On the other side.
Realizing that the mastermind behind the disappearances was likely Kim Jeong-hyeok, the surveillance personnel were thrown into a panic. Although their eyes remained fixed on the battle between Jang Wei and Kim Jeong-hyeok, their hands instinctively reached for their phones to send a message to the chairman:
"Chairman! The mastermind of the disappearance case looks exactly like Mr. Kim Jeong-hyeok. No, they are identical. Their voices, appearances, and the techniques they use are all the same."
As soon as the message was finished.
Another thunderous roar echoed.
Boom————
This was caused by Jang Wei and Kim Jeong-hyeok. At some point, Kim Jeong-hyeok had created distance between himself and Jang Wei. In his hand, he now held one of Jang Wei's sleeves, which he had torn off during their fight.
Seeing the mastermind of the disappearances holding Jang Wei's sleeve and revealing a sinister smile.
Upon witnessing this,
The surveillance personnel's pupils constricted, and their hearts sank:
"Not good!"
There were many names for exorcists in the Land of Thieves, one of which was 'Bangbeopsa'. This was a form of curse, where by obtaining an item belonging to the person to be cursed, one could, at a certain personal cost, curse the owner of the item.
As expected.
Kim Jeong-hyeok had obtained the sleeve. He tightly gripped it with both hands and muttered an obscure incantation.
Immediately after.
Jang Wei saw that his sleeve had ignited with black flames in Kim Jeong-hyeok's hand. As it burned, a terrifying, invisible power seemed to surge towards him – it was the Bangbeop curse.
"You could interrupt my shamanic dance, so how will you stop my Bangbeop curse? Cough, cough!!"
As Kim Jeong-hyeok spoke, he coughed up blood. His handsome face turned pale, and even one of his arms visibly withered, shrinking in an instant to resemble a dry tree branch, withered and eerie.
"Ding! Fatty... Damn it, Bangbeop curse? As expected, the Gardener doesn't intend to let Jang Wei easily obtain the Half-Step National Guardian level artifact, does he? Gardener, you bastard!"
"Host has gained 260 System Points."
Fatty, who was lying on the ground feigning serious injury, also noticed Kim Jeong-hyeok's Bangbeop curse. He immediately recognized that the curse Kim Jeong-hyeok was casting was powerful, and it had cost him more than just an arm. He knew very well that the greater the price paid for a Bangbeop curse, the greater the curse would be.
After all, Kim Jeong-hyeok was a Half-Step National Guardian. With such strength, the price paid would be immense, and the curse's intensity would definitely not be small. Even those at the same Half-Step National Guardian level would have to avoid its edge.
Inevitably.
Fatty, lying on the ground, glared fiercely in a certain direction – the location of the Gardener, who was hiding in the shadows.
At the same time.
Contrary to what Fatty thought, the Gardener was also stunned and soon revealed a ferocious expression, like an erupting volcano:
"Damn it, what is this Kim Jeong-hyeok doing—"
"I wanted you to win with difficulty, not to make it so difficult for Jang Wei to win. Damn it, damn it, Kim Jeong-hyeok, you idiot, my godson, you must be alright."
The Gardener was terrified.
She hadn't expected Kim Jeong-hyeok to misunderstand her intentions and cast a Bangbeop curse. As the true mastermind behind the disappearances in the Land of Thieves, the Gardener knew the Bangbeopsa of the Land of Thieves best. It was precisely because of this that she had committed the perfect crime, leaving no evidence, to ensure she wouldn't be targeted by Bangbeopsa.
However, now.
Seeing her precious godson being cursed by the monster she had created, the Gardener was on the verge of a breakdown, almost unable to resist intervening to help Jang Wei.
But just as she was about to act.
The Gardener noticed Fatty, lying on the ground in the distance, looking in her direction:
"Damn, why is this shut-in looking at me? No, if I act now, Fatty will definitely discover me. Damn it, has Fatty discovered the relationship between me and my godson? Was I too obvious?"
On the other side.
Fatty also noticed the Gardener looking in his direction, and his mouth twitched:
"Damn, why is the Gardener looking at me now? Has she discovered me?"
Then.
At this moment, both the Gardener and Fatty murmured... What to do? I can't help Jang Wei now. I hope Jang Wei has a way to solve it himself.
Thinking this,
Both the Gardener and Fatty looked at Jang Wei. The next second, they were both stunned.
"Ding! Fatty...???"
"Host has gained 280 System Points."
"Ding! Gardener...???"
"Host has gained 520 System Points."
"Ding! Kim Jeong-hyeok...???"
"Host has gained 540 System Points."
Kim Jeong-hyeok, clutching his arm that had turned into a dry tree branch, looked at Jang Wei in the distance, somewhat bewildered:
"Why are you... fine?"
Not long ago, Kim Jeong-hyeok had unleashed the Bangbeop curse, sacrificing his arm and suffering irreversible damage to his body, to curse Jang Wei, reducing his lifespan by half. As the price was paid, Kim Jeong-hyeok smiled, knowing his curse had taken effect, the price paid being the best proof.
Kim Jeong-hyeok immediately spoke arrogantly:
"You think it's that easy to take me down? You've already been cursed by me, and half your lifespan will be taken from you... Haha... Huh?"
Just as his lips curled into a smile, Kim Jeong-hyeok quickly noticed something was wrong.
The scene he had imagined, of Jang Wei crying out in pain and rapidly aging, did not occur. Instead, Jang Wei stood there, completely unaffected, with a smile that seemed to say, 'You little brat, look at me.'
"Huh? What's going on? Did the curse not activate?"
The surveillance personnel were also bewildered, instinctively glancing at Kim Jeong-hyeok's withered arm:
"That's not right, the Bangbeop clearly activated, why is Jang Wei completely fine?"
Just then.
Jang Wei's voice sounded:
"Damn, is this your Bangbeop curse? It's so strong, cough, my throat feels so dry, it must be tonsillitis. I need to spend a whopping 9.9 yuan to buy a box of 999 Ganmaoling granules to drink."
Saying this,
Jang Wei even faked a cough.
Kim Jeong-hyeok: "..."
Fatty: "????"
Gardener: "????"
Surveillance personnel: "????"
"Ding! Kim Jeong-hyeok feels insulted... You bastard!"
"Host has gained 560 System Points."
Fatty was also dumbfounded, looking at Jang Wei in confusion:
"This... My goodness, it seems I worried for nothing. Jang Wei already had a way to counter the Bangbeop? Haha, as expected of my friend, the great villain. His power is hidden deep."
The Gardener was also stunned, then exclaimed with surprise:
"My godson is amazing! As expected of my godson, he handles everything flawlessly. He came to the Land of Thieves prepared to fight the sorcerers of the Land of Thieves."
Just then.
Jang Wei coughed a few times:
"By the way, if your Bangbeop is so strong, then your shamanic dance should also be very strong, right? I heard that the shamanic dances in the Land of Thieves are very powerful. Why don't you try dancing shamanically to deal with me? I can wait for you to finish."
...