Chapter 302: The Fire in Chang’an (4)

The coachman was truly giving it his all.

And for good reason – wasn’t the Heavenly Demon Lord, the Most Supreme Dignity incarnated in the human world, the future savior, and the cause, reason, and purpose of life, riding in the carriage?

It’s unclear what about driving a carriage requires one’s utmost effort, but he was using his full mental capacity to avoid even a single pebble on the mud-covered road.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s carriage is the finest vehicle incorporating the Central Plains’ most advanced technology.

With the coachman doing his best on top of that, there’s no need to explain the comfort of the passengers inside.

The only drawback, if any, would be the heat.

In this era, heat is something individuals must overcome through self-discipline, not a problem that can be solved with technology.

So Qing practiced self-discipline.

She thought Ice Arts was garbage only used for making cold Longjing tea, but it turns out there was a supreme divine skill with air conditioning function in the blue border.

This Cold Resistance Arts, despite its pathetic name, was an extremely excellent ability.

And Seol Iri didn’t practice self-discipline but clung to Qing.

In a way, you could call her a parasite… Hm?

Qing suddenly tilted her head and thought.

The clothes she’s wearing are mine too. The carriage is mine too.

When I said I liked the horse, Geol Taran said “Then it’s the miss’s horse” and bought it for me.

The name of the clever horse that pulled the carriage to Nakryeong is Wang Gungdung. Looking from behind, its rump was truly as big as its name.

Somehow whenever I mention the horse’s name, everyone’s gaze rudely turns to someone else’s behind, but what’s with that, looking at someone else’s butt just because I said Wang Gungdung. These Central Plains people.

Anyway, all travel expenses, meals and lodging are all Qing’s money.

Moreover, as I said before, Seol Iri is such a beggar she doesn’t even have spare clothes, no, spare underwear, so it all came from Qing.

Since food, clothing and shelter all came from Qing, what exactly does she do?

Isn’t she really a parasite?

At this, Qing turned her head, and Seol Iri, sensing her movement, also turned to face her.

Since Seol Iri was clinging tightly to Qing, intoxicated by the cold air she was emitting, her face filled Qing’s field of vision, close enough for their noses to touch.

If you ask whether Seol Iri is an outstandingly beautiful woman among the Five Flowers of Murim, that’s not the case, but the problem is she perfectly fits Qing’s taste.

Looking at her face makes my heart soften again.

That’s when it happened.

“I want to sit on your lap.”

“What?”

Is she now demanding to be a lap pillow too?

Qing had an exasperated look, and Seol Iri quietly changed her words.

“Or I’d like you to sit here.”

And she patted her own lap.

Qing wasn’t unaware of her intentions.

Just being next to her isn’t enough cold air, is that it?

Qing placed her huge behind on Seol Iri’s lap for now.

“Haah…”

Of course it’s cool with Qing emitting cold air sitting on her lap.

A moan like she’s been saved naturally burst out.

And not long after, Qing realized.

This posture is really uncomfortable…

The highest-grade carriage has the highest-grade seats.

Of course the ride comfort drops sharply when you sit on someone’s lap instead of the seat guaranteeing the Central Plains’ most advanced comfort.

Hmm. She can’t even be used as a chair.

How can each day bring the discovery of new uselessness?

“This is too uncomfortable.”

Qing sat back in the seat, and sighed “Ah, comfortable”, then Seol Iri looked at the edge of Qing’s lap with eyes dripping with lingering attachment.

If told no, she wouldn’t whine, but she would quietly look with such regretful eyes.

“Aish. Come here. You’re not a child.”

“Thank you.”

Seol Iri settled on Qing’s lap.

Seeing the moan that leaked out again, she seems very satisfied. Then she very naturally leaned back, putting her weight on Qing.

With Qing’s physical abilities, she wouldn’t feel much discomfort even with five Seol Iris on her lap, let alone one.

However, this woman, her back is all damp…

Then Seol Iri wouldn’t leave Qing’s hands alone, constantly fidgeting as if determined to warm the ultra-low temperature water cooling of the White Hand Demonic Arts with her own hands.

Seol Iri is a woman who is just slightly off-center from the bullseye of Qing’s taste.

Unfortunately, the woman who hit the exact center is an unassociable bitch in the world.

