Chapter 188

“As soon as Qing stepped onto the seventh floor, the first thing that hit her was how extravagant it was.”

It was a veritable collection of centuries of Chinese fashion history, with collared, neatly crossed garments and skirts tied at the waist, shirts that showcased the chest, and elaborate outer robes that had sleeves long enough to dangle.

Or the bright colors of outfits that exaggerated with a snug fit on the top, reaching just below the solar plexus—

In the mix, Qing spotted Jin Seol.

And there she was, rising awkwardly from her spot—

Wow. As expected. Unfailingly impressive!

I had faith in you, White Lotus!

Jin Seol had layered a vest over her top, her collar crossing below her solar plexus, revealing her ample bust like an actress at a hometown ceremony.

This was the early style of the Danhyung outfit.

Yesterday, it was forced up and poofy, but today it was clearly showcasing its natural state.

At this moment, Qing understood Tang Nan-ah.

Seeing it all, it was simply irresistible—ah, genuine impulse taking over.

However, being a rational person, Qing decided to keep those thoughts locked away.

“She’s really stripping down again….”

“What? It looks great. Isn’t it the outfit all women in the Central Plain should aspire to?”

“So, Qing, would you like to try it on? I can make you one…”

“No, why do you keep offering me things? And how could a Daoist wear something so revealing?”

“Hmph. You all walked around naked in the Divine Maiden Sect anyway.”

“What are you talking about? That’s slander against a fine person. The only time I’m undressed is when I bathe or sleep!”

“Most people wear clothes when sleeping…”

“Well, I’m not most people, I’m something special. Only high-tier experts take on unique sleeping methods!”

Qing uttered anything that popped into her mind.

Tang Nan-ah chuckled, having gotten used to Qing’s antics, and playfully slapped her shoulder.

Then, suddenly, a woman slipped right in front of Qing.

But why the distance? What’s going on?

She was up close, almost like fighters squaring off before a match.

It felt like the rush hour on a packed subway.

Isn’t this a bit too close?

With a tight grip on Qing’s hands, Gongson Yo-ye said,

“Ah, Young Lady Seomun. Did you get home alright yesterday? And did you sleep well last night? Oh, by the way, did you have a good breakfast? I hope you didn’t have any trouble on your journey today? I felt so grateful and sorry for yesterday… Ah, I just realized I never got to apologize, so if you have the time, I’d love to treat you tonight…”

“Gongson, take a breather for a moment.”

Qing halted the flood of words from Gongson Yo-ye.

Gongson Yo-ye stepped back in surprise.

“I’m sorry. I’m just new to making friends, so I didn’t know what to say, and I came prepared but got nervous and it became this long—”

Noticing she was about to ramble on again, Qing squeezed her hands and said,

“Gongson, I’m happy to see you too.”

“Oh… me too. Very much so. So this is how it’s done.”

With a little wildflower-like, somewhat distant smile, Gongson Yo-ye replied.

Then someone pulled their hands away.

“What’s this? What’s with this atmosphere!?”

“Ah, this is Gongson Yo-ye. Gongson, this is my friend, Nan-ah. Tang Nan-ah. From the Sicheon Tang Family, you know?”

Gongson Yo-ye’s eyes went wide in recognition as she mockingly imitated a man’s voice and mannerisms.

“Nice to meet you. I am Gongson Yo-ye. I have heard of your family’s reputation, so it is indeed an honor to meet you like this.”

“What? Why the sudden politeness…”

Tang Nan-ah whispered from behind Qing.

“Isn’t she a bit odd?”

“You can’t say that. Gongson is definitely inexperienced in this world. Apparently, she’s been in secluded training for ages.”

“Still, that’s no excuse…”

Just then, Gongson Yo-ye hesitated before slowly speaking again.

“But Young Lady Seomun, about that title, um, wouldn’t it sound a bit softer as ‘friend’? Something more casual like how that Tang lady addresses you, of course, I’m not pressuring you or anything, so no need for obligation… just a small thought from me—”

“Yeah, Yo-ye, is the pronunciation tricky? How about just calling me ‘Qing’?”

