814 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

"What... What kind of lawless behavior is this?! What does a contract mean to a merchant—" "I wouldn't know since I'm not a merchant. But it's actually a good thing for those who have the medicine, too. I intend to pay a fair price." The gall of this woman, who was just threatening with future troubles, to now suggest paying after such a threat was astounding. "And seeing this, one might think you’ve faced a group of bandits. Instead of thanking this wandering martial artist who’s trying to do some good in the world, you should be bowing in gratitude for such an opportunity." “What kind of tyranny is this? Such laws do not exist in this world!” “Of course, they don’t.” With that, Qing tapped the hilt of her sword. "Yet here is the sword, isn’t it?" Qing was confident. The law is distant, but the fist is near. And in this case, it wasn't even a fist, but a sword. Had the shop owner been an ordinary merchant— in other words, if his actions were simply neutral—Qing might have felt somewhat guilty. Discovering the formula for the medication was immensely important. It was a matter for the world. To know the prescription would help cure the sick, prevent future illnesses, and avoid countless tangible and intangible damages from plagues. But was it right for a noble cause, an act of justice, and public interest to accept the unilateral sacrifice of someone? To be precise, was it permissible to rob the wealthy to aid those in difficulty? However, there were cases where it could be said with certainty. If that wealth hadn’t been earned righteously, if it was accumulated through the tears of countless people? Then, yes, without hesitation, it could be taken. With no shame before the heavens, it could be taken cleanly. "This splendid mansion, orchards, and even running a mining operation—haven’t you skinned enough? Instead of helping a good cause, you raise your voice for that insignificant gain? Despicable one! Cannot be forgiven!" Qing leaped up, shouting in a rapid crescendo of anger. The shop owner's mouth dropped open in shock, and the chilling sound of a sword being drawn turned his complexion pale. “Wait—” "The blade moves toward the arm of the shop owner with the speed of a five miles per second." “What—” “When it’s half a foot away from the shop owner's arm, during this time, produce the source of the medication. Five, four, three—” “Wait—” “—Two. One.” Qing’s hand flashed upward. The gleaming blade of the sword rose high and then— “I will tell you!” “Well, you should have done that from the beginning. You see that you forced my hand into drawing my sword rudely. It’s all your fault, isn't it?” "Kh!" "So, where did you get the medication?" "If... if you promise to keep the fact that I told you a secret—" “Hmm. Sure. I can promise that much. If you had said it like this from the start, it wouldn’t have led to me drawing my sword and turning our faces red, would it? Isn’t it much better to talk it out?” The shop owner was utterly exasperated. Barging in suddenly and executing what could only be described as unspeakable tyranny, not expressible even by the word 'outrage.' Why, what did I do wrong? Though the shop owner's face showed resentment and grievance, Qing felt that something was amiss. After piling up such evil deeds, to claim grievance... Yet, still, feeling wronged was feeling wronged. People inherently felt wrong when experiencing loss, even when it was their fault—how much more so when they didn’t see it as their wrongdoing? Hence, the shop owner’s voice carried a slight, awkward moisture of injustice. “The Odokmun sent the medicine.” “Odokmun?” “Who other than the Odokmun in Yunnan can create such plague medication…” “Odokmun, Odokmun... Why does it sound so familiar? I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere…” Qing muttered to herself. O-dok-mun. Her tongue traced the roof of her mouth in a stride, lightly tapping her front teeth. Hmm, where had she heard it? Then Tang Nanah chimed in. “Hey, don’t you remember the Dougang speech?” “Dougang?” “Why, you know, that thing with the Baek chef—” “Oh! Right, it was those guys back then?” Usually, the one who gets hit remains mentally scarred, brooding and unable to sleep, but the one who hit forgets and sleeps soundly. One would think it’s the opposite? The saying that offenders quickly forget and victims carry it forever, the proverb about the one who hit and the one who got hit is nonsense, probably concocted by someone who’s never been hit. “Yes, those who undid the Oyang Silk, right?” Qing barely remembered the Odokmun or the Dougang incidents, but the skill of master chef Baek Changja and the delicious fish Oyang Silk left a lasting impression on her. Yes, there were people like that. Killing them had been quite fun... But in hindsight... Ah, it was a bit complicated now. At that time, she had been rather vicious. Of course, they had been thugs deserving death, so it was expected, but should she visit them saying hey, I'm here to buy medicine peacefully? Not possible, is it? Hmm. Well, hmm, first of all, that’s that. “Now that I've told you everything, could you perhaps leave? I'm quite tired and would like to rest.” “Hey, aren’t you rather ungrateful to a guest?” “...Guest, you say?” Qing nodded shamelessly. “Of course. When a precious guest arrives, shouldn't the head personally show them around the manor and demonstrate their enterprises?” “What do you mean by this?” “Don’t you understand? There’s chaos because of the plague, yet you hide the medication's prescription while dealing in secret. I have to see if these people are doing well!” Leaving the fish to the cat or a hot stew with Gu-nyeong would be a safer bet. How could one simply overlook the words of a man layered with over a thousand sins? Considering his wrongdoings, it was a situation where