Chapter 146

A woman dressed in fine silk clothes climbed the mountain path of Musan.

It wasn’t exactly the outfit for this season.

High-end winter clothes are made from a type of silk called “Dan” or “Ju,” stuffed with cotton, crafted to be fluffy without any twists.

But the finest silk is referred to as “Gold,” which is thin, airy, and soft, so even a little clumping of cotton can make it puffy, and it’s designed with pleats for spring and autumn wear.

What the woman wore was indeed that Gold silk attire.

On top of that, she must have put a lot of effort into her makeup. Her hair was adorned with gold accessories, and she painted her face to be fair, using light purple pigment around her eyes and reds on her lips.

However, it didn’t help that the woman naturally had an excessively seductive appearance; the added make-up only accentuated her lewdness.

So when she made her appearance in front of the plaque of the Divine Maiden Sect, the disciples standing guard at the main gate swallowed hard.

It was clear this wasn’t an outfit for visiting a Taoist temple.

If she were a guest arriving at lunchtime, she should have looked apologetic or anxious, but there was none of that either.

Two disciples exchanged glances.

“Uh-oh, a woman of the world has shown up. What do we do?”

“How should I know? You go find out.”

So one looked to a senior disciple.

There were ranks among clan members.

“Stop right there! This is the sacred ground of the Divine Maiden Sect. Are you here to visit?”

“Ah-ha! I’ve come to the right place. Yes, that’s right.”

Suddenly, the disciples’ wariness dropped significantly.

After all, they lived among women all the time, so they could catch the nature behind her words.

She was just flexing and gave off an air of a complete ditz in her tone.

With just a pretty face, she seemed like a real pushover, they thought.

The Divine Maiden Sect is a man-free holy site.

Conversely, it was a place fully open to women.

Even those who weren’t disciples occasionally came for worship, bringing in some side income.

“Welcome! Do you wish to perform a ritual? Or perhaps you just want to stay at the Taoist temple for a bit? Or maybe you wish to take a break?”

“No, that’s not it. I heard my brother is here…”

“Oh, I see. You came to see your younger sibling.”

The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties, so her younger sibling had to be at least three generations younger.

This was because the disciples knew pretty much everyone’s family background.

The disciples eased up even more.

“What’s your younger sibling’s name?”

“Seomun Qing…”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, is it right here? You said Divine Maiden Sect, right? She’s got to be tall with some decent assets.”

The woman gestured broadly in front of her chest.

The disciples instantly understood.

“Oh, so that’s her. Got it.”

—-

When Qing was eating lunch, she acted like she hated food as much as she’d loathe her parents’ nemesis.

Living under the same sky, she couldn’t eliminate it and felt like chomping down with all her might.

For reference, breakfast and dinner were no different.

That was when Qing was inhaling the boiled and fried sides of life called lunch.

“Hey, sister.”

“Huh?”

Qing’s eyes widened at the familiar voice.

“Sister, you shouldn’t dress so lightly. You’ll catch a cold, especially since it’s chilly. Be careful.”

“Oh, right.”

Finally realizing who it was, Qing stopped doubting.

“Wow, you’ve become prettier! Is it thanks to that make-up?”

Of course, it was thanks to the make-up.

She had taken the elixir provided by the Divine Sect and made decent progress, but make-up was originally a woman’s greatest weapon, wasn’t it?

“Have you eaten?”

“Nope, got a bit lost on the way up. Um, I’m hungry. Hehe.”

“Well, let’s eat then! Our food is delicious!”

“Okay!”

Then she cheerfully headed out to get her meal.

“Who’s that?”

“What’s going on? Why is she dressed like that while coming in for a meal?”

Jin Jangmyung and Tang Nan-ah simultaneously asked.

“Uh… something similar to a sister?”

Sister or not, what does “something similar” even mean?

Both wore puzzled expressions.

In truth, Qing didn’t know much about it either, so she didn’t elaborate.

Then, the eager sister Ho quickly returned with an enormous platter of food stacked high.

“Oh, right! Should I go back to being Gyeon Pohee?”

“Huh? Why?”

“They say it’s weird if sisters have the same last name. Plus, even if our parents didn’t give us anything, we shouldn’t act recklessly.”

“Did Seolga say that?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it must be true then.”

If the town’s smartest guy, Seolga, said so, it obviously was.

Among the people Qing met in Central Plains, excluding her master, he was the most trustworthy.

Thinking about it, even the trio of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had different surnames; they didn’t unify as “Liu” either.

Not to mention, Liu Bei would end up being two people.

“Oh! How about this? Don’t I look pretty?”

“Did you do that make-up yourself?”

“Yup! I learned it. Want me to do it for you later, or right now?”

“No thanks, it’s annoying to take off.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“But why the make-up?”

“Seolga, or rather, the uncle said it’d be good to look approachable no matter where you go.”

“Oh, you call Seolga ‘uncle’?”

“Yeah, but it feels odd. I think I should call him sister. Sometimes it slips out without me even realizing.”

“What?! Seolga got prettier over there?”

“No joke! Like, she totally has the vibe of an older sister.”

“What’s an older sister vibe? Now, I’m really curious…”

Jin Jangmyung and Tang Nan-ah, who poked her side, wondered.

What’s going on? Don’t they usually ask for self-introductions at this point?

Is their field of view too narrow that they can’t see the person next to them?

“Oh! This is a flavor I love! Want more? Should I serve it up for you?”

“No, I’ve eaten plenty.”

