WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 257: Time for the Fruits to Bear (4)

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I looked at the wrist guard on my right arm with a satisfied smile.

“Hehehe.”

Within the Black Alliance, I acted as though I had always worn it and paid it no mind. Perhaps that worked, because no one asked about the Devouring Gauntlet until we left the Black Alliance.

That didn't mean I could let my guard down.

There were still plenty of eyes within the delegation.

So, avoiding everyone's attention, I had no choice but to secretly satisfy my curiosity about the Devouring Gauntlet.

‘It's the treasure that elevated the Yin-Yang Twin Demon all the way to the position of Protector.’

Of course, since it was a Demonic Cult treasure, I intended to discard it immediately if it used demonic qi or left behind traces of dark arts. So far, though, it did not seem to possess any abilities beyond the functions I already knew about.

Ping.

I fired the immense qi gathered at my fingertips toward the Devouring Gauntlet.

Bzzzz.

A finger wind powerful enough to break an arm under normal circumstances seeped into the gauntlet and vanished without a trace.

As I examined the Devouring Gauntlet's effects, I tilted my head.

It was certainly an incredible ability.

Still, it was hard to believe this alone had raised the Yin-Yang Twin Demon to the rank of Protector.

‘There has to be something more.’

I searched through the Scripture Pavilion in my mind, reviewing records of the Yin-Yang Twin Demon's battles.

By the time the Yin-Yang Twin Demon joined the Orthodox-Demonic War, the war had already been raging for quite some time, so few records remained.

‘If I'd known this would happen, I should've gone around every branch and stored their records.’

If I'd known I would regress to the past, I would've done far more than that.

But who could have imagined they would get a second life?

Even now, I didn't believe there would be a third.

As I drifted into other thoughts, Ak Byeongbi approached quietly.

“Are you really not going?”

I naturally hid the Devouring Gauntlet.

“What do you mean?”

“Didn't you say your sect's merchant group was in danger?”

“Ah.”

According to the Hao Sect, the Shura Sect had its eyes on the Great Heaven Merchant Group.

The monopoly contract to supply goods to the Martial Alliance's Anhui branches, which it had won this time, must have looked quite tempting.

‘Well, I'd want it too.’

The scale was so massive that even after splitting the profits with the Wang Family Estate, the Great Heaven Merchant Group would earn in one year what it would normally make in ten.

Of course, that could not be the only reason.

A monopoly contract like this was impossible without direct backing from the Martial Alliance.

The Martial Alliance.

In other words, it was practically a signal that the Mantong Office was directly supporting the Taeul Sect. It also suggested that the Great Heaven Merchant Group and the Taeul Sect would flourish in the future.

Naturally, I didn't know exactly why the Mantong Office was supporting the Great Heaven Merchant Group.

They probably planned to make me feel indebted and put me to work...

‘A debt? Feeling burdened? What's that? Hehehe. I have no intention of letting them use me so easily!’

I intended to keep pretending not to notice whenever possible.

Even so, I wasn't an idiot who would let someone take away what had already fallen into my hands.

“Senior Ilmyeong sent a letter back to Shaolin Temple. There isn't any reason for me to step in as well, is there?”

When I answered without much concern, Ak Byeongbi looked even more troubled.

“...Will that really be enough?”

“For now, yes.”

I had no idea why this man had changed so much after returning from the Black Alliance.

Since when had he cared about me this much? Honestly.

“Working for the Martial Alliance can help your sect, but your sect's prosperity can also determine how far you rise within the Martial Alliance.”

“I know that.”

“As the Martial Arts Academy Representative, you should have some influence over the branches... Yet you're going to sit still?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

The shadow on Ak Byeongbi's face gradually deepened at my calm response.

“What if... the Shura Sect takes the Great Heaven Merchant Group from you?”

“If they take it, there isn't much we can do...”

“What?!”

Fuck, that startled me. Why was he shouting?

