Acquiring the Murim with Money - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14. The Starving King of Heaven

[Subject Analysis: Byeok Hyeong-geom. Swordsmanship Master of the Bi Cheon Byeok Family.]
[Asset Value: Unascertainable.]
[Status and Particulars: Unable to command a Gongmyeong Mae, yet has risen to the rank of the family’s finest masters through mastery of the Byeok Eung Swordsmanship alone.]
[Core Risk: Inaccessible.]

Within the Bi Cheon Byeok Family, which prized communion with the Gongmyeong Mae above all else, he stood alone—a man of pure martial prowess who had earned universal recognition without it. Though not of the direct line, his influence within the family ran so deep that even Byeok Tae-gang, reckless as he was, could not treat him lightly.
Instead of the trembling Byeok Tae-gang, Baek Un-hui turned his smile toward Byeok Hyeong-geom.
“Such thanks are hardly necessary. But might I impose upon you for an escort to the main residence? I would very much like to meet with the Young Family Head.”
Byeok Hyeong-geom’s heavy gaze fixed upon Baek Un-hui. He was just beginning to open his mouth when—

Crack-crack-crack!

Like thunder splitting a cloudless sky, a deafening boom erupted from the summit of Bi Cheon Peak, and with it came a raptor’s roar that shook the entire mountain.
“This… this is the Young Family Head’s…!”
The color drained from Byeok Hyeong-geom’s previously composed face.
By pure instinct, Baek Un-hui activated his Golden Divine Eye toward the glimmering summit.

[Subject Name: Cheon Noe Mae]
[Asset Value: Unmeasurable.]
[Status and Particulars: Severely delinquent on maintenance costs (provisions). Uncontrollable rampage imminent.]
[Core Risk: Inaccessible.]

‘What? A Spirit Creature whose value doesn’t even register by my reckoning… going berserk because it hasn’t been fed?’

* * *

Crack-crack-crack!
The Grand Training Grounds at the summit of Bi Cheon Peak.
Like thunder splitting a cloudless sky, tiles from the pavilion roof were charred black and exploding in all directions.

Screee-eeee!

Perched in the midst of shattered tile fragments sat a raptor with golden plumage that seemed to embody lightning itself.
Compact enough to rest lightly on a man’s shoulders, yet the sheer presence it radiated far exceeded that of any ordinary beast.
A premium-grade Spirit Creature—the Cheon Noe Mae. Through its lustrous feathers, azure Thunder Qi crackled violently like sparks.
“Fall back! Do not approach carelessly!”
A woman in azure martial robes stood in the center of the training grounds, blade drawn, her voice cutting through the air.
Obsidian hair swept by the wind, eyes clear and unblemished yet steely with resolve. She was Byeok So-yeon, the Young Family Head of the Bi Cheon Byeok Family.
From her body too rose Thunder Qi akin to that of the Cheon Noe Mae, resonating in harmony.
She withdrew her family’s warriors to the rear, then turned toward the Cheon Noe Mae on the roof with an upright, aloof bearing and a tone that cut like ice.
“Cheon Noe! Compose yourself at once. Whatever Spirit Creature of Bi Cheon Peak you may be, I, as Young Family Head, will not tolerate the destruction of the family’s pavilions. Come down to my shoulder this instant!”
It was flawless charisma befitting the heir to a legendary martial family—mysterious, noble, beyond reproach. Even Baek Un-hui, who had just arrived at the grounds, found himself inwardly admiring her commanding presence.
However, Cheon Noe had no interest in his master’s theatrical declarations.

Screeee! (Translation: Complaining about side dishes)

