Chapter 229: Even Vagabonds Have Their Own Code Of Honor. (2) |
After that, they tried to put together a description of the appearance.
Cheon Yuhak took out paper and charcoal, sketching and adjusting bit by bit according to the stories that came out.
“Oh, were you an artist? To prepare this much. Miss, you were more serious than I thought.”
At this, the martial artists’ eyes warmed up.
In fact, who in the world would look after vagabonds?
As unaffiliated martial artists who were used as cheap swords, shields put in front, and subtly despised as bandits when there was no work, they couldn’t help but be sensitive to even small kindnesses.
Even if her rank was a bit low, Qing was a female expert from a prestigious orthodox sect.
Of course they were moved by her caring heart, asking if they wouldn’t be harmed while setting aside the very simple solution of running to the Murim Alliance and tattling.
“Heh. I’m always sincere.”
Although Cheon Yuhak’s eyebrows twitched as he drew the portrait, he couldn’t call her “you girl” or “you brat” at this time.
Since everyone’s words were slightly different, the reliability of making a portrait based on people’s testimonies wasn’t very high, just like in the Black Market.
But unlike the Black Market portraits where witnesses just roughly took coins because it wasn’t their business, the unaffiliated martial artists were quite sincere, so after wasting a pile of paper, they came up with one portrait everyone agreed on.
“Hmm. It’s an ordinary pig nose…”
The ordinary face had only one distinctive feature: a snub nose. Moreover, the martial artists who didn’t recognize him even seeing him in person wouldn’t know from the picture, and Qing naturally didn’t have the insight to say this looks like someone.
“For now. That guy will definitely appear in front of you all again.”
“Why is that?”
“Um… Because criminals always return to the scene of the crime?”
“Indeed!”
“Miss’s mysterious deduction shines!”
Exclamations burst out here and there.
The well-cooked martial artists had completely fallen for it.
Now they were ready to clap and agree willingly even if Qing spouted any nonsense.
Again, vagabonds are fundamentally people starved for affection.
“But also, it’s practically the same as your weaknesses being caught. The Temporary Indulgence Pills must be expensive items, so it wasn’t done to extort money, so maybe they’ll use blackmail to make you do dishonorable things.”
At this, the martial artists’ expressions darkened.
Hearing this, they realized how reckless their actions were in eagerly accepting and swallowing suspicious drugs at the word “Divine Thief”.
But even if the genre changed to vagabond regression and they went back to the past, the unaffiliated martial artists’ decisions wouldn’t be much different.
That was their desperation for the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition.
The actions of desperate people are perfect for being played in others’ hands.
“It would be good if we could catch him, but it could be dangerous, so don’t act rashly, here, take one each. It’s called Fragrant Traces, you all know what Fragrant Traces is, right?”
Qing distributed vials given by Cheon Yuhak according to the number of people.
“If you meet him again, secretly sprinkle it on him. You don’t need to spray it on his face, just a little on his waistband or somewhere like that.”
This was the conclusion they came to.
If he contacts them again, they’ll put Fragrant Traces on him.
Even if one person fails, if several people try, they’ll succeed at least once.
And then they’ll rush in together to catch him.
After that, through smooth cooperation, they’ll dig out his purpose and any unknown backers, and take appropriate measures to prevent secrets from leaking.
It seemed somewhat sloppy, and it was a simple plan without any particular details.
But this level of idea was very excellent for Qing, so much so that everyone should stand up and express respect.
“Um… But.”
The Chair King, no, Chair Vagabond Wang Nopil cautiously began.
“But if we suddenly all drop out, won’t he think something’s strange and be on guard? Having advanced to such a high position in the top 16, I thought it would be strange if we didn’t take the medicine, that’s what I thought, not that I definitely want to take the medicine…”
His latter part became quite pitiful as Qing’s aura became ominous.
“What? You want to eat Temporary Indulgence Pills? What is this? What does this mean? Does it mean you want to get beaten?”
One more pill and he’d break 100 points.
He’d change from a stupid, pitiful guy who was used to a stupid, pitiful thing that was used.
