Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Hanzhong (2)
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“Whoa!”
*Neigh—*
The head guard brought the carriage to a stop.
“It seems we can't take the carriage any further. We'll have to go around the other way. Is that alright with you?”
“We'll just walk.”
“Understood.”
Jeok Hwa-ran opened the door, and Cheong So-so, Myo Hyang, and I followed her out of the carriage.
And soon, we witnessed an unexpected sight.
- We have wool imported from the Western Regions! Come and have a look!
- Yunnan knotweed, two nyang a bundle!
- Artisan-made porcelain bowls! Buy ten, get two free!
- Sichuan pepper powder, five mun a pouch!
- Delicious noodles, two mun a bowl!
An incredible number of merchants were buying and selling goods.
Compared to when I left Hanzhong, the crowd was almost twice as large. My jaw dropped without me realizing it.
“Wow…”
Myo Hyang approached with a soft chuckle.
“It's amazing, isn't it?”
“How did you do it?”
She answered with a smile on her lips.
“How else? We used the guild's funds and credibility to bring in goods cheaply and supply them to the merchants. With a very small commission, of course.”
A franchise-style operation, lowering the cost of goods through bulk purchases and supplying them to shop owners.
To apply such a method in medieval China, hundreds of years behind the modern era.
*‘She's a genius!’*
Just as the Great Pure Adept had read in her fortune, she truly had the face of a tycoon.
“Well, it's all thanks to you wiping out the nearby bandits, my lord.”
*Thud.*
I grabbed Myo Hyang by both shoulders.
“Oh!”
“You've worked so hard, sister.”
“Uh… yes…”
Hearing the praise, she blushed and lowered her head.
Myo Hyang's humility is truly exceptional.
“Hurry up! I'm hungry!”
I couldn't help but compare her to that wild colt, Cheong So-so.
“Hmph.”
Jeok Hwa-ran turned her head away with a huff and pushed through the crowd.
Her guards followed close behind her.
*‘What's with her now?’*
A short while later.
After entering the War King Gate and finishing our meal, I sent the women to their quarters.
It was to reward the winner of the thousand-li march and receive a report on the situation in Hanzhong.
War Dragon—!
“At ease.”
Arriving at the former Hanzhong Branch, now the Hanzhong War King Gate, I received the salute of six hundred and thirty disciples.
Perhaps because they had racked up over five hundred kills on their way here, their eyes all gleamed with a fierce light.
*‘Are we some kind of Unorthodox Sect?’*
*Shake, shake.*
As I shook my head for a moment, Jong Geuk-rin, the Iron-Blooded First Road Commander who had lined them up, approached me.
“Where is Commander Yuk?”
“He went out, saying he had some business to attend to.”
Well, I didn't tell him I was arriving in advance.
“I see. Who won?”
*Grin.*
At my question, a wide smile bloomed on Jong Geuk-rin's face.
“The Eighth Road arrived the fastest.”
“Oh. Really?”
That's Wu Je-jun, the one with the weakest martial arts among the nine Road Commanders.
Yet, the fact that he finished the thousand-li march the fastest was proof of his outstanding command ability.
“But why are you smiling like that?”
Jong Geuk-rin sidled up and spoke in a very low voice.
“Isn't it interesting? The fact that an individual's strength is different from a group's. If Commander Wu's martial arts improve in the future, I might have to yield the position of First Road Commander to him.”
I looked at him with an expression that said, 'What's so interesting about that?' and he continued with a look of excitement in his eyes.
“To prevent that from happening, I'll have to work hard.”
It seems the concept of making each Road compete to pursue the group's overall strength has worked out perfectly.
So, I should give them what they deserve.
“The entire Eighth Road will be granted a fifteen-day leave and two nyang of silver each.”
War Dragon—!
The formation ceremony concluded with the salute from the Eighth Road, led by Wu Je-jun.
“Go, go. Go do what you need to do. Those who want to rest, rest. Those who want to train, train.”
In times like these, it's better to end things quickly.
A long-winded speech is not the mark of a good commander, after all.
* * *
Three days later, I was looking down at the Hanzhong War King Gate with a pleased heart.
