50 Ways to Enchant Old Monsters (4)
Ilseon Dosa forcibly dragged Mujikja along toward somewhere. Mujikja didn't want to go, but his feet had no choice but to follow the monk's lead.
"That guy's the last person I wanna see."
It was an excuse spat out only after he'd finally come to his senses. Ilseon Dosa knew it all too well.
"We can't exactly go back to that mountain we saw and rob the kids, can we? This is our only option."
"Is it really just that guy? It's only 200 nyang of silver. Not exactly a fortune."
Ilseon Dosa suddenly halted and turned to Mujikja.
"Do you know how much we make working a whole month?"
"Ten nyang of silver."
"Right. Just ten nyang. Two hundred nyang is what we'd earn after ten months of work. For regular folk, it's ten years of labor just to hold that much in their hands. You don't think I can scrape that together right now, do you?"
Mujikja spat a curse and started walking again.
"Damn it! Fine, let's go! To that bastard!"
Ilseon Dosa followed right behind.
"You think I like going to him either?"
The man they were off to meet had a personality that clashed completely with theirs. Yet they had no choice—he was the only one they knew who'd hand over 200 nyang without batting an eye.
"What the hell's he doing at the Namgung estate anyway? With his temperament, he's not doing manual labor like us."
Ilseon Dosa answered Mujikja's question.
"Exactly. That's why they've got that nickname for nothing."
Jeon-gwi (Money Ghost).
The true identity of the man Ilseon Dosa and Mujikja were heading to meet. As the moniker suggested, he was a money-obsessed maniac. And besides Jeon-gwi, he had another nickname.
Geumwang (Gold King).
Once, it was the title for the richest man in the Central Plains. The reason these two insisted on calling him Jeon-gwi instead of Geumwang was simple: he'd sell his own parents, kids, even his wife for the right price.
"Yeah, to him, 200 nyang is pocket change. Let's go! Who'd have thought the Taeguk Sword King would end up groveling to that damned Jeon-gwi over a measly 100 nyang? Ha ha."
* * *
Hoegumgak.
The place where all the world's money converged.
A middle-aged man was yelling, veins bulging on his forehead like a river character.
"Who the hell wrote yesterday's ledger?!"
One of the people around him calmly replied, as if this was routine.
"Probably one of the new hires at the bottom."
"That punk again? Get him here now! Damn it, how many name errors are there?! Do you know how big yesterday's deals were... Where the hell is that idiot?!"
"We called him, so he'll be here soon."
"Goddamn it, why did the young master hire a moron like..."
The middle-aged man—Namgung Don, deputy head of Hoegumgak—slammed the ledger on his desk and scowled even harder.
Moments later, a slightly hunched old man arrived.
"You called?"
Namgung Don unleashed a barrage of curses the second he saw the old man.
"'Called'? Damn it! You think I'm below you?! If not for the young master's orders, I'd have fired your wrinkled ass ages ago."
"No business, I'm gone."
Ignoring Namgung Don's tirade, the old man turned to leave without a second thought. Namgung Don called out.
"Hey, you!"
The old man turned back. His sunken eyes fixed on Namgung Don—intimidating in a way that was hard to meet head-on. It was the same gaze he occasionally saw from the young master himself.
Damn old coot's got a killer stare at least.
Namgung Don forced himself to meet those eyes and spoke.
"I told you if your eyes are failing, take a break. Now we've gotta redo yesterday's ledger because of you."
"Guess I messed up. Sorry about that."
"This ain't something a sorry fixes! Whatever, old timer. You're out of Hoegumgak as of today. Get gone."
The old man lifted his gaze sharply upward. Just that made Namgung Don's skin crawl.
Damn, why's this old fart's eyes so terrifying?
But mistakes weren't a one-off. The backlog from this old man was massive. Fixing it all would mean pulling all-nighters for over ten days. Even if the young master had pulled strings to get him in, enough was enough. He'd collapse before getting through the old man's mess.
Today, it ended: either the old man left Hoegumgak, or he did.
"Did the young master approve me leaving?"
"I'll convince him somehow. So get out now!"
"No regrets?"
"Hmph! The only regret in my life is handing over money to that cheating wife without a clue!"
"Tsk tsk, that's worth regretting."
"You think it's funny, old man? Argh! If not for the young master's orders, I'd really... Arghhh!"
Namgung Don felt rage boiling over. He'd divorced the wife long ago, but thinking about it still burned.
The old man poked at it, so of course he was pissed.
"Want me to get revenge for you?"
The old man asked with a sly grin.
"No idea where she is now. Revenge my ass. She's probably living it up with that bastard."
"No idea? Money can do anything in this world."
"Cut the crap and get out! It's not her—it's you that's gonna make me burst a vein."
"Oh dear, can't have that. How old's your boy again?"
Why's this damn old coot keep yapping?
Namgung Don clutched his heaving chest and barely managed a reply.
"Ten! Why?!"
"Too bad. If he were a bit older, I could've waited till you collapsed from my mess and then left. Losing a dad on top of no mom—that'd prick even my conscience."
"What?!"
He knew the old man was off his rocker, but this was beyond. He couldn't fathom why the young master had insisted on bringing him here.
The old man pulled a crumpled paper from his bosom and handed it over.
"What's this? Resignation letter?"
"Tsk tsk, parachute drop like me doesn't need one. Just a little gift for you, deputy."
Namgung Don hated touching the filthy thing, but after working together, he took it. Besides...
