Chapter 302

The coachman was truly pouring his heart and soul into it.

Well, of course! Inside the carriage was the Supreme Heavenly Demon, the embodiment of all that’s divine, the ultimate dignity, the reason for life, and the purpose of existence.

I don’t know what kind of effort it takes to drive a carriage, but I was mentally burned out trying to avoid every single stone on this mess of a road.

The Heavenly Demon Sect’s carriage was the pinnacle of modern technology in the Central Plain.

With the coachman giving his all, the ride was undoubtedly a smooth one for the passenger inside.

The only downside might be the heat, which is something a person has to endure nowadays, not something you can fix with a gadget.

So Qing toughed it out.

I thought the ice element was just some trash used when making a cold dragon cart, but turns out it had a top-notch air conditioning feature with a blue border.

Lamentable Skill, with a name like that, actually had some fantastic abilities.

And Seoliri clung to Qing rather than toughing it out herself.

I suppose you could say she was a bit like a gisaeng. Hmm?

Qing suddenly tilted her head, pondering.

The clothes I’m wearing are mine, the carriage is mine, and the horse I liked was bought for me by Geoltaran when I said so.

The clever horse pulling the carriage all the way to Naknyeong was named Wang-gung Dong. From behind, it really was a sight to see.

Every time I mentioned that horse’s name, everyone’s gaze would rudely head south. But come on, it’s Wang-gung Dong! So what if they’re looking at someone’s butt? Such is the way of the Central Plain folks.

Anyway, all the travel expenses, meals, and lodging were all on Qing’s tab.

Even Seoliri, this once-no-clothes vagabond, was decked out in everything provided by Qing, right down to extra underwear.

Everything related to living, eating, and sleeping originated from Qing, so what exactly was she doing?

Is she not a parasite, after all?

When Qing turned her head, Seoliri noticed and also turned to face her.

Seoliri had been huddled close to Qing, soaked in her cold aura, so suddenly her big face filled Qing’s view.

If someone asked whether Seoliri was the most striking beauty in the Central Plain, I’d have to say no, but she certainly knew Qing’s taste all too well.

Looking at her face made me feel a bit soft inside again.

At that moment—

“I want to sit on your lap.”

“What?”

Now she’s asking for a lap seat??

Qing, aghast, watched as Seoliri quickly changed her mind.

“Or you could sit here with me.”

With that, she patted her knees.

Qing knew exactly what she was getting at.

Just being next to her wasn’t quite enough to soak up the cold.

Qing decided to place her sizable rear onto Seoliri’s lap.

“Hah…”

With Qing radiating her cold aura seated there, of course, it felt refreshing.

A natural sigh of contentment escaped.

However, it didn’t take long for Qing to realize—

This position was incredibly uncomfortable…

The top-tier carriage had the best seats!

With the Central Plain’s state-of-the-art comfort available, why did she choose to sit on someone’s lap? It was bound to mess up the ride.

Hmm. Can’t even use her as a seat.

How is every day a new discovery of uselessness?

“I can’t do this, it’s too uncomfortable.”

Qing returned to the actual seat. Ahh, much better. Now Seoliri was looking so forlorn, staring at the end of Qing’s lap.

If Qing said no, she wouldn’t bug her, but that sad look was unavoidable.

“Lady, come here. What are you, a child?”

“Thank you.”

Seoliri took her spot on Qing’s lap again.

Seeing her release another sigh of relief, she seemed quite satisfied now, naturally leaning back to redistribute her weight.

With Qing’s physical abilities, even if she placed five Seoliris on her lap, it wouldn’t be much trouble.

Though, geez, this girl’s rear is damp…

As that thought crossed her mind, Seoliri wouldn’t keep her hands still, as if she had ambitions to warm up Qing’s cold hands with her own.

Seoliri was almost spot on with what Qing liked.

Sadly, the one who really nailed it was a truly inappropriate girl.

Either way, as the girl kept coming close, Qing couldn’t help but think of wicked thoughts.

Lady, I can’t hold back.

