Absolute Regression

Chapter 455: My Father Has Money, Too

Geom Mugeuk’s words struck his heart like a dagger.

“If you’re a merchant, shouldn’t you make a deal?”

Hwang In often took pride in calling himself a merchant.

But he knew. That pride was nothing more than a sandcastle waiting to crumble beneath the crashing wave of truth. At critical moments, he hadn’t handled things through trade as a merchant would, but by mobilizing the Money Ghosts.

“You should’ve come alone and made me an offer. ‘I want that agreement back. What do you want in return?’ Isn’t that what a true merchant would say? A person who figures out what the other wants and offers something in return. One who does what can’t be done with a sword—that’s a merchant, isn’t it?”

Unknowingly, Hwang In bit down hard on his lip. Perhaps it was that very sense of inadequacy that made him snap at Geom Mugeuk’s earlier remark in the inn—that a real merchant should be able to do proper calculations.

Hwang In’s gaze, which had remained silent for a moment, turned toward the building the Money Ghosts had entered.

“What happened to the ones who went in?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know that either.”

“Did you poison them or something?”

Geom Mugeuk smiled.

“My father detests poison. One person was even quite upset with him over that.”

What on earth did he mean? Hwang In couldn’t figure it out.

Geom Mugeuk rose from his seat.

“Well, if you’re curious, let’s go take a look.”

Geom Mugeuk took the lead and stepped inside.

Hwang In, for all he wanted to dash toward the main gate, couldn’t bring himself to do so.

Even if he could escape—no, even if they let him go—what could he possibly say to Jeon Nak after returning like this?

That he fled without even checking on the life or death of the three Money Ghosts Jeon Nak cherished? Maybe it was understandable—he didn’t know martial arts—but Jeon Nak wouldn’t believe him. He’d think there’s no way they just let him walk away. ȑ𝐚₦𝘖ВЕ𝙎

With fear in his heart, Hwang In followed Geom Mugeuk inside.

As they walked down a neatly arranged corridor, there were no corpses of the Money Ghosts, not even signs of a fight. Not a single drop of blood had splashed onto the flowers in the vase on the display shelf.

They were said to be capable of killing the Seodo Sect Master.

‘Where on earth did they disappear to?’

A thought crossed his mind—maybe the three of them were sitting at the inner room at the end of the corridor, sipping tea. Please let that be the case! Or maybe they had killed the Seodo Sect Master and were now exchanging silly jokes over the corpse.

But what if it was the opposite?

All kinds of thoughts ran through his head as the two reached the room at the end of the hallway.

When they entered, Geom Woojin was sitting at a table, drinking tea.

The Money Ghosts were nowhere to be seen in the room.

“Father, the merchant we saw at the inn that day has come back to visit.”

Geom Woojin, who had been staring out the window, turned to look at Hwang In.

“I greet the Master.”

Hwang In greeted him with a trembling voice.

Geom Woojin looked at him with an expressionless face. It was the same gaze he had seen at the inn, but the feeling it gave was completely different depending on the person receiving it.

He should have continued with more formalities, but he simply couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“The ones I came with went into this building first. By any chance… did you see them?”

To be honest, he wanted to ask outright: ’Were you the one who dealt with them?’

Geom Woojin shook his head.

Geom Mugeuk already knew. The one who had dealt with them was not his father, but Hui.

Unless an order had come down to let them pass, there was no way Hui would have stood by while intruders targeting his father entered the house. To Hui, it would’ve been nothing short of ’“How dare they!”’

Most likely, he had stayed hidden and silently eliminated the Money Ghosts one by one as they entered. Not a single drop of blood, not a scream—such was the skill of the man who served as the guard of the current generation’s Heavenly Demon.

“Then where could they have gone?”

Hwang In asked carefully, glancing at Geom Mugeuk. Shouldn’t he, too, be concerned about this? And yet he remained so calm?

At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Hwang In’s mind.

’No way? These people?’

Like the hidden protagonists whispered about in the secret tales of the martial world.

’Could they be a secret clan that had been living quietly while hiding their strength?’

And the thought that followed—

’Then one day, a young heir among them, unable to bear the stifling silence, enters the martial world, participates in the Soaring Dragon Tournament, and wins? And because of that, even the head of the family finally steps out into the world...’

This story, though seemingly fabricated on the spot, didn’t feel ridiculous at all. Without such a background, how could a mere martial artist from a regional sect win the Soaring Dragon Tournament and make three Money Ghosts vanish without a sound?

It was entirely possible. The martial world was full of people with hidden powers and mysteries.

