Volcanic Age - Chapter 31

When Lee UI Chae heard the words that arose from Ju Seo Cheon’s comments, he was so shocked that he could not control them.

 

Dear God, the Three-Eyed Immoral God’s Treasury!

 

He was doubting his hearing, which wasn’t too much to say.

 

“This treasury, not an underwater cave, is where I found the Water Spirit Fruit I ate a few years ago.”

 

Ju Seo Cheon intentionally lied. It was done to increase Lee Ui Chae’s faith in him just a tiny bit.

 

He had to fabricate tales to cover up the treasury’s ludicrous plan.

 

“What will you do?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

Lee Ui Chae stayed silent. It seemed like he was thinking about how he should receive this news.

 

‘His eyes don’t seem like they’re lying…’

 

Those were eyes that didn’t shake at all and had a strong conviction.

 

They were so upright and clean that they sucked you in.

 

He didn’t think for long. Lee Ui Chae put down his belief for a moment and spoke out the doubt that popped up in his head.

 

“Leaving aside the existence of the treasury, how are you planning to move that many treasures secretly? That is realistically impossible.”

 

The number of treasures lying dormant in the treasure wasn’t low at all. They had to mobilize a lot of people for it.

 

That’s why it would inevitably get exposed.

 

And the biggest problem was the people they would have to mobilize.

 

People were weak in front of treasures. They may change their attitudes and turn into robbers.

 

If that was the case, they would have to find people that wouldn’t hit them in the back but that wasn’t something easy to do.

 

Mobilizing disciples of Mount Hua was the most certain thing but if that happened, nothing much would return to Lee Ui Chae.

 

No, in the first place, it was doubtful whether they would let him in.

 

“It’s realistically impossible to get all the treasures with only our strength. I don’t know if it’s you but the treasures would certainly fly away at the hand of robbers if the treasures are in the hand of a small merchant like me.”

 

“There’s no need to take all of it.”

 

“And by that you mean…?”

“It’s fine even if it’s a little as it’s better to find people that can be trusted. Then, I will enter the treasury with those people and only take the most valuable things. It will be enough even if we share that.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

Originally he had also planned to mobilize the most they could.

He hadn’t been looking for the merchant king for nothing.

 

It was because he thought that he would already be a merchant with some standing.

 

But his circumstances weren’t as good as he thought. He didn’t think that Lee Ui Chae would have anything.

 

He had set up a plan to mobilize about a hundred to two hundred people but he was wrong.

 

That’s why he modified his plans as soon as he saw him.

 

To give up on quantity and aim for quality.

 

The small merchant in front of him, no, the merchant king, was as valuable as the treasury. And what the merchant king was lacking right now was capital.

 

He would be able to perform well alone if only he had the funds. It would be much more valuable if he made Lee Ui Chae indebted with a debt that couldn’t be paid.

 

The merchant king went crazy with money but he was also the most reliable person in business.

 

“If you keep shut about this proposal and you accept, I will make it so that your Golden Merchant Business can take care of the provisions of Weng An.”

 

“I understand. But great master. If the treasury exists, why are you entrusting it to me?”

Suspicion and confusion appeared in Lee Ui Chae’s eyes.

 

Ju Seo Cheon laughed out loud.

 

“Look, merchant, I don’t have anything. If I were to ask help from a more renowned merchant, tell me, would they trust a child?”

 

“There is not much time. I will probably be leaving tomorrow or after two days.”

 

The time the Lotus Peak members would be in Kang Ho wasn’t long and they had already accumulated enough experience so there was no reason to stay back.

 

“I will do it.”

 

Lee Ui Chae didn’t think for long.

If Ju Seo Cheon’s words were true, then this was a big opportunity. On top of that even if it wasn’t the treasury, just lending him the rights to trade the provisions for Weng An was enough for him.

 

Above all, his instincts were yelling at him not to give up on this opportunity. His nose had been paralyzed long ago due to the smell of money. His body heated up as if he was drunk.

 

“Then, let me tell you about the details.”

 

The smile on Ju Seo Cheon’s face became denser.

 

Ju Seo Cheon told a part of his plans about the treasury to Lee Ui Chae.

 

It didn’t matter if the merchant king believed in him or not.

 

He would listen to a request if profits were promised to him.

 

After he separated from Lee Ui Chae, he returned to the branch in Kae An immediately and sent a letter he had prepared beforehand through a carrier pigeon.

 

The receiver was Jang Tak. That was the name of the second-rate warrior that fought with him in Weng An.

 

Jang Tak’s position in Weng An was higher than he thought. He was the right hand of the branch manager that participated in the battle of Kae An.

 

And he had heard before leaving that he would become a sub-branch manager because of the merits he accumulated this time.

 

If it was Jang Tak, that was undoubted to him, he wouldn’t just listen to his request but would try his best to fulfill it and several others were indebted to Ju Seo Cheon so he didn’t need to worry about it.

 

There was a separate thing he should worry about.

 

“We are going to return to Mount Hua tomorrow so get ready.”

 

The feast ended and the order to return to the Mount Hua sect had already been given.

 

It was now time to return.

 

He couldn’t stay in this place anymore.

 

Jang Hong and Jang Seo Eun felt regret. The freedom they tasted after having lived as a fourth-generation disciple under strict rules was really sweet.

 

The freedom it gave was that much charming even though it was life-threatening.

 

“We won’t go to the Shaolin Faction, the Shaman Faction, or the other branches of the Murim Association in Anhui?”

 

Jang Seo Eun pulled on the sleeves of Gu Pung and looked up at him. It was a cuteness all men would fall for.

 

‘You are doing well! Keep doing that!’

 

Ju Seo Cheon cheered Jang Seo Eun inwardly.

