Let's Establish the Martial Hall (6)
I said to him,
"Should I congratulate you?"
"I'm not sure myself."
He rose to his feet as he spoke.
"I heard your parents are still at that house."
"Yes."
"Are they in good health?"
His question made me hesitate for a moment, and his eyes darkened.
"Come to think of it, you've only talked about my father from the start."
"……."
"Your mother... she's passed away."
In the end, tears welled up in his eyes. I patted his back and said,
"But your father is still alive. Go to him before it's too late and embrace him."
"Yes. I will."
With that, I finished visiting the sickbed and left the room.
Mae Haeng-su needed time to compose himself, after all.
"What a relief."
Cho Haeng-su, who had come out with me, said with a look of relief.
"Indeed."
As we exchanged a few words, the physician entered Mae Haeng-su's room.
Watching that, I asked Cho Haeng-su,
"By the way, is the physician from the council trustworthy?"
He nodded at my question.
"Of course. He owes a great debt to the Leader, which is why he's the merchant group's physician."
"I see."
Then it should be safe to entrust this to him.
I bid farewell to Cho Haeng-su and waited until the physician finished examining Mae Haeng-su.
"Swordsman Beauty Daehyeop. What brings you here?"
"Actually, I brought medicine for the Leader."
"Pardon?"
I pulled the Heavenly Spirit Root from my bosom and held it out.
"Please verify it."
He unwrapped the cloth but tilted his head, unable to recognize it.
Well, that's the normal reaction.
"It's Heavenly Spirit Root."
"Ah, I see. Heavenly Spirit... Heuk! Really?"
He stammered in shock.
"I-Is this truly the Heavenly Spirit Root?"
"Yes. It's a spirit medicine that's not easily obtained. It should cure the Leader's illness."
"H-How could you bring such a precious item..."
Tears soon flowed from his eyes.
Why are so many people crying today?
"Thanks to the Leader saving and caring for Mae Haeng-su, the project our merchant group is pursuing has gone smoothly."
I continued,
"Please make the medicine from it right away and give it to the Leader."
"Y-Yes, understood."
"Just in case, ask the warriors to guard while the decoction is prepared."
"Yes."
No matter that it's inside the merchant group, we can't let our guard down.
I sent him off and quietly ordered Jin Yu Warrior to keep an eye on things.
The next day, Jin Yu Warrior came to report.
"There were no issues in preparing the medicine. And the Leader took it safely."
"Good. Well done."
I said to Palgap,
"Prepare to depart."
"Understood."
The leader of the Yeocheong Merchant Group, So Man, opened his eyes.
"Mm..."
His body had always felt as heavy as a thousand catties, but today it felt light, as if he'd returned to his youth.
Strange.
He got out of bed.
Even taking a single step had been a struggle, but now he could walk endlessly without fatigue.
He felt like he could even run.
How is this possible?
Just then, a guard's voice came from outside the door.
"Leader, the physician is here."
"Let him in."
The door opened soon after, and the physician was stunned to see him standing.
"L-Leader..."
"My body feels incredibly light today. Ha ha! Quite miraculous!"
"It really was Heavenly Spirit Root..."
"Hm? What do you mean? Heavenly Spirit Root?"
The physician bowed his head and replied,
"Actually, yesterday, Swordsman Beauty Daehyeop brought the Heavenly Spirit Root. The medicine you took yesterday was decocted from it."
"What? Is that true?"
"Yes."
"Ha ha! Just how much did he ask in return for such a thing..."
At his sigh, the physician cautiously said,
"I asked him why he would give away something so precious. He said it was repayment for saving and caring for Mae Haeng-su."
So Man shook his head.
"Even so, it's too much. For that matter, it's an enormous reward."
He called out toward the outside.
"Summon Swordsman Beauty Daehyeop... No. I should go myself."
He straightened his robes and headed to Eun Seo-ho's quarters.
I finished my breathing exercises and rose.
Then I said to Palgap,
"A guest is coming."
"I've already prepared the tea."
My ability to sense presences has been improving lately.
Soon, Chang-un Warrior's voice came from outside.
"The Leader has arrived."
I opened the door myself.
"Please come in."
"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting your morning routine."
"Not at all. Please, have a seat."
The Leader's complexion was markedly different from before.
Indeed, the Heavenly Spirit Root.
I greeted him with a faint smile and offered him a seat.
"You look much better."
"Thanks to the Heavenly Spirit Root you gave me. I don't know how to repay this grace."
"No need for such words."
I continued smoothly,
"Thanks to you, I was able to find Mae Haeng-su's son. And establishing the martial hall with the imperial family has proceeded without a hitch. This is merely repayment."
"No. You did save Mae Haeng-su, but thanks to that, our merchant group has grown further. I feel I've already received ample reward."
I'd anticipated this response and had my reply ready.
"Actually, that Heavenly Spirit Root was found in the sugarcane fields here."
"Such a treasure was here?"
"Yes. While rescuing Mae Haeng-su and the child, we found a pit dug by a wild beast. It was inside."
- Kui?
Geum-ryeong in my sleeve let out a dissatisfied grunt.
Yes, yes, you're no wild beast, of course.
I'm just making it up, so stay quiet.
I patted Geum-ryeong in my sleeve and continued,
"It seems like heaven's blessing. Heaven didn't want you to leave this world early, so it granted this serendipity."
"Of course I'm grateful to heaven. But I've received favors from you one after another, and if I don't repay them, I feel like I'll fall ill again."
He continued,
"I don't have much to offer you. So, I'll give you twenty percent of the sugarcane field profits for the next ten years."
