Monopolizing Fortunes (134)
Monopolizing Fortunes (134)
"We greet the Hall Master!"
Even Mun Chang-seo and Wang Cheong, who had been beaten half to death by Do Tong-dal, rose to their feet and bowed.
Won Chi-myeong's gaze fixed on the two injured men. It was obvious at a glance that they had been badly beaten, and he could guess why.
What was unexpected was that Do Tong-dal was perfectly fine. And yet Hwang Du-pyeong had held his own against him.
For Won Chi-myeong, who knew Hwang Du-pyeong's martial arts well, that was surprising.
'Did he go easy on Squad Leader Hwang?'
There was no other plausible explanation.
'That fellow knows how to get along in an organization too.'
No matter how strong someone's martial arts were, a lone wolf was hard to command and nothing but a blade that harmed the unity of the organization.
After defeating the squad members and clearly demonstrating his skill, he had fought the squad leader in a way that saved face. That meant he understood well what an organization needed.
'He's a useful one.'
Any further sparring was pointless.
"Squad Leader Hwang."
"Yes, Hall Master."
"Assign the new arrival, Bae Cheong-dong, as you see fit."
"Understood."
Hwang Du-pyeong personally guided Do Tong-dal to the quarters. It was a two-person room.
"You'll be living here with me."
Hwang Du-pyeong offered Do Tong-dal a handshake.
"I don't think I've introduced myself properly. I'm Hwang Du-pyeong."
"I'm Bae Cheong-dong."
"You went easy on me, didn't you?"
"Pardon?"
"In the sparring match earlier."
"Well...... I just didn't try to kill you, that's all."
Hwang Du-pyeong let out a short laugh.
"I'll consider myself in your debt. You should rest today and start duty tomorrow."
"I heard you're short on warriors, so I'll start today."
"Your work ethic is excellent too. Since it's your first day, let's begin with warehouse duty. It's where the tea is stored, but don't look down on it just because it's called a warehouse. It's close to the inner compound, so security has to be thorough. There are about two shichen left until your shift, so familiarize yourself with the layout. Be sure to wear this name tag around your neck."
Hwang Du-pyeong handed over a wooden tag with the character "jung" carved in the center and a seal stamped on it. Do Tong-dal hung the tag, which had a cord attached like a necklace, around his neck.
"I'll take a look around and come back."
Being given a chance to scout the Hwangdae Merchant Company was something Do Tong-dal was grateful for.
With its broad stone-paved roads, buildings visible here and there, a fair number of wells, and even a pond, it was like a village unto itself.
Most of the people passing by were laborers working for the Hwangdae Merchant Company.
Do Tong-dal stepped to the side of the road to avoid a cart drawn by two horses and spotted a path cutting through a small patch of trees.
It was very narrow and overgrown with weeds, so it clearly was not a path people used often.
The reason Do Tong-dal deliberately set foot on that path was because it led toward the inner compound.
Whatever was important was bound to be gathered in the innermost inner compound.
As he followed the winding path between small man-made mounds, a wall came into view through the trees.
It was a wall located inside the Hwangdae Merchant Company, and it looked to be about one jang high. The other side of that wall was probably the inner compound.
'Should I try going in?'
He had the excellent excuse that it was his first day and he had taken a wrong turn, so it wouldn't matter even if he got caught.
Do Tong-dal emerged from between the mounds and was stepping to the left when he stopped. Two jang ahead was a small girl who looked about ten years old.
The girl had her head tilted all the way back, staring up at a tall tree.
Do Tong-dal hadn't bothered to conceal his presence, so she must have known he was coming, but the girl's gaze did not move from the tree.
Do Tong-dal stood beside the cute girl, who had large eyes and a nose like a clove of garlic. Then he followed her gaze and turned his eyes upward.
A ball made of stitched leather was caught high up in the tree.
"Want me to get it down for you?"
The girl glanced at Do Tong-dal and spoke.
"You haven't been with the Hwangdae Merchant Company for long, have you?"
"How do you know that?"
"Because I've never seen your face before."
"There are so many people in the Hwangdae Merchant Company. You're saying you know all their faces?"
"Remembering faces isn't hard."
"Even faces you've only glimpsed in passing?"
The girl nodded. Since she had recognized at once that Do Tong-dal was a newcomer, he had no choice but to believe her.
Do Tong-dal asked again, "Want me to get the ball down?" but the girl only mulled something over without answering.
'What a strange kid,' he thought, and was about to walk past when the girl spoke.
"Mister, your face is strange."
