That afternoon.
After work, I headed to the general store inside the book district.
The old man welcomed me warmly when he saw me.
“Ah, if it isn’t the young master himself!”
“Hello, Elder.”
“And who do we have here? My benefactor!”
“Pardon? Benefactor?”
“Of course. You invited me to the banquet, and because of that I was able to catch that damned bastard. Naturally, that makes you my benefactor.”
“I merely invited you to the banquet. And thanks to you, we caught the culprit before he could escape. That makes you the true benefactor.”
At my words, the old man chuckled.
“Seems like we won’t reach a conclusion that way. Let’s agree we’re each other’s benefactor.”
“That sounds fair.”
Then the old man turned to the escort guard beside me.
“You there.”
“Ah! Yes, sir!”
“What’s your name?”
Knowing the old man’s true identity as the legendary Ghost-faced Constable, the escort guard quickly cupped his fists and responded.
“Yeo Eung-am, sir.”
“Alright, Warrior Yeo. We’ve got some chatting to do, but no proper refreshments. Take this money and go buy some tea and snacks.”
Warrior Yeo looked to me, and I gave a nod.
“Go ahead. Elder here is a great master—there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Understood.”
“And take the attendant with you. It’ll be too much to carry alone.”
“Yes, sir!”
Palgap and Warrior Yeo left the store, and I turned to the old man, tension rising.
He must have had a reason for sending them both away.
Perhaps something to say they shouldn’t hear.
The old man finally spoke.
“Was it you who did that to the Black Wine Pavilion Lord?”
So that was what he wanted to talk about.
His gaze held certainty.
Trying to dodge now would only make me look like an amateur. And this man before me was no gossip.
He’d managed to hide his identity as the Ghost-faced Constable all through my previous life.
I smiled lightly and answered,
“How did you know?”
“I could sense the cold nature of your Qi. And there were traces of that same cold Qi around the spot where the Pavilion Lord had been strung up.”
“There are others who use Ice-type arts, are there not?”
“True. But more importantly, you didn’t kill him. And you even went so far as to redistribute the treasure you took from him as silver.”
“…”
“Now, how many people in Sunyang County do you think could have that much silver on hand?”
“I’m only fifteen. And at that age, how could I possibly…”
“I heard you’re the one who employed the artisan who made the Self-Dancing Doll.”
“…”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Barely regaining my composure, I let out a sheepish laugh and asked,
“How’d you find that out?”
“The West Street draws all sorts of rumors. They eventually end up here.”
So he wasn’t going to elaborate.
Still, if he knew this much already, there was nothing more to say.
“Plus, I knew it when the person didn’t show a hint of greed after seeing all that money. I remembered the boy who came to buy something from me.”
I straightened my clothes, cupped my fists, and bowed.
“I heard you stopped the authorities from seizing the silver taels we distributed. I’m deeply grateful.”
“No need. I simply didn’t like the idea of the authorities taking it.”
“Haha.”
“It’s not like that money could truly compensate for the damage they suffered. I think your method was the best option.”
“I thought so too. There’s no solution that satisfies everyone.”
At my words, the old man nodded.
“You’re right. No such method exists. And to understand that at your age…”
I cupped my fists again.
“And I’m also grateful for your help in mobilizing the constables so swiftly, which allowed us to catch the person behind my elder brother’s attempted murder.”
“That only worked out because their crimes were serious enough to justify military involvement.”
“Still, I must thank you.”
At that, the old man chuckled.
“If you insist, then I’ll accept your gratitude.”
He gestured toward the chair in front of him.
“Come, have a seat. Hurts my neck to keep looking up.”
“Of course.”
I didn’t decline and took the seat.
“Ah, by the way, my attendant already knows what I did.”
“Is that so?”
“It sort of slipped out. Haha.”
Just then, Palgap and Warrior Yeo returned with the refreshments.
“Thank you for the food.”
We sat and enjoyed tea and snacks as we chatted. It was all small talk, but the old man’s insights were impressive.
“Elder, do you plan to keep running this general store?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. The issue is all the juniors who’ll start showing up soon… and even that Commissioner of Land Affairs will probably visit.”
“Huh? The Commissioner?”
“Ah, he used to serve under me. Climbed the ranks and became the Commissioner of Hubei, apparently.”
“Ah…”
But the Commissioner who told me about the old man wasn’t the one currently holding the position…
“Do you have many juniors in high positions like that?”
“Sounds like bragging, but yes. Some are in the army, some in the Embroidered Guard, and even a few in the Eastern Depot.”
What!
The Commissioner of Land Affairs alone holds judicial power over an entire province.
And on top of that, he’s got ties in the Embroidered Guard and the Eastern Depot?
This old man… is a true giant!
A peerless master with fame, vast connections, and now retired with plenty of time on his hands.
I couldn’t let such talent go to waste.
A person like him should become an advisor to the merchant group!
What we merchants worry about the most is the authorities.
They can be a reliable shield, or an unbearable obstruction.
That’s why we often have to grease palms behind the scenes.
But if this old man became the Eunhae Merchant Group’s advisor, he’d be the strongest shield we could ever have.
I had to convince him to accept the position, no matter what.
Suddenly, I realized I didn’t even know his name.
“Elder, I should’ve asked this sooner, but I apologize for the delay.”
“What is it?”
“May I ask your name?”
“Been a while since someone’s asked me that.”
The old man smiled and replied,
“My name is Hwangbo Hui (皇甫輝).”
The fact that he told me his name meant he was quite favorable toward me.
