The carriage passed through the Central Capital and headed for Shaanxi.
Since he was traveling with Geum Ah-rin, he decided to visit the secret vault given to him by the Silver River Merchant Group Leader as a reward on his way back.
“Aren’t you curious about what’s inside?”
Despite Geom Mugeuk’s question, Geom Woojin simply stared out the window, looking completely uninterested.
“Please give me thirty chances to choose!”
At the mention of thirty times, Geom Woojin turned his head to look at his son.
“I figured I should ask for this many at first to get at least three later on.”
Geom Mugeuk saw it.
His father’s lips hesitated, unsure whether to curl into a smile.
Yes, he’ll probably give me three.
Geom Mugeuk followed his father’s gaze and looked out the window.
“How long has it been since you were in the Central Capital?”
“It has been a long time.”
Geom Woojin recalled the Central Capital of the past, while Geom Mugeuk thought of the Central Capital of the future.
Geom Woojin had once roamed this place freely with the Fist Demon long ago, and Geom Mugeuk had wandered here in search of materials for his Great Art.
Just then, Geom Woojin looked at an inn visible up ahead and spoke.
“Let’s rest there for today.”
At his father’s words, Hwi replied.
“Understood.”
Until now, his father had silently followed the schedule set by Hwi and Im Hyeok.
He went to inns when they did and camped when they did.
But today, he was the first to suggest resting at that inn.
Hwi notified Geum Ah-rin’s carriage, which was ahead of them, before pulling their own carriage up to the inn.
Geom Mugeuk was curious.
Did his father have some meaningful memories here from the past? Perhaps the innkeeper might even remember his father.
Thank you so much for your help back then.
But nothing of the sort happened.
‘Then why did he suggest staying here?’
After unpacking, Geom Woojin went out with Hwi.
He did not take Geom Mugeuk.
“You are to wait here.”
“Please take me with you. Where are the two of you going alone?”
“You don’t need to know.”
Leaving Geom Mugeuk with only his curiosity, Geom Woojin and Hwi left the inn.
After walking for some time, Geom Woojin asked quietly.
“This is the place, isn’t it?”
At Geom Woojin’s question, Hwi asked with a surprised expression.
“You knew?”
Geom Woojin nodded.
This was Hwi’s hometown.
Hwi himself hadn’t known that the Cult Master had suggested stopping here because he knew it was his hometown.
“I left when I was young, so I have no particular feelings about it. I left right after my parents passed away.”
“Still, since we’re passing by, we should visit at least once. Where is your family home?”
“It’s in a mountain village over that pass.”
Geom Woojin started walking first, and Hwi followed quietly behind him.
He was surprised that the Cult Master remembered his hometown, and even more surprised that they had stopped and were now walking there together.
‘The Cult Master really has changed.’
Hwi had watched him more closely than anyone.
The Cult Master was a man of deep affection, but he was not one to express it like this.
Hwi knew better than anyone the source of this change.
Hwi thought of Geom Mugeuk.
The Young Cult Master had been pushing him to take his own time throughout this journey.
—Why are you going this far?
—There’s a wave of change sweeping through the Main Sect lately, isn’t there? I’m trying to make sure you’re a part of it, Uncle.
Yes, he knew better than anyone what kind of change it was.
That’s why he could ask.
—Where is this change leading us?
The Young Cult Master, who had brought about all these changes, had replied.
—I don’t know either.
When he heard those words, Hwi felt a sense of relief.
And so, the two men arrived at the place where Hwi was born.
Surprisingly, the house was still there, but other people were living in it.
No one remembered Hwi.
It would have been stranger if anyone remembered the boy who had left the village at a young age, now returned as a middle-aged martial artist.
He had said he felt nothing for his hometown, but seeing the house where he used to live was different.
Memories of his childhood surfaced, and he was lost in reminiscence.
He especially remembered his mother calling out for him to come eat while he was playing with friends in the alley in front of the house.
The faint memory of the children scattering one by one and running home came to mind.
After looking at the house and the alley for a long while, the two ate noodles together at a small noodle shop in the village.
Geom Mugeuk had told him he needed to change, but he had already changed a lot.
Wasn't he sitting here now, eating noodles with the Cult Master?
After finishing their bowls of noodles in silence, the two returned to the inn.
They didn’t have any particular conversation.
But with just this, Hwi could fully feel Geom Woojin’s heart.
He had shown that he cared for him, in the Cult Master’s own way.
At the entrance of the inn, Hwi spoke.
“Thank you.”
Geom Woojin replied.
“I am the one who should be thankful.”
It was Geom Woojin’s way of showing his heart to the one who always protected him.
He had begun to express himself, starting with the person closest to him.
At that time, Geom Mugeuk was using the Space-Time Displacement Art and the Heavenly Time Secret Art for his Martial Arts Training.
