Chapter 82
Two weeks later.
There were two Merchants climbing a Mountain Path in Hunan Province.
Kim Mun and Ha Ryang.
Having first used the Mountain Path in Hunan Province towards the end of summer this year, the two were very accustomed to it now that winter had arrived.
But that didn’t mean they were at ease right now.
The deadline for their Delivery Contract was imminent!
“Haa…, what on earth were you thinking, signing that contract so recklessly?”
It was a much more attractive contract than usual. However, the deadline was so ridiculously tight that it seemed impossible.
Yet Kim Mun’s business partner, Ha Ryang, had signed it without any consultation, claiming he had a way.
“Come on, can’t you trust your business partner? I told you to just trust me and follow along.”
“I’d trust you if you made any sense! It’s not like we can soar into the sky, so how are we supposed to reach Anhui Province within the remaining time!”
The two were currently at the Border between Guangxi Province and Hunan Province.
It made no sense for the two of them, who were at the very edge of Hunan Province, to reach Anhui Province at a normal walking pace by the date specified in the contract.
They were even in a situation where they might have to pay a penalty if they failed to deliver on time. Despite this serious predicament, Ha Ryang smirked as if he found Kim Mun’s words amusing.
“Soar into the sky. Huh… maybe we just will?”
“Has this guy finally lost his mind? No, more importantly, where are we going right now?”
Kim Mun asked, looking around. They weren’t taking their usual Mountain Path right now, but had slipped off midway and were heading somewhere else.
[We don’t even have enough time if we take the shortest route…!]
When the frustrated Kim Mun showed his displeasure, Ha Ryang chuckled and continued.
“I’m sorry. I kept it a secret until now because I wanted to surprise you. You’ll understand everything soon enough. Ah, there it is.”
“…?”
What Ha Ryang pointed to as he spoke was a wide Open Space visible through the bushes, where all sorts of people were gathered as if some event was taking place.
Kim Mun could only recognize who the people were after getting a little closer to the Open Space.
Merchants like themselves, people who looked like escorts or bodyguards from an Escort Agency, and even children who looked like the young masters or ladies of wealthy families along with their parents.
[What on earth is this combination…? Just what kind of place is this?]
Filled with doubt, Kim Mun was about to ask Ha Ryang about it when someone spoke to them.
“Hold on a moment.”
Looking like a Green Forest Bandit, he opened a book and asked the two.
“Only those with reservations can enter this place. Did the two of you make a reservation before coming?”
“We did. Kim Mun and Ha Ryang. Take a look.”
“Kim Mun and Ha Ryang…”
The Green Forest Member quickly scanned the list written in the book, found their name, and nodded.
“Ah, here you are. However, the usage fee is paid in advance. For two people…, and with your luggage, that will be 40 taels of silver.”
“What…?! Just what is this that it costs 40 taels of silver - !”
Hearing the amount, Kim Mun shouted in dumbfounded shock, but…
“Here you go.”
“…?”
…Ha Ryang pulled out his coin pouch and paid the price as if it were no problem at all. The Green Forest Member confirmed it was 40 taels of silver and let the two inside.
As soon as they went inside, Kim Mun grabbed Ha Ryang’s clothes as if seizing him by the collar and demanded an explanation.
“Are you out of your mind right now? I don’t know what this is, but in our situation, is 40 taels of silver even reasonable?”
“Haha, calm down first…”
“Is this something to be calm about!”
Because they had an unusually large amount of luggage today, the toll the two had paid was 4 taels of silver. But just now, Ha Ryang casually handed over an amount ten times that much as if it were nothing.
From the perspective of Kim Mun, who shared funds with Ha Ryang, this was naturally not something he could easily accept.
However, Ha Ryang grabbed Kim Mun’s shoulders as if to reassure him and said.
“Look here. If we just succeed in this delivery, the money we’ll make this time is 60 taels of silver. As long as we succeed, even after deducting this 40 taels of silver, we’ll still have 20 taels left over, won’t we?”
“Didn’t they set such a high amount because they also considered this an almost impossible task! We wouldn’t have enough time even if we ran day and night, so what are we doing here right now!”
“Haha…, then what would you do if there were a way to pass through Hunan Province in half a day?”
“Hunan Province in half a day…?”
What kind of nonsense was that?
Since they were currently at the southern Border of Hunan Province, if they could just cross this place in half a day, they would have plenty of time to reach Anhui Province within the remaining deadline.
But wasn’t that impossible? Compared to other places, Hunan Province was by no means a small region.
Even a Master with outstanding Lightness Skill would find it difficult to traverse Hunan Province in half a day barehanded. So there was no way two ordinary people, who weren’t even martial artists and had a lot of luggage, could possibly do it.
