Acquiring the Murim with Money - Chapter 6

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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 6. The Great Heavenly Capital Technique, Second Stage Unlocked

The bundle of papers carried more than the musty scent of old ink. Woven through it all was an unmistakable perfume—the smell of money.
‘In this short span of time… he persuaded all those stubborn people at Cheongsuchai?’
Seo Ha-rin snatched the documents with suspicious eyes. Her crimson lips parted slowly as she read. The residents of Cheongsuchai were people even the Luoyang magistrate had abandoned. That they should have signed their names seemed impossible.
As Seo Ha-rin worked through the papers, she masked her bewilderment and spoke.
“Residence Right? Redevelopment contribution? What in heaven’s name is all this? You’re not running some sort of swindle, are you?”
“Not a swindle—a ‘coexistence.’ Our So-ryang will explain the details. So-ryang, fetch the abacus.”
At Baek Un-hui’s gesture, So-ryang produced from his robes a battered abacus with a cracked frame. Seo Ha-rin let out a derisive snort.
“What good’s an old stick like that going to do?”
“Miss Proprietor, numbers never lie. Not if you interpret them correctly.”
So-ryang’s gaze settled into calm focus. The way his fingers worked the abacus beads carried the precision of a master swordsman’s strike.
Click-clack-clack-clack! Tap, tap-tap-tap!
This was no mere arithmetic. This was the sound of numbers cutting through the commanding presence of a powerhouse like Seo Ha-rin.
“Projected forced eviction costs for Cheongsuchai: five thousand silver taels. Execution period: four months or more. Accounting for physical conflicts and both tangible and intangible expenses to be paid to the magistracy, estimated net losses exceed fifteen thousand taels.”
Seo Ha-rin’s face hardened. Those figures were classified financial information known to only two people within the Geumsin Merchant House.
‘Down to the exact units? What in the world is this kid?’
So-ryang pressed on with the abacus, indifferent to her stare.
“Calculate Luoyang’s trade volume, current labor costs, and the Geumsin Merchant House’s capital turnover cycle, and there’s only one answer. But!”
So-ryang swept the beads upward with a single stroke.
“The guest line chief’s approach is different. He converted the five thousand taels in eviction compensation the residents would receive immediately into an intangible asset—a Residence Right. From your perspective, no cash needs to leave your coffers right now. Moreover, he hired them as laborers. Though the wages were set twenty percent below standard Luoyang rates, because they approach the work as building ‘their own shops,’ productivity is projected to exceed standard efficiency by thirty percent or more.”
Seo Ha-rin stared at So-ryang, her mind reeling. She could almost hear the vaults of the Geumsin Merchant House filling with gold.
“Furthermore, half of the wages paid to these residents will be recovered as ‘storefront contribution fees.’ In the end, Miss Proprietor accomplishes the relocation without spending a single coin, while securing the finest commercial district in Luoyang for yourself. The profit margin the Geumsin Merchant House earns from this entire arrangement is… well over threefold, even by conservative estimates.”
Once his explanation concluded, So-ryang tucked the abacus back into his robes and retreated behind Baek Un-hui.
Seo Ha-rin fell silent for a long moment. Something in her bones told her the truth.
This man before her was no mere swindler—he was an architect, redesigning the game itself. And that one behind him, So-ryang, was the precision instrument that transformed that design into real gold.
“Baek Un-hui.”
“Yes, Miss Proprietor?”
“You… you’re genuinely mad, aren’t you?”
Seo Ha-rin burst into laughter.
She reached deep into a drawer and withdrew a heavy case. Inside lay a Jade Plaque suffused with a luminous blue light.
At its center were carved the characters Geumsin, and in the upper left corner, Guest Line Chief—the strokes precise and exquisite.
“This isn’t an official Geumsin Merchant House plaque, is it?”
Baek Un-hui turned the plaque over in his fingers, studying it. A plaque marked with the character for “guest” was typically given only to distinguished outsiders or collaborators. Seo Ha-rin’s eyes narrowed as she answered.
“Don’t mistake yourself. I’m not accepting you as a formal member of the Geumsin Merchant House. This is a Geumsin Guest Line Chief Plaque—a temporary authority granted only to capable external partners.”
Seo Ha-rin held his gaze steadily as she continued.
“Even if you go around claiming to be the guest line chief of the Baekun Merchant Caravan, the Luoyang merchants will only laugh at you. No fool grasps a rotten rope. But with this plaque? Things change. They’ll see me standing behind you and bow to the ground.”
Baek Un-hui nodded.
“In other words, you’re lending me the Geumsin Merchant House name.”
“Precisely. But there’s a condition. Beyond the Cheongsuchai development, you’ll handle ‘special assignments’ I direct. I’m hiring you as a ‘problem solver’—someone to take on work the Geumsin Merchant House can’t afford to handle officially.”
Baek Un-hui’s eyes flashed.
What she was proposing now was no mere favor. This was pure calculation—she’d save the dying Baekun Merchant Caravan in exchange for wielding Baek Un-hui as the Geumsin Merchant House’s unofficial blade.
“Ha, true to form, Miss Proprietor. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, is there? Still, not a bad arrangement. If I can conduct business using the Geumsin Merchant House name, I’m happy to play the problem solver.”
“Good. With that plaque, you can secure up to five thousand silver taels at favorable interest rates directly from the Geumsin Merchant House with no conditions. Any merchant caravan in Zhongyuan will receive you as a distinguished guest. In short, the Geumsin Merchant House becomes your guarantor.”
The moment Baek Un-hui grasped the plaque, a chill flowed through his palm into his body.

[Contract Established: Capital Delegation from a Great Power]
[Highest-Grade Financial Guarantee Acquired!]

