Chapter 148: The Road to Kaifeng

Gramps, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, was worried sick.

“Now, you be careful out there,” he fussed. “I've packed some travel money for you—it's not much, but make sure you don't go hungry, alright?"

He held out a money pouch. When Qing opened it, it was filled with the gleaming yellow glint of gold.

“Whoa. If this isn't much, I wonder what is? I'll put it to good use. Thanks, Gramps.”

“This isn't much for you, I know,” Gramps insisted. “Always get the best room, eat the most expensive meals. You have to live it up, splash out a bit, so people don't take you lightly. And don't go wearing yourself out just 'cause you're traveling. Sleep when you want, play when you want.”

Isn’t that the opposite of what people usually say? Qing thought.

But hearing it while being handed a pile of gold made it sound strangely persuasive.

And then, adding even more persuasiveness!

“And here are some bank drafts, just in case,” Gramps added. “Each one's worth a gwan of gold, so don't you dare think about saving money.”

“Seriously, Gramps, where'd you rake in all this cash?”

“They're the trading company's operating funds.”

It was a bold declaration of embezzlement.

“Oing? Are you sure you can just give this to me?”

“That's how business works,” Choi Leeong declared grandly. “Once it gets rolling, spare cash just seems to appear out of nowhere. And hey, if it goes belly-up, the business fails, not me.”

“Ooh, look at you, playing the big boss now.”

Back in Sichuan, Choi Leeong hadn’t known how the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would react either.

But now he knew. The cult’s assets were Qing’s assets.

Choi Leeong then started nagging again.

“If anyone picks a fight for no reason, don't just walk away. Take care of them properly, nip the trouble in the bud. And watch out for guys who seem too friendly. If things get dicey, just call 'em a pervert and handle it. No one will question it.”

“Aw, Gramps, I'm not a kid,” Qing sighed. “I know the drill.”

“My heart wants to go with you,” Gramps admitted, “but your Senior Sister is right. An old timer like me tagging along would just hold you back.”

“Honestly, I don't really mind,” Qing shrugged. “As long as you deal with your own grudges, Gramps, it's fine by me. If you wanna come, then come along.”

Choi Leeong gave a pleased smile at that.

“It's not like I have to put up with it forever; things will sort themselves out eventually. No need for this old man to act like an eager kid. Don't you worry about me now, just go relax and have a good time.”

“Who's worried about you, Gramps?” Qing retorted. “Worrying about an expert like you is pointless; you'd just tell me to worry about myself.”

Just then, Gyeon Pohee returned.

Saying she had finished packing for the trip to Kaifeng, she immediately emerged shouldering her luggage, leaving no reason for further delay.

“Ah,” Qing suddenly asked Seol Ganom. “But didn't you say you were going to live in hiding? Isn't 'Seol Family Trading Company' a little... attention-grabbing? Is Seol even a common name?”

“Come to think of it,” Seol Ganom mused, stroking his chin, “it's not like I committed any real crime. Why should I have to hide?”

For reference, Seol Ganom originally belonged to a branch sect of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. He created a sea of blood, killing indiscriminately—master, seniors, peers, juniors—before burning the building down and fleeing with their secret manuals.

However, from Seol Ganom’s perspective, it was merely just revenge, albeit a bit excessive.

He had only hidden because he feared pursuit from the Ice Palace. Now that he had strong backing, he planned to live enjoying everything he could.

Qing had vaguely assumed Seol Ganom had just killed a few people who tormented him and skipped town; she didn’t know he had burned the place down to the roots.

“Good call,” Qing said approvingly. “It'd be a loss for the whole martial world if the neighborhood's top brain stayed cooped up in some corner.”

“I've been thinking...” Seol Ganom frowned slightly. “Isn't ‘neighborhood's greatest’ kind of... underwhelming?”

“What, you looking down on the neighborhood?” Qing shot back. “And are you seriously asking me to stroke your ego right now? The Seol Family Trading Company is still just small-time, so get to work making it bigger.”

With that, Qing waved her hand and departed with much fanfare.

Choi Leeong, seeing her off, nudged Seol Ganom’s side.

