Chapter 81
Chief Overseer So Seokha of Seongha Sangbang stared nervously at the masked man before him.
“Only sixteen? That falls far short of what was promised.”
The masked # Nоvеlight # man’s voice was cold, and So Seokha flinched before replying.
“Commander, it’s growing more difficult to recruit laborers. They must be ignorant enough to avoid suspicion and hail from far outside Hyeonseong. That narrows the pool.”
“If it's that difficult, you could have filled the numbers with vagrants from the city.”
“We barely scraped together enough bodies last time doing just that. It’s not as if the number of vagrants in Hyeonseong suddenly increases overnight. I ask for your understanding. Also, this...”
So Seokha subtly pulled something from his sleeve and offered it forward.
“The Sangbangju asked that I deliver this to you.”
It was a tea caddy made of mother-of-pearl-inlaid wood.
“He went to great lengths to obtain genuine West Lake Dragon Well tea. You live up here in the mountains—it’s only right you have a small pleasure to enjoy now and then.”
The masked man furrowed his brow.
“Tell the Sangbangju there’s no need for such trouble on my behalf.”