Monopolizing Fortunes (132)
Monopolizing Fortunes (132)
Ju Pyeong-seong walked on, lost in thought. With Bae Cheong-dong's martial arts, it would be a waste to use him as a guard for the outer warehouses.
'In times like these, a guy like that is a blessing that rolled right in...'
Bae Cheong-dong, who had been following right behind him, asked.
"Am I fired?"
"You did something that would get you fired a hundred times over."
"Tch! I don't want to stay in a shithole like this anyway."
"What kind of shithole is this?"
"The kind where bastards with no martial arts skills act like seniors and try to fuck people over. Fuck, I came because they said it was a good place, but I wasted my time."
"So you're going back?"
"No point in staying if I'm just going to see more of the same."
"What if I tell you to stay?"
Bae Cheong-dong thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I can't stay in that place from earlier. There's bound to be another fight."
Ju Pyeong-seong's thoughts were no different. In fact, most of the people in Hwangdo-gak were third-rate at best.
Since they had neither skill nor loyalty, they were only assigned to guard the unimportant outer warehouses.
Right now, the Hwangdae Merchant Company needed one certain master more than a hundred rabble.
That was why he considered Bae Cheong-dong a blessing that had rolled in.
'It would be best to keep him somewhere his secret won't leak until I'm sure.'
Do Tong-dal could read Bae Cheong-dong's thoughts to some extent. He couldn't know the internal affairs of the Hwangdae Merchant Company, but it was clear they desperately needed a master.
'Seems like I came in at a good time...'
Since Bae Cheong-dong's martial arts were higher than expected, it was only natural to be suspected.
'There must be a good way...'
The plan had been thrown together so hastily that he had no choice but to improvise on the spot.
As he racked his brain, Do Tong-dal spotted a man staring at him. The man, about the same age as Bae Cheong-dong, had a large mole next to his nose.
The man looking at Do Tong-dal tilted his head. Do Tong-dal knew that expression well.
When the man had passed by and taken about three steps, Do Tong-dal called out.
"Hey, hold on!"
The mole-faced man stopped and turned around as if he had been waiting. Do Tong-dal put on an expression similar to the mole-faced man's and asked.
"Do you know me? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..."
As he asked the question, Do Tong-dal retraced his conversation with Bae Cheong-dong. They had chatted for a long time, and at least twenty people had come up in the process.
And Do Tong-dal remembered the story about the mole-faced man.
―Someone I felt sorry for in my life? Well... Frozen pollack eyes, three of them? No, not the actual fish, the guy's name was Dong Dae-nu, but we just called him Frozen Pollack Eyes. Why three? Because he had a mole next to his nose as big as an eyeball. The reason I felt sorry is a bit embarrassing, but there was a blade art we were supposed to learn together, and I went and hogged it all for myself. Heh heh heh... If I'd properly learned that martial art back then, I'd be ten times stronger than I am now. Ugh—!
That much memory was enough. Given that kind of history, it would be strange for Do Tong-dal to act like he knew him first.
"Ah... no, I think I mistook you for someone else."
Just as Do Tong-dal was about to subtly turn away, a name burst from Dong Dae-nu's lips.
"Bae Cheong-dong!"
Do Tong-dal cheered inwardly. He had been worried because his appearance wasn't completely identical to Bae Cheong-dong's, but fortunately, Dong Dae-nu recognized him.
Dong Dae-nu grabbed Do Tong-dal by the collar as he feigned a startled expression.
"You bastard! I was going to hunt you down and break your neck anyway, so this is perfect!"
"Ah... no, I had unavoidable circumstances back then..."
"Don't give me that bullshit! You fucking bastard!"
Do Tong-dal took the punch Dong Dae-nu threw at him. As he staggered back, another fist flew toward him.
Do Tong-dal lightly deflected the punch. Dong Dae-nu, thrown off balance by his own force, charged again, but his fist cut through empty air once more.
"You fucking bastard! You stole my martial art and got fucking strong, is that it?! You piece of shit!"
"Your mouth might be crooked, but you should still speak straight. How was it yours? We discovered it together."
"So you took it and ran off alone?"
"Honestly, you wanted it all for yourself too. I just acted on it first."
"Cut the crap!"
