Chapter 144: Ximen Qing

Seeing Qing's state, Tang Nanah entertained suspicions of physical and emotional abuse towards the disciples within the Divine Maiden Sect.

Especially for someone like Tang Nanah, who had been raised delicately, the sight was shocking enough to induce cultural whiplash.

Qing wore a single piece of thin, see-through fabric draped over her shoulders by two straps.

Worse, one strap had frayed and broken, carelessly tied back together, making it hang unevenly.

However, Tang Nanah quickly realized her misunderstanding.

"Ah, Grand Martial Junior, you're wearing that again? Wow, you still look so pretty in it. I'm really jealous."

"Why, want to try it on?"

"Later, when it's warmer. It's too cold now. Can't you put it on me when it's warm, just the two of us?"

"Dream on. Why would I give this to you when it's so comfortable in the heat? No deal unless you want to swap right now."

Then, a passing middle-aged woman—no, a first-generation disciple—spoke.

"Martial Junior, I sewed two blankets together and added plenty of extra cotton. Take it and use it. Goodness, just looking at you makes me feel cold."

"Wow. Thank you so much. You're truly my lifesaver."

"If you're thankful, don't just say it. You know what to do next time you go out into the martial arts world, right?"

"Consider it done. Expect my full gratitude delivered as proper revenge."

And then the third-generation chicks arrived.

"Grand Martial Junior! Flute! Flute! Flute!"

"Hey, did you leave your flutes with me? Do I look like a flute?"

"Pleeease, quickly. We've been waiting for you, Grand Martial Junior. Do you have any new songs this time?"

"Let's see..."

Qing shamelessly plagiarized a few immortal masterpieces on her flute, and once again, everyone erupted in delight.

Everyone accepted Qing's attire as perfectly natural. While they might shower her with compliments about how pretty she looked, there wasn't a trace of scorn in sight.

It was because they had all seen it to the point of exhaustion last year and were already used to the scene. Besides, constant stimulation tends to raise one's threshold.

While it might have caused a stir last winter, by this spring, they were more interested in her flute recitals than her clothes.

At this point, Tang Nanah was simply confounded.

What's going on? Am I the weird one?

She's walking around in that indecent, see-through thing she calls clothes, and no one finds it shameful to look at?

Isn't Qing-ah embarrassed either?

But Qing, while rubbing her arms and mentioning it was chilly, showed no particular sign of shame as she trotted around energetically.

Whatever.

She doesn't mind, and neither does anyone else. What's the point of me being the only one bothered?

But still... why do I get so thirsty every time I look?

And so, Tang Nanah spent her days diligently observing, constantly swallowing dryly.

Not that she could just follow Qing around all day. The disciples of the Divine Maiden Sect were making thorough use of the physician who had stumbled into their sect.

It reached a point where it was hard to tell if Tang Nanah was a houseguest or an invited doctor. The inherently self-sufficient and diligent people of the Divine Maiden Sect couldn't stand seeing anyone idle.

Especially when even their youngest Grand Martial Junior, who had rolled in later, dedicated herself to training all day long, clad in just a single thin piece of cloth.

After about half a day of transcription, Qing got a rough estimate.

Isn't there surprisingly ample time?

The books of the Central Plains contained fewer characters per page than Qing had anticipated.

Furthermore, her stamina, concentration, and basic dexterity were leagues above those of ordinary folk ignorant of martial arts, resulting in an astonishingly fast work rate.

At this pace, I can take it easy, finish by the end of winter, and head back out into the martial arts world in the spring.

Qing relaxed, reassured.

She spent the entire morning wrestling with ink, then proceeded to heartily devour the Divine Maiden Sect's lunch—not extravagant, but clean, deeply flavorful, and, most importantly, offered in unlimited quantities.

It was then that a first-generation disciple asked with a worried expression,

"Martial Junior, are you sick?"

"Huh? No. I'm perfectly fine."

"The Grand Matriarch was worried you might be ill since you didn't show up for morning training. Were you just skipping?"

"Huh?"

Only then did it hit Qing. Oops.

It wasn't instead of training; it was homework!

