Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: I'm a Better Fighter Than I Look
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< I'm a Better Fighter Than I Look >
The shop Jahyang ran was relatively small and didn't even have a sign.
After all, Jahyang was only running this shop as a trial, treating it as training to experience, in some small way, the trial and error that would come with establishing a proper trading company.
That wasn't to say she was running it carelessly. She had grown quite attached to the little shop.
Since Jahyang was so attentive and cherished it, the other maids wanted to help her as much as possible.
They had a lot on their plates.
First and foremost, as Byeok Taesan’s maids, their most important duty was to serve him.
From the moment Byeok Taesan woke up in the morning until he went to bed, they had to attend to him without taking their eyes off him for a second.
Furthermore, even after he was asleep, they had to be ready to do anything that was needed.
And on top of that, they had to train.
Byeok Taesan had taught them martial arts that were not only perfectly suited for them but also exceptionally advanced.
He even helped them with their training.
So, to repay him properly, they could never neglect their martial arts.
They couldn't spend most of their day training like Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, or Yeon Harin, but when they did train, they focused with the resolve to lay down their lives.
As if those two duties weren't enough to keep them busy, trying to run a business on top of it all was incredibly demanding.
The maids decided to secure more training time for Jahyang.
They agreed to take turns watching the shop in her stead.
There were a surprising number of small tasks to handle, and they helped with those.
For example, they managed inventory, gave instructions to the clerks as prepared beforehand, and reviewed the information delivered by the Underworld Sect.
Thanks to Byeok Taesan, all their talents had been fully unlocked, so they handled most tasks quite well.
Though not as skilled as Jahyang, they all possessed a decent aptitude for business.
Helping at the shop had started to develop their business acumen, and their abilities in that area were gradually growing.
As a result, the shop slowly grew, and they discovered the joy of watching money accumulate.
The thought that the money and experience they were gathering could be of great help to Byeok Taesan later made it all the more enjoyable.
Today was the day one of the maids was watching the shop in Jahyang's place.
Soso, whose turn it was, arrived at the shop and quickly took care of the piled-up tasks.
Her expression was as bright as could be.
Ever since she started helping Jahyang, she felt like she was becoming a more useful person, making every day feel new and pleasant.
That was why Soso often took the lead.
The other maids tried to handle their tasks quietly, without drawing attention to themselves.
Knowing that Soso often made herself visible, they had advised her.
To be careful.
Among the things known about Jahyang's shop was that its owner was a great beauty, a rumor that had mostly started because of Soso.
Having finished all the accumulated work, Soso stood up and stretched lightly.
Ever since learning martial arts, she truly loved things like this.
A simple stretch like this left her body feeling as refreshed as if she had just woken from a deep sleep.
Just as she was about to get back to work after her stretch, a clerk approached her cautiously.
"Um… miss. A customer has arrived."
At the clerk's words, Soso tilted her head and blinked.
"And?"
If a customer had arrived, shouldn't they just sell him something and send him on his way? Why was she being told about it?
The clerk's face flushed at Soso's expression.
He felt he had made an excellent decision working here.
"He says he wants to meet the person in charge. He's from the Jade Spring Trading Company."
"The Jade Spring Trading Company?"
It was, of course, a company she had never heard of.
The only trading companies Soso knew were the Golden Moon and the Golden Jade.
"It's a company run by a relative of the Golden Moon Trading Company's master. They primarily deal in medicinal herbs. Their general manager is here to see you."
"Is that so?"
Soso pondered for a moment.
It was just this morning that her sisters had warned her to be careful.
They had earnestly advised her that since she sometimes appeared and dealt with customers, and since a high percentage of the visitors to this shop were martial artists, she truly had to be cautious.
‘Still, the general manager of a trading company should be fine, right?’
With that thought, Soso smiled her characteristically bright smile and nodded.
"I'll see him."
The clerk bowed his head slightly.
"Yes. I'll show him in."
The clerk went out and returned with a middle-aged man.
He was Ho Ilbong, the general manager of the Jade Spring Trading Company.
Ho Ilbong's eyes lit up the moment he saw Soso. The world before him suddenly brightened. She was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.
‘The company master would faint if he saw her.’
At the same time, he couldn't understand it.
A woman of this caliber should have been the subject of countless rumors, yet the whispers about her beauty were far too faint.
"Is there something on my face?"
Soso asked, her already large eyes widening even more.
Ho Ilbong, captivated once again, stared blankly at her before snapping back to his senses.
"Not at all. I was just startled by your incredible beauty. Please forgive my rudeness."
Soso covered her mouth and giggled, looking embarrassed.
To be honest, she encountered reactions like this often, but she still wasn't used to it.
"What brings you here to see me? To be frank, I'm still inexperienced and have a lot of work left to do. So, I'd appreciate it if you could state your business quickly."
Ho Ilbong had to suppress the urge to say he would do that work for her.
"Our Jade Spring Trading Company supplies medicinal herbs to all the clinics and businesses in this town and the surrounding counties."
Soso nodded.
"Yes, I see."
Ho Ilbong stated calmly.
"I've heard that the medicine sold at this shop is quite exceptional."
Soso beamed and nodded.
"That's right. It's very good medicine."
Ho Ilbong paused for a moment, just looking at Soso.
He was momentarily swayed, but not forgetting his duty, he continued.
"Our Jade Spring Trading Company will provide you with medicinal herbs and ingredients at a very low price. In return, how about you supply that medicine to our company?"
Soso tilted her head slightly, contemplating.
But no matter how she thought about it, the answer was obvious.
"We don't need any medicinal herbs. As for the medicine, you can just come and buy it whenever you need it."
As she said this with a sweet smile, Ho Ilbong let out a deep sigh.
As he thought, this young lady knew nothing.
