Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Murim Alliance My Ass
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After exchanging warm greetings, Uncle Munseok asked me,
"You said to come by once you've settled in, but I didn't expect you'd show up so soon. Anyway...?"
"Anyway?"
"The person hanging off your back..."
"Oh."
Now that we'd arrived, it was time to let her down.
I set Yu Somyeong on the floor and introduced her.
"Say hi. This lump of baggage is Yu Somyeong of the Shanxi Yu Clan."
"Hmm..."
I'd figured Uncle Munseok would be shocked to see me carrying around the promising young talent of such a prestigious family on my back, but he didn't seem fazed at all.
No, he looked like he'd already guessed as much.
"What, you two know each other?"
"...We met once in Sichuan before I left. This lowly Munseok greets the young master of a renowned family once more."
Uncle Munseok offered a fist salute and bowed his head, and Yu Somyeong, now freed from her bonds, returned the courtesy.
"Pleasure to see you again."
'Ho.'
I was a bit surprised watching that. I'd expected Somyeong to act this way, but she was polite even to Uncle Munseok from the Hao Gate.
Uncle Munseok, who must have been ignored by righteous faction folks his whole life, broke into a pleased smile at Yu Somyeong's good manners.
This might go even better than I thought.
"Young Master Yu. I have some important business with this uncle here, so could you step out for a bit?"
"......"
I'd been worried she'd throw a fit and refuse to leave, but fortunately, Somyeong nodded and quietly exited.
Seeing that, Munseok asked curiously,
"What's going on? Something you need to discuss just between us...?"
"Before that, Uncle. The Hao Gate Leader isn't here?"
I'd wondered if she might be eavesdropping from some hidden room again, but I sensed no presence in this room. At least, she wasn't anywhere in this inn.
No, if she'd been nearby at all, she would've come rushing to meet me.
"Well... the Hao Gate is in a pretty hectic situation right now..."
"Because of the Tang Clan?"
"Right."
The Tang Clan's second-in-command, the Grand Elder, had died in a Hao Gate brothel. The Hao Gate must have taken some measures, but they couldn't block all of the Tang Clan's rage.
"Right now, the Hao Gate is in a tug-of-war with the Tang Clan. We're threatening to expose the Grand Elder's misdeeds to the world, while the Tang Clan is reaching out with their claws, demanding the Gate Leader come out and talk in person."
"Hmm... must be pretty busy."
"Busy? That's an understatement. The Sichuan branch, one of our biggest money-makers, has been shut down, so we're facing a cash crunch on top of everything... It's hell."
Oh... really? Cash crunch, huh?
"Then you must need some quick cash?"
"Hm? Well... we do need money, but it's not like we're scraping the bottom of the barrel... Anyway, why bring up quick cash all of a sudden...?"
I pointed toward the outer room where Yu Somyeong was waiting and answered Munseok's question.
"Uncle, sorry about this, but I need you to sell back those Shanxi Yu Clan goods I sold you as fast as possible—to her."
"What...?"
As expected, Munseok's face fell in shock.
I felt a twinge of guilt, but I needed to shake Yu Somyeong off me ASAP. I even suggested a specific price.
"I got 200 gold taels from you for them, so let's wrap it up at 250 gold taels with a nice profit margin. It's a win for the Hao Gate anyway."
"Hmm..."
Munseok hardened his merchant face and mulled it over. Yeah, I figured.
From the Hao Gate's perspective, they probably hadn't planned to sell off the Shanxi Yu Clan's goods this quickly.
If they waited until emotions in the Shanxi Yu Clan peaked, they could've gotten hundreds more than 250 gold taels.
"I do like you personally... but isn't this a bit overstepping?"
I'd expected Uncle Munseok to play hard to get like this.
He expressed his refusal indirectly. But...
"Hey now."
"......"
"You think a mere branch manager can stand up to me when I have the Hao Gate Leader's ring?"
...I had the absolute ring.
I pulled out the Hao Gate Leader's ring and the paper stamped with the Hao Gate's seal from my bosom, and Munseok went dead silent.
"Hand 'em back for free, or take 250 gold taels. Your call, Uncle."
"Haa..."
Munseok rubbed his face with his hand.
"...Even so, 250 taels is too low. At least 400..."
"400 is a bit much... Sell 'em quick, and the Hao Gate won't take a loss."
"...Why?"
"Well... I already told her the Hao Gate has the Shanxi Yu Clan's manuals and elixirs."
"......"
The daughter of the Shanxi Yu Clan knowing that meant the clan itself would find out soon enough.
Uncle Munseok, grasping the implications, cursed out loud.
"You crazy son of a—"
If the Sichuan Tang Clan were the hegemons of Sichuan, the Shanxi Yu Clan were the hegemons of Shanxi. It wasn't as developed as Sichuan, but they naturally had a Hao Gate branch there too.
If the Shanxi Yu Clan learned the Hao Gate had their stuff, what would they do?
"...Haha, tell the Shanxi branch to behave if they don't want to shut down like the Sichuan one."
"......"
Sorry, Hao Gate. But you've got money to burn.
"Ugh... fine. We'll sell 'em. The Shanxi Yu Clan goods are all stored elsewhere, so it'll take some time to fetch them."
"Got it. That's settled then. Now for my business."
"...What? There's more?"
"I handled the Shanxi Yu Clan matter, now it's time for mine."
"......"
I hadn't come here just for Yu Somyeong. I slowly explained my situation to Uncle Munseok.
"Uncle, you know I'm pioneering that mountain path in Hunan Province, right?"
