Chapter 9: Friends

One shouldn't interfere with a friend's potential marriage based solely on hearsay. A-Qing, ever proactive, aimed to nip any potential problems in the bud.

"Really? You seem quite knowledgeable about these matters," she remarked.

"Well… my uncle told me," he stammered.

"If things go your way, we can all have a good laugh. But what if my friend already has someone special in mind?" she pressed.

"Uh-huh?" he mumbled.

"Words, once spoken, are like arrows in flight—they can't be retrieved. Even if it's just a rumor, wouldn't it potentially blind my friend to their destined partner?" she argued.

"That's…" he trailed off.

"Imagine my friend growing old alone, filled with regret, thinking, 'If only my brother hadn't gossiped, I wouldn't be so lonely, eating by myself,' How would you shoulder that responsibility?" she challenged.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry!" Hwangbo Uncheok wilted under A-Qing's verbal volley. "Oh, brother! Forgive me! Your foolish older brother almost condemned you to a life of solitude!"

Peng Daesan, however, was perplexed. "Why do I feel a sense of unease with this apology? And why does this feel so familiar…?"

"Brother Daesan, that's called déjà vu," Zhuge Ihyeon interjected, his words a blur of speed as a topic he was familiar with arose. "The upper elixir field briefly glimpses a possibility during breathing. This aligns with the Buddhist concept of the divine eye (천안통), which allows one to see future lives, understand past lives through destiny insight (숙명통), and ultimately refine this into penetrating insight (누진통). It serves as the initiation into the three insights (삼통), enabling a person to freely harness déjà vu through their own abilities..."

"This is giving me a headache," Zhuge Ihyeon groaned, interrupting his own rapid-fire explanation. Just then, A-Qing abruptly stood.

"Where are you going?" Peng Daesan inquired.

"To answer nature's call," she replied simply.

Peng Daesan rubbed his temples. Is she for real?

"Well, she's certainly…direct," Hwangbo Uncheok observed.

"Is 'direct' really the word for it?" Peng Daesan questioned.

"I have no idea!" Hwangbo Uncheok admitted.

A-Qing then trotted off. Hwangbo Uncheok seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Anyway, it's great! Brother Peng, you're also headed to Mount Hua, right? We can travel together!"

"You're going to Mount Hua too, Brother Hwangbo?" Peng Daesan asked.

"Of course! Why else would I be here?" he confirmed.

The Hwangbo family, while not one of the Five Great Clans, was still among the Ten Great Clans of Murim. This meant they were entrusted with a role in the opening of the Sword Tomb Wall. Why borrow the power of the Ten Great Clans? Peng Daesan wondered. Could something unusual be brewing in Murim? And behind the teahouse, something definitely unusual was brewing.

One thing A-Qing absolutely couldn't abide in Murim was the state of the toilets. But what could she do? She couldn't exactly fight a toilet. However, she wouldn't tolerate it forever! When she became a grandmaster and held Murim in her palm, she would follow in the footsteps of the late Sim Jae-deok, former mayor of Suwon, founder of the Korea Toilet Association and the World Toilet Association, and lead a modernization of Murim's sanitation.

These grand aspirations, however, did nothing to alleviate her current predicament. It was a matter of human dignity. "Please be clean. Please, please…" she muttered. Dirty toilets were a blight on the soul. A-Qing steeled herself and grasped the door.

Just then, a chilling voice rang out. "You."

A-Qing turned to see a beautiful woman with a distinctly "bad girl" vibe pointing a finger at her. Flanking her were two men with menacing expressions. Bad girl with thugs, A-Qing thought. Classic. However, she knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Perhaps this woman was a good person burdened by a spiteful face.

Instead of relying on appearances, A-Qing checked her "karma meter"—a mental tally of perceived good and bad vibes. The beautiful woman registered a -498. Her henchmen? -621 and -455. Yep, definitely a bad girl, A-Qing concluded. Appearances, it seems, are often accurate.

A-Qing didn't hesitate to confront evil, even if it came in a beautiful package. However, she was currently facing a more pressing dilemma: the potential state of the toilet. This was a matter of personal dignity.

Before opening the door, the state of the toilet existed in a state of quantum superposition—both clean and dirty simultaneously. It was a chaotic unknown. Humanity had long sought ways to influence such uncertainties. The belief that good deeds bring good fortune was one such attempt. In modern times, this had evolved into analyzing coin graphs, manifesting desired outcomes through positive thinking, or even playing spiritually uplifting music while summoning in mobile games.

A-Qing, too, had her methods. If kindness could somehow influence the state of the toilet, she was prepared to be kind, even to this "bad girl."

"If you just need to relieve yourself, by all means, go ahead," she offered.

"What…what is she talking about?" one of the henchmen muttered.

"Number one is fine," A-Qing clarified. "Number two, however, is a different story. But if you're truly desperate and confident you can finish quickly…"

The beautiful woman, growing impatient with A-Qing's cryptic talk, snapped, "Do you have any idea who I am?"

A-Qing's expression clearly conveyed: Not the slightest clue.

Before the woman could elaborate, the henchman on the right spoke up. "This is the young lady of the Black Shadow Association. Someone like you shouldn't even dare to look her in the eye."

A-Qing tuned him out. If I can't look her in the eye, she must be Medusa, a Gorgon, or maybe even…Michael Jackson, she mused. If I met Michael Jackson, I’d probably faint.

"Oh, that," A-Qing said, feigning recognition. "It's a bit embarrassing to announce your own identity, isn't it?"

