Chapter 455: My Father is Also Very Rich
Chapter 455: My Father is Also Very Rich
Geom Mu-geuk’s words struck Hwang In’s heart like a dagger.
“If you’re a merchant, shouldn't you be making a deal?”
Hwang In often took pride in being a merchant. However, deep down, he knew the truth. That pride was nothing more than a sandcastle, destined to crumble the moment the waves of reality crashed against it. In every critical moment, he hadn't relied on a merchant’s trade; he had mobilized the War Ghosts to settle his affairs through force.
“Normally, you should have approached me alone to make an offer. ‘I want that agreement back; what do you want in exchange?’ Isn't that how a real merchant speaks? Identifying what I want and presenting something of equal value. A person who achieves what cannot be done with a sword—isn't that the definition of a merchant?”
Hwang In unconsciously bit his lip. His earlier flare of temper at the inn, when Geom Mu-geuk suggested a merchant should be better at math, must have stemmed from this very inferiority complex.
After a moment of silence, Hwang In turned his gaze toward the building the War Ghosts had entered.
“What happened to the men who went inside?”
“I wouldn't know.”
“Did you use poison?”
Geom Mu-geuk smiled.
“My father detests poison. In fact, there’s someone who feels quite slighted because of that particular distaste.”
Hwang In couldn't fathom what he meant.
Geom Mu-geuk stood up.
“Well, if you’re curious, let’s go inside and see for yourself.”
Geom Mu-geuk led the way. Hwang In wanted to bolt for the main gate, but he found his legs wouldn't move. Even if he could escape—and he doubted he could—what would he say to Jeon Nak? That he fled without even confirming the fate of three precious War Ghosts? He might get away with it since he was a non-combatant, but Jeon Nak wouldn't believe him. He would assume the enemy would never have let him go so easily.
With a heavy heart, Hwang In followed Geom Mu-geuk inside.
As they walked down the neatly decorated hallway, there were no corpses, let alone signs of a struggle. Not a single drop of blood had splattered on the flowers in the vases atop the display cabinets. He had been told those men were experts capable of assassinating the West Blade Sect Leader.
‘Where on earth did they disappear to?’
For a moment, he wondered if the three of them might be sitting in the inner room at the end of the hall, drinking tea. He prayed it was so! Or perhaps they had already killed the West Blade Sect Leader and were standing over his body, exchanging trivial jokes.
But what if it was the opposite?
Amidst a whirlwind of thoughts, the two reached the room at the end of the hallway. When they entered, Geom Wu-jin was sitting at a table, calmly sipping tea.
The War Ghosts were nowhere to be seen.
“Father, the merchant we saw at the inn has returned.”
Geom Wu-jin, who had been looking out the window, turned his gaze toward Hwang In.
“I greet the Sect Leader,” Hwang In said, his voice trembling.
Geom Wu-jin looked at him with a blunt, unreadable expression. It was the same gaze he’d had at the inn, but the way Hwang In perceived it had changed entirely. He knew he should continue with formal greetings, but his curiosity was unbearable.
“The men who came with me... they entered this building first. Did you… happen to see them?”
To be honest, he wanted to ask outright: Did you kill them?
Geom Wu-jin simply shook his head.
Geom Mu-geuk already knew the truth. It wasn't his father who had dealt with them, but Hwi. Unless an order had been given to let them in, Hwi would never have stood by while intruders entered the house with his father as their target. To Hwi, it would have been a simple matter of: “How dare these wretches!”
He had likely remained in the shadows, silencing the War Ghosts one by one as they crossed the threshold. Without a drop of blood or a single scream—such was the skill of the man charged with the Heavenly Demon’s protection.
“Then where could they have gone?” Hwang In asked cautiously, looking at Geom Mu-geuk.
Normally, Mu-geuk should have been curious as well. Yet, he remained perfectly composed. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Hwang In’s mind.
‘Wait. Could these people be…?’
He thought of the protagonists in the hidden stories whispered throughout the Murim.
‘Are they a secret family that has been living with their power concealed?’
The theory continued to spiral.
‘And then, one of the young successors couldn't stand the boredom and ventured into the Murim, entering the Young Dragon Tournament and winning? And because of that, even the Family Head had to reveal himself to the world…?’
This narrative, which had formed so naturally in his mind, didn't seem far-fetched at all. Without such a background, how could a martial artist from a mere regional sect win the Young Dragon Tournament and make three War Ghosts vanish instantly and silently?
It was a plausible story. The Murim was a place where all sorts of secrets and mysteries existed. Thinking this way, even the incomprehensible composure they had shown at the inn finally made sense.
