I took out all the Night-Luminescent Pearls that had been buried in the ground.
An overwhelming quantity. The kind of haul that would leave anyone's jaw on the floor.
I wondered what kind of face Manager Jang of the Xi'an Merchant House would make if he saw this.
Selling just a few of these would be more than enough to buy out the entire Xi'an Merchant House.
Having pulled out the Night-Luminescent Pearls like that, I headed next to the cave I'd come from.
The cave had already completely collapsed. Even with something like a drilling machine, clearing it wouldn't be easy.
It was a mountain of rock. A place that had already caved in once.
To get back in there, I'd probably have to build supports like digging a tunnel.
And yet, the reason I walked toward it anyway was because of the Black Wall.
Having forged the Dark Radiance Sword, I knew just how tough that Black Wall was.
So, I figured I should take a bit more of it with me. It seemed like something I'd need.
Well then... time to use the sword, I suppose?
I drew the Dark Radiance Sword, wrapped neatly in clean cloth.
The blade clung perfectly to my hand. A metal of unknown material.
One thing was certain: it was stronger than any iron from this era, right here and now.
Probably some kind of alloy. Was there a blackish alloy like this? One this hard?
In any case, I gripped the Dark Radiance Sword and poured in my internal energy.
The pitch-black blade accepted the energy and glowed white-hot, birthing a dazzling sword aura.
The longer the blade, the better. It'd make the work easier.
I channeled more internal energy. The sword aura grew even longer.
Fierce gleam.
That's what I called this light.
Beautifully radiant, yet it would slice through anything it touched without mercy.
And that fierce gleam sank into the rock like stabbing into tofu.
What I was doing was drilling a hole into the rocky mountain.
As small as possible, in a triangular shape. So the mountain wouldn't collapse again.
Well, even if it did cave in, I didn't think it'd crush me to death.
Still, better to be careful. I hated unnecessary hassle.
A triangular passage took shape.
I sliced off the cut rock into manageable pieces and tossed them aside.
Finally reaching the Black Wall, I began cutting into it this time.
How much should I cut? Too much would be a pain to carry.
I cut a suitable amount from the Black Wall.
If sliced well, it was enough for four swords.
Hm. This should do. Need more?
No. If I need more later, I can always come back. Though honestly, I didn't want to.
With the sliced Black Wall and Night-Luminescent Pearls in tow, I headed back to Chang'an.
Anyone who saw me would probably laugh. They'd be dying to know just what the hell I was carrying.
In any event, after all the twists and turns, I slipped past people's eyes and made it back to Chang'an, hopping the Jade Radiance Pavilion's wall in secret to reach the back of the annex.
Then, I stashed the sliced Black Wall and Night-Luminescent Pearls under the bed where Namgung Yeonhwa lay sleeping, pulled out just a few, and now it was off to the Xi'an Merchant House.
"Aigoo! You've come, hero!"
Manager Jang, who came rushing out at the news of my arrival, greeting me warmly.
At my request, this time we didn't go to that fancy reception room from before, but to Manager Jang's private quarters.
"Oh... ohhh... my goodness."
Manager Jang stared at the head-sized Night-Luminescent Pearl I held out, his face slack with awe.
"Manager Jang."
"Yes, hero!"
"I need a manor... no, an estate. Somewhere clean and quiet."
"An estate! Of course! I'll procure as many as you need!"
"How long will it take?"
"Is it urgent?"
"I'd like to move in right now, if possible."
"Heh. In that case... hmm... where would be good..."
Manager Jang racked his brains, deep in thought.
Then suddenly called a few people and asked them something.
"It's doable! We have one! But not immediately—it'll take at least a day..."
"Fine. That's plenty. But I'll need to see it first. Can't move into a place to live without checking it out."
"Of course! Wise words! Shall we go right now!? Ah, the sun's about to set... is that alright?"
"Is it far?"
"Not at all! On horseback, about this many markings on the water clock!"
This many markings... about thirty minutes? Not too far.
"Good. Let's go right now."
"Understood! I'll prepare at once!"
With that, Manager Jang hurriedly sent for people, and soon we were on horses heading to the estate.
The estate Manager Jang mentioned was one the Xi'an Merchant House was currently using.
Not too far from Chang'an, at the foot of a mountain, it was a fairly serene spot.
Above all, the buildings were clean, which was a plus.
Fixing up a rundown place would've been a chore.
No matter how much money I had, fussing over every little thing like that would get annoying.
"Not bad. You said a day?"
"Uh... yes! It'll work! It will. Probably... right?"
"Come on, you're a merchant—where's your confidence?"
"No, it will! We have to make it happen! Absolutely!"
"Alright. Here's the deal. I'll give you two days. Make it ready for me to move in at noon two days from now. But it has to be spotless, with usable furnishings inside."
Manager Jang bit his lip, thinking for a moment.
But it was possible.
I didn't know exactly what they used the place for, but emptying it, cleaning, and furnishing could all happen at once, so time shouldn't be an issue.
"Got it! We'll do it!"
With that, we returned to the Xi'an Merchant House and finalized the deal.
Hm. Now I've got a place to live.
