835 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

"Ptui," Qing spat out all the salty saliva in her mouth. A cold fire seemed to freeze and rise within her chest, filling her with a sharp, burning sensation. The ones fanning these flames were the Odokmun bastards who had halted their attack, as if jeering, "So, how do you like it?" Caught in a trap, what now? Whether you escape or thrash about, give it a try, their posture of pause seemed to taunt. Qing's guess was half right, half wrong. The sect's enemies looking to torment their prey as they fled was expected by Qing. Yet, it was because Odokmun firmly believed that time was on their side. As long as the poison had circulated, they just needed to pursue relentlessly and not give them any time to detoxify. But Qing's anger was rising. These insignificant fools with nothing left but a sense of desperation, continuing onward over their comrades' corpses, clinging with grit, waiting for a chance? What? All you need are determination, a willingness to try, an indomitable spirit? Survive through sheer force of will? Come at me with the resolve to die? Fine, then. Let's see the extent of that resolve. To break a strong will, you need a shock even greater. Assuming just because she was called the Transcendent Realm, she'd be an easy target. Not even begging for their lives, promising to be good from now on, not rubbing hands and knees sore with pleas. These bastards who intended to massacre innocents, what do they have to be proud of to lift their heads high, calling for revenge? Huuu, Qing took a deep breath. Fine, you want to test me? Qing returned the Moonlight Sword to its sheath. Then she stepped on the shoulder of a flesh shield, grabbing the wrist to yank it. The skin stretched and tore, making it look as if an arm had been yanked off an Odokmun. And she shouted boldly. “I am not Heavenly Sword Flower! Not at all! Heavenly Sword Flower uses a sword, I use an arm!” A moment of confusion spread. A vile smirk twisted Qing’s lips. Who told you to act all heroic? If that’s your play, then for these unruly bastards, I'll ensure you meet a decidedly unserious, laughable end. "My name is Dodokryeon! The righteous bandit!" I will absolutely not fight seriously. Your deaths will become a ridiculous, unbearable joke for someone to consume. The scoundrel continued speaking. “And this night, I'll steal the lives of you villains! If you hand over your lives willingly, perhaps I’ll let you live!” Qing’s waist bent slightly, her movement elegant and deliberate without any forcefulness, akin to a beautiful wanderer. Except she was holding a person’s arm. She wasn’t aiming at anyone in particular. With Odokmun scattered everywhere, one would surely pop up if she ran in any direction. Sure enough, an Odokmun member emerged from the bushes, exposing only their torso above ground. What, did they dig themselves a trench? Fear crossed the face of the Odokmun member who spotted Qing, then hatred, followed by a solemn determination. Three shifts in expression utterly detestable to Qing. Hastily, the Odokmun member drew a cylinder, aiming it. The aperture of the projectile cylinder formed a perfect ring in Qing’s vision. Had it got an eye, it would’ve been directly meeting hers, ready to aim it at her face. Like pulling the string of a large firecracker, the Odokmun member tugged at the cylinder’s attached cord with all his might. Qing sped up. Her hand, wrapped in bluish qi, clapped roughly over the cylinder’s mouth— Bang! A burst resounded, gunpowder smoke spread. Simultaneously, accompanied by barely suppressed laughter, a voice filled with mockery boomed. “This is a bulletproof palm! Where do you think you’re aiming?” Whoosh! A vicious whooshing sound! The severed arm of the flesh shield lashed like a club. That half-torn, upper arm swung fiercely at the face of the same sect's disciple. Smack! An indescribably crisp, moist slap sound, skin against skin. It was a swing executed purely with strength, devoid of martial force. The Odokmun disciple's teeth set off on a large-scale escape into the wide world. As Qing pivoted, keeping her teeth-baring, brightly smiling, blood-smeared face on show. “Having only one set of teeth would be odd, wouldn’t it?” “N-no, impossible...!” “It