Chapter 259: Emergence of the Divine Dragon

Why grasp and swing a sword, you ask?

"Hmm. Is it wrong to do it to survive?" Qing asked.

"That might have been true when your skills were lacking, but aren't you now a disciple who can be called an expert? Now that you possess the skill to survive if you merely choose to, won't your sword, meant only for survival, inevitably lose its edge and grow dull?"

"Ah."

Truthfully, she was right.

Once you reached the Late Stage Peak Realm, you had enough skill to live comfortably, receiving respect for the rest of your life, even if you just joined a local martial hall.

Of course, high-level experts kept popping up.

But lately, had she ever truly worried about survival?

It was the same when she dealt with those Blood Cult bastards this time.

She charged in, trusting her constitution that was immune to poison.

Besides, what had she thought then?

If things go south, I can just run.

Her Lightness Skill was arguably the best under heaven, making her overflow with confidence in her ability to escape.

She hadn't worried about herself from the start.

She had only worried about the Wanderer or the gradually annoying Murong Juhui; she hadn't thought she herself could be in danger.

Is that why it's not working? Because I'm too comfortable?

"I... I don't really know."

At that, Ximen Surin gently stroked Qing's head and replied.

"The sword you hold in your heart can change at any time, child. It's not some law you must absolutely follow once decided. And since there's no single right answer, whatever my disciple decides is the right answer. So, feel free to ponder it to your heart's content without any burden."

"Hmm."

To Qing, martial arts were merely convenient tools.

In truth, should she say she still couldn't grasp it, or that she couldn't believe it? Or perhaps, that she felt no sense of reality about it at all.

Because, what exactly was internal energy?

An all-purpose resource that affects any part of the body, accumulated by focusing the mind, breathing correctly, and receiving the energy of the cosmos?

In Qing's homeland, such superhuman abilities didn't exist.

If they did, they would have established systematic education and management, designated it a basic school subject, turned the entire population into martial artists, and thus completed the creation of a billion absolute experts. Hmm. Completed it to do what?

They'd still be powerless against thermal weapons anyway.

If a billion experts mastered the Scorching Sun Palm, they could boil water to turn turbines.

That's eco-friendly, right?

Or maybe a billion experts could master Ice Arts and stop global warming.

Eco-friendly again.

So, if internal energy had existed back in the modern world, the Earth wouldn't have gotten so sick?

Isn't that conclusion a bit strange...

Qing's rare moment of serious contemplation devolved into foolish delusions.

Seeing 'that expression' on Qing's face, as if a swarm of question marks non-existent in the Central Plains were hovering around her, Ximen Surin let out a deep sigh.

"Hah. It's hopeless. Why can't you focus?"

However, it wasn't that she couldn't focus, but rather that she was unconsciously avoiding it.

She was instinctively blocking thoughts that could potentially escalate into doubts about the world itself.

Thus, she pushed potentially dangerous ideas off course—like diverting a ship to Samcheonpo, dragging a boat up a high mountain, or sending them out into the vast expanse of stars.

"Ugh. I really don't know."

Qing's shoulders slumped.

Ximen Surin firmly stroked her head again.

"It is inherently more difficult to find the truth within oneself than to find objects in distant places, child. Hmm. So perhaps, instead... No. That won't do."

"Ah! Master! If you stop talking like that, your disciple will be too curious to sleep!"

Ximen Surin snorted.

"Then don't sleep and just train. Then perhaps that worked out for the best."

The reason Murong Juhui was burying her head between her knees in the Mucheon Pavilion training ground was, surprisingly, quite simple.

She just wanted to sleep.

As a woman, she couldn't very well sprawl out and sleep in the open outdoors in broad daylight.

So, she had simply assumed a posture conducive to catching some sleep.

The reason she needed to sleep so badly was also very simple.

Because she couldn't sleep at night.

When left alone in the pitch-black darkness, she was too anxious even to think of sleep. Instead, she'd crawl under the bed, hide her body, clamp her mouth shut, and focus solely on concealing herself.

Only when the endlessly long night passed, when the day dawned, and when the noise of people nearby reached her ears, did she feel safe.

Among those noises, one voice was particularly reassuring.

