873 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

The path from Yunnan to Sichuan, surprisingly, is well-trodden and relatively comfortable. Sichuan is a low basin surrounded by high mountain ranges, while Yunnan is a plateau situated atop those same mountains. The elevation difference between the two regions reaches about 650 zhang, and this vast drop doesn’t gradually decrease, but rather appears suddenly. Aside from the dizzying view, it is truly a spectacular sight. The winding mountain path twists endlessly downward, stretching out like the writhing of an infinitely long snake. And with the expansive Sichuan basin fully visible at a glance, one might wonder if this is what it feels like to stand on the world's edge and look down. Qing cannot take her eyes off the breathtaking scenery. The cluster of small black dots far away—is that the capital of Sichuan, Chengdu? The buildings genuinely appear smaller than grains of rice, and people are invisible. Hmm, indeed from this high vantage point, look, it’s the best performance, like trash— "Care to come down?" A heavy subsonic voice interrupts Qing’s monologue. Hmm, it was a rare moment of homesick nostalgia, but well, it’s not as if she particularly misses it or feels a lingering regret now. Still, isn’t it curious how memories sometimes resurface like this? Like when forgotten childhood friends or insignificant acquaintances from military service randomly appear in dreams. Though it cannot be directly retrieved, if human memory is such a sensitive thing, then perhaps with deep meditation, one could recall the martial prowess of the warriors in the Profound Realm she encountered... "At the very least, answer me." The voice, now lower, growls. Qing smacks her lips and opens her mouth. "Hmm, how about thinking of this as training? Look at Zhuge hyang over there, she's completely exhilarated." "Hoo, hoo, this is quite the unique stimulation. When I return to my clan, I must ponder some equipment." While supporting the carriage with her back, Zhuge Leehyun trudges down the mountain path, exhaling hot breaths despite the chilly weather. She was supporting the carriage while limiting her inner energy, for she was training her external strength, or her physical abilities. In truth, the hardship of traveling by carriage from Yunnan to Sichuan begins with this mountainous wall, the endless downhill. Because a carriage is much more perilous on a downhill path than an uphill one. A surprising fact: ancient Qing China’s carriages had braking systems! Using a simple principle of wrapping the axle with leather and cloth to make rolling difficult, if a carriage lacked such a braking device, it would be subjected to severe corporal punishment according to the strict national law. Unexpectedly, Zhongyuan was a country with strict safety standards for carriages. In fact, for about two thousand years, even back in those very ancient dynasties, they evaluated coachmen’s driving abilities through practical and written exams and even held the world’s first driver’s license tests. Fail the primitive ancient driver’s test four times, and one had their application rights permanently revoked and was subjected to hard labor, setting a stricter standard than Qing’s homeland. Anyway, even with those primitive ancient braking devices, the roads paved with stones allowed one to simply descend on the carriage effortlessly. But mountain paths were more ambiguous; wheels skidding on dirt paths could lead to significant accidents. Hence, travelers should disembark from the carriage. The horses should be thoroughly cared for, and if a load-bearing cart is involved, it’s advisable to accompany it down personally to steady it. Thus, dismount and assist. Not remain atop the carriage to admire the scenery. Truth is, Qing is diligent in the presence of others. Trying to skip work by idling or cutting corners might offer temporary comfort, but what remains are sharp glances and increased gossip. Unless she’s alone, sacrificing human relationships for a brief comfort is a foolish act. However, now she somewhat understands why everyone seemed to stubbornly avoid shirking duties before… Through the advice of the Fortunate True Person, Qing ardently, passionately, did absolutely nothing on the journey until they reached Sichuan’s entrance. Of course, the Fortunate True Person may feel unjustly accused since he merely advised her to follow her heart, not become a lazy good-for-nothing. But Qing had her own reasoning. Yet doing nothing led to, simply put, doing nothing at all. Living like this, with time spent meaninglessly, is comfortable, and trying to do something bothersomely doesn't stir her heart at all. And if her heart isn't stirred? Well, then shouldn’t she not do it? Then suddenly. "Wait a minute. Isn’t it weird? Why are you only picking on me? Nanah is here too. Nanah never did anything in the first place. Lily too.” The one who farts is the one who gets mad, and this was exactly that moment. It was indeed a rather childish protest. Why am I the only one being scolded when they’re slacking off too! In reality, when it came to moving cargo or overcoming obstacles with the carriage on downhill paths, Tang Nanah was understandably excluded. After all, the unofficial princess of Sichuan had never engaged in such menial tasks nor considered doing so. Seo Lily