Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: Third-Rate Martial Family Becomes World's Best
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"Hire the Tang Clan."
The expressions on the two men's faces soon solidified.
It was one of certainty.
"We seem to be walking the same path, don't we?"
"For two reasons, at that."
Everything in the world has a price, and Jin Yeong-gil was a man who appreciated those with value.
"Silk that costs twenty taels of silver in Sichuan fetches fifty once it crosses mountains and rivers to reach distant Hubei."
"Value is determined by need, after all."
In other words, only those who could discern others' needs could truly become valuable themselves.
'This young man needs me.'
Yang-hui thought.
Jin Yeong-gil had wasted over a year in a life-or-death crisis due to the Ten Thousand Gold Syndrome.
Thus, he needed to punish the shadowy faction behind that vile scheme.
Moreover, Jin Yeong-gil had no intention of settling for being one of the Three Great Tycoons of the World; he craved even greater heights.
In short, he needed an ally.
'This young hero needs me.'
Jin Yeong-gil thought.
He was a young hero with ambitions befitting his capabilities, one who knew exactly how to advance and whose help to seek.
Their alliance had formed from mutual need for each other—and for Jin Yeong-gil himself.
Plus, for reasons unknown, he showed immense interest in the shadowy forces behind the Ten Thousand Gold Syndrome.
'For those two reasons, this young hero needs my help.'
"This old man must know that joining hands with me hits two birds with one stone."
Yang-hui and Jin Yeong-gil needed each other, making their value to one another sky-high.
A certainty that they mutually required one another.
They say sharing a bed but dreaming different dreams is "same bed, different dreams."
Then the current situation could only be called "same bed, same dream."
"We must uncover the shadowy forces behind it."
"And ensure our immediate safety as a bonus."
"But we have no leads. We'll have to grope around starting from the closest suspects."
"Yunnan holds more value than Sichuan. Sichuan doesn't even make sense from the start."
"We'll dangle bait, but we can't afford to repeat the mistake of 'pointing at a deer and calling it a horse.'"
"We should hide that we've figured out the cause of the Ten Thousand Gold Syndrome. Best to reveal our hand as slowly as possible."
Conversation becomes dialogue when one builds upon the other's words to form context.
In that sense, their exchange hardly qualified as conversation.
Yet both men nodded in satisfaction.
"How much will it take?"
"Trying to buy my goodwill with money? Then pay the value I've set."
"Haha, you're quite the amusing young hero."
Jin Yeong-gil pondered briefly before upending the pouch containing his wooden tallies.
Ching ching ching!
The wide desk was soon buried under wooden tallies. By rough count, they numbered well over two hundred.
At fifty taels of silver each, that came to ten thousand taels.
In gold, one hundred nyang—enough to buy a decent inn or tavern and turn it into a business.
'One conversation nets a business. Quite the sweet deal.'
"Will this buy your goodwill, young hero?"
"Of course. No need for change."
Taking a full hundred nyang in gold and talking of change?
Jin Yeong-gil burst into laughter as he scooped the tallies back into his pouch.
"I got a bargain. My thanks."
"I was thinking of gouging... I mean, asking for ten thousand in gold instead of silver."
He had cured the incurable Ten Thousand Gold Syndrome.
The life of one of the Three Great Tycoons of the World wouldn't fetch less than ten thousand nyang in gold.
"But I figured you were worth more than that."
Yang-hui rose, accepting the pouch.
"I'll be at the Tang Clan. Let me know when you're ready."
"Understood, young hero."
He left Jin Yeong-gil's residence with Dang-gun.
After meeting Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so, who had been waiting in the guest quarters, they flew toward the Tang Clan manor.
"Brother, how'd it go?"
"With your personality, brother, you must've squeezed a fortune out of that plague-curer, right? Heh heh, how much'd you get?"
"A hundred nyang in gold."
"What? That's it?"
"Yeah. And it's not even mine."
He pulled the pouch from his bosom and held it out to Dang-gun.
"Here. Payment for borrowing the Tang Clan's name, Brother Dang."
Instead of taking the pouch, Dang-gun asked one thing.
"You said to hire the Tang Clan—was that because the Tang Clan is in Sichuan?"