Whenever he had free time on the way here, he had focused on his training.
He always believed his strength lay not in his sword forms but in his relationships with people, but that was a thought he could only afford to have when he could block an enemy’s attack.
For the days spent with people to shine brightly, he had to shed blood and sweat at night.
That was why Geom Mugeuk’s nights were long.
The carriage ran and ran, finally arriving at the Golden Dragon Clan in Shaanxi.
Geom Mugeuk parted ways with his father at a spot where the clan’s buildings were visible in the distance.
“I will go ahead as a scout.”
It was his judgment that there was no need to go to the Golden Dragon Clan with his father from the very beginning.
“Aren’t main characters supposed to appear later?”
No matter how he tried to hide it, how could he conceal his father’s presence?
Besides, in a situation where he didn’t know how the Clan Leader would react, it was a wise choice to go alone first and assess the atmosphere.
Geom Woojin, too, had guessed his son’s intentions and readily accepted his plan.
Moreover, he had to receive reports from the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion and take care of backlogged work.
“I will wait at the safehouse.”
There was a Heavenly Demon Divine Sect safehouse nearby, so if he needed help, his father could come quickly.
“I will send word.”
The carriage carrying his father departed in the opposite direction.
Geom Mugeuk joined Geum Ah-rin’s carriage.
Geum Ah-rin was about to suggest that the two men should also come along but stopped herself.
Trust him.
I should trust this man.
He must have a plan.
The carriage arrived at the entrance of the Golden Dragon Clan.
Above the magnificent main gate was a golden plaque, the calligraphy so powerful it looked like a dragon soaring through a storm.
The gate opened, and the carriage entered.
The guards at the entrance were as dignified as martial artists from a warrior clan, with well-trained eyes.
The spacious courtyard, flower garden, and pond inside the gate were arranged in harmonious and beautiful fashion.
The buildings were grand, and golden dragons symbolizing the Golden Dragon Clan were carved everywhere.
Various intentions to overwhelm visitors could be felt everywhere, but they had no effect on Geom Mugeuk, who had grown up seeing the giant demon statues of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
As they got closer to the Clan Leader’s Hall, Geum Ah-rin’s tension became more palpable.
“Are you nervous?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Geum Ah-rin nodded.
This was not the time to hide her emotions, but to prepare for her father’s reaction.
“My father might yell at you.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. When it comes to ‘scary fathers,’ I’m more seasoned than anyone.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Aren’t you worried at all? How can you be so calm?
The second son, Geum Ah-jong, who had arrived first, was waiting in front of the Clan Leader’s Hall.
“You’ve arrived?”
Having completely misunderstood Geom Mugeuk’s identity, he looked at him with a different mindset than before.
‘This swindler! This cute little rascal who will change my destiny!’
His heart was filled with the desire to quickly connect this swindler with his older brother and bring about his brother's ruin.
“Was your journey here difficult?”
“It was fine.”
“Let’s have a drink later if you have time. Since you’re a guest at our home, I’ll treat you.”
“Let’s do that.”
Geom Mugeuk readily accepted his offer.
After parting with Geum Ah-jong, Geom Mugeuk and Geum Ah-rin entered the Clan Leader’s Hall.
As they walked down the corridor, Geum Ah-rin spoke.
“Something’s suspicious.”
“What is?”
“My brother would never be this kind to you. It’s excessive.”
She was certainly quick-witted.
“There’s no harm in becoming friends, is there?”
“You just saw him. The kind of person who’s bad to be friends with.”
And so, the two entered the Clan Leader’s Hall.
The Clan Leader, Geum Cheonbang, was waiting there.
Unlike most great merchants who have pleasant impressions and fine physiques, Geum Cheonbang had a small frame and a slightly irritable appearance.
It seemed Geum Ah-rin and Geum Ah-jong were fortunate enough to take after their mother.
Having made the Golden Dragon Clan one of the top five in the Central Plains with such an appearance, one could say his abilities were all the more remarkable.
Geum Ah-rin thought her father might start shouting the moment he saw her, but surprisingly, he was calm.
“I’ve returned, Father.”
“You’re here?”
Geum Cheonbang’s gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.
“I am Geom Yeon of the Western Path Sect.”
As he politely cupped his fists in greeting, Geum Cheonbang also returned the greeting gently.
“A pleasure to meet you.”
Geum Ah-rin grew even more tense at the sight of her father smiling at Geom Mugeuk.
He was not the type to offer such a smile to someone who had taken the huge sum of two million nyang.
Moreover, this man’s father and uncle hadn’t even come with him.
In other words, her father could think they took two million nyang and sent a young man in their place.
But her father showed no signs of displeasure at all.
That was what made her uneasy.
Her brother, and now her father, were both acting unexpectedly.
“I heard the story. That you’ve decided to help our Ah-rin?”
“That is correct.”
