Episode 301. Man Geum Sang Dan (1)
If there is something that cannot be accomplished even with money, consider whether it was because of a lack of money.
━Manggeumgwi (Golden Ghost) Kang Haesang.
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Guangxi, Nanning.
Even though winter has settled over most of the Central Plains, there is still a warm air. Perhaps that is why the clothing worn by those walking around is light.
On the streets, you can see people soliciting customers, stalls laden with goods, and merchants bargaining with customers. As expected of a provincial capital, it is a prosperous scene with all kinds of goods and people gathered together. Anyone can easily see that the commercial district has been properly formed.
The land of Guangxi itself had some advantages for commerce. The northern part was covered with thick forests, so good quality lumber could be supplied at any time, and the eastern part was dotted with mines. And what about the rivers? There were many rivers flowing through Guangxi, and there were many large and small lakes. The weather was warm all year round, the soil was fertile, and water was available at any time, so farming was also good. In addition, it bordered Vietnam, so trade was easy.
If you have a healthy body, whether it be logging, mining, fishing, farming, or doing business, if you just work hard, you can somehow make a living. That’s Gwangseo. It’s only natural that people flock here, money circulates, and all sorts of vested interests arise.
However, in the Guangxi region, which can be said to be prosperous today, there was only one place that actively controlled the supply and demand of materials.
Man Geum Sang Dan (Wan Geum Sang Dan)
It’s not that there weren’t other merchants in the vast Guangxi Province, but when you consider that they were all ultimately led by the subordinates of the Wan Jin Shang Danju Wan Jin Gui (萬金鬼) and Jiang Haeshang, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all the goods moving through the Guangxi land could not escape his grasp.
And the influence of the Man-Geum-Sang-Dan did not extend only to Guangxi.
In the neighboring provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangdong, as well as in Hubei, Shaanxi, Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, there were large and small merchants under the command of Jiang Haesang. If you know that the Manjin Merchant Group was once called the best merchant group in the world, this is not so strange. If they had handed over the foundation they had built at that time to their subordinates and retreated, it would have been entirely possible.
Of course, even so, it was questionable whether a single merchant group had enough control to dominate the commercial world in southeastern Central Plains from behind the scenes.
Those who have inherited the foundation from Mangeumsangdanju Kang Haesang and have run their own companies for the past twenty years, do they still keep their faith in him? It may vary from person to person, but it felt almost impossible for all of them to still obey Kang Haesang’s words.
Yes, if Kang Hae-sang was just a simple merchant, he might have been betrayed by his subordinates many times. The devil called money sometimes makes people betray their faith and loyalty. Of course, if Kang Hae-sang had no foundation to believe in before that, he would not have given up the foundation of the upper class.
It’s been over twenty years already, but there was a time when the entire martial arts world was in an uproar because of the words spoken by Man-geum-gwi Kang Hae-sang.
━I will give half of my entire fortune to anyone who can cure my son!
At that time, Kang Hae-sang was rumored to be the most affluent person in the Central Plains. Since such a person offered to give half of his wealth, it was only natural that the whole world would be in an uproar.
Kang Hae-sang’s son, Kang Hu-yeon, had a serious back injury from falling from a horse when he was young. When he lost consciousness for several days, Kang Hae-sang was very worried, but soon his son Kang Hu-yeon regained consciousness, so he thought that after some time of recovery, he would be able to walk normally.
But that was a mistake. Kang Hu-yeon became paralyzed from the waist down after that.
The Kang family has been precious since ancient times. That was the reason why Kang Hae-sang was in dire straits. The son whom he had with great difficulty in his forties became crippled in the lower half of his body. The family line was on the verge of extinction. Although he had accumulated wealth that would have made him rich for generations, there was a high possibility that he would not have a successor after Kang Hoo-yeon.
━I will try to treat Confucius!
It was a matter where half of Kang Hae-sang’s wealth, the most powerful man in the Central Plains, was at stake. Everyone from all over the world with even a little bit of medical skill came to him. Of course, Kang Hae-sang was not so foolish as to entrust Kang Hoo-yeon’s treatment to them. If he had been caught by a quack, there was a worry that Kang Hoo-yeon’s condition would have deteriorated to the point where it could not be repaired.
Kang Hae-sang had already rescued several paralyzed patients like his son, and then made a suggestion to those who had gathered.
━Try treating these first.
━Just leave it to me!
Hundreds of confident members of parliament took turns trying all sorts of bizarre remedies, each with his own secret recipe.
However, not a single person was able to cure their paralysis. Instead, two of the patients ended up losing their lives.
The lawmakers who came in like clouds are leaving like the tide without achieving anything.
Kang Hae-sang changed the content of the award.
━If you bring my son back to normal… …I will give you all the money I have saved my whole life!
There is nothing that money cannot solve, and if it cannot be solved, it is a thought that is based on the theory that if there is a lack of money, it is a question of whether there is a lack of money. Most people would not have thought that the amount offered as a reward was insufficient.
Did Kang Hae-sang’s new proposal actually work? Rumors circulated for a while that the previously unmovable royal family had shown interest—even to the point of secretly dispatching a royal physician.
And after a year or two, the fact that Kang Hae-sang had spent a huge fortune to treat his son was gradually forgotten by people. It was also around this time that the Man-geum-sang-dans located all over the world began to reorganize their businesses one by one and move their bases to Guangxi.
Few thought it was strange. Because Kang Hu-yeon, who had been living in seclusion, had not been known, rumors spread that he was walking around fine. People guessed. It seemed that Kang Hae-sang had poured all his wealth into treating his son. The prevailing speculation was that the huge reward money had flowed into the imperial family. There had been stories in the past that a royal physician had been dispatched.
