Chapter 009: The Real Estate Market of Nine Dragon City

xx

Myohyang explained it like this:

When Jinhu Lou was taken over by Honghua Lou, the courtesans who were deceived and brought over became free women.

The problem was the Confucian Taliban-like perception of women in medieval China.

Even though they were entertainers who sold their art rather than their bodies, women who had been courtesans could neither marry nor find employment.

In the end, most of the courtesans decided to stay at Honghua Lou, allowing Red Flame to easily operate the Honghua Lou expansion pack.

However, Myohyang was different.

She, one of the top entertainers at Jinhu Lou, had fled from Honghua Lou.

While it might seem outrageous, Red Flame gratefully handed over all the treasures from Jinhu Lou to Myohyang.

"All this is money I made by exploiting you. Don't refuse it, take it."

"B-But how can I...?"

"It hurts my arm. Take it. You also have to think about your brother studying in Nanjing. If you really want to thank me, take care of Senior Jin sometimes. Looking at how he's been going around, he's practically a beggar."

"Thank you, Lady Gong. Thank you. Sob sob."

The problem was that the value of the treasures was close to fifty taels of gold.

In modern currency, that's about five hundred million won.

When I heard this, I felt my blood boil.

I, who played a crucial role in this M&A, only received five gold coins and a fragment of a spirit medicine...

However, I couldn't show my disappointment in front of Myohyang, who was like a younger sister to me.

I calmed myself down and had a composed conversation.

"Alright, so you're saying you'll take care of me with that money... something like that?"

"The money is already spent."

"Eh?"

"Part of it was shared with the courtesans who suffered with me, and the rest was sent to my brother in Nanjing. Now, I only have enough for a couple of months' living expenses."

"...Then?"

"I plan to stay here for a while and do housework."

She was completely confident.

That's right. Myohyang decided to repay her debt by working as an unpaid housekeeper.

Actually, I was happy. No, I would have welcomed her with open arms.

Housework in this place, where there were no vacuum cleaners, washing machines, or gas stoves, was no different from heavy labor.

So, in my case, I barely managed to do laundry to avoid looking like a beggar.

The problem was that my current house was a single room.

"Um... Sister? This is a single room, so there's no place for you to stay."

"Back in the Dangchian Pavilion, we lived in one hall together. Why would it be a problem now?"

Well, that hall had several rooms, so it was fine. This place is so small that two people would have to hug to sleep.

"Well, personally, it's not bad."

"I'm really fine. What's wrong with a single room?"

I'm not fine. There's something about my body that I can't control.

"Can't you think about it a little more...?"

"Surely, you're not trying to make me an ungrateful beast, Director?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean... I just think we should be careful since we're adults..."

"Or do you see me as a woman?"

How could I not see her as a woman? She's different from the start, from her chromosomes.

But I couldn't say that.

'Sorry, I only see you as a friend...'

'Looking at you like that, I'm really disappointed.'

It was due to the trauma I experienced in my previous life, not because I thought of her rationally.

"Haha, of course not. I mean, we should be careful because of others' eyes."

"Is that so? Then there's nothing I can do."

Myohyang got up from her seat.

"Where are you going? There's still a lot of food left..."

"I want to find a place to stay as soon as possible. Well, Mr. Bai Xian might send someone to kidnap me, but it's fine. In the worst case, I'll only be raped if I'm caught."

"...Let's just live together. Sister."

"Really?"

"However, the condition is that you stay at an inn until I find a new house."

"I'll wait as long as it takes."

For some reason, I felt like I had been tricked.

***

"Are you talking about a real estate agent?"

"Yeah, do you know anyone?"

"I stay in the dormitory provided by the outer sect."

Yousoping answered curtly.

"Are you looking for a house?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the house you're currently in is practically a ruin."

It's not that bad.

And do you know how difficult it is to find a house in a world without loans?

"Hmm, then why don't you go see Director Li?"

"Why Director Li?"

"I heard that Director Li's wife is known as a big player in the outer city real estate market. Thanks to that, it has become a custom for the members of this team to meet Director Li's wife when they get married."

"Really? I should go see her."

If it's someone I know, it's a huge help.

After all, real estate agents in this era are mostly scammers.

That's why I was looking for a connection, and Director Li's wife, whom I usually have a good relationship with, would be perfect.

Surely, she wouldn't scam one of her husband's subordinates.

"Ku! Long!"

"Hmm, Ku Long."

Somehow, the salute I spread had become a part of daily life in the outer sect.

"What brings you here at this hour?"

"I'm looking for a house."

"A house? The abilities of the Seventeenth Team Leader are more impressive than I thought."

"Well, I was lucky."

"Hehe, the younger generation pushes the older generation. The old saying is true..."

"Still, I'm just a student in front of a scholar. I can't accept such praise."

No matter how much this place is a martial world, not everything is decided by martial arts.

There was something more important, and I learned everything from Director Li.

For example, the secret to receiving back money without any trouble...

"Right, if you're looking for a house, you must have something to ask my wife."

"Yes, I don't know if I can impose on a lady as great as your wife, but if she helps me, I will never forget her kindness."

"Hehe, I've heard your eloquence before, but it's even more impressive after a long time."

"All of this comes from my respect for Director Li."

"Hehe, you."

Feeling pleased, Director Li patted my shoulder.

"Let's go then."

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted to meet my wife, didn't you?"

