The Supreme Who Rules the Boundless Sky - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Spear Heaven Martial Emperor Episode 107

Nam Pyodu asked with a bewildered expression.

“Even the Hwajeong Trading Company?”

“That’s right.”

‘They have no intention of hiding their name.’

Anyone could see that they had made it obvious they were part of the Fire Essence faction.

Namgung Hyeok put the Fire Essence he received from Nam Pyodu into his chest.

Nam Pyodu, unaware of his true intentions, looked pleased.

“We would also feel reassured to have masters like the Seonghwa Sect Leader’s party with us.”

“That works out well. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

After reaching several agreements with Nam Pyodu, Namgung Hyeok rode his horse to join their group.

The pace was much slower than before, but they didn’t have to do various chores instead.

They were exempted from night watch duty and meal preparation like invited guests.

“Hmm. Much more comfortable.”

Lee Cheolgun spoke with satisfaction, seemingly pleased with this fact.

Instead of responding, Namgung Hyeok went over the information about the Hwajeong Trading Company he had heard from Nam Pyodu.

“He said it was a trading company that rapidly rose in the Yunnan region about ten years ago. They mainly deal in spiritual medicine.”

The reason he hadn’t known about it until now was probably because the distance was too far to hear news from Yunnan.

After all, Namgung Hyeok’s own intelligence network was limited.

Even with the Yeomhwa Trading Company’s diligent investigations, it was difficult to find information about trading companies in such remote regions.

‘I need to expand my intelligence organization quickly.’

With that thought, Namgung Hyeok followed the group.

Fortunately, there were no more attacks, and they were able to arrive peacefully in Guizhou.

“The place we trade with is a branch of the Hwajeong Trading Company located here in the Guizhou region. The main camp of the Hwajeong Trading Company is said to be in Yunnan.”

“I know. However, I’m thinking of stopping by the branch first.”

There would be things he could learn even from the branch.

The group was able to safely arrive at the Guizhou branch of the Hwajeong Trading Company.

It was a fairly large-scale trading company with people busily moving about.

While Nam Pyodu was unloading the escort goods, Namgung Hyeok caught a passing worker and said,

“I’d like to meet the branch manager. How can I arrange a meeting?”

“The branch manager? Do you have an appointment?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then you’ll have to wait several days. Our branch manager is quite a busy person…”

“His thinking will change when he sees this.”

Namgung Hyeok took out a plaque engraved with the characters for Sacred Fire from his chest.

The worker who saw it tilted his head.

He seemed to be someone hired from outside rather than a member of the Fire Essence faction.

“Show this to your superior. Then you’ll understand what I’m saying.”

“Hmm, understood.”

But the worker was still a perceptive person.

Since Namgung Hyeok was acting like he had something important, he responded quickly.

Soon, someone came to find Namgung Hyeok who was waiting.

He was a sturdy man who looked more like a warrior than a scholar.

“I greet the master of the newly established Seonghwa Sect.”

He took a respectful cupped fist salute. Namgung Hyeok nodded and asked,

“And you are?”

“I am Manager Heo, responsible for managing this Guizhou branch. I will guide you to the branch manager.”

“I’ll trouble you.”

Namgung Hyeok followed him inside.

Soon he was guided to a magnificent-looking main hall.

“Heo Ryang of the Fire Essence faction greets the Seonghwa Sect Leader.”

What awaited him there was a middle-aged man with a sharp atmosphere.

“As you know, I am Namgung Hyeok.”

Namgung Hyeok quietly accepted his greeting. For a moment, the two men’s gazes collided.

“I never expected the Seonghwa Sect Leader to come down here personally.”

“It seems you knew about me?”

“We react quite sensitively to rumors in Jianghu. I heard about you establishing yourself in Jiangsu Province.”

“Yet you didn’t contact us.”

“…”

“Has the Fire Essence faction decided to keep its distance from the Seonghwa Sect?”

“That’s not the case. It’s just that we’ve been quite busy for a while…”

Heo Ryang spoke as if making an excuse.

Namgung Hyeok nodded without pressing further.

