I looked out the window.
The greenery was deep and lush.
As I glanced at my reflection in the bronze mirror, Palgap spoke.
“Young Master, everyone knows you’re handsome. You don’t need to admire yourself that much.”
“Admire myself? I was just checking my appearance. You know how important appearance is for merchants.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve heard it more than a hundred times already.”
I should stop talking.
It’s already been two years since I turned back time.
Somehow, I was now seventeen.
The salt retail business in Hubei, which I was in charge of for the Eunhae Merchant Group, was thriving.
And the work at the Virtuous Wind Department, which I managed, was running smoothly as well.
“By the way, did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“Master Il-sim of Shaolin has reached the Profound Realm.”
“Oh, really?”
Master Il-sim was a senior to Master Se-yeon, the current Shaolin’s Abbot, and had reached the Profound Realm using only the Shaolin’s Five Fists.
But since wielding power recklessly wasn’t helpful to his cultivation, he voluntarily entered the Hall of Repentance.
Even when I died, I hadn’t heard that he’d entered Nirvana. He was already over a hundred years old back then.
Anyway, now that rumors were spreading that Master Il-sim had reached the Profound Realm… it was time.
.
.
.
I headed to the Virtuous Wind Department.
“Welcome.”
“Yeah.”
The Virtuous Wind Department, where I worked, wasn’t far from my father’s office.
It had originally been located in a separate building, but because of the increasing number of important documents, it was moved inside the Silver Dragon Hall for security reasons.
I sat at my desk, tapped my fingers on the table, and thought for a moment.
Then I called out,
“Palgap!”
“Yes, did you call, Young Master?”
“Bring Madam Hong here.”
“Understood.”
Soon after, Madam Hong Geum-so entered my office.
“I heard you called for me.”
“Yes, have a seat.”
Madam Hong gave a polite bow and sat in front of the table.
Palgap brought over tea and set it before us.
“Please, have some.”
“Thank you.”
We exchanged a few casual words over tea, then I put down my cup and got to the point.
“How’s your husband’s condition?”
“Ah… he’s still bedridden, but he’s slowly improving. He’s conscious for longer now, and he can express himself. I’m really grateful since you’ve allowed him to receive treatment at the Medical Pavilion and helped me earn good money.”
Madam Hong’s face darkened briefly but soon brightened again as she answered.
Just as I remembered.
Then I’ll proceed as planned.
After a few more words to comfort her, I sent her back.
Then I sat quietly, recalling what had happened in my past life.
In my previous life, Madam Hong Geum-so was so skilled at sewing that she was called Seamless Heavenly Garments.
She was a huge help to me, so to repay her, I had asked the Black Flute Physician to treat her husband.
Back then, the Black Flute Physician gave this diagnosis regarding her husband:
“It’s too late. The demonic Qi (邪氣) has already penetrated his bone marrow. Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s still alive. He won’t last more than a month. If proper medicine had been used six, no, even five years ago, he could’ve recovered.”
I was twenty-four years old then.
Seven years from now.
There’s still plenty of time.
The physician who had been treating Madam Hong’s husband frankly wasn’t skilled.
The only reason her husband was still alive was because of his sheer will to live.
That physician was greedy but not cruel enough to abandon or stop treating a patient who brought steady income.
So in this life, after reconnecting with Madam Hong, I made sure her husband received treatment from our Medical Pavilion.
The justification was solid, so there wasn’t much pushback from that incompetent physician.
Thanks to proper treatment, her husband’s condition was gradually improving.
But it wasn’t a fundamental cure.
When the Black Flute Physician had said, “he could’ve recovered,” he meant he could’ve survived without risking his life—not a full recovery.
Her husband was a martial artist.
Even if he survived, he would constantly suffer from self-loathing.
His body was now crippled for martial arts.
If he’d lived as an ordinary man from the start, he would’ve been content with an ordinary life.
But could a bird that once soared through the skies truly be happy living like a chicken?