is.” Qing's upper arm slightly swelled. A slap, once as it goes, once as it comes, is the rhythm of a swing— Thunk! Another fierce projectile-piercing sound. Qing twisted, gripping the flesh shield's wrist with both hands, swinging wide like an athlete striking a ball. Thunk! As the projectile collided with the flesh club, embedded energy burst at once, scattering flesh bits from the club. Only bones remained above the elbow in an instant, splintering off flesh and bone. Unluckily, behind that space was an Odokmun member surfaced just enough, doused by the stray flesh bursts. The assault of stinging flesh slapping across his face seemed to jolted his senses awake, those eyes shining again with intense hatred. He slid his hand into his sleeve. “Where do you think you’re going!” Qing’s left leg extended backward. A perfect, picturesque rear kick. Qing’s sole connected with the enemy's face. Nose snapping immediately, facial bones crashed like broken glass as the sole dug three knuckles deep in the face's center. Exploding from the sole's center, a massive energy burst forth. With a thud. The Odokmun’s corpse, left with only the lower face, fell backward, leaning against the fortified trench wall. The leaning corpse helplessly dropped both arms. Thud, a large pouch slipped from the flap of its sleeve to the floor, teasing the opening as it shuffled slightly loose. Simultaneously, rattatatat! **New Terms Explanation** - **Odokmun** (오독문): This term was translated as "Odokmun." It's likely a faction or group in the context of the story. Since there isn't enough detail in this passage alone about them, maintaining its original term ensures clarity for future mentions. - **Dodokryeon** (도독련): Translated here as "the righteous bandit," a play on words since it turns "Dodok" (thief/bandit) into sounding like "noble." This reflects Qing's sarcastic tone and intent to mock her adversaries. **Recommendations for the List** - **"Odokmun"** should be added as a group/organization. - Consider verifying "Dodokryeon" if more context is given about comedic or sarcastic tones related to titles in future chapters. The sound of the firecracker was loud, then suddenly the air filled with an explosive burst of red smoke! What the? A poison pouch? Even Tang Nanah had something like this; does every poison sect use the same tactics? Odokmun might feel wronged by this. Well, do all sects seem similar just because they all use weapons? The toxic smoke wrapped around swiftly! A normal martial artist would panic and try to retreat as quickly as possible, but Qing was not ordinary. What was this, toxic smoke? To her, poison posed no danger— “Aaaagh! Ugh, aaaah, aaagh...!” Qing let out a scream. Since poison had no harmful effects on Qing, it was a unique flavor, spicing up the otherwise bland tastes of the Central Plains. So, 'spicy.' Suddenly, a tingling spiciness invaded her eyes, nose, and all the sensitive membranes inside her nasal cavity! Of course, a master like her won't be unable to open her eyes just because they're sore. The real problem was the fiery, prickling irritation that felt like spicy soup going down the wrong way, hitting her nasal passages! “Aaaagh! Aaaaaaah! Aaagh!” Piercing the body somewhere would have been bearable, but when the spiciness seeped into her sinuses, it was impossible to hold back the screams. Meanwhile, the Odokmun elder, holding a blowpipe, grinned at the agonized cries and choking sounds echoing nearby. “See, the poison is working! Listen up, you children of Odokmun! Hear the cries of your enemy!” The elder shouted, but suddenly paused. But did he really issue a poison that caused immediate screams like that? Surely, the smoke should have been delayed poison smoke, meant to scatter internal energy? At that moment, through the toxic smoke, the enemy dashed out. In a hurry, the elder grasped his blowpipe again. Simultaneously, he blew a whistle, signaling retreat, confirming the poison's effect, and urging continued pursuit until they could hem them in. As the whistle signals spread, the elder hurriedly raced after where Qing disappeared. ---- Tears streaming down, snot gushing. The small mercy was, since Qing's face was already muddied and blood-smeared, no matter how her tears and snot flowed, it didn't worsen