I Am This Murim's Crazy Bitch-Chapter 272: Transcendent Qing (9)

What the...? Me?

Qing stared at the pair of ornate shoes positioned right above her bowed head, eyes darting subtly left and right.

Yep. Definitely me.

Slowly, Qing lifted her head.

To be honest, Qing wasn’t from around here. She didn’t feel particularly ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ awed or flustered by the royal presence. It was just awkward to be the center of attention in such a tense atmosphere.

Empress Dowager? Well, so what? Qing had shared meals with Prince Jayu. Sure, they hadn’t gone to the baths together or slept in the same room, but they had eaten together.

So, technically, she could consider herself a friend of the Empress Dowager’s son, right?

Well, not exactly the Empress Dowager’s son. More like Jayu the person, not Jayu the prince.

Qing raised her head to look at the woman everyone called the Mother of All Under Heaven.

Despite the backlighting, Qing’s superhuman vision clearly discerned the Empress Dowager’s face.

A stunningly beautiful noblewoman.

It was hard to pinpoint her exact age—her skin was still firm and youthful, but subtle lines hinted at the passage of time.

Well, she was the Empress Dowager. She probably spent two whole hours a day just tending to her skin.

While Qing’s mind wandered, the Empress Dowager’s gaze trembled violently as she stared down at her.

“Child, what is your name? Your name...”

“I am Ximen Qing, Your Majesty.”

“And your age?”

“I have just turned twenty this year, Your Majesty.”

“Ximen Qing... Ximen Qing...”

The Empress Dowager muttered the name repeatedly, her eyes never leaving Qing’s face. After a tense pause, she spoke again.

“You carry a sword. Are you a martial artist?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How much have you achieved?”

“It is shameful to admit, but I have only reached the Absolute Peak Level a few days ago, Your Majesty.”

The Empress Dowager turned to the eunuch.

“Eunuch, how impressive is reaching the Absolute Peak Level at her age? Should I consider it extraordinary or is it a disgraceful delay?”

“Your Majesty, it is a feat unprecedented in the history of Zhongyuan. If not for Your Majesty’s presence, I would have accused her of brazenly lying and subjected her to a severe punishment.”

“Oh? Then it is quite the achievement. I have heard tales of many lives in the martial world, but I have never heard of a female martial artist’s life. Perhaps, child, you could share yours with me.”

And with that, both the Empress Dowager and the eunuch fixed their eyes on Qing.

What the hell?

Qing blinked in confusion, her mind blank. But then, a soft, barely audible whisper reached her ear.

“Express your deepest gratitude.”

Seol Iri! So she wasn’t just an ice-cold statue after all!

Qing quickly echoed the words, her voice slightly stilted.

“Ah! Your Majesty’s grace is immeasurable.”

And just like that, Qing found herself following behind the Empress Dowager, trailing toward the grandiose golden carriage.

With everyone still prostrated on the ground, Qing awkwardly made her way through, feeling all the more out of place.

When they reached the carriage, Qing began to unfasten her weapons as per the customary procedure.

“The flute? You can play the flute?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Though my skills are quite lacking.”

“In that case, there is no need to put it away. You shall play it for me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In truth, the flute was less of a flute and more of a compact, unbreakable iron rod that happened to emit sound when blown into. A multifunctional weapon.

And so, Qing climbed into the opulent golden carriage, weapons still strapped to her body.

It was a sight that could have been straight out of a legend—like the ancient tale of General Mo, who ascended the imperial stairs with a seven-foot sword in hand.

Once inside the carriage, the Empress Dowager ordered all the maids and attendants to leave, shutting the door and leaving only herself and Qing in the expansive, lavishly adorned space.

A life in the martial world, she had said. Was that what she wanted to hear?

Qing was mentally sifting through her various experiences, deciding what story to share, when—

“Take off your clothes.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Did you not hear me? I said, take them off.”

Qing’s mind raced. What the hell was this?

Alone in the carriage, the Empress Dowager had just told her to strip. If this had been a man instead of a woman, Qing would have already smashed his face in with the flute-turned-iron rod, shouting, “Pervert! Begone, vile demon!”

But as it was, Qing was only left staring, utterly baffled.

The Empress Dowager’s eyes remained solemn and devoid of any lascivious intent—only a deep, almost haunting tenderness.

“It is merely to confirm something. Do not be alarmed.”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty...”

Reluctantly, Qing began to shed her clothes, her movements stiff and hesitant.

Would it kill her to look away? But the Empress Dowager’s gaze remained fixed on her, making the whole ordeal infinitely more uncomfortable.

Once Qing had stripped bare, the Empress Dowager, her hands trembling violently, reached out and gently touched the underside of Qing’s left breast.

“There is... a birthmark. Yes, a birthmark...”

“A birthmark? I have a birthmark there?”

Qing craned her neck, trying to see under her own breast, pulling and stretching the flesh but unable to confirm anything.

Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager continued to inspect Qing’s body from every angle, her eyes wide and glassy.

And then, out of nowhere, tears started streaming down her face.

“Your Majesty?”

“Child, do you not understand? It is I—your mother. Your mother is here, right here in front of you. This foolish mother recognized you at once. Yet you, you ungrateful girl, why did you not greet me? Why did you not recognize me?”

The Empress Dowager was now sobbing openly, her voice thick with emotion. Qing could only stare in absolute bewilderment.

It took quite some time for the Empress Dowager to regain her composure.

But even after her sobs subsided, she suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Qing, holding her tightly.

Qing was at a loss. What was she supposed to do?

How was she supposed to react to a woman claiming to be her mother out of the blue?

“This... There must be some mistake, Your Majesty. Among the martial arts I’ve learned, there are techniques that enhance one’s appearance. My beauty is the result of such training. Originally, I was an ugly, deformed wretch, so Your Majesty must be mistaken...”

