Mingming Merchant Group (7)
I looked at the Gold Spirit and asked,
“Why the sudden fuss?”
“Kkwi……”
“Hm? My face scared you? Come on, it's a pretty handsome one, if I do say so myself……”
“Kkwi…… kk……”
“You say I looked like I was about to fleece someone clean? Nah, you must've seen it wrong.”
I flashed a wide grin, though inwardly I was sweating bullets.
How did this little guy figure it out?
Father's letter had said to handle it as I saw fit.
So for a brief moment, I had pondered just how to strip the Mingming Merchant Group bare.
They owed me a debt of gratitude, after all—nothing would stop me if I decided to go that route.
But considering our future relations, I'd settled on taking just enough. And yet this creature had caught that fleeting expression on my face.
I chuckled and said,
“Don't get scared over nothing. Eat your silver coin. You think I'd fleece you too?”
Still, today's meeting was going to be a real treat.
“Kk, kkwi……”
The head of the Mingming Merchant Group, Seong Woo-shin, watched the departing carriage.
It carried Eun Jeong-ho and Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
They were the benefactors who had saved his group, but gratitude was gratitude, and business was business—that was his creed.
And this morning's meeting had shown him they felt the same way.
“Cheong-min.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You did well today.”
At those words, Seong Cheong-min shook his head with a dazed expression.
“Whew, I really felt like a child again. It's been ages since I felt this way. But at least we're safe—we didn't get pushed any further.”
“Didn't get pushed? Hahaha!”
Seong Woo-shin burst into hearty laughter at his son's words.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Do you know who a merchant should fear most?”
“I am all ears.”
“Someone who knows the right measure.”
“The right measure?”
“Yes, the right measure. Knowing exactly how far to push and then stopping there. Eun Jeong-ho and Eun Seo-ho clearly understood that.”
He continued,
“They knew it and pulled back.”
“I see……”
“Eun Seo-ho…… I felt it before, but he's no ordinary man.”
“If he's like this now, the future scares me. I need to work even harder.”
“That's the spirit.”
Seong Woo-shin glanced at the receding carriage and thought how fortunate they were to forge this bond with the Eunhae Merchant Group, even like this.
He turned to his side.
There stood his grandson, Seong Yu-jin, with his mother.
The night before, his bodyguard had relayed some astonishing news.
When his grandson had gone missing, he'd eaten a spirit herb mushroom and gained the inner power of a second-rate warrior because of it.
And the son of that bodyguard, Do Kyung, had become his grandson's master.
On one hand, it was a relief.
From now on, the boy would be a bit healthier and safer.
“Grandfather.”
His grandson called out then.
“What is it?”
“I've promised our benefactors to visit the Eunhae Merchant Group next time. I wanted your permission first.”
Seong Woo-shin smiled and replied,
“Looks like we'll have business there soon enough. We'll go together then.”
On the road back to the Eunhae Merchant Group's Sichuan branch in the carriage, I glanced over my shoulder.
“Why?”
At Jeong Ho hyung's question, I gave an awkward smile.
“Just wondering if I went too far.”
“It's fine. You fleeced them less than I expected.”
“Fleece? This was a fair deal.”
Hyung chuckled at my words.
“A guy calling it a fair deal, now wondering if he went too far?”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed awkwardly.
Thanks to that morning's meeting, we'd secured generous freight fees for transporting the Mingming Merchant Group's pepper.
And we'd added several special clauses, one of which exempted us from liability if an act of God prevented delivery of the pepper.
It was a clause I absolutely wanted, so I was glad it went through.
I gazed out the carriage window. All that was left was the trip home.
“Hyung.”
Hyung looked at me curiously at my call.
“Thanks for staying alive.”
Hyung turned away, scratching his cheek.
“Sorry for causing trouble.”
“It's okay. I've got you covered. As long as you stay alive, I can fix anything. So……”
I said earnestly,
“No matter how dire it gets, just stay alive. I'll come save you for sure.”
