It was already the eleventh month, and winter was gradually approaching.
When I returned to my office after getting Father’s permission to go to Sichuan, an unexpected guest was waiting.
It was Escort Guard Seo Wu, Lady Hong Geum-so’s husband.
“It’s been a while. What brings you here?”
At my question, Escort Guard Seo Wu knelt before me.
“What are you doing? Please, get up!”
“Please accept me into your escort guard.”
“What?”
I tilted my head.
“I thought you’d returned to the Changin Escort Bureau.”
After returning from Yunnan with me, Escort Guard Seo Wu had gone back to the Changin Escort Bureau and set off on an escort mission.
That’s why he couldn’t join me in Yichang, nor attend Jin-ho’s Deputy Merchant Lord inauguration banquet.
“That was because I still had an unfulfilled contract. I’ve completed that contract and officially ended my ties with the Changin Escort Bureau.”
Escort Guard Seo Wu continued.
“And I heard you recently recruited an escort named Jin Yu, whom you met in Yichang. I also wish to become your escort.”
I tried to pull him up.
“Please, get up. Let’s talk this over calmly.”
“I won’t get up unless you accept me into your escort guard.”
“…”
At those words, I plopped down right in front of him.
His eyes widened in surprise.
“Why that face? Conversations should be had while looking each other in the eye. That’s why I sat down like this.”
“The floor’s cold.”
“Well, you’re the one refusing to sit on a chair. What can I do?”
“…”
At that, Escort Guard Seo Wu sighed.
“I’ll sit on the chair. Please sit as well.”
You should’ve done that from the start.
I stood up and sat down at the tea table, and Escort Guard Seo Wu also got up and sat across from me.
“Are you asking to be my escort because you want to repay a debt?”
At my blunt question, he answered.
“Yes. That’s right.”
“In that case, you don’t need to. Coming with me to rescue my second brother in Yunnan was already more than enough to repay that debt. You were a huge help.”
“Please don’t make me an ungrateful man by saying that repaid the debt.”
He continued.
“What you gave me wasn’t just my life. You saved my entire being, my life and my soul. If I had died back then, my spirit would’ve wandered the nine heavens, forever ashamed before my wife.”
All I did was repay the kindness of Lady Hong Geum-so, who helped me, and Escort Guard Seo Wu, who saved my life.
But it seemed that to Escort Guard Seo Wu, those actions left an even deeper impression.
“I wish to dedicate the life, the soul, and the future you granted me to you. Please accept me into your escort guard.”
“…”
I looked at Escort Guard Seo Wu and thought it over.
No doubt, he’s a capable man.
A martial artist known by the title ‘White Butterfly Sword’.
He was also an escort chief responsible for the region near Yunnan.
When Jin-ho went missing, I witnessed firsthand how skilled Escort Guard Seo Wu was.
If word spreads that he ended his contract with the Changin Escort Bureau, there won’t be just one or two escort bureaus offering massive contract fees to recruit him.
Even the Changin Escort Bureau, where Master works, must be salivating at the thought.
And yet, he’s giving all that up to join my personal escort guard.
“Uhm… If it’s about my salary… I’m willing to work without pay. Just let me stay by your side and protect you.”
“Work without pay?! Absolutely not!”
Using someone this talented without paying?
That’s something only shameless scoundrels would do.
“The reason I’m hesitating… is because I figured others might be after you as well.”
“Ah… about that…”
Escort Guard Seo Wu chuckled awkwardly.
“Actually, you’re right. Last night, the Chief of the Changin Escort Bureau came to me personally and offered a huge contract fee.”
Of course. Quick as ever when it comes to scouting talent.
You already reached out.
“But I declined. When I told him I wished to become your escort, he understood.”
What surprised me wasn’t that Escort Guard Seo Wu rejected the Changin Escort Bureau.
It was that the Chief actually accepted it.
“He understood?”
“Yes. He said there’s no point in holding on when my heart’s already elsewhere.”
“…”
It was clear Escort Guard Seo Wu had made up his mind.
Enough that even the Chief of the Changin Escort Bureau accepted it and stepped back.
“Alright.”
“Pardon?”
“Someone like you joining my escort guard… I should be the one grateful.”
With a beaming smile, Escort Guard Seo Wu stood and cupped his fists.
