Chapter 457: How Great It Is to Be in the Central Plains
Chapter 457: How Great It Is to Be in the Central Plains
“Have you regained your composure?”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s words, Hwang In nodded.
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Despite his answer, Hwang In’s heart was still racing.
In the heat of the life-or-death struggle, he hadn't actually trembled this much. Everything had passed in a frantic, desperate blur. It was only now, with the situation settled and the reality that he had nearly died sinking in, that his heart began to pound against his ribs.
Unable to calm himself, he sat in Geom Mu-geuk’s room, clutching a cup of water the young man had provided.
He gulped the water down so fast he choked. Only after a fit of coughing did he finally settle. The events that had just transpired felt like a fever dream. The fact that he had almost lost his life still felt surreal.
“That martial art you displayed at the end was…”
Hwang In trailed off. He hadn't seen it clearly because he’d closed his eyes in terror, but he bit his tongue, sensing it wasn't something he should carelessly pry into.
Recalling the sight of the fallen War Ghosts made his breath hitch again.
Though he wasn't well-versed in martial arts, there were things even he could recognize—namely, that those men were not the type to die so easily. The technique this man before him had used must have been a peerless divine art from some hidden, mysterious lineage.
“What should I do now?”
With Jeon Nak dead, a new concern weighed heavily on Hwang In.
“Once they realize Jeon Nak is dead, that terrifying person he mentioned will come looking for me first.”
If Jeon Nak was that frightening, how terrifying must the person who scared him be? Hwang In felt like he might wet his pants just thinking about it.
Should he just run?
The thought crossed his mind for a fleeting moment, but he couldn't do it. What would he do for a living if he abandoned the Imperial Capital Merchant Group and fled?
“Please, stay with me. You mustn't leave my side for even a moment.”
“I cannot do that,” Mu-geuk replied flatly. “Every moment is precious to me right now. I don't have time to spend it all playing bodyguard.”
“Then what do I do when that person comes? News of Jeon Nak’s death won't spread immediately, so they might not burst in right away, but… what if I’m unlucky? What if they just happen to be passing by and drop in?”
Suddenly, Geom Mu-geuk asked a question.
“Are you only afraid of the person who’s coming? Am I not scary to you?”
Hwang In flinched. Come to think of it, this was the man who had slaughtered Jeon Nak and the War Ghosts in a single breath.
If he was going to be afraid of anyone, it should be this man.
Because he felt strangely comfortable around him, he had momentarily forgotten just how terrifying Geom Mu-geuk truly was. This wasn't someone he should be whining to.
“I… I’m sorry.”
Hwang In bowed his head. To the dejected man, Geom Mu-geuk said, “If someone comes looking for you, bring them to me.”
Hwang In’s expression brightened instantly. He had been terrified that Mu-geuk would tell him to handle it himself since he was the one involved. Now, this man was the only one he could trust.
“Oh, and what about the remaining War Ghosts?”
“We’ll take care of them, so don't worry.”
His words were profoundly reassuring.
Hwang In looked out the window at the courtyard. The corpses that had been strewn about earlier were already gone. Not a single drop of blood remained on the stones.
Just as the War Ghosts who had entered the building had vanished, the bodies had also disappeared. Hwi had cleaned everything up with terrifying efficiency. Since these people handled matters so cleanly, he felt he could truly trust them.
Once his mind was at ease, Hwang In spoke cautiously.
“I would like the deal I mentioned before to continue.”
Hwang In didn't want to miss this opportunity. Now that he had personally confirmed the extent of Mu-geuk’s martial prowess, he was even more determined to secure this connection.
“You said your dream was to become the master of the World’s Greatest Merchant Group?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you sincere?”
“If I weren't sincere, I wouldn't have joined hands with someone like Jeon Nak.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared intently into his eyes. “Was it not because you weren't sincere that you joined hands with him?”
As Hwang In reeled from the direct hit, Geom Mu-geuk continued.
“I don't know much about the merchant world, but I do know this: to become the master of the World’s Greatest Merchant Group, you must become a person worthy of that position.”
Hwang In listened in silence.
“I believe that in your dream, there should be no room for Jeon Nak, for me, for your father, or for that terrifying person who is supposedly coming.”
Hwang In couldn't quite grasp the meaning. “Then what should be in that dream?”
“A merchant. A merchant with the ability to lead the World’s Greatest Merchant Group. A merchant who possesses integrity and honor, negotiation skills, and crisis management abilities. A merchant with information, leadership, insight into the world, and an eye for people. Is there any room for anything else? Is there any space for the scent of blood and a cold sword to intervene?”
