Chapter 205
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 205
Chapter 205. Yangyang Martial Arts Academy (4)
What was buried in the ground was a fairly large box covered in lacquer.
We dug up the box and carefully opened it.
Inside the box were twelve tightly sealed bottles.
The mouths of the bottles were wrapped in several layers of white paper, making them look like white lotus flowers.
What is this?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Head Escort Ha approached us, looked at the bottles in the box, and cried out in shock.
“No, no, no! Is this... Bing Lian Wine?”
“What? What is Bing Lianjiu?”
“It is a liquor made from Bing Lian, which can only be found in the North Sea. And Bing Lianjiu can only be made in the Northern Sea Ice Palace and the Snow Wind Palace.”
Ha Head Escort was completely excited.
“Once you taste it, you will never forget its rich flavor...”
He praised the wine so much that it was almost like he was describing his own mother.
It must be a very precious wine.
“The recipe for making Bing Lian wine was lost when the Snow Wind Palace was destroyed... Currently, Bing Lian wine can only be made in the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
It must be a truly precious wine that cannot be found in the Central Plains!
“May I take a look?”
“Yes.”
Ha Head Escort carefully took out a bottle from the box and examined it.
The paper wrapped around the neck of the bottle indicated when the liquor was brewed.
“And the longer Bing Lianju is aged, the more valuable it becomes. Let's see... Whoa!”
For a moment, Ha Head Escort seemed to stop breathing.
“Pa-pa...”
“Ha Head Escort! Calm down!”
“Huh! Huh!”
Curious as to why Ha Head Escort was reacting that way, I glanced at the paper wrapped around the bottle.
Gasp! Eight hundred years?
That means it was made during the time when the investigator was alive.
This is literally worth its weight in gold.
“Eight hundred years ago... The aroma of this wine must be indescribable.”
“I'm sure it is.”
“Even after ten years, the flavor is incredible, let alone eight hundred years!”
Ha Hyo-du continued.
“And this sake is brewed with ice, which clears the mind. It's enough to blow away any worries or troubles.”
“...”
I thought I knew why the investigator gave me this sake as a gift.
He probably wanted me to drink it to clear my mind.
But investigator, I've already cleared my mind.
So, I will give this wine to Head Escort Ha, who has such sparkling eyes, and to my master at the escort agency, and I will use the rest to celebrate the day I take my revenge.
To commemorate the day I dealt a decisive blow to the Baekcheon Trading Company and the Martial Alliance.
* *
Ha Cheol, the Head Escort, wondered if what he was seeing was a dream.
“Phew! I almost had a heart attack!”
It was that surprising.
It was made 800 years ago at Seolpung Palace!
When Seolpung Palace was destroyed, he was about 30 years old.
He was a disciple of Seolpung Palace, but he was working outside as a Head Escort.
This was because one of the rules of Seolpung Palace was that once a disciple reached a certain level of martial arts, they had to work outside for about ten years.
This was called Seolseolhaeng.
This was to prevent Seolpung Palace from becoming isolated from the outside world.
Thanks to this, he knew about the Bingryeonju made at Seolpung Palace.
Seolpung Palace's Byeongryeonju was made from Byeongryeon, which was considered a magical herb, and was sealed using a special method, so it was said that it could be stored for up to a thousand years.
One of the special features of the seal was that white paper was shaped into a lotus flower and wrapped around the cap.
And since Byeongryeon bloomed once every ten years, Byeongryeonju was also made during that period.
It was given to disciples who were leaving for the Seolseolhaeng and to those who had returned from the Seolseolhaeng.
Ha Cheol Head Escort could not forget the taste of the Bingryeonju he drank when he left for the Seolseolhaeng.
It was indescribably refreshing, and at the same time, it awakened all his senses.
Moreover, it was a feeling that made all his worries disappear.
“I thought I would never see this again...”
He looked at Eun Seo-ho with a look of emotion.
On the other hand, Eun Seo-ho still did not know exactly what this Coalition Leade meant.
Well, that's understandable... Huh?
“By the way, Captain.”
“Yes.”