Qing’s beauty was the result of her celestial martial arts training. She had been a hideous, scrawny mess when she first entered the martial world. It was absurd to think the Empress Dowager could recognize her from such a drastic transformation.

But the Empress Dowager was undeterred.

“A rare disease caused sores to bloom across your skin. Your once beautiful face was twisted by palsy. You became disfigured almost overnight. Now that the disease has healed, your true form has finally returned.”

“That... No, that’s not... If I were really a princess, there’s no way I would’ve been abandoned in that cave, all alone.”

“The cave... at the foot of the western mountain in Liaoning?”

“Ah.”

Qing’s breath caught in her throat.

“Yes. They said that once you revived, you would forget everything from your past life and become a completely new person. Those wretched sorceresses weren’t entirely lying after all.”

“Your Majesty, could you perhaps explain this to me as well...?”

On the first day of the fourth month, the King of Yeonsul fell gravely ill.

Despite visits from the most renowned physicians, his condition did not improve.

Even the Divine Healer, regarded as the best physician in the martial world, declared, “The brain is already dead. He is nothing more than a breathing corpse. In three days, his heart will stop. Prepare yourselves for the inevitable.”

It was then that a group of sorceresses known as the Heavenly Maiden Temple arrived from the Western Regions.

They said, “The soul is already crossing the river to the afterlife. Only the body remains, functioning as a corpse. However, with a sacred ritual lasting forty-nine days, we can deceive the emissaries of King Yama, the ruler of the underworld.

“If we succeed, the soul, having slipped through the records of the underworld, will return to the body, and the deceased will revive.

“But the soul, having been soaked in the waters of the afterlife, will lose all memories of its past life. Even if the body is revived, it will no longer be the same king.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager entrusted the king to the sorceresses, giving them 2,500 taels of gold and countless elixirs. They departed for the sacred cave in Liaoning.

On the sixtieth day, the sorceresses returned, bringing with them a healthy body. The Emperor and Crown Prince were overjoyed and awed by the miraculous ritual. They granted the sorceresses official positions in the palace and bestowed upon them a plaque for the Heavenly Maiden Temple.

“I was a foolish mother, deceived by those vile Western sorceresses. They brought back an impostor—a false daughter pretending to be you. But the Emperor had already lost his clarity and fallen under their spell.

“I had come here to pray for the soul of the daughter I had lost, to beg Buddha for your peaceful rest. But now, oh, merciful Buddha, how I thank you for your great compassion and mercy...”

“Oh...”

Honestly, Qing didn’t quite believe it.

If it weren’t for the system notification flashing in her peripheral vision, she would have continued to doubt it.

[Bloodline Mission – Roots]

[You have encountered your true bloodline. Expel the false princess and reclaim your rightful position as the legitimate heir.]

Qing felt a peculiar sense of relief.

Ah.

So I’m not some strange monster that just popped into existence out of nowhere. I’m not some ghost-like entity mimicking a human form.

I really am a person. A human.

There was someone who originally owned this body. And judging by the story, her brain had already died, making her effectively brain-dead—a vegetable.

When the parasitic soul entered the body, there was no other consciousness present. The original owner of this body must have long since crossed over to the underworld.

Had the protagonist Qing chosen in her virtual game world always had this kind of backstory?

Or was it merely a coincidence that the body she possessed happened to be a perfect match for a character with the lowest possible charisma stat—a grotesque, deformed wretch plagued by a rare disease?

It was impossible to know. It would always remain a mystery.

And if some omniscient being were watching, they might have clicked their tongue in pity.

Why did you have to choose the Blood Poison Human constitution, Qing? Did someone hold a knife to your throat and force you to pick it?

Was it really necessary to summon the Heavenly Killer Star prematurely, long before its scheduled appearance?

If Qing had known, she would have been indignant.

Who the hell pays that much attention to tiny details in a game meant for casual play?

But now, she was left in a bind.

What was she supposed to say to the Empress Dowager?

What could she say?

Sorry, Your Majesty, but your daughter is already dead.

I’m just borrowing her body, so you can go ahead and pray for her soul or something. Maybe at Emei or some other temple that allows women?

No. That would be beyond absurd.

But she couldn’t just dramatically gasp and cry, “Mother! I’m your long-lost daughter!” either.

Mission or not, Qing was not the Empress Dowager’s daughter.

Her body might be, but Qing wasn’t.

At this moment, she truly understood the saying that a person’s identity lies in their memories.

My real mother is in another world.

Assuming she hasn’t lost her mind from grief after losing her daughter. Hopefully, my brother and sister are taking care of her.

At that moment, the Empress Dowager reached out and cupped Qing’s cheek.

Her touch was unbearably tender, overflowing with motherly love.

“You’re alive. My daughter, you’re alive. To see your face like this, to know you’re still breathing... Thank you, Buddha. Thank you for letting her live.

“This foolish mother of yours was too weak to follow you in death. How sorry I am. And how grateful I am to see you here, safe and sound. You’ve grown so beautifully...”

Oh no. This is bad. If this keeps up, I really will end up becoming the princess.

Qing swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak.

“Your Majesty... I apologize, but I am now a humble disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect. I am Ximen Qing, a mere commoner in the martial world. Therefore, Your Majesty...”

She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

What was she supposed to say?

Please pretend you don’t know me? That would be strange.

I’m not your daughter? That would be even stranger.

Qing was trapped.

But the Empress Dowager merely nodded.

“Yes. Yes, it is better this way. The palace is now a den of vile sorceresses and malicious spirits. It’s a good thing you’re out here in the secular world, where you’re safe. That is a relief in itself, don’t you think?”