The wagons and carts flew the lavish banners and insignia of the [Juhwa Merchant Group (珠廈商團)] and an escort bureau.
The Juhwa Merchant Group was a company comparable in scale to the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Soon, members of the Eunhae and Juhwa groups met, exchanged names, and greeted one another.
Then, they confirmed the terms of the trade.
“As agreed, five hundred bolts of premium silk from Sichuan.”
“Five hundred geun of White Tiger Silver Needles from Fujian. And eight hundred geun of sugar from Guangxi, per the contract.”
A clerk from the Finance Pavilion asked,
“May we inspect the White Tiger Silver Needles?”
“Of course you must.”
“Then we’ll inspect the silk.”
“Please do.”
We each examined the goods the other party had brought. We needed to make sure there were no defects.
To verify the condition of the tea, one had to brew and drink it directly.
The clerk from the Finance Pavilion sipped the brewed tea, gave a faint smile, and nodded.
“Excellent.”
I could tell from the taste myself that the tea was high quality.
The Juhwa Merchant Group also carefully inspected the silk we brought, then nodded.
Thus, the deal went smoothly without a hitch.
It was at that moment.
Someone came running into the clearing where the trade was taking place.
He was one of my bodyguards.
If he came running like this while on an assignment I’d given him, it could only mean that what I had feared had actually happened.
But then—
In his arms was a small, familiar girl clinging tightly to him.
Her name was Gong Lae.
The younger sister of the child who’d made the puppet doll.
People around us looked confused, unable to grasp what was going on.
I quickly ran to them and asked,
“What happened?”
It was Gong Lae who answered.
“Young Master! Please help! My family’s been taken!”
“What?”
“Some people said Father stole something and took Mother and Brother away!”
The bodyguard added,
“It’s as the child says. People from the Jinkyeon Merchant Group forcibly took Artisan Gong Du-i’s wife and son.”
Jinkyeon Merchant Group.
Hearing that name reignited my fury.
In truth, I’d felt something off yesterday when we caught the thief who stole from Artisan Gong.
I got that sense from talking with him. Gong Du-i is an extremely cautious person.
So I checked just in case—and just as I suspected, his pouch had a strap attached. He must’ve tied it to his body.
Yet the thief had gone so far as to cut that strap to steal it.
There were plenty of others around who’d have been easier targets, and yet he went after Gong Du-i.
On top of that, the thief looked regretful.
He should’ve been scared about what was coming, but instead, he looked disappointed. That was strange.
With a bad feeling, I went to the county office, gave a small gift to a constable, and asked him to keep an eye on the thief.
And that very night, trouble erupted.
One constable tried to kill the thief, and the one I’d asked to watch him happened to catch it.
As the situation escalated and others gathered, the corrupt constable stabbed himself in the neck with a dagger and died.
Afterward, the thief confessed.
“I-I was just following orders. I was told to steal it once Gong Du-i received his monthly wage…”
“So who ordered you?”
“It… it was Hwang Garyeong from the Jinkyeon Merchant Group.”
Jinkyeon Merchant Group.
Just hearing that name made my blood boil.
“But why did that constable try to kill you?”
“That guy’s been stuffing himself with bribes from Jinkyeon. He was supposed to get me out, but… damn bastard!”
So the constable who killed himself feared punishment if his bribery was revealed.
“And from what I’ve heard, the Jinkyeon Merchant Group’s been eyeing that artisan for a while now. Hehe.”
“…?”
“I heard someone say they had another plan in case this one failed.”
Hearing that, I sent one of my bodyguards to secretly watch Gong Du-i’s house.
And sure enough, the Jinkyeon Merchant Group made their move.
I turned to Jeong Chung, the squad leader, and spoke respectfully.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll need to step away for a bit.”
“What’s the matter?”
I explained everything to Jeong Chung.
After thinking for a moment, he discussed something with Master.
Then he called over the deputy of the third Eunpoong Division unit and instructed him to take half the group and accompany me.
“Looks like we’ll need a show of force. Go with the deputy.”
I bowed deeply at the unexpected assistance.
“Thank you.”
“This is only right. Think nothing of it.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
.
.
.
I immediately sent martial artists to investigate the situation.
While they were gone, I questioned Gong Lae about what had happened.
“But how did you not get taken?”
“I hid.”
“You hid?”
“Yes. When they took Mother and Brother, I quickly climbed up onto the roof and hid.”
“The roof? Why?”
“People don’t usually look above their own heads. It’s hard to see…”
“That’s true.”
“They searched pots and jars and all kinds of stuff, but they didn’t find me.”
“You even thought to hide… You’re amazing!”
“If I got caught too, there’d be no one to ask for help. Our family is just me, Father, Mother, and Brother.”
At those words, I gently patted her head and said,
“You did well. Thanks to you, I know what’s going on.”
“After they left, I came down from the roof and met that kind warrior.”
“I see.”
I’d been so focused on Gong Mil that I hadn’t noticed—his younger sister, Gong Lae, was quite clever too.
She assessed the situation in an instant, found a safe spot, and hid.
‘So, because of that bastard Merchant Lord of the Jinkyeon Merchant Group, budding flowers that could’ve bloomed brightly were trampled and crushed.’
My rage surged again.
Just then, the martial artists I’d sent out returned.
“Young Master. We’ve found out.”
“Yes, what’s the situation?”
“Artisan Gong Du-i has been arrested on charges of stealing company funds. They said unless the stolen money is repaid, they’ll sell his family.”
At that, Gong Lae shouted.
“No way! Father would never do that! He always told us to live with honor!”
I placed my hand on her head and said,
“That’s right. Your father isn’t that kind of person. So don’t worry, just stay here and play with Palgap.”
