The Merchant Web
Over the course of a single day, Jang Muhwi had come to understand one crucial fact: every merchant group was nothing more than a pack of wolves.
Even though he himself had set the table, the feast was far too large for one man to consume alone. The utensils weren't even properly prepared.
Of course, no matter how much was left over, he had no intention of handing any of it to the wolves.
Whoosh!
Jang Muhwi flipped through the documents without pause. Then, at some point, his movements stopped. Instead of continuing his review, he sat down and assumed a meditative posture.
Wang Jimak made no move to stop him. After all, Galmu-ryang, whom Jang Muhwi had brought along, was sorting through the documents without so much as blinking.
It was truly the work of one man doing the job of a hundred.
Wang Jimak finally understood why Jang Muhwi had selected Galmu-ryang for the Hyeonmudae.
The only pity was that Galmu-ryang had only one arm. It seemed to be from the injury he had sustained during the Paryun Valley incident.
Compassion.
A deep sense of pity welled up as Wang Jimak looked at him.
"You should take it easy."
"No, sir. I intend to finish everything by today. As I review these documents, my mind feels clearer. I think I finally understand why the Vice Leader brought me here."
"Hah, even if I tell you not to overdo it…"
Wang Jimak, who had clearly misunderstood something, quietly slid a pill across to Galmu-ryang. It had nothing to do with martial arts, but it was a pill that cleared the mind. It was mainly taken by scholars before examinations, but Wang Jimak had procured some due to the current crisis.
"Branch Chief?"
"It has nothing to do with inner energy, but it will clear your head."
"Th-thank you."
"The situation may be difficult, but stay strong. One day, you'll stand tall on your own. No, you're already standing tall on your own, aren't you?"
"B-Branch Chief…"
Galmu-ryang's voice cracked slightly. He was overwhelmed with emotion. This was only the second time since joining the Murim Alliance that he had received such praise. The first had come from Jang Muhwi, and now Wang Jimak was offering both praise and encouragement.
Galmu-ryang gripped his brush tightly. Wang Jimak clearly understood his training method as well. As expected, this too was training. Jang Muhwi hadn't led him into this mountain of documents for nothing.
Without realizing Wang Jimak's misunderstanding, Galmu-ryang focused all his attention on his right arm.
Focus only on one arm. Don't worry about how others see you.
Galmu-ryang etched Jang Muhwi's teachings once more into his heart and diligently moved his brush. The more passionately Galmu-ryang worked, the deeper Wang Jimak's sighs grew. It pained him to see a martial artist who had lost his path.
Just then, one of Wang Jimak's subordinates opened the office door and entered. His face was deathly pale. It was obvious that something serious had happened.
Wang Jimak alternated his gaze between the mountain of documents filling the office and his subordinate. He was almost afraid to ask what had gone wrong. If another incident occurred now, he would need to split himself in two. Handling the Jangryong Merchant Group alone was already overwhelming—another matter on top of that? He had no capacity left to deal with anything else. It was enough to drive a man mad.
The subordinate, reading Wang Jimak's expression, merely moved his lips without speaking. Finally, he opened his mouth as if he had no choice.
"Branch Chief, the carriages have arrived."
"Carriages? So nothing's gone wrong?"
"They're goods from the Jangryong Merchant Group."
"Did you just say Jangryong Merchant Group? All their reports should already be here…"
"They say it's additional documents that were requested."
"Hah, there must have been a mistake. I never requested additional documents from the Jangryong Merchant Group. Just store the items in the warehouse for now…"
At that moment, someone quietly approached Wang Jimak's side. He turned his head. There stood Jang Muhwi, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"Those are the documents I requested."
"W-wait a moment. What did you just say?"
"They're the documents I requested from the Jangryong Merchant Group."
"You requested them? When?"
As Wang Jimak's eyes widened in surprise, Jang Muhwi spoke.
"They're related to that anonymous complaint. I made the request in advance. So you don't need to worry about the documents in those carriages."
"Hah, this isn't some kind of ghost trick…"
"Just help move the cargo."
"That's only natural."
Wang Jimak laughed heartily and took the lead. But his laughter didn't last long. Three carriages had arrived. The reports and memorials filling all three carriages were an imposing sight. Wang Jimak felt his vision darken just from the sheer volume.
Before long, a partition naturally formed inside Wang Jimak's office. The towering piles of memorials and reports created a wall. This vast amount of material was exactly what Jang Muhwi had been waiting for. Without it, he couldn't handle the complaint. That was why he had been circulating his energy.
Jang Muhwi had no intention of wasting even a moment. If he rested, his future enemies would only grow stronger. That was his belief.
Thud!
The first booklet Jang Muhwi picked up had the author's name written on the cover: Mun U-ik. He had been a clerk at the Jangryong Merchant Group who had treated Jang Muhwi like his own right hand. He had tried to protect him. Mun U-ik had once said to Jang Muhwi:
"You're too good to stay here. You must take the provincial examination."
He had refused to send Jang Muhwi to the Biryong Pavilion until the very end. During the subsequent investigation, he had also been the most cooperative. Using his authority in the Hyeonmudae, Jang Muhwi had protected him. Before leaving the Jangryong Merchant Group, Jang Muhwi had asked him for a favor: to thoroughly investigate all the group's trading partners and uncover their weaknesses.
The merchant world of Qinghai was tangled like a spider's web. It would be harder to find a place with no connection to the Jangryong Merchant Group. And Mun U-ik had deep roots within the organization. Though the materials he provided were extensive, he had summarized all the key points into a single booklet.