“Thank you for accepting me.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
To officially accept someone into my escort guard, I needed Father’s approval.
I immediately went to ask, and as expected, Father readily gave his permission, unlike with Escort Guard Jin Yu.
Of course, just like Jin Yu, Escort Guard Seo Wu would need to undergo fifteen days of training with the Eunpoong Division.
Since I’m heading to Sichuan after my birthday anyway, he’ll be able to come with me.
.
.
.
Fifteen days passed.
My birthday had come and gone.
I was now eighteen years old.
Didn’t feel any different, really. It’s my second time being eighteen, after all.
More important than aging another year… was remembering what happened during this period.
That would help the Eunhae Merchant Group grow.
Right now, the Baekcheon Merchant Group, backed by the Murim Alliance, was sitting at the top.
Ranked third among the Hundred Great Merchant Groups Under the Heaven.
That means you could find Baekcheon Merchant Group branches anywhere… but the ones managing it rarely showed themselves.
Suddenly, I recalled what happened last time I went to Sichuan.
Back then, the Imperial Court had just started drafting the Salt Distribution Act, and thanks to saving Merchant Lord Jin U-rim, the Eunhae Merchant Group became the salt retailer for Hubei Province.
However, the Baekcheon Merchant Group didn’t enter the salt retail business.
That was because Merchant Lord Jin U-rim intentionally left them out.
It must’ve been because he saw through the true nature of the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
Which meant… to them, Merchant Lord Jin was probably a thorn in their side.
A sudden thought crossed my mind.
Could the Murim Alliance or Baekcheon Merchant Group have incited the Dong Clan to try and kill Merchant Lord Jin?
There was no mention of it when the Emperor himself interrogated them…
But it’s not like they would’ve made it that obvious.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group… the public sees them as a rock-solid merchant group.
A group that steadfastly walks the path of commerce no matter what.
But that image was something they carefully crafted.
Behind the scenes, they used every trick imaginable, even force when necessary.
Now that the Eunhae Merchant Group is beginning to threaten that position, they’ll soon start making moves.
That’s why… I needed to build as many allies as possible to prepare for that.
Some might think we already had enough allies.
No.
It’s still not enough.
.
.
.
Two days after my birthday.
My group and I set off for Sichuan.
The official reason for my trip was to inspect the Windcraft Fan being sold in Sichuan.
And since I was going to Sichuan anyway, there was another place I needed to visit.
The Sichuan branch where my uncle was stationed.
Conveniently, the merchant caravan heading to Sichuan would be traveling with us.
Sharing the road would save on security costs, so of course, we should go together.
Last time I went to Sichuan, I traveled separately to catch a rat.
But there was no need for that this time, so I chose the longer, safer route.
It would’ve been easier to take a boat upriver along the Yangtze, but that only worked as far as Chongqing.
Beyond that, the rapids were dangerous.
And even if we disembarked at Chongqing and traveled by land, it wasn’t easy.
The roads leading into Sichuan were steep and rough. Even carts struggled to pass.
So taking a longer but safer detour was easier on both the body and mind.
Our route was set.
We’d head to Yichang, pass through Shaanxi via the foothills of Mount Wudang, and then enter Sichuan.
My group consisted of Palgap, four escorts, and Deputy Yeo Chang-ui—six in total.
When I said we were heading to Sichuan, Deputy Yeo silently began preparing for the trip.
It seemed he’d finally gotten used to my eccentric journeys.
.
.
.
“You little rat! Today I’ll teach you what discipline means!”
“Kui! Kui!”
“Huh! Kicking with your back legs, you coward?!”
“Kukui!”
Once again, Palgap was getting utterly beaten by Geumryeong.
Huh. Was this a fight over hierarchy?
But why was a person fighting a spiritual beast over hierarchy…?
It had been five days since we left the Eunhae Merchant Group, but their dominance battle was still ongoing.
To be honest, it always started with Geumryeong picking on Palgap first.
Back then, one day when Palgap was muttering some weird nonsense in his sleep, I asked Geumryeong to wake him up—and it seemed to enjoy it a little too much since then.
Looking at it this way… maybe this is partially my fault?
Nah. It’s probably because Palgap’s reactions are so funny that Geumryeong keeps messing with him.
