Chapter 264 Dongjing Lake

Chapter 264: Dongjing Lake

There’s no such thing as an easy business in this world, but succeeding in the liquor business within the martial arts world truly boasts the highest level of difficulty.

The very first hurdle is securing the raw grain supply.

Making liquor requires enormous amounts of grains like wheat, rice, barley, and sorghum.

Naturally, the quality of the grains determines the taste of the liquor. In a world without fertilizers or pesticides, the difficulty of farming was incomparable to modern times.

That’s why fertile, good land was traded at high prices.

Even if you somehow manage to secure the raw materials, the process of brewing and distilling makgeolli presents another problem.

In the martial arts world, techniques are practically lifelines. Masters would rather die than share their know-how.

To learn anything worthwhile, you must work under a master, eating cold rice mixed with water and doing all sorts of menial tasks, learning little by little by watching over their shoulder.

To labor activists, this environment would be nothing short of heartbreaking.

Even if you brew the liquor, transporting it is no easy task.

Fundamentally, liquor is a liquid. Naturally, it’s heavy and takes up considerable space. Moreover, since it’s not cheap, the likelihood of encountering bandits during transport is high.

Naturally, one must hire a courier service, but the heavy and large liquor barrels make the cost substantial.

Even if you solve all those problems, marketing remains the final boss.

In an era without the internet, there are no consumers willing to pay premium prices for liquor whose origin, maker, ingredients, and production methods are unknown.

While Jikryongdang has accumulated brand value over time, so when they release a new product, middlemen pay upfront and take it, the brand value of Taemosanseong in the liquor industry converges to zero.

If we’re not careful, we might have to sell the liquor we painstakingly brewed at rock-bottom prices. If that happens, forget about profit—even recouping our initial investment could be a distant dream.

But.

Who am I?

Is this not Jin Mujeon, the great power of Guryongseong, the legendary storm-maker born of Guryongseong?

As for farming, Taemo Mountain Fortress has five hundred strong laborers. We can hire experts to teach them. For brewing techniques, we can have them learn from Jikryongdang.

Once the product manufacturing issues are resolved, the remaining tasks are transportation and marketing.

If the Chungryeol Gongpa handles transportation and the Seocheon Trading Company handles marketing, wouldn’t everything be okay?

Upon hearing this plan, Myohyang assessed its chances of success.

“You say we’ll grow sorghum to make baijiu? Hmm, isn’t that a bit too common?”

“That’s why we brew our liquor exclusively with sorghum. To differentiate ourselves from other breweries.”

“But it must be too strong. And probably not easy to make either.”

“It has to be strong to sell in the market. If you’re paying the same price, wouldn’t you rather have something potent than something bland? Just try one shot and see if you can get up for ten days. Won’t that make it a hot topic in every way?”

“Eleven-day drunkenness…”

After a moment’s thought, she nodded.

“If we market it well, it could be a hit, right?”

“Then let’s go with this.”

“Where will we get the capital?”

“What choice do we have? We’ll have to lend it to them.”

I know it’s not a good idea, but what can I do?

The reality of Taemosan Fortress is that we’ve got nothing.

“It doesn’t seem like a very good idea. This mess happened because of Woo Dae-hyeop’s mistake. If we help him once, we might have to keep helping him forever.”

Myohyang cut off my offer to help my friend who’d failed in business.

“Oh, come on. He got burned big time this time, so he won’t do it again next time.”

“How about we just set up a joint trading company instead?”

“Partnership?”

A business structure doomed to ruin relationships?

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

This is an issue that requires some serious thought.

If a partnership fails, it doesn’t just end with making enemies; it could also turn Taemosan Fortress, with its five hundred masters, into an adversary.

Partly, I suggested just lending money to avoid such a scenario.

But Myohyang was a far wiser woman than I had imagined.

As if she had anticipated my hesitation, she immediately offered a solution.

“Let’s just bring the entire Cheongnyeongdang and Chungnyeonggong factions on board. With more people, there’s no way the relationships will sour, right? Taemosanseong, which lacks funds, will provide land for growing grain and labor instead of contributing capital.”

A neat solution that even considered the two factions of the Chungnyeolgongpa, who might grumble about being left out.

Thinking how could she be so lovely and wise, I hugged Myohyang tightly.

Squeeze.

“Huh?”

“My wife is the best.”

Squish.

She really is the best.

* * *

Despite the proposal to mobilize Japa’s unarmed men for farming, Woo Jung-cheon readily accepted it.

“I wouldn’t mind doing anything, as long as I can feed my young disciples their fill.”

“The disciples at the mountain fortress might harbor resentment. After all, isn’t farming a bit beneath a warrior’s dignity?”

“What is there to be ashamed of? Farming is the foundation of the world. Is that not so?”

The officials hurriedly responded to Wuzhongtian’s question.

“Your Excellency speaks a hundred times true.”

“Hehe, I’ve always dreamed of trying my hand at farming.”

“What are you all doing? Why aren’t you off making plows?”

“Huh, does this mean we have to dig up the seeds we’ve been hiding?”

“……”

As if to prove they’re descendants of beggars, their speed in shifting tactics is nothing short of lightning fast.

On one hand, it was a relief.

With survival skills like that, they could become anything.

From then on, everything went smoothly.

He sent a message to Seocheon Trading Company to secure a sorghum farming expert, while also requesting business cooperation from Jikryongdang, Haenam Sword Sect, and Eun Family.

After all, they had to harvest the sorghum before moving to the next step, so there was ample time to prepare.

That night, after finalizing all arrangements.

After confirming Myohyang was asleep, I sought out Woo Jung-cheon’s quarters.

“Here, take this.”

Clatter.

He opened his money pouch and handed over all the money he had brought.