Ah, was I too hasty? It's only been a day since I arrived in this world, and here I am buying a house already.
But whatever. If I need to go somewhere else, I can just buy one there too.
I still have plenty of Night-Luminescent Pearls. And places to get more wealth are everywhere if I need it.
A world like a slaughterhouse?
No. They haven't seen a real one yet.
What slaughterhouse without me stepping in? This is just a playground.
Back at the Jade Radiance Pavilion, I went to where Namgung Yeonhwa was, and this time Seolha was there.
"Welcome back, hero. Did your errand go well?"
"Yeah. We're leaving here in two days. Keep that in mind."
"In two days?"
"Yeah. We just need our bodies, right? Doesn't seem like we have much luggage."
"Yes... as long as I can be with Yeonhwa, I'm fine."
"What about me?"
"Pardon? Ah, of course you'll come with us..."
Seolha trailed off shyly.
Ah, is she seducing me? But I can't do it here.
Guess I need to hurry back. Strip her down there and think it over.
"Yeah, I'll come too. Anyway, let's head back to the Luminous Jade Pavilion for now. I'll start treating this girl once we're at the estate, so keep that in mind."
"Huh? An estate?"
"Yeah, estate. Didn't I mention it earlier?"
"No, you didn't say anything about an estate."
"Did I not? Well, it's an estate. Looked pretty clean. Should be good to stay in."
"Whose estate is it, by chance? I should know ahead of time..."
"Hm? Mine. I bought it. So don't worry about that."
"Pardon? You bought it!? An estate!?"
Hm. She's been pretty shocked today. Well, buying an estate isn't an everyday thing.
In any case, I pulled out some Night-Luminescent Pearls and Black Wall from under the bed where Namgung Yeonhwa lay.
Seolha looked at me with wide eyes, like she'd just seen a magician pull a rabbit from a hat.
This is fun. I never get tired of reactions like that.
Especially when it's a pretty girl making that shocked face—it's gorgeous in itself.
Back at the Luminous Jade Pavilion, I put my earlier thoughts into action right away.
Stripping Seolha and exploring her body.
Once kindled, lust blazed fiercely in an instant and showed no sign of dying down.
And it seemed the same for Seolha.
Her first man. The strange pleasure.
Now, she seemed to want it even more than I did.
For those two days while the estate was being prepared, I didn't leave the Luminous Jade Pavilion at all, holding Seolha the whole time.
Seolha, aside from the time she needed to tend to Namgung Yeonhwa, spent nearly every moment in my arms.
It was time like a storm. Time like gentle moonlight.
So the two days felt awfully short.
But this was just the beginning anyway. Things might really heat up once we get to the estate.
The day word came that the estate was ready, Seolha, Namgung Yeonhwa, and I headed there.
The Xi'an Merchant House sent a carriage, complete with a bed for Namgung Yeonhwa to lie on.
Manager Jang really delivers. He's someone I look forward to working with.
In any event, the carriage set off, and I sat in the back, gazing quietly at Namgung Yeonhwa as I said,
"Does she always just sleep like this? I haven't seen her wake up once."
"Yeonhwa's awake time is extremely short. Oh, right. Yeonhwa asked me to pass on a message to you. She says she's truly grateful for helping us, who have nothing."
"Tell her to say it herself when she wakes up. Ah, but that means I have to fix her first."
Seolha smiled at me, then looked at Namgung Yeonhwa with affection.
"Ah, by the way."
"Yes, hero."
"The Namgung Family. What's the situation there now?"
Seolha's expression darkened rapidly.
Just from that, I could tell how things were without asking.
"There's nothing left of the Namgung Family now. And a group called the Heaven-Subduing Sect is trying to move in."
"Heaven-Subduing Sect? Evil faction?"
"Yes."
"What a joke. Those guys trying to take over the Namgung Family? For the prestige?"
"...Yes."
Makes sense.
Taking over the once-mighty Namgung Family and changing the name plaque would bring huge prestige.
That's what prestigious families are. Even just the name and remaining buildings grant much.
That's reputation for you.
"So that Heaven-Subduing Sect is the one behind the massacre at the Namgung Family?"
"It hasn't been confirmed yet. And there's no one to confirm it."
"But the massacre was quite a while ago, wasn't it? Why haven't they taken it over yet? It's supposed to be empty."
"The Namgung Family is a matter of the martial world, but the estate grounds are under official jurisdiction."
Ah, right. Thinking about it, yeah.
No matter how thuggish martial artists are, they can't just barge into someone else's family estate and declare it theirs starting today.
For minor places, they'd bribe officials, sure.
But for a place like the Namgung Family? No way.
"I see. Ah, so... does the Namgung Family have any direct heirs left?"
"Yes. The third young master's status is still unconfirmed. Sigh. I hope he's alive somewhere."
Seolha, genuinely worried. Having spent a long time at the Namgung Family, it was natural.
An heir alive? Then there's still hope.
The Namgung Family hasn't completely fallen yet.
Just one pillar left standing, but having it versus not is a world of difference.
"We've arrived!"
By then, we'd reached the estate, and Seolha gaped at the sight of it.