Chapter 62: Ticket to the Thousand Gold Temple

Chapter 62: Ticket to the Thousand Gold Temple

No. I just got it by taking down a smuggler. It probably came from China.

Its a complete lie but a somewhat plausible explanation. China with its vast territory hasnt fully resolved its issues yet. In fact, during gameplay, there are opportunities to visit several places in China. However, following such quests, catastrophic events like the collapse of Beijing or the descent of a calamity tend to occur Its generally better to avoid going there if possible.

Speaking of which.

I quickly continued the conversation to divert attention before anything more troublesome could be said.

How much for these?

Jeong Eun-taek looked skeptical but soon dismissed it with an indifferent remark.

It doesnt really matter. 10 each, so 40 in total.

What?

These items could easily fetch 120 million if priced generously. Even with a discount, slashing the price to 40 million is outrageous.

Id give more if I had the money. But business isnt easy these days, with the peace and all.

It was common for players to engage in wordplay like this in the game and nonchalantly throw around figures in the hundreds of millions, so it wasnt really surprising.

Im making a considerable concession here. Just give me 100 million flat.

I told you, I dont have the money.

Do you really not have any money?

Yes, really.

He was getting more and more shameless.

Well, then it shouldnt matter. I was planning to buy some things anyway, so youll have money soon enough.

Huh, really? What are you buying?

I pulled out a piece of paper from my pocket and handed it to Jeong Eun-taek. I had already listed the items I needed.

When Jeong Eun-taek read the list, his already wrinkled face crumpled even more.

Whats this? Planning to perform a ritual or something?

Well, something of the sort. Ill buy all of this, so just deduct it from the value of the magic stones and give me 100 million in cash.

What are you saying? That sounds like highway robbery!

Jeong Eun-taek had every right to be outraged.

The items I just requested amounted to roughly 50 million won in value.

150 million for four magic stones was on the expensive side even if their purity was high. However, considering the cost of the items, it seemed Jeong Eun-taek would still make a decent profit.

When he realized this belatedly, Jeong Eun-taeks expression softened.

You know, this is the same pattern as last time

Indeed, the last time I had disposed of other items here, the bargaining followed the same pattern. He seemed to have realized that he had fallen into the same trap again.

It was you who started this pattern in the first place, wasnt it?

Hmm Ah, really planning to clean me out, huh? Just wait.

Jeong Eun-taek carefully collected the magic stones and went into the inner room where the safe was located while grumbling something along the lines of Ive been played!

And as if she had been waiting for her grandfather to leave, Jeong Ye-eun approached me closely and started a conversation.

Ahjussi, Ahjussi.

Yes?

Do you also catch ghosts? Are you a shaman?

No.

But why do you perform rituals?

I dont do rituals.

You said earlier you were going to perform one, didnt you?

I mentioned doing something similar, but when did I say Id perform a ritual?

Hmm Really?

Jeong Ye-euns expression quickly shifted to one of boredom.

Theres a ghost coming out of my house every night these days. Im trying to catch it.

Ah, really?Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

Ye-euns eyes sparkled when I said that. She seemed unexpectedly interested in this topic, which wasnt evident from our usual interactions in the game.

Mhmm.

But if youre not a shaman, how do you catch ghosts?

Its similar to catching bugs. You lay down some bait and sticky traps, and the ones meant to die will die, and the ones meant to leave will go For the tougher ones, just wrap them up in the sticky trap and throw them outside.

Hmm Really?

This time, she looked skeptical. It looked quite similar to the suspicious expression that Jeong Eun-taek often made which was perhaps because they were related by blood.

When I shared this observation with Ye-eun, she erupted into a furious shout and started thrashing about wildly.

Hey if you keep that up

Crash! Bang

The items behind Jeong Ye-eun tumbled down.

Id like to go to Thousand Gold Temple (Cheongeumdang).

Jeong Eun-taek who had been displaying an annoyed expression on his face until now suddenly contorted his face. After maintaining an ambiguous expression in silence for a moment, he finally spoke up just as his granddaughter Ye-eun began to sense something was amiss.

And what makes you think you have the right?

I might not have the right, but you could grant it to me, couldnt you?

Jeong Eun-taek frowned deeply and then sighed before responding.

You work under Tudor, dont you? Did Tudor tell you about this?

No, Im not even under Tudor to begin with.

Grandpa, whats Thousand Gold Temple that youre reacting like this?

Jeong Ye-eun was unable to contain her curiosity and asked.

Thousand Gold Temple is well, its not something you need to be concerned about.

Oh, come on, whats it about?

Tell that damned witch Tudor not to bother, as it wont yield anything.

I told you; Tudor hasnt told me anything.

Then who did? Kwang-lim?

Why is Park Kwang-lims name coming up now? If left alone, it seemed like the names of all the brokers in Paju might come out of his mouth.

I tapped my mask idly with my finger before pulling out another item I had brought with the magic stones to show them.

If youre reluctant to introduce me, its fine. You could just dispose of this for me. If you do, there wont be any need for me to go to Thousand Gold Temple.

Whats this? As if theres anything in Paju I cant dispose of

What I held in my hand was a very small metallic scale.

Although it has now faded to black, you can still guess its original color if you look closely. It was an object that originally glowed with a magical golden color. This was a scale taken from the body of a golden dancer.

After he examined the scale closely, Jeong Eun-taek recoiled in shock.

Ah, damn it! You crazy bastard!

With that, he began to make protective gestures, as if to ward off evil and pulled Ye-eun behind him.

Ah! Grandpa, why are you doing this?

Tell me the truth. Have you crossed the Imjin River?

I told you, no.

Where else could such a cursed item come from, if not from beyond the Imjin River!

It had actually come from Tanhyeon located just below the Imjin River. But there was neither the need nor the reason to divulge such information.

Grandpa, what is that thing?

Ye-eun, just stay quiet for a bit!

Following Jeong Eun-taeks stern command, Ye-eun shrank back.

It just so happened that, in my travels, I came across an opportunity to acquire it.

Well its your life; ruin it if you want. Who am I to stop you?

So, what do you say? Can you write me a recommendation letter?

Recommendation letters arent just handed out randomly. Besides, there are no openings right now.

An opening will come up soon enough. Please put me on the waiting list.

Come back in about a week, or better yet, give it two or three weeks. Ill ask around for you in the meantime.

Alright.

I cant guarantee there will be an opening even then.

Thats fine. It seems like the best way I can help is by leaving, so Ill be on my way now.

Come again!

What are you so excited about?

Shouldnt I say goodbye to the guests when they leave?

Is this really the time for that? Oh, wait a minute? This is really broken. Oh dear How much was this worth

Leaving behind the impending quarrel between the two, I hurried out of the pawnshop.

Now, my bag contained items purchased from the pawnshop and 100 million won.

As Jeong Eun-taek had said, there are things that couldnt be achieved if it wasnt the right time. Fortunately, I managed to get everything I needed in one go, eliminating the need for a second trip.

While the number and bulk of my possessions had increased, their weight was significantly lighter than that of the magic stones.

The term magic stones sounds grand, but in terms of weight, they were essentially no different from chunks of rock.

However, psychologically, the burden felt heavier now.

Including what was already in my bank account

400 million won?

In truth, considering the value of the items I had stashed away in my room, this amount wasnt significant.

If I were to sell all the items I had collected so far, including high-rank artifacts like the Butchers Hook, I might have to start counting my wealth in units of 1 billion or even 10 billion won.

If I were still the peaceful Kim Shin-hwa, living in the real world, this amount would have been enough for me to declare my financial independence.