Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Let's Live Here
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In the end, after a smooth(?) agreement with the merchants, I decided to buy just the alcohol from one of the two wagons.
Having thoroughly looted the Shanxi Liu Clan, our pockets were more than comfortable—they were overflowing—so we paid a very generous price.
"See, mister? Good things should stay good. You don't have to go all the way to Sichuan to make money, we get some delicious booze, and everyone's happy, right?"
"But, young friend... These really are important goods, so could you just let us off this once...?"
Shing-.
"What was that?"
"H-Hiiik-! S-Sorry! N-No, I mean, I'm sorry-!"
He seemed to be talking nonsense, so I casually drew my sword a bit, and the mister freaked out, raising his hands.
Heh heh, this makes me feel like I'm bullying him, and it doesn't sit right.
I even paid him handsomely for the booze.
"Mister, this is a stroke of luck, I tell you. I gave you an enormous amount for the booze."
"Ah... about that... now that you mention the payment..."
The mister pulled out the secret manual from the Shanxi Liu Clan that I'd given him and asked me.
"It's not even paper money... What kind of booze payment is this paper...?"
"That's not just any paper—it's a secret manual from the Shanxi Liu Clan."
"What...? A s-secret manual from the Shanxi Liu Clan...?"
The moment the name Shanxi Liu Clan came up, the mister's face turned ashen.
Well, most common folk are terrified of getting tangled up with a massive clan like that, not knowing what might happen.
"It's fine, mister. The Shanxi Liu Clan folks are all good-hearted. They'll forgive you whether you sell this manual or use it as a rag at home."
"You're saying this really is a Shanxi Liu Clan manual...? What's written in it? I can't read..."
"Oh, you can't read? Here, let me see. I'll read it for you."
I took the manual from the mister's hand and slowly read it aloud.
"Let's see... Willow Flower Sword Technique, First Form... Huh? Oh, this is the Willow Flower Sword Technique manual."
Good thing I checked before handing it over.
The Willow Flower Sword Technique is the core of the Shanxi Liu Clan's signature martial arts—the most valuable one. I almost used it as booze money?
I told my subordinates to grab something random from our loot, and those idiots must've picked the one on top.
"Haha, sorry about that, mister. Can't do this one. I'll give you something else."
"Ah, uh... Okay..."
I picked out something quite valuable from our baggage.
'This'll do.'
What I chose was a pill with a faint, pleasant fragrance. I wasn't entirely sure, but it looked like one of the Shanxi Liu Clan's treasured elixirs.
I placed it in the mister's hand and whispered.
"You're heading to Sichuan, right? There are guys there who specialize in buying stuff like this. Sell it to them, and you could make twice what you got for that top-shelf Two Rivers Wine filling the wagon."
"Twice the price of all that premium Two Rivers Wine in the wagon...? R-Really?"
"Yeah, really. What, you think I'm trying to rip you off? Come on, now let us enjoy our booze. Time for you to go."
"B-But still..."
The mister looked suspicious and wouldn't budge easily.
So I drew my sword once more for him.
Shing-.
"Hiiik...! I-I'm going. No, I'll go..."
"Yeah, off you go. Don't look back. If you do, I'll come after you with my sword drawn."
Under my not-quite-a-threat threat, the mister and his crew had no choice but to hit the road.
I waited until the mister's figure shrank to a dot and vanished completely before turning around.
"Alright then..."
My gaze turned to the jars piled high next to us.
What do I do... My heart's pounding.
Is all that stuff really booze? And top-shelf Two Rivers Wine, famous for being pricey?
I wasn't the only one trembling—my subordinates shouted at me.
"B-Boss! Let's try this quick?"
"Yeah, hold on."
It was etiquette I'd drilled into my subordinates: no drinking before the boss takes the first sip.
I approached the nearest jar first and opened the lid.
"Hoo..."
Sure enough, as soon as I popped it open, a sweet, subtle aroma wafted out. I savored it for a moment, then scooped up a full ladle and took a taste.
"Mmmph-!"
"W-What's wrong, boss?"
"It's not premium? Tastes bad?"
"Should we grab those guys again?"
Seeing my expression, my subordinates looked at me with eyes full of disappointment and anxiety...
"Fuck... this is goddamn delicious..."
