Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Black Mountain Tigers (2)
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Black Tiger Corps.
The strongest fighting force in Nine Dragons Fortress and the name given to the thirty Black Mountain Tigers.
Befitting their moniker, "Tigers of the Black Mountain," every single one of them was a master of the highest caliber.
Furthermore, their combined attacks and formations were exceptional, allowing the Black Tiger Corps to boast a 100% success and survival rate on any mission they undertook.
'Legends.'
That's what they were. They were the stuff of legends, recognized not just by Nine Dragons Fortress, but by the entire martial world.
It was widely accepted that no other force could match them in guerrilla warfare and surprise attacks.
And yet, here they were, returning looking like they'd been through a meat grinder.
Their claim of burning down the Gansu Branch must have been true.
What's more, there were only twenty-eight Black Mountain Tigers standing before me.
Which meant the legend of Nine Dragons Fortress's 100% survival rate had been shattered today...
"Ah, two of them are scouting outside the fortress."
...Or not. It seemed they had just completed a particularly fierce mission.
My expression clearly conveyed my relief that the legend hadn't ended, and as I nodded, the leader of the Black Tiger Corps made a few requests.
"I'll explain the details later. For now, please arrange a place for us to rest. If possible, we'll need a physician as well."
"...Well, that much I can do. Hey! You there."
"Nine Dragons! You called?"
"Show these men to a place where they can rest. Get them some food, too."
"Yes, sir!"
After giving the order, I turned to the Black Tiger Corps leader.
"I'll bring a physician, so please wait a moment. However, there will be a separate fee. I'd like to cover it for you, but the branch's funds are running a bit tight."
I rubbed my thumb and index finger together, and he nodded.
"We have plenty of money, so don't worry."
"It's paid upfront, and it will be a bit expensive. Ah! But not without reason. The treasured daughter of the Cheong Family, the greatest physicians in the world, will be treating you personally."
"That sounds reliable. How much is it?"
"Let's see... Thirty men, so that will be thirty gold pieces."
"..."
"Ah, I seem to have misspoken. I meant silver, not gold."
Only then did the leader nod. He gestured, and one of the Black Mountain Tigers came forward and handed me a money pouch.
It was heavy; it definitely felt like more than thirty silver taels.
"There should be over fifty taels in there. Get some medicine for internal injuries as well."
"My goodness! Of course! I'll get you the highest quality medicine. Please, go inside and rest comfortably."
I returned to the inn with the heavy pouch, only to find Cheong So-so sprawled out on a table in the middle of the inner courtyard.
I gave her a questioning look, and soon enough, her voice drifted over.
"It's been a while since I've seen the sun."
"..."
"This is the only place I can lie down and sunbathe, isn't it?"
"Hahh..."
A sigh escaped me as I shook my head without thinking.
"Get up. We have a job."
"Again?"
"You have to earn while you can."
"But I still have a lot of money left from last time..."
Two days ago, Cheong So-so had received ten silver taels for treating the members of the Gold Dragon Hall.
She still had plenty of money on hand.
"Hah! Have you ever seen such a frustrating woman? Don't you know the saying, 'Hard work in youth is a treasure in old age'? You have to rake it in while you can if you want a stable retirement!"
Especially in a world without a national pension plan.
"Ugh... alright. How much is this one worth?"
*Thud.*
I tossed the pouch onto the table next to her face.
"Twenty silver taels. It's a bit less than the Gold Dragon Hall job, but I got it upfront, so you don't have to worry about not getting paid. Ah, you still have some medicine for internal injuries, right? They'll need that treated too."
"Hmm, not bad. I'll wash up and get ready."
Watching her go inside to prepare, I thought to myself.
'I can finally cover my losses.'
The advance payment Jeok Hwa-ran had made for this inn ran out yesterday.
From now on, I would have had to cover the lodging costs with my own money, but thanks to this income, I wouldn't have to worry for a while.
* * *
A short while later.
Upon arriving at the branch and seeing over thirty patients, Cheong So-so's face paled, but having already received the payment upfront, she couldn't back out now.
She had no choice but to treat them diligently, come what may.
Still, a professional is a professional. Despite her fatigue, she spent half a day meticulously treating each and every one of them.
It was only natural that the Black Mountain Tigers sang her praises.
"...That was exhausting."
I offered a small handkerchief to her as beads of sweat formed on her brow.
"Thank you."
"Good work. Go back to the inn, order the most expensive thing on the menu, and put it on my tab."
"Can I have a drink, too?"
"Of course. Order the most expensive drink, too."
She needed perks like this to ensure she'd work properly next time.
After sending her off, who was as delighted as a child at an amusement park, I sat down with the leader of the Black Tiger Corps.
It was time to hear what had happened.
And then.
"The Fortress knew from the beginning that the Ten Demon Alliance was planning to strike Hanzhong. Our move was a counterattack."
His very first words were shocking.
'It makes sense.'
Even a third party like the Underworld Sect knew about it.
There was no way Nine Dragons Fortress, which wasn't some local corner store, would be ignorant.
"But why did you go to the Gansu Branch instead of coming to Hanzhong..."
*Smirk.*
The leader of the Black Tiger Corps smiled as if asking why I'd ask such an obvious question.
"Was there any need to defend it?"
"Then?"
"It was the Lord of Nine Dragons who moved the War King. The plan to move him came from the Grand Chancellor."
Wow...
Even if the rule is to deceive your allies to deceive your enemies, to execute a plan this meticulously...
'I didn't think the old Grand Chancellor was like this. He's a frightening man.'
At the same time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
To perfect your defenses before striking the enemy's throat.
It was a move that brought to mind the adage, "First live, then kill."
After nodding in admiration for a moment, I asked about the questions that still remained.