The Cheon Noe Mae ruffled its wings irritably.
Boom-crash!
A bolt of lightning expelled from its feathers scorched the courtyard directly before Byeok So-yeon pitch black.
“Aaah!”
Byeok So-yeon, who moments before had been as cold and aloof as ice, shrieked at the lightning detonating before her face and threw herself flat on the ground. The dignity she had commanded was nowhere to be found—her posture was cramped and desperate.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Cheong-poong! I managed to hunt down Mountain Ginseng just yesterday and fed it to that Poison Snake as a special treat!”
Byeok So-yeon, prone on the ground and covered in dust, began to wail.
“I know the problem isn’t the meat! What am I supposed to do? I’ve been eating nothing but thin rice porridge since yesterday myself! Just hold on for one day, just one, so why are you being such a picky eater about this, really!”
Here stood the aloof Young Family Head of a legendary martial family, reduced to pleading with a small bird about its dinner, begging it to wait just one more day.
So-ryang, who had climbed up late, caught sight of the scene and nearly gasped for breath.
“Insane, absolutely insane. This tiny creature’s eating through more feed than our Trading Company’s entire training grounds staff combined.”
Baek Un-hui chuckled to himself and strode into the center of the Grand Training Grounds, where dust swirled in his wake.
“Quite a formidable creature you’ve got there. Impressive, truly.”
“Who, who, who are you?!”
Startled by the sudden appearance of an outsider, Byeok So-yeon scrambled to her feet, frantically brushing dust from her clothes and struggling to compose her face into the dignified expression of a Young Family Head.
Baek Un-hui’s gaze, however, fixed not on the Young Family Head but on the Spirit Creature before him, radiating wild Thunder Qi.
Unbothered by the creature’s terrifying presence, he calmly withdrew a substantial bundle of silver coins from his robe and held it aloft.
“Come now, let’s call off this strike. Will this do for the special provisions you’re after?”
The creature—possessed of intelligence enough to understand human speech—tilted its head toward Baek Un-hui, and the Thunder Qi it had been unleashing noticeably weakened.
“Don’t approach recklessly! The creature won’t accept kindness from strangers—”
Byeok So-yeon tried urgently to warn him, but Baek Un-hui’s composed demeanor left her speechless.
At that moment, Byeok Hyeong-geom appeared, supporting Byeok Tae-gang, and hastily positioned himself between the two parties.
“Young Family Head, these people are from the Baek Un Trading Company—they’ve come to continue the communication network with the Geum Shin Trading House. There’s been a misunderstanding.”
“From the Geum Shin Trading House…?”
Byeok So-yeon’s eyes wavered.
She was well aware that it was she herself who had unilaterally severed the Geum Shin Trading House’s communication network due to the contract dispute with the Pung Cheon Trading Company.
She exhaled a deep sigh, lowering her head.
“I’ve been discourteous. But please, return home. It’s not a matter that feeding costs alone can resolve.”
So-ryang stepped forward with a snort.
“Really now, how much could it possibly cost to feed a single bird this size? Unless it’s eating gold dust instead of meat?”
“Worse than gold dust.”
Byeok So-yeon’s expression turned bitter as she withdrew a luminous blue stone from her robe.
“To maintain the creature’s Spirit strength, it must consume the essence of Thunder Electric Stone—stone that’s been struck by lightning. A single piece this small is worth a good ten silver coins by itself. Ground and fed daily with meat, it’s the only way to sustain it. But since Father collapsed, even our medicine funds have run dry, and I have no means to feed it every day.”
“Ten… ten silver coins?!”
So-ryang’s jaw fell open. His hands, which clutched an old abacus, trembled visibly.
“This fist-sized creature costs ten silver coins a day to feed?! Three hundred coins a month?! Madness! That’s enough to feed ten people to bursting for a month and still have coins left over, all spent on this one chirping thing?!”
“It’s not a chirping creature—it’s a Spirit Creature!”
Byeok So-yeon’s pride flared, but knowing the truth of it, her fire quickly faded.
Then, So-ryang’s eyes—which had been glazed with shock—sharpened to an icy clarity. The instinct of the Cheong Su Faction’s mind, its finance master who had wagered his life on single-coin margins since his days in the slums, suddenly blazed to life.
“Wait. If it only needs Thunder Qi, there’s no reason to insist on such expensive Thunder Electric Stone chunks, is there?”
“Pardon?”
So-ryang snatched the Thunder Electric Stone from Byeok So-yeon’s hand and examined it from every angle.
“Inferior-grade Thunder Electric Stone or scraps that roll around in medicine shops cost less than a single silver coin per bowl. Might lack the form, but a trace of essence lingers.”
