Chapter 240: Thousand Li Offering
“Y-You there. Are you out of your mind?”
Heo Yeong-un urgently whispered into Jin Seong-un’s back.
It was true that montum played a certain role in business. Heo Yeong-un himself often said things like, “These days, youngsters lack spirit. A young rchant should have backbone.”
However, this level of backbone was beyond what he had in mind.
If even an ally like Heo Yeong-un felt that way, it went without saying how the side from the Daejin Divine Cult felt.
A silent agreent flashed in their eyes.
‘He’s insane.’
‘Sothing’s wrong with him.’
‘Let’s beat him up and throw him out.’
Roughly such emotions were being exchanged.
The old man at the center of them all was relatively calm. He narrowed his eyes and examined Jin Seong-un’s deanor.
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“Where did that two hundred thousand nyang price co from? I am one who worships the divine, but I’ve also been a rchant who traveled the Western Regions.”
“Firstly, it’s because this is a treasure worthy of being called a sacred relic by your standards.”
“Indeed. I considered that and suggested one thousand nyang.”
Despite the old man’s rebuttal, Jin Seong-un nodded and continued.
“Secondly, because the price upon resale must include storage fees.”
“Storage fees?”
“Heavenly Demon Cult, Murim Alliance, the Black Path factions who rule over the provinces, Deathshroud, vagrant groups, the Hao Sect, the Imperial Guards, bizarre forces from the Outer Regions, and the eccentric masters living in seclusion… Just how many martial artists do you think there are in this murim?”
“Truly countless.”
“This is a world where it is hard to guard a valuable treasure. Is that not the reason why you all have settled in this remote corner of the Central Plains and live in silence?”
A flicker of light passed through the old man’s eyes.
He had assud Jin Seong-un was just an immature and overly confident martial artist, but he was speaking like a rchant, laying out logical reasoning.
“How could that be a storage fee we should pay? As you know, we sold the treasure to the rchant King. Then the storage fee should be paid by him, or soone like you claiming to be his successor.”
“A fair point. If I hadn’t co to you like this.”
“…What do you an?”
“I could just get up now, grab so Western Region rchants, and sell it off. Even so, I ca all the way here—to honor the original owner of the treasure.”
If Jin Seong-un or the rchant King had simply sold the treasure for cash, then, as the old man said, it would have been proper for the owner to pay the storage fee.
But the mont he ca to sell it back to them, whether they intended it or not, they effectively had the rchant King store it for a long ti.
If they didn’t like that, they could just issue an expulsion order right now.
Likewise, Jin Seong-un could sell it to soone else without ever ntioning storage fees.
“Well, I’ll be.”
The old man let out a chuckle, and his gaze suddenly deepened. Over his distinctly brown eyes, a faint golden shimr began to spread.
Seeing it, Jin Seong-un thought of Chae Seo-ryeong. Could this old man also possess so kind of special eyes?
He let the old man gaze freely into him. His relaxed deanor made the Daejin Divine Cult mbers inwardly admire him.
How much ti passed?
Perhaps things weren’t going as he wanted, as a slight frown appeared on the old man’s face. Jin Seong-un, unfazed, casually asked,
“What is that qi, by the way? That qi I sensed even in this Night-Glow Pearl. It's quite different from the internal energy I know.”
At that, not just the martial artists of the Daejin Divine Cult, but even the old man himself showed startled expressions.
Jin Seong-un blinked, not knowing why, when Seo Yu-gyeom spoke up.
“You sensed sothing?”
Seo Yu-gyeom himself hadn’t felt a thing.
It wasn’t the aura they’d overtly projected. The external pressure they released was indistinguishable from internal energy.
The old man looked at Seo Yu-gyeom and spoke.
“That is normal. Since it's qi fundantally different from martial arts, an ordinary murim martial artist’s senses wouldn’t pick it up. The Guest Dragon is… peculiar.”
“He’s always been like this.”
Seo Yu-gyeom nodded in agreent, and Jin Seong-un cast a sideways glance at him.
While Seo Yu-gyeom gave a forced cough, the old man suddenly turned his palm upward.
From his palm, a white qi with a faint yellow hue began to rise.
“This is what we call Baekyang True Qi (白陽眞氣) in the Central Plains. The explanation is complicated, but just as the internal energy of the Central Plains differs from the demonic qi of the Demonic Cult, this is another kind of internal energy.”
