The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 76

My Master looked back at the closet where I was hiding for a moment, and after confirming that I was not visible, he opened the door.

Unlike a little while ago when he was very surprised, my Master's expression had returned to its usual one.

"Ah. I remember. It's the first time I've seen you since I came down. Come in."

"Thank you for remembering me. Then I'll be intruding."

My Master guided him to the tea table and naturally sat with his back to the closet where I was.

I admired his quick judgment inwardly.

By blocking Jin Tae-jin's line of sight with his body, he was subtly hiding the closet where I was, and at the same time, I could observe Jin Tae-jin's expression well.

Of course, my Master would also be watching him well, but I felt that it was my Master's intention to let me also confirm his face as he spoke.

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Would you? I'll gratefully have a cup of tea."

"It's tea provided by the Eungnam Merchant Guild anyway. I should be the one to thank you."

My Master poured the already brewed tea for him, and also poured it into the teacup in front of him and lightly touched it to his lips.

Jin Tae-jin, seeing that, began to drink the tea.

The way he looked at my Master was unusual.

"What brings you here in the middle of the night? Did you really just come to say hello?"

"That's part of it, and I also have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Jin Tae-jin didn't answer my Master's question right away, but after taking another sip of tea, he began to talk about something else.

"You've been at the Eungnam Merchant Guild for the past few days, haven't you?"

"I have."

"To be honest, what do you think of the Eungnam Merchant Guild?"

My Master looked at him for a moment.

In a situation where he had heard from me that Jin Tae-jin might be the culprit behind what was happening.

It seemed he was thinking about why Jin Tae-jin was asking such a question now.

"What do I think of the Eungnam Merchant Guild... well. Everyone is working hard, they're passionate, and it seems to have the potential to grow greatly in the future. To the point where I think it was a good decision to form an agreement with the Eungnam Merchant Guild."

My Master soon began to speak.

I felt that he wanted to see what Jin Tae-jin would say while answering his question for now.

"Thank you for seeing it in a good light."

"I just saw it as it is. Since the Eungnam Merchant Guild has prepared well, you deserve the praise."

"There are many people in the world who don't see things as they are. There are many people who are steeped in their own stubbornness and self-righteousness."

There's a hidden meaning in what Jin Tae-jin is saying now.

It's no different from asking, 'You're not a person steeped in stubbornness and self-righteousness, are you?' while pretending to praise my Master.

"It may sound strange, but I have great respect for the Taoist masters of the Wudang Sect. And I have also admired them for a long time. That noble character and outstanding martial arts... they are things I can never have in my lifetime."

"That's an over-praise."

"No. I'm just telling you as it is. But when I look at the situation of the Wudang Sect... it seems to be lacking in just one thing."

"What seems to be lacking?"

"Money. When I went to the Wudang Sect myself, I felt it even more keenly. As a sect that boasts a long history, the facilities everywhere are old, and even small things like chopsticks and spoons are things that you can't tell how many years they've been used."

"There's no need to replace things that can still be used with new ones, is there?"

"Of course. I'm not saying that all of them should be replaced with new ones. If even such small supplies are that old, I wondered if the weapons that the disciples of the Wudang Sect use, the food they eat, and things like elixirs would be sufficient."

Although he is speaking in a very polite tone, what Jin Tae-jin is saying is no different from saying, 'Isn't your Wudang Sect short on money?'

My Master's ears turned a little red. It seems he understood all of his words and got a little angry.

But, my Master soon regained his composure and said in a calm tone, "Well, you're not wrong. Although we are Taoists, in the end, it's true that it's hard to develop further and raise disciples if we lack money. But isn't that why we formed a sponsorship with the Eungnam Merchant Guild? I don't know the exact details, but since they said they would sponsor a sufficient amount, the elders of the sect must have made a decision."

At my Master's words, Jin Tae-jin nodded his head greatly.

