Chapter 19

In this floor of the Black Guest Hall at Lake Poyang.

Yamsangrok was glancing back and forth at Nangung Jangho and Jang Il-dragon, trying to read their expressions.

“Perhaps it’s a case of rejuvenation?”

Nangung Jangho, who was looking at Yamsangrok, expressed his doubt.

“...Me?”

Yamsangrok nodded slightly.

Nangung Jangho frowned as if annoyed.

“What nonsense are you spouting this morning?”

“No, it doesn’t make sense. You look to be in your late twenties at most, but if you’re called ‘elder brother’ by a middle-aged man, it’s obvious, right? Unless you’ve learned the Art of Youthful Complexion, it must be rejuvenation.”

Jang Il-dragon had a suspicious look on his face.

“Middle-aged? Where is there a middle-aged person here?”

Yamsangrok retorted.

“Obviously, you. It doesn’t seem like there’s a master-servant relationship, so why do you call that young man ‘elder brother’?”

“...”

The things Jang Il-dragon hated most to hear were ‘middle-aged’ and ‘great hero.’ Now, Yamsangrok was walking into a trap.

“What the hell, you brat!”

Zhuge Yun quickly grabbed Jang Il-dragon’s arms and shouted.

“Deputy Director Zhang is only twenty-three!”

Yamsangrok looked bewildered.

“What? You must be joking, right?”

“Kyaah!”

As Jang Il-dragon went berserk, Yamsangrok stepped back in shock.

The people of the righteous faction are extremely particular about seniority and age. There’s no way they would lie about their age to someone they just met.

“Are you really four years younger than me?”

How much hardship must a person endure to have such a face at that age?

He must have endured a life of hell, crossing the line between life and death.

Upon closer inspection, those muscles were not ordinary.

Jin Gahui, who had been watching quietly, had a face that became even paler.

“Really, it’s giving me goosebumps. You’re really twenty-three? Haha!”

Jang Il-dragon, with a look of disbelief, showed her the goosebumps on his arm.

“Damn, I’m the one with goosebumps. You’re still hard to believe, ghost woman.”

“What? Just looks old on the outside.”

“Crazy. Does blood even flow in your face?”

Just then, Jo Hui appeared.

“Jo Fenggong!”

Jo Hui glared at Nangung Jangho, who was showing respect to him.

“Why don’t you do a fist salute? Or why can’t you stand it? If you don’t do a fist salute for a day, do you break out in hives all over your body?”

“...”

Nangung Jangho pulled down his hood with a bitter expression, and Zhuge Yun looked puzzled.

“What’s all this about?”

What Zhuge Yun was looking at was a stack of documents in Jo Hui’s hand.

Jo Hui, with a stern face, threw the stack of documents on the table.

As Zhuge Yun flipped through a few pages, he was shocked.

“This, this is!”

Hundreds of land deeds!

Moreover, the owner of all the plots was the Black Heaven Alliance.

But.

“Wait...? Didn’t you give me all the bills of exchange?”

He had all the bills of exchange Jo Hui had given him to buy the land from merchants.

In other words.

“The Black Heaven Alliance has agreed to give up all their land for free.”

Zhuge Yun looked incredulous.

If you knew Jo Hui even a little, this was a decision he would never make.

It was as if the greatest fool in the martial world had been caught.

* * *

Inside the office of the Nangung Family.

Family Head Nangung Su was checking the report brought by the inner courtyard master, unable to believe it.

“No, this... what kind of dog-like...!”

Since he attained the Absolute Soul and ascended to the position of family head, when had he ever used such coarse language?

The report detailed the heroic(?) deeds of the Blue Sky Sword Hero in Jiangxi Province.

What kind of dog talk is this when he hasn’t even left the family compound?

Dealing a significant blow to the Black Heaven Alliance is certainly a good thing.

However, the method is the problem.

Look at the heroic tales in the report!

The legendary Li Qiye Sword Technique and the Righteous Sword Qi.

The legendary Yi Wei Dao Gang and the Neng Gong Tian Shang Ji.

These legendary martial arts were used solely to destroy the enemy’s property.

Moreover, if he had revealed his martial arts openly, it would be one thing, but it’s said that he thoroughly hid and ambushed, only striking from behind.

He burned down all the warehouses of the Black Heaven Alliance.

Of course, it’s a remarkable achievement.

But can this really be called a heroic tale?

The Blue Sky Sword Hero (Blue Sky Sword Hero).

He is the symbol of the family’s clear reputation and the noble emblem of the Seven Martial Seats.

These are not the kind of deeds that can be carried out under such an honorable name.

Thus, Family Head Nangung Su checked the content of the letter several times with trembling hands.

At the very last line of the letter.

“I am sorry, Family Head.”

The handwriting was terribly trembling.

The suffering and regret of Little Zhuge were clearly visible in the handwriting.

“Huh...”

