I Am This Murim’s Crazy Bitch

Chapter 1: The First Step into Murim

For production workers at small and medium enterprises, making games was a basic skill.

Of course, depending on the person, there were some that they didn’t acknowledge as games. By that, they meant mobile phone applications that only involved automatic hunting, in-app purchases, and gacha could not be recognized as an actual game.

However, for such production workers, these games held a value beyond just being games.

Weren’t they the reliable genre that allowed one to level up solidly even while working inside a cabinet?

While the salary might not increase, the joy of leveling up was still by their side.

Moreover, these games accounted for over 70% of the conversation among team members, so it could be said that it was more akin to their modern social life than mere gaming.

However, when limited to PC or console games, gaming was a somewhat distant hobby for production workers. Their hobbies were usually drinking alcohol (casually, with a meal), drinking alcohol (company dinners), drinking alcohol (with women), and if it wasn’t any of that, then at most, fishing. That was mainstream.

In that sense, his hobby of gaming was quite uncommon.

He was a diligent gamer.

The nature of his job in production meant that a basic two-shift system was in place, with short cycles of day and night shifts, granting short vacations of 2 nights and 2 days or 1 night and 2 days.

During these breaks, he would first sleep like the dead, then sit in front of his monitor with a cold beer in a thermos, sipping as he spent his vacation time.

He wasn’t particularly picky about his games.

In the games, he enjoyed many different characters. Sometimes, he lived the life of an outlaw of the wastelands, traversing the West, and at other times, as a commander with superhuman abilities, stopping alien invasions and destroying several planets before ultimately saving one.

He also found it quite enjoyable to be the rebellious Son of God, who had ultimately killed God.

However, most of his gaming experiences involved playing as a knight or a wizard in a somewhat medieval, Western cultural setting.

And amidst his fun, someone commented on his post asking for game comments.

ㄴtry out the Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death it’s hella fun

ㄴshitty ching chong (1) game fuck off

ㄴno listen;; it’s seriously hella fun;; there’s even a korean patch. hey try it try it(2)

Murim, huh…

His knowledge of Murim was limited to a few Stephen Chow movies. Like Shaolin Soccer.

Wasn’t the ultimate technique thingy that appeared in Kung Fu Hustle called Buddha’s Palm or something?

Now that he thought of it, his curiosity was piqued.

He didn’t hesitate to buy the game.

After all, the wallet of a production worker living alone was honestly quite thick, so what reason was there not to?

While it was downloading, he searched for information about the game.

It was an open-world RPG made in China (Unofficial Korean Patch: 99.6% translated) with high degrees of freedom.

The fact that there was a user-created Korean patch guaranteed that there was at least some level of enjoyment. After all, who would go through the trouble of translating a boring game?

One could freely farm and grow until they reached a certain amount of Fame. Then, major events called Early-Game Crisis, Midgame Crisis, and Endgame Crisis would randomly start.

If one overcame these, they could see the ending. Additionally, they could keep playing afterward or finish and play another round as a descendant. The game offered multiple endings based on the content chosen.

He wasn’t aware of the unfamiliar genre that was martial arts games, but upon searching, it seemed quite popular.

He was someone who preferred munchkin play, where he could wipe out enemies without reserve rather than overcoming difficult challenges. He liked to follow the strongest validated build and enjoy the game comfortably.

As he looked up character-making and build recommendation posts, he pondered how to grow his character.

Since he already had a feeling that it would be fun, he looked forward to it with a satisfied smile.

Soon the game installation was completed and he overlaid the Korean patch file.

And then, it was time for the long-awaited start of the game.

Using the knowledge from the posts he had read just before, he proceeded quickly with the character creation.

The difficulty would be Traveler of Tasteful Leisure (Easy Difficulty).

Since the game supported multiple rounds, he thought if it was fun, he could raise the difficulty in the second round.

The Constitution of the character would be Blood Poison, known to make gameplay much more comfortable.

The Star of Destiny would be the Heavenly Slaughtering Star.

And without any hesitation, the gender would be female.

He firmly believed that in any game where female characters were playable, one must always choose them.

Unfortunately, customization was not supported.

He had no choice but to choose an illustration with big breasts from the given presets of appearance.

After all, shouldn’t he at least show a well-formed figure in-game?

When he took a break, smoking a cigarette and drinking beer, it was his guilty pleasure to enjoy the view of a female character with a big chest.

It was also a privilege of a single man.

And as for the character’s name…

Ctrl+V.

阿靑 (A-Qing)

The pre-copied Hanja characters were entered.

It was incomprehensible how someone’s name could be A-Qing.

But it was something mentioned in the recommendation post.

After all, entering this would start him off with one of the game’s most overpowered martial arts, the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden(3), in its true form.

Now, the character creation was done.

Before pressing the Start Murim Journey button, he brought up a guide post on his smartphone that organized the route he needed to take in order to farm quickly before advancing to the early-game story.

After all, if it was an open-world game, wasn’t it a rule of thumb to farm generously as soon as it started before proceeding seriously?

However, in the end, the preparation was useless.

The moment he pressed the Start Murim Journey button-

He was standing in a chilly cave…

Along with a hefty mass that suddenly weighed on his upper body.

--------

1 Derogatory term…

2 Korean meme

3 It means moon, but because there will be differentiation later, I kept the chinese romanticization “Yue”

Chapter 2: A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (1)

A-Qing was currently an inhabitant of Murim, as well as a former member of the modern age.

This fact brought a significant enlightenment to A-Qing.

The life of a once single, production worker of the modern era meant that work and people were sometimes (often) shitty. As such, this led to one’s well-being deteriorating, as they endured the hardship of not being able to sleep when desired, constantly rubbing at exhausted eyes.

However, there were no problems when it came to just living.

Modern civilization meant that even when one lived alone, basic needs were manageable and they could survive without particularly feeling any life-threatening dangers.

But what about the world of Murim, these primitive ancient times of China?

If one did not have power nor money, they would just die. There was no other option.

So, over the past year, A-Qing’s time here was a continuous, solemn struggle to preserve her very life.

At least the people of Korea didn’t draw knives and attack just because they made eye contact or killed one another over a shoulder bump in a sword duel.

It was almost impossible for a modern person with a fragile spirit to survive in such a barbaric civilization.

Yet A-Qing was still alive and breathing.

Of course, she was fortunate in many ways.

Firstly, A-Qing’s body was robust.

In modern terms, he had followed a guide when creating a character, focusing on a build that went all-in on strength and stamina to get through the Early-Game.

And when A-Qing opened her eyes, she found herself in the body of the character she had created.

She was stronger than most men and her steel-like body hardly tired.

And most importantly, the choice of Constitution was perfect.

A-Qing’s Constitution, Blood Poison, neutralized all poisons that existed in the narrative.

Even food poisoning was considered a poison, so she could eat anything without falling ill.

She could seriously eat anything without worries.

And so, A-Qing survived.

Since she could not even make eye contact with Third-Rate Unorthodox thugs, she fought over discarded food with beggars. As stealing potatoes and radishes was not easy, she was beaten by farmers.

Like that, she endured a year.

And now, she had become a proper martial artist in her second year at the Central Plains.

In her own way, it was a special commemoration for A-Qing as well.

That’s right, I too am a proper martial artist, now in my second year. I should try to live more like a martial artist…More like a human.

Even just now, she had brought in the head of a wanted villain to the administrative office and received the bounty.

She still vividly remembered the first time she killed someone in her first year here, crying and vomiting, but now she could cut through arms and necks without hesitation.

At this rate, I am also turning into a splendid Murim gangster. Mmm. Nice.

A-Qing’s majestic chest swelled.

It was the pride of a Jianghu newbie, just a little over a year of life in the Central Plains.

Even if it wasn’t A-Qing, about a year after one embarked on this martial path tended to be the time when confidence was at its peak.

Of course, it wasn’t clear to A-Qing herself if she had really entered her second year.

After all, she didn’t mark the days like a castaway on a deserted island or a kidnapping victim secluded in a dark room.

But she had fallen into this world in the warm spring, survived the winter, and now the weather was warming up again.

As such, it was roughly the 1st anniversary.

Humiliating days flashed through her mind.

When she woke up naked in a completely unknown world, there was almost nothing A-Qing could do.

After all, did money grow on trees?

Or, like in a game, could she break into houses, shatter some jars, open boxes, and boldly steal in front of the homeowner?

Of course, if there was no owner, it was possible, and there were actually professionals who specialized in this.

However, burglary required more sophisticated skills than she thought, even if it was an empty house.

If she had known she would end up like this, she wouldn’t have worked as a production worker but as a burglar instead.

Fortunately, there was one part that was the same as a game.

It was that killing people gave money.

In the Central Plains, people carried pouches called moneybags to hold their assets.

If the owner disappeared, the person who picked it up would become the next owner, so if you killed someone, you could rightfully inherit their moneybag.

Even so, A-Qing was always poor.

It was because she was not a murderous robber aiming for money.

If she had to kill, she killed only rotten bastards.

Sometimes, when she brought their heads to the office, she received a bounty, albeit rarely. But the amount earned was not that much either.

As soon as one left their nest and had to become a responsible adult, every little thing cost money.

To exaggerate a bit, even breathing costs money.

As such, life obviously couldn’t help but be miserable.

But today, let’s break free from being miserable.

It was a day she could celebrate with pride.

It was the 1st anniversary!

“Over here, Server.”

At A-Qing’s call, the server rushed in.

There was a mole as big as a housefly beside his nose.

It was clear that this inn was not any ordinary inn.

After all, the mole on the server’s face was a sign of fortune.

The bigger and clearer the mole, the higher the server’s fee. One could tell the status of the inn by the server’s mole.

“What’s good here?”

“There’s nothing we can’t cook, but the dish I recommend today is chicken steamed with ginger and then fried with dark soy sauce and oil. Today is the day the chickens came in from the cockfighting arena, so the flavor is extraordinary.”

The server skillfully recommended a dish.

Starting at the age of fourteen and soon reaching his 30th anniversary here, the experienced server could immediately gauge the customer.

As she was wearing light robes with traces of Qi here and there, she must be a poor female swordsman of Murim. Though there were dark circles under her eyes, her expression was not one of exhaustion.

As such, it must be a customer who had something good happen, wishing to celebrate, and preferred a generous and oily dish over a small portion due to her poor attire.

Cockfighting arena and whatnot was purely bullshit.

In fact, the server did not know much about it either.

However, it was just a chicken dish, not even a duck.

This level of lip service was needed to satisfy the customer as well.

A-Qing, the second-year newbie of Murim lifestyle, had no idea what the server was thinking.

She was just happy.

Chicken!

Fried chicken!

The soul food of Koreans!

“Are you in need of alcohol as well?”

“Yes! One strong bottle of hard liquor!”

“Then how about Bi Hongju (1)? It is from the Bi Family’s Brewery behind here. Although this is only their first generation, it is known for its extraordinary potency. Even the elderly of the Beggar’s Union praise it.”

If it was only a first-generation brewery, it couldn’t boast of making good liquor.

Moreover, the talk about the elderly of the Beggar’s Union was purely a scam.

How could beggars truly know the subtle tastes of liquor? They would just down it, after all.

In the end, it was all just talk.

But how that talk was packaged could please the customer.

The server was a high-class personnel and practically an artist in hospitality.

“One fish-scented sweet and sour chicken here! One Bi Hongju!”

The server shouted the order as he walked away.

Shouting the order wasn’t to inform the kitchen. Nor was it to double-check with the customer.

It was to let the other clients in the inn know what this person ordered.

The more expensive the order, the louder the voice, and occasionally, when a really big customer came, they even went out to the main road to yell the order out.

However, A-Qing’s order was not loud enough for the server to raise his voice. It was simply because the server had clearly seen and read into A-Qing’s heart.

After all, it was obvious what a poor customer would expect.

Unaware of this consideration, A-Qing was all smiles.

The other customers in the inn who saw A-Qing also let out a smirk, as soon after, they had roughly realized what kind of situation this was.

A-Qing was the only one unaware.

A-Qing. A whopping two years spent in Murim.

—-

In the previous era, there was a song that a legendary band of chivalrous individuals (basically, akin to thieves) loved to sing.

