Chapter 355

“Go in and get some sleep. You must be tired. You need to conserve your strength for now.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Jayu nodded obediently.

Thanks to that, Qing found himself at a loss for words.

He tried to persuade Jayu that he needed to sleep to build up his energy and to prevent any mishaps, but he never expected Jayu to agree so easily.

Upon entering the gap between the rocks, Yeon Pa was in a meditative state, focusing on his breathing exercises.

Upon closer inspection, his face, which had been distorted, now looked far healthier than before, as if ten layers of skin had spread over it.

Jayu, lying far enough away to avoid disturbing him, suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, “Don’t you usually take turns keeping watch?”

“I’ll wake you up when it’s your turn, so just sleep for now.”

“Got it.”

What a response that was.

Qing couldn’t help but chuckle.

It seemed Jayu was really tired, as he soon fell into a deep sleep, snoring softly.

Given that he likely had been sleeping on fancy bedding all the time, it was surprising to see him fall asleep so easily on the soft leaves.

Then again, he was wearing two thick fur coats, so I guess it makes sense he’d be comfy.

Qing stepped outside the rock gap and lay down on the ground.

If he was going to be keeping watch, there was no need to be uncomfortable sitting or standing for no reason.

This was just an excuse common among people who doze off anywhere, regardless of the time and place.

The moonlight was incredibly bright.

But was that a full moon? It didn’t seem like it was time for one, so maybe it wasn’t.

Still, compared to when they were just leaving Zhangjiajie, when everything had been a blur, it certainly felt much better.

But is this correct?

Aren’t eyes supposed to go blind once damaged?

Since the itchiness in his eyes had lessened since the injury, he hadn’t worried too much from the start.

It reminded him of the time when, after a spinal injury, the same kind of tickling feeling had told him, “Dear body, don’t worry! The nerves are healing diligently, so go about your daily life with ease.”

But do eyes actually heal?

If they were, he didn’t think he’d be wearing glasses or sticking something over his eyes.

If he had known, he should have read medical books instead of studying Korean history during that time.

Was this even a naturally healing injury, or was it due to his constitution, or maybe he had high health stats, or perhaps it was something like his stamina bar filling up slowly over time?

Is it okay to just say “good is good”?

But goodness often comes at a cost, while evil doesn’t require a reason.

Qing opened the shining mission panel.

He speculated that it might be related to that “Yellow Dragon Battle” quest from before.

He couldn’t read it because the letters were smudged.

Still, even if he wanted to read it, his friend was too busy running away when he pushed, and only followed along when he pulled, keeping his distance.

What a mess with this convenience feature.

What if he went blind? Would someone read it to him?

Or would new eyeballs grow after time even if they burst?

It was not like a math problem which would yield answers simply through pondering.

And Qing couldn’t even solve math problems.

He gave up on it long ago.

Just then, while Qing was stuck lost in thoughts about unanswerable questions.

There came the sound of rustling footsteps.

If it were Jayu, he would’ve been making a racket, kicking leaves like a madman, so it can’t be him.

Then there’s only one person it could be.

“How’s your condition?”

“Well, seeing a girl sprawled out like a commoner without knowing the meaning of shame, I thought you were just sleeping instead of taking watch.”

“Can’t see much anyway. I’m keeping my ears on high alert.”

“Hmm, yeah. You should do that. How dare you slack off when we are supposed to be safe? That’s unacceptable. Really, unacceptable.”

Yeon Pa kept repeating how unacceptable it was.

Qing chuckled at that.

“It’s not like I owe you any debt of gratitude. Since I need to keep practicing my medical skills so they don’t rust away, I did it out of necessity.”

She was clearly having a tough time saying thank you, her expression reminding him of a fierce mother-in-law. Is this why physiognomy is science?

Well, of course, with the amount of accumulated data from the history of the Central Plain.

“Cough. A girl just has to be perceptive. Well, that perception is quite agreeable. Good. A girl must be quick on the uptake.”

Then sounds of laughter followed.

“Yeah, perhaps fate is fate after all. I thought you’d be a hothead like those commoners, unable to be useful.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is it okay for a man to run around like a madman?”

“Can the boys really escape their natural station? They’ll just be left with their lowly lineage forever, and who cares if they act like commoners? But girls are different.”

While the men are eternally lowborn, women have chances to rise in status, often referred to as “marrying up” back in Qing’s hometown.

That made Qing feel uncertain.

Which side is it? Would Master get furious if he knew?

“You, in particular, are most definitely one not to forget this. Always be mindful and keep your attitude elegant, behaving like the refined lady you should be.”

Always tidy. Elegant and beautiful. Maintain dignity as a female master of the martial world.

That was something Master always said… but now that he thought about it, he hadn’t heard that in a while.

Has he given up?

Anyway, Qing raised an unjust voice.

“Why do I have to be the one to do it more?”

“Well, cough. Are you so oblivious? What good is a girl without perception? Tsk, tsk.”

“Just before, you said it was good…”

“Hmph. Yeah. You dared to claim to be Wang Ya’s friend. When assessing a person, look at their friends, so if you’re such a hothead, wouldn’t that be a disgrace to Wang Ya too?”

“Hmm, I’ll try my best.”

Yeon Pa nodded at that.

“Well, since you said that, it doesn’t make you unlikable.”

Only then did she get to the main topic.

“Go accompany Wang Ya. This old woman will stir up as much trouble as possible, so it shouldn’t be too hard for you. But you must ensure that not a single hair on him gets harmed.”

