Chapter 11

If A-Qing had majored in engineering or the arts, she would have been driven mad by the conflict between the urge to kill and the weight of sin.

But since she was in the humanities, she was living it up!

However, if she were studying medicine or law, she wouldn’t even have time for gaming as a hobby.

There’s no reason to suffer like this from the start—

So, people must learn.

The saying “Knowledge is power,” by the French philosopher Bacon, captures this wisdom perfectly.

“Bad guys aren’t even human, so there’s no need to treat them like people. Mencius said so. So bring it on, you punk. A beast has to be hunted for the hunter to have some fun.”

No-gal swallowed hard internally.

Looks like he really encountered a crazy one!

This was precisely the sort of thought a notorious killer would have.

No-gal plotted his escape.

Running was not an option.

His opponent possessed a divine technique and could strike from a distance with ease.

Even attempting to flee posed a problem.

If the bodyguards fled, they would end up chased until death.

The head of the Black Shadow Association would never forgive a guard who abandoned his daughter.

His wife and their ten-year-old son would also suffer the same tragic fate.

So, he had no choice but to either defeat her or rely on her mercy.

In the face of death, the brain displays an unprecedented concentration.

This is why martial world individuals sometimes break through walls during life-or-death battles.

Finally, No-gal’s mind uncovered the most reasonable path among countless futures.

Masters often display unusual generosity.

“Wow, your integrity is truly admirable!” and all that.

Of course, the chances of that happening were slim to none.

But if he was going to die anyway, he had to at least save his wife and son.

The head of the Black Shadow Association was from a heterodox sect, but she would still take good care of the families of those guards who sacrificed themselves for her daughter.

No-gal steeled himself.

“I offer my life as an apology to you, noble one. Please, would you allow me to cut this terrible fate short with my life?”

Unfortunately, A-Qing had already surpassed the limits of her thirst for blood.

Things had been far too peaceful, and her half-hearted fighting without a sword had caused her bloodthirsty nature to explode.

“No thanks.”

Her hand moved instinctively.

Her long, slender fingers raked across No-gal’s throat from right to left.

Fingers are the most sensitive parts of the human body.

The fleeting moment felt like it stretched to a hundredth of a second.

The soft skin of his throat tore, and the wet sensation of resistance filled her fingers.

As she wrapped his blood-filled vessels around her knuckles, the tautness increased even more.

Then, she grasped tightly onto his throat bone.

It felt like scooping sand; she pulled harder.

The carotid artery looped around her fingers, extending until it couldn’t withstand the tension and snapped with a pop.

At that moment, time resumed its normal pace.

With a rush, the severed artery sprayed blood violently.

Finally, a fragrant warm blood splattered across her face, and simultaneously, the world around her ignited into pure white.

A jolt of energy surged through her, from her spine to the tips of her fingers and toes.

The brilliant sea of light majestically whispered a serene universe.

Two hundred six bones, tendons, muscles, and 250,000 blood vessels swirled together as one.

Amidst the blazing flames, a flower garden bloomed chaotically.

Her heart climbed to her head, pulsating against her brain and eardrums.

A thousand voices harmonized in a ghostly choir.

Salty sweat. A spicy sigh. A single drop of sweet tear.

………

……

…

And then, it was like waking from a dream.

There was a momentary realization of awareness—a natural awakening of consciousness.

It was the first time she felt such refreshment in this world.

The feeling was like waking up after a long sleep, still wanting more.

A sense of fulfillment washed over her after watching a movie with a happy ending.

But oddly enough, despite her healthy mental state, her body felt terrible.

For some reason, her limbs were trembling; the kind of feeling you get when you’ve overslept and end up with achy muscles.

Then what was this?

When she lifted her heavy hand, she saw that her fist was clutching a woman’s severed head by the hair.

“Ah, Young Lady, when did it become just a head? How pitiful.”

Looks like she had temporarily lost her rationality.

She had no idea how much chaos she had caused.

There wasn’t a single part of her body that didn’t hurt.

A-Qing quickly checked the state of her karma.

