Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 48

In Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, nearly everyone would agree that Dong Seodok, head of the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild, owned the largest mansion.

As one of the top ten merchant guilds in the Central Plains, the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild essentially had a monopoly on mining development in the region. They amassed considerable wealth by developing, producing, refining, and supplying minerals.

The profits from mining were also invested in construction, armaments, and security services. While these ventures weren’t as lucrative as mining, they still provided a steady income.

Despite its growing business, the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild faced challenges due to the scrutiny of other major guilds. Amidst this, a significant event occurred: Dong Namwoo, Dong Seodok’s eldest son and the key figure in their mining operations, was murdered by a stranger. This incident threw the guild into turmoil, and despite extensive efforts, the culprit remained at large.

According to witnesses, a drunk man in a bar had provoked Dong Namwoo, who retaliated with force.

The drunk, after being struck, rose, grabbed a liquor bottle, and swung it, hitting Dong Namwoo in the head. The drunk then fled, and Dong Namwoo died from the head wound. Dong Seodok deployed his men to find the assailant, but they were never successful.

The funeral for the eldest son was held at Dong Seodok’s mansion, with many people coming to offer their condolences.

Dong Seodok had four other children: two sons, Dong Namcheon and Dong Namsu, and two daughters, Dong Namyeong and Dong Sukha.

The death of Dong Namwoo created a peculiar situation for Dong Namcheon and Dong Namsu.

Both had been vying for control of the mining development projects their elder brother had managed.

To them, their brother’s death was less a cause for grief and more an opportunity to solidify their own positions. They secretly met with family members during the funeral to gauge their support, focusing more on inheriting the family business than mourning their brother.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Dong Seodok murmured, greeting visitors with bows and polite exchanges, while his two sons were busy assessing people based on their potential usefulness.

In the mansion’s spacious courtyard, tables were set up to serve the guests who came to pay their respects. However, Hwa-rin, sitting at one of the tables, showed no sign of sadness.

Her face was filled with the joy of enjoying delicious food.

The people sharing the meal with her were merchants, more interested in discussing business than mourning Dong Namwoo’s death.

“Is that so?”

“They say Sanyang County in Shanxi Province is booming because of it.”

“Is it really that big?”

“From what I hear, it might be the largest in Shanxi Province. Imagine, it has everything in one place: brothels, gambling dens, and even inns. It’s like paradise for wealthy playboys.”

“Why is that?”

“Why else? They can eat, play, and sleep without needing to go anywhere else.”

“A place like that must cost a fortune.”

“Who knows? I heard that warriors from all over the Central Plains are eagerly awaiting the opening of Guryongnu [Nine Dragons Tower].”

They were talking about Guryongnu, and Hwa-rin simply smiled as she listened.

‘It’ll be even more amazing once it opens.’

“I heard that the owner of Guryongjang [Nine Dragons Manor] introduced a new business model in the brothel. Does anyone know if it’s doing well? Anyone know anything about it?”

“I know a little about that,” Hwa-rin interjected, pretending to be an outsider.

“How is it? Is the revenue similar to that of existing brothels?”

“The madam doesn’t make much money. Her income comes only from the room fees, liquor, and snacks that the courtesans pay, and after deducting various expenses, there’s not much left for her.”

“Then what happens?”

“The courtesans are the ones making the money. That’s why they’re lining up to work at Osongnu [Five Pines Tower].”

“So, it’s a business model where only the courtesans make money, not very profitable for the owner.”

“That’s what I know. But the owner of Guryongjang is involved in much bigger business ventures, so he probably doesn’t care much about the money earned at Osongnu.”

Hwa-rin spoke casually, and since they didn’t know her connection to Guryongjang, they readily believed her.

Hwa-rin hadn’t said anything untrue, so there was no exaggeration in her words.

“Then there shouldn’t be any headaches because of the courtesans, right? Since there are so many people wanting to work there?”

“How would I know? I’m just saying what I heard. I heard that the courtesans work hard to avoid getting kicked out. They even try to curry favor to get a job there.”

“It’s amazing what you see in this world. A brothel where courtesans are competing to work.”

“Indeed. The world has become a better place.”

It was a bit odd to be laughing at a funeral, but Hwa-rin smiled, careful not to laugh out loud.

‘Interesting.’

“I should go over there and listen to some other stories.”

As always, merchants naturally gravitated toward where the money was.

Hwa-rin moved to another spot and listened to their conversations, getting a sense of the overall market trends.

‘Getting too deeply involved here would be exhausting for everyone. Just a few business locations in Guryongnu will be enough. Then, I can generate profits through investments.’

* * *

“Is this bitch crazy?”

People who drink often lose control of their temper or try to resolve perceived injustices with force, and the target is often a woman weaker than themselves.

These altercations, or rather, disputes, were not uncommon in brothels with courtesans, as well as in ordinary inns or tea houses.

Thud!

A woman was lying on the floor, and a man was cursing at her, unable to contain his anger.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, a man appeared and intervened.

“Sir, what’s going on?”