Yu So-pyeong, seemingly proud as well, stood beside me, gazing at the same scene.
“Stop lazing around and get to work. Can't you see the mountain of paperwork?”
“...”
Well, it seems he has some worries.
In any case, buying the branch's facilities was an excellent decision. The facilities lacked nothing.
A vast plot of land more than three times the size of the headquarters, enough buildings to house and feed two thousand people, stables that could accommodate over seven hundred horses, a large warehouse for storing weapons and food, and even quarters for the servants who did the menial work.
What I liked most of all was the size of the grand training ground.
At the Nine Dragons Fortress headquarters, it was difficult to train everyone at once, so we had to divide them into groups for indoor and outdoor training. Here, however, the entire sect could train simultaneously.
*‘This is truly 'my world, made by me'.’*
As I was looking down at the training ground with such satisfaction, the person who was to handle the handover arrived, right on time.
And a very welcome face at that.
“Wow, it's been a while. You're looking much better.”
“I've gained some weight from being cooped up in a room all day finishing paperwork.”
Geum Ja-hwan. Back when I was the temporary director of the Hanzhong Branch, he was my aide and the head of the Anti-Corruption Committee.
When the branch, which was from a collateral line of the Gold Dragon Hall, withdrew, he didn't follow them and remained in Hanzhong.
Thanks to him, I was able to take over the branch's affairs like this.
“I'd heard the news, but seeing you like this feels truly nostalgic.”
“Same here.”
Smiling brightly, Geum Ja-hwan placed a thick stack of documents on the desk.
“These are the administrative records from that time.”
“Whew, that's a lot.”
“Well, it is Hanzhong, after all.”
“Good work.”
A stack of documents, neatly organized at a glance.
It was basically a census, a land registry, and a record of family lineages all rolled into one.
It seemed Geum Ja-hwan had brought them himself, as they were the core of the handover.
After all, you need to know who lives where and how many there are to collect taxes.
“Well then, I'll be on my way.”
“Already?”
“If I stay any longer, I feel like I'll be roped into helping.”
He glanced towards Yu So-pyeong and his cousin, Yu Ho-pyeong, who were clutching their heads with their heads bowed.
“Anyway, you're quick on the uptake.”
“Hahaha.”
Right now, the War King Gate headquarters was suffering from a manpower shortage.
Previously, Yu So-pyeong had handled all the administrative tasks since we only had to manage the disciples, but now he also had to oversee the administration of Hanzhong.
Buried under the flood of work, Yu So-pyeong and Yu Ho-pyeong were suffering from chronic sleep deprivation.
In truth, I had anticipated this to some extent and planned to fill the administrative positions by hiring people from Hanzhong.
The problem was that too many administrative personnel had returned to the Nine Dragons Fortress when the Hanzhong Branch withdrew.
Thanks to that, the War King Gate was now severely lacking in scholarly talent like Yu So-pyeong and Yu Ho-pyeong.
“What are you planning to do now? You said you weren't going back to the Fortress, right?”
“I plan to rest for a while.”
“Then why not work here instead…”
He replied with a look of utter disgust.
“I'd rather starve to death.”
“...”
“Well then.”
I couldn't bring myself to stop him.
It would be like forcing a newly discharged soldier to re-enlist.
I'll just have to wait until he's in financial trouble.
“...”
As Geum Ja-hwan left, a black aura of despair began to grow.
It was the energy emanating from Yu So-pyeong and Yu Ho-pyeong.
“Ahem… How about we pick some of our own guys and use them?”
“You know that's not feasible.”
He wasn't wrong.
Most of our disciples are former street wanderers.
The majority of them haven't even mastered the Thousand Character Classic, let alone the Lesser Learning.
And I couldn't just pull the executives who were focused on training.
“I know… but maybe if we educate them somehow.”
Yu So-pyeong shook his head.
“There are those who can learn and those who can't. Most of our disciples are the latter.”
Watching him sigh, I quietly sat down and opened the administrative ledger.
If I'd known it would be like this, I shouldn't have refused those job requests.
* * *
The problem of the administrative staff shortage found a breakthrough from an unexpected place.
