Chapter 10

Chapter 10

‘I’m lucky.’

Looking at Baekgeommunju staring intently at me, I sat down and thought. He made the proposal at such a timely moment. It couldn’t be helped, could it?

If he’d been a bit later, I would have tried to propose a secret bid myself. Anyway, if we fought with money, the probability of us winning that fabric didn’t exist. That’s why this secret auction was important.

Because if I participated in this secret auction, I could at least obtain one chance to speak.

“Munju-nim, what will you do…….”

“Seohwa.”

“Yes?”

At the voice calling her, I placed my hand on the shoulder of Seohwa, who was looking at me puzzled. Seohwa, startled by the sudden contact.

“We have no money. Do you understand that?”

“Yes. Even if we go with a secret auction…….”

“We should consider the possibility nonexistent.”

“But Munju-nim has some idea, don’t you? A secret method to win the bid.”

Baek Riyun said with a smile.

“In this situation, there’s no method that will definitely win that fabric. But if it’s a method to increase the possibility rather than simply bidding, I know it well enough.”

“What is it?”

For a moment, Baek Riyun withdrew his smile and asked Seohwa earnestly.

“What do you think it is?”

At my question, Seohwa blinked and poked my side with her finger.

“……Are you joking in this situation? I’m curious so please tell me quickly.”

“I’m serious.”

“Yes?”

“I mean it’s not a question thrown as a joke.”

At this point.

I was the sect master of Uicheonmun, but Seohwa was the head disciple. She had entered Uicheonmun first and was also my direct disciple. However, in reality, looking at the surface, Seohwa hadn’t properly equipped the capabilities of a head disciple.

“One doesn’t become a head disciple because their martial arts are strong. Nor can one become it by entering quickly.”

“…….”

“Timely judgment, leadership to guide those around you, and the power to embrace people—all these are capabilities required of a head disciple. I intend to cultivate your judgment through this opportunity.”

Though we hadn’t even established the sect yet, in a few decades I too would step down from the sect master position and retire from the front lines. Then Seohwa or someone else would become the protagonist of the next generation. Of course, it was a story of the far future.

But it wasn’t bad to prepare from now. At least I thought so.

“I’ve given many clues. We don’t have much money. And the distributed paper, brush, and ink—these are the blades we can use in this battlefield. Then, different from others, what advantage do we, and only we, have?”

“……That’s.”

“We can buy silk later. But opportunities to directly judge something like this are rare. I want to cultivate the habit of thinking in you.”

Seohwa, with a contemplative look, alternately gazed at me and the auction house, then began gently pressing the flesh of her index finger with her thumbnail. Seohwa’s appearance, sunk in deep thought.

“Money is limited, and using paper, brush, and ink as blades…… who do we stab? Other people? Or…….”

Slowly.

I could feel something in Seohwa’s mind combining and then decomposing. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.

People have what’s called habits. These habits are generally formed toward ‘what’s comfortable for oneself.’

Keeping all factors in mind and then revealing what’s behind them is an uncomfortable act for people. That’s why this process of forming habits was necessary.

“……I really don’t know.”

At Seohwa’s appearance, narrowing her brows in anguish before giving an answer, I smiled broadly.

“Is that so?”

“……Yes. I’m sorry…….”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. But let’s be certain. Is what I told you really all the clues? Is the information you can obtain really just that?”

“Yes?”

“Look around. See if there are more clues to obtain.”

“Mmm.”

At my words, Seohwa carefully looked around after deep consideration. And.

Soon after, confirming something, Seohwa’s eyes widened.

“……That?”

“You’re looking at the workers working in the auction house.”

“Yes…… their clothing colors are different?”

The moment Seohwa’s words ended, I wore a small smile. I couldn’t help it.

I understood from Seohwa’s words just now. Right now.

Seohwa had caught the thread.

“Even with the same fabric, the clothing colors are all different…… Why? Well, that’s because the purposes are different…… purposes?”

Slowly, brilliance returned to Seohwa’s eyes.

