CLS-Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Master Gongreung lost his words as he watched the man head toward the temporarily set up stall.

“Wh-what is that?”

“A branch office.”

“Branch office?”

“They said there would be many people needing emergency funds, so they rushed here from Luoyang in one go. I thought they used some kind of land-shrinking technique. If they told me to arrive in that time, I couldn’t do it.”

Listening to Wei Yan-ho’s words, Gong Mu-jin unconsciously grimaced.

‘He could do it but won’t!’

Other people usually don’t say they can’t do something, they say they won’t. Well, for Wei Yan-ho, it would be impossible.

“You mean a money house?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded lightly.

“Where money is needed, there are always people to lend it.”

Master Gongreung watched the situation with a subtle expression.

“Welcome, honored customer.”

“…Can I borrow money here?”

“Welcome to the branch office of the venerable Silver River Money House Luoyang branch. Our Silver River Money House is the greatest money house under heaven, with branches throughout the Central Plains. I am Hwang Chung, currently in charge of this branch office.”

“Hmm…”

The man had indeed heard of the Silver River Money House. It was one of the most famous money houses in the Central Plains, known above all for tenaciously collecting debts once money was lent.

Though he hesitated for a moment, there was no other way.

Wasn’t this a golden opportunity to obtain the Sword Emperor’s Legacy for just two nyang of gold? Of course, this wasn’t the method he had been thinking of.

The man turned his head to look at the people prostrated on the ground, frantically copying the Sword Emperor’s Legacy.

Excluding the hundred or so who had already finished copying, over thirty people were currently in the process of copying.

‘I-I can’t fall behind.’

If one person had monopolized it, he might have been able to give up. But if the secret manual spread this way, those who had been at similar levels to him might return as masters of ancient times.

Originally, it’s hard not to do what everyone else is doing.

“Give it to me!”

The man gritted his teeth and spoke.

“Yes, honored customer. Of course we must give it to you. But first, there are a few things we need to fill out.”

“Fill out?”

“What is your name?”

“Jong Pil.”

“Oh, by chance are you the great hero Jong Pil of the Nine Lightning Swords of Shanxi?”

The man—no, Jong Pil—nodded.

“I am that Jong Pil.”

The face of the man writing the documents brightened considerably.

“So you are the great hero Jong Pil. I have heard well of your brilliant reputation. For someone of great hero Jong Pil’s caliber, we can provide two nyang of gold right here, right now. Is there perhaps a larger amount you need? Today our branch office is offering loans at lower interest rates than usual for everyone’s convenience. This is an opportunity that doesn’t come easily, so please think carefully.”

“Hmm.”

Worry began to show on Jong Pil’s face.

“Wh-what’s the interest rate? Surely you’re not running a loan shark operation?”

“What hurtful words. Our Silver River Money House is a healthy enterprise officially registered with and operating under the imperial court. We’re a completely different dimension from those lawless scoundrels of the underworld who operate without even business licenses.”

Hwang Chung lifted a booklet from beside him and showed it.

“Here you can see this year’s recommended interest rates set by the imperial court. His Majesty, in his benevolence, has decreed that throughout this year, when the people of the realm borrow money, they shall never be charged more than six-tenths interest. We follow His Majesty’s words and charge only six-tenths interest. But!”

Hwang Chung continued as if breathing fire.

“As I mentioned earlier, in this special case! Spe-cial-ly! We are charging only five-tenths interest. We are offering the unprecedented annual rate of five-tenths!”

“Fi-five tenths?”

Jong Pil’s mind raced desperately.

An annual interest rate of five-tenths meant that if he borrowed two nyang of gold, he would have to pay back one nyang in interest alone per year.

“You highway robbers! How is that a reasonable interest rate?”

“Honored customer?”

“Where do you think you’re trying to run a scam?”

Hwang Chung let out a deep sigh.

“Honored customer.”

“What!”

“We didn’t come looking for you to borrow money—you came to us to borrow money.”

“…”

“This seems to be your first time taking out a loan, so of course you might be flustered. But honored customer, if we lent money at the interest rate you want, what would we eat to survive? I guarantee that nowhere in the world will you find a place that will lend you money at the interest rate you want. No, no! There might be such places. Of course there might be. But! Buuuut!”

Hwang Chung pointed downward.

“There are none here. And right now, don’t you urgently need emergency funds?”

“Uuugh.”

Jong Pil stepped back hesitantly.

Hwang Chung’s forcefulness was overwhelming him.

“And!”

Hwang Chung slyly approached Jong Pil and whispered.

“Look here. What are those people copying right now? Isn’t it the Sword Emperor’s Treasury? Isn’t this a golden opportunity to possess such an ancient secret manual for just two nyang? If you learn martial arts based on that secret manual, you’ll become a master under heaven. When that time comes, how hard could it be to pay back three nyang of gold?”

Jong Pil’s face twitched.

“You need to think carefully. Right now, two nyang of gold and one nyang of interest might seem like a lot of money to you, great hero. But even after you get that secret manual, will that money still seem like a lot? Have you ever heard of a master under heaven struggling for lack of money?”

