I Know, I Know All Too Well (2)
One hundred thousand gold taels.
It was by no means a small sum. It was far too much money to earn in a single year.
I believe in My Lady's business acumen, but is this really possible?
The butler standing beside her watched her with a worried gaze. Sensing his look, Eon So-hui spoke.
"Are you worried?"
"Well... yes. To be honest, it seems a bit too reckless."
"I know. But without that level of recklessness, we wouldn't even be able to negotiate with the Namgung Clan on equal terms."
"..."
"We've already boarded the ship. There's no getting off now."
"I know. So, what do you plan to do? Even if we liquidate all of our family's assets, it only amounts to about ten thousand gold taels."
Multiplying this tenfold within a year would be impossible through ordinary means.
Having learned a bit about business himself, Butler Jang was all the more anxious. Eon So-hui remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"To make a lot of money in a short time, we must first cast something aside."
"Cast what aside?"
"Our pride."
"..."
"We are going to Yueyang. And we will sell alcohol there."
"My Lady!"
"I won't accept any objections. Just do as I say for now."
In the end, Eon So-hui took all the wealth she had accumulated so far, came to Yueyang, and established Jinju Pavilion.
Then, she proceeded with the business plan she had envisioned.
In the process, she used most of her starting capital as investment funds.
If the business failed, she would lose not only her deal with the Namgung Clan but also all the money she had saved.
She was truly a gambler with no safety net.
Her retainers were anxious, but Eon So-hui did not hesitate.
To make a lot of money in a short time, I must exploit the vanity of the wealthy.
Confident in her reasoning, she pushed forward with Jinju Pavilion's business plan.
And once they opened for business...
In less than two months, she fully recovered her initial investment. She was practically raking in money.
By the six-month mark, she had already gathered the one hundred thousand gold taels promised to the Namgung Clan.
She immediately sent a messenger to the Namgung Clan.
She had kept her word, so now it was the Namgung Clan's turn.
Everything up to this point had gone smoothly.
A young woman of marriageable age had started with nothing but her bare hands and pulled it off.
She was almost there.
Once she overcame the threat of the Wugeuk Sect and finalized the deal with the Namgung Clan, everything would be accomplished.
Or so she thinks.
Han Cheong-un quietly observed the woman before him. He knew.
He knew she had made the gamble of a lifetime.
And she had won.
She was truly a remarkable woman. However...
It is all in vain.
She did not know yet.
The worst-case scenario in a gamble is not losing money.
The worst-case scenario is when you win fair and square, but the opponent flips the board using sheer force.
Nothing could be more unfair than that.
Fortunately, that had not happened yet.
Han Cheong-un made his proposal to her.
"Lady Eon, our Extreme Dao Sect is a newly established sect."
"I am aware."
"We have settled here in Yueyang, but our members are nothing but martial artists who only know how to use force. We completely lack the talent to manage the sect's internal affairs."
"Hmm, I see. And?"
"I would like you to use your business acumen to manage our sect's internal affairs."
"Hahaha..."
Eon So-hui found it absurd.
So, he wants me to join this child's play of a sect and oversee its internal affairs?
It was ridiculous.
She had to acknowledge his eye for talent, though.
Was she not the one who had gone to the Namgung Clan herself, declaring she would become a daughter-in-law worth ten million taels?
If tasked with managing a sect's internal affairs, she was confident she could do it better than anyone else under heaven.
But that would be...
A waste of talent.
They say one does not use a cleaver meant for oxen to slaughter a chicken, but this was not even a chicken. It was like drawing the greatest sword under heaven to swat a fly.
"That is a highly unappealing proposal."
It was only natural for her to refuse.
Eon So-hui chuckled softly and continued.
"Ah! Perhaps you think you have caught me by my weakness, Young Hero?"
Did he think he had seen her at her lowest?
A seductive smile spread across Eon So-hui's face. It was a habit of hers when she believed she held the upper hand.
Crossing her legs, she spoke in a relaxed tone.
"How you discovered my identity remains a mystery... but if you thought my background would be a weakness, you are sorely mistaken."
"I had no such thoughts."