...but in reality, it was a jackpot.
Combining my past life and this one, I'd never tasted booze this good...
After I downed one ladle and ascended to paradise, my subordinates figured it was safe and crowded around.
"B-Boss...! G-Gimme a sip too. Ladle, please-!"
"Second-in-command, screw the ladle. I'm drinking straight from the jar. Boss, we can go wild on this, right?"
"What? Chug the booze?"
"...!"
I turned serious for a second, and my subordinates froze instantly. They started watching my face.
But...
"Drink too fast, and you won't last long. Sip slow to finish all this. Drink slow if you wanna drink a lot—slowly."
...after one sip, my heart had melted into silk.
The forced march from Shanxi to here had wrecked my body, but now I finally felt alive.
I grinned happily, and my subordinates grinned back, asking.
"S-So we can drink too?"
"What have you been waiting for? No sleeping until we've drained every drop here today. Everyone, drink up-!"
"Waaaah-!!"
Looks like I wasn't the only exhausted one. My subordinates dumped the heavy baggage and rushed to the jars.
And so the party began, from midday onward.
**
One great thing about learning martial arts is that your tolerance goes way up.
"Ah... finally feeling a buzz..."
It took two full jars of premium Two Rivers Wine before I started feeling my head spin a bit.
"Kahaha-! Premium stuff really hits different-! Look how it just goes down-!"
"This fucker... How long do I have to put up with this fresh-faced kid acting like the boss..."
My subordinates were already wasted, faces red as they spouted nonsense.
That's when Dongryong approached with another jar.
"Boss, one more round? I'll pour."
"Sure."
As Dongryong poured, he asked me.
"So, boss. We're settling down here?"
"......"
I couldn't answer Dongryong's question easily.
'I was planning to head further south...'
I'd told the subordinates we'd move a few more days before setting up base, but then the booze merchant butted in.
Thanks to that, we got this delicious stuff.
"Hmm... yeah. I've decided."
I'm the impulsive, emotional type by nature. And I believe in the gods too.
Maybe this is divine will, wanting me to settle here?
Buzzed on booze, I got all sentimental and concluded just like that.
"Let's live here. We'll start operating from here again."
"...Yes, got it."
Dongryong seemed pleased with my decision, flashing a relieved smile as he downed a shot.
Watching him, I took a sip too...
"Ah..."
"What's up?"
Dongryong suddenly looked shocked, like something hit him.
I asked, and he stiffened, opening his mouth.
"Now that I think about it, didn't that merchant say there are already bandits around here?"
"Huh?"
Dongryong's words reminded me of my chat with the mister.
'Thing is, Mount Wuak here has a pretty vicious bandit gang hiding out—big numbers too.'
Ah... yeah, he did say something like that...
"You're right... He definitely said there's a bandit gang on Mount Wuak."
"If that's true... can we really set up base here?"
"Hmm..."
Of course not.
Even bandits have a code of honor.
It's an unwritten rule among us: don't poach another gang's turf.
But...
"It's fine, it's fine."
Fuck that?
We're people who live beyond the law. Breaking some tacit rule is no big deal.
"Let's just claim a spot on this mountain. It's huge and rugged-looking—no way we'll run into them."
"But still..."
Dongryong looked uneasy, but I clapped his shoulder.
"Dongryong, like I always say, you're too anxious. Why not share the turf with fellow bandits? They'd love a sturdy neighbor like us too. Wave hello if we cross paths. Or later, once we're settled, throw a housewarming."
"Housewarming...? Between bandits?"
"Time to shatter your narrow view of bandits. Got it? Now cheers."
"...Yes, sir."
"To our eternal, happy lives."
I raised my ladle high, and Dongryong lifted his booze-filled one to clink.
Just as our cups were about to meet...
Whoosh-.
Crack-!
"Huh...?"
Something flew from the darkening grass around us at sunset, shattering the cup in my hand.
I looked—it was an arrow. Dongryong, startled, grabbed his sword from nearby and asked me.
"Boss, this..."
"Yeah."
I wiped the booze from my hand on Dongryong's shoulder and said.
"Housewarming invite's not even out yet, and the guests are here."
By the time I said that, the guests who'd snuck up on us were already surrounding us in force.