Chapter 142: Ximen Qing

A patrol envoy from the Demonic Cult is coming to deliver a dispatch!

Of course, no matter how deep the enmity ran, harming an envoy was simply not done.

Especially when the recipient was the Murim Alliance, the central headquarters of the Orthodox Murim.

If anything, they might have to protect the patrol envoy carrying the dispatch from potential attacks.

This was necessary, if only to avoid giving the Cult grounds to claim that the Orthodox Murim had despicably harmed their messenger.

Thus, experts from the Murim Alliance were dispatched. However, unwilling to associate closely with the filthy Demonic Cult scum, they couldn't approach too near, instead forming a perimeter at a moderate distance, both monitoring and guarding the envoy.

And so, the Demonic Cult's infamous jet-black ebony carriage, encircled by a layer of martial artists, traversed the Central Plains. Eyewitness accounts flowed steadily towards the Murim Alliance headquarters.

Before the main gate of the Murim Alliance headquarters.

The place was already a sea of people, drawn by the spectacle.

Even the opening of a martial arts tournament wouldn't have drawn such a crowd.

Though unspoken, everyone had a rough idea of what the Demonic Cult patrol envoy's dispatch would contain.

An ultimatum!

A dispatch is a diplomatic letter sent from one power to another.

Among these, the final ultimatum signifies the end—no more talk needed, let's just duke it out.

This signaled something important to the Murim Alliance.

Just how confident were those Demonic Cult bastards to announce their attack with a declaration of war?

These were the types who always gathered their strength and launched surprise attacks. For them to give advance notice this time…

However, the strength of the Orthodox Murim was also reaching its peak.

Since the era of the Celestial Martial Emperor, the level of martial arts within the Orthodox Murim had been hitting new highs daily. Even if the villains of the Demonic Cult were to invade now, the righteous faction would simply rise resolutely to meet them.

Before the main gate of the Murim Alliance, the key figures of the Alliance stood in a line, weapons in hand.

This was the headquarters of the Murim Alliance, imbued with the righteous spirit of the Orthodox Faction.

This display was staged because they couldn't possibly allow a filthy seed of the Demonic Cult inside the Alliance headquarters.

One might ask what the point of all this was.

But in the Central Plains, face is tantamount to life itself.

Through the throng of onlookers, the Demonic Cult's ebony carriages finally revealed themselves.

An ominous murmur spread through the crowd.

"Halt!"

A Lion's Roar, infused with Buddhist power, echoed thunderously.

The pure, demon-subduing energy, honed through a lifetime of martial practice by Great Monk Naegwang of Shaolin, spread far and wide.

It was a move to seize the initiative, to dominate the atmosphere.

It proved effective; the ominous murmuring instantly ceased.

Whispers of admiration followed—That's Shaolin for you, The leader of the Orthodox Murim, and the like—before quickly fading.

Then, the crowd, filled with righteous fervor, turned to jeers and condemnation.

"How dare you evil scum of the Demonic Cult trespass here!"

"Boo! Get lost, Demonic Cult bastards!"

"Did you think the Orthodox Murim would cower at this? Justice always prevails!"

Amidst the commotion, the patrol envoy finally raised the dispatch high and declared:

"Wishing your esteemed Alliance eternal glory, I speak to the esteemed experts of the Murim Alliance on behalf of the Divine Cult's Supreme!"

"......?"

"......?"

Silence fell instantly.

Did I hear that right? Blinking, people looked around at each other, only to see the same dumbfounded expressions mirrored on every face.

At least that confirmed they hadn't misheard.

"The new Divine Cult Supreme wishes to erase the old grudges and hatred, seeking an end to the long-standing animosity! Thus, we open the gates of the Divine Cult and propose reconciliation, hoping to escape the sorrowful chain where blood begets blood and suffering breeds suffering, and instead sing joyful songs together under the heavens!"

Damn it, we've been had.

The Murim Alliance strategist broke into a cold sweat.

Had they invited the patrol envoy inside the Alliance headquarters, it might have been different. But proposing reconciliation in broad daylight, amidst a crowd gathered from all over the Central Plains, left the Alliance with no choice but to accept.

Their justification required the Demonic Cult to attack first. The Murim Alliance, protector of the Central Plains' peace and stability, couldn't possibly reject the offer now and declare war.

So, the whole charade—meticulously hiding their true intentions and feigning an ultimatum—was all a scheme leading to this.

