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Chapter 18

The prideful clash between father-in-law and son-in-law had begun.

Mujin wore a smile only on the surface, but inwardly, his stance was as sharp as if he were standing in the middle of a battlefield.

Swaaaeng!

Woong-Cheol, too, wasn’t free from prejudice. His grudge against Mujin ran deep—ten years ago, when the man had gotten disgracefully drunk and caused a wild scene. From that day forward, he had sworn never to let his daughter see him again. The rage from that time had faded with years, but seeing him now brought every memory back, raw and alive.

‘And he thinks he can win me over with some pitiful ginseng?!’

If anything, it disgusted him.

Though wild ginseng wasn’t exactly a worthless herb, a fifty-year-old root was kept stored away with reverence. Even a twenty or thirty-year-old root carried value, but true efficacy only bloomed after half a century. On the market, a fifty-year-old wild ginseng could fetch at least a hundred nyang in gold.

And this fool dared strut in with a root that hadn’t even passed ten years? He couldn’t have misjudged his man any worse.

Even if it had value, Woong-Cheol wasn’t the sort of man to be swayed by bribes.

He reached for one of the bundles loaded onto the carriage. The packaging was fine silk embroidered with a phoenix, tied with colored thread.

‘He certainly wrapped it well.’

Woong-Cheol didn’t even glance at it, maintaining his silence. What irked him even more was his wife betraying her emotions so easily.

For ten years, she hadn’t seen her daughter simply because he forbade it—yet now she wavered so lightly?

The wrapping came undone, the lid of the box lifted.

“There’s no need to open that—hmm?”

Swoooosh!

The moment the seal was broken, a deep, fragrant aroma flooded the room. Pure, refreshing—just breathing it in seemed to wash the impurities from the body.

‘This scent…!’

Though he had meant not to look, Woong-Cheol’s eyes were drawn to the box. He had never encountered such a rich fragrance, not even once in his long life as a merchant.

Gasp!

‘What in heaven’s name… that size?!’

It was unmistakably wild ginseng—but its size was monstrous. A thick central root, countless fine tendrils.

Mujin pushed the box forward with ease.

“It’s nothing much. Please, at least use it as a side dish.”

“……?”

‘Side dish? With that?’

The scent couldn’t be faked—it was genuine. And as an old merchant, Woong-Cheol would never mistake real from fake.

But that root… it wasn’t a mere ginseng. By his estimate, it had lived at least several hundred years. Normally, a wild ginseng’s life span was only a hundred, a hundred fifty at most. Even then, they were treasures nearly impossible to sell.

He had to confirm the crown of the root, used to estimate age and authenticity.

‘……What?!’

The signs didn’t speak of mere centuries. This root had lived a thousand years.

“A thousand-year ginseng?!”

“Your eye is sharp indeed.”

“Is it real?”

“Nothing but a mere thousand years.”

‘Mere?!’

If this was “mere,” then what did that make his carefully preserved fifty-year roots? His pride was being trampled flat, and he knew it. Especially when Mujin began opening the rest—five entire boxes, each the same.

And it didn’t end there.

“Dad, it’s smaller than before!”

“Dad! Was that ginseng you gave us last time?”

“Honey, wait—are you saying the one I used in our side dishes was real ginseng?!”

His son Tae-jin and granddaughter Mi-joo piped up. Even his wife now looked shocked, realizing what she had unknowingly cooked.

“It’s nothing special. Not like it’s a Puppet Snow Ginseng or the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King.”

“……?”

Woong-Cheol was left dumbstruck. If that was true, then they had been eating thousand-year ginseng like side dishes all along?! For health’s sake, yes—but wasn’t that excessive?!

‘Did he just say it wasn’t the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King?!’

If word spread that the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King had appeared, the martial world would drown in bloodshed. Just chewing one raw could grant the eater twelve years of inner cultivation. To compare it to something like that was absurd.

Even so—could he really just feed this casually to his family?

“Where on earth did you find this?”

“Ah, by chance, I entered a cave in the nearby mountains. The place was littered with them. I harvested everything and stored them in my home. We’ve been eating them little by little with meals. Only ten roots remain now.”

“……How many were there before?”

“About a hundred, I think? I didn’t count carefully. Should I have brought the rest too?”

“……No. That’s… not necessary.”

A hundred roots of thousand-year ginseng, consumed as side dishes? Woong-Cheol was so shocked he could barely speak. Sold on the market, that would have brought him tens of thousands of nyang. But this man gave them freely to his wife and children. Such was beyond greed—it was madness.

‘No wonder… Tae-jin’s inner force has grown like wildfire.’

His grandson’s cultivation was already leagues above ordinary children. And it was all thanks to his father. For the first time in years, Woong-Cheol felt a sliver of respect. If only the man didn’t have such a habit of provoking him…

“Oh, and this—use it as a lamp in Mother’s room.”

