Return of the Mount Hua Sect

“Where do you put this?”

“Didn’t I instruct you to move this way!”

“Sasuk! I believe it will be challenging to lift it this high.”

“Then simply stack it on the next one!”

Under Baek Sang’s direction, the disciples from Mount Hua began organizing the gifts and transporting the luggage. The valuable offerings from the North Sea were arranged individually and stacked orderly in the barn.

“Hehehe.”

Hyun Young’s lips curled into a smile as he observed the scene.

While he was with the disciples, he tried to maintain a neutral expression, but his facial muscles refused to cooperate.

“Hehe. Hehehehe.”

Upon seeing the pile of items resembling a mountain, he felt satiated despite not eating.

Baek Sang approached him, untying the sack and revealing its contents.

“Elder, I have no idea what this is.”

“Hmm? Let me see… Ah, this is my first time seeing this… Young Master, do you recognize it?”

Hwang Jongi, who had journeyed from the village to assist with sorting, peered inside and was taken aback.

“Isn’t this the Snow Lotus?”

“Is it a valuable item?”

“It’s extremely valuable! It’s a rare herb and only grows in the North Sea! It was already scarce, but with trade cut off from the North Sea, not even one has made it here, causing its price to surge dramatically!”

Hyun Young’s smile broadened further.

“So, this is valuable.”

Indeed. Very impressive.

Hehehehe.

“It’s peculiar. Why do all items from the North Sea appear to be precious and costly?”

“In truth, it’s quite natural. The North Sea differs greatly from the central plains in both lifestyle and environment. Consequently, there’s an array of items exclusive to that region.”

Hwang Jongi swallowed hard, unable to peel his gaze from the sack.

“Of course, if trade with the North resumes now, prices will gradually decrease. For a time, though, certain items could sell for five, no, ten times their value. Oh my, how did they manage to select such things?”

“Hehehe.”

Hyun Young sat next to him, offering a warm smile as he patted Chung Myung’s head.

“I must admit, it’s somewhat embarrassing to sing my own praises, but our Chung Myung, he truly has the Midas touch.”

“Hehehehe!”

“I’m not certain, but he would have undoubtedly been a successful merchant.”

“Heeheeheehee!”

Jo Gul, overhearing the conversation while carrying in baggage, grimaced.

“Elder, these are the items the Ice Palace people chose to give us, right? That wretch Chung Myung didn’t choose a single item!”

Upon hearing this, Hyun Young smiled.

“Jo Gul.”

“Yes?”

“Be quiet. And continue to bring the luggage inside.”

“…”

Hyun Young clucked his tongue at the sight of Jo Gul carrying the luggage with a disgruntled expression.

“Tsk. Tsk. That guy who is a son of a merchant cannot be so narrow-minded!”

“Sahyung is always like that.”

“Hmph! He shouldn’t have spoken!”

For Jo Gul, who was hearing this, it felt like a bad dream.

But when it came to Chung Myung, who would dare contradict Hyun Young?

“If you wish to excel as a merchant, your merit must match that of our Chung Myung! Isn’t that the case, young master?”

“Ha… haha. Right. Ahem.”

Hwang Jongi, beads of sweat dripping down his face, nodded in agreement.

‘Reflecting on it, it’s troubling that his statement isn’t incorrect.’

There was a saying in the merchant world. The hardworking cannot match the smart, and the smart cannot match the lucky.

At first glance, it might seem ridiculous, but this statement accurately describes a certain truth.

Success in the ascent of business necessitated impeccable calculation and strategic planning. A deal could be finalized only when accompanied by rigorous preparation and effort, and only then can substantial profit be realized.

However, there were instances when a deal materialized out of thin air, resulting in profits far beyond those initially imagined. This, of course, only happened if great fortune consecutively graced one’s life.

‘But…’

Hwang Jongi’s gaze shifted towards Chung Myung, who continued to savor sweets tirelessly.

‘How did this person come to be?’

