Chapter 474

Jel Nak-seong, the Supreme Being, Jun Gi-chung felt the pressing need to make a decision quickly.

No Mountain bordered the sea to the east and south.

In the northwest, there was the big city, Jik-muk.

Naturally, warriors would flock to the West Gate and North Gate.

Even now, at dawn, where the sky dimly reflected the color of the sea, this was the case.

If daytime came, how many moths to the flame would come fluttering in?

Where would all those meddlesome interlopers trying to hunt down the Heart Consumption Technique swarm to?

They’d probably join up with some bandits or whatever else there was to bolster their numbers.

But there were no more reinforcements for Jel Nak-seong and Gang Pae-cheon.

Maybe a ragtag bunch of minor sects at best?

But most of the nameless guests who fell into the “whatever else” category were likely those lower-tier sect thugs.

They knew that if they attached themselves to Jel Nak-seong and Gang Pae-cheon, they’d just end up used as cannon fodder and thrown away.

Because Jel Nak-seong and Gang Pae-cheon genuinely thought that way.

And if Sado Ten Great Stars were present, they too would have quietly thrown off their garments and moved toward other factions for the same reasons.

In short, the longer they dragged this out, the worse it would be.

“Hey there, I’m Jun Gi-chung, the esteemed Jel Nak-seong. As you all know, dragging this out will bring us no advantage, right?”

At that, Pobidon nodded his head.

And soon enough, the Strange Monk, who was standing in a representative-like position of the other factions, expressed his agreement as well.

From a power structure standpoint, it seemed like dragging things out favored the bandits and other factions.

But?

The secret manual might be one, and even if there were several, they had no intention of sharing the Divine Skill with anyone.

So, once the door opened, everyone would be competitors and obstacles for each other.

Dragging this out wouldn’t help at all.

“What are you planning? Are you thinking of pulling out hearts? Whose hearts are you planning to pull?”

“Are you suggesting we draw lots? If we just offer up hearts to make someone else happy, who would even want to draw lots?”

At this, Jun Gi-chung offered a suggestion of his own.

“Is it really necessary to draw the hearts of the Martial World East folks here? We could just draw the heart of someone who hasn’t even arrived yet, right?”

He meant to attack the next arriving Supreme Martial Artist together.

Sounds of “Ah!” or “Oh…” of realization or relief popped up from here and there.

The faces of the warriors brightened up all at once.

It was then that a sneering voice broke in, grating on the nerves.

“Tsk tsk. You fools. Do you really think Supreme Martial Artists are that common? And even if one appeared, would such a master come alone without followers? Is the Sado Ten Great Stars going to take care of them?”

Jun Gi-chung flinched a bit and asked, “Who are you, old man?”

“Tsk tsk, can’t you figure it out? If I was going to reveal who I am, would I be hiding behind these sham guys? I’m just an old senior.”

Cheon Yu-hak said this with a smirk.

Jun Gi-chung frowned at his tone that lacked even an ounce of respect.

But given how old, shady sect masters usually acted, he was too familiar with it to take offense now.

“So, your Ten Great Stars are going to step up and pull the hearts?”

“No, there’s none other than Great Hero Pobidon here, and Strange Monk is present too, so if the masters of the Realm of Transformation team up—”

“What’s up? Why would I trust you to fight alongside? If it goes wrong, I could easily wipe out the most dangerous competitor! What kind of nonsense is that, you Sapa scum?”

At that, Pobidon and the Strange Monk’s expressions stiffened.

Thinking it over, he made a valid point.

Even if the Ten Great Stars were one group, they could fight back to back, but the bandits and others were just individuals who grouped up as needed.

“Then, what plan do you have, old senior?”

Jun Gi-chung’s tone was quite cheeky.

But Cheon Yu-hak just smirked.

“Foolish kids like you never learn. If you wanted to find the treasure map’s treasures, shouldn’t you have brought a renowned Mechanical System expert first? Honestly, are you idiots even capable of thinking? Tsk tsk.”

“That’s a valid point. I completely agree. The heads of the Central Plain are nothing but decoration. The very act of following false Buddha is proof of that.”

The Strange Monk nodded in agreement.

Thanks to that, all eyes immediately focused on one spot.

Who does this barbarian think he is, acting all high and mighty when he showed up alone?

“Ahem. So are you saying you brought a Mechanical System expert?”

“Do you really think I’m like you idiots? Alright, go and open it. I’m sure you bragged about being able to open anything.”

“Hmph. I am Da Yeoreum, the Mechanical King of the World. There’s no one better at Mechanical Systems than me. This shabby Stone Door? If it gets caught by Da Yeoreum, I’ll open it right up.”

At that, the crowd all tilted their heads in unison.

Mechanical King?

King is king, supreme is supreme, divine is divine, and emperor is emperor.

What a ridiculous and grandiose title not even an emperor would use.

And Da Yeoreum? Is that even a name?

If she’s such a fantastic expert in Mechanical Systems, you’d think someone would’ve heard of her.

Yet, it seemed no one knew her.

“Mechanical King!” “Da Yeoreum!” “Da Yeoreum!”

Then suddenly, someone piped up, pretending to know her.

Namgoong Shin-jae and Jin Jangmyung stood confidently.

Only Mo Yong Joo-hee, who had cried her name, seemed unable to lift her head from being too embarrassed.

She received suspicious glances from those around, wondering if she came with those brats.

But it sounded like a pseudonym to anyone’s ears.

