âIt seems to be Yak Seon who made the Sword Tomb.â
After hearing the explanation from Baek Cheon, Hyun Jong looked at the box in front of him with a shocked face.
âSoul Vitality Pill.â
There was no doubt about it.
Just the smell of this pill made him feel like his dantian was shaking. Besides, if this box really came from where Baek Cheon said, then there was nothing more to doubt.
Who would put a fake in such a place?
If it wasnât Yak Seon, no one would do it. And if it wasnât Chung Myung, no one would find it.
And,
Hyun Jong looked at Chung Myung with bright eyes.
âHe stood on equal footing with Wudangâs Heo Sanja?â
It might be a little exaggerated.
However, it was clear that Chung Myung didnât simply lose the fight.
âHuhuhuhu.â
He couldnât stop himself from laughing.
Would Hyun Jong be able to achieve the same results after fighting an elder of the Wudang sect?
Their elders were powerful to the point of absurdity.
However, it was not only Chung Myungâs strength that truly surprised Hyun Jong.
Chung Myungâs power was nothing new, and Hyun Jong had long since given up on understanding him.
What really surprised him was Chung Myungâs heart and how he perfectly grasped the meaning behind Yak Seonâs arrangement to find the real tomb.
Even Hyun Jong didnât understand why Yak Seonâs tomb would be there despite hearing it explained so clearly. Didnât that mean Chung Myung alone understood everything that Yak Seon had hinted at?
âIâve thought this child was clever since the Eunha Merchants incident in the past, butâŠ.â
He didnât expect it would be to this extent.
At that moment, Hyun Young glanced at the pill box and opened his mouth.
âThenâŠâ
Hyun Young took the box from Hyun Jongâs hand, almost like snatching it away. Hyun Jong, who found his hands empty, felt a lingering regret for not holding the box tighter but remained silent since he could understand Hyun Youngâs intentions.
âWell, then, this, this is the SoulâŠ? So-Soul Vitality Pill?â
â⊠Yes.â
âThe same pill that is said to have been Yak Seonâs finest creation?â
â⊠Yes.â
Hyun Young looked at Chung Myung with blank eyes.
Hyun Youngâs pouting face had changed several times in the last few minutes.
âT-this, a-are you really the God of Fortune? Just how in the world did we get a guy who keeps bringing such things every time he goes out?â
âWhat are you asking!?â
âAm I a dog that brings in things from outside!?â
âuh, huhuh⊠are you sure you donât have any more work to go out and do?â
ââŠâ
âNo, no! No! You are such an accomplished person! Feeding you meat for three days straight wouldnât be enough to show how I feel, that will not be enough! Letâs go! Letâs go and catch you a pig! No, I will bring a whole cow for you! What would the guy who brought the Soul Vitality Pill want me to catch?â
Un Am was breaking out into cold sweat.
âE-Elder, calm down!â
âDo I look like I can calm down right now!? This is insane! The Soul vitality Pill! What the hell happened!? We send you to Nanyang to repay our debt and you come back with this in your hands! If I send you to the North Sea, youâll probably bring back the Wishful beads! Sect leader! Donât we have any more work outside?â
It looked like Hyun Young was ready to send Chung Myung to the North Sea right away.
Chung Myung flinched at the elderâs passionate intention to send him away.
âHuh, the soul vitality pill.â
As if unable to believe it, Hyun Sang looked at the box and then at Chung Myung.
Who wouldnât be surprised?
The Soul Vitality Pill and the Sword Tomb were things they had never thought of. They sent the children to solve the affairs of Huayoung Gate, but who knew they would return like this?
Hyun Jong, who came to senses first, cleared the situation with a heavy voice.
âYou have been through a lot.â
âNo, as a disciple of Mount Hua, it was something I had to do.â
âBut!â
Baek Cheon was a bit shocked at Hyun Sangâs sudden rebuke.
âItâs good that nothing happened, but this time you were pushing your luck.â
Baek Cheon bowed his head without another word.
âNow that you obtained the Soul Vitality Pill and its formula, I canât deny that youâve done something great. But if any of you had died along the way, we wouldnât all be able to smile like this.â
Baek Cheon nodded his head.
Hyun Sang was right. How often had they nearly crossed over into the land of the dead within the Sword Tomb? Getting out of there alive was half a fluke.
