Continuing the Bond of Fate (2)
Then there was a high chance that Baek Pavilion Master's messenger hadn't died of illness, but had been murdered.
So what on earth were they investing so much effort into Hwayeon Pavilion for?
The answer came quickly after a moment's thought.
This place was one of the five great pleasure houses in Hubei Province.
Fundamentally, it was a spot frequented by crowds of people.
And with its many outstanding courtesans and entertainers, it was perfect for gathering information on the wealthy who wanted to flaunt their refinement and culture—and those who dropped by often.
Not to mention spreading rumors among them or recruiting them.
In other words, this place had been planned as a secret branch of the Murim Alliance.
There was a reason why, in the future I'd experienced, the rich folks of Hubei Province had been oddly favorable toward the Murim Alliance and Baekcheon Merchant Group.
They'd been subtly recruited right here.
I barely suppressed a laugh.
I had just prevented this place from becoming a secret Murim Alliance branch.
At the same time, a chill ran down my spine.
All I'd done was stop the fire at Jaegyeong Pavilion that had caused massive losses to the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Thanks to that, the documents in the storage vault hadn't burned, so there'd be no unpaid debts.
A Gak-won had survived, and his family was safe too.
The courtesan Gak-won had her life saved.
The man who was supposed to stand night watch today was safe, and In Dae-su Gak-won, who would have quit out of guilt, got to build a happy family instead.
Honestly, that's as far as I'd thought it through.
But the karma from me preventing that fire had twisted everything up to this point.
I had no idea how far the consequences of my actions would ripple.
But one thing was certain.
It wouldn't lead anywhere good for the Murim Alliance or Baekcheon Merchant Group.
And that satisfied me.
"Y-Young master?"
A voice snapped me out of my reverie.
The escort warrior who'd come with me was looking at me curiously.
"Ah, sorry. Let's head back."
"Yes, sir."
We returned to the office and reported everything I'd uncovered to Father.
"And there was a strange emblem on the wall. A cloud merged with peach blossoms—definitely the mark of a group scheming to deceive the world."
At my words, Baek Pavilion Master cried out in horror.
"Th-that's absurd! That's just the insignia of the Doun Merchant Group!"
"Doun Merchant Group?"
I feigned ignorance with a puzzled look.
"……."
Father's gaze turned icy.
"Doun Merchant Group... A merchant group, is it."
Father turned to Baek Pavilion Master.
"You know that mercy comes at a price. Are you still planning to keep your mouth shut?"
"Th-that's……."
Baek Pavilion Master hesitated, but under the relentless pressure, he eventually spilled everything.
"……That's how it happened. I know nothing detailed about them! They just made the proposal, and I accepted!"
"Tsk tsk."
Father clicked his tongue at the man's words.
No wonder he was frustrated—a pavilion master with such short-sighted thinking.
Soon, Father gave orders to Go Chief Steward.
"Hand this man over to the authorities."
"Understood."
With Hwayeon Pavilion now in our hands, the question was how to run it.
"But do we really need to keep holding onto Hwayeon Pavilion?"
Father mused while reviewing the account ledgers, and Yu Chief Steward nodded.
"Shall we put it up for sale?"
"No, we can't!"
My urgent shout startled the two men, who turned to me.
"What's wrong?"
"My apologies. It's just……."
I trailed off, my mind racing for an excuse.
With great effort, I'd stopped a Murim Alliance secret branch from sprouting in our front yard, but putting this pavilion on the market would make it all for nothing.
Of course, I couldn't say that outright.
Someday I would, but not yet. I needed a plausible reason.
"Hwayeon Pavilion will be important to our Eunhae Merchant Group. We can't sell it."
"Important how?"
"Yes. Isn't it crucial for us to know what our customers want?"
"True enough."
"And evaluations of the goods we sell matter too."
Yu Chief Steward grinned at my words.
"I think I know what you mean, young master. You're saying we turn Hwayeon Pavilion into a hub for intelligence gathering and promotion for our Eunhae Merchant Group."
Sharp as ever, Yu Chief Steward—he got it right away.
"Exactly. And spread some word-of-mouth too."
"Not a bad idea. But we don't know much about running a pavilion. What about that?"
"Keep Seo Chief Steward on. He's managed Hwayeon Pavilion well so far; he'll do fine going forward."
Father, listening to me and Yu Chief Steward, nodded slowly.
"Hm. What do you think, Yu Chief Steward?"
"If we're keeping it, he's the best man for the job. Good reputation among the staff, proven management skills."
Yu Chief Steward continued.
"The ledgers tell the story. Accounts don't lie."
"Good. We'll do that, then."
"Thank you."
I bowed my head in gratitude.
And so, Hwayeon Pavilion ended up serving the same role as in the future I'd known.
Just with a change in ownership.
From the Murim Alliance to the Eunhae Merchant Group.
That's when an old trick of mine came to mind.
"How about providing our merchant group's silk to the courtesans for free, so they can have clothes made from it?"
"To the courtesans? But……."
"This is a pure pleasure house. These women are entertainers, not prostitutes. So no need for Father's concerns."
"I see."
Back when I ran the Eunhae Fabric Shop, I'd supplied top courtesans and entertainers at taverns and pleasure houses with free silk.
Women who captivated men with their beauty and talents.