It's okay. Young Lady Murong, you did nothing wrong. You'll gradually get better. You're just hurting a lot right now, so believe that you will heal.

Those gentle words whispered in her ear.

Listening to that voice, it really felt like it would happen. Like it was the truth.

That's why she had come outside to sleep.

But that routine was over now.

That bitch. She said she wouldn't abandon me...

However, Murong Juhui also agreed with Qing's words. Seeing Qing made the painful memories surface vividly.

Unbidden, directionless hatred and resentment would burst forth.

Right. I deserve to be abandoned.

Someone like me. Who would want me?

Still, I can endure it. I have to endure it.

Because I have a home to return to. For the sake of the clan.

What should I do? Should I tell my family?

Truthfully, she wanted to confess everything and receive comfort in the warm embrace of her family.

But that too was terrifying, and also humiliating.

The fact that a legitimate daughter of one of the Five Great Clans had been kidnapped by the Blood Cult was in itself a great detriment to the clan.

Worse, hadn't she dismissed her escorts and been caught while foolishly running away alone in the middle of the night?

Above all, she didn't want to worry everyone in the clan just because she was hurting.

Like when Mom, when Mother was sick... not like that.

Just pretend it never happened. Everything will be fine with time.

Like she said, it's okay, it'll be okay.

The guest quarters assigned to the Murong Clan looked the same as always.

"Ah, Young Lady. You've returned?"

"Yes. Um. Where is Father? And Junnie?"

"The Clan Leader is inside, and the Young Master went out to play. You know he rarely stays still."

"Well..."

Murong Juhui trailed off.

She hadn't expected a grand welcome, but the casual attitude, as if nothing had happened, made her chest ache sharply.

I was hurting so much. While I was suffering, everyone just knew nothing, just... like that.

Murong Chengyi was much the same.

"What is it, daughter? You're back? Didn't you say you were going home? Why did you return?"

"Well..."

Murong Juhui couldn't continue.

Her throat tightened, hot tears threatening to spill any second.

Not like this, not like this.

I have to say it. Otherwise, I won't be able to bear it. The memory is too painful to just pretend it never happened. I want to be comforted.

Murong Juhui gathered her courage.

But.

"It's fine to go places, but don't dismiss your escorts. It seems those Blood Cult bastards are starting to stir. I know my daughter's skills, but you still need to be careful."

Murong Juhui's heart sank.

"Blood Cult, what do you mean, Blood Cult...?"

"Keep this to yourself. Can you believe those Blood Cult fellows had properly set themselves up in Kaifeng Prefecture? Even within the Murim Alliance, three spies infected with Gu Poison were discovered."

Two were Murim Alliance warriors, and one was someone whose family had suffered a loss. In the Kaifeng Prefecture government office, there were five funerals, and even in the Military Affairs Department, the Regional Military Commander died, leading to a series of funerals all at once.

This was because the master of the Blood Gu had died, causing the 'offspring' it had scattered to self-destruct simultaneously.

"It's fortunate they stopped it early on; imagine what a huge disaster it could have been. Good grief, the Regional Military Commander a Blood Cult spy? Thirty thousand soldiers could have ended up as puppets in the Blood Cult's hands. Well, the Murim Alliance isn't exactly in a position to talk, considering even a high-ranking secretary was in the same situation."

Murong Juhui's eyes trembled.

She said she wouldn't tell.

She said she'd make sure no one knew.

"How, who, who told you that?"

"The Vice Assistant Military Advisor supposedly found out herself by running around? Well. Unlikely. The Chief Military Advisor probably just gave her the credit."

Murong Juhui felt relieved for now.

It seemed Qing hadn't deceived or completely abandoned her. It seemed she hadn't broken her promise to keep it secret.

Vice Assistant Military Advisor, that Intelligent Flower bitch?

Then, what about my story?

Did they find out everything, that I was captured too?

"Don't go telling anyone. Isn't it something people will point fingers at if they find out? Hah. I'm so ashamed myself, truly."

<Read at Celestial Pavilion>

Judging by Murong Chengyi's attitude, it seemed her situation hadn't been revealed.

Then, perhaps it's for the best.

Maybe I can naturally mention that I was captured too, during this chance—

But Murong Chengyi's lament cut off Murong Juhui's words.

