Chapter 147

Jin Jangmyung is a girl with zero charm.

Because charm is more about learning than being born with it.

You have to gather experiences from a young age, using your cuteness to get what you want so you can pull it out when you need it as an adult.

Jin Jangmyung has suffered from a chronic illness since she was young.

She has witnessed her family’s decline in real-time because of her and has only learned to endure and bear it.

She never even thought about throwing a tantrum or using charm to get her way.

“I’m going to sleep over.”

“I’ve told you many times, but national law is strict.”

“There’s no such national law.”

“In my universe, there is. Now, now, little one, it’s time for you to go to sleep. Every bit of height matters for your short stature.”

“Okay, Jangmyung is going to sleep over.”

At that, Qing’s eyes went wide.

What? This little one dares to refer to herself by name?

Of course, she jokes around with Jin Jangmyung all the time.

But this level of nonsense is just her typical dry quips, all wrapped in that unique sulky expression.

Jin Jangmyung’s face had turned red from embarrassment.

Qing looked at her blush and eventually gave a somewhat awkward smile, as if she had no choice.

She kept her distance from Jin Jangmyung solely because of age, but what if the kid was so upset that she started acting cute?

Oh, oh. I’m so embarrassed I could die.

“Fine. What kind of catastrophe would befall me if I let you sleep over for just one night? But it’ll be cold, you know?”

Jin Jangmyung’s eyes went wide at that.

“Huh, really?”

“I usually don’t forgive self-proclaimed names, but I’ll let it slide since you’re cute.”

For Jin Jangmyung, this was a huge step forward.

Maybe it’s okay to be cute sometimes after all.

“Come here.”

“Okay.”

But, of course, it was cold!

Jin Jangmyung was unprepared for the winter chill.

Since Tang Nan-ah’s only goal was to feel the soft and fluffy warmth of Qing again, she quickly gave up and ran off at the first sign of cold.

However, Jin Jangmyung endured.

She was shaking, and Qing let out a giggle at her misery.

“If you’re cold, why not go sleep at your place?”

“Ah, I’m not cold.”

“Could you stop your teeth from rattling while saying that?”

“I’m ch-chillin’.”

Jin Jangmyung replied through clenched teeth.

Qing snickered at that.

“Anyway, being stubborn just because you’re a little snot isn’t the way to go.”

As Jin Jangmyung was about to protest, she was suddenly enveloped in Qing’s warm embrace, causing her to widen her eyes in surprise.

Suddenly the world started spinning.

Qing held Jin Jangmyung and rolled her deep into the blankets, grabbing the fabric and then tumbling to the other side.

“How’s this? Feels okay, right? Lately, I’ve been sleeping like this every night.”

Jin Jangmyung’s heart raced as she froze in a salute-like position before Qing.

What just happened?

But it was so dark she couldn’t see a thing.

The blanket was snug and restrictive, making her feel trapped, unable to move at all.

How long had they been like this?

Then she heard Qing’s voice from above her head.

“Hmm. This reminds me of the old days. But why does the little one still look the same size?”

“Old days? Oh.”

Jin Jangmyung suddenly recalled memories from the past.

It was dark and cramped back in that tunnel.

Now that she thought about it, it was just as suffocating as before.

But there was something different this time.

Instead of the stinky smell from back then because they couldn’t wash, there was only the gentle fragrance of Xiangzhao (ancient quality beauty soap).

Every part of her body was clean, lacking the discomfort of dirt stuck to her skin, and the biting cold that had seeped into her back and calves was gone.

Her stiff body relaxed, leaning against Qing like a wet towel.

The vaguely strange and indescribable atmosphere she had hoped for among disciples and fellow cultivators didn’t exist.

But still, it was so comfortable.

It felt like there hadn’t been a moment of such comfort before.

In front of her parents, all she felt was guilt, so home was always an annoying place full of the stench of medicine, and although the members of the Divine Maiden Sect were kind, living without her own room meant she couldn’t fully let her guard down.

“Hey, little one. Is life in the Divine Maiden Sect treating you well? You’re not bullying anyone, are you?”

“…? Who would be bullied?”

“Who would bully the ‘little snake’ of this generation? All the seniors should be treating you like a darling. If you bullied someone for no reason, they’d probably bully you back.”

“Nope.”

“Really? Then that’s good.”

From what Qing had seen, there were more than a few disciples who had wrapped Jin Jangmyung in their arms, resting their chins on her head.

It was like that awkward moment when fathers of the same ethnicity finally get to be alone together and ask each other awkwardly how they’re doing.

Of course, that’s how Qing saw it.

Since she only had one father, she wasn’t sure about how other fathers would act.

(Choi Riyong might be a little upset if he found out.)

“I wanted to go with you this time.”

Jin Jangmyung said, a hint of regret in her voice.

She had been promised that when she got to a certain level, she could go sightseeing around the martial world with Qing, but this time she was turned down.

But considering the event was packed with the best young talents from famous families in the Central Plain, it made sense.

The sons of prestigious families were all handsome, after all.

The daughters of noble families usually had one fairy-like beauty among them, and their children would also be good-looking, creating a stack of beautiful fairies over generations, leading to a very visually appealing situation.

It was simply too dangerous to send an unguarded nineteen-year-old girl into a place like that.

“You said next time, right? Think of a place you’d like to go near here.”

“Then, the North Sea.”

Thanks to Seolga, Qing knew it was quite far.

“Once I reach the peak before I return this time.”

“Tsk. How about Hainan or Jushan?”

“Wherever it is, it’s an island, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we make a pilgrimage outside of the Central Plain?”

