Catch the Rat (5)
I see. Even Jin Woo-rim Merchant Lord doesn't know their identities for sure.
But I do.
Those men were sent by the Dong Merchant Group.
I knew this because, in my previous life, the furious Emperor had launched an investigation after Jin Woo-rim was ambushed, eventually uncovering the culprits.
The Emperor had ordered the extermination of the Dong Merchant Lord's clan and all accomplices.
Honestly, it was their just desserts—no pity there.
But during that investigation, countless innocents suffered terribly.
Some died under brutal torture, many more were left crippled.
Why should the innocent pay for the guilty?
This time, though, it would be different.
Jin Woo-rim wasn't on the brink of death, and I was here.
I approached the masked men—their masks already removed.
I picked one up, examined it, and chuckled softly.
"This fabric is Fanpingzhi, one of the cotton weaves from Jiangsu Province."
"Fanpingzhi?"
"It's a term merchants use among ourselves when dealing with textiles. You know how many threads make up one bolt of cotton cloth, right?"
"Of course. Eighty threads?"
"Yes. Fanpingzhi is less than five bolts in quality, but its texture rivals five-bolt cloth, so it's used widely—especially for clothing. And..."
I pointed to a specific spot on the mask.
"Curiously, in some cases, even when dyed black with ink, the edges of the cloth remain undyed."
Jin Woo-rim nodded as he inspected the undyed edge I'd shown him.
"Indeed! I see!"
"It's because they apply a special oil with a distinct scent to the edges for pest protection. Only one place uses this oil."
"So that's how you identified it as Jiangsu's fanpingzhi?"
"Yes."
"Impressive."
"Just a humble skill from a textile merchant."
This was something I'd learned from experience when I took over the Eunhae Fabric Shop.
And right now, only one place exclusively sells this fanpingzhi.
The Dong Merchant Group.
Based in Jiangsu Province, the Dong Merchant Group had forced their cloth producers to work in harsh conditions under exploitative contracts.
When the Dong Merchant Group collapsed, those workers seized the chance, broke free, and rose to prominence.
"But couldn't they have just bought the fabric and made the masks?"
"As I said, the edges don't dye when..."
"...?"
"...they haven't trimmed them off. And when wholesalers sell to retailers, they always trim the edges—to hide that oil."
"Meaning?"
"It means pre-sale cloth. And there's only one place to get that."
By now, he'd get it.
Jin Woo-rim gave a wry smile and nodded.
With one mystery solved, another arose, and he asked me,
"But how did you know we'd been ambushed and come to our aid?"
"How could we know you'd been attacked, sir? We were just on our way to buy a bowl of noodles for today's hard workers when we heard fighting and came to check."
I scratched under my ear.
"I'm a bit too curious for my own good..."
"A merchant through and through!"
"Haha, seems like it. Anyway, glad you're safe."
I told him,
"Oh, sorry for the late introduction. I'm Eun Seo-ho, son of the Eunhae Merchant Group's leader."
Jin Woo-rim gazed at the well-tended garden.
He and his entourage were at the Eunhae Merchant Group's Sichuan Branch. Eun Seo-ho had insisted they recover from their injuries here.
They'd received excellent care, and their wounds had nearly healed.
'What a fine place.'
Having observed the branch closely during their stay, he'd concluded as much.
Then a Gold Guard warrior approached him.
"The Emperor's honor guard is waiting in the nearby woods."
"Understood."
"And they're investigating the Dong Merchant Group."
Thanks to Eun Seo-ho, he now knew who had ambushed them.
No innocents would suffer this time, another debt owed to the young man.
'I keep racking up favors with him.'
It was time to go.
He still had the Emperor's command to fulfill.
The ambush was a separate matter; his duty remained.
For the common people's peaceful lives, he had to complete it.
He cherished the people—that's why Eun Seo-ho's talk of "mutual prosperity" had resonated so deeply.
Bidding thanks to Branch Head Eun Myeong-sang, he casually probed,
"Do you know who I am, Branch Head?"
"Of course. I'm a merchant with wide connections—how could I not?"
He continued,
"I know you're a highly respected figure in Guizhou Province. Glad we could save you."
Had he claimed ignorance, suspicion might have lingered.
But knowing him dispelled all doubts.
"I'd like to repay the branch head."
"No need."
"Tell me. I'll do what I can."
"Then just take good care of your health."
"...Health care as repayment?"
"Yes. It'd be tragic if the life we saved was cut short by poor self-care."
"Hahaha!"
Jin Woo-rim burst into laughter despite himself.
"You're right! I will!"
Seeing his satisfied smile, Eun Myeong-sang inwardly marveled.
'That Eun Seo-ho kid...'
