Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 117



Only Krnovel

117. Where the forest is thick, tigers come (2)

I’ve experienced this kind of trickery and planning a lot more in my past life than in this one. If you have a lot of money, all sorts of bugs tend to swarm you.

At first, I avoided the place because it was uncomfortable. But that was the wrong choice.

The design that was originally aimed at me will never disappear. If I don’t meet it, it will work in the shadows where I cannot see it.

The design itself took a lot of manpower and money. You can’t just throw away the design just because I don’t meet you.

So, I would intentionally meet more people who were trolling me. I had to keep the troll in my sights so I could uncover the truth behind the story.

“Hehe. You’re back.”

Yeom Baek-gyu greeted me and Myeong-il with a smile.

I smiled back. Yeom Baek-gyu poured me another glass of hogolju, almost overflowing, and I poured myself another glass.

Right now, I’m only looking at Yeom Baek-gyu when he’s not aware of me. That guy. First of all, he’s not a merchant.

A merchant living in the northwest could not possibly not know the Western-style handshake. Although he was well hidden by his leather mask, his neck was thick and his chin was sharp, giving him a strong appearance. He was different from the merchants who usually had their jaws folded and swaying.

I didn’t go that far, but some merchants actually gained weight to show off their wealth. A huge belly and a chin were said to be a sign of wealth or something.

So I drank Hogolju while being cautious. I drank after Yeom Baek-gyu drank first. Judging from the fact that Yeom Baek-gyu drank it cheerfully, I don’t think he was manipulating his drink.

“By the way, I heard you’re interested in black poetry.”

“Oh, yes. That’s right. I originally came here to ask about Heuksi, but somehow I ended up meeting such a noble person, so I forgot the true nature of the meeting.”

Yeom Baek-gyu drank his alcohol in gulps, even while he was walking. His face turned red, so it didn’t seem like he was using his inner strength to handle the alcohol, but rather that he was just talking.

“Actually, I heard that there is a valuable item coming out in this black market.”

“exactly?”

“That’s right. Oh, this is a secret. When you’re drunk, you can’t tell what to say or not say.”

I chuckled to myself. He was good at acting.

“But oh no, I don’t have an invitation. So I was looking for one urgently.”

“And that’s what we found?”

“That’s right. You look guilty, so it looks like you can get an invitation or have one.”

Yeom Baek-gyu laughed. That must not be a joke. Because after I started providing money to the shaman, the clothes that the shaman’s disciples wear when they go out have all been changed to expensive silk materials. Not to mention Yeo Hong-yang and I, who are merchants who have to wear expensive clothes.

“Haengsu. We stopped talking earlier, but can I get an invitation?”

When I spoke to Yeo Hong-yang, Yeo Hong-yang changed her expression and spoke again.

“Yes, sir. You can get it at the Cheonsu Sangdan Seoan Branch.”

Yeo Hong-yang also started to match my acting. I’m not the type of person who acts uselessly. She had a knack for it.

“Oh. The West Bank branch of the Cheonsu Sangdan. It seems you have a connection with the King’s Sangdan.”

“Oh, this time I made some friends with the merchants of Whiju.”

“As expected, as expected. You are very talented.”

“But no one said I was bringing the invitation to Heuksi.”

I laughed. Yeom Baek-gyu also laughed back without giving up.

“Although Hogolju is a precious drink, how can it express all my feelings? This is just a drink I wanted to treat a noble person.”

“Then let’s talk. How many invitations do you need?”

“How many do you need? I’ll just need one.”

“I see. But I also have to give a piece of my mind to the Heavenly Guardians. It seems like it’ll be quite a headache to get another invitation… … .”

I glanced at Yeom Baek-gyu, trailing off.

Yeom Baek-gyu took out the pouch from his bosom as if he had expected this. Then, he pushed two horseshoe-shaped Yuan-bo (元寶) inside the pouch into my bosom. Naturally, I grabbed their wrists and pushed them out.

“Hey, man. Are you expecting me to say something like that?”

“It’s my sincerity. Please put it away.”

There was a fierce struggle, but in the end, two yuan ingots fell into my arms.

“You’re being so difficult. You’re really annoying. Then it won’t work.”

“Thank you for accepting me, sir.”

Next to him, Myeong-il looked at him with a pitiful expression, and Yeo Hong-yang stuck out her tongue. Just now, it was truly a play. This situation itself was a play, so should we say it was a play within a play?

“Sir, please have another drink.”

“Heh heh. Is that so?”

I naturally took a bow. Yeom Baek-gyu and I drank a few glasses, and the bottle of Hogolju was emptied. Hogolju wasn’t a very large amount of alcohol to begin with. Still, it was enough for two people to get drunk.

Of course, my face got hot, but I kept my cool mind.

“Would you like another drink, bro?”

When did you become my older brother? I don’t even know your age. I laughed inside, but something else came out of my mouth.

“Haha. I’d like to, but I guess we’re both busy. Come back to this guesthouse tomorrow at this time. I’ll give you an invitation.”

“As expected of you, hyung. You’re so hot, it’s like bamboo leaves in my throat.”

“Then let’s break up here. I should also go to Cheonsu Sangdan and receive an invitation.”

“All right!”

Yeom Baek-gyu gave me the imperial salute, paid the bill, and left.

“One salute is cool.”

I took a breather from the sight of her back fading away. My vision, which had been turbulent, began to return to normal.

“What are you thinking? It’s not like it’s a big deal to just get an invitation.”

