Chapter 208

Qing’s eyes narrowed.

“As far as I know, there’s only one person who barges into someone else’s Guest Hall without courtesy, right?”

“Of course! That sneaky Geomhwa must be the one!”

“No, it’s you. I’m talking about you.”

What bothered me more was the fact that this kind of feeble trickery had become incredibly common.

What, is it so typical for ladies to tear each other’s clothes apart?

“I tried it, but wearing clothes with a dagger just didn’t work out.”

“Why would you even do that?”

“Exactly! Why would anyone do such a thing…?”

If the dagger had been just a tad less sharp, this wouldn’t have been such a meticulous task.

But then again, they called it the Qing Jade Dagger.

True to its name, this renowned blade would slice through fabric at the slightest hint of tension, as if it were just a little tug.

In the end, I had to maintain an angle where the fabric didn’t have any tension against the blade and gently pull it with the point of the dagger.

But since the point was incredibly sharp, more often than not, the fabric would pierce through and graze my hand.

And when I extracted it, the cut fabric expanded even more.

Having wrecked one outfit, I practiced all night to finally succeed in getting dressed.

“By the way, who said I would go out like this?! What do you take me for?”

Then, Tang Nan-ah screamed.

“Qing Ah! You can’t go out like that! Any movement and you’d be fully exposed!”

“…? Of course I’m not going out like this. What on earth do you think I am?”

“But, you run around naked in the Divine Maiden Sect. It seems you have a hobby for showing off! And even in your sleep! Ah! Don’t get me wrong! The White Lotus also walks around with her chest exposed! I can totally get it! Right! It’s nice to look at! In fact, it’s welcomed! Thank you!”

“What are you talking about? And when have I ever walked around naked in the Divine Maiden Sect? I was wearing clothes, you know? Clothes that my master personally made for me!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re right, Qing Ah. Everything you say is correct.”

“This is irritating…”

“Ah! But please don’t go out like that, I’ll be back quickly.”

“Hey!”

Tang Nan-ah left in a huff, leaving me riled up.

Hemp and coarse fabric were the most affordable materials in the Central Plain. Thick and rough, they weren’t exactly comfortable against the skin, but they had the advantage of being sturdy and durable.

For reference, hemp is made from processing hemp plants.

Anyway, managing hemp garments was quite a task.

Once they got dirty, it wouldn’t come off. And if creased, they left marks like a folded metal, making them hard to smooth out.

Thus, the people of the Central Plain devised a way to cope with it.

It’s hard to manage?

Then just don’t manage it!

It won’t come off when dirty?

Then don’t wash it!

That’s why hemp clothing was usually just thrown on, worn until it fell apart and tossed aside—typically work garments.

No washing, just wading it around in water to dry.

Thanks to that, after a couple of years, they’d be black and creased, so if you see ancient paintings with people in shabby clothes, it’s likely made from this hemp fabric.

Consequently, Qing’s mood lightened considerably when it came to wielding a blade while wearing such nonchalantly worn hemp clothing.

Additionally, with a relaxed mind, the fabric itself being sturdy and coarse made it easier for the dagger to catch onto it, making it more comfortable to wear.

So, Qing had a remarkable transformation and, within just half an hour, managed to put on a hole-free outfit.

Considering I had practiced all night and had only managed to wear the damaged suit twice, this was quite an accomplishment.

Feeling pleased and thinking it was no big deal, Qing then remembered it was time for breakfast.

Still, breakfast only consisted of dumplings with vegetables and soup, so it wasn’t as dire.

The dumplings were easy to lift up with a dagger and shove in my mouth, and the vegetables could be grabbed in clumps.

As for the soup, well, lifting a flabby hunk of meat with a dagger was no big deal, so a rigid bowl was nothing.

Though a regular person might tremble from the weight, Qing could eat soup using just her fingers.

That said, despite her strength, it didn’t mean there wasn’t effort involved, catching the attention of Tang Nan-ah who finally chimed in.

“Can’t you eat more comfortably?”

“Aside from eating and getting dressed, I have nothing else to do but train. If I dodge the difficult stuff, I’ll never get anywhere. In time, I’ll adjust.”

It’s hard to argue against the original notion.

But for the listener, it tends to feel a bit unfair.

For example, if a friend says something like, “Why are you dozing off with your book open? You should read at least a line from the sages before sleep,”

You wouldn’t have anything to retort, but you’d get annoyed. What do they even read that they can say that?

Equally, Tang Nan-ah’s expression soured.

Since when were you so dedicated to training that you had to fuss about it over breakfast, especially in the morning?

But even though Tang Nan-ah was dissatisfied, there wasn’t much she could do about it.

Because just like yesterday, if she sulked and left, she’d just be taken advantage of later.

So after breakfast, I headed to the training ground, leisurely stretching and practicing my forms, while having a random chat with Tang Nan-ah who was sitting bored with her chin propped up.

“Oh, by the way, Nan-ah, do you know Seoliri, the Young Lady?”

“Huh? Bing Seolhwa? Sure, I know her. But I only know of her and don’t have any close friends. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I just saw her the other day and thought she was a beauty. You know, did you see the tear mark under her eye? It gives her an elegant impression…”

“What are you talking about? You’re in front of a beauty and seeking another beauty? Come on!”

“I can’t believe you’d call yourself a flower stand, right?”

