The Second Son of the Dancheon Sword Clan Prepared for Regression

Chapter 7: I Made Contact with the Rogues' Guild (2)

I also did not know much about the Sword Monument Pavilion, who was a strong candidate for the next Rogues' Guild Leader.

This was because I could not obtain much information about the succession struggle of the Rogues' Guild, no matter how much I spread rumors.

However, there was one fact I knew.

That seven years later, the Flower Moon Mistress of the Pavilion, Yeo-wol, would defeat the Sword Monument Pavilion and assume the position of the next Rogues' Guild Leader.

The history of the Jianghu Murim was written by the victors, so I was able to obtain a lot of information about Yeo-wol who became the Rogues' Guild Leader.

Therefore, she was a suitable target for a deal.

“What do you plan to trade with me?”

Yeo-wol, who had regained her composure, asked me.

Since I knew the information about her, which was hidden behind a veil, in such detail, she must have become willing to at least hear me out properly.

It was all according to plan.

“Wait a moment.”

I didn't know the information about the Sword Monument Pavilion.

But that didn't mean I had no weapon in my hand, so I put my hand in my bosom to take it out.

At that moment.

“Stop right there.”

The servant of the Flower Moon Pavilion, who I thought had guided me to Yeo-wol and gone outside, was standing behind me without a sound.

The aura of the blade he held to my Adam's apple was chilling.

I had a suspicion, and I guess I was right.

It seemed the servant of the Flower Moon Pavilion was the supreme master of the Rogues' Guild known as the shadow of the Rogues' Guild Leader Yeo-wol, the Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Ma Sok.

“The hospitality here is quite terrible.”

Pretending to be calm, I smiled and slowly took my hand out of my bosom.

Although I feigned composure, my insides churned a little.

First Uncle Yeo Baek, and now the Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Ma Sok.

Even though I had achieved the first stage of Healing Sage's Mind Cultivation Art, I was no match for even a single move of theirs.

It might be partly due to my lack of martial arts level and practical experience, but it was also due to the fact that the Jianghu Murim was rife with all sorts of extraordinary people.

“If you’re so suspicious, would you mind taking out what’s in my bosom for me?”

I slightly opened my arms to reveal the front of my clothes.

After a moment of hesitation, Ma Sok put his hand in my bosom.

Soon, in his hand were two small glass bottles, each about the size of a forefinger joint.

Inside the bottles was a liquid of a mysterious color.

Thinking it was a deadly poison, Ma Sok observed me with a sharper gaze for a moment.

“That’s Immaculate Pomegranate.”

“……!”

As soon as my words fell, the atmosphere in the room changed.

This was because neither Yeo-wol nor Ma Sok were foolish.

In particular, I could feel a killing intent emanating from Ma Sok that was sharper than the blade he had held to my neck.

Immaculate Pomegranate was called the supreme spiritual medicine or the peerless spiritual medicine.

The important fact was that these items labeled ‘supreme’ or ‘peerless’ were generally not obtainable with money.

Since demand far outstripped supply, a proper price could not be formed.

There were about two ways to obtain something that could not be bought with money.

Either you were blessed with heavenly luck and found it yourself, or you killed the other person and took it.

Before Ma Sok and Yeo-wol could make the second choice, I quickly continued.

“Surely you didn’t think of killing me, did you?”

A moment of silence.

“Of course not.”

Yeo-wol answered, feigning composure, but she couldn't hide the gap that had formed between my question and her answer.

“Do you see us as such ruffians?”

I didn't answer and just stared at her blankly.

“Keuheum.”

Yeo-wol let out an embarrassed cough.

Let's just let it slide for now.

After all, I was here to make a deal.

“Don’t forget. As you know, I am the second son of the Dancheon Clan.”

That position, which had been a mere empty shell, now became the most reliable shield protecting me.

Although no one in the Dancheon Clan knew I was here, how would she know that?

“We are not so rash.”

Saying so, Yeo-wol gave a slight nod, and Ma Sok sheathed his sword.

Although she was pretending not to, Yeo-wol was probably running furious calculations in her head right now.

