I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 70

< Acting According to the Script 4 >

“There are two large Sword Brokerage Houses. One is right here in Gyunhyeon, and the other is near the main base of the Sado Alliance [a martial arts alliance].”

“So, a manpower market for those who sell martial arts forms in places where martial arts groups are located, huh?”

“Isn’t it funny? Swordsmen gather where all the masters are, asking to be bought.”

That meant that the sects belonging to the Murim Alliance [a righteous martial arts alliance] or the Sado Alliance were doing many things that should not be known to the world.

“Let’s go.”

“Those guys…. I wonder if they know it’s their lucky day today. Hehe.”

Guseung smiled and led the way.

The Sword Brokerage House was a three-story inn.

“The higher you go, the more expensive they are. I heard that their skills are as good as they say.”

“Is that guy a guide?”

Jo Gwangyun pointed to the clerk sitting at the entrance of the inn.

“Yes. But how did you know?”

“Not just anyone can afford to doze off in a place full of swordsmen.”

“You might think he’s relaxed because he’s been watching swordsmen for a long time, right?”

“Does a normal clerk hold a sword tightly while dozing off? That guy is a swordsman too. But hey, are you testing me?”

“Oh, no. I was just curious because you figured it out at a glance.”

“Stop talking nonsense and bring that guy over here.”

“Yes, Master.”

Jo Gwangyun took a seat in an empty spot on the first floor of the inn. The first floor was said to have the lowest level of martial arts practitioners, but the eyes of the drunkards were not ordinary, perhaps because they had experienced many real battles.

“Ahem, so, how many do you need?”

The clerk sat down opposite Jo Gwangyun with a thud.

“Before that, how many martial artists are out working right now?”

“Out working? Oh, young master, you don’t know much about the world. There are no big fights these days, so everyone is just twiddling their thumbs. All they do is protect noble children for a few coins to make ends meet.”

“So, you’re saying all the martial artists are just hanging out here?”

“About half of them have given up on finding work and are probably passed out somewhere. But if you contact them, they’ll come running right away, so if you need a bodyguard, just say the word. There are plenty of people.”

“Tell me the price first. How much is it per floor?”

“The first floor is one silver coin a month. The second floor is five silver coins a month. The third floor… well, the third floor won’t work. There’s no one there who would be a bodyguard for a rich kid.”

“What is the skill level of the third-floor martial artists?”

“Geez, you’re not listening. I’m telling you, they don’t do bodyguard work.”

The clerk frowned and waved his hand, but when he saw Jo Gwangyun’s glare, he quietly lowered his hand.

“They’re not top-tier masters or transcendent masters, but they’re good enough to be called masters anywhere. But you should see their numerous life-and-death experiences as their true skill.”

“Are there only about half of them on the third floor right now?”

“No. All the masters on the third floor are there. The better they are, the more diligent they are. Hehe.”

“How many are there?”

“A little over thirty.”

Thirty, not a small number.

“The details of my request should be kept secret for the time being….”

The clerk nodded as if it were obvious.

“We are responsible for maintaining confidentiality. If word gets out, we will track down and kill the one who blabbed.”

That was enough.

“Let’s go.”

As Jo Gwangyun got up, the clerk took the lead. He seemed to have realized that he wasn’t just here to hire a simple bodyguard.

“Young master, how many do you need…?”

As he climbed the stairs, the clerk cautiously asked, and Guseung answered.

“All of them.”

The clerk hid the laughter that was about to burst out and didn’t ask any more questions.

When they went up to the third floor, sixty eyes were fixed on Jo Gwangyun, and the clerk stepped forward and opened his mouth to them.

“Everyone, please pay attention. This young master will tell you what he wants to request, so please step forward if you want to take it on.”

The clerk left only these words and stood behind Jo Gwangyun.

Jo Gwangyun scanned the thirty martial artists and slowly opened his mouth.

“I want to buy your lives. Everyone, carefully consider how much your life is worth.”