“Then…”

While chatting about this nonsense, before they knew it, Jin Jangmyung was softly snoring.

Qing grinned as she let herself succumb to the sleepy haze she had been resisting.

—-

Originally, big events in the Central Plain are planned with an ample time allowance.

This is because guests come from very far away.

The Martial World Tournament is held in Kaifeng, located in the northeast of Henan Province, while the Divine Maiden Sect is tucked away in the far western corner of Hubei Province.

That’s not a short distance.

But in the central climate, it’s close enough to brag about being neighbors among administrative provinces.

Besides, the roads are usually well-paved.

You can take a boat down the Yangtze River from Wuhan, pass through Xinyang, Ye Nan, and Hechang, stop in Zhengzhou, then within a few days reach Kaifeng.

These cities have existed since ancient times, dating back to when Yu Bi and Cao Cao and Sima Yi contended for dominion over the world.

Even in those primitive days, roads were properly constructed, so after being stomped on for years, they have become smooth, well-drained, and spacious enough that riding in a cheap cart isn’t uncomfortable.

So, Qing didn’t mind grumbling about being excited while finally leaving the Divine Maiden Sect after a winter that felt long after finishing her exams without any pressure.

“Have a good trip!”

As usual, leaving behind the enthusiastic send-off from the disciples of the Divine Maiden Sect, Qing embarked on her fifth year of martial world adventures.

Five years, wow!

Time flies.

Qing felt a strange sense of nostalgia wash over her.

However, time that has passed is often the most tedious and lengthy in life, yet it can also seem to pass in an instant.

“Take care, Physician!”

“I have to go home after this…”

In any case, Tang Nan-ah, who had firmly decided to tag along for the Martial World Tournament, wasn’t worried.

But she didn’t seem to mind the feeling of being enthusiastically sent off, showing a bittersweet smile.

After that, she headed into the city in front of the Divine Maiden Sect to find Gyeon Pohee, who she had left in a stable.

The stable, Seolga’s Shop.

Every time Qing came out to buy supplies for the Divine Maiden Sect, it hadn’t taken long before it grew into a proper manor.

It seemed the finest wisdom of the neighborhood had some insight into principles as well.

Qing accepted this, but in reality, this was also more or less a business establishment of the Heavenly Demon Sect in the Central Plain.

Even the capital came from the sect, and the goods handled were linked to the sect’s trade network, so Seolga was nothing more than a nominal figurehead here.

This was a terrifying economic invasion of the Central Plain by the Heavenly Demon Sect… or rather the product of Choi Riyong, who wanted to pile up gold to buy Qing something tasty, having raided the sect’s secret funds.

So the actual owner of the shop was Choi Riyong.

After waving at the shop employees—guards at the main entrance—Qing strode inside.

Then, in the center of the shop, the stunning Seolga, who was issuing orders to the workers, raised an eyebrow when she saw Qing.

Gyeon Pohee had described her with her limited vocabulary as looking like an older sister, and seeing her in real life, it was justified.

Instead of merely beautiful, she was strikingly handsome with her sharp features, and with her bangs out of the way, she looked like a chic young lady.

“Wow, Seolga, you’re getting prettier every time I see you.”

“Coming right out of the gate with insults, huh?”

“What about that guy? Is he doing okay?”

Qing looked around.

She clearly remembered that the last time she visited, Seolga was in a blissful love affair.

Then Seolga calmly replied.

“We broke up. No matter how much I think about it, I didn’t want a husband that was more handsome than me. I can’t live hearing that I’m the unattractive one compared to my husband for the rest of my life.”

“Oh dear. Hang in there. It wasn’t meant to be.”

“What would I need to muster strength for? Plenty of women find me charming.”

She was being sincere, which was a bit unfortunate.

However, when it came to charming women, Qing was also not short on candidates, so she just shrugged it off.

“Well, if that’s how it is, then that’s that. By the way, I’m headed to Kaifeng. Where’s your Uncle?”

“If I knew you were coming, I would have told you to provide notice ahead of time so that she can prepare. Should I just keep waiting for you, playing around all day? She’s out for work.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to play around? When is she coming back?”

“That would only apply to you. I think she’ll be back as soon as you reach the city.”

Qing narrowed her eyes at that.

“What? Did someone follow me? How did you know that the moment I hit the city?”

“Your group sticks out too much.”

Even if Qing donned a disguise, she was still just a regular girl, but Tang Nan-ah, who was with her, was miraculously known as one of the top five beauties of the Central Plain.

Despite acting like just another hot-headed youth and constantly sneaking glances at passing women, he still stood out as an incredibly beautiful person.

While Qing saw her every day, it wasn’t often they exchanged gazes.

It felt like they were the ones who thought their eyes were stuck where the chest was, too busy searching for more interesting things.

Regardless, Tang Nan-ah had an impressive, vibrant beauty that was hard to miss.

“What’s wrong? Why do I feel like I’m being looked at unpleasantly?”

“Nah, if you like it, that’s fine.”

“…?”

“Oh look, that worker, nice pecs.”

At the same time, Tang Nan-ah’s head whipped around.

“Huh? Where? Where?”

“Well-defined chest muscles, you know.”

Tang Nan-ah glared with fierce eyes.

Qing sighed.

From the start, she wasn’t exactly normal, but she definitely wasn’t the kind to humor this kind of chatter.

She was already worried about how this journey would go.

Gyeon Pohee was a bit of a simpleton, and all she needed to do was guide her well, but for some reason, even with her medical training, she was starting to seem more like a silly little girl.

Qing’s shoulders bore the burden of being the only sensible one.

---