Chapter 221: Hidden Dragon Tournament

When Qing first leaped onto the tournament stage, the spectators merely scanned the lines of her body or peered curiously, trying to guess what lay beneath her veil.

But among the masters, quite a few gasps of astonishment erupted.

It was easy for a lightness skill to be swift, high, and bold, but exceedingly difficult for it to appear elegant, supple, and graceful.

When the leisurely, anti-gravity flight of the Yue Maiden Footwork manifested, those who prided themselves on being experts utterly failed in their attempts to suppress their amazement, letting out involuntary sounds of "Hoh!"

Then, as Qing landed lightly on the tips of her toes without the slightest tremor, instantly finding her center with exquisite grace, their attempts to stifle their admiration failed a thousandfold. All were busy showering her with praise, exclaiming, "Wonderful!"

All except for the Wudang Sect Leader, Jinin Chaegeon.

What rotten luck, he thought. Facing such a formidable opponent in the very first match of the main tournament. Is Wudang's journey to end prematurely?

Then, it seemed the two exchanged words. The moment Qing gently pushed off the ground first, his insides practically churned with frustration.

Even if a martial artist doesn't know another's level, they know their own. It was obvious without hearing that the Divine Maiden Sect disciple must have offered to let Hwan Yuk go first, and that fool Hwan Yuk, failing to recognize his opponent's caliber, had probably insisted she take the first move instead.

Adding to his frustration was Yuha Jinin chattering away beside him.

"I told you, I recognized her immediately! That child will lead the future of the martial arts world. How could I possibly refrain from bestowing a moniker upon her? Right?"

Yuha Jinin prattled on incessantly and shamelessly. Anyone listening might think Qing was a Mount Hua disciple, not one from the Divine Maiden Sect.

In truth, he was boasting about his own eye for talent, and even those listening wore expressions suggesting they wished he would finally stop.

An expert's assessment of the match would praise Qing's surprising self-control and quick-wittedness.

Isn't it normal for young people with outstanding skills to be eager to show off their talents?

However, she had calmly observed her opponent, even managing to imitate the subtleties of his techniques. It showed not a desire to perform for others, but rather an eagerness to learn.

And what about the single move that decided the match after ten exchanges?

They had clashed with softness, flowing against each other, until she instantly broke the rhythm with swiftness and power. Even if the Wudang disciple's attainment had been a couple of steps higher, the outcome likely would have been the same.

Moreover, it wasn't a predetermined move from some martial art form, but pure improvisation—a sharpness akin to that of a seasoned warrior forged in real combat.

Qing felt a surge of pride for the same reason.

The vertical stomp was meant to pour her entire body's strength into generating downward velocity, and the hand-chop was merely an application of the Ximen Surin-style head flick.

It was far removed from the softness she had intended to cultivate during her training in Kaifeng, but she couldn't help feeling proud for achieving victory through her own judgment rather than relying on movements ingrained in her head like fixed forms.

Hwan Yuk, too, accepted the result.

He had done his best. Reviewing the eleventh exchange, there was simply no way within his martial knowledge to block that technique.

Perhaps if he had thrown himself into an Iron Plate Bridge and rolled away, but the Wudang Tai Chi principle of meeting an attack with a counter-attack had fallen short.

However, excluding the participants and the experts, most people didn't understand.

Because it was a battle of softness versus softness, not strength versus strength, the pace of the exchanges hadn't been particularly fast.

So, while Hwan Yuk moved busily, unleashing his splendid Tai Chi Sword in a constant offense, Qing appeared to be on the defensive, scrambling to receive the attacks.

Since Qing was observing and awkwardly imitating the softness, not properly executing her own sword forms, the spectators without discerning eyes saw her as failing to fight properly, merely showing off her slender figure with fluttering movements.

Then, in an instant, a flick of the hand edge to the head. Thonk.

That was it! A head flick!

Immediately, the referee blew the whistle, ended the match, and declared the veiled woman the winner. From the audience's perspective, it was so absurd they were utterly dumbfounded.

As expected, a torrent of boos and jeers rained down on the tournament stage.

Not only jeers but also trash—half-eaten dumplings, leftover somyeon noodles—came flying.

Of course, since the spectators weren't masters of hidden weapon throwing, the guests who had paid dearly for the front seats had a rather unpleasant experience.

"Boo! What is this! What kind of match was that!"
"What the hell! Are you playing games with the match!"
"Are you going easy on her because she's a woman! Fight properly! There are no men or women in a duel! Damn it!"
"I bet twenty taels on the favorite!"

