Chapter 148

Seeing Grandpa after a while, he was a mountain of worry.

“Take care of yourself. I’ve set aside a little travel money, so make sure you don’t go hungry.”

As he handed over the Money Bag, Qing opened it up to find it was filled to the brim with shiny gold coins.

“Wow. If this is considered little, just how much is a lot? I’ll use it well. Thank you.”

“To you, this is little. Make sure to get the best room and order the most expensive dishes. You should splurge a bit so others won’t look down on you. It’s a trip, so don’t bother with needless diligence—sleep if you want to sleep, and play if you want to play.”

I thought normally people would say the opposite.

But when you’re dealing with a pile of gold coins, it adds a persuasive touch.

Plus, he added extra persuasion!

“Just in case, these are the vouchers I prepared. Each one has a gold coin worth it, so don’t hold back on spending money.”

“But Grandpa, how did you have this much money?”

“It’s the operating expenses for the business.”

He was boldly declaring embezzlement.

“Oh, is it okay for you to give that to me?”

“Once a business starts running well, money will come from somewhere like blind luck. If it fails, it’s the business that fails, not me.”

“Oh wow, you’re practically a boss now.”

While in Sichuan, Choi Riyong also didn’t know how to deal with Divine Sect.

But now he did, the wealth of Divine Sect was Qing’s wealth.

Then Choi Riyong began with a lecture.

“If you get into unnecessary trouble, make sure to deal with it cleanly and eliminate potential problems. Also, watch out for overly friendly men. If it comes down to it, you can label them as rascals and deal with them without any future trouble.”

“Come on, Grandpa, I’m no kid! I know that much.”

“I would love to go with you, but the senior is right, and if the old man tags along, it will only be a burden for you.”

“Honestly, I don’t really care. You can handle your own grudges, Grandpa. If you want to go with me, then go.”

Choi Riyong smiled sweetly at that.

“It’s not something that can be held in forever; time will solve it naturally. There’s no need for the old man to act like a restless child. Don’t worry about me and enjoy yourself.”

“Who’s worrying about you? It’s more like you should mind your own business!”

Then Gyeon Pohee returned.

She had everything packed for the trip to Kaifeng and promptly strapped her luggage on, so there was no reason to hesitate.

“Ah, didn’t you say you were going to hide? Isn’t the Seolga Association a bit too conspicuous? Are Seols common?”

“Thinking about it, I realized I hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should I hide?”

For reference, Seolga was originally part of the Northern Sea Ice Palace’s branch sect, having turned everything into a bloodbath without distinguishing between master, senior, colleague, or junior, then burned the place down and snatched the Secret Manual before leaving.

From Seolga’s point of view, he simply took justified revenge, though it might have been a bit much.

He had hidden because he was scared of the Palace’s pursuers, but now that he had a solid backing, he was thinking of enjoying himself to the fullest.

Qing had assumed that Seolga was basically just taking out a few guys who were bothering him, not that he would actually have burned everything down.

“You did well to think that way. If the best brain in the neighborhood gets boxed in a corner, it’s a loss for the entire Martial World.”

“I’ve thought for a while now—doesn’t it seem a bit dubious to be ‘the best’ in the neighborhood?”

“What’s that? You’re looking down on the neighborhood? And now you’re asking for golden paint on your own face? The Seolga Association is still local, so why not nurture it well?”

Then Qing waved and departed flamboyantly.

After sending him off, Choi Riyong casually tapped Seolga on the side.

“Alright, come on. If you want to be recognized as a greater strategist, you need to grow the association, right? Since it’s come to this, you should aim to be the best in the Central Plain.”

“Yes, sir.”

Then suddenly, Seolga realized.

When did and why was I being assessed for my brains?

Seolga had never considered himself particularly clever.

—

The first order of business was boarding a boat heading to Wuhuan.

On the way to the port, Gyeon Pohee blankly stated.

“I just realized, I’ve never been on a boat. Hehe. I’m so excited. Are we going to ride a big boat? I’ve seen one this big before.”

Gyeon Pohee spread her arms wide.

At that, Tang Nan-ah’s eyes lit up.

“What? You’ve never been on a boat? Then you don’t even know that you take off your shoes before boarding?”

“Why would you take off your shoes? Then my feet would get all wet! I might be an ignorant girl, but I’m not falling for that stupid joke. Even a seven-year-old wouldn’t fall for that.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Of course! Just looking around, you can tell if there’s anyone taking off their shoes. Have you ever seen one of our uncle’s friends do that?”

“Um… yeah…”

Tang Nan-ah nodded with a pained expression.

“But why is our uncle’s friend sneaking glances? What’s so interesting? Wow, what’s he hiding in that chest?”

“Ah, no!? I wasn’t looking at his chest! Huh? But what is he hiding?”

“It definitely looks like something!”

“I’m not sure…”

Qing let out a deep sigh.

With two dimwits around, there’s bound to be a hierarchy of stupidity.

