The signboard was pointing in the direction of the Martial Artist Guild. Didn’t that mean that they were close to the Green Sea Forest?
Wun Fan suddenly felt very excited. His training was about to begin! More importantly, now that he had fulfilled his promise to bring the girl to the outermost area of the Green Sea Forest, he could finally be rid of her.
That said, the girl didn’t seem to be in her best condition.
Hung Yu Fei seemed to have sensed something, almost like she had read Wun Fan’s thoughts. She surprised Wun Fan when she suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice, “Little Wun.”
“Mm…? What is it?” said Wun Fan, in an unusually caring tone. He could tell her emotions were a little unstable. She seemed a little down in the dumps as well.
Hung Yu Fei suddenly shook off her gloomy tone and stretched as she said, “Can you walk faster? I’m hungry.”
“Mmhm?” exclaimed Wun Fan. The corner of his mouth started twitching. He didn’t know what to say. So he was thinking too much, after all. Still, it was good that the girl was feeling better. At least he didn’t need to worry too much about her now.
“Hyah!”
Wun Fan pressed his legs together and the white horse galloped even faster down the road. Fung Ching saw this and immediately hastened his horse as well!223Please respect copyright.PENANAhOIIqrs0xh
Wun Fan took the time to ask Old Lei what he knew about the guild. However, surprisingly, Old Lei knew nothing about this powerful Martial Artist Guild. Old Lei scoffed and said indignantly, “The guild master of this Martial Artist Guild was probably still in his diapers when I first became the spirit of the ring!”
The corner of Wun Fan’s mouth twitched. Old Lei’s words were very over-the-top, but they only made him more interested in Old Lei’s background. Everything Old Lei said only made him seem even more ancient and mysterious.
Wun Fan asked Fung Ching about the guild as well, but Fung Ching seemed to think he should see for himself and just kept him guessing. Wun Fan was very annoyed but decided to just wait and see.
In his imagination, the Martial Artist Guild was like western saloons, with cowboys and everything; the sour smell of sweat permeating the air, mixed with the smell of beer and dirt in a dimly lit room. In a corner of that room, pieces of paper would be stuck on a board, not just a mission, but the livelihood of adventurers and a chance for them to show their abilities.
Or perhaps they were a road leading straight to hell.
After a full hour, they finally arrived at the Martial Artist Guild. It seemed like many roads from every direction led to the guild. Green Sea Town was the closest, but anyone from any of the neighbouring towns could easily make their way to the Martial Artist Guild as well.
That said, the architecture of the Martial Artist Guild surprised Wun Fan. It was nothing like what he imagined.
The guild took up over three square kilometers in area. It wasn’t exactly a palace, but it was grand enough for its purpose and felt like it suited its purpose as a guild for martial artists. The foundation of the building was one foot tall, and its walls were made out of intricately carved bricks all the way to the top. The carving on the signboard was also clearly excellent craftsmanship; the words ‘Martial Artist Guild’ were written on it.
Three simple words that struck the hearts of all who gazed upon it.
The doors were wide enough that a dozen people could easily walk through at once. They were carved directly out of massive blocks of mahogany. A complex combination carving was etched onto the doors, giving them a sense of grandiosity and class. Moreover, the doors were fitted in accordance with fengshui, placed on the north, but facing south. A pair of stone qilins were placed by the entrance, along with pots of red flowers. It was an imposing setup that did not lack elegance at the same time.
“This is the Martial Artist Guild?” said Wun Fan as he pointed at the building. He was stunned. He didn’t know how much power and wealth would be needed to construct a building like this.
Unlike the excessive extravagance of Thousand Relic Auctions, the Martial Artist Guild was unostentatious, but harbored a prideful dignity behind its humble appearance.
Hung Yu Fei put on the tone of an elder and scoffed at Wun Fan, “Ah, kids these days really do lack experience. You can only know how wide the world really is if you walk it with your own two feet!”
Tsk. Wun Fan clicked his tongue while thinking to himself, While I was alive and roaming the world, you were probably still in your dad’s nutsack.