“How did you know there was this wine here and tell us to dig?”
Suddenly, his mind wandered to that question.
“To be honest, when I woke up, you suddenly told me to dig, so I thought it was a little strange...”
“Oh, that.”
Eun Seo-ho scratched his ear and said.
“A handsome man appeared in my dream and told me to dig here. He said he had a gift for me.”
“Did he happen to be wearing a blue sash around his waist?”
“Yes, he did.”
“My goodness... He is the investigator from Seolpung Palace.”
“Ah...”
Ha Cheol Head Escort finally understood the decision of Seolpung Palace Head Kwak Myeong-hyun.
Kwak Myeong-hyun had appointed Eun Seo-ho as the deputy palace head of Seolpung Palace.
When many people were puzzled, he said,
“He is the next palace head prepared by the investigator.”
At that time, he couldn't understand those words.
It was difficult to accept that decision.
Even if he was his disciple, he was not only not related to Kwak Myeong-hyun, but he was also the third son of a Trading Company with no connection to Seolpung Palace.
However, now he had no choice but to believe that Eun Seo-ho was the next Palace Head prepared by the investigator.
The evidence that it was clearly made when the investigator was working appeared right before his eyes.
“Here, I'll give you one bottle.”
“Are you really giving it to me?”
“Yes. But it's difficult to keep it with me while I'm traveling, so I'll keep it and give it to you when I return.”
“I understand, but how will you keep it?”
Eun Seo-ho smiled slightly at his question and replied.
“Actually, I have an item that was bestowed upon me by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I see.”
The young man in front of him probably didn't know.
Unable to drink the Bingryunju again, he knew that he had not yet completed his mission.
“Come back safely, Cheol-ah.”
As he said that, he missed his late Palace Head, who used to pour Bingryunju into his cup.
* * *
We set off again.
I glanced back.
The place where I and my people had died in my previous life.
Yes, memories do not disappear.
But this place no longer makes me tense and brings back frightening memories.
It will become a place that strengthens my resolve and ignites my fighting spirit.
I sometimes wonder.
What would have happened to the Eunhae Trading Company after I died?
Of course, all my family would have been killed. And the Eunhae Trading Company would have been destroyed...
No, considering the greedy nature of the head of the Namgung Trading Company, he would have taken over the Eunhae Trading Company.
It was a trading company full of delicious parts.
It makes me sick to think about it.
Thinking about it made me feel sick to my stomach.
Yes, in order to avoid such a miserable ending, I must become stronger.
I must become the world's best trading company.
And I must strike a blow to the back of Baekcheon Trading Company and the Martial Alliance.
After traveling for several days, we finally arrived in Hangzhou.
“Is this place Hangzhou?”
Head Escort Ha answered Palgap's question.
“Yes, it is.”
Was it because I gave him a bottle of Bingryangju?
His attitude had softened compared to before.
Moreover, he seemed to be more polite to me.
Until then, he had only been polite to me as the brother of his future wife and as requested by my Master.
Was Binglianju that precious?
Enough to make him suddenly become polite?
As I thought about it, I couldn't help but smile. It was because of the expressions on the faces of Pal-gap and the escort warriors as they looked at the scenery of Hangzhou.
The large West Lake, the boats floating on the lake, and the small islands.
It looked like a garden where immortals dwelled.
Winter has its own charm.
However, I never expected Seo Woo to have such an expression on his face.
“Is this your first time in Hangzhou?”
“Yes.”
Seo Woo replied.
“When I worked at the escort agency, I was in charge of Yunnan.”
“You too, Jin-yu?”
“Yes, I never had the opportunity.”
“We also found it strange that we were never assigned to this area.”
“I see. Hahaha.”
In that case, it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit a nice tavern while in Hangzhou.
After finishing our work, of course.
I can't drink, but the scenery here is beautiful.
And when we come back to take over the tavern later, there won't be any customers or proper management, so it won't feel the same.
.
.
.
“That's the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy.”
Ha Head Escort pointed to a building located slightly on the outskirts of Seoho.
At first glance, the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy looked like a normal martial arts academy.
