Chapter 66: Who’s Holding a Blade…

"So, what's it gonna be? Gonna turn down the elder's cup and chug the penalty drink instead?"

"...?"

What the fuck is he on about? What's this 'cup' and 'penalty drink' bullshit?

Booze? Is that what he means? Some kind of drinking game?

It was the kind of outdated lingo you don't hear much in the murim these days.

Use that shit now and you'd get roasted for sounding like someone's grandpa.

What, did you time travel here from the Celestial Martial Emperor era or something?

Ximen Qing blinked in confusion.

It was a look anyone could recognize.

The man snickered.

"You gonna come quietly?"

"Can't I just, you know, quietly stay right here?"

"If not, I'll have to rough you up a bit."

Tch, this dipshit's got nothing on my master.

But Qing wasn't Ximen Surin.

She was just a late-stage Peak Realm martial artist.

A dime a dozen in any city's martial arts scene - one of those run-of-the-mill masters you'd find hanging out together.

Being Peak Realm sucks ass, for real.

Can't even touch Transcendent Realm.

And for some reason, Transcendent Realm missions aren't popping up either.

Is it 'cause I met the final boss too early?

Or do I need to level up to Transcendent the local way? Fuck if I know.

"So, um, if I go with you... could I maybe come back out later?"

"I swear on my name."

Qing's eyes narrowed.

Yeah, like I'm gonna trust the word of some asshole who's about to clock me.

Qing double-checked:

"You're not gonna pull some shit like sending me back as a corpse or crippled, right?"

"Ha! You dare think this Young Lord would stoop to such petty tricks? Even after I swore on my noble name?"

"No, it's not that I doubt you-"

Suddenly the man was right in front of her.

Qing was caught off guard.

His fist plunged deep into her stomach, almost up to the wrist.

Qing went flying, doubled over.

The dizzying flight ended with a crash into a tree.

Qing clutched her stomach, rolling on the ground.

"Gah! Ack! Urgh...!"

Can't... can't breathe...

Qing desperately tried to suck in air.

But her crushed lungs refused to expand in her constricted chest.

Pain flooded her mind.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It hurts. It hurts so fucking bad. My stomach...!

It felt like a blade was coursing through her meridians.

A sharp edge forcibly tearing and ripping through her narrow blood vessels.

All she could do was writhe in agony. Ugh.

The pain was so excruciating it shut down her ability to think.

Her head was spinning.

Two pillars appeared, stuck to the ground that had suddenly turned vertical.

It was a pair of feet standing sideways.

One of them moved away.

Oh shit.

Qing tried to cover her head.

But it was already too late.

The man's foot connected with her skull.

THWACK. Her brain rattled and the world went dark like someone flipped a switch.

Qing's body went airborne again.

The impact of crashing back down snapped Qing back to consciousness.

Her vision was tinged with red.

Blood vessels had burst in one eye, filling it with blood.

Qing had no chance to react.

A powerful grip seized her hair and yanked.

It felt like her face was being smashed to pieces.

The enemy's qi still tore through her insides.

The world was red.

Her scalp screamed as it felt like it was being ripped off.

The man's words pierced Qing's ears as she trembled.

His voice dripped with sadistic glee.

"Internal qi guard, huh? Not bad for a pathetic Peak Realm nobody. I was planning to pop at least one of your eyes."

"W-why?"

"Playing the flute only needs a mouth and hands, doesn't it?"

Qing gritted her teeth.

She was a child watched over by the Heavenly Slaughtering Star.

The pain quickly morphed into malice, seeping into her bones.

This fucker. I'm gonna make him pay.

Fucking bastard. I'll make sure he dies screaming.

Whether Qing had the right to be angry didn't matter.

After all, she only picked on the bad guys to mess with.

Qing, who was about to hit 1,450 Karma points.

Qing, who considered herself the most virtuous person in the world, about to exchange 1,500 points.

Moreover, it had been a while since she'd felt this powerless after becoming a master.

The powerlessness fanned the flames of her rage.

Powerlessness and anger intertwined, flipping some primal switch deep in her core.

What the hell? Does this prick have anger issues or something?

We were just talking and he throws the first punch?

And he's stronger than me too.

Fucking cheap shot. Just you wait. I'll show you what a real dirty trick looks like.

Despite her inner thoughts, Qing smiled.

With her face already swelling up on one side, it was an utterly pathetic expression.

"Hehe, you could've just asked nicely..."

It was the fear of one born with the Heavenly Slaughtering Star.

Not just a mindless beast craving blood and pain, but a monster who could coldly bide its time.

If the man wanted a peaceful retirement, he should kill Qing right here and now.

But who would think a righteous female warrior was born with the Heavenly Slaughtering Star?

The man smiled with satisfaction.

"See? Women only listen after you beat them."

What era did you crawl out of?

I ought to cut that tongue right out of your mouth.

Come to think of it, it was primitive ancient China, so of course this fucker's a primitive asshole too.

