ATPnovel Chapter 215 : Fair Trade
Chapter 215 : Fair Trade
Martial Palace.Jin Seong-un was certain that Hanma Heaven’s grand method was being conducted right here.
The direction of those who had been abducting children was headed straight toward Myriad Gold Manor.
Furthermore, the Chief Steward had confirmed through the manor’s ledger that Hanryeonghwa had flowed from there into this Martial Palace. Hanryeonghwa was a crucial material required for Hanma Heaven’s grand method.
There was also information from the Hao Sect Leader that the demonic practitioners of Hanma Heaven had been moving through this Great Snow Mountain. And in reality, Martial Palace was indeed located in the Great Snow Mountain.
Everything — the circumstances, the evidence — pointed to the fact that Hanma Heaven’s anti-human atrocities were unfolding in this Martial Palace.
‘Where on earth is it hiding?’
The problem was the proof.
Accepting Ha Cheong-a’s trade proposal, Jin Seong-un had combed through every corner of Martial Palace.
Not just Jin Seong-un, but also Seo Yu-gyeom, Seomun Ak, and many others had meticulously searched the entire place.
Yet there wasn’t a single piece of evidence. Not only were there no children, but not even the smallest trace indicating children had ever stayed there.
Half a shichen had passed since the search began.
Bit by bit, the certainty began to fade from the others’ faces.
In particular, the sharp-minded Moyong Hyeon had turned visibly pale.
‘Could I have been wrong?’
Moyong Hyeon had never made a wrong decision in his life. At least, not until he met Jin Seong-un.
Challenging Jin Seong-un to a duel could be written off as a minor error. No, in fact, he had learned quite a bit from it, so it hadn’t been a wholly wrong choice after all.
But this time, a creeping unease that he may have made a completely mistaken choice gnawed at him.
If this search yielded nothing, he would have to pay a massive sum to the eldest daughter of Myriad Gold Manor.
‘…I should’ve been more cautious.’
Even if it was humiliating, like the heirs of the other Five Great Clans and Nine Sects One Gang in Lanzhou, he should have first returned to his clan.
Seeing Moyong Hyeon’s expression stiffen, Ha Cheong-a spoke with a sly smile.
“By the way, who exactly is responsible for this search?”
At her words, Moyong Hyeon and the Special Task Force martial artists glanced toward Jin Seong-un and Hyeon-un.
Ha Cheong-a continued.
“I’m just a bit confused whether I should receive compensation from everyone equally, or from the one responsible. Technically, it was Guest Dragon who accepted the trade…”
Moyong Hyeon nodded before he realized it.
While he had hesitated at the immense sum Ha Cheong-a demanded, it was Guest Dragon who had confidently entered this estate.
Moyong Hyeon’s mind spun quickly.
“Well, it’s not like we can definitively assign blame to anyone, but if we must, if we really must say…”
His gaze drifted toward Jin Seong-un.
But when their eyes met, he couldn’t finish the sentence and closed his mouth.
Jin Seong-un clearly understood Ha Cheong-a’s intent. What he learned from the Merchant King wasn’t just sword techniques.
He had also mastered many of the tactics frequently used by merchants, big and small.
‘Divide and conquer.’
A very basic scheme, but one that could be highly effective.
Indeed, Moyong Hyeon felt a heavy burden, and Ha Cheong-a subtly offered him a way out at just the right moment.
Divide-and-conquer tactics were effective but not considered high-level strategies. The reason was simple — they were not that hard to see through.
Jin Seong-un spoke calmly.
“Take it from me.”
Almost at the same time, Moyong Hyeon said,
“No, how could Guest Dragon possibly bear that kind of sum alone? I, Sword Dragon Moyong Hyeon, shall of course share some of the burden.”
He hadn’t withdrawn completely. It was a way of securing an escape route in case of criticism for being cowardly.
At the same time, by offering to share the burden, he subtly pushed the primary responsibility onto Jin Seong-un.
He also casually reclaimed his alias of Sword Dragon.
Once again, Moyong Hyeon proved to be quick on the uptake.