“My daughter has a good eye for people.”
“Seeing as she chose me, I believe that’s certainly the case.”
Geum Cheonbang even received Geom Mugeuk’s joke with a smile.
“But I heard there were three of you?”
“My father and uncle had a place to stop by, so they will be coming later.”
“I see.”
The reason Geum Cheonbang was being cautious was precisely because of this point.
‘The Silver River Merchant Group Leader went to meet them in person?’
He knew better than anyone the position the Silver River Merchant Group Leader held.
He was a man who summoned people to him, no matter who they were.
For such a person to move himself, they must be special.
As if to prove it, they had fearlessly broken their contract with them and signed a new one with his daughter.
‘Just how great are their skills?’
Geom Mugeuk was also observing him carefully.
Geom Mugeuk believed that Geum Cheonbang was the key to this whole affair.
‘Do you know who your money is going to?’
Thus, their mutual assessment concluded.
The first to speak was Geum Cheonbang.
“I am a merchant. My principle is that goods must be bought at a fair price and sold at a fair price.”
A person like that is the one who ran a secret organization to absorb the Ju Clan Sword Family?
“It is because you hold such a fine principle that you were able to build such a great business.”
“Thank you for saying so. That being said, may I ask a favor of you?”
It was his way of saying that since he received two million nyang, he should prove his worth.
“What favor is it?”
“The Golden Dragon Clan conducts numerous transactions. Even at this moment as I speak with you, deals are being made somewhere. There are good deals, but there are also bad ones. There are many who have caused us great losses and then turned a blind eye. Among them, there is one place that has troubled us for a long time.”
Geum Cheonbang looked at Geom Mugeuk and narrowed his eyes.
“Would you go there and collect the debt for me?”
“Who are these shameless people?”
Geum Cheonbang feigned a sigh and answered.
“The Hundred Immortals Gang.”
The Hundred Immortals Gang.
It was named as if it were a sect of a hundred immortals, but if it were truly a gathering of such people, they would not have chosen such a name.
The Hundred Immortals Gang was a den of demons.
Even Geom Mugeuk knew about them.
Geum Ah-rin now understood.
Why her father had been so kind.
He wasn’t going to end this with just anger and shouting.
‘He intends to kill this man.’
The Hundred Immortals Gang was more than just a long-standing nuisance to the Golden Dragon Clan; they were an extremely evil and dangerous existence.
Even they, the Golden Dragon Clan, had not yet recovered the money they had been extorted out of.
Asking them to collect that money was a request filled with a malice that went beyond simply testing their skills.
“Father, entrusting that task is…”
Just then, Geum Cheonbang looked at her with cold eyes.
Geum Ah-rin could not continue.
She could feel how angry her father was.
Geom Mugeuk, on the other hand, was relaxed.
“How much is the debt I need to collect?”
“The amount has accumulated over a long time, so the debt has reached three million nyang.”
It should be seen as money they had been extorted out of under various pretexts.
It was money they didn’t even recognize as a loan, so collecting it was impossible.
The Hundred Immortals Gang was teeming with masters, and their viciousness was at its peak.
Geum Cheonbang was curious to see how Geom Mugeuk would react.
‘Will he accept even in this situation?’
This was a kind of sounding out, a test.
To see how he would react.
Geum Ah-rin sent Geom Mugeuk an urgent telepathic message.
—Refuse! Even you can’t face them!
She had bet everything on this man; she couldn’t lose him like this.
She had to stop him, even if it meant throwing herself in the way.
Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not one to move according to her wishes.
—When you asked me to make you the successor, what did I say?
Geom Mugeuk’s question came to her mind.
How far can you trust me?
Even so, to be put to such a test so soon.
While she hesitated to answer, Geom Mugeuk’s reply came first.
“I will collect it.”
Geum Cheonbang gave a strange smile.
‘He’ll do it? Is this a decision made without knowing who the Hundred Immortals Gang is? Or a decision made with full knowledge?’
Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not one to meekly accept such a demand.
“Then what percentage of it will you give me as compensation?”
“What?”
Geom Mugeuk calmly explained to the surprised Geum Cheonbang.
“I am not the Clan Leader’s subordinate, but a person who has joined hands with Miss Geum here, am I not? Since I am now doing a job that my own partner is advising against, it is only natural that I receive proper compensation. Is my demand wrong?”
Geum Cheonbang could not refute it.
He was right.
Strictly speaking, he was not a subordinate he had hired.
But to demand more money after already taking two million nyang?
Normally, it would be an absurd demand, but the current situation was special.
“How much do you want?”
“You said it’s been a long time since you received the money, so it’s a bad debt. You probably thought you’d never get it back anyway. And since the Clan Leader couldn’t collect it, they must be that much more dangerous.”
After laying out his reasoning, Geom Mugeuk made a bold move.
“I will need half.”