Chapter 270: Journey To Shaolin (1)

For people of the Central Plains, ranking and classification work is special.

In the ancient primitive uncivilized Central Plains, since it costs money to play, it could be said to be almost the only entertainment that can be enjoyed without spending money.

And the Murim Conference is a huge event where you can enjoy preempting information in that best game for all ages and genders, so people from all over the Central Plains flock to it.

Thus, the topic currently heating up Kaifeng is Ximen Qing.

At twenty years old she entered the Transcendent Realm, achieving the fastest accomplishment in the long history stretching from past to present that even the great Celestial Martial Emperor couldn’t achieve, truly a qilin child of history.

So for martial arts, she received praise as the next world’s greatest expert and current strongest among rising stars, truly the Hidden Dragon’s Successor, Hidden Dragon’s Greatest, Central Plains’ Greatest Rising Star.

But this isn’t fun.

The ranking and classification game lies in the intensity of fiercely clashing opinions, so it tastes best when there’s violence where people’s heads get cracked open and fistfights break out from overheating.

Since everyone agreed that Ximen Qing was a once-in-a-millennium talent, the battle instinct of Central Plains people naturally turned towards her beauty.

Qing usually goes around with Tang Nanah.

These past few days, Murong Juhui has also been sticking to her like a cicada.

So they volunteered themselves for comparison.

Expressing it in the style of Qing’s homeland, it was like a singer accompanying an actor, so while each was an incredible beauty when seen separately, when seen together only one woman caught the eye.

So the flower among flowers, the most beautiful flower.

Among flowers there was a heavenly flower.

Heavenly Flower Among Flowers Ximen Qing!

It was essentially the title of world’s most beautiful woman.

But a great war broke out here.

The Five Flowers of Murim are women with different charms. They each have their own followers according to tastes and preferences.

Originally the Five Flowers of Murim were two short and three tall.

Tang Nanah and Murong Juhui are the two short ones.

The followers of Poison Flower and Sword Flower prefer petite and cute women.

So while they say Qing is more beautiful, she’s too big, too big, and too big from top to middle to bottom, so with three excesses she’s excessive to the point of not being their taste.

Still, since the two stuck next to Qing for comparison, their followers also acknowledge Qing’s beauty.

Though not cute, they freely acknowledged she could be called the world’s most beautiful.

However, the followers of the other three are still strongly opposed.

First is the one in the middle. Lily Jin Seol who lacks distinction by being neither tall nor short.

Jin Seol’s charm is her chest, rumored to be the most perfect size and shape. It’s also the source of Lily’s confidence to go around with a bold low neckline.

The two tall ones.

Ice Flower, the slender cold beauty whose tear mole contrasts alluringly with her coldness to reach the peak of perfection.

Ice Flower’s followers make the baseless claim that though cold, she would be hotter than anyone to their man.

And the followers of Wise Flower who argue that if everyone acknowledges her as a beauty despite her vicious appearance, isn’t she truly the most beautiful?

So the newly formed Ximen Protection Squad followers and the Poison Flower and Sword Flower factions push for Qing as the world’s most beautiful, while the factions of the other three don’t acknowledge it.

Thus at first it was World’s Most Beautiful Woman Flower Among Flowers Ximen Qing, but after countless fistfights and cracked heads it finally became Heavenly Flower Among Flowers Ximen Qing, with the nickname Heavenly Flower.

So Qing will need to make a big effort to be acknowledged as Murim’s most beautiful.

She would need to stick close to the other three too and show off her beauty asking if they can feel the difference in power, or use various tricks and strategies.

Of course, Qing has no thoughts about this.

“Ha. What use is it that I’m pretty? My lover should be pretty. Can I even see my own face anyway?”

Since Qing says such things, though it’s always new and thrilling when she occasionally looks in a mirror, that’s all, it’s just annoying having people gather unnecessarily.

Moreover, Ximen Surin took away her veil saying to become famous by widely benefiting the world with her face, so she can’t even hide it.

Still, Qing doesn’t think much of it.

Men don’t act extremely fanatical like the Jade Qilin’s pursuers. They just roll their eyes like they have strabismus and bump into things or fall down.

Besides, she was originally an extremely plain person by nature, so with that nature she doesn’t stop people who come or hold onto people who leave.

When meeting, warmly welcome them, when playing, play well, when it’s time to part, cleanly separate.

