Chapter 122
Chapter 122
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: The Clean Hanzhong Campaign
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When I announced the 'Clean Hanzhong Campaign' in a sincere tone, everyone voluntarily expressed their intention to participate.
“From now on, if anyone accepts a bribe, I will break their arms and legs.”
“...”
Such was the integrity befitting a warrior of the great Nine Dragons Fortress.
Of course, they might only act this way in front of me.
Behind my back, it was highly likely they'd continue secretly exchanging bribes as they'd always done.
So, what was I to do?
What else could I do?
I’d have to catch them with the skills I honed rolling around in the Outer Hall.
Just like this.
“What are you doing?”
“Gasp!”
Not even fifteen minutes had passed since I went to inspect the fortress gate when I spotted a merchant handing over a bribe and a branch member receiving it.
I immediately used the War King Step and landed behind him.
Startled by my unexpected appearance, the branch member guarding the gate flinched and waved his hands dismissively.
“Th-this isn't a bribe.”
“Then what is it?”
“I-it's money I lent him.”
I turned my gaze from the man who was flatly denying it and questioned the merchant.
“Don't you know that getting caught giving a bribe gets you sent to prison?”
“It's not a bribe...”
“This won't do. Geum Ja-hwan.”
“Yes.”
“These two, for violating... no, for the crime of bribery. Arrest them. Confiscate all their goods. We'll sort out the right and wrong at the branch.”
Arresting them first without a warrant.
Something only possible in the martial world, where the legal system was a mess.
“Yes.”
As he stepped forward, the merchant prostrated himself on the ground.
*Thud.*
“I was wrong! Please spare me just this once!”
It was exactly the reaction I had expected.
The merchants of Hanzhong are basically wholesalers.
Since the volume of trade in each transaction is large, failing to meet a delivery deadline inevitably leads to significant financial losses.
“Was it a bribe?”
“Yes, yes! It was. I didn't want to give it, but I was afraid of the repercussions, so I had no choice but to hand over the money.”
“Repercussions?”
“They find fault with our goods and confiscate them, or they won't let us through the gate at all. As you know, for merchants like us, meeting deadlines is our lifeblood, so we had no choice.”
Seriously, are these guys even part of the Righteous Faction...?
"Sigh, just as I thought."
There's a saying in the Nine Dragons Fortress.
Once a branch member, always a branch member.
It means that those dispatched to a branch are likely to remain there until the day they retire.
This phenomenon occurs because it takes a long time to travel between the main fortress and the branch, and more importantly, those sent here are far from the path to success.
The problem is, with poor personnel rotation, the system hasn't just stagnated; it has rotted.
Just like now.
“Anything to say for yourself?”
*Tremble, tremble.*
The one who took the bribe trembled like a leaf in the wind and bowed his head.
“I-I'm sorry!”
“If you're sorry, you should take responsibility.”
*Crack! Crunch.*
“Aaargh!”
He clutched his broken arm and rolled on the ground.
The other branch members who saw this stared with wide eyes.
“What? You have a problem with that?”
“N-no, sir!”
“Take this man to a physician and continue your duties.”
“Yes, sir!”
After roughly sorting out the situation, I was on my way back.
I placed a hand on Geum Ja-hwan's shoulder.
“Branch member! Geum! Ja! Hwan!”
He snapped to attention and stated his name and rank.
“Hey, too formal. We agreed to be like brothers when it's just the two of us, didn't we?”
“How could I dare...”
“If you're uncomfortable, we can take our time. So? Do you think this will be effective?”
“...It will be more than enough.”
“Really?”
“A merchant's gossip travels faster than a thousand-mile horse. By tomorrow, word of today's events will have spread throughout Hanzhong, and no one will dare offer bribes anymore.”
“That makes sense.”
“Thank you.”
“Still, since we're out, we should finish the inspection tour, right? Where to next?”
“Yes, the marketplace and the stables.”
“Alright. Let's go.”
* * *
Just as Geum Ja-hwan had predicted, rumors about today's events began to spread in less than half a day.
As I entered the inn where I was staying, I could hear many people discussing what had happened.
“Did you hear? They say the man who came as the interim director is no ordinary person.”
“You don't say? I heard he broke the bones of four men.”
“Hah! It seems he's truly determined to root out corruption.”
“My friend, do you really think that's possible? It's not like similar things haven't been tried in Hanzhong before...”
“You have a point. Even those who pretended to be clean at first were busy taking bribes after a while.”
“Still, it's nice not having to spend extra money for a while.”
“Hehehe, that's true. Thanks to him, the cost of goods has gone down, and our profits have increased...”
“It might only be for a short while, but let's enjoy it. Come on! Let's have a drink.”
“Sounds good.”
As I passed through the first floor of the inn and entered the inner courtyard, Myo Hyang came running out.
“What in the world have you been doing?!”
For a moment, I wondered if I had done something wrong and tilted my head, but then she smiled brightly and said,
“You're getting nothing but rave reviews! The Merchant Guild is in an uproar too.”
“Ah...”
What a relief. I didn't do anything wrong.
“Among the guild leaders, there's even talk of contacting the Nine Dragons Fortress and recommending you, Squad Leader, for the position of Hanzhong Branch Master.”
“That's a bit...”
“Hehe, don't worry. I told them you're not the kind of person to be stuck in the Hanzhong branch for your whole life.”
It's true, I'm too good to be stuck in the Central Plains.
‘I need to pursue my dreams back in Goryeo.’
“If things continue like this, I think the Merchant Guild will be able to establish itself quickly. And our profits will increase too.”
“What?”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard.
What did eradicating bribery have to do with the Hanzhong Merchant Guild's profits?
