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Chapter 110. One Must Be Generous to Avoid Regret
The Jungwon Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest forces in Zhengzhou, also known as Jeongju.
Naturally, they operate various lodgings, restaurants, and tea houses.
The Jungwon Restaurant is one of them, as its name suggests.
It’s not unusual for Im Haesu, the head of operations of the Jungwon Chamber of Commerce, to visit this place. However, today he was accompanied by Baek Miju.
As expected, the table of Im Haesu and Baek Miju was filled with a sumptuous meal.
Im Haesu picked up a guantangbao (soup dumpling) and placed it on the empty plate in front of Baek Miju.
“This is the house specialty. Madame Baek, if you try it, you’ll fall in love with its taste.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Baek Miju broke the dumpling with her chopsticks, allowing the broth to spill out.
“Oh, how interesting. And the aroma is very pleasant.”
Baek Miju brought the dumpling to her mouth and began to chew.
Im Haesu smiled as he watched her eat delicately.
Watching her red lips move made him feel a certain strength somewhere in his body. She had an indescribable allure that couldn’t be ignored.
“I heard that you’ve prepared a new place in the Eastern Residence. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have liked to help a little.”
“The renovation of the house isn’t finished yet. Besides, you’ve already helped me a lot. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to start.”
Baek Miju was grateful to Im Haesu.
Without the information about the Sacred Artifacts from him, the reconstruction of Waryong Manor wouldn’t have been possible.
“Did you finance the work with help from the Baek Family?”
“Half from the Baek Family and the other half with help from the Yang Family.”
“Wow, the Yang Family doesn’t usually help for free. Are you sure everything is okay?”
“Do you know what they want?”
“I’ve heard that the disciples of the Yang Family are having a lot of trouble lately. The Yang Family can’t handle everything on their own, so they will also ask for help from Waryong Manor.”
“That’s not a problem. We’ve had enough experience dealing with that in Luoyang.”
“The situation in Luoyang is different.”
“Different?”
“Yes. There are many sects targeting the disciples of the Yang Family. And they’re all from the Evil Faction, so their methods are brutal and ruthless. Has Waryong Manor had any experience fighting against the Evil Faction?”
“Outside of Nokrim, not much.”
“In comparison to the Evil Faction, Nokrim is purer. The Evil Faction is...”
Im Haesu shook his head.
The Jungwon Chamber of Commerce had also had some encounters with the Evil Faction in the past.
The result?
They suffered terrible losses.
If they hadn’t requested mediation from the Evil Faction alliance in Zhengzhou, Sakhwui, they would have been destroyed. And the mediation process cost them an exorbitant amount of money.
If that was the outcome for the Jungwon Chamber of Commerce, one could imagine how it would go for Waryong Manor.
“What you’re saying worries me a bit.”
“If you need mediation in the future, contact me. I’ll act as an intermediary.”
“Thank you. I trust no one but you.”
Baek Miju extended her delicate hand and gently covered the sturdy back of Im Haesu’s hand.
Fourteen years are nothing, as the saying goes.
Yeon Jeokha, who was six years old, had changed beyond recognition.
But Baek Miju, being an adult, had not.
Moreover, she possessed a renowned beauty that had barely changed in fourteen years. Thanks to this, Yeon Jeokha recognized her instantly.
His heart, which was about to burst, calmed down.
However, just as when he was six years old, he didn’t know what to do.
Naturally, the conversation between Yeon Jeokha and Old Shim came to a halt.
In the heavy silence, they clearly heard the couple’s conversation.
Slurp. Smack.
Old Shim focused on eating quietly. Or at least he pretended to.
‘Madame’ and ‘Waryong Manor,’ along with the rigid expression on Yeon Jeokha’s face.
‘It can’t be...’
Even though he kept eating non-stop, he didn’t taste the food.
After about seven minutes, when he still hadn’t finished half of his meal, Yeon Jeokha silently got up and left.
Old Shim threw down his chopsticks and quickly followed him.
They walked for a while down the avenue until they came across a tall building. The entrance read ‘First Building of Zhengzhou,’ indicating it was a tea house or a brothel.
The building had seven floors.
Yeon Jeokha glanced up at the height and then entered.
Despite it being daytime, the first floor was filled with customers.
Yeon Jeokha climbed up without stopping until he reached the seventh floor.
As they ascended, the number of customers decreased, and the seventh floor was almost empty.
When Yeon Jeokha and Old Shim sat by the window, a woman in her forties approached with several girls.