If I don't, who knows when this old coot changes his mind.
At this rate, he'd die of overwork before seeing his son married.
"You've worked hard. And hey, eyes get fuzzy with age—mistakes happen. No need for a young buck like you to blow up over it."
"Mistakes?! This damn old coot's 'mistakes'?! I've pulled all-nighters for days because of you! My own son barely recognizes my face now!"
"Tsk tsk. Not my problem."
"Ughhh!! Gack—!"
Suddenly, Namgung Don clutched his neck and collapsed. His subordinates caught him quick.
"Deputy! Pull yourself together!"
"Call a doctor! No, I'll carry him to Uiyakdang myself!"
Namgung Don was hoisted onto a subordinate's back and rushed to Uiyakdang. In the chaos, the paper slipped from his hand.
The old man watched leisurely, picked it up, and placed it on the deputy's desk.
"Tsk tsk, do you even know what this is worth?"
Moments later, the crumpled paper smoothed out on its own. Crooked writing appeared inside.
[Palace Slum outskirts, third house on the right. Widow Yoon's place.]
"Where to now? I've paid my debt to the young master plenty. Time to head home?"
The old man had just stepped out of Hoegumgak when he spotted two familiar beggars heading his way.
"Tsk tsk."
The old man—Geum Dondong—sniffed out the scent of money from his beggar pals like a ghost.
"Those prideful beggars only come to me for one reason."
Ilseon Dosa and Mujikja arrived before Geum Dondong and opened their mouths without greeting.
"Can you lend us 200 nyang of silver?"
"Beggars gonna beggar. Even your loans are chump change."
"Damn it! This is why I said not to come to this guy!"
Mujikja growled like he might explode. Ilseon Dosa held him back with his whole body.
"Hold it together."
"Tsk tsk, still as pathetic as ever."
Mujikja shook off Ilseon Dosa's arm.
"Let go, Ilseon! Better to take it from my disciple. I can't take this."
"Calm down!"
"Let go!"
"Amitabha. You sure?"
"......"
Mujikja looked at Ilseon Dosa in shock. Geum Dondong chuckled again.
"Tsk tsk, even more pathetic since last time. No wonder broke-ass beggars stay broke... Whatever, let's hear the reason. Why would proud beggars like you come begging me in a hurry?"
"Nngh...!"
Mujikja clamped his mouth shut, groaning deeply. Ilseon Dosa recited a quiet chant and spoke.
"Amitabha. Even money-grubbing worms are sentient beings. Right, Buddha?"
Jeon-gwi chuckled again.
"Tsk tsk, you beggar punks... Should I just go?"
Mujikja and Ilseon Dosa squeezed their eyes shut, chanting their Taoist and Buddhist prayers.
"Infinite Buddha. We've got a favor to ask."
"Amitabha. It's true."
They clasped hands together and spoke in unison.
"Help us out, Geumwang."
"Sorry for before, Geumwang."
A grin spread across Geum Dondong's face. He had two nicknames: one Jeon-gwi, one Geumwang. He especially loved the latter.
"What's the favor?"
Ilseon Dosa explained.
"Well... We need to join the youngest young master's faction, but..."
He trailed off. Mujikja, frustrated, jumped in.
"Argh! I'll say it! Cover our joining fee."
"Hmm... You're not the type to join somewhere just to pay a fee."
Geumwang nailed their core issue with just a few words.
"There's a good reason. Lend us 200 nyang. We'll pay back later."
"Because of the youngest young master, right?"
Geumwang stroked his chin—a habit when deciding something big. Mujikja watched eagerly.
"Yeah, we've heard. He's gathering a force. And it's..."
Geumwang eyed them with interest.
"You guys, huh? Didn't expect that. So there must be more besides you two?"
"Ghostly bastard. Sorry, just us for now."
"Tsk tsk, wrong. You're trying to fool me. If you've decided, most of those kids under you will follow. Right?"
Amitabha. Buddha, this money ghost smells the cash.
Ilseon Dosa felt uneasy. It made sense, though. He'd done it, Mujikja had, and this guy was a master when it came to money. He'd sniff it out like a demon.
"Your gang's about fifty strong?"
"Not a gang, just followers."
"Same difference. Looks like those kids will come begging later anyway."
"Uh, probably?"
They'd all gotten drunk together before.
"Tsk tsk. Alright, let's see then."
"See who?"
Mujikja asked, flustered.
"Who else? The youngest young master charming enough to strip you bare. And I'm Geumwang."
Amitabha. This feels bad.
Ilseon Dosa regretted not stopping Mujikja and heading to Shaolin instead. Too late now.
"Think Geumwang moves for 200 nyang? Let's up the stakes. Call all your lackeys. Whether it's 10,000 nyang or 100,000, I'll see for myself and decide."
Mujikja and Ilseon Dosa exchanged glances.
Hey! That bastard's eyes are spinning. What now?!
Hell if I know. Let's go for it. Money ghost smells profit.
Money itself was blameless, they said. The sin lay with the user. If you picked the biggest sinner in the Central Plains, it'd be Geum Dondong. Where there was money, he was. Where money gathered, there too.
Should've just gone to Wudang Mountain.
Sigh... Should've headed to Song Mountain.
"What're you whispering about? Call the kids already."
They didn't know yet. Just moments ago, they'd had that same glint in their eyes. They were already climbing the stairs Namgung Daeso had laid out for them.