Chapter 262
Chapter 262
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Taemo Mountain Fortress
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The very picture of desolation.
That was my first impression of the Taemo Mountain Fortress.
“...My lord, are you certain this is the Taemo Mountain Fortress? Perhaps this is just a facade, and the inside is magnificent?”
“...”
It was so bad that even Myo Hyang had to ask in disbelief.
Fine, I could let the houses slide, a hundred times over. Given their geographical location on a rocky mountain, it was understandable that the buildings might be a bit plain.
But for all five hundred of their members to be wearing patched-up clothes? That was just not right.
*‘Seriously, if you’ve earned money, buy some new clothes.’*
As if to prove they were descendants of the Beggars’ Sect, they even dressed the part. I couldn’t help but shake my head.
For a moment, the words, ‘I’m just going to leave!’ rose to the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them.
“Haha, what do you think? This is the Taemo Mountain Fortress.”
“Pardon?”
“Observe the terrain closely. It is easy to enter, but if you block this point and that one, an inescapable trap is formed, from which no one can escape. The first lord created this formation with the intent to fight to the death and annihilate any enemy who dared to invade.”
As Wu Jung-cheon explained, as if to say we couldn’t leave without his permission, Myo Hyang and I had no choice but to quietly follow him into the dining hall.
With their clothing and shelter in such a state, there was no way their food would be lavish.
“Haha, eat up.”
The meal consisted of rice mixed with various grains, a few vegetable dishes, a soup made with dried fish, and what was undoubtedly a roasted chicken that had been roaming the yard just moments before. That was it.
It was a perfectly balanced meal, to be sure, but for a feast prepared by the leader of a major sect, it was utterly pathetic.
Not that Myo Hyang and I cared; we ate with gusto.
The problem was…
Slurp. Gulp.
...the warriors standing behind Wu Jung-cheon, who were practically drooling at the sight of the food.
It was easy to guess what their usual diet consisted of.
Feeling their eyes on us, we finished our meal as quickly as possible. Wu Jung-cheon smiled with satisfaction, probably mistaking our speed for enjoyment.
When Myo Hyang and I offered an awkward smile and some compliments, Wu Jung-cheon’s spirits lifted, and he offered us drinks in the middle of the day.
“Now that we’ve eaten, we must, of course, have a drink. I have some unfiltered rice wine that I brewed myself. Would you care for a taste?”
“Ah, haha. The Western Hegemon himself knows how to brew alcohol?”
“The secret recipe has been passed down through my ancestors for generations. I’ve traveled the world collecting techniques, so its taste will not lose to any famous vintage.”
“...I certainly look forward to it.”
The rice wine of the Beggars’ Sect has long been considered a delicacy of sorts.
However, in a world without sweeteners, how delicious could unfiltered rice wine possibly be?
At the end of the day, it was just the raw ingredient for clear liquor.
“My lady, would you care to join me for some refreshments?”
“That sounds lovely. I also had something I wished to ask you, madam.”
Wu Jung-cheon’s wife, who had been dining with us, tactfully invited Myo Hyang for tea and snacks.
And so, I was left alone at the table with Wu Jung-cheon. As I poured him a drink, I asked,
“How are things progressing in Nanjing?”
I was curious to hear about the situation there.
\* \* \*
According to Wu Jung-cheon, Nanjing was far quieter than expected.
Even with the arrival of the elite warriors from the Hainan Sword Sect, the Taemo Mountain Fortress, and the Eun Clan Manor, Commander Wu had not made a move.
Holding both justification and power, yet waiting for the right moment, it seemed his intention to wipe them out in a single blow remained unchanged.
In response, the three sects of the Loyal Duke's Faction were remaining vigilant and monitoring the situation.
“So, I do not know what we should do if a civil war breaks out.”
“Why not?”
“Why do you think? To complete the mission while minimizing the sacrifices of my disciples.”
“No, if a war starts, why would you try to finish the mission? You should run.”
“...Is, is that really an option?”
