Chapter 24 - A Second-Rate Warrior Preparing to Soar (2)

STEP, STEP.

Only the sound of a man's footsteps echoed across the training ground where silence had fallen. Wang Geumsan stood with his shoulders proudly squared, even in front of Gye Yeonseok, whom the people of the Taiyi Sect found so troublesome.

"Since the important business of the Gyeryong Merchant Group was ruined, must a price be paid?"

Gye Yeonseok's teeth chattered at Wang Geumsan's words.

"T-That is..."

But Wang Geumsan cut him off before Gye Yeonseok could even finish his sentence.

"Anyway, since when could the Gyeryong Merchant Group look down on Wangga Manor like this?"

"N-No! L-Look down on you?!"

Gye Yeonseok bowed deeply, startled out of his wits.

"I came here today to see my benefactors, but seeing you make such a disgraceful scene does not sit well with me."

"Pardon? B-Benefactors...?"

Instead of answering, Wang Geumsan swept his gaze over the warriors brought by the Gyeryong Merchant Group and spoke.

"Go back. Before my mood sours even further."

"..."

With his soul seemingly terrified out of his body by Wang Geumsan's sudden appearance, Gye Yeonseok mumbled nonsensically before dragging the merchant group's warriors away.

Gye Cheolyeong, who had been so triumphant just moments ago, was left awkwardly glancing around before following his father back to the Gyeryong Merchant Group.

Hong Mungi, who had unexpectedly received Wang Geumsan, was absolutely dumbfounded.

"... Sowoon saved... Lord Wang's daughter?"

Unable to believe it, Hong Mungi asked a second time, and Wang Geumsan gave a benevolent smile and nodded.

Hong Mungi also knew about the Wang Soso incident.

Wang Geumsan, the Golden King, who practically held the commercial supremacy of Anhui Province, no, the entirety of Jiangdong, in his grasp.

Even Hong Mungi, who was somewhat removed from worldly affairs, had heard the rumors that his precious only daughter had gone missing until his ears bled.

But to think that the one who saved that daughter was Sowoon.

"Now that I think about it..."

He remembered the time a few days ago when Sowoon had barged into the Grand Sage Hall out of nowhere and asked for a carriage.

Could it be that the child he saved back then was...

"It seems it was my child."

"..."

His mouth would not close.

Kidnappings frequently occurred among slash-and-burn farmers or nomads who hadn't settled down in villages.

He had thought Sowoon had simply saved a child like that...

"Actually, I was quite surprised by that. There wasn't a single person in the Anhui Province area who didn't know about this incident. But he just left the child at the Wang Estate and left."

"Are you saying he just left her at the Wang Estate?"

Listening to the story, Hong Mungi suddenly snapped to his senses.

Then, Jin Sowoon treating the story of Wang Soso as if it were nothing and the fact that he just left her at the Wang Estate interlocked, and he began to understand.

"... I see."

"Do you know something?"

"No. I just understand the boy's feelings a little better."

At Hong Mungi's words, Wang Geumsan made a slightly surprised expression.

"Perhaps Sowoon didn't attach much significance to his actions."

"He didn't attach significance?"

"If he attaches significance to saving your daughter, wouldn't he become unable to attach significance to the kidnapping of a poor family's child?"

If he received a price for rescuing Wang Soso, he would come to expect a price for rescuing a poor family's child as well.

"That is not the teaching of the Taiyi Sect."

Wang Geumsan also nodded, seemingly a bit impressed.

"May I meet the boy?"

* * *

A feast was held at the Taiyi Sect with the gifts Wang Geumsan had brought.

There were carts full of various precious fabrics and decorations, one cart filled to the brim with rice, and another cart carrying mysterious boxes.

'He's more generous than I thought.'

Just looking at the corners of my father's mouth twitching with joy—when his brow had been permanently furrowed from worrying about the sect's finances—showed just how much wealth Wang Geumsan had brought.

"The Lord of Wangga Manor has asked if he could see you for a moment."

A person who seemed to hold a rather high rank within the entourage politely guided me, and I was able to meet Wang Geumsan in the very annex where Namgung San had previously stayed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

As I entered the annex, unlike before, I could feel faint presences from all around.

'Stealth arts?'

Whether it was because my qi sensing had improved after my internal energy reached sixty years' worth, or because even Wang Geumsan's wealth couldn't buy him highly skilled escorts, I could distinctly feel their presences.

As I stared at the corner of the ceiling due to these faint presences I was feeling for the first time in my life, Wang Geumsan's expression changed oddly.

"Can you feel them?"

"Pardon? What do you..."

"Didn't you just sense that someone was there?"

