Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Shaanxi Branch Chief
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Having gained the public's trust through their work in Anbin Village, the Warmheart Carpentry Guild gradually took on more jobs.
It was a combination of pro bono work and discount events, so to speak.
When Neung Un-bi's massive investment was added to Sin Gong's technical skill, it was like giving wings to a tiger.
People lined up at the Sinpyeong Brewery day after day.
As a result, even among those who used to point fingers at the mere mention of the Demonic Cult, voices of praise for their good deeds began to emerge.
It wouldn't be long now. The Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild would soon be left with nothing to do but twiddle its thumbs.
And as the branch's location changed, Un Hak also had to bid a regretful farewell.
They had only agreed to travel together as far as Shaanxi in the first place.
“Young Master Neung, unfortunately, it seems I must be on my way.”
“You’re finally leaving?”
“F-Finally?”
“Of course, finally. Does a Taoist and a Demonic Cultist traveling together even make sense?”
“Still… that’s a bit harsh.”
“Harsh?”
Unlike Un Hak, who had grown fond of him and felt a pang of sadness, Neung Un-bi wore a look of relief, as if a nagging tooth had finally been pulled.
“Hoo, Amitabha.”
“Is that a curse? Saying Amitabha to a demonic practitioner.”
“Pardon?”
Of course, Neung Un-bi also chanted Taoist mantras.
But how could his chanting be the same as Un Hak's?
*When you do it, it reeks of sacred energy.*
*So don’t. It gives me the creeps and feels utterly unpleasant.*
“But you’re actually sad, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“You are, though.”
“I’m not sad!”
“…The fact that you’re shouting suggests your heart feels otherwise.”
“…”
*This guy, seriously… I’m not sad!*
“Huu… In any case, I hope you continue to walk the right path, just as you are now.”
“I’ll handle that myself. So stop with the goodbyes and go.”
Neung Un-bi maintained his cold demeanor, but Un Hak misunderstood it as an attempt to sever their bond.
“Um… if Young Master Neung wishes, I think I could stay a little longer…”
“…”
Seeing Un Hak unable to let go, Neung Un-bi smiled brightly and said.
“Go.”
“…Tch.”
*Why is he being so clingy?*
*Why would I bother keeping a Taoist around?*
*Besides, everything he’s seen will be reported to the Orthodox Murim Alliance and Mount Hua, won’t it?*
“Since you’re trying so hard to push me away… I have no choice. In that case, please be sure to visit Mount Hua later.”
“I’m not going! I said I’m not going!”
“Oh, come on, you’ll want to… My master, the Sword Saint, will want to see you too.”
Un Hak winked, and Neung Un-bi stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.
*Is he out of his mind?*
No matter how much I was once part of the Orthodox Faction, I am now a martial artist who has learned demonic arts.
The Demon-Suppressing Bead can quell my demonic energy, but it can't eliminate it completely.
And he’s inviting me to the heartland of Taoism?
I wouldn’t even be able to breathe there.
“Go! Just go, you punk!”
“…Yes.”
As Neung Un-bi practically pushed him out, Un Hak pouted deeply and bid a reluctant farewell.
But as fate would have it, the void left by one person was soon filled by another.
After Un Hak left, just as he was discussing the building to be used as the Shaanxi Demonic Cult branch with Sin Gong.
“My lord, the Shaanxi Branch Chief has arrived.”
“Ah, he’s here?”
“Yes.”
Neung Un-bi went outside with a pleased expression.
They were short-handed with the increasing construction work, so it was a relief he arrived at such an opportune time.
After all, what workers were stronger than martial artists?
Stepping outside, Neung Un-bi looked down from the platform.
Nearly two hundred men, and over twenty carts.
Well, considering the entire branch had moved, it was a relatively small amount of luggage.
The sturdy man standing at the very front seemed to be the branch chief.
He had quite an imposing aura. Sharply defined sword-like eyebrows, lips pressed into a firm line, and a square jaw.
Somehow… he had the look of someone who was unmistakably a martial artist of the Demonic Cult.
Just like Neung Un-bi, the Shaanxi Branch Chief looked at him with slightly surprised eyes.
*Is that the Third Young Master?*
He was young. He looked to be barely of age.
But his smiling eyes as he looked down and his naturally relaxed posture radiated an air of composure.
The man who had single-handedly destroyed a major sect like the Heavenly Pillar Gate with only his escort squad and no support from the Cult.
Rumor had it that before leaving the main headquarters, he had defeated the First Young Master, Wi Ji-hyeok, who was said to be the closest to the throne, right in front of the Cult Leader.
Though he had a slender build, his martial skill must be considerable.
Most importantly, wasn't he the one who had resolved the deep-seated resentment the branch members had carried in their hearts for so long?
From the shadows into the light—it was a feat no one in the Demonic Cult had ever achieved.
