Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Translator: Penny
Chapter 81
Beyond the Net (2)
Gong Suchan led me to an estate located about twenty li from Wuhan. Nestled against a mountain with a view of the water, the estate boasted exceptionally beautiful surroundings.
"Where is this place?"
"This is the estate I recently purchased. It will serve as the headquarters for the new Merchant Guild."
"Oh! So the guild is finally taking shape."
"It may seem insignificant, but I wanted to show you first."
"Insignificant? This place will be historic for us! The story that begins here could become legend."
I gazed at the estate with a look of deep emotion.
Seeing my genuine excitement, Gong Suchan was equally moved.
"Have you decided on a name for the guild?"
"Young Master Byeok should name it."
"No, I entrusted this matter entirely to Steward Gong. You should choose the name."
After a moment's hesitation, Gong Suchan cautiously suggested a name.
"How about naming the Merchant Guild 'Taeseong Merchant Guild' (太星商會)? Though it's a small guild now, it carries the hope that one day it will become a great star illuminating the world."
"Excellent! Let's go with that."
The guild's name was decided. The thought of this being the first guild I had established filled me with a strange excitement.
"Shall we go inside?"
I followed Gong Suchan into the estate.
The interior was both cozy and meticulously maintained. Buildings surrounded a small training ground on three sides.
The central building was the largest, while the left and right wings were about half its size. I inspected each structure carefully, finding nothing to fault. After all, Gong Suchan, being so meticulous, must have thoroughly vetted the purchase. There was no way he would have overlooked any potential issues.
"You've worked hard," I said.
"Not at all, Young Master. I simply used the money you gave me to buy the house," Gong Suchan replied humbly.
"It's not my money, it's our money."
"Yes, Young Master."
Gong Suchan glanced at me and smiled faintly. Knowing my words were sincere, the emotion behind that smile must have been joy.
We then discussed the management of the Merchant Guild. I entrusted everything to him.
The best leaders don't micromanage their subordinates. A leader's sole responsibility is to identify talent and place them in the right positions.
Before leaving the estate, I handed him a ledger—the very one I had obtained from Yacheon's secret vault.
"Oh, and could you take a look at this?"
"What is it?"
"A secret ledger from an organization. Could you review it when you have time?"
"Understood," Gong Suchan said, carefully accepting the ledger.
Gwangdu arrived at the estate belatedly. After making a great fuss and inspecting every corner, he rolled up his sleeves and began a thorough cleaning.
"When it comes to cleaning, who else but Gwangdu?" he declared proudly. He showed no shame in his past as a servant; on the contrary, he wore it as a badge of honor. "If I hadn't been a servant of the Byeok Clan Sword School, how would I have ever met Young Master?"
How could I not cherish Gwangdu after hearing such words?
"You idiot, hire some help! You'll get sick trying to clean this vast place all by yourself."
"Are you... worried about me?"
"Of course."
"I'm so touched!"
"I also want the estate to be a bit cleaner."
"Ah... you could have left that last part out."
"Hahaha."
Though I now owned an estate, I continued to stay at the inn.
I had only visited the estate on the first day. For the time being, the Taeseong Merchant Guild needed to be developed into a merchant guild independent of the Byeok Clan Sword School.
Gong Suchan also planned to operate secretly from behind the scenes, avoiding direct involvement.
In the afternoon, Baek Pyo arrived with two men.
"I'd like to introduce you to someone," he said.
The men he introduced were Yangcheong and Famous Saber, Baek Pyo's right-hand men. They had been guards in the Alliance Guard Corps but had recently resigned to become Baek Pyo's subordinates.
"This is my Liege Lord," Baek Pyo announced.
Yangcheong and Famous Saber couldn't hide their surprise as they looked at me. It seemed Baek Pyo hadn't given them any prior explanation about me.
The shock of realizing how young I was also contributed to a strange sense of mystery.
Baek Pyo trusts someone this young? Then there must be something truly extraordinary about him.
That thought was evident in their expressions. Of course, this was only possible because of their absolute faith in Baek Pyo.
"I am Yangcheong."
"I am Famous Saber."