"Of course. Ain't much else people talk about in this backwater."
"Good, then it'll be quick. While opening the path, we're building relay stations like inns along the way. But the number of stations is growing, and our manpower's short 'cause everyone's tied up with the path-clearing."
"...So?"
The Hao Gate has tons of people, but their roots are in inns and brothels.
Meaning most skilled waiters out there come from the Hao Gate.
"Pick out a few capable waiters and send them to work at our stations. I know asking them to work in the mountains is rough, so pad their salaries generously on your end."
I'd come here in person to solve our manpower shortage with the Hao Gate's help.
Munseok balked at my bold demand.
But...
"No way. You're giving the orders, but why do we have to cover the pay?"
"Ugh...! My finger's throbbing with the Hao Gate Leader's crown...!"
"......"
Just flashing the ring on my finger ended it all.
"I was happy at first... but now I can't stand the sight of it."
"Sorry, Uncle. But still..."
The Hao Gate has money to burn.
Squeeze the rich for more, the poor for less.
That's the way of the world, ain't it?
**
Creeeak-.
I'd finished my blackmail... er, negotiations, and stepped out to find Yu Somyeong leaning against the wall right by the door.
I told her curtly,
"250 gold taels. That'll get your stuff back within a week."
"Two... 250 taels?"
"Don't whine. Without me, they'd have started at least 800 gold taels."
If I hadn't stolen them, none of this would've happened, so I felt a bit bad bragging, but I wasn't wrong.
The Hao Gate is basically a gang of thugs at heart.
Without me, the Shanxi Yu Clan would've had to pay through the nose to get their stuff back.
"Anyway, pay up and take your goods. Then we're done. Never see each other again."
"...No."
Yu Somyeong shook her head and looked at me.
"You said it yourself. I don't know the world. Can't I learn all sorts of things by your side?"
"Bullshit."
A righteous faction promising talent learning the world from a bandit? The Shanxi Yu Clan Leader would keel over from shock.
"I told you to leave once you get your stuff. If not, I'll spank your ass and kick you out."
"......"
"You know me? I actually do it."
I'd spanked her plenty on the way here.
Remembering the pain, she rubbed her butt, and I walked past her to escape the basement.
"Yawn... I'm beat anyway, so let's crash. Who kept me up all night yesterday, huh?"
She'd been a pain in the ass, but with the absolute ring on my finger, I was still a VIP to the Hao Gate.
Thanks to Uncle Munseok's guidance, I slept in Hunan's most comfortable guest room—not in this rundown inn.
I dragged my exhausted body to bed and passed out...
"Hey! Wake up!"
"Mm...?"
...but before dawn, a voice jolted me awake.
"...Uncle Munseok?"
It was Munseok who'd woken me. For some reason, he'd come straight to my room at this ungodly hour to shake me awake personally.
"Hey, I'm tired, why..."
I grumbled and tried to close my eyes again, but...
"...What's going on."
His unusual expression snapped me alert.
And...
"We just got word from the main righteous faction that..."
"......"
...Hearing what Uncle Munseok said froze me solid.
**
"Yawn..."
Bang Sam's day starts early. Merchants using the mountain path gather at dawn.
'Fucking annoying. No boss around, so half-ass it.'
He sat down thinking that, and merchants swarmed for passage permits.
"Hey, why're you so late today?"
"Oi! I was here first! No cutting!"
As he watched the chaos and reached for his stack of permits,
"Hey... don't fight, line up one by—...!"
His senses caught several powerful auras.
'What the...?'
He turned toward them and saw men in uniform martial robes heading their way.
No one in the world doesn't know who wears those clothes. The merchants fighting over line spots fell silent at the sight.
Swish-.
Bang Sam set down his permits and pulled his sword close.
His subordinates, there to assist, saw the approaching warriors and spoke anxiously.
"B-Bang Sam bro. Those guys..."
"Don't panic. Run to the stronghold now and tell the second-in-command what's happening."
"Yes, sir...!"
The subordinate bolted for the stronghold at his words. The approaching warriors took no action despite seeing it.
'They seem awfully relaxed...?'
Finally, they reached Bang Sam and spoke.
"This the entrance to that famous new mountain path?"
"...Yes."
He couldn't ignore them, so he answered.
"Then you're one of that Bandit King's bandits?"
"We serve someone even more vicious than the Bandit King."
"Hmm... in that case..."
The warrior nodded knowingly and pulled something from his bosom. Then he sternly declared to Bang Sam.
"I'm Vice Captain Wi Sajun of the Murim Alliance's Subjugation Unit, Dragon Slaughter Squad. In the name of the Murim Alliance, we've come to wipe out the bandits' stronghold. Surrender and step aside now."
"......"
...As expected of the elites.
Bang Sam sighed and counted their numbers.
Around 30-40. And among them, some looked stronger than the vice captain Wi Sajun up front.
'If we fight... can we win...?'
Bang Sam thought to himself, then chuckled bitterly.
Since when had he become the type to think he could beat dozens of Murim Alliance subjugators?
His heart pounded in fear. He wanted to run right now.
But he couldn't.
No matter what anyone said, he was third-in-command. He had to buy time until the boss arrived.
Shing-.
Bang Sam drew his sword in defiance and said,
"Murim Alliance my ass—if you don't pay the toll, even the Murim Alliance Leader can't pass, milord."
"Hmm... then we'll have to do this the hard way."
"You got that right, you bastard."
Wi Sajun drew his sword at Bang Sam's taunt.
And...
Flash-!
They leaped straight at each other.