I’m So Damn Irritated, I Could Explode! (3)
“...That man who just went in—wasn’t he the young guild master of Eunha Sangdan?”
“I think so.”
“...How far are they planning to blow this thing up?”
Baek Cheon stared at the main hall with a deeply uneasy expression.
Not only had Chung Myung and Hyun Young dragged off the Ghost Sect’s assistant master, but even Hwang Jong-ui had shown up to join them.
“Are they really planning to see this through?”
“...Looks that way.”
“I don’t get it. Why are you so worried?”
Yu I-seol’s blunt question made Baek Cheon’s face twist.
“Look, of course it’s a good thing if Mount Hua starts a new business. It’s not something to worry about.”
“Right.”
“But the problem is that Chung Myung is the one driving it. When has anything that bastard started ever ended quietly?”
Yoon Jong added gravely, “And the damage usually ends up falling squarely on us.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Baek Cheon kept staring at the hall, unable to shake his unease.
“I just hope this time it ends without anything happening.”
Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong both let out long, tired sighs.
“...This is definitely commercially viable.”
After a long silence, Hwang Jong-ui finally spoke and looked seriously at the map spread across the table.
“How should I put this... it’s rather...”
Ingenious?
No, that wasn’t quite right.
It wasn’t so brilliant that it deserved to be called ingenious. Plenty of merchant guilds were already racking their brains to reduce the time it took to move goods.
There were plenty of people in this world who lived and breathed the idea that time was money.
But...
This is certainly the sort of idea no one else could pull off.
If it were a normal escort bureau, they would never even think of hiring disciples from a sect like the Ghost Sect.
Setting aside profit and everything else, martial artists considered taking on such petty work beneath their dignity.
This was only something they could even bring up because the one behind it was Chung Myung, and because it was Mount Hua.
Still...
The real issue is whether the Ghost Sect’s assistant master can understand this at all.
Hwang Jong-ui looked at Do Un-chan with concern. After a long silence, Do Un-chan finally spoke.
“Uh... Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“No, it’s not that I don’t understand. I do understand, but...”
“No, no. It really doesn’t seem like you understand yet.”
“That’s not it. I do understand, but...”
“No, I’m pretty sure you don’t understand.”
Hwang Jong-ui’s serious expression softened.
This isn’t a matter of understanding or not understanding.
He had forgotten for a moment that the one pushing this forward was Chung Myung. That monster would force it through one way or another.
“I understand perfectly. I see that this is something that can make a great deal of money.”
“It’s more than just a great deal.”
But a little support from the sidelines was still needed.
Hwang Jong-ui looked steadily at Do Un-chan and said, “Young Master, it seems you still don’t realize just how much profit this can generate. This could involve a truly staggering amount of money—far more than you’re imagining.”
“...Excuse me?”
“You shouldn’t think of this as merely a way to move cargo quickly. How many disciples does the Ghost Sect even have? They can’t all work like ordinary escorts.”
Do Un-chan tilted his head.
“Then...”
“For people in business, there are times when time is worth more than gold. When matters are urgent, there are moments when you’d spend a fortune just to move an item one day faster.”
Jo Gul, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. Hwang Jong-ui continued smoothly.
“Those are the people we should be targeting. The ones who want their goods moved as quickly as possible. The ones who’d pay anything to save that time. And then there are those who...”
He paused and stroked his chin.
“...want to show off that they can afford to pay this much to move their goods.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“Haha. That’s a little difficult to explain, so let’s skip over it.”
Hwang Jong-ui let out a bitter smile.
It wouldn’t be easy for someone like this to understand the vanity of people who only had money to flaunt. No matter how much he explained, there were limits.
“In any case, if things go well, you could charge not just ten times the usual fee for a single shipment, but even a hundred times. This is truly enormous.”
“Aw, come on. A hundred times?”
At that moment, Chung Myung waved a hand as if to say that was overdoing it.
“No, Young Master. This is really—”
“Hahahahaha! Young Guild Master Hwang Jong-ui must have exaggerated a little there. A hundred times just to move one thing? Hahahahaha!”
“No, this is—”
Hwang Jong-ui started to speak, then quietly shut his mouth.
His mouth was laughing, but Chung Myung’s eyes were not laughing at all.
Ah...
Only then did something click.
If the Ghost Sect’s assistant master realized how much money was involved, he might completely change his tune and start demanding an absurd amount for their share.
...He already thought of that?
He was thinking about something even a merchant hadn’t considered yet. In a way, that was terrifying.
“Anyway!”
Chung Myung spread his hands wide and slapped the table several times.
“This is going to be a huge help to the Ghost Sect too! Really!”
That made Do Un-chan, who had been thinking hard, tilt his head.
“But there’s something I still don’t understand. If this is such an important matter, why don’t the wealthy simply hire martial artists themselves to carry their goods?”