“Then, if we get some other Temporary Indulgence Pills and eat them…”
“If it’s like that, don’t ask me for permission, judge for yourself. But if you go around Kaifeng looking for Temporary Indulgence Pills, won’t anyone notice? It’s better for the guy who distributed the pills to find it suspicious. Won’t he appear again asking why you didn’t take them?”
Qing sighed deeply as she answered like this.
----
There was really only one person to show the portrait they had made.
“Jegal, do you know who this is?”
“Hmm. Is this some kind of test? Hmm.”
Jegal Ihyeon stared at the portrait for a while, then suddenly tapped his fan with a snap.
“Oh, do you know who it is?”
“I don’t know. To begin with, portraits aren’t very reliable things. Still, this painting style doesn’t seem like a picture. I can only tell that the artist’s lines are unusual.”
Jegal Ihyeon is still just a rising star.
If it were a name or title, he’d recite information saying who it is, but when asked to guess who it is from a picture, he’s not confident.
“What, then why did you tap your fan?”
“Sister. Can’t I at least tap my fan?”
Jegal Ihyeon answered with a grin.
Qing tilted her head.
What is this, why is it annoying?
But it wasn’t enough to launch a nuclear attack, so indeed he was the most promising muscle-head of the Jegal family, famous for their mysterious calculations.
From Qing’s perspective, finding the guy who distributed the pills wasn’t particularly urgent or a lifelong wish for bloody revenge that must be fulfilled.
It was more like, a bad guy happened to come into view so I should find him and beat him to death.
And she didn’t want the reputation of the competition to be damaged as the winner of the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition.
So Qing wasn’t waiting with her neck stretched out for the bad guy to appear.
So while preparing for matches, hanging out with the Half-Sword Double-Saber Association, and secretly enjoying the blade-like stimulation that tore at her skin in hemp clothes, before she knew it she was standing in the round of 16 of the martial arts competition.
Her opponent in the round of 16 was a face Qing knew.
“…Mount Hua’s… request…”
Come to think of it, it was Changbin, who hadn’t shown up once even though she told him to come play at the Wucheon Pavilion.
Still, she prided herself on being able to talk to him somewhat, almost uniquely among women, but not seeing him for a while, he had become a complete stranger again.
Qing giggled and greeted him back.
“But Changbin. Why didn’t you come pay respects at the elder’s quarters even once? I clearly told you.”
At the laughter mixed in, Changbin’s expression also relaxed somewhat.
“That, that is. Isn’t it a bit unseemly? Going to a woman’s lodgings, ahem, what kind of rumors, not good…”
Changbin sputtered out excuses.
To summarize, it was like this:
‘Not easy’
“Ah. Sorry. I was a bit short-sighted.”
She hadn’t considered Changbin’s fragile heart that becomes a complete coward when it comes to women.
If Qing had raided the Mount Hua guest quarters and dragged him out, he would have followed well, but telling the shy Changbin to come play, there was no way he could come.
“Come on, come.”
“I’ll go.”
Changbin charged in with an ambiguous sound that was neither polite nor casual speech.
The ‘Hwa’ in Mount Hua uses the character for ‘flower’ (華).
In Qing’s homeland, it’s often used to mean ‘shine’, but in ancient times ‘flower’ (花) and ‘flower’ (華) were used as homophones with the same meaning.
The meaning of ‘shine’ in ancient Central Plains was not about emitting light, but an expression of being dazzled by beauty.
However, the Mount Hua that Qing actually saw was a crudely jutting rocky mountain, recognized as the most rugged rocky mountain under heaven among rocky mountains.
The fact that they called it Mount Hua (Flower Mountain) because that rocky mountain looked like a flower shows that the eyesight of the Central Plains ancestors was at the level of blind people.
So Mount Hua’s sword is said to resemble that flower, but in reality, it resembles the blade-like cliffs.
Changbin’s sword seemed to sway gently, and then white, chilling sword energy exploded like flower petals dotting the path it passed.
The sword energies floating as if riding the wind were actually flower petals, so Mount Hua’s true meaning was not there but in the fierce sword form.
The sword that was swinging gently suddenly falls with a trajectory like lightning.
