The Origin Stone’s Price
“Chief Yeo, I’ll let you use this room.”
“Oh. I already know where I’m going, so no need to guide me. Please take care of my niece. Since I raised my voice earlier, make sure the service is up to par.”
“Don’t worry. If it’s the young master’s grandson, I’ll certainly see to it.”
“Good. Then, nephew. See you at dinner time. I’ll probably be staying here about three days, so let’s make sure you rest well.”
Yeo U-hui had no physical fatigue, but her mental exhaustion from the long night journey showed in the way she let out a soft yawn and headed straight downstairs.
“Master Gong, just follow me.”
As Yeo U-hui vanished, Gong Si-hak smiled and stepped ahead. Yoo Eunhyeon followed quietly behind him.
Gong Si-hak was clearly experienced with inn matters; his smile stayed warm and easy even in the quiet of the hallway.
“Um… Lord Gong?”
“Yes, Master. Is there something you need?”
Even with that smile intact, Gong Si-hak spoke politely. Yoo Eunhyeon hesitated for a moment before the question finally spilled out.
“Is the Uiseon Suga estate far from here?”
“It depends. Close if it is, far if it isn’t. I suppose you could call it a moderate distance. Usually two days by Murim standards.”
“We’re almost there already? Then why did you say we’d stay here?”
“Chief Yeo would have plenty of work waiting for him back at the main estate. But with the head of our pavilion here, you can rest comfortably.”
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded in understanding. He kept asking.
“My aunt is quite high up in the family, isn’t she?”
“The Uiseon Suga is divided into four major sectors: External, Internal, Gold, and Punitive. The overall head manages all four, and each sector’s chief is its own leader. Chief Yeo is the External Chief, which is why she travels outside so often. The blood of the main house and the Seven Great Families are handled separately, but… in short, Chief Yeo ranks among the top ten most important people in the entire family.”
Gong Si-hak held up all ten fingers as he spoke. Yoo Eunhyeon nodded again.
“I see. Makes sense. He’s incredibly strong.”
“Even without titles, just his martial skill would place him among the top fighters in the family, let alone the entire family.”
“The Seven Great Families, right? Do you think our Uiseon Suga is on the same level as the major sects I know?”
“Our power is a bit lower than the great sects or other large families, but we have strong presence in other fields as well. When it comes to overall influence in Murim, I can confidently say we stand shoulder to shoulder with the major sects.”
The confident tone suggested Gong Si-hak truly believed in his family’s strength, yet Yoo Eunhyeon still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. The only thing that kept nagging him was how a daughter of such a mighty family, like Su Hwa-seon, had ended up sick in some remote mountain village, farming instead of anything else.
As the conversation wrapped up, Gong Si-hak stopped at a building. “Rest here for now. If you need anything, just tell me—I’m not sure what’s available in this area. Sit and relax. I’ll handle the rest.”
He bowed and left. Once alone, Yoo Eunhyeon stepped inside and couldn’t stop his mouth from falling open.
“This room is… bigger than our house. At least twice the size, and the family I know could fit comfortably inside.”
The space was enormous. Every piece of furniture, every tool, every decoration was something he had never seen in his entire life.
Now that he knew the full picture, worry about staying here faded away. At first he simply marveled at the room, but he quickly realized there was nothing left to discover. He wandered, looked at everything, then finally gave up and crawled into the bed.
Whether other things were impressive or not, the mattress felt unbelievably comfortable. Sleep came quickly.
*
When Yoo Eunhyeon woke to Gong Si-hak’s call, the events that followed felt like a dream.
The bathhouse had an enormous tub, and the water carried a faint, pleasant fragrance that rose in steam. The meal that followed featured more than ten dishes, each one tasting so perfect that Yoo Eunhyeon wondered how they could be made so well.
Even he, a lifelong farmer, understood that such treatment was far from ordinary. Yeo U-hui had said not to worry about the others, but for someone raised in the mountains, one day of luxury was already astonishing. Adapting would take more than one meal.
After being waited on for an entire half-day, Yoo Eunhyeon waited until breakfast ended and quietly called for his aunt.
“Um… Aunt?”
“Yes? Is something the matter? Did we not provide enough?”
“No, nothing like that. I was wondering if I could go out today.”
“Go out? Is there something you want to do?”
“I came here straight from the incident. I’d like to see the city a bit. And I want to sell this.”
He pulled out the amber stone that had started the whole affair.
“That? Why so suddenly? You don’t lack anything here.”
“Chief Yeo, even eating and sleeping would satisfy some people, but everyone needs other things now and then.”
Gong Si-hak shrugged as he sipped his tea after the meal. Yeo U-hui had stepped out, so only the three of them remained.
“Mmm. That makes sense. You’ve never been to a big city before, have you? You escaped from Jenam like it was on fire. Still, do you really need to sell it? Money trouble? I can give you some spending money.”
“I just don’t like the feeling it gives me, so I wanted to get rid of it.”
“Oh. I see. I understand. That’s why you were attacked the moment you left the Demonic Cult….”
