Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Vol 2 Chapter 29. I’m So Glad I Aged (1)

”I told you not to stack timber like this? It shouldn’t get wet.”

”Senior brother, there are no nails.”

”Go buy some quickly.”

”You have to give money.”

”Ugh.... Go buy from a cheap place. You know the Byeok Clan Smithy over the mountain, not the nearby Jang Clan Smithy, right?”

”A round trip to there is two sijins....”

”Make sure to get a receipt. Otherwise, additional sparring today.”

”.......”

The junior brother with pouting lips grumbled, took the money, and ran off.

Now then, I will explain what this scene is about.

[First, build a warehouse.]

Patrick’s single sentence became the starting point of everything.

Declaring he would make a merchant guild since there wasn’t one, Patrick ordered to remodel one entire pavilion of the Twin Dragon Sect into a warehouse.

Since he ordered it, they do it. But....

”There’s nothing, yet suddenly building a warehouse first, what are we supposed to do? Is running a merchant guild something any dog or cow does?”

”Dogs or cows can’t, but I can.”

”Does that make sen.... Huh?”

Smack!

A painful blow fell on the complaining Mun Yul’s crown.

”Ughhh.... Have you come?”

”Yeah. I have come.”

Patrick looked at the warehouse construction site and said,

”Until when can you complete it?”

”Since it’s remodeling an existing building, it won’t take that long. If about ten days....”

”Ei, it’s remodeling an existing building, why take so long.”

”We aren’t carpenters either....”

”In the old days, you see. Even erecting a building on a completely empty field took two days. In the first place, all buildings of the Twin Dragon Sect here were erected by your ancestors working together. Know that?”

”No, does that make sense? Erecting what building in two days? Even the mud wouldn’t dry?”

”If you have guts, you can solve everything.”

[What? Can’t do it? Do you dare put the words ’can’t do it’ in your trap because you got lazy? Is it this trap? The one that said can’t do it is this wicked trap?]

[No, Eldest Senior Brother, we aren’t carpenters and building a.... Aack! Why hit?]

[Rather kill.... No, words are like.... Aack! I was wrong.]

[Master! Eldest Senior Brother is crazy again!]

Patrick looked up at the distant sky, smiled warmly, and rubbed the tip of his nose.

’It was a truly good memory. Right, junior brothers.’

-Hey you dog## ###.

-## ### ####.

-######

Public sentiment is fierce.

”Ahem, anyway build it as fast as possible. There should be five warehouses like this.”

”Yes. Unders.... Five?”

”Should be about that much.”

”No, we haven’t even made a merchant guild yet, so what’s the use of building just warehouses? Does a snail bride fill the products perhaps?”

”Well. Anyway build. Think after building.”

Mun Yul could only sigh.

But what can he do? If the Worshipped Duke orders, he must do.

Like that, one month later.

”All done.”

”Wow. Still, it feels rewarding after completing it.”

”Indeed.”

Looking at the completed warehouse buildings, the disciples of the Twin Dragon Sect smiled proudly.

Is this what is called a sense of accomplishment?

”But seeing us building so many warehouses, does he really intend to do merchant work?”

”Well, I do wonder if it’s doing something useless for nothing.”

”No, why? If we do, we just have to do it hard again.”

”Tsk tsk, is a merchant guild something that works just with money? Need connections, an eye for goods, know how to read market prices, listing everything has no end.”

”Ummm....”

”Honestly, if we make a merchant guild, I bet we’ll ruin it without lasting a year?”

”Are we doing something pointless?”

”Shouldn’t we stop him?”

”But how do we stop the Worshipped Duke?”

”Wouldn’t it work if we tell the Sect Leader? Still, the Sect Leader is the highest person....”

Then Mun Yul, who was listening to the junior brothers’ words, intervened quietly.

”Stop!”

”Yes?”

”Eldest Senior Brother?”

Mun Yul spoke to the junior brothers with a stern voice.

”Do not wag your tongues frivolously about the work elders of the sect do.”

”No, Eldest Senior Brother.”

”We didn’t mean that....”

The junior brothers tried to make excuses, but couldn’t continue.

Because strictness and firmness different from usual were revealed in Mun Yul’s eyes looking at them.

Mun Yul glared at the junior brothers and spoke.

Then one junior brother spoke carefully.

”But Eldest Senior Brother, if we make a merchant guild and fail, the sect’s assets might be greatly damaged, right?”

”Could be. But what is the problem with that?”

”That is....”

”We were originally guys who had nothing. Even if we become penniless, we just return to the beginning.”

”.......”

”In the first place, even what is given to us now is just what the Worshipped Duke bestowed upon us. But is that wasteful to you?”

”I apologize. Eldest Senior Brother.”

”Our thoughts were short.”

”Please forgive us.”

