The Meaning of the Heavenly Secret (1)
I didn't accept it right away.
"May I really take this? It feels too much for me."
"Hoho, humble to the end. Please accept it. You deserve this plaque."
Unable to resist his persistent urging, I took the plaque.
"Thank you. I hope we can maintain good relations with the Wudang Sect going forward."
"Of course. I'd welcome that."
We exchanged smiles and chatted amiably like that.
"Well, I should head back to the merchant house now."
"True, you've stayed longer than planned. Rest well tonight and travel safely tomorrow."
"Thank you. I'll never forget the sect leader's kindness."
With that, I took my leave from the sect leader.
On my way back to the guest quarters, I ran into Elder Jin Jeong.
"Is your talk with the sect leader over?"
"Yes, he gave me much wise counsel."
He smiled faintly and pulled something from his robe, offering it to me.
"This is...?"
"A token of my gratitude."
"No, I just..."
"Just take it."
Unable to refuse his insistence, I accepted the box and opened it.
Inside lay a single white pill.
"It's a tonic that strengthens the bloodline. There are only a few even in our sect, so I hope it proves useful."
And so, that day, I received three gifts.
That night.
I dreamed of Emperor Jinmu.
"Thanks to you, we prevented innocent blood from spilling on this land. As promised, I'll reveal the heavenly secret."
"I knew you wouldn't cheat me."
"You little punk!"
"Ah, sorry. I only thought it, but it slipped out."
I grinned shamelessly.
"So, what's this heavenly secret you're sharing?"
"It's..."
I found myself blurting out a reflexive question as I listened to Emperor Jinmu.
"Pardon?"
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, no, that's the heavenly secret?"
"Doesn't seem like much, does it? One day you'll bow in thanks to me, you punk."
"Hm?"
I woke from sleep and rummaged through my memories.
What was it?
It felt like I'd heard something vitally important.
I clearly remembered Emperor Jinmu appearing in my dream and telling me the heavenly secret.
I couldn't recall what it was, but I wasn't too worried.
It would come back when I needed it.
Just like last time.
Now it was time to head home.
Right after an early breakfast, I and my entourage left the Wudang Sect, heading for the Eunhae Merchant Group's head house.
Clatter, clatter.
As the carriage wheels rumbled over the ground, I gazed at the Wudang Sect through the window.
Unlike my previous life, the sect had been preserved intact.
I couldn't predict how this would affect the future, but one thing was certain: it wouldn't help the Murim Alliance or the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
Come to think of it, there was a top contributor to this success.
I patted my sleeve.
"Geum-ryeong, come out."
"Kkwi?"
At my words, Geum-ryeong poked its head from my sleeve.
I pulled a golden spirit fruit from my pouch.
Geum-ryeong's eyes widened and sparkled at the sight, making me chuckle.
"Thanks to you, we took down the Blood Cult Leader easily this time. This is a thank-you gift."
"Churp!"
"Hey, hey! No drooling on my clothes!"
I quickly scooped up the salivating Geum-ryeong, which wriggled excitedly toward the fruit.
"But no more of that from now on. It worked out because the one who ate it was the Blood Cult Leader, but what if a good person had eaten it?"
"Kkwi..."
"So... tell me first next time. That way I can take measures."
"Kku... i?"
"Got it?"
"Kku..."
"Here, eat up."
I held the golden spirit fruit before Geum-ryeong, which snapped it up and gulped it down in one go.
The fruit was fairly large, yet it swallowed it whole?
What an incredible creature.
Honestly, the fruit's value was immense, but Geum-ryeong had earned it.
Had the Blood Cult Leader not died that way, countless lives would have been lost.
Plus, Hubei Province would have descended into chaos, costing our merchant group tremendous losses.
Murim Alliance.
The Alliance Leader scowled as he listened to the report.
"So, it failed?"
"Yes. Elder Jin-gu, our collaborator, has been confined to the Repentance Cave, and the one handling the spirit medicine procurement is in the brain prison."
"What's done is done. Seal their lips."
"Understood."
The subordinate bowed and handed over the documents.
"And here's the detailed report."
The Alliance Leader paused at one part while reading, his expression turning intrigued.
"Eun Seo-ho? The youngest son of the Eunhae Merchant Group?"
"Yes. He came to deliver donation funds."
"He shows up too often to call it coincidence. Curiously, he's always there whenever our plans fail."
"Probably just chance."
"Likely."
He nodded.
Something felt off, but it didn't make sense that he'd known in advance and intervened.
"Dismissed."
Once the subordinate left, the Alliance Leader gazed into a mirror at his face.
Glowing red eyes.
He quickly hid them and muttered.
"If you were going to die, you should've helped more before kicking the bucket. Idiot."
Upon arriving at the head house, Brother Jin-ho was there to greet me.
"Back?"
"Yeah, took longer than expected."
But Brother Jin-ho's face looked grim.
"Something wrong?"
"...Yeah."
"What is it?"
I asked gravely.
If his expression was that dark, it had to be serious—very serious.
"Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon..."
Eun Geon-hyeok and Eun Bo-yeon.
Brother Jeong-ho's newborns.
Twins, born just before I left for Wudang, so they were a little over two months old now.
In my previous life, my sister-in-law had miscarried around when I died, awaiting the baby's birth.
After over a decade of marriage, this precious child had the whole house in celebration.
But with Baekcheon Merchant Group dead set on erasing us, would they have left the unborn child alone?
The niece or nephew who never made it had returned in this life.
