The Poisonous Loving Mother
The stronghold of the Shandong Escort Agency stood dead center in Jinhae Harbor.
It was not a location one could simply claim with money, yet the name of the Hwangbo Clan made everything possible, as if it were a treasured heirloom blade.
Even now, countless goods unloaded from ships were being carried into the warehouse by the agency’s workers, and among the laborers hauling cargo were more than a few young children.
They were the orphans Gu Donggu had kept in Haejeonggol; now, instead of begging, they were put to work for the escort agency.
Any other overseer might have rebuked him for it, but the man to whom Gu Donggu was currently bowing his head showed not the slightest interest. Rather, as though the entire situation bored him, he knitted his brows and asked with open irritation,
“So you’re telling me you got wrecked by some sixteen-year-old brat?”
The young man, barely past twenty, wore silk robes embroidered with the tiger crest that symbolized the Hwangbo Clan. Without an expression he might have looked almost feminine in his beauty, yet the sharp cast of his eyes and his thin lips gave him a peevish, high-strung air.
“I apologize, Third Young Master. My martial arts were too weak. I tried to resist, but it was beyond me.”
Gu Donggu dared not lift his face and answered while staring at the floor.
“I know this is not something the Third Young Master needs to dirty his hands with, but he’s still just a kid. If you discipline him once, won’t he bow his head right away?”
“I can’t turn my back on someone who’s finally trying to act like a proper person. But when are we going to that special villa you promised me?”
“The first banquet prepared for the Third Young Master will be held tonight. When the sun sets I will escort you personally, so look forward to it.”
That was the real reason the Third Young Master had come all this way. To curry favor with a man who lived for wine and women, Gu Donggu had thrown every resource he possessed into the venture, and the exclusive pleasure house remodeled from Yeonok Inn had finally managed to catch the young master’s interest.
In truth, the mere fact that the Third Young Master had paid a personal visit meant Gu Donggu had already achieved everything he wanted. People would say he had a direct line to the Hwangbo Clan, and the remodeled pleasure house would draw far more customers.
I can’t just leave those little brats alone.
Gu Donggu’s greed stretched a little further; he wanted to make the difference between himself and the Lord of Deungmyeong Manor crystal clear.
“He’s here.”
Right on cue, a familiar figure stepped through the wide-open gates of the escort agency.
“If you’re going to put kids to work, at least dress them properly. Does the Hwangbo Clan know this is how you operate?”
Ja Gangcheon made no effort to hide his disgust as he planted himself in front of the Third Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan.
“Just as the rumors said—an insolent little pup. How dare you casually utter the name of the Hwangbo Clan.”
Hwangbo Taeseong. Third son of the clan head, a man who had already been edged out of the succession struggle against his brothers. Having recognized his own limits, he had chosen abandonment over further effort, and ever since had drowned himself in wine and women, leaving nothing but unsavory rumors in his wake. At least he seemed to know the boundaries of his own fence; he caused trouble only within Shandong Province, so the incidents never swelled into major affairs.
Seated in his chair, Hwangbo Taeseong looked Ja Gangcheon up and down and wore a blatant sneer. Seeing that smile, Ja Gangcheon said,
“When you greet someone for the first time, you introduce your name first.”
“Are you lecturing me right now?”
“If you don’t know, learn. There’s nothing shameful about that.”
Ja Gangcheon dragged a chair over and sat opposite him.
“I’ll forgive you for summoning me and for this greeting so far. That’s two free passes.”
“I only intended to give you a warning, but it seems I’ll have to discipline you myself.”
“I won’t give you a third. Know that before you try anything.”
“How dare you!”
At last Hwangbo Taeseong shoved himself roughly to his feet. Yet the instant his eyes met Ja Gangcheon’s, a tingling sense of mortal danger shot up the back of his neck.
What kind of eyes are those……?
The gazes of everyone who faced him were always the same—fear or discomfort. Those with nothing feared him; those with some skill showed unease at the weight of the Hwangbo name. But this one was different.
There’s no emotion at all.
As if he simply did not care who stood in front of him. It felt as though any actual strike would be answered with a killing blow.
So the rumor that he killed unorthodox masters wasn’t coincidence after all?
Honestly, looking at Ja Gangcheon’s innocent appearance, he had not believed a word of it. Rumors were always inflated. Yet meeting those eyes made him feel like prey standing before a predator.
“Ahem!”
He cleared his throat and sank back into the chair. Just because the other side pushed hard did not mean he had to yield.
This is Shandong Province, and I am the Third Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan.
