Chapter 366

Chapter 366 – People Who Are Meant to Meet Will Meet (1)

Sizzle!

Well-prepared ingredients went into the red-hot wok. Instantly the ingredients caught fire. Crimson flames danced on the wok, but Bang Jin-bo didn't blink an eye as he diligently moved his hands.

Various seasonings were added in an instant, and instantly a savory aroma filled the annex.

As if he had four hands, Bang Jin-bo completed the dish in an instant. Watching Bang Jin-bo like this, So-cheon let out an exclamation.

"Huh!"

The sight of one who had reached a master's level in a field sometimes brought unexpected inspiration. Bang Jin-bo's appearance now was exactly that.

His appearance cooking with a smile at his lips moved So-cheon as well. It wasn't simply because he skillfully made food. He saw the operation of internal energy hidden behind Bang Jin-bo's appearance of freely handling flames.

Bang Jin-bo was using the Five Elements Gentleman Technique to maximize the taste and efficacy of his cooking. Though he didn't know the detailed operation contained within, he could clearly read that intention.

Nominally, Shaolin Temple was a Buddhist temple. But Shaolin Temple's martial arts were never gentle. Though they refrained from killing, the power of the martial arts themselves was immensely strong.

Being the North Star and center of the martial world, Shaolin Temple had no choice but to always show a strong appearance. Given such circumstances, their martial arts inevitably had to develop that way.

So-cheon, who had grown up at Shaolin Temple since childhood, learned martial arts without any doubt. The martial arts he learned were solely to protect Shaolin and the martial world. Therefore, their killing power was inevitably strong. So he had never even dreamed that internal energy could be operated in such a way to benefit people.

'Sigh! How shameful. Until now I've only blindly learned Shaolin's martial arts without thinking about their fundamentals. I'm inferior even to that child, so I've been living in vain.'

It was when So-cheon was blaming himself like this.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?"

Cho Yeon-woon asked, sitting beside him.

"Just thinking about this and that."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"Well…"

"You can speak honestly. I also admire Jin-bo when I see him. When I first saw that guy, he was just a fat and timid child. But his belief in benefiting people through food never wavered even once. That result is exactly what you see there."

"Hmm!"

"Most of all, the food that guy makes is really delicious. Once you taste it, food made by others feels like garbage."

Cho Yeon-woon smiled. But So-cheon couldn't smile as comfortably as he did.

Their fight ultimately ended in a draw. But So-cheon knew. That Cho Yeon-woon had shown consideration for him.

He had given his all, but ultimately couldn't draw out Cho Yeon-woon's full power. He couldn't know how much stronger power he was hiding.

When he was feeling self-reproach, Bang Jin-bo approached with food plated on a dish.

"Hehe! It's something simple I made, but please try it. I didn't put in meat, so you can feel at ease."

"Amitabha! Thank you."

So-cheon used chopsticks to eat the food Bang Jin-bo had made. The moment he moved his chopsticks to put food in his mouth, So-cheon's eyes widened greatly.

'This is?'

An unknown world he had never tasted was unfolding in his mouth. Most of all, the refreshing energy swirling in his mouth was clearing his mind.

"How can mere food…?"

Something impossible by his common sense was happening.

Cho Yeon-woon said to such So-cheon:

"Don't think, just enjoy. You think too much. Just empty your mind."

Instantly So-cheon felt a shock as if his head had been struck with a hammer.

"Empty it?"

Though Cho Yeon-woon had said it without any particular thought, to So-cheon it instantly moistened his heart like sweet rain wetting cracked rice fields in a dry drought.

Such enlightenment came without warning, and Cho Yeon-woon instantly noticed So-cheon's situation and put down his chopsticks. The same was true for Bang Jin-bo.

"It's a pity, but we'll have to eat the food later."

"Yes!"

"What about So-cheong?"

"She went into the Martial Alliance, so it'll take some time for her to return."

"Good. Let's guard him here until So-cheon finishes absorbing his enlightenment."

"Yes!"

Bang Jin-bo answered without a moment's hesitation.

***

Eun So-cheong looked ahead with a stern expression. Not only her, but the people around her had similar expressions.

