Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Grand Opening of the Plum Blossom Inn
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"Finally, it's complete!"
Steward Oh looked up at the inn with its signboard hanging proudly and revealed a satisfied expression.
🪵 PLUM BLOSSOM INN 🪵 This was the beginning.
Not for Steward Oh, but for what lay above him...
The journey to become the Lord of the World's Commerce!
As he clenched his fists tightly,
"We've only just hung the sign, and you're already this excited?"
Cheonhwi, seated in a chair, watched Steward Oh overflowing with emotion and asked.
"It looks like the inside is all set up. Do we have any errand boys and cooks?"
Steward Oh nodded vigorously.
The errand boys and cooks had already been hired several days ago.
If it weren't for the Black Oil Sect, they could have started working immediately.
"They'll be here soon."
"Then we open today."
"Yes!"
Steward Oh smiled broadly.
A bit late, but the long-awaited day had finally arrived.
"Then let's open the doors!"
He shouted boldly.
And an hour later.
"Yawn."
Cheonhwi let out a yawn as he surveyed the empty interior of the inn, not a single fly in sight.
He then looked at Steward Oh bustling behind the counter and asked,
"You think we'll make any money like this?"
"Just wait a little longer. I handed out souvenirs to ten merchants from the market earlier and asked them to spread the word, so people will come flocking soon."
Steward Oh spoke with conviction, then hung the Mount Hua Sect-approved souvenir on the wall behind him.
A moment later, he wrote large letters above it and grinned.
🏯 Mount Hua Sect Official Souvenir 🏯 Cheonhwi eyed it skeptically.
'Will that even sell? No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like it'll do well.'
It had intrigued him at first, but now it didn't look all that appealing.
'Aside from the plum blossom pattern, it's no different from anything on the market.'
However, contrary to his thoughts, an errand boy passing by stopped in his tracks, unable to tear his eyes from the souvenir.
"Haha, do you want one?"
"Ah, no! How could I..."
The errand boy waved his hands in panic, and Steward Oh smiled gently.
"I've set one aside for you, so take it after work."
The errand boy's eyes widened at the unexpected words.
"R-Really?"
"We're all family in this inn. Of course I saved one for you."
The errand boy grinned widely.
"Thank you! Elder!"
"Heh heh, just do your job well in return."
The errand boy thumped his chest.
"Don't worry! I've been an errand boy for five years already!"
As the excited errand boy beamed,
Shhh—
The quiet inn, filled only with conversation, stirred as the door curtain rustled.
All eyes turned to the entrance.
The long-awaited first customer was a kindly middle-aged woman.
"Welcome!"
The errand boy greeted her with a bright smile.
"Will you be dining, or staying the night?"
The middle-aged woman looked slightly flustered at the question and spoke.
"I heard they were selling Mount Hua Sect items here..."
"Oh dear!"
Steward Oh jumped to his feet.
"You've come to the right place. Whatever you're looking for, we have it."
He rubbed his hands together and pointed with his index finger to the souvenir behind him.
"This is a souvenir specially permitted by the Mount Hua Sect. It's modeled after the red plum blossoms used by the Plum Blossom Sword Guards..."
Enraptured by his fluent explanation, the woman approached unconsciously, nodding, and murmured softly.
"My son wanted to visit the Mount Hua Sect so badly, but we couldn't make it..."
Trailing off as if recalling something, she looked up at the souvenir and asked,
"This is really from the Mount Hua Sect, right?"
"Would I dare mention the Mount Hua Sect without their permission, here on Mount Hua itself?"
At Steward Oh's words, the woman sighed in relief and smiled.
"Then I'll take one, please."
"Here you go."
The woman tucked the cloth-wrapped souvenir into her bosom and left.
It actually sold.
As Cheonhwi watched in amazement,
Shhh—
The curtain rustled again.
This time, not one but four or five people rushed in, shouting almost in unison.
"We're here to buy!"
From there, the curtain never stopped moving.
One, two, then dozens.
In less than an hour, the Plum Blossom Inn was booming.
'Why are so many people here? I can't even see the end of the line.'
