Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The Carpenter and the Cultist
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Sinpyeong Brewery was located at the foot of a northern mountain, a short distance from the village where Neung Un-bi was staying.
Standing close, one couldn't see where the walls ended on either side; it was no exaggeration to say the entire mountain was the brewery's domain.
And the reason Sinpyeong Brewery had settled there was because of the water.
After all, wasn't it said that regions with good water produced the best liquor?
Thus, the mountain where the brewery stood boasted six pristine valleys.
“Heh heh, since the distillery collapsed, I haven't seen a single water carrier.”
A leisurely afternoon.
A man surveyed the valley near Sinpyeong Brewery, stroking his sparse beard with a vile smile.
“Seeing as no carriers have come for five days now, they must not be brewing.”
The man turned his head from the valley toward Sinpyeong Brewery.
“Tsk, tsk, I told him to just sign the contract for one kwan of silver, but he had to be so stubborn…”
As the middle-aged man clicked his tongue and walked on, the various tools hanging from his waist clattered.
Hammer, chisel, plane…
As one could tell from his attire and tools, he was a carpenter.
Not just any carpenter, but one quite well-known in the area. His name was Ju Se-gi.
The reason he was heading to the brewery after surveying the valley was on the orders of the master of the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild, to which he belonged.
The Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild was the largest collective of carpenters in the western region of Shaanxi.
Founded by the master carpenter Yeom Seong-in, it was no exaggeration to say that no construction project in southwestern Shaanxi could proceed without them.
Their skill? Having built their reputation over thirty long years, it was beyond question.
However, the decisive reason the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild dominated Shaanxi was due to their underhanded dealings.
They would crush their competitors by undercutting construction costs to rock-bottom prices, and then, with their vast capital, they would absorb smaller carpentry shops like hungry ghosts.
With both skill and despicable business acumen, what rival could possibly withstand them?
Before long, the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild had all but monopolized construction work in Shaanxi Province.
They served the powerful for next to nothing to suit their own interests, while demanding exorbitant construction fees from the powerless.
People had no choice but to pay the price, biting the bullet.
Even if they contracted with another guild, the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild would inevitably sabotage the project. And contracting with a guild from outside Shaanxi was often more trouble than it was worth, with transportation and labor costs spiraling out of control.
The matter of the Sinpyeong Brewery's distillery was no different.
However, when they quoted a construction fee of one kwan of silver, Master Hwang had flatly refused.
He declared that if they were going to price-gouge like that, he would build it himself.
After that, a load of materials for building the distillery had been brought into Sinpyeong Brewery.
But what good were materials? There was no one to build with them.
No matter how hard one looked, it was impossible to find workers who would defy the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild.
“Foolish man… He could search for a hundred days and find no one. Master Hwang must be stewing in his losses by now.”
Ju Se-gi approached the brewery with a derisive smile.
What kind of place was Sinpyeong Brewery?
Master Hwang's brewing skills were so exceptional that they supplied liquor not only to nearby inns and taverns but also to the lord of Shaanxi's castle.
For a place that shipped out several cartloads of liquor a day to be unable to brew for five days?
For now, they would be using their stockpiles.
But once those stockpiles ran out, the losses would be more than just a few coins.
How would they pay the wages of all those workers? How would they cover the penalty fees for failing to deliver liquor to their contracted clients?
Even if he had a sterling reputation for his benevolence, what goodwill could come from an empty granary?
It was obvious that people would turn their backs on them immediately.
That was why Yeom Seong-in had ordered Ju Se-gi to go. To raise the construction fee even higher for the desperate Master Hwang.
What choice did he have?
There was no way to rebuild the distillery without going through the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild. Unless he planned on closing Sinpyeong Brewery for good, he had no choice but to accept, no matter how angry he was.
“Ahem.”
Having arrived at the main gate of Sinpyeong Brewery, Ju Se-gi planted his feet firmly, straightened his back, and cleared his throat.
“Hello, in there!”
Ju Se-gi, shouting forcefully, expected the gate to open immediately and people to come running out.
He had already announced his intention to visit, so how eagerly they must have been waiting. Their necks were probably craned like turtles.
But even after waiting for a while, the gate did not open.
