The World's Greatest Troublemaker

Chapter 17

This time, he asked Mok Wigun. But just as Mok Wigun was about to answer something, Lady Jin stepped in.

"Please calm down. Isn't it because the children are still young and inexperienced?"

The soft voice of Lady Jin, Mok Wicheon's mother, soothed the frozen atmosphere. And at the same time, she prevented Mok Wigun from answering. She too was wary of Mok Wigun and was keeping him in check.

"Young, you say, my lady. They are all over twenty, an age where they should already be leading a family."

"They must have understood well enough."

At Lady Jin's words, Mok Seonkwang calmed his anger.

'Should I say the power of the Jin family is great?'

The Mok family could not be said to belong entirely to the Mok clan. The Mok family's rapid growth began with his marriage to Mok Wigun's mother, Lady Son.

That's why among the elders of the Mok family, there were quite a few who still couldn't forget Lady Son. The reason Mok Wigun was able to endure even while living in such a mess was because they had protected him overtly and covertly.

'Then, as their power grew, they brought in the Jin and Jang families.'

So now, the Mok family was like a coalition of three families. And the Jin family could be seen as slightly stronger. That's why Mok Seonkwang had no choice but to yield to Lady Jin's words.

Mok Seonkwang lowered his voice a little and said to his sons.

"Listen well. If Zhongnan is excluded from the Nine Sects One Alliance, who will benefit the most in this vicinity?"

No one could answer.

'The Baek family of Chang'an.'

Mok Wigun knew the answer. As he investigated this region after hearing the story of Zhongnan, the answer naturally appeared.

"If Zhongnan's status is revoked, who do you think will absorb the interests they have enjoyed so far?"

"Ah. The Baek family."

Mok Wicheon realized.

"That's right. The Baek family of Chang'an will absorb most of the interests."

"In that case, it seems there will be no benefit for our Mok family."

Mok Seonkwang nodded with a satisfied expression.

"You saw correctly. So what should we do?"

He threw the question and then immediately shook his head. As if he thought it was useless to ask, he just gave the answer.

"We must check the Baek family and take some of those interests."

"We'll have to strengthen the branch in Chang'an."

"I already sent people yesterday."

Mok Wigun thought his decisiveness was amazing. Well, with that kind of judgment and decisiveness, he must have been able to raise the Mok family to its current position.

"The problem is that the governor of Chang'an is not on good terms with us."

Although the power of the government has weakened in these chaotic times, it cannot be ignored. Especially in times like these, the help of the government is absolute.

"So everyone, pay attention to the governor of Chang'an. You must be on your toes. A time of great change is both an opportunity and a crisis."

As he said that, he glanced at Mok Wipyong for a moment and then shifted his gaze back to Mok Wigun. And then he asked.

"The Eastern Heaven Merchant Guild has a severe deficit. What will you do?"

He was asking even though he knew. Mok Wigun answered immediately.

"I have put the Eastern Heaven Merchant Guild up for sale."

"What?"

Everyone at the dinner table was surprised. Suddenly selling the merchant guild?

"What do you mean by that? You're selling the merchant guild?"

Lady Jang shouted. She was the one who grasped the situation the fastest. As expected, Mok Wipyong was just a puppet, and it was highly likely that the people behind him were the ones pulling the strings.

"Isn't it a good way to sell it for a reasonable price?"

"Why do you decide that on your own?"

Lady Jang shouted, pointing her finger. Lady Jang was very beautiful, but she had a somewhat spiteful side.

"It's my merchant guild, so why not?"

"We raised it all, so how can you decide on your own?"

"Raised it?"

Mok Wigun tilted his head and said.

"That merchant guild that was doing so well is now in a severe deficit. What do you mean you raised it?"

Mok Wigun's calm reply, with no change in emotion. Lady Jang couldn't answer. Mok Seonkwang and Lady Jin just watched the scene with interest.

After a brief hesitation, she opened her mouth.

"Do you think it's common to find a place that can buy a property of the size of the Eastern Heaven Merchant Guild?"

"There are. I'm considering two places as likely candidates and plan to talk to them soon."

Lady Jang's mouth closed again. Then the Mok Family Head asked, as if curious.

"Which two places?"

"The Three Thousand Merchant Guild and the World Merchant Guild."

"Hmm. If it's those two places, they have more than enough capacity."

At those words, Lady Jang glared at the Family Head.

"Family Head. How can you say such a thing? Selling the Mok family's property. We should be buying outside merchant guilds, not selling."

"It's not confirmed yet, so let's just watch for a bit. Besides, if it's World and Three Thousand, wouldn't it be good to build a connection on this occasion?"

That was true. If this deal led to a good relationship with one of the two places, it would be a cause for celebration for the Mok family.

But Lady Jang's expression was rotting. Selling the Eastern Heaven Merchant Guild meant that everything they had done would be revealed.

But Mok Seonkwang seemed very pleased with his third son's work this time.

"Your handling of the matter is not bad."

At those words, Lady Jang's mood soured even more.

"Family Head. Why don't you talk about what happened yesterday? Shouldn't you give him a stern scolding?"

"The children were just sparring and got a little hurt, what is there to talk about!"

The Mok Family Head said, his eyes wide. His voice also got a little louder.

"Is this a little? Isn't the child's face a mess?"

