Chapter 225

“The winner is, Disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, Seomun Qing!”

In response, the jeers came pouring in again.

Qing couldn’t help but chuckle beyond the veil.

Looks like my odds were high again.

I don’t really have a superiority complex or anything, but it’s clear that ordinary common folks couldn’t possibly grasp my martial prowess.

And they didn’t.

During the previous contest, Qing hadn’t shown anything, while the independent warriors had performed like champions in a revolution, so the bets on Qing this time were high.

Of course, it wasn’t as high as before, and though some still placed bets for fun, I felt the actual content of the matches was a bit lacking.

They only clashed swords once, and unlike Dorai-man, whose movements were unbelievably sharp, Qing was busy pretending to be all graceful while mostly defending.

Then, Dorai-man suddenly charged forward as if handing over the victory.

Though, naturally, if coincidences keep happening, you’d start to suspect they aren’t coincidences, and many wondered if the Sword Mistress had real skills.

But in the Central Plain, the Western Regions, this barbaric medieval era, or even in modern times where people claim it’s not barbaric, there was no need for a reason to insult an ugly person.

Someone would start jeering first, and then when someone who lost money joined in, the rest would think, “Oh, I guess that ugly girl must have pulled a stunt.”

While the announcer shouted for silence, Qing jumped down the passageway beneath the arena.

She quickly glanced back and then bolted away with a swift technique like the wind.

“Dao Hero! Can we chat for a bit?”

“Hmph! Young Lady Seomun.”

Dorai-man, who was returning to the opposite waiting room, noticed Qing and took a stance. He then looked a bit awkward before speaking up.

“You showed great generosity, but alas, the public sentiment is not good, and I feel quite ashamed.”

“You really shouldn’t feel ashamed, Dao Hero! There are still many matches left, and soon they’ll recognize her skills.”

“You have a lovely heart. Hmph. It’s not that I have any ulterior motives—”

“Oh? Are you trying to feel ashamed again? It’s fine.”

Qing waved her hand dismissively.

Then, she grabbed Dorai-man and got to the point.

“I may not know much about martial arts, but your Dao method doesn’t seem to be based on the extreme finesse, does it? Am I right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. But why bring that up…?”

“Well, here’s the thing.”

Suddenly, I found myself at a loss for words.

I had caught him off guard, but now I didn’t know how to proceed.

It wouldn’t make sense to ask, “What evil deed have you been up to?” or, even if I tried to ask it indirectly, “Have you done anything bad?” seemed a bit awkward.

If I’d passed him the hundred points, maybe I would’ve given him a good smack for it, but I was just four points short.

That’s when it happened.

“Ugh…!”

Dorai-man doubled over, his body bending like a sickle, and he let out a sound that would make anyone uncomfortable.

Fortunately, apart from a long string of drool, there wasn’t anything too nasty coming up, just a severe heaving, really.

“Dao Hero. Are you okay?”

“Ugh, it’s fine, I’m fine, ugh.”

But it was obvious he was in rough shape.

Qing gently patted his back.

Should I go fetch a physician?

But leaving him like this didn’t feel right either.

“I’m feeling okay now…”

“Are you in pain? Do you have any underlying conditions?”

“No, it’s just…”

And then he hesitated, glancing at Qing, sighed deeply, and finally asked.

“Young Lady Seomun. Where’s the line between elixirs and not-elixirs?”

What? Why are you asking me?

“Um, I’m not too sure about that.”

“Indeed, I met Merchant Shintu.”

“Oh?”

Qing’s eyes widened.

Of course, since she’s covered, her expressions don’t really show but hearing that unique sound Qing makes is enough to make anyone laugh.

“Ha ha, Young Lady, you’re surprisingly cute! Oh! Please don’t get me wrong, I just thought you were, well, more… graceful.”

“Actually, I was just pretending to be elegant. Looks like it worked. So you met Shintu?”

“Yes. And he gave me this pill.”

He then pulled out a small vial from his robe, revealing two bright red pills inside.

Uh, isn’t that a bit suspect? Just looking at it gives me the creeps.

“They say it’s from the Parasitic Sect. Do you know it?”

“Nope. Is it famous?”

“It’s a pill that temporarily floods your being with Qi.”

“Floods Qi? Would that mean it uses up your lifespan…?”

“Exactly. You trade your lifespan for a brief power boost. But since you’re drawing from yourself, it puts a heavy strain on the body.”

“Ah…”

According to Qing’s hometown, it’s akin to a doping substance with side effects.

But is it really doping? You’re saying you’re using your own lifespan, doesn’t that just sound evil? Is evil karma building up or something?

Qing had no clue about the rules of the Central Plain, being new to the martial contest.

Is this illegal? Evil? For such a shady act, he sure is candid about it.

“Are you disappointed?”

“Um. I don’t really know. Is there a reason to be disappointed? But doesn’t it not matter?”

If Qing was at home, in modern times, she could have condemned it as doping.

But this is the Central Plain.

Using a boost-in-strength elixir would allow you to confidently hold your head high, and aren’t those pills just a clever trick to survive momentarily?

Dorai-man stared blankly at her.

“You don’t seem like a martial arts prodigy from a noble family. Oh, don’t misunderstand—”

“No, it’s fine. I used to be a wandering ronin until my master took me in. That was just a little while ago, maybe four years.”