“How are they supposed to hire them?”
“...Excuse me?”
“You don’t just find fast experts in movement techniques lying around on every road. If people like that were easy to hire, escort bureaus would’ve already snapped them up.”
Especially rare were martial artists whose movement techniques were fast but whose other skills were mediocre. But there was no need to say that out loud.
“And even if you did hire them, there’d still be a problem.”
At Hwang Jong-ui’s words, Do Un-chan cocked his head and asked, “And what would that be...?”
“If you’re hiring someone like that to transport an item, then naturally it’s something valuable, something precious. Or maybe an extremely important document. But what if the person carrying it steals it and runs?”
“...That would be disastrous.”
“Exactly. No matter how many constables you send out, in this vast Central Plains, it’s difficult to find one person who’s determined to disappear. And especially if that person has mastered an exceptionally swift and agile movement art.”
Do Un-chan nodded before he even realized it.
“So speed alone isn’t enough. You need someone who can take responsibility for the job. Someone who can compensate several times over if the goods are lost, and if the carrier causes trouble, someone who will chase them to the ends of hell and snap their spine in half!”
He might not have fully understood the first part, but the second part he understood very clearly.
He’d die.
Do Un-chan’s eyes drifted to Chung Myung. The young Daoist was smiling brightly, and the memory of the expression he had shown just moments ago sent a chill down Do Un-chan’s spine.
“Come on. Who’d do something like that if they didn’t want to die?”
See? There it was.
Hwang Jong-ui smiled thinly and said, “As for compensation, Eunha Sangdan can provide trust under our name. Such a thing should never happen, but if a problem ever does arise, we have more than enough financial backing to cover it.”
And Mount Hua was even stronger.
He had lost count of how many times he’d measured the money Mount Hua earned through its tea business and dealings with various commercial houses, only to shake his head in awe. At this rate, Mount Hua would likely become the wealthiest sect in Shaanxi within ten years.
“More importantly, Eunha Sangdan has spent a long time building trust not only with high-ranking officials, but with the wealthy of the Central Plains as well. If we put our name behind this business, people will trust us and hand over their goods.”
So come on over.
Come on over, damn it! This is going to make a fortune!
Greed began to kindle in Hwang Jong-ui’s eyes.
This was a business that had never been properly explored by any merchant guild or escort bureau. If they could make use of it, it would bring not only money, but also the reputation of being the finest transport company in the Central Plains.
And Hwang Jong-ui, who knew exactly how much money reputation could generate, was practically buzzing with energy.
“But...”
Contrary to his expectations, however, Do Un-chan’s reaction remained lukewarm.
“I understand everything. I really do see that this is a great opportunity. But...”
Rather than showing any sign of being won over, Do Un-chan’s eyes held a resolve even firmer than before.
“I’m sorry, but I must refuse.”
“...Young Master?”
Do Un-chan shook his head at Hwang Jong-ui, who seemed to doubt his ears.
“I’m a man who decided to devote my entire life to rebuilding the Ghost Sect. Money is not important to the Ghost Sect right now. What matters is restoring the sect to the glory it once had. And to do that, martial arts are the most important thing of all. I believe you would understand my intent, since you are martial artists yourselves.”
Having believed he had conveyed his position politely and firmly, Do Un-chan looked at Chung Myung with a pleased, bright expression.
But the reaction he got was nothing like what he expected.
“What’s he talking about?”
“...”
“No, is this old man dreaming right now?”
“Chung Myung. He is an outsider.”
“But he’s clearly dreaming.”
“That may be true, but...”
Hyun Young, too, burst into a hearty laugh as the absurdity sank in.
Chung Myung clicked his tongue at Do Un-chan and said, “Hey. No, Young Master.”
“...Yes?”
“Do martial artists live by eating dirt?”
“...”
No, of course not. They lived by eating rice.
“Have you ever been to Shaolin, old man?”
“I-I have not.”
“Even Shaolin, the most famous sect in the world, starts its day at dawn by sweeping the area where visiting worshippers come, then preparing the space where those people bow, right? Do you think you train harder in martial arts than those Shaolin guys?”
“...”
“Listen carefully, old man.”
“Yes?”
“A sect needs money to grow.”
“...”
“How many sects in the Central Plains came and went, showing off some mysterious inheritance or one-man lineage and making a splash for a while? Do you know why those sects rise for a moment and then vanish without leaving even a name behind?”
“...I, I’m not sure.”
“Because they don’t have money.”
“...”
Do Un-chan’s eyes shook violently. He had never heard this logic in his life.
“No, to be blunt, do you think those people didn’t want to build grand halls and prosper just like Shaolin? But they went on and on about martial arts and spent all day training beneath waterfalls, so no matter how strong they got, they were still just gnawing on tree roots to survive!”
Forget logic—Chung Myung’s fierce argument was shaking Do Un-chan’s heart to its very roots.