There were any number of methods available.
“I hear you run a place called the Donghae Merchant Guild. Word is you’re making quite a bit of money.”
“I don’t run the merchant guild.”
At those words Hwangbo Taeseong glanced at Gu Donggu standing beside him.
“Currently nine-tenths of the goods sold by the Donghae Merchant Guild are produced at Deungmyeong Manor. Moreover, the guild master and the members already regard Deungmyeong Manor as their headquarters.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Meeting Hwangbo Taeseong’s eyes again, Ja Gangcheon saw no reason to deny it. Instead of saying, If you’re going to touch the Donghae Merchant Guild, speak to me, he simply accepted their framing.
“Fine. That’s right. And yes, we’re making a lot of money.”
“No matter how hungry you are, you should still be selective about what you put in your mouth. Taking in even those who have made enemies of the Hwangbo Clan—that looks like impure intentions to me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Gu Donggu answered for him.
“This time the Donghae Merchant Guild acquired the Gyounam Escort Agency.”
“Gyounam Escort Agency?”
Ja Gangcheon dug through his memory for a moment and found the name.
“Ah. The place we contracted with before we established our base with the Shandong Escort Agency?”
“That’s correct.”
“So what? The Shandong Escort Agency unilaterally tore up the contract and left them struggling to survive.”
When the Shandong Escort Agency set up its stronghold, the Gyounam Escort Agency—which had long been a cooperative partner—lost eighty percent of its work. Their protest had been only natural.
“You broke the contract and ruined their business, and now you’re saying no one else is allowed to acquire it either?”
“Acquiring a business means taking on its grudges as well.”
“So that becomes a grudge, is that it?”
Ja Gangcheon asked while holding Hwangbo Taeseong’s gaze.
“Who exactly have I made a grudge with right now? The Shandong Escort Agency? The Third Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan? Or the entire Hwangbo Clan? Speak precisely.”
At the reaction that it truly did not matter who, the Third Young Master felt something sliding badly off the rails.
What the hell is with this bastard?
The reason his words carried no weight was simple.
He does not fear the name of the Hwangbo Clan.
And so there was nothing the Third Young Master could actually do. When he failed to answer, a stifling aura so oppressive it choked the breath suddenly blanketed the surroundings.
“Speak.”
The moment the warning laced with killing intent dropped, someone stepped between them and Ja Gangcheon.
Three men in black. They wore the attire of the Hwangbo Clan; one planted himself in front of Hwangbo Taeseong while the other two took positions on either side of Ja Gangcheon. Expressionless, they clenched empty fists instead of drawing weapons and drew up their inner energy, ready to strike at any instant.
They were the Shadow Guard—Yeonghdae—the Hwangbo Clan’s personal escort unit.
At their appearance a victorious smile curled at the corner of Hwangbo Taeseong’s mouth.
That was when it happened.
“Stand down!”
A clear, ringing voice cut through every ear in the courtyard. The voice was so sharp that one of the guards staggered as his inner energy was disrupted. Even though they belonged only to the Shadow Guard and had never made it into the Fierce Tiger Unit, they were not so weak that a mere voice could shake their energy. Yet all three felt a spine-chilling sense of crisis. The way they instantly closed ranks around the Third Young Master alone revealed their state of mind: they had registered the highest level of threat and were concentrating solely on protecting their charge.
“Who dares threaten my benefactor!”
At the second roar Hwangbo Taeseong swallowed dryly.
“Wh-who are you?”
“People call me the Poisonous Loving Mother.”
“Th-the Poisonous Loving Mother, Song Jain!”
“The only person who ever called my name that way was my dead husband. I suppose I should send you to join him.”
“Ah! Th-this junior of the murim, Hwangbo Taeseong, greets Senior!”
Sensing genuine danger, Hwangbo Taeseong unconsciously performed a fist-and-palm salute and bowed his head. He had heard the rumors surrounding Song Jain and truly believed he might die on the spot. It was a pitifully servile display for the Third Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan, yet his terror of Song Jain ran that deep.
“Senior seems to be under a misunderstanding.”
“Shut up. I will hear the full story from my benefactor, not from you.”
“Th-that is……”
“If there is a problem, I will personally pay a visit to the Hwangbo Clan.”
With unhurried steps Song Jain entered the escort agency and bowed her head to Ja Gangcheon.
“Benefactor, are you uninjured?”
“My heart got a little bruised.”
“Oh dear……”
At the icy gleam in Song Jain’s eyes, not only Hwangbo Taeseong but even the Hwangbo Clan guards flinched. Feeling their anxious energy waves, Ja Gangcheon found himself more exasperated than angry.
