They say no child tends to the long-ill, and it turns out that saying exists for a reason. Just how accurate are all these old proverbs, really?
That was what Qing found herself thinking.
If the village’s self-proclaid intellectual Seol the Bastard had heard that, he’d probably scoff, “What an ignorant wench,” and laugh it off.
But the truth was, the only reason any proverb survives this long is because it was accurate. The ones that weren’t simply died off. The ones still around? They speak to sothing universal in the human condition. In Qing’s hotown, they called this the survivorship bias fallacy—it’s not that old sayings are especially insightful, it’s just that only the insightful ones survive.
In any case, Qing only knew one person sick enough for long enough to make her actually reflect on proverbs.
“Miss Moyong? Aren’t you hungry?”
Moyong Juhee stared blankly at her for a second—then suddenly lowered her gaze.
Qing flinched and instinctively raised her arms to shield herself.
Yeah. That had beco a sore spot lately. In more ways than one.
“Ugh.”
Moyong Juhee recoiled, then abruptly turned her head away.
To be honest, Qing did feel a little guilty about caring for Moyong Juhee.
She’d co to realize that vengeance wasn’t always a cure—that you couldn’t “fix” trauma by acting out your own sense of justice. And that ant she’d done sothing she regretted.
Still, Juhee had improved lately. When Qing told her, “Co on, it’s ti to wash up,” she no longer resisted.
Of course, she still trembled with fear at the sight of a bathtub or large basin, so Qing had to take her there herself, gently pour warm water over her, and bathe her like a child.
It was like caring for an elderly relative.
And it must’ve been working, because Juhee didn’t scream or collapse into fits anymore.
Qing had thought, Just a little more. If I keep this up, she’ll recover for good—
“Hey, Juhee. You’re not coming with us again today?”
“...Ah. Sister Choryeo...”
“You haven’t eaten, have you? You know the sicker you are, the more you need to eat, right? You’ve got to eat at and build your strength.”
It was Peng Choryeo.
Juhee had been hiding between the practice arena pillars since the day she’d been rescued—and now, now, Peng Choryeo finally spoke to her.
Typical.
Peng Choryeo was gentle, sure, but she wasn’t the kind of person who paid others much attention. She didn’t need to—people always ca to her first, dazzled by her charm or the fact that her twin brother was kind of a big deal. She’d never had to make the first move.
And Juhee? She’d originally just been one of Peng Daesan’s little tailgaters. Her weird behavior hadn’t seed important enough to notice.
Only now, after all this ti, was Peng Choryeo starting to show so interest.
Isn’t she acting kind of strange? Why hasn’t she eaten with anyone, even once?
Qing doesn’t seem the type to bully anyone, and there’s no air of exclusion.
She doesn’t even look happy just watching from afar. Honestly, she seems sick...
And then Juhee responded right away.
“I’d like that. Thank you for thinking of .”
She even smiled—sweetly, no less.
Then she clung right to Peng Choryeo’s arm, looping hers through with zero hesitation.
“What the—your arm’s so soft! Where’d all your muscle go? Have you been skipping als?”
“A little, yeah...”
“That won’t do. You need at. If you bulk up your muscles, you won’t get sick. You’re probably just sick because you’re not eating.”
“Yes. I-I understand.”
Watching that, Qing felt sothing twist inside her.
She wasn’t sure if it was hurt or resentnt.
Not that she’d been expecting gratitude or to be treated like so savior. She’d done her best to care for Juhee—gently, even—but all she got in return was cold indifference.
Then along cos Peng Choryeo, saying one nice thing, and suddenly Juhee’s glued to her like a duckling?
Now she’s seated like a princess at the table, happily devouring nothing but the at Peng Choryeo diligently piled onto her plate—like a baby bird waiting for her mama to feed her.
Good thing Tang Nana’s not here. If she’d seen this, she probably would’ve dumped poison on soone’s head out of sheer spite.
Qing’s thoughts spiraled.
What the hell? She looks fine.
Is she just playing hard to get because I kept being nice? Did she realize I didn’t know what to do and start enjoying the power trip?
This is why they say never take in a black-haired beast.
Oh no. Not another damn proverb. Here we go again...
Half of Qing genuinely believed this.
The other half wondered if maybe she was the reason Juhee wasn’t getting better.
Maybe every ti Juhee saw her, it brought back mories of what happened underground. Maybe seeing her just triggered all the wrong things.
Putting the two together, Qing made her decision.
“Miss Moyong, don’t you think it’s ti you returned to your family?”
“...What? Why?”
“Well, I’m sure they’re worried about you. And, well... today made realize sothing. It’s hard for you to even look at my face, isn’t it? I never thought of that. I’m sorry—for constantly reminding you of sothing painful. I didn’t an to. I... I should’ve been more mindful. I kept hovering around like an idiot. I’m really sorry.”
“Wait, hold on, that’s not it—!”
Juhee reached toward her.
Oh no you don’t. Not again!
Qing quickly stepped back and shielded her weak spot.
The first ti, she’d let it slide. Juhee had grabbed it by accident while being carried. That wasn’t an attack.
But the second ti? Juhee had seen how much it hurt and didn’t even flinch. That was intentional. That was an attack.
Juhee’s hand sliced through the air, missing its target—and yet, she had the audacity to look like she was the one in pain.
“Miss Moyong, that’s not sothing you can just do. Do you have any idea how much that hurts? I’m not blaming you for the past. Your leg’s healed now, hasn’t it?”
“It hasn’t! Not completely! My toenail hasn’t fully grown back—!”
“I an... even with family, you’re not exactly going around flashing your toenails, are you?”
“Well, that’s... that’s not the point...”
At that mont, soone outside cleared their throat loudly.
It was one of the Mucheon Pavilion’s staff.
“Yes? What is it?”