At Mun Yul’s stern reprimand, the junior brothers bowed their heads deeply. Seeing the junior brothers reflecting like that, Mun Yul also spoke with a softer voice, perhaps his anger subsiding a bit.

”I understand your feelings. But trust the Worshipped Duke. He must have a plan too.”

”Yes. Eldest Senior Brother!”

Like that, Mun Yul comforted the junior brothers well.

And at a place slightly away from the disciples....

”Novice acting all high and mighty....”

Patrick was sitting on the roof, feeling the cool breeze and tilting a wine cup.

Next to him, Persona was sitting while serving him.

Examining Patrick’s complexion, she smirked and said, ”You look to be in a good mood?”

”Me? Why?”

”Isn’t it commendable seeing Yul, that child’s developed appearance?”

”Commendable my foot.... Still have a long way to go.”

Patrick turned his head with an awkward expression and tilted the wine cup.

But Persona knew.

That that is the appearance Patrick Schneider shows when he is truly embarrassed.

Patrick, having emptied the wine cup, muttered with the corners of his mouth raised strangely.

”A novice with downy hair still fuzzy daring to take care of whom.”

”Yes. Yes. Indeed.”

Persona chimed in with Patrick’s words, lifted the wine bottle, and filled the empty cup.

In her eyes, Patrick’s strangely raised corners of the mouth were caught and not coming down.

Indeed, it seems the position makes the person.

In Mun Yul’s appearance just now, a glimpse as the eldest disciple leading the disciples was seen.

Although still lacking a lot, dignity will attach as time passes. Then....

”The time will come.”

Patrick muttered with a faint voice.

***

Why did Patrick try to jump into commerce?

That is because Patrick understands the characteristics of the region called Gansu Province well.

From a martial artist’s perspective, Gansu Province is not that important a land.

The most important lands to martial artists are places like Shaanxi, Henan, Hubei, Anhui.

Lands occupying the center of the Central Plains and where prestigious Orthodox sects are located.

Places with large populations and logistics concentration, naturally having many people and money moving around the Jianghu.

Actually, one can know just by looking at the faces of the sects located here.

Shaolin of Henan, Mount Hua of Shaanxi, Namgung of Anhui, Wudang of Hubei.

The most shining prestigious Orthodox sects among the prestigious Orthodox sects have settled here.

Combining even the small and medium sects linked to them, the scale is immense.

Compared to that, Gansu Province is a frontier one step away from the center of the Jianghu.

But that is a martial artist’s perspective and....

’It’s a bit different from a commoner’s perspective.’

Gansu Province yielded immense produce from the granary of the Yellow River basin during the Qin Dynasty, and during the Han Dynasty, it bordered the Silk Road trading by sending merchant guilds far to the Western Regions.

Furthermore, as a region connecting Chang’an and Luoyang, it was a strategic point of East-West traffic.

’It is also the region where Great Hero Dong Zhuo, who punished the Ten Attendants and did his best to eat well and live well, spent his fierce life.’

No, not that, but....

Anyway, Gansu Province is a strategic point of trade connecting the Central Plains and the frontier.

He didn’t quite know this in his previous life.

It was a fact he realized only now after being reborn and going through education and practical affairs as a successor of a fiefdom noble governing a territory.

That a martial artist doesn’t necessarily have to live stubbornly only within the flow of the Jianghu.

”Warehouses are all built, other preparations are done, then shall we start earning money in earnest now?”

Saying so, Patrick picked up a brush and wrote a letter.

***

A few days later.

Mun Yul was diligently swinging his sword at the training ground. Although Patrick left the disciples’ training to their autonomy, he still couldn’t be lazy.

’Must become stronger. I am the eldest disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect.’

Mun Yul was repeating training of the same intensity as before every day even without Patrick ordering.

Meanwhile....

”Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother!”

From afar, the youngest junior sister Yun-a ran over panting.

At that appearance, Mun Yul stopped swinging his sword, wiped his sweat with a towel, and said,

”What is the matter?”

”Guests have arrived.”

”...Guests? What kind of guests.”

”Merchant Guild Leaders have arrived.”

”Which merchant guild?”

”What I confirmed were Merchant Guild Leaders of Daegeum Merchant Guild and Baekma Merchant Guild, and also Taegeon Merchant Guild.”

Mun Yul’s face stiffened hard.

The merchant guilds Yun-a mentioned are all giant merchant guilds that people living in this Gansu Province cannot not know.

Just the three she mentioned now are enough to lift and put down the entire business world of Gansu Province.

”Why did those people.... For what reason?”

***

Daegeum, Baekma, Taegeon, Seonghun, Juwon Merchant Guilds.

These were the large merchant guilds counting on hand in Gansu Province.

Especially Daegeum Merchant Guild, although handling few items, was a large merchant guild possessing a distribution network supplying goods to the Imperial Family.

Merchants of such large merchant guilds....