The first verse was incomparably unique.

Heroes do not bother studying.

But the era of ignorant and unsophisticated sword swings had passed and in this new era, martial arts also became a branch of study.

The higher the level of martial arts, the more it entwined with the principles of the world.

In fact, without contemplating the Dao and ideology, one could not become a peerless Master.

However, the zenith of the era before the last, the Greatest Under Heaven, loved this song.

His title was the Celestial Martial Emperor.

It was a terrifying moniker.

Even if he was the Greatest Under Heaven, how could he dare to impersonate the title of Emperor!?

It was akin to challenging the Jade Emperor to a showdown.

So, they actually did fight.

As the stern Jade Emperor never avoided a challenge, a mere word of conspiracy would gather the military forces of all that was under Heaven.

And the result?

The Celestial Martial Emperor was truly fitting of his title.

If the Celestial Martial Emperor had been defeated, he would have been nicknamed something like ‘The Small Fry Who Stood Against Heaven’ or ‘Traitor to Heaven’.

It was a famous tale that the Celestial Martial Emperor suppressed thirty thousand soldiers, grabbed the Emperor by the collar, climbed to the top of the Imperial Palace, and sang a revised version of his favorite song.

Heroes do not mind the gazes of others.

What does it matter when All Under Heaven is beneath me

Even if my status is humble

Who dares to hinder my path

Thus, the Celestial Martial Emperor succeeded in redefining the relationship between the authorities and the martial world, creating a new law that the two should ignore each other and mind their own business.

With that, the Celestial Martial Emperor ascended as the godfather of all martial artists.

Afterward, the Celestial Martial Emperor literally realized the legend of ascending to Heaven as a Daoist Immortal, leaving a legacy as an imperishable icon.

The musical achievement of composing the most beloved song of that era’s martial artists was just a bonus.

Truly the very definition of a man who shaped an era!

However, there were side effects.

Some people misunderstood the lyrics of the song ‘Heroes do not mind the gazes of others’.

If heroes did not mind the gazes of others, did it mean that those who were not heroes should mind them?

Then, bastards who were cautious of others weren’t heroes, right?

The ascended Celestial Martial Emperor would have lamented up above Heaven, pounding his chest in frustration.

And as a result, here in this place…

The Virtuous Gale of Qinghe (2), Jo Gaksan, thought of himself as a hero.

Jo Gaksan was dining with his sworn brothers.

Together, with the three of them, they were known as the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe and had a fair amount of pride in their renown.

Then he suddenly recognized a face.

The Ugly Devil of Zhengyou, Ahn Sung-il.

Despite his title, his looks were quite decent.

However, the nickname Ugly Devil of Zhengyou was not for his face but for his extremely vile and dirty deeds.

His main business was human trafficking, and besides that, he was a son of a bitch who committed all kinds of evil deeds such as theft, robbery, murder, rape, arson, and fraud.

Heroes must immediately punish evil without any tolerance.

Of course, only if the evil was weaker than them!

Ahn Sung-il’s level was known to be in the early stages of the Peak Realm and Jo Gaksan was merely in the late stages of a First-Rate martial artist.

However, they were sworn brothers for such times. If not, what other reason would there be to uncomfortably move around in a group of four?

One against four.

Each individual of the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe might be weaker than Ahn Sung-il, but together, we were strong.

Because that was what we are!

Indeed, they couldn’t just stand by and watch evil get away!

Jo Gaksan finally made up his mind after calculating the odds from various angles.

Heroes do not mind the gazes of others.

The act of minding others’ gazes included causing a disturbance in a crowded inn during dinner time, potentially causing direct or indirect damage to those around.

Such minor collateral damage was trivial in the face of a grand cause that was executing justice and eliminating evil.

The Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe quietly exchanged glances.

Jo Gaksan tapped the table three times.

Then, they lunged forward all at once.

-------

1 A type of alcohol. 40% alcohol and known for its red color. In fact, in Hanja, the “Hong” stands for red and the “-ju” stands for alcohol. So basically, it can be called “red liquor” but thats no fun is it?

2 A place in the Hebei province

Chapter 3: A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (2)

[Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja (1)]

(Stars of Destiny Selection Screen Screenshot.)

(Image of a star with a red tail among the nebulae)

[Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja]

An impure starlight that foretells the massacre of all under Heaven, the world.

An extraordinary murderer, the Killing Star, inherent with a thirst for blood.

The one destined to become the Heavenly Slaughterer must be killed.

When the Heavenly Slaughtering Star rises, kill every child born under the same moon, otherwise the world will be submerged in endless rivers of blood.

[Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja]

the star of destiny just has some text that seems like a dark souls ripoff without actually explaining what effect it has, so u dont(?) know, yea?

that’s why the developer went to the steam community and posted the effects directly, but since u won’t understand ching chong, i translated it for u

Great Purple Star (North Star)

Starts with a unique royal background.

Possible to choose two Golden Martial Arts from the Martial Vault of the Imperial Palace.

Endgame Crisis is difficult+++ Fixed to the Struggle of the Yellow Dragon route.

Celestial Dog Star (Sirius)

Required points for practicing Orthodox Martial Arts decreased by 33%

Required points for practicing Unorthodox Martial Arts increased by 33%

Required points for practicing Demonic Martial Arts increased by 50%

The closer the tendency is to being Orthodox, the stronger the power of the user’s Martial Arts

Blazing Chaotic Star (Mars)

Required points for practicing Unorthodox Martial Arts decreased by 22%

Required points for practicing Foreign Martial Arts decreased by 25%

Required points for practicing Demonic Martial Arts increased by 50%

The closer the tendency is to Unorthodox, the stronger the power of Martial Arts

Domineering Morning Star (Venus)

Required points for practicing Demonic Martial Arts decreased by 33%

Required points for practicing Orthodox Martial Arts increased by 33%

Required points for practicing Unorthodox Martial Arts increased by 50%

The closer the tendency is to ruling by force, the stronger the power of Martial Arts

Windswept Mystic Star (Arcturus) (Trash)

Required points for practicing Left-Hand Path Branch decreased by 75%

Start with the Purple Sorcery Manual, Way of Peace (Trash)

Eternal Lone Star (Mimosa)

Acquisition Rate of Free Practice Points increased by 5%

Required points for practicing all Martial Arts decreased by 5%

Upon Solitary Jianghu (Party Play X) effects increased by 5 times.

For each companion, the power of Martial Arts decreased by 5%

…

…

…

Heavenly Slaughtering Star (Comet)

Upon entering combat, goes into a Berserk state (increased power of Martial Arts, increased Health Damage received, impossible to run away)

The higher the kill count, the stronger the power of Martial Arts

[Regarding the Effects of the 14 Stars of Destiny.araboja]

this is the very reason why i recommend heavenly slaughtering star

either way, starting from the midgame, u’ll use defensive qi arts since u’ll get beaten the shit out of anyway, so ur internal force gets cut down first

the increased health damage received isn’t really a penalty

even if ur unable to run away, u can still escape when ur at the brink of death since when ur basically half dead, the berserk state wears off

the downside is having to fight every fodder one by one, but if u want to increase ur kill count, u have to massacre them anyway…….

—-

A-Qing had a bright, beaming smile for the first time in a long while.

A genuine smile without a hint of shadow.

Anyone who saw it would inadvertently smile back like a doting dad, moved by its pure and innocent honesty.

A-Qing tended to display all her emotions on her face, so it meant she was that happy at the moment.

Now then, what about the something sweet and sour chicken whatchamacallit?

It exceeded A-Qing’s expectations just from its appearance.

The golden-brown fried crust was visually delightful and the still sizzling oil, the rich aroma wafting up and tickling her nose, seemed to penetrate her very heart.

Gourmet was the art of all five senses.

Seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting.

But wait. Why were there only four?

Though the identity of the last sense was uncertain, one thing was crystal clear; it was now time to enjoy with the tongue.

A-Qing bit into the chicken leg she had grabbed.

The crispy skin contrasted with the tender, well-cooked meat from which the juices flowed freely; it practically melted off its bones.

The very definition of delicious!

After a single bite, even the King of Cooking would start banging on the ground and tear off his sleeve in resignation, acknowledging he was dogshit instead of the superior being he thought he was.

Ah, this is what I’m talking about.

After all, life was tough and strenuous, but people could get comfort and gain strength from eating delicious food.

Just when A-Qing was comforting herself…

The ceiling collapsed with a crash.

Something fell and shattered the dining table. Clang! In an instant, a wave of heat swept over along with the commotion.

Her face was covered in hot, sticky liquid and bright red blood dripped down her forehead.

The fragrant scent of blood was so intense it made her nose tingle.

Was this actually reality?

A-Qing doubted her eyes.

The table, the meal, and even the scent that she hadn’t had the chance to properly enjoy were no more.

All that was left was the chicken leg she held tightly to her chest in surprise.

Yes, that’s right! At least there’s the chicken leg!

A-Qing quickly checked the condition of her meat.

It was crimson.

Bright red fresh blood was dripping down.

The dish was well-cooked to a golden brown, so it couldn’t have been an odd phenomenon where undercooked meat was oozing chicken blood.

A-Qing wiped her face with a troubled expression.

She couldn’t get herself to let go of the chicken leg, so she used her left hand.

Maybe this was how a singer felt while performing in a downpour.

The bright red fresh blood kept trickling down into her palm, falling drop by drop.

Of course, this wasn’t A-Qing’s blood.

The owner of it was mingling with the debris of the shattered table and the poor uneaten meal at the foot of A-Qing.

He was spewing blood with every breath, gurgling with a rhythm that seemed as if air was leaking from his lungs, and then proceeded to tremble.

Hm. Just another ordinary day in Murim.

The same fucked up, shitty, piece of garbage, Murim. Just as it had always been.

Why am I never given a single chance to be happy?

Why is it always me?

A-Qing’s gaze swept over the inn.

Those who were terrified.

Those who continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

Those who made a fuss, calling for a doctor.

Those who screamed.

Those who looked over with intrigued eyes.

Everyone’s reactions were diverse.

And so were the numbers floating above their heads.

They were numbers representing the karma each person held.

Doing righteous deeds would increase it and committing evil deeds would decrease it, so A-Qing could judge a person by this number alone.

Of course, in all of the Central Plains, A-Qing was the only one who could see karma.

Solely A-Qing. In the entire world.

And even the way of practicing martial arts was different for her.

A-Qing accumulated Practice Points by using martial arts and moved up one stage after the required points were fulfilled.

At the same time, Free Practice Points were also accumulated, which could be freely invested to improve certain attainments without the use of other martial arts.

It was a completely different growth method from the martial artists of Murim, who progressed through endless practice and study.

Moreover, what about acquiring martial arts?

As soon as an intact scripture touched her body, it was pre-registered in the Martial Arts Window.

These pre-registered martial arts could be learned at any time by investing the Free Practice Points.

Was this really a normal way of training?

It was like the growth method of a game character.

Not of a martial artist. No, it wasn’t even a method used by a human.

Then what am I?

Am I really human? Or am I a game character?

Are all my actions, all my decisions, really based on my own judgment?

Or am I just being manipulated by electrical signals from a keyboard and mouse somewhere on the screen?

Then what about these emotions I’m feeling?

Where in the world am I?

Is this the real world?

Or is it just a part of the game?

[Sudden Mission Occurrence – Inn Turmoil]

Description: [Chaos has broken out in the inn.]

Actions for additional Free Practice Points:

Righteous Karma) Help the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe and eliminate the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou

Evil Karma) Help the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou and eliminate the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe

Evil Karma) Take advantage of the chaos and rob the inn of its silver and gold

Heavenly Slaughtering Star) Kill everyone and set the inn on fire

“Ha……”

It was a terrible feeling.

A feeling too terrible to be fully expressed in words.

A-Qing clenched her teeth.

It felt like she was left alone in the world.

This damned status window.

The most terrible thing in the world.

Gurgle. With a sound akin to a death rattle, the middle-aged man at her feet finally stopped moving.

It was the moment when the body (alive) became a body (dead).

As the sphincter of the dead relaxed, a horrible smell arose from the stained trousers of the corpse, pricking the nose.

