The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 86

Surprisingly, my Master readily nodded at Wang Hyeon-seong's words.

He might have seen the same thing in him as I did, or if not, he might have thought that it would be advantageous for the Eungnam Merchant Guild in the long run.

Come to think of it, if the Wudang Sect steps in and brings down the Baekma Merchant Guild, and the Eungnam Merchant Guild takes its place, the merchant guild's power may suddenly grow, but it will not be acknowledged by the people of Hubei Province.

And they might point fingers at the Wudang Sect, calling them worldly Taoists who draw their swords for personal gain.

Wang Hyeon-seong had chosen a method that was a little farther and harder, but ultimately a complete victory.

"Although I want to hold the Baekma Merchant Guild responsible and vent my anger right away, I still need them."

When we were all silent for a moment, each lost in our own thoughts, Wang Hyeon-seong continued, "If the Baekma Merchant Guild were to collapse overnight, we would not be able to completely replace that void with our current selves. The Baekma Merchant Guild still handles more goods, and they have far more clients throughout Hubei Province. If the Baekma Merchant Guild collapses when we are not ready, we will absorb some of its remnants, but other merchant guilds will rush in and each take a piece. It would be a case of us taking the blame and only doing good for other merchant guilds."

He's very calculating, as expected of a merchant.

And that calculation is very realistic.

"So while the Baekma Merchant Guild is acting as our shield, I will do my best to grow and slowly eat away at their territory. In a way, the situation is also good for our Eungnam Merchant Guild. It is customary not to invade the territory of other merchant guilds."

"That custom is also called business ethics isn't it?"

"Exactly. But in cases where there is a grudge in the middle like this, no one says anything even if you don't follow business ethics a little. Strictly speaking, because they were the ones who broke business ethics first."

At Wang Hyeon-seong's explanation, my Master and I naturally nodded.

As my Master listened to the story, his smile grew deeper.

It seems he is thinking that choosing the Eungnam Merchant Guild as a cooperative merchant guild was a good choice.

How do I know so well? Because I was thinking the same thing.

But a question arose in my mind, so I asked Wang Hyeon-seong, "The resistance of the Baekma Merchant Guild will be fierce. Will they easily give up their territory?"

"It won't be easy. But, if I can't even do that much, my dream of becoming the best merchant guild in the Central Plains will be out of reach."

"Is your goal to become the best merchant guild in the Central Plains?"

"Yes. If a man has established a merchant guild, shouldn't he aim for that much?"

"That's cool. My goal is also to become the best in the world."

"That's cool. I'm sure you can do it, Taoist Master Unhwi."

"We've gotten a little off topic, but it's unlikely that they will only resist in a fair way. Since they can't have an all-out war with the Wudang Sect, even if they can't put Unorthodox Faction guys like the Black Society at the forefront and pressure you, they could hire an assassin and target the guild master."

"That... I'll take care of it."

I asked Wang Hyeon-seong, but the answer came from my Master.

Both I and Wang Hyeon-seong were surprised and looked at my Master, and my Master said as if it were no big deal, "I'll take care of that, so don't worry."

"Yes. I understand."

I didn't even ask what my Master was thinking and immediately nodded.

I can trust my Master enough. He must be thinking of a better way than I am.

Well, when I'm in a situation like this, I usually solve it with force, threats, and violence.

But since my Master has studied at the prestigious Orthodox Faction, the Wudang Sect, since he was very young, surely...!

"Then it seems there's no need to talk here. To be honest, thanks to you Taoist masters' good handling, the Eungnam Merchant Guild has not suffered any direct damage yet. So there's nothing to call post-recovery. From now on, I will do my best to finalize the agreement with the Wudang Sect. Thank you."

Wang Hyeon-seong bowed his head to me and my Master once again and expressed his gratitude.

"I understand. Then we will rest for a few more days and watch how the Black Society is dealt with."

"I heard you know the Hubei Province branch chief of the Martial Arts Alliance. Please take good care of us."

In an atmosphere that seemed to be wrapping up, I said to Wang Hyeon-seong, "Guild Master. I have something to tell you."

"Please speak."

"If you have a moment, how about you send a letter home?"

"Home? What home are you talking about? I live at the Eungnam Merchant Guild."

"I'm talking about the Jeongsan Wang family."

"Ah...!"

Wang Hyeon-seong's eyes trembled. It seems he didn't even think that his background would come out of my mouth.

"I'm also curious if the old man has returned safely and if there's anything wrong, and I also have something to ask you separately."

"You mean Gyu-sam. I understand. I will do so."

We exchanged greetings with Wang Hyeon-seong and then returned to our quarters.

But my Master immediately prepared to go out somewhere.

"Where are you going? Shall I go with you?"

"It's okay. You rest for a few more days. I'm going to see Gwak Seok-san."

"Yes, Master."

And my Master left the quarters right away.

For some reason, my Master's voice was trembling, so it didn't seem like he was going to see Gwak Seok-san... but I decided not to worry about it.

Because my Master also has his own private life.

***

The night was deep.

Baek Jeong-gyu, the owner of the Baekma Merchant Guild, which had been prosperous in Hubei Province for three generations, and the person who had made the Baekma Merchant Guild the best merchant guild in the vicinity of Fangxian in his time.

He couldn't fall asleep easily even though the night was deep.

Several liquor bottles were rolling around him.

He had tried to borrow the power of alcohol to overcome his insomnia, but that was not easy either. Because he couldn't fall asleep due to a fear that was stronger than alcohol.

"Hey. Is anyone out there!"

"I'm here."

The familiar voice of the general manager was heard from outside the door.