—Miss Gongsun has finished her al.
“Oh, really? Geez, I almost forgot what her face looked like. Wait—never mind. I’ll go now.”
Qing turned back to Juhee.
“Sorry for constantly shoving my face in your life. Once the finals are over, I doubt we’ll be seeing each other again. I’m sorry for what happened underground. I really thought I was doing what was best for you. I had no idea it would affect you that deeply. So... I’ll take it as your decision to leave.”
With that, Qing stepped out of the room.
It was the first ti Qing had seen Gongsun Yoye since the semifinals.
The mont Gongsun Yoye laid eyes on her, her entire face lit up. The warmth couldn’t be hidden, and that made Qing’s heart stir in response.
“Yeye! What’s got you so busy you couldn’t even show your face? I was starting to think you were trying to harden your heart now that we’re facing off in the finals!”
“Of course not. But, well... the finals and friendship are two different things, right? I an, if I win... uh, we’re still friends after that, right? Not that—I an, of course you're not the kind of person who’d—It’s just that this is a rare tournant and the outco—No, wait, just pretend I didn’t say any of that.”
“Hm. Sounds like soone’s a little too confident. Already worrying about what happens after you win?”
“No, that’s not what I—”
“Relax, I’m kidding. You think sothing like that would ruin our friendship? So? What’s kept you so busy?”
“Ugh...”
Gongsun Yoye let out a long sigh.
“I thought all I had to do was swing my sword and focus. But no, now it’s endless introductions, formalities, handshakes. I had no idea carrying my clan’s legacy was this damn complicated.”
She started venting about being dragged around, paying respects to this elder and that alliance head. She even ntioned the behind-the-scenes negotiations happening to fill the vacant seat among the Ten Great Clans.
“I used to envy Cheonil, you know? It’s a terrible thing to say, but I really did. I never left the training grounds before I ca here. And he... well, he was almost never ho. Always out traveling. I thought it was freedom. But it wasn’t.”
Apparently, Gongsun Cheonil’s marriage arrangent had gone through. His bride-to-be was a daughter of the Sima Clan.
“She’s older than . And, to be honest, she’s... average. That sounds horrible, doesn’t it? I just thought Cheonil would end up with soone younger, soone dazzling.”
“A political marriage, huh...”
“Yeah. That’s what it is.”
“What about Cheonil? How’s he taking it?”
“It was his proposal. He said he’d give it his best. Said love cos from spending ti together, not from looks.”
Just like Yoye had grown up cloistered in the training hall, Cheonil had lived his whole life shouldering the burden of their clan.
“Well, if it’s his choice, it’s not really our place to object. But wait—Sima Clan? Then... did you et her? Ji Nang Hyeonhwa?”
“Oh, his new sister-in-law? Haven’t spoken to her.”
“I heard, uh... she’s kind of impressive.”
Qing gestured vaguely at her own chest.
Yoye tilted her head, confused.
“Doesn’t seem like it? She didn’t really stand out to .”
Qing figured that made sense. Word was that woman kept herself all wrapped up like a cocoon.
They chatted a while longer before Qing finally steered the conversation to what she’d actually co for.
“Hey... so, the sword style you use—it draws from Innate Energy, right? Is that true?”
“Ah—how did you...”
“San ntioned it. So it is true.”
Yoye nodded.
“Well, we’ve sparred a lot. He might’ve picked up on sothing. But just to be clear, it’s not a technique based on Innate Energy. It just can use it, if necessary. Normally I don’t, so please don’t worry.”
Qing understood right away.
A toggle-type technique, then. Sothing you can activate and deactivate.
“But still. That stuff burns through your lifespan, doesn’t it? Is it really worth using... just for a tournant?”
“Just for?”
Gongsun Yoye looked at her like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.
“I know it’s about clan duty and all, but I’d rather you didn’t throw your life away over it. Is winning that important? Did soone promise a guaranteed spot in the Ten Great Clans or sothing?”
“No, there’s nothing like that.”
“Then if you really feel like you need to win, there’s no reason to shorten your life over it. We could, um... we could do twenty moves—maybe forty, just to make it look intense, and then—”
“Xin Qing.”
Gongsun Yoye’s voice turned cold.
It was the first ti Qing had ever seen that expression on her.
When they first t, Yoye had been withdrawn and lancholic. After they beca friends, she always had ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) a soft smile.
But now?
“You think I’m pathetic, don’t you?”
“What? No, that’s not—”
“Then what is it? Do you pity ? Because I’m a clueless girl who’s spent her life swinging a sword behind so training hall fence? Is that it? Do you even really consider your friend? Or am I just so object of charity to you?”
Qing was stunned.
“I didn’t an it like that. It’s just... risking your life over a tournant is too much. I want you to live a long ti, so I can keep seeing you. That’s all. I just don’t want you burning yourself out over this.”
“A tournant, huh? Just a tournant?”
Yoye’s anger deepened.
“For soone like you—sure. You’ve already reached heights most people only dream of. This is just a pasti to you, right?”
“No! That’s not what I ant—”
Qing was flustered, fumbling with her words.
But Yoye cut her off.
“But it’s not like that for . I’ve lived my whole life for this. It might sound ridiculous coming from a twenty-seven-year-old woman talking about her ‘whole life,’ but that’s what it is. My entire world has led to this one chance. And for you, it’s nothing. For , it’s everything.”
“Yeye, wait—please calm down.”
“Mock all you want. Of course. I should’ve known. A person like doesn’t get friends. This? This was never friendship, was it? Just... a ga to you. A little kindness you could toss at soone and watch them cling to it. Was it fun, watching beg for scraps of affection? I never asked for that. I’m not pathetic.”
Qing felt nothing but disbelief.
What the hell? Where did that even co from?
What did I do? What did I say?!
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