“There’s already a lamp there.”

Mujin casually pulled something round from his pouch. A bead that glowed on its own, shimmering with shifting colors.

“……That can’t be?”

“Perfect substitute for a lantern, don’t you think?”

“Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

“It’s a Luminous Pearl.”

A luminous pearl was never carried so carelessly. A single one could buy an entire manor. Yet this one… shone with five different hues.

Though the Seven-Colored Luminous Pearl was said to be the most priceless of all, even a Five-Colored one multiplied its worth several times over. And he was giving it… to use as a night lamp.

Was this man mocking him? That thought crossed his mind—but no sane person mocked another with thousand-year ginseng and luminous pearls.

“Do you even know the worth of what you’re giving me?”

“Father-in-law, it’s you who doesn’t know the worth of your daughter. To me, these pearls and ginseng are nothing compared to her. Please, accept them as my heart.”

Staggered, as if struck in the chest, Woong-Cheol could only stare at his son-in-law in silence.

“…Do you dislike it?”

When Mujin pretended to put the pearl away, Woong-Cheol’s hand shot out instinctively.

“Ha…”

‘Damn this man!’

***

“Dear, you said the young lady has arrived?”

“Yes.”

“She didn’t come targeting the merchant guild, did she?”

“You never really know a person’s heart. It’s been over ten years since she’s been gone, and the rumors about her husband aren’t exactly good.”

Baek Yucheon felt uneasy at his wife’s pointed words. He couldn’t deny that he was being dragged along by her reasoning. But beneath that, what rose first was jealousy.

From childhood, his younger sister had been the one to receive all their parents’ expectations. She was bright, dazzlingly talented, precise in her calculations. Even as a woman, she lacked nothing to become the next head of the guild. And so, he had always been compared to her.

‘I thought it was a relief.’

When that sister had married into a minor sect in Cheongyang, and worse yet, to a man known for his disreputable ways,Yucheon had felt a crushing burden lifted. The marriage proposal from the Gwak Clan had seemed like an opportunity.

How could he refuse the offer from the Gwak Clan, who held power in Danyang of Jiangsu? By joining forces, their guild and family would surely prosper, and his position would solidify. It wasn’t love—it was a choice, a sacrifice for succession and the family’s prosperity.

‘But now, looking back…’

It was strange. His sister had no reason to leave, none at all. To wed a scoundrel and abandon their parents’ expectations? Perhaps she had seen his jealousy and resentment all along.

‘She must have known.’

He had to admit it—his sister was intelligent. She had acted knowingly. And so she had severed contact for ten whole years.

He had heard the rumors. Though he had envied her, hearing that she had suffered with such a man stirred pity.

‘But I’m not the same as before.’

As the heir apparent of the Bomon Merchant Guild,Yucheon had built a solid foundation. Yes, the Gwak Clan’s support had helped, but he was confident he had led the guild well. He was no longer the foolish older brother who begrudged his sister’s talents.

‘Then why?’

Their parents had insisted on meeting her first. He had agreed to wait, but in truth, there was no need. He could have met her openly, confidently. Yet instead, he had avoided her.

‘I must remain composed.’

Yucheon steadied his mind. His sister’s return was making him sentimental. But there was no reason to waver. She belonged to another family now. The succession of the Bomun Merchant Guild could not be shaken.

“Don’t worry, dear.”

“Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble. Don’t say needless things to my dear.”

“My goodness, do you take me for that kind of person? As long as I’m here, and our family stands, the heir to the guild is you. Never forget that.”

“I know. That’s enough.”

Gwak I-yeong understood her husband’s unease. His inferiority toward his sister—it showed, no matter how he tried to suppress it. He was only pretending otherwise. But she wasn’t worried.

‘That’s why I chose you.’

She would see just how much he had changed. Though considering what the Gwak Clan had already poured into the Bomun Guild, the outcome was all but obvious.

And what tricks had her sister played? Their once-unyielding parents had fallen head over heels. Faced with that baffling reality, she thought: Was this sorcery? It must be!

Her father had clutched five boxes wrapped in golden silk thread and dashed off before anyone could stop him… Ah, no—he had “gone out.” But the grin plastered across his face screamed: I’ll be making quite a profit!

Her mother, who had always yearned for her eldest daughter, had already endured long enough. For ten years she had fought the urge to visit, only because Father had adamantly forbidden it. Now that her daughter had returned, it was no surprise she could no longer contain herself.

As for themselves? They were different. Whatever tricks her sister had pulled, they would not be swayed so easily. They had steeled their hearts. Even seeing the sister they had longed for, they kept their expressions firmly controlled. They would not forget their duty—the responsibility of siblings who must not falter here.

---The End Of The Chapter---

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