The Pot Calling the Kettle Black (1)
The dispute between the Bokho Merchant Group and the Hwajeong Merchant Group had thrown the Sacheon merchant world into chaos. Most had assumed the clash between a major merchant house and a mid-tier one wouldn't drag on, but reality proved otherwise.
Tak Jung-il's desperate pleas for salvation had been "humanely" heeded by the Seongdo Merchant Group and the Cheongpung Merchant Group, prolonging the conflict. For the Bokho Merchant Group, things were spiraling into an endless quagmire.
No one could approve of the Hwajeong Merchant Group's actions, but having been used and discarded, they garnered more than enough sympathy. For Seongdo and Cheongpung, it was a win-win: they could undermine Bokho's prestige while earning public favor.
Above all, the exploits of some nameless hero—his origins unknown—had allowed Seongdo and Cheongpung to uphold merchant ethics without excessive financial strain. It stayed within tolerable limits for them.
The longer the dispute dragged on, the more Bokho's dealings with Hwajeong surfaced, making it impossible to escape condemnation for biting the hand that fed them. With eyes everywhere, hiring assassins and ronin grew difficult.
Cutting ties with Hwajeong's clients now would only lead to dead ends, as Seongdo and Cheongpung propped them up. It merely burned through Bokho's coffers.
The intense scrutiny from the merchant world weighed heavily too. Hwajeong might pale beside the Three Great Merchant Groups, but it was still one of the Ten Greats. If it crumbled under pressure from a major house, the others would take heed.
All eyes were on how this feud would end—of course, assuming no losses for themselves. Perhaps that's why they hoped for a protracted war of attrition. The longer it lasted, the better their own chances.
Amid the Sacheon merchants' uproar, the Jeokgeum Merchant Group was steadily expanding its branches, client networks, and market share. Bold investments in previously stagnant sectors had paid off.
Predictions that the Hwajeong feud would stifle them had missed the mark. No one suspected Jeokgeum of meddling in the Bokho-Hwajeong clash. The reason was simple: Jeokgeum ranked at the bottom of Sacheon's Ten Greats and was itself a victim of the dispute.
Bokho's alleged scheme with Hwajeong, which had spiraled into open conflict, only bolstered the narrative. As the feud intensified, Jeokgeum slipped completely from the spotlight—indeed, the public now cheered its success.
The Jeokgeum leader seized the moment, extending branches into Shaanxi Province. A shrewd move. Chaos offered opportunity, but expanding within Sacheon risked backlash. Shaanxi, being more remote, was ideal for growth.
"Why is everything going so well?"
Gu Seo-jin felt a mix of pride and emptiness at his group's surge. He'd poured endless effort into building it, yet interference and tight funds had made mere survival a struggle. This late bloom felt suspiciously easy.
"Were all those past failures just due to lack of money?"
Setting pride aside, it was a brutally practical truth. Unless plans were sloppy or disasters struck, investments yielded results. Securing clients for branches had amplified this.
"How on earth did he pull it off?"
According to the outer manager, deals closed the moment his son stepped in. The letters made no sense on reread, yet his son's recent feats made it plausible. Merging those clients and wealth with his own subtle merchant acumen had sparked Jeokgeum's dazzling growth—firmer foundations than appearances suggested.
"My instincts haven't dulled yet."
Age had sparked fears his youthful sharpness had faded, but it was needless worry. Proving his prowess as a merchant restored his confidence. Saying it aloud might sound odd, but he was the greatest merchant in Gu Clan history—no ancestor surpassed him. And he'd raised his children well. Mostly.
Hm? An itch at the back of his neck made him turn.
"...Honey, son!"
"You too, why've you been mumbling like an idiot all this time?"
His words hung pointless—she'd been there the whole time. He kept the retort internal: Make some noise if you're coming. Staring silently—what's that, some twisted take on the Three Bonds and Five Morals? Learned at home, no doubt; cursing her would just curse himself.
Merchant-like, Gu Seo-jin wore a shameless grin. Shame and insults were water off his back—this wasn't his first rodeo. No need for emotional swings.
But 'idiot'? In front of my son? At least she'd used polite speech to save face. His eyes misted faintly regardless. He feigned calm.
"You could've said something if you were here."
"Your antics were so entertaining, I suppressed my presence with inner energy and watched."
"...?"
Blatantly unapologetic. Not that she hadn't noticed—no, she'd deliberately blocked it. Gu Seo-jin sighed at his wife's monstrous Hwagyeong power. She did all sorts now with her absurd strength.