“Right then, let's get moving,” the old man said. “Didn't she say you need to grow the company if you want recognition as a greater strategist? Since things are headed this way, you might as well aim to become the finest mind in the Central Plains.”

“Yes, Elder,” Seol Ganom replied dutifully.

Then, it suddenly occurred to Seol Ganom.

Since when, and why, exactly, did I start getting evaluated for my intellect?

Seol Ganom had never once thought of himself as particularly smart.

The plan was to first take a boat to Muhan.

On the way to the port, Gyeon Pohee spoke dazedly.

“You know, come to think of it, I've never been on a boat! Hehe. I'm so excited! Are we taking a big one? I saw a huge boat like this once!”

Gyeon Pohee spread her arms wide, high and low.

Beside her, Tang Nanah’s eyes gleamed mischievously.

“What, you've never been on a boat? Then I bet you don't know you're supposed to take your shoes off before boarding, huh?”

“Hey now, why would I take off my shoes?” Pohee retorted. “My feet would get soaked! I might be ignorant, but I'm not falling for something that dumb. Honestly, even a seven-year-old wouldn't believe that joke.”

“Huh? Oh. Is it... that obvious?” Tang Nanah faltered.

“Of course!” Pohee puffed her chest slightly. “You just have to look around and see if anyone else takes their shoes off. Have you ever seen anyone do that, Sworn Sister?”

“Uh… Right…” Tang Nanah mumbled, nodding with a sour expression.

“But Sworn Sister,” Pohee continued, noticing Nanah’s shifting gaze, “why are you sneaking glances like that? See something interesting...? Whoa, look what that girl stuffed down her top!”

“N-No, I wasn't!” Nanah sputtered, flustered. “I wasn't staring at her chest! Huh? But what did you say she stuffed in there?”

“The shape looks just like it, doesn’t it?” Pohee squinted.

“I’m not sure…”

Qing let out a deep sigh.

When you have two idiots, there’s bound to be a hierarchy, with one being even more idiotic.

Already, the sworn sister wannabe has claimed victory. Hmm, is it okay for a traditional doctor to be like this?

The medical world of the Central Plains, is it really okay?

Bickering like that, they arrived at the port, where both country bumpkins stood gaping at the sights, causing quite a scene.

Then, Tang Nanah, for once, showed the impressive side of a rich young lady.

“Hey! Let's take that one!” she declared, pointing. “It looks the biggest and fanciest. I'll pay the fare.”

“Oing? Why pay to ride a boat?” Qing asked innocently.

“You're messing with me again, aren't you?” Nanah accused. “You think they'll just let us on for free?”

“It depends on the person,” Qing replied with a grin, planting her feet firmly on the ground and raising her hand high.

“Listen up, everyone! I have a Dragon King’s Plaque right here! Looking for just one shipowner willing to legally skip taxes all the way to Muhan!”

Legal tax evasion!

It was a phrase like a dream come true for all merchants in the Central Plains.

The people of the Central Plains hated taxes, yet surprisingly, they disliked illegal tax evasion.

This spirit continued even into Qing’s modern homeland, where the people of the Central Plains absolutely did not engage in illegal tax evasion.

For one, getting caught could genuinely lead to execution (purging).

More importantly, legal tax avoidance was possible.

Why pay taxes to the state when you don’t even know where the money goes? Instead, offer it to powerful figures[^The text mentions 당의 높은 분들 (dang-ui nopeun bundeul), which literally means "high-ranking people of the Party/Group/Association (Dang)". Given the historical context and the mention of dynasties later, it likely refers to powerful figures within the ruling structure or influential groups, rather than a specific political party in the modern sense. The translation uses "powerful figures" as a plausible interpretation fitting the historical fantasy setting, though the original is slightly ambiguous. It could also mean "influential factions" or potentially reference the contemporary Tang Dynasty if the setting aligns, though the text doesn't explicitly state the current dynasty. The phrasing has been adjusted slightly for flow.] to receive enormous tax benefits, plus the advantages accrued through Guanxi.

