Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: The First Customer
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“Haa, Third Young Master. How much longer do I have to keep this up?”
Hyang-i, who had returned in the morning, grumbled, her lips jutting out in a deep pout.
Although he had barely managed to coax her with foods she’d never tried before, it was understandable that she was irritated. She was currently running around to all the merchant guilds in the Three Gates Gorge, day and night.
“That’s enough. You’ve worked hard.”
Neung Un-bi broke into a wide grin as he accepted the notes Hyang-i had copied down.
“Wang Cheon!”
“Yes!”
“You have it ready, right?”
“Yes!”
“Good.”
Neung Un-bi smiled with satisfaction and said to Hyang-i.
“Go on. I’ve prepared it for you.”
“……!”
“The finest ingredients and the best chef! Isn’t your mouth watering already?”
Before Neung Un-bi could even finish his sentence, Hyang-i was already running.
Towards the place with the feast of delicacies he had told Wang Cheon to prepare in advance…
It was a relief to have found a way to handle such an unpredictable girl.
It cost a fair amount of money to satisfy Hyang-i’s palate, but it didn’t matter. What he now held in his hands was something of a value that couldn’t even be compared to a mere feast.
He had given Hyang-i just one task: to identify the shipping schedules, destinations, and cargo lists of each merchant guild.
“Branch Manager.”
“Yes, Third Young Master.”
“Prepare this according to this list and these conditions.”
“Understood.”
Jeong Hyo-sang took the bundle of papers Neung Un-bi handed him and immediately ran out.
Watching this, Ju Seung asked with a puzzled expression.
“Will this method really be effective?”
“You don’t think so?”
“Well, I’m not sure…”
Ju Seung scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get a reaction soon enough.”
“……?”
Neung Un-bi’s confident expression only left Wang Cheon and Ju Seung bewildered.
*Tsk, tsk. This is why you guys are hopeless.*
How long has it been, and they’re already getting impatient?
Then again, what would guys who try to solve everything with brute force know?
This is the kind of thing you have to wait for patiently, like an old master fishing for time itself.
Following Neung Un-bi’s instructions, Jeong Hyo-sang prepared identical goods according to the schedules of other departing merchant guilds and loaded them onto a ship.
Of course, it was all fake cargo, just for show. With only the exterior labeled and everything tightly wrapped, who could tell what was inside?
It was purely for the benefit of the merchant guilds at the docks.
Then, after leisurely finishing the loading, they would set sail late.
And that was it.
He had already made two agreements with Mak Cheong-ju.
One was to have the tolls for the Demonic Cult branch’s transport ships processed as a deferred payment.
And the other was to conduct inspections on all other ships.
Mak Cheong-ju had seemed a bit puzzled, but perhaps thanks to the… ‘spar’ he had given his all in, he readily agreed.
Since it wasn’t a refusal to pay tolls, nor was it harming the Peng Clan’s ships, there was no loss for him.
Furthermore, the Peng Clan could never take issue with the situation.
They had no justification, did they? No one was harmed, and the water fortress wasn’t explicitly helping the Demonic Cult branch.
It was just a slight delay in shipping due to inspections.
But from the merchant guilds’ perspective, it was a different story.
The fact that the Demonic Cult branch’s ships, with their deferred payments and bypassed inspections, proceeded to their destinations without stopping.
And the fact that they were carrying the exact same cargo to the exact same destinations would create immense pressure.
Of course, they wouldn’t suffer any actual losses.
After all, the cargo on the Demonic Cult’s ships was just made to look similar; none of it was real.
But the thought that they were losing money because of the Demonic Cult branch would take root in their minds.
Even if they earned their originally targeted amount, they would begin to suspect that their profits were being cut into by the Demonic Cult’s shipments.
That loss, which never even occurred, would soon solidify into truth.
Of course, they would try to verify it.
They would ask around to see if someone had released the same goods before them.
But even so, the suspicion wouldn’t disappear. They would just assume there were profits they couldn't confirm.
