I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 35: Bargaining and Negotiation

Jincheon stepped out of the Grand Hall.

He didn’t know where the administrative office was, but he started walking anyway.

Ilyo, the maid following behind him, would tell him where to go.

Step, step.

As he walked, Jincheon’s thoughts returned to the number of escorts Ilyo had mentioned.

Seven hundred...

Just recalling the first digit was enough to make his head spin.

Of course, he couldn't set out without any escorts.

It was true that he needed people if he were going to search for the previous Palace Master.

But seven hundred fifty-nine? That was well beyond excessive.

I was prepared for this not to be easy...

But he hadn’t expected things to go off the rails before even leaving.

What made it worse was the feeling—the dreadful hunch—that it would be hard to reduce the number.

As Jincheon passed through the elegant corridor lined with towering pillars, his expression showed no signs of relaxing.

****

“This way.”

The place they arrived at, accompanied by the Seven Luminaries, was yet another large hall.

From the outside, it didn’t look all that different from the sleeping quarters, and there was no signboard or plaque—nothing to indicate what it was.

Geumyo and Toyo opened the doors, and Jincheon stepped in without hesitation.

Oh.

The administrative office was exactly what Jincheon had imagined—or rather, hoped for.

A large desk sat neatly to the side, surrounded by bookshelves stacked with scrolls and volumes. Calligraphy hung on the wall, old and dignified, making it clear what this room was.

Where the bedchamber had felt cozy and intimate, this room demanded that you straighten your collar and approach your books seriously.

Tap, tap.

Suyo and Mogyo opened the shutters and pulled back the curtains.

A stunning view unfolded outside the window.

Thanks to the Heavenly Flame Palace being situated on higher ground, the streets of the Heavenly Valley lay spread out below like a painting, with soaring mountains towering beyond them.

Beautiful view.

It was the kind of view that would clear your mind the moment you lifted your head from a book.

The tea room had been pleasant too, but this view was no less impressive. Though, in truth, the scenery likely wasn’t all that different—it just felt different.

What books do they keep here...? No, this is no time for sightseeing.

Jincheon snapped himself out of it.

“Where is the North Wind Commander?”

“I am here.”

At the soft voice, Jincheon turned his head.

A woman had entered the office without a sound.

Elegant posture, gentle expression—she was the North Wind Commander, Neung Gayeon.

Shff.

She knelt on one knee and bowed her head.

Her black hair flowed down like water.

“I greet the Red Dragon.”

“Rise.”

At Jincheon’s command, she stood.

“Is there somewhere to sit... Ah, this will do.”

Jincheon didn’t know the room well either, since this was his first time here.

He gestured to a nearby table.

Neung Gayeon, the North Wind Commander, took a seat as instructed.

Jincheon turned to Ilyo, the black-haired maid.

“Bring tea, please.”

Ilyo bowed slightly, and the blonde-haired Hwayo entered with a tea set.

Jincheon moved to sit across from the North Wind Commander—or tried to.

Tap.

She immediately stood, knelt again, and bowed her head low.

Jincheon frowned slightly.

“Why...?”

“The Red Dragon is the exalted one. I dare not sit in your presence.”

This was new.

Jincheon thought back—had anyone sat across from him like this before?

They have.

That first night, Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong had sat across from him.

Of course, once he’d revealed the red orb—the Wrath—they had shown reverence, much like Neung Gayeon was doing now.

Ah...

In that moment, Jincheon realized what he needed to do.

“Please, rise and take your seat.”

“...I obey your command.”

Neung Gayeon sat down again.

Just as he’d guessed.

She had only refused out of courtesy. A ritual gesture. The kind of thing that didn’t carry serious weight.

Clink.

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The teacup filled with tea, and the fragrance soon filled the office.

Hwayo set down the teapot and stepped back. The Seven Luminaries quietly bowed and exited the office.

Click.

The door closed, and now only Jincheon and Neung Gayeon remained.

Jincheon lifted the teacup.

Then, in as neutral a tone as possible, he asked,

“Have you been well?”

Neung Gayeon replied,

“Now that the Red Dragon is seated within the Palace, how could there be misfortune or lack?”

Jincheon glanced at the black cord wrapped around her neck.

He had tied it himself, and the slightly askew knot remained unchanged.

Well, it doesn’t look too bad.

Under the light, the embroidery—no doubt chosen by Ilyo—glimmered subtly and gave the cord a graceful touch.

At this point, anyone might mistake it for an unusual accessory.

Comforting himself with that thought, Jincheon continued,

“I heard you had a report for me.”

“Yes,” Neung Gayeon replied.

“East Wind Commander volunteered to lead the upcoming expedition. He has arranged four squads, led by four Signs Commanders. Each squad includes twenty-five Baekrim warriors and one hundred eighty commanders of the Heavenly Flame, totaling seven hundred twenty-two escorts. With this formation, the four squads report directly to the Signs Commanders. Each Signs Commander leads six units. Every ten members of the Heavenly Flame form one sub-squad. In total, seventy-two sub-squads can be mobilized simultaneously.”

Jincheon sipped his tea in silence as the explanation poured forth.

He didn’t really understand all of it—but what he did understand was that the escort force was massive.

