Yeop Woo stepped outside the main gate of Yeop Bu and clasped his fists toward the three men.
"Lord Kang, Head Lee, and Head Jang, I apologize, but the Grand Elder is currently resting and cannot come out. He will awaken after half a shi-jin, so I ask the three of you to wait a little."
Lee Ok, the head of the Lee family, frowned and asked,
"You are telling us to wait here for half a shi-jin?"
"If the three of you do not wish to, you do not have to wait."
After saying that, Yeop Woo left them behind and disappeared.
At present, the Yeop family had no reason to curry favor with them. Although the Yeop family's overall strength was still inferior to the other three families, the Yeop clan firmly believed that they would surpass them soon.
Kang Nyeom, the lord of Cheongseong, spoke calmly.
"So, just because you have Yeop Rang, we are no longer worth your notice."
Jang Ryeol, the head of the Jang family, replied with a smile.
"They say when one person in a family rises, even the chickens ascend to heaven. Still, it seems the Grand Elder does not know his place and is acting far too arrogantly."
Jang Ryeol turned toward Lee Ok and Kang Nyeom.
"What do you two think? We have long deliberated about the three families joining hands. Doesn't it seem that the answer has finally revealed itself?"
The other two exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement. The Yeop family's arrogant attitude had driven them into an alliance.
After half a shi-jin, when the three entered the Guest Reception Hall, the Grand Elder came out to greet them.
"This is truly regrettable. This old man fell into a deep sleep and unintentionally neglected the three of you. I ask for your magnanimity!"
Kang Nyeom smiled and replied,
"You flatter us. The Grand Elder must have been busy lately, so it is only natural to be tired."
The Grand Elder laughed.
"Hahaha! The three of you, do not just stand there. Come, sit down."
Once they were seated, Lee Ok spoke.
"Congratulations to the Yeop family on the birth of a Chunsun Genius. Is this not a joyous event for all of Cheongseong?"
The Grand Elder laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Does this not mean that the heavens favor the Yeop family?"
After taking a sip of tea, the Grand Elder continued.
"The three of you, thank you once again for coming to congratulate Yeop Rang."
At this moment, Lee Ok stood up, clasped his fists, and said,
"Grand Elder, it is true that there have been some unpleasant incidents between our Lee family and the Yeop family. I ask that you consider them with a broad mind."
Jang Ryeol also clasped his fists in agreement.
"Grand Elder, our Jang family has likewise committed many offenses against the Yeop family. I ask for your understanding as well."
In truth, the Jang and Lee families were sworn enemies of the Yeop family. In fact, during a battle with the Jang family, the Yeop family's heir had once been killed. But now that a Chunsun Genius who had summoned a phenomenon of heaven and earth had appeared in the Yeop family, even sworn enemies had no choice but to bow their heads.
The Grand Elder silently sipped his tea. As the silence dragged on, Jang Ryeol cast a glance toward Kang Nyeom of the lord's mansion. Only then did Kang Nyeom smile and join in.
"Grand Elder, we are all people of Cheongseong. Living so closely packed in such a narrow city, is it not natural that we clash whenever we raise our heads? Now that the Yeop family is entering a period of revival, should your true rivals not be other great powers beyond Cheongseong, rather than those of us who live here together? Is that not so?"
The Grand Elder smiled faintly.
"Since Brother Kang says so, I will say no more. Let us do this. Everyone knows that our Yeop family has not had it easy these past few years. Therefore, how about granting our Yeop family the rights to develop the gold mines around Cheongseong for the next ten years?"
At his words, the expressions of the three darkened. Within Cheongseong, gold mines were like lifelines. Every time one was discovered, the four powers of Cheongseong had to fight bloody battles over it. Without resources like gold mines, it was impossible to cultivate martial artists. In other words, it was directly tied to a faction's survival.
