Let's Establish a Martial Hall (5)
At his words, Mae Jeong felt puzzled inwardly.
He was someone who had always treated him like a mere chick.
Even when there was something that needed to be said, he would relay it through others or send a letter.
But the words that followed made him pause.
"I have something to tell you about the guest who came to see you this time."
He was already harboring suspicions about Eun Seo-ho, the young division head, and conducting an investigation.
Of course, circumstantial evidence suggested it really was him.
The division head had vouched for it, after all.
But given what he'd endured in the past, he couldn't fully trust him yet.
With that, he rose from his seat.
"Please lead the way."
"Very well."
A short while later, they arrived at a secluded spot with few people around.
"So, what did you want to say about my guest?"
"The guest who came this time—Eunhae Merchant Group's young division head, right?"
"It's not confirmed yet."
"If the division head says it's certain, then it is."
"……."
"He's the real deal from Eunhae Merchant Group, so drop your suspicions. You know I went to Luoyang with the division head for the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Assembly last time."
"Yes, that's right."
"I saw him then too. And those two warriors who caused trouble were with him. From what I heard, it was thanks to Eun Seo-ho the young division head's plea that they weren't excommunicated and became his escorts instead."
With him saying that much, there was no choice but to believe it.
"By the way, you're transferring to Eunhae Merchant Group?"
"I haven't decided yet, but how did you know?"
"I have my ways."
Mae Jeong bit his lip at that.
"So, what are you getting at?"
Cho, the steward, cleared his throat awkwardly before answering.
"Ahem. That project you're pushing forward—hand it over to me."
"Pardon?"
At Cho the steward's words, Mae Jeong was momentarily stunned.
The project he was leading was about making candy production more efficient.
It was about eighty percent done, and the workers loved it.
In other words, he wanted to claim as his own achievement a job that just needed wrapping up.
"I haven't gotten proper performance bonuses so far, so honestly, it's embarrassing in front of my family."
It was infuriating that he wanted to swoop in on a meal that was practically served, but what hurt more was the sense of betrayal.
"……Don't you think I'll stay with Yeocheong Merchant Group?"
"Why would you cling to this place? You're not planning to bury your bones here anyway, and since the division head brought you, once he leaves, you'd have no attachment, right?"
Those words left Mae Jeong feeling utterly deflated.
He'd worked so hard to blend into the merchant group, and it all seemed for nothing.
"……."
"Plus, it's a direct request from the division head himself. You're not the type to ignore that."
"……."
Mae Jeong let out a sigh and spoke.
"I've done my best to work hard for Yeocheong Merchant Group and everyone here, but I guess it wasn't enough."
"Well……."
That was when it happened.
"Fire!"
"The sugarcane field's on fire!"
The two men jumped at the sudden screams and shouts.
When harvesting sugarcane, they sometimes set fires on purpose to drive out snakes and pests.
The sugarcane didn't burn that way.
But that was only at harvest time.
The sugarcane hadn't ripened properly yet.
Exposing it to fire now would ruin this season's crop.
They dropped their conversation and rushed to the sugarcane field.
Grabbing sickles themselves, they joined the others in cutting down the unburnt sugarcane to create a barrier.
They had to prevent the fire from spreading to the rest, no matter what.
"Waaah!"
Children came running from the edge of the field, crying their eyes out.
Cho the steward hurried over and asked them.
"What happened?"
"Sorry!"
"Sorry! Waaah!"
Under his sharp questioning, the kids just sobbed harder.
"Stop crying! Tell me what happened!"
"W-We……."
"We were roasting birds in that empty lot next door……."
The empty lot they pointed to was beside the sugarcane field, their usual playground.
Normally, the distance kept the fire from spreading, but the weather had been extremely dry lately, and the wind was fierce today.
Embers had flown over and ignited the field.
"Y-You little……!"
Cho the steward was about to explode in rage, but Mae Jeong held him back and asked the children.
"Wait, didn't you five always stick together? Why are there only four of you?"
