I Am This Murim's Crazy Bitch-Chapter 256: The Appearance of the Divine Dragon (12)

And it wasn’t just how they were treated—it was how they were seen.

People said ronin were hired swords one day, bandits the next. That they’d pretend to be loyal friends, but draw their blades the moment they were on opposite sides of a contract. Cold-blooded, fake bastards who used people and moved on.

Sure, the bandit accusation wasn’t entirely baseless—but even so, most of the unaffiliated warriors prided themselves on living with honor.

And then they’d get slammed for that, too.

“Oh, you know each other? And you still fought? No honor. No loyalty.”

Of course, if they pretended to fight instead? “What a sham. No sense of fairness or duty.”

That’s when Qing showed up.

She didn’t deny being ronin-born. She didn’t pity them either. She encouraged them. Acknowledged their effort to live upright lives despite their circumstances.

And she didn’t just say it—she proved it, with her life on the line.

For most of them, it was the first time they’d ever been recognized. The first time someone looked at their lives and said, “You matter.”

At that moment, every single one of them would’ve died for her.

(Though, given the unpredictability of actual death, they couldn’t guarantee they’d feel the same in the heat of it.)

Thus, the tale they spun of her became a full-blown epic—pure exaltation.

The “unvirtuous” ronin, tragically seduced by the evil Blood Sect, succumbed to their scheme and drank the wicked concoction known as Jamramdan, which even devoured their very solitude.

But then! The wise and radiant Lady Ximen Qing saw through the entire plot and said, “You succumbed to temptation for a moment, and that’s truly regrettable. But fear not—I shall make this right.”

She then single-handedly tracked the Blood Sect to an underground cavern, and with one stroke of her sword, tore their warriors to pieces. She raised her hand and uttered, “Perish,” and her sheer presence forced them into self-destruction.

At last, she executed the sect leader himself (much to the Blood Demon’s confusion), and with unmatched brilliance, erased every last trace of that cursed solitude.

Incidentally, Moyong Juhee was completely absent from the story—because none of the ronin even knew she was there.

Not one of them had taken a single step into the underground tunnels.

After hearing it all, Sima Chunbong thought: Ronin, huh. Open their mouths, and nothing but lies fall out.

Still, once she filtered the lies with her magnificent intellect, the core truth became clear.

Qing had realized what was happening and requested her master’s help. That explained everything.

And if her master was truly the greatest female martial artist in the world, then a Blood Sect division—hell, even one of their core commanders—would be nothing but a bunch of bug breeders.

Sima Chunbong felt both fear and... thrill.

The fear was simple: a powerful rival had emerged, someone who could threaten her position as future Supreme Genius of the realm.

But the thrill?

The thrill was that, at long last, the great genius, the unparalleled beauty, the unmatched prodigy known as Hyunhwa... had found a proper rival.

A genius must have a nemesis.

A nemesis is also your greatest mirror—your one true peer in a world of dullards and drudges.

Finally, someone worthy of understanding her. A mind sharp enough to reflect her own. A worthy adversary.

Shame she had the misfortune of being born in the same era as the great Sima Chunbong.

Still, Sima wrote up her report in a flash and submitted it.

That report made its way from the Chief Strategist’s desk straight into the hands of the Lord of the Murim Alliance.

And Jo Hyeonryang was impressed.

“So Surin finally did something. Could’ve told someone, though. That’s the kind of success you shout to the world.”

“Perhaps she held her tongue out of respect for the Alliance’s reputation? With the tournament underway, revealing Blood Sect activity would only cause a panic.”

“Hm.”

Jo gave a noncommittal grunt.

But that wasn’t agreement. It was the opposite.

As if that woman would ever care about the Alliance’s reputation.

This was the same Mad Dog Woman who would’ve paraded through town yelling, “See? In the end, it’s always the women fixing everything. Look at the men—useless, every one of them!”

Still, Jo Hyeonryang didn’t dwell on it too much.

