Chapter 254

She was frozen, mouth agape, her eyes darting back and forth like a lazy frog waiting for a fly to stroll in.

Then, Mucheondae suddenly raised his voice.

“Hey, you! Child! You!”

“Uh? Is something wrong? Oh no, is it too damp to spread?”

“No, I mean, do you know Sanskrit?”

Sanskrit is tough.

It was initially a script used by monks, and if we’re talking about monks from Tianzhu, those are the nobles who treat everyone like livestock.

And when I say livestock, I don’t mean that in a metaphorical sense. In fact, if a commoner even touched a monk, they could be executed for defiling that ‘sacred’ role.

So, the language of these monks has to be special. It was deliberately made obscure so that filthy beasts wouldn’t dare to read or write it, hence the complexity of Sanskrit.

First off, there are no spaces. Not only that, but every letter in a sentence is connected, meaning the basic forms change based on prefixes and suffixes.

This leads to an incredibly convoluted system of transformations with different verbs and tenses for every subject, and nouns, verbs, and adjectives all have separate forms for masculine, neuter, and feminine, as well as singular, dual, and plural forms.

And let’s not forget that it’s a phonetic script, meaning you have to write it exactly how it sounds when spoken.

For example, if you wanted to swear in Sanskrit saying “You’re acting like a complete fool,” you’d end up writing “ni-ga-jo-kka-chi-gu-rat-jana-jo-kka-ne.”

So they say it takes ten years to speak correctly, ten to read, and another ten to write.

Thus, monks from Shaolin only start studying Sanskrit once they have gray hairs.

And then here comes this twenty-year-old girl, who can eloquently master it? That’s a shocker.

Maybe she’s a princess from Tianzhu?

Those big, round eyes seem to suggest something there, right? Or maybe not?

But clearly, her snow-white skin couldn’t possibly identify her as such.

“Oh! Am I not allowed to use Sanskrit? I mean, I did put annotations in every sentence…”

She wrote the original text in Sanskrit and left annotations in Chinese.

Sanskrit has distinct and clear shapes, making it less confusing, while Chinese characters appear as if they’re alive, bustling with energy.

The small characters looked as crisp and even as if they were typeset, which is quite a marvel in its own right.

However, while the content could be skimmed through gradually, Mucheondae frowned.

“You didn’t write your name on the manuscript?”

“Do I really need to put my name on it? It would be awkward if an outsider’s name were plastered through a heritage passed down through generations, right?”

As she said this with a cheeky smile, Mucheondae felt a fleeting embarrassment.

He had been seriously contemplating whether he should request a plaque for his name to be recorded as a benefactor of Shaolin, while she genuinely didn’t care at all.

“Well then, write this down. ‘Disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, Seomun Qing, shares the learned skills with Shaolin for restoration.’”

Mucheondae shoved a fine brush and a portable ink pot towards her, urging her to write.

Against this relentless insistence, Qing began to write, while Mucheondae gazed in rapture at the unfolding scene of her splendid calligraphy.

When she received the written work, Mucheondae adjusted his robes and knelt down to receive it with both hands, bowing respectfully.

Qing, taken by surprise, mirrored the gesture, and for that moment, it felt truly solemn.

“Here, the Great Elixir. I only brought one this time just in case of emergencies. I’ll send the rest through someone to the Divine Maiden Sect later.”

“Hehe, why are you giving me this…”

And yet, Qing neatly tucked it into her robes. Then suddenly, a thought struck her.

“Ah, right. I heard women aren’t allowed in Shaolin…”

“Are you longing to visit Shaolin? However, regulations are strict, and it’s not something I can bend,” Mucheondae replied with an apologetic expression.

But rules are rules.

No matter how great a benefactor one may be, he couldn’t entertain breaking the most significant regulations of Shaolin.

“No, that’s not what I meant! What about Jeolgeumbyeok? Can women see it?”

