All My Fortune into Inner Power (1)
Cheon-geuk entered the manor with a young girl at her side.
Anyone could see that this adorable little girl was none other than Na-sa-rin, the veteran master of the Sal-su Yeon-maeng.
She was the one who had previously extracted a confession from the Wang Gon clan's steward using the Soul Subjugation Art, but a side effect from learning it at too young an age had stunted her growth, leaving her afflicted with a condition that halted her development.
At Baek So-cheon's request to purchase spiritual elixirs for her, Cheon-geuk had gone straight to Na-sa-rin and asked for her help.
"I'm sorry to trouble you like this."
"Trouble? When the Alliance Lord needs this old woman's strength, it's only natural that I help."
Her unwavering loyalty to the alliance and its lord had allowed her to live out her long years as a respected figure in the Sal-su Yeon-maeng. Today, they intended to borrow this loyal veteran's connections on Baek So-cheon's behalf.
A middle-aged man awaited them in the spacious main hall of the manor.
The man was dressed in clothes that screamed expense at a glance. His shoes were high-end, and the accessories he wore were no different. Yet it didn't come off as excessive luxury—more like he'd dressed impeccably for business.
The moment Cheon-geuk stepped into the hall, she sensed it. Two masters were hidden behind the wall where the man stood, and she felt another presence from the ceiling.
The name of this man they guarded was Maek-ga.
He was a renowned spiritual elixir merchant in the martial world. He bought elixirs cheap and sold them dear, or connected sellers and buyers and took a commission.
It might seem like he'd rake in fortunes, but that wasn't always the case. He had to shell out massive sums to hire masters as bodyguards against thieves eyeing his elixirs, and incidents related to elixirs cropped up now and then. When they did, covering up "who bought that elixir?" often cost a pretty penny.
Up to here, it was all from his own mouth, so who knew how much he'd truly profited.
"It's been a while."
Maek-ga greeted Na-sa-rin politely. He knew who she was. They'd crossed paths by chance before, and the reason he'd prepared such pricey elixirs and waited was precisely because he knew her counterpart.
"It's been ages."
"It's been too long since I heard your clear, beautiful voice, Elder."
"Just my voice?"
"Of course not. You seem even more refined than last time."
He knew well that even empty flattery about her maturity delighted her most. Sure enough, Na-sa-rin beamed. When she smiled like that, she looked every bit the child.
"You look a bit thinner yourself."
"I've been busy lately."
"What's the point of scraping together money like that? Don't just sell those fine elixirs—take some yourself."
"I'd heed your every word on anything else, but not that."
"Why not?"
"How do you eat money?"
"Spoken like a true miserly merchant."
"Stuff something this precious into this body of mine, and it'd revolt."
Maek-ga laughed good-naturedly.
Under her veiled hat, Cheon-geuk didn't smile. You had to watch out for merchants who seemed so affable. That's how you ended up royally screwed.
"The goods?"
"I've prepared them. You said you wanted the finest elixirs, right? I wore out my soles gathering these."
Bragging as he went, Maek-ga placed the first of three prepared boxes on the table.
He opened it slowly.
"Emperor Pill."
It was a famed spiritual elixir said to grant a martial artist twenty to twenty-five years of inner power upon consumption.
"How much?"
"Four hundred and ninety thousand nyang."
"Pricey."
"As you know, nearly all elixirs were depleted in the Righteous-Evil Great War. What's circulating now is barely century-old Polygonum multiflorum at best, and even that's not easy to find."
Half true, half false. True that many elixirs were consumed in the war, but merchants like Maek-ga had held back stockpiles, anticipating skyrocketing prices post-war. This was one of them.
"Cut me a deal for my face."
"Very well. As a special favor, four hundred thousand nyang. Cost price."
A lie. He'd bought it for two hundred thousand.
Daring to lie before Na-sa-rin? But merchants always squeezed for more profit, no matter the intimidation.
Maek-ga had dealt with every stripe of martial artist. Dealing with them was often easier than fellow merchants. Buyers of elixirs were either top masters or from great clans. Stroke their fame and pride right, and you could gouge them. Of course, you had to read the room—push too hard, and your head rolled.
Still, he was giving Na-sa-rin a real discount. To anyone else, he'd have started at six hundred thousand.
"Show me the others."
"Yes."
Maek-ga fetched a slightly larger box from his luggage.
"Prime Thousand-Year Polygonum multiflorum."
Said to grant half to one jiazi of inner power to a martial artist. Full absorption yielded a full jiazi; partial, half.
"How much for this?"
"Eight hundred and forty thousand nyang."
Century-old ones traded from ten to thirty thousand nyang depending on quality.
One might think ten times the age meant thirty times the price for "prime," but elixirs didn't work that way.
Higher-grade elixirs commanded exponentially more per extra year of power. If not Na-sa-rin, Maek-ga would've named a steeper sum.
"Best you can do?"
"For you, specially, seven hundred and fifty thousand nyang."
"Anything else?"
"Of course. You said toxic ones were fine, so I prepared this."
Maek-ga pulled out another box.
"Seven-Colored Centipede Pill."
The seven-colored centipede was a venomous spirit beast, akin to the Hundred-Legged Golden Thread Master. A toxic pill made from its extracted inner core, mainly used by poison experts.
For those who could withstand the poison, it too granted half to one jiazi of inner power—a elixir of legend.
"Six hundred and eighty thousand nyang."