"Oh? Really? Perhaps you wanted to use my weakness to..."
Eon So-hui brought her pinky finger to her lips, rubbing them suggestively as she spoke.
"Demand... something... from me?"
It was an obvious provocation.
Yet, because it came from such an exceptionally beautiful woman, it carried considerable weight.
Her gaze, her gestures, even the breath brushing against his skin...
It was a temptation more than capable of making any man lose his mind. However...
"I do not harbor such disrespectful thoughts."
Her opponent was a blockhead whose resistance to female beauty was practically absolute.
Han Cheong-un stared back at Eon So-hui without blinking an eye.
"Hmm..."
Eon So-hui's expression turned sour.
Since starting her business and dealing with shrewd merchants, she had realized just how much of an asset her beauty could be when dealing with men.
Simply revealing her beauty and showing a bit of vulnerability was usually enough to turn the tide in her favor.
Yet, there were occasionally those upon whom it had no effect.
Those who would not neglect their duties just because they were infatuated with a woman's charms.
By Eon So-hui's personal standards, she considered such individuals to be first-class, no matter the field.
It seems this man fits that description as well. How boring.
Eon So-hui spoke again.
"I see no reason to accept your offer. Did you call it the Extreme Poison Sect?"
"It is the Extreme Dao Sect."
She had deliberately mispronounced it.
Without a shred of apology on her face, Eon So-hui said to Han Cheong-un:
"In any case, I wish your sect prosperity from afar. However, I suggest you look elsewhere for someone to manage your meager internal affairs."
A complete rejection.
Even if Han Cheong-un pleaded further, she had no reason to accept.
So it turns out like this after all.
Han Cheong-un let out a sigh.
He fell into deep thought where he sat. Then...
"Lady Eon, please listen to what I am about to say without misunderstanding."
"I will have to hear it first before making that judgment."
To the indifferent woman, Han Cheong-un said:
"The Namgung Clan will not keep their promise."
"..."
Eon So-hui did not reply.
Not a single muscle in her face twitched.
But a master of Han Cheong-un's caliber could tell.
He could see that the muscles in her arms had tensed slightly.
She was likely gripping the hem of her skirt tightly beneath the table, forcing her emotions under control.
"What are you talking about?"
To her, who had barely managed to speak, Han Cheong-un continued.
"You are a clever person, Lady Eon. There is no way you haven't considered this in the back of your mind."
"I asked you what you mean by that."
"Have you truly not thought about it?"
"..."
"The possibility that the Namgung Clan never intended to keep their promise from the very beginning."
"..."
"In this harsh Jianghu, the value of a promise depends heavily on who you make it with. The tyranny of the strong breaking their promises to the weak and threatening them happens far more often than you think—"
"Do not slander them!"
Eon So-hui regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.
She had shown emotional agitation, which was unlike her.
But she couldn't help it.
The scenario the man before her was describing was the absolute worst-case scenario she had only dared to imagine.
It was the very situation she had been trying to soothe herself against, repeating, No, it won't be like that. Surely they wouldn't. It must not be true.
Yet, deep down, she knew.
She knew the possibility of that worst-case scenario occurring definitely existed.
The smile had completely vanished from Eon So-hui's face. Glaring at Han Cheong-un with a furious expression, she said:
"You really have no filter, do you? Are you not afraid of the Namgung Clan, Young Hero?"
"Sigh..."
Han Cheong-un let out a sigh.
As expected, he couldn't get through to her.
Well, I suppose it's only natural.
As a regressor, he knew all too well.
He knew exactly how the Namgung Clan would stab her in the back.
But from her perspective, it was only natural to assume Han Cheong-un was slandering the Namgung Clan to drive a wedge between them. Honestly...
She probably never imagined the prestigious Namgung Clan would be shameless enough to pull such a stunt.
In the end, unless he revealed he was a regressor and convinced her of it, persuading her would be impossible. In that case...
"Very well. Let us move past that for now."
"..."
"Instead, I will address my other business first."
"What more is there to discuss?"
"This is my business."
Saying so, Han Cheong-un pulled a worn book from his robes. The moment she saw the book...
