844 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Being a beggar is surprisingly not a bad occupation. You don’t need to work your entire life; you can sleep when you want, play when you want, though you can't eat when you please. Well, there's no such thing as a perfect job in this world. The issue is, despite it being such a good job, becoming a beggar doesn’t require any minimum qualifications. Truly, it’s a door open to anyone; if you want, you can become a beggar at any moment. So everyone was causing a ruckus trying to become beggars. However, a beggar makes their living through begging. Since they don’t produce any value themselves, what beggars can enjoy is understandably limited in each city. So, in the end, beggars are those who, if one enjoys a day, another does not. Even a few coins thrown in charity aren't shared equally among all beggars. Thus, despite begging for their livelihoods together, they engage in an absurd amount of jealousy and competition among themselves. When it comes to begging spots, places like the prime locations of bustling streets are so contested that it's no exaggeration to say they are made with beggars' blood. For just a few more coins, they don't hesitate to use knives - well, since these beggars don't have knives, they substitute them with stones or clubs to kill each other. Anyway, the beggars that Qing personally encountered were such worthless scumbags. Just looking at the one holding the club confirmed that. He might look the part of a beggar outwardly, but with burly limbs and clear, white sclera, he was evidently a healthy man capable of physical labor. In Zhongyuan, as long as one is healthy, there's no shortage of jobs. Farming always requires extra hands, and if not that, labor such as building houses or transporting goods is always abundant. Why, then, is he begging? Because a strong beggar can live comfortably by exploiting weaker ones. Even now, it seems like such exploitation, a part of governance. A young beggar who fell hard was frantically picking up the food scraps spilled from a torn pocket due to that harshness. Qing felt sorry. “Oh dear, forget the food, you should be running. Is now really the time to be collecting it?” And, of course, slyly across the street, other beggars had sneaked into positions. Their retreat was cut off. Meanwhile, the club-wielding beggar, seemingly the boss of a section, made a sound by tapping his palm with his club. bWpnL1VNWWVlR0h2N0IyVWd5ZUJTNk52SldkMEpjQW4xd1BkaUtDU04xZUY3VEdRSjhNdHUyVVFSdGtya3Bzcg Qing quietly stood up. The club held by the beggar isn’t just a club. Because— In fact, if one can sacrifice a few small conveniences, being a beggar can indeed be a decent job. Namely, giving up cleanliness to live filthily, giving up good food to eat scraps, giving up comfortable sleeping places for dirty, smelly, bug-infested locations, enduring the natural elements like rain, wind, cold, and heat by simply accepting what comes without resistance. And if you get sick or injured, you can just forgo treatment and die. Yes, you simply die. There are few physicians in Zhongyuan who treat beggars for free. I state ‘few’ because it seems there could be people like Lang Zhong Da-in if one looked hard enough. Of course, the medicine in Zhongyuan is at a level where minor wounds can fester and lead to death (a historical limitation present everywhere at this time). So when someone gets beaten severely with a club, that beggar ends up sickly dying. Wouldn’t other beggars know this? It’s not that their own hands don’t do the killing, but beggars know better than anyone the fate of one beaten up. The reason they don’t kill with their own hands is utterly selfish. The authorities only turn a blind eye to warriors, and they are a terrifying group to the weak. Therefore, even if beggars don’t kill each other in broad daylight, the authorities will take action, so they merely let others die. And if the victim dies from the injuries? They use the corpse to beg, carrying it around while crying, and when winter, the season beggars starve, arrives, well... “What, this damned pest is trying to steal humans’ food after being left alone for spreading his filth? Should we let this plague-ridden rat alone?” “I’m not a plague pest! I’m not!” The young beggar yelled defiantly. Oh, does he have quite a temperament? Of course, it didn’t have much effect. “What’s this, who’s the rat squeaking?” The boss beggar asked as he dug his ears, and mocking laughter erupted among the beggars. “Hey, grab him. We’ll have to break his leg today. Hehe, plague-infested rat, we’ll make him crawl like a bug.” “Ugh, let go, let me go!” The young beggar struggled while being caught. Qing heaved a profound sigh. At times, cruelty becomes authority. It seemed like the leader planned to kill someone here to boast his fearsome authority. Even amidst this, no one stepped forward to intervene, only watching because even if beggars kill each other, it merely reduces their number. And touching someone who has nothing yields no good outcome. “Stop.” Though Qing’s voice projected awe-inspiring authority, it was more beautifully enthralling than intimidating. At this, the beggars faltered. In the martial world, there’s advice to be cautious of children and women, but such advice only applies to martial artists. To non-martial artists, even if it’s a child or a woman merely carrying a decent sword, they can’t help but become extraordinarily tense. Especially if that sword is considerably large. **Terms Not Listed Above:** 1. **Lang Zhong Da-in (랑중대인)** - Translated as Lang Zhong Da-in, which seems to refer to a legendary or notable figure in medicine who might treat beggars. The meaning is retained without speculation. 