My birthday banquet came to an end.
Many people came to celebrate my birthday, and I diligently thanked them all.
This banquet had an unusually high number of guests bringing their daughters rather than sons.
The reason was so obvious that I swallowed a wry smile inwardly throughout the event.
Unlike my brothers, I had no plans to marry for the time being.
The path I was walking was anything but ordinary.
A spouse is called a lifelong companion for a reason—it means pairing up to walk through life together.
Just as chopsticks need a pair to function, and shoes need a mate to serve their purpose, a couple has no choice but to tread life’s road side by side.
Whether it’s a bed of flowers or a thorny path.
That said, I couldn’t force just anyone unrelated to share such a burdensome journey.
After wrapping up the birthday banquet successfully, I busied myself with work, and before I knew it, the cold winter winds began to howl.
It was already the twelfth month, so maybe it was to be expected, but it felt chillier than last year.
If even relatively mild Hubei Province was like this, the northern regions must be unbearably cold.
I worried about the guests from up north and whether they’d made it home safely.
As return gifts for those who attended my birthday banquet, I gave out fur pelts.
Rabbit fur, but it still cost a pretty penny.
Some might say it was too extravagant, but everything had its reason.
Starting this winter, the cold would be so severe for the next few years that you’d struggle without fur clothing or accessories.
I hoped that wearing clothes made from my gift would remind them of our merchant group’s hides.
And for good reason—the North Sea hunters’ leatherworking skills were top-notch.
I could already hear the money piling up in the Eunhae Merchant Group’s vaults.
Ah…
Come to think of it, because of this cold, in my previous life, I delayed my Deputy Merchant Lord inauguration until next year.
My birthday was in the eleventh month, so the inauguration was scheduled for the twelfth month.
But due to a sudden cold snap, it got pushed to spring the following year—then, with one crisis after another, it dragged all the way to autumn.
Of course, lacking a formal ceremony didn’t stop me from doing Deputy Merchant Lord work; I started that in the twelfth month anyway.
And the inauguration that finally happened after the new year was quite lonely.
A sudden poor harvest reduced the number of attendees, and the alcohol prohibition meant the banquet went on without drinks.
The next year? Even Brother Jeong-ho’s wedding had to be modest back then.
So, Brother Jin-ho’s wedding needed to happen before the prohibition decree came down—quickly.
All in all, this spring would be perfect timing.
To make that happen, I’d have to prevent the incident set for this spring.
As I pondered future plans while strolling through the merchant group grounds, I heard voices from the Eunpoong Division escorts.
“Huh? Isn’t that the Tiger-Slaying Spear Hero over there?”
“As expected! I always thought he wasn’t ordinary.”
“Did you see the spirit beast Second Deputy Merchant Lord brought down?”
“I did! That was the biggest tiger I’ve ever seen!”
Grinning at their conversation, I approached.
In the training grounds, Brother Jin-ho was diligently practicing.
Thanks to slaying the Blood Claw Tiger, Brother Jin-ho had earned the moniker Tiger-Slaying Spear Hero.
A title that, in my previous life, a Murim Alliance squad leader had cowardly claimed—now, in this life, Brother Jin-ho had boldly seized it for himself.
Moreover, it seemed he’d gained some enlightenment from the fight, as he was training even harder now.
Of course, he wasn’t neglecting his meetings with Escort Guard Ha either.
Brother Jin-ho had been beaming with joy lately.
He’d used the Heavenly Fragrance Nectar I gave him to treat Escort Guard Ha’s Three Yin Meridian Severance, and they’d formally become engaged.
Brother Jin-ho had personally delivered the Heavenly Fragrance Nectar to the Black Flute Physician, who was reportedly stunned.
I wished I could’ve seen the Black Flute Physician’s surprised face—such a rare sight.
The elder showing shock was an incredibly uncommon scene, happening only very, very occasionally.