And then, a question dawned on her.

Even taking it easy, the transcription volume was enough to last all winter until spring.

If she spent mornings and afternoons visiting her Master...

Isn't there no time left?

Wait, then when do I sleep...?

However, to Ximen Surin, the books she had given Qing were merely foundational knowledge for learning.

Setting aside dedicated time just to absorb such basic background information?

Such a concept was utterly incomprehensible to this ruthless, cold-blooded individual.

"It's not as if the Central Plains is begging for you to come, disciple. What could possibly be so urgent? It is better to learn properly and leave after you have finished, even if it takes time. Would you die if you couldn't leave in the spring? Tsk. It seems your mind is only filled with thoughts of leaving."

"No, it's not like that..."

Since it wasn't entirely untrue, Qing found herself short of a reply.

Ultimately, if she had to accept it anyway, she might as well do it cheerfully.

Qing reached a conclusion.

"Hehe. Who knows. I guess I can sleep when I'm dead."

"Excellent. Indeed. I have pondered how my disciple will achieve enlightenment. It seems that while you grasp martial arts easily, you fail to contemplate their depths, thus your progress is slow."

She understood exactly what was explained to her, but she made zero progress in pioneering her own martial understanding based on that knowledge.

It was an accurate assessment.

Though, even her good understanding was a cheat, engraved directly onto her mind using the Martial Arts Window; how much worse would her deeper cultivation be?

"Did I not tell you before that your Yue Maiden Sword Technique follows the Middle Way of the Jiutian Xuannü?[^Jiutian Xuannü (九天玄女) is a Chinese deity, the 'Mysterious Lady of the Ninth Heaven', associated with warfare, sex, and longevity. The text connects her to the 'Middle Way' concept.] Since it was a supreme sword art encompassing all principles from the very beginning, it is natural that you are struggling now."

Ximen Surin began her formal instruction.

"The Middle Way, lacking excess in any one area, encompasses all four fundamental principles of martial arts. These arise from the harmony of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang: Swiftness, Stillness, Variability, and Weight."

A swift sword is fast; a static sword is unmoving.

Qing raised her hand with a question.

"Uh, then isn't a faster sword always better? And since force comes from speed and weight, doesn't that mean a fast sword is ultimately stronger..."

"'Static' doesn't refer to slow speed. Stillness means not moving; it is inherently static. 'Swiftness' means moving. Thus, the harmony of these two forms Yin and Yang, which in turn gives rise to the four combinations: motion amid motion, motion amid stillness, stillness amid motion, and stillness amid stillness."

"Uh..."

Qing's head was spinning.

Ximen Surin chuckled softly and elaborated.

For Swiftness and Stillness, the contrast between the Diancang and Wudang Sects served as a prime example.

The martial arts of the Diancang Sect were the epitome of speed.

Their Sun-Piercing Sword Technique was a flash of light striking towards the enemy's heart like lightning.

Conversely, the martial arts of the Wudang Sect were about maintaining one's position with composure.

No matter what vicious killing strikes swirled before them, they simply returned them using the principles of Tai Chi, remaining as unshakable as Mt. Tai.

"Uh, um. I think I kind of get it..."

Ximen Surin offered a gentle smile.

"If you truly understood, would you not have already reached a higher realm? For now, simply engrave this in your mind. Then there are the principles of Variability and Weight."

The Variable Sword, also called the Changing Sword, focused on dazzling, elaborate projections of sword energy, aiming to bewitch the enemy.

In contrast, the Heavy Sword pursued a single, straightforward, weighty blow capable of sending the opponent straight to paradise.

This could be illustrated by the contrast between the Huashan and Shaolin Sects.

Huashan Sect's martial arts burst with vitality.

The sword dance depicting blooming plum blossoms was, in reality, an illusion where every falling petal was real, representing change itself—impossible to predict.

Shaolin's martial arts were straightforward and honest.

While the techniques of Shaolin monks, bound by the vow of non-killing, did not contain lethal intent, they embodied the principle of Weight, seeking to subdue the enemy in a single blow.

"The principle of the Middle Way, which embraces all, requires you to contain all these principles. Therefore, you must understand all of them."

