The False Gentleman's Harvest
“How much have we lost already?”
“More than ten thousand taels.”
A crowd had gathered in one spot, eyes fixed on the gambling tables.
“What about Park Dang?”
“He’s standing by. Shall I send him in?”
“Do it.”
Oh Dal, the man running this gambling den, hurriedly dispatched Park Dang—the house’s finest gambler—to the table where Cheonhwa sat.
“This looks like it could be fun. Mind if I join the game?”
Park Dang settled into a seat, pretending to be an ordinary customer with no ties to the establishment.
“I think I’ll stop here for tonight.”
The moment Park Dang appeared, Cheonhwa announced he was done and rose from his chair, calling for the clerk.
“Please exchange these for a promissory note.”
The clerk glanced at Oh Dal. Conscious of the many eyes watching, Oh Dal gave a slight nod.
“The total comes to thirteen thousand taels.”
“I’ll prepare the note once the amount is verified.”
While the clerk counted the money, Oh Dal slipped out of the gambling house.
He entered the building next door and opened a door. Inside, a group of hard-faced men waited—the enforcers who stepped in whenever trouble arose in the den.
“Soon a kid will walk out carrying a promissory note worth thirteen thousand taels. Follow him, take it back.”
Oh Dal’s order was met with surprise.
“Thirteen thousand taels is serious money… Did Park Dang get cleaned out?”
“No. Park Dang sat down to play, but the kid stood up and said he was leaving.”
“Understood. We’ll wait outside and recover it. Let’s move, boys.”
The man who appeared to be their leader led the group out of the room and out of the building.
“They’ve grown too bold lately. Time to remind those gamblers who really runs things.”
Meanwhile, Cheonhwa examined the promissory note issued by the Jiangsu Money House before leaving the gambling den.
On the road home, a group of rough-looking men blocked his path.
“Hey, kid.”
Cheonhwa looked at the gangsters and gave a soft chuckle.
“My prediction was spot on. This must be why they say all men think alike.”
He tilted his head at the men who had called out to him.
“Did you want something from me?”
“Who else would we be talking to?”
“What is it?”
“We heard you won quite a sum at the gambling tables today.”
“I did win a bit. Why?”
“How about sharing some of that with your big brothers here?”
“Why should I share my money with you? You look like common thugs, yet can’t you see the sword at my waist? I’ve learned martial arts. If you come at me, you’ll all die. So turn around while I’m still speaking nicely.”
His words sounded like a joke, so the men burst into loud laughter. They stepped closer, shoving their faces into his and growling.
“Hand over that promissory note while we’re still being polite.”
“You should leave while I’m still being polite. Otherwise you might not live to see tomorrow’s sunrise.”
“This little bastard’s got quite the mouth on him…”
One of them grabbed Cheonhwa’s shoulder and tried to shove him, but the boy didn’t move an inch.
“I warned you. Touch me and you all die.”
The man holding his shoulder felt a strange, chilling sensation crawl across his skin.
“Uh… uh…”
He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. Cold sweat trickled down his spine, screaming danger.
He tried to pull his hand away and retreat, yet his body refused to obey.
“You should have listened. Are you really willing to risk your lives over a mere ten thousand taels?”
Cheonhwa simply stepped sideways, slipping free of the man’s grip. The thug remained frozen in the same posture, as if turned to stone.
“Ugh!”
Merely by taking that single step, the gangsters shuddered as though struck by a deathly chill.
“Will anyone mourn you when you’re gone?”
“That’s…”
Only now did the gangsters realize that Cheonhwa had truly mastered martial arts—and that he was a master far beyond anything they could handle.
“Don’t worry. I’ll dispose of your bodies myself.”
Shiiing.
The sword at his right hip slid free on its own, then flashed through the air at a speed invisible to the naked eye. It wove between the gangsters before returning neatly to its sheath.
The men never even realized they had been cut. They stood rooted like stone statues.
“If I ask Haomun to clean this up, they’ll handle it.”
