At my words, Master Yang Jin-su and the others nodded.
In truth, many had died from minor indigestion that didn’t fully resolve.
There were also countless cases where a small cut became infected, leading to amputation.
“That’s true. Small illnesses often turn into serious ones.”
“That’s what gave me the idea for this business. We’ll create medicine that doesn’t require a physician’s prescription.”
Someone cautiously raised their hand.
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t it true that people already gather herbs themselves or buy them and brew them at home?”
“That’s correct.”
As he said, there were many traditional remedies passed down in the countryside.
For instance, boiling corn silk for sore gums, or drinking motherwort tea when urination is difficult.
“But if we’re being realistic, aren’t many of those just nonsense?”
Like plucking an eyebrow hair at dawn and floating it in clean water while chanting to treat a stye. Strange remedies like that were everywhere.
“And even when folk remedies do work, people often overdo it and end up making things worse.”
At that, they all nodded again.
“That’s why I came up with this.”
“Do you think it’ll work?”
“We won’t know unless we try.”
“But if it helps the merchant group profit and improves people’s health, that’s a win-win.”
The discussion continued.
And out of their mouths came surprisingly professional knowledge.
Of course it did.
Because the Nokok Merchant Group had been a group specializing in medicinal herbs.
These people had worked in such a place since they were young, so they knew herbs inside and out.
Among them were even a couple of trained physicians.
That’s why I brought them into this business.
In the future I knew, no one else had come up with this idea. I had been the first.
I’d actually launched the business.
And the result was a massive success.
But just three years later, I was killed by the Baekcheon Merchant Group and the Murim Alliance.
It was tragic.
I’d planned to expand across the Central Plains, but I never got the chance.
Just then, Master Yang Jin-su asked,
“If I’m not mistaken, Young Master Eun Seo-ho is the third son of the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Merchant Lord.”
“That’s correct.”
“And the Eunhae Merchant Group deals in medicinal herbs, yes?”
They’d done their research.
I really had picked the right people.
“Wouldn’t this business hurt the interests of the Eunhae Merchant Group, then?”
I smiled faintly at the question.
“You don’t need to worry about that. It won’t be a loss—it’ll actually be a gain.”
“A gain?”
“In Hubei, our group’s herbs are top quality and priced reasonably. And we completely control the herb supply in this region. So where would you get your herbs?”
“Ah!”
“Right…”
“The more successful this business becomes, the more herbs we’ll need to supply from the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Then wouldn’t it make more sense for the Eunhae Merchant Group to run this business directly?”
I shook my head.
“If the Eunhae Merchant Group does everything, we’ll be criticized.”
At that, they all nodded.
“So it’s a shell merchant group, then.”
These people were seasoned merchants.
They understood me perfectly.
“Exactly.”
In my previous life too, I’d used a different shell group for this business, not the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Many merchant groups use this tactic.
So it didn’t take long for them to realize that’s what I meant.
“Then should we report our trade activities to the Eunhae Merchant Lord?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
At their puzzled look, I smiled.
“This new merchant group—it’s just mine.”
In other words, while this is a shell group, it’s not a shell group.
“You’re not… secretly trying to pocket money, are you?”
I didn’t answer.
Because that’s exactly what I was doing.
But this pocket wasn’t for greed—it was for the sake of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
So I felt no guilt using one of the future businesses that had enriched Eunhae in advance.
The discussion continued.
As expected from those well-versed in herbal medicine, concrete plans soon began to form.
Medicinal teas that aid sleep, remedies for indigestion, salves for insect bites, and so on.
For them, making such things would be simple.
It was time for me to step back.
“Well, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“Actually… my shift’s about to start.”
“What?”
I scratched my cheek and answered.
“I’m currently going through a special trainee program at the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Finance Pavilion.”
“How old are you, Young Master?”
“Fifteen.”
“…”
“As a trainee, I’ve got to stick to my work schedule strictly.”
Master Yang Jin-su looked surprised.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“I’ll be in your care from now on, Master Yang Jin-su—or rather, Merchant Lord Yang.”
“Pardon? Merchant Lord? I’m just…”
“Why else would I hold this meeting in secret here?”
I told them,
“I’ll only be supplying the capital.”
“You mean you won’t be involved at all?”
“You’re more than capable. Why would I butt in? Can a ship sail properly with two captains?”
I knew what they could do.
And I trusted this venture would succeed.
“I’ll only offer advice when asked. Though I’m not sure how helpful it’ll be.”
“With the insight you’ve shown in getting us here safely, it’ll be more than helpful.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Here’s the contract.”
I pulled a contract from my sleeve and handed it over.
After reading it, Master Yang Jin-su—the new Merchant Lord—asked,
“You’ll provide all the startup capital and help us get established, but only take half of the profit?”
“Yes. I’ll only take half. And the other half…”
I looked at them as I spoke.
“It’s yours.”
Only Yang Jin-su and his companions remained in the underground chamber.
He silently stared at the contract on the table.
All of them had signed it.
And the name on it—Eun Seo-ho.
He let out a small chuckle.
He had his doubts coming here, but now a clear future stood before him.
The business the young master proposed held real promise.
And somehow, they had been persuaded by him to see a hopeful tomorrow.
‘What a terrifying young master…’
They already knew Eun Seo-ho was fifteen.
They’d looked into him before coming here.
But standing before them, Eun Seo-ho didn’t seem like someone that young. He was too composed, too skilled.
He felt like a seasoned merchant with years of experience.
Fifteen years old.
And still just a trainee in a merchant group.
That’s why, just in case, they had asked his age again—but sure enough, he really was fifteen.
