Chapter 269: Transcendent Qing

Sima Chunfeng mulled over her conversation with a worthy companion in intellect, or perhaps, a rival genius in a battle of pride.

Yes. We need to determine who won.

First, appearance.

Hmm. Beauty takes many forms, so one cannot definitively judge the superiority between that flashy yet aloof beauty and this lady's beauty, like a fine, well-discarded famous sword.

So, on that front… a tie. Yes, a draw, a draw!

However, the Heavenly Flower Sword is far too tall for a woman, so this lady, being appropriately tall, wins.

As for breasts, this lady’s are larger, but, hmm, in terms of the qualities of a genius, this lady wins.

In terms of achievements, she has the subjugation of the Blood Cult, victory in the Hidden Dragon Tournament, and the enlightenment of a pitiful beast, but this too is this lady’s victory, having handled numerous tasks as the Vice Assistant Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance, comforting the common people.

And in terms of superior intellect, this lady also wins.

Of course, in terms of martial attainment, it's a defeat.

However, as one destined to become the Chief Military Advisor, this lady's power to command everyone is greater than mere individual martial might.

"Kekek, it's this lady's overwhelming victory. Heavenly Flower Sword, you must strive harder to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with this lady."

Compared to the naturally genius and perfect Sima-rang, she might fall short, but unlike those utterly lacking commoners, she possesses the qualifications to associate with this lady.

It was a very satisfactory conclusion.

If Qing had heard this, she would have been so dumbfounded that she might have administered the ultimate secret technique of Ximen Surin-style Complete Destruction Head Flick (The Staff of God), likely while muttering that superior martial power negates the need for brains.

"Is that really something you should say to me right now?" Nanah asked. "Bringing another woman here and asking to sleep together, so brazenly."

"Sorry," Q replied. "But look at Young Lady Murong's state. She's a complete mess. She hasn't been sleeping at all at night. You saw her too, didn't you? Looking pathetic in the training grounds. She said she felt relieved hearing my voice and ended up dozing off like that."

Tang Nanah was one of the few people who knew about Murong Juhui's kidnapping.

"Tch. Can't be helped," Tang Nanah muttered. "Qing-ah is too nice for her own good. Falling for such an obvious trick."

Since the excessively nice Qing (hobby: dismantling living villains) was volunteering to look after someone mentally unwell, Tang Nanah, being fundamentally a healer, figured she couldn't really object.

"Let me make this clear, I don't like you," Tang Nanah growled. "I'm only sleeping here to keep an eye on you, worried you might hurt Qing-ah again. Don't you dare think this makes us friends or anything like that."

However, Murong Juhui wasn't the type to just take it lying down.

"Ha. Look who's talking," Murong Juhui retorted. "You crazy bitch who set loose poison and didn't even apologize. Who in the world would be friends with someone like you?"

"Ssshh. Young Lady Murong. No bad words," Qing said gently.

"But, she, she started it," Murong Juhui protested.

"If Nanah dies, will Young Lady Murong die too?" Qing asked. "Are you going to act like a child? So immature."

She was being treated almost, no, exactly like a child.

But since Murong Juhui was acting almost like a child, perhaps it suited the situation. Murong Juhui whined unfairly.

"But, but...!"

"Ssshh. You'll be punished," Qing warned. "Besides, Nanah didn't use bad words, did she? Apologize to Nanah."

"Ah, punished, that, Young Lady Tang, I, I'm..." Murong Juhui’s lips trembled as if she couldn't get the words out, then she shouted.

"Crazy bitch! It was your fault first, ahk."

In the end, only after a harsh pinch did Murong Juhui offer an apology.

Tang Nanah's expression as she received the apology was sour.

"Something, what is this?" Tang Nanah asked Qing. "It feels... strange. Why do I feel...?"

"She said she's sorry. Just accept it," Qing replied.

"No, isn't she acting weird?" Tang Nanah insisted. "Look, she looks really satisfied."

"The one who apologizes first usually feels relieved and stuff," Qing explained. "Young Lady Murong, you did very well. But couldn't you listen before getting punished?"

"Th-that, um," Murong Juhui stammered. "I think the inside of my arm has gotten used to it... another place, another place...!"

"See?" Tang Nanah said to Qing. "I told you she's weird."

"It's because of the pain. The pain," Qing insisted. "She'll get better. Right, Young Lady Murong?"