2. **Zhongyuan (중원)** - Translated directly as Zhongyuan, which refers to the Central Plains, a common geographical term in wuxia novels. 3. **Beggars (거지)** - Several references to beggars are made with different meanings: "worthless scumbags" for disdain, "strong beggar" for hierarchy among beggars, etc., catering to the nuanced portrayal of these characters in the martial world. **Narrative Style & Character Change:** The narrative style often explores issues subtly through the perspective of Qing, highlighting the societal and ethical problems surrounding the existence and nature of beggars. It conveys the pointlessness and despair associated with a beggar's life through Qing’s thoughts and observations and creates an emotional depth for her character through the inner monologue. Suggestions for additional changes might include making distinctions for specific beggar roles or designations if it becomes relevant later in the narrative or portray shifts in beggar hierarchies based on emerging character significance. “A beggar should act like one—hide in the shadows and beg for scraps. How dare you roam around acting out in broad daylight?” The boss beggar froze in place. If Qing had taunted him with her usual crude insults, he might have been less frightened. Recently, it had become a trend among female martial artists to cover their faces like the mysterious women of the Heavenly Flower(天華) faction, so seeing a female martial artist with a veil wasn’t particularly surprising. However, women’s voices can be deceiving when it comes to age. With her face covered and her tone stern, she appeared, for all intents and purposes, like a seasoned martial artist. “W-We, O Great Heroine, it’s not what you think, it’s... it’s a misunderstanding.” “A misunderstanding? And what exactly is there to misunderstand here?” “Yes, you see, that one is from the Bai (백족) tribe, and recently, the Bai tribe pox has been spreading in the area. So, we were actually cleaning up, doing a good deed, trying to remove a rat spreading disease...” A deep furrow formed on Qing’s brow. No wonder, despite the dirt, he looked too clean to be called a plague ghost, with no obvious scars on his face. The notorious Bai tribe pox. Understanding by painting a whole ethnic group as the root cause was the Blood Cult's insidious ploy. Qing realized the depth of their machinations at last. Qing let out a cynical laugh. “You don’t understand what I’m saying. I said, how dare a filthy man like you, with all limbs intact, roam around in broad daylight?” “What?” “I don’t care about what you groveling insects are up to. But showing your filthy selves, making me endure your rancid stench, you have offended my noble disposition. I'm questioning you of your offenses against me.” Basically, Qing was saying that their very existence was offensive. Was she implying that beggars should live hidden away, never to be seen? But the sincerity in her voice arguing against beggars was palpable. Anyone could hear it was the fierce growl of someone with a grudge against beggars. The boss beggar’s face hardened. They had stepped in it deep this time. Everyone in the martial world knew better than to underestimate female martial artists, but for commoners, they were even more cautious towards them, especially since they often overcompensated for being overlooked by lashing out fiercely at trivial offenses perceived to be against them. What would the boss beggar do? Would he dare fight back? Unfortunately for Qing, he knelt down and started bowing to the ground immediately. “Oh, noble heroine, I’m sorry! This lowly one didn’t know a cherished person was present. If I had known, I wouldn’t have done this, honestly. I’ve committed a mortal sin! Please, have mercy…” “Well, it’s not quite worth a mortal sin.” “Then, may we retreat now…” “But your offense is not without penalty. Let’s see. Since you’ve offended my mood, all of you can leave one arm behind.” If you cut off an arm, usually one doesn’t survive. Unless it was in Qing's hometown, surviving with a severed arm was near impossible in Zhongyuan. Moreover, a cornered rat would most certainly bite. So the boss beggar finally revealed his true colors. “You piece of... What kind of nonsense... Alright, boys, attack!” The beggars charged as one. However, their direction? Rather than going for Qing, they sprinted en masse towards some unknown enemy in the opposite