Chapter 197

청이, completely wiped out, just tossed Gongson Yo-ye into the guest room of Muchen Pavilion and hurried back outside.

I could feel the alcohol in my stomach sloshing around with every step, like waves crashing inside me.

If I’m going to fill up, it should be with food, not just water which makes moving around a pain.

After leaving the main gate of the Martial Alliance and walking for about half an hour, a familiar sign caught my eye.

Zhonglin Tavern.

In the regions of Central China, some places took pride in claiming they were the heart of it all, and Henan was definitely one of them, which is why there were so many places with “Zhong” in their names.

As I entered, I spotted Pang Dae-san at a table against the opened wall, wearing a straw hat.

I casually approached and plopped down a chair across from him.

“I thought I’d drop by to deliver a message just in case you were here, but it looks like you’re already here! Got nothing better to do?”

I figured later, when Pang Dae-san came looking for me, he might end up with nothing to show for it.

So, I thought about sliding a coin to the tavern owner to let them know I had settled in at the Muchen Pavilion.

I mean, with his face covered like that, he had a whole new lease on life and seemed to be enjoying sneaking around under his disguise.

“Did you pay your respects to the leader?”

“Yep! Got a marvelous accommodation too, at the Muchen Pavilion! It’s amazing, really.”

“The Muchen Pavilion?”

Pang Dae-san’s surprise was hard to miss.

The Muchen Pavilion was the guest hall reserved for the highest-ranking guests of the Martial Alliance.

And by high-ranking, I mean folks like royal family members, so it hadn’t been used much since the record of the Official Imposition of Non-Interference.

“Looks like you made quite the impression on the leader.”

“Well, the elders are fond of me. And my peers like me too, right? The young ones all go gaga over me, so you could say I’m loved by all.”

“Better leave the peers out of this. The more you know them, the harder the disappointment when you realize just how much more there is to be disappointed by.”

Pang Dae-san cracked a joke that was oddly cheerful for him.

“Hmm. I don’t get why my friends are growing increasingly stingy. Je-gal’s one of them, same with Nam. Even Swordmaster’s words have started hitting my ears twisted instead of sliding smoothly off my tongue!”

“Are you really asking why?”

If we’re talking about table manners, rude behavior, endless joking, and an inability to be serious—he mostly meddles in others’ business but has his boundaries when it comes to his own.

But as for me—

“I don’t know. But I’m going to keep not knowing, so you don’t have to explain.”

It’s just that if a person doesn’t seek to know, they naturally won’t.

Besides, it’s usually the case that when you’re less close, you build each other up, and when you’re closer, you tease each other down.

We’d grown quite comfortable with one another, so it must be time to start unearthing each other’s flaws.

“That’s a pity.”

“You look like you have a lot to say, but just spill it. Listening won’t change a thing anyway.”

“You’re boldly rambling nonsense.”

“See? I told you. It’s getting progressive. Maybe I should just ditch the old buddies and make friends with shiny new ones so I only hear good stuff.”

“That’s why you’re hearing nonsense.”

“What? Can’t a guy make a joke? Oh, by the way, I ran into Jo-hyung at the Dragon and Phoenix Association today.”

Qing giggled as she continued.

“Goodness, if you’re going to woo a lady, at least do it right! He has a meltdown every time he sees a pretty face. The funny thing is, he’s a beauty in every regard except his looks. How does that even work? Compared to him, Gongson’s little brother is a real heartthrob!”

“Gongson’s little brother, you say?”

“Ah, yes! I’m talking about Gongson Yo-ye’s younger brother; he’s naturally talented at charming the ladies. He follows around like a little puppy, handing out handkerchiefs, filling plates, and preparing the food just the way she likes it. He even looks like he’d feed her if she asked!”

Pang Dae-san’s eyebrows twitched.

Qing was hidden under a straw hat, and Pang Dae-san couldn’t see his own eyebrows, so he was unaware of this unconscious manifestation.

“Hmm. So, did you like that?”

“It’s comfortable, but still a bit overwhelming. You can definitely tell he’s dead set on charming her. He doesn’t seem like he wants to hide it at all.”

“Ha, so he must have shown his face at least? Like he did with me?”

“No? He doesn’t even know about my looks. I heard that his only friend is Gongson Yo-ye’s friend, and he wants to treat her like family. Hmm. He’s quite impressive as a younger brother, but as a guy, is it improper?”

“Hmm…”

“What’s with the ‘hmm’?”

But instead of answering, Pang Dae-san turned the question back around.

“So, was he good-looking?”

“Who? Gongson’s little brother? I mean, he’s handsome in a delicate way, really lean and close to being pretty instead of rugged. But his looks aside, he says things that give you goosebumps the instant he opens his mouth.”

“Hmm.”

“Those ladies really swoon over him. They talk about a warm white unicorn or a cold black unicorn or something. I guess they think the mountain is the black one.”

“Hmm.”

“What, have you just been sitting there holding your breath? When a person talks, you should chim in or something.”

“Chiming in, you say.”

Pang Dae-san seemed to ponder for a moment before throwing out an unrelated question.

“So, did you like him?”

“Well, I’d say as a friend’s little brother, sure, he’d pass. You’re kidding; he’s chasing after the lady just for his sister’s sake. Does he think something good’s gonna come out of it? I could say that’s a royal jackpot!”

“That’s not all there is to it.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The fact that he’s doing it for his sister might just be a cover. The Gongson Family has had a longstanding desire for something like this, and your status and connections must have caught his eye. Haven’t you become close with the elders of Gu family and the Five Great Scholars?”

“So you’re saying his motive is ulterior? But doesn’t that sound far-fetched? He’s coming at me with a covered face because he’s after my background?”