At the same time, the words written in the semi-transparent window in the corner of her vision flickered and then changed the content.

Righteous Karma) Help the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe and eliminate the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou

Ah. It’s the Virtuous Trio now? Because one died?

A-Qing snorted with laughter.

The blood smeared on her face oozed between her teeth.

The fishy, salty, and thickly condensed stink of blood brought an almost euphoric sensation, making her feel as if she was floating.

Alright, fine. Then let’s eliminate him.

After all, shouldn’t I accumulate Righteous Karma?

It was uncertain whether this was ancient China, an otherworld merely imitating Murim, or just a part of a game; what was certain was that the world couldn’t get more fucked up than this.

But still, there was one thing about it that A-Qing liked.

In this world, there was no need to suppress and let the surging anger rot inside. After all, it was the era of the blade, a world where one could deal with inner resentment in the most primal way.

Rolling on the floor, A-Qing picked up her sword, which had been leaning against the table.

The commotion was still ongoing upstairs with a Crash Boom Clang.

And now, she was about to add to that chaos.

With a smile as savage as blood, A-Qing headed to the stairs, holding the tassel tied to the end of the sword and dragging it along.

—-

When explaining the realm of martial arts, the sword was often the standard benchmark.

This was unfair to knife-wielders and fist fighters.

But since half of the martial artists used swords, everyone in Murim agreed that the sword was the most common weapon.

And traditionally, the higher the number of people, the louder the voice.

The art of channeling Qi into the sword to control its strength was called Qi Infusion.

Those capable of Qi Infusion were considered First-Rate martial artists.

When one could use it as naturally as breathing, they were roughly classified as Late-Stage First-Rate.

When one surpassed the level of Qi Infusion, they could emit Qi outside of the weapon, forming visible shapes.

This was called Human Shaped Sword Qi, but since four words were too long, the first two words were wholly omitted, calling it Sword Qi.

Those who could use Sword Qi were considered Peak Realm Masters.

The difference between the Late-Stage First-Rate and Early-Stage Peak Realm was just one step, but up to First-Rate, they were merely martial artists. Starting from the Peak Realm, they were called Masters.

The reason for this was because it was the first wall a martial artist faced.

That was also why reaching the Peak Realm was described as climbing over a wall.

But, unlike in the past when the sight of a Peak Realm Master was astonishing, Murim had continuously developed to this day.

Therefore, Peak Realm Masters were actually more common than one would expect.

After the incident where the zenith of the generation before the last, the Celestial Martial Emperor, flipped the Imperial Palace over its head, the power of the authorities weakened, leading to the revival of Murim.

Murim grew without the checks and suppression of the authorities, leading to the advancement of martial arts.

Unlike before, it was a common theory that if a talented person sincerely learned proper martial arts, they could reach the Peak Realm before their death.

Perhaps because of this, compared to the past, the trend of taking those in the Peak Realm lightly had emerged.

Especially those who were in the Late-Stage First-Rate.

If several attacked together, they could handle an Early-Stage Peak Realm, right?

Wouldn’t it be easy to defeat just one when four launched a surprise attack at them? Right?

However, underestimating the enemy had always been a taboo that all strategists from ancient times unanimously emphasized not to do.

The Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe paid the price for forgetting this taboo.

As such the Quartet became the Trio, and it was becoming more likely by the second for them to become the Duo or even just a Solo.

The Virtuous Gale of Qinghe, Jo Gaksan, swallowed in regret.

‘Damn it! Was the gap this big?! Or perhaps…?! Could it be that he hid the fact that he’s in the Mid-Stage of the Peak Realm?! What a sly and despicable bastard!’

If the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou heard this, he would definitely feel wronged. After all, Ahn Seon-il was indeed in the Early-Stage of the Peak Realm.

How did he handle one person so quickly, you ask?

He just sensed the ambush in advance.

Demonic Adepts always lived with a looming threat over their lives.

It was because they were considered worthless even if they died, so being stabbed to death on the roadside was treated as a natural death.

As such, long-lived Demonic Adepts were fundamentally sensitive.

At the same time, those at the table, who usually created a ruckus, calling each other brothers and sisters and talking about the peace of Murim and whatnot, suddenly went quiet.

Wouldn’t it obviously have been suspicious?

From that moment onwards, Ahn Seongil was on high alert and his readiness paid off.

He deflected the oncoming blade with his left hand and drew his sword to cut one of their throats.

He stomped on the ground with all his might to deploy Qinggong (2), avoiding the three others rushing at him.

But the weak floor collapsed, causing him to lose his balance, so he rather chose to execute the Naryeotagon move.

For reference, this move meant rolling on the floor unsightly.

Martial artists, who staked their lives on their reputation, often said they would never use it, even if it meant their death. However, since there was not a single person who actually kept their word, the words of martial artists were mostly just bravado and lies.

Regardless, he managed to save his life at the expense of his dignity.

Ahn Seon-il shouted loudly.

“Who dares to target the back of this swordsman of Zhengyou! Are you not afraid of the repercussions from the Zhengyou Martial Hall!”

To put it simply, it basically meant whether they would be able to handle the consequences.

“Shut up! You villain! Who here doesn’t know that you’re the hideous demon called the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou! Today, I will cut off your head and restore justice to the world!”

Basically, it meant he was not going to reveal his name. Just in case.

For martial artists, fighting was a part of their social life, so it was necessary to understand the implications accurately.

After this, there was no need for further verbal arguments.

After all, there was no reason to waste words when there was a perfectly fine weapon in their hands.

That was the way of Murim.

------

1 “Let’s get to know” is what it says. This is romanticized Korean, as in the author wrote it in english, but when reading it out loud, it reads out in Korean as “Let’s get to know” basically a Dummy’s Guide to type of vibe

2 Lightness body skill

Chapter 4: A Day In The Life Of A Second-Year Martial Artist (3)

Although the youngest of the Virtuous Quartet of Qinghe was eliminated, making them the Virtuous Trio instead, it was still a fight of three against one. Traditionally, having such a difference in numbers was a standard advantage, and it was indeed the case here.

The difference stemmed from their attitudes.

Ahn Seongil was overwhelmed by the numbers and looked for a way to escape out of fear, while the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe pressed for a quick decisive battle.

The importance of momentum in a fight could not be overstated. This was clearly exemplified by Ahn Seongil, who was constantly retreating and busy fending off attacks, and the purely offensive Virtuous Trio of Qinghe.

This went on for about twenty strokes. The modern-day equivalent of a stroke in Murim was a turn in a turn-based strategy game.

Ahn Seongil thought.

‘Huh. This isn’t as hard as I thought?’

The Eldest Brother of the Qinghe Trio, Jo Gaksan, thought.

‘Damn it, was the gap of the wall between us this severe?!’

Truth be told, the ultimate method of joint attack was not three against one, but four against one.

Humans had four cardinal directions – North, South, East, and West – so true mastery of joint attack was controlling all four.

This concept had long been proven.

In Buddhism, there were the Four Heavenly Kings, and in Daoism, there were the Four Auspicious Beasts, illustrating the ancient wisdom of dividing the points of the compass into four.

Therefore, three was an incomplete number.

Moreover, the opponent was one of a superior realm.

The difference between a Late-Stage First-Rate and an Early-Stage Peak Realm was just one step, but it was a higher wall than one might think.

Another ten strokes passed.

Jo Gaksan exchanged glances with his brothers, a conversation carried out solely with their eyes built from years of brotherhood.

‘This won’t do. Let’s get out of here. We have to take the youngest with us as well.”

‘Good idea, Eldest Brother.’

‘I was waiting for you to say that, Eldest Brother.’

The contents were more disheartening than expected. But considering Jo Gaksan’s moniker as the Eldest Brother of the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe, it only stood to reason that he would decide so.

In Murim, monikers were a far simpler principle than one might think.

Those in the First-Rate were respectable martial artists, but there were far too many of the same realm in the current Murim.

Therefore, to earn a splendid moniker as a First-Rate Expert, one must perform feats that everyone would acknowledge and admire.

But as there were many people and few heroic deeds, monikers usually combined the place of activity, a characteristic, and a tendency.

(Active in) Zhengyou, Ugly (In actions), Devil (Bad guy)

(Active in) Qinghe, Gale (Fast), Virtue (Good guy)

Hence, Jo Gaksan, the Virtuous Gale of Qinghe, was known for his storm-like speed; especially, his strategy to retreat like a passing gale when the fight turned unfavorable!

It was a moniker given by people who admired that quality of his.

‘But seeing how the youngest isn’t showing up, he must have broken something.’

‘The youngest always slips away, after all. The Third will take care of him.’

‘Wait, me again? Can’t Second Brother take care of him this time?’

‘Oho? The Third is…talking back?!’

Unfortunately, the youngest was already dead. But the news of the youngest death had not reached them yet because dead men tell no tales.

If only the youngest had said, ‘I’m dead, Brothers’ then the trio, furious over his demise, would have fought to their last breath and might have managed to take down the villain; the murderer of their youngest.

However, the only thought they currently had was escaping.

Jo Gaksan barely parried Ahn Seongil’s sword strike and suddenly shouted.

“Now! Yeonhaeng-gwisan!”

Ahn Seongil paused his attack and retreated quickly.

He did not know what Yeonhaeng-gwisan meant, but he sensed it could be a dangerous technique.

However, Yeonhaeng-gwisan meant nothing.

It was just a random word Jo Gaksan shouted to scare his opponent, so that he could exit like a gale.

It was a similar case to how the dead Zhuge Liang defeated the living Sima Yi with meaningless words.

With that, he succeeded in fending off a Peak Realm Master.

It was truly a miraculous strategy.

And so, the famed Virtuous Gale displayed the brilliance of his moniker.

The three individuals swiftly distanced themselves like a tempest!

Ahn Seongil was left blinking in dumbfoundedness.

—-

When A-Qing went upstairs, she saw three people running towards her like lightning.

She scanned the numbers above the three people’s heads: their Karma.

Seventeen, Nine, One.

Although the numbers were low, they still held Righteous Karma.

They seemed like good guys, so they were probably not the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou.

A-Qing quickly lost interest, but the three people flinched as they passed by her.

It was because her appearance was far from ordinary.

After all, anyone would startle at least once when seeing a female swordsman smiling with blood on her.

Moreover, she exuded a suffocating aura, as if there was a pressure constricting their very hearts; perhaps it was because of her eyes, turned feral, harbored a sinister hue.

But A-Qing did not make eye contact with the Virtuous Trio of Qinghe.

This was a nonverbal expression among martial artists.

In essence it meant that they had no business with each other, so they should go their separate ways.

After the three people passed by, A-Qing immediately identified the villain on the upper floor of the inn.

There was someone with an unusually high number above their head.

The villain had Three Hundred Seventy Six Points of Evil Karma, a person who had accumulated a terribly large amount of evil deeds.

In other words, he was a bastard who could be killed.

Killing him would actually be a service to the world, for he was such trash.

When A-Qing made eye contact with Ahn Seongil, he rolled his eyes upwards to avoid her gaze.

It was the same nonverbal expression among martial arts.

Let’s go our separate ways.

Ahn Seongil did not want to get entangled in this situation with A-Qing.

Wasn’t there an old saying in Murim?

Be wary of children, women, and the elderly.

Of course, this saying didn’t mean to be especially wary of such a demographic.

After all, if children, women, and the elderly were excluded, the only ones left were adult men.

And everyone would become cautious and wary when facing adult men.

The saying ‘Be wary of children, women, and the elderly’ meant to be cautious and not let your guard down around anyone you meet in Murim.

Ahn Seongil wanted to avoid conflict because of this very wisdom, but A-Qing had business with him.

“Hey. You there. Fucking old fart. Are you that piece of shit human scum called the Ugly Devil of Zhengyou?”

It was an unexpected verbal assault, completely out of the blue.

Ahn Seongil wore a dumbfounded expression.

It was a curse so severe that it made him doubt his ears.

“Yeah, you, old fart. Who else here has son of a bitch fucking written all over their face besides you?”

Ahn Seongil’s face turned beet red.

It was natural, considering he was being cursed by someone significantly younger; perhaps younger than what his daughter or even granddaughter would be.

