Became a God-Level M Chapter 228 : Desolate Wasteland

Chapter 228: Desolate Wasteland

The inn, now empty after all the guests had fled.

Sensing the atmosphere, Seo Yu-gyeom walked out from the kitchen and stared intently at Ha Joo-myeong before speaking.

"Still, among us, I know Jin Seong-un sowhat. He's not the kind of person who would get along with soone like you."

Despite the blatant provocation, Ha Joo-myeong maintained a smile without the slightest change in expression.

Having undergone assassin training, Seo Yu-gyeom could tell there wasn’t a shred of sincerity in that smile.

Ha Joo-myeong asked in a subtly toned voice.

"Chef Seo. The man closest to Jin Seong-un. But even if you know him well, you don’t know , do you? What kind of man am I, then?"

"An insufferable bastard."

A reply without a mont’s hesitation.

Ha Joo-myeong laughed as if amused, then gestured toward Moyong Hyeon and Seomun Ak in turn.

Understanding the implication, Seo Yu-gyeom replied.

"They’re just insufferable. But you, you don’t even have that going for you."

"Are you saying there’s sothing else I lack, despite being the eldest son of the Myriad Gold Manor? I’m not so sure myself."

"Things like emotions, conscience—basic things any decent human should have?"

Seo Yu-gyeom and Ha Joo-myeong locked eyes.

Though he hadn’t t Ha Joo-myeong many tis before, Seo Yu-gyeom had read a lot about him through his sharp insight.

Even in situations where most people would be shocked or saddened, this man always smiled just like that.

He seed like soone missing sothing—no, missing many things from his heart.

It was like a grand and lavish building that, upon closer inspection, had all its foundational pillars missing.

‘Just like Jin Seong-un had been.’

In fact, it was eerily similar to the impression he’d gotten when he first t Jin Seong-un.

To Seo Yu-gyeom, Jin Seong-un had been peculiarly devoid of emotion, a man of unshakable calm.

He looked like soone who had never experienced fear in his life, soone who may never even have felt anger.

As Ha Joo-myeong mulled over Seo Yu-gyeom’s words, an odd expression crossed his face before he slowly nodded.

He then asked in a calm, level tone.

"Just like Jin Seong-un?"

Seo Yu-gyeom noticed, for the first ti, a flicker of emotion pass through Ha Joo-myeong’s gaze.

His own eyes narrowed.

"Similar, yes. But there’s one critical difference. That single point makes you and Jin Seong-un entirely different people."

"And what would that be? Now I’m curious."

"Jin Seong-un’s lack of emotion is closer to serene stillness. But yours is..."

After pausing to take a breath, Seo Yu-gyeom declared it like a sentence.

"...closer to a hollow silence left behind after everything’s been swept away. If Jin Seong-un is like a fertile plain where anything could grow, you are like a dry, cracked wasteland. That’s my impression—but I wonder what you think."

This wasn’t Seo Yu-gyeom’s usual casual provocation. He was simply expressing what he genuinely felt—honestly and calmly.

Ha Joo-myeong’s smile wavered, if only for a mont.

It was a fleeting instant that no one else noticed—but it didn’t escape Seo Yu-gyeom’s sharp eyes.

‘He definitely has issues.’

And he knew it himself.

Seo Yu-gyeom decided that if he were ever to face him head-on in the future, that was the angle he’d need to exploit.

Finding an opponent’s weakness was practically an occupational hazard for an assassin.

"Haha, this is a truly peculiar inn. If it weren’t for Jin Seong-un, I might’ve wanted to befriend you, Chef Seo. In any case, that was a complint, so don’t take it the wrong way."

"Why would I? That’s a relief."

"Ha ha ha!"

Ha Joo-myeong let out a hearty laugh.

But no one else found the situation amusing.

As that strange atmosphere lingered, everyone’s gaze shifted toward the staircase leading to the guest rooms.

Jin Seong-un ca down at his usual pace, having finished tidying up his room.

Apparently aware of Ha Joo-myeong’s presence, he simply looked at him calmly.

Ha Joo-myeong greeted him brightly.

"Jin Seong-un!"

Jin Seong-un found Ha Joo-myeong to be a truly odd person. He had killed the man’s younger brothers—what could be so joyous about seeing him?

As he stared blankly at him with such thoughts, Ha Joo-myeong continued.

