When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
It was only after doubting his ears and asking the name three times that he had been able to rush downstairs.
Therefore, after confirming her appearance, having pulled down her veil, he was, in truth, so excited that he could barely even speak properly.
Although he was trying to appear calm, his palms were covered in sweat and his face was burning hot.
It seemed that she did not recognize him.
‘And somehow, it seems like she’s a completely different person, even though she looks the same as before, like I’m seeing someone whose appearance is the same, but is different from her. ‘
Although he did not show it, he was momentarily flustered.
‘Was the situation at that time so intense that I’m remembering the past in a slightly distorted manner? Surely, it wasn’t like this. I remember her being a bit more naive and gentle-.’
It was then, as Choi Jangmyung was continually looking at her with sidelong glances because of her completely different atmosphere, that Sehwa, for a moment, lost her footing and staggered.
The three sisters who were following behind her quickly supported their young lady.
‘What is it? Could it be that she’s suffering from some illness?’
Choi Jangmyung, who had instinctively reached out his hand, awkwardly withdrew it.
Ju Sehwa, who had barely regained her balance, was also greatly flustered by her state.
‘Why am I like this? I can’t seem to find any reason as to why my body is like this now, after I had suddenly fallen severely ill. Why is it that my body temperature isn’t returning to normal?’
The muscles in her arms and legs were trembling.
It was not normal, even at a glance.
It was something ridiculous, to try and meet a business partner while being in this state.
‘But there isn't much time. I have to push through with it today.’
She needed to make the most efficient use of the one month that the Clan Head had given her.
Having gritted her teeth, she shook off the three sisters’ support. She proudly straightened her back and composed her expression.
“It’s this way. My father is waiting for you here.”
As they entered the annex following Choi Jangmyung’s guidance, she saw a middle-aged man with a large build standing by the window with his hands behind his back.
He slowly turned around and greeted her.
“You’ve arrived. Please, have a seat.”
Choi Deokmun was smiling calmly.
But Ju Sehwa did not miss the dark and chaotic energy that surrounded him.
Ju Sehwa sat on the seat of honor that Choi Deokmun had offered to her as if it was natural.
Choi Jangmyung stood in front of a distant wall, and the three sisters stood next to the seat where Ju Sehwa had sat.
The elderly lord sat across from Ju Sehwa and asked.
“How is it the daughter of Elder Myoungyoon has come to see me?”
Choi Deokmun’s sharp eyes were examining her every move since the moment she had entered the room.
‘She's just a fledgling who hasn't even completed her exuviation yet.’
Even if she was the daughter of a core elder, it was said that she did not have any fame compared to her two step-brothers.
‘And furthermore, that sweat and complexion-.’
Their race would not waver physically, unless their spiritual power was damaged in some way.
But the young one's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
When he saw that her arms and legs were slightly cramping, it also seemed that the power that she was born with was not that great.
‘Is she a half-breed?’
While Choi Deokmun was evaluating her, thinking of the mystic beings without powers that would sometimes be born, she spoke.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord. The reason why I came here is that I want to invest while receiving an investment, myself.”
A low, resolute, and dignified voice rang out.
Her dark eyes were now staring directly at Choi Deokmun.
‘……Wh, what?’
Even Choi Deokmun, who had dealt with and led countless people, had momentarily flinched, startled by the sharp momentum that was within her.
Having been quite surprised by underestimating her, Choi Deokmun tried hard to hide his true feelings and asked back.
“Let us drop the honorifics, Young Lady. I am someone who has been exiled from the Mystic Realm.”
“I’ll decide about that later. There’s no need to be concerned about that. You just have to listen to my requests and decide whether you will accept them or not.”
“Please speak. What do you mean by investment?”
“I’ve heard the rumors about you. That you lend business funds to those who come to visit you.”
“……Yes. I sometimes do that.”
"I too have come seeking investment for my business. If you would provide me with 500,000 nyang, I will return 5 million nyang in one year."
‘What did she say?’
Her voice was calm, but its contents were extremely bizarre.
‘Return ten times the amount in just one year. What nonsense is this half-breed speaking?’