I told Yeo Hong-yang the story I had told Myeong-il. The gist of it was that this guy named Yeom Baek-gyu was either a designer or a player.

Yeo Hong-yang also nodded, knowing that there were players who were attached to merchants.

“Are you that far already?”

“Honestly, there’s no reason not to.”

“You have great self-esteem.”

“Why not? I’m a big guy.”

Yeo Hong-yang also gave him a look that said he had bad luck, but he didn’t really refute it.

Even though I say it myself, I was still a prominent figure in the upper world. Just by bringing out the noble Taoist priests who had been living in seclusion in Mt. Wudang for hundreds of years, I was more than qualified to receive such treatment.

“Let’s go to the Cheonsu Sangdan Seoan Branch for now. There’s something we need to find out.”

I said. Yeo Hongyang confidently took the lead.

However, the development at the Cheonsu Sangdan Seoan Branch was different from what was expected.

“Did you say no?”

Yeo Hongyang’s voice grew louder. The person who appeared to be a servant at the top was sweating profusely.

“Yes. That’s what the branch manager said himself.”

“Where is the branch manager? Is it true that I just got here and I haven’t seen him at all?”

“The branch manager is currently on a business trip to Hwasanpa… … .”

“Are you kidding me!”

Yeo Hongyang shouted. The servant became lost in thought. I grabbed Yeo Hongyang’s shoulder.

The aforementioned Yeo Hong-yang’s face suddenly turned to me. I slowly shook my head. It was a sign that I should find my composure.

“Has Prince Yeo Hong-won come to the Xi’an branch office recently?”

I interjected and asked. The servant noticed and nodded.

“shit.”

After hearing the answer, Yeo Hongyang left the Seoan branch without even looking at the servant.

I gave the servant a quick bow and followed Yeo Hongyang. Yeo Hongyang was still leaning against the wall with her face flushed.

You probably know the general situation. The Seoan branch manager must have been ordered not to provide any convenience to Yeo Hong-yang.

“The West Bank branch was neutral though… … .”

Yeo Hong-yang muttered. In fact, it could be said that Yeo Hong-yang was taking a kind of psychological escape from the shamanist faction.

It was completely expected that things would get worse, not better.

“It was the same from the beginning anyway. Don’t be like that.”

I put my hand on Yeo Hongyang’s shoulder. Yeo Hongyang glanced at me and roughly washed her face.

“I showed you my ugly side. I’m sorry. I’ll show you the dojo tomorrow too.”

“not really.”

Myeongil accepted it indifferently. Rather, his tone of voice was a comfort to Yeo Hongyang.

Anyway, now we have no more hill to climb. Yeo Hongyang coughed in embarrassment and said.

“Then should we just go to Gansu? Going to the black market wasn’t in my plans anyway.”

“No. I have to show the black market to the executioner tomorrow.”

I said with a smile.

“And I have to see his face too.”

“Ah. Right.”

The Yeom Baek-gyu I just met is like a thorn in my neck. I could have just left it like that, but I didn’t want to leave behind a needless anxiety factor.

“Then I need to get an invitation.”

“You just have to ask.”

“how?”

“There is a way to do everything. Why is it called black?”

I smiled and led the way. There was no particular destination. All I did was go out to the outskirts and walk down alleyways. Sometimes I took the wrong path and ended up walking down the same path again.

“What kind of method is this?”

At first, Yeo Hong-yang, who had been following along silently, asked, “That’s why I said that a young master who grew up in a noble family cannot do this.”

I just shook my head and continued on to the outskirts of Xi’an. I gradually left the wealthy village and reached a place with many thatched houses. The sun had set and the surroundings had become dark. The sunset over there in the wealthy village was red, but where we were walking was in the shade, so all I could smell was a damp, bloody smell.

And when I entered the eightyth alley, I met the people I wanted to meet.

“Huh. Why do you look like merchants wearing expensive clothes?”

A man with a sword with a ring on his head approached me and threw a lottery ticket. I smiled and threw a lottery ticket back.

“How did you end up in such a slum? Have you ever heard that there is a toll in this alley?”

Yeo Hongyang and Myeongil looked at me at the same time. It seemed like they finally realized what I was going to do.

“I don’t know about that.”

I unsheathed my sword at my waist. Of course, I didn’t take the sword out of its sheath.

“Come at it.”

It was a question and answer dance.

The black people in the alley looked at me blankly and then burst into laughter.

And it didn’t take long for the laughter to turn to groans.

The black people who had laughed at me at first were all lying on the floor, groaning. Now, I could easily catch street thugs without even having to summon up my inner strength.

The black ones looked at me as if they were afraid. They knew now. It wasn’t them who had come looking for me, it was me who had come looking for them.

“What on earth do you want from us?”

“Invitation to the Black City.”

I answered with a smile.

Invitations to the black market were easy to obtain from the black clans. This was because, just as the market was usually guarded by government troops, the black clans guarded the black market.

“hurry.”

The one who seemed to be the leader of the group of black people took out a handful of folded papers. They were all invitations.

“Don’t feel too bad. If it weren’t for you, I would have gone looking for other black people.”

I snatched the invitation. The black man trembled, unable to even meet my eyes.

“Okay?”

I waved the invitation to Myeong-il and Yeo Hong-yang, who were watching from behind.

Myeongil quietly closed his eyes, lowered his head, and muttered.

“The secular world… … .”

That’s how we got our hands on a bundle of invitations to the Black Poetry Festival.