Chapter 193

Before Young Lady Qing even stepped into the Dragon and Phoenix Association’s banquet hall, she spotted a woman lingering at the entrance.

The moment she saw Qing, her previously expressionless face brightened with a shy smile.

Gongson Yo-ye approached Qing hurriedly, moving quickly but without running.

“Young Lady Seomun, are you well today? The weather is quite nice, isn’t it? On a cool day like today, what do ordinary folks do? I really don’t know much because I only practice, so I apologize…”

“Hey, calm down. What’s with the stuttering? I’m glad to see you too. There’s no need to make a big deal about greetings.”

“Oh, um, I wanted to introduce someone… Would you mind if I asked about that?”

What? Is she seriously asking for permission to ask if it’s okay to ask?

Isn’t that just an endless loop of ‘Can I ask?’?

When Qing tilted her head in confusion, Gongson Yo-ye visibly fidgeted and glanced around nervously.

“Who is it?”

“It’s the younger brother of the Divine Maiden…”

“What? You have a brother? Where is he?”

“Well, it’s Cheon-il.”

“Yes, sister.”

Then, as if waiting for the cue, a young man stepped forward.

He shared a striking resemblance to his sister, making them look like duplicates.

Gongson Yo-ye, with her plain face devoid of makeup, had a beauty that could easily fuel the hearts of men, and her younger brother was just as charming, a pretty young noble.

“I’m Gongson Cheon-il. I’ve heard many stories about you from my sister. It’s amazing to finally meet a real person like you. Thank you for being friends with someone like me.”

As he greeted her, his movements were grand and elegant, like an actor on stage.

Even the simplest gestures were performed with such poise, making them a delight to behold.

“I told you I’m real, didn’t I?”

“Hmph. Isn’t this like falling off a cliff and discovering a stash of secret manuals inside a cave? In the end, it’s not like you did anything; this person just became your friend. They’re practically your lifelong benefactor!”

“Ugh. I know.”

Qing tilted her head again. What’s going on? Something feels off.

“Oh dear, I apologize. I’m just a simple lady lacking worldly experience, but I humbly ask for your guidance.”

As she flashed a gentle smile, the handsome young man grinned back, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. Am I sensing some flirtation here? Qing chose to withhold judgment for now.

“Gongson Young Master!”

“Ah, it’s Young Lady Yeon. Have you reconciled with your friend?”

“Thanks to you! So, uh, if you don’t mind, would you like to join me for a meal sometime?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Ah…”

“I should have suggested it first. I’m such a fool for making you bring it up. Would you please forgive me?”

“Uh, yeah, um, if that’s the case, then… maybe next time…”

The Young Lady Yeon’s face flushed bright red as she stumbled over her words and bolted away.

Following that, similarly, Young Lady Cheon and Young Lady Yoon made their exits, while Young Lady San-young rushed over to Gongson Cheon-il, only to hiccup and quickly step back when she saw Qing.

This guy… he’s really good at toying with people’s feelings.

“Oh, Swordmaster!”

“Oh! Swordmaster has arrived. And Gongson Young Lady is here too. Ah, let’s have a delightful duel today!”

“Later. I haven’t even eaten yet. By the way, this is Gongson Cheon-il, the brother of Gongson Young Lady. And this is Swordmaster Namgoong Shin-jae.”

“The Namgoong’s Sword King Namgoong Shin-jae!”

Isn’t that a bit too much praise?

“Haha, I’ve decided to change my alias from Sword King to Passionate Swordsman now. I’d appreciate it if you referred to me as Passionate Swordsman.”

If the Sword King heard that, it would be absurd to even consider. It seems he doesn’t want to carry on that title anymore – what a surprise!

“Oh! Passionate Swordsman! Just hearing that name makes my blood boil. Is there a story behind it?”

“Well, Swordmaster over there was inspired by my fiery passion for swordsmanship and came up with it. After hearing that, I decided to adopt it as a title for life.”

“Isn’t the nickname usually given by others?”

“Didn’t the Swordmaster name it? You’re qualified as a Sect Leader level elder, you’re certainly worth it.”

“But now that you mention the duel…”

“Why? Is your blood boiling? Then let’s do it right now.”

“No, I’m just hungry. I woke up late and only had a few rice balls.”

Those rice balls refer to a type of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed.

They’re uniquely shaped like a triangular cone.

The fillings vary, some have savory meat or sweet red beans.

“How many did you eat? Exactly how many?”

“Only five. Those with lamb, goat, chicken, and duck eggs were tasty. The ones with red beans were just too sweet.”

“Eating five already and still complaining of hunger?”

“Nah, six. The duck eggs were so delicious I had to eat two.”

At that, Namgoong Shin-jae’s expression darkened.

His voice was filled with concern as he asked.

“Are you alright? If you’re still hungry after eating that much, there must be something wrong with your body. You should go see a physician right now.”

That’s two rice balls and a full bowl of steamed rice.

Coming back saying you’re still hungry after eating six is something even a pig would feel shame over!

“I’ve always been told I’m healthy, you know? But yes, I can eat more than I even realize.”

“Don’t worry, Young Lady Seomun. Being a big eater is indeed one of the three treasures of the body, so it’s rather a blessing, isn’t it?”

“Oh, thank you for saying that. I guess it’s true since everyone keeps telling me to stop eating…”

Finally settling down at the dining table, Qing was just about to sit down in her chair.

“Excuse me for a moment, Young Lady.”

And Gongson Cheon-il placed a handkerchief on Qing’s chair for her.

