There’s no way an old man like that wouldn’t know what those items were worth.
I didn’t know why he was selling them so cheap, but…
If I could leave a good impression on someone like the Ghost-faced Constable, a man important enough to be greeted by an inspector, it might make it easier to ask for help someday.
You never know how life turns out.
Smiling gently, I said to the old man,
“Please accept it. Honestly, I should’ve given more, but that’s all the money I had on me.”
“This… is for the items?”
“Yes. It’s payment.”
The old man gave a cryptic smile and said,
“Alright. But I can’t let you leave just like that. I’ll throw in a bonus, so go ahead and pick anything you like.”
“Huh? That’s not necessary…”
When I hesitated, he waved his hand, telling me to hurry up and choose. With no choice, I looked around the shop.
My eyes kept drifting back to the inkstone I’d seen earlier, the one made of Duan Stream Stone.
“Um, would it be alright if I chose this? I know it’s shameless of me…”
“It’s fine. It’s a used item anyway, so its price is lower than a new one.”
And so, I left the shop with a mirror, fan, bracelet, and even the Duan Stream Inkstone in hand.
The old man watched the backs of the departing group.
A pretty boy with the kind of face that would make women cry, a servant built like a bear, and two escort guards with sharp auras.
What caught the old man’s interest, though, was the young man.
‘His name was Eun Seo-ho, wasn’t it?’
As someone who used to be an Escort Chief, it had long been his habit to never slack on researching the area he was in.
That very habit was how he managed to catch every murderer that ever committed a crime in his jurisdiction.
Which meant there was no way he didn’t know who Eun Seo-ho—the youngest son of the Eunhae Merchant Group—was.
There was only one blemish in the old man’s career.
Most wouldn’t even call it a blemish, but to him, it was his greatest regret.
He had once tracked a murderer but failed to capture him.
The murderer was a killer-for-hire.
He gently rubbed his thigh.
That was where the assassin he let get away had left a parting gift—a sword wound.
‘Still stings.’
Even now, he still dreamed of that moment.
And the only way to be free of that nightmare was to catch the killer.
That’s why, even after retiring, he opened this general store here.
Because this very area had been the killer’s main hideout.
He hoped that by running the shop and quietly gathering information, one day, he might catch that assassin.
‘That young master sure is lucky.’
The old man knew.
The items Eun Seo-ho just bought were all crafted artifacts.
And the reason he sold them so cheap was that the store itself was an artifact too.
He didn’t know the exact story behind it.
But after purchasing the shop and operating it for some time, he discovered the truth.
If someone caused a commotion and broke items inside, the shop would exact a loss equal to the value of the destroyed item.
If someone tried to haggle down the price, the same loss occurred.
So he deliberately named prices low enough that customers wouldn’t lose anything.
Honestly, he had more than enough money and didn’t need to earn more.
As for the troublemakers—it was their own fault.
But not one customer before had ever paid more than what he asked.
That’s why he was curious.
Curious about what Eun Seo-ho might gain from this shop—this artifact—because of that gesture.
“Ah!”
Just then, Eun Seo-ho turned back and called out.
“Sir.”
“What is it?”
“The day after tomorrow, the Eunhae Merchant Group is holding a large banquet. It’s the day my eldest brother is officially named Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Oh! That’s a splendid occasion.”
“Yes, and I thought it might be nice if you came and enjoyed yourself too.”
“You’re inviting an old man like me?”
“Yes.”
Eun Seo-ho smiled.
“Then I’ll see you there.”
He turned and resumed walking.
The old man smiled and muttered to himself,
“Being invited like that, I’d be rude not to go. Right?”
Creeeak.
As if in answer, the shop’s window slowly opened on its own.
Seeing that, the old man burst into laughter.
The next morning,
I finished circulating my Qi and completing my training.
There was still some time before breakfast, but I quickly moved out.
Before heading to the dining hall, I needed to stop by Elder Brother Jeong-ho’s quarters.