"Ah... yes."

"Hahaha!"

Along with Wang Geumsan's hearty laugh, the presences became even more distinct. Their breathing was faltering.

"Truth be told, the kidnappers evaded them and abducted Soso. ... No, to be exact, it would be more accurate to say they completely ignored them."

Profound martial arts can overcome mere technique.

It was a Jianghu proverb meaning that sometimes, walking one path deeply could encompass all other branches.

It seemed it was nothing for the elites of the Namgung Clan to bypass those who had only trained to be escorts.

"Experts capable of ignoring them, and a young man not even twenty years old who rescued my daughter from their hands. Truthfully, it's hard to believe."

Wang Geumsan was still staring at me piercingly, as if observing me.

There was no fighting spirit or killing intent, but his accumulated life experience washed over me with an equally burdensome pressure.

"Moreover, to say you saved her by chance and just left. I must be able to believe even that fact."

Somehow, my actions—which his mind couldn't comprehend—seemed to be providing him with a misunderstanding instead.

"I apologize if I caused you to misunderstand."

"No. No. For the first time in a while, I felt a very proud emotion. ... Of course, that's only if it truly was a misunderstanding."

His tone now harbored a distinct chill.

It seemed something within him had thoroughly broken after going through this incident.

In truth, it was inevitable that I would draw suspicion; if it hadn't been for me, he would never have seen Wang Soso again.

Even so, it didn't feel very good, so my tone also grew colder.

"What is it that you wish to say?"

"I investigated you closely. But in the end, I found nothing."

'Of course you didn't. In my past life, I was simply a person whose inner thoughts could be seen through too clearly.'

"So if you are hiding anything from me, I wish you would tell me. I will surely pay the price for this disrespect I am committing."

"I don't know what you could possibly use to heal a wounded heart. What are you most curious about?"

Wang Geumsan's face was already unwavering.

"First, I want to know why you didn't come to the Wang Estate with her."

To Wang Geumsan, it seemed utterly incomprehensible why I hadn't immediately collected an immense reward.

"First, it was because it would have been difficult to explain the full story of the incident."

Wang Geumsan's suspicion deepened even further.

"When I rescued your daughter, it was the third day since I began pursuing the kidnappers. At that time, your daughter's condition was incredibly poor, and it was the exact moment they were about to kill her to silence her... so I had no choice but to step forward without even thinking to inform anyone."

"... Ahem."

No matter how bold a man might be, hearing the fact that his child had been on the verge of death was a difficult thing.

"Second, it was because of the immense reward I anticipated."

"You didn't reveal your involvement because of the reward?"

The immense reward Wang Geumsan would give might seem great on the surface.

However, if I didn't have the strength to protect it right away, it would be no different from a disaster.

"Third, to me, saving Wang Soso was nothing more than acting on a personal vow."

"What do you mean by a personal vow?"

"Never to overlook injustice when I see it."

'To be precise, it's 'never to overlook the person who committed an injustice against me,' though.'

'Since all I needed was a backer strong enough to detach the Gyeryong Merchant Group, it didn't matter who it was.'

'Going out of my way to choose Wang Soso in that process was strictly related to my personal grudge against Namgung Sangwon.'

'What's more, I now even have the Seven-Color Jewel I obtained from Namgung San.'

'It no longer had to be Wangga Manor.'

"With just the gifts you brought today, you have paid more than the price I desired, so I don't think you need to visit me anymore."

"Were you offended?"

"If an act of goodwill is returned with suspicion, wouldn't anyone be unable to perform their next act of goodwill? I don't want that to happen, so I have no intention of continuing my connection with you, Lord."

'He is someone who has fought for profit his entire life and reached the pinnacle, so I know very well how lacking his faith in humanity must be.'

'But that's strictly his perspective. The fact that I was offended by it is my perspective, isn't it?'

I stood up from my seat and politely offered a martial salute.

And the moment I turned to leave.

THUD.

My mouth fell wide open at his actions.

"W-What are you doing?"

Soon after, even the ones who had been hiding on the ceiling using stealth arts appeared before my eyes.

Since their employer was kneeling and bowing, they couldn't possibly remain hidden.

"Please forgive me for the sin of failing to recognize the benefactor the heavens sent down and doubting you first. Furthermore, the grace of saving my precious daughter. I will engrave it in my bones for the rest of my life and offer my gratitude every morning."

""Please forgive us.""

With even the escorts bowing deeply in unison, I couldn't hide my panic.

Who was the person before me? Was he not a magnate who could build mountains out of gold and controlled the economy for the people of the world?

Seeing him—someone even the powerful nobles of Beijing couldn't treat carelessly—kneeling and offering a deep bow, I quickly approached to help him up.

