, wait, you¡¯re right." Tang Nanah had seen him once at the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly held in Sichuan, and again at the Grand n Lord''s 70th birthday, but at those times she was blinded by his radiant appearance and didn''t notice at all. Thinking back on it now, his gaze towards women was a bit off. And then Tang Nanah felt a chilling sensation- No, wait it¡¯s actually cold! Cold autumn night air was seeping in through the gap where the nket didn''t touch the bed. "Excuse me, can you give me some of the nket...?" "Ah. I''ve gotten into the habit of rolling myself up. Can''t we just use two nkets?" "No. It clearly said one bed, one nket. But why? Wouldn¡¯t we have to sleep close together then? But why? When there''s such a wide bed?" In fact, sleeping close together is the essence of friendship. But in themon sense of Tang Nanah, who had never experienced a journey into Murim, beds were originallyrge objects made spacious enough for ten people to lie down. She couldn''t help but wonder why they had to use one nket on such a wide bed. There was no way Qing would know the answer. But since it wasn''t really a question seeking an answer, Qing just threw out any response. "Maybe there are special extrarge nkets for friends?" "But then it would be heavy. And stuffy." "If two people support it, the weight is halved, right?" "Is that so? Are there sizes for different numbers of people? Hmm. I should tell the servants to bring some in." They exchanged the kind of conversation that only idiots would have. But conversations between friends are usually a series of such things, so they were essentially just enjoying themselves. "Hey, you, the nket again, let me use some nket too." "..." At some point, Qing''s breathing deepened into a wheeze and her head lolled over. Qing was a sleep expert who could quickly fall asleep even in Choi Leeong''s swaying arms, so on this soft, top-quality bed that just enveloped her body, she eventually passed out. "What the¡­ You¡¯re asleep? Already? Geez, why is she so strong? I want some of the nket too, it''s cold..." With Qing''s Xiang Yu-like strength gripping the nket, Tang Nanah had no way to take it back. As such, she had no choice but to move closer. Then at some point, there was a big movement as if turning over, and something heavy pressed down on half her body. As a hot breath immediately tickled her earlobe, Tang Nanah was startled and froze up. "Gasp. Hey, hey..." ----The next day, Tang Nanah''splexion was haggard. Of course, nothing unseemly or untoward had happened during the night. She just hadn''t slept well and was a bit tired. Even as she entered the Tang n''s strategy meeting for the final battle with the government, which started from early morning, she looked visibly exhausted. Qing, of course, participated in the meeting without much thought, as she was now virtually treated as the n''s benefactor and savior. Chapter 126: Tang Clans Paper Flower (6) The scene that first came to mind when Qing said she would participate in the strategy meeting was like this: An impressively made model of a wide view of Tang n. Aplex ckboard and papers full of systematic operation ns with first, second, and third tier formations and rotations. A serious and heavy atmosphere. And at the end, even a cool speech to raise morale. However, the reality was a mess. It was a scene of all the Tang n elders gathered around a roughly drawn map, massaging their arms and legs while chatting idly. What''s this? Didn''t they say it was a strategy meeting? As Qing tilted her head in confusion, one of the elders looked at Tang Nanah with eyes that didn''t hide at all how adorable he found her. It was the kind of look often described as honey dripping from the eyes. "Ah''er, did you not sleep well? Hoho. It seems you stayed up all night talking with your friend." At this, Tang Nanah awkwardly avoided eye contact. Somehow, the tips of her ears were bright red. "Haha, there''s nothing to be embarrassed about. Isn''t it natural that when making a good friend, you should lie in the same bed and talk endlessly to be true friends?" The elder seemed to have a different understanding of the reason. "When this old man was young, I ofteny together with friends. When wey together and talked while looking at the stars, the hardships of sleeping outdoors didn''t seem like much. Looking back, those times were truly beautiful." "So Ah''er should alsough, cry, argue, and lie down to talk a lot with friends in your youth. Just like Sun Ce and Zhou Yu did." "Like the Liu Bei''s Three Sworn Brothers did." "How could we leave out Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi?" "Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya also shared one bed." "And Nuo Yao and Ma Li too." "Hey now, weren''t Nuo Yao and Ma Li made-up people?" "Well, who knows? The names might be different, but it could be a true story heard and written down." The elders'' chatter continued amiably. Qing took this opportunity to confirm her doubts again. "So, friends sharing a bed is..." "Of course. Wouldn''t you say it''s the first gateway to weing a true friend? One should..." Tang Nanah hadn''t lied, but she had been deceiving. It was because of her cunning desire to try sleeping in the same bed with a friend just once, but it could be considered a mitigating circumstance. In fact, the saying about lying in one bed and covering with the same nket meant going through hard times together. Because the family was poor, they lived sharing one bed and one nket. How could the bond formed by sticking together through hard times not be exceptionally strong? Originally, friends who were well-off would use separate rooms even among siblings and not have to bump into each other. The Tang n elders were well-off even as children, so they meant something else. They were expressing in a roundabout way that the earth was their bed and the sky their nket, referring to sleeping outdoors together while wandering in Murim. Since the elders didn''t know about Tang Nanah''s vicious deception, their sincere words were ultimately a truly genuine attitude. It was simr to that unique attitude of elders getting excited to answer when young people ask about something they know? So Qingpletely abandoned her doubts. Instead, she reflected. Jangmyeongie must have been very disappointed. Should I sleep together with her when I go back this time? But Jangmyeongie is a minor... How could one share a bed with a minor when the nationalw was so strict? It could even be a dangerous act of defying heaven and destroying the earth that might bring about a crisis for the world. "But what about the strategy meeting?" "Hoho. The strategy have been established long ago, don¡¯t you think? We''ve always been prepared and on guard against dangers, so if we were to be busy making strategies now, we''d deserve to perish." It meant that they already had ns prepared for major risks, so there wasn''t much to adjust. This was the strength of a long-prosperous family. "Then why are you all gathered here?" "If the elders of the family were to y around like idlers, the children would bex and unable to focus. Shouldn''t we be serious first for those below us to follow suit?" "Ah..." "However, since Ah''er''s friend can''t be called an outsider to the Tang n, shouldn''t she know the strategy?" "Of course, she shared a bed with Ah''er after all." "We can''t help it if it''s Ah''er''s friend." "Our Ah''er finally has a friend..." "No, what are you saying?!" Tang Nanah''s face turned bright red. Seeing this, Qing knew at least one thing. This kid really doesn''t have friends, huh. Would it count as Righteous Karma to be a friend to someone without friends? How bad must it be for the family elders to watch me with eyes that almost seem like looking at a daughter? "Ahem, ahem. Elders, that''s enough." Tang n Lord Tang Touzhong lightly summarized the situation. "First of all, the Tang Center is basically a death trap. Without preparation, one can''t enter and leave alive. Didn''t Ah''er warn you not to step into the flower beds?" "Yes. She said there were all kinds of trapsid out..." The Tang n had an unnecessary number of flower beds. Not only in front of and behind walls, but wherever there was even a little space, they had created flower beds surrounded byrge stones. In peacetime, they were used to grow poisonous nts or raise venomous creatures, and in wartime, they were used to immediately spread caltrops to stop enemies. "We''ve delivered defense ns to the guest quarters for the other guests, but you are also a proper member of the Orthodox Murim. Moreover, as my daughter''s friend, you can''t be called an outsider. So, will you face the enemy together with our family?" "Yes. That''s why I stayed." At this, Tang Touzhong''s eyes moistened. "To think Ah''er has made such a good friend..." It was the iprehensible sensitivity of a middle-aged person. "The Tang Center is an impregnable fortress. If it weren''t for artillery, that is. So if we can just remove the artillery, we should be able to face even an army of ten thousand." The Tang Center, with its poisons and Formations, prided itself on being the most dangerous ce in the Central ins. Moreover, how terrifying the Tang n''s poisons were hadn''t been properly revealed since the time of the Celestial Martial Emperor. The main reason the Tang n focused on Medical Arts was also because they judged that it was difficult to develop further with poisons. The problem was artillery. One had to at least enter the Tang Center in order to be stabbed, made to drink, or poisoned in other ways. If they just fired artillery from afar and turned the ce into a wastnd of ruins, there was no chance to use Formations or poisons or anything. "So once we remove the artillery, we win. Therefore, we must endure with minimal conflict until we can pinpoint their locations." So the battle would start with a war of words. The Sichuan Tang n was a member of the Orthodox Murim. Moreover, they provided free medical treatment and were one of the few groups that developed and improved agricultural pesticides. The increase in crop and fruit production due to pesticides was said to be a turning point in agriculture before nitrogen fertilizers. In fact, the Tang n''s high Righteous Karma stemmed from this. Of course, this was a fact known to no one. However, with free medical treatment and cheap pesticides, it wasn''t easy for the Imperial Family to suddenly attack the Tang n, which enjoyed robust public support. If they made a mistake, not only would the Orthodox Murim rise like a swarm of bees, but if civilians who sympathized with them appeared as well, there was no guarantee that the Tang Rebellion wouldn''t appear following the Yellow Turban and Red Turban Rebellions. The main reason was that the current government had lost public support by doing nothing but taking without giving. So the Imperial Censor would try to find as many faults as possible before attacking to pin a definite charge of treason. "So what we need to do for the time being is... Ahem." Tang Touzhong coughed awkwardly. "What is it?" "...To endure without giving any pretext." The n was to continue the standoff as much as possible while identifying the locations of the artillery, then immediately remove the artillery when the battle starts and lure in the enemy to annihte them. However, the process of enduring would involve no small amount of humiliation. They were in a situation where they couldn''t make the first move against those who came looking for trouble on purpose. Otherwise, they would have to answer for treason with immensepensation. As in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, for the people of the Central ins, justification was face, face was their honor, and honor was as important as life itself. If one drew their sword suddenly saying they wanted to beat the shit out of someone, they would soon be treated as Public Enemy No. 1 of Murim, so one had to fight appropriately while watching for others¡¯ reactions. Although Murim was essentially just a group of thugs, it was also almost the only safety device that allowed history to continue without major conflicts. Of course, there were some who wanted to fight right away. The Demonic Cult bastards who invaded when the time came were like that. Still, the Demonic Cult wasn''tpletely without justification. Ancestral revenge was a well-received justification since ancient times. Rather than them, the Blood Cult bastards were the worst. As a group that gathered all the world''s scum like madmen, sexual deviants, drug addicts, cannibals, and so on, all they wanted to do was dye the world red with blood, thus causing Blood Disasters. As such, whenever they ran rampant, it became aplete mess. However, the government couldn''t be like that. Another word for justification was legitimacy. The government''s weakness was always legitimacy. After all, there was a history of the continent being divided, such as the Rebellion of the Eight Kings1 and the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians2, when people rose up saying they should overthrow the imperial dynasty. After hearing the situation, Qing thought. Ah. So Murim wasn''t just about ¡°Let¡¯s attack! Let¡¯s defend!¡± and fighting life-and-death battles. There are unexpectedlyplicated aspects, huh. ----Qing''s Righteous Karma score had now exceeded 3,000 Points. The 1,000 Righteous Karma Points received as a reward for oveing the First Crisis were instrumental in this amazing rise. It was Righteous Karma given with the Mission Window making a huge fuss about how it was the Path of Harmony, the Greatest Hidden Achievement, and whatever. One could say it was worth oveing a Crisis. So that meant three martial arts. Qing took time to seriously consider again. This was no time to be stingy with Righteous Karma exchanges when facing a potentially decisive battle. First, the Yijin Cleansing Method. Isn''t it a bit useless? It was a martial art with great efficacy in building muscles and strengthening the dantian and meridians. However, her physical abilities had already transcended human limits, and her dantian and meridians weren''t just strong butpletely invincible, remaining fine even with all sorts of Inner Qi flowing through them. Learning it would only give her something to boast about to her Master. Then, is there a need to learn a martial art that wouldn''t have much effect... Wait! Master would like it, so how could I not learn this? I have three martial arts to exchange, so let''s count one as filial piety. Qing immediately exchanged it, afraid she might regret itter. With the feeling of her brain turning inside out, she unintentionally imitated a mute that lost their mind, gagging and retching. The Daoism faction within her dantian cheered again. As the Great Meditation Art happily extended a hand shape often adopted by the Buddha, the Yijin Cleansing Method also raised a hand in the same shape, and they high-fived each other. "Ughhhh..." Meanwhile, Qing justy there for a while since her brain felt murky.
    1. The War of the Eight Princes, Rebellion of the Eight Kings, or Rebellion of the Eight Princes was a series of coups and civil wars among kings/princes of the Chinese Western Jin dynasty from 291 to 306 AD.2. The Sixteen Kingdoms, lessmonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states.
Chapter 127: Tang Clans Paper Flower (7) Qing then focused on the Exchange Window again. For now, let''s just efficiently put this one to Six Stars and hold off on the rest. If I go crazyter, I''ll raise it bit by bit and use it like a purification spell. After finishing the 2,000 Point Exchange, Qing frowned as she called up the next Exchange Window. "Why 3,000 Points..." Shouldn''t it be 2,500 Points after 2,000 Points? Why is it showing 3,000 Points? She grumbled with a sense of injustice, but in fact, wasn''t itmon sense from numerous previous experiences that these kinds of exchanges gradually consumed more resources? It meant that from now on, exchanges would be one for every increment of 1,000 Points instead of 500. What was even scarier was that she didn''t know if it would be 1,500 or 2,000 Points after this, and what made her even more afraid was that she didn''t know how many she could exchange for 1,000 Points. Damn, if I knew, I would have postponed the Yijin Cleansing Method. However, regret always came toote. If the Yijin Cleansing Method had known, it would have given the teaching of ¡®What can you do about what you have already learned? This Buddha has already settled in your dantian, so is it not my victory?¡¯ What she thought were two free martial arts turned out to be just one. Her future expected ie had also dropped to less than half. Qing sighed and put away the Exchange Window. This was a judgment that she should subtly ask her Masterter and decide. Then she called up the Martial Arts Window and raised the Yijin Cleansing Method to six stars. Qing stared at the Martial Arts Window for a long time. Then, as she focused on one point, the bar filled up and the number changed, finally reaching Twelve Stars, the Grand Star. White Hand Demonic Arts. Grand Star. Wasn¡¯t it said that when it reaches Grand Star, I¡¯ll be indestructible below the elbow? And I can¡¯t grasp the Transcendent Realm at all yet. So I should have more means to counter Sword Force. Plus, there''s Gramps to help with performance testing. Above all, blocking Sword Force with bare hands? Isn''t that so cool? Qing roughly estimated her remaining Practice Points and raised one Purple Martial Art all the way to Twelve Stars. Buddha''s Palm, Grand Star. Come to think of it, although itcked a satisfying feeling, no martial art had been as helpful as Buddha''s Palm. Qing roughly unfolded the new Movements that had burrowed into her brain like parasites. It was an amazing sight of wielding White Hand Demonic Arts with her right hand and Buddha''s Palm with her left. If someone had seen it, they would have rubbed their eyes and checked again,menting, "Even with open eyes, I''m seeing things. What use is sight, whether you have it or not!" Moreover, freely usingpletely different martial arts separately with the left and right hands was a marvelous skill of itself. It was such a difficult technique that only peerless Divine Arts or the results of developing the Upper Dantian made it possible. But Qing hadn''t trained martial arts by practicing with her body from the beginning. She just pulled out certain movements embedded in her brain, so what did it matter if it was the right hand or left hand? Qing was freeloading in many ways. Or hmm. What if I learn some kicks? Hold a sword in one hand, tear with the other, shoot palm strikes, and when needed, I can kick too. Qing thought this was a good idea. However, when she actually looked for Kicking Techniques in the Martial Arts Window, there were no Purple ones at all. In fact, there was only one Gold one called Formless Kick, and even Red Borders were few and far between. What''s this? Are Kicking Techniques underdeveloped? Was it ahead of its time or something? Because Qing couldn''t contain her curiosity, she asked Choi Leeong, upon which he clicked his tongue and answered. "The feet are the beginning of all martial arts. Whether you extend a spear, sword, or fist, the feet move first and support the body to exert force, so aren''t almost all martial arts used together with the feet? So learning Kicking Techniques separately is not like Finger Stances of the Left Hand or sped Hand Techniques that can be used together. It''s enough to learn just one as a trump card." "Ah. Then what about the martial art called Formless Kick...?" "Isn''t Formless Kick a Supreme Technique of Shaolin? They are fundamentally people who take a sped Hand approach, so they made a few foot skills at least." "Oooh. Shaolin." "However, for a woman, it might be good to learn one. Women''s skeletal structure is advantageous for Kicking Techniques, and if used as a Noble Kick, it can be quite tricky to deal with. If you ask your master, she will probably teach you one." The Noble Kick wasn''t a specific martial art, but rather referred to Kicking Techniques performed by women wearing skirts. Its power was doubled because the shape of the legs could be hidden under the skirt. In a way, it was close to a vile deception, but who wouldin about a woman wearing a skirt? There would be no problem as long as men didn''t wear skirts to take advantage of the Noble Kick. However, the act of fighting in a skirt itself was ufortable and interfered with footwork, creating a disadvantageous situation, so it wasn''t particrly worth targeting for training. This was why female martial artists often wore indecent skirts with slits on the sides. Thus, all the mysteries were solved. Kicking Techniques were trash! If the Shaolin Monks heard this, it was a conclusion that they would nod at with crumpled faces. While one couldn''t say that Formless Kick or Demon-Subduing Cyclical Divine Kick weren''t excellent supreme techniques, the truth was that it was better to learn other Divine Arts instead. "Hmm, Gramps, then if I had to learn just one martial art, what do you think I should learn?" "Well. In my opinion, IO would like you to learn the Violet Mist Divine Arts." "Violet Mist Divine Arts?" "Do you not handle various True Qi with your special abilities?" "Huh? You knew?" "How could I not know that much?" Choi Leeong snorted. Although Choi Leeong had ultimately benefited greatly by dispersing his Demonic Arts and gaining a more precious Divine Art, he had ended up breaking apart all his previous achievements. However, Qing had readily epted and learned everything, handling True Qi of various different colors, so he thought there must be a way to use them without conflict. But since he hadn''t seen the purple energy of the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts, he thought she was being mindful of people''s eyes. "Since Violet Mist Divine Arts and Purple Lightning Demonic Qi look simr and cannot be distinguished by eye, if you learn it, couldn''t you use it without worrying about the eyes of others?" However, Choi Leeong was misunderstanding something. Qing wasn''t not using the Purple Lightning Demonic Qi, she just couldn''t use it. Purple Lightning Demonic Arts was originally a martial art that should appear in the form of lightning, rising up at will ording to the owner''s emotions. However, in reality, it was busy running away from the Blissful Maiden Arts day and night, continuing a pitiful sprint without being able to do anything, along with other Demonic Arts. As such, the Demonic Arts had set up a cute plot to revitalize themselves through Qing¡¯s automatic cultivation in order to counter the Blissful True Qi. However, they had ultimately despaired in the face of one Buddha and now copsed because of two. Anyway, Qing, who wasn''t particrly concerned about Purple Lightning Demonic Qi, wanted a different answer. "What about besides Inner Qi Cultivation Techniques?" "If it''s swordsmanship, wouldn''t the Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi be the best? Its subtleties are in tune with the principles of the world, so it should help with your growth and achievements too." "Wow. Tai Chi!" Violet Mist Divine Arts, Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi. Qing scanned them and saw that both had dazzling Purple Borders, indicating they were Divine Arts. Come to think of it, she had been too negligent with swordsmanship. Even the Yue Maiden Sword Technique that had reached Grand Star wasn''t actually a Sword Technique, but a de technique! The Divine Maiden Sword Sutra had an exhrating taste to it, but it was Blue. Ximen Surin had evaluated that it was much better to embody the rigidly formalized peerless Sword Art of the Yue Maiden Sword Technique rather than learning new Sword Techniques. Thus, she just focused on sparring (disguised as nuclear bombings). In the end, it meant she didn''t have a single proper Sword Technique. Of course, in Qing''s standards, proper martial arts were only those with purple borders, what the world called peerless divine arts. Gold ones were barely usable. Come to think of it, there seemed to be a Gold Sword Technique registered, right? Why wasn''t I learning it? Was there some side effect? Qing seriously tried to recall, but couldn''t remember anything, so she quickly made a decision. One of the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven, One Hundred And Eight Asura Sword. Six Stars achieved. ----Tang Nanah seemed to have realized that sleeping close to someone else was quite a difficult task. This could be seen from the fact that she didn''t ask to sleep together again afterward. Well, of course it is. It''s a privilege that only someone with a dull mind like me can do. Carelessly attempting it could be a big mistake that might mess up your sleep cycle. After spending several days training like this, the day of the decisive battle finally dawned. From early morning, a group of arrogant people appeared, kicking open the gates of the Tang Center. Of course, it wasn''t a surprise attack but a bold walk down the main road, so the elites of the Sichuan Tang n, who had received advance notice, rushed out in droves to meet the enemy. The fatty standing in the center, who looked exactly like a personification of Dong Zhuo1, opened his mouth. "Hah, you treasonous bastards. How dare you not move your heavy backsides when His Imperial Majesty ordered you all toe out voluntarily, forcing this esteemed Imperial Censor toe in person? Just how much of the people''s sweat and blood have you sucked to fill your toilets and make your behinds so heavy?" Ooh. That''s a pretty hard blow from the very start. Qing recalled Tang Touzhong''s words. They shouldn''t strike first when the other side was openlying to provoke them. At that, Tang Touzhong responded politely. "Come out? We clearly heard that you woulde to visit, so we should wait, did we not?" "Tsk tsk. Isn''t that the same thing?" Then the Imperial Censor clicked his tongue again. "Even if that''s the case, the attitude of you traitors is incredibly disrespectful. I clearly said to wait with the appearance of criminals. So are you saying that this is the appearance of criminals?" If they were criminals, they should have been kneeling with their hair down, wearing hemp clothes, with their forearms and knees touching the ground. However, everyone was standing proudly on two feet, hence his words. Despite hearing this, Tang Touzhong remained dignified. "What do you mean? How can we call ourselves criminals over mere nder when we havemitted no crime under these heavens? Is it not a crime against His Imperial Majesty for those without guilt to im guilt and obscure the true culprits?" "Hah. Your words are flowing like a mountain stream. Fine. Then let us find out from now on whether you really plotted treason or not. Look here, all of you, rush in and scrape out every single letter without missing a single thing." "Ah. That would be a bit difficult." Tang Touzhong interrupted the Imperial Censor''s words. "What? Then are you admitting that you plotted treason? That is proof that the evidence is in there!" "That is not it. In truth,st night, a mischievous wild cat caused havoc in the warehouse, and unfortunately, it ran around with a pouch of deadly poison in its mouth, turning the entire Tang Center into a trap no different from an area of death." It was an imusible excuse from the start. If it was a poison warehouse, it should have been handled as one of the most dangerous ces, so the idea that a cat got in there was ridiculous to begin with. Moreover, was this cat carrying the deadly poison pouch in its mouth some kind of invincible, super cat with Invulnerability of Ten Thousand Poisons? Even if they generously assumed that an invincible cat actually existed and raided the poison warehouse, how could it spread poison all over the vast Tang Center to turn it into a death trap without an infinite pouch? At this, the Imperial Censor was utterly dumbfounded. So much so that his nose was blocked, his mind muddled by the nonsense, and his words cut off, leaving him only gaping his mouth. Qing admired this. Wow! Your Honor! It was all the cat''s doing!
    1. Dong Zhuo (died 192 ce, China) was a general whose seizure of power and tyrannical rule ended the Han dynasty (206 bce¨C220 ce) and divided the Chinese empire.
Chapter 128: Tang Clans Paper Flower (8) The dogshit, or rather catshit, that was spoken had reached a level that transcended shamelessness, so even the Imperial Censor''s brain functions temporarily stopped, leaving him in a daze. Then he suddenly shouted. "How can that make any sense?!" "We find it hard to believe too. But what can we do if it''s the truth? Should we lie because you might not believe it?" "Is your face made of Cold Iron? It seems you are someone that is impossible tomunicate with. Well, I shall have to verify if what you say is indeed true. You there. Go in and prove your n Lord''s words." At this, one of the Tang n experts who was pointed at showed his palm and answered. ¡°Do you mean me? This unworthy one believes in our n Lord, though." "I did not ask whether you believe him or not. I said to prove it." "If that is what you mean, I saw that cat clearly with my own eyes, so there is no need to worry." The Imperial Censor realized that pressuring them any further would be futile. But if he immediately sent soldiers rushing into the Tang Center, they would clearly seize the opportunity to spray the prepared poisons. At this, the Imperial Censor gritted his teeth. Qing''s eyes lit up as she saw this. She then took two steps to the side and quietly asked an old man who had been introduced as some high-ranking elder. "Excuse me, were we allowed to provoke them from our side? You said earlier that we had to endure great humiliation." "''Our side'', you say. Ah''er has truly made a good friend. How admirable. Here, I''ll give you this." "Ah, thank you." The old man very naturally took something out from his bosom and handed it over. It was a small medicine bottle about two finger joints in size. "It is a personally modified version of the Soul-Dragging Water. If there''s someone you dislike, mix it in sweet alcohol and make them drink it. After one quarter of an hour, their muscles will rx and they''ll soil themselves with excrement and urine." It was truly a deadly poison that could destroy someone¡¯s social status in one go. "Wow! Thank you! Such a precious thing." Qing brightly smiled as she pocketed the special Soul-Dragging Water. Because Qing''s expression was extremely honest, the old man''s face also broke into a smile upon seeing her pure joy. But who is this elder? Is he some poison vending machine? Is this like those vige people in games who give you an item when you talk to them? The answer was that he was the Grand n Lord, the highest-ranking elder of the Tang n, who was sticking close by out of worry for his granddaughter. He was also the one responsible for getting Tang Nanah interested in all sorts of vicious poisons by giving her gifts since childhood. The Grand n Lord then added an exnation. "The Tang n does not forget grudges, so the insolence of kicking open the main gate of the Sichuan Tang n is a serious crime that should be punished by death. Just enduring that is humiliating enough, so shouldn''t we at least irritate them a bit?" "Ah." "However, it would be even better if they make a big verbal mistake. Isn''t it the way of the Central ins that we can use our swords if we find justification by picking at their words?" There has never been such a way in the world from ancient times to now. But the rule of the world found by an old man who had lived long wasn''t wrong either. "However, if one of us makes a mistake, we''ll all be annihted, while if one of them dies, another will just rece them. So it''s an extremely disadvantageous fight for our Tang n. Do you understand?" What? So we can provoke them from our side? Then, isn''t that my specialty? Qing''s eyes sparkled brightly. "Then, can I join in provoking them too?" "That desire to help in any way is truly lovely. How admirable. Here, I''ll give you this. It''s a personally modified version of the Soul-Seizing Oblivion." The Grand n Lord handed over another small ss bottle. Inside were three pills that looked like goat droppings. "If you make them swallow it by shoving it into their mouth, after the medicine takes effect, it will stimte their lust while making them see hallucinations. You''ll definitely be able to see them humping the air... Oh my. I shouldn''t say such things to a youngdy. How thoughtless of me." "Wow! Thank you! It sounds fun, so I''ll definitely use it." It was another deadly poison that would bring about death to one¡¯s social status. She wasn¡¯t sure what he kept personally modifying, but since it was precious, Qing happily epted it again. "However, Touzhong, that fellow. Didn''t he secure the n Lord position because he was originally incredibly glib? There''s no one in our family who can wag their tongue better than him, so if we leave it to him, he''ll handle it well on his own." Sure enough, after that, the Regional Military Commissioner had no choice but to withdraw. "Ahem. It seems the search is not feasible, so we will withdraw for today. Quickly deal with the poison andply with His Imperial Majesty''s augustmand." It was a win on points for the Tang n. ----The Imperial Censor didn''te just to be pushed around, so the next thing he did was to blockade the Tang Center. By surrounding it with soldiers and blocking all entrances and exits of the Tang Center, he prevented not only people but also supplies from entering. Among the supplies was food, and since people couldn¡¯t live without eating, it meant they should either starve to death or die for treason. However, Qing ate well. The Tang n members also ate well. This was because there were already several secret passages. As such, all that really changed was that it became just a bit troublesome to bring in supplies. Since what the Tang n needed was time, they also pretended to meekly endure. "Oh my, goodmen. If you block even our food supplies, how are we supposed to live?" "Ahem, ahem. We''re just following orders too." It was like this. By the fourth day, even the Imperial Censor started to feel something was suspicious. Wasn''t this a bit strange? Did they really stock up on that much food? Meanwhile, two points had been marked on the map of Sichuan, meaning they had already found the locations of two artillery positions. It was only on the seventh day and night that the Imperial Censor finally realized something was amiss and rushed back with a horde of soldiers. This time, he not only came himself but also brought new members: a group of martial artists dressed in martial attire made of brilliant golden silk. "I clearly warned you, yet you still have not taken on the appearance of criminals." "Criminals? Where are there any criminals here?" "Hmph, Guard Assistant Commander. What did I tell you? Look at the shameless lies of these outrageous traitors. We should immediately rush in and ughter them." Qing watched this scene and asked. "Who are those sparkling guys?" "They''re called the Embroidered Uniform Guards1." The Embroidered Uniform Guards, also known as Golden Uniform Guards, were literally guards wearing golden clothes. However, since this golden martial attire was the exclusive uniform of the Emperor''s direct military group, each and every one of them held quite high official positions. They were almost identical to the group called the Life Guard2 when Germany was an empire back in Qing''s homeworld. They were the army, secret police, and the Emperor''s de all in one. Theplexion of the Poison Grandfather, no, the Grand n Lord exining this, darkened a bit. "It seems the Emperor has made up his mind. A Guard Assistant Commander is the third highest position in the Embroidered Uniform Guards, so they rarelye down to the provinces under normal circumstances." At any rate, another war of words betting the family''s fate was about to begin. "Seven days have passed, so you must have surely detoxified by now. This time, you should ept the sear-" "Oh dear. In truth,st night, a mischievous wild cat caused havoc in the warehouse, and unfortunately, it ran around with a pouch of deadly poison in its mouth, turning the entire Tang Center into a trap no different from an area of death." It was exactly the same line, as if it had been copied and pasted. "Did you not say the same thingst time?" "Isn''t it said that history often repeats itself?" "T-There should be a limit to shamelessness, even if..." The Imperial Censor trembled with a disgusted expression. Meanwhile, Qing just admired such a scene. Isn''t this an incredible second rendition? Basically like a meme? Furthermore, it was a deration of intent to thoroughly milk this for three or four more renditions. They seemed to be ready to reach the realm of intements; all yap and no logic. It meant that every night before they came to visit, an invincible cat with immunity to all poisons would steal an infinite pouch of poison and meticulously spray it all over the Tang Center. However, the Imperial Censor was no ordinary person either, so he immediately realized that there was no way forward in this standoff and turned to leave right away. At that moment, Qing suddenly raised her voice. "Oh right! Imperial Censor! Just a moment! I have something urgent to tell you." The Imperial Censor, who was about to take a step, looked at Qing''s veiled face with a dubious, yet somewhat expectant gaze. "...What is it? If you''re going to report these outrageous traitors, I swear on my name that I''ll do my utmost to save you alone, Woman." Then Qing turned to Tang Touzhong and spoke. "Well about that¡­ n Lord? Our food waste is overflowing and it''s been smelling a lottely. Couldn''t we ask them to clean it up on their way back? They''re the ones who blocked us and prevented us froming and going, so shouldn''t the ones who blocked us clean it up?" "Ooh. That is indeed a good idea. Imperial Censor, may I make an earnest request? Our chef makes such huge portions that the Tang n members usually have more than enough to eat with plenty left over." It was a taunt saying that no matter how much they blockaded, it was useless because they had separate ways to bring things in. Some Tang n members deliberately responded with gigglingughter. "Shut up, you traitors who are not even worth associating with! You should be torn limb from limb and thrown to the dogs! You should be skewered and roasted to feed to your own children!" "Ah. You wish to talk about the end of traitors? Then how about using those whose belly fat we stick wicks in to use as candles? The Imperial Censor alone should burn for a good seven days." It was a refined jab at the Imperial Censor''s Dong Zhuo-like physique. "Y-You...! Let''s go! These fucking sons of bitches..." In the end, the Imperial Censor, with a face turned bright red, left while cursing. Sichuan Tang n: Victory No. 2. After that, Poison Grandfather held out another ss bottle. "The child''s quick wit is truly admirable. How praiseworthy. Here, I''ll give you this. It''s a personally modified version of the Immortal Waste." This time it was an empty, sealed ss bottle. "If you make them inhale it through their nose or mouth, for fifteen days their breathing will change to sound like an ugly flute, making them wheeze roughly. On top of that, their voice will change to be even more ridiculous, so they won''t be able to hold back theirughter even at their own words. If there is someone whoughs easily, they might evenugh so much they suffocate." Every single thing he touched was consistently a poison aimed at ruining someone¡¯s reputation. "Wow! Thank you so much. This wasn''t what I was hoping for, but hehe. I''ll use it well." Qing happily epted the bottle once again.
    1. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was the imperial secret police that served the emperors of the Ming dynasty in China. The guard was founded by the Hongwu Emperor in 1368 to serve as his personal bodyguards. In 1369 it became an imperial military body.2. A life guard (also known as household troops) is a military unit charged with protecting a high-ranking individual, such as a monarch.
Chapter 129: Tang Clans Paper Flower (8) Qing judged it as the Tang n''s second victory, but that wasn''t actually the case. In fact, it was their third victory. This was because the Imperial Censor had presented a dilemma of death by blockading the Tang n - either starve to death or die for treason. What came back was food waste thrown out ostentatiously outside the gates and walls. Strangely enough, it always fell exactly where the soldiers or guards were standing, and the Tang n''s official stance on this was: ¡®Eh? Why are you standing there?¡¯ The Imperial Censor, with his eyes rolled back in anger, went around turning Chengdu upside down trying to find the Tang n''s supply line. But how could that be easy? Even from the perspective of the Central ins people, Chengdu had been a prosperous ancient capital for over two thousand years, and where dynasties had nested. In other words, there were already plenty of passages dug by ancestors, to which the Tang n had added and improved underground passages over hundreds of years. It was not a sacred realm that could be invaded by the shallow wisdom of humans who had lived a mere fifty years. As such, six Embroidered Uniform Guards and thirty soldiers who found and entered three secret passages became eternal guests who would never return. Because the discovered passages were turned into poison fields, even the corpses couldn''t be retrieved. Thus, the expression that they had be wanderers who could never return was quite urate. The Tang n''s official stance on this was: ¡®Oh, we collected and disposed of the poison sprayed by the cat. Why are you passing through the garbage dump?¡¯ Meanwhile, two more red dots were added to the Tang n''s map of Chengdu, meaning they had discovered two more artillery positions. Victory No. 4 for the Tang n. After this series of defeats, the Imperial Censor realized that he was no match for their shamelessness, rudeness, and local infrastructure. "Damn these bastards." The Imperial Censor gritted his teeth. The option of taking out false evidence under the guise of a search had gone down the drain forever due to the rampage of the invincible cat with Invulnerability of Ten Thousand Poisons He couldn''t starve them to death either. What remained was the strategy of provoking them to strike first. Just one hit. One hit would be enough. Even a light tap on the back of the hand would do. After that, he could shout "How dare you damage the Emperor''s army! You truly are traitors!" and fire cannons, push in soldiers, and turn the ce into a wastnd. So the Imperial Censor racked his brains, thinking about how to anger these traitorous Tang n bastards, how to piss them off. Finally, he found a point that the Tang n couldn''t endure, what could be called their trigger, and smiled with satisfaction. Thus dawned the fifth decisive battle on the fifteenth day. The Imperial Censor, who boldly entered through the main gate of the Tang Center, which remained shattered fromck of repair, scanned the Tang n elites blocking his way. And he quickly found a weakness among them. Of course, anyone with eyes could find it quickly, because there was a peerless beauty in ce, around whom the surroundings suddenly brightened and flower petals seemed to flutter in an illusion. The Tang n''s precious daughter, the Speaking Poison Flower Tang Nanah. They say she was raised with abundant love from the family and considered her their pride. Could they really endure if such a precious flower was insulted? This was the trigger of the Tang n that the Imperial Censor had found. "Listen here, Imperial Censor. Let me tell you in advance, actually,st night, a mischievous wild cat caused havoc in the warehouse-" "That is enough now. I have long known that you bastards are beasts who cannot be reasoned with." "Then shouldn''t you just turn back without wasting your breath?" At this, the Imperial Censor smiled vilely. "This time, I came to find a way for you traitors to live out of pity." "A way to live?" "The nationalw is strict, so the crime of treason is a capital offense that will exterminate nine generations of the family. Thanks to this, all those with the surname Tang from Sichuan will die without exception. However, if you can still leave that blood behind, it would not beplete annihtion of the n, would it?" Tang Touzhong''splexion darkened for a moment. He wondered what kind of nonsense the Imperial Censor had prepared to have such a long introduction. However, his facial muscles immediately tightened at the Imperial Censor''s next words. "I shall do you the honor of taking that passable wench instead of killing her and using her as a ve. Even if she happens to get knocked up, I shall not necessarily abort it to cut off the lineage, so you could preserve the blood of dirty traitors. How does that sound? Does it not seem like a good idea?" Tang Touzhong''s face contorted severely. The Imperial Censor''s face brightened in proportion. Moreover, upon thinking about possessing the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan, he suddenly felt excited as blood rushed to his lower regions. "Even if it is the blood of dirty traitors, once the merciful Imperial Censor shares his seed, it will be half a loyal subject and half a traitor¡¯s blood. Would that not be enough to use as ves for generations?" "If you do not watch your words-" "If I do not watch my words? Are you daring to threaten an official carrying out His Imperial Majesty''s jademand? Is this not the behavior of traitors to the world?" "...I am just saying it would be better to close that vulgar mouth of yours." Tang Touzhong weakly stepped back. "You there, wench. Do not just stand there like a mute and show some skin. Right, I should check if you are still a virgin too. Then again, with a face like that, I wonder if any man would have left you alone. That dirty blood must have been writhing in lust like a whore every day." Tang Nanah''s face turned pale. "What, feeling wronged? If not, lie down and spread your legs right now. After all, would it not be easier for people to check with their eyes in regards to whether your chastity is intact?" Tang Nanah, who had studied medicine and be a master of toxicology at a young age, was intelligent. She knew that in this situation, she had no choice but to endure the insults pouring down, as it was just a matter of rank and rudeness. Just as Tang Nanah''s eyes were moistening and her hands were trembling slightly¡­ Suddenly a weight pressed down on her head, and a semi-transparent membrane-like object draped over her, creating ayer of fence from the world. "Excuse me, Imperial Censor? Elder?" The Imperial Censor''s eyes widened. The veiled woman who had mentioned food wastest time had passed over what she was wearing, revealing another peerless beauty underneath. Qing stood demurely and raised her voice. "It has been said since ancient times that children are mirrors of their parents, so don''t people''s words and actions ultimatelye from their parents'' conduct?" "Was there such a saying?" Of course, there was no such saying in the Central ins. But as soon as he heard it, he immediately understood what it meant. In the Central ins, there was a saying that children resembled their parents. Simrly, in the Mingxin Baojian1, it was said that where cucumbers are nted, cucumbers grow, and where beans are nted, beans grow. Furthermore, Lord Mengchang2, who served as the Chancellor of the State of Qi during the Warring States period3, said that Generalse from Generals'' families and Chancellorse from Chancellors¡¯ families. All of these meant that children take after their parents, expressing a universal human nature that all cultures of humanity have sympathized with since ancient times. "The words that the Imperial Censor is saying now are vulgar and vile, something only the shittiest mongrel under the heavens would say, but since the Imperial Censor''s parents are precisely that shitty mongrel, you''ve just inherited their speech and behavior, so we shouldn''t me the Imperial Censor, right?" "What-" "It means if you don''t want to smear shit on your parents'' faces, you''d better watch that mouth of yours. Though we¡¯ve already known the level of your family education, since you''ve already smeared shit all over your parents long ago." Currently, there was no one in the world who could match Qing in insulting parents. This was because in the Central ins, insulting someone''s parents was equivalent to challenging them to a life-and-death duel, saying "Let''s see who lives and who dies today." However, having lived in a society of unfilial children who casually inherited parent insults, Qing''s study in this area had already reached a realm worthy of discussing the title of Greatest Under Heaven for this particr field. "You, you bitch...!" "Ending every sentence with ''you bastard,'' ''you wench'', ¡®you bitch¡¯. I guess that''s how your parents address people?" "You dog-like-" "Imperial Censor. Please calm yourself." At that moment, the third-inmand of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the Guard Assistant Commander, standing beside him, gently tapped his shoulder and intervened. The Imperial Censor red at Qing while panting, gradually calming his ragged breathing and regaining his originalposure. Just then, there was a subtle touch on Qing''s fingertips, which soon climbed up to her palm, leaving behind something hard before slipping away. It was a familiar size, one of Poison Grandfather''s poison bottles. Only then did the Imperial Censor open his mouth again. "Your words areughable. How dare traitors call themselves people? My parents always said that traitors are like ungrateful beasts, so I am just doing as I was taught. Courtesy is only extended to humans." Is that really all you can say after all that? Qing put strength in her eyes, making a round-eyed surprised expression as she asked back. "Huh? Excuse me, but may I ask which of the Imperial Censor''s parents is the beast?" "What?" "No, just now you were talking about sharing seeds with our Nanah and whatnot. But you said traitors are beasts. Then, did you inherit the hobby of mating with beasts from your parents too?" "Wha-" "AH!!! NOW THAT I¡¯M LOOKING AT THE IMPERIAL CENSOR!! I CAN TELL ONE SIDE IS A PIG! DID YOUR FATHER! MATE WITH A PIG! AND GIVE BIRTH TO YOU, OR DID YOUR MOTHER! MATE WITH A PIG! And give birth to you? Well. Either way, you''re a half-human half-pig fat fuck!" Qing raised her voice, cutting off the Imperial Censor''s words and rapid-firing her own. Qing''s volume had already surpassed human limits, so amidst the thunderous sound, her beautiful voice rang out clearly beyond the walls of the Tang n''s main gate without bing shrill. "Shut-" "WOW!!! EVERYONE LOOK AT THIS!!! HEY YOU MIDDLE-AGED MINIONS OVER THERE!!! DID YOU ALL JUST HEAR THAT!!? THERE¡¯S A MONSTER CHILD HERE! BORN BETWEEN!! PARENTS WHO MATED!! WITH PIGS!! LOOK AT THIS IMPERIAL CENSOR!! LOOK AT THIS ELDER!! HOW CAN SUCH A THING EXIST IN THIS WORLD!!" "You-" "WOW!!! THEN CAN WE CALL THE MASTER BEDROOM A PIGSTY!? COME TO THINK OF IT, THE IMPERIAL CENSOR¡¯S MOTHER!! IS EITHER A PIG!!! OR MATED WITH A PIG!!! EITHER WAY, SHE¡¯S JUST A SOW OBSESSED WITH BEASTIALITY, RIGHT?! IT MUST BE SO NICE!!! TO HAVE A SOW!!! AS YOUR MOTHER!!!" "You-" "WAIT!!! WHAT?!? ARE YOU EMBARRASSED!!! ABOUT YOUR MOTHER RIGHT NOW!? WHY CAN¡¯T YOU SAY IT PROUDLY? IMPERIAL CENSOR!!! YOUR MOTHER!!! MATED WITH A PIG!!! IMPERIAL CENSOR!!! YOUR MOTHER!!! IS A DIRTY PIG BITCH!!! UWAAAAAAAAAH!!! HOW CAN SUCH A THING HAPPEN!!!" The Grand n Lord who was listening trembled. By tonight, the shocking rumor about the Imperial Censor''s mother''s infidelity would spread throughout Chengdu as if it were fact. And he could clearly see that new facts circting in Chengdu would spread throughout Sichuan, and within a year, the everything under the heavens would ept it as truth. The Imperial Censor, as the head of the Censorate, belonged to the second rank of high officials, so the family that produced him was originally among the most prestigious of prestigious families. However, now their downfall was clearly visible. Immediately, they would be despised and cut off from rtionships up and down their faction (Guanxi), and for the sake of the Imperial Family''s face, they couldn''t keep someone with such an indecent rumor in an official position. "Hoh. My, my. It seems this old man has finally found the ultimate poison that would fill the rest of one''s life with pain through humiliation worse than death." It was a scene where the ultimate poison the Grand n Lord had dreamed of was being realized with just a three-inch tongue. How could one not tremble with emotion? "It has no substance, cannot be prevented from poisoning, and does not even need to be administered. Indeed, that gossip is truly the very definition of Formless Poison." The Grand n Lord, speaking as if he had gone senile, took out all the poisons he had personally modified and swept them into a separate poison pouch. It was a gift bundle for Qing.
    1. The Mingxin Baojian is an ancient Chinese book containing "a collection of aphorisms and quotations form the Chinese ssics and other works" The author and date of authorship are not reliably known, althoughter references suggest that it waspiled in 1393 by Fan Liben.2. Lord Mengchang, born Tian Wen, was an aristocrat and statesman of the Qi Kingdom of ancient China, one of the famed Four Lords of the Warring States period. He was a son of Tian Ying and grandson of King Wei of Qi. He seeded to his father''s fief in Xue. Lord Mengchang is well known for the size of his entourage.3. The Warring States period in Chinese historyprises the final centuries of the Zhou dynasty, which were characterized by warfare, bureaucratic and military reform, and political consolidation.
Chapter 130: Tang Clans Paper Flower (9) The Imperial Censor grabbed the back of his neck. His fleshy build seemed like it might copse with just a little more stimtion, so Qing was about to push harder. ¡°That is enough.¡± The Guard Assistant Commander, who had been maintaining hisposure until then, suddenly intervened. ¡°Imperial Censor, please calm yourself. Is this not just the antics of a green girl?¡± But Qing had no intention of ending it yet. In this kind of battle, the one with the loudest voice ultimately seized victory. Just as Qing was taking a deep breath¡­ A shining bead rose subtly above the Guard Assistant Commander¡¯s hand and then faded away. It was Force Compression, the symbol, pride, and crystallization of the Unrestrained Realm. Qing was quite the consistent person; she didn¡¯t act bold in front of the strong and shrank as always. What the hell is this? Just when I thought I could handle at least a Transcendent Realm, now this Unrestrained Realm bastard shows up to block my way. Why do Masters keep popping up from everywhere? Qing didn¡¯t know, but it would be stranger if the martial prowess of the Guard Assistant Commander, ranked third among the Imperial Pce martial artists, wasn¡¯t at least at the Unrestrained Realm. After all, he was a Master deliberately nurtured by the Imperial Family. Qing stepped back at this disy of skill. Since she had already enjoyed beating them one-sidedly, she didn¡¯t feel too regretful. However, the opinion of the person who had just been beaten up one-sidedly was different. ¡°You wench! Is it you who learned such dirty nder and stinking lies from your parents?!¡± But it was a grand miss. Insulting her parents were already ineffective against Qing. To begin with, she was uncertain whether this body was born under human legs. It might have just been formed from energy coalescing in a cave, or it might have opened its eyes after inhabiting an abandoned corpse. Since no traces of another mind were found during the mental parasite¡¯s invasion, she only knew that she hadn¡¯t stolen the body of a normal living girl. Qing answered with a bright smile. ¡°This body truly has no parents, you know? I never learned from anyone to begin with.¡± At this, the Imperial Censor quickly interjected. ¡°So you were an orphan wench! I thought as much. Yes, that is right. Even I would have abandoned a crazy thing like you!¡± ¡°But. I think it¡¯s better to be abandoned than to have parents who mated with pigs anyway. How could you live with your face up, being embarrassed about having parents who mated with pigs? If it were me, I would havemitted suicide long ago by sticking my face in lye water¡­ no, since it¡¯s the Imperial Censor¡¯s house, in pig slop.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°EVERYONE! WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK! WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE AS THE SON OF A WOMAN WHO SPREAD HER LEGS FOR A PIG, OR JUST LIVE ALONE AS AN ORPHAN?!¡± In a way, Qing¡¯s attitude could be said to be the true posture of a martial artist. At least Qing knew when she was outmatched and immediately retreated to wait for the next opportunity. The Imperial Censor, despite not being good with words, tried to argue back and ended up stumbling without even getting his money¡¯s worth. At this, the Guard Assistant Commander stepped in again. ¡°I told you that is enough.¡± ¡°No, wait, that pig, I mean Dong Zhuo, I mean Zhu Bajie1, I mean Imperial Censor was making a fuss earlier and you were quiet, but why are you lowering your voice only when I speak¡­ hehe, I¡¯ll shut up now.¡± Qing prettily closed her mouth in front of the Force Compression. However, her expression continued to smile brightly and cheerfully, persistently targeting the Imperial Censor¡¯s blood pressure. ¡°For such a young wench, your realm is not low, but that venomous heart is even more frightening.¡± ¡°Hmm. Thank you for thepliment?¡± ¡°Rather, it is a pity. If you had not been born with the Tang surname, that of those great traitors, you could have surely made a name for yourself in the Central ins.¡± ¡°Ha. Who¡¯s a great traitor? You¡¯re using innocent people of being criminals without any evidence. Your parents must be so proud of you. Son! Today you¡¯ve once again killed innocent people by wrongfully using them of crimes! How admirable! Your ancestors in hell must be burning in hellfire with pride!¡± ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°What? Did you stuff a donkey¡¯s cock in your ear? Or was it a dog¡¯s cock? Since you¡¯re taking the pig¡¯s side, maybe you stuffed a pig¡¯s cock in there? Is your ear hole blocked with a cock so you couldn¡¯t hear? Everyone here heard it, but the Unrestrained Realm Master couldn¡¯t?¡± The Guard Assistant Commander¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°Ah. I think it would be better to throw your parents¡¯ graves into a river or the sea instead of burying them in the ground. They¡¯ll be burning forever for the sin of raising such a vicious child in the world, so soaking them in water might help with the heat a bit.¡± ¡°You wench. You are truly courting death.¡± Qing snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just an ipetent fool lowering his voice. Unrestrained Realm Master? Is there only one retard of an Unrestrained Realm with a cock stuffed in his ear here? Why has this human scum of a butcher, who should have drawn his sword and cut everyone up long ago ording to his words, been enduring until now?¡± ¡°You wench. You will absolutely not die peacefully. Not until you beg to be killed.¡± ¡°Wow!! Look at that! Elder Imperial Censor! Did you see that? When you were being insulted, he just lowered his voice saying ¡®That is enough¡¯ because it wasn¡¯t about him, but now that he¡¯s being insulted, he¡¯s getting angry?¡± The Imperial Censor was still red, but after hearing those words, his gaze towards the Guard Assistant Commander wasn¡¯t friendly either. After all, what she said was true. Qing stepped forward, raising the stakes even more. ¡°Stop talking ande at me if you¡¯re so upset. Fair and square, one-on-one. Like a real man. Want to have a life-or-death duel?¡± At this, Tang Nanah quickly grabbed Qing¡¯s wrist. ¡°Hey, you. What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just enjoy the show.¡± Qing¡¯s expression was full of confidence as she answered. Qing was originally someone who valued her own life terribly, so she didn¡¯t move on a whim. But she couldn¡¯t tell Tang Nanah that she had already prepared some dirty tricks in advance, so she just threw out some cool words. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand by when my friend is being insulted. Right?¡± ¡°You, you¡­¡± It was truly a scene of emotion, the back view of someone stepping into danger to protect another¡¯s honor. Wasn¡¯t this the image of the most admirable man that women dream of? Though Qing wasn¡¯t actually a man, of course. Tang Nanah¡¯s eyes became misty. However, she was wearing a veil, so Qing couldn¡¯t see it. Regardless, the Guard Assistant Commander waspletely dumbfounded. ¡°A mere Peak Realm wench dared to say what?¡± ¡°I said let¡¯s have a match. How about it, one-on-one?¡± The Guard Assistant Commander snorted through his nose while his mouth stretched into a long grin, not hiding his evil intentions. ¡°Ha. You wench have truly decided to die! Fine! You said a life-or-death duel, right! You have already said it, so you cannot me me for what happens!¡± ¡°Good. Just don¡¯t run away. If you¡¯re going to run, you¡¯ll have to leave behind what¡¯s attached between your legs.¡± At the same time, Qing walked forward gracefully. Then, in a manner that didn¡¯t suit her, she took a respectful sped hands posture and shouted. ¡°This girl is called Qing and has no other title yet. I have studied the Yue Maiden Sword and Divine Maiden Divine Palm, as well as other misceneous arts and skills.¡± After that, she drew her sword and demonstrated some simple movements, then waved her hand in the air a few times to slightly reveal the subtleties of her Hand Arts. This was called a person¡¯s Starting Ceremony. It was the act of briefly introducing oneself and demonstrating learned martial arts before a duel, and while it was iprehensible as to why it existed, it was also a long-standing tradition of Murim. For a moment, everyone in the courtyard fell silent. What did I just see? The girl who had been spewing terrible curses suddenly acted like a righteous female expert of Murim, with every gesture and movement of her fingertips and toes exuding an impable grace. The beauty that had been hidden behind her vicious speech finally revealed its presence. Amidst the silence of the crowd, the Guard Assistant Commander also stepped forward and performed his Starting Ceremony. ¡°I am called Cho Gwak, and I have reached my realm with the Imperial Grace¡¯s Demon-Conquering Sword.¡± At the same time, he demonstrated some simple movements, but anyone could see that it was actually the Demon-Conquering Sword Technique, a supreme technique of the Kongtong Sect. In fact, the martial arts of the government were ones that the Nine Sects and One Union had offered when they were the government¡¯s hunting dogs in the past. Although they say they were somewhat degraded versions, those degraded Divine Arts all remained in the Imperial Pce Martial Vault, so the Embroidered Uniform Guards, who were Masters nurtured by the Imperial Pce, were made to learn them. They imed to have improved them somewhat, adding names like ¡°Imperial Grace¡± this and that in front, referring to the Emperor¡¯s grace. The Tang n elders who were aware of the situation clicked their tongues, while Qing, who didn¡¯t know, wagged her tongue instead. ¡°Ah, right. By the way, my master is Daoist Ximen Surin, and her Daoist colleagues of Murim call her the Matriarch or the Zenith Among Women.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, what did you say?¡± ¡°Have you still not removed the cock from your ear hole? I said my master is Daoist Ximen Surin, known as the Zenith Among Women.¡± ¡°No, no, wait. I have not heard anything about that.¡± ¡°For your information, my master promised that if her disciple were to be harmed during her journey in Jianghu, she would take revenge a hundredfold afterward. So if anything happens to me, you¡¯ll incur the wrath of the Zenith Among Women and your entire n, down to thest rtive, will be annihted.¡± Guard Assistant Commander Cho Gwak doubted his ears for a moment. Normally in these situations, didn¡¯t one say there would be no repercussions even if they died? He wondered if he had misheard. However, while Qing enjoyed deceiving others, she wasn¡¯t good at outright lying. Especially not in her master¡¯s name, of all things. Ximen Surin had actually often joked, mixed with curses, that, ¡®Even if you die, I shall take revenge a hundredfold, so do not feel too wronged if something bad happens¡¯. However, it was a joke mixed with a lot of sincerity. In other words, it was a petty threat saying that if you mess with me, the Zenith Among Women won¡¯t leave you alone. It was a shabby threat made after requesting a life-or-death duel and performing the Starting Ceremony. In fact, Cho Gwak¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°H-How can a disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect get involved in the affairs of traitors!¡± ¡°Involved? This girl was merely staying as a guest. Rather, weren¡¯t you the ones who blocked the entrance so we couldn¡¯t leave? I only stepped forward because I couldn¡¯t bear to see my innocent friend being insulted, so why don¡¯t you take back those terrible words about treason?¡± Then she extended her hand and pointed at Choi Leeong. ¡°And that old man over there is taking care of me, and he cherishes this girl like his own daughter. He¡¯s currently suffering from senility, so even if something unfortunate happens during the life-or-death duel, I ask for your generous understanding.¡± As if it wasn¡¯t enough, she evenid out an outright threat implying that Choi Leeong mightunch a sneak attack. ¡°W-What, what kind of life-or-death duel is this! How can you use such vile and cowardly tricks!¡± ¡°Vile and cowardly? A person who has reached the Unrestrained Realm is calling a life-or-death duel with a Peak Realm martial artist vile and cowardly?¡± Qing spoke, full of mockery. Cho Gwak, at a loss for words, could only open and close his mouth. At the same time, he realized he had fallen into a trap. It was called a life-or-death duel, but the situation had be such that if he didn¡¯t subdue Qing gently, the consequences would affect not only himself but his entire n. ¡°Wait, this is invalid-¡° ¡°No more words! Here Ie!¡± Qing cut off Cho Gwak¡¯s words and charged forward with her sword leading the way.
    1. Zhu Bajie, also named Zhu Wuneng, is one of the three helpers of Tang Sanzang, along with Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing, and a major character of the 16th century novel Journey to the West. Zhu means "swine" and Bajie means "eight precepts".
Chapter 131: Tang Clans Paper Flower (10) The sunset-colored Sword Qi enveloped the Moonlight Sword and shone. At that moment, Cho Gwak¡¯s mind raced quickly. Burning sunset-colored True Qi. A characteristic of the Divine Art of the Divine Maiden Sect, the Heart Cleanse Mirror of Zhu Xiang. So it is not a lie that she¡¯s Ximen Surin¡¯s disciple. The Imperial Pce martial artists were those nurtured by the Emperor, who gritted his teeth in his frustration to subdue Murim. They were familiar with all the major martial arts of Murim and knew their weaknesses and countermeasures. And the Yue Maiden Sword is not a problem. The Yue Maiden Sword Technique was originally used by the State of Yue¡¯s soldiers and had been passed down, still upying a ce as an introductory martial art when entering the military. Of course, Cho Gwak could perform it with his eyes closed. I haven¡¯t heard of the Divine Maiden Divine Palm. Is it a martial art created by Ximen Surin? If she dared to name it Divine Palm, it must not be ordinary. But it didn¡¯t seem like a mere Peak Realm master¡¯s Hand Arts would be dangerous to an Unrestrained Realm Master using Force Armor. It shouldn¡¯t be too tricky. Except for that unknown old Buddhist over there. Both Choi Leeong and a Buddhist martial artist would take offense at this thought. Anyway, that was the conclusion Cho Gwak came to. In fact, a duel between a Peak Realm martial artist and an Unrestrained Realm Master was not much different from a fight between a child and an adult. Although it was petty to ept a life-or-death duel just because a child (extremely) misbehaved, it wasn¡¯t that hecked confidence in subduing her, even if it might be troublesome. That¡¯s what he thought, but¡­ Suddenly, the Sword Qi rose one chi from Qing¡¯s de. This was a technique absolutely impossible with Sword Qi, not Sword Force. If Sword Qi could be extended freely outside the sword, wouldn¡¯t everyone carry a small dagger in their pocket and draw it out to wield like the lightsabers in that famous work, instead of carrying heavy swords? So it wasn¡¯t Sword Qi rising. If one looked closely, it wasn¡¯t actually Sword Qi, but high-density Sword Threads clustered together to appear as one. While the effects of the Yijin Cleansing Method were still unclear, at least one thing was certain: the blood vessels where True Qi flowed through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians had greatly expanded, allowing for what was essentially an ultra-high-output True Qi spray. In terms familiar to modern people, it felt like double Qi consumption for one and a half times the power. However, Qing¡¯s Qi umtion had already far surpassed her realm, and Sword Qi that hadn¡¯t formed into Force didn¡¯t consume much True Qi anyway. ¡°First Move!¡± Qing shouted as she drew a straight line. The thick Sword Qi collided with the Force surrounding Cho Gwak¡¯s sword. Though there was no sound as the swords didn¡¯t directly meet, a shockwave burst out from the center, blowing wind in all directions. However, Qing¡¯s expression contorted while Cho Gwak¡¯s face rxed slightly, so the result of the first sh was clear. Ah shit, Sword Threads still don¡¯t work, huh. Cho Gwak¡¯s sword not only prated Qing¡¯s Sword Qi but also slightly chipped the de of the Moonlight Sword. Force Compression was merely a basic long-range technique that Unrestrained Realm Masters could use. For those who weren¡¯t expertly handling Force Arts specializing in Force Compression, its power wasn¡¯t even as good as throwing hidden weapons imbued with Force. So the true terror of Unrestrained Realm Mastersy not in Force Compression, but in the fact that they could emit Forcepressed to a higher degree around their weapons, visible to the naked eye. Purple Force rippled around Cho Gwak¡¯s sword, increasing its thickness. It was a scene that would make the Daoist Monks of Mount Hua foam at the mouth. It was the Imperial Grace¡¯s Violet Mist Arts, the Imperial Pce¡¯s modified version of the Violet Mist Divine Arts. Qing was startled and withdrew her sword, but arge chip had already been taken out of the de. My Moonlight Sword! I barely even got to use it! Qing, who now had to obtain Moonlight Sword No. 9 after barely using this one, smiled awkwardly and spoke. ¡°Oh. Since you¡¯re such a Master, how about giving me ten moves as a handicap?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Cho Gwak¡¯s sword moved busily. The Imperial Grace¡¯s Demon-Conquering Sword was a vicious killing sword forged with the terrible determination to subdue demons. However, thepatibility was a bit bad, as the Demon-Conquering Sword was one of the martial arts with the strongest killing intent among Orthodox Faction techniques. It was awkward to try to attack while avoiding the opponent¡¯s vital points with such a killing sword. For Cho Gwak, whose family would be annihted if Qing died, the enemy¡¯s vital points were as good as his own. ¡°Whoa! Eek! Ack! Ah, ah! Ah! Kyaak! Ack!¡± Qing was busy dodging while continuously letting out breathless exmations mixed with screams and admiration in a chaotic cacophony. If she shed directly, her sword wouldn¡¯t survive. For now, it was a trick to distract and look for an opportunity by making noise. However, no matter how much the attacks avoided vital points, the opponent was an Unrestrained Realm Master and an expert of the sword. Moreover, his swordsmanship was a peerless Divine Art. If Qing had checked the Martial Arts Window, she would have seen the dazzling Purple Border of the Demon-Conquering Sword. Qing twisted her waist to dodge the Force-imbued de by a paper-thin margin. However, the sharpness of Force extended beyond what was visible to the eye. It immediately cut through her clothes at the waist along with her skin, causing a red stain to spread slightly. ¡°Ack! Wait! I really got cu- Kyaa!¡± Small cuts gradually increased on her thighs, sides, and shoulders, causing her clothes to be patchy in just those areas. Though she had clearly dodged, her skin split and stung, and while the pain made her worry about her condition and whether she had been badly cut, the aching wounds oddly didn¡¯t feel too bad¡­ ¡°Ack!! Ack! Ack!? Hm? Huh? Why? What?¡± Qing¡¯s exaggerated cries gradually subsided. What¡¯s this? It clearly hurts? But it¡¯s unexpectedly okay? No, how should I put it. It feels hot and not that bad. The stinging, prickling sensation is strange, mysterious, like the pleasurable pain of scratching a mosquito bite¡­ As a result, Qing¡¯s evasive movements became more concise. With less unnecessary movement, her gaze became steadier, and as her vision stabilized, her movements became more efficient, allowing her to avoid sword strikes without incurring further wounds. Cho Gwak immediately noticed the anomaly. This wench, isn¡¯t she gradually bing more adept at evasion! Cho Gwak, his anger rising, shouted. ¡°Damn you! What are you trying to do! Do you n to keep dodging?¡± ¡°Then!? What else should I do!? Should I let you hit me!?¡± Shouting thus, Qing¡¯s knees suddenly bent. With her feet still on the ground, her upper body became parallel to the ground, supported by her arms. Cho Gwak hesitated for a moment, having lost sight of Qing who suddenly seemed to sink into the ground and disappear. This was a technique of a highly refined Movement Technique called Dragoon1, no, the Iron te Bridge. From that position, Qing pushed off the ground with her arms, appearing to Cho Gwak as if she had suddenly sprung up from below his field of vision. Qing made her surprise appearance and thrust her sword forward. ¡°Hmph! It is futile!¡± However, the difference in realms was just too great. Cho Gwak casually swung his sword, deflecting Qing¡¯s arm holding the sword and leaving her wide open. At that moment, Qing¡¯s eyes shed, and her left hand suddenly shot out. Pak! Cho Gwak hurriedly raised his forearm to block. Then he spread his left hand and curled his fingertips, taking the basic form of a w Technique called the w Hand and swinging. Imperial Grace¡¯s Divine Wind w. If a Daoist Monk from the Kongtong Sect had seen it, they would have screamed that he had stolen the Divine Wind Ghost w, their sect¡¯s hidden True Supreme Technique. However, the White Hand Demonic Arts, even without its demonic nature, was one of the most mystical Hand Arts in the world. By stabbing with fingertips, curling to scratch, slicing with the edge of the hand, then striking with the back of the hand, pushing with the palm center, and hitting with the raised joint bones of just the index and middle fingers, six moves were executed in one breath. Since using the entire hand was called Hand Arts, it was truly the essence of Hand Arts in consecutive strikes. As the w Arts he had learned as an auxiliary skill fell short of this, Cho Gwak¡¯s Force-wrapped hand was barely able to forcibly endure and deflect the blows it received. At this moment, the right arm that had gone far out returned. Sword Qi erupted explosively from Qing¡¯s sword again. The moment Cho Gwak¡¯s gaze turned towards it, a chillingly red White Hand dug in and struck his side. Using that rebound, Qing leaped back to widen the distance. Although she hadnded a few nice hits, Qing¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°Agh shit, Force Armor. It¡¯s so hard to have fun, huh.¡± Qing muttered while shaking her tingling left arm. In contrast, Cho Gwak¡¯s expression rxed a bit more. ¡°Ha. So you did have something up your sleeve. Fine, I¡¯ll acknowledge the finesse of your techniques. But don¡¯t you know that the difference in realms is as vast as a mountain? If you withdraw now, I shall show the generosity of a senio- Hmm?¡± Cho Gwak, who was trying to persuade her to retreat with words, suddenly frowned. A strange, chilling, tingling sensation suddenly surged from his side. His left hand and forearm also felt subtly cold and stinging. Cho Gwak quickly probed his meridians and detected the presence of a secretly prating dark energy. A chillingly unorthodox dark energy was tearing through his blood vessels and spreading faintly, but strangely, it was simultaneously entwined with an orthodox warmth, reducing the pain and making it hard to notice immediately. This showed that Qing¡¯s Divine Maiden Divine Palm, which mixed True Qi, had surpassed the viciousness of the original White Hand Demonic Arts. ¡°What, this, this is.¡± Only then did Cho Gwak notice Qing¡¯s chillingly white and long, world¡¯s most beautiful slender hands. Wasn¡¯t it human nature to assume that if someone¡¯s face was that of a peerless beauty, their hands must naturally be beautiful too? But now that he saw it, a martial art came to mind. ¡°This is the White Hand-¡° ¡°WAAAH!!! WAAAAAAAH!! HERE I COME AGAIN!¡± Qing shouted and charged in again. This was Qing¡¯s method of interrupting people¡¯s words. At the same time, she firmly gripped the Moonlight Sword with both hands and pushed it out to the side of her shoulder, causing its radiance to burst out roughly, mixing brilliantly in red, white, and purple hues. Anyone could see that this was clearly a final move using all her strength. Starlight also flowed thickly from Cho Gwak¡¯s sword. He intended to cut through the swordpletely and break her spirit. The huge sword of Qi that had extended beyond Qing¡¯s shoulder suddenly shot forward. A massive streak of color drew a thick line in the air. The Force-wrapped sword opposing it seemed rather small and diminutive inparison, but everyone present instinctively knew it was the more dangerous, destructive starlight. And just as the two energies were about to sh! Qing¡¯s sword flew weakly into the sky with a Whoosh. Of course, when you let go of an object you were swinging with all your might using both hands, it was bound to fly far away. Cho Gwak had been trying to cut through the sword by meeting its trajectory. With Qing¡¯s sword gone, Cho Gwak¡¯s sword only cut through the air, and his clenched hand went on an excursion far out to the side of his ribs. ¡°Opening!¡± Qing¡¯s right hand went behind her back and firmly grasped the handle of a long object. It was the end of a Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron short staff with a noisy misceneous function attached. As Cho Gwak gritted his teeth and raised his Force Armor to the maximum, Qing used all her strength to swing Bokshinjeok upwards at an angle from below. WHACK!!! Bokshinjeok, imbued with a monstrous strength that even General Xiang Yu would have to acknowledge, struck the side of Cho Gwak¡¯s chest. Cho Gwak¡¯s heels lifted off the ground as he lost his bnce and staggered. While Force Armor could block the impact transmitted to the body, it couldn¡¯t do anything about the pure physical force pushing him. If he had known in advance, he would have withstood it with Thousand Catty Weight. However, how could he have imagined that a slender girl, aside from her tall stature and ample chest, would exude such monstrous strength? Qing alternately swung Bokshinjeok and her left hand with brute force. Choi Leeong had said when criticizing Kicking Techniques: A martial artist¡¯s strengthes from a firmly nted center, from the earth. So Cho Gwak, having lost his posture and center of mass once, was pushed onto the defensive. He could only desperately endure by wrapping himself in Force Armor, hunching his body, and continuously backing away. Qing was also desperate. Even in this situation, she wasn¡¯t getting the desired sensation of flesh tearing and bones breaking. Seriously, what the fuck is Unrestrained Realm? Is it invincible!? I want Force too! I want to use Force! How am I supposed to live as a mere Peak Realm without Force? It¡¯s so unfair! But if I keep hitting, he¡¯ll die eventually, right? Who am I? The genius of the century who killed an Unrestrained Realm despite being only Late Stage Peak Realm. I have to brag to Master about this. Just as Qing was thinking this and about to raise Bokshinjeok again¡­ Suddenly, a chill ran through her entire body, causing all the fine hairs to stand on end and her skin to rise in goosebumps. It was the killing intent of an Unrestrained Realm Master. Qing¡¯s instincts reacted to the enormous murderous intent, the thought and Qi response of ¡°I will definitely kill you.¡± ¡°You, BITCH!!! DIE!!¡± Qing hurriedly nted her feet on the ground and pushed her body in the opposite direction. But she was already a step toote. The trajectory of starlight traced a crescent moon as it swept across Qing. sh. The sensation of skin tearing and a de entering the body came clearly. She also learned that when properly cut, sound was transmitted through the body, not the ears. And then, more than the pain, what surged up was rage like a raging fire. No, this son of a bitch! How dare he cut me!? When all he is is a piece of shit motherfucker with a shitton of Evil Karma! A fucker who only did bad things! He should have just given me Practice Points and died quietly! This shouldn¡¯t be happening. At least, I shouldn¡¯t be cut by such a son of a bitch. This is unfair. Bad guys should get cut by swords and good people should receive all the fortune. And I¡¯m the most righteous person in the world. The most important and precious person in the world, you know. Yet this NPC, a piece of shit worse than an animal, dares to harm me without knowing his ce? In Qing¡¯s pupils, a malevolent red star stretched awake and shone brightly.
    1. The dragoon is a type of protoss quadrupedal assault walker in Starcraft. The reason this reference exists is because it does something simr in movement by burrowing into the ground.
Chapter 132: Tang Clans Paper Flower (11) Often, when people of Jianghu thought about the owner of the Heavenly ughtering Star, they imagined a crazed killer intoxicated with blood. In fact, that wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. But it wasn¡¯t quite the same; at least the Heavenly ughtering Stars didn¡¯t go berserk like mad dogs and bite to draw blood. Even the image of a blood-crazed killer was actually an illusion deliberately adopted by past owners of Heavenly ughter. Since the rarely appearing Heavenly ughters never met each other, it was just something individuals used as a method to conceal themselves. Rather, the Heavenly ughtering Stars were closer to meticulous killing fiends. Thanks to this, Qing¡¯s mind now sharpened clearly as she received the energy of Heavenly ughter. Her first thought was a bitter reflection. Why didn¡¯t I think it was strange? Is Force Armor some kind of absolute magic barrier? It¡¯s not some new superconducting shock-dispersing material, so how could it perfectly absorb all impacts? Qing, who understood superconductivity as something akin to 100% perfect, thought like the social science major she was as she examined Cho Gwak. The hell. It wasn¡¯t a matter of Sword Qi versus Force to begin with. If I hit him that much, even if it wasn¡¯t Cho Gwak but Cho Gwak¡¯s grandfather, some flesh should have burst, bruised, and bones should have at least cracked. Her eyes, which had lost their luster with an indifferent coldness, quietly reflected Cho Gwak¡¯s figure. It seems like he¡¯spletely lost his reason. Well, that makes it easier, I guess. Keep the heart hot, but the head cold. It was something all Masters in the world say at least once, but it was actually difficult for even themselves to maintain. When you lose your reason and are caught up in killing intent, you be honest. Your eyes only see the ce to stab, and your body follows without deception, bing a fool obsessed only with ughtering the enemy. Qing faced Cho Gwak with a much more rxed mind. The approaching sword tip wavered left and right, splitting into three forms, aiming for the neck and heart, with one curving diagonally towards the waist. Stepping sideways, twisting her pelvis, and pulling her spine back, a fierce sword wind brushed past her neck, and then¡­ Her chest stung! Ack! Shit, I got cut again. Even then, one attack remained, and Qing¡¯s hand touched the side of the iing de, gently pushing to change its direction. Cho Gwak¡¯s body swayed outward following the de. Qing stepped to the left while swinging Bokshinjeok, and the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron club dug into the back of the knee, cutting through the air with a swish. Thwack! When you hit the back of the knee, the knee flies forward. Cho Gwak copsed into a kneeling position, then tumbled and rolled away. Qing didn¡¯t follow, but quietly exhaled while her eyes tracked Cho Gwak¡¯s figure. Even just now, the hit didn¡¯tnd at all. Strange. Is it possible for impacts not tond at all? But would an Unrestrained Realm Master get hurt or break bones just from rolling a bit? After rolling around, he sprang up using the rebound and charged again, taking a fighting stance. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! You bitch! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Hmph. You shouldn¡¯t be the one talking. Qing snorted and charged forward, kicking off the ground. Because the opponent had lost his reason in anger, it actually became much easier to deal with him. This was why Qing always ran her mouth, aiming for this. Of course, it was also thanks to Qing¡¯s reason having cooled down. But in her state of being unhinged by the Killing Star, she didn¡¯t feel strange because she considered herself normal. She just thought that after continuously getting hit and being cut badly twice, she was now getting used to that sword technique as it became familiar. Qing extended Bokshinjeok straight out, firmly striking Cho Gwak¡¯s de guard. The twisted force acting at the starting point of the sword path caused the technique to lose direction and waver, drifting off course. Then, blocking the iing w attack with her forearm, Ack! Fuck! That stings! She kicked his shin with all her might using her toes, causing Cho Gwak to lurch forward. Bokshinjeok left an afterimage as it struck Bam! on the back of Cho Gwak¡¯s head. Cho Gwak slid across the Tang n¡¯s front yard, drawing a long line with his face. As Cho Gwak sprang up again, Qing continued her vicious scheming. If I can tire him out like this, it should work. His Inner Qi isn¡¯t infinite, and how long can he keep spewing Force and maintaining Force Armor defense techniques like that? But what if hees to his senses? If he says ¡®Hoho, oopsie, I lost¡¯ and deres defeat before running away, can I chase him down and kill him? No, I won¡¯t be able to do that. What other means do I have? Buddha¡¯s Palm? That¡¯s too easy a death. Let¡¯s hold off on that for now. ck ying Demonic Palm? If even the White Hand Demonic Arts didn¡¯t work, then¡­ Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance? A guy whose out of his mind with anger probably won¡¯t go ¡°Hehehe¡± just because someone takes their clothes off. Qing checked what she had while extending Bokshinjeok towards the charging Cho Gwak again. One Hundred And Eight Asura Sword, Heavenly Falcon Grab. The end of Bokshinjeok, extending with the imagery of a falcon snatching a rabbit, pushed aside Cho Gwak¡¯s shoulder, twisting the starting point of the Demon-Conquering Sword and drawing apletely off-course sword path. At that moment, she hooked her ankle around his and used the principle of the Antigravity Qinggong of the Yue Maiden Footwork to stomp the ground. Cho Gwak flew off in a parabolic arc. Even in the midst of this, the Killing Star, who hadn¡¯t stopped her thinking, suddenly stretched her mouth into a long grin. * Choi Leeong was about to spring into action the moment Qing¡¯s chest was badly cut. However, he stopped after just taking the stance to deliver one Force Compression attack. This was because the nature of the life-or-death duel hadpletely changed. Only Tang Nanah, with her poor judgment, stamped her feet anxiously before clinging to the Grand n Lord. ¡°Eek, what should we, we,, Grandfather, we need to help Qing¡¯er.¡± ¡°Let us wait and see for now. It does not seem to be a serious injury. Above all, hoh¡­ I¡¯d like to ask how the Matriarch raises her disciples.¡± ¡°What do you mean, there¡¯s blood, blood is flowing¡­!¡± However, after several more exchanges, it was Cho Gwak who was tumbling down again. He kept getting up and charging, but he was busy being thrown far, rolling around, and being pushed back twisted, presenting an unsightly appearance to anyone watching. ¡°Look there, isn¡¯t our Qing¡¯er winning? But what should we do, there¡¯s blood. She¡¯s hurt.¡± ¡°The childpletely breaks down Movements and knows how to use them. Her mind is clear, and she sees and responds to attacks. It is not an achievement one would expect at that age.¡± Originally, Movements were practiced as a continuous flow, ingraining their trajectory into the body. For martial arts learned this way to exert their proper power, one had to take the correct posture ingrained in the body. But how could that work properly in actualbat where even a speck of dust could act as a variable? However, as experience umtes and one understands the principles through actualbat, that was when one reached the stage of freely using any part, breaking it off as needed. Of course, in Qing¡¯s case, she hadpletely freeloaded. It wasn¡¯t that she knew how to break down and use Movements. Instead, from the very start, what was embedded in her head werepletely broken-down Movements. Moreover, her Physical Stats had surpassed limits. Her strength, bnce, flexibility, and stamina had already developed beyond human levels, so the techniques she used were implemented in the most ideal form as imagined in her mind. ¡°But that bastard is still fine.¡± ¡°Though it is just making a lot of noise, she is hitting softly, isn¡¯t she? From what I see, it looks like she¡¯s training against an Unrestrained Realm master.¡± The Grand n Lord was deducing the situation so well but then stumbled. If Qing had heard this, she would have questioned whether even Poison Grandfather had gone senile. Meanwhile, it was also impressive how Cho Gwak still hadn¡¯te to his senses even after being knocked down more than ten times. Well, to be fair, being unable to handle a girl young enough to be his daughter and rolling on the ground repeatedly, his anger would only grow and not diminish. As a result, rough thoughts, uneasy nces, and impure murmurs gradually spread among the subordinates of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Honestly, it was an unsightly spectacle. It was in the midst of this when¡­ Suddenly, instead of charging, Cho Gwak stood still with his eyes wide open in a surprised expression. ¡°Princess Haryon? How is it that you are in such a ce¡­¡± And then, every time he opened his mouth, it was a series of nonsense. ¡°That will not do, how can you be in a ce like-¡° ¡°Y-You must maintain your dignity, your dignity.¡± ¡°No, no. I too, I also.¡± ¡°Princess, no, Chehye! Hye¡¯er!¡± At this, gasps of shock erupted from where the government troops stood. Princess Haryon was, as her name suggested, literally a princess. And Princess Haryon¡¯s name was not Haryon. Haryon was not a name but merely a title bestowed by the Emperor. The real names of the Imperial Family were so noble that merely uttering them was a sin against heaven. That was why they could not be called by name, so it was the Emperor¡¯s august consideration to designate her to be called Haryon. Nevertheless, he had uttered an Imperial Family member¡¯s name in broad daylight with countless people present, which was a terrible capital offense that couldn¡¯t be fully expressed just by calling it sphemous. Even Murim practitioners, who knew the Imperial Family like the back of their hand, didn¡¯t dare to utter the real names of Imperial Family members. Cho Gwak¡¯s entric behavior didn¡¯t stop there. Suddenly, he threw away his sword, pulled at his waist to undo his belt, and roughly pulled down his pants. He proudly erected his thing for all to see, put his hands on his hips, and began vigorously shaking his waist. ¡°Haha! How do you like it! For a princess of a country to be so lewd! Chehye, you bitch!¡± To exaggerate a little, it seemed like the sound of blood draining from everyone could be heard as loudly as thunder. The government officials all simultaneously turned pale, their faces bing stark white as their pupils trembled. ¡°You call yourself a princess but you are just a useless whore! This hole is so loose! Even fucking the air would feel better than this, you bitch!¡± Well, he was actually fucking the air, but¡­ Everyone swallowed such thoughts to themselves. ¡°Tighten up right now! You fucking bitch! Who have you been rolling around with besides this Elder Cho Gwak, huh!! Princess, my foot! Was Haryon just a stage name for a whore!!¡± As he said this, he kept striking the air with one arm, creating a catastrophe too terrible to watch. He was so immersed that even as Qing carefully approached to pick up the discarded sword, he was busy just shaking his waist. Qing pushed all her True Qi into the de. Once again, Sword Qi of various mixed colors burst out in brilliant radiance. Qing stomped the ground, creating a deep depression. The incredible force in her fighting stance traveled from her soles through her ankles, knees, and waist, adding power as a lightning-fast thrust dug into Cho Gwak¡¯s lower abdomen. Even though he was in a hallucination, it seemed even Force Armor was ineffective in the midst of the act. Nevertheless, the de snapped with a crack, unable to withstand the resistance as if stabbing steel. How could a sword possibly prate someone with such a body and Force Armor on top of that? Is it some kind of special External Art? Is this the legendary Invincible Vajra Body? Cho Gwak, with his back and stomach pierced by the broken de, looked up at Qing with disbelieving eyes. ¡°Princess? Why¡­¡± It seemed the drug¡¯s effects persisted even with his dantian skewered. Well, if being stabbed with a sword could detoxify poison, what use would antidotes be? Instead of acupuncture, I¡¯ll give him one sword-puncture. Instead of answering, Qing took a deep breath and shouted. ¡°How dare you insult the Princess!! I cannot let this slide!! How dare you!! Who was it again, right, Princess Suyeon!!! sphemy is not allowed! I hate sphemy! Criminals shall receive castration!¡± At the same time, Qing¡¯s kick dug between Cho Gwak¡¯s legs. BOOM! With a sound like a wall copsing, Cho Gwak¡¯s body flew up about one and a half stories high before crashing down and rolling on the ground. This time, the feeling was definitely there. It was the vivid sensation of pulverization, with the pubic bones on both sides in front of the pelvis and the tailbone area in the back all being shattered to powder. Above all, the sensation of flesh between the pelvis and instep being crushed and mashed was satisfying, no, truly the very definition of a huge satisfaction. Chapter 133: Tang Clans Paper Flower (12) The brightness returned to Qing¡¯s eyes. As the Great Meditation Qi and Cleansing Qi chanted Buddhist texts together harmoniously along the Governing Vessel1 behind the spine, the malevolent star that had inserted a straw into the half-open Upper Dantian quietly slipped out and pretended it was never there. The reason for its docile retreat was unknown. After all, how could humans understand the intentions of stars? Qing, now back to normal - or more precisely, returned to her emotional, stupid state full of random thoughts that were not particrly kind even after the Heavenly ughtering Star¡¯s killing intent had left her - looked down at the fallen Cho Gwak. He was rolling his eyes, convulsing, and continuously foaming at the mouth with fine bubbles. Wow. He¡¯s still not dead. No, wait. Maybe it wasn¡¯t enough to kill him? He just had his dantian pierced and the lower part of his pelvis shattered into thousands of small pieces. It wasn¡¯t an immediately fatal wound that would take his breath away. Qing squatted down, firmly grasped Cho Gwak¡¯s right wrist and elbow, and bent the joint in the opposite direction. It was Qing¡¯s monstrous strength that could easily bend even steel. Nevertheless, her hands just trembled as she held onto the fully extended arm. What kind of body was this, for heaven¡¯s sake? As she struggled like that, Pop, Pop Pop Pop. Along with the sweet sensation of tissue firmly attached to bone being torn away strand by strand, finally, Crack! ¡°Oooh. Finally. It worked.¡± Qing smiled gleefully as she repeatedly bent and stretched Cho Gwak¡¯s forearm in all directions. Only then did the spectators realize Qing¡¯s intention. They thought she was taking his pulse when she grabbed his wrist and trembled, but that wasn¡¯t it. She was tearing off a person¡¯s arm! The Imperial Censor shouted in shock. ¡°W-What are you doing!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Searching for spoils?¡± ¡°Stop this at once! How dare you, to an Imperial official-¡° ¡°A TRAITOR!!! An official? What do you mean an official? Didn¡¯t you all hear him insulting the Princess? Wow. It was really too much. How could he say such things to a woman? Even I felt humiliated listening to it.¡± She said this while twisting the skin and tendons of the forearm she had just torn off, spinning it around. ¡°AH!! RIGHT!! Don¡¯t tell me the Imperial Censor is on the same side as this traitor!! Is that why you¡¯re trying to protect him?!¡± ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s not! It is not that! I am not!¡± The Imperial Censor hurriedly and vehemently denied it. Regardless of the Tang n, if he got wrongly involved here, he would have to be prepared for his entire family to be exterminated. It was a petty and vile trick. Perhaps, being the Tang n, they must have some poison that makes people see hallucinations. Princess Haryon was the beauty of the era whom the Emperor himself had dered the Most Beautiful Woman Under Heaven, so it was actually natural for Cho Gwak to have seen an illusion of the Princess and dreamed of lewd acts. As an Embroidered Uniform Guard who trained and resided in the pce, there wasn¡¯t a single guard who hadn¡¯t suffered from lovesickness. However, Princess Haryon was the Emperor¡¯s most beloved daughter. And some high-ranking officials like the Imperial Censor were particrly better aware than others of how extreme the Emperor¡¯s love for his daughter was. He still cared for his grown daughter as if she were a child, even worrying about her sleepingfortably and having her sleep next to him. It was a secret of secrets known only to the highest officials in the Imperial Pce. Insulting such a princess meant the annihtion of one¡¯s entire family was certain, and one would have to beg for mercy to see if it would be three generations or nine generations that would be affected. Meanwhile, Qing finally saw results. The stretched and torn area that was originally the right elbow was now mangled and bleeding profusely, and finally, with a Rip. Qing, who had finally separated Cho Gwak¡¯s forearm from his body, stood up with satisfaction. ----Although there had been an unsavory process- To be precise, it was a life-or-death duel where not a single aspect wasn¡¯t unsavory. But even if one took away that terrifying Hell Mouth Technique and the suspicious, cowardly suspected poisoning, what of it? The fact remained that an Unrestrained Realm Master, and the third strongest of the Embroidered Uniform Guards at that, had been toyed with and rolled around by a young girl of the mere Peak Realm. The Imperial Censor had no choice but to retreat with the armless Guard Assistant Commander. There was nothing more he could do by staying. Moreover, the army¡¯s morale had hit rock bottom and was practically burrowing into the ground, so he had to deal with that as well. Qing casually held out the forearm to Poison Grandfather like a gift. ¡°Grandfather, this was strange. Can you take a look? It doesn¡¯t seem like a human body. I mean, steel- no, not even Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron should be this hard.¡± There was no reason to tear off and bring a person¡¯s arm if you weren¡¯t going to roast it or make soup with it. She brought it because it was strange and wanted him to examine it. Of course, that was limited to the fact that she brought it. If Qing hadn¡¯t been satisfied with the castration, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if she had torn it off for fun and thrown it away. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Just as the Grand n Lord was about to ask what on earth she meant by such bizarre words after receiving it¡­ ¡°Hey!! What are you even doing! Your appearance is¡­! I¡¯m really upset!¡± Tang Nanah shouted and grabbed Qing¡¯s hand, dragging her away. In fact, none of Qing¡¯s wounds were serious enough to be life-threatening. In truth, if bones were damaged or muscles were cut, she wouldn¡¯t be able to use her strength at all, Heavenly ughter or not. If she had been cut in an area with heavy bleeding, she would have fainted and copsed midway. At most, they were just minor cuts on the skin. However, the wound on her chest was quite deep. Qing, led by Tang Nanah into the medicine hall, finally took in the wound on her chest. ¡°Wow. My chest has be one and two halves. Ugh, so gross.¡± 1 + (1/2) ¡Á 2. It was a rather urate expression. Since no part had fallen off, the total amount was the same, but the left breast had been diagonally cut vertically, revealing a gross cross-section that was kinda like, like¡­ Like you know? ¡°Is this the time to say such things!¡± Tang Nanah pped Qing¡¯s shoulder and exhaled rapid, angry breaths. ¡°If it had been just a little deeper, all your ribs would have been cut off! Why weren¡¯t you more careful!¡± ¡°No, against an Unrestrained Realm, this much is pretty goo- Nevermind. I am sorry¡­¡± Qing immediately retracted her words upon seeing Tang Nanah¡¯s expression with tears welling up. She wasn¡¯t cruel(?) enough to upset someone who was worried sick. Instead, Qing tried to subtly change the subject. ¡°Um, do you think it will leave a scar?¡± ¡°You worry about scars yet you don¡¯t even take care of your body!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Wouldn¡¯t a scar look kind of cool? Usually-¡° ¡°Hey!!!¡± p. Qing ended up getting hit once more. It was only a p because it was Tang Nanah. If Ximen Surin had heard this, it would have been a yap of fear that would have called down a profound strike from a Master who had reached the Profound Realm, regardless of injuries. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility and make sure no scar remains, so don¡¯t say such useless things.¡± Qing felt a little wronged. It was split diagonally vertically, and then cut horizontally about two finger joints. Combined, they made a perfect cross shape. Shouldn¡¯t a Sword Master have at least one such scar? ¡°No, really. It¡¯s okay if it leaves a scar, so don¡¯t get so worked up.¡± However, Qing¡¯s sincerity didn¡¯t get through. Far from getting through, it only invited a huge misunderstanding. Even if a woman didn¡¯t mention her breasts out loud, was there anyone who didn¡¯t care about them? Whether they were small,rge, or just right, they were precious things that one would secretly look at alone, worrying if the shape was okay, if the color was strange, if they were pretty or not, or what if people said somethingter. If someone said that it would be cool if a scar remained after it had been split in half, as if worried that the counterpart would feel sorry, how could one not feel even more sorry? In truth, Qing had said something that could be misunderstood. What use would a cool scar on a woman¡¯s chest be? It¡¯s not like you¡¯d show your chest to passersby and say, ¡®Look at this. Wow, a sword scar! So you know about the cross, huh?¡¯ and brag about it. ¡°You really¡­ Really¡­ Hic.¡± Tang Nanah finally burst into tears. And then, she had to pay dearly for toying with a woman¡¯s pure heart with nonsense. ¡°Ack! It hurts! Just a little gentler! Help, kyaak! Someone help! The physician is trying to kill me!¡± ¡°What? What are you saying? I used plenty of anesthetic powder, so why are you exaggerating? This much would work even on an elephant.¡± ¡°Uh, that, opium¡­ Can¡¯t you give me some opium?¡± ¡°You, do you know how harmful opium is?¡± ¡°Sss, hoo, hoo. Sniff, sniff. Ack!¡± For the first time since her journey into Murim, Qing cursed the Strategy Guide. Are you for real? Shouldn¡¯t anesthesia at least work?* * Why does opium work but anesthesia doesn¡¯t? In fact, pain itself was necessary for the body¡¯s survival. Therefore, anesthesia was harmful. Opium didn¡¯t eliminate pain, it just elevated the mood to mask it, so in modern terms, one could make an analysis about something endorphins something or whatnot. However¡­ Qing doesn¡¯t know anyway. So all she could do was curse her cursed Constitution that didn¡¯t even respond to anesthesia and the person who rmended that choice. ----It was that night when Poison Grandfather came to visit. Qing happily weed the Poison Elder who had generously given her poisons. ¡°Wow. That poison was incredibly effective.¡± Of course it would be effective. In the Tang n, there existed seven supreme poisons called the Seven Great Extreme Poisons, which were considered almost products of chance even in the history of the Tang n. They were the Eight-Colored Powder Poison Pill, Soul-Dragging Water, Immortal Waste, Soul-Seizing Oblivion, Seven Steps Soul-Severing Powder, Five Poison Divine Dance, and Soul-Destroying Pill. The ingredients that the Grand n Lord had personally modified were these supreme poisons of the Tang n. Moreover, the Grand n Lord was the Greatest Poison Master Under Heaven. It was the result of the world¡¯s most vicious poisons being modified by the world¡¯s greatest craftsman. Even masters above the Profound Realm, let alone the Unrestrained Realm, would have ended up in a miserable state if they couldn¡¯t quickly capture and expel or burn off the Poison Qi in the early stages. Moreover, Cho Gwak had all but lost his reason and didn¡¯t notice the Poison Qi, and this wasbined with the fact that his meridians had already been greatly damaged by the White Hand Demonic Arts. ¡°Do you have any more? I used all three pills¡­¡± ¡°Hoho, it was something that came out by chance, so that was all I had. I was actually going to ask if you had any left. It can¡¯t be helped, it seems.¡± The Grand n Lord also showed signs of regret. He had many such works as he made them as a hobby. However, there was no one to use them on, so he left them unused and didn¡¯t write down the formtion separately. But after seeing the terrifying effects of the modified Soul-Seizing Oblivion, he thought he should properly name it and add it to the n¡¯s list of Extreme Poisons, but now he was told it had all been used up. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. By the way, how did you administer the poison? Did you learn some separate Poison Utilization Techniques?¡± ¡°Oh. That.¡± Qing held out her hand, and Choi Leeong stared nkly. Only after Qing pursed her lips and whistled did he realize her meaning and take out Bokshinjeok to hand it over. Qing, who received Bokshinjeok, mimicked putting a poison pill into the flute hole and then shook it once with precision. If there had been something inside, it would have bounced out due to centrifugal force. Bokshinjeok was a truly versatile club that could withstand Force, make sounds, and even fire poison pills! ¡°Oho! Child, your ingenuity is truly admirable!¡± The Grand n Lord didn¡¯t hold back his admiration at this.