The strategist had overthought things, using his sharp mind unnecessarily.

A common trait among the clever.

But what was their true intention?

If they genuinely desired peace, this could be a historic moment, erasing one of the Murim's oldest sources of conflict.

But what if it was merely a ploy to induce complacency before launching the fifth great war between the Righteous and Demonic factions?

"The gates of the Divine Cult are now wide open! Any esteemed expert of the martial world who wishes may visit Tianshan Shinshi and see for themselves!"

"Hmm."

The strategist let out an uneasy groan.

A gate, by its nature, allows passage in both directions.

By merely opening the gate to their thatched hut in some remote corner beyond the borders, weren't they also signaling their intention to advance into the Central Plains?

Yet, there was no valid reason to stop them.

The 'old grudge' was genuinely ancient; most people's knowledge of the suffering caused by the Demonic Cult was learned secondhand, passed down through generations.

The journey from Sichuan to the Divine Maiden Sect wasn't much of a trip, frankly.

Get on a boat, get off the boat. Done.

Of course, the scenery along the Yangtze River is beautiful.

Board a boat on the Min River in Chengdu, follow the waterways downstream, and you merge into the main Yangtze River.

Without disembarking, continuing straight takes you into Chongqing, the eastern region of Sichuan Province.

Chongqing is also prime land, land that has produced kings.

The common term for the Sichuan region, Bashu, combines the lands of the Ba state and the Shu state; the 'Ba' part refers precisely to Chongqing.

Consequently, while people from Sichuan consider Chongqing part of eastern Sichuan, Chongqing natives resent being lumped together with the Sichuan folk and dislike the association.

Passing horizontally through the long, narrow land of Chongqing, one immediately reaches the Wu Gorge, considered the most spectacular scenery along the Yangtze River.

And the highest peak in the Wu Gorge is Divine Maiden Peak.

When the boatmen shout, "Hey everyone, Wu Gorge is here! Come out and see!" you leisurely prepare, and disembarking at Zigui puts you right at your doorstep.

In modern terms, the Divine Maiden Sect boasts prime real estate with a Yangtze River view and its own 'Divine Maiden Sect Station'—super accessible!

It was because the return journey was so convenient and short that Ximen Surin hadn't hesitated to rush off upon hearing news of the rebellion in Sichuan.

Her disciple, located just a few days' travel away (though the Yangtze flows one way, making the trip back fast), was dilly-dallying and hadn't shown her face. Naturally, Surin had been consumed with worry and had no choice but to chase after her.

And so, arriving at the sect gates of the Divine Maiden Sect, Qing finally let out a huge sigh of relief, overcome with emotion. Ah, finally home.

Truthfully, in terms of luxury, the Divine Maiden Sect couldn't compare to either the Demonic Cult's base or the Tang Clan compound. Still, the mental peace that came with being in her own home was something unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

"The Grand Matriarch is here. Gulp."

The Divine Maiden Sect disciples tended to be intensely intimidated by Ximen Surin.

Therefore, Surin announcing "I need to go water the orchids" the moment they entered the sect grounds, then leaping onto her sword and vanishing, was her way of considerately giving Qing time to reunite with the disciples she hadn't seen in a while.

"Grand Martial Junior! Wow, you've gotten prettier! A total Xishi! A total Yuji! A total Diaochan! A total Wang Zhaojun!"

Xishi was known as the greatest beauty of all time. Yuji's given name was Yu, but her surname wasn't passed down. Diaochan was, well, Diaochan. Wang Zhaojun's given name was Zhang, so she was sometimes called Wang Zhang. Basically, it was the Four Great Beauties, minus Yang Guifei.

"What, Grand Martial Junior is here?"

"Grand Martial Junior!!"

"Grand Martial Junior, where did you travel this time? Can we come listen to your stories?"

"The flute, can you play the flute for us? The melody echoes in my ears all the time, but it just doesn't feel right unless it's you playing, Grand Martial Junior."

"Who's the person next to you? Is she a new disciple?"

"Wow, the number one beauty of Sichuan! The Poisonous Speaking Flower!"

"Rainstorm of Pear Blossom Needles! Can you show us the Rainstorm of Pear Blossom Needles?"

"Idiot, wouldn't that kill us all?"

They erupted into excited chatter amongst themselves.

Qing handed out the Tang Clan sweets she had brought, one by one, accepting their fervent welcome.

