Chapter 151
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: The Old-Fashioned Way
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Neung So-mil strode confidently out of the teahouse and walked for a good while without looking back.
But after a moment.
As the teahouse receded into the distance, his pace gradually began to slow.
Neung So-mil abruptly stopped and looked up at the sky.
The weather was perfectly clear, and the breeze was cool.
“Haaah….”
Despite it all, a sigh escaped his lips.
“Looks like I’ll have to do some legwork for the first time in a while.”
Neung So-mil prided himself on having experienced every method of digging up information.
But now, his old network was gone, and contacting his former subordinates again was a tricky proposition.
“There’s always a way.”
A peculiar light flickered in Neung So-mil's eyes as he was lost in thought.
‘They said there was an unusual amount of snow on Mount Kongtong this winter, didn’t they?’
As the saying goes, class is permanent. He hadn't become the head of a top information guild by sheer luck.
He had an exceptional ability to deduce information from simple facts.
It was made possible by his tenacity and confidence in obtaining information.
That talent and underlying strength shone in that moment.
Neung So-mil changed course and headed for the largest carpentry workshop in the village.
When winter passed and the weather warmed, it was common to repair pavilions and halls.
Especially after a heavy snowfall, it was a given.
The ancient, dilapidated buildings couldn't possibly have remained unscathed.
A short while later, Neung So-mil stepped into the workshop, where wood shavings fluttered through the air.
“Anyone here?”
After a moment, a gray-haired carpenter emerged from between the mountain-like stacks of lumber.
“How can I help you?”
“Are you the owner here?”
“I am. What of it?”
Neung So-mil put on a bright expression and spoke glibly.
“I'm running out of warehouse space and need to build more. Could you send some men over right away?”
It wasn't entirely an empty promise.
Considering the rapid growth of the Divine Demon Trading Company, he would have had to expand their warehouses soon anyway.
“How big is the warehouse?”
At the old carpenter's question, Neung So-mil looked around.
“About the size of this lumber warehouse here? No, maybe a little bigger?”
The old carpenter made a rough calculation and nodded.
“In that case, five carpenters should do the trick.”
“It's urgent, can you send them right away? I won't haggle, I'll pay the proper price.”
“As it happens, I have some men who are free. I'll send them over immediately.”
Neung So-mil showed a look of surprise.
“Is that really possible? I heard you're always short-handed around this time of year.”
The old carpenter gave a bitter smile.
“Normally, this would be our busiest season. But a job was suddenly canceled recently, so we have some time.”
“Oh! I'm very lucky, then.”
Neung So-mil took a pouch of silver from his robes and placed it on a pile of lumber.
*Clink.*
The old carpenter's eyes gleamed.
Just from the sound, he could tell it was no small sum.
“This is a down payment. If it's not enough, bill me for the rest.”
After opening the pouch and checking the amount, the old carpenter's eyes widened.
Far from being insufficient, he would actually have to give change back.
“What's wrong? Does it seem like not enough?”
At Neung So-mil's words, the old carpenter shook his head.
“Actually, this is more than enough to build two warehouses.”
Neung So-mil's face lit up, and he nodded.
“It seems I've come to the right place. You seem to be a man of integrity, Master Carpenter.”
The old carpenter's face brightened at Neung So-mil's continued words.
“I expect I'll need to put up more buildings, including warehouses, in the future. I'd like to entrust that work to you as well.”
“Thank you. I'll be meticulous and do the job right.”
“Haha, don't mention it. I should be the one thanking you for the opportunity to work with craftsmen who uphold their principles and conscience. By the way….”
Having buttered him up, Neung So-mil subtly probed for information.
“To treat a man like you so poorly... whoever they are, they have no manners. What kind of person commissions a job and then cancels it out of the blue? For some, this is a matter of livelihood. Isn't that right?”
“Shh. Lower your voice.”
“...?”
“There's no good in making an enemy of them.”
“Them?”
“The Kongtong Sect.”
Neung So-mil feigned a look of shock.
“The great Kongtong Sect? Surely not. Aren't they a renowned orthodox sect?”
