Chapter 256: Emergence of the Divine Dragon

Among the uncultured people of the Central Plains, there exists a truly great figure whose stature defies such categorization.

He is Sima Qian, the Central Plains' first and foremost historian, a luminary who stands tall among the greatest historians across all ages and the entire world.

Sima Qian was a historian of an ancient civilization, achieving the monumental feat of single-handedly chronicling the history of his era.

Yet, he remained faithful to his duty as a reporter.

He vividly documented the lives of both the ruling class above and the common folk below, striving for objectivity by setting aside personal grudges and resentments as much as possible—a true journalist.

Of course, his resentment towards Emperor Wu of Han, who had him castrated, seems to have run deep, but the grudge of a eunuch is perhaps understandable.

His integrity as a single journalist was noble, fundamentally different from the human trash in Qing's homeland that deserved to be utterly incinerated.

Then again, comparing non-recyclable, highly toxic waste to a human being naturally reveals a fundamental difference.

In any case, Sima Qian's masterpiece is known as the Taishigongshu or Taishigongji. True to the lazy nature of the Central Plains folk who found even four characters too long, it was shortened and called the Saji. [^(Saji is more commonly known in English as the Records of the Grand Historian.)]

According to this Saji, "A scholar dies for one who recognizes him."

Therefore, the gratitude the wanderer martial artists felt towards Qing could not be simply expressed by those two words alone.

Wanderers were fundamentally expendable.

They were consumables bought cheaply to serve on the front lines as sword fodder, analyze enemy strength, navigate traps, and so on, used thriftily for their cost.

What? You're injured? Replace him with another.
What? He's dying? Replace him with another.
What? He's dead? Too bad. Replace him with another.

Not only was their treatment harsh, but the perception of them was even harsher.

"Wanderers when there's work, bandits when there's none."
"They act like bosom buddies who'd die for each other, but draw swords the moment they meet on opposite sides. In truth, they're cold-blooded opportunists pretending to be friendly."

While the bandit part wasn't entirely untrue, for those unaffiliated martial artists who prided themselves on living with some measure of righteousness, it felt like an unjust accusation.

Besides, if you were paid to fight, but only pretended to spar because you knew the opponent (which, admittedly, usually happened), wouldn't you be criticized for lacking business ethics and trustworthiness anyway?

It was then that Qing appeared.

To the wanderers, Qing did not deny their shameful origins.

Instead, she comforted, encouraged, and affirmed them.

Their struggle to live righteously despite difficult backgrounds was finally acknowledged.

This wasn't mere lip service; she had proven it by actually putting her life on the line.

It was the first affirmation these wanderer martial artists had ever received in their lives, a validation that their past struggles had not been in vain.

Thus, in their current state of mind, the wanderers were prepared to die for Qing.

Of course, minds could change when faced with death, so their future resolve couldn't be guaranteed.

Consequently, the story the wanderers spun reached the level of the Yongbieocheonga[^Specific historical Korean text/poem - Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven]—a hymn of praise fit for royalty.

The tale went that the virtuous wanderers had been utterly deceived by the cunning tricks of the wicked Blood Cult, resulting in them resorting to the despicable means of the Jamlamdan and even swallowing Gu Poison.

Upon seeing this, the wise and luminous Great Expert Ximen Qing discerned the truth and declared, "It is truly regrettable that you could not resist a moment's temptation, but fear not! I, Ximen Qing, shall resolve everything!"

Thereupon, she single-handedly pursued the Blood Cult, cornering them in a hidden cavern beneath the earth. With a single swing of her sword, the bones and flesh of the Blood Cult warriors were separated. When she pointed and commanded them to die, such was her majesty that they could not help but take their own lives.

Finally, she vanquished the wicked ringleader of the Blood Cult (a claim that would surely baffle the Blood Demon) and, exercising her brilliant wisdom, removed the Gu Poison.

Meanwhile, Murong Juhui was completely absent from this narrative, simply because the wanderers had no idea she was involved.

These people had never set foot underground.

After hearing the whole story, Sima Chunfeng thought, They call themselves wanderers, but lies just pour out whenever they open their mouths.

However, applying her brilliant mind to separate fact from fiction, she concluded that Qing must have grasped the situation and sought help from her master to resolve it.

Against the Zenith Among Women, a mere independent unit of the Blood Cult—especially a Blood Gu Unit composed primarily of weakling bug breeders—would be insignificant.

At this, Sima Chunfeng felt both crisis and thrill.

The crisis was the appearance of a formidable rival threatening her position as the next Greatest Talent Under Heaven.

The thrill was that finally, a worthy adversary had appeared for this Intelligent Flower, this transcendent genius, this supreme beauty.

A rival is essential for a genius.