“How dare this bitch who is still wet behind the ears…”

“What? What bitch? Did you just swear at me? How dare you curse at me so severely. That is insulting. I can’t hold back.”

For someone who couldn’t hold back, she was grinning from ear to ear as she drew her sword when-

“This crazy gir…! Heup.”

Ahn Seongil hastily closed his mouth.

It was because of the Qi emanating from A-Qing’s Sword Bō, unwinding like threads.

This phenomenon, where Qi overflowed even after Sword Qi was channeled, was called Sword Threads.

It was a technique used by martial artists of the Late-Stage Peak Realm.

Ahn Seongil broke out in a cold sweat.

The girl in front of him was a Master whose realm was much higher than his.

He was facing a life-threatening crisis.

An overwhelming difference in skill!

“Crazy? You’re swearing at me again? Wow, that’s so insulting. Ha, I’m getting angry, so very angry.”

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

“If you had insulted my clan, my parents, I might have held back. But insulting me? I can’t tolerate that. There is no more need for words! Die! My Moonlight Sword is starving!”

Despite her playful movements, the tip of the woman’s sword split into three shapes before one could even take a breath.

The Sword Qi surged in three forks.

Ahn Seongil’s brain was overheating fiercely.

What was the real movement and what was the fake?

To live or to die. There was no time to ponder.

It was the moment Ahn Seongil was about to gamble his life in front of this deadly trilemma.

A sensation like the hair on his entire body was standing on end!

‘All three are real movements!’

In a moment, he realized all three were real sword movements. This was the extra sensory perception one had when their life hung by a thread, also referred to the culmination of his efforts of the upper dantian in martial studies.

Ahn Seongil managed to deflect the sword strike targeting his heart and twisted his body with all his might. His shoulder and waist felt icy cold, followed by intense pain.

He had managed to fend off only one attack.

There were already two injuries.

The disparity in skill was despairing.

Not only was there a gap between the Early and Late-Stages of the Peak Realm, but the woman’s Sword Art itself was in a superior realm.

Considering the young woman’s skill at such an age, her background must be from an extraordinary sect.

Meaning, even if he lost, he would die, and even if he won, death would find him through the hands of pursuers.

Thus, there was only one answer.

He must not fight; it was a battle destined for doom.

“Wait! Great Expert! It’s a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!”

“A misunderstanding my ass. I heard you clearly. You insulted me. You shall pay for this humiliation with your life!”

“No, No! It isn’t like that! Great Expert, wa-wait!”

“Great Expert? Do I look that old to you? How dare you one-sidedly raise a woman’s age like that.”

“Y-Young Expert, please wait!”

“Young Expert? An inferior like you who had just reached the Peak Realm dares to address a martial senior like that? How dare you…!”

“Female Expert! Please, Female Expert! Hear me out just for a moment!”

“Female Expert? Is there a separate title for male and female Experts? Gender discrimination is muddling the world, thus here in this place, I shall break such chains.”

The woman’s sword continued to fly at him relentlessly.

Sometimes in three forks, sometimes four, and when it reached five forks, he lost the will to counter.

He could do nothing but blabber desperately.

It had already been twenty or so strokes.

It was a miracle of itself for him to stay standing.

Then, as if it was all a lie, the assault stopped.

“I’m telling you this because you keep saying it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Yes, Great Expert, no, Young, no that….”

“I was just about to enjoy an expensive meal that I managed to buy with great difficulty, you see. It was a very special anniversary to me. The happiest moment I had since starting my Murim journey.”

“Um, uh…. I apologize for causing a distu….”

“No, what? Do you think I’m some murderer who would kill someone just because they’re noisy? That’s not it. Something fell from the sky, you see. Since we’re inside an inn, it must have been the ceiling, right?”

A-Qing turned her head.

Ahn Seongil followed her gaze and turned his head too.

A gaping hole in the floor was visible.

Ahn Seongil started sweating bullets.

So that was why there was blood all over her.

“Very well then. Now, you understand why you’re going to die, right?”

“P-Please spare me!”

“Hm. What should I do.”

A-Qing pretended to think for a while, dragging out the silence, before speaking.

“First, hand over your money. Since you ruined my meal. And you also ruined my clothes.”

“I-I will give it to you!”

“Ah, how am I supposed to hold back from this? So harsh.”

“What? What?”

“Again! Give me your money!”

“I will give it to you!”

“I don’t need it!”

Ahn Seongil was flustered.

What the fuck did she want him to do then?

Was she toying with him after pulling him down to his kn….

Ah.

Ahn Seongil’s eyes turned rotten.

The reason he was still alive and able to withstand the attacks was that even when the sword strikes flew at him at once, there was always only one killing move aimed at a vital spot.

It was so that he could somehow block and parry the rest with his body if he dodged the killing move.

In other words, the woman was toying with him.

With a frivolous grin on her face, like a cat playing with a bird.

“I-I’ve been caught by a fiend, a slaughterer….”

“Ah. You got me. Oops?”

A-Qing’s smile deepened.

“That’s why you should’ve lived virtuously. This is all karma, okay? Karma. It’s because my Moonlight Sword thirsts only for the blood of evil.”

A-Qing raised her sword.

Sensing the end, the villain roared.

“Do you think you’ll be safe, you bitch! Yes, I’m a bad person! But do you think a bitch like you isn’t?! I’ll be waiting for you in hell!”

“Hell my ass. Do you even know how high my Righteous Karma is?”

Ahn Seongil’s world spun.

His collapsing body came into view.

As he was dying, he thought.

But how could a sword falling straight down cut the neck?

What kind of miraculous swordsmanship was this….

Chapter 5: Friend (1)

A-Qing was truly happy until recently.

It was because she had money.

If life felt unenjoyable, one should try thinking about how much wealth they had first. After all, it was a common trait of those who found intentional travel fun but domestic travel boring to save money in their own country.

The purse of that guy named Ugly Devil or whatever was enormous and plundering had been the right of the victor since ancient times.

It was the first time in A-Qing’s Murim life that she had accumulated wealth exceeding even a gold piece.

She also turned in the head of the evil-doer.

After all, the higher the Evil Karma they held, the heftier the bounty.

To exaggerate a bit, her moneybag was so heavy that even walking straight became difficult due to its weight.

As such, A-Qing enjoyed the finest culinary delights of Jianghu as much as she desired..

She bid farewell to her old Moonlight Sword (No. 5) which was like a lover to her and welcomed the new, young, and lovely Moonlight Sword (No. 6).

It was her first time actually buying a new sword, as she had always picked up others’ discarded ones.

A sword untouched by others. One that was truly hers.

She felt a newfound affection for it.

I’ll take good care of you.

The previous Moonlight Sword (No. 5) was so poorly maintained that it had rusted from inside out.

When the metal shop refused to even pay the price of scrap metal for it, she casually tossed it away by the roadside.

Then she bought new, sturdy, and affordable clothes.

A-Qing had a major realization.

If you had money, even this damned Murim world could be enjoyable!

She could even casually ignore the status window thanks to this. Her mood, elevated by her culinary adventures, remained unshaken even from the status window’s kicks.

A-Qing’s spending habits were as follows.

Those who couldn’t see their future did not save, a behavior common among youth in all countries of her homeworld.

Thanks to her having the same exact trait, she became broke in no time.

Ah. Those were good days.

All that remained was Moonlight Sword (No. 6).

A swordsman’s lover, the sword.

A luxury item she bought at the cost of half a gold piece.

Let’s be together for life, Moonlight Sword, okay?

This was the reason for a person to splurge.

At least the splurged items remained by their side, even when they were a step away from poverty.

“Your order is ready.”

Thud. The server placed the dish down without care nor sincerity.

Three dumplings. One soup.

If you bought at least three dumplings, you would get a free bowl of soup; a wisdom she learned from her two years of Murim life.

Contrary to modern common sense, dumplings in Murim were the most basic food, made of playing dough without any filling. Usually costing one coin or two in pricier inns, they were the cheapest food in Jianghu.

Dumplings with meat were called meat dumplings and cost a whopping fifteen to twenty coins.

Another piece of wisdom learned from her two years living in Murim.

When dumplings were too dry, it was good to soak them in soup.

If her throat felt dry, then it was good to drink the soup.

Looking at her suddenly humble meal, A-Qing glanced down at her beloved sword, Moonlight Sword (No. 6).

I wonder… How much would I get if I sold this?

It’s practically new… It hasn’t even been used that many times.

But let us not forget, this was only the wisdom of someone two years into her Murim life.

She couldn’t really understand the depreciation and second-hand pricing of swords, so she decided to keep it for now.

But seriously. I really need to make money.

What should I do?

A-Qing opened the Martial Arts Window from her Status Window.

Every time she saw it, she felt like shit, but she needed to check her accumulated Free Practice Points.

Free Practice Points allowed instant mastery of martial arts and could be a lifesaver in critical situations.

Her Sword Art of the Yue Maiden (True Form), Yue Maiden Cultivation Technique (True Form), and Yue Maiden Footwork (True Form), the Qinggong Technique she possessed, had all reached Twelve Stars.

Twelve Stars meant the highest achievement one could hold in that martial art.

Usually when people say they had accomplished the Grand Star, it means they had mastered the martial art in question up to such a point.

Of course, to A-Qing, who learned martial arts through the Status Window, this was a completely different concept from what martial arts meant by Grand Star.

For her, the Twelve Stars that made up the Grand Star meant that all moves were imprinted in her memory and she gained additional Ability Points and Special Skills for each martial art.

Aside from those, the rest of the martial arts listed were just from casually touching manuals in bookstores.

All of them were martial arts with a White Border.

In Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death, martial arts were classified by colors: White Border for the lowest, followed by Blue, Red, Gold, and the highest, Purple Border.

The producer didn’t really name the grades, so people usually referred to them as White Martial Arts, Blue Martial Arts, and so on.

For reference, the True Form of the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden was a Purple Martial Art.

It was said to be one of the greatest cheat codes in the game, but she couldn’t be sure since she hadn’t learned any other martial arts.

After all, comparisons required a reference group.

And now, it was time to add a Purple Martial Art.

After a year of hardship, A-Qing had accumulated over five hundred points of Righteous Karma.

It was truly a long, humiliating time.

Righteous Karma was very useful.

Why? Because of Righteous Rewards.

It was a system inside the game that allowed her to select and master a desired martial art whenever Righteous Karma reached a certain level.

And the first round of such an exchange happened at five hundred points of Righteous Karma.

Evil Karma, on the other hand, was utterly useless.

Accumulated by committing Evil Deeds, they typically provided ample Practice Points during the process.

The pursuit of Righteous Karma, choosing only to kill the wicked, was a structure where one might struggle to accumulate Practice Points but could exchange Righteous Karma for desired martial arts.

A-Qing did not have a single ounce of hesitation.

It was because she had a target in mind from the very beginning.

She was initially tempted by the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon, but after doing a search during the game download, she discovered that the Heavenly Demon was treated as a gag character, so she quickly lost interest.

These days, the Heavenly Demon ran a restaurant, a bakery, and even a conglomerate. Oh, and played baseball.

Even in traditional martial arts novels, they were merely a third concubine to the main character, so the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon sounded flashy but was probably insignificant.

A-Qing immediately received her Righteous Reward.

Instantly, phrases, the form and essence of the martial art, and the appearance of moves invaded her brain, rampaging and overturning it to their liking.

In spite of herself, she made foolish sounds.

“Urgh……Eugh, uek……”

It was a terrible and filthy experience, indescribable in words. The closest description of it was like someone had inserted their hand into her brain and kneaded it.

And then, there was always a severe aftermath.

How does this make any sense?

Who the hell learns martial arts like this?

Isn’t this truly a world inside a game?

Am I moving based completely on my own judgment and my own standard of correctness?

What if someone is actually controlling me beyond the sky on a transparent screen, typing on a keyboard and jiggling a mouse?

Then what am I…?

No. Stop. No bad thoughts.

A-Qing forcibly redirected her train of thought.

In times like these, she had to talk about silly things.

She desperately groped for memories of her existence as a modern person, as a living entity.

Who am I? Bud.dha’s.Pa.lm. Owner.

