Chapter 23: The Self-Dancing Doll (3)
Hwang Yeong let out a sigh and gripped his sword. The momentum had built too much; there was no stopping now.
They crept stealthily toward Gong Do-gong's house.
At Hwang Yeong's signal, the warriors they'd brought charged straight into the house.
But then—
Whoosh!
Roar!
Torches blazed to life around Gong Do-gong's home, illuminating everything, and armed warriors poured out.
The Jin-gyeon Merchant Group's men panicked.
The merchant leader and Hwang Yeong were just as stunned.
Step, step, step.
Someone emerged from inside the house.
It was Eun Seo-ho.
I gazed leisurely at the Jin-gyeon Merchant Group's leader, hands clasped behind my back.
He looked flustered at first, then exploded in rage.
"Wh-what the hell is this...? Damn it! It was a trap!"
I shook my head at his words.
"A trap? Just precautions. My nape prickled earlier, so I called in some warriors to stand by, and sure enough, here you are."
I gestured toward the Jin-gyeon warriors.
"Dressed in bandit rags with those masks... So, you were the head of the bandits, Jin-gyeon Merchant Leader?"
"Th-this is..."
The flustered Jin-gyeon warriors scrambled to hide their masks and bandit garb, but it was too late.
"Unbelievable! Jin-gyeon Merchant Leader! You were a bandit?!"
The bailiffs who'd been hiding behind Gong Do-gong's house stepped out into the open.
A po-du was among them.
Thanks to that incident where a bribe-taking bailiff tried to murder a thief, the po-du was in a position to grant my request.
While sending Palgap out for dinner, I'd dispatched letters summoning Jeong Chung platoon leader and the po-du here.
"Wh-what are you talking about? Bandits? No, this is just..."
The Jin-gyeon leader desperately tried to make excuses, but they fell on deaf ears with the po-du.
"Shut your mouth! Assaulting people in the dead of night dressed like that—do you think anyone will buy it?!"
The po-du bellowed, scanning the surroundings.
"Bind them all!"
Bind them all!
A fierce skirmish broke out, but it didn't last long.
The Jin-gyeon warriors weren't particularly strong, and we had the numbers.
The Jin-gyeon Merchant Group's days are numbered.
Still, I felt no pity.
This was all on them.
And considering the atrocities their leader had committed in my previous life, the world was better off without him.
I approached the po-du and offered a fist salute.
"Please conduct a thorough investigation."
"Leave it to me."
With that, the po-du hauled off the bound Jin-gyeon leader, Hwang Yeong, and their warriors toward the yamen.
"Shall we head back too?"
.
.
.
I led Gong Do-gong's family to the Yeo-si Guest Inn.
My master and Jeong Chung platoon leader were waiting for me in the first-floor dining hall.
The moment I walked in, they rushed over.
"What in the world happened? You even called for the po-du!"
I offered Jeong Chung a polite fist salute.
"My apologies for causing you worry."
"Nonsense. You're back safe—that's what matters. But what was all this about...?"
That was when—
Neighhh!
A horse's whinny rang out as a woman burst into the inn, breathless and urgent.
"Perfect, you're all here! You found an artisan who can make the doll?"
Her updo was impeccably neat despite the hard ride.
I was stunned to see Eunhae Merchant Group's fierce beauty, Yeon Da-mi Pavilion Leader.
I'd sent my father a letter about the artisan, but it never crossed my mind she'd come herself.
Everyone else was equally shocked.
"P-Pavilion Leader!"
"Pavilion Leader!"
She strode right up to me, and I greeted her properly.
"Pavilion Leader. Did you really ride here straight after reading my letter?"
She nodded.
"How could I sit still after hearing you'd found an artisan for that doll? So, where is he?"
I pointed to the boy beside me. She lit up and approached Gong Do-gong.
"Ah! So you're the artisan!"
"M-Me? N-No, I..."
Gong Do-gong stammered in confusion. I just smiled and shook my head.
"Not him, Pavilion Leader Yeon."
"...?"
I laid a hand on Gong Mil's shoulder.
"This one."
"Pardon?"
Her face twisted in bewilderment.
I got it—no one would believe a ten-year-old was a master artisan capable of crafting something so extraordinary.
But true to form, Yeon Pavilion Leader quickly composed herself.
"I'd like to see for myself."
"Of course, but it's late. After tonight's excitement, how about tomorrow?"
"Excitement?"
I explained the whole ordeal.
"Ah! So that's what happened. Glad you're all safe. Rest up, then."
It was already edging into the chou hour (1-3 a.m.).
Everyone headed to their rooms to sleep.
But not me—I trained with my master as usual.
.
.
.
The next morning, after breakfast, Yeon Pavilion Leader spoke up.
"Now, I want to see this artisan's skills."
"Understood."
I turned to Gong Mil.
"Time to show what you can do. Can you make the doll I described right now?"
"Yes."
"What materials do you need? Anything you want, I'll get it."
He thought for a moment.
"Anything?"
"Of course."
"Then..."
He listed the materials he needed. One was unexpected.
"Silk scraps?"
