Chapter 55: But Like, It Wasn’t Like That (6)
Just leaving them to their devices seemed enough for the two to start grabbing each other by the collar.
But Qing couldn’t bear to just watch them fuck around, so she spoke up.
“Why are you guys leaving behind a perfectly good weapon and just yapping at each other? I’ll let the bastard who wins go, so.......”
By the time she said ‘go’, the subordinate had already swung his sword.
It seemed the boss hadn’t been all that popular.
“Keuk, you......!”
Yeom Saraedal, having been stabbed in the side, coughed up blood.
Normally, stabbing someone in the side would result in death.
Even a Master couldn’t avoid this fate.
“The Divine Cult respects the strong. It is survival of the fittest. There is no need to feel too wronged.”
The subordinate was saying something unnecessarily cool when all he did was a cowardly surprise attack.
However, he wasn’t entirely wrong either.
No one in the Divine Cult would curse at him for this situation.
Weakness was a sin.
The one who survived was the victor.
That was all there was to it.
Yeom Saraedal, who had been stabbed by his subordinate, would be deemed the retard.
And a hearty laugh of ridicule would be the icing on the cake.
After all, that was how the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was like.
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!
Its roots lay in a religious group known as the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon.
Originally, Zoroastrianism1, introduced from the Western Regions and known as Ao Jiao or the Fire Worship Cult in the Central Plains, was adapted over time to suit the tastes of the Chinese, thus becoming the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon.
The Divine Cult of Sun and Moon believed all of the Central Plains should follow the will of the Sun God, Ahura Mazda2, and the Moon God, Angra Mainyu3.
They dreamed of religious victory.
And they actually acted on it.
It was an attempt at a kind of reform.
And as history had shown time and time again, rulers never kindly accepted challenges from religious zealots.
The Emperor harshly suppressed the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon.
As a result, the cult fled to the desolate land of Xinjiang, dreaming of revenge and forming a community.
The representative of this community was the greatest Master of their religion, who had led the Divine Cult of Sun and Moon to safety against the government’s forces.
He proposed the following upon becoming the Cult Leader.
Ahura Mazda, who was the sky.
Angra Mainyu, who was the devil leading to the world’s end.
The sky and devil shall be combined as one to be called the Heavenly Demon.
It was the birth of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
They ground their teeth, forever hoping to someday dye the lands of the Central Plains with the holy fire of the Divine Cult.
In fact, every once in a while, they would invade the Central Plains’ Murim.
The First. The Second. The Third, and even the Fourth.
It was the history of four Great Wars Between Orthodox and Demonic.
In the Central Plains where blood was shed, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was derogatorily called the Demonic Cult, thus stripping away all the “good” words in the name.
To the followers and believers, it was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult; to the people of the Central Plains, it was the Demonic Cult. Though two names, it represented just one entity.
“Um...... Great Expert?”
The victorious subordinate looked at Qing, trying to gauge what he should do now.
Qing asked.
“What about Bokshinjeok?”
“It is in his possession.”
The subordinate pointed at Yeom Saraedal.
The dying Yeom Saraedal glared.
However, what was there to fear from a bastard who was already on death’s doorsteps?
“Nice. Then, go.”
“Thank you for your mercy.”
The subordinate bowed with a fist and palm salute before leaping away.
Qing promptly extended her palm.
“How dare you!”
Ding! Along with the sound of a bell that shook the entire stone chamber, the subordinate’s buttocks exploded.
“What, is it worth about two coins?’
“Little Brother Peng, that much would not even amount to the value of its scraps. It should be at least one silver sycee, should it not?”
“Younger Brothers, you are too obsessed with appearances. Such an object could unexpectedly be a trea........sure......”
Changbin’s words trailed off, crawling to a halt.
It was because of Qing’s piercing gaze, as if he had touched upon something he shouldn’t have.
For once, he exercised an insight befitting a disciple of Daoism.
However, Changbin was never treated all that well by Qing in the first place.
As such, Peng Daesan and Namgung Shinjae simply assumed it was just another day of Qing bullying Changbin into submission.
They simply let his words enter in one ear and out the other, thinking it was nonsensical.
“By the way, Sword Brother. Did you even know how to play the flute?”
Namgung Shinjae asked, seemingly finding it a surprise.
Had Qing been any other woman, such a remark would have been deemed rude.
After all, playing at least one instrument was considered a lady’s virtue.
However, Qing was a man at heart.
Why would she give a flying fuck?
“Flute? What’s there to know? I just need to blow into it.”
Qing put Bokshinjeok to her lips.
Having seen Ximen Surin play the flute often, the posture she roughly mimicked from her memories looked somewhat passable.
The three of them waited in anticipation, thinking ‘Could it be?’ at the sight of her stance.
But sure enough, only a whooshing sound of wind buzzed noisily.
Qing got annoyed and her pride was hurt, so out of spite, she blew even harder into it.
She expected at least some kind of noise, but only a hollow whoosh like the autumn breeze returned.
Qing frowned.
“Agh, shit. Is this thing broken or something?”
San looked at Qing incredulously.
The girl’s face had turned red from blowing too hard.
“.......Just because you blow into it hard doesn’t mean it makes a sound.”
“What the, Sanie. You know how to play?”
“Just a simple tune.”
“Ooooh, a man who does music. How cool. Then let’s hear it. Why don’t you play us one song?”
Qing handed over Bokshinjeok.
Peng Daesan reached out to take it, but then recoiled at the shiny marks near the mouthpiece.
“What the. Why? What’s wrong?”
“.......Please. I am begging you. Don’t just flippantly offer items you’ve put your lips on to others. Especially considering you are a woman. Could you please act a bit more ladylike? Imagine how ridiculous and easy you might look to other men.”
Hehhhh? Oh? Now he’s even preaching to me?
I already look ridiculous right now, so what does it matter what I do anyway?
Qing scratched her head, then, out of habit, quickly untied and retied her hair.
Her skill at doing her hair was impeccable; she bit the hair tie, quickly rolled, twisted, and wrapped her hair before securing it with a binyeo.
After tying it back as a finishing touch, not a single strand was out of place.
It was the greatest achievement of the nuclear noogie.
“We’re friends anyway, so what’s the big deal? Mm? Or wait. Maybe it is?”
Come to think of it, maybe it's a bit grosser since we’re friends?
Qing recalled her school days.
Recorders were something you could never just borrow or lend.
It was kind of gross, after all.
“Sword Brother, why not just play the gu5 or the qin6, then? At the very least, they would make a sound.”
“What did you say, you punk?”
Qing stared daggers at her Sword Brother.
But since Namgung Shinjae was not mocking her but actually offering sincere advice for his Sword Brother’s own good, Qing felt even more determined to prove him wrong.
“Just wait and see. I’ll get a sound out of this thing if it’s the last thing I do. Seriously.”
Peng Daesan couldn’t help but retort incredulously.
“.......Are you truly saying that is all you can achieve? Merely making a sound?”
“Just you watch, okay?”
And so, Qing was accompanied by Bokshinjeok throughout the entire journey to Mount Hua.
No sound ever came /genesisforsaken