Chapter 22
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Eun Garyeon's Proposal
"I'll introduce myself properly. I'm Eun Garyeon, the leader of the Eun Merchant Group."
The more beautiful the appearance, the more outstanding the martial arts, the higher the status...
The harder it was for me to have her, the more my heart stirred. It was only natural.
In that regard, her position as merchant leader was a pass.
Having heard her introduction, I gave my name in return.
"I'm Mok Jimyeong."
"Ah, so you're Mok the young hero."
Young hero...
It was a title I'd never heard in my life, and it gave me random goosebumps.
As my body shivered, Eun Garyeon continued.
"If Mok the young hero joins our merchant group, we'll start with a base salary of two silver taels..."
I'd just asked the name of the merchant group, but honestly, I had no intention of becoming an escort.
My goal was solely her body.
But if I became an escort, it might actually make it harder to have her.
'Women don't feel much attraction to men beneath them.'
Of course, some might be different, but most of the ones I'd seen were like that.
Ability and position were part of a man's charm, after all.
So I cut her off midway.
"No, I have no plans to be an escort. More importantly... the merchant group is called the Eun Merchant Group?"
"Yes...? Ah, yes."
"Hmm, I've never heard the name before..."
She nodded along to my mutter as if it were natural.
"Our Eun Merchant Group is based in Beijing, so that makes sense."
"Beijing? Then why is the leader here?"
"I was personally scouting new trading partners. In fact, I've just achieved a major success on this trip and am heading back, so soon you'll hear our name even in Taiyuan."
She spoke with a proud face.
I didn't know what success it was, but she seemed to be imagining her merchant group growing...
'But I've never heard of the Eun Merchant Group.'
It was a name I'd never encountered even before my regression.
Even if I, as a martial artist, paid little attention to merchant groups, if it was big enough to make a name in Taiyuan as she said, I should have heard it at least once.
Especially the Red Serpent Sect, where I'd spent a long time.
Considering its location in Hebei, it was actually strange that I'd never heard of a Beijing merchant group.
'Are they about to go bankrupt?'
Eun Garyeon noticed my expression and furrowed her fine brows.
"You don't seem to believe me. To tell you specially, Mok the young hero, our Eun Merchant Group has just made a deal with the Sichuan Tang Family."
"Sichuan Tang Family?"
I was slightly surprised by the unexpected name.
A Beijing merchant group making a deal with the Tang Family?
'That makes it even stranger.'
To deal with the Tang Family, the merchant group needed to be truly large-scale.
Especially considering the distance from Beijing to Sichuan, no ordinary size could even dream of it.
"You weren't scammed, were you?"
I meant it as genuine concern, but she snapped in anger.
"Scammed? I went to the Sichuan Tang Family myself and am just coming back!"
"You went to Sichuan personally...?"
"Yes. With Jang Xiaoxie, who's absent right now, it took a full four months..."
For a moment, I wondered who Jang Xiaoxie was, then remembered the guy I'd beaten and who had been fuming at me.
Since he still hadn't returned, maybe he'd run away.
But unfortunately, right then, the guy walked into the tavern.
With one cheek swollen like a steamed bun, he glared at me with blazing eyes.
'What are you gonna do, glare? I'll smash you again, punk.'
He flinched at my gaze and turned to speak to Eun Garyeon.
"Merchant Leader, do we still have matters to discuss?"
"Ah, Jang Xiaoxie. Sit here. I was just... pfft."
Eun Garyeon burst into laughter upon finally seeing his face.
His steamed-bun-swollen face was indeed funny.
Still, from her reaction, it was clear they weren't lovers.
If they exchanged affections, she'd worry before laughing.
'They went to Sichuan together?'
But this reaction...
Definitely, joining as an escort was a bad move.
As I nodded to myself, Jang's face twisted in fury.
He was angry but couldn't vent at his superior, so that's why.
"Merchant Leader. How long do you plan to stay with this rogue?"
In the end, he directed his anger at me.
Eun Garyeon answered.
"I was just explaining our Eun Merchant Group to Mok the young hero."
"Why explain our group to him...?"
"Because I want to hire him as an escort."
"Merchant Leader!"
