The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 73

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 73

The boy before them was young, but they could sense that his confidence didn’t stem from mere bravado or youthful recklessness.

The smile disappeared from the man’s face.

“Fine. Today this elder will properly fix your insolence!”

The four men raised their swords threateningly.

“Sh-shouldn’t we help him?”

Chilseon stamped his feet anxiously. Even Juhwa, who wasn’t particularly close to Mugyeol, looked at him with concern.

However, Shin Ah stretched out her arm to stop Chilseon and Juhwa.

Among all the people present, only Shin Ah believed in Mugyeol.

“Let’s just watch.”

As soon as Shin Ah finished speaking, all four men charged at once.

“Take this!”

Shin Ah’s eyebrows twitched.

Regardless of her trust in Mugyeol, the men’s behavior was extremely irritating.

Was it Chang’an’s way for four grown men to gang up on a single child?

Broadly speaking, escort agencies were groups close to the orthodox faction. From that perspective, her anger was boiling.

‘They say there’s no loyalty when money’s involved.’

Chivalry has fallen to the ground.

Tsk, while Shin Ah clicked her tongue, Mugyeol smoothly parried the first sword.

Using his opponent’s force, Mugyeol drew a clean line from left to right.

“Aaargh!”

Cloth tore and there was a thud, the sound of something breaking. The man clutched his waist and rolled on the ground.

“Gasp!”

The remaining three swallowed hard.

That little brat isn’t ordinary! To knock someone down with just a wooden sword!

Mugyeol, who had been looking indifferently at the man rolling on the ground, adjusted his grip on his sword.

One of those exchanging glances shouted.

“N-next, we’ll see you next time!”

They knew their bodies were precious too. After all, they made their living with their bodies.

They chose a strategic retreat—or as Shin Ah saw it, the thirty-six stratagems with running away being the best.

I can’t just let those guys go.

Shin Ah, who had been watching the hastily retreating men with bewildered eyes, moved her lips slightly.

“Grease.”

A thin layer of ice formed on the dirt ground.

The men who had been running back and forth stepped on the ice and slipped.

“Ah, aaargh!”

The men who had tumbled together clutched their backs and arms, groaning in pain.

Shin Ah ran toward them with quick steps. Mugyeol quietly followed behind her.

Seeing the two approaching, the men gulped nervously.

“So, what organization did you say you belonged to?”

Shin Ah asked. Mugyeol, standing behind Shin Ah, raised his wooden sword.

Byeongjin squeezed his eyes shut and answered.

“G-G-Geumwa…”

* * *

“…So they’re heading to Geumwa Trading Company now.”

Iso, having finished her report, withdrew.

The corner of Dang Mihee’s mouth, who had been feigning composure, twitched. Then cheerful laughter burst from between her thin lips.

“Pfft, hehehe.”

When she heard that Shin Ah had obtained an apprentice escort warrior position, she thought her insides would rot.

It was unlikely, but if that girl kept acting up and by any chance brought back some significant business, it would cause a great stir in the escort agency.

So Mando’s position would fall to the ground, and Shin Ah would soar as if she had grown wings.

Every time such thoughts occurred, Dang Mihee wanted to go directly and overturn that small stall or whatever it was.

If not that, she wanted to at least turn Shin Ah’s insides upside down, but she couldn’t move carelessly.

Due to the series of unfortunate incidents during the Heir Selection Test, someone was watching Yuwon Pavilion.

Dang Mihee had already heard from Iso that Jang Mu had stopped by Yuwon Pavilion a few days ago to look around.

It meant Wolhwa Hall was also keeping an eye on Yuwon Pavilion.

At times like this, she had to be cautious.

Dang Mihee, who had no choice but to stay deep within Yuwon Pavilion, could only hope that Shin Ah would self-destruct.

Pleasantly, the situation was flowing according to her wishes.

“How foolish. Of all things to get involved with, it had to be Geumwa Trading Company.”

At Geumwa Trading Company, there was someone Dang Mihee knew well.

The general manager of Geumwa Trading Company was extremely greedy and showed no mercy to anyone he considered an enemy, whether child or adult.

Her connection with him went back a very long time.

‘He came to buy poison from me.’

Dang Mihee had made poison for him in exchange for a large sum of money.

