Chapter 10

Chapter 10
## Chapter 10

### Chapter Title: Taking Over the Butcher Shop (1)

—

“What is the date of your departure?”

Sima Geon inquired, taking a firm bite out of a fresh peach.

Sima Hyeon had been quietly observing Sima Jin as she moved efficiently around the kitchen preparing their food. He shifted his gaze toward his brother to provide an answer.

“In two days.”

“To what destination?”

“Wuseok.”

“That is situated quite a distance north of Hangzhou, is it not?”

“It is. However, assuming no complications arise, I anticipate being back home in roughly fifteen days.”

Sima Geon grew quiet for a moment following Sima Hyeon’s reply, then spoke with a note of hesitation.

“Hyeon.”

“Yes?”

“There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you.”

“And what would that be?”

Sima Hyeon rested his jaw upon his palm as he waited. In contrast to Sima Geon’s visible uncertainty, Sima Hyeon appeared to have already deduced the nature of the inquiry.

“The business of being an escort. Do you intend to remain in that profession indefinitely?”

The attention of Cheol Woo and Sima Ho, who had been exchanging playful banter, shifted immediately toward Sima Hyeon. Even Sima Jin ceased her culinary tasks and leaned in to listen closely.

“Well, I suppose I must, shouldn’t I?”

“The risks are too great. I spent twelve years in that trade before I finally returned to the family. If something were to happen to you…”

Sima Hyeon raised a hand, signaling Sima Geon to pause.

“I entered this life at seventeen, and five years have already passed. Granted, there is no promise that the future will be devoid of peril, but we cannot spend our lives paralyzed by the fear of events that haven’t occurred. Furthermore, the compensation is far superior to what other escort agencies offer.”

“I have accumulated savings. It is a sum sufficient for you to survive without needing to risk your life as an escort.”

“Did you not claim that those funds were exhausted? From what I heard, every last bit was spent to acquire that Celestial Pure Jade Milk.”

Sima Geon snapped his head around to glare fiercely at Cheol Woo.

“I—well, the boy wouldn’t stop pestering me for information.”

Unable to endure the intensity of Sima Geon’s stare, Cheol Woo looked away with an expression of sheepish guilt.

“Why are you directed your anger at Cheol Woo hyung? Were you truly attempting to keep it a secret?”

Sima Hyeon added, stepping in to shield Cheol Woo.

“Even if there were capital remaining, how exactly would I utilize it?”

“You could purchase plots of land and start a farm…”

Sima Geon tried desperately to sway Sima Hyeon’s perspective.

“Have you ever actually worked a farm?”

Sima Geon’s words died in his throat at the blunt question.

“You have no memory of it, do you? It is the same for me. I performed some manual labor for coin as a youth, but it was merely scattered odd jobs.”

“Then perhaps a mercantile venture…”

“Business? That is an even more grueling path than agriculture. Lacking a natural instinct for trade is a guaranteed route to insolvency.”

Sima Geon found himself without a rebuttal to those somber facts.

“Understand, this is just my own perspective. I am not entirely certain what you or Cheol Woo hyung have been doing during all these years away. But why the urgency? You have only just returned. We also need to monitor the progress of the youngest one’s medical care. Why not relax and contemplate things at a slower pace? If your concern is truly that deep, you should come and work alongside me. I would appreciate having my brothers at my side. One glance at Cheol Woo hyung’s physique, and the chief would be falling over himself to hire him.”

Cheol Woo erupted into a fit of laughter at Sima Hyeon’s remark.

“Escort duty can rot for all I care. If you’re going to give me a job, make me a guardian.”

“I shall cast my vote for starting a business. I can even secure a high-traffic location for you if that is your wish.”

Sima Ho injected himself into the conversation with a sly grin.

“And what sort of influence do you possess? Ah, the Tongcheon Society? You honestly believe you could manage that?”

Sima Ho’s pride was wounded by Cheol Woo’s skepticism, and he shouted back.

“I might not appear influential, but I carry that much weight!”

“Is that so? The last time I observed you… never mind.”

Noticing Sima Ho huffing in irritation, Cheol Woo quickly averted his eyes.