Move aside, Stephen Chow. The K-Buddha’s Palm is coming.

Wrap Buddha’s Palm in kimchi and try it.

The K-Buddha’s Palm which shocked Trump and made Xi Jinping jealous, this martial art is now mine.

After all, Buddha’s Palm is drawn in Soo Bahk Do (1)….

Do you have a problem with that? Chinese people? Then consult the Cultural Revolution of that Red Army over there.

Oh, nothing happened, you say?

Perhaps thanks to her desperate nonsense, she avoided feeling even filthier than she already was.

However, she no longer had the courage to look at the status window.

Nor the courage to look at people.

Now was not the time to look at numbers over people’s heads.

A-Qing clenched eyes shut and bowed her head.

She chewed the dumplings thoroughly.

Yet even despite this, for some reason, her throat felt hot and something felt like it was caught in the middle.

She forcibly shifted her focus.

When she closed her eyes, the conversations around her became audible.

Given that A-Qing had achieved the Grand Star in one Inner Qi Cultivation Technique, her physical abilities were nearly superhuman; merely paying a bit of attention allowed her to hear every conversion in the inn.

Among them, a particular voice caught her ear.

“Hey, you. Escort Leader. I heard you’re going to Yongseong.”

“Ah! May I have the honor of knowing Young Expert’s name?”

“Peng Daesan.”

“The Jade Qilin! My goodness, aren’t you the eldest son of the Peng Family? What an honor! If you’re going to Yongseong, does that mean you’re going all the way to Mount Hua?”

“Escort Leader does not need to know any more than that.”

“Aha! Of course, of course. It’s an honor to serve you, Great Expert! Oh my, please sit here. Hey, server! Prepare a meal big enough to break this table!”

An incomparably arrogant tone and a suddenly sycophantic voice made up the conversation.

A-Qing’s depressive mood flew away in an instant.

So a Master could get treated like that just by joining an escort convoy!

Oh my gosh, unbelievable!

It was a whole new world.

A-Qing had been wandering around looking for villains to kill whenever she ran out of money.

Her knowledge of martial arts novels was nothing more than the miserable life of a pauper, having learned from rolling around in the dirt for a little over a year. And a few scenes from Stephen Chow movies.

So, it was natural that A-Qing did not know the Peng Clan of Hebei.

The eldest son of one of the Five Noble Clans under Heaven had a higher status than most princes of royalty, especially after the Esteemed Senior, Celestial Martial Emperor, flipped the Imperial Palace over its head.

Kunpeng Escort Group was a fairly substantial convoy business, handling distribution for two castles, but was still no match for the reputation of the Peng Clan.

A-Qing, unaware of this fact, simply thought that all Masters received such treatment.

A-Qing, who was only needlessly remarkable at carrying out actions, abruptly stood up.

“Excuse me. Escort Leader, I heard you say that you are heading to Yongseong, is that correct?”

A-Qing addressed the Escort Leader.

It was the confident attitude of a Master.

“Uh, um. Young Lady, you are…”

The Escort Leader’s face soured.

What kind of moment was this?

It was a moment to host a person of great importance, a diamond among golden connections.

In Chinese characters, it was called 關係, also read as Guanxi by Chinese people, a traditional opportunity to foster connections.

Wouldn’t anyone’s expression darken when someone suddenly interrupts such a valuable occasion?

“My name is A-Qing.”

“A-Qing?”

A response came from the side.

It was the majestic, ultra low-frequency voice of that rude bastard from before, Peng Daesan.

The son of the Peng Family had a voice so low it would make almost any woman melt, but it did not affect A-Qing.

Peng Daesan was seated with his back turned, so A-Qing had to turn her head to see his face.

Woah! How can someone be so handsome?

The moniker Jade Qilin was a tradition passed down through generations, a special title given to the most handsome among promising young prodigies.

And this generation’s Jade Qilin, Peng Daesan, was praised for having the most handsome features in the long history of the Central Plains. Seeing as how his unofficial title was the Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens, was there anything more that needed to be said?

But A-Qing was only mimicking a woman but was essentially a man.

As such, she was not swayed by the man’s appearance.

She was simply astonished.

Woah! What is that face? He’s so handsome! I’m jealous!

What is going on? Why is there a surreal sight right before my eyes?

Is this actually the face of a man that exists in this world?

If all the men in the world, past and future, were lined up by appearance, he would surely take first place, even if time was measured by an eternity.

That was the extent of A-Qing’s surprise, who was a man at heart.

In truth, women who encountered Jade Qilin’s striking face unprepared usually fainted or collapsed on the spot.

As A-Qing gaped in admiration at his beauty, Peng Daesan spoke bluntly.

“A-Qing. Do you perhaps also use the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden?”

“Wow. You know about the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden, huh! Could it be-”

“Ha. Tsk. This is a bit new.”

Peng Daesan interrupted A-Qing with a snort.

What the fuck? What’s with this rude bastard’s attitude?

Is he acting all high and mighty just because he’s a bit handsome?

A-Qing frowned, clearly annoyed.

“A-Qing is your real name, you say?”

“Yeah. And?”

“I have never heard of that surname before. Then, who is the founder of your clan?”

“Uh, um. Well, about that.”

How should I know?

But saying I don’t know might be too suspicious.

In truth, A-Qing mostly wandered alone.

The only company she ever had were the fellow poor.

As they said, birds of a feather flock together.

So, she knew nothing about the formalities of the well-dressed upper class.

She just assumed that bastards who were well off even inquired about ancestors.

A-Qing racked her brain.

Who was a known person with the surname ‘A’ that she could use?

“Why can’t you answer?”

“I was about to, okay?”

“So, who is your founder?”

“Uh… Asura?”

Was this right?

It came out spontaneously, but Asura didn’t seem quite right.

A-Qing, the 17th Descendant of Asura. Hm, it might be okay.

“Keuk, kekek, kehAHAHAHA….!”

But then, Peng Daesan burst into laughter, out of the blue.

It seemed that it wasn’t quite right after all.

“Good. Very refreshing. You get 27 points.”

“For what?”

“Your face is plain, so 0 points. Your figure is decent, but you’re tall, so points deducted. You look indecent because your chest is so big, so points deducted once more. That makes 7 points. But you made me laugh, so 20 bonus points for a total of 27.”

What the? How can he be so confident while committing sexual harassment?

It was so severe that it was clear this attitude was definitely not the culture of Murim’s upper class.

Other women might have run away in humiliation and sorrow, but it didn’t hurt A-Qing’s feelings at all.

Instead, it enraged her.

This rude piece of shit could not be forgiven.

“Hey, you. Do you think your mouth has a hole so that you could shit out nonsense from it? Is it a mouth or an asshole? Fucking spewing crap out, huh. I get 27 points? Fine, I’ll give you a hundred points. Want me to stamp you with a thick ‘Well Done’ for that?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but it sounds like you wish to hit me.”

Peng Daesan did not hide his mocking smile.

“Very well then. Hit me. Do it.”

But there was one thing Peng Daesan did not know.

After starting her Murim journey, A-Qing rarely held back.

She was filled with existential anxiety, unsure whether she was in a game or reality.

Basically, she lacked the patience and luxury to restrain her impulses.

Moreover, when provoked to strike, she did not hesitate.

As such, A-Qing clenched her fist tightly.

And firmly punched Peng Daesan’s smooth cheek with a resounding Bam!

At that sight, the Escort Leader’s face turned utterly pale.

-------

1 A martial art founded and taught by Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee, his successor Hwang Hyun Chul, known as H.C. Hwang, and instructors who are certified by member organizations of the World Moo Duk Kwan, Inc. This martial art was originally the ancient martial art of Korea.

Chapter 6: Friend (2)

Jade Qilin Peng Daesan. The Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens, Peng Daesan.

Peng Daesan detested his moniker.

He truly loathed it.

It was just a title stuck to him for being handsome, for having a good face.

Someone who received such a nickname and smiled about it was unworthy of being a martial artist.

Peng Daesan was twenty-two years old.

At the mere age of twenty-two, he had reached the Mid-Stage Peak Realm. Truly a martial arts genius bestowed by the heavens, as well as one of the most outstanding achievements in this era.

But what? Jade Qilin? The Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens?

Could there be a greater insult than this in the world?

Just look at that bastard called Shinjae from the Namgung Clan.

He had barely made it to the Early-Stage Peak Realm, but that bastard Namgung Shinjae’s title was the Young Sword King.

It meant he was the next Sword King.

And Namgung Shinjae was even a year older than Peng Daesan!

To think he’s called the Young Sword King and I’m the Jade Qilin!

So, Peng Daesan’s personality became twisted.

But due to his fundamentally diligent nature, he didn’t stray too far.

Instead, he completely forgot the concept of manners, especially towards women.

In truth, it wasn’t entirely Peng Daesan’s fault.

After all, he was the most eligible bachelor in the current era of Murim.

Before all, he was handsome. Also, he had a good voice.

He was the eldest son of one of the Five Noble Clans in the Central Plains.

Moreover, the Peng Family was famous for being the only one among the Five Noble Clans to not engage in political marriages.

Of course, it was also a family tradition that was being maintained because they enjoyed treating the other Noble Clans as ‘petty, despicable, naive, idiotic misers who used marriages as transactions’.

For the Peng Family, such trivial, trifling matters were not needed in marriage except for true love!

But looks like that’s not the case for you fools, huh? was what they said.

Furthermore, Peng Daesan was an expert.

And he was going to become an even greater expert in the future.

After all, he possessed it all: looks, status, wealth, and skills.

As a result, Peng Daesan received the attention of all women within his vicinity at every waking moment and occasionally, even in his sleep.

And among them, the women who merely watched him were some of the better ones.

Everywhere Peng Daesan went, all sorts of things were left discarded on the ground.

From embroidered cloth fragments to incense pouches, cotton-clothed daggers, and even repulsive sokgots (1).

Thus, Peng Daesan never bowed his head.

He solely looked ahead and walked forward in a straight manner.

More aggressive women even attempted chest bumps, flinging their bodies onto him.

But it was a doomed endeavor from the very start to think that they could bump into a Peak Expert as if by accident.

It was a grossly inflated sense of self to think that if they fell, he would catch them before they hit the ground.

Peng Daesan was unsure whether to laugh or scoff at the women who flung themselves straight to the ground.

At any rate, Daesan had been experiencing extreme difficulties with women ever since he was young.

He was a female magnet that had reached its very extremity.

So, in front of women, Peng Daesan became increasingly impolite.

He lost all manners.

In essence, it meant that he wasn’t interested, so they should get lost.

Honestly, A-Qing’s approach was not all that surprising to Peng Daesan.

He had experienced all sorts of bizarre incidents under the guise of differentiated dating strategies.

As such, he even had a general classification system.

If he was to classify A-Qing’s approach, it would be a mix of the ‘Bold Woman’ and ‘Funny Woman’ strategies.

Successful cases of the ‘Funny Woman’ strategy were incredibly rare, so A-Qing’s move was somewhat commendable.

He laughed for the first time in a while.

He didn’t expect Asura at all.

To think she would make such a sacrilegious joke.

And then came the ‘Rough Woman’ strategy.

It was just that the level was a bit…The guttural contents of her words seemed to belong more to a wretch from the back alley.

But then he got hit in the mouth!

What in the heavens was this?

Was this some retarded love story like ‘You’re the first woman to have ever hit me’?

As a result, Peng Daesane genuinely got pissed.

His already low voice became even lower due to his wrath.

“I’ve dealt with all kinds of crazy bitches, but.”

His voice carried a subtle killing intent.

Reacting to such a murderous aura, A-Qing’s Heavenly Slaughter opened its eyes from its slumber.

A-Qing thought she saw blood as a way to relieve stress. And that stress relief was a way to protect her heart that was wounded by the matters of Murim.

But in reality, once triggered, she became an actual crazy bitch, swayed by the killing intent of Heavenly Slaughtering.

It was a passive impulse to massacre.

Originally, if one was intoxicated by the killing intent of the Heavenly Slaughtering Star, one found pleasure in carnage and bloodshed.

“Why you so pissed? Oive dalt wibb arr koinds wof cravy vitches, vut. But what? Does lowering your voice make you the shit or something? Hehe.”