And the corpse of the Blood Claw Tiger that Brother Jin-ho caught? The Ragged Sage Physician took it for research purposes.
Thanks to that, Brother Jin-ho pocketed a tidy side income.
I was a bit curious what he’d use the money for.
He wasn’t slacking on merchant group duties, squeezing in time to meet Escort Guard Ha, and still pouring himself into training.
Watching Brother Jin-ho swing his spear vigorously, I muttered.
“Just when does Brother Jin-ho even sleep?”
Palgap tilted his head, so I explained my thoughts.
But after hearing me out, Palgap looked at me with a strange expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That’s a question Young Master should be asking yourself, hands on your chest—not directing it at Young Master Jin-ho.”
“…”
He had a point.
Even so, winter made things a bit slower, giving me time for walks like this.
Sales of the Windcraft Fan were nonexistent this season, so there was less work overall.
The place I usually checked during these rare breaks was the warehouse area on the merchant group grounds.
My great-grandfather had bought up a vast plot specifically for warehouses when expanding the business.
At the time, it was so oversized compared to the merchant group’s scale that people couldn’t understand it.
Fair enough—if anything, they could’ve built more merchant buildings or invested the money in trade capital.
But Great-Grandfather stubbornly pushed through with his vision.
Thanks to that foresight, I could build over thirty warehouses on the grounds without it feeling cramped.
Did Great-Grandfather have some prophetic insight?
I was grateful.
The reason I built over thirty warehouses was to store grain there.
When chaos erupts, guarding distant or grain-filled warehouses would be tough.
All this time, I’d been receiving grain from Magistrate Min in exchange for the Heavenly Fragrance Nectar.
Not just that, but grain I’d bought with separate profits was stockpiled too.
This year must’ve truly been a bumper crop—far more grain came in than before.
And it was still arriving steadily.
Maybe I needed to build a few more warehouses.
By the way, seeing the official notice in Hyuncheong about the state buying up grain, it looked like the Emperor had heeded the advice I relayed through Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Hwang Bon-ji.
With preparations like this, the chaos wouldn’t be as bad as in my previous life.
.
.
.
As usual, I rose at dawn for breathing exercises and meditation, greeted Master when he arrived on time, and began training.
The Snow Soul Sword technique Master was newly teaching me felt a bit unusual.
For one, it had only a single form.
So, I performed that same form every day.
Even so, I sensed it was a higher-level sword art than the True Snow Twelve Form Sword because of the profound principles embedded in each individual motion.
It was to the point where each action could stand alone as a form.
But what made the Snow Soul Sword technique unusual wasn’t just the single form.
The training method was unique.
The scenarios for executing the form changed each time.
Sometimes on a log barely wide enough for a person to climb, other times on a tightrope like those used by traveling acrobats.
In the rain, I’d perform it amid the downpour; on yellow earth mixed with water to form a swamp-like tub, I’d execute it inside.
Through such training, I felt the form take on different flavors depending on the situation.
As if it changed color to match the environment.
When I mentioned this to Master, he seemed quite surprised.
“You’re already noticing that? Your insight is sharper than I thought.”
“So what I felt is correct?”
“Yes. Actually, the Snow Soul Sword is designed for use in various situations. The Snow Wind Palace techniques originated in snowy regions, but this Central Plains has diverse terrains, and many places lack snow.”
“I see.”
“I was unsure at first, but after reading the Patriarch’s insights, I fully understood.”
So, this unusual training method was something Master devised after studying the Patriarch’s insights.
In other words, the goal was to experience diverse environments to grasp the true essence.
It was a bit odd, but with Master’s realm advancing, I could trust and follow along.
Recalling that conversation as I assumed the stance for the form—
Plop.
Hm?
Something fell on my shoulder.
Snow?
“The first snow is falling.”
“Yeah. It’s late this year.”
“Well, this works out. Give the form a try. Performing the Snow Soul sword form amid falling snow will make you understand why it’s called that.”
At Master’s words, I drew a deep breath and pointed my sword forward.