Ha Cheong-a raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“All of it? Your inn business must be doing well.”
“It’s doing reasonably fine.”
Nodding, Jin Seong-un paused for breath and continued.
“However, as a merchant, I’d like to slightly revise the terms of our trade.”
“You’re not about to change your tune now, are you?”
Ha Cheong-a narrowed her brow and asked.
Jin Seong-un shook his head.
“Of course not. I just want to point out that the deal was flawed from the start.”
“In what way?”
“The agreement was to pay if Martial Palace’s innocence was proven. Then, conversely, if proof is found, what happens?”
“That’s a fair point.”
Ha Cheong-a nodded in acknowledgment.
She too, as a merchant, knew that mutual trade had to be fair.
“Although I don’t think it’ll come to that, if evidence proves I committed such shameless acts, I’ll pay you the agreed amount instead.”
“That’s an unfair deal.”
“Why?”
“Myriad Gold Manor is rich. If that trade is considered reasonable, then it means the wealthy can commit atrocities without concern. How is that right?”
Ha Cheong-a let out a snort.
If that’s unfair, then you should become rich, shouldn’t you?
Of course, she didn’t say that aloud.
With a touch of curiosity, Ha Cheong-a asked,
“Then what do you want?”
“Along with the money, let’s stake something that is equally fair.”
“What is it?”
“Life.”
Ha Cheong-a’s expression hardened.
So did everyone else’s.
Especially Moyong Hyeon, who had earlier said he’d share the burden if the deal went south — he immediately stepped back three paces. He had absolutely no intention of staking his life.
‘Is he crazy?’
For half a shichen, seasoned martial artists with considerable cultivation had scoured this place with sharp eyes.
And yet, they found nothing. That meant there was no proof to be found here.
And now, he wanted to wager his life on such a thing?
Only now did Guest Dragon seem like a complete lunatic — a moth flying into flame.
As Moyong Hyeon schemed to quickly distance himself, Jin Seong-un and Ha Cheong-a locked eyes.
It was clear now that Ha Cheong-a was different from her brother Ha Joo-yeon. Even in the face of a top-level martial artist, she showed no signs of flinching.
“I hear many in today’s Murim find Guest Dragon quite charming. Even Elder White Cloud Sword here is one of them, isn’t she? If you lose this bet and have to surrender your life to me, wouldn’t Elder White Cloud Sword turn against Myriad Gold Manor?”
Saying so, Ha Cheong-a looked toward Hyeon-un.
She considered Jin Seong-un’s proposal an opportunity.
Lately, Guest Dragon’s presence in Myriad Gold Manor had been a thorn in her side.
She hoped that if she were the one to cleanly remove him, she might gain a few points in the succession competition against her brother.
After a brief pause, Hyeon-un responded.
“If that is the outcome of a fair wager, I may personally resent it, but what can I do?”
“Hmph, but I don’t want to be hated,”
Ha Cheong-a feigned hesitation, prompting Jin Seong-un to speak in a calm tone.
“Choose. Either we proceed with the trade or pretend none of this happened.”
Since the opponent had first employed a shallow divide-and-conquer tactic, Jin Seong-un threw out bait — a method merchants often used.
This too was a lesson from the Merchant King.
Provocation Strategy — a technique to stir the opponent’s emotions and guide them in the desired direction.
Jin Seong-un had subtly provoked her merchant’s pride.
Merchants were greedy by nature.
Just moments ago, Ha Cheong-a had imagined being able to claim not only a massive reward but even Jin Seong-un’s life.
To let that slip away when it was within reach — no woman raised in a merchant household would allow that.
‘Such a petty trick…’
Ha Cheong-a recognized the ploy instantly.
However, a true scheme was one that the opponent recognized yet couldn’t avoid.
Jin Seong-un added one more line.
“If it were Ha Joo-myeong, he would have accepted.”
“You met my brother?”
Her voice rose slightly.
Jin Seong-un nodded nonchalantly.
“I met him while looking into this Martial Palace. He’s an unpredictable man.”
In every way.