“Ah, you want to see Jeolgeumbyeok? That won’t be a problem. The Great Master Mucheondae carved it separately from the temple, meant for that very consideration. Come whenever you wish to see it; someone will guide you.”

This lifted Mucheondae’s spirits.

Since Shaolin rests on the northern peak of Mt. Song, women can come and go at the southern peak without issue.

It wouldn’t make sense to forbid women in the broad expanse of Mt. Song.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Nothing at all. It’s only right that I show the promising talent of Zhengpai some of our legacies.”

—-

The Martial Alliance’s Military Department is where the brains of the Martial Alliance gather.

Traditionally, a military role would be someone leading troops with warfare tactics and political strategy, but given the current era of peace in the Martial World, that’s hardly necessary.

So, it ends up being a bunch of smart folks handling paperwork for the Martial Alliance.

The head of the Military Department is the Grand General of the Martial Alliance.

Under the Grand General lie several officers, including military advisors and deputy generals, and below them are also deputy military advisors and military secretaries.

Currently, the celebrated deputy military advisor of the Martial Alliance? None other than the infamous Sama Chun-bong!

‘Jin-nang-hyeon-hwa’ translates to ‘the wise flower with a wisdom pouch.’

She was a woman renowned for her extraordinary intelligence, claiming to hold all the wisdom in the world in her grasp.

According to the Dragon and Phoenix Association, her confidence was so pronounced that it was a bit much to handle, making her unpopular with certain factions.

And really, her name sounds so quaint.

However, regardless of the Dragon and Phoenix Association’s politics, the Military Department had similar assessments.

They frequently nagged that her pride went overboard. The difference was that the Military Department treated Sama Chun-bong like a daughter or younger sister.

Still, while they might think her name’s a tad quaint.

Sama Chun-bong didn’t accept their criticism of her pride. She believed she had never once boasted in her life.

She was merely extraordinary, and it was just too much to be humble about!

That’s the glimpse of a genius!

It’s not like common folks could grasp the brilliance of a genius.

So today, the young prodigy and extraordinarily beautiful (her opinion) Sama Chun-bong worked hard as the next youngest Grand General of the Martial Alliance (again, her opinion), doing all sorts of tasks she hadn’t even been told to do.

One of these was the investigation into the series of murders in Gaebong District, caused by the chain reactions of Queen Solitude’s suicide bombings!

Sama Chun-bong was convinced this was a grotesque conspiracy deployed by some hidden force to plunge the otherwise peaceful Martial World into sorrow!

The deputy military advisor of the Martial Alliance called out to her, as she was lost deep in thought.

“Hey, Chun-bong. Finished rearranging the seating for the finals?”

Sama Chun-bong suddenly spun her head around.

“Oh my, a butterfly?”

“Did you finish it or not…”

“This summer is going to be sweltering. The butterflies are already so lethargic; this heat will surely plunge the world into mourning!”

“Ugh. This chick. Did you finish the seating arrangement for the finals?”

At long last, she pretended to listen attentively.

“Oh my, did you think such trivial tasks would occupy my valuable time? Already done! You can check it!”

“Is that so? If you’re done, can you help with the win-lose stake redistribution or at least withdraw? Why are you just sitting around?”

“Deputy General… I’m trying to dig up more dirt on the series of murders in Gaebong District.”

“I told you to drop that! Don’t you have better things to do? Go to the Dragon and Phoenix Association and mingle with your peers! Make some friends so people won’t ignore you!”

“Hmpf. It’s not that I don’t want to mingle; it’s that a phoenix shouldn’t flock with sparrows!”

“That’s elitism.”

“Elitism? I’m just a down-to-earth genius, of course, the less intelligent ones wouldn’t recognize that.”

The deputy military advisor sighed deeply.

“Chun-bong…”

“Oh dear, the leaves are already wilting. This summer is going to be brutal.”

“Sama!”

“Did you call for me?”

“If you’ve got nothing to do, go wash your feet and take a nap.”

