Chapter 267: Transcendent Qing

Sima Chunfeng always felt a sense of solitude.

Yes, solitude.

It was the burden of being born with a brain far too superior.

Things she understood at a single glance, others struggled with, flustered and unsure of what to do.

And so, she had no one to walk alongside.

It was terribly lonely.

Even when she merely walked, ever so slowly, slowing her pace until it felt suffocatingly frustrating, not a single person could keep up.

Indeed. A lone crane standing among sparrows. No matter how much the sparrows hopped on their tiny legs, they could never match a single stride of the crane's long legs.

No matter how many thousands of times the sparrows fluttered their adorable wings, they couldn't follow a single flap of the crane's wings.

That elegant crane was none other than this very body…

"Ahhh. Truly, how solitary."

At that, Vice Military Advisor Gang Jihwang clucked his tongue.

"There she goes again with that nonsense. If you've got nothing better to do, go draw up the list of candidates for the Uijeong Martial Hall instructors."

"Didn't you see it on the desk?" Sima Chunfeng replied. "I've roughly sorted them, so please confirm. Hmph, with your abilities, Vice Military Advisor, you'll likely have to pull an all-nighter. Hoho."

A vein bulged on Gang Jihwang's forehead.

If only she were incompetent at her job, he could at least scold her.

He couldn't recall ever seeing her actually do any work, yet whenever he assigned her something, it was already done and sitting on the desk. It was enough to make a ghost weep.

Sima Chunfeng once again perched gracefully (as she thought) on the windowsill of the Military Affairs Department, gazing endlessly outside with melancholic eyes (as she thought).

I think. Perhaps, these foolish, same humans, no? Are we not fundamentally different? If they are human, then I am a divine being; if I am human, then they are monkeys…

Gang Jihwang shook his head slowly.

"Isn't this all your fault, Military Advisor?"

"How is it my fault that the child was born with a rather unique disposition?" the Military Advisor asked.

"Giving her a name like that, of course the kid's going to turn out a bit twisted," Gang Jihwang said. "From what I see, it's all because she doesn't like her own name."

"Why, what's wrong with Chunfeng? Chun—just hearing it evokes blooming spring flowers, a lovely name. Feng—is there really any need to explain whether 'phoenix' is a good name or not?"

"But you insisted on combining the two…"

"Isn't adding good to good obviously better? Adding a good name to a good name makes it doubly good."

"Hmm. I'm not sure if Sima Chun or Sima Feng are such great names either," Gang Jihwang mused. "At the very least, I think I understand that you shouldn't be naming anyone, Military Advisor."

"Why? Pildeok turned out just fine."

"Hmm."

Gang Jihwang pressed his lips together firmly.

That fellow Sima Pildeok, last time they were drinking, had earnestly asked if he could receive a Daoist name if he joined one of the Nine Great Sects.

Regardless, Sima Chunfeng was completely lost in her own world.

I am a single crane, aloof and solitary, yet even I sometimes need an understanding companion to walk alongside me.

Because even I feel lonely sometimes…

<Read the original translation at Celestial Pavilion>

Yes. Perhaps, if it's him… no, her.

Sima Chunfeng thought of the new Divine Dragon who stood tall in the Orthodox Murim.

First, she was an unparalleled beauty.

With cat-like eyes and lips forming a slightly pouting curve—judging by her features, she seemed like a prim, sharp-tongued person, stubbornly resistant to others' words.

But that must be inevitable.

The world experienced by that young genius must hold the same pent-up frustration that this Sama-rang always felt, the feeling of being so suffocated that one eventually gives up seeking understanding from others.

And yet, her abilities were outstanding.

This too was something they shared, a common ground of being geniuses of the century, possessing both beauty and talent.

Even so, she hadn't forsaken her duty.

She hadn't publicized deeds worthy of praise, all for the sake of mere paupers. Unlike common folk, she was fulfilling the duty of a genius personally crafted and sent into the world by Nüwa, fulfilling the mission to bring widespread benefit to the world.

Just like herself!

Life sparked in Sima Chunfeng's eyes.

Perhaps, perhaps…!

Moreover, Nüwa was mischievous.