"In the Martial World, being seriously injured means having something cut off. What kind of wound is a few bruises!"

Mok Seonkwang firmly told her not to say such weak things. He also spoke to his sons.

"You all listen well. These are chaotic times. The power of the imperial court has weakened, and the powers in each region are growing their own strength."

In times like these, one must grow their strength. To survive, one must become strong by any means necessary.

"If you are weak, you will be eaten. That is the logic of the world now. So behave yourselves accordingly."

He was saying that even if they were his sons, if they fell behind in the competition, they would be abandoned. Mok Wigun had been treated like that in reality. But now, Mok Wipyong might have to worry about that.

Mok Wigun said to the worried Mok Wipyong and Lady Jang.

"Don't worry too much. It's still a long way off before the merchant guild is actually sold, isn't it?"

But after the meal, he contacted Magistrate Chu. To arrange a meeting as soon as possible.

* * *

When Mok Wigun returned to the annex, a message had arrived from Daoist Master Cheongun. It was about setting a date, time, and place to meet.

"Ah. What a hassle."

But he couldn't not meet him. Then Pyeon Jeoksu, who was next to him, said.

"Just crush him once. If you don't use internal energy, who can beat you? Tell him to fight a round without internal energy."

If they fought only with forms without internal energy, he would naturally win. Because he had desperately researched and trained to survive the fight with the Demon King. Besides, he has hundreds of years of real combat experience. But what's the point of winning like that?

"Why would I do something that would make me even more bothered than now?"

Mok Wigun is already receiving too much attention. He would rather not get any more attention here.

"Still, give it a try. Let me watch."

It seemed the guy was egging Mok Wigun on because he wanted to watch a fight. Well, watching a fight is fun. But Mok Wigun had no intention of complying. So he quickly changed the subject by asking about the condition of Heo Seongon's child.

"How's the child?"

"Uh. His intestines seem a little bad, but it's not a big problem."

Pyeon Jeoksu said he had examined him very thoroughly and had treated what was urgent.

"I really examined him until my eyes popped out to pay for my meal."

"You've worked hard. I'll take you to a better place next time."

"A better place?"

Pyeon Jeoksu grinned.

"It would be nice to really look around here and there. It was nice going out today too."

It seemed Pyeon Jeoksu had really liked the outing today.

Well, why else would he have come here after all that suffering? He came to live while enjoying himself. He had lived so hard all this time, so he had resolved to live leisurely here.

"Alright. Let's just quickly sort out the problems and go on a trip."

The things Mok Wigun is entangled in now need to be sorted out. He needs to get more treatment, and he needs to build up his body. Above all, he needs to restore his Dantian.

"The other things just need some time, but the Dantian is the biggest problem..."

It's useless if his internal energy doesn't support him. And internal energy cannot be accumulated without a Dantian. No matter how high your understanding of martial arts is, you can't become a master without internal energy.

"There's a limit to what a temporary Dantian can do..."

A temporary Dantian has to be remade after all the internal energy inside it is used up.

"Come to think of it, isn't it about time to make it again? Hmm?"

Pyeon Jeoksu said with a bright smile. Mok Wigun glared at Pyeon Jeoksu and asked.

"You deliberately made it hurt more last time, didn't you?"

"Phew. How could I? It's just your imagination. Your imagination. Hehehehe."

The evil bastard. They say vampires are a race born from darkness.

"I need to find a way quickly. So I can get some elixirs and boost my internal energy."

"Elixirs?"

At the word 'elixirs', Pyeon Jeoksu showed interest.

"That's right. There are things called elixirs in this world, right?"

There are various elixirs. There are pills like Shaolin's Great Rejuvenation Pill, Wudang's Great Purity Pill, and Huashan's Purple Cloud Pill, and there are also things like thousand-year-old polygonum root and ten-thousand-year-old snow ginseng. The inner core of a spiritual beast or things like azure stone milk are also one of the elixirs.

"There are, but the good ones are hard to get."

If an elixir appears, a huge commotion breaks out. If they were easy to get, would people be so desperate for them?

"That's why they say you can only get a really good elixir if you have a connection."

Elixirs are truly something that money can't buy.

"Really? That's a shame. I was thinking of trying some."

Pyeon Jeoksu licked his lips. Being a curious guy, he seemed to be curious about the elixirs of this world. Well, when he was in that other world, he used to eat all the good potions he could find.

"Huh?"

But suddenly, Pyeon Jeoksu said as if something had come to mind.

"I got into potions after eating a strawberry-flavored healing potion. As I ate this and that, I wanted to taste things like elixirs too. But they're hard to get. So I made them myself..."

"Wait!"

If left alone, he was a guy who would keep talking. Mok Wigun raised his hand and cut him off.

"So what's your point?"

"How about we try making potions with the ingredients here?"

"Potions?"

It was something he hadn't thought of. Making potions here. But Pyeon Jeoksu seemed to be already fixated on making potions.

"Think about it. Don't you think elixirs and potions have a lot of similarities?"

Thinking about it, they did seem similar. A healing potion that helps with recovery when injured, and an elixir that increases internal energy could be seen as similar to a mana potion.

"How about it? Seems possible, right?"

Pyeon Jeoksu looked at Mok Wigun with sparkling eyes.

(End of Chapter)