Chapter 323

When a warrior reaches a high realm of mastery, they attain a level known as Hanseobulchim.

Hanseobulchim means a state where the body no longer suffers from cold or heat.

This indicates that even on cold days, body temperature does not drop, and no matter how hot it gets, body temperature does not rise to harmful levels.

This is the body’s homeostasis; as Great Master Muhak often says, the heart and body are interconnected, so it’s perfectly reasonable for a master to reach Hanseobulchim.

However.

Just because the body doesn’t suffer from cold or heat doesn’t mean they don’t feel it.

No matter how skilled one is, cold is cold.

Similarly, heat is hot.

Even in Qing’s home, where winter winds howl and ice storms rage, despite reaching the state where the automatic protective energy preserves body temperature, she still shivered and wrapped herself in her specially thick double blanket.

As body temperature is maintained, it doesn’t take long to feel warm again; once cozy, one quickly feels comfortable.

However, when it’s cold, being bundled up like that makes it easy to fend off discomfort.

But heat? That’s a different story.

Until now.

From now on, my lamentable skill, Hanshim-gong, is going to show its pathetic coolness!

…I found the answer!

I found it, but why can’t I use it?

The wife of Mr. Kim, who died without tasting seolleongtang, must be weeping in the heavens.

Unable to bear it, I thought perhaps if I gently tapped into my inner strength, it wouldn’t be so bad, so I cautiously tried to invoke Hanshim-gong… only to gasp and nearly lose consciousness.

Qing slumped like a summer mutt.

In reality, it was late August; the intense heat was starting to wane.

Yet, to Qing, it felt even hotter than midsummer.

This was due to the minor side effects of Ice White Divine Skill.

Those who possess Ice White Divine Skill become dulled to cold thanks to the mystical effects of Ice Essence.

This means they no longer feel the cold. However, in return, they become sensitive to heat.

But when would an owner of Ice White Divine Skill have any reason to head down to the hot southern lands?

Thus, while in the northern seas, the Ice White Divine Skill is a flawless skill, in the Central Plains martial world, well, it’s just, ugh, so hot I can’t breathe….

In fact, if one can’t do it themselves, they can let others do it for them.

Since there are two people in the carriage, both could summon some coolness with Hanshim-gong.

To that, Qing sweetly called out to the opposite seat where Seoliri was seated, legs crossed, lost in protracted breathing exercises.

“Seoliri, could you use Hanshim-gong for me?”

“Sure.”

“So that means no, huh?”

“Correct.”

Veins protruded on Qing’s temples.

Seriously, why can’t this girl send a cool breeze my way while she’s sweating buckets?

Moreover, it wasn’t like Seoliri didn’t have Ice White Divine Skill; she was just someone who always suffered from the heat.

So, she was practically dripping with sweat, her face flushing as she sat cross-legged, continuing her meditation.

Seeing this was just infuriating.

When did she become so zealous about her training that she’s making a fuss like this?

I’ve fed her, clothed her, bathed her, tucked her in, even taught her martial arts and given her elixirs, and all I ask is a little coolness from her!

Hmph. She’s making a fuss, pretending to be training.

Let’s see how far she can go.

To me, it looks like she won’t make it much longer.

Aside from meal times and such, she’s been stuck in those breathing exercises for eleven hours straight.

One must do things in moderation; if you go for broke on a sprint, you’ll tire out quickly.

But that’s what I thought as the days went by. Day one, day two sleeping in Seokcheon, day three in An-gang, day four in Pyeong-ri, and by the fifth day, we entered Hubei, stopping in Duksan on the sixth.

On the seventh day, we reached Bang-hyeon, and on the eighth day hit Heungsan.

Tomorrow night marks a full ten days since we’ll be arriving at the Divine Maiden Sect.

And Seoliri, true to form, didn’t rest a single day, truly a toxic annoyance.

I should have realized at the moment when my muscles were melting, and my bones were creaking as she just merrily ambled about.

Had I known she was oblivious to her own pain, I should’ve shaken her down for a solid cry!

What could I say to vent my frustration? It’s so annoying.

