If You Get Hit, You’re Supposed to Move Aside! (2)
Things regarding the Honwon Dan moved very quickly.
First, they decided to leave the task of gathering the ingredients for the Honwon Dan entirely to the Eunha Merchant Guild. If it was the Eunha Merchant Guild, there was no chance they would spread the information anywhere else, and Mount Hua trusted them to handle the matter discreetly, exactly as Mount Hua wished.
Thanks to that, Hwang Jong-ui, who had been in Hua-eum, was urgently summoned to Mount Hua.
“T-this is all of it?”
Looking at the list of ingredients written on the paper handed to him, shock spread across Hwang Jong-ui’s face.
“What on earth are you planning to use all these for…?”
Hyun Young smiled faintly.
“There’s no need to be so surprised. Mount Hua is finally starting to get its foundation in place, so we’re simply thinking of making the old elixirs again.”
“You mean elixirs?”
“What else could it be besides Jaso-dan?”
“Ah….”
The corner of Hyun Young’s mouth twisted slightly.
He didn’t regard the Eunha Merchant Guild as complete outsiders, but neither could he treat them the same as the family of Mount Hua.
If word of the name Honwon Dan gets out, who knows what will happen. For now, we need to keep it hidden as much as possible.
Ordinary people only knew that they had entered the Sword Tomb to obtain a miracle pill, so they had no idea the Honwon Dan even existed. But if the Beggars’ Sect or Wudang learned about this, there was no telling how they would react.
So hiding it as much as possible was the right thing to do.
“Then all I need to do is obtain these items for you?”
“That is correct. And I have one more favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
Hyun Young spoke in a slightly more grave tone.
“I’d appreciate it if word that we’re gathering these materials didn’t leak outside.”
“Pardon? Why would that be…?”
Hyun Young wet his lips slightly.
“The martial world is not an unfeeling place. Right now, Mount Hua is drawing the attention of many sects. We’ve already clashed with Mount Zhongnan once, and this time we had a minor issue with Wudang, didn’t we?”
“That’s true.”
Hwang Jong-ui nodded readily.
It was certainly true. Mount Hua’s fame, which had soared after humiliating Mount Zhongnan at the Hwajong Jihoe, had once again proven its worth in the martial world during this journey to Nanying.
Not only had Mount Hua’s disciples completely defeated Wudang’s disciples, but….
“Um… may I ask something?”
“Ask whatever you like.”
“I was wondering whether the rumor that Mount Hua’s disciples entered the Sword Tomb and played a part there is true….”
“It is true.”
“Ah…!”
Hwang Jong-ui’s head bobbed up and down with great emphasis.
Then it all makes sense.
Rumors of Mount Hua’s exploits in Nanying had already begun spreading all the way to Hua-eum.
That Mount Hua’s disciples had saved civilians at the moment the Sword Tomb collapsed into crisis. And that within that Sword Tomb, they had also defeated several famous figures of the world.
Most of all, the name spreading like wildfire was that of Chung Myung, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon.
Chung Myung, who had earned the title of the greatest genius of the younger generation through his exploits at the Hwajong Jihoe, had drifted a little out of public attention over the past two years of silence.
But with this latest display in Nanying, his reputation was rising without limit once more.
The rumor that he matched a Wudang elder in skill is probably exaggerated, but if people are saying that much, then he must have shown something monstrous.
In that case, it was easy to understand why Hyun Young wanted to proceed so carefully with everything. Mount Hua was already raising its fame at a terrifying pace—if they now also began producing Jaso-dan again, just how much stronger would they become?
Whether a sect looked favorably on Mount Hua or hated them, none of them could help tensing up.
“Don’t worry, Elder. For a merchant, trust is the most important thing, but I’ve also learned that understanding the customer’s wishes is just as crucial.”
“Hahaha. That’s why I trust Young Sect Leader Hwang, isn’t it?”
“But….”
“Hmm?”
Hwang Jong-ui spoke with a trace of concern.
“To gather all these materials, the cost would not be a trivial amount….”
Knowing full well Mount Hua’s financial state, he couldn’t help but question that part.
But Hyun Young’s reaction was entirely different from what he had expected.
“Ah, the money… whehehe!”
Startled, Hwang Jong-ui lifted his head. Somehow, Hyun Young had already composed his expression and was turning away slightly to avoid Hwang Jong-ui’s gaze.
Had he heard wrong…?
Tilting his head, Hwang Jong-ui asked again.
“So, the money…?”
“Ahem! The money. Yes, the money—there’s no need to worry about that. We’ll pay immediately… khuk! I mean, I will pay for it, so…!”
Hwang Jong-ui stared blankly.
Up front?
They were going to pay in advance for all these enormous quantities of materials?
