Chapter 292: If Only All Customers Were Like This

TL: FoodieMonster007

Pyeon Jung was lucky.

The driver had traveled from Jiangxi to Hubei but couldn't find a return fare for two days. Then, he finally secured a carriage heading back to Jiangxi.

Carriage rental businesses hired drivers like Pyeon Jung, found them jobs, and took a cut of their earnings.

Pyeon Jung asked the manager of the rental business a question.

"Where is the customer going?"

"To the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Jiangxi Branch."

Pyeon Jung lowered his voice.

"Is he… a demonic practitioner?"

"He didn't look like one."

Still, Pyeon Jung felt nervous. Too many drivers died after getting caught in fights between unorthodox sects and demonic practitioners.

Pyeon Jung cleaned the carriage while he waited. The customer finally arrived, a young and handsome man.

"I'm Pyeon Jung. I'll serve you well."

"I'll be in your care. It's not urgent, so you don't need to rush."

"Understood."

Hearing the young man's greeting, Pyeon Jung knew.

He's not a demonic practitioner.

He had driven for several demonic practitioners, but none were ever this polite.

Pyeon Jung was, of course, mistaken. The man was the most famous demonic practitioner of all, Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk planned to travel to Jiangxi by carriage. He would train the Heavenly Demon Defense Art on the move and stop to admire any good scenery. He wanted a leisurely journey with plenty of rest.

"Alright, we're departing now."

The carriage set off.

After some time, Pyeon Jung glanced back through the driver's window. Geom Mugeuk sat with his eyes closed, either sleeping or deep in thought.

Yes, customers like this are the best.

Inside, Geom Mugeuk cultivated the Heavenly Demon Defense Art. Concentrating was easier while traveling. The wind against the carriage, distant birds chirping, and the chatter of passersby sometimes sharpened his focus.

When he tired of training, he gazed out the window at the scenery, just as he did now.

This is what resting is.

The rest Lee Ahn mentioned probably wasn't this, but taking short breaks from the Heavenly Demon Defense Art was a luxury in his current situation.

Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes again. He recited the tedious incantations of the Heavenly Demon Defense Art with the focus of a beginner. It was another drop in the bucket.

That evening, the carriage stopped at an inn. Drivers all had their preferred resting spots, but they shared one thing in common.

"I've heard drivers' inns have good food."

"That's right. We travel so much, we know which inns have the best food."

The two men entered the inn together.

"Well, please get some rest."

"Let's eat together."

"I'm fine."

Drivers had a rule to eat separately from customers. Some customers bought them meals, but they usually ate and slept alone until it was time to leave.

"I don't want to eat alone. Let's eat together."

Pyeon Jung pretended to relent and sat down. A free meal meant saving money, which was a good thing for him.

"You know this area well, so what do you recommend? What's the best dish here?"

Pyeon Jung recommended a few dishes. Geom Mugeuk ordered everything he mentioned.

"Come on, I'm hungry. Let's eat a lot."

For a driver, Geom Mugeuk was the best kind of customer. He invited Pyeon Jung to eat but didn't pester him with questions.

Some customers made a show of their kindness. Others boasted until your ears hurt, or asked about your income and told you to live differently.

Geom Mugeuk, however, just stared blankly out the window.

If anything, Pyeon Jung was the one who wanted to talk. He wanted to ask what the Master did for a living and why he was going to the Demonic Cult Branch.

But Pyeon Jung asked nothing. He was old enough to know that getting involved with a martial artist was a bad idea.

The food arrived shortly, and Geom Mugeuk ordered alcohol. He poured a cup for Pyeon Jung.

"I have to drive, so I'll just have one cup."

Pyeon Jung felt truly alive, drinking and eating well for the first time in a long while. He had been saving money lately by barely eating enough to survive.

Really, if only all customers were like this, being a driver would be a decent job.

A driver's life was full of anxiety, not lucky days like this one.

He felt shameless staying silent while being treated, so he cautiously asked a question.

"Is this your first time in Jiangxi?"

"No."

"I see."

He wanted to ask why Geom Mugeuk was going to the Demonic Cult Branch, but he held his tongue.

"That was a good meal."