Anyone would think he was a Taeul Sect disciple.

“From my standpoint, it isn't that serious.”

I had no intention of relying on my sect's help to rise in the first place, and the path I was headed for was the White Wolf Pavilion, which everyone avoided anyway.

Unless the White Wolf Pavilion suddenly became a shortcut to success alongside the Azure Dragon Pavilion, no one would compete for a place there.

“The merchant group was established after receiving a Changgung Merchant Group branch from the Namgung Clan. Unless I'm the one running it, I don't need to concern myself with every little thing. If they can't protect it, it's only natural for it to be taken.”

“...”

Ak Byeongbi looked as though he couldn't understand my words.

I knew what he found strange as well.

“Do you find it odd that I'm not using my connection to the Martial Alliance to solve the problem?”

“...!”

Ak Byeongbi's eyes widened as though I had struck the heart of the matter.

Considering how long he had served in the Inspectorate, how many conveniences must he have provided for his clan?

Those with power naturally tried to use it to their own advantage.

Someone like me, who went against the instinct followed by the overwhelming majority, probably seemed strange to him.

“I don't have connections I can use or a background I can ask favors from, but even if I did, I wouldn't have much intention of using them.”

Ak Byeongbi, who had been listening silently with a frown, spoke with difficulty.

“...Why?”

I shrugged.

“No matter how high you build it, how long can a tower built on shaky foundations last?”

What one received from others or borrowed could never truly become one's own.

The Taeul Sect had remained weak until it was destroyed in my previous life because it continued relying on the Gyerong Merchant Group.

In this life, the Taeul Sect could become different because we had taken the initiative and acted for ourselves.

“When people treat what should not be natural as though it were natural and abuse it, they become arrogant. Even the Ak Clan has plenty of wastrels who take such privileges for granted, doesn't it?”

Ak Byeongbi's face flushed bright red at my pointed remark.

Yet after calming his anger, his eyes looked more complicated than ever.

“...Is that because it's the wrong way to solve problems?”

I had tried to provoke him on purpose to end the conversation, but it seemed to have sparked his curiosity instead.

“Something like that. Nothing corrodes a person's character and turns them into a frog in a well like a sense of entitlement.”

“...”

After pondering for a long time, Ak Byeongbi finally spoke.

“Your sect will not last long.”

Huh? Was this man trying to pick a fight with me...?

“But.”

What was with that look in his eyes?

For a moment, Ak Byeongbi's gaze seemed to hold an inexplicable expectation and admiration.

“If you overcome hardships as you said, it will be reborn as a sect far greater than the Ak Clan could ever be.”

“...”

After saying that, Ak Byeongbi sank into thoughts of his own.

His words tangled all sorts of thoughts in my mind as well.

It wasn't as though I had no worries, but I couldn't solve every problem from beginning to end myself.

If someone laid the foundation, the ones standing on it had to run on their own.

I believed Father could fulfill that role. He was the man who had protected the Taeul Sect even in such difficult circumstances.

‘Besides, I made preparations of my own.’

I thought of Baek Haegwang, my martial arts master.

There had been no word from him for a while, so I thought he had truly found a way to survive on his own. Then he finally contacted me.

How easy could it be for someone who had once been a leading figure of the Black Path to suddenly become the head of an ordinary family and provide for a wife and daughter?

Old habits die hard, but when he thought of his wife and daughter, he probably couldn't bring himself to return to the Black Path and make a living as before.

After checking through the Hao Sect, it seemed he had tried to find work here and there. Still, hiding his past must have made it difficult for him to make a living with a blade.

He contacted me to ask whether he could stay at the Taeul Sect for a while as a “guest retainer,” as I had suggested before, so I sent back a reply telling him to go to the Great Heaven Merchant Group.

‘He should still try to restrain that temper of his...’

Founding a sect, especially one with White Path leanings, was no easy task.

There would be many situations where politics was more necessary than violence.

