The Forest Bandits at the stronghold immediately dashed down the mountain and hid themselves at a suitable vantage point.
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of cart wheels rolling along the mountain path echoed as the escort caravan finally came into view.
It was a smaller group than expected.
They should’ve questioned why the escort unit was so sparse.
But blinded by hunger and greed, all they could see was the size of the cargo loaded onto the wagons.
‘At that size… it has to be grain!’
‘Definitely grain!’
As the caravan came within range, the chieftain gave the signal.
Fweeeet—!
At the sharp whistle, the Forest Bandits charged all at once.
“Eek! F-Forest Bandits!”
“Run!”
“Forget the cargo!”
“Just save the horses and the gear!”
Faced with the bandits, the escort agents abandoned the cargo without hesitation and bolted.
It was a completely different sight from how they usually fought tooth and nail to protect their goods.
But the bandits, elated by such an easy victory, didn’t question why the cargo had been given up so quickly.
“Look at those cowards run with their tails between their legs.”
“Hahahaha!”
“Let’s see what they were hauling.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the chieftain’s command, the bandits pulled the coverings off the wagons.
And then… a heavy silence fell among them.
“…”
What was revealed before them was…
“What the hell is this?”
“It… it looks like a chunk of ice.”
“Ice? As in frozen water?”
“…”
The bandits glanced around awkwardly and began quietly backing away. It was obvious the chieftain was furious.
“There might be something valuable hidden inside that ice.”
At those words, the bandits perked up and rushed forward again.
“Oh! That’s our chieftain for you.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Let’s break it open!”
“Yes, sir!”
Following the chieftain’s command, the bandits drew their weapons and began hacking at the ice.
Several hours passed.
After endlessly pounding and striking the solid ice, they finally shattered it all.
But… there was nothing inside.
From the beginning, it had been nothing more than a giant block of ice.
A grand operation that drove Forest Bandits across the land mad with excitement… for nothing but ice.
The operation proceeded smoothly.
I walked over to one of the Ice Workers who was on break and asked,
“How’s the wine?”
“Pwah! This is top-shelf stuff! Absolutely divine!”
“Haha! I appreciate you calling the Eunhae Merchant Group’s wine ‘top-shelf.’”
With Jin Yeong’s approval to provide alcohol, I had Escort Guards Yeo Eung-am and Seo Wu fetch some of our wine.
There was a Eunhae Merchant Group branch nearby in Guizhou, and since we distribute our wine all across the region, it wasn’t hard to obtain.
So right now, the wine the Ice Workers were drinking was all from the Eunhae Merchant Group.
This was exactly what I aimed for.
When people get hooked on a particular wine, they tend to stick with it.
So if I get them used to the taste of our wine like this, they’ll become loyal drinkers of Eunhae Merchant Group’s products.
“Oh! This really is delicious!”
“It clings to the tongue. It’s dangerous stuff.”
Not to mention, there were also members of the Embroidered Guard here.
Just then, in the distance, a group of people trudged back into view.
They looked like the ones who had taken off with cargo a few days ago.
“We were ambushed by Forest Bandits along the way and lost the cargo.”
“Oh dear, is anyone hurt?”
“Thankfully, no.”
“Come, have a drink and forget about it. There’s plenty of ice anyway, hahahaha.”
Indeed.
There was plenty of ice. An absurd amount, actually.
We’d already anticipated that Forest Bandits would target the shipments, but it didn’t really matter.
‘Should we capture them and put them to work?’
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I shook my head.
They were a rowdy bunch. Bringing them in would probably cause more trouble than it was worth.
.
.
.
Another fifteen days passed like that.
We’d broken a massive amount of ice, and thanks to the help of the escort agencies, that ice was delivered to reservoirs and farmlands across the region.
At first, some of the ice had been stolen, but as word spread, the bandits stopped even glancing at wagons carrying large cargo.
Thus, the “Upper Stream Ice Removal Operation” proceeded without issues.
As we reduced the ice, the rate at which new ice formed started slowing down.