Thinking that way, even the inexplicable composure he saw in the inn began to make sense.

At the same time, a wave of fear surged within him.

’They might kill me too, just to protect their secret.’

The secrets of hidden forces must remain hidden.

’Unless...’

Hwang In looked at Geom Mugeuk. Seeing those clear and deep eyes, far removed from any murderous intent, he dared to hope.

’Maybe this is an opportunity.’

A heaven-sent chance to make Hwangdo Trading Company the greatest in the world.

Finally, Geom Woojin broke the silence and asked,

“What brings you here to see me?”

Should he answer truthfully? That he came to retrieve the agreement? No, that he came to take it?

As he hesitated, Hwang In suddenly recalled what Geom Mugeuk had said:

’If you’re truly a merchant, shouldn’t you make a deal?’

Hwang In took a deep breath and then spoke to Geom Woojin.

“I came to make a deal with you, Master.”

Geom Woojin silently listened.

“Please turn our trading company into the greatest in the world.”

To anyone else, it would’ve sounded like madness. They might ask how he could betray Jeon Nak so easily, just because three Money Ghosts disappeared.

But this wasn’t betrayal.

It was weighing the scales for survival. At least in this moment, he had to become a true merchant. He had to make his calculations correctly.

“In return, I will dedicate not only all profits earned during the process but also half of all future earnings, for the rest of my life.”

It was Hwang In’s instinctive gambit thrown to a man who might choose to kill him or let him live.

The Jeon Nak he knew was a butcher without blood or tears.

Would that kind of man sit still after losing the three Money Ghosts he cherished? No. If a fight broke out, Hwang In needed to side with the ones who would win.

’Let me bet everything on these people.’

Because they were right in front of him now.

At last, Geom Woojin gave a short reply.

“Discuss it with my son.”

From Geom Woojin’s response, Hwang In became certain that his suspicions were correct.

Would an ordinary sect have responded this way?

― Make us the greatest trading company in the world? What nonsense is this?

But instead, he told him to discuss it with his son. As if, with such a discussion, the deal might actually go through.

With nothing more to say, Geom Woojin turned his gaze back out the window and continued sipping his tea.

“Come, let’s be on our way.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Hwang In respectfully bowed to Geom Woojin.

He followed Geom Mugeuk out of the room. As they stepped out, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

Once they exited the building, Hwang In asked Geom Mugeuk,

“Did I perhaps offend the Master?”

“You didn’t make a mistake. It’s just that the deal you offered wasn’t exactly impressive.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What you offered in exchange was money.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly and added,

“My father has money too.”

Hwang In retorted,

“The amount I promised isn’t just a lot—it’s an enormous sum.”

“My father’s wealth is quite enormous as well.”

What on earth was he talking about? Even if the greatest trading company in the world offered half its profits, how could that be compared to a single individual’s personal fortune?

This man occasionally said things that were simply beyond Hwang In’s understanding.

“In any case, you’re finally starting to sound like a merchant.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s gentle expression, Hwang In felt a bit of relief. At least, it didn’t seem like he would be killed.

Naturally, his concern shifted to Jeon Nak.

“If he finds out that the three who came with me are dead, that man won’t sit still. He’ll bring every subordinate he has and come to kill you all.”

“Does he have around three hundred subordinates?”

It had been a joke Geom Mugeuk cracked earlier. That it would take three hundred men for his father to even consider drawing his sword. But now, it didn’t sound like just a joke.

“There are barely thirty of them in total, but I’ve heard some among them are stronger than the ones I brought earlier.”

Geom Mugeuk stared at Hwang In for a moment. As the smile faded from Geom Mugeuk’s face, Hwang In sensed that the next words would decide the course of his life.

“Go back. Bring only that man here.”

Hwang In flinched. What did those words mean, if not that they planned to lure Jeon Nak here and kill him?

“He might suspect me and kill me.”

“You might betray us, too.”

Hwang In understood. This was a test. If he passed it, it meant they were willing to take his hand. The scale within him teetered wildly, swinging up and down. A wrong decision here meant death.

“If I bring him… can you handle him? He’s far stronger than the ones who came earlier.”

“Whether we can handle him or not—that’s for you to judge. But know this. Your dream is too big, and in chasing it, you’ve pulled in a man who’s far too dangerous.”

He probably thought the dangerous man was the one Hwang In had sided with, but the person Geom Mugeuk referred to was his father.

“So make your judgment carefully. In this deal, there won’t be any leniency.”

To speak of the result first—Hwang In chose the secret clan.