For someone with strength, even attempting to persuade others with words they weren't good at was practically patience training.

Still.

‘He might break the mold instead.’

I found myself looking forward to seeing how the Sword Demon would educate(?) politicians while holding back his temper.

#

“I don't know whether to call you too kind or simply foolish.”

Wang Geumsan clicked his tongue.

A guest had suddenly arrived.

For no reason other than that he had come on the introduction of ‘Jin Sowoon,’ Jin Taesan had treated Baek Haegwang with the utmost hospitality.

“Isn't he a guest sent by Sowoon? Of course I should receive him properly.”

“Tsk, you go too far.”

There was a reason Wang Geumsan clicked his tongue.

Ordinarily, a “guest retainer” was someone given a room in a pavilion, meals, and the opportunity to exchange martial arts or scholarly knowledge.

In short, there had to be an exchange.

But Baek Haegwang's background had not even been revealed, and he requested to become a guest retainer while bringing his family with him.

Jin Taesan had offered them the entire guest annex of the Great Heaven Merchant Group for their convenience and even assigned servants, ensuring they lacked nothing.

Wang Geumsan raised his voice further.

“And you're helping him found a sect? Is this really the time for you to be helping someone else?”

“What can I do? That damn son of mine already sent a letter asking me to do it.”

Because of Baek Haegwang's sudden arrival, Jin Taesan was looking into land near Hefei and seeking carpenters.

With the Shura Sect potentially coming at any moment, Jin Taesan was spending his energy on unrelated matters, so Wang Geumsan could not help feeling frustrated.

“You could just give him some money and send him away, like I said.”

Jin Taesan firmly shook his head.

“Sowoon said this person did him a favor. When has that damn brat ever said something like that?”

For some reason, a smile filled with relief and satisfaction appeared on his face.

“If there's something this useless father can do for him, then I should do as much as I can.”

His son had nowhere to lean on and had never leaned on anyone else. How grateful Jin Taesan had felt when he heard that his son owed someone a favor.

Even if the Great Heaven Merchant Group collapsed tomorrow, Jin Taesan wanted to repay the favor Baek Haegwang had done for his son.

As a father, he also felt joy at being able to do something for him.

While the two bickered, a servant announced that guests had arrived.

“Where are they from?”

“They said they're from the Shura Sect.”

“...”

The two exchanged complicated looks.

“Show them in.”

After answering, Jin Taesan turned to Wang Geumsan.

“I'll handle this.”

“No, I'll stay as well.”

“Estate Lord.”

Wang Geumsan patted Jin Taesan's shoulder.

“From the moment we handled the Martial Alliance matter together, the Wang Family Estate and the Great Heaven Merchant Group became inseparable. I won't say more about it.”

Wang Geumsan wore a firm expression, as if he would settle in and not move.

Jin Taesan could only let out a quiet sigh.

A short while later.

Three men entered.

The man on the left was the person who had previously conveyed the Shura Sect's interest in buying the Great Heaven Merchant Group. Judging by how respectfully he attended the other two, they were clearly high-ranking figures within the Shura Sect.

The three men stood before Wang Geumsan and Jin Taesan, simply staring at them.

‘Hoo...’

Their intention not to greet first was obvious.

After letting out a long sigh, Jin Taesan finally rose from his seat.

“Welcome. I am Jin Taesan of the Great Heaven Merchant Group.”

Only then did the visitor nod and speak.

“Good to meet you. I am Ju Yeongsan, Sect Leader of the Shura Sect.”

“So you are the Sect Leader.”

Ju Yeongsan glanced at Wang Geumsan and cleared his throat.

“Ahem. It has been a long time, Estate Lord Wang.”

Despite his effort to remain composed, Wang Geumsan snickered.

“Has it? Was the last time when you begged to borrow two thousand nyang ten (十) years ago?”

“W-What are you talking about?!”

“Watch your words!”