She talks about training, but should I really just request her to shoot me some of her ice power instead?

To put it in terms of Qing’s hometown, it would be like whining to a friend who’s studying intensely for an exam that they won’t play with me.

Still, if that’s the case, why are we traveling together?

Studying is great, but doesn’t it get annoying when you have to do it while on a trip together?

Can this even be called companionship?

In fact, for this reason, starting on the fourth day, Qing had made it known that, “Alright, you train. I’ll entertain myself,” and thankfully there were martial artists from the Zhongnan Sect assigned to protect them.

Among them was Master Pilmu, a disciple from the Zhongnan Sect who Qing had seen several times at the Dragon and Phoenix Association.

Why? He was always sitting in front of Chang-bin.

Chang-bin’s introduction went something like this:

‘This is Pilmu, of Zhongnan… uhm, he’s not just a minor guy, but, uh, my most cherished younger brother… no, no, of course, I cherish Young Lady Seomun too… um, that’s not what I meant, it’s about the distribution of affection…’

That pet of mine had reached a rebellious phase, ignoring me like a wild beast, forgetting its role; it was a pure sweating machine.

So Qing, who always craved affection, had to find her eyes wandering to other travelers.

What caught her eye were the horses.

Now that I think about it, I don’t know how to ride!

Horses are convenient.

Of course, they have four legs to walk instead of mine; how can it not be convenient?

Even with that convenience, surprisingly, martial world individuals don’t ride horses often.

Because horses are surprisingly troublesome creatures to manage, and most importantly, they are extremely expensive.

A half-baked martial artist riding around may invite bandits to think, “Look, there’s a fool riding a golden steed.”

Moreover, they have a sad tendency to either die or run away once they get attached.

In the Central Plain, horse thieves abound, just as common as bike thieves back in Qing’s town.

Also, once one becomes a master, horses become inconvenient.

Why rely on a beast’s legs when my own are already strong enough? Plus, it’s not exactly comfortable sitting in a saddle!

So I may have thought about riding a horse once or twice, but I never had the desire to do so.

After all, Qing is faster than a horse.

Almost any master can outrun a horse, but Qing doesn’t stop there; she runs endlessly without tiring.

She’s not the kind to ever abandon the pursuit of the world’s top practitioner.

So this is the historic moment of mounting a horse!

“Oh. This isn’t as hard as I thought?”

“As long as you have a sense of balance, riding a horse isn’t difficult. The hard part is controlling the horse with skill.”

“Hmm. Maybe it is difficult. Hey, Wang-gung Dong, wanna go for a gallop?”

At this, Master Pilmu paused.

“What did you just say?”

“Ah. This guy’s name is Wang-gung Dong. From behind, his backside was as broad as a great gate. Hey, let’s go! Uh, you don’t want to? You don’t want to go? Hey? Wang-gung Dong? Don’t act stubborn!”

Qing gave the horse’s sides a gentle pat as she prodded its ribcage, but Wang-gung Dong insisted on trotting along steadily as if to say, “You can poke me all you like, I’m going my own way.”

What the heck is this? Is there some bad luck following me? Why do all these beasts ignore me? Whether it’s Seoliri back in the carriage or this stubborn Wang-gung Dong.

Wang-gung Dong, in his innocent way, found himself startled, glancing over at Qing’s saddle out of sheer instinct.

“That’s dangerous.”

“Huh? Dangerous? I don’t think this speed is anywhere near dangerous.”

“That’s not it.”

Horses are surprisingly muscular creatures, and at a mere trot, they can perform an astonishing number of movements beyond imagination.

They can turn, jump, lie down, and even spin around in half a turn!

So, unexpectedly, many accidents happen at this speed because if a horse can’t contain its excitement, it may throw the rider off with an unexpected move.

“Hmmm. But at this speed, it’s not very quick either.”

“It’s because they’re pack horses. From the looks of it, he seems particularly timid and doesn’t want to stray from the herd.”

“Hmm.”

