Chapter 83: The Heavenly Demon Cult Serial Murder Case #5 – No Chinese Allowed, Absolutely Not.

“Thousand Venoms Sovereign Hand? Is that a poison technique?”

Qing quickly summoned the Martial Arts Window.

Thousand Venoms Sovereign Hand—search.

A sleek purple border appeared around the window.

A sudden thought crossed Qing’s mind.

Wait… didn’t the strategy guide say poison techniques were garbage?

The strategy guide had kept her alive this far.

Because it never spouted bullshit.

“Your cultivation is impressive for your age, but your enemies are both numerous and powerful. What better tool than poison?”

But Seol Ganom wasn’t the type to spout bullshit either.

He was, without a doubt, the most brilliant mind Qing had encountered in the Central Plains.

And his words made her waver.

Hearing it put like that, it did sound tempting.

After all, poison might be weak in the game, but in reality? It was a whole different story.

This world wasn’t exactly like the game, so maybe listening to a native’s perspective wasn’t the worst idea.

“Then again, when are you gonna have time to gather a thousand venomous creatures one by one? If someone hands you a secret manual, just ask for the Grand Purity Sutra instead. That suits you better.”

“Grand Purity Sutra…”

Another purple-grade internal energy cultivation technique.

Qing had no clue what it was, but there wasn’t a single martial artist in the world who didn’t.

A technique famed for its clarity of mind and protection against inner demons, a cultivation method so pure it was revered above all others.

Though, in the game’s ‘If you could pick one martial art’ debates, Grand Purity Sutra had a… different connotation.

A way of telling someone to stop daydreaming and get their shit together.

Of course, there was a sliver of sincerity mixed in.

Because at this rate, with the way she was stacking bodies, she was bound to go off the deep end and start murdering every villain in existence.

“So, Seol Ganom’s pick is Grand Purity Sutra?”

“That’s right. If someone’s giving away techniques, learn it immediately.”

Qing was not the type to pick up on sarcasm.

And sarcasm never worked on people who were truly clueless.

“So, Reversal Tendon Marrow Sutra takes too long to see results, but Grand Purity Sutra works immediately, right?”

She processed it in her own way.

Seol Ganom gave her a look of pure pity.

The kind you’d give an unbearably dense friend.

“…The Grand Purity Sutra is a divine technique that keeps your mind clear. It means stop indulging in delusions and wake the hell up.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, just say that from the start!”

“…I literally just did. And before that, I had to gauge how ignorant you were, so I could adjust accordingly.”

That was his roundabout way of calling her a dumbass.

Qing scowled but didn’t have a good comeback.

Damn it. This guy’s not easy to deal with.

When in doubt?

Change the subject.

“So, you wanted to learn Maiden’s Blissful Art, right? Can men even practice that?”

“The Daoist school’s authentic bedchamber arts don’t discriminate between men and women. Not that I’m proud of where I learned it, but… according to my knowledge, it sharpens bodily senses. Thought it might help fix my body a little.”

“Is your condition that bad?”

Seol Ganom quietly pointed to his head.

His still-wet hair clung to his scalp.

“Oh.”

Qing made a meaningless noise.

Then, Seol Ganom, as if that wasn’t depressing enough, casually dropped an even sadder truth.

“More than that… I don’t feel anything down there. Might as well be a fucking monk. Honestly, I’m alive, but I wouldn’t call this living.”

“…Oh. Damn.”

Qing let out a sympathetic sigh.

Holy shit!

Seol Ganom was a eunuch?!

“Wait, so… you can’t even do it by yourself?”

She mimed a crude up-and-down motion with her hand.

Seol Ganom’s face twisted into sheer disappointment.

“Could you at least pretend to be embarrassed? Even if my dick’s out of commission, I thought I could at least find some joy in life. But no, not even that works.”

“Oh, so you wanted to see me flustered?”

No wonder this old bastard kept tossing out casual sexual harassment.

Qing’s eyes narrowed.

It was irritating, sure, but more than that… the sheer resignation in his voice was depressing.

If he had at least raged about his situation, that would’ve been one thing.

But he had already accepted his fate. He’d made peace with it.

And Qing, who had once been a proud man in another life, felt that pain on a spiritual level.

Besides, Seol Ganom had been useful.

He picked out targets for her. Gave her solid advice.

“…Alright, I’ll recite the sutra for you. Listen carefully.”

“What? Hold on a—”

“Here we go. The path to ascension is found in joy. The harmony between souls brings love and shared prosperity. In their bliss, one finds true happiness. Like drifting clouds and flowing mist, pleasure and serenity intertwine…”

Seol Ganom had been about to say something, but the moment Qing started reciting, he clamped his mouth shut and focused.

She wasn’t just reciting the Maiden’s Blissful Art Sutra—she was translating it into layman’s terms as she went.

With a brain as sharp as his, Seol Ganom instantly absorbed the information.

It only took him three listens before he had the whole thing memorized.

By the time he sat cross-legged and started circulating his energy, Qing nodded in approval.

Yeah. He deserved to be called one of the greatest minds in the Central Plains.

