"So this is the place."
I paused for a moment, gazing at the towering gate that was visible even from a distance.
The overall size of the estate might fall a bit short, but judging by the gate alone, it seemed comparable to the Sichuan Tang Clan's—or perhaps even slightly larger.
Of course, the reasons for building such a grand structure would differ between them.
In the Tang Clan's case, the estate housed not only the clan's own members but also many others.
Not just servants attending to their needs, but skilled blacksmiths, those with expertise in raising poisonous herbs and insects, external martial artists confident in their skills, renowned physicians, and even their families.
Some of the more capable individuals married into the Tang Clan's collateral branches, keeping one foot in the clan's circle, so to speak.
Even those not bound to the Tang Clan by blood live within the estate, devoting themselves to their duties as members of the clan.
Favor is repaid twofold; grudges, tenfold.
A chilling family precept, to be sure—but whether favor or grudge, both only arise through dealings with others, don't they?
In the end, the Tang Clan's precept carries the meaning that one should not stand aloof and proud, but rather mingle with people.
The estate before my eyes, however—the residence of the Golden Wolf King—exists for an entirely different reason.
The Golden Wolf King's estate is vast not because he needs the space, but primarily to flaunt just how wealthy he is.
"I hear he collects rare treasures from across the Central Plains and has even built buildings solely to hoard them."
"Well, that's just a common hobby of the rich, isn't it?"
"The problem is how he amassed it all."
Family heirlooms of ancient houses. Sacred relics passed down through four generations. Or masterpieces of a lifetime, treasures their owners swore they would never sell even for a thousand gold pieces—how does one go about buying such things?
The Golden Wolf King's answer was simple.
"Whether through force or through wealth, the method is to thoroughly crush the original owner first, then extend your hand. Tell them that if they hand over the treasure, they can reclaim everything they've lost. In fact, he sometimes offers a generous sum rather than a rock-bottom price."
"Tsk."
"Afterward, they say he carelessly leaves the hard-won items lying about. As if it doesn't matter whether they rust, grow mold, or get covered in dust."
"…Why on earth? He wanted them so badly, yet it's no different from just throwing them away."
"It's for show."
It wasn't that he bought them because he needed them, even if it meant squeezing tears of blood from the seller.
It was an act to show that no matter how precious something was, he could buy as much as he wanted, and he wouldn't regret it even if it all broke and became useless.
"I don't understand at all…"
Tang So-wol furrowed her brow and tilted her head.
The moment she realized she was still on my back and that the gazes around us were slowly drifting our way, she shrank her neck like a turtle.
It took about three days to arrive.
Tang So-wol growled that she would repay this humiliation someday, but…
More than that, she was embarrassed to be clinging to my back, but because of that embarrassment, she had no choice but to cling to me even tighter—and I liked that. The future me will take care of it somehow.
I nodded slightly, my mind at ease.
"It's only natural that you can't understand it. It's just because he's a madman."
"Ah… Is that so?"
"Some would look at those treasures that have become so useless and feel sorry for them. The original owner, who was robbed of them by force, would vent their indignation."
"Well, that's just how it is."
"The Golden Wolf King likes that sort of thing."
"…Pardon?"
"The sight of people crumbling because of money. He's a madman who enjoys that very thing, is what I'm saying."
A Harmony Realm martial artist is bound to have some broken corner somewhere.
No person can be perfect, and the Harmony Realm is, after all, merely a state of being reborn by accepting that imperfect self.
The only difference lies in how much trouble that broken part causes.
I hadn't told Tang So-wol, but the Golden Wolf King didn't just collect rare treasures. Sometimes, he bought people the same way.
Like with any other goods, those left to break on purpose—their endings probably weren't pleasant.
In that sense, the Golden Wolf King's broken part must be quite vicious.
"The reason people love gold coins is that with gold coins alone, they can do most things."
"Not everything."
"Isn't that why I said most?"
I shrugged and continued my explanation. It was a story widely known before my regression, but one that only a few of the Golden Wolf King's close associates knew in this era.
