Chapter 283

설이리 had a rather vacant expression.

If it were due to her cooked martial arts, then Seolga would have been far more expressive.

Especially when she splashed water and just sat there with a scolding look that made me wonder what I had done wrong, there was a palpable mix of anger and sorrow, all directed at me.

Or maybe her face was just naturally like that.

So there she was, sitting still and staring at Qing, not speaking, just glaring at her silently. It was weird.

Of course, just because her expression was light doesn’t mean her feelings were shallow; her preferences were quite strong, just look at her now.

Sitting at the table and staring at Qing, Seoliri had no visible expression, but if you looked closely, her fingers were moving like they were tracing gold silently.

When a person’s hands fidget like that, it usually indicates various emotions, often expressed as anxiety.

However, interpreting Qing’s gesture didn’t require keen insight.

“Lady Seol, you’re drooling.”

“No, I’m not.”

She quickly wiped her mouth and pretended to rub her hand on the table, attempting to act nonchalant.

But her response was surprisingly cheerful.

I had fed her delicious food every meal, which built up her excitement in front of the dining table.

Drooling over rice? That’s something a dog would do! Totally like a dog. A bitch even.

Pretending to be all haughty, yet in front of food, she looked like a vulgar hound, drooling endlessly.

But still, Qing was generous when it came to meals, almost to the point of being too lavish.

Even if it was an enemy that needed dealing with, Qing always made sure to serve food, so despite finding her annoying, she was somewhat a companion; maybe not a travel buddy but more like a pet or a cuddly wifey.

After all, it’s only natural since we’re not strangers whatsoever, to be fed delicious food.

Moreover, food tastes better when shared.

Also, just eating the food that someone treats you to is a rewarding experience for them.

In that regard, Seoliri was quite a decent dining companion.

First, she eats well and a lot.

Anthropologically speaking, people from cold regions are known to be big eaters, and Qing figured she preferred to see someone enjoy their food heartily rather than nibbling delicately.

But…

“Haah, ah, haah…”

She didn’t care about the mess she made while shamelessly stuffing her face and making lewd sounds.

Seoliri was practically powerless when it came to hot food.

If the thick soup was bubbling, then the contents inside were even hotter. Qing thought the temperature was akin to that which could melt a spoon into liquid metal, so just imagine!

She scoops a generous, steaming spoonful from deep inside without hesitation and shoves it into her mouth.

And then she cools it down in her mouth!

Haah, heh, hmmm, huff… all of those sounds were just her trying to cool down lava in her mouth.

What kind of barbaric dining etiquette is this?

By the heavens, is this acceptable?

It was a spectacular sight, surely, if her mouth was heat-resistant, but the sounds were truly embarrassing.

Plus, the moment she swallowed the first bite, she immediately started sweating profusely, and by the time she finished her meal, her silver hair was drenched, and beads of sweat dripped from her chin.

“Lady Seol, you really sweat a lot.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t usually sweat like this.”

“I use ice qi.”

“Even when you sleep?”

“Yes. So please don’t hug me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s hot.”

“Hmm.”

Qing pretended to ponder seriously before responding.

“I don’t want to.”

At that, veins popped on Seoliri’s forehead.

But no matter, Qing just snickered.

“Why do you always say ‘no’ and then get upset when you end up on the receiving end? Tsk tsk.”

“……”

At that, Seoliri sealed her lips.

She had nothing to say.

“Since it’s raining, wandering around isn’t an option. There’s nothing particularly exhausting, so it feels a bit off to take a day off. It’s probably better to just set off directly.”

Qing liked the rain.

More accurately, she enjoyed it as long as she didn’t get wet and could observe the sound of the rain from a warm or cool room with the window open.

She couldn’t stand being damp, sticky, and musty from the rain.

You might ask how someone who loves rain can have such sentiments.

However, if one thought about snow instead of rain, everyone loves snow falling when there’s no necessity to step outside or clean it up, and it’s entirely understandable.

The horse stable was one of the businesses of the Central Plains and was originally managed by the officials, but as peace continued, it was handed over to the civilians.

However, it is an entirely different concept than the privatization talked about in Qing’s hometown.

If we’re talking, it’s more like an obligatory pass-off.

You have your horses and carts.

But if the Emperor asks, you have to hand them over without a second thought.

Before that, I will graciously allow you lowly commoners to ‘store’ the horses and carts for a while.

What? You won’t?

That’s a revolt! Off with their heads!

So, the owners of horse stables are basically people who are forced to keep running a business that will leave them bankrupt if the officials come to requisition them.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t pitiful.

Stable owners pocket a nice sum by introducing hapless victims to suitable bandits.

Even if their horses and carts are seized, as long as they preserve their own property, they’re ready to earn without holding back.

Thus, there’s another group of victims here.

Two women appeared in the horse stable, and their beauty was stunning, especially in a league of stunning beauty.

Wielding swords, they made sure to keep their guard up.

However, the taller woman was glancing around nervously, her shoulders hunched, seeming unsure of what to say, waiting for someone to ask her first.

The shorter one wore a moody expression, but she held a palm-sized, flat candy stick in her mouth, giving off a rather foolish vibe.

The stable owner rejoiced inwardly.

What foolish girls from the Martial World!

“Are you looking for a carriage?”

“Oh, yes. Um. A carriage. We’re going to Jang An…”

The stable owner’s smile widened.

They truly were clueless novices!

Who looks for a carriage to travel from Luoyang to Jang An?

Carriages are meant to be returned at the next city and then switched out.

If you go too far, it’s hard to return carriages between stables.

“Oh dear, Young Ladies, when you rent a carriage, you must return it at the next stable in the city! Hmm. To Jang An, you can switch in Nangnyung.”