At that point, Pang Dae-san’s straw hat started turning slowly, side to side.

“Just because your name’s written with the Four Great Houses doesn’t mean you have everything wrapped up. If you want to reclaim a family name that was lost in a revolt, mere connections won’t do the trick. This time, he probably planned to bring in a son-in-law at the Dragon and Phoenix Association.”

Hearing that, it made some sense because Gongson Yo-ye had basically thrown her entire childhood and youth into her training.

I figured the people from that family wouldn’t have looked favorably on her being set free, especially not her successor.

In fact, Pang Dae-san’s assessment was spot on.

Anyone on the family line wouldn’t be free from the burdens of long-standing desires, so from Gongson Cheon-il’s perspective, beauty and appearance were never on his mind.

If anything, it would be nice to have someone who looks good, brings a fine background, and who can also provide good news for his unfortunate sister, who’s dedicated her short life to martial arts.

“If he’s kind to every lady he meets, there must be a reason for that. Unless he’s like Jo-hyung, who obsessively chases after women.”

Qing chuckled.

“Well, what of it? If that’s the case, he’ll surely treat a lady with respect. Whatever the motive, as long as they end up happy living together, who cares? But it’s not like Jo-hyung; that guy’s just a bit creepy.”

“Trying to woo a lady strategically, in the end, it all boils down to a purpose, doesn’t it? If a marriage is formed and the background disappears, will they just throw it all away?”

“Hmm? What’s that about? That’s up for the parties involved to deal with, not us! Oh, wait a minute. Do you know Seoliri? The one who’s Bing Seolhwa’s friend?”

“Talking about a strategic marriage and somehow making it work is something those looking to gain will say, isn’t it? If the parties involved are not aware, isn’t that a recipe for unhappiness?”

“Hmm. I see, Mountain’s views on love are surprisingly conservative. But are we really going to keep talking about this now?”

Conversations are meant to flow naturally; if you forcibly cling to a topic, it just ends up rotting like a stagnant pool.

Qing had switched topics to Jo-hyung, rolled it into Bing Seolhwa, then back to the topic of strategic marriages.

It made me wonder if there was a specific knot he was tangled in.

“What’s the matter? Did a strategic marriage come up in your family? It’s one of the elders’ duties to nag about marriage, after all.”

“The Pang Clan’s marriages are entirely one’s choice. It may be different for the other clans, but they won’t worry about it.”

“Oh wow, so you’re saying there’s a confidence that you can just marry anyone whenever? I mean, that’s not entirely wrong. And it seems the early birds aren’t hearing marriage nagging either. Wait, does that mean Mountain’s single? He has a total aversion to ladies, right?”

“That doesn’t mean you should leave the position of clan head empty.”

“True, I suppose. But don’t worry, there will be someone for you too. They say even straw sandals have their pair, so surely someone will be drawn to Mountain, not just for his face but for who he is.”

“Instead of waiting for that, maybe… no, never mind. What about you? Despite talking about others like this, haven’t you ever thought about marriage?”

Qing waved her hands dismissively, saying not to bring that up.

“Don’t even say that. Can’t you see? Mountain, Swordmaster, Je-gal, Chang-bin—they’re all friends who keep their distance from women! If anyone treated me like a man, ugh, just thinking about it makes me feel awkward.”

“Hmm.”

“Plus, right now, I’m barely keeping things together. I mean, ugh. Yeah, that’s right…”

Qing’s voice dropped off.

Living in the Martial World had already been five years.

Except when faced with a disgusting toilet, I hadn’t thought much about the conveniences of modern civilization; I felt I’d fully adapted.

Moreover, right now, it was good.

Maybe even more than my life before leaving.

So enjoyable that I’d almost forgotten the feeling.

But how long could this last?

What if I opened my eyes right now and said, “Ah, familiar ceiling?”

Would it all just turn into a grand dream from the night, locked away as a secret memory I never dare to share?

Suddenly, my mind went blank, devoid of any thoughts.

Qing just sat there, absentmindedly wiggling her fingers, intertwining and untangling them, scratching at her nails, wiping her palms together, gently feeling the table…

Before I knew it, my palms felt moist and sweaty.

A telltale sign of unease.

“Hey, Qing? What’s going on?”

“Oh, uh. Yeah. Kind of. What were we talking about again? Hmm. Yeah, it’s just… feeling a bit off, you know?”

“Are you alright? You seem really out of it. If there’s a problem—”

“No, no. I’m fine. Just… yeah. No, I really think I should head in early tonight.”

“…Are you sure?”

That’s when Qing let out a long sigh.

Human emotions are complex, so when there’s something to avoid, we sleep it off.

Those ancient Flat-Nosed folk saw sleep and death as brothers. A person can only forget their troubles and find peace while sleeping or dead.

That’s why Qing kept sleeping.

Eat and sleep, then sleep again whenever there was an opportunity. Even at night, she’d just sleep again.

When awake, she’d chat with friends or chew on something—if not, her eyes would simply close.

She shouldn’t have done that.

She should have been swinging that sword around.

The first crisis was mere luck, and what nonsense was this about transcending the peak?

After clearing out this god-awful status screen, she shouldn’t have waited until later to sleep.

And that status screen, it should normally tell her what to do, right?

Just tossing a person off into a corner of the Central Plain and letting them figure it out for themselves, how the hell was I supposed to know what to do?

So sure, I guess it’s annoying.

Qing, her pale complexion revealed beyond the mask, clenched her trembling hands tightly.

“It’s just a bit complicated. I think I’ve gotten a bit lazy lately. I was thinking maybe I ought to swing my sword until I’m too tired to do anything else.”