Ahem.
But… the more they bickered, the faster Palgap’s movements seemed to get.
“We’ll be entering the foothills of Mount Wudang soon.”
At Escort Guard Seo Wu’s words, I nodded.
“Looks like it.”
Hearing Mount Wudang naturally reminded me of the Wudang Sect.
The Wudang Sect’s martial arts are about overcoming strength with softness.
Their primary weapon is the sword.
That’s why they’re often called the Wudang Sword Sect.
But while the sword is the most famous, their other martial arts are just as formidable.
Especially their movement technique, Cloud Ladder Walk (梯雲縱), which made it seem like they were walking on clouds. It ranked among the very top even within the Orthodox Sect.
I remembered when the Wudang Sect declared seclusion.
It happened when I was thirty-five years old in my previous life.
No matter what happened in the martial world, they didn’t step beyond their gates after that.
I always wondered what had happened to cause the Wudang Sect to close its gates.
Back then, I didn’t know.
And even now… it’s still too early to know.
That’s a story for the distant future.
It probably had something to do with the Murim Alliance.
And thinking about it… I started wondering about the Murim Alliance’s real intentions.
Why are they trying so hard to either recruit or eliminate the clans and sects of the martial world?
Just then… I sensed something with my Qi.
Someone was approaching.
Apparently, Jin Yu and Seo Wu felt it too. They both drew their swords and moved toward me.
Escort Chief Hong Im from the Changin Escort Bureau raised his hand.
Seeing that, everyone moved in unison.
The escorts grabbed their weapons, and the porters hurried to guard the cargo.
Soon, a group of people revealed themselves.
“Greetings! Hahaha!”
The man laughed boisterously, but anyone could tell at a glance… he was a Forest bandit.
“I am Heuk Du-gyeom (黑頭鎌), under Chieftain Wild-Haired Mad Sword (亂髮狂劍) of Green Peak Mountain. The chieftain said it’s rude to meet without introductions, so here I am.”
We were close to the Wudang Sect’s territory now.
Which meant… this was the last place the Forest bandits could operate.
I figured they’d show up soon, and sure enough… here they were.
But there was a name that grated on my ears.
Heuk Du-gyeom?
Now that I think about it… back in my previous life, not long after I turned eighteen, there was a bastard by that name who preyed on those trying to cross Mount Wudang.
Normally, escort bureaus and bandit camps kept a delicate balance, paying and receiving tolls to avoid unnecessary fights.
Heuk Du-gyeom used that knowledge to extort people, flaunting the Forest bandit’s name.
Because of that, quite a few escort bureaus and merchant groups suffered losses.
There were even bloody fights when people realized Heuk Du-gyeom wasn’t actually acting under Chieftain Wild-Haired Mad Sword’s orders.
He was supposed to quit before things got worse.
But his tail was too long.
Wild-Haired Mad Sword wouldn’t tolerate someone like Heuk Du-gyeom skimming tolls that were supposed to go to the mountain stronghold.
In the end, Wild-Haired Mad Sword set a trap.
Heuk Du-gyeom walked right into it.
His fate was miserable.
Rumor had it his limbs and tendons were severed and he was sold off as a slave to a mine… along with his entire crew.
Knowing that future… I could just pretend to fall for it now.
But thinking about the damage he’d cause to other escort bureaus and merchant groups until Wild-Haired Mad Sword caught him…
Maybe cutting his tail here wasn’t a bad idea.
“Ah, is that so? I was wondering when you’d show up.”
“I’m a bit shy, so I came late.”
“Here’s the toll.”
Escort Chief Hong Im pulled out a money pouch from his robe and offered it forward.
Swish.
But I snatched it away.
“…?”
Both Escort Chief Hong Im and Heuk Du-gyeom looked at me with confused faces.
I shook my head.
“It’s not time to pay that yet.”
“Huh?”
“I must’ve forgotten to tell you. Our merchant group actually has some business with Chieftain Wild-Haired Mad Sword this time.”
Escort Chief Hong Im looked utterly bewildered.
Of course, it was news to him.
I’d just made it up on the spot.
I turned to Heuk Du-gyeom.
“So… why don’t you guide us to the chieftain?”
–TL Notes–
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