Myo Hyang said, as if it were obvious,
“It's because the number of people visiting Hanzhong will increase.”
“How much of a difference could that possibly make...”
“It's not about the amount of money. It's a matter of reputation.”
“Reputation?”
“You know that the Hanzhong Merchant Guild's biggest competitor is the Shanxi Merchant Guild, right?”
“Of course. They're close by, and many of the goods they sell overlap with ours.”
“Then how would you compare Tai'an, where the Shanxi Merchant Guild is located, with Hanzhong?”
“Ah...”
“I see you understand.”
It was the difference created by a region's image, so to speak.
For example, a merchant from Sichuan Province wanting to buy something in bulk would naturally have to come to Hanzhong.
They would have to pay some bribes, but it was still cheaper than the travel expenses to Tai'an.
It was the same principle as why northern merchants flocked to Tai'an.
But what if the distance to either Tai'an or Hanzhong was similar? Or if the difference was negligible?
One hundred out of a hundred would go to Tai'an.
Tai'an, guarded by the upright warriors of the Righteous Path Alliance, would be far better than Hanzhong, guarded by the warriors of the Nine Dragons Fortress where bribes were a necessity.
This was exactly what Myo Hyang was talking about.
“So, please keep doing what you're doing.”
“Of course.”
The guild's success is my success, after all.
* * *
The inspection tour, originally planned for just one day, continued on.
Geum Ja-hwan, a team leader with no team, was quite exhausted, but it couldn't be helped.
It was all for the sake of making Hanzhong a better place to live.
Thanks to that.
“Nine! Dragons! All clear on duty!”
“Nine Dragons. Good work.”
The branch members' discipline was so sharp it could pierce the heavens.
“So, are you facing any difficulties?”
“Thanks to your consideration, Interim Director, it's not difficult at all!”
Seeing how my subordinates followed me, I must truly be a virtuous general overflowing with charisma.
“You rascal, no need for all that. This isn't much, but have a drink after your shift.”
I took a small money pouch from my robes and handed it to the branch member.
It was nothing special, just a pouch with five copper coins, which I had received as support from the Hanzhong Merchant Guild through Myo Hyang.
Compared to the bribes they used to receive, it was practically pocket change, or so I heard.
“Branch member, Jo Ok-rok! Thank you!”
“Alright, keep up the good work.”
After finishing the inspection of a few more places, Geum Ja-hwan asked,
“How did you come up with the idea of giving them a bonus?”
“Isn't it all because I'm so virtuous?”
“...”
Geum Ja-hwan was speechless. He must have been deeply impressed.
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“We'll have to wait and see, but I believe today's actions will significantly quell any dissatisfaction.”
“There were dissatisfied people?! Who? Was it the guys from the strike team?”
“Ah, no, not exactly dissatisfaction, but... more like minor complaints. I've misspoken.”
If they were openly voicing their discontent, I'd have to bring down the iron fist of justice, but I could let mere complaints slide.
Trying to crack down on every little thing would just be tiring for everyone.
“Tsk, I guess that can't be helped. You can't please everyone with a new policy.”
“You are wise.”
“But aren't you tired?”
“Sir?”
“I mean, running around like this all by yourself. It looks like you don't have any friends, either.”
“I've always found it difficult to socialize with people...”
Well, you'll find introverts and extroverts everywhere.
Still, I couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship as a former loner myself, seeing this sudden surge of familiarity.
“Let's go. I'll buy you a drink.”
“I'm a bit tired today...”
‘This kid.’
Introverts are often shy; they won't go if you only ask once.
You have to ask two or three times before they'll finally budge. That's how they are.
“Don't you know company dinners are an extension of work? Follow me, you punk. I found a place that serves amazing duck soup.”
Geum Ja-hwan had probably never had a superior who looked out for him like this in his entire life.
On the way to a nearby restaurant, I saw some middle-aged women whispering as they looked at me.
*Murmur, murmur.*
Curious about what they were saying, I enhanced my hearing with my senses and overheard all sorts of conversations.
“That must be the famous Interim Director. I heard he's incredibly upright.”
“Of course! My husband said he's finally found the will to live thanks to him.”
“And he's so dashingly handsome. If I were ten years younger, I'd pounce on him and make him my husband...”
There seemed to be something strange mixed in there, but since it was a positive assessment, I decided to let it go.
As I was walking along, feeling quite satisfied,
“Director!”
A middle-aged man blocked our path.
“What is it?”
I stopped Geum Ja-hwan, who was stepping forward menacingly.
“Let him be. It looks like he has something to say.”
The man pointed a finger at his house right in front of us and said,
“It's just that today is my father's seventieth birthday, and we were having a celebration.”
“Oh, that's certainly a cause for celebration. Please give my congratulations to your father.”
In this era, a seventieth birthday felt like being over a hundred in modern times. It was truly a joyous occasion.
“So, I'd like to pack some of the banquet food for you, Director. Could you please wait a moment? I'll bring it right out.”
“Hmm, that might be a bit difficult.”
“Oh dear, it seems I've only delayed the busy Director.”
“That's not it.”
I took a large step toward his house.
“Banquet food doesn't taste good once it gets cold, does it? If I'm going to accept your offer, I might as well have it while it's warm...”
The man's eyes widened, and he quickly rushed over.
“Oh my, what an honor! Please, come in. Wife! The Director has graced us with his presence! Bring out the food and wine at once.”
I turned to Geum Ja-hwan, who was watching blankly, and said,
“The food here seems like it'll be more delicious.”
He grinned and nodded.
“Of course, sir.”
Saved money on drinks.