Acquiring the Murim with Money - Chapter 18

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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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Episode 18. The Sword of the Bikcheong Byeok Family

“We’ll settle this with steel.”
Byeok Hyeong-geom fixed his gaze on Baek Un-hui, drawing his killing intent higher.
Crushed beneath the man’s overwhelming presence, Baek Un-hui could barely draw breath. Yet he forced the corners of his mouth upward, summoning the smooth smile of a seasoned merchant.
“I see words won’t suffice. Shall we step outside? If the Family Head’s bedchamber suffers damage to its treasures, we’ll both lose, won’t we?”
Byeok Hyeong-geom nodded slowly, silent.
If he released his sword energy indoors, it would sweep up the Family Head and Byeok So-yeon as well.
Once Byeok Hyeong-geom had gone, Baek Un-hui stuffed his pockets with items and hurried after him. As he emerged into the courtyard, the honor guard rushed forward with torches. But Byeok Hyeong-geom didn’t even turn his head, his voice cutting through the night like ice.
“This is how you guard the Family Head’s chambers? Every captain of the guard is to report to the Training Grounds at dawn. And I will face this man alone—no one else is to interfere.”
The guards fell silent as stone, retreating into shadow, and a murderous hush settled over the courtyard.
‘Can I actually survive this? The man’s a monster… I have to stall, buy time until the healing is done, hold on no matter what.’
“Are you ready? Shall we begin?”
Byeok Hyeong-geom drew his sword again.
“Hold on! Wait just a moment!”
Baek Un-hui threw up his hands urgently and fumbled to slip on a pair of items he’d pulled from his robes.

* * *

Days earlier, in the office of the Baek Un Merchant Group.
So-ryang tossed a pair of crudely-crafted gloves onto Baek Un-hui’s desk.
“What’s this?”
“I had Gwang-du make them special. The palms are lined with thin supple deer leather to preserve your sensitivity when throwing projectiles or coins, and from the back of the hand to the wrist, I’ve woven steel plates together like scales and stitched them on.”
Baek Un-hui pulled on the gloves. They were heavy, yet his fingers moved without restriction.
“Watching you fight, you’ve got Inner Energy to spare, but you don’t have proper technique—you just hurl coins and throw punches all day. When you meet a real blade master, both your arms will be lopped clean off. And how am I supposed to watch that happen to the Merchant Group’s greatest asset? Remember: your health is our most precious wealth.”

* * *

‘Thank you, So-ryang. You’re the best steward we have.’
“Phew… all set. Thanks for waiting. By the way, I’m suddenly feeling a bit hungry…”
Bang!
As if to silence his chatter, Byeok Hyeong-geom unleashed a light cascade of sword energy. Baek Un-hui urgently drew on his Inner Energy and crossed both arms, clad in the Iron Armor Technique. Before his eyes, light blazed and sparks erupted—a shock so violent it felt as though his arms would shatter.
“Ugh!”
Baek Un-hui skidded backward through the dirt, sliding over a dozen paces. What had appeared a casual swing carried enough force that without the custom reinforced gloves and his substantial Inner Energy, both arms would have been torn clean away.
‘Damn it, at this rate I’m dead. I can’t hold on with Inner Energy alone. I have to read the pattern, read the trajectory!’
As death crept up his spine, his survival instinct awakened the Golden Divine Eye, which spun frantically, tracing the opponent’s sword path in gossamer red lines.
Whoosh!
Byeok Hyeong-geom lunged forward again.
‘Right shoulder!’
Baek Un-hui twisted his body and scattered a handful of copper coins in all directions.
“Take this—Thousand Gold Throw!”
Shwish!
The coins rained down like projectiles, but Byeok Hyeong-geom let out a scoff and casually deflected them with his blade.
“Don’t waste my time.”
“No—my hard-earned money!”
Tears in his eyes, Baek Un-hui scattered more silver coins, yet Byeok Hyeong-geom swept them aside with a diagonal blade wind.
“Hyah! Try this too!”
Two fist-sized objects rocketed from Baek Un-hui’s grip like lightning—silver acupressure balls carved from pure silver that he’d quietly pocketed as he’d slipped from the Family Head’s chamber.