Then, the bastard had the audacity to say—

“…Don’t come back for a while.”

“What the hell? You got everything you could out of me, and now you’re done?”

“That’s not it. I need time to process this. Even for me, a fortuitous encounter like this takes some effort to digest.”

Qing scowled.

Still, she couldn’t exactly blame him.

It’d be rude to rush someone studying to regain his manhood.

And, to be fair, she had just dumped a hell of a lot on him.

She still looked visibly disappointed, though.

Seol Ganom saw that and decided to cut straight to the point.

“Take a week off.”

“…Hah?”

“I know you’re obsessed with cutting down villains, but take some time to sort out what you’ve gained. You’re in serious danger right now.”

A week had passed.

By now, no one in Bliss Palace dared to mess with Qing.

Everyone had finally realized that the person living in the top-floor disciple quarters was way more of a big deal than they had initially thought.

There were even rumors that the priestesses of the main temple were practically groveling before her.

Ironically, those same priestesses were the ones who usually looked down on Bliss Palace disciples like they were trash.

The same sanctimonious bitches who sneered at them, calling them filthy harlots while acting like they were oh-so-pure.

And as rumors go, everyone claimed someone had seen it, but nobody could name exactly who had spread the story.

If 'Professor' Kang heard about it, she’d be shocked.

Because the only people present at those humiliating lessons were Qing, Teacher Kang, and So-yeong—the apprentice priestess-slash-maid.

What, were ghosts eavesdropping on their study sessions and spreading gossip?

Not that Qing cared in the first place.

She had zero interest in going around promoting Teacher Kang’s passionate dedication to education.

Besides, ever since her sudden promotion in status, she had also become Gyeon Pohee’s personal enforcer, responsible for dragging people in for beatdowns whenever necessary.

So, naturally, Bliss Palace disciples made sure to stay the hell away from her.

Which was just as well.

Because with her crippled leg, at least she didn’t have to worry about them getting close and getting bitten.

They were treating her like some kind of feral guard dog.

Even so, Qing’s week had been packed.

Just because she was lacking intel didn’t mean there were fewer people to kill.

It’s literally right there above their heads, isn’t it?

To be honest, she didn’t even need information.

She just wanted to efficiently deal with the villains who were actually worth something.

If it weren’t for that, she could’ve just checked their karma, tortured them for their martial arts, and killed them on the spot.

So, for the past week, she had been going out solo every night and coming back so exhausted that she just knocked out cold.

Fun? Absolutely.

But as far as finding a martial art for her escape plan?

Total failure.

All she got were random low-tier techniques, nothing special.

Like the difference between digging with a map versus just flailing around in the sand hoping to hit something.

When she finally woke up, it was usually around lunchtime.

Then, she had lunch with Crutch No. 2, and sometimes, when Crutch No. 1 dropped by, she’d eat with them instead.

In the afternoon, Teacher Kang would give her a special massage treatment and offer up some tribute snacks.

She had tried slowing down the pace of their lessons a bit, and since that put her at ease, she had started acting a lot nicer.

By evening, she’d go out with Crutch No. 2 for dinner.

And only after all that did she finally get some actual free time.

During her week of downtime, Qing spent her nights watching Gyeon Pohee’s "Lustful Fairy Disrobing Dance."

It was a signature hypnotic dance technique taught to the second-generation disciples of Bliss Palace.

Since Gyeon Pohee had advanced to that level, she had received a handwritten copy of the secret manual.

Qing hadn’t known this before, but Bliss Palace’s mass performance of the dance was one of the most infamous entrancing techniques in the martial arts world.

Especially for the orthodox sects that prided themselves on their "proper lineage."

Those guys were pathetically weak against women.

And when stunning beauties started gracefully shedding their robes mid-dance, their brains short-circuited on the spot.

Across four major righteous-versus-evil wars, countless disciples from orthodox sects had either been slaughtered or drained dry because of this technique.

And honestly, what else was there to do in the boring-ass, entertainment-starved Central Plains?

So, for fun, Qing had summoned Gyeon Pohee and made her train under her watch.

But damn.

It was awful.

Movements were sloppy. The flow was awkward. She even tripped over herself while trying to take her clothes off.

Total disaster.

Frustrated, Qing pulled up her Martial Arts Window, dumped a single karma point into learning the technique, and then started giving out instructions.

The result?

She quickly discovered that Crutch No. 2 had absolutely zero talent for dancing.

Like, spectacularly bad.

Meanwhile, her own progress skyrocketed just from giving pointers and watching.

In just a single week, she had already reached Three Stars of mastery in the technique.

“…No, no, no. Sister, you need to make it smoother. More graceful. Here, like this.”

Qing wiggled her fingers in a mesmerizing motion, letting the movement ripple from her shoulders, down to her elbows, through her wrists, and finally to her fingertips—the kind of lethal, seductive hand technique that could hypnotize an enemy on the spot.

Gyeon Pohee hesitantly copied the motion, stealing glances to see if she was doing it right.

“Oh, um… like this?”

The movement was… something.

