Chapter 283

기수 consummation? - 1 After the awkward silence ended, the apothecary owner left the office. “I wanted to return everything, but I could only salvage half,” I remarked. Im Ha Yeon couldn’t disclose that she had stolen the elixirs, even to the members of our association. Since we were set to receive half the elixirs as compensation anyway, returning the recovered portion should suffice. Gazing at the elixirs filling about half the box, I addressed the acupuncturist with a hint of regret. “Leader! How could you say such a thing? Even as a joke, it wounds my pride.” “Haha! Still, since we’ve received the cost of the medicine, my heart feels at ease. Take this,” I said as I handed the receipt from the apothecary owner over to the acupuncturist. The acupuncturist flinched and waved it away hastily. “Leader, it’s not right for me to take this money. The payment was accepted under your name, so please use it as you see fit.” As expected, the person from the land of Eastern etiquette, overflowing with manners and propriety. For a moment, I thought of taking the receipt, claiming I’d use it for a good cause, but then I felt the gaze of the Korean staff behind the acupuncturist fixate on me. Simply pocketing this money would be improper. There had to be another way. Quickly concealing my greed, I smiled generously, speaking like a magnanimous leader. “Don’t make me out to be someone short-sighted. I didn't step in just for a few coins; I did it to right a wrong suffered by our Korean people.” “Leader…” The acupuncturist looked at me, unable to close her mouth in awe. “That’s our leader for you.” “Can’t even compare to those greedy Central Plains folks.” “Wait, did you just…” “Are you doubting our leader?” That’s right, your leader has no intention of taking the money. So keep praising me. “Use that money to renovate your acupuncture clinic. It pained me to see such a skilled acupuncturist working in a decrepit place.” Offering the receipt with an expression of intense concern, as if I were worried about a distant relative living in hardship. Let's refuse the money, while pretending to act generously. “If that’s your wish, Leader, then I’ll use this money for…” The acupuncturist looked at me with a puzzled expression. And why not, considering I hadn’t let go of the receipt. “…” This gentleman is sharp. Trying to accept it right after a single rejection? “You need to let go of the receipt…” “Ahem.” A business person without any tact. I gave a troubled smile at the acupuncturist and glanced at the Korean personnel behind her. I may be generous, but do you think they’ll be too? “Oh! I wasn’t thinking. The members who helped resolve this…” “If you renovate the clinic, please have a grand feast.” I released the receipt, acting as if the realization had only just dawned on me. “There’s no room in a small clinic for such an event. Naturally, you should oversee it personally. I’ll offer half of it to you.” That much? I just wanted to give the members a little extra pay. “It’s enough to cover only food and drinks for the hardworking members.” “No! You’ll continue to aid struggling Koreans, so we can’t end it on just that note. Please use the remaining money to help people like me.” “Then I’ll use this money for the members.” After all, I’m a member too. It should be fine, right? Taking back the receipt, I handed over a separate one for half the amount. “I have something additional to say.” “Go ahead.” “Although we call it half, I received the full elixir amount in one go, which would’ve taken a lengthy period to sell.” The acupuncturist beamed down at the receipt. She had regained the stolen elixirs and earned her expected money—a perfect outcome. “Haha. Now that you’ve come into some money, don’t miss any more meetings.” “Of course, I’ll ensure the funds don’t get tangled. Even if I join at the last rank, I’ll enter without complaints. But that’s not what I wanted to say.” “Then what is it?” I looked at the acupuncturist with curiosity. What could she mean? The acupuncturist stood beside the box filled with the elixirs that had caused such distress over the past days and spread her hands wide. “I’ve earned enough, so I’d like to give all these elixirs to you, Leader.” —————— “I intended to take only half, but ended up with everything,” Im Ha Yeon remarked, looking at the elixirs inside the box. The acupuncturist recovered the full value of her stolen elixirs, and I ended up receiving not only compensation but all the elixirs as well. Except for the apothecary owner who would face significant consequences a year later for his actions, everyone else had a reason to smile. “Since she insisted on giving them, I had no choice but to accept,” I said, returning after a brief educational talk with the staff, standing before the delivery person tangled in his fate. “What do we do with them?” Im Ha Yeon asked with a hesitant tone. Running a bookstore and inn, selling medicinal items seemed a strange fit. “Would eating them all improve my internal energy?” Perhaps eating one post-meal, like a candy, to bolster internal energy could work? “You already have second-class internal energy. Eating candies, even infused with a bit of medicinal essence, won’t help much.” Despite containing red ginseng, these candies had only the most minute traces of essence, making them barely effective as supplements—more like snacks, despite their grand labels. Initially