The men standing beside Ju Yeongsan took stances as though they were about to rush forward, but Ju Yeongsan raised a hand to stop them.

“Does Estate Lord Wang not know how ugly it is to live by picking apart old memories?”

“Well... Ah! I do know how foolish it looks to ride a tiger's back and play at being king of the mountain.”

At the jab that he was trying to expand his influence by leaning on Shaolin Temple, the Shura Sect members' faces crumpled as they fell silent.

Jin Taesan finally stepped in to calm the situation.

“Please stop. You did not come here to trade insults, did you? Estate Lord, please stop as well. They are my guests.”

“Hmph!”

At Jin Taesan's intervention, the three finally stopped arguing and sat down.

Ju Yeongsan, wearing an arrogant expression, went straight to the point.

“I understand that our proposal was fully conveyed before. Have you made a decision?”

Despite the other party's rude attitude, Jin Taesan answered in a dignified yet courteous voice.

“As I told you, the Great Heaven Merchant Group is responsible for the Taeul Sect's livelihood. I have already answered that I have no intention of selling it.”

“We will pay a sufficient price.”

“...”

“How does one million nyang sound?”

It was an amount that could make anyone gasp, but Wang Geumsan scoffed.

“What kind of shameless thieves are you? You want to swallow a merchant group with exclusive distribution rights for the Martial Alliance's Anhui branches for just one million nyang?”

Ju Yeongsan's eyes sharpened at his interference.

“One million nyang is more money than that merchant group could earn in ten years.”

“Of course, if you only look at the amount. But considering the advantage of exclusive distribution for the Martial Alliance and the other benefits that will stem from it, it falls far short.”

Ju Yeongsan's hands began to tremble.

“...As I understand it, the Taeul Sect owns the Great Heaven Merchant Group.”

“Hmm? Did someone say otherwise?”

Wang Geumsan shrugged, and Ju Yeongsan ignored him before looking at Jin Taesan.

“Merchant Lord, think carefully. The Shura Sect will enter commerce regardless. When that happens, it is only natural for the Great Heaven Merchant Group's prosperity to decline. But if you sell the merchant group now and leave, I will purchase the iron ore mined by the Taeul Sect at twice the price from now on.”

“...”

After considering it for a long time, Jin Taesan firmly shook his head.

“I still have no intention of selling.”

“You frustrating man...”

Ju Yeongsan's face twisted as he raised his voice.

“Do you still not understand? This matter is not the Shura Sect's intention alone. It is also connected to Shaolin Temple's expansion into Anhui Province. Are you saying you intend to pick a fight with Shaolin Sect now?”

“Shaolin Temple...”

As a shadow fell over Jin Taesan's face, Wang Geumsan cut in.

“Shaolin Temple? If Shaolin Temple gets involved, then our Wang Family Estate will have to become thugs as well...”

Jin Taesan stopped Wang Geumsan.

“Estate Lord.”

Yet Wang Geumsan, unable to calm his anger, snorted.

“Did I say anything wrong? Aren't those bastards being far too blatant?”

“Estate Lord!”

When Jin Taesan stopped him again, Estate Lord Wang finally backed down.

“...Ahem. Tsk.”

Once Wang Geumsan fell silent, Ju Yeongsan wore a triumphant expression.

“You made the right decision. The Wang Family Estate may possess great wealth, but surely it cannot stand against Shaolin Temple, the Mount Tai and Northern Dipper of the martial world...”

“I did not say I would sell.”

“Pardon?”

Before the Shura Sect Leader, whose eyes had widened as though they would pop out, Jin Taesan pulled a crumpled letter from his robes.

“After the Shura Sect visited, I looked into things as well. Then I learned one fact...”

He gave Ju Yeongsan a broad smile.

“I heard Shaolin Temple has decided to withdraw from this matter.”

“W-What?”

“Did you not verify it?”

“That makes no sense...”

Jin Taesan clapped his hands as though he had just realized something.