The fact that Qing's betting odds had been incredibly low was a major reason for the outcry.

People had confidently placed large bets on Hwan Yuk, thinking it was easy money, paying out only a meager seven pun (1.07 times the bet).

A few who had gambled on the underdog enjoyed the thrill of an 11.7 times payout, but since they had bet mostly for fun, it was just pocket change returning as slightly larger pocket change.

For the record, the Victory Token merchants took about a tenth of all the lost bets, and Cheon Yuhak single-handedly scooped up about seventy percent of the rest.

Regardless, the commotion showed no signs of dying down. Instead, the crowd, united in their outrage, grew increasingly louder in their denunciations.

"Silence!! Be quiet!!"

Even when the announcer shouted with internal energy amplifying his voice, they wouldn't listen. It felt like a riot might break out.

Eventually, even as Qing left the tournament stage and walked through the passages on the ship beneath the wooden platform, those jeers reached her supernaturally sharp hearing ability.

"I apologize that things have turned out this way. It is because these common folk lack the insight to recognize true martial arts. Please, Young Miss, do not be too angered."

Returning to the waiting area, an elderly martial artist belonging to the Murim Alliance comforted Qing and continued.

"We will quickly ask the Elders to provide commentary on the match. The noise should subside soon."

Qing shook her head.

There was still more on the tournament schedule.

After this, wasn't there some Grand Council meeting? An event her Master was waiting for?

It would be embarrassing to delay the schedule further just because some spectators were complaining a bit.

And besides, commentary? For a trivial first match? How embarrassing.

"It's quite alright," Qing said. "It was only the first match. As the tournament progresses, those people will surely realize they failed to recognize my skill. This will resolve itself naturally, so there's no need to trouble the Elders on my behalf, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed. We are grateful for the Young Miss's magnanimity."

Liu Xianye, the Chief Steward of the Murim Alliance and head of the Murim Conference operations team, expressed his admiration with a respectful fist-and-palm salute.

Her martial accomplishment was outstanding, but her serious, mature attitude at such a young age was even more pleasing.

So this is the young girl the Alliance Leader gave the Mucheon Pavilion to, he thought. Meeting her in person, I see she is indeed capable of becoming a pillar of the Orthodox Faction in the future.

Qing, not knowing who he was, simply thought he was an operations staff member, but Liu Xianye was the Murim Alliance's chief administrator, responsible for its day-to-day affairs.

After unwittingly captivating Liu Xianye with her Ximen Surin-style beauty walking, Qing returned to the Divine Maiden Sect's seats, where Ximen Surin was emanating a subtle aura of displeasure.

"Haaah. This is why I disliked coming out into the world after so long," Ximen Surin said. "Look, disciple. This is the world's view of female martial artists. If you were a man, those fools wouldn't dare spout such ignorant nonsense."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Qing replied. "You think they'll keep saying things like that after I win the tournament?"

"Aren't you angry, disciple?" Ximen Surin asked.

"Not particularly. What does it matter what a bunch of weaklings who can't even last one exchange chatter about? By the time the finals come around, they'll probably change their tune completely."

Ximen Surin clicked her tongue.

"You're certainly thick-skinned, wench."

"Hehe."

"That wasn't a compliment," Ximen Surin stated. "What good is a wench being pointlessly kind-hearted?"

Then, Qing cautiously brought up a topic.

"By the way, is there really a need for me to stay here longer? Master, you said you were going to the Grand Council meeting?"

"It might be better to watch, as you might face some of them later," Ximen Surin said. "Why? Do you have something else to do?"

"There's something I need to urgently ask my second master about. Regarding his martial arts."

"Well, that can't be helped then," Ximen Surin conceded. "There aren't any other events suitable for you anyway. I was thinking of taking you around for introductions during the banquet, but we'll have to postpone that."

It wasn't about her going around for introductions.

Someone of Ximen Surin's stature wouldn't go visiting others to show off her disciple. The Sect Leaders of the Nine Great Sects, One Union and the Clan Leaders of the Great Clans would have to come pay her respects.

"Hehe, sorry," Qing said.

Ximen Surin replied with a faint smile.

"Sorry for what? Given your seniority, there's no need to set aside a specific day for introductions anyway. If you need to urgently consult about martial arts, what could be more important?"