Seo Yu-gyeom watched with a curious glint.
Up until now, he hadn’t felt it at all, but now that it was released visibly like this, he could feel how powerful and intense that qi truly was.
He gave a brief impression.
“It’s kind of like Shaolin’s internal energy.”
“You’ve got a good eye. It’s fundantally imbued with the power to subdue demons and dispel evil, so it likely resembles the internal energy of the Buddhist sects.”
“Oh-ho.”
Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes glead, which was rare.
Though recently he’d been slicing food instead of people, Seo Yu-gyeom was a martial artist born under the Heaven-Slaying Star. His interest in martial arts had never truly faded.
The old man naturally steered the topic of conversation. It had all been part of his plan.
He aid to win over these martial artists, soften them up, and exploit the opening to retrieve the sacred relic at a reasonable price—knowing how martial artists went mad over martial arts.
Then Jin Seong-un said,
“Two hundred thousand nyang.”
“…”
“Thanks for the fascinating demonstration. That’s one thing. Still, I must collect the price.”
For so reason, the old man found Jin Seong-un annoyingly smug and narrowed his eyes.
Regardless, Jin Seong-un showed his open palm again and repeated,
“Two hundred thousand.”
“…Is there a third reason? Don’t tell
you’re charging over one hundred ninety thousand for storage fees?”
“I’m glad you asked. The most important reason remains. I didn’t just co to collect the treasure’s value.”
“What wordplay are you spinning now?”
“The rchant King bestowed a favor upon you. Only now can this be recognized as a treasure. At the ti, it must’ve seed like nothing more than a tiny Night-Glow Pearl.”
“…”
“Even so, the rchant King readily purchased it. Can you truly say you received no help from him when establishing your foothold in the Central Plains?”
The old man fell silent.
That infuriating kid’s words were all too correct.
Back then, the Daejin Divine Cult, which had sent missionaries from the Western Church into the Central Plains, had lost all but one follower due to a shipwreck.
That sole survivor had sold the treasure in order to survive, and the rchant King had believed in his faith.
The Daejin Divine Cult owed a debt to the rchant King.
Now, one claiming to be his successor had co to collect what was due.
Jin Seong-un saw the old man’s gaze change and realized—
What his teacher, the rchant King, had left behind wasn’t rely a treasure. It was an old bond and trust intertwined with it.
The old man suddenly let out a strange laugh.
No matter how much he racked his brain, no rebuttal ca to mind.
“Hmph, if we deny that, then our Daejin Divine Cult would be no better than a shaless group who forgets favors. Fine then. We are not such people. Still, two hundred thousand nyang is a bit excessive, so let’s be generous and say... one hundred thousand…”
Jin Seong-un didn’t even respond. He simply held up two fingers.
The old man grimaced and muttered.
“…You’re not an ordinary fellow either. If we try to pressure you with our aura, your martial prowess is so great it would only cause a stir. If we try to negotiate, you act like so unyielding general despite your youth. And if we break off the deal, it would be admitting that we are people who forget favors.”
There was truly no way out.
Soon, the old man sighed and spoke with a resigned voice.
“Give us so ti. Just a short while. Even for our Western Region’s main sect, two hundred thousand nyang isn’t easy to part with.”
“Of course. I can wait as long as needed.”
“……”
Now that they agreed to pay, they could finally speak the sa language.
The old man thought the man sitting across from him was truly infuriating.
“…Jang Investigator, guide them to the reception hall and serve them a al.”
“Yes, Grand Priest.”
The old man was addressed as the Grand Priest, and the man who first blocked their way was called Investigator Jang.
Jin Seong-un found their titles rather peculiar.
Investigator Jang approached with his burly fra. His gaze was still sharp, as if he hadn’t yet ward up to Jin Seong-un’s group, and he said coldly:
“Follow . I’ll say this just in case—don’t even think of causing trouble. It’s not that we fear your martial arts, but because we are people of honor and reason that we’re willing to talk.”
“I never thought otherwise.”
Jin Seong-un replied with a shrug.
Soon, the group followed Investigator Jang to a quiet and serene pavilion.
The scenery throughout was quite fascinating.
Though they all had black hair and dark brown eyes typical of Central Plains people, and the manor appeared ordinary from the outside, the interior decorations bore a strong resemblance to those used by Western Region rchants.