The old carpenter sighed.
“I don't know the reason myself. Nothing like this has ever happened before….”
“Did some misfortune befall them?”
The old carpenter shook his head.
“I don't know the details. I took my men up to repair the halls, but on the second day, they suddenly stopped the work and told us to descend the mountain. Something must have happened. The Sect Leader's expression was urgent, and they sent not only us but all their visitors away as well.”
“Visitors?”
“I heard they were from vassal clans, but I don't know the details. I'm not familiar with that side of things….”
Neung So-mil's eyes gleamed for a moment.
‘Come to think of it...’
It wasn't just carpenters who visited Mount Kongtong when winter ended and spring arrived.
As traffic had been sparse throughout the winter, the vassal clans would visit the main sect as soon as the weather warmed.
It was to make their donations.
They called it a donation, but it was really a form of payment for the protection they received by leveraging the Kongtong Sect's name.
Leaving the workshop, Neung So-mil immediately began making the rounds at the nearby inns.
It wasn't very difficult to coax information out of the waiters with a little silver.
Through this, Neung So-mil was able to identify the vassal clans that had been staying at the Kongtong Sect when the carpenters were sent away.
One of them, in particular, was an acquaintance of his.
‘Seo Dam-myeong.’
He was the master of the Ascending Dragon Escort Agency, one of the Kongtong Sect's vassal agencies.
Without delay, Neung So-mil headed for the Ascending Dragon Escort Agency.
As Neung So-mil stepped through the wide-open main gate, a man who looked quite experienced among the busy escorts stepped forward.
“How may I help you?”
“I'm here to see the Agency Master.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
Neung So-mil smiled faintly and subtly slipped some silver into the man's sleeve.
“Tell him the Master of the Divine Demon Trading Company is here to see him.”
At those words, the escort's eyes widened.
He, too, had heard the rumors about the Divine Demon Trading Company, which had been expanding its business at a frightening pace recently.
“Please wait a moment.”
The escort hurriedly disappeared into the inner building.
About a quarter of an hour passed.
Seo Dam-myeong appeared, leading several escort captains.
“I am Seo Dam-myeong, Master of the Ascending Dragon Escort Agency. You were looking for me?”
Neung So-mil, who had been leisurely surveying the agency with his back turned, slowly pivoted around.
“It's been a while, Agency Master Seo.”
Seo Dam-myeong, startled, soon hardened his expression.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“The meaning of what?”
Seo Dam-myeong openly showed his displeasure toward the bewildered Neung So-mil.
“You are not the person I intended to meet. Why are you impersonating the Master of the Divine Demon Trading Company? Do I look like I have time to waste?”
“My, you've misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood?”
Neung So-mil approached him with a good-natured smile.
“I once ran an information guild, but not anymore. The man standing before you is not the master of that guild, but Neung So-mil, the Master of the Divine Demon Trading Company.”
“You... are the Master of the Divine Demon Trading Company?”
“If you still doubt me, you can send someone to the Gansu branch to confirm.”
For a moment, Seo Dam-myeong stood there dumbfounded, seemingly at a loss for words. But he soon gave an order to one of his captains.
Seeing the captain run out of the agency, Neung So-mil gave a bitter smile inwardly.
‘Such a narrow-minded man.’
But he didn't let it show on his face.
Because he knew better than anyone that this was the kind of man he'd always been.
A typical petty man—timid, suspicious, and maintaining relationships based solely on personal gain.
If he hadn't been riding on the coattails of the Kongtong Sect's reputation, he wouldn't have been able to strut around calling himself an agency master.
Moreover, he loved alcohol so much that Neung So-mil had lost count of the number of courtesan houses they had frequented under the pretext of building their friendship.
Of course, Neung So-mil always had to foot the bill.
And yet, when Neung So-mil was pursued by the Martial Alliance, Seo Dam-myeong had feigned ignorance and cut off all contact.
It wasn't that he had any humane expectations of the man, but it was still infuriating.
“Anyway, is it really alright for you to be showing your face so openly?”
Meeting Seo Dam-myeong's suspicious gaze, Neung So-mil let out a hearty laugh.