"Still, they must have thought they could handle everyone who killed the Golden Wolf King's sister. Even if they accidentally strangled a courtesan to death, they figured paying the blood price would settle it."
"Ah."
It was a common thing. Selling a daughter because there was no money. And then scraping together every coin to buy back the family that had been sold away, only to find it was already too late.
"It's a common thing in Zhejiang Province."
"Surely it's not because of the Black Alliance?"
"No. It's the opposite. Zhejiang Province was always like this. It's precisely because it's this kind of place that the Black Alliance took root here."
In fact, after the Black Alliance was formed, a minimum level of order was established, and things improved in some ways.
Trivial problems increased far more, but truly severe incidents decreased, or so it felt.
"So that's why you became obsessed with money, and, as young hero Cheon said, why you take joy in destroying people with money. Like returning what was done to you… a kind of revenge, isn't it?"
"If that had been the case, it would have been better."
"Oh, it wasn't?"
"Before he could even gather all that money, the Golden Wolf King received his sister's corpse. They say he thought differently after that."
So even if you forcibly take someone's daughter and make her a courtesan, even if you kill her, as long as you have money, anything goes. That's what he realized.
From then on, the Golden Wolf King scraped together money by any means necessary, without regard for method or decency.
That was also why he dipped his toes into every kind of crime.
Illegal work was dangerous, but it brought in big money.
"What the hell."
"Surprisingly, it's true."
"Then why did you become a martial artist instead of a merchant? If you wanted to make money, that would have been the better path."
"It's true that merchants earn more. But in the end, isn't it strength that protects the money you earn?"
It was common to see brothels and merchant caravans paying tribute to the sects around them.
Of course, the fact that the Golden Wolf King's martial talent surpassed his business acumen was probably an important reason too…
Most matters can be resolved with gold coins. But there are exceptions.
The Golden Wolf King must disagree with that proposition.
He believes without a doubt that with enough money, anything is possible.
It was precisely because he thought that way that the Golden Wolf King, before his regression, had dangerously played both sides between the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance and the Demonic Cult.
"That's exactly what I'm after."
"Ah… so you intend to use as bargaining chips the things that gold coins cannot obtain, contrary to the Golden Wolf King's beliefs? He'll try to get his hands on them by any means, if only to deny their existence."
"Exactly."
"You've thought it all through! Enlightenment? Or perhaps spiritual medicines or martial arts that money can't buy? Whatever it is, I hope it works out well for you, young hero Cheon!"
"…Thank you."
Tang So-wol's gaze, sparkling with enthusiasm, was searing. It might have been because she was close enough for her breath to reach me.
But fundamentally, it was probably because I was thinking about something entirely different.
Turning my head to avoid her burdensome stare, I found something even more burdensome there—the Twin Ghost Sword.
"As expected of the White Moon Sword Lord, the Great Hero…! Our Black Alliance had already figured out what happened to the Golden Wolf King in the past, but we simply couldn't understand what he was thinking… But applying what you just said, all of his past actions make perfect sense now!"
"Is… is that so."
"Yes! We had thought it was merely the aftermath of a Qi Deviation, but if he actually had his own rational reasons… then even after this war, it will be of great help to the Black Alliance in commanding the Golden Wolf King!"
"Glad to hear it."
Tang So-wol is quite pretty, isn't she. I didn't want to see some old man, even older than I was before my regression, getting all excited and red in the face.
I let out a deep sigh and quickened my pace for a moment.
Before I knew it, I'd arrived at the main gate. But something felt off.
"No one's here."
"It's strange that there isn't even a gatekeeper."
I set Tang So-wol down first. She seemed to enjoy the feeling of solid ground after so long, letting out a relieved sigh and stomping her feet against the floor a few times. It was a little cute.
I chuckled and raised my hand to the gate.
"Well, let's just go in and see if they're inside."
"And if they're not?"
"Then we wait for them to come back."
I curled my lips into a grin and pushed the gate with all my strength.
Creak—
The door slowly swung open with a heavy groan. Beyond it…
"Oh."
To my surprise, a great number of wandering swordsmen stood ready, weapons trained on me. And at the center, glaring in my direction, was the Golden Wolf King.
