Chapter 44

There are things people want to say, but when they’re too stunned, their mouths just move without words.

Pang Dae-san was exactly like that.

Qing giggled.

“Come on, how could our friendship be just this? Mountain?”

“Ha…”

To Qing, pranks should be fun for both sides.

Once the line was crossed a little too much, it could turn from a joke into a real argument if the other person’s feelings got hurt.

So, revealing it this way was just right.

Trying to act all lady-like would just raise more annoyance.

This precise gauge of lines was truly Qing’s innate talent.

He let the guy figure things out for himself.

Qing changed the subject.

“By the way, why’s this friend drinking alone? Can’t I get a glass too?”

Qing raised the stacked cups on the table.

Chang-bin twitched, startled, and scrambled for the wine bottle.

He carefully held the bottle with both hands, trembling as he politely filled Qing’s cup.

“Uh, here…”

“Why are your hands shaking so much?”

“N-no, it’s nothing. Just a bit of… um, tremors.”

Tremors?

What’s that? Was he not a master?

Well, not every companion on the journey could be a supreme martial artist.

Qing shrugged it off and tapped the table.

“Alright, then you should have a drink too.”

“Uh, yes.”

Chang-bin hurriedly emptied his cup and pushed it forward.

He said he had tremors, but they seemed pretty severe.

He shook so badly it was tough to pour the drink.

But Qing was a late-stage supreme master.

One of the greatest traits of a martial artist who reached that level was their ability to pour smoothly even with a trembling cup.

They say once you surpass the pinnacle and reach the realm of transformation, you can pour while the cup is flying!

That’s why masters have been respected throughout history.

“Cheers, since it’s nice to meet you.”

“Cheers…”

Qing gulped down the clear liquor.

The sharp scent of potent baek-geun-ahi escaped through his nose.

As expected from a rich heir, this was no ordinary drink.

The fiery alcohol hitting his empty stomach set him shivering.

“Wow, that’s good.”

He picked up a dried fish snack with his long fingers.

The beautiful hands of the martial world were famously known.

It was said that the shape of hands was essential in judging a beauty.

The saying goes, ‘delicate fingers make for a delicate lady.’

Pang Dae-san snapped back to attention as he stared dazedly at those white fingers.

But were her hands always like that?

Seeing her suddenly stunning features and hand shapes, he spotted something off.

Transcendence.

When you reach that supreme level, your body gets reshaped, and your natural beauty skyrockets.

“Have you already reached the supreme level?”

Qing bit into the fish snack and answered.

“No? I’ve gained some small insights.”

And it truly was a small insight, one everyone in the room would know.

It was the insight needed when aiming for the peak.

Qing had bizarrely advanced first while skipping steps, then filled in the gaps later on.

Only Qing, clueless about it, felt proud of himself.

Wow, does gaining insights show?

Of course, not!

“Oh, I thought you transformed to dazzling beauty or something? Or did you learn something like the ‘heavenly maiden art’?”

“Heavenly maiden art?”

Qing’s face turned to confusion.

The expression of pure ignorance.

“Oh.”

Pang Dae-san mumbled quietly.

Had he forgotten this foolishness after so long?

“The art of heavenly maiden… oh, never mind. Just saying your face is different.”

“Oh, I learned a few martial arts. They said it makes you pretty.”

“You learned heavenly maiden art? That quickly?”

“Wow! You know about heavenly maiden art!”

“What the heck? Ha.”

The effects of easily accessible heavenly maiden art include skin and teeth whitening and adding shine to your eyes, alongside eliminating unnecessary fat.

Of course, these were at the heart of beauty standards in the Central Plain, making those effects pretty impressive.

It was also part of what defined beauty among the ladies of the area.

But something that actually shaped one’s very appearance was rare.

Maybe the acclaimed beauties of the martial world, like those from Divine Maiden Sect or Zhuque Sect, were the only ones with those rare methods.

Or perhaps the side effects of martial arts that made men look like women from the Northern Sea Ice Palace.

“I ended up with a master recently. They appreciated my natural talent. They really insisted, so I had no choice but to become their disciple.”

“What a rude thing to say. I mean, that master of yours must’ve understood and taught you something. So, you’ve got a master now?”

“Yeah. It’s someone named Seomun Sulin. She even gave me her last name, so now I’m Seomun Qing.”

“Cough.”

There was suddenly a loud gulping sound from beside them.

“Colck, hack, huh…”

When over fifty degrees of strong liquor goes down the wrong pipe, it doesn’t matter who you are; it’s a rough sight.

Changbin coughs violently, his eyes turning red.

Yet somehow, he manages to pull himself together.

“Young lady, are you saying you’re talking about the Elder Seomun Sulin from the Divine Maiden Sect…?”

“Ah! You know my master!”

“No, uh, please lower your voice…”

“Oh, this friend’s from a sect, huh?”

