Chapter 126 - The Evolving Northern Murim
"Calm down, calm down..."
Wang Sam muttered the words like a mantra to steady his pounding heart. But with Sinhwi right in front of him, his hands trembled so badly he could barely hold the diamond. Even if the gems staring back at him were fakes, the situation made it impossible to call them that.
Don't shake. The White Night Cartel has our backs.
"I'm a busy man..."
"Ah, yes! P-please wait just a moment. I'll verify them right away."
Sinhwi's words shattered Wang Sam's fragile composure. He took a deep breath, then examined the diamonds closely. As a renowned expert in his field, known across the world, he could discern authenticity with just a glance.
The verdict came swiftly.
They're real.
Undeniably genuine. And every single one was top quality.
"All done?"
"Yes. They're undoubtedly authentic, but..."
"How much can you give me for them?"
"How much would you like?"
"I don't know market rates. You're the expert, so appraise them fairly. I trust you'll give me a just price."
Oh boy.
It was more terrifying than any demand for a specific sum. Wang Sam gulped down a bowl of cold water to steady his nerves.
Gulp, gulp!
He set the bowl down carefully, without a sound.
"As the Blood King, I wouldn't dare haggle. The highest amount our branch can offer is... six million taels of silver."
An astronomical sum slipped from Wang Sam's lips. Sinhwi stared at him wordlessly with his signature heavy, impassive gaze. To Wang Sam, that silence felt like the most fearsome threat imaginable.
"Is that... not to your liking?"
Sinhwi said nothing, lifting his teacup to his lips instead. He sipped it as slowly as possible. To Wang Sam, it felt like an eternity.
We can't go higher without taking a loss...
In truth, Wang Sam had offered the absolute maximum within his authority. With anyone else, he would have started at five million.
"This is the best I can do. Please believe my sincerity."
Clink!
As Sinhwi set his teacup down, Wang Sam flinched violently.
"One more request."
"Y-yes, anything."
Sinhwi pulled a ornate golden box from his robes and placed it on the table.
"This is..."
"See for yourself."
"Ah, yes."
Wang Sam's face bathed in golden light as he opened the lid. Inside lay two dragon's eye gems radiating brilliant splendor.
"Oh...!"
An involuntary exclamation escaped him. He'd never seen dragon's eyes so large and exquisite.
He swallowed dryly without realizing it. The merchant's greed had ignited.
Sinhwi spoke indifferently. "I'll take your price for the diamonds. But I'd like you to handle these as well..."
"Pardon?"
"Even you probably don't have the funds for these on hand."
"N-no, that's not true! We have four other branches, so money's no issue!"
Sinhwi smirked inwardly at Wang Sam's drastically changed attitude compared to the diamonds. But his eyes remained coldly ruthless.
"So you'll buy these too?"
"If the price is right, of course..."
Sinhwi cut him off, naming his price this time. "Ten million taels."
"...Will that do?"
Overwhelmed by Sinhwi's presence, Wang Sam uttered the one thing no merchant should ever say. He didn't even realize it.
"And it'd be easier if you paid in gold... Can you manage that?"
"Of course. But the amount is so large, we'll need to bring gold from the other branches... It should take half a day. Is that alright?"
"I'll wait here."
"...Pardon?"
"Is that a problem?"
"N-no, it's just... Instead of waiting in this humble place, let us reserve a room at the inn across the street. You could rest comfortably there..."
"It's fine. The deal seems done, so hurry as much as you can. Like I said, I'm busy."
"Understood!"
Wang Sam bowed deeply and hurried out. As he stepped into the hallway, his legs nearly gave out.
Then—
"Hold on."
At Sinhwi's voice, Wang Sam flung the door open again at light speed.
"Do you have more to say?"
"My men are outside. Could you provide some food and drink for them?"
"Ah, yes! Of course. We'll prepare the finest liquor and dishes."
"Appreciated."
"No need to mention it. Then."
Wang Sam closed the door and left the VIP room. Moments later, outside, he felt his blood freeze once more.
Ugh...
The Black Cloaks lounged casually in the courtyard, eyeing him. A wave of terror hit him, as if they might tear him apart any second.
And who could blame him? Among the Blood King Army, these were the fiercest-looking warriors.
If they unleashed their auras intentionally, someone like Wang Sam would tremble and collapse on the spot, unable to take a step.
