I headed for the Luoyang Branch.
“Welcome, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
Eun Jung-seon, the Luoyang Branch Manager, came out personally to greet me.
He was also a distant relative from the Eun family, but sadly, he would die a few years from now.
The cause would be illness.
By the time treatment began, it would already be too late.
This time, I had to make sure that never happened.
He needed to survive and continue serving as the Luoyang Branch Manager.
Because in my previous life, the new Branch Manager who succeeded him sold the Eunhae Merchant Group's information to the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
We eventually discovered what he'd done and moved to arrest him, but the Baekcheon Merchant Group caught wind of it and eliminated him first, leaving us with no one to hold accountable.
If I wanted to prevent that entire chain of events, treating Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon's illness ahead of time was by far the best solution.
“Branch Manager. Are all the preparations for the move finished?”
“Yes. For the most part.”
“Then, as I told you before, you can begin moving into the new branch tomorrow.”
At my words, the Branch Manager cautiously asked,
“Um… are you truly certain it'll be all right? That manor is haunted…”
He lived in Luoyang himself, so there was no way he hadn't heard all the stories about that place. His concern was understandable.
“Did any of the people cleaning and repairing the place say they saw a ghost this time?”
“N–no, they didn't, but…”
“Don't worry. I stayed there myself for several days, and I never saw a single ghost.”
Only a little marten Spirit Beast.
“Perhaps the ghost that used to live there moved somewhere else. Or maybe Black and White Impermanence came and took it away. Either way, that's fortunate for us.”
The Branch Manager nodded at my words.
“If you're willing to guarantee it yourself, Deputy Merchant Lord, then I'll trust you.”
“Frankly, you'll be far better off staying there than here. The location is excellent, and the facilities are much larger and more comfortable.”
The manor alone was easily ten times larger than the current Luoyang Branch.
“So spend this winter there. Once the weather warms up, we'll begin construction in earnest. You can think of it mainly as an expansion.”
“Understood. I'll make the preparations as you instructed.”
“And I believe it's about time for me to return to Beijing.”
“Already?”
“Yes. I've finished everything I needed to do here. It's time I moved on to the next matter.”
“Understood.”
“And…”
I turned toward the door and called out.
“Physician! Please come in.”
At my call, the door opened, and the physician I'd brought with me entered.
“Deputy Merchant Lord, why have you suddenly brought a physician…?”
“Your complexion hasn't looked very good, Branch Manager, so I was concerned and invited this physician to examine you.”
“But we already have a physician stationed at our branch, don't we?”
It was one of the Eunhae Merchant Group's better-known employee benefits. Every branch had a resident physician dispatched from Headquarters' Medical Pavilion.
“I know.”
And those resident physicians regularly examined everyone at their assigned branches every month.
Yet Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon's illness had gone unnoticed until it was too late, and he'd eventually died from it. That could only mean the physician had been working with someone.
That physician had also resigned shortly before the Branch Manager died.
He'd taken his payoff and disappeared.
The physician who replaced him eventually discovered the Branch Manager's condition, but by then it was already too late.
I spoke gently.
“Even so, there's nothing wrong with having another physician examine you once in a while. Besides, this gentleman is a renowned physician here in Luoyang. You know his reputation yourself, don't you, Branch Manager?”
“Of course.”
“Then why not let him take your pulse?”
After a little persuasion, he nodded.
“I'll be in your care.”
“Ahem. First, stick out your tongue.”
The physician examined the Branch Manager's eyes and tongue, then tilted his head slightly before taking his pulse.
As the physician's expression gradually hardened, the Branch Manager asked with growing concern,
“Is something wrong?”
“Whew… Had you continued without treatment much longer, this could have become dangerous.”
“What?”
“There's a problem with your liver.”
“But the physician stationed at our Merchant Group said there was nothing wrong with me…”
“Then it seems some quack has been masquerading as a physician. To miss an illness with symptoms this obvious… Tsk, tsk. If one of my disciples had done something like this, I'd have taken a pestle to his back on the spot.”
“…”
Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon bit his lip.
He was the man who had led the Luoyang Branch all this time. There was no chance someone with his experience had failed to understand what this situation implied.
“Then, can it be treated?”
“It still isn't too late. Treatment will take some time, but I see no reason you can't make a full recovery.”
“That's a relief. Then I'll leave myself in your hands.”
I added,
“Don't worry about the cost. Use the best medicinal ingredients necessary and make sure he's properly treated.”
The physician nodded.
“Understood. In that case, I'll return and prepare the medicinal ingredients we'll need.”
“That won't be necessary.”
The Branch Manager shook his head.
