Chapter 81: Beijing Real Estate

In the dark night sky, 108 strangely flickering stars.

The Evil Stars had existed in this world long before the rise of sects and before chivalrous heroes roamed the world.

They were older than the history of Murim, older than the dynasties of men.

These mysterious celestial bodies, often called the agents of heaven, would sometimes descend by inhabiting a human body, exerting an immense influence on the Central Plains.

Even long before the people of the Central Plains became aware of their existence, they had secretly dictated the fate of this world.

And as time passed, when humans began reading the heavens and interpreting the flow of celestial energy, those who grew wary of them also appeared.

Those who never revealed their true identities within Murim, silently guarding the stars from the shadows.

“Strange indeed.”

On a steep mountain peak, amidst cliffs no human feet could ever reach, a middle-aged man let out a brief murmur as he gazed up at the stars.

“Strange. Truly strange.”

He was an astrologer, channeling his Upper Dantian and reading the celestial energy through his Insight.

At this very moment, his eyes were fixed on a star burning with a dusky glow.

Normally, an Evil Star would shine brighter and brighter until a Starfall occurred, flashing at its brightest when its host died, only to return to that dead, murky hue.

“And yet… why does an Evil Star bear a crack upon it?”

It was as if someone were meddling with the unreachable stars in the sky.

And not just any star—but the one known as the most malevolent of all the Evil Stars.

“How bizarre. Truly bizarre.”

Even in his long life, this was a phenomenon he had never once witnessed.

With mountain insects weeping sorrowfully all around, the astrologer could do nothing but tilt his head in confusion.

“Boss, you’re saying we’re going to set up a business here in Beijing?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

When I spoke of my ambitious expansion plan—first opening an office in Beijing, then gaining fame and gradually multiplying our branches—Ilhong scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“Uh, Boss.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“If you’re planning to set it up inside the inner city rather than outside the walls… wouldn’t that be kind of difficult?”

“Why?”

Out of nowhere, she warned that opening within the city walls would be troublesome.

Why was she trying to block my grand dream right from the start?

“To buy land inside Beijing, your identity has to be crystal clear. And since it’s the Imperial Capital, the prices aren’t cheap either.”

“Hey, that’s fine. I’ve got plenty of money.”

With a confident grin, I tapped the wooden chest full of gold ingots and the coin pouch packed with silver.

And as for identity verification? My sister figure, Eun Hwaran, would surely handle that for me.

“Still… it’ll be pretty expensive.”

Having once lived here herself, Ilhong voiced her concerns about Beijing’s real estate market.

But really, how expensive could ancient China’s housing prices be?

“Well, reliable brokers are hard to come by. Let’s get an introduction from the Trading Lord, Boss.”

Since we weren’t dealing with a small sum, Ilhong suggested we cross even a stone bridge carefully.

She was right. In a time when swindlers could rob you blind, we needed a vetted middleman.

So, together we headed to the office of the Eunseong Trading Company.

The gatekeepers seemed to recognize me as someone who shared “older sister, younger brother” ties with the Trading Lord, and quietly stepped aside.

“Eun Hwaran noona, could you introduce us to a broker?”

After a light knock, I slid the door open with a creak. She looked up at me with a faintly startled expression.

“…You startled me, Mujin. You’re starting to visit just like your master used to.”

She claimed I was becoming like Hwang Geolgae. What kind of nonsense was that?

“Still, it’s been a while since you barged in like this. I might’ve even missed it.”

It seemed she hadn’t received a single personal visit during my trip to the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament.

The head of an organization was always lonely. And especially her—running the entire Trading Company alone, without family—loneliness must’ve weighed heavier.

“Did I used to come this often?”

“Sometimes, whenever you got bored.”

Hearing I used to come and go as if it were my own home, Ilhong looked a bit dumbfounded.

“I stocked up on some tasty things just in case you showed up.”

With her fan, she tapped a nearby drawer.

Inside were colorful candied cakes, piled high.

“So, what brings you? You want me to introduce you to a broker?”

Having gone through a beggar’s life, I never turned down food. As Ilhong and I munched on the sugar-coated treats, she asked about my business.