Geom Mugeuk didn't start a conversation, worried it would make the driver uncomfortable. He learned from his mercenary days that staying quiet was the most considerate thing to do.

After the meal, Geom Mugeuk headed to his room and asked Pyeon Jung a question.

"Why aren't you going up?"

"I can just sleep in the carriage. Please go rest."

Pyeon Jung usually slept poorly in the carriage to save every penny he could.

Geom Mugeuk paid for a room for him.

"I'm really fine."

"I want to ride in a carriage driven by someone who has slept well."

He couldn't refuse such an offer. If only all customers were like this!

Pyeon Jung felt great as he entered the guest room.

How long has it been since I've slept in a bed?

He slept soundly that night, feeling better than the Murim Alliance Chairman himself.

Geom Mugeuk's kindness continued. He invited Pyeon Jung to eat and got him another room. Pyeon Jung waved his hands in refusal, but Geom Mugeuk insisted that ensuring the driver's well-being was a matter of his own safety.

In the end, they ate together, and he slept in a good bed.

He ate and slept happily the first day, but on the second day, a dish reminded him of his wife and children. It was a meal his children loved, one he had bought for his first child's birthday last year. Or was it the year before?

He wished he could pack up the food and take it home to them.

He looked up and saw Geom Mugeuk watching him. As if reading his mind, Geom Mugeuk asked a question.

"Do you have children?"

"I have two."

"How old are they?"

"Seven and nine."

"You must miss them."

Pyeon Jung smiled and nodded. He missed them terribly. Sometimes he wanted to turn the carriage around and rush straight home.

That night, his children appeared in his dreams.

Geom Mugeuk occasionally had him stop the carriage at scenic spots.

In the distance, the sun set over a river. The red light spread across the shimmering water, creating a spectacular view.

Geom Mugeuk watched silently with his arms crossed.

Thanks to him, Pyeon Jung also watched the sunset for the first time in ages. He couldn't remember the last time he had simply watched the sun go down.

Usually, sunset meant he had to hurry to an inn before dark. It was a signal for anxiety. Today, he realized how beautiful it truly was.

"My heart told me to. It said I looked tired and should rest, so I'm trying to listen to it."

"Ah, I see."

Pyeon Jung responded as if he understood, but he didn't. His heart? He misunderstood and wondered if the man had a heart condition.

They traveled until they were a day from their destination. There, Geom Mugeuk caught Pyeon Jung getting a refund for the room from the innkeeper. Geom Mugeuk had just stepped out for fresh air. He saw everything but pretended he hadn't and went outside.

"Ah!"

Pyeon Jung sighed. He shouldn't have done that, considering the man's sincerity. Even if Geom Mugeuk understood, Pyeon Jung felt pathetic.

The incident bothered Pyeon Jung all the next day. When they stopped to rest the horses, he approached Geom Mugeuk.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"It's fine."

He could have left it there, but a thought struck him. He would have made fearful excuses to a mean person, but to a good man like this, just saying sorry felt cowardly.

Right, I should explain properly.

"Last year, my second brother had a terrible fever. I had to borrow money for medicine. We were living on a tight budget, and in a moment of desperation, I borrowed money I never should have."

"So you took out a King Yama Loan."

"That's right."

Pyeon Jung sighed.

"It wasn't even a large amount. I borrowed ten taels for the treatment. A year later, it's become seventy taels, even after I've paid over twenty taels in interest."

That was why he slept poorly in the carriage. He had to pay the interest and feed his family, but the debt only grew.

"It's my fault. I borrowed it even though I knew how high the interest was."

He didn't regret it. Without that money, his second brother would have died or been crippled.

Then, Geom Mugeuk spoke.

"How could that be your fault, Master Pyeon? The ones at fault are those who give out King Yama Loans with such ridiculous interest rates."

The title 'Master Pyeon' made Pyeon Jung's heart swell. No one had ever addressed a driver with such respect.

Whenever he spoke of the loan, everyone told him it was his fault for borrowing the money in the first place.

"What's the name of the place you borrowed from?"

"It's a place called moneylender."

"Let's stop there first."

