Childhood Friend of the Zenith

If one were to name the most important thing in Zhongyuan, the first answer would undoubtedly be ‘strength.

’ In a world where martial artists worship power and shape society, nothing could be more valuable than raw might.

But was strength the only thing that mattered?

No, it wasn’t.

Martial artists might revere strength, but at the end of the day, they were still human.

And aside from power, there was one more thing vital to survival— ‘Money.

’ It was money.

Martial artists were, after all, human beings who needed money to survive.

No matter how many days they spent training, seeking enlightenment, and striving to ascend to higher realms, wealth didn’t just materialize out of thin air.

Food, clothing, and shelter—basic needs required money.

It was strange when you thought about it.

‘Where does all the money come from for people who do nothing but train all day?

’ Whether they were prestigious noble families or martial sects, most of them existed solely for combat.

Yet, for some reason, they were always flush with cash.

Of course, there were exceptions, like the Moyong family, which ran businesses, or the Tang Clan in Sichuan, which actively engaged in commerce.

But not all families were like that.

In fact, most didn’t own trading companies or escort agencies.

So how were they able to sustain themselves?

It was the same reason why the Martial Alliance continued to operate smoothly— ‘Sponsorship.

’ The true merchants scattered across Zhongyuan—the so-called trading companies—poured vast amounts of money into these martial families and sects.

Their clothes.

Their swords.

Their meals.

For those who didn’t earn their own money, the trading companies’ sponsorships kept them afloat.

And the Martial Alliance was no different.

Some of the wealthiest trading companies, including the Evergarden Trading Company, supported the alliance financially.

This funding allowed the Martial Alliance and many noble families to lead luxurious lives.

But why?

Why would trading companies invest so heavily in martial artists?

The reason was surprisingly simple— ‘To make allies.

’ This world was filled with danger, with demonic gates constantly opening and monsters threatening lives.

Martial artists might be able to survive on their own, but what about everyone else?

Naturally, they had to rely on the protection of martial artists.

And to secure that protection, trading companies formed implicit agreements through sponsorships.

It wasn’t just about safety; it was also about creating a sense of allegiance.

“This martial artist receives our support.

Therefore, he is one of us.

” It created pressure against rival factions or competing companies and even bolstered the trading company’s reputation as the martial artist’s fame grew.

For example, the Evergreen Trading Company in Shaanxi had supported the Mount Hua Sect for generations.

When they faced a crisis from the Unorthodox Faction Alliance, it was none other than the Plum Blossom Sword Saint who stepped in to resolve the issue personally.

In this way, sponsorships served multiple purposes, benefiting both sides.

Martial artists gained financial support, and trading companies gained advertisement, influence, and security.

And so— ‘This guy came to me?

’ I stared at the man in his forties seated before me, my mind racing.

‘Is this our first direct meeting?

’ Across both my past and current lives, I had never personally faced him before.

But he was a well-known figure.

Practically the wealthiest man in Zhongyuan.

Jang Yoo-myung.

The head of Evergarden Trading Company.

A middle-aged man with a gentle smile and a kind demeanor.

And— ‘The Divine Sword’s sponsor...

’ In my previous life, Wi Seol-ah—the Divine Sword—rose to become the world’s strongest by defeating the Heavenly Demon.

And Jang Yoo-myung had been the one who backed her financially.

He was also widely respected for his philanthropy during the Great War between the Orthodox and Demonic sects, having provided free weapons to martial artists and supporting disaster relief efforts.

People often said— “The Divine Sword wouldn’t have made it without the Evergarden Trading Company’s support.

” I agreed with that assessment.

‘Wi Seol-ah was unaffiliated.

’ Despite her engagement to the Jang family, she was originally just the granddaughter of the Sword Master.

For her to move freely, she needed a sponsor, and Evergarden Trading Company fulfilled that role.

It made sense, of course.

‘Evergarden Trading Company came from the Jang family.

’ Even his surname gave it away.

While the Jang name was common, this wasn’t just a coincidence.

‘The Evergarden Trading Company branched out from the Jang family.

’ I’d heard they were a collateral line, but they shared the same roots nonetheless.

I didn’t know the full extent of their connection, but back then, I assumed their sponsorship of Wi Seol-ah stemmed from family ties.

And yet— ‘Now he’s here for me.

’ What did this mean?

I glanced at Moyong Hee-ah briefly before turning my gaze back to Jang Yoo-myung.

“To think I’d meet the famous head of Evergarden Trading Company in person.

” “Haha.

