Ships Bound South
Five great merchant vessels were putting out to sea from the harbor.
"Merchant Lord, Brother… are we really doing this?"
"It's the vacation the Manor Lord gave us, isn't it? We've been running ourselves ragged without rest. Enjoy it."
So Yeondok, head of the labor office, looked around. The great ships were packed with merchant company members as lively and excited as if they were off on a picnic. More than a thousand people had boarded the five vessels alone — every company member who had been with them longer than six months.
"Shutting down the brewery and leaving like this… no one will believe it."
The Donghae Merchant Group was no longer a small operation. For the entire workforce to depart like this meant the company's business would grind to a complete halt. The daily losses would be staggering.
"Don't worry about the losses. We released enough stock to last a full month without trouble, didn't we? And whatever we do lose, we can make back through southern trade."
Their destination after leaving Gyounam was a southern trading port. They intended to launch full-scale commerce using the newly refined Deungmyeong Divine Pills. The number of people was far more than necessary for that purpose alone — but it was the path they had chosen for the sake of safety.
This is what we earned the money for. Don't hold back.
Ja Gangcheon's treasures were loaded on the ships as well. In effect, nothing remained at Deungmyeong Manor.
"All we can do is pray the Manor Lord comes through safely."
"No need to worry on that score."
So Yeondok was certain of Deungmyeong Manor's victory.
"He's the man who put the entire merchant company on ships just to win. Who could have seen that coming? If things like this keep happening, even the Hwangbo Clan won't be able to hold out. From the first day we met him, that man has always defied every expectation."
"Hearing you say that puts me a little more at ease."
The harbor of Gyounam that the Donghae Merchant Lord had been watching was already dwindling into the far distance.
"Harassing ordinary people who have never trained in martial arts is not the way of the orthodox path."
"I merely said I had some questions to ask."
"And so it should remain."
Having found nothing at Deungmyeong Manor, Hwangbo Taejin had ordered the Donghae Merchant Lord brought in. To him, it was the natural next step — until Jinmyeong threw a wrench into it.
"Do you intend to stay at my side the entire time?"
"If necessary, yes."
The older generation of the great clans had often said something like this:
Speaking with the Wudang Sect is like facing a hundred years of dust — utterly stifling.
Hwangbo Taejin now understood, with painful clarity, exactly why they said it.
Should I kill him?
Jinmyeong was a Rising Star of the Wudang Sect. He was also wrapping himself in the banner of justice. Killing him here would mean making an enemy of Wudang — that much was as clear as day. If the temporary clan head's first act was to pick a fight with Wudang, he would never live long enough to become the true head of the clan.
I'll just ignore him.
In the end, Hwangbo Taejin turned away first.
"The Manor Lord of Deungmyeong Manor is not here, so we will take our leave."
"Why not stay and discuss this matter thoroughly, and seek peace for the days ahead?"
Faced with words that would not land no matter how they were thrown, Hwangbo Taejin forced himself to remain calm.
"Do not follow me."
At last, Hwangbo Taejin left the manor ahead of the others.
When he arrived at the harbor of Gyounam, he received another report that left him speechless.
"What did you just say?"
From Hwangbo Taejin's perspective, not a single thing was going as expected.
"Most of the Donghae Merchant Group has boarded ships and departed for a southern port. Only the laborers who handle menial work and those who joined the company a few months ago remain."
"A merchant group of that size stopped all its operations and ran away?"
"It seems they prepared for this well in advance."
Was this how a tiger felt when the bird it was chasing vanished from sight? There was nothing to be done about an enemy who had simply disappeared.
"The local Haomun branch is said to be deeply connected to Deungmyeong Manor, is it not?"
"That is correct."
"I will meet them."
Unable to withdraw as things stood, Hwangbo Taejin sought out the black market.
The moment he arrived at its entrance—
"Allow me to escort you."
Cheon Byeong-il, who assisted Yeonhui, offered a courteous bow and volunteered to guide them. He was the same man who had once been dispatched with the vanguard to monitor Ja Gangcheon, only to be forced into answering three questions.