They were all merchant guild leaders who had come to Shaolin Temple for trade with the Martial Alliance. And in front of them were Namgung Chang, the Martial Alliance's strategist, and the leadership.

Silence hung between them. It was because of what Namgung Chang had said just moments before.

One of the merchant guild leaders broke the silence and barely opened his mouth.

"So you're saying you want us to donate more money now?"

"That's correct."

Namgung Chang answered calmly. But unlike him, the merchant guild leaders including Eun So-cheong became even more rigid.

An hour ago, Namgung Chang had summoned all the merchant guild leaders who had entered Shaolin Temple for trade to his quarters. And he had asked them to donate even more money for the Martial Alliance.

Though he called it a request, considering Namgung Chang's position in the Martial Alliance, it was no different from coercion.

"I know you're all having difficulties. But to protect the righteousness of the martial world, everyone must make small sacrifices. As you all know, the Martial Alliance has lost its base, and enormous funds are needed to recover it. We're asking you to return part of the profits you gain from trade with the Martial Alliance, so it won't be such a big loss."

"……"

"Of course, your sacrifices won't be forgotten. When the Martial Alliance defeats the Demon Cult and regains normalcy, compensation for your sacrifices will definitely be made."

A subtle red energy swirled in Namgung Chang's eyes as he spoke.

For the past few days, he hadn't been able to sleep properly. The two characters of the name 'Dam Ho' had grown like poisonous mushrooms in his heart and wouldn't disappear.

The news that Dam Ho might soon enter the Martial Alliance made him anxious. In a situation where Dam Ho's whereabouts weren't certain, there were no countermeasures he could establish. So he immersed himself in work to forget about Dam Ho.

What the Martial Alliance needed most right now was funding.

A huge organization like the Martial Alliance couldn't operate on spirit alone. To maintain enormous manpower, correspondingly tremendous amounts of money were needed.

Now that the Martial Alliance's main base in Hunan Province had fallen to the Demon Cult, there were almost no sources of funding. The prestigious sects that had supported the Martial Alliance until now had focused on strengthening their own forces after the Demon Cult seized Hunan Province. Given such circumstances, support for the Martial Alliance naturally had to decrease.

In the end, the merchant guilds they traded with were Namgung Chang's last resort.

The merchant who had first spoken asked again.

"Then how much more support are you asking for?"

"Well. That's something you all need to decide for yourselves."

"What does that mean?"

"You should contribute as much as you care about the martial world. We can't force you to contribute a specific amount, can we?"

The moment he heard Namgung Chang's answer, the merchant who had asked almost cursed.

There were no words more frightening to a merchant than being told to decide for themselves. Namgung Chang was speaking as if leaving the choice to the merchants while actually cleverly pressuring them.

'At this rate, it would be better to trade with the Demon Cult instead.'

'After all the money they've already extorted, now they're doing this again?'

The merchants trembled with anger at Namgung Chang and the Martial Alliance's shamelessness. Eun So-cheong was also mixed among them, feeling angry.

If the money extorted from merchant guilds had been properly used for the Martial Alliance, the anger would have been less. But no matter how she calculated, the money spent was far less than what the Martial Alliance collected.

'Enormous amounts of money are disappearing in between. If that money had been used properly, there would have been no need to extort money from merchants so forcibly.'

Eun So-cheong quietly sighed.

Recently, it was an open secret among merchants that several families including the Nam Gung family had become financially prosperous.

'There's no choice.'

Even for the sake of the money already invested in the Martial Alliance, she couldn't quit. If she antagonized the Martial Alliance here, trade with huge sects like the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families would also end. Somehow she had to raise more money to support them.

The other merchants had the same thoughts as Eun So-cheong.

Here, they were thoroughly the weak party.

The martial world was a world where strength took priority. Here, the strong were huge martial organizations like the Martial Alliance. Their words were the laws of the martial world.

When the meeting ended, the merchants came out muttering among themselves.

"Sigh! How much more will we have to pay?"

"Exactly. First I need to look at the guild's financial situation. It was already tight, and I don't know if we can survive this winter."

It was when Eun So-cheong was following behind them.

"Miss Eun!"

"Yes?"

At Namgung Chang's sudden call, Eun So-cheong stopped and turned around.

