Construction work on the Evernight Gate headquarters was in a crucial phase. The pounding of steel nails and the roar of the sonic labyrinth's construction echoed continuously across the mountaintop. However, Yoe Choin knew full well that a competent project manager shouldn't focus on one location. A massive structure is only as strong as the logistical support and stability of the surrounding area.
That morning, the mountain air felt more pungent than usual. Choin decided to conduct a "site visit" to the Northern region, an area Moen Kang Yo remembered rarely visited due to its difficult topography and fierce winds.
"Foreman, do you really want to go to the Valley of the Wind?"
the real Moen Kang Yo whispered in his inner space.
"That place is filled with only stubborn people who live off windmills and limestone. There's no luxury there to audit."
"It's precisely because there's no luxury that we have to go there, Boss,"
Choin replied, straightening his now blood-stained black robe.
"We need a stronger binding material for our concrete. The limestone in the North is key to making high-quality mortar. Plus, I need fresh air that doesn't smell like the sweat of second-grade students."
The journey north took almost half a day. The terrain was very different from the verdant south. Here, the path was dominated by sharp rocks and steep cliffs that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
Yoe Choin's eyes, glowing blue like Blueprint, continuously scanned every inch of the ground he stepped on.
"Soil structure: dense sedimentary rock.
Slope gradient: 60 degrees.
Landslide risk: High. If I were to build a permanent logistics route here, we'd need a retaining wall with a proper drainage system,"
Choin muttered softly.
As he neared the valley entrance, the sound of the wind passing through the crevices of the hills sounded like a giant whistle. Before his eyes lay the Wind Valley Village. This village was unique because almost every house had a large wooden windmill on its roof, a local practice of harnessing wind energy.
However, like the rest of Evernight, this village looked desolate. Many of the village's fences were leaning, and several wooden waterwheels had stopped turning due to rusted or broken hinges.
Choin walked toward a building at the far end of the village that bore the faded symbol of Evernight Gate. It was in even worse condition than the Southern branch office he had encountered the previous day. The roof was nearly gone, and the front pillars were supported only by a few haphazardly installed wooden beams.
On the porch of the building sat an old man with a very long white beard. He was smoking a pipe and gazing up at the gray sky. His name was Tua Hang, a sect veteran who had been forcibly "retired" by Elder Gong's previous management.
"Stop right there, young man,"
Tua Hang said without looking up.
"If you've come to collect tribute, you'd better leave. We only have dust and wind here."
Choin stopped three steps in front of Tua Hang. He showed no anger.
"I didn't come to collect your dust, Old Man. I came to see why your support pillar is leaning 10 degrees to the West."
Tua Hang choked on his own tobacco smoke. He turned slowly, his blurry eyes staring at Choin's luxurious black robe.
"Pillar? You're talking about the structure? Who are you, really?"
"Moen Kang Yo. The new leader of the central sect,"
Choin replied in a flat but authoritative tone.
Tua Hang laughed dryly, his voice like sandpaper scraping against wood.
"Ah, the old leader's illegitimate son. I heard you died in the meditation cave. So you're still alive and... talking like a builder?"
"The world has changed, Hang. And this sect is under new management,"
Choin approached and touched the brittle wooden pillar.
"This pillar is made of low-grade pine. It's not suitable for areas with such high wind loads. You should have used teak or reinforced it with iron plates at the foundation joints."
Seeing Tua Hang's growing interest, Choin took him to a small shop in the center of the village. The tavern served only hard wheat bread and watery broth. Choin ordered two servings, demonstrating his desire to treat his subordinates properly.
"Tell me, Hang,"
Choin said, breaking his wheat bread.
"Why is this territory left to rot? The limestone on the northern hill is a valuable asset. If processed into cement, our sect could build an impenetrable wall."
Old Hang let out a long sigh, his face lined with fatigue.
"Elder Gong... he only cares about shiny gold. Limestone to him is just a useless white stone. He cut off funding for lime processing five years ago. Now, the miners here have turned to poaching or petty banditry just to eat."
Old Man Hang gave Choin a probing look.
"You... you seem different from the stories that have come to me. The Moen Kang Yo I know is a young man filled with rage who only knows how to swing a sword. But you... you're looking at this village as if you're looking at a construction plan."
Choin smiled faintly.
"Because swords can only destroy, Hang. To rebuild a collapsed sect, we need more than just martial arts techniques. We need structural integrity, efficient logistics, and people who feel ownership over this 'project.'"
After eating, Choin walked to a small waterfall behind a limestone hill. There, he saw a fairly strong stream of water that was completely unused.
"Foreman, look at that,"
The real Moen Kang Yo's voice sounded enthusiastic.
"I used to bathe here often when I was little. The water was very cold."
"The cold is none of my concern, Boss,"
Choin muttered. His eyes began to perform mechanical calculations.
"The water flow is about 50 liters per second.
The head, or drop, is about 15 meters.
If I build a waterwheel here, I can automatically power the lime-grinding machine without much human effort."
He began to draw a rough sketch on the ground using his fingertips, imbued with a bit of Qi.
"Mr. Hang, come here,"
Choin called.
"Look at this schematic. Tomorrow, I want you to gather the remaining quarry workers. Tell them, Evernight Gate has a new 'Job Opening.' We're going to renovate this lime factory."
Old Hang was stunned by the technical drawings on the ground. Although he didn't understand Choin's strange symbols, he could sense the strong logic behind them.
"You want us to work again? For real pay?"
"Salary, adequate daily nutrition, and full protection from the headquarters,"
Choin asserted.
"But I ask for one thing: Quality. I don't want to see any limestone mixed with soil. Everything must be according to my specifications."
Old Hang's previously droopy eyes began to glow with a long-lost glimmer of hope.
"If that's true... then this valley will rise again. We will be the strongest pillar of the north for you, Young Master."
That afternoon, as Choin prepared to return to headquarters, he stood atop a tall limestone hill, overlooking Wind Valley Village from a distance.
"Foreman, you really can't sit still, huh?"
Moen Kang Yo said with genuine amusement.
"You came here to rest, but instead found yourself with another project."
"A foreman can never truly rest while looking at damaged infrastructure, Boss."
Choin replied with a sigh.
"This valley is our strategic 'Business Unit.' With cement from here and Black Iron from the South, our headquarters will be the strongest reinforced concrete in all of Jianghu."
He gazed westward, where the shadow of Mount Hua lay. He knew this tranquility was temporary. Song Jin and his troops were probably preparing for a counter-audience.
"Let them come,"
Choin hissed, sheathing his heavy sword.
"When they reach our gates, they will realize they are not facing just a warrior, but a fortified structure built with the logic of the modern world."
Choin strode away from the North, carrying a new blueprint in his mind and a renewed sense of loyalty. The land clearing phase was over, and it was time for Evernight Gate to thoroughly harden its foundations before the great storm from the Orthodox faction struck its foundations.