"Are you the warriors who came with the Blood King?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well... the Blood King asked us to serve you liquor and food."
"Is that so? Then we're grateful."
"Please come inside."
"What are you saying? How could lowly ones like us dare share space with the Commander? Just bring it here."
"The sun's quite hot. Are you sure?"
"It's fine."
"Understood. Please wait a moment."
The warriors smirked as they watched Wang Sam rush off.
* * *
Meanwhile, Sinhwi leisurely sipped his tea. He recalled Yeon-hoo's words before coming here and smiled faintly.
You're more famous than me, so use it properly for once.
Following Yeon-hoo's advice, he'd revealed his identity. It had hit the mark perfectly, with outstanding results.
In truth, Sinhwi had never proclaimed himself the Blood King before. Telling the rebel Jang Cheon had been his first and last time.
Soon, someone like me will be insignificant. Being your friend will be enough. Heh heh heh.
* * *
That afternoon, two carriages carried a staggering sixteen million taels. If it weren't gold, two carts wouldn't have sufficed.
Wang Sam treated Sinhwi with utmost courtesy. Beyond fear, his merchant instincts had one last scheme.
After several deep breaths, he ventured cautiously, "Um... could I make one bold request?"
"What?"
"If you could leave a token of your visit to our branch, it would be an infinite honor—not just for me, but for the branch and the entire Continent Merchant Group. And this..."
He offered a hefty pouch.
"What's this?"
"A little something for the road... some fine liquor. It's not much, but it's from the heart."
"What kind of token?"
"If you could write a few words in your own hand—something like 'Wishing prosperity to the Continent Branch'—it would mean the world."
"That all?"
"Yes!"
"Fine."
"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"
The next morning, massive banners hung at all five Continent Merchant Group branches in Northwest Murim.
The Blood King of the world trusts and trades with us. The Continent Merchant Group promises to always give our utmost for our customers.
Wang Sam's promotional ploy was a resounding success, eventually propelling him—a non-direct family member—to the highest position an outsider could reach.
* * *
Time flowed like water. The scorching summer that seemed ready to incinerate the world gave way to bountiful autumn.
Thanks to successful flood control, Northern fields escaped major damage from the rainy season, now glowing golden. People buzzed with anticipation for the coming harvest.
"This year's going to be a bumper crop."
"All thanks to our new lord's efforts on the waterways."
They praised Yeon-hoo. And it didn't stop there.
With vast funds secured, Yeon-hoo built study halls across the North, allowing even poor children's children to learn without burden. He cut taxes, easing the people's hardships, doubled pay for army recruits to boost morale, and institutionalized merit-based promotions regardless of background.
These unprecedented reforms won fervent support, even drawing in wandering ronin.
Thus, the North was changing. Under its new lord.
* * *
The Iron Blood Great Plains, ten li from the Iron Blood Family stronghold, had become a camp for 100,000 cavalry.
Dubbed the Northern Iron Cavalry Legion, it was there that the Blood King Sinhwi reigned like a god.
At Yeon-hoo's request, he'd taken charge of cavalry training, imparting the group tactics of his world-renowned Blood King Army. The legion's prowess grew daily.
Thud thud thud!
Today, massive drills unfolded in the plains' heart. Satisfaction lit Yeon-hoo's face as he watched.
"We could march on Northwest Murim right now without issue."
"Still a long way. The real test is how organically they move in battle, like in training... So we push harder."
Sinhwi stood beside him, his expression unsatisfied as he observed the riders.
"Lucky you're my friend. If you were the enemy..."
"If I were?"
"My path would be far rougher."
A faint smile touched Sinhwi's lips at Yeon-hoo's high praise. Suddenly, his eyes grew distant.
"It's been a while already. Since we became friends."
"Not a short time."
"Thinking back to our first meeting still gives me chills. If one of us had died then, how different would the survivor's life be?"
Yeon-hoo turned to him at Sinhwi's words.
"I never intended to kill you from the start. Nor did you."
"How can you be sure?"
"Your sword told me so. Didn't it?"
"Heh heh heh. More accurately, I lacked confidence in killing you. Though it's also true I had no intent to."
As they reminisced, two riders charged from the north like tempests.
Moments later, a man leaped from his warhorse first at their side.
"My lord!"
Grinning broadly as he bowed deeply from the head, it was none other than Yacha-wang Akso, whom Yeon-hoo had sent to the White Night Cartel.