Since he hadn’t been officially named Deputy Merchant Lord yet, he was still staying in a residence attached to the main house, like me.
He was standing in the courtyard when he spotted me and greeted me with a smile.
“What brings you here so early?”
“I’ve got something I want to give you.”
“…?”
I pulled a small box from my sleeve and held it out.
“Take it. It’s a gift.”
“A gift?”
“Congratulations on becoming Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“But I’m not the Deputy Merchant Lord yet.”
“The announcement ceremony’s tomorrow. But you’ll be busy all day then, so I figured I’d give it early. I actually wanted to give it yesterday, but you were out in the evening.”
“Oh, I went to pay respects to Ji Hyeon, the county magistrate.”
To run a merchant group, building a relationship with the magistrate of the local county was essential.
Since Elder Brother Jeong-ho was soon to be officially appointed, he had gone to greet the magistrate in advance.
“Anyway, here. Take it.”
At my urging, he took the box with a slightly embarrassed look.
Then he opened it.
“This is great!”
The gift I gave was a bracelet.
Made of silver, it was engraved with a beautiful landscape scene—elegant yet masculine enough to wear comfortably.
It was the same bracelet I’d bought yesterday at the general store in the West Street pleasure district.
Which meant, of course, that it was an artifact.
“What do you think it is?”
“A bracelet?”
“That’s what it looks like, right? But it’s not.”
I chuckled and continued.
“It’s called the Flying Silver Arrow (飛銀矢).”
At my words, Elder Brother Jeong-ho tilted his head and asked,
“Arrow (矢) means it shoots something. Why’s it called that?”
“If you channel your internal Qi and swing it, a thin silver numbing needle shoots out like an arrow.”
“A numbing needle? Wait—is this a hidden weapon?”
I nodded.
Just as he said, the Flying Silver Arrow was a hidden weapon.
In my past life, it had belonged to a killer known as the Red Feather Assassin (赤羽客).
He was infamous for his vile habit of placing a red feather in the mouths of his victims.
He’d been caught because of a ridiculous mistake, and when that happened, his weapon was revealed.
Though his martial skills weren’t anything exceptional, the reason he’d been able to carry out assassinations for so long without being caught was that very hidden weapon.
I only learned about the mirror, the fan, and this Flying Silver Arrow I bought at the general store yesterday a few years before I died.
Not just the Flying Silver Arrow—both the mirror and the fan had also once been used by figures from the Unorthodox Sects to murder countless people.
Because all those objects had been distributed through a single general store, its owner ended up being persecuted.
The store changed hands after the old man who owned it died, and the new owner disposed of those items.
That’s why I brought them with me—so they wouldn’t fall into the hands of criminals and be used to take innocent lives.
After all, how could a tool be guilty?
The problem lies in how it’s used.
This time, the bracelet would be in Elder Brother Jeong-ho’s hands, used in a way he’d never come to regret.
But I couldn’t explain all that, so I offered a simpler reason.
“Once you’re Deputy Merchant Lord, you might find yourself in even more danger than now. You know that too.”
“True.”
“I just want it to protect your life.”
“Thanks.”
Elder Brother Jeong-ho smiled, then asked,
“Just from the explanation, it’s clearly not an ordinary item. Where on earth did you find something like this?”
“Ah… I was out in the marketplace yesterday and happened to come across it by chance.”
“Really?”
“They say crafted items find their rightful owners, right? That one was meant to find you. Why are you digging so much into it? Just take it!”
“Hmm. Well, knowing you, I’m sure you got it properly.”
Elder Brother pulled the bracelet from the box and fastened it to his left wrist.
“Fits nicely.”
He chuckled.
“Let’s go eat.”
We headed to the dining hall together.
Our family was already seated inside.
“Apologies.”
“Sorry we’re late.”
“No worries. We just got here ourselves.”
Grandfather looked at Elder Brother Jeong-ho and said,
“To think Jeong-ho is finally becoming Deputy Merchant Lord! This is truly a joyful day!”
