Chapter 922: A Strange Bitch, A Strange Guy, A Strange Guy (7)

Qing’s expression twisted sharply.

It was the kind of twist you made when you saw something filthy—thank god she was wearing a face veil.

At the same time, gooseflesh like chicken skin erupted across her whole body—PRICKLE PRICKLE PRICKLE.

No—this is a genuinely insane bastard, isn’t it?

Qing barely, barely swallowed down the curse that wanted to explode out of her mouth.

Because she was the kind of crafty bitch who shrank instantly in front of someone stronger than her—strong to the weak, weak to the strong.

That was Seomun Cheong.

So instead of provoking him, Qing desperately spun her brain for a way to slip out without setting him off.

What do I even say?

A confession isn’t a challenge. It’s confirmation.

It isn’t “be brave and crash into it,” it’s a checking procedure after you’ve already exchanged feelings in that vague zone where you’re more than friends but not quite lovers, after you’ve already reached an unspoken agreement.

A proposal should be even more like that, so you need to regain a little cold rationality and cool your feelings—

No. No, that’s not it.

This guy is real. Like, real real.

The kind where words don’t work. The genuine article.

Qing forced an awkward “Ahaha,” and slid her hand back.

But Kim Heojung clamped down and didn’t let go.

“Uh, Kim Heojung? Wait—if you give me a little time to think...”

“Miss, I am truly sincere. If you grant Kim Heojung even one chance, I will devote my entire life and serve you as if worshiping you.”

“Uh... um. I-I’m suddenly tense, so— I need to get some air for a second.”

“Yes? Right now? The wind outside is extremely cold.”

“I, um... I have something to take care of...”

“Something to take care of? What could you possibly need to do around here? You weren’t on your first visit—ah, don’t tell me... you’ve been watching me for a long time? Do you have other companions nearby?”

“No, it’s just... something personal...”

“Then it could be dangerous, so I will escort you—”

“No! You—! Hah... Listen. She’s saying she has to go to the latrine. Learn to take a hint. What kind of man has that little sense when it comes to a woman?”

The Plunderer Demon suddenly raised his voice without meaning to.

He’d been trying to act friendly because he was interested in Black Warrior Dance, and even so—

Even the Plunderer Demon couldn’t stand it.

Inside, Qing screamed victory.

Martial-arts robber—nice one. That was good help.

With her personality, she wanted to scream, I’m going to pee! Why! and snap at him, but she’d been holding it in because if she got crude he might flip and start ranting about how she’d deceived him and how she was actually vulgar—

So she’d swallowed it.

“So, Kim Heojung. Uh... where should I... take care of it?”

“Well... living alone, I use a chamber pot and just toss it far away, roughly. Um. Just... handle it somewhere roughly suitable, kkhm.”

“Then... excuse me for a moment...”

Qing stood, pretending to be shy, and carefully stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

Unlike the interior that had been boiling hot, the dim entry to Changbai Mountain was slashed by a wind like a blade even in early April.

Far away, the moonlit, snow-capped peaks of Baekdu Mountain shone gray beneath the black sky—an overwhelmingly majestic view.

A view worth staring at for a long time, if it weren’t for right now.

Because now was not the time to calmly admire scenery.

Latrine, my ass—this is escape!

Qing had been living as a woman for seven years now.

And women had a sure-kill technique no man could stop.

If a woman said she was going to the latrine, who dared block her?

Qing deliberately made her footsteps loud as she crossed the yard toward the outside, thinking, once I leave, I’m never even looking in Baekdu Mountain’s direction again. Seriously. What rotten luck. Ugh.

That was when—

“Ah. Heavenly Flower Sword? Where are you going?”

“Hk—”

A thin voice slid right into Qing’s ear.

She turned, and there—Gongryang Sayoon was peeking out of the kitchen door, holding a basket of honey cookies.

“Ah, I—I’m going to the latrine...”

“Is that so? Then I will go with you. I heard women go together.”

A woman’s sure-kill technique didn’t work on another woman.

But there was still a way.