And that suspicion would soon lead to an analysis of the cause of their ‘loss’.
Furthermore, the conclusion was all but foregone.
It was because their ships arrived late, despite departing first.
Naturally, the arrows of blame would be aimed at the escort agency run by the Peng Clan.
But they wouldn’t be able to say it openly.
Therefore, their dissatisfaction would remain unresolved and continue to swell.
As the losses they had concluded in their minds continued to pile up….
“Pop! *Kekeke*.”
It would just explode.
That was precisely what Neung Un-bi’s plan was aiming for.
An event that never happened and the rumors about it.
You couldn’t say they did anything wrong, but the goal was to ensure the target suffered a loss.
The ones who had taught him that were none other than the Zhuge Clan.
Because in the past, he had suffered the same way at the hands of those bastards.
Back then, those fiends had framed him for things he hadn’t done and even for things he hadn’t intended.
An explanation? That was impossible.
By the time he realized what was happening, he had already stepped deep into the trap they had set.
Neung Un-bi was now returning the favor in kind.
“Should I be thanking them for this?”
“Pardon?”
Wang Cheon tilted his head at Neung Un-bi’s mumbling, but Neung Un-bi just chuckled and said nothing more.
Anyway, the rumors would spread quickly.
There was no need to order Wang Cheon to spread them deliberately. The fastest rumors of all were those in the world of commerce.
It was only natural in a world where a single piece of information could be worth thousands of nyang. The ships hadn’t even returned yet, but the rumors he intended to start might have already spread throughout the entire merchant world.
If so, they would be deep in thought by now.
*Is antagonizing the Demonic Cult branch really the right decision? Now that the Orthodox-Demonic pact has been signed, it's not like we're fighting anymore...*
The merchant guilds, floundering in a swamp of thoughts, would eventually come knocking on the Demonic Cult branch’s door.
For merchants, what’s important isn’t the values of martial artists from the Orthodox and Demonic factions, but where the most profit can be made.
And just then…
“Third Young Master!”
“……?”
Jeong Hyo-sang, who had left to carry out his orders, came rushing back in, out of breath.
“What is it?”
Jeong Hyo-sang replied to Wang Cheon’s question with a troubled expression.
“Well… there’s someone here who says they wish to see the Third Young Master.”
It was only the third day.
The green light had come on much faster than he’d expected. It seemed the speed at which the rumors spread had exceeded his predictions.
“Which merchant guild is it?”
“Huh? H-How did you know?”
“First, show them in. We can’t just leave a guest standing outside, can we?”
“Yes!”
Watching Jeong Hyo-sang scurry out, Neung Un-bi gave a sly grin.
*Now, it’s time to start doing business.*
The first customer is important. The rumors in the merchant world will change depending on what kind of rare experience he has.
“Welcome. My name is Neung Un-bi, the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult.”
“Huh?”
The merchant, who had entered cautiously, hurriedly returned the bow when he saw Neung Un-bi bowing deeply to him.
*Welcome. This must be the first time you've received such a greeting from someone like the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult, isn't it?*
“Th-Third Young Master. This is too much. How could you show me such courtesy…”
“Courtesy? Lowering oneself to greet a guest is the most basic of basics.”
As Neung Un-bi spoke with a wide smile filling his face, the merchant looked almost overwhelmed with gratitude.
*See that, Branch Manager? This is how you greet a customer.*
When Neung Un-bi glanced to the side, Jeong Hyo-sang was nodding his head.
*Good, he's not completely clueless.*
They say parents are a mirror for their children.
And that a stream flows clean only when its source is pure. Since I, the Third Young Master himself, have shown him how to treat a guest, he will always treat people the same way from now on.
“You seem quite taken aback, which makes me feel even more awkward.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s the treatment you rightfully deserve… Perhaps our previous branch manager hasn’t been treating guests well until now?”