Do Tong-dal stopped walking.
"What is?"
The girl's gaze was still fixed on the ball in the tree.
"It's just different from an ordinary person's. But it doesn't seem like you're in disguise......."
After saying that, the girl looked at Do Tong-dal. Her black pupils looked as if they had been dipped in ink, and her white sclera looked like freshly fallen snow.
The stark black and white was so vivid it felt less like reality and more like looking at a painting.
"I've heard that in the martial world there's something like a magic trick where you move your muscles and bones to change your appearance...... Is that the Disguise Art?"
His heart jolted as if pricked by a needle.
"Wh...... what do you mean by that?"
He had never imagined that a mere ten-year-old child, not some peerless master, would suspect his Disguise Art.
The girl shrugged.
"Well, it doesn't matter. No, actually, it's a good thing. I really hope this godforsaken place disappears."
"A gi...... a girl saying 'godforsaken.' Your language is a bit......."
"Young miss! Young miss!"
The girl glanced in the direction the call came from and spoke to Do Tong-dal.
"Don't tell anyone you saw me here."
"Why?"
"I look like I have a secret too, don't I? We've shared each other's secrets, so from now on we're comrades."
The girl flashed an innocent smile and dashed off toward the direction of the call.
"What about the ball?"
As the girl vanished into the trees, Do Tong-dal's question scattered into empty air. Do Tong-dal shifted his gaze to the ball caught in the tree.
"What is she?"
Given the title "young miss," her soft, fair skin, and her clothes made of the finest blue and red silk, she had to be the daughter of someone of high status.
'Judging by her saying she hopes this godforsaken place disappears, she seems to hate the Hwangdae Merchant Company.......'
Do Tong-dal stopped the thought before it could continue. The girl who had seen through his disguise at a glance was certainly special, but there were bigger things he needed to worry about.
'Should I have told all three of them to come and turn the place upside down?'
* * *
Pheeeet—! Pheeeet—!
Clang clang clang clang!
The clamor of whistles and bells shattered the deep night of the Hwangdae Merchant Company. Do Tong-dal rubbed his eyes and got out of bed.
'They could've come a little earlier. I was in the middle of sleeping.......'
He was grumbling inwardly when Hwang Du-pyeong, who had just gotten up, spoke.
"Seeing as even the emergency bell is ringing, it seems to be quite an urgent situation."
"Even so, it's probably just a petty thief."
"A petty thief wouldn't set off the emergency bell. Hurry up and get out...... You're already on your way out."
Do Tong-dal hurried outside the building. If there was an unexpected master in the Hwangdae Merchant Company, Namgung Seol-rin might be forced to flee.
The whistles and bells rang out so loudly it felt like they would knock the breath out of him.
"It's just one intruder, and yet they're making this much noise."
As Do Tong-dal muttered, the members of Seongu Hall's Sixth Squad gathered around him one by one.
Squad Leader Hwang Du-pyeong crossed the courtyard and called out.
"They say there are three intruders! They're said to be rare masters, so stay sharp!"
Do Tong-dal was startled by the number three.
'Not one? Then are the intruders someone else?'
Then the most likely possibility soon came to mind.
'The three of them came together.'
Probably someone—the most likely suspect being Namgung Seol-rin—had been unable to oppose the idea, and so they had all come together.
'This worked out well. I like it, even if it's in an unexpected place.'
Unlike at first, Do Tong-dal relaxed. If Namgung Seol-rin had come alone, that would be one thing, but if all three had come together, they could subdue any master in the Hwangdae Merchant Company without much trouble.
From beyond the wall that formed the boundary between the middle compound and the lower compound, screams rang out continuously.
"They're too strong! Where are the reinforcements! Reinforce...... Aaargh—!"
Just from the sound, he could tell that Won Dae-yeon, Namgung Seol-rin, and Jang Yu-seom were charging in with unstoppable momentum.
Boom!
The wall shattered and a person burst through. Though disguised, he could tell it was Jang Yu-seom.
'He could've just come over the wall. There was no need to break it.......'
Well, he had told them to cause as much commotion as possible, so Jang Yu-seom was being faithful to the mission.
"Stop him!"
At Hwang Du-pyeong's shout, not only the Sixth Squad but also the Fourth Squad, which had belatedly rushed out, threw themselves at Jang Yu-seom.
They were in charge of guarding the middle compound, so they were fairly strong, but they were nowhere near enough to handle Jang Yu-seom.