Fortunately, it seemed she had only killed this lady and regained her senses, as there was a slight increase in her karma points.

Throwing the head aside, she scratched her own head and said,

“Well, maybe it’s been too long since I did this…”

Anyway, good things are good things.

Karma can accumulate, and her mood is good; that counts for something, right?

—-

As she returned to the tea house, there was chaos all around.

The three young masters were making a fuss, so A-Qing explained simply.

“I had no choice. They were going to chop off my limbs and toss me into the junkyard. What was I supposed to say, ‘Sure, go ahead!’?”

Her tone was as casual as one discussing what to eat for breakfast.

Given how gruesome the details were, the expressions of those listening hardened.

Plus, she was dripping with blood while nonchalantly dropping droplets on the floor.

“It’s fine; it’s not my blood.”

“Sister, you really need to wash your face first. Shopkeeper, could you please prepare some washing water?”

The shopkeeper wished all this would just go away.

But he had no courage to confront a woman covered in blood and a muscular giant.

“Just wipe it off.”

Pang Dae-san offered a handkerchief.

It was obvious that just one handkerchief wouldn’t be enough, but seeing him offer it was both appreciated and commendable.

“Ah, just keep it. A quick wipe is fine. There’s a lot over there.”

A-Qing went outside, picked up the fallen handkerchief, and wiped her face.

After scrubbing her face and wringing out her hair, the sticky feeling began to fade a little.

When she returned to her seat, the water had been prepared, and she splashed some on her face vigorously.

“…So, let’s talk now.”

“What about?”

“You said you were going to the washroom, looking like that, what’s the story?”

“Why? Why are you suddenly mad?”

“What? Me?”

Pang Dae-san’s reaction was quite sharp.

A-Qing no longer held back since leaving the martial world.

But right now, she was in a rather good mood and didn’t want to ruin it by having a spat.

“Wait! Hold your anger!”

“What are you trying to get away with?”

“Hey, you there, halt! If you go there and get dragged into trouble later, it’s not my responsibility, okay? What’s curiosity? Curiosity kills cats, you know?”

A-Qing yelled towards the back door.

The man sneakily heading towards the back door paused, as if realizing something, and turned back.

A-Qing shifted her focus back to the table.

“I really don’t get it, alright? Just calm down. It was a normal dispute, and I won. I put down my sword, and they underestimated me. What’s the big deal?”

“Is that something to brush off so easily?”

“Then, is it such a huge event? This happens all the time.”

This was the usual case for her.

Pang Dae-san felt like he had been slapped.

A-Qing was a young master of martial prowess.

A young master doesn’t just drop down from nowhere.

Someone with innate talent must also be in an environment that allows their growth.

For example, supports from their lineage.

Or, a life filled with relentless battles.

While Pang Dae-san was lost in thought, A-Qing snapped her fingers, changing the subject.

“Oh, right. Je-gal, since you know martial arts so well, what’s the best close combat technique?”

Honestly, they weren’t that close yet, and since they were of opposite genders, she hadn’t dared interrupt their cousinly relationship.

Je-gal Lee-hyun responded to her call.

“Are you asking about martial arts, my lady?”

“Yeah. What’s the strongest hand-to-hand combat?”

A-Qing recalled the moment when she decapitated No-gal.

The feeling of the blade gliding through that throat. It was the best.

She suddenly had a lightning bolt of realization.

Ah, I should practice one close combat technique!

Though it was a random question, Je-gal Lee-hyun, who couldn’t suppress his urge to explain, answered without hesitation.

“My lady, it’s actually not possible to answer what the strongest martial art is right off the bat.”

“Why not?”

“Because for thousands of years in the martial world, that’s been the subject of endless disputes. To be honest, whenever two or more men gather, the topic of the strongest martial arts always comes up.”

“So what do you think, Je-gal?”

“In my opinion, hand-to-hand combat isn’t that great of a martial art.”

“Why?”

“Because hand-to-hand techniques are inherently very brutal. If people dislike causing harm with just a sword, imagine how much worse it is when raking, clawing, and tearing flesh apart with bare hands!”

So, isn’t that a good thing?