Okay, I managed to get away from the front of the Kaifeng Prefecture building, but... hmm, where on earth should I go? Qing wondered. Finding Master in this vast land of Kaifeng seems like a daunting task.

She had heard him muttering about selling restorative medicine, so her plan was to head to the market first and inquire about any suspicious medicine peddlers.

Fortunately, she didn't have to go far before hearing a familiar voice.

"What? Where are you going?"

"Wow, I was just looking for you, Master," Qing exclaimed. "How did we run into each other like this?"

"What do you mean, 'run into each other'?" Cheon Yuhak retorted. "I practically soaked the Blue Sword in Tracking Scent. I found you. How could it be accidental?"

"Tracking Scent?"

"Slow down," Cheon Yuhak said. "You need to master the basics before I teach you more, don't be hasty. So, you were looking for me? Why?"

"It's about this Awakening Divine Art."

"How is it? Amazing, right?" Cheon Yuhak asked.

"That's not it," Qing said. "It's just too... well, you know... the stimulation is so intense."

Cheon Yuhak snorted dismissively.

"Is that all? Making a fuss over nothing. Of course, the stimulation is intense when all your senses awaken at once. What did you expect?"

"Even so, I should at least be able to live normally, right?" Qing protested. "Look at this. I can't go around wrapped up like this every day."

Qing rolled up her sleeve, revealing the tightly wrapped Silk Cuff beneath.

Cheon Yuhak snorted again.

"You sound like the type to dull a perfectly good blade just because it's too sharp. Hey, you fool. Does a chef dull his knives because he's afraid of the edge?"

"What do you mean?" Qing asked.

"When a chef uses a sharp knife, don't they learn by getting cut here and there at first? Why are you deliberately wrapping up your awakened body like that?"

"Because the stimulation is too-"

"Frustrating child," Cheon Yuhak interrupted. "Are you going to stay wrapped up forever? If so, what was the point of awakening your senses? It's naturally uncomfortable at first, but you have to gradually get used to it."

He was just telling her to endure it.

Of course, Cheon Yuhak hadn't achieved this state all at once through an Elixir Bath. His senses had sharpened gradually, step by step, making adaptation relatively easy.

Therefore, he couldn't comprehend, not even slightly, Qing's condition after suddenly reaching the eighth star of achievement.

Besides, he didn't know about the Blissful Maiden Arts.

In Cheon Yuhak's mind, her achievement had simply risen too quickly, causing her skin to chafe and feel painful.

However, it was the nature of senses to become accustomed to repeated stimuli.

So, endure it and get used to it.

"Your Awakening Divine Art is already at the eighth star; it's not like you can undo it now," Cheon Yuhak continued. "Besides, do you know what it means for your senses to be sharp all over your body? It's like having eyes everywhere."

Once she fully mastered the knack of reading air currents through her skin, she would be able to vividly perceive a certain radius around her without even looking.

"Wow, really?"

Easily swayed, Qing's eyes sparkled at his words, hooked again.

Now that she was his disciple, Cheon Yuhak had no reason to exaggerate or hide the drawbacks.

"Well, there is the disadvantage of having to be selective about clothing, I admit."

The effectiveness tended to decrease the less air flowed through the clothing.

Tightly bound sleeves and pant legs that blocked the flow, or wearing multiple layers, rendered it almost meaningless.

Conversely, the larger the area of exposed skin, the wider the range of perception possible.

So, one could wear clothes that allowed airflow, or, if that wasn't feasible, choose fabrics like thin silk gauze that reacted sensitively even to small currents.

"That's also why Divine Thieves tend to focus on their main business when the cold winds start blowing. There's no need to go around stealing on chilly days, right?"

"Hmm," Qing mused. "Based on your explanation, wouldn't that be a bit... scandalous?"

Cheon Yuhak nodded.

"Come to think of it, it does have some disadvantages for a woman, but surely silk gauze isn't scandalous, is it? Right, you could even wear a danxiong[^Specific clothing style characterized by a high-waisted skirt revealing the collarbones, worn by Jin Seol and discussed by Qing/Nanah a while back]."

Silk gauze was loosely woven silk, almost opaque unless examined very closely.

Even more loosely woven silk was called 'sasam', and even finer than that was veil material.

"Ugh. A danxiong is a bit..." Qing trailed off.

Regardless, Cheon Yuhak's point as a master was clear.

You chose the Awakening Divine Art. Endure it.

Although, Qing reflected, I don't really recall ever choosing it.