Chapter 190

Mo Yong Joo-hee was just flapping her lips.

It felt like anger and shame were boiling over like hot water, rising up to her neck, making it impossible to speak for fear that only hot water would come out instead of words.

With that heat filling her chest, all she could do was struggle not to make any choking sounds.

“You, sniff, dare… sniff…”

Not just the little brat from the Mo Yong family, but even her older sister was small and thin, petite enough that her face was no bigger than a palm, with particularly large eyes glistening with tears.

Seeing her like that naturally made me feel a bit sorry, wondering if Qing had gone a bit too far.

However, the disrespect shown towards the Divine Maiden Sect was clearly crossing a line.

It wasn’t just any old robe; it was specifically crafted by Master for a disciple with long limbs and a thicker torso than most women. But more importantly, all the disciples of the Divine Maiden Sect wore the same attire.

What kind of tattered clothing is that? What a sight! I almost spoke but knew that if it reached the level of comparing it to a beggar’s, the backlash would be obvious.

It was a grave offense that, as Qing, I simply couldn’t let slide.

“Young Lady Mo Yong, it’s best you watch your words. While the Divine Maiden Sect might not be among the greatest of the Eight Great Sects, there’s nobody who dares to speak ill of its disciples.”

In truth, it wasn’t because the Sect was particularly powerful, but because of the presence of Seomun Sulin, the Best Female Martial Artist.

More accurately, it was the high status of Seomun Sulin’s disciples that earned respect, not merely because they were seniors in the Divine Maiden Sect.

There are hierarchical levels even within sects, so the Divine Maiden Sect was merely a small Taoist temple, much lower ranked than the Eight Sects which include factions like Hyeongsan Sect or Mosan Sect.

It was widely known as a mystical sect for women, but in other words, without that, there would be nothing left.

“You’re going a bit too far, aren’t you?”

“You’re right, that’s just too much!”

Seeing Joo-hee’s shoulder shaking, her friends rallied to defend her.

In fact, hearing Qing’s words didn’t feel like it was about someone else, that’s why they were angry and sad together, clustering around to comfort her, the scene was quite heartwarming.

“Joo-hee, it’s okay. We’re here for you.”

“These old hags have no humanity. They don’t even see us as women. You know? We’re all we’ve got.”

“Sniff, sniff…”

Amid their warm comfort, Mo Yong Joo-hee finally burst into tears.

Actually, giving comfort at such a time isn’t much different from the action of slapping someone to make them cry.

It’s like pouring dried leaves onto a fire.

Qing scratched her head.

Ah, here come the tears.

From what Qing observed before leaving, fights among women were typically judged based on two criteria.

One, who can deflect criticism better.

In their verbal sparring, the key was not to make direct attacks.

It had to be presented in such a way that it sounded like it came out of concern, and getting angry would instead portray you as the odd one out, this roundabout way of fighting was crucial.

According to some unspoken rule, the one who gets angry first is considered the loser in these fought-out rounds.

And secondly, who can appear more pitiful.

Or who is more of a victim.

In fact, the first type of battle is as common as breathing in women’s social circles.

So much so that the lines between a greeting and an attack were blurred to the extent of sounding like this:

“Hey, how’s it going? Wow, what’s this? A new outfit? You look really pretty today! Are you heading to that emotional pub again today? I’m kind of over that—men chatting you up and all.”

This is because stating you have a bad relationship with someone allows you to gather your allies and clarify the enemy, which is just the basic strategy of war.

At this moment, if you’re not careful, you get labeled as a bat and end up as a target for both sides, so you must strategically join the side with better odds.

The true battle was the complete war, the match to see who could appear more pitiful.

They were competing to see who could play the victim better, making it crucial to burst into tears at just the right moment.

If you cry too suddenly, it might look like you’re forcing it, and the moment you become a laughing stock, defeat is sealed.

So the trick is to cry right when someone thinks, “Wow, that was indeed too much,” and then—bam! The tears flow!

However, according to some unwritten rule, once one side cries, a serious judging happens, so you have to be cautious.

Just like now.

“Why is she crying after always starting stuff?”

“Ha! I knew that girl would eventually get it for messing with the wrong person.”

“She runs around like a loose cannon, calls men perverts, but when she sees that Oki-rin, she’s all sweetness and flattery.”

This friendly demeanor was precisely why she emphasized her kindness before this all-out war.

The sudden appearance of a fatigue reliever might mean the opening of battle.

If you cry without earning empathy, you just become the laughingstock.

Qing, skilled in the art of balance, read the atmosphere.

“Oh, Young Lady, I’m really sorry. It’s just that the robe made by our Master is really precious. When it was called trash by someone who wouldn’t even wear it in poverty, I got a bit emotional. Please forgive me?”

Listening in, Jin Seol felt a chill down her spine.

Whoa, I didn’t say anything that harsh.

Mo Yong Joo-hee also snapped to attention.

“That was made by my mother!” attack.

If she didn’t come to her senses quickly, she could end up as the villain who insulted someone else’s family.

“Uh, uh, that was not—”

And with that, her vision darkened.

If she says she didn’t mean it that badly, it would indicate she did say something bad in the first place.

“Looking closely, that fabric seems pretty high-end, um, yes, a truly remarkable robe made with care. I’ve made a mistake in my observation.”

“Oh. A mistake. Anyone can make a mistake, you know. I’m really sorry not to realize that. Please forgive me for my misstep. So, how about we just forget about this since we both made mistakes?”

