Chapter 48: Searching for Someone

In any case, when receiving a gift, tasting it on the spot—while not necessarily a matter of etiquette—certainly makes for a pleasant sight.

Qing put the leaf, soaked in opium latex, into her mouth and chewed.

At first, it was bitter, and then it had a strange taste.

A completely unfamiliar flavor and texture, impossible to describe.

The pickled leaf didn’t dissolve or break apart in her mouth; it simply released a steady stream of acrid juice.

It wasn’t so bad that she needed to spit it out, but it certainly wasn’t enjoyable either.

Then again, this wasn’t something one ate for its taste in the first place, so there wasn’t much to complain about.

She continued chewing, swallowing both the juice and the fibrous remnants like a piece of cloth. How much time had passed?

A hazy sensation spread through her body.

She felt like she was floating, a sense of ease washing over her, as though the world itself had become soft and dreamy.

Qing sluggishly crawled backward on her hips until she reached the wall, slumping against it.

In truth, opium was considered a basic medicinal supply in Murim.

This was because its effects were exceptional.

It reduced fever, aided digestion, and stopped diarrhea.

On top of that, it relieved pain and hunger, making it one of the most miraculous herbs in existence.

Not only was it resilient and easy to grow, but it was so commonly cultivated that people would plant a few stalks in their backyard for medicinal use.

Even female martial artists often carried some with them to deal with the days of the month when they suffered the most.

It wasn’t just about feeling uncomfortable—Jianghu[^Jianghu is a Chinese term that generally refers to the social environment in which many Chinese wuxia, xianxia, and gong'an stories are set], a ruthless world filled with swords and bloodshed, was not kind to a woman’s circumstances.

Thus, the other two didn’t particularly try to stop her.

Changbin, as usual, had things to say but kept them to himself, simply averting his gaze in mild embarrassment.

Pang Daesan, on the other hand, offered a piece of advice.

“For a martial artist, this isn’t good. Only use it when absolutely necessary, and even then, sparingly…”

Saying this, he turned to look at Namgung Shinjae.

Pang Daesan thought he was simply observing, but his eyebrows had knotted together, betraying his inner turmoil.

“But, Namgung-hyung, how is it that you… know about this? To the point of carrying it with you?”

“Heh. Pang-ah, your gaze is rather suspicious. I didn’t carry it—it was given to me by Elder Subigu.”

“Elder Subigu? Why would he…?”

Subigu Nugok, the law enforcement elder of the Beggars’ Sect, was well known for his obsession with secrecy.

“Well, when I first met my Sword Comrade, she was, um… quite the menace. A real terror. I remember thinking, ‘Good heavens, I’ve never seen such a fierce woman in my life.’ Elder Subigu must have witnessed the same sight and figured he should at least give her some opium.”

“…Ah.”

Pang Daesan’s expression shifted.

A menace. Fierce.

Just what had Elder Subigu witnessed to make him personally send opium to a girl who could be his granddaughter?

“There’s no need to look at her with such pity. In the end, didn’t she gain a precious comrade? Isn’t this exactly what people mean by ‘life is full of twists and turns’? Don’t you think so, Sword Comrade?”

“Yeeees, Sword Comradeee~”

Qing lazily raised her arm in response.

Opium was originally quite potent.

She had taken an entire leaf in one bite and was thoroughly chewing all the juice out of it—of course she was going to get high.

Typically, when consuming opium for the first time, one would chop it finely or brew it into tea for better dosage control.

Pang Daesan tilted his head in confusion.

Wait a minute… Is she really acting like someone who’s done this before?

“…No way. You—”

—"Honored guests, dinner is ready."

The servant’s voice interrupted Pang Daesan mid-sentence.

Qing wasn’t drunk. She was high.

Technically speaking, alcohol itself was also a type of drug, and different drugs had different effects depending on their category.

Alcohol stimulated circulation, lifted the mood, and led to impulsive decisions.

On the other hand, opium clouded the mind, inducing a dreamlike state of peace.

Qing, now fully under the influence of the drug, was experiencing an overwhelming sense of tranquility.

It felt just like when she stayed at the Divine Maiden Sect.

And back at the Divine Maiden Sect, she had spent so much time under the threat of Ximen Surin’s Nuclear noogie bombardment that her very movements had become ingrained as a habit.

The thing about habits is that the more clouded the mind, the more they tend to resurface.

Thus, in her dazed state, Qing naturally fell back into them.

Like a delicate butterfly, the girl gracefully floated through the room.

Pang Daesan frowned, while Changbin kept stealing glances at her.

Namgung Shinjae, as always, had no particular reaction.

Having witnessed all sorts of nonsense in his time, as long as his comrade wasn’t being outright disgraceful, he simply didn’t care.

Wang Gaeyuk, the master of the Daizheng Sect, and his children rubbed their eyes.

Who is that? Is that really… her?

That woman had earlier eaten her snacks as if they were the sworn enemy who had murdered her parents.

And then, throughout the conversation, she had looked completely drowsy—even dozing off several times.

