Chapter 30: I'm So Glad I Aged (2) |
Vol 2 Chapter 30. I'm So Glad I Aged (2)
Patrick knows well.
Matthew's father and other successful merchants are extremely cautious and thorough in calculating profit and loss.
To persuade such merchants, talking a lot has no meaning.
It only makes one look more like a scammer.
Proof rather than words.
To persuade successful merchants, one must do so.
"I will show you the goods our merchant guild has prepared first."
"Hooo, you mean the goods are already prepared?"
-A guy like the incarnation of rudeness speaks well.
'Oho, I said our Twin Dragon Sect, didn't I? Let's just move on. Yes.'
Patrick ignored Master's words ringing in his mind and spoke to the merchants again.
"Now then, please come this way."
"Ahem, let us do so."
"If it's just checking for now...."
Like that, the merchants followed Patrick and moved.
The place their steps were heading was the warehouse Mun Yul and the junior brothers had sweated to remodel sturdily recently.
While moving to that warehouse, Mun Yul's face turned pale.
'Surely he intends to show the warehouse now? There is nothing in there?'
Mun Yul whispered carefully to a junior brother.
"Did you hear anything separately from the Worshipped Duke? Like he filled the warehouse with goods or such...."
"No, I don't know."
"Eldest Senior Brother doesn't know either?"
At the junior brothers' innocent reaction of 'We don't know anything,' Mun Yul felt like his breath was blocked.
'This shouldn't be happening?'
When Patrick said he would jump into commerce, he thought.
It might fail. But it was okay.
Thinking of what the Worshipped Duke had done for the sect meanwhile, he had the confidence not to resent him at all even if it failed completely.
But not in this form, right?
If those people see the empty warehouse when opened here, then....
'Rumors will spread throughout Gansu Province that our sect consists of scammers trying to rip off merchants.'
What disgrace is that?
Originally, a martial artist should value honor more than life.
Even if failing, one should fail in a normal way; if failing in this way....
'It will be a serious harm to the sect. Perhaps we won't even be able to lift our heads in Gansu Province....'
Mun Yul chewed his lower lip in nervousness. and the seasoned merchants did not miss such expression of Mun Yul.
'Tsk tsk tsk, even fraud requires coordination.'
'Reading it all. Reading it all.'
'Haha, I expected a little since it's a newly risen sect, but was it an empty hollow treat after all?'
Reading the nervous signs revealed on Mun Yul's face, they smirked.
As expected, placing expectations on this place called Twin Dragon Sect was a waste.
With them concluding like that, everyone arrived in front of the warehouse.
"Here, inside are the goods prepared by our sect."
At Patrick's words, the merchants smirked.
'They built one warehouse big and sturdy.'
'Even not one, but five....'
'What did they put inside? If it's miscellaneous junk gathered recklessly from the market, it's not worth looking at.'
'Rather if it's daily necessities like food or cotton cloth, purchasing at a bargain price might be possible.'
"Then I will open it."
And the moment Patrick opened the door, Mun Yul and other disciples squeezed their eyes shut.
How to excuse that completely empty warehouse?
Whatever excuse won't wor....
"Oh... Ohhh...."
"World, how can this be?"
"Haha... Hahaha...."
Huh? Why is the reaction like this?
Mun Yul opened his eyes carefully and raised his head. Then what was seen in front of his eyes was....
"Gasp!"
The appearance inside the warehouse filled with various precious goods at a glance.
"Ho... How?"
Mun Yul felt like he was bewitched by a monster.
***
"Ohhh... How can this be?"
"Gasp, isn't this spice from Tianzhu (India)?"
"Elephant ivory this much.... Where did you get all this?"
"This scripture is... Oh, it's a genuine one in Sanskrit."
The merchants' attitude changed completely.
'Five warehouses like this.'
'Then the value is....'
'Almost made a big mistake. I didn't recognize the opportunity right in front of my eyes.'
Since they are ones leading large merchant guilds, they recognized the value of the goods in the warehouse at a glance.
Ivory, spices, scriptures, and sarira from far and distant Tianzhu are goods obtainable only when merchants traveled the Silk Road in the past.
