Being Pretty Isn't a Crime, Is It?
It hadn't been long since we set off in earnest along the forest path, with Soso leading the way.
Walking ahead of me, Soso stole a glance backward, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"By the way, Sis, what on earth was in that bundle earlier that made you chase me down with fire in your eyes? Was it some thousand-year-old elixir or a secret martial arts manual?"
"..."
Her sudden question almost made me choke on my own spit.
"Ahem! None of your business. It's a sacred adult item that a little brat like you is too young to know about."
I cleared my throat with feigned dignity, giving her a stern look, and pointed at the other bundle slung over her back.
"Instead of snooping through other people's belongings, you'd better take good care of that bundle on your back. Because everything inside it belongs to me now."
"What?! No, wait! Sis, hold on a second!"
Soso's eyes grew as wide as saucers. She jumped back, clutching the bundle on her back tightly as if she had been deeply wronged.
"Why is this yours?! I worked hard and earned this fair and square!"
"Oh, look at you. Still haven't learned your lesson, have you?"
I reached out without mercy and flicked her pretty forehead once more.
*Flick!*
"Ouch!"
"Where do you get off using such miraculous logic? Since when is stealing considered honest labor? From now on, this is all mine, so don't talk back."
Ignoring Soso as she hopped around in sheer frustration, I cheered inwardly.
Since I'm dirt poor without a single penny to my name anyway, if I sell off the loot she stole from those suckers at the inn once we hit Kaifeng, I'll have more than enough travel funds to last me a good while.
Martial arts masters be damned—when it came to traveling the Jianghu, cash was king.
Soso grumbled as she rubbed her smarting forehead, but under my murderous glare, she didn't dare rebel any further and simply pouted.
"So, how long will it take to get to Kaifeng from here?"
"Since we're near Sanggu, it's about three hundred and fifty li to Kaifeng."
At Soso's reply, I ran the numbers in my head.
Three hundred and fifty li... that's roughly a hundred and forty kilometers. With my lightfoot skills, wouldn't I be able to cover that in a single day? Hell, if I really set my mind to it, probably in less than half a day.
While I was nodding to myself, Soso continued.
"Even though your lightfoot skills are pretty fast, Sis, if we walk diligently, we should be able to make it there in two days."
"...Two days?"
I stopped dead in my tracks, utterly dumbfounded.
It takes two whole days to travel a measly hundred and forty kilometers? Only then did I look Soso up and down again, sizing up her martial arts realm.
When I caught up to her in just an hour earlier, she was already panting heavily, her internal energy almost completely depleted.
Is this brat around a First-Class master by Jianghu standards? Or maybe Second-Class?
Come to think of it, ever since I dropped into this world, I had never seriously pondered the hierarchy or ranks of martial arts.
After all, thanks to Master's Spartan-style physical therapy and my secluded training in that cave, I had mastered the martial arts of the Divine Maiden Sect in one fell swoop. Having achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and the Five Qi Consorting with the Origin, followed by a complete Rebirth, I was an absolute powerhouse.
Ah, I really am something else. To have maxed out my level right from the start—what a genius talent.
As I showered myself with internal praise, the people I had encountered over the past few days suddenly crossed my mind.
Now that I think about it, those Black Mountain Fort bandits I first met... They managed to subdue the Moyong siblings from a prestigious orthodox sect, so they couldn't have been total pushovers.
It was just that my standards were so absurdly high that everyone looked like insects to me. In truth, I still didn't know what the average level of the Jianghu was.
That Soyoyo lady at the inn last night was the strongest person I've seen so far. Would she be considered a Peak master?
Who knows? My sample size was still too small to accurately gauge the power levels of the Wulin.
Well, once we reach the metropolis of Kaifeng, I can just beat up a few random bastards to get a rough estimate.
Shaking off my thoughts, I decided to address our highly inefficient travel speed first.
"Hey. Run."
"Huh...?"
Soso turned back with a bewildered expression.
