903 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Leaving the inn after breakfast, Qing felt delighted, invigorated, and refreshed as she set off towards Changbai. The cheerfulness of the day was unmatched indeed. Why? Because the luck that shadowed her all day yesterday seemed to persist today too. Look at that, some folks are already tailing us. Seems like I'll be in for a profitable morning once again. Sure enough, Qing's keen senses detected a group of suspicious individuals trailing her. If they were merely ordinary travelers or merchants, they wouldn’t have any reason to follow Qing so stealthily. Wouldn't it be more natural for them to catch up and propose, "Where are you heading? Shall we travel together? We'll even buy the meals"? That would make more sense, wouldn't it? R1o1RUY1V2dWdFByellBWDZwUWJGVVMwMUY1alhkNjMzdTZ3SGV0SEsxc1p4THhsZlp2aGtvTDZuVmRDSHpiRA So it was clear that these people maintaining distance and tailing her were not harboring any good intentions. Qing gently stroked Yeobo. You clever thing, our Yeobo attracts bandits just by existing, doesn’t he? After leaving Mushun-hyeon for about half an hour, a large lake stretched out on the right side of the road. It was Lake Jeongwol, a vast body of water, tightly frozen in the biting cold of the Liaoning land, casting a desolate and tranquil landscape. Following the frozen lake along the lakeside road, when it ends, the road splits into two; one toward Manju lands and the other towards Hwanin-hyeon— Oh, looks like the bandits decided to make their move here. Seeing figures standing idly at the fork, Qing quietly smirked. After leaving the city for about half an hour—more accurately, after a quarter of an hour had passed—it was enough to ensure that it was a secluded mountain path. Going any further would make returning home after the "job" too far, so it was the perfect spot for the bandits to reveal their intentions. Qing, hiding her excitement, slowed down, nudging her horse to move gently. The figures at the fork were a man and a woman. The woman was unremarkable. But the man's appearance was quite striking. With numerous swords hanging at his sides and a lengthy spear slung over his shoulder, protruding to the left and right like horns, he resembled a porcupine bristling with weapons. You could say he seemed like someone skilled. However, on second thought, why bother carrying so many different weapons? If you're not particular about what weapon you use, you can pick up any, so there's no need to lug them all around. If he mastered each weapon technique, even mastering one would be challenging, let alone trying them all. Still, judging by that appearance, we could call him something like "Ten Weapons Ghost." Depending on their rank, they might be a higher-level master, perhaps "Hundred Weapons Ghost," and if they eventually gain fame, maybe even "Thousand Weapons Ghost." Qing was brimming with ease. Thinking aimlessly about the opponent showed just how relaxed she was. Why wouldn’t she be? She was a veteran of the Harmony Realm—a true master, even beyond Harmony Realm, perhaps categorized as a quasi-Profound Realm master. Within the Harmony Realm, dealing with this wouldn’t be a problem. It’s not like some unforeseen Profound Realm master would just pop out of nowhere without warning. Suppressing the murderous intent threatening to spill out, Qing reveled in the lively optimism of the morning. Strength begets blood! I feel strong! Driven by this buoyant mood, Qing approached the two. Finally halting in front of them, Qing was curious about what these bandits would say this time. What would come out of their mouths? Would they demand the horse? Would there be another absurdly silly tale about drinking contest winnings? Or remark how nice the horse looks? Or perhaps something novel? But unexpectedly, what came out was indeed something novel. “Heavenly Sword Flower, is that correct?” Qing stumbled. Here they were, bluntly looking for her? "......Who are you?" “There’s no need for alarm. A master of the Harmony Realm, concealing a face and carrying a hefty sword, and rumors say as much—though calling a lady by such words isn’t quite right, yet we guessed it might be the Heavenly Sword Flower.” “Gasp!” A loud exclamation burst forth. It wasn’t Qing making the sound. The woman, standing nonchalantly beside the man, was visibly startled. “Heavenly Sword Flower? Are you truly the Heavenly Sword Flower? Wow, I can’t believe I’m seeing the real Heavenly Sword Flower. It’s fascinating." The woman bowed respectfully. “I am Gong Yang-Sayoon. I was thoroughly