"Yes. Thanks to you. I'm always grateful," Murong Juhui replied earnestly.

Tang Nanah's eyes remained narrowed, refusing to open fully. Not that there was much Tang Nanah could do about it anyway.

In any case, Murong Juhui lay down with Qing in front and Tang Nanah behind her, and practically fainted within four breaths.

Even Qing, who could fall asleep anywhere within fifteen minutes of lying down, couldn't manage it in the time it took to inhale and exhale four times.

Just how tired must she have been all this time to collapse like this? A pang of sympathy arose.

At this, Qing scolded Tang Nanah.

"See? How much sleep must she have lost to be like this? Why do you keep saying she's weird when she's sick? Sure, the kid's a bit ill-mannered, but be nice to her. Memories from when you're sick last a long time, you know?"

"Ugh," Tang Nanah grumbled. "She must have really suffered a huge mental shock. I thought she had some ulterior motive, how was I supposed to know..."

Because the newly improvised grand banquet hall was located in a corner of Kaifeng, it was quite a distance from the Murim Alliance headquarters. This was because someone had thoroughly messed up the water stage setup.

That someone was already heading towards the closing ceremony venue early.

Qing tilted her head.

"What's this? A sudden mass appearance of veiled women?"

It wasn't an exaggeration; veiled women kept catching her eye.

Since Peng Daesan was in the group, the density of women was overwhelming, forming a veritable wall pressing towards the closing ceremony venue.

Looking around from the center of this throng, roughly one in every five women wore a veil.

Qing shrugged smugly.

"My, my, I've ended up setting a trend in the Central Plains. Makes sense, though. They can only imitate the Transcendent Realm's Transcendent Qing."

"Ha. Ridiculous," Peng Daesan scoffed. "Aren't you overestimating yourself?"

"Why? What? Did I say something wrong?" Qing asked. "Aren't they imitating me?"

"They might be imitating you, but ultimately, it must be a ploy to look good for me," Peng Daesan countered.

"Hey now. You're the one with the inflated self-consciousness, San," Qing teased. "As if all the women in the world are trying to look good for you... hm. Maybe they are."

Qing, who had been poking Peng Daesan's side with her elbow, changed her tune as she noticed the simultaneous turn of veiled faces towards them.

Such desperate affection, compelling them to wear veils.

They shot glares fierce enough to pierce through the veils at Qing's audacious vixen-like behavior.

"Hey," Qing asked Peng Daesan, "hasn't the rumor spread? Why are women still chasing you around like a wall?"

"The, the rumor has spread," Murong Juhui tattled eagerly. "That, that the woman with only big breasts and butt, if she just wears a veil, even if she's a beggar, he'll lose his mind and rush over... I heard it from my clique members too."

Apparently, many members of Murong Juhui's clique from the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, calling themselves the "Participant Group," had come to express their concern. One out of every three topics discussed was about the Jade Qilin, remarking on how the Greatest Handsome Man Under Heaven's tastes had become quite unusual lately.

"See? She says so too," Peng Daesan pointed out.

"I thought the rumor hadn't spread since nothing changed, but thankfully it seems to have spread well," Qing mused. "And yet, it's still like this?"

Peng Daesan sounded incredulous.

Qing was equally dumbfounded.

So the rumor that he hooks up with beggars had spread far and wide, yet still... Ah. Now they're dressing like beggars and wearing veils.

Mass production of Flower Beggars...

No wonder he was attending the Half-Sword Twin Saber Society meetings with near-perfect attendance; the Greatest Handsome Man Under Heaven's troubles persisted, and he was seeking refuge.

<Read ahead at Celestial Pavilion>

"Hey, San," Qing began. "What if..."

"What is it?" Peng Daesan asked.

"Have you considered spreading a rumor that you like women who walk around with their chests bared?"

"Why?"

"Aren't you curious how far they'll follow?" Qing grinned. "Honestly, I'm full of selfish motives here. It's nice to look at. If you're going to look at scenery anyway, might as well have a lot of skin showing."

"Hmm," Peng Daesan considered. "Perhaps being treated as the world's greatest sex fiend might make them back off, so I don't mind. But how do you plan to spread the rumor? Are you going to walk around bare-chested in front of others as you suggested?"

Peng Daesan trailed off.

Then his expression hardened. Qing read his face.

What? Why? Why did he get upset?

Separate from that, it wasn't a suggestion easily dismissed.