    1. Governing Vessel is regarded as the sea of yang meridians, regting the rise and fall of yang qi and bncing yin and yang. Besides, the back-shu points of dder meridianmunicate with qi of five-zang and six-fu organs, which coordinates the functions of five-zang organs to tranquilize the mind.
Chapter 134: Tang Clans Paper Flower (13) At Poison Grandfather¡¯s praise, Qing proudly puffed out her chest and was about to answer confidently- ¡°Ow, ouch, sseeeup.¡± But feeling pain, she just answered while shrinking back. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so surprised. I¡¯m always excellent.¡± If you don¡¯t call an excellent person excellent, that of itself bes a lie. Therefore, even modesty could be rude for Qing, a genius talent gifted by the heavens, who couldn¡¯t bring herself to lie to an elder and simply stated the facts inly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good to see you have such confidence. A martial artist should have such ambition!¡± The Grand n Lord who epted this could also be said to have issues. ¡°But, about that fellow¡¯s arm¡­¡± ¡°Ah. So that¡¯s why you came. How far did you look int- Euahhh, I mean, did you look into it?¡± As she spoke, she realized she was saying something only subhuman vermin would say, so Qing quickly corrected herself. The Grand n Lord, unaware of the circumstances, just blinked a couple times before answering, seemingly thinking nothing of it. ¡°It seems he was likely a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human.¡± ¡°A Reinforced Blood Demonic Human!¡± Qing shouted in surprise. A Reinforced Blood Demonic Human! What on earth is that supposed to be! She shouted once, riding the mood that seemed like she should shout. Even though shouting didn¡¯t suddenly make the unknown facts enter her head. Qing, who didn¡¯t hold back when curious, asked. ¡°What¡¯s a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human?¡± ¡°Hmm, It is a kind of extremely vicious, how should I put it, um, yes, created by the Blood Cult¡¯s Dark Blood Supreme Law, um. Its characteristic is a body as hard as the Sword and Dao Invulnerability.¡± ¡°The Blood Cult?¡± ¡°Yes. For an Embroidered Uniform Guard to have received the Blood Cult¡¯s Supreme Law, I think this is no ordinary matter.¡± In Jianghu, anything rted to the Blood Cult could be said to be entirely evil without exception. Because it was true. It wasn¡¯t prejudice; the methods used by the Blood Cult basically always required blood. The Dark Blood Supreme Law was the same, absorbing specially treated human blood into the target¡¯s body to create a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human with a body possessing Sword and Dao Invulnerability. The Grand n Lord knew nothing about the special treatment in question. Because he wasn¡¯t a member of the Blood Cult. At any rate, it was a Supreme Law that absorbed other people¡¯s blood, so it was very evil and more than enough to be treated as a Public Enemy of Murim. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t that a Living Jiangshi?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from a Jiangshi. Even a Living Jiangshi only has consciousness alive, with the vitality in its dantian dead, so it just moves by consuming the remaining Innate True Qi.¡± ¡°Oh. So the difference is whether they can use their own Inner Qi or not, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You are quite clever.¡± ¡°Hehe. No no. I¡¯m not. You tter me.¡± Qing knew herself well, and knew that while she was always excellent, she was a bit far from being clever. So this time, it was modesty. ¡°Then, does a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human unconditionally have forwardpatibi1- does this saying exist in the Central ins? Anyway, if you¡¯re going to make something, isn¡¯t it better to make a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human?¡± ¡°Reinforced Blood Demonic Humans are just tough, but their disadvantages are so great that even those Blood Cult bastards don¡¯t use them often.¡± ¡°What are the disadvantages?¡± ¡°In exchange for having a body with Sword and Dao Invulnerability, they be dull. Their movements slow down by at least twice, and their joints and tendons stiffen, losing all flexibility, so their limb movements be stiff and linear. You fought one, so don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Qing¡¯s expression turned very sour. What? That was already more than twice as slow? That one move that cut her chest, even though she noticed it with her killing intent, she was toote to dodge and her breast was split in half like a mackerel being chopped. She could empathize with the part aboutcking flexibility and being stiff with linear movements. Especially after Cho Gwak lost his reason. Qing protested in indignation. ¡°For something like that, didn¡¯t he fight pretty well?¡± ¡°Fight well? His swordsmanship itself was overwhelmed by you, and he kept rolling around like a donkey. I thought Cho Gwak was just an idiot who had only trained in seclusion with no experience in Jianghu and couldn¡¯t keep up with you. Like those high-level Masters who struggle in actualbat after being stuck training in deep mountains.¡± ¡°Hmm. Should I not brag then¡­¡± Qing seriously pondered. Still, if attacks cannd, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to face even if the enemy bes twice as fast? If you can block once with your arm and then stab¡­ But if you fail, you¡¯d really be split in half. Hm? No, wait. I was invincible with my shield known as Master. Come to think of it, if Cho Gwak hadn¡¯t been a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human, I would have beaten him to death long ago without my chest bing three pieces. Thinking about it, it¡¯s unfair. If I had known he was a bastard who used other people¡¯s blood to be tough, I should have torn off all his remaining limbs too. He was truly the biggest son of a bitch under the heavens. ¡°For an Embroidered Uniform Guard, and one of Guard Assistant Commander rank at that, to be a Reinforced Blood Demonic Human, this is no ordinary matter. We must immediately inform the Alliance and investigate. Your merit in finding evidence by tearing off an arm is beyond words. You did very well. Actually, while looking at it, I thought it was a strange sight, but this old man was wrong and you were right.¡± It was truly a bizarre thing to say in the world. It was praise for tearing off an arm well. However, given the nature of the matter, it was something anyone would nod and agree with. ¡°Grandfather, our Qing¡¯er needs to rest.¡± At that moment, Tang Nanah interrupted the conversation. Autumn was now in itstter half, and the nights were long. As ismon in primitive ancient uncivilized societies, when nights are long, one should sleep more. ¡°Ah. That is right. I am being thoughtless too. To think I would keep a sick child up. Yes. Rest well. In this situation, even the government will no longer be concerned about treason, so they shall withdraw soon. It is all over now, so you can rest easy and recuperate.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± That was wee news. If it¡¯s all over, then I can stop by the Emei Sect and go back¡­ No, wait. I should go after my chest is fully healed. She said there won¡¯t be any scars. I¡¯ll send a letter saying I¡¯ll stay a bit longer before going. I don¡¯t want to worry them unnecessarily. How upset would they be if I showed up with bandages wrapped all around? Rather than that, it¡¯s better to be a runaway disciple and face nuclear retaliationter. If someone has to be in pain, it should be me. Qing decided to stay at the Tang n until she was fully healed. ----Qing stared nkly at the screen. ?¡õ?¡õ?¡õ?¡õ?¡õ?¡õ 30 60 90 120 And she thought. Wow. I¡¯m really fucking awesome. It¡¯s a perfect score. Qing scratched her strangely itchy chest vigorously as she looked up at that beautiful score. That¡¯s when it happened. Someone hugged her waist tightly and whispered in a soft voice. ¡°Hoho, darling. Are you nervous because it¡¯s perfect?¡± ¡°Huh? No, no way. How could this man, Ximen Qing, be nervous?¡± ¡°Is that so? Then shouldn¡¯t you show me your gant side?¡± ¡°Uh. Yeah¡­¡± She¡¯s a beauty that looks familiar, but¡­ Who is she to call me darling? Qing tilted her head, but the question was only momentary. For some reason, it just felt natural, as if that¡¯s how it should be. At that moment, the pins came down from the end of thene and neatly aligned themselves. Qing tilted her head again. Huh? Was the headpin, Pin No. 1, always shaped like that? It was a triangr pyramid with a wide base, somewhat translucent and even emitting a soft glow. Wouldn¡¯t it not fall over with such a wide base? Qing had such doubts, but they too were instantly forgotten and epted as natural, as if that¡¯s just how it was. More than that, her chest was itching like crazy. Qing scratched her chest irritably, and then the outer part of her thigh just above her knee started to itch too. Ah, damn it. Finally, Qing frowned and gave up, inserting her fingers into the 15-pound house ball. She lifted the ball high, stood with her feet together in front of thene. She pushed the heavy house ball with a slight rebound, then dropped it in time with gravity: one step, two steps, three steps. And just as it was about to touch the ground, at a height of almost a paper¡¯s thickness, her thumb came out first, followed by her index and middle fingers twisting out of the holes a beatter. The house ball, which had been drifting to the right side of thene, rotated elegantly and then struck the side of the frontmost headpin at a 42-degree angle, pushing through. At that, the triangr pyramid-shaped Pin No,. 1 shattered into pieces and screamed. It was a strange yet desperate scream, saying ¡°Aaagh ack ack aaaagh just kill me why do you torment me even in dreams you crazy Killing Star aaagh.¡± It was a scream so filled with terrible pain that even Qing, who was listening, felt hurt. And then the remaining pins copsed and were swept away with a refreshing Papapang sound. Wow. Strike! That¡¯s when it happened. A semi-transparent window appeared in front of Qing¡¯s eyes, and text floated on it. [Omen, (Unknown)th Crisis] Description:[You are under attack by Imperial troops.] Actions for Mission Completion Righteous Karma) Help the Tang n defeat the Imperial troops Evil Karma) Help the Imperial troops annihte the Tang n Heavenly ughtering Star) Kill everyone [This choice could influence everything below Heaven.] Qing dismissed the Mission Window with disgust. And then she realized. Ah. This is a dream. ¡°Sigh.¡± Qing let out a long sigh and thought. This motherfucking Mission Window, I thought it was strange that I haven¡¯t seen it in a while. Is it seriously even showing up in my dreams now to cause trouble? Qing sat down on a chair and spoke. ¡°Uhnyeong, get out. If you don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Un Yeonyoung, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, answered in a somewhat husky voice and walked away, her heels clicking. Wait, who wears heels to a bowling alley? What an uncultured woman. Of course, Un Yeonyoung was not at fault. Originally, a shitty dream was disorganized; that was why it was called a shitty dream. And Qing was invincible right now. Because she was aware that the dream was a dream. It was called a lucid dream. However, the Heavenly Demon Spirit was not a made-up character within the dream. Judging by the scream she heard earlier, it seemed Qing had been unknowingly tormenting it in her dreams every day. It seems that punk, the Heavenly Demon, has been tortured in dreams every day. But I don¡¯t particrly pity it. How many lives has that mental parasite made miserable? From the Demonic Cult members of the past to the present, to all the victims devastated by the Great War Between Orthodox and Demonic. It sacrificed all those lives just to fulfill its own grudge. It was a real son of a bitch. Even if Qing had unknowingly tormented it every day in her subconscious, well. It was something that could certainly happen, so she didn¡¯t feel any particr emotion about it. More than that, look at this piece of shit Mission Window, barging into other people¡¯s dreams¡­ Shit, and it¡¯s itchy. Is it where I¡¯m hurt? No? The injured part is on the opposite side, though? That¡¯s when it happened. The Mission Window that she had dismissed earlier reappeared, this time disying only a part of the text she had seen before, erged. [You are under attack by Imperial troops.] [You are under attack by Imperial troops.] [You are under attack by Imperial troops.] [You are under attack by Imperial troops.] ¡°Shit, I got it, so stop- Huh? Attack?¡± In that instant, as her mind suddenly cleared, the dream copsed with a crash along with a distant and dizzying distortion. ----¡°Gasp.¡± Qing opened her eyes wide, exhaling her remaining breath. Then someone who wasn¡¯t Qing also made a sound of exhaling their remaining breath. ¡°Gasp.¡± For some reason, as soon as she opened her eyes, her gaze met directly with Tang Nanah¡¯s. Well, she would be here since she said she¡¯d take care of the patient and slept in the same bed, but hadn¡¯t she slept at all? Of course, that wasn¡¯t the important part. Because behind Tang Nanah¡¯s tiny head, the uninvited Mission Window was still causing amotion. [You are under attack by Imperial troops.] Qing¡¯s expression naturally hardened. Then Tang Nanah, turning bright red even in the darkness, spoke flusteredly. ¡°No, it¡¯s not! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! So, uh, um, that, other, uh, palpation. That¡¯s right! It was palpation! Because you were going through palpation, I was just checking! There¡¯s no other meaning, it¡¯s palpation! Palpation! Isn¡¯t it suspicious! It¡¯s palpation! You might have internal bruising even if the outside looks fine!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? More importantly, are enemies-¡° At that moment. Boom¡­¡­! Along with a dull but massive explosion sound, an earthquake-like tremor traveled up through the floor as vibrations. Creeeeak, the sound of wood twisting loudly, and dust from above the rafters fell like clumsy first snow. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What-¡° And then, CRASH!!! Something broke through the wall and struck a pir, immediately shattering it. Its pieces flew in all directions like a storm.
    1. Forwardpatibility or upwardpatibility is a design characteristic that allows a system to ept input intended for ater version of itself.
Chapter 135: Tang Clans Paper Flower (14) Qing quickly shook the nket. With a Pararak sound of Inner Qi shaking the cloth, wooden pieces ttered Dadadadak. ¡°Fi- Fire Bombs! Thunder bombs!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hey!! Danger!!¡± Tang Nanah threw herself towards Qing as if diving into water, and as they tangled together, they rolled off the bed and tumbled into one body. And then, BOOM!! Along with an ear-splitting explosion, all sorts of sounds of things breaking, tearing, and embedding urred at once, causing such amotion that their ears became muffled and there was a slight ringing. Being a military veteran, who was ironically also a young beauty, Qing¡¯s mind snapped awake at the massive explosive sound of gunpowder. Artillery fire!? This is artillery fire, right!? ¡°What the hell, since when did Murim have time fuses!?¡± Unfortunately, these were the same Chinese people who made the act of burning things part of their national spirit and turned their history and ancestors into charcoal. Even going so far as to have children take the lead in beating their parents to death, iming parents were the evils of the old era - the Red people who carried out ruthless sacrifices for the greater good whileughing! So how could the Chinese, inventors of the ultimate material for burning - the original gunpowder - and pioneers of firearms, not havee up with the simple idea of shooting bombs from afar? Moreover, the Imperial Family had been grinding their teeth to eradicate Murim Practitioners, and the culture of artillery crews working overtime without nights off had already been going on for over a hundred years. ¡°We need to get out of here right now.¡± Knowing about artillery fire and experiencing it were two different things. Qing, who was terrified and about to rush out immediately, had her wrist quickly grabbed by Tang Nanah. ¡°Clothes! Put on clothes first!¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to die from artillery shells! What do you mean clothes?¡± ¡°Hurry!!¡± And so, while the earth kept rumbling Boom Boom and cannon fire vibrated near and far, the two women were moving around, somehow managing to put on clothes. With a Crack, another shell broke through the wall, and as they jumped andy t on the ground, BOOM! It felt like the whole world was shaking- Creeeak. Suddenly, all the woodwork twisted at once, making an ominous sound. ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s copsing! We need to get out quickly.¡± ¡°Poison! We need to take the poisons!¡± Tang Nanah was busy opening this drawer and that drawer, sweeping their contents into her bosom, stuffing them into the ancient belt on her thigh, pushing them into the armband on her forearm, busily arming herself. And then a Crack, followed by a sound of rupture that chilled the chest, Qing immediately tucked Tang Nanah¡¯s waist under her side and charged towards the door panel. After all, it was just a wooden frame covered with paper, a structure that a martial artist¡¯s body could easily break through. ¡°Ack!¡± However, since she had tucked Tang Nanah under her waist, the luggage¡¯s head hit the door before Qing¡¯s. Tang Nanah¡¯s head, as if it had be a siege hammer, broke through the door with her crown. Aftering outside and putting her down, Tang Nanah red at Qing with fierce eyes while wearing the window frame around her neck like a cangue (the long board criminals wore around their necks in historical dramas). ¡°Ah, my mistake.¡± ¡°Tch, forget it!¡± Tang Nanah threw away the window frame she had been wearing. Chaos reigned everywhere. The smell of burning in their noses. The ck smoke billowing up into the night sky, and mes shooting up from the ground. The sound of Swish Swish cutting through the wind, the clear sound of shells falling near and far, and roofs and walls being smashed to pieces. And one terrible wail. ¡°Child! No! My child!¡± ¡°Gramps! I¡¯m here!¡± Choi Leeong, who had been digging through the ruins of a copsed annex, quickly approached and felt Qing¡¯s arms and legs. After confirming Qing was safe, he took out a face veil with visible relief and put it on her. ¡°What do we do now!?¡± ¡°Underground! There¡¯s a passage!! This way!! Just step where I step and follow me!¡± Tang Nanah deployed her Qinggong and ran towards the devastated inner part of the Tang Center. Qing followed behind, crossing over the smashed main gate, passing through narrow alleys, going around burning buildings, and winding through. And when they arrived near a pond behind a certain building, Tang Nanah tapped the ground, crouched down low, and somehow managed to lift up the floor. ¡°This way, hurry.¡± Tang Nanah said that and then grabbed thedder attached to the wall and quickly went down. The question of whether they didn¡¯t need to close this lid crossed Qing¡¯s mind, but if the daughter of the house owners said so¡­ As Qing was climbing down thedder, about halfway down, there was a Thunk sound of the lid closing. Boom, Boom. The artillery fire heard from underground sounded like longsting, giant drum beats. With each beat, Poof, dirt dust showered down, hitting the brim of the face veil Qing was wearing with a Tododok sound. Tang Nanah, who was bareheaded, just irritably shook her head at the falling dirt dust. As they made their way through the underground passage like this, a space wide enough to fit about two buildings appeared. ¡°Grandfather!¡± ¡°Ah¡¯er! Child Ximen is safe too! Thank goodness!¡± Unexpectedly, the underground cavern had a calm atmosphere. It was gloomy but not sad, and while they seemed shocked, they weren¡¯t terrified. At the center, the Tang n elite Masters whose faces Qing had seen several times were gathered around arge table. As Qing approached, she saw a familiar face. Despite his paleplexion, he had a gentle impression, looking just like a bookworm. ¡°What? Ziyou? Didn¡¯t my friend run away?¡± ¡°How dare you! Whose safety do you think is at stake to speak so recklessly! Kneel immediately and show your respect!¡± At this, a small-bodied woman holding a spear shouted in a loud voice. Qing blinked her eyes. ¡°Oing? Why? Whose safety is it?¡± ¡°The lord of Sichuan, His Highness Grand Prince Dexian is present, yet you dare to raise your head high and act impudently as a mere martial artist!¡± ¡°Oing? Grand Prince?¡± ¡°Aht! The weakling, I mean, aht! This girl hasmitted a mortal sin!!! Please forgive my previous rudeness!!!¡± It was a scream-like sound that burst out next to Qing. When she turned her head, she saw Tang Nanah¡¯s back, who had somehow prostrated herself on the ground in an angled posture. In her haste, she hadn¡¯t tied her hair, so how violently must she have bowed her head for her hair to spread out straight like an unfurled brush? Qing looked down at that sight with half-opened eyes. This girl¡­ I felt this sincest time, but¡­ Isn¡¯t she being a bit too cheap with her knees? Anyway, while Tang Nanah remained motionless like a stone statue stuck to the ground, Qing looked at Ziyou. ¡°Uh. Um. So you were a Grand Prince?¡± Ziyou just shrugged his shoulders with an embarrassed expression. ----In chess, why is the cannon usually ced near the pce or close to it? It was because it was such an important piece. If so, the Fire Soldiers of the Imperial Army in reality were truly the elite of elites, selected from among the most outstanding Imperial soldiers. They were not only physically strong but also loyal subjects whose loyalty had been verified, and they were also schrs skilled in mathematics for urate artillery fire. Therefore, the defense surrounding artillery positions was not like that of ordinary soldiers; a defense team trained in specific martial arts was stationed together to take charge of their protection. In terms of Murim practitioners, they were at the end of the Second-Rate level, able to properly handle weapons, so when they formed battle formations and deployed strategies, it wasn¡¯t easy even for Murim Practitioners to deal with them. However, among the Ten Noble ns and the Nine Sects One Union, there was one force with a strangebat capability. Although they were evaluated as insufficient to face Masters, they were infamous for dealing with low-level practitioners. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you smell something? What is it? It¡¯s sweet.¡± ¡°Peaches! It smells like peaches.¡± A fragrant peach scent mixed with the cold night air. ¡°Peaches? It is peach season, but who would be eating peaches in the middle of the ni- Khaak, cough.¡± The soldier who suddenly coughed up phlegm then rubbed his itchy nose. ¡°What¡¯s this? Blood? Uh¡­¡± At that moment, the soldier staggered and copsed. ¡°Hojang? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Strange, I feel a bit tired. Why is this happening?¡± Then something flowed from his eyes too, bright red blood trickling down his tear ducts. ¡°Hojang, blood, there¡¯s blood! Khek, cough, cough!¡± The soldier who had been making a fuss started coughing dryly and suddenly vomited what came up. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Something about the size of a child¡¯s head flew from afar and fell between the two with a Thud, rolling around. ¡°Damn it! Kheuk, kuk. It¡¯s a Poison Bomb! Everyone swallow the antidote powder and cover your mouths with the detox masks!¡± BOOM!! Unfortunately for them, it wasn¡¯t a Poison Bomb but an explosive bomb. The shattered metal fragments tore apart the flesh and bones of the two people, and after their eyelids fluttered, the two were no longer recognizable as human forms, just debris scattered across the ground. ----Gradually, the sound of artillery fire decreased, and soon the loud explosions that had been tearing through the nightpletely subsided. At themand post, the Imperial Censor was furious. ¡°What is this! Who ordered to withdraw the cannons on their own! Keep firing! We need to turn them into ashes¡­¡± ¡°Urgent report, the First Artillery Battalion has been annihted.¡± At that moment, another messenger who had entered themand post hurriedly interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s terrible! The Second Artillery Battalion has been annihted!¡± The Imperial Censor gritted his teeth. ¡°How is that possible! What were the artillery defense teams doing!¡± ¡°Fire Bombs! They say the Tang n bastards are using Fire Bombs!¡± Fire Bombs were effective even when used by soldiers who hadn¡¯t undergone proper martial arts training. All one had to do was light them and throw them far. But when used by Masters, they were even more powerful. Especially the martial artists of the Tang n, who were experts in various Throwing Techniques. Fire Bombs thrown with the subtleties of hidden weapons were practically human artillery, capable of long-distance precision throws even without cannon barrels and gunpowder charges. ¡°How can a mere civilian n use Fire Bombs! How dare they! These traitors!¡± The Imperial Censor exhaled angrily and went berserk. The manufacture of gunpowder was strictly prohibited by nationalw, and viting this was truly treated as high treason. While the Imperial Censor was having a fit, unable to control his rising anger and stomping his feet, new reports came in announcing the annihtion of three more artillery battalions. ¡°No! The soldiers bestowed by His Imperial Majesty!¡± And only then did the Imperial Censor take a long breath in and exhale deeply. ¡°No, no. That¡¯s right. So the traitors have finally shown their true colors. This is rather fortunate. With this, we can mobilize the provincial army¡­¡± The Imperial Censor decided to think positively. Losing all the artillery positions was painful, but thanks to this, they had discovered the fact that the Tang n had been secretly manufacturing Fire Bombs. Of course, the Imperial Censor was also aware of the extent of illegal Fire Bombs circting among civilians, but whether they bought them or made them, it was a matter that could be pushed as treason either way. No matter how much they were one of the Five Great ns or peerless Masters, how long could they hold out against hundreds of thousands of Imperial troops? With the evidence already clear, even Murim wouldn¡¯t dare interfere with the Imperial Family¡¯s actions. That¡¯s right, hundreds of thousands, they had hundreds of thousands of soldiers. One Guard Division had about six thousand soldiers, and there were several such Guard Divisions in one administrative province. If they gathered for wartime conscription, nearly thirty thousand soldiers would be assembled from Sichuan Province alone. Just by adding troops from nearby Hubei, Shaanxi, and Guizhou, over a hundred thousand Imperial troops could be mobilized. The Imperial Censor was the head of the Imperial Censorate. He had the enormous authority to mobilize a province¡¯s Military Commander, so once justification was established, he was a very, very high-ranking person with themand authority over a great army. That¡¯s when it happened. Another messenger pushed through the tent as if about to tear it, leaving urgent muddy footprints. ¡°It¡¯s terrible!¡± The Imperial Censor snorted and answered. ¡°I see. Has the Fourth Artillery Battalion been annihted as well?¡± Losing the artillery positions was painful, but just over two hundred cannons and about eight hundred gunners were like a handful of sandpared to the entire Imperial army. If throwing one grain of sand gained justification, wasn¡¯t it rather something to be d about? ¡°That is not it! The Grand Prince¡¯s g, they have raised the Grand Prince¡¯s g! Those bastards have raised the Grand Prince¡¯s g!¡± At this, the Imperial Censor¡¯s expressionpletely crumpled. Chapter 136: Tang Clans Paper Flower (15) Ooooh, a Grand Prince. That¡¯s pretty cool. That was Qing¡¯s impression. In truth, Ziyou hadn¡¯t tried to hide that he was the son of a well-off family. Qing hadn¡¯t particrly cared about it either. It was like an unspoken agreement to pretend not to know, so Qing didn¡¯t think she had done anything particrly wrong. The unfamiliarity with the Grand Prince system also yed a part. When people of Korean descent thought of rulers in this medieval Murim, wouldn¡¯t they just go ¡°Wow, an Emperor!¡± and be done with it? They wouldn¡¯t know much about various royal prefectures, or that they could be the actual rulers of a region, or that they couldmand all the military forces of a province, or that they upied the first ce in the hierarchy of princes, generals, and ministers below the Son of Heaven. This was because no ethnic group in the world was actually curious about medieval China. Even the Chinese descendants weren¡¯t curious. After all, they burned that history, so it would honestly be stranger for someone to know about it. There was only a bit of demand for ancient China when Liu Bei and his brothers were running around. (And even that wouldn¡¯t be possible without the medium ofics) So Qing¡¯s reaction was lukewarm. ¡°Uh, um. Your Highness Grand Prince? What should I call y-¡° ¡°How dare you! Will you not show proper respect!¡± Shit. Why does this one keep yapping? Who does she think she is? Qing shot a re at the noisy woman and then looked back at Ziyou, Grand Prince Dexian. ¡°Call me Your Highness.¡± ¡°Ah. Your Highness.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s this? Why did you pretend to be dead? Or wait no¡­ Wasn¡¯t it when we were eating together that we heard the news?¡± ¡°No, you wench! You must refer to him as Your Highness! You should be prostrating yourself with your clothes properly arranged, and even that wouldn¡¯t be enough! Do you think you can rely on some small acquaintance you had with His Highness?¡± The woman foamed at the mouth again. However, listening to it, there was some reason to her words. Come to think of it, even if a king came out to dally around, hiding his identity, because he was bored, just because you became a bit close at that time didn¡¯t mean you remained friends. If one had to make aparison, it would be like the heir of a chaebol family who came as a new production worker for a brief change of pace. How ridiculous and pathetic would the bizarre production worker culture of auto-hunting games, self-breaks, andpany-paid dinners seem? Thinking about it that way, Qing also felt upset. Did he think that if he suddenly went ¡°Ta-da, I was a Grand Prince,¡± I would apud, saying ¡°Woahhh, that¡¯s so awesome¡±? Did I look like a materialist who would rush over wondering if there were any crumbs to be had from his money and power? A proper person, even if their identity was revealed, should properly sort out the rtionship, saying something like ¡°Due to circumstances, it ended up like this, but I¡¯m still grateful for everything,¡± or ¡°I¡¯d like to remain friends.¡± Moreover, the Prince didn¡¯t particrly stop the woman. Usually, when someone was of high status, they let others say the unpleasant things they didn¡¯t want to say themselves. Qing immediately corrected her crooked posture. As if she suddenly had two personalities, she immediately took on a gentle and demure appearance. ¡°This humble fairycks knowledge and hasmitted rudeness towards Your Highness. Since it was done in ignorance, would you generously forgive me?¡± ¡°I came out in in clothes, so it is natural that you did not know. There is no need to mind it, so you need not worry about that.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for everything until now, Your Highness.¡± ¡°No. Ahem. Ahem.¡± Grand Prince Dexian looked at the woman with a flustered expression. The woman also seemed flustered. Because ¡°Thank you for everything¡± usually meant the end of a rtionship. ¡°Ahem. Spear Woman.¡± Spear Woman felt dismayed. It was Spear Woman who had insisted on verifying Qing. Old Dog didn¡¯t have many days left to live, so he would make a fuss even if just one girl stuck close to His Highness, saying things like ¡°serving the little master¡± and whatnot. However, that wasn¡¯t the opinion of all the servants in the royal household. From what Spear Woman had heard, she was a woman who just wagged her tail at the son of a powerful family. She thought that once His Highness revealed his identity, she would surely pretend to be close and aim for the position of a consort. Well, that was the kind of verification it was. Meanwhile, Qing was in a state of shock. No way, how can a person¡¯s name be Spear Woman? And for a woman at that! It can¡¯t be, right? It must be some kind of title, right? No wait, Spear Woman kinda sounds like Slut Person1! How can a person¡¯s title be Spear Woman? Or even Slut Person! And for a woman at that! At that moment, the unfortunate woman with both a pitiful name and title, Spear Woman, spoke with a much softened attitude, seemingly embarrassed. ¡°Ah, ahem. Um. You said you were Young Lady Ximen, right? How can one cut off human rtionships so coldly?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t forcibly holding onto a rtionship that isn¡¯t meant to be just seen as pathetic begging? Rather than that, it is better to just have one thing to brag about, saying I was once called a friend by His Highness in the past.¡± ¡°No, that is¡­ It doesn¡¯t have to be just in the past.¡± ¡°Forget it. Tell him to speak for himself if he has something to say. What¡¯s with setting up a spokesperson to embarrass people? Does he think a woman who grew up poor will go crazy and rush over just because he¡¯s a high-ranking person?¡± At this, the Tang n people who were listening turned pale. While Qing¡¯s roughparison of a chaebol son and a Grand Prince might fit to some extent, there was no such thing as a perfect analogy in the world. There had never been such sphemy; the Grand Prince they saw as a lifeline turned out to be a potential fuse. ¡°That¡­ I am sorry. I did not mean it that way. I did not deliberately hide it, so please do not be angry.¡± The Tang n people who were anxiously spectating eventually let out a sigh again. He¡¯s actually apologizing so readily! ¡°If it wasn¡¯t deliberate, why did you remain silent until the situation reached this point? Couldn¡¯t this whole mess have been avoided if Your Highness had just said one word that you were alive?¡± ¡°Well, I too heard the news that I had passed away. When the person in charge during my absence copsed, I too needed time to figure things out¡­¡± Qing narrowed her eyes. Ziyou broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly thought. But why am I acting like a criminal? ¡°Ahem, I am a Grand Prince.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness Grand Prince. And this is the Tang n underground that¡¯s been hit by artillery fire. It looked absolutely fucking destroyed.¡± Ahem. The Tang n Lord cleared his throat ufortably and muttered. It¡¯s not absolutely fucking destroyed¡­ ¡°¡­Please do not see me as too cold-blooded.¡± Ziyou shrank again. At this, the Tang n people thought. He¡¯spletely cuffed. There is no doubt about it. He¡¯s cuffed so tightly that he¡¯s being swung around. Feeling their gazes, Ziyou made an embarrassed expression. ¡°Um. Well. That. We should move to a different ce.¡± ----The Emperor hated Murim. The hatred passed down since the Celestial Martial Emperor had already crossed the line ofmon sense; to the point where he would pass the throne to the child who hates Murim the most. No matter how strong Murim Practitioners were, unless they were giants reaching the heavens like the Celestial Martial Emperor, they couldn¡¯t survive against hundreds of thousands of elite troops. It was not like soldiers didn¡¯t practice martial arts. And a Master¡¯s Inner Qi isn¡¯t infinite either. When True Qi was depleted, they were just a tough, good fighter at best, so if they just overwhelmed them with sheer numbers, even though the casualties would be high, there was nothing that they couldn¡¯t push back. However, if the casualties were that high, what was the point? Murim hate or not, the imperial dynasty would change afterward, so they couldn¡¯t recklessly charge in. So it seemed they thought that while keeping an eye on the situation, if they were going to remove one, it would be better to erase the most dangerous one. And that was the Sichuan Tang n. Because they had biochemical weapons that could overwhelmingly increase the exchange ratio of martial artists to soldiers. ¡°I was wondering why Elder Brother sent me to Sichuan. But it makes sense. This too is an ancient capital where a king lies, after all.¡± The wise assume the worst. The Dexian Royalty was established about ten years ago, so if they had been dreaming of dealing with the Tang n after the assassination since then, it would inevitably be dangerous to reveal oneself carelessly. ¡°I thought I had conducted myself well to avoid falling out of favor, but it seems he still intends to eliminate me.¡± So he acted as if he didn¡¯t exist at all. Even the good king praised by the people was actually an illusion. It was just that he didn¡¯t umte wealth to avoid being bothersome. As such, all he did was buy grain and throw it to the poor. Because he put his own people in key government positions instead of the Emperor¡¯s officials, there was an uproar about driving out corrupt officials. It wasn¡¯t ruling by the virtue of not ruling, but just not showing his face out of fear of the Emperor. ¡°But well, then. It couldn¡¯t be helped, huh. If it was to survive. But why are you here?¡± ¡°With this opportunity, we might be able to take control of Sichuan by cooperating with the Tang n. If Sichuan¡¯s government and Murim join forces, even His Imperial Majesty would have no answer. However.¡± ¡°However?¡± The Grand Prince straightened his posture. As he did so, there was a natural dignity emanating from him despite not having learned any martial arts. Qing felt anew that perhaps not just anyone could be a king. ¡°Is there any need for Murim to exist? His Imperial Majesty rules the earth with the legitimate authority received from Heaven as the Son of Heaven. In this vastnd, his sternwse from him, yet dare these sword-carrying groups act as if they are the masters of thend and exploit themon people?¡± Grand Prince Dexian siding with the Sichuan Tang n was not something to be taken lightly. The Emperor had already sent the Imperial Censor and Embroidered Uniform Guards to erase the Tang n, so the Grand Prince opposing and confronting that would be seen as rebellion. After that, it would truly be treason. Of course, the Emperor had tried to kill the Grand Prince. But wasn¡¯t the Emperor someone who had the authority to order the death of his subjects? So Grand Prince Dexian¡¯s question wasn¡¯t just out of curiosity, asking for an opinion. It was because the Grand Prince had been unable toe to a conclusion after pondering alone for so long. Whether it was okay to acknowledge that Murim was necessary for the world and share the authority to rule. It was the final question about an irreversible decision, asking whether the Grand Prince of Sichuan should help a mere Murim sect and raise a sword against the Imperial Family. And so Qing answered. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± Ziyou frowned deeply. ¡°Hmm. Didn¡¯t it feel like I was asking something extremely important? You, no. Friend, you also helped the Tang n, so haven¡¯t you fulfilled your duty as a member of Murim? So I¡¯m asking you, a Murim Practitioner who is my friend, not my subject.¡± ¡°What do you mean, a member of Murim? I just helped because I thought the Tang n members were good people. They provided free medical treatment and had a good reputation, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Provide? Wasn¡¯t it just them trying to develop their medical skills? It¡¯s just that the results were good while pursuing their own interests, so does that make it a good thing?¡± Qing chuckled and spoke. ¡°If the results are good, that¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it? Anyway, isn¡¯t it a good thing if others like it? In my opinion, the Tang n acting as free doctors is much more beneficial to the world than an Emperor with only a bad reputation.¡±
    1. The reason for this is because Changyeoin sounds simr to Changnyeo, which means Slut in Korean.
Chapter 137: Tang Clans Paper Flower (16) Qing added one more thing with a grin. ¡°And that includes the Grand Prince Dexian.¡± At this, Ziyou¡¯s expression became ambiguously distorted. He opened and closed his mouth as if at a loss for words, and finally settled on a self-deprecating sneer. ¡°Did I not tell you? That person only cared about his own self-preservation. He did not particrly care for the people out of affection, so how¡­¡± ¡°Who knows? When they said the Grand Prince had died, people were sprawled out on the streets wailing and crying. If they¡¯re weeping so much for someone whose face they don¡¯t even know, doesn¡¯t that mean he was an excellent person?¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean he was virtuous¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. At least I think so, and those people crying on the streets think so too. If you¡¯ve fed that many people, you should be able to puff out your chest and brag like a real man.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ziyou shut his mouth tightly. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. Geez, for a man to be so shy. Of course, Qing could tell at a nce, even if no one cried or praised him. Wasn¡¯t Ziyou one of the best people among those Qing had met? Of course, with the overwhelmingly good Qing among the virtuous, if youpared the two, there would be a difference like the sun and the moon, but since the rest of the good guys were at the level of fireflies, even being a mere moon was a great achievement. By now, Qing roughly understood by what standards the visible Righteous and Evil Karma were measured. If you harm people, Evil Karma umtes and you be an evil person harmful to the world. But only to people. Once you turn to Evil Karma and be an evil person, you¡¯re treated not as a human but as a pest. It was a structure where killing or breaking the spirit of a harmful insect was actually considered beneficial to the world and gained Righteous Karma. However, this Karma thing didn¡¯t consider individual circumstances, intentions, or nature. Even with benevolent intentions, if you ended up pushing countless lives into suffering, you were one of the evils under heaven. And even with the most wicked intentions in the world, if you made good people live andugh, you got a big ¡°Well done!¡± stamp. It was a ruthless branding that only evaluated based on results. But because of that, Qing wasn¡¯t ruthless. If she liked someone, she could look after them like Gramps or Senior Sister Wannabe, or she could pursue personal pleasure through fun dissection practice like with other evil people. Who decides? Well. Isn¡¯t picking up trash a good deed no matter who does it? Is it a bad thing to not pick up what¡¯s strewn on the road? If someone says ¡°You pick up paper but not stic, you bastard,¡± you can justugh and say ¡°You pick it up yourself, then.¡± The worst bastards were the ones who said it was better not to pick up at all than to do it half-heartedly. It¡¯s not like Qing has a job as a rehabilitation counselor for evil people. There was no obligation to say all evil people must be cut down harshly, right? Even that annoying Mission Window just asked what side she would take with these kinds of missions. It didn¡¯t force her to eliminate bad guys. At that point, Qing¡¯s thoughts, which had been going well, took a crooked turn. Hmm. It might actually be easier if it forced me. Then I¡¯d at least know why I fell into this world. Not knowing the intention makes me wanna die because of the anxiety This was Qing¡¯s fundamental fear. Qing still didn¡¯t know how to hold back in front of food. It was not a matter of gluttony. It was just that she can¡¯t help herself. She still remembered when she first fell into Murim. She remembered how terrifying hunger was. She knew that when a person was starving, they ended up swallowing even worms and rotten food scraps. The memory of that time, when she shoved into her mouth filth that would be disgusting to even touch with modern sensibilities, forcibly swallowing it along with rising nausea, sobbing as she ate, remained as a clear, indelible brand. So she must always keep her stomach full no matter what. Because as she got endlessly hungry again, as the pain approached, feeling like her stomach was being torn apart, the memory that came back clearly was all too frightening. It was a dramatic experience where a life that had been rtively satisfied and peaceful suddenly fell into the abyss for no reason, changing to a situation worse than a worm crawling in the gutter. Because it wouldn¡¯t be strange if something that happened once happened a second time. It showed how terrifying an unguaranteed existence can be. What if suddenly, lightning strikes because you didn¡¯t do as you were told, and the genre changes to something like ¡°DLC: Eternal Hell Experience¡±¡­ At that moment, a warm sensation suddenly rose up. ¡°Friend? What¡¯s wrong? Friend!¡± Added to that, Qing quickly came to her senses at the calling voice. ¡°Ah. Huh? Ah. Heuup.¡± Only then did Qing realize that she hadn¡¯t been breathing. Even after finally giving wind to her gasping lungs, she couldn¡¯t control the trembling, so her legs immediately lost strength and the back of her knees stung and shook. Qing frowned and forcibly shook off the dirty feeling. What the hell, why isn¡¯t the Great Meditation Divine Arts working? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to block things like this? Why did he ask that kinda fuckery? It makes me feel like shit. After being hurt in her heart, the wordsing out of her mouth were also extremely sharp. ¡°What do I care about the Son of Heaven or whatever? As far as I can see, he¡¯s just a total son of a bitch. If he¡¯s an Emperor, he should think about ruling well like an Emperor instead of going on about Murim this and Heaven that. It¡¯s all just about filling his own belly anyway, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t asking you to say such sphemous things.¡± ¡°Son of Heaven, my ass. If Heaven sent him down, it would have been to do good deeds, not to sit up high and boast ¡®I¡¯m the noblest both in Heaven and under Heaven, I¡¯m the best.¡¯ Tell him to fall into hellfire when he dies. Good people should receive blessings and only bad guys should be punished.¡± In reality, these were words she was saying to herself. Good people should receive blessings. ¡®Only¡¯ bad guys should be punished. To Ziyou, it seemed like an explosion akin to a sudden fire bomb. In the highly developed psychosocial professional terms of that other world, it was something known as sudden malding. Ziyou¡¯s expression hardened. To someone who didn¡¯t know Qing¡¯s inner thoughts, this saw how it would sound. That she had been wronged by the Emperor somehow and harbored a deep grudge. Hadn¡¯t she said she had no parents? If such a spirited girl suddenly turned pale with fear, trembling and unable to even breathe, surely it must be rted to that. Moreover¡­ her hand. Hand. Hand. ¡°Are, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. No. I¡¯m not fine. I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± ¡°I see. Then, is it alright if I keep holding on until you calm down?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± At some point, without realizing it, Qing had been tightly grasping Ziyou¡¯s hand. Qing let go in surprise. Ziyou quickly rubbed his other hand with a somewhat regretful expression as he withdrew his empty grasp. He had to do this or it would bruise immediately. It was because Qing¡¯s grip strength was no joke. Qing also med others in the ufortable atmosphere. This was all because of Senior Sister Wannabe. Because when she had that fit back then, the embrace that hugged her was so warm andfortable. And after that, even if she looked just a little anxious, she would quickly notice and hug her tightly, so whenever her condition got a little worse, she would seek human warmth. It seemed only bad habits were forming. Before, she would just throw a fit alone. Still, having someone by your side when you¡¯re anxious is really the best. One of the side effects of the White Hand Demonic Arts was that the hands were always cold and emitted a chill. One of the advantages was that because the hands were always cold, they always felt warm when touching others. Qing regretted the fact that the remaining warmth left her hand, but then realized there was no need for that. Don¡¯t I have something like family too? she thought. ¡°If you have nothing more to say, may I withdraw now? I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± ¡°Yes. I too will likely be busy.¡± Ziyou spoke with a somewhat relieved expression. ----¡°Excuse me. Um¡­ Qing¡¯er, hey.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°No. I was wondering why you¡¯re like that.¡± It was a question asking why she was snuggled up in someone else¡¯s arms when her legs were fine. ¡°This is originally what Gramps used to do. If your legs hurt, you just don¡¯t stand, you feel?¡± It was like saying if you¡¯re hungry, you eat. Tang Nanah tilted her head. But they don¡¯t feed you just because you¡¯re hungry, do they? However, since Choi Leeong nodded as if it was natural, she just thought, maybe that¡¯s how they grew up over there. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well, so I¡¯m sleepy. Gramps, wake me up if anything happens.¡± ¡°Alright. It is only right that you sleep at night, after all. Go ahead and fall asleep.¡± And then she somehow managed to lean back and position herself, resting her head and closing her eyes. She¡¯s not a seven-year-old child. Is this seriously fine when she¡¯s all grown-up? Tang Nanah kept tilting her head left and right in bewilderment. The Grand n Lord watched this scene with half envy, and then, thinking about it, admitted that the other half was also just envy. Then he approached Tang Nanah and asked quietly, just in case. ¡°Is Ah¡¯er sleepy too? Should this old man hug you?¡± ¡°Hmph, who do you think I am, a child?¡± ¡°A child? Look at your friend too. They say beauties are sleepyheads.¡± ¡°¡­Still, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± Of course it was. It was a skill that couldn¡¯t be done unless one had a face as thick as Qing¡¯s. At this, Choi Leeong, for some reason, seemed proud and puffed up. ----¡°Listen, Tang n Lord.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please speak.¡± ¡°I have been thinking. If you are considering having a Grand Prince as your backing, release your medical texts.¡± Release the medical texts. He was telling them to release the medical arts researched by the Tang n to Jianghu. ¡°Your Highness, however, that is¡­¡± Medical arts were also a strategic resource. Even with the same serious injuries, superior medical arts could revive and add to the fighting force, so how could it not be called a resource? ¡°It does not have to be in my name. It will benefit the world, so words praising your n will spread far and wide. Why do you hesitate?¡± ¡°However, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Saltpeter mines and secret gunpowder manufacturing. Not to mention, it seems you have been researching Thunder Bombs separately? From now on, you can do it openly. How about it?¡± He was saying to stop doing it secretly and make them openly under the Grand Prince¡¯s name from now on. It was granting immunity, but in reality, if made openly, the ownership would also go to the Grand Prince. It was a threat to hand over both medical arts and Fire Bombs. But if they didn¡¯t like it, they shouldn¡¯t have done things that could be treason in the first ce. ¡°¡­We shall release them.¡± ¡°Do not think too badly of it. I do not know much about medical arts, but who knows? The Tang n might be known as the greatest physicians under heaven.¡± At this, Tang Touzhong¡¯s expression improved a little. Being called a family of benevolent doctors with the best medical arts in the world, rather than poison-eating ruthless bastards, wasn¡¯t entirely unpleasant. Moreover, how could someone with the status of a n Lord not know the reason for making such demands at this point? It wouldn¡¯t be bad to use this opportunity to crush not only the Five Noble ns but even the Nine Sects One Union, and be the leader of Orthodox Murim. ¡°Do you intend to mobilize troops?¡± ¡°Everyone looked tired fromst night¡¯s unfortunate events. It shall be sorted out before the sun rises, so just think about how to raise your damaged assets.¡± With that, he leaned back on the hastily prepared throne, indicating it was time to withdraw. After Tang Touzhong left, a shadow from a corner of the underground protruded and approached, swaggering. ¡°Your Highness. How about this? As a future reconciliation measure between the government and Murim, nothing beats a marriage.¡± ¡°Silence, Guza. How could a Grand Prince stuck in a mere mountain corner speak so grandly of the government?¡± It wasn¡¯t wrong to call it a mountain corner, since thend of Sichuan was surrounded by naturally blessed mountain peaks. However, what came out of that corner was abundant products and resources that could easily feed half of the Central ins and still have leftovers. The young man, Yangshang Guza, answered with a grin. ¡°That is right. How could one speak of wedding gifts first when they have not even been prepa¡­ Ow, wait, why are you hitting me? It doesn¡¯t even hurt, I tell you.¡± ¡°Your mouth is truly uncontroble. That is enough. Now go and tell them it is time. It seems I could not just live relying on Elder Brother¡¯s mercy.¡± ¡°Old Dog must be very eager. He will have to be diligent to fulfill his wish, after all. No, wait, I told you it¡¯s useless to hit me. It¡¯s the same even if you kick me, Your Highness.¡± Chapter 138: Tang Clans Paper Flower (17) Grand Prince Dexian cut down the Emperor¡¯s minionsing to Sichuan. He eliminated the risk factors for his survival. However, there was something even the Grand Prince didn¡¯t expect: Sichuan was the wealthiestnd in the Central ins, and the officialsing to such a precious post were far from upright. A good post wasn¡¯t a responsibility to govern well, but a reward or gift given to favored officials. Since the position became a fitting reward given as a result of their conduct rather than a duty shouldered by the office, everyone just enjoyed it without doing any work. Cutting down such corrupt officials wasn¡¯t difficult. Just one look in their warehouses was enough to immediately behead them. One word about how they dared to steal from the country, and that treason suited them better than being civil servants, was enough. When the Emperor heard the news, he raised an eyebrow saying ¡°What do we have here,¡± but he couldn¡¯t say much against executing corrupt officials. After this purge of corrupt officials, those who remained in office with integrity and ambition took real power. And these holders of power worshiped the Grand Prince with fervent admiration, so the tripartite system of administration,w, and military that should have been in opposition (the concept of political separation surprisingly existed since ancient times) became united in serving one person. This was the reason why the Regional Military Vice Commissioner and Regional Military Assistant Commissioner suddenly changed after Yangshang Guza secretly entered and left the Sichuan Command Post. After strangling and imprisoning the Regional Military Commissioner, the twelve thousand troops of the Sichuan military mobilized by imperial order showed suspicious movements. * The guests of the royal household melted away in the night. These were people who made the royal household their home to escape the world. They chose shameful and insulting names to call each other, as if making a pact not to call each other by name unless they were family members of the royal household. It was fine for family to say ¡°Hey, you idiot¡± to each other, but if a stranger did it, wouldn¡¯t it be a matter of fighting to the death over their honor? Look no further than the names of the houseguests Qing had seen. Old Dog Gyeon, Twisted Old Hag Yan, the dog-life bastard of a thief Yangshang Gunja, and Spear Woman. Upon seeing such names, there wasn¡¯t any need for further exnation. When the entrics of the royal household walked out proudly with the character ¡°Chin¡± (ÓH, meaning royal) on their shoulders, not one of the Sichuan soldiers tried to stop them. * The Imperial Censor stamped his feet and spewed anger. ¡°What is going on here! Changnan Gumho, you bastard! Didn¡¯t you say you personally rmended the poison- no, the medicine to His Highness!¡± ¡°Of course! Didn¡¯t the Esteemed Censor himself confirm the corpse, after all! It is all a plot by those Tang n bastards! Aren¡¯t they just impersonating the Grand Prince¡¯s g to buy time?¡± A middle-aged man with a clean, handsome face and notably thick eyebrows giving an honest impression prostrated himself. He was too handsome to be called Changnan Gumho. Chang meant bedsore, and nan meant a burnt, festering wound, so it was a name that implied an ugly fox-like beast. As such, he was also called the Rotting Flying Fox. Changnan Gumho poured out his indignation with his whole body. His face was contorted and trembling, his eyes filled with tears of anger and injustice about to spill over. His reddened ears and bulging veins were the appearance of someone clearly wronged. And the Imperial Censor felt convinced by this. ¡°However, no matter how outrageous these traitors are, how could they dare impersonate the Grand Prince¡¯s g? If something goes wrong¡­¡± The Emperor was an indifferent person. If something unfortunate happened during a mission, it wasn¡¯t the Emperor¡¯s order but the ipetence of the one who received the order. At this rate, they would be traitors whether they gave up on the Tang n or pushed forward. So the Imperial Censor finally turned the arrow to the one who had brought about this mess. ¡°That¡­ Elder Eunuch. What should we do now¡­ We bombarded the Tang n as instructed, but is it alright for this humble one to continue carrying out the imperial order like this?¡± The Imperial Censor looked for guidance. One might ask, why was the highest-ranking official and person in charge now speaking respectfully and looking for guidance from someone else? Upon this, a soldier who had been on duty keeping the fire and boiling water in a corner of the tent naturally answered. ¡°Since when did I rmend bombardment? I merely advised that since something that absolutely should not have entered had gone in, you should either retrieve it or eliminate all witnesses, did I not?¡± It was an affected voice, unnaturally nasal as if forcing it through the nose, though not a woman¡¯s. ¡°But Elder Eunuch, you¡­¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve already done it, wouldn¡¯t it be better toplete the task and then beg for forgiveness? Just push through as you¡¯ve been doing. Even if the Grand Prince is inside, people only die once in their lifetime, don¡¯t they? Someone who has already passed away cannot die twice, can they?¡± It was an incredibly outrageous statement. To think he would suggest to push through even with the Grand Prince inside and pretend nothing happened. Changnan Gumho¡¯s eyes shed. If this quasi-woman with an affected voice, this eunuch, was called Elder Eunuch and was a high-ranking official, there was no need to think about their identity. Eunuch fucker! It¡¯s a bastard from the Eastern Depot! In that instant, Changnan Gumho sprang up and swung something from his bosom, sshing a sticky liquid onto the Eastern Depot bastard¡¯s face. ¡°Kyaak, what, what is this!¡± ¡°Haha. I wondered why a eunuch of the Eastern Depot wasn¡¯t involved in this fishy business. It did smell like the thoroughly rotten discharge of someone with Imchang, you bastard. If you don¡¯t wash your face properly, you won¡¯t escape great trouble!¡± Imchang was a type of venereal disease. When severe, it was a serious illness that could cause flesh to rot and fester. The thoroughly rotten discharge of someone with Imchang. Understanding the meaning, the Eastern Depot eunuch¡¯s pupils shrank, his mouth gaped open, and he immediately let out a terrible scream. ¡°Kyaaaak!!!¡± ¡°Haha, serves you right!¡± ¡°You, you bastard!¡± The Imperial Censor hurriedly drew his sword. However, Changnan Gumho had already positioned himself near the entrance. ¡°Looking at the Imperial Censor¡¯s face, I thought your guts were only as big as mouse piss and your temperament softer than tofu. As such, you didn¡¯t seem like the material to plot such a terrible scheme. But lo and behold. With that ipetent nature, how much dirty money did you have to offer to be an Imperial Censor?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°You fired artillery at the ce where His Highness is, so your life and the lives of your entire family end here! Go ahead and struggle all you want!¡± With that, he immediately fled using Qinggong, slipping away on all fours like a running dog. The eunuch was too busy screaming, crying, and wiping his face. Meanwhile, the Imperial Censor felt greatly dismayed. It was now all or nothing. As the eunuch had said, it was better toplete the task and beg for forgiveness than to give up and return. The Imperial Censor shouted as he left the tent. ¡°Sound the drums! Advance and sweep away all those traitors!¡± * A fox crawling on all fours quietly appeared before the entrics of the royal household. Hag Yan, with her rotating Chakra Demonic Eyes narrowed, spoke in a suppressed voice. ¡°Well, look who it is. Isn¡¯t it the traitor fox?¡± ¡°Hehe. Old Hag. A traitor? What a hurtful thing to say.¡± ¡°Are you denying it? Didn¡¯t you put poison in His Highness¡¯s tea cup?¡± Changnan Gumho replied smoothly. ¡°Someone offered me gold and asked, so I just obliged. You know my nature is too soft to refuse requests.¡± ¡°If you do not answer properly, know that today will be your death anniversary, you little fox.¡± ¡°No, Old Hag. Do you think I didn¡¯t know His Highness was away when I put in the poison? If it wasn¡¯t me who did it, they would have kept trying with others until it worked. As such, if trouble was bound to happen anyway, shouldn¡¯t we have one traitor die and find out who was plotting?¡± ¡°How can I trust the words of a con artist? So who was it?¡± ¡°I thoroughly smeared the Eastern Depot bastard with Tracking Scent.¡± Tracking Scent was a type of special fragrance; a substance applied to allow trained animals or trackers skilled in special Qinggong to track targets. Hag Yan snorted at this. ¡°Hmph. Fox, we¡¯ll deal with youter. Old Dog?¡± ¡°No need to tell me, I¡¯m going. Just keep an eye on this fox bastard.¡± Old Dog sniffed the air, looked in one direction, and then leaped away, disappearing. Only then did Changnan Gumho quietly ask a question. ¡°But Old Hag, why are you all suddenly gathered? Why a night walk? With guys who never left the royal household before, at that?¡± Hag Yan answered with a white smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to screw over those Embroidered Uniform Guard bastards. What about it?¡± * The Imperial Guards were elite soldiers directly under the Emperor; from the start, they were on a different level from the local government troops. From monthly wages to support for martial arts, they were truly the Emperor¡¯s soldiers, naturally different from those local country bumpkins who were just cannon fodder for wars. So there were the real soldiers, the Imperial Guard, and below them were the local country bumpkins. Of course, this was what the Imperial Guard imed. To the Sichuan soldiers, however, the Imperial Guard were just annoying uncles who put on airs. So even after hearing the secretly passed down orders, they just thought, ¡°Wow, those annoying bastards who always have their noses up all high must have really messed up.¡± At the sound of drums signaling the advance, the Imperial Guard first gathered among themselves to wait. There was no need to go first and be human guinea pigs for the veritable obstacle course within the impregnable fortress of the Sichuan Tang n with all its traps. After all, wasn¡¯t this Sichuan¡¯s business in the first ce? Such expendable missions were for the Sichuan soldiers to do. So they gathered quietly, saying you guys go first, we¡¯ll charge inter and gain military merit. While watching the General¡¯s Cannon approaching, pulled by grunting soldiers in front and pushed with difficulty from the sides and back, they just snickered saying, ¡®You guys are working so hard. Won¡¯t you get all wet in your breaches at this point?¡¯ This General¡¯s Cannon, which typically existed in quantities of two per thousand-man unit in general military formations, was a primitive shotgun that fired by filling it with gunpowder and pouring metal fragments and stones on top to shoot at the enemy in front. The Imperial Guard¡¯s mockery didn¡¯tst long, because the muzzle of the General¡¯s Cannon that had been brought with such difficulty was, for some reason, pointed at them. In the moment they went ¡°Huh?¡±, someone lit the short fuse with a me stick, and before they could even take a few steps back shouting ¡°Dodge!¡±, the cannon roared, tearing people apart. Following that, Fire Lance Troops holding Fire Lances formed a wall of mes, and arrows rained down above it. The Imperial Guard, unable to even form a formation, became entangled in chaos and pandemonium. For reference, the Fire Lance was a weapon that was a rough equivalent to an ancient primitive methrower, created much earlier than cannons. The tactic of people suddenly charging in to fight in closebat was an outdated doctrine used in ancient times when Liu Bei and Cao Cao1 were contending for all under the heavens, and Sun Quan2, a local strongman, was causing trouble in between. Why would martial artists who could break rocks with their bare hands and easily leap over city walls fear the government¡¯s soldiers? A mere local gangster organization couldn¡¯t possibly stand against soldiers armed with cutting-edge primitive firearms. However, since a war between the government and Murim was obviously mutually assured destruction, they just pretended not to see each other, elegantly expressing it as the non-interference between Murim and the government. Of course, the result would be considered a win in terms of points for Murim. If the two fought, the dynasty would certainly fall, leading to the revival of the Sixteen Kingdoms or the Warring States period, but Murim¡¯s lineage would somehow remain and continue. At any rate, these were the horrific scenes unfolding outside the Tang n while Qing was asleep.
    1. Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty, ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government.2. Sun Quan (182£­252), the Great King of Wu, was the founding king of the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms period. Su Quan, styled Zhong Mou, was a native of Fuchun in the Wu County (today''s Fuyang, Zhejiang Province).