That's why these two felt especially dear to me.
So when Brother Jin-ho mentioned their names, my heart sank.
"What's up with Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon?"
"Those kids... they cry whenever they see me."
"Huh?"
"Am I that scary-looking? I just went to play with them..."
"So, Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon cry the moment they see your face?"
"Yeah."
"And that's why you're so down?"
"Yeah."
"Nothing else wrong?"
"Yeah."
"..."
I seriously wanted to smack Brother Jin-ho.
I headed to my annex first, washed up thoroughly, and changed clothes.
Last time I'd shown up grubby before Father, he'd told me reports could wait—clean up first.
Looking sharp, I went to the Silver Dragon Pavilion to report on the donations.
"Your son has returned safely."
"Good work."
"Here's a letter from the Wudang Sect Leader."
Father unfolded and read it.
Before leaving Wudang, the sect leader had given me a letter for Father.
He'd said it expressed thanks for the generous donations and supplies, and it would be rude for me to peek.
But Father's expression as he read made me wish I'd sneaked a look.
"Hm, Seo-ho."
"Yes, Father."
"Is Palgap the guard alright?"
"Yes. Fortunately, no issues."
"Good. That blood doesn't just vanish."
"Pardon?"
Did I hear something odd?
But my confusion vanished with Father's next question.
"You fought off the attackers on Wudang? What in the world is this?"
"Well..."
"Do incidents seek you out, or do you dive into them?"
"..."
I smiled awkwardly at his words.
"I'm not sure myself."
Father eyed me over carefully, then nodded in relief.
"No major injuries, good. Well done."
"Thank you. I'll take my leave."
After Father's office, I visited Grandfather next.
Then Mother, before heading to Brother Jeong-ho's annex.
"Welcome, young master. Glad you returned safe and sound."
"Yes, you're looking well too, sister-in-law. Relieved."
She'd been worn out post-delivery but seemed healthy now.
"Brother Jeong-ho must be busy."
"Yes, swamped with silk deliveries. We're entering the imperial silk supplier selection in half a year."
The previous imperial silk supplier had issues, so the palace was choosing anew.
In my past life, we were too low in the top hundred to try.
Not anymore.
Recent rankings put us at forty-ninth.
Plenty worthy of a shot, so I'd casually tipped Father off.
Now Brother Jeong-ho was handling it.
With Brother Jin-ho and me uninterested in succession, this solidified Jeong-ho's position.
Internal managers and outsiders alike needed to acknowledge him for a smooth takeover later.
"Brother Jeong-ho will handle it fine."
"Of course. I trust him."
I smiled faintly and continued.
"How are Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon?"
"Just fine."
She called a maid to fetch the wet nurses with the babies.
Travelers had an unwritten rule: no contact with newborns for a fortnight after returning.
Lest they bring ill winds from afar.
But I had Geum-ryeong.
As a spirit beast that dispels harmful energies, I trusted it and visited.
Moments later, the two wet nurses entered with the babies.
Seeing the bundled infants, I beamed.
"Hi there?"
Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon giggled at me.
"Oh my!"
Sister-in-law laughed.
"They cry every time Young Master Jin-ho looks, but smile for you. Kids know handsome when they see it."
"Hahaha."
I chuckled awkwardly.
Suddenly, a prickly glare from the side—Palgap staring at me.
Did he just curse me with his eyes? Nah, I didn't do anything wrong.
That evening.
I visited Heo-un's quarters in the Heo-un Pavilion after he finished work.
"Welcome, young division head."
"Hope you've been well."
I offered him the golden fruit.
"What's this?"
I explained about the Divine Spirit Restoration Fruit.
"...So you want to give this to Heo-un of the pavilion."
"Eating it will restore your legs fully."
"I see."
I'd pondered what to do with the fruit Geum-ryeong snatched, and thought of Heo-un.
Disabled from Baekcheon Merchant Group work, I wanted to give him his legs back.
A key talent for our future, so binding him with gratitude was smart too.
But Heo-un shook his head.
"I appreciate it, but I won't take it."
"Pardon?"
Stunned by the unexpected reply, he explained calmly.
"I want it, honestly. But I've adapted to this body, and eating it might dull my vengeance apart from my memory. Save it for when you truly need it."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
Watching him, the idiom "lay down one's life for a just cause" came to mind.
Having resolved revenge on Baekcheon and the Murim Alliance myself, I understood perfectly.
So I pocketed it again.
Time passed.
Snow melted, biting winds turned to gentle spring breezes.
May had arrived.
"Young master! Young master!"
In my Hyunpung estate office reviewing papers, Palgap burst in urgently.
"Big trouble! The two babies are really sick!"
"What?"
I rushed to Brother Jeong-ho's annex.
Just then, the Medical Pavilion Chief emerged from the babies' room. The crisis had summoned him.
"How are my children?"
Sister-in-law asked, and he replied with a heavy face.
"I can't diagnose it at all. I'm sorry."
"Ah..."
I saw Brother Jeong-ho and sister-in-law in despair.
With a grim expression, I entered the room where the babies lay.
The two who'd giggled at me before now struggled for breath.
Was I to lose my nieces/nephews like in my past life?
Frustration surged; I bit my lip.
The Divine Spirit Restoration Fruit restored physical damage, not cured illness.
Then it hit me.
"Ugh!"
A sharp tingle in my head—a memory surfaced.
The heavenly secret Emperor Jinmu revealed for averting Wudang's blood calamity.
It was the heavenly secret for now.