“Very well. I was acting with too much haste. I will meditate on this calmly and reach a serious conclusion. However, I ask that you reflect on it as well. I am not demanding you resign this instant, but please give it genuine consideration.”

As Sima Geon made his plea with a grave expression, Sima Hyeon offered a respectful nod.

“Understood. I will give it the serious thought you requested.”

“That is all I desire.”

Sima Jin, who had been watching with bated breath for fear of a confrontation, exhaled in relief when she saw Sima Geon’s face light up with a smile.

—

“This is exhausting. Truly grueling.”

Cheol Woo shook his head, shifting a sugar-coated hawthorn from the street market from one side of his mouth to the other.

A man who could spend an entire day in combat without flagging was now completely drained after less than a half-day’s outing, his limbs feeling like lead.

“Chief, we must stop for a moment.”

Cheol Woo collapsed into a seat at a small dumpling stall, looking as though he couldn’t take another step if his life depended on it.

“Two servings of meat dumplings. Do you serve any spirits here?”

Cheol Woo barked the question before the proprietor could even approach.

“I apologize, sir, but we do not provide alcohol.”

The owner answered with a gentle, polite expression.

Though he was smiling, there was a flicker of nervousness in his eyes, perhaps worried the patrons might depart—or perhaps intimidated by Cheol Woo’s formidable appearance.

“Fine, just bring the dumplings.”

The owner hurried back to his kitchen and returned shortly with plates of steaming food.

Cheol Woo snatched up a dumpling with a hand the size of a shovel and took a massive, ravenous bite.

“Wow! This is actually excellent.”

Stunned by the unexpected quality, Cheol Woo began to consume the dumplings with the speed of a starving beast.

“This is definitely superior. Far better than the place we tried yesterday. The filling is exceptional—high quality. It’s pork, I assume?”

Sima Geon asked, holding up a dumpling to inspect the contents.

“Yes, it is ground pork.”

The owner, busy preparing the next batch, turned to confirm.

“Hmm, does that mean the other shop uses inferior meat? It is both pork, yet the disparity is vast.”

“It must be a matter of technique. Perhaps a secret blend of spices.”

“Perhaps.”

As Sima Geon tilted his head in thought while finishing his meal, the owner walked over with a look of immense pride.

“I am unaware of where you dined previously, but no establishment around here utilizes pork of the caliber we use.”

“Pork is simply pork, is it not?”

“Is it a matter of different cuts?”

Cheol Woo let out a short laugh, gesturing toward his own muscles.

“No, it has nothing to do with the cuts of meat. It is a matter of who performs the slaughter.”

“Ah, so there is a specific method for butchering the animal.”

Sima Geon nodded as if he understood, but the owner gave a subtle shake of his head.

“The procedure is identical regardless of where you go. The difference lies solely in the proficiency of the butcher.”

“I am not sure I follow…”

Sima Geon’s voice trailed off.

A massive pig had suddenly come barreling out of nowhere, causing chaos throughout the market stalls.

With blood pouring from a head wound, the beast slammed into a textile shop and slumped to the ground. Five frantic men scrambled toward it, fighting to get the animal bound with ropes.

“Miserable. How many times must this happen?”

The shop owner clicked his tongue in disapproval as he watched the men struggle to haul the bound pig away.

“Are they acquaintances of yours?”

“No. Judging by their incompetence, they are likely novices. I wonder how much longer they will persist this time.”

The eyes of Sima Geon and Cheol Woo followed the men, mirroring the owner’s look of irritation.

The group dragged the pig toward a butchery located some distance away from the main edge of the market.

Since the site also functioned as a slaughterhouse, the building was largely obscured, and the area saw very little foot traffic.

Cheol Woo, who had followed the commotion, looked around the desolate area and remarked,

“It makes sense for a place of slaughter—tucked away in a corner like this.”

The sudden sound of his voice caused everyone at the facility to snap their heads toward Sima Geon and Cheol Woo. Their expressions were guarded, eyeing the newcomers with heavy suspicion.

“What is your business here?”

One of the men, who had just been receiving a lecture from an elder in the center of the yard, stepped forward aggressively.

“We have no specific agenda. We were simply in the market and followed the noise of that runaway pig—we just happened to end up here.”

