Nachal Bang's Meteoric Rise
Anyway, this whole mess had finally wrapped up. With manpower poured into the razed city, it was slowly regaining its former shape, and all the quarantine procedures were done, letting us finally catch our breath. The best part? Our Nachal Bang had ballooned into a massive force. We'd sucked up labor and capital by taking on every damn job during the reconstruction, and that's how it happened.
Galbi Jong, eager to flex his full talents, restructured our organization—and it worked like a charm. In the end, Nachal Bang evolved into something like a martial powerhouse fused with a merchant guild and a labor agency. The crazy thing? No sect in the entire Central Plains operated like this—it was one-of-a-kind.
"Krahaha! Taking over what Dahoebang and Haengdo-mun used to do has skyrocketed our profits!" Galbi Jong bellowed, grinning ear to ear.
He wasn't wrong. We'd become exactly that kind of sect. Thanks to all the folks from Dahoebang and Haengdo-mun jumping ship, the new systems clicked into place fast, speeding up the reforms. These days, Nachal Bang handled every odd job in the city—dispatching squads, guarding businesses, even teaching martial arts. Total full-service operation.
"Things have changed a lot."
The guys from Haengdo-mun and Dahoebang were mostly day laborers before. Now, with the reorganization, they'd become full-time employees. Me, heading up an outfit like this? Kinda surreal.
"Kuk kuk kuk... The officials are handing all yokai extermination requests straight to us now."
"Wait, even that?"
"Haengdo-mun's out of commission anyway. Easiest for the government to dump it on us."
"Guess we need more admin staff."
Requests from the province were flooding into Nachal Bang, and we dispatched squads accordingly, raking in the cash. Smooth sailing at this rate. We were teaching martial arts too, but it felt lacking. To grow bigger, hiring outside masters as instructors wasn't a bad idea. In the end, martial prowess was king in the murim.
"Jae Mi-son. Once our funds fatten up, let's recruit some outside experts. Put 'em in charge of training the squad members."
"Great idea... Gonna get busier."
Yeah, it would. We wrapped up work like that and clocked out.
"Geun-hyeop. You're back?"
Namgung Serin greeted me mid-training.
"Yeah. Where's Ha-young?"
"Restocking talismans. Well then, shall we begin today's training?"
"Ah, man. Being the boss is tough."
Work, then training. No time to breathe.
"That's why clan heads appoint chief stewards."
"To dump all the work on them."
"Exactly. But why worry? Galbi Jong will handle it flawlessly—he's basically the steward already. Jae Mi-son’s sharp too; he can cover that side."
"Heh heh heh, true enough."
Those two were absolute treasures. Back when I first met Galbi Jong, I thought he was a total psycho. Now? Indispensable. Can't imagine running the sect without him.
"Then let's start training. Follow closely."
"Got it."
And so, Serin guided my session. This was my daily grind.
"Geun-hyeop. To be honest, it's astonishing. Not just the sheer volume of your inner energy—your skills have improved by leaps and bounds as it grows. Hard to believe you were a third-rate ronin not long ago; you're razor-sharp now."
"Whoa, that good?"
"Yes. I'm barely at the entry to Peak realm, but I've never doubted my talent. Sure, I started young with elixirs and expert guidance, accelerating my progress—but without talent, I wouldn't have reached this level."
Serin said it with a straight face.
"But you... not from a great clan, just a third-rate ronin. Even with that yodan stroke of luck, your training time's limited. And yet now..."
What's the verdict?
"Frankly, you're not quite at my level, but you've hit First-rate."
"First-rate?!"
"Yes. First-rate. You beat Geuk-hyeon, remember?"
Holy shit! Me, First-rate!
"That pace is terrifying. You might catch up to me soon."
"Kuh...! Then learn from me from now on, Serin! I'll teach you for life!"
"What kind of—"
She'd taught me this much; I'd return the favor.
"Fufu. Chew on that—it's amusing. Yes, I'll look forward to it."
"Alright! Back to training!"
"Yes!"
Serin, a Peak expert, didn't bullshit. If she said so, it was fact. My skills were skyrocketing daily—explosively, backed by overwhelming inner energy. Peak realm soon, maybe.
"Hoo."
Training over, sweat poured off me.
"Good work, Geun-hyeop."
Serin's clothes clung damply, looking downright seductive. Stray hairs on her flushed face? Tempting as hell.
"What're you staring at? Horny right after training? You lech."
She smirked and sidled up.
"You're the one striking those lewd poses, Serin."
"Hard to understand. Anyway, let's wash up..."
"Training done?"
Wi Ha-young appeared.
"Talismans all used?"
"Agh, shoulders killing me. Gonna bathe? Join me. Rub 'em after?"
"Hah? Asking Geun-hyeop, fresh off training, for that? A proper wife massages her husband first."
"Pfft. She'd just grope my chest under pretense."
Busted.
"Geun-hyeop. I'll do your shoulders in the bedroom. Give up on her tits."
"That's harsh...!"
Anyway, bath time. We all headed in.
"Ugh, no hot water's rough. Oh yeah—Saseon-nyeo never showed? Jinuiwi just left."
Ha-young said from the tub.
Damn, PTSD? I flinched at her name.
"If she appeared that easily, she wouldn't be Central Plains' public enemy. We'd all be dead."
"True. Better off never seeing that wicked witch."
They knew nothing. That's why they could chat casually.
"Yeah. No good comes from spotting a monster like her. Life's too short even chasing the good stuff."
"Kuk kuk, what're you on about?"
I slipped into the tub.
"Anyway, glad she didn't show. For real. Thinking of her atrocities—who knows what would've happened? We'd have bolted."
"Yes. Her rap sheet alone marks her as a monster."
Hold up. Rap sheet?
"When did Saseon-nyeo's infamy start? Ming? Yuan?"
Yuan before Ming—maybe Yuan era figure?
"Yuan? Pfft."
Ha-young snorted.
"Some say back to Sui Dynasty."
"What?! Sui Dynasty?!"
Sui now?!
"Goguryeo's Eulji Mundeok?!"
"Eul... what? Yeah, some barbarian state back then. How'd you know?"
"Just... heard it somewhere."
"Weirdo. Knows everything."
Ha-young eyed me, but whatever.
"So Saseon-nyeo from Sui era?"
"Some say."
"No solid records. Tang, Five Dynasties, Song—claims everywhere."
Debated, huh.
"But Sui? That's nearly a millennium ago. Possible?"
"Geun-hyeop? How do you know the timelines?"
"Got some common knowledge."
"This ain't common—scholar level. Spill: hidden bastard son of some high official?"
Serin hugged me from behind.
"Yeah. Always suspected. Not noble, but official's kid? Right?"
Ha-young rubbed against my chest from front.
Modern knowledge sparking genius rumors again.
"Nah, quit it... Sui era means she's thousand years old? Even masters don't live that long."
"Hence 'fairy' in her name."
"..."
Not evil fairy for nothing.
"Truth's unknown. But records overflow from Yuan, Song. Maybe Five Dynasties or Song."
"Insane witch anyway. Centuries-old fairy? Evil one? Might plague post-Ming eras too."
The two sandwiched me in the tub, chatting.
My brain? Pure shock and terror.
If Sui era... my "mom" was thousand years old! And I went nuts sucking and fucking with her!
Insane! A millennium of training? That's beyond Heavenly Demon.
Yuan's Koke Temur? Chump. Got owned by Demon King.
Just terrifying... gonna lose it.