885 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

In the once peaceful Geonpyeong, tranquility is no more. Amidst the storm brewing over Geonpyeong— “There! Catch her!” “Why is that beggar girl so fast!?” “Well, with four legs, naturally faster than two!” “What, what!? A genius?” Villagers of Geonpyeong, armed with clubs, shouted in a dense crowd, “Catch her!” as they sprinted shoulder-to-shoulder in pursuit. In the opposite direction, bounding on all fours, was a creature—an epidemic ghost turned dangerous beast—bolting through the streets. “Drive her to the right! To the right!” “Right! Quickly!” Qing’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. What's this? They're trying to drive me to the right? I can hear them. I have ears. I can understand. Of course, the current body… in the martial world, this epidemic ghost had learned an unusual kind of martial art, an art that turned one into a beast, thus becoming a true beast. But then again. “Waaaah! Waaaah!!” “Eeeeeeek!!” Why are they screaming? Are they really trying to drive a beast? Do they really think I'm a real beast? At this point, I’m a bit curious. What have they prepared on the right? Hmm, I can’t ignore such earnest planning. The difference between Qing and the people of Geonpyeong in levels of skill was abundantly clear. If Qing is compared to a tiger in its prime, the people of Geonpyeong would be akin to toddlers taking their first steps, tottering around. In reality, even if Qing lay down and simply took the blows, her body layered with martial strength, she could endure until the villagers exhausted themselves. Just as a three-year-old giving their all could do nothing to harm a tiger. Feigning to be driven, Qing dashed into the right alley. And what awaited there— Oh, what do we have here? A dish delicately placed on the ground. On it, a roasted duck. And on either side of the walls, men holding nets, attempting to stay silent. Well, what's this now? Are they genuinely hunting a beast? Qing let out a deep sigh, unbeknownst to them. Honestly, such is my fate. A prodigy that ascended to the Creation-Transformation Realm(조화경) at the youngest age, a dignified healer, an expert in architecture, now a perfect predator to even acting prowess. I suppose I am seeing this plight due to my overwhelming talent. Currently, Qing's acts were mere play. She was simply pretending. Anyone who knew Qing would sigh deeply seeing this, recognizing that she sent her friends ahead and came alone just to do this. And indeed, that was the truth. Someone like Gyeon Poo Hee, who would take this all with gentle banter, smiling lovingly but perhaps a little foolishly, would embrace Qing even if she were truly turned into a dog. After all, Gyeon Poo Hee is family who would warmly accept Qing, saying, “Wow, my sister is a dog now?” But the spectacle she's showing wouldn't be fit for the eyes of their other acquaintances. Yet here she was, indulging in her nonsensical antics. Either way, Qing did not disappoint. Darting toward the dish, she grabbed it with her hands and bit into it savagely, tearing it apart with wild fervor. “Now!” “Now!” A shout came from the men, claiming it was the right time. Feigning surprise at their yell, Qing lifted her head quickly before darting off on all fours once again. The net that dropped behind her was easily evaded by Qing's omnidirectional senses granted through the Enlightenment Divine Arts (각성신공). “Damn it!” “We should've tossed it sooner!” “Damn!” Regretful cries echoed from Geonpyeong’s people. But only briefly. One of the men, bearing a scar running from above his left eye down to his jaw, coolly commanded. “I anticipated this, so we’ve poisoned the food! She’ll collapse, vomiting soon enough. Chase her!” “Ah! Indeed, Master Kang! You are truly the pinnacle of Geonpyeong!” With renewed vigor, they pursued, believing their poison would soon take effect. “Chase after her! Huff, puff, ch-chase!” “D-don’t, huff, puff, l-let her get away!” But instead, they were the ones affected… They gasped desperately. “Puff, wheeze, huff, gasp.” “N-no, more, eeugh.” “Uweeekk……!” One by one, the villagers of Geonpyeong collapsed, their exertion leading to their stomach contents spilling in various places. The epidemic ghost, having secured another triumph, leisurely trotted away. Day one of the epidemic ghost elimination operation: Failed. ---- Geonpyeong is a basin encircled by mountains. More precisely, it's arranged like a bottle surrounded by mountains, with a narrow opening to the north. Following the narrow entrance to the north, one emerges onto broad plains, and the further north one goes, the poorer the land quality becomes, with dwindling vegetation and shorter grass height. This is the land of the Mongol barbarians. And they have a name for this place: The Jarlugh Plains. Somewhere in the Jarlugh Plains stood a collection of about thirty rounded tents. These were the gers, the tents of the Mongolian barbarians. Amongst them towered a colossal ger, overwhelmingly larger than the others. In most civilizations, the size of one's house denotes their status; hence, this giant ger was both a privilege and a symbol of the warlord leading a tribe. And this great ger of the Jarlugh Plains belonged to none other than the great warlord of the Pateko tribe, Nain Pudok. In front of this ger, a young warrior shouted in a booming voice. “Great warrior! The Khan's messenger has arrived!” The Khan originally referred to the ruler of all Mongol clans, essentially the Emperor of Mongolia. However, in honor of the past great Mongol Empire—the largest empire in human history, one that once conquered the entire world excluding the New Continent—their greatest conqueror was celebrated as the Khan of Khans, the Great Khan. Since then, the title of Khan was somewhat demoted to signify a ruler of a large tribe. --- **New Terms:** 1. **Geonpyeong** (건평) - Name of a location, translated as "Geonpyeong" to maintain localization and cultural context, emphasizing the setting (a place surrounded by mountains). 