Daebyeol Mountain (1)
At my question, the beggars encircling the treasure I'd been seeking hesitated, then bolted in a panic.
They must have been frightened by my attire and the guards standing behind me.
I glanced at them briefly before approaching the treasure.
"Are you all right? Any injuries?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine. Thank you for helping me."
"By any chance... are you the son of Chief Steward Heo Won?"
At the question, he eyed me warily.
"Why do you ask?"
"Truth be told, Chief Steward Heo Won appeared in my dream last night. He asked me to help his son... and showed me this place. I had no idea what was going on, so I came straight here..."
I looked at him and asked,
"What on earth happened? Why is the son of the chief steward in such a state?"
"Well..."
I took his hesitating hand in mine.
It was ice-cold.
"How long have you been like this?"
"Since yesterday evening..."
That meant he'd been exposed to the cold wind all through the night.
Damn it. If I'd known he'd be chased out this soon, I would've come earlier.
I'd thought it happened this morning and left at what I considered an early hour.
Still, in a way, it was fortunate.
Thanks to setting out early, I'd been able to save him from a dire fate at the hands of those beggars.
He'd taken one hit, though.
That damn bastard Namgung Gang.
How could he throw someone out into this freezing weather—naked, no less?
"If it's hard to explain now, you can tell me later. Right now, you need to warm up. You'll catch a serious chill like this."
I called for Palgap.
"Palgap, help Young Master Heo."
"Yes, got it."
Palgap supported him, and we returned to the inn.
I ordered a bowl of hot porridge from the waiter.
He probably hadn't eaten since yesterday evening, so something mild and easy to digest seemed best.
"By the way, what is your name, Young Master Heo?"
"Ah, my name is Heo Un. My father named me hoping I'd be a lucky one... but things have gone the exact opposite."
"You've still got plenty of life ahead. Your luck will turn."
"Thank you just for saying that."
Just then, the waiter brought the porridge.
"It's hot, so eat it slowly."
"Thank you. I'll dig in."
He blew on the steaming porridge and began eating it slowly.
I watched him.
Mentioning that I'd seen Chief Steward Heo Won in a dream was a white lie to approach him naturally.
To him in his current state, unprompted kindness from a stranger would only arouse suspicion.
Heo Un.
He was the greatest prize of my trip to Luoyang.
Though he couldn't use one leg, such a handicap was trivial for a talent like him.
In my previous life, he'd drifted into the underworld, and only then did his true worth emerge.
His specialty was memorizing and analyzing information.
He was the key talent for drawing optimal conclusions from the intel Chun Il brought.
It wasn't a bad deal for him either.
In my past life, he'd ended up dying at the hands of the Murim Alliance after working in the underworld.
Rumor had it he'd rejected their overtures to the end.
Given that Baekcheon Merchant Group—the one that cast him out—was backed by the Murim Alliance, it was only natural.
My desire to hire Young Master Heo Un for the Eunhae Merchant Group wasn't solely due to his abilities.
It was also because of his father, Chief Steward Heo Won.
I'd met Chief Steward Heo Won exactly once.
It was when my father became head of the group.
He'd attended the celebration in place of his own merchant lord.
Back then, he was just one of the stewards.
I didn't have Palgap with me yet, and while sneaking out to play without my nursemaid's knowledge, I'd taken a tumble.
He'd come over to me with my scraped knee and applied the golden wound salve he carried.
That's when he said it.
"When you grow up and have the chance to help someone, be the kind of person who helps others."
Those were the exact words I'd later said to Dang Jo-woong.
When the old man at the sundries shop advised me and I resolved to head to Luoyang, those words came back to me.
Along with the pathetic end awaiting his son, Young Master Heo Un.
To me now, those words from back then were as good as a dying wish, so I'd taken action.
Even if Young Master Heo Un had no special talents, I still would've moved for him.
I don't forget grudges, but I don't forget favors either.
A short while later,
After finishing his meal, I headed up to my room.
My room was a top-grade suite with a spacious low table, perfect for conversation.
We chatted about this and that, mostly about Chief Steward Heo Won.
I subtly drew out his resentment toward the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
"Chief Steward Heo gave everything for that group, yet they didn't even show up for his funeral, right?"
"..."
"Must've hurt deeply."
As I soothed and prodded gently, he finally opened up about being driven out.
"I didn't expect anything from them. But that man... he denied all my father's hard work."
"..."
"And he cast me out. Because of my crippled leg."
His hand on the table clenched tight.
"The nerve! So that's why you were in such a pitiful state."
"...Yes."
He fell silent for a moment, then bowed his head deeply to me as if resolved.
"I know it's shameless to ask a stranger this, but please hire me at your merchant group, young master."
"Pardon?"
As I blurted in surprise, he continued.
"I understand your shock. My leg is lame, and I'm lacking in many ways. But I'm good with paperwork. My father and the other stewards praised how quickly I handled things..."
"No, it's not that... I'm just happy."
"Pardon?"
Now he looked flustered.
"I never imagined you'd ask to join our group."
I went on.
