837 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Translation: There are moments in life when everyone feels the urge to scream. Imagine this. If you've inhaled something the wrong way, and the inside of your head is ablaze with a mix of unbearable, spicy, stinging pain. And what if, in such a state, there's something in your eyes, causing them to sting and water profusely? That would be akin to enduring a hundredfold scream. You'd desperately want to let out a loud scream. But that's not all. Imagine having to dash around on a muggy, humid day in such agony. And instead of feeling refreshed by sweat, you're drenched in a sticky and unpleasant perspiration. It's as if you're coated in a layer of viscous sweat, making your entire skin feel uncomfortably slippery with every brush. But wait, there's more. Add dirt to the mix. With your face smeared with dirt, every time you wipe your runny nose, it's like being scraped by a coarse cloth, and as you scratch, it feels as if a handful of sand is digging into your scalp and under your nails. There's not a single part of your body free from dirt inside your clothes. Every move you make causes the dirt to rub and prick. But still, that's not all. What happens if filth is poured on top? The odokmundo and monsters both spit and drool profusely, with monsters bursting to release rotten flesh and decayed, blackened internal organs. A stench that pierces the nose is merely a bonus. Moreover, the enemies continually taunt you. Even as they perish, the odokmundo frantically try to land one last venomous strike, continuing to cling to your arms and legs with their moist touch. The poisonous monsters of the Blood Cult, being monsters, neither provide joy nor accomplishment in slashing. Among the creatures with actual skills, they escape with peculiar movements while throwing javelins, daggers, and poison sacks. Chasing them results in them fleeing again... It's truly a millionfold discomfort. Such monumental discomfort, dirt, awkwardness, stickiness, and the vile tricks of despicable individuals make the irritation rise, while your nostrils feel like they're burning, roaring like flames; your eyes sting and water, your runny nose drips continuously, and wiping them only exposes grains of harsh dirt scratching your skin... "Kyaaaa!!" This isn't a test of Qing's patience. R1o1RUY1V2dWdFByellBWDZwUWJGUzc0dUhRNlJjMlppNUs4UXBUTVowMkdWZmFKUCthV01rbms2ZlAxUVZZbg Isn't it an extreme situation indeed? Frankly, even if Buddha were placed in such a situation, losing one's sanity would be unavoidable. This was acknowledged by the three great divine arts: the Central Plains' Reverse Tendon Hand Washing Sutra, the Western Tibet's Myriad Phenomena as One Heart Technique, and the Western Region's Dragon–Elephant Prajna Tiger Heart Technique. It's inevitable for one to explode. Thus, within Qing's dantian. The tiny figure clad in blue, Yue Maiden's True Qi, gazes at the pitiful small eyes of the squinting being before her. The purple energy of Blinding Light seems to have a plea-filled, pitiful expression in its axe-shaped eyes as it looks at Yue Maiden's True Qi. Soon after, Yue Maiden's True Qi looks back. The True Qi of the three divine arts nod. Although Ju Yang's True Qi doesn’t seem pleased, it nods in agreement. Below, Hwanhui's True Qi displaying a collar reveals its teeth, causing a ruckus. No one said it outright, but there's an unspoken rule that True Qi below the golden color doesn't have speaking rights. Eventually, Yue Maiden's True Qi, with its characteristic indifference and expressionlessness, looks at Blinding Light. Blinding Light’s tiny eyes shrink to rice-grain size. Then, triumphantly, it draws the tiny sword and raises it high. Following that, with an excited demeanor, Blinding Light raises the sword high and dashes forward with buzzing purple thunder, as Self-Rotating Demon Qi, a pair of red-clad Blood Circulation Demon Qi, and Demon King's Blood Qi, along with other energies, fly energetically and merrily into the dantian gate. Why do the divine arts of civil order and path allow for this chaos of demon energy? Sometimes, maintaining sanity can be harmful. In a dreadful situation, letting go of one's mental reins might be beneficial for mental health. When irritation and anger surge from the feet to the tonsils, stubbornly enduring and suppressing such irritation might only lead to burning one's heart black. It's not a rampage seeking slaughter nor a Heaven-Rending Slaughter triggering demise through torment. Moreover, sometimes, it's healthier to unleash pent-up frustration and anger and vent it thoroughly. As someone from Qing's homeland once said, To release