****
The market.
It is the flower of commerce.
Although it varies by region, the market usually opens with the sound of a bell at noon and closes with the sound of a bell when the sun sets.
Once the market is held, merchants shout at the top of their lungs, and customers are busy walking around comparing prices and haggling.
It is a matter of course that it gets noisy, and that is the charm of a bustling market.
"It is truly noisy."
Cheong-su frowned.
It was the same for the other martial artists of Wudang.
Coming to a bustling market after being in the quiet Mount Wudang, it was bound to hurt their ears.
Furthermore, for those who considered quietness a virtue over noise, the market was an unclean place.
However, I felt like I was actually coming alive in the heat of these people.
The smells coming from the makeshift teahouses, taverns, butcher shops, draperies, spice shops, and apothecaries blended together.
"Isn't this heat nice?"
"Nice, my foot."
"People are living this fiercely. Rather than playing the hermit, I think rubbing shoulders with people is definitely what suits me."
"Even if you say that, you are already a main mountain disciple since you have learned the Azure Cloud Steps."
Usually, the market is divided into sections, and shops are gathered by trade, which are called 'hang' (guilds).
Hearing that fifty guilds were gathered, it was quite a large-scale market.
"So where is the salt business."
"Usually, the salt business takes up the best spot in the market. It should be in the center."
"You know well."
"It's common sense. Common sense. To think you didn't even know that."
In Wudang, I stayed quiet because I didn't know martial arts, but this was my territory.
Cheong-su's expression, having received a sudden jab while staying quiet, became uncomfortable.
If I did it any more, I could be subjected to acupoint-probing and blood-channeling right in the middle of the market, so I had to be careful.
Cheong-su and the martial artists of Wudang followed me as if possessed.
No matter how complicated a market looks, there is always a path.
Of course, market novices like the Wudang Sect people could get lost and wander aimlessly within the market.
Then they would be stuck until the market closed before they could get out.
The market is a monster that shows no mercy to novices.
Although that applies to every industry, including the martial world.
"It feels like the saltiness is seeping into the air already. My eyes feel salty."
"What kind of expression is that again?"
"It means the salt business is right ahead."
Just as I said, we turned a corner and the salt business appeared.
There were many salt merchants, but we could easily spot the Shanxi merchant's store.
Because the quality of the clothes they wore and the scale of the piled-up salt itself were different.
The one who recognized us first was the Shanxi merchant side.
A potbellied man wearing a green cotton robe approached us.
"Oh, you are the great warriors of Wudang. I am Kang Jeon from the Shanxi Prefecture."
"I am Cheong-su, the Pavilion Master of Gokjeongak in Wudang. I came for another matter, and the ones taking charge of the escort are the first-generation disciples here."
"I see."
The five 'Myeong' generation disciples introduced themselves.
If they were first-generation disciples of the 'Myeong' generation, no one would dare touch them.
The level of their martial might was one thing, but who in Hubei would dare touch the Wudang Sect?
Knowing that, the Shanxi merchants also hired the Wudang Sect as escorts.
"I see. Since you are the Pavilion Master of Gokjeongak, you are someone I have often seen in writing. It is truly an honor that the Pavilion Master has come."
Kang Jeon said that, but he was particularly indifferent to Cheong-su.
He actually seemed to care more about the five 'Myeong' generation disciples.
He cared more because the ones protecting them were the five 'Myeong' generation disciples.
It was a practical mindset fitting of a merchant.
Perhaps Cheong-su felt that too, as he slightly curled his lips inward and bit them.
It must feel like his blood was rushing backward to be slighted by a merchant he considered lowly.
"Excuse me, but then may I ask what brought the Pavilion Master of Gokjeongak here?"
At Kang Jeon's words, which had only the most basic courtesy, Cheong-su seemed to feel a sense of humiliation.
I looked at Kang Jeon's eyes.
They were cold eyes.
The eyes of looking at goods and customers.
'It's a bust.'
Only then did I realize.