Qing kept grinning like an idiot.

"Hehe, if I behave, you won't have to hit me anymore, right?"

But the man looked disappointed instead.

"I heard you were some uptight righteous female warrior. Thought you might be interesting, but in the end you're just another bitch. Tch. Alright, take her away."

The young man tossed Qing aside and turned his back.

Black-clad figures appeared from all directions, bowing respectfully to his retreating form.

Qing looked a complete mess when they dragged her in.

Half her face was swollen, one eye bloodshot and bright red.

Her new uniform was covered in dirt from rolling on the ground, so it was no wonder Ji Seungju clicked his tongue.

"Tsk."

Despite her pathetically groveling expression, Ji Seungju instinctively sensed that the girl before him was cut from the same cloth.

Someone whose outer appearance was completely different from their true nature.

It was the sharp intuition of one who'd encountered their own kind.

This called for seeking cooperation politely.

It would be fortunate if she didn't actively interfere while inwardly grinding her teeth.

If only that old monster Hamwol hadn't failed in the first place.

Ji Seungju swallowed his regret.

He didn't dare blame the Supreme One, after all.

Given the situation, he'd have to dangle some carrots, he thought.

"Please don't harbor too much ill will. You did cause us some trouble too, didn't you?"

Qing replied with a smile:

"Hi there, squirt. Shouldn't you introduce yourself when meeting someone new? I'm Ximen Qing! Who might our little tyke be? Oh, are you a master too? You don't have that thing where you suddenly throw punches in the middle of a conversation, do you?"

Her smiling face and words were harsh.

Wasn't she supposed to be hiding her true feelings?

But Ji Seungju remained expressionless.

"This lowly one is Ji Seungju. I humbly serve as the Secret Pavilion Leader of the Divine Cult."

"Secret Pavilion Leader? Is that a high position?"

Qing looked down at the tiny boy with a grin.

Getting kidnapped in broad daylight and the first place they bring me is in front of this pipsqueak.

Must be an important figure?

Wonder if killing him would piss that bastard off?

Better remember this for later.

Can't do anything now with that guy around.

Qing thought as she looked at the expressionless Ji Seungju.

She didn't feel the need to check the numbers above his head anymore.

This deep rage pulsing with her heartbeat needed to be dealt with first if she wanted to survive.

"I regret that we had to bring you here like this, but we have our circumstances."

"Well. Everyone's got their reasons. So, let's hear your story then."

"Now's not quite the right time to explain."

Ji Seungju held out a bowl from the table.

"You must be in a lot of pain. This will help if you drink it."

"What is it?"

"It's honey mixed with poppy juice and a sleeping draught. If you drink this and get some rest, you'll feel much better."

Honey with opium and a sleeping pill.

You might think it's crazy to just drink something like that, but in the Central Plains, poppy juice was considered a cure-all for pain, fever, and diarrhea.

It wasn't made with any ill intent.

"Oh really? Well then, I appreciate the gesture."

Qing downed the sweet drink in one go.

The warm, sweet honey seemed to improve her mood a bit as it went down.

The opium wouldn't do any harm anyway, and she knew from experience that sleeping draughts didn't work on her.

Her constitution was a bit of a shame in times like this.

One side of her face throbbed painfully with each heartbeat.

It would be nice to pass out after drinking a sleeping pill.

Afterwards, Qing obediently got into the carriage.

The only windows were crudely covered with thick paper on the outside of iron bars, letting in a bit of light.

There was the sound of a lock clicking shut once she was inside.

The interior was set up like a sleeping compartment and was quite cozy.

The light filtering through the thick paper wasn't bothersome, and her feet sank into the pile of thick quilts laid out instead of seats.

Qing lay down in the spacious carriage.

It shook a little as it started moving, but there wasn't much vibration.

Before long, the effects of the opium kicked in and the pain in her face subsided.

Lying buried in the soft bedding felt like floating.

Qing lay there, turning things over in her mind for the first time in a while.

Aside from that bastard who went on about "natural energy" or whatever, the treatment wasn't bad.

If anything, it was rather courteous.

Qing thought of the Bokshinjeok that was taken from her.

So the guys looking for that flute were from the Demonic Cult, and that kid said something about a Divine Cult, so now their identity was clear.

And they need that flute for something, but because it has some kind of unlocking function when played, they have business with me as the owner too.

Fucking assholes. Like hell I'm gonna help them.

Qing, who had no intention of doing favors for bad guys in the first place, seethed to herself.

In truth, the Demonic Cult had needlessly earned her enmity, when she was never going to cooperate to begin with.

But the fact that they'd incurred her wrath was important.

Once someone earned her hatred, Qing was the type to make them eat shit no matter what.

Hadn't she stood up to even that final boss of unknown level?

The nerve of that fucker, when he's just some nobody in the Transcendent Realm.

Demonic Cult? Just you fuckers wait and see what I do to you.

A sinister starlight leaked from Qing's eyes, casting a red glow in the dark carriage.