“I should really hear Jayu’s opinion about that too, you know.”

“Tsk. When adults speak, you should listen.”

At that, Qing shook his head.

“If I leave him like this, even more trouble will come to Jayu. I haven’t done anything significant yet, and you’re already telling me to abandon him?”

“It was something I anticipated when I decided to accompany a valued person. It’s only fitting for a commoner to do.”

Qing’s expression fell.

“Why are you calling him common? Like there’s gold coursing through his veins instead of blood?”

“Hah. You’re revealing your true colors. Anyone can tell what’s more precious when looking at gold and straw. Isn’t that something you’d say as a rebel? Just the common things have to be called as they are.”

“When a fire needs to be lit, what good is a thousand pieces of gold? The straw that starts the fire is far more precious. And speaking of which, I have gold flowing through my veins too, you know? If I wanted, I could be a princess too!”

“Ha, why not go shout that around town then?”

“Isn’t what we’re doing now practically rebellion?”

Yeon Pa’s forehead tightened.

And the back of her neck was tense enough to explode.

Just as the conversation was getting heated, she let out a deep sigh.

“Anyway, for Jayu, wouldn’t Yeon Pa be more precious than gold? So don’t say such things.”

“That naive girl. You’re still too inexperienced in the ways of the world.”

The world was treacherous, and if she let her guard down, a disaster would be born.

Yet Yeon Pa didn’t realize that.

She was just too soft-hearted and gentle. If she wanted to sit by Wang Ya’s side, she needed a tougher resolve.

But on the other hand, it made her happy. She seemed to fit well as a girl beside Wang Ya.

She was gobbling up side dishes before even placing an order like she was starving.

In Qing’s hometown, they say one drinks kimchi soup for hydration.

“Anyway, do you have any idea how many of those guys are gathered here? I captured a few and questioned them, but none had the same allegiance. Altogether, it seems like it exceeds a thousand.”

“I get the impression that the iron steel boys are gathering. Who’s watching the North when the Northern army is sending troops here?”

Qing timidly asked, “What… about the other folks?”

“They camped out with the Golden Guard, and from all directions, the crossbow bolts kept raining down. If this old man wasn’t clever enough to stay alive, the others probably died already. So, do you have any bright ideas?”

“Not yet. First, let’s wait and see how things unfold for a few days. Yeon Pa should be able to move more freely in a couple of days. From what I’ve observed, their discipline is a total mess, and their search efforts seem half-hearted. I might just follow them secretly tomorrow.”

“I’ll let you make that call, but if I find you acting too suspicious, I’ll be the first to shout and create a scene. If they come swarming, you’ll escape with Wang Ya too.”

“What kind of threat is that?”

As if it meant he’d attract attention and die.

This kid is living on the edge, almost like a maniac.

Seeing Qing’s expression, Yeon Pa chuckled like a dying old man and then pulled another secret manual from her belongings.

“Ah, here. Take this too.”

Qing took it and realized it was coming from the Martial Arts Inventory spreading news of new techniques, flickering brightly.

He held the secret manual close to his nose and painstakingly read it word for word.

“Zhen, Lun, Ma, Ge, huh? Isn’t this the Heaven’s Ten Great Demon Arts?”

“Do you know why status matters? If a lowborn girl learns it, it becomes the most wicked Demonic Art, but if someone esteemed learns it, it transforms into a marvelous Divine Skill. That’s just the way of the world. So you should decide whether to practice or not, rather than an old man who won’t have much time left.”

“But isn’t magic still magic?”

“If you, a girl who has reached the top tier through the Dao’s Martial Arts, can’t have your mind intact, are you going to let yourself be consumed just for learning a Demonic Art? It might appear wicked, but frankly, there aren’t many techniques in the world that can contend with that. And didn’t I say? A girl destined for greatness can dabble in demonic arts.”

Demonic arts.

These are martial arts that fundamentally tamper with energy.

They were unique skills that changed the very essence of one’s energy or operated through bizarre methods.

If we’re talking about the energy skills Qing could learn, they’d be Heavenly Demon Light, shooting beams of energy from his fingertips.

What’s this, you’re giving me Demonic Arts?

What does that mean?

It means that old lady is rather preparing for death.

It’s like someone tidying their possessions before the end.

So, this was roughly the implication.

If things get dire, I should abandon the old man and escape.

So, Qing accepted the secret manual.

It was a response saying he would do just that if things went south.

As a martial world individual, he wasn’t naive enough to believe that challenges could always be overcome with sheer will and determination.

But what did she mean by “destined for greatness”?

Yeon Pa smiled at him.

“Right, you gave me Nengpa Mibo before. How did you find it? It’s truly chaotic in the martial arts perspective, isn’t it?”

“Um, it’s a bit much.”

Qing replied, saying it was primarily useful for making a quick getaway, since it was structured in a way that it always left him facing his foes.

But Yeon Pa seemed to understand it differently.

“It really doesn’t seem like a technique meant for a person to learn. Do you know how much blood was shed because of that one secret manual that couldn’t even be properly learned? So always be cautious.”

“Wait, isn’t it normally meant for advanced skills?”

“Hmph. Did you even get to learn it? Just because you can mimic it a little doesn’t mean you can—”

Yeon Pa’s words abruptly stopped.

As Qing lay down, he managed to raise his body in eight different ways and scatter into different directions.

“Hmm. I still don’t understand why you made me appear behind my enemies.”

Hearing the voice from behind, Yeon Pa rubbed her eyes.

What did I just see?

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