In contrast, it was Fung Ching who nodded approvingly when he heard Hung Yu Fei’s words, seemingly forgetting his fear of her. He said, “My elders have said such words to me as well. I thought they were looking down on me and was quite annoyed, but now that I have had the chance to explore the world myself, I realized that the more I know, the more I know how much I do not know.”
Wun Fan reflected on these words. It was true that he had plenty of experience on Earth, but the same can’t be said here in Heaven’s Martial World. He was still weak and inexperienced. He felt a little less annoyed at Hung Yu Fei.
“Let’s go! Let’s enter and find something to eat,” said Hung Yu Fei. She intentionally suppressed her aura before she entered. Fung Ching also did the same. Fung Ching saw the look of confusion on Wun Fan’s face and explained patiently, “This is a rule of the Martial Artist Guild. Anyone who goes against it will be punished harshly.”
Upon hearing this, Wun Fan followed along. He suppressed his soul energy and retracted his aura. However, intentionally suppressing the speed of his soul energy felt like suddenly stopping in the middle of a piss. It was horribly uncomfortable. The three of them approached the large doors and a staff member handed numbered wooden tokens to them. He then led their horses aside.
The three of them entered through the doors and immediately felt a warm breeze dispel the cold they were feeling. Wun Fan even started feeling hot. He immediately took off his coat and put it into his storage ring.
The lobby was square, filled with round mahogany tables of all sizes. Some of the tables could fit a party of four, while others could accommodate up to ten people. The ceiling was nearly ten meters tall and painted with ancient murals. A glowstone was placed at the intersection of each mural, illuminating the room with soft yellow light. The inlaying of the glowstones was done with expertise and adorned with simple but intricate carvings.
Wun Fan looked down and was surprised to see that the wooden floorboards were fused together with some sort of transparent crystal. There was a pool full of clear water under the floorboards. Schools of koi fish swam around, adding an air of vitality and elegance to the building. Wun Fan could see koi fish all around him with every step he took. If someone were to make a wish upon these koi fish before they left on a mission, they might actually be blessed with luck.
The stone windows had lattice in the shape of begonias, carved so expertly they felt as if they were one continuous piece with the rest of the wall. The windows connected the inside of the room with the snowy scenery outside, making the hall seem more open and inviting.
The tremendous craftsmanship in every aspect of the building meant you would notice something new about the building with every step. It was not something that could be done without tremendous planning and incredible skill.
Plenty of people came in and out of the guild without pause. There were martial artists sitting around the many mahogany tables, while waiters from the guild served them food, tea and wine. Some of the martial artists drank and talked, some rested their eyes while waiting for their next mission, while others were discussing their plans over their maps.
Everyone was suppressing their aura, but Wun Fan’s senses were sharp enough to sense a few Martial Scholars amid the crowd. He could also vaguely sense even more powerful auras hidden within. Martial Masters? Or perhaps Innate Martial Masters?
Meanwhile, everyone who saw Wun Fan’s look of amazement smiled and thought to themselves, Yet another newbie has arrived at the Martial Artist Guild! Only a newbie would be so amazed by the architecture of this place!
Wun Fan wasn’t afraid to ask questions when he didn’t know something, so he asked Fung Ching bluntly, “So what’s next?”
Hung Yu Fei heard him and immediately replied, “Of course we’re going to stuff ourselves first!”
Fung Ching heard Hung Yu Fei’s words and didn’t know what to say. It was obvious that that wasn’t the answer Wun Fan wanted to hear. Wun Fan read his expression and said, “Ignore her. She’s a stupid girl that only thinks about eating all the time.”
“Hey, kid! Don’t talk bad about people behind their backs.”
“I’m not. I’m doing it to your face.”
“You…hmph!” said Hung Yu Fei with a pout. She then turned around and sulked with her hands on her stomach. She wasn’t actually starving; she just didn’t like feeling this hungry.
“Let’s go to the reception first then. I believe that the two of you haven’t registered as guild members yet, correct?” said Fung Ching as he pointed at the center of the hall. A round reception desk was placed there, reaching up to the waist. Eight or nine pretty young ladies stood in the center of the desk, helping martial artists with questions and administrative tasks.223Please respect copyright.PENANAgITRp6k1vw