2. **Epidemic Ghost** (역병귀) - Used to depict a character transformed by an unusual martial art, translated as "epidemic ghost" to capture the mystical essence of the title. 3. **Jarlugh Plains** (자르욱 평원) - Name for a region, kept in romanization partly due to its cultural identity within the Mongolian setting. 4. **Pateko Tribe** (파특 부락) - A tribe name, kept romanized for authenticity in context. 5. **Nain Pudok** (나인포륵덕) - Name of the tribal warlord, kept romanized for preserving traditional names and their significance within the narrative. 6. **Gers** (게르) - Mongolian yurt, translated to preserve cultural and contextual identity within the narrative. **Character Gender:** 1. **Kang** (강 사범님) - Implication based on context, identified as male. 2. **Qing** (청) - Female, based on provided context. **Edits for List:** 1. **Geonpyeong** should be specified as a location emphasizing its geographical context in the narrative. 2. Addition of **Epidemic Ghost** as a type of character transformation related to martial arts. 3. Inclusion of terms related to Mongolian culture like **Gers** and **Khan**, as they were pivotal in the latter part of the text to define status and cultural structure. --- The above translation maintains original tone and context, preserving names and locations that are intricately tied to cultural and narrative significance while translating terms and phrases into English when cultural or narrative fluidity allows. After the Empire was fragmented, the Mongol barbarians too fractured into tribal units, having engaged in tribal conflicts for over four hundred years now. Therefore, even a Khan is merely one among the countless Khans, not necessarily a person with immense power. Despite being a Khan, they dare not disrespect a warlord leading a tribe—there's always the risk of them aligning with another Khan. Thus, a Khan would rather offer respect to a warlord than have the warlord regard the Khan as someone high and mighty...but. Nain Pudok lay prone, spread out flat, not perpendicular, before the hearth in the center of the ger. This was an expression of utmost reverence. “I greet the Khan’s emissary!” And as if naturally, the Khan’s emissary plopped himself down on the main seat facing the entrance. Though this act was extraordinarily discourteous by Mongol barbarian customs, Nain Pudok paid no mind and took a seat to the left. And silence ensued. For about half a moment, no words were exchanged, resulting in an inevitable stillness. Then, the Khan's emissary spoke. "The Khan commands: slaughter the sheep and prepare to hunt hens!" Bright delight spread across Nain Pudok's expression. "Ah, at last!" And then, silence again. About half a moment’s silence passed once more. The Khan's emissary stood abruptly. He walked out, and with a “Hya!” the sound of a Mongolian barbarian setting a horse in motion followed. The rapid thudding of the horse’s hooves grew distant. And that was the end. If Qing had seen this, she wouldn’t have been able to hide her bewilderment, wondering what on earth was happening. It would have been the same for any resident of Zhongyuan. They came only to receive a bow. Sat weightily for a long time. Utter one phrase about slaughtering sheep and hunting hens. Then maintained a stoic demeanor before abruptly heading home. But this was indeed the dialogue of the men of the Mongol barbarians. A demeanor that real men must uphold! Indeed. The path of a true man is that challenging, and thus, holds value in pursuit. ---- Epidemic Ghost Elimination Operation, Day Two. Failed. Epidemic Ghost Elimination Operation, Day Three. Failed. Qing was disappointed. In fact, she had long known there were no proper martial artists in Geonpyeong. One of the reasons she lived a long life as a beggar in her first year was precisely because of the devoid environment of martial artists. Had Qing seen the awe-inspiring feats of martial artists early on, with light emanating from their swords like a dazzling show of laser swords and people flying around? She might have quit being a beggar early on and dashed away from Geonpyeong to learn martial arts. But Geonpyeong, in reality, remained akin to medieval Zhongyuan in her homeland. This was also why, even after Qing went out into the martial world for a year, she remained clueless in the ‘I don't know martial arts’ state. Nevertheless, despite nearly half a decade passing, thinking perhaps it had changed somewhat, but except for the guy with a big scar on his face, it was unchanged. Even the scarred guy was merely at a second-tier level. This is the average of Geonpyeong...? Literally, she felt like dying from boredom. One might argue she’s playing seriously despite how trivial it is. But, hmm, she just feels like doing this. Haven't I been oppressed long enough? Isn't this much mischief a rather lenient act? Qing didn't realize it, but the more trivial Geonpyeong seemed, the more a certain piece inside her melted away. Past misfortunes, buried yet unforgettable nightmares might eventually find resolution in confronting that they were truly nothing significant. Epidemic Ghost Elimination Operation, Day Four. Failed. Qing's movements began to simplify. Muscles she never usually used were quickly trained, and motions she never habitually performed became familiar. This embarrassing act of running on all fours without using internal energy gradually ingrained into her body! Lesser martial artists might question what’s the point of