Chapter 139: Tang Clans Paper Flower (18) ¡°¡­I¡¯m hungry. Gramps, is there anything to eat?¡± That was the first thing Qing said as she opened her eyes. Then she looked around. It was already daylight, and she was on a bed where sunlight was streaming in. Beds in the Central ins were scientifically designed to let sunlight fall on one¡¯s face from mid-morning to noon, after all. And outside, there were busy sounds. Sawing, hammering, walking, dragging¡­ Qing roughly put on her clothes and tied her hair as she stepped out of the bedroom. Choi Leeong, who was sitting on the porch looking outside, naturally followed behind, so Qing gave a morning greeting. ¡°Gramps? Is there anything to eat? I¡¯m hungry. Aang.¡± It was a morning greeting as if she had entrusted him with finding food, but something immediately entered her mouth, causing Qing¡¯s eyes to widen before narrowing into pretty lines. Sticky, crunchy, savory, and sweet. It seemed to be a type of pastry with nuts. Qing stuffed the snack into her empty stomach while watching the busy construction work at the Tang n. Choi Leeong watched her contentedly. ¡°Did something happenst night?¡± ¡°Nothing much. The government troops withdrew.¡± ¡°What? How anticlimactic. They acted like they were going to attack.¡± In truth, it wasn¡¯t anticlimactic at all. The Imperial Guard was annihted, the Imperial Censor and the Eastern Depot Eunuch were captured, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was about halfway between annihtion and capture. ¡°Ah! Young Miss! Aren¡¯t you Young Miss Ximen!¡± ¡°Oing? Who are you? Do you know me?¡± ¡°This humble one is called Changnan Gumho. You can just call me Fox. Hehe, thoughte, I¡¯ll pay my respects.¡± And with that, he prostrated himself on the ground. ¡°Are, uh¡­ are you okay?¡± Qing asked, looking at Fox¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t know what his original face looked like, but it seemed to be swollen two to three times its normal size. It looked like he had disturbed a beehive, with dark bruises and bumps all over. ¡°Oh my, to even worry about this beast. How can your heart be so kind? But please lower your speech. You do not need to use honorifics. Hehe, this lowly one is dazzled in front of Young Miss, if you raise your speech too, my pea-sized gall can¡¯t handle it.¡± ¡°Uh. Um, okay¡­¡± Qing obediently listened. She thought he must be a servant of someone in the Tang n. Qing didn¡¯t know how to refuse. ¡°Hey, you fox bastard. Where are you going so early in the mor- Ah, that person is! Young Miss, is it Young Miss? Oh my goodness, how beautiful! Oh my, I shall pay my respects.¡± Another servant came and immediately knelt down. ¡°What¡¯s going on, why are you all- Ooh!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s that person!¡± ¡°I can feel an amazing aura!¡± And then, like minions greeting their boss, servants appeared one after another to pay their respects, kneeling and bowing their heads, their numbers gradually increasing. ¡°Truly a noble person. Looking with this Daoist¡¯s Spirit Eyes, I can see that the rank of your soul is so high that a refined spiritual pressure flows from you.¡± ¡°Hey, Fake Daoist, is that right? How can someone who can¡¯t even find one water vein talk about Spirit Eyes? In Sichuan where water springs up no matter where you dig, you failed seven times in a row. What kind of Daoist are you?¡± And so a group of people gathered, politely taking their ces in the front yard, bickering and squabbling as they held apetition to see who could tter better. ¡°Inst night¡¯s dream, as I was walking and about to pick up a piece of jade I saw on the road, suddenly the brilliant Vermilion Bird rose up with five-colored radiance. Isn¡¯t this a dream of meeting the noblest person in the world? Indeed, I can see at a nce that Young Miss is such a person!¡± ¡°This bastard, always going on about Vermilion Birds. What happened to the Azure Dragon, ck Tortoise, and White Tiger? Did you sell them off somewhere?¡± ¡°Excuse me. It¡¯s a small thing, but¡­¡± A servant with his facepletely hidden by hair quietly approached and held out a small box. When opened, lo and behold, a jade bracelet thicker than a finger hole revealed itself. Qing¡¯s expression soured as she quietly pushed it back, thinking that some gifts were a bit much. ¡°It seems very expensive.¡± ¡°I just picked it up on the road, so don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± ¡°No, what? Why would something like this be lying around? I don¡¯tck that much awareness, you know? Go pick it up again.¡± ¡°That gnat-like bastard is offering a bribe!¡± ¡°Booo! You cheap bastard! When did you prepare that!¡± ¡°Hmm. It can¡¯t be helped. Madam, do you perhaps enjoy calligraphy and painting? This brush is made from the tail hair of a white marten from Mount Bei. When ites to brushes, the finest hairs are the best, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯ve only used it once for a test writing, so it would suit a noble person like you better than me¡­¡± And then they rushed forward, cing their precious items before Qing as if offering tributes, and before Qing could refuse, Choi Leeong swiftly intercepted them and piled them up behind his back. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°What are you all doing so early in the morning! Don¡¯t you have work to do?! If not, you should at least help with the construction! Get lost, all of you!¡± An extremely stern-looking old woman appeared and shouted, causing everyone to scatter in fear without hiding their terror, disappearing without a trace. ¡°Uh, who are you?¡± ¡°Hmph. I haven¡¯t acknowledged anything yet. But thanks to you, the man has conceived a grand dream, so I am grateful for that much.¡± The old woman, Hag Yan, clicked her tongue inwardly. The hidden dragon who wanted to live quietly was now aiming for ascension, but if the goal was just for one woman, wouldn¡¯t it beughable to the world? Still, gratitude was gratitude. Thanks to this, they had eliminated three thousand Imperial Guards, wiping out three thousand of the Emperor¡¯s most elite soldiers. In addition, there was the Embroidered Uniform Guard Assistant Commissioner and thirty martial artists. They had driven the family of the Imperial Censor, the head of the Censorate, to extermination, and as a bonus, removed the Eastern Depot Eunuch. These were all des that the Emperor could wield directly, so it was like cutting off one of his limbs. The Emperor¡¯s power had copsed significantly. With this much, it was enough to aim for a great undertaking. ¡°However, when one¡¯s position changes, so does their perspective. If things go well, he will return. Even if they don¡¯t, there¡¯s no need to feel disappointed with that much.¡± Hag Yan coldly threw something. It was a book without a title, and when Qing touched it, the Martial Arts Window immediately shed, announcing the registration of a new item. It meant she had touched aplete secret manual, indicating that this book was indeed a martial arts secret manual. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that once caused a bloodbath in Jianghu, so it would be best to keep it hidden from others.¡± Hag Yan looked at the book with somewhat regretful eyes. It was a gaze filled with long-held resentment, as much sorrow and self-reproach. But that was only for a moment, as she turned around with a ¡°Hmph¡± and walked away proudly. Qing tilted her head. So, who were they and who had they been¡­? Anyway, when Qing checked the Martial Arts Window, the newly registered¡­ My goodness! Purple, why suddenly purple? Moreover, it¡¯s a Purple Movement Technique called Wave-Treading Subtle Steps! Hmm, I¡¯ve never heard of this before. It was because Qing¡¯s knowledge was toocking. And then the Mission Window went crazy. What¡¯s going on? Why is everything taking turns going nuts? [Struggle of the Yellow Dragon The Beginning Chapter. (Unknown)th Crisis] Description: [You have been caught up in the power struggle of the Imperial Family.] Decide your course of action. [This choice may influence everything under Heaven.] This time, there was just one line about deciding factions without even saying what to do. If you suddenly do this, what am I supposed to do? Qing just dismissed the Mission Window and decided not to think about it. ----After that, a joint funeral was held at the Tang n. Personally presided over by the Grand Prince, it was a joint funeral to honor the forty-two loyal and righteous members of the Tang n who fell to artillery fire while resisting the rebel faction impersonating Imperial troops to protect the Grand Prince, and the one hundred and seventeen loyal and righteous soldiers who lost their lives in the process of suppressing the traitors. After the funeral, a huge monument was erected at the entrance of the Tang n¡¯s main gate, engraving their names. Among them were faces Tang Nanah knew, and she showed quite a gloomy appearance afterward. It did look pitiful. So even though she was being particrly clingy, Qing let her be, thinking she must feel quite down since people she knew had died. ¡°Hey.¡± Tang Nanah immediately pressed both knees, the tops of her feet, her forehead, and the underside of her forearms to the ground. It was a grand bow with discipline and force, no matter how one went about it. Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked down at the back of her head. ¡°Hey, why are you fondling someone else¡¯s chest?¡± It is only right that if a tail is long, it would get caught. Tang Nanah, caught red-handed, bowed her head in a grand apology bow in the middle of the night. ¡°No, I just, it just felt nice and soft. At this age, it¡¯s awkward to do this to my mother. And my mother¡¯s aren¡¯t that big anyway¡­¡± Tang Nanah didn¡¯t particrly have any other intention. At first, she had just wondered how something this big could stay attached without sagging and feeling how incredibly soft it was, but somehow that texture wouldn¡¯t leave her mind day and night. ¡°Shit, you have your own. Why are you messing with mine instead of your own?¡± ¡°But the feeling ispletely different. It¡¯s like, there¡¯s none of this sinking feeling. And it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to wear out. Don¡¯t be so stingy. Friends can touch each other a bit.¡± Tang Nanah rather boldly stepped forward. Qing had seen things in the Divine Maiden Sect too. In fact, she knew that women likedrge breasts just as much as men did. Disciples with suspicious sexual preferences tended to be more reserved, while normal disciples were much more persistent in coveting others¡¯ chests. It was to the point where she would invariably see disciples withrge chestsining and telling others to stop at least once a day. There were even about four disciples who fearlessly asked if they could touch a great elder¡¯s chest just once. (Of course, Qing didn¡¯t receive much treatment as a great elder besides for her title and status, being an outer disciple and afortable peer) Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can secretly grope.¡± ¡°Ugh. But if I ask, you¡¯ll say no.¡± ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. Do you know how ticklish it is?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®hmph¡¯? You¡¯re in big trouble now. Kneel down and raise your hands.¡± Anyway, Tang Nanah, feeling guilty, obediently followed those words. It was also because she knew from numerous experiences that it was beneficial to quietly listen at times like this. Forgiveness is easier than permission! It was Tang Nanah¡¯s vicious mindset, learned through the many misdeeds she hadmitted over a long time and the apologies that followed. * And so, Qing¡¯s days of ying around under the pretext of fixing her split chest continued for about a month. And then there was a woman who came to see Qing. It wasn¡¯t Senior Sister Wannabe, whom Qing wasn¡¯t particrly waiting for or even thinking about! She was still in the middle of crossing the continent. The Demonic Cult was too far away. Moreover, it was a journey with no need to hurry. So she was leisurely enjoying her first trip to the Central ins, spending the generous travel expenses given by the Divine Cult freely, with Seol Ganom as a guide by her side. The one who came to see Qing was another woman. The woman¡¯s eyes were somewhat unfriendly as she looked at therge memorial stone erected next to the Tang n¡¯s huge main gate. And then she naturally spoke down to the Tang n warrior guarding the main gate. ¡°I heard my disciple is staying at the Tang n. Is there not a girl named Qing with the surname Ximen here?¡± At this, the Tang n warrior froze. ¡°Young Lady Ximen is staying here, but if you say you are her master, could you perhaps be¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Who is the current Tang n Lord now? Was it that smooth-talking child Tang Touzhong? Go and tell him that Senior Ximen Surin hase to find her disciple.¡± The Zenith Among Women had personallye to find her naughty disciple who had left home and not returned. Chapter 140: Xi Moongqing (1) Ximen Surin¡¯s concern was indeed justified. When Qing recovered dramatically from her madness at the Demonic Cult through the teachings of the Great Meditation Divine Arts, the ominous star in the sky had glowed red with anger and regret. Ximen Surin, who read the meaning of this star, had offered ritual sacrifices in the middle of the night, relieved that her disciple had ovee a great crisis. In fact, she had been worried a thousandfold since then, fearing that her gentle, kind, and not at all vicious disciple might return injured in body or mind from that ruthless ce called Jianghu. And as autumn deepened, the time for her return had passed, but the disciple did note. Then a disciple who went out shopping brought news asking about rumors of a great cmity in Sichuan, something about rebellion and assassination plots, with Qing¡¯s name involved. With her heart sinking, Ximen Surin arrived in Chengdu in one step, crossing the natural barrier of high mountains in the Sichuan basin using the highly refined technique of Sword Flight. Of course, Ximen Surin was a great elder of Daoism who knew courtesy and propriety, so she did notmit the uncivilized act of knocking on the Tang n¡¯s door in the middle of the night when she arrived. She first got a room and spent the night. Then, after tidying her clothes, she visited the Tang n at the hour of Si (10 AM), when it would not be an inconvenience to visit. And finally, sheid eyes on her disciple. Despite it being the time when the sun was high in the sky and all under heaven were busy under the Yang Qi of the brightening sun, there was her disciple, sprawled out on a luxurious silk bed, wandering in dreand. Moreover, the shameless girl was almost naked, with only bandages on her chest, her limbs spread out with the nket kicked off, a sight that would make anyone who saw it feel ashamed. Ximen Surin¡¯s anger meter shot up. As a Profound Realm master became angry, the very air vibrated, gravity doubled, and a pressure that crushed space emanated, just from that alone. Under that pressure, the disciple gently opened her eyes, and as their gazes met, she burst into an innocent smile with an unfocused, dreamy expression. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s Master¡­ I missed you¡­¡± And then she closed her eyes again, making soft breathing sounds. Ximen Surin¡¯s anger meter, which had exceeded its limit, hesitated and gradually stabilized. Right. It is fine as long as the child is safe. It is not like she is showing her sleeping appearance to anyone, so what does it matter if the scene is a bit ugly to look at, or perhaps even extremely ugly? Moreover, her face had be even more beautiful and younger in the time they hadn¡¯t seen each other, and her limbs had grown longer, clearly having undergone a transformation. It was disappointing that she hadn¡¯t reached the Transcendent Realm, but in fact, it was quitemon for one¡¯s realm to remain the same while only the body changed if one failed to grasp enlightenment and lost it. Such lost enlightenment was bound toe again soon, so there was no need to be disappointed. But why was she wearing bandages only on her chest? Although there were no bloodstains or scent of blood, the fragrant smell of medicine made Ximen Surin¡¯s heart sink. As Ximen Surin reached out her hand, the bandage on Qing¡¯s chest gently pulled down, revealing what was inside. There, an ugly wound sewn with thread was exposed! It was a terrible trajectory that would have cut through her ribs if it had been just a bit deeper, and even her heart if it had been deeper still. Thinking the child might be lying down after taking medicine because she was in pain, she quickly approached to check her pulse, only to find healthy meridians that had developed into a difference of heaven and earthpared to before, and traces of numerous Demonic Arts¡­ Ximen Surin¡¯s anger meter instantly shot up and exploded through the ceiling. ¡°YOU-LITTLE-WENCH!¡± SMACK!!! ----With tears welling up inside both eyelids and a bump protruding from one corner of her head, Qing knelt on the floor with both hands raised high. ¡°You wench, you have been rolling your body around recklessly and got yourself a huge gash. How admirable. How so very admirable.¡± ¡°Well, they said the scar wouldn¡¯t remain¡­¡± ¡°Haa? You are even bragging about it, I see. Then, what about all that Demonic Qi patched up inside you? Will the Demonic Arts disappear without a traceter too?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it?¡± ¡°Hehe. This disciple greets Master. I missed you. A lot.¡± Qing naturally bent her upper body and made a grand bow while keeping her hands raised. Ximen Surin, having achieved Body Reconstruction at a high level, only had the appearance of a nobledy, but in reality, she was a great senior of Murim who had lived even longer than Choi Leeong. Having lived that long, she knew that the greeting Qing was offering was not just an act to avoid the current situation. Rather, it was filled with sincere longing, so the resentment she had been feeling gradually melted away. At this, Ximen Surin let out a deep sigh. ¡°You say you missed me, yet you were sprawled out living the good life in someone else¡¯s house?¡± ¡°They said they¡¯d make sure no scar remains. I didn¡¯t want to worry you.¡± It was a statement that melted away the remaining resentment. However, not wanting to forgive her right away, Ximen Surin spoke sharply for no reason. ¡°Ha. So you conspired to make a fool of a master who does not even know her disciple¡¯s chest was nearly split open.¡± ¡°Hehe. Actually, my chest was already split ope- Ack!¡± SMACK!! Qing rolled on the floor. Ack. She hit the same spot again! A Profound Realm master¡¯s aim never wavers. Moreover, it was practically a quantum entanglement super-flick that transcended distance, surpassing mere beating to deliver a strike. Highly advanced martial arts even transcend science, after all. Qing, who had been rubbing her head until it felt like it was on fire, saw Ximen Surin¡¯s fierce gaze and flinched, raising both hands again to assume the position. ¡°Haah. How is it that in my twilight years, I have a disciple who has nothing satisfactory about her except her nature?¡± If hell existed and the numerous evil people burning there heard this, they would curse, saying she must have eaten through her asshole to reach her realm. After all, how could her way of thinking be so backwards and wrong? ¡°Fine. But what kind of Demonic Arts did you learn? I clearly warned you to stay away from them.¡± ¡°Well, you see. This disciple didn¡¯t learn them because I wanted to¡­¡± Even Qing¡¯s way of speaking resembled Tang Nanah¡¯s in front of Ximen Surin. ¡°If you did not learn them because you wanted to. Are you saying someone threatened you with a sword to learn Demonic Arts, as you put it?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s actually how it turned out¡­¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s eye twitched. Come to think of it, besides her nature, the disciple had a talent even more dazzling than her disposition. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if some Demonic Adept had set their eyes on her and made her learn Demonic Arts. But even so, it should have been just one. ¡°No, which ill-mannered bastards took someone else¡¯s disciple and made her learn Demonic Arts? Don¡¯t tell me the Demonic Cult kidnapped you or something.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that the Demonic Cult kidnapped me¡­¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°The Demonic Cult? I see. Seeing that you are safe now, it seems you managed to escape somehow. More importantly, let us hear about what kind of Demonic Arts you learned. We need to know to deal with it, is that not so?¡± ¡°Oh. Well, first there¡¯s the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts and the ck ying Demonic Palm¡­¡± In fact, the Demonic Cult would feel rather wronged here, as these two were the only Demonic Arts they had forced her to learn. The rest were ones Qing had forcibly taken and learned herself. ¡°The One Hundred And Eight Asura Sword, Heavenly Ice Sura Demonic Arts, Blood Demon King Divine Arts, and the Lustful Immortal Disrobing Dance. That¡¯s about it, I think.¡± ¡°¡­You learned quite a lot. My goodness, and you learned four of the Ten Great Demonic Arts Under Heaven. At this rate, you seem poised to collect all ten.¡± ¡°But I learned good things too! The Yijin Cleansing Method and Great Meditation Divine Arts you mentioned, Master.¡± ¡°Wait. No, wait.¡± Ximen Surin waved her hand. The Demonic Arts had clear origins, and since she said she was kidnapped by the Demonic Cult, their despicable intention to brand her as a Demonic Human even if she escaped was obvious. But the Yijin Cleansing Method? And the Great Meditation Divine Arts? Was there a Shaolin monk and an Emei nun amicably captured in the Demonic Cult, and they happened to be owners of Divine Arts who passed them on? ¡°Hmm. Nevermind. I see. Well. What else?¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s expression softened. Her disciple had always been one to learn strange things when she went out into Jianghu. She had guessed that there must be some means she couldn¡¯t speak of, so thinking about it now, even the initial question of what she should learn was extremely meaningful. ¡°The Supreme Yin Jade Maiden Divine Arts and the Blissful Maiden Arts. They said it was clearly a Daoist cultivation technique.¡± ¡°Although it is a bit ominous, that is correct.¡± ¡°Ah. And this was given to me as a gift, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I should learn it.¡± Qing took out the secret manual of the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps from the guest room¡¯s drawer and held it out. Ximen Surin¡¯s expression hardened again as she roughly opened and skimmed through it. It seemed today was a day when her facial muscles had no choice but to be hard at work. ¡°This. This is no ordinary thing.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s called the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps.¡± ¡°Has the Chakra Witch settled in the Demonic Cult? Hmm? But it does not seem like you mentioned learning the Chakra Demonic Tribtion.¡± At this, Qing¡¯s expression was the one to answer. And per usual, if Qing was unaware of something, anyone in the world could tell by looking at her face. Ximen Surin changed her question. ¡°Was the person who gave you this in the Demonic Cult?¡± ¡°No. Someone in the Grand Prince¡¯s household gave it to me.¡± ¡°I see. The royal household¡­ Burn this after you have learned it. It is something that brings blood to the world.¡± ¡°Ah. They said that too. Something about a bloodbath or whatever?¡± ¡°That is right. An entire sect was annihted over this one book, so it is an object that people in the world covet that much.¡± The Blood Disaster of the Yeonseong Sect. It was amon tragedy that urred when someone without the power to protect it possessed a treasure. ¡°Oh, is it a good martial art?¡± ¡°It is said to be the Greatest Footwork Under Heaven. I hear that when mastered, its movements are like the wind, unable to be caught by anything in the world. Since it can preserve one¡¯s life even in the worst situations, it is a Divine Art that can indeed be called the greatest under heaven.¡± ¡°Then, couldn¡¯t we just use it as our Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s technique? I¡¯ve already memorized it all. We could just change the name to something like Divine Maiden Divine Steps.¡± Ximen Surin smiled benevolently. To her disciple, even one of the greatest Divine Arts under heaven was just something nice to have if possible, and no big deal if not. The problem was that she treated Demonic Arts the same way, not knowing how terrifying they were, which led to this situation. But is there anything in the world made of just one side? Yin and Yang. Shadows falling behind light. This was the principle of the world. So perhaps this elderly¡¯s job was to cover the disciple¡¯s shadow with the master¡¯s shadow. ¡°Alright. Let us do that.¡± Ximen Surin put away the secret manual. While she might not do this for other martial arts, since this could ensure her disciples¡¯ safety, it was worth enduring the vile act of stealing and oveying the legacy of a vanished old sect. ¡°Ah. That is right. Let us hear your story. How did you escape from their of those evil Demonic Cult bastards?¡± Because Ximen Surin¡¯s gaze was so warm, Qing¡¯s heart gradually melted and loosened. But as always in front of her master, she loosened her guard a bit too much. ¡°Well, you see about that. Once again, this disciple crushed the Demonic Cult¡¯s ambitions with brilliant exploits. Ah! That¡¯s right. Look at this. Yap. Heavenly Demon, I choose you! Heavenly Demon Summon! This is the true form of this bastard called the Heavenly Demon. How it happened was¡­¡± The Heavenly Demon Spirit rose from the palm of the chattering Qing. At the same time, a vein also popped up on Ximen Surin¡¯s forehead. And per such natural progression, it was time for something to pop up on Qing¡¯s crown as well. Following that, SMACK!!! The sound of a walnut cracking reverberated clearly across the pure heaven and earth beyond the room¡¯s door. Chapter 141: Xi Moongqing (2) Indeed, there had never been such a major incident. To think her disciple had the Heavenly Demon. Wasn¡¯t this the evil spirit under heaven that had invaded the Central ins four times, turning the entire world into a house of mourning? She might have to officially register her in the Divine Maiden Sect. Should she take her to the Grand Elder Hall on Divine Maiden Peak and make her read Daoist scriptures until she dies of old age? Ximen Surin seriously pondered. Her foolish disciple had embraced the source of cmity for all under heaven, so the disciple¡¯sck of virtue was the master¡¯sck of virtue, and since this was all due to having an ipetent master, perhaps she should keep her by her side for life. ¡°You insufficient wench. You just had to get yourself out safely. Why on earth did you take such a monstrosity? How do you expect those Demonic Cult bastards to let you go like this?¡± ¡°But¡­ if I had just escaped alone, wouldn¡¯t those Demonic Cult bastardse rushing in again¡­¡± ¡°What, did you have such an impertinent thought that you should sacrifice yourself for the peace of all under heaven?¡± ¡°As if I knew this would happen. And rather than all under heaven or whatever, it¡¯s because the war would reach our family at the Divine Maiden Sect too¡­¡± How could Ximen Surin be angry in front of a disciple who spoke like that? Ximen Surin let out a deep sigh. Wanting to keep her by my side is just my own greed. It¡¯s this master who is happy to see her every day, so I¡¯m trying to keep her close with a usible excuse. ¡°So, it seems you headed to Sichuan after subduing the Heavenly Demon Spirit and leaving, but what is this treason business? And who is that bastard who split my disciple¡¯s breast. The one who deserves to be torn apart?¡± ¡°Ah. The Embroidered Uniform Guard Assistant Commissioner? It was some high-ranking bastard like that. This disciple already put him to death, though? But that guy was¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right. A Reinforced Blood Demonic Human? Something like that.¡± Ximen Surin frowned. It seems every time her disciple opened her mouth, something substantial came out. An Assistant Commissioner refers to the third-inmand in the government¡¯s military organizationa;l hierarchy, so an Embroidered Uniform Guard Assistant Commissioner would mean the Guard Assistant Commander. What did it mean that a top-ranking military official qualified to directly hold the Imperial Banner was a cursed Demonic Human who had undergone the Blood Cult¡¯s ritual of human sacrifice? It was a sensitive matter that could be considered treason just by mentioning it. ¡°I should tell you the story from when this disciple arrived in Sichuan. This disciple wanted to eat mtang, ah, the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, that¡¯s right, Master, there¡¯s a Greatest Chef Under Heaven in Sichuan, but he¡¯s not really the Greatest Chef Under Heaven, he¡¯s the Greatest Chef in Sichuan, but since Sichuan cuisine is the greatest cuisine under heaven, he¡¯s called the Greatest Chef Under Heaven instead of the Greatest Chef in Sichuan, anyway, so there¡¯s this ultimate mtang¡­ Ah, I ended up not eating it. Master, do you like mtang by any chance?¡± ¡°¡­? I do not enjoy such heavy, numbing food, so I do not eat it. Regardless of mtang or whatever it is, just move on.¡± ¡°Ah. Anyway, these guys called the Five Poison Sect. Ah. What was with that Five Poison Sect again? Did we just happen to ovep by bad luck? What happened again?¡± The Five Poison Sect had backed the wrong horse with the Eastern Depot Eunuch, so they were soon to receive a severe attack from the royal household¡¯s entrics and the Tang n¡¯s avengers. Qing didn¡¯t know because she didn¡¯t care, and she didn¡¯t particrly want to know either, so she just exined roughly and moved on. ¡°¡­And when I woke up after sleeping like that, they said it was all over.¡± ¡°I see. You kept your loyalty to the end but did not dig too deep. For once, your conduct was quite excellent. If only you had not gotten hurt, it would have been perfect.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Master, look at this, doesn¡¯t the cross-shaped scar have a kind of wild charm- Ack!¡± SMACK!! Qing, who dared to show off her unnecessarilyrge breasts in front of her master, rolled on the floor. ¡°You are truly asking for a beating.¡± ¡°No, wait, it really hurts¡­¡± ¡°You say it hurts, but your endurance is growing. My goodness. If I dare speak, even cold iron would be harder than my disciple¡¯s head.¡± This time, she was serious. She said she had learned the Yijin Cleansing Method. She never imagined that its mystical effects would create an iron, no, a cold iron head. Ximen Surin, who was about to tell her to leave the scar on her chest as a lifelong lesson, changed her mind. There are some who don¡¯t learn from lessons. This insufficient wench was cheerfully talking about wild charm even with a hideous mark carved on her chest. Even if she told her to keep it as a lesson, it would only remain as a w for others to gossip about. ¡°Let us go home for now. The news has been such that your fellow disciples are worried beyond measure.¡± From what she heard, there was nothing good about staying at the Tang n any longer. Since she was involved in the Imperial Family¡¯s power struggle, it would be better to hide away from the secr world until her name settled down a bit. Qing rolled her eyes and answered quietly. ¡°Uh, I have to wait for Sister Wannabe¡­¡± ¡°Tell that old man left in front to set up house in Ziguiter. Even if he is a servant, we cannot bring him into the sect anyway, can we?¡± Zigui was the name of a city near the Divine Maiden Sect. The Divine Maiden Sect was a sacred realm where men were forbidden. At least, it had been so since the Celestial Martial Emperor; before that, there had been a few invasions by those outrageous Imperial Family bastards. Since the Divine Maiden of Mount Wu enshrined in the Daoist temple was the daughter of the Yan Emperor and the lover of the Yellow Emperor, they had reluctantly let it slide. However, after the government¡¯s powerpletely deted, they never allowed it again. In other words, it had never happened in Ximen Surin¡¯s lifetime. ¡°Uh, the scar treatment¡­ Ah. Well, I guess that doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± ¡°We can just bring medicine for the scar. Isn¡¯t the Tang n¡¯s Sore Rejuvenation Powder famous for its effectiveness?¡± ¡°Oing? You mean we could have just applied medicine?¡± ¡°Of course? Did you think you had to rub and knead the troublesome wound until it got worse?¡± ¡°She definitely said it was An Mo. It wasn¡¯t exactly kneading, but she stroked and stuff¡­¡± An Mo. Also called massage for short, it referred to the Chinese people¡¯s healing technique. It was also a primitive medical practice that naturally arose in various parts of the world, not just among the Chinese people. ¡°An Mo is for muscles, tendons, and bones. What use is there in kneading flesh? It is already heavy andrge enough to ruin the drape of clothes, so do not even think about touching it. It might get even bigger.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. That Tang Nanah is quite a wicked woman, wasn¡¯t she? Shouldn¡¯t her medical license be revoked? Of course, there were no separate licenses in the Central ins, and the uncivilized Chinese didn¡¯t recognize female physicians, so she was just a physician wannabe who couldn¡¯t be called a physician. Knock knock. As they say, speak of the devil and he shall appear; Tang Nanah appeared right on cue, knocking on the door. ¡°Lunch is ready. Would the Matriarch perhaps grace us with her presence?¡± Tang Nanah nervously fidgeted as she invited them to the meal. Yet her eyes sparkled, fixed on Ximen Surin and unable to leave. This was because the Matriarch Ximen Surin was the idol of all female martial artists in Jianghu. How could a female martial artist not be nervous and excited upon meeting the Zenith Among Women? Qing pointed at her, saying she had met a good person. ¡°Hey. You. Is it okay for a physician to deceive a patient?¡± ¡°Huh? Who? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± However, this was an unjust usation for Tang Nanah. While she couldn¡¯t say she had no personal interest, it was a medical procedure to properly align the internal tissues that had beenpletely split in half. Moreover, she had been focusing all her mental energy and even using her Inner Qi in her utterly devoted care, sweating profusely and exhausting herself each time. Ximen Surin wasn¡¯t a physician either, so her knowledge of treatment methods was limited to sewing up cuts, setting broken bones, wiping blood, and applying medicine. She didn¡¯t really know proper medical techniques. ¡°¡­Sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hmph. Sorry for being a quack.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Oh? If you¡¯re sorry. Ahem. You have to grant my requestter. You have to grant as much as you¡¯re sorry.¡± Not just a few, but as much as she¡¯s sorry? It was truly a vicious way of speaking. As the not-so-docile Qing was about to argue that there was no such thing, Tang Nanah had already turned her attention to Ximen Surin and spoke demurely. ¡°Great Expert Ximen, I have a request. Would you allow this humble one to stay at the Divine Maiden Sect to take care of Qing¡¯er¡¯s wound and check her pulse?¡± ¡°If you would do that, I would be grateful.¡± Ximen Surin looked around the luxurious guest room. The Divine Maiden Sect practiced frugality in all aspects of life, with meals being the only exception. ¡°Our sect¡¯s lifestyle is frugal and might be quite arduous for you. Would that be alright?¡± ¡°Of course! Rather, I would love it! Thank you!¡± Even if she wasn¡¯t her disciple¡¯s friend, Ximen Surin would evaluate Tang Nanah quite favorably, at least for now, because she was a female physician. Wasn¡¯t it true that there were no female physicians in Jianghu, making it difficult for women to seek medical attention for embarrassing symptoms? She thought that rumors couldn¡¯t be trusted, as she had heard that Tang Nanah was a childish brat who threw tantrums and knew how to make a fuss. ----After receiving lunch hospitality, Ximen Surin immediately packed her bags and left the Tang n. And only then did Ximen Surin turn her eyes to look at Choi Leeong. Choi Leeong couldn¡¯t meet her eyes and only looked at the floor. With nothing to his advantage in terms of martial prowess, age, or even his rtionship with Qing, he could only meekly shrink and await his fate. Ximen Surin glimpsed his anxious inner thoughts. The Purple Lightning Demonic Warlord was a somewhat infamous figure as the Demonic Cult¡¯s patrol lion. It seems he at least knows to be ashamed of his past. Still, it was an unimaginable emptiness to have scattered one¡¯s lifelong achievements. Although her disciple had taken his side and likely added a rather biased interpretation of what happened, if he had passed on his Divine Arts after the dissolution of his Inner Qi¡­ Ximen Surin finally let out a deep sigh and spoke. ¡°Because my disciple iscking, her going out into Jianghu is always like leaving a child by the water¡¯s edge, so I am never at ease. At such times, please look after her a bit.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you. Senior.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± It was truly frustrating to be called Senior by a Great Demonic Adept due to having a wayward disciple. Still, if a master of the Unrestrained Realm was going to take care of her disciple, it was something she could endure to that extent. Her disciple¡¯s journey in Jianghu had to be quite extraordinary. Perhaps it was an ordeal following her rejection of her innate killing nature, so she couldn¡¯t forcibly confine and stop her either. * Grand Prince Dexian, pacing in the royal household¡¯s courtyard, asked Hag Yan, who wore a sly smile. ¡°Hmm, wouldn¡¯t it be alright to at least see them off?¡± ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s best to just stay out of sight. She might look like that now, but she used to be the crazy bitch called the Female Mad Dog. Does Your Highness think the Grand Sect Leader of the women-only Divine Maiden Sect, who even passed on her surname to her named disciple, would stand by and watch her enter someone else¡¯s household?¡± ¡°No, who said anything about taking her into the household? I just meant to see off a friend, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Oh my, Your Highness. You should know when to hold back. Later, after things are done and set, you can just ask for forgiveness. Do you think she would dare toy a hand on her son-inw, who sits on the Dragon Throne?¡± Hag Yan said with a grinning face. ¡°No, what do you mean son-inw? I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Are you not? Didn¡¯t you ask this old woman about measures for harmony between the government and Murim?¡± ¡°Well, that was for the greater good¡­¡± Grand Prince Dexian made excuses with a reddened face. Hag Yan, having caught a rare opportunity, kept teasing him like a grandmother teasing her grandson, as was her specialty. ¡°The greater good, yes, that¡¯s nice. This old woman likes the greater good, but she also likes personal interests too. I¡¯ve lived well liking everything up to now, so if Your Highness likes it, this old woman likes it too. Hehehe.¡± And in fact, this was the biggest problem with those who imed to have the blood of the Son of Heaven. They think that just by shing a purple background with a golden dragon pattern, everyone in the world will go crazy and rush over. Shouldn¡¯t one first ask if the wine seller is open for business before worrying about what to drink? There¡¯s no use in gulping down bowls of honey water to protect your stomach before the wine table; it will only bloat you unnecessarily. Chapter 142: Xi Moongqing (3) The Demonic Cult¡¯s patrol envoyes to deliver an ultimatum! Of course, no matter how much they were enemies, there was no harming of envoys. Moreover, the recipient was the Murim Alliance, the headquarters of the Orthodox Murim. Rather, they had to protect the patrol envoy carrying the ultimatum from being attacked. It was necessary to avoid giving the Orthodox Murim a pretext for vilely harming an envoy. Thus, the Murim Alliance Masters dispatched for this purpose surrounded and watched over the envoy from an awkward distance, unable to get too close as they couldn¡¯t associate with those dirty Demonic Cult bastards, providing both surveince and escort. In this way, the Demonic Cult¡¯s infamous ck ebony carriage, surrounded by ayer of Masters, crossed the Central ins, with eyewitness ounts spreading all the way to the Murim Alliance. And in front of the Murim Alliance headquarters¡­ There was already a sea of people who hade to watch. Even a Murim tournament wouldn¡¯t have drawn such a crowd. However, although no one said it out loud, everyone had a general sense of what the Demonic Cult¡¯s patrol envoy¡¯s ultimatum would be. A final ultimatum! An ultimatum refers to a diplomatic letter sent from one power to another. Among these, the veryst, final ultimatum is precisely that - a final ultimatum, meaning ¡°There¡¯s no need for dialogue anymore, let¡¯s have a go at each other.¡± This implied an important fact for the Murim Alliance. How confident must those Demonic Cult bastards be to dere war ande charging in! If those who usually gathered their forces and struck with surprise attacks were now giving advance notice¡­ However, the power of the Orthodox Murim was also at its peak. Since the Celestial Martial Emperor, the level of martial arts in the Orthodox Murim had been reaching new heights every day, so even if the wicked Demonic Cult came charging in now, they would rise up valiantly to face them. In front of the Murim Alliance¡¯s main gate, the Alliance¡¯s key figures lined up in a row, holding their weapons. This was the Murim Alliance headquarters, imbued with the spirit of the Orthodox Faction. It was a disy meant to show that they couldn¡¯t allow the filthy Demonic Cult¡¯s spawn into the Murim Alliance. One might say this was all unnecessary. However, in the Central ins, a matter of face was as important as life itself. The Demonic Cult¡¯s ck ebony carriages appeared through the crowd of onlookers. An ominous murmur spread in waves. ¡°Halt!¡± A lion¡¯s roar imbued with Buddhist merit resounded loudly. The pure energy, one which almost seemed to exterminate demons, that the Inner Light Master of Shaolin had honed through a lifetime of martial studies spread widely. It was a kind of psychological warfare. It had an effect; the ominous murmuring noise suddenly stopped. Admiration for Shaolin, saying they were indeed worthy of being called the head of the Orthodox Murim, briefly followed before subsiding. Then, what the emboldened people did next was jeering and criticism. ¡°How dare the Demonic Cult¡¯s evil spawn invade here!¡± ¡°Boo! Get out, you Demonic Cult bastards!¡± ¡°Did you think the Orthodox Murim would be intimidated by this? Justice always prevails!¡± Amidst this, the patrol envoy finally raised the ultimatum high and shouted. ¡°While wishing for your Alliance¡¯s eternal glory, on behalf of the Divine Cult¡¯s Supreme, I announce to the virtuous experts of the Murim Alliance!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± For a moment, silence hung in the air. Everyone blinked with expressions that seemed to ask, ¡°What did I just hear?¡±, looking around at each other for confirmation, but all wore equally dumbfounded expressions. At least this confirmed that they hadn¡¯t misheard. ¡°The new Divine Cult¡¯s Supreme wishes to erase old grudges and hatred, and see an end to the long-standing animosity! To this end, we open the doors of the Divine Cult and seek reconciliation, hoping to break free from the chain of sorrow where hatred begets hatred and pain begets pain, and instead sing joyful songs together under the heavens!¡± Oh shit, we¡¯ve been had. The Murim Alliance warriors broke out in a cold sweat. If they had weed the patrol envoy inside the Alliance, it might have been different, but if they sought reconciliation in broad daylight in front of people from all over the Central ins, the Alliance had no choice but to ept. The Murim Alliance needed the Demonic Cult to attack first to have justification. As protectors of peace and tranquility in the Central ins, they couldn¡¯t refuse and dere that reconciliation was unnecessary and that they wanted war. From the beginning, hiding their true intentions and disguising it as if they were going to deliver a final ultimatum was all a ploy for this purpose. The warriors uselessly racked their supposedly good brains. It was a characteristic of clever people. But what was the true intention behind this? If what they truly wanted was peace, this could be a historic moment where one of Murim¡¯s long-standing troubles disappeared. But what if it was just a ploy to inducecency and spark the Fifth Great War between Orthodox and Demonic? ¡°Now that the doors of the Divine Cult are wide open, any virtuous expert of Murim who wishes may visit the Divine City of Tian Shan and see for themselves!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The warriors let out an ufortable groan. A door, by nature, allows passage in both directions. By merely opening the thatched door of their remote foreign vige, weren¡¯t they saying they would also advance into the Central ins? However, there was no particr justification to stop them. The long-standing grudge was indeed from long ago, so even if they said they had suffered from the Demonic Cult, it was mostly just learned from hearsay. ----The journey from Sichuan to the Divine Maiden Sect wasn¡¯t really much of a trip. Just get on a boat and get off. That¡¯s it. Of course, the scenery along the Yangtze River was beautiful. From the Min River in Chengdu, one would take a boat and follow the waterway to join the main stream of the Yangtze River. Without disembarking, they would then straight to enter Chongqing in the eastern part of Sichuan Province. Chongqing was also one of the sweetestnds where kings emerged. The term ¡°Ba-Shu¡±monly used to refer to the Sichuan regionbines thends of Ba and Shu, with Ba referring to Chongqing. As a result, while Sichuan people are considered eastern Sichuan, Chongqing people get upset when lumped together with Sichuan folks, asking not to be associated with them. After passing through the long, narrownd of Chongqing horizontally, one would immediatelye across the Wu Gorge, considered the most scenic part of the Yangtze River. And the highest peak of the Wu Gorge is the Divine Maiden Peak. When the sailors call out ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at Wu Gorge,e out and take a look!¡±, Qing could just quietly prepare and disembark at Zigui, and she would be right at home. In modern terms, the Divine Maiden Sect has a Yangtze River view and its own Divine Maiden Sect station, making it a super-prime location! With the return journey being so convenient and close, it was no wonder Ximen Surin rushed out upon hearing news of turmoil in Sichuan. When a disciple who could return in just a few days if she wanted to (though the Yangtze is only fast one way) was dawdling and not showing her face, of course she would be full of worry and chase after her. Thus, upon arriving at the mountain gate of the Divine Maiden Sect, Qing finally let out a big sigh of relief, feeling overwhelmed with emotion and thinking ¡°Atst, I¡¯m home.¡± While it¡¯s true that in terms of luxury, the Divine Maiden Sect couldn¡¯tpare to either the Demonic Cult or the Tang n, the mental stability thates from being in one¡¯s own home is something that can¡¯t be provided anywhere else in the world. ¡°The Grand Sect Leader has arrived. Gulp.¡± The Divine Maiden Sect disciples tended to be severely intimidated by Ximen Surin. So, as soon as they entered the sect, she flew off on her sword saying she had to water the orchids, which was Ximen Surin¡¯s consideration to let them enjoy their reunion time with the Divine Maiden Sect disciples they hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Wow, you¡¯ve be even more beautiful! You are literally Xi Shi! You are literally Yu Miaoyi! You are literally Diaochan! You are literally Wang Zhaojun!¡± Xi Shi refers to the most beautiful woman of all time, Yu Miaoyi¡¯s surname is not known, Diaochan is Diaochan, and Wang Zhaojun is sometimes called Wang Zhang because her name was Zhang. It was roughly the Four Great Beauties minus Yang Guifei. ¡°What? The Great Junior Grandmaster is here?¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster!!¡± ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster, where did you go this time? Can wee listen to your stories?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you y the flute for us? It always lingers in my ears, but it doesn¡¯t feel the same unless it¡¯s you, Great Junior Grandmaster.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the person next to you? A new disciple?¡± ¡°Wow, the Most Beautiful Woman in Sichuan! The Speaking Poison Flower!¡± ¡°The Flower Rain! Can you show us the Flower Rain?¡± ¡°You idiot, wouldn¡¯t we all die if she did that?¡± They were in an uproar, chattering among themselves. Qing received their enthusiastic wee, putting a piece of candy she had brought into each of their mouths. The children who lived in the mountains without going outside the sect were not only very kind but also extremely sensitive to external stimuli. So it was almost like an attack by a flock of birds. Unlike Qing, who was already used to it and skillfully popped a piece of candy into each mouth, Tang Nanah already looked visibly tired. ¡°I imagined something quiet when they said it was a Daoist sect, but¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that all just prejudice?¡± ¡°Qingcheng and Emei were quiet, you know. But you, you really were a Daoist elder¡­¡± Tang Nanah spoke as if seeing Qing anew. Of course, her attitude was already different from when she was staying at the Tang n, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. She had beenpletely rxed, withziness ingrained in her body. There was a moment when she seemed to be training a bit with Peng Chaolei during the journey, but even that didn¡¯tst long. All she did was sleep, eat, or cling to Old Choi and act spoiled. But now that she was home, her waist was already straightened, shoulders broadened, looking like a dignified Elder Sister, so it couldn¡¯t help but be surprising. Qing chuckled and said. ¡°What do you mean, elder? First, let¡¯s go greet the Sect Leader and then I¡¯ll guide you to the guest quarters.¡± As they were crossing Divine Maiden Peak like this, something small suddenly ran up and threw itself into an embrace. ¡°Ack! I hurt my chest, you know? Don¡¯t rub your face on the wound, please?¡± ¡°Gasp.¡± It was an unfamiliar face. But it was a little one wearing a Second-Grade Disciple training uniform, whose crown just reached a bit below the corbone when hugging. While Qing was tall for a woman, standing just two finger-widths short of six chi (5¡¯9.4¡±), even considering that, not reaching the corbone was still quite small. There was only one person in the Divine Maiden Sect who fit that description. ¡°Oooh. Jangmyeongie. You¡¯ve be very pretty. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°Heuheut.¡± Jin Jangmyeong made a strangeughing sound. Qing looked her up and down and eximed in admiration. ¡°Oooh. What¡¯s this? Are you around the Early Stage First-Rate Realm now?¡± ¡°Hehehehe.¡± At this, Jin Jangmyeong put her hands on her hips and acted smug. Qing continued speaking. ¡°A mere First-Rate nobody shouldn¡¯t be blocking a Peak Realm Master¡¯s chest. Won¡¯t you move aside? Go y with other Early Stage First-Rate novices. Oh no, I might catch the First-Rate disease. Shoo, shoo. Go away.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s face soured. As Qing chuckled and opened her arms again, Jin Jangmyeong hesitated and asked. ¡°Which side is hurt? Left? Right?¡± ¡°Left.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jin Jangmyeong threw herself into an embrace again. Qing let out another short scream. ¡°Ack! That¡¯s the left side. It just barely healed, and now it¡¯s going to split again.¡± ¡°What? You said left, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my left, you know? Not when you¡¯re looking at me.¡± ¡°Then you should have said so.¡± ¡°When someone asks if your left or right arm is hurt, do you answer based on their left? You¡¯re saying such stupid things even after so long has passed since we¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Alright. Now let go. Thew is strict, and minors shouldn¡¯t be clinging like this.¡± ¡°¡­? I¡¯ve been an adult since we first met.¡± ¡°To me, men and women are the same. It starts from the age of twenty. Jangmyeongie, you¡¯re eighteen this year? Two years left.¡± ¡°One year and one month. This year is almost over.¡± For reference, in Chineseing of age, men were considered adults at twenty, the age of capping, while women were just fifteen. Literally only fifteen years old. When a man was fifteen, they were told to set their mind on learning and told them to ¡°Embrace Learning,¡± but for women at fifteen, forget learning, they were just told to hurry up and have children and were considered adults. This was how things were in the Central ins, which was why Ximen Surin was so indignant and wrote down countless legendary anecdotes of women¡¯s struggles. Then she looked at Tang Nanah and asked. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Thunk. Qing lightly flicked her forehead. ¡°What kind of manners are those towards a guest? This thing is Tang Nanah. She¡¯s one of the Five Great Beauties of Murim, and also, um, a physician.¡± ¡°Hey! How can you call a person ¡®this thing¡¯. Uh, hello? Junior Daoist?¡± ¡°Five Great Beauties?¡± Jin Jangmyeong looked at Tang Nanah¡¯s face, then at Qing¡¯s face, then checked Tang Nanah¡¯s face again, and then looked at Qing¡¯s face with a snort and raised one corner of her mouth crookedly. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that, you little thing! What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Qing suddenly recalled an old memory at this sight. Come to think of it, this Jangmyeong brat has been a little shit with no manners since the beginning. I forgot because she acted so docile after entering the Divine Maiden Sect. Well, maybe she just had severe anxiety when it came to strangers or something. Chapter 143: Xi Moongqing (4) Anyway, she sent the little squirt away to train, and led Tang Nanah towards the Sect Leader¡¯s Hall. The current Sect Leader, Wang Zhuxi of the Heavenly Muted Sword, was a woman with a particrly weak presence. This was partly due to being overshadowed by the Grand Sect Leader Ximen Surin, who shone so brightly. But ording to what the Senior Sisters said (Qing was the youngest Junior Sister in the Sect Leader¡¯s allocation), the Great Senior Sister had always been characterized by a faint presence that seemed to be there yet not there. So much so that her title was the Heavenly Muted Sword; it came from a single move where she had pierced the heart of the past¡¯s Public Enemy of Murim, the Ravenous Sex Fiend, from behind without even her allies noticing during the subjugation. ¡°Yes. It is truly admirable and excellent that you learned medical arts at such a young age. Since you¡¯vee all the way to our Daoist temple, receive plenty of pure energy. There are no particr set rules, so restfortably at ease.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder Sect Leader.¡± ¡°Hmm. A female physician, what a wonderful sound that has. Of course, I do not mean anything else by it, but you came to check on our youngest sister¡¯s injury prognosis, yes? How lovely of you to be so thoughtful.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Please withdraw your words.¡± ¡°Yes. You should rest well. Rest, indeed. Rest very well.¡± As she particrly emphasized resting well, Tang Nanah, who had been sweating profusely, quietly spoke up. ¡°If you would allow it, though this humble one¡¯s skills are stillcking, could I perhaps check pulses while I¡¯m staying here¡­¡± ¡°Oh my. How admirable. So that beautiful appearancees from such a kind heart.¡± And so the Sect Leader achieved what she wanted. After that, when they were about to prepare bedding for a room in the guest quarters, Tang Nanah couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s empty?¡± ¡°This is your room, though?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Tang Nanah pped her hands as if she understood. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t tease me for not having Jianghu experience. You even told me to take off my shoes when getting on the boat. Do you think I¡¯ll fall for it again? How can this be a guest room when there¡¯s not even a bed?¡± ¡°Then what am I holding?¡± ¡°A nket and a thick nket?¡± ¡°This is called a Yo. It¡¯s used for sleeping on the floor.¡± ¡°Gasp! Is this that thing I¡¯ve only heard rumors about¡­!¡± The daughter of Sichuan¡¯s richest family seemed unable to ept reality and was in shock. Well, the size of the room was only slightly smaller or simr to Tang Nanah¡¯s ultra-luxurious bed, so what could one say? ¡°Isn¡¯t this extremely hard?¡± ¡°Hard? Try lying down once, then.¡± Qing spread out the thick yo with her monstrous strength in one go,ying it out with a swish. Tang Nanahy down on it with an excited, heart-fluttering expression. Then her expression immediately hardened. ¡°It is hard!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t, did I? Of course it¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°No, how can anyone sleep on this?¡± Tang Nanah made a tearful face. Qing snorted. Last winter, Qing had fallen asleep crouched in a corner, unable to even lie down due to the cold, shivering without even a single nket. Even then, she couldn¡¯t lean against the wall because it was cold. ¡°I¡¯ll specially bring you two more. Won¡¯t threeyers be more or less okay?¡± ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s ufortable.¡± ¡°When you sleep outdoors, you just have to remove the pebbles and lie down, you know? Stopining when you have a full stomach.¡± Tang Nanah looked at Qing with an aggrieved expression. These wordsing from someone who spent more than half the day sprawled outfortably on a bed didn¡¯t feel convincing at all. ¡°Then you, you¡¯re a Great Senior Sister. Aren¡¯t you using a nice room all to yourself?¡± ¡°What, do you want to see my house?¡± And so Qing revealed her sweet home that she had been dreaming of. Qing¡¯s feelings upon seeing her home after so long were truly, well, very shabby. ¡­Was it this small? Did someone sneakily eat away at it and shrink it? ----Ximen Surin had many worries. It was because of the disciple she had taken in her twilight years. How on earth was she supposed to correct that unruly behavior? Evenst winter, with the mindset of whipping a crying child¡¯s calves even more, she had almost stripped her naked. She had hoped that feeling shame from being nearly naked would make her reflect on her conduct, but instead, she ended up losing the very emotion of shame itself. Even when beaten, it onlysted for that moment, and once the pain subsided, she would forget as if nothing had happened. A grown woman acting without dignity, having the audacity of being coquettish to a great elder of Daoism. Of course, how could she not understand that heart that cared for a lonely-looking master? She was only grateful for that kind nature. If it weren¡¯t for that, she would have seriously considered having to deal with the cmity of the Heavenly ughter herself. Still, thanks to that stubborn stupidity, she could have confidence that she would be able to ovee even in the face of that vicious fate of the Heavenly ughter. In fact, Ximen Surin, while calling herself a master, hadn¡¯t particrly passed on any martial arts. She had taught the Heart Cleanse Mirror of Zhu Xiang, and was shocked when her disciple immediately achieved the Grand Star and appeared. However, for other martial arts like swordsmanship, she had judged that she needed to gain enlightenment from what she already possessed. So the training method Ximen Surin had prepared for this winter was also an extension of that. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Stacks of books piled high keptnding in front of Qing with heavy sounds. ¡°Uh, Master?¡± ¡°I pondered why my disciple¡¯s enlightenment has note, and I thought perhaps it is because your knowledge is not justcking, butpletely non-existent.¡± It was a statement that outright called her, ¡°You ignorant wench¡±. ¡°A girl who practices Daoist and Buddhist martial arts doesn¡¯t even know a single Daoist Immortal or Buddha, so how could you grasp enlightenment even if it came?¡± ¡°Uh. Studying at this age is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Learning is a lifelong journey, my disciple. I will not allow you to go out into Jianghu until you have copied all these books twice.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Qing made a tearful face. Of course, the books of the Central ins were not like those in Qing¡¯s homnd with thin paper densely packed with text. The paper was thick and the characters were as big as gates, so even if she diligently copied them, she might or might not see results by spring. Well, it depended on Qing¡¯s sleeping hours. Qing looked down at the books. Just from the titles, she could tell they were Daoist and Buddhist scriptures. Which meant that among books, they were the least interesting religious texts. Moreover, the scriptures of this era were closer to philosophical texts inmentary form, where even the same passage could have different interpretations depending on the author. In other words, they were not interesting. Even a college entrance exam could notpare; let¡¯s say she had to start studying for one because the exam was the day after tomorrow. Even then, these books could never be interesting. Qing responded with a grave expression. ¡°Master. I¡¯d rather strip nak- Ack!¡± SMACK!! Qing rolled on the floor. ¡°Tsk tsk. No matter what, a youngdy in her prime should know better than to say such things.¡± ¡°Master, it seems to be getting stronger and stronger¡­ At this rate, won¡¯t your disciple¡¯s head really split open?¡± ¡°Stop exaggerating.¡± ¡°No, it really hurts¡­¡± Qing said with tears welling up in her eyes. Of course it hurt, since she was hit to make it hurt. ¡°Since my disciple knows no shame, stop saying nonsense and do as you¡¯re told. You may be ignorant, but you do have a brain, so you¡¯ll naturally memorize as you write.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Qing answered dejectedly with slumped shoulders. However, there was something that wise people throughout all times and regions unanimously said: The mouth is the source of all evil, so always be careful with your words. In fact,st winter¡¯s ignorant Protective Qi training was close to an outrageous act that would make all Masters in Jianghu point fingers and curse. How could one bear the shame of exposing a grown female disciple half-naked in front of the sect disciples? Even Ximen Surin had been apologetic and heartbroken throughout, but this was the result in the end. Ximen Surin was human too. She couldn¡¯t help but feel resentful in proportion to that heartache. ¡°But since my disciple has shown such great spirit as to dare mention undressing, how could I as a master stop her? It seems you haven¡¯t forgotten that training even after enduring such hardship all winter, so I shall allow that as well.¡± Qing realized that she had not only lost her original investment by carelessly opening her mouth, but even her capital had beenpletely wiped out. Upon cleanly giving up, Qing voiced a single desperate hope. ¡°Then, could you please allow just one nket this time? I want to sleep lying down¡­¡± ----¡°Hey, Qing¡¯er. We need to apply medicine.¡± When Tang Nanah asionally called her by a different name than usual, she tended to look around awkwardly and shyly after speaking, as if something was so awkward and embarrassing. This time too, Tang Nanah was about to look around when she immediately became shocked. ¡°KYAAAK, you, you, what kind of state are you in!¡± Tang Nanah screamed, covering her eyes with both hands. Her eyeballs were fully visible between her fingers, but since it was originally a pose meant to express a woman¡¯s embarrassment, there was no particr need to nitpick. Qing answered with an enlightened expression. ¡°¡­This is how it turned out.¡± ¡°Why is your house like this? Did thievese?¡± ¡°Well. Something like that.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold? The wind is blowing so fiercely¡­¡± ¡°I am cold¡­¡± Being okay and being cold were two different things. Just like getting hit with a nuclear noogie didn¡¯t cause injury or tearing, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt. Still, it felt better thanst year, subjectively. Ah. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m at least wearing bandages¡­ It was natural, given that she had learned the Blissful Maiden Arts that helped endure heat and cold, along with two Ice Arts. Unless it was the winter of that far Northern Sea, this body wouldn¡¯t be invaded by the cold of the Central ins. ¡°Why, why are you in such an indecent state?¡± ¡°Training¡­¡± ¡°What kind of training is this? Are you perhaps being hated or bullied? How can you be in front of others like that¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re family anyway¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of family¡­¡± Tang Nanah swallowed hard. But, it¡¯s so lewd. How can a child be so, so lewd? While dressed in an outfit that only the world¡¯s most lustful woman would wear, her expression and eyes were filled with gloomy resignation, shoulders slumped with a sad air. That contrast is really, how should I put it, erotic¡­ Tang Nanah just kept gulping like that. Chapter 144: Xi Moongqing (5) Tang Nanah suspected the Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s outer disciples physically and emotionally abused Qing upon seeing her state. Especially for the delicately raised Tang Nanah, it was a shocking sight that caused cultural shock. A single piece of thin, see-through cloth was draped over her with two shoulder straps. Moreover, one shoulder strap had frayed and broken, so it was roughly tied, making it unbnced left and right. However, she soon realized it was a misunderstanding. ¡°Ah, Junior Grandmaster, you¡¯re wearing that again? Wow, you¡¯re still so beautiful. I¡¯m really jealous.¡± ¡°Why, do you want to try it on too?¡± ¡°Later when it¡¯s hot. It¡¯s too cold now. Can¡¯t you let me wear it when it¡¯s warm and we¡¯re alone?¡± ¡°Wake up and stop dreaming. How could I give this to you when it¡¯s sofortable in hot weather? If you¡¯re not going to change into it now, forget it.¡± And then there was a passing auntie, no, a First-Grade disciple. ¡°Junior Master, I sewed two nkets together and put in plenty of cotton, so use that. Oh my, just looking at you makes me cold.¡± ¡°Wow. Thank you so much. You¡¯re truly my lifesaver.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, don¡¯t just say it. Next time when you go out into Jianghu, you know?¡± ¡°Noted. I¡¯ll properly repay your kindness, so look forward to it.¡± And then, the Third-Grade chicks. ¡°Great Junior Grandmaster! Flute! Flute! Flute!¡± ¡°What the¡­ Did I leave my flute with you or something? Did I owe you a flute performance? Do I look like a flute to you?¡± ¡°Hurry, hurry. We¡¯ve been waiting for Great Junior Grandmaster toe. Don¡¯t you have any new songs?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Qing quickly giarized some eternal ssics and yed a few tunes, causing everyone to go wild with delight again. Everyone epted Qing¡¯s attire as extremely natural, creating scenes where they would either make a fuss about how pretty she was or show not even a speck of disregard. Well, everyone was already familiar with this sight after seeing it to the point of nauseast year, and stimuli tend to raise the threshold when continued. They might have been excitedst winter, but by this spring, they were more interested in the flute recital than her clothing. At this point, even Tang Nanah was confused. What¡¯s going on, am I the weird one? Isn¡¯t it indecent to wear such a see-through, unsightly thing as clothing? Isn¡¯t Qing¡¯er ashamed as well? However, Qing just rubbed her arms saying it was chilly, but walked around without any particr sign of embarrassment. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. If neither she nor others make an issue of it, what¡¯s the point of me being concerned? But why do I feel so thirsty every time I look at her? And so Tang Nanah just kept swallowing hard and eagerly watched. However, she couldn¡¯t just follow Qing around all the time, as the Divine Maiden Sect disciples thoroughly made use of the physician who had rolled into their sect. It was to the point where it was confusing whether she was a guest or an invited physician, as the naturally industrious people of the Divine Maiden Sect couldn¡¯t stand to see anyone being idle. Especially when even the youngest Junior Grandmaster of the Sect Leader¡¯s generation, who cameter, was dedicating herself to training all day with just a thin cloth wrapped around her. ----After spending about half a day copying, Qing got a rough idea. Unexpectedly, there seemed to be quite a lot of free time. The books of the Central ins had fewer characters than Qing had thought. Moreover, her physical strength, concentration, and basic dexterity were unlike those ofmon people who didn¡¯t know martial arts, resulting in an enormous work output. At this rate, she could finish leisurely over the winter and go back out into Jianghu in spring. Qing felt relieved thinking this. After wrestling with ink all morning like that, she was in the middle of thoroughly demolishing the Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s lunch, which wasn¡¯t fancy but was neat, deep in vor, and above all, provided infinitely. A First-Grade disciple asked with a worried expression. ¡°Junior Master, are you sick?¡± ¡°Huh? No. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°The Grand Sect Leader was worried that you might be sick since you didn¡¯te to morning training. Are you just ying hooky?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Only then did Qing realize her mistake. It wasn¡¯t training material, it was homework! And then one question came to mind. Even if she did the copying leisurely, it was still an amount that would take all winter until spring. If I go to Master in the morning and afternoon¡­ Wouldn¡¯t there be no time left? No wait, then when would I sleep¡­? However, for Ximen Surin, the books she had given Qing were merely basic knowledge for learning. Allocating separate time to acquire such very basic background knowledge? She was a cold-blooded person who couldn¡¯t understand such a concept itself. ¡°What rush is there? It is not like the Central ins are begging my disciple toe. You can finish slowly, so should you not learn properly before going out? Will you die if you cannot go out in spring? Tsk. Look at how you are so full of thoughts of leaving.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Qing¡¯s answer was difficult because it wasn¡¯t wrong. In the end, if she had to ept it anyway, she decided to agree cheerfully. ¡°Hehe. I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯ll sleep when I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°Excellent. Yes. I have been pondering how my disciple will achieve her progressed cultivation. It seems that although you easily understand martial arts, you do not contemte their depths, so your attainments are dyed.¡± She only understood to the extent that someone exined, but she made no progress in pioneering her own martial studies based on that knowledge. It was an urate assessment. However, even her good understanding was due to the shortcut of directly engraving it in her head using the Martial Arts Window, so how much worse would in-depth study be? ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before that your Sword Art of the Yue Maiden follows the principle of the Golden Mean of Jiutian Xuann¨¹? It was a top-ss sword art that epassed all subtleties from the beginning, so it is only natural that you are blindly wandering now.¡± Ximen Surin unfolded her full-fledged teaching. ¡°The Golden Mean means nothing is excessive, so it epasses all four basic subtleties of martial arts. Thesee from the harmony of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang: Swift, Dull, Illusory, and Heavy.¡± Swift Sword is a fast sword, and Dull Sword is a slow sword. Qing raised her hand to ask a question. ¡°Uh, then isn¡¯t a fast sword always better? And since forcees from speed and weight, isn¡¯t a fast sword ultimately stronger¡­¡± ¡°Dull does not refer to slow speed. Dullness implies ack of moving, so it is static. Swift is moving. Thus, the harmony of these two forms Yin and Yang, followed by the four aspects of Movement Within Movement, Movement Within Stillness, Stillness Within Movement, and Stillness Within Stillness.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Qing¡¯s eyes spun in circles. Ximen Surin chuckled and exined. Swift and dull could be typically exemplified by the contrast between Diancang and Wudang. The martial arts of the Diancang Sect were the epitome of extreme speed. The sword technique that pierced the sun was a beam of light that advanced like lightning towards the enemy¡¯s heart. On the other hand, the martial arts of the Wudang Sect were about calmly holding one¡¯s ground. No matter what vicious killing movements swirled towards them, they simply returned it with the principle of Tai Chi, never wavering like Mount Tai. ¡°Uh, hmm. I think I understand¡­¡± Ximen Surin smiled gently at this. ¡°If you understood, wouldn¡¯t you have already reached enlightenment? For now, just engrave it in your mind. And then there are the subtleties of Illusory and Heavy.¡± Illusory Sword was also called Transformation Sword, focusing on confusing the enemy with dazzling and intricate sword energy emissions. In contrast, Heavy Sword pursued a single, stubborn, and weighty strike that cut off the breath of life, sending the enemy to Sukhavati1. This could be exemplified by the contrast between Mount Hua and Shaolin. The martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect were full of vitality. The Sword Dance that depicted the petals of fully bloomed plum blossoms was in fact a real illusion of all those falling flowers and also the very essence of unpredictable change. Shaolin¡¯s martial arts were straightforward. While the martial arts of Shaolin Monks who kept the precept of ¡°No Killing¡± did not contain deadly killing intent, they embodied the subtlety of heaviness in seeking to subdue the enemy with a single strike. ¡°The subtlety of the Golden Mean that embraces everything must contain all these subtleties, so one must understand all principles.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± And only then did Ximen Surin speak again. ¡°It seems my disciple has a talent for picking up martial arts from somewhere, so I am warning you just in case. Make sure to engrave this in your heart.¡± At this point, even Ximen Surin should naturally know. Where on earth would she even pick up the Yijin Cleansing Method and Great Meditation Divine Arts? Of course, seeing how she also picked up the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps, it was clear her connections were not ordinary, but those two Divine Arts were too much. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°It is difficult to understand the four basic principles with just one sword technique like the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden. Because it is bnced, no single subtlety stands out, and because nothing stands out, it is even harder to feel. So, if you learn martial arts that extremely pursue one subtlety each, and there are four of them, would you not understand them all?¡± ¡°Uh, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Swift. The fastest sword under heaven. This would undoubtedly be the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique of Diancang.¡± Dull. The most static sword under heaven. This was what the Emperor Sword Form of the Namgung n, the Greatest Sword n Under Heaven, pursued. Illusory. The most unpredictable sword under heaven. This would be the Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, a divine technique where humans overturn heaven and earth through the infinite changes of Yin, Yang, and Tai Chi. Of course, some might mention Mount Hua¡¯s Plum Blossom Sword, but while it was shy and unpredictable, it could be said to be shallow in depth, as light as flower petals. Heavy, the heaviest sword under heaven. ¡°Hmm. If we¡¯re talking about martial arts that pursue extreme heaviness, there is not really a suitable sword technique. If anything, the Primordial Thunderbolt Dao of the Peng n could be called the heaviest Dao Technique under heaven.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Ximen Surin continued with a smile. ¡°Even if it is not necessarily a Dao Technique, doesn¡¯t my disciple already hold the subtlety of heaviness in her hand?¡± ¡°Ah! Then the White Hand Demonic Arts is- Ack!!¡± Qing rolled on the floor again. A momentter, she protested with eyes full of tears. ¡°I was just joking¡­¡± ¡°My disciple¡¯s jokes do not sound like jokes at all. And no matter if it is a joke, one shouldn¡¯t carelessly mention the name of Demonic Arts.¡± ¡°Yes. So, I mean, the Buddha¡¯s Palm¡­¡± It was a martial art that imitated the palm of Buddha, so it was truly a martial study that embodied the heaviest Imagery in the world. Qing¡¯s lips protruded by three feet, having learned her lesson for carelessly making a joke. ¡°Then, which one should I learn first among them? It will take a long time to learn three of them.¡± ¡°If that is the case, wouldn¡¯t it be best to first learn the Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, which has both the subtleties of Illusory and Dull? The subtlety of Swift is the mostmon in martial arts even without the Sun-Piercing, so it can be postponed to the very end.¡± ¡°So I should learn the Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, Emperor Sword Form, and Sun-Piercing Sword Technique in that order.¡± At this point, she was stating it so shamelessly that there was clearly no intention to hide her cheats at all. However, Ximen Surin had already noticed and essentially said she wouldn¡¯t ask about it. So, Qing could also ask with a light heart. ¡°Hmm. If it¡¯s going to take some time, it might be good to learn the Emperor Sword Form first. There¡¯s something left by the Celestial Martial Emperor on the Absolute Sword Wall, so it might be better to learn the Namgung¡¯s martial arts before the Nine Sects¡¯ martial arts.¡± ¡°Then I should learn in the order of Emperor Sword Form, Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, and Sun-Piercing Sword Technique, right?¡± ¡°Yes. If possible, that is. Of course, this is no different from stealing other sects¡¯ martial arts. You probably will not be able to learn them, but even if you do, you must never use them carelessly.¡± If someone had heard this, they would have pointed fingers saying she should know better. A master advising her disciple to steal others¡¯ martial arts and even listing them out? However, Ximen Surin was already someone who had given up on the concept of human sentiment for her disciple sincest year. But looking at Qing¡¯s current state, one could say she had only arbitrarily discarded human sentiment without gaining anything. After all, she had lost her sense of shame just to quickly gain a Protective Mirror that she would naturally realize and master as her realm increased. Looking at the results, couldn¡¯t this be considered a great loss?
    1. Sukhavati is the purend of Amit¨¡bha in Mahayana Buddhism. It is also called the Land of Bliss or Western Pure Land and is the most well-known of Buddhist purends due to the poprity of Pure Land Buddhism in East Asia.
Chapter 145: Xi Moongqing (6) Qing was not one to dy once she set her mind to something. In a positive light, one could say she has good initiative. It was a nice way of describing someone impulsive, careless, and impatient as having good initiative. That night, she exchanged 3,000 Points for the Emperor Sword Form, raised it to Six Stars for good performance rtive to Practice Points, and raised the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps to Twelve Stars. However, how effective that Twelve Stars was¡­ Originally, Twelve Stars meant the Grand Star, a stage where one had not only mastered the martial art but alsopletely melted it down in their own way,pleting their own interpretation on top of the existing Imagery. However, all Qing¡¯s Martial Arts Window could do was stay faithful to its original function. Ten Stars if all basic movements were crammed in, Eleven Stars if hidden movements were unlocked, and Twelve Stars if the unique effects (mostlyrge amounts of stats) that each martial art possessed were granted. It was Twelve Stars only by Qing¡¯s standards in the world. As such, in reality, it was no Grand Star but just an ultra-cramming memorization trick. Still, her abilities did surpass human limits. In fact, at this point, she was tough enough that even if she fell straight down from a fairly high cliff with her bare body, she would only get a few scratches. Then she would dust herself off, get up, pretend to be in a bad mood once, then stick her elbows back into the cliff and climb right back up, feeling refreshed as if she had just had a good workout. That was the level of monstrous strength and stamina she had attained. Moreover, she kept getting stronger even after surpassing human limits. In fact, at this point, one might question whether she even needed martial arts when she herself was strength incarnate. Perhaps that was why she might still be stuck in the Late Stage Peak Realm. Of course, Qing might feel wronged. If one were to ask how she could be in such a state after learning so many great Divine Arts¡­ Well, just because you had the best-verified textbooks didn¡¯t mean you would automatically study well. While it was difficult to reach enlightenment with third-rate martial arts and poor textbooks, having good textbooks didn¡¯t necessarily mean your grades would skyrocket. Wasn¡¯t it all dependent on one¡¯s aptitude for study and attitude? But Qing was a person from the modern era with military experience, as well as a world-ss beauty who wonders why martial arts are even considered a form of study. For someone who started from scratch and was now in her fourth year, just one month away frompleting four full years in this Murim journey, to have caught up to the Peak Realm through pure enlightenment was actually praiseworthy. She deserved nothing but des andpliments for her efforts. Especially since she did not have a special forces background and didn¡¯t even bother to memorize a single Taekwondo form in the military, being just an ordinary social science major. ----The swords of the Divine Maiden Sect were elegant. Their father was the Yan Emperor, an extremely ancient, mythical-level conservative father among fathers. The sword technique passed down by such a Yan Emperor to his daughter wouldn¡¯t have allowed for wild boar-like frolicking. The Yanji Protective Sword, created in imitation of that Imagery, draws beautiful flows where even the slightest changes within the embrace of its lightly wielded sword strikes are splendid and elegant. In fact, the Yanji Protective Sword had a Gold Border by the Martial Arts Window¡¯s standards. However, even Gold alone was enough to be called a great martial study worthy of being called a Divine Art. When a Profound Realm Master who has achieved Grand Star wields such an ascending Sword Art, it¡¯s simply deadly for the opponent. Ximen Surin¡¯s Yanji Protective Sword, reinterpreted at the Grand Star level, was not shy. Instead, it filled that empty space with the subtlety of the Heavy Sword, making it elegant and refined yet properly stubborn, containing an awe-inspiring force that made one¡¯s hair stand on end. A vicious Sword Qi that couldn¡¯t possibly be imagined from a wooden practice sword without a de gently curved and surged towards Qing¡¯s waist. The sword tip, undting up and down, could extend in either direction from that change, as if a single sword was approaching to target the head, body, and legs simultaneously. At that moment, Qing¡¯s form showed a strange movement. She stretched out her arm, swinging it while her feet showed a light movement left and right, and then, as if she were an incorporeal soul, she pierced through the sword¡¯s trajectory and appeared five steps behind Ximen Surin. Ximen Surin turned around smoothly, extending her sword trajectory in a dot with an unhurried, demure posture. Rather, Qing panicked and moved her feet again to the single point rushing towards her lower back, leaving pleasant afterimages dot by dot as she ended up standing with her back to her master far to the west. Ximen Surin withdrew her sword and looked at Qing. Qing scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°I guess I should only use this for running away.¡± ¡°Indeed, it seems so.¡± Ximen Surin nodded as well. They said learning the Greatest Footwork Under Heaven meant one would never be defeated, and it truly was unparalleled only in not being defeated. While performing the footwork, one couldn¡¯t even breathe freely and had to follow the set order precisely, resulting in always appearing with one¡¯s back to the enemy in one of the sixty-four directions that were divided into eight directions of eight directions. If the direction of the foot were to be even slightly off while performing the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps, one would trip over their own feet and fall with a crash. There had been countless attempts to apply the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps to attacks, but they all ended in vain. This was a characteristic that appeared because it was more of a Formation stepped on by feet rather than just footwork. So it was a footwork only useful for escaping and avoiding battle. However, wasn¡¯t it precisely because of this that it could be called a peerless Divine Art? If one could escape with their body intact, it literally meant never being defeated. However, it wasn¡¯t without weaknesses. An enemy who properly understood the Formation could block the sixty-four changes of the Eight Trigrams Eight Pces in advance. Even without that, it was also vulnerable to attacks that filled the entire space or blind sword strikes that didn¡¯t rely on sight. ¡°Still, it is undoubtedly excellent for self-defense.¡± Ximen Surin¡¯s teachings were generally like this. She opened the way for Qing to develop on her own by applying the martial arts she knew in her head as much as possible. So Qing¡¯s daily routine involved rolling around and sparring diligently while the sun was up, then resting a bit after dinner while ying the flute. Since everyone around her gave such enthusiastic support, saying she was so good, so pretty, the best, the flute that she never yed outside became quite an enjoyable hobby inside. Then she would return, light amp, open her books, and diligently copy untilte at night, only going to bed when it was deep into the night. Still, the Senior Disciples¡¯ special cotton-padded quilt made by sewing two nkets together did its job well. She would spread it on the floor, lie down at the edge, grab the nket, and then roll herself up tightly. This way, it functioned as both a mattress and a nket, soft underneath and blocking the wind from all sides. Even in a cold room without windows or doors, one nket was enough to create a soft and cozy bed. Originally, Qing preferred to have her face and hands outside the nket, but since there was not just a draft but a typhoon blowing in the room, this was better even if it was stuffy. Additionally, there was a positive effect that Qing didn¡¯t know about. After sleeping in that attention position for a day or two, her habit of tossing and turning in her sleep gradually changed to a corpse-like stillness. * The books she had finished copying piled up one by one, already exceeding half. It felt like yesterday that she had eaten her fill of mooncakes for the New Year, but more than twenty days had already passed since then. The cold had now reached its peak, so while her body¡¯s health remained the same, Qing¡¯s expression became deste due to the sharply dropped perceived temperature. At this, Tang Nanah subtly brought up the topic. ¡°Hey, Qing¡¯er. Um.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was thinking, how about staying at your ce for a day? I¡¯ve always wanted to sleep over at a friend¡¯s house¡­¡± It had been a long time since Qing had refused to sleep in the same bed after being caught fondling her chest back at the Tang n. However, Qing unexpectedly agreed readily. ¡°Oh? Really? Thene at night.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sure. You might want to sleep over at a friend¡¯s house once.¡± A smile appeared on Qing¡¯s face as she answered like that. Tang Nanah was momentarily dazed. What¡¯s this, why is she so pretty¡­ It was understandable for her to think so since the girl who had been shivering with a sad expression all this time finally showed a bright face after so long. And so, Tang Nanah received the promise and, for whatever reason, even took a short nap right after dinner, heading towards Qing¡¯s thatched cottage in a fresh state. By the way, is this a house or an abandoned building? There wasn¡¯t a single window or door, and the only household items were a desk, scriptures piled in the corner, and a bundle of clothes roughly thrown together and tied up. Qing, who had been diligently filling in her copying, no, transcribing scriptures, greeted Tang Nanah with a somewhat evil smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer. Want some cold water?¡± ¡°In this cold weather¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m toozy to chop wood, so there¡¯s no firewood.¡± Qing¡¯s state of undress was just due to Ximen Surin¡¯s resentment, so in fact, she could have lit a fire if she wanted to without much issue. In the Divine Maiden Sect, the principle was to gather firewood on one¡¯s own. It wasn¡¯t about cutting just any tree, but the rule was to go all the way down the mountain to the gate at the foot of the mountain to cut wood. Most of the sightings of the Fairy of Mount Wu were actually due to disciples who had briefly gone down to gather firewood. She didn¡¯t want to go all the way down the mountain and back just for firewood, and she couldn¡¯t steal the disciples¡¯ fuel wood given her position of respect. Besides, if it¡¯s cold, why not just wrap up in a nket? ¡°Let¡¯s sleep, I¡¯m sleepy. Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Qing said as she spread out the nket. However, that was the only one that existed. Just that one nket. ¡°Huh? Is that all? What about pillows¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. My ce is humble, so this is how it is.¡± And then theyy down side by side, pulling the opposite end of the nket to cover themselves. ¡°¡­C-Cold.¡± ¡°Cold? Wear warm clothes.¡± ¡°No, th-this is unb-bearable, it¡¯s s-so c-cold.¡± Tang Nanah¡¯s body shook violently. It¡¯s cold! It was a space with no warmth in the middle of winter, with a huge draft hole and only a roof. If you stick your head out, it¡¯s so cold that it¡¯s painful as if your eyes might freeze, and if you put your head inside, you can¡¯t see anything, it¡¯s stuffy, and you can¡¯t breathe. Yet the inside of the nket isn¡¯t particrly warm either. If Tang Nanah thought she could smile and get through the cold of a mountaintop with bitter winds blowing on a midwinter night with just one nket, she would have to be Seol Nanah, the Ice Flower rather than the Poison Flower, a woman from that far Northern Sea. ¡°Th-this doesn¡¯t s-seem r-right.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do. I can¡¯t see you off looking like this, though.¡± And so Tang Nanah shuddered and ran away. No wonder she agreed so readily. But is it really okay to live like that? Is there some Northern Sea blood mixed in her family line? Alright, this time I was underprepared. Tang Nanah cleanly admitted defeat. However, the famous Sichuan¡¯s Most Wicked Woman, the Speaking Poison Flower, was also persistent. Next time, she would wear fouryers of thick clothing, a fur hat that covers her ears, and even a face mask, she decided, vowing to prepare each item right away. Of course, doing so might ovee the cold. But wouldn¡¯t that make her look like a robbering to steal rather than a friend visiting? ----Ximen Surin received a letter. It was a letter stamped with the official seal of the Murim Alliance. The letter, which began with ¡°To the respected Senior Ximen,¡± conveyed news about the Demonic Cult¡¯s unteral request for reconciliation and other Jianghu news that was varied but uniformly unpleasant, such as the annihtion of the Un n of the Jin Prefecture and the rampaging of mysterious new bandit groups. And at the end, it wrote the conclusion. And what it said was: [Therefore, we wish to hold a grand conference to unite the Orthodox Murim in these chaotic times, and we would be grateful if you could attend and grace us with your presence.] Chapter 146: Xi Moongqing (7) A woman dressed in fine silk clothes climbed the mountain path of Mount Wu. It wasn¡¯t quite the appropriate attire for this season. High-quality winter clothes were typically made of silk varieties called dan or ju, woven to be loose and untwisted even when filled with cotton. However, the finest silk was called jin, which was thin, airy, and soft. Even with a little cotton stuffing, it would puff up and crease in a t pattern, making it suitable for wearing only in spring and autumn at best, even with good care. The woman was dressed in clothes made of this jin. As for her adornments, she had put so much effort into them that her hair was twisted and filled with gold ornaments, her skin was painted white with good powder, her eyes were surrounded with purple pigment, and her lips were painted bright red with cinnabar. However, the woman¡¯s natural features were already extremely alluring, so the added adornments made her overflow with a bewitching sensuality. Thus, when the woman appeared in front of the Divine Maiden Sect¡¯s signboard, the Second-Grade disciples on guard duty at the main gate swallowed hard. It was clearly not attire for visiting a Daoist temple. Moreover, if she was a visitor arriving at lunchtime, she should have shown some apologetic or urgent expression for the rudeness, but there was none of that either. The two disciples exchanged nces. Senior Sister, a seductress, extreme under the heavens, has appeared. What should we do? How would I know? You should find out yourself. So the Junior Sister went to inquire. This was because of the hierarchy within the sect. ¡°Stop. This is the sacred ground of the Divine Maiden Sect from here on. Are you here to visit the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± ¡°Aha. I¡¯vee to the right ce. Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Suddenly, the Divine Maiden Sect disciples¡¯ wariness died downpletely. Living with women day and night, the Divine Maiden Sect disciples read the personality behind that one sentence. She had just put on airs, but her voice and manner of speaking exuded an aura of clumsiness. They thought her face might be that of a seductress, but she seems quite docile. The Divine Maiden Sect is a sacred ce where men are forbidden. Conversely, it was wide open to women. They asionally epted female pilgrims who weren¡¯t disciples to earn some side ie. ¡°Wee. Are you here to perform some rites? Or do you wish to stay at the temple for a while? Or perhaps you wish to leave an offering?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I heard my Sworn Sister is here¡­¡± ¡°Ah. You came to see your younger sister.¡± The woman looked to be in her mid-twenties, so her younger sister must be in the Third-Grade. This was because the Second-Grade disciples roughly knew each other¡¯s family situations, and none of their fellow disciples had mentioned having a Sworn Sister. The Divine Maiden Sect disciple¡¯s attitude became even more rxed. ¡°What is your sister¡¯s name?¡± ¡°She¡¯s called Ximen Qing¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Oh. Is this not the right ce? She said it was the Divine Maiden Sect, though. She¡¯s this tall, and her chest is about this big.¡± The woman made a circr gesture in front of her chest, indicating arge size. The Divine Maiden Sect disciples immediately understood. Ah. Then it must be Junior Grandmaster. Whenever Qing ate lunch, she always acted as if lunch was her mortal enemy. Basically, she was so desperate to get rid of it that she couldn¡¯t live under the same sky, chewing and swallowing it vigorously. For reference, breakfast and dinner weren¡¯t any different.. As Qing was inhaling the boiled and fried ingredients called lunch in this world, it happened. ¡°Sworn Sisterrrrrr.¡± ¡°Oing?¡± Qing opened her eyes wide at the familiar voice. ¡°Sworn Sister, you shouldn¡¯t dress so thinly. You¡¯ll catch a cold. You should be careful, especially when it¡¯s so cold.¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right.¡± Qing, who had been unsure, finally recognized Sworn Sister Wannabe. Who else would tell her not to do that because it¡¯s cold, despite her own outrageous attire? You¡¯ve be prettier, huh? Is it because you put a lot of effort into your makeup? Of course, it was thanks to the makeup. While she had made some progress after consuming the Elixirs given by the Divine Cult, makeup was originally a woman¡¯s greatest weapon, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No. I got a bit losting up. Um. I¡¯m hungry. Hehe.¡± ¡°Then you should eat. Our food is delicious.¡± ¡°Okie!¡± And then she happily went to get her food. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that all about? Why is sheing to eat with such heavy makeup?¡± Jin Jangmyeong on the left and Tang Nanah on the right asked simultaneously. ¡°Um¡­ Something like a Sworn Sister, I guess?¡± What does it mean to be ¡®something like¡¯ a Sworn Sister? Either she is or she isn¡¯t. The two made expressions that implied a failure to understand in unison. In fact, Qing didn¡¯t exin further because she didn¡¯t know much about it either. And then Sworn Sister Wannabe, with her good appetite, returned with a mountain of food on her tray. ¡°Ah, right. I decided to go back to being Gyeon Pohee, you know?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s weird for Sworn Sisters to have the same surname. And since it¡¯s so rare, people will find it even stranger. Also apparently, no matter how little your parents did for you, you shouldn¡¯t casually change it like that.¡± ¡°Did Seol Ganom say that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then it must be right, I guess.¡± If the neighborhood¡¯s top intellect, Seol Ganom, said so, then it must be so. Among the connections Qing had made in the Central ins, he was the most reliable person besides her master. Come to think of it, even Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei all had different surnames; they didn¡¯t unify them to Liu Bei, Liu Yu, and Liu Fei. Besides, that would make two Liu Bei¡¯s. ¡°Ah. How do I look? Am I not pretty?¡± ¡°Did you do the makeup yourself?¡± ¡°Yeah. I learned. Should I do yourster too? Or no wait, want me to do it now?¡± ¡°No thanks. It¡¯s annoying to remove.¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°But why the makeup?¡± ¡°Seol Un- I mean, the mister told me to. He said it¡¯s never good to look easy to push around wherever you go.¡± ¡°Ah. You call Seol Ganom ¡®mister¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah. But it feels a bit off. I feel like I should call him Seol Unni. Sometimes it justes out without me realizing.¡± ¡°What? Has Seol Ganom be even prettier there?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s no joke. He¡¯s got this real Unni vibe, you know?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®Unni vibe¡¯? I¡¯m really curious now¡­¡± Jin Jangmyeong and Tang Nanah, nking Qing¡¯s sides, thought to themselves. What¡¯s going on? Wouldn¡¯t you usually ask for introductions by now? Is her field of vision so narrow that she can¡¯t see the people beside her? ¡°Ah. This is a vor Sworn Sister likes. Want more? Should I get you some?¡± ¡°Nah. I¡¯ve eaten a lot.¡± ¡°Unni, who is she?¡± Feeling like they¡¯d have to keep listening forever at this rate, Jin Jangmyeong cut in. ¡°This is Gyeon Pohee, and um, I¡¯ll be a bit generous. So, she¡¯s kind of my Sworn Sister. She took care of me when I went out in Jianghu.¡± ¡°Mm. Mm.¡± Gyeon Pohee nodded proudly. ¡°This tiny kid here is our sect¡¯s absolute baby Jin Jangmyeong, and this is Tang Nanah. My friend. They say she¡¯s one of the Five Great Beauties of the Central ins.¡± ¡°Yeah. But you know, on my way here, I realized I waspletely fooled. That. Um. Mister Seol told me not to say, so I can¡¯t say more.¡± ¡°I get what you mean, so that¡¯s enough. I asked Seol Ganom to teach you somemon sense, and it looks like he taught you well.¡± ¡°Ugh. But he¡¯s so annoyingly thorough.¡± ¡°You should think of it all as something that will help youter on. It¡¯ll be a part of you eventually. Do you think it¡¯s easy to find a teacher as good as Seol Ganom?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The eyes of the women on either side of Qing narrowed. What¡¯s this? Isn¡¯t it usually time for self-introductions? Is she done after just saying ¡°Yeah¡±? The two thought in unison. This girl is not to be underestimated. If Qing had known, she would have just snickered. What are they on about, when she¡¯s the easiest person in the world to deal with? Gyeon Pohee¡¯s admission to the Divine Maiden Sect didn¡¯t work out. It was because of her background, and also because the martial arts she had learned used both Collect Yang and Collect Yin of Dual Cultivation. ¡°What would such a child do in the Divine Maiden Sect? It is not like she is going to scatter all her Inner Arts and learn from the beginning. If she wishes, I could write a letter of rmendation for the Heavenly Flower Hall, but it does not seem like she wants that.¡± Moreover, Gyeon Pohee didn¡¯t particrly have the will to join. After finishing her meal and coveting Qing¡¯s dishes, she heard that in the Divine Maiden Sect, one had to do everything by oneself. She realized there was no need to join if that was the case. So she said she would help with Seol Ganom¡¯s work in the city below and follow Qing when she set out for Jianghu. ¡°Still, for someone from the evil Demonic Cult, her nature is quite pure. But that is all she is. Solely pure and nothing else. The child is really¡­¡± ¡°A bitcking in the head, yeah?¡± Thwack. A light flicknded on Qing¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t meant to hurt, so it didn¡¯t. ¡°No matter how true it may be, one should not carelessly speak of others¡¯ shorings.¡± ¡°Yesss.¡± ¡°It would be good to take her along when you go out to Jianghu. Even if that old Demonic Adept cares for Disciple, is it not only proper for a woman to take care of another woman?¡± ¡°True, she is convenient.¡± ¡°Think of it as raising a person. Wouldn¡¯t all such thoughtfulness umte as Righteous Karma?¡± Qing tilted her head. Isn¡¯t Sworn Sister Wannabe being treated a bit poorly? Of course, Gyeon Pohee does deserve it¡­ ¡°This works out well. When my disciple goes to Kaifeng next month, I cannot possibly send that old Demonic Adept along.¡± ¡°Ah? Me? Why?¡± ¡°The Murim Alliance is holding a Murim conference. There would be more than a few who know that old man¡¯s face. How could the dignity of a great elder of Daoism be maintained if she were to lead a Demonic Adept around?¡± The purpose of the Murim conference was to strengthen unity in the face of the Demonic Cult¡¯s advance into the Central ins through a different method of opening their doors. At such a time, showing up with a former Great Demonic Adept from the Demonic Cult would be seen as more than just tactless, but downright idiotic. For reference, Ximen Surin, who kept referring to him as ¡°that old man,¡± was older than Choi Leeong. While she might look like a beautiful woman in her forties, she was a great senior of Murim, akin to a living legend. ¡°But what¡¯s this Murim conference? Is it something like a Greatest Martial Arts Competition Under Heaven?¡± ¡°They will probably make a big fuss about various things. This master¡¯s desire would be for you to participate in the Hidden Dragon Tournament.¡± ¡°Then well, I¡¯ll go.¡± It was an immediate answer without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Ximen Surin smiled gently at this. She couldn¡¯t help but adore such a disciple. ¡°There will not be any opponents who couldst ten moves against my disciple anyway, so just think of it as raising the honor of our sect and be beautiful and elegant.¡± Ten moves meant an opponent who could be defeated in ten basic movements, which in professional terms was also called ¡°fodder.¡± Already, the number of sparring sessions with her disciple had reached a level where they had to be counted in days rather than hours. Her disciple¡¯s realm, if strictly ssified, was in the Late Stage Peak Realm, but in terms of whether the result would be victory and defeat, she was already in a position to gain the upper hand even against those in the Transcendent Realm. Moreover, she had already reached a level where she shared the sensation of the sword as an extension of her body, so it seemed she would soon achieve Sword Body Unification. Sword Body Unification was the enlightenment usually gained in the Late Stage Transcendent Realm, after freely manipting Sword Force. So she was steadily achieving aplishments, albeit in apletely messed-up order. At this point, one had to wonder if there was another reason why she couldn¡¯t enter the Transcendent Realm. It was as if something was interfering and firmly blocking her. Her Inner Arts were already on par with Unrestrained Realm Masters, and her External Arts were at a level that made one wonder if she was even human. Yet, she couldn¡¯t cross that seemingly easy and thin wall of the Transcendent Realm (in the opinion of Profound Realm Masters). ¡°So I just need to go there and win?¡± ¡°Mingle a bit with the children of the Hidden Dragon Assembly too. Shouldn¡¯t you get to know the future leaders of Orthodox Murim?