Chapter 44
“Urgh, ngh, huuuuh…!”
Chudal wept with snot and tears streaming down his face for quite some time.
Watching him like that brought back a moment from a previous life.
‘Chudal, that brat… this is the first time I’ve seen him cry.’
In his past life, Yang-hwi had met Chudal a few years before reaching adulthood.
He had already grown into a man and been thoroughly weathered by the ways of the murim. Seeing him cry back then would’ve felt even more out of place.
Still, Chudal had always been a deeply emotional person.
Unlike most men, he freely expressed whatever he felt without holding back.
‘This life, I’ll make sure he can live that way again. No—this time, he’ll live an even better life than before.’
Back then, Yang-hwi always felt a lingering regret when he looked at Chudal.
Though not on par with himself, Chudal was still remarkably talented.
But that potential had gone largely unsupported, and as a result, his martial prowess remained far below what it should’ve been. It had always bothered him.
‘This life, we won’t stop at a hundred li—we’ll go a thousand. No, ten thousand.’
Yang-hwi smiled with satisfaction as he waited for Chudal to finish crying.
Soon, Chudal wiped his tear-streaked face and expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you for your kindness, hyung-nim.”
“What kindness?”
“You broke me out of that forced mastery of the Emptiness technique.”
“Ah, that. You’re too good to waste on a cheap technique like the Emptiness technique. Once we reach the main house, you’ll learn real martial arts.”
Yang-hwi already had something in mind for him.
With his cat-like agility and innate ability to conceal his presence, Chudal was a natural-born assassin.
And there was a perfect master for him waiting at the Baek family manor.
“Anyway, if you’ve calmed down, let’s go. Sit next to me.”
“Yes, hyung-nim.”
“Oi, you brats! What do you think you’re doing, just casually plopping down like that? Now that you’re fine, both of you—get off!”
At Gu-Ak’s indignant outburst, Yang-hwi called out with a perfectly straight face.
“Ack! The internal injuries I suffered during that bloody battle at Yu Clan… Ugh!”
“I know you’re not hurt, you punk!”
Alright. That didn’t work. Time to switch tactics.
Yang-hwi started trembling all over like a poplar leaf.
“Gasp… the psychological trauma from my first kill…! If only someone had stepped in when I was about to break through to the peak realm… then maybe I wouldn’t have had to experience murder at the tender age of eight…”
“……”
Gu-Ak fell silent. Now that he thought about it, it was true that an eight-year-old had just committed his first kill.
He’d overlooked it because Yang-hwi didn’t act like a child at all… but thinking about it rationally, the trauma must have been enormous.
‘Even if he doesn’t act like one, a child is still a child. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t act like one that we fail to notice how much he’s holding in.’
“…Are you okay?”
“How could I be? My hands are trembling and I’m holding back tears with all my might.”
“…I’m sorry. I failed to protect you properly, like a true escort should’ve.”
“Then… may I stay seated?”
“…Fine. Do as you like.”
Yang-hwi grinned mischievously while looking at Gu-Ak’s back.
Of course, there was no such thing as trauma from his first kill.
‘I’ve wandered the murim as a rogue for nearly twenty years. Who has time to be shocked over killing?’
Mission complete.
“…I’ll get down. I think I can walk now.”
Just then, Chudal, who had been sitting awkwardly on the pack Gu-Ak was carrying, tried to slip down. But Yang-hwi stopped him.
“Hey now. Chudal, our dear Gu-Hyung, has a generous heart. He’s not the type to make a kid who just regained consciousness walk.”
“…Fine. You stay up there too.”
“See? Didn’t I tell you?”
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Just remember—if you always listen to your hyung-nim, fortune will fall into your lap even while you sleep.”
Gu-Ak was fuming.
‘Why is it that I’m the one doing the donkey work, and Yang-hwi’s the one getting thanked?’
Meanwhile, Yang-hwi threw his hand out and shouted energetically.
“Then let’s go—to Baek Family Manor!”
“To Baek Family Manor? Didn’t you say we had to stop by the White Scroll Old Bookstore in Namchang first, Junior brother?”
