Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: First Strike Wins
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The Spring Festival celebration concluded after generating explosive sales.
What do I mean?
I'm talking about Dragon-Slaying Noodles—no, Dragon-Slaying Sausages, of course.
*Ching.*
“Here you are, General Manager.”
“Hmm... Good work.”
Though they were coins, a quick glance showed there were over a thousand of them. That was more than ten taels of silver.
Considering this was pure profit, not revenue, one could guess just how much of a hit Dragon-Slaying Sausages had been.
“Were there any copycats?”
“We put up a sign saying it was made with your secret recipe, so no one dared to copy it.”
They all know I'm not one to tolerate immoral acts like recipe theft.
As I nodded in satisfaction, Bukgung Ha-jin, the first disciple of the Dragon-Slaying Gate, cautiously spoke up.
“Um... General Manager, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“I want to start a business selling the pork sausages.”
“...The food business isn't easy, you know? There's no guarantee they'll sell as well as they did this time.”
In truth, the success of the Dragon-Slaying Sausages was due to the festive atmosphere of the street stall in the middle of the festival and the branch's timely promotion, not just the taste of the food.
If he were to open a proper restaurant, he would likely face practical problems.
He probably has no experience running a business.
For that reason, I expressed a negative opinion about starting a business, but Bukgung Ha-jin didn't back down and insisted he wanted to do it.
In the end.
*Thud.*
I had no choice but to surrender when he dropped to his knees.
“Please, I beg you! Help us so that the members of the Dragon-Slaying Gate no longer go hungry!”
“...”
The sight somehow reminded me of the old Black Dragon Hall.
“...I'll teach you a few dishes, so if you're going to do it, do it right. I'll cover the initial costs. But half of the profits... you know the drill, right?”
“Th-thank you! This kindness! I will never forget it.”
“First, I'll tell you the recipe, so write this down. Place the pork sausage between two pieces of flour flatbread...”
Instead, we decided to start a business with Dragon-Slaying Hotdogs, not Dragon-Slaying Sausages.
After all, a meal is likely to be more profitable than a snack.
* * *
After finishing my long lecture on starting a business, I returned to my quarters to find Cheong So-so, looking neat and tidy, having shed her previous grime, and tending to her medical tools.
She had found peace of mind after pacifying the Hanzhong criminal world.
“You're back?”
*Chirp, chirp.*
As she greeted me, the cricket named Cheong-a by her side chirped along.
“...”
A cricket that follows people. The mind-boggling concept made me feel dizzy for a moment.
For the record, I suggested selling it to a gambling den.
Yang-ryeong said he'd buy it for an exorbitant price.
Something about it becoming the new symbol of the gambling den.
But Cheong So-so refused, saying she would give Cheong-a its freedom.
What a crazy decision.
As I watched, clicking my tongue inwardly, Cheong So-so petted Cheong-a as if it were a cute puppy.
No matter how I looked at it, the sight made me shake my head.
“What were you doing?”
“Just having some tea and thinking about the great art.”
“Great art?”
“Yes, the Heaven-Reversing Daoist Golden Needle Art that created the Cheong-a you see now. I think I can perform it even better.”
“...Isn't that obvious?”
You successfully used a great art meant for humans on a cricket, so it'd be strange if your proficiency didn't hit 100%.
“No. It's not like that. I'm saying I've surpassed the limits of the art. Uhm... what I mean is... Argh, it's so frustrating. Why can't I explain it?”
Cheong So-so, in the middle of her answer, suddenly got angry and scratched her head.
It seems she lacks a way with words.
In the end, Cheong So-so stormed back to her room in frustration.
“Argh, so annoying... Let's go, Cheong-a.”
*Chirp, chirp.*
“...”
It feels like she's getting weirder by the day.
* * *
The vacation I'd given myself flew by like an arrow.
I tried to extend it once more, but.
“What's this?”
“My resignation.”
“According to the laws of Nine Dragons Fortress, resignation is...”
“I haven't learned the martial arts of the Gold Dragon Hall, so it doesn't apply to me.”