"Not me," Qing clarified quickly. "Let's see. Oh, see that young lady over there in the danxiong? Green top, red sash. Wow. If she even slightly jogs, everything will spill out. Okay. Now stare intently at her."

"What?" Peng Daesan asked.

"Isn't it enough to just keep staring at the woman showing the most skin in your field of vision?" Qing elaborated. "Then everyone will wonder where you're looking, and then, 'Oh my, oh my, Young Master Peng is staring at her chest, so boldly staring,' and then, well, everyone else will start imitating."

Qing's mind worked exceptionally fast only when it came to messing with others.

"Hmm. Not bad," Peng Daesan conceded.

Peng Daesan had also been wondering just how bizarre their attire could possibly get.

Already, one in five was dressed like a beggar, and one in four wore a veil. He even occasionally spotted women with unnaturally large breasts and buttocks – if you're going to stuff something, at least make it less obvious.

Thus, one man and one woman entered the closing ceremony venue, blatantly staring only at revealing outfits. The women who had been observing Peng Daesan's ocean-deep beauty couldn't hide their disappointment and eventually dispersed.

The members of the Half-Sword Twin Saber Society, aside from Qing, were essentially all future leaders of the Orthodox Murim, belonging to the ruling class.

The ruling class does not dine with the ruled.

They gathered in the special seats set up on a platform, looking down on those below.

Therefore, the moment she sat down in the special seat, the thought arose: When will this end? She was bored before it even began.

Although it was announced that a major announcement would be made at the closing ceremony, she already knew the contents.

First, there would be news of the Blood Cult's subjugation.

"...And so, through a secret operation, we have vanquished the evil seeds of the Blood Cult! It is with joyous hearts that we announce this to our comrades in the martial world!" came the announcement.

"Waaaah!!" roared the crowd.

"The Murim Alliance is the best!"

The support was truly fiery.

And then, the declaration that they would also crush the Black Store.

But they weren't helping the Demonic Cult, and they absolutely, definitely weren't imitating them.

It was an excuse, disguised as not an excuse, claiming they had merely postponed it due to the secret operation against the Blood Cult, and had never intended to stand by idly while the evil Black Store caused harm to the world.

After this declaration, quite a few people turned pale and hastily exited.

This was the justice of the Orthodox Murim.

The black market involved half martial artists, half commoners.

They give a warning before crushing them.

We're going to properly crush you now, so those who want out, get out.

After that came the announcement of the new Ten Great Clans, filling the void left by the Jin Prefecture Un Clan.

"In days past, we were plunged into sorrow, having lost one of the great pillars of the Orthodox Murim," the announcer stated. "However, we cannot commit the error of neglecting to reinforce our house while mourning the lost pillar. Therefore, we wish to introduce a new pillar to everyone in the martial world."

Qing watched Gongson Yoye and her family standing on the platform.

The new member of the Ten Great Clans was the Gong Clan.

According to Sima Chunfeng's claims, it was the Sima Clan's tradition not to step forward, or something like that.

Coming from someone who failed, such words held no persuasive power, so people just accepted it as is.

If it weren't for Gongson Yoye, Qing wouldn't have bothered coming here.

Even if it was a major announcement, the Nine Great Sects, the Ten Great Clans, and other prominent experts had already been informed or had even participated in the decision-making.

So, in reality, few high-ranking individuals actually attended the closing ceremony.

Only ambiguously positioned people from each sect – high enough to be sent for appearances but suitable for having tedious tasks dumped on them – watched with bored expressions.

Ximen Surin had already left, saying she had been away from her sect for too long. She departed with a smile, filled with the relief of someone who had seen all there was to see.

Having boasted all she could, having soaked up every last drop of envy directed at her brilliant disciple, Ximen Surin smiled so broadly that Qing thought, Wow, she actually knows how to smile like that.

The reason Qing hadn't left with her was the order to visit the Absolute Sword Wall at Shaolin Temple with the damn monks and, while at it, take the scenic route back, seeing as much as possible.

Besides, a friend's family was having a celebration; she had to offer congratulations.

Qing also clapped enthusiastically, cheered, and shouted her support.

Gongson Yoye seemed to scan the VIP seats and managed to meet Qing's eyes.

And then, the woman's bright, innocent smile revealed exceptionally white teeth that flashed brightly...

It was the end of the sixth month, summer.