"Pardon?"
I was genuinely surprised.
"That's too much."
"If you don't accept, I might fall ill again. Aigoo..."
How can I refuse when you put it that way?
I sighed and clasped my hands in salute.
"Very well. I'll accept your offer."
"Thank you."
I'm the one who's grateful.
Another gain here.
"By the way, when do you plan to depart?"
"As soon as Mae Haeng-su is ready."
Mae Haeng-su had composed himself faster than expected and decided to leave tomorrow.
He busily appointed a replacement, handed over duties, and prepared during my absence.
Morning came, and we gathered at the merchant group's entrance to depart.
"Thank you for everything."
"Thanks? We're the ones who should thank you."
Then Mae Haeng-su bid farewell to the Leader.
"I'll be back."
"Yes. Travel safely."
With that, we set off for Beijing. The problem was that Mae Haeng-su, no martial artist, couldn't endure Jukang-ma's speed while fully conscious.
We couldn't go slowly to accommodate him, as time was short.
So I acupointed him to sleep and rode hard.
Near Beijing, I woke him.
We had to go slowly now.
And it had been a while since returning to Beijing. Better to see it with a clear mind.
Mae Haeng-su looked moved.
"Ah... It's still there."
"Yes."
"A new building has gone up there."
Mae Haeng-su slowly took in Beijing's streets, changed after fifteen years.
We passed through the bustling districts and entered the outskirts.
"Actually, when I was young, a massive fire of unknown cause broke out in the mountain behind our village. I was playing there with the other kids. As we panicked, my father and the village elders came to rescue us."
He continued,
"That memory resurfaced in the sugarcane fields this time, and it became the key to recovering all my memories."
"I see."
Soon, the house came into view.
Mae Haeng-su's face hardened upon seeing it.
"Why the long face?"
"Because I'm an unfilial son returning after fifteen years."
"It wasn't by choice, was it?"
"True, but..."
His heart wouldn't be at ease.
Joy and gladness mixed with guilt.
An emotion I hadn't experienced, so I couldn't offer more comfort.
But we couldn't indulge in feelings forever.
"Elder!"
I called out loudly.
"Elder! Are you there? Elder!"
After several calls, Mae Elder emerged, grumbling irritably.
"Coming after so long and making such a racket..."
He trailed off mid-sentence.
He'd seen Mae Haeng-su standing beside me.
"Could it be... Jeong? Is that you, Jeong?"
"Father..."
"Jeong!"
"Father!"
The two ran to each other and embraced tightly.
"Aigoo, you rascal! Why did you come so late?"
"I'm sorry, Father. Truly sorry."
"Enough! You're back now, safe and sound. That's what matters."
Watching father and son reunite after fifteen years brought tears to my eyes too.
"So touching. Sniff."
Palgap was already wiping his tears.
Such a sensitive guy, despite his looks.
Sigh, now I miss my own father and mother.
Now, shall I head to the Beijing branch?
Time to lighten Jeong Ho hyung's load.
A few days passed.
I spent them busily handling backlog.
Jeong Ho had managed, but some matters required my judgment.
After three hectic days, I finally had a breather.
"Hoo..."
As I sighed and closed my eyes briefly, Jeong Ho said,
"How the hell do you handle all this work?"
"Just work hard?"
"Hyunpung Branch really is short-staffed. When I return to headquarters, I'll suggest to Father reinforcing the personnel."
"That'd be great."
"You really mean it? Doesn't sound sincere."
I jumped up and saluted.
"How could I? Your little brother is deeply moved by your heart."
"Enough, you rascal."
He continued,
"So, did things go well in Guangxi Province this time?"
Just then, Palgap's voice came from outside.
"Young master! Message from Mae Elder."
I grinned.
"Looks like it went well."
A short while later.
I headed to Mae Elder's house. He sat on the porch with his son.
"You've come."
"Yes, Elder. You look great."
"All thanks to you. Jeong told me—you found my son and saved his life! Truly... how to repay this grace."
"Live your remaining years happily with your son."
"I figured you'd say that."
Mae Elder nodded and said,
"This time, I'm going to Guangxi with my son."
"You've decided, then."
I'd half-expected it.
The Yeocheong Leader had wanted to entrust Mae Haeng-su to me, but with his illness cured.
And thanks to Mae Haeng-su rescuing Cho Haeng-su's child, the other managers seemed to accept and acknowledge him.
"If you wish to transfer to our Eunhae Merchant Group, the offer is sincere."
"I appreciate that, but that place is like my second hometown. I want to care for my father there in comfort."
"Then I have no choice but to yield."
I continued,
"If you're using an escort agency on your way back, I can recommend a good one."
"That would be appreciated."
I turned to look at Mae Elder.
"Then, we can proceed with the contract for this land. As discussed, five hundred nyang of silver."
"Too much."
"No. We've paid others the same; less would be unfair."
"But you also found my son..."
"That was for my own benefit."
After a moment's thought, the elder said,
"Then, of the five hundred nyang for the land, I'll invest three hundred in the Eunhae Merchant Group."
"Understood."
Old ginger is spicy, indeed—a wise choice.
Mae Elder's move proceeded swiftly via the Changin Escort Agency I recommended, heading to Guangxi.
The neighbors and I saw him off.
Changin is reliable, so he'll arrive safely.
Thus, securing the site for the martial hall was complete.
Whew, establishing a martial hall isn't easy.
We've only just secured the land.
Still need to build and recruit instructors.
Building is straightforward; instructors are the issue... but I have the decree from the Emperor.
The one glittering with silver powder.
Now, where to go first?