803 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Peng Daesan was feeling uneasy. Why so, you ask? To Peng Daesan, women were objects of disdain. Relentless parasites who demanded affection solely based on appearances. If Qing were here, he’d probably snicker and say, "Oh, he’s really throwing a fit, thinking all women in the world only care about looks," ridiculing him. At least, to Peng Daesan, it felt that way. Because to him, these persistent, turbulent followers represented almost all women, due to the handful of excessively enthusiastic women he encountered. After all, Peng Daesan couldn't be aware of the countless women who either had no interest in him or simply glanced at him and moved on with a casual, "Oh, look, a face." If he visited a foreign land and all ten people he met there were wearing torn clothes, he’d infer that the people of that nation naturally wore such attire. And this was why Peng Daesan felt uneasy. Having to hide his contempt and feign amiability to those he looked down upon was naturally uncomfortable. Moreover, there's that damned Ximen Qing. How could she brazenly demand such a demeaning act, knowing full well about his feelings? Regardless of whether it was for a collaborative effort or not. The more he thought about it, the more it infuriated Peng Daesan. "Come on, come on. Put on a smile. How can you go with that frowning face? Off we go." "Sigh." "Come now, hurry up." Qing's urging was immensely irritating. "Are you there? I have some questions to ask." The door of the house cautiously opens. The tired face of a woman barely peeks through, and then— Slam. The door shuts again. “This won’t do. Let’s just go back.” Peng Daesan promptly pivots on his heel. -Please, please wait a moment! A hurried voice responds. After some time, the door opens again. “Greetings, honorable warrior. How may I assist you?” In that brief moment, the woman had tidied her hair and donned clean, albeit faded, clothes, presenting herself demurely. Qing shakes her head. Hmm, she even put on face powder. It's over. Qing gives Peng Daesan a glance. Though the eyes are hidden under the mask, the tilt of the head makes it obvious enough. Peng Daesan’s furrowed brows didn’t seem to ease, and he quietly stared, unable to utter a word, before finally managing one: "Hmm." An uncomfortable low-frequency hum. The woman suddenly covers her mouth. She was, of course, struggling. Caring for her parents who had fallen ill with a strange disease, without any sign of recovery and no promise of when the quarantine would lift. The medicine generously given by the kind physician was often taken away halfway by fearsome rogue swordsmen, leaving little for the parents after offerings, to the point of hunger and weakness. When placed in inescapable hardship, one can’t help but hope for divine intervention. And now, this storybook hero had appeared, face shining, bringing comfort and relief! And as stories usually go, if she dedicated her life to repaying this unimaginable kindness, in her mind, she quickly envisioned six children all grown and married, surrounded by a large, joyous family that laughs together for no reason... “Sniff, oh esteemed warrior...!” She suddenly runs, eyes welling, into Peng Daesan's impassively fixed face, throwing herself fearlessly into his arms. Ah, how he feels just so comforting, soft, and the caressing touch is so gentle... Soft? Gentle? As she lifts her head, under the veil, the sharp, elegant jawline is subtly revealed. Even from what’s said to be the least flattering angle, looked from below, her beauty is striking. And the voice of the gentle woman: "It seems you've been through a lot." "Oh, um, who..." "Now now. It's alright. Sometimes when one is overwhelmed, they may unconsciously seek comfort from someone." "No, why are you, would you let go." "Hush now. No matter how tough, you shouldn’t impulsively run to a man you don't know well. What if people start talking?" "Why are you concerned with—" "It's fine. To think what must have been endured..." "Please, let go. Ugh." "Oh dear. Everyone needs comfort sometimes; please share your burden." "No, what strength." "There, there. Is someone bothering you? It's alright, tell me. I’ll make sure to sort them out." The woman tries to escape with subtle strength, but Qing is a master of the Transformation Realm. Even if she wasn't a master, her strength far exceeded that of a normal human, leaving the woman unable to break free no matter how she struggled. And so, there was some wiggling. Not quite a tussle, but not even a playful struggle, simply wiggling, for Qing didn’t budge, establishing the scenario. As if stuck between massive stones, the woman couldn't budge an inch. Ultimately, she leaned back, exhausted. In Qing’s embrace, she languidly retreated. Qing, with a broad smile, pats her head gently. "There, if there's anything troubling you, let it out. Keeping it bottled up only makes it worse. How about now? Anything new?" The woman finally spoke. Initially hesitant, unable to fully mask her discomfort, she cautiously spoke of her ill parents, her fears for her brother who left to earn medicine money. Yet once she started, genuine tears welled up, and she ended up spilling everything. She even recounted word-for-word Zhang Yunpa’s misdeeds. How he took half of the provisions meant for those struggling. Thankfully, the man in charge had increased the provisions so they wouldn't starve, even after half was taken. These bastards, trying to deceive me? They're dead. He hadn't even planned to kill them all. He only meant to cripple them mercifully, now murder was on the table, they were truly dead. And so they returned to Zhang Yunpa's grand house. