Deal
On the appointed day, the Manri Merchant Group Leader passed through the front gate of Myeongwolgwan and stepped inside.
The embroidery on his silk outer robe flashed in the light: Manri Merchant Group.
A serving boy hurried up and bowed deeply. “Sir! This way, please.”
He was led deep into the corridors of Myeongwolgwan, past curtains and doors, until he reached the room at the very back.
Rattle—
When the door opened, lavish furniture and silk decorations came into view.
Behind a massive table sat a man wearing a mask.
The man rose and gave him a courteous martial salute. “It is a pleasure to meet the Manri Merchant Group Leader.”
The deference was gratifying.
At the same time, irritation rose in him.
Not only had the letter been sent anonymously, the sender had gone so far as to hide his face.
It was blatant rudeness.
The merchant leader’s brow furrowed. “…Are you the one who invited me, sir?”
“I am.”
“Then why conceal your identity? I place the greatest importance on propriety. If you have no good reason, I’ll get up and leave at once.”
“That reason is deeply tied to this transaction. Please, calm your anger and hear me out.”
“Hmph… Very well. Let’s hear it.”
He stroked his chin and nodded, though his eyes remained sharp.
“And yet, after inviting me, you didn’t even set a table with wine?”
“How could I dare serve the merchant leader cold food? Dishes must be served hot to be truly delicious.”
He lifted a hand lightly. “Right now.”
At the gesture, the door opened once more.
Serving boys filed in in a line.
Steam rose in thick white clouds from every tray.
On the first tray, the aroma of peanuts spread richly through the room.
It was kung pao chicken, diced chicken glistening as it mingled with red chilies.
Next came a mountain of crayfish.
Bright red shells and fiery spices filled the room with a numbing, tingling scent.
Then came fish-fragrant shredded pork, tender strips of pork stir-fried in a sweet-sour sauce.
The aroma burst open, sharp and appetizing.
And that was only the beginning; the table quickly filled with a banquet fit for a king.
Last to appear was a white liquor bottle.
It was Jiannanchun, a famed spirit from Sichuan, placed squarely upon the table.
The merchant leader’s eyes widened.
...This is no ordinary show of courtesy.
No matter how badly he wanted the deal, this level of hospitality was excessive.
He knew better than anyone that his own merchant group was not some grand power.
And yet this man had prepared such a luxurious spread?
What, exactly, was he after?
His mouth watered, but suspicion rose with it.
Who is this man...?
“Please, eat while it’s still hot.”
“Hmph... In that case.”
He picked up his chopsticks.
He took a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth; the meat melted apart and juices spread across his tongue.
How long has it been since I enjoyed something this lavish...?
A smile tugged at his lips.
He split a crayfish in half and pulled out the meat in one smooth motion, the numbing spice flooding his mouth.
At that moment, the masked man picked up the liquor bottle.
“Allow me to pour you a drink.”
“Then pour.”
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
Clear liquor filled the cup to the brim.
He drained it in one go, and warmth spread down his throat.
“Hah...”
The pleasant heat made his guard blur.
By the time half the trays had been emptied, the merchant leader wiped his mouth with a towel and said, “Hmph... Let’s pause the meal for now. I’d like to hear the point.”
“Very well. Seeing is better than hearing, as they say, so I’ll show you directly.”
The man opened a bundle and took out a small pouch and two unfamiliar implements.
A smooth, refined pipe and a little ceramic bowl mounted on top.
“And what exactly are these for?”
“Allow me to ask first. Why do you think people drink alcohol?”
“Because... they want to get drunk, of course.”
“And what benefit does drunkenness bring?”
“Benefit? It’s more that... it lets you forget your worries for a while, drift into a haze. It lets you escape reality.”
“Then how much profit do you think liquor makes as a product?”
“Hmm... If you sell yellow wine for one wen a cup, you’re only left with about four fen. You really need to move huge volumes before it becomes worthwhile.”
“Then what if there were something far stronger than premium liquor, something that could get you high in an instant? How much would you price that at?”
“A well-aged Gold Urn Clear could fetch a tael of silver... Don’t tell me, you’ve brought Dream-Confounding Powder?”