“T-that much money, where in the world would it…?”
“Heh. Mount Hua’s wealth is far greater than Young Sect Leader thinks… khuhuhu… far greater.”
Hyun Young barely managed to hold back the laughter threatening to burst out.
When the sect has a god of wealth in it, what’s money supposed to be? Kihihihihi!
He was trying his best to preserve his dignity, but he simply couldn’t stop the joy surging up inside him. His mouth kept twitching, and ridiculous laughter kept slipping out.
“Here.”
Hyun Young quietly pushed a small casket beside him toward Hwang Jong-ui. Hwang Jong-ui accepted it absentmindedly and tilted his head again.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
Hwang Jong-ui carefully opened the casket. And then, from inside, a literally dazzling light burst forth.
“T-this is…?”
Hwang Jong-ui’s eyes widened as if they might split.
“These are Night-Illuminating Pearls, aren’t they?”
“That is correct.”
After a moment of speechless blinking, Hwang Jong-ui’s mouth fell open.
“No, but how are there so many Night-Illuminating Pearls…?”
Night-Illuminating Pearls were treated as more valuable than jewels of the same size, individually. And yet there were this many of them?
Even Hwang Jong-ui, who had seen countless treasures in his life, had never once seen so many Night-Illuminating Pearls at one time.
And every single one of them is top-grade?
Seeing his reaction, Hyun Young smiled faintly.
“Young Sect Leader should know the value of this item. Please set a fair price. Would that be enough?”
Hwang Jong-ui’s body jerked.
His instinct as a merchant and his duty as a merchant were colliding inside him.
I mustn’t let greed cost me more in the end!
Biting his lip slightly, Hwang Jong-ui quickly finished his calculations.
“That’s too much, Elder. I’d need to appraise them carefully, but even half of this would be enough to buy everything you requested and still leave plenty over.”
“Is that so?”
Hyun Young wore a subtle smile.
He already knew the value of these Night-Illuminating Pearls. He had simply wanted to hear how Hwang Jong-ui would answer.
This is trustworthy enough.
Hwang Jong-ui’s estimate was not far from Hyun Young’s own calculations. No, if anything, it was even more generous than Hyun Young had expected.
“Then sell all of these Night-Illuminating Pearls to cover the cost, and return whatever remains to Mount Hua.”
“Y-you’re entrusting me with something that important?”
“Hahaha. Mount Hua and the Eunha Merchant Guild are like brothers, aren’t they? If we can’t trust the Eunha Merchant Guild, then who can we trust?”
Hyun Young and Hwang Jong-ui exchanged a quiet glance.
They might each have different thoughts hidden underneath, but on the surface, their trust in one another was plain enough.
“Then, what about the commission…?”
“Be reasonable.”
“…….”
“Reasonable! I said reasonable!”
What a shameless robber.
“…Then I’ll do that. Once I’ve finished the detailed appraisal, I’ll send word. And when the sales are complete, I’ll send the proceeds to Mount Hua. Would you prefer cash or a draft?”
“Cash would be best.”
“Yes, Elder!”
Hwang Jong-ui hurriedly lifted the casket and tucked it under his arm.
“Then I’ll appraise these items and look into the sales channels as quickly as possible.”
“Oh dear, you won’t even stay for tea?”
“If a merchant lets tea go cold before treasure, he isn’t a merchant! I’ll bring you good news as soon as possible.”
“Don’t forget what I asked.”
“There will be absolutely no leakage outside. And of course, no one will learn where these Night-Illuminating Pearls came from.”
As quick as a snap, Hwang Jong-ui understood Hyun Young’s meaning.
“Then take care.”
“May you be in peace.”
As Hwang Jong-ui hurried outside, Hyun Young covered his mouth slightly.
His shoulders trembled faintly.
“Puh…!”
He could no longer hold back the laughter.
“Hwahahahahaha!”
His shoulders danced on their own.
“Kwahahahaha! Thanks to that lucky little brat, I’m finally getting to do the very thing I’ve dreamed of doing!”
For Hyun Young, giving a merchant a huge sum of money and sending him off to buy everything they needed had been a dream he had cherished for his entire life.
And now that dream had been realized on a scale even greater than he had imagined.
“Khu, that pretty little bastard! If I could, I’d catch a dragon and roast it for him.”
Since dragons weren’t available, a cow would have to do.
A satisfied smile spread across Hyun Young’s face.
Then the joy in his eyes slowly deepened into something more serious.
With this, Mount Hua will spread its wings once again.
What Mount Hua lacked most right now, beyond question, was internal energy.
As for martial knowledge, recovering Chilmaegeom had eased some of the urgent thirst. But internal energy was something accumulated over time. Talent and training alone could not close the gap in accumulated power.
