Chapter 106: The Auction Begins
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 106: The Auction Begins
"Let me be clear. Anyone who dares to eye our weapon-related business will be considered an enemy of the Taehwa Merchant Group. Mark my words!"
"Hmph."
Standing outside the door, Sun-woo couldn't help but let out a scoff as he overheard their conversation.
He had rushed over to the Outer Guest Room after hearing it was practically bursting with visitors, only to be greeted by such nonsense. The Tang Clan hadn't even said they were handing over their businesses, yet these people were already acting as if they owned the place, squabbling over property rights.
Are they idiots? Sun-woo cursed them inwardly.
They were speaking as if the Tang Clan’s downfall was already a foregone conclusion. Now he understood why Tang Seo-yoon had asked him for protection. A pack of shameless jackals was closing in.
"What a load of bullshit."
Tang Seo-yoon, standing beside him, seemed to feel the same way; a curse slipped from her elegant lips. Though she maintained a stoic expression, her insides were clearly boiling.
No matter how much damage they had sustained, this was still the Tang Clan. They were one of the Five Great Clans of the Central Plains, a family of heroes who had stood at the forefront to block the Demonic Cult during the Great War of Righteousness and Demons. Seeing such blatant disrespect made her blood boil.
"Hey."
Tang Seo-yoon suddenly called out to Sun-woo.
"Yeah?"
"Flip the table."
She didn't need to say more. Flipping the script and upending the situation—that was what Sun-woo did best.
"That’ll be a hundred times easier than paperwork."
Sun-woo replied with a smirk. He walked forward and stood before the door of the Outer Guest Room, his expression turning cold.
The moment he opened that door, he had to become the perfect Poison King.
Creeeeeak.
The door swung open, and Sun-woo stepped inside.
The Outer Guest Room was packed. In the center sat Buddhist nuns with cleanly shaven heads and Taoists dressed in indigo martial arts uniforms embroidered with cranes. Around the perimeter, a diverse crowd of others had taken their places.
Sun-woo began to radiate his spirit. It was time for a show of force.
Woooooom.
"You all seem to be having quite an interesting conversation."
Sun-woo infused his voice with internal energy, allowing it to resonate throughout the hall. His voice, heavy yet razor-sharp, struck their ears. Several people turned deathly pale. It was a side effect of being exposed to the internal energy of someone who had reached the Transcendent Realm, even if only for a moment.
The crowd began to panic at the sight of him. Hadn't the rumors said the Poison King was critically injured during the Demonic Cult's invasion? Then what was with this display of overwhelming vitality?
"Ah, my son-in-law! You're finally here!"
It was then that Geum Taesan, standing toward the back, called out to Sun-woo with a look of delight.
Who is this old man? Sun-woo looked at him, puzzled.
[That’s Geum Taesan, the father of the Third Madam. He’s your father-in-law,] Tang Seo-yoon’s voice reached him via Voice Transmission.
He wondered who was acting so familiar, but it turned out to be the father of the Third Madam, Geum Jeok-hwa.
"It has been a while, Father-in-law," Sun-woo said, acknowledging him.
"Yes, yes! Are you hurt anywhere? I was so worried! Those damn bastards from the Demonic Cult actually dared to attack the Tang Clan... I wanted to rush here the moment I heard the news, but my chronic illness flared up, and I simply couldn't travel. And also..."
Encouraged by Sun-woo’s recognition, Geum Taesan began to ramble on. It was a clear attempt to flaunt his intimacy with the Tang Clan Head to the others, but he was overdoing it.
[Cut him off. He’s no different from the rest of the vultures here,] Tang Seo-yoon sent another Voice Transmission, sensing Sun-woo's discomfort.
"Father-in-law."
"And that’s why I... eh?"
Sun-woo cut right through Geum Taesan’s rambling.
"Save the 'relieving' for later."
He released a sharp burst of spirit, a silent command to shut up.
"Ha... ha... Hahaha, I see. Let us definitely 'relieve' ourselves later."
Sensing the pressure, Geum Taesan realized Sun-woo's intent. He laughed awkwardly and scurried back to his seat. He was certainly quick on the uptake.
Step. Step.
Sun-woo walked slowly toward the center of the room.
Seated in the seat of honor was Un-jeok-ja, the First Sword of Qingcheng. Sun-woo stared him down, letting his spirit leak out.