Cheonhwa dragged the bodies to one side, arranged them to look as though they were sitting and chatting, then slipped out of the gambling alley.
“The smuggling run is tonight, isn’t it?”
Ginseng from the Haedong Kingdom could only be traded by those granted imperial permission. The continental merchant groups that dealt with the government had monopolized the trade. The Gangso Merchant Group had been acquiring it through dark channels. That smuggled ginseng was then used as bribes for the Jiangsu provincial governor and other high officials, buying protection for their many illegal ventures.
“The ship from Haedong docks at Haemun Harbor, correct?”
With the intention of raiding the Gangso Merchant Group’s smuggling operation, Cheonhwa moved quickly.
“What did you say? All the smuggled goods were stolen?”
Nam Cha-seong, head of the Gangso Merchant Group—the most powerful merchant organization in Jiangsu—was infamous for using bribes, entertainment, and women to control high officials. Even the provincial governor reportedly watched his mood. Upon hearing that the entire shipment traded with Haedong had been taken at dawn, rage boiled up inside him.
“What the hell were the men who went with it doing?!”
His eldest son, Nam Il, answered in a trembling voice.
“T-they’re all dead…”
“All of them? Who did it? Who killed them?”
“We don’t know. The Haedong people finished the deal and returned home immediately, so it doesn’t appear to be their work.”
“If not the Haedong merchants, then someone deliberately targeted our transaction. Who knew we were trading at dawn?”
“That’s unclear, but among those involved, only Uncle Sangdo knew the full details… Ah, perhaps Haomun might have known.”
“What about Sangdo?”
“He returned to the main house badly injured.”
“Then he must have seen the attackers.”
“He says he didn’t. His skull was cracked. It seems he was struck by a rock and knocked unconscious.”
“Sangdo was knocked out, and every escort and porter is dead?”
Nam Cha-seong realized this couldn’t have happened without careful planning. The thieves clearly knew them well.
“How much did we lose?”
“Around one hundred thousand taels. Worse, the Haedong tiger pelts, ginseng, Japanese listening jade, Western Regions black bear skins, and sea dog penis were all taken.”
The Haedong tiger pelts and ginseng needed no explanation, but the Japanese listening jade was a gem that drove the wives of high officials wild. Rumors claimed women would strip without hesitation to obtain even a small ornament carved from it.
The black bear pelts from the Western Regions were incomparably larger and more magnificent than those found in the Central Plains. High officials, martial clans, and merchant families all competed fiercely to obtain them.
The sea dog penis was a rare medicinal ingredient excellent for male vitality, memory loss, and restoring energy. It could only be obtained through the Western Regions and Haedong Kingdom.
Nam Cha-seong’s face twisted in fury.
“Who were the tiger pelts and ginseng meant for?”
“They were to be delivered to Cheon Yeong-san, External Affairs Director of the Eastern Depot.”
“And the black bear pelts and sea dog penis?”
“They were headed to the Prince of Ying’s residence in Anhui Province. His Highness has been unusually low on energy lately, so the governor specially requested the Haedong ginseng and sea dog penis.”
Until now there had never been a single mistake. They had trusted him completely, and he had promised to be as solid as iron. Now that promise lay in ruins.
“If we contact the Western Regions and Haedong again, how long until the next shipment?”
“At least a month. Ginseng and sea dog penis aren’t cultivated—they must be harvested from the wild.”
“Haa…”
Nam Cha-seong racked his brain for a solution, but nothing came to mind.
“My lord.”
He looked at the steward.
“Obtaining ginseng from our own country is easy.”
“And?”
“From what I’ve heard, sea dog penis is similar to… a dog’s organ.”
“What?”
“Since dog dick and sea dog penis look alike once dried, flattened, and finely chopped, no one would be able to tell the difference.”
“And if we’re discovered?”
“There’s no way we’d be discovered. Dog dick is also good for vitality and can temporarily restore energy. The only difference is that dog dick requires long-term use, while sea dog penis works with a single dose.”