The brilliant sword energy fluttering like flower petals was just a distraction, a chilling absolute move that would instantly take your head if you didn’t focus on the sword.
Clang! Qing clashed with strength and cut off the lightning.
After pushing away and sending the sword flying, Changbin’s form swayed gently, showing off his skills.
Somehow, aren’t Mount Hua’s martial arts a bit insidious?
Qing thought like this.
The movement technique that swayed gently and leisurely was Mount Hua’s Willow Stream Steps that she had already experienced in her match with Changbin.
Changbin, who had been swaying like a wilting willow branch, suddenly stepped heavily.
It was Mount Hua’s Seven Steps, the Seven Star Steps.
Qing takes a step back and leans her upper body.
The movement of the Plum Blossom Seven Joints Sword that she had seen a few times cuts emptily in front of Qing’s shoulder.
However, the flower petals that were rushing along the trajectory sweep towards Qing as they are.
Mount Hua’s martial arts don’t distinguish between illusion and change.
The brilliant sword energies of the plum blossom petals that dazzlingly enchant are illusory distractions, but they are also sharp sword energy blades themselves.
Only then did Qing’s iron sword draw a large semicircle, burning like a sunset-colored sun. The fragile petals melt away in the setting sun, disappearing without a trace.
Then Changbin’s sword changes again.
The precisely moving sword tip draws the branches of a plum tree extending in elegant lines.
The sword energy remaining in space is a characteristic of the Mount Hua Sect, so this time the plum blossoms blooming on branches stretched their arms towards Qing.
But, hmm. It seems like I can see the meridians too.
Somehow Mount Hua’s swordsmanship seemed too clear to see, it was because of that old man’s traces, the Celestial Martial Emperor who existed alone amidst the scattered sword force petals that filled the world.
One continuous flow. An ordinary Three Powers Sword thrust splits the plum branches like bamboo and advances.
Changbin was startled and quickly widened the distance.
“How?”
There’s a way to omit the ending altogether between polite and casual speech. As Changbin asked like this, Qing answered without hiding her smile:
“Well? Come on. You need to step it up.”
“Then, I’ll go.”
Changbin’s expression was bright as he charged in again.
In the end, no matter what, he’s a martial arts genius, so the moment of pouring out everything he has is enjoyable.
Flowers bloomed in the arena, fluttered, and then seemed to fall to the ground, but rose again and scattered in an untimely spring wind blowing in late May.
And finally, Changbin stopped and said with a respectful salute:
“Whew. I lost.”
Having displayed all seven of the seven joints and fourteen of the fourteen moves of the Plum Blossom Sword, Changbin had a refreshed expression.
“Winner, Divine Maiden Sect disciple Ximen Qing!”
This time, quite a lot of cheers poured down.
Of course, wasn’t it a dazzling match with brilliant energy techniques?
Anyway, since Changbin knew Qing’s skill, he deliberately didn’t hide his techniques at all, so Qing also raised sword energy in response.
For civilians, a stylized sword energy battle between peak masters that they can watch without worry is truly something they can’t see except at times like this.
Moreover, Mount Hua’s martial arts are originally so brilliant.
Ugly Veiled Sword Woman! Ugly Veiled Sword Woman! Ugly Veiled Sword Woman!
It was cheering, but somehow the content was a bit…
Although it’s the same words as before, the emotion contained in them was closer to affection.
Of course, Qing, who hadn’t paid much attention before, didn’t pay attention afterwards either.
After jumping down to the corridor below the ship arena, Changbin awkwardly came to speak:
“Um. Miss Ximen? Doesn’t it bother you? It seems there’s no need to hide that beauty…”
“I’m not particularly hiding it. But isn’t it a bit embarrassing to take it off now and go ‘Ta-da, I was actually an incredible beauty’?”
“That’s true. Yes.”
“No, come on. If you want to be casual, be casual. If not, then don’t. Why do you keep being ambiguous like this?”
“But also, since Miss is completely an elder in terms of rank, casual speech is a bit, isn’t it not that it’s not, if I say it’s not easy…”
It was Changbin’s delicate heart, finding it difficult to completely drop formalities but also not wanting to use polite speech.
***
https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken
Comments 1