“That? My disciple handled all of it. I only went down there in case it got dangerous, but all I did was slice up a few lackeys.”

“Ximen Qing? She handled the Blood Horn Division? I know they’re not a frontline unit, but wasn’t their commander Jitan Gwangma? Not exactly a pushover.”

“You think I’d lie about this?”

Jo nodded.

She might be a mad dog, but she wasn’t a liar. Surin was honest to a fault—blunt as a brick.

“No need to worry. Their leader’s dead too. That whole operation’s been cleanly eliminated.”

“The leader too? Wait, you’re saying you took him down?”

“No. I woke up and found my disciple holding up the guy’s head. The Blood Wheel Fiend, apparently.”

Surin never lied.

She understood that not lying was a powerful weapon.

“The Blood Wheel Fiend!? You’re telling me Ximen Qing took him down? Is that true?”

Surin simply smiled.

Jo slapped his knee.

“Unbelievable. A prodigy—no, a saint! A sacred dragon of Murim! I saw her with my own eyes—her skill, her character, her manners... Hah! I’m absolutely jealous.”

“I didn’t make her that way. She was always like that. I didn’t do a thing. Just a very good child.”

Surin might’ve been playing modest—but her beaming face said it all.

Jo Hyeonryang didn’t even bother hiding his envy.

“How did you raise her with such perfect character? Please, I’m begging you—tell me your secret. I’ve got to whip the heir to the Jo Clan into shape somehow.”

“When I first met Qing, what struck me most was her character. I didn’t have to do a thing.”

“C’mon, don’t hold out on me.”

“Well... if I had to say, maybe... the rod of love?”

Jo Hyeonryang looked at her suspiciously.

“You hit her? That sweet girl?”

“You think my heart didn’t ache? But what choice did I have? Every time she strayed, I disciplined her until she bawled like a child.”

“Hmph. So in the end, nothing beats a good beating...”

A tragic day for the entire Jo family education doctrine.

“But seriously—why didn’t you tell anyone? Clearing out the Blood Horn Division is no small feat!”

“Ugh, don’t even start. That girl’s heart is too soft. She was worried people would turn on the ronin for taking Jamramdan. Imagine that! She’s worried about those poor bastards getting scolded.”

Seomun Surin was grinning from ear to ear.

“I mean, isn’t she just the sweetest soul you’ve ever met?”

“A soft-hearted martial artist? Is that even a compliment?”

Surin didn’t answer. She just kept smiling—brightly, radiantly, blissfully.

It was, Jo Hyeonryang realized, the happiest he had ever seen her.

He exhaled, long and deep.

“Well. If that’s what she wants, then I guess there’s nothing to be done.”

And so, Jo Hyeonryang let the matter rest.

Sure, it was a shame to bury such a massive achievement just to protect a few ronin, but if that was Qing’s will... that, too, was a form of honor.

But the world rarely stays that simple for long.

The problem?

The Demon Cult.

“The Demon Alliance of Zhongyuan declares the following:

There are far too many parasites rotting this world.

Let us begin with the filth known as Black Mark.

They traffic in stolen goods—stealing is easy when Black Mark buys no-questions-asked. So thieves flood the land.

And what about the slavers?

Despite national laws, they openly peddle kidnapped innocents—human lives sold like livestock.

And the cannibals? The flesh-eaters deserve to be burned alive. They hide their monstrous urges behind a gentleman’s face.

Toxic poisons are sold like candy, turning murder into routine.

Corrupted martial manuals are hawked on every street corner, ruining the minds and lives of bright young warriors.

Black Mark is a blight. A nest of vermin. Evil, worthless parasites who deserve extinction.

The new Heavenly Demon Lord has commanded us to make the world better—to build a future where the good are rewarded.

Thus, the Demon Alliance now acts to exterminate the filth. We answer his righteous will.

Warriors of the Martial World!

If you, too, cherish honor and justice, then let us set aside old grudges. Stand beside us. Join us in sweeping away this evil.

For the glory of the Heavenly Demon.