“Are you hungry?”
Investigator Jang asked bluntly.
It sounded more like, “Can you even eat after pointing swords at each other just monts ago?”
Jin Seong-un calmly responded.
“I’d appreciate it if you served us generously.”
“…Tch.”
Muttering to himself, Investigator Jang disappeared for a mont and returned with a large plate. The plate was empty, but he then brought a large jar from the corner and opened the lid.
Imdiately, a peculiar mix of oil and at aroma wafted out.
Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes sparkled with rare excitent.
Investigator Jang jabbed a long skewer into the jar, prodding around until he finally lifted sothing heavy.
Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom both frowned at the sight. It didn’t resemble ordinary food—it looked like a chunk of at slathered in wax.
In contrast, Appraiser Heo Yeong-un’s eyes widened with delight.
“My! Isn’t that Yubongsuyuk?!”
“Oh? You know this?”
Yubongsuyuk—literally, tender at sealed in oil.
Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom looked at the at with curious eyes.
Investigator Jang began roasting the skewer over a brazier.
The wax-like oil coating the at began to lt and seep into the at.
Ssshhhhh—!
A delightful sizzling sound echoed.
Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom swallowed unconsciously, and Heo Yeong-un leaned halfway forward in his seat.
Soon, Investigator Jang plated portions of the at for each of them and added stir-fried vegetables on the side.
“Try it.”
Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom picked up both at and vegetables with their chopsticks and popped them into their mouths.
Jin Seong-un’s eyes widened slightly.
Seo Yu-gyeom’s expression turned dead serious.
The two were experiencing at that lted in their mouths like snow.
“What… what was it called again?”
Jin Seong-un even stuttered.
Investigator Jang, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction and pride, replied,
“Yubongsuyuk. A dish that the practitioners of Daejin Divine Cult enjoy. For the record, we brought this entire jar from the Western Regions, so it should taste just like it does there.”
Jin Seong-un blinked and asked,
“It doesn’t taste like dried or preserved at. How did it survive the long journey without spoiling?”
“It’s because of this oil, similar to foreign wax, which blocks out the evil air carried by the wind and prevents the at from rotting. Moreover, when roasted together, the oil adds a unique flavor.”
It was commonly known that when food was exposed to the evil qi carried in the wind, it would rot as the energy seeped in.
Thus, in the Central Plains, sealing jars with oiled paper or clay was a common thod.
But oil itself acting like thick armor to preserve food? That was unheard of.
At that mont—
Seo Yu-gyeom suddenly began mumbling to himself.
“Chicken? No, pork is definitely better. Chopsticks are a luxury on the battlefield. It has to be scooped quickly… the snowy-white fat wrapping around like clouds…”
He suddenly shot up and exclaid.
“Seolhwa Undon (Snowflower Cloud Pork).”
at wrapped like clouds in snowflakes.
Seo Yu-gyeom turned to Jin Seong-un and said,
“If Cheongtang Bamboo Stew is the Signature Dish that lures guests to Seong-un Inn, then Seolhwa Undon will be our Thousand-Li al that reaches even battlefields a thousand li away.”
“Oh.”
Jin Seong-un gave a thumbs up.
Just then, the old man—no, Grand Priest No Wi-cheon of Daejin Divine Cult’s Central Plains branch—entered the reception hall.
Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, Heo Yeong-un, and even Investigator Jang tensed at his arrival.
Glancing around once, No Wi-cheon let out a sigh or sothing like it.
“…So be it.”
Two hundred thousand nyang.
It was enough to completely fund a massive hot spring district developnt in Eonsa Prefecture.
Of course, the Daejin Divine Cult would have to petition their Western Region headquarters. As the Grand Priest had made the request, they would ultimately provide it, but it might cost him significantly in the process.
While No Wi-cheon sighed repeatedly—
“That was a good deal, Grand Priest-nim. Co, join us for a al.”
“You people” had now beco “Grand Priest-nim.”
Naturally, the tone had shifted to honorifics as well.
Jin Seong-un smiled with the face of a true rchant and gave a thumbs up.
“……”
He hadn’t done anything wrong, but just sitting across from him made one feel imnsely annoyed.
The proud scholar, a saint untouched by anger, and the respected Grand Priest—No Wi-cheon—clenched his fist behind his back.
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