Chapter 254: Emergence of the Divine Dragon

His jaw hung open, eyes darting left and right like a lazy frog waiting for a fly to wander in.

Then, Muhak suddenly raised his voice.

"You, child, hey, you!"

"Yes? Is something wrong? Ah. Did the ink perhaps smudge because it wasn't dry?"

"Not that! Sanskrit—you know Sanskrit?"

Sanskrit is difficult.

It was originally the script used by monks, and monks from India were celestial nobles who treated all common folk like beasts.

Here, 'beast' wasn't just a derogatory term; it meant truly filthy animals. If a commoner even touched a monk, they would be executed for the crime of a dirty beast defiling a priest.

Therefore, the language of these monks had to be special. Sanskrit was intentionally made difficult so that the filthy beasts couldn't dare read or write it.

Firstly, there are no spaces. Not only that, but every letter in a sentence must be connected, causing the basic form of the graphemes to change entirely depending on the beginning, stem, and ending of words.

This leads to horrifyingly complex variations. Verbs change based on the subject, tense variations are complex, and nouns, verbs, and adjectives all have separate masculine, neuter, and feminine forms, as well as singular, dual, and plural distinctions.

On top of that, as a phonetic script, it must be written exactly as it sounds when spoken.

If you were to write the curse 'You acted like a fucking dick, you fucker' in Sanskrit, it would become something like 'Yuaktdlikafukindik, yufukr'.

Thus, it was said that it takes ten years just to speak it properly, ten years just to read it, and ten years just to write it.

Because of this, even the scholar monks of Shaolin only begin studying Sanskrit scriptures after their hair has turned white with frost.

So, for a twenty-year-old girl, no less, to wield it so neatly was nothing short of astonishing.

Could she be a princess from India?

Now that I look closely, those large eyes that seem ready to pop out are slightly sunken… is there a hint of that region about her? Or not?

But her skin was white as snow; she surely couldn't be from there.

"Ah, should I not have used Sanskrit? I did add annotations in Hanja for each sentence..."

She had written annotations in Hanja next to the original Sanskrit text.

The Sanskrit characters were distinct and clearly distinguishable, leaving no room for confusion, while each Hanja character pulsed with contained power.

The small script, as uniform and neat as if printed by type, was also an astonishingly marvelous skill.

However, the content could be examined slowly later. Muhak frowned.

"You didn't write your name as the compiler?"

"Is there really a need to put my name on it? You said it would be passed down through generations; wouldn't it be strange if an outsider's name was stamped right on it?"

As she said this with a gentle eye-smile, Muhak felt a momentary sense of shame.

She had absolutely no interest in the honor of having her name recorded in the Sutra Depository and remaining forever as a benefactor of Shaolin.

Muhak had just been seriously considering asking her to write a signboard or something. Why on earth was I being greedy over mere characters?

Of course, Qing was simply an ignorant wench and didn't know any better.

Besides, she hadn't obtained it through entirely proper means, so it felt awkward anyway.

"Here. Write this down. 'Ximen Qing, disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect, through fate, learned this technique and transmitted it to Shaolin for restoration.'"

Muhak pressed her, offering a fine brush and a portable ink bottle.

Unable to refuse, Qing wrote the phrase. Muhak watched, mesmerized, as the scene of powerful calligraphy unfolded in real-time.

Thus, when receiving the book, Muhak straightened his robes once, knelt, and respectfully accepted it with both hands, showing his courtesy.

Qing, startled, also bowed in return. That moment, at least, could be called truly solemn.

"Here. A Great Restoration Pill. This is the only one I brought just in case of an emergency. I'll send the rest to the Divine Maiden Sect through someone later."

"Hehe, you really shouldn't have..."

Even so, Qing carefully tucked the pill into her robes. Then, a thought struck her.

"Ah. Right. I heard women aren't allowed to enter Shaolin..."

"Do you wish to see Shaolin? However, the precepts are strict. Even I cannot bend them."

Muhak wore an apologetic expression.

But what couldn't be done, couldn't be done.

No matter how great a benefactor she was, he couldn't entertain her by breaking Shaolin's most important precept.

"No, that's not it. Does that mean women can't see the Absolute Sword Wall either?"

"Ah. You wish to see the Absolute Sword Wall. That poses no problem. The Celestial Martial Emperor inscribed it on the southern peak, separate from the temple grounds, surely as a consideration. Come and ask anytime, and I will provide a guide."