desires properly, one must do it thoroughly; otherwise, the poison will remain in the heart. Thus, after a long time, all demon energies are unleashed, beginning a raging demonic spree in the Murim way, as they say. ...And amidst this chaos, a distinct type of energy stuck to a corner cautiously raises its head from between its knees, glancing around. With surprising dexterity, while still seated, it wriggles towards the dantian gate— Suddenly, Ju Yang’s True Qi releases the leash it was holding. And with a displeased expression, the small Hwanhui’s True Qi, in a questionable outfit neither fully dressed nor undressed, launches like a rocket with its tail on fire. With a loud flurry of thuds. Chuckle... chuckle... The Heaven-Shattering Demon Qi laughs again today. Grrrr, a low, menacing growl escapes from Qing’s mouth, akin to a beast. The eyes, already crazed, have long turned. "Go on! It's your turn, monster!" The odokmundo shouts as he opens the bars enclosing the creature provided by the Blood Cult, the poison beast. Yet, while it usually bangs on the bars, desperate to escape, breaking its head in the process to the point it needed to be put to sleep, the poison beast curiously sits curled up opposite the metal bars, refusing to come out. "Keeeee..." "Hey, you beast, why are you like this? Go, go already! The Heavenly Sword Flower is right there!" The odokmundo reaches through the bars to grab and pull the poison beast. But— "Keeeeee!!!" "Aaagh!" --- New Terms: - odokmundo (오독문도): This term refers to certain characters who are mentioned as spitting and drooling, associated with toxins, suggesting they might be a part of or related to the poisonous elements in the narrative. It can be alternatively described as a "toxic creature" or "venomous monster." - poison beast (독추): A creature from the Blood Cult, noted for its reluctance despite typically being aggressive, suggesting a creature infused or imbued with poison-related abilities. It can be translated as "venom beast" or "toxic beast." These terms are translated based on the context of being part of the Blood Cult and the portrayal of toxicity and poison-related themes throughout the passage. Additionally, 'odokmundo' reflects a transliteration that maintains its phonetic essence, while 'poison beast' directly relates to its described nature. The poison beast, which bit down firmly on the arm of the odokmundo, shortly after raced out through the bars. It ran in the opposite direction of the Heavenly Sword Flower. Despite having almost no intelligence, if the poison beast could speak, it would have surely said: "No, sir. No matter how monstrous I may be, pushing me to fight against that is too much, isn’t it? Even from the perspective of a poison beast, it's impossible. Impossible." Astounded, the odokmundo stared in the direction where the poison beast had swiftly fled. At that moment, a whispering breath tickled his ear. Shhh... A true monster, even shunned by the Blood Cult's creatures. Somehow, although the Heavenly Sword Flower was emitting red smoke from her mouth—a feature of Blood Circulation Divine Arts, known as Blood Circulation Breathing—she moved her protruding face weirdly from side to side. "Gasp!" Startled, the odokmundo fell back onto his rear. The upper body of the Heavenly Sword Flower vibrated up and down, almost as if she was chuckling joyfully. The expression of the odokmundo twisted with rage. His face quickly stained with hatred, seemingly embarrassed by showing a momentary expression of fear and surprise. However, despite the fierce momentum suggesting he'd attack at any moment, he kept creeping backward with his behind and arms. The Heavenly Sword Flower's body shivered again, seemingly taunting him to run if he dared, her head tilted ominously. The odokmundo clenched his teeth and turned his back. The light tapping sounds of the Heavenly Sword Flower matching his pace didn’t vanish from his ears as he cut through the forest. It was as if they were inviting him to try and run away if he dared. The odokmundo's teeth ground audibly. Though he wished to unleash all the poison he had at that moment, orders had to be followed. So, he headed to a specific point of the formation, a route ingrained in his body through training. Before long, he emerged into an artificially cleared large open area in the middle of the tropical forest, filled with densely pack yellow tents. A warrior holding an Iron Mace Crescent Moon Blade rushed out towards him, pointing the blade at him. "Halt! Who goes there?" It was slightly broken Zhongyuan dialect. But before the odokmundo could answer. “Yikes, macarong! Macarong!” The warrior shouted, pointing