It was Danri Hyeokjin, who had recently taken over the management of Osongnu.

Startled by Danri Hyeokjin’s appearance, the man who had been cursing at the courtesan spoke angrily.

“This bitch initially told me that the fee was twenty copper coins.”

“There are individual differences, but that’s roughly the amount we charge,” Danri Hyeokjin responded politely and calmly.

“But now that I’m drunk, she’s asking for one and a half silver coins for the liquor, snacks, and the time she spent with me.”

Danri Hyeokjin looked at the woman on the floor.

“Is that what happened?”

“The liquor I drank with him……”

“I’m asking you whether you asked the guest for one and a half silver coins or not.”

The courtesan trembled slightly and nodded. Hearing her answer, the man turned to Danri Hyeokjin and bowed in apology.

“I’m sorry. It seems one of our girls got greedy. She came here to make money, and her greed seems to have angered you. Please forgive her. I will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Ahem!”

As Danri Hyeokjin spoke politely, the angry guest could no longer maintain his anger.

“We won’t charge you for what you’ve consumed so far. Please forgive us if our mistake has upset you.”

“No. I will pay for the liquor I drank and the time I spent with her. And I apologize for losing my temper and hitting her.”

Danri Hyeokjin tilted his head, surprised that the guest was offering to pay for what he had consumed.

Since Osongnu reopened, there had been a few courtesans who overcharged drunk customers, leading to similar incidents. However, this was the first time a guest had offered to pay for what he had consumed.

“If you don’t mind, sir, would you like to have a drink with me?”

“With you?”

“My name is Danri Hyeokjin, and I manage this place, Osongnu.”

“Danri Hyeokjin……?”

He had heard the name somewhere but couldn’t quite remember.

“You, go back to your room.”

After sending the courtesan away, Danri Hyeokjin led the guest to a table and told the server.

“Bring us roasted duck and Jukyeopcheong [a type of bamboo leaf liquor]. Put the bill on my tab.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Actually, I haven’t been managing this place for very long, so I’m a bit clumsy. Because we’re both inexperienced, we sometimes fail to provide our guests with complete enjoyment and occasionally upset them with these kinds of mistakes.”

“No. To be honest, who comes to a brothel like this trying to save money? They all come to spend it.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s not about being stingy with money, but there’s such a thing as a reasonable price, you know.”

Danri Hyeokjin listened to the man.

“Everyone roughly calculates the bill after drinking.”

“That’s right. I do the same.”

“If my calculation is close, I pay without saying anything, but if they ask for an absurd amount, I get angry and feel cheated.”

“I understand what you mean, sir. I will make sure to educate the girls better so that such incidents don’t happen again.”

“Now you’re making me feel even more sorry.”

“No, sir. You’re just stating your rightful claim. We were at fault, so there’s no need for you to feel sorry.”

Danri Hyeokjin sat across from the man, sharing stories and drinks. Some of the stories were helpful, while others were not, but he learned that the man was an official working in the Sanyang County office, specifically in the position of Yibang [a low-ranking official], who was in charge of issuing business permits.

Danri Hyeokjin thought it wouldn’t hurt to know him, so they decided to become sworn brothers.

“Come, brother, please accept this drink from your younger brother.”

“Thank you. I’m truly happy to have met a brother like you.”

The two men seemed to be enjoying themselves, exchanging drinks.

Hwa-rin entered the brothel and saw Danri Hyeokjin drinking with a man.

“Did you come?”

“Who is that man that Hyeokjin is having so much fun drinking with?” she asked the server.

“Actually, a little while ago……”

The server explained in detail what had happened at the brothel earlier, how Danri Hyeokjin had resolved the situation, and how they had become sworn brothers.

“He’s quite capable. But is that man trustworthy? There are a lot of scammers in the world.”

“I don’t know. He says he works for the government, so we can find out quickly if we investigate.”

“He’ll figure it out. You know it’s the rainy season starting tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“You have to be careful on rainy days. A lot of crazy people are out and about.”

“Is that true? That crazy people are out and about on rainy days?”

“Of course, it’s true. There are fewer people out when it rains. Even if you stab someone to death, the rain washes away the blood, so there’s no smell. And because they’re swollen with water, it’s hard to find any traces.”

The server, listening to Hwa-rin’s words, nodded and swallowed hard.

“It doesn’t hurt to be careful. I heard there was a flood here last year?”

“But they’ve done construction and dug deep drainage ditches to let the water flow down, so it won’t flood like last year.”

“Everything is flooded except for our Osongnu. Still, move anything that can get wet to the upper floors. If it’s hard to do alone, hire people and finish the job quickly.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll talk to the head chef and empty the warehouse.”

“Do that. I’ve made it clear. If anything is lost this rainy season, you’ll have to prepare for the worst. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Hwa-rin smiled at the server’s response.

“And tell Hyeokjin not to drink too much.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“Then, good luck. And kick that courtesan out.”

“Pardon?”

“You have to be clear about rewards and punishments. That way, the other courtesans will be careful.”

“But if we kick her out……”

“Hire another courtesan. A young and pretty one.”