Chapter 498: White Dew Brew (2)
I couldn't help but be startled by Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop's sudden action.
I'd never imagined he'd hurl an axe at the door.
And when the hell did he even grab that axe?
The axe struck the door's latch dead-on, shattering the lock.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The warriors' auras turned ferocious as they caught on.
But Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop ignored them completely and bellowed inside.
"Hey! You bastard! If you're in there, get your ass out here right now!"
"We can't let you barge in like this."
"Keep this up, and we'll have to use force."
Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop traded barbs with the two warriors while shooting me a glance.
I nodded and bolted straight for the door.
"N-No, you can't!"
The two warriors tried to block me, but Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop intercepted them.
Once inside, I saw Yeong the craftsman bound to a chair.
"Yeong!"
"S-Sodanju-nim!"
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
I quickly sliced through the ropes binding him, helped him up, and led him out.
Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop was still facing off against the two warriors.
"Stand down!"
"……."
The warriors' faces fell when they saw Yeong Gu-jin.
Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop turned back with a grin.
"Hey! You're still alive?"
"I don't go down that easy."
Yeong Gu-jin chuckled and picked up the axe from the floor.
"You throw this?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Thanks."
At the commotion, a man came running over with more warriors.
"What's all this racket……."
He trailed off, spotting Yeong Gu-jin standing beside me.
In an instant, he forced a smile.
"Gu-jin, what the hell is this? Coming in here swinging an axe like some thug!"
I was about to speak up against him trying to pin it on Yeong Gu-jin.
But Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop beat me to it.
"Long time no see, hyungnim."
"You……."
"And don't go framing innocents. That axe is mine—I brought it to rescue my friend, whom you had tied up."
"Tied up? What are you talking about?"
"Take a look at the marks on his arms."
Sure enough, Yeong the craftsman's arms bore clear rope burns.
"I heard Gu-man hyungnim is away on business, so you thought you'd seize the chance for this stunt? Anyway, I'm not letting this slide."
"This is a family matter for the Seon-gu Yeong Clan. No matter how close you are to Gu-jin, you can't meddle in our internal affairs."
Playing the family card, huh? Sneaky bastard.
That drew a line we couldn't cross.
But Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop wasn't one to back down.
"Does the Seon-gu Yeong Clan have a tradition of tying up their own kin? When I met Chun Bu-jang before, he boasted about the clan—no mention of that."
Whoa!
Nice one! Perfect.
I wanted to applaud inwardly.
"Gu-jin disgraced the clan! So……."
"Ha! That's rich! Hyungnim! How far will you stretch the lies? Me, committing a crime? What crime exactly?"
"The crime of tarnishing the family honor."
Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop looked utterly incredulous.
"You're saying he tarnished the honor by brewing liquor?"
"Exactly!"
Sigh…… This is hopeless.
I stepped forward.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Eun Seo-ho, sodanju of the Eunhae Merchant Group."
"This isn't a place for some lowly merchant to butt in!"
"No, I have every right. I'm here representing the merchant group sponsoring Yeong Gu-jin."
"……."
"Yeong Gu-jin, whom we've supported so generously, vanished right before the tasting. We were in quite a bind."
I lowered my voice.
"Then we find out you had him detained. Who do we bill for the damages?"
"That's……."
"Shall we report this to Crown Prince Taeja, who's overseeing the liquor tasting, and let him sort it out?"
He paled and took a step back.
"So, wouldn't it be best to end it here? What good comes from this getting out?"
"Ugh……."
I turned to Yeong Gu-jin and Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop.
"Let's go."
And just like that, we made it out of the estate unscathed.
"You alright?"
Jeong Ho greeted us at the Beijing branch.
"Yeah, thanks to you."
"What a relief."
I said to Jeong Ho,
"Hyung, just in case, beef up security."
"Got it."
Jeong Ho nodded.
With him in charge, I didn't worry about the branch's defenses. He's thorough like that.
Except when he spouts nonsense now and then.
Still, I preferred this version of Jeong Ho. The future Outer Corps Leader Jeong Ho got even more solemn than Go Il-pyeong—lost his fun side.
I turned to Yeong Gu-jin.
"Alright, let's talk."
"Yes."
I led Yeong Gu-jin and Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop to the reception room.
As we sat, Palgap poured tea.
"Please, have some. It'll calm your nerves."
"Ah, thank you."
We took a moment to sip tea and settle down.
Conversations in the heat of the moment never go right.
Hm, delicious.
Palgap's tea skills were improving by the day.
Once the excitement had ebbed, I asked Yeong Gu-jin,
"Who was that guy earlier?"
"Ah…… Yeong Gu-sang, my second brother."
Dong Daehyeop frowned from the side.
"I can't stand that guy. All cheap tricks……."
"It's his survival strategy, I suppose."
To seize what he wants. Second sons in clans often have that ambitious streak.