Cheonhwi let out an incredulous laugh as he looked at the queue.
It was endlessly long.
Stretching beyond the inn, all the way down the mountain path, with no end in sight.
Probably because it was the first day of sales.
Cheonhwi scanned the crowd.
Not just visitors to Mount Hua, but locals from nearby as well.
Seated at a table, Cheonhwi glanced at one group.
"When else would we get to buy something from the Nine Great Sects?"
"And it's just like the ones used by the Plum Blossom Sword Guards. Maybe if we meet a Mount Hua Sect Taoist later, they'll recognize it."
Despite the long wait, those in line were buzzing with anticipation.
And rightly so—the Nine Great Sects were colossal sects even martial artists revered.
To buy something connected to them?
How could they resist?
'Merchants really are something else.'
Cheonhwi's eyes swept the inn's interior.
Just as Steward Oh had described, everything was proceeding smoothly.
Separate from the line outside, the inn was packed inside.
Those tired of waiting ordered food gladly, and sightseers from Mount Hua wanted to stay, impressed by the inn's cleanliness.
As Cheonhwi marveled at how perfectly the situation unfolded just as predicted,
"Y-Young hero."
Steward Oh, who had been selling souvenirs, sidled over and whispered in his ear.
"Do you happen to have a Mount Hua Sect uniform?"
"I left it in my room for now."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you put it on and come down now?"
"The uniform? That's a hassle."
As Cheonhwi grumbled, Steward Oh seized the moment.
"It would show that our goods are authenticated by the Mount Hua Sect. With a Mount Hua Sect Taoist like yourself here, no one will doubt it."
It made sense.
Having a Mount Hua Sect disciple present was as good as official endorsement.
So it was important, but...
He wasn't keen on it.
'It'll just get annoying.'
He planned to relax at the inn, drinking freely.
But if it became known he was a Mount Hua Sect disciple, that would be difficult.
Then Steward Oh spoke up.
"I'll have some freshly acquired liquor set aside in your room. You can enjoy it privately without prying eyes."
Cheonhwi met eyes with Steward Oh, who seemed to read his mind.
"...You're sharp."
Steward Oh smiled with his eyes.
"That's how I got this far."
"Fine. But just once. No seconds. You get me?"
Cheonhwi eyed Steward Oh, who nodded in understanding, his own eyes gleaming.
"So, what liquor is it?"
"Shaoxing wine."
"Now that's something to look forward to."
Satisfied, Cheonhwi smiled and headed upstairs to change into his uniform.
Bam!
A loud crash erupted from outside.
"What the—?"
He frowned, opened the door, and stepped out.
"Who said you could do business here without permission?"
On the first floor, three men led by a flat-faced old man were threatening Steward Oh.
Steward Oh cautiously asked the trio smashing toward him, splintering a table.
"...Who might you be?"
"You don't even know who we are?"
As the old man exuded killing intent,
"Big brother, he wouldn't have the guts to run a business like this if he knew us."
A burly man held back the old man and approached Steward Oh.
"We are the Huayin Three Fiends."
"The Huayin Three Fiends?!"
At their infamous title, Steward Oh's face fell.
The Huayin Three Fiends were notorious for their brutal and vicious ways in Huayin, yet their superior martial arts kept even the authorities at bay.
'We chased out the Black Oil Sect, and now other flies are buzzing around!'
Steward Oh bit his lip.
"Who said we're the Huayin Three Fiends?"
The old man said coldly.
Though his voice was small, infused with internal energy, it pierced the ears of everyone around like needles.
"Looks like we need to knock some sense into you."
The chilling tone froze everyone.
"Little brother, handle it."
"Got it."
The short, stocky man with a menacing glare slowly lifted the axe from his back.
"Since big brother says so... I'll take just one arm."
As his axe swung,
"Kyaaak!"
Customers who had fled to the inn's corner averted their eyes or screamed.
"Young hero!"
Steward Oh squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of the swinging axe and cried out.
"Are you insane? Swinging an axe in here."
Cheonhwi pulled something from his pocket and flicked it lightly with his finger.
