Silver Light Merchant Group (6)
“Huuuuh. Huuuh, damn it!”
Yi Jeong-gap of the Silver Light Merchant Group and his men, who had bought up all the silk and raw cotton from Jeong Se-in disguised as the North Sea Merchant Group, let out sighs of relief the moment they confirmed the full quantity—but not without spewing curses.
“Ugh, from now on, we absolutely cannot get tangled up with the government again.”
Even Steward Kang, of all people, was saying this. How dire had things gotten?
“Cut the nonsense... The quantities are definitely correct, right?”
“Of course, sir. I kept the underlings away and checked everything myself multiple times.”
Only after hearing Steward Kang's firm assurance did Yi Jeong-gap finally relax.
“Good. Very good.”
He felt some of the pent-up frustration from the past few days easing at last.
Of course, thinking about the massive losses still made his blood boil anew.
“Forget the losses. We're not doing one-day business in Hebei Province. As long as we don't go completely bankrupt, we can recover from anything.”
Rather than despair, Yi Jeong-gap harbored vicious thoughts of squeezing his trading partners dry through other means.
It was right then.
“Branch Leader! Branch Leader!”
Another shout rang out, and Yi Jeong-gap felt his heart sink like a turtle seeing a crane—or a pot lid, in this case.
“What the hell is it now?”
He couldn't contain his explosive irritation and raised his voice.
“Th-the lord of the Demon Sword Sect and his escort warriors have come calling!”
At those words, Yi Jeong-gap felt his head spin once more.
Why the hell are those bastards here?
Why had they come?
Surely not to draw swords over the previous sanctions? No, that wasn't it.
Steward Kang shared the same doubts.
“They know full well we have the Seok Family Manor behind us—not to mention the righteous martial world at large. Why...?”
Even in their decline, the Demon Sword Sect should have enough sense to know better. Their visit was baffling.
“Just chase them off!”
His head already throbbed, and rage simmered on the verge of killing him. Seeing Hyeon Yucheon's face might just give him a fit of anger-induced illness.
In his madness, Yi Jeong-gap immediately issued an order to refuse visitors. But Hyeon Yucheon and his group were utterly shameless.
“Um... they say if you won't meet them, they'll rampage and burn down the warehouse.”
The gatekeepers expressed their reluctance as they relayed Hyeon Yucheon's exact words.
“What? Set it on fire?”
Hearing talk of arson, Yi Jeong-gap had no choice but to leap to his feet.
If a fire broke out, the silk and raw cotton would go up in flames without a doubt.
No! Do you know what those goods are worth?
They had bought massive quantities at ten times the market price!
Even if just one bolt burned—or god forbid, ten or more—he couldn't possibly replenish the stock.
Combined with what they'd gotten from the North Sea Merchant Group, they had barely scraped together enough to meet the quota.
“Those crazy bastards!”
Yi Jeong-gap was furious enough to consider calling on the Murim Alliance for aid, but he thought better of it.
Even if he did, wrapping up Lady Heeryeong's business came first.
“Bring them here!”
And so, the second meeting between Yi Jeong-gap and Hyeon Yucheon took place.
Hyeon Yucheon had naturally brought the Black Wolf Three Swords with him, and the reason for his visit here was simple.
I heard this place has famous suckers, so I came to see for myself.
The moment he laid eyes on Yi Jeong-gap, Hyeon Yucheon raised both hands in mock delight.
“Oh my~ If it isn't the esteemed Yi Jeong-gap, who graciously bought up all our Demon Sword Sect's precious goods last time?”
He deliberately brought up the past affair, stirring up Yi Jeong-gap's already rotten guts and rubbing salt in the wound.
“Hmph! What brings you here?”
Unlike the beaming Hyeon Yucheon, Yi Jeong-gap radiated icy hostility.
“You pretending not to know? You pulled off quite the cute little stunt against the Demon Sword Sect.”
“Ahh.”
Finally grasping their reason for coming, Yi Jeong-gap smirked triumphantly.
“Heh heh, thought you could treat me like a mark, huh? This Central Plains martial world isn't settled by brute force alone. I showed you real adult warfare... How was it? Satisfied?”
Yi Jeong-gap flaunted the savvy he'd built over years in the merchant world, but it didn't last long.
“Oh, we were very satisfied. That's why we're here.”
Hyeon Yucheon loomed over Yi Jeong-gap.
“I even came ready to torch the place and go berserk if you refused to talk.”
He feigned exhaustion from the Silver Light Merchant Group's sanctions.
In truth, thanks to Jeong Se-in's help, they were living far more luxuriously than during the sanctions.
Flinch!
Hearing the arson threat straight from the horse's mouth made Yi Jeong-gap recoil in horror despite himself.
No, he can't set the fire. He absolutely can't.
From what he'd seen, Hyeon Yucheon was more than capable of such madness.
With a handsome smile on his face, no less.
Knowing that full well, he had to rein in Hyeon Yucheon's rampage.
“Wh-who's scared? Get lost. We have nothing more to see here.”
Yi Jeong-gap put on a tough front, but Hyeon Yucheon was tougher.
“Black Wolf Three Swords brothers, if we ignite the Threefold True Fire here, it'd burn bright, wouldn't it?”
