Palgap reacted faster than I did.
“Isn’t this a hot spring?”
Geumryeong nodded.
“Kui! Kui!”
You're saying if I soak in here, I won't hurt anymore?
A chuckle slipped out before I knew it.
How thoughtful. Geumryeong even brought me all the way to a hot spring.
But this place looks like some kind of hidden hot spring no one knows about.
There was nothing here but a solitary pool of water, with no facilities or people anywhere in sight.
Then again, Sichuan is famous for its hot springs.
And since Geumryeong went to the trouble of bringing me here, I might as well give it a try.
I took off my outer robe and shoes, then carefully stepped into the large pool filled with hot spring water.
It was deeper than I'd expected. I found a submerged rock and sat down on it, and the water came all the way up to my neck.
The temperature is perfect, too.
“Kui!”
Geumryeong slipped into the hot spring as well and began paddling around with its front legs.
“By the way, how did you know about this place?”
“Kui? Kui! Kui!”
Ah… Geumryeong had discovered this place a long time ago, when we were heading to Yunnan while chasing after the stolen Silver Mist Sword.
That happened quite a while ago. You've got a good memory.
“Kui. Kui!”
Hm? If I'm sick and can't make money, we'll go hungry, and that would make you very sad? So I shouldn't get sick and should keep making lots of money?
What?
I'm grateful you're worried about me, but why does that somehow feel like pressure…
The hot spring Geumryeong had shown me didn't seem to be an ordinary one.
I'd only been soaking for about fifteen minutes, yet my fatigue had already melted away and my entire body felt lighter.
Even my internal power had recovered, almost as though I'd gone through a session of Breathing Meditation.
What in the world is this place?
Then a rather good idea occurred to me.
Should I develop this hot spring?
Right now, everyone working on the earthquake recovery was steadily accumulating fatigue.
If I opened this place to them, it would probably be extremely well received.
And it should help speed up the recovery work as well.
Once the earthquake recovery is finished, I can develop it into a proper commercial venture.
“Geumryeong.”
“Kui?”
“Would you mind if I developed this hot spring?”
“Kui. Kui.”
You don't care? As long as I make plenty of money?
Now that I even had Geumryeong's permission, perhaps it was time to get serious.
I got dressed again and headed for the Sichuan Branch of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
The moment Uncle heard I'd arrived, he hurried out to meet me.
“Seo-ho! Are you all right?”
“Ah, yes. I'm fine.”
“I heard you nearly suffered a terrible injury trying to save His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“News… certainly travels fast.”
It hadn't even been a full day, yet word had already reached Uncle. Someone must have been deliberately spreading the story.
“Have you heard from Cousin Hyang-ok?”
“Yes. She said she's currently up north, subjugating the Forest Bandits who've been running rampant there.”
“I see.”
Then it was time to get to the real reason I'd come.
“Uncle, there's something business-related I'd like your support with.”
“Business?”
“Yes. I'd rather discuss it inside.”
“Very well.”
I followed Uncle into his office, where we sat down for a serious discussion.
“So you're saying you discovered a new hot spring?”
“Yes. And I've confirmed that its effects are far superior to those of ordinary hot springs.”
“The hot spring business is certainly profitable. The problem has always been that nearly every worthwhile spring already has someone laying claim to it. I've regretted missing out on that business more than once. If you've really found a spring that good, then this is excellent news.”
Just as I'd expected from Uncle.
He was once capable of competing with Father for the position of Merchant Lord, so he certainly wasn't lacking in business sense.
Of course, that also meant he had plenty of ambition.
“For now, I'd like to operate it free of charge throughout the earthquake recovery period.”
“That's probably for the best. Charging people right now would be a perfect way to earn everyone's resentment. If we make it free, we'll have a solid justification as part of the relief effort, and it'll serve as excellent publicity for later.”
“Exactly.”
“Understood. The Sichuan Branch will take responsibility for preparing and operating the hot spring.”
“Thank you.”
Uncle looked rather pleased about the whole thing, so I supposed there was no need to apologize for giving him even more work.
.
.
.
By the time I returned to our lodgings, evening had already fallen.
“You're back?”
“Yes.”
Young Lady Seohyang was waiting for me at the inn.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“Not yet…”
“Perfect. Neither have I. Let's have dinner together.”
We were currently staying at an inn.
The Crown Prince and Prince Seongbo were staying at the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, and they'd invited me to stay there as well, but that would have been far too uncomfortable.
We headed to the dining hall, where Young Lady Seohyang and I sat together.
“Let's sit here.”
“All right.”
Everyone other than Young Lady Seohyang and me took seats at a different table.
Before long, the food we'd ordered arrived.
Fortunately, Chengdu itself hadn't suffered any earthquake damage, so we could still get a proper meal.
Still, Sichuan cuisine honestly wasn't to my taste, so I'd ordered Hubei-style dumplings instead.
While waiting for them, I took a sip of the tea that had arrived first and apologized to her.
“I'm sorry I made you worry.”