“Of course. You were hired to be Commander Wu’s personal guard, not to enlist in the Imperial Guard.”
The goal was to protect Commander Wu and those he designated in exchange for money, not to participate in a war.
If the other side tried to pull some nonsense about breach of contract, we could just tell them to shove it and flee.
He might be a commander, but could he crawl out of Jiangxi Province, where the emperor resided?
“Hmm, but that would be a matter of faith…”
“Faith? What faith? Are you going to get all your disciples killed for the sake of some meaningless faith? You need to pursue what’s practical.”
“Ahem, that is also true.”
When I explained this point, Wu Jung-cheon nodded as if he understood.
He had seemed quite stifling when I first met him, but lately, he’d been catching on quickly.
It seemed he was being influenced by me, the unparalleled pragmatist born of the Nine Dragons Fortress.
“By the way, are you facing any difficulties?”
“Of course we are. Some madman set fire to the Imperial Palace, and the atmosphere in Nanjing is said to be extremely grim. Thanks to that, the already suffocating mood is now said to be choking the life out of everyone.”
“...”
He really doesn’t understand the local flavor, does he?
“Ahem, did you receive the payment?”
This was something I had been curious about for a while.
Commander Wu had claimed he would spend a thousand gold pieces, so I couldn't understand why they were living like beggars.
“Do not worry. I received a large sum from Commander Wu!”
Wu Jung-cheon thumped his chest and continued boisterously.
“I received a grand total of ten thousand silver taels!”
“No.”
Then why are you living in such poverty?
Ten thousand silver taels was one hundred gold pieces. In modern terms, that was a fortune.
I shot him a subtle glance filled with this meaning, and Wu Jung-cheon cleared his throat.
“Ahem, money may come in, but it also goes out in an instant, does it not? So, for a continuous source of income, I bought a mountain said to contain a gold mine. We are searching for gold now, so in a year or two, we will be sitting on a pile of money.”
“...”
\* \* \*
After drinks with Wu Jung-cheon, I took a walk around the Taemo Mountain Fortress, ostensibly for a stroll.
In a normal sect, there would be sights to see and places to explore, but this place was different.
“...It’s all just rock.”
It was hard to find even a single tree, let alone flowers.
All I could see were warriors in shabby clothes and rocks.
Seriously, if you had so many rocks, you could at least build some decent houses.
All they had were crudely stacked walls of roughly hewn stone.
The roofs were just shabby wooden planks they had scrounged from somewhere.
Anyway.
“...”
*Whisper, whisper.*
I noticed the young disciples of the Taemo Mountain Fortress whispering amongst themselves as they looked at me.
*‘What is it?’*
I was about to approach and ask, but I quickly changed my mind.
I was afraid they would ask me to critique their martial arts, and I couldn't be bothered.
I tuned them out and passed the time until Myo Hyang appeared.
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“You should have said something. I would have come to get you.”
“As a wife, I couldn't possibly trouble my esteemed husband.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded contentedly at the life of a well-cared-for husband.
“Was the rice wine to your liking?”
“It was better than I expected on a full stomach. I think I could enjoy it from time to time.”
“Really? Then I shall have to make some for you when we return.”
“You know how to brew alcohol too?”
“Of course. I even know how to make clear liquor. Hoho.”
“That’s my wife.”
As we were chatting, we reached a secluded spot, and Myo Hyang suddenly lowered her voice.
“Isn’t this a little strange?”
“Huh? What is?”
“The Taemo Mountain Fortress is the greatest sect in Guizhou, and they’re earning a significant profit from their dealings with the Hanzhong Merchant Guild, aren’t they?”
“That’s right.”
“But they seem to be living in such poverty.”
“Ah. About that...”
I recounted my conversation with Wu Jung-cheon to the puzzled Myo Hyang.
“What? He bought a mountain just because he heard it had a gold mine? H-how much was it?”
“Ten thousand taels? No, it must be much more than that. He said he poured in all the money he’s earned so far.”
“Wh-where is this mountain?”