”Haha.... Lord Yu came too?”

”Lord Jin doing the same came too.”

”That is so. To think we meet in an unexpected place like this.”

Gathered at the Twin Dragon Sect like this.

Hearing this news, Mun Yul was greatly flustered, threw on clothes roughly, and ran panting.

And as soon as he confirmed the Merchant Guild Leaders gathered with escorts in the sect’s courtyard, he ran straight up.

”I am called Mun Yul, the first disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect. Coming to visit like this, that....”

What should I say?

Should I say welcome?

Or should I ask why they came?

How is it correct to speak?

Am I doing it properly right now?

At that moment when Mun Yul, who had never welcomed guests, was stuttering....

Smack.

”Aack!”

”Tsk tsk, calling a guy like this the eldest disciple....”

Patrick appeared from behind and made a warm lump on Mun Yul’s crown.

”W... Worshipped Duke.”

”If you’re going to do it, do it properly? Why step up just to act clumsy and lose face?”

”That is....”

Nothing to say.

No, there is, but honestly, it doesn’t seem like it’ll work on this human.

No, why did the merchant guilds claiming to be the best in Gansu Province suddenly visit our sect?

Should have said in advance if they were coming?

Mun Yul couldn’t get a sense at all of how to deal with this situation. And Patrick pushed Mun Yul aside, took a step forward, and....

”I am called Patrick Schneider, the Worshipped Duke of the Twin Dragon Sect.”

Patrick, who stepped forward confidently, made a polite clasped hands greeting and spoke. Then....

”Ahem, I am Jin Il-seop. Merchant Guild Leader of Daegeum Merchant Guild.”

”I am Yu Yeong. Merchant Guild Leader of Baekma Merchant Guild.”

”I am Gu Su-myeong of Taegeon Merchant Guild.”

”I am called Heo Chan. I am leading Seonghun Merchant Guild.”

”I am Oh Gong. Affiliated with Juwon Merchant Guild.”

Hearing their introductions, Patrick smiled brightly and said,

”Thank you for accepting the invitation and visiting like this. As our sect’s Sect Leader has a busy schedule, I have come to welcome everyone.”

“We are the ones honored to meet the Evil-Breaking Swordsman of rumor.”

The Evil-Breaking Swordsman.

That was the name Patrick had recently come to be called throughout Gansu Province.

To accumulate Causality, he caught and tortured nearby bandits or Unorthodox practitioners recklessly as the Directive Window ordered, so this nickname was attached.

Catching and smashing nearby bandits and Unorthodox practitioners recklessly attached this nickname.

And Patrick knows.

”I am only ashamed that you recognize a trivial empty name.”

That when a martial artist deals with merchants, the difference between having even that trivial empty name and not having it is big.

Of course, it is unreasonable to gather the large merchant guilds claiming to be the best in Gansu Province in one place with the name of Evil-Breaking Swordsman.

Actually, what gathered them was sending the invitation letter along with a recommendation letter obtained by badgering Jeong Seon, the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect.

Since those doing business in this Gansu Province wouldn’t be able to ignore the Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect.

Like that, he succeeded in calling the merchants.

But the important part is from here. Even if borrowing the name of the Kongtong Sect Leader, the opponents are merchants.

They are absolutely not people who will bear a loss.

”The reason I gathered everyone today is none other than to find a merchant guild to take charge of transactions with our Twin Dragon Sect.”

The merchants nodded with faces not flustered at all.

In fact, they were people who came predicting this flow from the start.

A martial artist wouldn’t find merchants to chat about world affairs, so it was extremely natural to discuss business eventually.

”Transaction with the Twin Dragon Sect....”

Jin Il-seop, the Merchant Guild Leader of Daegeum Merchant Guild, opened the speech.

”We are also fully aware that the status of the Twin Dragon Sect is rising within Gansu Province recently. However....”

He scanned the garden of the Twin Dragon Sect once.

The sect’s garden was quite spacious, but that was all.

Seeing the frugal and meager interior, it didn’t smell much of money.

”I wonder if the Twin Dragon Sect isn’t too poor and frugal a sect for merchants to do business with.”

You guys don’t have money, right?

He said words meaning that by turning them as pleasantly as possible.

In an instant, Mun Yul was tense.

Although spoken indirectly, it was words looking down on the Twin Dragon Sect enough for even him to understand.

Will that Worshipped Duke just let this pass?

That Worshipped Duke who carries ’Great Twin Dragon Sect’ on his lips whenever he gets the chance?

’M... Must stop him.’

”Well, I also understand that everyone has doubts about our Twin Dragon Sect as a trading partner.”

Unexpected.

Patrick didn’t get angry at all.

Rather, he responded with a relaxed smile. Looking like an extremely common-sense normal person.

At that appearance, Mun Yul derived one conclusion.

’Who are you?’

That he must be a fake.