Chapter 34: The front of the Yangtze's waves goes blah blah blah

The mission window displayed a rigid message.

Qing immediately shut the mission window.

"Not falling for that again."

"I don't give a shit anyway."

"I won't be fooled by their fancy words about 'influencing the world' and whatnot."

"What's so special about influencing the world?"

If breathing alone meant reducing the world’s oxygen by a fraction, then that was technically an impact too.

Rather than earning a few extra merit points by doing something they’d regret, it was better to act on their own terms.

Master, this is how your disciple lives...

I wonder if our deer middle schooler is doing alright.

Qing ignored the mission window.

Then the mission window popped up again.

Qing was startled.

"What the hell, are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"Are you going to keep popping up until I read it?"

"Do you want me to show off my skipping skills honed by countless playthroughs?"

However, the message was completely different from before.

Moreover, it was a format she had never seen before.

Qing, reading the mission window, looked at Eon Yeon-yeong.

Final Chapter. Last Crisis.

Destroyer of all life and the world's end.

So, that means... she’s the final boss?

Wait, why is the final boss already here?

The mission window claimed they were supposed to encounter her after a long pursuit.

Is this a bug?

Qing suddenly became amused.

She had only intended to have a delicious dinner and maybe see some blood along the way.

But somehow, they had drifted here—like a boat that had lost its oars. And quite literally, alongside an oarless boat.

Qing knew nothing of any conspiracy.

She didn't know anything about the mastermind, not even their existence.

She had never pursued anyone, much less.

She didn't know what was unfolding so proudly.

Mission? What a load of bullshit.

If this was the result of some stupid calculation triggered by some trigger, well, there was no need to worry about it.

"Hey. Eon-yeong. Eon-yeon-yeong~"

"Oh my. Is that... Are you calling me?"

"Yeah. Why, don't you like it?"

“My, my. Why so bold all of a sudden? You were rather adorable trembling earlier.”

"So, are you saying you hate it or what?"

"No. I like it. Have you opened your heart to me?"

Eon Yeon-yeong smiled brightly.

Qing smiled back and asked.

"You said you'd protect me, right?"

"Of course. As long as I'm here, you're the safest person in the world."

"But the fact that you need to protect me means that there are dangerous things out there, doesn't it?"

"There are about three Incense Ghouls, and quite a few Blood Jiangshi. Above all, the Demonic Cannibal himself has stepped into the field. A delicate lady like the young Ximen Qing wouldn't last a few rounds, would she?"

"Demonic Cannibal? I feel like I've heard that name before."[^ From chapter 19]

Qing repeated the name a few times, but in the end, she couldn't recall it and gave up.

"I must have heard it somewhere along the way."

"But Demonic Cannibal, wow! What a shitty title."

Dude must’ve been really nasty to earn that.

But there was something more important.

Qing added a question in a playful tone.

"So, do you like me that much?"

"More than words can express. You'll never imagine what you mean to me."

"Is it because my constitution is special?"

Eon Yeon-yeong's eyes widened.

It was a dramatic change from her consistently elegant expression.

“You knew?”

"I just found out. Anyway, if another person like me appears, then I won't be needed anymore?"

Eon Yeon-young smiled exactly like someone who found something unbearably adorable.

The very expression that said she was so cute she could die.

"Oh dear. My Lady Qing, you need to understand how much of a miracle your body is."

"Miracle?"

“If you rolled the dice hundreds of billions of times—repeating that process hundreds of billions more—you might finally get one.

"So, I'm the only one in the world?"

"Exactly. You, and only you."

Qing nodded and thought.

Yeah, well... This is just killing whatever little affection I had left

At the very least, if she wanted to get close, she should’ve at least sugarcoated it a little.

Blurting out ‘your body is the only thing I care about’ isn’t exactly the way to win hearts.

No one would be happy to hear that.

Anyway, it seemed like she could really go against her now.

Qing’s instincts categorized Eon Yeon-young as a total pushover and shoved her to the farthest corner of that spectrum.

This is what happens when a character is designed too well.

Oh, by the way—are you the one writing the strategy guides again?

If I ever make it back, I’ll be sure to thank you properly. You’ve saved my life countless times.

"Heroes of the Yangtze River, listen up!"

"Some call us bandits, and others call us parasitic worms that cling to the water."

"But is that really true?"

"There was a time when it was."

"When we were nothing more than savages and river pirates, I saw plunderers on the Yangtze River, I saw blood flowing, and in the end, I lost my master to the sorrow and resentment that followed."

A father who was a bandit, a mother no different from stolen goods—what could their child learn but resentment and twisted violence?

"My father felt ashamed, and the child felt disgusted."

"This pain is why we changed!"

"But we stand transformed!"

"Who was it that established and enforced the laws of the Yangtze River?"

"It was us! Because we are the rightful rulers of the Yangtze River!"

"Because we have become respected warriors, envied, even by those on land!"

"Yet today, our cause wavers!"

"The wretches who want to return to the age of plunder and cannibalism have revealed their true nature!"

"They are threatening our home, our families!"

As is usual for speeches before battle.

"We are the good guys, and they are the bad guys."

"Think of your families."

"Let's fight. For something more important than life, something something."

Qing listened to the speech and thought.

"Damn, this guys a good public speaker."

