Chapter 52

"Gu Yeon-cheon?"

This name sounds familiar.

Soon, the face of Zhao Hui changed to one of shock as he stood up abruptly from his seat.

"That *Manjin Daishang*?"

The name "Manjin Daishang" refers to only one person in the vast Central Plains: Gu Yancheng, the head of the Manjin Syndicate.

He was the leader of the Manjin Syndicate, a colossal merchant group that competed with the Tianhua Syndicate for the title of the number one merchant group in the Central Plains. In terms of influence in the underground world, Gu Yancheng was a figure comparable to the Three Gods of the martial world.

Zhao Hui, now tense, spoke in a lowered voice to Zhe Gaowen.

"Bring him here. No, I'll go directly."

In modern terms, Gu Yancheng would be akin to the head of the Rothschild family. One could never receive such a person casually, for he controlled the entire underground economy of the Central Plains.

"No need for that," came a sudden voice behind Zhe Gaowen.

Zhao Hui immediately recognized it as the voice of Gu Yancheng, the Manjin Daishang.

His imposing physique and fierce gaze revealed an aura that made him appear as a giant of the age. The sheer presence emanating from him was even more formidable than that of the leader of the Wulin Alliance, Mo Huang. He exuded the aura of a man who wielded power over half of the Central Plains' economy.

Zhao Hui quickly and politely stood up and greeted him, his tone respectful.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Zhao Hui of the Zhao Family."

"I'll get straight to the point."

Ignoring Zhao Hui's greeting, Gu Yancheng's piercing gaze glinted as he spoke.

"Who is your connection with the first Bi Gong?"

"Excuse me?"

Zhao Hui was taken aback, his face displaying a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Could it be...?"

At that moment, Gu Yancheng’s sharp gaze intensified.

"Yes, I am the Bi Gong of this era."

Zhao Hui had casually suggested before that the Tianhua Syndicate and the Manjin Syndicate might be outwardly connected to the secretive Bi Gong, but he never expected that it would turn out to be true.

The fact that Gu Yancheng openly claimed to be the Bi Gong was a shocking revelation. His willingness to reveal such a sensitive secret showed the urgency of his situation.

"I'll ask again. What is your relationship with the first Bi Gong?" Gu Yancheng repeated, his tone even more forceful.

Zhao Hui had no choice but to answer.

"I am his successor."

"...Successor?"

Gu Yancheng's expression became one of utter confusion. It was hard for him to accept that the head of the Zhao Family, who had earned great renown as the martial world’s rising star, was also the successor of the legendary first Bi Gong.

"You're not joking, are you?" Gu Yancheng questioned, his skepticism palpable.

Zhao Hui responded with a wry smile.

"I wouldn't dare to make such jokes in front of someone who controls half of the Central Plains' economy."

Gu Yancheng fell silent, deep in thought. Zhao Hui's words carried weight, as only the true successor of the first Bi Gong would know the secret language and plans of the underground world.

"Then tell me. Is this truly the message left by the first Bi Gong?" Gu Yancheng asked, his eyes narrowing.

"What message are you referring to?"

Gu Yancheng’s eyes deepened, as if he was sinking into a pit of despair.

"Did you bring the first Bi Gong's command, that we must abandon all our ambitions and cease all activities?"

"Oh, that command," Zhao Hui replied with a serious expression.

The Bi Gong had once sought to eliminate the great evil known as Hong Lian Yi Mai, which had caused chaos by seizing the imperial palace and wreaking havoc across the world. The Bi Gong, along with the Seven Secrets, had formed the underground world’s foundation to overthrow this powerful force.

"If the first Bi Gong were still alive, he would have seen traces of Hong Lian in the activities of the dark merchants," Zhao Hui added with a cold tone.

He did not mince words, comparing the methods of the Bi Gong to those of the dark merchants, who were responsible for the chaos and suffering across the lands.

"What?!" Gu Yancheng’s face twisted in anger as he clenched his fists, glaring at Zhao Hui, but Zhao Hui remained unmoved.

"The use of wealth and power to control imperial families and officials, and employing secret agents to harass merchants in the light, is the typical method of Hong Lian Yi Mai. And...," Zhao Hui continued, his eyes glowing with intensity, "Have the dark merchants ever stirred up conflicts and caused wars by inserting spies into various factions?"

To the merchants, war was an opportunity to make huge profits, often at the cost of bloodshed. The underground world, aware of the dark merchants' influence, knew that they could manipulate factions to provoke wars.

