Chapter 532

Surprisingly enough, sleep isn’t really a big deal for warriors.

Qing doesn’t like it, but with practical compression meditation, one can push the fatigue aside and weave clarity into the mind in just a single meditation session.

Of course, it’s only a temporary fix, and doing this every day would drive anyone nuts.

At least getting a good night’s sleep every five days is essential; you might say it’s more like a clever trick to dodge exhaustion.

This could be considered the biggest difference between commoners and warriors.

It’s all about how effectively one can use the same twelve meditation hours.

However, not many warriors actually do this. Maybe one out of ten? One out of a hundred?

Unlike Qing’s hometown, when the sun sets in the primitive ancient Central Plains, there’s not much one can do, and there aren’t many who practice with desperation like that.

In that sense, the Bandit Gang’s unusual name would be seen as a wholesome gathering of true warriors.

Let’s say it’s understandable for people like Gongson Yo-ye, who have been dutifully carrying on their family’s legacy, or Namgoong Shin-jae, who believes in the strange philosophy that storing inner strength at night allows one to wield a sword better during the day.

Then there’s Pang Dae-san, who’s become more earnest since entering the realm of supreme martial artists, and Mo Yong Joo-hee, who has trouble sleeping at night but appears otherwise, and Seoliri, who won’t back down when it comes to stubbornness either.

Yet, Je-gal Lee-hyun, who swears by a good night’s sleep for muscle growth, takes his rest seriously, and Tang Nan-ah shows little interest in martial arts.

Thus, to the Pang clan and Mo Yong clan, one might wonder how our dear friend has grown so impressive after befriending the Cheonhwa-geom.

It’s said you grow when you have a worthy opponent.

Just like old folks love to brag about their kids, the clan elders can’t resist boasting.

That’s why the Bandit Gang’s oddly titled training group is bound to be notable.

There’s a reason why Muchen Pavilion, which receives the Martial Alliance’s highest guests, is offered up unofficially.

Anyway, sleep isn’t particularly important.

But still.

After soaking in hot water and returning, I find four women sprawled across the bed, spaced out comfortably.

Naturally, the more luxurious the guest room, the bigger the bed, so there’s plenty of room, yet I feel the eyes of these ladies pleading for me to come over.

While Qing is tough with insults and fists, she’s weak when it comes to warmth.

If I were to squeeze between them, there are two on either side, and that would surely leave the remaining two feeling neglected.

“Um, guys?”

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming over?”

“Over here!”

The little ones at the ends urge me to join them.

And the other two send hopeful glances, as if to say they’ll join too.

Hmm. Proving friendship is certainly tricky.

Do I have to share a bed to be friends?

Qing thought she’d be fair about it.

“I slept with Nan-ah and Mo Yong last night, so tonight I’ll sleep with Ye-rang.”

Then Nan-ah fires back.

“Where’s that fair? How can you say that, Qing? Are you just openly saying you’ll sleep with someone else? Just say it clearly, it’s either me or them?”

“Come on, I’m not a kid….”

Mo Yong Joo-hee, who can only relax and sleep soundly with Qing nearby, doesn’t want to sleep apart either.

So Qing suggests a compromise.

“Um, why don’t we all just sleep together?”

Thus, battle formation number one begins.

With Qing in the middle and four of us lying along the sides of a rectangle.

“Um, is this right? Ahh, please don’t tickle my feet! Who’s pulling my hair?”

“They’re holding hands.”

In other words, when Qing stretches out, she’s holding hands on each side, leaving no choice but for the feet and hair to be grabbed in between.

So we shift to formation two.

Seoliri to the left, Gongson Yo-ye to the right.

Tang Nan-ah lies across my belly.

And Mo Yong Joo-hee is behind me.

It isn’t hard to keep balance with two pinned to either side.

“Is this okay, Mo Yong? You alright?”

Mo Yong has two people piled on top of her.

Plus, isn’t Qing a head taller than her?

“Ugh, this pressure, I’m fine.”

“Then it’s settled. See? She says she’s fine.”

“Impossible. And I’m not fine! What’s going on here?”

I’ll have to maintain balance while being smothered by heads on my chest, feeling a dull pain creeping in, and the weight on my back is also making it hard to breathe.

Fact is, can a mere two people even weigh down a warrior? But persistent pressure feels different.

I can tolerate it, but this is clearly uncomfortable for Mo Yong.

“No, no, Young Lady! I’m really fine! Hoo. This is the perfect pressure, hoo. I’d be okay being under Young Lady.”

“No, you can’t just say that! If you have something to say, say it! If I’m uncomfortable, I need to say it. If you just keep accommodating me, that could sour our feelings.”

“Not at all, really, I’m okay like this….”

“Don’t say that! Come on, everyone, get up. This isn’t right.”

Thus, formation number two collapses, with Mo Yong looking like she might cry.

“Fine. I slept with Mo Yong and Nan-ah last night, so I’ll sleep with Ye-rang and Iri tonight.”

“What?! I won’t accept that, no way!”

“Throwing a tantrum won’t work, you know?”

“Ugh, how could Qing do this to me…?”

“Crying won’t help.”

“Look at her, she’s so full of herself! How can I sleep separately with someone like that?”

At that, Seoliri feigns a thumbs-up, a gesture used back home to mean “let’s talk.”

To be clear, in the Central Plains, that gesture means the number six and is often used to quip about how awesome one is, or how they’re naturally cool.

If you see it when someone else is being praised, it becomes a compliment, but due to the Central Plain’s nature, grand displays of praise are usually reserved for really close friends.

“Sigh, I can’t use this here.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I saw your hand! Now you’re lying?”