You really can’t fool the seasons.
It was now in the early third month.
At that moment, the leader of the Ice Workers approached Jin Yeong.
“Sir, it seems the ice quality is beginning to soften. I believe it’s time to wrap up the operation.”
“It’s already that time?”
“Yes. In my opinion, we should finish everything tomorrow and pull back. Any longer and workers might fall into the water.”
“That would be disastrous. Let’s end it there.”
“Thank you.”
That meant the work was finally coming to an end.
I could finally go home?
After receiving Han Jae-ik’s letter, I stayed in Taegyeong County in Henan for quite a while, then went straight to Beijing. From there, I came here… It’s been nearly two months since I last went home.
I miss my family.
I hope Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon haven’t forgotten what I look like.
I walked over to Jin Yeong.
“This grand task is coming to a close.”
“It really is. Thanks to this, I hear people all across the Central Plains are praising His Majesty.”
Farmers are experts when it comes to agriculture, and they’d been very worried about the lack of snowfall this winter.
So, with ice now stored in reservoirs across the land, their concerns about drought had surely eased.
“I merely gave my opinion. It was His Majesty and you all who made this happen.”
“But without your insight, this plan never would’ve begun. We’d have suffered massive damage.”
I scratched my head with an awkward smile.
“Thank you. But once this is over, I’d like to quietly slip away and return home.”
“What are you talking about? You’re the biggest contributor to this entire operation. His Majesty intends to recognize your merit in a grand ceremony. You must attend.”
“I’d really rather not. Like I said before, I’m a bit fragile. If I stand in front of a crowd like that, I might fall ill.”
I smiled and added,
“And besides, the credit belongs to the Embroidered Guard and the workers who toiled so hard.”
“You…”
“So please, don’t refuse this merchant’s humble request.”
I cupped my fists and bowed my head.
I’ve said this much, so please take the hint and don’t try to keep me here.
I just really want to go home.
I glanced at Jin Yeong.
He was so moved that his eyes were red. If I nudged him, he might’ve cried on the spot.
“But… even we have our pride…”
“From the start, I gave that insight only in hopes that His Majesty’s loyal men—who work tirelessly as his hands and feet—would be recognized.”
“Sniff… Why are you such a good person! Fine. It’s shameless of us, but we’ll accept your consideration.”
Yes!
“Thank you for accepting this merchant’s selfish request. Then, once I’ve confirmed the work is complete tomorrow, I’ll be leaving right away.”
“Go ahead.”
I bowed my head in thanks and quickly made my way over to Palgap and the Escort Guards.
“Why are you so cheerful, Young Master?”
Palgap asked in a low voice.
“Is it that obvious?”
“No one else would notice, Young Master.”
“Start packing. We’re heading home the moment the work ends tomorrow.”
“So that’s why you’re excited.”
It was right then.
“…!”
A sudden jolt ran through my entire body.
An unexplainable, ominous feeling…
“Uwaaah! Get back, run!”
“The ice is cracking!”
I quickly turned toward the direction of the shouts. It seemed the ice had softened more than expected and couldn’t support the workers’ weight.
Craack—!
The ice split apart, and several workers standing on it fell straight into the water.
Splash—!
In an instant, chaos broke loose.
“Evacuate!”
“Aaaaugh!”
Though the ice floated back up due to buoyancy, there was no trace of those who had fallen beneath.
The Embroidered Guard martial artists rushed toward the ice, but they were panicking and unsure what to do.
Why did this have to happen the day before we finished?
I shouted to Jin Yeong in desperation.
“Jin Yeong! Melt the ice!”
“Huh? Ah, right!”
Jin Yeong gathered his Qi and unleashed the Yang Fire Technique toward the ice.
The other Embroidered Guard martial artists snapped out of it and began striking and breaking the ice.
But at this rate…
“We’ll need to go in ourselves and pull them out!”
“I think so too.”
But no one could tell how deep the workers had sunk.
Even those trained in martial arts couldn’t hold their breath underwater for long.
There was a reason Water Techniques were a specialty.
