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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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“Ugh, damn it.”
My whole body ached when I woke up.
Probably because of the intense fight last night.
My muscles felt like they’d been ripped apart.
Still, I’d be getting paid soon.
Let’s see, it was late dawn.
The time when the sun was about to rise and the darkness was receding.
I slept surprisingly well, didn’t I?
But the air in the warehouse was terrible, making my throat itchy and my mouth dry.
It had even been cold without anything to cover myself with.
The wind protection wasn’t great, either.
At least I didn’t feel like this when I stayed at the inn…
As expected, it was worth investing in lodging.
“Oof.”
I got up, strapped my Siljang Gonbong to my waist, and went outside.
The soseonggwi corpses I’d killed were still there.
Eight in total.
Enough to brag about.
As I lingered, someone approached.
It wasn’t the old man from yesterday, but someone else.
Looking closely, it seemed to be a child.
Come to think of it, they said they’d send someone in the morning.
Probably a kid doing chores around the farm.
“Look here. I’ve dealt with the soseonggwi.”
“Ah! I’ll get the manager!”
Was the old man the manager?
“When will the manager arrive?”
“He usually starts his activities around this time, so he should be here soon.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
After a short wait, the kid brought the old man.
“Here. I’ve eliminated the soseonggwi.”
“Ooh, you’ve caught a lot!”
The old man was impressed by the corpses.
This was a good sign.
“There were so many. They attacked all at once, making them difficult to catch.
But I hunted down and killed every single one I could find.”
“Well done! These creatures are such a nuisance!”
A good sign indeed.
So would he pay me properly?
“Here’s your promised reward!”
Clink!
“Ooh!”
The old man held out a string of coins!
I quickly took it and counted them.
I was good at counting.
After counting, I was certain.
200 mun.
“Received!”
Crazy!
I’d earned 200 mun in a single day!
Could I be any happier?!
Overwhelming joy seized me, accompanied by a constructive realization.
Right. Manual labor wasn’t the answer.
Hunting demons was the way to go.
I had endured a grueling dogfight in the dead of night, but in return, I held 200 mun in my hand.
Money I could never have earned through manual labor.
I was so happy I felt like I was going to go crazy.
“Well then. I’d like you to come back if something like this happens again. Will you?”
“Hehehe, of course. Ah, but I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“These soseonggwi. Are they edible?”
“What? Eat demons?”
So it wasn’t allowed?
The old man looked like he’d heard something absurd.
“Are you thinking of eating them?”
“Are they poisonous or something?”
”
No… soseonggwi aren’t poisonous. You could eat them if you wanted, but why would you eat demon meat when there’s good food available?”
Because I couldn’t afford good food.
“They don’t even taste good. It’s not like you’re a beggar. Besides, eating demon meat brings bad luck.”
“Is that so?”
I processed the information.
Not poisonous.
But tasteless.
However, beggars do eat them.
So, it seemed that beggars did eat demon meat.
But from a general perspective, eating their meat was considered a pathetic eccentricity that brought bad luck.
A superstitious reason.
I, Kim Geun-hyeop, was a modern man.
Would I be afraid of superstition?
If it meant saving money on food, I could eat this meat any day!
Alright!
I’d try it next time!
“Thank you for telling me.”
“Don’t mention it…”
“Anyway, what should I do with the soseonggwi corpses?”
“Take them. You can sell the hides, skulls, or claws for some money.”
“Oh, really?!”
I could make money from this!
When I asked where I could sell them, he told me there were general stores near the market that dealt with such things.
Having obtained this information, I bowed to the old man and picked up the soseonggwi by their tails.
“Ugh.”
They didn’t smell particularly bad.
The blood had dried and wasn’t dripping.
But carrying around several-hour-old animal corpses was quite unpleasant.
“Then, I’ll be back if another soseonggwi extermination request comes up for Daeil Farm.”
“I doubt they’ll appear again anytime soon after you killed so many. Safe travels.”
Time to go, then.
I left Daeil Farm.
“…”
As I walked, I noticed people glancing at me as they passed.
But it wasn’t for long, and their interest wasn’t particularly strong.
They probably assumed I was returning from a hunt.
I realized that carrying demon corpses around was a relatively normal occurrence.
“Ugh.”
Anyway, I felt good.
Now, straight to the market.
If I could make even a little money selling these, it would be a huge win.
A bonus of sorts.
My risk-taking challenge had been a great success.
I was quite tired, and my clothes were bloodstained and ripped in places, but bloodstains were something everyone got.
Besides, repairs weren’t particularly expensive.
And hadn’t I slept soundly in the warehouse after work?
I was tired, but not overwhelmingly exhausted.
Beneficial in many ways.
A hundred times better than manual labor.
“Hmm.”
But why didn’t other laborers do this kind of work?
Was it because it was dangerous?
Well, the locals here weren’t as desperate as I was, so they probably didn’t need to take the risk.
