Chapter 82

Every night, Qing, who had taken a liking to night walks, made his way to Seolga’s house as if reporting for duty.

Thanks to that, Seolga was drenched again today.

The day before, he had been dripping water and had shot Qing a reproachful look.

But today, there was something hesitant and trembling in his eyes.

Qing asked with a grim expression.

“What’s with that look?”

“You said you weren’t a Demon Cultist, but then you’re a witch from the Blood Sect!”

“Huh? Blood Sect?”

Qing’s expression was so convincing that even a stranger could tell that she meant business.

There was no one in the Central Plain who could express an expression of “I don’t know,” as accurately as Qing.

“Didn’t you wield the Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat?”

“Oh! You know the Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat! These days, it’s really scary.”

That Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat had indeed evolved.

Thanks to the Ice Heaven Water Demon Art.

The Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat was renowned for its cruelty, as it would sprinkle a rare poison that left permanent aftereffects.

But there was nothing cold about Qing’s True Energy.

It was like fueling a car meant for high-octane gasoline with diesel.

Now there was the Ice Heaven Demon Art.

It wasn’t gourmet gasoline, but it was at least regular fuel.

“But you’re saying you aren’t from the Blood Sect?”

“Nope?”

“But you’re definitely a Supreme Demoness?”

“Not that either!”

“You did learn the Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat, right?”

“Oh! You know the Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat! These days, it’s really scary!”

“Now I’m hearing things… I think I just heard that a moment ago…”

Seolga muttered to himself.

Qing frowned.

When Seolga jumped in surprise, Qing sighed deeply and said.

“What’s with the paranoia?”

“Given how brutally every name provided is found slaughtered, how can I not be on edge?”

Seolga assumed Qing was a clumsy bandit.

But in truth, she was a renowned killer in the world.

And a Supreme Demoness of the Blood Sect at that!

If the Demon Cultists were the bad guys, the Blood Sect was a gathering of the world’s worst scum.

There was a level of wickedness between them.

Seolga had seriously contemplated escaping the Demon Cult.

Because he knew he wouldn’t have a bright future tied to the Blood Sect.

Dying would definitely be better than what was to come.

He wasn’t afraid of pain, but he was afraid of the Blood Sect.

Qing looked hurt.

“You promised you wouldn’t kill me.”

“Usually, informants don’t live long, you know.”

“That’s too much. Between us.”

“Yeah, we need to clarify something. What exactly is our relationship?”

Huh? What is it? What kind of relationship do we have?

Qing thought for a moment, finally finding a suitable word.

“Friend?”

Seolga’s eyebrows raised and then drooped.

“Friend, huh? A friend whose name I don’t even know?”

“Seomun Qing.”

“And your clan?”

“Divine Maiden Sect.”

“And your master? Where did you learn the arts?”

“In a neutral state—that is, my master is Seomun Sulin, and I learned the arts just by passing by.”

Seolga’s eyebrows sprang up and then returned.

“Seomun Sulin? The Grand Matriarch? So, you’re the Grand Matriarch’s disciple? No, no.”

It was amusing to see Seolga rambling.

But it was only a momentary amusement.

Once he regained his composure, Seolga asked again.

“So, what exactly is going on in the Central Plain these days? Is there some sort of catastrophic plague taking over, or are we on the verge of destruction?”

“The Central Plain is just fine.”

“That’s disappointing. I thought the world might actually come to an end.”

After saying that, Seolga turned away.

“What’s the matter? Where are you going?”

“I should treat a friend to a cup of tea. There’s a table beside the counter, so I’ll lay it out.”

“Oh, are there snacks too?”

“Just look at my situation. Not having hot water to offer deserves some praise, doesn’t it? And what snacks are you looking for? I’m not a child.”

As Seolga grumbled, he stepped outside.

Qing looked around, retrieved the table set up between the store and the wall, and stretched out her legs.

Since it was a friend’s house, she even loosened her cumbersome mask.

Then she casually sprawled out.

When visiting a friend’s house, lying down was the ultimate expression of genuine friendship.

A short while later, Seolga returned with a teapot and a cup, only to find Qing sprawled out.

Specifically, it was Qing’s youthful face.

“Turns out you aren’t just a kid. You’re definitely a kid.”

“What do you mean? Where do you see a kid here?”

“If I had married early, I would have had a daughter your age. Then I’d have the right to call her a kid, right?”

Seolga was indeed logical.

Seeing twenty-year-olds as kids was understandable, so imagine how Seolga felt at middle age.

Wow. I can’t counter that.

Seolga placed what he was holding down on the table and asked.

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Right! That one! The patrol leader? He’s a total loser! They said he was a master of the sublime techniques!”

“Only that there are rumors he possesses it. Hmm. But that’s not what I was asking.”

“Then what is it?”

Seolga looked at Qing.

“Your words. It seems you have nowhere to connect with. That looks serious.”

“What do you mean by that? Out of nowhere.”

“Why on earth would a young Grand Demon Lord from a prestigious sect get attached to an aging, ruined man?”

