Hyeonjilmusin - Chapter 21



Only Krnovel

21. Name (1)

When I won the proxy war, Seungryemun ran away in a mess. All that was left were the onlookers who were having fun and the Shanxi merchants who looked like they stepped in shit.

The Shanxi merchants had to sell salt to us at a low price, crying and eating mustard. They did not know when the Gaejung Law would be abolished, and the opportunity cost of going to other markets was too high. They also had to buy something in Yichang and then return to Shanxi to trade.

After the work was over, I told the curious Qing Shu about what I had done in advance, from the fact that the people related to the Sanggye had asked for help from many lay disciples to the very end.

“You got it for 40% off. That’s a huge profit.”

“You won’t sell it to the people at last year’s price, right?”

“A shaman does not take excessive profits from the common people.”

After the abolition of the law on the sale of goods, it would be reduced to half, but considering that it would not be abolished yet, it was reduced to 40%. Considering that even if you sell the goods in advance, you can only reduce it by 5 cents, it was a huge profit.

I was more proud of that, but the shaman’s disciples were focused on me defeating the Seungroemun cult leader.

“Did you say you were a temporary disciple of the main temple?”

“You say you haven’t even started learning martial arts for six months?”

“The movements of the Cheongunbo are very clean.”

The five people who had barely said a word when they came to Uichang showed great interest.

“Haha… … I guess so.”

“What a talent!”

“I have been a shaman for twenty years, but this is the first time I have seen a lay disciple become a true disciple of the main temple.”

“If I become a disciple of the main temple, should I now call myself a priest?”

I parted ways with the disciples of the Mingja distribution on a warm note. They felt good about me simply because I helped the shaman. It meant that the disciples of the Gupaebang identified themselves with their sect.

I couldn’t even have a proper conversation with Cheongsu because I was busy talking to the disciples of the famous master.

Only after we parted ways at Gokjeongak were Cheongsu and I able to talk.

“Well done.”

“You’re so plain.”

“So does that mean I should be acting like an exaggeration?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Just follow me.”

“Where to?”

“To Samcheong-gwan.”

His expression immediately grimaced and his tongue stuck out. Jang Moon-in was a difficult person whose thoughts I couldn’t figure out. I didn’t want to get involved with him any more.

“Ugh. Why there?”

“You ungodly bastard. Not only the Jangmunin but also the Gaepajosa’s spirits are enshrined here, so how can you react like that?”

“That’s one thing, and this is this. But really, why are you taking me? Aren’t you going to report?”

“That’s right. Now that I’m back, I should go report the results right away.”

“Is there any reason for me to be there?”

“Shut up and follow me.”

“Oh, yes.”

If you tell me to shut up and follow you, I can’t help it. I stuck out my lips and went to Samcheong-gwan. Now, the cliff of Samcheong-gwan was at a level where I could climb it with my eyes closed.

When we opened the door to the Samcheong Hall conference room, Jang Moon-in was already there, probably knowing that we had returned.

“You’re here. I’ve heard the general news. I heard that the Shanxi merchants returned home after getting drunk.”

“As expected, horses don’t have legs, so they are faster than people.”

“I don’t know the details though. How much did you cut?”

“Would you like to try to guess it? Long story short.”

Cheongsu laughed, hehe. Jang Moonin and Cheongui narrowed their eyes. They didn’t feel like joking with Jang Moonin, but they felt like they were holding back because they felt like there was something there.

“Seeing you smile like that, it seems like you’ve gotten a 20% discount.”

“20%? Your mouth is too small.”

“Then 2.5 percent?”

“It’s 40%.”

Cheong-ui’s eyes shook greatly. To be honest, even I thought it was an absurd discount.

“… … Is that true?”

“Yes. Even after buying three thousand seok of salt, I still have four hundred nyang of silver left.”

“That’s amazing.”

Cheong-ui was truly impressed. No matter how far the Taoists lived their lives from money, the leader of an organization could not help but be sensitive to money. If he had saved four hundred nyang of silver, it was naturally a great achievement.

“I don’t have any credit. It’s all this guy’s.”

