An Advertising Genius Falls into the Joseon Era - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 31
The sun hung low on the horizon, the sky already darkening.
“Phew…”
Song Do-hyeon exhaled roughly, taking in the sight before him.
“Good. Looks like I made it in time.”
The Eunpyeong Market came into view in the distance.
Though the sun had already declined halfway, the market still radiated light as bright as midday.
Because of the lanterns hung throughout the market, it was easy to mistake it for a fresh outbreak of fire.
“A Night Market, then…”
Song Do-hyeon murmured as he entered through the market gates.
Lanterns stretched in a long line along the entrance, as if a crimson carpet had been laid out.
“Clever thinking.”
A cool breeze stirred his hair.
The temperature had dropped noticeably now that evening had arrived.
The heat that had built up during the day had dissipated, making it perfect for a stroll.
When he first heard the term “Night Market,” it felt like a blow to the back of his head.
Why hadn’t he thought of it?
Such a simple idea.
It didn’t require money or any special effort.
Just waiting for the sun to set.
But his regret didn’t last long.
Soon another thought occurred to him.
The Curfew.
“An hour left until Curfew.”
Song Do-hyeon regarded the Eunpyeong Market with a meaningful look.
It was dressed up well enough on the surface, but likely hollow inside.
Running the market for barely an hour would make it difficult to draw customers.
Besides, everyone knew the Eunpyeong Market had been reduced to ruins by fire.
Expecting customers to come to such a place was unreasonable.
What could possibly draw people here?
At this ungodly hour, no less.
“Let me see just how many customers there actually are.”
Song Do-hyeon entered the market with a faint smirk playing at his lips.
And immediately realized
how shortsighted his thinking had been.
“This is unbelievable…!”
What greeted Song Do-hyeon upon entering the Eunpyeong Market was a crowd beyond imagination.
“A Night Market like this? It’s amazing!”
“Who would’ve ever imagined the market would be open at this hour?”
“Isn’t this like a festival?”
“Exactly. There are way more people than there were a few days ago.”
“Stop pushing! I said no pushing!”
“Goblin Rice Cakes for sale! Buy now and we’ll throw in an extra one!”
“Goblin Straw Sandals—only found here! If you miss today, you’ll never see them again!”
People were packed so tightly there was barely room to set foot.
The crowd filling the marketplace and the merchants’ calls hawking their wares were loud enough to make his ears ache.
In the midst of it all stood a goblin statue, towering as if surveying the market below.
“So this is the Goblin Market…!”
Song Do-hyeon couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.
Everything was goblins.
Goblin Rice Cakes, goblin decorations, goblin clothing, goblin dishes—every single thing in sight was goblin-themed.
The merchants were no exception.
Watching them sell their goods while wearing goblin masks made it feel as though actual goblins were peddling wares.
‘Can this really be the Eunpyeong Market I knew…?’
Traces of fire damage were still visible here and there.
Scorched pillars and charred marks.
But that wasn’t the real issue.
Rather, Ha-yun had actually highlighted those scars.
Like modern exposed concrete, she’d revealed what should have been hidden and turned it into a deliberate design element.
It only heightened the eerie, mysterious atmosphere of the Goblin Market.
‘All of this came from that man’s mind……?’
Standing in the middle of the Night Market, it was impossible to deny.
This was far more than merely transforming the marketplace.
He had created an entire culture, not merely a market.
Culture cannot be stopped.
The more one tries to suppress it, the more it spreads like wildfire.
‘Unbelievable!’
He needed to confirm it.
Whether this was truly his doing.
“Excuse me.”
Song Do-hyeon caught hold of a goblin-masked merchant who happened to be passing by.
“Yes?”
From within the goblin mask came a slender woman’s voice.
“……Ah, ah?”
Her voice carried unmistakable traces of bewilderment.
As though something she could never have imagined was happening.
Song Do-hyeon bowed his head slightly.
“If I’ve startled you, I apologize. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Yes?”
The goblin-masked woman’s startled nerves had not yet settled.
Song Do-hyeon waited for her to compose herself, then spoke again.
“Who is in overall charge of this place?”
“I beg your pardon……?”
“Who planned this Goblin Market?”
“Ah……!”
A moment of silence followed.
Then, from behind the goblin mask, came what sounded like a smirk.
“My? You still didn’t know?”
The woman’s voice rose slightly.
“It’s Lim Ha-sung, the director of Mangsang. He planned everything.”
“As expected, that bastard……!”
He’d suspected as much, but his suspicion was confirmed.
Once again, it was his doing.
Song Do-hyeon’s face darkened as he felt the weight of another defeat.
The goblin-masked woman asked quietly.
“You seem to know Director Lim quite well?”
“Hmph, well acquainted is hardly the phrase.”
Song Do-hyeon let out a bitter laugh.
“He’s simply a colleague in the same line of work.”
“A colleague?”
It was an unexpected answer.
The woman turned the word over and over in her mind.
“A colleague, a colleague…….”
Then she asked again.
“If that’s the case, then you must also be a director of Mangsang, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
Even as he answered, Song Do-hyeon’s gaze remained fixed on the Goblin Market.
His eyes moved quickly across the spectacle before him, as though he would not miss a single detail.
Seeing this, she ventured to ask.
