The Elder Brother Has Returned
The Grand Matriarch of the Lee clan's eightieth birthday was only days away. For the first time since his return, Yi Yeok set foot outside the estate, with Sorim at his side and Joo Taek 'protecting' the pair of them.
Though it was his hometown after long years away, Yi Yeok strode forward without a moment's hesitation. Before long, the party stopped in front of a three-story wooden building. It was hardly massive in scale, yet every inch of it was adorned with lavish, meticulous ornamentation.
Unboru — the Cloud Treasure Pavilion.
Its influence was immense, its enterprises spread across every corner of the world, and every city in the land held a branch of its own. Unso City was no exception.
Here, the rarest treasures under heaven were bought and sold — and if one possessed both sufficient money and sufficient luck, one could even acquire treasures from the immortal realm itself.
Yi Yeok entered the Cloud Treasure Pavilion as though it were familiar ground. Sorim looked slightly cowed, while Joo Taek's eyes gleamed with interest.
There were few people inside. The place had never belonged among the clamorous markets of the streets anyway. An ordinary man could save for a lifetime and still be unable to afford the cheapest item the Cloud Treasure Pavilion had to offer.
Yi Yeok simply stood where he had entered and waited. After a moment, a man with a long beard came to greet him.
"Welcome, honored guest. Is there something you are looking for?"
He was the branch manager of the Cloud Treasure Pavilion in Unso City. For a place frequented only by magnates and men of power, it was uncommon indeed for the manager himself to attend a customer. Though Yi Yeok was dressed plainly and modestly, the man's manner was courteous and warm.
"I'm looking for a gift for my grandmother. A tonic or a pill with properties that prolong life would be ideal."
The manager escorted Yi Yeok with friendly courtesy to the VIP chamber on the top floor. Yi Yeok remained composed, as if entirely unaware he was being given special treatment.
"I have no such items on hand — but as it happens, I have a single pill in stock."
The manager gave a quiet signal to an attendant. Before long, a sandalwood box sat between them. Its lining was golden silk, and at its center lay an object wrapped in layer upon layer of the same cloth.
As the silk fell away, a small crystal vial emerged. Within it rested a single pill.
"This is a Vitality-Blood Awakening Pill. A mid-grade spirit pill with remarkable properties for extending one's years."
Pills were divided into mortal pills, spirit pills, and immortal pills, with mortal and spirit pills further ranked as low, mid, high, or supreme grade. A mere mid-grade spirit pill could only be obtained by prestigious noble clans — a thing beyond the dreams of ordinary people.
The branch manager smiled and stroked his long beard.
"It is not an easy thing to come by. It arrived only yesterday, by sheer chance. Now that I look at you, I suppose it was waiting for its rightful owner to walk through that door today."
Despite the manager's polished patter, Yi Yeok showed no particular reaction.
"How much?"
"Twelve thousand taels of silver."
Sorim, who had followed along this far, had to fight with all her strength to keep her jaw from dropping. Twelve thousand taels. To her, it was a sum so vast it refused to feel real.
Yi Yeok said nothing at all.
The branch manager went on.
"But a rare guest has graced us, and however much of a merchant I may be, could I chase profit alone? Take it for ten thousand taels. Consider the remainder the Cloud Treasure Pavilion's welcome to a young master who has returned to us after so long an absence."
Yi Yeok was silent for a moment, as though taken aback.
"You know who I am?"
"Word that a young master of the Lee clan has returned has already spread far and wide through Unso City."
"How did you know it was me?"
"This gentleman at your side vouches for it, does he not?"
Yi Yeok turned his head and regarded Joo Taek for a moment. Apparently, the man was a fairly well-known martial artist within Unso City.
"So a profit-chasing merchant bows to the sensibilities of noble clans now?"
Sensing that he had somehow offended his customer, the manager let out a hearty laugh and swept the flustered look from his face.
"Of course not. Had I not been moved by your dignified and noble bearing, young master, I would never offer so rare an item at such a price — no matter whose son you were."
Then, carefully gauging the other man's mood, he continued.
"Now that we have forged such a fine connection, please come to the Cloud Treasure Pavilion again whenever you need anything. I am simply looking past today's profit toward a greater one down the road — hardly a betrayal of a merchant's duty, wouldn't you say?"
Yi Yeok quietly drew a money pouch of banknotes and silver from his coat. The weathered manager understood the amount the instant he weighed it in his hand.
