Absolute Regression

Chapter 452: When a Merchant Yields Profit

It was something that shouldn’t have happened.

She had approached someone she met for the first time today and asked for help with something this important.

If her mother or the martial artists of the Joo Clan Sword Family heard about this, they would say she had lost her mind. They would see it not just as a mistake but as an incident.

‘But why do I feel so refreshed?’

When she said, “Find me a reason to tear it apart,” a tingling thrill coursed through her body, and she felt good. It was as if her instincts were shouting. That she had done well. It was the first time she had ever felt this way.

Moreover, the response she received was just as crazy as what she’d asked.

“How many do you want me to find?”

He hadn’t even looked at the agreement, and yet he spoke with such confidence?

Whether it was bluster or true confidence didn’t matter. That earlier sense of relief had returned to her heart.

“The more, the better.”

Just as she was about to hand the agreement to Geom Mugeuk—

Hwang In, who had been watching until now, stepped forward.

“Miss Joo, that’s not something you should do.”

At Hwang In’s calm restraint, Joo Hyangwol’s hand froze in mid-air.

“Miss Joo may not yet be familiar with these kinds of agreements, but you must not show such a document to an outsider.”

Hwang In was certain Geom Mugeuk was an outsider. When he had conducted preliminary research on the Joo Clan Sword Family, no one gave off such a distinct impression. Also, based on Joo Hyangwol’s tone and demeanor toward them earlier, it was clear he wasn’t someone from within.

Then Geom Mugeuk asked Joo Hyangwol,

“Did you make a prior promise not to show it to outsiders?”

“No, this is the first time I’ve seen that agreement today.”

Hwang In cut in again.

“This is customary in contracts.”

Geom Mugeuk responded to him calmly.

“For someone who knows custom well, I don’t understand why you made such a mistake.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it customary that when drafting such agreements, you send them in advance so they can be reviewed thoroughly before the meeting? The one who broke that custom seems to be you.” ℞ã𐌽ꝊᛒĚＳ

Hwang In couldn’t refute that.

Joo Hyangwol was only now learning that. She had never experienced anything like this before.

“So let’s drop the word ‘custom’ at this table. It didn’t exist from the start.”

Hwang In realized then that this young man before him was not as easy to deal with as he looked.

“Who are you?”

“A man who became a filial son thanks to Miss Joo.”

Hwang In couldn’t grasp what that meant. From those words alone, he couldn’t tell whether they were on the same side as Joo Hyangwol or had indeed just met at the entrance of the inn.

It was certain, at the very least, that they were strange people. Even while such a tense conversation was unfolding, Geom Woojin and Hui continued eating their meal.

Exchanging casual phrases like, “Try this too,” and “Thank you.” as if nothing was going on.

“If you read the agreement, you’ll see that our merchant group made quite a few concessions. That’s why we neglected to send it in advance. I thought you’d be satisfied once you saw it in person. Go ahead and read it. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”

There was unmistakable confidence in Hwang In’s gaze.

‘Do you think you can actually find something just by reading it?’

Geom Mugeuk accepted the agreement held in Joo Hyangwol’s hand.

“Let’s have a look.”

He placed the agreement on the table and began reading it slowly.

Meanwhile, Geom Woojin and Hui kept eating. They didn’t pay any attention to what was happening on this side. For a moment, it seemed like perhaps the father was angry at the son, but from their expressions and demeanor, there wasn’t a trace of anger.

As both Joo Hyangwol and Hwang In focused their gaze on him,

Geom Mugeuk read through the multi-page agreement all the way to the final page.

“Why is there so much difficult wording in here?”

“There’s a specific terminology used for these kinds of agreements. So? Did you find any part that warrants tearing it apart?”

After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk answered.

“I don’t think there’s anything like that.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Joo Hyangwol’s face. She had felt certain this man would find something—give her an answer.

On the other hand, Hwang In smiled with quiet satisfaction, as if saying, “I knew it.”

“Well then, since we’ve confirmed everything, let’s proceed with the signing.”

Having gone so far as to show the agreement to an outsider, it was now even harder to delay the signing.

‘Could it be that this time, Mother’s judgment was right?’

She bowed politely to Geom Mugeuk.

“Thank you for reading it.”

Just as she reached to retrieve the agreement from the table—

A completely unexpected voice broke the silence.

“The sixth line of the first page.”

Surprisingly, the speaker was Geom Woojin.

Joo Hyangwol quickly read the clause Geom Woojin mentioned.