Muhak's expression brightened.

Shaolin Temple is located on the northern peak of Mount Song, so women entering the southern peak was not an issue.

Besides, it was impossible to forbid women from the entirety of the vast Mount Song foothills.

"Thank you for your consideration."

"Not at all. It is a legacy that should rightfully be shown to a hidden dragon possessing the righteous spirit of the Orthodox Murim."

The Murim Alliance Military Affairs Department was a subdivision where the brains of the Murim Alliance gathered.

Originally, 'military affairs' referred to leading military strategy through tactics and statecraft, but since the martial world was currently so peaceful, there was no need for such things.

So, they were essentially just the smart ones gathered together, handling the practical paperwork that ran the Murim Alliance.

The head of the Military Affairs Department was the Chief Military Advisor.

Below the Chief Military Advisor were the Assistant Military Advisor and the Vice Military Advisor, and below the Vice Military Advisor were the positions of Vice Assistant Military Advisor and Military Secretary.

And the current Vice Assistant Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance was none other than the famous Wise Pouch Intelligent Flower, Sima Chunfeng.

'Wise Pouch Intelligent Flower' meant an intelligent flower carrying a pouch of wisdom.

She was a female intellectual called 'Wise Pouch' because it was said she held all the wisdom of the world.

According to the assessment of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, she was overly pretentious, making her somewhat difficult to deal with, and a very disliked opponent for certain factions.

And her name was tacky.

However, regardless of the politics of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, the assessment within the Murim Alliance Military Affairs Department was similar.

They often nagged her about her excessive arrogance. The only difference was that everyone in the Military Affairs Department treated Sima Chunfeng like a daughter or younger sister.

Although, they did think her name was a bit tacky.

Sima Chunfeng didn't acknowledge this assessment of being arrogant because she had never once acted pretentious in her entire life.

Sima Chunfeng felt wronged.

It wasn't pretentiousness; it was brilliance that couldn't help but leak out because she was simply too outstanding.

Yes, it was a fragment of genius!

Honestly, how could mere mortals understand a genius?

This outstanding personage must simply endure, I suppose.

And so today, the young super-genius, ultra-beauty (in her own opinion) Sima Chunfeng, as the next youngest Chief Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance (in her own opinion), was very diligently doing things she wasn't even asked to do.

The investigation into the serial murders in Kaifeng Prefecture caused by the chain self-destruction of Gu Poison was one of them.

In Sima Chunfeng's opinion, this was clearly a most heinous conspiracy orchestrated by some hidden force aiming to plunge the peaceful martial world into sorrow!

The Murim Alliance Vice Military Advisor called out to Sima Chunfeng, who was lost deep in thought.

"Hey, Chunfeng-ah. Have you finished reassigning the spectator seats for the finals?"

Sima Chunfeng abruptly turned her head.

"Oh my. A butterfly?"

"I asked if you finished..."

"This year's summer must be a scorcher. The butterfly already lacks strength. The world will surely be submerged in sorrow due to the heatwave. What should be done?"

"Haa... that girl. Junior Sister Sima, have you finished reassigning the spectator seats for the finals?"

Only then did Sima Chunfeng pretend to hear.

"Oh my. Did you think I would spend even a fleeting moment handling such trivial chores? I already finished and submitted it, so please check."

"Is that so? If you're done with your work, maybe adjust the odds for the Victory Tokens. Or just go home. Why are you loitering around?"

"Vice Military Advisor. I'd like to look more into the Kaifeng Prefecture serial murder case."

"I told you to drop that case. Do you have that little to do? Then please, just go to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly and mingle with your peers. Huh? Make some friends... are you being bullied?"

"Hmph. It is merely that I do not deign to associate with them. How could a phoenix mingle with sparrows?"

"That's elitism."

"Elitism? I am a very down-to-earth genius without such things as elitism. Though, of course, the intellectually challenged wouldn't recognize it."

The Vice Military Advisor let out a deep sigh.

"Chunfeng-ah."

"Oh my, the leaves are already drooping so much. This summer will truly be harsh."

"Junior Sister Sima."

"Did you call?"

"If you have nothing to do, go wash your feet and sleep."

At that, Sima Chunfeng yelled back.

"Aish! I'm telling you I'll look into the Kaifeng Prefecture serial murder case for you! This very person! The Intelligent Flower, Sima, the Chief Military Advisor! The peerless brain!"