A rival is simultaneously the greatest understander.

Unlike the common mortals of this world, who could hardly be considered the same species, a great intellect capable of understanding her had finally emerged. This too was a boundless joy.

<Read at Celestial Pavilion>

It was regrettable, however, that this person had been born in the same era as the great Sima-rang.

Regardless, Sima Chunfeng quickly drafted a report and submitted it.

The report traveled from the Chief Military Advisor's hands to the master of the Alliance, the Murim Alliance Leader.

Jo Hyeonryang was impressed.

"Surin really pulled one off. Honestly, if she did it, she should have said so. Why keep quiet about an achievement that should be proclaimed throughout the land?"

"Wasn't it out of consideration for the Alliance's reputation, Leader?" the Chief Military Advisor suggested. "With the Murim Conference underway, she must have judged that news of the Blood Cult operating in the shadows wouldn't reflect well if known publicly."

"Mm."

Jo Hyeonryang gave a short reply.

However, unlike how the Chief Military Advisor interpreted it, this 'Mm' wasn't affirmation but complete negation.

The Rabid Bitch of all people? Never.

She was absolutely not the type to consider the Alliance's reputation.

She would undoubtedly have trumpeted it to the world, saying, "Look! In the end, it's the women who get things done. Look at this, while you men were just playing around," acting like the Rabid Bitch she always was.

But Jo Hyeonryang didn't need to dwell on this oddity for long. A subsequent message clarified things.

"That? My disciple handled it all. I went down with her just in case it got dangerous, but I ended up just cutting down a few small fry."

"Ximen Qing, that child?" Jo Hyeonryang asked. "Even if the Blood Gu Unit isn't a front-line combat force, the Reviled Mad Demon shouldn't have been an easy opponent?"

"Would I lie about something like this?" Ximen Surin replied.

Jo Hyeonryang nodded.

The Rabid Bitch was mad, but she didn't lie. That was her nature—infinitely straightforward.

"And don't worry," Ximen Surin added, "the fellow called the Unit Leader is dead too, so it's been handled completely, root and stem."

"The Unit Leader too? You must have dealt with him, surely?" Jo Hyeonryang asked.

"Nope. Woke up in the morning, and my disciple presented me with his head. Said he was called the Blood Wheel Demon."

Of course, she only didn't tell lies.

Ximen Surin knew that the act of not lying could be a powerful weapon.

"The Blood Wheel Demon! Then, Ximen Qing, that child... she cut down the Blood Wheel Demon? Is that the truth?"

Ximen Surin simply smiled without a word.

At that, Jo Hyeonryang slapped his knee.

"Heavens! A talent, a true talent! Isn't she truly a rising star, a divine dragon of the martial world? How on earth do you raise a disciple like that? I saw her myself—her skills are one thing, but her character is solid gold, polite, and affable... Ah, I'm green with envy!"

"Did I raise her?" Ximen Surin said. "She was like that from the start. I haven't done much for her, yet she's so admirable."

Though Ximen Surin feigned humility, her face was absolutely beaming.

Jo Hyeonryang didn't even try to hide his envy.

"How did you shape her character? Please, I really need to straighten out the Jo Clan heir right now. Tell me your secret. Hm?"

"When I first saw Qing-ah, her character was what pleased me most, so I didn't really touch that part," Ximen Surin replied.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that."

"Hmm. If I had to say, it was the rod of love."

Jo Hyeonryang asked doubtfully, "You hit that child? That good-natured child?"

"Do you think my heart didn't ache?" Ximen Surin said. "But what could I do? Every time she strayed from the path, I disciplined her until tears streamed down her face."

"Hmm. So the rod really is best..." Jo Hyeonryang mused.

It was a very, very unfortunate moment for Jo Hakche of the Jo Clan.

"But why keep such good news quiet?" Jo Hyeonryang asked. "Dealing with a Blood Gu Unit is taking care of a major headache."

"Don't even talk about it," Ximen Surin replied. "My disciple has such a soft heart. She was worried the wanderers would be criticized just for taking some Jamlamdan. How is she going to survive this harsh martial world being so tender-hearted? My worries are mountainous, truly mountainous."

Ximen Surin said this with a wide smile.

"How can her disposition be so fine? Tsk," Jo Hyeonryang remarked.

"What kind of compliment is calling a martial artist 'fine-dispositioned'?" Ximen Surin retorted, looking radiant.

It was the most radiant Jo Hyeonryang had ever seen her.

With envy practically dripping from his eyes, Jo Hyeonryang finally let out a deep sigh and spoke.

"Well. If that truly is the child's wish... I suppose there's nothing to be done."