Movement underwater was heavily restricted, and it was difficult to use martial arts freely.
Even the Embroidered Guard martial artists could easily drown if they weren’t careful.
“…”
But I had the ability to save those who had fallen into the water.
Sure, I needed to keep my martial arts secret when possible, but that wasn’t reason enough to stand by and watch people die right in front of me.
Otherwise, how would I be any different from the Murim Alliance or Baekcheon Merchant Group?
With that thought, I took off my outer robe and spoke to Palgap.
“Prepare warm water for a bath. The ones pulled out will need to soak in it.”
“Pardon?”
I took a deep breath and leapt into the water.
Splash—!
My body sank deep beneath the surface.
I began operating the Ice Sea Water Severance Technique.
Strangely, I was reminded of when the Patriarch had taught me in-depth about the Water Techniques of Snow Wind Palace.
Thanks to that, I was able to quickly harmonize my body with the freezing water using the Ice Sea Assimilation Method.
Going a bit deeper, I saw several unconscious workers drifting underwater.
Huh?
Just then, Geumryeong popped out from my sleeve, darting around and pushing the workers toward me.
Thanks to that, I was able to quickly bring them to the surface.
Whoosh!
As I emerged, I saw the Embroidered Guard martial artists waiting.
“Here, take them.”
“Ah, r-right…”
Despite their confusion, the Embroidered Guard martial artists caught the workers I brought up.
There were seven of them in total.
I had to act quickly to save them all, and Geumryeong had been a huge help.
Such a good Geumryeong.
I’ll give it a silver tael later.
Just in case, I asked Jin Yeong.
“Are there any more in the water?”
“No. All seven have been rescued!”
He held out his hand.
“Come on up.”
“Yes, sir.”
I grabbed Jin Yeong’s hand and climbed up. The Escort Guards and Palgap ran toward me.
“Here’s a warm blanket, Young Master.”
“Have some hot tea.”
“Thank you.”
Led by their hands, I obediently sat in front of the fire.
“Were you worried?”
“Not really.”
Seo Wu answered calmly.
“We’ve been serving you for years. This much doesn’t shake us. But…”
He turned his gaze toward the Embroidered Guard.
“They’re not like us.”
True…
“Ah, the ones I rescued…”
Jin Yeong answered before I could finish.
“They’re all safe. We got to them quickly, so their lives aren’t in danger.”
Not only Jin Yeong, but the other Embroidered Guard came over as well.
“Why on earth did you jump in so suddenly like that?”
“I’m sorry. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch them die, could I?”
I smiled and continued.
“If they can be saved, we should save them, no matter what.”
“You really are…”
Jin Yeong shook his head in disbelief.
“Still, thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to prevent a disaster that would’ve tainted this entire mission. Truly, I’m grateful.”
He bowed his head to me, and the others followed suit.
Ah, this is embarrassing…
“By the way, are you good at swimming? You rescued those workers so fast, it was almost unbelievable.”
I naturally gave an easy answer.
“Well, I grew up near a river, so I’ve been good at swimming since I was a child.”
“I see.”
Jin Yeong nodded and said,
“Given what’s happened, it’s time to wrap things up.”
“Then, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll quietly slip away.”
“You’re really going through with that? I just want to double-check.”
“Yes. But I’ll ask for forgiveness in advance for leaving without a proper goodbye.”
“…”
He gave me a look that made me uneasy.
“I already got your permission earlier. Please don’t take it back now.”
“Sigh… Alright. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
After they withdrew, the Ice Workers and laborers approached me to express their gratitude.
This whole thing had started with my words, but thankfully, there were no casualties.
.
.
.
The next day at dawn.
As I told Jin Yeong, I departed.
“Sir, your steps look light today.”
“Hahaha! Of course they are. I’m going home!”
At my words, Seo Wu laughed.
“I miss my wife too.”
I still had to prepare for Jin-ho’s wedding as soon as I got back, but that didn’t matter.
I was in a great mood.
Finally, I was going home!
–TL Notes–
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