Chapter 414

In just a few days, two of the three notorious gangs in Gwangju went down.

Well, the first to fall, the Gold Robbery Guild, was shockingly explainable by reasonable, logical, and empirical reasons.

It was simply a curse!

The curse of the people from Jin Gajang who died unjustly!

The Gold Robbery Guild was wiped out overnight.

There were no witnesses, and all anyone heard were screams in the night.

So, logically speaking, this couldn’t have been the work of humans.

It was undoubtedly the handiwork of ghosts, especially a major one.

Thus, the people of Gwangju weren’t so much in shock as they were celebrating.

Those doomed guys got what they deserved!

So there really is divine punishment!

Ha! Not being able to see those scum die with my own eyes is a lifelong regret!

But the downfall of Gwangju Seonbang hit differently.

The furious Xiang Yu descended directly through the body of a Shaman, stormed in alone to tear down their plaque, stained it with blood, and proudly displayed the demise of the villains to the world.

All day long, justice was served.

The people of Gwangju saw it with their own eyes, some even taking part in the looting out of long-held grudges, while many dealt with their enemies personally, making the situation quite lively.

By the afternoon, common folks with grievances against Gwangju Seonbang were eagerly flocking to the Civil Engineering Fairy, offering to guide her around.

They were jostling each other to be the first to take revenge on their enemies before they could flee, almost coming to blows over it.

So, how could the sentiment in Gwangju be any different?

“Hey, the Civil Engineering Fairy—”

“Wait, is she your friend? Call her Shaman! Shaman!”

Whatever the case, Qing had just finished a hard but rewarding day’s work and was already lying down by dawn.

I’d barely closed my eyes and exhaled a couple of times when I was jolted awake by the sound of knocking and someone calling for Qing.

“Lady, who’s knocking at the crack of dawn…”

Well, actually, it wasn’t dawn but just before noon, the sun hovering directly overhead.

Qing had closed her eyes, taken two deep breaths, and then crashed into a deep sleep.

“Who is it?”

Then came the answer.

“Uh, is that you, Shaman? It’s Jin Seol.”

—-

The reckless youngsters love to get into trouble.

Why, you ask? Because they’re young.

As members of the orthodox martial world pursuing virtue, you have to protect the weak and not be silent in the face of injustice.

That’s the mantra that the orthodox martial world drills into future generations.

Plus, these are kids who grew up listening to the heroic tales of respected seniors from the clans.

Yet, despite all that, they rarely escalate things into major incidents because their mischief generally doesn’t exceed their own level of recklessness.

When we say “prestigious schools,” we mean the top-tier ones, while only the few elite candidates (or those who universally guzzle elixirs) reach the peak early on.

But right now, in the martial world, there are frankly so many peak warriors that it’s almost comical.

Great Master Muhak’s techniques have been established for a long time, so as long as you live long enough to train regularly, even the dullest of tools can eventually reach the peak.

Plus, the region has enjoyed prolonged peace.

With so many seasoned warriors around, it’s not uncommon for even small towns to have supreme masters in their ranks.

So if the reckless youngsters cause a ruckus, there are plenty of likely challengers to hold them back.

In the process, the young ones learn about the true martial world.

The endless cycle of vengeance, cutting and slicing without end.

Sure, they don’t really understand it fully, but they get a vague sense of the outline of it.

They also come to realize that their antics aren’t as monumental as they thought.

But witnessing the line of responsibility stretch out to the elders of the clans when they mess up, they learn to identify themselves as part of a sect rather than as individuals.

This is how the wild, reckless youth of the orthodox martial world transforms into responsible adults.

That’s why Jin Jagang reflected deeply.

“Seomun Qing was also just a reckless youth, huh?

Thinking back, she’s only twenty-one, and really, it’s only been a month and a half since she turned twenty…

I wasn’t even considering her age with her profound compassion to comfort others.”

The real problem was her recklessness.

When an orthodox youth gets into trouble, it’s like a kid swinging around a wooden sword.

They might only cut down the lowest-ranked thugs in the gangster sect, and even they might just consider themselves unlucky and shrug it off.

The more dangerous ones, on the other hand, show restraint against recklessness, and given the orthodox warriors’ significant backing, they generally get knocked down and sent home.

Sure, during their first foray into the martial world, there are many who lose their lives due to youthful exuberance.

But Qing didn’t wield a wooden sword.

She grasped a sharp sword among the fine blades, and just look at the result now.

“Hmm.”

Jin Jagang chose his words carefully.

He had called her in to sit down, but it was tough to get the conversation rolling.

Was it because Qing made a mistake?

Nope.

Jin Jagang was actually the one who initiated the conversation.

“First, I must express gratitude and also an apology. This should have been Jin’s responsibility, yet it fell to you after all.”

“It’s okay. Well, Jin is in a tough situation too…”

As soon as the words left her lips, Qing regretted them, wondering if it was appropriate to say that.

Jin Jagang just smiled wryly.

How do you think the head of a clan feels hearing their guest speak of their hardships?

“No, if it’s something the Cheonhwa-geom could accomplish, then I could have handled it too. It’s just that I couldn’t afford to. There’s a family to protect. I could say I pushed them away for the sake of observation.”

“Of course, that makes perfect sense.”

“Umm.”

As Jin Jagang chose his words, he realized he had taken on a rather unpleasant role.

To put it mildly, it would be reasonable to praise her for doing well and express his excitement.

But that wasn’t his role.

Qing referred to her achievements as between the peak and the transcendent, yet once you surpass that peak, you’re merely in the Realm of Transformation.