“Ah, no! The Haeryong Esc… ah, no, the branch manager, surely he wouldn’t have? We were always on friendly terms, like brothers…”
Neung Un-bi smiled at the merchant guild master’s response.
*I knew it.*
*And the person the guild master is thinking of right now must be that fellow from the Peng Clan.*
*I know guys like that all too well.*
*The kind of people who think their family’s prestige is their own…*
*Haven’t I already seen it clearly with my own two eyes?*
*The way he couldn’t erase that arrogant expression even when he came to apologize.*
*There’s no way a guy like that would have treated merchants with proper respect.*
*Customer service is so important, after all…*
“Please, have a seat over here.”
“……Yes.”
Only after offering a seat and seeing the merchant sit down did Neung Un-bi sit opposite him, asking with a smile.
“However, as I’ve only recently arrived at the branch, I’m afraid I don’t recognize you.”
“Ah, my apologies for the late introduction. I run a guild called the Enyang Merchant Guild…”
“Ah! Are you Guild Master Yuk Dae-myeong?”
“……Yes? How did you know?”
“*Haha*, just because I haven’t seen your face doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have familiarized myself with the names of the guilds and their masters. I heard you had a close relationship back when this was the Haeryong Escort Agency.”
“Ah…”
Yuk Dae-myeong’s jaw dropped as he let out a gasp of admiration.
It was a natural reaction, for someone as important as the Third Young Master to remember his name.
But there was no way Neung Un-bi had studied up beforehand.
Telepathy exists for a reason.
However, Yuk Dae-myeong had no way of knowing that Neung Un-bi had simply asked Jeong Hyo-sang via telepathy the moment he walked in.
“However, according to what I've heard, the Enyang Guild also got swept up in the tide and unilaterally cut ties with us…”
“Ah, well…”
At the subtle question, Yuk Dae-myeong became visibly flustered. He looked like he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
*Good, I've instilled a sense of obligation.*
*Now it's time to really reel him in.*
“Perhaps you came here because you wish to contract with us again?”
“What?”
Seeing the startled expression, as if his thoughts had been read, Neung Un-bi inwardly suppressed the smile that threatened to break free.
*Startled? You're already half-won over.*
*Alright, then I shall give you a reward. Your role, as the first one to come, is very important for the fish that will be caught later.*
Merchants are no different from clever fish. They don’t easily fall for bait. They’ll nibble countless times, calculating their potential gains and losses.
The Orthodox faction, or the Demonic Cult.
But who has time to wait?
Yuk Dae-myeong had to become the proof that would help those lost in deliberation make their choice.
Proof of the preferential treatment given to those who take the Demonic Cult’s hand.
“Oh dear, it seems I was mistaken.”
“……”
“To be honest, our branch’s situation has become quite difficult… so when I heard you had come to visit, Guild Master, I was secretly hoping.”
“H-Hoping?”
“Of course. Why, I’ve even prepared a special transport package to reward our first customer.”
“Preferential treatment, you say…?”
“Yes. Something like a discount on tolls or escort fees.”
“A discount!?”
“Indeed. The branch manager may not know, but you are *my* first customer.”
At his subtle murmur, Yuk Dae-myeong’s eyes trembled slightly.
There were probably three abacuses clicking away in his head.
*Now, it’s time to drive in the final nail.*
“Well then, please have some tea and chat for a while before you leave. I’m quite busy, you see…”
As Neung Un-bi stood up with a nod, Yuk Dae-myeong’s expression grew urgent.
“Third Young Master!”
“Yes?”
“I-If you would just accept…”
Neung Un-bi smiled, walked over, and firmly grasped Yuk Dae-myeong’s hands.
“Congratulations on becoming the first customer of the Demonic Cult branch! I will ensure you are not disappointed.”
And with that, the fishing in the Three Gates Gorge was over.
Once Yuk Dae-myeong safely completed his shipment, the remaining fish would come rushing in, competing with one another.
*Peng Clan, I will make sure to drive you out of the Three Gates Gorge.*