Qing stretched out her hand toward Seoliri’s front and lightly stroked the area near her collarbone, warning her.

“Are you going to keep rubbing against me? Because I might start touching you too.”

“Yes, yes.”

“You’re going to rub against me? Yes… I might touch you, too. Yes.”

“Huh? I said I might touch you? I’ll definitely grope you!”

“Yes, yes.”

“Touching is fine?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, you’re really going to be in big trouble. No matter how much you hate heat, if you start giving your body away, it won’t end well.”

“You’ve already touched me.”

“Aha.”

Qing jumped back, startled.

What was that about? Should I say it was a moment of chaos, or was it like a pre-workout before getting into something serious?

Was I even awake then?

Was I not conked out after taking some medicine?

Just when Qing was about to apologize—

Seoliri added—

“You touched me daily.”

“What? Daily? When?”

“Yes, daily. Whenever you bathe me.”

“Well, that’s bath time. You can’t just splash water on someone…”

Qing’s bright eyes began to cloud a bit.

“Hmm. No, that makes sense now.”

Thinking it over, she realized she’d been attentive in her care. Hmm. But still, hmm.

Yeah, she was kind of like a pet.

If she was a pet, petting her was part of the deal, so this was a legitimate exercise of rights.

If only the members of the Unattainable Dao could see this, they’d be in a world of despair.

At first, they thought her compassionate side was all about finding empathy and cultivating her heart, but instead, she got tangled up with this foolish and debauched girl.

—

If you follow the Nakhwa River down, you’ll reach the small city of Naknam after Naknyeong.

The city is absurdly simply named: it’s the southern city by the Nakhwa River.

Then if you head west from Naknam, you’ll encounter a massive road that the officials have prepared.

And if you keep going down that road for half a day, voila! The largest city in the Central Plain appears.

Not Jang An! It’s Xian.

Among the Central Plain’s great cities—five great roads, seven great paths—there are ancient cities that have claimed the best land since the dawn of time, where emperors established their holdings and centers of power.

But if you asked anyone which city stands out, they would pick Xian without hesitation (Beijing folks might take a moment to think).

And Xian and Jang An are technically the same city.

More specifically, the huge city of Xian encompasses the neighborhood of Jang An.

So, Jang An isn’t exactly a city name; it’s more like a neighborhood name, akin to saying Jang An District in Xian City.

Anyway, this is what Xian is all about.

The talk of the town, with all the hottest buzz, heated debates, and news that circulates in everyone’s mouth hails from Jang An, showing its status as the premier city of the Central Plain.

However, it’s also a city that’s showing signs of decline, but still boasts tens of thousands of households and a population exceeding one million.

One million people in a single city.

It’s an overwhelming population for what you’d consider a primitive, uncivilized age.

As a side note, with such a massive population in a single city, it’s no wonder a single draw of the emperor’s sword can gather an army in the hundred-thousands.

After the carriage entered the city of Xian, it kept going and going, without stopping.

Only after moving through the city for about a shichen more did it finally come to a halt, as the coachman politely said, “Young Lady, I’ll open the door now.”

As she disembarked from the carriage—

“What’s going on here?”

What filled Qing’s sight was a multitude of heads stretching out toward her.

Towards the end of August, the Supreme Heavenly Demon had come to the Sun and Moon Post directly, which prompted quite the crowd eager to catch a glimpse of that esteemed figure.

“Aren’t you all busy? Tsk, tsk. Can’t you just leave already? Look at you, so blatant, heh.”

Amidst the chatter, a familiar voice reached her ears.

Qing’s face lit up with joy.

“Grandpa!”

“Tsk, tsk. When did I hear you were coming? And only now you show up. You should be moving more quickly, girl. Ugh, you should be ashamed of being so slow for someone with a horse!”

Charging in like a cicada, Qing clung to Choi Riyong, who grumbled but lifted her with a bright smile, his face radiating joy.

Not a single spot on that old face was without wrinkles.

The people affiliated with the Seolga Merchant Association, Taecheong Sect, and Sun and Moon Post were taken aback.

