765 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Qing's eyes narrowed subtly. Her expressions were ever-changing, a testament to the plethora of emotions she could convey with her face alone. When her lips were sealed, she appeared aloof yet slightly haughty, the quintessential image of a beautiful yet unyielding woman. When happiness engulfed her, she bloomed radiantly, reaching the pinnacle of vivid splendor. Yet, when malicious thoughts surfaced within her, the malevolent grin that spread wide from ear to ear transformed her alluring visage into one comparable to a demon. In moments of bewilderment, her eyes and mouth contorted into ‘that expression’. When she donned the subtle, coy smile typical of Ximen Surin's lineage, it held the power to capture the hearts of all people in Zhongyuan, regardless of age or gender. But in certain instances, her expression would shift to exhibit an irresistibly naive sensuality, akin to a child poking and tearing at an insect with cruel innocence. It became a visage that could make the heart of someone like Mo Yong-Jun—one of the Five Beauties of the Martial World—race furiously, igniting a subtle heat in their dantian and inadvertently making them cross and recross their legs. At this particular moment. If one could peer into Qing’s mind using an imaginary technique from her homeland, they'd glimpse the round chamber of her upper dantian. The chamber was adorned with a vivid, hot pink wallpaper, creating an atmosphere that was dazzling to the point of being bewitching. On closer inspection of the saturated, pink walls, one could discern that what appeared to be wallpaper was, in fact, a flow of some fluid. It was the drippy, viscous flow of paint seeping from the walls. This was evidenced by, drop, drop, the pink droplets that fell one by one from the ceiling of the upper dantian. Below, a little spark of Euphoria Essence scantily draped with only a few strands of gold thread and few transparent veils. With a serious expression, the Euphoria Essence girl extended her finger to gather the sticky pink substance seeping from the wall and popped it into her mouth. Mmm. Mmm. Her pointed eyebrows twitched and quivered. After savoring it for a while, the Euphoria Essence girl nodded her head in agreement. Then, with excitement, she began to hop and skip energetically, dancing within the upper dantian's space. It was at that moment. With a creak, the door opened, and another little figure, the Reverse Tendon Hand Washing boy clad in the garb of the Buddhist sect, stepped into the upper dantian. The pink substances recoiled, as if encountering a natural enemy, retreating and maintaining their distance. The Euphoria Essence girl, with her features scrunched up in displeasure, firmly splayed her hand open in defiance. Historically, pleasure is the mental liberation that brings both physical and mental peace by immersing oneself in pure passion and setting aside all wrongful thoughts. The environment of the upper dantian was just right, already painted with the most sinister colors due to the overwhelming malicious intent. One must seize such an opportunity enthusiastically. The Reverse Tendon Hand Washing boy frowned, but eventually shook his head and exited quietly. And once he was gone, the energetic dance of the Euphoria Essence girl resumed, her exuberant moves continuing uninterrupted… Gabiya closed her eyes tightly. She should have anticipated this situation! The women of Zhongyuan, filled with modesty and conservative nature, were hesitant to touch their bare skins outside of bathing rituals. Yet her mistress was exceedingly liberal and possessed an additional layer of passion, didn’t she? Moreover, even though the mistress offered no resistance to such actions, her lack of knowledge in this domain was apparent. As her already hurried breath grew rough with an inexplicable tremor, her response was one of quivering disturbance, but her expression remained filled with puzzlement. Even with a body so lasciviously inclined, responding so honestly, and yet remaining so innocently unaware of the pleasure that was overtaking her! This made it simple. Thus, Gabiya had determined that she could proceed boldly, a grave misjudgment indeed. The process was typically meant to start subtly, extending from the hands to the neck and then the back, dismantling the subject's wariness and normalizing the occurrence, but her urgency had taken precedence. Such actions