The sun was beginning to set, leaving rust-like orange streaks across the eastern sky. The Demolition Unit moved through the increasingly dense and damp forest, following a path strewn with tree roots that exposed a natural drainage failure that Yoe Choin kept commenting on in his mind.
At the forefront, Guroh walked with unsteady steps, his hands bound by Black Iron chains pulled by Jin-Pyo. The giant tiger now looked much smaller; it wasn't his physical appearance that had shrunk, but his "mental integrity" that had shattered after seeing his fighting technique so logically dismantled by Choin.
"How much longer until we reach ground zero of your base, Guroh?"
Choin asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Behind that cliff face, Young Master..."
Guroh answered hoarsely.
"Iron Fang Fortress. We built it on a foundation of ancient coral. It won't be easy for you to tear it down."
Choin stared at the cliff face in the distance. Blueprint's glowing blue eyes began scanning the silhouettes of the buildings faintly visible through the fog.
"Coral is indeed a good foundation, Guroh. But if you build a heavy structure on it without accounting for lateral loads, even the coral will experience shear cracks. I can see from here... your fortress is tilted three degrees toward the valley."
Guroh remained silent, no longer daring to dispute the foreman's visual inspection.
As the journey slowed due to the steep terrain, Choin let his consciousness sink into inner space, resuming his suspended conversation with the real Moen Kang Yo. The atmosphere inside Kang Yo felt a little calmer today, absent the usual storm of blood that raged.
"Boss, you said Lady Baek was different,"
Choin began his internal communication.
"In a world filled with hard and sharp materials like this faction, how could someone "good" survive in the Obsidian Palace?"
"That's the structural mystery, Foreman,"
Kang Yo's voice was heavy, as if he were unlocking a long-locked vault of memories.
"Lady Baek... she wasn't like Empress Wei, who built her power on piles of corpses, or the second wife who used poison and intrigue. She built her world on 'tranquility.' She was the only person who called me by my name, not 'illegitimate child' or 'trash.'"
Choin imagined the woman.
"Did she possess great martial arts prowess?"
"No. Technically, her Qi was very thin. She preferred growing bue luh flowers and brewing tea,"
Kang Yo replied.
"But there's one memory... when I was being caned by the instructor for failing the internal exam, she came to my dark cell in the middle of the night. She brought a small paper lantern and healing oil. She didn't say much, just smeared my wounds while crying softly. The sound of her sobs... it was the only frequency capable of penetrating the wall of hatred in my heart."
"Emotional resonance,"
Choin murmured.
"Sometimes, the strongest pillar isn't the hardest, but the most flexible and able to absorb vibrations."
"That's right. Empress Wei hated it because my father—the Great Leader—sometimes could only sleep peacefully while in Lady Baek's pavilion. Her presence was a 'shock absorber' for my father's madness. If you want to completely revamp this faction, Foreman... you must ensure Lady Baek's pavilion doesn't collapse when you dismantle the central palace."
"I understand, Boss. We'll add it to the list of 'Historic Assets' that must be absolutely protected."
Finally, the group arrived in front of Iron Fang Fortress. The structure looked intimidating, with its massive wooden gates lined with sharp iron fangs. However, in Choin's eyes, it was an architectural disaster. The wood of the gate had begun to develop mold due to the high humidity, and the iron fangs had been installed without proper load distribution, causing the gate's hinges to buckle downward.
"Who's there?!"
the guard shouted from atop the wobbly tower.
"Open the gate! It's Guroh! But... why is he chained?!"
"Lower your weapons!"
Guroh roared with all his remaining strength.
"The Ironfang Tiger Guild is undergoing a 'Field Audit'! Do not attack or this fortress will collapse on your heads!"
Choin stepped forward, standing in front of the creaking gate. He stared at the guild members who were gathering with confused and fearful faces.
"Listen up, everyone!"
Choin's voice boomed, cold and professional.
"My name is Moen Kang Yo, and as of today, the Eastern region is under the management of Evernight Gate. Your guild has been declared 'Functional Failure' as the guardian of the passage. We are here to conduct asset acquisition and personnel restructuring."
A thin man with shifty eyes, Guroh's representative, shouted from behind the wall.
"We will not give up so easily! We have food and weapons supplies to last for months!"
Choin sighed, turning to Jin-Pyo.
"Jin-Pyo, see that main support pillar to the left of the gate? The part where the foundation has been eroded by rainwater?"
"Ready, Foreman! I see it!"
"Use the Weak Point Strike Technique. Apply the shock load precisely to the joint of the third pillar. We're going to demonstrate controlled demolition,"
Choi ordered flatly.
Jin-Pyo grinned broadly. He raised his massive mace, concentrating all his Qi into a single point. He ran at top speed, and then...
BLAAAAAMMMMM!
The impact didn't destroy the entire wall, but the vibrations rippled through the already fragile structure. Within seconds, the watchtower on the left began to tilt and collapse with a tremendous roar, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
The guild members screamed in terror, dropping their weapons as they saw their headquarters destroyed with just one precise blow.
After the gates were voluntarily opened, Choin and the Demolition Unit entered the headquarters. Choin immediately ordered his students to seal the storage warehouse.
"So-Wol will be thrilled to see this pile of looted gold,"
Choon muttered as he surveyed the warehouse. "But more importantly... find their archives."
Inside Guroh's cluttered study, Choin discovered a small chest hidden beneath the floorboards. Inside were letters with a dark purple wax seal—a seal the real Kang Yo knew all too well.
"That's Empress Wei's seal."
Kang Yo hissed inwardly, his voice cold and angry again.
Choin read the letter. It contained a secret order to intercept any supplies from the Namgung clan heading to Evernight Gate, in exchange for political support from the central palace.
"So, that snake woman has already started sending 'external interference' to my project,"
Choin crumpled the letter to shreds.
"She thinks she can disrupt my work schedule by using these thugs."
Choin went out to the main courtyard, where the members of the Tiger Guild were gathered. Guroh prostrated himself before him.
"Guroh, you have two choices,"
Choin said, looking at the thugs, who now looked listless.
"Option one: I execute you all here for betraying the faction's interests. Option two: you sign a 'Compulsory Labor' contract. You will repair the entire Eastern Line, from drainage to paving, under my supervision. If you do a good job, you will receive wages and Evernight protection. If you fail... you will be buried beneath the asphalt of the road you built."
Guroh looked at his men, then bowed his head deeply.
"We... we choose to work, Foreman. We will be the pillars you desire."
That night, the Demolition Unit celebrated their first victory with additional rations inside the fortress that was now being "cleared." Choin stood atop the remaining tower, gazing westward, toward his headquarters.
He thought of Lady Baek. He thought of Empress Wei's letter. And he thought of Namgung Shiri's perfectly symmetrical face.
"Foreman, what's next?"
Kang Yo asked.
"The next step is to speed up the construction of the Eastern Line using this new workforce, Boss,"
Choin replied.
"After that, we'll build the 'Bridge of Brotherhood' leading to the Western Passage. I hear there's an excellent source of crystal materials there. But before that..."
Choin glanced at the Empress's ash-covered letter.
"We must give that woman a 'Counter-Audit'. She wants to play with my power structure? I'll show her what it feels like when the very foundations of her palace begin to shake."
The bonds between the Evernight disciples grew stronger that night. They were no longer mere timid novices; they were living witnesses to how logic and strength could transform a bandit guild into a disciplined construction unit. The Demon Overseer had just completed another chapter of his blueprint, and the martial world was now beginning to feel the tremors from the pillars he had laid.