They didn’t budge despite my refusal.
“We can live off the money we’ve saved.”
“You probably saved that money for something important. Either way, I really can’t accept this.”
Offering the Fucha for free was certainly tempting.
But if they did that, these people would clearly spend the next year struggling to make ends meet.
Even if they insisted they had savings, who’s to say some unexpected expense wouldn’t pop up?
“But if we don’t do this, we won’t be able to live with ourselves.”
The two brothers were just as stubborn.
“In that case, let’s do this.”
I offered them a new proposal.
“We’ll buy the amount we need… at the price you normally sell to brokers.”
I quickly added,
“Even that’s already a huge favor to us.”
Clerk Eom nodded in agreement.
I bowed slightly to the two brothers.
“Please allow it.”
After exchanging glances, they finally nodded.
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
“What price do you usually sell to brokers?”
I almost doubted my own ears when I heard the price.
“Huh?”
At that price, we could buy twice the amount we originally planned.
These thieves…
How much have those brokers been skimming off the top?
It struck me right then.
This… is an opportunity.
On top of that, three merchant groups in this region were about to become affiliates of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
And no matter how long a broker’s been working with them… whoever signs first gets the deal.
“How much tea can you produce this season?”
“We can produce up to five thousand geun.” (TL Note: A Geun is around 600 grams or 1.5 pounds. So around 3 tons.)
Much more than I expected.
“Then… would you be willing to sell directly to us? I’ll pay more than what the brokers offer.”
They didn’t hesitate.
“We’d have to check with our father, but we’re sure he’ll happily agree.”
“Doing business with a great merchant group like yours… would be an honor for us.”
With that, they left.
Though… why do I keep feeling someone’s watching me?
I turned my head.
A group of women was standing near the inn.
Not just courtesans… but ordinary married women too.
“Oh my… he’s so handsome.”
“Aaah…”
“Seriously… he’s perfect.”
Why are even the grandmothers looking at me like that?
Guess I better avoid going out for a while.
.
.
.
The next day.
The Oh family confirmed they wanted to sign the contract with the Eunhae Merchant Group.
The broker they had been working with agreed to back off.
“Your group saved someone who’s been a great help to us for years. And you even caught the swindler who was wreaking havoc in the Shaanxi market. We have no objections. We gladly step aside.”
Truly, after bitterness comes sweetness.
Good things just kept happening.
A few more days passed.
Nok Il—the Shaanxi Scorpion—was handed over to the provincial inspector. He was sentenced to death and executed by beheading.
The investigation revealed that he had killed innocent people.
Compared to how he was flayed alive in my past life, this was honestly… a merciful death.
And unlike in my previous life, all those people who had died because of him were still alive now.
Of course, this might change the future I once knew.
But I have no regrets.
If I can prevent the tears of countless merchants and the sacrifices of the exploited courtesans… then I will.
Father sent a reply via express courier.
[I’m relieved to hear you caught the swindler and recovered the losses. I’d like to meet the merchant lords of the three groups.]
I said to Clerk Eom,
“Is the tea ready?”
“Yes, all prepared.”
“Then leave tomorrow or the day after with the merchant lords of the three groups. My father wants to meet them.”
“Understood… but what about you, sir?”
I answered calmly.
“I’ll be staying behind. There’s still something I need to do.”
Originally, while Clerk Eom and his team handled the tea negotiations, I was planning to visit the Wu Merchant Group and complete my true objective here.
We could’ve all returned together afterward… how convenient that would’ve been.
But the Shaanxi Scorpion targeting our group threw everything off.
“That being said… Squad Leader Yun.”
“Yes?”
“Can you spare two guards to stay behind with me?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
I stood and said,
“Then let’s choose which guards will stay.”
“Of course. Go ahead.”
Squad Leader Yun and I stepped out of the room.
Yun called the guards together, and I scanned them.
Hmm…
Perfect. Those two are standing right at the back.
How considerate of them.
I pointed.
“The two in the back will stay with me.”
“Understood.”
And just like that… Bae Cheol and Go Ju-sang, the very men who betrayed me in my past life, would be staying by my side.
.
.
.
Clerk Eom’s group was set to depart tomorrow.
I sat quietly in the courtyard behind the inn, gazing at the moon.
With all the women flooding the inn recently, the only time I could get fresh air was at night.
Since we were still close to the inn, I didn’t bring guards. Only Palgap stood beside me.
“When you go somewhere else… please try to cover your face, sir.”
“Why?”
“Well… as the saying goes, ‘Filling a cart with tossing fruits’ (擲果盈車) is one thing, but I’m worried it might turn into ‘Dying under too many gazes’ (看殺衛玠).”
‘Filling a cart with tossing fruits’ refers to how women once filled a cart with fruit just to throw at the famously handsome Pan An to get his attention.
‘Dying under too many gazes’ tells of how Wei Jie, a man so handsome he was compared to jade, was constantly surrounded by adoring women until he eventually collapsed and died from the stress.
“I’m not that delicate, you know. But… you know how to write?”
“My father taught me calligraphy when I was young.”
Right… Palgap’s father is a chief Clerk of the Eunhae Merchant Group. And there’s no way they’d assign just anyone to serve me.
Before my regression, people said I was handsome… but it was never like this.
Maybe it’s because the Black Dragon Star Body stabilized early.
Or maybe because, with the help of the Black Dragon, I absorbed the internal Qi of the Icy Blue Snow Plum and essentially rebirthed my body.
Especially since my martial attainment has skyrocketed lately… I’ve been hearing people call me handsome a lot more.
Whatever the reason… it’s a strange experience.
By the way… just how mysterious is the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art?
