I looked at Young Master Bang Jin and continued speaking.
“Just let him use the the stomach cramping drug.”
“What are you saying? You’re not stopping him from using the stomach cramping drug?”
“That’s how we can bring down Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu for certain.”
I grinned.
“So won’t you leave this matter to me?”
“Deputy Merchant Lord Eun, you want me to leave this to you?”
“Yes. Our goals are the same anyway. And I’m fairly confident in this sort of thing.”
Someone of Young Master Bang Jin’s caliber wouldn’t be ignorant about me.
“I’ve heard much of Deputy Merchant Lord Eun’s reputation… but then why did you call me here?”
“Obviously, you need to know about these circumstances to prepare, don’t you?”
“I see… Deputy Merchant Lord Eun will handle this matter, so I should prepare to pull Wu down from deputy merchant lord and take over myself.”
I nodded.
“Exactly. If we’re careless, some random person might become deputy merchant lord.”
I’d heard he had several half-brothers.
“That can’t happen.”
He cupped his fists toward me with a determined expression.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. I’ll leave this matter to the Deputy Merchant Lord and make my preparations. Then I’ll be going…”
Like that, he and his party left, leaving only our party and Black Frog.
I looked at Black Frog and made a proposal.
“Do one job for me.”
“…”
“If you refuse my proposal, I’ll confine you for life in a room surrounded by mirrors.”
A threat disguised as a proposal.
But I felt no hesitation whatsoever making such a threat to this person.
Because he deserved it.
The first medicine he ever made was one that ruined people’s appearances.
Probably to vent his anger at becoming hideous himself on others.
The psychology of “I became ugly, so you should be ugly too.”
This person deserved to be treated like this.
Moreover, in my previous life, my family members had nearly suffered a disaster from poison this person made.
In other words, even if not for this opportunity, he was one of the people I’d eventually catch and kill someday.
“What will you do?”
“…”
Black Frog still seemed to have no intention of opening his mouth.
Is he testing whether my words are real or not?
“No answer? I have no choice then.”
“So that’s why you told me to make a room full of mirrors, Young Master. Now I understand the reason.”
As expected, quick-witted Palgap.
“Should I just throw him in that room?”
“We should tie him to the pillar in the middle of the room.”
And Escort Guards Lee Pil and Yeo Eung-am had also become quick-witted after spending several years with me.
“C-can we bet on how many moments he’ll last?”
“The mirrors hung in that room are all top-quality, so they reflect really clearly…”
“I’ll do it! I said I’ll do it! So please don’t confine me in that room!”
In the end, Black Frog let out a deep sigh and surrendered.
He asked with a resigned face.
“What do I need to do?”
“Nothing difficult. Just hand Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu fake medicine.”
“That’s all?”
“And tell him to make as much antidote for an upset stomach as possible.”
“…Understood.”
However, I knew Black Frog’s temperament.
If I just let him go, there was a high chance he’d tell Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu that his scheme had been discovered.
And there was a high chance he wouldn’t obediently comply with my request either.
Why did I think that?
Because Black Frog was someone completely filled with a twisted rebelliousness against the world.
And he’d think he could just run away and hide again.
So I planned to put shackles on him so he couldn’t do such things.
“Escort Guard Jin Yu.”
“Yes.”
“Monitor him, and if he does anything else, stab him deeply with your sword.”
“Understood.”
“…”
“So let’s cooperate well, okay?”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Black Frog answered with a tearful expression.
I wanted to hand him over to the authorities right away, but not yet.
.
.
.
Several days later.
Finally, Brother Jin-ho’s wedding day arrived.
Guests visiting from various places had been arriving since several days ago, and today everyone had arrived.
Later, Brother Jin-ho would go to Young Lady Ha’s house, then bring Young Lady Ha back to the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Originally, the wedding ceremony should be held at the bride’s house, but the space was too small to receive all those guests.
And it would be burdensome to hold a banquet at the Changin Escort Bureau.
Because Changin Escort Bureau was an escort bureau established by survivors of the annihilated Snow Wind Palace, and it wouldn’t be good if that identity was revealed.
Clang clang clang clang!
From morning, loud music echoed through the Eunhae Merchant Group to drive away evil spirits with the noise.
