I was caught off guard by the Emperor’s sudden words.
“Y-Your Majesty.”
The Emperor smirked when he saw my reaction.
“You acted as though there was nothing in this world you feared when you stood before me… How amusing.”
“…”
The Emperor turned to Master and asked,
“Well, what is your answer?”
Master considered the Emperor’s words for a moment before asking in return,
“Do I have the right to refuse?”
“I do not force others to work for me. That is why I prepared compensation I believe you will find quite appealing.”
The Emperor held out a sheet of paper. Warrior Jin Yeong accepted it and passed it to Master.
Master unfolded the paper.
Just what was written there to make Master’s eyes waver like that?
Once Master folded the paper again and handed it back to Warrior Jin Yeong, the Emperor nodded.
Fwoosh!
Warrior Jin Yeong burned the paper in the candle flame.
“Well?”
“It is more than sufficient compensation.”
“Then will you accept my proposal?”
“Yes.”
What kind of reward could make him immediately accept something he had spent years avoiding in my previous life?
I was curious, but neither of them would answer even if I asked, and the paper had already burned to ash…
“You brat.”
Who else could the Emperor possibly be calling that besides me?
No one.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Do not worry. I will not eat your master.”
“Of course. I trust Your Majesty.”
The Emperor smirked before turning back to Master.
“I will send the details through Jin Yeong. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then you may go.”
At the Emperor’s dismissal, we left the Osmanthus Room and returned to the third floor.
That was when Master sent me a Voice Transmission.
– The day you returned later than expected, had you gone to meet His Majesty?
– Yes.
– Then my name came up that day.
– That’s right.
– Thank you.
– What?
I looked at Master, startled by the unexpected words, but he continued calmly.
– Didn’t you negotiate with His Majesty for my sake? That must be why he put so much thought into the compensation he offered me.
– Well, yes. That’s more or less what happened.
– Once again, I find myself grateful that the Deputy Merchant Lord is my disciple.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, I scratched behind my ear.
– However, after seeing you together today, it seemed His Majesty held the Deputy Merchant Lord in unusually high regard.
I gave an awkward smile.
It was nice to be held in special regard, but being held in too special a regard wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
.
.
.
Several days later.
Thanks to roughly fifteen days of Master’s instruction, we managed to learn the Novel Disguise Art.
“You have learned enough that the friend who taught me the Novel Disguise Art should not curse me for passing it on.”
“Thank you for teaching us.”
“It was nothing.”
Master continued.
“It appears the time has come for me to return to Hubei.”
Warrior Jin Yeong had visited the Beijing Branch yesterday and spoken with Master in private. Was this because of that conversation?
Master was thorough to a fault. He had even erected a barrier with his Qi, so I had no idea what they discussed.
He was probably trying to act in secret because he feared the matter might bring harm to me…
Haa… Was this what it meant to have a master looking out for you?
“Master, allow me to escort you back to your quarters.”
“Very well.”
Master and I headed toward his quarters together.
I had already signaled the Escort Guards with my eyes, so none of them followed us.
“Well, then. What is it you wish to say?”
As expected, Master had noticed my intentions and asked me first.
All I could do was smile sheepishly.
“You noticed.”
“We have known each other long enough for me to notice something like that, haven’t we?”
“I suppose we have.”
I gently continued.
“Master, why do you refuse every time I ask you to drop the formalities with me?”
“Was that what you wanted to know?”
“Yes.”
When I nodded, Master smirked and looked up at the sky.
He took a moment to choose his words before speaking.
“I suppose… I did not want to become attached.”
What did that mean?
“Deputy Merchant Lord… no, Young Palace Lord, as you already know, Snow Wind Palace could disappear at any moment, and no one would find that strange. We have barely managed to keep our lineage alive, but I saw no hope that we could continue doing so forever.”
He lowered his head and met my eyes.
“If I disappeared one day after we had grown close, wouldn’t that only cause more pain?”
“So you deliberately tried to keep your distance from me?”
“That is correct.”
“But even after I became Young Palace Lord, you still refused whenever I asked you to drop the formalities. I promised you that Snow Wind Palace would prosper. Did you not trust my promise?”
“That is not it.”
Master shook his head.
“There is another reason I continued speaking formally after that.”
Master looked directly into my eyes.
