Chapter 113
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 113
Chapter 113. The Sichuan Tang Clan's Benefactor (3)
The next day.
I headed for the Sichuan Tang Clan.
I originally planned to go to the place in charge of Sichuan salt retailers and conduct an inspection first.
However, due to the Sichuan Tang Clan Head's relentless push, we ended up going to the Sichuan Tang Clan first.
Sitting in the carriage, I looked at the Sichuan Tang Clan Head sitting in front of me.
To be honest, I felt very burdened and uncomfortable.
It was not just anyone, but the Clan Head, who was riding in the carriage with me.
I had never met the Sichuan Tang Clan Head before.
I had never seen him in my previous life or in this life.
But why did I feel like I had seen him somewhere before?
After traveling all day, we soon came across a huge building with a red roof.
On the large signboard, red letters were written in a bold style.
Sichuan Tang Clan.
So this was the Sichuan Tang Clan.
I was here again.
I brought Tang Zongxiong here myself when I saved him before.
The carriage we were riding in entered through the gate next to the main gate.
“We're here.”
“Yes.”
We got out of the carriage.
“Master!”
At that moment, a boy ran toward me.
When I saw him, I smiled.
It was Tang Zao.
As a boy in his growing years, he was much taller and more muscular than before.
“Long time no see. How have you been?”
“Yes, Master.”
“You're not old enough to call me Master yet.”
“No, you are my Master.”
Tang Zao's eyes sparkled as he said so.
“How old are you now?”
“I'm eleven now.”
“I see.”
He was now as tall as my chest. At this rate, he would be taller than me when he grew up.
“Hehehe, this boy has been looking forward to seeing Master again.”
“I feel kind of sorry for him.”
“It was just bad timing. We didn't have any leads.”
“But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“How did you know that I was the one who saved Mister Dao Zong? I didn't tell you my name at the time.”
Dang Kyu-jin smiled and replied to my question.
“Zong remembered.”
“I see.”
Come to think of it, I had told him my name to reassure him.
I only mentioned it in passing, but he remembered...
“Then I will show you where you will be staying.”
The accommodation that Clan Head Tang Gyu-jeong showed me was a separate building located quite deep inside the compound.
Giving me an entire annex meant that they were treating me as an important guest.
“Get some rest, and I'll send someone to you around lunchtime tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the Clan Head, Dang Jo-ung, and the others left the annex, Pal-gap was impressed.
“Wow! This is amazing. You call this an annex?”
I nodded in agreement.
“It is quite large for a guest house.”
The deputy commander of the Yeochang said he would stay at the Sichuan branch, so we left him there. That left me with Pal-gap and four bodyguards.
I said to the warriors Yeo-eung-am and Lee Pil, "First, I would like to thank you both.
“First of all, I would like to thank you both. Thanks to you, we are receiving such a warm welcome at the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“Not at all.”
“We were just...”
“You will say that you were just following my orders. But I am truly grateful. You did what I asked of you.”
I continued.
“Now, let's go inside and rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
We each chose a room and went inside. As I did so, I glanced at Lee Pil.
It seemed like the Sichuan Tang Clan members had been looking at Lee Pil out of the corner of their eyes since earlier...
What was going on?
Did they know each other?
When I entered my room, I immediately tried to lie down on the bed, but I couldn't.
Bang.
Pal-gap grabbed my shoulder.
“Young master, I don't think it's a good idea to lie down on the bed with your clothes covered in dust.”
“What are you talking about? I was going to wash up and lie down.”
Pal-gap replied to my protest.
“Then why don't you go wash up?”
“Training…”
“What?”
“I have to practice.”
That's right. I still had work to do.
* * *
Bang.
Lee Pil closed the door and entered the room.
The rooms were spacious, so each person was assigned one room.
And this was the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Normally, two bodyguards work in pairs so that they can respond quickly in case of an emergency.
However, it was unthinkable for the Sichuan Tang Clan to harm their benefactor.
There was no need for two bodyguards to share a room.
He knew very well that this place was safe.
He sat down on a chair in front of the table and sighed.
“I'm back here again.”
Now that he had given up his identity and come here as Eun Seo-ho's bodyguard, he didn't feel suffocated.
“It used to feel like a prison.”
However, there were many people who knew who he was, so Eun Seo-ho would soon find out about him.
But he wasn't too worried.
That was because he had been with Eun Seo-ho every step of the way and knew what kind of person he was.
* * *
Around lunchtime the next day.
A man came to the annex where we were staying.
He was the Clan Head's aide.
“I have come with orders from the Clan Head to take you to the banquet hall.”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
We got ready and followed the aide to the banquet hall.
“It was very difficult to bring Master Eun here. You are quite elusive.”
“I'm sorry about that. Hahaha.”
“Thanks to you, we can now serve Master Eun with peace of mind. We now know for sure that you are not the ones who kidnapped Cho Woong.”
“...”
“I apologize if I offended you. Please understand that it is simply a sign of our trust in you.”
“It's fine. It would be dangerous for a family like the Sichuan Tang Clan to trust someone recklessly.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“However, I find it regrettable that we must be suspicious of everyone around us in this day and age.”
“That's exactly what I wanted to say.”
In fact, I had no desire to be treated as a benefactor of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
That's why I didn't pay much attention and traveled around the Central Plains.
I felt strange when I heard that my actions had resulted in the Sichuan Tang Clan's trust.
Thanks to that, I was able to enter the Sichuan Tang Clan so easily. You never know what will happen in life.