The reason was simple. The fact that the other party left the decision to him revealed their confidence—confidence that they could handle everything, even if he betrayed them and brought the enemy upon them.

Of course, it was only a temporary decision.

He planned to plant his feet on both sides and observe how the situation unfolded. After all, a scale always swings up and down.

For now, he would bring Jeon Nak to them. If the Seodo Sect killed Jeon Nak, he’d join them as originally planned. But if Jeon Nak won, he’d simply return to him as if nothing had happened.

What bothered him slightly was that Jeon Nak might have someone backing him, but that was something to worry about later. For now, the urgent matter was how to bring Jeon Nak over without raising suspicion.

He thought of many things along the way. Should he say the Money Ghosts were calling him? Then why send you instead of one of them? It must be something requiring all three of them. No, that kind of excuse wouldn’t work.

After much agonizing, he came up with one method.

“I want to absorb the Seodo Sect into our side.”

At Hwang In’s words, Jeon Nak gave him a puzzled look. He had sent three Money Ghosts with him, and now Hwang In was returning alone and saying something like this.

Without revealing his true thoughts, Jeon Nak calmly asked,

“What’s the sudden reason for trying to bring them in?”

“As we talked, I found myself drawn to their successor.”

“For what reason?”

“He reminded me of the path of the merchant I had forgotten in recent years.”

Jeon Nak’s expression twitched slightly. His very existence stood in opposition to the merchant’s path. To hear it mentioned now clearly irked him.

“They’re a sect that could be useful in many ways. Please trust my judgment.”

Only now did Jeon Nak ask about the Money Ghosts.

“Where are the Money Ghosts who went with you?”

“I told them to stay put. Just grant me permission. I’ll go and return with the signed agreement. I believe it was fate that they ended up with the Joo Clan Sword Family’s contract.”

He never once suggested that Jeon Nak come with him. Had he done so, the ever-suspicious Jeon Nak would have immediately sensed danger.

“You haven’t listened to me much until now. So just this once, leave this to me.”

Hwang In was acting with everything he had. He had to. His life was truly on the line.

Jeon Nak, after silently watching Hwang In, agreed to his request.

“Fine, bring them in.”

“Thank you. I’ll go and get the agreement signed right away.”

As he turned to leave, Hwang In screamed internally.

‘Tell me to go with you! You’re supposed to be suspicious!’

Just as he reached for the door—

“Let’s go together.”

Hwang In turned back, deliberately stiffening his expression.

“I can handle it alone. There’s no need for you to come.”

“No, let’s go together. Now I’m curious. I want to see for myself what kind of man made you change your mind.”

Suspicion had borne fruit, but Jeon Nak’s doubt left no gaps. Before leaving, he had secretly ordered the remaining Money Ghosts to follow him from a distance.

*         *         *

That same night, Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin lay side by side in a net bed, gazing up at the night sky.

“This is your first time lying in a net bed, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s another first we’ve shared together!”

Geom Mugeuk was genuinely delighted. In the past, he used to wish his father would understand such emotions, but now, he no longer carried such hopes. He simply believed his father would understand.

Even if he didn’t, it didn’t matter. He intended to keep expressing his heart from now on.

“I’ll take this net bed and hang it between the fingers of the giant statue in front of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion. Rest there if you ever feel bored.”

If he set it up between the slanted fingers, the entire Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would be visible below. Though, of course, it wasn’t likely that his father would ever actually lie there.

“You’re the one who plans to lie there, aren’t you?”

“When will you teach me that martial art that reads a person’s heart?”

As they continued to gaze up at the night sky, Jeon Nak and Hwang In arrived at the place.

Seeing the two of them lying on the net bed in the yard, Jeon Nak couldn’t help but feel incredulous.

Did he really go so far as to get my permission just to bring in people like them?

Martial artists lying side by side on a net bed, playing around? He had never seen martial artists like that before.

Geom Mugeuk sat up on the net bed.

“You’ve returned!”

As Geom Mugeuk beamed brightly in their direction, Jeon Nak felt a strange sensation. It was because the young man seemed far too cheerful for someone who walked the martial path.

Jeon Nak’s gaze shifted to Geom Woojin, who was still lying on the net bed.

Geom Woojin was gazing up at the stars in the night sky. Seeing that, Jeon Nak found himself unknowingly following his gaze upward.

He didn’t even know why he looked up. It was simply that—because that man was looking, he felt he ought to look too.

Even as he looked at the most beautiful stars, Jeon Nak felt a vague sense of unease. And that’s when he realized.

‘Something has gone wrong.’