“It can’t even be compared to that.”
The man raised a candle and transferred the flame to a small brazier.
He placed a single white pellet onto the bowl of the pipe and heated it.
Hiss—
A strange fragrance rose.
It was smoke that was both pungent and sweet, impossible to describe.
“Would you lie down on the bed, please?”
“Why?”
“You have to enjoy it lying down for the effect to be fully realized.”
As the soft quilt wrapped around his back, his tension eased.
The man placed the pipe in his hands and said, “Try it yourself. You can decide its value with your own judgment, merchant leader.”
“How... do I use this?”
“Simple. Put the pipe to your lips and inhale the smoke.”
Inhale the smoke?
It sounded absurd, but the hospitality and manner he had shown so far had already dulled most of the suspicion.
After a moment’s hesitation, he brought the pipe to his mouth.
Hoo—
The instant the smoke slid down his throat and seeped deep into his lungs.
“Ugh...!”
Thump, thump, thump—!
His heart lurched violently.
His lungs burned; his blood began to race.
The candle flame before him stretched and spread, and suddenly everything in the room sharpened into vivid clarity.
For a fleeting instant.
Then the shape of the world collapsed, and his mind sank.
It felt as though he had been lifted into the sky only to fall back down.
Even as his eyelids drooped, his fingers never stopped moving.
His lips drew in more smoke of their own accord.
A rush of pleasure, helplessness, and dizziness surged through him.
The tension began to loosen, little by little.
A life of selling goods and barely making a profit.
Endless taxes.
Children growing larger by the day, and a wife who nagged him over every little thing.
The suffocating grind of business.
He had always vented that pressure by yelling at his underlings, but it was only ever a brief release.
And yet now.
Every worry scattered into the air along with the smoke.
When he opened his eyes, he was inside the room of some luxurious pleasure house.
Fine robes hung over his shoulders, and gold-and-silver ornaments gleamed as they swayed from his body.
Courtesans leaned against him on both sides, lifting cups of wine.
“…What is this?”
An unreal scene.
But the question disappeared almost at once.
He didn’t want to think, and couldn’t think even if he tried.
Soft hands slipped under the front of his robe.
Sweet breath brushed his ear.
And then came coquettish laughter.
“Oh... ooh...!”
* * *
“Merchant Leader.”
At the faint call of a man, he blinked his hazy eyes open.
“Mm...?”
He raised his body from the bed.
Still dazed, he looked around.
“W-where... What happened to the courtesans? My ornaments?”
But all he saw was a half-finished banquet and a single man.
“It seems you had a pleasant dream.”
“Hah...”
The pleasure of a lifetime.
He could hardly believe it had been nothing more than a momentary dream.
“Well? What do you think?”
The merchant leader took the pipe with trembling hands.
“What... exactly is this thing?”
The man pulled a chair up and sat down across from him.
“What I’m about to tell you must be kept absolutely secret. I hid my identity and chose a room this deep inside for that very reason.”
The merchant leader nodded fiercely.
“I’ll never say a word. Hurry and tell me, hurry!”
“My identity is... that of a smuggler who crosses borders. As you know, unauthorized border crossing is a grave threat to the state, and if caught, it can mean extermination of your entire clan. That is why I cannot reveal who I am.”
“S-so that’s why you were anonymous, and why you hid your face.”
“My main route is along the western border. The item I brought today, Baekhyang, was brought in from Xinjiang.”
“Baekhyang, you say. Xinjiang... so you’ve traveled far indeed.”
“Since you know the situation in the Central Plains, Merchant Leader, I trust you’re also well informed not just on common affairs, but on the matters of the jianghu as well.”
“Of course. If you run a merchant group long enough, there’s no rumor you won’t hear.”
“Then I trust you understand what Xinjiang signifies as well.”
“Xinjiang...”
The vast plains and lands of the nomads in the northwest of Yeon Kingdom.
A borderland beyond the edge of the world, nothing special on the surface.
The only notable thing was the Tianshan mountain range cutting across the region—
The merchant leader shuddered.