Of course, the achievements of Jo Hui and his group were truly astonishing.

It was hard to believe that these were the results of just four righteous faction prodigies.

The fact that they uncovered the existence of the Green and Black Alliance, which the Martial Alliance couldn’t even grasp, and dismantled it, was astounding.

A massive force of ten thousand!

If this huge army had invaded Anhui, the very existence of the Nangung Family would have been in danger.

It was certainly an achievement worthy of the Martial Alliance’s leader bestowing the title of hero and giving a reward.

However...

“Kyaah!”

Suddenly, Family Head Nangung Su clutched his chest and staggered.

A sudden heartache!

“Family Head!”

Nangung Baek, the inner courtyard master, rushed over to support Nangung Su.

“I’m fine...”

How could he hold his head high from now on?

The virtuous elders of the righteous martial world might not show it outwardly, but they would surely despise his Jiangxi heroic tale(?) in their hearts.

‘What can I do about this?’

The sword technique of the Righteous Sword Qi displayed by the Nangung Family.

There are only three people in the Nangung Family who can perform such a technique: himself, his uncle, and Jo Hui, who has ascended to the position of Fenggong.

His uncle, Nangung Seong-chan, had been secluded in the Danluo Garden, and he himself had been too busy with official duties to leave the family compound. Therefore, it must have been Jo Hui who caused all this.

Moreover, he was the one who taught the family’s martial arts.

His glorious tales had already spread beyond Jiangxi to Hubei, Hunan, and Anhui.

Ultimately, all the eccentric deeds of the Blue Sky Sword Hero(?) would be widely known throughout the martial world.

“Phew...”

A headache followed the heartache.

What could he do?

All of this was due to his desire to keep Jo Hui under the family’s command.

“Another letter has arrived, Family Head.”

Nangung Su answered with a weak voice.

“...What news is it?”

Nangung Su, noticing the troubled expression of Nangung Baek, suddenly looked calm as if he had let go of everything.

“It’s fine. Show it to me quickly. Let’s get it over with.”

Nangung Baek, who had been hesitating, finally let go of everything as well.

“It’s a letter from Zhang Huo.”

“Hmm...”

Family Head Nangung Su, taking the letter, unfolded it.

As he read the letter, his pupils began to shake as if hit by an earthquake.

Nangung Su, forgetting his dignity as the family head, let out a rough curse.

“T-this! What the hell...!”

“Family Head!”

Everyone in the martial world knows that the Zha Family Trading Company is under the influence of the Nangung Family because Jo Hui used the Blue Sky Sword Hero to lead all the events under the name of the Zha Family Trading Company.

Moreover, the family had recently announced that Jo Hui of the Zha Family Trading Company had been given the position of Fenggong, stamped with the family’s seal.

But now, the Zha Family Trading Company has bought all the land in Jiangxi?

Not only that, but it’s said that he used some trick to receive millions of acres of land from the Black Heaven Alliance for free.

The commercial area surrounding the vast Lake Poyang, more than half of it, has been completely taken over.

What Jo Hui plans to do with the land is obvious.

He wants to turn Nanchang by the Lake Poyang into another Hefei!

Nangung Su’s face turned ashen.

The Nangung Family, a symbol of the righteous martial world and one of the Five Great Families, using a trading company to conduct business within the territory of the Black Heaven Alliance?

Inevitably, they would have to share profits with the Black Heaven Alliance.

This is a serious issue that could lead to their expulsion from the Martial Alliance.

- I am sorry, Father. I am unworthy...

Nangung Su, without even finishing the last line of the letter, crumpled it up roughly.

“No, no! I’m going to Nanchang right now! Prepare everything!”

“Family Head! Calm down!”

“What do you mean calm down at a time like this? Are you telling me to just watch the family fall apart?”

He seemed ready to use his martial arts at any moment.

Watching such a family head, Nangung Baek felt a sense of resignation.

Nangung Baek called the chief manager who was standing nearby.

“Chief Manager. Prepare for a secret mission. No need for a military escort. I will go with the Family Head alone.”

“I will prepare as instructed.”

* * *

From early morning until the afternoon, Jo Hui stood motionless, gazing at Lake Poyang.

As he stared at the vast waters of Lake Poyang with a contemplative gaze, Zhuge Yun approached him.

“What are you thinking about?”

Jo Hui smiled slightly.

“Can the people of the Central Plains really live so close together? That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Live so close together? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

Jo Hui suddenly brought up a different topic.

“Zhuge Director’s knowledge of civil engineering and mechanical arts, I’d like to hear your opinion. With the current technology of the Central Plains, how many stories can the tallest pavilion be?”

Caught off guard by the sudden topic, Zhuge Yun hesitated before answering.

“How much resources can you mobilize?”

“Unlimited.”

Zhuge Yun, with a shudder, asked again.

“Will people live in it?”

