Chapter 4 : Jang So-gil (4)
All merchants know.
The most important thing when dealing with martial artists is not to cross the line.
Martial artists are simple. Even someone called the greatest strategist under heaven, Sama Hwi, is only skilled in moving troops and killing people. He is clumsy at conversing with people and leading a transaction.
Why is that? Because martial artists have power.
Let's say someone is holding a precious jewel tightly.
If a martial artist wants that jewel, they will approach and grab the person's hand. Then, whether they resist or not, they will simply use force to pry open the fingers and take the jewel. If the person with the jewel is also a martial artist, they will exchange some plausible but meaningless bullshit about chivalry and righteousness, then attach some ridiculous reason why they should be the one to take the jewel, and then resort to violence.
So, for a martial artist, the most important thing was first, power, and second, a flimsy pretext.
That was all they needed.
Now, let's consider the case of a merchant.
If a merchant wants that jewel, they will use all means. They will try to coax and soothe, and they will try to exchange it for something of similar value. This similar value can be many things; sometimes it's information, sometimes it's money. The important thing is that they have to understand the other party, consider their situation, and engage in a battle of wits. Compared to the martial artist's method, it is definitely more troublesome and annoying.
'On the other hand, the martial artist's method is simple but convenient. But others cannot imitate the martial artist's method. Only martial artists are allowed to do so.'
That's why martial artists have no talent for commerce and negotiation. They are so stupid and foolish that in Jang So-gil's eyes, martial artists looked like wallets that could be emptied at any time as long as one kept the line. They are stupid and foolish, yet their pride is high. Especially when sects, status, and chivalry are mentioned, their emotions fluctuate. With such obvious weaknesses, it is not difficult to exploit them.
'But I can't be careless.'
If things go wrong, if the line is crossed, martial artists will inevitably resort to violence.
There is a difference between the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions. Those called the Orthodox faction will not use violence unless the line is crossed. Those called the Unorthodox faction will use violence for profit. And the Demonic Cult is violence itself. All three have in common that they use violence anyway. For merchants, the Demonic Cultists were like cursed dolls that would kill you just by approaching, and the Unorthodox faction meant robbers who would pull a knife on you right after a deal.
'If I'm going to make a deal, it has to be with the Orthodox faction.'
To avenge the Great Cloud Guild, the Tang Clan must be destroyed. There are several ways to do this, but most of them are paths to death. The Unorthodox and Demonic factions cannot be trusted or used. No matter how clever Jang So-gil is, if things go wrong, they will imprison him with their damn martial power, use him, and kill him.
Growth without power is futile. If you have money, power and martial strength will follow, but you cannot buy time. Jang So-gil felt this keenly while growing the Great Cloud Guild.
The Great Cloud Guild also paid attention to its martial power in its own way. They used money to gather retired escorts and gathered chivalrous men who prided themselves on having eaten their share of sword-rice. But a single first-rate martial artist is stronger than such people. Such martial artists cannot be hired with money alone.
This is where the power of the prestigious Orthodox sects and families comes from. They have a long history and the foundation to raise new powerful individuals. The Great Cloud Guild also hurriedly sent children with potential to study abroad in various sects or the Shaolin Temple, but this was a task that looked decades ahead. It could never be done in a short period.
Therefore, Jang So-gil could not create a sect, and if he created a merchant guild, it would be crushed. He could not devote himself to the Demonic Cult, nor could he become a snake of the Unorthodox faction.
Jang So-gil, let's say he chooses the Orthodox faction.
'Funnily enough, the Sichuan Tang Clan belongs to the Orthodox faction.'
There is no special reason why they belong to the Orthodox faction. It's because it's convenient to live while pretending to be an Orthodox sect, feigning reverence for chivalry and righteousness. Among some of the well-known Orthodox sects, there were such scoundrels. Needless to say about the mediocre Orthodox sects. There were many who were indistinguishable from the Unorthodox faction.
If you cut and cut away the paths to death like this, only one path remains.
'Only the Martial Alliance.'
The only path Jang So-gil could walk was the Martial Alliance. That's why he knocked on the Martial Alliance's door.
