Chapter 140. The Gathering of the Hundred Great Merchant Groups (2)
Luoyang, located in Henan, was a vital transportation hub linking the Central Plains and Guanzhong, as well as a key military stronghold.
This was due to its encirclement by mountain ranges and rivers.
The fertile plains surrounding it yielded abundant grain, making it a prosperous land. As such, Luoyang was as dazzling as Hangzhou or Suzhou, the very symbols of bustling urban splendor.
It was also the seat of the Murim Alliance.
In my view, the Alliance had chosen Luoyang precisely to exploit its strategic geographic advantages.
Right now, I was riding in a carriage headed there.
The autumn leaves along the way kept the journey from feeling monotonous.
Not for me, but for Palgap.
"Whoa! Look at those maple leaves over there—absolutely gorgeous, aren't they?"
"Yeah."
"Oh man! I've never seen such pretty ones before."
"Yeah."
I couldn't put down my work the entire time we were in the carriage.
Father was probably doing the same, poring over documents nonstop.
At that moment, Seo-u Warrior, riding alongside the carriage on horseback, spoke up.
"We'll reach Daebyeol Mountain soon."
Daebyeol Mountain was an enormous range spanning Anhui, Henan, and Hubei provinces.
There was something to be gained here that I could claim.
But the timing wasn't right yet, so I planned to pick it up on the way back after finishing my business.
.
.
.
After about ten days of travel, we finally arrived in Luoyang.
No lodgings had been provided, so we had to stay at an inn.
As soon as the final date and venue for the gathering were announced, the Eunhae Merchant Group had swiftly sent someone ahead to reserve rooms.
The place we were staying this time was the Songbi Inn.
As Father entered the inn, he remarked,
"I still remember how flustered Grandfather was the first time we entered the Hundred Great Merchant Groups. We didn't know to book an inn in advance."
"Makes sense. With all the people flocking to a gathering of the Hundred Great Merchant Groups, it must get crowded."
"Exactly. Luckily, another merchant group's leader knew our plight and lent us a few rooms. We avoided sleeping on the streets thanks to that."
"What a kind merchant group."
"You'll meet them soon enough. The Myeongmyeong Merchant Group."
"Ah! Aren't they one of the Three Great Merchant Groups of the world?"
"That's right."
The Myeongmyeong Merchant Group was one of the three great merchant groups, operating across the entire Central Plains.
Their main trade goods were porcelain and spices, and they had risen to prominence by monopolizing the pepper trade.
At that point, Father's chief deputy, Yu Dae-ik, approached us.
"I've checked the rooms."
"Thank you."
The middle-aged man who had come with Yu Dae-ik bowed politely with a cupped-fist salute.
"Greetings to the merchant group leader. I am Song Baek, the innkeeper of the Songbi Inn."
"I'm Eun Gil-sang of the Eunhae Merchant Group. Looking forward to your hospitality."
"Of course. Allow me to show you to your rooms."
The Songbi Inn was quite a large establishment, and seeing the innkeeper personally attending to us made it clear why it thrived.
The guest rooms went up to the fourth floor, and ours were on the third.
The warriors of the Silver Wind Corps and the merchant group staff who had accompanied us were lodged on this floor and the fourth.
Some might object to subordinates staying above their superiors, but this was for our parents' and my safety.
In a world where experts could traverse rooftops, the top floor—accessible directly from above—was too risky.
It was a perfectly logical arrangement, but it posed a slight problem for me.
I had things to sweep up in Luoyang under cover of night.
After a moment's thought, I came up with a solution.
"Father, I'd like my guards to take the room directly above mine."
Unlike the Silver Wind Corps, who guarded from a distance, my personal escorts stayed close by, so they were supposed to be in the rooms flanking mine.
"That way, if something happens, they can come straight down through the window."
"I see."
And so, Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior took the rooms beside mine, while Lee Pil Warrior and Seo-u Warrior stayed in the room above.
Palgap would room with Father's attendant, finalizing the assignments.
A short while later,
After washing up with warm water and changing clothes, we headed down to the first floor for dinner.
We waited briefly, and then Father and Mother joined us.
Yu Dae-ik had already ordered the food, so the dishes arrived promptly.
They were mostly Luoyang specialties: stir-fried pork dishes and soups simmered with various mushrooms and radish greens.
We enjoyed the meal thoroughly.
Even our Hubei palates found it delicious, so it seemed the chef had taken our tastes into account.
The thoughtful gesture lifted our spirits.
As we sipped tea after eating, Father spoke up.
"By the way, this is your first Hundred Great Merchant Groups gathering, so there's one thing I haven't mentioned."
"What is it, Father?"
"There's actually a fun diversion at these gatherings."
"A diversion?"
"Yes. Everyone attending receives a round silver token resembling a tael of silver. You wear it on your belt and enjoy the event."
I knew of this game.
In my previous life, I'd enjoyed it at gatherings with Jeong Ho hyung.
But since this was supposedly my first time hearing of it, I kept an attentive expression.
"And those who keep their silver token until the gathering's end get to keep it as a gift."
"Keep the token?"
"Exactly. During the event, it vanishes mysteriously without anyone knowing who took it."
Mother chuckled at Father's words.
"Your father and brothers never managed to hold onto theirs, and neither did I."
"Sounds tricky. So... do the merchant groups hire thieves for this?"
"Spot on."
This tradition had originated from the wisdom of a long-ago merchant group leader.
The gathering drew leaders and associates from the Hundred Great Merchant Groups of the world.
With valuables overflowing everywhere, it was a prime target for thieves looking to make a score.
