820 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Qing imagined the scene below the hole. What could they be thinking? Amidst the horrific heaps of corpses in the center, within the gruesome deaths they had orchestrated, they must be pondering who should be saved. It was laughable. How could they sift through hundreds of deaths they themselves had caused and choose who among their countrymen to save? Was there truly a lack of conscience so profound? Qing stared down into the hole for quite some time. Finally, a head cautiously emerged from the opening leading to the pupil. It was the woman Qing had first identified and seized by her hair. One by one, more heads appeared. With anxious expressions, they glanced around before approaching the woman who had climbed up first, tightly shutting their mouths, and scanning for cues. This continued; two, three... A total of twenty, including the woman and still-young men. “Is that it? Are you the last one?” “Yes, yes. That’s right...” Qing swung her sword. The sword energy, cutting into the hard rock, left a horizontal slash mark, causing the rope ladder to vanish deep into the void. “Well, twenty. Not too greedy. At least that much—” It was at that moment. Zhuge Leehyun cautiously spoke up. “Sister, do you really intend to let them go?” “Hm? Why?” “They belong to the Blood Cult's lowest ranks. Even if you let them go now, they will inevitably rejoin the Blood Cult's sinister plots and lend them their strength.” It was a suggestion to kill them all. At this, Tang Nanah’s eyes flashed like axe blades, glaring fiercely. “What, are you telling us, telling me, to break my promise to my friend right now? Are you done speaking?” In truth, what they call heroes in the martial world are not saints striving for worldly justice. Heroes don’t exist to aid saints and slay evildoers. Heroes are a breed that distances themselves from justice. Because hero(俠) does not mean justice. The values venerated by heroes are not justice but integrity, promises, and loyalty. In Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian," it is said of heroes- Heroes may act contrary to justice, but they are faithful and assertive in their words. They never fail to fulfill their promises, assisting others in distress without considering their own peril. That is, even if they become enemies with the whole world, they uphold their integrity. This was what Zhongyuan called a hero. Among those met lately who best fit the description of heroes was the rogue Tao Opal. To save the medicine merchant, The Peaceful One, he negotiated with Qing, and what was agreed upon was certainly no laughing matter. Tao Opal, knowing the world would ridicule him for his proposition, saved The Peaceful One's life. He chose integrity over the face, which martial artists cherished as much as life itself. If Qing changed her mind and decided to kill The Peaceful One, Tao Opal would have fought to the end, knowing it was a battle he was bound to lose. Qing acknowledged this and negotiated for an arm and a leg instead. Truly living and dying by one’s word—a genuine hero's visage. Furthermore, this is the honor of martial artists. Therefore, Zhuge Leehyun cautiously raised the topic, and similarly, Tang Nanah erupted defensively, speaking without hesitation in support of Qing. If Qing claimed to be a true hero, she would have to safely escort the women and children of the Blood Cult after promising to save them. Even if it meant standing against the Blood Cult's enemies, the entire Zhongyuan. Still, Qing's opinion must also be heard. Qing observed the tense moment between Zhuge Leehyun and Tang Nanah. Notably, Peng Daesan quietly sided behind Tang Nanah. It was a sign of his support for her. Meanwhile, Zhuge Leehyun looked desperately at Seo Lily, but of course, she had nothing in mind. In the meantime, Qing turned her attention to the Blood Cult individuals pleading their innocence. Some hunched with closed shoulders, some trembled in fear, and some glared tensely, unable to hide their resentment. These folks were certainly going to be a future menace. But, hmm. Qing made her decision. “Enough. A promise is a promise.” “But sister—” “If you make a promise, you must keep it. It’s not about lofty ideals like integrity; if you get used to breaking promises, eventually, you won’t regard them as promises at all.” “Ugh.” Zhuge Leehyun shut his mouth tightly. This was undeniably one of the most underhanded tactics in an argument. Wielding moral standards as a weapon. What could anyone say when someone declares they will keep their promise? The Blood Cultists visibly relaxed. “Now, come this way. You know what happens if you try anything funny, right? I try to keep promises I make, but I’m not bound by them if the other party breaks them first. So behave, okay? It’s time for us to part. Line up in the order you came up, quickly, single file.” The Blood Cultists obediently followed Qing’s instructions. “By the way, you remain at the front, young lady? But how can your vanguard be so lacking in spirit? Now, shoulders back, like this.” Qing helped the woman at the front straighten her slouched shoulders, massaging them gently. However, a sudden display of kindness couldn’t lighten the tension; instead, it solidified with anxiety, turning her shoulders rigid. “Oh dear, why is your shoulder so stiff? I’ll need to loosen that up.” “Eh?” In an instant, Qing clenched her fist tightly. Her monstrous strength crushed stone and bent steel, gripping the woman’s shoulder. Qing’s fingers pierced through the hard shoulder bone, pressing firmly. The sensation filled her palm. The mashed flesh and crushed bones mixed into a dough-like mass, slipping through her fingers— Ah, ha...! Qing clenched her teeth hard. Wow, I almost swooned for a moment there; it’s been so long since I felt this satisfaction, I almost let out a moan without realizing. “Kyaaaah!!” A delightful scream echoed right in front of