often found herself exempt from such chores mainly because she was considered too trivial, incapable of doing them, hence she wasn’t tasked with them. This is one of the sad truths about human nature. Those who constantly give their best are naturally thought of as ‘good people’ by others. Thus, they are, of course, given more tasks. Conversely, someone like Tang Nanah, who lazily and brazenly does nothing, is merely regarded as ‘someone who does nothing’. They are briefly given a disapproving look or cluck of the tongue and then ignored. Meanwhile, someone like Seo Lily, who’s unhelpful, gets a sympathetic “Ah, just breathe well at least,” and is naturally overlooked. Thus emerges the saying that doing your best is a loss. But is that truly the case? **Terms and Translations:** - Yunnan(운남) and Sichuan(사천): Retained as they are names of places. - Zhang(장): A traditional Chinese measurement unit approximately equal to 3.3 meters. - Qing's inner dialogue was translated while preserving its casual tone and her introspection regarding the situation. - Qing's friend's names: Retained as "Zhuge hyang" and "Zhuge Leehyun" while indicating the personality and situation of both characters. - "The one who farts is the one who gets mad" idiomatically reflects the Korean phrase indicating blaming others when oneself is guilty. - "Fortunate True Person" translates the term "길운 진인" to match the advice-giving person's context. - "The unofficial princess of Sichuan": Describes "Tang Nanah(당난아)" to imply her elevated yet undeserved status within the group. - Seo Lily(설이리): Kept as "Seo Lily" retaining the tone of her not being assigned tasks due to being considered trivial. - The dialogue between characters maintains its informal tone, showcasing relationships and social hierarchies within the group. **Explanation:** The text provides insights into the characters’ journey, the environment of ancient China, and the dynamics between the characters. By playing with idioms and gently admonishing characters’ choices or addressing social perceptions (like assigning tasks), it infuses a layer of realism into the narrative. Working during work hours is not exactly a disadvantageous act. Just because someone does more work than others during the same time, it doesn't mean they will become excessively exhausted, have their lifespan shortened, or see their life fall into ruin. Therefore, claiming that working hard is a loss is merely a cowardly excuse for laziness. However, there is an exception—overtime. If working hard results in having work spill over into non-working hours, that's when it becomes a grave and significant issue. This is a common atrocity committed by many businesses in Qing's homeland. If you work in such a place, it’s crucial to adopt the mindset that working hard only results in losses and focus on one's health and personal development, prioritizing oneself over the company. In any case, upon hearing these childish complaints, Peng Daesan is momentarily at a loss for words. Though childish, there's truth in it. Yet, acknowledging that with a simple "Oh, I see," feels like losing, so instead, he throws a retort. "Are you asking me to match them?" "……Ah." Qing is jolted into alertness! Of course, not—she can’t reduce herself to the same level as Gu-nyoung and Nanah. Qing leaps off the roof because her conscience spoke out. No matter how much she resolved to do nothing, there should still be minimum dignity and value one must uphold as a person. Being on par with Gu-nyoung and Nanah is unacceptable. Typically, Tang Nanah would chime in, wondering why Qing isn’t being worked hard, and might even pull out a vial of poison in protest. Lately, Tang Nanah has become immersed in the joys of reading, surprising everyone who assumed she was merely lazing around. There’s a reason she became a master of Eastern medicine at such a young age; she has this capacity to throw herself completely into study! Hm. Come to think of it, simply idling about isn't as comfortable as it seems. With no clue how to move from the Transformation Realm to the Profound Realm, this isn't the time to leisurely caress empty air. Yet, as one becomes increasingly lazy and restless, the urgency becomes too poignant, with time passing by aimlessly, growing increasingly uncomfortable. The advice of Fortunate True Person should be shelved for now. Emptying one’s mind is good, but perhaps it would be better to first resolve the status window issues extensively before and then empty it all… Had the Fortunate True Person known, he would have been exasperated, insisting that wasn’t what he meant, bursting inside. They continue to descend eternally. On the winding downhill path stands a resting camp, suggesting even martial artists dragging wagons full of books find the pace inevitable. Only after camping for the night were they finally able to set foot in the Sichuan basin. Unlike the temperate Yunnan, capable of double cropping and even triple cropping depending on the village, Sichuan greeted them with quite a chilly winter. On the eve of the last day of the year, they finally arrived at Sichuan Tang Clan, a renowned household in Chengdu! Sichuan! Since they had been there before, it's a summary. Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan! Again, summarized! And so, Sichuan! And so, Chengdu! The Tang Clan assembled their entire direct family to welcome the esteemed guests. Tang Nanah was the Tang Clan’s most treasured child. There's an old saying about the absence of a painless finger among ten fingers, indicating that all children are equally cherished. However, some children are more equal than others. In particular, a cherished youngest daughter appearing after a string of sons was an even more ‘equal’ child. And Qing was the only friend, the one and only companion, of that exceedingly precious daughter. For the Tang elders, now starting to worry about their daughter's personality, a single cherished friendship surely brought peace of mind. Even regardless of that, Qing was a VIP guest, a benefactor to the Tang Clan. The Tang Clan adhered strictly to their slightly stingy family motto: repay grace twice and resentment tenfold. The reason it’s considered slightly stingy was that it was not an absolute evaluation but a relative one. When repaying, one must repay twice the grace that other clans offer, and when avenging, return resentment tenfold compared to others. Thus, their treatment of benefactors was to ensure at least double the courtesy of others... but somehow, their guest hospitality left much to be desired. "Don't pass it yet, I'm not finished reading." "Uncle, are you really this slow at reading? I've already read it three times; are you still not done?" "You little brat, just wait till you get old and your eyes start to blur. Ah, there we go. Next page." "Hold on. What on earth is that character? Are we reading this wrong, is it supposed to be 留（유） for leave behind, or 遣（견）as in send?" "Brother, given the context it's obviously 留（유）. It would be odd to say send it to the body... wait, could it indeed be 遣（견）?" "I thought it was 遣（견）." "I saw it as 遣（견） too." "Is it not 留（유）?" It was a remarkable scene of the Tang family head, and behind him, all direct relatives crowded together, eagerly parsing through the text. The instigator was a book carriage brought by the Heavenly Sword Flower. Among them was a book whose title no practitioner of poison arts could pass up: Methods to Surpass the Limits of Poison Arts! Even Tang Nanah, who ceased her laziness due to her deep interest in it, wasn’t immune to its allure. Naturally, the family head couldn’t resist picking it up. The Tang Clan’s benefactor had arrived, yet their head was distracted by a mere book, drawing over the elderhead who peeked to see why, and himself getting captivated by the text. Consequently, other direct lineage members also grew curious about the book captivating both former and current heads. Thus, instead of showing their honored guests the way, the family gathered harmoniously in a unique reading session. "Hmm." "Hmmm." "Ahem." Criticizing such a faux pas in Zhongyuan customs seriously undermines the host’s honor. **New Terms and Translations:** - Gu-nyoung (구녕): A placeholder name indicating someone inept like 'Nobody' or 'Average Joe' as a cultural reference for explaining Qing's understanding of her relative ranking and actions. - Status window (상태창): A contemporary fictional gaming term representing a character's status in traditional or modern fictional accounts, revealing Qing’s acknowledgment of a system in play. - Book carriage (책 수레): The vehicle or means by which important books or documents are transported, symbolic of Tang Clan's scholarly focus and martial arts skills using practical metaphors. **Explanation:** The narrative illustrates the socio-cultural dynamics within the Tang Clan and further explores the motivations and contemplative journey of Qing. The text uses universal allegories (like parental favoritism) and martial arts cultivation themes to deepen the characters’ backgrounds and situational humor encircled around Qing’s self-realization and growth within a structured familial and societal hierarchy. As guests, there wasn't much more they could do except, metaphorically speaking, announce their presence with a "We're here!" gesture. This incredible welcome (or lack thereof) eventually returned to normal when Tang Nanah, who had gone inside to change after arriving home, wondered why her dear Qing hadn't come inside yet. This prompted her to go out looking for Qing, finally restoring the situation to some semblance of order. "What on earth are you doing! My dear Qing is here, and you’re making such a ridiculous spectacle!" "Ah." "Oh." And so, here we are at the Sichuan Tang Clan! The distance covered stretched from 1,500 li to now 2,000 li because of the detour through Chengdu. **New Terms and Translations:** - "Qing-ah" (우리 청아, 내 청아): "My dear Qing" was used to reflect Tang Nanah's affectionate way of referring to Qing. - Li (리): A traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters or about 0.3 miles, retained for authenticity given its historical context. **Explanation:** The passage captures the humorous blunder and cultural norms within the Tang household. Tang Nanah's exclamation highlights both her authoritative role and affection for Qing amidst the familial chaos. The use of "li" maintains the original cultural context, conveying the considerable journey and distances involved between the cities in ancient China. The playful chaos demonstrates the depth of familial and friendly ties in a world harmoniously blending martial tradition and interpersonal connections.