Became a God-Level M Chapter 261 : If You Really Think About It

Chapter 261: If You Really Think About It

The kitchen of Seong-un Inn had beco lively for the first ti in a long while.

To show their support for the war against Myriad Gold Manor, those who had readily co forward were treated to dishes prepared with care by Seo Yu-gyeom and Han Seong-chun.

In the small inn, figures who shook the world—the Myeongsuk of the Five Great Clans and the Nine Sects One Gang, and the masters of massive trading companies—had gathered to share alcohol, food, and conversation.

Under the na of Seong-un Inn, war had been declared against Myriad Gold Manor, and they were set to depart as soon as dawn broke.

No one appeared tense or afraid. If they had feared Myriad Gold Manor in the first place, they would never have gathered here.

Jin Seong-un quietly rose from his seat and headed to his room. Before leaving, he felt it was only proper to see his master, the rchant King.

The Martial God Realm.

Even as countless things in the outside world changed and flowed onward, the Martial God Realm alone remained constant. Its unchanging ???? always brought peace of mind to Jin Seong-un.

After exchanging brief greetings with the Martial Gods, Jin Seong-un went straight to the point.

“Once dawn breaks, we will strike Myriad Gold Manor.”

“So the ti has co.”

The rchant King nodded.

Several emotions briefly flickered across his face.

Jin Seong-un studied his expression and asked,

“Are you truly all right?”

Myriad Gold Manor. That enormous trading company was no different from a child to the rchant King, Lee Pyo-sang. Myriad Gold Manor itself had been proof of his life.

If such a Myriad Gold Manor were to collapse, no one would grieve and feel loss more deeply than the rchant King.

To Jin Seong-un’s question, the rchant King replied,

“The Myriad Gold Manor I built no longer exists.”

“I understand.”

The rchant King was resolute. Separate from his complicated emotions, he was an exceptionally rational man. As the greatest rchant of all ti, it was only natural.

Suddenly, the Divine Thief spoke.

“History has always been like that.”

At the unusually serious words of the Divine Thief, the Sword Immortal and the Noble Enchantress also nodded.

All of them were beings who stood as one axis of history, and thus they understood the fear of ti all too well.

The Sword Immortal added,

“Even a Great Immortal like Dera cannot be more than a speck of dust before ti.”

Ti overwhelms everything.

Throughout the long history of Murim, how many people had been called the greatest under heaven on the lands of the Central Plains?

Most of them were swept away and vanished by the massive waves of ti. Only a very few left their nas in history.

The sa was true for trading companies that once controlled the world’s gold veins, and for officials who held the greatest authority.

Everything was helplessly washed away before the imnse current called ti.

Myriad Gold Manor would be no different.

Jin Seong-un felt that the air in the Martial God Realm had sohow grown heavy.

Normally, his masters were easygoing and elusive, but in the end, they were people who had remained here while harboring enormous resentnt.

For them, ti must have been the greatest obstacle. Their abilities ranked among the best throughout all ages; if only they had had enough ti, they would have resolved all their grudges themselves.

After briefly contemplating his masters’ hearts, Jin Seong-un spoke.

“That is why I am here.”

The only being who connected the Martial Gods to the ti of the living world.

With eyes as calm as ever, Jin Seong-un looked at his masters.

The Sword Immortal and the Noble Enchantress smiled kindly, like parents, while the Divine Thief let out a “Kkeuuh” and raised his thumb. The rchant King placed a hand on Jin Seong-un’s shoulder and said,

“Thank you.”

It was a short phrase, but deep sincerity could be felt.

As they finished exchanging farewells and were about to turn away, a voice like tal being scraped suddenly rang out from a sowhat distant place.

“When the Blood Heaven covered the world, the Blood Venerable alone remained in solitary existence, and the seven rivers of the world were dyed red and overflowed violently.”

It was the Blood Demon.

He was muttering words of unknown aning.

Jin Seong-un narrowed his eyes and looked at the Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon’s words continued, but Jin Seong-un could not make sense of what he was saying at all.

After so ti had passed,

the Blood Demon turned his head to look at Jin Seong-un and asked,

“Do you rember?”

“Yes, I do rember, but.”

