Today at the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering, Lady Zhuge Yu-ah and Jo-ung both managed to qualify for their next matches.
In Jo-ung’s case, he won by the skin of his teeth.
But should I really call that a close fight?
To me, it looked less like he won with skill and more like he got lucky.
The heir of the Yeom Family who faced Jo-ung kept making ridiculous mistakes one after another, so Jo-ung was able to seize the momentum.
Because of that, the Yeom Family’s Clan Lord’s face kept turning red, then pale, then red again.
Honestly, I felt pretty satisfied watching that.
After all, it was that Yeom Clan Lord’s fault that Granny Skullbreaker’s husband, Willow Saber Emperor, fell into Qi deviation.
Thanks to the Fruit of Renewal I gave him, he escaped the Qi deviation and even broke through to the Transcendent Realm, but that doesn’t erase the Yeom Family’s wrongdoing. (TL Note: Just a correction. Willow Saber Emperor is the only Transcendent Realm person that has currently been shown in the novel. Everyone else was Profound.)
Anyway, I wonder how Young Master Mun Ju-seong is doing.
I think I heard that inn of his got so famous they opened a new branch nearby.
I should drop by there again later.
I went back to the inn with my parents, then headed out again to the temporary shop.
Hmm…
In front of Eunhae Merchant Group’s temporary shop, people were lined up, waiting patiently for their turn.
Last night, bringing in those fish bone powder and lime powder had been a real hassle.
It wasn’t just me; Escort Guard Seo Wu and Escort Guard Jin Yu really went through a lot too.
But seeing people lined up in front of our merchant group’s stall made it feel worth it.
Because it meant we’d landed a solid blow on the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
Ah, that felt good.
As I approached the shop, Supervisor Yun, who had been moving around busily, ran over to us.
“You’re here, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Looks like business is good.”
At my question, Supervisor Yun answered with a very bright face.
“Yes! The line that started this morning hasn’t shown any sign of shrinking.”
Golden Wound Ointment doesn’t work if you sprinkle just a little. You really have to pour it on for the bleeding to stop.
So people started looking for cheaper options, and instead of buying it from physicians, they chose to make it themselves.
The method for making Golden Wound Ointment wasn’t that difficult.
You mix fish bone powder or lime powder with a few medicinal powders, then pack it into a mulberry-wood container and you’re done.
Fish bone powder worked better, so it was a bit more expensive, while lime powder was cheaper but slightly less effective.
Some people even mixed fish bone powder and lime powder together.
And honestly, it wasn’t only the participants of the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering who bought ingredients for Golden Wound Ointment.
Countless merchants waited for the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering to profit from it, but just as much, plenty of Martial Artists who weren’t competing in the gathering also looked forward to it.
Because at the temporary shops set up during the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering, they could buy all sorts of good-quality items they needed at cheaper prices than usual. Among them were Golden Wound Ointment and medicine for internal injuries.
So a good number of people standing in line right now were those Martial Artists.
Originally, they were probably planning to wait until the very end of the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering, when the price would drop a little.
For merchants, it’s better to sell everything off at a slightly lower price than to haul leftovers back home.
So those with time or experience usually waited until the last days of the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering to buy.
But then, suddenly, fish bone powder and lime powder both sold out everywhere, and the only way to get them was to pay more than ten times the original price.
In that situation, when our Eunhae Merchant Group was selling them at the old price, there was no way people were going to pass up the chance.
Normally, by now, we at the Eunhae Merchant Group would also be selling at a slightly cheaper price.
But thanks to the Baekcheon Merchant Group, people were lining up to buy at the original price, so honestly I almost felt grateful to them.
“How much stock do we have left?”
“We still have enough to last for about two more days.”
“I see.”
So that meant I’d have to make a trip back to the main group tomorrow.
“Keep up the good work.”
“Of course, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
After encouraging Supervisor Yun and the workers, I returned to the inn.
Then after dinner, I drank the tea Palgap had brewed for me.
“Ah! This is good! Since when did you get so good at brewing tea?”
At my question, Palgap replied,
“You’re really picky about tea, Young Master.”
“I’m not that picky.”
That’s what I said, but my conscience pricked me a little.
Ahem.
“Anyway, that’s why I’ve been studying—looking it up in books, asking around at tea houses, that kind of thing.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Then maybe you could raise my monthly pay a bit.”
