906 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

The Art of Escaping Death 脫命刀法. With a grand name suggesting freedom from fate, it was a martial art deeply imbued with the essence of orthodox Daoist beliefs. Simultaneously, it was the martial art of Odaesan of the Top Ten Martial Artists of the world, certified by the Murim Alliance. Incidentally, Odaesan's nickname "탈명도 奪命刀" uses different characters than his martial art. It refers to "夺命刀" as an executioner, a killer skilled in the sword. For a supreme master, it seems quite derogatory. But for those of such mastery, they have the power to change such a nickname by sheer force if they are displeased with it. However, there was no such noise, and reportedly Odaesan himself even embraced the nickname "탈명도." Perhaps, as a a representative of the Unorthodox Faction, he found such a fierce nickname to be appealing. This calligraphy was also among the spoils Qing acquired after defeating a young master who had a master of the Profound Realm as his father. However, that was a different time. Back then, Qing lived in anonymity. Yes, it was all blamed on the Blood Cult because of Eon Yeon-Yang, which got scourged eventually. But now things are different. If Qing keeps the Art of Escaping Death to herself, it should be fine, but teaching it to others could spark issues. Yet, handing off martial arts skills, particularly this one, should entail passing down the Art of Escaping Death. Originally, the Unorthodox factions’ great swordsman’s martial arts should rightfully be passed to another grand swordsman or martial thief. However, it couldn’t be passed down as is. If later, for some reason, someone like Odaesan discovers his martial art has been leaked and rages in search of the Grand Thief... And when asked where she learned the Art of Escaping Death, answering "Oh, the Heavenly Sword Flower taught me!" would likely lead to complications. The Master once said if such a situation arose, just play dumb and brazenly pretend ignorance. Of course, she could’ve used the Heaven-Shattering, Blood-Overturning, Heart-Piercing Decisive Strike and other vicious arts from the World’s Eleven Great Demon Arts without restraint to silence anyone, because playing dumb was always an option. What assassin claiming the righteous sect's Heavenly Sword Flower was collecting demonic skills would be believed by anyone? Maybe the Unorthodox Faction might believe it, but who cares if they do or not? As long as the righteous order doesn't believe it. However, the Unorthodox might indeed believe it, so the Art of Escaping Death needed renaming. Changing a martial art's name is fundamental since it reflects its core belief. Thus, the name needed swapping to something interpretable as escape from fate and possessing similar sympathy. No mere swordsman could easily discern such inconsistencies in name or philosophy, but one of the Profound Realm surely would. Qing pondered deeply. The name 탈명 in Art of Escaping Death represented one's escape from destiny and mortal fate, achieving one's true self. Hmm... escape from fate, one's true self, destiny, life ordained by heaven, nexus, and suppression... And breaking away... As Qing mused, the Grand Thief waited with a fairly content expression. After all, the martial arts Qing had recited were ones even ordinary martial houses would have versions of. But pondering deeply suggested this was a difficult martial art to give up. The Grand Thief thus waited with anticipation for Qing to open her mouth. Qing merely intended to rename the martial art, changing the preface and technique names to dodge issues. Eventually, Qing extended a hand suddenly. "Can I borrow a saber? A willow leaf saber would suit best, as using a saber is better than sword for this." "Ah, hold up. Anyone got a willow leaf saber? Hand it over!" A figure in a black mask popped out from the mountain, kneeling to present a weapon. Qing's eyes narrowed. Covering the face? Only crooked individuals who needed to hide their faces did that. Those black karma points spoke volumes—for shady folks like these, because the righteous would walk proudly without masks. Qing silently cursed internally—though Qing was quite the mask enthusiast herself. After all, she had to play the meek in front of a master of the Profound Realm. Qing slowly demonstrated the techniques of Art of Escaping Death. Based on the principles of dominion through strength, the entire arm from shoulder to fist drew powerful lines. The manipulation of the wrist was crucial, folding rapidly to bring the blade close, then slicing—the hallmark move of Art of Escaping Death. To an opponent, it would feel like even if their weapon blocked it, the blade somehow slipped through. The Grand Thief watched, a satisfied smile spreading. "Indeed, the depth is remarkable. Surely it bears a worthy name. What is it?" So, it seems the Art of Escaping Death isn't known. Qing tested this by showcasing some technique before revealing the new name. Qing replied calmly. "It's called the Sovereign's Self-Determination Blade Techniques." "The Sovereign's Self-Determination Blade Techniques!" "Ah. You're familiar with the Sovereign's Self-Determination Blade Techniques?" bWpnL1VNWWVlR0h2N0IyVWd5ZUJTN3A5aEJZb0FseHpMYzlUN0MrQ1pIUjEvdkFYZDhpSW9DcmFDQSsxV21EYw "No, I've not heard of it. Probably why I felt awed. Makes you want to clap somehow." --- **Terms and Translations:** 1. 