Kang Jeon giving Cheong-su the cold shoulder was planned.
The Wudang Sect's internal information had leaked to the Shanxi merchants.
Kang Jeon asked while already knowing what Cheong-su would say.
"We came to buy salt."
Cheong-su said.
Kang Jeon tilted his head crookedly with an exaggerated gesture.
"Did the Wudang Sect not say they would not buy salt at this market?"
"We only didn't buy up the rice before it's harvested because we wanted to buy it on site; we didn't say we wouldn't buy it at all."
"Is that so? Though the portion for buying up the rice before it's harvested has already ended anyway. Why would you do such a loss-making action?"
Now, Kang Jeon was not just indifferent but even prickly.
It looked as if he was saying to endure this level of treatment since they didn't accept their offer.
"It is an internal matter, so it is difficult to say."
"I see. If you buy on site, you will have to buy it much more expensively than buying up the rice before it's harvested."
In front of the Shanxi merchant who was openly giving the cold shoulder, I felt the need to intervene.
Because Cheong-su's reddened face looked like it could explode.
"We will buy it cheaply."
"Pardon?"
Kang Jeon's eyes turned to me for the first time.
He hadn't been paying attention, thinking I was Cheong-su's servant just by looking.
"Could this person also be a disciple of Wudang……."
"He is not a main mountain disciple."
"Ah. I see."
Kang Jeon's eyes became confident.
Because there was no reason to yield if I wasn't a main mountain disciple.
"May I ask what you mean by that?"
As soon as he knew I was a lay disciple, Kang Jeon's speech changed to informal.
It was a common battle of nerves.
"Because I know. That the Open Transit Law will soon be abolished."
"What?"
Kang Jeon's face suddenly turned ashen.
Cheong-su's face also contorted.
Because I had not revealed to Cheong-su until now that the Open Transit Law would be abolished.
"Hold on. What do you mean by that?"
Cheong-su intervened.
If the Open Transit Law was abolished, the Shanxi merchants would no longer be able to make exorbitant profits from salt.
It was a natural logical structure that the price of salt south of North China would stabilize.
Cheong-su also knew that and his eyes lit up.
"The Open Transit Law is being abolished? If that is a certain story, were you daring to make an exorbitant profit against the Wudang Sect?"
I knew he would react like this.
In a battle between merchants, getting enraged meant losing.
Kang Jeon's ashen expression also returned to being calm.
He was even tense, knowing that a mistake here could not be undone.
"To be exact, such a rumor is circulating in Beijing, and this is classified information. I don't know how that servant knew, but as long as the Open Transit Law is still in effect, I will say we did not make an exorbitant profit."
"Those words are correct. Right now, the Shanxi merchants are not making an exorbitant profit. Because the Open Transit Law has not yet been abolished. They are simply selling it at the regular price."
When I sided with Kang Jeon's words, Cheong-su whipped his face toward me.
It was an expression that asked how a guy from the Wudang Sect could side with a merchant instead of Wudang.
"Wouldn't it become a headache for you too if we spread the word that the Open Transit Law is being abolished?"
Cheong-su said.
As expected, Cheong-su knew nothing about the world of merchants.
I answered instead of Kang Jeon.
"That is still classified information from Beijing. If we openly spread it, the Imperial Palace will hold us responsible."
"Whose side are you on anyway?"
Cheong-su's anger exploded.
Kang Jeon added flesh to my words.
"That servant's words are correct. If it is related to salt, the government is also sensitive. If you spread such a fact, no matter how much you are the Wudang Sect, it will be difficult to avoid the Imperial Palace's reprimand."
No matter how much there was an implicit non-aggression pact between the government and the martial world, as long as they were using the same land of the Central Plains, they were bound to clash.
This was exactly one of those cases.
Cheong-su also knew that unnecessarily provoking the Imperial Palace would become a headache, so he could only tremble his fists.