There didn’t seem to be much point in interrogating him anyway. Instead, he stated his purpose for coming here.

“I came all the way from Jiangsu Province to this place because I want to work together with the Fire Essence faction. The Fire Sword faction and the Flame Blade faction are already working with us. I’d like to hear if you have any intention of joining our main sect.”

“Of course, we also want to maintain good relations with the Seonghwa Sect.”

Heo Ryang spoke in a calm voice.

“However, we are people who have already decided to settle down and live in Yunnan and Guizhou. So please understand that moving the entire trading company is impossible.”

“Hmm. So you’re refusing.”

Namgung Hyeok spoke bluntly. Heo Ryang broke out in cold sweat at the atmosphere and answered,

“Would you like to meet the merchant leader, or rather, the faction leader first? All decision-making authority for our faction rests with him. So it would be faster to have a conversation with him.”

“Is the merchant leader in Kunming?”

“Yes. He’s currently directing business operations from there. If I send a message tube by messenger pigeon, someone will come to escort the Seonghwa Sect Leader.”

“Please do that.”

Namgung Hyeok said this while his eyes gleamed.

‘The atmosphere isn’t very welcoming.’

It was different from the Fire Sword faction or Flame Blade faction.

They had been thinking they would gladly serve him as lord once he proved his qualifications, but these people didn’t seem to have that attitude.

‘I suppose it’s because they’ve established themselves as a trading company.’

Since they had risen by their own power, they wouldn’t like the idea of the Sacred Fire’s successor taking all of that away.

‘What should I do about this.’

Namgung Hyeok fell into thought for a moment.

Force them into submission?

Of course, he could do that.

His martial power was formidable, and he had Ho Young and Lee Cheolgun with him.

But doing so would only leave behind enmity.

Trying to accomplish something through force would be the worst approach.

‘Then I’ll have to find a way to move forward where we can both gain mutual benefit.’

With that thought, Namgung Hyeok drank the tea that Heo Ryang had served.

And several days later.

Guides hastily sent from Kunming arrived.

* * *

Namgung Hyeok’s party followed them to Kunming.

As befitting the most prosperous and developed city among Yunnan’s cities, the streets were filled with exotic vitality.

This was probably because this place had accumulated great wealth due to its famous tea trade.

“This is the place.”

The guides pointed to a large name plaque in the distance that read “Hwajeong Trading Company.”

The group entered without hesitation.

Then an elderly man with an upright posture and his attendants welcomed them.

“Welcome. Successor of the Sacred Fire. I am Heo Jin, the leader of the Fire Essence Faction.”

The old man greeted them with the calm tone characteristic of his age.

Namgung Hyeok also responded with a courteous attitude.

“Nice to meet you. Leader Heo. I am Namgung Hyeok, Sect Master of the Sacred Fire Gate.”

No matter that the Fire Essence Faction was once a subordinate faction under the Sacred Fire Gate, that was ancient history.

Moreover, Heo Jin clearly looked to be over seventy years old.

So Namgung Hyeok showed him respect.

“Hehe, you don’t need to be so formal. Shall we go inside and talk?”

“Good. However, could you arrange lodging and a simple meal for these two people?”

Namgung Hyeok said, pointing to Ho Young and Lee Cheolgun.

Heo Jin readily nodded.

“Of course. Guide our honored guests so they can dine and rest comfortably.”

When he spoke to the attendants beside him, the attendants took the two people and left.

Left alone, Namgung Hyeok was guided by Heo Jin and arrived at a pavilion with beautiful scenery.

He spoke with a simple drinking table before him.

“As you might guess, I came here because I want to join hands with the Fire Essence Faction.”

“Hehe.”

“The Sacred Fire Gate is currently growing rapidly and reclaiming its past glory. Soon we’ll be able to claim dominance over Jiangsu Province. If the Fire Essence Faction’s strength is added here, no force under heaven will be able to ignore the Sacred Fire Gate.”

“I understand what you’re saying.”

Heo Jin quietly nodded and said.

“And I also understand that you are the true master of the Sacred Fire. If that weren’t the case, the Fire Sword Faction and Flame Blade Faction wouldn’t submit to you. Surely because you are the true successor of the Sacred Fire, the other two sects follow you like this.”

