Chapter 49 :

Chapter 49. The First Pouch (3)

They came out of the Merchant Group.

Just as they were at a loss about what to do next, a young lord came to Yang Jinsoo and the others.

It was a young lord by the name of Eun Seoho.

That young lord made them a proposal.

It was a proposal to make a new start somewhere else.

They thought he was a bold young lord.

The very fact that he dared make such a proposal to them was bold.

“You have already kept your loyalty to the former Merchant Group Leader. At this point, even the former Merchant Group Leader would understand. So now, shouldn’t you start paving your own way to live?”

All this time, they had worked in the Merchant Group and prided themselves on their eye for people.

They could tell the young lord was no ordinary man, so they pondered and pondered again.

In truth, the new Merchant Group Leader of the Green Jade Merchant Group not only cast them out, but also begrudged the fact that they remained in Yangbeon.

So he pressured them with various pretexts, and just when they thought they could endure no longer, this proposal came, and it was tempting.

But one cannot judge a man by appearances alone.

Through their connections, they inquired about this man named Eun Seoho.

Then, news reached their ears.

That Eun Seoho was closely tied with the Zhuge Family, and was trusted by both the Elder Lord and the current Family Lord.

The Zhuge Family, of all places!

Were they not the spiritual leaders of those who dwelt west of Hubei Province!

He was a young lord connected with such a place.

Moreover, as merchants who had operated in Yangbeon for nearly thirty years, they knew well.

The Zhuge Family was by no means an easygoing house.

Thus, as soon as they confirmed the rumor was true, they decided to accept the proposal.

And so they immediately commissioned escort protection from an Escort Agency and traveled here.

The escort leader also knew their circumstances.

And since the escort leader had received their favor several times before, he did his utmost to repay that favor by escorting them safely.

“Still, do not lose hope.”

“Thank you. Then take care on your way.”

“We are truly grateful for everything.”

“Be careful. Your bodies are your greatest assets, are they not?”

“Yes, thank you. Please take care as well.”

Thus the escort leader and the escorts left, and those who remained in front of the county office let out a sigh.

“By the way, is this the right place?”

At someone’s question, the leader among them, Yang Jinsoo, nodded.

“This is the place without a doubt.”

“They said if we waited here, they would come within half a shichen.”

“But why did they choose to meet right in front of the county office, of all places…?”

Just then, after about one il-gak,

“Excuse me, are you Yang Jinsoo, head merchant from Yangbeon, and his party?”

Turning at the voice that called them, they saw a hulking man standing before them.

“And who are you?”

“I was ordered to come and escort you.”

But Yang Jinsoo sensed something dangerous about him.

It was the instinct born of surviving countless trials in the Merchant Group.

That instinct was sending him warnings now.

Yang Jinsoo asked the man,

“By whose order have you come?”

“…I cannot answer that.”

“If he wishes to see us, tell him to come in person.”

“He is a busy man.”

“No. We will not follow you until he comes himself.”

A dispute soon followed.

“He is a busy man. He has no time for this.”

“Hah! I said we will go only if he comes in person!”

“If you keep this up, he may not give you what he promised.”

With that, the hulking man subtly pressed his sword forward.

Feeling the intimidation, Yang Jinsoo’s party stepped back in alarm.

Then they tried to dash toward the county office.

Sensing their intent, the hulking man said,

“If you keep doing this, it will not be fun.”

“……”

“If you do not quietly follow, I cannot guarantee your safety.”

The hulking man knew they had come from Yangbeon, and even knew their names.

He knew they would come here, and there was only one person who would wish them harm.

They needed to confirm it.

“…Who sent you?”

“Why do you ask again? Even if you knew, it would only upset you.”

“I asked who sent you.”

It was then.

“Huh? Isn’t this the same man I saw earlier?”

At the sudden voice, they turned their heads to see a familiar face.

It was Eun Seoho.

And behind him, several men bound like dried fish were being dragged away by county constables.

At Eun Seoho’s shout, those bound men cried out as they saw the hulking man.

“Huh? Huh? That bastard?”

“That bastard’s with them!”

“What?”

“Arrest him!”

And just like that, the situation was resolved in an instant.

I brought Yang Jinsoo, the head merchant from Yangbeon, and his party to the old man Ghost Mask officer’s general store.

The old man was eating dumplings for lunch.

Seeing that only made me hungrier.

“This way, please.”

The place I guided them to was a fairly spacious underground chamber.

I intended to establish a Merchant Group together with them.

And no one could know of the relationship between that Merchant Group and me.

Not even my own family.

That was why I had to move in secret, yet there was no suitable place.

As I struggled, the old man said,

“If it is such a place you need, there is one here.”

“What? There is?”

“Mm. Down here, underground.”

“May I see it?”

“As much as you like.”

The old man showed me the underground space.

It was unexpectedly wide and comfortable, so I decided to rent it.

“The rent is a plate of dumplings.”

“Yes, yes.”

The very dumplings the old man was now eating, were those dumplings.

Perhaps because I had frequented this place so often, the Ghost Mask old man had begun treating me more familiarly.

From once politely using half-formal speech, he now spoke down to me — proof of his growing closeness.

I asked Yang Jinsoo and his party,

“Have you eaten?”

“Ah, yes. We each had a simple bowl of noodles on the way here.”

So I was the only one who had not yet had lunch.

Today, in order to meet them and talk, I had to skip lunch.

First, with the cooperation of the Ghost Mask old man, I moved the constables.

Because I knew the new leader of the Green Jade Merchant Group would surely move to harm them.

That was because, in my memory, their destruction was already set.

.

.

.

In front of me, including Head Merchant Yang Jinsoo, were seven head merchants, the very people who had built and raised the Green Jade Merchant Group.