one should question not only the welfare but also the very lives of those families of the miners being sent to work. Qing tapped her sword hilt again, her voice now stripped of any playful tone. "Right now, immediately." If he deceived her? Think of the typical scene: whips, shackles, tattered rags, slaves reduced to skin and bones, a brave soul shielding a fallen companion, a cold-blooded overseer lacking any compassion, and... cloth? No, not cloth, something similar or of that effect. Should this prove true, it would undoubtedly lead to a fulfillment of a meaningful exploration of the human body—a deep session of repentance and atonement would ensue. ...Or so it once seemed. “Oh no, not at all. Initially, when they said to mine coal, my heart sank. But really, this is quite the luxury,” said a miner with a face blackened by soot, breaking into a broad smile. Despite the misaligned teeth and yellow hue, there was an honest simplicity in his smile—it indeed conveyed a sense of satisfaction. Apparently, they were doing well. In fact, because they washed so often, there was no itchiness; the beds were soft, and they ate meat with each of their four meals, not to mention that the strenuous work warranted such generous dining. Similarly, the women were also beaming. With many laborers, there was a lot of domestic work to be done; they were entrusted with managing all the chores, laundry, cooking, and distribution in the mining village. It was obvious at a glance that there was no deceit in their words. Why is this the truth? Why are they genuinely well-treated? “Didn’t I tell you?” “Why? If you intended to make the women just do household chores, why set such suspicious terms and bring them at such high prices?” “When you calculate the daily wages, over a year, it doesn’t matter if they are men or women; we cover the costs. For the men, once the contract ends, we promise additional wages for extra work, so aside from contract duration differences, we don’t pay more.” “Then why suspiciously select young women, insisting on a year of work? It’s dubious and concerning, isn’t it?” “Otherwise, men would never come here. Without such suspicious terms, you wouldn’t be able to recruit miners; there’d only be women past their prime.” In such ancient and primitive times in Zhongyuan, if someone from the family had to be sent off, the first choice would always be older women. Next would be younger women, but those suspicious terms sounded like they were meant to seduce or exploit them. No one would want to send their daughters or sisters to such places; hence, men would step up. "Hmm." "Are you satisfied now?" "Geez, why is it true?" A remarkably honest corporate welfare system created by an infernal villain with a score of 1,200 accumulated sins. How peculiar, it wasn’t supposed to be like this, was it? Of course, there was no feeling of remorse. If he didn’t want to be suspected, he should have lived righteously. What was his origin again? Hangzhou? Perhaps he engaged in some heinous methods there, drained people’s tears, and decided to start afresh in a remote place far away. Well, in that case, nothing could be done. No need to make trouble for someone running an upright business, even if they’ve been laundering their past. I’d rather put together one of my jigsaw puzzles without a word if I could, but then what about all these smiling people here? "Good. It's an exemplary workplace. If you continue like this, there won’t be any bloodshed." "Nothing else you want to say?" "Nope, nothing." "I mean like realizing you've misunderstood, or how you feel now?" “I said nothing.” It was obvious what he was hoping for, but of course, Qing felt no remorse. In fact, she should be receiving 108 bows of gratitude in recognition of her mercy for letting it pass. "Then, I assume your business here is done. I’d like to rest soon myself." "The sun's going down, huh? Oh, I’m hungry." "I would like to rest." "Did I ask for food? I’d refuse even if offered. Let's eat, guys." There was no intention of partaking in a meal that might have something mixed in it. Having a meal, generously laced with someone else’s saliva, didn’t appeal to Qing in the least, so she declined without hesitation. Thus, Qing departed, leaving the shop owner behind. Her superhuman sharp hearing caught the faint muttering in the distance. ‘What the hell... Just my luck. Go sprinkle a barrel of salt—no, empty an entire bag. Maybe we should call for a shamanistic ritual, damn it all.’ Indeed, cursing is often deemed the highest form of praise. As Qing hummed cheerfully, even with the exchange of words behind her. Only. Qing saw the world differently and knew how to read people's karma as numerical values, making this an enlightening experience. But not for her companions. Peng Daesan and Zhuge Leehyun exchanged glances, shaking their heads wordlessly. Remarkably, this reaction only applied to two members within the group. Well, Gyeon Poo Hee had absolutely no thoughts. Because he simply wasn’t thinking. Seo Lily also lacked thoughts. Because she, too, had no thoughts. Yue Divine Sword Maiden was still young. Meanwhile, Tang Nanah felt there wasn’t anything wrong with Qing’s conduct and was rather in awe of her manner. Showing respect to a lowly merchant is just too kind of Qing. This encourages such merchants to act conceitedly, mistakenly thinking they can climb on her head. Kindness is good, but Qing needs to learn to be a bit ruthless. If Qing becomes any more ruthless from her current state, what monstrous three-headed, six-armed entity would she transform into? A terrifying thought indeed. Nonetheless, this is the true essence of the Half-Sword Dual Sword Society, the finest social club that will lead the future of the martial world! If anyone knew, they might have sighed deeply. The future of the righteous martial world, is it truly alright?