Chapter 490
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 490
Chapter Title: Look at This?
"Master Jeon."
A heavy voice.
"Wh-what is it?"
The voice was clearly laced with fear.
It stemmed from the favorable reactions the martial artists had shown just moments ago when Gong Yeop-myeong placed the dishes on the table.
Starting a conflict with Gong Yeop-myeong here could lead those martial artists to side with him and intimidate Jeon Dok-woo.
Jeon Dok-woo couldn't help but shrink back naturally.
The guards waiting at the inn's entrance were nothing compared to the Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors present—like fireflies before the moon.
"I'll sell."
Gong Yeop-myeong said curtly.
"Uh... huh?"
Jeon Dok-woo blurted out in surprise, asking again.
He had never expected such words from Gong Yeop-myeong.
"What? What did you just say?"
"I said I'll sell."
Jeon Dok-woo's eyes widened round, his expression dazed.
"But."
Gong Yeop-myeong continued briefly.
"You'll have to add ten percent more."
"Ten percent?"
At Gong Yeop-myeong's sole condition, Jeon Dok-woo snapped to attention.
He was willing to sell, but not at Jeon Dok-woo's set price—ten percent on top of that.
Honestly, it wasn't a bad deal.
Considering everything that had happened, he could afford to tack that on.
It stung a bit, though.
The clan's envoy had come pressuring him, which was why he'd even resorted to using Jang Bang.
"If that's the case, you should've said so yesterday."
Jeon Dok-woo muttered regretfully.
If he'd made this decision yesterday, there would've been no need to spend money on Jang Bang.
"I decided this morning."
At those words, Jeon Dok-woo realized that mobilizing Jang Bang hadn't been a waste—it had been the right move.
Yesterday, Gong Yeop-myeong had shown no intention of selling.
Only after Jang Bang cut off the laborers and craftsmen did he change his mind, proving Jeon Dok-woo's decision correct.
"I need to think it over a bit..."
As the haggling began, Jeon Dok-woo's eyes gleamed.
Gone was any trace of fear toward the martial artists here.
A merchant through and through, down to his bones.
"Decide here and now. Or I might change my mind."
Gong Yeop-myeong remained expressionless.
He simply stated his terms.
In truth, Gong Yeop-myeong's heart was pounding like a drum.
Having decided to leave Luoyang, he needed every coin he could get, so he'd demanded ten percent more.
He figured the urgent one was Master Jeon.
But what if he refused the purchase over that ten percent? What if he resorted to even pettier tactics to sabotage the business?
Gong Yeop-myeong knew how to haggle over ingredient prices at market, but this scale of negotiation was new to him.
His chest thrummed anxiously.
Silence fell.
The martial artists, who had been rowdily drinking and shouting, quieted down.
They glanced sideways at Gong Yeop-myeong and Jeon Dok-woo.
Even amid the noise, these were masters who could clearly hear the conversation, so they paid attention.
This hush weighed heavily on Jeon Dok-woo.
It felt like the Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors were backing Gong Yeop-myeong and pressuring him.
The moment he realized it, sweat soaked Jeon Dok-woo's back.
His mind churned with endless conflict.
If it were any other Righteous Heaven Alliance warriors, he wouldn't hesitate.
The problem was their attire.
Uniforms from unknown affiliations.
That very trait allowed guesses at a few possibilities.
"Hoo. Fine. Ten percent. That's the limit. But clear out within three days."
With great resolve, Jeon Dok-woo spoke, and Gong Yeop-myeong nodded.
"Understood."
Considering all that had transpired, it was a strikingly straightforward deal.
Gong Yeop-myeong turned and headed back to the kitchen.
He had nearly depleted the remaining ingredients.
He'd prepared enough for laborers to eat over three days, in large quantities.
Yet eleven martial artists had devoured most of it.
The alcohol was the same.
They drained every drop he'd stocked.
And they savored the flavors properly, which delighted the chef to no end.
"Huh? What? It's sold? The chef's changing in three days?"
One Hocheon Corps member muttered regretfully.
"Yeah, it's delicious, great quality... cheap too. Only three days left?"
Another chimed in.
Someone glanced at Dam Mu-hyeon.
"You've been hogging a place like this all to yourself?"
The question dripped with resentment.
"Hey, I just found out today too!"
Dam Mu-hyeon shouted indignantly.
"Such a shame..."
They truly seemed to love it.
"Well, then we should come eat our fill the next two days."
At that, someone else grimaced.
"I've got shifts tomorrow and the day after—packed schedules."
"Then stuff yourself now."
With that, their eating pace quickened.
Thus, all the ingredients Gong Yeop-myeong had prepared were exhausted.
"Thanks for the delicious meal."
"See you tomorrow."
The Hocheon Corps warriors departed that way.
Dam Mu-hyeon was the only one left.
He stared blankly at Ha Mu-baek.
His eyes demanded payment.
"Tch."
Ha Mu-baek clicked his tongue, his hand flicking swiftly.
A motion too fast for the eye.
In fact, the Gong siblings and Eun Cheong-seon didn't even register Ha Mu-baek moving.
Sssing.
Only a faint, low whoosh of air.
One that would escape notice without focus.
Thud.
Dam Mu-hyeon naturally snatched the incoming object.
[Feels like killing intent on it?]
He sent a transmission to Ha Mu-baek.
[Your imagination.]
Opening his palm at the curt reply revealed a gold ingot worth one nyang.
One nyang in gold equaled ten nyang in silver.
[Short.]
Dam Mu-hyeon transmitted immediately.
The alcohol alone they'd drunk today was worth at least one nyang in gold.
They'd imbibed plenty, and much of it finer than expected, jacking up the tab.
Ssaeng.
A gold ingot flew harder than before.
[Definitely killing intent this time...?]
