I quickly helped him up and said.
“Please take back that oath. I’m not the one Captain Yong should be offering his soul and bravery to.”
“Then who should I offer them to?”
“Offer them to yourself.”
“What?”
“I’m just a small merchant shamelessly using you, Captain Yong, to make some profit.”
I kept talking.
“No one will cherish you or look out for you more than you yourself will, Captain Yong.”
His eyes filled with emotion.
Hey, eyes like that are seriously way too much pressure for me.
“Sniff! You truly are the very embodiment of a Handsome Young Hero.”
Gah!
Why is that line coming out here?
I barely managed to calm him down and send him off, then slumped into a chair.
“Man, that was exhausting.”
Right then, the door opened and Palgap walked in, asking.
“What’s wrong with Captain Yong? His eyes were all red, looked like he was about to burst into tears.”
“Ah…”
I let out a sigh and said.
“That? He just misunderstood on his own.”
“…?”
Palgap’s eyes went all suspicious, so I had no choice but to explain everything from the beginning.
“…So yeah, he’s all moved and emotional over it. I only did it to look after my own interests, so I have no idea why he’s like that.”
“If it were me, I’d be moved too.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, First Deputy Merchant Lord just asked you to come have some tea.”
Pretty sure he just changed the subject.
Still, since Brother Jeong-ho’s waiting, I should hurry over.
.
.
.
The next day.
We were busy on our feet from dawn.
There were way too many things to check before we could set sail.
From checking the ship’s condition to making sure we had all the supplies needed to repair it if something broke.
And checking whether we had enough goods to trade and enough food and water for the voyage.
Going through all of that took almost four hours, and only then did we finally finish getting ready to depart.
For this trade mission, six officials from the Ministry of Rites were assigned.
Among them, a junior fifth-rank section clerk from the Ministry took charge and led the ritual.
It was a rite praying for the safe completion of this trade.
After he read the written prayer, he burned the paper and let the ashes drift up into the sky.
When people saw it rise high, they cheered up.
“That’s a good omen!”
“It’s a sign this trade will go well!”
An official was supposed to board each merchant group’s ship, and from what I overheard, that section clerk was going to board our ship.
In the meantime, Brother Jeong-ho gathered Captain Yong Eung-wan and the people of the Eunhae Merchant Group together and spoke.
“All of you are the ones opening the door to the Eunhae Merchant Group’s first-ever trade with a foreign nation. Because of that, I don’t expect huge profits, but I do hope we at least avoid taking a big loss.”
At those words, everyone’s faces tightened with tension.
“What do you think is the most valuable thing involved in this trade? The ship? The goods we’re carrying? No. The most valuable thing is all of you.”
Brother Jeong-ho grinned.
“Losing any of you would be the greatest loss. So please, come back safe and sound.”
Brother Jeong-ho’s words were the guiding principle of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Everyone looked deeply moved by that. Then Captain Yong Eung-wan shouted.
“We will obey!”
Soon everyone boarded, and we finished our preparations to set sail.
Bwooooo–!
The sound of a horn echoed far and wide.
Boom boom boom boom!
Then, in time with the beating drum, the ship began to move, cutting through the waves as it headed out.
At last, we’re setting sail.
Just thinking about the profit the Eunhae Merchant Group would earn from this trade put me in a good mood.
And since Deputy Merchant Lord Song Un was coming along on this voyage, I could relax at least a little.
Still, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down until the end.
You never know what might happen when you’re trading with a foreign nation.
Watching our departure from the harbor, the Provincial Commander spoke to his deputy.
“I should head for the Murim Alliance now. Tell the deputy commander to make sure the defenses here are airtight.”
“Yes, sir.”
Right, people of the Shandong’s Ak Clan were the type to follow through when they said they’d do something.
What bothered me was how quiet Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang was, even though he must have heard about all this by now.
Normally, he’d be scrambling to find some way out of this situation.
The fact that he was this silent could only mean he was plotting something.
Just what move is he going to make…
At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Honestly, there were plenty of things the Murim Alliance had done that would be condemned if the world ever found out.
And yet the Murim Alliance was still known as a righteous organization only because those things had never been exposed.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group was a merchant group under that same Murim Alliance. So Namgoong Gang would be thinking along those exact lines.
In that case, how exactly would he try to bury this incident?