Such fortune was rarely experienced, even by those who had endured the highs and lows of life. Even if propped up by empty promises and swiftly packed away, questions would inevitably arise.

‘No matter how opportune it is to continually receive chances…’

Wasn’t it excessive for a single person to possess such an abundance of luck?

“Ugh! Why is this so burdensome!”

“Elder! Where should we place the cold steel?”

Just as Hyun Young was about to respond, Chung Myung intervened.

“Set it aside over there. I plan to sell it to the Tang family.”

“What?”

“Simply stack it somewhere ahead.”

“Alright, I understand. Pile it up there! Right now!”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing Baek Sang’s words, the workers placed the cold steel on the ground and started stacking it again.

Sweat cooled the nape of Hwang Jongi, who was observing all of this.

‘They are stacking cold steel as if it’s mere scrap…..’

If just one piece of it were to be sold, it could alter fortunes. Yet here and now, sacks full of such things were being discarded as scrap.

Hwang Jongi, haunted by memories of the past Mount Hua, found it impossible to get used to this.

“Hehehe. The Lord of the Ice Palace has certainly given us attention. So, since these are all gifts, we don’t need to pay anything, right?”

“Yes. They did indeed state that.”

“Ahem. The thoughtfulness of the Ice Palace is astounding!”

Hyun Young chuckled, patting Chung Myung amiably on the back.

“Ouch! That hurts!”

“Oh, our precious boy!”

Hyun Young looked at Chung Myung with a playful gaze and addressed Hwang Jongi.

“What do you think, young master? Can you manage all of these?”

“If I can’t even sell our merchandise, then I clearly do not deserve the title of a merchant. I will sell it all within 10 days.”

“Oh? And what about the fees…”

“Hahahah! A fee between us? What do you mean?”

“Ehh. Still, merchants must be having a hard time, so we cannot take things for free.”

“Elder, I will feel uncomfortable if we do. Mount Hua and the Eunha Merchant Group, we are not strangers to each other: this shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion.”

Upon hearing Hwang Jongi’s words, Hyun Young smiled. Hwang Jongi shifted his gaze between Hyun Young and Chung Myung as he spoke in a hushed tone.

“Perhaps it’s too much to call this a fee, but…”

“Go on.”

“If we harness some of Eunha’s power to lead trade with the North Sea…”

He subtly trailed off, glancing around before discreetly slipping a note into Hyun Young’s arms.

“Uh?”

But even though it was swift, there was no chance that Chung Myung would miss it!

As Chung Myung’s brow furrowed, another parcel found its way into his hands.

The ease with which the man had just bribed two people would astonish anyone.

Then…

Paat!

A chilling energy erupted from Chung Myung’s eyes.

“What are you up to now?”

The sight of his glacial eyes sent a shiver straight down Hwang Jongi’s spine.

‘This…but it’s Taoist Chung Myung, so…’

The idea that offering money may have been a misstep began to dawn on him.

It was at that moment that Chung Myung began to whisper softly.

“Didn’t the other bundle look larger than mine?”

“…”

“Ha. I feel bad. I didn’t feel this cold even when I walked through the blizzard of the North Sea.”

“…”

Unable to respond, Hwang Jongi extracted another bundle and prodded it toward Chung Myung. Chung Myung’s icy expression began to thaw under the gentle warmth of the sunlight.

“The Central Plains are so warm. Indeed, very warm.”

“…”

This rascal could never be a true taoist.

This one…

“Hahahaha!”

Hyun Young laughed, his hand patting Hwang Jongi’s shoulder cheerily.

“Ahhehehe, we are no strangers for us to talk like that either, right? Of course, the trade between will be handled by the Eunha Merchant Guild!”

“Heh, indeed. Because we are Eunha!”

Hwang Jongi, who quickly grasped why Mount Hua’s wealth heavily leaned on them, blinked in astonishment.

‘This is a monopoly!’

A monopoly!

How wondrous was that?