Living secluded in the mountains without much reason to leave the sect, these girls were incredibly kindhearted, but also extremely sensitive to external stimuli.

Hence, the welcome felt almost like an attack by a flock of birds.

Unlike Qing, who was already accustomed to this and adeptly popped sweets into their mouths, Tang Nanah already looked visibly exhausted.

"I imagined a Daoist sect would be... somewhat quieter, something like that..."

"Isn't that just prejudice?"

"Qingcheng and Emei were quiet. But you... you really were a Daoist elder, weren't you..." Tang Nanah said, looking at Qing anew.

It was understandable, given how different Qing's attitude already was compared to her time at the Tang Clan.

Back then, she had been completely lax, laziness ingrained in her very being. She seemed to train briefly with Peng Choryeo midway, but even that didn't last long.

All she seemed to do was sleep, eat, or cling to Old Choi, acting childishly.

But now, back in her own home, her posture had straightened, her shoulders broadened, presenting the dignified appearance of a senior martial sister. It was bound to seem strange.

Qing chuckled.

"Elder? What elder. First, let's pay respects to the Sect Leader, then I'll show you to the guest quarters."

They were crossing Divine Maiden Peak when it happened.

Something small rushed forward and threw itself into Qing's arms.

"Ack! Hey, my chest is injured! Don't rub your face on the wound, okay?"

"Huh?"

It was an unfamiliar face.

But the girl wore the training uniform of a second-generation disciple, and the top of her head barely reached below Qing's collarbone. She was a tiny one.

Qing was quite tall for a woman, just two finger-widths shy of six feet (5'9.4"), but even considering that, not reaching the collarbone meant the girl was exceptionally small.

There was only one person in the Divine Maiden Sect who fit that description.

"Oh. Jangmyeong-ie. You've gotten much prettier. Didn't recognize you."

"Heehee."

Jin Jangmyeong let out a strange giggle.

Qing looked her up and down, impressed.

"Oh. What's this? Are you at the threshold of the First-Rate Realm now?"

"Heeheehee."

Jin Jangmyeong placed her hands on her hips, striking a smug pose.

Qing continued.

"A mere First-Rate nobody shouldn't block a Peak Realm expert's path. Won't you step aside? Go play with the other First-Rate fledglings. Goodness, I might catch 'First-Rate-itis'. Shoo, shoo. Go away."

"Tch."

Jin Jangmyeong's face soured.

When 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 Qing's arms again with a fierce hug.

Qing let out another yelp.

"Ack! That is the left side! It barely healed, you're going to split it open again!"

"What? You said left!"

"My left, obviously! Not your left from where you're standing."

"Then you should have said so."

"If someone asks if your left or right arm is hurt, do you answer based on their perspective? Haven't seen you in ages, and you're still spouting nonsense."

"Hmph."

"Alright. Let go now. National law is strict; minors shouldn't be clinging like this."

"...? I've been an adult since we first met."

"Men and women are the same to me. Adulthood starts at twenty. Jangmyeong-ie, are you eighteen this year? Two years left."

"One year and one month. This year is almost over."

For reference, in the Central Plains, the age of majority for men was twenty, known as the 'age of capping,' while for women, it was simply fifteen.

A fifteen-year-old boy was called 'zhi xue,' encouraged to set his mind on learning, but a fifteen-year-old girl? Forget learning; she was considered an adult, urged to quickly bear children.

Such was the state of the Central Plains, which had so enraged Ximen Surin and driven her to write numerous legendary tales of female struggle.

After that exchange, Jangmyeong turned to look at Tang Nanah and asked.

"Who's this kid?"

Thump.

Qing gave her a light noogie on the head.

"Is that any way to talk to a guest? This is Tang Nanah. She's one of the Five Great Beauties of the Murim, and also, um, a physician."

"Hey! Calling a person 'this'! Uh, hello? Little Daoist friend?"

"Five Great Beauties?"

Jin Jangmyeong looked at Tang Nanah's face, then back at Qing's face, then checked Tang Nanah's face again, before looking back at Qing one last time. A small scoff escaped her lips as one side of her mouth curled up crookedly.

"Hey! What's with you, you little shrimp! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hmph."

Seeing this, Qing suddenly recalled a long-forgotten memory.

Come to think of it, this Jangmyeong brat was a real piece of work from the very beginning.

She'd forgotten because Jangmyeong had acted so meek after entering the Divine Maiden Sect.

She must just be extremely shy around strangers, I guess.