But now, she had suddenly transformed into a refined and elegant young lady. It was downright shocking.

Opium dulled hunger and provided a sense of satiety.

Qing Carefully Picked the Tastiest Dishes

As everyone else sat in stunned silence, there was one person who felt an entirely different kind of fluttering excitement—Wang Sonman, the second son of Wang Gaeyuk.

Throughout the meal, a particular guest kept meeting his eyes with a bright and affectionate smile.

Could it be… Young Lady Ximen has fallen for me?

It seemed too blatant to be a misunderstanding.

Even when their gazes didn’t meet, it felt like she was focusing somewhere just above his head before locking eyes with him again, flashing that beautiful smile.

A surge of pride swelled deep in Wang Sonman’s chest.

Yes, it’s me! Not my older brother—me!

I, Wang Sonman, am the one!

As his confidence grew, so did the discomfort of Jade Qilin sitting next to him.

Even though Wang Sonman’s heart was racing from the anxiety of potentially offending a martial arts master, his nose lifted higher, and his chin tilted upward in self-assurance.

Jade Qilin is too handsome anyway, so she probably didn’t even consider him. But realistically, here, right now, I—yes, I—am the most attractive man.

While Wang Sonman basked in his triumph and Pang Daesan grew increasingly annoyed for some reason, Qing was simply happy.

It was that kind of happiness that came just from looking at something.

—324.

What a beautiful number.

Whether the mission window counted commoners as people or not didn’t matter—this guy was a martial artist, so he was, without a doubt, a villain.

His father had good karma. His older brother had good karma. Even his younger sister—who had been throwing disapproving glances Qing’s way—had a mere -17.

Yet this guy, the lone outlier in the family, was proudly flaunting a karma score over -300.

It was fascinating.

And more than anything, she was grateful.

She had noticed him during the afternoon tea gathering.

Later, when the conversation in her room turned to missing persons, everything suddenly clicked.

Ah. So it’s that bastard.

Why had he used the Daizheng Sect’s name?

Obviously, because it worked.

Claiming that a high-paying job request came from the righteous Daizheng Sect’s would make it seem less dangerous, and it would also reduce the fear of future repercussions.

But for that to work?

The request had to convincingly appear to be from the Daizheng Sect’s.

And who better to do that than the second son himself?

Of course, people would believe him.

It was, in essence, a name-dropping scam.

Scammers really do think alike everywhere, huh?

Qing thought, her mind giddy from the drug’s effects.

I wonder how this mission played out in the game?

Would she have had to gather evidence, track people down, and find witnesses?

Maybe there was some big detective moment where she pointed at the culprit in front of his entire family, yelling, "The criminal is among us!" while throwing everyone else’s names under the bus.

Most games that didn’t allow attacking NPCs only let you fight them after uncovering the full conspiracy.

Only then would the enemy be officially classified as an opponent.

But here?

Is this even a game?

Honestly? I have no idea.

But does that mean I can’t attack first?

Nope.

Status window? Try stopping me if you can.

Screw that. I do whatever the hell I want.

I may have lost my dick, but I still have the soul of a man.

A shadow crept over Qing’s smile.

Thankfully, the disaster of a drugged-up, giggling girl suddenly radiating a murderous aura was averted—because at that moment, dinner ended.

As everyone left the dining area, Qing brushed past Wang Sonman and whispered,

"Young Master, meet me at the side gate after midnight. I’ll be waiting."

A sharp huff of breath escaped Wang Sonman’s nose.

--

Qing, still drowsy from the drug, dozed off and ended up running late.

Of course, none of it was her fault.

The blame lay entirely with these primitive medieval Chinese savages who didn’t even have a clock in their rooms.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, the Daizheng Sect’s had more than just one side gate.

And so, as the hours ticked by, Wang Sonman wandered anxiously between them, pacing back and forth.

Was she just messing with me?

The more he thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense.

Why would she choose me over the prestigious Hidden Dragon Society?

Even if she did, why would she flirt with him, the second son, instead of his more important older brother?

But then there were those eyes.

What if she just fell asleep and lost track of time?

And so, for an hour and a half, Wang Sonman lingered around the gates.

In modern terms, he had spent nearly three hours waiting in the cold just to fuck a woman.

The sorrow of a man.

And at long last—

"Oh! Young Master, I’m so sorry for being late."

"N-No, it’s fine, my lady. I was just about to step out myself—uh, no, I mean, I wasn’t waiting long at all…!"

Wang Sonman reflexively began reciting the expected response before realizing his mistake and quickly correcting himself.

He had waited over an hour and a half past midnight.

If she had just come out, then he wasn’t early—he was simply late.

That wouldn’t do.

"Uh, my lord. I'm embarrassed to ask you this..."

"W-What is it?"

"Would you happen to know of a place… where we wouldn’t be heard, no matter how loudly we scream?"

“...Hrk.”

Wang Sonman exhaled sharply, the sound escaping him before he was even aware of it.