“It was my way of expressing my gratitude for the difficult decision you made for Snow Wind Palace, as well as my respect for the future Palace Lord who will lead a new Snow Wind Palace.”
“What? What do you mean by a new Snow Wind Palace?”
“The Snow Wind Palace you lead must become something completely different from what it was before. It must become a new Snow Wind Palace. The old Snow Wind Palace cannot survive.”
“…”
“What that Snow Wind Palace becomes is entirely up to you. That is why I hope you grow quickly.”
Master continued.
“I am curious to see what the new Snow Wind Palace you lead will look like.”
I smirked.
“So you still have no intention of dropping the formalities with me?”
Master gave me a faint smile in return.
Perhaps this was Master’s own way of showing affection.
If so, I had no right to force him to change it.
“That aside, Master, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“When you return to Hubei, could you travel with Brother Jeong-ho?”
“Is this a commission?”
“You may think of it that way.”
“The people who came with me do not come cheap.”
“How much will it cost?”
At my immediate response, Master shook his head and muttered,
“That was a foolish question.”
I looked at him and spoke seriously.
“Master, I want to support you. I have no intention of becoming another burden.”
“What?”
“So whenever things become difficult, I hope you will rely on this disciple of yours.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that as your master?”
“Does it matter who says it? Whoever has the means should help the other.”
“I suppose you are right.”
“So… I hope you won’t force yourself to carry a burden that is too heavy simply because of me.”
“…I will keep that in mind.”
.
.
.
The next day.
Escort Guard Jin Yu’s face looked different when he arrived for breakfast.
He had altered it using the Novel Disguise Art.
It wasn’t completely unrecognizable. He had changed it just enough that it still bore some resemblance to his real face.
However, even someone familiar with Escort Guard Jin Yu’s appearance would hesitate and wonder, ‘Was I mistaken?’
He hadn’t altered his face because he needed a disguise immediately. Maintaining a disguise was simply one of the ways to train the Novel Disguise Art.
Master had said that if we could maintain one for an entire month, it would be no different from fully mastering the art.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. I have not encountered any problems yet.”
“It must feel extremely constricting.”
He had changed enough that no one would connect his current face to his original appearance, so the discomfort must have been considerable.
The more parts one altered with a Disguise Art, the greater the strain became.
I knew that well because I had experienced it myself.
“This is far less constricting than the Binding Seal was. It is also more comfortable than wearing a mask.”
“That is a relief, but…”
“You do not need to worry. I will endure until the very end.”
There was almost a hint of madness in Escort Guard Jin Yu’s voice as he said it.
“Am I late?”
Lady Seohyang entered just then.
We often held our meetings over breakfast, so Lady Seohyang ate with us as well.
The other Deputy, Gal Hyeon, still did not join us for meals.
We hadn’t yet built enough trust for that.
Lady Seohyang had used the Novel Disguise Art to alter the distinct impression she gave off.
Her eldest brother, Lord Dong Hyeok-su, had already seen her in her current situation.
Changing her face now would only invite suspicion.
While we were considering what to do, Master had made a suggestion.
Why not change only the impression she gave off?
Every face left people with a certain impression.
Lady Seohyang normally had a gentle air, but she pushed the Heavenly Flow Art to its limits and transformed it into something cold and distant.
Before, she had been a warm and benevolent beauty. Now, she had become an icy beauty so intimidating that approaching her felt difficult.
Looking at her like this, she even had an air similar to Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin…
Was it because of the Ice Crystal Eyes?
I said to her,
“You are not late. Please, have a seat.”
“Yes.”
“Young Master.”
Palgap, who had been serving my breakfast, called out to me.
“What?”
“Why aren’t you using the Disguise Art, Young Master? Didn’t you say you were learning it to conceal your devastating charm?”
“Uh… about that. I gave up.”
“What? I did not think you were someone who lacked perseverance, Young Master. Was there a problem?”
I sighed.
“Remember when I asked how I could make myself look ugly? You told me to put a large mole on my face or add freckles.”
“That is what I said.”
“Hmm… No. It would be easier to show you than explain.”
I stopped speaking and used the Novel Disguise Art to create freckles and a mole on my face.
“…Oh.”
“Hmm…”
Everyone who saw my face nodded and gave ambiguous smiles.
Escort Guard Seo Wu spoke.
“I understand what you mean.”
“You look like a handsome troublemaker.”
“A handsome man with an attractive beauty mark.”
