After sending off Ju Hyang-wol and heading to the backyard, Father was looking up at the sky with his hands clasped behind his back.
It had been that way ever since I could remember—Father’s back always looked lonely.
That loneliness was an innate loneliness that no amount of tender companionship from my side could erase.
Father, please do not be so lonely. Your son is right here. A son who respects and loves you more than anyone else in the world.
“Miss Ju, who likes you even more than I do, came by. She asked me to send you her regards.”
Father turned toward me. To think that even though I had deliberately teased him, he showed no sign of embarrassment—that shameless gall of his.
“Shall we really stick together?”
As if he had heard everything I’d said in the front yard, Father did not ask what I meant. Instead, he wore an expression that said, “Anytime.”
I imagined traveling the Central Plains at ease with Father. Not a situation where we had to inevitably shed blood as now, but literally a comfortable, leisurely trip.
What if we mingled with female warriors and drank wine? I could not imagine what sort of demeanor Father would show in front of them.
‘Father, I do not wish for anything grand. I simply want to enjoy myself like this with you.’
Then Father suddenly asked.
“Why do you take care of those around you to this extent?”
He was asking about the matter of bringing the Ju Family Sword Manor and the Hwangdo Merchant Group together. Because it was something that never would have been accomplished if not for me.
What should I answer?
That it is worth taking care of before I go? That I am trying to become meticulous because evil is meticulous? Or should I use Father as an excuse? Since Father took charge of the agreement, it was Father who handled it this time.
Today, I answered like this.
“Because it is interesting.”
A faint smile formed at the corners of Father’s lips. Yes, rather than anything else, saying it was interesting was the easiest to understand.
Father slowly began to walk. I walked with him through the rear garden, speaking of what needed to be done hereafter.
“When Jeon Nak’s death is reported, someone will come down to investigate the matter. I intend to use him to approach the Golden Dragon Clan.”
Eliminating everything indiscriminately is not the answer.
Our goal is to find out what relationship the Golden Dragon Clan has with the forces behind them, and to eliminate those who have taken root there.
This time, I intend to find a way to approach them using Jeon Nak’s death.
“We must handle them without killing, so it will be more difficult.”
As if agreeing with my words, Father silently nodded.
“Moreover, since our opponent is the Golden Dragon Clan, we must deal with them carefully. I understand that the head of the Golden Dragon Clan is close to the Martial Alliance Leader. That is why they also provide a large sum of money to the Martial Alliance every year.”
A displeased aura flashed across Father’s expression. Because to him, it must have sounded like this: since they are close to the Martial Alliance Leader, we must be careful. Rather, I would have had to say the opposite to suit Father’s taste.
Since they are close to the Martial Alliance Leader, I believe we should properly show them what’s what this time.
That would be the answer Father desires.
But Father, that is an answer you will never hear from me again.
“Do you have something in mind?”
“It will not be easy to approach the core of the Golden Dragon Clan without revealing our identities.”
Because this matter is one that can only be found out by approaching even the head of the Golden Dragon Clan. It is not easy to do so through a local sect like the Seo Do Sect. And if we pretended to be from a Mystic Faction, we would be even more heavily guarded.
“Therefore, I wish to seek help from one place.”
“Where is that?”
After a brief pause, I spoke of a place Father could never have expected.
“The Eunha Merchant Group (銀河商團).”
As expected, a look of surprise flickered in Father’s eyes.
The Eunha Merchant Group was, in name and reality, the wealthiest plutocrat known to have the most money in all of murim.
If the Eunha Merchant Group was the greatest, below it were the Golden Dragon Clan and the Continent Merchant Group (大陸商團). These three were known to have the most money in the world.
“We will make them know us as people of the Eunha Merchant Group.”
Only with that level of status will we be able to approach the core of the Golden Dragon Clan. Of course, we will have to use a few tricks in the process.
“Will the Eunha Merchant Group help us?”
The Eunha Merchant Group is a place that does not lean toward either the righteous or the demonic. However, while maintaining deep relations with all three, they succeeded in keeping that balance and became the number one merchant group in the Central Plains.