If she had to categorize it, it was closer to breakdancing than an actual seduction technique.

What the hell is that?

What’s she trying to do, rupture my heart?

Qing narrowed her eyes.

No matter how many times she demonstrated, Gyeon Pohee just wasn’t getting it.

Forget seduction—this looked more like a goddamn mantis style martial art.

Why is it this hard just to watch a proper stripping dance?

Tsk. Crutch No. 2 is a lost cause.

Maybe the first-generation disciples would be better?

Should she just grab one of them instead of wasting time with this mess?

She wasn’t completely useless, but other than watching her finish off her targets, there wasn’t much entertainment value.

And honestly, even the finishing moves were getting boring.

It was always the same damn thing—she’d straddle them, rock her hips a bit, and wait for them to die.

That was it.

Even when Qing suggested trying something different, the girl claimed she didn’t know any other positions.

At this point, even Crutch No. 1 treated her to better meals.

Did she really need two crutches?

“Oh, Senior Sister, wait—I’ll try harder, so…”

“This isn’t even about effort anymore. Talent. Or lack thereof. If having absolutely no talent counts as a talent, then sure.”

Gyeon Pohee’s head drooped.

Her thin frame trembled slightly, and her shoulders shook.

Qing scowled.

What the fuck? Is she crying?

Why the hell are you bawling in the middle of my room?

If she wanted to cry, she could go do it in her own damn space.

Now it just made Qing look like the asshole.

And what did she even say that was wrong?

She wasn’t sugarcoating anything—she sucked, so Qing said she sucked.

Telling her "Oh, wow, you’re improving so much! Keep it up!" was just a waste of time.

Useless in battle. Useless in training. And now she was crying?

Qing glanced at the number floating above Gyeon Pohee’s head.

-136.

Still low enough that I could kill her.

But at this point… eh.

Maybe she should just let her live and rack up some good karma.

Then suddenly—

A chill ran down Qing’s spine.

Let her live?

What the fuck did I just think?

“Urgh—”

Her stomach flipped.

Everything she’d eaten that evening violently rebelled.

Not even her martial arts mastery could hold back the uprising.

Half-digested food surged up her esophagus, scraping the walls like a goddamn revolution, and burst forth in a spectacular display of betrayal.

“Senior Sister?! Are you okay?!”

“M-My… back…”

At her words, Gyeon Pohee hurriedly patted her back.

Lightly.

Like she was handling soft tofu.

Qing grit her teeth.

Either go all in or don’t fucking bother.

What, did she think Qing was so delicate that a strong pat would shatter her?

If anything, this was the perfect opportunity to get back at her shitty senior sister—she could have used this as an excuse to beat the crap out of her.

But no, here she was, pretending to be a gentle caretaker.

In the end, Qing vomited out every last bit of her dinner before the nausea finally settled.

Probably only stopped because there was nothing left in her stomach.

But her gut still felt like it was twisting in knots.

Ah.

This was stomach cramps, wasn’t it?

“Senior Sister? Are you feeling better?”

“No… I need water…”

“Oh, hold on! Here.”

Gyeon Pohee hurriedly brought a cup to Qing’s lips.

Qing shook her head.

“No, just give it to me. I can drink water on my own, you know.”

“Oh… right.”

Gyeon Pohee handed her the water.

Qing activated Heavenly Ice Sura Demonic Arts, attempting to chill the drink.

A few moments later, frost formed on the surface of the cup.

She downed it in one go, the icy cold liquid searing through her insides.

Her foggy mind finally started to clear.

And that’s when the full aftermath of her stomach’s rebellion hit her like a brick to the skull.

The stomach acid and food remnants that had shot up her nose were now wringing her entire head like a wet rag.

“Fuck… I feel like I’m dying…”

“Senior Sister? Are you okay?”

“I swear, you’ve asked me that like five times already.”

“Oh… uh… so… you are okay?”

“I’m taking the night off. You should rest too, since you’ve had a long day.”

Crutch No. 2 actually looked genuinely concerned.

Qing sighed and reflected.

Alright. She’s not exactly kind, she’s useless, she’s dumb as hell, and she’s not particularly helpful, but… she does care, at least.

Damn it. I must have lost my fucking mind.

Maybe she should have listened when Seol Ganom told her to take a break.

Why the hell had she been running around every damn night like a lunatic?

Feeling guilty, Qing muttered,

“…Let’s practice together from now on. You might improve a little that way. Since it’s originally a group dance, right?”

“What?! Oh—oh! Yeah!!”

Gyeon Pohee instantly perked up, shifting right back into happy idiot mode.

Not only was she not kind, useless, dumb, and unhelpful, now she was also simple-minded.

Sigh. I swear to god, I’m collecting all the wrong people.

“If you’re feeling sick, you should rest. I’ll have the juniors clean up. Your clothes got dirty too, right? Just leave them.”

…Of course, she never said she’d clean it herself.

Because she wasn’t that nice.

Not that Qing cared. As long as she didn’t have to do it, that was all that mattered.

After Gyeon Pohee left, Qing summoned her Martial Arts Window in the now-empty room.