Chapter 244: Wanderers Have Their Own Code of Honor

Her chest, still bruised, was being squeezed again, forcing a scream out of her. In fact, because it hadn't fully healed, the pain was much worse than before.

Murong Juhui growled, her voice thick and choked, as if submerged in water.

“Thanks for saving me. But thinking about what you did… I can never, ever forgive you. You horrible wench, you monster, you’re a monster.”

“Ack, your hand, your hand.”

Qing wheezed, grabbing at the hand crushing her chest.

Trying to pry it off with force didn’t work. Trying to peel off the fingers one by one with both hands was useless; Murong Juhui’s other hand would simply clamp down again as soon as one finger was removed.

“It hurts, I said it hurts! It really hurts!”

“So, you know what pain feels like, do you?”

“Let go—”

Squeeze.

“Agh.”

When the pain is truly severe, the scream isn't loud.

A thunderbolt seemed to strike inside Qing’s head.

Watching Qing struggle even to make a sound, her incoming breaths colliding with her choked cries—keok, eok, agh—Murong Juhui smiled through streaming tears.

“Yes, this thing. It’s nothing but a weakness anyway. Ha! Look at you, completely helpless. This thing, this thing, I don’t need it anymore.”

“Let… let go, really, it hurts too much, eugh!”

At this point, Qing’s own anger began to rise.

This wench is even using Internal Energy. She really intends to crush it.

Therefore, Qing had no choice but to resort to her final measure.

Qing squeezed Murong Juhui’s wrist tightly.

It was a grip strength capable of crushing steel.

“Kyaaaak!!” A shrill scream erupted as Murong Juhui’s hand fell away limply.

Her wrist caught, Murong Juhui shrieked.

“Do you think I’m a joke!? Did you think I’d tremble like an idiot if you bared your teeth!? What is it!? Fine! I’m the stupid wench who got caught like an idiot and had her teeth pulled out! Should I try fitting one of these in if it matches!? I had finally managed to forget!”

Ah. The strength drained from Qing’s hand.

It had been a thoughtless gift, offered with good intentions.

But she now realized she hadn’t just touched upon the wound etched into Murong Juhui’s psyche; she had ripped it open and poured salt on it.

“Uh, I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention at all. I just hoped it would be a comfort.”

“Comfort! How could that possibly be a comfort! From the start, you, you’re strange! What you made me do… even now, when I close my eyes, uuhp.”

Murong Juhui clapped a hand over her mouth, unable to continue as bile rose in her throat.

Even now, the moment I close my eyes, it’s vivid.

The sensation of cutting through living flesh, severing muscle. The crude, overpowering force dragging me against my will… the desperate screams of the dying man whose life I squeezed out with my own hands. That hideous sound between sobbing and shrieking.

And finally, the sensation of death washing over me as his breath ceased, like a fragile thread snapping, like an ornament falling off with a thud.

“Why, why did you do that? That… that shouldn’t have happened. No matter how, how bad those men were, I, ugh, I shouldn’t have done that, right? Huh? Why, why, I… But do you know what’s even worse!?”

Pain makes people sick.

Murong Juhui was very clearly sick.

Qing’s prescription had been revenge.

Of course, had it not been so extreme, it might have been helpful.

But Qing had been in a rare mood, her Heavenly Slaughtering Star running wild.

Faced with evildoers, even Buddhist teachings didn't restrain the Heavenly Slaughtering Star—because martial arts inherently harm others, and the image of Buddha embraces the world's killing karma to save it, not out of simple mercy.

However, Qing could only tilt her head in confusion.

What? What shouldn’t have happened? What’s wrong with torturing Blood Cult bastards to death? Why not?

They fully deserved to suffer.

“Um. Young Lady Murong. Those men deserved to suffer. Unlike you, Young Lady Murong, who is innocent. You did nothing wrong, but those Blood Cult bastards were different.”

“What does that mean? Why, why does it work like that?”