He even demonstrated actual flames.
Whoosh!
Seeing the Threefold True Fire—possible only for super peak experts—Yi Jeong-gap could endure no longer.
“Stop! Staaahp!”
What if a spark jumped to the warehouse beside them? All their six days of suffering would go up in smoke!
Yes, just make them back off for now.
Tomorrow, they'd deliver everything to Lady Heeryeong as promised, and they could revive the sanctions then.
“Fine. You win. I'll lift all sanctions and restrictions on the Demon Sword Sect.”
Of course, after tomorrow, he'd hit them with measures several times harsher.
“Hm? Isn't that a given?”
Cheonu of One Sword Thousand raised a shoulder with a shrug, as if to say, What are you talking about?
“What?”
“You think we came here just to make you stop?”
“Th-then?”
“That's part of it... but hey, old timer. Spot me some pocket money.”
That was it.
The real reason Hyeon Yucheon had come.
To taunt the beleaguered Yi Jeong-gap and extort another fortune.
“Wh-what?”
“You deaf? Aren't you the richest in Hebei Province? Think of it as helping a junior from your hometown.”
Last time, Jeong Se-in had gotten revenge. This time, it was Hyeon Yucheon's turn.
“You...!”
As Yi Jeong-gap jumped in fury!
Whoosh!
The Black Wolf Three Swords ignited roaring flames beside him—what could he do?
Branch Leader! Just endure one day!
Steward Kang soothed and persuaded him.
Looking back, he was right.
Cater to their whims for a day, then crush them later. They could recover today's gold many times over.
“Fine. I'll give you plenty, so just! Please! Get out!”
Thus, Hyeon Yucheon claimed both revenge and pocket money.
* * *
The day after Hyeon Yucheon left, another passed.
Finally, the fateful day promised to Lady Heeryeong arrived.
“Everything's prepared, right?”
Yi Jeong-gap spoke, looking far more haggard than before.
Procuring the silk and cotton had been tough, but Hyeon Yucheon's constant shakedowns—treating him like an ATM—had wrung his insides raw.
“Of course. Preparations are perfect.”
Yi Jeong-gap nodded at Steward Kang's uncompromising assurance on the matter.
Just you wait, Hyeon Yucheon. I'll repay this humiliation tenfold.
For now, he set aside his grudge against Hyeon Yucheon and refocused on the deal.
“Right, when is the lady coming?”
“Soon.”
To ensure nothing disrupted the transaction, Yi Jeong-gap had amped up security and escorts.
At the appointed time, Lady Heeryeong—the fourth wife of the Hebei Province Lord they'd met before—appeared.
All of Silver Light Merchant Group rose to greet her warmly.
“Is the tribute ready?”
Though the fourth wife, the first wife was old and frail, making the young Lady Heeryeong the real power behind the lord.
Just past thirty, she was almost too youthful to call “lady.”
Her alluring beauty could captivate anyone, but Yi Jeong-gap and Steward Kang remained unshaken.
They knew the fate of Silver Light Merchant Group hung on this deal.
“Of course.”
“Shall we confirm personally?”
At her question about the tribute, the two confidently invited her to inspect.
Hearing is worth less than seeing, as they say—and with full confidence in the goods, they urged her to check.
“Very well.”
Accepting their offer, Lady Heeryeong personally examined each item in turn, without delegating to underlings.
She had no choice but to be cautious; these were tributes to His Imperial Majesty in the name of the Hebei Province Lord. Perfection was mandatory.
These are definitely fit for presentation to His Majesty.
Yi Jeong-gap watched her with growing certainty.
Having prepared superb tribute, he indulged in happy fantasies of the rewards.
True, the tenfold price meant huge losses—but winning the favor of the province lord and his puppeteer, Lady Heeryeong, made it worthwhile.
Of course, Yi Jeong-gap's fantasies didn't last.
“Wait! What is this?”
As he dreamed vain dreams, Lady Heeryeong's furious high-pitched cry rang out.
“Y-yes?”
Clueless, Yi Jeong-gap and Steward Kang just stared blankly at each other.
“Perfect goods? This?”
Lady Heeryeong pointed between the silk and cotton.
Incredibly, her delicate fingertip indicated rotten silk stacked with raw cotton melted by intense heat.
Tremble!
Seeing it, Yi Jeong-gap neither gasped nor screamed.
He simply froze in silent shock.
How in the world...?
“H-how... why is that...?”
So stunned, he couldn't even scream, rooted in place.
He hadn't anticipated this at all.
“Impossible!”
Steward Kang was equally shocked.
He had personally checked multiple times—no defective goods.
Yet here were blatant defects. Unbelievable.
“You dared try to sell me this garbage?!”
Lady Heeryeong raged and interrogated them.
“Forgive us!”
Unsure what happened, but with the situation dire, placating her was priority.
Yi Jeong-gap panicked, desperately trying to salvage it—but to no avail.
“We can't present this trash to His Majesty. Since you failed to provide proper goods as per the contract, you'll pay the penalty fee.”
Utterly incensed, Lady Heeryeong even pulled out the contract.
Per its terms, the penalty was several times the payment.
In other words... bankruptcy for Yi Jeong-gap and Silver Light Merchant Group.