Chapter 148
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 148
Chapter 148. Daebyeolsan (2)
There are many people who enjoy alcohol in this world, and there are many different types of alcohol.
And there is a special alcohol that can be obtained at Daebyeolsan.
It is called Cheonhyangroju.
It is a liquor made from the flowers of a plant called Cheonhyang.
As it is made from flowers so fragrant that they are said to smell like the scent of heaven, it is said that once you taste it, you will never forget its aroma.
It is also a special medicine for a certain ailment.
“So you're saying that there is Cheonhyang-roju here in Daebyeolsan?”
I nodded in response to Seo Woo's question.
“That's what the note said. That's why I'm going to check it out. Of course, one of them may be true, but the other may be false.”
I continued.
“But if we don't check it out and it turns out to be true, we'll regret not going to check it out.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Everyone had had experiences like that.
“Then, you all agree to go find Cheonhyang-ro?”
Yeo Eung-am replied to my question.
“We will follow wherever our Liege wishes to go.”
The other bodyguards nodded in agreement.
Pal-gap scratched his ear and said, "Honestly, what power do we have to tell you not to go?
“Honestly, what power do we have to tell you where to go? And even if we tried to stop you, you would go anyway, wouldn't you?”
“You know me so well, Pal-gap.
”Huh?“
”Your true feelings just slipped out.“
I smiled and said, ”Let's go then."
The place where Cheonhyangroju was located was at the foot of Daebyeolsan Mountain.
Cheonhyangroju was located at the foot of Daebyeolsan Mountain.
Cheonhyang was a rare herb that only grew at the foot of mountains and bloomed in autumn, so now was the perfect time to pick it.
We had to wander around the dark mountain foot, but it didn't matter.
We had the night pearls.
After walking for about an hour, we caught a whiff of a fragrance.
It was an indescribably wonderful scent.
If the scent could be seen, it would have been so beautiful that words would have failed to describe it.
“Could this be... the scent of Cheonhyang?”
Lee Pil asked in surprise.
“I think so. I've never smelled anything like it before.”
I nodded and headed toward the source of the scent.
Purple flowers as big as a human head were blooming, and in the hollow center of each flower was a pool of purple liquid.
“It's Cheonhyang.”
“There really was Cheonhyang. What was that note?”
I chuckled at Lee Pil's question.
“Maybe some recluse wrote it down to pass the time. And to be honest, miraculous encounters are unlikely to happen in the first place.”
“That's true.”
Seo Woo saw me take the bottle out of my pocket and stuck out his tongue.
“You're thorough.”
I smiled and said, "Let's put the cheonhyangju in here.
“Then shall we put some Cheonhyangroju in it?”
In my past life, this Cheonhyangroju was consumed in a very ridiculous way.
A man lost his way in Daebyeolsan and wandered around until he found Cheonhyang.
He drank the Cheonhyangroju that was inside and poured the rest into a flask before leaving.
A master who smelled the fragrance advised him.
“That is a powerful elixir called Cheonhyangroju. If you don't have the ability to keep it properly, you should give it to someone who does.”
Someone overheard this, and the rumor spread.
In the end, it led to a bad outcome.
Because of that Cheonhyangroju, a fight broke out in the man's village, and the villagers became enemies.
But today, I'm taking all of the Cheonhyangroju with me, so the people of that man's village won't become enemies.
“But, young master, if you take the Cheonhyangroju, what will happen to these flowers?”
“Whether I take the Cheonhyangroju or not, the flowers will wither at the end of October anyway, and they won't bloom again for another 500 years.”
“Wow! Then they must be very expensive.”
“Of course! They're priceless.”
“But what are the benefits of drinking this wine?”
It was Jin-yu Musha who answered Pal-gap's question.
“Do you know anything about heart palpitations?”
“Yes, I've heard of it. I think it's something like irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia.”
“Yes, it is an effective remedy for all types of heart palpitations.”
Jin-yu Musha continued.
“That is why we must keep this a secret until our Liege gives us permission. If word gets out that we have Cheonhyangro, there could be bloodshed.”
“Huh!”
Pal-gap trembled at Jin-yu's warning and looked at me.
Seeing his incredulous gaze, I nodded vigorously.
“It's just as Jin-yu said.”
In my past life, a father who needed Cheonhyangroju to cure his son's sunstroke contacted that man.
The man gave the liquor to the father, but it had no effect.
The Cheonhyangroju was fake.
The father was furious and went to confront the man. However, it turned out that a neighbor who liked alcohol had secretly stolen the liquor and mixed it with other alcohol.
The man, who was humiliated and angry, got into a fight with his neighbor and stabbed him to death.
The neighbor's son was enraged and tried to kill the man, but ended up killing someone who had come to break up the fight.
In this strange turn of events, a chain of revenge was set in motion, and the entire village became enemies.
“I've got it all.”
The Cheonhyangroju was filled in three flasks. I put two in my pocket and handed the remaining one to the bodyguards.
“Aren't you curious about the taste of Cheonhyangroju? Try a sip.”
At my suggestion, Pal-gap and the four bodyguards shook their heads.
“No, thank you!”
“How can you refuse such a precious gift?”
“Those who need it more than us should drink it.”
“That's right. Besides, we can't drink alcohol right now. How can we drink when we have to protect our Liege?”
I nodded at their words.
“Then, can we drink it when we return to the main temple?”
“...”
Since they didn't immediately say no, it meant that they wanted it.
That's only natural.
They are human beings, after all, so they cannot be completely devoid of desire.
By refusing what I am offering them, they are exercising tremendous self-control.
The aroma of this liquor is as intoxicating as the seduction of a beautiful woman.