Deep in his dantian, a resonant pulse awakened. Though not formally a member, the mere fact that the Geumsin Merchant House—with the greatest financial power under heaven—had vouched for his credit made the system respond.

[Official Position: Ruined Merchant’s Son → Geumsin Merchant House Guest Line Chief]
[Available Assets: 5,000 Silver Taels]
[Condition Met: Acquired Authority to Manage Another’s Great Capital]
[Reward: Great Heavenly Capital Technique, Second Stage Unlocked]
[Stage 1: Petty Merchant → Stage 2: Guest Line Chief]
[Privilege: ‘Pure Capital → Assets’ Authority Activated]

Boom!
A massive explosion erupted within his Dantian.
Until now, he had been accumulating Inner Power by circulating the loose change in his pocket—but now, even his “debt” was beginning to convert into total assets, partially substituting into Baek Un-hui’s Inner Power itself.
Five thousand taels of credit loan authority.
It was as though a vast passage of Qi and blood had been opened, allowing him to draw upon tremendous Inner Power. In an instant, golden radiance bloomed across Baek Un-hui’s entire body like heat shimmer.
“Hmm? Your aura’s shifted a bit.”
Seo Ha-rin studied Baek Un-hui with interest.
“So you need the scent of money to act like a proper human. Fine. First, I’ll send two thousand taels of the initial investment straight to the Baekun Merchant Caravan. In exchange, if there’s no profit…” She paused meaningfully. “You know what happens? Your neck and that adorable little abacus boy’s fingers—they’re mine.”
“Have no concerns, Miss Seo. I’ll earn enough to burst your purse.”
Baek Un-hui rose from his seat with an easy smile.

As they left the room, So-ryang leaned close to Baek Un-hui’s ear, his expression one of exasperation.
“Baek Un-hui. Threats about cutting necks and fingers… That woman’s genuinely not right in the head. And what about my salary?”
Baek Un-hui answered with utmost seriousness.
“So-ryang, when a merchant fixates on pennies, he never earns real wealth. It’s difficult now, but of course you’ll receive proper monthly wages—plus three percent equity in my Caravan. You understand what that means better than anyone.”
For a moment, So-ryang’s eyes sparkled, but he quickly hardened his expression.
“There you go again, just talking. And while equity’s nice, I don’t even have money to eat right now. Business partner, friend. You’re buying dinner tonight!”

Meanwhile, as their voices drifted from the room, Seo Ha-rin rested her chin on her hand and smiled mysteriously.
“Equity… An interesting word. Baek Un-hui, thanks to you, my plans might accelerate.”
Her finger tapped lightly against the contract he’d left behind.
It was a historic moment—the commercial networks of Luoyang, and indeed the economic map of the Martial Arts World itself, had begun to shift.

* * *

Luoyang’s mornings were no longer silent. The inner courtyard of the Baekun Merchant Caravan, which had been little more than ruins, now rang with the sounds of hammers from laborers working in the early dawn.
The investment secured from the Geumsin Merchant House had become the lifeblood that set the dying Caravan’s heart beating once more.
Baek Un-hui sat on the veranda, looking down at a table of steaming white rice, glossy Dongpo Pork, and golden-brown grilled fish. Only days ago, he’d been surviving on thin, spoiled gruel, but now he could sit before a meal abundant and nourishing.
He picked up his chopsticks and brought a thick slice of meat to his mouth. The rich, savory fat melted on his tongue and spread throughout his entire body.
“Hui, I know money’s come in, but isn’t this too much for the morning? I’m not even sure we should be eating and spending so freely already.”
From across the table, Baek Yeon-hwa chided him with concern.

As the family’s fortunes had declined, she’d done everything to economize and hold the Caravan together. For her, such abundant meals at every sitting still felt like extravagance. Baek Un-hui smiled and placed a generous piece of fish atop her rice bowl.
“Sister, this isn’t waste—it’s capital expenditure. My body is our Caravan’s headquarters, and you are the security system that protects it. What fool invests in a building that leaks and crumbles? Only when we appear refined and healthy will clients trust us with their fortunes.”
“I see. I understand. These strange, incomprehensible words of yours—hearing them over and over, they’re starting to make sense.”
Baek Yeon-hwa laughed despite herself at his merchant’s logic, biting into the fish. She could see the change in him—his words were those of a merchant, yes, but kindness was woven through every one.
After finishing his meal, Baek Un-hui drew from his robes a silken box that carried a fragrant scent and pushed it toward Baek Yeon-hwa.
“What is this?”
“A quality asset to reinforce your basic facilities, which have stagnated. One root of Hundred Year Fleece Flower Root, which I was fortunate to procure, and a steel sword specially commissioned from a master craftsman.”
Baek Yeon-hwa’s eyes widened in surprise, and Baek Un-hui added teasingly:
“You’re not just cherished blood—you’re the cornerstone of our Caravan. You’ve endured so long with that worn, damaged blade. This is the best I can do now, but a Hundred Refinement Cold Iron Sword and a Thousand Year Fleece Flower Root won’t be far behind.”
With trembling hands, Baek Yeon-hwa drew the blade. The cool blue steel, flowing with Qi, caught the morning sunlight and gleamed. The loneliness she’d borne while standing guard over the Caravan alone seemed to wash away.
“Thank you, Hui. With this sword, I swear I’ll protect you and our Caravan.”
And rumors began to ripple through the back alleys of Luoyang.

Mergers and Acquisitions in the Martial Arts World with Money — Episode 6

Author
Song Jjuon-vol
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yoon Tae-ri
Cover Design
Sik

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260907057.0006

© 2026, Song Jjuonbol

※ This e-book is a work protected by the copyright law of the Republic of Korea.
No part or all of the contents of this work may be reprocessed 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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