“Exactly.”
As I spoke, I released the Novel Disguise Art. Palgap sighed and muttered something under his breath.
“Hm? What did you say?”
“I said this rotten world is unfair.”
“Kui!”
Geumryeong, why are you agreeing with him?
.
.
.
Brother Jeong-ho’s preparations to return to Headquarters in Hubei went smoothly, and before long, the day of his departure arrived.
“You look excited.”
“Of course I am! Do you have any idea how long it has been since I’ve seen my wife and children?”
“And Grandfather? Your parents?”
“Are you testing me right now?”
“Of course not!”
I hated tests more than anyone.
“I was just teasing you.”
“You little bastard!”
“You’ve worked hard. Go enjoy a good long rest while you’re there.”
“You bastard! Do you think I’m going on vacation? I’m going there to work!”
Brother Jeong-ho planned to return to Beijing once Father came back.
The work on the Martial Arts Academy we were building in Beijing still wasn’t finished, and no one knew when or where I might leave next.
In my previous life, the Crown Prince had been dispatched to Nanjing several years from now.
Since the empire’s capital was Beijing, the Emperor’s authority tended to be weaker in the southern regions.
Nanjing had therefore been designated as a secondary capital, and the Crown Prince was sent there to gain experience in governing.
That suddenly gave me an idea.
Wouldn’t it be better for Brother Jeong-ho’s family to move to Beijing altogether?
We could discuss that later…
I respectfully bowed to Master.
“Please take good care of my brother.”
“Do not worry.”
Of course, Brother Jeong-ho had his own Guard Unit, and the Eunpoong Division would also accompany him.
Even so, there was nothing more reassuring than having Master travel with them.
“And I was glad that I could see you again, even if only like this. Please stay safe and in good health.”
“I will. And I…”
“…?”
Master cleared his throat before continuing.
“I was glad to see you as well.”
If anyone else had said those words, I wouldn’t have understood why they found it embarrassing, but hearing them from Master surprised me a little.
He almost never showed what he felt.
Master turned away, mounted his horse, and rode to the front before calling out to everyone.
“Let us move out!”
“Yes!”
And so, Brother Jeong-ho, Master, and their party departed for Hubei.
.
.
.
Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, the early Ninth Month had arrived.
In the meantime, Escort Guard Jin Yu and Lady Seohyang had completely adapted to the Novel Disguise Art.
In other words, their identities would no longer be exposed even if they met the Alliance Leader at close range.
As for me…
“Deputy Gwak, please bring me the records related to this.”
“Yes. Here they are.”
“I also need the records related to the fourth line of this document.”
“Yes.”
I was so busy that I barely had time to breathe.
The Murim Grand Assembly was approaching. It was the martial world’s greatest event, held only once every nine years, as well as the greatest money-making opportunity imaginable for merchant groups like ours.
I was the one who had received the right to choose whatever location I wanted from the Alliance Leader, so I had to attend personally.
That meant I needed to finish as much work as possible in advance so the Virtuous Wind Department would continue running smoothly without me.
That was when it happened.
“Excuse me, are you bus… It appears you are.”
Someone had come looking for me.
“Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du, what brings you all the way here?”
“Well, the thing is…”
“I am busy, so please get straight to the point.”
“When the Deputy Merchant Lord travels to Luoyang this time, I would like to accompany you.”
“That will not be difficult, but are you certain you will be all right?”
It was only natural to ask. His father had died in Luoyang because of the Murim Alliance’s machinations.
“You do not need to worry about that.”
“Understood. In exchange, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? I will help with anything within my ability.”
“Please help me process these documents.”
At my words, he looked at the towering piles of documents beside me and took a step backward.
“Th-Then perhaps I should just go alone…”
“Hah! Do not try to wriggle out of it now.”
.
.
.
Thanks to Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du, I managed to depart on the scheduled date.
As expected of the Zhuge Clan.
He truly was remarkably competent.
Then again, in my previous life, he had worked as both a brilliant strategist and a merchant group’s Chief Administrator.
“Please take good care of everything while I am gone.”
Deputy Yeo Chang-ui and the Beijing Branch Chief nodded at my words.
“Do not worry.”
“We will make certain nothing happens in your absence.”
Just you wait. I was going to return with a massive fortune. Heh heh heh.
– Kui!
It looked like Geumryeong was excited too.
–TL Notes–
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