"Yes."
Gong Mil nodded.
"Truth is, I made the first one because my little sister wanted a doll. I wanted it to be pretty for her."
"I see."
I was about to send Palgap to fetch them when Yeon beat me to it, dispatching two of her Shangyu Pavilion attendants with the list.
The materials arrived soon enough.
Gong Mil plopped down on the floor—sitting at a table was awkward for his small stature.
His eyes sharpened with focus the moment he began, displaying incredible concentration.
For a child his age, even half a sichen was impressive, but here he was, locked in for a full shichen without moving.
And he looked utterly delighted.
I glanced at Yeon Pavilion Leader.
She couldn't hide her astonishment.
She must have doubted me when I called him an artisan.
But watching him craft it herself? Unavoidable shock.
A ten-year-old artisan!
Unheard of.
Ninety minutes later, Gong Mil looked weary but beamed triumphantly.
"It's done."
The doll he presented was worlds apart from his first.
Still wood, but finer timber made it elegant and natural. Dressed in silk finery, it was luxurious.
"This doll dances on its own after a while?"
"Yes."
Gong Mil nodded.
"See, this wheel's axle turns, bumping this gear, which spins that wheel, and..."
He explained at length.
"It's small, so the axle is tiny. Had to set it for once every yige."
"So, dances once every fifteen minutes?"
"Yes."
Gong Mil wound the gear spring on the doll's back.
When a yige passed—
The doll began dancing on its own, arms alternating gracefully. Everyone watching gasped in awe.
Well, not quite everyone—me, Gong Mil, and Gong Rae were unfazed.
In my previous life, I'd seen that doll so many times it bored me.
I'd even bought one, taken it apart, studied it.
Curious how it worked.
But I couldn't crack it fully.
The fish swim bladder used for elastic power transmission? Impossible to replicate.
If I failed, no one else could.
Fakes flooded the market, but no one matched Jin-gyeon's original.
Now I knew why.
How could money-grubbers mimic the heartfelt ingenuity born from scrimping for a little sister?
As they chattered in amazement, the doll finished its dance and stilled.
"Does it dance again?"
"Yes."
Gong Mil pointed to a wheel.
"Wind it once, and it'll go every yige for half a day."
Yeon Pavilion Leader's eyes gleamed with fervor.
Ugh.
That look brought her moniker to mind.
Silver Fox.
The fox of Eunhae Merchant Group.
Her specialty: eyeing goods and instantly appraising their profit potential.
That mad glint meant she'd grasped Gong Mil's worth.
"You! Contract with our merchant group!"
Gong Mil grinned toothily.
"Already did."
Her face filled with dismay.
"What? With who? When? Which bastard got there first?!"
"That bastard's me."
I raised a hand lightly.
"...You?"
I pulled the contract from my robe and showed her.
"Already signed with me."
The employment agreement Gong Do-gong and his son had stamped yesterday named not Eunhae Merchant Group.
But Eun Seo-ho—me.
It was the result of much deliberation.
Restarting life, I'd learned the future wouldn't unfold exactly as before.
So, prepare for plans going awry.
Instead of tying him to the merchant group, bind him to me personally.
Profits would be mine, not the group's—though we'd sell through them, so they'd profit too.
More personal funds at my disposal.
Essential for my schemes, since I couldn't freely tap group coffers. Plus, their books were too exposed.
"So, Pavilion Leader Yeon, negotiate with me."
A smile curved her lips.
"Negotiate with me? Think you can handle it, young master?"
"I'll approach it as a learning opportunity."
Negotiations began immediately.
It was a grueling push-and-pull.
I'd led countless deals to victory for the group in my past life, but Yeon was no pushover.
Truth be told, she was the one who'd taught me negotiation.
After a full shichen, I secured seventy percent of what I wanted.
Dispatch work, but I held firm on key points: guaranteed commute times, meals, study hours.
I'm still ten.
Need to eat well, sleep well, learn, grow.
We exchanged contracts.
"Impressive, young master."
Yeon smiled warmly.
"Haven't been pushed back like this in ages."
"It was tough for me too."
"You say that, but you look awfully smug. Hehe."
"Hahaha."
"Worth teaching. I'll eagerly await your practical stint at Shangyu Pavilion."
Her gaze intensified even more.
Why did cold sweat break out under that stare?
Yeon rose.
"Time to prepare departure."
"Yes!"
Her words sent everyone into motion.
At Eunhae Merchant Group's Hubei Province, Sungyang County headquarters.
Finishing business in Geumseon Village, Yeon Da-mi Pavilion Leader headed straight for Merchant Leader Eun Gil-sang.
"Ah, Pavilion Leader Yeon! How'd it go?"
Striding into his office, she plunked a box down on his desk.
She sat and said,
"Ten years old."
"Huh? What're you on about? Ten?"
"The artisan who made the self-dancing doll. A ten-year-old brat."
"What?"
"Not joking, not crazy. I saw it with my own eyes."
She opened the box she'd carried herself.
"Here—the doll made by a ten-year-old artisan. Dances on its own... a self-dancing doll."