[Silver Acupressure Ball: Market value fifty silver taels]

Crash! Clang!
As the Great Heavenly Foundation Energy infused the silver acupressure balls—treasures worthy of the Family Head—they shot forward with the force of cannonballs. Byeok Hyeong-geom’s brow furrowed and he swung his sword, but the acupressure balls shattered upon contact, and for the first time, his feet slid back half a pace.
“You’re stealing the Family Head’s belongings and using them as weapons?”
“Not theft exactly—more of a… cost-saving measure. Still, it was Instructor Byeok who smashed them, wasn’t it?”
“Brazen. That last exchange showed some skill, but your coin tricks end here.”
Byeok Hyeong-geom planted his feet and twisted his wrist, and dozens of sword shadows descended upon Baek Un-hui like a binding cage. Even reading the trajectories with the Golden Divine Eye, his crude Movement Technique offered no answer.
‘No way. There’s nowhere to dodge!’
Baek Un-hui, growing desperate, rolled his body away while taking a deep breath and kicked off the premium leather shoes he’d bought at great expense—sending them flying. Imbued with tremendous Inner Energy, the new footwear hurtled toward Byeok Hyeong-geom’s face.
“This is ridiculous—!”
Byeok Hyeong-geom ducked his head irritably to dodge the shoe, and in that instant,
“Now! Value Depreciation!”
The force of erosion that burst from Baek Un-hui’s two hands struck Byeok Hyeong-geom’s chest directly.
A deep resonance shook the air.
For a moment, the sharp Protective Barrier Energy wrapping Byeok Hyeong-geom’s body wavered faintly, and his Inner Energy flow dulled. But it stopped there.

[Alert: The target’s Foundational Assets are too solid. Value Depreciation’s effect is minimal.]