“It's all right.”
She shook her head.
“I knew you wouldn't lose your life. But getting hurt still hurts…”
She lowered her head.
“And part of me keeps wondering if I shouldn't have told you at all. If I hadn't…”
“No. If you hadn't told me, the situation would have become far more troublesome. His Highness the Crown Prince's personal guards would have faced severe punishment, and neither I nor the others who were there would have escaped responsibility.”
“…”
“Thanks to you, a great many people were spared a great deal of trouble.”
“But you, Deputy Merchant Lord…”
“I'll be fine. I have people I can count on.”
“What?”
“Even if things had gone wrong, you and my Escort Guards would have found some way to save me. Palgap and Geumryeong were there too.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could sense the Escort Guards drinking tea at the other table nodding along with my words.
“To be perfectly honest, I can't promise that marrying me will mean a peaceful life without anything to worry about. Like I told you before, trouble has a habit of following me wherever I go.”
The last time I'd spoken to Young Lady Seohyang about this, I'd told her that revenge meant I had no choice but to walk a thorny path. Obviously, I couldn't say that here.
“But I can promise you this. I'll do my best to live a long life. Would around two hundred years be enough?”
“What kind of promise is that…”
Young Lady Seohyang laughed.
“Does two hundred even count as a long life? You should live to at least five hundred.”
“Is that how it works? Hahaha.”
If she could joke with me like that, she seemed to have finally relaxed. That was a relief.
.
.
.
Starting the next day, we went back to work clearing passageways to the isolated villages.
“Are you truly feeling all right?”
I nodded at Escort Chief Jang Jin, who was looking at me with obvious concern.
“I'm fine.”
“We were terribly worried about you.”
“I'm sorry I made you worry.”
“No, there's no need to apologize. Deputy Merchant Lord, I only ask that you remember you are the hope of our… people.”
“I'll keep that in mind.”
The words he'd swallowed were probably ‘Snow Wind Palace.’
The work began.
After roughly four hours of labor, we finally managed to open a passage to one of the isolated villages.
We followed the newly cleared road into the village.
“Who are you?”
“Carts? Does that mean the road is open again?”
“That's right.”
I introduced Prince Seongbo to the villagers.
“His Highness Prince Seongbo has come in person.”
At that, the villagers hurriedly prostrated themselves before him.
“His Majesty sent me here personally. The road is open now, so there's no need to worry about that anymore. Is there anything else you need?”
“Several people were injured when their houses collapsed. And… do you have any food?”
I immediately answered.
“Of course.”
We quickly got to work, filling pots with water and bringing them to a boil before adding rice flour to make porridge.
Sichuan cuisine might normally be on the strong side, but spicy and heavily seasoned food was hardly appropriate for people who'd gone hungry.
After traveling through several villages and carrying out relief work, even this sort of thing had started to feel familiar.
We spent the night in the village, busily repairing what could be repaired, clearing away what needed to be cleared, and taking care of whatever else needed doing.
.
.
.
The next day, we returned to Chengdu.
There, I found a letter Uncle had left for me, asking me to visit him.
I immediately went to the Sichuan Branch, where Uncle greeted me with good news.
“I called you because of that hot spring you mentioned. The preparations are mostly finished.”
“Already?”
“Yes. Finding a hot spring is difficult. Making one suitable for people to use isn't nearly as troublesome. Which brings me to my point. Why don't you invite His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness Prince Seongbo to see it?”
“That's a good idea.”
I immediately sent word to both of them, and before long, they came to the Sichuan Branch together.
“What did you summon us for?”
“Our Sichuan Branch recently discovered and developed a hot spring. It's extremely effective at relieving fatigue, so I believe it could be of great help to the people of Sichuan. I'd like the two of you to inspect it personally.”
“That sounds worthwhile. My body's been rather stiff lately anyway.”
“It could also prove useful to those working on the relief effort.”
Both of them readily accepted my proposal.
The one assigned to guide us was Dae-seok, Uncle's eldest son.
“We preserved as much of the natural beauty as possible. We built up the surrounding stonework without disturbing the spring's source.”
“You did well.”
Before long, we reached the hot spring.
I couldn't help being impressed when I saw how they'd expanded the pool by surrounding it with smooth stones.
“Brother, you said you only did something basic… but this doesn't look basic at all.”
Dae-seok chuckled at my remark.
“Father's been waiting for years for the day we'd finally get to run a hot spring of our own.”
“Ah… I see.”
So they'd already been preparing for an opportunity like this. No wonder everything had been completed so quickly.
Dae-seok spoke respectfully.
“Then please, go ahead and try it.”
“Very well.”
The Crown Prince and Prince Seongbo removed their outer robes and slowly stepped into the water.
“Whew!”
“This is excellent.”
Exclamations escaped both of them without any prompting.
I couldn't blame them.
The temperature was just right, and the water itself felt remarkably pleasant.
And it seemed they'd noticed the other advantage I'd discovered as well.