"You want me to run from here? I told you, it's three hundred and fifty li to Kaifeng! If we run while crossing mountains, rivers, and carrying all this baggage, we'll collapse before the day is even out!"
*Flick!*
"Ouch! Ah, why do you keep hitting me?!"
"I said run. Are we taking a leisurely stroll without using lightfoot skills? You really want to spend two whole days walking?"
I gestured forward with my chin, looking at her with pity.
Clutching her smarting forehead, Soso squeezed out a tear. Ultimately, swallowing her grievances, she began to circulate the internal energy in her dantian.
"M-fine, just try and keep up! I'm going to run like my life depends on it!"
*Whoosh!*
Her toes kicked off the ground, and she shot down the forest path like an arrow.
Her lightfoot technique was indeed swift and impressive for a mere petty thief. However, as I lightly executed the Cloud Sea Swimming Dragon Steps, my body glided effortlessly through the air like a feather riding the wind, instantly pulling up right alongside her.
*Whoosh!*
Gritting her teeth, Soso squeezed out every last drop of her strength to sprint down the forest path. Trees and rocks blurred past at a terrifying speed, and beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.
Hmph! No matter how high your martial arts are, lightfoot skills aren't just about the depth of your internal energy! I've got years of thieving experience under my belt!
Quite proud of her nimble lightfoot skills, Soso stole a glance to her side, inwardly hoping to see me lagging behind and panting for breath.
But.
"...What the hell... Oh my god!"
A dumbfounded curse slipped from Soso's lips.
With my hands clasped behind my back, I was gliding right beside her in an incredibly relaxed and elegant posture.
My toes barely brushed the ground, and my expression was as serene as if I were taking a stroll in a backyard garden. Even my breathing remained perfectly steady.
"Hey. Are you walking? Can't you run any faster?"
As I offered my obnoxious advice while letting out a mock yawn, Soso's jaw, which had dropped in shock, snapped shut.
A look of sheer spite flared in her eyes. Keeping her mouth tightly shut, she scraped up every last drop of internal energy from her dantian and began to accelerate like a madwoman.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Kicking up dust in the forest, our two figures dashed forward like shooting stars.
However, after an hour, Soso's shoulders, weighed down by the heavy bundle, began to sag.
After two hours, her breathing grew ragged. By the time we entered the fourth hour, her steps became increasingly heavy, and she began to stumble.
"Pant... pant...! *Gag!*"
*Thud.*
Right in the middle of the dense forest path, Soso collapsed spread-eagled on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
"Hey. Are you kidding me? We haven't even covered a quarter of the distance. Get up."
"Pant... wheeze... Sis... I-I'm seriously going to die..."
Drenched in sweat, Soso rubbed her face against the dirt as she gasped for air.
Her dantian was already completely empty, devoid of even a trace of internal energy, and her legs were shaking like jelly.
"Ugh, just kill me instead... I can't take another single step..."
Standing with my hands behind my back, I looked down at her pathetic state and let out a deep sigh.
Looking up at the sky, the brilliant midday sun had already slipped behind the western mountains, and a thick twilight was beginning to blanket our surroundings.
After all that chaos in the inn hallway last night, and then wasting energy catching this brat today, my mind is more exhausted than my body. It's getting dark, so I need to find a place to crash and get some sleep.
I grabbed Soso by the collar as she lay sprawled on the ground and shook her.
"Hey. Wake up. If you can't run, I'll just carry you. Which way to Kaifeng?"
"Y-you're going to carry me and run...? Ugh, t-that way..."
With half-lidded eyes, Soso weakly raised a finger and pointed toward the west.
"Alright. Hold on tight if you don't want to bite your tongue off."
Grabbing Soso by the scruff of her neck like a piece of luggage, I unleashed a burst of energy from my dantian and soared into the air once more.
*Whoosh!*
"Kyaaaaaah!!"
Dangling precariously from my grip, Soso's screams pierced the night sky.