“...”
My plans were thwarted by Geum Ja-hwan's drastic measure of throwing down his resignation letter.
In the end, I had no choice but to start working again, missing U Je-jun as I went through the mountain of paperwork.
‘I can't just do a half-assed job...’
My name was listed as the final person in charge of the branch, so I couldn't just stamp the documents carelessly and pass them on.
If any problems arose, I could be the one to take all the blame.
There was no other way. I just had to work hard.
‘Let's see... The festival budget is fine...’
*Thump.*
Eight hours passed as I stamped document after document.
Just as I was about to finish the backlog of work, a document from the reconnaissance squad caught my eye.
‘A village of slash-and-burn farmers was massacred... Did a band of thieves appear?’
This is a rare occurrence in the territories of the righteous factions, Nine Dragons Fortress and the Righteous Path Alliance.
The same goes for the territory of the Martial Emperor Fortress, which pursues strict law enforcement.
However, it was quite common in the lands of the Ten Demon Alliance, which champions a world ruled by the demonic path, or the Lion's League, the heartland of the world's unorthodox factions.
But for a band of thieves to appear in Hanzhong, where the territories of Nine Dragons Fortress and the Righteous Path Alliance overlap...
‘It must be those demonic path bastards.’
It meant that, nine times out of ten, a lesser sect of the Ten Demon Alliance was responsible for the banditry.
To offer money to their main headquarters.
Unbelievable as it may be, the Ten Demon Alliance has always raised funds this way.
Of course, they also have tax revenue from Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang.
The problem was that the land was barren and sparsely populated, so the tax revenue was small.
To overcome this, there were several methods, such as promoting commerce and industry or developing rock salt mines...
But would those bastards from the Ten Demon Alliance ever look into such things? They were the kind of people who just urged their subordinate sects to commit banditry.
The day Nine Dragons Fortress, the Righteous Path Alliance, and the Martial Emperor Fortress grasp the concept of an economy will probably be the day the Ten Demon Alliance falls.
If they face economic sanctions, just like North Korea in the modern world, they're sure to collapse from within.
Anyway, the important thing now is to track down these demonic path bastards disguised as thieves.
I said to Geum Ja-hwan.
“Have the reconnaissance squad leader come in.”
“Yes, sir.”
A moment later, the reconnaissance squad leader stood before me in a hurry.
“You called for me?”
“Take a look at this.”
“Hmm... This is the report from the Third Squad's discovery yesterday.”
“You knew about this?”
“Yes, I've already sent two squads to search the vicinity.”
Two squads meant twenty men. Considering their martial prowess—at least second-rate, with a fair number of first-rate warriors among them—it was not a small force.
“I have a bad feeling about this. Starting tomorrow, send a security squad along with each reconnaissance squad... No. I'll ask the Black Mountain Tigers to go with them.”
“Is it that serious?”
“Have you forgotten that the Ten Demon Alliance's Gansu branch was burned down? Those bastards must be grinding their teeth over it.”
“Hmm... I understand.”
They were most likely small fry, but since we had just won a fierce turf war, I took every precaution against potential dangers.
I was determined to protect Hanzhong, where my entire fortune was invested.
* * *
Half a month later.
I was, as always, buried under an intense workload.
*Knock, knock.*
“May I come in?”
“You're already in, what's with asking for permission? Come on in.”
“Hee hee hee.”
Myo Hyang, her cheeks slightly flushed, entered the office with light steps.
“What brings you here?”
“I stopped by to leave work with you, Squad Leader. I won't be able to see you soon, after all.”
“Ah...”
That was right.
When my term, with only a month left, ended, I would have to return to Nine Dragons Fortress.
Myo Hyang, on the other hand, had to stay in Hanzhong to manage the Hanzhong Merchant Guild in my stead.
In other words, the day we would part was not far off.
‘Hmm...’
Thinking about this, I suddenly felt a sense of gratitude.
Hadn't she come all this way to a foreign land to work for me, leaving behind the foundation she had built in Nine Dragons Fortress?
