Chapter 402

The Civil Engineering Fairy has returned to the building site!

The return of the Civil Engineering Fairy!

This signals that the victor of the epic spiritual battle between the Civil Engineering Fairy and Jin Gajang’s curse is none other than the Civil Engineering Fairy herself.

So of course, the idle folks have flocked to witness her performance.

“Fairy?”

“Are you really the Civil Engineering Fairy?”

“Hey now, can’t you folks see? If I’m not the Civil Engineering Fairy, then who am I?”

“Well, um, your attire, it was, uh, hiding your strength, wasn’t it?”

Jin Seol worked tirelessly through the night to craft a new shamanic outfit for her, though it wasn’t entirely new; it was just some cloth sewn onto an existing outfit.

Thanks to that, the brightly colored fabrics that flapped about madly blended into the garment, flowing beautifully along the gentle curves of the woman’s body.

Excluding the slightly tight fit around her chest and hips, it turned out to be a magnificent outfit that elegantly showcased Qing’s grand posture.

Qing doesn’t really bother with modesty when it comes to clothing.

Still, I can’t help but wonder if Jin Soja might have taken a wrong turn in her destiny—had she chosen the path of a warrior instead of this, she might have made a name for herself across the Central Plain.

“Hey now, folks. Want to taste the power of my divine hammer? Can’t shake off those impure gazes? I came out today to lift my house up, and all I see are tsk-tsk-tsk.”

However, today, what people are really looking forward to isn’t the Civil Engineering Fairy’s great abilities.

Everyone is just itching to hear the truth of that night, the grand showdown between the Civil Engineering Fairy and the curse.

“Uh, Fairy? I heard you made quite a racket last night…”

“What’s the big deal? Something unsavory showed up in the shrine at night, so I just chased it away. No matter how nasty a curse might be, it’s still human, right? Just shout at it like the great general Xiang Yu, and it’ll flee in fear.”

Qing spoke as if immersed in her role as a shaman.

With her resounding voice and fierce demeanor, it was clear to anyone that she was quite a reputable shaman.

“Fairy? Aren’t you cold? On a day like this, you should be sipping warm alcohol instead of hammering away in the chilly wind.”

“Hmm. Should I?”

The custom of buying tea or alcohol as a conversational gesture is indeed a long-standing tradition in the Central Plain.

And so, a warm jug of Huangju appeared before her.

Huangju really should be enjoyed warm for the best flavor.

After downing the free liquor, Qing continued her tale.

“After I finished the construction at Jin Gajang and set the materials outside, a thought struck me. Ah, perhaps an unwelcome guest might arrive today. That’s the intuition of the First Carpenter of Hunan, you see. But who am I? I’m the First Carpenter of Hunan! I wouldn’t fear mere petty evil spirits, so I thought, why not sleep early?”

The listeners tilted their heads in confusion.

What on earth is the First Carpenter’s intuition?

And what does that have to do with carpenters and evil spirits?

Do Hunan carpenters hunt ghosts or something?

Is it because of the Shaolin Temple?

“And then I heard the noise of evil spirits creeping in during the night, waking me up. Do you folks know the sound of evil spirits entering? It’s a chilling night breeze, and from the farthest distance, where no human ears can hear, you can hear the soft thud of footsteps approaching.”

At that, the crowd swallowed hard.

“So I quietly hid to figure out what kind of curse this was. Yes, and then as the evil spirit slammed into the Umiga Shrine, the bells ringing to chase away the evil started jingling wildly. It was so loud I thought the bells might shatter!”

“And then, what happened next?”

“Lo and behold, I locked eyes with that ruffian, and my goodness, I’ve never seen eyes like that. They looked like a beast’s, gleaming and glistening—certainly not the kind of evil spirit that just eats a couple of folks.”

Qing lowered her voice.

“But here’s the twist—”

“Jeomsoi! Bring the Huangju!”

“Civil Engineering Fairy, you like to choose, right? How about I get you a whole selection?”

At this point, seasoned storytellers usually take a break in the tale.

For Qing’s hometown, it’d be akin to saying, “Stay tuned for a reveal in thirty seconds,” or “Enjoy this commercial.”

So experienced speakers would place new offerings on the clean table again.