“Oh, that’s on the way anyway. Same road, different stops.”
To get from Gugang, where Chudal had been staying, to Mujoo, where the Baek Family Manor was located, they would have to pass through Namchang.
“Well then, giddy up!”
“……”
“…We’re not moving? Giddy up!”
Gu-Ak made up his mind.
If they passed through a muddy road on the way, he was absolutely dumping this little brat right into it.
* * *
It took them three full days to arrive in Nanchang.
Normally, the journey would take over six days by carriage, but thanks to Gu-Ak tirelessly pushing forward using even lightfoot techniques, they made excellent time.
“Chudal, how is it? First time seeing the capital?”
Nanchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi, was on a completely different scale—both in size and the sheer bustle of its marketplaces—compared to Akan-hyeon.
But Chudal didn’t answer right away. Instead, he shot a sideways glance at Yang-hwi with narrowed eyes.
“If I say it’s my first time, are you just gonna call me a country bumpkin and make fun of me?”
Originally, Chudal had always spoken politely, but now both his tone and expression had turned sullen.
It was all thanks to Yang-hwi tormenting him non-stop for the past six days.
Though Chudal had initially felt indebted for being rescued while unconscious, not even a mountain could withstand Yang-hwi’s sharp tongue.
“I can tell just by looking at your eyes. Take it all in while you can. We’ll only stay a few days before heading to the Baek Family Manor.”
“Hmph! I’m way past the age where a market stroll excites me!”
“Says the seven-year-old.”
“Aren’t you just eight, hyung-nim?!”
“You little brats! How long are you planning to keep chattering on top of me?!”
Snapping in frustration, Gu-Ak roared in protest.
Yang-hwi and Chudal, who had been tapping his shoulders as they spoke, quickly slid down from where they were sitting on top of him.
It had been fine until now, but in a bustling market, there were far too many eyes watching.
Since Gu-Ak was someone who valued pride and face, it was best to preserve a bit of his dignity, for the sake of using him as transportation again next time.
“But in this massive city of Nanchang, how are we supposed to find White Scroll Antique Bookstore? Do you know the location, Junior brother?”
“Gu-Hyung, you followed along as a bodyguard, and you didn’t even bother to look that up?”
“……”
“Chudal, our dear Gu-Hyung is so careless. Don’t you ever learn from him.”
Chudal couldn’t bring himself to nod.
That was because Gu-Ak’s face, flushed red and blue in anger and shame, looked terrifying.
‘How can hyung-nim stay so calm staring at that face…?’
Just a year apart, yet their composure was on completely different levels.
Or maybe Yang-hwi just had nerves of steel.
Either way, Chudal couldn’t help but think that way.
“Don’t worry, Gu-Hyung. I know where it is.”
Leading the group, Yang-hwi headed toward the southern district of Nanchang, where a large market was located.
“There, that’s White Scroll Antique Bookstore.”
“I heard they only sell books, but the place looks quite big.”
“They call it a bookstore, but really, it’s more like a merchant guild that specializes in books and paper.”
“I see. Well, first let’s go get a meal. After sleeping rough for days and living off dried rations, my mouth feels like sandpaper.”
Unfortunately, Gu-Ak’s wish would not come true.
When they opened the door and stepped into White Scroll Antique Bookstore, the inside was a total mess.
Among the people inside cleaning up with grim faces, Yang-hwi spotted Chu Yongwol and raised his voice.
“Lady Chu!”
“Eep—ah, Young Master…?”
“What in the world happened here?!”
“Well… what brings you all the way from Mujoo to here…?”
“That’s obvious. I invested money and haven’t heard a single word for over half a year. I came to find out what’s going on.”
In total, three of his novels had been submitted to White Scroll Antique Bookstore.
Sure, making woodblock prints and publishing takes time—but to go over six months without any contact?
That was far too long.
This was precisely why Yang-hwi had decided to stop by White Scroll Antique Bookstore.
“…I have no excuse.”
Standing in front of Yang-hwi, Chu Yongwol deeply bowed her head, sincerity radiating from her posture.
“I’m sorry. Not only did I fail to meet the promised deadline, but I also didn’t give you any warning in advance.”