¡± In other words, she was telling her to go y at a social gathering. Although Qing was an elder at the level of a Sect Leader in terms of allocation and hierarchy, she wasn¡¯t from the same era as the current Sect Leaders. Moreover, connections were particrly important to the Chinese people. While the Divine Maiden Sect mightck influencepared to the Nine Sects One Union and Five Noble ns, if she showed overwhelming martial prowess at the Hidden Dragon Tournament, that would naturally be resolved. ¡°If it¡¯s that kind of thing, then I¡¯m an expert at it.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly. After all, how could they not shine when she was told to go have fun? Chapter 147: On The Way To Kaifeng (1) Jin Jangmyeong is a blunt girl without aegyo. This is because aegyo is something closer to learned behavior than innate. One needs to umte experiences of getting what they want by acting cute as a child to be able to use it as a functional skill when needed as an adult. Jin Jangmyeong had suffered from Meridian Blockage since childhood. Having watched her family¡¯s fortunes decline in real-time because of her, she only knew how to endure and bear it. She had never even thought of trying to be forceful by putting on airs and acting coy. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep over.¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve said many times, thew is strict¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no suchw.¡± ¡°There is in my universe, you know? Come on. It¡¯s bedtime for the little one. Your already small height won¡¯t grow any more otherwise.¡± ¡°J-Jangmyeongie is going to sleep over.¡± At this, Qing opened her eyes wide. What? This little brat dares to refer to herself in third person? Of course, she and Jangmyeong often engaged in trading jokes. But even the most outrageous things were usually just dry wordy delivered with that characteristic nk expression. But right now, Jin Jangmyeong herself had her face flushed red with embarrassment. Qing looked at that red face and finally smiled awkwardly as if she had no choice. Using age as an excuse to keep a distance especially from Jangmyeong, how hurt must she be to act cute when she never did before. Oh, oh. She looks like she¡¯s about to die of embarrassment. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s not like the heavens will punish us for sleeping together for one day, what can we do. But, won¡¯t you be cold?¡± At this, Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Uh, did it work?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually forgive someone referring to themselves in third person, but I¡¯ll let it slide because you¡¯re cute.¡± For Jin Jangmyeong, this was a big step forward. The realization that sometimes it¡¯s okay to act cute. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± But, as expected. It¡¯s cold! Jin Jangmyeong also had no particr preparation against the winter cold. Tang Nanah¡¯s goal was more about wanting to feel that fluffy, weighty softness again rather than Qing herself, so she quickly gave up and ran away in the face of the cold. However, Jin Jangmyeong endured. The trembling transmitted from the side was concerning, so Qing burst into a mischievousugh. ¡°If you¡¯re cold, go sleep at your own ce.¡± ¡°N-No, I¡¯m not c-cold.¡± ¡°Can you stop the sound of your teeth chattering when you speak?¡± ¡°I¡¯m n-not c-cold.¡± Jin Jangmyeong answered through gritted teeth. Qing let out a snort. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re as stubborn as you are small.¡± Just as Jin Jangmyeong was about to protest, she was suddenly startled by arms wrapping around her. When she opened her eyes wide in surprise, the world suddenly spun dizzily. Qing had hugged Jin Jangmyeong, rolled to the edge of the nket, grabbed the cloth, and then rolled back to the other side, wrapping them up. ¡°How is it? A bit better, right? This is how I sleep these days.¡± Jin Jangmyeong froze in an ¡°Attention!¡± position against Qing¡¯s chest, startled by her pounding heart. What just happened? But it¡¯s so dark I can¡¯t see anything. The nket tightening around me is stuffy, and all I can do is wiggle my hands and feet a bit, I can¡¯t move. How long had they been like that? Qing¡¯s voice was heard from above her crown. ¡°Hmm. This reminds me of the old days. But why are you still the same size, kiddo?¡± ¡°Old days? Ah.¡± Jin Jangmyeong suddenly recalled an old memory. Back then in the tunnel. Come to think of it, it was just as dark and tight, difficult to move, as it was then. But there were differences from back then too. Instead of the smell from not being able to wash, there was just a faint, fragrant scent of Xiangzao (ancient primitive beauty soap). There was no difort of dirt caked all over the body, and no piercing cold seeping through the back and calves. Her body, which had been stiff with tension, rxed like a wet towel and leaned against Qing. It wasn¡¯t at all the indescribably strange atmosphere between disciples, sisters, and juniors that Jin Jangmyeong had expected. But it was sofortable. It felt like there had never been a time thisfortable before. In front of her parents, she only felt sorry, so home was always an ufortable ce with a strong smell of medicine. And while the Divine Maiden Sect family was kind, living in a group without her own room meant she could never fully rx. ¡°Hey, kiddo. Is life at the Divine Maiden Sect okay? You¡¯re not bullying anyone, are you?¡± ¡°¡­? Usually people ask if I¡¯m being bullied.¡± ¡°Who would bully the youngest of the Second-Grade? The juniors must all adore you. You might bully the Third-Grade kids since you suddenly jumped up the hierarchy, though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s good.¡± Qing had seen more than a few disciples hugging Jin Jangmyeong to their chest and resting their chin on her crown, so she was just asking casually. It was like how Korean fathers awkwardly ask ¡°How¡¯s work?¡± when they¡¯re alone with their children for once. Of course, that¡¯s what Qing thought. Having only had one father, she couldn¡¯t know if other fathers did the same. (Choi Leeong might feel sad if he knew she thought this) ¡°I wanted to go with you this time.¡± Jin Jangmyeong¡¯s voice was regretful. They had said that when she reached the First-Rate Realm, they would let her go on a short Jianghu trip with Qing, but this time she was rejected. But it was understandable, as this was an event where all the famous young men from Central ins families would gather. The scions of prestigious families are fundamentally handsome. The daughters-inw of prestigious families learn at least one Fairy Art and are beautiful women, and their children born from them are beautiful, and then the beautiful daughters learn Fairy Arts and be beautiful mothers again¡­ So after umting Fairy Arts through generations of blood, now when one says ¡°prestigious family,¡± one could tell just from their appearance, thinking ¡°Ah, how truly noble.¡± As such, they couldn¡¯t send a defenseless neen-year-old girl to such a dangerous ce. ¡°They said next time, didn¡¯t they? If there¡¯s somewhere nearby you want to go, you should think about it.¡± ¡°Then, the Northern Sea.¡± Qing knows the Northern Sea is far, thanks to Seol Ganom. ¡°If you reach the Peak Realm by the time I get back from this trip.¡± ¡°Tch. Then Hainan Ind. Zhoushan Inds.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where those are, but they¡¯re inds, right? Are you trying to do a pilgrimage outside the Central ins in all directions?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± As they chatted about such trivial things, before they knew it, Jin Jangmyeong was making gentle sleeping sounds. Qing chuckled and epted the sleepiness she had been forcibly pushing away. Originally, big events held in the Central ins set their dates very, very generously. This was because guests also came from very, very far away. Kaifeng, where the Murim Conference is being held, is located in the northeast of Henan Province, and the Divine Maiden Sect is stuck in the westernmost corner of Hubei Province. It was not a close distance. But with the Central ins¡¯ mindset, it was still close enough to boast that they were neighbors since they were adjacent administrative provinces. Moreover, the roads are very well-paved. By taking the Yangtze River to Muhan, then north along the main road through Xinyang, Luohe, Xuchang, then stopping at Zhengzhou, and then turning, it takes just a few days to reach Kaifeng. These cities have existed since ancient times in the Three Kingdoms period when Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sima Yi fought for control of the world. Even in those primitive times, they had properly built roads that have been trodden until now, making them t, well-drained, and wide enough that even cheap carriages have a decent ride. So Qing grumbled about being needlessly excited, and only after spending the entire winter and finishing her copying with plenty of time to spare did she finally leave the Divine Maiden Sect. ¡°¡±Have a good trip!¡±¡± As usual, with the Divine Maiden Sect disciples¡¯ enthusiastic send-off behind her, Qing began her fifth year of her Jianghu Journey. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m already in my fifth year. Time really flies. Qing was suddenly filled with a strange sentiment about this. However, passed time is something that always flies by in an instant, even if it was the most boring and longest time in one¡¯s life. ¡°Have a safe trip, Physician!¡± ¡°But I have to go home after it¡¯s over¡­¡± Tang Nanah, who had settled in because she had to go to the Murim Conference anyway, was an extra. Still, she seemed to enjoy being enthusiastically sent off, smiling wistfully. And then they stopped by Zigui, the city in front of the Divine Maiden Sect, to pick up Gyeon Pohee who had been left there. Zigui, Seol Family Trading Company. Every time they came out to purchase supplies for the Divine Maiden Sect, it had grown a little, and now it hadpletely be a respectable estate. As expected, the neighborhood¡¯s top intellect seemed to have a knack for business too. Qing epted this, but in reality, this too was essentially a Central ins business entity of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. The capital came from the Cult, and the goods dealt with were connected to the Cult¡¯s trade ships, so Seol Ganom was little more than a figurehead who had lent his name. This was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult¡¯s terrifying economic invasion towards the Central ins¡­ No, it was the result of Choi Leeong plundering the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult¡¯s secret connections to pile up gold and buy delicious things for Qing. The real owner of the tradingpany was Choi Leeong. Qing, who had already be familiar with thepany employees - the guards at the main gate - waved at them and strode inside. Then, in the middle of the main hall, the beautiful Seol Ganom, who had been giving instructions to the porters, raised his eyebrows when he saw Qing. Gyeon Pohee had described him as looking like an ¡°Unni¡± with her limited vocabry, and seeing him in person, it made sense. With distinct features that were more handsome than beautiful, and a martial headband wrapped around his forehead, he looked like a cool cross-dressing beauty even to Qing¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wow, Seol Ganom. You get prettier every time I see you.¡± ¡°Starting with insults as soon as we meet, I see.¡± ¡°How about that person? Are they doing well?¡± Qing looked around. She clearly remembered seeing a lovey-dovey couple thest time she came. Seol Ganom spoke calmly. ¡°We broke up. After thinking about it, she said she didn¡¯t want a husband prettier than herself. She couldn¡¯t live her whole life being called the ugly onepared to her husband.¡± ¡°Oh my. Cheer up. I guess it wasn¡¯t meant to be.¡± ¡°What do I have to be upset about? There are plenty of women who like me.¡± It¡¯s a bit annoying since he seriously thinks that. However, when it came to women who like her, Qing wasn¡¯t far behind, so she just thought, Welp, I guess that¡¯s how it is. ¡°Well, if Seol Ganom says so, I guess that¡¯s how it is. I¡¯m going to Kaifeng. Where¡¯s my Sworn Sister?¡± ¡°If you¡¯reing, you should have sent word in advance so that seductress could prepare. How can you suddenly show up and demand her? Should she just y around waiting for you every day? She went out to work.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if she could just y around? When will she be back?¡± ¡°That might be fine for you. The old man already sent someone as soon as you entered the city, so she should be back soon.¡± At this, Qing narrowed her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this? Did someone tail us? How did you know as soon as we entered the city?¡± ¡°Yourpanion is quite eye-catching, isn¡¯t she?¡± While people might think Qing was amon ugly woman because of her face veil, the Tang Nanah beside her was actually, lo and behold, counted among the Five Great Beauties of the Central ins. Even if she kept ncing at passing women¡¯s chests as if she wasn¡¯t, with an attitude like a boy in the prime of his youth. Even though she saw her every day at the Divine Maiden Sect, she had rarely made eye contact. She was busy looking hard, thinking the person¡¯s eyes were on their chest. In any case, even so, her appearance alone was that of a supreme beauty with a fierce temperament. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Your gaze feels unpleasant somehow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Oooh, that person working over there, their chest-¡° At the same time, Tang Nanah¡¯s head whipped around. ¡°Huh? Where? Where?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve trained their chest muscles well.¡± Tang Nanah immediately red with fierce eyes. Qing let out a deep sigh. She might not have beenpletely normal from the start, but she didn¡¯t seem like this kind of person before. How did she end up like this? She was already worried about this journey. Gyeon Pohee was originally a bitcking in the head, so it would be fine if I guide her well, but this one is a goddamn physician, yet somehow she¡¯s bing more and more dumb. It was a time when the shoulders of Qing, the sole person with anymon sense, felt heavy. Chapter 148: On The Way To Kaifeng (2) Gramps, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, was worried sick. ¡°Above all, take care of yourself. I have prepared some modest travel expenses, so make sure you never go hungry.¡± As he said this, he handed over a money pouch. When Qing opened it to check, it was full of bright yellow gold. ¡°Wow. If this is modest, how much would be immodest? I¡¯ll use it well. Thank you.¡± ¡°This much is modest for you. Always get the best room and buy the most expensive dishes. Beingvish is how you avoid being looked down upon. Do not bother being diligent on your trip. Sleep when you want to sleep and y when you want to y.¡± Usually people say the opposite, but¡­ It was convincing since he was saying this while handing over a pile of gold. And he even added on more of the legendary Power of Convincing! ¡°These are promissory notes I prepared just in case. Each is worth one gwan of gold, so do not even think about saving money.¡± ¡°Wait, Gramps, where did you earn all this money?¡± ¡°It is the operating funds for the tradingpany.¡± It was a bold deration of embezzlement. ¡°Oing. Is it okay to give that to me?¡± ¡°When a business really gets going, excessive money starts gushing out from somewhere. Even if it goes bankrupt, it is the business that goes bankrupt, not me.¡± ¡°Ooh. You¡¯ve really be a proper business owner.¡± When they were in Sichuan, even Choi Leeong didn¡¯t know how the Divine Cult would respond. But now he knew, so the Divine Cult¡¯s assets were essentially Qing¡¯s assets. Choi Leeong then went on to nag. ¡°If you get into any unnecessary trouble, do not leave them be, but deal with them cleanly to nip any problems in the bud. Also, be careful of men who act overly friendly for no reason. If necessary, you can use them of being sex fiends and deal with them without consequences.¡± ¡°Come on, Gramps, am I a child? I know all that already.¡± ¡°I would like to go with you if I could, but Senior is right. An old man tagging along would only be a burden to you.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t really care. As long as Gramps takes care of his own grudges, that¡¯s fine. If Gramps wants toe along, you can juste.¡± Choi Leeong smiled contentedly at this. ¡°It is not like I will have to endure forever, and it will naturally be resolved with time. There is no need for an old man to act like a child with a stomachache. Do not worry about this old man and just enjoy yourself.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s worried about Gramps? If I worried about a Master, they¡¯d just say ¡®Take care of yourself first¡¯.¡± Only then did Gyeon Pohee return. She said she had already packed for the trip to Kaifeng and immediately came out with her luggage, so there was no reason to dy further. ¡°Ah. But didn¡¯t you say to live in hiding? Isn¡¯t the Seol Family Trading Company a bit too eye-catching? Is Seol amon surname?¡± ¡°I thought about it, and I realized there¡¯s no need to hide when I haven¡¯tmitted any crimes.¡± For reference, Seol Ganom originally belonged to a branch sect of the Northern Sea Ice Pce, and after turning it into a sea of blood regardless of masters, seniors, peers, or juniors, he burned down the building, stole the secret manuals, and left. However, from Seol Ganom¡¯s perspective, it was just justified revenge, even if his methods were a bit excessive. He had only hidden because he was afraid of the Ice Pce¡¯s trackers, but now that he had strong backing, he intended to live life to the fullest. Qing had roughly assumed that Seol Ganom had just killed a few people who bullied him and ran away, but she didn¡¯t know that he had burned everything down to the roots. ¡°You thought well. It would be a loss for all of Murim if the neighborhood¡¯s top intellect was stuck in a corner.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while, but isn¡¯t ¡®neighborhood¡¯s best¡¯ a bit ambiguous?¡± ¡°What, are you looking down on the neighborhood? And are you asking me to gild your face with your own words? The Seol Family Trading Company is still at the neighborhood level, so raise it well.¡± And then Qing waved goodbye noisily. Choi Leeong, who saw her off, patted Seol Ganom¡¯s side and spoke. ¡°Well, let us go. If you want to be recognized as a greater strategist, you need to grow the tradingpany, right? Now that it hase to this, you should aim to be the Central ins¡¯ top intellect.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± Then Seol Ganom suddenly recalled. But wait, since when and why did I start being evaluated for my brain? Seol Ganom was someone who had never once thought of himself as smart. First, they had to take a boat to Muhan. On the way to the port, Gyeon Pohee spoke nkly. ¡°You know, I just realized I¡¯ve never been on a boat before. Hehe. I¡¯m excited. Are we going on a big boat? I¡¯ve seen a boat this big before.¡± Gyeon Pohee spread her arms wide up and down as she spoke. At this, Tang Nanah¡¯s eyes lit up beside her. ¡°What? You¡¯ve never been on a boat? Then you probably don¡¯t know that you have to take off your shoes when you get on a boat, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Why would you take off your shoes? Then your feet would get all wet, wouldn¡¯t they? I might be an ignorant woman, but I won¡¯t fall for such stupid talk. Come on, even a seven-year-old wouldn¡¯t fall for that kind of joke.¡± ¡°Huh? Is it, is it that obvious?¡± ¡°Of course. You can just look around and see if anyone else is taking off their shoes. Have you ever seen anyone do that, Sworn Sister¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ That¡¯s true¡­¡± Tang Nanah nodded with a sour expression. ¡°But why are you ncing around like that, Sworn Sister¡¯s friend? Is there something interesting- Wow, look at what she¡¯s got stuffed in her chest.¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t, okay!? I wasn¡¯t stealing nces at her che, huh? But what did she have stuffed in there?¡± ¡°The shape is just like that, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Qing let out a deep sigh. When there are two idiots, there¡¯s always one that¡¯s even more of an idiot than the other. Sworn Sister Wannabe has already taken this round, but, um, is it okay for a physician to be like this? Is the Central ins medicalmunity going to be alright like this? Bickering like this, they arrived at the port, and both country bumpkins were in a frenzy, gawking with their mouths wide open. Then Tang Nanah finally showed a splendid side befitting a rich family¡¯s daughter. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s ride that one. It looks the biggest and most luxurious. I¡¯ll pay for the fare.¡± ¡°Oing? Why do you have to pay to ride a boat?¡± ¡°You, are you making fun of me again? Do you think they¡¯ll just let us on for free?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different for everyone.¡± Qing grinned, nted both feet firmly on the ground, and raised her hand high. ¡°Everyone! I have a Dragon King¡¯s que here! I¡¯m looking for just one ship owner who wants to legally evade taxes to Muhan!¡± Legal tax evasion! It was like a dreame true for all merchants in the Central ins. The Chinese people, while hating taxes, surprisingly didn¡¯t like illegal tax evasion. This spirit continued to Qing¡¯s modern homeworld, where Chinese people absolutely did not engage in illegal tax evasion. After all, if caught, it undoubtedly meant execution (purging). Above all, legal tax reduction was possible. Since they didn¡¯t know where their taxes were going anyway, instead of paying taxes to the country, they offered them to high-ranking Party members, receiving massive tax exemption benefits along with umtion of guanxi. It was a different culture from Koreans, who considered those who paid a lot of taxes to be the world¡¯s idiots, morons, and imbeciles, and would praise without reserve, letting the whole nation know as if it were a holy anecdote from mythology; just for the mere act of a rich person properly paying the legally stipted taxes. Anyway, there was fiercepetition to host the precious guest. Finally, the owner of a seven-story Dragon Pce-like ship humbly bowed at the waist and won the honor of entertaining the distinguished guest¡­ * For these reasons, Qing received truly exceptional treatment. They cancelled the reservation for the best cabin, paying ten times the cancetion fee to return it, and generously provided expensive alcohol and costly dishes, to the point where it was hard to tell if they were inside a ship or in paradise. In reality, the money spent on entertaining Qing ended up being three or four times more than the taxes they would have paid. However, would a wealthy ship owner who owned a seven-storyrge ship have made such a fuss just to avoid some taxes? It was because they wanted to get back at those annoying Waterway Forts bastards who block the waterways with harpoons and extort money without doing any real work. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°You stop! We have a guest with the Dragon King¡¯s que on board. Do you dare to cause trouble?¡± ¡°Please proceed!¡± The Waterway Forts personnel immediately tucked their tails and retreated. It was the most satisfying moment in the ship owner¡¯s thirty-year career. The ship owner was happy, Qing was happy, and even the guest whose reservation was cancelled made money by receiving ten times the deposit, so it was a happy conclusion for everyone. As for the Waterway Forts, the Dragon King¡¯s que was originally given out for situations like this, so this was all part of treating their benefactor well. And so, as they ate well, yed well, and slept well, before they knew it, the ship flowed along and arrived in Muhan. Muhan is not the name of a city, but a termbining three quays meaning ¡°Three Ports of Muhan.¡± Among the famous ces, there was a restaurant called Yellow Crane Tower, said to have been built by Sun Quan (that very Sun Quan) himself. Originally used as a watchtower, it burned down and was rebuilt several times, gradually bing taller, and by the Tang Dynasty, it had be a skyscraper that was always mentioned when discussing the greatest towers under heaven. At the top, they hung a huge que engraved with ¡°Piercing the Sky and Reaching the Clouds,¡± which also grew slightlyrger each time the original, which had burned and disappeared, was remade. The original was a phrase written by Sun Quan himself. It meant ¡°I will finally confirm with my own eyes the sky of Chu,¡± and was highly regarded as a phrase of lofty spirit,paring himself to Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. It might seem a bit grandiose for the chieftain of a primitive tribe whose specialty was dying young while shouting about their liver after eating raw freshwater fish, but still. There weren¡¯t any particr specialties besides that, but in the distant future, it was destined to be famous as the hometown of a dangerous disease that would strike the entire world. What was this ce called in the modern era? Well, Muhan is read as ¡°Wuhan¡± in a certain uncivilizednguage. And if the Heavenly ughtering Star had known this, it might have abandoned its obsession with a mere human girl and embraced this city instead. * At any rate, with a full moneybag and Tang Nanah by her side who could splurge if necessary, Qing had nothing to fear anymore. How could they just pass by when that golden roof that had been visible in the distance since they were on the boat was said to be one of the most famous restaurants in the world? As soon as they got off the boat, they headed straight for it, determined to either make a reservation or pay extra to have a meal if possible. However, the Yellow Crane Tower was a famousndmark known throughout all under the heavens. ¡°If you want to make a reservation, it would be four months from now¡­¡± ¡°Four months?¡± ¡°Or maybe ten months. Spring and autumn are already fully booked without a single day free.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do about that. Qing was surprisingly a person ofmon sense who treatedmon sense withmon sense. Qing drooped her shoulders and clicked her tongue in disappointment, taking in the high scenery of the Yellow Crane Tower once more. Then suddenly, something caught her eye. A man leaning against the railing on the highest sixth floor, looking outside. A grin spread across Qing¡¯s face behind her face veil. Oooh. If there¡¯s someone I know, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to join them? Chapter 149: On The Way To Kaifeng (3) In truth, Qing didn¡¯t usually go around memorizing people¡¯s faces. But it was just the beginning of spring, and the weather wasn¡¯t much different from winter. There was a man with his upper body bare, striking a muscle-tensing pose and showing off his huge naked body to the outside. Someone immediately came to Qing¡¯s mind, thinking ¡°Ah, that guy.¡± ¡°Excuse me, server. Is there perhaps a Jegal¡­¡± Ah. But what was his name again? I can only remember his surname Jegal. ¡°What was it, his title was something like Beast Man?¡± At this, the server¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you mean Great Expert Beastly Sage?¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right. That¡¯s it. Beastly Sage! The body of a beast and the brain of a sage! Wow, I think I only heard it once, but I got it right. That¡¯s correct, right?¡± ¡°Well, I basically told you everything¡­¡± The server looked at where Qing¡¯s eyes would be behind the face veil with an expression that seemed to ask where her conscience was. ¡°Then, could you go up and ask if he remembers this Noonim who came, and if he does, if he could just save one seat? I¡¯ll pay for my own food.¡± ¡°Well¡­ He¡¯s an important person, how could I¡­¡± The server looked troubled. The most famous Murim sect in Wuhan is undoubtedly the Wudang Sect. Wuhan¡¯s pride, Wuhan¡¯s dignity, the leader of the Orthodox Faction and the Northern Dipper of Mount Tai (the position of Orthodox Faction leader usually changes depending on the locals), the Wudang Sect! However, if you ask who rules Wuhan, everyone says it¡¯s the Jegal n. Because their territory ovepped with the Wudang Sect, they moved to a scenic spot next to Donghu Lake in front of Wuhan and established a new headquarters 800 years ago. At that time, the government¡¯s orders were absolute, so they had no choice but to follow the Emperor¡¯s order saying, ¡°Since you two are stuck together, it¡¯s awkward to givend, one of you should yield a bit.¡± So the Jegal n stepped forward with a very bright, beaming expression, saying they would yield first. In fact, even if they received the same amount ofnd, the area in front of Donghu Lake was such a good location. Not only was it along the Yangtze River and by theke, but the Huguang in around Wuhan was the most precious fertilend in Hubei. The Wudang Sect couldn¡¯t abandon Mount Wudang no matter how much they coveted goodnd, so in the end, the Jegal n swallowed up all the expensive urban and metropolitannd. At that time, the level of martial arts wasn¡¯t high, and it was an era when the Greatest Master Under Heaven was only at the Transcendent Realm, so the influence of the Jegal family members taking official positions and generously distributing benefits to their main family must have been significant. ¡°Ah. He really is someone I know.¡± Since the server had been consistently polite, Qing read his difort and couldn¡¯t force the issue. After all, it was like calling over a new recruit who had just gotten their yellow tag and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t remember the name of your battalionmander, but anyway, tell him I¡¯m here,¡± which was quite suspicious. At that moment, Tang Nanah stepped forward, using a viiness¡¯s specialty: pointing fingers. ¡°Hey, server. You¡¯re just a server, yet you¡¯re hesitating when our Qing¡¯er is speaking? Go tell Little Brother Jegal that the Speaking Poison Flower of the great Sichuan Tang n has dropped by.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes, understood!¡± The arrogant and high-handed tone, ¡°Sichuan Tang n,¡± and ¡°Little Brother Jegal.¡± This was the attitude that gave the server the trust that, ¡°Ah, this youngdy is certainly a high-ranking person¡±. ¡°What? You knew Jegal?¡± ¡°Just by face. Maybe saw him twice? What about you?¡± ¡°I just saw him once too. He talked a lot, but he seemed nice.¡± ¡°Is that so? He was quite friendly. Didn¡¯t act obnoxiously either.¡± He was certainly someone with an unusual personality, as there was no prior appointment and they weren¡¯t particrly close. Yet as soon as the message was delivered, he came running down himself, which gave an idea of his character. However, I can¡¯t help but think it might have been better if he had put on some upper clothing beforeing. ¡°Oh, Noonim Tang! What brings you to Wuhan! You must be on your way to the Murim Conference! But how did you know I was here! Ah! Embarrassingly, you must have seen this little brother emitting his lofty spirit while looking out over the area! And thepanion next to you also looks familiar. Ah! Noonim, it¡¯s Noonim, right? The one I met in Luoyang!¡± He asked and answered his own questions, and even correctly guessed the identity of Qing, whose face was hidden. This was the terrifying power of the brain possessed by the Jegal family, the Miraculous Jegal. Of course, anyone with good observational skills could have quickly guessed from her tall stature and chest. How many women in the Central ins would have both such rare height and rare chest size? In fact, covering her face made her even easier to recognize. ¡°Oh, hey Jegalie. You remembered?¡± ¡°How could I forget? Women skilled in debate are rare in this world. Come, let¡¯s not stand here, pleasee inside.¡± ¡°Oh, is that okay? We¡¯re not pushing out other guests¡¯ reservations or anything, right?¡± Qing said this as she entered the restaurant. Jegal Ihyeonughed heartily. ¡°Noonim, you are truly kind! But do not worry, the restaurant only goes up to the fifth floor. The sixth floor is used by our n as a watchtower, which this little brother often uses for training. Of course, it¡¯s also a ce to entertain precious guests. Like now.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± It turns out the Jegal n had been continuously rebuilding the Yellow Crane Tower, which had burned down several times. One might wonder why the building burns down periodically, but the Yellow Crane Tower was originally built as a watchtower for surveince and is an important military facility. Military facilities tend to burn down when the world is in turmoil, to the point where it was jokingly said that as soon as the Blood Cult or Demonic Cult showed up, the Yellow Crane Tower would be the first to burn, lighting the beacon fire. Every time they rebuilt it, they increased the number of floors ording to improved construction techniques, and incidentally opened a business as a leisure space. Only the highest floor is used as a watchtower, as well as a n rest area, as well as a banquet hall. In modern terms, it would be like a penthouse. ¡°Ah, now you¡¯re Noonim Ximen! To think you¡¯re studying under Matriarch Ximen Surin! Oh, then Noonim, aren¡¯t you at the level of a Sect Leader of the Nine Sects? This little brother should pay his respects with a grand bow!¡± ¡°Come on, no need to be so formal between us.¡± ¡°Haha, then this little brother shall treat you with the protocol befitting a Sect Leader today! You originally enjoyed fine cuisine, didn¡¯t you? When ites to Hubei, it¡¯s all about rivers andkes, and Wuhan is at the center of it all, so today we shall dry up the fish poption!¡± ¡°Our Jegalie always knows just what to say.¡± At this, Tang Nanah linked arms with Qing and spoke. ¡°I, I can buy lots of dishes too, you know? I¡¯ll even call the Greatest Chef Under Heaven and just¡­¡± ¡°Why would you bother someone who¡¯s doing business properly?¡± ¡°Sworn Sister, I, I¡¯ll work hard to earn money.¡± Gyeon Pohee clung to the other side as she spoke. ¡°Your friendship is truly deep! Now, this is the top of the Yellow Crane Tower, Piercing the Sky and Reaching the Clouds. This namees from the sky of Chu that Sun Zhongmou yearned for in his heart. When hearing the word Chu, there are several it could be referencing, however, considering the historical context and the characteristics of the person, the academic consensus is that it refers to Xiang Yu¡¯s State of Chu¡­¡± ¡°Ooh. How amazing.¡± In Qing¡¯s memory, she roughly remembered him as a huge muscle man who talked a lot, and she was absolutely correct. Qing let the words she couldn¡¯t understand anyway and wasn¡¯t interested in go in one ear and out the other, enjoying the view from the high ce. Although they had stopped at famous ces wherever they went, there hadn¡¯t been a ce this open and refreshing among them. It was a skyscraper built high on top of an almost uniquely protruding mountain amidst the t ins surrounding the naturally low-lying area of rivers andkes. The view from its peak was bound to be special. ¡°Ugh, this is in the way.¡± Qing casually took off her face veil and naturally handed it to Gyeon Pohee as if it were obvious. Gyeon Pohee very naturally took care of the face veil. At this, Jegal Ihyeon made a fuss. ¡°Ah, Noonim! My goodness, the Five Flowers of Murim should be the Six Flowers of Murim! However, as you know, while five is a perfect and auspicious number, six is an inauspicious number, so hmm, interesting. Perhaps one of the existing Five Great Beauties might have to unfortunately relinquish their title.¡± It was a remarkably in attitude for making such a fuss. Tang Nanah immediately growled like a Chihuahua. ¡°What? You. Are you hitting on our Qing¡¯er right now?¡± ¡°How could this little brother do such a thing? Doesn¡¯t Noonim Tang know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°Oh my. Haven¡¯t you heard? How this little brother is famous for valuing a person¡¯s inner beauty more than their outer appearance?¡± ¡°Hmph. All men say things like that. That a good heart is more important than a pretty face and whatnot.¡± ¡°Hmm? You speak of a good heart? When it¡¯s already difficult for people to urately know their own hearts, how could one measure and judge another¡¯s heart as good or bad? And since people¡¯s hearts naturally be generous to those they know, wouldn¡¯t the heart shown to the most beloved and mutually adoring person be considered beautiful for any couple under heaven?¡± Tang Nanah made a slightly disgusted expression. It was clear she was thinking, ¡°Why does he talk so much?¡± ¡°Th-Then what, you said inner beauty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! A person¡¯s inner beauty! A person¡¯s beauty undoubtedlyes from their inner self! Isn¡¯t it from their bones and muscles? A strong physique is truly beautiful!¡± Simultaneously, Jegal Ihyeon bent his arms like sickles, raised both elbows horizontally, and twisted his waist to show off his bulging back muscles. Qing thought as she looked at this sight. Honestly, it¡¯s cool. I don¡¯t think even that actor-turned-governor back home in his prime could be quite like this. Then suddenly, a thought urred to her. ¡°Does Jegalie prefer women like Young Lady Peng?¡± ¡°Ah! Embarrassingly, this little brother once ardently admired her. However, besides the age difference, Noonim Peng said she had already married the Dao and had no space in her heart for men, so it¡¯s just a beautiful memory from my immature days.¡± Jegal Ihyeon calmly reminisced about his past love. This kid definitely has that aura. He¡¯s locked the fuck in. Qing nodded. In fact, this love for physique in the Jegal family is famous. The hidden title of Hwangbo, the third family matriarch and Jegal Ihyeon¡¯s mother, was ¡°Great Bear, Great Woman,¡± like a big bear woman, so you can imagine how it was. There was even a joke that if a girl had arge build, she should first learn External Arts and then loiter in front of the Jegal n¡¯s main gate. However, whether it was a curse of the bloodline or something else, none of the direct male descendants of the Jegal family were born with both an outstanding physique and outstanding intellect. In over a thousand years of family history, Jegal Ihyeon was the only one. He surpassed all his impressive older brothers, to the point where even those brothers willingly gave up the position of Young n Lord, saying the future of the n rested on him. Of course, Qing didn¡¯t know this, and neither did Tang Nanah, who had never left Chengdu in her life. ¡°Ah, right. What about that tiny person?¡± ¡°Do you mean Elder Brother Uncheok? Of course, he¡¯s at the main family in Jinan. Ah, haven¡¯t you heard the news? They¡¯ve set an auspicious date for the wedding this autumn. He¡¯ll be attending the Murim Conference with his fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Ooooh. Will they be throwing candy?¡± ¡°Haha, since you¡¯re a great elder of Daoism, Noonim, if you attend and grace the asion with your presence, my brother would be overjoyed.¡± ¡°That works out well.¡± I can take Jangmyeong along after the Murim Conference is over. But where¡¯s the wedding venue? It shouldn¡¯t be too far, right? For reference, Qing doesn¡¯t know this (she really doesn¡¯t know anything, to be fair), but the location of the Hwangbo n is Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. It was close on the way there along the Yangtze River, but far on the way back, so the probability of Sect Leader Wang Zhuxi of the Divine Maiden Sect allowing Jin Jangmyeong to go out was exactly fifty-fifty. Chapter 150: On The Way To Kaifeng (4) In fact, Qing, being from Hubei, knew Hubei cuisine inside out. When ites to Hubei, it was first, golden mandarin fish, and then soft-shelled turtle. Roughly speaking, in Chinese people¡¯s perception, if you put mandarin fish or soft-shelled turtle with lotus root and cook it, they would generally ept it as Hubei cuisine. There were alsomb and duck dishes. But those two were somon in Chinese people¡¯s daily lives that they were enjoyed in any region, and pork was just like China itself. The Chinese love for pork went beyond just eating it; they even came to resemble its national character, so one could say they were practically living piglets. Besides these, various freshwater fish dishes were developed, but interestingly, they don¡¯t often eat them as sashimi. Of course, it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t eat it at all. This aversion was due to records of geniuses from the ancient State of Wu dying young after being defeated by parasites from eating raw freshwater fish. And then they all med the heavens for it. From heaven¡¯s perspective, these people ate parasite-ridden things iming they were delicious and died, but before dying, they cried out ¡°Oh Heaven!!¡± while coughing up blood, so heaven probably didn¡¯t feel any affection for the State of Wu out of spite. So the dishes that Jegal Ihyeonid out until the table legs nearly broke were actually all familiar to Qing. However, unfamiliar dishes bring a different kind of joy, and familiar dishes are often more delicious. After a long time (three shichen), Qing started a storm-like meal with a serious attitude. In fact, the Chinese strangely love carp family friends when ites to freshwater fish. However, these friends are structurally like monsters with bones spreading in all directions, making them difficult to eat. But Gyeon Pohee, sitting beside her, somehow skillfully deboned them and kept piling them on Qing¡¯s te. Not wanting to lose, Qing kept clearing her te quickly. ¡°What? I, I can too.¡± Tang Nanah clumsily deboned and asionally ced ragged pieces of fish on Qing¡¯s te. ¡°Thanks, but there are still bones in it, you know.¡± She said this while chewing the sharp freshwater fish bones along with the meat. Tang Nanah also tried to debone the fish, but as mentioned earlier, these stic and sharp-boned fish with bones spread everywhere without a single empty spot were truly the worst of the worst, the emperor of evil among evils. Only after Tang Nanah put the fish meat she had deboned into her mouth, found it half meat and half bones, and spat it out unable to chew, did she realize how serious it was. ¡°Oh? Sorry, this has so many bones¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s delicious. Originally, if you chew the bones slowly, they have a savory taste.¡± ¡°Even so, give it here, I¡¯ll do it again.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s fine. You went to the trouble of deboning it for me.¡± Qing said this while shoving into her mouth the ragged pieces that Tang Nanah was trying to take back. ¡°You¡­¡± For Tang Nanah, it was something absolutely inedible that she had to spit out. But seeing her forcibly(?) eat it, what woman wouldn¡¯t be moved? However, Qing was just eating. She already had a body that could crunch and chew even tough rib bones, let alone fish bones. This is the greatest reward of having high stats. ¡°If it¡¯s hard, debone the mandarin fish instead of the carp. It doesn¡¯t have many bones.¡± ¡°Huh? Mandarin fish? Which one is that?¡± ¡°That one.¡± ¡®Jigeo¡¯ meant carp, and ¡®gweoleo¡¯ meant mandarin fish. However, to Tang Nanah, all fish looked the same with their fish heads. For Tang Nanah, fish always came delivered to her with their names. In the style of ¡°Dear, the croaker is really delicious.¡± So this was the first time in her life that someone had actually deboned a fish and given it to her, and if the Tang n Lord and his wife had seen this, they would havemented that raising a daughter was all in vain. ¡°Haha. Noonim, you eat so heartily!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not insulting me, are you?¡± ¡°How could I! It¡¯s just like the spirit of Noonim Peng in her prime, at this rate, this little brother might end up falling for you. The women of the Central ins all pretend to eat daintily, which rather makes one lose their appetite when dining together.¡± ¡°Ah. Young Lady Peng did eat well too. Though she was a bit of a picky eater.¡± ¡°Does Noonim Peng still only eat meat?¡± ¡°Yeah. She says you have to eat muscle to grow muscle.¡± ¡°Like cures like is just a superstition, but thinking of Noonim Peng, it doesn¡¯t seem entirely false. Ah, like cures like means eating the same thing to¡­¡± Jegal Ihyeon showed off his miraculous chatter, speaking without slurring at all even while eating everything. Qing pretended to listen to the story while focusing on her meal, since he was a friend who bought her food after all. Ah. Oh. Yeah. Hmm. I see. Right. The enjoyable mealtime passed with these soulless responses. ¡°Wow, that was a good meal.¡± Qing had already loosened her belt while eating earlier, so she gently rubbed her protruding belly. Tang Nanah poked it and eximed in admiration. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really firm. To think you ate all that¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I could eat more. But that space is reserved for dessert.¡± ¡°No, how do you eat like this every meal and not gain weight. Hmm. All the flesh goes up to the flesh lumps¡­¡± As Tang Nanah¡¯s hand started to rise sneakily, Qing pped it away. ¡°There you go again.¡± ¡°No, I did it without thinking.¡± Qing narrowed her eyes. It¡¯s fortunate she was born a woman. If she had been a man, wouldn¡¯t she have be the world¡¯s greatest lecher and scoundrel? In fact, the consensus among Jianghu people was that Wuhan itself didn¡¯t have much to see. At best, there was only the Yellow Crane Tower skyscraper on high ground, and Donghu Lake, famous for its cherry blossoms, was now out of season and just a quietke where you could view the horizon. Of course, being able to see the horizon from ake could be considered the spirit of the Central ins, but still. Yingchun Temple was famous, but not quite a tourist attraction like the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, so it was just a temple people visited when going to Donghu Lake. So with nowhere to go after dinner, they decided to stop by the Jegal n and stay for a night. Although he talked a bit much, Jegal Ihyeon was an enormous little brother who was inherently friendly and had some cool aspects. There was no reason to refuse when he said they could stay at his house for a night, and since they were going to Kaifeng anyway, he wanted to go together. In fact, there was a hidden attraction in Wuhan: the short street leading to the front gate of the Jegal n. It was filled with tea houses and restaurants, with many tables set up outdoors, each upied by burly older sisters and asionally men. The businesses here were owned by the Jegal n, and the customers were those who gathered hoping to catch the eye of the Jegal family members, so it could be said they had a devilish sense for making money. ¡°What¡¯s with those scrawny wenches? Do they think they can wag their tails just because their faces are somewhat decent?¡± ¡°I know, right? Those girls with waists thinner than your arm daring to cling to the young master.¡± ¡°Look at their faces. They¡¯re smaller than my fist.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not womanly at all. A proper woman shouldpete with muscles.¡± The content Qing overheard when she focused on their whispering was quite rming. What¡¯s this? Are these people from some distant ocean women¡¯s country? What do you dopeting with muscles? Is this some kind of abduction marriage? Is this that famous gender reversal thing? Of course, Qing didn¡¯t know anything about Hearing Technique (Inner Qi-enhanced hearing). She was just a superhuman who had transcended human limits even in hearing, so she could hear everything if she concentrated. It wasn¡¯t that they were speaking loudly enough to be heard; it was just that the content of their whispers to each other was shocking. Since there was no particr reason to feel bad about it, Qing pretended not to have heard. When visiting a friend¡¯s house, the proper order was to first greet the parents. Before that, they were on their way to unpack their luggage. ¡°Hyeon Orabeoniiiiii.¡± Qing flinched. Orabeoni?! Who would use such an outrageous word! And even stretching out the end of the word! However, at the same time, a tiny thing came running, a girl who looked to be about six or seven years old. Ah, for a little kid, it¡¯s eptable. How cute. ¡°Oh, Ahyang. Were you ying nicely?¡± Jegal Ihyeon lifted the girl high above his head, spun around about four times, and then neatly sat her on his shoulder. Usually, one would give a piggyback ride, but his shoulders were so broad that he could seat her there. The clearughter characteristic of children filled the surroundings. Qing smiled a fatherly smile behind her face veil. It was a heartwarming scene to see, after all. This was Jegal Hyang, the youngest direct descendant of the Jegal family. However, the following conversation was a bit strange. ¡°I wonder what book Hyang read today?¡± ¡°Um, today, Hyang read thirty-one chapters of Wuliuzi.¡± ¡°Oh, Wuliuzi! That¡¯s a good book. Yes, it¡¯s quite an interesting book too. Which part left the deepest impression on you?¡± ¡°Um, starting with the Heavenly Officials, since it says that the weather is just a matter for the Heavenly Officials and doesn¡¯t include it in personnel matters, this is a different perspective from Sun Tzu¡¯s timing, terrain, and¡­¡± ¡°Oh my. That¡¯s just emphasizing the importance of preparedness before the Heavenly Officials, it¡¯s not that Wu Liao¡­¡± ¡°But after the defense, if you dig water channels, dig wells and expand warehouses in preparation for raids, and prepare for winter in case of drought¡­¡± ¡°Those are all pre-war preparations that should naturally be¡­¡± Qing looked at Tang Nanah. To see if she understood what they were saying. As Tang Nanah was also looking at Qing with the same expression, they both just thought, ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s how it is.¡± Of course, there was no need to check with Gyeon Pohee separately, so neither of them particrly nced in that direction. Feeling somewhat like idiots, they ufortably unpacked their luggage and then paid their respects to the thin Jegal n Lord and his burly wives. ¡°Please take care of our Ahyeon. The child¡¯s head is only full of knowledge, so he¡¯s still naive about worldly matters. I hope you¡¯ll cherish him like a younger sibling.¡± ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± ¡°Right. Ahem. Young friends should y together.¡± Despite his most beloved and proud son bringing along a group of women and even dering he would leave with them, he maintained a in attitude without any unnecessaryments, as if he had brought along some same-sex friends. Rather, the one who looked upset was Jegal Hyang, who was clinging tightly to Jegal Ihyeon as if she had made a nest in his arms. ¡°What? Orabeoniii, where are you going?¡± ¡°This child, Ahyang! Stop being clingy. Let your brother go meet his friends ande here.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to, Hyang wants to be with Orabeoni. No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Jegal Hyang clung tightly, but no matter how much strength a young child might use, with a mother whose arm was about as thick as her daughter, there was no way she could win. The little one couldn¡¯t ovee her mother¡¯s strength and was pulled away. After that, they moved to a separate building,id out some snacks, and just chatted casually. Surprisingly, the various stories Jegal Ihyeon told were quite interesting. Then, saying he had to pack his luggage too, he left early, and they also soaked their bodies in a hot bath. They even allowed Sworn Sister Wannabe to attend to them during the bath. And then, while sitting on the porch of the guest room, swinging her feet and drying her hair, Qing sensed a gaze. When she turned her head, there was one head peeking out from behind the wall. ¡°Hmm? Little one? Your name was Hyang, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At Qing¡¯s gesture, Jegal Hyang approached hesitantly and suddenly asked. ¡°You¡¯re the sister who was wearing the face veil earlier, right? Are you going to be our new sister?¡± To be precise, she asked if she would be a ¡®suja¡¯, which was the Chinese word for new sister-inw or sister-inw. Qing asked yfully with a smile. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like that?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re weak.¡± ¡°Weak? This body is a Master.¡± Qing emitted Qi with barbaric output from her hand. If Ximen Surin had seen this, it would have been grounds for a nuclear noogie. She would have said, ¡°You have nothing to show so you¡¯re showing Demonic Arts to a child?¡± Fortunately, or unfortunately, young Jegal Hyang didn¡¯t have the discernment to recognize the White Hand Demonic Arts. ¡°Noooo. Not that. You don¡¯t have muscles. You¡¯re weak.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m strong, you know? I¡¯m totally like Xiang Ji.¡± At this, Jegal Hyang pouted her lips. ¡°Pfft. Liar. Can you even lift 100 jin with those arms?¡± ¡°100 jin? I can lift that with one hand.¡± ¡°Then how about 200 jin?¡± ¡°If I use both hands, that¡¯s 200 jin, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What about 300 jin?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t tried, so I¡¯m not sure, but I probably could? If it¡¯s just lifting, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Swinging it around might be a bit hard though.¡± ¡°Without using Inner Qi?¡± ¡°Without using Inner Qi.¡± At this, Jegal Hyang pped Qing¡¯s knee. ¡°You can¡¯t, you¡¯re a total liar.¡± ¡°Look at this? Such a tiny thing already trying to win with agitation and fabrication? Hya, I can¡¯t just show you by lifting something directly.¡± Then Jegal Hyang answered as if she had been waiting for this. In fact, she had been waiting. As a descendant of the Jegal family, she should be able to devise strategies at the age of seven. ¡°Then show me.¡± ¡°Oing?¡± ¡°Quickly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell Orabeoni that you told a bunch of lies.¡± Chapter 151: On The Way To Kaifeng (5) Look at this little brat being so cheeky. But as they say, age is power, and the coquettishness of a seven-year-old girl was just adorable. In fact, it¡¯s human nature that if it¡¯s not your own child, it¡¯s enough if they¡¯re cute and pretty right now. That¡¯s why other people¡¯s dogs and cats are cute. Or it¡¯s like how grandparents unconditionally dote on their grandchildren. The scolding, education, and behavior correction that might be disliked are the parents¡¯ job; they just need to adore them. Zhuge Hyang grabbed Qing¡¯s fingers and pulled. Her tiny fist could barely hold two fingers and was full. The child¡¯s unique warm body temperature was transmitted to Qing, whose hands were cold due to the side effects of Demonic Arts. Qing pretended to be dragged along and spoke. ¡°Hey. But what if it¡¯s not a lie? I may not look it, but I¡¯m a great elder at the level of a Sect Leader of the Nine Sects, you know? The crime of daring to deceive an adult is very serious.¡± ¡°Ah. Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Th-Then if Unni is right, you can specially marry our Orabeoni¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Are Murim practitioners supposed to bet on other people¡¯s positions? Your Orabeoni should find his own marriage partner.¡± ¡°Oh. Then what?¡± Qing smiled wickedly. ¡°Hyang, was it? If I¡¯m right, then Hyang will marry me, okay? How about as my second concubine?¡± It was a mischievous joke that only an uncle would make. Gulp. The child swallowed hard. ¡°But between women¡­¡± ¡°What, you can¡¯t do it? Then I should go back.¡± ¡°Eek, you¡¯re just bluffing to make me give up now, right? The 36th stratagem, retreat to advance! Hmph, do you think I¡¯m a little kid who doesn¡¯t know military tactics?¡± Zhuge Hyang puffed and led Qing. Somehow, despite the winding and simr-looking scenery, she managed not to get lost and led the way skillfully, finally reaching a wide garden with a well-decoratedke. And on one side, iron balls piled up by type caught the eye. They were iron balls with handles for easy lifting. ¡°Here. This is a 100-catty iron ball. Now, let¡¯s see if you can lift it with one hand as you said¡­ Oh, you¡¯re lifting it¡­¡± ¡°Ah. So this is 100 catty? It¡¯s quite heavy, huh?¡± 100 catty was already more than double the official world record (53kg) by Qing¡¯s hometown standards. ¡°But is this based on fruit or meat?¡± In Qing¡¯s hometown, they still used a primitive and stupid unit system where the catty weight varied by item. The Chinese people of the same era adjusted the catty weight to match the times (600?500, unified for all items), so this was one aspect where the Korean people should emte their proactive and progressive future-oriented attitude. Of course, this is the primitive ancient uncivilized Central ins, so it¡¯s before the adjustment of catty weights. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°At this rate, I could probably lift 200 catty too. Which one is the 200-catty one?¡± Zhuge Hyang looked around and said, ¡°Th-There¡¯s no 200-catty one. Only 250 catty¡­¡± It was clearly a lying face to anyone who saw it. Qing chuckled and said. After lifting 100 catty, she felt like she could lift 250 too. ¡°Which one is the 250-catty one?¡± ¡°Th-That one¡­¡± Qing grasped the 250-catty iron ball with one hand. It was manageable just to hold and stand, but when she tried to lift it above her head, her hand trembled and it wasn¡¯t easy at all. Even for a body that had transcended human limits, it was creaking and straining. Still, somehow she managed to fully bend her elbow and push with her shoulder strength to lift it high into the sky. It was a miracle performed without even using momentum. It was truly a heroic posture that would dominate an era! At this, Zhuge Hyang¡¯s mouth opened stupidly, and conversely, her eyes sparkled brightly. At that moment, Qing felt a sound resonating from inside her body, going ¡°tok tok¡±. Startled, Qing immediately dropped the iron ball behind her, on the opposite side of Zhuge Hyang. THUD! When the 250-catty iron ball hit the ground, not only was the sound loud, but the vibration of the ground causedrge waves in the pond. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t lift it twice. That was too much.¡± Having directly felt the sound of muscle and tendon rupture, it seemed she wouldn¡¯t be able to use her right arm properly for a while. She deeply regretted showing off unnecessarily and only hurting herself, wondering what on earth this was all about. ¡°How about that, kiddo? If it¡¯s 250 catty in one hand, that counts as 500 catty with both hands, right?¡± Suddenly realizing her situation, Zhuge Hyang answered with a pale face and a whimper, ¡°Uuu, th-this concubine greets my lord, sniff¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this? If you cry, what does that make me? And am I that unlikable?¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m a concubine, sob, and the second one at that.¡± ¡°Speak properly, will you? Is it that you don¡¯t like being a concubine, or that you don¡¯t like marrying me?¡± ¡°B-Both are bad¡­¡± ¡°You dislike me that much? I¡¯m hurt. Hyang is about to be neglected as soon as she bes a concubine.¡± ¡°Then at least make me the principal wife¡­ sniff.¡± A tear, finally formed in the child¡¯s characteristicallyrge eyes, dropped. Qing tried to scratch the back of her head, but with a short ¡°Ack!¡± she immediately used her left hand instead. It seemed her right arm was more injured than she thought. ¡°Well, the night wind is cold. Let¡¯s go back, kiddo. We need to consummate the marriage.¡± Qing lifted Zhuge Hyang with her uninjured left hand and held her in her arms. The little one clung to Qing¡¯s neck and started wailing loudly. Qing had quite a mischievous side to make the child cry like this, but in fact, looking at her actions, she was overtly a bad person. However, although this little Zhuge Hyang was knowledgeable and could recite even unfamiliar characters fluently, the fact that she readily believed such an absurd joke and burst into tears was truly befitting of a seven-year-old child. ¡°Hmm? But I don¡¯t know the way? We might get lost and be missing children who die if we¡¯re not careful. Won¡¯t someone guide us?¡± At this, Zhuge Hyang¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°Ah. This is troublesome, very troublesome. If someone could show us the way, I might be able to grant one wish.¡± Zhuge Hyang immediately took the bait. ¡°Oh, then, sniff, I¡¯ll show you the way, so please forget everything¡­ sniff.¡± ¡°Haah. I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I thought I was going to live happily ever after with a pretty new concubine. Now I see this tiny strategist girl led me to an unknown ce knowing this would happen. As expected of a Zhuge family strategy. I¡¯ve been had.¡± ¡°H-Hmph. You¡¯ve only just realized¡­ sniff.¡± Zhuge Hyang said with a bright red face. ¡°Aww, you¡¯re so cute. Ack.¡± Qing tried to pinch the chubby cheek characteristic of children but only let out a short scream due to the rming pain in her right arm and gave up, walking forward. But, my right arm isn¡¯t moving? Is this really okay? Isn¡¯t there some Hidden Dragon Tournament or something to attend? Somehow, the pain that kepting as time passed was no ordinary thing. Qing tried hard to ignore the chilling sensation running down her spine. Right, there¡¯s a physician, so what¡¯s the problem. And well, one left hand should be enough. As such, here they were, a clumsy adult who properly ruined one arm just because they wanted to tease a little child. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go. Which way?¡± ¡°That way.¡± Meanwhile, Zhuge Hyang, whose tears had subsided, finally started to subtly inquire about Qing¡¯s background. ¡°Unni, how old are you?¡± ¡°Me? Twenty. I decided to be twenty.¡± It was an unreasonable number brought about by Ximen Surin¡¯s greed. How cool would it be if a disciple of just twenty years, in her prime, easily swept away the formidable Hidden Dragons and won? It would also be a giant step for female martial artists. It was part of Ximen Surin¡¯s women¡¯s rights advancement n, thinking that if the world knew the Greatest Talent of All Time was a woman, all martial artists would no longer be able to look down on women. The fact that Qing¡¯s apparent age kept getting younger due to continuous legal stic surgery also yed a part in this judgment. She had an appearance that could pass for twenty if she insisted on it. From Qing¡¯s perspective, well, isn¡¯t younger better when ites to age? Could you be sad because you¡¯re young? That was something only those with low status would say. ¡°¡­? Then aren¡¯t you a year younger than Hyeon Orabeoni? Why are you called Noonim?¡± ¡°Ah, Zhugie is only twenty-one? He¡¯s just big in size, but he¡¯s aplete baby, huh? Originally, when I met your brother, I guess I was about twenty-two? Something like that?¡± ¡°¡­? Does Unni age backwards?¡± It was a cute disaster brought about by innocence. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just almost say something dangerous?¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorryyy.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let it slide because you¡¯re cute.¡± ¡°But then, if Unni uses her Inner Qi too, aren¡¯t you an incredibly powerful Master?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say? This body is a master. A body on the verge of the Transcendent Realm, a veteran of a hundred battles who has defeated countless Transcendent Realm Masters with thebination of Inner and Outer Arts. Ah, I¡¯m not a veteran, huh? A young veteran, hmm, young veteran doesn¡¯t sound right. Then a great¡­ hmm, I want to eat some intestines¡­¡± Qing activated her specialty of ¡®thinking everything thates out of her mouth is valid speech¡¯. At this, Zhuge Hyang burst into clearughter. ¡°Oh, then, can¡¯t Hyang be the principal wife instead of a concubine?¡± ¡°Tut-tut. Don¡¯t you know the saying that fortune has no back of the head? It¡¯s toote to reach out after it¡¯s passed.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± ¡°Later, when you grow up and be very pretty, maybe when you be one of the Five Great Beauties like the Thunder Flower or the Scheming Flower or the Vile Flower, then I¡¯ll ept you.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it usually the Wisdom Flower or the Virtuous Flower or the Intelligent Flower?¡± ¡°What, can¡¯t I attach good names too? The really ugly-looking one next to me is the Poison Flower, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, right! But then, what about Unni? I¡¯ve never heard of the Herculean Flower or the Xiang Ji Flower¡­¡± As the two chatted like this and disappeared, a huge shadow fell over the empty space. A shadow fell over the iron ball in an ambiguous state, neither firmly embedded in the ground norpletely free. It was because some senseless human had left without cleaning up after use. Perhaps because of this, there were huge hands carefully grasping the handles with both hands. ¡°Hup.¡± With a breath-catching sound, a modestly dug hole in the ground was revealed. The ground had not fully thawed as spring had just arrived, so this was about right for a 250-catty iron ball falling. The iron ball was lifted with difficulty and quietly ced back in its original position. * When she returned to the guest room and showed her arm, Tang Nanah scolded her, saying she had really done a number on herself. She asked what on earth Qing had done in the middle of the night to properly damage her ligaments like this. But listening to Tang Nanah¡¯s exnation, the ligaments had stretched so much that the gripping parts were already loose and lost sticity, and some had ruptured, so she should avoid using her shoulder altogether and not even think about lifting her arm for a while. Only then did Qing regret her attitude towards Zhuge Hyang the night before. It was truly a foolish act. ¡°But why is it only like this on top? The lower part is fine?¡± ¡°Is that strange?¡± ¡°Of course, the upper arm with more muscle is naturally stronger and more stable, isn¡¯t it? The muscles in the forearm are just for bending and rotating the wrist, so they¡¯re inherently weaker.¡± Of course, it was thanks to the White Hand Demonic Arts. The White Hand Demonic Arts protected the area below the elbow like a vajra body, so even in the pathetic show of strength in the middle of the night, it had faithfully protected its stupid owner. ¡°Let¡¯s apply some acupuncture first. It would be good if we had ice. Since this is the Zhuge n, they must have ice, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can use Ice Arts.¡± ¡°Huh? Ice Arts? How?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I just can?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Can you freeze this a bit? Not too much.¡± Tang Nanah handed Qing a towel soaked with water. As she drew up her True Qi as if cooling Longjing tea, frost immediately began to form and freeze. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s enough. That should do.¡± Tang Nanah rubbed the towel to loosen it up, then wrapped it with another towel and tied it to Qing¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell me when the towel gets mushy. We¡¯ll need to untie it, freeze it again, and retie it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just freeze it like this?¡± ¡°With ice touching bare skin? That would cause frostbite.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a proper physician¡¯s answer. You¡¯re cool at times like this. But didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d apply acupuncture? Can you do that with it wrapped like this?¡± ¡°Ah. Right.¡± Tang Nanah quickly unwrapped the towel. Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. The ¡°cool¡±ment should probably be retracted. Chapter 152: On The Way To Kaifeng (6) ¡°It might sting a little?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t great physicians and Divine Doctors insert needles without the patient even noticing? Don¡¯t they stick needles in chickens and make them walk around?¡± ¡°The Nine Needles of Joy? Wow, you know about that too? But it¡¯s not good if you don¡¯t even notice the needles. What are you, an assassin?¡± And then soon, Sting. Stiing. Stiiing on the shoulder. ¡°Is this right? It hurts for quite a while.¡± ¡°Huh? Why isn¡¯t the needle going in?¡± The strongest human body doesn¡¯t even allow needles. Tang Nanah pressed the needle firmly with a flustered look. ¡°No, what kind of muscle is this? A rock? Why, won¡¯t, this, go, in, ugh.¡± ¡°Hey, it hurts. Ow. It hurts, you know.¡± ¡°Just bear with it a little. Ugh.¡± Originally, when inserting needles, one should hold the needle body with the thumb and middle finger, gently press and rotate it to insert it to the correct depth, and sometimes gently tap stubborn areas with the index finger. However, as it only dug into the stic skin without prating, Tang Nanah, who had been struggling, finally adjusted her grip on the long needle. She gripped the needle body with her whole fist, the tip pointing down, and firmly blocked the end with her thumb. Anyone watching might think she was holding a dagger or an ice pick rather than an acupuncture needle. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you going to remove your Protective Mirror? Why are you blocking even the Protective Qi with the needle?¡± ¡°Uh, wait, I¡¯m not doing this on purpose, okay, now it¡¯s do- OW!¡± With quite an intense pain, THUNK! The sensation of the needle digging into the shoulder was vivid. ¡°Ah.¡± It was the doctor¡¯s startled voice. For patients, it¡¯s a terrifying nightmare-like sound whether it¡¯s during medical treatment or surgery. ¡°¡­I think I just heard a sound that a physician should absolutely never make.¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Did I mishear? Oh, hiya, this is amazing. The pain seems to have decreased a lot?¡± ¡°Huh? Really? That shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ Doctor?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just. I stuck it in deep. Can you try moving your fingers?¡± ¡°Huh? Um, they¡¯re not moving? Isn¡¯t this normal?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll move by morning. Probably. But since it¡¯spletely numb now, the needles should go in well. Now then, sting.¡± Squish, squiiish, Along with the sensation of intense pressing, Tang Nanah spoke in a frustrated voice. ¡°Tch, it won¡¯t go in¡­¡± Qing thought quietly to herself. I should have received scientific Western medical treatment instead of these quack traditional physicians after all. It¡¯s truly a thousand-year regret that there are no Western doctors. However, there was another fact that Qing didn¡¯t know. Western medicine of this era focused on more fundamental treatments rather than solving individual symptoms. Where is the source of pain? The brain! Let¡¯s remove the brain! Where is the source of disease? The rectum! Let¡¯s remove the rectum! The back! Let¡¯s look at the back! This might sound like a lie. But look. Westerners suffered greatly from toothaches. So the personal physicians of noble aristocrats practiced preventive medicine by extracting all teeth even before they hurt, even for respected royalty. What? Sterilization? Wash tools and hands? That¡¯s something only crazy germaphobic lunatics do! Wait, what? Mental illness? Yes, the brain! Let¡¯s remove the brain! For reference, the development of Western medicine in this era was like this. Doctorspared scenes they saw in dreams, and then chose the one from the person with the loudest voice to record as knowledge. The concept itself was different from the start. Traditional medicine was about treating sick people, so doctors who failed in treatment had to be prepared to be stoned. But Western medicine was more like an attempt to try and save someone who was going to die anyway. If sessful, great, and if it failed, well, the person was going to die anyway, so the doctor wasn¡¯t at fault. If by chance the patient survived, it immediately became the discovery of a new treatment method, adding another horrific tool to their arsenal. So Qing should have been grateful to Tang Nanah, but¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. Maybe you¡¯ll be able to move your arm by lunchtime tomorrow¡­ probably?¡± Qing thought again. Being a traditional physician was her only redeeming quality. But now it seems she has no redeeming qualities left, huh. Breakfast for people in the Central ins is quite simple. If that¡¯s how it had to be, Qing was willing to give up being a person of the Central ins. ¡°That, um, soak it well. Aang.¡± Qing ate the dumplings Gyeon Pohee offered like a baby bird. If you wrap even simple stir-fried vegetables in torn dumplings and eat them, it¡¯s truly delicious with a spicy and sour taste. What to do when your arm doesn¡¯t move. Strictly speaking, it was more due to Tang Nanah¡¯s crude acupuncture relying on force rather than the injury. From Tang Nanah¡¯s perspective, one might say, what else could she do when the needle wouldn¡¯t go in, but still. Qing could have used chopsticks with her left hand. But there was no need to go that far in a rxed meal setting with nopetitors. Rather, thepetition was on the feeding side. As soon as Qing swallowed, this time Tang Nanah held out arge chopstick-full. ¡°Wait, eggnt, take out the eggnt.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, you don¡¯t eat eggnt? You shouldn¡¯t be picky.¡± ¡°I only like it fried, though? And I¡¯ve already grown as much as I¡¯m going to grow, so why eat a bnced diet to grow more? Hey. You. Again. Where are you looking?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just because you said ¡®grow¡¯¡­¡± While this was going on, Zhuge Ihyeon was staring as if entranced. Since his gaze was different from Tang Nanah¡¯s, Qing¡¯s reaction was also different. ¡°What is it, Zhugie? Never seen someone eat a lot before? Am I fascinating? I haven¡¯t even eaten half yet, though?¡± ¡°If you ask if it¡¯s fascinating, it is indeed fascinating. But, Noonim, your arm seems ufortable, may I ask what happened?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s nothing. I got the wrong acupuncture in the middle of the night and it got paralyzed.¡± Answering ¡®no¡¯ to a subjective question, Qing couldn¡¯t bring herself to say she had properly ruined one arm while teasing their little sister. At any rate, she didn¡¯t lie. ¡°Ugh. Th-That¡¯s why I¡¯m feeding her. No, what¡¯s with you, I¡¯m just thinking of you¡­¡± ¡°I appreciate that. Hmm, should I get another treatment?¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m a bit more used to it¡­¡± It was a rather unreliable statement. But as Tang Nanah said she was being considerate, and although it was just paralyzed, the effect was properly showing, so what could she do. Since it would be good to arrive at the next city, Xiaogan, by evening, they left the Zhuge n early after breakfast. Qing briefly considered staying one more day as Zhuge Hyang clung tightly to her leg. ¡°Unni, when will youe back? Will youe to get me?¡± Qing burst intoughter. As expected, little kids easily give their affection and easily forget. It¡¯s all in vain to love them because they¡¯re cute. When you see themter when they¡¯ve grown up, boys be creepy and girls be stingy, so there¡¯s really no nutritional value in getting close to little kids. Qing casually answered while patting her head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle get you when you be pretty.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll be waiting, Unni.¡± Thinking, an adult who just took one walk with her at seven years old will be forgotten in a few days, andter she¡¯ll ask ¡°Who are you?¡± The journey in the Zhuge n¡¯s carriage was an extremelyfortable one. While not quite as good as the Demonic Cult¡¯s ebony carriage, it was an invention of the Zhuge family, experts in mechanisms that provided aparable ride quality. Moreover, there was no chance of unnecessary trouble. Far from trouble, people miraculously cleared the way in front of the carriage with the Zhuge character attached. Travelingfortably like this, they continued their journey straight north, finally entering Henan Province and reaching Xinyang. Xinyang was a city with argeke on its left leg, and thiske was Nanyang Lake. However, Nanyang is the name of a neighboring town quite far to the west. ¡°Do you know why theke in Xinyang is named Nanyang Lake? I should exin from the time of the ancient State of Xin during the Spring and Autumn period. At that time¡­¡± Zhuge Ihyeon suddenly started automatically firing off an exnation about this. It could be said to be a truly strange thing, as no one had particrly asked. ¡°¡­And so, it waster separated into Nanyang and Xinyang. Ah, speaking of Nanyang, it¡¯s the ce where Ancestor Zhuge Liang spent his childhood, so I can¡¯t help but feel particrly emotional. Also, in the past, Liu Xuande served as the county magistrate there and visited Ancestor Zhuge Liang three times, so the story of the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage happened right in Nanyang¡­¡± As the topic naturally flowed to Nanyang, it seems he wanted to talk about Zhuge Liang. Well, who could resist bragging about their family¡¯s greatest ancestor? However, Nanyang is the neighboring town, and this is Xinyang. Not long after the Zhuge n carriage entered the city, a group of martial artists rushed over, which was a touchingpetition of nearby orthodox martial officials rushing to wee them. Qing saw a familiar face among them. ¡°Ah. So this is the ce.¡± No wonder it looked familiar. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Young Master Wang of the Daijing Sect?¡± It was Wang Sonseok, the heir of the Daijing Sect. Wang Sonseok also recognized Qing. Qing had her face covered, and because of that, she had physical characteristics that made her even easier to recognize. If she had her face uncovered, he might not have recognized her. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Young Lady Ximen! Have you been well?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­¡± Qing, who was about to answer as usual, hesitated. How cold and harsh that winter was, after picking up that Bokshinjeok and returning. And then those Demonic Cult bastards were real sons of bitches. Thinking about it again makes me angry, I should summon the Heavenly Demonter and destroy some things to vent. ¡°Young Lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been getting by. I don¡¯t think I can say I¡¯ve been well even as a polite lie¡­¡± Wang Sonseok broke out in a cold sweat. It was a difficult statement to respond to, so he had no choice but to change the subject. ¡°Th-That! Ah! You must be on your way to participate in the Murim Conference? Oh, this young expert apanying you must be the famous Beastly¡­¡± Wang Sonseok¡¯s words stopped abruptly. Unfortunately, it stopped at ¡°Beastly,¡± so it looked like it ended with ¡°He¡¯s of a Beast!¡± It was all because of Tang Nanah. While Qing was treated harshly, Tang Nanah was a proud member of the Five Flowers of Murim, the Speaking Poison Flower. Only the members of the Zhuge n with their unique aesthetic standards would say ¡°How beautiful,¡± and continue their exercises. This reaction of rendering men speechless was the normal one. ¡°What¡¯s this, Qing¡¯er, is he someone you know?¡± ¡°I briefly stayed¡­ Or wait, thinking about it, didn¡¯t the Daijing Sect people owe me? What do you think?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Our Daijing Sect received a great favor from Young Lady Ximen. But this truly beautiful youngdy¡­¡± It could have been a somewhat rude statement, but in fact, Wang Sonseok didn¡¯t really understand what Qing was saying. Right in front of him was a dazzling beauty, after all. ¡°I¡¯m Tang Nanah.¡± ¡°The Speaking Poison Flower!¡± Qing thought as she watched this scene. This makes me want to have a title too. Just saying the name automatically triggers exmations. In fact, Qing does have a title. It just hasn¡¯t spread widely. She had an impressive title called the Divine Sword of Crescent Moon. Even bestowed by the Sect Leader of Mount Hua, Yuha Jinin! It¡¯s not just the Crescent Moon Sword, but the ¡®Divine¡¯ Sword of Crescent Moon. To give the title of Divine Sword to a young girl who¡¯s about to insist she¡¯s officially twenty years old. It was also a grandiose title that would make everyone sneer. In fact, that¡¯s why it didn¡¯t spread. People thought either the Mount Hua Sect Leader had gone senile, or he was shamelessly ttering the Female Mad Dog by gilding a young girl. Since they didn¡¯t sincerely believe it, it didn¡¯t spread. It was a problem caused by the title being too grandiose. Chapter 153: On The Way To Kaifeng (7) If you¡¯re going to stay for a day anyway, it¡¯s better with a familiar face. And during thest visit, the Daijing Sect Leader¡¯s snack selection was quite remarkable. So Qing was about to make her choice when¡­ ¡°Since this is my first time traveling in Jianghu, I would like to have many experiences if possible. Staying at an inn is one of them.¡± Tang Nanah conveyed a roundabout refusal. That¡¯s how it sounded to Qing. For reference, the ¡°I¡± she used was a choice of formal vocabry that elevated herself one level above ¡°this girl¡±. While it was a roundabout refusal, it was also a firm attitude indicating she would not ept any objections. ¡°Ah. Then it can¡¯t be helped. Then, may I at least treat you to a meal¡­?¡± ¡°Our travel expenses are sufficient enough that we don¡¯t need to impose.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Wang Sonseok and the other martial officials who hade to greet them drooped their shoulders. Thinking, as expected of one of the Five Flowers of Murim, what a haughty attitude. Qing thought there was no need for all this, but since it wasn¡¯t a solo trip, she had to amodate herpanions. After staring at Tang Nanah until the end, they then left the men who seemed to think the carriage would be transparent if they stared hard enough, and found an inn. ¡°But, why? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to stay for a day?¡± ¡°Come on. Where in the world is anything free? They¡¯re probably all nning to go to the Murim Conference anyway, so it¡¯s annoying if they subtly want to travel together.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Noonim Tang, how could that be? With threedies such as yourselves, how could any man dare to ask to travel together?¡± In fact, asking to travel together on a journey of women moving together bes an unofficial discourtesy. Is a detailed exnation even needed? Even when transcending eras, it was the kind of behavior that would make people curse, saying ¡°That bastard is crazy about that woman.¡± ¡°Oing?¡± At this, Qing looked at Zhuge Ihyeon. With a look that said, ¡°Who said they wanted to go together?¡± ¡°Ah. Noonim, you¡¯re indifferent to Central ins affairs. I¡¯m a Zhuge, aren¡¯t I?¡± The choice of words, not saying she was ignorant, well reflected Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s character. It was also an answer with multiple meanings. In a good sense, since the Zhuge family¡¯s aesthetic standards were well known, even if he asked to travel together, it wouldn¡¯t be taken as ae-on. In another sense, it meant that someone of the Zhuge n¡¯s status had no reason to make advances in such a way. Moreover, with a Daoist elder, the elder¡¯s sworn sister, and Tang Nanah, the precious daughter of the Tang n, it was even natural for the Zhuge n to be together - this was how the top echelons of the Central ins interacted with each other. ¡°Then isn¡¯t it hard to bring up traveling together even if we stay overnight? Is there really a need to be so cautious?¡± ¡°Oh my, Noonim. You should know the danger of your beauty. Even if they ask to travel together, we don¡¯t particrly have a reason to refuse, so if they say they¡¯ll endure the shame, wouldn¡¯t they just bring it up?¡± Then Tang Nanah added a word. ¡°That¡¯s right. Qing¡¯er, you need to know how pretty you are.¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s not that much.¡± At any rate, it was around early evening. People in the Central ins eat a very light breakfast and lunch, but have a very hearty dinner. Although the farmers, who make up the absolute majority of the poption, might not agree, farmers were considered somewhere between humans and livestock, so they weren¡¯t counted as people of the Central ins. Of course, Qing ate hearty meals three times a day, but still, she put the most effort into dinner among them. This was because there were many dishes that could only be ordered in the evening, as they were made inrge quantities for sale. There was also the advantage that if she got acupuncture before bed, the paralysis would wear off around lunchtime, so she could eat dinner by herself again. After all, it was a bit frustrating that the two of them fed her only after she hadpletely swallowed. So after dinner, they took a walk around Nanyang Lake to aid digestion, yed a bit, got acupuncture, and went to sleep. It wasn¡¯t a diary so it wasn¡¯t written down anywhere, but it could be said it was fairly enjoyable. And then she received a bath, got acupuncture while lying down, and then fell asleep leaning on Sworn Sister Wannabe in the best room, which was like a normal day. These days, she shared the same bed every day, feeling sorry for constantly refusing when Gyeon Pohee asked to share a room before, not knowing Central ins culture. When she was at the Zhuge n, she asked Zhuge Ihyeon if she might be misunderstanding something, and his answer was firm. * In the past, roughly a week ago. Zhuge Ihyeon, the top intellect among muscle men, said: ¡°For sworn sisters, isn¡¯t it a touching disy of affection to use one bed, share one nket, and sleep embracing each other?¡± ¡°Touching disy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In the past, didn¡¯t the three great heroes Liu Xuande, Guan Yunchang, and Zhang Yide also share one bed, embracing each other and sharing warmth, and weren¡¯t they praised as the most affectionate brothers under heaven?¡± What¡¯s the point of sleeping far apart on the same bed? True affection is formed when you have to endure cold times with each other¡¯s body heat on a cheap bed barely big enough for a booger, with a cheap nket that doesn¡¯t provide warmth. ¡°Huh? Those three?¡± ¡°So when Liu Xuande brought Zhao Zilong into his bed, Zhao Zilong was moved to tears and served him with lifelong loyalty, and even in Ancestor Zhuge Liang¡¯s diary, he recorded the emotion of when General Liu first offered to share his bed.¡± These are examples of Liu Bei using bed-sharing politically. ¡°Uh. Hmm. I see.¡± This is quite eye-opening. Is this the reality of the Three Kingdoms? Is it because it¡¯s a different world? Surely it wasn¡¯t like this in my original home world, right? ¡°In contrast, a fellow named Cao Zhi didn¡¯t share a bed even with his cousin, so Liu Xuande, inparison, had a tendency to particrly invite his subordinates to his bed to spread his name for benevolence and righteousness throughout the world.¡± ¡°Your choice of words is a bit strange.¡± Of course, purely, without any unsavory incidents, they just slept close together on one bed, just literally as stated. But for someone with a more modern sensibility¡­ Ugh, uuugh. ¡°There¡¯s even a saying that if Cao Zhi had shared a bed with Sima Yi even once, the owner of the world might not have changed.¡± ¡°Cao Cao lost because he didn¡¯t sleep with Sima Yi?¡± Hm? Did Cao Cao lose? Wasn¡¯t he killed when Hua Tuo cracked his head? Her knowledge of the Three Kingdoms was roughly at this level, skimmed through manhwa. Qing only knew the names of famous people, knowing it at a level that almost rewrote history. ¡°If an adult shared a bed with his father, it would be almost equivalent to an adoptive father, so how could they dare to tease and mock?¡± Cao Cao might feel a bit wronged, as his family was basically wealthy, so they never had times difficult and poor enough to ovee with one bed. This contrasted with how the Three Sworn Brothers still slept together when they gathered even after Liu Bei established himself in Shu. However, Liu Bei was married, it was difficult for the three brothers to gather after he established himself, and all three were heavy drinkers who lived and died by alcohol, so they would drink in the room and pass out, going straight to bed. Qing also had many memories of rushing out in department groups during university, drinking heavily, and then being neatly packed into inn rooms for group sleep. However, he only said that it was a touching disy of affection to sleep embracing each other under one nket. This meant that people didn¡¯t actually do this. They wouldn¡¯t call something everyone does a touching disy. Zhuge Ihyeon nevertheless exined with particr emphasis. It wasn¡¯t to tease Qing. There was just a small misunderstanding. Rather, Zhuge Ihyeon, interpreting it as that kind heart trying to build up the sworn sisters¡¯ spirit, ended up admiring it. As if saying, she¡¯s not my rival, she¡¯s my sworn sister, so don¡¯t treat her carelessly. So Zhuge Ihyeon had indirectly expressed that he would now properly recognize her as Noonim and serve her, so please stop now. However, this was too high-level an expression for Qing to understand, so she just took it literally and thought, ¡°Is this a cultural difference?¡± There was also the shock of learning Liu Xuande¡¯s true nature. In fact, his only truly close friends in the world were his two sworn brothers, and he was a gloomy big-eared guy who imitated a sage-like ruler with a political performance of his utmost sincerity. Of course, one might say that Liu, who at least tried to act like a good person even with a ck heart, was much better than Cao, who was born without guilt due to a gic disease and had a social development disorder. Moreover, Cao¡¯sck of guilt and empathy was passed down gically. Sima Yi, who cut off that line, could be called the true chivalrous hero under heaven. Plus the achievement of finely shredding the Chinese people into the Sixteen Kingdoms! He was truly a saint who would live happily ever after, receiving blessings forever next to the highest throne in heaven. * And back to the present. Qing¡¯s group, who had rested well for a night in Xinyang, started their journey north towards Kaifeng again. Passing through small towns and viges, finally, what was bound to happen eventually happened. ¡°Ah.¡± It was Tang Nanah, who had developed some skill and was changing angles while applying acupuncture. However, this was one of the taboos of acupuncture. ¡°Are you going to keep making ominous exmations while doing acupuncture?¡± ¡°My long needle¡­¡± This is exactly the kind of action that¡¯s perfect for breaking needles. This was why needles should be inserted perpendicr to the affected area, without force, gently tapping them in. However, she had gripped the needle with her fist, shaking it around and stabbing it in roughly, so how could a thin, long needle possibly withstand that? Tang Nanah made a tearful face. It was both because a familiar tool she had used for a long time had broken, and because the needle Tang Nanah used was no ordinary needle. It was a masterpiece among masterpieces, a luxury item among luxury items, that a famous needle craftsman had prided as his life¡¯s work. The fact that it had withstood Tang Nanah¡¯s crude acupuncture technique, inserted with her whole body¡¯s strength until now, was proof that it was truly a world-ss luxury item. As Tang Nanah was nkly staring at the broken long needle, that¡¯s when it happened. Qing, feeling a bit of conscience, knowing it wasn¡¯t the time to bring this up but still having a question she ultimately had to ask. ¡°Um¡­ where¡¯s the remaining part?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ huh?¡± It was a talent to make someone nervous with just one syble. ¡°Can it be pulled out?¡± ¡°If, if you move your arm like this, like this, it should naturallye out.¡± ¡°My arm doesn¡¯t move, though?¡± ¡°Well. My dad wille to Kaifeng too, so we can ask my dad to¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you think positively? Since you won¡¯t be using any strength in your arm at all, in a week the injury should be all healed¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± And so, after this very minor incident where her arm becamepletely paralyzed - ording to the medical opinion of Tang Nanah, an authority in traditional medicine - the group arrived at arge city. Its name was Zhumadian. ¡°Zhumadian was also and called Runan in the past. The current Runan has been separated into Runan County to the east, which happened during the Tang Dynasty¡­¡± An unsolicited exnation automatically popped out. Of course, it was a sound that dispersed emptily as no one in the group was properly listening. Still, Qing found it amazing to see how he always burst into speech like this. Is there some book that just collects information like this? How does he string it all together so smoothly? Of course, among them, she did pick out interesting stories with uncanny uracy. For example, the story of how Zhumadian got its name because of Yang Guifei, one of the Four Great Beauties of China and famous as the greatest viiness under heaven. Yang Guifei loved lychee the most among fruits, but it happened to be a fruit from Southeast Asia. This city was where they stopped once while quickly transporting it, hence it became Zhumadian (literally meaning ¡°stop point for horses¡±). In fact, it¡¯s not something tough off. There was even a saying that one of the reasons for the Tang Dynasty¡¯s downfall was the enormous cost spent on the ¡°lychee transport operation¡± to bring fresh fruit for Yang Guifei. For reference, lychee is called ¡°lizhi¡± in Chinese, and in the history of Qing¡¯s homnd, the Westerners took lizhi and named it ¡°lychee¡± due to pronunciation limitations. It was that lychee that was always piled up like mountains as dessert in cheap all-you-can-eat ces. However, its ce of origin was Southeast Asia, so it originally had a different name. But no one in the world, not a single person in past or future, was ever curious about the original name of the Southeast Asian fruit, So that name remained unknown, they say. After hearing this interesting exnation, Qing thought. Ah. Lychee. Lychee is delicious too. I want to eat lychee. However, since Qing was not Yang Guifei, no one would go get it for her just because she wanted to eat it. Instead, there was one girl being annoying about something else. ¡°Qing¡¯er, let¡¯s go look for needles.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even unpacked yet¡­¡± ¡°We have to go before the sun sets. The needle craftsmen close their metal shops and go home when it gets dark¡­¡± They hadn¡¯t even found an inn or unpacked their luggage yet, but Tang Nanah was suddenly urging to go look for new long needles. She said if they were lucky, they might be able to pull out the needle stuck in her shoulder with the iron tongs used by needle craftsmen. Chapter 154: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (1) Naturally, anyrge city would have at least one street of metal shops. After leaving the carriage at the inn, they asked for directions to the metal shops and headed back out to the streets. Then there was something that felt missing. ¡°Come to think of it, no one came out to greet us?¡± While she hadn¡¯t particrly expected it, theck of the usual wee made her feel empty. When you don¡¯t know something, you just ask someone who does, and coincidentally, there was a muscle-bound weirdo in the group who answered even without being asked. ¡°There¡¯s no particr orthodox martial hall to speak of in Zhumadian, Noonim.¡± ¡°Oing? Why?¡± ¡°First of all, isn¡¯t it a city used as a major government stronghold? Orthodox martial halls are usually rare in cities where government influence is strong.¡± ns (local gentry) cannot take root in government-controlled cities. Rather, even halls that were originally established there end up being pushed out by pressure. Moreover, orthodox martial halls are basically chivalrous people who don¡¯t listen to the government. It was even more so after the Celestial Martial Emperor. When the government borrows the power of Murim, it¡¯s usually for dirty or unjust deeds they¡¯re ashamed of, so orthodox martial halls wouldn¡¯t respond to that. However, unorthodox martial halls were bastards who actively approached government officials without even the pride (this is Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s exnation) to refuse. Moreover, since their usual deeds were dirty and unjust, they often took on government errands well. So in cities tightly controlled by the government, orthodox factions dry up and only unorthodox ones swarm. ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous then? If it¡¯s swarming with unorthodox bastards.¡± ¡°While the southeastern Central ins, where the Unorthodox Path¡¯s influence is strong, certainly has that aspect, there¡¯s no unorthodox faction that would dare touch an orthodox martial artist in Henan.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon said with a gentle smile. This was because the city¡¯s location was quite unfavorable. To the north were Shaolin and the Beggar¡¯s Union, to the south was the Zhuge n, to the east was the Namgung n, and to the west was the Wudang Sect. If the Unorthodox Faction acted up relying on government backing, they wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid annihtion from thebined forces of the Orthodox Faction from all directions. ¡°So at most, their mischief would be limited to ignoring us as if we don¡¯t exist, Noonim.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± After arriving at the metal shop street like this, Tang Nanah took the lead and guided the group. Qing knew nothing about metal shop streets, and even Zhuge Ihyeon, who liked to talk, wasn¡¯t an expert in the field of needles. However, Tang Nanah wasn¡¯t a reliable guide either. ¡°Hey, you apprentice there. Who¡¯s the best needle craftsman in this city?¡± Speaking informally right off the bat to a stranger was befitting of the Speaking Poison Flower¡¯s reputation as a viiness. She only acted like a Chihuahua-level idiot when with Qing. Originally, she was a high-ss youngdy with no regard for others. The poor apprentice was more distracted by her dazzling beauty than the sudden informal speech. ¡°Hey. What¡¯s this? Are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not. But what do you mean by needle craftsman? What craftsman in the world makes a living just making needles?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± There are very few craftsmen in the world who specialize in needles. Only in medical families like the Tang n, who also run metal shops, would they have a needle craftsman in the family to make them. As the apprentice said, how many needles could be sold to specialize in making them? If there was a craftsman famous for needles, physicians from all over the world woulde to buy them. When asking for a needle craftsman at a local metal shop, the response would naturally be to ask if such a craftsman even exists. ¡°Then how do the physicians in this town make needles?¡± ¡°Well, if you just tten it thin and long, it¡¯s a needle¡­¡± Tang Nanah frowned deeply. Saying that ttening it thin and long makes it a needle was an outrageous statement that a physician absolutely couldn¡¯t let slide. ¡°What kind of stupid talk is that? Forget it. Then, who¡¯s the best craftsman in the city?¡± ¡°That would be Old Man Ban, but right now he¡¯s¡­¡± The apprentice tried to say something, but Tang Nanah, who had already lost her patience, immediately barked at him. ¡°You talk too much. Which way do I go?¡± ¡°Go straight and at the second alley¡­¡± The apprentice exined the way. Unexpectedly, the metal shop street seemed quite developed, as the directions were quiteplex. Surprisingly, Tang Nanah nodded and said with an expression ofplete understanding. ¡°Little Brother Zhuge? Did you remember?¡± ¡°Of course, Noonim Tang.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Qing nodded at this scene and thought. People should naturally leave things they can¡¯t do to others. Even if she seems like a quack, she¡¯s still a physician, so it seems she¡¯s notpletely incapable of using her head. Zhuge Ihyeon, fully demonstrating his status as the top intellect among muscle men, showed the marvel of memorizing theplex directions heard just once and leading the group. Finally, arriving in front of the Ban Family Metal Shop, said to be the best in the city, Qing asked. ¡°Hmm. Zhugie, is this the right ce?¡± It was a building that didn¡¯t seem to have been used for a long time. In the open space characteristic of metal shops with just a roof, fresh weeds had already grown up to ankle height. Considering it was early spring before even cherry blossoms had bloomed, it meant it hadn¡¯t been managed at all. ¡°Noonim, we¡¯vee to the right ce. Look, it¡¯s right there. Ban Family Metal Shop.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon pointed to a signboard lying on the ground. The signboard, made of iron te befitting a metal shop, clearly had the four characters for ¡°Ban Family Metal Shop¡± engraved in elegant calligraphy. ¡°Just looking at the signboard, it¡¯s clear this is a craftsman of extraordinary skill. However¡­¡± Even if he was ayman when it came to needles, the Zhuge n¡¯s metal shop was also one of the famous names known throughout the world for its precise mechanism production. The level of craftsmanship could be seen just from the characters engraved on the signboard. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll know when we go in. Hello? Is anyone here?¡± Qing said this as she darted into the metal shop that looked almost like an abandoned house. ¡°What¡¯s this, did the shop go out of business?¡± And as she looked around inside, suddenly¡ª Her eyes met squarely with those of an old man quietly ring from the shadows. ¡°Aaack! Shit, you scared me¡­¡± Qing let out an udylike, strong scream. But that was only for a moment. The only things she feared were ghosts or a sudden nuclear noogie from her master falling from the sky, not just an old man ring. ¡°Excuse me, grandpa? Are you okay? Why are you like this? You scared me.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re even mobilizing women! Get out! Even if I die, I have no intention of forging weapons for you bastards!¡± The old man shouted vehemently. ¡°Oing? We came to make needles, not weapons.¡± ¡°Ha! Aren¡¯t hidden weapons still weapons?¡± ¡°No, not those needles, but long needles. The ones physicians use for acupuncture. Don¡¯t you know needles? Needles? Has grandpa already gone senile?¡± At this, the old man¡¯s expression turned to bewilderment. ¡°You came to make needles? Not to ask me to make swords?¡± ¡°I already have a sword, you know? Why would I use another sword when I have the one my master gave me?¡± Qing said, tapping her scabbard. Only then did the old man show an embarrassed expression. ¡°Ahem. Yes, you came to make needles¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I had customers¡­ Needles are quite expensive, though.¡± ¡°Ah. Wait a moment. I¡¯m not the one buying them.¡± At this, Tang Nanah held out the broken needle. As soon as cksmith Ban saw the broken needle, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°Oh my, how did you break such a precious needle? Just looking at it, it¡¯s undoubtedly a divine relic that might appear once in an era.¡± ¡°Could it possibly be reattached?¡± At this, the old man carefully examined the broken cross-section. ¡°Tsk tsk. How much force must have been used for this excellent needle to break like this? As they say, ¡®pearls before swine,¡¯ it seems the tool is a divine item of the world, but the owner¡¯s skill falls far short.¡± ¡°What? What did this old man just say?¡± ¡°Still, fortunately, the cross-section is clean, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to reattach.¡± Tang Nanah¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°What does an old man know? What kind of muscle blocks a needle wrapped in Inner Qi? It would be easier to stick a needle in a rock.¡± ¡°Ah. So the youngdy was doing acupuncture. This old man has made a foolish mistake.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Tang Nanah snorted. ¡°So, where¡¯s the other half?¡± ¡°Uh. About that.¡± Tang Nanah looked at Qing. ¡°Speaking of which. Old man, don¡¯t you have those thin tongs used for making needles? We need to pull out something stuck in a body¡­¡± The broken needle was stuck in Qing¡¯s shoulder with just the tip slightly protruding, so it was in a state where it couldn¡¯t be pulled out without a proper tool to grip it firmly. It was too short to grab with hands as the protruding part was only as big as a millet grain, and fingernails would slip on the metal and couldn¡¯t apply enough force to pull it out. Moreover, ordinary tongs couldn¡¯t even grip the thin long needle tightly. Fortunately, among the tools the old man had collected over a lifetime of running a metal shop, there was a pair of tongs for gripping iron needles. ¡°Alright, shall we pull it out?¡± ¡°If you pull it out and it¡¯s broken in half, I really won¡¯t let it slide. I¡¯ll shout as my Hidden Dragon Tournament victory speech that the Tang n¡¯s Whatever Nanah is a quack physician who kills patients.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Suddenly, Tang Nanah¡¯s movements became stiff. Qing narrowed her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this, surely there¡¯s no real possibility of that, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, Qing¡¯er! Your muscles arepressed like rocks, not even like Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, so if the needle can¡¯t withstand it and twists¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my fault, my fault, all my fault.¡± ¡°Well. Anyway. Ah, over there!¡± ¡°Huh? What? What¡¯s there-¡° Swoosh, there was a clear feeling of something being pulled out. A sigh of relief followed. ¡°Phew, it came out safely and well.¡± ¡°To induce carelessness, what a vile trick¡­¡± ¡°Come on. How can you say such things even when I speak?¡± Tang Nanahughed and pped Qing¡¯s back. * And then Old Man Ban was in a fuss about having to light the fire again. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t particrly interesting for Qing, who didn¡¯t know anything about metal shop work, to watch. ¡°Come to think of it, Old Man Ban. Are you perhaps a descendant of Ban Chi?¡± ¡°Ah, Noonim! You know Ban Chi! He was truly the greatest cksmith of all time!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± It was the usual nonsense Qing spouted. Hearing it from someone else¡¯s mouth made her feel strange. Isn¡¯t this guy like actually from the Central ins? Is this the true spirit of pretending to know things? One that transcends time and space itself? ¡°Actually, metal shop work is hard and tiring, and doesn¡¯t bring in much ie, so usually children inherit it. In fact, unless you¡¯re skilled enough as a craftsman to amass some wealth, even getting married isn¡¯t easy¡­¡± So often, they pick up orphans, raise them, and pass on their skills. Of course, in most cases, they substitute wages with the cost of skill transfer, so they¡¯re usually no different from servants cum assistants who are just provided with room and board. Some craftsmen with personality issues even work them like ves until their bodies break down and then kick them out. ¡°That¡¯s why many cksmiths have the surname Ban. It means they want to emte the greatest craftsman among craftsmen.