“Why are the purposes different…… price difference? No. Rather than price difference……!”

The noisy sound of tapping the floor and the motion of pressing her flesh both disappeared. Thus, all that remained was Seohwa’s gaze.

Like a candle whose wick had been lit, the inside of Seohwa’s eyes was flickering.

“……Munju-nim, I think I figured it out.”

“What is it?”

“May I say it?”

At Seohwa’s question, I nodded, and Seohwa quietly leaned her body toward me and presented the answer in a small voice. And the moment I heard that answer.

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“You pass.”

“Munju-nim gave me so many clues……. I’m not wrong, am I?”

“If you were wrong, I wouldn’t say you passed, would I?”

It wasn’t a perfect answer. Because several assumptions were missing from the reasoning process. But the direction was right. Then there was no problem.

What remained could be slowly taught. To me, and to Seohwa.

Because we still had plenty of time.

“……When did you start thinking about this?”

“Well.”

Looking at Seohwa, who was looking at me as if dumbfounded for a moment, I chuckled and reflected on my memory. From when did I conceive this plan?

“Perhaps from when the secret auction was announced.”

“……Really? You’re lying, right?”

“What would I gain by lying about such a thing? More than that, that’s not what’s important right now. What’s immediately important is winning that fabric.”

After pausing briefly, I looked at Seohwa.

“Can you do it?”

“……Honestly, I can’t guarantee it. It seems a bit unreasonable. But.”

Taking a deep breath, Seohwa carefully looked around and turned her gaze back to me. The deep smile on her lips.

“I’ll try. As much as I can.”

Slowly, Seohwa picked up the brush and ink. Carefully handling the brush and ink as if holding a fragile glass craft.

And soon after.

──The distribution of brush and ink is complete! After half a moment of discussion time, we will reveal each person’s bid-!!!

The moment the auctioneer’s words burst forth.

Swiiish!

Seohwa’s brush began moving rapidly across the paper.

***

“I don’t like that grinning.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. He seems to think something went well, but even so, those bastards have no options.”

At the sight of Baek Riyun wearing a satisfied smile from far away, So Yeohwang clicked his tongue and crossed his arms.

‘Since that might be Hwangryongjangju’s real exhibit, I can’t let it go to others.’

Earlier he had merely participated in the auction because he found Baek Riyun unpleasant to look at, but now the story was different. If Hwangryongjangju’s silk fell to another, he would have to wait a long time again to catch the branch magistrate’s eye.

‘Someone like Baek Riyun isn’t my competitor. My competitors are others.’

Finishing his thoughts and looking around the crowd, So Yeohwang clicked his tongue, wrote down an appropriate price, and set it aside. And after waiting briefly.

“Thank you for waiting!”

In the flowing time, the auctioneer’s voice cut through the silence.

“We will now reveal the bids! There are fifteen participating bidders! We will reveal them starting from the lowest number on the black plaques. First, bidder number thirty-seven, please reveal yours!”

As the auctioneer’s words ended, soon a merchant with a goatee stood up and showed his bid to those around. And the moment he confirmed it, the auctioneer shouted.

“Ah-!!! Eight hundred forty nyang of silver! Eight hundred forty nyang of silver has been bid! Quite a large sum!”

Eight hundred forty nyang.

It wasn’t a small amount. That much exceeded a small trading company’s annual profit. But So Yeohwang shook his head.

‘To think of obtaining Hwangryongdanju’s item with a mere eight hundred forty nyang, how shameless.’

The amounts high officials, powerful sect leaders, or trading company heads spent on luxury were astronomically large. The average market price for ten bolts of Hwangryongdanju’s silk was eight thousand nyang of silver. In Geumwonbo terms, eight pieces.

Even if you brought eight thousand nyang each, it was silk you couldn’t buy. Even that merchant wouldn’t have expected to buy it for a mere eight hundred forty nyang.

“Next, bidder number forty-two has bid nine hundred eighty nyang!”

“Next is……!”