It was a clause stating that if either party caused damage to the other’s reputation, they must settle it financially through mutual agreement.

“Is there a problem with this?”

She asked cautiously.

If the Joo Clan Sword Family and the merchant group were to form an agreement, who would benefit more? She had thought that this clause actually favored the Joo Clan Sword Family. Could it be that Geom Woojin had pointed to the wrong section?

Instead of answering, Geom Woojin pointed again.

“Ninth line of the second page. Second and seventh clauses on the third page.”

Joo Hyangwol read every part he pointed out. None of it was particularly difficult. In fact, she had thought these were the favorable parts. The very sections she believed the other side had conceded on in order to form this alliance.

These were the kinds of clauses in question. For example, if the opposing side was proven to be at clear fault, the agreement permitted not only monetary compensation but also the use of force.

In other words, the agreement allowed the Joo Clan Sword Family to attack the merchant group—just as Hwang In had said, those were clauses where the other party had made maximum concessions.

‘Why is he only pointing out the parts where they made concessions?’

With a puzzled expression, Joo Hyangwol looked at Geom Woojin.

After quietly staring at her, Geom Woojin suddenly asked,

“Are you certain you’re the stronger side?”

“!”

At that moment, Joo Hyangwol’s heart sank.

Not once while reading the agreement—or even after entering this inn—had she ever questioned that assumption. She had always believed, without doubt, that the Joo Clan Sword Family was the stronger party.

But what if that wasn’t true? What if they weren’t the stronger ones?

Then all of these clauses would become poison pills, returning later as blades pointed at them.

She had become so distracted by the vague and complex wording in the agreement that she had overlooked the most basic and vital point.

The most dangerous traps aren’t the hidden ones. They are the ones placed in plain sight—when no one recognizes them as traps, their power becomes exponentially more dangerous.

Then came the single line from Geom Woojin that swept away all doubt.

“When a merchant yields profit, it’s always for a reason.”

Joo Hyangwol found herself agreeing with Geom Woojin’s words.

‘That’s what I’d been missing.’

At the same time, the emotions that surged in her were the same comfort and relief she had felt earlier.

And now she realized—perhaps it wasn’t the younger man, the son, who had brought her that sense of reassurance, but rather the father.

Geom Mugeuk spoke with a bright smile.

“You were pretending not to look, but you saw everything, didn’t you?”

“Didn’t you place it on the table so I could read it?”

“I must’ve gotten my sharp instincts from you. Ah, but I wish I’d inherited your brilliant mind too.”

“You noticed it as well, didn’t you?”

Geom Woojin assumed that Geom Mugeuk had come to the same conclusion. He must have realized that Woojin had been peeking at the document from time to time. But Geom Mugeuk flatly denied it.

“To a parent’s eyes, their child always seems the smartest.”

As Joo Hyangwol watched the two of them, she found herself growing increasingly immersed in their presence. Even now.

It wasn’t the time to just blankly stare, and yet—she found herself enviously watching the conversation between the father and son.

She turned to look at Hwang In.

True to his bloodline as a merchant, he managed his emotions well.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. We’re nothing more than a modest merchant group. If we were really that strong, why would we need to join hands with the Joo Clan Sword Family?”

Then Joo Hyangwol asked him,

“Why don’t you tell me? Why is that?”

If they truly possessed greater martial strength than the Sword Family—if they had concealed that fact and presented this kind of agreement—then this wasn’t a simple partnership.

It was a conspiracy.

Hwang In remained calm.

“There’s a misunderstanding.”

“Of course there is.”

Joo Hyangwol raised the agreement and attempted to tear it in front of her eyes.

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk stopped her.

“Would it truly be satisfying to tear that apart?”

Joo Hyangwol turned her head toward Geom Mugeuk.

“You’d be better off holding onto it. What you’re holding, Miss, is evidence.”

“Evidence?”

“Isn’t it proof that they tried to swallow the Sword Family whole? It might feel satisfying to tear it apart, but the one who would feel real satisfaction is that man.”

“!”

Joo Hyangwol was stunned.

She had brought it to Geom Mugeuk, asking him to find a reason to rip it apart.

She had thought the reason had finally been uncovered—and now, ready to tear it gleefully—only to realize it wasn’t that simple. She had just barely avoided another pitfall.

And the traps kept revealing themselves.

“Yes, I’ll keep it safe.”

Just as she was about to tuck the agreement into her bosom, Geom Mugeuk intervened again.