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Ah. Speaking of Ban Chi, I can¡¯t help but mention his beautiful love story and the Bokshinjeok. The Bokshinjeok refers to Ban Chi¡¯s treasure that has now disappeared forever, a flute made of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron¡­¡± Qing stretched out her hand to the side. Then Gyeon Pohee took out a flute from somewhere and ced it firmly in that hand. It was thanks to Choi Leeong havingpleted the handover. ¡°Zhugie. This is that Bokshinjeok that was said to have disappeared forever.¡± ¡°¡­It really is Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. Is it genuine?¡± The Zhuge n¡¯s metal shop is famous. And Zhuge Ihyeon was knowledgeable about all the business his family was involved in. He could recognize at a nce the characteristic lusterless dark blue appearance of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron. ¡°Then what? Would it be fake?¡± ¡°My goodness, such a treasure¡­¡± Qing seeded in temporarily sealing the never-resting terror of a chatterbox by cing the Bokshinjeok in Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s hand. However, the peace for her ears that hade after a long time did notst long. ¡°What¡¯s this, old man? Who said you could light a fire?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell you to close up shop?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there? What fearless bastards dare to vite thews of the Namen Sect¡­¡± It was thanks to a group of thugs who appeared wearing swords loosely. Qing smiled brightly as she confirmed their Evil Karma. Chapter 155: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (2) Qing waved her face veil side to side as she greeted the guests. ¡°Well, well. Aren¡¯t these our friends?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, what brings you all the way here? What business do you have at this crumbling metal shop?¡± The thugs hesitated. What¡¯s this? Does she know us? Why is she acting friendly? Is she one of us? Perhaps she¡¯s from the Unorthodox Path? ¡°Um, who might you be¡­¡± ¡°Would you know who I am if I told you? Come on. So. Why are you here? I haven¡¯t been in this neighborhood long, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± In fact, thugs also have a sort of script prepared for when the other party takes a strong stance. If Qing had shouted something like ¡°You scum, what are you doing to innocent civilians!¡± as an orthodox martial artist might, the thugs would have had a manual for how to respond. We are the virtuous experts of the Namen Sect! If you mess with us, the Namen Sect won¡¯t stand idle, and if the Namen Sect doesn¡¯t stand idle, all the unorthodox factions in the city won¡¯t stand idle, and if all the unorthodox factions in the city don¡¯t stand idle, the government officials who took our bribes won¡¯t stand idle either! They were prepared to recite something like this in a rough tone mixed with curses. But to confidently act friendly? This was often the attitude shown by infamous Demonic Adepts to cute unorthodox faction saplings. Of course, Demonic Adepts don¡¯t act friendly because they find the juniors cute. Usually, it¡¯s to exploit them. This was how the seniors and juniors of the Unorthodox Faction typically behaved. That¡¯s why the thugs became even more tense. ¡°Well, we are martial artists of the Namen Sect, but.¡± ¡°Namen Sect? Ramen Sect? Little Brother, can you exin?¡± ¡°The Namen Sect, a group that flourished about ten years ago, I heard their leader is a leper. I believe I heard his realm is Transcendent.¡± ¡°Ah. That Namen Sect? Ah, I want to eat ramen.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon scratched his chin. No matter how he thought about it, he had never heard of a dish called ramen. But originally, the Central ins were so vast that if one were to count local dishes, one couldn¡¯t name them all even if they spoke of them from birth to death. And Zhuge Ihyeon didn¡¯t hold back when he was curious. To be precise, he couldn¡¯t hold back when he was curious. ¡°Noonim, I haven¡¯t heard of a dish called ramen, but which region¡¯s food is it?¡± ¡°Hmm. I heard they call itmian around here.¡± ¡°Ah, a dialect. I understand.¡± The Namen Sect martial artists froze even more upon seeing Zhuge Ihyeon. Originally, the less skilled a martial artist was, the more they cared about the other party¡¯s level of External Arts. Of course, since the criteria for judging External Arts for low-ss martial artists without discernment was size and muscle, a huge muscle man was already no different from a Supreme Master. And to be the Noonim of such a Supreme Master! ¡°So. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Well, that old man dared to defy the Namen Sect¡¯s orders, so we came to teach him a lesson¡­¡± ¡°Teach him a lesson? Can you exin in more detail?¡± The Namen Sect martial artists, overwhelmed by Zhuge Ihyeon, obediently revealed their purpose. There was also a reason why Qing had acted in a somewhat friendly manner. Old Man Ban is the best craftsman in Zhumadian. In fact, it¡¯s a bit ambiguous to say he¡¯s the best in Zhumadian, as he was one of the top master craftsmen even if you expanded the range to the entire Henan Province. However, the master craftsman¡¯s specialty was limited to agricultural tools and the like. No matter how excellent an ironsmith is, they can¡¯t make masterpieces if the field is different. If a master of swordsmanship picks up a half-sword, they might be able to swing it roughly, but they couldn¡¯t be called a master of the half-sword, could they? The problem was that a sword Old Man Ban made in his youth had been discovered. And it was said to be a truly excellent sword. In other words, Old Man Ban wasn¡¯t unable to make swords, he was unwilling to make them! Skilled sword craftsmen are precious people that sectspete to recruit. If martial artists are perfectly equal in skill, the difference that determines victory or defeat would be the superiority of their weapons. Even if not, martial artists¡¯ interest in better weapons was something that even masters of Fist Arts couldn¡¯t hide. And the excellent sword craftsman of Zhumadian should rightfully be taken by the Namen Sect, the Unorthodox Faction leaders of the city. ¡°So you want to take Old Man Ban away?¡± ¡°No, we gave up on that long ago. That old man is so stubborn¡­¡± Old Man Ban had sworn not to make weapons. Craftsmen who have the ability but refuse to make weapons are moremon in the Central ins than one might think. If you throw a silver coin to a street storyteller, you could listen to tragic stories about this all day. No matter how they coaxed, threatened, and tried every method, Old Man Ban remained unmoved, insisting he¡¯d rather die than make swords. Even kidnapping and threatening his grandson didn¡¯t work. So the Namen Sect leader thought. If I can¡¯t have him, I¡¯ll destroy him. How can I make an example? Right, let¡¯s starve him to death. If they see a bastard who dared to defy the Namen Sect die of starvation, others won¡¯t dare to think differently. ¡°Ah. So that¡¯s why youe to chase away customers every time?¡± ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s how it turned out¡­¡± The Namen Sect martial artists answered, looking anxious and trying to gauge the situation. However, they became more rxed at Qing¡¯s next words. ¡°Wow, that must be tough. Really tough. So you¡¯ve been watching the metal shop all day, checking if he lights a fire or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We all take turns watching to see if anyone gives the old man food. But some bastard keeps sneaking in food, so the old man won¡¯t die. And the higher-ups keep pressuring us, asking if we¡¯re not blocking properly¡­¡± This was the life of a low-ranking martial artist. Especially for Unorthodox Faction members, how much worse must it be? ¡°Life seems tough. Want me to help?¡± ¡°If, if you¡¯re offering to speak to the higher-ups for us, we¡¯re fine, you really don¡¯t need to¡­¡± ¡°No. We need to remove the fundamental cause.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Life is hard? Then just don¡¯t live. A life that only chooses to do bad things, what¡¯s the point of living more?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Qing stretched out her left hand. However, feeling nothing in her hand, she frowned and looked at Zhuge Ihyeon. ¡°Zhugie, when I do this, you should know what to do! You should put the Bokshinjeok in my hand! Didn¡¯t you see what Sworn Sister did earlier?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Noonim. My apologies.¡± Qing grasped the Bokshinjeok in her hand. Then, barbaric Qi output burst forth from the Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron short staff. Somehow, Tang Nanah had taken up position at the rear, blocking the metal shop entrance with a poison bottle in hand, and Gyeon Pohee was beside her, cutely raising her fist with three fingers extended to shoulder height. The Namen Sect martial artists, blocked front and back, spoke politely with pale faces. ¡°Uh, if you have any grievances, perhaps we could resolve this through dialogue?¡± ¡°What dialogue with Unorthodox Faction vermin? I¡¯m from the Divine Maiden Sect. This is a Zhuge. That nasty face over there is from the Tang n. And next to her is¡­ um¡­ Seol Family Trading Company?¡± At this, Gyeon Pohee made a tearful face. But it¡¯s not like she could say Bliss Pce or Demonic Cult, could she? Qing thought for a moment and changed her words. ¡°Cancel that about the Seol Family Trading Company. She¡¯s my Sworn Sister.¡± Gyeon Pohee¡¯s expression brightened again. She seemed satisfied. On the other hand, the Namen Sect martial artists were not satisfied. Except for the Seol Family Trading Company, these were names known to all Murim practitioners under the heavens. ¡°Damn it! Attack!¡± Even among low-ranking members, there¡¯s a hierarchy, so the highest among them shouted. At the same time, he immediately jumped to the side. One followed the order and rushed at Qing, while another jumped back and tried to break through to the entrance. Qing calmly looked at the Namen Sect martial artist rushing towards her. Raising his sword high above his head as he charged, it didn¡¯t matter whether he was a Murim practitioner or a samurai; either way, his torso was wide open. It was a gap at the level of politely asking, ¡°Please stab my torso.¡± So Qing simply extended Bokshinjeok forward. The short staff, imbued with barbaric strength, entered the upper abdomen and angled upwards, reaching the heart in one go. ¡°Ugh.¡± The vicious Unorthodox Faction bastard couldn¡¯t even bring down the sword he had raised above his head, dropping it with a ng. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± In the Central ins, there¡¯s a weapon called a Blood Hammer, which is a hollow awl with a hole. If you stab the heart with this, blood enters through the hole and gushes out, creating a spectacr scene. This was what was happening in Qing¡¯s hand right now. Blood spurted out regrly from each air hole of the Bokshinjeok, matching the heartbeat. The stickiness wetting her hand was something she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. The blood touching her hand, always cold due to Demonic Arts, felt so hot it might burn. Qing couldn¡¯t control her expression, her mouth corners pulled up to her ears in a vicious smile. It was fortunate she was wearing a face veil. Zhuge Ihyeon frowned at this sight. ¡°Ugh, Noonim. Isn¡¯t it unpleasant to have blood enter the flute?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you wash it well. What. Should a martial artist be picky about weapons?¡± ¡°Even if you try to gloss over it with such cool words, the Bokshinjeok wasn¡¯t originally a weapon. But!¡± Zhuge Ihyeon suddenly spat out his words. ¡°As expected, your flowery and bewitching eloquence is still the same! To make the enemy spill information without any kind of torture or coercion! This dull brother is moved! Moved again! I was starting to suspect recently that you might just be a stupid woman, but you shatter my foolish thoughtspletely!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Why do I feel like shit even though it seems like I¡¯m being praised?¡± Anyway, Qing was very satisfied after getting a proper taste of this feeling in her hand after a long time. Piercing through soft skin and tough heart muscle, she got to taste both weak and rough sensations simultaneously. And stabbing with the Bokshinjeok made blood gush out, Oh, it¡¯s aplete rediscovery of the flute. It was a discovery that would make Ban Chi weep tears of blood in the afterlife. The group¡¯s level of force was too excessive for dealing with mere neighborhood Unorthodox Faction dregs. The one who ran for the door had his head pierced by Gyeon Pohee¡¯s finger-pointing, with some contents leaking out. The one who tried to escape alone was in a slightly better state, with Tang Nanah¡¯s whip wrapped around his neck, his eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth. ¡°Why did that one faint?¡± ¡°Fire ant poison entered his arteries. He probably felt like his whole body was on fire.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± On second thought, he might be the most pitiful. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°You damned baSTARDDDDDD!¡± Old Man Ban suddenly charged with bloodshot eyes, raising a huge hammer high above his head in the familiar posture Qing had just seen. In that directiony the martial artist foaming at the mouth, with the whip wrapped around his neck like a scarf. Qing gracefully flew with the ultimate form of the Divine Maiden Footwork, Spatial Leap, to block in front of the old man. ¡°Wait, grandpa.¡± ¡°Get out of the way, I¡¯m going to smash that bastard¡¯s skull to pieces! That damn bastard!¡± ¡°I understand how you feel, but for someone who said they won¡¯t make swords, is it okay to kill people with a hammer?¡± ¡°But that bastard, that bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Ah. It can¡¯t be helped. Be satisfied with this.¡± Qing ced the sole of her shoe on top of the fallen Unorthodox Faction martial artist¡¯s head. Her knee trembled for a moment as she applied force, and finally, Crunch. In fact, from the moment Qing said it couldn¡¯t be helped, her expression behind the face veil was already blooming with a wide smile. Qing staggered for a moment as if she had lost her bnce. To herpanions, it looked as if she had been shocked by the sensation. Of course, she was shocked. Wow¡­ This is really amazing. How long has it been? Hmm, it must have been too stimting after such a long time. I wonder how many spare underwear I packed. Choi Leeong¡¯s foresight in preparing the face veil was shining brilliantly, emitting a dazzling radiance like the sun. But good things are good things, and having sticky shoe soles is doubly unpleasant. Qing dragged the soles of her shoes across a clean part of the floor. Old Man Ban, who had witnessed the Namen Sect martial artist¡¯s miserable death, stared nkly at the corpse instead of reflecting. Then he hacked up phlegm and spat it out with a Ptui between the broken remains. Seeing this, Qing spoke up again. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t we have something to talk about too?¡± At this, Old Man Ban subtly averted his gaze. Qing took a crooked stance and continued her questioning. ¡°You said this wasn¡¯t a matter of just a day or two, right? You must have known these guys would rush in if you lit a fire.¡± Chapter 156: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (3) There¡¯s a saying about ¡°borrowing a knife to kill someone.¡± It means using someone else¡¯s power to achieve an evil scheme. He clearly knew the Namen Sect martial artists watching woulde if he lit a fire in the furnace, yet he didn¡¯t say a word. The old man snorted shamelessly. ¡°Hmph. What could I do? How could a country bumpkin who doesn¡¯t know martial arts deal with those bastards?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too brazen?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the ones who drew swords? It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if blood wasn¡¯t shed, right?¡± He was basically saying they killed of their own ord without him asking them to. Qing spoke, dumbfounded. ¡°Well, we¡¯re Masters- no, I¡¯m too much of a Master to bepared with those fodder, but anyway, since we¡¯re stronger, those scum hesitated. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t they have caused trouble seeing pretty women?¡± ¡°A huge strongman, two extraordinary beauties, and one dreg walking around without a speck of dust on their clothes - I figured they must be formidable fellows.¡± The old man said, looking at Zhuge Ihyeon, Tang Nanah, and Gyeon Pohee in turn. And his final gaze turned to Qing. ¡°Oing. What¡¯s this. Why am I the dreg?¡± ¡°Why else would a woman cover her face?¡± By themon sense of Jianghu, if someone covered their face, it was naturally because they had a face they couldn¡¯t show others. Or it could be because she was a woman of noble status who couldn¡¯t casually show her face, but such nobledies didn¡¯t lower their dignity by carrying swords. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve seen a satisfying sight before I die, so I¡¯ll make the needle well. It¡¯ll be done soon, so take it and leave. They¡¯lle swarming up in a frenzy since three of them died.¡± ¡°Then what about you, old man?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of an old man living? They¡¯ll just use my useless grandson to pressure me. If I don¡¯t want to see that, I should just hang myself. Come to think of it, this needle will be myst work.¡± It was a miserable thing to say so calmly. Qing frowned. ¡°What¡¯s this? You trying to evoke sympathy or something?¡± ¡°I have no intention of asking for help anyway, so don¡¯t concern yourself whether I hang myself or drink molten iron. I was barely hanging on before you came, nning to take down one of them before leaving.¡± Qing remembered the cold gaze of the old man quietly watching from the shadows when she entered the metal shop. It seems his words about nning to take down one of them before leaving weren¡¯t a lie. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask for help instead of thinking about dying?¡± ¡°Hmph. Who would I ask? Even other sects are all in cahoots, and the government takes bribes to side with them. Who could I appeal to for help?¡± ¡°Why, there are orthodox factions, you know. They literally use the character for ¡®righteous¡¯.¡± ¡°Hmph. Orthodox or unorthodox, aren¡¯t they all the same Murim lot? They¡¯re all just murderers with weapons. Isn¡¯t that what you do? If you want something, you steal and threaten, and if that doesn¡¯t work, you vent your anger. So what can you do? If you don¡¯t know martial arts and are weak, you have no choice but to just die.¡± Tang Nanah red up at this. ¡°What! You old man¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. He didn¡¯t say anything wrong, so what.¡± As Qing restrained Tang Nanah, Old Man Ban smiled crookedly. It was a look that said, ¡°So how are you any different?¡± Well, he did say there were no orthodox factions in the city. If the only Murim practitioners he¡¯s encountered in his life were viins from unorthodox factions, they¡¯d all seem the same to him. In fact, just like how it is said that the interfering sister-inw is more hateful, he might have hated the orthodox factions more for not caring while just talking about being righteous. ¡°It¡¯s a bit childish for provocation, but I¡¯ll bite. I¡¯ll look for your grandson, so don¡¯t die and wait.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to help? Hmph. Even if you try to bestow grace like you¡¯re doing me a favor, I won¡¯t make swords.¡± ¡°Who asked you to make swords? That¡¯s ridiculous. Swords are things you use and throw away when they¡¯re worn out, not something you cherish just because you got a good one.¡± Qing uses weapons carelessly. You could tell just by how she named them. A regr sword is a Moonlight Sword, a half-sword is called a Hell Sword. The Bokshinjeok was no different. If there is an afterlife, wasn¡¯t she abusing the Bokshinjeok to the point where Ban Chi, unable to bear it in the afterlife, might return as a Jiangshi-Ban Chi to seek revenge while weeping tears of blood? If she got another short staffter, it would be Bokshinjeok (No. 2). ¡°In return, I¡¯ll also run away if things don¡¯t work out, so if someone says they ran away because they couldn¡¯t handle the trouble, then you can hang yourself or stick your nose in molten iron and die.¡± Qing said this and turned around. Just as she was crossing the front yard of the metal shop, a corner of her vision flickered as the Mission Window mored to be opened. Qing opened the Mission Window and then dismissed it without even checking. It would just be a sudden mission anyway, and the content was predictable. Help the old man, or rob him, or kill everyone with the Heavenly ughter Star, something like that. ¡°Noonim, please calm down first.¡± At that moment, Zhuge Ihyeon grabbed Qing. Only then did Qing realize her mistake. She had always caused trouble alone in these situations, so she had forgotten she hadpanions. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll go y around for a bit, so you guys go to Kaifeng first. Don¡¯t worry about me. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll just run away.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you did the same in Luoyang. But Noonim, do you know how hurt Elder Brother Peng was?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°If you had just asked for help, Elder Brother Peng, myself, or even Elder Brother Hwangbo could have easily dealt with a mere unorthodox faction. But you just left abruptly.¡± Qing waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Well, you all had your own circumstances. And back then, it was my business.¡± ¡°When I first met you then, I let it slide thinking that¡¯s just how you were, but Elder Brother Peng was grinding his teeth. I wondered why, but now I understand. Noonim, you say we are close enough to call us siblings, but when it¡¯s actually needed, you draw a line treating us as strangers.¡± ¡°Well, we are strangers. Just because we¡¯re close doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re carelessly entangled. I take responsibility for my own decisions. Strictly speaking, I¡¯m not even part of the Divine Maiden Sect, and my master told me not to hold back because of her.¡± At this, Zhuge Ihyeon visibly showed a hurt expression. ¡°If you really think we¡¯re close, you should at least invite us once. Not just announce ¡®I¡¯ll handle my own business, so let¡¯s part ways here.¡¯¡± Hmm. Is that really something to feel hurt about? Qing tilted her head. ¡°But I¡¯m already a Super Supreme Master at running away, so even my master said that if I¡¯m determined to flee, no one under heaven could catch me. So there¡¯s no real danger for me, but if youe along, you might be in danger.¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s your responsibility, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you invite us and we decide toe along, as you said, it¡¯s not your personal responsibility, right? Then you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Does that make sense? Because of me-¡° ¡°Haah. Forget it. I¡¯ll follow Noonim on my own, so whatever happens, it¡¯s all my decision.¡± ¡°No, wait, why.¡± As Qing made a sour face, Tang Nanah seized the opportunity to chime in. ¡°That¡¯s right. If Qing¡¯er goes, I¡¯m going too. If things get dicey, I have this too.¡± Tang Nanah pulled out something round about the size of a fist from somewhere and proudly showed it off. Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°That¡­ Do you always carry poison bombs?¡± ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine. It won¡¯t explode on its own.¡± For reference, this was the same as the line that ounts for an absolute proportion of thest words of people who die from explosives. ¡®It¡¯s okay, it won¡¯t explode.¡¯ And then, BANG! The group strode boldly through Zhumadian. The good thing about having Zhuge Ihyeon was that just asking for directions once was enough to set the route perfectly. ¡°It¡¯s to the left up ahead. And then it¡¯s the first main street on the right from the big square.¡± ¡°Hmm. Are there any enforcements for speeding?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Just kidding. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± It was iprehensible to Zhuge Ihyeon. A joke was a joke, but Qing¡¯s confidence was so imposing that they were naturally barging in. ¡°By the way, do you have any other ns?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I always have a n.¡± ¡°May I hear your wise thoughts?¡± ¡°Hmm. We go and demand they hand over Old Man Ban¡¯s son?¡± ¡°¡­? Would they hand him over willingly? And it was his grandson, not son.¡± ¡°Son or grandson, what¡¯s the difference? And if they don¡¯t give him up, we attack. We block the main gate, I¡¯ll be in front, you guys in the back. If the enemy doesn¡¯te, Nanah will cowardly throw hidden weapons to provoke them into charging.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°If a Transcendent Realm Masteres out, Peak-Transcending Ximen Qing will face them. The end.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon nodded and then spoke. ¡°Is it toote to back out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hold back people who want to leave.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you at least pretend to hold me back¡­¡± If it were the usual Zhuge Ihyeon, he would have dissuaded her and turned back at this point. However, having already experienced Ximen Qing as a person, he knew well that even if he tried to discuss more detailed attack ns, she was the type to say ¡°Then I¡¯ll go alone¡± and charge in. Moreover, with her brimming with such confidence, there was also an expectation that she might have some other method. Tang Nanah didn¡¯t have much thought. Just the idea of going to defeat bad guys. It was the typical thinking of a newbie chick on her first Jianghu outing. At this point, one might suspect if a stupefying aura was emanating from Qing. However, Gyeon Pohee was unaffected. Because she originally had no thoughts in her head. And so, finally, the main gate with the Namen Sect¡¯s signboard appeared before them. Qing continued forward without stopping. The guardszily guarding the main gate spotted the group, and especially upon seeing Tang Nanah¡¯s face, their mouths fell open. As they approached confidently without hesitation, the guards thought they must be guests from somewhere. Watching this, Qing thought, ¡®Why are unorthodox faction bastards so desperate to show their nastiness starting from the gatekeepers?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°What business do you have?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to find Old Man Ban from Ban Family Metal Shop¡¯s son? Grandson? If you hand him over quietly, there won¡¯t be any bloodshed.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Go and tell them. I¡¯m in a good mood, so I¡¯ll let them off if they hand him over.¡± Qing stomped her right foot andunched like a cannonball with the subtlety of the Yue Maiden Footwork. She stopped abruptly in front of the Namen Sect martial artist, her left arm continuing forward to grab his cor and swing. The man¡¯s body floated up, not quite clearing the wall but hitting the top, sending tiles crashing down as he fell and crumpled. Qing spoke with a sour expression. ¡°Sorry. Seems like Icked strength. With both hands I could have thrown you over.¡± Chapter 157: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (4) The main gate guards are usually one on each side, so the remaining one shouted angrily. ¡°What are you doing! Even after this¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to fly too? Or will you run on foot to deliver the message? Tell them to hand over Old Man Ban¡¯s son.¡± Qing cut off the guard¡¯s words. Zhuge Ihyeon added to Qing¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s his grandson, Noonim.¡± ¡°Damn, why do I keep saying son? Anyway, you can clearly see I¡¯m stronger than you, right? Want to die gloriously by resisting?¡± ¡°Keuk, you bitch won¡¯t die peacefully. Hup.¡± The Namen Sect martial artist was trying to curse out of pride, but as something touched his Adam¡¯s apple in an instant, he immediately shut his mouth. ¡°Want to say bad words? You should show respect to Masters.¡± If they show any sign of fighting, she switches to no-words mode. At these times, Qing¡¯s wordse from her spine, skipping the process of going through her head. However, it¡¯s the way of the world that the weak follow whatever the strong say. ¡°No, no. I must have lost my mind for a moment.¡± ¡°Good. Go and tell them to bring Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson from the metal shop. While you¡¯re at it, take that friend who failed at flying too.¡± ¡°If, if you could please remove this first¡­¡± Qing obediently removed Bokshinjeok. The Namen Sect martial artist cautiously picked up hisrade and fled inside the main gate. And just as they seemed to have gained some distance. ¡°You damn bitch! Did you think you could touch the great Namen Sect and live?! How ugly must you be to cover your face with¡­¡± ¡°Nanah. Isn¡¯t it a bit noisy?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tear your crotch apart and kill you, you bitch! I¡¯ll right now- Ack!¡± Suddenly, the Namen Sect martial artist who shouted what sounded like a slogan from a certain amphibious assault unit grabbed between his legs. Ow. Qing frowned and looked at Tang Nanah. With a reproachful look that said, No matter how dirty his words were, isn¡¯t that going too far? For reference, Qing had a nickname given by the soldiers of the Chengdu Garrison in Sichuan, namely the Absolute Witch, the Demonic Maiden Who Ends Bloodlines. ¡°He was saying dirty things, so I just¡­¡± This is why people should be careful with their words. Trying to tear someone else¡¯s crotch, didn¡¯t his own crotch get torn instead? ¡°What¡¯s this! What¡¯s going on! We¡¯re under attack! Ring the bell!¡± A courtyard behind the main gate ismon sense in both the East and West. Witnessing theirrade bing a eunuch in the middle of that courtyard, the startled martial artists ran around in confusion, grabbing their weapons. Ding ding dong ding! The loud sound of striking metal was chaotic. Originally, the signal to alert of a surprise attack is designed to grate on people¡¯s nerves to the point of being unbearable. ¡°Nanah, you¡¯re making us fight because of you. If you had let them deliver the message quietly, we could have left quietly with Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson.¡± ¡°Huh? I just¡­ because he was cursing at you¡­¡± ¡°Alright, get ready. Zhugie and Sworn Sister, beat up anyone rushing out of the main gate and be ready to run at any time. Nanah, stay behind me- no, if you stick that close, how can I fight?¡± ¡°Ah. Sorry.¡± It was a cute mistake due tock of realbat experience. Qing blocked the main gate and drew out the Moonlight Sword (No. 8) instead of Bokshinjeok. Although there was a big tooth missing in the middle of the de, it didn¡¯t matter as long as the core wasn¡¯t damaged. As Qing faced the enemies rushing in like that, she thought she looked like Zhang Fei blocking the Changban Slope¡­ or was it the Battle of Changban? Hmm, was that the right name? Changban? Was that it? Wasn¡¯t it blocking a bridge? Changban Bridge? Ban Bridge? The sight of them rushing out in chaos was like an anthill that had water poured on it. The Namen Sect martial artists formed a semicircle around the main gate. Among them, a middle-aged man with an ominous aura stepped forward and shouted. ¡°Where are you from to be so rude!¡± ¡°Your evil deeds end here! Hand over the grandson of Craftsman Ban from the metal shop that you kidnapped!!¡± Qing nced behind her. With the chaotic sound like striking a pot, spectators had gathered all around outside the Namen Sect. Seeing this, the middle-aged man seemed to have guessed the situation outside the main gate. ¡°Ahem, do you dare to use the great Namen Sect of such an outrageous crime? Although we belong to the Unorthodox Path, we are righteous experts who proudly uphold thew of thend.¡± Qing grinned. He was someone who didn¡¯t even know the basics when it came to a warfare of public opinion. After all, one should emphasize important words loudly so everyone can hear. ¡°You even have the audacity to lie!! Clearly, Old Man Ban from the metal shop knelt down!! Crying!! And pleaded that you bastards kidnapped his grandson!! And threatened him to make weapons!! Didn¡¯t you!¡± At this, the middle-aged man smiled slyly. ¡°That¡¯s strange. But there are so many who try to nder our sect, even if you shout like that, everyone is used to it. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to speak nicely instead of straining your voice?¡± After all, the spectators know everything. It was mockery, saying did she think they would charge in with brooms or something if she tried to incite them? A vein slightly popped up in the corner of Qing¡¯s forehead. Is this shameless bastard pulling a ¡°So what are you going to do about it?¡± Qing¡¯s brain, which only worked when screwing others over, started spinning rapidly. Should I go with Operation Cooking Master Boy? Actually, I could sell out my master saying I¡¯m a special disciple, and since we¡¯re in the middle of a group project, sell out the Zhuge n, sell out the Sichuan Tang n, but hide the Demonic Cult because that¡¯s a bit much, then they¡¯d immediately turn serious and bow subserviently¡­ But that wouldn¡¯t be any fun. For a neighborhood unorthodox faction, they had quite a high Evil Karma count, which was very suspicious. Qing called Tang Nanah in a small voice. ¡°Hey. Nanah.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°That poison bomb, is it strong? Can¡¯t you throw it now?¡± ¡°Huh? This is really potent¡­¡± ¡°If they¡¯re bastards who kidnap children and try to starve old men to death, it¡¯s okay if they die from strong poison.¡± ¡°Really? Let¡¯s see, the wind direction is¡­ okay! Then which one should I throw?¡± Tang Nanah seemed somehow excited. Qing could fully understand that feeling. No matter how many blue practice grenades you throw, it can¡¯tpare to the thrill of throwing the real thing. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there only one?¡± ¡°I brought two just in case. One is spicy smoke, and one is deadly poison¡­¡± ¡°Good. Deadly poison, roger. Keep the spicy one for when we run awayter.¡± ¡°Hehe. I get to throw this. My brothers said to use it when we might be Public Enemies of Murim if we mess up.¡± And immediately, the round object flew through the air. ¡°It¡¯s a Thunder Bomb!¡± ¡°Dodge!¡± Thanks to someone shouting, everyone jumped and swam on the ground, causing amotion. Thanks to that, the poison bomb that fell to the ground without interference dropped with a thud and rolled to a stop. The Namen Sect martial artists who were swimming on the ground blinked in bewilderment. Qing asked in a hushed voice. ¡°What¡¯s this? Did it fail?¡± ¡°Uh, I heard it¡¯s supposed to be like this? They said the truly scary poisons are invisible¡­¡± However, even Tang Nanah¡¯s voicecked confidence as she said this. That¡¯s when the middle-aged man got up. It was amazing reflexes, how he had jumped andin on the ground so far away when he was in the center just now. ¡°You brats whose blood hasn¡¯t even dried behind your ears, how dare you mock your elders!¡± He was beyond ashamed, having panicked and thrown himself at just a metal ball. It was a cry full of anger, saying he would find and kill the bastard who shouted ¡°Thunder Bomb¡± when this was over. ¡°Hmm. Is it something to brag about being old? There¡¯s an order even in dying, so when you see a Thunder Bomb, shouldn¡¯t the thought of covering your subordinates with your body cross your mind, old man?¡± Since he asked if she was mocking him, she went all in on mocking him. And the effect was tremendous! ¡°You, you! You dly ignore the wine of courtesy and drink the wine of punishment!¡± ¡°Punishment wine is up!! The number one thing old bastards say!! Why on earth are old farts so desperate to force others to drink!! It¡¯s a mystery!! Looking for someone to drink the punishment wine instead!!! Seeking a pussy war- no, a ck hearted warrior!!!¡± Giggling sounds could be heard from behind. There were even some among the Namen Sect who couldn¡¯t keep theirposure and let out a snort before quickly covering their mouths. ¡°You, you! What are you all doing! Not cutting off that bitch¡¯s limbs and making her kneel before me!¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Thud. One Namen Sect martial artist just copsed. And then he convulsed, beating the ground with his whole body. The expression ¡°having a fit¡± that¡¯s often used as a curse is actually short for ¡°epileptic fit,¡± describing the state of foaming at the mouth and convulsing with the whole body. He was literally having a fit in the purest sense of the word. And the fit spread, with one after another copsing and rolling their eyes back. Then, bloody tears flowed from their eyes, nosebleeds from their noses, blood from their ears, and red-tinged saliva dripped from their mouths. In technical terms, it would be called bleeding from the seven orifices. Two eye holes, two nostrils, two ear holes, and one mouth make seven holes, hence seven orifices. ¡°Poison, it¡¯s poison!¡± An even greater pandemonium broke out than before. They scattered in all directions like insects under a rock, with some even heading outside the main gate, unable to distinguish front from back in their panic. Qing¡¯s left arm drooped while holding the Moonlight Sword. The sword of Namgung is the Emperor¡¯s Sword. The emperor sits on the jade throne atop the imperial steps, looking down on all under heaven, moving millions of soldiers with a point of his finger. Hence, the strongest sword in the world reaches everywhere. The space in front of Qing split diagonally. The enemy¡¯s sword that got caught in that trajectory was pushed outward by the overwhelming force seeping through the diagonal contact. With the weapon that should have protected the body flying out along with the enemy¡¯s sword, there was no means left to protect the body behind it. The lower body fell to its knees, while the upper body flew and tumbled on the ground. Following that, Qing swung her sword with precision, and swoosh, a long bloodstain was etched on the ground. Qing smiled as she let her sword droop again. She had thought the Sword Style suited her taste somehow since it entered her head. It was a sword technique that observed and responded to the enemy¡¯s attack, drawing a straight line that minimized the angle of contact between weapons. A sword technique that pushed away the opponent¡¯s weapon while cutting, so defense immediately led to attack. It was easy to say, but responding after seeing the enemy¡¯s attack meant always giving up half a move and being at a disadvantage. She could understand why Sword Brother stubbornly only used swords. Dividing the front into eight directions for eight sides, dividing eight sides into sixty-four directions, and dividing sixty-four directions into a hundred for 6,400 straight lines. It was a sword technique where you had to find the correct answer among these. As such, how could there be time to be distracted by other weapons? But, um, Sword Brother. Sorry for stealing the Emperor Sword Form. But I didn¡¯t choose it, you know? If you want to me someone, me my master, not me. ¡°Alright. Next.¡± Qing said as she let her sword droop again. It was what she said as she majestically blocked the main gate. It was truly a moment when coolness exploded, with the spirit of a hero soaring high. ¡°Poison, it¡¯s poison!¡± ¡°Antidote- no, a physician- no, antidote first!¡± ¡°Brother,e to your senses,e to your senses!¡± ¡°You idiot, get away! You¡¯ll get poisoned too!¡± Unfortunately, the Namen Sect martial artists affected by the colorless and odorless deadly poison were in no state to notice that coolness at all. A win for Tang Nanah. Chapter 158: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (5) The Namen Sect martial artists immediately started copsing one after another, causing chaos. Those with some loyalty cried out ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± ¡°Senior!¡± ¡°Junior!¡± as they grabbed their convulsing sect members. However, only physicians who were prepared could safely touch those poisoned by deadly toxins. Among the Namen Sect thugs, even those with some loyalty who tried to help theirrades ended up copsing and trembling alongside them. Amidst this, Qing cut down about three enemies who rushed at the main gate. After that, only those poisoned and having minor convulsions remained in the courtyard. They had endured the shame of abandoning their sect¡¯s safety for their own survival. It was like the story of Han Xin crawling between someone¡¯s legs, showing true potential as a chivalrous hero. To think they would actually retreat inside¡­ One couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at the cunning of the Namen Sect martial artists. ¡°Should we set a fire? It hasn¡¯t rained recently, so it should burn well.¡± ¡°A fire attack would be good. We¡¯ve already used poison bombs, so why not add fire? But Noonim, if a big fire breaks out, will Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson be safe?¡± ¡°Tch, why did he have to get kidnapped? It would be easier to just burn it all down.¡± ¡°Hmm. Noonim. Could you maintain just a little bit of dignity as a righteous female expert?¡± ¡°Hmm. I had intended to use this opportunity to eradicate these filthy unorthodox Demonic Adepts through a fire attack! However, I cannot bring myself to carry it out for fear of involving an innocent child, which is truly regrettable!¡± ¡°You can do it if you want to, can¡¯t you?¡± Zhuge Ihyeon nodded with satisfaction. ¡°My lips are going to blister trying to maintain dignity. Do we really need to stretch out something that could be said in two words?¡± ¡°It¡¯s valuable because it¡¯s difficult to maintain.¡± It was persuasive, befitting the top intellect among muscle men. The eloquence of smart people is frustrating but impossible not to ept. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go find that grandson. Since they¡¯vepletely lost their minds, we can just beat them up until someone who knowses out.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°You fools! Do you think colorless and odorless poison stays in one ce forever! Where did you learn such manners, running away from the enemy! You, you, and you. The poison has already dissipated, so spread the word to gather again!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Understood!¡± It was an old man with a fierce expression full of wrinkles. The Inner Qi in his voice was no ordinary thing, so Qing carefully sized up her opponent. Surely another Unrestrained Realm Master wouldn¡¯t pop up, right? Meanwhile, the old man stood proudly among the corpses and soon-to-be corpses and spoke. ¡°This old man is Yu Chaseung, a Disciplinary Officer of the Unorthodox Path. You must have heard of my reputation.¡± ¡°The Blood-Forged Sword Demon!¡± Zhuge Ihyeon shouted loudly. Qing frowned. She really couldn¡¯t understand why both allies and enemies always shouted out titles after hearing names. Is it some kind of Jianghumon sense or custom? ¡°Is he a famous old man? No. He must be famous since they shouted. Is he a strong old man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Great Demonic Adept in the Late Stage Transcendent Realm.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon couldn¡¯t hide his tension. However, Qing¡¯s expression rxed upon hearing those words. ¡°Ah. Then he should be manageable.¡± ¡°Noonim, did I perhaps say Late Stage Peak Realm? I must have misspoken. He is not a Late Stage Peak Realm, but a Late Stage Transcendent Realm Great Demonic Adept.¡± ¡°You said it right. Late Stage Transcendent, right? I¡¯m Ximen Qing, Peak-Transcending. Even Unrestrained Realm masters get crushed by me. Right, Nanah?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve defeated Unrestrained Realm Masters? No, Noonim, why didn¡¯t you tell this little brother such an interesting story earlier? I¡¯m hurt.¡± Yu Chaseung¡¯s expression hardened as he watched this scene. The purpose of revealing one¡¯s name in Jianghu was to gain the upper hand by showing off one¡¯s realm or backing. Normally, with the Unorthodox Path and Late Stage Transcendent Realm, average Jianghu youngsters should be trembling and looking for a chance to run away. But if they¡¯re casually chatting? Yu Chaseung¡¯s mind raced quickly. Come to think of it, colorless and odorless deadly poison wasn¡¯t something you could just go and buy anywhere with money. Strong poisons have deep colors and smells, while those that are colorless and odorless are usually weak. Poisons that satisfy both conditions are not easy to obtain even with a thousand gold pieces. Moreover, the beauty of one girl was enough to stir lust even in an old man, sobining the two, a conclusion could be drawn. ¡°That girl over there, aren¡¯t you the Speaking Poison Flower of the Tang n?¡± ¡°Huh? Do you know me?¡± Hmm. Yu Chaseung swallowed a groan. As expected, just as he thought ¡°what if,¡± it turned out to be an affair entangled with the Tang n. And then the youth with the mountain-like build looked different too. If it was the Young Prodigies gathered before the Murim Conference, he must undoubtedly be the Beastly Sage, the heir of the Zhuge n. The timing couldn¡¯t be worse. The Murim Conference was a united meeting for the Orthodox Murim, so it was a time when they absolutely shouldn¡¯t give any pretext. Isn¡¯t creating an enemy the best way to unite in the first ce? ¡°Ahem. This old one is a Disciplinary Officer of the Unorthodox Path, here to confirm rumors that the Namen Sect Leader is concocting evil decoctions. I assume you are here for the same reason?¡± Zhuge Ihyeon picked up on this. ¡°We were simply trying to rescue a child who was said to be kidnapped. But when you say decoctions, surely not¡­¡± The Namen Sect Leader is a leper. And an evil decoction made by a leper was something too horrible to even mention. ¡°Hmm. This is unfortunate. It seems the rumors are true, so I¡¯ll use my authority as the Unorthodox Path¡¯s Disciplinary Officer to expel the Namen Sect. So this old one has no more connection with the Namen Sect now.¡± Yu Chaseung¡¯s conclusion was to cut ties. ¡°This old one must leave now. I am far too busy with urgent matters to linger in a ce that has nothing to do with me.¡± As Qing was about to say something, Zhuge Ihyeon grabbed her shoulder and shook his head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The Namen Sect Leader is also a Transcendent Realm martial artist. Perhaps, are you confident in facing two Transcendent Realm martial artists?¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a bit¡­ yeah.¡± Qing clicked her tongue and barked. ¡°You should know how lucky you are, old man. Be careful on your way at night. Next time we meet, you¡¯re dead.¡± Even if her face wasn¡¯t visible, it wasn¡¯t something an old man should hear from a young girl with such a green voice. Yu Chaseung forcibly suppressed the anger welling up inside him. ¡°The girl with the covered face has quite a rough tongue. Isn¡¯t it proper to reveal your name when saying such things?¡± ¡°My name is Ximen Qing, and my master is the Zenith Among Women. Happy now? Old man, next time we meet, you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°Ahem. It seems you have inherited that temperament as well¡­¡± Yu Chaseung rubbed his chest. He thought he had done well to hold back, as he almost touched the disciple of the Female Mad Dog. If she even passed on her surname, she must be no ordinary cherished disciple; rather, a walking human trap. ¡°Ahem. This old one will be going now. Would you mind stepping aside?¡± ¡°Is there really a need to pass this way? Can¡¯t you just jump over the wall? Don¡¯t bad guys usually like jumping walls? Thieves, robbers, assassins, arsonists, kidnappers, and even perverts with voyeurism. All those evil fuckers were jumping walls, though.¡± Qing muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. Zhuge Ihyeon sent a reproachful look asking why she was needlessly provoking him, but Qing pretended not to see and yed dumb. Since she deliberately spoke loud enough to be heard, Yu Chaseung could no longer jump over the wall. Now, if he jumped the wall, he would be either a thief, robber, assassin, arsonist, kidnapper, or a pervert with voyeurism. Yu Chaseung forcibly suppressed his boiling blood pressure. Trying hard to ignore her, thinking she must be a little mad dog, being the Female Mad Dog¡¯s disciple, he was about to stride through the main gate when¡­ ¡°Ah. Right. Hey. Old man.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Earlier, you said something about a woman with a covered face. I didn¡¯t cover it because I¡¯m ugly, you know?¡± ¡°That is exactly what a woman with a covered face would say.¡± ¡°Ha. Everyone is surprised when they see it, I tell you.¡± ¡°What, are you pockmarked or something? If you are so confident, why don¡¯t you just show it?¡± At this, Qing lifted her face veil. Yu Chaseung¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. At that moment, Qing¡¯s right hand subtly reached out and gently grasped Yu Chaseung¡¯s wrist. ¡°What is this?¡± Qing smiled mischievously. Once you reach Late Stage Transcendent Realm, you don¡¯t usually let your body be grabbed easily, so she had startled him a bit, and it was perfectly effective. ¡°Have you heard of the Buddha¡¯s Palm?¡± ¡°Wha-¡° In that instant, an enormous amount of Inner Qi surged up from Qing¡¯s dantian all at once. It was an iparably more intense flow than when she faced the Demonic Cannibal. Not only had her Inner Qi increased several times since then, but with the addition of Overhaul Rebirth and the Yijin Cleansing Method, the flow through her Eight Extraordinary Meridians was also different from before. As it was a Buddhist Divine Art, the Great Meditation Qi and Yijin Cleansing Qi took the lead, shouting excitedly as they rushed in, followed by the Zhu Xiang True Qi and the Daoist family members. Seeing this enviously, the Demonic Qi peeked out, and the Yue Maiden True Qi, guarding the principle of the Golden Mean, nodded once. Excited by a proper summons after a long time, the various True Qis bustled about noisily as they left the dantian. Deng-! A huge but far from noisy sound of a Buddhist temple bell. Suddenly, a cloud of dust rose thickly. Within it, Yu Chaseung¡¯s grabbed wrist swelled, bulging flesh rising up his elbow and over his shoulder. His entire body swelled, tearing his clothes, his head doubling in size, before suddenly returning to normal as if it were a lie, and he copsed with a thud. As the dust cleared, the wall behind where Yu Chaseung had fallen, reaching about one zhang in height, had disappeared, leaving only debris. It was the form of Cint¨¡ma?icakra, the Internal Explosive Qi Strike of the Buddha¡¯s Palm, used at full power for the first time in a long while. Qing let out a tired sigh. ¡°Whew. My Qi ispletely drained. Seriously.¡± ¡°Noonim? What is this¡­¡± ¡°Ah, this is called the Buddha¡¯s Palm.¡± ¡°Why does Noonim know the Buddha¡¯s Palm- Ah! Was this why you deliberately provoked him about the wall! There¡¯s no martial artist who would jump the wall after hearing those words!¡± ¡°Yeah. Once I grab them, a Transcendent Realm is no big deal. Even if they¡¯re prepared and we sh with Internal Explosive Qi Strikes, I can handle it, but if they¡¯re caught off guard, there¡¯s no answer to it.¡± ¡°As expected! Inducing the enemy¡¯s carelessness and striking their weak point! What an excellently vile tactic! Noonim, you always surprise this little brother!¡± Wait, what? Is this praise? It¡¯s felt like he¡¯s been force-feeding mepliments for a while now. Even though they say Internal Explosive Qi Strike is an advanced subtlety, its essence was a method of crudelypeting with Inner Qi. That¡¯s why even with the Demonic Cannibal, she had to provoke him and roll around, sweating bullets trying to deplete his Inner Qi. However, with her master¡¯s confirmation that she had Inner Qiparable to the Unrestrained Realm, now Transcendent Realm was no big deal. That¡¯s when it happened. The Namen Sect martial artists finally swarmed back, led by a man whose face, hands, and all exposed skin werepletely wrapped in bandages. The bandaged man shouted with an urgent expression. ¡°Disciplinary Officer! We apologize for involving you in this unsavory affair¡­ Disciplinary Officer?¡± ¡°Your Disciplinary Officer? You mean this?¡± At this, Qing held up the (former) Disciplinary Officer, still gripping his wrist. Suddenly, Tang Nanah had a question about this sight. Huh? Wasn¡¯t she unable to use her right arm? Chapter 159: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (6) The bandaged man quickly examined the Disciplinary Officer. Qing was quite tall, and a martial artist who had undergone Overhaul Rebirth naturally had long limbs. When Qing raised her hand holding the wrist to its full extent, the old man¡¯s corpse floated about half a chi in the air, swaying. It was a hair-raising scene with a double whammy. First, it was chilling to see a formidable opponent who had subdued a Late Stage Transcendent Realm master right before their eyes, and second, thinking of the consequences of the Unorthodox Path¡¯s Disciplinary Officer¡¯s death sent shivers down their spines. It was truly a case of adding insult to injury. ¡°I am Dan Unsak, the Namen Sect Leader. Who on earth are you tomit such an outrageous act?¡± Dan Unsak tried to speak without his voice trembling, but a slight vibrato like a singing technique mixed in. ¡°Is there a need to reveal names when cleaning up trash? It¡¯s just those who are bothered doing the cleaning.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Dan Unsak let out a heavy groan. Tranting their conversation into Murim-speak, it went like this: ¡®Let¡¯s talk this out.¡¯ ¡®Shut up ande at me.¡¯ As a five-year veteran of Murim, Qing could now not only interpret but also speak thenguage of Murim quite excellently. And she didn¡¯t stop there; she could even apply it. ¡°However, the possibility of saving your life isn¡¯t entirely gone. Hand over Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson.¡± Beside her, Zhuge Ihyeon inwardly admired. As expected, Noonim! You don¡¯t say you¡¯ll back off even if they hand him over! Since you said ¡®possibility,¡¯ isn¡¯t this a scam-like trick where you can say it was just a possibility if it doesn¡¯t work out! By now, Zhuge Ihyeon hade to understand about eight-tenths of Qing¡¯s character. Once she decided to mess someone up, she was a persistent and vile expert who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use any means - be it words, swords, poison, or fire - until she was at a disadvantage. While she had no concept of face, she somehow seemed righteous, so it was a perfectly fitting description. ¡°Kuk. You may call us trash, but aren¡¯t you also after Old Man Ban in the end!¡± ¡°Rescuing a grandson is much better for appearances and bragging than kidnapping one. How can youpare? Is a feast just prepared the same as food that¡¯s been rotting for half a month? Do you think all food is the same just because it¡¯s edible?¡± ¡°No matter how you dress it up, in the end, it¡¯s still the same ugly greed to possess the greatest sword craftsman under the heav-¡° ¡°Enough. Hand over Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson. Weak bastards can¡¯t just say ¡®Here you go¡¯ when told to hand something over. Why is your tongue so long?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± At that moment, Zhuge Ihyeon leaned close to what he presumed was Qing¡¯s ear under the face veil and whispered. ¡°Noonim, I don¡¯t think they can hand over Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson. The inspector mentioned evil decoctions, so probably¡­¡± The rumor that lepers eat children was originally just a false usation born from prejudice. However, rumors are the world¡¯s most vicious things. They shake the hearts of the desperate, making them believe it¡¯s the truth. And leprosy, where flesh rots and falls off while still alive, was such a horrific disease that it was called the Judgement of Heaven (Heavenly Punishment). Qing¡¯s eyes lost their luster, cooling to an inorganic texture. A faint purple light leaked from the eye holes behind the face veil. It was the light of a malevolent star that people instinctively avoid, realizing as soon as they see it that it is something very harmful and terrible. ¡°I should have just set fire to everything earlier.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Qing dropped the old Great Demonic Adept¡¯s corpse with a thud and gripped the Moonlight Sword with her right hand. While it wasn¡¯t so bad that she couldn¡¯t use her left hand, still, it felt more familiar and fit perfectly in her hand when holding the sword in her right hand. ¡°Seeing your covered face, you must be the Namen Sect Leader? People in Jianghu say there¡¯s not a single normal face among those who cover their faces.¡± Everyone present looked at Qing with strange eyes, but¡­ As Qing was a proud beauty, she had nothing to be ashamed of. ¡°I should let the world know how ugly you are by hanging you up high to dry. You eat people because you have nothing to eat? You dog-like-¡° ¡°Wait! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! There¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± Dan Unsak shouted urgently. Qing tilted her head crookedly. ¡°Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?¡± ¡°The horrible rumors about decoctions and such are not true! Who would believe such rumors!¡± ¡°Not rumors? Clearly, that dead security deputy-¡° ¡°Noonim, it¡¯s Disciplinary Officer. But security deputy, was it¡­ Why does that sound so cool? Somehow it makes my heart feel warm-¡° ¡°Enough. That Disciplinary Elder said you were making medicinal decoctions.¡± At this, Dan Unsak spoke with an aggrieved voice. It was truly an aggrieved voice. ¡°We sold Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson to the ck market long ago, we gave up on such ineffective superstitious prescriptions a long time ago!¡± ¡°So you did try eating them? No need for further questions, then!¡± Qing stomped on the ground and shot out like an arrow. Sword Threads, now forming the shape of a huge single de,pletely covered the Moonlight Sword, leaving a thick twilight-colored trajectory. ¡°Ha, damn it! What are you doing! Attack!¡± Dan Unsak shouted as he drew his sword. A faint starlight shimmered on the de; by the Late Stage Transcendent Realm, one is skilled with Sword Force even if it¡¯s not fullypressed. Sword Qi and Sword Force cannot bepared. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to break through Qing¡¯s barbaric output with the lesspressed Sword Force of a Transcendent Realm Master. Qing continued her sword strikes, riding the momentum. F¨±rinkazan; when it strikes, it¡¯s like a storm. Thetter moves of the One Hundred And Eight Asura Sword, Eleven Thousand Strikes, a swift sword relying on wildness with countless afterimages, struck mercilessly up and down, left and right without discrimination. As Dan Unsak kept retreating and deflecting the sword strikes, he thought to himself. Why does this seem manageable? Although the purple light in her eyes trailing like a tail was terribly eerie, and the Sword Threads extending in one mass were bizarre and unheard of- Nevertheless, since she wasn¡¯t using Sword Force, this was what it looked like when a Peak Realm Master crudely increased only their Inner Qi. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ve been fooled! This bitch isn¡¯t a Master!¡± ¡°What are you saying? You see this body? Master.¡± ¡°What are you all doing! Why aren¡¯t you rushing in!¡± Dan Unsak shouted, but his disciples instead retreated and hesitated. To the low-ss without discernment, Qing¡¯s vicious Sword Threads seemed a hundred times more dangerous than their leader¡¯s faint Sword Force. The First-Rate and few Peak Realm martial artists with discernment were watching Qing¡¯spanions keeping their distance behind her. Anyway, since the Blood-Forged Sword Demon had died, they were certain there must be a Master among them or some technique equivalent to one. So they thought it better to watch the duel and rush in to quickly turn the tide if their leader gained the upper hand, or surrender if he was defeated. From the beginning, the one thing that unorthodox sects consistently emphasized most was the loyalty of virtuous experts, believing in such qualities. Because they were people without loyalty, they emphasized and re-emphasized it until their ears were calloused. ¡°You damn bastards!¡± Dan Unsak ground his teeth. In the end, he had to do it himself. No matter how vast her Inner Qi, could he really not defeat a mere Peak Realm girl? Dan Unsak deliberately put on a troubled expression and started acting as if he was being pushed back, retreating one step at a time. Then, in the gap between sword and sword, his eyes shed, and he dove in with a sharp sword path through the opening in Qing¡¯s arms. It was one of the few excellent moves in Dan Unsak¡¯s life, a strike containing the essence of a counterattack. In the momentarily elerated thought process, in a world slowed down just as much, the girl raises her arm to block the sword¡¯s trajectory. In the slowly flowing world, Dan Unsak¡¯s mouth slowly draws a long arc. You stupid bitch, do you think human flesh can block Sword Force? Finally, Dan Unsak¡¯s Sword Force touches Qing¡¯s forearm, raised diagonally. In time that now seems almost stopped, the Sword Force seeping into the white skin is visible. At the moment when Dan Unsak believed without a doubt that that beautiful forearm would be cleanly cut off- An intense impact hit his hand! It was like striking an iron block, making his skin scream and sending a stinging pain through every joint as the shock traveled. ¡°How¡­¡± Right on cue, Qing¡¯s right arm that had left its ce returns. Realizing there¡¯s no way to avoid the shing strikeing for his waist, Dan Unsakpletely takes the strength out of his legs and falls backward. Qing¡¯s sword de barely grazes the tip of Dan Unsak¡¯s nose, drawing a crescent. Dan Unsak epts the impact on his back with relief and immediately flips his body over vigorously. Lazy Donkey Roll. It¡¯s a type of Qinggong meaning zy donkey turning over,¡± which is simply a technique of rolling on the ground. Murim practitioners who value face as much as life unanimously say they¡¯d rather die than roll on the ground so unsightly, but when the critical momentes, no one chooses death over face by not rolling. And yet, they go on about Han Xin and crawling between legs. It was Han Xin¡¯s great mistake to provide an excuse that would be milked for over a thousand years. Qing stomped her foot. The rough pressure of the Heavenly Demon Reigning Step firmly presses down on the surroundings. The advantage of the Heavenly Demon Reigning Step is that since the energy gathers in the soles of the feet, you don¡¯t have to see that disgusting Qi full of eyes. It meant she could use it roughly without worrying about appearances. Dan Unsak, who couldn¡¯t even roll a few times, groaned at the suddenly doubled pressure. Following that, with the Deng sound of the Buddha¡¯s Palm, blood spurted from the thigh of the lying man with a swoosh. ¡°Argh!¡± Dan Unsak grabbed his thigh and screamed for his life. The inside of the thigh is unexpectedly one of the most critical weak points. It¡¯s a passage where one of the thickest blood vessels passes unprotected without muscle protection, so uncontroble massive bleeding urred below Dan Unsak¡¯s pelvis as his femoral artery burst. Still, being somewhat of a Master, he dug into the wound and tightly gripped the blood vessel with his fingers; though not a technique of the True Fire of Samadhi, a couple of streams of white smoke along with a savory smell permeated. He stopped the bleeding, but he lost one leg. Even a Peak Realm martial artist other than Ximen Qing could sufficiently handle a one-legged Transcendent Realm master. Qing grinned as she looked down at Dan Unsak. ¡°The crime of not recognizing a Master? The death penalty.¡± In fact, it was a ridiculous statement. There was a difference when it came to enlightenment of the sword from the start, so even amidst the chaotic flurry of strikes, hadn¡¯t Dan Unsak found an opening andunched a fatal counterattack? If it weren¡¯t for the White Hand Demonic Arts¡¯ Vajra Invulnerability, no, since it was at Peak Realm level it was a bit weaker, so maybe it could be called Gold-ted Invulnerability or Silver Invulnerability White Hand. At any rate, without that, her forearm along with her torso would have been neatly cut. If it weren¡¯t for the Heavenly Demon Reigning Step, he would have jumped up and rushed in again, and without the Buddha¡¯s Palm, how could she have struck the air and burst his thigh? However, it was also a very natural tactic for martial artists to hide one or two secret techniques. Qing was just hiding a bit more than others. In professional terms, if you don¡¯t know, you have to fuck around and find out. It was a precious truth that has been passed down from the emergence of humanity until now. And when victory and defeat were decided, there was also something the loser had to do, established since ancient times. ¡°Pl-please spare me. Whatever you want, I¡¯ll give you everything, so¡­¡± ¡°I already told you what I want. Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson. Can you bring him right now?¡± ¡°Time, please give me time. Since we sold him to the ck market, if we inquire around, we can surely find him¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. An opening! This is for my arm!¡± Qing scratched her chin and naturally lowered her hand, then suddenly extended her arm, Deng! Pak! With blood spurting, Dan Unsak¡¯s arm below the elbow fell off and rolled on the ground along with his sword. ¡°Argh! Why! Why!¡± ¡°The way you were moving your eyes was suspicious. Your posture was off from the start. If you want to live, you should know how to rub your hands together like a fly, why are you gripping your sword tightly with your hand turning white from the force?¡± There¡¯s actually a technique called Sword Breaking. It¡¯s a technique where you violently infuse True Qi into the sword de to shatter it, and if done clumsily, you¡¯d just ruin one weapon and that¡¯s it. However, a properly refined Sword Breaking technique is truly like the Great Generals¡¯ Cannon, with over a thousand sharp fragments filled with True Qi being fired. Qing just thought it was suspicious, but it was actually the final technique Dan Unsak had been secretly preparing. Originally, Qing¡¯s fights were all about intuition and cunning, so she was extremely sensitive in these aspects. As such, it was inevitable she would notice. Chapter 160: For Whom The Hammer Tolls (7) As Qing took a step forward, Dan Unsak crawled away with one leg and one arm. Regardless, Qing picked up Dan Unsak¡¯s fallen sword and swung it a few times. Excellent bnce and a wless blue de; even after tasting blood it clung in droplets, truly deserving to be called a famed sword withoutcki¡­ Blood? Qing bent her elbow and examined her forearm. Blood was streaming from a wound split open to the depth of one finger joint. No wonder it was stinging and throbbing. But there was a subtle addictiveness to the pain, one could say. At this level, it wasn¡¯t bad. Qing looked down at Dan Unsak again, blood dripping from her fingertips, and spoke. ¡°Hand over the scabbard.¡± ¡°I-I shall give it to you!¡± ¡°I need it. Hurry up. I¡¯m getting dizzy, probably because I¡¯m bleeding.¡± After receiving the scabbard, Qing spoke again. ¡°No like, why bother an old man from a metal shop when you have such a good sword? Do you use dual swords? Is Murim the same in that there¡¯s no normal person among those who use dual des? I heard it¡¯s a symbol of social disorders.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not it. It¡¯s natural for any sect to covet such an ironsmit¡­¡± ¡°What? Natural? What a funny bastard. I suppose it¡¯s natural to kidnap grandchildren, sell them off, and cut off work to starve people to death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s natural to die by the sword when you live like that. If you¡¯vemitted crimes, naturally you should pay for them. Even if your head gets cut off here, it¡¯s a natural death, so when Yama, the King of Hell, asks why you died in the afterlife, answer that you naturally died because you were naturally meant to die. Got it?¡± ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Qing strode forward with long steps. Dan Unsak crawled desperately, but the mobility contest between two legs versus one arm and one leg was as different as a race between an insomniac rabbit and a tortoise. Before he knew it, Qing thrust the sword right under his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t act ugly, just obediently offer your neck.¡± ¡°Please, spare me, hiEEK!¡± Qing raised the sword high. Dan Unsak covered his front with his palm, but that was a defense technique only someone who had learned the White Hand Demonic Arts could do. And then, sh! ¡°Argh!¡± A person whose neck is cut can¡¯t scream. However, Dan Unsak, whose palm to shoulder was sliced vertically into two halves, could scream, indeed. ¡°You should have died gracefully, why harm someone else¡¯s arm? You reap what you sow, that¡¯s why you ended up like this.¡± His right arm was gone below the elbow, his left arm was split in two, and one leg was crippled. Even if left alone for half a shichen, no, one ke, he would die. Yet he tries to get away on one foot, hoping to live, but unless the heavens is moved by his sincerity and a cloud-riding Immortal appears to save him, he is already beyond saving. Qing turned away without lingering anymore. Although her arm was injured, she managed to pick up Moonlight Sword (No. 9), so she could just call it evens. Moonlight Sword (No. 9) was longer and thicker than Moonlight Sword (No. 8), about half again as heavy, and its weight felt just right. The metal shops that the Divine Maiden Sectmissioned weapons from made lighter swords for women to use. Moonlight Sword (No. 8) was also made lighter than men¡¯s swords. For Qing with her monstrous strength, it didn¡¯t even feel like she was swinging anything, making her wonder if this was how those ascetics with lightsabers in movies felt. ¡°What are you all doing? Everyone, kneel.¡± Qing spoke to the Namen Sect disciples who had been just watching. In fact, kneeling was part of the basic training that Unorthodox Faction members learned as soon as they joined, so when the time came, it automatically came out as if ingrained in their bodies. Seeing the disciples kneel without hesitation, Qing clicked her tongue and muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°Tsk. They listen so well. I thought I¡¯d have to cut down two of them before they¡¯d listen. What a shame.¡± It was a chilling sound for the listening disciples. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that she spoke loud enough to be heard; with just one sentence, Qing had seeded in gaining the upper hand. At that, Tang Nanah, upset that Qing was injured again, pped her back as punishment. Then she took out some cloth from somewhere and started wrapping it, saying she didn¡¯t have confidence in sticking needles into muscles that could block Sword Force, so this was the best she could do. As she wrapped more and more bandages, the thickness of the arm increased in real-time, so Qing lost interest and shouted again. ¡°If anyone here sold Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson, raise your hand. I won¡¯t harm you if youe out willingly. I swear on my master¡¯s name.¡± An oath sworn on a master¡¯s name by an Orthodox Murim practitioner is an unconditionally verified truth. It doesn¡¯t work for Unorthodox Murim practitioners because sometimes the master-disciple rtionship is like that of enemies. Although their actions were excessive, they imed to be righteous experts of the orthodox faction in their words, so perhaps because of this, one person hesitantly raised his hand. ¡°Alright. Now everyone break their dantian. Begin. Oh right, those who say they¡¯re Peak Realm martial artists are exempt.¡± At this, one middle-aged man and two old men stood up with relieved expressions and quietly stood to one side. For some reason, they had smug expressions on their faces. ¡°The rest can choose to give up either their dantian or their head. If you don¡¯t break it by the count of ten, I¡¯ll break your head myself. One. Two- Where are you going!¡± Kneeling is a posture to show respect or submission, not to be used to gain momentum. If you do, you have no excuse even if your neck gets pierced by a flying hairpin. Even Tang Nanah, who was wrapping bandages, reacted simultaneously, so two throwing knives were stuck as a bonus. Crunch¡­ However, since the fatal wound was to the neck, the disciple who dared to attempt escape using momentum foamed at the mouth and crawled on the ground. ¡°Four. Seriously? I don¡¯t get it. Five. Do you die if your dantian breaks? Six. You¡¯re making a fuss even though I¡¯m letting you live. Seven.¡± Even with a broken dantian, unless it¡¯s a special martial art, the muscles, bones, and wide-open meridians remain, so you¡¯re still left as a martial artist who can easily handle ordinary civilians who don¡¯t know martial arts. Better than a Third-Rate who doesn¡¯t even know martial arts properly, but worse than a Second-Rate who can handle Qi a little, so if one had to ssify, they¡¯d be two-point-five, or in Central ins numerical expression, Second-And-A-Half-Rate martial artists. ¡°Eight. Nine. Time¡¯s up. Let¡¯s see.¡± Qing looked around at the kneeling martial artists with shining eyes. Each had a faint bloodstain at the corner of their mouth, so it seemed they really had broken their dantians without exception. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°This fucker bit his tongue and pretended to break his dantian!¡± It seems someone was annoyed at seeing someone pretend to break their dantian without actually doing it, so a public informant appeared. After Qing administered appropriate punishment, she took out a gold sycee from her money pouch, broke off half, and threw it to the informant. ¡°Here. You¡¯re free now. Go. You¡¯ve got a lot of money, so leave carefully.¡± The public informant blinked, then with a loud ¡°Thank you!¡± quickly left the estate. Qing didn¡¯t particrly try to stop him. It was originally the case that public informants should receive appropriate rewards and protection. Then she held up the remaining half of the gold sycee. ¡°Anyone need gold? If you report a bastard who didn¡¯t break their dantian and tried to sneak out alone, you get half a gold sycee. You¡¯ve lost your Inner Qi, so you need some living expenses for a while, right?¡± And then, lo and behold, there were two more such cunning bastards. More precious gold sycees went out, and two informants left the estate with half a gold sycee each. ¡°Um. What should we do¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Masters, so I can¡¯t just let you go carelessly. Maybe it¡¯s better to hand you over to the authorities. Nanah, can you seal their acupoints?¡± ¡°Acupoints? Even First-Rates can just block that¡­¡± ¡°Then should we break their dantians first?¡± At this, the three Peak Realm martial artists shouted. ¡°We won¡¯t block it!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have our acupoints sealed and go to the authorities quietly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they say. Let them go.¡± And so the three Peak Realm martial artists had their acupoints sealed and copsed to the ground with a thud. That¡¯s when Zhuge Ihyeon whispered quietly. ¡°Noonim, the authorities in Zhumadian are in cahoots with them anyway, so even if we hand them over, they¡¯ll be released soon.¡± ¡°I know. But don¡¯t we need the excuse of the authorities for them to obediently let their acupoints be sealed?¡± Some acupoints had mysterious effects like stopping bleeding with Inner Qi, paralyzing the body, sealing the mouth, or inducing sleep. Ximen Surin had said her disciple should experience each one at least once and personally sealed her acupoints, but in Qing¡¯s experience, the most terrible was the sleep-inducing acupoint. After all, when she woke up, she had a terrible headache. If it weren¡¯t for that side effect, there wouldn¡¯t be any insomnia patients in the Central ins. ¡°As expected, Noonim. When ites to deceiving others, you¡¯re truly a master. This little brother can only continue to admire, admire, and admire again your vile schemes that utilize human psychology.¡± ¡°Why is it that I feel like shit even though it¡¯s praise? Can¡¯t you just think these things to yourself from now on?¡± ¡°I apologize, Noonim. But how can I, as an aspiring wise man, albeit immature, hold back words of admiration?¡± In the end, he was saying he would continue. What¡¯s this? Did I do something to upset Zhugie? Qing tilted her head. ¡°Alright. Only the one who sold Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson stays, the rest disperse. The party¡¯s over, time to go home.¡± Qing waved her hand, driving the two-and-a-half-rate martial artists out. ¡°Uh, Great Expert. What about me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯reing with us to find Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson. I¡¯ll let you go when the job¡¯s done, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± ¡°Now. Let¡¯s go. Sworn Sister, can you take care of them ande to the metal shop? Is that okay? If you don¡¯t want to, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Qing pointed at the three Peak Realm masters with sealed acupoints. Understanding her meaning, Gyeon Pohee nodded with a dazzlingly bright smile. ¡°Ah! Yep! I understand!¡± It¡¯s a bit of a waste to just kill off Masters at the Peak Realm level, right? I should feed the weak Sworn Sister living Elixirs to help her grow rapidly. When they returned to the Ban Family Metal Shop, Old Man Ban was waiting with a rope tied to the ceiling beam. ¡°What¡¯s with this unpleasant interior decoration?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive, I see.¡± ¡°The Namen Sect is gone now. I killed their leader.¡± At this, the old man¡¯s eyes wavered, then suddenly became urgent as he grabbed Qing. ¡°My grandson? Did you find him?¡± ¡°They said they sold him to the ck market. We have the one who sold him here, so we¡¯re going to get a refund. Hmm? Is refund the right word in this situation? Zhugie, what do you call it when you go to undo a sale?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be something like repurchase?¡± There were still two months left until the Murim Conference in May anyway. It would be nice to go and y and wait, but it wouldn¡¯t be bad to use the remaining time efficiently. ¡°So put away that ghastly rope and wait. And tell us what your grandson looks like.¡± Life returned to the old man¡¯s fish-like eyes. ¡°Please find my grandson, Jagwon. If you find my grandson, I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ll make you swords or whatever you want, or I won¡¯t even refuse the position of weapons craftsman, so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. What weapons craftsman? I don¡¯t need that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need it? You say that because you do not know, but the work I made in my youth was the Xiqing Sword. How many sword craftsmen like me do you think there are in the world?¡± ¡°The Xiqing Sword!¡± Zhuge Ihyeon shouted loudly. Qing chuckled and spoke. ¡°Seeing how Zhugie is shouting, it must be some amazing famed sword. But you¡¯re an old man who said he¡¯d never make weapons again¡­ Why now? There must be a reason you refused to make them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s threats or favors, if you force someone who says no with that, what¡¯s the difference between the two? That bastard of a Sect Leader wasn¡¯t saying anything wrong. There¡¯s no reason to be the same kind of person.¡± The old man opened his mouth with a dumb expression. Qing continued, giggling. ¡°I¡¯ll try making a scene if they say a refund, I mean repurchase, isn¡¯t possible, so take care of your health, old man. After all, if you¡¯re dead when we bring back your grandson, it¡¯s not like anyone can take responsibility.¡± Chapter 161: Black Market Commotion (1) The ck market is a kind of flea market for everything. More precisely, it was a night market that removed restrictions on items and excluded business ethics from a flea market. They sell anything, but fakes and stolen goods are rampant, and overcharging and swindling are everyday urrences. ¡°What? There are such trash like a tourist merchant association? Don¡¯t fights break out?¡± ¡°If you break the ck market¡¯s rules, assassins from all over Murim wille after you. The ck Store Manager puts up a huge bounty.¡± ¡°ck Store Manager? The ck market has a separate owner? Huh? Wait, there¡¯s an owner but they leave it in such a mess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more profitable that way. That¡¯s the kind of ce it is.¡± Usually, people from the Central ins only understand what this means after hearing such an exnation and actually visiting. However, Qing understood immediately upon hearing the exnation. So it¡¯s like that secondhand market website, Joonggonara. That ce where new items, used items, fakes, and stolen goods are rampant, and overcharging and swindling happen daily. ¡°So, where is it?¡± ¡°The location changes every time, but with a few silver pieces, we can find out the ce right away.¡± ¡°Wow, if we didn¡¯t have our Zhugie, we might have wandered around for a long time. As they say, having one smart friend is really convenient.¡± ¡°You speak the truth, Noonim.¡± After praising him, an annoying selfpliment came back. Strange. Was he always like this? I thought he was a bit more modest. Is he the type to show his true colors when you get close? Qing couldn¡¯t have known, but it was actually a perfect answer. Rather than being a characteristic of Zhuge Ihyeon, it was the temperament inherited by generations of the Zhuge family. Even that great ancestor Zhuge Liang became more and more of an unpleasant, boastful bastard as an individual the closer you got to him. And in fact, because he was actually that great, he was doubly unpleasant. Thanks to this, just as Qing was at a loss for words, Sworn Sister returned with a bright smile. ¡°Sworn Sister, I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. Why are you so hyper?¡± Her excitement had increased noticeably, so it seemed she had risen in realm after eating those Elixirs. ¡°Yeah, yeah! I¡¯m a Peak Realm martial artist now too!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gained enlightenment, I see.¡± ¡°Enlightenment? Is that so?¡± Gyeon Pohee tilted her head. At that, Zhuge Ihyeon politely added. ¡°Originally, enlightenment is not a concept clear enough to put into words, so you might not understand well. Congrattions on your Grand Star.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡± It was just that Gyeon Pohee was stupid; she actually had good intuition, so she understood well why Qing had expressly asked for cleanup. She had also learned from Seol Unni¡¯s Central insmon sense lectures that the Bliss Pce¡¯s training methods were greatly looked down upon in Jianghu. At this, Qing looked at Tang Nanah and spoke. ¡°Tang Nanah should work harder.¡± ¡°What? I have poison, you know? With that added, I¡¯m stronger than her, right?¡± Tang Nanah wagged her finger at Zhuge Ihyeon. Tang Nanah was only a docile quack doctor to Qing; originally, she was a viiness who had put all her points into beauty instead of character, with no trace of manners or consideration for others. Qing stroked her smooth chin for a moment, pondering deeply. The Tang n¡¯s poison, huh. ¡°Hmm. Acknowledged. With poison added, you could probably be considered as Late Stage Peak to Early Stage Transcendent. Then Zhugie should strive even harder.¡± ¡°Noonim, isn¡¯t knowing one¡¯s shorings a virtue of a noble man? This little brother knows his shorings well.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon answered with a gentle smile. Since he was smart, he couldn¡¯t even be teased, so Qing just snorted. After that, they left the Ban Family Metal Shop and followed Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s lead to a shabby tea house. Is it really true that good restaurants always look a bit old and rustic? Qing excitedly ordered a lot of snacks, but they came out quickly, looking very dry as if they had been made long ago. They didn¡¯t taste good either. Qing took out her anger on the snacks. Meaning she ate them like a pig. Meanwhile, Zhuge Ihyeon got up to find the tea house owner, and she thought he mightin, but he came back asking only about the news that the ck market was being held near Suyahu Reservoir in the east,pletely omitting the story about the terrible snacks. ¡°No, with snacks like this, is the ck market important right now? I need to see the owner¡¯s face too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already eat them all? And originally, this is just a front business for the ck Store, so you¡¯re probably the first customer this year to actually order snacks. But isn¡¯t that Longjing tea? Why is there frost on the teacup? Even if it¡¯s a front business, serving cold Longjing is going too far. How dare they pull such a terrible trick on guests of the Zhuge n¡­¡± Zhuge Ihyeon showed a genuinely angry expression. It might be good to let him overturn this terrible tea house, but Qing frankly admitted instead. ¡°Ah. I put some thin ice in it with my Ice Arts. I like to drink it a bit cool. Want me to cool yours too?¡± ¡°My goodness! Noonim, are you crazy?!¡± Thwack! Qing performed the nuclear noogie she had learned, hitting him on the head. ¡°Aargh!¡± ¡°This is getting more and more out of hand. Zhugie, do you want to see your big bro- no, me go crazy? Want me to show you?¡± ¡°No wait, Noonim! What kind of peerless Divine Arts is this, ow.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he rubbed his head furiously. Qing snorted. For a guy with a mountain-like build, he sure whines a lot. If he got a taste of my master¡¯s OG fist, his head would split open. ¡°What kind of monstrous strength¡­ monstrous strength¡­¡± Zhuge Ihyeon, who had been rubbing his head, suddenly put on a serious expression. ¡°Um, by any chance. When you stayed with the Zhuge n, did you visit the Peerless National Schr Training Ground?¡± ¡°Peerless National Schr?¡± Qing¡¯s expression whispered to Zhuge Ihyeon. What¡¯s that, is it something to eat? ¡°Peerless National Schr refers to¡­¡± It was quite an amazing talent to ramble on for almost half a ke about how it meant the best talent, a schr without peer in the country,bining the characters for country, schr, without, and peer. It was only then that Qing finally understood the meaning of ¡°peerless¡± that was asionally used. Ah. So that¡¯s what it means. Having forgotten about the training ground story while exining, Zhuge Ihyeon, satisfied with showing off his knowledge, brought up the next topic. ¡°It would be good to eat a hearty dinner in advance and then set off for Suyahu Reservoir. They do sell food at the ck market, but you might end up eating human flesh if you¡¯re not careful, so it¡¯s better not to put anything in your mouth at all.¡± The words about eating dinner in advance were wee. The words about eating heartily were also wee. But it was sad to just look around at a night market without eating anything. ¡°Then if we eat something other than meat¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you want to eat centipedes, spiders, scorpions, and the like.¡± ¡°Hmm. I ate too much of that when I was a beggar. It wasn¡¯t tasty. No, it¡¯s not like I will eat it raw, right? Would it be different if we sprinkle some seasoning and grill it?¡± At this, Tang Nanah suddenly interjected. ¡°What? You were a beggar?¡± Qing was at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°Hmm. Nanah. What do you mean by that? Does the high-born youngdy of the Tang n not share a table with beggars?¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. I was just surprised, and I absolutely didn¡¯t say it to make you feel bad. I¡¯m sorry, Qing¡¯er, we¡¯re friends, right? Right?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re friends. You don¡¯t have any friends besides me. Be grateful.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you¡­¡± It was exactly like how a friendless loser would act, stumbling over their words and clinging on after realizing they had spoken thoughtlessly, so Qing understood and let it go. *** After that, they ate dinner and left Zhumadian. Emblems that could identify affiliations were forbidden, so they couldn¡¯t ride the Zhuge n¡¯s special carriage. Even without that, they had to walk because if they rode a carriage, they would be robbed or other passengers would take it. So they walked together, chatting along the way, with no particr scenery to see in the dim early spring night. ¡°This is unexpected. I didn¡¯t know you would offer food to that lowlife too. I thought someone like you, Noonim, would put a bowl on the ground and fill it with spoiled rice, telling him to eat like a dog.¡± Tang Nanah nodded beside him. Qing spoke, dumbfounded. ¡°What kind of person do you think I am? And no matter how much you hate someone, you don¡¯t mess with their food. Even if it¡¯s someone you need to kill right away, you should feed them and then kill them.¡± At this, the Namen Sect martial artist flinched. To be precise, no matter how much of a bastard someone is, you shouldn¡¯t prevent them from eating. If you really need to kill them, you should feed them plenty of deadly poison, but it¡¯s too much to prevent them from eating at all or just make them watch. It wasn¡¯t some grand belief, just that Qing had experienced a lot of sadness regarding food, so that¡¯s how it turned out. As they chatted like this and crossed a hill, a huge night market spread out on a field behind argeke. With over a thousand yellownterns visible, the gathering of tents hanging from them was as impressive as a small city. ¡°Noonim, you should take off your face veil now. You cannot cover your face in the ck market.¡± ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you say emblems that could identify affiliations were forbidden? But now I have to show my face?¡± ¡°That, you see, is a story that goes back to the origins of the ck market. The past ck Ma¡­¡± To summarize, it was a ce where you shouldn¡¯t hide your identity too much or reveal it too much. Even if you meet someone you know there, that¡¯s all there is to it, you shouldn¡¯t talk about meeting publicly outside. You should treat it as if you just saw their face in a dream and act like it never happened. So emblems that reveal identity are forbidden. Officially, because someone who has never visited the ck market shouldn¡¯t be walking around with emblems. But you have to show your face. This was just a rule the ck market unterally decided to prevent troublemakers. ¡°So it¡¯s just the tyranny of the sellers.¡± Anyway, it was wee news that she didn¡¯t have to wear the face veil, so Qing took it off and held it out to the side. Of course, taking care of it was Gyeon Pohee¡¯s job. ¡°Hey. Namen. Where do we go now?¡± ¡°The, the ya shang are always in the deepest part.¡± ¡°To prevent the merchandise from escaping, of course.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon added amentary. That chatterbox really never rests. Does he have muscles in his mouth too? ve traders in the Central ins were called ¡°ya shang.¡± The fact that they had a separate job title because they found it a hassle to voice out ve traders shows how widespread the ve trade culture was in ancient, primitive China. It was the same in Qing¡¯s homnd. Human traffickers are the number one most beloved profession among the Chinese people, boasting the secondrgest scale in the whole world, with a very efficient and scientific system including systematic distribution processes, and disassembly and export ording to ssification. Of course, they im it¡¯s punishable by death if caught because the Party¡¯s pride is hurt by not being number one in the world. However, in reality, it was closer to a performance than actual execution, as about six-tenths of the amount earned from selling one person went to themunist aristocracy. For reference, the homnd of human trafficking, the paradise of human trafficking, the great originating country of human trafficking and the overwhelming number one in rankings is a populous country located across high mountains to the southwest of the Central ins. It was also a country of terrible criminals where the entire poption (in this country, women are not considered people so they¡¯re not included in the poption) were sex offenders and robber-murderers with pickpocketing as a side job. If you travel alone by any chance, the probability of returning is only fifty-fifty. For women, it¡¯s guaranteed to be a one-way trip, so if you¡¯re a man, you might as well start believing in the power of statistics. Anyway, the group passed through the ck market smoothly. As they walked, a deliciously savory smell wafted up, making their mouths water, and after quite a while, a g with ¡°Wangfujing¡± appeared. An entire alley was filled with grills heating up iron tes to cook, so the smell spread far and wide. And surprisingly, the source of the delicious smell was skewers of all kinds of grilled insects! Chapter 162: Black Market Commotion (2) Wangfujing was originally a famous wealthy district in Beijing. Or it referred to the street selling snacks in the ck market. Only the ck Store Manager would know why they specifically named the snack-selling street Wangfujing. It was also a specialty of the ck market, as hungry customers gathered due to the night-time nature of the ck market. And because they sold all kinds of bizarre foods. Giant centipedes, scorpions, water bugs, flying squirrels fried with limbs and wings spread, palm-sized spiders, various long caterpirs, unknown insects, etc. Of course, there were certain items that sold among them. It was silkworm pupae called ¡°heavenly worms,¡± amon snack seen anywhere in the Central ins. It¡¯s the same silkworm pupae that Koreans enjoy. Instead, the Chinese people ate them after they had be ¡°king pupae¡± that had evolved further than regr pupae, so they were a bit bigger than Korean silkworm pupae. They were about the size of a woman¡¯s thumb. The food at Wangfujing was not to be eaten carelessly because everything from the source of ingredients to freshness was unreliable. But silkworm pupae were a verified clean snack as they weren¡¯t adulterated with anything and were raised through sericulture. The group each held a skewer in their hands amicably. Even the Namen Sect martial artist Namen held a skewer with a sour expression, but he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it and swallowed hard, seeming to like it. ¡°Fried centipedes¡­ Do people actually eat such things?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t. Ptui.¡± ¡°But it says it¡¯s a specialty? Ptui.¡± It wasn¡¯t the sound of spatting in disgust, but of spitting out the tough skin. The basic way to eat silkworm pupae snacks is to eat only the savory insides and either chew or spit out the skin ording to preference. For reference, Tang Nanah, the youngdy from a noble family, couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just one silkworm pupae skewer, so she held two, one in each hand. Sichuan¡¯s specialty isn¡¯t m but silk, and surprisingly and mysteriously, silkworm pupae are left after weaving silk. ¡°It¡¯s unexpected. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d offer food to that lowlife too. I thought someone like you, Noonim, would put a bowl on the ground and fill it with spoiled rice, telling him to eat like a dog.¡± Zhuge Ihyeon urgently pointed to one side. It was a man with long, dry hair tied back tightly, including his bangs, somehow giving a poor impression with a roughly shaved, dirty dark face. He had the appearance of amon wandering swordsman that made you feel like you¡¯d seen him somewhere before. Originally, wandering swordsmen-sword-for-hire types generally had their hair tied back, were actually poor, and shaved or didn¡¯t shave their beards as they pleased. His realm seems to just barely reach the Transcendent? He was above the Peak Realm, but it was ambiguous to call him Transcendent, so he probably hadn¡¯t achieved it long ago. For a wandering swordsman, it was an exceptionally high realm¡­ The Transcendent wandering swordsman hesitated for a while holding a spider skewer, then carefully brought one leg to his mouth. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Eugh.¡± ¡°Urk.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± All four in the group groaned simultaneously. In fact, not just Qing¡¯s group, but everyone on the street was either openly watching or ncing at him. The phenomenon of so many people frowning at the same time urred! The wandering swordsman¡¯s expression was subtle. It seemed it wasn¡¯t entirely unptable. Perhaps encouraged by this, he bit into the body and chewed then- ¡°Bleurgh!¡± He immediately bent over and brought out what he had stored in his stomach, a moment of reversal when what should not have risen came up. The wandering swordsman, who had barelyposed himself, pointed angrily at the stall owner. ¡°A-Are you crazy! You sell this kind of thing for three silver pieces?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy it yourself, customer? Did someone threaten you to buy and eat it? You eat it yourself and then yell at me.¡± ¡°Wh-What! Do you know who I am! I am Tael Yaksha Yik Taikong!¡± ¡°Whether you¡¯re Tael Yaksha or Dog Yaksha, what do I care? If you¡¯re not buying, get lost.¡± It was an amazing sight. A mere stall owner was talking back to a Transcendent Realm martial artist. At this moment, Tael Yaksha, his face turned red, grabbed his sword hilt. ¡°What, you want to draw out your sword? You¡¯ll cut down a ck Store member in the ck market? Go ahead. Try cutting me.¡± At this, Tael Yaksha hesitated, then turned away with trembling hands. And just as he was about to brush past with angry steps, it happened. Qing asked Zhuge Ihyeon in a voice loud enough to be heard: ¡°We can¡¯t touch such a vicious merchant? But is it okay to touch them when it¡¯s not in the ck market? How about watching where they go when it¡¯s over and then swish-sh?¡± ¡°Hmm. Of course they¡¯d want to protect ck Store members, but they can¡¯t escort each and every member home. Once dawn passes and the ck Store closes, the ck market will withdrawpletely.¡± ¡°But won¡¯t there be consequencester? Like sending assassins because someone messed with their people?¡± ¡°Even from the ck market¡¯s perspective, rude and unfriendly merchant bastards are a headache. Especially if they¡¯re rude enough to a Transcendent Realm Master, how much worse must they be to other customers? They won¡¯t care even if they die on the street.¡± It was a conversation meant to be overheard. Tael Yaksha stopped in his tracks. Then he bowed his head to Qing and Zhuge Ihyeon, turned back, and sat down on the opposite side of the street from the stall, crossing his arms. The unscrupulous merchant selling insects noticeably became uneasy. Probably by tomorrow, one unscrupulous merchant who was unfriendly and had umted evil deeds through unknown side jobs would meet his death anniversary without fail. But by the way, Tael Yaksha¡­ Doesn¡¯t that sound familiar? Of course, Qing didn¡¯t hold back when she was curious. ¡°Tael Yaksha? Is he famous?¡± ¡°Noonim, how could a Late Stage Peak Realm wandering swordsman not be famous? Tael Yaksha is counted among the top Masters among wandering swordsmen.¡± ¡°Ah, maybe I heard about him when I was briefly a wandering swordsman? Anyway, he¡¯ll be more famous from now on. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell with a First-Rate¡¯s discernment, but this Peak-Transcending Ximen Qing sees that he¡¯s entered the Early Stage Transcendent Realm, you know?¡± ¡°Amazing. Tael Yaksha is amazing, and Noonim¡¯s arrogance is amazing. Perhaps he might be called the Wandering King in the future.¡± At this, Tang Nanah, who was alternately eating one silkworm pupae from each hand, asked with wide eyes: ¡°What? You, you were a wandering swordsman?¡± ¡°In the past. After trying both, I found there¡¯s not much difference between a beggar and a wandering swordsman. Both have no money, are dirty, suffer from the heat in summer and are miserable from the cold in winter. People think you¡¯ll do anything if they buy you food. They kinda look at you with fearful yet dismissive eyes? With pitying gazes.¡± After that, Qing thought to herself- Huh? Isn¡¯t that kinda like a graduate student? Qing didn¡¯t think much of it, but for Tang Nanah listening, it was another tale of hardship that sent chills down her spine. ¡°Uh, um¡­ Sorry. Want some skewers?¡± ¡°No, why are you giving me what you were eating? Am I a beggar?¡± Qing said as she took the skewer with two left. And then, along with the unique dining area of the night market with tables spread out, all kinds of restaurants wereid out in a circle. ¡°Zhuge, what on earth is ¡®nameless meat¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s things so cheap they¡¯re not eaten. Smelly beasts like yellow weasels, wildcats, roon dogs.¡± In order, they were ferrets, wildcats, and roon dogs. ¡°They really eat everything with four legs¡­¡± ¡°They eat things without legs too. Those rolled up over there are snakes, and the ones spread out are prepared snakes. The rolled up ones next to them look like snakes but are goat penises, ahem, excuse me, Noonim.¡± ¡°Wow, the length is even longer than snakes. Could that be.¡± ¡°I hear it doesn¡¯t taste good. Even though they say it¡¯s good for men, it¡¯s not popr enough.¡± The source was unknown, the hygiene and precision of the butchering were unknown, and even the taste was bad as they just sprinkled some seasoning and cooked it over fire. Qing obediently gave up and passed through Wangfujing Street. *** As they went deeper, they were said to deal with more secret items, but there was no ssification for disying goods, so all kinds of odds and ends came out. To Qing, it looked just like a flea market. When they came to an area selling poisons, Tang Nanah said she wanted to look around for a bit and stayed behind, and Zhuge Ihyeon also couldn¡¯t tear himself away from the antiques section, so Qing told him to go ahead and look around. In fact, Zhuge Ihyeon had emphasized and warned her strongly, so she was just thinking of politely inquiring around in the ck market. It¡¯s not strange to feel like you¡¯re on a trip if you don¡¯t think there will be any knife fights or ominous events, but still. These guys. We came to get Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson, not to sightsee. ¡°Hey there, beautiful one, my goodness, you must be the incarnation of a Fairy! The Greatest Beauty Under Heaven was here! Come over here and take a look at some martial arts manuals!¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re selling martial arts manuals. Sworn Sister, let¡¯s go take a look.¡± ¡°Yes! There might be some peerless martial arts!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way something like that would be here¡­¡± Namen added a word to that. ¡°Oh? Looks like you¡¯ve found your voice?¡± ¡°Huk.¡± When Qing frowned at him once, Namen closed his mouth with an expression like he was about to stop breathing. It was because Qing¡¯s beauty was dizzying and harmful. Understanding this as him being scared, Qing proudly approached the martial arts manual merchant. ¡°Oh! The True Arts of Yang! Huh? Was that the name?¡± Qing picked up a book just in case, but the Martial Arts Window was quiet, so it was clearly fake. Then the merchant who hadid out books spoke. ¡°Please don¡¯t open it, beautiful customer. If you open it, you have to buy it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not looking. Besides, how can martial arts manuals be so clean? They should be tattered and worn to have the right feel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯ve copied them out for customers to see better.¡± Isn¡¯t that not allowed? Qing tilted her head and picked up each martial arts manual one by one. Tai Chi Control Sword, Twenty-Seven Moves of the Cherry Blossom, Heaven-Rending Dao, Thousand Treasure Divine Fist, King Zhou¡¯s Heart Cleansing Scripture, Wudang Sleep Rape, and so on¡­ With titles that each seemed to have a screw loose, and books that werepletely new and shiny, it was hard to believe. ¡°Mister Merchant, do these actually sell?¡± ¡°They sell quite well, yong.¡± ¡°This mister¡¯s way of speaking is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Unique, isn¡¯t it, yong? I¡¯m the famous Jeon Daeyong, the Jack-Of-All-Trades Merchant, yong.¡± ¡°Jack-Of-All-Trades Merchant!¡± Qing shouted. If Zhuge Ihyeon had been there, she felt he would have shouted, so she felt a sense of duty. Because of the attention drawn, Qing first confirmed the facts. ¡°Hmm. Are you a famous person?¡± ¡°No, I just made it up, yong. How can a person¡¯s name be Jeon Daeyong, yong? That doesn¡¯t make sense, yong.¡± ¡°Hehehe, you¡¯re an interesting person.¡± Qing giggled as she answered. This really made it feel like she hade to a real market. Just like how she used to take each new lover to see the truly unbelievable and bizarre merchants all gathered in one ce. Ah. Those were good times. Thinking about it makes me feel a bit lonely¡­ As if the im that they sold quite well wasn¡¯t a lie, the stall that had been empty when calling Qing was now crowded with other customers. ¡°Ahem, shopkeeper, give me one of these. How much?¡± ¡°How much have you found out, yong?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Divine Arts naturally have predetermined owners, so isn¡¯t it thew that those who know their value should have them, yong?