impressed by your hearty meal. I prided myself on having a healthy appetite, yet see that there’s always a greater appetite. They say birds of a feather, feel free to call me Sayoon as a fellow journeying on the same gastronomic path.” Regardless of the woman’s reaction, Qing’s heart dropped. They didn’t know her as Ximen Qing and then conclude she was a master of the Harmony Realm. Rather, she was recognized as a Harmony Realm master who appeared similar to Ximen Qing. In other words, they recognized her realm at a glance. But when and how did they see that? Yesterday, while she was exuberantly unleashing her sword qi, she didn’t reveal her thoughts or intent, so it’s strange to hear "Harmony Realm" so decisively. To recognize someone’s realm at a glance... Which realm would allow that? “Are you... a master of the Profound Realm?” Qing was always submissive before the strong and assertive before the weak—a shameless small-timer! Therefore, Qing's attitude suddenly grew timid. “I am of the Profound Realm, yes, but not a master.” What nonsense, he’s saying it casually. If a Profound Realm wasn’t a master, then who qualifies? It’s like a corporate chairman claiming, "I am indeed a chairman, but not wealthy," isn’t it? ### New Terms Translated: - **Mushun-hyeon (무순현)** to **Mushun-hyeon**: Used the romanization as it is a specific place in this context. - **Hwanin-hyeon (환인현)** to **Hwanin-hyeon**: Romanization used as it signifies a specific destination. - **Lake Jeongwol (정월호)** to **Lake Jeongwol**: Kept the romanization as it is a geographic location. - **Gong Yang-Sayoon (공량사윤)** to **Gong Yang-Sayoon**: Kept this as a name without translation, treating it as a personal name. ### Additional Explanations: - Qing's encounter with the bandits uses a comedic tone where Qing's internal monologue is riddled with sarcasm and nonchalant observations about their appearances and intentions. - Qing's system allows her insight into levels of martial arts expertise, hence her immediate deduction of the intruders' realm. - The character interaction implies a comedic misunderstanding about Qing's apparent identity and rumored reputation. - The humor and surprise are enhanced by serious martial arts settings juxtaposed with outlandish and mundane concerns, like Qing's thinking about food and culinary comparisons. - Some potential confusion in the original text is clarified by understanding martial realm significance. Translated with an attempt to convey the comedic and disdainful tone of the protagonist’s mental commentary. "It's been ten years since I entered the Profound Realm, yet I've made no progress since. How can I call myself a master?" "Oh, I see," Qing replied, acknowledging the unexpected complaint. "I often wonder if I'm really in the Profound Realm or some other state. You know how achieving Transcendent Realm easily seems to invite demon possession, but reaching the next level, liberation from demon possession, is supposedly many times harder." Suddenly, it became a conversation steeped in self-pity, but Qing, despite shrinking in the presence of a Profound Realm master, listened quietly without showing her feelings. "Isn’t it just like that for me, too? It was surprisingly easy for me to reach the Profound Realm, but ever since reaching it, I've found it impossible to move even a single step forward." Hmm. Isn’t that quite normal? Generally, although stages within a realm are divided into initial, mid, and late, when it comes to the Profound Realm, the disparities are so significant that these subdivisions become meaningless. When one reaches the Profound Realm, taking a step further is said to be harder than all of one's previous training combined, as my master often mentioned. "As a result of my ongoing deliberations, I decided to collect as many martial arts as possible. Hence, I am traveling to learn various martial arts." Qing swallowed hard at his conclusion. The conclusion was somewhat strange, well, not the conclusion itself, but the actions following it seemed problematic. "Oh, when you say traveling to learn martial arts, am I understanding this right? It's not common to pass martial arts to outsiders, right? Particularly for disciples tied to sects, they'd rather die than let their martial arts be leaked." "I thought that was just talk, but astonishingly, they truly chose death. Still, if they taught me martial arts, I let them go quietly, and perhaps for that reason, my rumors have spread secretly. They call me the Martial Pillager." Qing's expression soured. Oh, damn. So, it wasn't a thief of words, but a thief of