"Please do not do this. How can you bow to a mere warrior?"

"First, you saved my daughter, and second, because of that, you saved me. Thanks to that, my retainers were spared, and even the families of those retainers were spared. How could I possibly not offer a bow in the face of this?"

I couldn't force up a man who wouldn't budge an inch, so I had no choice but to nod in the end.

"I understand, so please get up quickly. I fear someone might see."

"Are you forgiving me?"

"I understand, so please get up quickly."

A bright smile hung on Wang Geumsan's face as he stood and took his seat.

'The title of commercial magnate wasn't just slapped on him.'

'This man is completely playing me.'

"Thank you."

"Please drop the formalities now too. If you really keep doing this, I will leave."

"Ahem, I am sorry. But no matter how much I thought about it, I had to be able to believe it. Because of the parts that I could not comprehend even at the limits of my understanding, I committed this disrespect. I apologize once again."

"I understand. Please stop now."

The strange, unapproachable aura vanished, and his face was left with a discordant expression where exhaustion and comfort were mixed.

He spoke to his escorts.

"Step away for a moment."

"Yes."

The escorts vanished from my sight like ghosts, and I could no longer sense them on the ceiling or inside the building.

"May I ask you one thing?"

"It's about the medicine, isn't it?"

'The reason he went so far as to put on a play to test my intentions couldn't be anything else but the medicine.'

'If it hadn't been for that medicine, he wouldn't have needed to test my intentions. Even if I had been an accomplice in the kidnapping, my true nature would have been revealed eventually if he just took his time watching me.'

"Oho, I heard you had a brilliant mind, and it was true."

"I just have a needlessly good memory."

"That... medicine, what on earth is it? Even the physicians who previously treated her don't know its true nature. They were only worried because of the poisonous herbs in it. They said there was a risk of poisoning. And yet, Soso said she would take that medicine even if she died."

Before parting with Soso, I had written down and handed over the recipe for the pill she needed to take every day.

As long as she took one pill a day for the rest of her life, she wouldn't suffer from the Solar Constitution, so Wang Soso must have had absolutely no desire to give it up.

"It's true that it contains poisonous herbs. The risk of poisoning also needs to be considered."

"... Then isn't it dangerous!"

"That is why I taught her the Taiyi mental cultivation method to neutralize it. It would have been better if it were a mental cultivation method with higher efficacy, but the situation was so urgent that it was all I had at the time."

"Then... does that mean she just has to take that medicine and practice that mental cultivation method for the rest of her life?"

"Of course, since she has already learned the Taiyi mental cultivation method, she won't be able to learn any other mental cultivation method. Even though I obtained your daughter's permission for that, I apologize once again."

"No, no, that's not what I mean. If she just takes that medicine, how much longer can she live?"

'It's not like the medicine is a spiritual elixir, so how could I possibly know a person's lifespan?'

"I'm not a fortune teller... how could I possibly know a human's heaven-allotted lifespan?"

Wang Geumsan's eyes grew as large as bells.

"Then, you're saying she can live out her natural lifespan?"

"Assuming there are no major illnesses or accidents, wouldn't she?"

"How on earth do you know such a recipe?"

'A little embellishment was necessary here.'

'Since I couldn't reveal that it was a classified document from the Murim Alliance's Mantong Bureau.'

"In the past, I was bitten by a venomous snake in the mountains and almost died, but an old man saved me using poisonous herbs. After that, his herbalism was so miraculous that I stubbornly tagged along with him and ended up learning various medicine recipes."

"He cured a venomous snake's poison with poisonous herbs?"

When I added a story as part of the fight-poison-with-poison method detailed in the Ten Thousand Herbs Secret Record, Wang Geumsan thought for a long time before opening his mouth.

"You obtained a fortuitous encounter."

"A fortuitous encounter?"

"Yes, in all the world, the only one who fought poison with poison to cure was the Divine Physician of Life and Death. His death was never known, so I thought his lineage had been severed, but to think there was such a connection."

Because his daughter had an illness, Wang Geumsan had also explored a vast amount of medical knowledge.

Thanks to that, the story went over smoothly.

Then, Wang Geumsan suddenly grabbed my hand.

Wang Geumsan bowed his head.

"Thank you."

"If I hear that one more time, my ears will start bleeding."

Hot droplets fell thickly onto my hand.

"Every morning when I wake up, I will offer a prayer for you. And I will never forget this grace until the day I die."

Feeling his tears falling on my hand, the suppressed resentment I held toward him melted away in an instant.

* * *

In the end, it was decided that Wang Soso would enter the Taiyi Sect.