For Mount Hua, where the second and third generation disciples had to serve as the core, the immense internal energy possessed by the veteran experts of other sects was the most troublesome problem of all.
But if they could produce Honwon Dan and feed it to their disciples, then even if it didn’t solve everything, it would at least ease the problem considerably.
If that happened, Mount Hua would be able to take another leap forward.
Hyun Young sprang up from his seat and headed for the Sect Leader’s residence. He intended to report what had just happened.
“Is the Sect Leader present!”
Without waiting for an answer, Hyun Young opened the door and stepped inside, only to stop short all at once.
“W-well? You’ve come?”
“…….”
“…….”
Hyun Jong slowly lowered the towel in his hand. In front of him sat the Honwon Dan casket, polished so thoroughly that it shone brilliantly.
“...Do you like it that much?”
“Khhm.”
Before he knew it, Hyun Young was grinning.
Hyun Jong, who always had to preserve his dignity before the disciples and could never show how happy or how sad he really was, was now polishing that casket as if his life depended on it. Just how much did he like it, to be doing this?
“Put it somewhere safer! What if you lose it?”
“Isn’t my bosom the safest place in Mount Hua?”
“...Not the bosom of that brat Chung Myung?”
Hyun Jong closed his mouth.
When he thought about it calmly, that might also be true.
“In any case, the Young Sect Leader and I reached an understanding. It looks like the materials can be obtained sooner than expected.”
“Oh, really? Hahaha. Hah! If only everything could go this smoothly, just like now. Hahahahaha.”
As Hyun Jong and Hyun Young smiled at one another, tears began to gather faintly at the corners of their eyes.
It was a sight they could never have imagined just a few short years ago. Back then, whenever they sat facing each other like this, they had no choice but to trade words neither one wanted to hear. They had never dreamed that a day would come when they could meet each other’s gaze and burst into hearty laughter like this.
In just a few years, their circumstances had changed so completely.
“He really is a strange fellow.”
“He’s a dao implement.”
Hyun Young’s expression sharpened.
“What dao implement is there in the world like that?”
“Heh. Don’t look only at the surface. The Dao does not come merely because one walks solemnly along the path of the sages. Sometimes, simply preserving one’s own inborn nature is enough for the Dao to find you.”
“Enough of your useless drivel! What are you going to give Chung Myung this time?”
“Uh… um?”
“A reward! A reward! He pulled off something that huge, and you’re going to let him off without giving him anything? Even oxen need feed before they work! You need to give him a proper, generous reward if you want Chung Myung to run out there and bring back more achievements!”
“…….”
“I remember very clearly how you let the last one slip away in some half-hearted muddle. This time, there’s no way I’m letting it pass!”
Hyun Jong looked at him with a slightly put-upon expression.
“I’m not complaining, I’m simply curious, but whose side are you on, exactly? Mine? Or that child’s?”
“What kind of question is that? Isn’t it obvious? I’m offended, Sect Leader Senior Brother!”
At Hyun Young’s fierce response, Hyun Jong’s face softened a little in self-reproach.
“...My apologies. My joke went too far. We have shared so many years….”
“Of course I’m on Chung Myung’s side! That child, obviously! To be blunt, what exactly have you ever given me, Sect Leader?”
“…….”
Oh? That side?
“Because I got stuck in the Finance Hall after being sweet-talked by the Sect Leader, and now I’m old and half-broken and still not even married! How can the Sect Leader ask me to take your side? Because I never got married, I couldn’t even have a daughter, which means I can’t even bring Chung Myung in as my son-in-law!”
“No, no. You should be thinking about your age. If you had a daughter, she’d already be….”
“Then she’d at least have a daughter!”
Hyun Young pointed sharply at him in a full-blown outrage.
“Anyway, this time I absolutely won’t let it pass! You need to decide exactly what reward you’re going to give him! And that Honwon Dan originally belongs to Chung Myung, doesn’t it? Why are you hugging it like it’s yours? Give the brat one pill first! Then…!”
Bang!
Hyun Sang, who had rushed in after hearing the commotion, immediately grabbed Hyun Young and dragged him outside.
“What! Hey! Let go! Sect Leader! Think carefully about what I said! Sect Leader! If you just swallow that thing yourself, I’ll smash your head—! Mmff! Mmmph! Grrrmmph!”
Bang.
The door slammed shut roughly, and the gust of wind that followed lifted Hyun Jong’s hair slightly.
“Heh… heh heh.”
Hyun Jong let out a dazed laugh.
“It’s a good thing. Yes, a good thing.”
And yet, for some reason, it felt like his authority had been eroding quite a lot lately….
It must be my imagination.