Click.

As he set down his teacup, Jincheon spoke with feigned indifference.

“Reduce it to one-tenth.”

It was an aggressive move.

Bargaining, after all, only works when both sides are willing to give and take.

Asking for a price at one-tenth of the offer was more or less a refusal to negotiate at all.

But he couldn’t very well ask for half—around three hundred. That would still be enormous.

In the end, the negotiation would settle somewhere in between. Which meant he’d likely end up with five hundred escorts.

If he wanted to land at half in the end, he had to open with something absurd—less than half. Wildly less.

Honestly, even half is too much.

Even halved, it would still be over three hundred. Just thinking about it made his head spin.

Reaffirming his resolve, Jincheon waited to see how Neung Gayeon would respond.

His heart beat a little faster. How far would she push back?

But the North Wind Commander simply replied,

“So it shall be.”

“...Right, then... Wait, what?”

He was so startled he forgot what he was about to say.

Fortunately, Neung Gayeon didn’t seem to notice.

“How could I not obey when the Red Dragon commands? Even my comings and goings—my very breath—are bound to you.”

She let out a soft sigh.

“Whatever command you give, I shall gladly follow it.”

The gentle smile blooming on her face proved that her words held neither resentment nor reluctance.

And yet, Jincheon couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

That black cord tied around her neck stood out far too clearly—right in front of his eyes.

Really, in all the world, who goes around tying black cords around the necks of full-grown women—dignified, graceful women at that?

“Th-thank you.”

He expressed his thanks for now.

“It is a burden I do not deserve.”

Neung Gayeon bowed with her usual smile.

Jincheon felt another wave of guilt.

It was a perfectly reasonable demand from his perspective, but from hers... it felt like far too much to ask.

But Neung Gayeon wasn’t finished.

“However.”

Her voice caught him off guard.

Jincheon immediately thought, Of course it wouldn’t end so easily.

Her soft voice continued:

“In order to guarantee the safety of the Dragon Form, I wish to accompany you.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“In place of the East Wind Commander?”

“Whether in place of, or alongside—it does not matter. I simply wish to go with you, my lord.”

Her smile never wavered as she asked,

“Will you permit it?”

Jincheon paused to think.

Reducing the total from 759 to one-tenth would bring it to about 76.

Cutting nearly 600 and adding just one? That’s... not bad at all.

No, not just not bad—it was an excellent deal.

If she replaced East Wind Commander Ak Mujin, the numbers would stay the same.

But if she joined him, Jincheon would actually feel more secure.

Relying on one person for escort is... well, it’s not ideal.

One of the reasons Jincheon hadn’t been completely at ease in this place, despite all the luxurious treatment, was the lingering threat of betrayal.

The existence of a blade aimed at the former Palace Master meant that someone inside the Heavenly Flame Palace had turned traitor.

Technically, the Four Winds Commanders and Twelve Signs Commanders were all supposed to be executed—so one might assume none of them were involved.

But certainty was impossible.

Some people are so extreme, so determined, they’d gladly sacrifice themselves to achieve their goals.

So even if Jincheon had spared their lives, that didn’t mean he could trust them.

“Let’s do that.”

The decision came easily.

He wouldn’t entrust everything to just one person. If the worst happened, the two commanders could check each other.

Of course, if both of them are traitors, I’m screwed... but hey, if it comes to that, I’ll just chalk it up to fate.

That was how Jincheon chose to think.

Dwelling on unknowns would only make his head hurt. He would do what he could—and let go of what he couldn’t.

Just like he’d learned the hard way in the civil exam halls.

Rustle.

Neung Gayeon stood.

She knelt on one knee again and bowed her head low.

“Your grace flows like the great rivers, my lord.”

Her display of reverence felt excessive.

To receive such formal gratitude just for allowing her to accompany him—it was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.

It wasn’t like Jincheon was some kind of emperor.

“Please rise.”

At his words, Neung Gayeon stood and bowed again.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

“Go ahead.”

Neung Gayeon quietly stepped out of the office.

Rustle.

The door closed, but Jincheon didn’t relax.

Even after the door had shut, he kept waiting—half-expecting her to return, to say something like “Upon reflection, this just won’t do.”

But the door didn’t open.

Neung Gayeon didn’t return. She didn’t take back her words.

The matter was settled.

Hoo.

Jincheon let out a long breath.

Did that go well?

There had been ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) no fierce negotiation, but the deal had gone more smoothly than expected.

Maybe I could’ve pushed for more...

Still, reducing the total to one-tenth was a massive victory.

The only lingering bitterness was the fact that, even so, he still had over seventy escorts.

Seventy... Seriously...

His old academy probably had about that many students.

It hadn’t produced any famous scholars, but it was a well-regarded school—big enough to be crowded.

And now he, Jincheon, would be traveling with seventy people?

It was completely surreal.

Well... they’ll manage themselves.

Luckily, it wasn’t Jincheon’s job to supervise all seventy.

They had their own hierarchy. Orders would flow top-down.

This place was strict about command and obedience—someone else would be in charge.

With that thought, Jincheon exhaled, relieved.

He had achieved what he set out to do.