“Haha, what is there to worry about? Haven't the Kongtong Sect and the other Nine Great Sects already decided to walk a different path from the Martial Alliance?”
“That may be so, but….”
“Besides, the Martial Alliance has a new leader.”
After Namgung Baek stepped down from his position as the Martial Alliance Leader.
The first thing Jegal Yeon did after becoming the interim leader was to erase all traces of Namgung Baek from the Martial Alliance.
She didn't hesitate to criticize the previous administration's policies as failures and nullified existing matters, including the subjugation of the Hundred Great Villains.
Thanks to that, he could reveal his identity without reservation.
Just then, the captain who had disappeared outside the agency hurried back and whispered something in Seo Dam-myeong's ear.
Surprise flickered in Seo Dam-myeong's eyes.
“Come, come. Let's talk inside. It may be spring, but the wind is still chilly….”
At Seo Dam-myeong's much gentler attitude, Neung So-mil smiled back and nodded.
Neung So-mil was led to a main hall deep inside the inner building, where he sat across a table from Seo Dam-myeong.
“So, I haven't heard from you in a while. What brings you here?”
Despite the shameless question from Seo Dam-myeong, who had been the one to cut contact, Neung So-mil didn't lose his smile.
“The Divine Demon Trading Company is starting to find its footing, and after achieving some of my goals, I found myself thinking of you, Agency Master.”
“Me?”
Neung So-mil nodded.
“Isn't it natural to miss the good people one knew in the good old days?”
As if the words were unexpected, Seo Dam-myeong laughed awkwardly.
“Ahem. That's true.”
“And I thought we could also discuss some business.”
At that, Seo Dam-myeong's posture changed.
“Business...?”
“As you know, the Divine Demon Trading Company has been expanding its business quite a bit lately.”
“I've heard. I knew from early on that your skills were extraordinary. How on earth did you build a trading company of that scale?”
“I was lucky.”
“How could that be a matter of luck alone? Go on, tell me. It's my long-held belief that a great businessman's success story is worth paying a thousand gold for.”
Neung So-mil smiled slyly and began to speak.
“The old sayings are not to be taken lightly. There's a reason they say every cloud has a silver lining. I'm even starting to think that the collapse of my old guild was the very foundation for my current success.”
Seo Dam-myeong nodded repeatedly, trying to curry favor with Neung So-mil.
“I hear you trade not only with the borderlands but with the Western Regions as well?”
“As a matter of fact, that's why I've come to see you, Agency Master.”
“...?”
“Setting the Western Regions aside, the supply of our company's goods to the remote areas of the Central Plains is still not smooth. Given the price of our products, we can't entrust them to just any merchants. That's why I've been searching for a reliable escort agency.”
“Your products... you don't mean?”
As a martial artist himself, he was well aware of the rumors about the Divine Demon Pills.
For escorts who constantly suffered from injuries big and small due to their line of work, the efficacy of the Divine Demon Pills—excellent for both internal and external wounds—was already well-proven.
However, because so many people wanted them and they were so hard to come by, a shortage had occurred, and now it was difficult to get your hands on them even if you paid a premium over the original price.
“I hear those Divine Demon Pills are that miraculous?”
Toward Seo Dam-myeong, who had brought it up suggestively with a hopeful tone, Neung So-mil took a small box from his robes and pushed it forward.
“See for yourself.”
When Seo Dam-myeong opened the wooden box, he found nine pills wrapped in beeswax inside.
“Are these...?”
Neung So-mil nodded.
“May I take a look?”
“They are already yours, Agency Master. Why do you need permission?”
At those words, Seo Dam-myeong's face instantly brightened.
Just then, a servant girl cautiously approached and spoke to Seo Dam-myeong.
“Someone has arrived outside, saying they're here to deliver something.”
“Deliver something?”
Neung So-mil nodded on behalf of the puzzled Seo Dam-myeong.
“Ah, let them in.”
“Are they with you?”
Neung So-mil smiled and nodded.
“After all, we can't have such a meaningful reunion after all this time without some wine, can we?”