Perhaps because the reaction he had been thinking of came out exactly as he had thought, a faint smile even appeared on his face.

He suddenly changed his expression and said as if he didn't know what to do, "Ah...! If you were offended by my words, I apologize. I had no intention of insulting the Wudang Sect. It's just that I was disappointed at the thought that it's a sect that could command the entire Hubei Province... no, the entire Central Plains, if only it had enough money..."

"No. I think the relationship between the Eungnam Merchant Guild and us will resolve that disappointment."

"Thank you for understanding."

Jin Tae-jin repeatedly bowed his head and said, as if he were truly grateful that my Master had understood.

If that's acting, Jin Tae-jin could quit the merchant guild right away and make a living by joining a place like a circus.

Because it was so realistic that even I, who was watching him with suspicious eyes, and my Master, would think he was sincere.

"So... isn't money that important?"

"It would be a lie to say it's not important, wouldn't it?"

"What if I were to tell you that I could double the amount that the Eungnam Merchant Guild has decided to sponsor?"

"Double? Suddenly?"

When my Master asked back, pretending to be surprised, Jin Tae-jin nodded.

A sly smile appeared on his face.

Although my Master was just surprised by the word 'double', he seemed to think that my Master was interested in his words.

And perhaps my Master also felt that, because he suddenly changed his voice and asked Jin Tae-jin in a voice as if he were interested, "Is there a way? A way for the money going to Wudang to be doubled?"

"Of course there is. In fact, that's why I came here in the middle of the night. Because I wanted to tell you this as soon as possible."

"What is it? I'd like to hear it."

"But, before I tell you that, there's something I'd like to ask you, Taoist master. Depending on what answer you give to this question, I may or may not tell you the way to double the sponsorship money."

Jin Tae-jin suddenly said in a condescending tone.

Perhaps because my Master pretended to be interested in the word 'double sponsorship', he seemed to think that he had taken the lead in the conversation.

"Ask away."

"If you were to choose between nominal trust and practical benefits, which would you choose, Taoist master?"

It's a cunning question with a lot of intention from the question itself.

After first making my Master aware of the situation of Wudang, which needs money.

He attached the negative modifier 'nominal' in front of trust, and the positive modifier 'practically helpful' in front of benefits.

Come to think of it, Jin Tae-jin is also a merchant. He would be able to unfold such a basic yet effective business tactic as if he were breathing.

But, there's something he's not thinking about.

If an ordinary person had heard such a story in a situation without any vigilance, they might have been tempted, but the opponent is our Master.

'Jin Tae-jin. He didn't study the Taoists of the Wudang Sect properly. How stubborn the Taoists are.'

And in a situation where he had just heard that the spy of the Eungnam Merchant Guild was Jin Tae-jin.

But where in the world is there a fool who would be completely taken in by Jin Tae-jin's words?

But my Master went one step further.

He rather agreed with Jin Tae-jin's words.

He must have wanted to hear Jin Tae-jin's proposal to the end.

"Of course... wouldn't practical benefits be more important? Although trust is important, what we need right now is money. Trust can't grow the Wudang Sect, but benefits can make the Wudang Sect grow even bigger."

At my Master's innocent-looking answer, Jin Tae-jin's face lit up.

Although he knows there's no one around, he needlessly looks around once, and then, bowing his head, he brings his face close to my Master's and says in a whisper, "Then would you like to hear my proposal?"

"What proposal?"

"Actually, the reason I'm so busy is not because the work of the Eungnam Merchant Guild is busy."

"Then?"

"I'm currently looking after the work of not only the Eungnam Merchant Guild, but also another merchant guild."

"......?!"

"I knew you'd be surprised. Actually, there's not much for me to do in the external affairs of the Eungnam Merchant Guild right now. I can go to Sichuan and increase the number of clients, but if I increase the number of clients indefinitely, the Eungnam Merchant Guild won't be able to handle it. So now is a transitional period for the Eungnam Merchant Guild. We are preparing to increase the number of clients by further developing the capacity of the merchant guild..."

