Chapter 229

I’ve been sizing up the situation, starting from appearances.

At that moment, Cheon Yu-hak pulled out some paper and charcoal, sketching away, fine-tuning the story a bit at a time.

“Uh, you were an artist? You really went all out for this. Miss Seomun must be more serious than I thought.”

With that, the warriors’ gazes turned warmer.

Honestly, who in this world would bother taking care of a ronin?

Usually seen as cheap swordsmen resorting to banditry when they weren’t lined up to duel, these independent warriors couldn’t help but be sensitive to a tiny bit of kindness.

Even though she’s a bit lacking as a disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, Qing’s still a skilled woman from a distinguished clan.

When she ran straight to the Martial Alliance to spill the beans about them, it wasn’t surprising she’d move their hearts. Of course, they’d feel touched by her concern, thinking she didn’t want them to lose out.

“Heh. I’m always sincere,” Qing replied, effortlessly taking the praise.

Meanwhile, Cheon Yu-hak’s eyebrow twitched as he drew a portrait, but it definitely wasn’t the time to start with insults here.

Each person had slightly different stories, so the credibility of the witness accounts for the drawing wasn’t that high, just like with the Blackspots.

But unlike the rushed testimonies of the Blackspots that were barely worth a few coins, these independent warriors were genuinely invested. After tossing out a stack of papers, they agreed on one solid portrait.

“Hmph. It’s just an ordinary pig nose…”

The illustration only featured one distinguishing feature: a snub nose. Besides, the warriors couldn’t recognize anybody from the drawing, so Qing naturally didn’t have much insight into this either.

“For now, that scoundrel will absolutely show up again in front of you.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Um… because criminals typically return to the scene of the crime?”

“Indeed!”

“Miss’s brilliant deduction shines through!”

A chorus of admiration erupted from the crowd.

The well-trained warriors had completely fallen for it.

Now Qing could say just about anything, and they’d eagerly clap and agree.

Let’s be honest, independent warriors are basically a bunch starved for a bit of affection.

“That’s true, but you folks are practically already at their mercy. For the Parasitic Sect, something expensive like this must mean they’re not just looking to rob you. They probably want to coerce you into some dirty deed,” Qing added.

The warriors’ faces darkened at that.

They suddenly realized how reckless it was to have taken those dubious medicines handed out by that Merchant Shintu.

But even if the genre shifted back into the realm of ronins, their decisions wouldn’t be that different.

The eagerness of the upcoming martial arts competition showed that.

Desperate actions taken by eager people are just an invitation to be played with by others.

“It’d be nice to catch them, but it might be dangerous. So don’t be reckless. Here, everyone take one of these. It’s Follow Fragrance; you all know what that is, right?”

Qing distributed the small bottles that Cheon Yu-hak handed out.

“When we meet again, just sprinkle it on them discreetly. No need to spray it all over their face; just a bit on their pants or something like that.”

That was the conclusion they reached.

If they come into contact again, they’ll smear Follow Fragrance on them.

Even if one person fails, multiple tries should succeed at least once.

Then they’d rush in and catch them afterward.

Then, through smooth cooperation, they’d uncover their motives and whoever might be backing them, making sure no secrets slip out.

It sounded a bit flimsy and definitely lacked detailed planning.

Yet for Qing, it was a surprisingly brilliant idea, and everyone would stand up to show their respect.

“Uh… but, about that.”

The chair-ruler—no, the chair-ronin Wang Nofil cautiously opened his mouth.

“But if it suddenly gets dropped all at once, wouldn’t the guy get suspicious and be on guard? It’d seem weird if he suddenly started acting out after reaching a high position like the Sixteen Peaks without taking any medicine…”

Qing’s assertiveness faltered a bit after that.

“What? You plan to be eaten by the Parasitic Sect? What’s that supposed to mean? Are you asking to get beaten up?”

One more pill would push their suspicion over the threshold.

From being a dumb and unfortunate fool used by others, he’d turn into a dumb and unfortunate victim instead.

“Then if we get some of those other Parasitic Sect guys…”

“Don’t ask my permission for that. Just use your judgment. But if you roam around asking for it at inappropriate places, won’t anyone notice? It’s probably better if people suspect the one who didn’t take the medicine. After all, he’s bound to show up again asking why he didn’t take it.”

Qing sighed deeply and responded.

—-

There’s really only one person to show this portrait to.

“Je-gal, do you recognize who this is?”

“Hmm. Is this some sort of test? Uh-huh.”

Je-gal Lee-hyun stared at the portrait for a while and then suddenly snapped his fan shut.

“Oh, do you know who it is?”

“I don’t know. A visual likeness isn’t that trustworthy. But this definitely isn’t the style of an artist. The lines are too… distinctive.”

Je-gal Lee-hyun was still just an intermediate player.

He could easily rattle off names or titles if prompted, but guess who it was from a drawing? Not a chance.

“What’s with the fan being snapped shut?”

“Big sis. I can at least snap a fan, right?”

Je-gal Lee-hyun replied with a beaming smile.

Qing tilted her head, puzzled.

What’s the deal with that?

Though it wasn’t the kind of situation that called for an atomic bomb, he was indeed hailed as one of the most promising muscular men in the famous Je-gal clan.

Finding the person who sprinkled medicine wasn’t exactly an urgent matter for Qing, nor a lifelong vendetta that needed to be solved.

Struck by some bad guys in view, she thought, “I should track them down and deal with them,” but not with that zealous intensity.

As a winner of the upcoming martial arts competition, she had no desire to see her reputation drag through the mud either.

So she wasn’t exactly on the lookout for bad apples.

Thus, while preparing for the competition, mixing that with the thrilling sting of blades against flesh, she somehow found herself standing at the Sixteen Peaks.