Beyond the darkened horizon, the silhouette of a massive city wall and streets sparkling with torches and red lanterns began to come into view.
I landed lightly on a quiet road a short distance from the city walls and tossed Soso, who was half-unconscious from being slung over my shoulder, onto the ground.
"Oh! We've finally arrived! Is this the famous Kaifeng?"
Looking at the bustling lights and the grand city gates before me, I nodded with immense satisfaction.
Though we had been delayed a bit, we had still achieved our goal of entering a major city before the day was out.
However, Soso, who was sitting on the ground dry-heaving, shook her pale face.
"*Gag*... No, it's not..."
"Huh? It's not Kaifeng? Then where is this?"
"This is... Gi County, under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan Province... *Blegh!*"
Soso finally lost her battle with her stomach and buried her face in the grass.
Gi County? So it's not Kaifeng itself, but a satellite town under it?
Scratching my chin, I looked back at the city walls.
Well, even if it wasn't the heart of Kaifeng, the greatest metropolis in the Central Plains, it was still a decent and flashy city compared to the backwater village that only had a single inn.
"Who cares? It's still better than sleeping on the forest floor. At least it feels alive here."
I brushed the dust off my clothes and grinned.
"Come on, get up! Gi County or whatever, we've arrived, so let's head in, grab some delicious food, and get some rest!"
Pulling the staggering Soso along by the scruff of her neck, I walked confidently toward the city gates of Gi County, which were brightly illuminated by red lanterns.
Well, wandering the Jianghu never goes exactly according to plan anyway.
The night streets of Gi County were far livelier than I had expected.
Brilliant red lanterns lit up the streets as if it were broad daylight. Merchants and fierce-looking martial artists bustled about, and the rich aroma of roasted meat blended with the heavy scent of alcohol, creating a vibrant, bustling atmosphere.
"Ah, perfect! They say even the most beautiful sights are best enjoyed on a full stomach. Let's fill our bellies first!"
I pumped my fist into the air and shouted enthusiastically.
There was no need to agonize over where to go.
Right in the middle of the street stood the largest, most imposing three-story establishment—the sign for the Chunpung Inn caught my eye.
As I confidently made my way toward it, Soso, who had been stumbling behind me half-dazed, gasped in horror and grabbed the hem of my silk robe.
"S-Sis! Hold on!"
"What now? I'm starving to death."
"Are you seriously planning to walk in there looking like that, dressed in those clothes?!"
Soso looked me up and down in utter disbelief.
Following her gaze, I looked down at myself.
The premium pink silk robes left behind by my master.
Flawless, porcelain-white skin sculpted by my complete Rebirth.
My eyes, shining brilliantly even under the moonlight, were a piercingly clear blue-green, as if they held precious jade within them.
On top of that, my hair, cascading all the way down to my waist, was a deep navy blue like the midnight sky, fading into a blindingly vivid indigo at the tips—a truly surreal and breathtaking sight.
"Sis, do you have any idea how much you stand out right now? With that mystical hair color, those eyes, and that body, if you just waltz into an inn crawling with rough men, every unorthodox bastard and lustful pervert in town will be drooling all over you!"
Soso stamped her feet anxiously, scanning our surroundings.
"If you're going to walk around looking like that, shouldn't you at least wrap a veil around your face?! Do you never look in a mirror?!"
"What? Did I commit a crime? Why should I cover up my gorgeous face just to grab a bite to eat?"
I snorted, proudly lifting my chin.
"Seriously, do you have zero self-awareness?! Can't you see those guys over there staring? They're practically drooling already!"
"Now, now. Being pretty isn't a crime, is it?"
I shrugged, wearing an incredibly shameless smile on my flawlessly beautiful face.
"If they're jealous, they can go lock themselves in a cave and undergo a bone-shattering Rebirth too. If they don't like it, they can try being pretty themselves!"
I hummed a tune, thinking to myself.
