Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Screams of Bankruptcy
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A piercing scream echoed through the peaceful Baek Clan Manor.
"Ugh, uwaaaaaah! Money! We're short on money!"
It was a wail so desperate it shook the entire Chief Steward's Office.
The servants passing by nearby flinched in surprise before quickly regaining their composure.
"Aigoo, it looks like Chief Steward Han is suffering again."
"Our Baek Clan's fortunes have grown several times over lately. If the outflow of money stays the same, of course it'll be short."
"True. That's right."
It was a scream they'd heard every day just a few years ago.
Hearing it after so long felt nostalgic, stirring up old memories...
"Wait a minute."
"What's up?"
"Has the Chief Steward had a rejuvenation? His voice sounds like a boy's before puberty."
"Hmm? Now that you mention it, yeah?"
The two servants, eyes wide as saucers, stared at each other before peeking inside the Chief Steward's Office door without a word.
A boyish-looking young scholar with ink smeared on his cheeks was clutching his head.
"A-at this rate, the Baek Clan will go bankrupt! Everyone! Redo all the financial plans! Starting today, finish by three days from now!"
Bankruptcy. At this rate, it really would go bankrupt. Income was limited, but expenditures were skyrocketing exponentially.
It was all because the Baek Clan's sphere of influence had expanded several times in just one year.
Unlike the unorthodox sects, the orthodox ones required massive funds when taking over new territories.
They couldn't just bully and extort tribute like the black path; they had to blend into the local populace, win hearts and minds.
To put it simply, they had to spend money in the area and establish themselves as landlords or influential figures.
'Just the new businesses we need to set up in Gilju region number dozens...! And the costs involved... Argh!'
The young scholar grabbed the back of his neck. Not even in his thirties yet, and he already felt like collapsing with a stiff nape.
A real man had to play in the big leagues, and he couldn't miss opportunities when the tide came in.
With that mindset, he'd curried favor with the Baek Clan's great young master and even secured a strategist position that made the clan head listen.
But... he'd succeeded, no doubt...
'I got tricked. I never imagined the work would pile up like this...!'
He couldn't enjoy the status or power.
Why? Too busy.
Just that one reason!
'Wait. Why am I even drawing up financial plans in the first place?'
Time reversed in the young scholar's mind.
The reason a strategist like him was handling the Chief Steward's duties.
It had definitely started when discussing the Baek Clan's future with Chief Steward Han Seok-eon...
Ah.
He realized.
"Chiiiief Stewawaaard! Where aaaare you?!"
From the backyard of the Chief Steward's Office, where he'd been enjoying the scenery, Chief Steward Han creaked open the door and poked his head in.
His face bore not a trace of worry, just a beaming smile.
"Young Scholar So, why's this old man being summoned? Goodness, your face has gotten so haggard in the meantime."
"...Chief Steward. Is this really the time to be leisurely?"
"No. We're on the brink of bankruptcy if things go wrong."
"Yet you seem overflowing with leisure."
"Hahaha. Come to think of it, I should impart some senior wisdom to you, Young Scholar So."
"Wisdom?"
"Take it easy. Take it easy."
"E-easy?"
With this much work and the leadership not pooling heads to solve it, the clan would go bankrupt, and he says take it easy?
"Hahaha, Young Scholar So. Relax your face. Put your mind at eeease. Yeah? Let it go. No need to redo plans with austerity measures to save every penny."
The young scholar couldn't accept it.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
'Could this be the old bad habits?'
They called it the Heaven-Covering Baek Clan now, but just ten years ago, it was a mere third-rate martial family.
With crisis looming, Chief Steward Han failing to grasp the situation and talking leisure—this looked like remnants of the past to the young scholar, making his tone curt.
"If there's no convincing reason, my respect for you will wane, Chief Steward."
"Reason? There is one. The merchant group will send a bag of money soon."
"Pardon?"
The young scholar, looking dumbfounded, asked again.
"You mean stop searching for solutions right now for that reason alone?"
"That alone? The crisis is an illusion, so no need for unnecessary searching."
As the young scholar struggled to understand, Chief Steward Han continued.
"If you still can't get it, how about a little bet?"
"A bet? Ha! Fine! Any bet!"
The young scholar's somewhat arrogant attitude. Chief Steward Han smiled and pointed it out.
"What you're doing is just drafting austerity plans anyway. Trust this old man and leave it be. People's loyalty comes from full pockets."
"What if problems arise?"
It was a prickly remark, but Chief Steward Han didn't erase his pleased expression.
'To grow a clan, you need kids like this.'
"Sure, problems might arise. So separately from the bet, draft your new financial plan by three days from now as planned."
With that, Chief Steward Han went back to enjoying the scenery.
Watching him, the young scholar thought superiors like that set no example.
"Alright, everyone, let's work hard! Three days! We must secure funds to avoid bankruptcy within three days!"
They slaved away. Scraping together every last coin, they somehow produced a plan to hold on.
That day, the young scholar felt a prick of tears from accomplishment and relief.
"We did it! We did it! Everyone! We did it!"
At that moment, the Chief Steward's Office door burst open.