“Of course I’ll raise it.”
At my words, Palgap’s expression turned a bit flustered.
“A-are you really going to raise it?”
“I don’t lie about stuff like that.”
“It’s just… I was joking, so hearing you say you’d really raise my monthly pay threw me off a little.”
Palgap spoke with an awkward smile, and I took a sip of tea and continued.
“You’ve been serving me for quite a while now. It’s about time I raised it anyway.”
“Kui! Kuit!”
Right then, Geumryeong squeaked from inside my sleeve.
Oh, not you.
You already eat a ridiculous amount of silver taels, you know.
This time, I was planning to raise not only Palgap’s monthly pay, but my four Escort Guards’ as well.
I savored the tea and gathered my thoughts for a moment.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group had probably planned to sell the medicine at high prices for ten to fifteen days, then quietly move on.
They were targeting those who made it into the main rounds of the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering, people who were well-funded and desperately needed Golden Wound Ointment.
Those people would have no choice but to buy even at ten times the price.
But I wonder if the Baekcheon Merchant Group has thought that far ahead?
In the long run, it would be better for them to maintain good relationships with the Martial Artists who advanced to the main rounds.
Then again, maybe from the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s perspective, they don’t feel the need to cozy up to them.
Since they’re a merchant group that moves with the Murim Alliance’s capital anyway.
Wait, a merchant group that moves with the Murim Alliance’s capital…
Ah!
There was actually something about this whole situation that I hadn’t quite understood.
Why did the Baekcheon Merchant Group pull this off directly instead of fronting some other merchant group?
They usually have no problem putting other groups out front.
I found the clue to the answer in that thought I’d just had.
The Merchant Lord of the Baekcheon Merchant Group is chosen by the Murim Alliance’s senior members.
Which means Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang can be replaced at any time.
For him to go this far, there were probably already voices among the Murim Alliance’s senior members saying he should be removed.
In that kind of situation, if Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang wants to keep his position, he needs proof that he’s someone who can bring in “huge profits.”
This scheme was guaranteed to bring in “huge profits,” and the risk of him being criticized for it was low.
In a situation where it was nearly impossible to obtain fish bone powder and lime powder in the short term, people would be grateful to be able to buy them at ten times the price.
In my previous life, that was exactly how it went.
That’s why Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang didn’t use another merchant group as a front and handled this himself, to make sure he could claim the achievement.
Wait… if I think about it that way, this is dangerous, isn’t it?
Right now, the Baekcheon Merchant Group is facing enormous losses.
And the easiest way for them to fix that is to eliminate every option but themselves.
In other words, there was a very high chance they’d move to get rid of the fish bone powder and lime powder that our Eunhae Merchant Group was selling.
That was when it happened.
“Um, may we have a word?”
“May we come in?”
From outside, I heard Myeong Jong and Chang Un’s voices.
What’s going on?
“Come in.”
At my reply, the door opened and the two Martial Artists stepped inside.
From the way they stood in front of me, I could feel the upright aura of orthodox sect warriors.
“What is it?”
The first to speak was Myeong Jong.
“We are your… no, your Escort Guards, my lord.” (TL Note: Changed from Casual to Polite)
“That’s right.”
“In that case, we should earn what we’re being paid.”
He continued,
“I talked it over with Chang Un. We believe we should do work that matches the monthly pay we’re receiving.”
Chang Un nodded.
“Please allow us to guard your side starting today.”
Their eyes were serious.
This wasn’t something they were blurting out on impulse.
Was it because of the sincerity the sect leaders of Mount Hua Sect and Mount Zhongnan showed through Golden Wound Ointment?
Life had come back into eyes that had once been dead.
“Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet, have they?”
At my question, Escort Guard Myeong Jong answered,
“It’s fine. Injuries like this are light.”
“And thanks to the Golden Wound Ointment, they healed enough that moving around is no problem.”
I looked at their stubbornly set mouths.
Well, with that kind of grit and patience, it made sense they’d become First-rate warriors before turning thirty.
This actually worked out nicely.
“All right! Then I’ll give you a mission.”
“We’ll serve with all our loyalty.”
“We’ll definitely carry it out.”
I told Palgap to bring Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am and Escort Guard Lee Pil.
Once they came into my room, I explained the situation.
