DR Chapter 249

“Hee. Let’s talk about some practical matters.”

At Master’s words, he immediately straightened his posture.

From here on, this wouldn’t be master and disciple talk, but Pavilion Master and Junior Pavilion Master talk.

“Our White Dragon Medical Pavilion’s income should rank about thirtieth in the world. Once we start selling mass-produced White Dragon Divine Pills, no, White Dragon Pills, we might even become one of the world’s ten great wealthy powers.”

They decided to name the mass-production version of the White Dragon Divine Pill as the White Dragon Pill.

Since its efficacy is lower than the original, the character for “divine” is removed, but in martial world terms, there’s still no better medicine for internal injuries.

What was once monopolized by clan members can now be bought by ordinary civilians if they steel themselves – that’s what the price has become.

Considering this world’s medical costs, it could be called revolutionary.

He heard the Hwaju Medical Pavilion was strongly opposing and seriously checking them.

Well, seems Master is handling the blocking well.

The moment White Dragon Pill sales begin, the White Dragon Medical Pavilion will grasp enormous wealth, and cross a river of no return with the Hua Province Medicine Sect.

That was something they were prepared for.

Jin Cheonhee nodded.

“One of the world’s ten great wealthy powers is incredible. Who’s above that?”

“Hahaha, in terms of most money, probably the Sun Moon Divine Cult. Though it’s one organization, it’s no exaggeration to call it practically a nation. Though not comparable to the entire Empire’s budget, it’s about the level of the Empire’s border nations.”

“Wow…”

So Supreme Heavenly Demon Yeo Ha-ryoon was really loaded.

Since only scenes of him cracking people’s heads were described, I didn’t really feel how rich he was.

Even the current Heavenly Demon we met wore plain clothes without any accessories.

…No, with that much money, why is the demonic cult so miserable?

The modern person’s thoughts naturally jumped there.

In Supreme Heavenly Demon, why was Yeo Ha-ryoon still unhappy despite becoming rich?

Is the martial world’s grudges heavier than being world’s richest?

Couldn’t he settle grudges by throwing money? Compensation, consolation money… you know, that stuff!

I really can’t understand martial artists’ thinking.

No, why with all that money did Yeo Ha-ryoon’s companions die one after another before lasting a chapter.

Why does Yeo Ha-ryoon say “The path of Heavenly Demon is ultimately a lonely road of blood. Why did I turn away from that?” while killing betraying companions within half a chapter.

In the original work, companions died as soon as you could remember their names, and the villains fighting life-and-death with Yeo Ha-ryoon felt more familiar.

Right. I know. Supreme Heavenly Demon isn’t modern style martial arts. That’s why I liked it.

That was the reader’s heart reading the novel, but

Now that it’s reality, the thought that comes is.

Still, with that money couldn’t they have been a bit happy?

Is this also martial arts protagonist’s fate… or something?

“Hee. Your expression is getting strange.”

“…Just thinking about the martial world’s absurdities.”

“…”

The master knows better than anyone that his disciple is somewhat odd compared to others.

It’s natural for Zhuge Rin to calmly continue speaking about such a Jin Cheonhee.

“Next would be the Golden King and Ten Thousand Paths Merchant Guild^[1]. The Ten Thousand Paths Merchant Guild belongs to the Gyeong^[2] family… said to have a longer history than the Empire.”

“That’s amazing.”

“While Ten Thousand Paths handles legal matters, the Golden King handles things between illegal and semi-legal. They’re called the Empire’s light and shadow.”

“Officially, the Golden King only deals with legal things, right?”

“Yes. Only officially that is.”

Master said this while looking at the White Dragon Armor^[3] Jin Cheonhee wore.

Probably impossible to obtain that much celestial silkworm silk using only… legal methods.

“There are various other sects and families too. Originally, the White Dragon Medical Pavilion would have ranked between fiftieth and sixtieth in wealth. That’s because I let go of many things having no attachment to life until now.”

…You ranked that high without managing things, Master?

Jin Cheonhee forcefully swallowed his words down his throat.

“I… see.”

“It’s thanks to you. That I can think about the future now. Anyway, money is useless just sitting there. Power grows when you use it well. The Phantom Archer Corps training is just one part of that.”

Master is preparing many things in places both visible and invisible to Jin Cheonhee’s eyes.

The reason for bringing up the Phantom Archer Corps now is.

Because he knows his disciple’s nature remains different from martial artists despite experiencing so much, so he mentions it in advance.

I’m just a physician. Not a dreamer.

In this world where people die like flies, I don’t expect any grand ideals.

If something could be resolved by sacrificing myself, I’ve always done so.

However, only a tiny minority of things can be resolved that way.