‘Damn it, this self-made high-quality stock has no weakness whatsoever!’
Toward Baek Un-hui, who gasped for breath from the recoil of Value Depreciation, Byeok Hyeong-geom—his alarm fading—released a chilling Sword Energy.
“You’ve held out better than expected, but let’s end this now!”
A cliff’s edge, completely hemmed in on all sides. Byeok Hyeong-geom’s eyes glinted with lethal focus.
“End? You haven’t won yet—take this!”
Baek Un-hui drew a heavy object from the deepest corner of his robes, gathering every last scrap of strength to hurl it forward.
It was the massive White Jade Paperweight of 100% purity that he’d scanned with the Golden Divine Eye and pocketed from the Family Head’s chamber moments before.
A deafening crash split the air.
The White Jade Paperweight and Byeok Hyeong-geom’s Sword Energy collided in midair. With a tremendous explosion, dust erupted from the courtyard.
The Family Head’s beloved treasure unleashed such catastrophic destructive force—worth hundreds of silver taels—that Byeok Hyeong-geom was sent flying back more than three meters.
“This is absolutely insane—!”
For the first time, shock flooded Byeok Hyeong-geom’s eyes.
Baek Un-hui’s legs nearly gave way beneath him, but he forced his chin up and shouted with false bravado.
“Smashing the Family Head’s treasured paperweight! Don’t come closer. You don’t know what else might come flying if you move!”
But Byeok Hyeong-geom, shaking off his bewilderment, hardened his expression and walked forward again. Baek Un-hui, his pockets now stripped bare of even a speck of dust, thrust his hand inside anyway and screamed silently to himself.
‘Is it time yet? By my reckoning, half my time has long since passed. No—don’t come any closer!’
He was cursing himself for not bringing more expensive items when—in that very instant—
“What in blazes are you all doing out there? All this racket—I can’t concentrate!”
Bang!
A crude Lion’s Roar erupted from beyond the shattered doorframe. Dang So-yu, gripping a blood-soaked towel, emerged with a face full of exasperation.
“S-Instructor! Father’s complexion has returned. Just as you said, it truly was a deadly poison!”
At Byeok So-yeon’s urgent cry from behind Dang So-yu, Byeok Hyeong-geom’s blade stopped mere centimeters from Baek Un-hui’s throat.
A metallic ring.
Byeok Hyeong-geom sheathed his sword in one smooth motion as though he’d always meant to, then bowed deeply to Dang So-yu.
“Your name precedes you. I failed to show you proper respect before, and I apologize sincerely. As the Bikcheong Byeok Family’s sword instructor, I am deeply grateful for your aid.”
“Proper respect? You have no shame written all over your face.”
“Y-yes, sir. Thank you, truly… thank you, sir.”
Byeok So-yeon, fighting back tears, threw herself into a full bow before Dang So-yu.
Even Dang So-yu, for all his gruffness, turned his head away with a slight cough at the sincerity of her gratitude.
“Hmph. I merely cleared the breathing passages of a corpse already on death’s door. The real work begins now.”
Baek Un-hui, still seated with his torn Iron Armor Palm Guard, finally caught his breath in ragged gasps.
Byeok Hyeong-geom exhaled slowly.
“…To withstand my blade for so long with such paltry martial skill. Your life thread is remarkably stubborn.”
The Killing Intent that had gleamed in Byeok Hyeong-geom’s eyes had vanished without a trace.
“Then… you never intended to kill me from the start?”
“Had I meant to kill you, your head would have been severed the moment you threw that copper coin. But I cannot stake the fate of the Bikcheong Byeok Family on the empty words of a glib merchant—so a test was necessary.”
Byeok Hyeong-geom gazed at the scattered powder of the White Jade Paperweight across the courtyard and smiled faintly.
“And I’ve also seen the brazenness you possess—stealing the Family Head’s treasure.”
“…Anyone listening would mistake me for a thief. Please consider it a necessary investment in the Bikcheong Byeok Family’s bright future. Hah…”
Byeok Hyeong-geom, as if he’d made a decision, dismissed his retainers and turned back.
“The Young Mistress likely thought I had switched my allegiance to the Interim Head’s faction, but I am not the Family Head’s personal sword—I am the Bikcheong Byeok Family’s ‘blade,’ protecting the entire household. When the Family Head suddenly collapsed and the Interim Head seized full authority, I too harbored suspicion about the situation.”
Byeok So-yeon’s eyes widened.
“You suspected something, Instructor, yet you stood idle?”
“I had no physical evidence—only suspicion. Had I drawn my blade against the current Interim Head on mere suspicion, the family would have descended into civil war that very day and been torn apart. Moreover, I could not identify the culprit, so caution was essential.”
Byeok Hyeong-geom’s gaze shifted to Baek Un-hui as he continued.
“So I have endured, searching for where my blade should truly point in service to the family, bearing a weight that carved deep into my soul. And thanks to you risking your life and proving it today, my path forward has become clear.”
“Then… is the true culprit who poisoned Father really my uncle?”
Byeok Hyeong-geom shook his head firmly.
“The Interim Head is indeed petty and blinded by ambition, but he lacks the capacity to poison his own blood brother. From what I have investigated, the true culprit is almost certainly those from the Pungcheon Merchant Group, who covet our family.”
“The Pungcheon Group? Then my uncle knew this fact and yet remained silent?”
At Byeok So-yeon’s bewildered question, Baek Un-hui let out a hollow laugh.
“If the Family Head continues to lose control of the Heavenly Thunder Plum on top of the financial crisis… wouldn’t he be using the family’s crisis and his own incompetence as a pretext to naturally hand over power to his own son? A textbook opportunist, if I’ve ever seen one.”
Baek Un-hui groaned as he adjusted his remaining shoe, caked with dirt.
“I understand the situation well enough. Either way, I’ve rescued the Family Head and dug up the family’s festering wounds at the cost of my own life—so it’s time I collected what’s owed to me.”
Baek Un-hui held up his torn Iron Armor Palm Guard and brazenly extended his palm.
“As you can see, my brand-new premium leather shoes are ruined, and on top of that, my one-of-a-kind Custom Reinforced Gloves are torn to shreds. I’ve spent plenty of silver and my body’s in tatters. I’ve brushed with death more than once—so how will you settle accounts with me?”
“… Truly, a shameless and relentless merchant you are.”
Byeok Hyeong-geom let out a rueful laugh at the sheer audacity, then fished an old book and a silk pouch from his robes and tossed them to Baek Un-hui.

Money Rules the Martial World – Episode 18

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

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260907057.0018

ⓒ2026, Song Jjeon-bol

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No part 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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