“H-Heavenly Demonic Cult...!”
The man placed a finger to his lips and whispered, “Shh. I’m not only a criminal, but also an enemy of the martial world. If my trail is exposed... whether by the government or the martial sects, there’ll be blades at my throat from every direction.”
“Th-then this thing and the Heavenly Demonic Cult are...”
“That, I don’t know. I only paid money and bought the goods. But one thing is certain: these effects are not something that can be produced in the light of day.”
The merchant leader swallowed hard.
“For those who cannot sleep, it grants rest. For those tormented by pain, it dulls the ache. For those crushed by reality, it offers illusions. For those lacking vitality, it restores vigor. Merchant Leader, it seems you’ve already tasted its effects yourself.”
“Huh?”
He felt a strange heat surging below his waist.
Looking down, he saw his trousers rising like a tent.
“T-this is...!”
He could feel every vein in his body flooding with blood.
How long had it been since his body had responded like this?
Overwork, anxiety, neglected health.
And the years creeping toward forty had worn his body thin.
The little lord of a small merchant group, whom he had long since resigned himself to being nothing more than a faded man, now looked at the thing standing like a dragon and felt tears almost welling up.
But showing this state before the man was unbearably embarrassing.
He dragged his robe down over his lower body.
“C-cough. In any case, why did you bring this to me? Anyone would covet it, and anyone would surely try to trade it for a premium.”
“As I said, I am a smuggler who crosses borders. And this is not an item that should be left to roam the Central Plains indiscriminately. That means I can’t just sell it anywhere, nor can I sign a contract with just anyone. If I’m careless, my information could leak.”
“So you chose me. Small in power, perhaps, but my trading partners and distribution network are solid. From your point of view, I’d be a safe client.”
“I am humbled by your insight.”
The man praised him subtly.
“If I offended you by considering the Manri Merchant Group small, then I apologize. But after long deliberation, I chose you. I do not do business with those who lack ambition. Merchant Leader, you’re the person I’ve been looking for. I judged you to be the right man to move the underworld with.”
“But... isn’t selling smuggled goods dangerous? If you’re caught—”
The man shook his head.
“I won’t be satisfied with just this one transaction.”
“T-then you mean to keep smuggling?”
“I plan to secure a stable distribution network, build capital, and make the game much bigger. Since the dawn of history, the road of the ruler has always been rough, but only those who walked it to the end ever shaped the age. The choice is yours, Merchant Leader. Will you join me in this dangerous venture?”
Sweet words.
Greedy men were weak to sweet words.
All the more so if they lacked skill but had plenty of ambition.
The very word venture, the invitation wrapped in risk, struck at his heart.
The merchant leader’s chest caught fire.
The thought flashed through him that even walking a collapsing plank road wouldn’t scare him anymore.
If this man had brought such a thing, then the dream of becoming a great tycoon was no idle fantasy.
“What... should I do with it?”
“Take it to the pleasure houses you already trade with. If possible, deal directly with the madams and sell it quietly. Make sure no one can trace it back.”
The way he spoke made it seem as though everything had already been prepared.
He might have been deceived.
And yet, he didn’t dislike it.
Rather, he found himself intoxicated by that planning, that boldness.
He shot to his feet and seized the man’s hand.
“Very well. We have a deal, then, with the Manri Merchant Group Leader!”
For a moment, an invisible smile spread across the man’s lips.
His voice, low beneath the mask, drifted out. “A wise choice.”
* * *
The man collected the down payment, and the merchant leader received some of the Baekhyang and one pipe as collateral.
“Then I’ll be waiting at the designated time and place three days from now.”
“Yes, see you then.”
The man gave him a martial salute.
Just as he was about to step over the threshold, he turned back.
“Just one thing. Keep this in mind. You must come alone.”
“Don’t worry. Business is built on trust.”
The man bowed once more and left the room.
The merchant leader, too, departed with a satisfied expression.
* * *
Before long, night had fallen.
A cool breeze brushed his skin.
But below the waist, there was still plenty of life left in him.
“……”
It would be a waste to let it cool off now.
The merchant leader changed direction and headed for the pleasure house.