“It’s all thanks to the guidance of Grandfather, Father, and everyone else.”
To that, Father nodded.
“It’s because you’ve followed that guidance so well. Isn’t that right?”
Mother laughed softly at Father’s words.
“Of course.”
Just then, the attendants brought in bowls of porridge.
Chicken porridge was on the menu this morning.
In a warm, pleasant atmosphere, everyone enjoyed their breakfast and tea.
As everyone savored the tea’s aroma, I spoke up.
“Father, may I suggest something?”
He nodded leisurely.
“Go ahead.”
“About tomorrow’s banquet for Elder Brother’s announcement as Deputy Merchant Lord—I was wondering if we could station physicians throughout the banquet hall.”
“Physicians?”
“Yes.”
I continued,
“I remember during Grandfather’s birthday banquet, one of the guests had indigestion and suffered quite a bit. If there had been a physician on site, they could’ve received help right away.”
“Hmm…”
“Tomorrow is the day Elder Brother formally begins his path as heir to the merchant group. I just wouldn’t want a small incident to disrupt the mood.”
“You’re right. Even minor mishaps at a joyful event can kill the excitement.”
Then Grandfather chimed in,
“Let’s do as Seo-ho says and arrange for physicians. We can’t have complaints on the day our eldest grandson steps into the merchant world properly.”
With both Father and Grandfather agreeing, this plan would proceed smoothly.
The entire merchant group was busy in preparation for Elder Brother Jeong-ho’s announcement ceremony tomorrow.
There was so much to do—setting up the banquet hall, preparing the food, and more.
All available personnel were mobilized.
The Finance Pavilion was especially busy.
Hosting a banquet meant spending money, and managing those expenses fell squarely on the Finance Pavilion’s shoulders.
And since this had to be given top priority, the already-busy Finance Pavilion had to work even harder.
Which meant I was busy too.
I was reviewing the budget for the ingredients to be used at the banquet when I let out a small sigh.
Ah, this is wrong.
Glancing at Chief Administrator Yu, I quietly corrected the mistake.
I could’ve just reported the error, but small mistakes like this were better handled discreetly.
Sure, someone might say I was being foolish and should’ve just had it rejected and fixed, but this was about maintaining my reputation.
.
.
.
The workday ended.
Even after sitting all day, my back didn’t ache at all.
Maybe it was thanks to the physical training method my master taught me, or maybe it was my body type… or my internal Qi…
Either way, even after working nonstop, I only felt slightly tired.
If it doesn’t hurt, that’s good enough.
People were still bustling about in preparation for tomorrow’s banquet and announcement ceremony.
Then I spotted a familiar figure and tilted my head.
“Elder Brother, where are you coming from?”
Elder Brother Jeong-ho saw me and nodded.
“Seo-ho. Heading home?”
“Yeah.”
“I was checking the annex I’ll be staying in from tomorrow.”
“You’ll be living there officially now? Congrats!”
He scratched his cheek in embarrassment at my words.
Once the Merchant Lord’s child finishes their training and is formally appointed Deputy Merchant Lord, they’re given a separate annex within the inner residence.
It symbolizes independence and recognition as a full adult.
“I’ll invite you over once it’s all set up.”
“I’ll look forward to it. I’m curious what it looks like.”
That’s what I said, but I already knew.
In my past life, I’d often visited Elder Brother’s annex to discuss work.
Suddenly, I could almost hear his drunken mumbling echo in my ears.
— If I’d listened to Escort Wu-jin’s advice and been more cautious, he wouldn’t have died. He really liked that room in the annex…
The memory brought my gaze to the young escort standing behind Elder Brother Jeong-ho.
His name was Jeon Wu-jin.
Elder Brother had personally chosen him, and he’d protected him faithfully for over five years.
According to the late Chief Escort, he was so talented he’d likely reach the Peak stage before turning forty.
But tomorrow… Jeon Wu-jin would die.
–TL Notes–
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