"Choi-im oppa said he'd put out the fire and went inside."
"What?"
Choi-im was Cho the steward's son.
Anyone inside a burning sugarcane field wouldn't survive.
Knowing that, Cho the steward lost his wits and collapsed to the ground.
Mae Jeong grabbed a nearby bucket of water and doused himself.
"What are you doing?"
"I'll bring him out."
"It's dangerous!"
Mae Jeong replied firmly.
"He's your son! We can't let a hard-won child die."
"But why risk yourself?"
"Is now the time to debate that? One of our merchant group's family is in trouble!"
Shaking off their hands, Mae Jeong plunged into the sugarcane field.
"Choi-im! Where are you? Choi-im!"
It was easy to get lost in a sugarcane field, so markers were placed everywhere.
Mae Jeong followed them, searching for Cho the steward's son.
"Choi-im!"
"Uncle!"
He finally found Choi-im, who burst into tears at the sight of him.
"Sorry. We were trying to roast birds…… sob……."
"Your father's worried. Let's get out."
They retraced their steps to escape, but…….
"Ugh! Damn it!"
The flames had spread, blocking their way back.
No way forward, no way back.
The scorching blaze surged toward them.
The intense heat and smoke choked their breaths.
'Come to think of it, I feel like I've been through something like this before?'
Maybe that's why.
He always broke into cold sweats at the sight of a big fire.
Whenever they burned the sugarcane fields, he'd take sick leave and hole up at home.
He'd desperately hidden it for fear of it becoming a weakness.
'What was I thinking, charging into the fire to save Im-i when I'm like this?'
He gave a bitter smile.
Despite their rejection, he'd grown fond of the merchant group's people.
That sentiment had driven him to rush in blindly.
'But in the end, I'm dying like this.'
He couldn't remember, but he wanted to see his father who was waiting for him.
Yet it seemed he wouldn't get the chance.
'I hope the division head doesn't grieve too much.'
With that thought, he squeezed his eyes shut, hugged the child tight, and awaited death.
Then, suddenly, a chill wind blew.
Whoosh—!
Mae Jeong opened his eyes and looked up.
Someone stood before him.
"I'm glad you're safe. The heavens must have blessed us."
For a moment, something else flashed before his eyes.
"I'm glad you're safe! The heavens have blessed us!"
And a different voice in his ear.
'Whose voice is that?'
It sounded truly relieved, laced with tears.
Tears welled up in his eyes unbidden. And…….
"Ugh!"
His head throbbed like it was splitting, and he lost consciousness.
The Seo-u Warrior supported Mae Jeong the steward.
"He seems to have passed out."
"I see."
The child was already unconscious, likely overwhelmed by fear of the encroaching flames.
While retrieving Cheon Yeong-geun from the sugarcane field, he'd noticed the fire start.
I'd been heading to suppress it when I sped up.
I'd sensed Mae Jeong the steward's energy from that direction.
If he died, this trip to Guangxi Province would be for nothing.
In haste, I'd used my ice arts to extinguish the flames as I raced over, saving Mae Jeong the steward.
I gathered my energy again.
Wooong.
The Taiyin Ice Sea Divine Art was an extreme yin inner art.
It held powerful suppression against fire.
Raising my Silver Mist Sword, I swung it toward the roaring blaze.
Fwoosh—!
With the sword's mist power added, the flames rapidly died down.
Through the cleared path, my two warriors carried Mae Jeong the steward and the child on their backs as they followed.
Not just my group but the merchant group's people had heard and were anxiously milling about.
My entourage rushed over as I emerged.
"Young division head!"
"Please take care of these two. I'll go put out the rest of the fire."
"But…… it's dangerous!"
I chuckled and swung my sword again; the flames extinguished in an instant.
"Oh!"
"Ooooh!"
The Yeocheong Merchant Group members marveled.
I kept unleashing ice arts, suppressing the fire completely in less than a quarter hour.
"Check if any flames remain."
