The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

"..."

Cheon Myeong was silent with a blank face.

To think that the Socheongak's budget for three months was only one gold tael.

Cheon Myeong didn't know how to accept this fact.

'No matter how I think about it, this doesn't seem right.'

Cheon Myeong did not know the exact budget of the Socheongak.

In the first place, since he had naturally lived a prosperous life since a long time ago, he had not been particularly interested.

However, as the situation became like this, Cheon Myeong couldn't help but be interested in the budget.

"Mihwa... how much was the budget for the last quarter?"

Cheon Myeong barely opened his mouth and asked.

No matter how he thought about it, it was strange that the Socheongak's quarterly budget was one gold tael.

If it had always been like that, he would not have been able to live a prosperous life as in his memory.

For now, Cheon Myeong thought that he should first figure out the budget that had come into the Socheongak while he was away.

"I was also curious, so I asked Songhwa... she said that two hundred and fifty gold taels came in for the last quarter."

"T-two hundred and fifty taels...!"

Hearing that from Mihwa, Cheon Myeong's face was quite shocked.

Two hundred and fifty gold taels and one tael.

Just by comparing them, it was a huge difference.

'Why did the budget, which was two hundred and fifty gold taels last quarter, decrease to a speck of dust this quarter?'

If there were two hundred and fifty gold taels, it was enough money to eat only meat for three meals a day, and there would still be some left over.

Is that all?

It could also be used usefully in Cheon Myeong's efforts to build his own force in the future.

That's how much money could be used usefully in many ways, so the more there was, the more power it would be for Cheon Myeong.

On the other hand, if it was as ridiculously insufficient as it was now, it was also money that made a person look shabby.

"..."

A budget that had decreased by an unusually large amount.

Cheon Myeong pondered over what the cause was.

And he could find the answer immediately without thinking for long.

'Is it because the master of the Socheongak has changed?'

The biggest difference between the last quarter and this quarter.

No matter how he thought about it, that was the only answer.

'To think he would screw me over like this.'

He had been prepared to some extent for the fact that he would not be welcomed when he returned to the main headquarters, but he had not expected to face such a difficulty.

To harass a person with money.

Since this was the first time he had experienced something like this in his life, Cheon Myeong couldn't help but feel dumbfounded first.

'Who on earth reduced the Socheongak's budget?'

There would be few people who could interfere with the budget like this.

Thinking so, the first person that came to mind was Cheon Jin.

Since Cheon Jin was the one who had kicked Cheon Myeong out of the main headquarters in the first place, wouldn't he be able to reduce the Socheongak's budget for the reason that he was displeased with his return?

'No, it's not that guy.'

If that had been his intention in the first place, Cheon Myeong would have already been exiled from the main headquarters again.

Given Cheon Jin's personality, it didn't seem like he would proceed with things in such a troublesome way.

Thinking so, Cheon Myeong thought of another person among the candidates that came to mind.

'...The Head of the Finance Hall?'

Simply put, that was the answer.

Because the person who had the authority to decide the budget was the Head of the Finance Hall.

However, Cheon Myeong couldn't understand why a person he barely knew by face in his memory would screw him over like this.

'I don't think I've done anything wrong to that woman.'

Then there is only one answer.

Wouldn't someone have instigated the Head of the Finance Hall to reduce the Socheongak's budget?

And recalling recent events, there was one most likely candidate.

'Jang Hyeon, did that thief do this?'

Of course, Cheon Seong would not have good feelings for Cheon Myeong either.

However, considering who had a greater grudge against Cheon Myeong recently, it was Jang Hyeon rather than Cheon Seong.

And the guy who would do such a childish thing would surely be Jang Hyeon.

Just by looking at his actions so far, Cheon Myeong thought that it was certain that Jang Hyeon had played a trick on the Head of the Finance Hall.

'He's a guy I don't like to the end.'

I forgave him for his theft with a generous heart, and he stabs me in the back like this?

As expected, I should have given him a harder time back then.

"..."

But even though he said that, it was true that his strength was realistically insufficient compared to Jang Hyeon.