Swallowing the Immaculate Pomegranate versus making an enemy of the Dancheon Clan.

What would be the gain and what would be the loss?

So I needed to give that scale a little nudge.

“Here, give that to me.”

When I held out my hand to Ma Sok, he inadvertently handed both glass bottles to me.

“There are two drops of Immaculate Pomegranate here.”

Each bottle contained one drop of Immaculate Pomegranate.

I held out one of the bottles to Yeo-wol.

“One is a gift.”

As if asking if she had heard correctly, Yeo-wol’s veiled face came closer to mine.

As if in response, I held out the remaining bottle of Immaculate Pomegranate to her as well.

“And I want to sell the remaining one. You can buy it, or you can sell it to someone else and give me the money.”

For her, it was a deal with nothing to lose, as she would unconditionally get one bottle of Immaculate Pomegranate.

“Keum. How much do you want?”

Her throat must have gone dry in that short time, as Yeo-wol asked with a cough.

“One hundred thousand gold nyang.”

After those words, I shut my mouth.

One hundred thousand gold nyang was a very large sum of money.

But if you asked if I had proposed an unreasonable amount for this transaction, that was not the case.

This was because a list of several people who would be willing to pay one hundred thousand gold nyang to buy Immaculate Pomegranate, as long as the credibility and safety of the transaction were guaranteed, would have flashed through her mind.

“Please give me a moment to think.”

“Go ahead.”

It was safe to say that the result of her thoughts was already decided.

***

Yeo-wol had two choices.

The first was to take the one bottle of Immaculate Pomegranate, which was said to be a gift but was actually a commission, and simply broker the sale of the other bottle.

She could obtain one bottle of Immaculate Pomegranate with a little effort, and she could put an influential person in her debt.

This was because, whoever it was, proposing to sell Immaculate Pomegranate to them was the same as bestowing a favor.

The second was to receive one bottle of Immaculate Pomegranate as a gift and purchase the other bottle with her own money.

Then she would have two drops of Immaculate Pomegranate.

Her grand plan would gain wings.

Either of the above two conditions was a clearly superior option to killing Dancheon Myeong and making an enemy of the Dancheon Clan.

As they say, seeing is wanting, so her heart was leaning towards the second option.

This was because Immaculate Pomegranate was too coveted an item to pass on to others.

The problem was that no matter how much she was a Branch Lord of the Rogues' Guild and the master of the Flower Moon Pavilion, she could not immediately procure one hundred thousand gold nyang.

One hundred thousand nyang was that large a sum of money.

At that moment, Dancheon Myeong threw a word at her.

“If you buy it, I’m willing to sell it for fifty thousand nyang. Installment payments are also possible. I’ll take twenty thousand nyang as a down payment and receive ten thousand nyang each year for three years.”

This was a truly groundbreaking offer.

“But there will be conditions, right?”

There was a reason for every favor.

She, who had survived in the Rogues' Guild, a place full of trickery and schemes, and risen to become a Branch Lord, knew this fact well.

“Of course, there are a few conditions.”

Yeo-wol nodded, as if telling him to speak.

“The first is that you must keep the fact that I gave you the Immaculate Pomegranate a strict secret.”

Yeo-wol nodded.

“That’s a given. What else?”

In a transaction like this, secrecy was like an iron rule for the Rogues' Guild.

For her own sake as well, this matter had to be kept strictly confidential.

“If the opportunity arises in the future, please help me with a few more similar things.”

“That’s also a given.”

Similar things meant the sale of spiritual medicines, which was something she would have to ask for anyway.

“Lastly.”

At those words, Yeo-wol became tense.

This was because she thought that the condition that would come out now would be the real business.

A condition worth giving up one drop of Immaculate Pomegranate for, she couldn't even imagine.

But at the following words, she felt a sense of anticlimax.

“Whenever the opportunity arises, just grant me one favor.”

Before Yeo-wol could say anything, Dancheon Myeong quickly added.

“If it’s a favor that you judge to be worth more than fifty thousand nyang, you can refuse.”