— The High Priest of the Holy Cult, to the noble heroes of Jianghu.”

“Inquiries about Demon Alliance membership are always welcome at our Gansu headquarters in Lanzhou. Even if you do not believe in the Faith, if you carry the spirit of righteousness, we welcome all demon-armed warriors committed to walking the true Path.”

“I told you we should’ve wiped out Black ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Mark! And now look at this embarrassment!”

Seomun Surin fumed. The great orthodox masters around her couldn’t meet her gaze.

Surin had formally proposed a crackdown on Black Mark months ago. But in the end, it was voted down—by that great beacon of fairness known as majority rule.

And this was the result.

“While we sat on our hands, the damn Demon Cult went and did it first. How’s that not the most humiliating thing ever?”

“...Ahem.”

What was the point of the tournament, anyway?

Wasn’t it supposed to rally the orthodox sects together? A show of unity in the face of the Demon Sect’s growing power?

Instead, they’d been blindsided. And not by brute force, but by moral high ground.

Now people were whispering:

“Hey, maybe the Demon Cult isn’t that bad these days.”

“The new Heavenly Demon seems decent, actually.”

“What now?” Surin snapped.

“...”

No one had a damn thing to say. Even if they had a hundred mouths, it wouldn’t be enough to make excuses.

What could they do?

If they ignored it, they’d look like cowards—heroes who ran from the real fight.

But if they joined the purge now, they’d be reduced to assistants—playing second fiddle to the Demon Cult.

It was a tactical masterpiece. A perfect win.

The Demon Alliance had accomplished three things at once: they’d boosted their reputation across the land, made a fortune through their new operation “White Mark,” and let their warriors blow off steam by turning the bloodshed inward—at a safe, public enemy.

A brilliant, near-flawless victory.

The Murim Alliance had hoped the Grand Tournament would unite them.

Instead, they’d been dealt a humiliating loss.

At last, the Chief Strategist, Sima Jong—the man known as Omniscient and Unobstructed—offered a solution.

“Madam Seomun. I know it goes against your disciple’s wishes, but we may need to publicize the Blood Sect raid. Would that be permissible?”

“Excuse me?”

“Blood Sect? What the hell’s he talking about?”

“The Blood Sect? What are those bastards doing in this conversation?”

The others didn’t know the full story.

Jong glanced at Surin, silently asking for permission. Surin frowned, but eventually gave a reluctant nod.

Jong explained everything: Qing’s covert operation. Her solo infiltration. The purge of the Blood Sect cell.

“Amazing. Truly a blessing for the orthodox world.”

“I knew it! The moment I saw her, I said—that girl’s a true hero. And the name! ‘Moonlit Divine Sword’—isn’t it perfect?”

The master of Mount Hua was positively glowing. Beside him, Elder Muak gave a solemn nod of agreement.

And Seomun Surin’s lips twitched upward, just slightly.

“We can’t ignore this,” Jong said. “We must act. If we can’t lead the charge against Black Mark, then we’ll show the world that the righteous sects are still righteous—through Qing’s achievement.”

It was about reputation, in the end.

And compared to Black Mark, the Blood Sect was a thousand times worse. Hell, saying that almost felt unfair to Black Mark.

This would restore face. Simple as that.

But Surin shook her head.

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“No good. If we make this public, the Blood Sect will target her. You’d have my disciple bear that grudge alone?”

“Then... would you permit us to frame it as a Murim Alliance black ops mission?”

“...Hmph.”

She grunted, troubled.

There was a vast difference between rumors of Qing defeating the Blood Sect and an official announcement.

If it were public knowledge, the Blood Sect would be forced to retaliate for the sake of their pride.

But letting the orthodox sects eat dirt wasn’t an option either.

So what could she do?

“Fine. Do it. But leave out anything about the ronin or the Jamramdan. If you do that, my disciple won’t raise a fuss.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Surin snorted.

“Don’t thank me. The one getting robbed of their credit here is my disciple. So you’d better find a way to make it up to her.”