It had a fairly large plot of land, about 500 pyeong, surrounded by a black tile wall.
Inside, we could see the buildings, and we could hear the shouts of children who seemed to be practicing martial arts.
“Ha!”
“Hot!”
“Stretch your arms more!”
“Ha!”
“Don't spread your legs too wide!”
“Haap!”
There was no gatekeeper, so we followed Head Escort Ha's guidance and passed through the martial arts academy's gate.
A young warrior who was instructing the children noticed us, told the children to rest, and approached us.
“Senior Uncle Ha, have you arrived?”
“Yes, where is the principal?”
“He is out for a moment.”
At that moment, we heard a familiar voice behind us.
“Oh? Master Ha, you're here?”
When we turned around, we saw a familiar figure entering through the gate.
It was Master Yeom Jin-yeon, the head of the martial arts academy.
He greeted Master Ha warmly, then looked at me and was surprised.
“Oh? Master Eun, what are you doing here?”
Ha Hyo-du replied with a serious expression.
“I have been entrusted with full authority by the Palace Head.”
.
.
.
The office of the Principal of the Yangyang Martial Arts Academy.
There was a moment of silence.
We waited for Master Yeom, or rather, Principal Yeom, to calm down.
“Hmm... So you're saying that Master Eun is also a disciple of Seolpung Palace?”
“Yes, I am studying martial arts under Palace Head Kwak.”
“Then why did you pretend not to know about Seolpung Palace earlier?”
“I'm sorry about that. My master told me to keep it a secret...”
“Ah... I see. In that case, what about the money you gave us before?”
“These children are my Junior brothers and sisters, aren't they? That's why I gave it to you as a Senior Brother. And also...”
I continued.
“I also came here to keep my promise to continue supporting them.”
“I see. But if Myung-hyun entrusted you with all his authority, that means he trusts you quite a lot... He's not the kind of person who would trust just any disciple.”
The title for the Palace Head of Seolpung Palace sounded too familiar, so I asked cautiously.
“Is the friend who passed away that you mentioned earlier our Master?”
“Yes, that's right. Although it's not true that he died.”
“I see. But you don't seem to be a disciple of Seolpung Palace...”
“That's right.”
Yeom Gwanju smiled and nodded.
“I am not a disciple of Seolpung Palace. That's why I call Myung-hyun by his first name instead of his title.”
After all, what disciple would call the Palace Head by his first name?
He smiled awkwardly and answered my question.
“Actually, I came to see my daughter Hyun, but I ended up staying, and somehow I became the Principal. By the way, have you heard about the situation at our martial arts academy?”
“Yes, that's why I came. I thought that since you work for a trading company, you might be able to find a solution.”
“I see. Actually, I just came back from seeing the Chairman, who owns this land.”
He sighed.
“The construction start date has been confirmed. They said it will begin in mid-March next year. But.”
He continued with a blank expression.
“They asked us to pay for the demolition of the martial arts academy.”
“What?”
What did I just hear?
What do they want?
I asked Yeom again.
“They asked you to pay for the demolition?”
“Yes.”
The reason Yeom Kwan-ju's face was expressionless was not because he was emotionless.
It was because he was speechless.
Not only were they suddenly telling people who had lived there for over ten years to leave, but they were also demanding demolition costs without offering any compensation.
Of course, the landowner had the right to request eviction.
However, the buildings were not built illegally, but with permission.
In that case, it is only right to give them compensation.
But asking them to pay the demolition costs?
“Do you have a contract or something that was drawn up when you rented the land?”
“Yes, I do, but I don't think it will be of much help.”
With that, Yeom brought the contract.
I read the contract.
The tenant agrees to pay the landlord five taels of silver every January in exchange for renting 500 pyeong of land located in ××.
It's a contract consisting of only one clause.
I understood why he said it wouldn't be helpful.
By the way, five nang of silver for 500 pyeong!
Considering how cheap the rent is, there must be a reason for it.
However, even if I didn't know the previous principal, the chairman wouldn't have carelessly written such a contract, no matter how trivial it was.
He would have at least made it look proper.
Something is strange...