I left the County Office with the report from the County Magistrate in hand.
As I walked, I let out a sigh and spoke to Palgap.
“Palgap. Can you get us ready to depart in about an hour?”
“Of course.”
“Then make the preparations. I have somewhere to go alone for a bit.”
“Understood.”
I sent sound transmissions to the Escort Guards.
I told them not to follow me.
I only instructed Escort Guard Seo Wu to watch from a distance.
I also told him not to intervene unless my life was truly in danger.
Aside from Escort Guard Jin Yu, who wasn’t here, Seo Wu had the highest martial skill and excellent self-control.
I headed deep into a secluded alley.
.
.
.
This should be far enough.
I stopped in a place with almost no foot traffic.
While I was leaving the County Office, I had sensed a wave of killing intent aimed at me. So I set this trap.
There was only one group here that wanted me dead.
Honestly, even though they suffered a major incident like a capsized boat, because I saved everyone, the Daegun Merchant Group avoided massive losses.
But instead of being grateful, they responded with this.
This would be my test for the Daegun Merchant Group.
If they failed this test.
I would throw them into hellfire.
Tak.
Tatak.
Masked figures in night clothes appeared around me.
“Wh-who are you?”
I sighed inwardly and put on a frightened face.
One of them stepped forward and spoke.
“You’ll die here today.”
“S-sir, what do you mean?”
“No matter that you received a secret edict, there are things you can investigate and things you mustn’t. Not knowing the difference hastened your end.”
I bit my lip and asked.
“How did you know I received a secret edict?”
“There are ways.”
“Was it the County Magistrate?”
He smirked.
“The Magistrate? That dense fool didn’t tell us a thing.”
“Then?”
“If even he is acting like that, it just means your edict came from high enough that he had no choice.”
“…”
Talkative, aren’t you?
“I’ve told you this much, so at least you won’t die full of resentment. Finish him.”
“Yes.”
The masked men rushed in and quickly bound my hands and feet. Then they gagged me.
“Urk!”
I deliberately went quiet and acted scared.
Binding me and taking me somewhere — they wanted to leave no trace of murder.
I suppose I should be glad they didn’t try to kill me on the spot.
That would’ve forced me to spill blood here.
It would’ve been simpler, but I didn’t want to get my hands dirty with trash like this.
After about 30 minutes of travel, the carriage came to a stop.
I heard the soft sound of water.
As expected, they brought me to Lake Dongting.
The sack I was in was lifted, and I flew through the air.
Splash.
Water rushed into the sack.
I calmly activated the Ice Sea Assimilation Method.
Did the Patriarch foresee something like this when he taught me water arts?
Unlike the water techniques I learned from my Master, the ones I learned from the Patriarch let me move underwater completely freely.
I wrapped myself in internal Qi and tensed my hands.
Snap.
The rope binding my wrists split with ease.
I pulled a dagger from my inner robes.
My two older brothers had given it to me for my first business trip. I didn’t expect to use it like this.
I gave a wry smile as I cut the ropes on my legs, removed the gag, and sliced open the sack.
Buuuuk.
I felt a weight drag me down.
I looked down. A heavy stone was tied to the sack.
These bastards really meant to erase every trace.
This wasn’t their first time.
Now that I thought about it, a few people who opposed the Daegun Merchant Group had gone missing. They must’ve been dealt with like this.
Then something occurred to me.
Why didn’t they do the same to Shopkeeper Gang Seung?
The answer came quickly.
He’s extremely cautious, and he’s respected by those around him. Dealing with him this way would’ve been difficult.
So they resorted to tricks, like stealing his storefront.
But if they’re willing to go this far for me, Gang Seung should be careful too.
I should tell him to lie low for a while.
You never know how a cornered rat might lash out.
As I pondered underwater, I cautiously raised my head above the surface.
It seemed they were gone. I sensed no presence.
I leisurely swam to the shore. Escort Guard Seo Wu approached.
“You’re out. I was starting to worry, since you didn’t come up for a while.”
“I’m sorry to worry you. But this had to be done.”
“I understand. You did it to make them lower their guard, didn’t you?”
I nodded.
“Yeah. Fortunately, everything went as expected. Let’s return.”
“Understood.”
I had Seo Wu send word to Palgap and the others.
Tell them to search for me like they meant it — for at least half a day.
Then, when they arrived looking grief-stricken, I would rejoin them and we’d head for Beijing.
The Daegun Merchant Lord received a report from Deputy Oh Jin-chuk.
“Merchant Lord, we disposed of the brat just as you ordered.”
“Well done. What about the others?”
“They were in a frenzy searching for him earlier, but it looks like they’ve headed back to Hubei. Probably to inform the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“That would make sense.”
“But… will this be alright? If the Eunhae Merchant Group really puts effort into finding him, we might leave a trace.”
The Merchant Lord gave a short laugh.
“Left any evidence?”
“No.”
“Then what are you worried about? Just act like nothing happened. Same as always. What can they do without evidence?”
“That’s true.”
The Merchant Lord had been uneasy about the County Magistrate’s sudden change of attitude and his aggressive investigation afterward.
He’d noticed the change came after Eun Seo-ho’s visit. After careful thought, he decided to dispose of Eun Seo-ho at Lake Dongting.
He’d been concerned about the young man’s backing, but letting him live felt riskier.
The dead don’t talk.
Now that the matter was cleaned up, he felt at ease.
“Let’s move on the Flower Carp Ferry next. Trying to revive the very business I failed at? That’s rude. Time he learned a lesson.”
“Wise words.”
Just then.
“Um, Merchant Lord. Urgent report.”
Another deputy’s voice came from outside.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and the deputy bowed.