"..."
"Gasp!"
Eon So-hui was struck speechless once more, and the retainer beside her let out an involuntary gasp.
It was because of the words written on the book's cover.
The lost inner force manual of the Jinju Eon Family lay right before their eyes.
"H-How... How do you have that?!"
Butler Jang barked.
At this, Tang Jin frowned and subtly released his aura, but Han Cheong-un stopped him and spoke.
"A long time ago, the Jinju Eon Family's secret manual was stolen by the Shadowless Divine Thief, was it not?"
"T-That..."
How does he know that?
He forced himself to swallow the question.
Because it concerned the honor of the Jinju Eon Family, it was a fact they had kept strictly hidden.
Regardless, Han Cheong-un continued.
"By a stroke of fate, I came into possession of the Shadowless Divine Thief's legacy. This was among his belongings."
"Ah..."
The fact that the Shadowless Divine Thief had stolen the manual from the Jinju Eon Family was not known to the public.
Considering that, there was a high probability that this was the genuine article.
No, it was almost certainly authentic.
"Ah... My Lady..."
Butler Jang called out to Eon So-hui.
He had no idea what to do, so he sought the judgment of his brilliant master.
And Eon So-hui...
"..."
She stared blankly at the secret manual.
It was the high-grade cultivation technique of the Jinju Eon Family that she had dreamed of.
It had appeared right before her eyes.
She desperately suppressed her trembling hands.
She wanted to snatch it away this very instant, but she couldn't.
Calm down. I must stay calm.
The opponent before her might not compare to the Namgung Clan or the Wugeuk Sect, but he was definitely stronger than her and Butler Jang.
They were not opponents she could deal with through force. If so...
There is no other way.
In the end, she made up her mind.
"Butler Jang. Please take the other guest behind you and step outside."
"My Lady..."
"And make sure no one approaches until I call for you. This is an order from the head of the family."
"Yes, My Lady."
Butler Jang left the room with Tang Jin.
Tang Jin looked displeased, but at Han Cheong-un's nod, he complied without a word.
Han Cheong-un and Eon So-hui were left alone.
Eon So-hui then spoke.
"Now, it is just the two of us."
"Yes. If you have something to say, please speak."
Eon So-hui stood up from her chair and let out a soft sigh. And then...
"Lady Eon?"
She did something that left Han Cheong-un utterly bewildered.
She began to untie the knots of her clothes.
The splendid court dress she wore slipped down to the floor piece by piece.
Soon, wearing nothing but a translucent, flimsy undergarment, she prostrated herself on the floor and bowed her head.
"I am lacking, but this body of mine is all I have to offer right now."
The funds of Jinju Pavilion were all tied up—either promised to the Namgung Clan or set aside as bounties for martial artists to keep the Wugeuk Sect in check.
In the end, the only thing she could offer Han Cheong-un was herself.
Fortunately, Eon So-hui knew she was a beauty.
She was a woman any man would desire to possess. Therefore...
I have no choice but to bet on this.
For the glory of her family, what did a mere body matter?
Having made her decision, she knelt, bowed her head, and spoke with deep desperation.
"Please, show mercy and return the Great Origin Divine Art to our family. If you do, I will do whatever you ask of me."
"Sigh... Good grief..."
Han Cheong-un let out a sigh.
And then he moved.
Rustle.
Han Cheong-un took off his outer robe.
Hearing the sound, Eon So-hui felt her suspicions confirmed.
In the end, he had simply been unable to act on his desires because of his subordinate's presence.
What this man wanted, after all, was...
Thud.
It was then.
Something fell over Eon So-hui's shoulders.
It was the long robe Han Cheong-un had taken off. Wrapping it around her, he said:
"Please stand up."
"..."
"I am not giving you the Great Origin Divine Art in exchange for something."
"What?"
"I am simply giving it to you."
"..."
She could not understand.
She slowly looked up at Han Cheong-un, but his face remained entirely calm. He spoke.
"I am merely returning what belongs to the Jinju Eon Family."
"..."
"How could I demand a price for that? That would not be the right path."