Haomun's black market made no attempt to bar the people of the Hwangbo Clan. They even allowed not only the clan head but the rest of his party to wander freely through the market. For Hwangbo Taejin, who had steeled himself for a confrontation if necessary, it was yet another deflating turn of events.
"Welcome. I am Yeonhui, Cheono Division Leader of Haomun."
Having clearly stated her own position, Yeonhui received Hwangbo Taejin in the reception chamber. Against the all-white room, she wore a red silk dress that clung to her figure; with every step, the side-slit of her skirt revealed a flash of pale leg.
Hwangbo Taejin's eyes flicked toward her once by instinct — and that was all.
Once they were seated across from each other, he asked her directly.
"There was no one at Deungmyeong Manor. Do you know anything about that?"
At the question, Yeonhui glanced at the three men standing at attention behind Hwangbo Taejin. Two elders and the new clan head's personal guard captain. Only three men — yet even if every Haomun operative currently in the black market threw themselves at them at once, they would not win. That was no reason to lose her nerve, however.
"We have determined that the people of Deungmyeong Manor left yesterday morning. Among them, the chief steward and other close aides, along with Dok Jamo's son, boarded the ships that departed with the Donghae Merchant Group at dawn today."
"Meaning Dok Jamo herself did not board?"
"Correct. Given that she is not at her son's side, it appears she did not. We have not been able to determine her current location."
Contrary to Hwangbo Taejin's expectations, Yeonhui offered the information without resistance.
"Where is the Manor Lord of Deungmyeong Manor now?"
"That is the same thing Your Lordship already knows."
"What I already know?"
"He has gathered forces willing to stand against the Hwangbo Clan, and he has ambushed Hwangbo personnel who were joining the Hundred-Man Corps. His present whereabouts are unknown."
Hearing of his own losses from someone else's mouth only made the bitterness worse.
"Ahem!"
When one of the listening elders showed his discomfort, Yeonhui let out a small sigh.
"Was it truly necessary to hear it from this girl's lips?"
"I must. You were deeply involved in my father's death as well."
"I cannot accept that."
"And why not?"
"I stepped forward as a mediator under the name of Haomun. That very night, after every negotiation was concluded, the Hwangbo Clan raided the manor. When this is over, you will likely need to settle accounts separately."
Yeonhui's expression as she spoke was unyielding.
"You dare hold the Hwangbo Clan accountable?"
"If you wish to add my life to the debt that must be repaid, then by all means. But given my position, the price of my life will not be that of an ordinary person."
Her voice was soft and silken, yet she said exactly what needed to be said.
"Very well. One last question, then. What do you think that bastard intends to do next?"
"Who can say? He is so utterly fearless that I cannot begin to predict what he might do."
"Are you close with him?"
"I would have liked to be. To run a black market in Gyounam, Deungmyeong Manor is essential. That said, I have no intention of joining a full-scale war against the Hwangbo Clan."
"How very like Haomun."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
A thin smile surfaced on Hwangbo Taejin's face before he could stop it. It was a sneer directed at Haomun. Not only Hwangbo Taejin — nearly everyone who faced Haomun cast the same look their way.
People who live by underhanded means.
Hwangbo Taejin rose from his seat and tossed out one final question.
"Do you think Deungmyeong Manor can defeat us?"
"Not a chance."
Having heard her answer, Hwangbo Taejin turned without a shred of lingering attachment and left.
After they were gone, Yeonhui remained seated in that spot for a long while. The atmosphere was so heavy that even Seo Pyeong-il, who should have been asking about their next move, kept his mouth shut.
Only when the once-warm tea had gone cold and a chill began to settle did Yeonhui speak.
"Leave the door open. It seems another guest has arrived."
When Cheon Byeong-il obeyed the order, a man standing just beyond the door came into view.
"What business brings the White Clothes Sword of Wudang to a place as humble as this?"
Yeonhui offered a radiant smile, as if the scene from moments earlier had never happened at all.
"Forgive the intrusion. May I come in?"