The blood-stained stone still haunted Yoo Eunhyeon’s dreams. If that was how it felt, he might as well sell it.
At first Sa Unsik had only given it to him to sell for money, so as long as he didn’t throw it away, there was nothing to worry about.
The blood was long gone, yet the stone still seemed to radiate some kind of bad aura, as if it were cursing whoever held it.
Yoo Eunhyeon didn’t know if it would sell cleanly or cause more trouble, but he was certain it was better to part with it quickly than to keep it.
“Do as you like. It’s not my item anyway, so I can’t advise you otherwise.”
Yeo U-hui no longer argued and simply nodded. The item belonged to Yoo Eunhyeon, after all.
“Then where do I sell something like this?”
“Usually a pawnshop, but they gouge prices too hard. There’s a specialist in gems and jewelry. That would be better. Lord Gong, do you know any shops?”
“Of course I do. It’s not difficult at all… but Master, you won’t get a fair price from them. Leave it with me. I’ll handle everything properly and make sure you don’t lose out.”
Yoo Eunhyeon had heard that Gong Si-hak managed the Uiseon Suga’s finances not only at Uiryungak but for the entire family centered in Taiyuan, so he was clearly an expert in the field.
“I want to try selling it myself.”
He said it, but the real reason was that he didn’t want to entrust such a cursed item to strangers. He had only said it to sound determined.
“Very well. I’ll introduce you to a place I know. I’ll keep everything in order, so don’t worry.”
“Wait. That might be complicated.”
Yeo U-hui suddenly stepped in. Gong Si-hak looked confused.
“Chief Yeo? Is there a problem?”
“If it’s an acquaintance, it’s a big trading house. You’d have to explain who the boy is. His aunt is the External Chief? That would only attract more attention.”
“Even just saying ‘a friend’s acquaintance’ would do….”
“And if that friend suddenly shows up, he’d want to know everything. With Lord Gong introducing him to a merchant house, it might not even be a small one.”
Gong Si-hak fell silent, realizing Yeo U-hui had struck the perfect note. The trading houses he dealt with were all well-known names around Taiyuan.
Softening her voice, Yeo U-hui continued, “I heard about the boy’s situation. It doesn’t seem like the Demonic Cult or the Heavenly Martial Alliance is actively searching, but there’s no need to stir up unnecessary trouble. Just sell it quietly, even if you take a small loss.”
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded. No matter how valuable money was, he would never risk his life again. The incident on Mount Taesan had been more than enough.
“I hadn’t thought of that. If Chief Yeo says so, then I will.”
“I also… appreciate Lord Gong’s offer, but I don’t want to face any unnecessary danger.”
“No. I’ve been too simple in my understanding of the relationships between people and Murim’s current situation, so that is my shortcoming.”
Realizing his own gap in knowledge, Gong Si-hak smiled humbly. He excelled at calculations and accounts but was lacking when it came to the subtleties of Murim commerce.
“Just tell me the location. Even if you haggle me down, it will still be a useful lesson.”
“No, I can’t do that. A little advice is fine, isn’t it?”
“Well… that’s fair. After all, it’s better to lose less than lose everything.”
Gong Si-hak refused to go any further, and Yeo U-hui nodded. He stood and turned to Yoo Eunhyeon.
“Master, please follow me for a moment.”
“Oh. Yes.”
Yoo Eunhyeon followed, wondering what advice he was about to receive.
*
“The Origin Trading House… is this it?”
Yoo Eunhyeon muttered while reading the plaque on the building. The sign was written in flowing, powerful characters that truly captured the name.
The strength in the brushwork was not ordinary, and the building’s size matched it perfectly. A sense of overwhelming authority clung to the place, yet people came and went freely at the entrance.
“There are many people coming and going, and you may feel that pressure. Don’t worry. If you walk straight in, someone will guide you.”
Recalling Gong Si-hak’s advice, Yoo Eunhyeon breathed deeply, clenched his fist lightly, and stepped inside.
The receptionist smiled warmly as he entered. Her expression was kind, yet her eyes carefully examined his simple clothes.
“Wear the clothes I prepared, and you won’t be turned away at the door.”
Yoo Eunhyeon shrugged lightly, finding the soft silk robe uncomfortable, but thanks to Gong Si-hak’s tip, he was clearly not being rejected.
“Welcome. We are honored to have you at the Origin Trading House. What may I assist you with?”
“I’m here to sell goods.”
“What kind of item?”
“Gemstones.”
He pulled the amber stone from his small pouch.
The receptionist glanced at him once, smiled faintly, and rose from her seat.
“Please come this way. I will call a specialist.”
She led him to a small room nearby and returned to her post after saying the specialist would arrive shortly.
Creak.
Yoo Eunhyeon fidgeted with the stone in his pocket, steadying himself. Suddenly the door opened faster than he expected.
“Hmph. Forgive me for making you wait.”
An old man with neatly combed white hair appeared. He carried an eerie aura, as if he could manipulate every secret in the world with ease.