That’s why I intended to give her husband an entirely new life.
Around the time Master Il-sim reached the Profound Realm, a rare Elixir would appear.
It was called the Fruit of Renewal (復始靈菓).
It looked like a cherry, but it had the power to restore a person’s damaged body.
One Fruit of Renewal could turn back the body’s condition by ten years.
I planned to acquire this Elixir and have Madam Hong’s husband take it.
Ten years ago… he was still healthy. That should be enough.
The Fruit of Renewal, which could return a ruined body to what it was ten years ago, was an incredible Elixir.
Naturally, it was extremely difficult to obtain.
Why go through all this trouble just to help Madam Hong’s husband?
Simple.
Because I owed him my life.
Back then, with help from the Black Flute Physician, her husband regained enough Qi to speak for about fifteen days before his scheduled death.
During that time, he finally said all the things he hadn’t been able to tell his wife.
That he was sorry.
That he was grateful.
That he was sorry again.
That once he passed, she should remarry and live happily.
And then… he told me there was something he needed to say to me.
He thanked me.
Thanked me for recognizing his wife’s talents and taking care of her.
Then, with a serious expression, he said,
“My wife tells me everything. Thanks to that… I’ve learned something. There’s an assassin near you right now.”
At those words, I immediately summoned the escort guards and arrested an employee working at the fabric shop.
Between his teeth was a poisoned pellet.
Inside his clothes was a dagger coated with poison.
He was an assassin sent by a rival fabric shop run by the Unorthodox Sect.
If Madam Hong’s husband hadn’t told me… I would’ve been seriously injured or dead.
The fact that I’d hired Madam Hong and had her husband treated by the Black Flute Physician was indeed what led him to pass that information to me.
But I couldn’t say that meant I didn’t owe him anything.
I never forgot grudges… but I never forgot favors either.
A life must be repaid with a life.
In my past life, he died before I could repay his kindness. But in this life, he’s still alive.
That means it’s only right that I repay that debt.
But if I went to Father and said, “Actually, I died and came back to life, and during that time I received a favor I need to repay…,” would Father just nod and say, “Alright, take care on your trip”?
He’d probably call a physician immediately with a worried face.
I could tolerate the physician, but I really didn’t want to see that worried look on my parents’ faces.
So, I needed a proper excuse to go to Shaanxi.
Because to acquire the Fruit of Renewal, I had to go to Shaanxi.
I thought about it for a moment.
Then the perfect excuse came to mind.
.
.
.
That afternoon.
I reported the day’s business to Father.
“I see, very good.”
“And Father, I understand there’s a trade caravan heading to Shaanxi soon.”
“Yes. They’re going to bring back Fucha (伏茶).” (TL Note: A type of tea)
“I’d like to accompany them to Shaanxi.”
I continued speaking.
“I intend to check whether the sale of the Windcraft Fan is going well at the Wu Merchant Group in Shaanxi.”
“Do you really have to go yourself?”
“I received an imperial edict from His Majesty to directly supervise the sale of the Windcraft Fan. How could I possibly treat it lightly?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Besides, if something does happen, personally being there lets me avoid any issues of responsibility.”
At that, Father stared at me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That actually sounds like your real reason.”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed.
“But that trade caravan will take quite a bit of time.”
“Still safer than traveling alone.”
“That’s true.”
Father thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
“Make sure to settle your work before you leave, so nothing gets delayed in your absence.”
“Understood.”
I had his permission.
It seemed Father also agreed that moving with the caravan was safer and more practical than traveling alone.
Back in my office, I spoke to Palgap, who was organizing documents.
“Palgap, pack up.”
“Huh?”
“We’re heading to Shaanxi.”
“Huhhh?!”
The overland route from Hubei to Shaanxi honestly wasn’t ideal.
It was like having Mount Wudang and Mount Zhongnan blocking the way entirely.
Taking a detour wasn’t any better since that meant circling around Mount Fulong, Mount Song, and Mount Hua — a ridiculously long route.
