Chapter 185: Coming Soon to Kaifeng

Gongson Yoye was a newcomer to the martial world.

Destined to be a decisive weapon for her family's ambition—restoring their original surname—her life was nothing but training, day in and day out.

Her day began with training, followed by breakfast and more training.

She ate lunch right there on the training ground and continued training until dusk. After dinner with her family, it was back to training again.

The day ended only when she fell asleep in the separate building constructed right next to the training ground.

So, you can imagine how her heart pounded with anticipation for the Murim Conference.

Friendship! Discussing martial arts seriously with peers, clashing swords, synchronizing breaths, striving together towards the pinnacle of martial studies!

Instead, this was the assessment Gongson Yoye received from the women of the Phoenix Association:

A stuck-up wench who thinks she's hot shit just because she knows some martial arts.

She goes on about 'women this' and 'martial artists that'—what is she then, if not a woman? Is she looking down on people, or what?

Look at how her eyes glaze over whenever she sees a man. Probably just looking for an excuse to rub up against them while pretending to spar.

That country bumpkin probably wants to cozy up to the famous sects, doesn't she?

Of course, Gongson Yoye's conduct had been terrible.

It was fine to take pride in being a martial artist before being a woman, but pride was something best felt alone.

In front of everyone at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, within earshot of the men from the Azure Dragon Association, she shouldn't have dismissed trivial matters like makeup, Clothing, romance, ideal partners, and marriage as pathetic chatter.

To make matters worse, the men had responded enthusiastically, standing up, applauding, shouting, "Hear, hear! A true martial artist!" (The Sword Lunatic jumping up first and fanning the flames played a significant part).

Whether they were usually serious about martial arts training or not, she had just hurled a massive insult at every woman who had dressed up nicely for the men.

If Qing had witnessed this scene, she would have equated it to someone at the first university gathering with all seniors and juniors present, loudly proclaiming, 'Why do girls who come all the way to university waste money on makeup and clothes to cling to men and aim for marriage, instead of studying to become great people?'

Naturally, Gongson Yoye might feel wronged.

She had simply done as she was taught; it was what the strict elders of her family always said.

Get up. Don't whine like common household girls. Know shame.

What does it matter if it's your monthly cycle? Do you think enemies will go easy on you for three days a month? You useless wench.

Adornment is a pathetic trick used by girls who can't make it as martial artists, realizing their lack of ability and trying to snare a man to improve their fortunes. Don't even think of touching such filth.

People who lack interaction with others tend to assume everyone in the world lives just like them.

She had expected these promising young talents of the Orthodox Murim to be dignified martial artists, regardless of gender. What could she do?

Thus, the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly meeting had become an utterly dreadful place for Gongson Yoye.

She couldn't even skip it to train anymore, having been severely reprimanded—"Does fostering connections for the family's long-cherished wish seem trivial to you?"—when she tried to abstain.

Trying to mingle with the men, the martial artists, proved futile as well.

The members of the Azure Dragon Association either wanted to chat amongst themselves, having their own 'man talk', or were hoping to impress a woman and find romance.

So, naturally, Gongson Yoye became invisible.

No one acknowledged her when she arrived (except types like Jo Hakche[^Heir of the Black Dragon Jo Clan]), no one spoke to her while she sat, and no one tried to stop her when she got up to leave.

Day after day, she would sit silently, forcing a composed expression, enduring the lonely hours where no one approached her, before returning to her lodgings.

The days when the Azure Dragon Association and Phoenix Association held separate meetings were particularly dreadful, and today was one of those days.

It was then that someone spoke.

“Miss Gongson? Could I speak with you for a moment?”

Gongson Yoye flinched.

It was the woman wearing a Veil she had seen in the market a few days ago.

It happened during Gongson Yoye's first act of rebellion—unable to bear the disregard any longer, she had slipped out to wander the market alone.

The woman had caught a pickpocket for her, but Gongson Yoye, terrified that word of either her skipping out or the hair ornament would reach her family, had simply run away.

“What… what is it? I have nothing to say to you.”

“Aw, don’t be like that,” the veiled woman said. “Come on, let’s just step out for some fresh air. Hey everyone, I’m just borrowing Miss Gongson for a bit, okay?”

One of the women at the same table replied sullenly.

“She’s not with us. Do whatever you want.”

“Ah. I see,” the veiled woman chirped. “But why so cold? Did you two fight? Aw, it’s nice to get along. Alright then, I’ll do as I please?”

Then, a hand—so white it was almost pale, yet beautiful—reached for Gongson Yoye's wrist.

Having lived a life of training, surely I’m not weak enough to let some woman who just chats up men grab my wrist so easily- Before she could finish the thought, the woman’s hand clamped onto her wrist. Grab.

Gongson Yoye stared blankly as her wrist was snatched.