¡± ¡°Usually, the seller sets the price for goods¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to give at least two gold sycees, yong. Too expensive, yong? No, how cheap do you consider the Wudang Sect¡¯s, no, all of Jianghu¡¯s best Qinggong, yong? What? You won¡¯t buy, yong? Hey, customer, do you think I¡¯m doing this because I have nothing better to do, yong? Oh, I¡¯m getting angry, yong. Do you want to be a customer or not, yong?¡± As he showed his momentum like this¡­ Wow, what¡¯s this, Unrestrained Realm? Why is an Unrestrained Realm Master selling fake books? Seriously, everyone and their dog is in the Unrestrained Realm these days. In the end, the poor customer was forced to buy the clearly fake Wudang Sleep Rape manual for two gold sycees. ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance, I¡¯m just here to look around, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine, yong. Looking is free for beauties, yong. Hmm, will you look around for one more ke if I give you this, yong?¡± The self-proimed Jeon Daeyong held out two coins. Only then did Qing realize she had been had. This mister was using people as signboards. Since all kinds of gazes followed her when she took off her face veil, just being held at the stall was almost like a shing board. In reality, it was the sight of a peerlessly beautiful woman carrying a sword looking at things with a serious expression. So everyone couldn¡¯t help but be tempted, thinking maybe there really was something there. Qing, unable to refuse pocket money given by an Unrestrained Realm Master, obediently epted the coins. Of course, since Jeon Daeyong had no particr hostility, Qing¡¯s mouth, which had taken a stance, didn¡¯t move. ¡°You just earned two gold sycees and you¡¯re trying to get away with giving just two coins? Wow, you¡¯re stingy. So stingy that it stings like saltwater.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too, yong. Next time I¡¯ll have to call myself the Coastal King of Salt Fields, yong.¡± ¡°Coastal King of Salt Fields!¡± ¡°¡­Do you really have to shout that, yong?¡± ¡°I heard this is the polite thing to do?¡± ¡°I guess so, yong? Well, it¡¯s nice to meet a polite customer, yong. I can¡¯t give you more money, but you can look through the books for one ke, yong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any value in looking anyway.¡± Still, Qing picked up and looked at each and every book. Suddenly, the Martial Arts Window shed. ¡°Oing?¡± It was shing, saying a new gold-colored Hand Technique called Shadowless Divine Hand had been registered. Qing didn¡¯t know, but this was actually the moment to shout exmations loud enough to shake heaven and earth. My goodness!!! Shadowless Divine Hand!!!! The Divine Thief!!!!! Like that. The Shadowless Divine Hand was the exclusive martial art of the legendary one-man thief, the Shadowless Divine Thief! But how would Qing possibly know that? Chapter 163: Black Market Commotion (3) ¡°Customer? What¡¯s wrong, yong?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Qing gently put down the book. It was extremely suspicious that not just any other color, but a Gold Martial Art suddenly appeared. The secret manual merchant, Divine Thief, narrowed his eyes. But since his eyes were already narrow to begin with, narrowing them further didn¡¯t make any meaningful change that others would notice. It was suspicious how someone who had been carelessly skimming titles and tossing books aside suddenly carefully put one down with proper posture. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, yong? Ah, Shadowless Spring Wind, yong. To recognize this, you have an amazing eye, yong!¡± ¡°Recognize what? I didn¡¯t even open it.¡± ¡°Did you notice something, yong? It¡¯s the legendary erotic art collection by Master Artist Geum, yong. You recognized it, yong! Here, take a look at this, yong. How is it, isn¡¯t it lewd, yong?¡± The Divine Thief opened the book and thrust it forward. An explicit depiction of an intense lovemaking scene between intertwined men and women was spread across both pages. The Divine Thief expected one of two reactions. Either seriously looking for the mantra, or blushing and not knowing what to do out of embarrassment. But Qing¡¯s reaction was neither. ¡°This art style is way too old-fashioned Eastern. You¡¯d need quite a lot of imagination to get excited by this.¡± Well, of course it was old-fashioned Eastern since this was, in fact, the ancient East. ¡°What does Sworn Sister think?¡± ¡°How can you insert it while holding both knees? The thing would have to be over a foot long¡­ Besides, your knees would be shattered like that. Unusable.¡± ¡°Hmm, customers, don¡¯t you feel anything, yong?¡± ¡°Not particrly?¡± The Divine Thief drooped his shoulders in disappointment. Then he mumbled something under his breath, which Qing, wary of the unidentified Unrestrained Realm Master, understood. ¡°Strange. I thought she recognized it. Maybe not. Fuck me, I¡¯ll die of old age before finding a sessor,¡± he said. Qing immediately thought: Ah. I shouldn¡¯t stay here any longer. Qing fiddled with the books to pass time. While it wasn¡¯t good to stay here, she thriftily checked if there might be other martial arts manuals. Unfortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be any more proper secret manuals. Meanwhile, whether due to Qing¡¯s advertising effect or not, the merchant forcibly sold a few more books, earning gold sycees for nothing. Seeing that, being a sessor didn¡¯t seem so bad. If it weren¡¯t for my master, would I have be a sessor? But what does being a sessor mean? Sessor to an unscrupulous merchant? Judging by the Righteous Karma, he doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person, but due to the forced sales, the number has decreased by two since I first saw it. ¡°It¡¯s been one ke, right? Can I go now?¡± ¡°Want to stay one more ke, yong? I¡¯ll give you double, yong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still just four coins¡­¡± ¡°Then ten times?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only twenty, hmm. Twenty for one ke isn¡¯t bad, but I have some business to attend to. If I have time after, I might drop by again.¡± ¡°Alright, yong. Thanks to you, I sold quite a bit, yong. Here. I¡¯m in a good mood, yong. It¡¯s a bonus, yong.¡± The Divine Thief flicked a coin. ¡°Come on, I wouldn¡¯t even give a beggar just one coin. If you¡¯re going to spend, spend big. You¡¯re just wasting precious coins and getting cursed at.¡± ¡°If you know coins are precious, you¡¯ll soon be rich, yong. Take care, yong!¡± The Divine Thief pretended to wave goodbye. Only after the three disappeared into the crowd did he mutter quietly. ¡°A Peerless Beauty Under Heaven with the Bokshinjeok. Was that her servant behind her?¡± The coin the Divine Thief gave had a special tracking scent on it, allowing him to track from afar once someone had held it. In the ck market where prices were inted and everything was expensive, there was no need to use coins, so if they didn¡¯t throw it away, it wouldn¡¯t flow to others. From their conversation, she didn¡¯t seem like someone who would throw away coins. ¡°But the Bokshinjeok, is it. It¡¯s a treasure no Divine Thief in history has ever possessed.¡± The Divine Thief grinned. And yet, he didn¡¯t even realize his own martial art had been stolen. Although they were supposed to meet at the ya shang gathering, the other two in the group seemed to be lost in sightseeing. In fact, Qing had only been held up for one ke by the strange merchant selling martial arts manuals. The two were probably still in the middle of looking at and selecting poisons/antiques. Thinking she should take care of business first without waiting, she wandered around, and finally, Namen earned his keep for the meal he was given. ¡°It¡¯s that person. The ya shang who bought the old man¡¯s grandson is right there.¡± Qing smacked the back of Namen¡¯s head. ¡°You should at least speak properly, you know? He wasn¡¯t the one to buy, rather you sold, right? It¡¯s not like you were sitting there saying ¡®For sale¡¯, was it?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right¡­¡± Qing approached the ya shang Namen pointed out. He was a vicious-looking man with burn scars covering half his face. Before she left for Jianghu, Qing might have been intimidated just by looking at someone¡¯s face, but now she was too much of a Master for that. The other person would have to at least be in the Unrestrained Realm for her to lower her head, hunch her shoulders, and carefully gauge the situation. As it happened, he was the most evil bastard with Evil Karma about one and a half times higher than other human traffickers. It was iprehensible why this stupid unorthodox faction bastard sold the child to such a person. ¡°Hey, you there, Big Scar. Human trafficker.¡± ¡°Are you calling me? Girls these days have no fear, huh? Hmm, why? Did youe to sell yourself? If you¡¯re selling, I could give you gold sycees in the form of gwan, treating you as top quality.¡± ¡°Then it should be about fifty thousand gwan. Forget it. I came to get back a young man you bought.¡± She had thought it was some kid since they called him Old Man Ban¡¯s grandson, but he was apparently a sturdy young man of neen this year. He¡¯s not an adult yet, so you could still call him a child. Formoners, neen would be young for an old man¡¯s grandson, even though Murim practitioners marry muchter. If his head was all white, he would be waiting for great-grandchildren or watching their antics by now. At any rate, Big Scar smiled slyly at Qing¡¯s words. ¡°Well, if you have enough money, there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°His name is Ban Jagwon, the metal shop¡¯s grandson. He¡¯s a bit shorter than me, has thick eyebrows, and a darkplexion with lots of moles, or so they say.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t our little pussy cat start by telling me when he was sold?¡± It was childishly immature to emphasize that word like that, as if he were some ten-year-old kid. ¡°Shut up, when was it?¡± ¡°It should be about ten days ago.¡± ¡°What, ten days? I¡¯m speechless, really. Do you think we¡¯re some poverty relief organization, keeping goods for ten days, feeding and housing them?¡± Qing frowned. Damn, it¡¯s not going to be easy after all. ¡°You¡¯ve already sold him?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the metal shop son, I do remember. He fetched a good price since he knew some metalworking.¡± ¡°Who did you sell him to?¡± At this, Big Scar wagged his finger. ¡°I have to protect client information. With thew prohibiting very, how could I do business in this field if I revealed who bought them?¡± ¡°Hmm. How much would it take? Ten gold sycees?¡± It was a negotiation tactic of sorts. Thinking if she offered ten, he might counter with about twenty. Gramps had given her plenty of gold sycees, so if not for this, what else would she use them for? However, Qing¡¯s n immediately fell apart. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I told you I¡¯d be finished in this business if I sold out clients. Is there an idiot who¡¯d throw away their life for such petty cash?¡± ¡°Petty cash? It¡¯s ten gold sycees.¡± ¡°Even if it were ten gwan of gold, not just sycees, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. I told you, my life would be forfeit. We have our own rules too.¡± ¡°Rules? For vermin who sell people? Even a passing dog would dieughing.¡± ¡°You bitch, your way of speaking is really like a dog-¡° ¡°Enough. The price of a life, you say. Will you tell me if I pay the price of a life?¡± At this, Big Scar¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°The price of a life, hehe, now I see you¡¯re quite the noble. I¡¯ve been in this business for a while, so you¡¯ll have to pay quite handsomely.¡± ¡°Oh? How much?¡± Big Scar should have looked carefully at Qing¡¯s expression. Her pupils contracted, and a faint purple sinister energy rose from their center, looking extremely vicious. Along with her mouth split wide open to her ears, it was an utterly ferocious expression. ¡°First, enough for me to get away- Ack!!¡± Big Scar, who had been speaking obsequiously, suddenly screamed. When you¡¯re kicked between the legs and float about a zhang in the air, anyone would stop mid-sentence and scream. This was the lineage-ending strike of the Absolute Witch that all the soldiers of Sichuan feared, and even those who had witnessed it directly still couldn¡¯t sleep at night due to the psychological trauma. Big Scar, who had risen vertically, fell vertically ording to basic scientific facts. Qing grabbed Big Scar¡¯s ankle as he fell and crushed it in her grip. ¡°Argh!!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re overreacting. Just because your balls burst and your ankle got crushed, you scream like that? Are you even a man? Just cut off your dick, why don¡¯t you. Hm? Wait. Maybe you are not a man anymore?¡± ¡°Keurk, keueurk.¡± ¡°Noting to your senses? I was going to leave you one side, but I guess not. It¡¯s much better to hop on one leg than to bepletely crippled, right?¡± Qing said as she kicked Big Scar¡¯s back repeatedly while he clutched his groin and curled up. However, he was in such pain that he couldn¡¯t even properly feel the crushed ankle, so how could hee to his senses after just a few dozen kicks? That¡¯s when it happened. With a loud patter of footsteps and rustling of clothes, martial artists dressed in custom-made ck clothes surrounded Qing. ¡°What is this! How dare you cause trouble in the ck market!¡± ¡°Dare? Are you serving the Emperor or something? What¡¯s with the ¡®dare¡¯ from mere night market organizers?¡± Their martial prowess was mediocre, with a few First-Rate and two Peak Realm mixed in, so there was nothing to be afraid of. ¡°You say you¡¯ll put up a hefty bounty? Go ahead. My name is Un Yeonyoung of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n. Also, this girl has nothing to do with this.¡± ¡°Huh? Sworn Sister, but.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have a n. Anyway, they just watched, so they¡¯re not involved, right? Now, Sunyoung, step aside for a moment. Give me the flute. Namen, you¡¯ve finished your business too, so you¡¯re free. Go.¡± Gyeon Pohee hesitated but eventually drooped her shoulders and walked away. Surprisingly, the ck market warriors stepped aside willingly, either because they were reluctant to put up multiple bounties or because they were following rules. If they hadn¡¯t let her go, Sworn Sister was about to be Ximen Qing, disciple of the Zenith Among Women, but it seems that wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°Alright. Now that business is done, get lost. I have something to discuss with this guy. Hm. Hey. Are you noting to your senses yet?¡± ¡°Kheuk, you crazy, crazy bitch. To pick a fight with the ck Store¡­¡± ¡°Right, this Un Yeonyoung is a crazy person. So if you had spilled everything for ten gold sycees, you wouldn¡¯t have be a eunuch. I really don¡¯t understand. Receiving ten gold sycees vs. bing a eunuch. And you choose thetter.¡± ¡°You bitch, you are now a dead person wal- Argh!!¡± Qing stomped on Big Scar¡¯s hand. With the subtlety of the Heavenly Demon Reigning Step applied, the sensation of the joints under her foot crumbling like sand was indescribably ecstatic. At this, a ck market warrior shouted angrily. ¡°St-Stop! What are you doing!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Aren¡¯t you going to put up a bounty anyway? So why should I stop here? Will you cancel the bounty if this Un Yeonyoung stops here?¡± ¡°You really look down on the ck Store, don¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. This Un Yeonyoung really looks down on the ck Store. Why should the great Un Yeonyoung of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n be afraid of an organization that just gathers all sorts of dog-like bastards and dregs that need to turn into crotch beggars to run a night market?¡± ¡°How dare you!!!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re pissed,e at me.¡± At this, the ck market warriors hesitated. She was so tantly picking a fight that it actually made them afraid to charge in. ¡°If not, just watch.¡± Qing waved her hand dismissively and then firmly stepped on the back of Big Scar, who was trying to slyly crawl away. ¡°So, where did you sell that young man?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk, so please spare my life¡­¡± Only then did Qing smile and say: ¡°That¡¯s why I told you. That I¡¯d pay the price of a life.¡± Chapter 164: Black Market Commotion (4) He was already a man who wouldn¡¯t live long even if Qing let him go, having be crippled in both legs and hands, and having sold out a customer. Big Scar knew this fact too, but naturally, the crisis right in front of him was the most important. That¡¯s why Qing deliberately acted even more cruelly. It was a hint that if he defied her saying he was already a dead man anyway, she would create an even more terrible end for him. ¡°That young man is-¡° ¡°Halt! You bastard, how dare you try to reveal client information when you¡¯re registered as a ck Store member. Kuk.¡± There was someone trying to stop Big Scar¡¯s mouth. Qing, who had confirmed his Evil Karma, threw her hairpin. A First-Rate ck market warrior fell, clutching his neck. Three Birds One Chopstick is a Third-Rate hidden weapon technique that only throws straight without any other tricks. Butbined with superhuman strength and the Inner Qi contained in the throwing weapon, human bodies have no way to withstand it. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to talk? I¡¯m sure you all have eyes, so you can see how many I have left in my hair, right?¡± It¡¯s not umon for women to use iron hairpins as hidden weapons. However, it was unheard of for a thrown iron hairpin to not just stick in the neck but pierce through it ande out the other side. Two Peak Realm Masters among the ck market warriors exchanged nces, and one of them spoke. ¡°¡­Do you have any more business in the ck market?¡± ¡°No. If he hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would have finished my business and left long ago.¡± Qing pointed at the fallen ck market warrior. Then the ck market warrior lowered his voice. ¡°The ck Store will remember this. A thousand gwan bounty will make assassins from all over the world, no, even those who aren¡¯t assassins, go crazy. We¡¯ll see how long you canst. Un Yeonyoung, was it? The fallen Un n of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s lineage will end.¡± And then saying ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he left, and the other ck market warriors followed with visibly relieved expressions. They didn¡¯t have confidence in winning if they charged in, and she didn¡¯t seem like someone who would listen if they tried to stop her. Even if they won, since the ck Store wasn¡¯t a force-based organization, each Master was precious, so it would be a battle with more losses than gains. So if they weren¡¯t going to fight anyway, rather than stupidly just watching the violence, they judged it better to leave a stern warning and depart, creating a more usible scene. After that, she heard Ban Jagwon¡¯s location and retrieved her hairpin. Then Gyeon Pohee came running. ¡°Sworn Sister, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What are you going to do now? If the bounty is a thousand gwan¡­¡± ¡°Well, after killing a few assassins, they¡¯ll realize their lives are precious and it¡¯ll die down. Just in case, it would be better for Sworn Sister to return to the Seol Family Trading Company.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I stay with Sworn Sister? I¡¯m a Peak Realm master now too.¡± ¡°Then what about the old man¡¯s grandson? Either of you meet him and tell him that kid was bought by the Dabie Sect on the Dabie Mountains. Tsk, those so-called Orthodox Factions buying ves. But since they¡¯re orthodox, he probably isn¡¯t suffering too much.¡± It seemed they bought him intending to raise him as the sect¡¯s cksmith since he knew how to work with metal. And now, either the Zhuge n or the Tang n, or both together, were nning to go, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems after this. ¡°Then, what about Sworn Sister?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll justy low for a couple of months and then go to Kaifeng in time for the Murim Conference. It would be good to report this incident to Master too. I¡¯ll ask you to do that.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m weak and can¡¯t help¡­¡± Qing grinned. ¡°This is you helping, you know? What else could be of help? Do you have to stand back to back with me and break through, leaving a trail of blood, to call it help? Without Sworn Sister in the morning, I¡¯d have to dress and wash alone, ah, just thinking about it is annoying.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Qing held out her hand without erasing her smile. Gyeon Pohee made a tearful face and grasped that hand. Then Qing spoke. ¡°No, what? Why are you holding my hand? I¡¯m asking for the face veil. The face veil.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Qing, who received the face veil, leapt up swiftly. She jumped up with the Anti-Gravity Steps of the Divine Maiden Footwork, stepping on the poles that held up the temporary tents of the night market, and flew away with the Thousand Li Flight. Her speed was so amazing that even a Master of Qinggong would find it difficult to catch up. It was an escape speed even Ximen Surin acknowledged. In fact, she said if Qing was determined to run, those who would be able to chase her could be counted on one hand in the world. *** However, she said they could be counted on one hand. She didn¡¯t say there were none. ¡°Why is this damn brat¡¯s feet so fast? Let¡¯s see, that looks like the Thousand Li Flight. Oh ho, not only are her feet quick, but her Qinggong is already excellent. If she just has good hand skills, she¡¯ll be perfect!¡± The past merchant world was heated with the ck Sky Association¡¯s defection. The ck Sky Association is a notorious human trafficking group. They were the real deal, with the skill and execution to carry out kidnappings across the Central ins, and even connections reaching the Western Regions to bring in precious red-haired ves. But suddenly, they spouted nonsense about living righteously from now on and left the industry. The problem was that they killed all the rted workers like brokers, warehouse keepers, teachers, etc., before leaving. Moreover, they didn¡¯t just kill the rted workers but massacred their entire families, hanging the corpses in the market and carving ¡°human trafficker¡± on them. So no one mourned them, instead spitting and throwing stones, saying they died well. With such miserable ends, many in the business quit, and no neers were entering the industry. Because of this, the ck Store took a proper hit. The ck Store isn¡¯t just an organization that opens ck markets - night markets - and lives offmissions. If there¡¯s a deal in the Central ins that can¡¯t be spoken of to others, it all happens through the ck Store, so the ck market is just a part of the ck Store, and all kinds of ck market traders settled in every city were actually affiliated with the ck Store. So in reality, the ve industry workers who were massacred with their families were all deaths of ck Store members. The previous ck Store Manager raged furiously, but in the end, couldn¡¯t catch the ck Sky Association¡¯s tail. To be precise, they were left with only a strong suspicion, almost a certainty, that it was a front for the Demonic Cult bastards. However, they couldn¡¯t touch the Demonic Cult with mere suspicion. Amidst the public sentiment that those sons of bitches deserved to die, it was futile to rise up in anger and pour out criticism. People would just say, ¡°Wow, the Demonic Cult did a good deed for once.¡± Moreover, if the Demonic Cult touched them, the ck Store would be crushed. Weren¡¯t they the war group that left deep scars on the Orthodox Murim in the four Great Wars Between Orthodox and Demonic, even though it was just a series of defeats? A war between such a Demonic Cult and a suspicious, secretive ck merchant union couldn¡¯t even be established in the first ce. No matter how much overflowing wealth they had, who would respond if they shouted, ¡°We¡¯re going to war with the Demonic Cult, who will fight for money!¡± In the end, they had no choice but to swallow their anger with nowhere to go. But then a problem arose. A ve trader was brutally murdered in in sight at the Henan Branch of the ck market. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t murder, but an incident that left him in a state where death would be preferable. Zhang Enchai, the ck Store Association Leader, clutched his head. ¡°Why! Why! Why! Why are they doing this to me!¡± ¡°The ve traders¡¯ dissatisfaction is no small matter. They¡¯re even organizing their own association to protect themselves, so we¡¯ve caught and killed the instigators for now. But at this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the ve traders defect.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­ We haven¡¯t even cleaned up the mess those ck Sky Association bastards made properly.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll put up a bounty for now, but if we don¡¯t make an example of what happens to those who touch the ck Store this time-¡° ¡°Five hundred gwan.¡± Zhang Enchai cut off the chief¡¯s words. The chief frowned. ¡°Pardon? You¡¯re saying just five hundred gwan? With that¡­¡± ¡°Un Yeonyoung, was it? Say we¡¯ll give five hundred gwan for her corpse, ten thousand gwan if brought in alive. We¡¯ll deduct two thousand gwan for each limb, so tell them to bring her in one piece if possible.¡± Zhang Enchai¡¯s eyes were chillingly cold. ¡°This time, we¡¯ll clearly show the world what happens when you mess with the ck Store. Human pigs aren¡¯t the exclusive property of Empress L¨¹.¡± Empress L¨¹, who proudly made the list of China¡¯s Four Great Viinesses, ranked high for her cruel nature and creative torture. Human pigs were strictly forbidden as something horrific even in the long history of the Central ins, so it was a terribly vicious grudge to say he¡¯d capture her alive and make her into that. Unable to touch the Demonic Cult out of fear and burning with rage inside, now that someone had pped their face, that anger had no choice but to be directed fully at her. ¡°It¡¯s already time for the ck Store to show some movement to appease the ve traders, isn¡¯t it? In a way, this could be seen as a good thing.¡± Zhang Enchai smiled coldly. But would things really go as he wished? The ck Store put a bounty on Un Yeonyoung. ck Store Special-Grade Wanted: Un Yeonyoung. Five hundred gwan of gold for her head. Ten thousand gwan if captured alive. Deduct two thousand gwan for each limb. Characteristic: A beauty recognizable at a nce. Many people had seen Qing at the ck market. So when asked what she looked like, they all gave stupid descriptions like she¡¯s pretty, very pretty, really pretty. ¡°No, I¡¯m asking how her eyes, nose, and mouth look!¡± ¡°Well. Her eyes arerge and clear, beautiful, her nose is straight and wless, beautiful, and her mouth is small and red-¡° ¡°Beautiful, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Ugh. Next!¡± But they were all the same. If asked to describe her eyes, nose, and mouth separately, they¡¯d say pretty, if asked about her characteristics, they¡¯d say pretty, if asked about her impression, they¡¯d say pretty again. The listeners were all curious about what kind of beauty she could be. So when the ck market mobilized all their painters to draw wanted posters, everyone cried out that the pictures couldn¡¯t do her justice. Even in Qing¡¯s homnd, the reliability of facialposites made only from testimony without video was quite low, so how much worse must it be in the Central ins? Finally, when something that looked somewhat simr came out, now began the hellish copying process. Of course, there was a method called printing. The Central ins is the birthce of human printing technology! Ever since a person named Bi Shengmercialized y printing technology for the first time in human history, the Central ins has exerted its dignity as the originating country of printing technology. There¡¯s a strong suspicion that they probably made the first metal movable type as well, but due to the double attack of the Cultural Revolution and the Backyard Furnace, not a single piece of physical evidence remained, so it wasn¡¯t recognized. Thanks to this, the honor of inventing the first metal movable type went to the Korean people. Surprisingly, both the Cultural Revolution and the Backyard Furnace were achievements of a single human being, and because of this, he was ranked second among the most respected figures by the Chinese people even in modern times. Since the first ce is always upied by living power and the dead cannot intrude, he was essentially first ce. Anyway, even with such excellent printing technology in the Central ins, it was still primitivepared to modern times, so the portrait was too delicate to be produced with woodblock printing. For now, they were copying and distributing as they werepleted, but the number was woefully insufficient. Moreover, bounty hunters and assassins were tearing off the papers with the portraits drawn on them and hiding them in their bosoms, wanting to eat alone. So in the end, only the wanted news spread widely. Very pretty top-ss beauty Un Yeonyoung of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n in the Central ins (Virginity Unknown). Ten thousand gwan of gold if captured alive! And so, the result. ¡°Oh my. There¡¯s a bitter poison scent in the tea? Xinpa, do you have some grudge against me?¡± Un Yeonyoung said, sipping her tea. The old woman who was about to ce her next move on the Go board withdrew her delicate hand with a start. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Un Yeonyoung rolled the tea in her mouth, tasting it, then swallowed with a gulp. ¡°Mmmmmmm. This taste is Dream Soul Incense. My goodness, am I some kind of daxiang? This isn¡¯t an amount you can sleep soundly for fifty years, is it?¡± In Central insnguage, elephants were called ¡°daxiang.¡± Xinpa, a Great Demonic Adept even among the Demonic Adepts, who in turn were among the Demonic Adepts that Jianghu people called the White Hand Demonic Sect, became enraged. ¡°How dare some bitch¡­!¡± And so, she gathered all the household members of the estate to have a time of contemting the truth together. Since water and fire always know the answer, it wasn¡¯t long before the culprit confessed their sin. ¡°I, I havemitted a mortal sin. I was blinded by money and¡­¡± ¡°Money, you say. Did someone hire for an assassination?¡± ¡°The ck Store put out a wanted notice, and the amount is as much as ten thousand gwan¡­¡± At this, Xinpa turned to look at Un Yeonyoung. ¡°You bitch, what trick did you pull on the ck Store?¡± ¡°You know, even if you say what trick I have pulled¡­ I¡¯ve done so many things, I¡¯m not sure. Perhaps I underestimated the ck Store too much. Those insignificant creatures somehow managed to identify me. Excuse me, would-be assassin? Are you certain it was me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Un Yeonyoung of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n, and the characteristic is a beauty recognizable at a nce¡­¡± At this, Xinpa snorted. ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s certain alright. They say if the tail is long, it gets caught, don¡¯t they? I told you so many times to wear a human skin mask at least.¡± ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m already wearing a human disguise, what difference would one moreyer make? I guess I underestimated the ck Store¡¯s pitiful intelligence too much.¡± ¡°Then, what shall we do?¡± ¡°I only let you live because it was convenient for getting materials, but it¡¯s bothersome to leave a fly buzzing around without knowing its ce. Oh my, this is troublesome indeed.¡± Un Yeonyoung continued with her characteristic gentle and elegant smile. ¡°For now, as a warning, let¡¯s clean up everything in sight. Will you help too, Xinpa? You should enjoy your hobby once in a while, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 165: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (1) It was obvious to point out, but martial arts consume a massive amount of stamina. The foundation of martial arts is stamina. That¡¯s why almost all sects shared a training method forpletely snot-nosed kids who could be roughly ssified as Fourth-Grade disciples (though there¡¯s no actual title of ¡°Fourth-Grade disciple¡±), potential third-generation disciples. Horse stance and climbing mountains for no reason. And fetching water for the sect to use. Even throughout their growth period, it was the same process. It might look like bullying or child abuse. But this was a very important training thatid the foundation for martial arts by simultaneously training stamina and lower body strength. Of course, there was also the advantage that it was very convenient to have the little ones fetch water. At any rate, the stamina consumption of martial arts is extraordinary enough to require such a harsh childhood. Givemoners a sword and tell them to swing it a hundred times. They¡¯ll end up sitting down, panting. And among martial arts, there was one that was the worst of the worst, draining stamina excessively. And that was Qinggong. Long ago, didn¡¯t a Westerner run about a hundred li to deliver news of victory and then drop dead, either from his heart bursting orck of blood supply? If you makemoners sprint at full speed right now, you¡¯ll see them expelling all their body¡¯s moisture through their entire body before even one ke passes. That¡¯s one ke for Central insmoners; if you made modern people from Qing¡¯s homnd sprint at full speed, they wouldn¡¯tst even a minute before copsing. So, Qinggong was a difficult technique that required operating Inner Qi on top of that to add propulsion. It¡¯s not just a concept of assisting running with Inner Qi. It was a simultaneous task and double hardship of having to operate Inner Qi while running. Moreover, the ces where Qinggong is used aren¡¯t wide-open, well-packed sports fields without a single pebble. It¡¯s rough terrain with steep ups and downs, where the ground to step on is covered with pebbles, fallen leaves, hidden puddles, slippery rocks, and so on, making even normal running difficult. So maintaining Qinggong for a long time is very difficult. It requires not only iron-like stamina but also perfect body control and bnce, concentration to operate Inner Qi, and quick reflexes to deal with terrain where no two parts are the same in the world. Ximen Surin didn¡¯t evaluate for nothing that there wouldn¡¯t be many people who could catch her disciple if she ran away. It was thanks to superhuman stamina, bnce, and Inner Qi control that she could circle Mount Wu ande back still fresh, without sweating a single drop or catching her breath even once. The exceptions Ximen Surin mentioned were cases of quickly catching up to Qing over short distances. Over long distances, as far as Ximen Surin knew, there was no one who could catch up. She thought this would be true even for the Divine Thief, a master famous for having the fastest Qinggong under heaven. And Ximen Surin was right. The Divine Thief stopped, panting like a dog. ¡°Huff, wh-what, huff, phew, girl, huff, phew, doesn¡¯t, doesn¡¯t get, doesn¡¯t get tired. Huff.¡± No one had threatened him to talk to himself, but Divine Thief was chattering away even while out of breath. If someone pointed it out, he might answer that it¡¯s because he¡¯s been a lonely old man for a long time. In fact, just because someone¡¯s a lonely old man doesn¡¯t mean they talk to themselves a lot, so he was just born that way. The Divine Thief¡¯s n was simple. One. Watch and observe from a distance. Two. Appear at a dangerous moment and save her. Three. Sternly and seriously offer to take her as a disciple. Four. Receive the Bow of Discipleship from the Nine Bows of Etiquette. Then, sess! But he was blocked from step one; watching from a distance, my ass. What kind of girl runs non-stop for over two shichen without resting once, making the distance grow as his stamina depleted? Even though the Thousand Li Flight was known as a Qinggong specialized for long distances, there should be a limit. To the Divine Thief, the highest authority on Qinggong, she was just a girl born as a natural runner. Feeling like his old heart wouldn¡¯tst if he chased any further, he finally had to stop. ¡°Phew, th-this, phew. At this, huff, time, phew, if she passes here, Murim, Murim Conference, phew, it must be the road to the Murim Conference?¡± The Divine Thief changed his mind. Was it really time to y tag in the middle of the night with a young girl? People should use their heads; in the end, he¡¯d see her in Kaifeng anyway, so he just wasted energy in the night for nothing. Without even knowing that the uninvited guest following her had fallen away, Qing kept running. She really didn¡¯t know anything at all. Qing was quite serious when it came to eating and running away. Rumors in the Central ins spread surprisingly slowly, only spreading from person to person face-to-face. If she runs away faster than rumors and hides to settle down, who would know and find her, be it assassins or bounty hunters? For now, she would sleep during the day and just get further away. Running and running and running like that, as the sky began to brighten dimly, she had run for a full four shichen. In modern terms, that¡¯s eight hours. From about three shichen, even Qing started to get tired, so after four shichen passed, even Qing thought, ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t go any further,¡± and immediately copsed spread-eagled on the ground. Her body eagerly sucked in air, gulping down inhales and throwing out exhales. Thanks to this, the inhales and exhales collided in the middle of her airway, giving a feeling of explosion, making her realize bodily that this is what it means when they say breath reaches up to your chin. In the end, Qingy spread-eagled on the ground. People who have run to their limit would know (surprisingly, many don¡¯t), but the aftereffects include a wringing pain where not a single part of your entire body doesn¡¯t hurt. The ground is cold but the body is hot, so that chill is rather wee. After lying like that for a while, hmm. It¡¯s cold! It was early spring dawn, as cold as midwinter, and she had sweated so much that her clothes werepletely wet. If she took them off and wrung them out, they¡¯d probably pour like a waterfall. She was in a state of wearing wet clothes and being thrown into a bitter cold. The best condition for a person to freeze to death is when they¡¯re exhausted from sweat, their clothes are wet, and the weather is cold. When she was wearing thin clothes in the Divine Maiden Sect, the wind could pass through but at least it wasn¡¯t damp. Thinking she¡¯d freeze to death if she slept here, Qing painfully raised her body, and her damp back was covered in ck dirt. But how would Qing know what her back looked like? In that state, she took heavy steps and soon a high city gate blocked her view. Seeing ¡°Zhangwan¡± written on arge hanging que, she thought the city¡¯s name must be Zhangwan. As someone who doesn¡¯t know Chinese geography, Qing couldn¡¯t know where it was, but if others knew, it would be surprising news. Who would believe that she had run about 600 li from Shuya Lake to Zhangwan City all night? Zhangwan is a city located between Kaifeng and Puyang. Puyang is a passage connecting to Hebei in the north, so if you trace Qing¡¯s trajectory as she ran in a trance-like state, she had actually passed Kaifeng. Just in time, as it was morning, the city gate opened. Seeing the city, her empty stomach immediately churned. She had literally run all night, after all. Her stomach was hungry and her body felt sticky and ufortable. ¡°Ah. I¡¯m dying¡­¡± Qing groaned and headed towards the city gate. With her face covered by a face veil, two swords nted across her back at her waist, and a dark flute stuck in her belt at her side, she looked extremely suspicious. Like, what kind of woman is this? But there was the non-interference between Murim and the government. Meaning, because individual officials were scared to deal with superhumans carrying swords and flying around, they didn¡¯t dare to catch her and were about to let her pass through the city gate. Suddenly, the veiled woman with swords turned directly towards the gate guard, and the poor soldier gulped. Then the veiled woman asked: ¡°Excuse me, where¡¯s a good restaurant around here? What do they do well?¡± The soldier was greatly relieved. ¡°The Dacheng Vegetable Shop on Chengguan Avenue is good. They say the cook learned in Shandong, and they do Shandong cuisine really well, but whether it¡¯s real Shandong cuisine or not, well? Some people say it¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Chengguan Avenue. Dacheng Vegetable Shop. Thank you. Good luck with your duty.¡± Qing bowed her veiled face to the kind soldier and passed through the city gate. As it was morning, merchants who hade out carrying their breakfast wares were selling soup noodles or half-soup dishes. Qing¡¯s eyes darted around. But with the strong determination to eat something delicious when she was so hungry for once, Qing tightly closed her eyes and looked away. It¡¯s a loss to just fill up on something like that for one meal. When you¡¯re hungry, delicious food tastes twice as good. Soup noodles and bantan aren¡¯t anything special anyway. Hmm. But what if I just taste a little? If you¡¯re too hungry, you can¡¯t eat well, right? How could the starving Qing resist food? Unable to hold back, Qing finally reached for her money pouch. Reached for her money pouch¡­ After groping the air a few times, Qing¡¯splexion turned pale blue. It was the first time since leaving for Jianghu that herplexion had been so pale. The money pouch is¡­ gone? Of course, it was all Qing¡¯s karma. She, who could lift 500 jin as a world-ss strongwoman, had entrusted all her luggage to her weak Sworn Sister, so she only knew how to carry swords and didn¡¯t know how to hang anything on her own body. It was truly dog-like manners. To be fair, Qing could also feel a bit wronged. The culprits who created these manners were both the old bastard and young brat, Crutch No. 1 and No. 2. Wasn¡¯t it because they begged and pleaded to carry things that she got into the habit of entrusting them? The problem was that Qing didn¡¯t have a single coin, not even one wen in her possession. ¡°Ah.¡± Remembering the three coins she received from the martial arts manual merchant, Qing hurriedly felt all over her body. But Central ins clothing doesn¡¯t have pockets. Of course, martial uniforms do have ces sewn inside to put this and that, but she had quickly handed the coins to Gyeon Pohee when she received them, so only bits of cotton fluff stuck under her nails. One coin could buy one empty dumpling bun. With three coins, you could even get a soup without any solid ingredients as a bonus¡­ Qing had returned to her original state after a very long time. Originally, Qing was a miserly poor person from the start. Qing started walking for now. Standing still made her wet clothes cool down and feel cold. So she had to move first. She was busy scanning the ground, rolling her eyes this way and that, wondering if there might be a coin dropped somewhere. What should I do? I¡¯m hungry. No money¡­ Suddenly, tears welled up. Qing shouldn¡¯t be hungry. She might not know other things, but she shouldn¡¯t be hungry. Moreover, just look at her state now. Her clothes were damp and sticky, and she had no change of clothes, so there was no other option. The weather was cold, her body was tired, and due to the aftereffects of long-distance Qinggong, her soles were on fire and the slight cramps in her thighs and calves were not normal. Damn, this won¡¯t do. Let¡¯s get some sleep first. If she gets any hungrier here, it seems like she won¡¯t be able to sleep because of hunger. Also, it was just cold; it was not like she would freeze to death, and rather than holding her hungry stomach and looking for dropped coins, it was better to sleep when she could. Qing wandered around the city, looking for a ce to sleep outdoors. After all, sleeping outside was something she¡¯d been doing since she set foot in Jianghu, so it was familiar. Qing then found a good spot in the sun under a wall in a corner of the marketce. It was an open area with many passersby so it was safe, yet while visible, it wasn¡¯t a ce where people would walk, so there was no worry of being kicked. Moreover, if the sun was shining now, it would continue to shine until noon. Despite not having slept rough for a long time, to find such a prime spot right away; this is why they say people should learn that experience gained through physical hardship doesn¡¯t disappear. Qingy down sideways under the wall and curled up like a shrimp. Chapter 166: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (2) When people sleep in a warm, well-heated room, burying themselvesfortably on an expensive bed, they fall into a deep sleep akin to fainting or losing consciousness. Conversely, when closing one¡¯s eyes on cold, noisy, hard ground with stones digging into it, sleep is as shallow as a puddle after rain. Such shallow sleep settles somewhere between sleeping and being awake. You can¡¯t tell if you¡¯ve actually slept, whether you¡¯ve just closed your eyes for a moment or simply passed a long time with your eyes shut. Qing, with her eyes closed, curled up even more. It¡¯s cold. It¡¯s damp. Only where the sun shines is warm. She thought she had a good dream. A dream where she met a good master and good friends, living in luxury, wearing nice clothes, eating delicious food, and traveling around. Hmm. Was it a dream, or not? Qing opened her eyes groggily to check. A world on its side, people passing by clicking their tongues as if they¡¯d seen something they shouldn¡¯t have. Qing closed her eyes again. Ah. It was all a dream. No wonder such good things couldn¡¯t happen in this damn medieval China. I¡¯m so hungry I feel like I¡¯m being torn apart. Please, let me have just one rat today, Lord Rat. I want to eat meat. Or I¡¯ll go to Pyeongchan Chaeru and- ah right, those bastards said they won¡¯t give out pork anymore. Ah. I don¡¯t want to move. In her first year, Qing originally didn¡¯t move. Moving unnecessarily only made her stomach emptier and nothing nutritious happened. At best, if she caught the eye of beggars, she¡¯d get beaten up. She would only slyly look around and eat something when her body was so weak that she felt she might die if she didn¡¯t eat anymore. That¡¯s when it happened. A presence was felt in front of Qing, who had her eyes closed. Qing opened her eyes slightly. Beyond the blurry texture of the face veil, she saw two feet standing suspiciously on the ground. Rolling her eyes as much as possible, she saw the owner of the feet bending at the waist in her nted view. As the arm moved carefully and delicately, she rolled her eyes until they hurt and saw a familiar-shaped sword hilt in that hand. It was the hilt of Moonlight Sword (No. 8). Huh? Moonlight Sword? In that moment, Qing¡¯s mind, which had been in a strange boundary between dream and reality, snapped back to its ce. Wow, fucking hell. I thought I¡¯d gone back to that time. And, of all things, I happen toe across a sword thief? ¡°Sword thief¡± is an unfamiliar term to Murim practitioners. ¡°Sword robber¡± might be more familiar andfortable. This is because a martial artist¡¯s weapon is like a concubine (for Chinese people, wives are mere family), so if someone else touches it carelessly, it literally leads to bloodshed. Therefore, a martial artist¡¯s weapon is not something to be stolen, but something that can only be taken as a memento after killing them. Qing quietly watched, pretending to be asleep. As the sword was slowly pulled out of its scabbard, the de, which could hardly be said to be well-maintained, gradually appeared. And finally, when it waspletely out¡­ ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going!¡± Qing¡¯s kick drew a line parallel to the ground about an inch high. The thief¡¯s ankles caught on it and he floated up into the air. Thud! The sword thiefnded on his shoulder, then his chin hit the ground second, and as his arched back returned, his pelvis was thrown to the ground third. ¡°Haha, trying to steal a martial artist¡¯s sword, you must have truly lost your mind!¡± Qing shouted as she jumped up and pinned the sword thief¡¯s wrist under her foot. Her face was so bright it was almost as if she was greeting a long-awaited lover. ¡°Aagh! Hand! Hand! Hand!¡± ¡°ording to thew, thieves are to have their hands cut off. Do you dare defy the sacred rule ofw?¡± Sacred rule ofw? Both the concepts of sacredness and rule ofw would be deeply offended and curse at this. Throughout history, sacredness has never once been sacred, and the rule ofw has been a high wall erected from birth to protect the interests of the privileged. And the fact that she was spouting nonsense showed that Qing¡¯s mind was in a perfectly sound state. ¡°Really, these people are so mean. They couldn¡¯t just warn me about someone stealing my sword? Instead, they just watch?¡± Qing red at the street. Because of the face veil, it just looked like she was scanning her surrounding, though. Still, along with her words, the spectators who had been watching with interest subtly averted their gaze to look at the ground or sky. Meanwhile, the sword thief kept screaming. ¡°Hand!! Hand!! Hand!!¡± He should have been in enough pain to try to escape the situation by kicking Qing¡¯s ankle or something. But he was in a daze from the pain that felt like his wrist was about to break. All he could do was try to grab the shoe of the young woman and somehow create a gap. Hmm? This is? Qing changed the pressure she was applying with her foot. ¡°Hand! Hand!!!! HanD! HaND!! HAND! HAND!!! HAND!!!!!¡± This is kind of fun. It seems that his voice gets louder the more I apply force? Qing¡¯s mouth curved into a sadistic smile. But that was only for a moment, as Qing checked the sword thief¡¯s Evil Karma and removed her foot with a regretful expression. What a shame. If it had been just three points, three points higher, I would have been good to go. Only then did the sword thief shed a storm of tears, clutching his wrist and making a sound somewhere between sobbing and groaning. Qing, who had picked up the Moonlight Sword, stood crookedly looking down at him. ¡°Hey. What are you crying for when you got caught stealing? You touched a martial artist¡¯s sword? Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°Hup.¡± ¡°Everyone, you saw this bastard trying to steal a sword, right? You know that ording to Jianghuw, it¡¯s not a crime to behead him, right!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Someone shouted in response. It seemed they wanted to see blood in broad daylight. In fact, one of the greatest spectacles of this era was the beheading show where the head goes thunk, blood fountains spurt, and the body rolls and copses. It wasn¡¯t necessarily because the Central ins were uncivilized; in this era, beheading shows were extremely popr among all races worldwide. It could be called a universal human sentiment. Still, if we had to rank them, Central ins people only enjoyed beheadings visually and politely. They were much better than Westerners who would get red-eyed with excitement, pushing and shoving each other to dip bread in the flowing blood, causing chaos where people even died from being trampled. ¡°Now. If you understand, get in position with your neck out. I¡¯ll send you off painlessly in one strike.¡± ¡°P-Please spare me!¡± ¡°You touched a martial artist¡¯s weapon, of all things, and you¡¯re asking to be spared? Would you show mercy to someone who touched your wife?¡± ¡°M-My wife has already run away with another man¡­¡± ¡°Umm. Well¡­ Hang in there.¡± The scene became solemn for a moment. Qing hadn¡¯t intended to kill him anyway, so she would have forgiven the man no matter what he said. Even if it wasn¡¯t that his wife ran away, but instead it was some primitive ancient contrived melodrama about his old mother. Or something something about how his wife was like a daxiang and his children were the banes of his existence. For reference, ¡°daxiang¡± is ¡°elephant¡± in Central insnguage. ¡°Alright. It seems you have a sob story, so I¡¯ll spare your life. Hand over everything you have and get lost.¡± At this, the sword thief untied his travel bag and money pouch and ced them meekly in front of Qing. ¡°Can I go now¡­¡± ¡°Are you kidding? I said hand over everything. I don¡¯t have a hobby of watching men¡¯s dangly bits, so I¡¯ll let you keep just one pair of underwear. Do it.¡± So the not-at-all-pitiful sword thief took off all his clothes, revealing silver pieces tied and hidden around his ankles with strings. ¡°What the hell? This motherfucker. Even though I spared your life, you still hid silver pieces?¡± ¡°Ah! Why are there silver pieces here! Who tied silver pieces to someone else¡¯s ankles! How strange indeed!¡± The sword thief said something awkward that anyone could see through as he untied the silver pieces and ced them on top of the travel bag. Qing said, dumbfounded: ¡°This crazy bastard is talking nonsense. Should I just butcher you?¡± Qing didn¡¯t have a ck me Dragon on her left arm or a subordinate spirit to say ¡°Calm down¡± and stop her killing intent, so her right arm holding the sword raised with a terrifying murderous aura. ¡°Eek!¡± The sword thief ran away in a sh, wearing only his underwear. Along his escape route, the ground was stained ck, leaving an irregr line and countless scattered droplets. ¡°Hmm. He¡¯s pissing himself, huh.¡± The watchingmoners also fled in terror. Even a peerless Master under heaven would step aside in fear if a dark man came running while pissing himself. Thanks to this, the sword thief quickly disappeared. Qing looked at the spoils left behind. ¡°Hehe, sweet, sweet.¡± The money pouch had about a handful of coins. And one silver piece, which felt like about a quarter of half a silver sycee when lifted. Although it was just small change not even amounting to one silver sycee in total, she was overjoyed to have obtained a travel bag. The travel bag looked empty and sagged limply, seeming to have nothing inside at first nce. But the bag itself was important. She already knew from her first year how big a difference having a bag or not makes. Still, looking inside to see if there was anything, there was one dirty towel and something wrapped in an oiled broad leaf. ¡°Ooooh, jerky.¡± For jerky to be delicious, it needs to be a high-quality product made as a delicacy. This was dried misceneous meat so tough that teeth couldn¡¯t prate it, with questionable hygiene, themon and ordinary kind of rations that anyone would eat. But it was at least something. Even if it¡¯s smelly and tough to eat as is, if you soak it in soup for a long time, you can at least feel like you¡¯re chewing meat. Grumble. Thinking about meat made her insides mor, telling her to stop doing stupid things and put in some food. ¡°Hmm. Should I eat? I should have some dumpling buns and knock back a drink for the first time in a while.¡± Anyway, it was better to fill up on cheap dumplings and push down some strong alcohol rather than eating poorly cooked food. The timing was just right. Looking at the sun, it seemed to be about the end of the Horse Hour and beginning of the Sheep Hour, around 3 PM in Qing¡¯s units of time. What the heck? I slept quite a long time. It doesn¡¯t feel like I slept at all though. Anyway, at a time that¡¯s neither lunch nor dinner, inns usually sell food even to beggars. Of course, they can¡¯t eat inside, but have to sit in an unobtrusive spot in front of the shop. Human hearts are truly fickle. When she thought all her Jianghu adventures were a dream earlier, she felt heavily depressed and didn¡¯t want to live, but now that she was about to act like a beggar again after a long time, it felt somehow familiar and nostalgic. It was natural since she could escape this beggar status at any time. Come to think of it, she could just pretend to be a beggar and pass time, then go to Kaifeng on the right date. Who would imagine the bounty in question would be a beggar on the roadside, after all? Qing scratched her head vigorously as she slunk around looking for a suitable restaurant. If it¡¯s too high-ss, she¡¯d be turned away at the door, and if business is too bad, they¡¯d give out things that have gone bad from not selling, so those had to be filtered out. So she had to find a decent ce where the staff¡¯s expressions were bright and the atmosphere was good. There also needed to be a good ce to eat in front of the shop. At that, Qing found a suitable ce to eat. Xiliang Eating House. An eating house was just one grade lower than a restaurant. Qing pretended to be cautiously looking around at the entrance of the eating house. As a server approached with a tense expression at the appearance of a sword-carrying beggar, Qing deliberately spoke in a very subdued voice to order. ¡°Um, five dumplings please. And do you have any really cheap but really strong alcohol¡­?¡± Beggars are originally just beggars, but beggars who know martial arts are Esteemed Beggar. And here, the Esteemed Beggar in question was carrying not one but two swords, while politely cing an order. Moreover, even if she must be an ugly woman since her face is covered, her voice was strikingly beautiful. The server¡¯s self-esteem soared to the sky. As the server¡¯s shoulders rose, his attitude noticeably softened. ¡°Where in this world would there be cheap but strong alcohol?¡± Strong alcohol is expensive. Because strong alcohol is made bypressing weak alcohol through evaporation or other methods anyway. ¡°Even spoiled alcohol is fine¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Please hand over one more coin. I shall bring you something suitable.¡± The server¡¯s tone of speech was extremely old-fashioned. When else would a server get to use such an adult way of speaking? This was all wisdom gained through life experience. As a female expert of Murim, Qing would be considered an idiot. However, as a beggar, she had already surpassed any regr beggar and possessed wisdom worthy of being called a sage. She was truly a beggar by nature. Chapter 167: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (3) As she waited unobtrusively by the entrance next to the door, the waiter soon handed over a tray. Six dumpling buns, one soup, and arge bowl brimming with alcohol. Even if it was outside meal times, this could still be considered great generosity. ¡°Wow, thank you. You¡¯ll be blessed.¡± ¡°Ahem. Eat quickly and go.¡± Qing sat down with herrge bottom firmly on the ground in an unobtrusive corner and started eating. First, she unwrapped the jerky from her travel bag and dropped it into the soup, then quickly took a sip of the alcohol poured full in the bowl. The slightly spoiled hwaju, sour and stinging, zed up as it seeped into herpletely empty stomach. ¡°Hiya, that¡¯s good. The hospitality here is really nice. I shouldn¡¯te often.¡± You should only go to hospitable shops asionally. After all, if a beggar goes often, the hospitality worsens. Their generosity was honestly amazing, with even arge chunk of radish in the soup. Dumpling buns taste the same everywhere in the Central ins - nd, tasteless, and dry. If there¡¯s no mold, they taste the same whether from a fly-infested restaurant or the best restaurant in the city. So, as she slowly chewed the dumplings, because one-wen dumplings have no taste and need to be chewed slowly to taste a bit sweet, Qing thought mechanically. In fact, even now, if she knocked on the door of an orthodox sect in the city and sold her master¡¯s name, she could receive the utmost hospitality. Even without that, if she used her monstrous strength to help with carpentry work, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to eat three meals a day. But if someone rushed at her shouting ¡°A walking bounty!¡± while doing that, innocent people would likely get hurt. It was just a situation where she felt sorry to get close to anyone. Qing, being the highest authority who should be enshrined with the status of a schr even for vile tricks, knew well that she would have to step in if someone took an innocent person hostage again. Oh, well. Let¡¯s just live as a beggar for a while. Whatever. At any rate, it¡¯s not even two months until the Murim Conference. Living as a beggar was only miserable when she had no skills and didn¡¯t know the ways of the world, but now she was rather worried it might be too boring. After finishing her meal, Qing stood up briskly and began preparing for a full-fledged beggar life. First, change into the clothes provided by the sword thief. The torso area was a bit loose, but the sleeves and trouser legs are a bit short. She washed her martial uniform vigorously at theundry ce and hung it on themunal clothesline, then went to the fabric shop to buy the cheapest cotton cloth and wrapped it around her feet, ankles, and up to her calves above the trouser legs. This was the famous beggar foot wrap. This concludes the preparations for beggar life. It might seem too simple, but what grand preparations are needed to live as a beggar? They¡¯re beggars because they live without such, after all. Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. With the appearance of an unfamiliar female beggar, and moreover, carrying two swords, the city people were initially wary and looked at her with suspicious eyes. But since she just sprawled out harmlessly without doing anything in particr, their wariness soon faded away. If you asked whether a beggar with two swords was strange or not, you¡¯d get an ambiguous answer like, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly strange, I suppose.¡± This is because traditionally, authentic beggars use dual canes. The most traditional begging method is to block someone¡¯s front gate, stand there beating two canes held in both hands in rhythm while singing. The lyrics vary by region, but generally say they won¡¯t leave until they¡¯re given food. This method is impossible nowadays. It was an era where clubs flew instead of food. Instead of not leaving from the front gate, you might just leave for the afterworld forever. So now, this traditional begging method was a scene you could only see at celebration feastsmemorating good events. Meanwhile, this essential item for beggars that served as a cane, self-defense weapon, and percussion instrument was called a ¡°tagu-bong¡± (dog-beating stick). You might think this is an ignorant name promoting animal abuse. But the person who gave this name ¡°tagu-bong¡± was none other than Confucius, the father of Chinese philosophy. To summarize very briefly, it went like this: Pan Dan asked Confucius: ¡­What if I go begging and the homeowner has a big dog, making it difficult? Confucius angrily replied, ¡°They dare!¡± Then, ¡°Beat the dog!¡± And the beggars famous for using this tagu-bong martial art were the Beggar¡¯s Union. The headquarters of the Beggar¡¯s Union was in Kaifeng, and Zhangwan City, close to Kaifeng, waspletely dominated by Kaifeng beggars. And finally, the beggars¡¯ fierce territoriality was about to extend its ws to Qing as well¡­ but. ¡°Ah. The knots. You¡¯re from the Beggar¡¯s Union. Is Grandpa Nugok doing well? I¡¯m pretending to be a beggar for a while due to circumstances, so please understand.¡± ¡°Ah. You know the Discipline Elder? How do you know each other?¡± ¡°Due to circumstances, I can¡¯t say, but is heing to the Murim Conference this time? I¡¯ll greet him then, I guess.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. Then have a pleasant beggar life.¡± The Three-Knotted Beggar, branch leader of Zhangwan, said this and withdrew. It was the ¡°we are who we say we are¡± of Orthodox Murim. If it turns out to be a lieter, it¡¯s not toote to give a beating then. But if they messed with someone who really knew them, things could go wrong. So it¡¯s unconditionally beneficial to believe. For now, all they could do was send word to headquarters that there was a female beggar iming to know the Discipline Elder, gather the Beggar¡¯s Union members and tell them not to pay attention or talk to her unnecessarily. Moreover, with the Murim Conference approaching, important guests would be passing through, and there was no benefit in causing unnecessary disturbances. *** ¡°Kya. As expected, Central ins connections are powerful.¡± Qing had been preparing for a battle with the beggars, but she didn¡¯t expect things to be resolved so cleanly just by dropping one familiar name. It was almost unfairpared to her past struggles. With no one bothering her, Qing half-dozed pretending to beg, sticking to the ground in the sunlight during the day. Because of this, she was wide awake at night with nothing particr to do. Moreover, lying down all day made her body stiff and sore all over. Finally, unable to bear the boredom, Qing started training in the middle of the night. How bored must she have been to swing swords in the middle of the night? Days continued like this, sleeping during the day and training at night. You could say she was living a more diligent martial artist¡¯s life than when she was enjoying luxury as a female expert of Murim. *** As the 25th day of March passed, it started to feel a bit hot in thick cotton clothes. Still, it was chilly at night, making it just right for training. Today too, with her money pouch spread out, she was pretending to be a corpse on a straw mat she had gotten from two Beggar¡¯s Union members. Light footsteps approached, then stopped right in front of her with a presence. Qing checked the visitor with her eyes half-open. A kid who looked about ten years old was looking down at her like a strange animal. Just by looking, you could tell he was wearing good clothes, and his face was flowing with nobility, so anyone could see he was a young master from a rich family. He had a sword at his waist, so he seemed to be from a martial arts family. Well. With the Murim Conference not far off, he must be a child a family is taking to Kaifeng, she thought. Come to think of it, Kaifeng was said to be close by from here. Well, that has nothing to do with me. Just as Qing was about to close her eyes again. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°What.¡± Qing answered unenthusiastically with her eyes closed. ¡°You know.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, so why don¡¯t you go away?¡± ¡°I have something to ask¡­¡± The child¡¯s voice trailed off dejectedly. Honestly, she felt a bit sorry for him. Damn it. My weakness is being too soft-hearted. Despite everything, Qing was weak to children. Qing sat up, scratching her head vigorously. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah. You know. You¡¯re a female beggar, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking?¡± ¡°Then you must be a dirty prostitute? Right?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. What¡¯s this? I was going to exchange a few words because he was cute. But what¡¯s with this insult flying at my face? Of course, Qing didn¡¯t tolerate insults. ¡°Kid, have you ever been told you don¡¯t have a mother? From what I see, you look like you don¡¯t have a mother.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The child¡¯s eyes widened to about twice their size, bing round with surprise. ¡°How did you know? They say my mother passed away giving birth to me.¡± ¡°Ah. Is that so.¡± Qing answered indifferently. Even so, she wasn¡¯t sorry for a brat who called her a prostitute bitch to her face. ¡°If you¡¯re done, will you go away now?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­ This¡­¡± The kid held out arge gold sycee with his tiny hand. What¡¯s this? Suddenly a peace offering? Well, with this level of sincerity, I should show adult-like generosity. It was too much money to refuse, after all. As Qing epted it, the child asked with a bright smile characteristic of children: ¡°Then, can I suck your breasts now?¡± A vein popped up on Qing¡¯s forehead. ¡°Kid. I don¡¯t know what kind of home education you received to be so rotten already. Hey. Where did you learn these manners? Where did you learn only bad things, are you picking a fight with me? Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m carrying swords?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not?¡± The child said with a tearful face: ¡°I heard that prostitutes let you do whatever you want if you give them a gold sycee¡­¡± ¡°No, who said that? There are things you can and can¡¯t say to a child. Go tell your mom right now- oh, you said you don¡¯t have a mom. Go tell your dad. Go ask him who taught you how to suck a prostitute¡¯s breasts.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t teach me, I just overheard the porter uncles talking. They said they were going to suck prostitutes¡¯ breasts. Oh, is it because it¡¯s a gold sycee? If I give you silver¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are stupid or innocent. No, seeing how you came determined to suck breasts, it¡¯s not innocent. Did those porters also say that all female beggars are dirty prostitutes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Warrior Baek said. He said all female beggars are dirty prostitutes without exception, so we shouldn¡¯t go near them¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this Warrior Baek- Alright. Let¡¯s summarize. So this guy called Warrior Baek said female beggars are prostitutes, and the porter uncles said you can suck prostitutes¡¯ breasts if you give them money, right?¡± ¡°To be precise, they said you can do whatever you want, biting and sucking and kneading like dough.¡± ¡°And you want to suck breasts.¡± ¡°Well.¡± The child blushed. ¡°I heard the kitchen aunties talking, they said their sons still fondle their mothers¡¯ breasts even after turning ten¡­¡± ¡°Then you should do it to your mom too- Oh. You said you don¡¯t have one. So?¡± ¡°So another auntie said that even very young male brats can¡¯t forget the taste of breasts and search for it all their lives, and I¡¯m really curious what that taste is, but I don¡¯t have a mother, so¡­¡± Qing frowned, dumbfounded. ¡°No, what? What kind of household can¡¯t distinguish between what should and shouldn¡¯t be said? It¡¯s a house with children, for goodness sake.¡± This is why households with children should be careful with their words. What on earth is the child learning from? But listening to it was kind of interesting. Qing asked again in a much gentler tone. ¡°Is there anything else you overheard?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ When touching breasts? They said not to touch the nipples, but gently scratch around them, and when the floodes, then pa-ba-bak! and you go to paradise. What¡¯s the flood, and what¡¯s pa-ba-bak? Why go to paradise? Isn¡¯t that where good people go when they die?¡± ¡°Hmm. I can¡¯t teach you that. Alright, and then? Didn¡¯t you hear anything else?¡± ¡°Ah! And also¡­¡± All sorts of lewd stories poured out of the child¡¯s mouth. Qing, who liked naughty stories, kept saying ¡°And then? And then?¡± until the child had nothing more to think of. ¡°I think that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see. I heard you well. By the way, did they really say such things in front of you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ No¡­ There¡¯s a secret passage, and while wandering around, um¡­ I learned that eavesdropping is bad, but¡­ They were talking so interestingly¡­¡± Originally, she was going to tell him to go to his father and repeat everything he just said. But now it seems the servants weren¡¯t particrly careless. He said he eavesdropped from a secret passage, so¡­ Men might talk about naughty things during work, after all. How could they have thought their young master would be eavesdropping from a secret passage? It would be too harsh to make them lose their jobs over this. But does this kid always go around eavesdropping on people in the house? As Qing was thinking this, the child suddenly seemed to remember something and introduced himself, pping his hands: ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯m Murong Jun.¡± ¡°Murong? The Murong n? That Murong n? Where was it again¡­¡± ¡°If you mean the Murong n of Liaoning, that¡¯s our family.¡± ¡°Ah! Right. That¡¯s it. Liaoning Province.¡± Now even Qing knows at least the surnames of the Five Noble ns. She even knows where they are if told. Wait, what? He isn¡¯t just any young master. He¡¯s a very rich young master. ¡°I¡¯m, um. Just a beggar.¡± Qing lied, not wanting to get close due to circumstances. Some genius tracker or famous detective assassin might be listening, and it would be a big problem if a precious young master got involved. At this, Murong Jun smiled brightly and said: ¡°Then, can I suck your breasts now?¡± Chapter 168: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (4) Qing sighed deeply. ¡°Round and round we go, back to my breasts again¡­¡± Qing looked at Murong Jun quietly. His pure eyes sparkled with expectation. ¡°Hmm.¡± Qing tilted her head crookedly. Is he doing this on purpose? ¡°But why the breasts of a stranger beggar, damn, that sounds so wrong. Well, don¡¯t you have an older sister or something?¡± ¡°Um, I do have an older sister¡­¡± ¡°Is she pretty? No wait, that¡¯s not it. Then-¡° ¡°My sister is very pretty! But don¡¯t you know my sister? She¡¯s very famous. Among the Five Flowers of Murim, the Golden Sun Sword Flower is my sister.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go ask your sister, why. Hmm, wait. Why am I saying this? Anyway, why are you leaving aside family and- no. Huh. That¡¯s more strange, huh?¡± Qing rambled on and briefly fell into an error. Is it worse if it¡¯s between siblings? Is it better than strangers? While Qing was confused, Murong Jun brought up unsolicited stories about his sister. ¡°My sister went to meet a friend in Hebei, and we¡¯re going to wait here until my sister and her friende, then go to Kaifeng together.¡± ¡°Then, to that sister¡¯s friend- No. This is a bit strange too. No matter how you go about it, it¡¯s weird. You little one, being so cheeky.¡± ¡°The friend is a man, so¡­¡± ¡°Hiya, you really know how to slip out of things.¡± Qing admired. Regardless, Murong Jun continued to bring up useless stories. ¡°But my sister has no breasts at all. She¡¯s even tter than Uncle Yu who manages the garden¡­¡± ¡°Then, even if it¡¯s Uncle Yu, if you close your eyes, wouldn¡¯t it be simr? It¡¯s just flesh anyway. Hmm. But honestly, whether it¡¯s you or the uncle, basic human dignity would be hurt either way. But still. Hmm, I feel like I¡¯m digging myself a deeper hole.¡± ¡°But Uncle Yu¡¯s chest is all muscle. Even in the dead of winter, he says ¡®A real man knows no cold!¡¯ and such.¡± Qing scratched her head vigorously. Ah, Uncle Yu wasn¡¯t a plump person but someone belonging to the Zhuge department. But by the way, to be overshadowed by pectoral muscles¡­ The unknown Golden Sun Sword Flower seemed a bit pitiful. Of course, in Qing¡¯s experience, there¡¯s no benefit to having them big. They always make your shoulders stiff, and when sleeping, no matter what position you take, the pressure is ufortable, and when it¡¯s hot, the sweat makes it miserable, so there are absolutely no advantages. Although this difort disappeared after Overhaul Rebirth. Even so, it¡¯s a big problem as a martial artist. You can¡¯t see the lower part of your vision, making you vulnerable, and it limits the range of arm movements. Last time, she got half-cut because she unnecessarily took a hit that could have been avoided, just causing pain. It creates not one, but three fatal weaknesses for a martial artist. Of course, the Peak-Transcending Ximen Qing is powerful despite this. Still, she didn¡¯t envy the Golden Sun Sword Flower. But why don¡¯t I envy her? Well, that¡¯s because my proud breasts- Hmm¡­? Why, why am I proud of them? What good is it for me to have breasts¡­ It felt like she shouldn¡¯t think about it any further. Qing hurriedly brought up something else. ¡°But you don¡¯t just listen through that secret passage, you even peek? How do you know your sister has no breasts?¡± ¡°No, I saw when we bathed together during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday roughly equivalent to Thanksgiving. But to think that they would be bathing on Thanksgiving. Qing burst outughing. ¡°Mid-Autumn Festival, you say. It¡¯s not like you go to the bathhouse once every holiday to scrub off dead skin. But the Mid-Autumn Festival? What about the Spring Festival?¡± Spring Festival is a holiday roughly equivalent to New Year¡¯s Day. ¡°That¡¯s not it, I asked why my sister, even though she¡¯s a woman, has no breasts and is t like a man, but she got angry and since then she won¡¯t bathe with me anymore¡­¡± ¡°You really drove a nail into your sister¡¯s heart, huh..¡± ¡°So I can¡¯t tell my sister. She¡¯ll get really angry if I talk about breasts. I think it¡¯s too much, though. My sister doesn¡¯t even have breasts¡­¡± The child puffed his cheeks as if dissatisfied. It¡¯s not your sister who¡¯s too much, it¡¯s you. But Qing found it amusing, so she didn¡¯t say it out loud. Hmm. At this point, Qing made a judgment. He was just a curious, smart kid who hadn¡¯t learned to distinguish between what should and shouldn¡¯t be said. Full of curiosity, he couldn¡¯t help but listen to others¡¯ conversations while running around in secret passages. Being smart, he just remembers it all. As for being loose-lipped, that¡¯s a characteristic of all little kids. Once they start talking, they¡¯ll blurt out their entire life story until their voice goes hoarse. In the end, Qing was soft on children one way or another. Still, the child seems like a really good kid¡­ From the way this precious young master of one of the Five Great ns consistently used honorifics when speaking to servants, it was proof of his pure character. Just look at Tang Nanah. Not just servants, but even when calling unknown old people passing by, it was either ¡°Hey¡± or ¡°You there¡±. Honestly, if she wasn¡¯t a female physician doing free service, a truly terrible woman would have been born into the world. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such things carelessly. Didn¡¯t your sister seem upset when you said that?¡± ¡°Oh. You¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°How would you feel if someone went around telling people you wet your bed?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The child¡¯s eyes wavered. At this, Qing was certain. This kid, he did wet the bed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like that¡­¡± ¡°Right. You understand what I mean?¡± The child nodded. As expected, he is a good kid at heart¡­ Just the fact that he could understand made him top-tier in personality among little ones. As Qing¡¯s crooked posture becamefortable again, Murong Jun urged her. ¡°But when can I suck your breasts? I¡¯ll get scolded if I wander around for too long¡­¡± ¡°No, what? Did I leave my breasts with you and forgot about it or something? Are my breastsundry? Suck my breasts? You¡¯re a little Sex Fiend in the making. You¡¯ll be a great pervert.¡± ¡°But you took the gold sycee- Ah, oh no! The uncles must be looking for me! The breasts will have to wait for next time!¡± Only then did Qing realize that she hadn¡¯t returned the gold sycee yet, and also that she hadn¡¯t told him how cruel and inhumane a crime it is to covet a woman¡¯s breasts who isn¡¯t your lover. Murong Jun tapped his small foot with a Kong sound, then gently rose and cut through the air. It was excellent and extraordinary Qinggong unbefitting a child. Watching the rapidly retreating back, Qing shouted. ¡°Hey, take your gold sycee! Hey! Little Sex Fiend in the making!¡± And thus, one bright yellow gold sycee remained in Qing¡¯s hand. It was even brand new, untouched by human hands. Of course, whether dirty or clean, the value is the same. But it wasn¡¯t something a beggar should use. Moreover, in fact, Qing wasn¡¯t in urgent need of money. If she just went to a pawnshop and pawned Moonlight Sword (No. 9), it was obvious they would give her a pile of gold sycees because it was such a great sword. Since a pawnshop is a ce where you can get it backter by paying extra, she could just get it back with the chit book when she met her Sworn Sister in Kaifeng. But if a beggar goes around buying food, it stands out much more than a clean female martial artist. And the mindset ispletely different between not being able to eat because you don¡¯t have money to buy food, and like now, where you could eat expensive dishes to your heart¡¯s content if you wanted to, but deliberately don¡¯t. ¡°I should return this, but¡­¡± If she went to the dojo where the Murong n was staying and said, ¡°I¡¯m Ximen Qing. A great elder of Daoism, ahem,¡± she could meet the little pervert in the making. But why should I? Anyway, the kid seems to have a persistent side, so it¡¯s obvious he¡¯lle back. I¡¯ll return it then. And while I¡¯m at it, I should give him some sex education. If left like this, a Sex Fiend who will properly ruin one of the Five Great ns, making it the Four Great ns, will be born. Qing reflected. Come to think of it, when my master was guiding me, didn¡¯t she apply that harmful radioactive substance to her fist while holding back tears? Thanks to that, her disciple was reborn as a proud righteous female expert like this¡­ Ah, I miss my master. A child¡¯s education should rightfully be done by the family. But that doesn¡¯t mean I should just watch that state because it¡¯s not my child and none of my business. It¡¯s an adult¡¯s duty to guide a lost child. So it was time for Qing to fulfill that duty as well. This little brat. Just you wait. Qing began to set up her mental nuclear armament like a dictator. *** Tonight¡¯s dinner was at Xiliang Restaurant for a change. Xiliang Restaurant always gave generous portions, so their treatment of beggars was really good. If you just give ten coins and ask for a set meal, they¡¯ll give you a tray filled with the stir-fries they made inrge quantities that day. In fact, business isn¡¯t great because the taste is a bit inferior among restaurants. Instead, theypete with quantity, so it¡¯s a middling restaurant that¡¯s not doing poorly either. Their alcohol generosity was especially good. Even if it¡¯s all sour spoiled alcohol, it can be used as a substitute for vinegar in cooking. The generosity of pouring spoiled alcohol into a bowl because it¡¯s spoiled is a virtue hard to see in businesses. But what¡¯s worrying is¡­ ¡°The Flower Beggar hase again.¡± ¡°Flower Beggar¡± is what they call Qing at Xiliang Restaurant. In fact, Xiliang Restaurant isn¡¯t just being nice to Qing out of generosity. It¡¯s because when they bring food, she stuffed herself so deliciously (it¡¯s not an insult, ¡°stuffed¡± is the urate expression) that quite a few customerse in, fascinated by that sight. Thanks to this, they wanted her to stay longer, so the amount of food they gave Qing was gradually increasing. Qing, not knowing the circumstances, just thought the hospitality was getting better because she was a regr customer. Qing knew nothing but the way of beggars. ¡°It¡¯s starting to get hot these days.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯spletely spring during the day now. Well, shall I bring you a set meal again this time?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Damn, I shouldn¡¯t get too close with them. But it was not because Qing wanted to; it was just that while she was pretending to be a beggar to avoid making connections in preparation for assassins, she ended up bing familiar with other people. Should I stoping here too now¡­ Hmm, having these thoughts makes me feel a bit¡­ This makes me seem like those kind of people. For reference, in Qing¡¯s homnd, there were extremely introverted solo diners who would quietly stop visiting when the staff started recognizing them because it made them ufortable. To Qing, it seemed like an overreaction since you could just exchange a few greetings, it¡¯s not like you have to chat with the staff the whole time, but to each their own - everyone has their own struggles and the size of those struggles differs. The server brought a tray with a mound of barley-rice-bran mixed steamed rice, various stir-fried vegetables, and arge bowl of alcohol- My goodness, they gave two bowls! Qing smiled. She was in the middle of heartily devouring her meal with some drinks when¡­ Crash, bang, tter. There was amotion inside the restaurant, followed by hurried footsteps approaching. Soon, customers rushed out urgently, some pale-faced and others with smiles on their lips. The former were people who were surprised, and thetter were those already ustomed to themon inn disturbances in Jianghu, happily thinking someone was trying to dine and dash. From inside the restaurant came the ng of des shing. Qing frowned deeply. What kind of people are fighting with des in a cheap restaurant where you don¡¯t even need to spend a silver sycee to eat your fill, not a fancy inn, tea house, or specialty restaurant? I¡¯m so curious. Let¡¯s quickly go and watch. Qing crept stealthily into the restaurant. The stealth technique Qing learned from the Demonic Cult, ck Shadow Stealth, was a whopping Red-grade technique. It was a skill that even the server crouching behind the long table under the single seats could hardly detect. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Wa! You startled me! Ah, it¡¯s the Flower Beggar? Ahem, why are you here again? Don¡¯t embarrass yourself and stay outside.¡± The server, whose tone only bes dignified when speaking to Qing, let his original ent slip out for a moment due to surprise. ¡°Watching fights is the most fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Fights are one thing, but what would we understand watching Murim Masters fight? It¡¯s only fun to watch thugs fighting on the street.¡± He meant that only low-level fights are fun to watch. Qing nodded in agreement. ¡°To me, thugs or these guys are all the same. Hmm. So anyway, what¡¯s going on?¡± Chapter 169: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (5) ¡°They¡¯re human hunters. Something about a bounty. Oh my, everything¡¯s getting destroyed, destroyed, you hear. What do we do?¡± The server stomped his feet anxiously. Somehow, things seemed to be falling into ce. Qing first peeked out her eyes from behind the long table with a closed bottom to survey the situation. It was a nine versus four fight. But in terms of realm, the four were higher. Still, it wasn¡¯t exactly an example of how absolute realm is in Murim from this fight. There¡¯s no match for numbers, so the four were surrounded and sweating profusely. Even masters need to be at least the Peak Realm to overturn numbers. If the strongest was Late Stage First-Rate or Early Stage First-Rate and the rest were Second-Rate, the side with more numbers had the advantage. ¡°Ah, which side is that kid coughing up blood on? The four? The nine?¡± ¡°Originally, there were eleven.¡± The server must have been watching intently despite saying it was dangerous, as he pointed with a finger, showing a pair of knees under an overturned table. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s a fight to the death then.¡± No wonder they were fighting so hard. With two already dead on the eleven¡¯s side, they had no choice but to go all out. If the four had shown an overwhelming performance, it might be different, but they were constantly on the defensive, and even beasts don¡¯t hold back when they have the advantage. ¡°Hmm.¡± Soon the four would die, and they might take a few with them, but anyway, it was a victory for the side with more numbers. However, while the Evil Karma of the many was quite colorful, the four were people leaning towards Righteous Karma. Among them, the one who seemed to be the leader, the strong one, had as much as thirteen points. ¡°I¡¯m going to use some chopsticks.¡± ¡°Huh? What for?¡± I was going to go out and clean up after the fight ended, but¡­ Qing stood up abruptly and crossed her arms in front of her chest, with chopsticks somehow fitted between each finger joint. It was a meaningless preparatory motion. She just tried to imitate what Tang Nanah did. She somehow manages to throw so many at once. Qing shook the chopsticks back onto the table, then grabbed them one by one and kept raising her arm to throw them. The chopsticks, actually faster than arrows, stuck firmly into soft bellies, necks, and the backs of hands. With various screams of Ack, Argh! Gak! spreading, the four didn¡¯t miss the opportunity andunched a Joint Attack Technique. Three of them were perfectly in sync, but one much younger one seemed to be out of step and on the outside, making it a somewhat disappointing Joint Attack Technique. How could it be a fight when a Peak-Transcending Master who could take down even Transcendent Realm Masters was throwing limb-piercing chopsticks? ¡°Wait! Stop! Spare that one!¡± One chopstick flew and hit the sword of a Late Stage First-Rate master with a Tang! And then the situation was over. It was a total annihtion of the eleven¡¯s side, except for the two Qing deliberately spared because their Evil Karma was in the double digits. The strongest among the four bowed politely to Qing. ¡°Thank you for your help, Senior. I am Cho Gaksan of the Qinghe Martial Hall, and though I¡¯m embarrassed to say it, I¡¯m known in Jianghu as the Virtuous Gale of Qinghe.¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m just a passing beggar. In Xiliang Restaurant, I¡¯m called the Flower Beggar.¡± Cho Gaksan¡¯s expression became subtle. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was mocking him or just didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity because she had something covering her face. At any rate, since you can¡¯t tell a woman¡¯s age just by her voice, Cho Gaksan thought that despite her strange appearance, she must be a senior in Jianghu. There¡¯s more than just one or two entric people in Jianghu, after all. ¡°But, what¡¯s going on? Why are you fighting in someone else¡¯s business? How will you deal with all this damage? Can¡¯t you see the server uncle crying in sorrow?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ Sniff, how can we deal with all this¡­ I haven¡¯t even paid off my debt to the owner yet¡­¡± You don¡¯t deserve to be a server if you don¡¯t have this much tact. The server pretended to wail loudly, lying on the table and making crying noises. ¡°Surely expert practitioners wouldn¡¯t harm innocent civilians and then ignore it, right?¡± ¡°O-Of course not! Here, um. It¡¯s not much, but please ept this¡­¡± As Cho Gaksan took out silver sycees, Qing added. ¡°It really isn¡¯t much.¡± ¡°Ahem, I was going to take out more. My hands are small, so I can¡¯t hold many at once¡­¡± To Qing¡¯s eyes, it was a sufficientlyrge man¡¯s hand, so along with this unconvincing excuse, quite a pile of silver sycees umted in front. Only then did Qing nod with a satisfied expression and ask: ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ah. These are my brothers, we¡¯re wandering Jianghu doing good deeds. Because of that, though it¡¯s embarrassing, people in Jianghu have given us the excessive title of the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe.¡± ¡°Hmm? Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe? Why does that sound familiar?¡± ¡°Ah! You¡¯ve heard of us too, Senior! Haha, how embarrassing¡­¡± Cho Gaksan scratched the back of his head with a smug face. Shouldn¡¯t it be the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe? It feels like there should be three. Why is that so? Is it because it reminds me of the Wonders of the Ancient World that don¡¯t exist yet? ¡°So, what¡¯s going on- no, how many times do I have to ask?¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry. Actually, we were chasing a vicious wanted criminal, but these guys insisted on taking the wanted poster to look at it themselves. When we sternly admonished them that they couldn¡¯t do that, these unrighteous bastards drew their swords¡­¡± Of course, we should hear the opinion of the eleven¡¯s side on this. Judging by the resentful looks of the two still alive, it seemed they had something to say. If you¡¯re so resentful, you should have lived righteously. As Qing turned her gaze away, the two drooped their heads dejectedly. ¡°A wanted poster. Could I take a look at it too?¡± ¡°Yes! Senior. Please wait a moment.¡± The Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe busily searched the corpses, then soon found and held out a folded piece of paper. When Qing unfolded it, there was a woman drawn in a realistic style unsuited to Chinese painting, who seemed to be beautiful but not quite. Unfortunately, wanted posters only work for faces with some distinctive features; it¡¯s difficult to depict just a beautiful person even with modern production methods from Qing¡¯s homnd. [ck Store Wanted Worldwide: Un Yeonyoung of the Jin Prefecture''s Un n.] This criminal is widely wanted for torturing and brutally murdering an innocent merchant before fleeing. Five hundred gwan for a part that can confirm death Ten thousand gwan if delivered alive Two thousand gwan deducted for each missing limb Characteristics Realm estimated to be Transcendent Beautyparable to the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven Tall, but not reaching six chi However, has arge build with a thick body and much flesh ¡°What is this?¡± Do I look like a pig or something? Originally, when a woman withrge breasts wears thick cotton clothes, it stretches out to thergest circumference like a single piece, making the body look particrlyrge. This is whyrge breasts are disliked in Central ins beauty standards, because they ruin one¡¯s figure by making clothes look unattractive and fat. At any rate, after confirming the wanted poster, Qing felt relieved. What the heck? How can they find me with this? At that time, the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe were also looking at the wanted poster. The human hunters¡¯ gang had torn off more than one wanted poster. It wasmon practice for human hunters to tear off wanted posters to monopolize them and hinderpetitors. The Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe looked at Qing with a subtle expression. Estimated Transcendent Realm. Covered face. Tall. Large build with a thick body and much flesh. Moreover, not only Qing¡¯s breasts but also her hips greatly exceeded the average, so wearing thick clothes made her body look very thick in a straight line. ¡°Um, Senior?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Perhaps, um, never mind.¡± Cho Gaksan quickly changed his words. Asking a woman with a covered face to show her face was a rudeness that could lead to bloodshed even if it seemed strange. Qing felt a pang of realization when she saw another wanted poster in Cho Gaksan¡¯s hand. Ah. They can recognize me with this? Is it because of the height? But do I really look like a pig? By the way, why am I getting so angry? What¡¯s wrong with looking a bit thick? No matter how much she tried to think like that, somehow her insides kept boiling and wouldn¡¯t calm down at all. Wow, I¡¯m really pissed off. Which bastard made a wanted poster like this? Due to the chilling aura leaking from Qing, Cho Gaksan swallowed hard and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°Um¡­ Senior?¡± ¡°Ah. Right. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I¡¯m actually slim, you know? Here, look at this.¡± Qing grabbed the hem of her clothes at her waist and rolled it up tightly. As her monstrous strength rolled up the fabric at her waist almost to vacuum-pack levels, her width was reduced to about half. ¡°Ah! What an amazing- ahem. I couldn¡¯t tell because you were wearing such thick clothes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the clothes, right?¡± ¡°Yes, winter clothes are all like that, aren¡¯t they? I am truly ashamed. I apologize.¡± Cho Gaksan, havingpletely dispelled his doubts at the good sight, showed his crown along with his disciples. Perhaps because of this, Qing¡¯s anger also melted away. What can you do when they apologize so sincerely? The ck market is held separately in each administrative city, with two ces in the vast Sichuannd opening in the east-west or north-south, while one ce opens in each province. Within the city, it changes location every five days or so, so it wouldn¡¯t be far off to call it an irregr five-day night market. Anyway, ck-d people suddenly swarmed into the ck markets of Fujian Province and its neighbors, Guangdong Province, Jiangxi Province, and Zhejiang Province. Among them, there wasn¡¯t a single low-level person, and even many invulnerable monsters whose bodies weren¡¯t harmed by des swarmed. ¡°This is the Un n of the Jin Prefecture¡¯s event! We¡¯re only punishing the unrighteous who dared to threaten our n Head! Guests should leave with their weapons held above their heads with both hands!¡± ¡°We¡¯re only punishing the ck market! Innocent guests should leave!¡± Since Un Yeonyoung wasn¡¯t a fool, there was no reason to unnecessarily create enmity by cutting down even customers. Therefore, she specifically targeted only the ck market and merchants with a justification. Merchants wouldn¡¯t have brought weapons with all their luggage, and if some did, well, they were lucky. Then the scared martial artists who used des,monly called de Path practitioners, shouted: ¡°What about those who practice fist techniques?¡± ¡°You useless fools! Why do you stupidly, foolishly, and stubbornly just swing your arms and legs when there are good weapons? You are idiots who need to test whether your arm or a sword gets cut when they sh! Those who practice fist techniques should raise both hands and keep shouting the names of the fist techniques you¡¯ve learned!¡± Then techniques with animal names like ¡°Fierce Tiger Pounce¡± and ¡°Crane Descends from Waterfall¡± rang out loudly. Then this time, ordinary civilians who just came to look around shouted: ¡°Oh my, noble being! I am not a martial artist!¡± ¡°Tsk. Then shout your ce of origin and name! The Un n¡¯s de will avoid you then!¡± ¡°I am Wang Junyeong from Sihung, Guangdong Province! I am Wang Junyeong from Sihung, Guangdong Province! I am Wang Junyeong from Sihung, Guangdong Province!¡± Thanks to this, amidst the nging of des and screams, the sound of animals stupidly shouting names rose high, and with untimely self-introductions added on top, it became aplete pandemonium. Through the burning ck market, a sickly woman who didn¡¯t fit in moved with careful steps. As Un Yeonyoung burst into the central office of the ck market like this, the Guangdong ck Store Branch Manager eximed in shock: ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n destroyed¡­!¡± ¡°My, my, what a hurtful thing to say. I am the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n. Oh my, is this my wanted poster? Let¡¯s see how prettily they¡¯ve drawn me.¡± Un Yeonyoung picked up the wanted poster. Un Yeonyoung¡¯s expression, which always had a faint smile, became simr to Qing¡¯s face when hearing difficult words. Someone watching might say it was an expression that made question marks pop up all over. ¡°Oh¡­? Who on earth is this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that bitch Un Yeonyoung!¡± ¡°This is supposed to be Un Yeonyoung? But who could this be. Six chi¡­? Xinpa, do I look that big to you?¡± Then, Poof, a snow-white hand shot out through the Branch Manager¡¯s chest. In the hand that was dripping rather than stained with blood, a human heart was neatly ced. Soon, the Branch Manager, whose heart was taken, copsed, and Xinpa threw the heart to Un Yeonyoung while sneering. ¡°Heng. Looks like the bitch who acted so smart got properly fooled. Just look at you. It¡¯s obvious it¡¯s an impostor. Anyone can impersonate a ruined n, right?¡± ¡°Ah. My material.¡± Un Yeonyoung clumsily caught the heart flying in a parab, barely managing to grab it, and put it in the pouch at her waist with a troubled smile. ¡°How dare they impersonate me. They must be quite bold. Hmm. A beautyparable to the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven. Could it be one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins?¡± ¡°Unless the ck Store bastards¡¯ eyes are crossed, they wouldn¡¯t have caused this fuss without recognizing one of the Five Flowers of the Central ins.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ Then who could it be¡­¡± At that moment, someone shed through her mind. Un Yeonyoung¡¯s eyes curved prettily with a tinge of longing. ¡°Qing¡¯er isn¡¯t that much of a beauty, though¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What are you saying?¡± ¡°My, my. Eavesdropping on my soliloquy. You really have a nasty personality, don¡¯t you?¡± At this, the White Hand Witch snorted. ¡°Hearing this from the nastiest bitch under heaven truly makes me feel dirty. Hmph. What will you do now?¡± ¡°The ck Store people were just deceived. Shall we withdraw now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve wronged the ck Store bastards. We¡¯ve thoroughly crushed them without knowing they were deceived.¡± ¡°What? Oh my, hic, Xinpa, what, kind of, hehe, joke, hehe, this time. Ha, interes- Kyahaha¡­¡± Un Yeonyoung couldn¡¯t hold back and burst into loudughter, bending at the waist. Afterughing heartily for a while, Un Yeonyoung wiped away tears and barely managed to continue speaking while rubbing her stomach that hurt fromughing too much. ¡°That was the funniest joke Xinpa has ever made. Then, does Xinpa feel sorry every time you swat a mosquito or fly? Ah, shall we build a shrine tomemorate vermin together? So that Xinpa can feel at ease.¡± At this, Xinpa¡¯s expression soured. Chapter 170: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (6) ¡°Oh my, our dear Flower Beggar.¡± ¡°Why are you giving me all this¡­¡± ¡°I knew from the moment I first saw you that you had an extraordinary face. With twenty years of server experience, I could tell right away. Hehe.¡± It was a truly server-like line to talk about someone¡¯s face when they had never even seen it uncovered. The server who had been strict, solemn, and serious changed. Of course, it was partly because hecked the courage to act like an adult when he knew she was a Murim Master, but mostly because he was grateful to the benefactor who had protected his precious shop. Surprisingly, a server is closer to a business partner than an employee. In fact, in the hierarchy of the restaurant, it goes owner, manager, server, then cook. Of course, this can vary depending on years of experience and the shop. But a server with twenty years of experience can be considered a co-owner. ¡°Don¡¯t give too much, just slowly give the exact difference. Generosity is good once or twice, but if it continues, a benefactor can be an enemy.¡± Not saying ¡°don¡¯t give¡± meant she intended to keeping. The server¡¯s expression was simply delighted. Thepensation given by the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe was already more than enough to cover the broken furniture and the money customers had dined and dashed on. On top of that, they told him to take the money and weapons collected from the corpses and sell them, so if you calcte it, several months¡¯ worth of ie came in one day. ¡°Oh my, that is such a sad thing to say. Flower Beggar, you are a lifelong benefactor of Xiliang Restaurant.¡± Even while saying this, he inwardly admired her, fully agreeing with Qing¡¯s words. The server¡¯s eyes began to fill with respect. Full of wisdom in her words, and while being an incredible Murim supreme master, practicing the way of non-possession with nothing to her name! And then to mingle so freely with a lowly server, she is truly a righteous expert that only appears in storybooks, he thought. It was a delusion that if someone heard, they would say it was as unbelievable as the sound of a dog eating grass. But little do people know that dogs do, in fact, eat grass. Usually, they eat it with a crisp sound as a digestive aid, and some unusual ones just like the taste of grass. Just as the sound of a dog eating grass exists for the owner of a grass-eating dog, Qing was a proper female expert of Murim to the grateful server. Look at that majestic way of eating! Could this be the heroic spirit of Xiang Ji when he charged in on a short horse and ughtered Han¡¯s ten thousand soldiers? Furthermore, seeing as how she drinks strong alcohol like water, she trulycks nothing as a great hero of these ins under the heavens. Moreover, her exposed chin and mouth are so beautiful, it¡¯s clear that the face behind the veil isn¡¯t hiding ugliness but must be that of a peerless beauty! She¡¯s acting like a beggar, and even eating like a beggar, but still maintains her dignity! The server, thoroughly affected by the eyes of one who views a benefactor, evaluated Qing¡¯s meal, or rather, her skill of stuffing food into her mouth and devouring it like a pig, in this way. This is why they say human sentiment is frightening. Zhang Enchai, the ck Store Association Leader, who had skimmed through the report detailing the damage, messed up his hair vigorously. It wouldn¡¯t relieve his anger anyway, and it would only mess up his own hair, so it was a useless action. It just showed how shitty his mood was. ¡°Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang? Almost all of Yangzhou is gone? The Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n¡¯s warriors, which were supposed to be destroyed, suddenly appeared and drove out customers and killed merchants?¡± Yangzhou is an old term for the southeastern region of the Central ins. It was also called Jiangdong. The northwestern region of the Central ins was also called Yangzhou, so it had two names to avoid confusion. For reference, the Yangzhou in the northwest is also called Xiliang. ¡°The ck Store branches in every city were also destroyed.¡± ¡°I know! I¡¯ve already heard that!¡± ¡°What should we do now? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to cancel the bounty now?¡± ¡°Are you joking? If we back down now, how lightly will everyone take the ck Store? So that¡¯s how you want to y it, huh? Raise the bounty to twenty thousand gwan, dead or alive¡­¡± -Association Leader, it¡¯s Yeonga. At that moment, a subordinate interrupted. ¡°What is it,e in.¡± ¡°Leader, this.¡± The subordinate approached respectfully, ced a scroll on the desk, and retreated. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Well, a box was delivered for you from Fujian¡­¡± The method of sending letters or items to the ck Store Association Leader was simple. If you give it to any ck Store branch, fence, butcher, loan shark, or rted person addressed to ¡°ck Store Association Leader,¡± it would be delivered properly. Of course, you should keep in mind that whether it¡¯s a letter or a box, subordinates open and check it before delivering. The box from Fujian was also opened by subordinates to check if there was anything dangerous inside. There was a terribly horrific thing inside. A dog¡¯s body with a human head sewn on, and a letter ced in its mouth. The head belonged to the Fujian ck Store Branch Manager. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Just hearing about it as horrifying enough. The subordinate who actually opened the box immediately fainted and is still having nightmares. Zhang Enchai unrolled the letter. ¡¸To the dear ck Store Association Leader, I apologize for harming the dog you cherish, so as a token of apology, I¡¯ve attached the body of the bitch I was raising and returned it to you. By the way, the name of the bitch I was raising was Zhang Enchai, so you¡¯ve gained an ugly head of Zhang Enchai. What should we do with this? Should we boil and eat it? That was just a joke. It¡¯s a stray dog without an owner. Looking at the wanted poster, it seems the person you¡¯re looking for isn¡¯t me, so I¡¯m writing this letter. I¡¯ve attached my portrait on the next page. Regarding the reliability of the portrait, you can check with the inspection officers of the Murim Alliance. Or you could check with the residents who used to live near the Un n¡¯s estate. Please take proper action after verifying. P.S.: Since you put a ten thousand gwan bounty on an innocent woman, you¡¯ll ept this much damage with an open heart, right? -Un Yeonyoung, n Head of the not-yet-destroyed Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n¡¹ And on the back page, there was a well-drawn portrait of a beautiful woman with ¡°Height: five chi four cun one fen¡± written on it. ¡°This dog-like¡­!¡± Zhang Enchai crumpled up the letter and threw it. At the same time, goosebumps rose all over his body. How does she know my name? And what does she mean by the not-yet-destroyed Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n? It was a warning that she knew everything about his identity and what he was saying. Along with the sentence about boiling and eating the head. ¡°Cancel, cancel the bounty!¡± ¡°Association Leader?¡± ¡°Damn it! It wasn¡¯t Un Yeonyoung! From the start, it was another woman selling out the Jin Prefecture¡¯s Un n and impersonating them! Damn it, I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t know this and had stirred up a ho¡¯s nest for nothing.¡± He had messed up badly. The mother of all mess-ups if you will. The only fortunate thing in this misfortune was that the letter didn¡¯t say ¡°You¡¯re dead now, so wash your neck clean and wait.¡± In other words, it meant she would let it go if he withdrew the bounty. ¡°What kind of woman is she? It¡¯s twenty thousand gwan if we catch her. How do we find her? Weren¡¯t the others with her also impostors?¡± ¡°You mean Jegal Ihyeon and Tang Nanah? Those two are definitely themselves. Their faces are already widely known¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t touch the Five Noble ns, and there was another woman with them, right? Did you put people on her? Where did she go now?¡± ¡°Well, after that, she went to the Dabie Mountains with herpanions, took back the ve they were looking for, and returned to Zhumadian. After parting ways with the Five Noble ns¡¯ young masters, she settled in the Seol Family Trading Company in Zigui County, Hubei Province, with the ve and an ironsmith called Old Man Ban.¡± ¡°Seol Family Trading Company? What kind of ce is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tradingpany established by Seol Ganom-¡° ¡°Are you joking now? Of course it¡¯s established by Seol Ganom if it¡¯s called Seol Family Trading Company! What kind of person did you put on this that they couldn¡¯t even find out the owner¡¯s name and just called him Seol Ganom?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take care of it. Anyway, it¡¯s a tradingpany that deals with various things, but its scale doesn¡¯t even reach that of a city.¡± An innocent victim was about to be created. ¡°So it¡¯s a hole-in-the-wall shop. If she¡¯s settled there, it should be easy to find out.¡± ¡°However, since she visited the Divine Maiden Sect afterwards, she might be a woman with connections to the Divine Maiden Sect.¡± ¡°What Divine Maiden Sect! What¡¯s with everyone flocking together, damn, of course they flock together. That¡¯s how those Orthodox Faction bastards are.¡± Zhang Enchai banged on the desk loudly. ¡°What will you do?¡± ¡°If we back down here, we¡¯ll really be theughingstock of the world. Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s over if we¡¯re seen as a joke in this business? Announce a temporary withdrawal of the bounty, find out that bitch¡¯s identity first, then put up a bounty twice as high again. Seol Family Trading Company? Use as much gold as needed to bribe them, or send people, and bring that woman who¡¯s supposed to be herpanion before me.¡± Seol Family Trading Company? Zigui County? It seems to be a tradingpany set up in a thatched house in some countryside vige I¡¯ve never heard of, but if the ck Store gets involved, how dare such a trivial hole-in-the-wall shop defy us? Zhang Enchai¡¯s eyes zed with anger. After seeing the wanted poster, Qing felt relieved. So she drank plenty of alcohol, ate even more free food, and when her stomach was full for the first time in a while, she looked like someone might ask how many months pregnant she was. She looked like one of thosepetitive eaters from her homnd, whose existence she couldn¡¯t understand. One of Qing¡¯s favorite things to do is to eat until her stomach is about to burst and then lie down immediately. A master who has undergone Overhaul Rebirth can do this. Because the esophagus is strong, unless you¡¯re hit or poisoned, there¡¯s no reflux, so you don¡¯t get indigestion just from eating and lying down. If asked to pick the best thing about Overhaul Rebirth, this was one of the advantages Qing could proudly mention. The other two were not being afraid of periods and not getting sweaty between the breasts, thus making up the top three. Not gaining weight no matter how much she ate was the case even before Overhaul Rebirth, so it seemed to just be her constitution. At any rate, for once, food filled her up to her chin. The server, impressed by her heroic demeanor, kept filling the table endlessly, allowing her to enjoy as much as she wanted, until Qing finally dered defeat, saying she had reached her limit. Thanks to this, her expanded stomach was screaming to stop pushing in more, and it was perfect to lie down and enjoy that sensation. So that¡¯s what Qing did. The only person in the world who could stop Qing¡¯s unsightly behavior was her beloved master, Ximen Surin. In other words, even when she wasn¡¯t pretending to be a beggar like now after leaving the Divine Maiden Sect, there was no one to stop this pitiful beast who would just lie down after eating. Even before Overhaul Rebirth, Qing would lie on her left side because of indigestion. Lying down on a straw mat like that, wearing thick warm cotton clothes, it was truly paradise. Soon, a silky dream came. How much time had passed? ¡°Noona, Beggar Noona.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Murong Jun.¡± ¡°You came¡­ If you came, then go¡­¡± Qing waved her hand, drunk with sleep. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait here¡­¡± ¡°Okay, stay right there and wait¡­¡± Qing caught the dream that was about to fly away again. Sleeping is good, but this state of being drunk with sleep, with the whole bodynguidly rxed and the body warmly raised in temperature, is also a truly happy time. How much time had passed? At any rate, since it was a nap, her mind naturally cleared as time passed. Since she slept during the day and trained at night, even though it was the middle of the night, this was indeed a daytime nap. If Ximen Surin knew, she would be torn between praising her for training regrly andmenting how her disciple¡¯s behavior was bing more pathetic day by day. Qing sat up, put her hand inside her face veil to rub her eyes, and asked: ¡°Hmm. Murong n Kiddo, how long has it been?¡± ¡°Uh. Just a moment. The moon¡­¡± Qing, half-awake, knew there was a motionless presence nearby. But knowing that sweet dreams and a quickly clearing mind wereing, she just told that presence to wait a bit and left it alone. Murong Jun looked at the moon, raised his fingers and wiggled them as if measuring its position, then answered brightly: ¡°I came about a shichen ago!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A shichen is two hours. Feeling sorry, Qing med the innocent kid for no reason. ¡°Why did you foolishly wait for a whole shichen?¡± ¡°You told me to stay put and wait¡­¡± And thus, it seems he had been standing still waiting without any sense. ¡°No, what? I was just going to lie down for a bit, you should have made yourselffortable.¡± Qing scratched the back of her head. She had just been lying downzily, but how had so much time passed already? They say enjoyable time passes quickly, the so-called theory of rtivity. But was it always this fast? Chapter 171: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (7) ¡°Um, you should have just woken me up.¡± ¡°But you were sleeping¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping. I was just lying down.¡± ¡°Then, now can I-¡° ¡°Stop! Stop the sexual harassment! Stop the sexual violence!¡± Qing said firmly, showing her palm. This was a miraculous solution from Qing¡¯s homnd that stopped the other person¡¯s bad behavior and simultaneously made the delinquent shed tears of repentance, reform, suddenly realize the joy of friendship, help each other study hard, and solve all problems at once. It was devised by the great officials of the Korean people, and among such miraculous and great products was also a mysterious object called aughing bell that made people burst intoughter with happiness when rung. Damn, I haven¡¯t finished organizing the gender equality education yet. I thought he¡¯de a few dayster, not suddenly in the middle of the night. When was thest time I heard this? It was five years ago, before I left for Jianghu. What I remember is¡­ Thinking back, I know what attitudes I shouldn¡¯t take. Like not treating the audience as sex offenders. ¡°Hmm. First, I¡¯ll return this to you, and the breast talk ends here. Understand?¡± ¡°Ah. Yes¡­¡± How should I put this¡­ It¡¯s not very childlike to ept it without throwing a tantrum here, isn¡¯t it? He seems to listen well. ¡°Ande sit here. Your big bro will tell you some awesome stories.¡± ¡°You were a big bro?¡± ¡°¡®Big bro¡¯ can also mean someone older.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Murong Jun sat down on the ground with a thud. ¡°First, let¡¯s do a diagnosis. Well, hasn¡¯t anyone taught you what you should and shouldn¡¯t say to others? Is the basic education of the Five Noble nscking? What do they teach in the n?¡± Even Tang Nanah knows what she shouldn¡¯t say. She knows, but she just does whatever she wants and if it bes a problem, she gets through it with an excellent apology. Come to think of it, this kid at least asked. Tang Nanah just groped in secret. It appears there was a real sex offender elsewhere. ¡°Martial arts!¡± ¡°Hmm. And?¡± Then Murong Jun made an expression as if asking if there was anything else to learn besides swordsmanship. ¡°How old are you, kid?¡± ¡°Nine years old!¡± ¡°And you haven¡¯t learned anything besides swordsmanship?¡± ¡°Yes! They say I¡¯m the hope of the n! They say I just need to work hard on martial arts. And martial arts are fun!¡± Seeing him fly away with Qinggong during the day, it was a skill unbelievable for a nine-year-old. He must be a martial arts genius, or a martial arts prodigy or something, but still, they should teach him some basicmon sense. This was Qing¡¯s thought, who was likely to be ranked first as the person with the leastmon sense under the heavens, about the adults of Jianghu. But well, it wasn¡¯t strange. In Qing¡¯s homnd too, weren¡¯t there many parents who didn¡¯t care about their child¡¯s usual behavior as long as their grades were good? Thinking they¡¯ll get better as they grow older. If grades could solve everything, how could they get better just by growing older? They were like parents smiling at their child¡¯s report card, not knowing they were preparing to be abandoned in old age. ¡°Alright. First, listen. In the world, there¡¯s something called chastity¡­¡± Qing conducted her version of Chinese-style gender equality education. Qing wasn¡¯t so ignorant as to suddenly teachplete gender equality in the Central ins. However, she fully agreed with Ximen Surin¡¯s radical ideas - which were radical only in the Central ins butmon sense by modern standards. The primitive, ancient, uncivilized Chinese level was exactly like this: if a woman showed her bare feet, it was like losing her chastity, so it was grounds for divorce and okay to beat her and drive her out. (Beyond China, the West wasn¡¯t different given the time period) Murong Jun¡¯s expression, which was curious at first about what she was saying, gradually turned into a tearful face. ¡°¡­So if it wasn¡¯t me with my broad mind, our little one would have done something so bad in the world that he¡¯d have nothing to say even if he was killed with a sword. Understand?¡± ¡°Uh. Then, did I do something wrong¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. If you did something wrong, what should you do?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The child fumbled and held out the gold sycee that had been returned earlier with his tiny hand. Look at that hand! It¡¯s like a quarter of mine! Four of them would match mine perfectly! My goodness! But cute is cute, and wrong is wrong. Qing, as a sensible adult, had a duty to teach that there are opponents in the world where cuteness doesn¡¯t work. Thwack! It was a crisp sound like bamboo swords shing. ¡°Ow!¡± Naturally, Murong Jun grabbed his head and rolled on the ground. Shaolin Monks don¡¯t need to learn useless supreme techniques like the Seventy-Two Shaolin Fist Arts to enlighten evildoers, saying they¡¯ll guide them. To reform evildoers, Ximen Surin¡¯s Radioactive Fist Bombing Technique is enough, so this unprecedented technique should be widely spread in Murim. ¡°Ah, it hurts¡­¡± Murong Jun hadrge teardrops hanging from his eyes. ¡°If you did something wrong, you should apologize first. Offering goldes after that. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ But Beggar Noona, am I not bleeding?¡± It was exactly the reaction someone else had made. I know that pain. Qing held back herughter and admonished him. ¡°Stop rubbing it since you¡¯re not bleeding. And remember that pain. My heart hurt like that too. How dare you call a stranger a dirty prostitute? Well, I was dirty because I¡¯m a beggar. But still, why a prostitute? Do you know what prostitute means when you use it?¡± ¡°Uh, someone who does anything if you give them money¡­¡± ¡°Bzzt. Wrong. Ignorance is not an excuse. Don¡¯t try to understand on your own. You should have checked with an adult first.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Then, Beggar Noona is an adult, right?¡± He was asking to be told. ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no adult as great as me. Hmm. In the world, there are good words and bad words¡­¡± Qing conducted her version of education suitable for a nine-year-old child. It was childish content like ¡°Don¡¯t say bad words, it hurts the listener¡¯s feelings.¡± However, it was also precious education that no one had given Murong Jun, but should have. It wasn¡¯t that the Murong n people were ill-mannered. A genius who was certain to be the Greatest Under Heaven in the future had appeared in the family, so they were excited about teaching martial arts which he absorbed so well, and took turns acting as teachers all day long. They wanted to be able to say ¡°I taught the Greatest Under Heaven¡±ter and clear their throats proudly. Thanks to this, thinking ¡°Someone else will teachmon sense,¡± by everyone including you and me, this disaster urred. ¡°¡­So you shouldn¡¯t use such words.¡± ¡°But adults already use them freely.¡± Qing was momentarily at a loss for words. Ah, so that¡¯s why they talk about mirrors and such. Of course, the n members probably talked freely because they didn¡¯t know the child was eavesdropping. Is that secret passage the problem? ¡°Hmm. Still, adults already know they¡¯re bad words when they use them.¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t that doing bad things?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. Instead, if problems arise because of it, they take full responsibility themselves. Hmm. Yes.¡± The child was too young to be told about personal responsibility. Qing had never thought so carefully sinceing to Jianghu, so if Ximen Surin had seen this, she would have praised her for already bing an excellent teacher. ¡°They¡¯re bad adults. So, does our little one want to be a bad adult too? Will you be a bad adult with them?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Right. Good boy.¡± Qing patted Murong Jun¡¯s head. It would have been better if her hand wasn¡¯t dirty. Hmm, the crown of his head is a bit swollen. Did I hit him a bit too hard? ¡°But, you know¡­¡± ¡°Yes. What?¡± ¡°About breasts¡­¡± Hmm. But the kid has a persistent side. However, his next words were pitiful. ¡°Then is there no way for me at all? I can¡¯t do it because I don¡¯t have a mother. And I don¡¯t have a wife because I¡¯m not married. If it¡¯s bad to do it to other people¡­¡± ¡°Sadly, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfair¡­¡± It was a pitiful thing to say, but those words were right. But how should I exin this? I can¡¯t spout nonsense like ¡°You rich young master born with the best silver spoon in the Central ins! How dare youin about your blessings?¡± ¡°Hmm. Don¡¯t you have any mother at all? Damn it, why am I talking like this? It keepsing out wrong. No other mothers? In a rich family, aren¡¯t there usually several mothers? Ah, right, a wet nurse! Don¡¯t you have a wet nurse?¡± ¡°Well, she became my aunt¡­¡± Did the wet nurse and uncle fall for each other? Qing thought simply, but the reality was a bit moreplicated. A wet nurse was roughly in the position of an honorary wife, so she wasn¡¯t a servant but just not registered in the family tree, and was practically family. Neither Qing nor Murong Jun knew, but there existed a great victory of pure love that overcame everyone¡¯s opposition when a man took his brother¡¯s honorary wife as his main wife. However, only Murong Jun, who had no mother and now had his wet nurse taken away, became a bit pitiful. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s no other way. You¡¯ll have to get married quickly, I guess?¡± ¡°Yes. Um. But¡­¡± Murong Jun looked at Qing. Qing made a troubled expression behind her face veil. Oh dear. I really don¡¯t know why kids like me so much. This is why they have cute aspects. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in advance, I have no intention of getting married. No matter how much you look at me like that, I won¡¯t make a marriage agreement.¡± ¡°Huh. I don¡¯t want to marry Beggar Noona either.¡± Qing¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°What¡¯s this? Didn¡¯t you just look at me with eyes that said ¡®What about you?¡¯ No changing your words because you¡¯re suddenly embarrassed, okay?¡± ¡°Well, I was going to ask if marrying for breasts would be doing something bad to the other person¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. When you teach one, they learn ten, or so they say. You¡¯ve had a very good thought, little one. The little pervert in the making has now be Jianghu¡¯s number one eligible bachelor.¡± Qing wiped her hand on Murong Jun¡¯s hair again. It¡¯s still swollen. I hope no onees chasing after meter asking who hit him. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The child made a clearughing sound, pleased. Hmm. He¡¯s a child, a child. But I should question what needs to be questioned. ¡°But you said you don¡¯t want to marry me? How dare you?¡± ¡°But Beggar Noona wears a face veil. People who wear face veils do so because they have faces that might upset others if seen¡­¡± ¡°Who said such a thing? Is this another eavesdropped story?¡± ¡°Father said so¡­ There was someone wearing a face veil before, and when I asked why that person covered their face, he answered. He said they¡¯re covering their face for others, so we shouldn¡¯t point fingers or try to peek carelessly.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see. You know well.¡± This is why you should listen to everything. Given how people in the Central ins perceive those wearing face veils, and since the conclusion was excellent, the father spoke correctly. Qing, who just covered her face because it was bothersome, is a special case. It wasn¡¯t like there were absolutely zero people in the Central ins who use it for that purpose, but there was no need to emphasize the unusual minority. Suddenly, Qing¡¯s mouth curved into a mischievous smile. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to marry ugly me? Come to think of it, I might be willing to marry our little one now. Want to think about it one more time?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to marry a pretty woman.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t personality more important than looks?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Then, I want to marry a woman who¡¯s both pretty and kind-hearted. Not Beggar Noona.¡± The child answered after thinking for a moment. It was truly a clever answer. ¡°Ah, when a rich young master says this, I have nothing to say. Alright, so you¡¯re going to marry a woman who¡¯s both pretty and kind-hearted? Think carefully. This is yourst chance. If you reject me this time, I¡¯ll be so hurt that I¡¯ll never marry you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± The child bowed his waist while sitting. Seeing that, it seems he¡¯s been well-educated. ¡°Really? Then there¡¯s nothing I can do. I don¡¯t want to marry you either. Even if you cry and cling to meter, it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that will happen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s over now,pletely over. Eternal friends. Understand? Don¡¯t expect more than friendship from me. Got it?¡± ¡°Huh? We¡¯re friends?¡± Murong Jun¡¯s expression changed to one of happiness. At this, Qing¡¯s expression also became pleased. ¡°Yes. Want to be secret friends with Noona?¡± ¡°No. I want to be just friends, not secret friends.¡± ¡°You keep having these firm moments¡­¡± ¡°Then, since we¡¯re friends, you can call me Ajun. Then Beggar Noona¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you special permission to call me Flower Beggar Noona.¡± ¡°Huh? Flower Beggar¡­?¡± Murong Jun looked at Qing¡¯s face veil with an awkward expression. By the way, about this brat. Why does he take a crooked path every time he¡¯s about to be cute? Chapter 172: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (8) ¡°Why, I¡¯m a Flower Beggar because I¡¯m a flower-like beggar. Got a problem with that?¡± ¡°But, but you¡¯re fat¡­¡± ¡°Hey. Peonies are flowers and lotuses are flowers too, right? Are they not flowers because they¡¯re big?¡± ¡°But, those two are pretty¡­¡± ¡°You really speak your mind, don¡¯t you? Fine, you¡¯re so great. Alright. Now go. Flower Beggar, no, Beggar Noona is going to sleep.¡± ¡°Ah. Um, well, then, um, pumpkin flower, no pumpkin flowers are pretty when you look at them, so how about just pumpkin? Or bitter melon or cucumber- Ow!¡± Murong Jun rolled on the ground again, not realizing his expensive silk clothes were getting covered in dirt. ording to Qing¡¯s personal theory, kids are of the earth element anyway; they originally live by eating dirt, so it¡¯s okay for them to roll around a bit. It was much weaker than before, not strong enough to dare attach the almighty name ¡®nuclear¡¯, so it was just a regr head flick (Third-Rate). But getting hit in the same spot again hurts much more viciously. After rolling around for a while, this time Murong Jun seemed to feel wronged, and threw a gaze full of betrayal with eyes hangingrge teardrops. ¡°W-Why?¡± ¡°I told you bad words aren¡¯t allowed.¡± ¡°But Beggar Noona also said my father was right. People who cover their faces-¡° ¡°Enough. You, would you feel good if I called you a bed-wetter? Are you really telling me you¡¯ve never wet the bed? Not even once until now?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What ¡®ah¡¯. Enough. Beggar Noona is sleeping.¡± Qing theny downpletely. At this, Murong Jun stood still, just rubbing his crown slightly. ¡°Um, Beggar Noona. Isn¡¯t it ufortable to sleep here? Our house, no not our house, how about sleeping at Sohua Sect?¡± No one could deny that the child was kind at heart. Qing answered while lying down. ¡°You have to think about the people at Sohua Sect too. They won¡¯t like it if you bring a beggar, right?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯ste at night, don¡¯t wander around alon- Hm? Wait, what? What time is it now?¡± Qingy on her back and looked at the sky. Judging by the position of the clear moon shining faintly, it was about the end of the Ox Hour to the beginning of the Tiger Hour, which trantes to about 3 AM in modern terms, when people¡¯s sensitivity is at its fullest and they cannot help but send the famed ¡°3 AM vibes¡± messages. ¡°No, what¡¯s a precious young master doing wandering around in the middle of the night? It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯m not alone. I came with Warrior Green who guards me. Warrior Green?¡± ¡°Keurk.¡± Suddenly hearing a phlegmy sound, she looked and saw a ck-d person looking this way from under the shadow of that wall. Though his realm was unknown as he seemed to be hiding his aura, other information showed his Evil Karma was in the early 200s. What? I didn¡¯t notice him at all. But wait? What the heck? Isn¡¯t he a bad guy? Qing became sharply alert. At that, Guard Nok waved his hand as if to reassure her, and Qing was unsure but suddenly remembered Gramps. Right, there could be people like Gramps too. The child is opinionated and persistent, but he listens well and is cute too. Murong Jun seemed like he would have made a fortune as the nation¡¯s little brother, a top visual child actor if he hade out in modern times. Wait, then does that mean he heard all the gender equality education I gave too? Why did he just leave it alone? Did he think it was content Ajun needed to hear? Well, I guess a sensible adult wouldn¡¯t ever stop such a beneficial lecture. But he wouldn¡¯t tattle about how I gave such loving strikes, right? The strikes that I had to endure the heartbreak of even daring toy a hand on such an adorable kid? ¡°Warrior Green hurt his throat before, they say.¡± ¡°Hmm. Your family will be worried. It¡¯ste, so go home quickly. You might not need sleep, but Warrior Green must be sleepy.¡± ¡°Warrior Green is always awake at night. During the day, Warrior White guards me.¡± ¡°You always have an escape route¡­¡± Qing muttered, lying spread-eagled. She was already fully awake and clear-headed. Forcing herself to sleep here would just result in a short nap and a headache when she woke up. There¡¯s nothing to do at night anyway, so I should just do some martial arts training. ¡°I¡¯m going to train now. So if you¡¯re done with your business, go home and sleep. Sleeping at night makes you grow tall and such.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t Beggar Noona slept too much?¡± ¡°What, kid? When I was young, sleeping only one and a half shichen a day was a child¡¯s virtue. They said if you sleep more than that, you can¡¯t be a great person.¡± That three-hours-sleep-five-hours-fail shit. Which fucker said such things again? For reference, ¡°three-hours-sleep-five-hours-fail¡± was a bad practice in the Korean people¡¯s harsh college entrance exam culture, meaning you pass if you sleep three hours and fail if you sleep five. ¡°Ah! My father said that too. He said two shichen of sleep is enough, so if you can¡¯t sleep, there¡¯s no need to force it, and if you¡¯re bored, you should at least train.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re wandering around now¡­¡± It was hard to tell whether this father was strict or not. But since the child didn¡¯t show any hesitation when mentioning his father, he must be a father who gives plenty of unconditional love. ¡°Then, train with me. I¡¯m stronger than the n¡¯s warriors!¡± ¡°This body doesn¡¯t cross swords with mere First-Rates. How abouting back after you¡¯ve improved a bit more?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s good to improve together¡­¡± Qing let out augh mixed with a snort. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s train. Training is what¡¯s left¡­¡± Murong Jun¡¯s father¡¯s words that two shichen of sleep is enough are roughly true. First, Masters who have achieved Overhaul Rebirth can manage with two shichen a day. And those who possess supreme techniques excellent at relieving mental fatigue were like that. Qing fit both categories, but she just liked sleeping, so she slept a lot for a master. Anyway, Qing¡¯s daily routine remained the same. Shezed around during the day, ate a hearty dinner, immediatelyy down hugging her full belly to enjoy a post-meal nap, and when she came to her senses, she swung her sword in the middle of the night. With high probability, Murong Jun would appear at night and spar with her while keeping herpany. And with low probability, Murong Jun would also appear during the day and annoy her by disturbing her sleep. ¡°What is it, I need to sleep.¡± ¡°You said one and a half shichen is enough¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m making up for not sleeping then. By the way, is that person someone you know?¡± Qing pointed to a man on one side who was ring at her as if she were his mortal enemy. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s Warrior White.¡± ¡°But why is he ring at me like that? Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I told Warrior White he should apologize for calling Beggar Noona a dirty prostitute, and now he¡¯s like that. I¡¯m sorry our warrior is a bad adult. I¡¯ll apologize instead.¡± ¡°Oh my. How sweet. Yes, grow up just like this. The future of the orthodox Murim is bright.¡± Qing patted Murong Jun¡¯s head. At this, White Warrior put his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. What¡¯s he going to do? Draw it? When Qing threw him a mocking sneer as if to show off, his expression changed as if he had bitten into a bug. Warrior Green with high Evil Karma was asionally spotted and would bow politely when their eyes met, but this bastard leaning towards Righteous Karma was apletely ill-mannered scoundrel. Saying things you shouldn¡¯t say to a child, this guy. So sometimes when the kid appeared during the day, she deliberately kept himpany to tease Warrior White. Time flew by like that again. Originally, if there¡¯s nothing special and it¡¯s not particrly hard while the daily routine is regr, time passes quickly. However, as you get older, you be ustomed to the ways of the world and special events gradually decrease, which is why time passes quickly for adults. As spring starts to bloom, clothes be hot. It¡¯s hot during the day and cool at night, so Qing, who was strong against the cold due to harsh training, tore open the seams and took out all the cotton. She could treat it roughly since it was clothes she was going to throw away anyway. ¡°Beggar Noona? Did you lose weight? Suddenly?¡± ¡°It was because the clothes were thick. Hmm. But where are you looking? Is the little pervert in the making reviving?¡± ¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry. It was just surprising¡­ Isn¡¯t it heavy?¡± ¡°It is heavy. But don¡¯t look so openly, others will gossip. nce. nce. Pretend not to look and nce.¡± Thanks to Tang Nanah, Qing had be able to properly distinguish lewd gazes. It wasn¡¯t Tang Nanah¡¯s damp and desire-filled gaze, but truly just a child¡¯s curiosity sparkling. Either way, curiosity doesn¡¯tst long. And in reality, after a few days, Murong Jun quickly lost interest and stopped ncing. However, other bastards were a bit of a problem. ¡°Even with your face covered, your figure is nice. Well, if it¡¯s an unsightly face, covering it is enough. Where¡¯s your brothel?¡± ¡°Ah. Would youe this way?¡± ¡°Brothel¡± refers to a nail warehouse. It means a ce where you quickly nail in and then pull out, like hammering nails, showing how Central ins people are quite good at wordy. Warrior White¡¯s words that all female beggars are dirty prostitutes were words that shouldn¡¯t be said to a child, but if you ask whether it¡¯s true or false, it did fall under the category of truth. Lying on the street and ncing, you can¡¯t see the face anyway because it¡¯s covered. But the lines the body draws, wow! My goodness! How can this be! How can it be like that! So a man¡¯s lustful heart and other things can¡¯t help but rise. Qing, who had moved to an inconspicuous ce in a back alley, nuclear bombed the crown of the man who was already untying his waistband. Whack! At the moment of impact, there was almost an illusion of his head being crushed into a concave shape. It was the ultimate secret technique of Ximen Surin-style Complete Destruction Head Flick (The Staff of God) containing the meaning of punishment rather than admonishment. ¡°Where are you going in broad daylight, you perfectly fine bastard.¡± ¡°Agh! I¡¯m dying!¡± ¡°I hit you so you wouldn¡¯t die, soe to your senses. This is what happens when you get frisky carelessly. Got it?¡± ¡°You crazy beggar bitch, do you want to die- Hup. Your martial arts are quite strong. You should have said something in advance¡­¡± The stone that was in Qing¡¯s hand turned into finely ground powder and scattered lightly. The man who was about to shout angrily became docile. ¡°Now. You¡¯ve learned a great life lesson that if you try to y with your dick anywhere, you might really be a dick, right? Leave the tuition fee.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher. I¡¯ll leave it here.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± After taking out the cotton like that, Qing, who had knocked down three walking sticks just on that day, thought: This should be enough for rumors to spread about a violent female beggar, right? They won¡¯t bother me anymore, right? Qing¡¯s thinking was short-sighted. There was no way such rumors would spread. How could a man say he got beaten by a beggar, and a female beggar at that, and even paid a hefty tuition fee before running away? Rather, the opposite rumor spread. ¡®What? You said you made a fortune today? Why don¡¯t you have any money? You said you¡¯d treat us, are you changing your words?¡¯ ¡®No, well, I gave some charity to that female beggar over there.¡¯ ¡®Female beggar? You¡¯re talking nonsense. Isn¡¯t twenty wen enough? You say you were robbed of one silver sycee? Did you get beaten and robbed?¡¯ ¡®No, that¡¯s not it, uh, yeah, she was so good, I was moved and gave her a bit.¡¯ ¡®Hm? That good? Should I go too?¡¯ ¡®Uh, that¡¯s, um? Yeah. You should definitely go too. It¡¯s something you really have to experience once in your life. I really almost went to paradise- no, I briefly visited paradise, I tell you.¡¯ This was because the men whose money had suddenly disappeared avoided interrogation with roughly simr flows. Along with the childish psychology that they couldn¡¯t be the only ones to suffer. And so, ten dayster, in mid-April when flowers were in full bloom and spring was brilliant, the money Qing had earned just from tuition fees filled her travel bag with silver sycees and coins. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this neighborhood? Are they in heat? Don¡¯t rumors spread? Or do they want to get beaten? Should I quit pretending to be a beggar since even the ck Store is quiet?¡± Qing grumbled after creating arge hill on another guy¡¯s head. By the way, maybe because it¡¯s spring. Everyone¡¯sing out to bask in the sun. It¡¯s really crowded with people. Qingzilyy down and watched people. Suddenly, feeling a sense of incongruity, Qing tilted her head. Huh. Were there always this many women in this city? Chapter 173: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (9) Meanwhile, there was another person burning with anger besides the ck Store Leader. ¡°These parasites who only suck the blood of civilians, who should be hiding quietly under rocks to avoid being seen. How dare they put a bounty on my disciple? I should have exterminated them and wiped out their seed long ago.¡± Blue mes shot up from Ximen Surin¡¯s eyes. This is not a metaphorical expression. It was an actual eruption of Inner Qi, and because it was the color of the setting sun from the Zhu Xiang Heart Cleanse Mirror, it flickered like mes. It was the master¡¯s anger after hearing the circumstances. Moreover, it was even more so because her disciple had done absolutely nothing wrong, not even a speck. She was a disciple who raided an unorthodox faction and tracked down and dealt with ve traders to help one innocent old man. While she could be scolded for being careless and reckless in her behavior, it was truly a righteous deed that would make her name widely known as a female martial artist and chivalrous hero. She was a disciple who deserved praise a hundred times over. But what? Ten thousand gwan of gold? Although her disciple had cleverly hidden her name, it would eventually be revealed anyway. Ximen Surin rose from her seat. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Jo Hyeonryang¡¯s face.¡± Jo Hyeonryang is the Grand Patriarch of the ck Dragon Jo n, one of the Nine Great ns, no, the Eight Great ns after the Jin Prefecture Un n was destroyed and its only sessor defected. He was more famous by his name as the current Murim Alliance Leader. Originally, she wasn¡¯t going to participate in the Murim Conference. It was her disciple who should shine in that ce, not Ximen Surin herself, so she had intended to avoid it on purpose. Ximen Surin, sortie. There was an important agenda for this Murim Conference. A vacancy had urred in the Ten Great ns with the Jin Prefecture Un n dropping out. The Jin Prefecture Un n had been destroyed, or more precisely, it had been burned from within by a defector. Murong Chengyi, the n leader of the Murong n, muttered. ¡°Anyeong, that child wasn¡¯t the type to do such a thing.¡± Un Yeonyoung was originally betrothed in the womb between the Un n and the Murong n, so when she was little, she came to cool Liaoning every summer for vacation. The little Un Yeonyoung that Murong Chengyi had seen was a sickly and weak-hearted crybaby, but he hadn¡¯t seen her since the Jin Prefecture Un n suddenly and unterally broke off the engagement. He only asionally heard rumors that she was doing well as a Murim Alliance patroller. What on earth happened to make her like that? However, it would have been quite chilling if the marriage arrangement hadn¡¯t been broken off. It might not have been the Jin Prefecture Un n that was destroyed. Who knows, maybe the child harbored resentment after experiencing something after the broken engagement. She was a timid child who trembled in fear at the sight of any beast or bird, even cute animals like martens or squirrels that normal girls would find adorable. It was iprehensible how such a child could harbor resentment and annihte her n. Anyway, since hearing that news, he couldn¡¯t help but be sensitive about his children¡¯s marriages. So he had to react sensitively to the news brought by Guard White. ¡®n Leader, these days the young master is associating with a beggar. Moreover, there are bizarre rumors that she¡¯s a terrible harlot. What should we do about this? Is it only during the day? Guard Green doesn¡¯t stop him at all at night, so they¡¯re on the verge of developing feelings seeing each other every night. We must immediately capture that bitch- no, that woman, beat her, sternly scold her for her advances, and drive her away!¡¯ However, the story written by Guard Green in signnguage was contradictory to this. ¡¸Although her behavior appears to be that of a beggar. Her words are reasonable and logical, and she seems to be a wise woman. Moreover, in dealing with the young master, she treats him only with the attitude of an older sister, and the young master also follows her as an older sister, so it¡¯s nonsensical nder to discuss matters between men and women. Furthermore, her martial arts are powerful, with at least Late Stage Peak Realm capabilities, so she teaches the young master every night, and the young master has shown great achievement recently.¡¹ In fact, Guard White was frustrated because he couldn¡¯t find fault with everything being crooked. The words of Guard Green, who was taciturn (because he was mute) and earnest, and who volunteered for the arduous night guard duty, were much more believable. But both testimonies ultimately pointed to a beggar. With the n¡¯s prestige, how could the direct legitimate heir associate with a female beggar, not even a member of the Beggar¡¯s Union? Moreover, Guard Green was single, and Guard White had two wives. Guard Green didn¡¯t understand matters between men and women, so he didn¡¯t know the principle of sisters bingdies anddies bing wives. Just recently, Murong Chengyi had his son¡¯s wet nurse snatched away by his younger brother. After pondering what to do, Murong Chengyi decided to hear the story from the person himself. Of course, from the son¡¯s side, not the beggar¡¯s. ¡°Junah, I hear you¡¯ve been associating with an unusual friendtely?¡± ¡°Ah. You mean beggar sister?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He was already at a loss for words. If she¡¯s a beggar, she¡¯s a beggar, and if she¡¯s a sister, she¡¯s a sister, but what on earth is a beggar sister? How can the word sister even follow beggar? Moreover, these words wereing from the mouth of the direct descendant of the great Murong n. ¡°Yes. How did youe to know this acquaintance?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not an acquaintance, she¡¯s a friend!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It¡¯s already progressed to friends, he says. Murong Chengyi¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°You know, father. Before, Warrior White said something, that female beggars are all dirty, umm.¡± ¡°Why did you stop?¡± ¡°Beggar sister said we shouldn¡¯t use bad words, so it¡¯s a bad word. She said we should be especially careful in front of our parents.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll specially allow it just this once. So?¡± ¡°He said all female beggars are dirty whores¡­¡± ¡°That bastard Guard White¡­!¡± A vein popped out on Murong Chengyi¡¯s forehead. ¡°It is a bad word, right¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. You shouldn¡¯t use such words carelessly. Not just in front of your father, but when talking to anyone, using such words only degrades your dignity, so you shouldn¡¯t use such terms.¡± ¡°Ah. Beggar sister said that too. She said using bad words is like shouting that I¡¯m a bad person, so it¡¯s better not to use them at all.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Murong Chengyi¡¯s expression softened a bit. Guard Green¡¯s written message said her words were reasonable and logical, and she seemed to be a wise woman. As expected, Guard Green is more trustworthy. ¡°Hmm. And? Did you learn anything else?¡± ¡°Ah. And¡­¡± Murong Jun excitedly recounted Qing¡¯s gender equality education to his father. Although it seemed too favorable to women in Murong Chengyi¡¯s ears, it was a valid education about proper behavior, speech, and mindset. Since a woman taught it, it was favorable to women, and even then, it was virtues that men should rightfully uphold, so there was no problem. It¡¯s just that everyone knows but doesn¡¯t follow. ¡°What do you think, father? Is it all correct? Beggar sister said that when I hear unfamiliar stories, I shouldn¡¯t try to understand them alone but should check with adults¡­¡± ¡°Excellent. Everything you said is correct.¡± Murong Chengyi smiled broadly and opened his arms. Excited, Murong Jun jumped into his father¡¯s embrace. But Murong Chengyi¡¯s heart was not excited. Rather, it felt like a heavy boulder was tied to it. Hearing the story about trying to buy breasts from a beggar woman with a gold sycee made him feel like he was falling from a thousand-foot cliff. Moreover, ¡°when I hear unfamiliar stories,¡± he says. Everyone was excited about teaching martial arts to the youngest son born with the Heavenly Martial Body. Not a single person until now had taught him these obvious principles of human conduct that should naturally be followed. Even Murong Chengyi was the same, thinking it was so obvious that he would naturally know, or that he would understand when he grew up. Come to think of it, how could one understand without being taught? Usually, the mother should step in to admonish, but ah, wife, why did you leave so early¡­ I looked down on her because she was a beggar woman, but it turns out she was my son¡¯s benefactor! I was taught to regard everyone I meet in the world as a teacher, but I¡¯ve be thick-headed and acted like this! I should immediately call that woman and express great gratitude¡­ ¡°¡­And, and. Right! Beggar sister asked me to marry her.¡± ¡°What? How dare she- so, how did you answer?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t like women who cover their faces. Father, you said so, didn¡¯t you? That women who cover their faces do so because they¡¯re horrible to look at¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I did say that. Phew. Well done. You did well.¡± Murong Chengyi was greatly thankful for his own teaching that he couldn¡¯t even remember. Now I see she wasn¡¯t the child¡¯s benefactor but a schemer with a ck heart! It was a ploy to seduce an innocent child and try to change her fate! ¡°Junah, father is saying this just in case, but marriage is a major family matter, so you absolutely, absolutely must not decide on your own. And especially not with that beggar woman. Absolutely not. It can¡¯t happen even if dirt enters this father¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want to either. So beggar sister said she would absolutely never marry me no matter what happens.¡± ¡°What! How dare a mere beggar speak such nonsense!¡± Hearing that made him angry in a different way. ¡°Ah, father?¡± ¡°Ahem. It¡¯s nothing. Forget it. She said she wouldn¡¯t marry you? Can you tell me in detail?¡± After hearing the circumstances, it was a bit ambiguous. Was this a seductive ploy, or just a sister teasing her little brother? It¡¯s something that can only be judged by knowing a person¡¯s gaze, gestures, and tone of voice, so it can¡¯t be known just from hearing about it. Then there was only one way. It¡¯s something you¡¯d know if you talked to her directly. Peng Daesan was having the worst time of his life. Even if he left the n, women would just swarm around him annoyingly, so he just shut himself in and trained every day. He even had an achievement and entered the Late Stage Peak Realm. However, Peng Daesan did not stop training. Because. Previously- ¡°Hey, little brother! I thought you looked at women like stones, but my, my. Tsk, tsk.¡± ¡°What is it, elder sister?¡± ¡°I saw, you know? This, this. You sly dog.¡± Peng Choryo poked Peng Daesan¡¯s side repeatedly. For reference, Peng Choryo has never had the concept of controlling her strength, so it¡¯s extremely painful. Along with the pain in his side and the subtly, no, tantly annoying slimy attitude, Peng Daesan¡¯s voice lowered a notch. ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°That girl. Qing¡¯er. She was pretty, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Peng Choryo said this with a sly smile. Peng Daesan was dumbfounded. Why that name suddenly? ¡°Do you mean Miss Ximen Qing?¡± ¡°Yes. That Ximen Qing. A friend, right? A friend, right? A frieeeend, right? That Jade Qilin¡¯s friend. Girl friend. Female friend. Lady friend.¡± To Peng Daesan, Peng Choryo was more than a sister but less than a mother. Peng Choryo was the sister who raised Peng Daesan on her back. This wasn¡¯t a metaphor but a in fact. Peng Daesan suppressed his irritation with that affection. ¡°Elder sister. I¡¯m really getting annoyed, can¡¯t you stop?¡± ¡°Hmm, but you, you need to step up your game? She¡¯s about to reach Transcendent Realm soon. Since she underwent Overhaul Rebirth, should I say she¡¯s already gone there ande back once? Hey! Where are you going?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to do wall-facing meditation. Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m doing this because I feel like I¡¯ll really get annoyed if you keep smirking about that woman reaching Transcendent Realm.¡± ¡°O.kay.I.got.it.Good.luck.my.little.brother.¡± And Peng Choryo¡¯s expression he saw was so annoying that he felt like kicking away even the grace of being raised by her. And then, oops. Once the ¡®unavoidablepanion¡¯es to the Peng n of Hebei, it¡¯s literally impossible to avoid. So he had to escape before that, but he forgot because he was too immersed in training. Chapter 174: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (10) And so, currently. ¡°Ah, look at that, Young Master. The spring flowers have bloomed so beautifully.¡± ¡°The azaleas blooming among the phlox are truly a rare sight, the finishing touch. Just like Miss Murong-¡° ¡°Young Master! Look! It¡¯s a deer, a deer!¡± ¡°¡­You damn Jade Qilin¡­¡± It was the Golden Sun Sword Flower Murong Juhui, reporting on every single thing she saw. And the grinding teeth sound, adrk, was Jo Hakche, Jo hyung, the heir of the ck Dragon Jo n. He was trying to tter and make advances to the Sword Flower, but he was being treated almost like a non-existent person. Every time he was ignored, he ground his teeth while looking at Peng Daesan, hostile towards another man just to gain a woman¡¯s favor. Jo hyung was a really generous and good brother when among men (he¡¯d be an even better brother if he didn¡¯t keep urging to go to brothels), but he had the strange habit of suddenly treating all men like enemies when a woman joined the group. Anyway, women would just leave for a more handsome man when they meet one. But friendship isn¡¯t like that, so if he had asked for help instead, I would have tried my best to help somehow. Besides that, Jo hyung¡¯s younger sister Jo Yangyang was busy pretending not to look while stealing nces. If Jo Yangyang¡¯s eyes met his, Murong Juhui would show her displeasure with a cold attitude and ruin the atmosphere, so his neck was sore from looking out the window to the left. This is why women are absolutely detestable. The only man present was in that state, and he missed the beast sage Ddobeori and the troublemaker Hwangbo hyung to the point of wishing they were here instead. Yes, if only that Sword Lunatic were here instead. It would be better to hear that bastard¡¯s half-sword talk. This is unbearable. Brother Changbin, you¡¯re the only- no. Come to think of it, with two women present, Brother Changbin would just pretend to be mute. Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh. It was truly the worst time. The only constion was that they would arrive in Zhangwan City tomorrow and meet up with the Murong n members. Anyway, a small city¡¯s martial arts hall isn¡¯t big enough to amodate three groups of Five Great ns¡¯ members. Moreover, it¡¯s not right for one martial arts hall to take all the precious guests, so they¡¯ll inevitably have to stay separately by n. Then both the Murong n and Jo n could be separated. ¡°Ah, Young Master! Look over there! Isn¡¯t the shape of that cloud strange? It¡¯s like, um, like something, anyway it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Hmm, if I had topare it to something, maybe a snake? A rope? To find uniqueness even in such ordinary forms, as expected, Sword Flower¡¯s observation skills-¡° ¡°Ah, Young Master! Look at those people passing by! Could they be lovers? Ah. I wish I could stroll on a spring day like that with a lover too. Isn¡¯t there anyone?¡± ¡°¡­You damn Jade Qilin¡­¡± Jade Qilin very slowly, firmly pressed down and brushed his bangs. Murong Chengyi went for a night walk with his son. However, at the ce where the female beggar was supposed to be, there were just twoyers of straw mats spread out. ¡°Ah. She must have gone to train first. It¡¯s this way.¡± And then he headed towards an empty lot that was secluded and rarely visited by people, which he called a training ground. And that¡¯s when Murong Chengyi finally saw Qing. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Murong Chengyi let out a sigh. How could Murong Chengyi, who was ranked among the Ten Great Masters under Heaven, fail to see through a mere face veil? Under the moonlight, a peerless beauty was absorbed in a sword dance, a rare sight that no beauty under heaven could capture. Honestly, his flirty daughter keeps saying she¡¯s the best among the Five Flowers of the Central ins whenever she gets the chance, but thispletely ruins that. Moreover, while the sword dance was familiar, drawing the forms of themon Yue Maiden Sword, the subtleties contained within changed moment by moment, showing she could freely handle sword imagery. The subtleties of slowness and heaviness were admirable, but unfortunately, the subtleties of swiftness and illusion fell short. However, she had mastered two of the four subtleties of swordsmanship. Among the Transcendent Realm, there were plenty of useless fellows who couldn¡¯t even properly handle one subtlety like the Golden Mean. They say Jianghu is vast, but how could such a talent be hiding in beggar¡¯s clothing? However, when it came to sunset-colored True Qi burning through the night, even Murong Chengyi was reminded of a certain person. ¡°Ahem.¡± At Murong Chengyi¡¯s presence, Qing turned her head. She had known the kid hade long ago, but only now noticed Murong Chengyi who had deliberately hidden his presence. ¡°Kid, if you¡¯vee, you should greet first, why just clear your throat? Ah. Are you Ajun¡¯s father?¡± ¡°Yes. I came out because it seems my son has been causing trouble. By the way, that¡¯s a familiar True Qi. Could it be the Zhu Xiang Heart Cleanse Mirror, the divine technique of the Divine Maiden Sect?¡± If he¡¯s Ajun¡¯s father, he must be the Murong n leader. However, to Qing, he was more her friend¡¯s father than the Murong n leader, so she was very polite. ¡°Yes. I learned from Master Ximen Surin. However, due to circumstances, I didn¡¯t officially join the Divine Maiden Sect, so I¡¯m Ximen Qing, an outer disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect.¡± ¡°Ah! Senior Ximen Surin¡¯s!¡± At the same time, Murong Chengyi ground his teeth inwardly. That bastard Guard White. Her eyes are overflowing with pure spiritual energy to the point of spilling over, yet he talks about beggars? How can a guard with crossed eyes properly protect my son in the harsh Jianghu? Of course, Guard White, whocks the ability to see through the face veil, might feel wronged. And in front of Guard White, Qing was just lying sprawled out scratching her belly, not disying the beauty etiquette of Ximen Surin¡¯s style. ¡°But why are you in such a state? As far as I know, Female Mad- no, Grand Matron senior wouldn¡¯t allow such an appearance.¡± ¡°Ah. That. This girl had unavoidable circumstances that led to this decision. Um, could you please keep this a secret¡­?¡± For a moment, the beauty¡¯s dignity cracked and a mischievous aspect peeked through, making Murong Chengyiugh softly with the feeling of seeing his daughter. ¡°Alright. You know how senior¡¯s personality is. You must have your own reasons for hiding your identity, and this old man has needlessly made you reveal it.¡± ¡°Not at all. As the father of a friend, what father in the world would just watch when told his son is associating with a beggar? Rather, I should tell you that the deception is beautiful.¡± With her manners and attitude so proper, isn¡¯t she truly a splendid female hero of Jianghu? Murong Chengyi smiled contentedly. In fact, since the facepletes the clothing, to Murong Chengyi who could see through the face veil, there was a certain charm even in the beggar-like clothing. ¡°Indeed. From what I see, your achievement is no ordinary thing. Looking at your limbs, it seems you¡¯ve achieved Overhaul Rebirth, but unfortunately, you haven¡¯t crossed the barrier yet.¡± ¡°Yes. To be honest, this girl had some carelesscency, but I¡¯m keenly feeling how high that barrier is.¡± ¡°Haha, since you¡¯ve already glimpsed beyond it, you¡¯ll reach it soon. Hmm? By the way, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just reached the age of beauty in my prime years.¡± Qing brazenly lied through her teeth, saying ¡°I¡¯m twenty years old.¡± If her master asked, Qing couldy down not just an iron te but a diamond te. ¡°Prime years¡± is a term used exclusively for women, referring to an age around twenty. In Qing¡¯s homnd, many peoplepletely misunderstood it to mean ¡°unknown age.¡± ¡°Oh my. Senior¡­¡± Murong Chengyi swallowed his admiration. They said the old monster Female Mad Dog had grown old and lost her energy with no news in Jianghu, but to think she was raising such a monster. Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard something like this before. Didn¡¯t the Mount Hua Sect Leader give the ridiculous title of ¡°Divine Sword¡± to a disciple about Female Mad Dog¡¯s age, and was used of going senile? Seeing it in person, it was an achievement worthy of the title. Moreover, she¡¯s just barely twenty years old! With an achievement of peeking beyond the barrier and achieving Overhaul Rebirth, she was not only destined to be the future Zenith Among Women, but also a heavenly talent who couldpete for the title of greatest under heaven with his son who had the Heavenly Martial Body. ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s a blessing to the orthodox faction. Ajun, you¡¯ve made a very good friend. To you as well, though my son iscking, I entrust him to your care.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Your son is already a magnificent young man, so there¡¯s no need for worry.¡± ¡°Right. You said you have circumstances, so I didn¡¯t see you tonight, but if your schedule is to go to the Murim Conference, my family members are staying at Sohuamun, so feel free toe anytime if you want to go together.¡± Murong Chengyi took out a small wooden box from his bosom, opened it, and pulled out a guest token to hand to Qing. Of course, it was a special token, and moreover, a special token with the n leader¡¯s name. With this, four of the Five Great ns¡¯ unlimited free pass tokens were gathered in one person. Except for the Jegal n who hadn¡¯t given a guest token yet, she had one n leader¡¯s guest token, two heir¡¯s guest tokens, and Qing was also a benefactor of the Tang n. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve thoughtlessly intruded on friends hanging out together. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± ¡°Please be careful on the dark night road.¡± ¡°Haha, alright. You be careful too.¡± Murong Chengyi left for Sohuamun with apletely lightened heart. But then a thought quietly arose. By the way, if she¡¯s an outer disciple, isn¡¯t marriage possible? If two heavenly talents marry, wouldn¡¯t their child be born as the greatest of all time, surpassing even the supreme Celestial Martial Emperor senior? ¡°This kid. He should have epted when offered marriage.¡± Although having Female Mad Dog as an inw is frightening. And following the ck Store Leader and Ximen Surin, yet another person burning with anger. ¡°How dare those ck Store bastards. Ha.¡± Choi Leeong frowned deeply. Suspicious guys tried to bribe with gold sycees and lure Gyeon Pohee while digging for information. But the Seol Family Trading Company is the Hubei branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, constantly guarded by elite warriors dispatched from the Divine Cult¡¯s Covert Operations Division. The guys who attempted bribery spilled the truth under the principles of the five elements (fire, water, thorns and clubs, iron tongs, earth), revealing that the ck Store bastards were behind it. However, Choi Leeong wasn¡¯t such a peerless master that he could single-handedly raid the ck Store and ughter them all. But instead, he knew a group that would get angry together. ¡°Hey, young cult friend.¡± ¡°Yes, elder.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you deliver this to the Divine Cult¡¯s Secret Pavilion? It¡¯s a very urgent matter, so please make it top priority.¡± Though his words were polite, it was actually just an order. And with top priority, it meant a grueling schedule where messengers had to ry it desperately in a ry race to quickly reach the cult¡¯s leadership. If there was one constion, it might be that since the Divine Cult advanced into the Central ins and took over Jiuquan City beyond Jiayuguan in Gansu Province and established a Secret Pavilion estate, they didn¡¯t have to cross that terrible desert. The Zigui contact point only needs to deliver it to the next city anyway, so there¡¯s no need to worry about the desert. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll deliver it with top priority.¡± And so, Choi Leeong¡¯s letter raced towards the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult¡¯s Secret Pavilion. Chapter 175: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (11) The Peng n of Hebei arrived in Zhangwan City around lunchtime and unpacked at the Zhangwan Daoist Temple. Although the Zhangwan Daoist Temple was only ranked fifth in Zhangwan City, it was in ordance with n Leader Peng Xian¡¯s principle that Daoists should naturally stay at Daoist temples. Thanks to this, only the angry Zhangwan Daoist Temple leader was busy excitedly weing the important guests. This allowed the beloved disciple Zhang to show his face at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly gathering of the Murim Conference. Of course, after the introduction, building personal rtionships was entirely up to Zhang disciple, but¡­ After roughly unpacking, or more precisely, after finishing giving instructions with just her fingers, Peng Choryo teased her younger brother, giggling like the hooligans in the marketce. ¡°Loosen up your expression. You¡¯ll get wrinkles between your eyebrows. What if my brother¡¯s beauty is ruined? It¡¯s not just your problem, it¡¯s a loss for the entire Murim world.¡± ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll tell Father to find three marriage candidates and put them in the same carriage with you, sister. He¡¯ll surely wee it, saying a man mustpete, so your words are indeed right.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t there be two to be fair? We should include a woman too-¡° ¡°You mean a woman who emanates killing intent towards you whenever she makes eye contact with a man?¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m sorry. It must have been very difficult.¡± Peng Choryo apologized readily, shuddering. After that, the usual things guests should do followed. Exchanging pleasantries, having lunch together. After eating, drinking tea and exchanging more pleasantries. Meanwhile, Peng n Leader Peng Xian¡¯s title was ¡°Daoist Gentleman,¡± because he was very generous in imparting teachings to other orthodox Daoist sects. When Peng Xian said he wanted to see the Zhangwan Daoist Temple¡¯s skills, they were so honored they were on the verge of shedding tears of gratitude as if they had seen the Emperor. In fact, Peng Xian wanted to be called the Dao King, like the Sword King Namgung Daero, the n leader of the Namgung n whom he considered a rival. But he gave up because he couldn¡¯t dare use ¡°king¡± in his title so close to Beijing. Normally, Peng Daesan would have also gone to the training ground with his father to train together. But due to the great fatigue from traveling, especially the overwhelming mental fatigue, he just went to his room and quietly fell into meditation while circting his qi. After some time had passed, a servant came looking for Peng Daesan, saying there was a guest looking for him outside, asking what to do. ¡°I¡¯m tired now, so please decline.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The servant hesitated and said. ¡°It¡¯s someone I can¡¯t dare to stop, so they¡¯re already here.¡± Just then, as if on cue, a man with dark skin appeared. ¡°Haha, right. Don¡¯t me him too much, he couldn¡¯t help it. So, why are you cooped up in this room on such a nice spring day?¡± ¡°Jo hyung.¡± It was Jo Hakche, the heir of the ck Dragon Jo n. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so stuffy, let¡¯s go out.¡± ¡°Just this morning you were grinding your teeth so much. Do you still have teeth left?¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯m sorry, sorry. But don¡¯t dwell too much on past events. Is it the first time I¡¯ve acted like that?¡± ¡°Jo hyung, please be more mindful. Youpletely lose your senses whenever you see a woman.¡± ¡°What can I do when there¡¯s no sense left to be mindful of? Isn¡¯t it the sad fate of a man for all his senses to be focused solely on flowers?¡± Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh. This was exactly who Jo Hakche was. All the men in the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly evaluated Jo Hakche as a true man they¡¯d want to emte when there were no women in the group. Or they called him ¡°that woman-crazy bastard.¡± Somehow hearing this gossip, Jo Hakcheughed heartily and brushed it off, saying, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jo Hakche, a crazy bastard who¡¯d give his life for women,¡± showing his broad-mindedness. But he was the very person who had been grinding his teeth and emanating killing intent towards Peng Daesan for ten days straight. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Going to a brothel right after unpacking, what on earth will people think?¡± ¡°What will they think? They¡¯ll just say the bee is going to the flowers. But this time, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re not saying we should go to a brothel?¡± Peng Daesan asked back with a surprised expression. It was because this man was not the type to avoid brothels, rather than a drunkard quitting alcohol. ¡°Right. Actually, I heard something interesting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s never actually been interesting, not even once.¡± ¡°No, listen. You¡¯ll find this interesting too, Brother Peng. There¡¯s a unique female beggar in this city¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already not interesting. Please go back.¡± Peng Daesan cut him off tly. ¡°No, no, just listen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. Why don¡¯t you keep it to yourself and share it when Brother Changbines?¡± ¡°Brother Changbin turns into a stone statue when women are involved. Even though he talks like he¡¯s the greatest flower-admiring young master under heaven.¡± ¡°It would be nice if we couldbine the two of you and split it in half.¡± ¡°Haha! Then wouldn¡¯t that bepletely my loss!¡± Three furrows appeared between Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Where was I in the story?¡± ¡°Jo hyung. Pleasee to your senses. I can understand high-ss courtesans, but a female beggar? Surely you¡¯re talking about those who sell their bodies.¡± ¡°Right, you¡¯re right, brother. I was talking about the female beggar. Just listen.¡± Peng Daesan pressed his forehead firmly. Why don¡¯t people listen when someone speaks? Perhaps, did I actually not speak? ¡°There¡¯s this female beggar who covers her face.¡± ¡°Good heavens. She even covers her face?¡± ¡°But they say her body¡¯s figure is amazing. They say she¡¯s a living hourss figure. Isn¡¯t it interesting already? Her face is ugly but her body is that of a beauty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not interesting at all.¡± Peng Daesan cut him off again. Of course, it didn¡¯t get through at all. ¡°Right, it¡¯s interesting? But they say this female beggar¡¯s night skills are so excellent. They say it¡¯s like going to paradise.¡± ¡°You believe that? Isn¡¯t it not much different from what Brother Changbin always says?¡± ¡°No, no, don¡¯t be surprised. They say the female beggar tells them to pay as much as they enjoyed, and the least amount is one silver sycee, with many men paying ten or twenty sycees, and someone even paid four gold sycees.¡± At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°¡­Indeed, that is a bit surprising. Men usually change their minds after finishing their business. You¡¯re saying they willingly paid that much?¡± Even in brothels, there are quite a few men who try to avoid paying and get beaten up, but they willingly paid that much money to a mere female beggar? ¡°That¡¯s why they say it¡¯s like going to paradise. It seems she started her business when it got warm after rolling around in the cold, and in just half a month, half the men in the city have tasted paradise, they say.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s expression soured. ¡°How can that be¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more surprising. They say it takes less than half a quarter of an hour to finish the deed, so she receives a hundred customers a day. Half a quarter of an hour. How can they be so satisfied and offer gold and silver in such a short moment?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s expression soured even more. If someone had seen it, they would have been surprised that a sour expression could be even sourer. ¡°Jo hyung, you have a strong stomach. Isn¡¯t it disgusting? Isn¡¯t she a whore rolling in the gutter? No, the gutter would probably be cleaner than her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They say not a single person has gotten sick in the past two months.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not disease, what¡¯s there to hesitate about? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s a woman to take as a wife. Anyway, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Peng Daesan cut him off tly. ¡°No, no, just listen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. Why don¡¯t you keep it to yourself and share it when Brother Changbines?¡± ¡°Brother Changbin turns into a stone statue when women are involved. Even though he talks like he¡¯s the greatest flower-admiring young master under heaven.¡± ¡°It would be nice if we couldbine the two of you and split it in half.¡± ¡°Haha! Then wouldn¡¯t that bepletely my loss!¡± Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh. It was because he knew this man wouldn¡¯t listen even if he refused. ¡°In that case, we¡¯re just going to see that beggar. And don¡¯t ask to go to a brothel afterward.¡± ¡°Haha, that depends on the female beggar. If I¡¯m satisfied after visiting paradise as rumored, would I still want to go to a brothel?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying you absolutely won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lie, you know. Haha!¡± In the end, Peng Daesan, who was forcibly dragged out, had an expression as if he had bitten into a bug. Nevertheless, the wall of women who swarmed around, squealing ¡°Oh my, how handsome!¡± ¡°How can even his frowning expression be so handsome!¡± were just busy blushing and gazing dreamily at the Jade Qilin¡¯s jade face. ¡°Jo hyung. Even like this, do you really have to embrace that female beggar? All the women in the city, no, those annoying stalkers beyond the city will tell all of Central ins that Jo hyung slept with a beggar.¡± ¡°Hmm. A man shouldn¡¯t back down. And anyway, aren¡¯t I already the guy crazy about women? If I can experience paradise¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re really crazy.¡± Peng Daesan shook his head. It was truly madness incarnate. If this wasn¡¯t called madness, what else could be called madness? And so, two men and hundreds of women swarmed across the main street. And finally, they arrived at the female beggar¡¯s dwelling. If you can call a spread straw mat a dwelling. As the two reached the sunny corner, hundreds of women surrounded them in a semicircle. If they spread a of heaven and earth like this, no one would be able to escape. However, there were only two straw mats at the spot, and the ce was empty. ¡°It seems she¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Hmm. Should we wait? Or is she receiving a customer? Ah, oh.¡± From a narrow alley slightly to the side of the beggar¡¯s spot, a man came out rubbing his head with bloodshot eyes. The poor man was startled by the wall of women spread out as soon as he came out and didn¡¯t know what to do. Jo Hakche grabbed the man. ¡°Hey, friend. It seems that female beggar has set up her brothel over there?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Really? No way. Have you been crying?¡± Jo Hakche couldn¡¯t hide his admiration seeing the tear marks left on the man¡¯s face. ¡°How moved must you have been for a grown man to shed tears! So, how much did you pay?¡± ¡°Well, one gold sycee, seven silver sycees, and thirty-two copper coins¡­¡± ¡°My goodness! Judging by the odd units, it seems you gave all the money you had! Am I right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°Good. Did it really feel like you went to paradise?¡± The man felt like he wanted to die. His head was beaten, he gave all the money he had, and now he had be a man who slept with a beggar in front of all the women in the city. And then he couldn¡¯t let only himself suffer. ¡°Yes. I briefly saw myte grandfather, didn¡¯t I? I definitely went to paradise. Well then, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± And then, unable to break through the wall of women, he slipped out sticking close to the wall. ¡°See that? It¡¯s certain.¡± ¡°Enough, why don¡¯t you go in and do your business?¡± ¡°Come on, man. After finishing business, a woman has things to take care of too. Is it manly to just barge in?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already doing things a man shouldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Oh, there shees out. Indeed, she¡¯s voluptuous, her figure ispletely different. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Brother Peng? Jade Qilin?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Getting no answer, Jo Hakche turned around and smiled mischievously. ¡°This friend ispletely dumbstruck. Why, are you moved now that you¡¯ve seen her with your own eyes?¡± At that moment, Peng Daesan strode forward. Then he firmly grabbed the female beggar¡¯s wrist and forcefully led her beyond the narrow alley. ¡°Wh-where are you going? Brother Peng! You have to follow the order!¡± Jo Hakche, who was suddenly cut in line, smiled awkwardly. And then. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Jade Qilin! No! Come back!¡± ¡°Kyaaah! How can this be reality¡­¡± ¡°Hey, snap out of it! Open your eyes!¡± All sorts of screams, wails as heartbreaking as if tearing one¡¯s liver, andmentations burst out at once. Some fainted and lost consciousness to the point of passing out, while some who were enraged immediately tried to rush into the alley, but. ¡°Oh my. Youngdies. You mustn¡¯t dare interfere with a man¡¯s cloud and rain pleasure. My heart burns like fire to dare point a sword at you flower-like beauties, but I can¡¯t let you ruin my most beloved brother¡¯s first experience.¡± With Jo Hakche blocking the narrow alley and unleashing his sword qi, what could they do? However, at the words ¡°cloud and rain pleasure¡± and ¡°first experience,¡± more women fainted again, and only terrible screams echoed as if tearing the sky in broad daylight. Chapter 176: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (12) Meanwhile, Qing, who had returned after sending one guy away, was surprised. What¡¯s this wall of women? As if some Jade Qilin had appeared. ¡­No, he really did appear? Qing pondered for a moment. Should she pretend to know him or not? The conclusion came quickly. There¡¯s nothing to gain by pretending to know him now. After that distribution, she¡¯d just click her tongue with a nk face while pretending to be a beggar. She¡¯d have to see him in human form at the Murim Conference. As Qing was considering her escape angle, suddenly¡­ Peng Daesan, approaching urgently withrge strides, grabbed her wrist and pulled. ¡°Ouch, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Shut up and follow me.¡± In fact, she could shake him off easily if she wanted to. Not just shake him off, she could even grab him and swing him around like a weapon. But rather than breaking through that wall of women guarding the Jade Qilin and escaping, it was more advantageous to take the alley first, so she obediently let herself be dragged along. However, that chatterbox was not obedient. ¡°Oh my, why are you doing this? No matter how urgent, you shouldn¡¯t do this. First, you should set the mood gently. Hmm. It won¡¯t break even if you squeeze that hard.¡± Suddenly feeling pressure squeezing her wrist, Qing said. The beautiful wrist of the White Hand Demonic Arts, which contends for first ce among the Ten Great Demonic Arts under Heaven, is an indestructible vajra that wouldn¡¯t break even if hit with a hammer, let alone grip strength. Due to insufficient realm, it¡¯s not invulnerable, but extremely difficult to break. ¡°You, what on earth have you been doing? What¡¯s all this?¡± Qing flinched. As a Peng Daesan expert, his friend¡¯s voice burst out in the highest danger level ultra-low frequency voice from the start, ording to his mood-based vocal range ssification. Qing tried to y it off. ¡°Ah. Did I get caught? You recognized me well. Wow, is this what they mean by having a good friend? Long time no see, San.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyes trembled violently. It was the most terrible form among all possible scenarios of meeting a female friend. Reuniting with Ximen Qing was the worst. ¡°Just what, what have you done, the man who just left¡­¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s voice trembled. If Peng Choryo had heard, she would have known it was a sign of an impending explosion of anger, but Peng Choryo was the highest authority who had raised Peng Daesan on her back, so how could Qing know? ¡°Ah. That guy? I don¡¯t know why there are so many guys like that these days. A perfectly fine guy tried to harass me in broad daylight, so I beat him up, extorted some money, and chased him away.¡± ¡°What?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s expression suddenly twisted. Remembering the subtle expression of the harasser with evident tear marks, it meant that his words about seeing his grandfather in paradise and returning actually meant he was beaten and briefly fell into the Yellow Springs beforeing back to life. The deep relief was short-lived, followed by anger erupting like an active volcano. ¡°Ha. You call that an exnation? What? Beat him up and extort money? For that bit of money, your face- no, do you even have any intention of living with your head held high in the Central ins?¡± ¡°San, my friend, first calm down a bit¡­¡± ¡°Do I look like I can calm down? Ha, do you know what all the men in the city are saying about you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ There¡¯s a foul-tempered female beggar who beats you up if you touch her?¡± ¡°Ha. They say there¡¯s a beggar prostitute who sleeps with a hundred men a day as the city¡¯s specialty. Even though I just arrived around lunchtime today, I¡¯ve already heard about it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Qing¡¯s expression also soured. ¡°These damn bastards, which bastard spread such rumors? Who, who said such things?¡± ¡°All the men in Zhangwan.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Qing¡¯s insides boiled. What¡¯s this and that? Alright, I was wrong, I was wrong. I should have just burst their heads with the delicious taste of the ck ying Demonic Palm instead of a head flick. ¡°This won¡¯t do. Which bastards are they? I¡¯m going to cut their limbs into star shapes.¡± The light in Qing¡¯s eyes gradually disappeared. Seeing Qing unable to hide her anger and instead raging, Peng Daesan¡¯s energy drained. ¡°Haah. Alright, I understand you didn¡¯t know either. What on earth were you doing pretending to be a beggar without picking up even one such story?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Qing spoke with an aggrieved voice. Of course, how could Qing, a woman and the person in question, hear stories circting among men? ¡°¡­First, you should exin why you¡¯re in that beggar¡¯s appearance.¡± ¡°Ah. This? Well, how this happened is¡­¡± Qing exined what happened in Zhumadian. Old man sob sob. Unorthodox faction boom. Silkworm pupae nom nom. The strange choice of the human trafficker who chose to be a eunuch over receiving a gold sycee. And the ten thousand gwan bounty. ¡°¡­So I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for anyone, and to avoid being seen, I was disguising myself as a beggar.¡± ¡°Really, haah. Should I say this is just like you?¡± Hearing this, Qing had done nothing wrong. Moreover, the ck Store originally deals with all sorts of poisons, drugs, stolen goods, ves, and even human flesh, a collection of the worst scum. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Anyway, only three people know my identity, no, including our San, only three, right? I¡¯ve already got promises from two people. You¡¯ll keep it a secret, right, San?¡± Anyway, the flower beggar of Zhangwan would soon disappear even without that. The only people who know her identity are Ajun and his father, and his father agreed to pretend he didn¡¯t see her, and she talked to Ajun well, and he¡¯s a kid who listens exceptionally well, so there¡¯s no problem. The Beggar¡¯s Union treated her like they couldn¡¯t see each other after she mentioned Grandpa Nugok¡¯s name, so they don¡¯t know anyway. So if she just leaves, it¡¯s over. The flower beggar will disappear from the world. ¡°Ha, with that body of yours, you think you can just disappear?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my body?¡± ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? Is there another woman among Jianghu women with that height and that vulgar- no, big. Hmm¡­ broad figure?¡± Peng Daesan said, somehow avoiding eye contact. Qing burst outughing. ¡°Why are you choosing your words? Why can¡¯t you say ¡®vulgar tits worth three demerits¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­You remembered that. And I didn¡¯t say such vulgar words as tits, damn it.¡± ¡°Ah, was that Seol Ganom?¡± ¡°Just what kind of bastard- ahem, I¡¯ll withdraw the demerits, so please just forget it.¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯ll never forget it for the rest of my life. And, people judge surprisingly by appearance? If I¡¯m wearing beggar clothes, I¡¯m a tall beggar, and if I¡¯m wearing Divine Maiden Sect uniform, I¡¯m seen as a female martial artist of Jianghu. And well, what if I say I¡¯m not?¡± Peng Daesan was momentarily dumbfounded. Come to think of it, asionally, very asionally, she did say such wise things. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Wow, but how did you recognize me at a nce? Even though I¡¯ve undergone Overhaul Rebirth and my limb lengths have changed?¡± ¡°Hmm. Still, you should be careful. Rumors, if they want to be malicious, can attach anything. If such a terrible scandal spreads in the world, what on earth do you n to do?¡± Peng Daesan changed the subject. ¡°San! Are you worried!? Wow, Ximen Qing is touched. A sea of tears of emotion. Don¡¯t worry. At times like that, I just need to reveal my face, right? Here, look. Ta-da!¡± ¡°Revealing your face won¡¯t change anything-¡° Peng Daesan¡¯s words cut off abruptly. It was the fate of someone who faced Qing¡¯s harmful face up close without mental preparation. Just her bright smile like an innocent child, her eyes full of brilliant affection, her smile made of deep joy was so dazzling it hurt to look at. And the red lips drawing a mischievous arc. For some reason, in the world that suddenly turned gray, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off that sole red color. But that was only for a moment. Qing didn¡¯t give him a chance to let his guard down. ¡°Look. I¡¯ve be pretty, right? This is the power of Overhaul Rebirth. Ah. Overhaul Rebirth is really good, I can¡¯t exin it in words. You can¡¯t understand unless you experience it. Someone still doesn¡¯t know, right? How could a Mid-Stage Peak Realm know about Overhaul Rebirth? Ah, how pitiful.¡± That damn mouth. Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Mid-Stage? I¡¯m Late Stage Peak Realm now.¡± ¡°Right, right, are youing to your senses now? See, when you look at my face, you can¡¯t see anything else, right?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Peng Daesan, who fully understood its power, cleared his throat out of pride rather than answering. Seeing this, Qing became triumphant. ¡°I did a proper job pretending to be a beggar because I had a n. If I was ambiguously beggar-like, wouldn¡¯t everyone be suspicious?¡± For a moment, Qing¡¯s Righteous Karma was deducted by one point. In fact, she had no n. However, Qing, who didn¡¯t keep her status window open, didn¡¯t know. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. ¡°Then, what do you n to do now?¡± ¡°The flower beggar will exit, of course. I was nning to justze around until the Murim Conference. But that won¡¯t do now. After I bolt like this, I¡¯ll take a bath in the middle of the night. Ah. You hate dirty things, right? Please understand. It would be strange if a beggar was clean, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Peng Daesan, who was usually very particr about cleanliness, unexpectedly gave a in affirmation, contrary to expectations that he would be horrified. What¡¯s this? Is it a friend privilege? Has this Peng Daesan finally realized the preciousness of friendship? ¡°Ah. Right. If I disappear like this, won¡¯t it be troublesome for you, San? You¡¯ll be the guy who slept with a beggar who receives a hundred customers a day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever bring up that talk, even as a joke. It¡¯s something that should be hidden forever.¡± ¡°Your voice is getting low again. Hmm, how about this? Actually, the flower beggar was a Great Demonic Adept hiding her identity, and San, the great expert of the orthodox faction who recognized this, chased her away after a fierce bloody battle.¡± Even Qing thought it was a very convincing story for something made up on the spot. It could exin the disappearance of the flower beggar and simultaneously raise Peng Daesan¡¯s reputation, truly killing two birds with one stone. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you at the Murim Conference.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to leave like this again?¡± ¡°Of course?¡± ¡°Bing the guy who slept with a beggar doesn¡¯t seem so bad. No, rather it¡¯s good. Those annoying women following me will fall away, so isn¡¯t it a good opportunity? Moreover.¡± ¡°Moreover?¡± ¡°Hmm. Never mind.¡± Peng Daesan swallowed his words. If it were to be exposedter, the two of them matching their stories might seem even more suspicious, so he couldn¡¯t do that just in case. But a man doesn¡¯t show off his good deeds. ¡°What? Why did you stop mid-sentence? There are two things that make people angry, and one is stopping mid-sentence.¡± Qing looked at Peng Daesan as if to show off. Peng Daesan quietly waited for the rest of the words. Only after a long staring contest did Peng Daesan realize he had been had. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just go together and get an inn room. You can slip out after cleaning uppletely. Why would a woman take a secret bath in the middle of the night, what if someone peeps?¡± ¡°Oh. San. I¡¯m about to be touched again.¡± ¡°Enough. After you slip out,e to the Zhangwan Daoist Templeter. We have the same destination, so is there any reason to go separately?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Qing answered with a serious expression. ¡°As a swordsman, I cannot endure the humiliation of staying at a half-sword sect. Ahem.¡± ¡°Kuk.¡± Suddenly, Peng Daesan burst outughing. Though he was clearly trying to hold it in, his face turned red as he struggled to hold back the wind trying to escape. ¡°Why don¡¯t you justugh if it¡¯s funny? Do you feel like you lose if youugh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ughing¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ hnng¡­¡± ¡°Kheuk.¡± Peng Daesan suddenly made a sobbing sound. Even so, he stubbornly refused to let out the sound of air escaping from his lungs, truly showing his determination. ¡°Alright. So it¡¯s the Zhangwan Half-Sword Sect, is it? Ah. Is Miss Peng there too?¡± ¡°That damn half-sword talk¡­ If you mean my sister, unfortunately yes.¡± Hisughter notpletely subsided, Peng Daesan¡¯s voice went up about a semitone. At this, Qing quickly changed her words. ¡°Then, it¡¯s back to the Zhangwan Daoist Temple. As a friend who has shared the Dao with Miss Peng, insulting the Dao is like insulting me. If you say great sword, isn¡¯t it just two sword des put together? From now on, I¡¯ll call swords twin daos. With two Moonlight Twin Daos, the day when the Moonlight Twin Twin Daos roar is not far off.¡± At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s gaze towards Qing settled downpletely. It was a look that said, ¡°My goodness, how can there be such a woman in this world?¡± Chapter 177: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (13) Jo Hakche, who was proudly guarding the alley against the women, was shocked. Peng Daesan appeared, holding Qing tightly in his arms. Of course, the women also screamed. ¡°Brother? Why are youing out holding her so preciously? Was it that good?¡± Peng Daesan answered with a grin. In fact, it wasn¡¯t for Jo Hakche, but for the women who had created a scene of tears and great wailing to hear. Even the people of a certain country in Qing¡¯s homnd when their leader passed away probably weren¡¯t this heartbroken. ¡°It was absolute paradise. I¡¯ve realized now that dirty, smelly beggar women are my type. I¡¯m going to get a room and enjoy all night long, and if she agrees, I might even take her as my wife.¡± At this, Qing pretended to be shy, burying her face and whispering close to his ear. -What? Dirty, smelly beggar woman? A person can go without bathing sometimes, do you have to be so picky? Peng Daesan pretended not to hear. With Peng Daesan¡¯s shocking public deration, hell descended in the middle of the city. Mainly in terms of sound. If you were tobine the sounds of eternally burning sinners crying, screaming, or cursing and wailing in resentment, it would be exactly like the sounds heard here now. Along with this, there were people fainting left and right, and some were even showing symptoms of seizures like epilepsy patients due to severe shock. Peng Daesan listened, saw, and felt the screams and copsing figures with enjoyment, and a refreshing smile born of sincerity appeared on his face. It was an incredibly satisfying sight, washing away a bit of his lifelong resentment. Seeing that relieved smile, Jo Hakche clicked his tongue. ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to be done. I can¡¯t be a bad older brother who covets his sister-inw. Hmm. Have a good time. And miss, um, since it¡¯s Peng brother¡¯s first experience, he might be clumsy, but he¡¯ll follow instructions well, so don¡¯t think it¡¯s frustrating and please enjoy your cloud and rain pleasure- Hey! This bastard is trying to kick his brother!?¡± ¡°Please stop saying unnecessary things. I beg you.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes shed. How could she endure hearing this? -Aha. A virgin, pure and innocent? Our San was such a pure San? Ooh, San who kept his chastity. I really praise you. Cool. The best. Pure San, should we change your title now? How about Pure God? Too obvious? Then Boy God? Innocent God? Pure God? At this, Peng Daesan gritted his teeth. A wave of deep regret washed over him btedly. Right, she was this kind of woman. Why did he insist on holding her back and volunteer for this humiliation when he could have just said to meetter at the Murim Conference? -If you don¡¯t like God, how about Dao God? Hmm, somehow it sounds like you might gamble, so how about Dao King? Pure Dao King? Boy Dao King? Innocent Dao King? Pure Dao King? Come on, just say the word, I¡¯ll shout it loud and clear and stick you with a cool title. ¡°Stop it.¡± -Alright, I¡¯ll stop. There you go lowering your voice again. Should we add bass too? Pure Bass Peng Daesan, Bass Boy- oh, doesn¡¯t Bass Boy sound good? Peng Daesan ground his teeth, Grit Grit. After that, they broke through the chaotic scene and went straight into an inn to get a room. Peng Daesan and Qing, who had entered the inn, soaked a towel in hot water and then wrung it out roughly. Qing rubbed her face vigorously with the damp towel until it made a scrubbing sound, then tossed it into the waste bucket and picked up another towel. Originally, this is the order of bathing: first wipe off some dirt with a wet towel, then soak the body in the bathtub. ¡°Wow, so refreshing. When is the bath watering? Wow, my heart is pounding at the thought of taking a bath after so long. This is why I don¡¯t bathe.¡± ¡°What kind of dog-like talk is that again.¡± ¡°Why, it¡¯s really amazing when you bathe after not bathing for a while. Especially when washing your hair. When it¡¯s all grimy and you pour hot water over it,ther it up and gently scratch your scalp, wow, just, kyaa. Really, for a moment your legs go weak and there¡¯s this tingling sensation that shoots up from behind your knees, wow, that pleasure is, there¡¯s no need for men and women to copte. I¡¯d be fully satisfied bathing just once a month.¡± ¡°¡­What kind of dog-like talk is this, do you usually not bathe?¡± ¡°I bathe when there¡¯s a chance?¡± However, it meant that if there wasn¡¯t a chance, she wouldn¡¯t go out of her way to create one to bathe. It was private information he never wanted to know. Peng Daesan frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How can a person sleep without bathing? Just thinking about the bed getting dirty, it¡¯s absolutely, hoo, terrible.¡± ¡°Well, San is a young master, so you always had the chance to bathe. And, if I can strip my upper body at a well and just cover the lower part to pour water over myself, I do that too.¡± Qing said this while continuing to move her hands. The staff who saw the flower beggar had piled up towels like a mountain. She kept wiping her hands, arms, feet, and neck, and the dirty towels kept flying into the waste bucket one after another. ¡°Ah. I¡¯m going to wipe my body now, so can you turn around? No, should I turn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll turn.¡± Peng Daesan turned his chair to face the wall. And then in his ears, the sound of fabric brushing and slipping off, seuruk sareuruk. In Qing¡¯s homnd, some poet described this as the sound of snow falling and piling up, but in fact, for a man, there¡¯s no sound more erotic than this in the world. For reference, in the Central ins, unlike modern times, there are no other media, so it¡¯s an era where only aesthetically excellent but not at all sexually stimting spring flower collections exist. Peng Daesan¡¯s face turned bright red. However, he soon regained his originalplexion at the following sound. ¡°Kyaaa, this is truly otherworldly refreshment. It¡¯spletely out of this world refreshing. It¡¯s amazing, makes life worth living. This is what I live for.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that middle-aged-like talk¡­¡± ¡°This is how you make it feel good, you know? So what kind of sound does San make? You don¡¯t say things like ¡®My face reflected in the water is art today,¡¯ do you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particrly make any sound.¡± ¡°Eh, how boring.¡± At the same time, Peng Daesan thought. What on earth is this conversation without any tension? How can she show no sign of hesitation while in a room with a man, and chat sofortably just because he turned his back? Of course, Peng Daesan knows the reason. She doesn¡¯t think of him as a man at all, considering himpletely harmless. In fact, that¡¯s why he was able to associate with Qing. If Qing had shown even a hint of romantic feelings, he would have pushed her away in disgust. But still. How can she have absolutely no sense of crisis? How can she trust a man and casually throw off her clothes in a room in the harsh Jianghu? Of course, Peng Daesan himself didn¡¯t care because to him, she was a woman-like non-woman, an honorary man, with whom he had built a friendship based on pure tonic feelings, almost like a same-sex friend. Does she just trust anyone who calls themselves a friend? Well, like that Sword Lunatic. Peng Daesan didn¡¯t know that he was making a stiff, hardened expression. If Peng Choryo had seen it, she would have asked why her brother looked so angry. ¡°Do you usually take off your clothes so carelessly?¡± ¡°Huh? Usually when I¡¯m at the Divine Maiden Sect, yes? Even when sleeping, if I wear anything it¡¯s ufortable and I can¡¯t sleep.¡± This was the answer from Qing who had slept all day in beggar clothes under the sun. Peng Daesan was dumbfounded. What kind of answer is this again? But the Divine Maiden Sect is a Daoist temple that forbids men, so women showing their bodies to each other wouldn¡¯t be something to be concerned about, right? But it¡¯s ufortable to wear anything when sleeping? Then when sleeping¡­ Suddenly, Qing¡¯s aggrieved voice interrupted. ¡°What? Why are you lowering your voice?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°There was a hint of it being lowered.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Strange. It definitely went down about a semitone.¡± And then Peng Daesan smiled a twisted smile while facing the wall. ¡°If I turn around now, I¡¯ll see everything, right?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly being spiteful? Did I do something wrong- ahem, well, the rumor about sleeping with a beggar, you said it was good too. I was a bit insensitive. I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Qing apologized dejectedly. If she feels wronged she doesn¡¯t hold back, but if she¡¯s sorry, she¡¯s just honestly sorry, that¡¯s her straightforward nature. At this, Peng Daesan came to his senses. ¡°No, it was a joke, just a joke.¡± ¡°What, it was a joke? It doesn¡¯t seem like a joke because you feel guilty. I¡¯ll take it as a joke too, then. San! Do you want to see my body? Have you finally opened your eyes to the mystery of the female body? Should I show you?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such things even as a joke. Where on earth did you learn to make such ill-mannered jokes?¡± Peng Daesan became serious again. This time, Qing answered as if she wouldn¡¯t be fooled. ¡°You can¡¯t y along with this. It¡¯s supposed to be the scene where I¡¯m wrapped in a nket when you turn around after the provocation. So if you¡¯re going to turn around, give a warning and count. You have to give me time to wrap myself in the nket.¡± At this, Peng Daesan sighed while facing the wall. It was April, when spring was in full bloom. However, the spring of Wang, the gate guard, was cold due to Cho who hade on duty with him. ¡°Damn bastard. My head still hurts because of you, shit. I¡¯d like a cup of cloudy rice wine.¡± ¡°The fool who gets fooled is the idiot. Why would the flower beggar keep being a beggar after receiving such payment? She¡¯d buy a brothel and be a madam.¡± ¡°I heard you were also fooled, beaten, and even pissed yourself? Oh spilled everything.¡± ¡°Ahem. Still better than that bastard Oh.¡± Oh apparently went to find the flower beggar with just twenty wen, and was beaten four times for asking if she was trying to buy him with this, they say. He had one foot in the Yellow Springs after being hit once. After being beaten four times, he¡¯s likely to have half of next month¡¯s sry cut for being absent for a week. Because militaryw is strict, if you¡¯re absent, not only do you lose that day¡¯s pay, but you also have to pay one and a half times more as a fine. ¡°Ah, look there. Isn¡¯t that the flower beggar?¡± ¡°I heard the flower beggar slept with the Jade Qilin yesterday, why is sheing out? But that height and those breasts. Three swords. Isn¡¯t it the flower beggar?¡± Qing had wrapped the twin daos and Bokshinjeok in dirty cloth after the sword thief incident. To others, it looked like three swords. ¡°Oh yes. We caught her good. If we strip her naked for inspection and make her stand all day¡­ Oh, it¡¯s not the flower beggar.¡± ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s a fairy, it¡¯s a fairy.¡± As Qing got closer, the gate guards changed their words. It was partly because she was a peerless beauty who could appear in a fairy painting, and partly because she was disying Ximen Surin-style beauty walking, with every graceful movement exuding dignity. As Qing was about to pass through the city gate with such an elegant gait, her eyes met with eyes that were following her face with apletely dazed expression. Qing slightly bowed her head in greeting and walked inside, disappearing. Even after that, Wang, who had been standing there in a daze for a while, suddenly leaned his spear against the city gate. ¡°What? Where are you going?¡± ¡°To thetrine. I can¡¯t take it. I need to pull one out while her beauty is still fresh in my mind. What- Hey! Cho!¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m first, kuhaha!¡± This was the moment when Ximen Qing, the outer disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, (officially) visited Zhangwan City for the first time. Chapter 178: Are You Acquainted With This Beggar? (14) Qing, visiting Zhangwan City for the first time, was surprised. It¡¯s a natural phenomenon for the gender ratio to be skewed when the Jade Qilin appears. Although the numbers had decreased somewhat- Even after thatmotion yesterday, they only decreased a bit, where on earth does this obsessione from? Moreover, what¡¯s this, why is everyone like that? Qing tilted her head. It was a strangely noticeable sight. Oddly, two out of three women were dressed in dirty clothes covered in grime, with their hair disheveled like beggars. Their clothes were those of beggars, but their faces were heavily made up with powder and lipstick. It was as if some bizarre end-of-century trend had finally arrived in the Central ins. This beggar trend arose because yesterday, the Jade Qilin dered that dirty beggar women were his type. In the Central ins, trends are called ¡°~feng¡± (wind). Themon expression ¡°a gust of wind is blowing¡± originated from this. ¡°People with perfectly good limbs pretending to be beggars? Just to look good to a man? Really now.¡± This was Qing¡¯s (the beggar¡¯s) cold assessment. Seeing this crowd of non-beggar beggars, she could somewhat understand Peng Daesan¡¯s woman-hating trembling. In fact, given the era, even if women behaved like this, it was packaged nicely as pure love due to romantic feelings, making it even more extreme. Qing had only heard that the Peng n of Hebei had unpacked at the Zhangwan Daoist Temple, but not where the Zhangwan Daoist Temple was. However, she didn¡¯t need a guide. She gracefully walked towards where many alleged female beggars were visible, and gradually the surroundings were filled with alleged female beggars. Finally, one street was full of female beggars, swirling in arge circle as if cursed by a whirlpool. In the middle of this beggar scene, a gate stood tall with a heavy, imposing sign that read ¡°Zhangwan Daoist Temple.¡± As Qing headed towards the gate, the women¡¯s hostile gazes stabbed at her. However, Qing was already a Jade Qilin expert. She was used to this terrifying hostility. Rather, she pushed out her chest, which was already protruding at a false start level, and straightened her shoulders even more. What¡¯s this, why does it feel good? What¡¯s with this pride, put it away. Qing was momentarily confused. The gate guard of the Zhangwan Daoist Temple also seemed confused, standing at the gate with his mouth open like an idiot expecting a fly to fly in as he saw Qing. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sir guard?¡± ¡°Ha, does the youngdy have business at the Zhangwan Daoist Temple? If you¡¯re visiting, please write your name in this guest book, and I¡¯ll report it inside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ximen Qing, an outer disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect. Wasn¡¯t there a message in advance?¡± ¡°Ah, Miss Ximen! We heard you were visiting today!¡± As Qing entered the Zhangwan Daoist Temple and walked in, she saw a familiar figure in the distance. Since she had never seen anyone else that tall in the Central ins, it could only be Peng Choryo. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it Qing¡¯er! Wow, I saw you from afar and it suddenly became bright and dazzling, so it must be Qing¡¯er. Such a beneficial beauty. We heard in advance that you wereing today.¡± ¡°Miss Peng, have you been well?¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯ve be aplete heavenly woman?¡± At this, Qing broke her beauty act and shed a mischievous smile. ¡°Hehe. It doesn¡¯t suit me, right?¡± ¡°No. Even as a fellow woman, I almost lost my senses. I thought you were the rough type like me, but that¡¯s not it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But my master is strict.¡± ¡°Ah, the Grand Matron! But, Qing¡¯er? Miss Peng? Are you going to be so stiff and formal with the Peng miss who¡¯s listening? There¡¯s a word called ¡®unnie¡¯ (older sister).¡± ¡°Uh. It feels really awkward. It doesn¡¯t stick to my mouth.¡± ¡°Unnie¡± was really too much. She had called her sworn sister ¡°unnie¡± just once because she was so upset, but the moment it left her mouth, goosebumps rose all over her body, indicating a more fundamental, some kind of physiological fear. Qing¡¯s expression was more effective than a hundred words, so Peng Choryo, who read (or rather, just saw) that reluctant look, changed her words. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t stick to your mouth, just call me Choryo by name. Miss Peng is too stiff between us. Come on, try it, Choryo.¡± ¡°Yes, Choryo. I understand.¡± ¡°By the way, where did you put the great sword I gave you and picked up that thin, long de?¡± ¡°Well, it was too heavy and big, so I left it behind. The sworn sister who¡¯s going to serve me this time is weak, so I felt a bit sorry to entrust it to her.¡± ¡°Great swords are all good, but they do have that minor problem.¡± In fact, Peng Choryo herself was wearing a thin short sword at her waist, so the very minor problem of the great sword¡¯s portability was too minor. ¡°Ah, Qing¡¯er, I heard the story. Oh my, our good Qing¡¯er has been through a lot.¡± ¡°What? Did San spill everything?¡± ¡°What could I do when he asked me for help?¡± Peng Choryo added an exnation. Apparently concerned about the rumors, Peng Choryo said she would pretend to be a flower beggar and walk around with her brother today, so Qing should join them. ¡°Father doesn¡¯t know, so please pretend not to know otherwise. He¡¯s a bit angry at my brother, but if we leave it for a few days, he¡¯ll act like it never happened. Ah, but then, you two were together yesterday, right?¡± Peng Choryo¡¯s eyes lit up. It seems Choryo was misunderstanding the rtionship between San and me. Qing answered with a smirk. ¡°Choryo, San and I are just friends. If I had any feelings to begin with, would San have tolerated it? He would have chased me away, lowering his voice and going ¡®grrrr¡¯. I remain San¡¯s only female friend because it¡¯s a pure friendship.