“But powder alone wouldn’t provide sufficient potency—”
“That’s why you blend it! Even our elder mentioned as much—these noble house martial artists, honestly—”
So-ryang tapped his worn abacus rhythmically as he continued.
“One must always think of cost-efficiency. Mix inferior-grade Thunder Electric Stone powder with several other cheap medicinal materials of similar properties, apply some refinement, and it should work fine. You know our Trading Company retains a certain Guest Elder who’s quite versed in unusual materials and medicinal compounds? Thanks to that, I’ve picked up more than a thing or two about cutting herb costs.”
“A Guest Elder…?”
Byeok So-yeon spoke as though she couldn’t believe it.
“Yes. As distinctive as his temperament is, his skill with rare materials and herbal preparations is unparalleled. Though I’d need his help to perfect the blend, I believe we could achieve acceptable results for roughly one-tenth the current cost. Perhaps even less.”
Not only Byeok So-yeon but even Byeok Hyeong-geom beside her wore an expression of stunned amazement.
It was a shockingly merchant-like way of thinking—something the proud martial families of the Martial World would never have conceived.
“Such a… such a method…”
At So-ryang’s confident words, even the creature perched on the roof seemed intrigued, letting out a pleased chirp as it ceased its barrage of lightning.
Baek Un-hui smiled faintly and patted So-ryang’s shoulder.
“Do you see, Young Family Head? Money isn’t simply spent—it’s cleverly conserved. If you enter into a contract with our Trading Company, we’ll provide unlimited quantities of specialized, high-efficiency feed for the creature at a reduced cost. And it’s not just with the Geum Shin Trading House—you’d also establish a communication network contract with us. Your share would grow far beyond what an unfair monopoly contract could offer the Bi Cheon Byeok Family.”
A fierce spark ignited in Byeok So-yeon’s clear eyes. It transcended mere hope that the problem might be resolved; it was a deep, burning curiosity about these strange merchants before her.
Then, from the entrance of the Grand Training Grounds, a cold and domineering voice rang out.
“The Bi Cheon Byeok Family rejects that proposal.”
A middle-aged man in ornate silver martial robes—bearing the same sharp, merciless eyes as Byeok Tae-gang—entered the grounds. Behind him, dozens of escort warriors and creatures followed with a threatening aura.
It was Byeok Mu-chang, the acting Family Head who currently held power over the Bi Cheon Byeok Family.
“Uncle…!”
Byeok So-yeon flinched and retreated. Byeok Mu-chang cast a cold glance at his niece before turning his oppressive gaze toward Baek Un-hui.
“Where do you crawling merchants think you are, barging into another’s household without permission? And you, Byeok Hyeong-geom—you call yourself a swordmaster yet you allow such rabble into the training grounds. What is this?”
Byeok Hyeong-geom bowed his head.
“My apologies, Acting Elder. However, these people might resolve the creature’s feeding costs—”
“Silence! The Bi Cheon Byeok Family has already entered into an exclusive contract with the Pung Cheon Trading Company. Our maintenance expenses, including the creature’s, are to be covered by them. We have no need for the pittance of the Geum Shin Trading House!”
On the verge of boiling thin gruel because there was no meat for tomorrow’s meal, Byeok So-yeon bit her lip, about to protest—but Baek Un-hui gently restrained her and stepped forward.
His eyes shimmered with an uncanny golden light as he studied Byeok Mu-chang.

[Target Subject: Byeok Mu-chang.]
[Asset Value: Approximately 5,000 Silver Coins. (Includes Young Family Head Acting Premium)]
[Status and Special Notes: Linked with a Gold-attribute First-Grade Gongmyeong Mae and vital energy synchronized.]
[Core Risk: Information Restricted.]

‘Hmm, so the interim Family Head finally appears. A typical succession dispute between brothers? There’s a foul stench to it, but···’
Having run through the calculations in his mind, Baek Un-hui set aside any outward agitation and instead offered a disarmingly easy smile as he clasped his fist in salute.
“If that is truly the Young Family Head’s wish, then there is nothing to be done. The Baek Un Trading Company shall withdraw.”
“Master! You’re just going to leave like this?”
Baek Un-hui caught So-ryang by the nape of the neck before the man could protest further, and turned away without hesitation.

Buying Out the Martial World Episode 14

Author
Song Bbeum-bol
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yun Tae-ri
Cover Design
Sik

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260907057.0014

ⓒ2026, Song Bbeum-bol

※ This e-book is protected under the copyright law of the Republic of Korea.
No part or whole of this work may be reproduced or modified in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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