A possibility struck me.
No way…
I hurriedly turned and called out to the Provincial Commander.
“Sir.”
“What is it?”
“Is it true you’re heading to the Murim Alliance tomorrow?”
“No. I’m planning to leave right now. This isn’t something that can be put off.”
“Ah! In that case, forgive my rudeness, but could this small merchant accompany you?”
I quickly continued.
“I have urgent business in Luoyang, but the road is dangerous, so I’d like to ask for your protection, sir.”
At my earnest request, the Provincial Commander readily nodded.
“That’s not difficult. Let’s do that.”
“Thank you! Truly, thank you.”
“I’ll be departing in about two hours, so come to the Provincial Commander’s Office by then.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
I moved in a rush.
While Palgap and the escort guards were getting ready, I explained the situation to Brother Jeong-ho.
“Brother, something urgent came up in Luoyang, so I think I have to leave now.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. I wanted to spend more time with you, but it can’t be helped. You said you were heading to Beijing, right?”
“Yeah, I need to oversee the silk delivery to the Imperial Palace.”
“If you travel with the other merchant groups that came here, it should be safe.”
Besides, there’s a major official road between Beijing and Nanjing, so the journey’s fairly easy.
“I’ll pay the inn bill here. Just in case, I’ll cover about five more days.”
“No need. I’ll stay in the building at the Provincial Commander’s Office where you were supposed to lodge, then leave with them.”
“All right, do whatever’s easiest for you, Brother. And I’ve got one favor to ask…”
I asked him to protect Mo Cheong, who was staying at the inn.
After finishing my talk with Brother Jeong-ho, I headed straight to the Provincial Commander’s Office.
The Provincial Commander really was already fully prepared.
As expected, he was a man of impressive action.
“You came?”
The deputy who was escorting the Provincial Commander greeted me.
“Yes, I’ll be in your care.”
And with that, we set off for Luoyang.
The Provincial Commander was riding a horse, so I couldn’t very well sit in a carriage by myself.
So everyone in our party rode on horseback.
As we rode, I sent a voice transmission to everyone.
– Everyone, be on guard for an ambush.
Everyone quickly looked my way, and I calmly began to explain.
– There’s a high chance that Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang of the Baekcheon Merchant Group will choose to wipe everyone out to silence the Provincial Commander.
Escort Guard Jin Yu backed me up.
– It’s very likely. That’s how they operate…
– Either way, stay sharp.
At my voice transmission, everyone nodded.
Inside the tent.
It was the night of the third day since they had departed for the Murim Alliance.
Ak Yeong-gyeong, the Provincial Commander of Nanjing, was spending the night in his tent like the military man he was.
He looked down at the ledger and will of Debt Manager Mo Cheong in his hands.
‘To think these would end up in my hands…’
The Shandong’s Ak Clan that Ak Yeong-gyeong belonged to was under the Murim Alliance, but the Alliance wasn’t their top priority.
With their long history of service in the military, their foremost loyalty lay with the imperial family.
And Ak Yeong-gyeong himself was a high official of the second rank.
There was no way someone like him didn’t know about the emperor’s worries over the Murim Alliance.
He had even discussed the matter directly with the emperor not long ago.
“What do you think of the Murim Alliance?”
“I don’t dare guess Your Majesty’s reason for asking me that.”
“Let me ask you this first. Do you pledge your loyalty to me, or to the Murim Alliance?”
“Your Majesty! If I have done anything wrong, please punish me!”
“It’s nothing like that, so don’t make a fuss.”
“…”
“So, what’s your answer?”
“Of course, I devote all of my loyalty to Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yet your clan belongs to the Murim Alliance.”
“Our clan is in the Murim Alliance because it’s useful to be there.”
“Is that so? Lately, the Murim Alliance has been getting on my nerves.”
“Pardon? In what way…?”
“They keep trying to encroach on my authority. I’d appreciate it if they’d restrain themselves while I’m still willing to overlook it.”
Ak Yeong-gyeong found the Murim Alliance utterly outrageous for daring to trouble the emperor’s mood.
So he had been looking for a chance to personally give them a sharp warning, and now an opportunity he hadn’t even imagined had fallen into his lap.
It was also a perfect chance to show his loyalty to the emperor.
He tucked the documents safely into his robe.