“Hmm…”
Nam Cha-seong was tempted, but he could not deceive the Prince of Ying. If the deception were exposed, the entire family could be destroyed.
“No. If we could keep it completely secret, perhaps. But taking such a risk otherwise is foolish.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Contact the Western Regions and Haedong immediately. The thieves will try to sell the stolen goods on the black market. Have Haomun watch the underground markets across the Central Plains. If any ginseng or sea dog penis appears, buy it back. Handle it that way and don’t waste time on anything else.”
“Understood.”
Cheonhwa brought the goods he had seized from the Gangso Merchant Group’s smuggling run to Sang-a-ru.
“You want us to sell these for you?”
“I’ll let you have them at half price. Haomun should still make a nice profit, no?”
“That’s true, but merchants’ intelligence networks are formidable. The moment we release these onto the black market, the Gangso Merchant Group will hear about it.”
“Come now, you’re being too pessimistic. No matter how I look at it, Haomun is the greatest information organization in the world. Can’t you fool a few mere merchants?”
“But it is the truth. At times, merchants obtain information faster than we do.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The Gangso Merchant Group has not yet joined the Ten Brightness Association, so their information gathering may be slightly slower. But those groups that are members possess intelligence networks that rival even Haomun.”
“The Ten Brightness Association?”
“The masters of the ten greatest merchant groups formed an assembly. Its name is the Ten Brightness Association. The Haedong Merchant Group once held a seat, but now that position belongs to the Baemyeong Merchant Group of Guangdong Province.”
“Baemyeong Merchant Group? That name sounds familiar.”
“The noble guest who knocked out every tooth in Bae Jae-man’s mouth at the Wulin Alliance Headquarters—Bae Jae-man is the second son of the Baemyeong Merchant Group.”
“Ah, that rude fellow. No wonder the name rang a bell. In any case, just buy the smuggled goods at half price. I plan to keep plundering all their future shipments as well. I’ll sell them all to you at half price, so please take them.”
Ga-wol looked at Cheonhwa’s stubborn expression and sighed helplessly before nodding.
“But why target the Gangso Merchant Group? Is it simply for the Haedong Merchant Group’s sake?”
“That’s part of it. But since those bastards stole my grandfather’s wealth, I’m simply taking theirs in return.”
“The Gangso Merchant Group stole from the Haedong Merchant Group?”
“You already know the answer. They work with the Green Forest bandits and water pirates to plunder Haedong shipments, buy the goods at dirt-cheap prices, and resell them for massive profit. You’re well aware of this.”
Ga-wol stared at him. Though young in years, his depths were impossible to read.
It wasn’t that his mind was especially profound. Rather, his words and actions seemed to follow no fixed pattern, yet when examined closely, even that observation didn’t quite fit.
“Please pay for the stolen goods with promissory notes issued by the Jiangsu Money House.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. I’m going to make a deposit. The larger the sum, the more interest I’ll earn.”
“That is true.”
“Then please do so.”
“Understood. I will handle it immediately. Also, the Branch Leader wishes to meet with the noble guest and is currently on her way here.”
“Is she?”
“She should arrive within two or three days.”
“Then we can meet, exchange favors, and help each other. Very well. When she arrives, send someone to the Haedong Merchant Group to let me know.”
After handing over all the smuggled goods to Haomun, Cheonhwa took the promissory notes and headed for the Jiangsu Money House.
While the main branch stood in the provincial capital of Nanjing, a branch operated in Suzhou.
Centered around Taihu, the business of lending money to entertainment houses, merchants, and manufacturers had become quite profitable.
Cheonhwa deposited every promissory note he had received from Haomun along with his gambling winnings, then received a thick bundle of blank notes in return.
When the customer wrote an amount on one of these notes and presented it, the money house would pay out exactly that sum—provided it did not exceed the original deposit.
Receiving the bundle of notes, Cheonhwa smiled brightly.
Then shall I keep multiplying money using the Gangso Merchant Group’s own funds?