“Shopkeeper Gang Seung of the Flower Carp Ferry has temporarily closed the business.”
“Closed? Why?”
“A physician visited. Said his health is in poor shape. He’s resting, and even gave his porters and sailors time off.”
“Is that so…”
The Merchant Lord’s eyes gleamed.
“The Heavens are giving me an opportunity.”
His own boat had sunk, and the losses were immense. But now his competitor had stepped aside on his own.
It was his chance.
Beijing.
I stood before the Emperor.
“I hear you have an investigation report.”
“Yes, I requested an urgent audience to report it.”
I handed the report to the Eunuch, who passed it to the Emperor.
The Emperor read through it quietly.
“Hmm…”
When he finished, he looked at me silently.
His expression wasn’t angry. Just calm and unreadable.
“At the end here, it says there was an attempted murder against a Censorate Inspector under secret edict, but no details are provided.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I explained what happened and how I escaped.
Of course, I added some embellishment.
“…And I was thrown into the deep waters of Lake Dongting.”
“How did you survive?”
“Thanks to my Escort Guard noticing something strange and tracking us, I barely made it out alive.”
My martial arts were a secret.
Ordinary water techniques wouldn’t have saved me. The Ice Sea Water Severance Technique was unique.
And I didn’t want to reveal my level of cultivation.
“I see.”
“There’s no evidence. But I experienced it myself. Heaven and earth were witnesses.”
“I believe you. You’re not the sort to make things up.”
The Emperor’s face remained unreadable.
Hm?
But the Eunuch beside him looked pale. Beads of sweat trickled down his face.
Could it be…
“So devoted to your duty. Seems I made the right choice.”
“It’s only my desire to repay Your Majesty’s grace.”
“Enough flattery.”
The Emperor tapped the armrest and asked.
“How should I avenge you, who nearly died in my service?”
“Pardon?”
“Shall I stuff them in sacks and toss them into Lake Dongting, the same way they did you? Or add the crime of insolence and have them quartered?”
“…”
The word quartered came so casually from his lips that cold sweat broke out on my back.
I quickly bowed my head.
“I do hold personal resentment. But what good would it do Your Majesty’s virtue to act on behalf of my small grudge, against headless fools who know neither front nor back?”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“I ask only that Your Majesty use this opportunity to uphold the law and show your just rule.”
“You don’t need your grudge avenged?”
“My private resentment is trivial. If they are punished by the law, that’s enough.”
I glanced up.
The Emperor, once expressionless, was now smiling.
“Truly… where did someone like you fall from.”
The Eunuch’s face looked more relaxed now.
“As you said, if I step in personally, it would taint the order I just reestablished.”
“…”
“Eunuch Jeong. Summon the Provincial Inspector of Hunan to the capital immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Provincial Inspector oversaw the judiciary and prisons of the province.
This meant the Emperor intended to investigate thoroughly.
He looked at me and said,
“Well done. If not for you, I might never have known any of this.”
“I only did my duty, having received Your Majesty’s command.”
“By the way, I saw an interesting name in the report. Scholar Hwang Bon-ji was on that boat.”
“You know him?”
“Yes. He’s sharp, and never backs down from debate. Like you.”
The Emperor valued him more than I thought.
No wonder he’d issued a secret edict to investigate in my past life.
“He was caught in an unfortunate affair and returned home, but I had been planning to summon him soon. Seeing his name now… the time is right.”
He ordered Eunuch Jeong to send a summons to Scholar Hwang Bon-ji.
“Come to think of it, this report feels different.”
As expected, the Emperor caught it immediately.
He could tell someone else wrote it.
“Yes. I didn’t write it.”
“Oh? Who did? This report was thoroughly and clearly compiled.”
“Well…”
I took the opportunity to tell him the County Magistrate had personally investigated and wrote it.
The Emperor’s eyes sparkled.
“For such a man to still be a County Magistrate… I must bring him into court.”
Just as I hoped.
It’ll be more work and more pressure for the Magistrate, but he’ll have caught the Emperor’s eye.
And the rewards will follow.
“You may go.”
That was my cue.
“This humble subject takes his leave.”
I bowed and left.
Thanks to this incident, the Daegun Merchant Group would fall — just like in my previous life.
This time, it was by my hand.
But they brought it on themselves.
If they hadn’t used underhanded means to steal the Flower Carp Ferry’s business, I wouldn’t have taken interest.
But no — they overloaded a boat, causing it to capsize, and then tried to kill me.
Such people have no place among the Hundred Merchant Groups.
They don’t just harm trade. They bring disaster to the common folk.
Still, I learned one thing.
When the Emperor is truly angry… he goes completely expressionless.
.
.
.
While I was back working at the Eunhae Merchant Group, news of the Daegun Merchant Group arrived.
The Provincial Inspector of Hunan, acting on the Emperor’s orders, personally took them apart.
Naturally, all kinds of corruption and crimes came to light.
The Daegun Merchant Group was dismantled, and the Merchant Lord along with his deputies were executed.
Even without my testimony, their crimes were serious. But the decisive blow was the discovery that they had, just like with me, drowned competitors in Lake Dongting.
As for Cheon Deuk-yeo, the one who took over the Flower Carp Ferry’s old storefront — he took a beating too, once the contract he signed was revealed.
To save himself, he clung to me, and I spared him on the condition that he join our merchant group.
Now they say he flinches at a single word from Shopkeeper Gang Seung.
Shopkeeper Gang Seung must feel like a century of grief has lifted from his chest.
That’s how it should be.
The world only feels worth living in when people like Shopkeeper Gang Seung thrive.
–TL Notes–
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