Since they still had a few hours before night time, Wooyun asked Eun-woo to stay so they could share a meal. They talked about everything and nothing, Wooyun even asked Eun-woo questions about his time at the Sun Sect and what it was like.
At the same time, from across the town, Jaha had just received a letter from the north. It was from the treasury branch in the Blood Moon Sect. They were charged with managing the sect's wealth and finances as well as controlling the flow of money and ensuring that resources were distributed where they were most needed.
The branch leader—Lady Dan Hye-rin also known as the Grand Steward of the Treasury was tasked with overseeing the income from trade, taxes and resources. She also managed the purchase and acquisition of rare artifacts, weapons, and spiritual materials.
It seemed like the leader wasn't opposed to going over the second part of negotiations with Madam Soo as long as the sect's influence wouldn't be weakened thanks to this trade.
This time, the older woman went to visit Junghwa, reserving a private room at the luxurious inn they were currently staying in. Since their first meeting had gone well, Madam Soo was glad to hear he was willing to go further with their business discussion. Nothing had been decided yet, but Madam Soo was confident that things would be going in her favour soon.
The soft clink of porcelain could be heard in the quiet room as steam came out from the delicate cup between Madam Soo's fingers. The scent of red ginseng and chrysanthemum lingered faintly in the air—making her feel warm and at peace despite the tension in the room. Across from her, still as a board, Baek Junghwa sipped his tea without lifting his eyes.
The two shared a quiet yet heavy silence before the Madam broke it. "As we've discussed before, I am willing to pay any sum if it means getting to work with a rare commodity like the Everfrost Bone." She began.
Junghwa's lips curved faintly. "You have to be careful when using the word 'anything' around me Madam Soo, because my curiosity would be willing to test just how far you're willing to go."
Her lips twitched once she understood the underlying message behind those words, but she didn't waver. She was willing to do whatever she could to get her hands on those resources. She would be paying a large sum but the gains and profit would only double once the trade went through. Money wasn't the thing she was worried about here. What she was worried about was that Baek Junghwa would say no.
"And like I told you, I am willing." She said calmly.
"Alright then. I'm willing to form a trade under the condition that you pay seventy sun coins per unit." He said lightly.
Madam Soo's eyes widened slightly as she had not expected such a large sum. Even if Everfrost was a rare item and they would benefit a lot from having it, seventy coins was nothing to scoff at.
Her chest sank as she made the calculations in her mind. "Lord Baek—" she started to say but was cut off by the Demon Lord who had been carefully watching her reaction with amusement.
Even he had to agree that seventy sun coins were a lot, but this was the amount the treasure branch leader had come up with, and he trusted her judgment more than anything. If she wasn't willing to pay that much, then the deal was off. Plain and simple.
"Madam Soo, I offer you something born in the marrow of the northern winds. You in turn, over a coin forged in fire and profit. I'd say we are well-matched here."
The older woman let out a laugh despite herself, hardly believing the words coming out of his mouth. Speaking of money so lightly like this, as if it were nothing. "Seventy sun coins per unit, although not as rare as the Everfrost bone, is still a sum not everyone can procure, my lord."
Junghwa settled into his chair after finishing his cup. He titled his head, his inky eyes meeting hers at last. "The bone is harvested from the corpse of a frost-spined Leviathan. It has been carved in subzero winds under treacherous conditions. People risk their lives just to procure its marrow. Seventy is quite generous."
Madam Soo rested her cheek against her hand as she digested his words.
"Transportation alone will cost me fifteen coins per cart. Not to mention the Eastern Gate's levy on beast remnants—eight coins per unit, and as you know, cultivating contracts of this nature requires filing with the celestial bureau which charges a handling fee. Five coins per submission." She arched a brow.
"That's twenty-eight coins lost before I even unwrap the goods." She had never had the pleasure of seeing the bone in person, all she was relying on right now was hearsay. But what she took from her research was that the bone was worth all of these expenses. Even if it pained her, she had to consider these investments in the success of her merchant group in the future.
"Well, I'm no tyrant. I am willing to form a compromise and one from which we can both benefit from." He said, using her own words against her.
Madam Soo's eyes narrowed. "And what deal are you proposing, Lord Baek?"
He leaned forward then, just enough to signal interest without abandoning his cool and composed demeanor. "You sell the Everfrost Bone at one hundred percent sun coins per unit. I receive a thirty percent share of the net profit."
Madam Soo's fan snapped open in her hand—pausing gracefully. "You wish to share my earnings?"
"Only when they concern my corpses," Junghwa replied dryly. "A noble share for a noble sacrifice."
Her fan fluttered once more before folding shut. "Seventy coins per unit, twenty-five for transport and fees, ten coins in labour. That leaves five coins per unit in clean profit if I sell one hundred." She tapped the edge of the fan against her palm. "Thirty percent of five, my lord, is one and a half coins. Scarcely worth counting."