Lost in thought, I arrived at the market street.
“Ooh, indeed.”
Among the various shops lining the street, I scanned for a general store that handled yokai byproducts.
My scan turned up a sign that read ‘Mao Yi General Goods.’
Let’s try there.
“Hello, shopkeeper.”
I entered.
“Ah, soseonggwi? Are you here to sell those?”
A gruff-looking shopkeeper emerged and spoke.
“That’s right. Fresh ones, caught just a few hours ago.”
“Let me see their condition. Ah, eight of them, eh?”
The shopkeeper had me place the corpses on the floor and squatted down.
“Let’s see. You fought quite fiercely.”
“I did put up a good fight.”
“Heads smashed, bones broken, insides mangled. And the hides… These are bottom-of-the-barrel quality.”
“Ah.”
Well, he had a point.
Even I had to admit they were in a gruesome state.
I had fought with all my passion; there was no way the bodies would be intact.
“Next time you bring these to sell, make sure they’re in better shape. The bones and claws are all broken, and the hides are ruined. Even with eight, 5 mun is the best I can do.”
Only 5 mun?
“Can’t you give me a little more?”
“I’ll give you more if you bring them in good condition next time. Take them back, or sell them for 5 mun. Your choice.”
I felt a bit like a sucker, but what could I do? It was essentially free money.
I hadn’t even known I could sell them. And it was true that the quality was poor.
“Alright.”
I agreed to sell them for 5 mun.
“Ah, how much would they have been worth if they were in perfect condition?”
“Around 30 mun, but in my experience, no one ever brings them in perfect condition. They always get damaged in the fight.”
“I see… Ah, is the meat edible?”
“The insides are mangled, and they seem a bit decomposed. They’re probably only good for dog food. Unless, perhaps, you enjoy yaoshik (demon cuisine)?”
“I’m becoming a bit interested.”
The shopkeeper chuckled, seemingly amused.
“The shop next door is a yaoshik restaurant. If you bring meat in good enough condition to cook, they’ll prepare it for you in exchange for the byproducts.”
“Oh, really?!”
Trade byproducts for a meal?
What a steal!
“My name is Kim Geun-hyeop! I’ll be visiting often!”
“I’m Song O-min, the shopkeeper. See you then.”
After exchanging farewells with the shopkeeper, I stepped outside.
“Hehehe!”
Next time, I’d have to be more careful when killing demons.
This time, I’d gone completely berserk, resulting in the meat being ruined.
He said they would cook it if it was fresh, so I could save on a meal.
“Ah.”
Just then, I felt an extreme pang of hunger.
Growl.
My stomach rumbled fiercely.
I felt like I would starve to death if I didn’t eat something right away.
Kung Pao Chicken, calling?
“Calling!”
I immediately ran to the inn.
“Waiter!”
I called out confidently as soon as I entered the inn.
“Yes!”
I was brimming with confidence.
After all, I had over 200 mun in my pocket!
With this much money, I could order a main dish without anyone criticizing me!
“Here! One Kung Pao Chicken and one order of dumplings!”
Chicken meat and dumplings!
The combination might be a bit strange, but this was the Middle Kingdom.
I needed to break free from conventional culinary wisdom.
Today, I was going to treat my stomach to a feast.
“One Kung Pao Chicken and one order of dumplings! That’ll be 80 mun, sir!”
“Here you go.”
It was really expensive, though.
Kung Pao Chicken was 60 mun, and the dumplings were 20 mun.
I had just spent my entire day’s wage on a single meal, but I didn’t regret it at all.
A gourmet meal after a battle with demons.
I intended to savor every moment of this experience.
I would eat delicious food after hard work and etch the memory into my mind.
If you wanted to live like a human in this martial arts world, you had to take risks and hunt demons.
That was the only way to live like a human!
So, this wasn’t just an ordinary meal.
It was a sacred ritual, an offering to myself for surviving in this world.
Such rituals were always expensive.
“Kung Pao Chicken and dumplings! Here you go!”
Lost in thought, the dishes arrived.
“Ah…!”
The moment I opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but gasp.
No, it was more than a gasp.
It felt like my brain had short-circuited, struggling to process what was before me.
“Ahh!”
Chicken…!
Perfectly fried chicken, coated in a red sauce, emitting hot steam…!
Look at this dazzling dish!
It was even sprinkled with vegetables and nuts!
“Ahhh!”
I couldn’t hold back my sounds of awe.
Tears even welled up in my eyes.
Chicken!
I could eat chicken!
Could there be anything more blissful?!
And not just chicken.
There were eight dumplings!
Beautifully cooked, perfectly browned dumplings…!
“Here. Have some tea with your meal.”
“Tea…? Come to think of it…”
Tea was served alongside the meal.
“Green tea, to accompany your Kung Pao Chicken. Enjoy.”
“Thank you!”
I immediately picked up my chopsticks.
My mouth watered.
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