“Still, just taking half of the profits…”
“In cases like this, don’t most people take seventy percent?”
At those comments, Master Yang Jin-su also nodded.
“That’s true.”
“Looking at that profit share makes me want to work even harder.”
“And he won’t interfere, either.”
At that, Yang Jin-su gave a faint smile.
They’d been worn down by conflict with the new Merchant Lord of the Nokok Merchant Group.
If this arrangement had required them to follow every one of their investor’s instructions, some of them would’ve walked away.
But here was someone saying he wouldn’t interfere and would simply collect a share of the profits.
Young Master Eun Seo-ho knew how to handle people.
‘If he’s like this now… what kind of monster will he become in the future?’
That thought brought a thrill of anticipation.
Time passed, and it was now mid-May.
At the border between East Street, the part of the market frequented by commoners, and South Street, known for luxury goods, a new shop opened.
[Eight-Person Pharmacy (八人藥房)] (TL Note: Lazy ass name…)
People tilted their heads curiously at the sign.
From the name, it seemed like a place that sold medicine, but it clearly wasn’t a clinic. Odd, really.
If a place offered pulse readings, it was a clinic. If it sold raw herbs, it was an herb shop. But this was a pharmacy?
A curious man cautiously stepped inside.
“Welcome!”
He was greeted by a middle-aged woman.
The Eight-Person Pharmacy, as the name implied, was formed by eight individuals.
Seven of them were from Yang Jin-su’s group. The eighth was Eun Seo-ho.
Though his identity was secret.
The woman’s name was So Baek-yeon (蘇白燕).
She was one of the eight.
She usually handled customer service, and she was so good at it she could capture any customer’s heart in an instant.
Just like now.
“You came because you were curious, didn’t you?”
“Huh? Well…”
“Please have a seat. You came all this way to our pharmacy—you should at least enjoy a cup of medicinal tea before you go.”
In a flash, a teacup was placed before him.
“This herbal tea is exclusive to the Eight-Person Pharmacy. You’ve been having trouble sleeping at night, haven’t you?”
“Wha—how’d you know?”
“It’s written all over your face. That’s why I prepared this tea for you. It’s called Clear Morning Tea (快朝茶)—it helps you sleep deeply and wake up refreshed. That’s where the name comes from.”
“Ah…”
“Please try it.”
The man took a sip. A gentle aroma spread through his chest, lifting his mood.
That night, when he returned home, he slept like a rock.
The next morning, feeling refreshed, he murmured to himself,
“Wow, that tea really worked wonders.”
The next day, he returned to the Eight-Person Pharmacy.
“How much is that Clear Morning Tea?”
As he asked, his eyes were drawn to a nearby illustration.
It showed a man patting his chest in discomfort, then smiling in relief, holding a small box.
It was obvious what it meant.
“Is that… something for indigestion?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
So Baek-yeon took a small paper box and handed him a round pill.
“This is called Clear Stomach Pill (晴胃丸). If you’re feeling bloated or have indigestion, take this. Children should take half, adults a whole one. Just chew it and wash it down with water. Or dissolve it in water if needed.”
“How much is this?”
Like the tea, it was cheaper than he expected.
“You can take this one now, and if it works, then come back to buy more. It could spoil if left too long, and it’s a waste to buy something that doesn’t work, isn’t it?”
Her words instilled a sense of trust.
After he left, So Baek-yeon smiled.
‘The young master’s advice was spot on.’
When they set up the store, she had asked Eun Seo-ho for advice.
He had supplied the capital, after all—it was only proper to consult him.
He had visited the store secretly, looked around, and said,
— Everything looks great. I knew I made the right call working with you all. Just one thing…
— …?
— Let’s add illustrations next to the medicine’s name. Many customers who come to a pharmacy won’t be able to read. Catering to them will make us money.
— Ah! Of course.
So they added pictures next to the names.
They even included illustrations on the medicine boxes to prevent misuse by those who couldn’t read.
And the results were already proving the wisdom of that choice.
.
.
.
A few days later, chaos broke out in the home of that man.
“Huff… huff…”
“Oh no! What do we do? Looks like a bad case of indigestion.”
“Try patting his back or rubbing his belly!”
They tried all kinds of folk remedies, but nothing helped the boy’s discomfort.
Then the father remembered the pill he had received from the Eight-Person Pharmacy.
It was supposed to help with indigestion.
He quickly fetched it, broke it in half, and gave it to his son.
About thirty minutes later—
“Buuurp.”
The boy let out a deep belch, and the indigestion cleared like magic.
Watching it happen, the man murmured,
“Wow… that really works!”
The next day, he bought a full supply of Clear Stomach Pills.
It was lunchtime.
I was eating with the Finance Pavilion clerks and sipping some tea.
“Hey, what do you guys think of that Eight-Person Pharmacy?”
“Oh! That place?”
“Their medicine’s amazing. I had warrior’s foot and used an ointment from there—it cleared up right away.”
“Ew! You had warrior’’s foot?”
“Yikes…”
“Don’t you think the physicians would have an issue with it?”
“They did at first, but now they’re fine with it.”
“How come?”
“There’s a sign in the pharmacy that says serious conditions should be treated by a physician. And the staff always recommend seeing a doctor if the symptoms seem severe.”
“Oh!”
“So they only sell medicine for mild ailments.”
“They’re not trying to steal anyone’s business.”
“And they buy all their herbs from the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
Listening to them, I grinned inwardly.
Just as I’d predicted, the business was a huge success.
Silver Taels were steadily stacking in my pocket.
–TL Notes–
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