Not only does it protect the user from curse, it can even break curse cast on others.
In my previous life… I never knew it could extend its effects to other people.
That was probably because my cultivation realm back then wasn’t high enough.
At that moment, someone approached.
It was Master.
“Not asleep yet?”
Master smiled faintly and handed me a gourd flask.
Actually, there were two.
“Drink.”
“Ah, yes.”
Master opened one of the flasks and took a sip.
Is it wine?
Pop.
I opened the flask Master gave me and took a sip.
Huh? This…
“Is this… honey water?”
“Yes.”
“I thought it was wine.”
“Drinking wine too early harms the body. Wait until you’re over thirty.”
“Yes.”
“And besides, we’re still on an escort mission. Drinking alcohol while escorting is forbidden.”
As expected, Master was strict about duties.
I sipped the sweet honey water.
“We leave tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“Be careful. If anything happens, focus on surviving above all else.”
“I will remember that.”
“Once you die… everything becomes meaningless.”
Master’s eyes looked… strangely sad as he said that.
.
.
.
The next morning.
The inn bustled from dawn.
It was the day Clerk Eom Sam-taek’s group was departing.
By the early hour of the dragon (辰時: 7–9 am), all preparations were complete.
Along with the merchant lords of the Yu, Baek, and Imyul Merchant Groups.
“We’ll be heading out now.”
“Travel safely.”
“Yes.”
Clerk Eom looked at me for a moment, then bowed with fists cupped.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, a trade route that nearly ended in failure has been completed safely.”
“Too early for thanks.”
I smiled and continued,
“I’ll accept that gratitude once you return safely to the main branch in Hubei.”
“Understood.”
Since we’d see each other again at the main branch, there was no need for a lengthy farewell.
Plus, with Master accompanying them, their journey would be safe.
“Move out!”
“Yes!”
At Master’s signal, the caravan started moving.
Watching them disappear into the distance, I turned to Palgap.
“Alright, let’s head out too.”
“Understood.”
As we brought our luggage out of the inn, the courtesans who helped catch the Shaanxi Scorpion approached.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
I respectfully bowed to them. They might be courtesans in society’s eyes, but to me, they were invaluable allies.
Thanks to some persuasion… and light threats toward Magistrate Ji, they thankfully avoided any punishment.
Being controlled by curse made them victims too.
“Thank you.”
“No… it’s us who should thank you.”
Wine Moon stepped forward and asked,
“Will you… come back?”
“I can’t promise.”
I might pass through on the way back, but I didn’t want to give false hope.
That would be cruel.
But… I could at least offer a smile.
I smiled at them and mounted my horse.
“Then, farewell.”
We headed toward the Wu Merchant Group, a salt retailer in Shaanxi.
.
.
.
It didn’t take long to reach the Wu Merchant Group.
Just two days of hard riding.
But we didn’t head there directly.
First, we needed to check whether the Windcraft Fans were being sold at the price set by the Eunhae Merchant Group and whether they were being sold properly.
The most accurate and fastest way was to visit the shops directly.
Even if it was just an excuse to be here… this was still part of my job.
Might as well do it thoroughly.
Palgap asked around and figured out where the Windcraft Fans were being sold.
“If you walk straight down this road, you’ll see it.”
“Got it.”
As we headed there, I immediately understood why Palgap said it like that.
There was a massive line of people waiting to buy Windcraft Fans.
I was about to join the line when Palgap stopped me.
“Sir, you’ll stand out too much. Word will spread fast.”
“Really?”
Lee Pil chuckled and said,
“I’ll go.”
“Oh, would you?”
I handed money to Lee Pil, who then went to stand at the end of the line.
We decided to sit at a nearby tea shop and wait.
Looking out from the tea shop, I saw people fanning themselves constantly in the heat.
Ah…
Right, I had a fan too.
I remembered the artifacts I bought from that old man at the general store.
A fan, a Mirror of Illusory Echoes, and the Flying Silver Arrow.
I had given the Flying Silver Arrow to Jeong Ho as a gift for his inauguration as branch lord.
Now that I think about it, there was also the charcoal inkstone he gave me as a bonus.
The reason I hadn’t thought of them until now was simple—I never really needed them.
But at least one of them would be useful now.
The fan.
It was a white folding fan with orchids painted on it.
When I held it in front of my face, it obscured my appearance, making it impossible for others to recognize me clearly.
In my past life, an Unorthodox Sect martial artist once caused a massacre… then used this very fan to hide his identity and escape without a trace.
But now that it’s in my hands… that future no longer exists.
We waited for about half a shichen (roughly an hour).
Lee Pil returned with the Windcraft Fan.
“I’m back.”
“Thanks for the trouble. Have a seat.”
“No, I’m fine.”
He shook his head and placed the Windcraft Fan on the table.
“They’re selling it at the exact price set by the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I see.”
I began inspecting the Windcraft Fan.
The person who knew the most about this fan was Artisan Gong Mil.
Naturally—since he was the one who designed it.
And the second person who knew it best… was me.
Because in my past life, I gave feedback on its shortcomings, then worked side by side with Gong Mil, staying up many nights improving it.
The Windcraft Fans currently on the market were quite different from the flawed ones I’d known in my past life.
Back then, they were rushed to sell, leading to issues with stability and safety.
But the one in front of me now… had none of those flaws.
They had followed the design plans provided by the Eunhae Merchant Group perfectly.
But the most crucial part was the core component.
That was manufactured and supplied exclusively by the Eunhae Merchant Group.
While the sales were handed off to other merchant groups… the key component was never shared.
Because no matter where you go… spies always exist.
–TL Notes–
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