her. The woman, with shoulders appearing as if they’d been devoured by a beast, lay writhing on the ground. Her arms, now mere appendages destined to never move again, flopped unnaturally with every futile struggle. A shrill scream echoed among the women of the Blood Cult, contagious and spreading. Someone fell hard on their backside, scrambling away on two feet, while an enraged young man hurled curses as he charged forward. Of course, the youth ended up on the ground, wheezing as he was kicked in the pit of his stomach—a price of reckless bravery. Whether it was a friend or lover of the brave youth, a girl of similar age rushed alongside him, holding his torso and shouting at Qing. “Why, why! You promised to spare us!” “I did say, didn’t I? I try to keep my promises, but I’m merciless if the other party breaks them first.” “What did we do...!?” “I should ask you. Trying to smuggle out a senior member of the Blood Cult, thinking you can fool me?” Qing pointed at the woman writhing in pain from losing both shoulders. She was the first woman Qing had picked, the one seized by her hair, and amongst all the workers, she bore the heaviest burden of sins. Not just heavy, but if rounded up, a thousand points—a beastly woman like her couldn’t possibly be an ordinary member of the Blood Cult. The girl gasped in shock, unable to hide her expression due to her youth. Not that ordinary folk in a Blood Cult village would even manage their expressions well. “Sister?” Qing marched over and crushed the head of the woman on the ground under her foot. Her head, caught between the earth and Qing's foot, emitted an unhuman beast-like scream, yet something beautiful lingered in Qing's melodious voice that resonated clearly in one's ears. “Probably that woman made the poison, no? Such an important ingredient for the Blood Cult, they wouldn’t entrust just anyone, right? At least one person would oversee it. Isn’t that right?” Qing eased the pressure slightly. You could drown one pain with greater pain; as her head was on the verge of being crushed, the pain from her shoulders seemed bearable. “How... are you...?” Quite right, a mere cook shouldn’t accrue such enormous sins. Judging by the sins, indeed she was a beastly woman mindlessly committing monstrous deeds. If someone accrued this level of sin in this mine, they were likely a key figure in these machinations. Pretending to just randomly choose, with which one should I pick as a ruse, Qing chose her first. But? The scheming old man’s deception? From the start, it was deceit under the guise of a promise to save that woman. Though surely, there might have been intent to save the other women and youths as well. Ultimately, this woman was the pivotal one. “People should view them with skepticism. Those Blood Cult fiends, what? Pleading to spare the women and children? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that. Blood Cult folks don’t value others’ lives, nor their own. Surely tried to save someone essential to their grand design.” Perceiving the sins, Qing casually spouted another excuse. “Oh, indeed! As expected of sister! You subdued a possibly dangerous character by catching her off guard!” Qing felt a sense of pride swell in her demeanor. Ah, Zhuge recognizes it? This is the stature of a master. As clingers, they wouldn’t leave; hence, efforts to proceed as safely as possible. Martial arts didn’t seem threatening, but if the woman was the original maker of the poison, she could certainly use poison. Unlike my fragile friends who could drink poison like water and remain fine. Still, emotionally, maybe you offer some trivial help? Otherwise, well, tagging along with time might mean you give at least a trivial contribution? Even dog droppings can be used as medicine, so one day, perhaps even you lackeys might be helpful? Hmm. Perhaps? “In the process, you smartly lured those Blood Cult members to their own graves! Indeed, you read this scheming maliciousness well! I had faith in you!” Qing, who had raised her chin, suddenly paused. Hmm? Wasn’t that praise? Is it me, or am I increasingly being regarded poorly? Sure, I can be devious with villains, but is Zhuge trying to devour this whole situation? Should I set some things straight? Qing let go of the situation. With a sound akin to a temple bell, the woman’s legs snapped, bending in opposite directions. Another shriek escaped, and as Qing hoisted her by her hair and lifted her head, she whispered into her ear. “From now on, everything that happens is your fault. Had you resisted instead of running, maybe one or two could have escaped.” Of course, this was just to provoke her, though, thinking back, it might have still ended up this way. “You, hold on...!” Qing tossed the woman’s head aside. As she collapsed, crippled in both arms and legs, Qing drew her sword. Well, it’s one of those issues. Can the citizens of a wartime nation be truly innocent? Even if they’ve been misled by propaganda and control, ignorant of a war’s grim truths, can those who cheer and support the cause be considered blameless? Moreover, these were Blood Cultists, taught to hate Zhongyuan from their earliest memories. They might be pitied, but they are not innocent. But. Qing gripped her sword handle firmly. In truth, whether they are innocent or not is merely an excuse. You know, there are always priorities? My friends, our Half-Sword Dual Sword Society idiots, our Divine Maiden Sect family, our Murim Alliance, our orthodox sects, I mean, us. We come first. The Blood Cult dreams of destroying Zhongyuan, where my precious people reside. No further reason is necessary. Still, if there's any consolation— These Blood Cult bastards truly deserve to die; they are evildoers that can be killed without a second thought. Thankfully, they're the type you can kill without remorse. As Zhuge Leehyun said, even if I kill you, my people, my circle, will understand and support me. Qing smirked, her smile twisting slightly.