“Hmm… I have nothing to do, shall I help?”
It was because the normally petty Jeok Hwa-ran, for some reason, readily offered to help.
“Ah, my lady, how could you do such a thing!”
“What does it matter? It's not just anyone, it's to help *our* dear Jin.”
“Even so…”
“Oh? Head Guard, are you defying my words?”
“N-No, my lady.”
Having easily subdued her head guard, Jeok Hwa-ran turned back to me with a fresh smile.
“But you'll have to give me a monthly salary, okay?”
“O-Of course! A salary? I'll give you anything you ask for!”
“Then… the wedding ceremony…”
“...”
Well, there was a slight difference of opinion.
“So, you'll start tomorrow?”
“No. Why waste time? We can start right now.”
She gave an order to her guards.
“I have a favor to ask. You must listen well to Strategist Yu, okay?”
“...!”
That's right.
Jeok Hwa-ran had pawned the work off on her guards.
Of course, it made sense. The warriors of the Red Dragon Hall, each one a first-rate assassin and intelligence agent, would be more than capable of assisting with the work.
However, these were the proud warriors of the Red Dragon Hall.
Naturally, there was immediate protest.
“We must protect you, my lady…”
“With a supreme master whose name resounds throughout the world protecting me, is there really a need for you all to step in?”
“*Gasp.*”
Jeok Hwa-ran subdued them easily with her miraculous logic.
“Let's go, dear Jin.”
“Huh… What?”
“Since my guards are doing the work, you have to protect me, dear Jin.”
“W-Well, that's true…”
“Let's go out and get something delicious to eat. Hoho.”
“...”
Dumping the work on her guards and asking to go have fun... she was just like a villainess.
Still, what could I do?
I needed her help to keep the administration running.
“Alright. Let's go. I'll take you anywhere.”
“Wonderful. Hohoho.”
For I am a man who knows how to compromise with reality.
A moment later.
After getting ready, I set out with Jeok Hwa-ran.
Seven days had passed since I'd arrived in Hanzhong, but I hadn't been able to go out once because of the backlog of work. This was my first outing since returning.
On the way to the main gate, I saw Cheong So-so and Cheong-ah sleeping on a mat under the cool shade of a tree.
*Zzz, snore.*
*Chiiirp.*
It was a scene that brought the phrase 'Live life like Cheong So-so' to mind.
Seeing them, Jeok Hwa-ran hurried me along.
“Let's just go.”
“Yeah, she's not worth feeding.”
And so began our tour of Hanzhong.
As befitting the largest commercial city in the southwest, there were sights aplenty.
Perhaps because she had been busy leading the Red Blossom Pavilion, Jeok Hwa-ran's eyes sparkled as she wandered from place to place.
*Groooan.*
“Oh, there's a camel over there!”
“...Don't get too close. They spit.”
“Really? Is there anything you don't know, dear Jin?”
“Well, I mean…”
“Wow, the bales of wool are huge!”
Half a day passed as I wandered the market with the overly excited Jeok Hwa-ran.
“Hoo-ah. It's hot.”
Finally, her energy seemed to wane, and Jeok Hwa-ran calmed down.
“I'm getting hungry. How about we go get something to eat?”
“Sounds good. You've always treated me, so this time it's on me.”
“Okay.”
My stomach was rumbling like thunder just then, so I nodded.
“Do you know a place?”
“Hmm…”
The first place that came to mind was Wolhyang Pavilion.
But I quickly shook my head.
There was no way I was going to treat the likes of Jeok Hwa-ran to Wolhyang Pavilion, which boasted prices comparable to a high-end omakase.
“I do. A very delicious place.”
Therefore, my choice was the Chupung Inn. The same place I stayed at when I was the temporary director.
“Let's go.”
*Grab.*
“O-Oh my…”
My appetite stirred at the thought of having a Jin Mujeon-style breakfast for the first time in a while, and I grabbed Jeok Hwa-ran's hand to pull her along.
Before long, we were standing in front of a tavern named Donhyang-ru, which now occupied the spot where the Chupung Inn used to be.
And posted as the tavern's signature dish was…
“Pork Sausage?”