At that moment, Cheongsu suddenly put his hand on my shoulder. I was a little surprised. I didn’t think Cheongsu would intercept the ball, but I didn’t expect him to mention me.

“Oh. Is that so?”

Cheong-ui’s eyes fell on me. In fact, Cheong-ui seemed to have already anticipated it. After all, since I was the one who had declared that I could buy it cheaply, it would have been easy for me to guess what I had done.

Cheongsu told Cheongui about what I had done. It was my story, but it sounded quite interesting coming from someone else’s mouth. Cheongui seemed really absorbed in listening.

I was surprised when I moved my disciples to cook up stories and had my servants interfere with the merchants from Shanxi. I laughed when I described the expressions on the merchants’ faces when they sold salt cheaply.

Cheongsu was the last to explain that he had fought with the head of the Seungryeomun clan through proxy, whether it was intentional or not. Cheongui, who had been smiling when she heard it until then, suddenly became serious.

“You defeated the head of the Seungryeomun clan?”

“Yes.”

“her.”

Cheong-ui’s serious eyes pierced through me.

“How on earth?”

Cheongsu described the proxy war. It was as detailed as a swordsmanship debate. He explained in detail the movements that I had not been aware of, to the point where I realized that I had moved with such intention.

“I see.”

Cheong-ui was convinced after hearing the entire proxy battle process. It seemed as if Cheong-ui had already seen all of my proxy battles. Cheong-su’s explanation was that accurate. These are the martial arts experts. I was surprised once again.

“There was a reason why Cheonghwa was keeping an eye on him.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

There was interest in the gaze of Cheong-ui looking at me.

“Honestly, I didn’t think you would do as I said. Even I thought it was an unfair order.”

I wanted to say, “You knew that,” but I couldn’t bring myself to say it under Cheong-ui’s heavy gaze.

“But you did a great job and proved your talent.”

Suddenly, I felt uneasy. This was an intuition that I had honed as a merchant. This intuition was usually never wrong. When I was about to open my mouth, Cheong-ui continued.

“So, starting today, I will grant you the Taoist priesthood and have you become a disciple of the main temple.”

“……ah.”

As expected, this premonition was never wrong. However, it seemed that Cheongyi misunderstood my sigh.

“Haha. You must be surprised. The last time a lay disciple became a disciple of the main temple was fifty years ago. Since lay disciples often enter the temple when they are old enough, the shaman will not accept them unless they have considerable talent. You are now a member of the shaman, and you can be proud of it. As the eldest member, I will grant your permission.”

Cheongsu’s expression became ambiguous. It was because he knew that I did not want to become a disciple of the main temple.

“That, Jang Moon-sa-hyung… … .”

“And I want to grant you one wish. It is quite a great achievement to have saved four hundred nyang of silver. As long as it is not something absolutely absurd, I will grant it.”

Cheong-ui glared at Cheong-su and spoke to him. His eyes were like, “Why are you interrupting when Jang Moon-in is talking?”

On the other hand, Cheong-ui’s last words were like a lifeline to me.

“You’ll give me what I want?”

“Yes. I am not a person who talks empty words.”

“Then please excommunicate me from the main temple. But please do not close the dantian.”

At my words, Cheong-ui froze and just blinked. Cheong-su covered his face with his palm. It seemed like he knew this would happen.

“… … What does that mean?”

“It is exactly as I said. I have no intention of becoming a disciple of the shaman.”

Cheong-ui made an expression as if the world had collapsed. It seemed that Cheong-hwa had not told Jang Moon-in that. After all, it was unnecessary to tell someone who was the pride of a shaman that there was a disciple who was afraid of being a shaman.

“This guy is a different breed. He doesn’t want to become a disciple of the main temple and be tied down to a shaman. Haha.”

Cheongsu tried to lighten the mood by adding a smile, but the conference room had already become cold. However, he had expected this kind of atmosphere. If he didn’t say anything here, he would have to become a disciple of the main temple, so there was nothing he could do.

