Absolute Dominion

◈ Absolute Dominion

Chapter- 22

“Of course.”

This was something that Wang Oh needed to keep secret as well—maybe even more so than Lim Yun-Oh.

Wang Oh racked his brain. The amount that the Ancient Sword Merchant Guild could mobilize on its own was one hundred thousand nyang. The wealth he had accumulated so far was fifty thousand nyang. Fifty thousand nyang could be borrowed from the gambling house under the Palm Heart Clan. As for that deal, it could be settled by creating counterfeit goods. It was something he had done before.

Wang Oh discreetly called Yu and gave him several instructions.

While waiting, Lim Yun-Oh calmly spoke.

“It’s a precious item. If rumors spread, many will be after it.”

“Rest assured. Although it’s unlikely, even if rumors do spread, this branch’s vault is protected by twelve mechanisms. Even the greatest master in the world couldn’t break through it.”

Lim Yun-Oh nodded.

“As expected of the renowned Ancient Sword Merchant Guild.”

“Please wait here for a moment.”

Wang Oh exited the room.

In the span of two hours, Wang Oh and Yu had run themselves ragged. The result was handed to Lim Yun-Oh in a large leather pouch.

“Good luck.”

After exchanging farewells, Lim Yun-Oh stepped outside.

He slowly moved toward an alley.

Two people were waiting at the end of the alley. They were Mu Young and Hwa Mu-Cheol.

Sssshhh—

Jeok Lee-Gun peeled off the human skin mask from his face.

Mu Young and Hwa Mu-Cheol greeted him warmly.

“Good work.”

“Well, it was simple enough.”

Jeok Lee-Gun handed the pouch to Mu Young, who received it and passed over a wrapped package of meat.

“It’s the finest quality meat.”

As he took the meat, Jeok Lee-Gun joked.

“Is this meat worth two hundred thousand nyang?”

“Hahaha!”

“How much have we gathered so far?”

“Roughly three million nyang.”

Hwa Mu-Cheol was shocked at the mention of three million nyang. He knew from the start that Jeok Lee-Gun was no ordinary person, but this level of wealth was beyond his expectations.

But what truly astonished Hwa Mu-Cheol was Jeok Lee-Gun’s next words.

“It’s still not enough. We need to gather more.”

Mu Young nodded.

“Money is important, but people are even more crucial.”

The number of people they needed was not small. The fact that Hwa Mu-Cheol, a master of mechanical arts, had joined was a significant gain.

Jeok Lee-Gun smiled broadly.

“Let’s try to recruit some young talents from the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.”

“I’ll investigate it from my end as well.”

Hwa Mu-Cheol took out a few sheets of paper from his sleeve and handed them to Jeok Lee-Gun.

“They’re a bit rough, given the short notice, but they should suffice.”

“I trust you.”

Jeok Lee-Gun tucked the papers into his sleeve without even checking them. Hwa Mu-Cheol responded with a faint smile.

Jeok Lee-Gun slung the meat over his shoulder and glanced down the alley toward the Ancient Sword Merchant Guild.

“They say it’s protected by twelve mechanisms that no one can break through.”

Hwa Mu-Cheol grinned.

“There’s no such thing as an impenetrable mechanism in this world.”

“Hahaha!”

The three of them laughed in unison.

Tonight, Mu Young and Hwa Mu-Cheol would rob the Ancient Sword Merchant Guild in order to reclaim the Divine Demonic Jade Buddha. Additionally, with the items from the secret vault of the store, they could amass nearly three hundred thousand nyang.

“Although the martial arts contained in the Jade Buddha are long gone, it’s still something worth recovering. My mother carried it with her since she was young.”

“When did you finish mastering the martial arts from the Jade Buddha?”

Mu Young asked, and Hwa Mu-Cheol also looked curiously, waiting for an answer.

Jeok Lee-Gun smirked.

“It’s been several years. It’s been so long that I’ve almost forgotten—I haven’t had the opportunity to use it.”

“Haha, as expected of the Young Master.”

Hwa Mu-Cheol couldn’t help but admire him. He had heard rumors of the Divine Demonic Jade Buddha, but witnessing it being treated like a mere toy was a new experience for him.

Mu Young, gazing at the Ancient Sword Trading Company, calmly spoke.

“By tomorrow morning, that place will be in ruins. The Palm Heart Clan will suffer a major blow as well.”

“We’ll slowly bleed them dry, like leeches.”

“Of course.”

“But don’t completely destroy them. The Palm Heart Clan still has value for us to exploit.”