"Ten thousand taels of silver. Plus a thousand on top. I'm grateful for the generous price, but I have no wish to haggle you down too far."
The manager stared at Yi Yeok in astonishment, then bowed low.
"Your character is far greater than I had guessed. Please do return. I shall prepare only the finest goods for you, young master."
Yi Yeok left the Cloud Treasure Pavilion. With a flick of his eyes, he had Joo Taek take the pill box from Sorim's hands, then pulled out the heavy money pouch and held it out to her.
"Thanks to a good bargain, I've got money to spare. Go buy yourself a proper outfit. You can't show up to your grandmother's eightieth birthday without clothes to wear in it."
Sorim's eyes went wide. Forget one outfit — this was enough to buy hundreds and still have change left over.
"Young Master, I could never presume to—"
"Don't call me that."
As if to deny her any chance to refuse, Yi Yeok simply walked on.
"I suppose I'll have that cup of tea. What are you doing, Joo Taek? You're supposed to be 'protecting' me."
Joo Taek, the pill box tucked under his arm, watched the retreating figure with an intrigued look, then spoke to Sorim, who stood there at a loss.
"Do as the young master says."
Even so, Sorim could only bring herself to move long after they had gone, struggling to quiet the pounding in her chest.
Seated in an unremarkable teahouse, Yi Yeok watched the street with a blank expression. The passersby gradually realized he was the young master of whom rumors spoke, and they began stealing glances and murmuring among themselves — until Joo Taek glared at them, and they quickly drifted away.
Standing silently with his arms crossed, Joo Taek stole glance after glance at Yi Yeok as he turned over everything he had witnessed that day.
Is this man truly what the Clan Head described — the shame of the family, a good-for-nothing rogue and wastrel?
His consideration and kindness toward those beneath him alone would have marked him as unusual, even rare, for the son of a prestigious clan.
And that was not all. To Joo Taek, a martial artist forged by training, Yi Yeok's gait and breathing were anything but ordinary. It was plain enough that the young man possessed considerable skill, and a talent that surpassed even that. He might never enter the immortal sects, but even so, he had it in him to stand among the supreme masters of the mortal world.
At that point, Joo Taek decided to put his musings to rest. His duty was simply to follow the orders he had been given. Asking pointless questions, or trying to change his master's mind, lay well beyond his station.
Before long, Sorim returned, her face flushed bright red. In her arms she carried the clothes she had just bought.
Joo Taek had no particular eye for a woman's wardrobe, but even he could see that the outfit was appropriately fine without ever crossing the line of what was proper for a servant to wear.
"Good purchase. It suits you."
"Thank you, young master. And, well... I—"
Sorim tried to hand the money pouch back. Most of what she'd been given surely remained. When Joo Taek, standing behind Yi Yeok, gave a quiet shake of his head, she floundered for a moment before finally stowing the pouch away again.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, young master."
Sorim bowed once more. Yi Yeok merely gave a brief nod, as though it were none of his concern.
"Let's head back."
The three returned to the Lee estate. Before they had even passed through the main gate, a commotion could be heard from within.
"What's all that racket?"
At Joo Taek's question, the gatekeeper answered.
"The Eldest Young Master has returned from the immortal sect."
Joo Taek found himself glancing at Yi Yeok's face before he knew it. Nothing had changed in it.
"Young master, shall we go and see?"
Yi Yeok answered flatly.
"What for? Is he really so remarkable?"
"...Then we shall escort you to your quarters."
Yi Yeok and the two of them headed straight for his residence. Joo Taek hesitated inwardly several times before he finally spoke.
"The Eldest Young Master was born with heaven-gifted talent and receives the sect's favor entirely for himself. He will take little part in the affairs of the mortal world hereafter."
It was a pointed remark. Yi Yeok shot Joo Taek a sharp look.
"I'm not the sort who picks through what other people throw away."
That was a mistake. He should have simply kept his mouth shut after all. Joo Taek quickly bowed his head.
"My apologies. I overstepped."
Fortunately, Yi Yeok pressed the matter no further and kept walking. His pace grew faster and faster until even Sorim was struggling to keep up. Truly, he seemed desperate to avoid crossing paths with the Eldest Young Master.
But a voice rang out, shattering that hope to pieces.
"There's my little brother!"
Yi Yeok clicked his tongue. He considered pretending not to have heard, but he had already stopped walking — there was no way to pull it off now. Donning the most expressionless face he could manage, he turned around.
A tall, lanky young man came bounding toward him with an energetic stride.