Chapter 257

It’s not a coincidence that they say there’s no filial son in a long illness. Just how accurate these old sayings can be is truly something to ponder.

Qing thought that.

If the village’s greatest intellectual, Seolga, had heard that, he would have scoffed, “What an ignorant girl!”

After all, old sayings with low accuracy just fade away and disappear, while those that survive stem from humanity’s shared traits and psychology.

In Qing’s hometown, this is referred to as the survivor bias error—it’s not that old sayings tend to be right, it’s that only the ones that are right have survived.

Anyway, there was one person in Qing’s circle suffering from a long illness, enough for her to swallow old sayings whole.

“Young Lady Mo Yong? Aren’t you hungry?”

Mo Yong Joo-hee stared blankly at Qing, and suddenly her gaze dropped downward. Qing jumped in surprise and raised her arms in a defensive stance.

It had become a painfully familiar weakness lately.

“Ugh.”

Mo Yong Joo-hee flinched, then abruptly turned her head away.

In truth, Qing also felt apologetic for taking care of Mo Yong Joo-hee.

Having realized that resolving grudges is no longer a common therapy method, she felt guilty for what she had done.

Still, these days, Mo Yong Joo-hee had been doing better and would obediently follow when told to go wash up.

She would tremble and look terrified at just the sight of the bath or a large basin, so Qing would gently take her to the heated water for a bath.

It was almost like attending to an old man.

Perhaps that effort had paid off, as there were fewer fits or screams lately.

So, Qing thought she just needed to take care of her a bit more—

“Hey, Joo-hee. Aren’t you coming with us today?”

“Oh. Choryeo, sister…”

“Aren’t you eating? The sicker you are, the more you need to eat. You have to eat plenty of meat to gain your strength.”

It was Pang Choryeo.

Mo Yong Joo-hee had buried her head between her legs, yet had been a regular at the duel arena since being rescued, so it was quite impressive that Choryeo was talking to her now.

Though Choryeo was kind, she generally didn’t pay much attention to others. The strong women in the martial world always approached first, so she never felt the need to go out of her way.

Thus, even with Mo Yong Joo-hee’s peculiar attendance, Choryeo had never really paid much mind since she was originally a girl who trailed after Pang Dae-san.

As time passed, she had developed a little concern for her.

Isn’t she a bit strange? Why hasn’t she even eaten with us? Qing certainly wasn’t the type to ostracize anyone, nor did she seem to be intentionally avoiding others. But it didn’t feel like she was content just observing either. She seemed like she might be sick.

Then Mo Yong Joo-hee accepted immediately.

“Okay. Thank you for caring.”

She even managed a shy smile!

She clung to Pang Choryeo’s arm and tucked herself in.

“Hey, why are your arms so soft? You’ve lost all your muscle. Have you been starving?”

“Just a little.”

“That’s not good. You need to eat meat. If you bulk up, you won’t get sick. Your sickness comes from not eating.”

“Yes, I understand. I got it.”

Seeing that, Qing couldn’t help but feel a rush of emotions.

She felt both neglected and somewhat annoyed.

Of course, she didn’t look for gratitude or expect to be treated like a benefactor, but she had shown her care and kindness, yet Mo Yong Joo-hee had ignored her completely.

And then here came Choryeo, who had never shown any interest, throwing one line of concern, and suddenly Joo-hee was all over her.

Taking her place at the dining table, Pang Choryeo focused intently on serving only meat, while Mo Yong Joo-hee eagerly gobbled it down like a baby bird being fed.

Good thing Tang Nan-ah wasn’t around; if she had seen that, she would have said something like, “What is even happening here?” and thrown a fit.

In the end, Qing thought to herself.

What’s going on? She looks fine, right? Is she being all bratty just because I’m being nice? Is she just having fun seeing me squirm?

This is exactly why they say it’s not good to spoil children.

What is this? Is that another old saying? Just what…

Half of her thoughts were that way.

The other half wondered if maybe she was actually a hindrance to her recovery.

It would make sense for her to think of Qing down there, and if she kept seeing her and remembering unpleasant memories, there’s no way she’d get better.

With those thoughts in mind, Qing ultimately decided to send her away.

“Young Lady Mo Yong, don’t you think you should slowly return to your family?”

“Uh? Why, why?”

“Well, your family must be worried. Also, I can see now that, yes, seeing my face is hard for you? I hadn’t thought of that. I’m sorry for reminding you of bad memories so often. I didn’t think of it. Hmm, I’m just clueless, and I’m sorry for being so persistent.”

“No, wait, wait a minute. That’s not—”

As Mo Yong Joo-hee spoke, she reached out.

Where do you think you’re going? Not falling for that again!

Qing skillfully widened the gap, defending her weak point.

The first time, Mo Yong Joo-hee was just bewildered and grabbed the handle without thinking, so Qing didn’t count that as an attack.

But the second time, she clearly laughed at seeing her in pain. Since her intent was evident, Qing had to count that as an attack.

Mo Yong Joo-hee, having flailed at empty air, looked like she was in more pain than before.

“Young Lady Mo Yong, you can’t act recklessly like that. Do you have any idea how much it hurts? I won’t blame you for what happened in the past, but your leg has healed now, hasn’t it?”

“Not yet! Not yet! My toenails haven’t all grown back yet—”

“Even with family, isn’t it rare that one would see someone’s toenails?”

“That’s, um, well…”

At that moment, a cough echoed from outside. It was the voice of the Muchen Pavilion’s steward.