"Urgent news! The merchant group from Sacheon arrived loaded with money! Apparently, it's contract down payment...!"
"......"
"......"
"......"
So they'd shat bricks over no money, drafted austerity plans, and now money appeared...?
"How much... is the down payment?"
"Enough to tide us over for the foreseeable future!"
"Then... what about our efforts over the past three days...?"
The greater the thrill and relief, the deeper the sense of futility.
It was so massive his mind went blank.
Then, Chief Steward Han slipped in through the open door.
"See? I said the merchant group would come, didn't I, Scholar?"
"How can this be...?"
Chief Steward Han was the one who'd pester even the clan head at the slightest whiff of financial trouble.
And he'd been enjoying leisure with a Buddha-like, immortal sage expression for this reason.
Because...
"My beard was tingling. Felt like the great young master would send another bag of money."
"The past three days... How... No!"
The young scholar stood up, determination on his face.
"Our efforts weren't in vain! Saving on finances is always good anyway! Great job, everyone!"
"No. Revert to the original plan, Young Scholar So."
"Pardon? Why, Chief Steward?!"
"I told you. Loyalty comes from full pockets."
Take this, for example.
If you can't afford a lavish dinner for your subordinates, you can't dangle group outings as bait for hellish training.
In a world of people, lubrication is essential, so financial plans need some leeway.
Too much, and it rots into corruption, of course.
"Young Scholar So. Another bet? I don't think I'll lose this time either."
"...Haa. We'll go back to the original financial plan."
Chief Steward Han gazed warmly at the young scholar.
Still much to teach, but fun to have him around.
Not to mention his innate sharpness and talent.
"Keep up the good work, Young Scholar So! Hahaha!"
Glancing at the departing Chief Steward Han, the young scholar grumbled.
Then, unable to hold back, he spoke.
"Isn't that too much, Deputy Chief Steward?"
Jin Geum-bo, from the fallen Tae-won Jin Clan, whose life's goal was unearthing the Sword King's tomb, replied.
"What is?"
"I get that the great young master sent money from Sacheon at the perfect time. But what if luck hadn't been on our side? The main house really could've gone bankrupt!"
"Young Scholar So."
"Yes, Deputy Chief Steward."
"Guess I have to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"While you were racking your brains over financial plans, the Chief Steward was running around everywhere with the clan head to secure funds."
"Pardon? He was so nonchalant in front of me?"
"He even succeeded. Even without the great young master's money, we wouldn't have gone bankrupt. The Chief Steward wasn't just betting on him and slacking."
"......"
From the atmosphere, it seemed only the Deputy knew.
Meaning Chief Steward Han hadn't let on a hint in front of the young scholar or the other office scribes.
And even after securing funds safely, he hadn't said a word because...
"......"
In the young scholar's eyes so far, Chief Steward Han was someone who'd luckily gained his current status and power as the clan grew.
Good financial management was expected of a Chief Steward; nothing else particularly admirable.
Especially the past three days had been a huge disappointment...
'He deliberately didn't tell us. In the end, the office scribes and I worked in vain. If not for the Deputy, we might never have known.'
People's actions always come with varied motives.
Chief Steward Han had two reasons.
One positive, one negative.
Only he knew which was true.
But somehow, the young scholar felt it was the former.
"Deputy Chief Steward."
"Speak."
"To be honest, now that it's clear he dumped the work on me."
"......"
"I'll work even harder."
And so, the strategist who would one day discuss the world, Young Scholar So, learned one more thing today.
*** Sacheon had always been a distant frontier. Far from the Central Plains heartland, beyond treacherous terrains like Geomgak and the Yangtze Three Gorges.
But at the same time, Sacheon had always been a land where money flowed.
The reason was simple.
It was a logistics hub where all goods converged and a land producing rare specialties like tea and silkworms.
Among them, Jin Yeong-gil had earned the title of one of the Three Great Tycoons of the World with just Shu brocade—Sichuan silk—trade.
'He was bedridden for nearly fifteen years before dying, so he's probably still stuck to his bed.'
Jin Yeong-gil's illness was only diagnosed after his death.
It was so absurd that even Yang-hui, far removed from merchant circles, snorted upon hearing the rumor.
"Brother. You can really cure that tycoon?"
"Of course, you punk."
"Sure you can, but will one of the Three Great Tycoons even meet us?"
Someone of Three Great Tycoons stature might barely meet even Tang Gun, the Tang Clan's official young lord.
As a top merchant world heavyweight, face had to be preserved.
In other words, no matter how ill, a Baek Clan nobody with no fame in Sacheon couldn't just meet Jin Yeong-gil on a whim.
But.
"Don't worry. He'll meet us for sure."
"Oh, you have a way?"
"Yeah. Trust me, trust."
Sacheon Castle's castle town. The grandest manor even there.
Yang-hui confidently knocked and told the gatekeeper asking his identity.
"The disciple of the World's Greatest Physician has come to heal your manor lord. Open the damn gate!"
Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so flanking Yang-hui were genuinely shocked.
To the point they inwardly screamed.
'You bastard brother! So your "way" was a scam?!'
'Broooother! Even if, impersonating?! Impersonating! That's crossing the line way too far!'