"You…!" the woman seethed.

"My lady, please calm yourself," the henchman, Nogal, interjected. "There's no need for you to lower yourself to this. If there's a commotion, the young master will find out."

"Ahem, yes. Nogal," the woman agreed, regaining her composure. She gestured with her chin, and Nogal tossed a pouch that landed precisely at A-Qing's feet. The clinking of coins was audible.

"Take that and get lost," the woman commanded.

A-Qing swiftly picked up the pouch and peeked inside. Silver coins, with one gold coin nestled in the center. A smile spread across her face. Wow. All this just to use the toilet first? Such is the privilege of the wealthy.

Of course, the money wasn't just for letting her go first. It was likely a bribe to keep quiet about the whole affair. It would be mortifying for a lady of her stature to be seen entering and exiting a public restroom. Or perhaps she was simply…indisposed.

"My apologies, I didn't recognize your noble self," A-Qing said, bowing deeply. "I saw nothing. Please, take care of yourself, my lady."

A-Qing then retreated, a triumphant spring in her step. All three figures avoided her gaze. They knew where she had come from. A-Qing, however, interpreted their averted eyes differently. They must have been having some private conversation, she thought. How rude of them not to include me! She feigned disappointment.

A-Qing then proudly displayed the pouch of coins, even opening it to show off its contents. Peng Daesan glanced inside. It wasn't a large sum—not even a day's allowance for the heir of one of the Five Great Clans. He found her triumphant air over such a small amount rather amusing. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. What was that? While Peng Daesan wrestled with this cosmic unease, A-Qing announced, "Look! I made some money!"

"No, elder sister," Peng Daesan corrected.

"Elder sister?" A-Qing echoed.

"Well, if you're a friend of Brother Peng, wouldn't you be my elder sister?" he reasoned.

The title was unfamiliar, but it was certainly better than "young lady."

"Oh. Then, can I speak comfortably?" A-Qing asked.

"Of course," Peng Daesan replied. "But how did you earn this much just by going to the toilet?"

"Someone gave it to me," A-Qing explained. "They said they were in a hurry and asked me to go first. What could I do? They offered me money! I might even go again later."

"My, they must have been desperate," Zhuge Ihyeon mused. Even for him, the pampered son of the Zhuge Clan, the amount wasn't significant—barely a day's allowance. But he knew it was far too much to pay for a mere toilet break. Income and financial sense are two very different things, he thought.

Just then, the ever-earnest Hwangbo Uncheok interjected. "Young lady, taking advantage of someone's…circumstances isn't right."

"But they were a noble from a very wealthy family," A-Qing countered. "And I'm the one in a predicament. I'm the one relying on my friend's generosity because I'm broke."

"Regardless of wealth," Hwangbo Uncheok insisted, "didn't you take unfair advantage?"

"Oh, how can you separate wealth from this?" A-Qing exclaimed. "Tell me, young justice, if you were about to…well, if you were about to have an accident, what would you do?"

"That's…" Hwangbo Uncheok stammered.

"If you had an accident, young justice," A-Qing continued, "how do you think the world would perceive you? They might not say it to your face, but wouldn't they whisper and snicker behind your back, calling you 'Poop Hero' or 'Little Poop Justice'?"

"Uh, that's…" Hwangbo Uncheok trailed off.

"Reputation is everything," A-Qing declared. "And a…mishap of that nature is irreversible, a lifelong stain, wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose so," Hwangbo Uncheok conceded.

"I consider it a form of social…death," A-Qing proclaimed. "Haven't you heard the saying that a person dies not when their breath stops, but when their name is forgotten? Wouldn't it be a greater humiliation than death to be remembered as…a 'connoisseur' of such matters?"

"That's…a valid point," Hwangbo Uncheok admitted.

"So," A-Qing concluded, "I protected something more precious than life itself—their social standing—for a mere gold coin? Shouldn't I be the one feeling slighted?"

"Indeed," Hwangbo Uncheok agreed. "One gold coin is rather…"

"But when one's…dignity is at stake," A-Qing interrupted, "one can make mistakes in haste. They gave me the whole pouch, so they must have given me everything they had, right? I shouldn't dare criticize them for the…modest amount."

A-Qing continued her eloquent, if somewhat unusual, reasoning. Hwangbo Uncheok, his expression serious, responded, "Indeed! Your generosity is boundless, young lady! I have made yet another grave error in judgment!"

Zhuge Ihyeon, equally impressed, exclaimed, "Amazing! Elder Sister! You naturally elevate nonsense to the level of natural law through sheer logical leaps! And yet, this unpredictable, ever-shifting elevation of self is truly remarkable! It was a splendid debate, blurring the lines between fiction and reality!"

A-Qing's ability to assess a situation, honed during her time in the military, was legendary. She was a master of observation, subtly probing and testing, knowing exactly how far she could push. This was the same A-Qing who, as a lowly private with a…unique military number, could joke and laugh with Sergeant Kim, a man whose temper was as volatile as a rabid dog.

And now, this master of social dynamics rose from her seat.

"Elder Sister? Why are you suddenly…?" Peng Daesan inquired.

"Why?" A-Qing replied. "I have unfinished business."

"Ah," Zhuge Ihyeon murmured, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. A-Qing then slipped out the back door of the teahouse.

As if on cue, she encountered the "grateful" woman from before. The woman, trembling with indignation, pointed a finger at A-Qing. "You, you…insufferable little…! How dare you mock me?"