Gu Yancheng's face contorted with fury, but Zhao Hui was undeterred.

"Once again, I ask you. Is there any difference between the first Bi Gong’s actions and Hong Lian Yi Mai?"

At that, Gu Yancheng's face grew pale, his eyes filled with despair.

"Do you know the cost that the first Bi Gong paid to destroy Hong Lian? The history of that struggle is not something you can fathom," Gu Yancheng sneered, clearly mocking Zhao Hui’s idealistic views.

Zhao Hui remained silent, understanding the weight of Gu Yancheng's words. The cost of their battle against Hong Lian was indeed great, but it was also a necessary evil.

Gu Yancheng's voice suddenly grew cold.

"Perhaps you don’t understand. But I do. Ideals are always beautiful, but the reality is filled with blood and broken bodies."

Zhao Hui couldn't help but chuckle.

"How amusing. Are you implying that I am some naive idealist? How dare you say that to someone from the modern world?"

Gu Yancheng’s expression hardened as he stood to leave.

"You're not really the first Bi Gong's successor, are you?" he asked coldly.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Hui replied, confused.

Gu Yancheng turned to face Zhao Hui, a grim smile on his face.

"The moment the dark merchants expose themselves, it’s because they’ve decided to eliminate their opposition. Don’t worry. You and the Zhao Family will fall. Your power will fade, and you will be destroyed."

Zhao Hui laughed confidently.

"Don’t worry about us. You should start worrying about your own Manjin Syndicate."

With that, Gu Yancheng turned to leave.

"From now on, the Manjin Syndicate will no longer exist in this world," he declared.

Zhao Hui’s face twisted in confusion as Gu Yancheng left. The weight of the threat had become clearer: the true game was just beginning.

With that declaration, the new form of Gu Yeon-cheon from Manggeumdaesang vanished like a ghost.

He was a formidable figure, strong enough to be considered the head of the sect.

Zhang Il-ryong, who had been watching the conversation between Cho Hwi and Gu Yeon-cheon, turned to look at Je-gal Un.

"Is this even possible, Brother Je-gal?"

"I think so."

The statement about abandoning the outward appearance of Manggeumdaesang was truly shocking. It was hard for anyone to believe, and even Je-gal Un was struggling to process it.

"Isn’t this just completely unrealistic? Our Jo-ga Daesang will be hard-pressed to just vanish, even with only two main strongholds in Anhui and Gangseo," Je-gal Un said.

"Exactly."

"And what about the numerous subsidiaries, their employees, and the countless business relationships? And the trust built with officials? You're going to just give that all up at once? Is that even possible?"

Je-gal Un's face grew even more serious.

"Manggeumdaesang is the number one sect in the world, with influence spreading throughout the entire region of the Nine Provinces. It’s at least five times larger than our Jo-ga Daesang. This is even less realistic."

"It's possible," Cho Hwi replied simply.

Everyone turned to him in disbelief.

"No, Brother, think about it logically. How could that even make sense...!"

"Every major sect always plans for withdrawal in advance. You guys are being too naïve."

"Eh?"

Cho Hwi looked at the flustered Je-gal Un.

"You don’t really think he said he would dismantle all the outward appearances, do you? He said Manggeumdaesang's name would cease to exist, but that doesn’t mean they can’t sell it to another sect, like Cheonhwa Sangsang, or simply rebrand it under a different name, right?"

"Wait, but we’re not blind…"

"So what if Manggeumdaesang is sold to Cheonhwa Sangsang? Can you stop that? How would you justify it? Would you arrest them claiming they’re another hidden faction of Beongilmaek?"

Only then did Zhang Il-ryong realize that the situation was far more complicated than he had initially thought.

"Damn it! Why do these top figures in the martial world always have to play these games?!"

Cho Hwi smirked.

That’s just how people with power are.

If Zhang Il-ryong understood the political games, conspiracies, and betrayals of the modern world, what kind of expression would he make?

This world, too, was ruled by such people.

The hellish scenarios of the martial world were no different from the modern world.

At that moment, Namgung Jang-ho spoke up.

"What should Namgung do now?"

Cho Hwi’s response was immediate.

"Clean up the mess."

"Mm."

The Namgung family had been a steel-blooded royal family that had maintained its history for centuries in the cruel world of the martial realm. It was the hardest task, but there was no group in the current Jo-ga Daesang better suited for the task than the Namgung family.

"We’ll handle it."