"Anyway, the state of the Murim Alliance is quite a sight. Tsk tsk. Three spies discovered, and wasn't it the same before? That child from the Un Clan, they said he was bright, gave him a fancy independent patrol position, and then handed over such an important post to a Blood Cult puppet. They made such a fuss back then about re-evaluating personnel, and now another spy turns up."

"Isn't, isn't that a bit different? Once the Blood Gu is inside, their lives are on the line. Those people couldn't help it."

"So they sold out their comrades to save themselves. They should have just died."

Murong Juhui's breath caught in her throat.

A twisting, churning pain gripped her, like her insides were tangling and spasming.

"The Murim Alliance is in an uproar right now. Every department is in chaos trying to figure out how far the information leaked."

"That's..."

"Good grief. Those fools know what happened to the Jin Prefecture Un Clan. Didn't a single Blood Cult spy wipe out one of the Ten Great Clans? Annihilation would have been fortunate; they say all those family members, so many people, were turned into Jiangshi. Worse than death."

The color drained from Murong Juhui's face.

It was fortunate she was sitting; if she had been standing, her legs would have given out and she would have collapsed.

But emotionally, she had already crumbled.

"Daughter? What's wrong?"

"Still. Those people being captured by the Blood Cult, that wasn't their fault, was it? They probably didn't think they'd be captured either."

"Isn't it a martial artist's duty to die resisting? If a martial artist is captured alive, that itself is an incomparably shameful thing. Furthermore, if they knew they were infected with Blood Gu, they should have risked death to take a few down with them, or reported it to the Alliance. They must have begged for their lives to survive. Hah. Trash-like bastards."

"Ugh."

"Daughter?"

Urk, blegh! Unable to hold back the churning in her stomach any longer, Murong Juhui finally vomited what was inside.

"Why, what's wrong? Are you sick? A doctor, a doctor, right, the Tang Clan, someone, no, just hold on a bit, your father will call someone right away—"

"No! No, it's okay."

Murong Juhui let out something close to a scream.

Not the Tang Clan. Not the Tang Clan...

"I just had some indigestion, I forced myself to eat something to settle it, and now, now I feel a bit better."

"Aigoo. Trying to cure indigestion by eating more? How foolish."

"Heh, hehe..."

Murong Juhui forced a smile.

Murong Chengyi, unable to erase the worried expression from his face, firmly admonished her.

"If you're sick anywhere, don't hide it, just tell me. If I see you end up like your mother, this father will really follow her to the afterlife then. Understand? Daughter?"

"Yes, of course."

Murong Juhui struggled, truly desperately tried to force a smile.

All while swallowing down a silent scream.

<Read at Celestial Pavilion>

With the major events of the Murim Conference concluding one by one, the final match of the Hidden Dragon Tournament was the grand finale, the biggest event of them all.

The Hidden Dragon Tournament was said to have had many upsets in various ways.

But just as people's opinions change like going in and out of the privy, they had now completely changed their tune as if forgetting the past entirely.

Qing had defeated Wolbong in a clearly convincing, spectacular match, revealing her beauty in the process. Furthermore, her introduction afterward revealed her to be the disciple of the Zenith Among Women.

After that, all those who had previously gossiped about the "Ugly Sword Maiden" or muttered things like "an ugly wench needs to excel at martial arts at least" were now nodding with solemn expressions.

Somehow, she had a strange sort of grace from the start. And such divine bearing at the tender age of coming of age! Isn't that truly fitting for a disciple of the Zenith Among Women?

Hah. That bastard who bet against her every time and lost everything is now pretending otherwise.

What the hell? This bastard...!

For reasons unknown, after the semi-final match, small and large fights became unusually frequent in the streets of Kaifeng.

Besides physical fights, verbal altercations were also common.

In every eatery, tavern, restaurant, and tea house in Kaifeng, people were raising their voices, veins popping on their necks, engaging in heated debates.

Usually, when such a trend takes hold, it's because a topic naturally sparks everyone's interest, a phenomenon that occurs when everyone rushes to voice their opinions.

Thus, the topic causing raised voices wherever people gathered was this:

What moniker would best suit Ximen Qing of the Divine Maiden Sect, the disciple of the Zenith Among Women?