Since it was supposedly Qing's wish, Jo Hyeonryang ordered the matter buried. Abandoning the honor of subjugating the Blood Cult just to protect some wanderers was a great pity, but perhaps that too could be called righteousness, making it a worthy deed.

However, the world doesn't always turn out as planned.

The problem was those damned Demonic Cult bastards.

"This is why I told you we should get rid of those Black Store bastards! What in the world is this disgrace?" Ximen Surin demanded.

The absolute masters of the Orthodox Murim averted their blazing gazes.

Ximen Surin's proposal to subjugate the Black Store, raised at the Grand Council, had been rejected by the fairest method known to mankind: majority vote.

And this was the result.

"The Murim Alliance sat on its hands, and now those Demonic Cult villains have taken the initiative! Where in the world is there a greater disgrace than this?" Ximen Surin continued.

"Ahem."

What was the purpose of the Murim Conference in the first place?

Wasn't it to reinforce the solidarity of the Orthodox Murim precisely because of the Demonic Cult's rise and the emergence of new forces?

But now, the Demonic Cult had thrown down the gauntlet with a morally impeccable justification, directly slapping the face of the Orthodox Murim.

"Rumors are already spreading about whether the Demonic Cult has truly become good, or if the new Heavenly Demon is genuinely benevolent. What are you going to do about this?" Ximen Surin pressed.

"Urgh."

Everyone was speechless, even if they had a hundred mouths.

Perhaps with a thousand mouths, they might have had something to say. How were we supposed to know the Demonic Cult would pull something like this?

The situation had become truly awkward. If they ignored it, the Orthodox Murim would be accused of failing to participate in a genuinely righteous cause.

Even if they joined the subjugation effort, they would merely be assistants.

It was a victory for the Demonic Brain, Ji Seungju.

The Demonic Path Alliance had succeeded in widely spreading its name through this righteous cause, and they had also reaped substantial profits through their new enterprise called the White Store.

Furthermore, they had managed to resolve simmering internal discontent by pointing towards an easy enemy and letting off steam through slaughter. It was truly a masterstroke worthy of a divine victory.

The leadership of the Murim Alliance, having dreamed of unity through the Murim Conference only to suffer a crushing defeat from this surprise attack, wore grim expressions.

Just then, the Chief Military Advisor, the All-Knowing Sima Zong, proposed a solution.

"Matriarch. I apologize to your disciple, but it seems we must widely publicize the merit of the Blood Cult subjugation. Would that be acceptable?"

"What?" Ximen Surin reacted.
"Blood Cult subjugation? What's this now?"
"Why are those cursed villains suddenly coming up?"

The masters unaware of the situation began to murmur.

Sima Zong looked to Ximen Surin, seeking permission. She finally nodded reluctantly.

With that, Sima Zong explained Qing's heroic deeds.

"Ooh. Truly a blessing for the Righteous Faction!" one master exclaimed.

"See? I told you!" the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect declared excitedly. "The moment I saw her, I knew at a glance that this child was a true hero. Divine Sword of Crescent Moon! How well-chosen is that moniker!"

Beside him, Venerable Monk Muhak nodded in agreement.

The corners of Ximen Surin's mouth crept upwards stealthily.

"Since things have come to this," Sima Zong continued, "the Murim Alliance must also move to subjugate the Black Store. However, we cannot fall behind those Demonic Cult bastards. Therefore, we intend to announce the news of the Blood Cult subjugation to inform the world that the righteousness of the Orthodox Faction is alive and well."

Ultimately, it was a battle for honor.

The Blood Cult was far more wicked than the Black Store—comparing the two was almost an insult to the Black Store. By publicizing this achievement, they would save the face of the Orthodox Murim.

Ximen Surin shook her head at that.

"That won't do. If you announce it like that, do you think the Blood Cult will remain idle? Are you saying my disciple should bear the brunt of all their resentment?"

"Therefore, I apologize for asking," Sima Zong replied, "but could we frame it as a secret operation of the Murim Alliance?"

"Hmph."

Ximen Surin let out a displeased cough.

There was a clear difference between rumors that Qing had cut down some Blood Cult members and an official statement that Qing had done it.

The former might be ignored, but the latter would force the Blood Cult to eliminate Qing, if only for their own honor.

Yet, she couldn't just stand by and watch the Orthodox Murim's reputation be utterly tarnished.

So, what could be done?

"Is there a choice?" Ximen Surin finally said. "Go ahead. However, respecting my disciple's wishes, omit the parts about the wanderers and the Jamlamdan. If you do that, my disciple will surely agree without objection."

"Thank you for your decision," Sima Zong said.

Ximen Surin snorted.

"Don't just thank me with words. The one who's losing out by having her merits snatched away is my disciple, so provide some compensation."

<Read at Celestial Pavilion>