“You’re being too harsh. That’s excessive.”

“If we round off your nickname, you’d be a Three Demoness, right? No, being a disciple of a Grand Matriarch who’s willing to pass on her surname makes you part of a family in the sect, so it would be Three Demon Alliance.”

“What? Are you trying to pick a fight with me about my attachment? You ought to experience this discomfort to realize, ah, I’ve turned someone else’s pain into my amusement.”

“The young friend has a tongue on par with mine.”

Seolga let out a deep sigh.

“What I mean is, the alliance is fine, but don’t get obsessed with malice. You’re of good lineage and looks, though I find you a bit crude; there are plenty of friends in the Central Plain who would cherish you.”

“That’s true.”

“But is there any reason to come into this remote Demon Cult and engage in villainy? From my perspective, you’re not being rational.”

To Seolga, Qing’s behavior had already shown signs of an obsession with killing.

Though it was said that being Seomun Sulin’s disciple allowed her to somehow endure through the core techniques of orthodox practice.

If a person has no one to turn their heart to, solitude gradually seeps in, leading to madness.

Could a still young girl have an open heart in a den of scoundrels?

Regardless of being between the hunter and the hunted.

Could someone develop feelings after just a few conversations?

It must have been crumbling for some time already.

Why? Because Seolga had escaped after committing atrocious deeds in the same manner.

He was just a lowly offspring of misfortune, abused in the Ice Palace, hiding in the far corner of the Central Plain.

While simultaneously reflecting on whether it was a bit too extreme to have killed his master, senior disciples, and fellow disciples, while also stealing the secret manuals.

Still, Seolga had accurately pinpointed Qing’s state.

Her reliance on two supports stemmed from a loneliness she hadn’t even realized she was feeling.

Qing’s loneliness began after her first departure into the martial world.

In truth, it hadn’t been long since she found someone to connect with in this realm.

So, naturally, it made sense that she would be enamored with someone she thought was good.

Her disgust toward anyone who would look at her only for her unique physiology was just an extension of that.

Feeling a surge of emotions, Qing raised her voice purposely.

“Lady! Who do you think wants to be in a place like this? I was kidnapped! I’m just taking my frustrations out on my escape plan!”

“Oh. You were kidnapped? I didn’t know that. What a pity. I thought you crawled in to take down some villains like your peers tend to say.”

“I was thinking about stopping by for training later, but not right now, you know?”

“Escape, huh… So it was you who asked about the master with the techniques? You were planning to learn and break out.”

At that moment, Qing seized the opportunity to ask.

“Speaking of which, if Seolga could only learn one martial art in this world, which one would you choose?”

“Well, it’s obviously Girl’s Joyous Mirror.”

That was a direct answer.

Seolga continued.

“I thought I’d sneak a chance to learn it by fleeing here, but they said it’s a unique skill only for the princess in Hwanhui Palace.”

“Hey! Who asked Seolga what you wanted to learn? I’m asking what would be beneficial for me!”

“I distinctly remember saying ‘if I could learn.’ Hmm. To choose just one… That feels like something friends of the same age would discuss.”

This was surprisingly a widely popular topic among the martial artists of the Central Plain.

The ancient, primitive culture of the Central Plain had never developed any playful hobbies.

Seolga stroked his chin, pretending to think deeply before finally making a conclusion.

“If I had to get out of this crisis, would there be anything better than the Heart Consumption Technique? Though, considering how everyone in the martial world would be ready to kill me, I’d have to escape far away, beyond the Western Regions.”

“Rejected.”

Of course, Qing was someone who thought it didn’t matter what one learned as long as they didn’t get caught.

After all, the dead don’t talk!

The merciless rejection wasn’t out of fear of consequences.

Qing had already checked the impressive notoriety of the ‘Killer of Killers’ once.

Yet nothing came up.

Perhaps it was meant solely for the natives of the Primordial Ancient China, or maybe it could only be learned through special missions like the Uniquely Monstrous Sword.

“If there hadn’t been any pressing crisis, it would be the Reverse Muscle Source Technique. It’s the best divine skill that has no equal in nurturing tendons and veins.”

“Oh, the Reverse Muscle Source Technique is good. My master said the same.”

“Of course! Any caring master would dream of that for their disciple. But it’s tough to master, and the effects take time, so it’s not ideal to get out of a crisis right now.”

Qing was assured that if she didn’t learn it this time, it would undoubtedly be hers in a thousand dots.

“Well, what if you wanted to see immediate results?”

“As you know, the only thing you could learn and actually use right away would be plain Demonic Arts.”

“What if it turned out to be effective enough?”

“Daydreaming isn’t a good hobby. Stay grounded.”

Seolga had not hidden his look of disdain.

“Lady, I’ll handle that on my own.”

Seolga fell back into deep thought again.

But then he suddenly blurted out.

“Oh, the Thousand Hells Ten Thousand Poisons. Yeah, the Thousand Hells Ten Thousand Poisons does exist.”

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