Formally, there’s a seven-year age gap, which is why she called her ‘Young Lady’ in the first place, but Qing never had an issue with age if someone wasn’t an adult.

Clearly, Gongson wanted to be more at ease with her newly found friend, and Qing saw no reason not to oblige.

“Oh! Yes! I’d appreciate that…”

“No need to say ‘appreciate.’ Just call me Qing like you want.”

“Okay. Is it alright if I still use ‘Young Lady’ sometimes?”

“Yep. I allow it.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you… Ah?”

Qing chuckled cheekily.

“Just call me Qing like you want. I won’t mind. When you’re with friends, you ought to feel at ease, right? If it gets uncomfortable, is that what friendship is about?”

“Ah. True. Young Lady Seomun feels a bit like an older sister to me. I don’t have an older sister, so it’s just a feeling. I guess that’s why I’m not used to being informal.”

“Oh. Right. That makes sense.”

Tang Nan-ah nodded from behind.

Qing smirked, feeling a bit proud of herself.

Well, it’s only natural since she’s a cut above the rest.

Jin Seol was still sizing things up.

Having just made up with Tang Nan-ah, she had no reason to be hostile toward Qing.

Of course, the grudge from the stomachache at the banquet was not something easily forgotten, but maintaining a relationship with a capable female physician she could lean on in emergencies couldn’t be bad.

Moreover, what’s this? She seems to have casually picked up a girl from Gongson’s family?

Even if she wasn’t much noticed by anyone, her skills were surprisingly impressive.

Amongst the stiff martial artists who would chastise women for being too friendly to men, she was certainly a solid representative.

But now, her demeanor had completely shifted to that of a sweet, obedient maid, casting curious glances and playful smiles; one couldn’t help but wonder what sort of magic she had woven.

Then came a thought—oh, she did say she was a disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect didn’t she?

If the entire sect was filled with women, they’d probably be in a continuous battle of wits! (Well, not really.)

This was truly a high-level player in the womanly games of life and politics! (Also, not really.)

At this point, Jin Seol decided to lay aside her pride.

It stung, but when up against a master, sometimes you just have to bow down.

Besides, she might even learn something from this cleverly executed dodging.

If by any chance they hit it off and formed an alliance, that would be even better!

With both arms held captive, Qing realized she couldn’t eat while stuck like this.

But if she let go of Gongson Yo-ye, she might be upset, and pulling away from Tang Nan-ah to eat would feel awkward.

What to do, what to do? While she pondered, a white gorge suddenly unfolded before her.

“Ahem, Young Lady Seomun, you only showed your face briefly yesterday, didn’t you? I wanted to chat, but I felt a bit let down.”

“Ah. Jin Seol.”

“Oh, speaking of which, you’re wielding two swords. Do you use dual swords? I’ve heard it’s a challenging practice.”

“Ah. I can do it, but I don’t use them much. Dual swords just aren’t my style.”

“Young Lady Seomun? It seems you can’t see, but are you looking at something? Your head seems a bit—down…?”

“Ah. Sorry. I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just you’re so beautiful that I got carried away.”

Jin Seol’s eyes widened.

And with a bashful demeanor, she started fiddling with her elbow, causing Qing’s eyes to widen too.

Whoa, what’s this? The gorge suddenly vanished.

Qing almost spaced out, but then snapped back to reality when Tang Nan-ah spoke up.

“Look at that! Didn’t someone say not to act all nonchalant about it? Seems like someone’s dying for attention.”

Normally people would mind their words so the subject wouldn’t hear, but Tang Nan-ah had never learned that lesson.

Jin Seol’s forehead twitched.

She had approached first to make friends, and yet here she was, treated like this.

But that didn’t last long.

“Well, that won’t fly. And what’s the big deal? It’s definitely something to brag about. What’s wrong with just looking lovely? Sorry, Nan-ah’s not the best with words; she can be rough around the edges, but she means well.”