‘Still… I really hope they don’t make the foolish choice.’
Although Ak Yeong-gyeong served in the military, he still belonged to a clan under the Murim Alliance, so he’d heard a thing or two.
Once in a while, people connected to the Murim Alliance vanished without a trace, or suddenly dropped dead.
Those were all unconfirmed rumors, but he knew they were close to the truth.
After all, he hadn’t won his second-rank Provincial Commander post over a game of dice.
And the Baekcheon Merchant Group was a merchant group under that same Murim Alliance. They were likely to act in much the same way.
So he had his tent set up a good distance away from the others, and he didn’t post any guards.
It was to prevent needless casualties.
If there was going to be an attack, the target would be him anyway.
Just then.
Swish!
The candle inside the tent went out.
“…!”
A killing intent instantly washed over him.
He sprang to his feet and grabbed his spear.
‘In the end, they really chose the foolish path!’
Biting his lip, he swung his spear.
Clang–!
But in the cramped tent, it was hard to use a spear properly.
Slash–!
Ak Yeong-gyeong sliced the tent open and burst outside. Then he swung his spear at the figures rushing toward him.
But before long, he couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
‘So they’ve really gone all out to shut me up.’
There weren’t just one or two intruders, and their skill level was nothing to scoff at.
His spear cut through the air with fierce, sweeping strikes. Ak Yeong-gyeong was a seasoned veteran who had spent years on real battlefields.
Yet the fight refused to end.
As the fierce battle dragged on, Ak Yeong-gyeong gradually began to tire.
‘I misjudged this.’
He swung his spear with everything he had, but in the end, a momentary opening slipped out.
‘I’m not going to die nicely for them!’
He gripped his spear tight, determined to take at least one of them with him even if he got cut down.
But.
Clang–!
The sword that had been thrust straight into his opening was knocked aside.
And in its place, he saw someone’s back in front of him.
‘Who… ah!’
The newcomer was masked, but he could guess who they were.
“Are you all right?”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
“From here on, we’ll handle them.”
At those words, several more figures revealed themselves.
They too were all dressed in black and wore masks.
It was obvious at a glance who they were, but he didn’t bother to say it out loud.
They clearly had a reason for hiding it.
Then they properly engaged the assassins.
In the midst of the fight, one person in particular caught Ak Yeong-gyeong’s eye.
One of them was overwhelming the assassins with a familiar martial art.
‘That technique is…’
Anyone who served in the military would recognize that technique. It was the Imperial Palace Martial Art.
I glanced back at the Provincial Commander.
As expected, he recognized my martial art.
I was currently using the Imperial Palace Martial Art against our enemies, and I had my reasons for doing so.
First, it showed the Provincial Commander that I wasn’t his enemy.
At the same time, it helped hide my identity from our opponents.
That’s also why we’d all come dressed in black with masks over our faces, just in case.
It was in preparation for the possibility that even one of them might escape.
Thud–!
Thump!
Hoo… I let out a long breath.
Fortunately, we managed to take them all down without letting a single one get away.
I turned and walked over to the Provincial Commander.
“You…”
He said to me.
“So there was a reason you insisted on traveling with me. You were expecting this, weren’t you?”
“Yes. They can be a bit underhanded.”
“More importantly… the technique you just used, that was the Imperial Palace Martial Art, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
“Just who in the world are you?”
“I’m just a small merchant who lives off His Majesty’s grace.”
He paused to think, then spoke.
“Come to think of it, that banquet which cleared the Changhae Merchant Group’s name back then, you hosted that, didn’t you? Is this whole affair… something you arranged as well?”
I had to answer this carefully.
People really hate realizing they’ve been dancing to someone else’s tune.
All the more when it’s a high official of the second rank.
I gave him a gentle smile.
“His Majesty the Emperor’s insight is far beyond what ordinary people like us can fathom.”
“Then you’re someone sent by His Majesty.”
“His Majesty expects a great deal from you, sir. There’s no way he’d let you die meaninglessly in a place like this.”
“I see! His Majesty…”
Right then, the Provincial Commander bowed deeply in the direction of the Imperial Palace and shouted.
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty!”
Thank goodness I somehow managed to talk my way through that one.
I’m sure His Majesty will overlook at least this much.
–TL Notes–
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