If he left this situation as it was, his staple food might really become grass.

Even if that wasn't the case, since there might be a need to use money in the future, he could not leave the current situation as it was.

"Mihwa."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Is there no money that the Socheongak has saved up until now?"

No matter how much he spent, it would be realistically difficult to use all two hundred and fifty gold taels in three months.

If the budget had always come in like that, there would surely be some saved up money.

'For now, I'll get through the current situation with the saved up money and slowly devise a countermeasure.'

This would be able to put out the immediate fire.

Cheon Myeong had asked Mihwa with that thought.

But seeing Mihwa's dark expression, that thought immediately disappeared.

"...There's no saved up money."

"None? Not even a little?"

"No..."

"..."

How can that be?

If the money had been used normally, there would surely be some left over...

"Uh... before you came, Young Master, they had a drinking party at the Socheongak every day, so they used up not only the budget received last year but also all the money that had been saved up before that."

"..."

As expected, was that guy the problem!

Not only did he covet the Socheongak, but he also used up all the budget.

He knew he was a thief, but he didn't know he was such a vicious thief.

'To think that the budget was all used up for that guy's drinking expenses...'

Hearing that, Cheon Myeong couldn't help but feel empty.

In the end, Jang Hyeon was the problem from beginning to end.

If he had made such a mess, he should have at least had the conscience to stay quiet.

While Cheon Myeong was thinking that, Mihwa cautiously said to Cheon Myeong again.

"Uh... Young Master."

"...?"

Mihwa's voice calling him.

Cheon Myeong was already feeling anxious.

"You told me to change all the furniture in the room, so there's still a cost for that."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I thought the budget would come in soon, so I received the goods in advance..."

Does that mean there's also a debt now?

If he had known that the Socheongak's situation was this difficult, he wouldn't have changed the furniture for the reason that it was uneasy.

'No money, and now a debt... it's truly one mountain after another...'

Since Jang Hyeon had used up all the saved up money, he couldn't even put out the immediate fire.

That meant that he had to find a way to get money from now on.

Not only for himself, but also for the people working at the Socheongak, he could not stay still.

'...Should I ask that guy for a favor?'

With just one word from Cheon Jin, all the problems would be easily solved.

However, no matter how urgent it was, Cheon Myeong did not want to borrow Cheon Jin's hand.

He hadn't done anything to please Cheon Jin yet, and he was already borrowing his hand.

He could already predict what the answer would be if he asked for such a favor now.

Maybe this time, he would be kicked out of the main headquarters again.

No matter how urgent the money was, it seemed better not to do anything that would earn him hatred now.

'I have to solve it myself.'

In the end, it's one of the two.

Either go to Jang Hyeon or go to the Head of the Finance Hall.

However, Cheon Myeong had no intention of going to Jang Hyeon in the first place.

'That's what that guy wants. If I go, he'll surely tell me to kneel.'

Isn't that why he had done such a thing?

To kneel to a guy like that.

He would rather die than do that.

Then the only remaining option is to directly negotiate with the Head of the Finance Hall.

'The Head of the Finance Hall...'

The Finance Hall.

All the money of the Demonic Cult moves through that place.

Just as money has considerable power, the power of the Finance Hall was also immense.

As a result, anyone belonging to the Demonic Cult had no choice but to be mindful of the Finance Hall.

And the power of the Head of the Finance Hall, who was the master of such a place, could be said to be considerable.

'She was a woman of about fifty, I'm sure.'

That was all he knew.

And her face and appearance were all.

Even that, since a long time had passed, it would not completely match his memory.

'There's too little information.'

The Head of the Finance Hall would surely have reduced the Socheongak's budget at Jang Hyeon's instigation, so if he just went and asked her to raise the budget, would she listen to him?

If his power was immense, it might be a different story, but if the Head of the Finance Hall had thought that he was more of a real power than Jang Hyeon, she wouldn't have done such a thing in the first place.

He needed a trump card to present to the Head of the Finance Hall.

And in order to create such a card, he needed information about the Head of the Finance Hall...

'There's no particular way to get information.'