His martial arts, his thoughts — there was nothing about the eldest son of Myriad Gold Manor, Ha Joo-myeong, that could be guessed in advance.
Ha Cheong-a also regarded her brother that way. To her, Ha Joo-myeong was someone she admired, feared, and someone who triggered a deep sense of inadequacy.
She thought that, indeed, if it were her brother, he would have accepted Guest Dragon’s proposal. He was not one to back down from a challenge.
‘They’ll never find it anyway, thanks to the formation.’
With that thought, Ha Cheong-a nodded.
In a situation where there wasn’t even a sliver of a chance they’d find evidence, claiming both a fortune and Guest Dragon’s life was a justifiable risk.
“Fine, let’s do it. Mu-wol.”
At her command, a middle-aged man silently stepped behind her. He was her bodyguard, Mu-wol — a man even Hanma Heaven’s Grand Elder had once admired inwardly.
“Yes, Palace Head.”
“The moment my innocence is proven, take Guest Dragon’s head.”
Mu-wol glanced toward Jin Seong-un.
As always, Jin Seong-un calmly met his gaze with a blank expression.
“As you command.”
Mu-wol drew a straight saber.
At the same time, a piercing murderous energy descended around them.
Just by drawing his blade, he altered the very air — proof that his martial prowess had reached a mature state even among peak-level masters.
While even the Special Task Force martial artists and Hyeon-un were wary of Mu-wol’s cultivation, Ha Cheong-a continued.
“Then search all you want. I’m curious how you plan to find evidence that doesn’t exist.”
Jin Seong-un nodded and turned to his companions. Seo Yu-gyeom, Seomun Ak, and the rest all wore concerned expressions.
He addressed them in a composed voice.
“The children are definitely here. Perhaps even Hanma Heaven’s demonic practitioners. But we’ve already searched every inch of Martial Palace and found nothing.”
Puzzlement appeared on everyone’s faces.
They couldn’t understand what Jin Seong-un was implying. If that were the case, wasn’t there even less reason to make such a reckless wager?
Jin Seong-un continued.
“If we accept that they are indeed here and still failed to find them — then there’s only one possible explanation.”
While everyone tilted their heads in confusion, the quick-witted Moyong Hyeon had a flash of realization.
“Formation?”
He was quite close with Sima Hwi, the Rising Dragon.
The two shared a similar temperament.
Because of that, he knew a little more about formations than most.
But the moment he said it, Moyong Hyeon grimaced.
Even if everything was hidden by a formation, that would only make things worse.
A deliberately deployed formation could never be detected. And if it was a formation created with the immense resources of a group like Myriad Gold Manor — there was no hope of uncovering it.
‘I really do need to back out now…’
Just then—
Everyone’s eyes turned to the entrance of the estate.
Being exceptional martial artists, they had all sensed someone approaching immediately.
Jin Seong-un murmured softly.
“Perfect timing.”
When they departed from Lanzhou, Jin Seong-un had said there was someone he needed to send a letter to. That letter’s recipient had just arrived.
In this snowy white landscape, the contrast of her red hair drew every gaze toward her like a magnet.
What began as curiosity about her striking hair soon shifted to her dazzling features.
The ever-calculating Moyong Hyeon found himself dazed for a moment, while Seomun Ak — as always — was mentally naming their future grandchildren.
The woman planted both hands on her waist and glared at Jin Seong-un.
“You send me a single letter and expect me to come running? Would it kill you to visit and greet me properly? Do you know how much the Manor Lord and Grandma…”
She trailed off, eyeing the tense atmosphere.
“…Why’s the mood so serious here?”
“I had something to ask of you, young miss.”
At the word ask, Chae Seo-ryeong looked embarrassed.
“Well, about that. Actually, the Falling Flame Sword isn’t quite ready. I kept getting greedy while crafting it, and it’s still not finished. But soon…”
“That’s not it.”
Jin Seong-un promptly sent her a voice transmission.
– Is there a formation here?
Immediately, Chae Seo-ryeong’s expression turned serious.
In all the world, there were only two people capable of seeing formations with their own eyes.
Chae Seo-ryeong was one of them.