“Don’t put it in there.”

“Why not?”

“Didn’t you decide to tear that agreement because you acknowledged they were stronger?”

“That’s right.”

Otherwise, there would be no issue with the agreement.

“If you’re holding onto something that can be used as incriminating evidence against them, how do you think they’ll respond?”

Joo Hyangwol looked at him with a doubtful gaze, and Hwang In calmly replied,

“I’ll say it again—we’re merely humble merchants.”

Now, Joo Hyangwol could see him objectively. That “humble merchant” was far too composed.

She turned to Geom Mugeuk and asked,

“Then what should I do?”

“You need to store it in a safe place. Entrust it to the place you consider safest.”

Joo Hyangwol thought for a moment.

“There was someone I always thought of as the safest place since I was young.”

“Entrust it to that person.”

“I can’t. That person has already passed away.”

The place she had always felt safest was in her father’s arms.

It wasn’t something she needed to say, but for some reason, she wanted to. Perhaps it was because she had endured overwhelming psychological pressure today—or perhaps, oddly, she wanted to share it with these two who had captivated her in such an inexplicable way. She couldn’t understand her own feelings.

But she forced herself to gather her courage. After all, this matter concerned her, and it concerned her family.

“I’ll take care of it myself. Thank you so much for your help.”

The moment she finished speaking—

An unexpected development occurred once more.

Geom Woojin extended his hand toward her and said,

“I’ll keep it for you.”

The moment she heard those words, Joo Hyangwol felt a surge in her chest.

Overlapping with the image of Geom Woojin holding out his hand, she saw the image of her father.

Though Geom Woojin looked at her with a stern expression, the father overlapping that image was smiling.

“I was the one who found the part that needed to be torn, so I should be the one to take responsibility.”

But Geom Mugeuk knew that wasn’t the real reason.

His father had recently been influenced by him, so he could understand offering a little help to the girl. Sure, it made sense to feel good about helping her find the issue in the agreement.

But to take custody of it?

There was no telling when or how this matter would conclude. And they had pressing business to handle in Shaanxi. This wasn’t like his father at all.

That left only one conclusion.

The Hwangdo Trading Company must be connected to the task they needed to handle in Shaanxi.

His father was the only one who had heard the details of this mission from Sima Myung. Geom Mugeuk hadn’t asked about it on purpose. He figured they’d find out once they arrived anyway, and until then, he wanted to focus completely on traveling with his father.

When all the Demon Supremes had gathered, the Chief Strategist had said:

―To mobilize martial artists and organizations of this level, vast funding is necessary. Through a discreet investigation, we’ve found a clue to trace those behind it.

Since they were tracking the flow of funds, they would likely be dealing with immensely wealthy individuals in Shaanxi. The Hwangdo Trading Company was probably a subordinate organization or otherwise connected to those forces.

“It’s fine, give it to me.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Joo Hyangwol, as if under a spell, handed the agreement to Geom Woojin with trembling hands.

Watching this, Hwang In felt his chest tighten.

When he came here, he had never imagined things would turn out like this.

His eyes turned to Geom Mugeuk.

‘Whoever you are, you’ve picked the wrong target.’

They must have thought of him as just a peddler. But if they knew what kind of place the Hwangdo Trading Company truly was, they wouldn’t have dared to act so boldly.

“I’m quite busy, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

But Geom Mugeuk didn’t let him go just like that.

“Wait, don’t leave without settling the bill for renting the whole inn.”

As Hwang In turned back with a slightly stiff expression, Geom Mugeuk added with a smile,

“If you’re a merchant, you ought to settle accounts properly, don’t you think?”

Hwang In responded with a composed smile.

“Of course. When it comes to give-and-take, I’m a very thorough person.”

He called over the innkeeper, paid his dues, and left the place.

Once Hwang In had departed, Joo Hyangwol felt as though a storm had just passed.

‘What if I hadn’t stood up? What if I had signed it right then and there?’

How might her fate have changed?

“If what you say is true, those men might try to steal the agreement back.”

To her concern, Geom Woojin simply called over the innkeeper and ordered a new dish.

“Since we’re already seated, let’s eat before we go.”

Joo Hyangwol encountered yet another unexpected turn. She had never imagined she would be sitting down to a meal with these people.

But it was not Geom Woojin who reassured her—it was Geom Mugeuk.

“You don’t need to worry. That thing you entrusted to us is now…”

He looked toward his father with gentle eyes.

“…being kept in the safest place in the entire martial world.”