created for middle-aged men or mid-tier warriors to use as invigorating supplements, the essence wasn’t strong enough for true enhancement. It seems that using the elixirs myself isn’t efficient given their cost. "Guess I'll have to find another purpose for these elixirs," I murmured quietly while gazing at them. As a martial artist, I’m still third-rate in terms of level, but my internal energy is first-rate—an attempt at a joke. It’s a tricky situation since they’re not useful for me, nor are they easy to sell. This might actually be a good opportunity to use them as the Employee of the Month award. Given their reputation for boosting vitality among the staff, I’ll hand them out exclusively to married men. Considering they’re also beneficial for recovering strength, I could give them as gifts to fellow members or injured martial artists. “What…?” What’s with her reaction? Im Ha Yeon looked at me with wide, shocked eyes. “Since some of these are stolen goods, it’s tricky to sell them. It’s better to keep them for personal use when needed.” Why is she so startled? “Where would you use them?” she asked me. “We should decide that together,” I replied. Half of these were her efforts, switching them out under the cover of night. I never intended to hog them all. “Decide together…?” Why does her voice keep trembling? “It’s not something I can use alone. Naturally, I should discuss it with you, don’t you agree?” Given that they’re elixirs, the expertise of a martial practitioner would be necessary for their best use. “Well, that’s true… but don’t get any wrong ideas!” Im Ha Yeon suddenly adopted a demure posture, as if she turned into a refined maiden, and distanced herself from me. Is it because I keep passing on trivial tasks? If that’s the case, then there’s no choice. “If it’s too much for you, I’ll discuss it with someone else,” I said. “What?!” “Miss Ha Yeon, why did you suddenly get so close...?” Why did she back away only to get right in my face? “Who would you use them with?” she pressed, her face inching even closer. “Miss Ha Yeon?” “Who would. you. use them. with? You’re not…” Why is she angry? Im Ha Yeon was exuding a pressure, making me feel like I would be in serious trouble if I said something wrong. She’s indeed a formidable martial artist. When in doubt, sometimes it's best to stay put and raise my hands in surrender. “Since these are elixirs, we should consult with other experts. But since no one comes to mind right now, let’s leave them aside for now.” I’m not using them. “Elixirs? Ah…” Realizing our conversation had been misaligned, Ha Yeon stepped back awkwardly, looking flustered. “What misunderstanding did you have?” “Ugh, it’s nothing!” she blurted out, turning away with a lightly flushed face. Ah, I see. Almost let out a chuckle, but if she knew I understood, she might avoid me for a week. “It’s disappointing that consuming all these wouldn’t enhance my abilities,” I said disappointingly, seamlessly shifting the conversation to cover my gaffe. “What you lack isn’t internal energy. Just practice the Muyeong Shin Technique more diligently, and you’ll reach second-class status in no time,” Im Ha Yeon responded, latching onto the new topic with vigor, eager to escape her embarrassment. “Do you mean it, that I could reach second-class?” Her statement made my eyes widen in surprise. To be second-class in the world of martial arts was a significant standing—beyond the realm of common third-rate warriors. “You already excel at hidden weapon techniques. With the Muyeong Shin Technique, even competent second-class warriors would fall before they reached you.” “Me, second-class?” So Yun Sim Sang Gyeol. Danga’s hidden weapon techniques. Muyeong Shin Technique. Eventually, I realized I had been mastering internal energy cultivation, martial arts, and movement techniques. “With deeper mastery of the Muyeong Shin Technique, it’s not far off. Consistent practice will get you there soon,” she assured me with a proud look, like a mentor proud of her student’s achievements. To think I’d eventually claim a perfect hierarchical dominance as second-class over the third-rate warriors. A flood of emotions made me stare at my hands. Seeing my reaction, Im Ha Yeon then added with a light-hearted smile. “Also, the red ginseng candies are off-limits. We’ll decide together how to use them.” Why? ——— “Having resolved one issue, next up is opening the first sub-branch group,” I murmured, laying in bed and reflecting on the tasks for the next day. With the acupuncturist’s money securely pooled, we successfully completed our initial round of funds for the association. While the Koreans eagerly spread these developments, I had already scouted the next location for the inn, ensuring the expansion would proceed smoothly. “Just need to avoid incidents at the inn,” I mused. The main store, Jeong Ilsan’s branch 1 and 2—all were running without any issues. However, the more branches we established, the greater my anxiety about potential conflicts at the inns increased. Managing a three-story or higher inn meant we couldn’t turn away guests seeking sleep and food. And where people gather, disputes are bound to arise. Though major fights that would make an innkeeper weep were rare, any conflict meant the inn had to bear the losses. “Hiring separate security is… wait a minute!” I suddenly realized I had just the right tool in hand. I had something to try.