Chapter 14: Set Course North-westward

Everyone has a plan. Until they get punched in the face.

A-Qing also had a plausible plan.

A-Qing drank the poisoned alcohol.

First, the fault of that poisoning, for reasons unknown, was the guys who threatened the waiter and poisoned the drink.

And then, the fault lay with the inn for poor customer service and mismanagement of employees.

But A-Qing didn't blame the inn.

Because she was going to blame them tomorrow.

After staying one night and having a late breakfast, she would order a table full of alcohol and dishes.

And then she would enjoy a free feast under the pretext of compensation and leave.

There was a reason why A-Qing planned such a wicked scheme.

First, she was upset with the owner, who kept apologizing but didn't say anything about giving her something for free.

Second, if she demanded something for free now, she didn't know what kind of trick they would play on the food when she ordered breakfast tomorrow.

She didn't want to eat food with a lot of spit in it.

So she fell asleep giggling, thinking about how she would search all the food tomorrow, but oh my.

What's this happening on such a good night?

She woke up to the sound of weapons clashing.

What's with the noise between floors?

A-Qing closed her eyes again.

But as is the sorrow of humans, once you notice something, you end up focusing on it.

Cling clang, fun game.

Thump thump, everyone jump together.

Snap, A-Qing's patience snapped.

It was A-Qing's patience that had become weaker than two-hour soggy noodles since she entered Murim.

A-Qing drew her sword and ran out.

“You motherfuckers! Let me sleep! Sleep! Some! Fuck! Did your parents never teach tha, hkrt.”

It was before A-Qing's lion's roar could finish.

A murderous intent rushed in.

A-Qing's waist bent like a bow.

The blade grazed her chest.

A-Qing straightened her waist. Using that momentum, she extended her left fist. She shoved it under the attacker's armpit.

Crack. That ticklish feeling of bones breaking.

The sound of a blocked airway. A bending waist.

At that moment, the Moonlight Sword fell vertically.

The blade cut through the top of the head, passed the forehead and nose, and reached the philtrum before getting stuck.

Brother! An angry shout. A straight sword attack rushing in. A-Qing grabbed the corpse by the collar and pulled it. The blade protrudes from the corpse's solar plexus. A-Qing pushed as it was. The dead falls, crushing the living.

A-Qing pulled out the Moonlight Sword (6th), which was stuck in the firewood. Something trickled down between the head split in two. The red is blood, the white is brain matter. The two mixed to create a light pink color.

The guy underneath screamed.

So noisy.

A-Qing stepped on the corpse's waist and pushed the sword, held in reverse grip, into its back.

Two bodies, double the thickness, double the feel.

After stabbing the floor a few times, the screaming stopped.

You spineless bastard.

A-Qing smacked her lips and shook off the sword.

“What the hell is going on?”

The inn, which is considered a bit large by Central Plains standards, is built in a square shape, with guest rooms on the outside, corridors and railings on the inside, and the center open for daylight.

From the corridor, you can see the top and bottom of the three sides.

And under the moonlight, all directions are in a frenzy of sword fights.

It was literally a war of all against all.

What's this?

Is this some kind of culture that a second-year Central Plains person doesn't know about?

Suddenly, she remembered that the inn was strangely full of only bad guys.

Maybe there's a culture where bad guys get together on a certain day and kill each other.

At that time.

"Myeong-ah!"

At the heartbreaking voice, A-Qing's head turned.

A human figure holding a child on the first floor, A-Qing ran down the hallway and jumped down.

A-Qing landed in front of the kidnapper using two feet, one knee, and one hand. It was the way a hero appears.

The Moonlight Sword fell precisely into her outstretched right hand.

Under the moonlight, A-Qing slowly got up.

“Hoo…….”

A-Qing held back the pain in her knees and palms.

It seems to be the pain of heroes.

Actually, it was a messed-up landing method that didn't disperse the impact at all.

But that didn't mean it was ineffective.

Advanced coolness that jumped over centuries!

The kidnapper flinched and stepped back.

He was overwhelmed by her spirit.

She didn't know the opponent's level, but the move she just did looked very impressive.

“Leave the child and disappear. I'll spare your life.”

A-Qing emitted sword energy. Sword threads swirling and blooming on the blade. It was a show of force.

Even A-Qing couldn't suddenly swing her sword at a kidnapper holding a child.

The kidnapper, who had been looking around, suddenly threw the child.

A-Qing, startled, jumped.

Fortunately, she managed to catch it.

Instead, her arm burned as if on fire.

A throwing knife stuck in her upper arm. Only the handle was sticking out.

“I did it!”

A shout. A-Qing's head turned.

She made eye contact with the bastard who threw the knife.

He turned his back.

He shouted in the meantime.

“Kill her! She's poisoned with Seven Treasures Poison, she won't last long!”

That motherfucker. Didn't he see me drinking poisoned alcohol?

