Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 20



Only Krnovel

20. Market (3)

Fortunately, the city hall and the salt shop were located side by side in the center of the market, so I could quickly find them. As the city hall manager said, the area in front of the salt shop run by the Shanxi merchant was a mess.

“These sons of bitches! Who the hell ordered them to do this!”

“What are you talking about? We’re just doing our job.”

“No, even if Ah-haeng is more convenient for the local merchants, it has to be moderate! Moderate!”

The Ahaengs were doing their job as I expected. Their job was simple. They had to rip off the foreign merchants, the Shanxi merchants. It was the traditional custom of the Ahaengs to rip off foreign merchants. If they did it even worse, the Shanxi merchants would not be able to sell their goods.

But how can you cover the sky with your palm? No matter how much Ahaeng blocks it, it is frustrating not only for the Shanxi merchants but also for the customers. In the end, Ahaeng’s blocking is just a stopgap measure that will explode someday.

“Get rid of all these guys!”

In the end, what the Shanxi merchants chose was to hire and mobilize Yi Chang’s unmanned forces.

Even though they have already hired the shamans, they probably can’t tell the shamans to kick out the government officials. They need to bring in friends who will do anything for money, not arrogant and proud people.

“These kids!”

“Don’t let go of this!”

“If you don’t want to get screwed, get out!”

The people hired by the Shanxi merchants cleared away the peddlers who were setting up the market. They did not hesitate to threaten the government officials. Qing Shu frowned at the sight.

“Are they the people from Heukdo Bangpa?”

“No. They are the political people.”

In any case, they know that government officials can be silenced with money. It is true that the Shisai and Ahaeng have influence in the market, but outside the market, they are just low-level officials.

“How can you conclude that this is a political party?”

“There’s a familiar face there.”

I knew I would run into them on my way to and from the market, but they were faster than I thought. Among them was Sakong-hyeon, who had retired a few days ago. The one who was currently doing the dirty work with Ah-haeng was Seung-roe-mun.

The guards who had been dispatched to distribute the famous characters were watching from behind with ambiguous expressions. They were contemplating whether to join or not.

Once they leave the shaman, their actions are greatly restricted, because their actions soon represent the shaman.

That’s why I couldn’t fight a fight without a proper cause in a low-level place like this. It was the same for Cheongsu, so it was equally embarrassing.

As we were quietly watching, the Shanxi merchants saw the situation and came towards us, grumbling.

“Why are you interfering with our business, sir?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t you ordering your servants to interfere with business? What are you doing? You don’t want the Shanxi merchants to come to Yichang again?”

“That’s impossible. I don’t know what you’re talking about. How can you insult an imperial official without any basis?”

The current affairs were shameless. After all, it was impossible to criticize the management any longer without any basis.

“Do you think we have nowhere to go but Yichang? This won’t be good.”

“Now you’re even threatening me? Seriously.”

Shi Sa was trying his best to resist, but it seemed difficult for him to be more aggressive. Even if there was no evidence, the situation was too obvious, and if the Shanxi merchants did not come to Yichang because of Shi Sa, it would escalate into a big problem in its own right.

The Shanxi merchants were growling, and the Ahaeng were being cleared away by the Seungryemun Gate. It was now the next day.

In this situation, I was the only one who could step forward. I wasn’t even wearing the shaman’s blue robe. That was because it was given only to the disciples of the main temple. That was also why people kept mistaking me for a cult member.

“Okay, okay. Stop it!”

When I shouted with all my might, people all stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

As I had a long career as a merchant, I was confident in speaking loudly.

Only then did Sa Gong-hyeon, who was between the thunder gates, notice me and become sharp-eyed.

“What are you?”

The people of Seungryemun, who looked a hand wider than me, looked down at me threateningly.

“That guy is a shaman’s disciple.”

The one who spoke about me was Sakong-hyeon. Among them, Jiang-jeon, a Shanxi merchant who had met me, ran out immediately.

“It’s you. You’re the one who’s been putting up with it.”

As expected, Kang Jeon was a formidable merchant. He could infer what had happened just by looking at the current situation.

“You declared war by saying you were buying things cheaply, and then you went to the city hall and complained? You said the law on individual sales was abolished?”

“What a vulgar expression.”

“What on earth does your Majesty believe in this guy that makes him act so arrogantly? He’s nothing more than a shaman’s heir.”

Of course, if I tell it myself, people won’t believe me, so I wrote about the shaman’s background. If Kang-jeon didn’t know that, he would be so frustrated that he would die.

