Chapter 399

The Salwold Sect is currently one of the three great disciples of Gwangju.

You might wonder how a martial sect could be named ‘Salwold’.

It’s not because the sect leader is going through a late puberty; it’s just that Sapa people tend to choose names that sound stronger than others.

If Qing knew this, she would argue that a name that’s too strong actually makes one look weak. But anyway.

For the Sapa, having a name that sounds evil and unsettling is more of a badge of honor.

Doesn’t it suggest these folks aren’t exactly up to any good?

Regardless, Gwangju was being tightly pressed under the influence of the Gwangdong Jin Family, and during the Martial World Tournament, for a full three months, the Jin family simply didn’t exist in Gwangju.

In the blink of an eye, the era of the three major factions of the Black Path — Salwold Sect, Gwangju Seonbang, and Gold Robbery Guild — took hold of Gwangju.

Even when the direct descendants of the Jin family returned, they were too preoccupied with mourning to take action.

The Sapa are currently all fired up, thinking this is the perfect time to solidify their territory.

Now, the target of their piercing gazes is none other than the talk of Jang An, the mysterious carpenter and shaman known as the Civil Engineering Fairy.

Salwold Sect leader Lee Wang-chul is not pleased.

“Didn’t you say there was construction today? I heard quite a bit of material was gathered.”

“Not even enough for a single house, brother.”

“Either way, the construction was done! If we leave it like that, lazy workers will gather, followed by servants, and before you know it, we’ll end up like dogs chasing chickens.”

“Should I send some kids over, brother?”

“Damn it, can you stop with that ‘brother’ nonsense? How long has it been since our Salwold Sect became a prominent lineage? It’s ‘Sect Leader’! You do know that, right? That damn general keeps saying ‘brother’ all the time; what do you think the kids are learning?!”

A proper leader wouldn’t refer to their disciples as ‘kids’.

“Sect Leader. Understood. Sect Leader. Brother.”

“What the hell is this?”

“I just got used to it, brother—uh, I mean, Sect Leader.”

General Wang Woo quickly averted his eyes.

Of course, it’s hard to believe it just got stuck to him.

He was deliberately tagging along ‘brother’ out there, wanting to assert, “I’m the Sect Leader’s direct subordinate, don’t upset this brother of yours!”

So it’s no wonder it gets annoying.

This is definitely not a good sign.

A Sapa’s annoyance is far more dangerous and vicious than what ordinary people consider to be irritation.

“Tsk. Have the kids do some work. Disassemble the limbs and toss them into the streets; no way the Jin family will rush in yelling about construction.”

“Wait. It’d be better for the general to step in directly. I heard the Civil Engineering Fairy has strength akin to that of a legendary warrior; if a half-hearted fool messes with her, things could get out of hand.”

That’s the word from Bang Jeoksa.

Wang Woo narrowed his eyes.

“Are you serious? You think I’m going to jump in personally to take down some charlatan shaman?”

“Considering how this is going, if we let the lower ranks handle it, they’ll just pass it down until who knows how low it’ll go.”

“What’s the matter? You got a big mouth, huh?”

“Enough.”

Lee Wang-chul asserted authority.

“Bang Jeoksa is right. This is quite an important task, after all, and I’m not just throwing it at you. Honestly, I don’t trust anyone else to handle it but you.”

“Cough. If the Sect Leader insists, I can’t refuse. Brother.”

Wang Woo stood up, shot Bang Jeoksa a fierce glare, and twisted his body to storm out.

Once alone, Lee Wang-chul clicked his tongue.

“That kid’s becoming a bit impudent.”

To which Bang Jeoksa calmly replied.

“It’s all just a sign of loyalty, isn’t it? It’s a blessing that the Sect Leader has such a good brother. But now, as the ruler of a region, you need to carry yourself accordingly, and considering his personality, isn’t it better to assign him the role of a combat unit leader instead?”

“See, Wang Woo probably has no clue how Bang Jeoksa thinks about him.”

Bang Jeoksa merely smiled warmly at that.

—-

To the south of the manor street lies the villa district, where the wealthy have set up their vacation homes along the beach.

One of these houses was bizarrely adorned.

Colorful fabrics flapped from the eaves, while various charms hung from the great gate, creating an eerie seal to ward off spirits.

And on top of that is a blood-written inscription.

Whether it’s chicken blood or pig blood, you can’t tell, but despite the creepy appearance, the writing boldly declares: “Defender of the Heroic Wang!”

Instead of the legendary ‘Defender of the Heroic Wang’, Umi’s Shrine.

It’s a shrine to the spirit of the legendary hero, supposedly dedicated to Umi.

The words make passersby snicker.

Whoever heard of a ‘Defender of the Heroic Wang’, let alone Umi’s Shrine?

Umi, known for being one of the five beauties of Central Plain, comes and goes in such lists, alongside legendary beauties like Seossi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Guifei among the four great beauties of the Central Plain.

In fact, even if they painted their own face gold, it’d still be absurd for a shaman to claim, “I’m a beauty.”

“So let’s see that lady’s face then.”

“Heh, Hammer Brother. What’s there to see about a veiled lady? You peek and you’ll regret it; just let her keep hiding her face.”