“Ah, I see.”

Dorai-man then smiled softly, took out one pill, wrapped it in his handkerchief, and handed the vial to Qing.

“I’ll give this to you, but don’t use it during the contest. Normally, you’d be accused of cheating.”

Qing understood the whirlwind paths independent warriors took.

Looks like they all took pills to compete, huh? That explains the high karmic burden they carry.

But is that really evil?

Is the karma tracker being way too stingy?

But setting that aside, why give it to me?

“So why are you giving it to me?”

“It’s called a rescue herb. If you’re in a tight spot or facing a life and death match, it’ll surely be a great aid.”

“Oh, right.”

Considering it’s a contest, I totally didn’t think about that.

Sure, it’s better to use up a bit of my lifespan than lose my life.

“But isn’t this a precious item?”

“I received it without any particular cost. Merchant Shintu offered it as a gift, saying something like, “How about stealing victory once?”

Maybe he was selling that tonic after all?

But why?

If I’m curious, I could just ask.

It’s not like I’m a stranger to Shintu.

If I had to say, I’m kind of inheriting from him, which sounds a bit harsh but that’s the truth.

So shouldn’t I just rely on my master instead of grabbing that last pill?

But Qing didn’t even have a chance to decline.

“Well then. I’ll be going.”

“Ah, okay. Take care.”

Dorai-man left with an overly polite bow.

He looked so carefree as he walked off.

And just like that, my karma dropped—what now? Why am I down fifty points again? Did revealing the doping count as fifty? Is that how it works? Or was it giving me a pill? That counts as fifty too?

Karmic build-up is tough, but good karma is like getting rations for a feast.

Even if you cut down a villain, that’s barely a sliver of karmic points, so getting fifty requires chopping down five thousand points’ worth of foes.

What the heck?

—-

Now that my turn was over, Qing left the contest area and found a quiet spot by the serene canal to snack away on some treats.

Just then, Cheon Yu-hak quietly settled down on the opposite chair.

“Ah. Master, you’re here.”

“Well, I came here to see you, didn’t I?”

Cheon Yu-hak had his own mysterious means of tracking his disciple down, so it wasn’t a surprise he’d show up alone.

And appeared as if that was only natural.

“Right. Oh, by the way, Master, didn’t you mention selling tonics?”

“Ahem, cough, cough. Who said that?”

“It’s kind of obvious since someone has been talking, right? Out with it.”

Qing offered the vial forward.

Cheon Yu-hak opened the vial, squinting suspiciously.

“What’s this? An elixir?”

“They call it from the Parasitic Sect? It was given to me.”

“Ah, Parasitic Sect. I have a few pills made by them. I totally forgot to hand one to you. I’ll bring it next time. But what? Who gave it to you?”

Cheon Yu-hak continued to feign ignorance as Qing recounted Dorai-man’s tale.

Upon hearing it, Cheon Yu-hak’s expression grew grave.

“That’s strange. I never gave any. Who the hell had the guts to impersonate me? What? Steal victory?”

“Sounds just like something you would say, doesn’t it? It seemed plausible.”

“It would have been fun, but no, that’s not me. Hmm… Why didn’t I think of that?”

Cheon Yu-hak finished saying that and pondered for a moment before suggesting,

“You’re close with that Tang girl, right? Can you ask her to look into this? We need to confirm if the pills from Merchant Shintu are legitimate.”

“And what if they are?”

“If they’re legit, then keep them. If they’re suspicious due to Shintu’s name, we need to retrieve them. This isn’t a matter for just anyone—what’s at stake is Shintu’s honor!”

“Hehe…

Qing had no words left, so she smiled innocently and changed the topic.

“Oh, Master. About the Yulryu Yeonryeon training, could you possibly do that tomorrow?”

“Training? Well, that’s not incorrect to call it. But don’t we have a few more days of rest ahead?”

“I think we should do it as close to the next contest as possible. And besides, I’m in good shape.”

“Come on. Just because you’re fine doesn’t mean it’ll be fine instantly. You’ll make me work overnight just to teach you. Is this okay? You seem to have a shaking look in your eyes.”

“It shouldn’t be worse because of the Awakening Skills, right?”

Cheon Yu-hak snorted a laugh.

“Sure, your skin’s sensation may be heightened, but how about your joints and tendons? It still hurts the same.”

“Even if you were just saying it to ease the pain, can’t you at least pretend it won’t hurt as much?”

“If I lie, you’d just blame me. The fact you’re asking for help means you’ve got a bruise or two.”

I can’t escape training, even if I said it hurts; nor can I avoid new learning when my body is perfectly fine, trembling or not.

Training means overcoming pain and gaining strength. Just look at the folks back home; they train themselves with the harshest pain tending to be like torture.

Plus, Cheon Yu-hak’s sessions were as exhausting as they come. A disciple ducking out just because they were feeling a bit sore wasn’t a real disciple, anyway.

What about the master’s thoughts if a disciple were to wimp out of training just because they felt hurt?

So, Qing figured she should keep at it, insistently push through, and better get it over with.

That was her conclusion.

There was also this tiny waft of confidence in her heart.

After all, wasn’t she the one who had adapted incredibly well to excruciating pain over the past five days?

Now, pain was becoming a minor nuisance for her. Just a slight irritation, if anything.

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