Then, I slowly began executing the form.
Ah—!
I could feel it.
The swirling snowflakes were lending power to my sword form. Snowflakes from all directions were empowering me as I performed the Snow Soul Sword.
So that I would never tire.
The snow was becoming me, and I was becoming the snow.
It was a technique for various situations, but the Snow Soul Sword was still a Snow Wind Palace art.
Finishing the form, I sheathed my sword and said to Master.
“I think I understand why you said that, Master.”
Master nodded at my words.
But the first snow only now…
This year had very little snowfall.
From memory, there’d been scant snow for several years—could this be a harbinger of famine?
.
.
.
Training ended.
“Good work. We’ll wrap today’s session here.”
“Thank you for the guidance.”
But from earlier, Master’s expression suggested he had some worries.
Master’s face rarely showed changes.
Having spent both my previous and current lives with him, though, I could tell when something was bothering him just from his look.
Part of me considered pretending not to notice, but if Master looked this serious, it might involve Snow Wind Palace matters.
As a disciple of the Snow Wind Palace, I couldn’t just ignore it.
Sigh. This nosiness of mine.
But I had an excuse: Merchants by nature have wide-reaching curiosity.
And I dreamed of building the world’s greatest merchant group.
“Um, Master.”
“Yes?”
“You seem troubled.”
Master flinched and touched his face.
“Oh, was it obvious? My cultivation is still lacking.”
“No. No one else would notice.”
I grinned and continued.
“It’s just that I’ve always been watching your expressions closely, so I picked up on it.”
“My expressions?”
“As your disciple, isn’t it natural to pay attention to your master’s face?”
“…”
Master gazed at me silently for a moment. Being stared at so directly made me feel embarrassed anew.
“Actually, I got a message from the Yangyang Martial Hall recently.”
“Pardon? Yangyang Martial Hall… where is that?”
“I thought you knew… You don’t? He mentioned meeting you in the North Sea before.”
It rang a vague bell…
“It’s a martial hall in Zhejiang Province.”
North Sea. Zhejiang Province.
Hearing that, a name suddenly clicked.
“By any chance, is it Yeom Jin-yeon’s…?”
“Yes. That’s the place where that fellow Yeom Jin-yeon serves as hall master.”
“So the Yangyang Martial Hall handles the Snow Wind Palace’s duties?”
Master nodded at my question.
The Snow Wind Palace’s duties.
That meant raising the children born to Northern Sea Ice Palace women.
“Boys who grow up there and reach a certain age become escort guards for the escort bureau. For the girls, they get a choice: become an escort guard or enter the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“So entering the Northern Sea Ice Palace isn’t mandatory for the girls.”
“Yes, they have the right to choose, of course. But most opt to join the palace. To them, the female warriors of the Northern Sea Ice Palace are objects of admiration.”
Fair enough—the Northern Sea Ice Palace women I’d seen before were all overflowing with spirit and dignity.
Their martial arts were formidable too.
“What about the children of the escort guards?”
“There are no special restrictions for them.”
“I see.”
“I ran into him on an escort mission this time, and he mentioned the Department Chief. He said the sponsorship funds from the Department Chief were a big help.”
“I’m glad it was useful.”
“But… it seems he might have to leave that place.”
“Pardon?”
Master explained the whole story.
The Yangyang Martial Hall wasn’t on land they owned; they’d been borrowing from a nearby manor.
Thanks to the money I provided, they had some leeway and went to buy the land, but suddenly the owner refused to sell.
Worse, they were told to vacate the building by the third month because a tavern needed to be built there.
That’s why he sent a letter to Master.
Since the Yangyang Martial Hall belonged to the Snow Wind Palace, and Master was the Palace Lord, he reported it accordingly.
Like in the Huali preemption incident, non-landowners really get the short end.
A tavern, though?
With the nationwide alcohol prohibition coming next year due to the famine?
–TL Notes–
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