martial arts. And a thief of martial arts at the Profound Realm, no less. How could someone of the Profound Realm resort to banditry? Running into a Profound Realm master on the road hardly seems plausible! Qing felt wronged. Of course, it was a situation crying out for justice. Is a master of the Profound Realm some common criminal you run into by chance? It’s generally agreed that there are nine known official Profound Realm masters, with presumably more unofficially, but... Still, only nine officially documented masters scattered across the vast Zhongyuan. Meeting one in a lifetime would be nearly impossible. Though one could argue she had seen some in the Imperial Palace, but it’s the Imperial Palace—expecting Profound Realm masters there isn't surprising. So, having a Profound Realm master pop out on a mountain path demanding martial arts was beyond ridiculous. Yet it actually happened. "Though it wasn't my primary name, I'm here now as the Martial Pillager, so here I am." And who was Qing? Through the mystery of her Status Window, she was a martial arts thief who stole martial skills left and right, a master of the art of unnoticed thievery, potentially infamous one day for stealing them... In this moment, the martial arts thief and the martial arts pillager met dramatically. Perhaps it was destined. "Don’t take it too badly. I'm desperate too. I do offer the chance to have a go at me. Not that it equates to the value of martial arts, but facing a martial artist from the Profound Realm isn't a bad deal." Of course, someone with true conscience wouldn't try to rob others of martial arts. But facing a martial artist from the Profound Realm in combat certainly is a valuable experience. Even in a desperate attempt, those defending their martial arts could freely unleash lethal moves. A last shred of conscience in the Martial Pillager—almost worn to a nub, a barely discernible hint of a triangle in a rounder conscience. But then again, having no conscience remained unchanged. Who, for heaven's sake, would desert schools and masters to hand over their martial arts for survival? Thus, with a resolute face— Hmm, what martial arts should I give up? The **Great Yin Jade Maiden Divine Arts(태음옥녀신공)**, which turns handsome men into beautiful women, might be suitable, hmm, but maybe I need Seol Ganom's permission? Of course, Seol Ganom might say there's no need since it belongs to the enemies he exterminated himself. Yet, would inviting the grudge of a Profound Realm martial artist be worth it... While Qing was lost in thought, the Martial Pillager urged her on. "Now that things have reached this point, why delay? So, how shall I entertain you? Sword? Spear? Saber? Moon Blade? Staff? Since you wield a sword, I could face you with a sword, or perhaps try a weapon rarely seen in actual combat? Anything will do. Which weapon shall I face you with?" That was welcome news, and Qing quickly replied. "Then, how about matching me with fists?" The Martial Pillager's eyebrows furrowed deeply. "Have you no decency? Fists? Who in their right mind fights barehanded when you can choose any weapon?" "But you did say anything!" "I meant pick from weapons; who'd stupidly fight barehanded, lugging all these weapons around?" "Even so, fist arts hold the purest exploration of human nature in martial arts—" "Enough with the nonsense. You’re picking fists just because they seem easiest for you, aren’t you?" Qing grumbled inwardly. Geez, this isn’t working. ### New Terms Translated: - **Martial Pillager (강탈마)** to **Martial Pillager**: Kept the essence, encapsulating someone who robs others of their martial skills. - **Status Window (상태창)** to **Status Window**: This indicates a game-like system user interface that Qing uses, retained as it describes a fictional concept in the world. ### Additional Explanations: - The narrative cleverly toys with martial arts clichés about surpassing various realms and the unexpected challenges therein. - There's a twist: a Profound Realm master as a martial arts bandit, enough to throw Qing off balance, which is highlighted with her contemplation over the absurdity. - Qing's monologue maintains a humorous, self-aware tone, questioning martial arts tropes, while poking fun at the Martial Pillager’s insistence on adhering to traditional combat forms. - The exchange displays a playful dance between structured martial combat and improvisational tactics, critiquing martial pride and traditional ethos through sarcasm. - Qing's inner thoughts reveal her secret power, highlighting her adaptability with tones of playful deviousness.