Absolute Regression
Chapter 26: The More You Take, The Deeper The Bond
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TL: FoodieMonster007
Geum Ahju led the way through the secret passage beneath the Golden Manor.
The path was a complex maze. I felt deadly traps and mechanisms hidden in the walls, ceiling, and floor. I could also feel the tension from Geum Sayeon, who followed behind me.
We wound through the intricate path, which only someone who knew the way could navigate. We soon arrived at the secret warehouse that stored the Golden Manor's treasures.
"You saved our lives, so it'd only be right to give you our entire fortune, but that's not really possible."
"I don't expect that much."
"Deciding on a monetary sum would be fine, but how about this instead? You can take as much as you can carry from this place in one trip. However, you can't use a cart, and you can't get help from anyone else."
"So you'll acknowledge whatever I can carry out myself?"
"That's right."
"May I use my inner arts?"
"Of course."
"Then I'll be able to carry out quite a lot, you know."
"If it weren't for you, we'd all be dead. This is a reward we must offer."
"Thank you."
"I'll give you two hours starting now. Is that acceptable?"
"That's more than enough."
I slowly walked into the treasure warehouse.
As Geom Mugeuk entered the treasure warehouse, Geum Sayeon asked Geum Ahju a question.
"Are you sure about this?"
"What do you mean?"
"With his martial arts, he might take more than you think. Aren't you worried about the loss?"
Geum Sayeon laughed as if joking, but he was inwardly worried. His mother, a woman who had dedicated her life to accumulating wealth, might later fall ill from regret. A large part of that life could now disappear in someone else's hands.
However, his mother's reaction was unexpected.
"Is there anything in there more precious than what we protected today?"
Geum Ahju patted her son's shoulder.
"The fact that you and Yang-i are alive is enough. If I had lost you both…"
Geum Ahju could not finish the sentence. She had lived her whole life hearing that she was so cold not even a drop of blood would come out if pricked, but when it came to her children, she was a person who could shed blood and tears. She just never had the chance to express it.
This opportunity made Geum Ahju realize something desperately.
She deeply regretted neglecting her own flesh and blood to accumulate wealth. Her family was something she would not regret losing all her fortune for.
There was another reason she would not regret giving away her entire fortune.
There are many kinds of death. One feels no regrets if they die while striving for a purpose. This case, however, was a betrayal by a trusted vassal. She probably would not have been able to close her eyes even in death.
"That Master is no ordinary person."
"Yes. Despite his young age, his skills were extraordinary."
"What I saw wasn't just his skill."
"Then what else did you see?"
"I've been pondering how to describe it, but I haven't been able to figure it out. That Master has an indescribable presence about him."
She had met countless people in her lifetime. It was the first time she had met someone so young who exuded such a relaxed yet unique atmosphere.
"Money can be earned again, but a connection with someone like that might only come once in a lifetime."
Moreover, he was young. Geum Ahju hoped the bond with that young man would continue into the next era of the Golden Manor, led by her son and grandson.
"That's why it doesn't matter if he takes it all. The more he takes, the deeper our bond will become."
I can say with certainty that I will never see a treasure warehouse like this again.
On one side, gold items were piled up like a mountain, so bright they were dazzling. There were Buddha statues, martial artist statues, tableware, ornaments, and all sorts of animals like tigers, toads, turtles, and pigs. Everything that could be made of gold was stacked there. They must have been neatly displayed at first, but the collection grew so large they just started piling them up.
A display case next to it exhibited rare jewels. It held everything from jewelry like rings, necklaces, and bracelets to women's norigae made of jade.
The opposite display stand held ceramics, and behind them hung paintings by famous artists. The place was truly filled with all sorts of rare and precious things.
Next to those were items that truly excited me.
There were Night-Luminating Pearls that lit up the dark and the Antitoxin Bead, which prevented poisoning if held in the mouth. The Antitoxin Bead was of the highest quality and very small.
There were five of each. These items could not be easily obtained even with money, making them more valuable than any other jewel in this place.
With a joyful heart, I took the Night-Luminating Pearls and the Antitoxin Bead first. I gathered all of them and tucked them into my clothes.
An enormous value had just been pocketed, but this was only the beginning.
Next, I put expensive-looking rings on my fingers and layered bracelets and necklaces on my arms and neck. I wore so many they felt heavy and dangled.
I looked for something to hold the gold items. A large leather pouch would have been great, but unfortunately, there was nothing suitable.
Should I take off my clothes and use them as a bag?
While thinking this, I spotted a bolt of fabric in a corner. I inspected it and found it was a bolt of Heavenly Silk from the Outer Regions.
I tore off the largest piece I could with my sword, made a large bundle cloth, and swept the gold items into it.
Since I could move them using my inner arts, I rearranged the items again and again, packing in as much as I possibly could. I left the paintings and ceramics behind because they might get crumpled or broken. I also did not know their exact value.
I did not consider the Golden Manor Master's circumstances. She was not someone whose wealth I needed to worry about.
And so, I filled the entire two hours and the bundle cloth to the brim with treasure.