탈명도법 脫命刀法 - Art of Escaping Death: A term representing Qing’s technique of escaping fate. The pun lies in the similarity to one referring to strategic executions or kill-tactics. 2. 탈명도 奪命刀 - Executioner's Blade: Refers to Odaesan's nickname symbolizing death-dealing mastery. Uses different characters to suggest lethality rather than fate-escaping. **Explanation and Context:** - Qing's reflections reveal her strategic thinking in covering for the Unorthodox nature of a skill. - The renaming by Qing highlights the ongoing narrative theme where Qing avoids being associated openly with demonic arts to maintain her reputation. - The original uses wordplay on homophonic but differently-meaning terms for dramatic irony. This play on words explores characters like Odaesan accepting a grim nickname beneficially. - There's a back-and-forth where Qing demonstrates a technique, gauging if the opponent recognizes it before safely renaming it for handing down. - The text reveals Qing's careful navigation amid complex martial relations, balancing her position in both the orthodox and unorthodox worlds. **Character Naming Adjustments:** - The names listed above are preserved as appropriately gendered to maintain narrative consistency and clarity. - Qing wears a mask sometimes for identity preservation though rationalizes characters who metaphorically 'hide' have worse intentions. This subtle running contradiction adds depth to her character profile. Despite any misunderstandings, Qing’s keen mind navigates dangerous waters, sowing a silent conflict in martial world politics while safeguarding her identity. "Uh, right. The preface states that 'autonomy' refers to the great spirit of challenging oneself not to conform to nature and environment, and 'independence' is the instinctive life urge to break free from subjugation. Most people believe fate is dictated by the heavens, accepting birth, aging, illness, and death as ordained, but such a mentality is no different from that of a slave. Thus, the meaning of autonomy and independence is to escape this fate." "Hmm. That's nice." Nice? What's so nice about autonomy and independence? Isn't this exactly the kind of ideal human resource North Korea would want? Anyhow, Qing passed on the Sovereign's Self-Determination Blade Techniques. She didn't want to engage in a life-and-death duel with a master of the Profound Realm over something trivial, so she just changed the name while preserving the essence of the Art of Escaping Death. The Grand Thief's expression was now overflowing with a warm, blooming smile. It was a face that seemed to embody sheer satisfaction. "Uh, then. May I leave now?" "Hmm? Where are you off to?" "Where else? I've told you the martial art, so it’s time we part ways." The Grand Thief shook his head. "Haven't you rested enough? Then, it's time to spar again. When else will you get a chance to unleash your killing moves on a master of the Profound Realm without life-threatening risks?" He was right. Qing had suffered through numerous sparring sessions with her master but could never unleash her killing moves. It was an extraordinary opportunity to unleash such moves on a higher master without personal risk, something unachievable through regular sparring. One might think the Grand Thief was being considerate toward Qing, but? Qing's eyes narrowed. "And if I lose again, I have to give up more martial arts?" "Of course." "Wow, what a conscience you've got! I'm not a bottomless bag of martial techniques. You'll strip me clean of all my skills!" The Grand Thief's smile took on a sinister edge. "If you don't want to die, then you must." Ah, right. This bastard was indeed a martial thief. At that, an overwhelming irritation surged through Qing. The problem was engaging in a battle where she unleashed her myriad of martial arts, displaying that she didn't have just one or two techniques. It was like flaunting a filled wallet in front of a thief. Having pulled out a few high-value techniques, did she think the thief would leave satisfied? However, Qing wasn't an ordinary victim. Qing flopped dramatically onto the ground. "Whatever, I'm just gonna die. Just do it." "Uh?" "I'll take all my martial arts baggage to the afterlife. If I give even one to a Grim Reaper, perhaps I'll sneak away to a nicer spot. Lying here is quite nice; the ground's cold too." Faced with Qing's outright collapse, the Grand Thief couldn't hide his bewildered expression. "Am I just talking?" "Whether I die this way or another, what's the difference? If I'm going to die, there's no need to hand over martial arts to an enemy, now is there?" "What do you mean just dying? Hand over your techniques and I'll spare you." "You know, there's a tale from Joseon. A rice cake grandma was on her way to the marketplace when a tiger appeared and threatened, 'Give me a rice cake, or I'll eat you!'" The sudden tiger tale left the Grand Thief maintaining his bewildered expression. "So the grandma gave it a rice cake. The tiger, thrilled, disappeared. But after taking just three steps, the same tiger blocked her path again: 'Give me another rice cake, or I'll eat you.'" The tiger pursued the rice cake grandma until every cake she owned was gone, then, laughing, devoured her because she had nothing left to give. "Hmm." "See any difference? Keep fighting, and if there are no more techniques to offer, then I die, right? I should've just tossed the cake and gotten eaten right away. Teaching you the Sovereign's Self-Determination Blade Techniques was pointless." "Cough, it's