“Our Baek Family isn’t one to treat business partners coldly. Did something unavoidable happen?”
Chu Yongwol gave a small nod and gestured toward a side room.
“…This isn’t something to talk about out here. Please, this way.”
It was a private room located behind the bookstore. After being led inside and sitting down, they waited briefly as a servant brought in tea.
Only then did Chu Yongwol exhale a deep sigh, heavy with hardship, and begin to speak.
“In truth… our White Scroll Old Bookstore is in debt.”
“Debt? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because it didn’t seem critical at the time. It’s not unusual for a merchant guild to take on some debt to expand its business. But the problem is…”
Nanchang had three top merchant guilds that vied for the number one spot in terms of scale.
Among them, the Namgeum Guild specialized in loan sharking and war supplies—making their fortune through predatory lending. White Scroll Antique Bookstore had borrowed money from them to fund its expansion.
And that was the root of everything.
“We were fools to relax just because they let the payment deadlines slide for a month, then two.”
They had believed the Namgeum Guild when they said there was no need to revise the contract if they weren’t going to enforce deadlines.
But the moment rumors spread that White Scroll Old Bookstore had received a large investment, the guild showed its true colors.
“From the beginning, Namgeum only lent us the money to devour us later. They never intended to renew the contract—they were simply biding their time.”
“Is there no way to repay the debt?”
It would take considerable time to recover the capital that had been invested into expansion.
Meanwhile, the Namgeum Guild had been sending men nearly every day to cause havoc.
“And of course, I couldn’t just give up the money the Baek Family invested. That’s the one thing I’ve been fighting to protect. And it’s just when I was reaching my limit… that you arrived.”
After Chu Yongwol’s lengthy explanation and lament, Yang-hwi calmly organized his thoughts.
‘In a way, this is a problem we caused.’
The Baek Family had invested a huge sum into White Scroll Antique Bookstore
That had caused the Namgeum Guild to shift strategies—rather than taking over the store, they were now trying to extract whatever money they could as a fallback.
‘No… even if we hadn’t invested, they would’ve revealed their claws eventually. So this is why it took White Scroll ten years to rise as a major player in the merchant world.’
In the future, Chu Yongwol would become a famed merchant whose name echoed across the trade world.
More precisely, that would happen ten years from now.
And maybe—just maybe—those ten silent years were caused by the Namgeum Guild’s interference.
“When will the books be available for sale?”
Upon hearing the question, Chu Yongwol straightened her back and set her face with determination.
“The woodblocks are already completed. We’re ready to print and sell at any moment—just need to begin pressing ink to the blank books. However…”
“If the Namgeum Guild finds out you’re purchasing a large quantity of blank books, they’ll use it as a pretext to start another dispute.”
“Exactly, Young Master Baek.”
‘Hmm. What’s the best course of action here?’
Strictly speaking, it was true that White Scroll Old Bookstore had failed to uphold its side of the agreement.
But pressing them on that now would be a poor move.
More accurately, it would be far more advantageous to show understanding and generosity here—to build goodwill and trust.
After all, Chu Yongwol was destined to become one of the greatest merchants of her era.
“I understand the situation now. If my father learns of this, he will surely treat the matter with consideration.”
“Young Master Baek…”
Chu Yongwol looked at him with eyes brimming with emotion.
It looked like he had just earned himself some major points.
And perhaps… he could gain something extra from this debt.
‘Actually, this works out. Let’s use this opportunity to help—and secure greater benefits for the main house.’
“I’ll ask you just one more thing, Lady Chu. If not for the Namgeum Guild’s interference—could you begin selling the books immediately?”
“Of course. I give you my word—on my name, and on the entire White Scroll Antique Bookstore”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll take care of it.”
“Pardon? How…?”
“I have my ways.”
‘If I recall, the Namgeum Guild goes under fifteen years from now, right?’
How dare they interfere with the Baek Family’s affairs?
Then they’ll just have to meet their end a little sooner.
And maybe, I’ll take a nice fat chunk of flesh from them while I’m at it.
Yang-hwi grinned slyly.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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