Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 18



Only Krnovel

18. Market (1)

Market. The flower of commerce. Although it varies from region to region, the market usually opens at noon with a bell and closes at sunset with a bell.

Once the market opens, merchants shout loudly and customers walk around, comparing prices and bargaining. It’s natural for things to get noisy, but that’s the fun of being in a market.

“It’s really noisy.”

Cheongsu frowned. The other shamans’ men did the same.

Coming from the quiet Mudeungsan Mountain to the market street, your ears can’t help but hurt. Also, for those who think that quiet is a virtue rather than noise, the market is a dirty place.

But I felt energized by the heat of these people. The smells from the makeshift teahouses, taverns, butcher shops, lumber shops, spice shops, and apothecaries all mingled together.

“Isn’t this heat good?”

“It’s good.”

“People live so fiercely. I think it’s better to be with people than to play around.”

“Even if you say that, since you have already mastered the Cheongunbo, you are a disciple of the main mountain.”

Usually, the market is divided into sections, and the shops are grouped by industry, called rows. I heard that there are 50 rows, so it was a fairly large market.

“So where is the salt?”

“Usually the salt merchants will take the best place in the market. It will be in the center.”

“You know a lot.”

“It’s common sense. Common sense. You don’t even know that.”

At the shaman’s office, I didn’t know martial arts so I just stayed still, but here, it was my low ground.

Cheongsu’s expression became uncomfortable as he sat still and ate the food. If I continue, I might get questioned and killed in the middle of the market, so I have to be careful.

The shamans of Cheongsu and Mudang followed me as if they were possessed. No matter how complicated the market may seem, there is a way. Of course, market beginners like the Mudangpa people may get lost and wander around the market.

Then, you can only escape after the market closes without fail. The market is a monster that has no mercy on beginners. This is true of all industries, including martial arts.

“It feels like the air is starting to get salty already. My eyes are starting to feel salty.”

“What kind of expression is that?”

“It means that the salt field is right in front.”

As I said, I turned a corner and immediately came across a salt shop. There were many salt shops, but I could find the shop of the Shanxi merchant right away. The quality of the clothes they wore and the scale of the salt they had piled up were different.

The first thing I noticed was the Shanxi merchant. A pot-bellied man wearing a green cotton robe approached us.

“Oh, you are the great shamans. My name is Jiang Zhen from Shanxi Province.”

“I am Cheongsuyo, in charge of the shaman’s song. I came on another matter, and the great disciples here will be in charge of guarding you.”

“okay.”

The five of Mingzi Distribution introduced themselves. If they were the great disciples of Mingzi Distribution, no one would dare touch them. Not only was their level of military power high, but who in Hubei would dare touch the Wudang Sect? That is why the Shanxi merchants also used the Wudang Sect as their escorts.

“I see. You are someone I have often met in writing. It is truly an honor that you have come.”

Kang Jeon said that, but he didn’t seem particularly interested in Cheong Soo. Rather, he seemed more concerned about the five people who were given the title of Myeong Ja.

They are more concerned about the five famous characters who protect them. It is a practical way of thinking worthy of a merchant.

Cheongsu must have felt it too, as he slowly turned his lips inward and bit them. It must have felt like blood was rushing to his head when he was looked down upon by a merchant he had thought of as cheap.

“Excuse me, but may I ask why you are here, Your Majesty?”

Cheongsu seemed to feel humiliated by Kang-jeon’s words, which only showed basic manners.

I looked into Kang Jeon’s eyes. They were cold eyes. They were the eyes he had when looking at products and customers.

‘It’s done.’

It was only then that I realized. Jiang Zhen’s neglect of Qing Shu was planned. The inside information of the Wudangpa was leaked to the Shanxi merchants. Jiang Zhen had already known what Qing Shu would say, but he asked.

“I came to buy salt.”

Cheongsu said. Kangjeon tilted his head with an exaggerated gesture.

“Didn’t you say that the non-partisan faction wouldn’t buy salt in this chapter?”

“I just didn’t do a pre-sale to buy it on the spot. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to buy it at all.”

“Is that so? The amount of pre-sale has already been completed. Why would you do something that will cause you such a loss?”

Now Kang Jeon was not only indifferent but also prickly. It seemed as if he was expecting them to accept this level of treatment since they had not accepted his offer.

“It’s difficult to say because it’s an internal matter.”

“I see. If you buy it on the spot, it will cost you much more than if you buy it in advance.”

I felt the need to intervene in front of the Shanxi merchant who was openly treating me coldly. Because Qing Shui’s blushing face looked like it might explode.

“We will buy it cheaply.”

“yes?”

Kang Jeon’s eyes turned to me for the first time. He knew at first glance that I was Cheong Soo’s attendant and didn’t pay any attention to me.

“Is this person also a shaman’s disciple… … .”

“I am not a disciple of the main temple.”

“Oh, I see.”

Kang Jeon’s eyes became confident. This was because there was no reason for him to bow down if he was not a disciple of the main temple.

“Can I ask what that means?”

When he found out that I was a lay disciple, Kang Jeon’s words changed to a harsh tone. It was a typical war of nerves.

“I know. The dog meat law is going to be repealed soon.”

“what?”

Kang Jeon’s face suddenly turned ashen. Cheong Soo’s face also became distorted. This was because he had not told Cheong Soo until now that the law on the separation of powers would be abolished.

“Wait a minute. What does that mean?”

Qing Shui intervened. If the salt price law is abolished, Shanxi merchants will no longer be able to make huge profits from salt.

