Chapter 454: To Persuade My Father
Chapter 454: To Persuade My Father
Ju Hyang-wol returned home.
As expected, her mother was waiting for her.
“How did it go?”
Before answering, Ju Hyang-wol asked a question of her own. “Did you know Hwang In was bringing the settlement papers today?”
“I didn’t.”
Had she really been in the dark? Doubt was Hyang-wol’s first instinct—a sad reflection of the current state of their relationship.
“So? Did you sign the agreement?”
Her mother’s reaction alone revealed how desperate she was. Normally, she should have been outraged: He thrust a settlement agreement at you? Without sending it to us beforehand? Then, she should have asked worriedly: You didn’t sign it, did you?
Instead, her mother was looking at her with eyes full of anxiety—anxiety that she hadn't signed it.
Hyang-wol thought of the paper tucked into her robes. She had written down everything she needed to say to her mother, just as Geom Mu-geuk had advised. She hadn't just written a script; she had anticipated various scenarios and noted how to respond to each. This exact situation was among them.
“No, I delayed it.”
A flash of disappointment crossed her mother’s face. Since Hyang-wol had expected this, she knew exactly what to say next. Fortunately, her mother had a predictable personality. That was why they fought so much, and why Hyang-wol could never truly hate her.
At the very top of her notes, she had written this:
Never shout! Speak gently!
Whenever she raised her voice during a conversation with her mother, it never ended well. She knew that a low, firm, and calm voice conveyed her emotions best, but for some reason, she found it hardest to maintain that composure with her mother.
But today, she was doing well.
“It’s a matter that requires careful handling.”
If she told her mother what had happened at the inn, her mother would never accept it. Entrusting the agreement to someone she had just met would have made her mother hit the ceiling.
“I need to look more into the Imperial Capital Merchant Group and have an expert review the agreement to ensure there are no terms unfavorable to us.”
In the past, she would have definitely added: ‘Did you even look into them properly? You didn't, did you? It’s always like this with you.’
That would have signaled the start of a fight, the opening act of a shouting match. But those words were not on the paper she wrote today. Her mother seemed surprised to hear her mention consulting an expert.
“What expert?” she asked, looking startled.
“I’ll let you know once the results are in,” Hyang-wol spoke more calmly than ever before. “I know the family is in a difficult position right now. I believe that’s exactly why we need to be more cautious.”
Her mother’s eyes were filled with a mix of emotions that seemed to say: Since when were you cautious? Since when did you care about the family’s troubles?
In the past, Hyang-wol would have snapped back. Instead, she spoke even more softly.
“I’m an adult now, aren't I? I’ll do my best to help you from now on, Mother.”
She bowed to her mother and stepped outside. Her mother, slightly dazed by her daughter’s uncharacteristic behavior, stood there unable to say a word.
Once outside, Ju Hyang-wol let out a long sigh. She pulled the paper from her robes. She hadn't even said a quarter of what she had written, but the conversation had been distinctly different from their usual ones. Writing it down had clearly made a difference.
‘Ah! I forgot to say that.’
She had even underlined a reminder to tell her mother not to worry too much and to make sure she ate well, but she had just walked out. Regardless, they hadn't shouted at each other today.
*
From a young age, Hwang In had been trained to hide his emotions. He was taught that it was the most important trait for a merchant. But at this moment, hiding his feelings was no easy task.
It was because he was standing before Jeon Nak.
He was the demon Hwang In had joined hands with. When his father had tried to dissuade him, Hwang In had replied: I don’t want to spend the rest of my life as the leader of a backwater merchant group.
He didn't want that life. He had the ambition to make the Imperial Capital Merchant Group the foremost merchant group in the Central Plains. That was why he had partnered with Jeon Nak. After joining forces, he realized for certain: he and Jeon Nak were the same kind of person.
The only difference was that Jeon Nak held a sword while he held an abacus. While Jeon Nak glared coldly, he wore a smile. Ultimately, they were the same. Perhaps that was why the Imperial Capital Merchant Group had grown so rapidly after the partnership.
And then he discovered one more fact: Jeon Nak was merely a henchman following someone else's orders. He had realized this naturally through their conversations. He worried about what kind of mess he had gotten himself into, but it was too late to turn back. His only choices were to become the greatest merchant group under heaven or to die at Jeon Nak’s hands.
“The settlement fell through?” Jeon Nak spoke in his usual polite, low-toned voice.
But hearing that voice always gave Hwang In goosebumps. He knew this man was a cold-blooded butcher. He felt that even if they remained allies for thirty years, Jeon Nak wouldn't hesitate for a second if the moment came when he had to kill him.
“That is correct.”