“Don’t copy me.”

“Von’t coby vee. Then what? What you gonna do? Wanna hit me?”

At the very least, when it came to irritating teasing and obnoxious banter, no people of any ethnicity in this world could keep up with modern Koreans.

Peng Daesan trembled with rage.

The burning anger consumed him.

“I will not tolerate any more insults.”

“Oi virr vot torevate vany mov irvul, hey!”

Clang! The sound of a sword and a dao colliding sharply rang out.

“You struck first, okay? This is self-defense, okay? You really wanna try me, yeah? That’s right, why should we blabber when we can use such nice swords?”

“I will not kill you. But I shall definitely cut off that flippant tongue of yours.”

“You think you have the ability to do that? Go on, then. Try. Cut it. Ehhhh-”

A-Qing stuck out her tongue.

Her unusually red tongue darted in and out mischievously.

“Ehh-ehh-ehh-”

But the tongue stayed out a bit too long.

Seriously, she didn’t know when to stop.

What kind of crazy bitch was this?

At this point, it was rather Peng Daesan that felt defeated.

Although he drew his sword in explosive anger, the sight of A-Qing making even more of a scene and causing chaos actually made him feel a sense of shame.

But he couldn’t just lose to her like this.

His pride as a Mid-Stage Peak Realm would not allow it.

As such, he had to display just a hint of his realm’s strength……

But right as he affirmed his resolve…

Sword Qi surged in A-Qing’s sword.

The swaying, lazy white threads were vivid.

Sword Threads. It was a level of art and skill displayed by someone of the Late-Stage Peak Realm.

Peng Daesan scrutinized A-Qing’s face.

Her still shamefully darting tongue made Peng Daesan feel even more embarrassed.

But looking at A-Qing’s young face, barely out of girlhood, he had another thought.

If one broke through the wall beyond the Transcendent Realm, they reached the Creation Realm.

And such an echelon was also called the Unrestrained Realm.

When that happened, the body would regain its youth just once, practically traveling back in time. This was called Body Reconstruction.

A martial artist who had undergone such Body Reconstruction was, in fact, a monster of the human world, merely donning human skin.

A fight should be established among beings of the same kind.

Humans and monsters could not fight.

After all, it would not be called a fight but a one-sided violation.

“Uh, could I perhaps know which faction’s Elder you are?”

“What the hell. You’re stopping there? Geez, you’re the type to stop mid-shit.”

How could this possibly be the language and behavior of a woman?

However, if he thought of her as a Supreme Master who achieved Body Reconstruction, it made everything somehow plausible.

Come to think of it, didn’t his Grandmother speak like that too?

And when hearing her, he had thought, ‘Women must have a rougher manner of speaking as they age’.

“I shall introduce myself again. I am Peng Daesan of the Peng Family.”

“I’m A-Qing.”

Suddenly, the tables had turned. The honorifics had reversed.

A-Qing smiled in satisfaction and thought to herself.

This fucker got scared shitless, huh.

Indeed, in Murim, the strong were the law.

—-

Peng Daesan’s misunderstanding did not last even a half hour.

It was because A-Qing oozed ignorance every time she opened her mouth.

Ignorance wasn’t really the issue, but rather a lack of basic common sense.

For those who didn’t understand her circumstances though, it was practically the same thing.

In fact, right now, Peng Daesan didn’t even know why, what, or how he had misunderstood.

As such, the misunderstanding was easily resolved.

And then, Peng Daesan faced an entirely new crisis.

So this lunatic of a woman was a greater Master than me?

“If it’s not too impolite to ask, how old are you, Young Lady?”

“Me? I’m……”

A-Qing hesitated for a moment.

It was a bit much to say she was in her mid-thirties.

In the first place, even if she said so, no one would believe it.

After all, there had to at least be someone who pretended to accept it, for her to claim such an age.

But at the same time, it was also a bit much to treat someone who was no different from a mere baby as an elder.

Baby.

From the viewpoint of A-Qing’s true self, a young man in his early twenties was still a baby who hadn’t even been to the military.

This was all too universal and obvious for modern Koreans.

Besides, all he had to show was that he lived a bit well; he’s weaker than me, you know?

“You first, Young Master Peng.”

“I am twenty-two this year.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“…….Truly? Is that correct?”

Peng Daesan’s skeptical gaze pieced into her.

“It’s because I look young for my age.”

“Really?”

“Mmm.”

Lying also accumulated Evil Karma.

Insisting that her age was in the mid-thirties was somewhat true in a way. So, she should be able to push forward her agenda shamelessly.

Though no one would believe her anyway.

But what if she had to state the age of this body?

It wasn’t worth accumulating Evil Karma over this.

As such, A-Qing answered honestly.

“……Actually, I don’t know either. I think I’m around seventeen, but I don’t know whether I matured early or whether I’m really a twenty-five year old who looks young.”

“How could you possibly not know your own a, I mean.”

Peng Daesan was about to ask thoughtlessly but then waved his hand at a sudden thought.

A-Qing meant a child who wore blue clothing.

It was also the title of a peerless Master from the Spring and Autumn Period. The Yue Maiden.

Wasn’t it said that the Yue Maiden only wore blue clothes?

According to historical texts, it was said that she had appeared out of nowhere in the crisis-stricken State of Yue (2) and taught them the Sword Art of the Yue Maiden.

However, the Swords Arts was so mystical and complex that no one could properly master it.

They only managed to create a sword manual based on the sword forms that were visible to the eye. But even that was a terrifying Divine Art.

Armed with this Divine Art, the State of Yue attacked and destroyed the State of Wu.

In the end, the character A-Qing in the story was an idol among the female martial artists of Jianghu.

She was also an idol for women who dreamt of becoming a part of Jianghu.

And here was a woman who had taken such a cliché name for herself.

On top of that, she didn’t even know her own age.

If so…

Peng Daesan started to misunderstand arbitrarily all over again.

Could it be that she was a wandering woman with the background of an orphan?!

But the misunderstanding that occurred this time was not as easy to resolve as before.

After all, one could not just ask someone if they didn’t have a daddy and mommy.

It was possible that she was sincere when she talked about something as absurd as Asura.

A woman who grew up all in her lonesome might have had trouble answering questions about her lineage, founder, and ancestors.

A surname was not just the very first word of a name, but the pride of one’s roots and kin.

Apparently, she grew up not knowing any of such things.

And that uneducated, vulgar behavior!

That ignorance that was akin to that of a moron!

“It is nothing. It was a slip of my tongue. I apologize.”

“What in the world? Why do I suddenly feel offended……?”

A-Qing cocked her head.

For some inexplicable reason, she felt like shit.

What’s going on? Is another status window seizure coming?

“Whatever. Forget it. Anyway, since we seem to be peers, let’s just be friends.”

“Peers, huh…….”

Peng Daesan had never heard someone of his age call him a peer.

Her choice of words was a bit…Right? (3)

Regardless of whatever he thought, A-Qing had her own calculations.

It was so obvious that he was a rich family’s little darling boy.

Being friends with him seemed like a perfect way to freeload.

If she treated him like a little brother, she wouldn’t be able to leech off of him.

But she couldn’t call a baby Elder Brother either.

“Get it? Then we’re friends, okay? Understood, San?”

Peng Daesan was flustered.

Men and women should be distinct, yet she carelessly called him San?

“Uh, Young Lady? Even if we’re friends, how could you call me San?”

“If I say San! Then you have to say Qing! Just like that. San?”

“But still, for a man and a woman to be on such intimate terms wi……”

“Hey, why would there be things like men and women among friends?”

“Isn’t that usually the opposite of what is said?”

When he asked as such, A-Qing replied confidently.

“Fine. Let’s say that friends don’t exist when it comes to relationships between men and women. Then, isn’t overcoming that what true friendship is about?”

“Mm?”

That kind of made sense.

“You got it? San? San? San? San?”

She was a very insistent and noisy woman.

It was obvious that she intended to keep babbling until he responded.

As such, Peng Daesan reluctantly agreed.

“…….Qing.”

“Your voice is too soft! Again! San?”

“…Qing.”

“I can’t hear you? San?”

“Qing.”

“San?”

“QING! Qing! I get it, so please stop pestering! Please!”

Peng Daesan finally shouted out loud.

A-Qing grinned in satisfaction.

---------

1 A collective noun for various types of traditional Korean undergarments. They were worn as part of a hanbok before the import of Western-style underwear. Women usually wore several layers of undergarments, the more layers they had the richer they were.

2 Yue, also known as Yuyue, was a state in ancient China which existed during the first millennium BC – the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of China’s Zhou dynasty – in the modern provinces of Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu.

3 In korean, young people dont use the word “peers”

Chapter 7: Friend (3)

Sang Anjin, the Escort Leader of Kunpeng Escort Group, was astonished.

What was up with that woman’s sociability?

She became friends with the legitimate eldest son of the Peng Clan of Hebei?

She seemed somewhat shabby at first glance, but this was an impressive acumen.

Moreover, she was a whopping Late-Stage Peak Realm Master!

The world under Heaven was vast and many eccentric individuals who did whatever they desired lived in it, so it was not strange that such a Master remained unknown.

However, Sang Anjin was an Escort Leader who was akin to a pillar of the Escort Group.

If an Escort Leader merely acknowledged, ‘Ah what an abundance of eccentric individuals we have in the Central Plains!’, and moved on, they would have no excuse if they were thrown out from their job immediately.

After all, there were many pillars and the Escort Group would not collapse just because one was missing.

Connections! This smelled like a connection to network with.

Indeed, a young Master was precious.

In fact, the ‘young’ part was more important than the ‘Master’ part.

Moreover, she was someone untitled, unknown, and from the wilderness.

In some ways, she could be considered even more valuable than the eldest son of the Peng Family.

The eldest son of the Peng Family already had an abundance of solid ‘relationships’.

Kunpeng Escort Group was big enough to span two castles.

But that didn’t mean they were comparable to the Peng Clan, which was no different from royalty in Hebei.

No matter how well he treated Peng Daesan, all he could do was break even.

After all, it was only natural for the Peng Family to be treated well.

However, A-Qing was different.

Gaze upon how skinny and hungry she looks! How greedily she devours the food until her stomach looks like it would burst!

It truly reaffirmed the fact that she had lived without much.

“It seems you like the pork slices? Hey, come here!”

“Ah, you don’t have to order more. It’s okay……”

“How could you say something like that? Of course, you should eat more. Bring some more pork slices here! A lot of them!”

“No, you don’t have to go to all this trouble……”

A-Qing trailed off, feeling half grateful and half embarrassed.

As someone from the Eastern Land of Courtesy (1), A-Qing felt somewhat burdened by Sang Anjin, who was older and took excessive care of her.

If it were an old man filled with Evil Karma, she could have shit on him with all sorts of curses.

But it was hard to go against the instinct of respecting the elderly, ingrained in her very genes, especially when dealing with a kind elder.

“Three plates, huh? You are quite shameless. But that’s to be expected.”

“What did you say, you punk? Why are you provoking me, huh?”

“Was it that tasty? You cleaned the plate twice.”

“There’s no loss eating when I can, you know?”

Peng Daesan sighed deeply.

It wasn’t that she was shameless (Although that was true), but rather her lack of common sense was the bigger problem.

Well, looking at her state, how much experience could she have had in being treated by someone?

“Leaving a plate empty is considered rude.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s rude to clean your plate so thoroughly, to the point you’re practically licking on it. At the very least, you should have left a few pieces.”

A-Qing didn’t understand.

“Leave the food?”

“Yes.”

“If I don’t leave it, it’s rude?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Why leave behind precious food?”

Why eat? Why sleep? Why breathe? The violence in her words was practically at such a level, as if she found that very question to be utterly ridiculous.

Peng Daesan clicked his tongue. Tsk!

“Look. An empty plate at the table is a disgrace to a host.”

“Just like how a scar on the back is a disgrace to a swordsman?”

“……? Where did that come from? ……? It makes sense, though.”

The only thing someone who was being served could empty was their cup of alcohol.

All other food should be left in small portions.

An empty plate was an act that undermined the dignity of the one who treated them to the food.