“Hah, look at these fools. They should be waiting with the gate wide open… Did the gatekeeper already run off because he wasn't paid?”
Tilting his head, Ju Se-gi announced his arrival again in a louder voice.
“Hellooo!”
Only after he shouted loud enough for the area to ring did the gate finally creak open.
*Creeeak…*
Ju Se-gi smirked at the sight of the gate opening so feebly, as if pulled by someone who hadn't eaten in days.
But at times like this, one had to put on an even colder expression…
“What's with all the noise… Who is it?”
“Huh?”
Contrary to his expectations, the person peeking through the slightly ajar gate was Bak-dae, the brewery's gatekeeper, whom he knew by sight.
“Oh, Mister Bak. It's me.”
“Ah, I was wondering who it was… What brings Carpenter Ju here?”
“…”
Ju Se-gi scoffed at the lukewarm reaction.
What? *What brings me here?*
The nerve of this guy.
The one they've been waiting for has arrived, so he should be fetching his master immediately.
But what could he do?
This is how the uneducated act.
“Ahem, is Master Hwang inside?”
“Of course the master is inside.”
“Then go get him. Tell him I'm here.”
“…”
At Ju Se-gi's words, Bak-dae just stood there blankly, blinking his eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘what am I talking about’?”
“Why would the master want to see you?”
“Huh?”
“Can't you tell by the closed gate?”
“…”
“He said we need to brew liquor urgently, and ordered that no outsiders be allowed in for the time being.”
“Out… what? What are you talking about?”
“Are you deaf? Even a dog could understand what I'm saying.”
“W-what?”
“Dammit, we're already busy as hell with the distillery repairs… Stop wasting my time and get lost.”
*SLAM!*
Bak-dae slammed the gate shut, not even letting him cross the threshold.
Utterly dumbfounded, Ju Se-gi could only stare blankly at the closed gate.
But… busy with distillery repairs?
Unless he'd misheard, that's definitely what the man had said.
Th-that can't be.
There had been no word of an outside carpentry guild coming recently.
No, it was impossible for them not to know.
A guild capable of building a new distillery wouldn't be small, and no local guild of that size would dare take a contract over the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild.
There must be some mistake. That Bak-dae fellow must have acted without knowing the full situation.
“Hey, Bak-dae! You seem to have misunderstood something…”
“You son of a bitch! I told you to leave, why are you still yapping!”
“…”
Before he could finish, Bak-dae kicked the gate open and yelled.
Startled by the man bellowing like a general, Ju Se-gi flinched back and witnessed a strange sight.
“Huh?”
The wide-open interior of Sinpyeong Brewery was bustling with people.
Piles of stone for the foundation and large trees for pillars were stacked high.
It was natural for them to have purchased materials beforehand since he'd said he would hire people himself, but… what in the world was that?
Not oxen, but men were moving the stones meant for the foundation.
And one man was carrying that huge thing?
Beside him, a massive log, easily ten feet long, was being lifted and carried.
That, too, was being carried by a single person.
“Wh-what is that?”
Ju Se-gi rubbed his eyes hard, wondering if he was dreaming, but it was real.
He couldn't see the distillery itself, but seeing the line of people carrying stones and logs heading in that direction…
“Th-they're building it? The distillery?”
Ju Se-gi's eyes widened.
“Hey! Ju! You bastard! I was sick and tired of you acting all high and mighty, looking down on people just because you're a Blue Cloud carpenter… Who do you think you are, causing a scene here!”
“…Huh?”
“That's right, you just wait. I'm going to teach you a lesson today. Hah! Ptui!”
“…”
Bak-dae picked up a club lying by the gate and rolled up his sleeves.
At the sight, Ju Se-gi instinctively took a step back.
“H-hey, let's talk this over…”
“Talk? Don't make me laugh!”
*Whoosh!*
As Bak-dae, with a sinister grin, swung the club menacingly, Ju Se-gi turned and fled.
“A bastard who clings to the Blue Cloud Guild and does nothing but wicked deeds. Tsk, ptui! Just you try coming back again.”
Watching Ju Se-gi flee like a frightened chicken, Bak-dae snorted.
