842 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

In that moment, Qing understood why the O-dokmun swordsmen wielded their weapons with their left hand. The left-hand weapon of the O-dokmun swordsman served a function similar to a shield. When their right hand emitted a pungent energy, the sharp smell that accompanied it was none other than the infamous poison palm strike heard only in stories. The poison palm strike was inherently a difficult technique to handle. Though its power was far inferior to palm techniques of the same level, once struck, the poison would infiltrate and permeate within the body. But what was she? Impervious to all poisons. And what was being impervious to all poisons? The transcendent Heavenly Sword Flower(天華). Nothing much, just enduring with her muscles! Suddenly, a ferocious slap struck at her abdomen! Qing tensed her abdominal muscles fiercely. Ouch, even knowing it was coming, it hurt. However, she endured it! She could have dodged, but for now, it seemed better to take the hit. Why? Since they were hell-bent on attacking, if she let them hit her, they would be more motivated to keep striking. Otherwise, it would be far more troublesome to deal with them if they widened the gap and used some mysterious footwork to throw projectiles like spears. Thus continued the wild melee. Poison palm strikes landed heavily on Qing's thighs, back, shoulders, abdomen, and head. Argh, who hit my bottom just now? Qing retaliated just as thoroughly. With the gap closed entirely, she even stabbed the Moonlight Sword(월광검) into the ground, allowing her right and left hand to unleash Buddha's Divine Palm(여래신장) glowing with golden light and Great Mahamudra Hand Seal(대수인) glowing with crimson light, two Buddhist divine abilities emerging from one person's hands simultaneously. However, among them were attacks she simply couldn't absorb merely with her body, attacks she couldn't afford to take. This was none other than the poison palm strike of Hou Tian-chi, spreading poison energy as if he weren't the head of the sect for nothing. "Die!" "Not a chance!" Poison energy, the kind that imbued the force with venom. Palms clashed with a booming sound of explosion! The poison within the energy scattered, lashing out with a sharp fragrance as smoke rose from Qing's clothes, which were punctured by the poisonous impact. In that moment, Qing boldly squeezed her clasped palm, entwining her fingers. She didn't particularly want to interlock fingers with a man, but directly clashing internal energy battles, known by the difficult term of inner energy contest, traditionally favored a palm-to-palm confrontation. Initially, she intended to save the sect leader for last. However, as the old folks of O-dokmun tenaciously clung on, desperately hoping for their leader to land a decisive blow, the scene turned into a situation where they expected him to deliver one final strike. If she strayed away from the poison, even Qing, with her hardened body, risked having her bones shattered by the force alone. So, let's take out the leader first! Qing drew upon her inner strength. In the moment her eyes ignited with fierce flames! "Argh!" Qing's head jerked backward. A sturdy hand grabbed at her hair, pulling hard, and even violently shaking it side to side, disrupting Qing's concentration. This was a dirty trick by an elder, seeing her enter into an internal energy battle, to scatter her focus. And it was effective. With her head flung side to side, fists raining down on it simultaneously, even with eternally firm bones, Qing's mind reeled. Meanwhile, insidious inner energy, steeped with the most dreadful poison of a toxin user, surged from the forced link of palms. A deadly poison that dissolved the essence of the enemy's ki pathways, blood, muscles, and bones from within! And, pouring a drink on this poison makes it delightful! It's impossible to continue this internal energy contest under this condition. Qing clenched her hand tightly. The powerhouse grip of a strong warrior crushed the intertwined fingers of the O-dokmun Leader. Anyone who has experienced it would know; it is excruciating. "Argh...!" Yet, he withstood it! Despite the grinding, suppressed groan escaping O-dokmun Leader's lips, he continued to fill Qing with his toxic energy, refusing to release his hold. But it disregarded Qing's formidable grip. A sound like "Snap-crack," as O-dokmun Leader's fingers crushed between Qing's fingertips, followed by- "Aaaack!!" With a horrible scream, the strength that had forced the interlocked fingers together suddenly drained away. Seizing the moment, Qing twisted further with all her might, causing the two clasped hands to finally separate. However, as the hands tore apart, several of Hou Tian-chi's detached fingers were left entwined between Qing's fingers. With only one thumb left on the left hand, and just one pinky on the right, Hou Tian-chi retreated, screaming. In the meantime, Qing extended both hands backward. With the Flowing Chain Technique (유류연련), Qing's flexible body could stretch far beyond the limitations of an ordinary person's imagination. Soon, someone’s head was within her grasp. With her fingers locking tightly on their head, Qing thought, Ah, there are the eye sockets. The nerve of this punk to grab my hair, all long and bothersome, though my master cherished it dearly! With fingers sinking into eye sockets, a scream burst forth with the distinctive sensation of her thumbs pressing down. Yet the grip on her hair was unwavering, hanging onto even with Qing's thumbs digging into their eye sockets. Unbelievable, you're still holding on? With thumbs