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°So, I was thinking, how about throwing a party to celebrate San losing his virginity? Don¡¯t you think his expression would be totally sour?¡± Looking at the eyes sparkling with pure desire to tease, Peng Choryo muttered. ¡°Ha, this kid. Your path of hardship is clear¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t tease him enough to call it hardship¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. Being this pretty. That stupid bastard. That party might be okay at our n, but it¡¯s a bit much at someone else¡¯s house. Come visit the Peng n next year. Let¡¯s tease him grandly with a first anniversary celebration. How about it?¡± ¡°Hmm. Since a day has already passed anyway, it¡¯s fine to look forward to next year.¡± ¡°Right? Is it a promise? You muste, okay? It¡¯s April 21st, so a week before, yes,e by April 15th at thetest.¡± ¡°Yes, Choryo. April 15th.¡± Peng Choryo very skillfully set up the promise. Qing nodded in agreement, not realizing she had fallen into a trap. And then, to greet Peng n Leader Peng Xian, hmm? Is that right? Shouldn¡¯t it be the Zhangwan Daoist Temple leader first? As Qing got confused, Peng Choryo exined that since she came as a guest of the Peng n, it was natural to greet the Peng n Leader first. The Daoist Gentleman Peng Xian was a very generous person. ¡°Child!! Yes, wee! I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from our little sparrow. Seeing your face like this is truly wonderful!¡± ¡°Father, how old am I for you to still call me little sparrow? And in front of a guest at that.¡± ¡°Haha, in a father¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re always as small and cute as a little sparrow, no, cuter than a sparrow. Isn¡¯t that nice!¡± Qing was confused. Isn¡¯t that sparrow the same sparrow? Are sparrows in the Central ins as big as eagles? Qing, who didn¡¯t know about Peng Choryo¡¯s childhood when she was only as big as a palm, could only wonder if that sparrow was a different sparrow. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m ashamed in front of you because my son caused trouble. He usually doesn¡¯t listen, but I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. That boy is always gloomy.¡± ¡°Ah. I think I understand that. Ah, do you have a different nickname for San too?¡± Qing¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking she might be able to gather some teasing material. But it was a dud. ¡°San! That¡¯s nice! But, that boy doesn¡¯t have anything cute about him to give a nickname. He just twitches his eyebrows when you say something. Aish.¡± ¡°Heheh. I understand what you mean.¡± ¡°You truly overflow with dignity, child. Our family tradition is rarely so free, but seeing you like this, yes, it¡¯s good! I like it!¡± I¡¯m not sure what exactly he keeps liking, but I can tell he¡¯s weing me heartily. After that, she had a brief conversation with the Zhangwan Daoist Temple leader and then immediately prepared for a walk. Peng Choryo stuffed cotton cloth into her chest to create arge shape and put on a face veil. While Qing was just thinking ¡°Was I that magnificent?¡±, Peng Daesan was nodding very satisfactorily. ¡°What, San. Was I¡­ that figure?¡± ¡°Sister is about an inch taller, but anyway, when you stand and walk around, if your chest is big, doesn¡¯t your figure flow downwards? Sister, could you hunch your shoulders a little? Hmm, it¡¯s perfect.¡± Indeed, when she hunched her broad shoulders, she looked almost like the flower beggar. Of course, since the only characteristics were the face veil, height, and chest, it was natural. ¡°After we go around a couple of times, we¡¯ll part ways and you¡¯ll leave the city, then the nasty rumors will end too. We need a lot of onlookers to follow us.¡± ¡°Huh? San. Haven¡¯t you been outside? The whole city is full of beggars. Women have set up camp in beggar outfits trying to catch your eye.¡± ¡°¡­? They stayed even after seeing that scene yesterday? Just how much more shameful behavior do I need to show to make them lose interest?¡± It was natural for Peng Daesan to be surprised. Qing, who had nothing else to say, justforted him. ¡°Hang in there. I didn¡¯t know they were this persistent.¡± ¡°Damn it. I¡¯m going crazy.¡± Then Qing snapped her middle finger. ¡°Then, let¡¯s see how far they¡¯ll follow us like dogs.¡± As soon as the three of them left the Zhangwan Daoist Temple, pitiful exmations burst out all at once. The Jade Qilin came out with women on both sides. On one side was the peerless beauty who had entered about a shichen ago, but she was walking at a distance, while the one clinging closely and creating a couple¡¯s atmosphere by linking arms affectionately was that female beggar from yesterday. While there was relief that the peerless beauty seemed to have been rejected, what on earth was that beggar woman doing? The sound of teeth grinding, abbreviated as adeuk badeuk, followed the sighs, making one¡¯s teeth ache just from hearing it. And then, as if to show off, they strolled around the city closely together. Women with eyes like axe des followed behind in a swarm like an angry mob filled with resentment. After they had gone around roughly onep like this, it happened. ¡°Young Master Peng! How, how could you do this! How¡­¡­¡± A woman blocked the way and poured out her resentment with tears in her eyes. But her beauty was extraordinary. With a face as small as a fist and features packed neatly into it, it was surprisingly beautiful to the point of being strange. With her tall, slender body and teary eyes, her appearance of sniffling was that of a delicate, sad beauty. ¡°Miss Murong. You speak as if I have caused you some offense. We are simply lovers taking a stroll, so would you please step aside?¡± Qing reflexively looked at Miss Murong¡¯s chest. What? There¡¯s quite a presence there, isn¡¯t there? Ajun said he only had one sister. With beauty like that, she seems to fit the Five Flowers of the Central ins. ¡°Ah, no! You can¡¯t! How can you walk with women on both sides, leaving me behind! It¡¯s too much! What part of me iscking!¡± ¡°If others hear, they might misunderstand. Miss Murong and I didn¡¯t have any particr rtionship, did we?¡± ¡°How, how can you say such things¡­! Rather than that beauty beside you, how can you be with that dirty beggar woman, she¡¯s even an ugly bitch!¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s. No matter what, to point and curse at someone¡¯s face like that. I didn¡¯t think she was like that.¡± This was Peng Choryo muttering. Unaware that her reputation was being severely damaged in the eyes of everyone¡¯s big sister Peng Choryo, Murong Juhui threw a tantrum. At that moment, when Qing cleared her throat ahem ahem, Peng Daesan, whose voice had been gradually lowering in pitch, shed his eyes. ¡°Hmm. Come to think of it, Miss Murong¡¯s words seem right. I like the dirty part, but she¡¯s just tall as a pole. Besides her night skills, there¡¯s nothing else I like about her. Ha!¡± With that, Peng Daesan shook off his arm, and Peng Choryo, with her all-out acting performance, tumbled and fell pitifully to the ground with a thud. ¡°Y-young master? How, didn¡¯t you promise to cherish me for life?¡± ¡°Know your ce. Did you think a lowly bitch like you could set foot in the great Peng n of Hebei?¡± ¡°How, me, hic. Now that you¡¯ve had your way with me, you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t need me anymore? After using my body so beastlyst night, how¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that how men are? Come to think of it, if I like the beggar look, I could just dress up a pretty girl, there¡¯s no reason to associate with a real beggar woman. And with that ugly face, thanks to which I even skipped breakfast, cover up that disgusting face and get lost.¡± ¡°That! Indeed! I understand! This damn sleeve, here! I¡¯ve torn it all off!¡± Peng Choryo grabbed her own shoulder de and ripped it off, revealing Peng Choryo¡¯s muscr arm with clearly defined muscles by region. ¡°You said sleeveless clothes were pretty, but this girl was too shy to follow! But for you, young master, I can do anything-¡° ¡°Ha, half the world is women, what difference would dressing up make for the likes of you. Enough, get lost. Quickly.¡± At this, Peng Choryo put on a crying act and jumped up to run away. The women in her path were hit by her muscr shoulder and almost flew away. It was like a flower beggar¡¯s cavalry charge exit. Chapter 179: Kaifeng Coming Soon (1) ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a while since I took a walk with my brother. Why don¡¯t we do this more often? You should link arms with me first, given the affection I¡¯ve raised you with.¡± Peng Choryo, who had returned after going outside the city and riding in a prepared carriage, looked very satisfied. To Peng Choryo, Peng Daesan was more than a brother but less than a child, leaning heavily towards the son side as an adopted younger brother. ¡°Choryo, are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course. My stiff-as-a-board brother, I got to walk arm-in-arm with him for the first time. I think I can let go of our grown-up Daesan now. I don¡¯t know when he got so big and became so blunt and not cute. Hmm. Well, he wasn¡¯t particrly cute even when he was young.¡± Peng Choryo made Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitch with a joke mixed with sincerity. But since it was all true, he had no face to refute and just twitched his eyebrows. Whether his attitude was stiff, whether it was the first time linking arms, whether he was blunt and not cute, whether it was the same when he was young - all items were true without any lies. ¡°San, you should be nicer to Choryo too. Where else in the world is there such a sister?¡± ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s no one but our Qing¡¯er. I should bring in such a child, no, sister-inw. Why don¡¯t you be my sister instead, Qing¡¯er?¡± ¡°Sister-inw¡± is a formal term used in the Central ins for a woman to call her younger brother¡¯s wife, and in close rtionships, they just called them ¡°sister.¡± It was Peng Choryo¡¯s subtle move to casually include her as family, but Qing waspletely ignorant of these subtle rtionship establishments among women. This is exactly the fearsome aspect of women. Peng Choryo would now subtly change her form of address to ¡°sister,¡± and eventually do so even in official settings, trying to link them together for all to see and hear. Peng Daesan, feeling ufortable, changed the subject. ¡°Ahem, anyway, I¡¯m thinking of leaving for Kaifeng tonight.¡± ¡°Tonight? When?¡± ¡°I n to set out around the Ox Hour.¡± The Ox Hour is 2 AM for Qing. The twelve earthly branches are attached to time in the order of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, so it¡¯s not difficult - the middle of the first, Rat Hour, is shortened to midnight, and then it¡¯s two hours each after that. For reference, noon is also the middle of the Horse Hour, but why it¡¯s reversed front and back has something to do with the principles of yin and yang, ultimately just needlessly breaking uniformity, showing the level of Chinese standards. ¡°Oh? The Ox Hour? Why are you leaving in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand seeing those beggars anymore. Somehow, I¡¯m getting more and more put off.¡± ¡°I guess so. You always have it tough. Then I¡¯ll see you in Kaifeng. You know Jegal and Nanah, right? Tell them they¡¯re doing well and say hello.¡± At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°What do you mean? Are you noting?¡± ¡°Me? I was nning to rest and go slowly. Was I supposed to go too? Then who else is going with you?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Peng Daesan flinched as he was about to continue. He was about to say of course we¡¯re going together, who else would I go with, but when he tried to say it out loud, it sounded very strange. ¡°Choryo, is Choryo going too?¡± ¡°Me? It would be nice to go together, but shouldn¡¯t one child stay behind to host the guests? If both children sneak offpletely, what would the Murong and Jo ns think? They¡¯d gossip that we sent them away because we didn¡¯t want to see the children getting along.¡± ¡°Huh. Then, just the two of you? Is that it, San?¡± Peng Daesan felt a serious unfairness. Qing treated him without any pretense, just like a same-sex family member, evenst night she just told him to turn around and then casually threw off her clothes and wiped her body. And that while saying all sorts of things. But when he actually brings it up, she says something like ¡°What, just the two of us?¡± Did she decide to be a woman only when it¡¯s convenient for her? ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, if it was tomorrow or the day after, I wouldn¡¯t mind, but suddenly today is a bit¡­ Can¡¯t we go tomorrow? Ah, and don¡¯t say things like it¡¯s already tomorrow since it¡¯s past midnight.¡± Of course, Qing had no particr thoughts. She just didn¡¯t want to rush ahead of afortable schedule. At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s energy drainedpletely. Is she just wanting to bezy? But then again, somehow that makes his insides boil and burn. ¡°You¡¯re not doing anything but lounging around anyway.¡± ¡°No, I was thinking of visiting Ajun¡¯s ce once.¡± ¡°Ajun? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ah. Murong Jun, there¡¯s this little kid. I should tease him when I have something to tease about.¡± Qing smiled mischievously. At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°If we dy any longer, someone might be more annoying. There¡¯s that Sword Flower woman, Jo hyung, and his sister too. I¡¯m going, so either follow or decide if you¡¯re going to abandon your friend and visit that Murong n kid.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with that either-or? I didn¡¯t think you had such a childish side- oh? No, you werepletely childish from the start. That¡¯s right.¡± Come to think of it, he was just short-spoken and put on airs, but wasn¡¯t he tantly childish from when they first met? Saying ¡°Hit me, hit me, can you hit me?¡±, trying so hard to get hit that she gave him one. ¡°What, childish? What nonsense from that open mouth.¡± ¡°Usually, people who are guilty burst out like that, you know? Haah. What can I do? I¡¯ll have to go with our San who has no friends besides me. Ajun seems like he¡¯d have a lot of friends, so even without me¡­¡± ¡°Ha, no friends? Me?¡± ¡°Yes. What friends do you have? Name them.¡± ¡°Hmph, you think I can¡¯t name them if asked? First.¡± Peng Daesan paused. First what? That Sword Lunatic guy? No. The Jegal n is just clingy and calls everyone brother or sister, but there¡¯s no particr personal friendship. Jo hyung is terrible. Brother Changbin and Brother Hwangbo are too much like older brothers to call friends. And with the other rising stars of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, they¡¯re just acquaintances who meet to eat, not friends he could call without formality. Have I, had no friends? At this sudden realization, Peng Daesan froze. ¡°See. Only the great Ximen Qing.¡± ¡°Kuk, then what about your friends-¡° ¡°What, shall I name them? Can you handle it?¡± Qing pulled up one corner of her mouth into an insufferably crooked smile. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll go alone, so go meet all those great friends of yours.¡± ¡°What, are you sulking?¡± ¡°Ha. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. This kid, he¡¯s really sulking. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this. San. The man Ximen Qing doesn¡¯t betray loyalty like that, you know? How could I let a friend set off on a lonely journey? Getting upset over a little teasing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± ¡°Come on, really? You really weren¡¯t upset? Wasn¡¯t this friend upset that I said I wouldn¡¯t go with you?¡± Qing asked, poking Peng Daesan¡¯s side with her elbow. And then Peng Daesan burst out again. ¡°No, stop! How can a woman be so familiar, can¡¯t you have somemon sense?¡± ¡°Come on, what¡¯s wrong between friends?¡± Seeing the two bickering, Peng Choryo left with a smile, quietly slipping away. The martial arts ns of the Central ins are as diverse as their surnames because originally, local influential families who were somewhat powerful changed their names to sound more impressive. Among them, the most famous five are the Five Great ns, and to match numbers with the Nine Sects One Union, they added five more to create the Ten Great ns. Among them was the Jin Prefecture Un n, but it no longer exists. (We should hear Un Yeonyoung¡¯s opinion too) With one vacancy, it needed to be filled, and for local influential families who prided themselves on being close to the Five Great ns if not quite at their level, there was no better opportunity. And among them, there was one n with a very unique surname. The Gong n. The Gong surname was that of humanity¡¯s first emperor and the greatest sage of China, and this n imed to be descendants of that great primordial ancestor Emperor Gong Xuanyuan. It was a im because the truth couldn¡¯t be verified. However, this im could also be rted to treason, so after being severely punished once long ago, they were forced to change their surname, dropping the ¡°Son¡± from ¡°Gongson¡± and leaving only ¡°Gong.¡± Still, unable to give up the n¡¯s identity of ¡°Gongson,¡± they used a unique workaround of using ¡°Son¡± as the first character of every n member¡¯s given name and making names three characters long. Thus, the name ¡°Gong n¡± that somehow maintained ¡°Gongson¡± contained such pain and the unyielding integrity of the n¡¯s irreceable identity. And so, the current n leader Gong Sondaewol, Son Daewol of the Gong n, said: ¡°Finally, our n¡¯s long-cherished wish is within reach. With the government being a mere figurehead, once we¡¯re listed among the Ten Great ns and tied together as one, who could stop us from reverting to the great ancestor¡¯s surname?¡± The Ten Great ns of the Central ins are not just the top ten ns ranked from above. It¡¯s awork of you, me, us all tightly bound together, truly the greatest and most magnificent guanxi under heaven. It was their long-cherished wish and ambition to change Gong back to Gongson, relying on the power of that fence. ¡°For this, your roles are important. You must show an overwhelming performance at the Hidden Dragon Secret Competition. And also, you must form ties with influential women from the Ten Great ns, no, should I say Nine ns now? Or the Five Great ns or Nine Sects One Union to secure allies for our n.¡± ¡°Yes, Father. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll trust in you.¡± ¡°Do we really have to do this? Can¡¯t we just ride out in a carriage?¡± Qing, dressed as a servant, said. Peng Daesan, also in servant attire, answered. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating those persistent characters too much.¡± And so, in the dead of night, a little past the Ox Hour, a man and woman slipped out through a side door of the Zhangwan Daoist Temple under cover of darkness. With their faces lowered, looking only at the ground and taking small steps, they were clearly servants to anyone who saw them. As they brushed past and secretly looked around, Qing understood Peng Daesan¡¯s words. Wow, really. Persistent women. It was like this, for example. On a moonlit night. Two people who happened to meet while strolling the night streets, unable to sleep. Night is bewitching, and unlike under the bright sun, hidden intimate desires peek out under the darkness. (Like 3 AM texts) And so, what would a man and woman drunk on moonlight do in the darkness? Eyes meet, lips meet, and with only the stomach left among body parts, maybe match stomachs too¡­ In fact, they could be called more clever women. Swarming around in broad daylight would just make them one of countless flowers, but meeting at night would allow them to remain as a single woman in their entirety. With such pure, or rather brain-pure imagination, they loitered in front of the main gate all night long, leaving the Jade Qilin without freedom day or night. And so, Qing copsed onto the luxurious, soft seat of the carriage waiting at the stable, burying her back. ¡°If it¡¯s annoying, why don¡¯t you wear a face veil like me? My grandfather gave it to me, saying all sorts of bastards would cling to me.¡± ¡°What man wears a face veil?¡± ¡°Then at least pull that bamboo hat down low. Can they recognize you just by seeing your lower face?¡± ¡°Ha. I¡¯ve done nothing wrong, so why should I hide? In your eyes, have I ever avoided those characters out of concern?¡± Whether it was on the road to Luoyang attached to a caravan, or traveling as a trio with Sword Brothers, the Jade Qilin had never particrly hidden from pursuers. He had never made excuses to eat in private rooms or go somewhere to avoid them. Then suddenly, a thought urred. ¡°Huh? Then, now? Aren¡¯t you avoiding them?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrow twitched again. But this time, the movement of his eyebrow wasn¡¯t a sign of difort, but rather an ¡°Oh?¡± meaning. ¡°That¡¯s.¡± Peng Daesan tried to make an excuse but closed his mouth. Even he thought it was true that he was avoiding them. So he fell into confusion. Why did I sneak out in the middle of the night like someone who¡¯s not above board? It¡¯s not like those characters have been acting like this for just a day or two, there must have been something particrly irritating to make me do this. But no matter how much he thought about it, nothing particr came to mind, so he could only feel a tickling in his frustrated insides. And then, Snore. Ssaek. Somehow familiar snoring sounds, cute sounds like the ck dog raised in the n makes when sleeping, woke Peng Daesan from his pondering. It wasing from Qing, who had fallen asleep lying on the carriage seat. ¡°What is this.¡± Peng Daesan was at a loss for words at the sight of the sleeping beauty. One hand was casually ced on her eyes with her forearm, while the other hand hung limply outside the seat. Meanwhile, one leg was bent high with the knee resting on the backrest, while the other leg was hanging off the seat with the sole of her foot on the floor. It was a terrible disy that would incur Ximen Surin¡¯s extreme anger and nuclear bombing punishment if she saw it. They say when you¡¯re dumbfounded, words don¡¯te out, and this happened frequently in front of Qing. ¡°Haah.¡± The speechless Peng Daesan just let out a deep sigh. Chapter 180: Kaifeng Coming Soon (2) The three great ancient capitals of China are Xi¡¯an (Chang¡¯an), Luoyang, and Kaifeng (Liang). They share themonality of developing based on the productivity of the vast ins stretching from Hebei-Henan-Hubei-Hunan in an era when primitive farming methods were all there was. Among them, when ites to Kaifeng, you can¡¯t leave out the massive canal. With the canal entering the city center, you could board a ship in front of government offices and reach Beijing to the north, pass through Luoyang to Xi¡¯an in the east, or go southwest through Hangzhou to the sea, making it the center of China¡¯s water transportation. This connects to all three major river systems of the Central ins - the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and even the parasitic Huai River - creating a grand waterway. ¡°Hmm. Wake up now. Go up and sleep.¡± ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t wanna¡­¡± Qing answered drowsily without opening her eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, what, are you going to sleep ufortably here? We¡¯ve got a room, why not sleepfortably in a bed?¡± ¡°I want to sleep here¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Then, I guess you¡¯ll have to stay in the carriage. I¡¯m going.¡± Peng Daesan unknowingly pulled a ¡°You live here, mom¡¯s going home¡± move. Come to think of it, it¡¯s quite a universal human sentiment. ¡°Go well¡­ see youter¡­¡± However, Qing was also the worst of the worst. Peng Daesan reached out his hand, then withdrew it and rubbed his chin with a troubled expression. No matter how much of a friend she was who didn¡¯t know the distinction between men and women, it wasn¡¯t right for him to act that way either. Instead, Peng Daesan put his head close to Qing¡¯s ear and whispered in his characteristic low frequency. ¡°Wake up when youe to your senses.¡± ¡°Eek! Wow, what. Chills.¡± The effect was tremendous. It was so tremendous that Qing opened her eyes wide and immediately sat up, and Peng Daesan barely avoided a collision between the head of a man with precious beauty and a skull as hard as ten-thousand-year cold iron but actually empty inside. ¡°Wow, chills, really what. Don¡¯t do that. That.¡± Qing rubbed her arms vigorously and grimaced. Of course this happens when you¡¯re lyingfortably drunk on leftover sleep, and suddenly a man¡¯s overly sensual voice digs into your ear. ¡°Hooh.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s eyes shed. It was the sh of someone who had finally discovered a weakness in an annoying friend. But that was only for a moment, as there was something covering and pressing down that sharp starlight gaze, arge bamboo hat with a face veil hanging from the end covering the Jade Qilin¡¯s gracious facepletely. It was something Peng Daesan had hurriedly given money to a servant to buy in the morning, so the performance of the face veil wasn¡¯t particrly excellent. Just a cheap face veil with a pleased arc faintly visible through the transparent lower face. ¡°What, you decided to cover your face now? Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t cover it because you had nothing to hide?¡± ¡°Thinking about it all night, I realized I¡¯m the only one suffering harm anyway. The dirty one should avoid others. I thought it wasn¡¯t right to step in filth and be disgusted while insisting on going straight. I had a servant get one.¡± ¡°Right. You thought well. That¡¯s exactly right. Then I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Qing put on her face veil. Seeing this, Peng Daesan asked. ¡°Was it originally that color?¡± ¡°Yeah. Choryo washed it well. Wow, fragrant. She doesn¡¯t seem like it, but she¡¯s truly a heavenly woman. So attentive too.¡± ¡°Unlike someone.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m a man. And actually, I could be a heavenly woman too, you know? I just choose not to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it means to be already ruined.¡± As he said this and got out of the carriage, Qing stretched out. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m dead tired after traveling all night. Really, people should sleep at night, not do other things.¡± At this, Peng Daesan shot back, dumbfounded. ¡°What were you doing with your eyes closed in the carriage? You¡¯ve got quite a thick face to not wake up even once.¡± ¡°Hey, sleeping in a carriage doesn¡¯t count, you know? It doesn¡¯t feel like I slept at all. Haah, huaaah.¡± Qing yawned with her mouth splitting wide open. Because a woman with arge mouth is one of the representative conditions of an ugly woman in the Central ins, it¡¯s taboo for women to even make a sound when yawning, so they turn their bodies and cover their mouths. Of course, Qing doesn¡¯t know, and even if she did, she¡¯d say what does it matter since she¡¯s not ugly anyway. Peng Daesan clicked his tongue at this manly openness. ¡°Go finish sleeping and we¡¯ll meet for lunch. The room is on the fourth floor, second from the end, marked ¡®Red Pine¡¯.¡± Peng Daesan, still sitting in the carriage, said this while holding onto the door that Qing had flung wide open. ¡°What, San. Where are you going?¡± ¡°Every inn is full of guests, so I barely got a room even paying extra. I¡¯ll catch some sleep in the carriage ande find you around lunchtime, so don¡¯t cause any trouble and stay put.¡± With the Murim Conference right around the corner, all guests had made long-term reservations. If he hadn¡¯t covered his face, he would have stayed at the Murim Alliance Heavenly Martial Team¡¯s lodgings, but now that he was hiding his identity and running away, he didn¡¯t want to do that. So he was saying he¡¯d sleep in the carriage parked at the stable. ¡°Hey, why sleep ufortably in the carriage, oh. I was short-sighted. With San¡¯s personality, there¡¯s no way you could have slept. You must have stayed up all night with your eyes open worrying something might happen.¡± ¡°¡­I did doze off.¡± ¡°A tired person should sleep in a bed. I¡¯ve slept a lot anyway, San should sleep in the bed. Don¡¯t talk about men and women being different and all that, I¡¯ll just sleep on the floor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± Peng Daesan said this and then, as if he had been waiting for it, lightly jumped out of the carriage. Qing¡¯s face veil tilted subtly. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why are you doing that? Ah. By the way.¡± And Peng Daesan¡¯s semi-transparent lips stretched out long. ¡°There are two beds, but you say you¡¯ll sleep on the floor. Did living as a beggar for so long make the floorfortable?¡± ¡°Ah, the beds are separate? What, then why did you say you¡¯d sleep in the carriage?¡± ¡°Well, should I have said let¡¯s sleep together since there¡¯s only one room but separate beds?¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. You¡¯d be a weird guy.¡± Qing understood and thought. So he could only get one room, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say let¡¯s share a room, so he was waiting for me to bring it up. What¡¯s with this troublesome guy? But the carriage owner is San, the person who got the room is San, and the money spent on it is San¡¯s. So what can I do? Who am I toin when I¡¯m just tagging along? No, that¡¯s not right. I was just going to y with Choryo and Jun in Zhangwan ande slowly, but I came along because I felt sorry for friendless San. So Qing had the right to demand anything proudly on this Kaifeng trip. If San heard this, he¡¯d retort asking if she had begged timidly when going to Luoyang or Mount Hua. Peng Daesan slept soundly until it was almost the Horse Hour. It was natural since he had stayed up all night guarding the carriage without a wink of sleep. And then he was a bit surprised, because Qing was sleeping again on the opposite bed. She slept, woke up, slept in the carriage, woke up, came up to the inn and slept again? If left alone, could she sleep all twelve shichen of the day? He had only just caught up to Qing¡¯s martial arts realm this year despite her being sozy, to the point where he felt self-deprecating. After that, he woke her up to feed her lunch, and immediately piled snacks in front of her, which she then gobbled up noisily and asked: ¡°So, what are we doing now? What¡¯s famous here? Are there any sights to see?¡± ¡°Could you ask one thing at a time? First, we should go to the Alliance to greet the Alliance Leader, hmm. We don¡¯t have to if we hide our faces. I like it. Maybe I should have covered my face from the start.¡± ¡°See? It¡¯sfortable when you cover it.¡± ¡°It does damage my dignity a bit though.¡± Face-covering bamboo hats like this aremonly seen in the Central ins. Usually worn by boatmen/coachmen, they¡¯re functional attire that blocks the sun when it¡¯s out, rain when it¡¯s falling, and the face veil protects against water spray/dust. However, since the perception of boatmen and coachmen is very poor, it¡¯s a lowly item for a high-ss young master to wear. ¡°What are you saying? It¡¯s not like anyone will recognize you anyway, why would your dignity be damaged?¡± ¡°Hmm? Is that so? You have a point.¡± ¡°So, what are we doing now? I¡¯m bored to death after just lying around.¡± ¡°There are two famous Buddhist pagodas in Kaifeng. One is tall and one is short. There¡¯s also thergest market in the Central ins. And, though you probably won¡¯t be interested, there are also temples enshrining King Wu, Yue Fei, Zhang Liang, and Bao Zheng respectively.¡± If Zhuge Ihyeon were here, he would have poured out all the stories rted to these, but Peng Daesan tended to provide just the minimum information. Two pagodas. One tall, one short. Temples, you probably won¡¯t be interested anyway. And thergest market in the Central ins. ¡°Hmm? Bao Zheng? I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere.¡± At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s eyes trembled. ¡°I mentioned four names and you only know one? And why Bao Zheng of all people?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know. Bao Zheng? Is he a dancer? Anyway, temples don¡¯t sound like there¡¯s much to see. And Buddhist pagodas are in temples, right? How tall and big could they be?¡± The Buddhist pagoda Qing was thinking of was like National Treasure No. 1, the one engraved on the 10 won coin. How tall could a pagoda be, maybe twice a person¡¯s height- ¡­is what I used to think. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s so tall.¡± After eating a heartyte lunch and facing the brick pagoda soaring high into the sky at a temple called Kaibao Temple, Qing couldn¡¯t hold back her admiration. Of course, you¡¯d be amazed after seeing an eighteen-zhang high, thirteen-story pagoda built with bricks. The Iron Pagoda is named the Iron Pagoda. It¡¯s not made of iron, but called the Iron Pagoda because the bricks are dark like the color of iron. ¡°We¡¯ve seen the tall one, so we don¡¯t need to see the short one, right? Shall we go to the market? Markets mean street food.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to eat again after eating all that?¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s not much room left. So let¡¯s walk. We need to digest as much as possible and then carefully select what to eat. You should have told me before lunch. You tricked me well.¡± ¡°Really. You have a talent for leaving people speechless.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t anything a talent if you hone it?¡± Since she never loses an argument anyway, responding would just lead to an endless series of nonsensical words. So Peng Daesan closed his mouth at this point. But just because Peng Daesan closes his mouth doesn¡¯t mean Qing follows suit and closes hers. Before she left for Jianghu, she wasn¡¯t particrly talkative, rather closer to being a good listener than a talker. But when a person lives in a foreignnd, especially with China¡¯s friend culture being what it is. There are levels even among friends, and you climb up strictly created steps from acquaintances. They even notify and inform you when you move up a level. ¡®From today, I¡¯ve decided to consider you a close friend.¡¯ Thismon saying in China, doesn¡¯t it mean they didn¡¯t consider you a close friend before? When a person gets hung up on food, they tend to overeat, and if you live steeped in loneliness just trying to survive, you can¡¯t stand moments of silence and fear emptiness of sound. ¡°Oh. What¡¯s that? Rice wrapped in leaves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s honey rice. Rice mixed with honey.¡± ¡°Why mix honey with rice? Sounds unappetizing.¡± ¡°Honey is expensive, so they usually put in boiled fruit.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like sweet things?¡± ¡°Sweet things and rice are separate, you know? They shouldn¡¯t bebined. Sweet things should be sweet, rice should be salty and spicy and sweet, hm? Can it be sweet? What sweet dishes are there? Braised ribs? Ah, I want braised ribs.¡± ¡°You really say whateveres to your open mouth.¡± ¡°Ha. Isn¡¯t friendship supposed to bloom in conversation? Fine. I¡¯ll shut my mouth tight. Don¡¯t be surprised if it suddenly gets quiet.¡± And Qing really did close her mouth. Since Peng Daesan wasn¡¯t the type to initiate conversation, the two just strolled through the market. Suddenly, Peng Daesan realized he felt very unfamiliar. Just by putting on a face-covering bamboo hat, isn¡¯t it sofortable without women fanatically following? It felt stupid to have hesitated, thinking that hiding his identity and sneaking around was like running away under their pressure. ¡°Ah, San. What¡¯s that? It looks a bit gross.¡± ¡°It¡¯s chicken heads.¡± ¡°What, chicken heads again? What kind of ce is this where they eat even the heads of chickens? Regardless of men, women, old or young.¡± ¡°¡­? Then do they throw them away?¡± Chicken heads, along with duck necks, are representative snacks in China. But chicken heads were a bit too much, so in the end, after much deliberation, Qing chose well-roasted duck necks. Qing¡¯s voice was muffled again as she gnawed on the duck necks. They say you can tell if someone is Chinese or a barbarian just by watching them eat duck necks. When eating duck necks, you strip the meat, break the bones, roll them in your mouth, clean thempletely without leaving even a tiny bit of meat, then suck out the marrow and spit it out on the ground. Qing, in her fifth year in the Central ins, could be said to have be fully Chinese. As Qing was nibbling on duck necks and curiously looking at all sorts of things from the Central ins that had flowed in via water transport, it happened. Suddenly, Qing¡¯s left hand shot out to the left and grabbed a man¡¯s wrist. As the sensation of bones grinding traveled up her palm, ah, yes, this is it. It¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve seen blood. ¡°Aagh!¡± Only the man¡¯s miserable scream echoed. Chapter 181: Kaifeng Coming Soon (3) As soon as the scream was heard, nearby onlookers quickly ran away, only to be blocked by a wall of people in front and turn back with shining eyes. In the Central ins where knife fights aremon, people first run away to avoid getting involved, then turn back to be spectators when they feel they¡¯re at a safe distance. After all, you can¡¯t call yourself a Central ins person if you avoid watching fights. In the quickly formed clearing, Qing stood firmly holding the man¡¯s wrist. ¡°Aagh!¡± ¡°Look at those bad hands. Those who steal others¡¯ belongings have their wrists cut off. Thew is strict, where do you think- Hmm, is that right?¡± She said it smoothly as if it came naturally to her mouth, but she wasn¡¯t sure if that was really thew in the Central ins. So Qing looked at Peng Daesan for confirmation. Peng Daesan shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no suchw.¡± ¡°Ah. Oh no. You should have told me a little earlier. It¡¯s already half cut off.¡± When Qing let go of her hand, the man kept screaming with his tattered wrist. He wanted to grasp his wrist, but the searing pain when touched prevented him from doing so, leaving him just stamping his feet, which looked a bit pitiful. I should have just cleanly cut it off. Unnecessarily grinding the bone to powder, now the lower part of the wrist is just hanging by skin and tendons. Qing expressed this regret in her words. ¡°Won¡¯t you shut up? If it hurts that much, I could just cut it offpletely?¡± ¡°Wh-what is this! Why, why!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you grope other people¡¯s bags. Hey, miss over there? I saw this bastard rummaging through your bag. You should be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, I never-¡° ¡°Be quiet.¡± Whack!! The Bokshinjeok that had appeared out of nowhere struck the pickpocket¡¯s crown. With the majesty of a proactive and revolutionary radioactive ten-thousand-year cold iron bombing, the pickpocket¡¯s eyeballs rolled back somewhere inside his eye sockets. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see.¡± Qing skillfully searched the corpse (not really) and found a pouch tied at his waist. Inside the pouch was an borate hair ornament decorated with modest pearls and red jade. It was the item Qing had seen him stealing. ¡°This is your item, right miss? I saw this guy taking it out.¡± However, the woman¡¯s reaction was strange. Her pupils were shaking severely, herplexion had turned pale white, yet she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the hair ornament, just staring at it. ¡°Miss?¡± ¡°It-it¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°Huh? I clearly saw this guy taking it out. Ah, are you perhaps afraid he might do something to you?¡± ¡°Ha. Are you trying to insult me? You think I, Gong Sonyeye of the Gong n, would lie out of fear of future consequences? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± The woman suddenly spoke while grasping her sword hilt, her voice chilling as if she might really draw and swing it. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I clearly saw him stealing it, but you say it¡¯s not yours. I was just wondering.¡± ¡°I-I told you it¡¯s not mine. Before being a woman, I¡¯m a martial artist. Aren¡¯t such ornaments worn by weak women?¡± Indeed, her in martial attire and face without a trace of makeup, with her hair simply tied up with an uncolored cotton string as her only adornment, didn¡¯t match. Still, she¡¯s pretty. They say a true beauty is beautiful with a bare face. However, she didn¡¯t look like someone who would own such an borate hair ornament. ¡°I must have seen wrong. Strange.¡± ¡°That ownerless thing, throw it away immediately.¡± ¡°No, I should find the owner, not throw it away.¡± ¡°Then do as you please. Anyway, it¡¯s not mine, so I¡¯ll be going.¡± And with that, she walked away briskly. As Qing stood there dumbfounded, Peng Daesan asked. ¡°Could you have seen wrong?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t? I clearly saw it. When he took out something so fancy, I thought it must be expensive and precious.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. The pickpocket suddenly shouted. ¡°You, you bitch! How dare you do this to an innocent person¡¯s arm! Thew? Fine, let¡¯s go by thew! Do it by thew!¡± ¡°Ha. This bastard suddenly got cocky. What did you do right, you thief stealing other people¡¯s things? I should have just cracked your head open.¡± ¡°Oh my! This woman is framing an innocent person! Aagh! My hand! Officer! Officer!¡± Qing burst outughing. ¡°What¡¯s this, a thief calling for officers? Besides, in all my time in the Central ins, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone call for officers. San, have you ever seen officers actually working?¡± It wasn¡¯t a question asked out of curiosity or ignorance. It was just an extension of mockery. It was an era where people openly said there were five most lowly professions, and below them were government officials. At least the five lowly professions tried to earn money, but officials weremoners who enjoyed unearned ie without doing anything. ¡°Well, I have seen it.¡± ¡°San?¡± ¡°The officers here do work.¡± The corners of Peng Daesan¡¯s mouth visible under the bamboo hat formed an annoying smile. ¡°What? What do they do?¡± ¡°In Kaifeng, even officers are respected. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? They have a temple enshrining Bao Zheng.¡± As soon as Peng Daesan finished speaking, soldiers in ck official uniforms withrge ¡°Arrest¡± characters embroidered on them appeared through the crowd of onlookers, surrounding the area and raising their spears. Qing scanned their faces and realized that none of their Evil Karma exceeded thirty points. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s real.¡± At that moment, a man wearing simr attire but with a gold-embroidered belt walked out from among the officers. ¡°What¡¯s all thismotion?¡± ¡°Sir! I¡¯ve been wronged! This woman suddenly crushed my wrist and tried to frame me as a thief by threatening me. How can there be such an unjust thing in this world?¡± ¡°No, this thief-¡° ¡°Enough. Hmm. Why did you harm an innocent person? If you say this man is a thief, do you have evidence to prove it?¡± ¡°I clearly saw him stealing this with my own eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie! Everyone here heard and saw that this is a treasure I bought after saving money for a long time to give to my wife!¡± ¡°No, this bastard is lying every time he opens his mouth-¡° ¡°Enough. If you say you saw it with your own eyes, where is the owner who had this item stolen?¡± ¡°What? Well¡­¡± Qing trailed off. The actual owner of the item had gotten angry saying it wasn¡¯t hers and left. What kind of woman is that? Just because she has a pretty face. As Qing hesitated, the gold-belted man shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll arrest you for robbery and assault. If you have any grievances, you can exin the details at the yamenter. Will you ept the rope willingly?¡± The ¡°rope¡± referred to a thick, red-dyed straw rope used to bind criminals¡¯ arms when escorting them. If the criminal waspliant, only their arms would be tied, but if they resisted violently, they might be dragged along with it around their neck. In other words, telling them to ept the rope willingly meant to follow quietly if they didn¡¯t want to look like that. Peng Daesan spoke while making a sound as if trying hard not tough. ¡°The Gong n isn¡¯t hard to find. I¡¯ll look for them, so go and wait quietly. Well, even if things go wrong, you¡¯ll just get a fewshes anyway.¡± This was Peng Daesan¡¯s very warmfort to Qing, who had epted the rope. Qing gritted her teeth. This bastard San, that¡¯s why you have no friends. His surname is Bao, given name Zheng, courtesy name Xi¡¯ren. This person called Bao Zheng, or Bao Xi¡¯ren, was a famous prime minister of the past, also renowned for his incorruptible character and impartial attitude. He was revered as the greatest incorruptible official in Chinese history and respected for generations, and the temple dedicated to him was a sacred ce that all officials should visit at least once to emte his spirit. This sacred ce is destined to be burned down under the guns of the red people in the future, but even after being burned, it remained an iprehensible mystery that swelled the hearts of the Chinese people. How could a government official be incorruptible? Was he mentally ill or disabled? They wondered. And so people called him Bao Qingtian. Qingtian means a clear sky without a single cloud, a nickname meaning that Bao Zheng¡¯s rule was as transparent and clean as that. So was Qing in trouble because of this? Actually, that wasn¡¯t the case. If it wasn¡¯t treason, all punishments under thew could be substituted with money. This was called ¡°ransom punishment,¡± meaning washing away crimes with money. Even the death penalty could be reced with gold nuggets. This was also why Peng Daesan had thrown a crooked joke at Qing as she was being dragged away with her hands tied. Anyway, you could just pay money, and for the wealth of a Murim n, it wasn¡¯t a burdensome price to begin with. ¡°Yourpanion has paid the ransom, so you cane out now.¡± The young man who had brought Qing in, the Kaifeng Prefecture Inspector, said as he opened the prison door. ¡°What was the verdict? How much did they pay?¡± ¡°Fiveshes and sixty copper coins.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really cheap.¡± It was a very cheap fine forpletely disabling someone¡¯s wrist. The investigation concluded that the man was a pickpocket, and moreover, a criminal who should be severely punished for multiple serious crimes, so the verdict took this into ount. Flogging is a light punishment where they whack your buttocks with a sturdy bamboo rod. For men, they¡¯d strip them down to their underwear and hit their bare buttocks, but they wouldn¡¯t go that far for women. Getting hit five times would just leave five lines on each buttock, ten lines in total. It was a punishment closer to the humiliation of being beaten in public with spectators gathered than the pain. ¡°Please restrain yourself in the future. No matter how evil the other party is, if individuals take punishment into their own hands, how can there bew and order in the country?¡± ¡°Hmph, is there anyw and order anywhere in the Central ins besides here? It¡¯s so bad that Murim gangsters are maintaining public order.¡± Qing, who had been locked up in a cold cell for two nights, answered sharply. She was angry because the food was too poor, even worse than the cold cell. Byw, prisoners get two meals a day, small in quantity and bad in taste, with no extras allowed. ¡°Ahem. Not all officials are like that.¡± The Inspector coughed ufortably as he spoke. Even he felt it was ame excuse as he said it. As they came out, Peng Daesan smirked. ¡°Should I have just let you get beaten?¡± ¡°I have sixty coins too, you know? Damn, who was that woman anyway? I helped her for nothing.¡± If that Gong whatever woman had just told the truth from the start, there would have been no need to be locked up in prison for two days. Ransom punishment was only possible after the verdict, so it took time for the pickpocket¡¯s crime to be revealed. ¡°Still, you have one hair ornament left. It¡¯s a precious ornament with pearls and red jade, not a single fake mixed in. It¡¯s more than enough for what you earned in two days.¡± Peng Daesan said this and tossed the hair ornament up. Qing caught the hair ornament as it traced an arc and examined it. Well, it¡¯s certainly pretty. Too shy for Master to wear. Maybe I should give it to Jangmyeong. ¡°Ah. I¡¯m starving to death. Even if they¡¯re criminals, how can they make people miserable with food? What kind of meal is that even a dog wouldn¡¯t eat?¡± ¡°You probably licked the tray clean.¡± ¡°Huh, were you watching? You know so urately. Then why didn¡¯t you secretly throw me some dumplings?¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s Inner Qi was far too weak to scratch Qing¡¯s insides, so to speak. This body is the terrifying chatterbox recognized by none other than the Beastly Sage Zhuge Ihyeon, a master who couldn¡¯t hold back exmations of ¡°You argue like a dog!¡± Saying someone argues like a dog is apliment. It¡¯s the highest praise filled with respect that the loser in an argument gives to the winner. As they returned to the inn chattering like this, what¡¯s this? They say a doges when you call its name. The muscle lump Zhuge and Tang Nanah suddenly stood up and came running over. Chapter 182: Kaifeng Coming Soon (4) ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Zhuge and Nanah? What brings you here- Ah. Everyone ends up gathering anyway.¡± ¡°Have you been well, Sister?¡± ¡°Qing¡¯er!¡± ¡°Why so much- No,e here!¡± As Tang Nanah ran over with an extremely delighted expression, Qing snorted but then changed her mind and opened her arms wide. Tang Nanah attempted a body tackle. The effect was minimal. This was because force is determined by speed and mass (excluding the cosmic mystery of True Qi), and Qing¡¯s body wasn¡¯t weak enough to be unable to withstand even a light girl¡¯s charge. As Qing took a stance to receive her, nting her foot, Tang Nanah flew into her arms, wrapping her arms around her neck. At that moment, a warm, nutty scent like heated milk wafted over. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? If you have a fever or anything, don¡¯t hide it and tell me, okay? It¡¯ll be troublesome if wounds get infected, so let¡¯s checkter when we go up. By the way, I heard you were in prison. Those guys there didn¡¯t treat you badly, did they?¡± ¡°They did treat me badly¡­¡± Of course, Qing was the perpetrator, the one who acted badly, but. When the imprisoned women tried to bully her, she injected some manners into them. She thought about confiscating their food because she was hungry from the meager rations that didn¡¯t even touch her liver, but no matter what, taking away food was too much, so she let them eat. ¡°How did it go? The old man Ban¡¯s son?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his grandson, Sister.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s a grandson or son, it¡¯s all the same for a neen-year-old. Anyway, isn¡¯t he a grown child?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. The grown child has returned to his elderly grandfather, so you don¡¯t need to worry. Miss Gyeon said she¡¯d take him and settle at the Seol Family Trading Company, do you know the ce?¡± ¡°Well, it would be hard to keep operating in Zhumadian. That¡¯s good. It¡¯s a small shop run by a friend. Ah. I¡¯m hungry. Have you all eaten? Hey, waiter!¡± After moving to a private room, Qing took out her frustration from the day and a half wasted in vain on the innocent food. ¡°Sister, are you actually tasting anything?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s delicious. Ah. Right. Zhuge, do you know about the Shadowless Divine Hands?¡± ¡°The Shadowless Divine Hands! You mean the exclusive martial art of the Shadowless Divine Thief! Yes, I learned about that interesting thief when I was eleven years and seven months and eight days old, while learning military tactics from Master Zhang Xue¡­¡± ¡°You really talk too much¡­ Somehow it seems like you¡¯ve gotten even more talkative. Doesn¡¯t Nanah listen to your stories?¡± ¡°Well, Miss Tang doesn¡¯t listen to anyone¡¯s words, not just mine. Ah. She does listen well to Sister Ximen¡¯s words. It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Wh-who listens well to whose words.¡± ¡°What? Are you not going to listen to me? Nanah, I¡¯m really disappointed.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll listen. I will listen, but¡­¡± ¡°Where was I? Ah, the Divine Thief¡­¡± To summarize Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s long exnation: The Shadowless Divine Thief refers to a lineage of thieves passed down through generations as a mysterious figure of single-person transmission. They usually target wealthy merchants, government offices, and asionally rich unorthodox sects, distributing the stolen money to themon people. They don¡¯t specifically target bad rich people, but generally, rich people are bastards with a very high probability. Robbing bastards and distributing money is a good deed, and even if they rob one good rich person out of a hundred, it¡¯s not a big problem since the money will be distributed to the public anyway. Thanks to this, they¡¯re sometimes called righteous thieves. But basically, they were ambiguous thieves between righteousness and selfishness. ¡°Hmm. Somehow the evaluation seems harsh.¡± ¡°A thief¡¯s offspring is still a thief¡¯s offspring. My writing teacher, Master Zhang Xue, said they¡¯re petty thieves who take their cut and then show off by distributing the leftovers, a mongrel among dogs.¡± ¡°So what about the Shadowless Divine Hands? Damn, when did you smoothly change to talking about thieves?¡± The Shadowless Divine Hands or Shadowless Divine Grab is a grappling technique. Grappling uses the characters for ¡°capture¡± and ¡°seize¡±. In other words, it¡¯s not a technique for hitting and striking, but a skill for subduing by pushing, pulling, binding joints, or disturbing bnce. While general martial arts like fist techniques, hand techniques, palm techniques, w techniques, etc. take a strong offensive approach with striking, hitting, and kicking, grappling chooses the subtlety of softness oveing hardness. However, in the case of the Shadowless Divine Hands, it¡¯s specialized in a different direction. It¡¯s said that its stealthy hand movements, which leave not even a shadow, can remove even a woman¡¯s undergarments without her noticing, making it the best pickpocketing technique under heaven. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t thatparison a bit much? And, that¡¯s a bit¡­ It would feel quite empty and ufortable if your underwear was gone.¡± ¡°Thises from a historical anecdote about a bet between our senior, the Celestial Martial Emperor, and the Divine Thief. The bet was whether the Divine Thief could steal without the woman noticing, and it¡¯s said the Divine Thief won.¡± Afterwards, when the Divine Thief apologized and returned the underwear, he got pped hard. Then the Celestial Martial Emperor apologized on his behalf, saying he had ordered it, and disappeared with the woman. Originally, the Celestial Martial Emperor was also famous for being handsome. They say the Divine Thief had to return feeling defeated despite winning the bet. ¡°Hmm. He deserved that p. Well, I guess so.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that guy a total pervert? What kind of person does that? Did he put some kind of numbing powder on his hands? It¡¯s creepy. Uh, hmm¡­¡± Qing¡¯s superhuman hearing caught Tang Nanah¡¯s muttering to herself like a breath inside her mouth. Numbing powder¡­ she said. And then, cing a te of boiled and fried pork ribs in front of Qing, she said: ¡°Qing¡¯er, tonight it¡¯s just us friends, you know.¡± ¡°Hey. What numbing powder? Don¡¯t you remember when my chest was split open, I didn¡¯t even use numbing powder and had it stitched up raw? That¡¯s really creepy.¡± ¡°Ah. I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. And what, what! Yeah, what! It¡¯s just between women. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll wear out!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re being quite bold, aren¡¯t you?¡± Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. At this, Tang Nanah boldly met her gaze and put strength into her eyes. Of course, her pupils were trembling and herplexion was pale, showing she was frozen stiff, but that courage alone could be acknowledged- No, what courage is this? Then something urred to her. ¡°Hmm? Come to think of it, how did you manage with lodgings? I heard every inn was fully booked.¡± ¡°There are guest houses provided by the Alliance. That¡¯s right, Sister. Would you like to visit the n¡¯s guest house? How Hyangi is making such a fuss about wanting to see you. You must have be quite close in such a short time.¡± ¡°Kids usually like me. The Murong kid also made a big fuss calling me sister.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because you match and understand them well. After all, your mental age matches perfectly- Ow!¡± Ding! With the sound of a small bell ringing, Zhuge Ihyeon grabbed his head. ¡°Don¡¯t feel safe just because you¡¯re far away. My head flicks don¡¯t care about distance. Somehow it seems like you¡¯re getting more and more cheeky? You just call me sister with your mouth.¡± ¡°Where in the world is there someone who uses the Buddha¡¯s Palm for head flicks¡­¡± At this sight, Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Originally, Zhuge Ihyeon was friendly and polite, respectful to everyone, calling them brother or sister even if they were just a year apart. However, such politeness alsoes with a certain distance, so even though he¡¯s friendly with all the rising stars of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, he doesn¡¯t have anyone he¡¯s particrly close to. He does stick close to Hwangbo Uncheok, but that¡¯s because they¡¯re cousins. Moreover- ¡°Wait. Buddha¡¯s Palm?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Peng know? Sister is the sessor of the Buddha¡¯s Palm.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m hearing about this.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I didn¡¯t tell you?¡± At this, Peng Daesan¡¯s eyebrows twitched again- ¡°What? Why are you twitching your eyebrows? Is there a custom of telling friends all the martial arts you¡¯ve learned? I don¡¯t know what San has learned either?¡± ¡°That¡¯s. Hmm. I see¡­¡± ¡°Wait! What was that just now! San? Are you two in that kind of rtionship? No! This is invalid, I can¡¯t ept it, I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t allow it!¡± At that moment, Tang Nanah interjected again. Peng Daesan flinched, looked at Tang Nanah, and made his characteristic expression of disgust when seeing women. Come to think of it, this woman was here. The Poison Flower of the Tang n. An arrogant woman who thinks she¡¯s the best and looks down on people. On the other hand, she¡¯s also a selfish woman who thinks the whole world revolves around her, and should revolve around her. He had seen her twice when there was an event in Sichuan. A terrible woman who made him sick of her in just two meetings. He had forgotten about her because she hadn¡¯t been acknowledging him yesterday and today, and he hadn¡¯t been paying attention to that side recently since he hadn¡¯t been bothered by women. Peng Daesan¡¯s expression rapidly turned cold. But that was only for a moment. ¡°Even if it¡¯s Young Master Peng, this isn¡¯t right. Seducing our innocent Qing, this must be that, right? Approaching under the guise of a pure friend. Right! That¡¯s what I was going to say! No, how could you get just one room! How could you!!¡± Tang Nanah¡¯s voice grew louder towards the end. It seems she got more and more heated even as she spoke. ¡°Even if our kind-hearted Qing¡¯er says it¡¯s fine because there are two beds, shouldn¡¯t the young master go sleep in the Heavenly Martial Team¡¯s quarters!? Isn¡¯t this a ploy to stay in one room and then link them together when rumors spreadter!!? Hey, isn¡¯t thispletely a bad guy move!!¡± Peng Daesan pointed at his own face with an incredulous expression. A gesture asking if she was really talking to him. ¡°What, how annoying. Just because you have a good face, are you showing off now or what? Do you think I¡¯d act like a silly girl, giving you my liver and gall dder over that mere face?¡± ¡°Ha. This is ridiculous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who finds this ridiculous?¡± Tang Nanah shot back without backing down. Peng Daesan¡¯s voice dropped an octave. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what you said to me at the Grand Patriarch¡¯s 70th birthday celebration?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you suddenlye up and say you¡¯d allow one wife and one concubine? And what else did you say? That you hoped I¡¯d have a child after five years because your body would be ruined?¡± ¡°Uuugh.¡± ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t act like you¡¯d give me your liver and gall dder even then. You just acted like the main wife without anyone¡¯s permission.¡± It was truly the behavior of a viiness. If this wasn¡¯t a martial arts story but something else, she¡¯d be the viiness who appears at the beginning and throws a ss of wine at the protagonist. In return for moisturizing once with skin-beneficial wine, the basic price is the annihtion of her entire family including herself, and in severe cases, even her soul might be caught and suffer eternal torment in the mes of hell. Therefore, Tang Nanah should be grateful for her entire life that she was born in the Central ins. ¡°Th-that time! I was young too!¡± ¡°Hmm. Then, does that mean you have no feelings for me now?¡± ¡°Ha! Do you think all the women in the world like you? You¡¯re really annoying.¡± Peng Daesan¡¯s expression twisted. At this point, Qing felt it was time to intervene. ¡°Our Nanah spoke well! That¡¯s right! Correct!¡± ¡°See. It¡¯s only me, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. But what was that? You said you¡¯d allow one wife and one concubine? Did you really say that? You said to have a child after five years for body management?¡± ¡°It was also our first meeting.¡± Peng Daesan tattled. Tang Nanah¡¯s face turned bright red as if about to explode. Then Qing snorted. ¡°You weren¡¯t much better at our first meeting either? What did you say? ¡®This is a technique I¡¯ve never seen before¡¯? And ¡®Your chest is so vulgarlyrge, minus a hundred points¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t a hundred points.¡± San subtly averted his gaze. With one about to explode and the other unable to raise his head, the argument naturally came to an end. ¡°As expected of Sister! After enjoying as much as you wanted and hearing as much as you wanted, you seized both sides¡¯ weaknesses and subdued them at once! This slow-witted brother is moved by your vile tactics! Truly excellent! It¡¯s truly marvelous and mysterious!¡± ¡°Right. Zhuge. I¡¯ll let it slide this time, so you can put away the ttery. And if you want to defend, find a material other than ss. The ss shards all get in my hair, you know.¡± ¡°Yes, Sister. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± And so, after the meal ended. Naturally, while sipping tea that had been ordered, Qing said: ¡°Ah. By the way, that youngdy. Gong¡­ Gong Chan? Hmm? Who¡¯s Gong Chan that it¡¯s sticking to my mouth?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean Gong Chan? Gong Chan refers to-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t be noisy. It¡¯s Gong Sonyeye. She¡¯s said to be from the direct line of the Gong n.¡± Peng Daesan cut off Zhuge Ihyeon¡¯s chatter. It could be said to be a very appropriate measure. Qing asked again. ¡°Right. Anyway. She proudly revealed her identity, so it must be a famous n, right? Then you must know where they are? Where is that youngdy now?¡± Chapter 183: Kaifeng Coming Soon (5) Suddenly, the private room became solemn. After a moment of silence, Qing tilted her head, and everyone offered their ownments. ¡°It¡¯s true that Gong Sonyeye woman was rude, but the Gong n are people who keep to the right path, so it shouldn¡¯t be enough to harm her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Sister, you shouldn¡¯t kill or maim her. Even if not for that, there¡¯s the Hidden Dragon Secret Competition, ah, you know killing is forbidden in the Hidden Dragon Secret Competition, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah. I¡¯ll give you a few untraceable poisons, so do it secretly, secretly. What? Why?¡± Qing narrowed her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this, how do you see me? I¡¯m not asking to do her harm. I just want to return the hair ornament, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Is there any need to do that? She denied it was hers, so you won¡¯t particrly get any thanks for returning it.¡± To this, Qingughed awkwardly and said. ¡°No, Zhuge just talked about women¡¯s underwear earlier.¡± ¡°Sister. If you say it like that, doesn¡¯t it make me look like a strange person? What women¡¯s underwear talk?¡± ¡°What? Are you saying I lied? You clearly said a woman¡¯s underwear was secretly removed without her knowing.¡± ¡°This is the technique of misleading the truth with facts by editing parts¡­ By removing the subject, it sounds like I did it. As expected, Sister, you¡¯re terrifying.¡± ¡°You know that, yet you¡¯ve been getting cheekytely. Anyway, so Zhuge told me that returning the stolen underwear resulted in getting pped, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it anyway, could you please add the subject, ¡®the Divine Thief¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing. Come to think of it, when normal women experience such a thing, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s possible to not notice, but anyway, wouldn¡¯t they pretend not to know rather than p? Saying, ¡®That¡¯s not my underwear.¡¯¡± Because if they get angry there, it confirms that the underwear is theirs. At that moment, the woman is no longer an ordinary woman. She bes a woman not wearing underwear! In Qing¡¯s opinion, it could be said she¡¯s realized the way offort, but that sense of liberation and the situation of being exposed in front of others were separate matters. ¡°So, well. I think I was careless.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a hair ornament, right? What¡¯s the problem with a woman having a hair ornament that she made such a fuss and got you locked up and starved for two days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for me to judge. Let¡¯s say, for example, aphrodisiacs were found in San¡¯s possession¡­¡± If San experienced the same thing but the stolen item was an aphrodisiac? Then the women following him would say, ¡°Wow, I know how to take aphrodisiacs too. I want to drink it all up,¡± while licking their lips. If it came from Tang Nanah¡¯s possession, everyone would just say it¡¯s natural because she¡¯s from the Tang n. But if aphrodisiacs came from Zhuge¡¯s possession? He¡¯d just be a muscle pervert exercise freak. They¡¯d point fingers saying he¡¯s a beast with the body of a beast, the brain of a sage, and the heart of an animal. ¡°Sister? Why only this younger brother¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Everyone¡¯s circumstances are different, so San would deny it¡¯s his while lowering his voice a lot and shaking his eyebrows up and down, right? Since the person involved feels the shame, I shouldn¡¯t judge carelessly.¡± If it was something like a long phallic model instead of a hair ornament, Qing wouldn¡¯t have asked in front of people, ¡°Which of the gold dick, silver dick, or wooden dick that you stole is yours? This bastard stole it, so pick it out in front of all these market people and take it.¡± But for Gong Sonyeye, the hair ornament might have been at a simr level of shame as a dick. Saying the intention was good is no excuse. Simrly, saying you didn¡¯t know doesn¡¯t work either. Anyway, Miss Gong Sonyeye had denied it and left in a burst of anger. Yet her eyes looking at the ornament were quite uneasy, so it might be an item with a story. ¡°So it¡¯s right to return it, yeah.¡± ¡°Wow, Qing¡¯er, really your heart, wow, how. Let me see your clothes, let me check for sewing marks.¡± ¡°Heavenly clothes without seams¡± means clothes of a fairy orparable craftsmanship. Tang Nanah said this while hugging Qing tightly, not hiding her truly moved voice. ¡°Really, Qing¡¯er is too kind. Beautiful heart, beautiful face.¡± To this tant praise, Qing answered with an awkward smile. ¡°Nanah. Isn¡¯t the position of your hands a bit strange? Usually when hugging, you don¡¯t put strength in your hands, right?¡± ¡°No? Since I hugged from the side, it¡¯s a very natural arm position? This is how we do it in Sichuan? It¡¯s not strange at all?¡± ¡°This girl, whenever she gets a chance.¡± Qing peeled Tang Nanah off. She tried to cling and not let go, but how could she match Qing in strength? ¡°So, where is Miss Gong?¡± ¡°She¡¯s staying at the Alliance¡¯s guest house.¡± At that moment, Zhuge Ihyeon interjected. ¡°Sister, just in case, it¡¯s not Gongson but Gong miss.¡± ¡°Oh? Then is her name Sonyeye?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. However, it¡¯s better to call her Miss Gongson. Miss Gongson would prefer that too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± And so Zhuge Ihyeon took a deep breath. A grand exnation was about to begin. The biggest w in Qing¡¯s personality could be said to be her careless and impulsive decisions. And her greatest strength is her excellent execution ability to move without hesitation once she makes up her mind. And when youbine these strengths and weaknesses? The good points all disappear and only the ws double. It¡¯s also a characteristic of people who stupidly repeat two, three, four times what should be finished in one go. ¡°Hmm. How about it, San, want toe along? You¡¯ve covered your face for once. Won¡¯t you be discovered if you go?¡± ¡°Hmm. Hmm. Hmmm.¡± Peng Daesan pondered uncharacteristically hard. Indeed, the few days of going around with his face covered had been a whole new world, to the point where he realized that Central ins people live sofortably while he alone was ufortable. So I should enjoy it for a few more days. Peng Daesan came to a conclusion. ¡°I¡¯ll go together. Don¡¯t you not know anyone at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly meeting?¡± Peng Daesan was inwardly flustered. He had meant to stay separate, but the answer came out without him realizing. ¡°It¡¯s not just a day or two, you¡¯ve looked quite rxed all this time. Zhuge and Nanah are there too, so you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± ¡°Forget it. As someone said, I¡¯m a man with no friends, so I¡¯ll try to make some this time. The only one I have isn¡¯t reliable, so it feels like looking after a child ying by the water.¡± Peng Daesan said this and convinced himself. That¡¯s right. If I let that one loose in the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly defenseless, who knows what kind of trouble she¡¯ll cause. It¡¯s an unavoidable decision for the peace of the orthodox Murim. And so, Qing, with her excellent execution ability anyway, immediately rushed towards the Murim Alliance. Because Gong Sonyeye was there. It was a simple principle, like why a mountaineer climbs a mountain. However, since it was around the end of the Horse Hour and beginning of the Sheep Hour, about 3 PM, proper Central ins people usually weren¡¯t staying in their lodgings at this time. So they heard that she had gone to Changliang Tower for the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly meeting. Changliang Tower was in the exact opposite direction from the Murim Alliance, based on the inn where Qing was staying. It was like working twice. And so when they arrived at Changliang Tower in Kaifeng, it was a field full of men. It wasn¡¯t the picture Qing had imagined of six or seven people gathered chatting. It was like a general alumni meeting with seniors, juniors, and current students all gathered, using an entire floor for a noisy drinking party. With almost all the rising stars of the orthodox faction gathered before a big event, the crowd was naturallyrge. ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s the Azure Dragon Association meeting. It seems the Phoenix Association is holding their meeting at a different location.¡± The Dragon-Phoenix Assembly meant the meeting of the Azure Dragon and Phoenix, with the Azure Dragon representing men and the Phoenix representing women. ¡°We came for nothing. I haven¡¯t revealed my face yet, so let¡¯s withdraw from here.¡± Peng Daesan changed his mind at the sight and slipped away quietly. As Zhuge Ihyeon went in to ask about the location of the Phoenix Association meeting, Qing and Tang Nanah were left standing there, receiving all the hot gazes of men who had discovered beauties. More precisely, Tang Nanah received them. Because Qing was wearing a face veil. That¡¯s when it happened. Qing, spotting a familiar face, shouted: ¡°Ah, Sword Brother!¡± ¡°No, this voice, Sword Brother! Is it Sword Brother!¡± Namgung Shinjae stood up abruptly and weed Qing. He spoke as if he recognized her by her voice, but really, there was only one person in the world who called Namgung Shinjae ¡°Sword Brother.¡± ¡°But Sword Brother, what¡¯s with the face veil? Did you perhaps get a scar on your face? Don¡¯t be too disheartened if that¡¯s the case. A scar on the face means you stared down your enemy to the end, so for a swordsman, it could be said to be an honorable medal.¡± ¡°Hmm! Sword Brother! If you say such things to a woman who really has scars on her face, you might get stabbed with that sword you love so much! But, as a swordsman, in the end, you should be a scabbard to embrace the sword de. Not a dao scabbard or spear scabbard.¡± ¡°Indeed! It wouldn¡¯t be right for any weapon other than a sword to take this life. I believe you, you must be Sword Brother for sure. This clear and precious statement woven together is a golden rule and great writing that only Sword Brother could make.¡± ¡°Right. Have you been well?¡± ¡°What could have happened to me? How about Sword Brother?¡± ¡°Recently, my chest was split in half, from here to here, and from here to here, making a ten-character cross sword wound.¡± ¡°Ooh! How splendid! It¡¯s a thousand-year regret that I can¡¯t ask to see it.¡± It was a half-and-half mix of responses that were hard to tell whether they weremon sense or not. It¡¯s splendid, but given the area, he won¡¯t ask to see it. ¡°As expected, I knew you¡¯d understand. Unfortunately, Nanah here treated it well so no scar remains.¡± ¡°Ah. So it¡¯s Miss Tang.¡± ¡°Blooming Poison Flower!¡± ¡°Blooming Poison Flower!¡± ¡°Blooming Poison Flower!¡± The men who had been focusing on the only woman present shouted her title simultaneously as if they had made an agreement. It was a sharp chorus as if they had rehearsed with their mouths in advance. Qing just frowned behind her face veil. What on earth? Is that admiration even strictly set to one, two, three, now, as if it¡¯s a time when it must be done? Namgung Shinjae continued his greeting. ¡°We greeted at thest 70th birthday celebration, um, actually, we didn¡¯t greet because the youngdy was only sticking to the Jade Qilin¡¯s side. What was it you said, that a wife can¡¯t mix words with other men when her husband is present?¡± ¡°Uwaah! You¡¯ve got the wrong person! I never said such things! There are things you can and can¡¯t say to an unmarried maiden!¡± Tang Nanah denied it with a bright red face. Hmm. I should ask Zhuge to make a collection of Tang Nanah¡¯s quotes from the Grand Patriarch¡¯s, that is, Poison Grandfather¡¯s 70th birthday celebration. Interesting things keeping out no matter how much you peel. And then Qing and Namgung Shinjae loosened their swords and bumped their scabbards together. Originally, swordsmen consider swords shing to be a hundred times more insulting than shoulders bumping, so this was a greeting method showing true friendship tied by swords. ¡°So, Sword Brother, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Ah. Do you know where the Phoenix Association meeting is?¡± ¡°Ah. I see. The ce was too small so we had to separate. The Phoenix Association should be in full swing at Liangyun Tower.¡± ¡°Liangyun Tower. Hmm. Why didn¡¯t that Zhuge bastard just say one word.¡± Then in Qing¡¯s field of vision, she saw Zhuge Ihyeon excitedly chattering away without stopping his mouth. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. Qing immediately understood. Anyway, she wasn¡¯t going to take Zhuge to the women¡¯s meeting, so she might as well let him talk properly this time. Qing and Tang Nanah struck out again and headed towards Liangyun Tower this time. If they had sent a servant to find out in advance, they could have gone in one trip, but now they were moving for the third time. ¡°Qing¡¯er, the Phoenix Association is war. It¡¯s different from the good-natured Azure Dragon Association where they all drink together as friends. You don¡¯t know about women¡¯s society, but it¡¯s a terribly cruel ce where those bitches check each other, mock, and secretly bully.¡± It was essentially Tang Nanah, who had just entered Murim, saying this to Qing, the Grand Elder of the Divine Maiden Sect, a women¡¯s sect. But having seen how things work in the Bliss Pce, Qing did have a feeling of ¡°maybe, possibly.¡± Although she didn¡¯t believe it at all since it was Tang Nanah saying it. ¡°So Qing¡¯er, just trust me. I¡¯m the number one ranked Blooming Poison Flower Tang Nanah among the Five Flowers of Murim. Just stick close to my side.¡± ¡°Hmm. If you say so.¡± Of course, since Qing was tall, it looked to everyone like Tang Nanah was clinging to her. In fact, Tang Nanah was clinging to her. And so Qing entered the tower. In Tang Nanah¡¯s words, it was the fox den of the Phoenix Association, a cruel battlefield where they crush each other¡¯s dignity without swords and spears. Chapter 184: Kaifeng Coming Soon (6) As they reached the top floor, it suddenly became quiet and gazes stabbed towards them. Soon it returned to its original atmosphere as if nothing had happened, but during that moment of silence, Qing provided a lot of information to the Phoenixes. The women exchanged nces and gauged her ¡°rank¡± based on the information they gathered. What¡¯s this, her face is covered. She¡¯s using quite a good face veil. Is it Bgasa silk? It¡¯s totally luxury. But only the face veil is luxury? She must not have much confidence in her face. Look at the shape of that body. Did everything she ate just spread out up and down? Ha. With breasts like that, they wouldn¡¯t show even with clothes on, and what¡¯s with those hips, skirts wouldn¡¯t even fit. I¡¯m not saying this out of envy, no I¡¯m not crying. But, martial attire? The fabric is good quality but not quite high-end. She doesn¡¯t seem to care much about adornment. The upper garment is a long jacket to the knees, with a crossed cor covering high to avoid exposing the corbone, isn¡¯t it suffocating just to look at? She¡¯s from a martial sect rather than a n, and among them, probably a Daoist sect. Why is she carrying two swords, and she even came in wearing a flute prominently as if she knows how to y it. But if you¡¯re going to use a flute, use a good one, is that a short staff or a flute? Moreover, if you came, you should at least greet people, why are you just awkwardly looking around? The conclusion they reached was that she was an ugly country bumpkin who came up from some local Daoist temple. The women¡¯s level of vignce instantly dropped to the bottom. If you were to look at the scene in the tower frame by frame, you might notice an interesting phenomenon. The gazes that had all focused on Qing at once returned to several women who had already taken their seats in the hall. And those women who received the gazes nced at each other, checking each other¡¯s reactions. The women receiving the gazes were the faction leaders, the heads of cliques. And this was the bidding process of the clique leaders. Who wants to take that country bumpkin? She doesn¡¯t seem worth much. I¡¯ll pass. She seems to be in the female martial artist category. Taking her wouldn¡¯t be beneficial and she has no sense. Ah, what a waste. Since no woman asked who she was first, it meant that no faction was extending a hand after her failed attempt to appeal her charm upon entering. Then there were two choices for a woman to make, and one choice for a martial artist to make. If Qing were a woman skilled in socializing, she would have approached the faction leader of her choice, introduced herself first, shed a smile, and wagged her tail saying ¡°I want to be friends with you.¡± Or she could have drooped her shoulders with a disappointed look, thinking her debut at the Phoenix Association hadpletely failed, and headed towards the seat for rejects in one corner. (There¡¯s always a gloomy ¡°reject zone¡± in one corner of the Phoenix Association gatherings) And if she were a martial artist, she would either be ignorant of women¡¯s power struggles or know but not care, and head towards the separate ¡°female martial artist zone.¡± This was a ce for female martial artists who weren¡¯t interested inplicated power struggles, those closer to martial artists than women. Would Qing understand theseplex inner workings? She just looked around the gathering, thinking ¡°Wasn¡¯t Miss Gong supposed to be here?¡±, and her simple impression was: Wow, they¡¯re all dressed so gorgeously. That¡¯s when Tang Nanah came up the stairs. ¡°Oh, Qing¡¯er, I told you to wait a moment but you already came up. Here, put on this scarf, it¡¯s one I cherish, it¡¯s Sichuan brocade.¡± Tang Nanah made a show of personally draping the scarf over Qing¡¯s forearms and adjusting its hang. A scarf refers to a wide and long piece of cloth, usually draped over both forearms and hanging long down the back and sides. The long cloth of unknown purpose that often appears in fairy paintings is this scarf. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why people wear scarves. Isn¡¯t it just ufortable? You can¡¯t even lower your arms when wearing this.¡± When wearing a scarf, your arms basically end up in an awkward jump rope position. If not, it would drag on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s pretty. Ah, it¡¯s beautiful.¡± At this, tension circled the hall again. Isn¡¯t that the Poison Flower? It is the Poison Flower. Damn, the queen bitch is here. Why did that unlucky one stuck in Sichuane all the way to Kaifeng? The Poison Flower lent her own item? Did she go crazy from mishandling poison? At this, Tang Nanah shot nces here and there as if to show off. Her gazes reached the clique leaders, and they all exchanged nces while snickering. Is that ying servant? The great Tang Nanah is clinging to such a rustic ugly woman? Moreover, she seems to know nothing about this side? What¡¯s she doing bringing someone who knows nothing? That¡¯s when it happened. A tiny thing came running with high-pitched screams like a bird. ¡°Sister! Gaga sister!¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it Hyangi. Our Hyangi was here?¡± Qing lifted Zhuge Hyang up, spun her around twice, then hugged her close. The seven-year-old littledy let out a clear, pleasant child¡¯sugh, giggling happily. ¡°Ah, Gaga sister, did you see our brother? I saw him after a long time but he didn¡¯t y with Hyangi, it¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Your brother is over there where the men gather. He¡¯ll probably go home today, so ask him to y with you to make up for the missed time.¡± ¡°Heheh, okay.¡± And when Qing tried to put the child down, Zhuge Hyang hung onto Qing¡¯s neck like she was clinging to a tree, with no intention of letting go. Qing chuckled and hugged Zhuge Hyang again. At this sight, the women raised their level of vignce again. She was a woman followed by the Zhuge n¡¯s darling, putting the Poison Flower below her. She wasn¡¯t just a country bumpkin. That¡¯s when a pretty beauty somewhere in the middle spoke with a bright smile. ¡°Hey, Poison Flower. A new Phoenix has arrived, aren¡¯t you going to introduce her?¡± So Qing looked at that woman. Wow, what? Gulp. How can she wear clothes like that? Seeing it directly, the impact is incredible. It was a trend called ¡°thin-transparent-exposed.¡± Thin means thin, transparent means see-through, and exposed means revealing, epassing all three in one outfit. It involves wrapping a sash around the ribs to lift the breasts up, then wearing a very long skirt. Add a see-through gauze vest on top and the thin-transparent-exposed look isplete. Many poets were inspired by this desirable attire and wrote poetry, with famous lines like: ¡°White snow piles up on the front chest.¡± ¡°The exposed chest is white as snow.¡± ¡°The revealed chest is like snow reflecting the sky.¡± They allpare breasts to snow, not because of giarism, but because snow-white skin is considered beautiful. Meanwhile, how much of the upper chest was exposed depended on the individual¡¯s confidence, wealth, and level of power. The higher all three were, the lower and more area was revealed. And the confidence of the woman who spoke to her was at the maximum level, dangerously close to the edge. Qing struggled to correct her instinctively drawn gaze and said: ¡°Ah. Hello everyone. I¡¯m Ximen Qing, an outer disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect. I¡¯mcking, but I¡¯ve studied under Master Ximen Surin.¡± ¡°Grand Matron!¡± ¡°Zenith Among Women!¡± ¡°Grand Matron!¡± This doesn¡¯t distinguish between men and women, huh. And this sharp chorus again. It seems like there¡¯s a rough one, two, fire rhythm, and as long as they shout simultaneously, it doesn¡¯t matter if the content is slightly different. I should try joining in instead of standing alone stupidly if I get the chanceter. Qing inwardly resolved. And that opportunity came right away. ¡°So you¡¯re Miss Ximen. I¡¯m Jin Seol. You must have heard my name?¡± And then Jin Seol made an expression as if waiting for something, and Qing sensed it. Ah. This is the moment I should shout now! Um, so, Jin Seol um. Who are you? Qing realized a serious error. Shouldn¡¯t you know something to shout? That¡¯s when Zhuge Hyang blew her hot child¡¯s breath into Qing¡¯s ear through the face veil. ¡°She¡¯s Miss Jin Seol of the Guangdong Jin n. She¡¯s in charge of the Blooming White Lily among the Five Flowers of Murim.¡± ¡°Blooming White Lily!¡± Qing cheated and copied the correct answer. Although the timing was quitete, Jin Seol nodded with a proud expression. In Chinese poetry, there¡¯s a line that goes: ¡°Sitting like a peony, standing like a peony, walking like a lily.¡± This describes a beauty, and among them, the lily is known as the flower of flowers for its strong fragrance and pure beauty. Jin Seol, the Blooming White Lily, was just like that. For reference, Sword Flower Murong Juhui imed that they just called her Lily because Jin Seol had no special skills. She didn¡¯t stop there, showing hostility by saying that because she had nothing else to show off, she always went around with her chest exposed, clearly aiming to be the Pervert Flower or Slut Flower. It wasn¡¯t entirely baseless. There¡¯s the Poison Flower who uses poison, the Sword Flower who¡¯s surprisingly serious about swords. The Wise Flower who¡¯s smart and the Snow Flower who uses ice arts. Although all five beauties are beautiful enough to be called the Five Flowers of the Central ins, Jin Seol doesn¡¯t have any notable characteristics or special skills to speak of. Of course, she ims it¡¯s because she¡¯s the most beautiful. ¡°My, our Hyangi is just like Zhuge Liang? As expected of the Zhuge bloodline. So reliable.¡± ¡°Heheh.¡± Qing rubbed cheeks with the child through the thin face veil. Zhuge Hyang burst into happyughter, and Tang Nanah lit up with jealousy at the sight. It was the ugly image of a viiness being jealous of a seven-year-old child. Jin Seol gently tested the waters and checked the situation. Even if there are differences in distribution, ns aren¡¯t as strict as Daoist or Buddhist sects anyway. ¡°Let¡¯s see. We should prepare a seat for Miss Ximen. Where is there an empty seat¡­¡± Just as even cold water has its levels, the Phoenix Association banquet also has upper and lower seats. This doesn¡¯t officially exist so no one exins it, but if you vite it, you¡¯ll immediately face five hundred times the gossip and subtle ostracism. So you had to figure it out on your own, read the room, and find your ce well. And Jin Seol¡¯s ploy towards Qing was exactly this: a scheme to relegate her to the lowest of the low seats. It¡¯s an evil strategy with no escape route - if you don¡¯t know, you¡¯ll beughed at for being stuck in the lowest seat, and if you do know, you can¡¯t refuse from your first banquet appearance and have to ept it with seething anger. She doesn¡¯t particrly have bad feelings, but she can¡¯t help it since that Tang Nanah bitch is sticking to her. The humiliation and insults she suffered because that dog-like woman neutralizes poison are still vivid. In the end, it was because of Tang Nanah. And just as Jin Seol was about to make her move! ¡°Ah. It¡¯s fine. I just stopped by because I heard Miss Gong was here. I n to just have a brief private conversation and leave.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. But since we¡¯ve met like this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. But I can¡¯t spend much time because I havepanions, so please understand.¡± Jin Seol¡¯s smiling face became a bit awkward. That¡¯s because she was thinking something else inside. ¡®Right, so you¡¯re trying to slip away like this? Okay, fine,panions. What kind ofpanions could you have?¡¯ She thinks she¡¯s going to look around for men from the Nine Great Sects based on her background. Well, I wonder if there¡¯s any man who understands women¡¯s power struggles. ¡°Then will you please join tomorrow¡¯s gathering? I¡¯d like to talk with you, and since all of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly will gather in one ce tomorrow, it would be good if yourpanions join too, right?¡± ¡°Ah. Is that so? Will there be a lot of food?¡± ¡°Of course, rare dishes from all over the Central ins will be gathered in one ce.¡± Qing¡¯s eyes shed. Well then, I can¡¯t miss that, she thought. ¡°Excuse me, is Miss Gong here? Ah. There you are. Now, Hyangi. I have something to discuss privately, so the swinging is over now.¡± ¡°Swinging? Is that a dialect? But I can understand what it means right away¡­¡± Qing patted Tang Nanah¡¯s shoulder, telling her to at least exchange greetings with some familiar faces. At this, Tang Nanah walked out boldly, then pushed aside the woman next to Jin Seol and took her ce instead. Qing approached Gong Sonyeye directly, assuming the Five Flowers of Murim knew each other. As it happened, the seat where Gong Sonyeye was sitting was the very lowest seat, but Qing didn¡¯t know anyway. Of course, even if she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have cared, but that doesn¡¯t excuse her ignorance. Chapter 185: Kaifeng Coming Soon (7) Gong Sonyeye is new to Jianghu. Her life as the decisive weapon for her n¡¯s destiny of restoring their surname is nothing but training day after day. She starts the day with training, eats breakfast and trains. She even eats lunch at the training ground and trains until dusk, then after dinner with family, it¡¯s more training. Then she sleeps in a separate building next to the training ground, ending the day. So how excited must she have been approaching the Murim Conference? Friendship where she could seriously discuss martial arts with peers her age, sh swords, share breaths, and run together towards the end of martial studies! As a result, the Phoenix Association women¡¯s evaluation of Gong Sonyeye was like this: A girl who¡¯s cocky because she knows some martial arts. Talking about not being a woman but a martial artist, then what is she if not a woman, is she looking down on people or what? Seems like her eyes roll back whenever she sees a man, wanting to rub bodies under the pretext of sparring. Does this country bumpkin want to rub shoulders with famous Murim sects? Of course, Gong Sonyeye¡¯s behavior was very bad. It¡¯s good to have pride as a martial artist before being a woman, but originally pride was something you should feel alone. You shouldn¡¯t say things like ¡°Why are you talking about trivial things like adornments, clothes, ideal types for romance and marriage?¡± in front of everyone at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, including the men of the Azure Dragon Association. Moreover, the men responded to those words by standing up, apuding, and cheering ¡°Right, right, a true martial artist!¡± (Sword Lunatic wasrgely responsible for being the first to stand up and shout, stirring things up) Whether they were usually serious about martial arts training or not, she had thrown a huge insult at all the women who had dressed up prettily in front of the men. If Qing had seen this scene, she would have said it was like dering at the first drinking party with all university seniors and juniors gathered, ¡°Women who came all the way to university, are you not studying to be great people, but spending money on makeup and clothes to cling to men and aim for marriage?¡± Of course, Gong Sonyeye might feel wronged too. She was just doing as she was taught, it was what the strict n elders always said. Get up, don¡¯t whine likemon women. Know that it¡¯s shameful. What¡¯s the big deal about periods? Do you think enemies will go easy on you for three days a month? Youcking girl. Adornment is a pathetic trick used by women who can¡¯t be martial artists, realizing theirck of ability and trying to seduce men to change their fate. Don¡¯t even think about touching such filthy things. People naturally, without interaction with others,e to think everyone in the world lives like them. How could she help expecting that the promising new stars of the orthodox Murim would naturally be proud martial artists regardless of being men or women? This is how the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly gathering became a terribly awful ce for Gong Sonyeye. But when she tried to skip it saying she would train instead, she was scolded harshly for treating lightly the socializing for the n¡¯s long-cherished wish, so she couldn¡¯t skip it either. Even when she tried to mingle with the men, the martial artists, it was all in vain. The Azure Dragon Association members either wanted to chat among themselves having men-only conversations or dreamed of romance trying to impress the women. So naturally, Gong Sonyeye became like a non-existent person. Even when she appeared, no one acknowledged her (except for types like Jo Hakche), no one talked to her when she sat down, and no one stopped her when she got up from her seat. It was days of silently sitting in her seat, trying to maintain aposed expression while spending lonely time with no one talking to her, then returning to her lodgings. It was especially terrible on days when the Azure Dragon and Phoenix Associations held separate meetings, and that was now. It was in this situation. ¡°Miss Gong? Could we talk for a moment?¡± Gong Sonyeye flinched. It was the face-veiled woman she had seen in the market a few days ago. It was during Gong Sonyeye¡¯s first deviation, when she had slipped out to wander the market alone, unable to bear the ignoring anymore. She was the woman who had caught the pickpocket, but Gong Sonyeye had run away, afraid that either the truancy or the hair ornament would be discovered by her n. ¡°What, what is it? I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. Let¡¯s go out for some fresh air, everyone, I¡¯m borrowing Miss Gong for a bit, okay?¡± Then one of the women sitting at the same table answered tly. ¡°That woman isn¡¯t part of our group. Do as you please.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. But why so cold? Did you two fight? Come on, it¡¯s better to get along. So, I¡¯ll do as I please?¡± And then she reached out her white, almost pale beautiful hand towards her wrist. She, whose life had been training, surely wasn¡¯t careless enough to easily offer her wrist to a woman who had been flirting with men- Snap. Gong Sonyeye¡¯s wrist was caught, and she had a nk expression. Then she was pulled with force, but what strength, no, my goodness. Gong Sonyeye was dragged along helplessly. ¡°Wait a moment, miss, I have nothing to say-¡° ¡°I do. And didn¡¯t they say to do as I please with that miss? So it¡¯s my will.¡± ¡°I never gave permission!¡± ¡°Come on, are you a prince? Do I need permission just to talk? And I¡¯ve never asked permission from a prince either?¡± And so when they came out of the tower, she said let¡¯s walk a bit and dragged her along the canal path in front of the tower. ¡°Wow, there are so many boats. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Now will you say what you wanted to say? And let go of my hand.¡± ¡°If I let go, you¡¯ll run away again, right? I¡¯m an expert in escape, and I can see you¡¯re already calcting the angle.¡± ¡°Who said anything about running away?¡± ¡°Forget it. Weren¡¯t you alone sightseeing in the market then too? You seem to like sightseeing? Then, have you seen the Iron Pagoda? Let¡¯s see, around there, ah. Can you see that?¡± Following the woman¡¯s finger with her gaze, the dark top of a pagoda peeking out between buildings came into view. For it to be visible despite being quite far away, its original height must be enormous. Gong Sonyeye unknowingly let out an exmation of admiration. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t seen it yet. When you see it up close, you¡¯ll exim ¡®wow¡¯ three times - it¡¯s so high, so big, so wide. Go see it sometimeter. It¡¯s worth seeing.¡± ¡°More importantly, what did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Ah. Right. A few days ago, you know. A rude pickpocket reached for a pretty woman¡¯s bag, so I unknowingly executed justice?¡± ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t me-¡° ¡°But because the pretty woman who could prove my justice ran away without a care, I became a foul-tempered sword-wielder and got locked up in prison. For two whole days on that cold prison floor, with only two tasteless meals a day. And the punishment was flogging. Do you know flogging? It¡¯s a punishment where they tie you up and beat you with bamboo rods.¡± Gong Sonyeye¡¯s heart sank. Was it that serious? ¡°Who asked for your help? And if I had known it was that serious, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They said they¡¯d let me off if I paid sixty wen, so I paid sixty wen and didn¡¯t get beaten.¡± ¡°Sixty wen¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, here. This ornament is yours, right? I was going to keep it as payment for the beating, but I¡¯m being generous. I¡¯ll return it.¡± ¡°I told you it¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s say it¡¯s not Miss Gong¡¯s. Wow, I found a very, very pretty hair ornament on the street, and it looks perfect for our Miss Gong. Here. A gift.¡± Gong Sonyeye received the hair ornament in a daze. And then the woman said: ¡°It¡¯s nothing else, I just wanted to apologize and that¡¯s why I brought you out. I thought the hair ornament looked pretty so it must be precious and wanted to return it. I didn¡¯t know Miss Gong would be so embarrassed. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut from now on, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t need to worry particrly because I just dealt with the pickpocket because I saw him. You know how you pick up trash when you see it? I just can¡¯t help but act when I see human trash. So even if it wasn¡¯t Miss Gong, I was destined to pay sixty wen someday, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Gong Sonyeye looked down at the hair ornament. It was a gift her mother had given her secretly when she was young, saying it was their little secret, when she was crying quietly during harsh training (because she would be scolded more if she cried). ¡°Well. My business is done. Miss Gong can go back to your business now. Hmm. I wonder when everyone wille back from ying.¡± The woman said this and turned her back without lingering, walking away briskly. Gong Sonyeye looked at the hair ornament in her hand, then towards the Phoenix Association hall in Liangyun Tower, then turned her head to look at the tip of the Iron Pagoda peeking out in the distance. And then looking for the retreating figure of the woman- ¡°Wait! Miss!¡± She hurriedly ran out and caught up with the woman. ¡°Oh? What is it? No returns.¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, but if it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you guide me to the Iron Pagoda? I¡¯d like to see it up close¡­¡± The Iron Pagoda is just a tall,rge brick pagoda. It¡¯s surprising and awe-inspiring when you first see it, but it¡¯s not still surprising when you see it a second time! To think such technology existed in primitive, ancient, uncivilized China! ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Originally it was a wooden pagoda twice as tall, but it was struck by lightning and burned down, so they rebuilt it with non-mmable bricks, halving its height.¡± Qing boasted, pretending to know the story she had just picked up. ¡°My goodness, it¡¯s so tall even now. It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t see its previous form.¡± ¡°Right? But you know, Chinese people exaggerate, so no one knows if it was really twice as tall. Honestly, I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s like that, I could say the same. There was a hundred-story tower at the Divine Maiden Sect that reached the sky where we met fairies, but oh no, it caught fire while ying with fire with the fairies and disappeared. What, you don¡¯t believe me? How can you be so sure about something from the past? If you can¡¯t bring evidence that it didn¡¯t exist, then it existed.¡± At Qing¡¯s words, Gong Sonyeye¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Was there really such a tower?¡± ¡°Do you think there was? If there was, it would be called the Divine Tower Sect or Heavenly Tower Sect instead of the Divine Maiden Sect.¡± Qing answered with a snicker. She¡¯s so naive for someone new to Jianghu. ¡°Ah. Right. I¡¯m not sure if I can ask this, but can I?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard that Miss Gong¡¯s name part is Sonyeye, but I was told it¡¯s much better to call you Miss Gongson, so I¡¯ve been calling you that. Is that not rude or anything?¡± ¡°Ah. That. Actually, our n¡¯s original surname was Gongson. Because we¡¯re a n descended from the primordial ancestor.¡± ¡°Ah. Xuanyuan.¡± Qing knows at least the genealogy of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of Daoism. It was thanks to diligently copying itst winter and having it ingrained in her head. The first emperor of China, with the surname Gongson and given name Xuanyuan. He¡¯smonly called Xuanyuan-shi, but here ¡®shi¡¯ isn¡¯t a surname but an honorific title attached to mythical beings. ¡°¡­So we¡¯re trying to restore our surname.¡± Gong Sonyeye revealed her n¡¯s circumstances. ¡°Ah. Why did they arbitrarily cut someone else¡¯s surname in half? That¡¯s really mean.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such things carelessly.¡± ¡°Why, isn¡¯t it normal to curse when no one¡¯s around? Don¡¯t your family members curse the emperor? I bet they do.¡± ¡°¡­Just a little.¡± ¡°See? Hmm. Are you hungry? I¡¯m not hungry but my mouth is curious. Does Miss Gong like snacks? No, there can¡¯t be people in the world who dislike snacks. What kind of snacks do you like?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really¡­¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t like snacks? I just said that, how can you say you don¡¯t like them to my face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, I haven¡¯t really tried many so I don¡¯t know the names. That fried¡­ square, sweet with red bean filling¡­¡± Then Qing answered with augh as if it was ridiculous: ¡°One out of four Chinese snacks is fried, square, sweet, and filled with red bean paste. This won¡¯t do. Today is the day we empty out a teahouse of snacks. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll feed you snacks until your stomach bursts.¡± The money Qing had earned through her nuclear bombing of punishment was no ordinary amount. Moreover, when there¡¯s a man in the group, Qing doesn¡¯t have to spend money. When there¡¯s a man in the group, if a woman takes out money, it bes a rude action that disrespects the man. Surprisingly, the men didn¡¯t have muchint about this, because men who didin would be kicked out of manhood with words like ¡°Tsk tsk, a man who doesn¡¯t even have money to spend on women, are you a beggar?¡± Of course, it had to be taken into ount that women had no way of getting money except for pocket money. Basically, since women had no ie, it was a structure where the money-earning men took full responsibility. After that, Qing indulged to her heart¡¯s content. She boldly ordered every type of snack avable at a well-located teahouse. ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t eat like that.¡± ¡°¡­? But I¡¯m going to eat it.¡± And then Gong Sonyeye was shocked at the ensuing snack massacre. No matter how much she said she wasn¡¯t a woman but a martial artist, wasn¡¯t this beyond the difference between human and beast, let alone woman and martial artist? Wouldn¡¯t even a pig starved for three days not eat like this? Anyway, Gong Sonyeye did taste a little of each type, so for the first time in her twenty-seven years of life, she realized what her snack preferences were. And then Qing, who hated silence with no voices, said whatever came to mind, and Gong Sonyeye, who wasn¡¯t very talkative, awkwardly responded. After passing time like this for a while, as it started to get dark, Qing said she should probably head back now. As Qing was saying goodbye, Gong Sonyeye hesitated and asked: ¡°Will Miss Ximen be attending the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I might go? I might not go?¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It might be because of a friend who doesn¡¯t like to show his face. I might go if I have nothing else to do. Ah. I should see Sword Brother and Changbin too, so I guess I should go. Hmm, high probability of attending?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Gong Sonyeye nodded and seemed like she wanted to say something, hesitating, but in the end just said goodbye and farewell. Qing just tilted her head. What, so anticlimactic, she thought.