Qing looked curiously at Chang-bin.

Seomun Sulin once said, if there are foolish Daoists or commoners acting up in front of her, they should say her name and they won’t dare disrespect her.

Even the Sect Leader wouldn’t act recklessly toward her disciples.

“Wait a minute, Swordmaster. You mean the great Swordmaster, the best female swordsman and the current Sword Queen taught you swordsmanship?”

“Huh? Didn’t I mention?”

“Nope. I had a feeling your sword skills were extraordinary, but the heir of the world’s best swordsman becoming friends with the Sword Queen’s disciple? What an incredible coincidence…!”

“Is that really such a special thing? If you put it that way, every connection sounds extraordinary.”

“So, has the Sword Queen truly reached the realm of cutting through the skies with her sword?”

“Cutting through the skies? I don’t know. Well, she does fly around on her sword.”

The terror of being struck by a falling bomb can never be understood unless you’ve experienced it yourself.

“Flying with a sword! Really!? Ah. If I could just meet her and witness that supreme sword technique, I would have no further wishes…”

“That’s gonna be a bit tough, isn’t it?”

Namgoong Shin-jae looked like he was about to lose his breath.

As Qing was casually replying, a grumbly voice interrupted.

“Namgoong, we were in the middle of talking, right? So, are you on the Divine Maiden Sect’s roster now?”

“No, I’m an outer disciple. I told them it would be hard for me to join due to my circumstances, but my master insisted it was fine.”

“Hmm.”

Pang Dae-san groaned.

Seemed like the Elder had genuinely pressured him into becoming her disciple.

If the oldest figure in the martial world, known to be a top-tier master, made such a stretch as to take on a student as an outer disciple, it really made sense.

When you think about it, it was reasonable.

A young female martial artist who had already reached the late stages.

If half of the Elder’s character was known, that credibility stands.

“But why, of all people, is he, I mean Namgoong, traveling together?”

“Well, because he’s a swordmaster?”

“What the heck does that swordmaster even mean? Well, I kinda get it without you explaining…”

“Were going to see the Hwasan. Something about the sword cliffs? They say it’s worth seeing. Plus, I’m curious about the volcano itself.”

“Not so lightly about it. Wait. Hold on a second.”

Pang Dae-san’s eyebrows twitched.

“What about your other companions?”

“There aren’t any.”

No other companions? Pang Dae-san’s expression stiffened.

“Wait a minute, are you saying you’re traveling just the two of you?”

“Yeah?”

“No way, this crazy girl isn’t really traveling with some random guy, right?”

Qing chuckled and replied.

“From what I’ve seen, our swordmaster isn’t picky. When it comes to sword wielders and non-sword wielders, that’s what matters.”

“That’s true. In the world, there are only two types of people. My swordmaster, I could even say my heart is in sync with them now.”

“Oh! My sword!”

He was talking about the story of Zhi Yin.

In Chinese history, Bai Ya and Zhong Ziqi shared a legendary friendship so deep, they could converse through music alone.

From then on, the closest friend has been referred to as a ‘Zi Yin’.

“Stop dodging the topic.”

Pang Dae-san’s tone sank a pitch.

Qing raised his palm.

“Hold on! Stop! What’s the matter? You’re still upset? Why even go there? The Black Shadow Society? Right? We couldn’t really take them down anyway. The weaker side breaks, right?”

“That’s not what I was talking about…”

Pang Dae-san’s voice returned to normal.

Thinking back, did he even need to stress?

What does it matter who this crazy girl travels with?

Besides, as he said, this swordmaster is probably the most harmless man on earth concerning women.

Even if they are traveling together, they probably spent the whole day sparring.

Originally, that guy had nothing else in his head.

“So, you’re on your way to Hwasan?”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect timing then. I’m also returning to Hwasan with Chang-bin right now.”

“Eh? You wanna go together?”

Pang Dae-san’s eyebrows twitched.

“Why, don’t you want to?”

“Nah, I’m good with it…”

Qing turned his head away.

Chang-bin desperately waved his hands, shaking his head awkwardly, then shyly lowered his gaze when he caught Qing’s eyes.

“Just ignore him. It’s a lifelong wish of his to travel with a lady, so let’s consider this as granting one of his wishes.”

“No, Pang bro, ‘that’ just isn’t right. I’m still the leader of the Guild…”

“How about we enjoy some of that delectable alcohol? It’ll taste much better with a lady around, right?”

“Cough.”

That was an obvious attempt to lift the spirits.

Chang-bin obediently raised his cup.

“So, did you manage to get a room at the tavern?”

“Nope. I came here because I heard it was good, but the ladies built a wall around it. It dawned on me that our mountain is right here.”

“So, you mean you didn’t book? Then do it now.”

Then, he called over Jeomsoi to reserve a room for them.

Ah, that’s what friends are for.

And, considering he was a wealthy heir, how generous of him!

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