"By all means."
Jinmyeong looked openly flustered, yet he did not refuse the invitation.
"Do you know where you are?"
"I did not when I arrived, but I suspect this is Haomun."
"As expected of the White Clothes Sword — your eye is sharp. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Yeonhui, and I oversee this black market."
She omitted her title of Cheono Division Leader.
"Bring tea for our guest."
As Yeonhui gave the order to Cheon Byeong-il, Jinmyeong waved his hands in refusal.
"I am fine, truly."
"Don't worry. You arrived so suddenly that I haven't had time to prepare poisoned tea."
"That was not my meaning."
"I'm joking."
Yeonhui flashed a bright smile and met Jinmyeong's eyes. Outwardly she was smiling prettily, but she could not make sense of the situation.
Why the hell did this bastard show up here?
At the most delicate moment possible, Wudang's hidden dragon had appeared. According to the reports, he had visited Deungmyeong Manor even before the Hwangbo Clan.
Come to think of it, the Manor Lord of Deungmyeong Manor did have some connection to Wudang.
She had also heard Ja Gangcheon's answer on the matter, loud and clear.
I don't like the Wudang Sect.
Cheon Byeong-il had heard it himself at the time, and he had insisted it was no lie.
"Since you've declined the tea, shall we get to the point? What brings the White Clothes Sword all the way to Gyounam?"
"I came to mediate the conflict between the Hwangbo Clan and Deungmyeong Manor."
"Alone?"
"If one has the will, what does it matter if one is alone?"
"It matters a great deal. You could easily end up dead."
"What value does a life have if it was preserved by turning away from a friend's crisis?"
Yeonhui paused for a moment.
He has no idea whose side I'm on.
What the White Clothes Sword was trying to convey through this conversation was perfectly clear.
I, Jinmyeong of Wudang, am deeply connected to the Lord of Deungmyeong Manor.
He was warning them not to touch him — and so he emphasized his bond with Ja Gangcheon.
"I heard the Manor Lord of Deungmyeong Manor visited Wudang as well. You must be quite close, to come risking your life for the sake of loyalty like this."
"He is a younger brother I am determined to protect."
"How reassuring that must be for the Manor Lord. But why has he never once mentioned Wudang? Come to think of it, quite some time has passed since the manor was established, and this is the first visit from Wudang."
Her pointed observation stung Jinmyeong's heart.
Hwangbo Baek's death had sent such shockwaves that rumors had spread across the entire country. At first, the Deungmyeong Manor mentioned in those rumors had been completely unfamiliar — but the moment he learned that Ja Gangcheon was its lord, Jinmyeong had immediately reported the truth to the elders of Wudang.
Do not get involved. This is not our affair.
For the first time, Jinmyeong had refused the Sect Leader of Wudang's command.
I cannot stand by and watch Gangcheon die at the hands of the Hwangbo Clan!
He had left Wudang that very day and come alone to Gyounam. But the moment he faced the Hwangbo Clan, he had understood with brutal clarity just how insignificant he truly was.
"I have no face to show Gangcheon. When I meet him in person, I will apologize without fail."
Yeonhui could tell that Jinmyeong was exactly as she had heard — upright and honest to a fault.
Upright and stiff as a board… which does make him trustworthy, at least.
She assessed the man sitting before her.
But not someone I'd want to work with.
Having delivered that cold judgment, her smile only grew warmer. It was an instinctive mask.
Unaware of any of this, Jinmyeong posed his question with formal courtesy.
"Would you happen to know Gangcheon's whereabouts?"
"I'm afraid not. We don't know either."
"Is that so?"
"But I will tell you this."
Yeonhui decided to issue one warning, for everyone's sake.
"Once you leave this place, do not pursue the Hwangbo Clan any further."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Because the situation is about to change drastically. Staying out of it would be better for the Manor Lord of Deungmyeong Manor as well."
Jinmyeong waited for a fuller explanation, but Yeonhui's lips never opened again.
What on earth is happening?
For Jinmyeong, there was simply no way to gauge it.