“There's no need to trouble yourself by coming all the way here. I'll visit you personally.”
“That works even better for me. Come by once you're ready.”
With that, the physician left, leaving only the Branch Manager and me in the reception room.
Silence lingered for a moment, until the Branch Manager finally broke it.
“Deputy Merchant Lord. When did you first notice?”
“Notice what?”
“That I was ill.”
“I realized it not long ago. But you didn't seem aware of it yourself, so I casually sounded out the physician stationed at this branch. He dismissed my concerns as though they were nothing, so I decided to bring in another physician just in case.”
“…I'm sorry.”
“It's all right. Just focus on getting better.”
He fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Deputy Merchant Lord, when you said you ‘casually sounded out the physician stationed at this branch,’ doesn't that mean you'd already noticed something else? That this branch's physician was deliberately allowing my illness to worsen?”
“…”
“When I apologized, I meant that my failure to properly manage my own branch ended up causing you unnecessary concern. And I would like to handle this matter myself. Please allow me.”
I answered gently.
“You are the one in charge of the Luoyang Branch, Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon.”
Understanding exactly what I meant, he replied,
“Thank you.”
“Then I'll return to Beijing tomorrow as planned. Make sure you receive proper treatment.”
“Yes. Understood. I'll submit a report soon.”
I rose from my seat.
Now that I'd done this much, he could take care of the rest himself. Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon was more than capable of handling it.
This incident would undoubtedly leave a wound in his heart, but Branch Manager Eun Jung-seon was also a man who had endured his fair share of hardship over the years.
And this was a problem he needed to resolve with his own hands.
Just as the ground hardens after the rain, the Luoyang Branch needed to emerge from this incident more united than before.
Only then would it remain steady against the interference and schemes of the Baekcheon Merchant Group and the other Merchant Groups.
.
.
.
The next day.
My companions and I departed for Beijing.
I needed to deal with the matter of the Springview Fortress Sword Tomb I'd obtained information about as soon as possible.
And the timing was right.
Springview Fortress was in Yunnan, so once spring passed, merely traveling around the region would become exhausting in the heat.
Of course, extreme heat or cold wouldn't interfere with my own movements, but the same couldn't be said for everyone traveling with me.
As soon as I arrived in Beijing, I sent Escort Guard Lee Pil to request a visit from Warrior Jin Yeong.
Fortunately, Warrior Jin Yeong came to see me that very evening.
“It's good to see you, Warrior Jin Yeong.”
“Didn't you say you were going to Luoyang? You're back already?”
I nodded.
“Yes. Something extremely serious came up, so I hurried back to the capital to seek an audience with His Majesty.”
“Is that so? Then we'd better go at once.”
“Yes.”
We headed straight to the Imperial Palace and received an audience with the Emperor.
After I paid my respects with the utmost formality, the Emperor asked,
“Judging by your expression, something serious must have happened… What is it?”
I was grateful that he'd gotten straight to the point.
I pulled a scroll from inside my robes and said,
“First, Your Majesty, please take a look at this.”
The Grand Eunuch approached me, placed the scroll on a tray, and presented it to the Emperor.
The Emperor unrolled it.
“Hmm…”
Then, seemingly realizing just how disturbing its contents were, his face hardened.
“Explain this.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I quickly explained the entire sequence of events.
“I went to Luoyang this time because I wanted to secure land for expanding the Eunhae Merchant Group's Luoyang Branch. In the process, I purchased the property containing the so-called haunted manor.”
“That haunted manor is rather infamous, isn't it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
So even the Emperor knew about that place.
“What in the world possessed you to buy it?”
I explained the circumstances as truthfully as I could.
Of course, I left out the fact that the land sat atop a vein filled with exceptionally pure Qi and that the ‘ghost’ guarding the place had actually been a marten Spirit Beast.
“First, the location was excellent, and the price was remarkably low. So I stayed there personally for several days to see what would happen, but nothing unusual occurred. After that, I decided to purchase it.”
I calmly continued.
“However, the manor had been abandoned for so long that numerous areas needed repairs. During that work, we discovered this scroll. Its contents seemed far too serious to ignore, so I immediately returned to Beijing.”
“You're right. This is no ordinary matter. The bastards who wrote this had been targeting the Springview Fortress Sword Tomb for a very long time, and to think they would devise such an unforgivable scheme for that purpose… Whew.”
The Emperor drew a deep breath.
He was clearly furious.
“So this means they actually carried out this monstrous plan.”
“I believe so as well, Your Majesty.”
“Looking at this, I find myself grateful to you all over again. Had it not been for you, something horrific might have happened at Springview Fortress.”