At the same time, a surge of fear rose within him.
‘They might kill me to keep their secret.’
The secrets of a mysterious power had to remain hidden.
‘Unless…’
Hwang In looked at Geom Mu-geuk. Seeing those clear, deep eyes that seemed so far removed from murderous intent, a spark of hope ignited.
‘This could be an opportunity.’
A heaven-sent chance to turn the Imperial Capital Merchant Group into the World’s Greatest Merchant Group.
Geom Wu-jin finally broke the silence.
“What business brings you to me?”
Should he be honest? Should he say he came to find the agreement? Or rather, to steal it? As he hesitated, Hwang In suddenly remembered what Geom Mu-geuk had said.
If you’re a real merchant, shouldn't you be making a deal?
Hwang In took a deep breath and spoke to Geom Wu-jin.
“I have come to make a deal with you, Sect Leader.”
Geom Wu-jin listened in silence.
“Please make my merchant group the World’s Greatest Merchant Group.”
Anyone else would have called him insane. They might have asked how he could betray Jeon Nak so quickly just because three War Ghosts had vanished. But this wasn't betrayal; it was a calculation for survival. At this moment, at least, he had to be a true merchant. He had to get the math right.
“I will offer you half of all the money we earn during that process, as well as half of all future profits, for the rest of my life.”
It was an instinctive gamble, thrown at an opponent who held his life in their hands. The Jeon Nak he knew was a butcher without blood or tears. If that man lost all three of his cherished War Ghosts, would he leave these people alone? No. If a fight was going to break out, he had to side with the winner.
‘I’ll bet my fate on these people.’
Because right now, they were the ones standing before him.
After a moment, Geom Wu-jin gave a short reply.
“Discuss it with my son.”
Hwang In felt his theory confirmed by Geom Wu-jin’s reaction. An ordinary sect would have reacted with confusion: “Make you the World’s Greatest Merchant Group? What nonsense is that?”
But he told him to discuss it with his son. As if such a monumental feat could be achieved simply by talking it over.
Geom Wu-jin turned his gaze back to the window and sipped his tea, as if he had nothing more to say.
“Well then, let’s head out,” Geom Mu-geuk said.
Hwang In bowed politely to Geom Wu-jin and followed Geom Mu-geuk out of the room. The moment they stepped out, a sigh escaped his lips involuntarily.
Once they were outside the building, Hwang In asked Geom Mu-geuk, “Did I perhaps commit a discourtesy toward the Sect Leader?”
“You didn't make a mistake. However, I wouldn't say the terms of your deal were particularly impressive.”
“What do you mean?”
“What you offered as the price for the deal was money.” Geom Mu-geuk added with a faint smile, “My father is also very rich.”
Hwang In protested, “The amount I guaranteed isn't just ‘a lot.’ It’s a staggering fortune.”
“My father’s wealth is also quite staggering.”
Hwang In had no idea what he was talking about. He was offering half the wealth of the future World’s Greatest Merchant Group; how could that be compared to an individual’s private assets? This man occasionally said things that were impossible to understand.
“Anyway, you seem a bit more like a merchant now.”
Hwang In felt inwardly relieved by Geom Mu-geuk’s softened expression. At the very least, it didn't seem like he was going to be killed. Naturally, his worries then shifted toward Jeon Nak.
“Once he finds out those three are dead, he won't stay still. He’ll come to kill you with everyone he has.”
“Does he have about three hundred men?”
It was the joke Geom Mu-geuk had made earlier. The claim that his father would only draw his sword if three hundred men showed up no longer sounded like a mere joke.
“There are about thirty in total, but I know some among them are even greater masters than the ones I brought earlier.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared at Hwang In for a moment. As the smile vanished from Mu-geuk’s face, Hwang In anticipated that the next words would decide his life.
“Go back and bring only that man here.”
Hwang In flinched. What did that imply? It meant they intended to lure Jeon Nak here and kill him.
“He might suspect me and kill me.”
“And you might betray us.”
Hwang In could tell. This was a test. If he passed, they would join hands. The scales in his heart tipped back and forth violently. A wrong choice now meant death.
“If I bring him… can you handle it? He is a far greater master than those who came before.”
“You be the judge of whether we can handle it or not. But you should know this: your dreams were so big that you dragged in a very dangerous person.”
Hwang In likely thought the "dangerous person" was the one he had been working with, but the person Geom Mu-geuk was referring to was his own father.
“So, judge wisely. There will be no backing out of this deal.”
