I Am This Murim's Crazy Bitch-Chapter 259: The Appearance of the Divine Dragon (15)

That if things went wrong, she could always run away.

Her movement technique was top-tier, practically worthy of being called the best under heaven, so when it came to escape, she had no shortage of confidence.

She had never once worried about herself.

At most, she worried about ronin or that mildly annoying Moyong Juhee.

But her own life?

Never crossed her mind.

Was that the problem? That she had enough to eat? That she was comfortable?

“I... don’t really know.”

At that, Ximen Surin gently ruffled Qing’s hair.

“The sword you hold in your heart can change at any time. Just because you once chose a path doesn’t mean you’re bound to it forever. There’s no absolute right answer. Whatever the disciple decides—that becomes the answer. So don’t feel pressured. Worry all you like.”

“Mmm.”

To Qing, martial arts were just a convenient tool.

Honestly, it still didn’t quite feel real. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Maybe she just didn’t believe it—or maybe it just never felt grounded.

I mean seriously, what even is internal energy?

You focus your mind, breathe properly, absorb the energy of heaven and earth, and store it inside your body? A universal resource that can act on any part of you?

That sort of superhuman ability didn’t exist in Qing’s hometown.

If it had, they’d have made it a mandatory school subject. Systematic education and management, the whole population becoming martial artists. A billion peerless masters completed—

Hmm. But then what?

They’d still be helpless against thermal weapons anyway.

If a billion top-level martial artists all mastered the Fire Sun Palm, maybe they could boil water to spin a turbine.

I guess... that’s environmentally friendly?

Or if they all cultivated Ice Qi, maybe they could stop global warming?

Wow. Also eco-friendly.

So if internal energy existed in modern times, maybe Earth wouldn’t be in such pain?

...That conclusion feels kinda weird.

Qing’s rare moment of serious introspection had veered off into absolute nonsense.

Seeing Qing’s expression—one of those special ones filled with question marks, an expression completely foreign to the Central Plains—Ximen Surin let out a deep sigh.

“Haaah. Hopeless. Why can’t you focus?”

But it wasn’t that she couldn’t focus—it was more accurate to say she was avoiding it, unconsciously.

She instinctively pushed away any thought that might spiral into dangerous doubt about the world itself.

So, instead of falling into perilous ideation, she veered off course—like a ship dragged up a mountain, or flung out into the far reaches of a star cluster.

“Mm. I really don’t know.”

Qing’s shoulders slumped.

In response, Ximen Surin ruffled her hair again—this time with a bit more force.

“Finding the truth within yourself is always harder than grasping some object far away. Hmm... So maybe, no. That’s not good.”

“Ah—Master! You can’t just say half of something and stop! Now I won’t be able to sleep from [N O V E L I G H T] curiosity!”

Ximen Surin snorted through her nose.

“Then don’t sleep. Go train. This works out perfectly.”

****

The reason Moyong Juhee had her head buried between her knees in the Mucheon Pavilion training hall was simpler than expected.

She was just trying to sleep.

As a young woman, it wasn’t exactly proper to sprawl out in broad daylight, fully exposed to the open air.

So she just tucked herself into a position that made it easier to doze off.

Why go to such lengths to nap?

Because she couldn’t sleep at night.

When left alone in the pitch black, fear overwhelmed her. Sleep was out of the question. She’d crawl under the bed, press her hands over her mouth, and just hide—focusing all her attention on disappearing.

Only once the endless night passed, only when the sun rose and the comforting sound of people echoed nearby, did she feel safe.

And among all those sounds, there was one voice in particular that brought real peace.

“It’s okay. Lady Moyong, you did nothing wrong. You’ll get better. It just hurts a lot right now, but you’ll heal, I promise.”

That soft voice, whispering at her ear.

When she heard it, it really felt like things would be okay. Like that was the truth.

That was why she started sleeping outside.

But that routine was over now.

