"…How did you come here…?"
"Did you not pronounce it correctly?"
"…I… my head burst."
"Hmm."
Yamyeong was lost in thought, his legs crossed.
"So, you mean…"
"Yes."
"You lent over a hundred thousand nyang to Hwasan?"
"…That's correct."
"One hundred thousand nyang?"
"Yes."
"One hundred?"
"……."
"One huuuuuuuge hundred?"
Yujongsan felt like crying. 'What do you want me to do, you fool!' If you have complaints, you should resolve them through conversation.
It’s maddening to beat someone up without warning, so why torment them like this?
"Hey."
"Yes!"
"I feel like if I stripped you down and sold your clothes, I wouldn’t even get ten thousand nyang, let alone a hundred thousand, yet you say you lent Hwasan a hundred thousand nyang?"
"Ah, well…"
Yujongsan, having figured out what was bothering Yamyeong, smiled widely and replied, "That's how high-interest loans work. When you lend money at a high rate, unless the principal is repaid, the interest keeps piling up. Hehe. As it accumulates, the principal becomes insignificant compared to the enormous interest. When that happens, you just swallow it whole…"
"Thud!"
"Ugh!"
Yujongsan clutched his head and rolled on the ground.
"That's a boast, you fool."
"Ugh."
Yamyeong let out a deep sigh. 'Well, blaming this fool seems pointless.' It seems that the debt to Hwasan wasn’t accumulated recently. 'Of course.' Borrowing a large sum now doesn’t make much sense.
The time when real money was needed was when Hwasan was collapsing.
Money was needed to find a basket to stop the sand from leaking out.
"But…"
"Yes."
"Were you the owner of the Hwaeum Fabric Store?"
"That's correct."
"When did you buy the Hwaeum Fabric Store?"
"Excuse me? What do you mean? That store has been owned by our family for generations."
"…It was owned?"
"Yes. As far as I know, my great-grandfather founded the Hwaeum Fabric Store."
Yamyeong chuckled softly. 'That can't be true.' It's the same.
The Hwaeum Fabric Store was also one of Hwasan's businesses.
Hmm? Were all the successful businesses in Hwaeum owned by Hwasan? 'Of course.' It’s not strange.
Before Hwasan established itself, Hwaeum was just a small village with a few fields.
As Hwasan set up and visitors increased, the village grew, and Hwasan invested money to create various businesses, turning it into a large district.
Any business that made money in Hwaeum was fundamentally owned by Hwasan.
But what? They claim it was theirs since their great-grandfather? Considering this fool's age, his great-grandfather would probably be around Yamyeong's age or younger.
He vividly remembers going to the Hwaeum Fabric Store to buy children's clothes, but the owner is frozen to death.
'There's a foul smell coming from this.'
Let's see.
"I need a few answers."
"…Ask away."
"Then who runs the Hwasan Tea House?"
"Yu Rujoo."
"Naturally, it must have been in that family for several generations, right?"
"That's what I understand."
"The Five Mountains Alliance and Hwaeum Inn must be the same, right?"
"Yes. They are all the prominent families of Hwaeum."
Yamyeong chuckled softly.
He understood enough without needing to ask more.
So, while Hwasan's upper ranks were cut off and fell into ruin, those who ran the businesses swallowed everything, huh?
"Goodness."
Even trying to hold it in, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
The reason Hwasan didn’t directly manage the businesses and entrusted them to agents was twofold.
First, no matter how much Hwasan had a strong inclination towards its own family, it was ultimately a Daoist sect.
It wouldn’t look good for Daoists to run inns and sell fabrics.
And the second reason is—
"Yamyeong. What Hwasan desires is not to monopolize wealth but to live well together. Even if the people of Hwaeum do not belong to Hwasan, they are still neighbors, right? If we can live well together and be full, what could be better than that?"
Good things can freeze to death. 'This is humanity.
Brother Jangmun.'
The reason why the scriptures and sages emphasize that people should repay kindness is simple.
People are beings that do not repay kindness.
No, it’s fortunate if they don’t repay it.
If it benefits them, they can stab a knife into the back of their benefactor at any time.
After all the kindness shown to help them survive, instead of repaying it, they took advantage of their benefactor's crisis to run off with the businesses.
Shouldn’t they know their sins and live modestly? Instead, they set up high-interest loans against Hwasan?
"Ugh!"
Bam!
When Yamyeong kicked Yujongsan with all his strength, the huge body of Yujongsan rolled like a ball.
"Ouch!"
Yamyeong sighed deeply at the sight. 'What good would it do to hit this fool?' Yujongsan probably doesn’t even realize what he’s doing wrong.
He thinks the Hwaeum Fabric Store is truly a business built by his family.
'What should I do about this?'
Yamyeong couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
In his temper, he wanted to beat these fools up, drive them out of Hwaeum, and swallow the businesses back, but it’s not that simple.
Hwasan is a prestigious sect.
Even if the name of the prestigious sect has faded now, the image of Hwasan that Yamyeong wants to revive is not far from that of a prestigious sect.
If it were a rogue sect, it would be different, but how could those called a prestigious sect bully others' businesses without just cause?
If that happened, the name of Hwasan would fall to the ground.
"This is a mess."
He clearly understood how things had unfolded, but finding a solution was difficult.
He needed to find a way to reclaim the businesses without resorting to force and while maintaining his reputation.
Easier said than done!