As expected of Brother Dang—he'd catch on.
"Right. That's only half the reason, though."
"Half? Ah, I see. Still, thanks. But I can't take the pouch. If anything, the Tang Clan owes you even more now."
"What're you saying between us?"
"True. With all the antidote debts piling up like mountains, what's a little more?"
He began explaining for the puzzled Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so.
"I've allied with Lord Jin. It'll be a close partnership, so Chui-dal, send a letter to your main house."
"You're skipping too much, brother."
"Yeah. What's this about hiring the Tang Clan?"
Hm. Where to start?
"The Ten Thousand Gold Syndrome was the work of demonic cult forces. A plague born of demonic qi."
Dang-gun took over.
"So Lord Jin needs to hunt down those shadowy forces. For revenge, if nothing else."
"But no leads. The only suspicious thing is that fake disciple they vouched for and brought in—the Tang Clan."
"The Tang Clan is one of the Nine Great Sects, so unlikely to collude with demons."
"Lord Jin is ambitious. To expand his power, it's time he allied with a prestigious orthodox sect."
"Hiring the Tang Clan kills two birds with one stone."
Hiring the Tang Clan yielded two gains.
If they colluded with demons, it could expose them and yield evidence.
If not, it created a connection to leverage the Tang Clan.
"Brother, one question."
"Shoot."
"Couldn't we investigate the shadows separately and have them ally with the Qingcheng or Emei Sects instead?"
"Right. From the Jin manor's view, that might be more profitable."
"No. Then neither Lord Jin nor we get our two birds with one stone."
For Jin Yeong-gil in Sichuan, the closest martial clan had to be the Tang Clan.
Only then did their side's two birds materialize.
"From Lord Jin's perspective, Qingcheng or Emei have their drawbacks too. As old prestigious sects, they come with too many other ties."
"We've been cautiously approaching Lord Jin Yeong-gil all this time. But we couldn't ignore Qingcheng and Emei's watchful eyes."
Jin Yeong-gil had risen to Three Great Tycoons of the World alone, without inheritance.
The Tang Clan, born of orthodox needs and grudgingly elevated to clan status.
Two powers leaving marks in commerce and murim alike, but lacking deep histories and connections.
Thus, the Tang Clan and Jin Yeong-gil could become each other's most valuable links.
"Value changes based on how much the other side needs you."
"Openly hiring the Tang Clan would draw others' scrutiny. So the Jin manor and Tang Clan will join hands in the shadows."
"Considering all that, hiring the Tang Clan is three birds with one stone. Right?"
"A masterstroke, Brother Hui."
Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so clicked their tongues in admiration.
"Man, you turned your brain inside out in that short time."
"Truly impressive, brothers."
"The young Tang Clan leader's sharper than he looks too. I always took him for a jolly good fellow who just laughs it off."
"Thanks for the praise, Brother Chui-dal."
Dang-gun laughed heartily before shouting.
"When we get back to the clan, I'll treat everyone big today! A feast fit for kings to show my gratitude!"
"Brother Dang, show your gratitude by keeping the annoying stuff away."
"Annoying stuff?"
"The young ladies."
Dang-gun turned serious.
"That won't do."
"......"
The Tang Clan's chaotic "snare a son-in-law" operation was still in full swing.
* * * Though he'd said that, after returning to the Tang Clan, the young ladies' flesh-and-blood assaults had noticeably dwindled.
The reason was simple.
"Gun-ah."
"Yes, Clan Head."
"It seems we must prioritize Young Master Baek's comfort above all."
These were Clan Head Dang-seong's words after hearing Dang-gun's report on the Jin Yeong-gil matter.
They'd let him slip out briefly, worn down by the onslaught, but to think he'd stir up such a storm.
Three of the Nine Great Sects and one of the Three Great Tycoons of the World?
Even if it ended well, it was a headache for the Tang Clan.
"We must make sure he never wants to leave the Tang Clan. Otherwise... we'll really be exhausted."
From the Tang Clan's view, Baek Yang-hui was a talent they absolutely needed.
But if that talent became a walking bomb, then their approach was wrong.
"I shall obey, Clan Head."
After the clan head and young clan leader's discussion, Yang-hui could enjoy a far more comfortable life in the Tang Clan.
