Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: Fragrance Tower
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Fragrance Tower.
The attention of the merchants was drawn to those who had gathered on the top floor of the oldest pleasure house in Taiyuan, Shanxi.
And for good reason—it was the very place where the All Under Heaven Merchant Group and the Great Silver Merchant Group had met to forge an agreement ending their trade war.
Having heard all the proposals put forth by the Fifth Chief Steward of the All Under Heaven Merchant Group, the middle-aged leader of the Great Silver Merchant Group, Hyogwan, finally spoke.
"If that's everything you've got to say, then the negotiations are over."
The Fifth Chief Steward's eyes darkened.
'To reject this as well...'
From the All Under Heaven Merchant Group's perspective, they had already made the maximum concessions possible. Yet Hyogwan showed no sign of even considering the offer.
Without hesitation, Hyogwan rose to his feet.
As the massive man stood, his ample belly—barely contained by his loose robes—jiggled noticeably.
Just as he turned to leave...
"Then what conditions would it take for you to agree to a pact?"
...the Fifth Chief Steward asked in a low voice.
As if he had been waiting for the question, Hyogwan looked down at him and replied.
"You're asking the obvious."
Unlike his rotund appearance, Hyogwan's eyes sharpened as he continued.
"The All Under Heaven Merchant Group abandons its trade rights in Shanxi."
The Fifth Chief Steward frowned.
"...That's too much."
"Then we're done here."
Hyogwan said indifferently.
"We'll proceed just like this."
"You plan to keep driving down prices and taking losses?"
"Losses?"
Hyogwan's gaze flashed coldly.
"This is an investment for the future."
"If we keep fighting like this, the other merchant groups will be the only ones to profit."
"I don't care if they profit. The important thing is you."
The Fifth Chief Steward's brows furrowed even deeper at Hyogwan's calm words, directed squarely at the All Under Heaven Merchant Group.
"Do you hate our group that much?"
"Hate it? We've been called eternal runners-up because of you. And you think we could be happy with the current situation?"
Hyogwan's cold words hung in the air, his face twisted in dissatisfaction as he muttered.
"We came to negotiate a pact between merchant groups, yet they send a chief steward instead of their leader. Aren't you the ones looking down on us?"
"Our leader is currently far away..."
"No excuses needed."
His voice rose slightly, pride wounded.
Hyogwan's cheeks trembled as he spat out his anger.
"You've always looked down on us, so it's only natural this attitude seeps through."
The Fifth Chief Steward swallowed a sigh at the one-sided tirade.
No matter what he said, nothing got through.
The agreement had been arranged hastily, leaving him no choice but to come himself.
He surely understood that, yet he was pointing it out anyway.
'No, he's doing it on purpose.'
He had suspected as much, and it had proven true.
The leader of the Great Silver Merchant Group had no desire to end the ongoing trade war with the All Under Heaven Merchant Group.
On the contrary, he wanted to escalate it.
'He's already decided to go all in.'
The Fifth Chief Steward straightened his slightly bowed head and back, meeting Hyogwan's gaze.
"Understood."
Abandoning his humble posture, he spoke in a lowered tone.
"By the way, I hear the Great Silver Merchant Group has allied with the Evil-Black Alliance and the Green Forest bandits."
"What are you talking about?"
"No use playing dumb. Everyone who needs to know already does."
For a moment, Hyogwan sneered.
"Impressive intelligence network, as expected from the All Under Heaven Merchant Group."
"Once you've allied with the Evil-Black Alliance, dealing with the Murim Alliance, the Bicheon Society, or the Imperial Court will be difficult."
"You think I don't know that?"
The swift retort furrowed the Fifth Chief Steward's brow.
'He's gambling everything on this one bet.'
The Imperial Court was dominated by the All Under Heaven Merchant Group, the Bicheon Society operated its own merchant arms per family, and the Murim Alliance was handled by the other three great merchant groups.
The only major faction left was the Evil-Black Alliance.
Merchant groups typically took on jobs as needed, but rarely committed fully to the Evil-Black Alliance.
The advantage of trading with countless unorthodox sects was outweighed by the infamy that came with it.
Yet the Great Silver Merchant Group had joined hands with them.
Even prepared to bear that infamy.