Hwang In’s face flushed with shame. When he asked himself which of those qualities he possessed, he couldn't confidently claim a single one.
After being lost in thought for a long time, Hwang In declared his resolve.
“I want to join hands with the Ju Clan Sword House with a fresh start. May I write a new agreement and send it to them?”
Geom Mu-geuk could see that, at the very least, the man wasn't a total lost cause.
He nodded. In truth, this permission wasn't for Hwang In’s sake. It was for Ju Hyang-wol of the Ju Clan Sword House. She was likely still worrying about how to handle this matter. The Ju Clan Sword House was still facing obstacles and needed this opportunity to be reborn.
Therefore, his next words were for her.
“I’ll be watching.”
How could Hwang In not understand that this meant he shouldn't try anything foolish? He bowed his head and replied respectfully.
“Thank you for your permission. I shall take my leave now.”
As Hwang In walked across the courtyard where corpses had been lying just moments ago, Geom Mu-geuk gave him one last piece of advice.
“Don't let your dreams delude you into forgetting reality. Your world isn't here; it’s over there. I am someone who will vanish like smoke, but the Ju Clan Sword House will remain.”
*
The next morning, I headed to my father’s quarters.
“Father, may I come in?”
“Enter.”
When I went inside, Father was checking several missives. They were messages sent by Sama Myeong from the main headquarters. Urgent reports had arrived regarding matters that required Father’s explicit approval.
“Are you working even while we’re traveling?”
“You try sitting in my position later.”
I waved my hands in an exaggerated gesture of refusal.
“I’d rather not. Hand it over later—much, much later.”
“You want me to keep suffering like this?”
After a brief pause, I asked him, “If I take over, will you go traveling? If you promise to do that, I’ll consider it.”
Father didn't answer.
Since I had no intention of letting this awkward silence continue, I laughed and changed the subject.
“Fine, let’s get some practice in. Is there anything I can help with?”
At that, Father handed me one of the missives. It contained the recent movements of a certain family. Finally, Father revealed our objective.
“The reason we are going to Shaanxi is because of the Golden Dragon Clan.”
A name far more significant than I had expected.
The Golden Dragon Clan.
It was a family that ranked among the top five in the Central Plains in terms of wealth—the very symbol of immense riches.
They weren't just a sect with a lot of money. The head of the Golden Dragon Clan, Geum Cheon-bang, was not only a titan of the merchant world but also a renowned absolute master of the family’s secret martial art, the Golden Dragon Divine Art. Consequently, the Golden Dragon Clan was home to numerous experts who followed him.
“At some point, the Golden Dragon Clan began secretly absorbing and operating merchant groups.”
It wasn't unheard of for wealthy families to secretly acquire merchant groups. The problem lay in what happened afterward.
“So the Imperial Capital Merchant Group was one of those groups.”
Father nodded.
“They used martial artists to forcibly expand the merchant groups and amassed a fortune. However, that money did not go into the Golden Dragon Clan’s coffers.”
“So that massive amount of wealth leaked out somewhere else.”
Sama Myeong, having sensed the strange movements of the Golden Dragon Clan, had begun a full-scale investigation and found a clue linking them to the mastermind.
Then again, considering what the mastermind had shown so far, it would take a power like the Golden Dragon Clan to handle their demands.
“The person coming down this time must be the one secretly in charge of the Golden Dragon Clan’s external affairs.”
Since it was a secret operation, the dead War Ghosts likely weren't direct martial artists of the Golden Dragon Clan, but rather mercenaries hired from the outside. Except for Jeon Nak, they probably didn't even know they were working for the Golden Dragon Clan.
“Since it involves supporting them with large sums of money, the family head must have given his permission. If that’s the case, the mastermind is either in a position to persuade the family head, or…”
I added after a short pause, “They’ve already seized power within the Golden Dragon Clan.”
*
Im So-hwa, the head of the Ju Clan Sword House, entered her daughter’s quarters.
Her daughter, Ju Hyang-wol, was sitting at her desk, looking at something. Surprisingly, it was a book. When was the last time she had seen her daughter reading?
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, you’re here?”
Ever since the day she met the successor of the Imperial Capital Merchant Group, her daughter had been acting differently.
“I was reading a book that explains contracts in detail.”
“Why that?”
“The Imperial Capital Merchant Group sent over a draft for a new agreement.”
“Let me see.”
Im So-hwa read the agreement. She lost focus after just a few lines. She could read martial arts manuals all night and find them interesting, but this kind of writing just wouldn't register in her mind.
“So I was looking up the terms I didn't recognize.”
