#1
5
1.
“Isn’t that person… the leader of the Yuwolmun?”
A middle-aged man with his hands and feet tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth.
Seeing that he was looking at me as if expecting an answer, I sent that gaze to Haeryeong.
We headed toward Yuyue Gate when Young Master Jin raided the manor.
“her…….”
The Virgin Mary with her mouth wide open.
“I’m sure the Jeomchang Sect attacked the Yuwol Sect first…….”
Yuwolmun did the same work as Jeomchang’s Akyang warehouse.
The Black Swordsmen were also aware of this fact, so they tried to move as quickly as possible.
It was a good opportunity to seize the vast fortune that Jeomchang had accumulated in Akyang.
However, Jeomchang would not just sit by and watch.
It is only natural to reclaim what is yours, even if it means getting your hands dirty, before it is taken by the Black Sect.
That is why Jeomchang cut ties with Yuwolmun faster than anyone else and attacked them.
but.
It’s a step too late.
Why would I miss such a good opportunity in the first place?
Moreover, Jeomchang would not even be able to go around telling anyone, even though he had been deprived of property that was practically his own.
The moment I say that, the secret pact between Yuwolmun and Jeomchang will spread.
Here is the reason I wasn’t hurt at all when Seong Moran asked if I was upset. ‘By now, she must be dizzy from the loss of her fortune.’ As I couldn’t suppress a triumphant smile, Seong Moran glared at me.
“Then did you make such a fuss on purpose to attract attention?”
“Well… there were this and that reason.”
I almost died!
“Isn’t that why we enjoy banquets on board?”
“Don’t even think about wiping your mouth clean with this!”
I didn’t intend to do that anyway.
I looked at Haeryeong.
Haeryeong took a voucher out of her sleeve and handed one to Namgung Seonhwa and one to Seong Moran.
“What is this?”
It is for both of you.
“yes?”
The two people hurriedly opened the receipt, their expressions stiffening.
“Uh, Geumja, 2,000 nyang?”
Are you saying this is our share?
Namgung Seon-hwa was also unable to contain her surprise, perhaps because the amount written on the slip was too large.
I nodded at the gazes of the two people demanding an explanation.
As you said, Miss Seong risked her life, and Miss Namgung even staked her name. Naturally, there must be a price to pay for it.
“Wow… you’re really bold. I’ve never handled such a large sum of money before.”
If I were to leave the Namgung family, would it be alright if I joined the Taeeulmun?
Wow, that serious look. It seems like he’s serious.
While the two women were staring intently at a receipt with a huge amount of money written on it, which was in their possession for the first time in their lives, Eunho and Saryeon had their lips pouting.
“Why are you doing this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you pouting?”
My oral structure naturally resembles that of a fish.
He chuckled as he watched Eunho sneer.
Seeing your bad attitude, I guess you won’t need this.
I showed four pills and a pouch from my bosom.
A strange smell of herbal medicine began to waft through the room.
“What is that? The death penalty?”
“It is pocket money and Danwolhwan. It must have been given to the Yuwol Sect by Jeomchang. They originally intended to give it to you guys, but your attitude is just…”
“Execution! I have never once questioned the execution.”
“me too!”
“……
“Me, me too.”
Only after seeing Eunho hanging on awkwardly did I hand over the wooden case and pouch to the guys.
The four of them headed out of the warehouse to absorb the elixir, without a word between them.
I watched their retreating figures for a moment, then headed toward the Yuwol Sect Leader.
Moon-ju, who was watching the situation, had his eyes wide open as if he were about to pop out at any moment.
I approached him and untied the gag.
“Do you feel wronged?”
“Crunch…
Do you expect to get away with this? You may not know it, but all that property belongs to Jeomchang. Jeomchang will never let you get away with this.
I looked at Haeryeong and asked.
Haven’t you told me yet?
“yes.”
He told the sect leader of Yuwolmun.
You’re mistaken. We are protecting you and your family right now.
“What kind of nonsense is that…….”
“Jeomchang is currently scouring Akyang to kill you.”
“what?”
“The one who killed the most warriors of the Yuwolmun was none other than Jeomchang.”
“…….”
Yuwolmunju stared at me with a look of disbelief.
But what could be done? The truth was the truth. #Haeryeong and Nan moved to a different spot.
The Master asked me to convey his regards to Confucius.
“How is the clan leader doing?”
“Yes. He is more active than ever, saying that now is the time for the Haomun to spread their wings.”
That’s a relief.
This is all thanks to Confucius.
As I drank some tea out of embarrassment, Haeryeong smiled and took out ten vouchers from her sleeve.
It is the cost of disposing of the gold, silver, treasures, and vouchers stockpiled within the Yuwolmun immediately.
Each day (1)
Ten ten-thousand-yang slips.
Did it come out this much?
I am practically dizzy from the number, which is far higher than I expected.
“Yueyang is Hunan Province’s premier economic city and one of the top tourist destinations in Jiangnan. Considering that Jianchang has been raising funds to establish a branch in Yueyang, this amount is actually insufficient.”
You’re saying it’s not enough?
“We were unable to dispose of the tangible assets owned by Yuwolmun, such as inns and taverns. If we touched them, we would be caught.”
I see.
We might find out someday as time goes by, but it wasn’t that urgent right now, and even if Jeomchang knew, it wasn’t anything he could do, so there was no need to worry too much.
I handed two of the ten slips back to Haeryeong.
“……?”
Haeryeong looked at me with a face full of questions.
It is a fee. At some point, Haomun stopped charging fees.
“Ah… that is because he is, after all, a ‘Gourmet’…”
I haven’t heard of them going to such lengths for the Gourmet.
Perhaps the commission wasn’t deducted thanks to the consideration of people like Haeryeong and Yang Gunbaek.