Let's be real. Since there's zero hope of me ever turning back into a man anyway, why bother hiding? If you can't avoid it, enjoy it! I have to milk this peerless beauty life for all it's worth, or else it'd be a waste!
"Sigh..."
Ultimately, Soso seemed to completely throw her hands up in defeat at this thick-skinned beauty's miraculous logic, pinching the bridge of her nose with a deep sigh.
"Ugh, whatever! I warned you! If some nasty thugs start drooling and pick a fight later, you'd better beat them all up yourself!"
"Sure thing! I'll fold all their spines like origami, so stop whining and just follow me."
Snorting, I threw open the heavy wooden doors of the inn.
*Creak.*
The noisy chatter on the first floor of the inn instantly froze solid.
"..."
"..."
The sticky gazes of dozens of martial artists and merchants, who had been clinking cups and tearing into meat, simultaneously locked onto the doorway.
One guy let the dumpling he was chewing drop right out of his mouth, while another stared blankly, drool pooling at the corner of his lips.
Amidst the dead silence and intense stares, I strutted right through the center of the inn with an elegant, arrogant stride.
"Hey, waiter."
As my clear, melodious voice shattered the silence, the dazed waiter flinched as if struck by lightning.
"How long are you going to stand there drooling and staring? When customers walk into an inn, you're supposed to show them to a table."
"Ah! Y-yes, ma'am! Right away! Oh, my, Goddess... I mean, young lady! T-this way, please!"
Snapping out of his trance, the waiter bowed deeply at the waist and scrambled over to me in a flurry.
He led us to the best table right in the center of the room, then began furiously wiping down the chairs with his own sleeves.
"Please, please, have a seat, young lady! It is the greatest honor of our humble Chunpung Inn to host someone as breathtakingly beautiful as a goddess from the nine heavens!"
"Yeah, good job."
I nodded shamelessly and plopped down onto the chair.
Soso, who had followed me inside, looked utterly overwhelmed by the dozens of blatant stares piercing her from all directions. She clung close to my side and gingerly perched herself on the very edge of her seat.
"What's good here? Tell me your absolute best dishes."
As I seductively crossed my legs and asked, the waiter swallowed hard and began listing the menu with practiced fluency.
"O-our Chunpung Inn is famous for our five-spice sliced pork and our melt-in-your-mouth Dongpo pork! And if you pair that meat with a bottle of our hundred-year-old Bamboo Leaf Green liquor, you'll feel like you've stepped right into paradise!"
"Five-spice pork? Dongpo pork? Bamboo Leaf Green?"
The moment those savory words hit my ears, my stomach began to rumble violently.
Barely managing to swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth, I casually reached out my hand.
Of course, I wasn't reaching toward the waiter, but toward Soso, who was cowering beside me.
"Soso."
"Huh? W-why?"
"Hand over the silver."
"...What? Sis, where would I get silver?"
"I told you those bundles on your back belong to me now, didn't I? Fish out a few taels of silver from there."
"Are you kidding me? This is highway robbery...!"
Soso's jaw dropped in sheer outrage, but I narrowed my eyes and cracked my knuckles loudly beneath the table.
Ultimately, with tears in her eyes, Soso rummaged through the bundle on her back, pulled out a single tael of silver from one of her stolen pouches, and slammed it onto the table.
"Excellent. Bring us everything you just mentioned, right away."
"Y-yes, ma'am! Right away!"
Having secured a hefty tip, the waiter bolted toward the kitchen as if his pants were on fire.
I grinned at Soso, who was still fidgeting under the weight of the surrounding stares.
"See? Just like I said, if you walk in with a thick skin and act like you own the place, everyone keeps their mouths shut and just watches."
"...Seriously, Sis, your shamelessness is unmatched in the entire Jianghu."
Soso shook her head in dismay, but she couldn't help licking her lips at the savory aroma of pork wafting from the kitchen.
However, my arrogant assumption was not to last very long.
