Hwi was genuinely moved.

It was grateful enough that Geom Mugeuk said he would share money with him, and even more so that the leader ordered him to accept it.

Moreover, Geom Mugeuk calling him the highest-priced bodyguard was also appreciated. He had thought himself a person without vanity, but hearing that made him realize he did have some.

Yet among all these pleasant feelings, the most appreciated was the leader’s last words.

“Therefore, take as much as you can.”

Those words did not suit the leader at all. Demanding money from someone, and that too demanding as much as possible, was not something the leader would say. But the leader said it for his sake.

Yong Jamyeong felt exactly the same way.

If he had been a greedy person, he would have come to him several times already.

Yet such a person boldly ordered his subordinate to take as much money as possible.

Yong Jamyeong glanced back and forth between Geom Ujin and Geom Mugeuk. Every moment with them was new and astonishing. Just seeing the Little Pill Master’s answer was enough. Who would have imagined that the Little Pill Master would say such things before meeting them?

“Don’t worry. Who is this son? Isn’t he the incarnation of greed? I will make sure to get it properly.”

Geom Ujin nodded, then said to Yong Jamyeong.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Leader.”

Leaving Geom Mugeuk behind, Geom Ujin and Yong Jamyeong resumed walking.

Yong Jamyeong glanced back.

By now, Geom Mugeuk was walking the opposite way. Unlike the playful figure from moments ago, his back looked calm.

When Yong Jamyeong looked forward again, Geom Ujin was already walking a good distance ahead.

Yong Jamyeong quickened his pace to walk alongside Geom Ujin.

“In my life, I must have seen more incarnations of greed than anyone else. But one with such clear eyes, this is my first.”

Yong Jamyeong’s joke went unanswered by Geom Ujin, who just kept walking, but Yong Jamyeong could feel it — the pride of a father. He had sensed it once before in their earlier conversation and now felt it again.

That meant Geom Ujin did not hide those feelings from him.

That emotion was probably the same as honestly confessing that he wouldn’t pass on the family business to his son.

Who else would show such feelings?

Such private and secret trusts aren’t about how long you’ve known someone.

You can trust someone you met for only a day, while struggling to open up even after ten years with others.

Yong Jamyeong was glad the leader trusted him.

This was a trust felt without words.

A connection you might meet once or twice in a lifetime. He had always liked the leader, but feeling this made Yong Jamyeong like Geom Ujin even more.

He must have been lonely.

As the world’s greatest merchant, living free of entanglements and contacts, he had no one to confide in comfortably, no one to rely on easily.

He had lived a life always wondering, “What does that person want now?”

To such a person, this Cheonma (Demon Sect master) now approached like an older brother.

Walking along, the two exchanged various stories.

Both had reached the pinnacle in their fields — power and money, the very end of all desires.

Was it because of that? Their conversation flowed smoothly.

The Demon Sect leader was thought to be taciturn, but he was not. When he had something to say, he spoke freely and asked questions as well.

They talked about their children, the upper world, martial arts, and how it felt to receive a handwritten letter from the leader.

They lost track of time talking.

Yong Jamyeong regarded this as the last chance in his life to stroll and chat with the Cheonma. So he cherished the moment.

Before long, they arrived at the inn, and Geom Ujin paused to watch the comings and goings of people.

“Do you know what I most want from this journey?”

“What is it?”

“To stand here and watch the people.”

Yong Jamyeong looked at Geom Ujin with a questioning expression, but he gave no answer.

After a while, Yong Jamyeong heard Geom Ujin’s low voice.

“Indeed...”

What followed “indeed” was left unsaid and unknowable.

The next day, Geum Arin came to see Geom Mugeuk again.

“Let’s talk.”

“Good.”

Geom Mugeuk did not invite her in but came outside.

Whereas last time she had kept her distance, today she walked closer, showing less wariness.

This time, instead of heading toward the market, they came to the field on the opposite side.

The open view stretched to the horizon.

Watching the grass and crops sway in the wind, the two stood silently for a long while.

Then Geum Arin spoke first.

“Two million nyang is too much.”

She was asking for a reduction. Geom Mugeuk could tell she had made up her mind. Things were proceeding as planned.

“It’s not just too much for you. It’s too much for anyone. That’s why we joined hands with Eunhasangdan (Silver Galaxy Group).”

At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Geum Arin hesitated to speak what she didn’t want to say, but now there was no choice.

“If you reduce it, we can manage.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled and said.

“You want about one million nine hundred seventy thousand nyang off?”

A joke about the thirty thousand nyang refunded last time.

“Please make it one million nyang for us as well.”

One million nyang. She came in asking for half off. Considering their plan to enter their core, he could have accepted the discount, but Geom Mugeuk had been ordered from above to take as much as possible.

“Didn’t I say? We also need a reason to refuse Eunhasangdan. If the same one million nyang went somewhere else, what would they think?”

“They’d say we found someone better.”

Geom Mugeuk looked at her.

“Is there really someone better?”

She did not avoid his steady gaze.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what kind of person the Eunhasangdan leader is. You’ve seen him, so you should know. Who looks better?”

Though asking, it was a confident question, as if she had already decided.

