Geum Asu led the way through the secret passage beneath the Golden Manor.
The path was as complicated as a maze. I could sense lethal traps and mechanisms hidden throughout the walls, ceiling, and floor. The tension of Geum Sayeon, who followed behind with us, reached me as well.
After winding through a complex route that only one who knew the way could traverse, we arrived at the secret vault where the treasures of the Golden Manor were stored.
“You saved our lives, so it would only be right to give you my entire fortune, but realistically, that would be difficult.”
“I’m not expecting that much.”
“It would be fine to set a sum and repay you that way, but how about this instead? Take as much as you can carry out of this place in one go. However, you may not use a cart, nor may you receive help from anyone else.”
“You mean you’ll acknowledge whatever I bring out myself?”
“That’s right.”
“May I use my internal energy?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll be carrying out quite a lot.”
“If not for you, benefactor, we would all be dead. This much compensation is only proper.”
“Thank you.”
“I will give you one shichen starting now. Will that be enough?”
“More than enough.”
I slowly walked into the treasure vault.
* * *
When Geom Mugeuk entered the treasure vault, Geum Sayeon asked Geum Asu,
“Will you be all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“With our benefactor’s martial arts, he may take more than you expect. Won’t you regret it?”
Geum Sayeon said it with a joking smile, but inwardly she was worried that her father might later fall ill from sheer vexation. Her father was a man who had devoted his life to amassing wealth. And now, a large portion of that life might vanish in someone else’s hands.
But her father’s reaction was unexpected.
“Is there anything in there more precious than what we protected today?”
Geum Asu patted his daughter’s shoulder.
“It is enough that you and Yang are alive. If I had lost even you two…”
Geum Asu could not bring himself to continue. All his life, people had said that even if pricked with a needle, not a single drop of blood would come from him. But at least when it came to his children, he was a man who bled and wept in torrents. He had simply never had the chance to show it.
Rather, through this incident, Geum Asu had come to a painful realization.
His own flesh and blood were worth offering up all his wealth without regret, yet he had neglected that flesh and blood in order to gather wealth. The regret was overwhelming.
And there was another reason it would not be a waste, even if he gave away all his fortune.
There were many kinds of death. If he died while striving toward some purpose of his own, perhaps he would have no lingering regrets. But this time, it had been the betrayal of a retainer he trusted. Even in death, he likely would not have been able to close his eyes.
“That young hero is no ordinary man.”
“Yes. Despite his young age, his skill was extraordinary.”
“It wasn’t only his skill that I saw.”
“Then what else did you see?”
“I’ve been thinking since earlier about how to express it, but I still can’t find the words. That young hero has a presence that cannot be described.”
He had met countless people over the course of his life. Yet this was the first time he had seen someone so young possess such composure and such a unique air.
“Money can be earned again, but a connection with someone like that may not come even once in a lifetime.”
Moreover, the other party was young. Geum Asu hoped that their bond with that young man would continue into the next era of the Golden Manor, led by his daughter and grandson.
“So it does not matter if he takes everything. The more he takes, the deeper his tie to us will become.”
* * *
I can say this with certainty.
Never again in my life would I enter a treasure vault like this.
On one side, gold was piled up like a mountain, so dazzling that merely looking at it made my eyes ache. Buddhist statues and warrior statues, tableware and ornaments, and even all sorts of animals—tigers, toads, turtles, pigs. Truly, every conceivable thing made of gold was piled there. At first, they must have been neatly displayed, but later, as their number grew too great, it seemed they had simply stacked them into a mountain.
In the display cabinets beside it, rare jewels were arranged. There were ornaments such as rings, necklaces, and bracelets, as well as women’s trinkets carved from jade.
On the display stands on the opposite side, porcelain pieces were arranged, and behind them hung paintings by famous artists. The place was filled with all manner of rare treasures.
Beside those, there were things that stirred my excitement.
Night-shining pearls that illuminated the darkness, and Poison-Averting Pearls (避毒珠) that prevented poisoning when held in the mouth. The Poison-Averting Pearls in particular were of the highest grade, exceptionally small in size.
There were five of each. Since they were not things one could easily obtain even with money, they could be said to be more valuable than any jewel here.
With a delighted heart, I first took the night-shining pearls and Poison-Averting Pearls. I gathered them all and tucked them into my clothes.
A tremendous value had entered my possession, but this was only the beginning.
Next, I put on rings that could be sold for a high price, and layered bracelets and necklaces over myself. I wore so many that they hung heavily from me.
I looked for something to carry the gold in. A large leather sack would have been nice, but unfortunately, there was nothing suitable.
Should I take off my clothes and wrap them in those?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I discovered bolts of fabric standing in a corner. Upon examining them, I saw that they were bolts of heavenly silkworm silk brought in from beyond the frontier.
With my sword, I tore off as large a piece as possible and made it into a huge bundle cloth, then swept the gold into it.
Since I could move it with internal energy, I rearranged the contents this way and that, packing in as much as I possibly could. I left the paintings and porcelain behind. They were at risk of being crumpled or broken. I also did not know their exact value.
I did not take the Golden Manor Lord’s circumstances into consideration. At least when it came to wealth, he was not someone I needed to worry about.
Thus I filled not only the entire shichen, but the bundle cloth as well, taking the treasures with me.
When they saw me emerge from the secret vault, Geum Asu and Geum Sayeon’s mouths fell open.
I was carrying a bundle far larger than my own body on my back. It was so huge that one could not even imagine how much was inside.