Get lost, you prick.
Un-jeok-ja felt the pressure and released his own spirit to counter it.
Hmph.
Internally, Un-jeok-ja groaned. He felt a strength that was impossible for someone supposedly suffering from grave injuries.
"Since when does a guest sit in the seat of honor?"
Sun-woo’s words were pointed. Normally, the seat of honor was reserved for the master of the house or a truly esteemed guest. From the Tang Clan's perspective, the people in this room were anything but welcome guests. They were jackals here to tear the clan apart.
Hearing Sun-woo’s remark, Un-jeok-ja quickly stood up.
"I have committed a discourtesy."
He realized that Sun-woo wasn't wrong, and more importantly, now that he knew the Tang Clan Head was perfectly fine, he couldn't afford to act recklessly.
The others in the room couldn't help but gasp. The rumors had insisted the Poison King was on his deathbed, yet here he was, forcing the First Sword of Qingcheng to back down with nothing but his presence. They realized this wasn't going to be as easy as they thought.
Once Un-jeok-ja moved, Sun-woo turned his gaze to Bulheo Satae, who was sitting nearby. He directed his spirit toward her as well.
"Satae, you should vacate your seat as well."
To the Tang Clan, she was just another jackal, no different from Un-jeok-ja. These local scavengers seemed to have no conscience, trying to sit higher than the master of the house.
Bulheo Satae tried to endure the pressure for a moment, but soon stood up with a sour expression. Like Un-jeok-ja, she saw no point in a futile power struggle.
Sun-woo took the seat Un-jeok-ja had vacated, and Tang Seo-yoon sat where Bulheo Satae had been. Every eye in the room was fixed on them.
"Now, let us begin our discussion."
Sun-woo looked at the crowd and continued.
"Why are you here?"
He was incredibly blunt.
*
At Sun-woo’s direct question, the room fell silent. This wasn't the situation they had envisioned.
With the burnt pavilions, the collapsed walls, the depleted forces of the Tang Clan, and a Clan Head supposedly crippled by the Demonic Cult—they had expected a groveling Poison King who would yield to their every demand.
But instead, the man before them looked perfectly healthy. Furthermore, he had just forced both Un-jeok-ja of Qingcheng and Bulheo Satae of Emei to back down through sheer intimidation.
Dammit, he’s not going to be easy.
I thought he was seriously injured? How is this possible?
It was then that Ga Jin-myeong, the head of the Taehwa Merchant Group, stepped forward.
"I have come to acquire the Tang Clan's businesses."
"And who might you be?" Sun-woo asked.
"I am Ga Jin-myeong, the head of the Taehwa Merchant Group. I assume you've at least heard the name."
"A pleasure, Head Ga. But what is this about an acquisition?" Sun-woo asked, feigning ignorance.
"There is no need to play dumb. I saw the state of the Tang Clan on my way in. Burnt pavilions, crumbled walls... and this is the great Sichuan Tang Clan we're talking about."
"Please, continue."
"Does this not prove that the Tang Clan is currently stretched thin? Surely the Tang Clan doesn't lack for men or money. But if you cannot even repair the buildings within your own estate, I can only assume your circumstances are dire."
This was true. As he said, the Tang Clan was currently in a bind. The number of clan members killed by the Demonic Cult numbered in the hundreds, and their main fighting force was gone. Usually, revenue came in at the end of the month. However, having to pay out funeral expenses and compensation for the deceased all at once at the beginning of the month had drained their liquid assets.
Furthermore, the cost of repairing the pavilions was astronomical, and with the shortage of manpower, they hadn't even been able to start. The remaining clan members had been reassigned to secure their major business sites. The Tang Clan was currently short on both money and people.
Ga Jin-myeong had pierced right through that weakness. Of course, anyone who had seen the state of the estate could have guessed as much.
"Therefore, the Taehwa Merchant Group requests an exclusive contract for the Tang Clan's weapon-related businesses."
Ga Jin-myeong got straight to the point. The Tang Clan's blacksmithing techniques were peerless, arguably the best in the world. Countless martial artists sought out Tang-made weapons, as did the military. Many merchant groups had tried to secure these rights before, but the Tang Clan, which distributed its own weapons, had always refused.