“Sister, who’s that?”

Listening made it feel like they’d have to hear forever. Jin Jangmyung cut in.

“This is Gyeon Pohee, and um, I did a good deed. She’s like a sister to me, the one who used to wait on me in the martial world.”

“Mm, mm.”

Gyeon Pohee nodded proudly.

“This small one here is our clan’s total lackey, Jin Jangmyung, and this is Tang Nan-ah, my friend. They say she’s one of the top five beauties in Central Plains.”

“Yeah, but on the way here, I honestly felt totally deceived. The, uh, uncle said not to speak about it, so I can’t say more.”

“I get it, so that’s enough. I asked Seolga to teach me some common sense, and looks like it worked.”

“Ugh, but it’s kind of bothersome.”

“It’s all about becoming better, you know? Do you think it’s easy to find a teacher as skilled as Seolga?”

“Yeah…”

With their eyes narrowing, the women beside Qing exchanged glances.

What’s going on? Isn’t it usually time for introductions now?

Is that it? Just one sentence and done?

The two thought as one.

These gals, not easy to deal with.

If Qing had realized, she’d have chuckled mockingly.

What could possibly happen with someone considered the easiest person in the world?

—-

Gyeon Pohee’s entry into the Divine Maiden Sect didn’t pan out.

Given her background and the martial arts she’d learned, which involved both “Chayang” and “Chaeum,” her methods were a bit much.

“What would a kid like that do in the Divine Maiden Sect? She’d scatter all her inner strength and start from scratch. If she wants, I could write a recommendation letter to the Cheonha Shrine, but I’m guessing that’s not what she wants.”

Moreover, Gyeon Pohee didn’t have much will to join.

After finishing her meal and eyeing Qing’s dishes, she heard that everything had to be done on one’s own in the Divine Maiden Sect, leading her to realize there’s no need to join after all.

So she figured to help Seolga in the town while following Qing on her journey through the martial world.

“Well, you’ve got a pure heart for someone from the demonic sect. But being so naive makes you a child.”

“Am I a bit short on brains?”

*Smack.* A light tap reached Qing’s head.

It didn’t hurt since it wasn’t meant to.

“No matter how true it is, you shouldn’t speak ill of others.”

“Yes.”

“It’d be good to take her along when you venture into the martial world. Even if that old demon acts like he cherishes his disciples, a woman should be cared for by another woman.”

“True, she’s definitely comfortable handling things.”

“Think of it as raising a person. Every bit of care turns into good karma, doesn’t it?”

Qing tilted her head.

Isn’t treating the senior disciple like a lesser being not that great of a deal?

Of course, Gyeon Pohee had that right.

“Ah, it works out well. When my disciple heads out next month, it wouldn’t work to send that old demon along.”

“Wait? Me? Why not?”

“They say the Martial Alliance is holding a Martial World Tournament. A face known by many would be that old man. If a high-ranking official goes around leading him, wouldn’t that just ruin his reputation?”

The purpose of the Martial World Tournament was to open to new avenues, tightening ties before the demonic sect pushed into the central plains in a different manner.

If a demonic sect candidate arrived without being aware, it’d be just as foolish as not having a brain at all.

For reference, when it comes to the “old man,” he’s actually older than Choi Riyong.

While she may appear to be a beautiful woman in her forties, she’s a living legend, a vast predecessor of martial arts.

“But what exactly is this Martial World Tournament? Is it like the greatest martial arts competition?”

“Well, I figure they’ll stir things up. If it were up to me, I’d want to see you in the 잠룡비무회 (Sleeping Dragon Martial Arts Competition).”

“Then let’s go, shall we?”

It was an answer with zero hesitation.

Seomun Sulin smiled at that.

She couldn’t help but find her apprentice adorable.

“Since there probably won’t be anyone strong enough to challenge you, just consider it a means to elevate the clan’s honor and look beautiful and elegant.”

“Meaning that your opponent won’t need to be up to par? In professional terms, that’s known as ‘chop meat.’”

At this point, they’d spent more time having one match than actually counting the matches themselves.

If you classify her disciple’s level, it’s already in the later stages of the peak level.

Moreover, she was already at a state where swordplay felt like an extension of her body, losing herself in it, not far from achieving the Divine Sword Merging state.

Achieving Divine Sword Merging means being able to wield Sword Aura freely, an enlightenment generally attained only in the later stages of the peak level.

At this point, it was a mess but she was steadily making progress through the chaos.

By now, if she hadn’t reached the Supreme level, one would have to wonder if there was something blocking her way.

It was as if something was obstructing her path forcefully.

Having already attained a standing equal to the masters of the Realm of Transformation, her external powers were astonishing, but she still couldn’t cross that simple barrier of the Supreme level (as per the realm’s experts).

“So is it just a matter of going there and winning?”

“Try bonding more with the kids from the Sleeping Dragon Gathering. You’ll need to meet the future main players of the righteous martial world, right?”

In other words, she was saying to go socialize a little.

Even if Qing was a disciple with the same status as the sect leader, she wouldn’t be considered one of them in this day and age.

Plus, connections in the Chinese community hold a unique kind of value.

Although the Divine Maiden Sect might be lesser than the Eight Great Families, as long as she showcased overwhelming martial prowess in the Sleeping Dragon Gathering, things would naturally resolve.

“If that’s the case, then I’m all in.”

Qing’s eyes sparkled.

If they told her to have fun, would she not shine with excitement?

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