He took another sip of tea and then continued, "So I thought about how to use my spare time. I thought it would take a long time to increase the number of clients in Sichuan after growing the size of the Eungnam Merchant Guild. So do you know what method I chose?"

"What is it?"

"It was to find a merchant guild that is already larger than the Eungnam Merchant Guild and can accommodate many more clients. If such a large merchant guild gets involved, we can move much more logistics, and in the end, that will bring in much more money."

"...The Baekma Merchant Guild?"

Jin Tae-jin's eyes widened in surprise, and then he burst out laughing.

It seemed that he couldn't even imagine that my Master knew everything.

"Haha! That's right. Look at this. Isn't it a large merchant guild that even you, Taoist master, already know about? The Baekma Merchant Guild is much larger than the Eungnam Merchant Guild, and it has many more people working for it. If the Baekma Merchant Guild takes over what the Eungnam Merchant Guild is doing now, it can grow several times in size in an instant."

"You're saying you betrayed the Eungnam Merchant Guild and became a member of the Baekma Merchant Guild?"

"Instead of calling it a betrayal, how about calling it a better choice?"

"Then the thing about being able to double the sponsorship money going to the Wudang Sect at once is...?"

"That's right. The Eungnam Merchant Guild has no future. How about you re-sign the sponsorship contract with the Baekma Merchant Guild?"

His true intentions finally came out.

He was betraying his close friend with whom he had spent his whole life, and he was telling us to betray the Eungnam Merchant Guild as well, but his face didn't change and he was nonchalant.

If I had my way, I wanted to jump out of the closet right away and grab him by the collar... but I barely held back.

Because my Master was also staying still, and it seemed that he had more to say.

"To be honest, I was a little surprised. I didn't know you would say such a thing so directly."

"I'm also in a hurry right now. Actually, this was not the plan to be done so hastily. I was planning to proceed step by step, cut off the arms and legs of the Eungnam Merchant Guild, and slowly break it down so that the Baekma Merchant Guild could absorb it."

"Then why are you proceeding so hastily?"

Jin Tae-jin pointed at my Master with his hand and said, "That... I don't know how it will sound, but it's all because of you Wudang Sect people."

"Us?"

"The Wudang Sect was not originally in my plan to slowly ruin the Eungnam Merchant Guild. No, to be exact, I was trying to prevent the sponsorship contract with the Wudang Sect itself. Although its influence has recently decreased, it is still a place that is one of the pillars of the Nine Factions and One Sect, isn't it? If such a Wudang Sect is backing the Eungnam Merchant Guild, it would naturally be difficult to break it down, wouldn't it?"

He spoke his sophistry with great confidence.

His tone of voice was also somewhat more arrogant than before.

"But why are you being so open with me? If I were to go to Wang Hyeon-seong right now and tell him everything, your plan would be ruined."

My Master's tone of voice changed a little.

He had endured a lot until now.

He had found out all the circumstances, and he had heard everything he wanted to hear from him.

So he had no intention of enduring it as he had until now.

"Because there's a way to make you, Taoist master, listen to my words unconditionally."

"What way is that?"

"I also know that your junior brothers went to Xiangyang, not Baokang. Perhaps because Wang Hyeon-seong felt something, he changed the destination and told me they were going to Baokang, but I can also find out that they headed to Xiangyang."

He chuckled and then continued, "I sent martial artists there. Although it's not a very honorable act, by now, your junior brothers have probably been taken hostage. If you want to save their lives, you'll have to follow my words."

He said confidently.

My Master, without realizing it, turned his head and looked at the closet where I was hiding.

I burst open the closet door and came out.

Since he didn't even know there was a person inside, Jin Tae-jin had a face as if he had seen a ghost.

I frowned deeply and said, "What...? Who did you take hostage?"