"First of all, I’ve co to fulfill the promise I made to everyone at the Martial Palace on the day you killed Cheong-a. I’ve sent compensation to the righteous sects led by the Murim Alliance and the imperial court. As for you, I ca to deliver it personally."

"I don’t particularly need it."

Jin Seong-un replied flatly.

No matter how large the sum, he wasn’t soone who could be swayed by money.

Ha Joo-myeong nodded as if he expected that answer.

"Well, I’ll leave it in front of the inn. Do with it what you will—keep it for yourself or let the people of Yichang share it. More importantly, I have sothing urgent to discuss."

"Go ahead."

"Wouldn’t it be better to speak privately? Your subordinates are all listening, aren’t they?"

Seomun Ak and Moyong Hyeon frowned slightly at their sudden designation as subordinates.

Jin Seong-un shrugged.

"First, they’re not subordinates. Second, if it’s sothing that can’t be said in front of others, it’s not worth hearing."

"Well, if you say so..."

After nodding for a while, Ha Joo-myeong spoke again with a different look in his eyes.

"Wuhan in Hubei Province, Nanjing and Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Do you know what these three cities have in common?"

Ha Joo-myeong glanced around at Jin Seong-un and the others. But everyone seed to only have a vague idea and didn’t respond clearly.

So he answered his own question.

"They’re the three cities with the highest tax revenue in the world. In other words, they’re the most prosperous cities of our ti."

Jin Seong-un nodded and looked at Ha Joo-myeong intently.

And so?

His gaze clearly conveyed that question, and Ha Joo-myeong chuckled as he continued.

"I’ll give you all the taverns, inns, and teahouse businesses in those three cities. With that alone, you could easily rank among the Ten Great rchants of the World."

Even Seomun Ak and Moyong Hyeon were left speechless, and even Seo Yu-gyeom was taken aback. Outside, Jang Gwang and Han Seong-chun, who had co out without anyone noticing, were also visibly stunned.

Han Seong-chun, in particular, who had spent many years in the industry, knew exactly what those words ant.

This wasn’t just life-changing—it was the kind of opportunity that granted one the right to leave their na in history.

And the fact that it could happen based solely on one man’s whim was astounding.

Such was the power of the Myriad Gold Manor in this era.

While everyone stood in shock, Jin Seong-un simply stared at Ha Joo-myeong with his usual calm expression.

Ha Joo-myeong found that look incredibly amusing and fascinating, enough to burst into laughter.

Then, Jin Seong-un responded with a tone so calm it was almost dry.

"I refuse."

"Ha ha ha!"

Ha Joo-myeong laughed with imnse satisfaction.

Who else in the world could reject such a miraculous opportunity with such a dry deanor?

"Let’s hear your reason."

At that, Jin Seong-un, after a brief mont of hesitation, scratched his cheek with his index finger and asked back.

"Did you know that Ha Joo-yeon opened the floodgates upstream of the Yangtze River to pressure , threatening the lives of those living in the mid-to-lower regions?"

"I found out too late."

"And that Ha Cheong-a kidnapped children from all over the world and conspired with the Demonic Cult to conduct a bizarre great art?"

"I’ve also co to know that now. I didn’t at the ti."

Jin Seong-un and Ha Joo-myeong stared intently at each other.

Suddenly, Jin Seong-un recalled the events in Deyang, Sichuan. When he and Seo Yu-gyeom had helped the Hwa-un Trading Company and ultimately rescued them from the threat of the Unorthodox Path.

That very evening, the Chief Steward of Myriad Gold Manor had co to visit Hwa-un Trading Company with gifts and congratulations.

Such was Myriad Gold Manor—it observed the affairs of the world as if overlooking all from above. There was no way it wouldn’t have known what its second and third sons were doing.

Jin Seong-un spoke.

"You knew."

"I told you I didn’t."

In that instant, both n beca certain of the truth.

Ha Joo-myeong had received detailed, real-ti reports of what his younger siblings had done.

Jin Seong-un was certain of that, and Ha Joo-myeong also realized that Jin Seong-un had caught on.

Ha Joo-myeong smirked.

Jin Seong-un’s expression remained dry as ever.

"The foundation of a rchant is trust. How can I accept a proposal from soone who lies as naturally as breathing?"

Ha Joo-myeong observed Jin Seong-un as if finding him curious. Just as that chef had said, this man was clearly not the sa kind of person as himself.

