Soo Gon-ryo was an intelligent woman who had been in the business trade for over twenty years now.
She was an individual who endured the tyranny that was the commercial trade—a field largely dominated by men. It wasn't easy to get to where she was, but she was happy to persevere through the constant criticisms and oppression she faced from people in the business as well as her family. She climbed up the latter and made a name for herself.
Having tasted what power was like and the many opportunities that opened up for those who had it, her ambitions grew bigger and now she had a single goal. Becoming the top merchant group not just in the east, but in the entire country. And the only way she could do that was by chasing a market that others weren't looking at. Having connections to the Blood Moon Sect—but more importantly, the leader of the sect would help her reach those goals.
So even though her body trembled in his presence, she stood firm. It was the only way she would get the results she wanted. Madam Soo was a woman who knew what she wanted and had every intention of attaining those goals. Settling wasn't in her nature.
"Lord Baek, we've long since known how large of a territory the north is, as well as how powerful the Blood Moon Sect is. However, that's all we know of the north—of your sect. That you guys are powerful. I'm sure as the leader of such a great sect, you wish to grow and expand, to reach higher grounds instead of staying hidden in the shadows. Very few people know of how amazing the north is, and I can guarantee that with my help, I can make such things possible. I also understand your concerns over the widespread use of such a rare material. I can assure you right now that you will have full control and maintain such control over its distribution."
"I see. And what do I gain in return for agreeing to this partnership?"
Madam Soo grinned. "Well, it's quite obvious you and your sect do not lack money. Perhaps the idea of gaining more resources and influence would interest you? After all, the key to growth is influence." She replied.
"This sounds like an intriguing offer, Madam Soo. One would have to be a fool not to jump at the opportunity. However, Everfrost Bone is not an easy material to acquire. Extraction and transport won't be a simple task. If I were to agree to establish a trade, then you would need to handle logistics and potential theft or smuggling issues. The north is a dangerous place, after all."
"All I need is a steady supply. I have the means to create a distribution network. Ensuring a trade where we can both benefit mutually as well as keeping things discreet is my area of expertise."
"You have the opportunity to reserve exclusive trading rights if this business ever succeeds—which it will. On top of that, full control over how and where the Everfrost Bone reaches the market. Not to mention a cut of the profits made from the trade, as well as access to the best alchemists and craftsmen."
Junghwa tapped his fingers against the table, his expression unreadable. Even after listing all the benefits to their partnerships, his face hadn't moved a single muscle. It was hard for Madam Soo to tell what he was thinking. It was as if she was staring into a blank canvas—devoid of any light, colour or shape. And his lack of reaction made her nervous.
"A well-prepared proposal. It seems you have put much thought into this… though I do wonder—what makes you think I require a merchant's assistance?"
Her smile faltered for a moment, before returning to her charming smile.
"Perhaps you do not, Lord Baek. But tell me, how many merchants can sell your Everfrost Bone to the right hands without inviting any suspicion? How many can ensure its value does not diminish in the wrong market?"
Jaha, who had been standing on the side, raised a brow when he heard this.
Madam Soo leaned in slightly, her voice low and filled with confidence. "If a man as powerful as you wanted a coin, you could take it. But power, reputation, influence… Those are far more difficult to acquire discreetly. And that, my lord, is what I can offer you."
A flicker of amusement played across his lips. He enjoyed verbal sparrings just like the next guy, and was beginning to like Madam Soo. Though she had passed his first test, that didn't mean he was set on making a deal with her just yet.
There was still much they needed to discuss, not to mention the fact that such a big project like this needed to be run by the Treasury Branch in the Blood Moon Sect. They were in charge of the financial affairs and the leader of the branch wouldn't take too kindly to the Demon Lord making such important decisions alone.
He was interested in starting a trade—even expanding in other regions if possible and he felt that things would get interesting the longer he stayed in Sea City.
~*~
Back at the training grounds, Wooyun was standing face to face with Eun-woo, sword in hand.
Once again, he couldn't believe the situation he was in at all. Actually, every morning he would wake up in this place; he had the instinctual need to pinch himself on the cheek to make sure he wasn't still dreaming. That he was actually a character in the book he had been reading many nights ago.
The entire idea seemed so far-fetched. I mean, you find yourself reading these kinds of plots and scenarios all the time. The main character is reading a book, one they are obsessed with; they find themselves sympathizing, hating, or rooting for the male or female lead and wonder what it would be like to be a character in such an immersive world.
How would it feel to wear those fancy clothes, to eat the delicious food the author so ruthlessly described in their state of hunger and what it would be like to have the handsome prince, duke or earl look at them with eyes full of love?
Everyone has daydreamed of entering the worlds of these amazing stories at least once in their lives. Wondering how they would fare in such a tough situation. But that's all it was. A daydream. Nothing more, nothing less.
No one actually wanted to transmigrate in the book for real, right? And no one imagines that could actually be a possibility either. It was scientifically unsound.
No, scratch that—scientifically impossible.
Even with all the advancements humans had made in quantum mechanics and theoretical physics, the concept of transmigrating into a book was insane. For one, the laws governing the universe couldn't allow for something like this to happen.
Consciousness wasn't some free-floating entity that could be plucked from one reality and another like some shows might make us believe. There was a whole bunch of electrical, biochemical, brain related b.s one couldn't just ignore.
No matter how cool it may sound to hop through dimensions, open portals into different periods, and control time itself, it just wasn't possible. There were no recorded cases of spontaneous consciousness displacements, no known force in the universe that could forcibly take someone's mind and put it into a completely different reality.
Then there was the issue of physical laws.
How did this world even function? The existence of qi alone broke multiple principles of physics. Wooyun should know since he had been studying it all throughout high school. From what he could remember, energy couldn't just materialize out of nowhere. There was something known as the laws of conservation that prevented that. In the real world, energy had to be transferred, converted, or harnessed from an external force. But here, people could summon raw power from their bodies, manipulate elements, even defy gravity.
Logically, all of this was impossible. And yet, here he was.
Breathing air that shouldn't exist, touching objects that shouldn't have mass, standing in a body that wasn't technically his. Anyone would have a mental breakdown, a moment of existential crisis, a full-blown crash out. Right?
Yet Wooyun stood there with a sword that had no business being this heavy, facing a man who defied the laws of nature in every sense of the word.
"Just what the fuck is this, seriously?" He thought to himself.