However, transactions that rely on such consideration are bound to run into trouble at some point.
Please accept what you are entitled to, and deliver the best results. That is exactly what I am asking for.
Haeryeong stared at my face for a while, then let out a long sigh.
“You are truly an invincible Master. Are you really alright?”
“It would have taken much longer without Haomun’s help. Besides, if you do the work, you deserve to be paid for it.”
Then I will gratefully accept it.
Haeryeong carefully stacked the two vouchers and put them in her bosom.
“Having received such a gift from Confucius, the luster of my own gift will surely fade.”
“huh?”
As Haeryeong gestured with incomprehensible words, a maid came holding a wooden tray.
On top of it lay a dried-up grass root with nine stems and a booklet that looked as if it would split and disappear at the slightest touch.
It really doesn’t look like a gift…
“What are these?”
These are items from the Yuwolmunju’s secret vault.
A secret safe?
Enormous wealth had already been embezzled in the warehouse alone, so what exactly were the items found in the secret vault?
Have you ever heard of Guryeongsincho?
The moment I heard it, my gaze involuntarily turned to the withered grass roots.
“Is, is this the Nine Spirit Herb?”
A miraculous elixir said to contain all the spiritual veins of the world within nine branches.
It is such a terrifying elixir that even a master with considerable internal energy would have their internal organs melted away by the overwhelming power if they consumed it incorrectly.
It seems he intended to offer it, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to absorb it himself.
Haeryeong continued speaking even while I was thinking about just how much my internal energy would increase the moment I consumed that elixir.
The other one is blood jade.
My gaze, which had been captivated by Guryeongsincho, hurriedly turned to Haeryeong.
“If you are talking about Blood Jade… is it the Blood Jade I know?”
Haeryeong nodded instead of answering.
One of the Ten Great Golden Arts designated by the Murim Alliance is the Blood Jade.
It seems they have been going around talking about the Demonic Cult using this.
I nodded my head the entire time I was listening to the story.
He must have thought that no matter what he did or what suspicions arose, he could instantly overturn all doubts by simply throwing the Blood Jade at his opponent in the end.
“If it weren’t for Young Master Jin, everything would likely have ended up going according to the will of Jeomchang and Yuwolmun.”
That’s a relief.
There is nothing I can do about the gritty taste that lingers in my mouth even as I speak.
For those who sacrificed their lives for ‘justice’ in the past, the fact that the desires of those shouting ‘Destroy Demons and Destroy Deaths’ on the front lines of the Murim Alliance have deviated from the ‘righteous path’ is not a pleasant matter.
It’s a small gift, but here it is.
I asked as I watched Haeryeong hold out the tray toward me.
If it were a secret safe, you wouldn’t have needed to mention it.
No matter how much of a guest he was, Haomun did not need to reveal everything.
“Of course, besides this, there is also the ledger of the high-ranking officials to whom Yu Wol-mun has offered bribes. We did not keep that separately because we thought it would be more convenient for us to use.”
“No, what I mean is…….”
Confucius.
Haeryeong opened her mouth in a firm tone.
We are an information trading firm that buys and sells information, as well as an information analysis agency. And according to our analysis, we were told that now is the moment when Confucius’s value is at its lowest.
We consider you more important than you think.
Haeryeong’s eyes, filled with strong conviction.
Unable to give a different answer to her unexpected words, I just swallowed hard.
So if it’s really a burden, just think of it as a friendship fee.
At Haeryeong’s words, a gentle smile forms on my lips without me realizing it.
Did you hear the story of Yang Gun-baek?
“I gave him a good scolding. I asked if he really made a friend for that price.”
I carefully gathered the Nine Spirit Herbs and Blood Jade in my bosom.
Haeryeong was looking at me as if watching food go into her child’s mouth.
I felt somewhat awkward, so I quickly brought up a different topic.
“Who do you think will become the master of Akyang in the future?”
The seat in Akyang is vacant.
The fierce battle currently taking place between the Black Path and the White Path is ultimately a showdown over who will take over Akyang.
“I suspect that the Dark Path martial arts world, including the Mukhyeolbang and Heukbugung, will come to dominate Akyang.”
“hmm…….”
Do you think so, as expected?
The Baekdo sects, including Jeomchang, have lost faith due to this incident.
It was clear that even the sects that followed Jeomchang would be less affected by his influence for a while.
In the end, those who failed to rally together because they were wary of one another will no longer be able to boast of their prosperity as they did in the past.
And it was clear that anyone from Baekdo, including Jeomchang, would have to pay a tremendous price in blood once again to reclaim Akyang.
Is there no room for Haomun to join in that place?
Haeryeong rarely opened her rabbit eyes and blinked them repeatedly.
A face that showed disbelief at what he heard.
“Heukdo is trying to get a piece of the pie, and Jeomchang will be striving not to lose their position. Couldn’t Haomun slip in between them?”
As you know, Master, we are in a position where we cannot reveal ourselves outwardly.
Wouldn’t it be enough to just reach out secretly?
A look of complete incomprehension.
Since we have a good relationship, shall I give you a gift?
How about the position of Akyang Branch Manager?
“yes??”
The current Akyang branch manager will likely be moving to a new position soon. Also, by custom, the branch manager position is often filled by someone recommended by the predecessor.
That’s right…
Yes. However, I haven’t heard any news that the Akyang Branch Manager is transferring. Do you know where on earth someone of his stature is going?
He will be coming to Taeeulmun as a dispatched knight.
“yes?!”
Haeryeong, who had never once let her elegant demeanor slip, gaped wide and could not take her eyes off me. ‘No, is that really such a surprising thing?’ Haeryeong’s reaction hurt a little.