Look at this guy.

Qing thought quietly with feigned ignorance.

To reach Jang An, one simply needed to go straight along the main road next to the Yellow River.

The reasoning for sending them to Nangnyung was obvious.

It made for a longer, more convoluted journey.

“Yes, yes. But how much…?”

“Oh, well, carriages can be a bit pricey…”

“How much are they…?”

“The price varies depending on the carriage. Have you looked into this at all?”

“About twenty taels of silver…”

“Wow. With that, can you even cover the coachman’s fee?”

This guy is pulling a fast one.

Is he trying to squeeze every last coin with those shady dealings?

Qing couldn’t let this slide.

“But I thought this would be enough…”

“Um, good carriages might be tough.”

“Ugh. No choice, I’ll just drop by another stable first.”

As Qing spoke, she held her hand out to Seoliri.

Seoliri readily took her hand in a surprising act of compliance, which she discovered was a comfort because Qing’s hand was cool against the heat.

Regardless, Seoliri hadn’t acclimatized to the heat of the Central Plains.

She kept her ice qi active, so it wasn’t that she couldn’t adapt; rather, she had no intention of doing so.

Anyway, Qing seemed to enjoy Seoliri’s chilled touch from her trained Superior Hand-to-Hand Combat, as she would quickly grasp her hand when it was offered.

“Oh dear, since it’s raining, is there really a need to walk around? Whether here or there, the prices are usually about the same. Hmm. I guess it can’t be helped. Since you Young Ladies are lovely, I will generously do you a favor.”

Thus, Qing got a recommendation for the highest quality carriage from the stable, along with an experienced coachman.

Though she wasn’t sure about his driving skills, his side jobs looked like he’d been working hard at them.

Qing was akin to an angler searching the abyss.

She was like an angler fish shining its lure to attract victims.

Twenty taels of silver got them a top-tier carriage with a coachman.

Even if it would take them three or maybe four or even five days to reach Nangnyung because of the rain, there was a slight feeling that they got ripped off.

But after all, the last loot they took from the bandits was over two hundred taels, so this investment felt minimal.

Once they got into the carriage, Seoliri finally threw out a comment.

“The coachman is ugly.”

“Hey now, you shouldn’t say such mean things. It would hurt his feelings even more, being ugly and all.”

At that, Seoliri shook her head.

From Qing’s experience, that was her way of saying, “No, that’s not it.”

What got into her?

Why couldn’t she hold back her tongue?

“The impression is bad.”

“Hey, do we really judge people by looks?”

Seoliri shook her head again.

“(That’s not it) the day before yesterday.”

“What? That guy that looks like a melted candle? You think he had a good impression to do that?”

At that, Seoliri sealed her lips again.

When she has nothing to say, she shuts up.

Then she went back to sucking on the candy stick.

Qing couldn’t help but admire her charm.

Wow. She looks truly like a simpleton doing that, doesn’t she?

—-

Qing learned a hard lesson from the coachman’s inappropriate advance last time, comparable to the insights she gained on the way to Luoyang.

When linked with wealth, they treat you to dinner and offer pocket money!

Meet a bandit coachman, and you could kill him and still gain cash!

Thinking back, she realized that her last insight also came during the journey to Luoyang; what’s so special about Luoyang that offers such tremendous lessons?

The White Horse Temple? Was it the White Horse Temple?

She should have taken a detour to pay her respects! Oh no.

Remembering her prayer, the Buddhist scriptures she had long forgotten suddenly resurfaced.

With a clear voice, Qing recited the bright verses of the Heart Sutra.

Let’s go, let’s go, to that hill of ascension. Completely.

Anyway, Seoliri was clearly a hopeless travel companion, and with the rain making everything dim, there wasn’t much to see outside, so Qing just focused on her mind training, muttering… Zzzz! Before long, she was fast asleep, resting her head against the wall.

However…

Was it surprisingly uneventful?

Qing’s offhand remark could’ve been spot-on; she thought it was wrong to assess people by their looks, as the coachman was kind, amiable, and drove the carriage well.

Thus, during the journey to Nangnyung, they stopped at various villages for meals and at night for sleep. Despite timing issues from the rain, the coachman remained faithful to his duties.

Oh wait, this isn’t right.

Qing was hugely disappointed.

But there was one peculiar occurrence.

“Lady Seoliri? Are you feeling unwell?”

Seoliri was sweating buckets, not just a little drip but drops falling from her chin.

“No.”

“Why are you sweating so much? You don’t look well. If you’re sick, you should say something.”

Seoliri shook her head. That’s not it.

“I’m hot.”

“Eh? What about your ice qi?”

“In case of danger.”

Last time, Seoliri was caught helplessly off guard by the coachman’s attack.

She hadn’t realized the toxic strain from operating her ice qi.

And once she caught on, her inner strength was almost depleted, leaving no room for counter-attack.

The reason she fell ill last time was similar.

So now, to prepare for risks against the suspicious coachman, she stopped using her ice qi.

And once she stopped using it?

It got hot.

It was now early July. Even if it was raining, it was sweltering—sticky and gloomy heat that felt thick and clammy.

But Qing had developed a considerable resistance to the cold from incessant training, enough to adapt somewhat to the heat.

That doesn’t mean it was cool; it was still hot, but the sticky feeling was lesser, so she could endure just by sitting still.

“Standing still doesn’t make it hot.”

Only after Qing said this did she realize the essence of the elders’ words that standing still made one feel hot.

At this, Seoliri’s forehead vein throbbed again.

That was all Seoliri had accomplished inside the carriage—just sitting still.

Qing chuckled and teased her.

“If it’s really hot, do you want to hold my hand? My hands are somewhat cool.”

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