Chapter 143

Anyway, I chased off the little rascal, telling her to focus on her training, and led Tang Nan-ah towards the Sect Leader’s residence.

The current Sect Leader Wang Juhee is a rather inconspicuous woman.

Maybe it’s because the former Sect Leader Seomun Sulin shone so brightly that she overshadowed her.

But according to the disciples (Qing is the youngest junior sister of the Sect Leader), the Grand Sect Leader has always had a characteristic of being there yet not there, a faint presence.

It’s no wonder her nickname is Heaven’s Kill; I heard that during a past incident when they took down the notorious bandit Baek-ae, even the allies didn’t notice when she stealthily pierced through their hearts from behind.

“Indeed. Learning the healing arts at such a young age is truly commendable and impressive. Since you’ve come to the Taoist temple after such a long time, be sure to absorb plenty of pure energy. There are no strict rules, so feel free to rest comfortably.”

“Yes, Grand Sect Leader.”

“Hmm. But a female physician, isn’t that a wonderful sound? Of course, I don’t mean anything by it, you came to check on our youngest junior sister’s injury, right? That’s quite considerate of you.”

“Ah, no, please don’t mention it.”

“Right. Rest well. Really, truly rest well.”

Emphasizing “rest well” so much made Tang Nan-ah, who was sweating profusely, shyly speak up.

“If permitted, could I feel the pulse of the young girl while I’m here….”

“Oh my! How kind of you. That exquisite beauty must come from such a kind heart.”

In this way, the Sect Leader got her wishes granted.

After that, they went to the guest hall to prepare the bedding, and Tang Nan-ah couldn’t hide her surprise.

“What is this place? It’s empty?”

“It’s your room!”

“……?”

“……?”

Tang Nan-ah clapped her hands as if she understood.

“Hey, don’t tease me for having no experience in the martial world. You said you have to take off your shoes when getting on a boat too. Did you really expect me to have experience? How could this be a guest room with no bed?”

“Then what do you think I’m holding?”

“A blanket and a thick comforter?”

“This is called a ‘yo,’ meant to be laid on the floor.”

“Gasp! Is that the one I only heard rumors about…!”

The daughter of the richest family in Sichuan seemed unable to accept the reality and fell into shock.

Well, the size of the room was at most akin to Tang Nan-ah’s lavish bed, so who knows?

“Isn’t this super hard?”

“So what if it’s hard? Just lie down and try it.”

Qing forcefully spread the thick yo on the ground.

Tang Nan-ah eagerly and anxiously laid down on it.

But quickly, her expression turned stiff.

“It’s hard!”

“I never said otherwise, right? Of course, it’s hard.”

“How can anyone sleep on something like this?”

Tang Nan-ah’s face crumpled into a pout.

Qing snorted.

Last winter, Qing had slept huddled in a corner, shivering without even a single blanket.

She couldn’t even lean against a wall because it was so cold.

“I’ll specially bring you two more. If you stack them three high, it might be bearable?”

“Hmph. Uncomfortable.”

“If you sleep outside, you should at least lie on gravel, right? Isn’t that just fancy whining?”

Tang Nan-ah looked at Qing with a wronged expression.

Those words coming from someone who had sprawled on a comfortable bed for more than half of the day had no credibility whatsoever.

“So you, you’re the elder, right? Aren’t you just hogging the good room for yourself?”

“Why, do you want to see my home?”

Thus, Qing unveiled the sweet little house she had always dreamed of.

Seeing it after a long time made Qing feel rather, um, quite shabby.

…Was it really this small?

Did someone nibble away at it and shrink it down?

—-

Seomun Sulin had a lot on her mind.

It was all because of that headstrong disciple.

How on earth was she supposed to correct that unruly behavior?

Last winter, she had felt like a parent, punishing a child by nearly stripping her bare to instill a sense of shame, but the girl lost even the feeling of shame itself.

Even when she raised the stick, it was only at that moment, and once the pain subsided, she forgot it ever happened as if it never mattered.

This grown woman was acting all cutesy before the great elders of the sect, utterly lacking any sense of decorum.

Of course, Seomun Sulin understood that the girl’s heart wanted to care for her lonely teacher.

She could only be thankful that it was due to her kind nature.

Otherwise, she would have had to seriously ponder over cleaning up the mess of Heaven’s Kill herself.

Yet, it was also because of that stiffheaded foolishness that she felt a certain trust that, despite facing the gruesome fate of Heaven’s Kill, she could come out victorious.

In fact, Seomun Sulin had never truly imparted any martial arts knowledge as a teacher.

She taught the Zhu Yang Mindfulness Sutra, and the girl immediately achieved great success, surprising everyone.