If it had been him, even while acknowledging the other person had spotted the lie, he would have still said, “Nevertheless, I choose to trust you,” and deepened the trust further.

That would be the natural course if the other party were soone who brought forth miraculous encounters like rain in the rainy season.

Even though he recognized the difference, his interest and goodwill hadn’t completely vanished. Jin Seong-un’s capabilities were still valid.

Ha Joo-myeong looked toward Seomun Ak, Moyong Hyeon, and Seo Yu-gyeom, and finally spoke to Jin Seong-un.

"Take the next fifteen days and think it over again. I hope you don’t miss the chance of a lifeti. I am an extrely narrow-minded man. If you are not on my side, then you are my enemy. That ans you, and everyone connected to you, will beco my enemy."

The aning of his words was unmistakable.

If Jin Seong-un rejected the proposal, Ha Joo-myeong would use every ans available to erase both him and the Seong-un Inn from the world without leaving a trace.

As tension silently spread among the group, Jin Seong-un suddenly called out to Ha Joo-myeong.

"Wait."

Ha Joo-myeong, who had been heading toward the door, turned back with a look that said, “I thought so.”

However, Jin Seong-un’s next words were nothing like what anyone expected—or feared.

"You should think it over as well."

"Think over what?"

"If you confess your sins to the world and seek forgiveness, the price might be less severe."

The aning of Jin Seong-un’s words was equally clear.

Even if he kept cutting off the tail and running, he would eventually have to pay the price.

Ha Joo-myeong, who had montarily gone blank, soon burst into laughter and walked out of the inn.

The tightly wound atmosphere imdiately relaxed.

Everyone except Jin Seong-un was visibly shocked. None of them had realized Ha Joo-myeong had been controlling the qi within the inn.

Moyong Hyeon asked,

"Just how high is that guy’s level?"

It was a question aid at Seomun Ak.

He had known Seomun Ak longer than Jin Seong-un or Seo Yu-gyeom, and they were fairly comfortable with each other. More importantly, Seomun Ak had recently entered the realm of Peak-level Master.

But Seomun Ak shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Moyong Hyeon was stunned.

If even Seomun Ak didn’t know, there were only two possibilities.

Either that man had ascended to a level far beyond Seomun Ak’s, or he had so thod of concealing his realm.

Moyong Hyeon looked toward Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom.

Both were undoubtedly stronger than Seomun Ak.

Yet surprisingly, neither of them seed able to gauge Ha Joo-myeong’s level either.

Seo Yu-gyeom spoke.

"His martial arts might be the weakest among all he possesses. And even that martial art is at that level, so…"

Even Seo Yu-gyeom saying such a thing left everyone with an inexplicable feeling of helplessness.

As the air in the inn grew subtly strange, Jin Seong-un stared for a while at the spot where Ha Joo-myeong had stood and then finally said,

"Let’s get back to business."

That one casually thrown line instantly softened the inn’s atmosphere.

Seo Yu-gyeom stared at Jin Seong-un.

That guy definitely had a knack for putting people at ease.

To be precise, no matter how serious the situation, when Jin Seong-un spoke of it, it sohow always felt like a trivial matter.

As if it truly were nothing serious, Jin Seong-un began cleaning up the food left behind by the fleeing guests.

Then Seomun Ak, Moyong Hyeon, and Jang Gwang pitched in, and Seo Yu-gyeom and Han Seong-chun returned to the kitchen to start washing dishes.

The sound of clinking dishes echoed throughout the inn for a while.

As everyone quietly did their part, Lee Seowon—who had not shown himself at all until then—suddenly ca running down the stairs.

Normally, Lee Seowon was either calm or, put less kindly, lacking in vigor, so seeing him run like that naturally drew everyone's attention.

"I thought that facing Ha Joo-myeong head-on would only muddle my thoughts, so I deliberately hid and listened in."

Everyone nodded. As martial artists at least at the Peak Master Level, they didn’t need an explanation for that.

Lee Seowon continued.

"Piecing together the clues from what he said, I’ve reached this conclusion. It’s not certain, but there’s a high probability."

Jin Seong-un looked at him calmly, as if urging him to speak. Lee Seowon’s words were rarely wrong.

After a deep breath, Lee Seowon finally spoke.

"Innkeeper… I believe the Master of Myriad Gold Manor is either dead or has disappeared. Ha Joo-myeong was speaking as the Manor Master of Myriad Gold Manor—not as the eldest son."