At that, Sama Chun-bong shouted back.

“Hey! I’m the one who said I’d check out the series of murders! It’s me! The illustrious Grand General Sama! The unparalleled brain!”

“Such a griping child. It’s an awfully selfish thing to say, especially when the Grand General is perfectly fit!”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Either way, let’s wrap this up. The Martial Tournament is at its peak—what’s the point in poking into this?”

“Yet! There are hidden forces behind this!”

“We already revealed it’s the Blood Sect…”

“There’s a grand conspiracy!”

“But they already vacated and withdrew…”

“This is a chance to solve it and making a name for the illustrious Sama!”

“Right. You’re the only one thinking of what’s good for you. Hmph. Whatever, the Grand General has already secured approval from the sect leader. Just drop it.”

In truth, the deputy general didn’t expect much from Chun-bong, as the girl had a track record of disregarding anyone’s input.

“Hmph. Researching on my own time shouldn’t be a problem, right? I’ve caught a lead already, and I’m going to solve this in a brilliant and stunningly wise manner!”

“No, the case is already closed. Huh? Caught a lead?”

At that, Sama Chun-bong flashed a confident smile.

“Absolutely! Just wait and see! I’ll unearth all the details of this case brilliantly, in full detail and astonishing flair!”

Since she wouldn’t listen anyway, the deputy military advisor let out another sigh.

—-

Meeting the head of the Blackspots, Jang Eun-chae, she had been grinding her teeth over that impersonator Unyeonjeong but couldn’t properly express her resentment.

Why? Because a constant stream of bad news kept rolling in.

“What the hell! What’s with the Baiyeon? Are those Blood Sect bastards going insane!? What kind of trickery is this!?”

The Blackspots’ branches in the northern and western parts of Gansu had been decimated, and that spot was swiftly taken over by those Baiyeon scoundrels.

Baiyeon’s reasoning was simple.

Baiyeon protects merchants.

Baiyeon protects customers.

Baiyeon will kill the filth of humanity.

They’d grab human traffickers, thieves, and producers of human meat, stripping them naked and tying them up in the public square.

Then they’d brand them with their respective crimes like ‘thief,’ ‘human butcher,’ ‘contract killer,’ and more.

As passersby threw stones, set fires, or bludgeoned them for fun, the underground market in Northwestern Central Plain was on the verge of extinction.

Those daring enough to challenge the Blackspots would end up decimated the moment the notable martial artists from the Blood Sect came charging in, not taking a single flag down.

So, it was the work of the Blood Sect!

They didn’t even seem to hide it at all.

Now, the Blackspots had lost the southeastern to the Baiyeon and were now decimated in the northwest as well.

“Why would you wipe out the underground market? How will customers come? If you want a regular marketplace, then just head to your local market! Who’d chase after Baiyeon?”

Eun-chae shouted in frustration.

The Blackspots thrived because they dealt in hard-to-find and banned goods that were otherwise available nowhere else.

At least she thought so.

“Interestingly enough, it’s apparently thriving. At Baiyeon’s realm, even martial artists need to act respectfully as customers, and under the name of the Heavenly Demon Sect, they’d never be forgiven!”

Baiyeon protects merchants.

Baiyeon protects customers.

They would kill the scum of humanity, which included those who ran off with goods or scammers as well.

Promising safe and comfortable trades as intermediaries, the customers flocked to them, and merchants followed suit, leading to booming business.

“Shit! Why! Why me! Why is this happening!”

“For now, you might want to lay low. There’s been rumors that assassins are after the association leader…”

Assignments can succeed or fail.

But an assignment given that puts someone in harm’s way is basically a scam.

And Eun-chae had already placed her name on the assassins’ kill list.

“Ugh! Damn it! Do you think I’ll just sink like this? I’m not gonna die in some alley, seized as the Blackspots’ leader! Just wait and see!”

Eun-chae mumbled ominously.

Of course, whether an opportunity would arise or not was anyone’s guess.

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