“Why? I’m the poison flower then. If I’m holding flowers, aren’t I a flower stand?”

As I was engaging in silly chatter with Tang Nan-ah, Namgoong Shin-jae, who always arrived first without fail, came over.

“Swordmaster? Hmm. Are you in mourning? Let me express my condolences.”

“What’s with the sudden funeral vibes?”

“I thought you were wearing mourning attire. Is life really that dire?”

“I’m not wearing these because I’m broke! I wore these as an extension of yesterday’s training. Hmm, but I appreciate the kind thoughts.”

“I’m not sure how effective this training is, but let’s check it out!”

“Sure! I’m going in first!”

Qing charged right in.

Since the goal was to pursue a soft attack style, solely defending would be of no help.

Qing bent her arms in closely and flung them outward creating a semicircle.

Namgoong Shin-jae immediately blocked her path, and for a moment, Qing’s wrist twisted as the blade edge brushed past each other.

Simultaneously, Qing supported the blade with her left hand and pushed it forward.

“That’s good!”

Just as she shouted, a gap appeared!

Qing’s eyes sparkled as she executed her move.

This was the Moon Lady’s form, *Muayouhu*.

Like a carefree child playing with a monkey.

Hmm? Is that truly refreshing? If it’s a child and monkey, doesn’t that feel a bit frantic and dangerous?

“Ugh,”

At that moment, all the strength drained from Qing, and she struggled to breathe. Suddenly, her cheeks were covered with fine dirt from the training ground.

“Huff, huff, huh, phew, ah, huff.”

Desperately, Qing gasped for air.

If the solar plexus got hit by a stick, even human endurance would drop, rolling onto the floor.

“Hmm, Swordmaster, was that too gentle? You could’ve just gone all out instead of trying to mix softness. It turned into a half-hearted attack.”

“Ahh. Doesn’t it get too harsh on your hands as it gets softer…?”

“Ah, Swordmaster, no need to overdramatize it. You’re fine! Get up, Swordmaster.”

While Qing didn’t have any broken bones or terrible muscle strain, she helped Namgoong Shin-jae up. Her breathing had normalized but with every inhale, her entire torso felt sore.

“But that first strike was excellent. Transitioning from a strong attack to a gentle offset is truly a remarkable technique—almost a living art of balance.”

“Hmm. Is it really effective?”

“Well, you’ll find out more as you keep practicing. Now, Swordmaster, isn’t there time for this? Life is short, the sun is setting even now.”

The phrase about the sun setting in the morning felt a bit odd, but it wasn’t wrong.

And thus, it was twenty wins versus twenty losses.

This time, it was a clean loss.

However, Namgoong Shin-jae’s assessment was different.

“Clearly, that peculiar training seems to be bearing fruit. I need to get myself a well-sharpened dagger, or rather, a gentleman like me shouldn’t wield a dagger—I’ll stick with a long sword.”

“But you just lost?”

“Yeah, that’s because I can no longer stand by and let you feel superior.”

“So you’re saying my swordsmanship has improved that much?”

“Not quite. I just can’t give you any leeway anymore.”

“Does that really need to be said…?”

As Qing grumbled, Namgoong Shin-jae chuckled gently and gave his observation.

“You were so focused on adding softness to your forms that you exposed a big gap. However, aside from that, the principle of flowing from strength to gentleness has already set in. Your stance is definitely different from yesterday, meaning that training worked.”

The sound of wooden swords clashing had easily decreased, hinting that the concept of transitioning strength into gentleness had started to settle in Qing’s hands.

Then Pang Dae-san arrived along with Pang Choryeo, and Qing continued to struggle on the training floor.

But now her odds against them were slightly better, so it seemed that training did have its effects.

Just as lunchtime approached, Qing was heading towards the bath to rinse off the sweat and dirt.

“Tsk tsk, you look rather disheveled.”

“Ah, teacher! You’re here again?”

Yesterday, Cheon Yu-hak had plopped himself down, and this time, he was lounging with a mat under a shady spot.

“So, how has training been treating you? Not too tough, is it?”

“Ugh, don’t even mention it. It took me three hours just to finish eating.”

Qing sighed, venting her frustrations.

Cheon Yu-hak burst out laughing.

“Well, that’s because fingers require such delicate work. There are five on each hand, and do you think it’s easy to substitute all that with just a sharp object?”

“It’s hard, I guess…”

“From what I see of your attire, it looks easier than cotton, yet you seem to have given up. Ha ha, if so, then let me teach you a few tips—”

“Actually, I wore it with a dagger.”

“Huh? Kid, don’t lie in front of the adults.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Oh? Really? Can you swear on your master’s life?”

“Yes. I did waste about five outfits, but somehow, I managed to get it together.”

“……”

Cheon Yu-hak was momentarily lost for words.

The method he taught was never meant for this.

Initially, he hadn’t given the Qing Jade Dagger, a knife renowned for its keenness.

Of course, while he had been able to achieve all sorts of things with it during his training, when Cheon Yu-hak began, he had started with a blade that was almost dull, holding a dagger no longer than a finger.

Only after becoming accustomed to it did he gradually refine the sharpness and extend its length.

Did the Qing Jade Dagger even have an average sharpness?

At the time Cheon Yu-hak trained, it was still unused, making it far more difficult than what he had faced.

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