Nine hundred ninety nyang, one thousand one hundred twenty nyang.

Each time the number went up, the bid slowly increased. Everyone’s appearance of participating in the auction by drawing up to the limit of their current funds. But there were limits.

‘How many could carry so much money around?’

Secret auctions were like that. Secret auctions were fighting by pouring out all the physical goods and assets you currently had. No matter how wealthy, if you didn’t have much money on hand, you would just be a loser here.

And that’s why So Yeohwang was confident.

“Bidder number one hundred twenty-seven, please reveal!”

As soon as the auctioneer’s words ended, So Yeohwang raised the paper whose ink hadn’t yet dried and showed it to the crowd. And at that moment, the crowd murmured then fell silent.

“Tw, two thousand nyang has been bid-!!!”

Confirming the auctioneer’s voice cut through the air, the merchants who had been silent slowly began murmuring.

“Didn’t he win the previous auction for just over two thousand three hundred nyang? To carry around four thousand three hundred nyang in physical money without prior information, that guy must have no fear.”

“Hey! This person, what are you saying? How many around here can easily touch Baekgeommunju? It’s confidence with basis!”

“Anyway…… it’s amazing indeed. No matter how suspicious, to readily spend two thousand nyang on mere cotton cloth, I don’t think I could do that.”

One by one.

Everyone marked So Yeohwang for winning. After this, all that remained were a martial artist and one girl whose faces they didn’t even properly know.

If at least their clothing was splendid, but what the martial artist and girl wore was nothing more than common Gyeongjang you could see anywhere. They couldn’t surpass So Yeohwang’s financial power.

Everyone thought so.

“May I reveal it now?”

Until Baek Riyun’s words rang out.

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

At Baek Riyun’s words, the flustered auctioneer looked around and nodded.

“Bidder number one hundred fifty-eight will reveal the amount! Bidder number one hundred fifty-eight, please raise the paper and reveal the amount!”

Slowly.

Baek Riyun smiled and picked up the paper from the prepared table and spread it for all to see. And the moment they saw that paper.

“……Mm?”

“What is that?”

Bewilderment burst forth.

“Um…… bidder? What is that…….”

“This is the bid I’m offering.”

“What on earth do you mean by that?”

At the incomprehensible words, the auctioneer blinked. Wasn’t it so?

In auctions, you bid with money. And the bid naturally meant the amount of money. But.

On the paper, no numbers.

No.

No letters were written at all.

“A drawing……?”

“A conceptual design of the clothing that must be made with those clothes.”

At Baek Riyun’s confident words, So Yeohwang, who had been dumbfounded for a moment, burst into loud laughter.

“Huhahahaha! I wondered what you were preparing, and you were preparing this!”

“What’s so funny?”

“Look here. Sohyeop Baek Ri.”

Wiping away his laughter, So Yeohwang spread his arms and spoke.

“Auctions are done with money. Not with such worthless scraps of paper. Well, I’ll acknowledge that your painting skill is quite excellent, but that doesn’t mean one painting has the value of two thousand nyang, does it?”

“That’s not wrong.”

“I’ll acknowledge Sohyeop’s spirit of trying to do something, but withdraw here. Since Sohyeop made me laugh greatly, after the auction ends, I’ll generously buy you a drink…….”

“But what I presented isn’t a painting.”

“……What?”

At So Yeohwang’s twitching eyebrows, Baek Riyun wore a calm smile, pulled Seohwa to his side, and opened his mouth.

“I said what I sold wasn’t a mere painting, but it seems your ears aren’t working.”

“What nonsense are you spouting, you wretch!”

“Two eyes.”

Baek Riyun, who had lightly tapped one of his closed eyes with his finger, burst into a chuckle. And.

“I sold discernment. Don’t you think so?”

Soon after, the moment Baek Riyun spoke.

“Hwangryongjangju.”

Over the quiet auction house.

“Hahaha, hahahaha!”

An old man in yellow robes walked out, bursting into loud laughter.

“At least I salvaged one.”