886 - I Am This Murim’s Crazy B*tch

Qing slowly raised herself from her seat. This prompted gasps and audible intakes of breath. "She's standing on two legs!" "She actually stood up just fine?" "What kind of bizarre...!" Well, as a human being, of course, she'd stand on two legs. Why act like they'd just witnessed a cow or horse walking upright? Qing deepened her voice to mimic a man's. "Stop. Don't come any closer." In response, the gasps grew even louder, more intense. "She spoke!" "She can actually talk?" "She can speak normally!?" "I thought she was possessed by a ghost!" It seemed the possession of her beastly spirits had been quite convincing. The villagers of Geonpyeong were unable to comprehend the sudden human demeanor of the epidemic ghost. Indeed, they were a simple-minded bunch. Incidentally, the simplicity of Zhongyuan is far from a compliment. Among the simple traditions of Zhongyuan was Gaitu (계투), which entailed what? To invade a neighboring village, kill or maim the men and enslave them, eliminate the useless old, and take women as spoils—a deeply rooted tradition and simplicity of Zhongyuan. Geonpyeong was a prosperous land, free from the interference of authorities as per Yuk San Il Su Sam Jeon, so there likely were many villages and hamlets in the past. But thanks to the unification by the Zhang clan, a prosperous city comparable to the thriving small towns today was formed—at least, that's what someone with great erudition might reasonably infer. Of course, Qing wasn't exactly known for her erudition. However, she had come to understand the simplicity of Geonpyeong's people through her vagrant life. When the brain doesn't work, use your body; if your body is good, your mind can rest easy. Nonetheless, Qing confidently held out her palm. "Cease the violence! I have learned martial arts." Caught off guard, the inhabitants of Geonpyeong halted in surprise. To the common folk of Zhongyuan, martial artists were inherently a source of fear. It was a given that only martial artists should deal with martial artists. Thus, the eyes of Geonpyeong's people naturally turned towards the scarred man, Instructor Kang, recognized as the most skilled in Geonpyeong. Instructor Kang stepped forward. His martial prowess wasn’t particularly high. He barely possessed a Dantian with Nei Qi, ranking in what martial society termed as the Second Tier. Yet, in such a remote place, even reaching the Second Tier was enough to inspire respect and fear. Instructor Kang knew well his own capabilities, yet he stepped forward nonetheless, seeing the epidemic ghost as undemanding. After all, he had observed the chaos in recent days. The epidemic ghost had merely evaded them fervently, rather than facing them physically. Why? Surely it was because she couldn't handle the sheer numbers. However, hearing her claim of having learned martial arts finally allowed something to click in his mind. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Perhaps she had picked up some peculiar martial techniques from the Jidang Quan line and practiced them diligently. Even so, it was martial arts learned over just a few years. Rumor had it that the epidemic ghost had been absent for a little over five years. In such a time span, barely escaping the Third Tier would be an insignificance. Yet, Instructor Kang clenched his fists defensively. In martial society, one is warned to be wary of children, the elderly, women, and beggars; thus, there was no reason not to be cautious around the epidemic ghost who fit two of these categories. "I am Gang An-ryak, a martial instructor from the Zhang household. I have learned the Iron Flower Sword." Qing stifled a laugh internally. Oh, look at this? Flexing some brains, are we? Qing was well-versed in the antics of lowly lives. During the latter half of her first year, traveling with Ack-In-Cham, she had collected a trove of such experiences—it was a veritable field study. This guy's testing the waters under the guise of etiquette. Well, I'll play along then. Besides, I don't have any animosity towards the Zhang clan. The Zhang estate was the wealthiest and the true power in Geonpyeong, owned by Master Zhang; he had no reason or business harassing a mere beggar. "Epidemic ghost. No other name required. And I've mastered the fearsome unparalleled supreme art... yes, the Yasu Ra Pa Cheon Myo(Hunters of Heaven-Exceptional Prowess)." "Yasu Ra Pa Cheon Myo... you say?" "Indeed, the beast among beasts, the ruthless and vile slaughterer, the relentless hunter that never loses its prey, with agility traversing the world; feared by all: the king of beasts! The fur-shedding monster! It’s an exalted study following the divine rank of the cat." “No, since when did cats become the kings of beasts, I mean, they do shed a lot of fur-” “No further discussion. The founder of this martial technique, Myopa-pa, reached the pinnacle of the world with this supreme art, so even an ignorant villager like you