her appearance. Yet the unfortunate side was that already with mud and blood, she was a pitiful sight. The bloodshot whites of her eyes didn't help. These bastards, she would never forgive them. Every breath made her nasal cavity sting sharply, making her entire head feel prickly and sore. While it wasn't exactly pain, it was an unbearable sting. But her mood, truly, was at its lowest. “Aaaagh.” An involuntary spicy sound escaped her. Anyone who's experienced soup going down the wrong way knows this unbearable phenomenon. Beep! Beep-beeeeep! A loud whistle. Qing's eyes turned dagger-shaped. Bang, breaking the unlucky earth as she charged! Then suddenly, boom, the sound of the projectile cylinder bursting was deafening. Crossing her arms in front to block, Qing followed up, drawing and raising the large sword once through the spice-laden smoke. In that instant, clang! A heavy projectile slammed into the blade of the Moonlight Sword. The blade, which should have pierced through her crown, veered sideways, shaving off chunks of flesh from an Odokmun’s shoulder before embedding into the dirt. “Die! Enemy!” Despite being carved to the bone, the Odokmun lashed out with his uninjured hand, wielding a poisoned dagger. Stab, the knife tip pierced Qing's side. A single finger's depth was the full extent of the dagger's intrusion. But the Odokmun gritted his teeth. The side had no interior bones, so the blade merely pressed inward, only stabbing lightly against the muscle. The Odokmun clenched his teeth in agony. If only I had a little more experience, could control my sword qi skillfully, or even just pushed in a bit more to let the poison flow... That was the Odokmun's final thought. Typically, a person cannot think once the crown of their head gets severely dented. Qing withdrew her weapon from the Odokmun's head, now shaped gruesomely like a hui凹 (a hole). Real masters, not that Transcendent is any kind of master, there are real low-levels, but these bastards just throw projectiles from a distance cowardly. Because of their nimbleness and ever-changing qi technique, and so many damn trees, she couldn’t catch those lowlifes. Is that Odokmun's strength? Fleeing flawlessly, flinging projectiles from afar, and fleeing again when chased; it's invincible. Odokmun shouldn't be underestimated, then? Though, it was a complete misunderstanding. Of course, Odokmun misunderstood Qing just as much. They believed the poison was taking effect, convinced all the different types of poisons, even the ultimate ones, were taking effect; shouldn't she be rendered speechless soon? Qing just couldn't speak because the spiciness got into her nasal cavities. Plus, every time she'd start to recover a bit, they'd light up more of that spicy smoke. Like right now. Fwoosh! “Aaaaagh! Again!” People can sometimes think even with a caved-in crown. The deep-seated hatred soaking into the marrow can drive the body to pull the ignition cord of a poison pouch even when the brain is mush at life's end, a miraculous act. Qing's tears seemed unending. Her snot flowed like a waterfall, repeatedly wiping it away so her philtrum felt red and worn. But more than that, while picking off the sly Odokmun, loud questions endlessly echoed in her mind. The Odokmun would only withdraw to create distance but not flee. When the moment came, when they were already caught with no way out but a certain dog’s death, they burned with hate and charged. Why exactly? Why are they going this far? **New Terms Explanation** - **Tang Nanah** (당난아): Here "Tang Nanah" is used in passing. There’s no further explanation within the text, but based on the naming pattern, it might be someone from the Sichuan Tang Clan or another character with expertise in toxins. - **Odokmun Elder** (오독문 장로): Foreseen as a high-ranking figure in the Odokmun. "Elder" signifies their senior position or role. - **Spicy Smoke** is not a term but it refers to poison that Qing perceives as spicy due to its effect on her rather than true danger. It reflects Qing’s invulnerability to conventional poisons, adding humor. **Recommendations for List** - Clarify if **Tang Nanah** is associated with a specific clan or family. - Consider adding "Spicy Smoke" or similar terms unique to character-effects for characters like Qing.