"Do you really think the unorthodox sects will trust the Great Silver Merchant Group to the end?"
"Trust? I've never believed in trust between people."
Hyogwan declared boldly.
"The only thing I believe in is money."
"......"
The obsessive glint in his eyes and tone sent a chill down the Fifth Chief Steward's spine.
He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as a fellow merchant.
"Speaking of which, I heard you're transporting some important cargo this time..."
Hyogwan grinned suddenly.
"I pray it arrives safely."
Leaving those warning words, he descended the stairs.
The Fifth Chief Steward watched his retreating back silently until he was gone, then gritted his teeth.
"Not for nothing is he one of the four great merchant leaders."
He wasn't to the steward's liking, but the man possessed remarkably bold acumen.
Who could have foreseen that a merchant group would ally with the Evil-Black Alliance, which was pulling in the Green Forest bandits?
It was a masterstroke: granting the Green Forest the notoriety they craved, bolstering the Evil-Black Alliance with wealth and power, and securing the merchant group a massive client base.
Truly ingenious.
'Fearless.'
The Fifth Chief Steward felt himself shrinking back.
Even leading a colossal merchant group like the Great Silver wasn't enough; he had staked everything on this gamble.
'What a steel heart.'
The Fifth Chief Steward exhaled slowly.
"Hoo. Well, in the end, we've made enemies of the Great Silver Merchant Group."
A bitter smile crept onto his face.
It wasn't just them.
The Green Forest and Evil-Black Alliance behind them as well. The situation had grown more complicated than expected.
'To get this entangled with the jianghu...'
The Fifth Chief Steward shook his head side to side, muttering softly.
"At least the Mount Hua Sect agreed to help..."
His gaze turned downward.
Near the four ornate carriages lined up around the Fragrance Tower stood the escorts, porters, and the Plum Blossom Sword Guards gathered together.
The Plum Blossom Sword Guards were Mount Hua's elites, yet unease began to rise.
"If you had been here..."
As he thought of someone...
Clatter—clatter—
A carriage came racing in.
Dust billowed as it stopped, the door swung open, and a man stepped out. The Fifth Chief Steward's face bloomed like a flower.
The one he had been waiting for had arrived.
"Young Hero Cheonhwi!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Long time no see!"
"Martial Uncle!"
Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes at the Plum Blossom Sword Guards greeting him as he dismounted.
'The Hwaryeong Unit must have come down.'
A gentle breeze blew then.
Cheonhwi felt it brush his ear, then tilted his head to the side.
Whoosh!
As a fierce gust whipped his hair into the air...
"Huh?!"
A dumbfounded voice rang out.
Cheonhyang, who had closed in with the Ink Cloud Thunder Step and swung her playful Plum Blossom Hand at empty air, was left flustered.
Swish—
Cheonhwi lightly flicked his middle finger.
Crack!
His middle finger struck Cheonhyang's forehead dead-on, sending her tumbling backward onto the ground.
"What are you doing?"
"Ugh!"
Cheonhyang rubbed her forehead and scrambled up.
"I thought a surprise attack would work this time."
She pouted her lips.
With her recent progress, she had figured she could land at least one hit on Cheonhwi with a sneak attack.
But as could be seen, it hadn't even come close—her forehead was just swollen red.
"I've been practicing Ink Cloud Thunder Step nonstop."
As Cheonhyang grumbled, Cheonhwi asked.
"You wanted to hit me that badly?"
Scratching the back of his head at the question, Cheonhyang gave an awkward smile.
"I've only been getting hit all this time. So I just wanted one good shot."
She held up her index finger honestly, revealing her inner thoughts. Cheonhwi responded with an "oh ho," then spoke.
"Then I'll help train you so it actually lands."
"Eep! N-no, I'll do it myself."
Cheonhyang waved her hands frantically in refusal, but Cheonhwi ignored her cleanly.
"I saw your footwork was pretty slow, so let's start with horse stance and then..."
Starting with horse stance, Cheonhwi rattled off a list of training drills, and Cheonhyang's face grew paler by the second.
"That's too intense! Wait, even that far?"
At that moment...
"......climb Falling Goose Peak, right?"
Cheonhwi whipped his head around.
A sharp killing intent had suddenly prickled his senses.