"I know you're an exceptional talent, young master. If you weren't capable, Chief Steward Heo wouldn't have assigned you work."
"True, Father would do that."
"So I figured you'd seek employment elsewhere in Luoyang."
Young Master Heo Un hesitated before answering heavily.
"I... don't want to stay in Luoyang."
I nodded. I understood his feelings.
In any case, he'd asked to join the Eunhae Merchant Group before I even suggested it.
No reason to refuse.
"If you join us at Eunhae, we'd welcome you with open arms. We always seek talented people."
And so, I'd claimed all the treasures Luoyang had to offer.
"One lingering regret remains, but I suppose I should let it go."
"What's that?"
"My father and my belongings are still in the Baekcheon Merchant Group. But I can't retrieve them."
He gazed off wistfully, then turned back to me.
"Still, starting fresh means leaving everything behind. Might as well."
In my previous life, I'd learned about Young Master Heo Un through the Hawon Network.
I'd bought info on him out of curiosity about why the Murim Alliance was losing the intel war to the underworld.
That's when I learned something else.
The residence of Chief Steward Heo Won and Young Master Heo Un had remained vacant ever since.
Not a single item inside had been touched.
A testament to Chief Steward Heo Won's high regard.
I spoke to him with conviction, like a promise.
"Later."
"Pardon?"
"Later, you'll be able to retrieve them yourself."
.
.
.
The next day,
We left Songbi Inn early in the morning.
With all we'd come to Luoyang for secured, there was no reason to linger.
We arrived at the foothills of Daebyeol Mountain, located en route to the main headquarters.
According to the Shangshu's Tribute of Yu, it was named Daebyeol Mountain because it was where southern and northern ranges and rivers converged.
The waters originating south flowed to the Yangtze, those north to the Huai River—a natural divide.
And here lay the final treasure I'd take with me.
The carriage carrying me, Palgap, and Young Master Heo Un slowly ascended the mountain.
Not particularly high or treacherous, and a key transit point between regions, it had a well-paved official road.
"Let's rest under that tree up ahead."
At my words, Palgap immediately relayed to the Seo-u warrior on horseback, who passed it to Deputy Escort Leader Iljo.
"Tired, aren't you?"
He shook his head at my question.
"I'm fine. What's uncomfortable about riding in a carriage?"
"You have better stamina than I expected."
"Truth be told, walking on one leg with a cane is quite taxing, so my endurance built up naturally."
"I see. So your leg wasn't always like this..."
"Correct."
I heard how he'd lost his leg—while working for Baekcheon Merchant Group, then cast out without a penny in compensation.
Worse than a dog.
Namgung Gang, that merchant lord, was utter trash.
Just then, the carriage halted.
I stepped out and asked Young Master Heo Un,
"Care for some fresh air? I'll help you."
"I hate to impose, but yes."
As I took in the splendid vista of Daebyeol Mountain, the Seo-u warrior approached.
"My lord, we should camp here tonight."
"Sunset's soon."
"Yes. Pushing further would be risky; better to camp here."
The Seo-u warrior was a former escort leader, so he camped as often as he ate—his knowledge was expert.
"Consult with the deputy and handle it."
"Understood."
He soon went to Deputy Escort Leader Iljo to discuss camping.
The Eunhae warriors were accustomed to camping too, but less experienced than a former escort leader like the Seo-u warrior.
They listened to him with sparkling eyes.
I crossed my arms and smirked inwardly.
Good, right on plan.
I'd deliberately delayed our departure today to ensure we'd camp here tonight.
Perfect timing.
.
.
.
After dinner, I casually mentioned to the deputy escort leader,
"I'll take a short walk around here."
"Going for a stroll?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. Ate too much; digestion's off. Need to walk it off."
As I rose, Palgap and four guards stood simultaneously.
"I'll come too."
"We'll accompany you."
"Do that."
With those five, I entered the forest of Daebyeol Mountain.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Our footsteps echoed through the woods.
When walking forests like this, it's best to make noise deliberately. Keeps wild beasts away.
Any that appear will show themselves early.
Soon, we'd gone deep enough that voices from camp faded. I stopped.
Turning, I grinned.
Palgap sighed at my smile.
"Knew it. The guy who rests by just breathing on his bed when he can suddenly wants a walk? Suspicious."
"Hey, when did I just breathe? I rolled around too."
I glanced at the guards.
They nodded in understanding.
"..."
I sighed and continued.
"Yeah, I came into the woods because there's something to get here tonight."
The Seo-u warrior asked as if recalling something.
"Is it that note hidden in the book you mentioned before?"
"Yes, exactly. Turns out it wasn't just one note."
At my words, the Jin Yu and Yi Pil warriors tilted their heads.
From that, I knew Yeo Eung-am and Seo-u hadn't told them about the night-luminescent pearl.
A guard's prime requisite is a tight lip—proving they were excellent.
I explained the night-luminescent pearl to the other three.
"For real?"
I nodded at Palgap's question.
"Yeah. So there's a high chance of treasure here too."
And the treasure I sought here was liquor.