If the Yeop family monopolized the gold mines, the remaining factions would be unable to recruit martial artists during that time. Before coming to Yeop Bu, they had expected the Yeop family to demand something, but this was far more vicious than anticipated. After looking at the three in turn, the Grand Elder smiled and said,
"There is no need to worry so much. In ten years, Yeop Rang will already have become a Man of the Mountain. Hahaha…."
A Man of the Mountain!
In an instant, all three of them widened their eyes. The Mountain was an otherworldly sect force beyond the mortal realm. Its power was on an entirely different level from the families within Cheongseong. If one became a Man of the Mountain, they could wipe out all other forces in Cheongseong in the blink of an eye. What the Grand Elder had just said was no different from a threat.
The three exchanged looks. Kang Nyeom stood up, clasped his fists, and said,
"We understand the hardships the Yeop family has endured. In that case, we will yield the rights to develop Cheongseong's gold mines to the Yeop family for the next ten years."
Only then did the Grand Elder clasp his fists.
"Thank you for your understanding."
After exchanging farewells, the three left Yeop Bu.
Once they were gone, Yeop Woo hurried into the room.
"Grand Elder, if we monopolize the gold mines, we will surely incur their wrath."
"What? Incur their wrath?"
The Grand Elder laughed coldly.
"Once Yeop Rang becomes a Man of the Mountain, those families are destined to be destroyed anyway. I demanded only gold mines instead of their lives. That is already an act of benevolence. They should be grateful to us!"
Meanwhile, the faces of the three men who had left Yeop Bu were filled with rage.
"To be this arrogant!"
Jang Ryeol's lips trembled.
"This is trying to starve us to death!"
Lee Ok's face was also filled with fury.
"Even if Yeop Bu has a Chunsun Genius who can summon a phenomenon of heaven and earth, how can they be this arrogant!"
Kang Nyeom shook his head.
"That is enough. Now is the time to endure. Let us return first and observe the situation. Even the sun sets when night falls. Their tyrannical dominance will one day come to an end!"
Thus, the three left Yeop Bu in desolation.
News that the Yeop family had seized the mining rights spread quickly. Cheongseong had now become the Yeop family's world. Yeop family disciples boasted loudly throughout the city that they were the foremost family. The elders did not restrain them. Rather, they encouraged it.
Yeop Rang's fame continued to rise. People began to worry about Yeop Hyun, who was about to face Yeop Rang in a duel.
"Did you hear? Yeop Hyun hasn't come out of his quarters for days."
"How could he dare come out? Even if you searched the entire Jiang Kingdom, there's no one who can match Brother Yeop Rang! And Yeop Hyun? Could he even reach Brother Yeop Rang's toes?"
"Tsk, if only he had bowed his head from the start, he might have at least saved his life."
At the same time, within Gyeokok Tower, Yeop Hyun continuously swung the Yeongso Sword. He wanted to become a true swordsman. Having grown up through countless hardships, he understood the importance of strength.
Without strength, you are treated worse than a dog.
Once Yeop Hyun lost his power after sacrificing so much for the Yeop family, everyone cruelly turned their backs on him.
After countless training sessions, Yeop Hyun finally reached the realm where he could cut hair with his blade. For now, he was still only an ordinary Sword Practitioner capable of producing speed. The path to becoming a Great Sword Practitioner was still long.
So absorbed was he in training that before he knew it, only three days remained until the day he would step onto the life-and-death platform.
Yeop Hyun left Gyeokok Tower and entered Yeop Ryoung's room. He saw Yeop Ryoung lying on the bed, trembling violently. Frost had settled white upon her hair. Yeop Hyun hurriedly grabbed a jade bottle and opened it. It was completely empty. There were no pills left.
Looking at Yeop Ryoung, Yeop Hyun said in a trembling voice,
"Ryoung, wait just a little longer. Brother will be back soon!"
Leaving the room, Yeop Hyun ran like mad toward the Yeop family's pharmacy.
"Yeop Hyun has come out of his room!"