As Jeok Lee-Gun turned to leave, Mu Young added a final comment.

“By the way, the elders have arrived.”

“Both of them?”

“Even Senior Sword Demon came along.”

Jeok Lee-Gun shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Where are they now?”

“They said they’d find their own entertainment.”

“They always say that… still, I’d better start looking for a proper place to host them.”

Jeok Lee-Gun then turned to Hwa Mu-Cheol.

“Soon, Master Hwa will have the chance to showcase his true skills.”

Hwa Mu-Cheol bowed respectfully.

Jeok Lee-Gun’s eyes gleamed.

“We’re going to build the safest and sturdiest house in the martial world.”

“Are you really going to start the fire yourself, sister?”

While Cha-Ryun’ was holding a large bundle of firewood, her youngest sister, Jeong Su-Ryun, looked on in surprise.

Cha-Ryun placed the firewood in the center of the yard and looked at Su-Ryun with concern.

“Go inside. You’ll catch a cold.”

“This is nothing. I even went for a walk yesterday.”

Despite her words, Su-Ryun’s complexion was pale.

Su-Ryun was fifteen years old this year. She had an adorable and youthful face—her eyes and facial features resembled Cha-Ryun’s a lot.

Su-Ryun had fallen ill seven years ago. One day, she had been playing normally, only to be struck down by a sudden high fever that ravaged her body overnight. By the next day, her health had begun to deteriorate rapidly.

They had called in every renowned doctor and tried every possible medicine, but her condition showed no improvement, and no one could determine the cause.

As Cha-Ryun watched her sister withering away year by year, it felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

Cha-Ryun set up the firewood to make a bonfire.

“I’ll do it.”

Hyang Lee stepped forward, but Cha-Ryun shook her head.

“No, it’s fine, I’ll do it.”

Though she wasn’t familiar with the task, she still focused on it intently. After setting up the bonfire, she brought over a grill and frame. Su-Ryun and Hyang Lee watched with wide eyes, clearly unfamiliar with the scene.

“Something’s up.”

Su-Ryun smiled at Hyang Lee’s comment.

“She’s doing something she’s never done in her life. It’s strange enough that she wants us to eat meat, but now she’s even grilling it herself? Oh my goodness, something huge is happening. No, it’s already happened.”

Cha-Ryun straightened her back, catching Hyang Lee’s teasing tone.

“I can hear you. Go ahead and say it out loud. What’s the big deal? I just thought we’d grill some meat together for the first time in a while.”

Hyang Lee frantically shook her head and whispered something into Su-Ryun’s ear again.

Su-Ryun, having gained new information, asked curiously.

“So, what kind of person is this new brother?”

“Who? Young Master Jeok? He’s just an ordinary guy.”

Su-Ryun smiled meaningfully. She and Hyang Lee exchanged glances and nodded.

Cha-Ryun paused her work and spoke as if it was no big deal.

“It’s nothing… I just owe him a small favor.”

Hyang Lee nudged her side, urging her to find out more, but Su-Ryun didn’t press further. She knew better than anyone that Cha-Ryun wasn’t the type to share her feelings easily.

“And what about big sister?”

“I don’t know.”

In Cha-Ryun’s brief response, there was a hint of resentment and distance toward Hwa-Ryun.

“You have to understand. Big sister has her own struggles too.”

“…”

If only she had been as kind as her younger sister, perhaps none of these problems would have arisen. Though she reflected on her own actions, she couldn’t help but still feel a bit resentful toward her sister, despite understanding her.

“Do you remember the day big sister announced she was going to marry brother-in-law?”

Su-Ryun chuckled softly at the memory. It was her way of attempting to reconcile Hwa-Ryun and Cha-Ryun.

Such a kind girl.

Su-Ryun was the kindest and most precious sister in the world. If there was a way to trade her life to cure Su-Ryun’s illness, Cha-Ryun would do so without hesitation.

Cha-Ryun joined in Su-Ryun’s effort, humoring her.

“Father’s opposition was intense, wasn’t it?”

“It felt like an all-out war.”

Their brother-in-law, Seo Baek, was just an ordinary martial artist from a regular family. Among the three sisters, it was a mystery why the most ambitious sister chose such an unremarkable man.

Seo Baek, who appeared bland and timid, certainly didn’t catch the eye of Jeong Lee-Chu. The two had quarreled endlessly over the marriage, both refusing to back down. In the end, Hwa-Ryun proved that the saying ‘no parent can win against their child’ was true.

Su-Ryun, who had been silently gazing at the fluttering leaves, smiled.

“Big sister was really something back then.”