And he was from the Hwangbo clan too!
I definitely needed to grow even closer to him from now on.
Time passed quickly.
Eun Gil-sang, the Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group, looked out the window.
Spring had already settled in.
A new Self-Dancing Doll had been released.
This time, it was a doll modeled after one of the Four Great Beauties—Xi Shi.
Which meant there would be three more coming, and plenty of people would be eager to collect the whole set.
“That kid… really does have a merchant’s sense.”
Eun Gil-sang smiled in satisfaction as he read the sales report for the Xi Shi doll.
Sold out in a single day again.
He still remembered something his late grandfather once told him.
— Gil-sang, a true great merchant possesses three qualities.
— Three qualities?
— Yes. First, the eye to recognize a product that can make money, and second, the guts to act on it.
— Huh? But you said three.
— Right. The third, and most important, is luck.
— Luck?
— You need fortune to be on your side. That’s why they say a great merchant is blessed by heaven.
— That’s kind of depressing. So no matter how hard I work, if I don’t get lucky, I’ll only ever be an ordinary merchant?
— Is that how you see it?
— Yes.
— Alright, imagine fortune finds its way to you. But let’s say you’re not ready to receive it. Then what?
— I guess… that’d feel even worse.
— Exactly. See, effort is what lets you reel in that luck. If you keep working hard, you might be able to catch it once. But if you don’t try at all, that luck will never come.
— So that’s what you meant…
— Gil-sang, I was fortunate enough to build the Eunhae Merchant Group into what it is today. But whether luck will come your way or not, I can’t say.
— Because only the heavens know?
— That’s right. Only the heavens know. But don’t let that stop you from putting in the effort. Because if that effort lays the foundation for your son to catch fortune, then you’ll have been a great merchant lord.
It was clear from the way Seo-ho not only discovered the artisan who could make the dolls but also came up with a profitable idea.
Eun Seo-ho possessed all three qualities of a great merchant.
“If my mission is to lay the foundation for my children to become true great merchants, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Just then—
“Merchant Lord, Chief Administrator Yu So-ak is here.”
At the escort guard’s report, he turned and answered,
“Let him in.”
The door opened and Yu So-ak entered.
He was a talent Eun Gil-sang had recruited from Beijing.
After joining the merchant group, Yu So-ak had thrown himself into work as if possessed.
The work had always been heavy, but it felt like he was using it to forget something that happened in Beijing.
Because of that, he always looked exhausted, but recently he’d started to look a little healthier.
‘Has he finally moved past what happened in Beijing? Or maybe Seo-ho’s handling things so well he can breathe a little?’
Whatever it was, it was a good sign.
Eun Gil-sang had been concerned about his health for a while.
He feared the accumulated fatigue would eventually bring him down.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“The special leave schedule for the Finance Pavilion clerks has been finalized. This is the approval paperwork.”
Eun Gil-sang accepted the stack of approval documents.
They were for the special one-day leave granted to the group’s employees, in appreciation for their work during the Deputy Merchant Lord’s announcement ceremony.
“Say, Merchant Lord.”
“What is it?”
“Is Young Master Eun Seo-ho included in this leave?”
“You didn’t include him? He may be a Special Trainee, but he’s officially assigned to the Finance Pavilion.”
“He… is included.”
“Then why ask?”
Yu So-ak spoke with a strangely emotional tone.
“It’s just… without the Young Master around, work’s been hard.”
At that, Eun Gil-sang burst into laughter.
“Hah! For someone who always said he could manage alone, to hear you say that—what a day! Hahaha!”
Yu So-ak sighed deeply.
“I didn’t expect this either. But he’s just so good at his job.”
“Of all my sons, Seo-ho’s the only one you’ve ever said that about. You must really be fond of the boy. Still, I can’t exclude him from leave just because he’s competent. Even Jin-ho is getting time off. But from what you’re saying…”
Eun Gil-sang narrowed his eyes.
“You’re not thinking of giving up your leave again, are you?”
Yu So-ak looked away and muttered,
“There’s still so much to do…”
“You skipped your winter leave too. No—wasn’t that one also returned?”
“There was a lot to do then as well…”
“Do you think it’s no big deal if you collapse? Who’s supposed to clean up the mess if you go down?”
“Well, there are other capable—”
Yu So-ak trailed off, realizing Eun Gil-sang hadn’t asked for a response.
“This is an order. I’m rejecting your leave cancellation.”
“M-Merchant Lord.”
“You’re banned from entering the Finance Pavilion! You’re also not allowed to bring any documents to your residence.”
Eun Gil-sang handed the papers back.
“So update the schedule to include your own leave. You said it’s hard to work without Seo-ho, right? Then take the break with him.”
“…”
Another productive day behind me.
One thing stood out—Chief Administrator Yu had shown up earlier with a gloomy look, then sighed deeply as he revised the leave paperwork.
Seeing that made me wonder what happened.
Yu So-ak changing official documents? That had never happened before.
Even with all the busyness, I was looking forward to the special leave.
That day, I’d actually sleep in my bed.
Just sleep. For real.
After training and a bath, I’d collapse onto the mattress and not get up.
“Young Master, you’re back!”
Palgap welcomed me.
“Yeah.”
“What would you like for dinner?”
“Keep it simple. Dumplings and tea will do.”
“Understood.”
Palgap gave a small bow and added,
“Ah, there’s a message. The Merchant Lord would like to see you later tonight.”
“Father?”
What could it be?
–TL Notes–
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