As expected, there were quite a few martial artists at Brother Jin-ho’s wedding banquet.
There were those who came through External Chief Administrator Go’s connections, but Brother Jin-ho said he’d made quite a few acquaintances after earning the title Tiger-Slaying Spear Hero.
They’d all attended the wedding banquet.
The guests enjoyed the banquet, eating and drinking the prepared food.
Black Frog had faithfully carried out my proposal.
Actually, as I expected, he initially attempted to flee.
However, after having his thigh stabbed by a dagger thrown by Escort Guard Jin Yu, he apparently gave up on fleeing.
And Escort Guard Jin Yu apparently said a few words to him, but I’m curious what he said to make him give up on fleeing.
Anyway, what mattered was that he carried out my proposal.
Then I saw Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu having a conversation with Father.
He must have come representing the bedridden Jinse Merchant Lord.
On the outside, he looked very respectful and polite, but knowing his true nature, it was just ridiculous.
Yes, keep up the pretense.
You’re finished soon anyway.
After exchanging greetings with Eunhae Merchant Group’s Merchant Lord Eun Gil-sang, Bang Wu smiled looking at the guests filling the banquet hall.
‘It was worth making lots of antidote as Black Frog said.’
If they all flocked to the Jinse Pharmacy to buy medicine, the profit would be immeasurably large.
Moreover, his still-unstable position as deputy merchant lord would become solid.
Then, among those wearing Eunpoong Division warrior clothes, he spotted familiar faces.
Warriors Bae-cheol and Go Ju-sang.
Because they were people he’d personally planted as spies. And they were also the ones who directly carried out putting the stomach cramping drug in the food this time.
‘They only bring useless information, but they have to at least do this to make it worth planting them as spies.’
Annoyed that Warriors Bae-cheol and Go Ju-sang brought more useless information than expected, he eventually planted one more spy.
And in the Finance Pavilion, the most important of the Eunhae Merchant Group’s various pavilions at that.
‘He’s still a trainee, but if he becomes an official clerk later and gets promoted, he’ll bring useful information.’
Thinking about landing a blow on the Eunhae Merchant Group like this, laughter came out unknowingly.
‘This is killing two birds with one stone.’
If he succeeded with the Jinse Pharmacy, it would solidify his deputy merchant lord position and even break the Eunhae Merchant Group’s momentum.
To him, dreaming of inheriting the Jinse Merchant Group as Hubei Province’s number one merchant group, the rapidly growing Eunhae Merchant Group was a thorn in his side.
But… something was strange.
It was about time for the stomach cramping to occur, but no one showed any such signs.
‘How did this happen? They should definitely have an upset stomach around now…’
But even when Eun Jin-ho brought the bride, no, even when night fell and the wedding ceremony proceeded, people showed absolutely no symptoms like an upset stomach.
His complexion became very pale.
He’d invested quite a lot of money to make the antidote currently piled up at the Jinse Pharmacy.
He’d emptied his own pocket to make antidote to highlight himself…
Especially, to make a lot cheaply, he’d made antidote with a short shelf life.
If no one got an upset stomach today, it would all have to be thrown away.
‘M-my money…’
Realizing he’d thrown a massive amount of his own money into thin air, he collapsed right there.
I smiled contentedly watching Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu with a pale complexion being supported by those around him.
Heh!
This is what happens when you mess with our Eunhae Merchant Group. So why did you touch us?
And trying to harm those who came as guests to the Eunhae Merchant Group at that.
Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu must have schemed this plot to lower the Eunhae Merchant Group’s reputation.
After how hard I worked to raise our reputation to this point, I couldn’t let that slide.
Unlike those enjoying the banquet cheerfully, Deputy Merchant Lord Bang Wu’s face looked like death.
If someone saw him, they’d think he was the tragic protagonist who’d originally loved Young Lady Ha but lost her to Brother Jin-ho.
The reason I didn’t tell Young Master Bang Jin the details last time was actually to gauge Young Master Bang Jin’s ability.
Of course, I knew Young Master Bang Jin’s ability to some extent since I’d experienced it once in my previous life.
But I didn’t know his ability at this point in time. Young Master Bang Jin became deputy merchant lord much later.