Of course, it might have manifested differently with Qing, who would find no compassion in her hands, but still, he wouldn’t just observe Gwangju Seonbang crumble away.

If Jin Jagang stepped in, the gangster group wouldn’t simply sit idle.

Equivalent masters would seek revenge, so really, for the sake of appearances, Jin would have to demonstrate that Jin Gaju could dispatch those fools decisively.

What a challenge and a fatal confrontation they might end up stuck in, and even when it’s all over, does that guarantee their family’s safety?

In truth, Jin Jagang had known the villainy of Gwangju Seonbang long before.

It wasn’t that Jin Jagang was just letting it all happen, but once Jin Gajang regained its strength, he would merely snuff out the scoundrels like bugs.

But the common folks suffering in the meantime?

So Jin Jagang’s current role was more like an elder advising a child on how to be cowardly; about how, even if it’s dishonorable and nasty, sometimes life forces one to be that way.

“The Cheonhwa-geom is not just one individual. As the Divine Dragon of the orthodox sect, representing the reckless youth, and as the direct disciple of the late great master, you carry their will. You also belong to the Divine Maiden Sect. Understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes.”

“Even if you comprehend this, hear it again. Everything the Cheonhwa-geom does reflects the intent and responsibilities of the group.”

“Yes.”

Qing’s eyebrows drooped.

She’s no child to argue otherwise.

Because she wasn’t a child.

As a single individual belonging to that group, even if she was the only one, she could represent it.

Claiming to only be a part of it wouldn’t hold weight if that group failed to self-regulate their responsibilities.

The honesty in Qing’s expression brought a soft smile to Jin Jagang’s face.

If she grasped that responsibility, there’s no need for more nagging.

“Nonetheless, it’s fortunate that what the Civil Engineering Fairy did was under the protective influence of the Shaman instead of the Cheonhwa-geom.”

“Eh?”

“Let’s say the Civil Engineering Fairy left on a carriage to Huado. That has nothing to do with the Cheonhwa-geom, right?”

So, let’s say you drop by Huado wearing the garb of the Civil Engineering Fairy, hire a carriage, and escape somewhere.

And then come back quietly.

The Cheonhwa-geom who stayed at Jin’s place would be none the wiser; they were merely a guest here taking a rest.

Qing stared back in disbelief.

“Uh, is that really okay?”

“How would the elusive Civil Engineering Fairy’s departure be tracked?”

“But what if they confront Jin Gaju? Like that gangster group, perhaps.”

“If there’s evidence, then they will accept it.”

That was just him saying he’d push the narrative.

What was this? Is this the tactic of the orthodox elders?

“Let me repeat: the Cheonhwa-geom was merely performing her duties. Perhaps a bit too forcefully, but the Jin couldn’t contain the horrible villains whose complaints reached the heavens. Instead, we should be grateful.”

And with that, the head of the Jin family deeply bowed.

This wasn’t something a simple reckless youth should show gratitude for twice.

Yet Qing’s expression as she exited Jin Gaju was anything but cheerful.

She had expected a scolding.

What she hoped for was something along the lines of the potential consequences of her impulsive actions affecting those around her; that while it felt good to punish the villains, she should also learn to be a bit cowardly.

Perhaps about the sanctity of life?

Or how it’s better to save than remove, or how to resolve hearts rather than silence mouths?

Or just that violence ultimately tends to backfire?

But she heard none of that, just a gratitude that she should have killed them but instead didn’t.

Doing good to punish villains was the message.

Is this how it should be?

The people of Gwangju thought so, too.

After all, the folks who perished were totally deserving of it.

It just felt like there should be some layers, some sob stories or conflicts involved here.

Yet everyone was joyously celebrating the collapse of Gwangju Seonbang.

Something feels off, doesn’t it? Why does it leave such an unsettling taste?

If sounds could come from the Dantian, right now it would be a loud, anguished scream.

The true masters of Taoists and Buddhists sweat profusely as they hasten their Qi.

Leading the charge was the great monk donning a robe backward, followed closely by the red-robed Divine Engineering Fairy and a daring monk in a revealing Shaolin outfit, with a dragon and an elephant-bearing palanquin behind them.

As these masters followed the upper meridian to the crown, the Dantian floor filled with horrid shrieks.

The Taoist divine skills surged, shattering the unholy sounds, but the horrors refused to subside.

What happened? Why this sudden outburst after days of peace?

Qi must flow, it shouldn’t get stagnant, so there’s no choice but to break through and return to the Dantian door.

And that’s where the demon’s laughter echoed mockingly at the chaos unfolding.

Typically, the cheerful warrior would be the first to restore discipline, but right now, the cheerful warrior was too busy to even show their face.

In a corner, the Pachen Magi stood, chuckling to himself.

At that moment—

Bang! The Dantian door flew open, and the cheerful warrior burst out, scattering transparent sand all over the walls.

The cheerful warrior’s side kick!

Smashing the Pachen Magi’s side while crouching against the wall.

Then he kicked the door open again and dashed off toward the crown point.

Busy, busy, turning murderous intent into playful energy, the cheerful warrior hardly had a moment to breathe.

The Taoist and Buddhist masters gave a collective sigh as they rushed back to cleanse the unholy sounds.

Having recovered from their momentary shock at the cheerful warrior’s appearance, the demons now focused on the rolling Pachen Magi.

The Pachen Magi lay there, shaking his side as he held it, then awkwardly crouched before the wall, chuckling, “Heh heh…”

The Pachen Magi was laughing.

And the lunar beauty watched this unfold in silence.

With no expression whatsoever.

---