not like I'm dead set on killing you. I planned to step back if you genuinely had nothing more to offer." "Like I can believe that. You promised to let me go after teaching you, but now you're changing your tune right away." *Cough* Qing had a near-unparalleled ability to ride the line, honed since before emerging into the martial world. Qing’s instincts whispered. You can defy him! I wasn't the one in need here. The Grand Thief couldn't afford to cut open the abdomen of the treasure-holding epidemic ghost or the goose laying golden eggs, which was Qing. Of course, I sensed he wasn't the type to give up either. Qing sat up, looking to add a little spin to that wicked tongue. "Hey, don't situations like these need trust? What if I teach you a few techniques and say I know nothing else? Will you accept it and just leave?" Gong Liang-Sayoon wondered: what kind of situation calls for trust between a thief and his victim? "Hmm." "At times like this, you shouldn't betray the fleeting trust we've built with shallow tricks and quick betrayal. I taught you martial arts because I trusted you, and you trusted me to faithfully accept it." "True, that is the case." "And if you intend to keep squeezing things out of me, at the very least, give me some breathing room. If you demand more right after, what am I supposed to think?" "That's true." The Grand Thief seemed to ponder briefly. "Then, I'll be back tomorrow." "Are you joking? Martial arts aren’t coins you pick up on the street, and it’s hard enough to find a coin a day. Let's meet next year. Springtime sounds nice. Let’s see each other in the flowering season." "A year is impossible. What if you slip into the righteous sects by then and hide amongst their masters? Five days. How about that?" "Learning martial arts isn't easy! Then, let's make it six months. We met in spring, let's meet in the fall." "Ten days." "You drive a hard bargain. I was gradually halving it." "I also doubled my offer." --- **Terms and Translations:** 1. Autonomous and Independent Blade Techniques (주체자주도법): Translated from an invented name Qing gives to rename the Art of Escaping Death. The term describes freedom-seeking and independence from fate. **Explanation and Context:** - This excerpt showcases Qing's cunning negotiations and wordplay skill, a stark theme throughout. - The tale Qing narrates mirrors her predicament: offering martial techniques only delays the inevitable 'devouring' by the opponent. - Qing's comedic defiance ('take it to the afterlife') and shifting tone highlight her resilience and cleverness. \Core narrative involves Qing balancing strategic navigation through dangers posed by the Unorthodox factions and martial arts masters while preserving her anonymity. - The conversation slyly critiques totalitarian ideals, providing socio-political commentary through the analogy with North Korea. "That's not the point here. It's not about how many times. I reduced it by several days; from a year to six months is over a hundred and eighty days—" "Half a month." *Ssss.* Qing feigned reluctance. In response, the Grand Thief beamed with triumph. But essentially, considering she was in a situation where she'd be continually stripped of martial arts in successive duels, now she was down to being robbed only once every half month. In truth, with the Grand Thief wielding a blade, Qing was without a choice. Despite his pride, it was an unilateral concession by Qing. This is one of the small tricks of negotiation. Start by demanding something outrageously high, and then significantly decrease it. The opponent will quickly fall into the illusion that they are an exceptional negotiator. "Hmm, then how about we meet once a season? We can meet in the summer." "...Twenty days." "Then, let's settle on a month. A month it is! Exactly a month; since it's early February now, we can meet in early March! How's that? Anything less, and I'll just die instead. Honestly, I can’t do it!" *Sigh.* The Grand Thief let out a deep sigh and gestured in a resigned manner. Then, a figure clad in black busied himself, reattaching the weapons he had taken from the Grand Thief earlier, securing them on his back and fixing them at his waist. In essence, this signaled the cessation of any further conflict. The Martial Arts Thief versus the Martial Arts Bandit, a sudden agreement! Martial arts banditry limited to once a month! No one could possibly understand what kind of agreement this was, but nonetheless. --- **Terms and Translations:** 1. Grand Thief(강탈마): The character’s nickname has been maintained and translated as "Grand Thief," reflecting his role as a master martial arts thief. **Explanation and Context:** - This segment captures the humor of Qing's negotiation tactics, illustrating them as artful maneuvers. - The narrative reveals a tug-of-war-like negotiation where Qing navigates terms with cheeky defiance and clever bargaining against her more powerful foe. - The absurdity of their agreement—a mutually concluded deal that inherently contradicts any typical understanding of negotiation—provides a comical lens into Qing's escapades in the martial world. - Qing’s strategy is likened to making the other party feel victorious, thereby ensuring Qing maintains some semblance of control over the arrangement, even in such bizarre circumstances. This passage illustrates the nuanced overtones of power dynamics in martial politics, coupled with the idiosyncratic charm driven by Qing’s witty resolve.