“Really?”

“Jin Seol already knows that, doesn’t she?”

“Oh, absolutely. I know her very well. She’s quite the piece of work.”

“Hey! I did you a favor!”

“I appreciate it, but could you please speak a bit more kindly? You’ll ruin your goodwill this way. Here I thought you felt bad about the past!”

“Apologize? For what? And who do you think is handing out favors for checking your pulse? You’re not just any random person, right? Actually, I did throw in some kindness. Thank me!”

Tang Nan-ah suddenly blurted out, her voice shifting abruptly.

For someone who would rather die than hold back their words, that was quite a rare occurrence indeed.

“Ah. Let me introduce my friends. This here is Seorin from the Ha Won-seo Family…”

From there on, it turned into a pretty ordinary banquet.

Ideally, Qing would want to freely indulge her appetite, but representing the Divine Maiden Sect meant she had to live up to the standards of someone like Seomun Sulin.

Jin Seol, despite Tang Nan-ah’s brutal criticism of her lack of redeeming qualities, turned out to be quite nice.

After struggling to find common ground in the usual chatter, the conversation eventually shifted to martial arts topics.

The Gwangdong Jin Family is the origin of that famous Tai Chi!

Founder Jin created Tai Chi, earning widespread recognition, prompting passing Zhang clan practitioners to be so impressed they sought to learn its profound merits.

In time, the Zhang clan’s martial artist crafted a sword style based on Tai Chi’s principles, forming what became known as the Supreme Divine Skill of Tai Chi.

Incidentally, the Zhang clan settled on Wudang Mountain, establishing the Daoist Temple, which is now known as the celebrated Wudang Sect.

“So, the original Tai Chi is from our Jin family’s Tai Chi. However, lately it gets disheartening that so many people consider Zhang’s to be the original.”

Qing, curious, searched up Tai Chi in the Martial Arts Inventory, and suddenly results poured in.

With a red border, oh, is this it?

Qing quickly spotted the dazzling purple-bordered Tai Chi unveiling martial arts and closed the inventory right away.

After all, she had no interest in martial arts.

Unlike sword techniques usable with weapons, Tai Chi was designed assuming no weapons were in play.

Didn’t her master once say this?

Don’t even think about learning Tai Chi.

Your fingers were designed to grasp a solid object with four long fingers and one short one, so that was how the Creator fashioned human beings.

Thus, it was only natural to hold a weapon in the right hand while employing the empty left hand to support. Unless you intend to chant like those Shaolin monks, is there really any need to master Tai Chi?

And with that, it seemed peace had settled over the seventh floor.

While there were different factions, the White Lotus, Geomhwa, and Hyeonhwa formed the three biggest powers in the Phoenix Association’s ongoing triangular conflict.

But with Geomhwa and Hyeonhwa absent, it fell upon White Lotus to seize the title holder of the seventh floor.

And just as White Lotus reached out to Qing, it appeared as if all tensions would dissipate—

“Oop! I must’ve taken a wrong turn. Oops.”

With a voice full of vibrant energy, a woman climbed the stairs saying, “Excuse me, I seem to have come to the wrong building,” before turning back and descending.

What’s with her?

Qing tilted her head in confusion when suddenly a grinding noise caught her attention.

It was the sound of Jin Seol’s teeth clashing.

Qing grew curious about the noise, but quickly lost interest.

The earlier woman had returned up the stairs and exclaimed.

“Oh, yes! This is definitely the top floor of the Dragon and Phoenix Association. I mistook it for a brothel when I saw someone dressed like a courtesan attracting men with their exposed skin.”

“What the hell is up with that?! “

“No, who let a courtesan into this esteemed gathering of the Phoenix Association members? Oh! Wait! Now I realize, she’s not a courtesan but White Lotus! Hehe, my bad. I just mistook her for a courtesan from her attire. A proper lady wouldn’t flaunt her skin like that, so I must’ve gotten confused. Heehee.”

Whoa. What an insult. That was harsh.

Qing was genuinely impressed.

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