I was warning him early because the Murim Alliance might pull some stunt and put him in danger.
Did he sense the sincerity in my words?
Jeong Ho hyung met my eyes and nodded solemnly.
“Yeah, I promise.”
We arrived at the Sichuan branch and gave Uncle a brief rundown of what happened at the Mingming Merchant Group.
“Father will send a letter later.”
“Got it.”
“And we'll head out tomorrow, as soon as we're ready.”
“Right, you should get going. How long do you think they'll wait?”
We had to travel with the people who'd come to Sichuan with Jeong Ho hyung, so there was plenty to prepare.
But preparations were already underway, so we could leave tomorrow.
That evening, Uncle's family and the branch's elders gathered for a modest banquet.
The next morning, we set off for Hubei Province amid everyone's farewells, right on schedule.
It wasn't just me and my guards this time, so our pace was much slower than when we'd come to Sichuan.
No problem. I needed time on the road to sort out my thoughts anyway.
First, that woman named Hwang Min.
Her eyes turning red was suspicious enough, but the bloody, black道 aura vanishing from her body the moment she died was even more so.
I needed to look into this as soon as possible.
“By the way, Young Master.”
Then Jeong Ho hyung's attendant, sitting up front, spoke up.
“How did you survive that rapids?”
Ah, that was something I'd been curious about too.
I'd meant to ask but somehow hadn't.
In response to my gaze, Jeong Ho hyung pulled a hairpin from his bosom and showed it.
“This.”
“Huh?”
“I bought it for my wife, actually…… but it saved my life.”
The hairpin, adorned with coral and cloisonné, looked quite sturdy.
When hyung pressed the ornament, it clicked, and a sharp dagger sprang out from inside.
Key figures in major merchant groups always carried self-defense items like this—who knew when or how they'd be targeted?
This hairpin must have been prepared out of worry for his wife.
But the material of the dagger inside…… it wasn't ordinary iron.
“This…… it's Hyeoncheol.”
“Right. I got the best for my wife's level.”
Hyung continued,
“Tossed around in the rapids, losing my mind, I thought I had to get to the surface somehow. That's when I remembered this. I jammed the blade into a rock crevice and used it as leverage to climb up.”
After recovering his energy, he'd crossed to land, he explained.
So in short, what saved hyung was his love for his wife.
“Hyung, keep treating your wife right from now on.”
“I would even if you didn't say it.”
Before we knew it, we'd reached the foothills of Mount Emei in eastern Sichuan, and we decided to rest there.
Of course, we booked a top inn.
After such a grueling trip, I wanted to take it easy on the way back.
That night,
I called for Seo-u Warrior and Yeo Eung-am Warrior.
“I have a place to go for a bit.”
“We'll follow.”
I told Palgap I was stepping out briefly, then left the inn with the two bodyguards.
My destination was the spot where we'd found Jeong Ho hyung.
More precisely, where we'd found the century-old spirit horse mushrooms.
Thud.
Racing through the forest on lightfoot skill, we came to a halt. Then we entered the area with the century-old spirit horse mushrooms.
“Kahang!”
Suddenly, a creature blocked our path.
A fluffy-furred raccoon spirit beast.
As expected of a spirit beast, its presence was no joke. But……
“Kaha…… ang?”
Soon the spirit raccoon recognized us……
“Kkwi?”
The Gold Spirit poked its head out from my sleeve and said something to the spirit raccoon, which promptly bowed its head.
I must've misheard it as 'You forget me already?' in my mind.
The reason I'd stopped here on the way back was to take measures for the raccoon spirit beast guarding the century-old spirit horse mushrooms.
We'd been short on time then, but now we had plenty.
“Been well?”
“Kaang.”
“Looks like it. I bet you were mad I took half last time. But I had my reasons.”
“Kahang?”
“Century-old spirit horse mushrooms suck up all the yang energy around them. Eventually, they devour nearby animals and spirit beasts too—including you.”
“Kahang? Kang?”
