Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 97



Only Krnovel

97. The nobles of Huizhou (2)

“Son. Do you know why you are going to the shaman party?”

Yeo Hong-yang knelt on one knee and raised her head. Her father was hidden behind a black gauze window, so only his form was visible.

“It is for the Cheonsu Sangdan to have a greater influence on the martial arts world.”

“I don’t really like that answer.”

Her father’s voice suddenly became cold. On the contrary, Yeo Hong-yang became impatient. At that moment, she suddenly remembered the words that Bu-bu-ju had said to her.

“Because Hubei is geographically well-positioned to block the advance of Shanxi merchants.”

“It’s better than before. But it’s still a bit disappointing. I’ll tell you the truth.”

“Are you serious?”

Yeo Hong-yang was embarrassed. Seriously? Did such abstract words work in the business world? It was an unfamiliar word to come out of the mouth of her father, who always told her to prepare numbers and clear evidence. However, the father behind the barracks was a man who did not know that it was a joke.

When Yeo Hong-yang’s answer was delayed, her father snorted as if he had known this would happen.

“That’s funny. If you can’t even show what’s in your heart, how can you show it to others?”

“……that!”

Isn’t that a different story? Those words lingered in her throat. Of course, Yeo Hong-yang didn’t have the courage to answer like that.

“I’ll answer for you. You are the least influential of my children. That’s why I’m sending you as an independent.”

Only then did Yeo Hong-yang realize the sincerity of her father’s words. Surprisingly, even though it was Yeo Hong-yang’s sincerity, Yeo Hong-yang was not even aware of it.

Yeo Hong-yang’s deep-rooted inferiority complex and low self-esteem prevented her from facing the truth. That’s why Yeo Hong-yang couldn’t even think of saying it out loud, even though she knew the truth very well.

Yeo Hongyang clenched her fists. Her body trembled.

“Connections with the disciples of the shamanist faction? That’s not very important to the Heavenly Life Sect. Right now, there’s no one among the disciples with a better background than you.”

My father’s sharp words continued.

“You will be reduced to a person who just needs to get down safely as a shaman’s disciple and obtain the shaman’s cooperation when traveling up from Hubei. It is a pitiful thing.”

Father, King Yeo Bul-jin’s tongue was like a hundred flying knives. Yeo Hong-yang was unable to say anything even after hearing such insulting words.

“But this is also your last chance. Proposing a new business to the non-partisan faction or bringing the non-partisan faction into the business world is also very meaningful to Cheonsu Sangdan. Of course, the latter is a bit difficult for me to say. For example, this is what it is.”

“……yes.”

“I think I’ve given you enough clues. You should be ashamed of yourself. Your older brother is making his way through the thorns without any clues.”

The eldest brother, Yeo Hong-won. Only five years younger than Yeo Hong-yang, he was in charge of communicating with the imperial palace in Beijing. It was also an important job for the Tianshu Sangdan.

It felt different from being in charge of a party with no influence.

“Go out and see.”

Yeo Hong-yang got up, bent her back, and was about to leave the room when she heard her father’s voice again from behind her.

“Remember, son, there is always one best.”

Of course. That was my father’s habit. It was also something Yeo Hong-yang didn’t like to say. Of course, there has to be one best. What kind of meaning does it have to mean?

Yeo Hongyang bowed her head again and went out. As soon as she left the room, her feet sank into the darkness.

Yeo Hong-yang fell down rolling in the darkness without even being able to scream.

… …

By the time she was suffocating in the darkness, Yeo Hongyang woke up with her eyes wide open. Before she knew it, her breathing was rapid, her heart was beating fast, and her back and the back of her head were wet.

“shit.”

“Are you awake again?”

When I woke up, I asked if Jeon O-su, who was sitting next to me, had also woken up. I looked out the window and saw that it was still dawn.

“No. Sleep more.”

Yeo Hongyang kicked off the blanket and went outside. The sun had not yet risen, so the early morning breeze was cool.

It has been a year and a few months since I entered the ranks of lay disciples. The ranks of lay disciples are divided into two-year units.

That means it will be time to get off soon.

‘What have I done so far?’

While being a lay disciple of the shamanist faction, I have definitely built up trust and intimacy with my fellow lay disciples.