Indeed, poison-based elixirs cost less than equivalents without.
"Specially for you, six hundred thousand. These three were gathered just for you. Miss today, and top-grade elixirs like these won't surface for years."
At least the scarcity was real. Not for years, maybe, but they were hard to come by for now.
"All three?"
"One million seven hundred and fifty thousand nyang."
With her business done, Na-sa-rin glanced at Cheon-geuk.
Maek-ga found it odd.
'Why look at the guard?'
Until now, he'd assumed the veiled woman beside her was just a bodyguard.
The shock was yet to come.
Cheon-geuk spoke for the first time.
"Maek merchant."
Her overwhelming pressure hit even in those two words. Maek-ga realized his mistake.
'No mere guard.'
Cheon-geuk unleashed her concealed aura fully.
"All three for one million four hundred thousand nyang."
"No deal!"
"Maek merchant, you'd still profit."
"No. It's a loss. I already priced low for the Elder. Elsewhere, they'd fetch far more."
"I heard once that skilled elixir merchants make triple profit."
"Just rumor."
"So before coming, I looked into Central Plains elixir merchants. Among them, you charge on the high end."
Maek-ga turned to Na-sa-rin.
"Elder, say something."
Using her as a shield? Cheon-geuk turned the shield into a weapon.
"Perfect. You know what she's capable of, so you can verify if you're telling the truth."
Maek-ga flinched. Not triple, but he was profiting handsomely even now.
One million four hundred thousand wasn't a loss. Demand outstripped supply, enabling such margins.
Na-sa-rin said to Cheon-geuk,
"Alliance Lord."
"Yes."
Maek-ga jolted at "Alliance Lord." Na-sa-rin called only one person that.
'The Sal-su Yeon-maeng Lord!'
Na-sa-rin asked Cheon-geuk,
"Only one million four hundred thousand nyang?"
"Yes."
"Then buy just two."
"Can't. I need all three. I'll convince Maek merchant myself."
Such conduct was a grave discourtesy to Na-sa-rin, who'd arranged the meeting. Yet seeing her act out of character, Na-sa-rin assumed reason and stayed out.
Cheon-geuk eyed Maek-ga.
"To make such a rude request, I should at least show my face."
As she reached for her veil, Maek-ga squeezed his eyes shut and yelled,
"Don't!"
Seasoned merchant that he was. Among faces he never wanted to see, the King of Assassins topped the list. He knew she was pressuring him.
"Fine! One million four hundred thousand nyang."
Confirming her as the Killer Queen, Maek-ga wrote off the deal.
"Thank you, Maek merchant. Forgive the rudeness—urgent need for these elixirs."
Her polite apology softened his mood somewhat.
"No harm done."
"But know this: your generosity today might one day prove the wise choice that saved your fortune."
Maek-ga puzzled over the cryptic words. If the Black Heaven Alliance won the war and dominated the jianghu, they'd seize his wealth.
She paid, and the three boxes went into her pouch.
"I'll wait outside."
"Be out soon."
She left the room.
Alone now, Na-sa-rin asked Maek-ga,
"You alright?"
"Sometimes you take a loss in business."
No loss, but claiming one was merchant craft.
"Dealing with our kind of assassins gets rough sometimes. Understand that. And today's deal won't leave you short."
Different from Cheon-geuk's implication.
With the Alliance Lord's debt, she might save his life someday.
Maek-ga joked with a smile,
"Come again next time."
"For real?"
"No. Preserve your precious health."
"Haha, live well. Earn money, but mind your health too."
Na-sa-rin emerged to find Cheon-geuk waiting.
"Alliance Lord."
"Sorry, Elder."
"It's fine. Must be reason enough."
"Thank you for understanding. Here, I'd turn bitchy for someone I just have to help."
For herself, two would've sufficed.
But for Baek So-cheon, she wanted all three.
The merchant's greed helped too.
When Na-sa-rin offered to arrange with her acquaintance Maek-ga, Cheon-geuk had her Four Guardians discreetly investigate him.
She couldn't say it to Na-sa-rin's face due to their ties, but he gouged on elixirs. More than most merchants.
Hence the haggling. Thanks to Na-sa-rin, they'd scored below market.
"Curious what kind of man makes our Lord act so out of character."
Na-sa-rin wondered who warranted such care.
Cheon-geuk said cautiously,
"Baek So-cheon."
"Baek So-cheon? You mean the God of War of the Murim Alliance?"
Na-sa-rin recognized the name instantly.
"Yes, him."
Na-sa-rin's face hardened. Baek So-cheon had killed the previous Killer King.
"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Elder."
Cheon-geuk bowed deeply.
Na-sa-rin, the previous Killer King, and the one before—all had served him loyally. Gifting elixirs to his killer? Unforgivable.
After gazing at Cheon-geuk a moment, Na-sa-rin spoke calmly.
"This old woman turns eighty-four this year. Few years left to serve our Alliance Lord fully. Past is past—I trust her decision."
Her eighty-four wasn't rigid dogma. It was rational, brimming with affection for Cheon-geuk.
Cheon-geuk thanked her profusely again.
"Thank you, Elder."
"I'd like to meet him once."
"Shall I introduce you?"
Cheon-geuk wondered suddenly what Baek So-cheon looked like in Na-sa-rin's eyes.
"May I?"
"Of course. Come with."
The two boarded the waiting carriage.
Destination: Wuhuan, home of the Murim Alliance Headquarters.