“If simply ending their breath would make them pay for their sins in the fires of hell afterwards, I would have done that. But it doesn’t work that way, does it? Death is just an irresponsible end.”

Murong Juhui’s body trembled violently.

To her, it was simply horrifying.

“You, you enjoyed it! Just because there was a bad guy, someone you could be cruel to, you were probably grinning while you cut him up! Stop making excuses about paying for sins!”

Qing scratched her cheek.

“Hm. I don’t really see the problem. So, if I had cried and forced myself to inflict pain, would that have been okay? Even so, the result is the same—didn't those deserving of suffering die suffering? Does the fact that I derived some pleasure from the process make my actions wrong?”

Murong Juhui stared at Qing as if looking at the most hideous thing in the world.

“You, you. You’re a monster. A blood-crazed killing fiend.”

“I won’t deny being called a killing fiend. But isn’t ‘monster’ a bit harsh? I’ve never once done anything I wasn’t proud of… haaaah. Never mind.”

Qing sighed deeply.

She’s a mentally unwell child.

A rational conversation is impossible.

Is this that thing… where the captive sides with the kidnapper? Or is she in so much pain herself that she empathizes with anyone suffering?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it would hurt you so much, Young Lady Murong. I made things difficult for you. Gifting the teeth… I didn’t intend anything like that, I’m sorry. Mm. Well then, get some rest.”

Qing said this and stood up.

Well, what can I do if she doesn't want it?

Besides, the only loss Qing suffered was a sore chest. It’s not like Junnie and the Clan Leader don’t know each other, so settling it here should be fine.

It was then.

“W-wait!”

Murong Juhui cried out urgently.

“What is it?”

“Where, where are you going?”

“It seems my presence makes you uncomfortable. Uh, I won’t visit again, so don’t worry about me, just rest well before you leave—”

“W-wait. Just a moment.”

“Is there something you want to say…?”

“Not really, but, well.”

“If not, I’ll be going then. It seems my presence only makes Young Lady Murong more anxious.”

“Wait! That’s not it.”

Murong Juhui suddenly grabbed Qing’s wrist.

Qing looked down, wondering what was wrong with the girl now, is she planning to squeeze my wrist this time? But Murong Juhui’s head was bowed low, and a small, clear voice, like a mosquito’s buzz, flowed out.

“…Stay just a little longer.”

“Pardon?”

“Because of you, yes! Because of you! Those horrible memories came back, so I need you here right now, I, I can’t be alone right now. It’s your fault, so take responsi… right, you take responsibility. Stay beside me.”

A faint, delicate trembling traveled up from the wrist Murong Juhui held.

Qing replied with a reluctant expression.

“Won’t they keep coming back if I’m here? Hmm. I can call Nanah for you—”

“I said it’s because of you! So you have to be beside me. No one else will do. Stay next to me, just stay until I fall asleep.”

“But the memories will keep coming if I’m beside you. And didn’t you hate me, Young Lady?”

“No!”

Murong Juhui’s expression changed as she pleaded.

“It’s not that I hate you. It’s just… a little horrifying, that’s all. Look, I don’t hate you. How could I hate you? It’s just that when I see you, those memories keep coming back. Sorry. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. But you did that to me. I didn’t want to kill people like that, but you! You!”

“Young Lady Murong?”

“No-no-no. I’m fine. Sorry. I’m sorry. Was I too harsh? I didn’t mean it. Don’t leave me alone. Please, please, I’m begging you like this…”

Ah. The kid’s having a panic attack.

Suppressing another rising sigh, Qing sat down on the edge of Murong Juhui’s bed.

Gradually, the trembling transmitted through her wrist subsided. Soon, her breathing deepened, sinking into sleep.

On the vast bed of the finest guest room, the space Murong Juhui occupied was tiny, curled up tightly.

Qing looked down at Murong Juhui, still sleeping hunched over as if trapped in a box, and thought.

It looks like I’ve somehow become her trigger button. Hearing her out, maybe full-on anatomy lessons were too much for a beginner.