I turned to Palgap.
“Palgap, I’m leaving her in your care.”
“Understood, Young Master.”
Then I asked the bodyguard,
“So, where are Artisan Gong and his family now?”
“They’re being held by the Jinkyeon Merchant Group. It’s a fairly well-known group here in Geumseon Market for their porcelain trade.”
“But compared to our Eunhae Merchant Group, they’re just a small-time outfit.”
There was no way I’d let Gong Mil be taken back by the Jinkyeon Merchant Lord.
I stepped forward and said,
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gong Du-i couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
Everything had seemed normal when he went to work at the Jinkyeon Merchant Group that morning.
But then, out of nowhere, a high-ranking member of the merchant group appeared with martial artists and arrested him.
The charge: stealing company funds.
He kept saying it wasn’t true, that it had to be a mistake.
But then they presented a pouch of gold taels, saying it was found at his home—and he knew.
He’d been framed.
“So, you’re still denying your guilt?”
“How many times do I have to say it’s not true?”
“Whether you deny it or not, the evidence speaks for itself!”
“I know nothing about this!”
Gong Du-i protested fiercely, but Hwang Garyeong didn’t seem interested in hearing him out.
“Enough. According to our internal regulations, theft must be repaid at five times the stolen amount. But from the looks of it, you don’t have that kind of money. So there’s no choice—we’ll sell your family to make up the loss.”
“What? N-no, you can’t!”
Gong Du-i cried out, shocked.
Hwang Garyeong handed him a sheet of paper.
“This… what is this?”
“Sign that, and the debt will be considered settled.”
“I’m asking what this is. What exactly is it?”
“A concubinage contract. All you need to do is put your seal on it, and the matter’s closed.”
Gong Du-i was dumbfounded.
He knew exactly what a concubinage contract meant.
Hwang Garyeong leaned in, whispering slyly.
“What are you hesitating for? Isn’t it better to work in a familiar place than be sold off to some unknown hell?”
Grit.
Gong Du-i clenched his jaw.
“This happened because I said I’d leave the merchant group at the end of the month and join another, didn’t it?”
“What are you talking about? Hahaha. Why would we go to all this trouble just to stop one artisan? Hahahaha.”
“…”
It was clear now.
His mandatory contract had expired the month before. Now that he was preparing to move to another group, they’d staged all of this to stop him.
“So? Can’t sign?”
“…”
The situation was absurd.
There was no one to vouch for him, so the charge of stealing merchant funds would stand as fact.
The realization that he was nothing more than a powerless artisan filled his eyes with tears.
Why was he suddenly reminded of the words from the young master of the Eunhae Merchant Group he’d met yesterday?
— I know it’s strange for someone from a merchant group to say this, but there are plenty of people who’d do anything for money.
It was true.
Though it was a bit shameful to admit, he was a skilled artisan.
Which meant he was valuable—profitable.
That’s why they were doing this.
— But even so, our Eunhae Merchant Group has some sense of conscience. Respecting people has always been our guiding principle, passed down through generations. I believe in that too. That’s why I proposed giving him forty percent of the profits. Anything less would’ve made me feel like a thief.
When he said that, the young master’s eyes had shone with confidence and pride.
He felt like he could entrust his son to someone like that.
At least then, he wouldn’t have to witness this kind of filth.
‘But if I become a bonded servant, then the children will…’
Tap, tap!
Hwang Garyeong drummed his fingers on the table, urging him.
“What’re you still thinking about? Hurry up and sign!”
“…”
“Come on!”
But it was already too late.
With trembling hands, Gong Du-i reached for the ink.
Bang—!
At that moment—
The door burst open and someone entered.
“I’ve come for Artisan Gong!”
A sudden flood of light blinded Gong Du-i. Through it, he saw a familiar face.
“The Y-Young Master?”
As soon as I learned that Artisan Gong and his family were being held by the Jinkyeon Merchant Group, I headed there without delay.
“Wh-who are you?”
“I’m from the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Huh?”
“I heard someone from my group was being unlawfully detained.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“Move aside.”
At my command, the martial artists pushed the gatekeepers aside, clearing a path, and I stepped into the merchant compound.
The Jinkyeon Merchant Group had made a fortune off the wooden martial dolls and moved their main base to Gaebong.
They used to be a small group…
And yet this group had grown by exploiting Gong Mil.
Shouldn’t they, as human beings, treat him with at least some decency in return?
One martial artist called out then.
“They’re in there.”
I immediately headed that way, taking down the guards and barging inside.
Bang!
I threw open the door, revealing two people.
One was Artisan Gong.
The other was someone I recognized.
He was always seen by the Jinkyeon Merchant Lord’s side, handling all sorts of tasks.
What was his name again?
Ah, I remembered.
“A pleasure to meet you. Hwang Garyeong.”
“Wh-who are you?”
“Rather rude of you to speak so casually to someone you’ve never met. Hahaha.”
I smiled and continued.
“I’m with the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“…!”
At the mention of the Eunhae Merchant Group, his expression stiffened. Then he suddenly grew polite.
“W-what brings you here?”
“I heard someone from my group was being held here, so I came in person.”
I picked up the document sitting in front of Artisan Gong and read it.
“…”
A concubinage contract.
A permanent bondage agreement that effectively made him a slave.
And not just him—his entire family would become bonded servants of the Jinkyeon Merchant Group.
The false accusation of theft was just a means to this end.
So why go this far?
Because Artisan Gong was profitable. And if they were doing this, it meant his contract was about to end.
Just as I’d suspected before—absolutely disgraceful.
–TL Notes–
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