Dong Dae-nu charged again, but this time he took a hit to the jaw from Do Tong-dal and went tumbling.
"You're fucking foaming at the mouth over something that's in the past. I'll teach you the martial art. That settles it, right?"
"I'm not learning martial arts from a piece of shit like you!"
At that point, Ju Pyeong-seong stepped in.
"Looks like people with a past connection have met."
Dong Dae-nu shouted, practically foaming at the mouth.
"That bastard is human trash you should never get close to!"
"Anyway, so he is Bae Cheong-dong?"
"Who else would he be?"
Ju Pyeong-seong was a man who even knew the servants doing menial labor in the Hwangdae Merchant Company. Naturally, he knew who Dong Dae-nu was.
Dong Dae-nu, who was in charge of guarding the northern warehouse, was a low-level warrior with nothing suspicious about him.
'Unexpectedly, I found a guarantor close by.'
There was no longer any need to send someone to Bae Cheong-dong's house to verify his identity.
"Alright. You can go now."
"Hall Master, is that bastard joining the Hwangdae Merchant Company?"
"That..."
Ju Pyeong-seong glanced at Do Tong-dal and continued.
"...depends on this friend's decision."
"That bastard is a really bad guy!"
"In the martial world, a competent bad guy is better than an incompetent good guy."
Dong Dae-nu couldn't say anything and just glared at Do Tong-dal before walking away. Ju Pyeong-seong asked Do Tong-dal.
"So you properly learned the martial art you stole from Dong Dae-nu?"
"I learned it while shitting blood."
"A bad guy with the will to succeed. You're exactly the talent I've been looking for."
* * *
After reading the letter sent by Do Tong-dal, Namgung Seol-rin tilted her head.
"What does this mean? He wants us to attack the Hwangdae Merchant Company?"
Won Dae-yeon held out the paper in his hand.
"The reason is written here."
Only after reading the letter Won Dae-yeon handed over did Namgung Seol-rin nod.
"So he wants to block the attack and score some points with the higher-ups? But why does he want Protector Jang to come alone?"
Jang Yu-seom spoke.
"Since it's just pretending to attack, he probably means there's no need for many people to come."
"Even so, it's a place crawling with warriors from a hidden faction. It's dangerous for Protector Jang to go alone."
"Coordinator Do must have a plan."
"What if that man's plan is wrong? Protector Jang's life would be in danger."
Won Dae-yeon also chimed in to support Namgung Seol-rin.
"I also think going alone is a bit dangerous."
"Right?"
"You two are just itching to do something because you've been sitting around doing nothing, aren't you?"
Namgung Seol-rin and Won Dae-yeon were startled by Jang Yu-seom's sharpness, but immediately denied it.
"How could that be? Do I look like someone who would ruin an important matter just because I'm bored?"
"O-of course not. You know we're not that rash."
Jang Yu-seom didn't withdraw his suspicious gaze, but he didn't press further either. In any case, they decided to go together as a group of three, regardless of Do Tong-dal's orders.
* * *
The Hwangdae Merchant Company was largely divided into three zones. The outermost area was the Outer Zone, where warehouses and most goods came and went; the Middle Zone, where expensive tea and high-grade silk were stored; and the Inner Zone, where eight buildings stood within a radius of one hundred jang.
Do Tong-dal, who was originally supposed to be assigned to the outer warehouses, had his post changed and moved to the Middle Zone.
The Middle Zone housed warehouses storing expensive tea, silk, precious metals, and the like, and was also the residence of Hall Master-level personnel.
As he crossed through the Hwangdae Merchant Company, Do Tong-dal looked around with an admiring expression.
Part of it was to get a sense of the layout, but he was also genuinely impressed. It was because the place was massive, rivaling the scale of the Forbidden City.
"It's exactly eight hundred pyeong smaller than the Forbidden City."
Ju Pyeong-seong, who had brought Do Tong-dal along, informed him of the Hwangdae Merchant Company's scale.
"That's impressive."
"It's not just the size that's impressive. It's only a matter of time before our Hwangdae Merchant Company stands tall as the greatest merchant company in the Central Plains."
Ju Pyeong-seong's voice was full of pride in the Hwangdae Merchant Company.
"So where will I be working?"
"For now, I'm thinking of Seongu Hall. There will be some kind of test when you get there."
