I joined forces with the other merchants as planned and submitted a petition asking for limited permission under the Prohibition Decree.
Then I went back to work while waiting for the outcome.
Gal Hyeon, whom I’d taken in this time, had looked a little shell-shocked at first, but whether he’d resigned himself to it or not, he was now quietly handling his duties.
Once he got more used to things, I intended to make him an official Deputy.
The punishment handed down to him was ten years of hard labor.
For now, he was still someone serving out a labor sentence, but after that, I planned to sign a proper contract and work him to the bo… no, employ him.
Anyway, thanks to how capable he was, Lady Seohyang looked much better than before.
Same for me.
That night, Warrior Jin Yeong came to see me.
“You’re here?”
“Have you been well?”
“I’ve been doing very well, thanks to you.”
He looked at me and let out a small laugh.
“You look like you’ve got a lot you want to ask.”
“Ah! You caught me.”
“I did that on purpose. So then, what are you most curious about?”
Like I’d been waiting for exactly that, I immediately asked him.
“Were the funerals for the two Embroidered Guards the Maoshan Sect Daoist brought back handled properly?”
He looked surprised by the question.
Apparently, he hadn’t expected that to be the first thing I asked.
But it really was what I wanted to know most.
I still couldn’t forget the eyes of those two warriors after they’d become Walking Corpses.
And what the Daoist had said about how they wanted to go not to their hometown, but to the Imperial Palace, had also stayed with me.
Warrior Jin Yeong briefly closed his eyes, then opened them again.
“Thanks to you, those two were able to make it safely all the way to Beijing. Let me thank you again.”
“I only followed the merchant world’s unwritten rule, same as always.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that it was thanks to you. Their funerals were properly held, and their bodies were sent back to their hometown. His Majesty the Emperor even personally commended them before their remains.”
If the Emperor had personally honored them before their remains, then the bitterness they carried must have finally been eased.
“That’s a relief. The second thing I wanted to ask is what happened to the traitorous Embroidered Guard and Eastern Depot men.”
“They’re in the same state as the ones hanging in the square before the Imperial Palace – their arm and leg tendons have been cut, and they’ve been hung upside down in a secret place.”
“I see.”
Warrior Jin Yeong looked bitter as he said it.
“They said this during the interrogation. That they hated their own status as members of the Embroidered Guard. That there was nothing more useless than honor…”
Only then did I think I finally understood why those two warriors, the ones the Maoshan Sect Daoist had brought back, were carved so deeply into the tattoos marking them as members of the Embroidered Guard.
It was hatred for the title itself.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Hm?”
“If that’s how they felt, then they never should’ve become Embroidered Guards in the first place. Because of them, innocent people died… they were rotten to the core. And what was that? There’s nothing more useless than honor? That’s rich, coming from men who enjoyed every bit of power that honor gave them.”
“Hahahahaha!”
At that, Warrior Jin Yeong burst out laughing.
That was a relief.
He’d looked so bitter on the way in that I’d deliberately gotten a little more heated than usual.
“You’re right. They were the bastards in the wrong.”
“There’s something else I’m curious about. How is the Murim Alliance reacting to Gong Ho?”
“Ah, him. There’s still been no real response. They’re probably discussing how to handle it.”
Well, it wasn’t like the Murim Alliance was going to obediently say, “Ah, this was our fault. We apologize.”
So how were they going to play this?
Would they cut off the tail?
Or else…
“For the time being, please be careful. A night visitor may come after Gong Ho.”
“Don’t worry. We’re already keeping that in mind.”
In that case, they’d handle it just fine.
“And lastly…”
Before I could even finish, Warrior Jin Yeong pulled a scroll from his robe and held it out to me.
“This is what you really want to see, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Open it.”
At that, I opened the scroll, then stared in shock. It was a [Permit for Brewing Alcohol for Overseas Trade].
I’d only submitted the petition the day before yesterday.
And it had already passed?
“The officials allowed the petition?”
“They were very enthusiastic about approving it.”
There was no way.
What exactly had the Emperor done to make them support it so eagerly?
Seeing my expression, Warrior Jin Yeong grinned.
“We lent a hand too. We got our hands on a list of officials who were brewing illegal liquor.”
“Ah…”
I don’t know when alcohol was first invented, but it might just be the most seductive thing mankind ever made.
I wouldn’t know, since I don’t enjoy drinking, but people who do apparently have a hard time without it.
