Chapter 86
Phoenix Guild, Lee Ye-rin had definitively proven that she was not stupid.
As the only potential issue had been resolved, Lee Sung-joon immediately proceeded with the contract.
Of course, just because the contract was finalized didn't mean Ye-rin's goodwill and interest had ended.
In fact, she was showing even stronger goodwill and interest.
In reality, within a month of officially signing the contract, Ye-rin had decisively solved the housing issue she had been continually concerned about.
A penthouse in a luxury apartment complex in the heart of Mapo-gu.
It was an extremely expensive property with a market value of 50 billion won, but the real issue wasn't the price.
Safe land and residences in central Seoul areas like Mapo, Dongjak, Seongdong, and Jung-gu were now humanity's greatest assets, and the real estate market was continuing its undefeated myth.
Just owning property was enough to increase wealth, so it was no exaggeration to say that finding available properties was nearly impossible.
Yet Ye-rin had managed to obtain this rare property and gift it to Sung-joon.
Moreover, she had definitively handled tax issues related to the home as well as various minor tasks related to moving.
Thanks to Ye-rin's efforts, which once again proved her abilities, the move proceeded smoothly even though no family members had to do any special work.
"Wow, this is the living room? It's like a sports field! My goodness! You can even see the Han River from the window!"
Lee Seo-yun couldn't hide her amazement, surprise, and joy at the spacious living room that looked to be dozens of pyeong in size.
It wasn't just Seo-yun.
Smiles that couldn't be hidden were also spreading across the faces of Lee Soo-hyuk and Kim Ji-young.
Since they had already heard about Sung-joon through the media, they weren't unnecessarily worried like when they first moved.
Of course, it would have been difficult to easily accept based solely on stories from broadcasts or internet articles.
'Seeing and experiencing are clearly different after all.'
Moreover, the family had lived with him, Lee Sung-joon, for over 20 years.
No matter how much the media talked about it, it couldn't truly sink in.
But thanks to Ye-rin, who had given the gift, kindly explaining directly to his parents, Soo-hyuk and Ji-young, they were able to accept it somewhat more easily.
"The house is really nice."
"I'm not sure if we can really accept such a house for free, haha..."
Soo-hyuk let out an awkward laugh and turned his head, his gaze fixed on Ye-rin who was smiling proudly.
"Please don't feel burdened. This is my sincerity and goodwill for receiving great help from Hunter Lee Sung-joon."
"You received help from Sung-joon?"
"Yes, Hunter Lee Sung-joon is an even more amazing person than you think, Father. He's the next SSS-rank hunter, evaluated as the future of South Korea, and also a talent coveted by the world's leading guilds."
"Ahem, certainly my son does have some ability."
Perhaps because bragging about one's children is the ultimate parental boast?
A contented smile settled on Soo-hyuk's face as he listened.
Seeing this with her own eyes, Ye-rin continued speaking in a calm voice with a smile on her lips.
"Even though Hunter Lee Sung-joon surely received much better offers than our Phoenix Guild, he chose our lacking guild. Thanks to him, our Phoenix has been able to soar as if given wings, so we've really received tremendous help."
Since the contract itself was Sung-joon's choice, there was a considerable discrepancy in Ye-rin's words.
But Ye-rin had already enchanted Soo-hyuk with her previous words, to say the least.
The truth wasn't what mattered in the first place.
"Of course, if it were just sincerity, I wouldn't have given such a grand gift. But as I said before, this gift is not only my sincerity, but also my goodwill towards Hunter Lee Sung-joon as a human being, Lee Ye-rin, before being the master of Phoenix Guild. So please accept my gift with ease."
"Haha...! If the Hunter insists so much."
"We'll gratefully accept it."
In response to Soo-hyuk and Ji-young's answers blooming with laughter, a warm atmosphere began to blossom, and Ye-rin naturally took the lead in introducing the house.
"This way is the storage room, and if you press this button like this..."
As if she had practiced beforehand, Ye-rin went around explaining in great detail everything from the functions and facilities within the penthouse to the amenities provided in the apartment complex.
With so many features and amenities, the explanation became quite lengthy, and time had already reached 7 PM - approaching dinner time.
"I've made a reservation at a nice restaurant nearby, would that be alright?"
"That's fine with us, but will it be okay for you, Hunter Lee Ye-rin?"
"Hunter? We've known each other for quite a while now, please just call me Ye-rin comfortably."
Normally, Kim Ji-young would have carefully declined out of consideration for propriety and manners. However, perhaps thanks to Ye-rin's previous words and actions, she nodded without hesitation.
"Will the time be okay for you, Ye-rin?"
"Yes, I cleared my entire schedule for today."
"Then we should eat together."
"You must be hungry after exerting yourselves with the move, so I'll guide you to the restaurant right away."
With Ye-rin in the lead, the family naturally exited through the front door.
Though they ended up having dinner with Ye-rin somewhat unexpectedly, there were no complaints.
It was just surprising.
'Ye-rin... she's even more impressive than I thought.'