Of course, escorts stood guard diligently, but to master thieves, guards were irrelevant.
When thefts began causing trouble, the hosting merchant group leader added a bold twist.
[All attendees will wear a silver token on their belt. Steal it if you can.
We won't say a word if you take the token.
But steal anything else, and we'll hunt you down without mercy.]
This was a challenge that ignited the competitive spirits of the thieves drawn by the big prizes.
And so, it became convention at these gatherings for thieves to target only the silver tokens.
In my past life, I'd lost mine twice.
That sparked my pride, and after researching methods, I managed to keep it thereafter.
I still remembered how lucrative those tokens had been.
More than that, though, I was interested in the thieves who stole them with such ghostly finesse.
In my previous life, I'd been too focused on not losing mine to appreciate the opportunity.
It was a chance to recruit top security experts.
There's a saying: ten people can't catch one thief because the ten aren't thieves themselves.
Just as snakes know their own paths best, thieves know thievery best.
That's why I planned to recruit a master thief this time.
"Hey? Isn't that Eun, leader of the Eunhae Merchant Group?"
A sudden voice made me turn my head.
A middle-aged man was entering through the door, dressed in rather luxurious attire.
Father recognized him and rose quickly to greet him.
"It's been a while, Sa Merchant Group Leader."
"How have you been?"
"Well, sir. And you?"
"I've been well."
Father brought him and the woman beside him—apparently his wife—over to us and made introductions.
"It's been a while."
Mother greeted them politely.
"This is my youngest son and one of our sub-unit leaders, Eun Seo-ho. And this is Sa Gu-cheol, leader of the Hongryeon Merchant Group."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Eun Seo-ho."
"Oh! So you're the famous Seonhyeopmirang!"
Sa Gu-cheol's eyes brimmed with goodwill as he looked at me.
But it was almost overwhelmingly so.
"I merely did my duty, yet I've been honored with too grand a title."
I expressed humility while sighing inwardly.
The Hongryeon Merchant Group was based in Shaanxi and ranked forty-fifth among last year's Hundred Great Merchant Groups.
Slightly larger than ours, or about the same size.
They dealt in weapons.
They supplied armaments to the imperial court as well, building trust through high-quality arms.
From what I'd heard, the Hongryeon Merchant Group's history was quite unique.
Its founder had originally been a warrior.
Frustrated by the lack of a sword to his liking, he decided to forge his own and apprenticed under a blacksmith.
Proving more talented in crafting than martial arts, he mastered the skills to produce exceptional swords.
Word spread, demand grew, and over three generations, they entered the Hundred Great Merchant Groups.
Still, for my nickname to have reached Shaanxi...
"Too grand? Nonsense! Do you know how grateful us Shaanxi merchants are to you?"
"Pardon?"
"You're the hero who caught that Shaanxi bandit gang, aren't you?"
Ah...
Now I understood why Sa Gu-cheol regarded me with such intense favor.
It was last summer, wasn't it?
When I'd gone to Shaanxi Province to trade in thick silk fabric, the Shaanxi bandits had tried scamming our Eunhae Merchant Group.
I'm not one to take it lying down.
I'd captured them and handed them over to the authorities.
I gave an awkward smile.
"I caught them only with everyone's help. My role wasn't that big."
"Haha, excessive humility isn't polite. I know well what you did."
He continued,
"Who do you think the constables rely on for their weapons?"
"Hahaha."
Nothing to say to that.
"If that gang had kept rampaging, we Shaanxi merchants would've been tearing our hair out. You did us a great service."
Then, smiling at Father,
"You've raised a fine son."
"He turned out pretty well. Hahaha."
Oh, Father.
Laying the gold dust on thick.
At that moment, Sa Gu-cheol's wife spoke up.
"The young sub-unit leader looks no older than fifteen. Truly impressive."
Mother replied,
"He's just turned eighteen."
"Oh? Really?"
She turned to Sa Gu-cheol.
"Come to think of it, our youngest daughter, Yeon-mi, is seventeen."
My spine tingled at those words.
This is dangerous.
I interjected hastily.
"You've traveled far and must be tired. We shouldn't keep you any longer."
Father nodded in agreement.
"It's a long way from Shaanxi. Better rest now and talk tomorrow."
"Ah, yes, you're right."
Only after seeing them off to their room did I exhale in relief.
I was eighteen.
A few months from turning nineteen.
It was a common age for marriage, but I had no intention of it yet.
Beyond making the Eunhae Merchant Group the world's greatest, I had goals of revenge against the Murim Alliance and the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
If I married, my wife would inevitably sacrifice for me.
I couldn't allow that.
The sacrifices for revenge were mine to bear, as the one who remembered my previous life.
Then I overheard Mother speaking to Father.
"Our Seo-ho must be quite popular."
"Of course. He takes after me, so popularity is natural."
"You were quite dashing when we first met. Hohoho."
"Not anymore?"
"Put your hand on your heart and say it."
"......"
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Night fell.
I rose from the bed and took out the Phantom Mirror. With it, I created an illusion of myself lying on the bed.
From afar came the drum announcing the Zi hour (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.).
"Palgap should be here any moment now."
Speak of the tiger, and he appears. Palgap's voice came from outside the door.
"Young master, it's Palgap."
"Come in."
The door opened, and Palgap entered. He startled at the sight of me lying on the bed and another me standing beside it.
"Whoa! Damn, you scared me!"
"Why so jumpy?"
"How could I not be? One guy's lying on the bed, and another's standing right there."
I chuckled.
"Alright, I'll head out then."