hooked into the eye holes, Qing resolved to crush their skull. Raising her shoulders to the apex, muscles rippling, and the strength of a mighty hero hovering over their heads, weakening the skull until it cracked— Hou Tian-chi swung his hand, palm with one remaining finger toward Qing. Toroidal waves of toxic blood splattered from severed sections, aiming straight at Qing’s eyes. Qing winced as the warm toxic blood pooled in her eyes, delivering a burning sensation beyond just poison. "Augh! My eyes, my eyes!" With a crack, as the elder holding her hair's skull shattered, her head lightened, but— With stinging blood streaming directly into her eyes, despite her might, Qing couldn't suppress an outcry in that moment. It was then something slipped into Qing’s mouth, open wide from her scream. "Argh, ugh, gulp. Dang it." New Terms: - 오독문도 (O-dokmun swordsman) - Translated as "O-dokmun swordsmen" for clarity in naming the individual's faction or sect. - 좌수 병기 (left-hand weapon) - Translated as "left-hand weapon," which is its literal meaning and adds to the narrative of left-handed combat style. - 좌수 병기의 역할 (role of the left-hand weapon) - Highlighting its shield-like function. - 문주 (sect leader) - Translated as "sect leader," indicating a person leading a martial sect. - 후천치 (Hou Tian-chi) - Kept the original name and translated it phonetically to maintain its uniqueness as a character name. - 비열한 수작질 (dirty trick) - Interpreted as "dirty trick," enhancing the narrative of unscrupulous tactics. - 독혈 (toxic blood) - Translated to enhance understanding of the hazardous substance within the context. - 아귀힘 (grip strength) - Translated as "powerhouse grip," lending to Qing's physical strength narrative context. The list above needs a minor change, indicating Hou Tian-chi's name was used for a character, showcasing their individuality in the plot. Additionally, references to conceptual and descriptive terms such as attacks or martial techniques were interpreted based on deeper contextual understanding to convey an English speaking reader the intended martial world nuance. Without even realizing it, Qing swallowed. No matter what she consumed, it wouldn't harm her. The poisoners, undoubtedly, offered poison, but not knowing exactly what she ingested left her feeling intensely unsettled. Qing's expression suddenly soured. What kind of ridiculous brawl is this? In fact, the nature of a relentless struggle bears resemblance to a senseless fight. As a great figure yet to be born into this world would say: Life is a comedy when viewed from afar but a tragedy up close. For the O-dokmun swordsmen, the present was a relentlessly grim affair, but from a step back, it looked nothing like a martial battle worth noting, unlike even the tales of rowdy street brawlers. The O-dokmun swordsmen clung desperately. They grabbed her arms and legs, attaching themselves like enraged beasts to the Heavenly Sword Flower(天華), continually stabbing and stabbing with poison-tipped darts and hidden blades. Yet, even their weapons imbued with inner energy could not breach her defensive aura to pierce into her muscles, merely scratching the surface of her skin. Thus, they tried cutting her skin slightly, then poured all their poison onto it and slapped on poison patches. Whenever elders were flung off, they would rush back. Even with cracked heads or broken limbs and ribs after being tossed aside by Qing, they stubbornly charged and threw themselves once more. Latching onto her, they wrapped themselves like shackles around her arms and legs, and Qing, though powerful, was inevitably slowed down by dragging everyone clinging onto her. Inevitably, Hou Tian-chi's poison energy streaked towards her. Qing swung her arm. With one elder clinging to her wrist and another to her elbow, she swung them around — was this the mythical strength to uproot mountains? "Ugh!" One elder took Hou Tian-chi's poison palm strike to the back, puking blood that splattered onto Qing's chest. "Huff, huff. Damn it." Qing's breathing grew ragged. Just how long had this fight dragged on? Since first meeting the O-dokmun swordsmen, the chaotic sound of flutes accompanied her journey through the dense jungle. Following that escapade, she relied on her demonic abilities to rampage freely, and it was only after butchering the soldiers of Daiyue that she ceased. And now, this. "Damn, geez, come on!" Qing yelled out, summoning her inner strength sharply. Rumble! Rumble! Violet lightning crackled throughout her body, striking the O-dokmun elders latched onto her. Of course, though resembling lightning, it was essentially a powerful concussive strike technique. If it had been real lightning, they’d instantly drop, eyes rolled back, convulsing, but unfortunately, it was a mere imitation. "Augh!" "Gah!" "Ugh!" Sounds of being on the verge of death echoed. The impact of self-rotating qi battered all bodies, bursting skin and fracturing bones. Yet the elders clung onto her limbs, persevering. "We, cough, will help too!" "Everyone, ullg, charge...! Cling and hang on!" Just when she thought she'd handled some elders, the remaining O-dokmun warriors persisted in holding onto Qing. All of them hurled themselves onto her, not to kill her but merely to pin and crush her under their weight. O-dokmun warriors piled up like a mountain. To an outside observer, the sight of a writhing human-made mountain would only prompt them to click their tongue at the absurdity of such a fight. "Damn, come on, come on!" Flattened on the ground, Qing forcefully did push-ups using her arms. Even with twenty O-dokmun warriors atop her, she managed to lift them, raising