“I see… Then there’s a high chance the fish bone powder and lime powder our merchant group owns are in danger.”
At Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am’s words, I nodded.
“The Baekcheon Merchant Group might make a move, and other forces might target them too.”
I spoke to all of them.
“First, we’ll split into teams. Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am and Escort Guard Myeong Jong will be one team, and Escort Guard Lee Pil and Escort Guard Chang Un will form the other and stand guard.”
.
.
.
That night.
I was on a rooftop.
To be precise, it was a rooftop with a clear view of the building where the Eunhae Merchant Group’s goods were stored.
We couldn’t just pile all that merchandise inside the temporary shop.
So we rented a separate place to store it.
Of course, Eunpoong Division’s warriors were posted as guards. But our opponents were the Baekcheon Merchant Group and Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang.
That’s why I sent my Escort Guards in teams.
Those people were trustworthy.
— Then why did you come here yourself, my lord? Do you not trust the two Escort Guards?
At Escort Guard Seo Wu’s voice transmission, I shook my head.
— It’s not that. I’m just curious to see how Escort Guard Myeong Jong moves.
— Honestly, I’m curious too.
Right now I was with Escort Guard Seo Wu. And Escort Guard Jin Yu was hidden a little distance away.
If my prediction was right, they should be showing up right about now.
I couldn’t help but grin.
A group of warriors appeared from that direction.
Looks like my instincts aren’t rusty yet.
In their hands, they carried torches blazing brightly.
And in their other hands were, without a doubt, small bottles filled with oil.
But do they realize?
That arson is also something I’d already taken into account.
The attackers in dark nightclothes rushed up and hurled their oil flasks and torches.
There was no way Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am and Escort Guard Myeong Jong could miss that.
“Enemy attack!”
“Situation three!”
At Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am’s shout, half of the Eunpoong Division warriors drew their weapons, and the other half quickly doused the spots where the torches landed with water.
Sssshk-!
Sssshhhh-!
Because they splashed water immediately, most of the flames went out at once, though a few spots kept burning thanks to the oil.
But they scattered sand over those places, and those flames died out just as fast.
While Eunpoong Division’s warriors moved in perfect coordination, Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am and Escort Guard Myeong Jong burst outside.
And they swung their swords toward the attackers.
Clang-!
Clang, clang-!
The clang of weapons colliding rang out loudly.
Watching them, I immediately noticed something.
Unlike Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am, who had clearly been through many real battles, Escort Guard Myeong Jong wasn’t very accustomed to true combat.
And I didn’t mean civilized sparring like the matches in the arena, but life-and-death struggles on a knife’s edge.
Then again, even as a First-rate warrior, he was from a prestigious orthodox sect, so he likely experienced that kind of battle at least once.
Still, seeing that there was no hesitation in his sword, it looked like he’d cut someone down with that blade at least once before.
But he still had a long way to go.
If I wanted to extend their lifespans, I needed some countermeasures. Unorthodox Sects and Bandits were full of dirty tricks, and merchant groups mostly dealt with those kinds of opponents.
Even so, their skill was undeniably excellent, so the attackers started dropping one by one, and soon a few tried to run.
There were people already assigned to deal with those.
— Escort Guard Jin Yu.
— Understood.
It was about time I stepped in too.
If I wanted to tell Escort Guard Myeong Jong he needed real combat training, I’d have to show him I’d been watching.
I leaped and slammed the back of a fleeing attacker’s neck with my sheathed sword.
Thud.
Escort Guard Seo Wu also moved with me to take down the ones trying to escape, and in an instant, the situation was under control.
“Huh? My lord… When did you get here?”
At Myeong Jong’s question, Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am laughed and spoke.
“The fact that he’s standing here so relaxed means he’s been here since before we arrived. Honestly, I already guessed that my lord would be here.”
“That’s right. I’ve been on that rooftop over there for a while.”
“I knew it! Just as I thought. There’s no way you’d send newcomers out and then sit back without checking on them.”
Then he turned to Escort Guard Myeong Jong.
“See? Our lord really is a kind-hearted person.”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong nodded.
“I knew it from the moment he saved my life. He even knelt for us.”
I smiled awkwardly and pointed at the unconscious attackers.
“Well then, let’s see what these guys have to say about who’s behind them.”
–TL Notes–
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