seemed easier under these conditions. More than anything, she was eager to see the unguarded side of a noble lady unaware even of her own pleasure! However, unacquainted with the fact that her mistress was a martial artist, let alone a renowned expert, she had failed to grasp the full implications. When people become aroused, they often overlook pain, becoming daring and coarse in their actions. In the palace, women, even if overtaken by instinct, were opponents that a traditional yoga practitioner like Gabiya could easily subdue. Yet, martial artists? And a renowned expert at that? Furthermore, just what was the true essence of this formidable court lady? How could she overpower a seasoned yoga practitioner with sheer physical strength alone? Nevertheless, Gabiya closed her eyes not in resignation or surrender. Quite the opposite. It was to compose her ruffled body and mind, drawing energy from the seven chakra points. Yes, her mistress might know little as a novice in such arts, merely mimicking from a singular experience. Of course, even for Gabiya herself, lavishing such energy could be deemed precarious. It was, after all, a premium formulation concocted directly by the spirit patriarch to facilitate smooth blood flow, rekindle warmth, and awaken dormant sensations. However, for a seasoned yoga practitioner, pleasure was an integral aspect of mastery, drawing near to ascetical annihilation. Pleasure didn’t ensnare the body but was controlled by the spirit per the disciplines of Tian Nü Ling's training. While physical arousal might occur, clumsy hands of a novice could not breach a true practitioner! Thus, Gabiya calmly erected a fortress within her heart. The body is finite, but the mind is infinite; everything one sees, hears, and feels hinges on the mind. Hence, my spirit remains clear and transparent, impervious to external invasion… Gabiya found herself in a serene garden. A tranquil garden overlooking a lotus-filled pond. The towering fortress enclosing her stood tall against the sky, impervious to any shudders or quivers. And with the sun's warmth enveloping and a cool breeze brushing the cheek— In that very moment. Bam! Rumble!!! Accompanied by a huge tremor, the fortress wall shakes. As stone dust bursts into the air, Gabiya's form staggers, a labored breath escaping her lips with a gasp. W-why? Bam! Bam! The deafening sound beats at the wall once again. As the lake's surface quakes and water shoots upwards, the lotuses simultaneously rise, blooming fully to vividly decorate the surroundings in red and white. In her toppled vision, Gabiya sees eight towering pillars rising beyond the walls. Uniquely white and slender, like beautiful, endless fingers casting shadows. What in the world is happening? Why!? Gabiya revisits her bodily awareness. The eight fingertips dancing across her skin inciting a wild response within her own vital energy—a resonance, a prana symphony. The energy within her moves of its own accord in response, creating a thrilling and dizzying sensation akin to gently stroking each chakra connected to the touched area. Gabiya’s heart drops. Union, the stage of union! Accepting the other with prana, embracing them with one’s own chakras in perfect unity! But why! How! I haven't allowed my heart to open to that person! Gabiya contorts her body fiercely. But unable to resist the grasp on her limbs, the fortress crumbles, the garden shakes, and the clamor of thunder and lightning leaves her mind spinning. Suddenly, she recalls the ancient yoga techniques from an archaic era. Despite being primitive, they had birthed countless sages into Nirvana. The secret was sincerity itself. Genuinely engaging for the other's sake would connect minds, drawing even truer pleasure. Could it be that My Lady regarded me so highly? I, the Celestial Maiden, cannot possibly withstand... If Qing could sense Gabiya’s inner turmoil, she'd scoff at the notion of sincerity. Qing harbored her own trump card; after all, she'd learned an incredible longevity technique solely to defeat the notorious destroyer of the vile world, Eon Yeon-Yang. The Ultimate Technique, Joyful Swaying Technique! Operated with the internal energy of the Maiden's Delight Technique said to cause even a stone maiden to swoon, it truly was the Joyful Swaying Technique. Furthermore, Qing had thoroughly doused her session with a supreme elixir crafted by Tianzhu's finest alchemist, blending the highest form of Tianzhu and