must have heard of Myopa-pa's divine rank!” “Well, no, alright then…” Internally, Instructor Kang's level of vigilance and perception of the epidemic ghost’s threat plummeted. He somewhat grasped the situation now. Clearly, the epidemic ghost had encountered a high-level martial artist after leaving Geonpyeong. Perhaps that master had invented a cat-themed martial technique for amusement or some trivial reason. Seeing a wandering epidemic ghost, they might have pitied her, wondered if their amusingly constructed martial art had practical value, or simply desired for their painstaking creation to be passed on to the world. For such reasons, they instructed her. Yet the master likely held no particular affection for the epidemic ghost. Given the haphazard alias of Myopa-pa, and seeing she was left to wander in her beggar state after being taught martial arts, it was clear. So, was it a fortuitous encounter for her or not? Learning martial arts from a random master would certainly be a fortuitous event, but if that was Yasu Ra Pa Cheon Myo among Jidang Quan varieties, hmm. Just as Instructor Kang, slightly relaxed, was pondering this surprising question, The epidemic ghost put a hand on her hip and spoke boastfully. "If you understand, then back away now. If you leave now, I shall not insist on detaining you." “No, how can you act so bold after causing such havoc in the city?” “Is there a problem with a beggar acting like a beggar? Historically, beggars have been traditional bandits who lived by begging through mischief.” **Unknown Terms:** 1. **Jidang Quan (지당권)**: Translated to Jidang Quan line, potentially referring to a style or school of martial arts. Translated as a name due to lack of context. 2. **Hunters of Heaven-Exceptional Prowess (야수라파천묘)**: A playfully extravagant name, literally "Beast that Breaks Heaven's Cats." It’s a fictional martial art, emphasizing humor in the narrative. Translated to emphasize the grandiosity while retaining a fun edge. 3. **Myopa-pa (묘파파)**: A whimsical name, essentially mockingly portraying the inventor of the martial technique. Retained as-is to reflect humor and absurdity. 4. **Geonpyeong (건평)**: A fictional place. Kept as a name to denote its unique characteristics in the story. 5. **Gang An-ryak (강안략)**: Potentially a martial arts instructor's name. Rendered phonetically to maintain character identity. **Character Identification:** - Qing(청) is female, evident from her being referred to consistently. **Changes/Adjustments to List Above:** - **Dantian (단전)**: Although used, depicts energy center, relevant here for understanding martial arts levels. - **Ack-In-Cham (악인참)**: Not detailed, likely a companion or group Qing was involved with. **Contextual Insight:** The narrative has a playful tone, painting Qing as both mocking and clever, despite her situation. The villagers are shown as gullible and surprised, fitting a comedic depiction of misunderstanding towards Qing's capabilities. "Hmm." A beggar's way is indeed one of active begging, barging into people's homes, making a racket with sticks, singing loudly, and refusing to leave until fed—a sort of aggressive begging. It's not exactly incorrect. Instructor Kang let out a heavy sigh and unsheathed the sword at his hip. "Completely hopeless. Words won’t do, huh?" "Oh, you want to fight? Are you turning down punishment wine to accept camaraderie wine?" "Punishment and camaraderie wine, you've got them mixed—forget it. Don't blame my hand for what's about to happen, as you've brought this upon yourself." "Enough talk! Take this! First move of the Yasu Ra Pa Cheon Mu, Fierce Cat Swift Fist!" With that, the epidemic ghost placed both palms on the ground, feinting her advance not by charging, but by skimming the surface. But Instructor Kang's expression remained calm as could be while watching the epidemic ghost's charge. After all, the opponent was announcing their move name straightforwardly while attacking, weren't they? The threat level of the epidemic ghost fell yet another notch, given that quite a few folks in martial arts circles display this kind of foolishness. The name of a martial move inherently contains implication and embodies the manifestation of one's intent. To reveal this to the enemy? A seasoned opponent would react as follows: The Fierce Cat Swift Fist, if translated, might mean something akin to a swift punch akin to that of a ferocious cat, meaning the straightforward technique would be a punch, one notably fast like a cat's strike. Having no prior experience with the Jidang Quan school, he found it difficult to determine how to handle this minor threat. Ultimately, since a punch seemed inevitable, countering it head-on would likely guarantee an easy victory. The epidemic ghost zigzagged toward him with unpredictable, convoluted movements. Though her stance, mimicking a four-legged beast, was bizarrely disorienting, no doubt about it. The epidemic ghost suddenly dipped beneath