If you think about it very calmly, very coolly, this was a deal that Jang So-gil could not win. The Martial Alliance didn't even need to look at the conditions Jang So-gil had set. Where else could Jang So-gil go? If Sama Hwi had pointed that out and said, 'If not us, there is no place that will use you,' there would be no card to play from this side. Even if he brought the Alliance Lord's letter and said, 'That's that, but in my opinion, you are not worth that much, let's reduce the conditions further,' he could not refute it.
It was a situation like a fraudulent game of chess where he was in checkmate from the start!
In such a situation, Jang So-gil had to go strong. He had to prevent the opponent from noticing that he was at a disadvantage. He had to start a fight, induce a bet, be sarcastic, and play with the opponent's emotions to divert their attention. He had to show off that he wasn't that thirsty for revenge to deceive them into thinking he had many options. Pretending to be relaxed, pretending to be wealthy was essential.
For that, Jang So-gil split his busy schedule to rest for a full day to look fine, applied powder to his face, and endured his trembling hands and churning stomach to buy and wear expensive silk clothes.
Was Sama Hwi deceived by this detailed maneuver?
He was completely deceived.
He had intended to show the Alliance Lord's letter and pick on every single detail to get rid of all the conditions, but now he could no longer hope for that.
Sama Hwi cleared his throat and said.
"It is as written in the letter. I will permit all other conditions. I will tolerate the absurd amount of one-tenth, and I will leave the execution of the great task to your will. But the library is still a no."
"The library is a no? But, the Alliance Lord said it would be possible if I accomplished one great thing. Strategist Sama... oops, are you going back on your word again with one mouth?"
"Hmph. Then let's set the standard for that great thing. How about two thousand silver taels?"
"Two thousand taels!"
The annual salary of a seventh-rank official, a county magistrate, was forty to fifty silver taels.
One silver tael was 1,000 copper coins, and with 5 copper coins, you could buy 1 dou (12 geun, about 6 kg) of rice, so one small silver tael was 2,400 geun of rice. A commoner family of four could live comfortably for a year with 20 silver taels and still have some left over. So how much was two thousand silver taels? It was truly an enormous amount. Sama Hwi proudly raised his nose.
"If it's not a task that generates that much profit, don't you dare utter the name of the martial library."
"Hmm, hmm. I see. Alright."
"Alright?"
"Of course. It has to be at least that much to be worthy of entering the world's martial library."
What kind of place was the martial library? It was a place where the Orthodox sects of the martial world jointly stored their secret manuals, fearing that the lineage of their sects would be cut off due to the Demonic Cult's movements. On top of that, the secret manuals of the Demonic Cult and the Unorthodox faction that the Martial Alliance had fought and conquered were gathered there, so it could be called the greatest library under heaven.
A secret manual was the pride and life of a sect. It was only natural that one could not easily enter such a place.
The corners of Jang So-gil's mouth lifted into a grin.
"Then would you like to make another bet with this humble one?"
"A bet?"
"On whether this humble one can collect two thousand silver taels or not. The prize for the bet, let's see. How about you not picking on what I do in the future and cooperating with me?"
"This arrogant brat..."
A thick vein popped on Sama Hwi's forehead. It was understandable that he would get angry as the young brat was arrogant and insolent, constantly asking for bets and playing with his heart. Yang Gwan inwardly clicked his tongue and watched him, but he was definitely different from before. He didn't get angry and instead closed his eyes tightly to cool his temper. Yang Gwan was greatly impressed.
'So many people in Sichuan lost their fortunes to Guild Master So's wind-like mouth, but that man is very wise.'
He might be fooled once, but not twice. It was a response worthy of a model strategist.
His meeting with Jang So-gil was short, but Sama Hwi had grasped his essence with a single bet.
"I won't do it. It's best not to associate with swindlers."
"You are truly wise!"
Yang Gwan exclaimed and nodded his head, saying, "That's right, that's right."
Jang So-gil's lips trembled, and he jabbed Yang Gwan's stomach with his elbow. Then he whispered softly.
"Hey, shut up."
"Ah, ah. Sorry..."
"...Then how about this condition? If I lose the bet, I will not receive my performance bonus of one-tenth."
"You mean you'll work for free if you fail?"
"That's right."
It was a good condition.
He was quite bitter about the one-tenth that the fellow was earning.
'It would be best if I could use that fellow for free, but...'
Sama Hwi shook his head again.
"I won't do it. It's ambiguous from the start. Whether you can collect two thousand taels or not, there's no time limit and no collection point. Proposing a bet with such an ambiguous clause must be a swindler's trick."