Yeo-wol tilted her head.

This was because she couldn't understand it at all.

“Why are you doing me such a favor?”

It was a question that was bound to follow.

“Didn't I tell you? I believe you will seize the position of the Rogues' Guild Leader. Let’s just say we’re forming a connection in advance.”

Yeo-wol was rather confused by Dancheon Myeong’s confidence.

This was because Yeo-wol was currently in a situation where she was being slightly pushed back by the Sword Monument Pavilion.

“Well, thank you for the empty words, at least.”

Yeo-wol replied so, but Dancheon Myeong seemed full of confidence.

Her intuition, which had crossed numerous lines of death, told her so.

***

I was confident that Yeo-wol would become the Rogues' Guild Leader.

Wasn't it a future I had already experienced?

If the power of two drops of Immaculate Pomegranate were added, the position of the Rogues' Guild Leader would be as good as hers.

If I could form a deep connection with the next Rogues' Guild Leader with this much favor, it would be a sufficiently satisfactory transaction for me as well.

“If by any chance this is a lie, you know what will happen, right?”

Yeo-wol asked, shaking the bottle containing the Immaculate Pomegranate.

“Then this Ma Sok here will come to kill me.”

This time, Ma Sok showed a surprised expression.

The Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Ma Sok had become famous after Yeo-wol ascended to the position of the Rogues' Guild Leader, so he hadn't thought I would even know his name.

“You, you’re really strange and interesting.”

Yeo-wol laughed from behind her veil.

“I hear that often.”

Not now, but back in my Myeong-gae days.

“Ma Sok. Bring that.”

“Yes.”

Ma Sok, who had bowed and disappeared, reappeared after only a few breaths.

That man was as elusive as Uncle Yeo Baek.

“This is a twenty thousand nyang bank note from the Cheonha Bank. It’s untraceable money that has been laundered directly by the Rogues' Guild, so you can rest assured.”

“Thank you.”

Now, only one last thing remained.

“Can I ask for one more favor?”

“Go ahead.”

She nodded.

I could feel her goodwill towards me.

“Please get me some Azure Scale Elixir. As for the amount, about one mal (approx. 18L) should be fine.”

She readily accepted this request as well.

“Alright. I’ll just do that for you as interest on the remaining thirty thousand nyang.”

She didn't ask for the reason, which was an excellent negotiation attitude.

“Thank you.”

I had secured the money and obtained the Azure Scale Elixir.

“I think we can be good partners.”

Yeo-wol said, holding out her hand to me.

“I think so too.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

For a martial artist to offer a handshake instead of a clasped fist greeting was the same as asking to be friends.

It was a sign of trust.

“I look forward to it as well.”

I took Yeo-wol’s hand without hesitation.

***

“Ma Sok.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

“What do you think?”

Although the object was omitted, Ma Sok understood Yeo-wol’s question perfectly.

But Ma Sok could not easily answer.

“I’m not… sure.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you, who are confident in everything, say that.”

“Indeed.”

Yeo-wol and Ma Sok looked at each other and smiled like father and daughter.

Yeo-wol’s face, with her veil removed, was truly clear.

“But there is one thing I can say for sure.”

“What is it?”

“He definitely looked at my sword until the very end.”

At those words, Yeo-wol showed a surprised expression.

The Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Ma Sok was the hidden sword of the Rogues' Guild.

If he hadn't come to Yeo-wol, Yeo-wol would not have dreamed of becoming the Rogues' Guild Leader in the first place.

And he had looked at Ma Sok’s sword until the very end.

Yeo-wol knew that there were only a handful of people within the Rogues' Guild who could do that.

“Is he powerful?”

Was the Dancheon Clan secretly raising a monster?

But Ma Sok shook his head.

“He’s not powerful. No, actually, I’m not sure about that either.”

“It’s strange how he confuses you this much.”

He was a strange person in many ways.

When her gaze turned to the window, she saw the back of Dancheon Myeong, who was moving away from the Flower Moon Pavilion with an excited gait.

“It seems things will get interesting from now on.”

For her, it was not a bad feeling.