Junghwa smiled faintly. "Then raise the price."
She gave him a look of feigned offense. "You'd have me swindle my clients?"
"I'd have you recognize opportunity when it wears obsidian robes," he said, his tone as smooth as silk. "You don't need to swindle. You simply need to let them believe it's worth more than gold. And it is."
A long pause settled in the room as Madam Soo considered his words. Meanwhile, Jaha, who was standing in the corner, narrowed his eyes at Baek Junghwa—lying through his teeth with impeccable ease.
Technically speaking, Frost-Spined Leviathan's weren't exactly a rare beast to find in the north. There was a particular season for hunting them. One beast was also enough to procure enough marrow to last three years. Logistically speaking, they would have to kill three to five leviathans at most to keep things running. Jaha looked at his lord, his lips curling into an amused smile. If anyone was being swindled here, it was Madam Soo.
The older woman who was in a contemplative state wondered if this deal truly was beneficial on her end. She could only hope that demand would be greater than supply in this trade.
Once her mind was finally made up, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Very well. One hundred and twenty coins per unit, I'll make sure the Everfrost bone will become the next great miracle in the eastern apothecaries…and more."
Junghwa inclined his head. "And I'll ensure the north's dead continue with dignity."
They raised their teacups. "Then to commerce," she said.
"To profit," Junghwa replied, his inky eyes glinting with a flash of amusement and something unreadable.
~*~
Night had now fallen, and Eun-woo was preparing to head back to the sect for the night. Seeing how dark it had gotten, Wooyun didn't feel comfortable with sending him off like this. "Brother, it's late. You should stay the night. I don't mind paying for your share of the room."
Eun-woo turned to look at him in surprise.
Although it was late and he was a little tired, he didn't feel that it was right to share a room with Wooyun. The young man could see his hesitation and couldn't help laughing. "Why are you hesitating brother? It's not like I'm a woman asking to share a bed with you. We are both men, so don't worry about it." He said nonchalantly.
Eun-woo furrowed his brows as the words Wooyun just uttered simmered in his brain. He recalled the time when he had told Young Master Jin that man or woman didn't matter to him. He didn't know why he thought back to that conversation they had but he reluctantly agreed.
He looked around the room, finally taking it in properly. It was modest but clean, lit up by the low flow of an oil lamp on the nightstand. A single bed sat in the center—not particularly large, but big enough to fit two if they didn't mind the closeness. Eun-woo was a tall young man and while Wooyun wasn't nearly as tall, his now 5'11 frame would make for a tight fit.
Eun-woo stood by the door for a beat too long, watching as Wooyun pulled off his outer robe and tossed it over a wooden chair. "Don't worry, I don't kick nor snore in my sleep." He joked.
The young man looked so relaxed and at ease that Eun-woo found it strange. Even if they had grown closer over the last few months, he didn't think their relationship had reached the stage where they could share a bed.
Perhaps, I'm the one making a bigger deal of this situation, he thought to himself.
They lay side by side beneath the thin quilt, the silence between them not awkward but strangely comforting.
Wooyun had his hands folded over his stomach, eyes fixed on the wooden ceiling above. "I'm really glad you stayed, Eun-woo."
That caught Eun-woo off guard. He turned slightly, head propped on one arm. "It's just for one night."
"Still." Wooyun paused. "You've done so much for me. Teaching me martial arts when you didn't need to. Taking care of me when I thought no would ever would. The time we've spent together…means the world to me. His voice was quiet now, thoughtful. "I won't be here for much longer, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to return. I'm not even sure if I made the right decision in leaving but I'm sure of one thing. And it's that I'll miss you."
Eun-woo's chest tightened at that.
Something unnameable stirred deep inside him. He shifted to sit up a little, his voice caught on the edge of something unsaid.
"Han Seo-yoon—" But when he looked down, the younger man was already asleep, lips parted slightly, lashes casting delicate shadows on his cheeks. His brow, which was creased in worry earlier, was finally smooth. Peaceful.
Eun-woo stared for a moment longer, stunned by the realization that had crept up on him. What was he about to say just now? Don't go. Stay here. Stay with me. The words had hovered on his tongue, ready to leap, and yet…he felt that it was odd for him to even utter such words. Why did he feel this way?
Why was the idea of Seo-yoon leaving making him feel so despaired and lonely? He lay back down slowly, careful not to disturb the sleeping figure beside him. The room was quiet save for Wooyun's steady breaths.
Eun-woo turned his head just enough to look at him again. "I'll miss you too," he whispered into the darkness.
But even as he closed his eyes, the weight of what he hadn't said lingered in his chest, causing him to be unable to find sleep.