Since it was for a honeymoon, he’d packed it carefully, so it was a little over a hundred nyang in silver.

It would make planning the rest of the trip a bit tricky, but… that could be worked out somehow.

If it really came down to it, they could rob the black-clad pirates along the route to Dongjing Lake.

In any case, upon seeing the unexpectedly large sum, Woo Jung-cheon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The children are so adorable. I was going to give them a few silver coins each, but it seemed like a hassle, so I’m giving it to you instead, Lord. Keep it and buy them some meat dishes to eat.”

I absolutely cannot say I’m giving it out of pity.

Pride is one of the most significant reasons martial artists live or die.

At least, since Taemosan Fortress is a descendant of a beggar’s den, they can give it away using the children as an excuse.

“…Thank you.”

As if he had guessed the hidden meaning, Woo Jung-cheon readily accepted the money.

“After all, once the children grow up, won’t they become warriors of the Chungryeolgong lineage? Then they’re practically half our family anyway.”

“True enough. Heh heh heh.”

“Well, it’s getting late. I’ll be on my way now.”

“Since you’re here, why not have a drink? I still have plenty of that rice wine I brewed.”

“Save that rice wine for sharing with your disciples. I need to depart early tomorrow, so I should get some rest.”

“That’s a real shame.”

“I’ll come visit again later. Ah! Don’t cut the general just yet.”

“Why? Just yesterday you were telling me to cut him off immediately!”

“I did. But upon closer inspection, that fellow is the only one who can read and write properly. You must teach your disciples some literacy. How is it possible they don’t even know the Thousand Character Classic?”

“……”

The next day.

Dudududu.

Having prepared early in the morning, we set off as soon as the sun rose.

Gazing out the window at Taemosanseong Fortress standing atop the rocky mountain, a sigh of relief escaped me.

“Whew. I’m glad it worked out.”

“Who knows? The sorghum crop might fail, or the water or weather could be off, and the liquor might not turn out right, right?”

“Nah, that won’t happen.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Of course I can guarantee it.

After all, Guizhou’s Maotai was one of the most renowned liquors recognized in modern times.

If the conditions hadn’t been right, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve that result.

“Don’t worry, I know everything.”

I’ve already confirmed everything with the reincarnator’s future information.

‘Though reincarnation might be better than regression…’

There was a slight sense of regret, though.

As I nodded, lost in such thoughts, Myohyang held out two gold coins.

“Here you go.”

“All of a sudden?”

“You went to see Woo Dae-hyeop last night, didn’t you? Given your personality, you wouldn’t have just gone empty-handed. You used the kids as an excuse and scraped together every last penny you had, didn’t you?”

“Whoa! How did you…?”

“There’s a trick to it. Take it already. As the old saying goes, if a man’s pouch is light, his strength wanes.”

“W-wife.”

Thud.

“Kchut, I can’t breathe.”

Squish.

My wife is truly the best.

* * *

After leaving the troublesome Taemosan Fortress, the road to Dongjeong Lake was surprisingly smooth.

Of course it was.

After all, a hundred warriors were guarding us like an iron wall.

“Wow, it’s a different kind of beauty from Sichuan!”

Myohyang, gazing out the carriage window at the surroundings, let out an exclamation of admiration.

Well, it was just scenery after all, but having stayed at the barren Taemosanseong Fortress until recently, it seemed all the more beautiful.

‘By the way, that Dan-un fellow seems to be doing a good job.’

The peaceful panorama of Honam reminded me of Lord Cheongga.

Had he not risked his life to flee, Honam would likely be in the clutches of the Lion Clan by now. If that had happened, murderous tax rates would have crushed the people’s lives, and this peaceful scene would have been nothing but a dream.

‘Bandits would have swarmed everywhere, corpses littering the land.’

It would have been a veritable hellscape.

How do I know?

Of course I had to know.

I lived in Anhui Province until I was nine and witnessed it clearly with these very eyes.

‘Come to think of it, Qingzhang Zhu was a real character.’

Thinking of Qingzhangzhu, who prevented such a catastrophe, respect welled up deep within my heart.

I hope he grabs that girl by the hair and takes her to the Qing family estate as soon as possible.

‘I never thought a dog lady could exist beneath a dog master…’

It had been half a month since I’d been wandering, taking the peaceful scenery of Hunan as my companion.

“Wow!”

We finally arrived at Dongting Lake.

* * *

The view of Dongting Lake from atop Aoyang Pavilion was so breathtakingly beautiful that the word “spectacular” simply burst forth.

A lake as vast as the sea. Dozens of sailing ships and fishing boats traversing its surface. And the Akyang Pavilion where we now stood.

It all felt like a single painting.

Above all.

“How… how can it be this beautiful?”

Myohyang truly loved it.

It felt like spending a chunk of money was worth it.

It seemed like she’d earned a new privilege after the Myosan incident.

‘Would it be alright if I came home early to play with the kids?’

‘Oh, come on! A man working outside the home deserves a drink now and then. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?’

‘Do you have any idea how stifling it is to watch the kids alone all day?’

‘That’s why we went to Dongjeong Lake before having kids, right? Don’t you know we couldn’t even go on a honeymoon?’

‘Well, that’s true, but…’

As they were sketching out their future plans, Myohyang’s voice reached them after she’d finished looking around.

“Hmm… Your Excellency, the sun is starting to set. Shouldn’t we find an inn?”

“I already told the kids to catch it for us.”

This is why traveling with an entourage is so convenient.

Because you can handle the tedious stuff on the fly.

“They’ll be here soon, so let’s wait until then.”

After waiting a short while.

“Master.”

Woo Je-jun approached with a serious expression.

“What is it?”

“Two members who went to secure the inn got caught up in a dispute. I think I should go check it out myself.”

“No.”

What kind of martial world is this where there’s never a moment of peace?