Her opponent at the Sixteen Peaks was someone Qing recognized.

“…Hwasan’s… request…”

Come to think of it, it was Chang-bin, who was invited to Muchen Pavilion yet never showed up.

Despite being on somewhat friendly terms, she had thought they could have a bit of a chat which now felt like a lost opportunity.

Qing chuckled and greeted him.

“But Chang-bin, why haven’t you dropped by even once to say hello to the elders? I made sure to let you know about it.”

The tension faded from Chang-bin’s expression amid their laughter.

“Well, that’s… um, a bit awkward, right? Visiting the quarters where a lady’s staying, you know… heh, it’s hard to avoid, uh… bad rumors.”

Chang-bin fumbled through his justification.

In a nutshell, this was it.

‘Not easy.’

“Oh. Sorry! I didn’t consider that.”

Qing hadn’t realized Chang-bin’s delicate feelings when it came to women, turning him into a total coward.

If she had dragged him out by raiding Hwasan, he might have come along willingly, but telling him to visit was like asking a shy person to make an appearance.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Chang-bin replied in a weirdly ambiguous tone and then came rushing in behind her.

In Hwasan, they write the character for ‘flower’ as ‘flower’ (花) to convey beauty, but in Qing’s hometown, they use the same character for brightness.

But the actual Hwasan is just a ridiculously steep rock mountain, notoriously recognized for being the most treacherous of them all.

Even though the rock looks like a flower, it shows that the ancestors of the Central Plain had eyesight akin to blindness.

So the black blades of Hwasan resemble that so-called ‘flower,’ which is actually a cliff sharp as a blade.

As Chang-bin’s sword twirled alluringly, white-pale sword energy danced like flowers blooming everywhere.

The sword energies drifted as if riding the wind, with the real severity somehow hidden in the gorgeous display.

The blade, which had been smoothly weaving through the air, suddenly crashed down like lightning.

The beautiful swordplay that danced like petals was merely a distraction; without focusing on the sword, one could lose their head in an instant.

*Clang!* Qing met the blade with a crash, disrupting the onslaught.

Once she knocked his sword away, Chang-bin’s movements gracefully returned to a calm flow.

“Are Hwasan’s martial arts a bit sneaky?” Qing pondered.

The gracefully swaying sword movements were a skill they had truly experienced during their practice fights.

As Chang-bin ebbed and flowed like a willowy branch, he suddenly grounded himself heavily.

Hwasan’s Seven Steps, the Seven Star Move.

As Qing took a step back, she leaned her torso back.

A couple of times, the Plum Blossom Seven Cuts narrowly missed Qing’s shoulder.

But the flowing energy of the petals swept toward Qing all at once.

Hwasan’s martial arts blended illusion and transformation seamlessly.

The previously captivating plum blossom petals were a mere diversion, yet they were also razor-sharp blades themselves.

Finally, Qing’s iron sword formed a large crescent, igniting the sunset behind her as the weakened petals melted away, disappearing in silence.

Then Chang-bin’s sword shifted again.

Executing elegant maneuvering, he traced branches of the plum tree with precise strokes.

The lingering sword energies were a hallmark of Hwasan’s style, now resembling a blooming plum tree stretching its arms toward Qing.

But suddenly, Qing noticed a pulse revealing itself.

Just why did Hwasan’s sword techniques seem overly detailed? The old man’s remnants were distinctly clear amidst the torrents of swirling sword auras.

“Everything’s related.” The common thrust of a third-rate sword cut through Chang-bin’s plum branch like bamboo.

Chang-bin jumped back in surprise, widening the distance.

“How?”

There’s a method of omitting words between respectful and informal speech. When Chang-bin posed that question, Qing couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Quite well, huh? Now, pick it up!”

“I will.”

Chang-bin’s face lit up as he rushed in again.

Ultimately, the joy of pouring everything out in a competition is what it boils down to.

The arena bloomed briefly, danced wildly, and seemed like it was falling to the ground. But then, rising like an unexpected spring breeze in late May, it fluttered again.

Finally stopping, Chang-bin graciously bowed and said, “Phew. I lost.”

Having displayed all of the Plum Blossom Seven Cuts and the Fourteen Moves of Hwasan, he wore a content expression.

“Winner, Disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, Seomun Qing!”

This time, a decent cheer erupted.

Naturally, for it was a splendid battle gleaming with amazing martial arts.

Knowing Chang-bin was aware of Qing’s skills, he had decided not to hide his own, and so Qing had also brought forth her sword energy.

For the common people, witnessing a duel between master swordsmen was a rare spectacle that couldn’t be seen during ordinary times.

And on top of that, given the flamboyant style of Hwasan’s martial arts.

“Follow the Sword Lady! Follow the Sword Lady! Follow the Sword Lady!”

The cheers were, indeed, loud, but the contents were somewhat… Curious, even though they used the same words as before, the feelings underlying them were more friendly than anything else.

Of course, Qing hadn’t paid any mind to it earlier and didn’t bother afterward.

As she jumped down to the arena floor beneath the martial stage, Chang-bin timidly approached her.

“Um. Seomun Young Lady? Don’t you mind? There doesn’t seem to be a reason to hide that beauty of yours…”

“It’s not like I’m hiding it. But don’t you think it’d be awkward to suddenly say, ‘Oh, I used to be a great beauty’ now that I’ve hidden it?”

“That’s true, I guess…”

“No, wait. If you want to be casual, then be casual. If not, then don’t be. Aren’t you going a bit back and forth?”

“Well, it’s just that you’ve become a total elder on the hierarchy, and the idea of being casual feels a bit… complicated…”

Oh, the delicate feelings of Chang-bin, who found it hard to drop the formalities yet also wanted to maintain a certain distance.

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