When I emerged from the secret vault, the jaws of Geum Ahju and Geum Sayeon dropped.
I carried a bundle far larger than my own body. It was so big it was impossible to imagine how much was inside.
I only managed to get out because the warehouse door was so large. Otherwise, I would have had to break down a wall.
"I'll just take this modest amount."
THUD.
When I set the bundle down, the floor vibrated.
Geum Ahju saw the rings on every one of my fingers and the necklaces and bracelets dangling from my neck and arms. She burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Shouldn't you be crying?"
"It's true that I'm sad to see my fortune diminish, but I'm glad my benefactor isn't a hypocrite. The hypocrites I know would've taken only a few items to save their useless, petty face, but how bitter would they feel inside? I despise such hypocrites. Greed is the most precious and important emotion that governs humanity."
She was a proponent of greed. That very greed likely allowed her to become the wealthiest person in Fujian.
"Tearing the Heavenly Silk to make a bundle cloth was also a very wise decision."
"Thank you."
"It's a shame to part ways. Stay for a drink before you go."
"I'm not the type to drink with treasure lying next to me. I'll see you next time."
"If I ever need help, may I seek you out again?"
"Of course. Please earn a lot more by then."
Geum Ahju laughed heartily at those words. I felt again that the more honest I was about wealth, the more her favor grew.
"If I want to meet you, where should I go?"
"Leave a message in your name, Chairman, at any West Lake Inn in the Central Plains, and I'll come find you."
The West Lake Inn was a secret contact point run by our Cult. It received necessary messages like this and relayed them to important figures in our Cult.
"Indeed, you are no ordinary person."
Geum Ahju would know. Only extraordinary people operate contact points in this manner.
"Take care until we meet again."
"I wish you luck in your martial endeavors."
After forging a deep bond with the Golden Manor Master, I left that place. The connection with the Golden Manor Master was by no means a loss for me, so I departed in high spirits.
I acquired a carriage in the village, loaded it with treasure, and headed for the Cult.
On the way back, I sold off the gold and jewels in portions. The quantity was too large for any single place to handle. I stopped at various shops in every city I passed through to sell the gems.
Having wandered the Central Plains my whole life, I knew exactly what was where and the best places to sell. I sold off all the gold items and jewels except for the Night-Luminating Pearls and the Antitoxin Bead.
I then deposited the money into the most trustworthy banks: the Central Plains Bank, the Continental Bank, and the Tempest Bank. The total amount I secured reached a staggering three million eight hundred thousand taels. It was far more money than I had expected.
Thank you, the Golden Manor Master. You may not know it, but this money will become the cornerstone of an organization that will become a legend in the murim.
I left three and a half million taels in the banks and returned with only three hundred thousand taels in bank notes.
As soon as I returned to the Cult, I went to the Heavenly Demon Hall to meet my father. As always, my father guarded the Heavenly Demon Hall like a great mountain.
As I walked the blood-red carpet, a question suddenly occurred to me.
Here, my father must listen to reports from his subordinates several times a day and make important decisions. Decisions by which some live, and others die.
Is my father truly satisfied with this life?
Just like me, and just like Lee Ahn, wasn't my father also pushed into the position of the Heavenly Demon? With his true desires hidden deep in his heart.
"I heard you left the Cult."
"I went to earn some money."
"Money? Why?"
"I can't live off your money forever, can I? And I think I'll be needing a lot of it in the future."
"What do you plan to use it for?"
"I want to have a private organization."
"A private organization?"
Father's expression sharpened slightly.
"Don't the Demon Supremes each command their own subordinates? To deal with them, I need an organization of my own."
"Absolutely not. If you have one, your brother will want one too. The relatives and disciples of the Demon Supremes will also try to get them. It's forbidden!"
I did not expect to get permission on the first try. It was not an urgent matter anyway.
One by one, good subordinates will gather, and when the water eventually overflows, the dam will inevitably break.
I did not press the issue, and my father did not mention it again.
"Did you earn a lot of money?"
"Yes, I earned a lot."
I took a thick envelope from my robes and held it out.
"This is for you, Father."
When my father extended his hand, the envelope flew from my grasp to his. The telekinesis was incredibly smooth yet fast, containing the profound principles of ascension.
Father checked the envelope's contents. Inside was a bank note for one hundred thousand taels.
"What is this money?"
"It's your allowance, Father."
"What?"
Father was stunned. The large sum did not shock him. The very word 'allowance' did.
"I have plenty of money."
"I know. You're the richest person in the world. The money I just gave you is my first allowance to you, a token of my gratitude for giving birth to me and raising me."
Father looked down at the bank note for a moment, then asked abruptly. "Are you trying to curry my favor?"
"I'll be doing a lot of cringeworthy flattering in the future, but this allowance isn't part of that. I just wanted to give it to you once. Please rest well, Father."
I bowed respectfully and walked back down the path of blood.
Father's gaze burned the back of my head until I left the hall. He must be extremely bewildered right now.
After all, he had just become the first Heavenly Demon in history to receive an allowance from his son.
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