“I’m planning to go independent now. I need to open my own Troubleshooter’s Office.”

“A Troubleshooter’s Office? Ah, that’s right—you even asked me to hire you as a troubleshooter when I had that silkworm issue.”

Eun Hwaran nodded, recalling the moment.

“Yes. That’s why I’m thinking of scouting some decent land in Beijing for business.”

Where there’s demand, supply will follow. My plan was to absorb every request overlooked by sword-for-hire wanderers and create a brand-new paradigm in Murim contracting.

She listened with a face full of interest.

“But land in Beijing will be pricey no matter where you go.”

“Eh, I’m loaded, noona.”

I thumped my heavy coin pouch against my chest with pride.

They say confidence comes from a full wallet, and I was the very picture of it.

“How much did you get from the Murim Alliance…? Fine, I’ll introduce you to a reliable person.”

She swiftly wrote an introduction letter in her elegant calligraphy.

With that letter in hand, we dashed straight to the bustling district of Beijing.

There, we confidently swung open the doors of a Broker’s Office tucked into an alleyway.

Inside, a plump middle-aged woman in loose clothes stopped sipping her tea and looked at us with wide eyes.

She must’ve been the broker Madam Jang, whom Eun Hwaran had mentioned.

At first, she looked puzzled at the sight of youngsters barging in, but once we showed her the introduction from the head of one of the Ten Great Trading Companies, her eyes gleamed with greed.

“Oh my, oh my, so you’re guests sent by Trading Lord Eun. Well then, what kind of property are you looking for?”

The letter’s authority was undeniable—the conversation flowed quickly.

She jotted down my requirements with nods.

“So, a place at the crossroads of the busy market streets, where there’s heavy foot traffic… yes, lots of residents nearby, and a shopfront with wide visibility, correct?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Foot traffic, residential density, consumer habits, length of stay—this was Beijing’s Goldilocks commercial zone.

Location is everything in business. Real estate is an immovable asset, and securing the right spot is the most important of all.

The dream I couldn’t achieve back in Korea due to outrageous land prices—I would achieve it here.

“You’ve got quite the eye for property. How do you know so much about commercial districts?”

“Right? I’ve got a knack for these things.”

As expected of a skilled broker, she flattered effortlessly, laughing as she led us straight to a property.

Bustling.

And there, we faced a shop located in one of the busiest streets, overflowing with people.

The place was thriving, with customers crammed inside and out.

“As you can see, business is good here, so normally it wouldn’t even be on the market. But it seems the family’s in urgent need of cash. For a young customer like you, this is quite a stroke of luck.”

It was a shop in a location where attention naturally gathered, right in the heart of the bustling district.

With just a flashy signboard or plaque, it could easily catch the eye of passersby—‘Huh? What’s that?’—and draw in customers.

“But there’s one problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

Madam Jang continued, as if pointing out the most crucial issue.

“The price is quite steep.”

If that was all, then there was no problem. I’d scraped together plenty of money from here and there.

I pulled out every last piece of gold from my robe.

The three gold ingots I’d received from the Murim Alliance Leader, plus the dozens of silver coins I’d collected from bounties and commissions.

“Will this do?”

I proudly laid out the fruits of my labor.

When I looked at her, as if daring her to deny it, she checked the contents with a click and looked startled.

“Customer, this is…”

It seemed she was surprised by the unusual wealth of someone so young.

Hard to believe that someone who was once a beggar had made it this far.

Just as I was about to get sentimental—

“…I’m afraid this is nowhere near enough.”

“Hm?”

At her troubled response, my once-proud shoulders slumped back down.

Beside me, Ilhong shook her head like she’d expected this from the start.

“Ahem.”

How embarrassing.

All I could do was cough awkwardly.

“See? I told you, Beijing’s land prices are unimaginably high.”

We had returned to the modest Broker’s Office to look for other listings.

As soon as I sat down and drank from my teacup, Ilhong chimed in with an ‘I told you so.’

“I didn’t think it’d be this expensive…”

Capital city real estate—it crushed people then, and it crushed people now.

Even with my entire fortune, I hadn’t come close.