But the reality was different.
━If you return to the main religion, you will achieve what you wish.
Just after the imperial physician gave up on treating him and left, Kang Hae-sang received a letter. Surprisingly, it was sent by Yeon Mu-yeol, the leader of the Cheonmasingyo cult. He said that if he came to Xingang, he would have a magic doctor cure his son’s leg.
Kang Hae-sang also heard about the being called the Demon. It was said that his medical skills were so excellent that he could even reattach severed limbs━ However, that was why he couldn’t believe it. It was completely beyond common sense.
He thought it was an exaggerated story to expand his cult by targeting the sick. Kang Hae-sang met with many doctors to treat his son and watched their medical practices from over their shoulders. This means that he had acquired the insight to distinguish between what is possible and what is impossible in medicine with common sense.
So, originally, there would have been no hesitation in the proposal of Cheonma Sect leader Yeon Mu-yeol. There were doubts about the magician’s abilities, but more than that, the fact that he had any kind of connection with Cheonma Sect was likely to be problematic.
In particular, Yeonmuyeol used the expression ‘return to the path of the devil’━ It was not hard to guess that it meant to enter the path of the devil. If that happens, you must be prepared to face all the forces of the Central Plains martial arts world. You could even end up being wiped out.
however.
Kang Hae-sang was already in deep despair. There was no hope left for his son to be cured. So, after much thought, he took his son Kang Hu-yeon and left for Xinjiang, holding on to his last straw.
━By the order of the Supreme Being, I have been waiting for you.
As soon as Kang Hae-sang arrived in Xinjiang, he was able to meet the Cheonma Sect masters who had come out to greet him. Under their ironclad escort, he arrived at the Cheonma Sect headquarters located somewhere in the Tianshan Mountains, and was soon able to meet with the current leader of the Cheonma Sect, Yeon Mu-yeol. The supreme figure of the Xinjiang magic world.
━Manggeumgwi Kang Haesang. I heard that your talents are great. They say that all the materials of the Central Plains pass through your hands. I called you because I thought that if you would convert to my religion, you would be of great help in the future. Of course, before that, you should cure your son first. I am not unaware of the situation.
Yeonmuyeol immediately called the magician and ordered him to treat Kang Huyeon. Surprisingly, the magician of the time was a woman. She was of an age where it would be more appropriate to call her a girl. Her name was Baek Soyeon.
Contrary to Kang Hae-sang’s expectations, the treatment did not take long. In a matter of days, Baek So-yeon, who had been wishing so desperately for something, made Kang Hu-yeon walk on her own two feet.
━Your son has entered a magical art that greatly enhances his regenerative powers. The cause is that he was unable to control the veins in his lower body, including his legs, due to the shock of falling from a horse, and this is something that cannot be treated with medicine alone.
━My son is a magician… …?
━It’s called the Immortal Body Demonic Skill. Originally, it was a forbidden martial art in our church, but this time, thanks to the grace of the leader, we have been permitted to pass on the initiation ritual. You should be deeply grateful.
━I wonder… …! I sincerely thank you, Ma-ui, for curing my son. I will immediately request an audience with the cult leader and convey my message.
━Please do not forget that heart. And even though it is an initiation stage, your son’s body has already acquired a considerably excellent regenerative ability. If you accumulate and maintain an appropriate amount of magical energy, any injuries you receive in the future will heal quickly. To put it simply, it can be said that a long and healthy life is guaranteed to some extent.
━Is that so… …!
Kang Hae-sang didn’t care at all about the fact that his son had suddenly become a demon. He had been somewhat prepared for this when he set off for Xingang anyway. If he had ties with the Heavenly Demon Sect, he would naturally not be able to maintain good relations with the martial arts forces in the Central Plains. And it was more important to him that his family lineage had not been broken. He could do it anywhere where people lived. He was also considering organizing his base in the Central Plains and moving to Xingang.
It was when Kang Hae-sang conveyed his intention to the cult leader along with words of gratitude.
━No. Don’t do that.
Yeonmuyeol said bluntly.
━Manggeumgwi. Your utility is maximized when you are in the Central Plains. So there is no need to come to Xinjiang. Don’t dispose of your property in a hurry. I don’t want any money or anything like that.
━… … Then, what do you want from me?
━The head of our school will soon advance to the central plains.
━In the Central Plains, you say?
━Yes. At that time, support Junghyuk in both material and spiritual ways so that he can settle down. There is no need to do it from the front. I am saying that you should take charge of supplying things in the shadows. So that you do not attract the attention of the Jeongdo forces.
━Okay, I will definitely do that.
━You said Houyeon? I will create a world where your son who holds the magic can walk proudly. This is the world of the magic way. Not only that, I will make it possible for you to enjoy wealth and honor for generations to come. So, Mangeumgwi (萬金鬼), please come to my school.
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━Yes. I will do so, Your Majesty… … !
In this way, Man-geum-gwi Kang Hae-sang, the greatest merchant and wealthiest man in the Central Plains, devoted himself to the path of magic.
Later, when the young sect leader Yeon Jung-hyeok took his followers to Wuhan, Hubei, and drove out the Murim Alliance, and established Ma Guang-cheon in its place.
Anyone who was part of the Central Plains commercial community could guess that Kang Hae-sang’s full-scale yet secret support had continued for a considerable period of time.
This implied that Magwangcheonju Yeonjunghyeok was behind Mangeumgui Kang Haesang. Therefore, as the power of the Central Plains Magical Clan grew stronger day by day, the influence of Mangeumsangdan was bound to become stronger as well.
This is the reason why a single merchant located in Guangxi Province today can control all the goods going to and from the southeastern part of Central Plains.