“Haha, welcome. You seem new here. I’m Jang Bo-ok, the owner of the First Building of Zhengzhou. The seventh floor is...”
Jang Bo-ok left the sentence incomplete when she noticed the weapons at the waist of the old man and the young man.
The price of the seventh floor wasn’t easy for most to afford.
That’s why the customers were generally high-ranking officials or sect leaders.
‘Let’s see if they have money.’
Of course, if there was any problem with payment, she could call the guards.
The First Building of Zhengzhou was protected by the Evil Faction sect, Tongcheonbang. In case of trouble, three guards from Tongcheonbang were always present.
“Haha, why are you standing there? Attend to the gentlemen.”
With permission given, the girls walked over to the old man and the young man.
Jang Bo-ok left four girls and departed.
Immediately, the waiters brought dishes and wine without needing to be ordered.
Old Shim, curious, asked the girl next to him.
“Don’t you take orders here?”
“No, sir. This is the basic service. If you need anything else, you can order it.”
“Ahem, it’s not that I don’t have money, but how much does a meal here cost?”
“All-inclusive, it’s forty taels of silver.”
“Forty taels! Four bottles of wine and a plate of food cost forty taels?”
“Haha. Sir, but we are here to serve you with dedication.”
Old Shim glanced at Yeon Jeokha.
He showed no interest in the wine or the girls, only staring out the window with a frown. It seemed he had come up just to see the view.
“You can leave. Our young master wants to be alone.”
“What? Sir...”
“Sir, we will take good care of you.”
Despite the girls’ flirtations, Old Shim rejected them and made them leave.
Finally, Yeon Jeokha spoke.
“When Waryong Manor was destroyed, I felt both relieved and sad. I thought my revenge was over. But today, upon seeing someone, I realized I hadn’t even begun. You heard, right? They’re going to rebuild Waryong Manor.”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad I came to Zhengzhou.”
“Haha...”
Old Shim laughed maliciously, shrugging his shoulders.
Yeon Jeokha’s cold gaze indicated that he was finally ready to take proper revenge.
“Young master, just tell me what to do. I’ll make sure we completely destroy them.”
“Remember? I told you no one should have any ties to Waryong Manor.”
“Yes.”
“Now I also hate the Baek and Yang Families.”
“Good decision. When it comes to revenge, it’s better to do it thoroughly to avoid regrets.”
“Really?”
“Yes, my first master always said that for revenge, you must make sure to wipe everyone out.”
“Ouch! That’s not right. This old man has no middle ground. Are all demons like this?”
Yeon Jeokha frowned and began to scold.
Old Shim felt relieved seeing Yeon Jeokha talking more. Until recently, his face had been so rigid it was painful to look at.
Since they had left their meal unfinished, they filled their stomachs with the dishes from the restaurant.
It was winter, so they spent a couple of hours chatting before realizing the sun was beginning to set.
As it got dark, the seventh floor, which had been empty, began to fill with customers.
“Young master, it’s time to find lodging.”
“It’s already so late.”
Yeon Jeokha got up without delay.
It was important to find lodging early to secure a good room.
As they headed towards the stairs, Jang Bo-ok and the girls approached.
“Haha, gentlemen, are you leaving already? Did you enjoy your time here?”
“How much is it?”
Upon hearing Old Shim’s question, Jang Bo-ok smiled.
“Haha, we already told you. It’s forty taels of silver.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? We didn’t have the girls with us. How much for just the food and wine?”
“What? Sir, the price includes everything. If you don’t have money...”
“Bah! What nonsense! Tell me how much for just the food and wine.”
Old Shim interrupted coldly.
Without Yeon Jeokha there, he would have resorted to blows, but he held back, though his lips trembled.
“Oh my goodness! Brother, why did you come so late? These gentlemen refuse to pay and threaten to kill me.”
A guard from Tongcheonbang, Yang Jin-saeng, raised his hand to stop her and addressed Old Shim.
“I’m Yang Jin-saeng of Tongcheonbang. This place is under our protection, so pay up quietly and leave.”
Yang Jin-saeng observed the weapons of the old man and the young man.
He didn’t recognize anyone in Zhengzhou who used a red sword and an ancient blade.
That was enough for him.
“Haha.”
A light, mocking laugh drew Yang Jin-saeng’s attention to the young man.
Yeon Jeokha lowered his head and stifled a laugh, trying not to burst into laughter.
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