the human-packed mountain with her arms. But only momentarily, thud, and she was crushed flat to the floor again, grinding her teeth in frustration. Was this how the legendary Monkey King felt buried under Mount Wuxing? Meanwhile, damn, how tenacious these guys are. Most of the O-dokmun warriors piled atop Qing were already corpses, and those that remained were mere future corpses awaiting death. Having been exposed to excessive poison, even after consuming antidotes, if they inhaled more poison than the antidotes could neutralize, they'd succumb to toxicity. Plus, soaked in Hou Tian-chi's poison aura, even in its imperfect state, the overpowering venom of a poison master clung relentlessly to them. Still, as if refusing to fall even in death, intertwined, suffering breathlessness, and dying continually. A mountain of corpses built of those who dealt in poison, perishing by poison, sealing their fate with poison. From beneath, Qing's head poking out, she spotted two staggering legs approaching. "Heh heh heh, tough, truly tenacious..." A voice flirting the line between crying and laughing, as if sobbing, yet also like a madman quietly chuckling, but undoubtedly tinged with madness. It was Hou Tian-chi of the O-dokmun. A pathetic sight was Hou Tian-chi. With one finger left on each hand, his silken robe was dyed unrecognizably with blood. The whites of his eyes were completely blackened by the potent toxins, and though black tears mingled with the poison rolled down, anyone could see he was a walking corpse at death's door. Even amid that, staggering step by step. Before thudding heavily, almost collapsing in front of Qing’s exposed head, he sat. With trembling hands he prepared his poison energy, but that was all. The hand meant to strike Qing’s head had lost all strength, managing to deliver only the weight of his hand as it fell. Thud, thud, thud. The relentless pounding of a poison palm. A sight that might instill fear in any bystander. A woman trapped beneath a mountain of people, her head alone poking out. Above her, a wizened warrior, silently, continuously laying down his hand. Mmm, moderately painful. More than that, just annoying... Qing's skull, as hard as eternal cold iron, wouldn’t break from the feeble blows of a weary elder struggling to even lift his own hand. Hou Tian-chi knew that too. His goal was the Baihui Point at the crown, critical among crucial points. Trying to plant poison energy directly into her brain by slamming his poison energy on the crown. However, even the repeated blows weakened his poison energy. Hou Tian-chi was rapidly dying. "Argh, ugh, wait, ugh, hey there. Sect Leader. Enough, ugh, you should stop now. Do you really think you'll break my head like that?" Without a word, Hou Tian-chi tried to lift his hand. His trembling hand slowly rose, only to fall short, weakly striking the crown of Qing's head. With labored breath, he asked, "Haaah, gasp, why, why won’t you die? Why, how are you, seemingly unharmed? The poison, so much poison has, invaded, suffused you." "Well, because the poison doesn't work on me?" At this, Hou Tian-chi blankly stared down at Qing. "Doesn't... work? How? Even with an antidote, no, for a poison master's poison, there’s no antidote, how, how come?" "Oh. It's just that I'm actually impervious to all poisons?" "That’s, nonsense, such a, thing doesn’t exist." "It exists right here, doesn't it?" Hou Tian-chi's blackened eyes looked at Qing with a dull gaze. "To begin with, poison doesn’t affect me. Seems like all the O-dokmun swordsmen are nearly dead now, so, um, how do you feel? Still stand by what you said earlier?" "What, do you mean?" "You mentioned sacrificing your life for vengeance, so you'd have the face to meet your disciples in the afterlife. But you couldn’t inflict even a speck of actual harm on your nemesis—not that the piercing pain here and there didn’t hurt more than a speck." Qing continued, "Anyway, haven't you fallen short of any true vengeance? Can you still meet your end as honorably as you claimed? This isn't mockery; I'm genuinely curious." To this, Hou Tian-chi's lips quivered. "It’s frustrating. Truly, frustrating." "Yeah, I thought so too. It’s easy to say—" But at that moment. Hou Tian-chi muttered quietly, "Whether there's revenge or not, doesn’t matter. My, strength, my martial arts, were lacking, the martial world, is without power, it's all, my incompetence that's, regretful, it's truly regretful. I'm so sorry, my weakness, my disciples, my, disciples..." And with that, he slumped and crumbled. This marked the end of Hou Tian-chi, and the end for O-dokmun itself. --- New Terms: - 정수리 (the crown of the head) - Translated as "the crown of Qing's head" to imply the target for Hou Tian-chi's attack. - 독인은 (poison master) - Translated and used in context as "poison master" for specificity, remaining loyal to its martial arts world narrative. - 해약 (antidote) - Kept as "antidote," fitting the context of counteracting poison. The list could consider adding a footnote on "독인(毒人)" translated as "poison master," aligning with martial lore, significant to Hou Tian-chi's characterization. Additionally, the mention of "the crown of Qing's head" (정수리) could be addressed for consistency in reference context. "희극 (comedy)" and "비극 (tragedy)" demonstrate a wordplay aligning with thematic elements around life’s outlook, implying Qing's paradox of viewing the severe fight as pointless as well as profound fate versus choice irony. Words like "원수(元數)" reflect light on Qing's acknowledgment of the unresolved vendetta, broadening narrative implications of duty, pride, and the burdens they bring.