“Chieftain, is something wrong?” Asked Dong Seong-bang.
“Is the name of this liquor Sagi wine?”
“That’s right.”
“But, what I know is a different name.”
“Ah! Sagi wine is named after the four bizarre wines. The name of the liquor will be written on the bottom of the bottle.”
No Dae-sul nodded at the name ‘Pungryu wine’ that was written on the bottom of the bottle.
“Well, then. Hahaha! Then except for the Pungryu wine, there’s Yeogeum wine, Hwagok wine, and Pacheon wine as well”
“Do you know those drinks?”
“I know. I can never forget it. How can I forget such a liquor? Where is Yeogeum wine? No, bring the remaining three drinks.”
As the flustered Dong Chang-min placed the three liquor bottles in front, No Dae-sul asked while pouring the Yeogeum wine.
“But how did you get this liquor? They’re not something you can buy with money.”
“We bought it from the Kisaeng house.”
“You, bought it…. from the Kisaeng house?”
“Yes.”
“Those fellows are brewing and selling this?”
“Those fellows? Do you know the people who brew this liquor?’
No Dae-sul hurriedly shook his head.
“I don’t know them well as they’re too strange. As they can make such drinks, of course, they’re geniuses. Sagi wi-…. A great name for once. Making such liquor is a scam! A scam!”
Yeogeum wine passed through No Dae-sul’s throat refreshingly.
Geom Woo-bin asked the priests to gather and placed five heavy pouches on the table.
“What’s this?”
“The money we’ve earned so far. When everything’s added, it comes to around one thousand and seven hundred silver taels.”
It’s an amount if an ordinary person hears his mouth would be wide opened and jaws dropped, but the blood-lion was calm.
“How much is one thousand and seven hundred silver taels?”
Seo Seok-san replied to Do Pyeong-su’s question.
“If it’s one thousand and seven hundred silver taels then it’s one thousand and seven hundred silver taels. Are you a fool?”
“How many dumplings can be eaten?”
They’ve never earned something called money and everything they needed has been offered for free wherever they went. So, they couldn’t understand people who risk their lives for money.
What’s the use of such money? Martial arts are the best. That was their belief.
Yeon Geum-hong said smiling.
“Anyways, we became rich. One thousand and seven hundred silver taels mean that we’re rich, right?”
Geom Woo-bin let out a deep sigh looking at the priests who had no sense of money.
“With this money, we can buy ten standard houses.”
“What are we going to do buying ten houses? If there is just one room to lie down, that’s enough.”
“That’s right, but…. anyways!”
Geom Woo-bin placed the smallest pouch in front of him and placed the rest of the pouches in front of the priests one by one.
“One hundred silver taels for me. And four hundred silver taels for each of you priests.”
“You’re giving it to us?”
“Of course. It’s the liquor you made that’s been sold.”
The blood-lion swished his hand.
“We don’t need money. It’s not of use for us as well. You just take all of them.”
Seeing something like a heavy pouch inside the room is a burden.
“No way! This is your share! You also should go to the market, buy goods, go to a restaurant, pay and have a meal like ordinary people. From now on feel the value of money in your body.”
One must be over ninety to learn the value of money.
‘However, said and done, there is no time for learning.’
The four of them let out a deep sigh of grief.
“Today let’s eat out. It’s my treat. Hehe!”
The place Geom Woo-bin took the blood-lions was the ‘World’s Best Boarding House’.
“Ooh! You came at the right time!”
Seo Poong-sik, wearing an apron warmly welcomed Geom Woo-bin and his party.
“These are your aunt and uncles, right?”
“Yes.”
“Yikes! You didn’t tell me you had such a beautiful aunt!”
Yeon Geum-hong who was standing with a straight face immediately burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! What do you mean beauty!”
“No. You’re the prettiest among the women I’ve ever seen. I bet my life on it.”
Do Pyeong-su who was annoyed for nothing said.
“Hey, you can’t just risk your life like that. You can even die right at this moment.”
“Sorry?”
“Ah. That’s not it. My uncle is joking. Sir! We’re hungry!”
“Oh? Oh no, I’m out of my mind. I’ll get you food right away.”