No one who had been a swordsman for several years could not understand these words. It meant that it was a job that could lead to death, or rather, a high probability of death.

Jo Gwangyun gave them a moment and then spoke again.

“If you’ve decided, please state your price.”

No one hesitated. Without exception, they picked up a piece of wood placed on the table, wrote their price and name on it, and threw it at Jo Gwangyun’s feet.

The clerk swept up the wooden pieces with a beaming smile and said to Jo Gwangyun.

“Young master, you can settle the bill with me now. Come, follow me.”

“Not yet. Let’s settle the bill all at once. Guseung.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Pay the price for the lives of everyone on the first and second floors.”

The expressionless mercenaries on the third floor showed their surprise for the first time, and the clerk pinched his cheek instead of showing a surprised expression.

It was because he didn’t even have a special dream last night, but such a jackpot had exploded.

* * *

Jo Gwangyun and Guseung, who had swept up even the lower-level warriors who would be in charge of taking the hits, once again moved into the shadows.

“Is it trustworthy?”

“Yes. They occasionally try to sell useless medicine, but they say they don’t do that to important customers. Since martial artists are customers, they don’t know when they’ll die if they mess with a master.”

“What about the effects?”

“They say it’s worth the money, so it’s not bad.”

The place they arrived at had a sign that read ‘Dark Red Room’.

When they opened the door and went inside, a middle-aged woman glanced at the two of them and said indifferently.

“Aphrodisiacs are ten coins, yang energy tonics are two coins.”

Did she mean that there was nothing to see since they were two young men?

“Internal energy enhancement. Show me the top-grade stuff.”

The middle-aged woman’s eyes lit up and she jumped up.

“I didn’t recognize you, sir. Please come this way.”

The room she led them to was filled with the smell of medicinal herbs.

“Since you want the best, I think you know it well, but let me briefly explain…”

Jo Gwangyun stopped her.

“This medicine must be eaten as a decoction [a medicinal broth], but don’t you have pills, powders, or pastes?”

“Ah, you’re looking for a convenient elixir. Of course, we have it. How could we not have it?”

She led them to another room, which was full of small wooden boxes.

“They are not as good as the best, but they are effective. They are precious things that increase internal energy by at least two or three years, and up to thirty or forty years.”

It would vary depending on the person taking it, so it wouldn’t be as the owner of the pharmacy said.

“How much is everything?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, my, how can a medicine seller be so hard of hearing…? I can’t trust you at all, can I? I’m saying, how much is all of this and the medicine in the next room?”

“Sir… sir… are you… are you kidding me?”

The middle-aged woman stuttered and widened her eyes.

“Stop talking nonsense and pack it all up and send it to my lodging. This guy will tell you where it is. Guseung.”

“Yes. I’ll take care of it and go. Please rest first.”

Guseung bowed to Jo Gwangyun, who was moving away.

At this time, the woman shouted.

“Sir… sir. Please wait a moment.”

“What is it?”

The woman swallowed hard and lowered her voice.

“There is something truly precious. It seems that it has been waiting here until now to meet a true owner like you.”

“Something precious? Then are you saying these medicines aren’t precious?”

“Not at all. These guys are also coveted by martial artists in the Jianghu [the martial arts world]. But the one I’m talking about is so precious that it can’t be compared to these guys.”

She looked around the only three rooms, lest anyone hear, and whispered softly.

“It’s made exactly like the Taecheongdan [a legendary elixir] of Wudang [a famous Taoist sect]…”

Guseung was startled at the word Wudang, but Jo Gwangyun only smiled at the word ‘exactly’.

A fake is a fake, no matter how well it’s made. Besides, if the medicine you eat is fake, wouldn’t it be a relief if you didn’t get sick?

“No, thanks. The Taecheongdan of Wudang is not some ointment from a neighborhood pharmacy, so how can you make it exactly the same? You should be satisfied with making a big deal with a customer like me today, so don’t be greedy anymore.”