If it were a simple tower with unlimited resources, it could be built up to ten or twenty stories. However, if it were to be used as an inn where people would live, it would be a different matter.

“Of course.”

“Hmm... I think about five or six stories would be the limit. If we really push the design, it might be possible to go up to seven stories.”

Even with unlimited resources, the current level of construction in the Central Plains had clear limits.

The highest and most famous pavilion in the martial world, the Heavenly Hall of Illusion in Hangzhou, was only six stories tall.

The physical limitations of wood as a building material.

The upper floors would inevitably have a smaller volume due to the unique lower structure.

“What if it were iron instead of wood? Of course, I mean steel.”

Zhuge Yun had a bewildered look on his face.

Steel?

Replacing all the massive pillars and basic framework with steel?

The price of a single iron plow, on average, is forty silver taels. Iron is not a common material like wood. It was hard to imagine how much money it would cost.

But if it were possible...

“An exact calculation would be needed, but I think it could be at least twice as high as wood. Steel has a different tensile strength to bear the load.”

“So, with steel, it would be possible to build a ten-story pavilion without any problems?”

“Yes, definitely.”

Only then did Jo Hui smile.

“That’s enough. A ten-story steel pavilion. I’ll ask you to start the design from today.”

“What? Why would you do that? It would be much more efficient to build dozens of three-story pavilions with that money. It’s too inefficient.”

A steel pavilion!

Zhuge Yun couldn’t even estimate how much silver would be required for such a pavilion.

Suddenly, Jo Hui’s gaze turned to the far end of the vast Lake Poyang.

“I’m going to build more than twenty of these pavilions at the end of the lake.”

“What, what did you say?”

What kind of absurd talk is this?

Even if we set aside the astronomical amount of silver required, the idea of filling an entire lakeside area with ten-story pavilions is incomprehensible. Even a single ten-story pavilion would become a landmark of Lake Poyang.

Jo Hui smiled.

“A life where you can open the window at any time and fully enjoy the lake’s ambiance. The grandeur of nature seen from a high place. Gardens with flowers and plants that welcome you warmly when you step outside.”

“What...?”

What Jo Hui was talking about was clearly a residence.

He had thought that after acquiring the land, he would focus on developing the commercial area, but he had brought up something completely different.

“So, are these ten-story pavilions meant to be homes?”

A single family using such a massive pavilion?

But the answer that came from Jo Hui’s mouth was a completely different concept.

“I’ll need to see the preliminary design by Director Zhuge to determine the exact volume, but for now, I’m thinking of two households per floor.”

Zhuge Yun was momentarily stunned.

Two households per floor? So, twenty families would live in a single ten-story pavilion?

“A, aren’t you, Jo Xiaoxia, ...!”

What is a family?

Traditionally, it’s a single household. The term ‘family’ didn’t just appear out of nowhere.

How could so many families live in a single pavilion?

It was a completely unfamiliar and bizarre concept.

People wouldn’t even want to live there in the first place.

As if reading Zhuge Yun’s bewildered thoughts, Jo Hui continued with a gentle smile.

“A ground floor will house the Zha Family Inn and the Zha Family Pharmacy. On this floor, we plan to set up a Zha Family Store to sell goods distributed by the Zha Family Trading Company.”

Jo Hui’s smile deepened.

“People living in the ten-story pavilion won’t have to travel far to buy cold tea, black clear water, or six-layered silk. They won’t even need to go to the distillery to buy Bingzhu liquor. Just a few floors down, the Zha Family Trading Company will be right there.”

“Ah!”

Zhuge Yun was enveloped by a violent shock, as if struck by a bolt to the head.

He immediately understood the true intention behind Jo Hui’s words.

A concept of housing that he had never thought of before!

In the face of Jo Hui’s revolutionary idea, Zhuge Yun shuddered once again.

“Such a house would definitely have demand! No, people would compete to live there, right?”

“Haha. A steel pavilion will be quite expensive. The fact that you can see Lake Poyang just by opening the window will also contribute to the high price. Humans have lived by rivers since ancient times. People instinctively love water. We can set the price per unit when the time comes... The key is to get the volume right.”

“...”

Jo Hui, having finished speaking, was looking at the lakeside with passionate eyes.

Zhuge Yun, following his gaze blankly, had to admit it.

This man is a god of commerce.

A one-of-a-kind, unmatched individual.

This time, he had brought the concept of mixed-use residential and commercial buildings, a heavenly idea.

* * *

“Huh...!”

Zha Mengde’s voice, always intense but gloomy, was now filled with excitement.

Zha Hui’s achievements over the past seven years were far beyond a few words.

Starting from a corner of the Iron Workshop, he charmed Feng Taiyan with his excellent eloquence and acumen, then gained the patronage of the Nangung Family and became a representative figure in the commercial world of Hefei.

At the Little Dragon Grand Assembly, he demonstrated outstanding improvisation to