I pointed to the mountain right next to us. Myo Hyang gasped in shock when she saw it.
It was only natural.
Ten thousand taels was a fortune.
In the martial world, where land was cheap, that kind of money could buy not just a mountain, but a mountain range.
“It seems he got scammed, don’t you think?”
“Gasp...”
Hearing the exact amount, Myo Hyang clutched her chest as if suffocated.
Born with the makings of a tycoon, she had an innate intolerance for wasted money.
“Wh-why on earth would he do that?”
“I don’t know either. He was so excited bragging about it, I couldn’t just say, ‘You’ve been scammed,’ could I?”
“...”
Even though it wasn’t my problem, I couldn’t help but sigh.
On the other hand, I wondered if this was the law of cause and effect in the martial world at work.
*‘Well, they are the descendants of the Beggars’ Sect...’*
Beggars’ Sect meant beggars. If beggars became rich, it would shatter the suspension of disbelief, wouldn’t it?
It was as if the world was trying to keep the Taemo Mountain Fortress in rags.
Thanks to that, the swindler who ran off with the money was the only one who profited.
He was probably living in a grand manor deep in the mountains with three wives and four concubines by now.
*‘I’m jealous.’*
\* \* \*
The next day.
Having enjoyed a hot bath for the first time in a while and a good night's rest, we were refreshed and ready to depart.
Wu Jung-cheon and his wife looked at me with regretful eyes, asking us to stay a few more days, but we had a planned itinerary and had to refuse.
Besides, I had no desire to linger in this desolate place of nothing but rocks.
“Well then, we’ll see you next time.”
“Come anytime. I’ll prepare another grand feast for you.”
“...”
Just as we were finishing our farewells and about to leave, the young disciples of the Taemo Mountain Fortress approached.
“Oh my? What is it, children?”
Myo Hyang, who always had a soft spot for children, beamed and patted their heads.
“Please let us see the God of Wealth.”
“We came to get the God of Wealth’s autograph.”
“But who are you, miss?”
“You idiot. You don’t even know that? She’s the God of Wealth’s wife!”
“Gasp! Does that mean this lady is a God of Wealth too?”
“Umm... I don’t really know about that!”
The children held out small carvings.
“Wh-what is this?”
“It’s a carving modeled after the God of Wealth.”
“Please look at mine, too.”
“I even carved a face on mine!”
For something made in a single day, the quality was remarkably high.
“So, why did you make these?”
“To give to the God of Wealth. Hehe. You gave us full bellies.”
“That’s right. Our martial uncles told us. If it weren’t for the Master of the War King's Gate, we’d still be eating root vegetables and turnips.”
“Now, we get to eat rice every other day. And we get meat once a month.”
“...”
The children’s innocent words reminded me of my days in the Black Dragon Hall, when we would survive for days on a couple of vegetable dishes.
*‘Hey, you said you’d feed us if we came here, so why are we only getting roots every day?!’*
The memory of those times with my grandfather brought a sting to my nose and tears to my eyes.
*Grasp.*
Feeling a hand on my back, I turned to see Myo Hyang, her eyes welling with tears and filled with concern.
Though she was now a giant in the business world, she too had known hardship.
“My lord, I want to help them.”
“Hmm.”
To be honest, I felt the same.
The Taemo Mountain Fortress might be getting by for now... but having seen Wu Jung-cheon’s management skills, I knew it was only a matter of time before they went bankrupt.
When that happened, they would almost certainly return to their beggar-like state.
Of course, this might be meddling.
Even in an alliance, interfering in financial matters was crossing a line.
But now that I had seen the children, what could I do?
I had to solve this before I left.
Leaving Myo Hyang and the children behind, I walked toward the main hall.
When I returned, Wu Jung-cheon looked at me with an expression that said, ‘You haven’t left yet?’
Meeting his gaze, I told him the harsh reality.
“If you continue to manage things this way, you’ll never escape the life of a beggar!”
It was, in a sense, shock therapy.