“Yes. Please, go ahead.”

– Young Lady Gongson has finished eating.

“Oh, really? I almost forgot your face. Wait, no. I’m coming now.”

Then Qing said to Mo Yong Joo-hee.

“I’m sorry for intruding without realizing it. Hmm, if we just hold on until the finals, we probably won’t have to see each other much afterwards, so I’m sorry if I triggered any bad memories down there. I really didn’t think Young Lady Mo Yong would take it so hard. So, I’ll take it as you going back now.”

Having said that, Qing stepped out the door.

It was the first time since the semifinals to see Gongson Yo-ye.

The moment she spotted Qing, Gongson Yo-ye’s expression brightened up significantly.

Her uncontainable joy made Qing’s heart swell with happiness too.

“Hey! What were you so busy with that you didn’t even show your face? I thought you might have gone cold-hearted for the finals or something.”

“Not at all. But the finals with a friend is something else entirely. If I win, well, then we’d still be friends, right? No, no, no, I’m sure Young Lady Seomun wouldn’t be that kind of person, but it’s such a unique martial arts gathering that, well, uh, please forget I said anything.”

“Hmm. You’re feeling quite confident, huh? Already worrying about what comes after the win?”

“That’s not it—”

“Just kidding. Would anything really ruin our friendship? But seriously, what’s got you so busy?”

“Ahh…”

Gongson Yo-ye let out a deep sigh.

“I thought I just needed to swing my sword diligently, but I had to greet so many people. I never realized how complicated the ambitions of the sect could be.”

She shared her tales of being hustled here and there for greetings, along with the complex negotiations behind filling the seats of the new young generation.

“Cheon-il, too, I can’t help but think that sometimes I envy him, but you know, before coming here, I’d never stepped outside the training hall’s walls, while Cheon-il was constantly roaming around so much, it was a rarity for him to be at the sect. But that wasn’t quite his situation.”

Apparently, Cheon-il’s marriage proposal had been accepted, with the other party being a daughter of the Saman Sect.

“She’s older than me, and frankly, just an average person. I know it’s bad to say this, but I expected Cheon-il to be paired with someone more beautiful and younger.”

“So it’s a political marriage…”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“What does Cheon-il think about it?”

“He’ll do his best since it’s a proposal he received. He says living together isn’t just about looking at each other’s faces but about forming bonds over time…”

Just as Gongson Yo-ye had lived in the training hall all her life, Gongson Cheon-il too had lived for his family’s ambitions.

“Well, if it’s his choice, it’s not our place to comment. But Saman Sect? Have you met that girl? Jinang Hyeonhwa?”

“Ah, my new sister. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet.”

“Well, I hear she’s quite remarkable.”

Qing tapped her chest lightly as she asked.

Gongson Yo-ye tilted her head.

“I didn’t notice her that way. She didn’t stand out to me at all.”

Hearing that she was always wrapped up and hidden, Qing just thought, “Hmm, I guess that’s fair.”

After chatting for a while, Qing finally decided to bring up the main topic.

“Hey, I heard that the martial arts you use is related to True Energy? Is that correct?”

“Ah! How did you…?”

“I think Mountain said something like that. So it is true.”

Gongson Yo-ye nodded.

“I’ve already duelled with her a few times, so you might have felt the difference in swordsmanship in sparring. But, to be precise, it’s not that her martial arts use True Energy; it’s that it can use it. Normally, she doesn’t go that far, so don’t worry.”

Qing understood immediately.

So it’s a technique that can be turned on and off.

“But that means it’s shortening her lifespan. Is it really necessary to go that far for just a competition?”

“Just a competition?”

Gongson Yo-ye looked at Qing as if she couldn’t believe her ears.

“Even if it’s for the family’s ambitions, I really don’t want her to go that far risking her life. Is winning really so crucial? Is there some sort of promise that arises from winning?”

“Not necessarily.”

“If Yo-ye feels she must win, I don’t think she needs to burn through her remaining life. I could always, well, we could fight about twenty matches, or maybe even more like thirty, and then—”

“Young Lady Seomun.”

Gongson Yo-ye’s expression turned icy.

It was a look Qing had never seen before.

When they first met, she had looked melancholic and sad, and after they became friends, she always wore a smile.

“Do you see me as a joke, Young Lady Seomun?”

“Uh? No, that’s not what I meant—”

“Then what is it? Do you think I’m pitiful? Stuck in a training hall all my life, unaware of the real world, just swinging a sword like a fool? Do you feel sorry for me, that you even think of me as a friend? Just out of pity?”

Qing was left flabbergasted.

“Wait, I’m not— I didn’t mean it like that! I just don’t want you to spend your life on something like a martial arts competition. I want you to live long and keep seeing me, and it feels wasteful to burn your life in this way!”

“You called it just a competition?”

Gongson Yo-ye’s anger was growing fiercer.

“You see, for you, winning might seem like a simple matter, but for me, I’ve lived my entire life for this moment, and here I am at twenty-seven! It’s ridiculous to say I’ve had my whole life for something so brief. And yet, for you, it seems insignificant? While I risk my life, it’s nothing to you?”

“Y-yes, please calm down for a moment.”

“To take me lightly, ha. It’s just a matter of time before I lose any friends. Young Lady Seomun? This isn’t friendship; this is merely a game of friendship. Why, is it funny to you in somehow ‘bestowing’ this minuscule favor in friendship? I never asked for friendship nor do I feel sorry for myself.”

Qing just felt wronged.

Why is she exploding like this?

What did I even do?

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