“I-I don’t think I’ve heard of such a thing.”

“Exactly! Why haven’t you heard of it? Why doesn’t such a thing happen! It’s because once you become a master, earning money becomes too easy. Great hero Jong Pil, though your reputation under heaven is already renowned, once you obtain that secret manual, you’ll have fame and skill incomparable to what you have now. After that, money won’t even be money. It will become something you can have just by wanting it.”

“Uuugh…”

Jong Pil began to waver.

Hwang Chung’s eloquence was very persuasive.

“Will you give up this opportunity and regret it later? Thinking ‘Ah, if I had been man enough to borrow money then, by now I’d easily think of thirty nyang of gold, not just three nyang’?”

To the wavering Jong Pil, Hwang Chung spoke with a face as if he’d just remembered something.

“Of course, this is viewed from the perspective of a common man like me who makes his living trading in money. Even if it’s not simply a matter of money… Great hero Jong! Isn’t there an opportunity to become a master of ancient times right before your eyes? As a martial artist, would you miss this opportunity?”

Conflict appeared on Jong Pil’s face.

He was right…

The words were all correct.

But why did he feel like he was being swindled from the start?

Hwang Chung, realizing that Jong Pil was wavering, drove in the final nail. Hwang Chung pointed to those who were copying and said.

“There are those who seized that opportunity.”

Jong Pil’s eyes turned to those who were earnestly competing yet not stopping their copying.

“Right now, great hero Jong may be no less than any of them. But will great hero Jong still be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them a year from now?”

“I-I’ll do it! I’ll borrow it!”

Hwang Chung’s final words seemed to be the decisive blow, as Jong Pil nodded urgently.

“A wise decision. Then please fill out these documents. Write your name there, sign after that, and there’s ink here so please stamp your seal. Ah, here too.”

As soon as he said he would do it, the documents were completed with lightning speed.

After carefully checking the documents, Hwang Chung smiled and stepped forward to guide Jong Pil.

“Please come this way.”

“…The money?”

“I’ll deliver the money directly over there, so don’t worry. Great hero Wei, this person has made payment.”

Wei Yan-ho glanced at Jong Pil and nodded.

“Go use that empty spot over there.”

“Th-thank you.”

Jong Pil went to an empty spot in the corner and sat down on the dirt floor. Seomun Da-yeon approached Jong Pil and held out some documents.

“Wh-what is this?”

“It’s a pledge that you will never leak the secret manual you’ve copied.”

“Why is such a thing necessary?”

“Oh my, what are you saying? We’re not selling the secret manual. What would happen if you took this secret manual and showed it widely to others?”

“I-I see.”

“Sign it.”

Jong Pil carefully examined the pledge. There wasn’t much content. After reading it all, it only contained a promise not to resell or share the copied secret manual anywhere, or he wouldn’t complain even if beaten to death.

Seeing Wei Yan-ho’s seal already signed at the bottom, his desire to share the secret manual completely disappeared. The terrifying beating Wei Yan-ho had demonstrated was still vivid in his eyes—would he be crazy enough to suffer that fate?

“C-can’t I even give it to my children?”

“Family members are allowed. However, not beyond uncles.”

“I understand.”

After Jong Pil obediently signed, Seomun Da-yeon provided him with a copy of the secret manual, a new book, and writing materials before getting up from her seat.

Hwang Chung approached Wei Yan-ho with quick steps, then smiled and took out three nyang of gold from his money pouch to offer.

Gongreung saw this scene and tilted his head.

Was his mind foggy from watching this insane situation? Why was it three nyang of gold instead of two?

“Why, why three nyang?”

Hwang Chung brought his hand to his mouth as if to say be quiet. Gongreung saw this hand gesture and asked again in a small voice.

“I asked why three nyang.”

Hwang Chung grinned and answered.

“It’s simple. Two nyang is what that person pays, and one nyang is what we pay.”

“Why are you giving Wei Yan-ho one nyang when the other person borrowed the money?”

“Customer acquisition cost.”

“Customer acquisition cost?”

When Master Gongreung tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand at all, Hwang Chung clicked his tongue.

From that tongue-clicking, Gongreung felt like he’d become a naive country monk and unconsciously blushed. Indeed, for those who stayed away from the secular world to cultivate Buddhist law, understanding the harsh monetary calculations of the mundane world was not easy.

“If great hero Wei Yan-ho hadn’t called us, how could we have lent such large amounts to so many people? From our perspective, this is an opportunity to achieve maximum sales, so naturally we should pay the costs.”

“But then don’t you make no profit?”

“Oh my, master. Why are you so frustrating?”

Hwang Chung slyly approached and spoke quietly to Gongreung.

“How many of them do you think can pay back all three nyang within a year? If we just wait one year, all the interest generated from then on becomes ours. Good for sister, good for brother-in-law—dig a ditch and catch a crayfish!”

Master Gongreung unconsciously put his palms together and chanted Buddha’s name.

A demon is here!

A demon!