"What is it?"
"What's wrong?"
"Who are those people?"
Cheonhwi pointed at the carriage from which the killing intent emanated.
A fat middle-aged man and a delicately handsome young man sat there.
'Man or woman?'
As he stared at the ambiguous figure, Cheonhyang answered.
"People from the Great Silver Merchant Group."
"Great Silver Merchant Group?"
As Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes...
Sneer—
...the young man flashed a thin smile, his blood-red lips moving ever so slowly.
'See you later?'
Cheonhwi frowned as he read the lip movements. Then the carriage they rode departed, the killing intent fading with it.
'Felt some vicious aura. From the Evil-Black Alliance?'
As he watched the entourage follow the carriage, a vigorous voice called from behind.
"Young Hero Cheonhwi!"
The Fifth Chief Steward came running up, breathless.
Beaming, he grabbed Cheonhwi's hands tightly upon reaching him.
"Thank you for coming."
"You said you needed help?"
"Yes."
The Fifth Chief Steward nodded vigorously and quickly added.
"This time, the Green Forest bandits..."
"Ah, I heard all about that."
Cheonhwi grinned and said.
"So I just need to take care of the Green Forest bandits, right?"
"Yes, the Green Forest... Eep!"
The Fifth Chief Steward reflexively replied, then clapped a hand over his mouth, breaking into a cold sweat.
The Green Forest had become enemies, but wiping them out entirely was no easy feat.
Yet he said it so casually.
"I-is that possible?"
"It's nothing major."
Cheonhwi dismissed it lightly, tilting his head as he mouthed.
"Which of the Green Forest mountain forts is closest from here?"
"Well..."
"Hold on a moment."
Cheon Yi-gae interjected then.
"No need to rush. Right? Looking at these carriages and cargo, it seems protecting the escort to Daedong is even more urgent..."
Cheon Yi-gae gave the Fifth Chief Steward a look, who nodded promptly.
"Exactly. Right now, the priority is transporting this cargo to Daedong."
"So you want me to help with the escort?"
"Yes."
"Hm."
Cheonhwi glanced sideways.
Following the steward's gaze to the four ornate carriages, he stroked his chin and murmured.
"Well, it's all the same anyway. With this cargo, the Green Forest will attack."
"True."
Cheon Yi-gae patted his chest beside him.
If Cheonhwi took the lead, the Green Forest forts wouldn't just be trampled—they'd be drenched in blood.
'We still lack information. Charging in now would be risky.'
It was just a hunch; they didn't know the full situation yet. No need to provoke the Green Forest prematurely.
"Hm, alright."
Cheonhwi nodded immediately.
"So when do we depart?"
At Cheonhwi's question, the Fifth Chief Steward turned to the Chief Escort.
"When will you set out?"
The Chief Escort, not fully grasping the situation, replied.
"We can leave right now if preparations are ready."
"Oh, really?"
Cheonhwi's eyes lit up.
"Then let's go now."
"R-right now?"
Everyone paled at his words.
It was true they could depart immediately, but when outsiders joined an escort not affiliated with the merchant group, it was customary to take time for proper preparations.
But Cheonhwi paid no mind to their reactions, speaking nonchalantly.
"The sooner, the better."
"He's right."
Agreeing with Cheonhwi, the Fifth Chief Steward immediately instructed the escorts and porters.
"Prepare to depart at once."
"Y-yes, sir!"
As the escorts and porters bustled about, readying for the journey...
"Senior Brother, that person over there..."
Damok Rin, having greeted the Hwaryeong Unit including Cheonhyang, approached and murmured.
Her gaze was fixed on Go Sam.
"Oh, right."
Cheonhwi went straight to him and said.
"You can head back now."
"Understood."
He would normally refuse to complete his mission, but seeing the Plum Blossom Sword Guards around, he nodded.
"I'll take my leave then."
Go Sam bid farewell to Cheonhwi, Damok Rin, and Cheon Yi-gae in turn before departing.
Watching the receding carriage, Cheonhwi glanced at the busy preparations and muttered.
"Green Forest bandits, huh..."
Recalling the Green Forest bandits he had encountered in his previous life, Cheonhwi scratched his chin with his index finger.
"Even after three hundred years, I wonder if those guys have changed."