 

But his cheers were for naught. Gu Pung put on a troubled expression and shook his head with strict eyes.

 

“I also want to show you more things but unfortunately that will be a bit heart. I don’t think my heart will be able to endure it.”

 

“Ah, please senior uncle~”

Hang Jong also acted cute but it didn’t work.

 

“Coming to Kang Ho was originally intended to get experience; it’s not this risky. This particular incident was an outlier. Fortunately, you weren’t wounded, but the main office is concerned about you as well and has already advised that it would be best if you come back. Due to this, we are powerless, regrettably.”

 

The journey to Kang Ho was over. They were forced to go back since they were unable to stop it.

 

They assert that plans for the world’s affairs frequently fail.

 

He had initially intended to enlist Lee Ui Chae’s assistance when he was set to go for the treasure raid and return to Mount Hua. I needed time, but it was severely cut back.

 

The Zhuge Sega also received the order to return, which gave them the chance to stick together until they reached the Midlands, where the treasury was located.

 

He required Zhuge Seung Kye’s assistance to take down the treasury’s defenses.

 

The issue, though, was what followed.

 

“I’ve established the commerce, but I am unable to request that the merchant king join us. We must travel back to Guizhou, even if we manage to rob the treasury while in the Midlands. Though how?”

 

If he told Gu Pung about the treasury, Mount Hua would undoubtedly step in, and it would be even worse if Zhuge Sang overheard.

 

No, in the first place, there was no way they would believe in the existence of the treasury.

 

Even if he took Zhuge Seung Kye, it was going to be hard to evade the eyes and senses of a pinnacle expert like Gu Pung.

 

In the end, Ju Seo Cheon was sent off by several people before he could finish his thoughts and leave Guizhou.

 

The time it took to return wasn’t long. They received horses that were as good as named horses when they left Kaiyan.

 

Horse riding skills were also taught in the Lotus Peak. It wasn’t an institution of geniuses for nothing.

 

The reason they didn’t ride on a horse since Mount Hua was to train in their foot techniques, not because they didn’t know how to ride a horse.

 

The Zhuge Sega also showed excellent riding skills. Even then, that seemed to have no reflexes and rode on horses quite well.

 

It was because the martial arts and the internal energy of the household itself were low and the Light Step Arts, which consumed a lot of internal energy, didn’t suit them.

 

Several horses left dust clouds behind their trails while riding. 

 

There were eighteen horses.

 

Four for Mount Hua, another four for the Zhuge Sega, and ten warriors of Kaiyan that Shin Do Gyun sent as escorts.

 

The group didn’t stop except for sleeping, eating, or when they were exhausted and continued riding, and thanks to that they were able to arrive at Guizhou early.

 

Some group of bandits appeared but they fled immediately when they saw the group that didn’t seem normal even at first glance.

 

For Ju Seo Cheon, this situation drove him crazy.

 

Gu Pung’s eyes were bothersome but there were watchmen in the name of guards. His insides burned down.

 

The River of Death.

 

“Sect lord, we received news that the Fourteenth Gallant Sword is going to arrive at Yangtze river soon.”

 

A commander of the River of Death, Ak Gwan Tae, read the report.

 

“Is he here?”

 

The Lord opened his eyes, they resembled that of a beast. He released killing intent that had displeasure and rage mixed in.

 

“My anger doesn’t get eased up even after decapitating the fools that attacked Weng An but escaped. They are trying to return safe and sane?”

 

The matter in Kae An wasn’t that big. Battles in that region occurred as frequently as having meals.

 

If it was serious, the owner of that territory changed about ten times a day. It wasn’t something to be that angry as was an everyday occurrence.

 

“I wouldn’t be this angry if we had lost like usual.

 

The defeat wasn’t that important. That happened so frequently that they just let it slide and prepared for the next attack.

 

But the problem was that it was a ‘complete defeat’.

 

The sect lord wasn’t the one to prepare it directly but the sect had prepared quite a bit for the battle.

 

The commander Ak Gwan Tae intervened a little bit in examining the decoy tactic and approved it.

 

They had expected the Fourteenth Gallant Sword to lead the remaining forces and enter the battle in Kaiyan.

 

But the problem was that they weren’t able to conquer the empty house in Weng An. If they had succeeded in it, they would have secured hostages to deal big damages. But that didn’t turn out that way and got defeated completely.

 

The result of that birthed his humiliation and rage.

 

Ju Seo Cheon’s actions ended up changing the future.

 

It was a future that wouldn’t have occurred originally. Weng An got conquered and they had to retreat from Kaiyan because of the hostages. But a changed future would also change another part of the future.

 

“Teach those brats of Mount Hua a lesson.”

 

The eyes of the sect lord shone slyly.

 

Yangtze, at the harbor.

 

“Hm?”

 

Gu Pung tilted his head.

 

“What’s the matter Fourteenth Gallant Sword?”

 

Zhuge Sak saw Gu Pung act like that and looked at him strangely.

 

“Ah, it’s nothing much. I was just wondering why there aren’t many ships.”

 

Zhuge Sak checked his surroundings at Gu Pung’s words.

 

There were a very tiny number of ships and no small boats at all.

 

“Yes, it is peculiar. Tourists that travel at this time of year to take in the Yangtze River vista are in great numbers. And considering how many people we have, it won’t matter. Haha.”

 

Zhuge Sak laughed while touching his beard.

 

The group rode in a middle-sized ship that could easily hold fifty people rather than a skiff.

 

They could travel in two separate skiffs, but at that point, bringing warriors to protect them would have been pointless.

 

Furthermore, they didn’t need resources, thus there was no justification for enduring that agony.

 

* * *

Translated by novel multiverse

Edited by beetlesme