“Gongson Young Master? Is this how you treat women? You might stir up some misunderstandings, so it’d be wise to be careful.”

“Misunderstanding? Young Lady, would it truly be a misunderstanding?”

And he flashed another bright smile, confirming Qing’s suspicions.

Ah, now it feels more certain.

This guy is totally trying to flirt with me.

This is why I prefer to cover my face.

Wait a minute, I’m already covering my face?

Gongson Yo-ye still hasn’t seen Qing’s bare face.

It’s common knowledge in the martial world that a woman who covers her face has her reasons.

What with Gongson Yo-ye being the type to fumble her speech every time she requests something, it seems impossible for her to ever ask Qing to show her face.

But still, who doesn’t want to know each other’s faces as friends?

Today, even with such boredom, Qing had planned to invite her to Muchen Pavilion to unveil her face a little.

“Gongson Young Master. You can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right to tease a lady you haven’t even seen.”

“What use is beauty? Your sister complimented Young Lady so much last night that it wouldn’t be strange for me to have feelings for her qualities.”

At that, Qing turned her head towards Gongson Yo-ye.

She was bowing her head deeply, but the redness in her ears told the whole tale without needing confirmation.

“Gongson’s kind intentions are appreciated, but due to personal circumstances, I’m not interested in matters between men and women. I hope you can find another suitable young lady.”

“Is that so? But isn’t it true that feelings don’t just disappear that easily? I’ll keep it in my heart, so please don’t feel burdened by it. Just remember me when your heart changes one day.”

Yikes.

Qing grimaced.

Such are the perks of covering your face.

No one can tell what kind of face you’re making.

So, after finishing the meal, she decided to split and head to the seventh floor when Gongson Yo-ye couldn’t hide her apologetic look.

“Young Lady Seomun, I, uh, I’m sorry. I got a bit too carried away. I just thought of you as my sister, so I wanted to connect with you like family, and then my brother said something about that wish, and I genuinely didn’t know it would turn out like this. Please don’t be offended or upset…”

“Calm down. It’s fine. Still, your brother is quite kind. Wanting to treat a friend of his sister as family, but plotting with someone you don’t even know if that’s good or bad? Hmm, is that being kind? Or should it be seen as impolite?”

Qing felt quite confused.

Now that she’d avoided the friendly little brother and was on her way to the seventh floor, an eerie quiet settled over her chatter.

Completely unconcerned, Qing’s eyes gleamed as she scanned the area.

White Lotus, where art thou!

Where is Teacher Jin Seol, the pioneer of extravagant attire?

Jin Seol was renowned in the Martial World for her stunning beauty, so finding her wouldn’t usually take long, but it seemed White Lotus had not arrived.

However, she had already spotted two individuals; on one side was Mo Yong Joo-hee, and on the opposite was another striking beauty she hadn’t seen before.

Since Qing typically had someone to explain things to her, a question naturally slipped out as if in contemplation.

“Hmm? Who is she?”

“Indeed, who might she be?”

But Gongson Yo-ye was a total novice in the martial world; she didn’t even know much about the Jianghu.

With two clueless people, neither would know anything regardless of how many eyes they had between them.

Just then.

“Oh my, Young Lady Seomun!”

Someone exclaimed pleasantly, prompting her to turn around only to discover Mo Yong Joo-hee coming near, beaming brightly.

What? There’s no way she’d greet me. Was she perhaps a Great Hero?

Could it be, a Young Lady with the heart of a dragon despite lacking the physical aspects?

“I owe you an apology for my rudeness yesterday. Upon reflection, it was entirely my fault. When we meet again, I must properly make amends.”

“It’s alright. We agreed to forget about it.”

“But can we just let it go like that? As fellow female warriors, wouldn’t it be more fitting to clear the air as proper warriors?”

What’s this? Is she suggesting a duel?

Does she think she could win with a swordfight?

As Qing pondered this, Mo Yong Joo-hee continued.

“By any chance, do you enjoy drinking? Throughout history, heroes have drowned their sorrows in a drink. Isn’t that the warrior’s way? Please don’t refuse; let’s enjoy some drinks and get to know each other, shall we?”

“Drinks? I do enjoy them.”

Qing replied, her answer rushing out not from her brain but straight from her spine.

Mo Yong Joo-hee’s name uses the characters for pearl and lady, but in this context, “lady” is a refined title rather than merely identifying her as a girl.

The Divine Maiden Sect serves the goddess Mu-san, whose name is Yo-hee.

In ancient times, we referred to the Emperor’s daughter as Wang-hee and the princess as Je-hee. As such, “lady” provides a more elegant and beautiful interpretation than just “girl.”

However, friends of Mo Yong Joo-hee often joked that the name should actually contain the character for “alcohol,” since she’s a major drinker.

“Major drinker” refers to chugging down liquor without a second thought.

A single “major” roughly refers to around eighteen liters (610 fl.oz), about thirty cups of traditional Korean iced Americano in size!

Thus saying she’s a “major drinker” means she drinks that much.

Historically, it was believed that a man’s ability to detoxify his liver was proportional to his character—though this was exclusively for men, of course.

But if a woman drinks too much, they are simply deemed careless fools.

That’s why the youkai legends always sought the livers of men instead of women.

But somehow, Mo Yong Joo-hee wasn’t one of those women throwing herself around with notions of ‘men are superior and women are inferior’ as a reflection of her character (there’s a different warrior for that).

Drink too much and you’ll mess up?

So what if I downed some booze—it ensures I make proper mistakes!

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