Baek Pyo emphasized his trust in them once more.
"They are like my own limbs."
Then I had only one thing to say.
"If Martial Artist Baek trusts you, then I trust you as well. Let's see how we work together in the future."
"Yes!"
I smiled contentedly. What I needed most right now was talent—reliable people.
No matter how much money you have, or how many martial artists you gather, if you lack proper leadership, it's all just numbers. A mirage that vanishes with a single breath.
After sending the two men away, I finally handed Baek Pyo the letter when we were alone.
"Here, take this."
It was a letter Jeong Yeong had entrusted to me to deliver when I left the Shandong Home.
As Baek Pyo read the contents, his eyes grew warm. He must miss his wife and son dearly.
He looked at me with a fervent gaze. The letter likely mentioned how my mother was treating them like family.
"What's wrong? Does it say something bad about me?" I joked.
Baek Pyo looked flustered. "No, of course not!"
Baek Pyo didn't understand jokes. Perhaps it was because he was still intimidated by me.
In any case, it was too early to bask in the moment. I still had more to impress him with.
"Here, take this."
I handed him the leather pouch. Baek Pyo glanced inside without thinking and gasped in surprise. It was filled to the brim with banknotes.
"Three hundred thousand taels."
Baek Pyo was stunned again. As a guard to the Alliance Leader, he must have seen vast sums of money many times, but this was likely the first time he'd ever seen such a fortune up close.
"Use this money to create an Elite Sword Guard."
"An Elite Sword Guard?"
"The number of members doesn't matter—ten or a hundred. What matters is that they become the most formidable organization, capable of executing any mission flawlessly."
Baek Pyo looked down at the money in his hand, a surge of emotion crossing his face. The mere thought of creating such an organization would naturally make him clench his fist, and he was deeply moved by the trust shown in entrusting him with such a crucial task and such a large sum of money without hesitation.
"Yes, leave it to me."
But that wasn't all I had to give.
I drew the Heavenly Creation Sword from my waist and handed it to him.
"What is this?"
"A gift. From now on, you'll wield this sword."
"But this is the sword you've been using, isn't it?"
"Thanks to you, I've acquired an even better one, haven't I?"
Baek Pyo knew well that there was no finer blade in this era than the Asura Radiant King Sword.
"May I draw this sword, just once?"
I nodded, and Baek Pyo drew the sword.
Swish.
Baek Pyo startled at the sight of the blade. What had emerged from the ordinary scabbard was anything but ordinary.
"A Famous Sword!" His voice trembled. "Yet... it feels familiar."
"Famous Swords often share a similar aura," I replied.
I had only wielded the Heavenly Creation Sword for a few months, and that was long ago. Moreover, it had been modified since then. It was no wonder Baek Pyo couldn't recognize it. The fact that he sensed its resemblance to other Famous Swords was a testament to his keen eye.
"I cannot accept such a precious blade," Baek Pyo said, offering the sword back to me. I returned it to him, saying, "The leader of the strongest organization should wield a sword worthy of his position."
"Young Master!"
He still refused to accept it.
"You're right, this sword is indeed precious. But it can never be more precious than you. Let me be honest: this isn't a gift, it's a shackle. A shackle to keep you by my side. Even after all this, will you still refuse to accept my sincerity?"
Baek Pyo could no longer refuse. In that moment, he pledged his unwavering loyalty.
His wife and children had been treated like family. He had been entrusted with a fortune large enough to sustain generations in prosperity, and now, he was being gifted a sword of immeasurable value.
How could he not pledge his loyalty to such a man?
"I will gratefully wear the shackle you bestow upon me."
This time, I summoned Jin and Su, the spies.
To be honest, I still couldn't fully trust them.
Of course, they had earned significant points with me by flawlessly executing the mission I had given them earlier.
But that didn't mean I could completely trust them. After all, they weren't people I had chosen myself, but rather individuals introduced by Jeong Yeo.
So I decided to share my trust with them, without putting them through an unnecessarily difficult test.
"Fifty thousand taels," I announced.
Even that sum was an enormous fortune, and the two spies were visibly startled.
