novelraw Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Journey to the World of Martial Arts (2)
“Slurp—.”
Inside the guild master’s chamber of the Golden Toad Merchant Guild.
The plump middle-aged man, dressed in silk robes embroidered with gold, resembled a golden toad.
“Heh heh. Fortune truly smiles upon me this year.”
Leisurely enjoying his Longjing tea, he let out a quiet chuckle.
The man named Cheon Siu, who had visited the guild with a large quantity of gold ingots.
Judging by how he marveled at the Longjing tea he had been served, he was neither from a renowned family nor a martial artist of a powerful sect.
‘No matter where he gathered those gold ingots from.’
When issuing the note, he had foolishly left his residence and family blank.
Which meant that if Cheon Siu were to die, after a certain period, the deposited money would be absorbed by the Golden Toad Merchant Guild.
Swoosh—
“Whether your fortune is good or bad has yet to be decided.”
“…!?”
A dagger was suddenly pressed against the middle-aged man’s throat, and a low voice emerged from the darkness.
Jiwon slowly revealed his face and whispered into the pale guild master’s ear.
“Shall we hear why you tried to kill me?”
“I-I do not understand what you mean…”
As he attempted to feign ignorance, the dagger pressed further, and he cried out hastily,
“T-The truth is…!”
Hearing that his money would have been claimed by the guild upon his death due to having no registered ties, Jiwon felt both incredulous and irritated.
‘I was too careless.’
This was a martial world filled with blood and betrayal.
Even the slightest lapse in vigilance returned as an assassination attempt.
‘…I should kill him, shouldn’t I?’
The first time had been difficult; the second came far easier.
The moment such a thought crossed his mind as he looked at the man with cold eyes, Jiwon startled himself.
His own way of thinking felt unfamiliar.
‘Damn it…’
Even if this was a world within a novel, he could not treat human lives lightly. If he became a killer, what meaning would there be in returning to reality?
That would be no different from losing to the entity that had placed him in this situation.
‘Right. I cannot move according to your intentions.’
Casting a brief glance at the ceiling, he forced a faint smile and spoke again.
“Now then, shall we negotiate the price of your life?”
“…Pardon?”
The man responded in confusion, and Jiwon explained more plainly.
“You do not wish to die, do you? Then name your price.”
He had decided to approach this practically.
The middle-aged man, being a merchant, quickly regained some composure and made his offer.
“…Twice. I will give you twice the amount you deposited, immediately, as an unregistered note.”
“That is all your life is worth?”
As Jiwon pushed the dagger slightly into his skin with irritation, the man cried out desperately.
“T-Three times! That is the maximum I can offer! Please, spare me…!”
Seeing his earlier arrogance vanish in an instant eased Jiwon’s anger somewhat.
He slowly withdrew the dagger and issued a warning.
“You were about to die because of money, yet you live because of it. You would do well to curb your greed in the future.”
“I will remember that!”
Jeong Manbok hurriedly opened the vault and brought out unregistered notes.
His hands trembled as he presented them, and Jiwon tucked them into his robes before taking his leave.
“Let us not meet again. If you send men after me in the name of revenge, then next time, neither money nor anything else will save you.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Leaving the repeatedly nodding man behind, Jiwon vanished through the window just as he had entered.
Only after he was gone did Jeong Manbok collapse to the floor, wiping the sweat drenching his brow.
***
Henan Province—the heart of the orthodox martial world.
It housed Mount Song’s Shaolin Temple and numerous prestigious families, and in Luoyang, the Martial Alliance stood.
Jiwon had finally arrived in Luoyang, and as expected of such a place, countless martial artists roamed the wide streets.
‘…I should keep a low profile here.’
Given the location, martial artists wearing armbands marked with the Martial Alliance patrolled the streets with sharp eyes.
Still, since everyone dressed like martial artists, he did not stand out much.
Thus, he walked at ease.
Step. Step.
After about an hour, Jiwon arrived at a building far grander than even the Golden Toad Merchant Guild.
– Gold Flows Under Heaven
An arrogant name, declaring that all the gold in the world flowed here.
This was the largest merchant group in the martial world.
‘…I had planned to avoid getting involved too early.’
According to the original story, he would eventually cross paths with them anyway.
But after what had happened with the Golden Toad Merchant Guild, he changed his mind.
‘Since I am here, I might as well lay some groundwork for the future.’
Having organized his thoughts, Jiwon stepped inside.
Murmur—
As expected of the greatest merchant group under heaven, the interior was magnificent and crowded with people.
He approached an empty counter and took a seat.
“Welcome to Gold Flows Under Heaven. How may I assist you?”
A capable-looking young woman greeted him politely.
Jiwon handed her the notes worth roughly two billion won from his robes.
“These are unregistered notes from the Golden Toad Merchant Guild. I would like to deposit all of them.”
“…Please wait a moment.”
Unlike before, the woman remained calm and smiled as she stood.
Given the large sum, it seemed the branch leader would meet him personally.
After spending a short while observing his surroundings, the woman returned with the same smile.
“The branch leader wishes to meet you in person.”
“Very well.”
Nodding, Jiwon followed her upstairs.
He was led to the top floor, to the office of the branch leader.
“Welcome.”
A middle-aged man greeted him with a friendly smile.
His neatly combed white hair shone like polished jade.
His narrow, sharp eyes were half-lidded, and his lips curved into a gentle smile.
