Seolga had a look that clearly said he couldn’t understand.
“Why not? It’s not that hard, right?”
It was a look that seemed to voice just that kind of monologue.
“Well, maybe you’re not desperate enough? But even if you have to crawl through the dirt, you need to survive first to plan for the future.”
This refers to a saying from the Central Plain that speaks of the disgrace of crawling through one’s legs.
It’s well-known as a dark history of Han Xin, the great general of the Chao and Han eras, who is considered one of the greatest generals of China.
He managed to achieve his plans after going through all that shame, but his later years were indeed quite miserable.
“Isn’t it better than dying? I mean, there are some lustful guys that might appeal to your tastes.”
Sighing heavily, Qing responded, “That’s enough. People have dignity, you know?”
Seolga’s expression suddenly stiffened.
His dazed eyes and the wrinkles of regret appeared as if he were tracing back to some past.
He shook his head and apologized.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve been living like this for so long that I didn’t even think about it.”
“Well, you still have a close grandpa, right? That grumpy old man, the one who swears a lot.”
“Is it that poor old man?”
Seolga scanned Qing from top to bottom.
“Well, that makes sense.”
“That really rubbed me the wrong way.”
“I heard that the old man’s daughter died in some sort of a mess. But that girl must’ve been one of the top-tier villains. That’s probably why you felt different from the others.”
“Isn’t it strange? Why do I feel constantly annoyed? My hands are itching for some reason.”
Qing shook her pale, shimmering hand.
At that, Seolga shut his mouth.
“I know too, you know? I’ve heard stories about grandpa losing his mind. Still, you have to say something to know, right? Just deciding that guy’s no good—what’s the point?”
“But that old man has lived his whole life as a very devout Demon Cultist. I doubt it would help, no matter what tricks you pull.”
Qing waved her hand, changing the subject.
“Forget it. Can you just look into killing, burning, and stealing? From what you said earlier, you seem like a real expert on that.”
Seolga grinned.
“Of course. I’ve been thinking about how the world would be better off in ruins, isn’t that the mark of a true expert?”
“Oh, that’s reassuring! So clever!”
“Pretending to have a leg problem, diving into killing while perfectly leaving only traces of Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat—it seems you’re quite the cunning character yourself.”
“That’s just because I’m that good. You’re good too, Seolga.”
It was a scene of the Great Demon Lord’s henchmen complimenting each other as they giggled.
“If you’re a female disciple, you must be good with a sword. Maybe you can handle a spear or a staff? Even if you’re not great, you should be able to leave some signs behind.”
“Of course! Who do you think I am? Just say the word!”
Seolga nodded.
“Well then, first, we should burn the Taepyeongdan in my palace, so…”
—-
Before dawn, I returned, eased my mind, and closed my eyes, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
Qing’s body and mind were incredibly refreshed after a nice, deep sleep.
Wow, what a miracle this great university’s sleep is. It’s so effective.
But still, well…it’s not all good.
When you wake up from sleep, you’re usually a bit dazed, your limbs feel heavy, and your throat is dry.
Then, bearing the thirst, you roll around on the bed, prolonging the remaining sleep—there’s a unique joy in that.
But now that I’m wide awake, it feels like I’m missing out on about a tenth of my life, or something.
Qing spent time on the bed with her bright, dazed eyes.
Whether she was still drowsy or not, it really didn’t matter; she was going to end up loafing around anyway.
Soon enough, a figure barged in like they were going to break the door down.
It was none other than her utterly unimpressive Representative Ho.
“Junior sister! It’s time to eat!”
Normally, no one asks if you want to eat right after waking up from sleep.
There’s usually no one looking for food the moment they open their eyes.
But after living with Qing for just three days, anyone would ask if you were hungry instead of greeting someone.
Qing, who looked for food the moment she woke up.
Gyeon Pohee closed the door behind her and trotted over to the wardrobe.
She gathered some underclothes and outer garments and headed to the bed this time.
Qing, as if she was used to it, spread her arms and legs, responding with a series of wriggles.
Gyeon Pohee skillfully dressed her.
It was a natural movement, done with practiced skill.
“What’s for lunch today?”
“Grilled dried fish with eggplant soup?”
“Oh no…”
Chinese cuisine, with a few exceptions, is usually just a list of cooking methods and ingredients.
And Qing, who’s strict about meals, suddenly became very clever at times like this.
Grilled dried fish means fish cooked in a sticky sauce, and Qing recognized it as a home dish called “Cod Bujiryeong.”
Qing’s eyes trembled pitifully.
“How could such a reality exist…?”
“Junior sister!? Are you okay!?”
“I’m not okay. Make sure to mark today’s date. Starting next year, it’ll be the day we prepare group offerings for the people of Hwanhui Palace, and I don’t want to be part of that.”
“Well… should we eat out then?”
That was a pleasant piece of news, but Qing shook her head.
“Today, I want to eat with my grandpa. I have something to discuss.”
Gyeon Pohee’s shoulders drooped slightly as she glanced at Qing.
“Did I annoy you by any chance?”