“That is beyond my ability, so please make it happen, Father.”
At my words, Father made a dumbfounded expression.
But this request is not an unreasonable one.
From my life before the regression, I knew. I knew of the special connection between the head of the Eunha Merchant Group and Father.
The head of the Eunha Merchant Group, Yong Jamyeong (龍滋明), had left words about Father before his death.
In his youth, while being chased by assassins, he was saved by Father at the brink of death. It was when Father was in his prime, traversing the Central Plains with Gwonma.
At the time, Yong Jamyeong did not know that the one who saved him was the Cheonma. Because after saving him, Father simply left.
He said that he only learned of this fact by chance long after Father had passed away.
It is said that he regretted learning of it too late. He had searched his whole life yet could not find him, and then learned why. How could he have found him when that man was the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult?
Originally, this was not the type of matter to be revealed even after his death, but since Father had already passed away and both the righteous and demonic sides had sealed their doors, it became known.
‘Father, in this life, let us let him know a little earlier that the one who saved him back then was you. Only then can he repay the grace. It was his regret, they say; he searched for his benefactor his whole life.’
Gaining help for this matter, and also putting an end to his fated connection with Father.
Of course, I cannot know whether I will obtain the desired two-birds-with-one-stone result. Everything will be told by fate. Let us do it this way in this life, I thought.
“There is a saying in the world. That the Eunha Merchant Group’s intelligence is as fast and accurate as our main cult’s Tongcheon Pavilion.”
Of course, it may not actually be so, but it means their information-gathering capabilities are tremendous.
“They must have been watching the movements of not only the Martial Alliance and the Sahdo Alliance, but also our main cult. They will also know that the greatest successor in history has been born.”
“You certainly have no trouble saying such things yourself.”
“As if that’s all? They will know that our main cult recently led the meeting between the demonic and righteous factions, so they will not be able to refuse easily.”
If they know that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is the most prominent place these days, would they refuse if the Cheonma makes a personal request?
“Furthermore, the relationship between the Eunha Merchant Group and the Golden Dragon Clan is not bad, is it?”
Though they compete fiercely in the business world, surprisingly, the relationship between the two sides is not bad.
“You are the only one who can accomplish this. Even if the Martial Alliance Leader or the Sahdo Alliance Leader requests it, he will not accept.”
“Then why do you think he would accept my request?”
To Father, it may sound like flattery, but this is all I can say.
“Because it is you, Father.”
Father, who had been gazing at me for a moment, asked one last time.
“What should I ask them to do?”
I could tell that Father had decided to follow my plan.
“One person need only stop by for a brief moment.”
* * *
Hwang In and Ju Hyang-wol met again on the day set by Geom Muguk, with the agreement between them.
Amidst the awkwardness, the one who stepped forward first was Hwang In.
“I formally apologize for the previous matter.”
He rose from his seat and bowed his head politely. Ju Hyang-wol felt sincerity in his attitude.
“Why did you change your mind?”
Apologizing sincerely and sending a proper agreement. She was curious about the reason.
Hwang In answered honestly.
“It is because of Sir Geom.”
Of course, he could not speak of the matter of killing Jeon Nak and Jeon Gwi’s men, but aside from that, he spoke honestly.
“Meeting him, I was ashamed of the life I had lived so shoddily. Though I spoke of wanting to become the owner of the world’s greatest merchant group, I was a man who did not even befit a small merchant group in some backwater.”
He wanted to be honest with her, if no one else. Because he considered investing in the Ju Family Sword Manor a new beginning.
“I wanted to try to do things properly from now on. That is why I asked to meet at this inn. Because this place was the beginning of all that.”
The place where the two were was the very inn where she had first met Geom Muguk.
Had it been for any other reason, she would have doubted Hwang In. But this reason, she believed.
‘You too were influenced by that person.’
She was the same. Because through meeting them, her relationship with her mother had changed a little as well. Of course, neither her mother’s nor her own innate personalities would change. She did not expect the relationship to change overnight.
However, as Geom Muguk had said, she intended to believe in the power of that moment when they exchanged kind words and to strive. She would not burst out in anger. She would understand, thinking that such things happen.
