Chapter 97

Cho Sa Hyeon?" Recognizing the sender, he unfolded it carefully. The contents were brief. But their weight was anything but light.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [A Lamp Before the Wind] It signaled her precarious state—like a candle flickering in the breeze. Hyeok Mulin stared at the letter before handing it back to Ji Wolhon and gazing ahead. "Looks like we'll need to pick up the pace."

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Crossing the Central Plains, they finally re-entered Chengdu, the heart of Sichuan Province. Without even stopping at an inn, Hyeok Mulin headed straight for the Myriad Gold Exchange. But.

"Why's it so deserted?"

The place inside and out was eerily empty. No customers in sight—only a handful of clerks.

"Divine Demon Blood Death Squad, hold your positions."

"As you command!"

"Captain, follow me."

Hyeok Mulin strode forward with only Ji Wolhon in tow. His destination was clear. The depths of the exchange—Cho Sa Hyeon's office. Thud. Arriving, Hyeok Mulin halted; Ji Wolhon knocked. A wary voice came from within.

"Who is it?"

"The master of this exchange has come to call."

Crash! Something toppled in haste, followed by frantic footsteps. Clunk!

"My lord! You've finally arrived!"

But the one who flung open the door wasn't Cho Sa Hyeon. Branch Manager Geum Hyeonmong burst out instead. He'd apparently been discussing matters with her inside. Still tinged with fear, his joy far outweighed it. Cho Sa Hyeon followed slowly, bowing her head.

"My lord, you've come. Forgive me for troubling you with that needless letter."

"It's fine. Tell me what happened."

Her face hardened as if to speak, then she stepped aside from the inner path.

"Come in first. I'll explain everything."

Hyeok Mulin sat; Geum Hyeonmong and Cho Sa Hyeon served tea and joined him. Sipping his tea, Hyeok Mulin parted his lips slowly.

"What went wrong while I was away?"

Cho Sa Hyeon replied with deep dismay.

"Not long after you and the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad left Chengdu, the winds at the exchange shifted dramatically."

"...?"

Her eyes met his puzzled look; she stated it plainly.

"Nearly every other exchange in Sichuan Province has banded together against us. Their goal? To crush the Myriad Gold Exchange."

"...

Ho." Days after Hyeok Mulin and the squad departed for Dongjeong Lake, urgent reports flooded in from branches across Sichuan. Nearby exchanges were suddenly luring customers with unprecedented terms. Alarms rang; he prioritized intel gathering. Uncovering the truth left him reeling. —All the exchanges in Sichuan have colluded? Every exchange except the Myriad Gold had united, offering outrageous deals to poach clients. The Myriad Gold's resurgence threatened them; they aimed to kneecap it before it rose fully. At least the Three Great Exchanges of the World stayed out of it. "That sparked a shadow war among the exchanges. The cartel lent money at absurdly low interest rates." No matter how much capital the Myriad Gold recovered, it was one against many. They wielded vast funds to dangle impossible offers. Willing to bleed short-term, they planned to outlast until the Myriad Gold collapsed. And it worked perfectly. New customers vanished entirely. No one would turn down better terms, prestige of the Three Greats or not. Geum Hyeonmong backed her up. "Every branch, including the main one, is suffering. Lady Cho has racked her brains day and night for a way out but found none." His frustration showed plainly. But Hyeok Mulin's response shattered expectations. "That's it? No big deal." "Pardon? Is that truly...?" Two months of dead ends, dismissed so casually? Awe filled her eyes. 'As expected of my lord.' He lived in a different realm. To him, this was trivial. Self-reproach mingled with anticipation for his genius solution. But his simple answer obliterated those thoughts. "Then we just stop charging interest altogether." "...

Pardon?" They stared at him, doubting their ears, faces blank. "We've got more than enough money anyway." Their jaws dropped in shock at his declaration.