Anyway, having a woman who fits her taste constantly rubbing against her makes improper thoughts arise.

Damn, I can’t stand it.

Qing reached out and extended her long fingers to Seol Iri’s front. Gently caressing near her collarbone, Qing made a threat.

“Do you want to keep rubbing like that? I might start groping too?”

“Yes. Yes.”

You want to keep rubbing? Yes. I’ll grope? Yes.

“Huh? I said I’ll grope? I’ll fondle you?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“You’re saying I can grope you?”

“Yes.”

“No, you’re going to be in big trouble. No matter how much you hate the heat, you can’t just offer your body for something like that.”

“You’ve already groped me.”

“Ah.”

Qing was taken aback.

At that time it was like, how should I put it, an explosion of worldly desires, or a bit of warm-up before seeing blood.

Was she even awake in the first place?

Wasn’t she passed out from medicine?

Just as Qing was about to apologize, Seol Iri added:

“You groped me every day too.”

“Huh? What do you mean every day? When did I?”

“Yes. Every day. When you bathed me.”

“No, that was just bathing, I couldn’t just pour water…”

The clear color of Qing’s pupils became slightly clouded.

“Hmm. No. That’s right. Now that you mention it.”

Come to think of it, I took such meticulous care of her. Hmm. But, still, hmm.

Right. She’s like a pet.

If she’s a pet, petting is the proper way to use her, so this can be considered a legitimate exercise of rights. Yeah.

If Qing’s Buddhist and Daoist true qi knew, it would be a cause for great lamentation.

They thought she had been cultivating her mind with the good of compassion and merciful benevolence lately, but some foolish idiot and lustful slut of a woman was seducing her and ruining it all.

Following the Luohe River downstream, you come to the small city of Naknam after Nakryeong.

Nak is from Luohe River, and nam means south, so it’s a city with a very obvious name meaning the city south of the Luohe River.

And if you go west from Naknam, a huge road appears that the government deliberately maintained.

And if you travel on that road for half a day, finally the largest city in the Central Plains reveals itself.

Chang’an! No, Xi’an.

There are ancient cities in the Central Plains called the Four Great Ancient Capitals or Five Great Ancient Capitals or Seven Great Ancient Capitals.

From ancient times, they are the cream of the Central Plains, lands where kings established their seats and became the center of a dynasty.

However, if asked to pick one among them, anyone in the world would pick Xi’an without hesitation (Beijing people would hesitate a little).

And Xi’an and Chang’an are the same city.

To be precise, the neighborhood called Chang’an is included within the huge city called Xi’an.

So Chang’an is not exactly a city name but a neighborhood name, in Qing’s hometown terms it would be something like Chang’an District, Xi’an City.

Anyway, Xi’an is such a city.

You can see the dignity of the Central Plains’ number one city from the fact that the most popular news that everyone talks about and hotly debates in the Central Plains is called “the talk of Chang’an”.

However, it’s also a city that’s gradually declining now, but despite that, over a million people live there with over 100,000 households in its fiefs.

One million people in one city.

It was an overwhelming population that couldn’t be thought of as primitive ancient times.

As an aside, this is why when the Son of Heaven draws his sword once, soldiers gather in units of millions.

Even after entering Xi’an city proper, the carriage keeps going on and on without stopping.

After traveling for another hour and a half even inside the city, it finally stopped, and the coachman politely said “Miss, I’ll open the door” and opened the door for her to get out of the carriage-

“No, why are you all like this?”

The sight that entered Qing’s view was countless crowns of heads stretched out towards her.

In late August, the Most Supreme Dignified Heavenly Demon Lord personally visited the Sun Moon Escort Agency, so everyone rushed out to see that noble incarnated deity.

“No, do you have nothing better to do? Tsk tsk. Can’t you all just scram? Really, so blatantly, ahem ahem.”

A familiar voice was heard among them.

Qing’s face bloomed with joy.

“Grandpa!”

“Tsk tsk. I got word you were coming ages ago but you’re only crawling in now. Can’t even move quickly, this girl. Aiyoo, you brat, a young woman your age should know to be embarrassed.”

Qing ran and clung to him like a cicada, and Choi Leeong grumbled but picked her up with a big smile.