acclimatizing to such a pathetic spectacle that cannot be watched with open eyes. But masters see it differently. Becoming adept in these motions means being able to perfectly control one’s body even while performing such peculiar actions. It’s a tactic that’s difficult for opponents to predict—an impossible move. And in the martial world, they call such a move differently. Life-Saving Absolute Move(救命絶招). Even if it’s not that, martial arts weren’t originally crafted to combat enemies significantly lower in stature. The practicality of these quadrupedal motions was actually recognized from ancient times. Just that their unsightliness made them hard to employ due to saving face. Even among masters of Earthly Ground Boxing(地當拳). Practicing arts that involve running on all fours, crawling, and sticking closely to the ground is referred to as Earthly Ground Boxing. Masters of such arts even argue this: 'Because Earthly Ground Boxing is so dangerously lethal and inexorable, Zhongyuan’s martial world banned everyone from using it under the guise of saving face!' Of course, it’s an argument from those practicing Earthly Ground Boxing. Perhaps similar to how practitioners of fist arts argue baselessly about being ‘strong without weapons’ and emphasizing ‘human potential’ over having money to afford weapons. But. Scarred Man, or what they referred to as Geonpyeong’s top fighter, Master Kang, wasn’t a master. Hence, seeing Qing’s behavior, all he could do was grit his teeth in frustration, thinking how some beggar girl moved faster than, no, even more swiftly than a beast. Of course he could only grit his teeth. There’s pride as a martial artist; how could he spend days failing to capture a deranged beggar girl? Though behind Master Kang stands Mister Jang. And in such remote regions lacking official government presence, the influence of a local leader's authority surpassed imagination. Epidemic Ghost Elimination Operation, Day Five. Qing was exasperated. No way, are they really going this far? --- **New Terms:** 1. **Nain Pudok** (나인포륵덕) - Warlord of the Pateko tribe, emphasized for cultural significance. 2. **Jang Dain** (장 대인) - Referred to within the context as part of local authority, translated as Mister Jang to emphasize status within the setting. 3. **Earthly Ground Boxing** (지당권/地當拳) - A martial art using quadrupedal motion, contextualized to describe a peculiar and effective technique, a practical aspect recognized from ancient times but seen as unsightly. **Character Gender:** - **Qing** (청) - Female, as provided. - **Nain Pudok** (나인포륵덕) - Male, based on leadership position and referenced as a warlord. - **Master Kang** (강 사범) - Male, inferred as a martial arts instructor. **Edits for List:** - **Earthly Ground Boxing** should be indicated as a form of martial art using unconventional movement, emphasizing its practicality despite appearance. The translation preserves the essence of the text, focusing on culturally specific terms like "Khan" and location names, enriching these terms with their full significance and context. Even as the thrill persisted without growing tiresome, Qing entered an alley to find— It wasn't a narrow alley. This street, wide enough for ten adults with their arms around each other's shoulders to pass comfortably, now had a towering barrier set up. Of course, the hastily constructed nature of the barrier was evident in its sloppy state, yet Qing had never seen a barrier like this before. If Qing hadn't seen it, it must have been erected while she was asleep. Lately, her sleep had been deep and restful—stealing food after sunrise, playing tag, and running all day without using internal energy ensured she slept soundly—but it was as though she'd been in a near-coma while asleep. So, did they really build this overnight just to catch me? Qing couldn't help but be impressed by their dedication. Of course, was such a feat possible with dedication alone? It was a miraculous achievement accomplished with the backing of the local lord, Mister Jang, who held sway over Geonpyeong. While Qing marveled, a mocking laughter echoed harshly from behind. “Hehe, you've finally been cornered, wench.” At last, finally! The people of Geonpyeong approached step by step, filling the wide alley. Qing thought, hmm. Perhaps this is the end of this game of tag. Still, given the effort it took to erect a wall in the alley overnight, wouldn't it be polite to let myself be caught out of respect for their dedication? Thus, the tag game ends here! But then? An eye for an eye. Something trivial for something trivial. During that first year, I had no memories of eating a meal in peace. And the grudge from those bitter meals was settled in the same coin, rendering it resolved. Back in my beggar days, always hiding and running, there was never peace of mind while roaming around. And that grudge was likewise repaid through endless tag, resulting in countless retched stomachs. Yet, during those miserable days as a beggar, didn't I take quite a beating? Well then? Now it was time to settle that old score. --- **New Terms and Context:** 1. **Local Lord, Mister Jang** (장 대인) - emphasized as a significant figure influencing the actions in Geonpyeong, previously translated in the earlier part. 2. **Game of Tag** (술래잡기) - Here used metaphorically and literally, as Qing’s encounters and evasive maneuvers are likened to a children’s game, highlighting the playful nature of her interactions. Qing's narrative accentuates the adherence to the principle of reciprocity as well as her perspective on past grievances, creating a balance between the seemingly trivial actions and their resolution. This reflects her journey from hardship to empowerment, albeit executed in a playfully mischievous manner.