“At least you are more shameless.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s response, Geum Arin thought things might go better than expected. She felt he was somewhat fond of her.

“One million nyang or two million nyang, you’re not the decision-maker anyway.”

“Why do you keep thinking I’m someone’s subordinate? Because I’m young? Because I’m a woman?”

Geom Mugeuk shook his head.

“No, not because of that.”

He gave an unexpected reason.

“I don’t feel like you’ve put everything into this organization.”

Those words made Geum Arin flinch. It was true. She had not put everything into this secret organization. Rather, she wanted this over quickly. She had disliked taking the task from the start.

‘Did he read that?’

This person was so perceptive.

Smarter and more eloquent than anyone she had met.

Geum Arin felt the moment to take a gamble had come. Her life depended on this, the biggest gamble of her life so far.

“The organization you want to destroy is the one I lead.”

Her life on the line, this was her all-or-nothing play.

If this honesty didn’t work, she might die right here.

Surprisingly, Geom Mugeuk was not shocked. In the end, she was the one who was startled.

“Did you know?”

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

“How did you know?”

“The Eunhasangdan had conducted a thorough investigation on you.”

They had learned about her through Eunhasangdan.

Geum Arin watched Geom Mugeuk with trembling eyes. If he knew from the last meeting, that meant he had known all along.

“Why didn’t you kill me? It’s a million-nyang matter.”

She acted calm but was nervous.

To her, Geom Mugeuk was an unpredictable man who might draw his sword to kill her at any moment.

At least she judged that correctly. Then he gave another unexpected answer.

“Because I thought you might pay more.”

It was a string of surprises.

She never expected him to say he wanted more money from her.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“I didn’t expect you to say that. You seemed noble. Ah, don’t misunderstand, that was a compliment, not sarcasm.”

At her frank words, Geom Mugeuk retorted.

“Is it noble to not care about money? Then is it vulgar and low to care about money? Not something a merchant would say.”

“That’s not what I meant. Just unexpected.”

“If I ask for more money, he’d hate me. If I ask for more money, they’d think I’m low-class. I think that kind of feeling is a nuisance and an escape from reality. I have to muster courage I never had for making money. Even if the spot where a penny falls is a puddle of sewage, I have to roll up my sleeves.”

Though speaking like the incarnation of greed, his past life before reincarnation was far from money. It was a life dedicated only to martial arts and rare materials.

“Cancel that statement.”

“I will. We’re talking instead of drawing swords even with a million-nyang adversary. Isn’t that noble enough?”

It wasn’t a laughing matter, but Geum Arin found herself smiling unconsciously. Then she sobered and changed the subject.

“Do you think you can get more money by treating me like a subordinate?”

“I’m a subordinate and something else.”

There was a brief pause, then Geom Mugeuk said.

“I think you’re blood of the Geumryong family head.”

She was not surprised that he knew about her. He seemed to know everything.

“If I weren’t blood, I wouldn’t have offered this deal in the first place.”

“That’s part of it, but there’s a bigger reason.”

Geom Mugeuk read her precisely again.

“I don’t feel any greed for money from you.”

“!”

That was a direct hit. Living as blood of the Geumryong family, how could she desire money?

He had seen that she had grown up wealthy and without worries about money.

“How do you see that?”

He didn’t say “know,” but “see.” His gaze seemed to peer into the heart.

“Give us two million nyang and join hands with us. I will handle the cleanup with Eunhasangdan smoothly.”

She really wanted to give that. She wanted to make this person her ally.

“I said no.”

“If two million nyang is impossible, then one million nyang is also impossible, right?”

A direct point. Whether one million or two million nyang, the thunderbolt would fall anyway.

“Please understand my situation.”

Despite her plea, Geom Mugeuk was firm.

“Does the giver’s situation matter more than the receiver’s? Don’t appeal emotionally to the receiver. I think that’s the worst ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) thing in a deal.”

Geum Arin bit her lip quietly. She agreed. It was just that such large sums were involved and couldn’t be helped.

Anyway, she had to pull this person to her side. She felt even more sure after today’s talk. If he became an enemy, she would surely die. He was someone who made you think that without drawing a sword once.

“Properly take care of and receive what you’re given.”

Making a contract to give two million nyang?

What would her father say? Surely he wouldn’t kill his only daughter.

The problem was her older brothers. Especially the second brother, who hated her like a thorn in his eye, would make this an issue and drive her to hell. Could this man stop her second brother?

Her gaze went to Geom Mugeuk’s clear, deep eyes.

Could she really trust him?

Did he read the question in her eyes?

“For the contract period, I will definitely be on your side.”

“That’s only natural, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t all this trouble because that natural thing wasn’t kept?”

Not just words, but sincerely.

“Can you keep your promise to be definitely on my side?”

“Don’t trust my words; trust your merchant eyes.”

Her gaze turned to the field.

She trusted him too much for this.

How long had they known each other? How much did she know? Yet this man gave trust. He stirred her instincts and attracted her intuition. Choose me.

The grass swayed in the wind like waves. Her heart went back and forth on that tide. The last words before making a decision were:

—Properly take care of and receive what you’re given.

You know what I’m going to take care of, don’t you?

At last, Geum Arin made the decision that would change her life.

“Send the contract as soon as possible.”