Do Tong-dal's face crumpled instantly.
"I barely managed to get through the Thousand Character Classic..."
"Haha! Don't worry. I have no interest in your scholarship."
"Well, if it's a martial arts test, I have nothing to worry about."
"Are you that confident?"
Do Tong-dal tapped the sword at his waist and said.
"With this guy here, I'm confident against anyone in the world."
Ju Pyeong-seong tilted his head.
"If you're such a master, why haven't you made a name for yourself yet? The martial world is a place where rumors about masters spread fast."
Do Tong-dal lowered his voice.
"To be honest, I've been hiding it."
"Why?"
"I wasn't sure of myself. I've seen more than one or two guys get themselves killed showing off their strength, so I was a bit careful."
"Oh ho! You're wiser than you look. So have you gained confidence now?"
"You'll see. You'll probably be surprised. Heh heh heh..."
"But you won't be able to use that sword."
"What? Why not?"
"Who uses weapons in a test? You have to use your fists and feet."
Do Tong-dal put on a deliberately troubled expression.
"I'm a bit weak in hand-to-hand combat..."
"Don't worry. It's just a formality."
They walked deeper into the Middle Zone. A not-so-large building was surrounded by a waist-high wooden fence.
The people in the grassy yard saw Ju Pyeong-seong and greeted him.
"Where is Hall Master Won?"
"He's in his office."
They passed through the main hall and entered the office at the end of the corridor, where a middle-aged man with a short beard greeted them with a welcoming face.
"Hohoho! We work in the same place, but it's hard to see your face."
"Indeed. How is your wife?"
"My wife? You should call her sister-in-law."
The two men played the common game of 'older brother, younger brother' for a moment before turning their attention to Do Tong-dal.
"A decent fellow has joined us, and I was thinking of assigning him to Seongu Hall."
Hall Master Won Chi-myeong looked at Do Tong-dal and said.
"If you say he's decent, his skills must be solid."
"Confirming that is your job."
"Since it's your recommendation, is there really a need to confirm? Since it's his first time, shall we start him on warehouse guard duty?"
"That would be suitable."
Won Chi-myeong called for Sixth Squad Leader Hwang Du-pyeong. Seongu Hall had six squads, and the Sixth Squad was in charge of guarding four warehouses located around the middle of the Middle Zone.
Hwang Du-pyeong had a large build and a fierce impression, a familiar look to Do Tong-dal.
Just as Do Tong-dal was thinking, 'If I brought that guy into the Underworld, he'd be quite useful,' Won Chi-myeong spoke.
"This is Bae Cheong-dong, who will be assigned to your squad starting today."
Hwang Du-pyeong looked Do Tong-dal up and down and tilted his head.
"I've never seen his face before."
"He joined today."
"But isn't it true that one must be with the Hwangdae Merchant Company for at least a year before working in the Middle Zone?"
"That's the principle, but there are exceptions."
"Still..."
"He's recommended by the Main Hall Master here, so don't worry."
"If it's a recommendation from the Main Hall Master, I can trust it."
It wasn't just because he was present; Ju Pyeong-seong was a man trusted by everyone, high and low, in the Hwangdae Merchant Company.
"But how are his martial arts skills?"
Won Chi-myeong and Hwang Du-pyeong looked at Ju Pyeong-seong. Ju Pyeong-seong shrugged.
"As you know, I don't know much about martial arts. Find out for yourself."
Won Chi-myeong said to Hwang Du-pyeong.
"You handle that."
"Understood."
Hwang Du-pyeong led Do Tong-dal out of the room. Seongu Hall consisted of three buildings arranged in the shape of the character '品' (pum).
The building at the very front was for administrative work, and the two behind were used as warriors' quarters and storage.
As they descended from the main hall, Hwang Du-pyeong asked.
"How good are your martial arts?"
Do Tong-dal thought for a moment before answering.
"Good enough not to get beaten up wherever I go."
"That's pretty good, then?"
Do Tong-dal answered with a shrug.
"I don't know if you're aware, but Seongu Hall is a place you can only come to after being with the Hwangdae Merchant Company for over a year. But since you've been assigned here as soon as you arrived, some people will see you as an eyesore."
"As long as it doesn't interfere with my work, I don't care."
* * *