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C36. Even if They Touch Your Family
While the chief escort, Lee Munyeop, and Pung Yeoncho were discussing "the extra hundred taels" at the front, the atmosphere at the back was different.
Ha Sobaek, the youngest of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain, whispered while looking at No Yangjin, the Lion Slayer.
"Yeon, don’t you think the man next to the one holding the axe has a face that looks like a bun nibbled by rats?"
Yeon Jeokha, who was watching the front, responded.
"Not so much like that, more like a moldy bun."
"Ha! A moldy bun?"
She had never seen a moldy bun before, but just thinking about it made her laugh.
"Ha ha."
"He he."
"Pfft."
Hearing the comparison to a moldy bun, several of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain couldn’t help but laugh. No Yangjin’s face really did resemble a moldy bun, making the situation even funnier.
In the midst of the tense escorts of the Phoenix Group, the relaxed Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain stood out clearly.
No Yangjin looked at the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain with eyes of disgust.
They were joking in a situation where a fight could break out at any moment.
Some of them even laughed after making eye contact with him.
‘These damn kids are looking to die.’
Initially, No Yangjin just wanted to extort more money, but seeing this, he changed his mind.
Pointing at the young men and women, No Yangjin shouted.
"Hey, you! What’s so funny? Did you see something amusing in the sky? You better stay quiet before I gouge your eyes out."
Yeon Jeokha and the two girls looked at No Yangjin with expressions of disdain.
If he had stopped there, nothing more would have happened, but No Yangjin, enjoying his own voice, added one more comment.
"A bunch of idiots who can’t even take care of themselves. I wonder what kind of wh*re birthed trash like you... Ack!"
No Yangjin couldn’t finish his sentence before falling backward.
The sudden commotion interrupted the discussion about "the extra hundred taels."
Hyeok Ryeonhu, Lee Munyeop, and Pung Yeoncho simultaneously turned their gazes toward No Yangjin.
The three didn’t know why No Yangjin had fallen.
However, from the screams, they knew something had happened to him.
Fortunately, No Yangjin didn’t die and quickly got up.
But seeing his face, each of the three had a different reaction. While Hyeok Ryeonhu was surprised, Lee Munyeop was stunned, and Pung Yeoncho seemed to have expected something like this to happen.
"Ugh, what happened?"
As he muttered and looked around, No Yangjin’s eyes met Hyeok Ryeonhu’s.
Hyeok Ryeonhu approached and pulled a copper coin embedded in No Yangjin’s forehead.
"Tsk! No Yangjin, you were lucky."
If the coin had embedded vertically, it would have pierced his skull and killed him instantly.
Finally realizing the situation, No Yangjin nervously looked around, still dazed from the impact.
Replacing the disoriented sub-boss, Hyeok Ryeonhu shouted.
"Who did this? If our Red Blood Gang made a mistake, come out and teach us the lesson."
Yeon Jeokha stepped forward, flicking a copper coin in his hand.
"Was it you?"
Without knowing exactly what had happened, No Yangjin shouted and lunged forward.
However, he was thrown back faster than he had advanced.
Thud!
No Yangjin, who had fallen on his back, got up stumbling.
His shoulders were bleeding.
Hyeok Ryeonhu cautiously approached No Yangjin, who was standing there with his arms hanging.
Inspecting the holes in his clothes, he found a copper coin embedded in his flesh.
No matter how many times he looked, it was the same coin that had been in the young man’s hand.
Someone who could defeat No Yangjin, the Lion Slayer, with just a coin!
No Yangjin hadn’t even had the chance to draw his sword.
Hyeok Ryeonhu felt an involuntary chill.
The young man had moved his hands so fast that he hadn’t been able to see.
'Damn, this is getting complicated.'
Although he wanted to let it go, he couldn’t lose face in front of his subordinates.
After hesitating, Hyeok Ryeonhu slowly turned to Yeon Jeokha.
"Kid, was it you?"
"If they touch my family."
Yeon Jeokha’s words were short.
Although Hyeok Ryeonhu was burning with rage, he held back. He wanted to use his axe immediately, but the coins were too scary.
"He’s the sub-boss of the Red Blood Gang. Do you really think this will end here?"
A strange smile appeared on Yeon Jeokha’s face.
"I didn’t know he was the sub-boss. If he did something wrong, how far should I take responsibility?"
Yeon Jeokha snapped his fingers.
Whizz!
A bandit next to Hyeok Ryeonhu screamed and flew backward.
Yeon Jeokha didn’t stop moving his fingers.
The seven copper coins in his hand disappeared.
The seven bandits around Hyeok Ryeonhu fell backward. All had coins embedded in their foreheads. Those hit with the flat side of the coin didn’t seem very injured, but those hit vertically seemed in serious trouble.
"You, you, damn... how dare you...?"
Hyeok Ryeonhu trembled with anger.
Every time the boy snapped his fingers, his men fell. It was maddening.
Yeon Jeokha slowly drew his sword.
"Tell me, how far should I take responsibility?"
Hyeok Ryeonhu’s heart sank at the young man’s indifferent look.
‘What is happening?’
Did this young man not see the bandits surrounding him?
He had already defeated eight, including the sub-boss.
Fifty-two remained.
If a large-scale fight started, the caravan’s escorts would undoubtedly join in. They could handle the escorts somehow, but that young man really worried him.
The axe he held felt especially heavy today.
A frontal battle would cause too many losses, so he had to end this himself.
"Kid! I am the Boss of the Red Blood Gang. Face me."