"But it's still working hours?"

"Hehe, the work is done by the team members. We just need to 'manage' them so they can work comfortably. It's a matter of the system."

I've been in the outer sect for two years.

I thought I had improved a lot, but compared to this person, I was like a firefly in front of the sun.

My respect for him surged.

***

A little while later.

"Introduce yourself. This is my wife."

"I greet you, Lady! I am Jin Wuzhuan, the Seventeenth Team Leader of the outer sect, who is willing to be the left leg of Director Li."

"Hehe! I've heard a lot about you. You're a good man."

"You're a good lady."

A familiar word popped out, but it didn't feel strange when I saw her.

She looked like someone you'd see at a real estate office in a neighborhood.

Sure enough, the usual lines from real estate agents poured out.

"So, you're looking for a house? How much have you prepared for the budget? Are you going to live alone? Where do you want to live? Do you need good transportation? How many rooms are you looking for? Hmm, house prices have risen a lot lately, so it might be more expensive than you think. Is that okay?"

Her words were fast enough to make anyone flustered, but I had lived my entire life as a tenant and had dealt with real estate agents.

"I don't really care about location and transportation. I can just run around for exercise. I'd like at least two rooms. I'm alone now, but I don't know what will happen in the future. Oh! Even two halls would be fine. And I'm prepared for a high price. I also see a house as an investment."

The good lady's eyes lit up when she heard my answer.

"Oh, you see a house as an investment? How do you think that way?"

Hehe, for someone from Hell Seoul in Hell Korea, it's an easy answer.

"Because people flock to it."

One sentence, but it answers everything.

The good lady laughed heartily.

"Hehehe! It's amazing to see such a young man understand the world so well."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Then there's no need to show you inferior properties."

The good lady took out a book bound with a gold belt.

"These are properties that meet the conditions you mentioned. I've only selected the best of the best, so you'll be satisfied."

"Is that so? Let me take a look."

After asking for permission, I looked through the properties and soon realized one thing.

'Expensive.'

The prices were twice as high as what I had checked just two years ago.

Even the first property, a two-hall house, was priced at twenty taels of gold.

"Why is this so expensive?"

"There's a stream right in front, so it's bound to be expensive."

Was this the beginning of the river view premium?

"Then this one...?"

"It's close to the inner city, about a quarter of a mile away..."

"Then...?"

"It's next to a school..."

As I eliminated the properties that didn't meet my conditions, only one remained.

"A three-hall house with a spacious yard for five taels of gold..."

"It's in the outskirts, but it's quite cheap."

"Is there a problem with the house?"

"Problem? Yes."

The good lady had a meaningful look, and I immediately understood.

'So, it's that.'

The ghost cliché.

A mandatory course for the protagonist of a martial arts novel when looking for a house.

Later, it turns out that someone is secretly living there or it's a scam to lower the house price.

I confidently said,

"It's a haunted house, isn't it?"

The good lady burst out laughing. She laughed so heartily that she clutched her stomach and rolled around.

"Haunted? Ohoho! How innocent. Where are there ghosts in the world? Even if there were, living people are much scarier. Hehe, oh my stomach."

Well, in a world where swordsmen can use sword qi to deal damage, there could be ghosts...

When I was flustered, the good lady quickly answered.

"The problem is the location."

"Location?"

I checked the map again and immediately understood the reason.

"Black Sand Road?"

"Yes. It's a perfect property in every way, but the location keeps the price down. Thanks to that, the price is the same as it was fifty years ago."

The good lady took a sip of tea and continued.

"That's why I can't sell this house to Team Leader Jin."

"Huh? Is there someone who has reserved it?"

"It's dangerous. No matter how much I make money from buying and selling houses, I don't deceive others for profit. Especially not someone cherished by the family."

"Then why do you keep it in your property book?"

"Even if the Black Sand Road gangsters are tough, they wouldn't dare to mess with a high-level martial artist as the owner."

"So, it's a property for high-level martial artists. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm the right person."

"Huh? What do you mean...?"

The good lady looked at me as if I was speaking gibberish.

Director Li explained for me.

"Team Leader Jin is a high-level martial artist."

The good lady looked at me with surprise.

'Hehe, as expected, in the martial world, strength is the answer.'

In an instant, I went from a penniless nobody to the future owner of a three-hall mansion. I confidently threw my money bag in front of the good lady.

Thud, rustle.

The money bag opened, revealing the gold ingots inside.

"I'll buy it."

Flex.

Impressed by my boldness, the good lady quickly gathered the money bag and said with a moved expression.

"You're one tael short."

"...Can you give me a discount?"

***

The next day, after signing the contract, I headed straight to Black Sand Road.

Everywhere, people with knives walked around, as if to prove that this was a gathering place for blackguards.

After about a quarter of an hour,

Thanks to my quick pace, I soon arrived at the large gate of the mansion.

Creak.

'The sound of rusty hinges is so clear and refreshing.'

I opened the door and went in...? Wait, isn't an unoccupied house supposed to be locked?

After opening the door, I faced a group of about ten blackguards.

"Did I come to the wrong place?"

I took out the map and checked again, but I was definitely in the right place.

After checking the threshold a few times, a blackguard approached me.

"Who dares to crawl into the Great Black Dragon Hall? You must have a death wish."

"Is this the right place?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm the owner. You little brat."

Smack!