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of knocking on the gate was immense. Qing was truly a human battering ram. If she wished, she could easily shatter the gate with just one blow. The loud sound meant she was still showing some mercy with her strength. But why? Was it because Qing, with her passionate carpenter's spirit, couldn’t bring herself to destroy something she had worked on herself? - Who's there! - What's happening! Of course not. Qing's knocking was a kind of gentle courtesy. She was simply saying, "I'm coming in, so gather up quickly." So, the banging continued, bang bang bang, in a strangely cheerful rhythm, echoing throughout the neighborhood. The relentless noise went on for quite a while. Finally, with genuine intent, Qing extended both arms. Boom! The gate exploded into pieces. Under the signboard, Qing's party confidently stepped forward. They had knocked for a while, giving plenty of time, so the warriors of Zhang Yunpa were already arranged, gripping their swords, forming a tight circle in the courtyard. Among them, a ferocious giant wielding a large sword, the sect leader Zhang Yunpa's Chosamil, shouted in anger. "What, what kind of commotion is this? Even though we're under a closed gate, do you expect us to tolerate such behavior!" "You love your 'closed gate' so much. Thieving bastards who prey on poor sick folks talking about a 'closed gate'! I've heard all about it. What, using your parents' names for lies? What sort of scoundrel does that?" "What, what did you say?" Chosamil's face flushed red. In the Zhongyuan, filial piety is a serious matter. Therefore, calling someone a bastard was one of the gravest insults. Of course, Chosamil, who shamelessly lied using his parents' names, was indeed a bastard. However, even if true, boldly stating it to his face, especially in front of subordinates, was something else entirely. "You, you damn bitch, I was going to let it slide nicely, but speaking won't do!" "Oh, you say you won't talk? How terrifying. You're so scary. But, hold on. Everyone, look here. Sparkle, sparkle." Qing raised her sword high, scattering starlight. Sword Qi. A blade so cold it made one’s chest tingle with just a glance. Though a ridiculous spectacle, Chosamil couldn’t laugh. Energy Qi? The masked woman is at the Transcendent Realm? Qing's antics didn’t stop there. "There's more! Sparkle one!" "Sparky two!" Gyeon Poo Hee displayed her distinctively fierce yet charming, innocent seductive smile, raising her hand. A deep pink, seductive peach-colored starlight emerged. By now, there were two sources of starlight. "Sparkle three." No, three. From the opposite side, Seo Lily wielded her ice sword, emitting a sparkling white Sword Qi. Qing's head swiftly turned towards Peng Daesan. Peng Daesan's hat gave a brief side-to-side shake. No. Qing’s mask wobbled. Do it. A moment later, with a click, he clicked his tongue and the fourth starlight wrapped around a thin ceremonial blade emerged. Chosamil blinked in disbelief. He then craned his neck, like an old man struggling to see, rubbing his eyes. Yet, the four different colors of self-radiant Sword Qi did not vanish. Chosamil’s heart sank. Unlike before, Transcendent Realm martial artists were fairly common. With the overall rise in martial knowledge, even small towns had at least one master capable of emitting Sword Qi. In larger cities, there were two or three such masters. And how many cities are there in the Zhongyuan realm? However, commonplace as Transcendent Realm experts may be across the entire Zhongyuan, it was unheard of for minor factions to have such masters. Of course, as the saying goes, experts are not constrained by numbers, and one might risk the entire faction to contend against a single Transcendent master. But to face such a master, a sect would have to concentrate all its martial power. Yet here were four? This was beyond excessive, wasn’t it? Chosamil's back was drenched in sweat. "Uh, well... it seems there's been some misunderstanding. Could we... perhaps resolve this through dialogue?" enN1WnIzcFhHMVJuR0JvdkNPc013eGI2MEhpU2pWUzhWbnZXRnNGYmtRUTM0bTVHdkkwRUh0ME5iNDZ6a2xzRg "You said you wouldn't speak?" "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! I meant to explain, not fight..." Chosamil became polite. There weren't many who wouldn't act politely in front of four Transcendent Realm masters. At least those within the same Transcendent rank would prefer to use words over swords. "Misunderstanding? You used that word well. What misunderstanding? You claim a closed gate? Embarrassed not to do it?" "I, I forbid it, but it seems some disobeyed my order. I'll root out the ones who did this behind my back, with my honor—" "Oh. An individual mistake, then? You, as the sect leader, forbade it, but insubordinate subordinates acted on their own?" "Y-yes!" Qing tilted her head. “How is that an individual mistake? When a disciple sin, isn’t the sect leader held accountable? Isn’t that what being a leader is about? It’s not just about giving orders from the top, right?” “T-then, what should I...” “First, cut the tendons in your legs.” Qing cut off Chosamil’s words abruptly. Then she added another comment. “Thinking to lie to me? For the grievous offense, I’ll shatter your dantian.”