Even after that, he had requested poison once more. When Dang Mihee learned how the poison was being used, he voluntarily knelt before her and swore loyalty.

As a test, Dang Mihee entrusted him with matters related to the Sichuan Tang Family.

He handled the job excellently. He was not only capable but also well-connected.

The assassins sent to the examination hall were also people he had introduced.

Although the results weren’t good, it wasn’t bad that everything was handled quietly.

By the way, what happened to Jin Pyosa?

His identity, having helped So Mando and So Ilbi during the Heir Selection Test, was that of a Demon Cult member.

He wasn’t someone who would be easily defeated anywhere, but there had been no news since she ordered him to deal with So Shin Ah during the Heir Selection Test.

‘Since he belonged to Yuwon Pavilion, keeping him quiet was easy, but…’

She thought he must have escaped safely, but the lack of any contact made her feel uneasy.

“I should meet with Oh Bangja soon.”

To keep him quiet, to ask about Jin Pyosa’s whereabouts, and to reward him for teaching Shin Ah the harshness of the world.

Killing several birds with one stone seemed fine.

Dang Mihee raised the corners of her mouth.

* * *

Geumwa Trading Company.

This place, once called the tiger of Chang’an, had long forgotten its past glory.

The decline began with the successive deaths of the company heads.

When Geum Cheol, the third company head who led Geumwa Trading Company’s golden age, died, his son Geum Yeo became the fourth company head. However, Geum Yeo also met his death not long after becoming company head.

Thus, thirteen-year-old Geum Yuhyeon, who wasn’t properly prepared, became the fifth company head.

From a young age, Yuhyeon had shown more interest in studying literature than in company affairs.

Geum Yeo, who found this admirable, didn’t rush to teach his son about trading business and instead helped his son devote time to studying.

He thought he could operate the company for a long time and teach the business slowly.

But then he died suddenly.

Before Yuhyeon could even accept his father’s death, he became the owner of the company without even knowing how to read basic account books.

Being naturally meticulous and sincere, he thought he could learn step by step. However, no one waited for him.

As soon as the funeral ended, dozens of payment bills came flying in.

There was no time to find the transaction records for the goods and services they demanded.

Yuhyeon’s request for time was dismissed on the grounds that he was too young.

At that moment, Oh Bangja, who had long served as the general manager of Geumwa Trading Company, offered his advice.

‘If we delay payment, the trading company’s credibility will suffer. Shouldn’t we quickly execute the payments and normalize the trading company?’

Yuhyeon trusted and relied on Oh Bangja.

He realized that this was a fatal mistake only a year later.

Oh Bangja exploited Yuhyeon’s trust to create duplicate account books.

He manipulated the actual transaction volumes and the volumes recorded in the account books, and forged the trading company’s seal to fabricate contracts.

And he drove out those who discovered Oh Bangja’s corruption or spoke up for the trading company’s development.

The transportation work that the trading company used to handle directly was contracted out on a case-by-case basis.

If you want to do business with Geumwa Trading Company, go to Oh Bangja.

Such words began to circulate openly in Chang’an.

Then everything at Geumwa Trading Company became a mess. Its reputation fell to the ground and the financial damage was enormous.

However, as they say, even an old and sick tiger is still a tiger—there was still no place in Chang’an that could replace Geumwa Trading Company.

‘Should I consider that fortunate? Or is it rather unfortunate?’

Yuhyeon, who had been drinking the tea Oh Bangja served to rinse his bitter mouth, raised his head.

“The tea leaves…”

“Very good, aren’t they? These are tea leaves we specially procured from Unam this time. We paid a whopping ten silver coins per gwan for them.”

Yuhyeon frowned.

Contrary to Oh Bangja’s words, these musty tea leaves couldn’t even be considered mid-grade.

‘They’re low-grade among low-grade.’

There’s no way they paid ten silver coins per gwan for something like this. Probably nine of those silver coins went into Oh Bangja’s pocket.

Such transactions ran rampant at Geumwa Trading Company.

As these dirty deals continued, those with quality goods stopped coming entirely. Their empty spots were filled by swindlers who inflated the prices of cheap goods.

‘Must I continue to witness this disgrace?’

Yuhyeon tightened his grip on the tea cup. The liquid inside rippled.

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