“How can land be this expensive? How are commoners supposed to survive, huh?!”

That in all this vast city of Beijing, I didn’t have a single place to lay my body—it was maddening.

Overcome with frustration, I raised my voice.

“Boss, Beijing land was never meant for commoners to buy.”

“…”

This girl… instead of sympathizing, she kept pointing things out, like a big capital ‘T’ type.

“Still, it’s absurd. How can prices be this unfair?”

I slammed my teacup down and let out a deep sigh.

And then, Madam Jang added her own comment.

“It makes perfect sense, customer. Beijing land prices have always gone upward.”

Her absolute faith in Beijing real estate—it was like hearing one of those modern real estate agents.

Seeing I wasn’t inclined to buy, she set out some snacks on the table and pressed on.

“If I’d had the money, I’d have bought that spot myself… Customer, delay too long, and you’ll end up paying a latecomer’s fee.”

Since I’d come with an introduction letter from a wealthy patron, maybe she thought she could coax me into a purchase no matter what.

Persistent woman.

“Uh… you don’t have any other listings? Maybe something cheaper.”

Let the Demonic Cult just storm through and wreck the place—drive the prices down, I thought bitterly.

Out loud, I asked her to show us cheaper property.

“Of course.”

She then led us to a shop completely different from before—this one was far removed from the bustling streets, on the outskirts.

A shabby, crumbling shop on the verge of collapse.

“Wow, I didn’t know Beijing had such quiet spots,” Ilhong remarked in surprise, given she’d once considered the city her turf.

“Huh.”

If it had at least been farther from the center but close to the city gates, business could’ve still been decent.

But here? Few people walked by, the roads twisted confusingly, the view was blocked—every essential element of a good commercial district was missing.

“Madam Jang, how much is this one…?”

“I’ll give you a special deal. Just six gold ingots.”

“…”

Special deal, huh? Each gold ingot was worth a hundred silver coins.

Meaning she was asking six hundred silver coins for this wreck of a shop.

“This scam…”

The word ‘swindler’ nearly slipped from my mouth.

But no—Eun Hwaran herself had introduced this broker. It couldn’t be a scam. Even Ilhong’s face showed reluctant acceptance.

People of the Central Plains—come to think of it, they’d been obsessed with real estate even in the modern world.

“I’ll come back later…”

I muttered something about returning another day and left.

A strategic retreat, so to speak.

“Beijing real estate isn’t easy.”

I’d taken it too lightly and ended up badly burned.

My dream of opening my own Troubleshooter’s Office—delayed yet again.

“Puhuhu.”

Inside the office of the Eunseong Trading Company.

After listening quietly to my woes about real estate, Eun Hwaran finally burst out laughing.

Her shoulders shook as she chuckled.

I stopped shoveling down sweets and pouted.

“What’s so funny, noona?”

“Heheh, so you don’t know everything about the world after all.”

She found it refreshing, even amusing, that after all the times I’d seemed too mature—handling the Silkworm Chambers, dealing with adults—this side of me finally seemed childish.

“Of course it’s expensive. You’re looking inside the inner city, where space is limited but demand is overwhelming. Prices skyrocket in places like that.”

But if I opened in the outer city, accessibility for clients would plummet. Not to mention, with the nature of my work, I’d often be out, and the shop wouldn’t have the city walls’ protection.

“Still, those prices are just…”

“Forget it. Complaining about product prices won’t change anything.”

Spoken like a true merchant—always clear-headed about such things.

“Anyway, you came to me because you need someone to lend you money, right?”

“Well, yeah, I guess…”

Finding an investor was never easy. And when it came to money, even among sworn siblings, it was awkward to bring up.

“I’ll lend it to you. My little brother wants to go independent—what kind of sister wouldn’t help?”

Eun Hwaran nodded decisively, readily offering financial support.

“Noona…”

Yes, this was what a real sister was like.

Not like a certain someone, who’d shoved her brother off a cliff instead of raising him… Are you watching this, Murong Cheonghye?

“But there’s one condition.”

With the face of a merchant, Eun Hwaran spoke again.

There really was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

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