“I would also like to ask the Lord of Gokjeon. Is this the official position of the shamans toward the Shanxi merchants?”

“That’s not it. I am a disciple of a shaman, but I am also a merchant. As a merchant, I acted personally to uphold justice, and I have no ties to the shaman faction.”

When Cheongsu hesitated, I was the first to draw the line with the shamans.

“I would rather ask the Shanxi merchants. I know that Shanxi merchants serve the government and value righteousness. I have heard that they should make righteous profits by following the principle of profit and righteousness. Why do you want to make a huge profit by using information obtained from Beijing?”

When I spoke directly, the faces of the Shanxi merchants turned red.

“Guests from the Shanxi Province don’t have to get caught up in that nonsense. The current affairs have come up, so isn’t there a simple way to resolve disputes between merchants?”

Sakong-hyeon shouted loudly. At those words, the expressions of the Shanxi merchants brightened, and Shi-sa’s expression turned bewildered.

“Are you talking about a proxy war?”

“Yes.”

It is not always possible for good and evil to be clear, or for the victim and the perpetrator to be clear. Most disputes that occurred in the market often had neither victims nor perpetrators. It was just a difference in each party’s position. Just like now.

It would take a long time to determine who was right or wrong in such a situation. That was not what the government, which was short on manpower, or the merchants, for whom time was money, wanted.

So the concept that emerged was proxy warfare. Usually, merchants would mobilize escorts when they went on a business trip, so the escorts would fight each other.

Since this was actually a matter between merchants, it was more like they were trying to solve it with money. Those with a lot of money would hire good escorts.

“That’s a good idea. Since you are a merchant and not a disciple of a shaman, and you are planning this kind of action, the shamans should not intervene.”

The Shanxi merchants all spoke in unison. They were afraid that I would call the shaman’s men as escorts.

However, from the beginning, the shamans were not the type of people who would get involved in a street fight, as they called it. This was because they cared more about the reputation of their sect than their own.

“Have you thought about anything?”

Cheongsu whispered to me. He was worried about me because he couldn’t join.

I nodded slightly at Cheongsu. Cheongsu’s expression seemed to have eased.

“I have nothing to say as an escort, so I will fight the proxy battle myself. Is that okay? Your Majesty.”

The Sisa was taken aback by my words. The Shanxi merchants were also dumbfounded. A proxy war where the merchants themselves were fighting.

“… … Is that okay?”

“Yes. Your Majesty has done a good job of blocking it so far. Now, isn’t it our turn?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. How are you going to deal with those people? They’re not opponents that can be dealt with by just fighting well in the neighborhood. The martial artists are people who can break bones with one punch and turn a jaw with one kick.”

Although the Sisa was worried, the Shanxi merchants raised their voices because they thought this was the moment. They judged that if I came out, they would definitely win.

“Once you appoint someone as your proxy, they cannot be removed.”

“Then I would like you to nominate one person from the Seungryemun.”

The court finally allowed the proxy war. Sa-gong-hyeon immediately opened his mouth as if he was excited.

“Even if that guy is a disciple of the Shamanist faction, he has not learned anything and has very little internal energy. Anyone can win. I can go.”

Sa-gong-hyeon seemed like he wanted to go out whenever he had the chance. Actually, if Cheong-hwa hadn’t stopped the fight the last time, I would have lost.

“The Seungryemun has a reputation, so how can you go against a merchant?”

At that moment, the biggest man in the Seungrye Gate stepped out. He was a man with a large sword whose surface area was as wide as my forearm. Sa Gong-hyeon and the Shanxi merchants were delighted.

“Will the Lord come forward?”

“I received money from the merchants, so shouldn’t I pay for it?”

A man stood opposite me. He was a large man, a head taller than me, and looked intimidating.

“We will nominate Hong Mun-hak, the great swordsman of the Seungryeomun.”

One of the Shanxi merchants said right away. The head of the family was probably the highest-ranking person, except for the Somunju. In terms of martial arts, he might even be better than Sagonghyeon. Sagonghyeon became the Somunju by bloodline, but that person was probably someone who earned the position of head of the family through martial arts.

“The person to be the proxy has been decided.”

The narrator spoke in a solemn voice.

“The losing side in the proxy war must make unconditional concessions in the event of a dispute. The Shanxi merchants will not be able to drive out the Ahaengs.”

“On the other hand, that means we can kick out the traitors and deal directly with them?”