But as for martial skills like swordsmanship, she believed that enlightenment needed to come from the knowledge already possessed.

So, this winter, the training methods Seomun Sulin prepared fell in line with that.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Thick tomes stacked high made a heavy sound as they settled in front of Qing.

“Uh, Master?”

“I’ve been pondering why my disciple hasn’t gained any understanding, and it might be that your knowledge is lacking, practically nonexistent.”

That was directly calling the girl a fool.

“You’re practicing Tao and Buddhist martial arts but don’t know a single thing about their finer points. So how could you seize enlightenment when it comes?”

“Well…at my age, studying is a bit…”

“Studying is a lifelong endeavor, my disciple. You won’t be allowed to roam the martial world until you’ve copied these books twice.”

“Ah.”

Qing pouted.

Of course, the tomes of the Central Plain weren’t like the thin papers of her hometown filled with tiny writings.

The paper was thick, and the characters were huge, so if she diligently copied them, she might see the fruits of it by spring—or maybe she wouldn’t.

That would depend on how much she could sleep.

Qing glanced down at the tomes.

Just looking at the titles, she could tell they were scriptures of Tao and Buddhism.

Which means, it was the least interesting kind of books—religious texts.

They were almost like philosophical books with annotations, where each line could be interpreted differently based on the author.

In other words, they were boring.

Even if she had to take the college entrance exam the day after tomorrow, those books would never be fun.

Qing retorted with a serious expression.

“Master! I’d rather get undressed, ack!”

Thud!!

Qing rolled on the floor.

“Tsk tsk. No matter what, a young lady should know better than to say such things.”

“Master, you are getting stronger, aren’t you? At this rate, I really might crack my head open!”

“Stop whining.”

“No, it really hurts…”

Qing said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Well, it hurt because she was actually hit.

“My disciple doesn’t know shame, so stop spouting nonsense and just do as you’re told. Even if you’re a bit dull, you’ve got some brains, so with time and practice, you’ll remember.”

“Yes…”

Qing responded despondently, her shoulders drooping.

But it was a saying known through the ages that wise people from any time or place had often remarked on.

Watch your words, for the mouth is the root of all evils.

In truth, her foolish martial defense training from last winter was pretty much an act of shame and disgrace that would make masters from the entire world point fingers and curse.

Forcing a grown female disciple to stand before everyone in such a state was a price too painful to bear.

Seomun Sulin had been feeling tormented by that for ages, and so the result was as it was.

Seomun Sulin was also a person.

With the torment within her, it was impossible not to feel some resentment.

“But since my disciple dared to speak of getting undressed, how could a teacher stop her? After enduring that suffering for an entire winter, you’ve evidently not forgotten your training, so I’ll allow it.”

Qing realized that by casually speaking up, she had not only lost the chance for a bonus but had been completely stripped of her original intention.

Deciding to cleanly give up, Qing earnestly voiced one wish.

“Then, could I just have one blanket this time? I want to sleep lying down…”

—-

“Hey, Qing Ah, you need to apply some medicine.”

Whenever Tang Nan-ah occasionally used another term to address her instead of “young girl,” there was this weird, awkward vibe, as if she was checking for reactions.

This time, as Tang Nan-ah seemed to check her surroundings, she was taken aback.

“Ahh, what on earth happened to you!”

Tang Nan-ah covered her eyes and screamed.

Even though she could see everything through her fingers, it was a stance typical for a woman expressing embarrassment, so it wasn’t something to fuss over.

Qing replied with an expression of relief.

“……This is how it turned out.”

“Why is your place like this? Did a thief break in?”

“Kinda. Close enough.”

“Aren’t you cold? The wind is howling like crazy…”

“It’s cold…”

Being okay and being cold are two different things.

Just because taking a hit didn’t hurt or tear one up, doesn’t mean it didn’t sting.

Nevertheless, it seemed to be a bit better than last year.

Ah. Maybe it’s because I have bandages on…

Together with the abilities of Girl’s Joyous Mirror that help endure the cold and heat plus having learned not one but two ice techniques, it was only natural.

It’s not like the winter of the North Sea, so the chill of the Central Plain couldn’t intrude upon her body.

“Why, why are you dressed so provocatively?”

“Training…”

“What kind of training is this? Are you being resented? How could you show up like this before others…”

“After all, they’re just family…”

“It’s not just family…”

Tang Nan-ah gulped.

But, wow. The girl was something, dressing like this, so alluring.

Wearing something a colored woman in the world would wear, her expression and gaze brimmed with dark resignation as her shoulders drooped in sadness.

That contrast was really, how to put it, enticing…

Tang Nan-ah gulped down her saliva.

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