I could still feel the sensation of Namgoong Gang, Merchant Lord of the Baekcheon Merchant Group, driving his sword through my throat.
The despair, the rage, the sorrow I felt back then…
It was all reflected on Master’s face.
Master quietly tucked the token and letter into his robe but didn’t touch the Silver Mist Sword.
Before I knew it, his face returned to its usual calm.
But seeing his reddened eyes, I knew I hadn’t imagined it.
“Let me ask one thing. You said the sword flew into your hand on its own, correct?”
I nodded.
“Yes. And… I believe this sword should be returned to its rightful owner.”
“There’s no need to return it. Since the sword acknowledged you, you are now its rightful owner.”
I tilted my head at Master’s words.
“It acknowledged me… because I didn’t go insane like that crazed warrior?”
Master spoke with some difficulty.
“When the one the sword acknowledges dies, anyone can draw it without harm. But… it won’t reveal its true power.”
So that’s why the Imperial Palace’s master and the Alliance Leader had no issue wielding it when they resolved the Fogbound Mountain incident.
“This sword links itself to its acknowledged master. When the master wills it, it unsheathes itself and flies into their hand.”
“…”
“That is the proof of ownership. No one else can draw the sword while it’s bound.”
So… this sword is completely useless in anyone else’s hands.
Or rather… unusable.
“That’s why… you must wield it.”
“Then… there’s no way I can return it?”
“You can. After you die.”
“…”
Well, guess I’ve got no choice but to use it.
But there was a problem.
“Someone might recognize this sword. And if that happens…”
“That won’t happen.”
“Huh?”
“The sword’s appearance changes depending on its owner. It transforms into the most suitable form for its master. It’s a divine sword.”
“A… divine sword?”
“Yes. Its true name is the Silver Mist Divine Sword (銀霧神劍).”
“…”
A sword that changes its form to match its master…
That was incredible.
“Now that you are its new owner, the sword has altered its appearance. No one will recognize it as the Silver Mist Sword.”
With Master’s firm assurance, I nodded.
“Understood.”
“Then… let’s begin training.”
Watching Master, I couldn’t help but admire him.
Even after being confronted with remnants of his destroyed clan, he still calmed himself and didn’t neglect his duty as a teacher.
To live up to that, I threw myself into training harder than ever.
But one question lingered.
How did Master instantly recognize this sword as the Silver Mist Sword?
.
.
.
As Gwak Myeong-hyeon stepped out of the training hall, a bitter smile crossed his lips.
‘To think… I’d see the Silver Mist Divine Sword again like this.’
Although it was a divine sword, the reason its blade was engraved with Silver Mist Sword was because it only displayed divine power when wielded by its true master. To anyone else, it was just an ordinary blade.
It was a sacred heirloom passed down through generations of the Snow Wind Palace.
Then one day, the sword vanished.
And shortly after, Snow Wind Palace was destroyed.
When he returned from a mission his father had sent him on, the entire Snow Wind Palace had been reduced to ashes.
The corpses were all burned beyond recognition. There wasn’t even a clue as to who had done it.
Gwak Myeong-hyeon still remembered that day vividly.
From that moment, his life changed completely.
Using the wealth he had hidden, he founded the escort bureau and set his deputy as the Chief Administrator.
He lived as an ordinary Escort Chief, wandering the Central Plains while secretly investigating why Snow Wind Palace was annihilated.
It had been over twenty years.
And today… he ran into something he’d never expected.
The Silver Mist Sword.
The Ice Guardian Beast.
And… Yu Deok-jin.
“That bastard… Yu Deok-jin…”
Now he finally understood why the Silver Mist Divine Sword had disappeared.
His family’s ancestral code suddenly echoed in his mind.
“Whoever the Silver Mist Divine Sword chooses as its master shall become the Lord of Snow Wind Palace.”
By that law… Eun Seo-ho was now the Lord of Snow Wind Palace.
