The Celestial Maiden's Silver Tongue (1)
The mere presence of a powerhouse overwhelms those around them.
"What a disappointment, Jong In, sect leader."
The fury of a powerhouse crushes everything nearby.
"No matter how precious the bond between fellow disciples, how could you accuse an innocent person of practicing demonic arts?"
"Pardon...? N-no, Lady Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo, it's a complete misunderstanding!"
"Don't spout nonsense! I confirmed it myself. This young one isn't a demon at all—in fact, they possess the purest Dao qi!"
With a sharp rebuke, Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo composed herself once more.
"...It seems some immature youngsters made a mistake. What exactly did you two see?"
She addressed the two senior disciples of Dobongpa directly.
The gaze of a Manifestation Realm warrior. And not just any—the piercing stare of an irritated elder from the renowned Bongrae-pa. The pair trembled as if they might faint on the spot.
"I-I-I didn't see anyth—"
"We must have made a huge mistake!"
They weren't just saying it to escape the moment—they genuinely convinced themselves, 'We must have seen wrong!'
"It's alright. Youngsters make mistakes like that."
Youngsters, indeed.
"But even hearing such claims from youngsters, shouldn't you have verified it yourself before acting? These two have barely stepped into the entry-level of martial prowess anyway."
"Th-that's..."
Sect Leader Jong In floundered.
In this tense atmosphere, one person alone felt a pang of guilt.
...It really is demonic arts, though.
Cheon Do-yeon herself.
Of course, that didn't mean she'd stupidly confess the truth. It'd be suicide.
Ah, and it'd smear Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo's reputation to boot. She said she verified it personally—what did she even check? Tsk tsk, a Bongrae-pa elder who misjudged and now resorts to intimidation...
The Murim Gallery would explode with anon posts. Trolls would pile on, bashing Bongrae-pa while the iron was hot.
If she wanted to off herself, she'd do it alone—without dragging down someone who'd shown her nothing but kindness.
Phew... At least this is a relief. Now I can really get out of here, right?
"Then, may I verify what my foolish disciples claimed?"
"...Pardon?"
Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo openly showed her displeasure.
Why? Because she'd just said she'd checked it herself.
Sect Leader Jong In immediately adopted the utmost deference.
"Of course, I'm not doubting your judgment. It's just that this old fool is still far from the Dao, plagued by worldly distractions. Could you graciously overlook it?"
Spotting the opening, Cheon Do-yeon jumped in.
"But Sect Leader, you've got all four of my items, right? When do I get them back? You're not planning to keep them, are you!?"
"Of course not! At the time, we were certain you were a demon, so we merely secured potentially dangerous items!"
"Aha, as expected! A great sect leader like Dobongpa's wouldn't steal from someone. My bad for being dumb!"
She smoothly secured confirmation of her belongings' return first.
"But if the verification says I'm from the Demonic Cult, you'll kill me, right?"
"...Not necessarily kill, but punishment would depend on the severity."
"Then if it says I'm not from the Demonic Cult, what do I get?"
"...Hm?"
Jong In faltered.
"Why wouldn't the conversation go there?"
"Why wouldn't it? You're challenging a Bongrae-pa elder's wisdom—trying to brush it off without compensation?"
...Does that follow?
Strange logic, but oddly convincing.
If they sat down and picked it apart logically on paper, it might fall apart. But Cheon Do-yeon knew that, so she bulldozed ahead, not giving them a chance to dissect it.
"Honestly, Sect Leader, wouldn't it be easier to settle on compensation now? Imagine brushing off the challenge, then it turns out you're wrong—'As expected of the Bongrae-pa elder!' How do you think that plays out?"
"It'd be a disaster... right?"
"Exactly!"
She slapped her thigh with a crack! Was she a pansori performer?
"But if we agree on terms upfront? No worrying about future payback! The scariest debt is one without a fixed amount, right? Better to take the hit early—there's wisdom in that saying."
"Fine, fine! What do you want, then?"
Hesitate here, and she'd look like an amateur!
"Spirit medicine! Give me the best one you have here."
"Spirit medicine..."
Regret flickered across Jong In's face.
Spirit medicines instantly boosted inner energy upon consumption.
Normally, building inner energy required years of circulating qi via heart methods.
Spirit medicines skipped that, granting a massive qi infusion in one go.
Naturally, sects, clans, and even the imperial court treasured them.
Post-gate catastrophe, murim warriors' societal value had skyrocketed, driving spirit medicine prices through the roof too.
Even one that boosted inner energy by a fingernail's worth could fetch millions—tens of millions if lucky.
A single plant root, mineral crystal, or few drops of liquid could cost tens or hundreds of billions.
"Fine, the third-best one we have. That's a fair compromise, right?"
"Er..."
Jong In still looked pained, but less so than before.
Perfect line in the sand.
Not too high, not too low.
"Sect Leader, didn't I drop straight from 'the best' to 'third-best'? We're not haggling merchants nickel-and-diming here. Let's call it done!"
"Y...you're right. Agreed! If you're not Demonic Cult, we'll gift you our sect's third-best spirit medicine!"
"Deal! Come on then—I'll make it easy to verify right now!"
Cheon Do-yeon rolled up her sleeves confidently.
Heh heh, free spirit medicine incoming! How should I use it? What'll make rumors spread that I put it to good use?
"What a remarkably talented youngster."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Jong In, sect leader—verify and honor the deal."
Jong In stepped forward.
Now just reveal her Dao qi. Like before, peel back the Dao qi slightly to expose the demonic qi cloaked within...
Twitch. The demonic qi in her dantian jerked violently.
"...What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. One moment..."
Again, just a little more, peel it back...
Twitch!!
"!?"
Even lightly brushing the cloaking Dao qi made the demonic qi rampage.
Wait. Hold on!!
'Not enough Dao qi!'
Whittling down the Dao qi holding the demonic qi in check would make it explode.
And if it did? Just like after killing Nam Yeon—she'd go berserk, vowing to slaughter everyone.
Then what? She'd be purged right here.
Even Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo might not protect her in that scenario. She had the power, sure—but would she smash her own words to defend a deceiver?
...I'm screwed.
Cold sweat poured down.
"What's the matter?"
"W-wait a second!!"
She couldn't die like this!! She needed more Dao qi, somehow. But how?
'Obviously, circulate a Daoist sect's inner art!'
Problem: She didn't know any Daoist inner arts!
'Should've begged Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo for Bongrae-pa's inner art!'
Sects didn't teach martial arts to outsiders—that was basic common sense. But Hyeon Song Cheon Nyeo might've relented if she'd begged hard enough.
She needed a sucker! Someone who'd give her anything if she pushed, who also knew top-tier Daoist inner arts!!
But who in the world—
'Ah!!'
There was one! A Daoist warrior who owed her a favor!!
Focusing her mind, she accessed True Murim Gallery and fired off a PM.
It took just 3 seconds. No typing needed—with practice, she could write at thought speed.
'Please, Baekdu-pa sect leader and Murim Alliance leader!! Teach me now or I die!'
Not the elite version for core disciples—just toss her any decent one!!
O! Instant reply! Was she waiting? Let's see—the heart method's name?
...?
Why does it end with "Singong"?
Aren't these supreme inner arts, with only one or two even in major sects?
Can an outsider like me really learn this?
"What's wrong? Could it be... you can't be verified...?"
"Five minutes! Just give me five minutes!"
No time to debate now. She had to learn it right now!!