The answers he'd given today came straight from Eun Seo-ho's instructions.
What to say if asked if he knew him, or about repayment.
And Jin Woo-rim looked thoroughly pleased.
'What kind of man inspires such dedication?'
Eun Myeong-sang still didn't know Jin Woo-rim's exact identity—Eun Seo-ho hadn't told him.
Thus, Jin Woo-rim and his group departed the merchant group.
The Eunhae Sichuan Branch returned to daily routine.
But things felt subtly different now.
Before, operating in Sichuan, they'd always seemed like outsiders.
Not anymore.
The locals now accepted the branch as one of their own Sichuan merchants.
That alone made giving away salt for free worthwhile, thought Eun Myeong-sang.
Salt prices still soared sky-high.
'Heard the Dan Merchant Group blew all their spare cash on salt...'
Bribing one of their executives was bad enough, but framing the scarecrows with "possessed by spirits" nonsense to justify the attack?
Knowing what was coming, he almost pitied them.
Half a month later.
The Salt Distribution Act took effect.
The Dan Merchant Group's leader stared blankly at his subordinate's report, utterly baffled.
The man had spouted nonsense about some "Salt Distribution Act."
"What? S-Salt... Distribution Act? What's all the fuss about?"
"Posters with His Majesty's edict have gone up at every county office nationwide. Here's a transcription of the key part—the Salt Distribution Act."
The leader snatched the paper and read.
"......"
His hands trembled.
Bam!
Unable to contain his rage, he slammed his fist on the desk.
It was like a bolt from the blue.
"Damn it! Son of a—!"
Seeing salt prices climb, he'd dumped every spare coin into it—now total ruin.
He racked his brains, but no answers came.
"Damn... damn it! Damn!"
One option left: Dump it cheap on the imperial Yeompyeong Merchant Group.
"This is no better than scattering it to the winds!"
That reminded him of a recent report.
The Eunhae Sichuan Branch handing out salt free in the slums.
Back then, he'd thought, What a stunt.
But Eunhae was a profit-driven group too.
They must've figured giving it away beat hoarding—yielding bigger gains.
And now, public opinion of Eunhae was stellar.
'Come to think of it, they only bought early on—not much stock.'
Meaning they'd never planned to hoard.
Just distribute to the people.
Why not stockpile?
'Did they know in advance?'
A reasonable suspicion dawned.
His subordinate ventured cautiously,
"What about this afternoon's meeting...?"
Sichuan's merchant leaders were gathering then.
The mood would be abysmal.
This act would bankrupt countless groups.
Which was exactly why they'd all attend—to scrape any damage-control intel.
He would too.
That evening.
The Dan Merchant leader entered a tavern in the capital.
Site of the merchant lords' meeting.
"Welcome, sir."
Greeted warmly by the staff, but as expected, the vibe was dour.
Usually swaggering lords now slumped, nursing drinks in silence.
The banquet hall, once buzzing with sharp banter, echoed only with musicians' tunes.
Sporadic murmurs aside.
Then—
"This atmosphere's no good, folks."
A man entered, shifting the mood. Eun Myeong-sang.
Eunhae Sichuan Branch Head—and invitee as a branch leader.
The lords had questions for Eunhae.
"By the way, didn't Eunhae buy salt early too? Did you know this and pull out?"
Eun Myeong-sang replied,
"What're you saying? Pull out? We bought to give away free from the start—no investment intended."
Silence fell.
They knew what Eunhae gained: reputation.
Eunhae had bolstered its image.
Some followed suit, but most didn't.
Couldn't—scraped every coin for outrageously priced salt.
Someone asked,
"So Eunhae sat this out from the beginning?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't add up! A group like yours passing on this opportunity...?"
Eun Myeong-sang smiled and continued,
"We judged it risky. Intel from above, plus any brainpower would've spotted imperial intervention."
"......"
"So we excluded it entirely from the get-go."
The Dan leader couldn't help snapping,
"Didn't peg you for sneaky! Why not tip us off sooner?"
"Tip you off? What? I did—last meeting. Said it smelled dangerous, better bail now."
"......"
A few nodded.
They'd heeded him, dodging losses— even profiting.
"True."
"Eun Branch Head said exactly that."
Eun Myeong-sang smirked inwardly.
'That kid thought of everything...'
He recalled his talk with Eun Seo-ho.
"What? Tell other lords to bail at today's meeting?"
"Yes, Uncle."
"Why share such crucial intel?"
"You know salt prices now? Who'd quit just 'cause we say 'bail'?"
"Almost no one."
"Yes. Most'll dismiss it as petty posturing. But if they listen and avoid loss..."
"They become our allies."
"And if they lose anyway? No resentment—we warned 'em, they ignored."