“Ah! It seems the message has not reached you yet. From what I was told, the Shura Sect entering commerce cannot be helped, but Shaolin Temple will not use its power in this matter.”

“What does that...”

As though driving in the final nail, Jin Taesan handed over the letter.

“My son traveled alongside Little Buddha this time. I heard it through him.”

The three Shura Sect men took turns examining the letter with fierce eyes.

Ilmyeong, Little Buddha, was an important figure even within Shaolin Temple.

There was no chance someone like that would speak nonsense, and even less chance Jin Taesan would invoke someone like him in a lie.

“If you cannot believe it, you are welcome to verify the facts.”

At Jin Taesan's confident attitude, Ju Yeongsan's gaze sank calmly.

“...Even without Shaolin Temple, do you think we cannot handle one Great Heaven Merchant Group?”

He then glanced at Wang Geumsan.

“If the Wang Family Estate and Shaolin Temple do not intervene, it will be a contest between the Shura Sect and the Taeul Sect. The Shura Sect is confident it will not lose.”

Wang Geumsan looked dumbfounded at the attempt to casually bind the Wang Family Estate and Shaolin Temple together, but he did not step forward.

This was Jin Taesan's moment.

As if responding to that sentiment, Jin Taesan took a step forward.

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

He corrected the Shura Sect Leader in an unhurried voice.

“More precisely, it will be a battle between the merchant group founded by the Shura Sect and the Great Heaven Merchant Group.”

“...!”

“And.”

There was not a hint of hesitation on his face.

“In a battle like that, I do not think I will lose.”

“Hah!”

Despite the Shura Sect's ridicule, Jin Taesan was confident.

The reason he had been able to grow the Great Heaven Merchant Group so much in such a short time was Jin Taesan's own ability.

As Wang Geumsan wore a triumphant expression as though agreeing with him, the Shura Sect members' faces slowly hardened.

Without Shaolin Temple's support, facing the Great Heaven Merchant Group, which had already established itself throughout Anhui Province, would not be easy.

Ju Yeongsan ground his teeth.

“Your confidence is truly admirable. But do you know this? Merchant groups in the martial world can never escape the logic of strength.”

“...”

“I hear the Taeul Sect is still closing its gates. Is that correct?”

“It is.”

Ju Yeongsan scoffed and spoke coldly.

“It does not make sense to operate a merchant group while closing one's gates.”

“...”

“That is something worthy of condemnation.”

Bang!

Wang Geumsan, who had listened silently, slammed the table in fury.

“This bastard is really pushing it!”

Ju Yeongsan only stared steadily at Jin Taesan.

“We are willing to use force as much as necessary to make up for our lack of wealth. The Taeul Sect would do well to open its gates and prepare soon.”

Wang Geumsan's body trembled with rage at the clear threat.

Watching him, Ju Yeongsan added, “I have a word for Estate Lord Wang as well. If the Wang Family Estate intervenes, Shaolin Temple will certainly intervene too. Do not meddle carelessly in the affairs of the martial world.”

With those words, the three men rose at once.

They had enough justification now.

For the moment, confirming whether Shaolin Temple's position was true came first.

The three men opened the office door wide to leave without even offering a farewell.

A white-haired man and a middle-aged woman stood silently before the door.

The three attempted to move around them and leave.

Swish.

Step.

The white-haired man moved and blocked their path.

“What is this...?!”

Even after that, he repeatedly blocked their way.

Ju Yeongsan, whose mood was already foul because of Wang Geumsan, was not about to speak kindly.

“Who the hell are you?”

Thinking he would beat them down at once if they were looking for trouble, he raised his internal energy.

Then.

“Hmm.”

The white-haired man introduced himself with a thoroughly relaxed expression.

“I am a guest retainer of the Great Heaven Merchant Group, you sons of bitches.”

It was the bluntest and rudest introduction in the world.

Footnotes:

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