âI will keep that in mind.â
âRight. Donât think of this as nagging. Your safety is far more important to us than any pill in the world.â
Hyun Young, who listened from the side, snorted.
âIf Sahyung says it like that, what will they think of me and the sect leader?â
Hyun Jongâs eyes widened.
âNo, why are you bringing me into this?â
âWhy drag in someone thatâs being silent?â
âFirst, calm down Sajae.â
Hyun Young licked his lips as if he wanted to say something else. But he kept silent in respect for the sect leaderâs authority.
Hyun Jong gently pulled the box from Hyun Youngâs grip, though he didnât want to let go. However, when Hyun Jong glared at him, he released his grip and looked at the box with a sense of regret.
âHmm.â
Hyun Jong coughed and placed the box back. He felt that Hyun Young was in full swing and might go sell the treasure somewhere.
âBaek Cheon.â
âYes, Sect leader.â
âDoes anyone else know that youâve obtained this?â
âWe told no one.â
âEven Huayoung Gate?â
âYes, sect leader. No one.â
Hyun Jong nodded his head.
âGood job.â
Blood spills over good treasures.
If it became known that they had obtained this, many people would target Mount Hua. There may even be those willing to raid Mount Hua with their entire sect to get this in their hands.
âThe good news is that not many people know about Yak Seon or the existence of this box.â
Most people who entered the Sword Tomb were only interested in the divine weapons. There were only two sects that knew.
âWudang and the Beggars Union.â
Two sects of the Nine Great Sects knew about the existence of the Soul Vitality Pill, but they wouldnât come and attack Mount Hua just because of that. Although, they might still interfere in things.
Hyun Jong held no faith in the great sects since they rendered no aid to Mount Hua once they believed that it would collapse.
âBut not even they know we obtained this. As long as weâre careful not to let this information leak out, there should be no problems.â
The fact that Mount Hua is located in the rugged mountains was also helpful.
If it was Wudang or Shaolin, they wouldnât have had to hide the fact that they got the pill formula.
Hyun Jong opened the box and took out the book.
More important than the pill itself was this book.
âThe saints must have helped us.â
Chung Myung smiled at those words.
It wasnât that he was laughing at Hyun Jong. This time, it really was like the saints of Mount Hua had helped. If Chung Myung hadnât dreamed of the past with his sahyung, then he wouldnât have found the tomb of Yak Seon.
âAhem, but!â
âHuh?â
Receiving Chung Myungâs curious gaze, Hyun Jong put the box down in front of him.
âListening to what you said, it seems like Yak Seon hoped for someone like himself to find the Soul Vitality Pill and carry on his legacyâŠ.â
Chung Myung immediately grabbed the box.
âThen Iâll go sell this and come back.â
âEhhh! Ehhh! Listen to a manâs words till the end!â
Hyun Jong, startled, changed his words.
âAlthough, I do think of Yak Seonâs legacy! But! If Mount Hua manages to use this pill to resurrect and fulfill our duties as a martial sect, then Yak Seon would surely be delighted by that as well!â
âRather, I think heâd curse us.â
If there was a world where the ancestors could look down on people, Yak Seon would probably be spouting curses at Mount Hua right now.
Well, of course, he would be beaten by Chung Myungâs sahyungs up there.
âSahyung! Please do that!â
Hyun Jong shut his eyes and organized his thoughts. Chung Myung didnât urge him either. He could understand just how confused the sect leader would be to suddenly have these important things in his possession.
âWe need to check these out first.â
Finally, Hyun Jong spoke to Un Am.
âBring me the medical practitioner.â
Shhh
.
The bookshelf was being swept through.
The head of medical practice was sweating as he confirmed the bookâs contents. Among those in Mount Hua, Un Gak was the most proficient in medicine and healing. So, he had no choice but to perform this duty.
âUghâŠâ
Un Gak groaned and looked down.
âWell, it certainly takes a hell of a long time to read a book!â
Standing there for so long without answers enraged Hyun Young. Hyun Sang gave him a disparaging look that seemed to ask him to calm down, and he lowered his voice with a grim expression.
Even Un Gak seemed to be losing his mind while reading the books.
He was already flustered at the sudden call to inspect this, but while checking the secret formula of the pill, the Un disciples, Baek disciples, and a couple more were feverishly looking at him with blazing eyes.