“It's true. Taking half was partly selfish, but also for your sake. We needed to control the population.”
I went on,
“This should hold for another century or so. Keep it at this level.”
“Kang?”
“Harvest nearby fruits every few years and leave them out—it'll extend the time you can coexist with them.”
“Kaang!”
That meant it understood.
“That's my advice. Now, one more thing to protect this place.”
I drew my Silver Mist Sword.
“Kaang?”
The sword was named Silver Mist Sword because it could manipulate mist.
I couldn't yet use that power in combat—it required too much focus.
And controlling mist consumed a fair bit of inner energy.
I concentrated my power into the Silver Mist Sword and swung it wide.
Swish.
Mist began to thicken around us. After a suitable interval, I sheathed the sword.
Soon, visibility dropped to near zero.
“This should help guard the place.”
I was creating the mist to protect this spot, plain and simple.
We'd harvested the mushrooms here and even given Do Kyung a share.
But you never knew with people.
Rumors could spread, or someone might stumble upon it by chance.
Then the spirit raccoon could lose its precious mushrooms—or worse, blood could be spilled.
The raccoon itself might get hunted.
It had helped save my hyung's life, even if under the Gold Spirit's coercion. I couldn't let it die like that.
I always repay my debts.
Plus, it was one of the Gold Spirit's underlings.
Ah…… of course, I planned to take a few more if needed later, so this was marking my territory too.
“Take care.”
I left. Glancing back, I chuckled at the spirit raccoon waving goodbye.
On the way out, we planted signposts at intervals, so anyone who wandered in lost could find their way out safely.
The next day, we hit the road again.
We boarded a boat at the ferry by Mount Emei's foothills for the trip to Hubei Province.
“By the way, hyung, you okay with boats?”
Some people feared water after a shipwreck.
“I'm fine. Can't lead a merchant group if I'm scared of boats.”
“But……”
“And if trouble hits, you'll save me, right?”
I nodded at that.
“So don't worry.”
With that, Jeong Ho hyung boarded. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, his gaze was that of the reliable merchant leader from my past life.
The boat sped toward Hubei Province.
A few days later,
We finally reached the familiar ferry dock. We stayed overnight, then set off for the Eunhae Merchant Group headquarters.
The next day,
“Ah…… home. We're finally home.”
Jeong Ho hyung murmured, eyes brimming with tears.
Yes, we'd arrived at the Eunhae Merchant Group headquarters.
Home.
As we entered the compound, the whole family came out to greet us warmly.
“Jeong Ho!”
“Father! Mother!”
“Do you know how worried we were?”
“Grandfather……”
“Thank goodness you're safe.”
“Dear……”
After his parents, grandfather, and wife……
“Father!”
“Waaah! Daddy!”
Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon clung to Jeong Ho hyung's legs, sending him tumbling onto his butt.
But hyung, eyes red, just hugged the kids tight without a word.
Seeing that, I nearly teared up myself.
I did good. Attaboy, me.
Meanwhile, Father approached and patted my shoulder.
“Thank you.”
Those simple words hit heavy.
I stepped forward and said,
“Let's catch up later. Emotions are running high—you'll make yourselves sick.”
“R-right.”
“And hyung needs rest too.”
I looked at the kids and said,
“You get it, right?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
His wife took the children inside.
Father gripped Jeong Ho hyung's hand firmly.
“It's truly a relief you're back safe.”
“I'm sorry, Father. Your son has returned unharmed.”
Jeong Ho hyung smiled warmly in reply, then suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed sideways.
“Ah! Seriously!”
I caught him quickly and calmed the startled Father.
“Looks like the tension released. Rest will fix him right up.”
No place relaxed you like home, even after saving a life.
He must've been wound tight this whole time.
As I handed hyung to his bodyguard, Father said,
“Oh, and a guest is here. Jin Yeong Daehyeop, he said.”
I think I had this thought last time too……
Should I just bolt?
— Kkwi.
Ah, yeah, no point, huh.