"You are a very suspicious person. Then let's do this. Let's bet on whether I can collect two thousand taels in one month or not..."
"I refuse."
"Then how about collecting it all at once?"
"All at once?"
Is there such a large embezzlement case?!
Sama Hwi's eyebrows twitched.
But he immediately shook his head.
"I won't do it."
He was a fellow who was called the greatest business talent in Sichuan. There was no way to predict what kind of scam he would pull. Sama Hwi humbly acknowledged that fact and continued to shake his head. So, Jang So-gil got annoyed.
"Ah, you're playing really hard to get. Then how about this? Just point to any building. I'll go to the place you point to and collect the money that should be collected, so let's bet on whether it becomes two thousand taels or not."
"I point to it?"
"That's right. Just reach out and point anywhere."
"Are you planning to plunder or something? I refuse."
"Plunder, what! I'm saying I'll find and collect the money that the Martial Alliance should rightfully receive."
"Hah..."
"Tsk. If you don't like this either, then forget it. I've removed the chariot, the cannon, the pawn, and the elephant, but I was the fool for dealing with a coward who still doesn't want to play chess."
Jang So-gil crossed his arms and grumbled. Watching him, Sama Hwi twisted the corners of his mouth.
'He's hooked.'
Those who think they are great are so easy to lure. He is so arrogant because he thinks he will win the bet no matter what.
Sama Hwi saw through the fact that the fellow was a swindler who loved to bet. Once he knew the fellow's essence, luring him was no trouble at all. If he just shook his head, he would get worked up on his own and rush in like that.
'You reckless fool. You've fallen into your own trap.'
Sama Hwi slapped his knee and stood up.
"Alright. Let's do it. Let's do it!"
"Huh, you want to do it? Really?"
"Yes. Hey, waiter, you are the witness. Bring paper and a writing brush!"
The designated waiter exclaimed, "Yes!" in surprise. A moment later, the two wrote a contract on the paper the waiter brought. To Yang Gwan, it was a contract so absurd it was ridiculous.
"It's practically a slave contract..."
"Ah, you just be quiet."
"But isn't this too much? No matter how great Guild Master So is, how can he do this?"
Yang Gwan continued to grumble. On the contrary, a smile never left Sama Hwi's lips.
'This is great. If I can work this fellow for free, it couldn't be better. I've tied him up good and proper.'
His gaze turned to the outside of the inn.
The sun had just passed its zenith. The streets of Luoyang should be full of people, but this was an outlying area, so there were not many people. A small floating population meant that there were few proper buildings, let alone shopping districts. Jang So-gil grumbled and said.
"I'll say this in advance, if you point to an old lady selling fruit who isn't even a member of the Martial Alliance, or a government office, this bet is void. I don't think the great Strategist Sama would pull such a cheap trick, but I'm pointing it out just in case."
"Hmph, don't worry. I am not you."
He inwardly clicked his tongue. It was because he had intended to point to the fruit seller in the distance.
If that's not allowed, where would be good?
Right now, there were two. The Hakseo Escort Agency and a small, shabby martial arts hall called the Gentleman's Academy.
'If we're talking about embezzling tribute money, it would probably be the escort agency. They have a lot of money and many areas to skim from. Even so, I doubt they embezzled as much as a thousand silver taels, but it's still unsettling. Let's exclude the escort agency. Then it's the martial arts hall, hmm. The Gentleman's Academy. A small martial arts hall that teaches some simple martial arts while also teaching academics.'
Unlike the martial arts halls run by prestigious Orthodox sects, these subsistence-level martial arts halls receive a very small amount of tribute money. Because the tribute money is not much, even if they embezzle, it would be a very small amount. It would be far from the huge sum of two thousand silver taels. Of course, that point was rather bothersome.
'This swindler might have made some arrangements in advance.'
But what could he do by making arrangements?
There is a limit to the money a martial arts hall can embezzle. No matter how much of a swindler Jang So-gil is and how much of a genius business talent he has, he cannot create money out of thin air. Would he spend a thousand taels of his own money? Not a chance.
"Alright. Let's go with that place, the Gentleman's Academy."
"Alright. That's good."
Jang So-gil's eyes slowly formed a crescent moon.
It was the look of someone watching a butterfly caught in a spider's web.
(End of Chapter)