Qing blinked in surprise.

“No, I wasn’t asking for alcohol.”

Stunned, but, well, still happy.

Qing downed her glass of Huangju and reclaimed the mood.

“I’m not saying I’m thirsty; I’m just saying what I’m about to say is pretty heinous. Do you know what that curse is?”

“The thing about curses is, they don’t just pop into existence on their own. Have you ever seen something that didn’t exist suddenly come to be? Curses are similar—there’s someone behind them who creates them. Someone wanted to do major harm to Jin Gajang and thus went ahead and concocted it by killing a person.”

“Who, who could that be? Perhaps those guys?”

One onlooker interjected.

Those guys, the ones whose names are too unspeakable.

In the Central Plain, no one speaks lightly of the sorcerers; they mean the Sapa guys.

One characteristic of a city dominated by Sapa is that common folks refrain from speaking their name.

To that, Qing shook her head.

“Actually, I can’t say for sure. I can rip such evil spirits apart with the power of Xiang Yu, but whether those cursed beings would ever reveal the truth is another matter.”

“Then, does that mean the curse on Jin Gajang is gone?”

“No. Not yet.”

Qing asserted firmly.

“Curses, you see, don’t just vanish when they fail; they return to the one who cast the spell, which means the one who created the curse. Haven’t you heard that saying? If you want to curse someone, dig two graves.”

The onlookers looked puzzled.

Qing sported the same bewildered expression.

Eh? Was it not that digging graves wasn’t the main point? Or did you need to dig three instead of two?

Wasn’t that a famous saying?

Because that saying comes from the Japanese pirates, not the Central Plain.

“If you want to curse someone, you must dig the grave of your enemy along with your own. If the curse succeeds, it returns to your master, inflicting harm, so you have to dig your own grave as well.”

“Then, does that mean the curse causes harm even if it works?”

“That’s the terrifying part of curses. That’s why, historically, people have kept their distance from curses and sorcery. But the more frightening thing is when a curse fails. Do you know what happens when a cursed being, in a spirit as capable as mine, gets a nasty injury?”

“Wh-what happens?”

Qing finally brought up her main point.

“The curse takes its revenge on its master. So now that I’ve chased away that nasty curse, it’s bound to strike their creator with great harm. If great trouble is to befall anyone in Guangju City, that means they’re likely the one who cursed Jin Gajang.”

At that, the crowd’s eyes lit up.

The implication was that trouble was about to rain down in Guangju City.

This was a sign of an impending storm, an exciting forecast of intrigue and chaos!

The audience was already fidgeting, ready to spread the news.

And Qing stirred the pot even further.

“But you see, curses have a tendency to recognize those who know about me. Since you all learned about the curse on Jin Gajang, be careful, or you might just catch a stroke of bad luck.”

The people in Central Plain love their superstitions.

“Gasp! What should we do…”

“You’re not suggesting we start selling talismans here, are you?”

Such shamans often turn to business at times like this.

Folks who are overly superstitious might be ready to whip out their money bags right away, while those with a tad more resolve might think it’s not real but still want a talisman if the price is right.

Or others might jump up in exasperation, feeling duped.

Qing clicked her tongue loudly.

“Do you think I’m a merchant! Do you think I’d tell you something that would land you in hot water! I’ve got solutions to offer, which is why I shared my story!”

“W-what’s that solution!?”

“The solution I’m giving you is to spread the word far and wide. Once all of Guangju knows about the curse, the curse itself will think, ‘Oh, I’m so famous, I don’t even need to worry about it.’ So, spread the news that the curse on Jin Gajang has been broken, and that the vengeful curse is returning to its master, bound to strike them with a mighty blow. Do you understand?”

Luckily, this wasn’t a costly remedy; in fact, it was what they were already itching to do.

Not much effort needed.

“Alright. I’ve enjoyed my food and drink, so now go spread the word about the curse and protect yourselves. The more people know, the safer you’ll be. Now go and tell the world!”

At this, the audience stood up, almost like disciples, and fervently set out to spread the First Carpenter of Hunan’s teachings.

A commoner asked, “Have you heard the news? It’s a grim tale, but it’ll be amusing to share, and doing so will keep you safe, too.”