“Auntie. Let’s just go. It’s been a while—I want to see Brother Pilseng.”
Leaving behind the Hwangbo retainers who looked ready to wet themselves at any moment, the two of them strolled out of the escort agency as if nothing of consequence had occurred.
Han Pilseng.
I named my son that because I desperately wanted to save my husband. But now it has become a name that means I must save my son.
Song Jain’s son, Han Pilseng, found meals the most agonizing part of each day. Swallowing food was extremely painful. Yet even knowing it hurt, he had to do it if he wished to live.
Still, he never says he wants to die.
There had been times when he thought dying would be better. That period had lasted a long while, and it had been a time when even his mother was dying inside. Fortunately, now he focused only on living. Even so, meals remained a difficult battle for him.
At a first-floor table, fighting with a single bowl of porridge, Ja Gangcheon approached him.
“Hyung. Guess where I just ran into Auntie?”
His tone was easy and familiar, and Han Pilseng accepted it without awkwardness. Whenever it was time to deliver medicine, Ja Gangcheon had always come in person. Because he so loved listening to stories, Ja Gangcheon had grown close to Han Pilseng as well.
“I just met the Third Young Master of the Hwangbo Clan. The bastard called me to the escort agency. I went intending to teach him a lesson if necessary, and then Auntie just—appeared!”
Without asking Song Jain’s permission, Ja Gangcheon rattled on about everything that had just happened. Song Jain’s face flushed with embarrassment, but Han Pilseng was different. After hearing the whole story he smiled and said,
“My mother is an amazing person.”
“I know. That’s why I’m telling you.”
At Han Pilseng’s smile, Song Jain felt as if her long-frozen heart were melting. Her son smiled particularly often when he was with Ja Gangcheon. She was more grateful for this moment than for the medicine he had supplied.
“Hyung. Can you answer me one thing honestly?”
“What is it?”
“How much time do you have left?”
Even Song Jain’s expression darkened as she listened.
“You knew?”
“Your breathing is rough. Your skin’s gotten darker too.”
Clear signs that his health was failing.
“In about three months it’ll probably be hard even to sit like this.”
It should have been a statement of pure despair. Yet Pilseng remained calm, as if he had long prepared for the words. Was it because he had spent too long on the border of death? Or because it still did not feel entirely real?
“Hyung. You’re going to do your best until the end, right?”
“Of course I will.”
“Good. Let’s live without regrets. I will too.”
Ja Gangcheon rummaged inside his robes and drew out a single sheet of paper.
“What’s this?”
“I don’t want to have regrets either.”
Han Pilseng’s pupils trembled as he received the paper.
“Huh? This is……”
“It’s the formula for Deungmyeong Medicines.”
“Gangcheon……”
“Actually I’ve been carrying it for ten days already, but I kept hesitating whether to give it to you. As you know, we’re making a great deal of money with it. There were too many people I have to take responsibility for to simply do as I pleased.”
Indeed the paper Han Pilseng held still bore clear fold marks—proof that it had been carried close for a long time.
“Is it really all right for me to accept this?”
“It’s an absolute secret. If word gets out, our manor is finished. You understand what I mean, right?”
Because Han Pilseng had so little time left, further hesitation was impossible. This was a matter of saving a life. Knowing the formula was necessary, Ja Gangcheon had agonized over the decision. Originally he would have handed it over without a second thought. But he now had a household he was responsible for, and that income was needed to build ships, so caution had been unavoidable. Then today, after witnessing Song Jain’s actions, he became certain. She was a woman who did not even flinch at making an enemy of the Hwangbo Clan. Creating a grudge with one of the Five Great Clans was never an easy choice for a martial artist.
I’m not really someone who deserves to be called benefactor.
He had received far more than he had given, and that gift had become trust.
“Lord. Thank you so much.”
Song Jain, who had been watching, confirmed the contents and her eyes filled with tears.
“Auntie. Don’t be like that—move your lodgings as well.”
Even a high-class inn was still a place with constant traffic; conducting medical research there would never be easy.
“I don’t have the face to……”
“Just come with us for now. For Hyung’s sake.”
Ja Gangcheon turned to Han Pilseng.
“Hyung. It’s fine, right? There’ll be more people to talk to there.”
“If Mother is all right with it, so am I.”
She was a woman who would agree to anything if it was her sick son’s wish.
“I will definitely repay this kindness.”
And so they decided to leave the inn where they had stayed for so long.