It was because he had a lot of pent-up frustration.
How often had he been looked down upon for being a mere gatekeeper?
After chasing Ju Se-gi away, Bak-dae closed and bolted the gate.
“Damn it… What in the world is going on? Who dared to defy the Blue Cloud Carpentry Guild and take the Sinpyeong job?”
Ju Se-gi, finally relieved at the sound of the gate closing, scowled at the brewery.
He had to report this to the Blue Cloud Guild immediately.
But before that…
“I have to see who it is. So I can give a detailed report.”
Fearing Bak-dae might hear him, Ju Se-gi quieted his footsteps and returned to the brewery.
The wall wasn't high. He could pull himself up with his arms.
Scrambling up the wall, Ju Se-gi peeked over, just his eyes showing, and carefully surveyed the inside of the brewery…
“What's this little rat?”
“…”
The voice coming from behind him at that exact moment made his heart sink, and the strength drained from his hands.
*Thud.*
“Oof!”
“…”
Though it wasn't a high fall, the shock of being startled made the impact considerable, and Ju Se-gi grimaced in pain.
“I asked, what kind of rat are you?”
“…”
The one looking down at Ju Se-gi with hands on his hips was none other than Wang Cheon.
“Why are you secretly peeking into someone else's property?”
“Huh? N-no, it's just…”
“Hm? Are you a carpenter?”
“…”
Glancing at the tool pouch tied to his waist, Wang Cheon asked the question, and Ju Se-gi hastily nodded.
He had no choice.
The man before him was a martial artist with a sword on his back, wasn't he?
Affiliated with the Blue Cloud Guild or not, if he got on this man's bad side, he'd be in for a world of hurt.
“Ah, my mistake… I saw you climbing the wall and thought you were a thief. Sorry about that.”
“N-no, it's fine.”
“So, what business does a carpenter have at Sinpyeong Brewery?”
“Pardon?”
Ju Se-gi hesitated for a moment.
Judging by his talk of thieves, the martial artist before him didn't seem unrelated to the brewery.
Also, seeing how badly Bak-dae had wanted to chase him off, revealing he was from the Blue Cloud Guild seemed like a bad idea.
“…W-well, I'm a carpenter from out of town, looking for work. I heard Sinpyeong Brewery was doing construction on its distillery and thought I might lend a hand and earn some money…”
“Ah! Well, that's a shame. We've already taken the job…”
“I-is that so? Oh, I had no idea… Well, I'll be on my way then.”
“…”
Wang Cheon stared intently at Ju Se-gi as he laughed awkwardly and tried to leave in a hurry. Then, for some reason, he called him back.
“Wait!”
“…Yes?”
“You…”
As Wang Cheon's eyes narrowed, Ju Se-gi swallowed hard.
*D-did he somehow figure out I'm from the Blue Cloud Guild?*
“…You said you're from out of town?”
“Y-yes, that's right. Absolutely. Of course.”
“Oh? Is that so? Then do you travel to other provinces often?”
“I go wherever there's construction. In fact, if things didn't work out here, I was thinking of heading to Sichuan.”
“Oh! Sichuan?”
“Yes!”
“Hmm, good. Then this is perfect. I was just wondering how I could get a message there.”
“…Pardon?”
What was perfect? And what message?
As Wang Cheon's eyes twinkled, Ju Se-gi grew anxious, afraid his pounding heart would give him away.
“Have you, by any chance…”
“…”
“…heard the rumors about the Demonic Cult's Third Young Master that have been shaking the martial world recently?”
“Demonic Cult… Th-Third… huh?”
“Hah, it seems you haven't heard yet. Perfect. A wanderer like you must frequent inns and taverns… And there's no better story to tell over drinks than this one. Indeed.”
“…”
“I'm a busy man with much to do, but it can't be helped. Come here. The Great Duel between the King of the Green Forest and the Demonic Cult's Third Young Master! Doesn't the title alone make your heart race? I shall tell you everything, with the utmost sincerity, so you can be the star of any drinking party.”
“…”
“I said come here, didn't I? Hurry up.”
Ju Se-gi had to squat down next to the Demonic Cult warrior, Wang Cheon, and listen to the story of the great duel until his ears bled.