Namgung Jang-ho’s confident reply made Cho Hwi turn to Je-gal Un.

"Also, the alliance. There will definitely be their messengers in the Murim Alliance."

The Murim Alliance, led by the Shinki Je-gal family, was the actual operational force behind the alliance’s major positions.

"I’ll send them a letter," Je-gal Un said.

"No, it must be delivered in person. Take this." Cho Hwi then pulled out a ledger from his clothing, tearing two pages from it and writing something in charcoal.

Soon, Cho Hwi handed the torn paper to Namgung Jang-ho and Je-gal Un, smiling slyly.

"This is the secret code of Beongilmaek. The meanings and interpretations are in the footnotes. Keep it somewhere visible, and they'll eventually reveal themselves."

Je-gal Un’s eyes widened in astonishment as he took the paper.

He knew well how impressive the secret codes of Beongilmaek were.

"Where did you learn this?"

The more he understood, the more mysterious and extraordinary Cho Hwi seemed.

"Maybe I’m just a genius?" Cho Hwi teased.

But this wasn’t something that could be accomplished by mere genius.

Je-gal Un tried to suppress the anger that arose as he looked at Cho Hwi's smug face.

"Fine, let’s just go to the alliance then?"

"Yes."

Cho Hwi nodded once, then turned his gaze to Zhang Il-ryong.

"Zhang Il-ryong will take over the management of Jo-ga Daesang for the time being."

"What! Me?"

Je-gal Un was supposed to be sent to the alliance, so it was expected that Cho Hwi would take charge of Jo-ga Daesang.

"How could I…?"

Zhang Il-ryong had never properly run a subsidiary. While he had been in charge of managing minor businesses like the Hapbin-gwan and Gangbin-gwan, they were hardly on the scale of a true subsidiary.

"I trust you more than anyone except Vice-President Je-gal. Don’t doubt yourself. I believe in you."

Cho Hwi had no doubt that Zhang Il-ryong was a genius. His quick thinking and ability to solve crises often surpassed even Je-gal Un.

Moreover, Zhang Il-ryong, a former member of the Sa-pa, was more suited to this role in Gangseo.

"You’ll also be promoted to the position of Executive Director."

Zhang Il-ryong's face lit up with joy.

"Really, Brother?"

"Yes."

Zhang Il-ryong flexed his chest muscles like an excited child before suddenly tilting his head in confusion.

"But, where are you going, Brother?"

Cho Hwi was silently staring out the window with a mysterious expression on his face.

There was something Gu Yeon-cheon, the absolute ruler of Manggeumdaesang, didn’t know.

The first Beongil, Cho Gang.

His soul was still alive, alongside Cho Hwi.

Until he realized that, he was doomed to lose to Cho Hwi.

That was Cho Hwi’s judgment.

"Infimyenggu… no, that won’t be enough. Namgung, who is the best practitioner of the art of reverse body transformation in the martial world?"

At that moment, Yeom Sang-rok entered the room with his usual playful demeanor.

"What? Why ask Namgung? You should ask me."

"Is there anyone who can do it?"

"Any decent Sa-pa person knows about Cheonbyeon Blood Queen."

"Cheonbyeon Blood Queen? Who is that?"

Yeom Sang-rok grinned.

"Yeah. She’s the craziest woman in Sa-pa."

* * *

To infiltrate the underground realm, one needed an art that surpassed Infimyenggu—reverse body transformation, which allowed one to manipulate internal energy to change the structure of the face itself, rather than merely wearing a disguise like Infimyenggu.

However, this skill was extremely rare in the martial world, with only a handful of people capable of such feats.

"Hmm. This should be it."

After finishing his flight with the sword, Cho Hwi passed through a certain area in the southern part of Gangseo when he suddenly recalled Yeom Sang-rok’s words.

"What? How could there be a woman who surpasses Jin Ga-hee? Oh, but there is. Don’t doubt it."

Jin Ga-hee was already an extraordinary and rare character in both the modern and martial realms. Having dealt with all kinds of people from both worlds, Cho Hwi could hardly believe that there could be someone more eccentric than her.

"Yeah, I heard that Cheonbyeon Blood Queen occasionally appears in the southern part of Gangseo, in Sungui County. Don’t ask why. She’s just an elusive woman."

Jin Ga-hee's personality is at a level where she could completely break down all norms and common sense.

To say that she is an even crazier woman surpassing her would be an act of complete folly to try and understand or rationalize her psychology.