A-Qing tilted her head, realizing the times had changed.

“Are you going to keep talking nonsense? I asked what’s the strongest.”

“Well, fortunately, when it comes to hand-to-hand techniques, everyone in the martial world would probably agree on the strongest. That is…”

Je-gal Lee-hyun stopped mid-sentence, preparing for a sip of tea.

But upon catching Pang Dae-san’s piercing glare, he startled.

His look screamed “Get on with it already!”

Je-gal Lee-hyun quickly wrapped it up.

“The strongest close combat technique is Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat.”

“Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat?”

“Ah! I’m so thirsty all of a sudden!”

Je-gal Lee-hyun just got sidetracked.

Understanding the reason, A-Qing shifted her target.

“Hey, why are you making our Je-gal feel small?”

“Is it really the time to be chatting about martial arts? Look at the state you’re in!”

“Well, it seemed like I might not get another chance.”

“What the heck does that mean?”

A-Qing wouldn’t just sit back, but she didn’t plan to act like a grasshopper in front of a cart either.

She understood she couldn’t take on an entire sect on her own, regardless of her peak-level training.

She had been driven away a few times before.

“The Black Shadow Association is quite a significant sect, right?”

“…Were those guys from the Black Shadow Association?”

“If they aren’t pretending.”

Pang Dae-san wiped his face.

There were three major forces in Luoyang.

The Choi clan, the Zhu family, and the Black Shadow Association.

The Choi family had been a prestigious lineage of great generals for generations, while the Zhu family and Black Shadow Association had heterodox inclinations.

Even if the government was weakened, they wielded power with the General’s Sword in hand.

They were the de facto rulers of most wealth in Luoyang.

The Black Shadow Association and Zhu family divided up the profits of the black market that the Choi family turned a blind eye to because of their noble status.

“When they’re brazenly attempting human trafficking in broad daylight, it’s obvious they aren’t your average rogues.”

“Did you still mess with them knowing all this? Was it really necessary for you to tussle with your skill?”

The Black Shadow Association wouldn’t dare try to kidnap someone with peak-level prowess unless they were insane.

This meant they were willing to shed blood instead of showing their might.

A-Qing confidently affirmed, “I don’t avoid confrontations. And if a bad guy picks a fight, I’ll retaliate even harder. A man never runs away.”

Is she really a madwoman?

For a moment, Pang Dae-san had a thought.

Damn it, she really went and struck the crazy girl with her fists.

“Can’t you think, just a little bit? What do you plan to do about the mess afterward….”

“I’ll just slip away.”

That sounded like running away after all.

Just a moment ago, she was saying something about a man, oh man.

Pang Dae-san’s spirits dropped.

“Are you suggesting you’ll run away?”

“Knowing when to go is crucial! Isn’t it enchanting to see the back of someone who knows exactly when to leave? Like petals falling in the wind!”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Can you be serious for once!”

Pang Dae-san raised his voice.

A-Qing instead smiled softly.

Come on, we got a bit close; there’s no need to shout.

“My bad, was it at the Rising Star Pavilion? Let’s have a drink next time we meet.”

“You could’ve just held back a bit…”

“Well, it’s not like we’ll live together for a millennium. Just for a fortnight? Parting early like that is nothing. We’ll meet again if fate allows.”

A-Qing’s words left Pang Dae-san speechless.

When you think about it, she was right.

She’d only joined along for their journey to Yongsheng; they were destined to part ways after departing in two days anyway.

Come to think of it, there was no reason to hold her back.

Pang Dae-san leaned back in his chair.

A-Qing stood up and spoke.

“Young Lady, all my stuff is at the trade guild. Tell Mr. Xian I’m sorry for ditching like this. Big Hero, and Je-gal, we’ll meet again.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“Yes, my lady. See you later.”

A-Qing stepped out of the tea house.

In all honesty, she didn’t have a particular destination.

But she hadn’t come to the martial world with a set path either. Just living life wherever fate took her.

Catching bandits, tackling robbers, and now having a new goal of mastering the Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat!

A-Qing kicked the ground and dashed off.

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