"Then what happened with the Gold Dragon Hall Master? If he had died, it would have caused great chaos in the Fortress."
"His move to this place was unexpected, even by the Lord's Hall. He almost ruined the entire operation."
"Then you should have told me beforehand..."
"We intended to."
The leader of the Black Tiger Corps lowered his voice and continued.
"For some reason, he left Hanzhong too quickly. It was probably because the Ten Demon Alliance bastards dangled some proper bait."
"Ah."
Looking back, the Gold Dragon Hall Master really was the villain.
A single person nearly ruined an operation of this magnitude.
"...So that's what happened."
"Heh heh, but thanks to you, everything worked out, didn't it? Besides, I heard you even took care of the Flame Sect's First Elder?"
"I was lucky."
"Such modesty... You did a great thing. A report has been sent to the Military Affairs Department, so you'll receive a reward."
At the news of a bonus, a smile unknowingly spread across my face.
Bonuses were one of the few joys of being an employee, the very flower of working life.
"Then I'd be grateful."
I had a rough grasp of what was going on.
But what was important now wasn't the past, but what would happen next.
"So, what's the plan now?"
"You're not a complete blockhead, I see."
"...I may not look it, but I'm known as a rising star in strategy and tactics."
I played so much Romance of the Three Kingdoms VI when I was in elementary school.
The Black Tiger Corps leader sighed at my self-promotion and answered.
He seemed to sense that he couldn't fool me.
"What else can we do? We have to hole up here until the defense force arrives."
"I see."
Hearing his answer, I finally felt a sense of relief.
Wars in the martial world are, in a way, battles of pride.
If you suffer 10 units of damage, you feel compelled to inflict more than that on your opponent to be satisfied.
If you just sit back and do nothing, people will think you're a pushover, which is why these things happen.
Sometimes, it looks more like a childish squabble than a fight between modern Korean gangsters.
In other words, the Ten Demon Alliance, having lost their entire Gansu Branch, wouldn't just sit idly by.
And if the defense force didn't arrive soon, Hanzhong would suffer the same fate as the Gansu Branch.
For me, who had almost my entire fortune invested here, that was absolutely unacceptable.
Still, if the Black Tiger Corps was here to protect Hanzhong, I could rest easy.
A group of thirty peak masters with perfect coordination was a powerful force, hard to find anywhere in the world.
I bowed my head to the leader with the utmost courtesy.
"Then, please rest well. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll dash out like an arrow and fetch it for you."
"...Thank you."
Well, he's much older than me, so it's best to be polite.
And so, my cohabitation with the Black Mountain Tigers began.
* * *
A few days later.
I was in the general manager's office, handling my duties as usual.
I had even dispatched scouting parties in all directions to prepare for any potential threats.
"Hah! Hah!"
From outside, the usual shouts of exertion could be heard.
It was the sound of the thirty Black Mountain Tigers training their martial arts.
I shook my head.
'These guys aren't even fully healed...'
No matter how advanced Cheong So-so's medical skills were, this was still the martial world.
She couldn't heal them instantly like a medic from a sci-fi setting, nor could she convert mana into life force like a healer from a fantasy world.
Considering their injuries, they should have been resting for dozens of days, yet the Black Mountain Tigers began training as soon as they could move.
Could there be anything more foolish?
Still.
"It's a good sight to see."
As if infected by their fervor, the branch members also began to train their respective martial arts, one by one.
Perhaps they had realized that in these chaotic times, the only thing that could protect them was their martial skill.
*Knock, knock.*
"Come in."
In response to the knock, the door opened immediately, and Geum Ja-hwan entered, his hands full of documents.
The sight made me frown instinctively.
He paid no mind to my reaction and placed the stack of documents on my desk.
Why, you ask?
It was because Geum Ja-hwan had been promoted to Security Squad Leader.
"Ja-hwan, can't you handle the simple stuff yourself? Or what about the Scouting Squad Leader?"
"If we start ignoring procedures, the discipline of the entire branch will crumble. As our superior, General Manager, you must set an example."
How can a person be so rigid...
In truth, Geum Ja-hwan's stubbornness wasn't the only problem.
The biggest cause was the manpower shortage.
Normally, the personnel for the branch were sent from the main Fortress.
However, due to the recent audit, a third of our personnel were sent back to the main Fortress, and twenty members of the strike team died at Sword Horn Mountain.
Naturally, the branch was severely understaffed, so even those who handled administrative work were sent out into the field.
The result was the stack of papers now sitting before me.
My remaining term as interim general manager was a little less than two months. I couldn't live like this for the entire period, so I had already sent a carrier pigeon to the main Fortress requesting a solution to the manpower shortage.
"Ah, a reply just came from the main Fortress."
And as if my desperate plea had been heard, the reply came sooner than expected.
After all, I had sent five carrier pigeons, the high-speed communication network of this world.
"Hm?"
However, the contents of the reply were utterly absurd.
[Full authority is granted to Interim General Manager Jin Mujeon. Resolve the Hanzhong manpower shortage promptly. - Grand Chancellor]
"..."
What? You have to send people to solve a manpower shortage. What am I supposed to do?
As I furrowed my brow, Geum Ja-hwan, who had read the reply over my shoulder, offered his opinion.
"In my opinion, I think it means we are to hire people for the branch ourselves."
"...That can't be right."
Even as branch members, they were still part of Nine Dragons Fortress. We couldn't just hire anyone.
Even for the Outer Hall, didn't they vet not only a person's martial arts, but also their background, name, and even their ideology?
However, Geum Ja-hwan shattered this preconception of mine in an instant.
"Couldn't we just hire people for specific tasks? Anyone can handle duties like gatekeeping or patrols. Also, limiting the employment period could be another solution..."
"Ah!"
Temporary workers.
That was an option.