"You manage to omit all the words you dislike. And the Chief Military Advisor is perfectly fine; wouldn't it be patricidal for you to take his title?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Anyway, let's end that case. The Murim Conference is in full swing; what good would digging into that do? Besides, the unlimited self-destruction of the Queen Gu wrapped things up quite neatly."

"But! The hidden force behind it!"

"It was revealed to be the Blood Cult..."

"The grand conspiracy!"

"They discarded their collaborators and withdrew..."

"The chance to elevate the name of the Intelligent Flower, Sima, the Chief Military Advisor, by resolving this!"

"Right. You only ever move for your own benefit. Hmph. Regardless, the Chief Military Advisor already received approval from the Alliance Leader. Drop it."

Truthfully, the Vice Military Advisor didn't have high hopes even as he said this. She was notorious for never listening to others.

"Hmph. Investigating in my personal time shouldn't be a problem, right? I've already caught a tail anyway. I will solve this case splendidly, clearly, and wisely!"

"No, I'm telling you it's already solved. Huh? What, you caught a tail?"

A triumphant smile spread across Sima Chunfeng's face as she declared confidently.

"Of course! Just watch! I will uncover every single detail of this case, thoroughly, beautifully, and completely."

There was no point in trying to stop her anyway.

The Vice Military Advisor simply let out another deep sigh.

Black Store Association Leader Zhang Enchai ground his teeth in frustration at the mysterious Un Yeonyeong impersonator, but he couldn't properly express his resentment.

Because bad news just kept pouring in.

"Fuck! What the hell is the White Store now! Have those Demonic Cult bastards completely lost their minds!? What kind of scheme is this!?"

All Black Store branches in northern and western Gansu Province had been wiped out, and entities called 'White Stores' had promptly taken their place.

The White Store's logic was simple.

The White Store protects merchants.

The White Store protects customers too.

The White Store kills human scum.

They captured human traffickers, fences of stolen goods, and those involved in the production, processing, and distribution of human flesh wherever they found them, stripped them naked, and tied them up in the main streets.

Then, they carved their crimes—ya shang[^(Term for human traffickers/slave traders in the Central Plains)], fence, cannibal, hired killer, etc.—onto their torsos.

Passersby would throw stones, burn them with fire, or beat them with clubs for fun.

As a result, the entire black market network in the northwestern Central Plains was on the verge of collapse.

Those bastards daring to touch the Black Store and invade its territory! When he tried to crush them with money, renowned Demonic Cult masters suddenly mobilized en masse, annihilating his forces without even taking down a single flag.

In other words, it was the work of the Demonic Cult bastards!

Not that they seemed intent on hiding it anyway.

Now, following the southeast, the Black Store's northwestern region had also been annihilated.

"If you remove the entire black market aspect, why would customers even come!? If they wanted a normal marketplace, they'd go to the local market, not deliberately seek out some damn White Store!" Zhang Enchai screamed.

The reason the black market thrived was because it was a place where one could trade goods that were hard to obtain or forbidden by the authorities.

Or so he thought.

"Surprisingly, they are said to be thriving. Within the White Store's territory, even martial artists must behave respectfully as customers, and they say the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult will show no mercy. So merchants are flocking, and likewise for customers."

The White Store protects merchants.

The White Store protects customers too.

They would kill human scum, and that included those who ran off without paying or swindlers.

By guaranteeing safe and comfortable transactions as mediators for both sides, customers gathered, attracting merchants, or perhaps merchants gathered, attracting customers—either way, business was apparently booming.

"Shit! Why! Why me! Why is this happening! Why!"

"For now, you should probably lie low and hide. There are rumors that assassins are looking for you these days..."

A commission could succeed or fail.

But a commission that was impossible from the start, one that sent someone into a death trap, was akin to fraud.

And Zhang Enchai's name was now firmly on the assassins' kill list.

"Ha. Shit. Just you watch. You think I'll sink like this? I'm the one who clawed his way up from being abandoned in the back alleys to snatching the position of Black Store Association Leader. I won't die like this. Ha. I'll lie low for now, but just give me a chance. Just you wait." Zhang Enchai muttered eerily.

Of course, whether that chance would ever come, nobody knew.

T/N I went back and fourth on the name of this flower. Wise Radiant Flower vs Wise Pouch Intelligent Flower. Decided on the later because it was more tacky (like the chapter stated). (I spent a good solid 2 hours on this...)

Tell me your thoughts on this.