A wry smile spread across Sung-joon's lips as he recalled Ye-rin's skillful social maneuvering, which would be believable even if she were hiding nine tails.
* * *
Qingdao, China.
The woman's brow furrowed as she listened to the report of the man wearing a black robe, sitting on a massive golden chair.
"So, you're saying Lee Sung-joon contracted with some guild called Phoenix or whatever?"
In response to the woman's scornful snort, the man giving the report hurriedly knelt down, bowed his head, and begged for forgiveness.
"I-I'm sorry!"
The man's body, flat on the ground, was trembling like an aspen tree.
No, it wasn't just the man giving the report.
Dry swallows could be heard from the people lined up on both sides of the golden chair.
It couldn't be helped, for the woman sitting on the chair now, Kang Yi-ryeong, was an SSS-rank hunter, the pinnacle of hunters, and the leader of the Barehand Sect.
And in public, she was known by the alias "Great Rakshasa."
Of course, the alias "Great Rakshasa" wasn't given without reason.
Kang Yi-ryeong had a cruel temperament that would harm anyone, regardless of age or gender, even children less than a year old, if her mood was even slightly twisted.
Of course, if she were simply cruel, she would have been called a murderer or massacrer rather than Great Rakshasa.
The Great Rakshasa, Kang Yi-ryeong, also harbored an enormous greed that wouldn't be satisfied until she obtained what she wanted.
And now, this Kang Yi-ryeong had failed to obtain what she wanted.
Or more precisely, she couldn't even approach due to continued rejection.
Given Kang Yi-ryeong's temperament that they had observed so far, it wouldn't be strange if she went berserk.
Although everyone lined up in front of the golden chair were executives of the Barehand Sect and thus unlikely to be killed outright, they couldn't say their limbs would remain intact.
Perhaps they might have to give up an arm or a leg.
The executives, their faces pale, were cautiously glancing sideways to gauge Kang Yi-ryeong's mood when suddenly:
"Haha! Hahaha!"
Loud laughter burst from Kang Yi-ryeong's lips as she narrowed her eyes.
At the same time, a deep smile spread across her face.
"Interesting, very interesting. Yes, there should be this kind of thrill in playing hard to get."
Thinking about it, Lee Sung-joon was a man qualified to do so.
"He truly was a perfect Golden Silkhand."
It wasn't an exaggeration. The Golden Silkhand technique Lee Sung-joon had displayed effortlessly deflected the attack of Yang Jun-hyuk, an S+ rank villain and assassin.
Even she, Kang Yi-ryeong, couldn't easily display such a perfect Golden Silkhand.
"And the external martial arts he used afterwards were really..."
Kang Yi-ryeong's mouth stretched to her ears in excitement she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Ecstatic."
The power of the martial arts itself could be called excellent.
But what captivated Kang Yi-ryeong's heart wasn't simply the power of the martial arts.
'The distribution of power, the use of muscles, even the way he used it... Lee Sung-joon perfectly understood his own martial arts.'
He was a true martial artist, not a bug relying solely on the system's abilities.
"Certainly... it's no wonder the Korean Hunters Association and government cherish him so much."
Looking deep inside, the rejection wasn't solely the will of the Korean Hunters Association.
Lee Sung-joon's influence must have played a part.
Although all the executives of the Barehand Sect knew this fact, no one dared to voice it.
In the first place, what was important to the Barehand Sect executives now wasn't who or how the rejection was made.
It was the fact that Kang Yi-ryeong, who they thought would explode in anger at any moment, was smiling.
"Your words are most wise. Indeed, no matter how precious a treasure, if it's obtained too easily, there's no satisfaction when you get it."
As the Barehand Sect executives flattered her, the smile on Kang Yi-ryeong's face deepened even more.
"That's right, I should think of it as having found an enjoyable entertainment after a long time."
Fortunately, the issue of failing to recruit Lee Sung-joon seemed to be swept under the rug without any incident.
The Barehand Sect executives lined up in a row were inwardly sighing in relief.
However, the brow of Xiao Zhan, who held the position of advisor, the brain of the Barehand Sect, continued to furrow.
'How can these executive fools who should assist the Master be so stupid...'
They shouldn't be so happy just because the immediate crisis was averted.
Whenever the Master, Kang Yi-ryeong, mentioned "entertainment" like this, troublesome incidents always occurred.
'Using the excuse of entertainment... she's crippled foreign hunters dozens of times.'
At least because the hunters were of lower ranks, they were able to avoid being registered as villains by reaching agreements through massive monetary compensations.
But Lee Sung-joon, whom the Master Kang Yi-ryeong was targeting now, was different.
He was a figure receiving global attention and a hunter with the qualities to reach SSS rank.
In other words, he wasn't someone with whom they could simply reach an agreement with money like before.
Therefore, he hoped that the Master, Kang Yi-ryeong, would suppress her emotions and make a wise decision.
But sadly, in his gaze, a smile bordering on maniacal laughter was flowing across Kang Yi-ryeong's lips.
It was a state where it would be difficult to expect her to make a rational judgment.