Episode 5
If he responded the same way with “Yes, that’s right, I was that foolish and pathetic,” one of the swords from the men standing behind him would undoubtedly slice Cheongmyeong’s neck.
Especially that short man.
His fierce eyes… they were unusual.
He was probably a member of Bunta, named ‘Han Mulin’.
“Cheong Leader.”
A sudden voice snapped him back to reality.
“…Yes…”
“How could I not understand your thoughts?”
“…”
“I understand everything. That insurance contract in your hand must have been made out of coercion. Those three men have taken responsibility for the matter, but strictly speaking, I am not entirely free from that responsibility either.”
“…But…”
“These things happened because I was too lenient. It is only right that I take responsibility for them. Of course, I cannot simply offer my neck, so I intend to take responsibility in my own way. Would you care to listen?”
It was confusing.
He had expected reprimands, but instead, he was hearing something akin to an apology.
Was he really… crazy?
Swallowing his saliva, he said,
“I will… I will listen.”
“Good attitude. It’s simple. From now on, I intend to entrust over 70% of Seolap’s transportation to your group.”
It was a short statement, but Cheongmyeong was no ordinary merchant. There was a reason he was the head of the trading company—because he was quick with calculations.
He immediately understood how significant this was.
“…Master Ta. Even though our trading company is large in Seolap, we cannot handle more than 70% of its transportation.”
“Why do you think that?”
Cheongmyeong blinked.
“You’re quick with numbers, but your ambition seems a little lacking.”
“…No way…”
“To take charge of Seolap, you must expand accordingly. Hire more people and absorb the surrounding trading companies.”
He was dumbfounded. As Cheongmyeong stood there in shock, Seol Unhwi continued speaking.
“Usually, those without power have three choices. The first is to charge in and perish in a blaze of glory. The second is to endure and bow down no matter how filthy the situation gets. The third is to align with a stronger force.”
Seol Unhwi’s expression was serious, and Cheongmyeong’s face became equally solemn as he listened.
“Whether you believe it or not, right now, the strongest force in Seolap is me. If a stronger one appears later, you can decide to join them or not—that’s your choice. But for now, align with me. I will provide you with the appropriate opportunity.”
“…Why… why are you giving us such a great opportunity?”
“I don’t know if you are suited to running a larger trading company. But this is my way of taking responsibility.”
Seol Unhwi looked at Cheongmyeong silently and then spoke quietly.
“Earlier, I mentioned that the powerless have three choices. Do you remember?”
“Yes… I remember.”
“Then what choices do the powerful have?”
“…That…”
“They can either use others for a long time, discard them once they are no longer useful, or give them better opportunities to test their qualifications. There are many choices.”
“…”
“I will make my choice in my own way, and you should make yours.”
He stood up from his seat.
“Do you need time to prepare?”
“…Yes. Please give me two days.”
“Two days… Fine. And from now on, you will handle the transportation.”
“Th-Thank you!”
“And before you begin, bring a proper insurance contract to the Bunta. I will allow a certain amount of profit, but if you act like Yaun Sang with ridiculous schemes, all previous proposals will be rescinded, and Cheongun Trading Company will have to withdraw from Seolap immediately. Of course, a significant amount of blood will be spilled in the process.”
“…D-Don’t worry…!”
Seol Unhwi nodded and turned away.
He had handled the immediate matters lightly.
Now, he intended to focus on improving his martial arts.
When Seol Unhwi stepped outside, he saw Cheonpung sweating as he smiled brightly.
“Have you found it?”
“Yes. I found it!”
Receiving the ledger that Cheonpung handed him, he quickly skimmed through it.
Seol Unhwi’s eyes darted nonstop, carefully examining every detail.
Then, he stopped at a particular section.
Pfft.
A chuckle escaped his lips.
“They’ve been quite creative.”
Some of the Bunta members flinched at his words. But Seol Unhwi ignored them and continued flipping through the ledger.
He stopped again and chuckled, repeating the process three times.
After silently considering something, he closed the ledger with a snap and asked Cheonpung,
“How much was found at their hideout?”
“Ten gold bars and about five hundred silver coins.”
There was a significant discrepancy with the amounts recorded in the ledger. Six years—over those six years, all they had left was ten gold bars and five hundred silver coins?
It didn’t make sense.
But it was understandable.
The money had been siphoned off periodically and sent elsewhere, leaving the vaults empty.
“What about the goods?”
“We found elixirs, high-grade training resources, and some weapons. Everything has been taken to the Bunta, so you can check them.”
Seol Unhwi recalled a few things listed in the ledger and asked casually,
“Among those elixirs, are there Bingshimcheongryeonghwan, Baekhosunjeongdan, Gangchehwan, or Baekokyangsindan?”
After a moment of thought, Cheonpung shook his head.
“Gangchehwan and Baekokyangsindan are missing, but we found one Bingshimcheongryeonghwan and two Baekhosunjeongdan.”
“And high-grade training resources?”
“Yes. We found Munyangcho and Manhwa Yeonggigwa.”
For martial artists, elixirs were indispensable.
Some were manufactured, while others occurred naturally. They were expensive, hard to find, but provided permanent effects.
However, as mentioned before, they were difficult to obtain and costly, meaning not all martial artists could consume them.
That was why training resources were developed.
The stark difference between training resources and elixirs was their price.
Training resources were cheaper, provided temporary effects, but had almost no side effects.
Thus, most martial artists relied on them—either getting them from alchemists or seeking hermits to obtain medicinal tonics.
Most general training resources were only effective for practitioners at the Qi Refinement Stage, but high-grade ones were different.
They were invaluable for those preparing to enter the Heavenly Earth Realm or those already at that level.
Seol Unhwi glanced at the Bunta members, his expression unreadable.
Some of them averted their eyes as if guilty, while others seemed to have resolved themselves.
Anyone could see that something was amiss.
With a soft smile, Seol Unhwi spoke.
“Everyone, return.”
“Master Ta, aren’t you returning?”
“I have somewhere to stop by.”
“…”
“Let’s go.”
“Understood!”