Even Confucius himself wouldnât be able to concentrate in such a situation. However, even Hyun Jong, who should stop them from pressuring him, was looking at him with fearsome eyes!
âS-Sect leader.â
âYes? How is it?â
âThis, this definitely looks like a genuine article. The secret formula seems right. Although, there are some things so complex that I cannot even imagineâŠ.â
âBut?â
Un Gak gulped and spoke.
âEven if I donât understand the sophisticated things written down, itâs described that one can make the pill as long as they faithfully follow the method given here!â
âOh!â
Hyun Jong looked at Un Gak with blazing eyes.
âAnd so?â
âYou mean that you can make it?â
Un Gak replied with a smile as if he could and spoke.
âThatâs a bit too muchâŠ.â
ââŠâ
In the end, Hyun Young burst out.
âHey, are you playing around with people right now!?â
âC-Calm down! Sasuk! No, elder!â
Sweating, Un Gak said.
âIt isnât difficult for me to make the Soul Vitality Pill with my abilities. If one has this book in their hand, then anyone who knows how to handle medicine will be able to make this.â
âThen whatâs the problem? How can it be something you canât do despite having the skills?â
âA-No, wellâŠâ
Un Gak took a deep breath.
â⊠the materials to make the Soul Vitality Pill are ridiculously expensive.â
âWhat?â
âMoney?â
Hyun Youngâs expression, which had been irritable, quickly calmed down.
Hyun Young had no choice but to be serious regarding the sectâs finances.
âIf we wanted to mass produce the Soul Vitality Pill, we would have to sell Mount Hua itself. It would be impossible to do this with just our small business in Hua-Um village.â
Hyun Youngâs face contorted.
âWhy are the materials so expensive!?â
âT-they are bound to be expensive. Think about it, the Shaolin Sect is overflowing with money, so why do they make so few pills?â
ââŠâ
âWith these materials, a top sect could try and negotiate to have it done at an acceptable price. Yak Seon could use the sectâs materials without wasting them and make the pill, and it would be hard for others to try the same since they would have to spend ten times as much.â
Hyun Young took a deep breath.
âAlright. So, youâre saying we canât make it because we donât have enough money?â
âYes.â
âJust how expensive can it be? Mount Hua no longer lacks money.â
âSoâŠâ
Hyun Youngâs eyes, which had roughly imagined a price, began to tremble.
âH-How much? UhâŠâ
Hyun Young, who regretted hearing the answer, looked at Hyun Jong and spoke.
âSect leader! T-that thing needs to be thrown away right now! That damn thing is going to destroy Mount Hua! That old man Yak Seon must have been senile! What bullshit pill or medicine or whatever! Thatâs no treasure, itâs poison! Poison!â
Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Young with a confused face.
âIs it that difficult?â
âItâs not just difficult! It would be difficult just to make even a single pill with Mount Huaâs current finances. To make a single one, we would need to sell all our assets! We would need to turn into beggars and go rob others!â
Maybe even the Beggars Union would feel bad hearing this?
Hyun Young was speaking while frothing at the mouth.
âThis can never be done! I was hopeful at first, but the roots of Mount Hua that we tried so hard to save until now will be pulled out after finally being rebuilt! As the head of finance, I will never allow this!â
âUhh.â
Hyun Jong groaned at Hyun Youngâs extreme reaction.
Another chance for Mount Hua to leap forward was stifled because of moneyâŠ
Chung Myung, who was listening quietly till there, spoke calmly.
âOh, then itâs fine.â
âHuh?â
Hyun Young looked at Chung Myung.
âMoney is the problem, right?â
âR-right?â
Chung Myung chuckled.
âThen itâs fine.â
â⊠what are you talking about?â
Receiving everyoneâs attention, Chung Myung touched his stomach. And then suddenly moved his hand to the left and spread open his clothing. Something round quickly poured out.
Hyun Youngâs eyes widened as if they were about to come out seeing what fell on the floor.
âHey, hey, hey, thatâŠ. Night stones, these are?â
Chung Myung smiled.
âWeâre rich.â
ââŠâ
Hyun Young, who was looking at Chung Myung in silence, muttered unconsciously.
â⊠you really are the God of Wealth.â
The more he got to know him, the less he understood about Chung Myung.