There Is No Such Thing as a Peaceful Trade (5)
“What do you think, Brother Wi? Is it really all right to just let them go like this?”
What, are you suggesting we stab them in the back?
I answered the White Elder, who was staring at the Golden Eagle Gate disciples with a sour expression.
“It’s better for us this way. We have no idea if the Golden Eagle Gate is the only group after that manual or if other sects are involved. If another faction is targeting the Eighteen Light Division Swords, the fact that the Golden Eagle Gate returned empty-handed will act as a breakwater to hold them back.”
Even though the Golden Eagle Gate had gone back empty-handed, mobilizing over a hundred people represented considerable fighting strength.
There is no arguing with numbers. Unless you were a monster like Xiang Yu, even the strongest fighter would struggle when crushed beneath sheer weight of numbers.
In that sense, the Golden Eagle Gate leader’s decision to bring every last one of his disciples to attack us had been fairly shrewd.
If we hadn’t declared that we would only kill the leader and ignore all matters of face, we would have been forced to wipe them out completely, even if it meant taking losses ourselves.
“How could the Golden Eagle Gate possibly serve as our breakwater?”
“He returned empty-handed. People will assume our forces were so overwhelming that they fled without daring to fight, or that the situation had already ended before they could do anything.”
Failing to preserve their full strength would sound as if even a sect the size of the Golden Eagle Gate had no chance, no matter how many subordinates they brought.
It wouldn’t make us completely safe, but it was a strategy that could eliminate the majority of potential attackers. Those thinking of targeting us would hesitate, at least for a while.
The Golden Eagle Gate leader would exaggerate our power if only to save face—claiming we had three super-first-class experts, for example.
“So the small fry have given up on coming after us?”
“Exactly.”
I nodded at Hye-ryeong’s question as she joined the conversation.
“Brother Wi, your depth of scheming is remarkable.”
“I never expected to meet a friend like you on the road to settling a grudge.”
At those words I met Cheol Mu-ryeong’s eyes. They were filled with clear goodwill toward me.
“You flatter me.”
“Not at all. Thanks to your quick thinking, the Falling Sun Gate has also received grace, hasn’t it?”
He was right. If we had clashed with the Golden Eagle Gate, quite a few Falling Sun Gate disciples would have died. Or… they might have all been annihilated.
In that sense, I had truly become the benefactor of the Falling Sun Gate.
Unexpectedly, the situation had turned into killing two birds with one stone. For me, it was excellent news. Using this development, I could move things forward much more smoothly.
“Then let’s continue our discussion. Myung So-in.”
“So-in…!”
“Do you happen to have a written contract with the Falling Sun Gate?”
“Er, no, I don’t!”
It would have been convenient to settle everything cleanly with a contract, but it couldn’t be helped.
I glanced sideways at Cheol Mu-ryeong, who stood with arms folded as if observing my actions, then made my offer to Myung So-in.
“In any case, now that things have reached this point, you must realize that coveting the Eighteen Light Division Swords manual is meaningless.”
“…”
As expected of a merchant—his belly seemed stuffed full of greed. The way he was still hesitating proved it.
I had, after all, saved his life twice now.
“Gate Leader Cheol. Could you make me one promise?”
“What sort of promise?”
“Take only the manual and return quietly.”
“But…”
“This is right after a situation where countless lives nearly vanished. Consider it repaying the grace you owe me and go back. How does that sound?”
Was repaying grace the priority, or settling a grudge?
Deep agony flickered across Mu-ryeong’s face. For a martial artist, leaving either grace or grudge unpaid was unthinkable.
As a third party, I waited comfortably for Cheol Mu-ryeong’s answer. Agonizing over his younger brother’s revenge was only natural. I could afford to give him this much time.
It was only after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea that Cheol Mu-ryeong finally spoke.
“Understood. I’ll do as you say.”
With Cheol Mu-ryeong’s consent, only one task remained.
“Myung So-in. Bring out the manual.”
“Very well…”
He pulled a small box from his robes with a tearful expression. It was just large enough to hold a single book.
I took the box from him, released the lock, and opened the lid.
“…So this is the Eighteen Light Division Sword Technique that caused all the commotion.”
“It looks a little worse for wear… but yes, that’s it.”
Myung So-in, who had tried to slip away with only this during the chaos and ended up caught, kept glancing at us with an expression caught between relief and regret.
His lingering attachment was practically dripping off him.