Surprisingly, it’s quite a common type.

People who seem to go underwater since they don’t contact first, but when you contact them they answer gently as if nothing happened.

So she can’t really understand Tang Nanah tearing up.

“When will we see each other again if we part like this…”

“Won’t we see each other again somehow?”

“What, am I the only one who’s sad? Qing’er, are you not affected at all? There’s no promise of when we’ll meet if we separate now.”

“Come on, I can visit the Tang clan, or you can come visit the Divine Maiden Sect. Even if not, if word spreads that the Five Flowers of Murim have appeared, rumors will already be rampant in the area. If I’m nearby, don’t you think I’ll come find you?”

“Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s business? You’re a flower too, adding one more to make Six Flowers of Murim.”

“Isn’t it still unofficial? Well, if word spreads that Transcendent Transcendent Qing has appeared, you can come meet me then.”

“Oh geez.”

Tang Nanah looked endlessly regretful.

But the Tang clan obtained the Blood Cult’s parasites.

One of the Tang clan’s most outstanding poison makers can’t be away from that research, and she herself is itching to know about the unknown poison as soon as possible.

So as soon as it ended, saying she had to play with parasites, the Tang clan hurriedly left, and then one by one they departed on long or short journeys.

“Sword Junior, can we see each other as fellow Transcendents next time we meet? Even though we’re friends, our levels really don’t match.”

“Kuk. Just you wait and see.”

The Namgung clan to Anhui Province.

“It would be perfect if Qing’er came to visit at this time. Hebei is really cool. They say this summer will be hot, so if you come to escape the heat, be sure to stop by the clan.”

“Yes, Chaorye. Have a good trip, Mountain.”

“See you next time.”

Mountain said goodbye calmly.

“Miss Ximen, if you happen to pass through Jiangsu Province, would you please stop by our main house in Nanjing?”

“Oh. Nanjing. Nanjing. Why does it sound familiar? What’s in Nanjing? What’s it famous for? I wonder if it’s suitable to take Fei or Jangmyeong to visit if not.”

“Uh. That. Nanjing is…”

Gongson Yoye’s shoulders drooped.

“Hot…”

Nanjing is always included when naming the hottest cities in the Central Plains.

Of course, there are deserts here and there in the Central Plains, but those frontiers aren’t considered Central Plains land in the first place.

This is similar to how people from Qing’s homeland classify everywhere outside the capital as countryside.

“Come on, how hot can it be? My heart thinking of you is hotter. Is our love so weak it’ll be overcome by mere heat?”

“Ah…”

Qing firmly held Gongson Yoye’s hand as she blushed and naturally thought to herself.

I hate the heat. I shouldn’t go.

Anyway, they’ll see each other again soon.

Unlike Nanah, the rising stars living close to the Murim Alliance are called out easily because they’re close. Usually even if people live in the same room, the person closest to the fire lights it every time.

And Qing, a young supreme master the Murim Alliance likes to show off, is expected to be like that too.

As the representative female master and first female world’s greatest expert, it aligned with Ximen Surin’s wish to actively and strongly show her off to the world.

So Qing won’t have a way to avoid it either.

“Oh my, I’m so sore from running around too much. Will my disciple massage my arms and legs this winter? Can I receive some care from my disciple too?”

“Of course. I’ll massage you hard, so make sure your joints are nice and sore until then.”

“You brat.”

The schedule was to go around the Absolute Sword Wall once, return to the Divine Maiden Sect and stay until fall, then finish the unfinished Divine Thief training at the Hanlin Academy this winter.

“Here. It’s time to return this.”

“Ah. Right. My Bokshinjeok.”

Qing brightened at seeing the treasure she had completely forgotten about. Actually, unless she had occasion to play the flute, she didn’t miss it or anything since she wasn’t carrying it at her side, so she had completely forgotten about it.

At this, Cheon Yuhak clicked his tongue.

“What, you entrust this precious thing and just say ‘ah right’?”

“Come on. What use does a martial artist have for carrying around a flute? Ah. Then I should return this-“

“Forget it. You’re a woman too, so carry at least one dagger. If some bastard tries to do something bad, stab him. It’s the sharpest dagger in the world so you won’t need to use much strength.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

Qing put the Azure Sword back in her bosom.

Cheon Yuhak left grumbling that he had to take care of backed up Hanlin Academy scholar work.