So, this elderly man can smile so widely!

After hanging onto Choi Riyong, who gracefully pulled her up, Qing’s eyes landed on someone unfamiliar.

An exceptionally handsome woman.

How should I put it? Her facial features were sharp and distinct, giving her a striking but more robust rather than traditionally beautiful aura.

“Hmph, long time no see.”

“Huh?”

Coincidentally, a deep voice boomed, and it was clear who it belonged to.

“What’s this? You’ve turned into a full-blown beauty. Your figure has completely changed!”

In response, Seolga’s leader frowned heavily.

“Why would I get comments like that?”

“Well, you’ve got a nice chest now.”

“That’s just some stuffing. I’m actually flat!”

“What about your hips and waist?”

“That’s a side effect for sure. But, it’s much better than being a fool who can’t even feel!”

“Ah! I shouldn’t be here!”

Before finishing, Seolga’s leader lifted his eyebrows dramatically.

“Well, I heard you were coming—”

“No, that’s not it.”

Twice interrupted, Seolga’s leader raised his eyebrows a third time.

Qing leaned closer, whispering as if sharing a secret.

– Do you happen to know Bing Seolhwa or Seoliri? I’ve been following them to catch Seolga. But I don’t think they can recognize me in this changed appearance, so you should slip away now.

“Seoliri? Never heard of her name. But… would they recognize me in this condition? And I’m just pretending to be a woman for a while, so I’m using a pseudonym. Just don’t mistake me for Seolga-ryun.”

“A pseudonym?”

Seolga’s leader, Seolga-ryun. Isn’t that really just the same thing?

Should we call it a pseudonym?

“It’s surprisingly common. You’re just overly concerned about it, making it sound special.”

“Hmph.”

“Hmph. I see now; Seoliri was related to Seolgunyeong. Hmm, wouldn’t have thought so.”

“Are you familiar with them?”

“I’m on my way over. We can talk later.”

Seoliri, having disembarked from the carriage, was surveying her surroundings with a neutral expression.

But having spent time taking care of Seoliri, who’d become an expert in facial expressions, Qing knew that wasn’t just indifference; it was anxiety.

And once she spotted Qing, who was glued to Choi Riyong’s back, the subtle shift in her eyebrows revealed a hint of relief.

Then, she approached but suddenly halted, her expression turning cold as ice.

To Qing’s interpretation, that was an expression of discomfort.

In a sea of strangers, with only Qing, the one familiar face, riding on someone else’s back, she seemed lost on what to do.

Before, she was a proud ice princess.

But now that Qing knew her true self? She was just a shy seven-year-old girl.

Qing let out a big sigh and jumped off Choi Riyong’s back.

With a light thud on the ground, Seoliri finally moved to take her place next to Qing.

“This is my Grandpa. He’s been taking care of me. So, say hello.”

“…”

Yet Seoliri seemed to barely register the introduction.

Wondering what was going on, Qing noticed Seolga-ryun casting a fiery gaze towards Seoliri’s handsome face.

Feeling a little flustered, Qing gave Seoliri a nudge.

“Hey, hey. You can’t ignore him! You need to greet Grandpa!”

“Hello.”

“Grandpa, this is Seoliri. By the way, what happened to Uncle?”

“Heh, well it seems he’s been sulking a bit since last time he couldn’t help out. He’s kind of in a training meditation state.”

“Hmm. But Uncle is helpful just by being around. If it comes to fighting, that’s what I’m here for. I don’t expect him to pour out any Qi or anything.”

“Tsk, tsk. At the very least, he shouldn’t get in the way, right? He’s got to feel something going on.”

“Still, I’d like to see his face. If he’s in a training meditation, can’t he even show his face?”

“More importantly, aren’t you hungry?”

“Ah! I’ve been feeling peckish! Did you prepare a lot? I hope so. What’s cooking? Do you have sweet steamed meat?”

Choi Riyong smoothly changed the subject.

Qing completely bought into it, her eyes sparkling.

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