"And where's our son?"
"I was just watching Mother enjoy herself."
Why do those two click so perfectly? Because they're both martial artists? Merchants had it rough. Second son, your dad's barely hanging on. Third's too distant for favoritism.
Thud! Cheon-woo set a hefty money pouch on the desk. No real need for it, and he had plenty besides—this was pocket money for his father, toiling for the group and his mother. Third time now.
"Just how many have you killed?"
"Not that many."
"...Good."
Gu Seo-jin keenly felt how human lives meant less than flies. At least his son ended meaningless existences; otherwise, as the third son said, he'd be history's greatest butcher.
I've raised a butcher!Don't be proud of that! His wife's favoritism toward the eldest made his head throb. She approved of everything he did, eyes dripping honey.
Can't she look at me that way too? He shook it off. Jealous of his own son? Unbefitting the world's greatest merchant.
"I'll call Cheon-gi."
"Enough already. Aren't you worried it'll drive him mad?"
"Not very martial of you."
"Are all martial artists like that?"
"To eradicate evil, you must be even more ruthless. Half-hearted mercy is poison."
Fine, you're the expert. Gu Seo-jin marveled at his son's iron heart, unyielding even to needles. That room was surely a demon's lair now—he dreaded even entering.
"I've been too complacent. Soon, I'll throw him into real combat to get used to assassins. A hundred-man bloodbath as a mercenary should toughen him up."
"You fool, Cheon-gi's fifteen!"
"Didn't you marry at that age?"
"Marriage and combat are the same?"
"Combat doesn't care about age."
Gu Seo-jin paled at his son's nonchalance. One wrong word, and Cheon-gi and Cheon-ye would end up spineless weaklings. This boy was capable of it. One butcher per clan was enough—how would others view the pillar of the Gu Clan?
Asserting paternal authority? His wife's honeyed gaze persisted. Brain in overdrive, he found a pivot.
"Finish your martial arts first. Haste makes waste—skip steps, and trouble brews later."
"I'll complete them as fast as possible."
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
"Indeed, I've been hasty."
Relief—he accepted it readily. Cheon-woo's words echoed Mu-myeong's. He hated admitting it, but sticking to stages showed the path. Couldn't ignore what had brought success.
With acceptance, Gu Seo-jin shifted topics. No more headaches here.
"Bokho's awfully tenacious. No need to drag it this far."
"Pride rules their minds. They can't endure denial."
"Hardly merchant-like survival. I'd weigh pros and cons for max gain."
"If they were like you, Father, the chance wouldn't have come."
Gu Seo-jin savored unfamiliar pride at the praise. Days worrying when his son would wise up? Pointless. But pure indulgence was unwise—the world punished one slip amid perfection.
"Perfect chance for us, but the higher we climb, the more caution. Especially against Sacheon's top house. They're venomous now—won't back down quietly."
"It's going to plan. No need for worry."
The Paewang was a master of psychological warfare as much as raw power. Reading foes, adapting strategies. Pride meant nothing—pure efficiency ruled. Challengers fixated on direct clashes and fell.
—How?! With such power, why schemes over open fight?!
—How?! Such brutality—fear no heavens?!
—How?! Cowardly—the Dominator of All Under Heaven, so vile?!
—How?! No need for hostages!
Post-defeat cries were identical. They'd done the same casually, now cried foul when reversed. For Mireok Paedo, ends justified means. Scorn for ruthlessness? Irrelevant. Eradicating evil left no room for squeamishness.
Evil was like poison mushrooms—lower your guard, shed bloody tears.
Fundamentally similar too. Evil was selfish, dogmatic. Never stopping short of satisfaction, then greedier still. Responses varied by situation, but studying patterns revealed common threads. Hard-won instinct.
"Father, just focus on growing the group."
"Oddly reassuring."
Father and son aligned at last, dividing labor rationally. Martial and merchant talents bound by blood promised Jeokgeum's bright future.
One faction grumbled at this father-son warmth. His wife dropped a bombshell.
"Soon we'll bring Grandfather. Just so you know."
"Father-in-law? Always welcome."
They got along famously—shared hobbies, late-night fishing chats.
"Not Dad—Grandfather!!"
"...Grandfather-in-law?"
Gu Seo-jin had met him once. Assumed he'd ascended or fled the clan after. Treated as gone ever since.
—Terrible martial aptitude. Tsk!
Stubborn first impression—not merchant-friendly, but he'd been smitten then. Ready to pluck stars for her.