The more taxes you paid, the more you were treated like an utter fool, a complete moron, an imbecile. This was a different culture from the Korean people, where a rich person merely paying their legally required taxes properly was praised by the entire nation like a sacred anecdote from mythology.

Anyway, a fierce competition broke out among shipowners eager to host the honored guest.

Finally, the owner of a seven-story, palace-like ship earned the honor of serving the distinguished guest, bowing deeply at the waist…

For this reason, Qing received truly devoted treatment.

The shipowner broke the reservation for the best cabin, paid ten times the penalty fee to the original guest, and lavished her with precious liquor and expensive dishes without restraint. It was hard to tell if she was inside a ship or in paradise.

In truth, the gold spent entertaining Qing probably exceeded the taxes owed by three or four times.

But would the wealthy owner of a seven-story behemoth really raise such a fuss just to avoid some taxes?

It was because he wanted to stick it to those annoying bastards from the Waterway Forts, who did nothing but hold harpoons, block the waterways, and extort money.

“Halt!” came the inevitable challenge from a Waterway Fort patrol.

“You halt!” the ship’s captain bellowed back. “How dare you make trouble when a guest with the Dragon King's Plaque is aboard!”

“Our apologies! Please proceed!” the Waterway Fort members immediately backpedaled, voices suddenly respectful.

It was the most satisfying moment in the shipowner’s thirty-year career.

The shipowner was happy, Qing was happy, and the guest whose reservation was canceled made money by receiving ten times the deposit back—a happy conclusion for everyone.

As for the Waterway Forts, the Dragon King’s Plaque was issued precisely for situations like this, so it was all part of treating the benefactor well.

Thus, eating well, playing well, and sleeping well, the boat drifted along until it reached Muhan.

Muhan wasn’t the name of a single city, but rather the collective term for three cities known as the Three Ports of Muhan.

One famous spot was a restaurant called the Yellow Crane Tower, supposedly built by Sun Quan himself (yes, that Sun Quan)[^Sun Quan; founding king of the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms period].

Originally used as a watchtower, it burned down several times and was rebuilt, growing slightly taller each time, until by the Tang dynasty, it had become a skyscraper whose name was always mentioned when discussing the greatest pavilions under heaven.

A massive plaque hung at the top, inscribed with "Piercing the Sky and Reaching the Clouds" (Chocheongeukmok). This too had grown slightly larger each time the original, lost to fire, was recreated.

The original characters were written by Sun Quan himself.

It meant he would eventually confirm the skies of Chu with his own eyes, a statement highly praised for its noble spirit, comparing himself to the Hegemon-King Xiang Yu.

Though perhaps a bit grandiose coming from the chief of a primitive tribe whose specialty was dying young shouting "It's because of the liver!" after eating raw freshwater fish.

Other than that, there weren’t many specialty products, but it was fated to become famous in the distant future as the origin of a dangerous disease that would strike the entire world.

In some barbaric language, Muhan was also read as Wuhan.

If the Heavenly Slaughtering Star had known this, she might have abandoned her obsession with a single, inadequate girl and embraced this city instead.

Anyway, with a full money pouch and Tang Nanah by her side, capable of throwing money around if needed, Qing feared nothing.

How could she possibly pass by one of the most famous restaurants in the world, its towering golden roof visible from the boat long before they arrived?

As soon as she disembarked, she headed straight for it, determined to eat there, even if it meant paying extra—unless it operated strictly by reservation.

However, the Yellow Crane Tower was a world-renowned landmark.

“If you wish to make a reservation,” the host informed them politely, “the earliest would be four months from now…”

“Four months?” Qing echoed, deflating slightly.

“Or maybe ten months,” the host continued apologetically. “We're fully booked every single day during the spring and autumn seasons.”

“Ah…”

Well, nothing to be done about that.

Qing was surprisingly sensible, treating common sense with common sense.

Shoulders slumped, she smacked her lips in disappointment and took in the lofty scenery of the Yellow Crane Tower one last time.

Then, something caught her eye.

Leaning on the railing of the highest, sixth floor, gazing outwards, was a man.

Beneath the veil Qing wore, a broad smile spread across her face.

Oh? If I know someone there, sharing a table should be fine, right?