Ha Mu-baek turned away without answering, tilting his cup.
"Tch."
Dam Mu-hyeon clicked his tongue, rising to approach the proprietress, Eun Cheong-seon.
It was a large sum, so he hesitated to hand it to the errand boy.
Even if the boy was her son.
"Here you go."
Dam Mu-hyeon handed over two nyang in gold ingots.
Eun Cheong-seon's eyes twitched at the sight.
"Short?"
Dam Mu-hyeon asked at her reaction.
"N-no. Please wait a moment."
Eun Cheong-seon hurried to the kitchen.
She soon returned, offering three nyang in silver.
"Huh? That's all?"
Dam Mu-hyeon asked puzzled.
He'd already paid the food tab as heard from the errand boy.
Of course, he'd tipped a bit extra, but just a few coins.
"The ingredients weren't great, so this is the right price."
A glint entered Dam Mu-hyeon's eyes.
Every dish had been superb.
Dam Mu-hyeon didn't take the three nyang in silver from Eun Cheong-seon.
"S-sir?"
"Keep it. A few ingredients might've been off, but the dishes were so excellent no one would notice."
"I can't do that."
Eun Cheong-seon offered the silver again.
'He'll just take it back anyway...'
She couldn't voice such inner thoughts.
"If it's not short, just take what's offered."
Dam Mu-hyeon said that and simply walked out of the inn.
[Great meal.]
He left a transmission for Ha Mu-baek.
Eun Cheong-seon rushed out after him, but the warriors were already far off.
She considered chasing to return it, but Dam Mu-hyeon's back seemed to say not to, so she halted.
Turning back to the inn.
The dining hall was empty.
Ha Mu-baek had vanished too.
Ha Mu-baek stood on the main street.
Before him loomed the massive building of the Jeon Merchant Guild.
He stood gazing at it.
'Suspicious.'
The man called Master Jeon who'd visited again today.
Something dubious emanated from him clearly, yet Ha Mu-baek couldn't pinpoint it.
No martial arts, not even a half-form. No internal energy to speak of.
A man with nothing but the innate vital energy he was born with.
Yet he felt oddly suspicious.
Starting with his reason for building a manor there.
"Well, I'll look into it myself."
Ha Mu-baek's form melted away.
He'd deployed Phantom Ghost Illusion Step.
Naturally, no one inside the Jeon Merchant Guild sensed the aura Ha Mu-baek had deliberately concealed.
Ha Mu-baek roamed the guild like it was his own home.
Seeking clues to that suspicious something.
But there was nothing.
Just an ordinary merchant guild, nothing more or less.
Overhearing the merchants and clerks, the only notable was they worked with the imperial court.
One couldn't fault merchants for dealing with the court.
'Still feels off...'
Ha Mu-baek tilted his head, continuing his search until he reached the guild master's office on the top floor.
Perhaps relieved of one worry?
Jeon Dok-woo immersed himself in work.
Quickly resolving tasks stalled by the Small Traveler's Inn issue.
Indistinguishable from any ordinary guild master.
Ha Mu-baek confirmed that, tilted his head again, and turned.
Then his eyes caught a small wooden statue.
An eight-armed Avalokitesvara figurine.
Ha Mu-baek's gaze fixed on it.
'This...'
Avalokitesvara of a Thousand Arms.
To the unaware, it was clearly that.
But closer inspection revealed otherwise.
The Eight Analogies.
Each of the eight arms held distinct objects.
One was a vajra.
Ha Mu-baek focused his gaze on that vajra.
The true Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara didn't hold a vajra.
Undeniably unique craftsmanship, yet not wrong per se.
Still, why did Ha Mu-baek scrutinize it?
Demonic Cult Leader Sek Won-cho.
That bastard wielded a vajra in his left hand.
Not exactly a vajra—similar, yet subtly different.
Recalling the weapon etched in his memory, comparing to the figurine's tiny vajra.
'Identical.'
The carver's skill was exceptional.
Even in that small piece, Sek Won-cho's weapon traits were perfectly captured.
Ha Mu-baek examined the entire figurine again.
Avalokitesvara's face looked different.
The eyes resembled Sek Won-cho's.
The lip shape too.
The nose, upon close look, evoked him.
Putting it all together.
'Sek Won-cho.'
Not Avalokitesvara—a portrait of Sek Won-cho.
The other seven arms' weapons.
All were ones Sek Won-cho had wielded.
When he'd clashed with So Hwi-woong and Ha Mu-baek himself, Sek Won-cho held a blade in his right and vajra in his left.
One arm gripped a blade just like his.
Exquisitely cunning figurine.
To one ignorant of Sek Won-cho, it'd seem an ordinary, slightly peculiar Avalokitesvara.
To one who knew and looked closely, it was the Demonic Cult Leader's portrait.
'Look at this?'
Ha Mu-baek's lips curved up.
Naturally so.
Placing such a thing on a shelf by his office wall while working announced, "I'm a Demonic Cultist."
Moreover, possessing such cunning, precise, masterful woodwork meant a high position in the Demonic Cult.
The Luoyang Premier Merchant Guild's master—a Demonic Cultist.
Ha Mu-baek withdrew for now.
Curious.
Seeing such a Demonic Cultist should ignite killing intent instantly.
It didn't.
The demon within Ha Mu-baek remained dormant.
Instead, what surfaced first were the smiles of the Small Traveler's Inn family.
He wished for them to leave Luoyang unknowing and live happily elsewhere.
Gong Hae-jun, that child.
Seeing him sparked doubt: without the Demonic Cult and Blood Cult, could he have lived so modestly happy?
Thus, he wanted to let that daily life be.
A winding one with goods and ills, but an ordinary path unlike his blood-soaked road.
'See you in three days.'