Having crafted such a perfect being, she still attached one fatal flaw, a disgraceful lump of flesh utterly useless—how could one not call that mischievous?

The Divine Dragon shared the same pain.

It even made one wonder if Nüwa, bound by some absolute balance of the world, had tearfully added flaws because she couldn't create overly perfect humans.

Was it the mark of a genius, or the pain of a genius!

If so, it explained why this body's flaw was even greater!

Yes. Even someone like me needs at least one person to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with…

Sima Chunfeng doesn't hesitate.

Because she has absolute confidence in her judgment and never considers the possibility that she might be wrong.

Sima Chunfeng leaped lightly from the windowsill.

Murong Juhui lay squirming on the floor.

Qing, as a fellow victim of similar attacks, knew that feeling well.

Getting hit once like that. You experience the realization that the expression "mind going blank" is perfectly accurate, as you purely become a blank slate, rolling on the floor.

But, she should have controlled the force perfectly. Wasn't it about time for her to get up?

The sensation transmitted through her fist—specifically, the protruding second knuckle of her middle finger—had felt perfect. Her scalp wasn't torn, and her skull wasn't damaged.

What Qing had overlooked was that she herself had developed some tolerance to the nuclear head-flick through repeated exposure.

For Murong Juhui, it was truly a whole new world.

A weapon among weapons, death heralding the end of the human world, encountering the world's destroyer—how could she be otherwise?

Thus, Qing looked down at Murong Juhui, who lay collapsed on the floor, twitching and letting out silent screams.

Something about her… how should I put it… the way she's squirming is kind of…

It looks really pitiful, but somehow, I can't stop watching.

Qing didn't realize it, but her lips were already forming an elegant and gentle curve.

"Stop faking it and get up."

"I'm not faking it, ugh…" Murong Juhui groaned.

"Here, come here."

Qing patted her lap again.

Once Murong Juhui meekly settled back into her embrace, Qing firmly pressed and stroked the point of impact.

"Ahht…"

Murong Juhui let out a sound unconsciously.

The cool hand stroking her head was incredibly gentle. And the soft voice whispering in her ear.

"Now," Qing said softly. "We've both hurt each other badly, so no hard feelings, okay?"

"Th-this isn't, this isn't right…"

"And, stay the night today."

At that, Murong Juhui shook her head resolutely.

Qing's eyes went to the hair being rubbed by her hand. Hmm, is this a bump? It’s protruding.

"I'm alright," Murong Juhui insisted. "If I just act like a baby, it won't get better, so I'm going to try my best to endure. So-"

It was a rather commendable sentiment.

But it was also foolish, so Qing cut her off.

"Come on. You say you're alright, but look at those sunken eyes. You said you couldn't sleep alone, right? Actually, me too. If I'm alone, I just can't close my eyes."

"Why?" Murong Juhui asked. "You're so strong, Lady Ximen, although now you're in the Transcendent Realm, but more than that, your heart, I thought you were truly strong…"

"How could that be true?" Qing replied. "I get scared and find things hard too. But because it feels like better things will happen, because I believe that if I somehow endure, a good day will surely come."

It was an enlightenment gained from overcoming a wall.

She had been afraid there might be something horrendous beyond the wall, but once she crossed it, she saw only a road stretching endlessly into the distance.

So, she was still anxious. If she closed her eyes alone, what if she fell asleep and this all turned out to be a terrible dream? Or worse, what if she woke up back in that cave somewhere in Liaoning? She couldn't shake off the immense fear.

But what could she do? She had to endure.

If she endured, she'd become Transcendent Qing like this, steadily climb through the Unrestrained, Profound, and Life and Death Realms, crush Un Yeonyeong, crush the status window, and reach the conclusion.

Besides, if you can't sleep alone, you just sleep together.

"There's no need to endure using difficult methods unnecessarily," Qing continued gently. "If there's a comfortable way, you should take it. For now, we just need to endure, don't we?"

"Th-thank you, truly," Murong Juhui whispered, "for being so kind to someone like me, this undeserved kindness towards such a pathetic and wicked wench."

Why does she have such low self-esteem?