“Then that is enough.”

Jin Seong-un tilted his head in confusion.

However, as if he had no intention of explaining further, the Blood Demon turned away.

Judging that no answer would co no matter how much he asked, Jin Seong-un simply clasped his hands in a salute and left the Martial God Realm.

After leaving the Martial God Realm, Jin Seong-un imdiately sought out Lee Seowon. Just like Myriad Gold Manor and the rchant King, Lee Seowon was a man deeply connected by fate.

The two sat facing each other in a quiet Reception Hall, with warm tea between them.

“How do you feel?”

“I do not know. I thought I would be nervous or excited, but I am surprisingly calm.”

“That must be because this Chief Steward is an excellent strategist.”

“You flatter . But Myriad Gold Manor…… it will probably collapse, won’t it?”

“If we do not lose.”

Lee Seowon nodded.

His original objective was not the destruction of Myriad Gold Manor, but its reclamation. After all, it was the Myriad Gold Manor built by his ancestor, the rchant King.

Lee Seowon continued,

“Like wolves discovering the corpse of an elephant, all kinds of forces will try to tear apart the remains of Myriad Gold Manor.”

“Indeed.”

The scale of Myriad Gold Manor was enormous.

Even if Seong-un Inn and all related forces combined their strength, it would be difficult to swallow it whole.

Therefore, if Myriad Gold Manor collapsed, there would be no shortage of those seeking to pick up scraps.

Of course, Lee Seowon had already laid out plans for everything that would co after.

“First, we will take over Myriad Gold Manor’s core business, banking. Hwa-un Trading Company will handle its operation.”

Jin Seong-un calmly nodded.

He showed not the slightest hint of greed.

Seeing that, Lee Seowon thought once again that he had chosen the right lord. Greed tended to cloud a person’s eyes.

Lee Seowon continued speaking, mostly about which businesses would be taken and by what thods, and which forces would beco competitors.

When Lee Seowon finished, Jin Seong-un added,

“That is assuming we win.”

Myriad Gold Manor was by no ans an easy opponent.

If it could have been simply crushed by force, it would not have endured throughout its long history.

The military power and authority they could mobilize through wealth were the greatest of their era.

Jin Seong-un asked.

“Since you are the Chief Steward, it seems like you would have also devised a plan for if we lose.”

Lee Seowon wet his throat with tea.

Jin Seong-un’s words were correct.

“Under normal circumstances, that would have been the case. But this ti, I did not prepare one. Defeat would an the end. For , and for the innkeeper as well.”

Lee Seowon knew that everything was riding on this single battle.

Jin Seong-un gently grasped Lee Seowon’s teacup and infused it with energy. The tea that had cooled quickly began to bubble and boil once more.

“Will you co with us? Or will you wait here?”

Ordinarily, waiting here would have been the proper choice.

Lee Seowon was a strategist, not a martial artist.

However, since this was a confrontation with Myriad Gold Manor, Jin Seong-un asked anyway. More than anyone, Lee Seowon would want to witness the downfall of Myriad Gold Manor with his own eyes.

After a brief mont of contemplation, Lee Seowon asked,

“If I do not go, it would raise our chances of victory even by a single percent, wouldn’t it?”

“If one insists on calculating it, yes.”

Lee Seowon was not part of the fighting force.

If there was soone who needed protection, the battle would beco disadvantageous.

“I will wait.”

Jin Seong-un understood how difficult that decision had been for Lee Seowon.

Complex emotions flickered across Lee Seowon’s face.

Only then did Jin Seong-un truly realize that Lee Seowon was a descendant of the rchant King.

The expressions of the two n were strikingly similar, and both controlled their emotions with reason to an astonishing degree.

Jin Seong-un nodded and said,

“It will not take long.”

“Please return safely.”

With that, the two n rose from their seats.

Wi Gyeong-heon, Anchaesa of Hunan Province.

Seated before a luxurious table, waiting for soone to arrive, his face was filled with boldness and confidence.

All politics and social maneuvering originally stemd from confidence. The mont one bowed first to the other party, more than half of one’s negotiating power was lost.