Right then, Hammer tapped the back of the head of the guy.

Hammer was Wang Woo’s right-hand man in the Salwold Sect.

It’s not because his head looked like a hammer with both front and back clashing; it’s just that he enjoyed smashing people into pulp as if hammering away.

Since Hammer was puffing out his chest, it clearly suggested that Wang Woo had disobeyed orders and sent a subordinate to go for a bite.

“Did you see her stature? Regardless of taste, swinging a hammer around—that’s definitely pure muscle. You’d want to embrace a musclehead like that?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“You crazy.”

To the Sapa folks, lewd talk flows as naturally as breathing.

Remember, those guys joined the Sapa to indulge their lustful ambitions of doing whatever they wanted, especially with women.

Striving to become strong enough to do as one pleases—maybe it’s foolish or honest, who knows?

Then one daredevil hops over the wall.

With a light leap, he skips over, nimbly landing on the other side.

As he goes over, he opens the great gate.

The bells hung at the gate jingle, causing the Sapa warriors to flinch, but the frigid winter night is devoid of any commotion.

“What’s with all these bells?”

“Isn’t that what shamans do?”

“Ugh, it gives me goosebumps.”

The lavish villa had a spacious yard, but only one lonely building stood there.

“Hey, youngsters. Keep watch.”

“Are you talking to us?”

Then Hammer thumped the youngest’s head.

“You brat. You think you’ve grown up now? Just keep an eye out. When the fun starts, we’ll let you in, so make sure to report any suspicious characters.”

The Civil Engineering Fairy’s strength was legendary.

When people see her single-handedly erect a pillar, they nod in agreement that she’s truly served under the Heroic Wang.

So, the Sapa warriors sent to capture the Civil Engineering Fairy are decent fighters and aren’t totally green.

Two warriors cautiously approach the villa, leaving only one behind.

The senior nudge the rookie.

“You keep an ear out for who’s coming by the front gate. I’ll check around the back.”

Normally, storage and servant quarters, as well as kitchens, are built with the walls.

The senior points to a building that’s jutting out behind the wall.

“Are you thinking about knocking down the storage? Don’t go alone.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to insult me? You think you can comment on what your elder says?”

“… No, not at all.”

“Behave. Understand?”

The rookie’s expression looked like he’d just bitten into something sour.

With the new batch of disciples coming in, both of them are technically equal now, but how long was he going to keep pretending to be the elder?

But the newer ones should have been in first, after all.

Reluctantly, the rookie takes a deep breath.

Not out of frustration but preparing to let out a fake sigh that could scrape the senior’s ears.

Suddenly, a rough hand clasps over his mouth.

At the same moment, his throat tightens, and he can’t make a sound.

The rookie struggles, but soon he feels something lift his body.

His legs kick helplessly in midair and eventually drop.

Meanwhile, one of the guys sneaking into the storage room lets out a sigh of relief.

Perhaps because he was sheltered, as soon as he opened the storage door, a wave of warmth rushed out.

What in the world was going on, making such a fuss in this freezing night?

“Why’s there a fire in the storage?”

Indeed, a warm glow emerged from a stove that still had embers left.

“Oh, it feels warm enough to live!”

This year, there’s an extra leap month, so we’re currently facing the coldest season with the harshest cold squeezing in at night.

Of course, Qing might scoff, saying this isn’t even cold compared to early autumn in Hubei.

But for the locals of Gwangju, that’s enough to feel freezing.

So, feeling the warmth, he rushes in to relish the cozy heat, savoring the feeling of warmth radiating from his skin near the stove.

Then, suddenly, he locks eyes with a man gazing at him.

Not just one man.

They were a bunch of men, and for some reason, those who were lying on the floor suddenly began to rise.

“Who—”

“Shut it.”

The powerful voice filled with inner strength halted the Sapa warrior’s mouth.

“I am Jin Jagang. You know my name, right?”

It’s hard to believe there’s anyone in Gwangju who doesn’t know the name of the Jin family head.

The Sapa warrior nervously darted his eyes around.

But all he could realize was how outnumbered he was, each one sporting deadly serious expressions.

“Stay quiet. If you shout, regrettably, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”

Fearing any noise might slip out, the Sapa warrior clamped his mouth shut.

And then he heard the sound of the storage door closing.

“Will you kneel down for me?”

Still, the polite request emboldened the Sapa warrior, prompting him to enroll his knee confidently.

Sapa warriors tend to kneel rather easily.

“I’m thinking of tying you up a bit. If you resist, it’s going to be quite painful for you. Will you resist?”

“No, I won’t!”

“Good. You’re listening well.”

The middle-aged man, Jin Jagang, signaled with his eyes.

Not long after, the Sapa warrior found himself tightly bound and lying on the floor.

A little while later, the rookie was tossed next to him, also tightly bound.

The Jin warriors trickled out one by one, and lastly, Jin Jagang paused at the door as if struck by a thought.

“Oh, by the way, did I say I’d kill you even if you didn’t shout? You’ve got little time left to live, so you might as well make your peace with it.”

“Mmmph—!”

The Sapa warrior tried shouting, but only the sound of the storage door shutting echoed back as a response.

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