Hm, Jeong Ho hyung…….
"Seo-ho, I still think the top seat belongs to Jeong Ho hyung. Protecting this merchant group is my pride."
Right, can't generalize.
And ambition or not, harming others to get what you want isn't right.
"So, why did they detain you?"
"I'd rather not say honestly, but it wouldn't be proper to my sponsor."
He sighed and continued.
"Please, keep what I say here."
"Of course. Our secret."
"They wanted me to marry."
"Marry……?"
"Yes."
He nodded.
"The daughter of the Ministry of War clerk has mania. Can't just marry her off to anyone—family prestige and all……."
"So you tried to make Yeong the craftsman their son-in-law for connections and profit."
"Yes."
"That fucking bastard!"
Dong Hyeok-su Daehyeop exploded.
No surprise—even as an outsider, I was furious; his childhood friend must be livid.
Speaking of, the clerk's daughter's mania…….
I knew the story from my past life.
Her husband died stopping her episode; the trial revealed it.
Ruled not guilty—accident.
But they paid massive compensation.
Years later, a Mosanpa Taoist cured her.
That incident was still years away, unrelated to me then.
I couldn't save everyone, even with foreknowledge.
Had to accept my limits.
My goals: Make Eunhae the world's top merchant group, revenge on Murim Alliance and Baekcheon.
Sigh…….
I rubbed my dry face.
But now things had changed.
Yeong Gu-jin could be that victim.
Now that he was connected to me, I couldn't ignore it.
Manic episodes when it rains, self-harm.
Sudden onset one day.
A Taoist, not a doctor, cured it—not a true illness.
But investigating that could wait.
More pressing matters now.
I told Yeong Gu-jin,
"Despite this mess, give it your all tomorrow."
"Of course."
***
Yeong Gu-sang ground his teeth.
His plan had gone to hell.
Dong Hyeok-su.
His little brother's childhood friend had always rubbed him wrong.
Probably because he resembled him without truly doing so.
Hot-blooded and reckless, yet sharp as a tack underneath.
People just didn't see it.
Plus, he was the eldest son of the Gui-ju Provincial Commander's office.
Untouchable.
So his hatred turned to Eun Seo-ho beside him.
"Lowly merchant scum dares obstruct me?"
He pondered how to screw over this Eun Seo-ho.
Then it hit him: merchants hate scrutiny from the Ministry of Trade.
Next day, he entered the palace and headed straight there.
"What brings a warrior here?"
"I learned of a merchant group's corruption and came to report."
"What? Which one?"
"Eunhae Merchant Group. I witnessed their sodanju, Eun Seo-ho, taking bribes."
Merchants always bribe.
His accusation was false, yet plausible.
Soon, inspectors would swarm Eunhae.
Getting fleeced by officials would be hell.
He savored the thought—until things went sideways.
"Is this report legit?"
"Of course."
"Then detail when, where, from whom Eun Sodanju took bribes, and how you know."
"Pardon?"
"Dealing with Eun Seo-ho requires ironclad proof. Very ironclad."
The official continued.
"We say: To tackle Eunhae, prepare tenfold. Or we get burned."
"……."
"Ha, a group famous for no bribes caught taking them? Big deal. Write it up!"
Yeong Gu-sang broke into cold sweat.
Falsifying would trap him—slander was serious.
"I…… don't remember well. Sorry."
He fled the ministry.
"Damn it!"
One failure didn't mean retreat.
Next: Gold Guard.
His Ministry of War ties extended there.
They could arrest and interrogate on suspicion alone.
'Risk of Father or brother hearing, but no surer way to screw that merchant.'
He approached his Gold Guard friend, a jinmu.
"I heard him speak treason against His Majesty."
"What?"
"So go arrest him……."
"You punk! How dare you slander him like that?"
"Huh? Wha?"
"He's our Gold Guard's benefactor! Every one of us owes him! His loyalty is unquestioned—and he has the Emperor's favor!"
Stunned by the backlash, his friend said coldly,
"Defame him again, and you're dead by my hand. Touch him, and you die to us; your clan crumbles by His Majesty's."
"……."
"Tch! Calling a guy like you a friend!"
He stormed off.
Yeong Gu-sang finally got it.
That "lowly" merchant was anything but.
'Shit! We're fucked!'
As he paced anxiously, a man approached.
"Oh? There you are!"
His eldest brother, Yeong Gu-man.
"H-Hyungnim, when did you get back?"
"Just now. Heard our little bro's in the liquor tasting—rushed back."
He grinned.
"Our maknae's finally succeeding! Haha, brewing liquor, but standing before His Majesty? Huge! Come on, let's go watch."
"……."
The tasting was run by Cheongsu and Eunhae Merchant Groups.
Eun Seo-ho would be there.
And Dong Hyeok-su too.
Yeong Gu-sang desperately did not want to go.