“Just to be sure, why don’t you check the contents? It could be a perfect counterfeit.”
At my suggestion, Cheol Mu-ryeong nodded and carefully opened the book to begin reading. I was mildly curious about the form of a Central Plains martial manual, but coveting another person’s secret arts was the act of a third-rate practitioner. I sat down on the edge of the cart and waited for him to verify its authenticity.
“…It’s genuine. This is undoubtedly the manual for the Eighteen Light Division Swords. It matches the half-formula passed down in our Falling Sun Gate.”
“You still had the formulas?”
“Only half of them.”
Mu-ryeong closed the book and carefully returned it to the box. A soft click sounded as the lock engaged, and his gaze turned to me.
“Brother Wi. Come visit the Falling Sun Gate later. I will treat you to a grand feast.”
“Once everything is settled, I’ll stop by. I’m glad to have made a friend while living in a foreign land.”
A new piece on the board.
It was useless for now, but the day might come when I could make use of it.
I watched the retreating backs of Cheol Mu-ryeong and his subordinates as they left quietly, then turned my eyes to Myung So-in.
“Myung So-in.”
“Y-yes, Brother Wi…”
Why was he looking at me like a herbivore that had encountered a predator? Where could you find someone as harmless as me?
I walked over to him with light steps and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Now that the most urgent matter is finished, it’s time to discuss something new.”
“Y-yes?”
Why so frightened? Even if I say so myself, people back home call me “nari.”
“Myung So-in, didn’t I happen to save your life?”
“Th-that’s true.”
“And twice, at that.”
“Tw-twice, you say?”
“Once from being captured and killed by the Falling Sun Gate, once from dying at the hands of the Golden Eagle Gate. That makes two times, doesn’t it?”
“Y-yes, it does…”
“Good. Since you need to repay this grace, let’s take out some paper.”
“Huh?”
“Grace and grudge in the gangho run thicker than blood. Since you’ve received grace from a man of the gangho, you naturally have to repay it, don’t you?”
The only reason I had saved this man—who would have been chopped into three pieces if left alone—was that keeping him alive and milking him dry was far more profitable than letting him die.
If he died here, it would also bring dishonor to the Hainan Sword Gate. Just like the Golden Eagle Gate incident, his death would make it look as though we had failed to protect him.
“Th-that’s right…”
“Therefore, let us write a contract. Although I am a Westerner, I admire the noble spirit of the righteous faction and have chosen to become a righteous martial artist. I won’t make any excessive demands.”
“Wang Chil, bring paper!”
“Yes!”
The rather simple-looking man called Wang Chil ran to the cart, fetched some paper, and brought it over. I accepted the sheet he offered and looked at him.
What am I supposed to do with just the paper?
Ah, whatever.
“Hye-ryeong!”
“Yes?”
“Write this for me!”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t write, but my handwriting was so atrocious that I had no choice. It was far more efficient to leave it to Hye-ryeong, whose penmanship was beautiful.
“I’ll do it!”
Hye-ryeong, who had been quiet until now, hurried over at my call and pulled a long cylinder from between her breasts.
…Seeing that in real life, I really don’t know what to say.
“Hehe. What should I write?”
“First…”
I began slowly reciting my requirements.
Every time one of my demands was written onto the contract, Myung So-in’s face grew paler and paler. If anyone saw him, they might think his eyes were covered by his own face.
“Br-Brother, this is…”
“It won’t be bad for you either, Myung So-in. I heard you run a trading company that’s quite well-known in one region. But you can’t play in small waters forever. Shouldn’t you swim in the big ocean now?”
“The big ocean…”
“Just as the waves ahead on the Yangtze are pushed aside by those behind, the path to displacing the current giants and becoming a new giant lies in trade—specifically, trade with the West, which is currently enjoying its golden age.”
“But the risks are too, too great, aren’t they?” That was true. Pioneering the route was one problem, but figuring out which goods would sell required either talking with other merchants or going to see for oneself.
“If you only sell the items I recommend, you can truly become a great merchant. As you can see, I came from the West. I know exactly what goods sell well there.”
Myung So-in’s face visibly relaxed. His eyes had grown hazy; he was probably imagining himself as a colossal merchant.
There was no easier person to handle than someone whose eyes had been blurred by fantasy.
“Brother Wi… I see you are also well-versed in business.”
I suppose I’ll have to train my aura armor a little more seriously for a while.
Watching Myung So-in pick up the brush, I smiled with deep satisfaction.