Famous?

I’m just a humble merchant.

” I smirked.

Humble?

The man sitting before me was anything but.

The wealthiest man in Zhongyuan carried power even martial artists couldn’t ignore.

“Frankly, it’s my honor to meet you, Sir Gu.

You’re the most famous person in Zhongyuan right now.

” “You’re flattering me too much.

Please, have a seat.

I only have plum tea to offer—will that be all right?

” “I’m not picky.

” Before he could even respond, Moyong Hee-ah had already started brewing tea.

Soon, a small spread of snacks and steaming tea was set before us.

Jang Yoo-myung sipped carefully.

“This must be from Shaanxi, isn’t it?

” “Yes, it was a gift from the Mount Hua Sect’s leader.

” To be precise, it came from the Emei Sect as part of their attempts to curry favor.

I’d already removed any toxins from it.

‘It tastes pretty good.

’ I quietly finished my cup and turned back to him.

“So, what brings you here, personally?

” Why had he come?

And why in person?

“Haha...

It seems I surprised you.

” “Yes.

It’s one of the more shocking things I’ve seen lately.

” How could I not be surprised?

He smiled.

“As you might have guessed, I’m here to offer the Evergarden Trading Company’s sponsorship.

” Oh.

I blinked at his directness.

I expected him to beat around the bush, but he got straight to the point.

“You want to sponsor me?

” “Yes.

I even imposed on your branch manager to arrange this meeting.

” I glanced at Moyong Hee-ah.

She simply closed her eyes, acting as if she hadn’t heard a word.

‘This woman...

’ Clearly, something had been exchanged to make this happen.

“So, may I ask what you saw in me to warrant such a sudden approach?

” “What did I see?

A merchant only looks for one thing—potential.

” “Potential?

” “Yes.

Just like everyone gathered outside, I saw the potential in you and wanted to invest in it.

” I glanced toward [N O V E L I G H T] the door, sensing the crowd still gathered beyond it.

“Your performance yesterday was impressive.

I couldn’t resist.

” “And you saw it yourself?

” “Not directly, but my bodyguard filled me in later.

” A bodyguard, huh?

‘He means the one outside.

’ I could already sense him.

Judging by his presence— ‘He’s at least Hwagyeong level.

’ At a glance, he seemed to be on the lower end of the Hundred Great Masters, possibly around the Hwagyeong level.

That alone was impressive.

Having someone of Hwagyeong rank as a bodyguard?

That was enough to raise eyebrows, but I was more focused on Jang Yoo-myung’s words.

‘Did he bring it up to let me know?

Or is this meant as some kind of signal?

’ Mentioning that he had a bodyguard nearby— It was a calculated move.

Was it a test to see if I’d noticed?

Or was it a way to earn my favor?

If it was the latter, it was actually quite effective.

I did find myself warming up to him a bit.

“You weren’t near the tournament grounds, were you?

Where exactly did you watch from?

” And with that, I decided to throw him a gift of my own.

“...!

” Jang Yoo-myung’s eyes widened.

He clearly understood the implication behind my question.

I knew the identities of the trading company heads who were present—and that he wasn’t one of them.

I had just shown my hand, revealing that I had access to a fair amount of information.

And at the same time, he undoubtedly realized that I had done so intentionally.

“Haha...

how intriguing.

” “I’m genuinely curious.

Where did you watch from?

” Even as we exchanged these veiled jabs, Jang Yoo-myung maintained his smile.

“I was in the general seating area, with an acquaintance.

” “...

General seating?

” General seating?

Maybe he meant cramped quarters crammed to capacity with commoners?

The general seating was the lowest tier, prepared by the Martial Alliance.

What on earth was someone like him doing there?

Sensing my confusion, Jang Yoo-myung answered without hesitation.

“No particular reason.

I just wanted to gauge the honest reactions of the crowd.

” To gauge reactions?

What did that mean?

“The match was followed by discussions with the Shaolin about a sponsorship agreement.

” “...

Hmm.

” Now, that was interesting.

If he was here now, it meant he had postponed those talks.

“You’re saying you delayed talks with Shaolin to offer me a sponsorship instead?

” “Exactly.

That was my intention all along.

” And yet, I didn’t ask him why.

There was no need for such pointless questions.

Today, whether I liked it or not, I was worth an extraordinary amount.

I wasn’t so oblivious as to miss that fact.

‘A sponsorship, huh...

’ I was already sponsored by the Baekhwa Trading Company.