- How do you recognize and track her down? It's simple. You're just a honey jar. Since she's a bee, she can't help but fly towards you.

- Me, a honey jar? What does that even mean?

- It's obvious what a crazy woman who knows reverse transformation techniques would do. She'll hang around handsome young nobles, scam the weak, and most of all, she loves absorbing the energy and martial arts power of strong men. Don’t underestimate her. The title "Hoo" in her alias isn’t for nothing. She’s known as Huohwa. Though I doubt it’ll work on you... Anyway!

- So... you want me to act like a handsome man?

- Honestly, you're a bit unlucky, aren't you? Good-looking... damn it! Plus, you have some money, and your skill with the sword is impressive too! It would be strange if she didn't chase after you. Just show yourself a little more, and she'll come crawling.

Recalling his conversation with Yeom Sang-rok, Jo Hwi couldn’t help but smirk.

What is this about being a handsome man?

Are you telling me to become a host?

But reverse transformation techniques are so rare that even the most powerful in the underworld wouldn't know about them.

For Jo Hwi, this was a martial art he absolutely wanted to learn.

The only technique that could deceive the Absolute Eye is reverse transformation, and mastering it would greatly widen the scope of his actions.

So, after much thought, when Jo Hwi reached the outskirts of the Guan Road, the path ended, and he finally saw the town of Sungui-hyeon.

The scenery of Sungui-hyeon was unique.

It resembled a civilization delicately placed amidst an endless, dense forest of trees.

With high-quality timber spread out all around, this area was the largest wood production site in Gangseo, providing the wood for the ships of the Po-yang fleet.

If it were wartime, the most important areas for the Lord of Gangseo would be the grain-producing lands in the northern part of the region and this place, Sungui-hyeon.

However, this place was not yet under the influence of the Jo Gadae Association.

Seeing it for himself, Jo Hwi realized that despite thinking that he controlled all of Gangseo, there was still a fresh challenge ahead of him.

The Central Plains were vast indeed.

As Jo Hwi reflected on this, he resolved to meet the county governor of Sungui-hyeon in the future and settle things directly.

After entering Sungui-hyeon, Jo Hwi stopped right in front of an inn.

Inns and taverns were always the places with the highest concentration of people, so they were the best spots for anyone from out of town to gather information.

The experienced innkeeper, Wang Jeok-sam, must have sensed Jo Hwi’s wealthy aura, for he immediately approached him as Jo Hwi entered through the door.

"Hehe! Welcome, young master! Thank you for visiting our Juurim Inn! Let me show you to the best spot for a relaxing experience!"

Jo Hwi, with his deep gaze, looked at Wang Jeok-sam, who he was considering scouting for his organization.

However, revealing one’s intentions too easily in a distant place like this could be dangerous.

Jo Hwi quickly abandoned his ambition and reminded himself of his original purpose.

"Juurim... Let’s see if the wine lives up to its name."

Wang Jeok-sam whispered confidentially to Jo Hwi, "Our inn's finest wine and dishes will be served."

"I look forward to it."

Wang Jeok-sam felt pleased, sensing that he had made the right call.

Offering to let Jo Hwi order anything he wanted was a sign of confidence that he could cover the costs.

This was truly a windfall for him.

"I won't disappoint you!" Wang Jeok-sam said, leaving Jo Hwi to settle into his seat.

Jo Hwi couldn’t help but feel impressed with the innkeeper's skills. This was clearly a talent born for the Jo Gadae Association.

"I’ll definitely have to scout him later," Jo Hwi thought.

As he observed the inn's interior, Jo Hwi noticed how important face and reputation were in the Central Plains.

Although the people acted indifferent, they were constantly observing each other.

If he acted the part of a noble for a few days, ordering the most expensive food and drink, all eyes would inevitably turn to him.

This would cause a stir in the county within a week or two.

Though it might cause some trouble, if he wanted to attract the Bee Queen, who was a honey trap herself, he had no choice.

After a short while, Wang Jeok-sam returned with a variety of delicious dishes.

"These are the Golden Chicken Soup, Five-Spiced Meat, and Three-Flavored Fish we’ve prepared for you!" he announced.

Just hearing the names made the dishes sound expensive, and their presentation was extravagant as well.

However, Jo Hwi showed no sign of satisfaction.

"Are you trying to make me eat greasy meat? There aren’t enough vegetables."

Wang Jeok-sam’s eyes widened.

Even the dishes he had brought were worth a fortune, yet Jo Hwi asked for more!