Sima Geon spoke with civility, but the man’s features darkened at the mention of the “noise.”

“If you aren’t here to purchase meat, then get out.”

He dismissed them with a sharp wave and turned his back.

A cold shadow crossed Cheol Woo’s face.

“This brat…”

Just as Cheol Woo began to step forward in a rage, Sima Geon caught him by the arm.

When Cheol Woo opened his mouth to complain, Sima Geon placed a quiet finger to his lips and shook his head in a silent command to stop.

“It appears you are preparing for a slaughter. Would you mind if we observed, since we are already present?”

The workers bristled at Sima Geon’s request, but the elder—who had clearly noted Cheol Woo’s murderous aura and Sima Geon’s calm control—intervened and asked,

“What is there worth seeing? It is a gruesome process.”

“It is also not a sight one encounters every day.”

“As you wish.”

Having given his consent, the old man turned and gestured toward the pig that had sparked the market riot. It lay motionless now, likely due to the significant loss of blood.

“In your opinion, why did the initial slaughter fail?”

The old man asked the group in a level tone.

“The strike was off-center. It should have been aimed directly at the middle of the skull.”

“The hammer didn’t strike the spike cleanly.”

“We moved too fast. Our grip on the spike and the hammer wasn’t steady.”

The men began to argue among themselves, offering various theories for the disaster.

After listening for a moment, the old man gave a slow nod.

“You are all correct in a sense. But the error began long before that.”

As the workers looked at him with confusion, the elder continued in a steady voice.

“I gave you clear instructions: When you are putting down cattle or swine, your primary objective is to ensure the creature never realizes what is happening.”

Only then did the workers recall the elder’s previous lecture. However, they still didn’t seem to take the advice to heart.

“Be reasonable, how would a beast like that know?”

“Are you suggesting we hold a conversation with them?”

“Animals panic the moment a human hand touches them. It is pure instinct.”

The men dismissed the old man’s wisdom, even going so far as to doubt the reputation of the most skilled butcher in the province.

The elder said nothing in return. He simply picked up a slender willow switch, walked into the enclosure, and guided a large pig out.

The way he controlled the animal with nothing but a thin twig was a display of skill that left the observers in awe.

Once out of the pen, the pig buried its snout into a trough filled with rich feed and began to eat with total focus.

The old man reached out and softly stroked the animal’s head.

“Do you see the contrast between this pig and the one you dragged in here?”

“It was startled at first, but it settled down once it saw the food.”

“Yes, it’s eating like there’s no tomorrow.”

In response to their comments, the old man picked up a spike roughly a foot long and a heavy hammer.

“Is that so? Then what about this?”

He placed the point of the spike directly against the pig’s crown.

The men held their breath.

They remembered vividly how the previous animal had gone into a violent frenzy the second the cold metal touched its skin.

After an immense amount of struggle and sweat, they had been forced to bind the thrashing beast just to attempt the kill—and even then, they had failed.

They braced for a repeat of that chaos.

Yet, the pig remained perfectly still despite the sharp metal resting on its head, its attention entirely on its meal.

“No way! That’s impossible!”

“How can it just sit there?”

The men stared back and forth between the pig and the elder, their faces masks of shock.

“It felt no killing intent from me.”

“What?”

“Killing intent?”

“There is nothing more sensitive to the aura of death than an animal. Even a whisper of it makes them feel cornered. Watch.”

As the old man fixed a hard stare on the pig, the animal suddenly jerked its head up from the trough. But the moment he resumed stroking it gently, it returned to its food.

The workers, who sensed nothing from the old man themselves, found the pig’s behavior to be nothing more than a strange curiosity.

“What is the deal with that old man? This is no joke.”

Cheol Woo was staring blankly at the scene, having detected the split-second flash of lethal intent that appeared and vanished like a ghost.

“Chief, that old man is a martial arts expert, isn’t he?”

“No. There is no evidence of internal cultivation. But it is an incredible display of mastery nonetheless.”

Sima Geon could not hide his own astonishment at the old man’s prowess.

“Once you are capable of standing before a pig without projecting a single shred of killing intent, only then are you truly prepared.”

After allowing the animal to enjoy its final meal to the fullest, the old man slowly raised the spike and the hammer.