The vault doors were so large that I could simply come out. Otherwise, I would have had to break through the wall to leave.
“I’ll humbly take only this much.”
Thud.
When I set the bundle down, the floor shook with a heavy thud.
Seeing that every one of my fingers was covered with rings and that necklaces and bracelets were draped all over my neck and arms, Geum Asu burst into loud laughter.
“Uahahahaha!”
“Shouldn’t you be crying?”
“It is true that I am saddened by the loss of my fortune, but at least I am pleased to know that you are not a hypocrite, benefactor. The hypocrites I know would have taken only a few items, clinging to useless and petty appearances. But how bitter would they feel inside? I utterly detest such hypocrites. Greed is one of the most precious and important emotions that governs human beings.”
He was a true admirer of greed. It must have been thanks to that greed that he had risen to become the richest man in Fujian.
“Using heavenly silkworm silk to make a bundle cloth was also a truly wise decision.”
“Thank you.”
“It is a shame to part like this. Have at least a cup of wine before you go.”
“I’m not the sort to drink with treasure sitting beside me. I’ll see you next time.”
“If I ever need help, may I seek you out again, benefactor?”
“Of course. Please earn a great deal by then.”
At those words, Geum Asu laughed heartily. Once again, I could feel that the more honestly I behaved regarding wealth, the more favorable his impression of me became.
“Where should I go to meet you, benefactor?”
“If you leave a message under your name at any West Lake Inn (西湖客棧) throughout the Central Plains, I will come to see you.”
West Lake Inn was a secret contact station operated by our cult. It received necessary messages in this way and relayed them to important figures of the cult.
“As expected, benefactor, you are no ordinary person.”
Geum Asu would know. Only extraordinary people operated contact stations in such a manner.
“Take care until we meet again.”
“I wish you fortune in battle, benefactor.”
After forming a deep connection with the Golden Manor Lord, I left that place. As a connection with the Golden Manor Lord was by no means a loss for me, I was able to depart in good spirits.
* * *
I obtained a carriage in town, loaded it full of treasure, and headed toward the cult.
On the way back, I sold the gold and treasures in portions. It was too much for any one place to handle, so whenever I stopped in a city, I visited several shops and sold the jewels.
Having wandered the Central Plains my whole life, I knew well where things were and where they should be sold. Aside from the night-shining pearls and the Poison-Averting Pearls, I sold off all the gold and jewels.
I then divided the money I acquired among the most trustworthy money houses: the Central Plains Money House (中原錢莊), the Great Continent Money House (大陸錢莊), and the Wind and Cloud Money House (風雲錢莊). The money I secured amounted to an astonishing three million eight hundred thousand taels. It was an even greater sum than I had expected.
‘Thank you, Golden Manor Lord. You do not know it, but this money will become the cornerstone of an organization that will one day become a legend of the murim.’
I left three million five hundred thousand taels at the money houses and returned with only three hundred thousand taels in promissory notes.
As soon as I returned to the cult, I went to the Heavenly Demon Hall and met my father first. As always, Father was guarding the Heavenly Demon Hall like Mount Tai.
As I walked along the Path of Blood, the red carpet, a question suddenly occurred to me.
Here, Father must receive Sama Myeong’s reports several times a day and make important decisions. By those decisions, some people would live, while others would die.
Was Father truly satisfied with this life?
Just as I had been, and just as Ian had been, perhaps Father too had been pushed into the position of Heavenly Demon. Perhaps what he truly desired was hidden deep within his heart.
“I heard you left the cult.”
“I went to earn money.”
“Why money?”
“I can’t live off your money forever, Father. And I think I’ll need quite a lot of it from now on.”
“What do you intend to use it for?”
“I want to have a private organization of my own.”
“A private organization?”
Father’s expression sharpened slightly.
“Don’t the Demon Venerables each have subordinates of their own? If I’m to deal with them, I need an organization as well.”
“That cannot be allowed. If you have one, your elder brother will want one too. The blood kin and disciples of the Demon Venerables will want the same. Absolutely not!”
I had not thought I would receive permission all at once. Nor was it urgent right now.
Once one or two good subordinates gathered, and the water someday overflowed, then no one would be able to stop the dam from breaking.
I did not pester him, and Father did not mention it any further.
“Did you earn a lot of money?”
“Yes, quite a lot.”
I took a thick envelope from my clothes and held it out.
“This is for you, Father.”
When Father extended his hand, the envelope in my hand flew through the air to him. It was Void Seizing (虛空攝物), containing the profound principle of a higher realm—supremely gentle, yet swift.
Father checked inside the envelope. What it contained was a promissory note worth one hundred thousand taels.
“What money is this?”
“It’s your allowance, Father.”
“What?”
Father was startled. The reason he was so surprised was not that the sum was too great to receive as an allowance, but because of the word allowance itself.
“I have plenty of money.”
“I know. You are the richest person in the world. The money I just gave you is my first allowance to you, given with gratitude for giving birth to me and raising me.”
After staring down at the promissory note for a moment, Father abruptly asked,
“Are you trying to flatter me?”
“I will flatter you so much from now on that it may make your skin crawl, but not with this allowance. This was something I wanted to give you at least once. Then please rest, Father.”
I bowed respectfully and walked back down the Path of Blood.
Father’s gaze heated the back of my head until I left the hall. He must be very flustered right now.
After all, he had likely become the first Heavenly Demon in history to receive an allowance from his son.