“The Sichuan Tang Clan has seven banquet halls. Each banquet hall has a name. The largest banquet hall is called the Wooden Hall, and it is where all the members of the Sichuan Tang Clan gather.”
“It must be quite large.”
“Yes, it is. But it is not used very often throughout the year. Hahaha.”
The aide continued.
“You will be going to the Yellow Hall, which is reserved for distinguished guests.”
Soon we arrived at the Yellow Hall. And we understood why it was called the Yellow Hall.
The banquet hall was covered in gold.
Even the tables were made of gold.
“Please come in.”
“Thank you for inviting us to such a prestigious event.”
“Why are you saying such things? Who else would be invited here but you?”
The Clan Head seated us at the center of the table.
The Clan Head, Tang Zong, and Tang Zong's mother, Hong Li, the Clan Head's third wife, were also present at the banquet hall.
As soon as we sat down, various dishes began to appear.
To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for the food. Sichuan cuisine is different from Hubei cuisine.
However, the dishes in front of me seemed familiar.
“Could it be that there are also dishes from Hubei?”
In response to my question, Mrs. Hong Li said,
“Since you are all from Hubei, I thought you might not like Sichuan food, so I brought a chef from Hubei especially for you.”
Such thoughtfulness...
“When the Sichuan Tang Clan decides to treat guests, we do it right. Hahaha!”
I clasped my hands together and said to the Clan Head.
“I was so moved that I almost cried.”
“Hahaha. Hearing you say that makes bringing the chef worth it. Come, everyone, eat.”
“Thank you very much.”
I picked up my chopsticks and ate the dish.
“Wow...”
What is this? Why is it so delicious?
“It's so delicious!”
“I'm glad it suits your taste.”
I nodded at Dang Joo-woong's words.
“It's really delicious. You eat a lot too.”
“Yes, Master.”
As we were enjoying our meal, the Clan Head smiled happily.
“I'm glad you're eating well.”
“The food is so delicious that I'm embarrassed for eating so rudely.”
“Not at all. It's just that it's very rare to see guests at the Sichuan Tang Clan eat so well.”
“Ah...”
I understood what he meant and nodded.
The Sichuan Tang Clan is a martial arts clan that deals with poison.
He was saying that he couldn't eat properly because he was afraid that the food might be poisoned.
“It seems that there are quite a few people who are wary of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
The Clan Head laughed heartily at my words.
“Hahahaha!”
He laughed so heartily that it startled those around him.
Wiping away tears from laughing so hard, the Clan Head said, "You are a young man with a sharp mind.
“I really like you, Master! Yes! That's right! It's because you're prickly.”
“It's a shame that you can't enjoy such delicious food.”
Pal-gap and the four bodyguards nodded in agreement.
That's how delicious the food was.
“Then you mean that you are confident in front of our Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Have you ever thought that someone might have accidentally put poison in the food?”
“Is the Sichuan Tang Clan so sloppy that they would make such a beginner's mistake?”
“Of course not.”
“And are you, Clan Head, not skilled enough to counteract the poison?”
“There is no poison made by the Sichuan Tang Clan that cannot be counteracted.”
“Then what is the problem? What are you worried about?”
The Clan Head laughed heartily once again at my retort. Then he looked at Tang Zao and said,
“Zao, you have met a distinguished guest.”
Hearing this, Tang Zao clasped his hands together and said,
“I think so too.”
The meal ended, and tea and snacks were placed in front of us.
I picked up a teacup and tasted it.
“Do you know what kind of tea this is?”
“It has a clear color and a fresh, refreshing taste, so I think it is tea harvested from the high mountains of Amisan.”
“That's right. As expected of the captain of the Eunhaesang Trading Company, which is famous for its tea.”
“I am embarrassed by your praise of my meager talent.”
“But I don't know exactly what happened when you rescued Jo-ung. I'm sorry, but could you tell me about it?”
I nodded in response to his request.
“Yes, of course.”
Wasn't that what I explained to Lady Hong-ri?
No, it wasn't.
There was no harm in explaining it again, and Clan Head Hong was Tang Choong's father, so he had the right to hear it.
I began by explaining what had happened when we entered Sichuan Province.
“...So we subdued the kidnappers, loaded them onto the cart, and brought them to the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“I see. I would like to express my gratitude to Master Hong, who made the decision, and the two warriors who acted on his orders.”
He stood up and clasped his hands in a greeting.
We also quickly stood up and clasped our hands in return.
“We are truly glad that we were able to be of some help.”
We sat back down.
The Clan Head said to us with a serious expression.
“We of the Sichuan Tang Clan always repay our enemies, but we also always repay our benefactors. This is something that all members of the Sichuan Tang Clan must uphold.”
“...”
“Therefore, will you allow me to repay your kindness?”
“To be honest, I did not save Cho-ung for anything in return. I just saw the kidnappers and rescued the child who was being kidnapped. If it had been any other child, I would have done the same.”
Yoo Eung-am and Lee Pil nodded in agreement with my words.
“However, if I continue to refuse, it will be a burden on the Sichuan Tang Clan, so I will accept the Clan Head's request.”
I continued.
“However, there is nothing I need right now. I just thought that there may be a time when the Sichuan Tang Clan will need my help.”
“What is it?”
“Could you give me a document stating that you will only help me in matters that will not cause any harm to the Sichuan Tang Clan and that the Sichuan Tang Clan will not mind helping me?”
The Clan Head smiled at my request.
“You are very thoughtful. You are asking for a document containing a promise with two conditions.”
“I am ashamed.”
“I understand. I will give a document containing a promise to my Master and the two warriors.”