The skin soaked in sweat felt a pleasure akin to ecstasy when it met the outside air after so long.
But who had the time to enjoy that?
Unyeonjeong’s fingers slid from the neck and touched the back of the chin, causing a significant amount of sweat to gush forth.
Then the fingers hesitated.
The slender fingers emerging from Qing’s chin slowly rubbed against each other, as if testing the stickiness of the moisture.
“Oh my. Is this sweat? Goodness.”
“Hey, Yeong? You’re not going to go too far, right? I may have been a bit mean, but oh, I’m just playing around. I trust you, Yeong. You won’t do anything, right? Exactly. Oh dear, I can be too mischievous sometimes.”
Qing desperately denied it.
“I told you, right? This is for Young Lady Seomun? You keep getting cowardly, so a big lesson, maybe I should call it discipline?”
For me? Discipline?
Qing’s anger flared!
“How is this for me!? It’s all just excuses! No, what did I even do wrong in the first place? Why is this happening to me? Is wanting to get rid of that gruesome divine skill a crime? I was just doing what I had to do! What did I do wrong!?”
It would be a memorable scene, seeing such a bold girl redden with rage.
Unyeonjeong, who was impersonated, certainly had every right to be angry too, but instead, she merely smiled gently.
Ignoring the sweat droplets dripping from her chin, the fingers glided downwards, touching the moist skin beneath the chin.
“Wait! Hold on, Yeong. How about we switch this punishment? What can I do for you? Instead of this public execution that just brings wounds and hatred, let’s ask for something beneficial for you, Yeong?”
Qing proposed a negotiation.
Then Unyeonjeong let out a delightful chuckle, genuinely amused.
It sounded like she was having a blast.
And then the same finger shot straight to her lips!
The fingers, cut off at the bottom, drooped down, filling the bottom jaw with a refreshing breeze.
This girl’s serious about this!
Qing slouched and leaned towards Unyeonjeong.
“Oh my, are you giving up? Already?”
“Forget it. I’m going to be humiliated anyway. It’s all messed up now. I don’t even know how to face anyone anymore. Yeah, let’s reveal faces! What’s the big deal anyway? Does it change anything in the world? I’m just a tiny creature…”
Qing displayed extreme lethargy and symptoms of depression.
“What? Crying poor doesn’t earn you any sympathy?”
“Just—”
“Hah.”
And finally, the big reveal.
Just when everyone was eagerly waiting for the identity of the Supreme Brain-slaying Young Lady, they gasped!
They inhaled or exhaled in surprise, it was strangely like two different actions making the same sound.
The first thought that shot through everyone’s minds was, why?
Why is the real Supreme Brain-slaying Young Lady appearing?
Qing was a strong contender for being the Most Beautiful in the World.
That recognition was spreading more and more.
Unless you hadn’t seen Qing’s beauty and were still thinking it’s just an illusion or perhaps due to personal taste or out of reverence for the so-called martial arts’ peak beauties or the fear of the world’s most dreaded wives.
The woman’s face, drenched in sweat, had a certain sensuality that captured men’s gazes.
Let alone if it spread out as the universally acknowledged face of the supreme beauty.
“Cheonhwa-geom!” “The Most Beautiful in the World!” “The Three Beauties!” “Three Beauties? Wasn’t it Five Beauties?” “Divine Dragon!” “Why Five Beauties? Does it have four breasts?” “Fool, you idiot!” “Oh!” “Seomun Qing!” “Flower among Flowers!”
Eventually, some who recognized her started to shout out.
When word spread that Qing had shown up, wouldn’t people swarm to see what the Most Beautiful in the World looked like?
Feigning ignorance, pretending not to stroll around or go for tea, they all dashed outside to sneak a peek, and those who caught sight couldn’t hide their astonishment and were all about courtesy.
“Cheonhwa-geom? Didn’t they say she was a disciple of Divine Maiden Sect?”
“Isn’t Cheonhwa-geom the Divine Dragon known for her honor? That girl learned demonic arts?”
“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean? Demonic arts? Cheonhwa-geom learned demonic arts? Which demonic arts?”
“Not just one! Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Dark Demon Arts, Wheel of Law/Great Wheel of Time, Master of Thunder Arts—she seems to be collecting the top ten demonic arts!”
“Then, she’s already got the Shadow Slash technique?”
“Uh? Uh? Uh?”
Qing looked down at the crowd.
Some were aghast, some were dazed.
But so what? What’s that got to do with me?
Qing muttered quietly.
“I just want to disappear from this world. To a faraway place like the West Region, where nobody knows me, just to keep this life that couldn’t end…”
This process was referred to as the Five Stages of Death in Qing’s hometown.
Not only death but also major misfortunes or shame, or whatever calamities a person cannot handle would evoke universal emotions, also known as the Five Stages of Sorrow.
Denial – Anger – Bargaining – Depression.
This process seemed to show a person mentally dying, a sort of decline.
But with the Five Stages.
Ironically, the very last one is Acceptance!
At the end of this decline lies the resilience of a person.
Thus, a person persists, overcoming unreasonable violence of nature and the endless hatred among each other and eventually flourishes and creates civilization.
A gentle smile bloomed on Qing’s face.
“Hello, everyone. It’s me, Seomun Qing. So, what do you think? It’s the Supreme Brain-slaying Young Lady, right? Still, I didn’t lie, did I?”
And then an uproar erupted.
With over a hundred warriors present, everyone yelled out their own thoughts, making it a complete chaos that nothing could be heard.
“Okay, that’s enough, right? It’s not that dramatic, is it?”
Qing turned her head.