‘Still… the Ice Guardian Beast’s sense for money hasn’t dulled a bit.’
It chose Eun Seo-ho as its master.
In truth, the Ice Guardian Beast wasn’t merely the guardian of the palace.
It was the guardian of the palace lord.
Because it only chose those who met two conditions.
They had to practice ice-based martial arts.
And… they had to be wealthy.
Among those who met both conditions, the wealthiest was always the Lord of the Palace.
Perhaps… when he first realized Eun Seo-ho possessed the Black Dragon Star Body, he should’ve seen this coming.
‘Still… to reach Peak before even turning twenty…’
He couldn’t stop thinking of that old prophecy.
But no… not yet.
It was too soon to place such a heavy burden on Eun Seo-ho’s shoulders.
‘So… this is what it feels like… to be a teacher… Father…’
.
.
.
After Master left, I sprawled out in the courtyard.
Damn… that was rough.
I trained harder than usual today because I wanted to repay Master’s dedication.
“Kui?”
The creature hopped onto my chest and tilted its head.
That look on its face… was that seriously ‘You’re tired from just this?’
It kinda pissed me off.
“Hey… I’m seriously exhausted.”
Then it patted me with its tiny paw.
That just hurt my pride.
Still… thinking about it.
This little guy… was the guardian of Snow Wind Palace.
Now that it’s chosen me as its master, I should probably give it a name.
“Hey. What should I call you?”
“Kui?”
“Yeah. Your name. I can’t just keep calling you ‘this guy.’”
“Kui kui.”
“See? You agree. Now… let’s think… what fits?”
Looking at it perched on my chest, it was so round it reminded me of a bell.
A bell… that eats money…
I chuckled.
“Alright. Your name’s Geumryeong (金鈴). Golden Bell.”
At my words, the creature—no, Geumryeong—looked like it smiled.
And damn… it got even cuter when it smiled.
.
.
.
After washing up and changing clothes, I headed to the dining hall.
Today was a rare full-family breakfast.
The maids brought out the food.
This morning, it was chicken porridge.
Seeing everyone gathered around the table like this… it really hit me.
Both Jin-ho and I…
If things had gone even slightly differently, this warmth would’ve been shattered.
Going through all this made me realize something.
Even if the future I changed brings unexpected problems… it doesn’t matter.
I’ll solve them.
So I wouldn’t fall into despair anymore.
Then Mother spoke.
“Oh, by the way… I heard a rumor that there’s an outbreak of a plague near Yichang. Is everything going to be alright?”
“I’ve been worried about that as well.”
A plague?
Could it be… that?
Before I turned eighteen, a plague broke out in the summer and claimed countless lives until the following year.
“If it worsens, we might need to temporarily relocate the headquarters.”
At Father’s words, I searched my memory.
Back then, the plague grew severe, and the Eunhae Merchant Group temporarily moved its headquarters to Hunan.
It was meant to protect the health of our family and our people, but… we shouldn’t have done it.
Because we lost the trust of the people in Sunyang County because of it.
We eventually worked day and night and spent a fortune to recover that trust, but it’s true that the growth of the merchant group slowed because of that incident.
.
.
.
After breakfast, I finished some work at the Virtuous Wind Department and found time to visit the marketplace.
I was headed to meet the old shopkeeper.
As always, he sat at his table, enjoying the sight of passersby with a relaxed smile.
He’d been contemplating whether to keep running this shop… but it seemed he had decided to stay.
“You’re here.”
I cupped my fists and greeted him.
“It’s been a while.”
I pulled a Blood Resonance Ring from my pouch and placed it on the table.
“Thanks to you, I was able to find my brother.”
“Then that’s good.”
The old man casually flicked the bracelet over his shoulder.
Thud.
It landed perfectly back in its original place.
Incredible.
“Anyway…”
The old man grinned at me.