That bitch. She said she wouldn’t abandon me...

Still, Moyong Juhee couldn’t disagree with Qing’s words.

Whenever she saw Qing, those painful memories surged to the surface—so vivid, so sharp.

Without even realizing it, she’d explode with nowhere to place her resentment and sorrow.

Yeah. Of course she’d be abandoned.

Who would keep someone like me?

Still, she had to endure. She would endure.

She had a home to return to. For her clan’s sake.

But... what should she do?

Should she tell her family?

What she really wanted—deep down—was to pour everything out and just be held. To be comforted in the warmth of her family.

But that was terrifying too. Shameful.

The mere fact that a daughter of the Five Great Clans had been kidnapped by the Blood Sect was already a huge disgrace.

She’d even ditched her escort and run off like a fool, only to get captured.

More than anything, she didn’t want her pain to become a burden for her family.

Not like when her mother was sick. She didn’t want that again.

It’s fine. Just pretend it never happened. Time will make it all okay.

Like she said—“It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.”

The guest quarters assigned to the Moyong Clan were the same as always.

“Ah! My lady, you’ve returned!”

“Yes. Um... where’s Father? And Jun?”

“The clan head is inside, and the young master went out. You know how he never stays still.”

“Right...”

Moyong Juhee trailed off.

She hadn’t expected a grand welcome, but the way everyone acted like nothing had happened... it stung.

I was hurting so badly. While I was in pain, everyone just... didn’t know. Just went on like always...

Moyong Seongik was no different.

“What, you’re back already, daughter? Thought you were heading home. Why the sudden return?”

“Well...”

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Her throat tightened—like a dam about to burst.

No. No, this isn’t okay.

She had to say it. If she didn’t, she’d break.

It was too painful to just pretend it never happened. She wanted someone to hold her, to say it was okay.

She tried to summon the courage.

But—

“Go where you want, sure—but don’t ditch your escorts again. Word is, those Blood Sect scum are starting to stir again. I know you can handle yourself, but still, be careful.”

Her heart sank.

“Blood Sect...? What do you mean?”

“Keep this to yourself, but turns out the Blood Sect had set up shop in Kaifeng. The Murim Alliance found three agents addicted to solitude.”

Two among their warriors. One who’d lost family. Five mourning families in the city’s government. Even the military command lost a commander.

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A sudden wave of deaths, all at once.

They say it happened because the head of the Blood Sect died—and all his planted agents blew themselves up at once.

“It was fortunate we stopped it early, or it could’ve been a complete catastrophe. Can you imagine? A military commander being a Blood Sect agent? Thirty thousand troops nearly became puppets of the Blood Sect. Well, not like the Murim Alliance can talk—they had someone that high up turn out the same.”

Moyong Juhee’s pupils trembled.

They said they wouldn’t tell. They promised no one would find out.

“H-How... Who told you? Who said that?”

“They say the Deputy Commander uncovered it herself, pounding the ground with her own two feet. But come on—like that’s even possible. The Supreme Commander probably handed her the credit.”

For a moment, Moyong Juhee felt relief.

So Qing hadn’t betrayed her. She hadn’t lied. She’d kept her promise to keep things quiet.

The Deputy Commander? That must be that bitch, Hyeonhwa.

Then... what about me? Did they find out everything about what happened to me too?

“Don’t go around talking about this. If others hear, they’ll never stop whispering. Damn. It’s embarrassing just thinking about it.”

Judging from her father’s tone, it seemed like her part hadn’t been revealed.

Maybe that was a relief.

She could use this chance to slip in the truth, say she’d been captured, spin it naturally into the conversation—

But Moyong Seongik’s muttering cut her off.

“Honestly, the Murim Alliance is a mess. Tsk. Three spies show up. Remember what happened before? That kid from the Eon Clan—he looked smart, so they gave him an independent patrol title. And he just handed it over to a Blood Sect stooge. They made a huge fuss about background checks and vetting, and then more agents pop out.”