Chung Myung’s voice grew stronger and more forceful with every word.
“Money! First you need money! Bluntly put, if the Ghost Sect wants to rise, people have to want to join it, right? Think about it. The sect next door says they eat meat three times a day, while the Ghost Sect is chewing on grass roots. In that situation, who the hell is going to join the Ghost Sect? I wouldn’t go either!”
Hyun Young nodded over and over with a deeply moved expression, as if he were listening to a truly inspiring speech.
Chung Myung fixed Do Un-chan with a serious gaze.
“You said you wanted to revive the Ghost Sect, right?”
“Y-yes, I did.”
“Then how are you going to do it?”
“...”
“You think reviving it just means getting a little stronger at martial arts? Who’s supposed to care about that? Do you think anyone’s going to come running and begging to join just because the Ghost Sect has a reputation for being incredibly fast?”
Do Un-chan fell silent like a mute who’d been stuffed full of honey, shaking his head without a word.
“First, make the sect grand! Huh? Build a hall in a big city where land is expensive! Huh? Hang a plaque there that says Ghost Sect, nice and loud—bam! That’s it, game over!”
Chung Myung’s eyes had taken on a strangely wild gleam ever since earlier.
“If you want to revive a sect, you have to make money first, money! A sect without money is just going to stay a minor sect no matter what it does!”
“...”
“If you knew how much money the Nine Great Sects were hauling in, you’d probably keel over right now, old man. What do you think it means that they can hoard themselves away in those mountain hideaways and spend all day, from morning to night, on nothing but martial arts? It means they’re rich, damn it! Look at how many mouths they’ve got to feed, and they still manage it with ease!”
“...W-well, that may be true, but...”
“Repeat after me. A sect is money!”
“A-a sect is money!”
“You know why Mount Hua’s doing so well these days?”
“B-because it’s making a lot of money?”
“Now you’re getting it!”
Only then did Chung Myung nod in satisfaction. But Do Un-chan, who had just been battered by what felt like ear-splitting nagging, was completely dazed.
Still, one thing had become absolutely clear to him.
It’s money.
Of course, he hadn’t never thought about money. The Ghost Sect was struggling more and more compared to the past.
He had already been worrying about how to feed and house the disciples from this point onward.
But the order of things he had taken for granted had been completely turned upside down.
So you don’t become rich because you’re strong—you become strong because you’re rich.
Come to think of it, how could anyone devote themselves to martial arts all day if they didn’t even have money to put food in their mouths?
This was a truth that hit harder than the heart; it landed on the bones.
If another sect had made the same offer, he would have been suspicious from the start. But this was Mount Hua. The sect currently at the height of its momentum, the sect that had fought Maninbang and won—why would they try to cheat a mere Ghost Sect?
“Um... c-can I ask just one more thing?”
“Ask as much as you want.”
“...If we take on this work, can we really make enormous money and revive the sect?”
Chung Myung smiled with satisfaction and reached out to firmly grab Do Un-chan’s shoulder.
“Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“If you want to learn how to fish, who do you learn from?”
“Well... a fisherman, I suppose.”
“Had you ever heard the name Mount Hua five years ago?”
“...No.”
“And now?”
“Well...”
The entire world was talking about Mount Hua.
“Exactly, right? We’re the experts.”
“...”
Do Un-chan had never heard words so powerful they inspired trust like that before in his life.
“We really started from absolute rock bottom! No, not even rock bottom—more like crawling up from the deepest sewer in hell!”
“...Chung Myung. Sewer is a bit too much.”
“Just trust me and hand it over. I’ll make the name of the Ghost Sect ring throughout the world—everywhere, in every corner of the land! I’m telling you, this isn’t something I do for just anyone!”
That was the final blow.
“I-in that case, if you truly can do that, then my answer can’t stay the same.”
“That’s right, that’s right. Now, now, just sign here. Elder?”
“All right. The Sect Leader’s Token is here. I just stamp this on it, right?”
“Hah! As expected!”
In the blink of an eye, the document was finished, complete with signatures and a seal.
Do Un-chan, having somehow signed as well, nodded with a slightly dazed expression. But only for a moment—his face quickly filled with determination.
Maybe this is actually a good opportunity.
Putting everything else aside, it was clear that Mount Hua was the kind of sect that had done exactly what he wanted to do. Even if they didn’t make a fortune from this, if he could learn their methods, that alone would be worth it...
“Chung Myung.”
Just then, Hyun Jong, who had only been quietly watching the situation, spoke up with a faintly anxious expression.
“Yes?”
“...You’re not scamming him, are you?”
“Aw, come on. Me? Never. Hehe.”
Chung Myung scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed grin.
For a moment, Do Un-chan’s face began to twist in a very subtle way.
...Can I really trust them?
But unfortunately, the signatures had already been stamped.