As it was dinner time, there were pretty much a lot of customers, but Seo Poong-sik took special care of Geom Woo-bin and his party.
“He said I’m pretty, but why are you pissed off?”
“He should say something that makes sense. To an old granny in her 90s who’s having a mole this big on her butt-….”
“You, how did you know I had a mole on my butt? You peeped in while I was taking a bath, right! Pervert!”
“What’s there to see for me to peep! You pushed yourself against my face, didn’t you!”
“When did I!”
“When you were four. You were swimming in a stream and suddenly you put your butt in front of my face and passed gas! I thought my internal organs rotted because of the smell! This old granny!”
“Oh? Did- did something like that happen? How can I remember what happened when I was four? The old man has got a good memory.”
“That’s the difference between an offender and a victim. Even now, sometimes that incidents come up in my dream and-….”
“Oh my gosh! Do Pyeong-su you, you even dreamt me. By any chance, do you….”
“Crazy old granny! It’s a nightmare! A nightmare!”
“That’s enough, you two.”
Geom Woo-bin stopped them and even the food came just in time, but the two of them barely stopped bickering. While they were having their meals, the customers increased little by little, but there was not even one empty seat that was left.
“We’re sorry. Now there is no seat, so, it seems like you will have to wait for a while.”
“I came here early. How long do I have to wait?”
“About an….hour.”
“Waiting for an hour is not an issue, but in the meantime will the Sagi wine be over?”
“Fortunately, there is Sagi wine remaining.”
“Seeing the sincerity of us waiting, won’t you be able to sell two glasses instead of one glass per person. After all, we’re regular customers.”
“We’re so sorry. If we don’t stick to the policy of selling one glass per person, a wealthy person will drink all of it.”
“But then… Anyways, let me know when there are seats. We’ll be waiting in front. Oh! It’s getting cold.”
Such conversations of the waiter and customer were heard frequently. The chairs laid in a row in front of the boarding house were for the customers who were waiting.
“The business is running well here.”
Geom Woo-bin replied to Seo Seok-san.
“Thanks to the Sagi wine made by you priests.”
“Isn’t the name Sagi wine a little strange?”
“But, I’m okay with it. It’s delicious to the extent it cannot be compared with other liquors, so, it’s an absolute trick, isn’t it? Hehe!”
“In fact, our liquor is a bit tricky, right? Hehe…. by the way, which liquor was sold the most so far?”
At Seo Seok-san’s question, the other three stopped using their chopsticks at the time.
Gulp!
The movement of their Adam’s apple was not caused by the food going down the throat, but it was an expression of tension.
Soon their ranks will be decided.
They’re the ones who have never had inhibitions about grades in their entire lives.
Even Hwa Jeok-san neglected by saying, ‘You may decide the ranks as you want.’
However, they didn’t feel weak by that negligence.
One hundred rounds of Sanda was accomplished to decide the rank, so no one could see their supremacy.
In that sense, four of their self-evaluation was that the best way to decide the rank is the brewery which they’re as confident as in martial arts.
The selling rate throughout a month will soon become their rankings. It was a harsh match, where someone will become an abolition following Geom Woo-bin and someone might have no choice but to become the youngest.
“It’s the same.”
After Geom Woo-bin’s answer, they were silent, and the noisy chit-chats of the guests dug into the place.
“But still wouldn’t there be at least a difference of one bottle, no, half a bottle?”
“Jeez, why would there be something like that? I cannot sell it because all four drinks are out of stock.”
Geom Woo-bin said to the blood-lion who looked disappointed.
“Look around. They’re people who are drinking the Sagi wine.”
As all of them had a superhuman sense of smell they could tell the difference between Sagi wine and other drinks even if it was in a glass.
Someone was covering the faces of the people who were sipping and cherishing a glass of wine as if they were drinking the world’s magical medicine.
Master!
It was a very satisfying and heartwarming face making all the worries in the world disappear right at this moment.
Hwa Jeok-san looked like that when he drank their liquor, and now the customers who were drinking their wine also looked like that.
Strange feelings were flooded in them as they saw such expressions on people other than the master due to their liquor.
The blood-lion didn’t know what was the feeling that felt as if a flow of water is gradually increasing from deep down his stomach to his chest.