Something like the tortured Imperial Prince Juhyeon dying, for example.
Tap, tap, tap.
The Emperor drummed his fingers against the armrest, deep in thought.
Tap.
After what must have been around half an hour, his fingers finally stopped.
“I have a question for you.”
“Ask whatever you wish, Your Majesty.”
“Are you free right now?”
“…Pardon?”
The question caught me off guard for a moment, but I quickly understood what the Emperor was getting at.
“I am always ready to go wherever Your Majesty commands.”
I needed to be included in the exploration of the Springview Fortress Sword Tomb.
If I saw what was discovered inside for myself, I might finally resolve some of the questions left over from my previous life.
And, frankly, I was curious.
Just what kind of place was the Springview Fortress Sword Tomb that the Blood Cult had gone to such desperate lengths to explore it?
While I was thinking, the Emperor continued questioning me.
“In your judgment, how many people would be needed to explore this Springview Fortress Sword Tomb?”
“Around a hundred should be sufficient. Too many people would likely become an obstacle rather than a benefit.”
“You aren't referring only to those with martial strength, I assume?”
“Correct. That number includes specialists in traps and Trap Formations.”
“Understood. You may leave now.”
What?
“Why are you still standing there? Go.”
That was an unmistakable dismissal, and I had no excuse to keep the conversation going.
So I respectfully bowed and quietly withdrew.
Hmm…
It seemed the Emperor had quite a few things to consider.
.
.
.
After returning to the Beijing Branch, I spent my days working as usual.
There were far too many matters piled up for me to focus solely on Springview Fortress.
“Deputy Merchant Lord, Chief Administrator Zhuge is here.”
“Send him in.”
This time, I'd formally given Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du the position of Chief Administrator.
The Martial Arts Academy hadn't been built yet, but it would have been difficult for the man overseeing its entire organizational structure to work without any formal position.
Once the Martial Arts Academy was completed, he would serve as both its Chief Administrator and an Instructor.
“Here. I've put together the basic framework.”
“You've worked hard. Then this means we need to recruit Instructors who fit this structure.”
“Yes. Once spring arrives, construction will begin in earnest, so things are going to become quite busy.”
Winters in Beijing were cold.
It sat close to the Empire's northernmost reaches, so that was unavoidable.
Once the heart of winter arrived, all construction work came to a halt, and the Martial Arts Academy was no exception.
It was obvious we'd become extremely busy as soon as spring arrived.
Which meant the best time to travel to Springview Fortress in Yunnan was before spring came.
When I'd met the Emperor earlier, I'd expected him to immediately command, “Send men to explore the Springview Fortress Sword Tomb.”
Could he be trying to confirm whether there really was a Sword Tomb at Springview Fortress first?
Or was he still deciding whom to send?
The questions crossed my mind, but I soon set them aside.
This wasn't just anyone handling the matter. It was His Majesty the Emperor. He would deal with it properly.
I'd said it before, but regardless of how frightening I found the Emperor, if I had to choose a single person in the world to entrust with an important task, I would choose him without hesitation. That was how capable he was.
.
.
.
About two weeks passed like that.
During that time, Father and I exchanged several letters through Geumryeong.
I told him that I'd secured new land in Luoyang and begun moving the branch, that we planned to expand the facilities further in the spring, and how construction preparations for the Beijing Martial Arts Academy were progressing.
Father's replies were filled with complete trust in me.
[They may call it a haunted manor, but if it were truly dangerous, you never would have chosen it. More importantly, you value people above all else. I know you would never choose a place that could put them at risk.]
As expected, Father knew me well.
[I sent Captain Yong and the others to Hainan Island this time, and we've decided to begin construction based on the plans designed according to your advice. The official dispatched from the Imperial Palace told us to proceed however we saw fit.]
If that official had heard the rumors, he would know better than to interfere unnecessarily.
Hainan Island wasn't a cold place, so there was no real issue with beginning construction now.
I was looking forward to seeing the naval base and the Eunhae Merchant Group's anchorage that would be built there.
Captain Yong and his people would probably be pleased as well.
[And come home when you have the time. Don't you think we need to discuss your marriage arrangements?]
Father was right. It was about time I paid a visit home.
We could exchange thoughts about my marriage through Geumryeong, but there were still some things that ought to be discussed face-to-face.
“Kui!”
I handed Geumryeong a silver tael.
A silver tael was a considerable amount of money, but considering Geumryeong's speed, this was actually far cheaper than any alternative.
Of course, that part was a secret from Geumryeong.
Just then, Palgap's voice came from outside.
“Young Master! Warrior Jin Yeong has arrived!”
At last, the time had come.
–TL Notes–
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