In order to get a card to present to the Head of the Finance Hall, he needed high-level information that others didn't know.

And in order to get such information, he would need a considerable amount of information power.

No matter how much Cheon Myeong ran around, he couldn't be sure if he could get that much information.

"Hmm..."

Swallowing a groan, Cheon Myeong fell into thought.

And at that moment.

Someone came into Cheon Myeong's room.

"Young Master... ah, were you having a meal?"

"...?"

At the sudden voice, Cheon Myeong raised his head.

Then, Soyeon Sang's figure appeared in front of him.

Since it had been a long time since he had seen Soyeon Sang, Cheon Myeong asked with a puzzled face.

"What are you doing here?"

"An order came down from above."

"An order?"

"Yes, an order to be your exclusive escort at the main headquarters, just like before."

When Soyeon Sang said that, Cheon Myeong's eyes widened slightly.

To think that Soyeon Sang would be his exclusive escort even after returning to the main headquarters.

Since Soyeon Sang was a useful and trustworthy person, Cheon Myeong naturally welcomed that fact.

"I will continue to be of help to you by your side in the future."

"Ah..."

"...?"

Soyeon Sang had thought that Cheon Myeong would surely welcome it if he said he had become his exclusive escort.

However, Cheon Myeong's face darkened for a moment.

Seeing this, Soyeon Sang cautiously asked Cheon Myeong.

"Uh... do you perhaps dislike me becoming your exclusive escort, Young Master?"

"No, if you are by my side, it will of course be a great help."

"..."

But why is his expression like that?

Even though he said it was good, since his expression was dark, Soyeon Sang could not accept those words as they were.

'Another mouth to feed has been added...'

This was the reason why Cheon Myeong's expression had darkened.

If Soyeon Sang was assigned as Cheon Myeong's exclusive escort, he would surely live at the Socheongak as well.

That meant that the living expenses of the Socheongak would increase.

And it meant that the already tight budget had become even tighter.

'I have to come up with a plan.'

Since the number of mouths to feed had increased, Cheon Myeong thought that it would not be okay to leave things as they were.

As expected, there was no choice but to directly negotiate with the Head of the Finance Hall.

But still, since it seemed that Soyeon Sang could be of help to him, it seemed that the situation had gotten a little better than before.

"Soyeon Sang."

Cheon Myeong called out Soyeon Sang's name seriously.

Then, Soyeon Sang looked at Cheon Myeong with a similarly serious gaze.

'Is there something he wants to order me to do?'

That gaze was unmistakable.

Finally, Cheon Myeong is starting to move at the main headquarters.

Thinking that Cheon Myeong would take his first step, Soyeon Sang knelt on one knee with a reverent posture.

"Yes, Young Master."

"You also like meat more than vegetables, right?"

"...What?"

"The side dishes, I mean."

"..."

Why is he suddenly asking that?

But still, to answer Cheon Myeong's question, Soyeon Sang also liked meat more.

"...I like meat."

"Right?"

"But why that..."

"There's something you have to do for us to eat meat in the future."

"..."

Although the purpose seemed strange, it was the first order Cheon Myeong had given him.

Focusing again, Soyeon Sang listened to Cheon Myeong's voice.

And to Soyeon Sang, Cheon Myeong said.

"Do a background check on the Head of the Finance Hall."

"A background check... you say?"

"Yes, anything is fine, even trivial information like how many wrinkles are on the Head of the Finance Hall's forehead, so investigate everything and let me know."

Why does he want to know such a thing?

However, since he thought that there would surely be a meaning in what Cheon Myeong was ordering, Soyeon Sang bowed his head and answered.

"I understand. I will investigate everything, down to the number of moles on the Head of the Finance Hall's body."

"Uh..."

No matter how much, it didn't seem necessary to find out that much.

But still, it must mean that Soyeon Sang would be that enthusiastic about the investigation.

Cheon Myeong thought so and said to Soyeon Sang.

"I'm counting on you."

No matter what, he had to find out something that could win that woman's favor.

For the sake of the Socheongak's family, and... for a prosperous meal.

(End of Chapter)