Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 546

Jo Gul, the second son of the Four Seas Commerce, was born to be a merchant, not a fighter.

He took a low, deep breath.

Even though he chose the path of a swordsman, he still knew a lot about trade because of where he came from. Among all the Mount Hua people in the Northern Sea, Jo Gul knew trade best. He knew how important his role was in making sure Mount Hua got a good deal.

But as he sat in the meeting, a question kept popping into his head: ‘Did I even need to come here?’

Suddenly, Chung Myung shouted, “Nooooo!”

Chung Myung glared. “You don’t get it! That’s not enough to fix the problem! All you can sell in the Northern Sea is Hancheol, and you’re trying to get rich selling such a tiny bit?!”

Han Yi-myung sweated. “But, Master… Hancheol doesn’t come out in large amounts. If we could mine it easily, wouldn’t the Northern Sea be rich already?”

“Then mine a lot from now on and get rich!” Chung Myung said.

“T-that’s not as easy as it sounds…” Han Yi-myung replied.

Chung Myung glared at Han Yi-myung, who was sweating a lot.

Chung Myung leaned forward, his voice sharp. “Mister! No, Chief Manager Han!”

Han Yi-myung blinked, startled. “Yes?”

“Tell me straight,” Chung Myung demanded, “when will the Ice Palace actually get rich?” He tapped his fingers impatiently on the icy table.

Han Yi-myung’s mouth opened, then closed. Words seemed to freeze in his throat. He just shook his head slowly, his gaze falling to the floor.

“It’s because you keep saying it can’t be helped! Is that why the Ice Palace has been poor all this time?!” Chung Myung asked.

“T-that’s not something we can do anything about…” Han Yi-myung said.

“Chief Manager,” Chung Myung said with a stern face. “Of course, it’s not your fault. It’s just the Northern Sea’s environment.”

“That’s right,” Han Yi-myung agreed.

This was exactly what Han Yi-myung wanted to say. The Northern Sea was a tough place. It was hard to handle the cold, and even harder to work in it. The people of the Northern Sea wanted to mine more ice essence and Hancheol, but they just didn’t have enough people.

“But there *is* a way, you know. Use your warriors to mine,” Chung Myung suggested.

A look of embarrassment flashed across Han Yi-myung’s face. “Master, the Ice Palace takes care of the Northern Sea, but it’s still a martial arts group. If we make the martial artists do other things, the group will fall apart.”

“Ah, that’s right. I guess that could happen,” Chung Myung said casually. Then, he gave Han Yi-myung a meaningful look. “But, Chief Manager, what are you going to leave for the future?”

“What do you mean?” Han Yi-myung asked.

“When you’re gone and the Palace Lord has to run the Northern Sea, what will you do?” Chung Myung asked. “Will you tell the Ice Palace to protect its warriors’ pride, keep its martial arts spirit, and barely survive?”

Han Yi-myung’s eyes trembled.

Seol So-baek was more than just a Palace Lord to him. He was the one he had to serve, the one he owed loyalty to from the previous Palace Lord, and most of all, he was his beloved son. They weren’t blood-related, but he had begged for milk to feed him and raised him. Because they weren’t related, he loved him even more.

“Are you going to pass on this poverty to the Palace Lord too? While saying nothing can be done?” Chung Myung asked.

“I can’t do that…” Han Yi-myung said, biting his lip.

“That’s right!” Chung Myung clapped, as if he was right.

Jo Gul smiled, watching Chung Myung slowly reel in Han Yi-myung. ‘What kind of negotiation is this?’ he thought. He had never seen anything like it. Usually, groups fought hard to avoid losing even a penny. They flattered each other while making sharp calculations to save face. But this was different.

Chung Myung raised his voice again. “What is there to pass on to future generations anyway? Good martial arts? High honor? Ice Palace pride?” He snorted. “That’s all good, but what good is it if you can’t even eat? It’s good for future generations to have pride and honor on their own. But the old folks shouldn’t make them go hungry for it!”

Han Yi-myung nodded firmly. “You’re right, Master.”

“That’s right!” Chung Myung slammed the table hard.

“Put your pride aside for a moment,” Chung Myung said.

“Warriors have pride and things they have to do. I know that. But…” Chung Myung’s eyes were serious. “Fathers have no pride.”

Han Yi-myung closed his eyes. ‘What would the former Palace Lord have said?’ he wondered. He probably wouldn’t have agreed. He valued the Ice Palace’s pride above all else. Han Yi-myung used to be the same. He would have rejected this without thinking. But now he knew that pride and self-esteem were worthless sometimes. He had learned that raising Seol So-baek.

“Master,” Han Yi-myung said, looking at Chung Myung. “I only want to ask one thing. I know you’re trying to profit from the Ice Palace, and I can’t question you since you’re doing us a favor.” He sighed. “But I’m the Chief Manager, and I’m responsible for setting up the Ice Palace for the young Palace Lord. So, I’ll ask without shame: Is this deal really good for the Ice Palace?” His eyes were more serious than ever.