*
To jump to the conclusion, Hwang In chose the mysterious family.
The reason was simple. The fact that the opponent left the judgment to him showed their confidence—that they could handle it even if he betrayed them and brought everyone. Of course, it was a tentative choice. He intended to keep a foot in both camps and watch how things unfolded. Scales were meant to tip back and forth, after all.
For now, he would bring Jeon Nak to them. If the West Blade Sect killed Jeon Nak, he would stick to his original plan and side with them. If Jeon Nak won, he would act as if nothing had happened and stay by his side.
The only thing weighing on his mind was that Jeon Nak had a backer, but that was a problem for later. The immediate concern was how to bring him here without arousing suspicion.
He ran through several ideas on the way back. Should he say the War Ghosts were calling for him? But then, why would they send him instead of one of the ghosts? “It must be a situation that requires all three of them.” No, that wouldn't work.
After agonizing over it, he came up with a solution.
“I want to absorb the West Blade Sect into our side.”
Jeon Nak’s eyes flashed with suspicion at Hwang In’s words. He had sent three War Ghosts with him, and now the man had returned alone to say this. Without revealing his inner thoughts, Jeon Nak asked calmly, “What is the reason for suddenly wanting to bring them in?”
“After speaking with them, I found their successor to be quite to my liking.”
“For what reason?”
“He reminded me of the Way of Commerce, which I had forgotten lately.”
Jeon Nak’s expression soured slightly. His very existence was the antithesis of the Way of Commerce. Discussing such things now only irritated him.
“They are a sect that will be useful in many ways. Please trust my judgment.”
Only then did Jeon Nak ask about the War Ghosts.
“Where are the War Ghosts who went with you?”
“I told them to stay there and keep watch. Just give me your permission. I will go and get the signature on the agreement. I believe their possession of the Ju Clan Sword House’s agreement was meant to lead to this connection.”
He pointedly did not ask Jeon Nak to come with him. If he had, the suspicious Jeon Nak would have sensed danger immediately.
“I haven't asked much of you until now. So please, leave this matter to me.”
Hwang In was acting with every fiber of his being. He had to. He could very well die right then and there. Jeon Nak stared at Hwang In in silence before finally accepting the request.
“Fine. Bring them in as well.”
“Thank you. I will go at once and get the signature.”
As Hwang In turned around, he screamed internally.
‘Tell me you’re coming along! You have to suspect me!’
Just as he was about to open the door and leave—
“Let’s go together.”
Hwang In turned back, deliberately hardening his expression.
“I can handle this alone. You don't need to come.”
“Let’s go together. I’ve become curious to see for myself what kind of person managed to change your mind.”
It was a success born of suspicion, but that suspicion was thorough. Jeon Nak set out only after secretly ordering the remaining War Ghosts to follow him.
*
Late at night, Geom Mu-geuk and Geom Wu-jin were lying side by side in hammocks, looking up at the night sky.
“Is this your first time lying in a hammock?”
“Yes.”
“Another first experience with my father!”
Geom Mu-geuk was genuinely happy. In the past, he had hoped his father would recognize these feelings, but he no longer felt that way. He believed his father already knew. Even if he didn't, it didn't matter. He intended to keep sharing his heart from now on.
“I’m going to take this hammock back and string it between the fingers of the Great Statue in front of the Heavenly Demon Hall. If you’re bored, you can lie there and rest.”
If installed between the tilted fingers, one would have a clear view of the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Of course, he didn't actually expect his father to lie there.
“You’re the one who wants to lie there, aren't you?”
“When are you going to teach me that martial art that lets you read people’s minds?”
As they spent a long time gazing at the night sky, Jeon Nak and Hwang In arrived. Seeing the two of them lying in hammocks in the yard, Jeon Nak felt a sense of absurdity.
‘Did he really get my permission just to bring in people like that?’
Martial artists playing around, lying side by side in hammocks? He had never seen such warriors in his life.
Geom Mu-geuk sat up from his hammock.
“You’ve returned!”
Seeing Geom Mu-geuk smiling brightly at them, Jeon Nak felt a strange sensation. The young man seemed far too cheerful for a martial artist. Jeon Nak’s gaze shifted to Geom Wu-jin, who was still lying in his hammock.
Geom Wu-jin was looking up at the stars. Seeing this, Jeon Nak found himself following that gaze toward the night sky. He didn't know why he looked up. It just felt natural to look because that man was looking.
Despite the breathtaking beauty of the stars, Jeon Nak felt an inexplicable sense of unease. And that was how he knew.
‘Something has gone wrong.’