“Would it be all right if I showed you around a bit?”
“I’d be grateful for that.”
There was no reason to refuse.
If anything, he would have been justified in asking.
“Then please follow me this way.”
The goblin-masked woman gestured, and Song Do-hyeon followed immediately.
“This is where they sell Goblin Rice Cakes.”
“Goblin Rice Cakes…….”
“Once they put them out, they’re completely sold out in no time. The taste is that extraordinary.”
The woman moved naturally from place to place, beginning her tour of the market.
“Over here is where they sell ornaments. There are many made in goblin shapes, so people often buy them as souvenirs.”
“A keepsake……”
“If you’ve come to the Goblin Market, you ought to buy one trinket made by goblins themselves.”
Whatever had kindled such enthusiasm, her voice brimmed with unmistakable excitement.
“These Goblin Shoes here are extremely popular. They’re among our best-selling items.”
The moment the woman finished speaking, the shoe merchant launched into his pitch as though he’d been waiting for his cue.
“Come now, try on a pair of shoes crafted by goblins! Light as down feathers, I assure you!”
“Tch. Such transparent salesmanship.”
Song Do-hyeon let out a soft snort.
They were nothing more than ordinary shoes dressed up in a pleasing facade.
Everything in this place was the same.
They’d simply slapped the word “goblin” onto merchandise that was utterly indistinguishable from what he already dealt in.
They were all Mangsang goods.
But now it was certain.
All of this was Lim Ha-sung’s doing.
As Song Do-hyeon stood motionless for a moment, the woman in the goblin mask spoke to him.
“Don’t be that way. If something catches your eye, pick one out. When you purchase an item, we’ll give you a chance to draw from our Fortune Pouch.”
“A Fortune Pouch? What is that?”
Song Do-hyeon’s curiosity was piqued by this unfamiliar concept.
The woman in the goblin mask promptly held up a small cloth bag, as if she’d been waiting for exactly this question.
“Inside this pouch are papers marked with ranks from fifth to first. If you’re fortunate enough to draw first rank, you’ll receive an extraordinary prize.”
Song Do-hyeon shook his head firmly.
“I have no interest.”
Relying on fortune was never his way.
He had always moved through careful calculation and sound judgment.
To fall for such a scheme would be nothing less than dancing to Lim Ha-sung’s tune.
Song Do-hyeon turned coldly away.
“…No, wait.”
But he stopped short.
If he meant to defeat that man, he needed to know everything about him.
What schemes lay hidden beneath the surface, what prizes were offered, and in what quantities.
He needed to unearth every last detail.
With this shift in resolve, Song Do-hyeon approached a nearby merchant.
Without deliberating, he picked up an item.
“I’ll take this one.”
“That will be one yang.”
“Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
What Song Do-hyeon had chosen was a Hairpin.
Adorned with a silver bell flower charm, it bore an unusual design not commonly seen in the markets.
With his purchase in hand, Song Do-hyeon turned back to the woman in the goblin mask.
“Is that all there is to it?”
“Yes, that’s right. Now please draw one paper from inside the pouch.”
The woman held out the bag.
Song Do-hyeon then held out the Hairpin he’d just bought.
“I have no use for this. You keep it.”
There was nothing particularly meaningful in the gesture.
He’d bought the item solely to draw from the Fortune Pouch.
It held no value for him whatsoever.
“…!”
Yet the woman in the goblin mask fell silent for a long moment.
“…Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
“Then I’ll draw now.”
Song Do-hyeon reached into the Fortune Pouch without hesitation.
And then, surprisingly deliberate, he began to shuffle through the papers inside.
Though he was not one to trust in luck, once he’d set his mind to something, his nature demanded he see it through to the bitter end.
Even if it meant defying fate itself.
Moments passed.
Song Do-hyeon withdrew a single paper that appealed to him.
He examined it at once.
Having read the characters written on the paper, Song Do-hyeon said nothing.
“…….”
A heavy silence settled over them.
The woman in the goblin mask spoke carefully.
“Why? Are you disappointed it’s only fifth prize?”
She went on as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Well, it’s understandable. Truth is, most of the papers here are fifth prize.”
She laughed and continued.
“Originally the odds were much better, but we’ve had so many customers lately…… we had no choice but to increase the fifth-prize tickets substantially.”
The woman rattled off her explanation like an apology, muttering half to herself.
“Still, fifth prize isn’t bad. At least it’s not a blank, right? Wouldn’t you say?”
The woman turned her head hurriedly.
And as if there was nothing more to see, she immediately began searching for the fifth-prize reward.
“The Goblin Club should be somewhere…… Ah! There it is!”
Having found the prize, the woman reached for it.
Whoosh!
Then suddenly Song Do-hyeon seized her arm. It was wholly unexpected.
“……!”
The woman’s arm went rigid in his grip.
As though something had been discovered.
Her voice had begun to tremble.
“W-what do you…… why……?”
“…….”
Song Do-hyeon studied her silently for a moment.
Then he opened his mouth.
“It’s not fifth prize.”
“Then…… what is it?”
Instead of answering, Song Do-hyeon held the paper forward.
And there, upon it, was written: [First Prize].
“First prize.”
“……!”
The woman was at a loss for words, confusion washing over her.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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