Of course, fine silk made them look even better, and Eunhae Fabric Shop raked in the profits from the buzz.
Father glanced at Yu Chief Steward, who nodded after a moment's thought.
"Makes sense. People are drawn to beauty."
That said it all.
"I'll discuss it with Yeon Pavilion Master later."
My idea was as good as approved.
Father was a good man.
Running a merchant group meant navigating a ruthless jungle without mercy or tears.
Yet Father kept Eunhae Merchant Group thriving by listening well to those around him.
And when a decision was needed, he made it decisively.
Like seizing Hwayeon Pavilion and handing Baek Pavilion Master to the authorities.
A Gak-won was turned over too, but Father had put in a word for leniency.
If they wanted to start fresh elsewhere, he'd help.
Truly, Father was a good man.
I and Yeochang's Gak-won got leave as a reward for the mission's success—plus a hefty bonus.
Yu Chief Steward looked like he had plenty to say about giving me time off.
With my proposals piling on extra work, and me as his assistant taking leave.
But leave was my right.
I ignored his pleading gaze for help and gratefully took my vacation.
Back in my room, I lay on the bed, lost in thought.
'Fortunately, nothing went wrong this time... but......'
A sigh escaped me.
I knew martial arts, but pretending not to was frustrating.
If my skills weren't a secret, I would've charged in to subdue the masked man at Hwayeon Pavilion.
And chased him down.
I could've at least tracked where he went.
I regretted missing that chance.
To use martial arts freely from now on, I needed to show myself learning it.
And it was best to start young anyway.
If my skills had been stronger, I wouldn't have died so pathetically at the end. I wouldn't have just watched helplessly as my followers perished.
No more reason to delay training.
With urgent matters settled, it was time to find the master who'd taught me—and beg him to take me as his disciple.
He was the head escort of Changin Escort Agency, allied with Eunhae Merchant Group.
Was he still working as head escort?
Then a memory flashed.
"If only I'd returned just one shichen earlier that day, my eldest son wouldn't have died."
A chill shot up my spine.
Wait—today was that day?
I counted the days on my fingers and bolted upright.
"Damn it. It's today?"
The wife of the Kwak family from Bamboo Valley prepared to head out early that morning.
Her husband was the head escort of Changin Escort Agency.
He was away from home more than half the year. When that happened, she had to look after the kids.
Sometimes the household stipend fell short.
Then she'd help out at banquets or do sewing for pay.
Today was the birthday feast for the head of a nearby manor, and she'd promised to lend a hand.
Her skilled hands always made her first pick for such jobs.
"Mother, where are you going?"
She had two sons: eldest Kwak Hyeong-jin and youngest Kwak Jun-ha.
Twelve-year-old Kwak Hyeong-jin was her reliable big boy.
"To the manor house. They have a feast today."
"You look tired. Just rest, Mother."
Kwak wife smiled and shook her head at Hyeong-jin's words.
"Tired? Not at all."
"You're going to work—how could it not be tiring?"
"It's fine, really. I get to eat good food too. I'll bring some back."
Her eight-year-old second son, Jun-ha, piped up from beside her.
"I want tanghwa candy."
"Got it. Study with your brother while I'm gone."
With her sons seeing her off, Kwak wife headed to the manor.
Only the two brothers remained at home.
"Jun-ha, time to study."
"I don't wanna."
Hyeong-jin addressed his whining little brother.
"Father's coming home soon. If you haven't memorized the Thousand Character Classic, he'll tan your hide."
"Okay, big brother. Then after lunch, play swordfight with me?"
"Sure, that much is fine."
The brothers sat at the table they used for meals and began studying.
Hyeong-jin had finished The Great Learning and was now on The Doctrine of the Mean.
Learning it at twelve meant he was quite bright.
They didn't attend an academy; their father taught them reading and martial arts instead.
But martial arts practice was only in front of Father.
Practicing alone was dangerous.
Lunchtime came.
Today's lunch was dumplings.
They each ate a big one, and as promised, Hyeong-jin played with his brother.
Their games were always the same.
Living in a bamboo grove made bamboo their favorite toy.
Today, Jun-ha wanted bamboo swordfight, so Hyeong-jin obliged.
They couldn't train proper martial arts without Father, but simple bamboo swordplay was okay.
Crack! Crack! Clack clack!
Jun-ha was four years younger, but he had great physical instincts.
He instinctively exploited openings with sharp precision.
Their father always watched Jun-ha with complicated eyes, but the boys didn't know why.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
Jun-ha's bamboo sword knocked Hyeong-jin's away.
"Ah! Sorry, big brother!"
"It's okay."
As Hyeong-jin went to retrieve his flying sword, his foot caught on something, and he pitched forward.
It happened in an instant.
Thud!
"Aaaagh!"
Hyeong-jin's scream echoed through the bamboo grove.
Startled, Jun-ha rushed over.
"B-big brother, what's wrong?"
"Ugh...!"
Jun-ha tried to help him up and froze in shock.
Blood was gushing from his brother's stomach.
Terrified, Jun-ha wailed.
"Help! Somebody help! Waaah!"
He was so scared.
Scared of losing his brother.
Their home was in a remote spot with few passersby.
No one came despite his cries, and Hyeong-jin lost consciousness.