Sharp eyes. A mouth twisted into an unpleasant smirk. The middle-aged man wore a martial robe embroidered with expensive golden thread and adorned with lavish decorations—clearly chosen for ease of movement, yet flaunting wealth all the same. He sneered.
"Well, well. If it isn't the White Moon Sword Lord, who's been tearing through Zhejiang Province under the banner of the Black Alliance. What brings you to my home?"
"This is rather surprising. I hadn't let my guard down, yet I sensed nothing at all. A formation?"
"Heh. Care to take a guess? It cost a pretty penny, but it's worth every coin."
I activated my Heavenly Eye, which I normally kept off because the view was too cluttered in everyday life.
And then, naturally yet unmistakably, I saw the flow of energy dividing inside from outside, centered on the main gate.
It didn't block energy from leaking outward—rather, it assimilated the inner energy with its surroundings.
Unless one could see the flow of energy with their own eyes like I could, or was a martial artist specialized in Qi Sense, it would be difficult to notice. That was the structure of it.
Following the center of the formation's flow with my eyes, I spotted several hidden artifacts tucked away in the corners.
Each of these artifacts possessed a mysterious quality that would not be strange to call a divine object.
"Indeed. So you constructed this formation from divine objects stolen from all over."
"I must express my gratitude on this part. Every time you, White Moon Sword Lord, went around causing trouble, you always ended up exterminating a clan somewhere, which gave me more things to pick up."
"When you put it that way, it sounds like I exterminate something at every place I pass through."
At most, I had only ever exterminated a few minor third-rate unorthodox sects, the Black Heaven Sword Gate, the Hwangbo Clan, the Sama Clan, the Heavenly Poison Sect, the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Forest, and the Assassin Valley.
Of course, I had destroyed plenty of things—like the buildings I brought down while fighting the Blood Buddha—but my record of driving clans to extermination was not that extensive.
"…Are you insane?"
"How many people do you think are as sane as I am?"
"He's insane, alright."
The Golden Wolf King nodded with a look of utter certainty.
Being called insane by an insane man didn't sit well with me.
"Let's try settling this peacefully through conversation first. What is it you want?"
"Ha! So even you find this many experts burdensome, White Moon Sword Lord. Well, fine. What I want is simple. I don't know what your scheme is, but don't ever try to draw me into it again."
"Hm. Is that all?"
"Of course not. I can't just let you go on the word of that vicious Sword Demon. Naturally, I'll be keeping your betrothed as a hostage."
"Now that's a novel approach."
"The Tang Clan's entire fortune. And if you cut off one of your own arms, I'll return her unharmed."
"Is that all?"
"That's right. Isn't it a merciful offer?"
The Golden Wolf King cackled with laughter.
I didn't know where he'd gotten our information, but it was clear he'd prepared thoroughly.
He seemed to have hired nearly a hundred warriors, half of them experts at the Peak Realm or above, and even those with lesser martial levels carried weapons the Imperial Court wouldn't easily overlook, protected by official inviolability.
They had spears, bows, and even gunpowder weapons like the Heaven-Shaking Thunder.
Naturally, being discovered would spell disaster. But thanks to the power of the formation, there was no immediate risk of exposure, and as long as they weren't caught right away, he probably planned to bribe the officials and smooth things over somehow.
Even a Harmony Realm martial artist might manage to escape alone, but fighting while protecting someone else was simply impossible.
From the moment they had stepped through the gate, Tang So-wol's life had effectively been taken hostage.
Yes. That was how it usually went.
"I heard you well. Now it's my turn."
"Hahaha! Go on, let's hear what you have to say."
"Kneel down and swallow the poison right now. Do that, and no one will die here today. A peaceful ending, wouldn't you say?"
"…?"
"No, actually, just die. I'd hoped to keep you alive and put you to use, but killing one of you is fine too."
"Do you even know what peace means…?"
I drew my sword toward the Golden Wolf King, who looked utterly dumbfounded.
Sreung.
This time, since I had raised my sword, it wasn't negotiation—it was a threat.