The amount, 500,000 nyang, was also very ambiguous.
The Mystic Realm was a place where spiritual power was everything.
Although currency existed, it was not very important, and so, the amount of 500,000 nyang that she had mentioned was a sum that was too insignificant to be called a business.
Moreover, she was from a high-ranking bloodline, a member of the Ju Clan’s elders.
‘Someone like that should be able to easily take out that much money from within their own family. Why is she trying to receive a loan from me, a stranger?’
But he could not ignore her and roughly appease her, then send her away, because of her identity.
Her attitude was also piquing his curiosity.
“You’ll return five million nyang after one year.”
It was a ridiculously preposterous sum.
It was not that the sum, five million nyang, that this young one had mentioned was preposterous.
Although he had been exiled, Choi Deokmun had been desperately clinging to his connection with the Mystic Realm in any way that he could. And so, he was able to get some news.
The most recent news that he had heard was that the Ju Clan had been defeated miserably by the six clans, who had formed an alliance.
After that humiliating defeat, the six clans had demanded war reparations, asking for an exorbitant amount of spiritual power.
And so, even the spiritual power of the core members of the Ju Clan had had to be squeezed out.
‘It is impossible to earn ten times the profit in a year in the Ju Clan's territory, where the situation is so unstable, no matter what they do.’
“Yes. I think that my status is enough to be a collateral.”
“That’s right. Your status can definitely be a collateral. But why did you seek me out instead of receiving support from the Elder?”
“Do all who come here have to explain such trivial details to you before receiving funds?”
A murderous intent flashed for a brief moment through Ju Sehwa's sharp gaze at Choi Deokmun’s question.
Why did I seek you out?
‘It's because you're one of the traitors who made my family like this, a shameless person who would do anything to return to your homeland, where you were exiled from.’
“My lord. I didn't come here to recite my private life and plans to you. I came here simply because I heard you provide loans without conditions.”
She slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again, adjusting the speed of her words as if it was nothing.
"Like others, I'm simply requesting temporary support, and you can either accept or decline. If you're going to decline, don't waste any more time and answer now. I'll immediately go meet someone else."
"Then might I at least ask what you plan to do?"
"I plan to buy several items from you, my lord. And sell them as well."
Choi Deokmun’s eyes narrowed.
‘Buy something from me? What exactly?’
“What do you need? I deal with quite a lot of items.”
“Spirit stones.”
“……Spirit stones.”
“Yes, Spirit Stones.”
‘She says she'll buy 500,000 nyang worth of spirit stones?’
Spirit stones were a necessity for a spiritual beast to be reborn as a divine beast.
But there hadn’t been a single being that had become a divine beast in the Mystic Realm for over a thousand years.
The spirit stones, which had once been as valuable as gold, were now nothing more than useless stones.
‘And yet, this young one is going to buy 500,000 nyang worth of that.’
Was she perhaps saying all of this knowing something?
Choi Deokmun’s jawline hardened with tension.
In truth, Choi Deokmun had been collecting all the spirit stones that he could get.
It was only after being exiled that he had come to realize that spirit stones had a special effect that healed illnesses and restored the body in the human realm.
All the wealth that he had accumulated had also been earned by secretly selling spirit stones to the humans.
Therefore, he needed to hide, at all costs, that the spirit stones had a use that was so important, so that other mystic beings would not realize it.
The reason why he lent money to other exiled members of their race without asking for anything in return was also for that reason.
Not because of compassion or mercy. It was just to prevent the other exiled beings from finding other means of making money.
Because he couldn't let anyone split his bread and butter.
‘……There’s no way that this young one could have known about that.’
Choi Deokmun stared at the young woman, whose expression was perfectly composed.
A young lady of a noble rank, who would not know the use of spirit stones in the human realm and who had yet to complete her exuviation and had grown up pampered.
‘But where does this dignity and awe-inspiring aura come from?’
The old merchant was struggling to grasp the intention of the young one, but for some reason, he was unable to find anything out.
But, he was able to read at least one part of her inner thoughts.
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