There was no way Ha Ryang didn’t know this obvious fact.
When Kim Mun looked at him with questioning eyes, Ha Ryang was looking somewhere else instead of meeting Kim Mun’s gaze.
More accurately, towards the sky.
“It’s coming now.”
“What do you mean, what’s coming…?”
Only then did Kim Mun notice that everyone else’s gaze was directed at the sky. When he raised his head like the others, what he saw was…
“…?”
Something black was flying in the sky.
Normally, he would have just thought it was an eagle or a falcon. However, it…
“…Uh.”
…was enormous as it descended toward this place.
[What is that…!]
He could swear it was an unknown creature he had never seen before in his life. Out of fear as that massive something approached while showing off its majesty, he reflexively shrank back, but…
“Ooooh!”
“So that’s the…!”
…the people around him were welcoming it, marveling and even cheering.
BOOM - !
Soon, it landed on the ground with a cloud of dust, receiving a round of applause from the people.
“Cough, cough…! N-No, is that…?”
Kim Mun was only able to figure out its identity after vigorously flapping his sleeves.
“…An Imugi?!”
Black skin, the hard scales that made up its skin, and even those wicked-looking eyes.
Taking the shape of a giant snake, it was truly an Imugi…!
“N-No…, is this r-really okay…?”
As soon as he witnessed that sight, Kim Mun’s voice began to tremble.
To begin with, it was his first time seeing such a spiritual Beast. Furthermore, wasn’t an Imugi a monster known to be highly hostile toward humans even among spiritual beasts…!
If that really was an Imugi, running away now would be pointless. Kim Mun froze, already feeling like he had become the Imugi’s prey.
However…
Blink - blink.
“…?”
…the Imugi blinked its eyes as if it had no interest in the people. He couldn’t accurately interpret the Imugi’s expression, but it also looked somewhat dissatisfied with the current situation.
And what was most surprising of all was…
Pop - .
“Huh…?”
…the presence of a person who appeared like a Daoist immortal from atop the Imugi’s head.
And that person’s face was…
“Are all the people who made reservations here?”
“Chief Stronghold Master…?”
…someone Kim Mun also knew well.
* * *
“Yes, if you have any luggage you brought, hurry up and tie it down. The Imugi will depart in one meal’s time.”
The Imugi ended up being put to very good use as a shuttle bus, traveling back and forth between the southwest Border and the northeast Border of Hunan Province.
The main customers were Merchants or people from escort agencies who had to travel urgently with a lot of luggage like that, and…
“Wow! Mom! It’s an Imugi, an Imugi!!”
“Yes, let’s hurry and get on.”
…wealthy madams and young masters like them also rode it for entertainment.
Of course, they had to pay an exorbitant price, but even so, there was an endless stream of reservations. With just the Imugi alone, our Green Forest had gained another Profitable Venture.
[Maybe I should have just taken it in sooner…]
I was just thinking about how much money we had made over these two weeks with the Imugi when someone came up and spoke to me.
“General Stronghold Master - !”
“Hm? Who…, ah… The Merchants whose names I can’t remember.”
“It’s Kim Mun and Ha Ryang - !”
“Ah, right. Those were your names, weren’t they? Nice to see you.”
Kim Mun and Ha Ryang.
Well, anyway, I think those were their names. I knew their faces because they frequently used our Mountain Path.
“I don’t remember you having that much money…, but you somehow managed to make a reservation?”
“Ah…, we have urgent business to return to Anhui for, you see… So about that…”
The two asked me with expressions that were half-expectant and half-worried.
“If we ride on this Imugi’s back, can we really…, get outside the Hunan Border within half a day?”
“Half a day? Pfft - !”
Half a day was just my conservative estimate.
“We can go even faster if you want.”
“Is that true?”
“I guarantee it on my word.”
“Ahhh! Thank goodness!”
Only then did the two put on bright faces as if relieved.
I quietly observed their attire before asking.
“By the way, you two did pack fur coats, right?”
“Fur coats?”
It was currently the dead of winter with snow pouring down. Naturally, everyone was wearing thick fur coats to ward off the cold.
At this, Kim Mun and Ha Ryang also pointed to their own fur coats with expressions that seemed to ask what kind of question that was.
“Of course we’re wearing fur coats, but…”
“Ah…, so that’s all you have.”
“…Hm?”
I didn’t bother explaining to the curious pair and merely grinned.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Hurry up and get on. It’s almost time to depart.”
“…Alright.”
Though they had doubts about my expression, they began to climb onto the Imugi’s back, for now.
They were completely unaware of what was about to happen.