“Uh... um... it’s... the big one, so I’m kind of embarrassed.”

“It’s fine. So you won’t be embarrassed, I will sing beside you. Yalli yalli yallasung yallari yalla— a song from the old Goryeo Kingdom. My secret move.”

“I think... that would make me uncomfortable...”

“I need it. Because when it’s my turn, Heavenly Flower Sword must sing for me.”

Damn it—I was trying to ditch you.

But there was no choice.

I’ll promise to sing first, then run in the middle.

If Lady Gongryang tries to alert them, she’ll have to deal with the embarrassment first—so at least it’ll slow down the ugly hunchback guy, shortened: ugly-hunchback guy’s pursuit.

Not “hunchback guy” because if you shorten it that way, you lose the “ugly guy” flavor.

“Haa... fine. Let’s go together, then.”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to Heavenly Flower Sword’s song as well.”

So Qing walked with Gongryang Sayoon, pretending to search for an appropriate place, and kept going—farther and farther without stopping.

If you were going to run, you should get as far away as possible.

“You’re still going? Heavenly Flower Sword is very shy. But at this distance, no matter how much of a master someone is, they can’t possibly eavesdrop.”

“Uh... should we go a little farther?”

“This is enough. Here—take this.”

Gongryang Sayoon said it, then pulled off the pack she’d been carrying and held it out.

“Huh? What is it?”

“Your belongings that were on Yeopo. I also put in a surprise gift, so look later. Weren’t you planning to leave like this? I’ll take good care of Yeopo and send him to the Priestess Order.”

“Ah—”

Qing flinched.

Gongryang Sayoon stayed perfectly calm.

“You’re supposedly going to take a big dump, but you didn’t bring paper, or even straw rope. So you weren’t planning to come back. Am I wrong?”

“Ah... you’re right.”

Qing scratched the back of her head, embarrassed.

Then a thought struck her.

“But... are you going to be okay? The Plunderer Demon, and him too—if I’m gone, that hunchback might hit on you—no, from what I saw it’s guaranteed. Want to run together?”

“I’m fine. I also prepared my own measures. I intend to create a situation where he cannot hit on me, and it is nearly successful. So please accept only the sentiment of your concern.”

Mm. If she said so.

“Uh... then... I’m going?”

“Yes. I’ll see you next time.”

Gongryang Sayoon waved her hand gently.

Qing clicked her tongue, then launched—Moon Maiden Step, weightless walking, elegant movement, springing up like she was flying.

And finally—

Escape!

For people living in this era, reading natural signs and finding direction was basic, foundational common sense.

And Qing, having lived long in the Central Plains, could set her bearings easily, so her steps as she ran straight north were light—almost cheerful.

Because how could they not be?

She felt unbelievably relieved.

She’d shaken off the martial-arts robber who’d clung to her like a leech, and now she was also saying goodbye to the ugly-hunchback guy who’d tried to latch onto her as a new leech.

Sure, she worried he might chase her all the way to the Central Plains, but... mm.

Still—no. Impossible. Marry a man to “protect the peace of the Central Plains,” ugh—just thinking about it gave her chills.

And if he tried to chase her, then fine—did he think she didn’t have a Transcendent Realm master she knew?

This was exactly when she should benefit from the kid for once.

Once she got back, Yeom Hwiyeong was there, and the old man was there, and even the sect leader wouldn’t just stand by and watch some man obsessed with women—

Then even an ugly-hunchback guy wouldn’t be scary. Yeah.

Qing nodded to herself.

And that was when—

—KRAAAAGH!! AGAIN!!! AGAIN!!! FOOLED AGAIN!!! AAAAAH!!

A furious scream boomed faintly from far behind her.

How loud was he even howling for it to reach this far?

But Qing grinned.

What’s he going to do, even if he’s mad? At this distance, even if it was Black Warrior, even if it was Black Warrior’s grandpa, how would they find her?

It was disgusting being with you, and I really hope I never see you again.

*****

Qing ran. She kept running.

She didn’t stop—straight through—until the thick night retreated and white dawn arrived.