Perhaps because of these thoughts, just looking at him filled the branch chief with a sense of pride, and loyalty naturally welled up inside him.
*Thud!*
The Shaanxi Branch Chief immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
“Gwak Hui-yeong, the Shaanxi Branch Chief, greets the Third Young Master.”
“The Shaanxi Branch greets the Third Young Master!”
Following Gwak Hui-yeong’s lead, all the branch members knelt in unison and greeted him.
The sound, which echoed resoundingly, made the people of Sinpyeong Brewery stop in their tracks and glance over.
“Welcome. I apologize for asking you to move here so suddenly.”
“Not at all!”
“…”
“How could we possibly complain about the Third Young Master’s command? We are simply overwhelmed with gratitude that you have not only summoned us but are also personally overseeing the establishment of the branch.”
At Gwak Hui-yeong’s words, Neung Un-bi gave an awkward smile.
*What a character…*
*It’s not like he swallows a megaphone for breakfast, so how is his voice so loud?*
The whole neighborhood could hear him.
“Overwhelmed with gratitude?”
“Of course! How can words possibly praise the achievement of bringing the Central Plains Demonic Cult branches, which have operated in the shadows, into the light!”
Contrary to his rock-solid first impression, he was quite the flatterer.
But… his voice might go hoarse at this rate.
“Please rise and come inside.”
“Yes, Third Young Master!”
Gwak Hui-yeong rose energetically and exchanged greetings with the other Demonic Cult members present with Neung Un-bi.
“I’ve heard much about you. You were the leader of the renowned Black Panther Unit, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I am Ju Seung, currently serving as the Leader of the Waning Moon Division.”
“Oh! The one who rendered distinguished service during the Heavenly Pillar Gate incident!”
“It was hardly a service… I merely rode on the coattails of what my lord accomplished.”
“Coattails! Such modesty! The name of the Waning Moon Division Leader is already resounding throughout the Central Plains!”
“I-Is that so? Heh heh.”
Ju Seung laughed awkwardly at Gwak Hui-yeong’s praise. He didn’t seem to dislike it.
“Then, could this gentleman be the Guard Captain, Wang…”
“Yes, I am Wang Cheon.”
“Mad Leopard Wang Cheon!”
“…”
“I have admired your name for over a decade! This is truly the honor of a lifetime.”
“You don’t have to go that far… It’s a pleasure to meet you, Branch Chief.”
Wang Cheon, with an expression similar to Ju Seung's, shook Gwak Hui-yeong’s hand and smiled.
*Aren’t you embarrassed to say things like that so loudly?*
*And you’ve admired him for over a decade?*
This fellow’s exaggerations were way over the top. Just when he thought he’d gotten rid of Un Hak, it seemed another strange one had latched onto him.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Neung Un-bi spoke to Gwak Hui-yeong.
“In any case, you’ve arrived at the perfect time, Branch Chief Gwak. We were just discussing the structure of the building that will serve as the branch.”
“What? The Third Young Master, personally?”
“Why?”
“What a glorious honor!”
“…”
“This subordinate! I will participate with all my heart and soul.”
*What’s with the heart and soul?*
Neung Un-bi led the man, who was almost comically earnest, inside.
“I am Sin Gong. By the grace of the Third Young Master, I am in charge of the Warmheart Carpentry Guild…”
“Ooooh! Sin Gong! I have heard much about your divine skills!”
“I am Hwang Ja-seong. I brew liquor at the Sinpyeong Brewery…”
“The, the master of Taibai Wine! I must have had a lucky dream! To think I would broaden my horizons by meeting such great people today! It’s as if my eyes have been opened.”
“Compared to these gentlemen, I just run a nameless tavern…”
“Oh! I heard your food is that delicious! I’ve heard so much.”
“…”
*Is he even praising the tavern owner now?*
*The more I see of you, the more my first impression fades.*
*Why on earth does he start praising everything someone says?*
“You are truly amazing, Third Young Master! To have already formed ties with the merchant world before the branch has even been officially established. Hahahaha!”
“…”
At Gwak Hui-yeong’s booming praise, Neung Un-bi’s eyes narrowed.
*You… do you have some kind of illness? Or is it a side effect of learning demonic arts?*
He had to shut him up. At this rate, he’d start praising him for breathing.
“Alright, let’s all have a seat.”
“Yes.”
“First, I’ve chosen a building that can accommodate roughly three hundred people for the branch.”
“Ooo… oof!”
Gwak Hui-yeong, who was about to exclaim in admiration again, quickly shut his mouth when he met Neung Un-bi’s sharp gaze.
*And they made this guy a branch chief…*
*Is it because they needed reinforcements? How short-staffed are they to appoint such a frivolous man as a branch chief?*
“Haa, the building only needs a few renovations…”
“Hmm, the structure seems vulnerable to external attacks.”
“Hm?”
As he was sighing and contemplating, Gwak Hui-yeong casually threw in a comment.