Now that it naturally declined after the power of nomadic tribes became extreme, the products of the Western Regions are literally worth whatever price is called.
'Hehehe. Surprised? Right. Should be surprised. Should be surprised indeed?'
Patrick looked proudly at the Merchant Guild Leaders drooling over the treasures in front of their eyes. And Mun Yul, approaching his side, tugged Patrick's sleeve and said,
"Worshipped Duke. Just how did this happen?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean where did these... these treasures come from. Aren't most of these goods brought from the Outer Regions?"
"Correct. Brought from the Outer Regions."
"......."
"So what? Why ask when you know."
"......."
Let's be calm. Must be calm.
It's in front of guests.
Originally, the probability of getting a satisfactory answer at once from this human is rarer than hail falling from the sky.
Didn't I know enough?
Mun Yul governed his emotions with deep breathing and said politely to Patrick.
"Since the warehouse that was completely empty just yesterday is full of goods from the Outer Regions, the disciple cannot know the source of these goods."
"Ahhh.... Right, you don't know."
"Yes. Please tell the lacking disciple when, where, and how you brought these goods in."
"Ahhh.... Right, you were curious about that."
Good. I did it.
Overcame the anger rising from deep in the chest and led the conversation rationally and cool-headedly.
Mun Yul felt deep relief and satisfaction at the achievement he accomplished himself....
"I won't teach yooooooooou."
"......."
The moment he saw the expression that anyone human, whether an elder of the sect or whatever, would be pissed off at, a single line of tear flowed down Mun Yul's cheek.
'Why am I worse at fighting than the Worshipped Duke? Why?'
Many people in the world regret that.
***
Turning back time a little....
At that time when Mun Yul and other disciples were busy with warehouse construction.
Patrick shouted loudly towards the sky.
"Come! Chicken-Eagle!"
Then a small dot appeared high in the sky and gradually descended to the ground, becoming huge.
And what finally revealed itself in front of Patrick was the ruler of the sky who shook his prestige in the Great Forest as a servant of Kalaron in the past.
It was the Elder Griffin, Storm Spear.
Storm Spear was the companion Patrick summoned next after Oliver and Sanson.
Usually ordering him to live hidden in the nearby mountain, he called him like this when needed and used him usefully as a mount.
The Chicken-Eagle... no, Storm Spear who appeared like that spoke.
"Did you call? Great One."
Patrick Schneider who defeated the Heavenly Demon and led the Outer God War to victory.
He was receiving treatment no different from a demigod among Kalaron's servants. And that Patrick said....
"You take these kids and go to Tianzhu for a bit."
'These kids' mentioned here referred to Persona, Sanson, Oliver, etc., waiting behind Patrick.
Although they were blatantly revealing the emotion of 'displeasure' on their faces, Patrick didn't care.
And Storm Spear said.
"Where is Tianzhu?"
"They say it's there if you go straaaight west then straaaight south."
"Straaaight?"
I wonder if there is another unit more insincere than this in expressing distance.
But our Patrick said without caring at all.
"Yeah. If you go there and these kids buy goods, you just have to pick them up again and come here. Very easy, right?"
"......."
"Ah! And when coming, stop by Sichuan and buy some Mapo Tofu and Red Braised Pork too. I'm craving something spicy these days."
"......."
Storm Spear spoke showing that even with a Griffin's face, he could express the emotion of reluctance.
In short, it means he intends to utilize him as a mount to go to a distant place where he doesn't know how far he has to fly.
Utilizing this Elder Griffin and ruler of the azure sky dominating the Great Forest's sky.
He is a brave and high-pride warrior of the sky, not a packhorse driving merchants' wagons.
'This is pride, no, an identity issue.'
Storm Spear decided to refuse firmly and said,
"Great One."
"Yeah, why call? Chicken-Eagle."
"First of all, my name is not Chicken-Eagle but Warrior of the Azure Sky, Storm Spear."
"If you translate that into Central Plains style, it becomes Chicken-Eagle."
"......."
Absolutely no way that's true.
Storm Spear flared up and shouted.