But for a Tang Clan with a vacuum in its power, the story was different. They wouldn't have the resources to run their own merchant group. Ga Jin-myeong was pouncing on this. If he could trade their blacksmithing products, he would be known not just as one of the Five Great Merchants, but as the Greatest Merchant in the Central Plains. Their techniques were that unique and desirable.
"I am not as unscrupulous as those other people," Ga Jin-myeong continued, glancing around the room. He had plenty of money. He didn't need to beg or lowball them. "I will offer a fair price. Why not hand over the weapon distribution rights to me?"
He spoke with as much gravity as he could muster. Blacksmithing was the goose that laid the golden eggs. He had to get it, even if it meant paying a premium. Normally, they would never let it go, but now was different. Desperate for cash, they would have to turn to him.
"If you hand over the weapon distribution rights, you won't need to sell off your other businesses. I will pay enough to cover it all."
In truth, he had intended to swallow up their other businesses as well if the opportunity arose, but seeing the Clan Head in such good shape, he realized that chance wouldn't come. Thus, he decided to focus on the distribution rights. He was certain the Poison King couldn't refuse his offer.
"I appreciate the offer, Head Ga, but I must decline."
Sun-woo’s thoughts, however, were quite different.
Is he crazy?! Ga Jin-myeong cursed inwardly. How could he throw away such a golden opportunity?
Who do you think you're playing? Sun-woo sneered at him mentally.
The Tang Clan's weapon distribution was a business that yielded profits incomparable to their other ventures. Even if they sold every other business they owned, they could never let go of this one. Things like building management or storefront operations fluctuated with the times—booming one moment and crashing the next. Why would he give up an irreplaceable monopoly just to save businesses plagued by such uncertainty?
"I have something to say to you all. As you've guessed, the Tang Clan currently lacks the resources to maintain all of its existing businesses. Therefore, we intend to liquidate some of them."
At his words, the eyes of everyone in the room began to sparkle.
"However, do not think for a moment that we will sell them for a pittance. I would rather see them fail than sell off decades of hard work for pennies. That would be absurd."
Most of the people there scoffed. They thought he was bluffing. If the businesses failed, he wouldn't even get his initial investment back, let alone a profit. If he sold them now, even at a low price, he could at least recover his starting capital.
"Therefore, we will hold an auction. Every business will be up for bid to everyone present."
Sun-woo paused to catch his breath before continuing.
"Of course, you could choose to wait for the Tang Clan's businesses to fail and then try to absorb them. But I suggest you reconsider which is easier: starting a business from scratch, or taking over one that is already fully established."
This was a valid point. As he said, the Tang Clan's businesses would eventually fail if they couldn't maintain them. From a merchant's perspective, acquiring a failed business might seem cheaper.
But there were side effects. They would have to rebuild the business infrastructure from the ground up. If the massive businesses run by the Tang Clan collapsed, competitors would spring up like mushrooms, and they would have to fight them all. The advantage of acquiring the Tang Clan's specific market share would vanish. It seemed better to just win the bid at an auction.
"And to prevent price-fixing, we have prepared a minimum starting bid for each business."
Sun-woo pulled a stack of papers from his robe.
Thud.
"We will not sell for a single coin below the minimum price."
Sun-woo tossed the documents toward them.
"And my apologies to the head of the Taehwa Merchant Group, but the weapon distribution will continue to be handled by the Tang Clan's own merchant group."
Ga Jin-myeong’s face soured as if he had just swallowed a pile of shit. He hadn't expected Sun-woo to sell off everything else just to keep the weapon distribution alive.
"Lastly..."
Sun-woo trailed off, then ramped up his spirit toward the martial artists sitting on the outskirts of the room.
"If anyone has visited the Tang Clan with impure intentions, it would be best for your health to leave immediately."
The Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art began to exert pressure, emitting a faint green aura. The merchants were here to buy businesses for cheap, but the martial artists' intentions were obvious. They were here to see if the clan was weak enough to plunder.
As Sun-woo’s spirit—now at the Absolute Realm—pressed down on them, they began to break into cold sweats, their faces turning pale. He certainly didn't look like a man with grave injuries.
Terrified by his aura, the martial artists began to filter out of the Outer Guest Room one by one. Only after they had all left did Sun-woo allow his stern expression to soften.
"Let the auction begin," he said, looking around at those who remained.