To which the listener replied, “I’ve eagerly awaited such news in this long winter, so storyteller, take my drink and grace this poor guest waiting eagerly for a story.”

The Central Plain people’s instinct for gossip and desperate need to avoid curses quickly ignited a renewed wildfire of rumors.

Thus, the hot topic in Jang An became that very curse.

Would the curse spoken of by the Civil Engineering Fairy strike its master?

Who exactly is that master, and what kind of calamity are we talking about?

It was truly a perfect subject for chit-chat in the slow season.

Some would dismiss the Civil Engineering Fairy as a quack, while others would argue, given that Jin Gajang seemed fine after its construction, that there’s something to her after all, leading to spontaneous wagers.

Wagers of various kinds cropped up.

Who might fall victim to the returning curse?

When it might happen?

Whether the Civil Engineering Fairy possesses real spiritual power or not, would the disaster truly come?

And thus, the people of Guangju and their stakes entered a waiting game for new developments.

—-

Naturally, rumors of the curse started to seep into the Salwol Gate.

Those who had cast the curse on Jin Gajang would soon find themselves on the receiving end of serious trouble due to their own hex.

In response, the Salwolmunju, Lee Wang-chul, dashed around the leader’s quarters.

“What exactly are those Jin Gajang folks up to?”

But Bang Jeoksa remained calm.

“It’s a classic case of tit for tat; they’re declaring their intention for vengeance.”

Tit for tat means to repay an injury with an injury, whereas the latter means to repay blood with blood—it’s the mindset of a gentleman who takes revenge in kind.

It’s a bit different from the Western phrase “an eye for an eye.”

In ancient Western times, it was common to kill over a shoulder bump, thus “just bump back” while valuing human life.

So “an eye for an eye” isn’t about revenge but rather underscores moderation in retaliation.

Yet, folks in the Central Plain have a little less patience for that kind of gentleness.

If you’re not ruthless, you’re no gentleman; revenge is taken as seriously as one’s existence.

However, there’s also the saying that a gentleman’s revenge is never late, emphasizing the virtue in biding one’s time while nursing a grudge.

Thus, the Jin Gajang folks openly spread rumors of their intention for revenge.

It’s only natural for the Salwolmunju to be on high alert about it.

While a clash between forces might be manageable for the Guangju Sapa to handle, stealthy scheming would likely put one’s own safety in jeopardy.

That’s because Jin Gaju is a master in the Realm of Transformation.

What if he were to strike while they’re preoccupied with the courtesans and the drinks?

“Well played. If the Jin folks pull something slick and manage to keep it under wraps, the Salwolmun will get the blame for casting the curse. If caught, either way, they still have a sound justification.”

But Bang Jeoksa remained unshaken.

He was a reliable figure indeed.

Lee Wang-chul took hold of Bang Jeoksa.

“What should we do then?”

“For the time being, we’ll have to keep quiet, like mice hiding in the grass. No rogue actions from warriors either. Now that the rumor of curses is swirling, they’ll surely try to bring us harm—even if they don’t manage to, making fools of us is easy. But if we don’t act, isn’t a night-time raid all we’ll have to worry about?”

He suggested that they should stop all actions temporarily to prevent a possible night raid.

“But the raid is the problem, isn’t it?”

“Jin Gajang lacks manpower. Moreover, every warrior there is a direct descendant of Jin, making them an irreplaceable resource. So if we can capture just one or two, they’ll back off without much fuss.”

Bang Jeoksa was typically calm and composed.

When the strategist remains calm, it breeds peace of mind and courage in his lord.

“Indeed! You put a lot of thought into this! Truly my best strategist! No, you’re actually better than any other strategist!”

Lee Wang-chul praised Bang Jeoksa.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed nearby as the door to the leader’s quarters burst open without even a knock.

“Hey! How many times do I have to say, wait for my permission to enter—”

“It’s a disaster! Gold Robbery Guild, the Gold Robbery Guild!”

“The Gold Robbery Guild? What about them?”

“The Gold Robbery Guild has fallen! It’s been turned into total chaos!”

—-

Qing had heard the news as well.

“Huh.”

Qing was utterly flabbergasted.

What’s going on? Why on earth is the Gold Robbery Guild falling apart all of a sudden?

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