Honestly, while I coddle her when she says it hurts, this is getting… well, quite annoying.

So, I should avoid showing my face to her unnecessarily.

—Or so she had thought. Hmm.

“What’s with her? Why is she acting like that?”

Tang Nanah raised an eyebrow. At the end of her gaze was Murong Juhui, hugging her knees with her head buried.

She had limped all the way to the training ground on her uncomfortable foot, only to push people away saying “don’t act friendly” if they tried to greet her. But she wasn’t going anywhere either; she just kept her distance, crouching pitifully alone with her head down.

“I don’t know either,” Qing said. “I guess the Blood Cult incident hit her hard. She seemed mentally unwell.”

“No. It just looks weird. Like we’re bullying or ostracizing her.”

“Beats me. How would I know what’s going on in her head…?”

She had been like this since the day after the sick visit, and it was already the third day.

Sitting in the corner of the training ground with her head buried. When mealtime came, it felt wrong to just leave her, but if asked to eat together, she’d again say not to act friendly.

Seeing her looking so pathetic made it uncomfortable to ignore her completely, but honestly, who knew why she was acting like that.

As this somewhat uncomfortable spectator continued her perfect attendance at the Half-Sword Twin Saber Society training sessions, time flowed by, and soon the semi-final matches were scheduled for the very next day.

Cheon Yuhak returned that very night.

“Aigoo, when the disciple is sloppy, the Mentor suffers. Aigoo, you wench, give these shoulders a massage. Aigoo, they’re stiff.”

“Hey, what was that? Suddenly disappearing like that.”

Though Qing grumbled, she obediently massaged his shoulders firmly.

“Ah, your hands are quite skillful. Maybe this is why people raise disciples. Kehehe.”

“And what’s with sending messages collect? I had to pay five silver sycee just for ten words?”

“You fool. If I paid in advance, would they even deliver the message? Telling them they’ll get paid after delivery ensures they don’t wander off and deliver it straight away. And it has to be five silver sycee to make their eyes turn red and rush over.”

“Hmm.”

Hearing it laid out, it did make sense.

Since the message was just to say not to worry, it felt petty to demand the five silver sycee back.

So Qing simply changed the subject.

“So, what were you doing? Disappearing for ten whole days all of a sudden.”

“Kehehe. There’s a human head in that box over there, don’t be alarmed. It belongs to none other than a Great Demonic Adept of the Blood Cult, known as the Blood Wheel Demon.”

“Ooh. What’s he doing in there?”

“Yah, you dimwit. You all rushed in and attacked, but you didn’t even notice him escaping through the roof? I don’t know much about Gu Poison, but when catching the user, you have to do it from far, far away. So I chased him all the way to Henan Province and killed him, what else.”

“Wow, you went quite far.”

“Right. Now, take this to those Wanderer guys and tell them it’s okay to remove the Gu Poison they hold. Say the real Divine Thief showed up and stole the head for them.”

“Um. Mentor. The Gu Poison issue is already resolved. You’re quite late.”

“What? But I caught the Blood Wheel Demon?”

“I caught all the rest. The Gu Poison has all been removed too.”

Qing relayed what had happened while Cheon Yuhak was away.

“What, so I went through all that trouble for nothing? Chasing this guy, I really…”

“Aw, come on, it wasn’t for nothing. Still, that’s amazing. Didn’t you say the Blood Wheel Demon was an Unrestrained Realm expert? Did you catch him one-on-one?”

“Now, listen here. Let me tell you…”

Cheon Yuhak began his story, puffing up with pride.

Though it was incredibly late news, thanks to him, the matter had indeed reached a very neat conclusion.

And at that moment, Ximen Surin once again experienced the feeling of being utterly dumbfounded.

“These guys. Even if they didn’t know last time…”

Because, naturally, the Wanderers who had returned to the Unaffiliated Guest Hall had once again requested Ximen Surin’s presence.