The Tea House Deal
Jang Man-ho went to the counter to pay. The owner glanced at him and whispered.
"Isn't that guy...?"
"Nah, just looks like him."
Jang Man-ho dragged Kim Jun—who was eyeing the leftover sul lung tang with regret—out of the restaurant.
For the first time in ages, his heart was pounding.
He was heading down this road to meet the Uramata guild master and hash things out. If they accepted him as a martial arts instructor, he'd give it his all—for the kid's sake, and for the guild's.
In the massive parking lot crammed with hundreds of cars, Kim Jun looked flustered.
"I can't remember where I parked."
Jang Man-ho burst out laughing in disbelief.
Yeon Un-jae sipped his pu'er tea while gazing at the array of teapots lining the shelves. Beyond the decorative pots, the street bustled with passersby.
Tea drunk alone in the heart of the family estate—which he'd named Daechunjae himself—was exquisite, but this stuff from a teahouse anyone could walk into wasn't half bad either.
He checked his watch.
Ten minutes until the appointment. Come to think of it, he'd glanced at it five times already. How long had it been since he'd felt this antsy...?
Yeon Un-jae snuck a peek at the entrance, then pulled out his phone and pressed a button hard. The signal tone rang out.
As soon as the call connected, he asked,
"Found him?"
—We've traced him.
It was Yeon Myeong-deok, leader of Cheonchal Pavilion.
"Traced?"
—Someone spotted Maeng Gyu-pil near the Insadong black market entrance. Looks like he went underground.
"...Got it."
Yeon Un-jae hung up and let out a long breath.
So it was Maeng Gyu-pil.
The black market was one of the few places beyond the Yeon family's reach.
Even when the Association requested cooperation to nab headache-inducing villains, the black market always came up with excuses and effectively refused. In return, they didn't stop the Association from hunting down villains on their own—do what you can, basically.
Once, Jushin had sent a team into the black market to eliminate a traitor. Composed entirely of Level 5+ raiders, they were cocky as hell. But in just a fortnight, they vanished somewhere underground.
In the black market, disappearance meant death.
The incident came to light thanks to a reporter who'd tagged along for coverage and barely made it back alive.
Thanks to that reporter, people learned not only that the black market—once just rumor—really existed, but that even Jushin had to tread carefully there. It shocked everyone.
Choi Min-su pushed open the door and entered the teahouse. Spotting Yeon Un-jae after a quick scan, he approached.
"Elder, you're early."
"You're not late yourself."
Choi Min-su ordered rooibos tea, and Yeon Un-jae asked for a refill.
"Things have been rough lately, huh?"
"Just the usual. The press makes a living tearing people apart."
Choi Min-su's dash into Association headquarters to personally rescue the endangered Kim Jun had been broadcast live. The patron's decision, driven by concern for his client, had won over the public.
Yeon Un-jae, the joint patron who hadn't shown a lick of interest, had become the neighborhood punching bag. Not just Daily Raider, but even third-rate internet outlets had slammed him freely.
"I know you visited the Association. I saw the Yeonmu stage myself."
"There was urgent business."
Choi Min-su's eyes widened.
Yeon Un-jae had no intention of explaining easily. He'd summoned Choi Min-su here for a deal.
"What happened in the Honor Hall? Why did Jushin kneel?"
Yeon Un-jae laid out the terms: Answer that, and he'd reveal his urgent business.
Choi Min-su caught on immediately.
Yeon Un-jae smiled faintly. Conversations with sharp minds were always a pleasure.
"You must have some idea already, Elder. Plenty of eyes working for you inside the Association."
"Surface scratches at best. I want the core."
He knew Jushin had targeted Investigation Director Seo Yunhyeong with some scheme. What he really wanted was why Ma Jung-hyeon—Sima Zhongda—had stepped in, why the plan had unraveled... and why Jushin issued an official statement.
Choi Min-su took a sip of his freshly arrived rooibos, crossed his fingers on the table, and began explaining.
Yeon Un-jae listened without a word, oblivious to his tea cooling. Operation Vacuum was beyond imagination. And deploying Angry Roots too?
He rarely interrupted important explanations. But Yeon Un-jae couldn't hold back.
"Yeon Yeop, you said?"
"Yes."
"That kid executed the first form of Yeon Ga Shipil Geom against the Medici team's dealer?"
"Hard to believe, I know. I was skeptical too."
"You saw it yourself?"
"I didn't. But Go Cheolmin, Pink Team—they all witnessed it clearly."
"Heh, Po-noe Strike and now Yeon Yeop. Unbelievable... yet undeniable."
His honest sentiment.
He sipped his tea carefully to steady his trembling hands. Thankfully, the tea's unique flavor and the sensation sliding down his throat helped clear his mind.
Now for the key question.
Setting down his cup, Yeon Un-jae eyed Choi Min-su.
"You must've asked him."
"Couldn't not."
"And the answer?"
Choi Min-su stared back silently. Yeon Un-jae's mouth felt parched.
Choi Min-su spoke.
"You mentioned urgent business earlier. Now I'm curious all of a sudden."
Sly fox.
A deal was a deal. Time to show the goods' value. Yeon Un-jae sighed and began recounting the call he'd received just as he was about to order Yeon Mu-jin into the Yeonmu stage.
The amusement faded from Choi Min-su's face.
Normally, he'd etch that rare expression deep in his memory, but Maeng Gyu-pil was a ticking bomb even for Yeon family—too dangerous to dwell on.