“I didn’t!”

Seoliri quickly averts her gaze.

These two need to get closer.

“This isn’t going to work. For now, let’s sleep equally with Ye-rang and Iri, then from tomorrow, we’ll split into two groups. Nan-ah and Iri will be one group.”

“What?! Why me?”

“No way.”

“It’s my choice! If you don’t like it, I’ll just sleep with Ye-rang and Mo Yong!”

“Pfft.”

“Not happening.”

“Just decide. What’s your plan?”

And just like that, Nan-ah and Seoliri glare at each other fiercely.

Then, at some point, there’s a silent agreement, and they both sigh in acceptance.

“Uh, Young Lady? Well, it’s fine if we all sleep together, I can take the bottom cot, and others can take turns on top…?”

“I’m uncomfortable too, you know? You should sleep soundly instead of arranging it like this. And here I thought Young Lady was actually the sensible one.”

“Yeah….”

Mo Yong, nonetheless, was the leader of a faction within the Dragon and Phoenix Association, so she had a certain mediating skill about her, bright character or not.

Then Nan-ah tilted her head.

“Something feels off about her….”

Anyway, even with the sudden formation of a comradeship, I think it could work out.

Maybe now Qing can make some more friends.

Mo Yong seems nice enough, so it’s all good.

Nan-ah and Iri might be too difficult for Gongson to manage.

In fact, neither of them has friends.

Wait, does that mean Mo Yong is the only one with a friend among the female members?

Is the Bandit Gang really okay this way?

Without me, they’re in that kind of relationship, like friends of friends who barely know each other? Super awkward with not even a line of conversation.

The men seem to get along fine; is it just because they’re women? Is there some weird girl vibe out there?

I really don’t get it.

Anyway, how would I know?

As Qing’s thoughts deepened through the night, it turned out to be a restless one.

Dong dong, swish swish.

In fact, Qing can sleep anywhere well.

—-

Having stayed in Taizhou for four days, it was time to eat breakfast and hit the road.

Hmm. I need to shake them off a bit.

What to do?

After Suzhou, we head straight for Hangzhou, right?

And just look at Qing’s beaming face; she seems to be on cloud nine thinking of meeting friends.

So when it finally dawned on her that this whole fighting business was just for show, she only recalls it as the day approached.

Guess this is the fate of the strong.

Carrying around such fragile girls, can I even afford to be anxious about anything?

Guess the best plan is to slip away before heading to Suzhou, right?

So with the army, we set off from Taizhou.

Behind us, a throng of spectators followed; those who were tired of fighting now seemed to remember their real jobs and drifted away, leaving behind a crowd of Oki-rin’s fanatical supporters, shifting the gender balance.

In a way, isn’t this a reversal of gender roles?

Anyway.

If we keep heading east from Taizhou, we’ll soon hit the coast.

The march plan was to reach the shore, head south towards Huaihe, cross the river, and incidentally practice crossing as well, ultimately arriving in Suzhou.

So we reached the coast, stayed for a day, then prepared to head south again, marching to a small town called Yeogohyeon alongside the tributary of Huaihe.

It was still around midday; a hazy, bright time just before lunch and dinner.

Thinking to myself, why are we stopping so soon? Just as that thought crossed my mind, Great General Wang Sang-ryong approached, reporting with a respectful demeanor.

“There are no suitable commonfolk inns until we reach Namtong; it would be best to rest here for the night.”

Though there are eyes watching, the report makes it obvious he’s inquiring whether to stay or leave.

It’s a decent suggestion, considering we must travel with the precious lady.

“Oh, let’s go with that then.”

But from Qing’s perspective, it’s not really my place to involve myself in the march schedule.

And from the army’s perspective, it’s undoubtedly better to rest beside the city rather than hasten off for a pretty lady, so there’s really no rush.

“But why aren’t there any commonfolk houses on the way? Why? The official roads are so nicely laid out!”

“Sister, the logistics are connected to Huaihe, so even if the official road exists, there aren’t many travelers.”

“Still, isn’t it odd that there are none at all?”

“Hmm. I think it’s due to frequent raids by Japanese invaders.”

“Japanese invaders?”

“It’s called that, but true Dongying barbarians are rare; often it’s bandit gangs disguising themselves as Japanese. Of course, while they may be few, their tyranny is considerable.”

“Hmm. Where is the army during all this? Oh, that’s not for you to answer, General. After all, this isn’t even your territory.”

“Hmph. Even in Shandong Province, it’s not exactly safe. I’ve heard the common folk are driven to ask for help from the Huang Bo Clan.”

This comes straight from Pang Dae-san, who lives just above this place.

At that, Wang Sang-ryong started sweating profusely.

“W-well, you see, the Japanese invaders are aware of how terrifying the army can be, and they’re quite elusive, so even if the army deploys, it’s usually after they’ve already fled…”

“Eh? So you didn’t even deploy?”

“Well, um! Yes, that’s correct! The army is exhausted, and their combat power has diminished; this is considered disloyal to the esteemed royal family…”

Wang Sang-ryong’s perspiration flows even more freely.

Sweating bullets.

“Not that! Our general has made some contingency plans by placing guesthouses along the coast, so I’ll say that during my watch, the Japanese wouldn’t dare invade. Moreover, if you hear from the local Shandong folk, you’ll confirm that since those adjustments, the damage from the Japanese has significantly decreased, and we’ve been able to cope reasonably with smaller raids of about a dozen people…”

What is going on? This guy thought he was a general?

Qing’s eyes narrow.

With that, Wang Sang-ryong’s flustered demeanor spills over.

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