You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 164

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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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164

 

Kim Jin-woo’s day begins at dawn.

 

Since his home and workplace were in the same building, commuting took only 2 minutes.

 

Jin-woo, who woke up at daybreak, brewed coffee like a routine.

 

While the espresso was brewing from the coffee machine, he quickly skimmed through Ashin-related articles on his tablet.

 

The hottest issue right now was naturally Ashin Logistics.

 

Instant delivery, treatment and welfare for partner companies, even interviews with delivery drivers who received citizen awards for reporting crimes.

 

Even without specifically searching for the keyword Ashin, Ashin’s news appeared on the banners.

 

While Jin-woo was checking the news, the aroma of finished coffee filled the office.

 

Kim Jin-woo naturally picked up his mug and headed to his computer desk.

 

On the three monitors that appeared as the power turned on, weekly reports on each of Ashin’s businesses were organized.

 

Except for the cooperation with Hanuri, most were the work of Kim Jin-woo and Han Jia, who had just graduated and joined Ashin.

 

‘Elder Brother’s foresight is truly remarkable.’

 

Kim Jin-woo took a sip of coffee.

 

What he thought was already complete, he raised to another level.

 

It was always like that.

 

From development to supply, to advancement.

 

Han Sang-in’s traces were embedded in every single point.

 

The best choice in Kim Jin-woo’s life was contracting with Han Sang-in as Ashin’s first.

 

A Hunter who had just re-awakened to become E-rank.

 

His equipment was also basic equipment lent by the Association, but for some reason, Kim Jin-woo still couldn’t forget the firm look in his eyes.

 

‘I presumptuously said I would protect him…’

 

How ridiculous must it have looked from Han Sang-in’s perspective?

 

To Kim Jin-woo, Han Sang-in was both a reliable elder brother and a master.

 

Someone who always judged one beat faster, always one step higher.

 

When results followed, the process was explained.

 

The process to reach the results became understandable.

 

But understanding didn’t make it easy.

 

Kim Jin-woo struggled day by day following those footsteps.

 

Who could spout nonsense about becoming an S-rank Hunter just one month after re-awakening,

 

and creating a guild made only of Porters just one month after joining a guild?

 

But it succeeded.

 

Not just success, but achievements that could change the landscape of South Korea’s dungeon conquests.

 

Following those footsteps, Ashin had become South Korea’s number one guild before they knew it.

 

Perhaps the meaning of the guild name Kim Jin-woo had chosen, the meaning of Asin as “pure and flawless,” was gradually becoming more fitting?

 

Kim Jin-woo burst into a chuckle at the old memories.

 

“I should~ get to work~”

 

Though he was clearly a high school senior, nineteen years old, somehow a rich melody flowed from his mouth.

 

Jin-woo reached toward the newly added monitor.

 

A monitor displaying the real-time status of Ashin Logistics.

 

When he channeled the energy of Sun and Moon Divine Art into that monitor, a hidden screen appeared.

 

The emblem of Sadangpae appeared on the black screen.

 

Soon it switched to display Sadangpae’s hidden information network.

 

It was a nationwide surveillance network updating in real-time.

 

Though ancient things would struggle to keep up with modern civilization, Yamyeong’s Sadangpae was actively utilizing that era instead.

 

Hiding screens according to energy, real-time information updates.

 

All were Sadangpae’s work.

 

Technology combining the modern and the past.

 

This seemed like the proper example of learning from the past to understand the present.

 

But above all, Kim Jin-woo had a separate reason for actively using this function.

 

Have you ever seen someone wet the parts farthest from the heart first before entering cold water?

 

The Sadangpae report network was like a heart massage to Kim Jin-woo.

 

And just then, as if considering such Kim Jin-woo, a new report had come in with high priority.

 

“Divine Being’s sword recovery successful, Smuggler Quintuplets bound and scheduled for transport to headquarters?”

 

There were several concerning points, but Kim Jin-woo’s database already had many experiences accumulated.

 

‘It seems Elder Brother picked up a good sword and a cult spy on his way here.’

 

Though not entirely accurate, a roughly similar deduction was now possible.

 

“I should prepare in advance.”

 

Kim Jin-woo got up from his seat, stretched once, and boarded the elevator heading to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

 

***

 

After giving Guiseon to Park Ju-yong, I immediately headed to the Investigation Hall.

 

When I opened the door to the Investigation Hall, Kim Jin-woo and the goblins, already prepared, were waiting for me.

 

Passing by the bound Smuggler Quintuplets in the center, I slowly sat down on the throne.

 

“…”

 

Now that I was actually sitting and looking down below, something felt unsettling.

 

The Goblins of the Cult lined up in the Investigation Hall, the five bound men, and the massive throne that only a demon king would sit on.

 

It wasn’t an intentional staging, but the situation had created itself this way.

 

To make excuses about the throne, it couldn’t be helped since it was copied directly from the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

 

But I couldn’t very well place a Herman Miller ergonomic chair in an Investigation Hall like this, could I?