"Maeng Gyu-pil as the villain? Shocking."
"Yeonmu stage is pursuing him now."
"Won't be easy."
"No. He's holed up in the black market."
"Tricky business, but thanks for telling me. I stake my honor on keeping it secret."
Choi Min-su said.
Yeon Un-jae nodded slowly. Sharing info that could destroy him with a potential enemy took real guts.
If it weren't Choi Min-su, he'd have scrapped the deal. Across the entire Yeon family, no one was as trustworthy. Enemy or not, Yeon Un-jae knew Choi Min-su honored his word.
Yeon Un-jae regarded him.
Choi Min-su glanced around before speaking.
"If Yeon Chung-jae's memories and internal energy transferred to Kim Jun via the Cheonroegeom, would you believe that?"
"......"
His fists trembled.
Puzzle pieces clicked in his mind. No evidence needed. Yeon Un-jae was convinced: Yeon Chung-jae had used forbidden magic to infuse his memories and energy into the Cheonroegeom.
Possessing that would make unleashing Po-noe Strike or Yeon Yeop overnight entirely plausible.
He barely contained his excitement.
As reason returned, a question surged.
"I thought the same. As you know, Elder, foreign internal energy invading the body sparks a fierce battle. It's like a virus or bacteria. An immune response kicks in—mess it up, and it's qi deviation. Kim Jun got lucky there."
"Lucky?"
"His meridians are abnormally open. Spacious too. His dantian... like an ocean. That constitution minimized the immune reaction to Senior Yeon Chung-jae's energy. Dantian and channels so vast, clashes were unlikely."
"You checked personally?"
"Yes."
Choi Min-su was firm.
"Meridians wide and dantian vast enough for Chung-jae's energy? Never heard such a thing."
Yeon Un-jae eyed him suspiciously. Something was being hidden, but the specifics eluded him.
He held back from pressing further.
From a deal standpoint, the info was valuable enough. Want more? Offer something in return.
Deal closed.
Time to wrap up.
They'd traded unknown intel; now decide next moves based on it. Missteps would invite media scrutiny.
"For Yeon Yeop and Po-noe Strike, say he learned from me. Push the contamination origin for the abilities themselves."
"Agreed."
Yeon Un-jae studied Choi Min-su.
Once, he'd tried luring that bear of a raider to Yeon family. Abandoned the plan for other reasons, but now... he should've pushed harder, no holds barred.
If Choi Min-su pledged loyalty to Yeon family, he'd hand over the patriarch seat on the spot.
No one in Yeon family matched his drive and judgment.
"Ijoongsan and his crew hate you, but how about joining Yeon family outright? I'd name you heir."
Yeon Un-jae mixed jest with earnest.
"First thing I'd do as patriarch: announce the family's dissolution."
Choi Min-su replied in kind.
"Hahaha."
"Haha."
Moments later, Choi Min-su stood first.
"I'll be going, Elder."
"See you."
Yeon Un-jae waved for another tea.
While waiting, he dissected the intel from every angle. How it aided Yeon family's position, how enemies might exploit it—for planning, he needed guesses.
One possibility stood out.
If a vessel holds water, couldn't you drain it?
How to extract his brother's memories and energy from Kim Jun's body? How to bring them back to Yeon family?
All Yeon Chung-jae left belonged to Yeon family.
If heaven willed it, Yeon family might gain not just the Cheonroegeom, but another Yeon Chung-jae.
A smile crept across Yeon Un-jae's lips.
It had started creepy and gross, but now the intense violet hue felt alluring. Even the bristly leg hairs were familiar.
"What should I name you?"
Yeom Sang-taek pondered. For his first medium, he wanted something cool.
Suddenly, a name flashed like lightning.
"Medusa."
Maybe those paralyzing eyes evoked her.
The tarantula in the cage amid the figurines glared straight at him. Yeom Sang-taek realized why moments later.
"Hungry, huh? Hang on a sec."
Yeom Sang-taek grabbed a mantis—bought with it from Palace of Magicians—from another cage with chopsticks.
Medium-exclusive feed was insanely pricey. This mantis alone cost 40,000 won; it'd hit 70,000 late last year.
Made sense once he heard why. Not your average mantis—it had grown absorbing cores.
"Ahh!"
Yeom Sang-taek dropped it. Chasing the hider under the bed took diving underneath. After ten minutes of chaos, he caught it.
The mantis eyed him pitifully.
"Sorry. But... no choice."
Yeom Sang-taek extended his hand, channeling mana. The condensed mana mass reached the mantis, which sucked it in like a sponge.
After a few infusions, he cracked open Medusa's cage lid to feed it.
Instantly, Medusa leaped, slamming the lid.
Her strength nearly flung it off. He shoved the mantis through the gap, slammed it shut, and panted. If she'd escaped...
Cold sweat beaded at the thought.
Jang Geon-ho's warning echoed.
Violet tarantula venom was brutally potent—brushing it swelled you up; a bite could kill.
The venom tied deeply to cores.
Parallium, Wilesium, Awacum, Electrolium, Cansertium, Medichium—various cores accumulated inside her.
Medusa crunched the mantis fiercely, mercilessly. A brutal yet decisive scene. It evoked nature's law: survival of the fittest. He'd disliked the term since first hearing it.
Yeom Sang-taek hated Darwin. "Survival of the fittest" made him cringe. True or not, he loathed it.