Or wait? Was she always like this?

Come to think of it, maybe she was always like this.

Someone confident in themselves doesn't bother comparing themselves to others and revealing their inferiority complex.

So, she really was a pathetic and wicked wench from the start, huh.

But, if you looked at it that way, her sworn sister, well, no, she just learned bad manners from her upbringing. When she realized the junior sister she intended to boss around was crippled, she took care of her instead. So, she might have been pathetic, but not wicked.

Right, Nanah too, at first, hmm, but Nanah was a respected doctor from the beginning.

She wasn't pathetic or wicked.

San lived for his own brilliance from the moment they met, and Namgung Shinjae, though his realm was low, was fundamentally a good-natured, cheerful man.

Hmm, who else is there?

Someone pathetic and wicked?

Gramps had dementia, so that couldn't be helped.

Besides, even though he was a Demonic Adept, he was still brilliant.

Seol Ganom was extraordinary from their first meeting.

The greatest intellect in the neighborhood, just thinking about him was reassuring!

Recalling her connections, people like her Master and Mentor were both excellent, or if they had flaws, it was only in one aspect, not both.

"Certainly, Lady Murong did have that side to her," Qing murmured thoughtfully.

"Lady Ximen?" Murong Juhui looked up.

"Just kidding," Qing said with a small smile. "It's okay. You might be a pathetic person right now, but isn't it important to strive to become a better person? If you keep moving forward, even one step at a time, better tomorrow than today, you'll eventually look back and see how much you've grown."

Qing offered some encouragement using words she'd picked up somewhere.

A pathetic person right now… Murong Juhui repeated inwardly.

It was then.

"Vice Assistant Military Advisor? Even if it's you, Vice Assistant Military Advisor, you can't just barge into the Mucheon Pavilion like this…!" a voice called from outside.

"Tsk, move aside," another voice snapped. "Do trash like you block the path when this lady intends to pass? Go eat this instead."

"Ah, the Seven Treasures Soup from Glory Hall…!"

"Ha, for someone of your station, you have discerning eyes. Don't hold up someone important unnecessarily. You guys just drool over the snacks served to honored guests all day, right? Here. Eat up and get lost."

Just as the commotion outside grew louder, Drrk! The doors to the Mucheon Pavilion reception hall slid wide open to both sides.

In the center of the open doorway stood a woman, posed quite dramatically with her arms spread wide. Qing wondered what this was all about now and scrutinized the flamboyant visitor.

Well, she's a beauty, but. What's with this one? A bad bitch?

She looked like a bad bitch at first glance.

She gave off the impression of a hidden mastermind or a villain.

Her pupils were half the size of a normal person's, showing white on all four sides—top, bottom, left, and right.

In physiognomy, this was called Sanpaku eyes, considered the worst possible eye shape, a mark of wickedness.

It was even written that these were not the eyes of a human but of a beast—the eyes of someone cruel, devoid of principles and compassion, utterly ruthless.

Still, the world was truly unfair; despite such wicked features, she was beautiful.

Her attire was also extraordinary.

Embroidered on red silk with gold thread was, hmm, what was it? Some kind of indescribable, complex pattern that glittered brilliantly.

Metaphysical and flamboyant, a truly flamboyant outfit.

"Ah. There you are, Lady Ximen?" the woman declared. "This lady is Sama-rang, a wise woman people look up to and call Intelligent Flower. But, what is this situation? Sword Flower, why are you here too? Why are you sitting on Lady Ximen?"

"You-" Sword Flower started.

"Ah, well, does it matter?" Sima Chunfeng cut her off breezily. "Commoners like you wouldn't understand anyway, whether you're here or not. Lady Ximen? How do you do? This lady is Sama-rang, known as Intelligent Flower…"

And then, completely ignoring Murong Juhui as if she didn't exist, she offered her greeting again.

"Ah. Yes. How do you do."

Qing returned the greeting, taken aback.

Hmm, do people normally go around calling themselves wise or saying others look up to them?

One? Two? Oops, I almost committed a breach of etiquette.

"Wise Pouch Intelligent Flower!" Qing exclaimed, belatedly recalling the proper custom.