'Lately, the young ladies aren't approaching me. Why's that?'
The question crossed his mind, but since it was peaceful, he didn't dwell on it.
He had too much to do anyway.
"Young Master Baek. Shall we continue today as well? Hahaha!"
"Yes, Elder Dang."
He still hadn't seen the Tang Clan's true core arts.
But Yang-hui spent his days pursuing his original goal: improving the Tang Clan's martial arts.
"The fusion as a material from Sword Corner Poison Response's nature. And the fusion as qi from the energy you possess. Combining them will vastly expand the foundation of our poison arts!"
Including Young Clan Leader Dang-gun and his younger brother Dang-yeon, all the Tang Clan's later-generation disciples had achieved Immunity to Hundred Poisons.
Over five, including Dang-yeon and Dang-gun, had even attained Poison Qi—a pinnacle enlightenment comparable to a sword master's sword aura.
"With this, we've perfected the martial theory of poison arts."
"Agreed. It provides a foundation anyone can learn, while opening paths to higher realms."
Elder Dang-yang, his face filled with emotion, urged Yang-hui.
"Though we worked together, your role in this achievement was immense, Young Master Baek. Why not name it?"
"An honor, Elder."
Fusion of hundred poisons. Achievement of Immunity to Hundred Poisons.
A martial theory encompassing the subtleties of qi and poison alike.
"How about Swallow Hundred Draw Formula?"
It meant swallowing a hundred poisons to draw a picture.
"Formula" rather than "art" because it wasn't a complete martial art but a theory and subtlety to add to the Tang Clan's poison arts.
"Do you have literary talent too, Young Master Baek? What a poetic name."
"Thank you."
The Swallow Hundred Draw Formula consisted of three stages.
The basic formula, learnable by all in the Tang Clan.
The advanced formula, detailing enlightenment to reach pinnacle with poison arts.
And the Myriad Poisons Scripture, discussing realms beyond pinnacle.
The Myriad Poisons Scripture was still incomplete.
Poison arts surpassing pinnacle were unprecedented in Tang Clan history.
"Just seeing the path forward is a huge accomplishment."
"I'll guide the way."
Dang-yang formally submitted the Swallow Hundred Draw Formula to the clan head and requested a grand assembly of all the Tang Clan's elders.
"Young Master Baek's talent as a martial scholar reaches the heavens."
"Indeed. To produce such enlightenment and subtlety upon first encountering poison arts."
"Perhaps. Just perhaps."
"Young Master Baek might... fulfill our clan's long-cherished wish."
The meeting lasted a full three shi.
The next day, Yang-hui received one announcement.
"Brother Hui. Transmission of our true core art, Three Yangs Return to Origin Art, has been approved. Only the basic stage formula, and you can't practice it... but will you help us fulfill the clan's wish alongside us?"
Yang-hui could only smile proudly.
Finally, permission granted.
Even if just the basic formula.
No matter.
'The key is they've shown me the formula. Once I produce results, they'll have to reveal more.'
He grinned back.
"Of course, Brother Dang."
"Thanks. Let's begin the transmission now."
Among all Tang Clan arts, Three Yangs Return to Origin Art was deemed the core.
Even the basic stage formula was quite long.
"That's it."
Finishing, Dang-gun sent an expectant gaze.
His eyes pleaded for some brilliant insight or subtlety right away.
"Even I can't find improvements the moment I hear the formula, Brother Dang."
"Ahem. Of course not. Ahem."
'That's without past-life memories, of course.'
Even on the battlefield where tomorrow wasn't guaranteed, he'd researched arts with Dang-gun.
Those days of pooling heads to chart paths forward remained a cherished memory.
'In my past life, I never got the full formula.'
But regarding the Tang Clan's martial theories and foundations?
He might know deeper and broader than Dang-gun now.
Why so certain?
Simple.
'Hearing the formula filled in the missing piece. I can develop it even further than I thought.'
"Brother Dang."
"Speak."
"For the improved Three Yangs Return to Origin Art, how about this name?"
"Brother Hui! You mean...?!"
"Three Origins Return to Origin Art. What do you think?"
Yang-hui finished with a grin.