Having made a decision, Hyeok Ryeonhu advanced with his axe in one hand.
In an instant, Yeon Jeokha’s eyes flashed, and his sword split the air.
Crack!
The axe handle broke into three pieces and fell lifelessly to the ground.
Simultaneously, the broad blade of Yeon Jeokha’s sword struck Hyeok Ryeonhu’s cheek.
With a dry sound, Hyeok Ryeonhu’s head snapped sharply to the side.
Staggering, Hyeok Ryeonhu straightened his body.
However, in his wide-open eyes, there was no will to fight. He had been defeated without even having the chance to wield his axe, just like the sub-boss.
----------------------
At sunset, the Phoenix Group and the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain left Palgong Mountain. However, there was no nearby village, so they had to camp outdoors.
The escort members lit fires in a field near the road and busily moved about. They set up cauldrons, preparing for dinner.
Soon after, Kwak Jaya and some escorts brought food directly to the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks Mountain.
While eating, Han Chaeyeon suddenly spoke.
"Big brother, do you think there will be problems?"
She was referring to the Nokrim meeting.
Pung Yeoncho responded with a somewhat uncertain face.
"Of course not. We weren’t working as escorts; we just traveled together by chance."
Tak Gomyung smiled and added.
"Brother, don’t worry. No one can tell us what to do, no matter what we do. The good thing about Nokrim is that we do what we want when we want."
"Exactly, there’s no law saying thieves can only steal. We can do whatever makes us money."
Pung Yeoncho relaxed, leaving his worries behind.
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Hangzhou, Baeksaeng Chamber of Commerce.
In the Bangju’s office, two people sat facing each other. The Bangju of the Baeksaeng Chamber of Commerce, Lee Sechang, and the owner of Waryong Manor, Baek Miju. Both had smiles on their faces.
"Ha ha, lately I’ve heard a lot about Waryong Manor here in Hangzhou. They say you might expand here."
"That will only be possible if things go well with the Baeksaeng Chamber of Commerce. You’re not still hesitating between Waryong Manor and the Changhae Military Academy, are you?"
"Oh! Don’t mention the name Changhae Military Academy in front of me. The damage I suffered from them last year was considerable."
Lee Sechang shook his head.
The Changhae Military Academy was one of the many small military academies in Hangzhou. Lee Sechang had hired warriors from there and ended up being ridiculed by other chambers of commerce.
Not only could they not resist the bandits, but there were also rumors that they inflated fees and pocketed the money.
"So why are you delaying the contract with us? Do you think the warriors of Waryong Manor are inferior to those from other academies?"
"It’s not that. It’s just that there are some internal doubts about whether we can trust Waryong Manor, which has no experience in commercial escorts yet."
As a shrewd merchant, Lee Sechang was trying to lower the price.
Baek Miju’s smile grew broader.
She also knew that Lee Sechang was trying to get the most for the least cost. If Waryong Manor held out, he would eventually beg for a contract.
However, Waryong Manor couldn’t wait that long. Although they were receiving financial support from the Yeon Clan, that was only a temporary solution. They urgently needed a contract with the Chamber of Commerce to stabilize.
‘Crafty old man. He knows exactly what situation we’re in...’
Although Baek Miju gritted her teeth inside, she didn’t show it. She knew that if she showed impatience, Lee Sechang would only delay things further.
"Sigh! You’re really a businessman. I give up. Tell me, how much do you want?"
Lee Sechang’s face lit up with a warm smile.
"Ha ha, although I’m a businessman, I’m not trying to exploit people to the point of squeezing them dry. Relationships like that don’t last. I’m sure I can offer a good deal for both the Baeksaeng Chamber of Commerce and Waryong Manor."
"Then what’s the price?"
"A monthly salary of fifteen hundred silver coins per person. I consider it a fair amount for Waryong Manor, which has no experience in commercial escorts yet."
The smile disappeared from Baek Miju’s face.
Warriors from small military academies usually received an average monthly salary of two thousand silver coins. Fifteen hundred silver coins were five hundred less than what others received.
But that wasn’t all.
When Baek Miju was about to object that it was too low, Lee Sechang continued.
"Since Waryong Manor hasn’t established its reputation in commerce yet, five hundred of those coins will be paid upon the successful completion of the escort. If there’s any loss along the way, those five hundred coins won’t be paid. With these conditions, I’m willing to sign the contract immediately. What do you think? We need fifty escorts, so you could take fifty taels of silver right now."
Lee Sechang tried to take maximum advantage and then tempted with cash. He knew that Waryong Manor was in a difficult financial situation.
Baek Miju, although she clearly saw his strategy, couldn’t get up and leave. Accepting his proposal meant getting fifty taels of silver immediately.
Lee Sechang threw one more hook.
"If Waryong Manor establishes itself as a reliable partner, I’ll increase the salary to two thousand silver coins. If the loss rate is lower than other chambers of commerce, I might raise it to three thousand."
"Sigh! When do you think that trust will be earned?"
Baek Miju finally relented.
In reality, Lee Sechang also urgently needed escorts, but Baek Miju didn’t think about that. For someone who had been at home all her life, the shrewd merchant Lee Sechang was too much.
"We think a six-month period."
Essentially, it meant they would use the warriors for fifteen hundred silver coins for six months. It was a very low price for the lives of young warriors.
With a dazed expression, Baek Miju signed the contract that Lee Sechang presented. This was how Waryong Manor signed with the Baeksaeng Chamber of Commerce and entered the world of commerce.