“Didn’t you say you were confident about this?”
“The sword house brought in an outsider.”
“Who?”
“The West Blade Sect from Gansu. Apparently, their leader owes a debt of gratitude to the deceased head of the Ju family.”
Just as Geom Mu-geuk had predicted, Hwang In hadn't moved personally but had used an information broker to uncover their identity. He found out faster than expected; the broker already had information on them. Hwang In had felt relieved when he learned the opponent was the West Blade Sect.
The people he met at the inn had given him a strange feeling. An inexplicable, peculiar sense of leisure had bothered him the whole time, but now he thought he understood the source of that confidence.
‘So, they’re a family that produced a winner in the Young Dragon Tournament, are they?’
That incomprehensible ease had come from that. Knowing this actually made him feel relieved. ‘If that’s all it is...’ They were opponents he could handle with confidence.
Jeon Nak spoke in a dry tone. “I see. I will handle the rest.”
Hwang In knew what "handling it" meant. Jeon Nak would kill the three from the West Blade Sect and retrieve the agreement. He always preferred clean resolutions. However, Hwang In wanted to handle this matter himself.
“The West Blade Sect is just a local faction, but by producing a winner in the Young Dragon Tournament, they’ve formed a connection with the Murim Alliance. If we provoke them recklessly, the Murim Alliance might intervene. We must handle this with caution.”
This was exactly why Geom Mu-geuk had chosen the West Blade Sect as his cover identity—to discourage the opponent from using brute force and force them to choose another path. Geom Mu-geuk intended to use them to identify the power behind the scenes.
“Lend me the Money Ghosts.”
The Money Ghosts. That was what Jeon Nak called the experts he kept under his command. They were truly ghosts when it came to money. So far, whenever they moved, everything was resolved. Stubborn people changed their minds, those who pointed swords met with "accidents," and those who cursed them went missing. In short, when they stepped in, a signed contract would be in hand by the next day.
“I believe this matter requires a merchant more than a martial artist. If my persuasion doesn't work, it won't be too late to do things your way.”
After a moment, Jeon Nak spoke. “How many do you need?”
“Enough to suppress the leader of the West Blade Sect.”
Hwang In spoke with a look that asked for trust. “Don’t worry. Why would a merchant ever enter a losing trade?”
*
That evening, Hwang In went to find Geom Mu-geuk.
Geom Mu-geuk’s party was staying in a small manor they had rented a short distance from the marketplace. From Hwang In’s perspective, it was a relief they weren't staying at a conspicuous inn.
Hwang In wanted to see Geom Mu-geuk beg while he handled this. Pay for the inn and leave? A merchant should keep his accounts straight? He had felt humiliated when he had to call the innkeeper and pay the bill. How dare someone discuss a merchant’s accounts in front of him!
He wouldn't kill the fellow, but he intended to mock him thoroughly before sending him away. He had told the man when leaving the inn: he was someone who always repaid his debts.
When he entered the courtyard guided by Hwi, Geom Mu-geuk was making something in an area planted with trees.
“Welcome!” Geom Mu-geuk greeted him warmly. He acted as if he had forgotten everything that happened at the inn; to an outsider, they might have looked like close friends. “You’ve come at a good time. Hold this rope for me.”
Hwang In reflexively grabbed the rope Geom Mu-geuk thrust at him. Geom Mu-geuk tied the other end to a tree. In the middle, suspended between the two points, was a net large enough for an adult to lie in.
“It’s a hammock. It’s a temporary bed used when sleeping in areas with many poisonous insects.” Another one had already been made a short distance away. “That one is my father’s. I plan to lie here side-by-side with him tonight and look up at the stars.”
Geom Mu-geuk smiled happily, as if the mere thought of it pleased him.
“You seem to really like your father, Young Hero.”
“Of course. My father doesn't trust me, but I like him more than anyone in the world.”
Geom Mu-geuk spoke loudly, intentionally making sure he could be heard inside the building. His father was likely listening to every whisper, but no response came from within.
“Now, since it’s finished, let’s try lying down.”
Geom Mu-geuk climbed into the net. As he shifted his weight, the hammock swayed gently between the trees. “It’s so comfortable and nice.”
Hwang In stood there, silently looking down at Geom Mu-geuk. He had felt it at the inn, but this was not a common man. That was likely why he could ask such a question in this situation.
“What about your father?”
Hwang In was inwardly flustered by the sudden question. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, does your father ever surprise you? I was shocked back then. I didn't expect my father to step forward for that woman.”
Hwang In didn't know what to say about his father. ‘Father is...’ His father had joined hands with Jeon Nak according to his son’s wishes. Was it a choice made for his child? Or did his father harbor the same ambitions as he did? Hwang In didn't know exactly what his father was thinking.