Merchant groups were fundamentally similar to packs of wolves. They fed on rotten meat together. They turned a blind eye to each other's illegal activities while engaging in similar deeds themselves. Because they held each other's weaknesses, all the merchant groups in Qinghai had maintained a peaceful coexistence.
Flip. Flip.
The pages turned faster and faster. Jang Muhwi matched the names on the complaint with those in the reports. A smile slowly crept across his lips. Just as he had expected.
Watching Jang Muhwi focus on his work, Wang Jimak gently stroked the mind-clearing pill in his pocket. He had briefly suspected Jang Muhwi when he had sat in meditation earlier. Now he felt ashamed of himself. After all, Jang Muhwi was single-handedly reviewing the enormous volume of documents brought from the carriages. Whatever the documents were, he was sorting through them without blinking.
When Jang Muhwi had first said he would handle the complaint alone, Wang Jimak had been skeptical. The contents of the complaints were all the same: since they had invested in the Jangryong Merchant Group, they wanted their business rights returned. They had submitted identical complaints multiple times a day. In short, it was nothing but extortion.
But Wang Jimak had no choice but to at least pretend to review them. The donations these merchant groups made to the Murim Alliance were substantial. Even if the amounts from the complaining groups were small, if they were incited, all the merchant groups might stop donating. That was why even complaints from smaller groups couldn't be ignored. If they were dismissed, funding would dry up immediately. Yet he couldn't grant their demands either. Though the doors were currently locked, restoring the Jangryong Merchant Group to normal operations was also a priority. If left as is, Qinghai's commercial rights would clearly suffer massive damage. No matter which path he chose, keeping his position as Branch Chief would be impossible. Solving such a major incident as the Jangryong Merchant Group only to lose his post would be maddening. Wang Jimak was truly caught in a dead end.
Of course, it wasn't without its rewards. In his final days as Branch Chief, he had managed to recruit an outstanding talent like Jang Muhwi. Still, he never imagined that Jang Muhwi could actually resolve a complaint that even he couldn't handle.
"Even just your willingness is enough to be grateful."
Wang Jimak muttered to himself without realizing it. Just then, Jang Muhwi rose from his seat. Wang Jimak, who had been secretly watching, quickly turned away and casually picked up his teacup. Jang Muhwi approached and looked at him with a serious expression. Wang Jimak swallowed dryly at the unusual look in his eyes.
"It must be difficult after all. I've seen you do your best, so I'm satisfied with that."
"This isn't about work, Branch Chief."
"What do you mean?"
"Your teacup is empty. Would you like more tea?"
At Jang Muhwi's question, Wang Jimak quickly poured himself some tea. He had rushed back to his seat and sipped it, but it was far too awkward. Laughing stiffly, Wang Jimak cleared his throat and spoke.
"Ahem. I'm fine. That aside, do you have something to say to me?"
"I have something important to discuss."
"I expected as much."
Wang Jimak smiled faintly. He was certain Jang Muhwi was about to give up. After all, a complaint like this was a problem the younger generation couldn't possibly solve. Then Jang Muhwi continued with a serious expression.
"Since you expected it, you truly are the Branch Chief. After reviewing the materials, I've found this matter is simpler than it appears. I'll resolve it. May I proceed?"
"Cough!"
Startled, Wang Jimak choked on his tea and began coughing as if he had swallowed wrong. Then he scratched his ear, wondering if he had misheard. Staring at Jang Muhwi in surprise for a moment, he finally spoke.
"Did you just say it's simple? And that you'll resolve it? That you'll proceed?"
"Yes. That's correct. Time is of the essence, so may I begin immediately?"
"W-wait a moment. How exactly do you plan to resolve it?"
"The priority seems to be silencing the merchant groups listed in the complaint. And after that…"
Jang Muhwi laid out his plan. As he listened, Wang Jimak nodded at times but also cast suspicious glances at him. The plan was simple. He intended to audit all the merchant groups that had filed complaints. Since they were connected to the Jangryong Merchant Group's illegal activities, it wasn't impossible. However, finding evidence might prove difficult—they would have already hidden their weaknesses. The real issue came next. To normalize the Jangryong Merchant Group, he planned to join forces with a major merchant group.
"Wait just a moment. So you're saying you'll stir up a hornet's nest and then negotiate with the queen bee?"
"An apt metaphor. As expected of the Branch Chief."
"Hah. Do you really think that makes sense?"
"I'll make it work."
"What if you fail?"
"Either way, if we do nothing, you'll have to step down from your position, won't you? And as someone you promoted, I'll have to leave the Hyeonmudae as well. We've got nothing to lose."
"Haha."
Wang Jimak burst into loud laughter. It was the first time in a long while that he had laughed like this. The laughter was genuine. Just as Jang Muhwi said, they truly had nothing left to lose. If they stayed idle and lost their positions, the successor would simply claim all the credit for resolving the Jangryong Merchant Group incident. Listening to Jang Muhwi, Wang Jimak felt like a pheasant that had hidden its head at the sound of an arrow. Seeing Wang Jimak laugh out loud, Jang Muhwi asked,
"Why are you laughing?"
"They say the waters behind push the waters ahead. Now I finally understand what that means. Very well. I'll give you full authority. Tell me what personnel you need. You can mobilize as many as you want."
Wang Jimak had finally made his decisive move. The sharpness in his eyes shone brighter than ever. At the sight, Jang Muhwi replied,
"I alone will be sufficient."
"Hmm."
Wang Jimak quickly covered his mouth. If he hadn't, he would have spat out his tea. Jang Muhwi quietly turned his head and looked out the window. The moon shone brightly outside. But what Jang Muhwi was looking at wasn't the moon. It was the place where the queen bee Wang Jimak had mentioned—the major merchant group—was located.