Instructor Kang's vision as she moved in close. In that moment, Instructor Kang's eyes flashed with realization. Indeed, she squatted low, folding her knees tightly, pulling her fist right by her side. Following the trajectory of the epidemic ghost’s fist, Instructor Kang angled his blade, ready to sever her wrist with conviction. And then—smash! Instructor Kang's spine bent backward like a bow. Not backward, but stomach-ward instead. The squatting epidemic ghost explosively launched upward, headbutting his solar plexus directly. With an expelled breath, the air froze in his lungs, as agony gripped his chest; internally, Instructor Kang screamed in anguish. A punch, she said! A cat's punch! Had Qing overheard, surely she'd have mocked him, saying it was his own fault for falling for it. In the blink of an eye, Qing brandished a rod—having snatched Instructor Kang's sword scabbard with nimble fingers—and wielded it fiercely, exclaiming: "The Fourth Move! Fierce Cat's Violent Kick! Witness the powerful kick of the ruthless cat!" Even as he writhed on the ground, clutching his head and curling into a ball, Instructor Kang protested furiously: "Ow! Kick! Ow, ow, wasn't it supposed to be a kick! Why, ow! What kind of kick is this, ow!" "It's however I please!" "You, vile! Ow, hang on, my bones, my bones!" "Cats are like that!" The sound of Instructor Kang being whacked with the scabbard was satisfyingly crisp. Then, thwack! Oh? Caught it? Grabbing the scabbard, Instructor Kang roared defiantly: "Hey, you fools! What's the holdup! It's nothing, hit her! Hit her!!" "Wha, whaaaa!!" "Die! Give me back my Dong Po pork!" Late to react, yet at last, the people of Geonpyeong rushed forward! Though Instructor Kang was beaten, the epidemic ghost hadn’t drawn blood, feeding the villagers hope fueled by numbers. Qing released the scabbard with a serene smile. Before a master at the Transformation-Harmony Realm, what strength could thirty-six ordinary civilians muster? Even if a hundred were in their ranks, they'd inevitably suffer. Thus, what followed was hardly surprising. "Ack! Ouch!" "Oof!" "Oh dear, ouch." The men of Geonpyeong were thoroughly drubbed. Punched with fists, elbow-struck, kicked with toes, stamped with heels, shoulder-slammed. They slapped faces, clutched stomachs, with bloody noses and wailing ensued. It only took a moment, just the time of sipping tea, for thirty-seven, including Instructor Kang and his thirty-six men, to lie sprawled on the ground. Certainly, a grand feat against seventeen to one, or even thirty-seven to one! One might argue boasting against an opponent at the Transformation–Harmony Realm isn’t much of a claim, yet anyway— And moments later. The epidemic ghost clapped her hands free of dust. Before her, six rows of men knelt upright in submission. "Really, there's a serious issue with the character of this place. Isn’t it because of you elders? When you torment beggars, children see and learn from it, thinking it's acceptable to torment beggars, too. Did your parents really teach you that kind of nonsense? Here in Geonpyeong, is it truly a passed-down piece of wisdom from ancestors to bother beggars whenever bored?" "……." "……." "……." "Answer." "No!" "No way!" Qing shook her head in feigned disbelief. "Don’t torment beggars again. Even if you can't help, at least don’t kick them. Got it?" "Yes, that's right." "Understood." Thus, on such and such a year, month, day— In northern Liaoning province. The epidemic ghost subdued the land of Geonpyeong. Once they experienced the epidemic ghost, the people of Geonpyeong recognized her as the supreme among beggars, highly skilled despite being a beggar herself. In awe and respect, they hailed her as none other than the Beggar Sovereign(巨至尊). **New Identified and Translated Terms:** 1. **Punishment Wine, Camaraderie Wine (벌주, 권주)**: Traditional customs, understood as punishment or celebratory—buzzwords highlighting how the character sought camaraderie rather than conflict. 2. **Fierce Cat Swift Fist (맹묘쾌권)**: Martial art move emphasized in a sarcastic narrative by naming it expressively. 3. **Yasu Ra Pa Cheon Mu (야수라파천무)**: An elaborate name for a fictional martial art, continuing the thematic conceit of feline-inspired grandiosity. 4. **Dong Po Pork(동파육)**: A dish, hinted through hyperbolic language as lost, adding absurdity and humor in the dialogue. **Character Context:** - Qing(청): Demonstrates versatility, humor, and mastery over deception with her unique combat style and bravado. **Potential Changes and Adjustments:** - **"Yasu Ra Pa Cheon Mu":** Consider consistent fanciful naming with "Hunters of Heaven-Exceptional Prowess." This section highlights Qing's ability to navigate challenges with cunning and exert control over her environment in a humorously dominant manner. Engaging those around her with wit and playful martial prowess, she easily navigates social hierarchies, alluding to her sharper instincts and resilient spirit.