In other words, that was all. As my father had said, I could not propose a new business to the non-partisan group, nor could I bring the non-partisan group into the business.

No, to be exact, he did start a new business and even entered the commercial world, but the entity was a very unexpected one. It was the Hwiyoungsangdan of Muk Hwiyoung, who was also a disciple of the same family.

At best, a disciple of similar age to me was showing me exactly what my father had said.

‘What the hell are you doing?’

From the first time I saw him, I thought he was something out of the ordinary. But now he seems like someone from a completely different world.

Just like his older brother, Yeo Hong-won.

Yeo Hong-yang also knows the current situation. The Hwiyoungsangdan has brought the Mudangpa to the upper world, and surprisingly, the first person to ascend the Hwiyoungsangdan is Yeom-sang. I don’t know where he got the Yeom-in with his amazing skills.

What was important to Yeo Hong-yang was that the nearest salt farm was in Hoe-eum. The salt farm in Hoe-eum was the real home of the Hui-ju merchants. It was certain that Mukhwi-yeong would also come to Yeo Hong-yang.

Thinking that way, I went out and waited for a few days, but he never came. Suddenly, Yeo Hongyang became scared. Was it the time when she became useless to Muk Hwi-yeong?

Thinking about it made my body shiver. It was familiar. It was like filling my whole body with disappointment in myself. That disappointment would later stick to my self-esteem, which was trying to rise.

Once again, when Yeo Hongyang was digging into the ground, someone came in from outside the outer circle. Fortunately, it was Mok Hwi-yeong. Yeo Hongyang immediately started to control her expression.

The two who met like that immediately started talking.

In fact, it was Yeo Hongyang who was more eager for this meeting than Muk Hwiyeong. Muk Hwiyeong was a great talent who could accomplish what Yeo Hongyang could not. To be honest, the only person I could confidently introduce to my father was Muk Hwiyeong.

In that sense, Yeo Hong-yang wanted to have a closer relationship with Mok Hwi-yeong, and she thought that now was the opportunity. So she prepared a good offer for Mok Hwi-yeong. However, what came out of Mok Hwi-yeong’s mouth was ridiculous.

“I want to invest in you.”

“I give you money, and you cooperate with me.”

“Successor? Since when have you been a successor?”

Mukhwiyeong stabbed Yeohongyang’s weak points without mercy. As if he knew she had an inferiority complex, he stabbed her cruelly and deeply.

Yeo Hongyang was so angry that he got up from his seat and tried to leave, but a word from Muk Hwi-yeong stopped him.

“Yeo Hong-won. You want to win.”

It is not easy to know the successor of a large company such as Cheonsu Sangdan. They hide their identity because they don’t want to get kidnapped for no reason.

Of course, complete security is impossible because the successors are also active, but even within the top, they keep quiet and periodically monitor the spread of information.

But somehow, Muk Hwi-yeong found out his older brother’s name. That’s not surprising. Muk Hwi-yeong is a guy who is more than capable of finding out that.

The problem was how Yeo Hong-yang could see through Yeo Hong-won’s desire to defeat her. Yeo Hong-yang never mentioned Yeo Hong-won to her friends, including Jeon Oh-su, and never expressed any feelings of inferiority.

“Let me hear from you. How can I help you defeat your brother?”

Yeo Hongyang sat there pretending to be excited, but she was very calm. If there was one thing Yeo Hongyang was better at than the other brothers, it was acting.

Despite being such a nice person, Muk Hwi-yeong’s next words almost broke her composure.

“It’s simple. You take what Yeo Hong-won has, and take what Yeo Hong-won can’t take away.”

“Are you kidding me?”

This time, Yeo Hong-yang’s composure was broken. It was because the words were so absurd and theoretical.

“Even a lowly servant would say something like that.”

“You still lack experience.”

“what?”

“Aren’t you curious about what to take and what to keep?”

Yeo Hongyang was stunned by Muk Hwiyoung’s words, as if she had been hit on the back of the head with a blunt object. Does Muk Hwiyoung know that? Something that she herself had been unable to find out for years. Yeo Hongyang, who had barely regained her senses, asked urgently.

“What should I take and what should I take?”

“As far as I know, your eldest brother, Yeo Hong-won, is more talented at personnel than Sang-jae. Isn’t he still in Beijing?”