With the representative being such an absolute winner, you have to wonder, is the medical field in the Central Plain going to be okay?

They bickered until they arrived at the port, and both village girls were gaping, spellbound.

Then, finally, Tang Nan-ah showed off her affectionate rich kid side.

“Hey, let’s ride that one. That one looks the biggest and most glamorous. I’ll pay for the fare!”

“Oh? Why do you have to pay for a boat?”

“Are you kidding me? Do you think they’re just going to let you on without paying?”

“It’s different for everyone.”

Qing grinned, feet planted firmly on the ground as he raised his hand high.

“Ladies and gentlemen! We have a guest at the Dragon King’s boat! We’re looking for only one shipowner willing to legally avoid taxes all the way to Wuhuan!”

Legal tax evasion!

That was the dream of all the merchants in the Central Plain.

The Chinese people detested taxes, yet surprisingly didn’t take kindly to illegal tax evasion.

This spirit persisted up to Qing’s era, where the Chinese absolutely did not commit illegal tax evasion.

If you got caught, it could literally lead to execution (purging).

More importantly, legal tax savings were possible.

After all, who knew where the taxes went? Instead, it was a hefty donation to high-ranking officials, with the added benefit of tax exemptions through guanxi.

The more taxes you paid, the more you were seen as an absolute fool, a moron, or a mentally challenged individual. Therefore, simply paying taxes as mandated by law practically made one a holy and glorified figure in the eyes of the public, a stark contrast to the Korean culture.

Still, everyone was fiercely competing to host valuable guests.

Thus, the shipowner possessing a seven-story dragon palace-like ship humbly bowed as he welcomed esteemed guests, earning the honor of serving them…

For this reason, Qing was genuinely treated with utmost respect.

They even had to pay ten times the cancellation fee just to reserve the best room, and they weren’t shy about serving expensive dishes and fine liquor, making it hard to distinguish whether they were in the ship or a paradise.

In reality, the money spent hosting Qing far exceeded the taxes they would have owed.

However, did the wealthy shipowner go through all this trouble just to evade a bit of tax?

Nope, he wanted to give some greasy scoundrels leeches who take money while doing nothing a taste of their own medicine.

“Stop right there!”

“You lot, stop! Do you dare to cause trouble while we have the guest of the Dragon King on board?”

“Step aside!”

The members of the water tax officials immediately backed off with their tails between their legs.

It was the most satisfying moment in the shipowner’s thirty-year career.

The shipowner was pleased, Qing was pleased, and even the client who was penalized with the ten times cancellation fee walked away with a profit, leading to a happy conclusion for all.

The water tax officials were meant to cause these exact situations, showcasing their bizarre form of hospitality.

And so they ate well, played well, and slept well until they finally arrived in Wuhuan.

Wuhuan wasn’t just a city; it referred to the three ferry ports known collectively as Wuhuan Sanjin.

Notably, it featured a famous restaurant called Huanghelou, reputedly built by that very Sun Quan.

Originally built as a watchtower, it had been rebuilt several times after burning down, gradually increasing in height to the point where it wouldn’t miss the listing of the world’s top towers during that era.

At the very top was a massive plaque inscribed with “Chao Tian Ji Mu,” which had also grown over time as the original perished.

The original phrase was inscribed by Sun Quan himself, conveying his determination to one day confirm the skies above Chu, likening himself to the fearless giant Han Xin, and was highly regarded.

It might sound grandiose for a primitive tribe leader who specialized in living short lives due to chronic eating of freshwater fish, but it had some weight.

There wasn’t anything particularly special about the local specialties, but in the far future, it was doomed to become known as the birthplace of a dangerous disease that would ravage the world.

Wuhuan could also strangely be read as Wuhan in a crude language.

If Heaven’s Kill knew this, she might have decided to embrace the city rather than cling to her obsession over just one human.

Regardless, with the Money Bag full and the ready-to-splurge Tang Nan-ah by her side, Qing felt no fear.

Having spotted the tall golden roof that was known as one of the most famous restaurants in the world from the boat ride, there was no way she could just pass it by.

As soon as she stepped off the boat, she set her direction straight to find it, resigned to the fact that if they operated on reservations, they’d just have to pay an extra fee to dine there.

However, Huanghelou was a renowned establishment.

“If you wish to make a reservation, you’ll need to wait four months…”

“Four months?”

“Or maybe around ten months. Spring and autumn are booked solid—every single day.”

“Ah…”

Well, there was nothing to be done.

Qing turned out to be a reasonable individual who treated reason with reason.

Shoulders slumping in disappointment, he smacked his lips regretfully while looking once again at Huanghelou’s majestic view.

Then something suddenly caught his eye.

There, leaning against the highest sixth-floor railing looking outward, was a man.

A smile curled on Qing’s face behind the scarf he’d wrapped around his head.

Oh, if he knew someone there, wasn’t it okay to share a table?