Ugh.
Scratching the back of his head, Yamyeong turned to Yujongsan.
"Hey. So…"
At that moment.
"Stop!"
"Huh?"
At the voice coming from behind, Yamyeong turned his head.
"Huh? You’re awake?"
One of the guards he had knocked out earlier had regained his senses and was pointing his weapon at him.
He thought he had hit him pretty hard, but it seemed this one was stronger than he expected.
"You bastard!"
The guard gritted his teeth.
"You attacked me sneakily!"
Sneakily? Me?
Yamyeong looked at the guard with a dumbfounded expression.
"Hey. You charged at me first."
"You coward!"
"Uh, yeah. Then let’s just leave it at that."
He didn’t want to tussle with such a fool.
Let’s just let it go.
"Who are you?"
"Huh?"
"From your skills, you don’t seem like an unknown soldier, so reveal your identity."
The absurdity grew even more.
If I were going to reveal my identity, would I have come wearing a mask?
"What do you need my identity for?"
"I need to know who I’m killing."
"…You just got knocked out by me a moment ago, didn’t you?"
Then even if you regained consciousness, you should pretend to be dead.
Why get up and take a beating? Did all the kids become foolish while I was reincarnating?
"If I hadn’t been careless, I wouldn’t have been defeated by someone like you. I was just taking a break as a guard, and now I’m facing this humiliation. Do you know who I am?"
"……."
"This is Zheng Bin of the Zhanhu Dao. Even if you lack knowledge, you must have heard my name at least once, right?"
"Ah, I’m sorry. I’m more ignorant than I thought."
"……."
Zheng Bin’s eyes widened.
Although he was currently taking on a guard duty to earn some money, his name was widely known in the Shaanxi region.
Yet, to not have heard of his name?
"You arrogant fool."
Zheng Bin gripped his weapon and aimed it at Yamyeong.
"I’ll give you a chance to say my name before you die."
"Ha…"
Yamyeong let out a deep sigh.
Why are there so many weirdos in the world?
"Hey, but that doesn’t seem like something a guard should say, does it? No matter how I look at it, you’re closer to me than the person you should be guarding."
"Guarding doesn’t matter anymore."
"Oh, I see. I’m sorry. You’re quite the fiery one."
"Prepare yourself!"
Zheng Bin swung his weapon and charged at Yamyeong.
Yamyeong clicked his tongue at the sight.
His background was clearly stronger than Yamyeong.
And in terms of strength and speed, Yamyeong couldn’t even compare.
By ordinary standards, Zheng Bin was a powerhouse, and comparing him to Yamyeong would be rude.
So, is Yamyeong weaker than Zheng Bin? Not at all!
Internal energy, strength, speed.
Those are not measures of strength.
They might be measures for ordinary people, but they don’t apply to Yamyeong.
He has the experience of wielding a sword for a lifetime and the memories of being the Plum Blossom Sword Master.
"Ugh!"
Yamyeong’s sword swung leisurely.
Compared to the powerful strike of Zheng Bin’s weapon, it seemed like a weak swing that couldn’t even catch a fly.
Thwack!
But that weak sword stuck firmly to Zheng Bin’s weapon.
"Huh?"
In that moment, Zheng Bin’s eyes widened.
The moment Yamyeong’s slow sword stuck to the weapon, an enormous force suddenly transmitted through his arm.
"Ahhh!"
His grip shattered, and Zheng Bin’s weapon soared into the sky.
"Come back after learning more."
Yamyeong’s sword danced brilliantly in the air.
Although it wasn’t a clear plum blossom, a faint flower bud bloomed in the void.
Thud.
Zheng Bin’s body collapsed to the ground like a rotten tree.
"Tsk."
Yamyeong clicked his tongue and retrieved his sword.
If he lacked strength, he could use the enemy's strength against them.
A rookie who can’t even handle their own strength wouldn’t stand a chance against Yamyeong, even if a hundred of them came.
"Know your place…"
At that moment.
"Ah, indeed!"
"Huh?"
Turning his head, he saw Yujongsan looking at him with wide eyes, clearly astonished.
'Oh no!'
In that moment, Yamyeong realized his mistake.
After all, Yujongsan was also someone who lived off Hwaeum.
Just from the clumsy flower bud Yamyeong had drawn, he might be able to guess his background.
Of course, if he had any thoughts, he would have already guessed to some extent, but giving clear evidence is different.
"Indeed, you are from a prestigious sect. I suspected as much."
The face behind the mask of Yamyeong twisted. 'Should I just cut it off?' Or should I make sure he can never speak…
"That clean and splendid sword technique! The high level of martial arts! And above all, the faint aura of immortality!"
"What? You can sense the aura? That can’t be good!"
In that moment, Yamyeong hesitated, unable to find a way to respond, and Yujongsan shouted with conviction.
"Even at such a young age, there’s only one place nearby that could nurture someone with such abilities! That is!"
"Ah, no…"
"The Daejongnam Sect!"
"……."
Yamyeong stared blankly at Yujongsan.
Jongnam? Why is Jongnam here…?
"Huh? Did you come from Jongnam?"
"……Huh?"
His thoughts were short, and his words were fast.
"Y-yes!"
"Indeed!"
Yujongsan immediately bowed deeply.
"Please ask me anything. I will answer anything!"
"…Thank you."
Very much appreciated.
Hehe.
Hehehehe.