"I guess not just anyone can be the boss."

Qing looked at the warriors stirred by the surging fighting spirit, and at Eon Yeon-yeong, who was busy answering something on one side.

Qing considered telling them, "Hey, by the way, that’s the villain right there."

After saving the leader’s son, I’m being treated like royalty. If I said something like that, they’d just call me a crazy bitch.

A very dangerous crazy bitch, at that.

So this was why people only found out after a long pursuit.

Qing grinned and approached them.

"Think Jiangshi have no weaknesses? You have to decapitate them or cut off their limbs to disable them. They're monsters that can only be harmed by those who’ve mastered external techniques. As for Living Jiangshi, I can weaken them with my spells, so..."

It seemed to be some sort of strategy meeting.

It was clear that they were being toyed with, trying to extract the enemy's weaknesses while their enemy's mastermind was sitting right there.

This was just embarrassing.

Qing poked the side of someone she recognized among them.

It was the Yangtze's Jang 'Wavebreaker' Han.

"Hey, ahjussi."[^An older man, typically someone in his 40s or older, who is no longer considered young but isn't quite elderly either]

"Lady Ximen? What is it? We're in the middle of something important."

"Give me back my sword. You said you'd return it later."

"Well, later. We're about to fight, so you should just stay safe and wait."

"How can I be safe without a sword in my hand? Do you think the enemies will just avoid me if I'm empty-handed? Do I shout something? Like, 'I'm irrelevant'?"

"Ah, I see. Hey, Ju-Hyeong, there's a sword under my bed in my room, can you bring it here?"

And so, Qing got her Moonlight Sword (8th) back!

Not long after, an island suddenly appeared in the fog.

It was the main island of the Yangtze River Waterway, the island called Waterway Fortress.

The pier was crowded with people, but it was clear they weren't there to welcome back their family members.

There weapons were drawn, lined up in formation.

Yeah, this was definitely a "we’re gonna fight" kind of situation.

It was while Qing was holding onto the railing and watching the scene.

Suddenly, there were red arcs that embroidered the sky.

"FIRE ARROWS! SHIELDS UP! FIRE CONTROL UNIT, STAND BY!"

Hundreds of fire arrows.

Tat-tat-tat-tat!

With a loud rattling sound, the fire arrows that were stuck on the deck and hull were not easily extinguished, and they kept flickering and burning themselves.

It was chaos.

Fire arrows kept flying in, and people were stepping on the fire and throwing sand, sometimes getting hit by arrows and collapsing.

Some were hit by arrows while dragging out the injured, others caught fire and ran around in a frenzy.

But the huge ship, which was like a mothership to Qing, was not hindered that much.

"Docking the ship! Get down!"

It was a rather rough and drastic docking method, charging straight into the sandy beach.

With the impact, the large ship climbed over the white sand, causing an earthquake.

The stern opened, and the warriors poured out onto the white sand. The skilled ones jumped from the deck and immediately joined the crowd.

As arrows rained down on the white sand, people began to fall.

Even without guns, but it felt like a full-scale amphibious assault.

It was quite a spectacle to watch.

Then, a voice called out to Qing.

"Miss Ximen, you can wait here, right?"

"Huh? You said you'd protect me?"

"These children will protect you."

At the same time, something that looked like people popped out from behind Eon Yeon-yeong.

They were really kids, who looked about ten years old.

Their eyes were completely black without any white, which was extremely creepy. Creepy as hell. Definitely not normal.

'Them? I'm not protecting them, they're protecting me?'

"Ah. They may look like this, but they are very strong children called Heavenly Jiangshi, and they're incredibly strong creatures. Each one can fight a Transcendent-level martial artist on equal footing."

"Ohhh."

So these were the final boss’s personal guards.

Perhaps they would have appeared as mid-bosses.

"Then, let's meet again when this is over. My dear."

Eon Yeon-yeong waved her hand.

Qing smiled brightly and replied.

"I don't want to."

"Oh my. Lady Ximen? This isn't a request."

Qing shook her head.

"You said the Demonic Cannibal is the strongest one, right? You promised to protect me, so let's keep our promise."

"Wha—"

Ignoring her, Qing jumped down.

A refreshing free fall. The sand on the white beach cushions her falling body softly.

She circulates her qi to the soles of her feet.

Master said her inner energy is already top-notch.

As she moved forward with immense energy, it felt like the world was running backwards, leaving her behind.

Qing laughed.

With the final boss of this world protecting her, what was there to be afraid of?

Hadn't she already received confirmation?

Qing took a deep breath.

"HEY! FLESH-DEVOURING DEMON! SORRY FOR THE RUDENESS, BUT I HEARD YOUR MOM DIED! YOU WERE SO HUNGRY YOU ATE YOUR OWN PARENTS, DIDN’T YOU, YOU SICK FUCK?"

Following that, a tremendous shout, similar to a lion's roar, resonated and shook the heavens and earth.

"WHO DARES?!"

It was rage that could be vividly felt even from afar.

Qing glanced back.

She saw Eon Yeon-yeong running towards her with a flustered expression, and the five children closely following behind.

She was told that each of those kids was comparable to a Transcendent Realm expert.

Qing raised her voice again.

"I'M XIMEN QING! LET’S FIGHT! ONE-ON-ONE, FAIR AND SQUARE!"