There wasn’t a spot on his old face without wrinkles.

The members of what was essentially one organization under different names – Seol Family Company, Taecheong Company, Sun Moon Escort Agency – were shocked by that expression.

To think the elder could smile like that.

Qing hung on Choi Leeong like that, then skillfully climbed over and naturally got on his back.

And then there was an unfamiliar figure.

It was a very handsome woman.

How should I put it, her features were distinct and lines bold, so she was beautiful but rather than beautiful, handsome was a more fitting word, with that kind of strong impression.

“Ahem ahem. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Separately from that, a heavy bass voice was fired, and as soon as she heard it, one person came to mind.

“What? You’ve become a complete beauty. No, your body shape has completely changed.”

At this, Seol Ganom frowned deeply.

“I’d rather not hear about divine skills for no reason.”

“Your chest has filled out quite a bit too.”

“That’s just from putting something in. It’s actually flat.”

“Your hips and waist too?”

“That is a side effect. But it’s much better than being a cripple who can’t feel anything-“

“Ah! You shouldn’t be here!”

Seol Ganom, whose words were cut off, raised and lowered his eyebrows once greatly.

“Well, when I heard you were coming-“

“No, that’s not it.”

Seol Ganom’s eyebrows, whose words were cut off twice, rose and fell greatly again.

Qing conveyed the situation with a half-baked sound transmission, directional whisper.

-Do you know Seol Iri of the Ice Snow Flower? She’s following me around trying to catch Seol Ganom. But she probably won’t recognize you with your changed appearance, so you should slip away now while you can.

“Seol Iri? That’s a name I’m hearing for the first time. But with my appearance like this, would she recognize me? And I’m pretending to be a woman these days for reasons, so I’m using an alias. Don’t make a careless mistake and call me Seol Garyeon.”

“An alias?”

Seol Ganom, Seol Garyeon. Isn’t that the same thing?

Should this be considered an alias?

“It’s a surprisingly common name. It only sounds that way because you’re particularly focused on that.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm. I wondered who Seol Iri was. Seol Guryeong. Hmm. I thought it would turn out like this.”

“Do you know each other?”

“She’s coming this way. We’ll talk later.”

Seol Iri, who got out of the carriage, looked around with an indifferent expression.

But Qing had become an expert in analyzing Ice Snow Flower’s expressions while living as Seol Iri’s caretaker.

That’s not an indifferent expression but an anxious one.

And then she spotted Qing on Choi Leeong’s back and her eyebrows curved very slightly, subtly.

That’s a relieved expression.

And then she approached briskly, but stopped with a coldly frigid expression.

In Qing’s interpretation, it’s an expression of not knowing what to do.

With strangers all around, the only person she knows is riding on someone else’s back, so she can’t do this or that.

When I didn’t know, she was a cold beauty.

Now that I know her true nature, she’s just a shy seven-year-old kid.

Qing sighed deeply and jumped off Choi Leeong’s back.

With a click of her practice shoes, she stood on the ground, and Seol Iri finally moved to take her place next to Qing.

“This is Grandpa. The grandpa who takes care of me. Come on, say hello.”

“……”

But Seol Iri barely seemed to hear.

Qing wondered why she was acting like this, and saw she was shooting an intense gaze at Seol Garyeon’s handsome face.

Qing, taken aback, patted Seol Iri’s back.

“Tsk. That won’t do. You should greet Grandpa.”

“Hello.”

“Grandpa, this is Seol Iri. Ah. By the way, where’s Sworn Sister?”

“Tsk tsk. It seems that one was quite upset about not being helpful last time, so over there. Hmm. She’s in a state similar to closed door training.”

“Hmm. Sworn Sister is helpful just by being next to me. I can do the fighting, I don’t expect her to spew force and things like that.”

“Tsk tsk. At the very least she shouldn’t be a hindrance. Even that one must have felt something.”

“Still, I’d like to see her face. If it’s closed door training, can’t I see her face? Is she far away?”

“More importantly. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Ah! I was feeling a bit peckish. Did you prepare a lot? I hope you prepared a lot. What dishes do you have? Is there any sweetly braised meat?”

Choi Leeong skillfully changed the subject.

Qing fell for it completely and her eyes lit up.