And if that was the case, then there was no way the powerful and wealthy weren’t secretly brewing their own.
So the Emperor had found out and used that against them.
“You need that permit if you want to brew alcohol for overseas trade. We’ve already sent word to the other merchant groups to come and collect theirs as well.”
Warrior Jin Yeong continued,
“As for you, I brought it myself since I wanted to see your face too.”
“Thank you.”
That bought me time.
This was exactly why connections mattered.
Then that settled it. I needed to head to the main headquarters in Hubei Province.
I had to tell Father about this and start brewing in earnest.
“I’ll be making a trip to Hubei Province for a while.”
“You’ll be busy for some time, then. Travel safely.”
.
.
.
The next morning.
I called for Deputy Chief Yeo Chang-ui and said,
“I think I’ll have to leave again tomorrow. I’m heading to the main headquarters in Hubei Province. Please take care of the Virtuous Wind Department while I’m away.”
“Leave it to me.”
“I’m planning to go with Deputy Gwak this time. So please look after Clerk Gal for me.”
“You don’t need to worry about that either.”
Preparations for our trip to the the Eunhae Merchant Group’s main headquarters moved incredibly fast.
Palgap and all my guard escorts were already veterans when it came to packing for a journey.
First, I planned to recruit the Archer God on the way.
Since the limited permit for alcohol production needed to be relayed as soon as possible, I had already sent word to Father through Geumryeong last night.
So there was no need to rush.
That was why I intended to recruit the Archer God on the way there.
If the timing was right, then thankfully, the Archer God should still be alive.
The fact that something I’d completely forgotten was only now coming back to me made it seem like even the heavens pitied his fate.
Midway through the Eleventh Month.
We set out.
Shandong Province, a village south of Mount Tai.
A shout suddenly rang out from that village.
“Get out! You bastard!”
“Please, I’m begging you! Lend me just five Silver Taels!”
“You still haven’t paid back what you borrowed last time, and you want more?”
“Sir, please. I’m begging you.”
“Have some shame!”
At those words, the young man who had been pleading in front of a Manor Lord’s house twitched.
Shame…
He knew shame too. But wasn’t a human life more important than pride?
It had already been five years since his father collapsed.
And during that time, he had poured the family fortune into his father’s treatment.
He sold their land, sold their belongings, sold the house…
And took day labor whenever he could.
Even so, his father hadn’t recovered, and there was never enough money.
And now there was famine on top of it all.
That made scraping together money even harder.
“Throw him out!”
“Yes, sir!”
Bang!
In the end, he was hurled out in front of the Manor Lord’s gate.
He clenched his fists and shut his eyes.
With his strength, he could kill them all and take their wealth.
That temptation came to him several times a day.
But every time, he endured it by thinking of his father.
If he fell into the Unorthodox Sect, then the spirit of the Clan his father had fought to preserve would truly come to an end.
Unable to borrow any money, he headed to the physician’s home. He wanted to ask for more time before payment came due.
“Is anyone there?”
“Who is… ah, it’s you.”
At his call, a man stepped out from inside.
“I… I still haven’t managed to get the money. So I was hoping… if you could wait just a little longer.”
The young man bowed his head deeply, and the physician clicked his tongue.
“It’s already been a month.”
“I’m truly sorry.”
“I’ll give you another fifteen days. But I can’t keep doing this forever either. The herbs needed to treat your father are expensive to begin with.”
“Thank you. I’ll definitely find the money within fifteen days.”
To him, the physician was someone he could never thank enough.
When everyone else had shaken their heads, this man was the one who stepped forward and said he would treat his father.
He was even making house calls every other day for his father’s sake.
That was why he felt so terribly sorry for not being able to pay the medicine costs.
“Oh, right. There was something I meant to tell you if you came by. I heard you’re a skilled archer.”
“Yes. My Clan has worked the bow for generations…”
“One of my acquaintances asked me to recommend a talented bowman. He says the pay is quite good. So I recommended you.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. If it goes well, it may even turn into steady work.”
After speaking with the physician, he returned home.
It was a tiny thatched hut now, after selling their old, larger house and moving.
It was far smaller than before, but he was satisfied as long as there was enough room to lay his father down.
Even if that meant he himself had to sleep sitting against the wall.
“Father. I’m home.”
“…”
“I’m sorry I’m away from the house so often. Ah, but this time I found good work. The physician recommended me. He even found work for me too… I really think he’s a good man.”