When someone shouted, Yeop family disciples swarmed around Yeop Hyun. This was something they would never have dared to do before. With Yeop Rang present, they no longer feared Yeop Hyun.
Among the crowd was Yeop Bong, the Grand Elder's grandson and Yeop Rang's younger brother. Yeop Bong glanced Yeop Hyun over and said with a grin,
"Yeop Hyun, where are you rushing off to? Don't tell me your little sister finally died? If that's the case, it's something to celebrate. One less mouth to feed, hahaha!"
Yeop Hyun's hand, filled with rage, struck Yeop Bong's throat. The sound of breaking bone echoed through the courtyard. Yeop Bong's eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out.
Yeop Hyun swung his dagger in an instant.
Slash!
With a grotesque sound, Yeop Bong's head dropped limply to the ground. After sheathing his dagger, Yeop Hyun glared murderously at the Yeop family disciples who stood frozen like statues and shouted,
"If any of you dare mock my sister again with those filthy mouths, I will make sure you never speak again!"
The courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Fear filled the eyes of every Yeop family disciple. Anyone in the Yeop family knew how dearly Yeop Hyun cherished his younger sister. Even so, killing Yeop Bong, the Grand Elder's grandson and Yeop Rang's younger brother, was going far beyond the line.
Unable to delay any longer, Yeop Hyun hurried to the pharmacy. Just then, an old man was coming out. It was Yeop Gyeom, the elder in charge of managing the pharmacy. Upon seeing Yeop Hyun, Yeop Gyeom raised his eyes and shouted,
"Yeop Hyun, what are you doing here!"
Without replying, Yeop Hyun flung open the chest where medicines were stored. It was empty. Yeop Hyun looked at Yeop Gyeom with a hardened expression.
"Where is the Yangshin Pill?"
Yeop Gyeom narrowed his eyes and replied,
"I stored it elsewhere. The Yeop family has decided to cut off your sister's pills…"
Before he could finish speaking, Yeop Hyun grabbed a fist-sized weight from a nearby shelf and hurled it at Yeop Gyeom. Yeop Gyeom hurriedly dodged it.
In the next instant, Yeop Hyun was already before him. Yeop Hyun punched toward Yeop Gyeom's head. Yeop Gyeom, shocked out of his wits, clenched his fist and struck back.
When their fists collided, a dull thud echoed. At the same time, Yeop Gyeom's body was pushed back into the corner of the pharmacy. With nowhere left to retreat, Yeop Hyun threw another punch. Yeop Gyeom's pupils shrank instantly.
"I'll give them to you! I'll give you the pills!"
At his shout, Yeop Hyun's fist stopped right in front of Yeop Gyeom's face. Yeop Gyeom looked at Yeop Hyun with terror. Although he had stepped back from the front lines, Yeop Gyeom was still a Sixth-Grade Qi Transition cultivator.
Yet he was being overwhelmed like this by a single punch from Yeop Hyun, who was known to be only at the Fifth-Grade Body Tempering stage.
Trembling with fear, Yeop Gyeom hurriedly handed Yeop Hyun a white jade bottle.
Yeop Hyun checked the contents and saw that there were only fifteen Yangshin Pills inside. His eyebrows twitched, and Yeop Gyeom shouted anxiously,
"Yeop Hyun, those pills are extremely precious and cannot be obtained in Cheongseong. What you are holding is everything that remained from the last batch brought from outside the city!"
Yeop Hyun fell silent for a moment, then tucked the white jade bottle into his robes.
"I have given my life for the Yeop family for many years. Taking this much should be acceptable, shouldn't it?"
He turned and walked toward the door. Standing outside were the Grand Elder and a group of elders, glaring at Yeop Hyun with killing intent.
"My grandson… just because he said a few words, you killed him like this?"
"You raised your grandson poorly. I merely educated him on your behalf."
The Grand Elder slowly clenched his fist. Yeop Hyun stared back at him with fierce eyes.
The Grand Elder shouted,
"Kill this bastard!"