“Of course.”

The rules of proxy war were simple. If you become incapacitated, it’s over. Hong Moon-hak said, cracking his knuckles.

“A shaman’s disciple?”

Hong Moon-hak looked down at me with arrogant eyes. It seemed like he had absolutely no intention of losing.

“No weapons?”

“Because I haven’t learned swordsmanship yet.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to fight me?”

“Yes. And don’t even say anything.”

“How absurd. Even though she is a shaman, she is a layperson. How dare a merchant fight a warrior without fear?”

“That’s none of your business. If you think you can win, then just win.”

“I don’t know what kind of confidence you have.”

The shamans of the Mudanpa had tense expressions, while those of the Seungryemun were in high spirits. It seemed as if they had already won.

“Get started.”

Hongmunhak flew towards me with the words of the poet. He was large, but he was fast, and it was as if a cannonball was being shot towards me.

‘But, it is visible.’

At least as far as the law is concerned, I was a person who had entered the realm of the uninhabited, not an ordinary person.

I was definitely the fastest person I’d ever faced, but my body felt much lighter than before.

My body became more flexible and the flow of energy in my energy vessels became more powerful. This was the effect of the Chugung and Hyoel. The more I did the Chugung and Hyoel, the more my muscles and bones became suitable for martial arts, making it easier to perform the techniques.

“oh!”

When I avoided Hong Moon-hak’s punch by bending my waist, people gasped. The onlookers thought I would get hit right away and be thrown to the corner.

On the other hand, Hong Moon-hak’s face turned red. He knew he would win no matter what, so he threw a punch without even using his sword, but it seems he didn’t know I could dodge it so cleanly.

I immediately bent my upper body back further and kicked the ground. After doing a spin in the air, I landed backwards.

“You should have taken that punch instead.”

Hong Moon-hak pulled out a sword with a wide surface area. I also became even more nervous.

Hong Moon-hak immediately kicked off the ground and flew up. I could feel the pressure of the wind before he approached.

Many people would have expected me to dodge. But I didn’t. Even if I stalled for time, I couldn’t win by running away. That was what Cheonghwa had told me.

A huge sword face swung down at me. It was an inevitable choice because raising the blade would be considered a kill and result in disqualification. However, it was difficult because the attack surface was so wide.

But my movements were surpassing Hongmunhak’s. It may also have been due to Hongmunhak’s attempt to finish it off quickly without going through any special legal procedures. I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

If I couldn’t take advantage of opportunities in the past, I can now because I have a strong body.

I clenched my fists and flew into the air with Hong Moon-hak. Hong Moon-hak’s eyes opened wide.

“You bastard!”

Hongmunhak’s voice was excited, as if he thought it was an act of ignoring him. The black mask came close enough to cast a shadow on my forehead. I showed off my skill of twisting my body in the air and extended my fist before the black mask hit my forehead.

The fist was aimed at none other than Hong Moon-hak’s wrist. If it were like before, he wouldn’t have been able to strike at all, but if he had a strong body, he would at least be able to impede his movements. After he got used to having a strong body, he didn’t even hurt when he slammed his fist into a rock.

The black mask grazed my waist by a hair’s breadth, and my fist struck Hong Mun-hak’s wrist. The impact was so heavy that it made my body shiver.

The sword’s path was distorted, and Hong Moon-hak’s expression was filled with pain.

That was the opportunity and gap that I created. It was the one and only opportunity that was created because Hongmunhak ignored me. If it were Jeon, I wouldn’t have taken advantage of that opportunity, but it was different now.

My fist was aimed precisely between the chin and the earlobe, which are difficult to train. Then, as if bouncing my entire body, I put all my strength into my fist and fired it out.

puck!

My fist hit Hong Moon-hak squarely behind the jaw, with the sound of a large egg breaking against a wall.

“100 million!”

Hong Moon-hak fell from the air and rolled around ugly, and I turned my body around to land, then extended my hand and placed it on Hong Moon-hak’s neck, who had not yet come to his senses.

Of course, I can’t point to the point of bleeding yet, but if this wasn’t a hand blade but a dagger, Hong Moon-hak would have died.

Hongmunhak stretched out on the ground, and my fingertips placed on his neck. It was clearly the end of a fight.

“… … The proxy war is the victory of Prince Mukhwiyeong.”

After a moment of silence, a faint voice rang out.

“Wow!”

A beat later, the cheers of the onlookers echoed through the market center.