"None!"
"All out!"
"Good."
I turned to the two still unconscious figures.
"You brat! Open your eyes!"
The stewards clustered around the child but hesitated to approach Mae Jeong the steward.
They kept stealing glances at him, eyes filled with guilt and regret.
"That kid's Cho the steward's son. The moment he heard the boy hadn't come out of the sugarcane field, Mae Jeong the steward rushed right in."
Palgap's explanation made the situation clear.
And why they felt such guilt.
Other stewards approached me then.
"Putting out the fire with just sword swings—amazing!"
"It was easy since my martial art is ice-based."
"We truly thank you."
"How can we repay this grace?"
"I'm glad I could help, but what's the damage like?"
"Fortunately, only a portion burned."
"Lucky in misfortune."
Only then did I understand why Yeocheong Merchant Group had faltered in my previous life, and why Mae Jeong the steward was absent.
After the division head's death, it wasn't that he'd left—he'd perished in this fire.
Given the weather and fire's ferocity, most of the field would have burned.
The problem was the culprits being children.
Even holding parents accountable, could they fully compensate?
No.
The merchant group's finances would wobble…….
And since the kids belonged to the stewards, it would affect their actions going forward.
That convergence led to the future I knew.
A group arrived from afar then, medicine pouches on their backs—doctors, it seemed.
"Over here! Here!"
They immediately checked Mae Jeong the steward and the child.
"It's just fainting. They'll regain consciousness in time."
Soon, they were carried to the merchant group quarters, and the rest handled cleanup.
Thanks to their diligent efforts clearing the burnt sugarcane, they finished quickly.
Two days passed after that.
My door opened, and Palgap entered.
"How's Mae Jeong the steward?"
"Still out, sir."
The child had woken and returned to daily life after recovery.
But Mae Jeong the steward hadn't regained consciousness.
"No abnormalities, though."
"Yeah……."
I couldn't stay here forever…….
After pondering, I stood.
"I should check on him."
I left my quarters and headed to the hall where Mae Jeong the steward lay.
"We greet the Seonhyeopmirang Daehyeop!"
The merchant group members bowed with clasped hands upon seeing me.
"Ah, yes……."
Thanks to suppressing the sugarcane field fire, I was treated like a hero in Yeocheong Merchant Group.
The division head—not to mention the young division head—had gripped my hand, thanking me profusely.
And somehow the rumor spread; everyone knew my title and called me Seonhyeopmirang Daehyeop.
Sigh…… can't escape it here either.
I soon reached the hall.
Cho the steward paced out front.
"Ah!"
He tried to step aside upon seeing me.
"Here to visit Mae Jeong the steward?"
"Y-Yes."
"You can come in with me."
"No need."
"I won't be long."
He hesitated at my words, then nodded, and we entered together.
Mae Jeong the steward lay still as death.
His complexion was fine, breathing normal…….
As I approached to examine him, his eyes fluttered open.
"U-Umm……."
Cho the steward called urgently.
"Oh! Mae Jeong! Are you coming to? Do you know who I am?"
"Uh…… Cho, the steward?"
"Yes! That's right! It's me!"
"Im-i……."
"He's safe! Thanks to you…… he lived."
"Good."
"You fool! I was so worried you wouldn't wake…… sob."
Cho the steward finally burst into tears.
"I'm so sorry to you, I can't even look you in the face!"
"Hahaha."
Mae Jeong the steward laughed.
"By the way, who saved me and Im-i? I think I saw someone swing a sword and the fire went out……."
Cho the steward replied.
"It was Seonhyeopmirang Daehyeop here. He saved you and my son, and suppressed the fire too."
"Ah!"
He turned to look at me.
"Thank you so much."
"No need. I'm just glad you're awake."
"Um, Eun Seo-ho young division head."
Tears welled in Mae Jeong the steward's eyes, who had been smiling moments ago.
"I want to…… see my parents."
"Could it be……."
"Yes. I've regained my memories."