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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Scoundrel Fiancé of the Murim World - 2
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"It's done."
I wrote all night and bound it into a book. I looked at the book I had written for my desperate survival plan.
Who knew that the traditional book-making experience would come in handy like this?
A writer speaks through their writing.
For the plan I envisioned to succeed, the role of this book was crucial.
If the princess heroine in the story was an instinct-driven, brawn-type heroine, then Murong Sang-ah was closer to a strategic-type heroine.
I had to make sure Murong Sang-ah read this book alone, no matter what.
"I need to devise a brilliant scheme."
It was almost like the effort a swindler puts in to cheat an easy mark. To get the mark to sit at the gambling table, you need actors, players, and a money lender. It requires a lot of people and effort.
The problem was that the actor was Kang Yun-ho. The player was Kang Yun-ho. The money lender was Kang Yun-ho.
And on top of that, I wasn't dealing with an easy mark but had to get the main heroine to sit at the table, so the hardship would be immense.
"Well, I just have to work hard. What else can I do?"
"Young Master, did you cough? Breakfast is ready. We'll depart after you finish eating."
"Right. Let's go, let's go."
I packed the book into my luggage and opened the door.
--------------------
The Murong Family.
Unlike other families, who were generally of Han Chinese origin, they were of Xianbei descent and were also descendants of the Yan Kingdom's royal family, a hegemon during the era of the Sixteen Kingdoms.
To those of Han Chinese origin, they were considered barbarians. They were actually located in Liaodong Fortress, on the fringes of China.
Even though they were based in Liaodong Fortress, of course, no one dared to call a member of the Murong Family a barbarian to their face.
Being a border region where other sects hadn't settled, the Murong Family's influence in Liaodong Fortress was immense.
And this location was also an area one had to pass through when traveling from Joseon to the Central Plains.
"Young Master. It is reported that the fiancé of Lady Murong Sang-ah has arrived within three days' journey from here."
The family steward brought the news to the office of Murong Bi, the Young Master of the Murong Family.
"He's coming quite quickly."
Other guests had already arrived, yet the person getting married was still three days away. Wasn't this an act of disrespect towards the great Murong Family?
If this were a normal marriage, as the Young Master, he would have wanted to raise a big fuss.
"It is said that Lord Kang Yun-ho caught the flu, which caused the delay. Please calm your anger."
In reality, it wasn't the flu but a hangover.
Before departure, Kang Yun-ho, who said he wouldn't be able to play for a while, drank several years' worth of alcohol at once and ended up bedridden with a severe hangover.
Kang Yun-ho's father, unable to say his son was late for the wedding due to a hangover, merely conveyed it was the flu.
"Tsk tsk. If he had trained in martial arts, he wouldn't have gotten sick so easily. When Lord Kang arrives, I should have someone teach him at least a simple internal energy method."
"In Joseon, they look down on military officials. If one trains in martial arts, they cannot obtain an official position. Since his family wants to continue the interpreter post, he probably should not train in martial arts, so he likely will never learn martial arts in his lifetime."
"Is that so? I have no interest in the affairs of barbarian nations. Well, it makes sense that someone handling that much ginseng wouldn't train in martial arts."
Although he was also a member of the Murong Family, which originated from barbarians, having been part of China for over a thousand years, he no longer had such a consciousness.
"If this marriage alliance is successful, it will bring immense wealth to the Murong Family."
The Kang family needed martial power to protect themselves from the recently increased bandits. And the Murong Family wanted the overflowing wealth of the Kang family.
For families to easily give each other what they lack, marriage was indeed the best method.
"Yes, that's right. How many members of the Cult were sacrificed?"
"Who knew the barbarian escort warriors would be that strong? It was truly unexpected."
The problem was that the bandits who had been intensively attacking the Kang family recently were all from the Demonic Cult, hired by the Murong Family.
"Still, it's fortunate things went according to the steward's plan."
"It was merely the wisdom of an ordinary person. The truly great plan was yours, Young Master."
"That wench, Sang-ah. I bet she never imagined she'd be sold off like this."
"Giving the family's precious head candidate to a barbarian. The bloodline members probably wouldn't have accepted it so easily."
"The bloodline members should know what's what. Father is unconscious. I am the Young Master. The tide has already turned, hasn't it? Plus, if we gild things a bit with the money from the Kang family, it's a done deal."
"Once Lady Murong Sang-ah becomes a married-out daughter, you, the only direct bloodline descendant, will become the Family Head."