“Hmm… It seems something needs to be added to the east and west sides.”
Neung Un-bi looked at Gwak Hui-yeong with slightly widened, surprised eyes.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Ah, it’s the structure. I’d have to see the site myself to be sure, but since the eastern wall is on open ground and isn’t very high, it would be difficult to defend if an enemy appeared. We would need to deploy a significant number of troops. Also, the west side is…”
“…”
Neung Un-bi blinked blankly at Gwak Hui-yeong, who had begun a cool-headed analysis with a serious expression.
*This bastard… What are you?*
*He had the solid first impression of a rock, then seemed to have a frivolous personality… why does he keep confusing me?*
“Do you happen to have any expertise in mechanisms and formations?”
“Pardon? Ah, haha. You embarrass me. Compared to the Third Young Master and his companions, it’s nothing but trivial knowledge. I just have a bit of an interest… As you know, our original location was in the southwestern part of Shaanxi Province, so we were close to Mount Longzhong.”
“The Zhuge Clan?”
“That’s right. Being in hiding, we had to be wary of them, so I was forced to learn.”
“Ha!”
Neung Un-bi let out a hollow laugh at the sight of Gwak Hui-yeong scratching his head and smiling.
In a way, the Demonic Cult's Shaanxi branch might as well have been located in a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.
Mount Hua and Zhongnan in Shaanxi. To its southeast lay the bordering Hubei, home to Wudang and Zhuge, and to the due east were Shaolin and the Orthodox Murim Alliance.
He had probably been forced to study mechanisms and formations out of a sheer instinct for survival.
“…It must not have been easy.”
“Well, a little. But thanks to the Third Young Master, we no longer have to hide… You have truly done a great deed. Just thinking about it fills my heart with so much emotion that I could cry…”
“…”
At Gwak Hui-yeong’s words, Neung Un-bi let out a small smile.
He was an incorrigible flatterer, but for some reason, all his words felt sincere.
It truly must not have been easy.
To live in hiding as a member of the Demonic Cult in what was essentially the heart of the Orthodox Faction.
But wait!
“You said you learned about mechanisms and formations?”
“Pardon? Yes. Just a little…”
“Then this is perfect.”
“Pardon?”
Gwak Hui-yeong looked puzzled, but Neung Un-bi was looking at another person who was with them.
“Yun Chang.”
“Yes?”
“What do you think? About taking charge of the Shaanxi branch’s construction?”
“What? M-Me?”
“Yes.”
“…But my master is here.”
Yun Chang mumbled, glancing at Sin Gong.
But his mind was already made up.
To properly fortify the new branch, construction involving mechanisms and formations was essential. Even with the truce between the Orthodox and Demonic factions, one never knew how things in the world would turn out.
The talent Yun Chang possessed was like an instinct. Perhaps this project would be the opportunity for that talent to blossom.
Moreover, there was a man like Gwak Hui-yeong.
“Elder Sin Gong.”
“Heh heh, I was about to ask the same. Thank you, Third Young Master.”
Neung Un-bi smiled faintly at Sin Gong’s thanks.
With age, one gains wisdom.
It was something the long-lived naturally acquired.
Sin Gong had likely already guessed why he had appointed Yun Chang as the head of renovations.
“Branch Chief.”
“Yes, Third Young Master.”
“Please oversee the branch construction together with Carpenter Yun here.”
“No, me? With the Third Young Master present, how could an ignorant person like me take on such a great task…”
“Someone once told me that excessive modesty is not a virtue. In my view, Branch Chief, you seem more than capable of handling it well.”
“…”
Gwak Hui-yeong stared at Neung Un-bi for a moment before nodding with a determined face.
“I will carry out your order with all my heart.”
“I’m counting on you. And if you have the time, please try teaching that carpenter, Yun Chang, about mechanisms and formations.”
“Pardon?”
“Would that be a problem?”
“A problem? How could I possibly refuse the Third Young Master’s command? I will obey that as well.”
“…”
It had been a request, not an order, but it didn't matter. He had a feeling the two of them would do a fine job together.
“Well then… shall we end the meeting and have a drink? Now that the Branch Chief is here?”
“Let’s. I’ll prepare a good bottle.”
As Hwang Ja-seong spoke with a confident expression, everyone’s mouth began to water.
Of course, the loudest gulp came from Hyang-i, who had been standing silently.
“Hm?”
But suddenly, Hyang-i’s ears perked up, and her expression hardened.
*What is it?*
*Bang!*
At the same time, the door flew open, and Pyeong Su, the First Squad Leader of the Waning Moon Division, rushed in with an urgent look on his face.
“My lord, someone from Zhongnan has come to see you.”
“…”
From Zhongnan? What could it be?
Seeing the grave look on Pyeong Su’s face, it was surely something bad.
*Dammit, what is it now…*
He was already starting to feel anxious.