Thus, he had put on a confident expression, but—

Thud-thud-thud, his legs trembled uncontrollably. After all, he had co to see none other than the Emperor.

He wanted to erase the past when he had boldly told others at the inn to trust only in him.

How much ti had passed like that?

A martial artist resembling an old tiger approached him.

The Anchaesa knew him well.

Civil officials like an Anchaesa normally tended to look down on military officials, but if the other party was from the Royal Guards, and moreover their commander Jang Gyeong, that was a different matter entirely.

The Anchaesa sprang to his feet and bowed deeply, so much so that his forehead nearly touched the table.

“Hunan Anchaesa Wi Gyeong-heon greets Commander.”

Jang Gyeong looked the Anchaesa up and down for a mont before asking in a heavy voice,

“Jin the innkeeper sent you?”

“Yes, yes…… if you really think about it, that would be the case.”

It felt inappropriate to claim that a re innkeeper had sent soone to the Emperor, so he had already prepared an explanation laden with various reasons and justifications.

However, Jang Gyeong imdiately grasped the situation and struck at the core.

“So it is a request to have Ha Joo-myeong killed.”

“…….”

The Anchaesa fell silent.

Facing soone who could take his head the instant he felt even slight displeasure was an exhausting ordeal.

“Speak honestly.”

“……Yes, if you really think about it, that would be correct.”

“Do you know that Ha Joo-myeong is already halfway a mber of the Imperial Household, given that he is about to enter into marriage with the Princess?”

“Yes, that is true. He is not yet, but if you really think about it……”

“You really do like ‘thinking things through.’”

“I, I apologize!”

Jang Gyeong stared at the Anchaesa with a dry expression, then spoke unexpected words.

“Report to His Majesty and make your plea directly.”

“……Pardon? Will His Majesty truly et with ?”

The Anchaesa briefly could not tell whether this was sothing to be happy or sorrowful about. Deep down, he had thought that the Emperor would not grant an audience to a re local official.

“Follow .”

“……Yes.”

Thus, the Anchaesa followed Jang Gyeong, commander of the Royal Guards, toward the Emperor’s residence.

At last, the Anchaesa stood before the Emperor.

Unable to properly lift his gaze, he trembled violently, then finally mustered the courage to raise his head slightly.

The mont he t the Emperor’s eyes, the Anchaesa flinched in shock and imdiately lowered his head again.

A truly aged body and gaze. And yet, he felt an overwhelming pressure, as if facing so transcendent spiritual being beyond humanity.

As the Anchaesa trembled, the Emperor’s flat, emotionless voice continued.

“Hunan Anchaesa…… so you are that rchant who lived off Namok Trading Company.”

The Anchaesa squeezed his eyes shut.

I am finished.

The thought crossed his mind briefly, but having co this far, he could not give up. To give up here ant death.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is true that I colluded with Namok Trading Company, but in the end I realized my wrongdoing and did my utmost to assist Hwa-un Trading Company and Guest Dragon in subjugating Namok Trading Company.”

Denying the wrongdoing itself would be the act of a fool.

The Imperial Household’s intelligence network was never lax.

Admit what must be admitted, and persuade where persuasion is possible.

“Then you are soone who betrays as easily as eating a al. Is it acceptable for the Anchaesa of an entire province to be such a person?”

“Your Majesty, if you so command, I will personally take his head.”

The Emperor and the commander of the Royal Guards discussed the Anchaesa’s fate for a while.

Whether to cleanly take his head, send him into exile, or beat him with the cane and cast him out—the conversation continued.

It was said that when a person faced death, they displayed extre capabilities. Gathering his thoughts at incredible speed, the Anchaesa suddenly spoke as if in a fit.

“Your Majesty, you are correct. I am a coward who bows to strength, bows to power, and fears martial force. That is why I ca here—to choose a side.”

“A side?”

A flicker of interest crossed the Emperor’s eyes.

Beside him, Jang Gyeong looked at the Anchaesa with an expression that clearly said, ‘Everyone around Guest Dragon is insane.’

The Anchaesa continued,

“I wish to stand with His Highness the Crown Prince. Therefore, I seek to punish Ha Joo-myeong, who is throwing state affairs into chaos.”