It is a natural logical structure that the price of salt south of North China is stable. Cheongsu is aware of this and is working hard.

“The law on individual distribution is being abolished? If that is true, then you dare to try to make a huge profit against the non-partisan group?”

I knew this would happen. In a fight between merchants, if you get angry, you lose.

Kang Jeon’s expression, which had turned ashen, returned to a cold expression. He was tense, knowing that if he made a mistake here, it would be irreversible.

“To be exact, there is a rumor going around Beijing about this, and it is confidential. I don’t know how that guy knew, but as long as the law is still in effect, I can say that he did not make a huge profit.”

“That’s right. The Shanxi merchants are not making huge profits these days. The law of weighting has not been abolished yet. They are just selling at the regular price.”

When I took Kang Jeon’s side, Cheong Su turned her face towards me.

The expression on his face was like, “How can a shaman take the side of a merchant when he doesn’t take the side of a shaman?”

“Wouldn’t it be a headache for you if you spread the word that the dog meat law has been abolished?”

Cheongsu said. As expected, Cheongsu knew nothing about the world of merchants. I answered instead of Kangjeon.

“That is still a Beijing secret. If we spread it openly, the Imperial Palace will hold us accountable.”

“Whose side are you on for now?”

Cheongsu’s anger exploded. Kangjeon added flesh to my words.

“That seed is right. When it comes to salt, even the government is sensitive. If you spread this information, even if you are a non-partisan, it will be difficult to avoid being held accountable by the palace.”

No matter how implicitly they say that their official duties are inviolable, they are bound to clash with each other as long as they share the same land in the Central Plains. This was exactly the case.

Cheongsu knew that if he touched the palace, it would be a headache, so he just shook his fist.

“Anyway, I don’t know what you mean by buying cheaply. Even if the price-cutting law is abolished, we don’t know exactly when it will be abolished. Even if we knew that, our prices wouldn’t change.”

“I see. I understand.”

I lowered my head. When I stepped back so abruptly, both Cheongsu and Kangjeon looked dumbfounded.

First, the five of them went to guard the salt chambers of the Shanxi merchants, and we entered a nearby teahouse. Before the tea was even served, Qing Shui growled at me.

“What on earth are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking of buying salt cheaply.”

“Looking at the way you’re acting, it doesn’t seem like that at all.”

“Not at all. Don’t look at the trees, look at the forest.”

“You are testing my determination. This is the first time I have felt like beating someone up.”

“The Shanxi merchant didn’t have a single haircut.”

“You! You!”

As soon as the sound of the bell rang out, everyone in the teahouse looked at us. The Hubei people knew that we were shamans just by our clothes.

“The shamanist sage is very angry.”

“What on earth is going on?”

Cheongsu looked embarrassed and pressed his lips down on his head. He realized too late that making a fuss here would only bring shame to the shamans.

After taking a sip of tea, Cheongsu seemed to calm down and calm his voice.

“Huh. Right. You didn’t tell me that you were going to abolish the dog meat law, so shouldn’t you share with me what you’re thinking?”

“The reason I didn’t inform you of the abolition of the law was because I knew that you would be aggressive. You actually went on the offensive against the Shanxi merchants.”

“Are you saying that it wasn’t okay? It was going to end soon anyway, so of course it should have gone out like that.”

“Merchants are people too. If the price is the same, would they rather sell to a kind customer or to a nitpicky customer?”

“Ji, the truth… … .”

Cheongsu seemed slightly hurt by my choice of words. To say that a shamanist Taoist priest is revealing the truth was perhaps worse than an insult. I ignored it and continued speaking.

“Then wouldn’t it be right to let them know first and tell them not to act aggressively?”

“No. I told you then to go aggressively. If you had known in advance, you wouldn’t have been so upset. You wouldn’t have said anything about leaking Beijing’s secrets.”

“I’m starting to not understand what you’re saying.”

“To put it simply, you are the one who speaks the truth, and I am the one who can communicate. If you speak the truth, I will stand out more as someone who can communicate.”

“So you were using me?”

“yes.”

In an instant, my head was slammed into the teahouse table. Cheongsu’s hand grabbed the back of my head and slammed it down. Fortunately, he controlled his force so the table didn’t shatter. The sound of a bang drew even more attention from other people.

But Cheongsu didn’t seem to care about that anymore.

“Have you ever seen such a crazy guy?”

“Please say it is a strategic move. Wouldn’t it be good for you to buy salt cheaply?”

“… … Phew.”

“First, have a cup of tea and calm down. Your head hurts.”

At my words, Cheongsu returned to his seat and took a sip of tea. I wiped my forehead with my hand. The bulging spot looked like a bump.

“Yeah. I get the gist of it. You’ll stand out more if I reveal the truth. But I don’t think you can buy it cheaply just because of that.”

“Of course. It’s so obvious that I almost didn’t answer.”

“You really have a way with words that invites fists, you son of a bitch.”

“A merchant must know how to touch the emotions of others. It is especially good to have a talent for exciting others, because it clouds their reason.”

“I told you, you are not a merchant, but a shaman’s disciple.”

Cheongsu sighed.

“So, what are you going to do from now on?”

“Just wait. This chapter is supposed to last five days, so there’s nothing we can do for at least four days.”

“Then what are you doing in the meantime?”

“Let’s go to the market. If you don’t mind, please buy me a shaved ice.”

“… … .”

Blue veins swayed in Cheongsu’s clenched fist. It was the first day of the five-day market.