The light faded from A-Qing's eyes.

I'm going to kill that bastard. I'm going to fucking kill him.

But before that, there were those who jumped in.

Moths drawn to the flame, emboldened by the Seven Treasures Poison.

A-Qing tucked Jin Jangmyeong under her arm and threw the sword. While one guy was busy blocking the sword, A-Qing's hand took the shape of the Buddha's hand.

Ding-! The sound of a bell. A nearby head exploded. Debris flying everywhere. Skin with hair attached and broken bone fragments, brain matter and two eyes with tails.

Murderous intent rising from the left. The kid is on that side.

A-Qing lowered her body and spun two and a half times. The enemy's ankle was caught on her accelerated toes. The enemy's two legs flew up. The enemy flew straight with the momentum of their charge.

A-Qing stepped on the guy's neck and ran out.

A spear blade flew towards her thigh.

She grabbed the spear shaft. As she was about to pull it, a whooshing sound cut through the air. A huge blade rushed in.

A-Qing hugged the child and lay down on the spot.

The enemy's sword was aimed at the floor. A-Qing rolled frantically to the side. The sound of weapons hitting the floor followed A-Qing.

The throwing knife embedded in her arm tore at the wound.

It hurt so much that she couldn't even scream.

The world is spinning and my arm hurts. It hurts so much. Hurts. Hurts.

She grabbed an ankle. She clenched her fist.

The ankle shattered under the force of her internal energy. Bones were crushed, tearing through the skin and popping out, tickling her palm.

A strange heat bloomed from her dantian.

The pain subsided a little.

A-Qing pushed the owner of the falling ankle with her foot.

The martial artist who had been hitting the floor fell with the flying cripple.

A-Qing bounced her waist. Using the momentum, she quickly got up and reached out. Internal energy swirled violently.

Ding-! The vicious fist of the Buddha's Palm was fired.

A headless body poured onto A-Qing.

A-Qing tucked the kid under her arm again and naturally snatched the sword from the headless corpse.

You're back, Moonlight Sword!

A-Qing grabbed the Moonlight Sword (7th).

Then, the heat from her dantian spread throughout her body.

At that moment, A-Qing lost herself.

A trance.

It was a wondrous experience.

It was as if she was lying comfortably in the warmth, resting inside her body that was being moved by someone else.

A-Qing soon found the right word. Auto-hunting!

A-Qing kicked off.

She moved, turning and stepping lightly as if dancing, like a beautiful woman frolicking in a good mood.

A streak of silver followed her, drawing afterimages.

Sometimes she took a long way around, cutting off the enemy's wrist, drawing blood and screams, and the woman trembled.

The scribble that had been swirling in a circle pierced the heart, split the spleen, and cut the intestines.

A gentle touch drew a straight line connecting ear to ear, and the head opened naturally like a lid.

Blood flowed with each graceful step.

Life was lost, and the woman smiled.

Finally, in the center of the inn.

Under the pouring moonlight, the female swordsman with a child stood alone.

A-Qing finally regained control of her body.

A heavy fatigue weighed her down.

She almost faltered.

Hey, give me back my body. It was more comfortable before!

“Myeong-ah!”

Yang Sowol rushed out, covered in blood.

She was a reliable ally who kept throwing chopsticks whenever things got dangerous. It was actually much more helpful than a clumsy attack.

Yang Sowol took the child and drew her sword to guard A-Qing's side.

Thus, the battle ended.

The inn was a mess with corpses and ownerless limbs.

Those who groaned, clutching their wounds.

Some crawled around looking for their wrists and ankles, and the survivors with tired shoulders watched A-Qing.

“The feast is over. Everyone go back.”

She said it with a smile, but it was actually a bluff.

As is usual with A-Qing's good lines.

Now she has no internal energy left.

In fact, it was hard to even straighten her trembling legs.

Generally, the power of martial arts is proportional to the consumption of internal energy.

The Yue Maiden Sword was a peerless divine skill.

In addition, the two shots of the Buddha's Palm also played a part.

Although internal energy is originally like that, the Buddha's Palm, the pinnacle of orthodox techniques, was not a skill that a mere peak martial artist should use.

The survivors were still watching her.

A-Qing spoke again.

“Actually, I'm not in a good situation either. But I can still take two out of three people here. One-third. So, what do you think, is it a worthwhile probability? Want to try?”

Those words were decisive.

“We'll be taking our leave. May we collect the bodies?”

“Just leave the belongings of the dead.”

“……Thank you for your consideration.”

Someone turned their back sadly, someone collected the bodies of their colleagues, and someone else spoke of their resentment.

“I am Choi Beon of the Gangneung Branch. You will pay for this blood someday.”

“Whatever.”

That fake bastard talks a lot. If it were up to her, she would have wanted to have a big fight and settle it, but considering the situation.

A-Qing had to stand guard for a long time until all the enemies had left.