Chung Myung grinned. “I have one rule: Blood for those who hurt me, and kindness for those who help me.” He looked serious, more trustworthy than usual. “I don’t want vague relationships based on excuses. I want real friends who care for each other and will drop everything to help each other.”

“If the Northern Sea is in danger, Mount Hua will help, like this time,” Chung Myung said.

Han Yi-myung nodded slowly. “What about the Northern Sea?”

“That’s up to the Palace Lord,” Chung Myung replied.

“Ah, that’s right,” Han Yi-myung said.

“However…” Han Yi-myung smiled slightly, nodded, and reached out his hand. “I won’t stop the Palace Lord from choosing. How can I stop someone from helping a friend?”

Chung Myung grinned and grabbed his hand. “You’re thinking straight.” They shook hands tightly, looking each other in the eye.

After a moment, they sat down again.

“Hmm,” Han Yi-myung groaned, looking worried. “Now we have to convince the warriors to work. They have their pride…”

“Ah, don’t worry about that,” Chung Myung said.

“Yes?” Han Yi-myung asked, confused.

Chung Myung smiled. “I’ll teach you how to handle people. You’re worrying too much about their pride. Just put them down for no reason…”

As Chung Myung started his special lecture, Jo Gul chuckled. ‘It’s over here too,’ he thought. Dark clouds were gathering over the Northern Sea Ice Palace.

“Kuh!” Chung Myung burst out of the door, his face shining in the sun. Baek Ah, on his shoulder, stretched out and sunbathed, looking very comfortable.

“It’s done!” Chung Myung exclaimed.

“…That vicious bastard,” Jo Gul muttered.

Chung Myung had doubled the trade that Han Yi-myung suggested. Now that the contract was signed, the Ice Palace had to bring ice essence and Hancheol to Mount Hua. Jo Gul knew the price was higher than expected, but it wasn’t just to help the Ice Palace. ‘He’s going to suck them dry,’ Jo Gul thought.

He knew that short-term profits didn’t require considering the other party, but long-term deals needed to benefit both sides to keep the profits coming.

“But what will you use the goods for?” Jo Gul asked.

“What else?” Chung Myung lowered his arm and said casually. “Ice essence is running out in the Central Plains, so people will pay a lot for it. We’ll keep what we need and sell the rest to the nobles.”

“What about Hancheol?” Jo Gul asked.

“The Tang family will pay a high price for it,” Chung Myung said, chuckling as he remembered Tang Gun-ak’s face when he saw Hancheol. “He even tasted it while making the Hancheol sword. He finally knows how to make weapons with it, but he doesn’t have the materials, so he’s burning inside.”

“That’s right,” Jo Gul agreed.

“If we bring Hancheol to him, he’ll go crazy,” Chung Myung said.

“B-but you’re friends with the Tang family, right? Are you going to sell it to your friend at a high price?” Jo Gul asked.

“Tsk tsk tsk. You sound like a clueless nobleman from a merchant family. You’re hopeless,” Chung Myung said.

“No… Chung Myung, isn’t that a matter of being human, not a merchant?” Jo Gul thought.

“Senior Brother doesn’t know anything! The closer you are to a friend, the clearer you have to be about money. If you give things away without being clear, you’ll end up with problems later. I’m not doing this for money! It’s about relationships and trust!” Chung Myung said.

“…What a load of crap,” Jo Gul muttered.

Chung Myung chuckled, then turned serious and faced Jo Gul. “This is a secret from Soso,” he said.

Jo Gul shook his head as he watched Chung Myung stick out his stomach and head to his residence. ‘That con artist,’ he thought, then quickly followed him.

Chung Myung walked slowly, then glanced at the sky. “This is enough,” he said.

“Huh?” Jo Gul asked.

“All the problems in the Northern Sea come from being far from the Central Plains and having barren land,” Chung Myung said.

“If we trade continuously and earn grain and wealth, they’ll change on their own,” Chung Myung said.

“Then that little kid will be a little more comfortable,” Chung Myung added quietly. ‘And it would be nice if I could make some money in the process,’ he thought as he walked forward.

Jo Gul stared at Chung Myung’s back and smiled. ‘He’s unstoppable,’ he thought. He often didn’t understand Chung Myung, but he was sure that Chung Myung would always do what he thought was right. That feeling grew stronger over time.

“Let’s go together, Chung Myung…” Jo Gul said.

“Ah!” Chung Myung exclaimed.

“Huh?” Jo Gul asked.

“Now that I think about it, Seol Cheon-sang probably hoarded more than just ice essence. Should we dig around a bit more? We have to take everything we can so we don’t regret it! We have to do our best!” Chung Myung said.

“No,” Jo Gul thought. “Sometimes it seems like he’s gone a bit off track. A lot…”