If that wasn’t a pseudonym, she’d have to have been uniquely trained.

Qing took it a step further.

“Well then. You’ll have to settle the bill, right? I can see this isn’t your average Mechanical System here. If I open the door for you, I should get something in return.”

“You little brat. After stuffing yourself with Gold Ingots, you’re going to talk about money? Have you ever seen such a greedy little brat?”

“No, old man, you’ve paid your share. If you’re opening the door for me, isn’t it proper to toss at least one coin to the little servant at the tavern? With this many people wanting to get in, wouldn’t it only make sense to show a little sincerity?”

So she was outright asking for money.

That was ridiculous, but on the flip side, it drastically increased her credibility.

Wasn’t that an attitude like one who had already opened all the doors?

At that, Jun Gi-chung opened his mouth.

In times like this, it was natural to make an advance to gain authority.

If things kept going this way, he would end up being treated like a spokesperson or moderator.

“Hey, can you really open the Stone Door?”

“Of course, I’m Da Yeoreum! Don’t you know Da Yeoreum, the shining star of the Mechanical System world? But who are you, sir? Are you some famous person? This girl doesn’t know much about the Martial World.”

“What?”

“Whoa! This fellow is none other than the Supreme Being of Jel Nak-seong! You rude little girl!”

“Whoa. Are you the Prefectural Governor? Hmm? But Jel Nak-seong? Has another city been created in the Central Plain?”

“You ignorant little—!”

“Enough.”

Jun Gi-chung halted the shouting.

Hearing what was said, this seemed to be her actual name and not a pseudonym.

Martial World individuals follow the happenings of the Martial World.

But what’s this Mechanical System nonsense?

He’d never even heard of that before.

So even if a renowned Mechanical System craftsman knew the Martial World, they probably wouldn’t know it.

If this girl didn’t even know the notorious name of the Sado Ten Great Stars, then she probably spent all her time meddling with machines.

“So how much do you want?”

“Hehe. How much did you come expecting?”

At that, Jun Gi-chung’s words got caught in his throat.

What was this?

Isn’t it usually the seller who sets the price?

What did she mean, how much did he come expecting?

Is there a market price for opening doors?

Nah, as she said, only those in the Mechanical System field would understand what that value would be, while those asking to have the door opened wouldn’t know the pricing.

It was nothing short of absurd!

Jun Gi-chung felt a deep surge of rage building up.

“By the way, how many people are there? Oh no, how am I supposed to calculate all this? Prefectural Governor, what if you just pay one Gold Ingot and take care of everything?”

Jun Gi-chung was both angry and at a loss.

“You want me to pay for everyone? Why should I?”

“Well, Prefectural Governor, you’re the highest-ranked in the group, and if you pay the price to open the door, won’t you benefit even more?”

Hearing this answer made Jun Gi-chung, who was about to snap, hesitate.

That’s… reasonable?

Why waste money on the door fees of competitors and obstacles?

That would just be throwing money down the drain.

But that’s not just it!

It was buying a justification worth much more than the door fee.

By paying for everyone’s entrance, he would gain the rationale and authority to control the order of entry and exit!

“What a clever girl. Fine then.”

“Wait! We’ll cover our own costs!”

Pobidon rushed in to interject, but Jun Gi-chung was quicker.

“Wow! Gold Ingots just popping out! Thanks!”

“Hey, little lady! We’ll pay for ourselves, so just give us our share back!”

“No way! I just got these Gold Ingots, where would I have change? Just give it all to Prefectural Governor!”

“What’s with your Prefectural Governor nonsense! He isn’t a Prefectural Governor!”

“What? He’s not the supreme of Jel Nak-seong? Whoa, is he a commander then?”

“No, Jel Nak-seong doesn’t even exist!”

“What? Then what the heck is Jel Nak-seong?”

“It’s not a city, it’s a martial sect!”

“Wow. So now martial sects can have city titles? I should’ve spent my time reading secret manuals instead of learning about machines.”

“Gah! This is infuriating! Why can’t you understand?”

Pobidon smacked his chest.

His hefty frame created ripples like waves.

Qing watched this in fascination.

Does she look bigger than me?

Can’t we just give the Three Titles to that pig?

Anyway, Qing boldly stepped up toward the Mechanical System.

Everyone parted ways, seemingly trusting that the Mechanical King would open the Stone Door.

Cheon Yu-hak beamed with satisfaction.

What a natural and smooth scam it was!

She was asking for money first, which made her seem like a true expert in Mechanical Systems.

Even skipping over the usual confirming if she could actually open it, she was pocketing Gold Ingots too!

Truly, her student wasn’t unlearned, just ignoring the basics.

All parents tend to cling to such beliefs.

But heads can be divided into learning, working, clever schemes, and common sense.

If you overly trust the heads of your children or students, that can lead to misfortune for us all.

And so, Qing stood confidently in front of the Stone Door.

The group kept their watch while surrounding the Mechanical Expert Da Yeoreum.

“Let’s see here. Just how impressive is this Mechanical System, huh? Oh, wow.”

Qing energetically tapped on the Stone Door and pressed her ear to it as if listening.

Then she slipped her hand into the heart’s cavity.

Gently sweeping around, then she pressed firmly, showing off her biceps.

No one could see the meaning of her bulging muscles.

This was a display of unnatural power, relentlessly pushing against the heart hole!

But Qing began to panic inside.

Hmm. Why isn’t it breaking?

I thought if I just pushed hard enough, it would just fall apart?

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