Ping!
A streak of light shot like an arrow, clashing with the axe.
"Gah!"
The man felt the shock in his axe-hand and flew backward, crashing down.
Thud!
"Little brother!"
"What happened?!"
As the remaining two rushed to the fallen man,
Ping!
Cheonhwi flicked again.
Two lights flew sharply, striking their foreheads precisely.
Crack! Crack!
With two dull thuds, their foreheads split, blood spurting.
Unable to even scream, the two slowly tilted backward and crumpled to the floor.
As everyone stared in stunned silence at the sudden events,
Ting, ting.
Two coins fell belatedly.
Steward Oh opened his eyes at the sound and beamed at the figure upstairs.
"Young hero!"
At his booming shout, all eyes followed.
And jaws dropped.
There stood Cheonhwi, looking down indifferently from the upper floor in his Mount Hua Sect uniform.
"M-Mount Hua Sect?"
Seeing his uniform, they instantly understood why the Huayin Three Fiends had fallen.
"A Mount Hua Sect Taoist took down those demonic scum!"
"Woooah!"
Cheonhwi passed the cheering crowd and approached Steward Oh, whispering,
"That enough?"
Steward Oh grinned ear to ear.
Enough? It was perfect.
With a Mount Hua Sect disciple guarding the Plum Blossom Inn, what better advertisement?
"More than enough!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Four days after the Plum Blossom Inn opened.
After Cheonhwi repelled the Huayin Three Fiends, the inn boomed like never before.
"Give me one too!"
"Hey! No cutting... Tch, tch. Don't you know where you are? This is the inn guarded by a great Mount Hua Sect Taoist!"
"Ahem. I know. I just got a bit eager. Forgive me."
"Then get to the back quick!"
The Plum Blossom Inn overflowed with people, yet all stood neatly in line.
And more.
Inside the inn, even rival martial artists behaved civilly.
The result of Cheonhwi smashing the foreheads of troublemakers with coins over four days.
'Hm?'
Meanwhile, Cheonhwi—the architect of this peace—glared out the window.
"Who is that?"
Someone was approaching.
About a hundred jang away.
But the killing intent he exuded made the distance irrelevant.
"If he comes here, there'll be trouble."
Cheonhwi grabbed his sword and stood.
Unfurling Sky-Soaring Steps, he reached the mountain path's entrance and spotted two men.
He stopped right in front of them.
"Uwaaak!"
The front man paled in terror, like he'd seen a ghost, and staggered back.
"Y-You..."
Recognizing Cheonhwi belatedly, he pointed and shouted.
"It's him!"
Cheonhwi stared at the man.
'Familiar face. Where have I seen him?'
As he scrutinized,
"He's the one who ruined our sect leader and the Black Oil Sect!"
His shout jogged Cheonhwi's memory.
The man was the one who had taken the middle-aged gambler loser from the Black Oil Sect days ago.
Then.
"Out of the way."
A raspy, gravelly voice rang out.
A wrinkled hand shot out, grabbed the man's head, and mercilessly hurled him backward.
Flying far, the man slammed waist-first into a tree trunk.
Crack!
A bone-chilling sound accompanied his vomiting of blood.
"Kuhuk!"
He hit the ground with a thud and breathed his last.
Cheonhwi shifted his gaze from the corpse to the thrower.
An old man in pitch-black uniform.
In stark contrast, his snow-white hair and beard flared out like white flames.
"Weren't you two together?"
"Do you think I'd associate with trash like that?"
Cheonhwi tilted his head, glancing between the old man and the corpse.
"Hmm, you look similar."
"What a loose tongue you have."
Flames ignited in the old man's eyes.
Simultaneously, a dark, viscous energy rose from his entire body.
"I'll teach you some manners."
A sinister voice emanated.
The black energy expanded, shrouding the surroundings in darkness, devouring even the sun above.
Whoosh—
Jet-black flames erupted.
Cheonhwi's eyes widened at the sight.
This aura shouldn't exist here—not in the Central Plains. Yet it was all too familiar.
'Nine Nether Demonic Flame Art?'