Whether one was poor or narrow-minded, it did not matter; in the end, it meant they couldn’t properly treat their guests.

If a guest emptied the same plate twice?

Your hospitality was not satisfactory today, so the only dish worth eating was this, hahaha.

That was what the implication became.

A-Qing’s eyes widened.

“Escort Leader, I was unaware, so I made a bit of a mist…….”

“Haha, it is fine!”

Sang Anjin already noticed A-Qing’s ignorance.

He said it was not rude if it was done unknowingly.

What was rude was to do it even when one knew it was disgracing their host.

“So I need to leave some food, whatever it may be? No matter what?”

“If it’s a simple meal, it doesn’t matter. But when you are being treated, it is better to leave the last two pieces.”

“Ohhh. I didn’t know that.”

“What in the world do you know then?”

A-Qing was slowly going through the process of becoming civilized.

In truth, living in a different cultural sphere was inherently difficult because of this lack of common sense.

Anyway. It was a valuable realization for A-Qing.

Leave some food behind when you’re being treated.

It was indeed a precious lesson for getting treated more in the future.

A step back to gain more in the long run.

Honestly, she had already been fed a lot anyway.

A-Qing had already established it as common sense that it was natural to be served if one was a Master.

Unbeknownst to her though, the expenses of Escort Leader Sang had already skyrocketed due to the dining costs.

Even Peng Daesan was unaware of this truth.

For him, being entertained was as natural as breathing. After all, he was the eldest son of the Peng Family.

The details of a mere escort convoy’s situation were of no concern to him.

Yet, Sang Anjin did not exactly suffer losses.

It wasn’t just because of the uncertain future profits from investing in a budding female Master.

He was already compensating for that loss in the immediate escort convoy’s operations.

After all, bandits from the wilderness had appeared!

“Stop right there!”

“Troublesome. This body. Master.”

A-Qing, who had been lounging atop the leading carriage and basking in the warm spring sun, drew her sword.

As Sword Treads bloomed, the bandits, who had emerged imposingly, walked backward ever so naturally and disappeared.

It was a sight reminiscent of time being rewound.

The largest expense when it came to distribution in the Central Plains was this toll.

A-Qing had always thought there were many, many bandits in the Central Plains.

But now, she realized that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Lone swordsmen holstering swords were not attractive targets for the bandits.

It was incredibly dangerous to mess with them and even if they did, it wouldn’t pay off.

What that meant was that not many bandits dared to trouble or even come close to A-Qing.

Even at that mere level, she thought, ‘Is it because it’s ancient China? Why the hell are there bandits everywhere?’.

But after joining the escort convoy, she understood the truth.

Every single mountain had bandits.

Every single valley also had bandits.

Even the secluded forests, devoid of most humans, had bandits.

If Peng Daesan hadn’t warned her that, unless bandits gave them a reason to, they shouldn’t attack, A-Qing would have carved herself a bloody path, piling up Righteous Karma Practice Points.

A-Qing realized.

Traveling with a rich group was comfortable and she was well-fed, but slicing up bad guys was a bit tough to do.

She still needed to see blood at least once a week, though…

As expected, there was no perfect path laid out in the world.

When one gains something, they would inevitably have to give something up as well.

Nevertheless, since her body was comfortable and well-fed, A-Qing did not particularly miss seeing blood.

Having obtained her target, the Buddha’s Palm, her desire for more Righteous Karma wasn’t as strong. A thousand points seemed too grueling anyway.

Whilst A-Qing gradually became lazier, the Escort Group’s carriage rolled all the way to Luoyang.

—-

Even A-Qing knew that Luoyang was the name of a city. But all she thought about it was that it must be big.

After all, she had seen it in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Except, even if it was such a famous novel, she had only read it once.

As such, she only knew about Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang.

However, the actual Luoyang she saw was grand and majestic, even to her modern sensibilities.

It was not for no reason that Luoyang was called Luoyang Castle.

Throughout its long history, Luoyang had been a fortress that had endured countless actual wars.

The walls, taller than those of modern commercial buildings, stretched endlessly on both sides.

The open gates were utter chaos, vomiting out and consuming an ultra-high-density population that was a mix of people and carriages.

Honestly, A-Qing had a tendency to look down on the civilization of the Central Plains.

After all, her view was that they were roughly better than primitive men.

As a modern Korean, it was an inevitable perception of ancient China.

The proud and magnificent aspects of ancient China had all been burnt to ashes by the collective will of those Red people, so modern Koreans had neither heard nor seen it.

Especially the height of these walls!

She thought she wouldn’t ever be overwhelmed by height.

After all, she had lived in an era of skyscrapers like the Eyeball Tower of the Rings (2) and the so-called Second Whatever in Seoul. (3)

Moreover, the density of the buildings was astonishing.

The walls that touched each other between neighboring buildings belonged to both.

The concept of an alleyway was nonexistent, as the buildings were built continuously without a gap.

After unpacking at the Luoyang branch of the Kunpeng Escort Group and having a cup of tea with the Branch Manager, there was really nothing else to do.

“Hey, San.”

“I do not want to.”

“What the…I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Weren’t you going to say we should go explore Luoyang anyway?”

To her vexation, he was right.

But A-Qing had a reason she could not back down.

She didn’t have money!

And opportunely, there was quite the reliable financier right here.

“If you follow obediently, there shall not be an incident of bloodshed.”

Peng Daesan looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.

At times, such refined, high-class language would pop out from her, despite that formidable ignorance of hers.

How?

“My Moonlight Sword is starving. If you do not wish to become a sacrifice to the blood-red moon, guide me through Luoyang right now, Human.”

“That’s right. About that thing. I’ve been curious since before. The Moonlight Sword, you say? Isn’t it just an ordinary iron sword?”

“Usually, it’s only right to give your beloved weapon a name.”

Peng Daesan frowned.

It was one of the most famous lessons for martial artists.

Do not name your weapon.

If a martial artist got attached to their weapon, they would hesitate and get cut down on the spot, according to the intuitive wisdom of Seniors.

However, having seen how A-Qing used that Moonlight Sword recklessly, he didn’t really feel a need to explain that to her.

When she started poking the campfire with a sword (Moonlight Sword, No. 6), complaining about how she was bored, he doubted his eyes.

Using a sword as a poker transcended being frugal or reckless; it was an issue that warranted questioning the qualification of a swordsman.

“Fine, let’s just say that’s the case. Then, why is it called the Moonlight Sword?”

“Since I’m a Master of the Swords Arts of the Yue Maiden?”

“……?”

“Sword Art of the Yue Maiden. Moonlight Sword.”

“……?”

“Do you not get it? Yue Maiden Sword. Moon (4) Girl Sword. Moonlight Sword.”

“……Just stop talking.”

The Yue Maiden was an abbreviation for a woman from the State of Yue.

And of course, the State of Yue didn’t literally mean the Moon.

After all, how could a state’s name be the Moon?

“Anyway, let’s go. San. Luoyang is waiting for us.”

“I said I’m not going.”

“I’ll pester you until you go. Just surrender obediently.”

Peng Daesan’s eyebrows twitched.

The declaration lightly touched upon his sore point.

At first, she seemed like a Master of the sword, rather than a woman. Then, she became more akin to an ignoramus. And then, a beggar-like presence. Now, she was something similar to a friend. But…

Her clinging onto him to such an extent raised suspicions about her motives.

Could it be…some kind of strategy? That she was actually a woman? For him to notice her?

It was an extreme case of erotomania. (5)

Luckily, the nonsense A-Qing blurted out without thinking extinguished that spark of delusion caused by her words.

“We’ll eat dinner at Diaochan Dining. Do you agree?”

“You…Do you even know what kind of place that is…….”

“I heard it’s the best in Luoyang, though? I overheard the escort members, you see.”

It was true that it was Luoyang’s best.

After all, Diaochan Dining was Luoyang’s greatest brothel.

“It is expensive there, though. And you don’t have money, no?”

“What else would friends be for? When will I ever go to such a superb inn in my life? Isn’t that right, San?”

It was a blatant maneuvering that implied she would leech off of him.

So, it was not seduction, but just plain freeloading.

Peng Daesan’s suspicions, practically at the level of a disease, subsided.

Instead, his mood subtly soured.

Why did he feel so annoyed?

“Alright, fine, I’ll be generous. Then, even if it’s not at the level of Diaochan Dining, can w……”

“Fine.”

“Eh? Wot?”

“I said fine. I’ll take you. Diaochan Dining.”

A-Qing blinked.

“Really? Didn’t you say it’s expensive? San, are you serious? Were you a man with that much wealth?”

“You told me to take y- No, what do you mean whether I have that much wealth? Are you seriously asking me that?”

“It was just a negotiation strategy, you know? Start with a big request, and if refused, make a smaller one.”

It was a sharp wisdom that sometimes popped up amid her usual ignorance.

This time, it was particularly piercing.

Peng Daesan carefully pondered over her words.

Misunderstanding his silence, A-Qing sheepishly smiled in apology.

“If it’s too much of a burden, forget it. I just threw it out there, you know? Just in case.”

Peng Daesan’s eyebrows twitched.

Her earlier comment about wealth. Could it be…

“Look. Do you even know what my clan is?”

“Peng Clan of Hebei, right? Escort Leader says it all the time.”

“Do you not understand what that means?”

“You don’t have to brag about your family being wealthy. Ohhhh. Sorry. Saying about how if it’s too much of a burden or whatever wasn’t a dig at your pride or anything, okay? Don’t take it to heart.”

She didn’t know what kind of clan the Peng Clan of Hebei represented!

To her, it was just another wealthy household.

Even ignorance should have its limits, shouldn’t it?

A-Qing had probably only encountered sons of bitches or low-rate martial artists.

And they were those who couldn’t even dare to mention the Five Noble Clans.

It made sense.

The Nine Sects One Union might forgive a bit of gossip behind their backs if one begged and groveled.

But if one was caught badmouthing one of the Five Noble Clans, they would lose at least an arm.

At the very least.

“Diaochan Dining is not much of a burden. Let’s go.”

It was true that it wasn’t much of a burden.

It was also true that his pride was a bit bruised.

But more than anything, Peng Daesan’s offer to accompany her was not just out of kindness.

He had his reasons for not wanting to go out.

And he was also curious about A-Qing’s reaction to the brothel.

Right as the excited A-Qing rushed out the door, unaware of his thoughts-

She came face-to-face with an immense crowd of Luoyang beauties.

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1 What korea calls themselves as a way to show how important they consider manners, etiquette, courtesy (Confucian ideals)

2 Koreans call Lotte World Tower, “The Tower of Sauron” or this as a slang because it looks a lot like Barad-dûr from Lord of the Rings

3 A building in the works that is called the Second Lotte World Tower. it’s just a skyscraper. search up if ur interested!

4 Yue = Moon in Chinese.

5 A case when someone deludes themself into thinking someone else is in love with them

Chapter 8: Friend (4)

The beauty standards in the Central Plains were not much different from the modern era.

백수풍흉: a white face and an ample bosom.

세요경신: a slender waist and a light body.

오발선빈: long raven hair.

명모유반: clear eyes with distinct black and white pupils.

단순호치: red lips and white teeth.

Among these, there were priorities, with the most important being a small and slim figure.

In modern terms, it was the near fanatical preference of slender bodies.

A preference for slender figures who were short, at that.

However, that did not mean they could have a flat chest.

They had to be well-rounded, full breasts.

And of course, this, too, must be a moderate size.

Ideally about the size of two adult male fists.

Anything larger was considered vulgar, a characteristic more expected of concubines than main wives.

Hence, men often spent more time with their concubines; it was a society where one couldn’t even openly praise what they truly enjoyed.

Ultimately, a beauty in the Central Plains was the same as a beauty of the modern era.

Or to be more precise, modern beauty standards included those of the Central Plains.

And then, the Most Handsome Man Under the Heavens, the Jade Qilin, arrived in Luoyang.

People who saw his face, which was as clean as jade and as gracious as the rumors suggested, spread the news quickly, saying ‘I saw him, did you see him, I also saw him’.

The most eligible bachelor in all the Central Plains had made his descent upon these lands!

The beauties of Luoyang all gathered in one place.