“Um, Miss Ximen.”

“Miss Murong. How’s your body?”

“Thanks to you.”

Murong Juhui had thought a lot these past few days.

And she made up her mind in her own way.

There was too much hatred boiling inside her until now.

Those harsh and miserable tortures, not just pain but the terrible times thoroughly destroying human dignity.

If she didn’t resolve it she felt like she would go crazy, like her insides would burst and she would die, so that hatred ended up being directed at Qing.

If only you had come a little earlier, or if you hadn’t made me experience such terrible dismemberment, I hate you, it’s because of you.

But now she let it go.

Because she realized it’s pain she’ll carry for life, even if she shudders and hurts whenever she suddenly remembers, enduring and enduring until someday only scars remain, though she doesn’t know when that will be.

The Ximen Qing that Murong Juhui saw was a monster.

She felt it when dismembering a living person. That lewd ecstasy bordering on moans spreading in her ears when carrying out that miserable disassembly. So she thought she was a monster, that it was okay to hate her.

But now she seemed to understand.

Some people, if they don’t go crazy like that they can’t endure. Ximen Qing must have some madness from pain she’ll carry for life too.

After realizing that, she understood that gratitude.

That kindness of being able to embrace others despite her own pain, those actions that were kind in their own way, and above all that warm embrace, those whispers saying it’s okay, it will be okay, how much comfort they gave.

“Thank you. For everything you did for me. For saving me, guiding me, embracing me, truly thank you. I don’t think I’ve said this yet.”

“Oh my. Is it time to show off now? Do you know how hard it was for me? Hmph. Well then, goodbye. We’ll meet again someday.”

Qing said farewell refreshingly.

However, Murong Juhui just lingered in place hesitantly.

“Um, I know that enduring is something I have to bear myself, but if it gets too hard, if my chest feels too tight because it seems like I’m the only one hurting in the world, if that happens, there’s something I’d like to ask Miss Ximen…”

“Hm? What is it?”

Murong Juhui’s face turned bright red.

At that moment, coolness, firmly with nails, pinching like biting, the lightning that struck along with the sting, intense as if her whole body was pierced, sting. Unable to move at all. Good, this kind of pain could overwrite painful memories and help them heal. Voice. Cool touch, beautiful whisper like a snake. Sting.

“Miss Murong?”

Qing tilted her head and looked at Murong Juhui twisting her body like someone suddenly hit with the urge to urinate.

What is this, summer cold? They say even dogs don’t catch it?

“No, it’s nothing! I’ll be oka-, might be okay, I’m just sad, now that I’ve conveyed my true feelings if you leave, when again, ugh.”

“Hmm. If it’s really hard, recuperate at the Divine Maiden Sect for a while. If I explain the situation to my master, she’ll probably let you stay among the disciples.”

“Would it be okay for me to do that?”

“It’s not like I’ll definitely be at the Divine Maiden Sect if Miss Murong comes, but they’re all nice friends. Ah. If you cause trouble at the Divine Maiden Sect, it won’t be punishment, I just won’t see you again at all. Be good, okay?”

“Be good. Yes, yes!”

Murong Juhui steeled her resolve.

Be good, be good.

Then when she meets Miss Ximen again, if she speaks honestly and makes her request, since she’s a kind person, surely…

Qing tilted her head.

Is she still not well? Her eyes look very clear for that though, she thought.

Qing joined the Shaolin monks going to Shaolin Temple.

Actually, Mount Song is really right in front of Kaifeng, within spitting distance, so there’s not much of an itinerary.

Everyone advances swiftly at a fast pace as qinggong training, with the momentum of eating dinner at Mount Song.

Qing was still not used to the fast pace, making loud clop clop sounds with her horse hooves.

Then she caught up to Monk Wolbong who was trying hard to just look ahead.

“Monk Wolbong. You don’t still have resentment, do you? I’ve let it all go, so if you have anything to say, should we resolve it now?”

“No, no. What resentment, this humble monk’s devotion was lacking, I’m sorry, so sorry.”

“Monk? Could you look me in the eyes when you speak? Why are you just looking at the ground?”

At this, Monk Wolbong looked at Qing, then with a “huk” sound he misstepped and rolled on the ground with a crash.

Then he shouted-

“Kuk, affliction! It’s affliction! Namu Amitabha…”