"You can't. Those men are violent. Some know martial arts, and I've heard they have fearsome backers. They've been giving out King Yama Loans here for a long time, and they're still powerful."

Pyeon Jung felt a mix of hope that he could escape this hell and fear that this good man would be killed.

Geom Mugeuk stared at him blankly.

"I think you misunderstand. I'm going there because I need money."

Pyeon Jung didn't know whether to believe him. The man had spent money so freely, and now he suddenly needed a King Yama Loan?

"Let's go."

What could he do? The customer insisted. The carriage changed direction.

Surprisingly, when they arrived at moneylender, Geom Mugeuk actually borrowed money.

"How much can you lend me?"

Jo Yang, the man in charge, scanned Geom Mugeuk from head to toe.

"We don't usually lend to outsiders…"

He let his sentence trail off, which meant he would lend the money.

"Do you have any collateral?"

"No. Should I leave this sword?"

"How much is a sword worth? We don't accept swords as collateral."

Most swords martial artists offered as collateral were worthless. Too many tried to pass off cheap blades as famous ones.

"My sword would be disappointed to hear that."

Jo Yang glanced at the sword. He saw the blood-stained cloth wrapped around it and scoffed.

He decorated it to look impressive.

"If you don't have collateral, you can get a guarantor."

Geom Mugeuk looked back at Pyeon Jung.

"Would you be my guarantor?"

Pyeon Jung startled. Squeezing blood from a stone. He wondered if Geom Mugeuk brought him here just for this.

"I'm joking. Father told me never to be a guarantor, not even for family."

The tense Pyeon Jung sighed in relief.

"If I have no collateral and no guarantor, how much can I borrow?"

"We can lend you up to ten taels."

"Alright, I'll borrow ten taels."

"Here, write your personal information on this loan agreement and leave your handprint."

Geom Mugeuk did as he was told, writing his information and leaving a handprint. They lent him the money with lightning speed.

"If you don't pay it back on time, interest will be added. There are always bastards who complain later that the interest is too high. They're shameless scoundrels who come crawling for money then spout that nonsense."

Pyeon Jung lowered his head. Jo Yang's words were meant for him.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk sided with Pyeon Jung.

"They must have been desperate to borrow at such a high interest rate. The ones who exploit that desperation are the shameless ones."

Jo Yang's expression hardened for a moment, but the seasoned man didn't get angry. He knew exactly how troublemakers like this ended up.

You fucking idiot. Let's see if you're still talking like that later. I'll show you what it's like to want to repay a debt but be unable to.

Jo Yang checked the information on the loan agreement.

"So you're from Guangxi. You've come a long way. I trust you wrote your address correctly. Your father's name is Geom Woojin, a fine name. You should know, we have a branch in every province. We'll verify your information and be in touch."

"Do as you wish."

"I'm telling you now, don't even think about running. Your family will have to pay instead. We'll go find your father."

"Father has a lot of money."

With that, Geom Mugeuk left with Pyeon Jung. The courtyard was full of men wearing swords. It was a large-scale King Yama Loan operation.

As soon as they left, Pyeon Jung asked the question he had been holding back.

"Why on earth did you come to this place?"

He had worried there would be a sword fight, but he was also hopeful. He hoped the Master would draw his sword, kill them all, and declare, 'You have no debt.' It was a selfish thought, but it was what he truly felt.

"Didn't I say I came to borrow money?"

"Did you really come just for ten taels? Master… you don't need that money, do you?"

Considering how Geom Mugeuk had spent money on their journey, borrowing ten taels made no sense.

"I absolutely need it."

He hadn't come just for the King Yama Loan. He planned to start his secret inspection of the Jiangxi Branch from here. Corruption always followed money.

Two men began to follow them from a distance. It was an obvious tail, a message that they were being watched.

"Isn't it a loss to lend ten taels and then have two men watch him?"

Geom Mugeuk showed the ten taels in his palm.

"This isn't just ten taels, is it?"

Pyeon Jung gasped, suddenly understanding. Starting with ten taels, those men would suck a person dry for life. The loan wasn't for ten taels. It was for hundreds, even thousands. Just like his own debt.

"Let's see just how they plan to collect these ten taels."