"When that time comes, I will not forget the hard work of the steward and the Cult and will repay you."
"How could I doubt it?"
The laughter of the two men echoed through the office.
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Two days' journey from the Murong Family.
I hadn't slept a wink last night from writing, so I kept dozing off on the horse.
Seeing me teetering dangerously, looking like I might fall, one of the slaves close to Kang Yun-ho grabbed the reins for me.
Right, I can talk to this guy.
"Hey, let's you and I do something."
I'll make him an offer he can't refuse. I spoke to Dolsoe, who always cleaned up after Kang Yun-ho, in a tone that somehow reminded me of film noir.
"I can't hear you."
Dolsoe didn't even look at me and spoke indifferently.
"Hey! Hey!"
"I can't hear you. My ears aren't planning to work until we arrive at the Murong Family."
"Hey. Dolsoe, how many jugs of alcohol have I treated you to, how many pounds of meat have I greased your stomach with, and you're going to act like this?"
Of course, I hadn't done it. But since Kang Yun-ho did it, it's the same as me doing it, right?
"Young Master. I was seriously warned by the master! If anything happens to you, you might get a few bumps, but I'll die on the spot!"
Seems he got a serious talking-to from Kang Yun-ho's father. Well, he's always the one assisting whenever Kang Yun-ho causes trouble, so he deserves a scolding.
That means ordinary talk won't work at all.
But there's still a way.
"Dolsoe."
"Yes."
"I hear you're dating Okbun these days."
Before leaving for the Murong Family, rumors that Dolsoe had been smooching with Okbun from next door had already reached my ears through the household slaves.
"... What about it?"
"Well. If you're in that kind of relationship with Okbun, I was wondering about Maehyang, who's waiting for you at the pleasure house."
The household slaves only know about the smooching with Okbun, but I also know about the slurping and sucking with Maehyang the next day.
"No way! Are you going to tell Okbun?"
"No~ way~ would I~ do~ that~."
I said in a teasing tone, wiggling my eyebrows.
"... Fine. What do you want me to do?"
Dolsoe sighed and looked at me.
"Let me see the list of wedding gifts."
I needed the list of gifts a man sends to his bride's family when getting married.
"No, Young Master! If you mess with the wedding gifts, it won't be bumps—your head will fly off!"
"Okbun might want to chop off your middle leg, you know?"
"... I'll get it. But you won't touch the wedding gifts, right?"
"We'll see."
"Young Master!"
"Alright, alright. Just go get it."
And so, Dolsoe brought me the wedding gift list.
Let's see.
"As expected, there's a lot of ginseng."
The item that occupied the largest portion of the gifts was, of course, ginseng.
During the Joseon era, ginseng was a major export item, responsible for the nation's economy.
To put it in modern terms, it was an item with almost semiconductor-level status. The ginseng grown domestically had poor efficacy, so they sought out Goryeo ginseng, known for its good medicinal effects.
In fact, Japan even created special silver coins for ginseng trade, and far away in Southeast Asia, Goryeo ginseng was an item kings bestowed upon their subjects as gifts.
It wasn't some fake miracle drug that only appears in martial arts novels; the real thing treated as a miracle drug across Asia was Goryeo ginseng.
But this place isn't the past; it's a martial arts dating sim.
So, what efficacy would ginseng, which is actually a miracle drug, have here?
What else? It's an all-purpose item that restores HP, refills MP, and even increases max MP.
If the protagonist gets hurt, ginseng. If you want to increase the protagonist's internal energy, ginseng. They ate ginseng to the point of nausea.
What is this, did they get a sponsorship from a ginseng company? Is this PPL?
Does the scenario writer not know what other miracle drugs exist besides ginseng?
It was a part that made me think the scenario writer's preliminary research was really poor.
Anyway, sending such ginseng as wedding gifts to a martial family was clearly a wise method. It would be good for strengthening the family's forces and easy to convert into cash.
"But this isn't what I'm looking for."
While playing the martial arts dating sim, many items appeared for the protagonist's enhancement.
If the family was rich enough to buy the Murong Family's heroine with money, surely some of the items I saw would be among them.
If there were items among them necessary for survival, I needed to get my hands on them.
With that expectation, I began looking through the items.
Let's see. Silk, jade, pearls, silver... Anyway, all this stuff is destined to be taken by Murong Sang-ah.
Not this crap.
Huh?
"Why is this here?"
Written on the wedding gift list was a completely unexpected item.
An item that would perfectly execute my plan to swindle my easy mark—no, the heroine.