 

Sure enough, the face of the Head Smuggler who had been watching this series of events gradually contorted.

 

It was an expression as if he had realized something.

 

Why I possessed such strong power,

 

How I had noticed and intervened in the Divine Being’s sword retrieval plan that was being conducted in utmost secrecy even within the sect.

 

Though no one had given any explanation, I could clearly read the countless imaginations, assumptions, and simulations running through the Head Smuggler’s mind.

 

And the Head Smuggler’s death throes that emerged alongside all those processes.

 

“You couldn’t possibly be…?”

 

His pupils shook rapidly.

 

“You, you bastard…”

 

His voice trembled.

 

“You’re the Heavenly Demon, the leader of the Demonic Sect!”

 

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.”

 

I shook my head with a disgusted expression.

 

Is the internet illegal in China?

 

With just a little searching, wouldn’t you inevitably know who I am?

 

Or at least, if you’re someone who loves martial arts novels that much, even if you don’t know your own country’s S-rank Hunters,

 

shouldn’t you at least know the faces of neighboring countries’ S-rank Hunters?

 

Of course, without such background knowledge, it was certainly a situation that could lead to misunderstandings.

 

I looked at the Smuggler Quintuplets murmuring about the conclusion they had reached among themselves, then turned my head away.

 

From years of experience, they weren’t the type to listen even if I explained anyway.

 

And besides, if I were really the Heavenly Demon, I’d be thinking of starting with dismemberment first,

 

so shouldn’t the Smuggler Quintuplets be begging for their lives rather than making noise and shouting?

 

But I tend to avoid such inhumane interrogation methods.

 

I gave Geumja a look.

 

“Let’s start the interrogation right away.”

 

At those words, Geumja pulled out the bronze mirror, a divine artifact of the Cult, from her bosom.

 

***

 

The interrogation wasn’t long.

 

No, to be precise, it couldn’t be long.

 

Because those bastards had nothing in their heads.

 

That the name of the sect under the Chinese cult was Cheonjimun.

 

That they believed the elixir pills made from Ghost Stones were secret elixir pills that could truly unleash one’s potential.

 

There was nothing beyond that.

 

There were a few more pieces of information about Cheonjimun…

 

But even those were at the level I had already heard from Zhang Qingye.

 

Why they targeted the Goryeo Divine Being’s sword, how deeply the cult was involved with Cheonjimun – I couldn’t find out any of that.

 

I looked down at the Head Smuggler and fell into thought.

 

‘It would be one thing to dispose of them, but keeping them around when they’re useless…’

 

But I couldn’t just curse them out either.

 

That structure was a method I frequently used myself.

 

Take Asin Logistics, for example.

 

The delivery drivers don’t know Asin’s internal information.

 

They don’t even know that they’ve become nodes in a surveillance network.

 

I was contemplating what to do with the Smuggler Quintuplets when—

 

The door to the Investigation Hall opened, and a massive figure entered.

 

“I heard some guys using martial arts from China got caught.”

 

It was Zhang Qingye.

 

He must have come straight after finishing a job, as his appearance was disheveled.

 

“Third Senior Brother! You came to rescue us!”

 

The Head Smuggler’s face lit up at Zhang Qingye’s appearance.

 

“Do you know these kids?”

 

“They’re inner disciples I saw when I belonged to my former sect. The sect leader had his eye on them quite a bit.”

 

Even though his head was full of flowers, he seemed to have some knowledge about martial arts.

 

“…Are you going to kill them?”

 

Zhang Qingye glanced at me briefly before speaking.

 

“No.”

 

After answering, something felt strange.

 

‘Why does he think I’d naturally kill them?’

 

“Then let me keep them with me.”

 

“Why bother?”

 

“Since coming to Asin, the amount of information coming from Cheonji-mun has drastically decreased.”

 

“Senior Brother! You don’t need to worry about us—”

 

When Zhang Qingye glared at him, the Head Smuggler shut his mouth.

 

“I don’t know about cult information, but I think I can get information about research and martial arts conducted at Cheonji-mun.”

 

I rested my chin on my hand and looked over the Smuggler Quintuplets once.

 

Certainly, if I kept them around, they’d just be parasites wasting food.

 

Zhang Qingye might be able to extract meaningful information instead.

 

“Work with the Sadangpae kids. Also ask Sister An Hyeon-su for cooperation regarding Honyuan Dan.”

 

“Understood.”

 

With that, the meeting ended.

 

Zhang Qingye and the goblins left with the Smuggler Quintuplets,

 

and when the remaining executives including Kim Jin-woo got up from their seats—

 

A telegram arrived from Yamyeong.

 

‘I thought it was about time for this to come…’

 

I slowly checked the telegram’s contents.

 

True to a simple communication method, there wasn’t much written.

 

But as I read through it, the corners of my mouth gradually rose.

 

“Jin-woo. I need to go on assignment to the Mediterranean Sea.”

 

[Saintly Knight Captain’s whereabouts confirmed]

 

***

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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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