The woman grabbed the hem of Jo Gwangyun’s pants as he turned around.

“How can I cheat you, sir? I can’t say it’s exactly the same as Taecheongdan, but you’ll be able to see at least 80% of the effect. It’s just that it’s so expensive that it hasn’t met its owner yet.”

When Jo Gwangyun was still not interested, she shouted as if she had made up her mind.

“If you take it and it doesn’t work, I won’t take a single penny.”

“You’ll pay later?”

“Yes.”

“What if I say it doesn’t work after I eat it?”

She smiled. One of the things she had learned through her long business was the word ‘if’. If this word came out of the customer’s mouth, it meant that they were halfway there.

“I have an eye for people. I’m sure you’re not the kind of person who would do such a petty thing.”

If Jo Gwangyun hadn’t met Guseung’s eyes, he would have just left. But when he saw the desire in Guseung’s eyes, it was difficult to pretend not to know.

“Guseung.”

“Yes, Master.”

“If you eat it and it seems to work, pay the price.”

“Well, Master. How dare I eat such a precious thing…”

Jo Gwangyun said to Guseung, who was startled.

“You have to eat it to know if it’s precious or not. Don’t expect too much. And my Great Master told me not to eat any elixirs or anything like that.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes. He said it would be difficult to accumulate Qi [internal energy] no matter what I did. So, even if it’s not similar to Taecheongdan, it’s not very useful even if it’s the real thing.”

“Master. The efficacy of Taecheongdan is not only to increase internal energy.”

“What’s the point of having hundreds of effects? What I need now is internal energy that can unleash strong martial arts. Stop nagging and just eat it.”

Only then did Guseung bow deeply.

“I will repay your grace with my life.”

“You idiot. I’m feeding you expensive medicine so you don’t die. Why are you repaying me with your life? You have to work your bones out.”

Guseung was still bowing and didn’t get up.

* * *

When all the members of the Hanahoe [a secret organization], who had begun to gather one by one, had gathered in Gyunhyeon, Jo Gwangyun explained to them what would happen in the future.

It was difficult for all of them to hide their true feelings of fear and trembling.

“If it’s too much to handle, leave now. I understand enough because it’s a matter of life and death.”

It’s better for the guys who are going to disappear to disappear quickly. The Hanahoe are the guys who are at least called masters in the Changryongmun [a martial arts sect]. If those guys run away after the work starts, it will only have a negative impact on the general members.

Jo Gwangyun also spoke to the guests who were not members of the Changryongmun among them.

“This is a matter for the Changryongmun. I can’t tell you to risk your lives. So don’t worry about it…”

“Master. Since we have bet our lives on the sword, it is our destiny to end our lives on the blade. If we were afraid of death, we would not have entered this path. Please stop.”

Yeomsin smiled and spoke on behalf of everyone.

Unlike the Changryongmun members, their faces showed only a thrilling excitement instead of fear.

“Fortunately, the opponent is the Namgung Clan [a powerful martial arts clan], so I’m more satisfied. Even if I die, I’ll at least get the honor of fighting the strongest.”

Jo Gwangyun jumped up and bowed to them.

“I promise you with everything I have. I will do everything I can to avoid your death.”

Jo Gwangyun shouted outside.

“Bring what you have prepared.”

Guseung came in with the inn’s workers. They were each holding a large tray piled with medicinal herbs, and the Hanahoe warriors already knew what it was just by the smell.

Jo Gwangyun said to Yeomsin.

“Sir Yeom.”

“Yes.”

“It’s something I prepared in a hurry, so it’s not enough. Would you please take it all and help me a little bit?”

“It’s not enough, it’s overflowing. You even take care of these things… Thank you on behalf of everyone.”

No one hates shortcuts. There is no warrior who does not know what kind of shortcut the mountain of medicine is.

< Acting According to the Script 4 > End