Considering the terrible ordeal Wang Soso had gone through, one would expect them to be cautious, but Wang Soso's insistence was too strong, and for some reason, Wang Geumsan didn't seem to say much about it.

Instead, he carefully relayed the question of whether she could be accompanied by an escort warrior, and feeling that it was nothing compared to the Gyeryong Merchant Group planting a Hall Leader as an instructor in Busaeng Hall, all the Hall Leaders agreed.

The person who had guided me to Wang Geumsan called me over separately.

The man, who introduced himself as the Chief Steward of Wangga Manor, had already moved all the mysterious boxes from one of the fully loaded carts into the annex after Wang Geumsan had left.

"What is all this?"

"These are gifts from the Lord to you, Young Master."

"...?"

The gifts already brought to the Taiyi Sect were immense, and he had even promised future funding, so could there really be more gifts to give?

The Chief Steward first presented a long box exuding an antique elegance.

"It is one of the most precious items in the Lord's treasury. Its name is the Black Dragon Sword."

Inside the box lay a sword entirely pitch-black from its blade to its hilt.

"Whoa..."

The flawlessly perfect blade and the hilt coiled like two ascending dragons made it closer to a work of art than a weapon.

"The hilt and scabbard are forged from Black Iron, and the blade is forged from Vajra Imperishable Iron, so its edge will never be damaged even if it clashes with any divine weapon."

Because there wasn't a single ornament attached to it, it looked incredibly plain in a way, but it harbored a demonic energy that naturally absorbed one's gaze.

While my gaze was stolen by the sword, the Chief Steward opened the next box.

"This is the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Garment, clothing made through a special manufacturing process passed down for generations within Wangga Manor."

It was a tight-fitting garment of a shape I had never seen before, seemingly perfectly suited to be worn under the clothes of martial artists who required free movement.

"It is made by twisting Heavenly Silkworm Thread, Vajra Thread, and Silver Thread together, granting it elasticity and not hindering movement while simultaneously providing tremendous defensive power. For instance, the Murim Alliance has wanted to purchase it several times, but we didn't sell it because the quantity is so low."

The explaining Chief Steward rattled on, looking even more excited himself.

"If it is this precious, shouldn't the Lord or Lady Soso be using it?"

"Ah, of course, the two of them are already using it. Because it is so difficult to make, we create one within Wangga Manor whenever the materials are secured. This is the first time the whole family is wearing it and he is gifting the one remaining piece."

Being a Chief Steward, he would be involved in the heavy responsibility of managing the family's assets. I couldn't quite get used to seeing such a person explaining things so happily.

As if noticing my baffled expression, the Chief Steward scratched his wrinkled cheek and spoke.

"You probably do not know just how grateful we are."

"... No, I think I know well enough."

"In truth, the Lord lost his parents in his youth, and his wife passed away giving birth to Lady Soso. To the Lord, Lady Soso is his only family, and that is why his love for her is so deep."

'It's truly a contrasting sight compared to the Master of the Gyeryong Merchant Group, Gye Yeonseok, who has five wives and concubines combined.'

"When we lost the young lady, we truly prepared for war. The Lord intended to put a hit out on three sects simultaneously. He was liquidating his assets to do so. Had that happened, we probably wouldn't have been able to remain at Wangga Manor either. You, Young Master, saved the lives of tens of thousands of people."

The Chief Steward was looking at me with eyes full of gratitude.

"He instructed me to tell you to ask at any time if there is anything we can help with in the future. If it is difficult to speak to the Lord, please speak to me, the Chief Steward."

"Haha... This is all truly wonderful, but it's burdensome."

"There is no need for that. Because we all believe we owe you a life-saving debt of gratitude."

"I understand. If you keep going, I will be too embarrassed, so let us stop. But what are all these other things? Did he empty out the Lord's entire treasury?"

There were still five boxes remaining.

"That is not the case; we simply brought things that the young lady no longer needs."

"Things she no longer needs?"

The moment he opened the first box, a wave of cold energy wafted out, as if I had stepped into an icehouse.

"That is said to be the core of a Snow Carp."

SNAP.

I slammed the box shut in shock.

"Then what about this?"

"It's said to be a Snow Lotus Seed. I heard the Dragon Slaying Escort Agency went through quite a lot of trouble in the North Sea to procure it."

Inside the box, a lotus seed was radiating a blue frost.

'They said she lived her entire life in a place like an icehouse; it seems it was a place made with these kinds of cold-radiating artifacts and spiritual elixirs.'

"Then are all of these...?"

The Chief Steward smiled comfortably, just like Wang Geumsan's previous smile.

"Yes."

'Long live the rich.'