They had been driven out by the new Merchant Group Leader, the son of the former leader.

I did not know the details, but no doubt, some conflict had arisen between the new leader and them.

The new Merchant Group Leader must have thought they were belittling him, while those before me must have felt frustrated and wronged by such a leader.

At any rate, replacing stagnant water with fresh water must have breathed some energy into the Green Jade Merchant Group.

It was good that he had tried something new.

But the new leader did not understand why stagnant water remains stagnant.

It was because they had survived even in unforeseen circumstances, like a drought that dries up all the water of the land.

In the trade of merchants, unexpected events happen all the time.

The new Merchant Group Leader, having been born and raised in the group, must have thought he could handle such things himself.

In fact, he was said to have remarked, “Those problems could all be solved just with money, so why waste time on useless camaraderie….”

The method of coping he had in mind was money.

But that was a delusion.

He did not realize that many problems cannot be solved with money, and that such problems can only be resolved through experience, connections, and virtue built up over the years.

Such things often do not show on the surface.

Or perhaps he knew, but chose to ignore them.

But when he expelled all those who had such weapons, how could he possibly cope?

Moreover, the new leader did not even permit them to stay in Yangbeon.

In the end, they decided to leave Yangbeon.

The problem was, the new leader of the Green Jade Merchant Group went so far as to hire wandering warriors to take their lives.

He must have feared that other Merchant Groups might bring them in and employ them.

In the future I experienced, only one of them survived — Head Merchant Yang Jinsoo.

Because of that, the Green Jade Merchant Group became Yang Jinsoo’s sworn enemy.

And with good reason — among the dead were not only comrades, but family members as well.

When he testified, the authorities investigated the Green Jade Merchant Group Leader, but the officials, having already accepted bribes, acquitted him.

Thus the years passed, and the new leader eventually realized something had gone wrong, but by then it was too late.

Even if he wished to seek advice, there was no one left to turn to.

All around him were those waiting to devour the Green Jade Merchant Group.

From whom could he seek counsel?

In the end, the Green Jade Merchant Group collapsed.

The new leader was killed by someone, and people said it was nothing but his just deserts.

I thought the same.

Seeing the protagonists of that story now, I suddenly realized once again that I had truly returned to the past.

When I went to Yangbeon this time, where the Zhuge Family resided, I made contact with them.

Fortunately, they had not yet left Yangbeon, and I met them in time and brought them here.

This time, I did not want innocent people to meet meaningless deaths.

So I gathered up those whom the Green Jade Merchant Group had cast aside.

The true treasure of a Merchant Group is its people, and to throw them away so carelessly!

The experience and connections they carried now could not be bought even with a fortune in gold.

Because I knew they would be killed by the hands of wandering warriors hired by the new leader, I used two measures to save them.

The first was to ensure they came here under the protection of a pyo-guk.

In the future I experienced, Yang Jinsoo and his companions had not sought the help of an escort agency.

That was why they fell so easily to the wandering warriors.

In the state of needing to save money, they begrudged the commission fee that had to be paid to the pyo-guk.

After all, escorts cost more than one might think.

So I gave them money and urged them again and again to use the pyo-guk, and they did as I asked.

The second was setting the meeting place in front of the county office.

In front of the county office, wandering warriors would be far less free to act recklessly.

Since they had failed to deal with Yang Jinsoo’s party on the way to Sungyang District, only one option remained.

It was to eliminate them before they could become acquainted with the people of Sungyang District.

Otherwise, it would be troublesome in many ways.

But the problem was that Yang Jinsoo’s party was waiting right in front of the county office.

So the wandering warriors devised their own plan.

One of them would approach, lure them away to another place, and deal with them there.

But I had already disposed of them first.

Though I had moved the constables through the Ghost Mask officer, those men were already wanted criminals.

They were not exactly the ones who tried to threaten and drag away Yang Jinsoo’s group.

Thanks to that, the matter would likely be dealt with swiftly.

“Please have some tea.”

Palgap served them each a cup of tea, and lastly placed a cup before me.

They drank the tea.

Only then did their trembling hands seem to calm.

Head Merchant Yang Jinsoo asked,

“Really, really, were those men sent by the Merchant Group Leader?”

“Merchant Group Leader? Which Merchant Group Leader do you mean?”

“Well….”

He swallowed hard, then continued.

“By the Green Jade Merchant Group’s… leader… were they sent?”

“You already know the answer, do you not?”

At my reply, they sighed. On their faces surfaced expressions of anger, disappointment, and more.

I would feel the same.

To be cast out of the Merchant Group to which they had given their youth, only to nearly lose their lives as well.

“Then, even if we try to make a new start, they will interfere again, will they not?”

“Most likely. But.”

I said to them,

“Do you think interference will come only from the Green Jade Merchant Group?”

“Ah… that is true.”

“You are men who have survived despite such interference until now. I believe you can brush aside such obstacles with ease.”

“To be evaluated so, we are only grateful.”

Now, it was time to begin the real talk.

“The reason I gathered you here, as I explained before, is that I wish to try something new together with you.”

“So, what is this livelihood we must seek?”

He remembered the words I had spoken.

I looked at Head Merchant Yang Jinsoo.

He was the man who acted as their leader, and in the Green Jade Merchant Group, he had overseen the distribution of goods.

Smiling slyly, I answered,

“The business I wish to pursue with you is none other than the pharmaceutical business.”

“The pharmaceutical business, you say?”

“In order to obtain medicine, what must one do?”

“Well, of course, one must visit a Physician, and receive a prescription from the Physician….”

I continued.

“That is the usual way. But that is costly, and most common folk cannot afford it. So I will change what is considered usual. At the very least, people should not be dying from something like indigestion, should they?”