Then came a forceful tug—What strength… good heavens.

Gongson Yoye was dragged along helplessly.

“Wait, Miss, I really have nothing to-”

“But I do,” the woman interrupted. “And that lady over there said I could do whatever I want. So, it’s up to me.”

“I never gave my permission!”

“Hey, are you some kind of Grand Prince? Do I need permission just to talk? Besides, I’ve never asked a Grand Prince for permission for anything, ever.”

Once dragged outside the tower, the woman declared, “Let’s walk a bit,” and began pulling her along the canal path in front of the building.

“Whoa, look at all the boats. Isn’t it something?”

“Can we talk now? And please let go of my hand.”

“You’ll just run away again if I let go,” the woman replied. “I’m an expert at escaping, and I can see you’re already calculating your angles.”

“Who said anything about running away?”

“Whatever. Weren’t you wandering the market alone back then too? You seem to like sightseeing. So, have you seen the Iron Pagoda? Let’s see, around there… ah. See that?”

Following the woman’s finger, Gongson Yoye’s gaze caught the dark, pointed tip of a pagoda peeking out between the rooftops.

To be visible from this distance, its actual height must be immense.

Gongson Yoye gasped, in spite of herself.

“Wow…”

“Looks like you haven’t seen it yet,” the woman said. “Up close, it makes you gasp three times: wow, it’s really tall, big, and wide. You should go check it out sometime. It’s quite a sight.”

“More importantly, what did you want to talk about?”

“Ah. Right. A few days ago, you see, a nasty little pickpocket reached for a pretty lady’s pouch, and I couldn’t help but execute justice, you know?”

“I told you it wasn’t-”

“But then the pretty lady who could prove my righteous deed just abandoned me and ran off, turning me into some ill-tempered swordswoman who got thrown in jail! For two whole days, can you believe it? On that cold prison floor, with only two servings of crappy food. And the punishment was Flogging. You know Flogging? Where they tie someone up and beat them like crazy with bamboo sticks.”

Gongson Yoye’s heart sank.

Had it really been that serious?

“Did I ask you to help? And if I’d known it was that serious, I wouldn’t have… I didn’t know.”

“Forget it,” the woman said breezily. “They said they’d let it go for sixty wen, so I paid sixty wen and didn’t get flogged.”

“Sixty wen…”

“Anyway, here. This ornament is yours, right, Miss Gongson? I was originally going to keep it as payment for the beating I didn’t get, but hey, I’m feeling generous. I’ll give it back.”

“I believe I told you it wasn’t mine.”

“Fine, then it’s not Miss Gongson’s. Wow, I just happened to find a really pretty hair ornament on the street, and what do you know, it looks perfect for our Miss Gongson. Here. A gift.”

Gongson Yoye dazedly accepted the hair ornament.

Then the woman spoke again.

“It’s nothing much, I just wanted to bring you out here to apologize. I saw the hair ornament looked pretty, thought it might be valuable, and wanted to return it. I didn’t realize you’d be so embarrassed by it. I’ll keep my mouth shut from now on, so don’t worry.”

“Ah…”

“And you don’t need to feel bad about it. I just saw a pickpocket and dealt with him. You know how people pick up trash when they see it? Well, when I see human trash, my hands just start moving. So, even if you hadn’t been there, I was probably destined to pay sixty wen sooner or later. No need to worry about it.”

Gongson Yoye looked down at the hair ornament.

When she was young, secretly crying muffled tears during harsh training (crying meant more punishment), her mother had given it to her as a gift, calling it their little secret.

“Alright. My business here is done,” the woman said. “Miss Gongson can go back to her own affairs now. Hmm. Everyone else will probably hang out a bit longer before heading back.”

With that, the woman turned without a second thought and walked away briskly.

Gongson Yoye looked at the hair ornament in her hand, glanced towards the Liangyun Tower where the Phoenix Association meeting was held, then turned her head to look at the distant tip of the Iron Pagoda just barely visible.

She watched the woman’s figure recede into the distance, then-

“Wait! Miss!”

She hurried after the woman.

“Huh? What is it? No returns.”

“Um, excuse me, but… if it wouldn’t be too much trouble… could you possibly show me the Iron Pagoda? I’d like to see it up close…”

The Iron Pagoda was just a tall, large brick tower.

It was astonishing and marvelous the first time, but seeing it a second time was still… astonishing!

To think such technology exists in this primitive, ancient, uncivilized Central Plains!

“Wow…”

“Apparently, it used to be a wooden pagoda twice this high, but it got struck by lightning and burned down,” Qing said, repeating a story she herself had merely picked up somewhere. “They rebuilt it with non-flammable bricks, so it ended up half the height.”

“Goodness, it’s already so tall now. It’s a shame we can’t see its previous form.”

“Right? But you know how people in the Central Plains exaggerate. No one really knows if it was actually twice as tall. Honestly, I don’t buy it.”

“Is… that so?”

“Sure, anyone can say that,” Qing scoffed. “‘Oh, back at the Divine Maiden Sect, we had this hundred-story tower reaching the heavens where we met fairies, but oops, we played with fire with a fairy, and it burned down.’ What, you don’t believe me? How can you be so sure about things from the past? If you can’t bring evidence it didn’t exist, then it must have existed.”

At Qing’s words, Gongson Yoye’s eyes widened.

“Did such a tower really exist?”

“Would it?” Qing replied with a smirk. “Then it’d be called the Divine Tower Sect or Heavenly Tower Sect, not the Divine Maiden Sect.”

She really is naive for a newcomer to the martial world, Qing thought.

“Ah. Right. I’m not sure if it’s okay to ask this. May I?” Gongson Yoye asked.

“What is it?”

“Miss Gongson, I heard your name is actually Son Yoye, but you much prefer being called Miss Gongson, so that’s what I’ve been doing. That’s not rude or anything, is it?” Qing corrected herself quickly.

“Ah. You mean that,” Gongson Yoye said. “Actually, our family’s original surname was Gongsun. We descend from the very first ancestors.”

“Ah. Xuanyuan.” Qing knew at least the lineage of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors from Daoism. It had been hammered into her head from diligently copying texts last winter. The first emperor of China, surname Gongsun, personal name Xuanyuan. Often called Xuanyuan-shi, but the ‘shi’ (氏) here wasn’t a surname but something like an honorific attached to mythological figures.

“…So, we intend to restore our surname.” Gongson Yoye confided her family’s circumstances.

“Ah. Why would someone just cut another family’s surname in half like that? How incredibly rotten.”

“You shouldn’t speak so carelessly.”

“Why not?” Qing countered. “People always talk smack behind others’ backs. Doesn’t your family curse the Emperor? I bet they do.”

“…Just a little.”

“See? Hmm. Am I getting peckish? Not really hungry, but my mouth wants something. Miss Gongson, do you like snacks? No, wait, people who dislike snacks can’t possibly exist. What kind of snacks do you like?”

“Uh, I… snacks…”

“What, you don’t like snacks? After I just said that? Are you seriously going to say you dislike them right to my face?”

“That’s not it,” Gongson Yoye hurried to explain. “I just haven’t eaten them very often, so I don’t even know their names well. Those fried… square ones, sweet, with red beans inside…”

Qing laughed as if finding this ridiculous.

“One out of every four snacks in the Central Plains is fried, square, sweet, and has red beans in it! This won’t do. Today is the day snacks disappear from every tea house! Let’s go. I’ll treat you to so many snacks you’ll burst.”

The money Qing had earned from her disciplinary Nuclear Bombardment was considerable.

Besides, when there was a man in the group, Qing never had to spend money.

If a woman took out money when a man was present, it was considered a rude act that disregarded the man.

Surprisingly, the men didn’t complain much either, because any man who did complain would be labeled a ‘penniless bastard who doesn’t even have money to spend on a woman’ and promptly ostracized by the other men.

Of course, one had to consider the fact that women rarely had opportunities to acquire money other than through allowances.

Basically, since women generally had no income, the structure dictated that the men, who earned money, were responsible for covering expenses.

After that, Qing thoroughly enjoyed herself.

She grabbed a prime spot at a well-located tea house and grandly ordered one of every type of snack they had.

“Miss, you can’t possibly eat all that.”

“…? I’m going to eat it.”

What followed was a massacre of snacks that left Gongson Yoye aghast.

No matter how much she talks about being a martial artist, not a woman, isn’t this beyond the difference between woman and martial artist, and more like the difference between human and beast? Would even a pig starved for three days eat like that?

In any case, Gongson Yoye did taste a little of each type, finally discovering her own snack preferences for the first time in her twenty-seven years.

Then, Qing, who hated silence when her voice wasn't filling it, chatted about anything and everything, while the less talkative Gongson Yoye responded awkwardly.

After killing time like this for a while, dusk began to settle, and Qing decided it was about time to head back.

As Qing said her farewells, Gongson Yoye hesitated before asking.

“Miss Qing, will you be attending the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly meeting tomorrow?”

“Hmm. Not sure. Maybe? Maybe not?”

“Why is that?”

“Could be because of a friend who hates showing their face. Or maybe I’ll go if I have nothing else to do. Ah. I need to see Sword Brother and Changbin too, so I probably should go. Hmm, high probability of attending?”

“I see.”

Gongson Yoye nodded, fumbled as if wanting to say more, but ended up just bidding farewell.

Qing simply tilted her head.

Well, that was anticlimactic, she thought.