Having exclusive supply was the ultimate dream of every merchant involved in trade. There were manifold advantages to having a monopoly; not least among them was the power to determine both quantity and price.

If you had control over both the price and volume, profits were inevitable.

‘What’s more, an exclusive deal with the North Sea!’

Securing such a deal guaranteed substantial profits that anyone trading within the Central Plains would be hard-pressed to ignore.

Certainly, Mount Hua would benefit greatly from this, but even Eunha will receive a fair share. If a bounty as large as a rice cake was granted to Mount Hua, then a serving as small as a piece of bean curd was sufficient for Eunha.

‘This will propel the Eunha Merchant Guild forward!’

Hwang Jongi once again appreciated the incredible foresight of Hwang Mun-yak, who initially brokered the deal with Mount Hua.

“Proceed with sorting the goods.”

At that moment.

Knock, knock!

The bottom of a disciple’s sack tore, causing blue jewels to pop out.

Hwang Jongi was taken aback at this sight.

“That-that…!”

“Be careful with those. They’re valuable.”

“I-ice crystals…”

He couldn’t believe these fools handled ice crystals as if they were ordinary potatoes…

Regardless of Hwang Jongi’s reaction, Hyun Young asked Chung Myung.

“Are you planning to sell the ice crystals as well?”nove(l)bi(n.)com

“No. I have to use them elsewhere.”

“Hmm. Yes. Let’s proceed.”

Hwang Jongi fell silent, forcing himself to turn his gaze away from the shimmering ice crystals. It felt as though his life would ebb as he continued to watch them.

Without warning, the warehouse door burst open!

“Elder! Chung Myung!”

“What?”

Grim-faced, Baek Cheon stumbled in.

“Elder, your presence is needed. A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

Chung Myung cocked his head.

For Mount Hua, a visitor?

“There’s nothing to do here; they’ve already climbed to the high place.”

“Come, and you will understand.”

“Tsk.”

Chung Myung grumbled, then walked away.

“…”

“…”

Eyes met.

A Taoist not dressed as a Taoist encountered a bandit not dressed as a bandit.

“…that…”

Among the pair observing each other silently, the bandit in the white robe was the first to break the silence.

“…so damn good to meet you!”

“Ahem.”

Chung Myung cleared his throat.

“I fear that if you delay any longer, we won’t be able to keep this friendly. Have you come here in search of something more?”

“…How did you know?”

The robed bandit tilted his head at the sound of Chung Myung’s voice.

“You speak, unlike the person I remember. You promised immediate action upon your return, but who made the rash decision to venture all the way to the North Sea?”

“It matters little since you’ve arrived.”

“…Please, I beg you, Taoist!”

Chung Myung shook his head, clucking his tongue.

“Your audacity astounds me. What courage does a thief possess to show up here?”

“At the brink of death, I stand while you offer meaningless words! Sincerely, my veins throb with pain, splitting my body. These days, awakening from sleep due to the chill is customary!”

A man draped in a sect’s robe.

Im So-Byeong, the King of the Green Forest, doffed his robe with a grimace of distaste.

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone defraud bandits! People don’t do that anymore!”

“Fraud! What are you talking about!”

“… the Taoists behind you seem to think so, though. Am I wrong?”

“…”

Chung Myung cleared his throat subtly, glancing at Baek Cheon and those behind him, then gesturing indoors.

“Now that you’re here, please, come in.”

“…I need something warm. How can a mountain even be this steep? Oh my… this is why people should live on flat lands.”

“Is that something a bandit would say?”

“Bandits are humans too!”

The disciples of Mount Hua murmured as they watched the two disappear inside amid their arguments.

“But Sasuk.”

“Hmm?”

“Is it acceptable for a bandit to step into Mount Hua?”

“…”

Baek Cheon chuckled softly.

“Why are you asking about it now?”

“…You have a point there.”

Simultaneously, they emitted a profound sigh and shook their heads as they trailed behind them back inside.