Qing recalled the intelligent-looking, long-headed horse that would abruptly halt and stare at her in the carriage; perhaps instead of stubbornly being told what to do, it was actually saying, ‘Ugh, dear owner, this feels weird and uncomfortable; please help me out!’

So it seems, she thought it was a smart breed but turns out it was a mutt.

Qing gently stroked Wang-gung Dong’s mane.

Anyway, this unexpected horseback lesson was one for the books.

Since Wang-gung Dong showed no intention of moving faster, she tried borrowing another disciple’s horse to see how it felt to run.

Walking, trotting, cantering—she gradually increased her speed, but the gallop was such a dangerous move even for skilled riders that it was deemed too risky for practice.

“You’re an excellent rider!”

“What? It’s nothing special.”

“Well, um. It is a little different. Honestly speaking, Young Lady Seomun has no talent for riding.”

The riding instructor explained that while Qing had an impressive sense of balance keeping her on the horse, she wouldn’t quite be called a rider.

“What? Isn’t that basically the same? I’m still sitting on the horse!”

“The horse is straining.”

Riding isn’t just about expertly controlling a horse; it’s also important to match the horse’s rhythm and become a comfortable load for it.

But Qing just clung on in whatever cozy position suited her, meaning the horse had to endure awkward discomfort.

Anyway, due to Wang-gung Dong’s presence, the schedule had to be adjusted.

Proudly boasting that Wang-gung Dong was her horse (the Zhongnan disciples looked at her with increasing disbelief, but being the adult, she graciously ignored it), Qing ended up hearing horse care protocols that led to this necessary schedule change.

She had heard horses were intelligent, gentle, and affectionate, which made her envision having one in the Divine Maiden Sect. It would be splendid for disciples to ride and help plow fields or carry goods.

But then she learned…

Horses are timid and thus extremely dangerous beasts.

If you catch it with its rear hooves, even a martial artist can get knocked out in one hit; a fierce bite might crack off limbs entirely!

They could bolt at a sudden scare, necessitating care to ensure stabling is comfortable, but on top of that, horses are social animals intolerant of solitude.

Additionally, they eat a lot and produce even more waste, so caring for one is a monumental task.

So, how then?

It seems there’s no choice but to leave them in the care of the Seolga Merchant Association’s horse stable.

Thus, on the tenth day, they reached Jagwi-hyeon!

“Thank you for your protection. Be careful on your return. It’s a shame I can’t serve you tea after traveling so far for the sake of our sect.”

“It’s all good. We will meet again.”

Master Pilmu struck a respectful pose.

Given the time spent together, with such a low profile like ours, he could have suggested dropping formalities, yet he maintained his politeness.

He’s a decent kid, alright.

That said, I still needed to hear Pilmu’s take on the matter.

After all, he had witnessed the moment when Qing was throwing a fit about how the sect’s elders were not acknowledging them properly during the previous Dragon and Phoenix Association meeting.

Even beyond that, she had seen him floundering in those awkward situations in which he wasn’t quite a friend or elder several times.

As for the coachman, he belonged to the Seolga Merchant Association, while the carriage was Seolga’s, and one of the horses was Qing’s while the other was from the association, yet they would all be returning together anyhow.

So when they stopped by Jagwi, Qing planned to return her horse to the association and just walk the rest of the way, but the coachman insisted it was his lifelong wish to escort her home.

With such earnest pleas, she relented.

So they rattled along in the carriage, with sweaty Seoliri on the other side, finally approaching the sweet, sweet home of the Divine Maiden Peak.

“Halt!”

Just as the steep path up to her home came into view right before the gates of the Divine Maiden Sect, figures barred the way.

What’s this? How dare they appear at the front yard of the Divine Maiden Peak, without fearing the sect, uh, wait?

Qing tilted her head slightly.

Was the front yard really safe then? After all, didn’t Jang-myung struggle here with two leading warriors back then?

Of course, now she’d confidently slice through two heads with a single strike, but back then she was younger, having less mastery than she does now – or was she?

Plus, didn’t those demonic bastards once show up to kidnap people from out front?

But this time, there seemed to be a whole gang gathered?

In front of the Divine Maiden Peak yard, is this even okay?

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