“Now, shall we sign?”
The two signed the agreement together. They each took one of the two copies. For both Hwang In and Ju Hyang-wol, it was the first moment they had properly accomplished something.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
The two politely clasped their fists.
And so Ju Hyang-wol left the inn first, and Hwang In remained. Because it was a day of new departure, he wanted to have a drink in his overwhelming emotion.
“Truly, destiny changed at this place.”
As he was drinking, immersed in such emotions, a woman sitting a short distance away spoke to him.
“I did not mean to eavesdrop, but it seems something great happened here.”
She was a woman in her thirties, neatly dressed in martial attire. She was a beauty in whom youth and maturity were revealed at once, and a somehow cold impression made her appear even more attractive.
“Ah, I am sorry. I heard it unintentionally. I am simply very curious, you see.”
The woman took a bottle of wine and sat at Hwang In’s table.
“As an apology, let me pour you a drink.”
She poured him a drink.
Hwang In froze, saying nothing.
“Why are you like this?”
When the woman asked with a gentle smile, Hwang In answered in a low voice.
“The person from the higher-ups was you, Lady Muin.”
As soon as he recognized her, the smile vanished from the woman’s face. Like an actor, the difference between her friendly expression and her current one was vast.
“How did you know?”
She raised her internal energy and surveyed the surroundings, but there was no situation to be wary of.
The reason Hwang In had noticed was extremely personal.
“Because a beauty such as yourself would never approach me first.”
He spoke from the heart as well. The woman was truly captivating. Thinking she was a dangerous woman, his heart trembled even more, so such a thought might have occurred to him.
A strange smile formed at the corners of the woman’s lips.
“You have a good grasp of yourself.”
She possessed a visage that did not look too displeased even by such humiliation.
“I have been waiting for you, Lady Muin, to arrive.”
She was none other than Geum A-rin (金芽鱗), the leader of the secret organization the Golden Dragon Clan secretly nurtured. She was a woman whose martial arts were as profound as her beauty.
Though unseen to the eye now, she had also brought all her trusted subordinates to resolve this matter. Because the deaths of Jeon Nak and Jeon Gwi’s men were not a matter to be taken lightly.
Hwang In had not known that the fearsome person Jeon Nak had spoken of was this woman. And he could not tell whether this woman before his eyes was such a fearsome person. Because martial artists were people one could never truly know.
In any case, he had thought dozens of times about what to say when this moment came.
First, he conveyed the facts as they were.
“The enemies are three in total.”
He had even practiced calling them “enemies.” Of course, it was not because he was still weighing his options. Right now, it was to survive this situation.
“A man called Geom Yeon killed both Jeon Nak and Jeon Gwi.”
He could be honest about everything. Because he had been told to do so.
Though he said he killed them all alone, the woman did not show great surprise. Did she think she could kill Jeon Nak and Jeon Gwi by herself? Or did she not believe his words?
“How did he kill them?”
Of course, that did not mean he was honest about everything. Such as the fact that he had been there together. If he said he was at the scene where they died? What would he do if she cut him down without even giving him a chance to explain?
“I do not know how he killed them. Because after I went to meet him, there was no news. Perhaps he may still be alive.”
Geum A-rin’s suspicious gaze grew stronger.
“They died, yet you did not.”
“Geom Yeon came to find me and told me to deliver this message if anyone came about this matter.”
“What message?”
“‘I have something to say, so come to me.’ Let us go. I will guide you to him.”
Hwang In sprang to his feet as if to leave at once, but Geum A-rin remained seated with an expression that said not a chance.
“He will have laid a trap and be waiting? Do I look so foolish?”
“No.”
At her cold momentum, Hwang In sat back down and spoke with a frightened face.
“He will not have laid a trap.”
“Why do you think that?”
A thought he could not bring himself to say to her came to mind.
He would not need a trap. Because you have not yet seen those people.
As Hwang In worried about what to answer, his face brightened.
“He is here.”
Geom Muguk was entering through the inn’s entrance.
Absolute Regression, Episode 459.