Just then, someone approached from behind.

“What? Is that not true anymore?”

At Hwa-Ryun’s arrival, Cha-Ryun averted her gaze.

Hwa-Ryun adjusted Su-Ryun’s clothes as she asked.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you outside in the cold?”

“They say it’s not good to stay inside all the time.”

Hwa-Ryun turned her attention to Cha-Ryun.

“I heard a bit about what happened.”

“Is that so?”

Cha-Ryun responded half-heartedly, then suddenly asked.

“Do I have to apologize for this too?”

“No. After hearing about that ‘Spring Breeze’ or whatever inn incident… I was completely put off as well. It’s actually for the best.”

“So, there’s no need to apologize to Jang In-Gyeol? And I don’t have to attend the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament anymore?”

“Right.”

Hearing that, Cha-Ryun felt her anger subside a little.

“But things will get tough from now on. Very tough.”

Her sister was always blunt. Most of the time, this was a flaw, but the fact that she didn’t hold grudges was one of her redeeming qualities.

Not missing the chance to lighten the mood, Su-Ryun happily chimed in.

“Wow! It’s been such a long time since all three of us sisters were together like this.”

“Your eldest sister always finds a way to stay busy.”

Hwa-Ryun retorted.

“And your second sister has been so absorbed in martial arts training that she hardly shows her face anymore.”

Now that she thought about it, Cha-Ryun realized they hadn’t paid much attention to each other lately. Especially to their youngest sister, which made her feel guilty.

“Let’s have a drink together tonight.”

Hwa-Ryun responded jokingly to Cha-Ryun’s suggestion.

“You’ve been drinking well these days, huh?”

Cha-Ryun laughed, and Su-Ryun and Hwa-Ryun joined in, sharing the light-hearted moment.

Cha-Ryun glanced toward the gate and asked.

“By the way, did that guy go to buy the meat or hunt for it?”

“Who?”

“Who else?”

Hwa-Ryun spoke up.

“If you mean Young Master Jeok, he’s planting flowers with Mom in the backyard.”

“What? With our mother?”

“…And this is Sandalwood Flower—it’s said that a nun woke up from a nap because of its fragrance. The flower is said to represent unexpected fortune or love.”

When Cha-Ryun arrived at the annex, Jeok Lee-Gun was running his mouth, as expected. The victim of his chatter this time was her mother, Lady Ahn. While she was observing Jeok Lee-Gun, she couldn’t help but think that even a chatterbox needed to be smart to talk for so long about this and that.

“Have you ever experienced such love?”

“Unexpected love? I’ve never experienced it myself, but I’ve seen it countless times.”

It was a statement that was hard to understand. Jeok Lee-Gun added another comment that was equally puzzling.

“There are some kinds of love that are truly hard to even imagine.”

“Are you talking about your parents?”

Jeok Lee-Gun grinned slyly, while Lady Ahn smiled warmly.

Cha-Ryun shook her head as she made her way over.

“What are you doing over here?”

“What does it look like? I’m helping out. I was passing by and saw your big sister working hard.”

Lady Ahn smiled brightly at his sly remark.

Cha-Ryun shook her head again.

“Don’t let him fool you. He’s a sly fox.”

“So what if he’s a fox? He’s sweet.”

“Where is the meat?”

“It’s right here.”

Jeok Lee-Gun slung the paper sack he had set aside over his shoulder.

“You bought quite a lot.”

“Are we the only ones with mouths to feed? I saw there were plenty of family members.”

It seemed like he intended to share the meat with the martial artists of the Righteous Sword Sect as well.

Such an unexpected display of thoughtfulness. In moments like these, he almost seemed like an adult.

“Well then, let’s go. Your daughter said that she’s going to be the one to grill the meat today, although…”

Cha-Ryun shrugged in response to her mother’s questioning gaze.

Jeok Lee-Gun, carrying the meat, dashed off like a child.

“…Sorry, but I’m not leaving it to you. I can’t stand burnt meat. Wow, I’m starving!”

Lady Ahn and Cha-Ryun followed behind him.

“He seems like a good person.”

“In what way?”

Lady Ahn gazed at Cha-Ryun quietly. Her mother’s eyes were always warm and comforting. And they always seemed to peer deep into her heart.

“What is it?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Lady Ahn smiled meaningfully.

“Be friendly with him.”

“I’m not so sure if what you’re thinking is going to happen.”

“In a house full of gentle lambs… a fox or two might not be so bad, right?”

Cha-Ryun pretended not to hear and didn’t respond.

A man?

It was something she had never seriously considered before.