"Miss Eun, stay for a moment. I have something to discuss separately."

"I understand."

Sensing an ominous atmosphere, Eun So-cheong quickly answered.

Finally, when all the other merchants had left and only the two remained, Namgung Chang opened his mouth.

"Please sit over there."

"Yes! Thank you."

Eun So-cheong sat in the seat Namgung Chang offered. Her face was full of tension.

"There's no need to be so tense. I didn't ask you to stay to interrogate you."

"Then?"

"I have something I want to ask, so I asked you to stay briefly."

Despite Namgung Chang's words, the tension didn't leave Eun So-cheong's face. She wasn't naive enough to believe Namgung Chang's words at face value.

"The Silver Merchant Guild has also suffered many losses, hasn't it?"

"Pardon? What do you mean…?"

"The Silver Merchant Guild's main business locations are in Hunan Province, so I'm saying this. Now Hunan Province has completely fallen into the Demon Cult's hands, so the losses must be enormous. Isn't that right?"

"That's correct, but…"

Eun So-cheong trailed off.

Namgung Chang's words were half right and half wrong.

Before the Demon Cult seized Yueyang and the Martial Alliance, the Silver Merchant Guild had moved much of its operations to Shaanxi Province with Mount Hua Sect's help. Thanks to that, they were able to avoid the worst situation.

"I apologize for that. If only the Martial Alliance hadn't fallen, the Silver Merchant Guild wouldn't have suffered such losses."

"Your words alone are appreciated."

At Eun So-cheong's answer, Namgung Chang smiled broadly. Instantly Eun So-cheong's ominous premonition became even stronger. And such premonitions were never wrong.

"So I heard you're inevitably trading with Mount Hua Sect."

"What does that mean?"

"Isn't that so?"

Namgung Chang looked straight at Eun So-cheong's face.

Eun So-cheong had been involved in commerce since childhood. Therefore, she was quite bold and confident, but enduring the persistent gaze of Namgung Chang, a giant of the martial world, wasn't easy even for her.

Eun So-cheong bit her lips tightly and lowered her head. Then Namgung Chang continued with a bitter smile.

"So I want to solve the Silver Merchant Guild's difficulties. Trade with our alliance instead of Mount Hua Sect."

"We're already trading sufficiently."

"Let's expand the scale. How long will it take to recover your former prosperity with just trade with Mount Hua Sect? Rather, expanding trade scale with our alliance would be better for the Silver Merchant Guild too."

"That's…"

"I'm saying this out of goodwill."

"This isn't something I can decide on my own. I'll convey the Strategist's words to my father."

In the end, Eun So-cheong gave the most sensible answer. But Namgung Chang was persistent.

"You don't need to worry about problems with Mount Hua Sect. A Martial Alliance envoy has already gone there. They'll explain things well."

"That's not the issue."

Finally, unable to endure it, Eun So-cheong raised her voice. Then Namgung Chang's eyes turned fierce.

"Then what is the problem?"

"It's a matter of trust. We have maintained close relationships and trust with Mount Hua Sect for a long time. We cannot abandon such trust like old shoes at the Strategist's single word."

"Are you… serious?"

Namgung Chang's voice rose. Displeasure was clearly shown on his face. At this, Eun So-cheong was frightened. But she didn't retract her words.

"I'm sorry."

"Hmm!"

Namgung Chang looked down at Eun So-cheong with his arms crossed. His eyes were glinting coldly.

Originally his plan was to financially isolate Mount Hua Sect and then negotiate with Dam Ho. His calculation was that no matter how unreasonable Dam Ho might be, he would have to step back when faced with Mount Hua Sect's financial crisis. But with Eun So-cheong holding firm, his plan was going awry from the start.

"I wonder if you're prepared to take responsibility for your own decisions."

Namgung Chang's voice stabbed Eun So-cheong's heart like a sharp blade. At this, Eun So-cheong's face turned pale.

That's when it happened.

"Strategist."

A trusted subordinate's voice was heard from outside. At this, Namgung Chang answered irritably.

"What is it?"

"They say the Fist Demon is climbing Mount Song now."

"What?"

Namgung Chang's voice trembled involuntarily.