"I regret to have to put it this way, but… what I just said was not a proposal."
Soso's eyes grew round.
"Not a proposal?"
Ho Ilbong nodded with a bitter smile.
"Yes. It was a notice."
Soso clapped her hands, her face lighting up.
"Ah! So this is one of those threats from a neighboring business! I really had no idea. I'm so sorry!"
Soso bowed her head deeply.
Ho Ilbong stared at her, dumbfounded. He was now thoroughly confused by what he was witnessing.
But her reaction suited her so well that it didn't feel like she was mocking him.
"Did you properly understand what I said?"
Soso smiled brightly.
"Of course."
With those words, Soso looked straight at Ho Ilbong. For a fleeting moment, her eyes flashed.
The instant Soso's eyes glinted, a chill ran down Ho Ilbong's spine.
Goosebumps prickled up his back.
Soso spoke in a calm, subdued voice.
"You know, I'm a better fighter than I look."
Hearing that, the tension suddenly drained out of him.
A smile unknowingly formed on Ho Ilbong's lips. Watching Soso act like this was so endearing that he couldn't help it.
"Miss, this is not a joke. It seems you've learned some martial arts, but if you get on the wrong side of the Golden Moon Trading Company in this business, you will face tremendous hardship. Especially someone as beautiful as you, miss, will suffer a worse fate."
Soso grinned.
"Didn't you say you were from the Jade Spring Trading Company? Why are you suddenly talking about the Golden Moon Trading Company?"
"Did I not mention it earlier? The master of the Golden Moon Trading Company is a relative of our master."
Soso nodded emphatically.
"So, the Golden Moon Trading Company is supposed to have a monopoly on medicinal herbs, but doing so would draw scrutiny, so they use the Jade Spring Trading Company to exercise that right? A sort of smoke and mirrors tactic?"
"Correct."
Ho Ilbong looked at Soso with new eyes.
Just a moment ago, she seemed somewhat naive, but her words now made her seem like a different person.
"In any case, we have no need to purchase medicinal herbs, so I'm afraid we can't accept your notice. I need to prepare to deal with your threats, so would you mind leaving now? Or were you planning on trying something with the men you brought with you?"
Ho Ilbong had brought a large number of the Jade Spring Trading Company's escort warriors.
They hadn't entered the shop yet, but they were standing near the entrance, exuding a fierce aura.
Of course, that wouldn't be enough to turn away any martial artists who intended to visit the shop.
His original plan was to use them for a bit of intimidation and, depending on the situation, resolve things by force if necessary.
But for some reason, he felt like he shouldn't.
He had a really bad feeling about this.
Ho Ilbong glanced around.
Soso was sitting in front of him, and a short distance away from them, several men were standing and watching them intently.
Their gazes were deeply unsettling.
‘Right, a beauty like this wouldn't have started something like this without a plan.’
Ho Ilbong made his decision and rose from his seat.
"Please, consider it further. I hope you will choose a path of mutual prosperity."
Ho Ilbong gave a polite fist-and-palm salute and withdrew.
As he left, Soso clutched her chest in relief.
"My heart was pounding. Anyway, what should I do about this? Was I too harsh?"
Watching Soso fret, the men who had been observing smiled warmly.
They were from the Underworld Sect, sent here to assist the shop.
"Don't worry too much. I will file a report. And you did well today. If you continue to handle things this way, it will be more than enough."
Soso smiled brightly.
"Really? That's a relief. I was so worried my sister would be disappointed."
The man smiled faintly.
He gave no orders and made no move, but the members of the Underworld Sect had already begun to move swiftly.
* * *
"Young Master, I wish to go."
Byeok Taesan stared blankly at the Sword Demon.
He had received a report on the matter, but he had no intention of getting involved himself.
He believed they could handle something of this level on their own.
It wasn't as if Soso and Jahyang were acting alone; they could utilize the power of the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group. And if need be, their comrades like Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon would step in. What could be the problem?
Byeok Taesan's only interest in this affair was the single fact that the Jade Spring Trading Company was connected to the Golden Moon Trading Company.
The Sword Demon was staring at Byeok Taesan with eyes blazing like fire.
Byeok Taesan read the confidence and desire deep within the Sword Demon's gaze and let out a smirk.
"If you run wild with your half-baked skills, you'll die by my hand."
The Sword Demon's eyes widened in shock as he swallowed dryly.
All the emotions that had been burning within him turned to ice. It felt as if his wandering mind had been snapped back into place.
As the Sword Demon stood there like a cat had his tongue, Byeok Taesan studied him carefully.
The Sword Demon had just broken through a small barrier. It seemed he had reached the same realm the Sword Fiend had achieved about ten years ago.
But to say he was on equal footing with the Sword Fiend of that time would be incorrect.
If the Sword Fiend of that time and the current Sword Demon were to fight, the Sword Fiend from back then would undoubtedly win.
The current Sword Demon was under a slight delusion.
The enlightenment the Sword Fiend had gained back then was deeper.
For the current Sword Demon to surpass the Sword Fiend of that era, he needed to mature his realm through more training.
"I will absolutely not act rashly."
When the Sword Demon answered with a prudent posture, Byeok Taesan gave a slight nod.
"Well, you're old enough now. I doubt you'll get yourself beaten by acting foolishly. Go on then, give it a shot."
At Byeok Taesan's permission, the Sword Demon's face lit up, and he bowed his head repeatedly.
"Thank you, I will not disappoint you!"
Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively, as if to say he understood and the Sword Demon could leave.
The Sword Demon bowed respectfully and left the room.
Byeok Taesan watched him go for a moment before muttering to himself.
"He's certainly lacking in talent. But that's what makes it more interesting."
A grin had spread across Byeok Taesan's lips.
< I'm a Better Fighter Than I Look > End