And to find out whether the ability at that time was the merchant group’s people’s ability or his individual ability was also part of this opportunity.
Because for our Eunhae Merchant Group to become Hubei’s number one merchant group, we’d eventually have to surpass the Jinse Merchant Group.
Thinking that, I looked at Brother Jin-ho.
Brother Jin-ho in his wedding attire was all smiles.
‘You’re excited, Brother Jin-ho.’
And the bride, Young Lady Ha, was also smiling looking at Brother Jin-ho.
They’re a well-matched pair.
“Is that fellow the Tiger-Slaying Spear Hero?”
“My, what a fine young man!”
“The Eunhae Merchant Lord must be very happy.”
I felt proud at the sounds coming from around me.
I felt it was all worthwhile — the Heavenly Fragrance Nectar exilir I’d given him and setting up the opportunity for Brother Jin-ho to slay the Blood Claw Tiger.
Everyone cares about face, but the people who care about it most are martial artists.
That’s why they commit evil deeds or perform good deeds to spread their titles.
In the martial world, individual martial arts skill is most important, but achievements and reputation are just as crucial.
Hm?
Suddenly I felt an energy that was familiar yet somehow different.
This is… the energy I felt when I met the North Sea Ice Palace disciples at the inn before, isn’t it?
When I turned my head toward where I felt that energy, I saw a figure wearing white martial robes and a bamboo hat.
Luckily, that person lifted their bamboo hat slightly just then, allowing me to see it was a woman.
She was gazing at Young Lady Ha with a tender expression.
That kind of expression couldn’t come from ordinary feelings…
“…!”
Something flashed through my mind.
Could it be?
Young Lady Ha’s mother?
The chances of a child born between a man and woman who both possessed Yin energy martial arts having Three Yin Meridian Severance were low.
But compared to when only one parent possessed Yin energy martial arts, the probability was higher.
Come to think of it, I’d never heard that Young Lady Ha’s mother had passed away…
Now I understood why.
Seeing her happy daughter, she too wore a happy smile, then quietly disappeared.
The North Sea Ice Palace’s martial arts are powerful.
I think I’d heard before that they deliberately keep their distance to prevent their children from getting caught up in trouble because of them.
But blood ties aren’t so easily severed. Even beasts know to cherish their young.
Though of course, there are some who are worse than beasts.
As a mother, she’d come all this way wanting to see her daughter’s wedding.
And she must have been curious about the face of the man who’d become her daughter’s husband.
Escort Chief Ha must have sent her a letter.
I looked at Brother Jin-ho and scratched below my ear.
Ah, Brother Jin-ho.
You’d better treat Young Lady Ha well.
Otherwise, you might get in trouble with your scary mother-in-law.
.
.
.
The wedding ceremony ended.
And for the newly formed couple, people gave gifts and well-wishes.
Then I heard Escort Guard Seo Wu’s voice transmission in my ear.
— Deputy Merchant Lord Bang is meeting the two warriors now.
Oh ho, then I should go see.
— Where are they?
Bang Wu was in a secluded corner a bit away from the banquet hall.
In front of him were Warriors Bae-cheol and Go Ju-sang.
“What on earth happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you say you put medicine in the food?”
“Yes, we did as you instructed.”
“Then why was there no reaction?”
At those words, the two warriors answered with aggrieved expressions.
“We don’t know about that either.”
“Wasn’t the medicine faulty?”
“Damn it!”
Bang Wu snapped irritably and shouted at them.
“Do you know how much money I’ve spent on you bastards until now! Show proper results! Utterly useless fools! Earthworms would be more useful than you!”
At that humiliation, the two warriors clenched their teeth hard. Though Bang Wu had scolded them before, this was the first time he’d scolded them this severely.
Perhaps because of that, rebellious feelings began rising unknowingly.
Still unable to openly rebel, they were enduring when—
“What’s going on?”
“…!”
At the voice that suddenly rang out, Bang Wu flinched.
When he turned his head toward where the clear voice came from, he saw an extremely handsome young man.
Bang Wu tensed unknowingly.
‘Could it be… I’ve been caught?’
–TL Notes–
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