"Anyway, I don't know what you mean by buying it cheaply. Even if the Open Transit Law is abolished, exactly when it will be abolished is something even we do not know. Even if you know that fact, our price will remain unchanged."
"I see. I understand."
I bowed my head.
As I backed down so limply, not only Cheong-su but also Kang Jeon had a dumbfounded expression.
For now, the five 'Myeong' generation disciples went to guard the Shanxi merchants' salt business, and we entered a nearby makeshift teahouse.
Even before the tea came out, Cheong-su growled at me.
"Just what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking of buying salt cheaply."
"Looking at your sorry behavior, it didn't seem like that at all?"
"Not at all. Please do not look at the trees, but look at the forest."
"You are testing my Daoist heart. This is the first time I've wanted to beat someone up this much."
"The Shanxi merchant was quite impudent."
"I mean you! You!"
As loud voices rang out, everyone in the teahouse looked at us.
The people of Hubei knew we were people of Wudang just by our attire.
"The Jinin of the Wudang Sect must be very angry."
"I wonder what the matter is."
Cheong-su pulled his bamboo hat down deeply as if he were embarrassed.
He realized belatedly that causing a commotion here would only be a disgrace to the Wudang Sect.
Only after taking a sip of tea did Cheong-su seem to regain his composure and lower his voice.
"Phew. Alright. Not informing me that the Open Transit Law would be abolished is one thing, but shouldn't you at least share with me what you're thinking?"
"Not informing you about the abolition of the Open Transit Law was because there was a high probability that Jinin would come out aggressively. And you actually did come out aggressively against the Shanxi merchant."
"Are you saying I shouldn't have? It's going to get cheaper soon anyway, so of course I should have come out like that."
"Merchants are people too. For the same price, would they want to sell to a kind customer, or a difficult customer making a scene."
"D-Difficult……."
Cheong-su seemed slightly hurt by my word choice.
To be fair, saying a Daoist of the Wudang Sect was a difficult customer making a scene was perhaps a worse term than a curse word.
I didn't mind and continued speaking.
"Then wouldn't the correct order have been to tell me first and tell me not to come out aggressively?"
"No. I told you then so that you would come out aggressively. If you had known in advance, you wouldn't have gotten that excited. And you wouldn't have talked about leaking Beijing's classified information either."
"I'm starting to not understand what you're saying."
"To put it simply, the Pavilion Master acted as the difficult customer, and I remained as the reasonable person. The Pavilion Master has to act difficult for me to stand out more as someone reasonable."
"So you used me?"
"Yes."
In a flash, my head was slammed onto the teahouse table.
Cheong-su had grabbed the back of my head and slammed it down.
Fortunately, he must have controlled his strength, as the table didn't shatter.
Bang, since a loud sound rang out, the gazes of others gathered even more.
However, Cheong-su didn't even seem to care about that much anymore.
"What a crazy bastard."
"Please consider it a strategic move. Isn't it good for the Pavilion Master too if we buy salt cheaply?"
"……Phew."
"For now, please calm down while having a cup of tea. My head hurts."
At my words, Cheong-su returned to his seat and took a sip of tea.
I rubbed my forehead with my hand.
It felt like a lump had formed where it bulged out.
"Alright. I roughly understand. That you stand out more when I act difficult. Still, you wouldn't be able to buy it cheaply with just that."
"Of course. It was such an obvious statement that I almost didn't answer."
"You truly have an eloquence that calls for a fist. You damn bastard."
"A merchant must know how to touch others' emotions. Especially if you have a talent for making them agitated, it's good. Because it clouds their judgment."
"I'm telling you, you're not a merchant, but a disciple of Wudang."
Cheong-su sighed.
"So, what are you going to do from now on?"
"We just have to wait. They say this market will be held for five days, so there is nothing for us to do until at least the fourth day."
"Then what do we do in the meantime?"
"Let's look around the market. If it's not too much trouble, please buy me just one ice confection."
"……."
Blue veins pulsed on Cheong-su's tightly clenched fist.
It was the first day of the market that would be held for five days.