direction. Of course, the first one to turn tail was the boss beggar himself. It was typical beggar behavior, attempting to escape while his henchmen bought time for him. Naturally, the underlings knew what their boss was like, so without hesitation, they scattered. Hmm, scattering and fleeing in all directions like bugs scurrying when a rock is lifted. Truly, they looked like vermin. What hopeless beggars. Of course, Qing had no intention of letting them get away. She at least had to take down the boss beggar. Even if she let him go, he'd only lay low for a while before gathering another crew of beggars to terrorize the streets due to his unnecessarily fit body. Qing stomped the ground. It's impossible for a beggar without martial arts to outrun her. Swiftly, Qing’s form elongated. The glint of her sword flickered, accompanied by a satisfying sensation that brought a smile to her lips unbidden. “Arghhhh!!!” The scream was tremendously loud, providing an auditory pleasure akin to that of music to the ears. Indeed, villains should be such that they run, weep, grovel, and plead, shedding tears and snot, no matter how guilty they are. Only then is cutting them down satisfying. In that respect, those of the Oddokmun were, sigh. Qing aimed her sword tip sharply at the bridge of the boss beggar’s nose as he continued to wail. He appeared to have regained his senses, momentarily forgetting the agony of his severed arm. He hiccupped in fear, looking up at Qing with trembling eyes. “Scram. And don’t forget to take your filthy stump with you to eat or bury as you wish. Otherwise—” A clear red Sword Qi glimmered on the blade. "Y-Yes, of course!" The boss beggar quickly picked up his arm, stumbled in his rush, fell heavily, but immediately rose and ran off in some direction, seemingly unbothered by pain. Watching his departure, a broad smile spread across Qing’s face. Hah, at least I've cleaned up one piece of trash today. Beggars really should be eradicated entirely. Qing turned around. The young beggar, freed as everyone fled, stood in disbelief staring at Qing. She too looked in his direction, making him start in surprise and quickly bolt away. As far as that beggar is concerned, Qing was less the heroine rescuing a young boy in peril and more a nasty-tempered swordswoman who hates beggars. What a poor judge of situations from earlier. He prioritized gathering food over escape when he fell. He argued back that he wasn’t a plague ghost in circumstances where begging for mercy might not have even saved him. **Terms Not Listed Above:** - **Bai (백족)**: Translated directly as Bai, referring to a tribal group within the narrative known for being wrongly blamed for the pox epidemic. - **Bai tribe pox (백족 두창)**: Translated directly to emphasize its cultural and regional implication, showing manipulation by the Blood Cult as a plot point. **Narrative Style & Character Change:** In this passage, Qing continues to display her disdain for lowlife behavior and laziness, utilizing cunning and a stark sense of justice to confront the beggars. Her new interactions emphasize her no-nonsense, somewhat harsh character, yet also reveal her wit. The discourse about ethnic blame reflects her understanding of deeper plots within her world, conveying her experience and strategic mind. This branch of the dialogue not only differentiates Qing by making her a figure upholding harsh justice but also points out manipulation tactics within the world’s factions. There is potential for Qing to explore the intricacies of these manipulative plots, perhaps targeting organizations like the Blood Cult more directly later. Either keep watching until the terrifying female swordswoman turns her attention to you, or... How can one expect to continue living a rough life as a beggar like this? The world of beggars is a hellish pit where survival is difficult even for those more perceptive than others, a place where they constantly wrestle among themselves. Isn't the first thing a young beggar usually learns the skills of survival: perceptiveness and servility? This one’s quite unlike a beggar. Could it mean he's new to the life of a beggar? That in itself piques Qing’s interest. Plus, being called a plague ghost? Once branded with the plague, even if you want to lead a decent life doing odd jobs, you aren't allowed to. Involuntary beggars like this one don’t really fall under the "scumbag" beggar category I often refer to. Qing can easily catch up to even the strongest-looking beggar boss who tries to escape. An undergrown young beggar, no matter how hard he sprints, will have no escape from her grasp. Qing grabs the scruff of the young beggar and hoists him up high. The young beggar dangles and wriggles in the air. “Waaah! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Please, let me go, spare me!” Evidently, he dared to challenge the boss beggar but not a martial artist. In response, Qing reassures him with a gentle voice. “Hey, are you hungry? Instead of eating tossed scraps or leftovers, eating just anything can be quite dangerous, you know?”