Im So-hwa hadn't expected the Imperial Capital Merchant Group to send a new agreement. She had wondered what kind of trickery this was.
“This time, they sent an agreement without any poison pill clauses.”
“And you can tell just by looking?”
In the past, Hyang-wol would have certainly flared up at those words, perceiving them as a slight. But now, tucked in her sleeve, she had a piece of paper with the words ‘Don't get angry’ written at the very top.
Was it because she thought, I shouldn't get angry? She felt that it was a reasonable thing for a mother to say. Right, that could happen.
It was the next phrase she had written under ‘Don't get angry.’
Right, that could happen.
“Don't worry. I’m not going to sign it as is; I plan to double-check it.”
“With whom?”
“With someone who knows about these things. I’ll tell you more after I get back.”
Im So-hwa felt a surge of irritation. Why couldn't she just settle the agreement instead of doing some investigation when she didn't even know what she was doing?
However, she didn't get a chance to get angry. Her daughter’s attitude toward her was somehow different from usual. She couldn't suddenly snap at her daughter, who used to talk back sharply but was now speaking so softly and calmly.
“I’ll be going now! Oh, and make sure you eat properly!”
Im So-hwa was most surprised by her daughter’s final words. When was the last time she’d been told to make sure she ate? No, had she ever heard that? Now, she was the one worried about her daughter.
Ju Hyang-wol had a bright expression as she left the Sword House. She felt proud because she had finished the conversation with her mother without their voices rising. Because she spoke kindly with the intention of being patient, there was no reason to fight.
Of course, she still felt a lingering sense of crisis, as if she might explode at any moment.
*
“I think it would be fine to sign the agreement.”
Ju Hyang-wol was delighted by Geom Mu-geuk’s words. She had asked him to look over the agreement sent by Hwang In, and the result was the same as her own assessment.
“It’s all thanks to you, Young Hero, that they changed their minds.”
“No. It’s because you asked me for help, Miss Ju.”
If she hadn't asked Geom Mu-geuk for help at the inn that day, her fate would have taken a very different turn.
“My relationship with my mother has improved too. But that actually makes me anxious. I’m worried that everything I’ve bottled up will eventually explode.”
Geom Mu-geuk asked back with an indifferent expression.
“What if it does?”
His solution was simple.
“It just means that what used to explode ten times has been reduced to once.”
“But what if it explodes after being bottled up?”
To her worry that the explosion might be ten times worse, Geom Mu-geuk snipped the fuse.
“Enduring and enduring… yes, if it explodes then, it might be a big one. Did you come here today after holding it in with your mother?”
She thought back to the conversation with her mother and soon shook her head. It wasn't that she had suppressed it. It was closer to trying to see her mother from a different perspective. With the mindset of, Right, that could happen.
“Then it will be fine. What you’re worried about is a misconception.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a common misconception we have—the idea that if a good relationship suddenly explodes, it will be a massive disaster.”
“Is it not?”
“On the contrary, if you keep having small fights, it’s bound to explode grandly someday. Those small fights might seem like nothing, but they leave scars on the heart and heighten the tension. Conversely, if you maintain a good relationship, even something that would have been a big explosion will turn out small. Do not doubt the power of those moments when you exchanged kind words.”
The last sentence especially resonated with her. She still felt good about finishing the conversation with her mother without raising her voice.
Ju Hyang-wol stared at him. Her eyes seemed to say: How can you be so well-spoken?
It would take a very long time to learn. I became who I am now after living a whole lifetime.
“I’ll be going then. Thank you so much for today.”
As Ju Hyang-wol said her goodbyes, Geom Mu-geuk spoke.
“Since you’re already here, why don't you see the safest vault in the Murim before you go?”
Geom Mu-geuk sensed that she wanted to see his father, yet she couldn't bring herself to say it.
“Father is taking a walk in the backyard. Let’s go.”
As she followed Geom Mu-geuk toward the backyard, she stopped in her tracks.
“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll just go today. Please just give him my regards later.”
“I will.”
As she turned around, her pace quickened instinctively. It wasn't because seeing him reminded her of her own father. It was because she felt like she shouldn't meet him.
Watching her receding figure from a distance, Geom Mu-geuk spoke as if to himself. His gaze was fixed on her, but his words were meant for the person who would be listening clearly from far behind his back.
“How great is it to be in the Central Plains? You even get to confirm your popularity like this. Father, when we get to Shaanxi, let’s have a popularity contest.”
I couldn't see Father’s face right now, but I could easily imagine it. The sight of Father, with a haughty expression, not refusing the challenge.