"Use this to establish an intelligence network. Of course, I understand that this amount won't be enough to cover the entire Central Plains. Focus on building the network in Shandong and Wuhan first."
Once they had spent the initial fifty thousand taels, I planned to provide another fifty thousand. My total planned investment was three hundred thousand taels.
The outcome of this mission would determine my future trust in and evaluation of them.
"There are people I trust," I said, nodding.
"I have a few in mind as well," Baek Pyo replied.
"Once we establish the organization, I'll create a separate Martial Force Unit dedicated solely to supporting the intelligence network."
I planned to establish a support organization for the intelligence network, separate from the one Baek Pyo was forming.
"Oh! Thank you!"
The two men were even more delighted than when they received the money.
Even when I first gave them orders, I had ensured their safety. This gesture, too, was of the same nature, which moved them deeply.
I knew that for the organization to function properly, I needed to take good care of these men. In intelligence warfare, a single misstep could wipe out forces several times larger in an instant.
"I believe the intelligence network is the most crucial part of our organization."
My words stirred both gratitude and determination in them.
"We will never betray that trust," they vowed.
"Good."
The two men left the inn with fifty thousand taels.
Finally, I turned to Gwangdu.
"What about me? Don't I get anything?"
"Of course you do."
Gwangdu's eyes lit up.
"As expected, our Young Master is the best! What is it? Another Elixir this time?"
"Something even better than an Elixir!"
"Ooooh! Did you bring back a spiritual beast's Inner Core?"
"Something even better than that."
With that, I picked up the bottle of wine I had left by the side of the room.
"N-no way... is that Ethereal Stone Marrow inside? ...Nah, there's no way, right?"
"Let's just have a drink."
"Good heavens! Just wine? Everyone else got money, swords, and trust, and I only get wine?"
"I'd give you more if I hadn't already given it all away."
"Of course, I know. You're the type who believes that hoarding leads to waste, aren't you?"
Gwangdu pouted slightly, but he wasn't offended at all.
The offer of a final drink—wasn't that valuable enough? In fact, he wondered if he was receiving the best treatment of all.
Over a shared cup of wine, they finally had the conversation they'd been putting off.
"How are the Patriarch and Great Madam doing?"
"As always."
"And Songhui?"
"She's doing well. She seems to have grown taller."
"Kids grow so fast at that age. It hasn't been long, but I already miss everyone. Oh, what about Squad Leader Gwan? Still a training fanatic?"
"At this rate, you'll soon be worse than a training fanatic."
"Damn it! I'm going back to dawn training tomorrow!"
By the time Gwangdu had finished his bottle of wine, he cautiously asked, emboldened by the alcohol, "...How is Miss Do?"
"Do Sun? She's become even more beautiful."
Gwangdu drained his cup in one gulp.
"I don't think it's over yet."
"I don't need your sympathy."
"This isn't sympathy."
"Then what is it?"
"You rushed things too quickly. If it wasn't love at first sight, you should have approached her more carefully."
"I think so too. But what's the point now? It's already over."
Gwangdu sighed in resignation.
"It didn't end badly. There's still a chance."
"Isn't it already too late?"
"People's hearts change a dozen times a day. Why would a woman's heart be any different?"
Gwangdu's eyes sparkled.
"What should I do now?"
"Show her. Show her how you're changing. Make Do Sun wonder, 'Does he have this side to him? Does he have this ability?' Like that."
"Like you, Young Master?"
Ah, so that's what I've been doing too. To Gwangdu, to Hwarin, to everyone.
"Yes, like me."
Gwangdu sighed.
"Men-women relationships are so complicated."
"They are. They're complicated."
In that moment, I transitioned from advisor to fellow empathizer.
"Do you think I can do this well?"
"Does that even matter? What matters is trying."
As I extended my cup, Gwangdu clinked his against mine with a resounding clink.
A new hope bloomed on Gwangdu's face. Yes, he's still young. He should live with that kind of expression.
I didn't just need subordinates who were strong. I wanted them to be happy because of me, to become winds that would never be caught in the net of misfortune.
That's the path I want to walk.