‘I should treat her well.’
Jin Mujeon, a man who never postpones what needs to be done.
I immediately spoke to Geum Ja-hwan.
“Ahem, I'm heading home for the day. See you tomorrow.”
“What? What's this all of a sudden...?”
“Hey! Are you talking back to your superior? You want to get fired?!”
“But you were the one who rejected my resignation, General Manager...”
Having swiftly subdued him, I stood up and escorted Myo Hyang.
“Shall we go?”
“Oh my, ahem... Let's.”
Myo Hyang, slightly embarrassed, walked out the door I held open for her.
A moment later.
*Chatter, chatter.*
Upon entering the first floor of Wolhwaru, Hanzhong's number one tavern, the usual bustling scene unfolded.
“Welcome, General Manager.”
As we opened the door and entered, the head waiter in charge of the staff greeted us.
“Ahem, guide us to the third floor today.”
At my request, the head waiter's eyes twitched.
It was only natural. The menu on the third floor of Wolhwaru boasted prices that even the local dignitaries couldn't easily afford.
Myo Hyang, standing beside me, grabbed my sleeve in surprise.
“Squad Leader, you don't have to overdo it...”
“Nonsense! Just relax, eat, and drink! Since when does a woman interfere in a man's business?”
“...”
We ascended to the third floor, guided by the head waiter.
As expected of an expensive place, people adorned in all sorts of splendid silk clothes were dining.
But, don't worry.
I left Cheong So-so behind today to reduce the number of mouths to feed.
“Ahem, what should we eat?”
“Well? I always eat the same things, so I'm not sure what to get.”
*Kuh...* So frugal, too.
Then again, that's why I entrusted her with managing my assets.
“When in doubt, it's best to get a recommendation.”
I raised my hand, and the head waiter hurried over.
“Bring us a suitable amount for two.”
“Should I focus on the high-grade or mid-grade dishes?”
A difficult question.
Normally, I would have asked for the low-grade dishes that weren't even on the menu, but today was for treating Myo Hyang.
“Make it half and half.”
I declared proudly.
“And bring plenty of pickles.”
I didn't forget to ask for extra radishes.
At my generous order, Myo Hyang asked with an anxious look.
“You don't have a fever or feel sick anywhere, do you?”
“...”
After a short wait, dishes with names I didn't even know were placed on the table.
The plating of each dish was extraordinary, as if to prove the saying that one eats with their eyes first.
“Gasp, it's-it's delicious.”
“It feels like all the food I've eaten until now was fake.”
And the taste was just as exceptional.
And then.
“A gift from the owner.”
Even the finest liquor.
This is why people can't live with debt.
To think I couldn't visit such a fine place because of an outstanding balance.
As I reflected on my past self and downed a cup or two, a red-faced Myo Hyang spoke with a worried tone.
“I don't know if you've heard, but have you heard the ominous rumors circulating recently?”
“Rumors?”
“I heard a report was submitted a while ago...”
“Ah, you mean the thieves?”
Written as thieves, but read as demonic path bastards.
“Yes, that's right.”
“I've taken measures, so don't worry too much.”
There's no group that can match the Black Mountain Tigers in guerrilla warfare.
“That's a relief, but...”
Myo Hyang looked around and whispered softly.
“It's something the merchants from Xizang told me. They say things are chaotic over there because of the bandits.”
‘They're killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.’
It seems the Ten Demon Alliance's source of funds has dried up since their Gansu branch was burned down.
“And those merchants also said that bandits have been spotted quite frequently in Qinghai as well.”
“What?”
“That's why Alliance Leader Mo Geuk has been very worried lately. Me too. If those bastards cross over and attack merchants indiscriminately like they did in Xizang, it will be hard to endure.”
If the rumors are true, this could be the end of the Merchant Guild.
If a bandit group of that size were to roam around Hanzhong, no one would dare to set out on a trade journey.
‘I'll have to look into it.’
I can't just ignore a crisis threatening the Merchant Guild, where my entire fortune is invested.