Though she couldn’t see Unyeonjeong clinging to her back, on the contrary, Qing’s profile was clearly showing to Unyeonjeong.
“Oh my, I knew you were beautiful, but oh, I shouldn’t have revealed this. Showing such beauty to those kinds is such a waste.”
“Words without feelings, huh?”
“Hah, true. But I was genuinely surprised.”
“Hmm. So, are you letting me go now? How about letting me out somewhere safe?”
“Oh my, so relaxed?”
“Since what’s done is done.”
Thinking about it, so what?
I won’t care what those sapa idiots say.
What do I care about my master, the Divine Maiden Sect members, friends, or elders, and those from the Martial Alliance?
Shame? I can’t even afford to be shy; I’d be out of stock and still have to fulfill overdue orders for life.
But so what?
Demonic arts? Just claim it.
My master said that too.
Impersonation? If I said I was trying to eliminate the Heart Consumption Technique from the world, who would say anything?
What if they say I learned the Heart Consumption Technique?
My master is there to prove this was all the Blood Sect’s wicked scheme, alongside Young Lady Mo Yong and the Swordmaster, and Jang Myung, while he might not be a strong witness, is someone still.
“Hmm. Are you letting me go now? Can you take me somewhere safe? I saw you with those Jiangshi last time, flying and all.”
“Oh my, I simply corrected the wrongs that were present? The suffering hasn’t even begun; we’re just getting ready, you know?”
“Hmph. I knew it. I let my guard down.”
Qing scoffed.
Initially, the idea of defeating the final boss with some vague ‘crush’ or ‘submission’ doesn’t make any sense.
“Now, folks?”
The crowd was still in shock.
Each one either spoke up or was busy arguing loudly, or shouted toward Qing.
“Miss Seomun? Could you gather everyone’s attention?”
“Shall I use Buddha’s Physical Body? Honestly, I want to give Yeong a solid hit right now. Can’t I take a shot?”
“Oh, sure. But I wouldn’t recommend it?”
“Lady, is it that it won’t work?”
“Unless you want to know what happens when I recklessly attempt the Restoration Method?”
“I have massive inner strength! Really! My master is practically at the peak level!”
“Oh my, Miss Seomun, you’re incredible. But I’m even more impressive?”
Challenging me, Unyeonjeong loosened her arms that were wrapped around her body and readied herself.
Qing gave up neatly.
If it were just the two of them, she would have tried to call her bluff! But in this setting filled with nasty people below, it’s not worth risking injury.
Moreover, if she’s ‘more impressive,’ it suggests she’s beyond the peak level?
It would be foolish to dismiss it; I heard she’s the final boss in the official game.
What was it again? Enemy of humanity? Destroyer of the world? Like she’s some sort of nuke or something?
Qing raised her arm to the sky.
And at that moment, her output revealed its unique sound, proclaiming its presence.
Deng……!
Suddenly, the sound of a great bell echoed.
The clear sound of rejecting evil began to quiet everyone down.
“Buddha’s Physical Body! The true Cheonhwa-geom—”
Deng……!
With this endless chatter, Qing struck the bell once more.
As warriors, they knew what this gesture meant.
The warriors stood quietly, gazing at the coffin.
“Everyone? Miss Seomun has brought great shame upon my name, and she must duly apologize, you see?”
Qing was sulking.
“Hmph. With everything revealed, what’s the need for an apology? It’s done! I’ll keep walking around like this. If ever a rumor spreads in the streets of Luoyang about Yeong dancing naked and sleeping with ten men a day, aiming to reach a total of ten thousand, then that’s me. Next time, I’ll be not the Supreme Brain-slaying Young Lady but ‘the Most Raucous Smiling Girl Yeong.’”
“Oh my. Then before that, could you notify me? When it happens, I’ll bear the infamy for you, but you must let me witness it!”
“Hmph.”
Qing snorted.
However, Unyeonjeong merely chuckled, as if watching a cute child’s whining.
“The Divine Dragon will have to come to my residence, the Full Moon Pavilion in Hangzhou, to apologize. And along the way, you must visit the five cities of Liu Bang, Lingqi, Huaiyin, Taizhou, and Suzhou.”
Qing sulked again.
In fact, there wasn’t much else she could do besides sulk.
“Hmph. Why do I have to?”
“Well, if not, I might just turn your valuable acquaintances into Jiangshi, you know? Of course, the Jiangshi I’d use would think for themselves and move of their own will, so it’s just humans turning into Jiangshi. But isn’t that a pretty good condition? I wouldn’t want Miss Seomun to hate me. Genuinely.”
Qing froze.
Still, the part about not wanting to be hated was as sincere as it sounded, making her relax a bit inside.
A final boss of an undefined level shouldn’t be acting up.
I don’t know what kind of scheme she’s cooking.
But even if a bigger disaster follows and many suffer in sorrow afterward.
I just want my people to be safe.
“How shameless. You could have just done it.”
“Hah, I had a feeling you would.”
The expressions of the warriors turned grim as the two kept whispering to each other, taking their time.
“Miss Seomun will need to stay for at least three to four nights at the intermediate cities and must reach the next city within a month of leaving. Everyone, do you understand what that means?”
Stopping by those five cities en route to Hangzhou.
Staying three nights at each city, and leaving within a month to the next city.
In some ways, it felt like a travel itinerary.
But the journey would be exposed to the entire world.
For those seeking demonic arts, it would be an opportunity like no other.
Those gathering in groups would collect people from Hangzhou and trace their path; the longer the journey takes, the more dangerous it becomes.
Naturally, they would need to wade through countless bloodlines.
This was the condition set forth by Unyeonjeong.
Which was, a bit of hardship.