"I... I’m sorry! I’ll bring some fresh mountain vegetables right away!" Wang Jeok-sam quickly responded.

Once the mountain vegetable dishes were served, Jo Hwi’s face lit up with satisfaction.

"And what is the name of this wine?"

"Yeo-ah Hong!" Wang Jeok-sam proudly replied.

"Yeo-ah Hong?" Jo Hwi repeated.

"Yes! It is our inn's most prized wine!"

The fame of Yeohahong, a treasure of the Central Plains, had been heard countless times.

Yeohahong is a wine that is buried in the yard when a girl is born, and only when she is ready to be married is it taken out to celebrate.

Would it match the quality of the ice-clear liquor I developed? With a serious expression, Jo Hwi first inhaled the fragrance of Yeohahong.

“Hoho.”

Indeed, its deep fragrance was no different from that of the ice-clear liquor.

Glug, glug, glug.

As Jo Hwi took a sip, his eyes widened. The taste was also exquisite.

It truly was a wine worthy of the Central Plains' reputation.

‘I'll have to take a bottle as a sample.’

There were countless wines in the martial world claiming to be Yeohahong. But without a doubt, the Yeohahong he drank today surpassed them all.

To raise the quality of my ice-clear liquor, I must collect such good samples.

“It’s really good wine.”

After spending three days at the Jullim Inn and indulging in all kinds of rare dishes and alcohol, Jo Hwi finally began to attract the attention of those around him.

“Wow, amazing! Truly a god of wealth!”

“So much gold! Where did that handsome young man come from?”

In modern terms, it would be like walking into a shabby tavern and casually ordering bottles of 30-year-old Ballantine every day.

It would have been strange if the attention of the people around him hadn’t focused on him.

Days passed, and after about a fortnight, the “bee” finally came flying in.

“Oh my! I heard a great scholar came to the Jullim Inn, and sure enough, he’s as handsome as they say!”

Jo Hwi relaxed his expression and looked up at her.

Up to this point, numerous women from various brothels had approached him, but none of them were skilled in martial arts.

However, this woman was clearly a practitioner of martial arts from the martial world.

Without needing to use his spiritual senses, the sinister aura from her eyes immediately made it clear.

“Sit.”

Jo Hwi deliberately treated her rudely.

Though he was pretending to be a nobleman, if the other person was truly a vicious and crazy woman who had lived off absorbing the energy and internal power of men, there was no need to show respect.

“Hoho, thank you.”

The woman, exuding a sinister aura, kept glancing at him, her eyes constantly shifting.

Jo Hwi, quietly observing her, smiled brightly and spoke first.

“Are you the Thousand Faces Blood Queen?”

The woman, who had been exuding a greedy gaze, tilted her head and asked.

“Who is that?”

Jo Hwi chuckled softly.

He didn’t miss the fact that she suddenly made an awkward, stiff expression.

“Got it.”

At that moment, Jo Hwi felt as if someone was messing with the curtain of thoughts he had spread around himself.

Around the middle of the Hua-Gyeong stage, one could manifest rudimentary thoughts. However, these weren’t strong enough to be called martial spirits.

“Hoho, so you are Hua-Gyeong.”

The woman, the Thousand Faces Blood Queen, suddenly stood up in shock.

“Wait, are you really?”

What? A master of the Seven Swords of the Martial World in this backwater?

“Quiet and sit.”

Trying to escape in front of someone with absolute control over their martial energy was the dumbest thing you could do.

The Thousand Faces Blood Queen, who had been in the harsh world of martial artists for a long time, wasn’t a foolish woman.

“Damn it, a member of the sect. No wonder it felt strange. There’s no way a handsome and wealthy guy like you just dropped from the sky! Damn it!”

She swore incessantly and sat back down, glaring at Jo Hwi with her usual ominous gaze.

“Well, damn it, what’s your point? You came here to preach about the Martial Alliance again? Aren’t you satisfied yet?”

“….”

Indeed, the madness of someone like Jin Ga-hee, or even worse, could be felt in her words.

“What are you offering this time? I already gave you a bounty more than what you’re asking. How long has it been since I took it from you? Are you trying to take my body now?”

At that moment, Jo Hwi’s eyes narrowed with intrigue.

What? Who in the Martial Alliance could be behind this?

He had expected someone from the Gu-Fa Clan or one of the Five Great Families to be imposing and dignified, but she was with them?

Jo Hwi let her misunderstand on purpose.

“Body Transformation Technique.”