Jang Yu-seom's sword left wounds on the Hwangdae Merchant Company warriors—not fatal ones, but wounds severe enough that they could not move right away.
The nine men who rushed at Jang Yu-seom collapsed in an instant, spraying blood. Then Do Tong-dal stepped forward.
Clang!
For the first time, Jang Yu-seom's sword was blocked. Do Tong-dal spoke in a low voice.
"I didn't expect to meet Protector Jang today."
Jang Yu-seom's voice was also pitched low as he replied.
"Did I make a mistake?"
"As long as you don't kill me, it's fine."
"Then rest easy."
The Sixth Squad members swung swords and blades at Jang Yu-seom. Jang Yu-seom shoved Do Tong-dal back, spun in place, and the three who had attacked collapsed simultaneously.
Do Tong-dal's blade came down toward Jang Yu-seom's head. Jang Yu-seom knocked the blade aside and thrust his sword at Do Tong-dal's throat.
Do Tong-dal twisted his body to the left, deflected the sword, and swung his blade at Jang Yu-seom's waist.
The two men's fight was similar to the sparring they always did. Occasionally the Hwangdae Merchant Company warriors attacked Jang Yu-seom, but they posed no real threat.
In the meantime, the disguised Namgung Seol-rin and Won Dae-yeon broke into the middle compound, and the Hwangdae Merchant Company's warriors were reinforced as well.
Won Dae-yeon and Namgung Seol-rin, as if by prior agreement, arranged their formation so that Do Tong-dal could fight only Jang Yu-seom.
"Damn it! Where are the Three Saints of Hwangdae? Why haven't they come yet!"
Won Chi-myeong, the master of Seongu Hall, shouted that while bleeding from his arm. The fact that he was looking for them in this dire situation meant they were surely the greatest masters in the Hwangdae Merchant Company.
Jang Yu-seom closed in on Do Tong-dal as he leaped back, and asked in a low voice.
"Shall we stop around here?"
They had caused enough of a commotion by now. But Do Tong-dal wanted to see the Three Saints of Hwangdae that Won Chi-myeong had mentioned.
"We should stay a little longer."
Amid the chaotic battle, there was someone who could not take his eyes off Do Tong-dal as he fought Jang Yu-seom.
'Was that fellow's martial arts at that level?'
It was Hwang Du-pyeong, who had sparred with Do Tong-dal before. He already knew that Do Tong-dal had gone easy on him.
Still, Hwang Du-pyeong had believed the gap in their martial arts would not be that large.
But the martial arts Do Tong-dal displayed while fighting one of the three intruders were beyond anything Hwang Du-pyeong could approach.
He could swear that Do Tong-dal's skill was easily within the top five in the Hwangdae Merchant Company. He could swear it rivaled the Three Saints of Hwangdae, wherever they were lazing about.
"The Three Saints of Hwangdae have arrived!"
At someone's shout, the Hwangdae Merchant Company warriors, who had been on the verge of collapse, let out a roar—Waaah!
Hwang Du-pyeong, who had been looking around, soon spotted three middle-aged people dressed in white.
Commerce was the greatest pillar of the Hwangdae Merchant Company, but enemies were bound to appear in the course of doing business.
The Three Saints of Hwangdae were the sword and shield that could most reliably defeat the Hwangdae Merchant Company's enemies.
"Everyone fall back!"
When Hong Seong of the Three Saints shouted, the fighting warriors hurriedly withdrew.
'Come to think of it, I don't even know their names.'
The Three Saints of Hwangdae were called only Hong Seong, Cheong Seong, and Muk Seong; their names were never given.
Do Tong-dal, whom Hwang Du-pyeong had been unable to take his eyes off, also stopped fighting, and the hall fell silent in an instant.
The Three Saints of Hwangdae walked slowly toward the intruders. Even at the sight of the dozens of Hwangdae Merchant Company warriors sprawled around them, their expressions did not change.
Confidence that they could win no matter how strong the intruders were radiated from their entire bodies.
Hong Seong asked the intruders.
"Shall we hear what business brought you here? From the look of it, you don't seem to be here to steal anything."
A man with a slender jawline and a figure as slim as a woman's spoke.
"Steal? We came to teach some insolent merchants a lesson."
"I don't recall the Hwangdae Merchant Company making enemies of masters like you."
"That's what you think."
Hong Seong's expression twisted.
"The young fellow has a sharp tongue."
"I've got no interest in being friends with a shady bastard like you."
The intruder's sword tip pointed at Hong Seong.
"Stop flapping your gums and let's fight."
* * *