His father’s lips moved where he lay sick in bed, but no sound made it out.
The next day came.
The young man headed to the place the physician had told him about.
After he waited a little while, someone approached him.
“Are you Man Jeong?”
“Yes, I am.”
“You were recommended, but I’ll need to see your skill for myself. Come with me.”
“Yes.”
The man led Man Jeong out to an open field and pointed at a tree in the distance.
“I hung a white-painted pinecone from that tree over there. Can you see it?”
“Yes. I can.”
“Then hit it.”
Man Jeong felt the wind, judged the distance, and calmly released the bowstring.
Fweeeeeeet–!
The arrow shot forward at terrifying speed and struck the white pinecone dead on despite the enormous distance.
The man went over to check it for himself, then returned looking thoroughly pleased.
“Good! Very good!”
Then he held out a money pouch.
“This is the advance payment. Ten Silver Taels.”
“What?”
“It’s a fairly delicate job, so the compensation is generous. But if you take this advance and refuse the work, you’ll have to repay ten times the amount.”
“I understand.”
Ten Silver Taels was enough to pay back his father’s medicine costs and still have some left.
“But… what kind of work am I doing?”
“Ah, it’s a hunt. We’ve got a particularly troublesome piece of prey.”
He immediately ran to the physician and paid back the overdue medicine costs.
On the way back, he saw candied hawthorn, but forced himself to keep walking.
He had no idea how much more his father’s medicine would cost in the future.
He had loved sweets ever since he was little.
Before his father collapsed, he’d eaten candied hawthorn every winter without fail, but for the man he was now, that was a luxury.
He returned home and said to his father with a bright smile,
“Father, thankfully, I don’t think we’ll need to worry about the medicine costs for a while. I found good work this time. They say it’s a hunt, and it sounds like a difficult one. That’s why they gave me ten Silver Taels up front.”
At that, his father’s eyes trembled.
But Man Jeong didn’t notice. He was too busy with the housework.
He was simply happy that he could finally keep paying for his father’s medicine.
At last, the promised day arrived.
On his way to the meeting place, the streets felt strangely lively. So Man Jeong asked someone nearby,
“Is something happening today? Why are there so many people?”
“Ah, young man. You don’t know? Provincial Commander Ak Yeong-gyeong of the Shandong’s Ak Clan Clan is coming here today!”
The Shandong’s Ak Clan Clan was a martial family famous for its spearsmanship.
And because the members of that family were bold and straightforward by nature, they were admired by countless people.
Ak Yeong-gyeong in particular was respected throughout Shandong because, as Provincial Commander, he handled matters fairly and justly.
Man Jeong was no different.
“Is that true?”
“It is!”
“But what brings him all the way here?”
“That, even we don’t know. We only know that he’s coming.”
He wanted to see Ak Yeong-gyeong up close too, but the appointment came first.
Before long, he arrived at the meeting place.
The man who had hired him was already waiting there.
“You’re on time. Follow me.”
“Yes.”
The place Man Jeong reached after following him was the top floor of a tavern.
Only then did the man finally tell him what his task would be.
“The one you’ll be hunting today is Ak Yeong-gyeong.”
“What?”
For a moment, he thought he’d misheard.
But the other man repeated himself as if to make sure there was no mistake.
“Ak Yeong-gyeong. Kill him.”
“I–I can’t do that.”
“Then hand over ten times the advance.”
“…”
Ten times the advance meant one hundred Silver Taels. There was no chance he had that kind of money.
“Your father’s bedridden, isn’t he? Are you really in a position to be picky?”
“…”
“And one more thing. You’ve already heard our plan. So if you refuse to take the job, we’ll have no choice but to shut your mouth. What do you think happens to your father then?”
And on top of that, killing intent pressed in from all around him.
He had no choice but to bite down on his lip.
“So? What’ll it be?”
In the end, he had no choice but to take up the bow.
There was no way out.
“Smart choice.”
As he raised his bow and aimed at Ak Yeong-gyeong in the distance as the man approached, he cursed his own fate.
He held his breath and carefully released the string.
Fweeeet!
The arrow flew straight toward Ak Yeong-gyeong.
But then,
Tak!
Someone instantly shot up into the air and snatched the arrow out of the sky.
The man in dazzling clothes charged straight toward Man Jeong, vaulted over the railing of the pavilion, and landed right in front of him.
“Hah, that was almost too late.”
–TL Notes–
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