“Hm? Brother… do you feel it too? My internal power is recovering.”
“It truly is.”
That was what made this hot spring so extraordinary – soaking in it actually restored internal power.
The Imperial Princes varied in martial skill, but every one of them practiced Imperial Palace Martial Arts.
They learned it for self-defense as well as to cultivate both body and mind.
Prince Seongbo had reached the First-rate realm, while the Crown Prince was just a little below him.
I could've sworn his level had been lower before…
In any case, neither of them could hide his astonishment at feeling his internal power recover.
“Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho! How in the world did you discover this place?”
“A spring like this deserves to be called a Spirit Spring (靈泉)!”
I cupped my fist and explained how I'd found it.
“I happened to discover it not long ago. Perhaps the Heavens saw the hardships being endured by those working to restore Sichuan and guided me to this place for their sake. That's why I intend to develop it and allow as many people in Sichuan as possible to enjoy the spring.”
“I see.”
The Crown Prince nodded before asking,
“Then how much do you intend to charge for admission?”
“For the time being, I intend to operate it free of charge.”
“Free?”
“Yes. Anyone who wishes to come here will be allowed to soak in the spring, recover from their fatigue, and leave without paying anything. Once the damage from this earthquake has been fully repaired, we'll begin operating it properly as a paid business.”
“That cannot be an easy decision for a merchant. You have my thanks for being so considerate.”
Prince Seongbo smiled in satisfaction.
“I'll have to come back whenever I start feeling worn down.”
“It would be an honor.”
Now that I'd successfully shown the spring to the Crown Prince and Prince Seongbo, I could start bringing everyone else here as well.
There was a reason I'd gone out of my way to bring these two first.
It was because of just how valuable this hot spring was.
A hot spring capable of restoring internal power simply by soaking in it.
How many people would start coveting a place like this once word spread?
And if I had enough political power standing behind me to deter those people, then everything would work out perfectly.
One was the Crown Prince, the future Emperor, and the other was Prince Seongbo, who would eventually establish his princely estate here in Sichuan.
With men standing at the absolute peak of imperial power backing this place, I shouldn't have to worry about anyone trying to take the hot spring from me.
“We should tell the Provincial Administration Commissioner and the other officials to come here and relieve some of their fatigue as well.”
“That's an excellent idea. Everyone's been looking terrible lately.”
“I heard the Forest Bandits have been causing particular trouble in the areas hit hardest by the earthquake…”
Come to think of it, Cousin Hyang-ok was currently dealing with the Forest Bandits up north.
“Fortunately, I heard the situation is nearly under control.”
In that case, I should invite Cousin Hyang-ok and the Emei Sect disciples here as well.
Several days passed.
During that time, officials throughout Sichuan, including the Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and the Provincial Commander, visited the hot spring.
The Emei Sect disciples came as well, and every one of them left thoroughly satisfied.
The martial artists in particular immediately recognized the true value of the spring and were astonished by its effects.
I can practically hear the money rolling in already.
— Kui!
Since you're the one who showed me this hot spring, you think I should give you a cut of the profits?
— Where did you even learn to ask for a cut?
— Kui?
Ah… from me.
I scratched my cheek.
As expected of Geumryeong… when it comes to learning how to make money, its talent really is exceptional.
Still, Geumryeong was the one who'd shown me this hot spring in the first place, so of course it deserved a reward.
— How about one silver tael a month?
— …
Not enough, huh.
— Then how about one gold tael a month?
— Kui!
And just like that, my negotiations with Geumryeong came to an end.
“My Lord. We're almost at the Qingcheng Sect.”
“I see.”
We were currently on our way to the Qingcheng Sect.
An Emei Sect disciple who'd been dispatched there to assist with relief efforts had come to me personally to ask for additional support.
“The situation is much worse than we expected. We need more of the relief supplies you provided last time. And our Sect Leader said he requires the assistance of the Handsome Young Hero as well.”
Judging by the expression on the Emei Sect disciple's face when he came to see me, the situation seemed considerably more serious than I'd expected.
Well, hearing about a disaster and seeing the reality of it with your own eyes were two entirely different things.
That was why I'd obtained permission from the Provincial Administration Commissioner and set out for the Qingcheng Sect together with Prince Seongbo.
“Welcome, Benefactors.”
A disciple of the Qingcheng Sect came out to receive us.
“Thank you for welcoming us. This is His Highness Prince Seongbo.”
“Gasp! This disciple of Qingcheng greets His Highness Prince Seongbo.”
“Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Highness.”
Prince Seongbo spoke gently.
“I am already aware of Qingcheng's current circumstances. So don't concern yourself with entertaining us. It would hardly be proper for us to come here to provide disaster relief only to burden you by demanding hospitality.”
“Your consideration leaves us deeply grateful.”
“Let's go inside.”
We entered the Qingcheng Sect and immediately came face-to-face with the devastation within.
Then, from somewhere in the distance, I sensed someone's Qi fixed intently on me.
So you were here after all.
–TL Notes–
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