Yeo Hongyang was terrified. Yeo Hongwon’s presence in Beijing was a secret that was strictly kept even at the highest levels. However, he could not help but find out how excellent Mok Hwiyoung’s information power was.

Of course, Mukhwiyoung knew it because he came from the future.

“… … That doesn’t matter. So?”

“Anyway, your brother is thinking of taking over the upper class with his connections rather than his talents. It’s actually not a bad strategy, and the King will probably like it. When running a relatively large upper class, it’s more important to have an eye for people than to have talent.”

“I know that much.”

Yeo Hongyang stopped talking, feeling uneasy for no reason. Muk Hwi-yeong continued speaking without showing any sign of displeasure.

“But you’re excellent overall. You may be a little timid, but you act well, speak logically, and have a good eye for people.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Yeo Hong-yang was taken aback by the sudden compliment. However, Yeo Hong-yang soon regretted saying those words.

“But it’s all ambiguous. Even though he’s good at acting, he’s not good enough to be a Peking Opera actor, and even though he speaks coherently, he’s not good enough to overwhelm someone, and even though he’s not bad at judging people, he’s not the type of person who can find a hermit.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“It’s a cool-headed judgment.”

Surprisingly, Yeo Hong-yang did not feel bad even after hearing such an evaluation. This was because she was somewhat convinced by Muk Hwi-yeong’s evaluation. In fact, it was so scary that it matched exactly with the diagnosis she had made.

“Anyway, I don’t need to be the best in the Central Plains. People like that are born that way. You just need to be the best within the Cheonsu Sangdan. To be more specific, you just need to be the best within the Cheonsu Sangdan’s successors. It’s relative.”

“That’s true.”

“In that respect, you are far superior to the other successors of the Cheonsu Sangdan. In this respect, no one can match you.”

“Really? I don’t know.”

It was the first time he had heard of Yeo Hong-yang. Muk Hwi-yeong looked at Yeo Hong-yang as if he was expecting something, but when he didn’t get an answer, his eyes turned to disappointment.

“You’ve come to know the people of the Mudangpa. You’re the Mudangpa leader within the Cheonsu Sangdan. What does that mean? In effect, you’re the person in charge of the martial arts world of the Cheonsu Sangdan. If you go through the Mudangpa, there’s no martial artist you can’t meet.”

“Well, me. What am I? That’s only natural. After all, I came here as a lay disciple.”

“Why don’t you use something so obvious as a weapon? Have you ever fallen from a tree when you were young?”

“Even if this guy talks… … .”

Yeo Hongyang stopped talking. In that moment, it was clear which part of the Cheonsu Sangdan she should take on. Muk Hwi-yeong smiled as he watched.

“Do you understand?”

“okay.”

Yeo Hongyang nodded solemnly.

“Power. That’s what I have to have.”

“Historically, the majority of those who usurped the throne were warlords. Even though they were incompetent at politics. That’s why force is the most certain means of obtaining something.”

Mukhwiyoung said in a serious voice. Yeohongyang nodded, then stopped.

“But can you tell me all this?”

“what?”

“I didn’t even say I would cooperate. What are you going to do if you just run away without doing this?”

“You have a brain, so you know. Which would be more efficient: you talking to the shamans alone, or me talking to the shamans with them in the middle?”

Yeo Hongyang’s mouth was watering. That statement could not be denied. At the moment, Muk Hwi-yeong was not only not receiving Taoist protection, but he was also special to the shaman’s main disciples.

“So, I will provide you with information on the merchants and other conveniences, and you will provide military force to our party?”

“We still can’t communicate. Do you think I can take over the top job if I feel this frustrated?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Right. Did I say I was investing in your party?”

Yeo Hong-yang blinked.

“You said you would invest in me.”

“Yes. I’m investing in you. But I’m an investor, not a helmsman. Do you… …want to live as someone with a helmsman?”

“… … Ahem.”

Yeo Hongyang felt slightly embarrassed. Embarrassingly, she almost leaned on Muk Hwi-yeong.

“Yeah. That’s my job.”

In that sense, Yeo Hong-yang did not even ask what she should take from her brother. That was something Yeo Hong-yang had to figure out on her own.

“Okay. I finally get it.”

Mukhwiyoung nodded.

It was the moment when the two were on the same boat.