“B-But... isn’t that a little different? Once the Blood Poison takes hold, it’s life or death. Those people didn’t have a choice...”

“So they sold out their comrades to save their own skins. Should’ve just died. That would’ve been better.”

Moyong Juhee felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs.

A sharp, twisting pain coiled in her gut like someone was wringing her insides out with their bare hands.

“The Alliance is in chaos right now. Every department’s scrambling to figure out how much intel got leaked.”

“But that’s...”

“People forget what happened to the Jinju Eon Clan. One Blood Sect spy wiped out an entire house of the Ten Great Clans. And ‘wiped out’ would’ve been merciful—they turned all their family members into jiangshi. Worse than death.”

The color drained from Moyong Juhee’s face.

It was lucky she’d been sitting. If she’d been standing, her legs would’ve given out.

But emotionally? She had already collapsed.

“Daughter? What’s wrong?”

“E-Even so... those people getting caught by the Blood Sect... that’s not their fault, is it? I mean, no one expects to get captured...”

“A true martial artist should’ve died resisting. Getting captured is disgrace enough. But if they realized they’d been corrupted by Blood Poison, they should’ve taken out a few of the bastards with them. Or warned the Alliance. Instead, they probably begged for their lives like cowards. Ugh. Disgusting trash.”

“Hh—”

“Juhee?”

Gag. Retch. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Moyong Juhee vomited everything she’d been suppressing.

“What’s going on?! Are you sick? Someone get the physician—No, we’ll have the Tang Clan send someone—Wait, hold on! Just hang in there, I’ll bring someone right now—!”

“No! No, please, don’t!”

Moyong Juhee’s voice came out more like a scream than a reply.

Not the Tang Clan. Anyone but them...

“I just—ate something while I was already nauseous... thought forcing it would help... but it’s better now.”

“Good grief. Eating more when you’re already queasy? Foolish girl.”

“Heh... heh heh...”

Moyong Juhee forced a smile.

Her father still looked worried but nodded sternly as he gave her a warning.

“If you’re sick, say so. Don’t hide it. If I have to see what happened to your mother all over again, I swear this old man will follow her straight to the grave. You hear me? Daughter?”

“Of course. Of course, Father.”

Moyong Juhee smiled again, with everything she had.

Swallowing her scream deep down inside.

****

With the major events of the Martial Tournament wrapped up one by one, the Dormant Dragon Martial Contest Finals stood as the grand finale—the climactic event that would bring it all to a close.

The Dormant Dragon Contest had been full of unexpected twists and upsets.

But human nature was fickle—what people say in the bathroom and what they say outside are never the same. Now, it was as if the past had been completely erased, and everyone had changed their tune.

Qing had defeated Wolbong in a match so spectacular that no one could deny it. She’d revealed her face in the process—and what a face. Then came the announcement: she was the disciple of the greatest martial woman of her generation.

And just like that, all the ones who used to sneer and jeer—the ones who called her an ugly hag, who said she needed great martial arts to make up for her looks—were now nodding solemnly with fake gravity.

“I sensed her grace from the very start. And to have such a majestic aura at such a tender age! She’s truly the disciple of the greatest woman under heaven.”

Ha. The same bastards who bet against her at every turn were now pretending like they’d always believed in her.

Seriously? This asshole?

For some reason, after the semifinals, Kaifeng had seen an unusual surge in petty fights—big and small.

Not just physical ones. Verbal brawls, too.

Every restaurant, tavern, tea house, and snack shop in the city was filled with people shouting over one another, faces flushed and veins bulging, locked in fierce debates.

It was the kind of fever that only sparked when a topic was so engaging, so universally interesting, that everyone wanted to throw in their two cents.

And the hottest topic that dominated every gathering?

What nickname best suited the disciple of the greatest martial woman under heaven—Ximen Qing of the Divine Maiden Sect.