“Y-yes…”

“Everyone heard that, right? You all heard nothing, didn’t you?”

Jin Seol felt a bit of regret.

Wow, she really let that pass here.

She could have completely banished them from the Martial World Tournament.

Since there was no reason to provoke further foes, and for her sister’s sake, this seemed sufficient.

“Oh no, did I ruin the atmosphere? I think I should step back a bit. Young Lady Jin Seol, see you next time?”

“Oh! Yes! Take care on your way in.”

She even went ahead and stepped back first.

Not wanting to solidify any narratives about her, she left with the graceness of a generous victor.

On the landing, Tang Nan-ah said,

“But still, isn’t it a bit too pitiful? Isn’t this too much? Now it’s outright hostility.”

“I thought Young Lady Jin Seol didn’t get along, but looking at her, she seems to pick fights with anyone with a big chest. If I think about her getting on my nerves in the future, I’d better set some ground rules now.”

That was Qing’s reasoning behind her blunt remarks, aimed at putting some pressure on.

If left unchecked, they’d become cocky and cross the line even further.

This type is prone to resentment when someone else has what they lack, growing a grudge like a thorn lodged in their heart.

It was a lesson learned from Qing’s experiences.

Before entering the Martial World, Qing drove the most popular mid-sized vehicle in her hometown.

Her uncle, who had a significant land price increase, got an imported car, and her cousins turned up their noses at the older model, resulting in it falling to Qing.

What a steal!

However, some young production workers were having convulsions seeing her in such a size.

Among them was a particularly mean Mr. Park—

“Oh, you must be doing well? Does no one save nowadays? Enjoying life to the fullest, huh? Gotta be nice driving a nice car around with the ladies?”

Despite being older, Qing held her tongue.

But as their remarks escalated, she eventually exploded back with detailed descriptions about her car.

“Oh, absolutely! It’s great! You wouldn’t know since you’ve never driven one. You should get one for yourself. It’s mid-sized, so the ride’s a whole different story. Other cars make you shake left and right, it’s unbearable! Haha, they call it reverse perception, you know? If you ever plan to test drive, don’t, the reverse perception is real!”

Eventually, after that, the altercations hit the boiling point, leading to Qing reporting to the responsible official, resulting in everyone dropping the argument entirely.

And henceforth, all the troublemakers vanished.

“Elders, you’ve arrived.”

Descending to the lower floor, the young Taoists stood clumsily, trying to be polite as Qing, unfazed, said.

“You don’t have to be so formal. I’m just a young girl, so please take it easy with me.”

With that, the young Taoist warriors relaxed slightly their tense expressions.

In truth, it’s hard to deal with a little girl flaunting her status, which makes it preferable to consider them as just difficult younger siblings, not to mention that it was rather strict to say, “Hey, you’re young, so let’s be pals.”

Thus, unless Qing brought it up, they had no choice but to regard her as an elder.

“Um, Swordmaster. Seeing you now, I can tell you’re a true Daoist. Cheng-bin, isn’t this Swordmaster so much harder to differentiate, given both are women?”

“Cheng-bin is a mix of both, I think. Cheng-bin, what do you think?”

“Ahem, I say my young lady is an elder. She might be a woman, but I wouldn’t know how difficult that would be.”

Looks like their journey made them somewhat more comfortable?

In fact, it was less about traveling together but mostly because Qing exhibited so much masculine charisma that they felt at ease, but who could read Cheng-bin’s thoughts, right?

Qing grinned mischievously, introducing Gongson Yo-ye.

“Oh, here’s Gongson Young Lady. And this is Cheng-bin, from Hwasan Mei-Hua Sword Style.”

“The legendary Cheng-bin, is it? I’ve already heard of that great name! As a fellow swordsman, what a blessing to meet you! When can we exchange techniques, would you share your profound insights?”

“…”

Cheng-bin’s face turned beet red, overwhelmed by Gongson Yo-ye’s polite flattery, only managing to nod.

“Oh! Young Lady’s words are truly remarkable. Indeed, as swordsmen, we ought to meet face to face and put our skills to the test! Swordmaster, your group is indeed extraordinary!”

“Because it’s the Swordmaster,” Qing nodded.

Ignoring Tang Nan-ah’s mumbling about herself, Qing proceeded with the introduction again.

“Yes, this is Sword King Namgoong Shin-jae. Though his skill as Sword King is lacking, his passion for swords is unmatched across the Central Plain. Truly, a passionate swordsman.”

“Passionate Swordsman! What beautiful words! From today, I must change my title! Such a much better title than Sword King! Every word from Swordmaster tugs at my heartstrings!”

“Um.”

Due to Namgoong Shin-jae’s boisterous exclamation, Gongson Yo-ye lost her chance to say anything.

“I took a look around, but it seems the Dragon and Phoenix Association isn’t my style. I’d rather move than sit here. Swordmaster, how about a duel after a long time?”

“I was just about to say that! You were acting all feminine, making it tough for me to say. But you’re right, Swordmaster; this bond we share through swords is truly unique! Come on! I have a bunch of new wooden swords.”

“You brought wooden swords?”

“Of course! Isn’t it common sense? Just a tad left behind with some of the servants, they should be resting just ahead so I’ll fetch them quickly.”

And then he dashed off excitedly, disappearing around the corner at the staircase.