behind him. In a voice laced with undeniable fear, Qing’s lips stretched into a broad grin almost close enough to touch the warrior's ears. Finally, finally, she encountered a proper reaction. "That's not it! Enemy, enemy!" The odokmundo shouted at the top of his lungs. Then he frantically ran between the tents of the open field, shouting all the while. "Enemy attack! The enemy is here!" Finally, a middle-aged man in splendid golden armor barred his way. “Hey, Zhongyuan person, this is our territory. No matter how much you-” At that moment, a harrowing scream cut off the man’s words. The middle-aged man's mouth swallowed an alien word as he urgently turned his head. “Macarong...?” Squelch, a gush of blood arced skyward. Though it was unclear how it happened, a severed head traced a parabola through the air and entered the man's sight. The middle-aged man's expression twisted grotesquely. “You, Zhongyuan scum...! ###! ######! ##! #####!” Words in a language other than Zhongyuan burst forth urgently, as the warriors wielding weapons rushed out from the tents behind him. And then, the sound of a frantic bell rang through the air. --- Drinking salt water when thirsty won’t quench your thirst, no matter how much you drink. But if you drink water? Pouring water down your parched throat brings about refreshing, exhilarating, jubilant pleasure. Qing's eyes regained their sharpness, following this truth. Something new appeared, and they seemed genuinely afraid. This felt like a real slaughter. Then, who are they? “[Wait a moment, vampire, calm yourself! We are on the same side! We are here to assist your Blood Cult—]” “Who said I’m with the Blood Cult!” Qing shouted back, swinging her arm. A massive hand overlapping her own profusely slashed through the warrior like an ancient tree with twisted, elongated claws. Qing didn’t need to study foreign languages. Her ability to automatically hear and understand whatever language was spoken made it unnecessary. She could comprehend the meanings but never knew which language it was. Simply put, they were barbarians. But what were these barbarians doing here? It seemed that even in the Western Tibet, the wretched Blood Cult, unable to make headway in Zhongyuan, sought the aid of these barbarians. Either way, if they came to help the Blood Cult, there was no reason for mercy. Qing roared, “I am the Yin Vampire Bandit Leader!” And once more, “[I am the Rice Eater! Bandit Leader! I will claim your lives! Offer your necks quietly!]” Her fluent barbarian speech rolled out, though it was unclear from which country it belonged. “[Eek! The rice-eating vampire! It eats rice and drinks blood! It’ll kill us all!]” A barbarian shrieked and ran away. But it was only for a moment. Squelch, with blood gushing robustly from a neck, the body fell. A middle-aged man in ornate golden armor swung the massive Iron Mace Crescent Moon Blade he held, shaking off blood. Why? Why kill one of their own? “[Listen, warriors of Daeyue! Warriors of Daeyue do not flee from battle. Whether facing humans or ghosts, it doesn't matter! Aren’t warriors of Daeyue those who capture ghosts?]” Ah, Daeyue. So, these barbarians were from Daeyue country. Considering that the southern ridge of Dochasan bordered Daeyue, it was only natural for the barbarians here to be from Daeyue. Of course, whether they were Daeyue or Burwan barbarians didn’t matter. There was no reason to spare those who had come to aid the Blood Cult. --- New Terms: - Iron Mace Crescent Moon Blade (언월도): This refers to the weapon wielded by the warrior that blocked the odokmundo. It is a type of sword, often associated with power and status due to its imagery and described shape. It's named "Iron Mace Crescent Moon Blade" to capture both its imagery and might. - macarong (마까롱): This appears to refer to a certain exclamation or term of alarm among the warriors. It may stand in for a cultural or symbolic expression for the characters involved, translated as "macarong" to match its phonetic form. It underscores a unique cultural trait among them. - Yin Vampire Bandit Leader (음미적 도독련): This is a self-referential title Qing uses in barbarian language, suggesting a combination of characteristics, involving vampiric and bandit traits. "Yin" relates to darkness/mysticism, "Vampire" conveys the horror element, and "Bandit Leader" implies command and outlaw status. Alternative translations could blend the supernatural with leadership such as "Yin Vampire Chief." - Daeyue (대월): This title refers to a nation or faction, likely fictional within this narrative, translated as "Daeyue" to keep its proper noun status intact. Alternative options include "Great Moon."