“Looks like you’ve had quite a stroke of fortune.”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking about that little one hiding in your sleeve.”
“Ah…”
Of course. Nothing gets past him.
I pulled Geumryeong out from my left sleeve and showed it to him.
“I named it Geumryeong.”
“A fitting name.”
He nodded.
“Take good care of it.”
“I will.”
The way he said it… made it sound like he knew exactly what this creature was.
“Do you… know about this little guy?”
“I saw one back when His Majesty sent me to the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“I see.”
I sat down in front of him and pulled out a silver tael.
“What’s this?”
“A consultation fee.”
“Consultation?”
“Yes. I’ve got something I need your advice on.”
The old man chuckled and clicked his tongue.
“Alright. What’s this consultation about?”
“There’s an outbreak of plague near Yichang.”
“Ah… yeah. I’ve heard about that.”
“Is there any way to stop the plague?”
“Am I a physician? How would I know that?”
“You don’t know? I thought you would.”
At my words, the old man suddenly shouted.
“You brat! Who said I didn’t know?”
“But you just said—”
“I said a physician would know.”
“A physician…?”
“Yeah. The Ragged Sage Physician (萬結醫仙) is there right now.”
The Ragged Sage Physician.
One of the great physicians. He wore tattered rags and treated the poor free of charge.
His clothes were so worn out that he’d mended them tens of thousands of times, hence the name.
For the wealthy, though, he charged exorbitant fees.
Then he used that money to buy medicine and treat the poor for free.
Despite the price, his skills were so outstanding that rich folks willingly paid fortunes to be treated by him.
His specialty… was plague.
Because whenever a plague hit, it was always the malnourished poor who died first.
That naturally led him to become an expert in treating plagues.
“He’ll know. What the disease is and how to cure it.”
.
.
.
On the way back to the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Escort Guard Lee Pil asked,
“Chief Eun… are you thinking of going to Yichang?”
“I am.”
I stopped walking and looked at them.
“If any of you are unwilling to go somewhere with an outbreak… you don’t have to come. I won’t blame you for it.”
Palgap immediately shouted,
“Perish the thought! Don’t even think of leaving me behind, young master! I’ll stick to you like glue!”
Yeo Eung-am and Lee Pil followed quickly.
“We follow you wherever you go, Chief Eun.”
“That’s right.”
Lee Pil continued.
“But what I don’t understand… is why.”
“Isn’t it obvious? To stop the plague.”
“Then… you’re not relocating to Hunan?”
“No.”
I nodded.
“I won’t. No… we won’t. This place is where the Eunhae Merchant Group began. Where would we even go?”
“…”
“We owe everything to the people here for helping us grow. Leaving them behind now… would be betrayal.”
At my words, Lee Pil’s eyes grew red.
Wait… why are you crying?
“I swear my eternal loyalty.”
“I too shall serve you… even in death.”
This was… getting heavy.
That afternoon, I submitted my travel request to Father.
“You want to go on a trip? Wait… to Yichang?”
“Yes.”
“You know what’s happening there, don’t you?”
“I do. There’s a plague spreading. That’s exactly why I must go.”
“…Why?”
“Because the Ragged Sage Physician is there. I intend to ask him how to cure the plague.”
“Then… can’t we just send someone else—”
“To a place stricken with plague?”
“…”
“As the son of the Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group, I’ve never once forgotten my duty to help this merchant group grow.”
“…”
“That’s the only thing on my mind. Which is why I’m telling you this now.”
I pressed on.
“Even temporarily… we must not relocate the headquarters.”
Even though this meant risking my family catching the plague, there was a reason I was saying this.
The plague had spread right up to the edge of Sunyang County… but it hadn’t entered the county itself.
In my previous life, we panicked and moved the headquarters.
And because of that… the merchant group got cursed and slandered.
If the plague had actually spread into Sunyang County, I might’ve made a different choice.
After all… nothing matters more than my family’s lives.
–TL Notes–
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