“If you become a shaman’s disciple, you can learn the martial arts of ascension, and anyone in the Central Plains will acknowledge you as a disciple of the shaman sect. But you don’t like that?”

“Rather than saying I don’t like it, I have other things to do.”

“Is there anything more important than becoming a shaman’s disciple?”

Cheong-ui spoke to me as if he was questioning me. As a long-time shaman, his pride seemed to have been hurt. It would be absurd. Who would refuse to become a disciple of a shaman? And he was the son of a farmer with nothing.

“Yes. I want to make money.”

“money?”

“I like money.”

I had no shame in my previous life. My goal was to live like my previous life. The only thing I regret is that I was asked by the Martial Arts Leader to keep that Shinmadan or something. If I hadn’t accepted that beggarly request from the Martial Arts Leader, I would have lived my later years in luxury.

I thought Cheong-ui would be disappointed by my answer. I even said it outright, hoping that he would be disappointed. But Cheong-ui looked quite serious.

“I don’t think making money is a bad thing. Our shamans don’t have any personal property, but they use their money to buy things, eat food, and make clothes. There is a way to steal, so there must be a way to make money.”

“I think so too.”

“But you have already mastered the Cheongunbo. As a disciple of the main temple, if you want to be excommunicated, you must either close your dantian or cut off your ankles.”

I flinched. That was the part that bothered me the most while I was begging Cheong-ui. But I felt wronged. I just climbed a cliff, so what can I do with what I learned?

“I’m flustered because I’ve never thought of something like this.”

“I am sorry to say this to you.”

I said, I had no intention of being aggressive towards someone who at least understood the way of a merchant.

Silence fell over Samcheong-gwan. Cheongsu and I stood there awkwardly, while Cheongui looked as if she was pondering something.

“There is a system called ‘named lay disciple’.”

After a period of silence, Cheong-ui opened her mouth.

“A shaman’s disciple from the head temple is listed on a list that has been handed down from the shaman’s sect’s founders. It is a request to the sect’s founders to accept this disciple. However, even after signing this name, there may still be a lay disciple.”

“Can that be possible?”

It was Cheongsu who asked, not me. It seemed that Cheongsu didn’t know that there was such a system.

“You probably didn’t know. This was a system used by the Demonic Cult to quickly increase their power in the Central Plains when they were on the rise.”

The last Jeongma War was over 100 years ago. The people distributing the Qing dynasty now might not know about it.

“I didn’t know there was such a system.”

“I also learned this by looking at the records of the long-time people. It’s natural not to know.”

Cheongyi turned her face towards me.

“A disciple who is a registered shaman is obligated to learn the shaman’s martial arts and respond to the shaman’s calls, but is under no compulsion whatsoever.”

“… … Is it good?”

To be precise, it couldn’t be better than this. Doesn’t it mean that the shaman’s name can be sold as the name, and the business can be done as the business.

“But now is not the time for the Demonic Cult to rise up, so we may be setting a bad precedent.”

Of course. There’s no way such a good system could pass easily. I thought it was unconscionable.

“I will put this on the agenda for the elders’ meeting. It is difficult for me to make a decision on my own that could set a precedent.”

“What happens if it doesn’t pass at the meeting?”

“You will become a disciple of the main temple. You will receive Taoist protection.”

“Oh, like that.”

As my expression crumpled, Cheong-ui laughed in vain.

“You don’t want to become a shaman’s disciple, so you quit. You really have to live a long life to see this.”

“Because there are all kinds of people in the world.”

I felt this every day while traveling. No matter how many times I meet someone, I never get tired of them. That’s because everyone is different.

“But I won’t put it on the agenda right away. I’ll give you a three-month grace period.”

“What is the reprieve for?”

“It is a grace period for you to convince the elders.”

“… … !”

I was a little surprised. I didn’t know they would take care of my convenience to this extent.

“You have brought great benefit to the shaman, so consider this as the eldest man’s reward for that. However, if it is not passed by the council of elders, then there is nothing I can do.”

“all right.”

I nodded with those words and left with Cheongsu.

The beautiful scenery of Mt. Mudang was visible.

How could I convince the elders? The future was bleak.