Baek Jeong-gyu said in a rough voice, "How is the security of the mansion? Have the escorts from the Yuhyeon Escort Agency arrived?"

"Yes, Guild Master. The escorts have already arrived and are carrying out their security duties. As you said, we hired all the first-class escorts we could without sparing any money, so please don't worry!"

Although the answer was heard from outside the door, the head of the Baekma Merchant Guild, perhaps because he still couldn't feel at ease, shouted once more, "This won't do. Contact not only the Yuhyeon Escort Agency, but also the Gwiwang Escort Agency and the Jinhwang Escort Agency. There was no need to hire only one escort agency in the first place. Hire them all! Tell them to protect me!"

"A-All of them? To hire all of them..."

"Don't ask any more and do it right now! Tell them that the sooner they come, the more money I'll give them. Time is of the essence. Do you understand?!"

"......"

But no answer came from outside the door.

The head of the Baekma Merchant Guild felt a sudden chill.

"Why don't you answer? General Manager Seo, General Manager Seo!"

Deu-reu-reuk!

As he was calling the general manager desperately, the door suddenly opened.

He was the one who had ordered not to open the door unless it was an extraordinary matter.

But the fact that the door opened like this means that it is not an ordinary matter.

Sure enough. A man walked in from the open door as if it were his own room.

It seems that this uninvited guest came here with dignity in the middle of the night without wearing night clothes or a mask.

"Wh-Who are you?"

"They call me Hyeon Yang of the Wudang Sect."

"H-Hyeon Yang!"

The head of the Baekma Merchant Guild had an expression as if he had met the grim reaper.

Because he already knew of Hyeon Yang's existence.

Hyeon Yang walked briskly to the table with an expensive-looking pattern carved on it on one side of the room, and then, placing the sword he was holding on it, he said, "It seems you know who I am, but why are you silent?"

"I-I don't know you, Taoist master."

"You don't know me?"

At Hyeon Yang's question, the head of the Baekma Merchant Guild nodded his head without rest.

But it seems that even a passing three-year-old child could tell that he was lying with a glance.

Because his lips and legs were trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"There's no need to waste money by increasing the number of guards."

"Pardon...?"

"The reason you're trying to increase the number of guards is because you're afraid of me, of our Wudang, isn't it? Because of what you've done."

"......!"

He couldn't even answer and looked at Hyeon Yang with surprised eyes.

He had heard that most of the Taoists of Wudang were weak and soft-hearted, but the Taoist in front of him now was not like that at all.

Rather, he was the scariest of the many martial artists he had met so far.

It seems that if he answers incorrectly, he will really swing the sword placed on the table.

"The escorts from the Yuhyeon Escort Agency were guarding the place outside. But when I knocked down a few, they cleared the way on their own. Of course, I came in with the promise that I wouldn't harm you today. So if it's at the level of those escorts, it won't make much difference to me whether a hundred or two hundred come."

"Wh-What do you want?"

The Baekma Merchant Guild quickly regained its composure and asked.

Although he had done all sorts of dirty things and used all sorts of tricks without shame, he was a man with the ability to bring the Baekma Merchant Guild to this position even so.

He asked, realizing that Hyeon Yang had not come to kill him.

"What I want?"

Hyeon Yang let out a small laugh and then continued, "Don't touch the Eungnam Merchant Guild from now on. The Eungnam Merchant Guild is a place that has officially signed an agreement with the Wudang Sect, and we can punish any place that uses unjust force against the Eungnam Merchant Guild according to the terms of the agreement. In fact, a sect was annihilated yesterday."

"The Black Society...!"

"So, if you don't want to end up like that, compete fair and square. If you're a merchant, act like a merchant."

The head of the Baekma Merchant Guild was already nodding his head without rest.

Hyeon Yang stood up from his seat and headed for the door without looking back.

And just before opening the door, he left one last word.

"But the Wudang Sect won't move as long as you don't touch the Eungnam Merchant Guild... but I'm the type of person who can't stand injustice. If some trashy merchant guild harms the common people, I might step in personally."

Although he pretended it was a monologue, it was no different from leaving a warning to the head of the Baekma Merchant Guild.

And the moment Hyeon Yang's hand seemed to be heading for the scabbard instead of the door.

Flash!

As if something was flashing, the door was split in half and fell with a thud!, and Hyeon Yang leisurely walked out of there.

Although the head of the Baekma Merchant Guild was a layman when it came to martial arts, he could feel how outstanding Hyeon Yang's martial arts were just from that.

When Hyeon Yang had disappeared and he had barely come to his senses.

A few men rushed into the room.

When he looked to see who it was, it was the escorts from the Yuhyeon Escort Agency he had hired.

The moment he was about to shout, 'Can't you even guard one person properly?', the escort leader who had stepped forward as their representative said first, "We can't take this request anymore."

"What...? What did you just say..."

"This is completely different from the contract terms we originally talked about. Why didn't you tell us that the Baekma Merchant Guild had committed a great wrong against the Wudang Sect? Although we are on a guard mission, if it's a matter of having to be hostile to the Wudang Sect, we will back out."

And he took all his subordinate escorts and left the mansion.

Originally, it was the Black Society that was in charge of the security of the Baekma Merchant Guild.

After the Black Society was destroyed, he had thought of colluding with another Unorthodox Faction, but it seemed that would only give the Wudang Sect a reason to attack the Baekma Merchant Guild directly, so he had requested an escort agency with a large sum of money, but they said they couldn't do that either.

"Where on earth... did it go wrong..."

He looked at the door that had been cut by the sword in a daze.

The door was cut so cleanly that it was creepy.

(End of Chapter)