Actually, a little bit, yes.
Gyeon Pohee had been the toy of everyone in Hwanhui Palace since she was the youngest, and now she was completely treated like she didn’t exist.
In professional terms, they called it being excluded from the ranks.
There were rumors that she had taken a top disciple position based on connections rather than skill.
However, even that didn’t stop her harassment, so the underlings complained daily.
If the youngest maid had behaved properly, it might have been different.
But the degree of mistreatment was so severe that her attitude bred disdain above and fear below.
So every day, she sincerely ministered her feelings, but it couldn’t be helped.
In fact, when Qing was losing her mind, she exploited Gyeon Pohee’s situation and made her do the hard labor like a maid.
Whenever Gyeon made a mistake, Qing would toss a glance and say she didn’t want to see her face, making it clear with her disappointed huffs and eye rolls.
In the end, this was all her karma.
Qing’s conscience was in turmoil.
It was nearly a perfect triangle by now, but the basic conscience frame was so small that there were still some sore points.
“Not that. Let’s go out for dinner together tonight.”
“Sure! Let’s eat and then train together in the evening!”
Lady, are you really pushing this now?
But it was a tricky moment to refuse.
Subtly nodding in agreement, she watched as Gyeon Pohee’s expression brightened like the sun before she skipped out of the room.
Qing was left alone, waiting for Choi Riyong’s visit.
Grrr…
Then a sudden thought crossed her mind.
But what if grandpa doesn’t come today?
Fortunately, Qing didn’t have to face the most terrifying experience in the world—being left to starve for lunch.
Choi Riyong, who had ungraciously eaten alone, dropped by for a cup of tea.
“Hey, someone was waiting and starving while the other is off eating alone? I never took grandpa for that kind of person.”
“Did you even bother to set a time beforehand? You talk nonsense as if it’s normal.”
“That’s not important. What’s important here is that I’m hungry.”
“Tsk, you wicked girl. Where on earth did you get that temper?”
The so-called “original support” picked her up, grumbling as he did so.
It was such a familiar comfortable feeling, reminiscent of a perfect ride on a dragon.
—-
Dining together is always more enjoyable.
Why? Because the variety of dishes increases.
Qing, outperforming competing rivals and eating faster than anyone else, was all about the variety.
The key was the number of dishes.
In that regard, Choi Riyong was a good dining partner.
This old man, looking like a skeleton wearing faded rags that seemed to belong to someone who doesn’t eat well, somehow had a suspicious amount of money.
But if that’s the case, what good is it to be rich?
So, could I overindulge with no consequences?
Qing devoured her meal with the ferocity of a battle.
It felt like she had a personal vendetta against the food.
Choi Riyong nagged the whole time, but since it was all meaningless old man chatter, it didn’t hurt at all.
“A pig should know better how to eat than this.”
As Qing was finishing her meal, Choi Riyong, who had ordered every dessert known to man, muttered this.
“Come on then, if I eat more politely than a pig, does that count as bragging? At any rate, if you compare me to a pig, what I do can’t ever be impressive.”
“Haha, that mouth of yours.”
“Enough of that, grandpa. I can’t live like this anymore. I’m thinking of causing a real ruckus and running away, so let’s set things straight. Me or the Heavenly Demon Sect?”
Suddenly, Qing dove right in.
Choi Riyong flinched visibly.
“Kid.”
“All around me are bad guys. What does the survival of the fittest mean? Nature’s law? Sure, that’s not entirely untrue, but even if it is, that’s not right. Shouldn’t humans live by human laws, not beast laws?”
“That won’t last long. Soon, the Heavenly Demon will descend to this land and liberate the Central Plain, creating a new world where all people are equal under the Heavenly Demon’s guidance.”
“Isn’t that the main issue? The Supreme Being Representative is a real human stain, you know?”
Choi Riyong stammered as if he couldn’t find the words.
In the end, Qing had to utter something even more distasteful.
“Do you know that lowlife is planning to take me for himself? Offering me a ton of beautiful fox spirits to warm my bed. I’d rather die than see that! I’ll bite my tongue off for real.”
One doesn’t simply die from biting their tongue.
Humans aren’t designed as such fragile creatures.
Of course, there’s the slight chance that an unfortunate accident could cause a severed tongue to block the airway and lead to asphyxiation.
But what did Qing know about that?
Then, Choi Riyong let out a deep sigh and said, “Sigh. Kid, you don’t need to worry about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“The current Supreme Being and the future Heavenly Demon, who will complete their Divine Skill by accepting the Heavenly Demon Soul, are entirely different beings. Once the Divine Skill is mastered, they’ll no longer have any interest in you.”
“How would you know that, grandpa? Make it make sense. Suddenly lose interest? Once they master their skill, will they morph into a gay guy or something?”
“That’s…”
Choi Riyong suddenly seemed at a loss for words and avoided her gaze.
“…I can’t tell you.”
“Is it true? Will they become gay, no, a homosexual?”
Qing exclaimed, surprised.
She was so shocked that a foreign term popped out, one she hardly ever used.