The guy bulged his eyes as if he'd overheard something he shouldn't.
I found it amusing and sipped my drink while watching.
'Not that I plan to be an escort.'
"Jang Xiaoxie. Hiring escorts is the merchant leader's authority. Sit down."
He trembled for a while before plopping into a chair.
I clicked my tongue inwardly at the sight.
'Tsk, his martial arts were decent, but he has no backbone. Wait, does he... like Eun Garyeon?'
That would make sense.
Honestly, this Jang guy's martial arts were quite impressive for his age.
On the level of disciples from major sects.
Even if he joined the Murim Alliance, they'd welcome him, so it was odd he was just a merchant escort.
But if it was love, it fit.
"Hey, Jang punk. What's your name?"
"Grind, it's Jang Yunho."
He ground his teeth but answered.
Putting in effort in front of the woman he liked.
"You went to the Eun lady and the Tang Family?"
He flinched at the 'Eun lady' title but nodded, realizing it followed our conversation.
"...Yes."
"It's definitely the Sichuan Tang Family? You weren't scammed?"
The reason I bothered talking to this guy was that Eun Garyeon's earlier words made no sense.
I couldn't have not heard of a Beijing merchant group dealing with the Sichuan Tang Family during my Red Serpent Sect days.
'Maybe they got scammed.'
Eun Garyeon might not know martial arts, but this Jang Yunho had solid skills, so he'd see through ordinary scammers.
To my question, he answered firmly.
"It's definitely the Sichuan Tang Family. We even met the family head in person."
"Even the Tang Family head?"
That made it worse.
Sichuan Tang Family.
This clan, skilled in poisons and hidden weapons, was actually hard to recognize as righteous faction.
Think about it.
Poisons and hidden weapons—didn't they seem like something evil rabble would use?
However, the Tang Family dispelled such wary eyes in a textbook way: with trustworthiness.
They kept their word once given.
If a man's word is worth a thousand gold, the Tang Family's word was the history they'd built (Tang word accumulates Tang history).
In other words, if they met the family head...
'Something big happened? Or did they get hit with a rush job on the way back?'
I should have heard the Eun Merchant Group's name.
As I tapped the table with my index finger, deep in thought, Eun Garyeon smiled and said,
"Now do you believe me? As I said, if you join our Eun Merchant Group as an escort..."
She made the offer again.
She really didn't know how to give up.
Using her voice as background noise, as I pondered, I suddenly realized something huge.
'Why am I even worrying about this?'
Whether the Eun Merchant Group succeeded or not was none of my business.
I wasn't really going to join as an escort.
My goal from the start was her body.
"Forget the escort. Instead... you're heading to Beijing now, right?"
"Yes. That's right."
"I need to go that way too. How about traveling together?"
I had to pass through Beijing to go to the Moyong Family to meet the Sword Phoenix anyway.
Traveling with a beauty like Eun Garyeon as a bonus wasn't bad.
But the Jang punk next to her burst in.
"You're not even joining the Eun Merchant Group as an escort, so why should we travel with you?!"
Why? To seduce Eun Garyeon, obviously.
I couldn't say that honestly or he'd freak out more, so I gave a plausible excuse.
"There might be rogues on the way, right? I'll protect you."
"The rogue is you!"
So noisy.
I ignored him and looked at Eun Garyeon.
She pondered for a long time before speaking.
"Why do you want to travel with us? You're not even planning to join our group..."
I promptly delivered my killer line to steal her heart.
"Because the Eun lady is a beauty."
"I can't accept that reason."
But it didn't work on her.
Seeing her furrowed brows, this approach wouldn't fly.
'The courtesans loved it, though...'
Tsk, looks like I'm busted.
"Then just cover my travel expenses. How about that?"
"If it's just that much..."
"Merchant Leader!!"
The Jang punk whining beside her.
Eun Garyeon gave him a cold retort.
"Rogues might come at us, as Mok the young hero says."
"I can handle those puny rogues!"
"Then what about earlier...!"
She stopped midway, realizing her slip.
But Jang Yunho understood everything, sparks flying from his eyes.
'Why glare at me?'
He should've been stronger.
This is why men need ability.