“What the hell, what’s this crazy bastard saying?”

The Thousand Faces Blood Queen stood up, looking at him with disgust.

“You want to expose a martial artist's secret techniques? Sect? Martial Alliance? You’re better off joining the demonic sect, you crazy bastard!”

“Ten thousand gold.”

“Fuck, this is crazy! The world’s worst bastard would have more integrity than you! What did you just say? Young Master?”

Jo Hwi pulled out a stack of official papers from his robes.

The seal of the Continental War was clearly stamped on them.

“Clean, well-washed. You can take it.”

“Wha... really? You’ll give me ten thousand gold?”

Though the Thousand Faces Blood Queen had been in the martial world, living a tough life, she had never touched such a large sum of money.

As she reached out to grab the official papers with trembling hands, Jo Hwi subtly pulled them back.

“Body Transformation Technique.”

For a moment, she frowned, clearly conflicted, but then her eyes shone strangely.

“You’ve probably felt your eyebrows or the corners of your lips twitch involuntarily, right?”

“Hmm, of course.”

The Thousand Faces Blood Queen smiled brightly and continued.

“Now, try it.”

Occasionally, one’s eyebrows or lips would involuntarily twitch, a phenomenon that couldn’t be consciously controlled.

Some believe it’s caused by a deficiency in potassium or magnesium, but there was no certainty to that.

But now she was asking him to do it?

As Jo Hwi stood there, puzzled, the Thousand Faces Blood Queen spoke again.

“There are twenty facial muscles in a person’s face. The muscles around the eyes that open and close the eyelids, the small muscles that create dimples, the muscles that close or open the mouth, and so on. Ordinary people have these facial muscles.”

Her gaze changed mysteriously.

“However, there are also ‘dead muscles’.”

“Dead muscles?”

“Yes.”

Literally, muscles that have died.

“Eye twitching means there are muscles there. The human body can’t move without muscles, but the problem is that these are ‘dead muscles,’ not voluntary muscles. There are at least eight thousand such dead muscles in the face that aren’t under conscious control.”

“...Eight thousand?”

Jo Hwi, knowing a bit about modern science, found it hard to believe.

It didn’t seem possible that so many muscles existed in the face.

“I know you don’t believe it. That’s why I asked you if you’ve ever felt a twitch in your eye or mouth involuntarily.”

The Thousand Faces Blood Queen smiled brightly.

“You can’t control them, but humans are aware of the existence of these dead muscles. Can you consciously control the muscles in your heart?”

Now Jo Hwi began to understand.

“So your Body Transformation Technique is about controlling all the facial dead muscles.”

“You saw it right.”

Jo Hwi couldn’t help but admire.

It was now clear why the Body Transformation Technique was so rare.

Crazy! How could you control muscles that can’t even be manipulated with the mind?

Ah, the world of martial arts was truly unbelievable.

“This is what happens when you control all the muscles of the face.”

Suddenly, Jo Hwi froze in shock as he watched the Thousand Faces Blood Queen’s face ripple.

Countless tiny waves, the subtle undulations of her facial muscles, covered her face as if she were experiencing a fever.

“Hah!”

Jo Hwi had never seen anything like it.

Not even modern CGI could properly express such a phenomenon.

After finishing her 'wave' technique, the Thousand Faces Blood Queen smiled brightly.

“Do you think there’s any face or expression I can’t make?”

This was truly impressive.

She wasn’t just a skilled practitioner of martial arts; she had reached a level of control over her body that was nearly supernatural.

Jo Hwi’s eyes sparkled with greed.

“Teach me! Teach me!”

Ten thousand gold? He’d pay anything to learn this technique.

This kind of advanced technique couldn’t be valued by mere money.

Jo Hwi's eyes were practically burning with desire, and the Thousand Faces Blood Queen’s expression changed instantly.

“My thoughts have changed.”

Her face wore the expression of a conqueror.

When she began acting rude and crazy again, Jo Hwi frowned.

“Didn’t we agree on ten thousand gold?”

Suddenly, a cruel light flashed in the Thousand Faces Blood Queen’s eyes.

“I spent seven years of my youth as a prostitute, giving up my virginity to learn the art of creating faces. I won’t sell it for ten thousand gold! Hoho!”

What?

Just a moment ago, she had been panting and calling him Young Master.

Jo Hwi’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“So, what do you want?”

Without hesitation, she answered.

“Kill the Heavenly Evil Sect Leader. Or stop your martial arts practice.”

“Crazy.”