Otherwise, the only option was using the narrow and dangerous cliffside paths.
But water routes were different.
Through the Han River (漢水), we could head straight from Hubei to Shaanxi.
Fucha is a tea made during the hottest days of summer, hence its name.
It’s a famous tea from Shaanxi, a type of dark tea with a unique aroma, smooth flavor, and a beautiful dark-red sheen.
Drinking it soothes the stomach. I personally quite like it.
At that moment, Yeon Chang, my deputy, approached me.
“So, Deputy Merchant Lord… does that mean I’m coming too?”
Back when I worked at the Finance Pavilion, Yeon Chang served as my assistant. When I was appointed to lead the Virtuous Wind Department, I brought him along as my deputy.
Thanks to that, he got promoted to the sixth rank now.
He was the first person I saved after returning to the past. In my previous life, he’d died in a fire orchestrated by the Mistress of Huayeon Pavilion.
His death had always felt like a waste given his talent. But now that I’d saved him, I intended to make full use of him.
“Of course you’re coming. You’ve got plenty to handle over there.”
“Ah… Understood.”
Preparations for the trip to Shaanxi were progressing smoothly.
My goal wasn’t to trade Fucha in Shaanxi.
Which meant I had no reason to interfere with the caravan’s affairs.
Instead, I focused on handling the Virtuous Wind Department’s business to ensure everything would run smoothly in my absence.
Eom Sam-taek was one of the trade Clerks of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
He had worked for more than ten years managing the tea department within the Merchant Group.
Naturally, he took great pride in his work.
He was also the person in charge of the caravan heading to Shaanxi for the Fucha trade.
While busily preparing for the trip, he suddenly heard some surprising news.
“Huh? The Virtuous Wind Department Chief is coming along?”
“That’s right.”
Two years ago, Eun Seo-ho became Deputy Merchant Lord and simultaneously the head of the newly established Virtuous Wind Department.
It was a completely different path from the usual, where someone would first gain experience managing one of the group’s branch stores.
Word was that Pavilion Lord Jeok Byeong-cheol of the Trade Pavilion had strongly supported him.
‘How in the world did he win over that old man…’
Anyone with rank in the Merchant Group knew.
On the surface, Jeok Byeong-cheol looked approachable, but in reality, he was an impregnable fortress.
Honestly, Eun Seo-ho had done quite a lot of remarkable work.
But none of that had directly affected Eom Sam-taek.
Neither as harm nor as help.
‘Come to think of it… Pavilion Lord Jeok did seem pleased that thanks to the Virtuous Wind Department Chief, we managed to distribute Iron Goddess Tea without middlemen causing trouble…’
But his paycheck didn’t increase because of it, so it quickly faded from his concern.
Either way, he wasn’t particularly thrilled about having Eun Seo-ho along for this trip.
Eun Seo-ho was the son of the Merchant Lord.
The thought of how much he might interfere with the caravan made his head ache.
He’d heard stories from other Clerks about what it was like traveling with the Merchant Lord’s children.
Most of the time, they were greedy, meddling in everything, making the work ten times more complicated.
No wonder he felt a headache coming.
The day after the news broke, Eun Seo-ho personally came to meet him.
In the past few years, Eun Seo-ho had grown a lot.
He was taller now, his frame broader, and frankly, anyone who saw him would think — not a very manly word, but — beautiful.
‘Well, you don’t lose what you’re born with…’
Eom Sam-taek greeted him respectfully.
“Please, have some.”
“Thank you.”
Eun Seo-ho sat in front of the table.
“We’re both busy, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
“I prefer it that way as well.”
“I’ll be accompanying the caravan to Shaanxi for personal matters, and I’ll be relying on you.”
“I’ve heard.”
“I’ll be counting on you for the journey.”
“I should be the one saying that, hahaha.”
“And just to be clear upfront… I have no intention of interfering in any part of this caravan’s business.”
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt