The gray clouds that had been looming low over Naga Teduh Village began to thin, leaving behind a golden ray of afternoon sunlight. The village streets, usually silent and filled with an aura of fear, suddenly trembled with the sound of simultaneous footsteps. Yoe Choin, in the form of Moen Kang Yo, strode at the forefront, his black robes fluttering gently in the mountain breeze.
Behind him, a sight that seemed utterly unfamiliar to the villagers, dozens of members of the Black Crow Guild, the thug group that had been extorting them, now walked orderly in two-by-two rows.
There was no longer any rough laughter, no swords brandished haphazardly to frighten the merchants. They walked with their heads bowed but their backs straight, led by Gowon, now their new "Project Leader."
Yoe Choin's eyes glowed blue, automatically scanning the stability of the dirt road and the surrounding building structures.
"Foreman, look at those frightened faces,"
the real Moen Kang Yo whispered in his mind.
"They think we're bringing troops to raze this village."
"It's only natural, Boss. Materials frequently hammered will always tremble at the sound of the builder's footsteps,"
Choin replied calmly.
"But today, we're not here to demolish. We're here to install a permanent security foundation."
The group stopped right in front of the Evernight Gate Branch Office, which was starting to look cleaner thanks to Liem's hard work over the past two days using emergency funds Choin had provided. The roof, which had previously tilted 15 degrees, was now supported by new wooden pillars, although the workmanship was still rough.
Liem ran out of his office with a mixture of shock and anxiety. He nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw his arch-enemy, the Black Crow Guild, standing in the courtyard.
"Y... Young Master!"
Liem bowed deeply, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"I didn't expect you to return so soon... and bring... them?"
Choin raised his hand slowly, motioning for Gowon to come forward. Gowon, the former logistics supervisor, now looking noticeably cleaner, knelt on one knee before Liem.
"Lord Liem,"
Gowon's voice was heavy but clear.
"Starting today, the Black Crow Guild is under the direction of Young Master Moen Kang Yo. We are ordered to report to you as the lower region coordinator. Please forgive... our past mistakes."
Liem froze. His mouth gaped like a barn door off its hinges. For years, these people had been his nightmare, and now they were kowtowing to him?
"Liem,"
Choin called, breaking the awkward silence.
"I have permanently terminated Heuk-Gwang's contract. Gowon is now my security subcontractor. Starting tomorrow, they will conduct regular patrols. Your job is to ensure the village's 'protection tax' records are transparent. No silver coins are missing. Understand?"
"Understood, Young Master!"
Liem answered with a trembling voice, this time not out of fear, but out of overwhelming emotion.
"I will carry out this mandate as if it were the last pillar of my life."
After arranging the division of tasks between the branch disciples and the Black Crow members, Choin felt his stomach begin to rumble, a reminder that Moen Kang Yo's body, even at Internal Finishing Level 3, was still a biological organism that needed material sustenance.
He walked slowly to a small noodle shop in the corner of the village market. The shop was just a simple wooden hut with long benches, the surface of which had become smooth from frequent sitting.
"Young Master, you shouldn't be eating in a shabby place like this,"
whispered Gowon, following behind him with a sense of embarrassment.
"Listen, Gowon,"
Choin sat down on the wooden bench, feeling the stability of his weight on his feet.
"A leader who only eats in luxurious offices will never know that the cement in the field is mixed with river sand. You can taste the quality of a region from the taste of its people's food."
The noodle seller, an old man with trembling hands, approached hesitantly.
"Excuse me, Young Master. I only have coarse wheat noodles and simple beef bone broth..."
"Two large bowls,"
Choin interrupted with a faint smile.
"One for me, one for my Project Manager here. Gowon, sit down."
Gowon sat stiffly. The atmosphere in the shop was sluggish. Steam from the noodle pot rose, carrying the savory aroma of beef fat and black pepper. Choin glanced around the market. Villagers were beginning to peek out of their doors.
"Look at that, Gowon,"
Choin said, sipping his hot noodle soup.
"The noodles are strong, the foundation feels solid. But this shop needs renovation on the left support pillar. If there's an autumn storm, this thatched roof will blow away."
Gowon watched intently. He was beginning to realize that this new Moen Kang Yo saw the world very differently. Everything was about structure, weight, and repair.
"Young Master,"
Gowon spoke up after swallowing the first noodle.
"Why didn't you kill us all in that warehouse? You had the power to do it without having to bother paying us a salary."
Choin put down his chopsticks, his blue eyes staring at Gowon sharply but coldly.
"Because destroying is cheap, Gowon. Rebuilding is expensive. If I kill you, I'll just have a pile of corpses that can't maintain my logistics lines. But by 'renovating' you into guards, I gain a long-term asset. That's a management principle Elder Gong doesn't understand."
After eating, Choin paid with a silver coin worth far more than the price of the noodles, making the old vendor nearly prostrate himself at his feet. As he got up and walked out of the shop, he felt a strange vibration in the Qi around him—a frequency different from the rough energy of thugs or the stable Qi of sect disciples.
He touched the pocket of his robe, where he kept the Withered Plum Blossom metal piece found on Elder Gong's body.
"Foreman... do you feel it?"
Moen Kang Yo's voice was genuine and sharp.
"There are eyes watching from the shadows of the rooftops across the street."
"Yes, Boss. Sensory analysis indicates someone with a highly refined breathing technique. Orthodox faction,"
Choin murmured softly.
Choin didn't look back. He continued walking calmly toward the path back to Evernight Gate headquarters. He knew that his actions in activating the branch office and acquiring the Black Crow had disrupted the 'corrupt ecosystem' that had been peacefully controlled by Elder Gong and his secret allies.
"Let them keep an eye on it,"
Choin whispered.
"Good assets always attract speculators."
The journey back up Black Dragon Mountain was silent. Gowon and his men remained below on Choin's orders, while Choin himself was accompanied by Liem, who wanted to provide a more detailed written report.
When they reached the main gate of Evernight Gate, Gwi-Hyuk was standing there like an immovable pillar. He bowed when he saw his master's safe return.
"Liem, take your report to Han So-Wol,"
Choin ordered.
Choin then stepped into his private pavilion. The room now felt more spacious, quieter. He sat cross-legged on his teak bed, closing his eyes to stabilize the flow of his Internal Finishing Qi, which had just absorbed the nutrients from the beef noodles.
He pondered his next move. The sect headquarters was still a physical "stalled project." The walls were cracked, the traps were outdated, and the defense system had too many blind spots.
"Tomorrow morning,"
Chōin muttered to himself.
"We'll start drawing blueprints for the mechanical traps. If the Empress's demolition team really does come, I want them to experience what it's like to be crushed under the weight of their own structure."
The night silence in the Black Dragon Mountains was profound, but beneath the calm, Yoe Choin knew that this field audit had just entered its most dangerous phase.