Even at this moment, in the sword forest of struggles, people live by killing people.

“It’s alright, Master. And thank you for telling me.”

Does Master know what meaning those words carried?

Master nodded.

“It’s nothing. Having something others don’t have. Just that alone can make you stand out.”

I became curious about Master’s goal.

When Jin Cheonhee asked, Master answered calmly.

“The biggest goal would be growing power enough to face three of the Nine Great Sects simultaneously. If we form alliances through combining and confronting according to interests.”

“…”

Master’s fan slowly created wind.

“We could control a considerable portion of the martial world. Plus we’ve formed quite good connections with officials thanks to the Wang-ya Ju’s help. Things should become easier.”

The rule that officials and martial world don’t interact has an exception when it comes to running commercial guilds.

Though much corruption was eliminated thanks to the current Emperor, that just means the big parts were eliminated.

The transparency of government offices in this era is very different from modern times.

You still need to maintain good relationships with officials to run commercial guilds and unite forces.

It’s quite natural for noble houses receiving hereditary salaries from the imperial palace to send gifts to martial world clans on holidays, or vice versa.

Though they keep some lines due to strict imperial laws recently, relationships connected by networks and marriage ties don’t easily disappear.

Even three-year-olds in this world know this.

That’s why the Hwaju Medical Pavilion tried so hard to serve Wang-ya Ju.

Wang-ya Ju leaving means countless connections following Hwaju turn their backs.

Plus Master isn’t one to be picky about methods.

His back chilled slightly.

Maybe we’re seeing the birth of a shadow mastermind controlling the martial world?

Could Master have read his disciple’s thoughts? Jin Cheonhee thought calmly.

“Hee, we need at least this much to deal with the Blood Immortal Sect.”

A group that can’t be handled by a single sect. Plus even if Master became a shadow mastermind after everything’s done, he wasn’t one to use that power for personal gain rather than protecting his disciple.

Wasn’t he someone who lived ascetically to an extreme degree without even indulging in wine and women?

Jin Cheonhee nodded.

“Um… I’d like to add something to Master’s plan?”

Master quietly watched the blue light quickly flash across his disciple’s retinas.

Such clear spiritual light appearing means the Profound Origin Heaven and Earth Divine Technique is approaching great completion.

It’s very joyful that his only disciple who understand him is following in his footsteps.

“Yes. You’ve always surprised me. What else should we do?”

“I’d like to draw in unaffiliated martial artists who are neither dark path nor light path. And make money too.”

The martial world is typically divided into dark path and light path.

Most major martial world events move around these two groups, and when they clash, blood disasters occur.

However, to the modern person Jin Cheonhee, there seemed to be more ambiguous gray elements who either had feet in both or went to neither.

Phantom Archer, Three Seasons Tiger, and Wang Gak-yeon whom Jin Cheonhee met all walked the middle path between dark and light.

Among these, very few rise to become masters, and the majority make their living as guards for escort agencies or commercial guilds.

They earn money ordinary farmers can’t grasp as compensation, but their lives are equally fleeting.

Also considering martial artists’ average income, they could be said to occupy the lower class.

He judged that to make real big money, gaining these numerous gray elements would be more advantageous than a few powerful clans.

Isn’t there a way to draw them in?

Thoughts starting there continued branching until reaching one conclusion.

“Hmm? Tell me your method.”

Master’s eyes became playful for the first time in a while, curious about his disciple’s plan.

“Unaffiliated martial artists… ah, that is, most martial worlders including wandering warriors are actually caught in information asymmetry.”

“Information asymmetry? You use interesting terms.”

“For example, training methods. Though they learned martial arts, they don’t know systematic and safe training methods.”

It’s simple.

In modern times, just turning on GodTube lets you get information from 3-minute stretching methods to 10-minute strength training.

Whether to do it or not ultimately depends on my will, but anyway there’s nothing you can’t do due to lack of information.

This goes beyond just exercise – now an era has opened where over millions of students listen to internet broadcast lectures for college entrance exams or civil service exams.

Looking from such a modern person’s perspective, the martial world is a collection of information asymmetry.

Even in a world with cheat-like martial arts, properly achieving martial arts without proper master’s help is infinitely close to impossible.

Plus there are countless cases of practicing without knowing at first, then just before great completion… “Wow, I misunderstood the mind technique from the start. My danjeon… kekekekeke” falling into qi deviation and dying spitting blood from seven orifices.

If they suddenly die in some cave in the mountains, even their corpse can’t be recovered later.

Wild beasts won’t miss such precious protein sources.

That’s why there are prestigious sects.

Divine techniques boasting history and tradition!

Training systems and Central Plains curriculum to properly learn them!

Master nodded as he explained this.

“That’s right. And?”