"No matter how Great a One you are, this is not it. I am a warrior. Give me work befitting a warrior."
"Hooo...."
"Helping the Great One is an honor, but I did not cross the wall of the world just to be used as a mount at best.... Uh uh.... Uh...."
The moment Patrick was about to raise his fist seeing Storm Spear trying to argue about his unjust treatment.
"Can I see you for a moment?"
The one grabbing Storm Spear's head feathers and dragging him away was not Patrick.
"Lo... Lord. Why suddenly...."
"Just wanna see you."
Persona dragged Storm Spear as he was and took him over the wall where Patrick couldn't see. And then....
"You chicken-head? If you don't do it, I have to manifest in my main body and fly, right?"
"Lord. I have warrior's pride... Keook!"
"Warrior? Warriooor? Want me to make you die a warrior's death heroically right here?"
"Aack! Eook! That is... Lord... Calm down... Kkeuaak!"
"Wanna die? Have no sense?!"
"I was wro.... Kkeuaak!"
There was a time of true education for a moment.
As a result....
"Chicken-Eagle will serve you comfortably to Tianzhu."
Storm Spear flew up energetically.
Flying seemed slightly difficult because feathers were plucked here and there, but still, he flew well.
Watching that, Patrick thought.
'My disciple grew up well. Knowing hawks are the panacea for all creation.'
Proud? Are you proud?
Anyway, thus....
The party flying on Storm Spear arrived in Tianzhu.
And there, they sold medicinal herbs, books, silk, etc., from the Central Plains and bought things worth money with that money.
Spices, scriptures, ivory, etc....
Items Patrick told them all in advance.
And thanks to Chicken-Eagle... no, Storm Spear flying energetically enough to get cramps in wings to Tianzhu and back again, they could fill this warehouse with precious goods brought from Tianzhu.
The Merchant Guild Leaders who checked all goods said.
"Did you open a distribution route to Tianzhu?"
"How did you do it? Was there no interference from nomadic tribes in the middle?"
"What about the government office? Did you receive permission from the government office?"
The eyes of the Merchant Guild Leaders changed.
The arrogance and haughtiness shown at first disappeared completely, and what was seen in their eyes now was desperation and passion.
'Right. If a merchant smells money, they should be like that.'
And from here is the real transaction time.
Patrick yawned long and said, "Ei, why try to know such things. Just dispose of the goods here."
The politeness maintained from the beginning disappeared.
And Patrick spread a fan he got from somewhere and covered half his face.
And becoming the gaze of an arrogant 'A' (superior party), he looked at the merchants and said,
"Then I'll give you a moderate cut of the middle margin. Ah, well if you don't like it, you can just go back."
Can a person's attitude change this much?
The Merchant Guild Leaders flinched at Patrick's appearance almost bordering on dual personality.
But they are also seasoned merchants.
"Hahaha. Is there any way that's true? Please entrust it to our Juwon Merchant Guild."
"No. Our Baekma Merchant Guild can do it most perfectly."
"Since childhood, traveling the Silk Road for trade was my goal. Please pity this old man and entrust to our Seonghun Merchant Guild...."
"Oho? Lord Heo, you say you are old when you are five years younger than me?"
The Merchant Guild Leaders rushed in competitively.
"If you entrust to us, we will take only 30% as distribution commission."
"We will take only 20%. And we will give 1,000 nyang of gold immediately as an advance payme...."
"10%!"
One person hit out largely.
And instantly everyone fell silent and gathered their gazes as one.
Where their gazes reached, there was Jin Il-seop, the Merchant Guild Leader of Daegeum Merchant Guild, puffing nose breath and boldly calling 10% with the momentum of a Great General. Then....
"This crazy old man!"
"What did you say? This novice!"
"Should do it moderately!"
"Shut up! You green things!"
"Whether green or red, is that the problem? This stone is mine!"
Chaos broke out.
And Patrick, who created that vortex of desire and chaos, smiled wickedly and watched the scene in front of his eyes proudly.
'Kukuku. Right, this is it. Originally, bargaining should be stopped, and fights should be incited.'
The root of all evil.
That name is Patrick Schneider.