"Ah..."

Only then did Ximen Surin speak again.

"You seem to have a knack for picking up martial arts from somewhere, disciple. I caution you out of concern, so be sure to take this to heart."

By now, Ximen Surin surely must have realized.

Where on earth could Qing have picked up the Inverse Marrow Washing Sutra and the Great Tranquil Zen Art?

Of course, seeing her acquire the Wave-Treading Subtle Steps suggested her karmic connections were unusual, but those two divine arts were far beyond normal.

"Ah."

"It is difficult to understand the four basic principles through the Yue Maiden Sword Technique alone. Because it follows the Middle Way, no single principle stands out, and because none stand out, experiencing them becomes even harder. Therefore, if you learn martial arts that pursue each principle to its extreme, once you have mastered the four, will you not understand everything?"

"Uh, does that mean..."

"Swiftness. The fastest sword under heaven. Without a doubt, that would be Diancang's Sun-Piercing Sword Technique."

Stillness. The most static sword under heaven.

This was the pursuit of the Namgung Clan, the greatest sword family under heaven, embodied in their Emperor Sword Form.

Variability. The most unpredictable sword under heaven.

This would be the Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, a divine technique where humans invert heaven and earth through the limitless changes of Yin and Yang Tai Chi.

Some might suggest Huashan's Plum Blossom Sword, but while flashy and unpredictable, it was as light as a petal and thus lacked depth.

Weight. The heaviest sword under heaven.

"Hmm. If we seek a martial art pursuing extreme weight, there isn't truly a suitable sword technique. Perhaps the Peng Clan's Primordial Chaos Thunder Saber could arguably be called the heaviest saber technique under heaven."

"So then?"

Ximen Surin smiled and continued.

"Even if not a saber technique, have you not already embraced the principle of Weight in your hands, disciple?"

"Ah! Then the Small Hand Demonic Art— Ow!!" [^(Qing making a bad joke, she substitutes "So" (소 - small) for "Baek" (백 - white) in the name of her technique (Baeksu Magong -> Sosu Magong).)]

Qing rolled on the floor again.

A moment later, she protested with tear-filled eyes.

"I was joking..."

"Even when you joke, disciple, it doesn't sound like a joke at all. And even as a jest, you should not carelessly speak the name of a Demonic Art."

"Yes. So, you meant the Buddha's Palm..."

A martial art imitating the palm of the Buddha, it truly contained the heaviest imagery in the world.

Having suffered for making a careless joke, Qing's lips jutted out sulkily.

"Well then, which one should I learn first? It'll take a long time to learn three."

"In that case, wouldn't it be best to first learn the Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, which possesses the principles of both Variability and Stillness? The principle of Swiftness is common in many martial arts, not just the Sun-Piercing technique, so it can be left for last."

"So, Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, Emperor Sword Form, then Sun-Piercing Sword Technique."

At this point, Qing wasn't even trying to hide it.

But Ximen Surin had already noticed and essentially said she wouldn't ask.

Qing, too, could ask lightly.

"Hmm. If time is a factor, perhaps learning the Emperor Sword Form first would be better. There is something left by the Celestial Martial Emperor on the Absolute Sword Cliff. It might be better to learn the Namgung's art before the techniques of the Nine Sects."

"Okay, so I should learn them in the order of Emperor Sword Form, Wisdom Sword of Tai Chi, and Sun-Piercing Sword Technique."

"Yes. If possible, that is. Of course, this is no different from stealing the martial arts of other sects. You shouldn't be able to learn them, but if you do, you must never use them carelessly."

Anyone overhearing would have pointed fingers, telling her to know shame.

A master advising her disciple to steal others' martial arts, even listing them out?

But Ximen Surin was someone who had already abandoned the heart of a human for her disciple's sake since last year.

However, looking at Qing's current behavior, it seemed she had discarded her humanity arbitrarily without gaining anything substantial.

She had lost her sense of shame just to quickly obtain a single protective aura technique that she would naturally have grasped upon reaching a higher realm anyway. Viewed in terms of results, wasn't it ultimately a significant loss?