Dressed in a robe threaded with gold, he bore both the keen gaze of one who missed nothing and the practiced smile of a merchant.
‘Oh… so this is him.’
– Wi Cheonpung.
A man known as the Money Ghost.
Most merchants avoided dealing with martial artists, for they were prone to drawing their blades at the slightest displeasure.
Yet he had traded with martial artists of both righteous and unorthodox factions alike.
Time and again, he had faced death, yet each time he continued his dealings.
As a result, he had built Gold Flows Under Heaven into the greatest merchant group in the Central Plains.
“My name is Cheon Siu.”
Jiwon clasped his hands in greeting, and the man returned it.
“I am Wi Cheonpung.”
After exchanging greetings, Wi Cheonpung gestured for him to sit.
“Please, sit. I will personally handle the process.”
“Yes.”
Just as before, Jiwon engraved his information onto the bamboo slip.
This time, however, he filled it out thoroughly without leaving any blanks.
A painter was once again summoned to sketch his features, and after briefly stepping out, Wi Cheonpung returned with a golden plaque.
“With this gold token, you may withdraw your funds at any Gold Flows Under Heaven branch throughout the Central Plains.”
“Understood.”
Jiwon nodded and accepted the token.
As he examined the intricate patterns engraved upon the palm-sized plaque, Wi Cheonpung spoke in a subtle tone.
“We are currently preparing a confidential venture with the Namgung Family. Would you consider investing?”
True to his nature as a merchant, he attempted a pitch.
With a faint smile, Jiwon gave his answer.
“In that case, invest all the money I have deposited.”
“….”
The ever-present friendly smile on Wi Cheonpung’s lips disappeared.
Thinking that this foolish martial artist might have misunderstood something, he explained more carefully.
“…Naturally, investment includes the possibility of failure. I am no god.”
“It does not matter. Investments are meant to be made with surplus funds.”
“…!”
At the calm reply, his eyes widened slightly.
“…Ha.”
Wi Cheonpung let out a hollow laugh.
He had intended to gauge the measure of this man named Cheon Siu by offering an investment opportunity, yet instead, he himself had been taken aback.
Of course, Jiwon already knew what kind of man he was, which was why he had acted without hesitation.
‘If I lose it, I can just earn more.’
To him, money in this world felt no different from game currency.
Seeing his composure, Wi Cheonpung straightened his posture and clasped his hands again.
“I failed to recognize a distinguished guest. I look forward to our future dealings, Young Master Cheon Siu.”
“I look forward to it as well, Branch Leader Wi Cheonpung.”
After exchanging farewells, Jiwon slowly exited Gold Flows Under Heaven.
The bustling streets of Luoyang came into view—colorful shops, lively martial artists, and above them, a clear blue sky.
‘Good.’
Jiwon’s expression was satisfied, and his steps were light.
He had left a deep impression on Wi Cheonpung. With this, he had successfully forged a connection with Gold Flows Under Heaven, which would play a crucial role later in the original story.
“Ah… I am exhausted.”
But only for a moment. Soon, he let out a bitter smile.
Though their meeting had not been long, he already felt drained.
‘As expected, he is on a completely different level from someone like Jeong Manbok.’
That man had sent assassins over petty greed, only to end up paying three times the amount to save his life.
The thought made Jiwon chuckle bitterly.
Now that sightseeing had grown tiresome, he decided to rest quietly at an inn.
Murmur—
After walking along the still-bustling streets for some time, he found a large three-story inn and entered.
Slide—
As he pushed aside the wooden screen, the interior came into view. Many customers sat at tables, laughing and chatting.
“Welcome! Are you alone?”
A middle-aged man who appeared to be a server greeted him warmly, and Jiwon nodded.
“Yes. Do you have a room for the night?”
“Of course.”
“Then please prepare a room, and bring me whatever food is popular.”
“Understood! I will show you to your seat!”
Following him, Jiwon was led to a table in the corner.
He sat down and leisurely observed his surroundings.
The first floor served as a dining area, while the second and third floors were guest rooms.
The upper floors were lined with railings—a classic scene straight out of a martial arts film.
‘Usually, the protagonist jumps down from that second-floor railing with both arms spread for no reason.’
The vivid image made him chuckle.
‘…I should try that someday.’
With that thought, he relaxed and waited.
When he had first possessed Jin Yun, everything had seemed bleak, but now, his mind was at ease.
‘Everything is going smoothly.’
All he needed to do was build his reputation as Cheon Siu and enter the Martial Alliance. Then, he would naturally become part of the original story.
The lively sounds of the inn filled his ears—people laughing, sharing stories.
It was a peaceful scene.
Swoosh—
“…Hm?”
Someone suddenly sat across from him without permission.
Frowning at the rude intrusion, Jiwon lifted his gaze.
“Hello?”
At the sight of the woman greeting him with a playful smile, his expression froze.
Her eyes, deep and cold like an abyss, stared directly at him.
Behind the black veil that swayed with her dark hair, a faint smile could be seen—both alluring and cruel.
Though she wore simple black attire and covered her lower face, her overwhelming beauty could not be concealed.
Cold sweat ran down his back.
Though he had never seen her before, he recognized her instantly.
‘…I am screwed.’
– Sama Seorin.
The strongest and most terrifying final antagonist of Heavenly Demon’s Successor had appeared before him.