They don’t know that it’s an emotion because it was an emotion that they’ve never felt in their lives before.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As Seo Poong-sik approached their table hitting the kettle with a spoon, it made a clear sound.
“Dear customers! Very precious people have come to our boarding house today! Those of you who are drinking the Sagi wine now, raise your hands!”
Half of the people seated raised their hands.
“How does it taste?”
“I’d die for it!”
“It’s okay to die, but if you drink it until you die you’ll have no wishes.”
Seo Poong-sik’s voice spread out through the loud laughter.
“The people who brewed the Sagi wine you’re having now are present here at this place! They’re right here!”
As Seo Poong-sik pointed at the blood-lion the boarding house literally became chaotic.
“Are they seriously those tipplers?”
“Wow! So there really was someone who brewed it! I seriously thought that it was brewed by Shinseon!”
The people who were waiting outside and of course, the ones inside crowded and surrounded the table they were seated in.
Each customer said something one by one, but among that, the words they heard the most were, ‘Please brew a lot of liquor!’
The blood-lion was flustered and didn’t know what to do.
Many people used to run away when they appeared, but this was the first time people were gathered like this.
As the commotion grew longer Seo Poong-sik sent the customers back to their seats. After waiting for the situation to calm down, Geom Woo-bin asked.
“How do you feel?”
“It somewhat feels a little strange.”
“It’s good, right?”
“It’s good. Just that it’s unusual.”
“Did you forget that I read ‘Moorim’s Art of War’? It’s written on your face that it’s good.”
Yeon Geum-hong muttered while caressing her face.
“What did you say was there on my face?”
“I’ve seen many people running away, but this is the first time I’ve seen so many faces of people gathered like this. Honestly, it’s not bad.” Said Seo Seok-san.
Do Pyeong-su and Jang Man-dok slightly nodded too.
“I don’t think it will be bad for you priests to relieve the grudge you earned with your swords so far, with liquor from now on.”
‘To relieve all that grudges, the world will have to be drenched in liquor.’
The four blood-lions had the same thought.
“What did you say?”
Mao Liang automatically flinched at Do Pyeong-su’s cold voice. But this was his livelihood at stake.
He had the guts to say something even if he died at the time of death. If he didn’t have that gut, he wouldn’t have even been able to learn robbery in the first place.
“I told you that there must be a price that’s paid when…… it comes to work.”
Nevertheless, he couldn’t do anything about the fading of words at the end.
“A price?”
“My nickname is Shintu.”
“So, what about it?”
“There were people in Zhongyuan lined up, waiting to hire me to steal things. But, if you keep pushing me every time like this to do free services….”
Do Pyeong-su’s gloomy voice interrupted Mao Liang.
“Who said it’s for free?”
“Sorry? Then, are you paying me?”
“It’s something you cannot compare with money.”
Do Pyeong-su whispered into Mao Liang’s ears.
“Your life.”
“My….life?”
“Would I not kill you? Why? Should I pay you money and then kill you?”
“Ah. No!”
Do Pyeong-su stood up holding the box of the ten-thousand-year-old Sanghuang which Mao Liang stole.
“Don’t ever think of running away. If you get caught to me I’ll kill you silently.”
No human could resist Do Pyeong-su’s life-threatening threat.
Do Pyeong-su returned with a light heart and handed over the ten-thousand-year-old Sanghuang to Jang Man-dok.
Jang Man-dok who received the ten-thousand-year-old Sanghuang wriggled his face.
As he did so, Do Pyeong-su asked surprisingly.
“What? You want me to bring the thousand-year-old ‘fleece flower root’ this time? Of course, all I have to do is just follow that bustards Mao Liang….whatever.”
It’s for Geom Woo-bin, so, will there be something that cannot be done?
“Let’s see, the thousand-year-old ‘fleece flower root’ is at… it’s a little far.”
Yeon Geum-hong pointed to a place in ‘Various Treasures’.
“It’s Guangdong Province!”
“Guangdong? Guangdong where only the short-tempered ones live?”
“It will take some time as you have to go through Fujian Province. I think you’ll have to move fast.”
“Darn, I’ll have to see that ugly face of Mao Liang second time for the day.”