“I think a father is the easiest person in the world to understand, yet also the most difficult.”
Hwang In said nothing in response. Then, Geom Mu-geuk suddenly sat up in the hammock.
“You try lying down too.”
“I’m fine.”
“I said, try it.”
He forced Hwang In to lie down.
“Look up at the sky from there. How is it?”
It was his first time lying in such a bed, and it was surprisingly comfortable. Then, suddenly realizing this wasn't the time for such things, he tried to sit up. He wobbled and was about to tumble to the ground when Geom Mu-geuk caught him.
“Thank you.”
“It’s because you’re not used to it.”
What he wasn't used to was Geom Mu-geuk’s attitude. He was treating him much more familiarly than he had at the inn.
“This won't make me overlook the matter at hand.” Hwang In looked toward the wall, where three men had appeared, watching with their arms crossed.
They were the Money Ghosts he had brought along. Among the Money Ghosts, they were the ones Jeon Nak cherished most. They were experts capable of easily handling the leader of a local faction like the West Blade Sect.
“You said you were just a merchant, but you are no ordinary merchant.”
“There are many who look down on merchants and try to solve things with force, so I occasionally have no choice but to seek help.”
“If that’s the reason, you could have come alone. As you can see, I’m someone who prefers a conversation with words over one with swords.”
Hwang In stared intently at Geom Mu-geuk. ‘What on earth are you relying on?’ Even though he had brought experts who could kill his father, the young man wasn't intimidated or discouraged at all. Does he even realize what’s happening right now?
“At my command, they will take the agreement by force.”
Then, words he never expected flowed from Geom Mu-geuk’s mouth.
“Will those three be enough? To make my father draw his sword, you’d probably need about three hundred men like that.”
The Money Ghosts burst into laughter simultaneously. Though they were experts, they weren't at a level where they could see through Geom Mu-geuk’s true nature. Above all, the problem was that they already thought they knew the opponent’s identity: the successor of the West Blade Sect. Since they already viewed him as such, his words were merely laughable. Furthermore, they had been told by Hwang In before coming that the boy had a silver tongue.
“If you just hand over the agreement, apologize sincerely, and leave, nothing will happen.”
“My father will never hand it over. He’s already made a promise to that woman.”
“If you want to save your father, you go and persuade him.”
Geom Mu-geuk let out a sigh. “That’s impossible. To persuade my father, I’d need at least five years.”
Five years? What on earth is he talking about? Hwang In sent him a questioning look, but Geom Mu-geuk remained at ease. At that moment, the three men on the wall, who had only been watching, leaped down.
“Once they start moving, I won't be able to stop them. This is your last chance. You go, persuade your father, and bring the agreement.”
One of the three Money Ghosts stepped forward. “There’s no need for all three of us. I’ll go and get it myself. I’ll bring your father out and toss him into that hammock for you.”
Even as the man strode toward the building, Geom Mu-geuk lay peacefully in the hammock.
“Aren't you worried about your father?”
“Even if I worried about everyone else in the world, he is the one person I don’t have to worry about.”
Hwang In guessed the source of this confidence. ‘Does he believe the Murim Alliance will protect them?’ He thought that might be it. The confidence that no one would dare touch a family that produced a Young Dragon Tournament winner. Yes, that must be all the West Blade Sect had to rely on.
‘That clumsy pride will be your ruin!’
How much time had passed? The Money Ghost who went inside showed no sign of coming out. Yet, there were no sounds of a struggle or a fight from within. Only silence flowed from the building.
Tired of waiting, the second Money Ghost stepped forward. “I’ll go see.”
He walked into the building. In terms of skill, he was no less than the first, and he possessed a much calmer temperament. But there was no news from him either.
The remaining Money Ghost’s expression hardened. He realized something had gone wrong. They should have all gone in together from the start.
“It could be a trap!”
At Hwang In’s warning, the third Money Ghost spoke coldly. “Then would it be safe out here?”
The third Money Ghost drew his sword and cautiously entered the building. Three incredibly fierce men had entered, yet the fact that not even the sound of a chair falling could be heard was both terrifying and astonishing.
There was no news from the third Money Ghost either.
Hwang In, who had been staring at the building with a fearful heart, turned his gaze toward Geom Mu-geuk. Finally, Geom Mu-geuk rose from the hammock. In the distance, the sun began to set. A crimson glow spread across the world like ink bleeding into paper, and the sky seemed to grow wider.
With mysterious eyes reflecting the sunset, Geom Mu-geuk asked calmly:
“If you are truly a merchant, shouldn't you be making a deal instead of resorting to blades and threats?”