Zhongyuan's art of longevity in one magnificent exhibition. Tears melted her characteristically fatal eye makeup, streaming down her face. “My Lady, huff, I, I can't…” “Well, still stubborn? What is this? Just what kind of concoction did you slather on me? Care to explain exactly what this is?” “That’s, the essence, and, huff.” Gabiya confessed. According to Gabiya's desperate explanation, nearly on the verge of passing out, the essence’s effects were as follows: Firstly, it dissolves impurities absorbed by the skin and replaces them with the essence’s properties. This nurtures the skin to become clearer and more resilient while erasing scars and boasting miraculous effects on various skin diseases. Secondly, it warms the blood and circulates it swiftly to heighten body temperature. As a result, vitality surges through the body, the root of diseases burns away, and muscle pain vanishes, adding elasticity and preventing injuries. Thirdly, it awakens and sharpens one’s senses. To the practitioner awakening the elixir wheel through pleasure, it brings about significant achievements. “This is, all, everything, really.” “Huh. Is that it? No side effects? No addiction, for instance? If you're lying…” “No, no, there’s non, none.” “You better speak clearly.” “Truly.” “Ha, look at this strong stuff.” “Um, I, I can’t, no, no…” And time passed. As time flowed and flowed. Qing quietly shifted off Gabiya’s thighs. Gabiya lay there limp, frothing at the mouth as her smudged eye makeup left only the whites of her eyes in a daze. “Uh. Um…” Seems like it was really a good medicine. Hmm. Well. Hmm. Then I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? I’ve slathered a bunch of goodness, you know, plus I contributed something big to your elixir wheel training, right? Gabiya had confessed everything. The medicine's effectiveness alongside why she’d intended to use it on Qing. To capture one's heart through pleasure. She only sought to become a cherished servant who could bring enjoyment and afterward request Qing to assist in the restoration and revival of the Celestial Palace. Hyeru fumed. At first, was this even alright? And how had our princess ended up this way? Even in the past, she was a master of not crossing the line even in jest, so how tough must her life in the martial world have been for her eyes to have lost their vigor now…? Yet upon hearing Gabiya's confession, Hyeru’s expression turned fierce. What was this lowly barbarian wench daring to do to our princess? “My Lady, should I inform Her Majesty immediately and strap this wench up to be butchered?” The first "My Lady" referred to Qing, the second to Her Majesty the Empress. “Eh, let it go. It's a bit annoying, yes, but she didn’t have malicious intent…” Though the attempt to make Qing crave pleasure was annoying. But as Qing had already understood pleasure as an integrated concept within training... Hmm. Though there were slightly impure motives, it seems there wasn’t malicious intent? “How insufferable. My Lady, you're too kind-hearted.” Gabiya, unconscious and passed out, would likely not agree with that sentiment. But, come on, she’s passed out already. Even if Joyful Swaying Technique was employed, no sensitive areas were touched, though her spastic reactions were amusing, okay? Um, then should I just hang the bedding out since it’s summer so it'll dry quickly? How about tonight? “Tch. How is this kindness?” Hyeru shook their head vehemently, as if disagreeing. “Truly. Even before. When bitten by that blasted dog during sword practice, bleeding all over yet commenting on how even beasts can sometimes bite, secretly visiting the healer—” “Wait, hold on. What are you talking about?” “It might be nice if you remember it. It was years ago, wasn’t it? There was this young lion dog kept at the Taiwang Hall. What was the treat back then? Anyway, you tried some of the snacks…” A lion dog? Qing's ears perked up. Did the Forbidden City have a dog? Of course, it did. Not only dogs but also even an elephant was kept at the Forbidden City, but Qing wouldn’t have known about it. However, there was something more pressing than the talk of a lion dog at the moment. Qing interrupted Hyeru's rambling story, about snacks being snatched away and getting bitten big time, to ask again. “No, not the part about getting bitten. You mentioned sword training? Princess Yun Seol learned swordsmanship? Isn't it against the rules for royalty to learn martial arts?”