And finally she burst out of the forest onto a winding road stretching left and right.

Mm. Right? Left?

It wasn’t even worth thinking about.

She’d come north from the eastern side of Changbai Mountain, so this was probably Manchu land.

To return to the Central Plains, she needed to head west—so obviously, left.

So she took the road and ran west for roughly half of half a shichen, and a small village appeared.

Its name: Iron-Cup Village!

But Qing, who knew nothing about Manchu geography, couldn’t tell where it was even after hearing the name.

Still, she’d heard that if you followed the road west for a thousand li, you’d reach Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning Province, so she figured, okay—then this must be a thousand li east of Shenyang, somewhere on the eastern side of Liaoning.

At the only inn in the village, she ordered an extremely expensive dish and ate.

But expensive food wasn’t automatically delicious.

Objectively speaking, it wasn’t “top grade” cuisine, and even looking at the ingredients, there was no way it should cost this much—so it seemed she’d been properly fleeced.

Well, cheating outsiders was an old tradition in the Central Plains, after all.

Still—who cared?

Just having a place where she could pay money and buy cooked food at all was something.

Joseon’s situation was so hard that even when she was treated as an honored guest, it was rice and soy sauce.

So even if she got fleeced, she was grateful simply because cooking was possible here.

After filling her belly with real food for the first time in a while, exhaustion crashed into her all at once.

She’d fought, then she’d had to keep up flattering niceties under tension, and after that she’d run all night without sleeping a wink.

Of course she was exhausted.

Would it be better to close her eyes even for a little?

Or did she need to put even more distance between herself and Changbai Mountain?

With a pleasantly stuffed belly and sleep pouring over her, Qing forced her sluggish brain to turn.

If I were Kim Heojung—if I were trying to chase me from his position—I’d probably head straight west.

Even if he’s that ugly-hunchback guy who never gets anything right, it’s a simple inference: I’d obviously try to hurry back to the Central Plains.

But if he didn’t know where I went, then instead of chasing blindly, it would be smarter to seize the route into the Central Plains and wait.

Of course, if it were just ugly-hunchback guy alone, with the way he acts, he might just sprint off in any direction while screaming in rage.

But the Plunderer Demon who covets Black Warrior Dance was stuck to his side— and a martial-arts thief, when you look at them, is the type whose brain quietly turns.

If that was the case, then rushing toward the Central Plains might actually be the wrong move.

What if she hurried without resting, wore herself out, and then met the two of them while exhausted?

So instead, it was better to loop around.

Go north—loop up above Liaoning—then come down south and take a boat to Shandong.

If she went that way, there was no need to rush. It would be safer to sleep in the daytime and move at night, hide her tracks, and take a big detour.

Having built what she considered a perfect plan, Qing threw herself onto the bed.

And sleep surged up immediately.

Then, suddenly, Gongryang Sayoon’s voice surfaced in her mind.

‘Your belongings. I also put in a surprise gift, so look later.’

Mm. Surprise gift?

What could Lady Gongryang even have to give her? She was always hiding snacks somewhere and munching alone—

Huh?

Snacks?

Is it snacks?

No way—Goryeo cookies?

Qing shot upright, flopped down in front of the pack she’d dumped in the corner, and started rummaging—THUMP THUMP—give me my snacks, my snacks!

And then—

“Huh?”

There was something that hadn’t been there before.

A strange book.

And on it, a title scrawled in messy handwriting—

Black Warrior Dance.

Qing had obtained the secret manual of Black Warrior Dance!

But as she stared at it, her brows trembled.

Why—why is this here?

Even if it’s a martial art from a sect you hate, no one would calmly let the secret manual be stolen—no, with his personality, he’d rage even harder, explode in fury, accuse her of approaching him for this, and probably chase her all the way to the ends of hell—

And then Gongryang Sayoon’s voice brushed Qing’s ear again.

‘I also prepared my own measures. I intend to create a situation where he cannot hit on me, and it is nearly successful.’

And now it had probably fully succeeded.

Lady Gongryang... I trusted you...!

Qing covered her face with both hands.