And suppressed desires must be released little by little to prevent them from causing trouble later on.
“Actually, this liquor is not used as medicine, but when drunk as liquor, even if diluted 100 times, the aroma remains the same.”
To be honest, this is more of a matured beverage than liquor.
That's why it tastes better when mixed with liquor.
“So, let's go back to the main building and have a party with this.”
Only then did they seem to relax and nod their heads.
“Thank you for your consideration, Liege.”
“Shall we go back?”
I fiddled with the bag containing the Cheonhyangroju and returned to the camp.
We'll arrive at that village tomorrow.
The village where my father, who needed this Cheonhyangroju in my past life, lives is the village we will arrive at tomorrow.
I plan to give him the Cheonhyangroju and make a deal with him.
Some may say that I am trading a life, but I believe this is a fair deal.
In my previous life, his son lost his life because he couldn't get Cheonhyangroju.
And what I am asking in return is not that much for him.
It is also a request that will save many lives.
* *
There is a village about a day's journey from Daebyeolsan.
The name of the village is Minjang Village.
As it is near Suwon, it is a fairly prosperous village.
Most of the land in the village is owned by a large landowner named Min Ik.
The villagers lived by farming Min Jang's land, and since their houses and shops were also on Min Jang's land, he was considered to be more powerful than the county magistrate.
Even the county magistrate bowed his head to him when he came to the county office.
Even someone who seemed to have no worries had something to worry about, and that was his second son.
His second son was very intelligent, having mastered the Emperor's Six Characters at the age of three, but he was particularly sensitive to heat.
As a result, he could not even sleep with the heating on during the cold winter.
Wondering what was wrong with him, Min Jang-ju called numerous physicians to check his pulse, and finally discovered the reason.
“This child has a sun pulse. He has the sun inside him, so how hot he must be.”
“What? Did you say he has a sun pulse?”
“Yes. His strong yang energy makes him intelligent and talented in martial arts, but that yang energy is so strong that it burns his innate qi, and most people with this condition die before the age of 20.”
“Then what should I do? How can I save my son?”
“He must take a miracle medicine.”
“What?”
“An elixir like the thousand-year-old ginseng that grows on snowy mountains, or the Cheonhyangroju, which can cure any type of pulse disorder. Nothing else will work.”
“I see!”
“If someone with a yin constitution is nearby, it may be possible to prolong his life, but there aren't many people with that constitution...”
From that moment on, Min-ik began searching for a miracle cure that could heal his son.
However, all he found were con artists.
He grew exhausted day by day, but he did not give up.
How could a father give up on his own child's life?
Time passed in vain.
Before he knew it, October had passed.
He was relieved that his son's condition improved a little in winter.
He was calculating the amount of grain harvested this year in his study.
Squeak.
Suddenly, the closed window opened by itself.
“...?”
At first, he thought it was the wind. However, when he saw a letter fall to the floor through the open window, he realized that it was not the wind.
He got up from his seat and opened the window wide.
But there was no one there.
“Come to think of it, my office is on the third floor. How is that possible?”
He asked the guard standing outside.
“Did anyone just come in?”
“No one came in.”
“The window suddenly opened.”
“It seems like there was a strong gust of wind.”
The bodyguard was loyal and skilled, so he had no choice but to believe him.
“What on earth...”
He regretted that the bodyguard who was guarding him had left his post for a moment.
“Could he know?”
He picked up the letter that had fallen on the floor and unfolded it.
“I will visit your office tonight with a medicine that will cure your son's illness.”
* *
That night.
I am currently staying at an inn in a village called Minjang Village.
The reason why this village is called Minjang Village is because most of the land in this village belonged to Min Ik, the chairman.
And the person who needs Cheonhyangroju here is Min Ik, the actual owner of Minjang Village.
I sent him a letter through Geumryeong saying that I would visit him tonight.
It's about time I went.
I headed toward Min Jang-jang with only Jin-yu as my escort, and soon we arrived at the vicinity.
“From here on, I will proceed alone. Jin-yu, you should... do as you see fit.”
“Understood.”
I brought him along because I knew he would refuse to let me go alone.
Jin Yu was formerly an assassin, so he would be able to escort me anywhere.
If Pal-gap decided to learn the secret technique recommended by the old man at the bookstore, I would have to ask Jin Yu for help.
I climbed over the wall of the Min family's estate.
I used my stealth technique to the utmost, so no one noticed me.
In the first place, it was a technique that left no sound or footprints.
Avoiding the presence of others, I quietly headed toward the building where Min Jang-ju's office was located.
I planned to enter through the window.
Thanks to my master's training, climbing walls and walking on roofs was not difficult.
My master's basic physical training was a bit difficult.
Anyway, I arrived at the office on the third floor and glanced up.
There were signs that someone had been on the fourth floor.
It seemed that he had sent his guards away in advance.
I pushed the window slightly.
Squeak.
Through the open window, I could see Min Jang-ju sitting at his desk. He looked exactly as I remembered him.
“Come here.”
When I crossed the window, he looked up.
I adjusted my clothes and bowed with clasped hands.
“I am here to see the Chairman.”
“Did you send this letter?”
Looking at the letter in his hand, I nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why did you send a letter when you could have just come here?”
“Of course, it was to protect you and Chairman Min.”
“....
”You are searching for a miracle cure, but can't you imagine how much trouble you will get into if you actually find it?“
”That's true.“
I took the flask out of my pocket and placed it on the table next to me.
”This is Cheonhyangroju."
“...!”
“As you know, it is a special medicine for all types of heart failure.”
Min Jang-ju quickly calmed down and asked calmly.
“What do you want?”