There was no way Jang Yoo-myung didn’t know that.

And yet, he still made his offer.

Was it confidence?

‘Or is he just probing me?

’ I couldn’t be sure of anything yet.

But my answer had already been decided.

‘I’ll reject him.

’ Regardless of what this was, my plans didn’t involve Evergarden Trading Company.

There was no reason to complicate things by getting entangled.

I was about to give my answer— “But.

” Jang Yoo-myung spoke first.

“I don’t think we can continue this conversation right now.

” “...

Excuse me?

” I blinked as he stood up.

I hadn’t even rejected him yet.

What was this?

What was this man doing?

“After talking with you, I realized the terms I prepared are insufficient.

I’ll revise them and return in a few days.

” “You’re coming back...?

” He wanted to revise the terms and try again?

“If we continue speaking now, I don’t think I’ll get the result I’m looking for.

” I see.

He must have realized I was about to reject him.

Still— “Even if you come back, I doubt my answer will change.

” “Haha...

perhaps.

” Despite my words, he only smiled.

“But merchants must buy what they desire, no matter the cost.

” With that, he pulled something from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

“This is the proposal I intended to present to you today.

Please take a look and keep it in mind.

” It was a neatly folded set of documents—three pages, give or take.

“When we meet again, I’ll bring you an even better offer.

Thank you for your time.

No need to see me out.

” Before I could even pick up the papers, Jang Yoo-myung bowed deeply and calmly left the room.

I wasn’t planning to see him out anyway.

“...

Haa.

” I let out a sigh as I watched him leave.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

‘He never lets go of the initiative.

’ Even in such a short conversation, Jang Yoo-myung had maintained control the entire time.

He acted polite and accommodating, but he took what he wanted.

It was a masterful performance.

This was exactly why I avoided dealing with skilled merchants for too long.

‘What should I do?

’ At the very least, I’d have to report this to Lady Mi.

‘Though she probably already knows.

’ Even so, it had to be done.

I picked up the papers Jang Yoo-myung left behind and turned to Moyong Hee-ah.

“What were the terms?

” She opened her eyes, clearly already prepared for the question.

“...

Exclusive trade rights for the Guangdong Bin Family’s crafted jewels.

” Of course.

She had secured something in return for arranging this meeting.

“And the Guangdong Bin Family...

they’re the artisans, right?

” A family known for their gemstone craftsmanship, not martial arts.

“Right.

It’s a perfect match for our upcoming ventures.

Evergarden Trading Company held the rights until now.

” “And he gave them up?

” “Yes.

” He gave up exclusive rights just for a meeting?

I almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

“That’s...

impressive.

” If that was true, then it made perfect sense for Moyong Hee-ah to arrange this.

“...

I’m sorry.

” Even knowing that, Moyong Hee-ah still apologized.

I waved it off with a smirk.

“Don’t worry about it.

It’s a good deal.

Besides, Lady Mi knows, right?

” “...

Yes, she’s aware.

” “Then I’ll ask her for details later.

” I turned back to the papers, finally skimming through them— “...

What?

” The more I read, the more my brow furrowed.

“What the hell is this?

” “What’s wrong?

” Moyong Hee-ah leaned over to look.

And soon enough— “What...?

” She reacted the same way.

“Is this man insane?

” It was no surprise.

The conditions outlined in those papers were ridiculous.

Evergarden Trading Company would allocate a percentage of its trade revenue to Gu Yangcheon.

Gu Yangcheon would receive the status and treatment of a branch leader in their key offices.

All personal and leisure expenses for Gu Yangcheon’s martial activities would be covered.

A high-grade elixir equivalent to the Shadowless Pill would be provided every three months.

And the list went on.

At the bottom, stamped with Jang Yoo-myung’s seal, was a formal agreement.

“Has he lost his mind?

” Moyong Hee-ah stared at the papers in disbelief.

“A percentage of their revenue?

Branch leader status?

And the Shadowless Pill?

” Shadowless Pills weren’t as rare as the Dokcheon Pill, but they were still incredibly expensive—possibly the most expensive elixir money could buy.

And the revenue share?

‘Even a tiny fraction of that could cover Gu Family’s yearly budget.

’ This was beyond comprehension.

“This man’s insane,” Moyong Hee-ah muttered.

I looked at her and finally spoke.

“...

Hey.

” “What?

” “Watch your mouth.

That’s my benefactor you’re insulting.

” “...

Huh?

” Moyong Hee-ah’s face twisted into the most disgusted expression I’d ever seen from her.