And the scene that such beauties saw was-

A cheap-looking, under-developed, whore-like bitch daring to flirt with the oh so noble Jade Qilin.

—-

A-Qing created her character just as written in the recommendation post.

In Murim Chronicles: A Tale of Life and Death, one’s Stats by familiarizing themselves with martial arts; furthermore, any and all martial arts in the game could be learned.

As such, initial Stats were meaningless when entering the later parts of the game.

A-Qing took out all Appearance Stats and invested every one of them into Stamina and Strength.

It was a build meant for an easier start.

As such, when A-Qing first emerged in Murim, she was literally the Ugliest Woman Under Heaven.

But as she learned and attained more martial arts that belonged in the Fairy Arts Subclass (1), her Appearance Stat increased significantly.

The 3 types of Yue Maiden (True Form Origin) belonged to the Fairy Arts, and being a Purple Martial Art, it significantly increased the Stats.

So now, A-Qing wasn’t ugly.

But that didn’t mean she was particularly beautiful either.

She was just average.

Yet, she was stuck right next to Jade Qilin.

It was a stark contrast, the very embodiment of the Relative Squid Theory. (2)

The cheap robes bought for its cost-effectiveness was the very epitome of such a theory’s proof.

Hostile glances swarmed in all at once.

However, the real form of A-Qing was a single gamer working in production.

She had no particular complaints about that lifestyle.

Her only wish was perhaps for all those born with a silver-spoon to die.

A single gamer working in production.

To her, romance was nothing more than tiresome emotional labor.

And even when ladies, all dolled up, glared at her with venom, she could casually smile it off with a slickness that came with experience.

With enough wealth to live comfortably alone and hobbies to keep herself entertained, marriage was not even a consideration for her in the first place.

As a result, A-Qing did not pay much attention to the hostile glares confronting her at the gate.

She just whistled at the sudden unfolding of Luoyang’s greatest beauty contest.

As she knew that Luoyang wasn’t the Land of the Amazons, she could at least understand why they had all gathered here.

A-Qing nudged Peng Daesan’s side with her elbow.

“Ooooh. San. Look at your face being worth a pretty penny, huh?”

“It is merely bothersome.”

“Iv wis verely vothersoem. Oooooh, look at our San! What a sick guy! So cool! A cold-hearted man! But you’d be warm to your woman, right? Kyah-!”

A-Qing’s words touched on Peng Daesan’s sore spot in a very ambiguous way.

It was fine. All he needed to do was brush it off.

Normally, he would have frowned upon such words, but strangely, he wasn’t offended. Why was that?

Peng Daesan pondered for a moment.

Well, it was because A-Qing’s words and actions were akin to the friendly banter and pranks of fellow men.

In truth, men also liked good-looking men.

Though one might think, ‘Damn that motherfucker’s face is on another fucking level, shit’, the underlying feeling was usually just admiration.

The people men disliked weren’t the good-looking ones.

The hated were more the type of men who drove Benz in their early-20s or the silver-spoon business owners who strutted around with arrogance.

“Just now……”

“So, if we’re in Luoyang, we have to go somewhere! Where are the hottest places? We can’t eat dinner when it’s still bright out, right?”

Peng Daesan was about to ask something, but A-Qing’s words, slipping through that gap like a ghost, made him forget all about it.

It didn’t seem like an important question anyway, so Peng Daesan just let it slide.

“…….White Horse Temple (3). Or Longmen Grottoes (4).”

“A temple and a cave, huh? Wouldn’t the cave be better?”

Peng Daesan didn’t hide his disdain, looking at her as if finding her pathetic.

“What the…Why?”

“The only person in the entire world to refer to White Horse Temple and Longmen Grottoes as just a temple and a cave is most likely you.”

“So? Ain’t it a temple? Ain’t it a cave?”

“Do not say such things in Luoyang. The people here are absolutely insane when it comes to their pride in their city. It will lead to them wielding swords.”

Surprisingly, that was the truth.

“Can’t help it then. Shall we go to Longmen Grottoes?”

“…….Longmen Grottoes is far.”

“How far?”

“It’s quite a distance beyond the Southern Gate.”

A-Qing also thought that was too far.

“But there seems to be nothing to see at the temple……”

“If there is nothing to see, then let us just go back.”

“Are you seriously going to be like this? Buddy, can’t you show a bit more enthusiasm?”

“Such a thing never existed in the first place.”

“Let’s go. White Horse Temple. You ready, San?”

“……”

“Ugh, you never know how to go with the flow, do you? Ov vourse vot. Qvung (5).”

A-Qing imitated someone from behind by lowering her voice.

Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh.

—-

Personal tourism tendencies varied greatly, but they could be divided into several types.

First, there were the planners.

Those who organized every detail of the trip and moved according to a pre-arranged plan.

The slightly lax planners were considered the best travel buddies, overwhelmingly enhancing the satisfaction of the trip.

However, there were instances of planners with superhuman capacities who planned every ten minutes.

It was necessary to be wary of such types; one might end up seeing and doing a lot, but with no memorable experiences left after the trip.

Then, there were the hermits.

For hermits, traveling was just not working and staying somewhere far from home for a few days.

Their satisfaction came from not having to go to work and not being at home, instead of delicious, interesting, or famous things.

Comfort was what hermits seeked.

If they felt even a tiny bit tired, they tended to hole themselves in their room.

They often clashed with the wanderer types, thus arguing.

‘Why come here if you’re going to do this’ ‘I came to rest, not to suffer’

Then, there were the wanderers.

They simply loved to roam around.

They meshed well with planners and were best off traveling separately from hermits to avoid ruining friendships.

They ate well and enjoyed everything heartily.

However, once they lost interest, their concentration and motivation would dwindle, thus quickly seeking to leave.

They were the sort who perceived tourism as akin to an arduous journey.

Aside from those, there were the ultimate travel buddies. The silver-spoons. The wealthy ones.

There was a type who one should perhaps not seek companionship with on travels, but since they tended to stick to their own kind, it resulted in little interaction with those outside their group anyway.

A-Qing was one of the wanderer types.

To be more precise, she belonged to the subset of wanderers who loved to eat.

Any time she saw food, she’d shoot longing glances at Peng Daesan.

Basically, she was fully collecting her share of the friendship fee, so to speak.

From Peng Daesan’s perspective, the amount was pathetic and virtually negligible–barely pocket change–but the joy of providing for her was there. After all, it was fun to see A-Qing heartily enjoy whatever she ate.

However, A-Qing’s impression of White Horse Temple was somewhat ambiguous.

To her, the temple was somewhat? like a red Gyeongbokgung (6), a familiar sight for her.

A big red Bulguksa (7), minus the Seokguram Grotto (8).

She had neither the eye nor the interest in the essence of contemporary Buddhist art, so the only thing worth seeing was the Qiyun Pagoda (9).

At least she enjoyed seeing the pagoda.

Then, true to her wanderer nature, she quickly lost interest.

When they stepped outside, the time was a bit iffy. After all, it was too early to go straight to dinner.

Peng Daesan grabbed A-Qing, who was about to wander around again, and steered her to a teahouse.

A characteristic of the silver-spoon types was to solve everything with money while strictly avoiding any and all hassles.

Peng Daesan was already tired from walking around for about an hour. As such, he figured that making A-Qing sit and continuously feeding her something, anything might make things a bit more comfortable.

And that worked.

After he ordered a bunch of snacks and seated A-Qing where the outside view could clearly be seen, she became quiet, engrossed in eating and spectating.

Content with this situation, Peng Daesan became lost in thought.

The escort convoy would continue to Yongseong and about five days from there laid Mount Hua, Peng Daesan’s destination.

The Absolute Sword Wall of Mount Hua had opened.

The respect for the penultimate generation’s zenith, the Celestial Martial Emperor, was due to his genuine love for Murim.

So much so that the attack on the Imperial Palace was also a warning to the Imperial Family, who were wielding Murim to embark on northern conquests.

His affection for the Nine Sects was especially extraordinary.

Thus, he directly imparted one of his teachings to each of them, though as always, the Celestial Martial Emperor’s methods were somewhat extreme.

After splitting a cliff with a single sword strike, he engraved six Sword Marks. It was a kind of Insight left by the Celestial Martial Emperor.

The teachings were received by only the Nine Sects.

Neither the One Union nor the Five Noble Clans were included.

The Celestial Martial Emperor’s disdain for the Beggar’s Union was well-known, ironically deeming them as even lesser than actual beggars.

As for the Five Noble Clans, he was simply not interested.

He just left a few words, saying prioritizing family over the greater cause wasn’t necessarily wrong.

The Celestial Martial Emperor’s Insights were shared amicably only among the Nine Sects One Union.

He, the Celestial Martial Emperor, was direct and outspoken.

If he wanted his Insights to be public, he would have simply said so. But he didn’t

In essence, it meant ‘Do as you please’.

In such a situation, a letter was sent flying to the Noble Clans.

The contents roughly consisted of unity blah blah, great cause blah blah, and leading the next generation of Jianghu, thus offering to make the Absolute Sword Wall open to them.

Two things could be taken away from this.

The first was that mere Peak Realm martial artists staring at the Absolute Sword Wall’s Insights would gain little.

It could be inferred by how the known number of Masters in Mount Hua, whether in the past or present, did not change that much.

The second was that Mount Hua now needed significant help.

There was no free lunch in the world.

One would have to pay the prices to witness the Celestial Martial Emperor’s Insight.

But what could that price be?

Especially if it was an incident requiring help not just from the Nine Sects, but from the Murim Noble Clans as well.

Right as Peng Daesan continued to rack his brain…

“San. Look at this for a moment.”

When A-Qing called Peng Daesan ‘San’, it usually meant she really wanted something.

He was gradually understanding the principles of her actions.

A-Qing tapped the empty porcelain plate.

“What is it?”

“I remember someone telling me. That it’s rude to leave a plate empty, you see?”

A-Qing tapped the plate, urging him.

Peng Daesan was reminded of Heukgu (10) raised in his clan.

Heukgu was a lion-dog (11) reaching up to Peng Daesan’s waist.

When hungry, it would bring its bowl and fiddle with it using its front paws.

Even though someone else was tasked with feeding it, the clever animal always sought out him.

“You are quite shamelessly bold, aren’t you?”

“Friendship fee.”

A-Qing puffed up her chest with an assertive attitude.

Her needless confidence mirrored that of Heukgu; a demeanor that expected Peng Daesan to feed her, as if it was only natural for him to.

“But is illegal dumping a trend in Luoyang nowaday?”

“That can’t be.”

“Then why are those thrown away like that?”

In front of the teahouse, the street was a scene of rampant illegal dumping.

Colorful handkerchiefs, sachets (12), and occasionally shoes or even underwear adorned the stone pavement.

It was the very definition of pretty trash.

A-Qing marveled.

Littering truly was a unique traditional culture of the Chinese people, huh?!

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1 Really pretty people are called “Fairy” in China

2 Its when someone who doesn’t look all that bad stands next to someone who is REALLY good looking, making them look ugly. In korea, ugly people are called “squids” or that they look like squids.

3 White Horse Temple is a Buddhist temple in Luoyang, Henan that, according to tradition, is the first Buddhist temple in China, having been first established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty

4 The Longmen Grottoes or Longmen Caves are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples, they are located 12 kilometres south of present-day Luoyang in Henan province, China.

5 Of course not. Qing

6 Gyeongbokgung, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of the royal family and the seat of government.

7 Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple on Tohamsan, in Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and contains six National Treasures, including the Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas, Cheongun-gyo, and two gilt-bronze statues of Buddha.

8 The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa temple complex in Gyeongju, South Korea. It and Bulguksa are both on the mountain Tohamsan, although the two are separated by distance of around 3 kilometres. The grotto overlooks the Sea of Japan and rests 750 meters above sea level

9 The living quarters of the monks are in an exclusive pagoda, with restricted entry, called the “Qiyun Ta,” or Qiyun Pagoda.

10 This dog's name is Black Dog in Korean haha

11 Tibetan mastiff

12 Although its most usual definition is that listed under “packet”, a sachet can also mean a small scented cloth bag filled with herbs, potpourri, or aromatic ingredients