“If you wish, I can prove it to you.”

“Hehe. That’s fine. However, we have been settled here in Yunnan for decades. Then ten years ago we started a business and came to this position, and now we’re treated as one of Yunnan’s leading trading companies. As the leader of the faction, I don’t think I can abandon all of this and submit to the Sacred Fire Gate.”

“Indeed. I understand what you mean.”

“Thank you for understanding. So I wanted to tell you that our Fire Essence Faction cannot relocate to Jiangsu Province.”

“Of course, I don’t want to ask you to go that far either.”

“Pardon?”

“Keep enough faction members here to maintain the trading company, but select volunteers to send to Jiangsu Province. Then just continue the lineage, wouldn’t that be enough?”

“Hmm…”

Heo Jin’s eyes narrowed.

“What benefit would we gain from doing that?”

“First, you’ll be able to have the unified Sacred Fire Gate as your backing.”

“But the Sacred Fire Gate is too far from Yunnan. Even if the Sacred Fire Gate takes responsibility and protects us, the distance is too great, so it would be useless when a moment of crisis comes.”

“Will that really continue to be the case in the future?”

“What do you mean by that…”

“I plan to continue growing the Sacred Fire Gate. To the extent that I won’t be satisfied with merely being the hegemon of Jiangsu Province. Someday the Sacred Fire Gate will proudly establish itself as a major sect that influences the entire Central Plains. When that time comes, won’t the name Sacred Fire Gate have meaning?”

Heo Jin showed a slightly surprised expression at Namgung Hyeok’s words.

“You have ambitious goals. But you can’t sell the present with a future that hasn’t arrived yet.”

Having anticipated Heo Jin’s reaction, Namgung Hyeok immediately revealed the next reason.

“That’s why I’ll tell you the second reason.”

“What is it?”

“If you join with us, you’ll be able to make the scale of your current business much larger. Have you heard of the Yeomhwa Trading Company?”

“It’s a trading company that’s been rising rapidly recently. The only one in the Central Plains that trades directly with the Northern Sea…”

“They are my comrades. So joining hands with us is the same as joining hands with the Yeomhwa Trading Company.”

“…!”

“From investigating these past few days, I found that the Hwajeong Trading Company’s business range is limited to Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province. But if you form a cooperative relationship with the Yeomhwa Trading Company, you’ll be able to do business throughout the entire Central Plains. Isn’t this attractive enough?”

“Hmm. Certainly…”

It seemed to be quite an appealing condition as Heo Jin showed a contemplative expression.

Namgung Hyeok then stated the third reason.

“The last point is that you’ll be able to preserve the Fire Essence Faction as warriors, not merchants. Currently the Fire Essence Faction is focused only on business and gradually losing the faction’s martial arts. But if you join with us, the Fire Essence Faction will be able to regain its past strength. Because I will make it so.”

As if troubled, Heo Jin closed his eyes for a moment.

It seemed like countless thoughts were passing through his mind.

“Very well. Then I’ll select some children including my grandson to send to the Sacred Fire Gate. Will this be sufficient?”

“Of course.”

Namgung Hyeok grinned.

With this, his original purpose for coming all the way to Yunnan was achieved. So he couldn’t help but feel good.

“However, I’d like to make one request to do that.”

“A request?”

Namgung Hyeok looked at Heo Jin and spoke. Heo Jin let out a light sigh and explained.

“Right now our Hwajeong Trading Company is in a position where we can’t easily spare troops. Because of the threat from one sect.”

“What kind of place is it?”

“It’s a sect of bandits who covet the Fire Essence, which is our product. Their name is the Thunder Sword Gate. Those bastards don’t hesitate to use vile methods to swallow our entire trading company.”

Heo Jin spoke with a serious expression.

“If you want to take our faction’s warriors, first solve the problem our faction is facing.”

“Ho.”

Namgung Hyeok nodded with an amused expression.

“Good. I’ll solve it for you.”

Heo Jin showed a slightly surprised expression at the refreshingly given answer.

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