Chapter 382
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 382
Chapter 382. Ghost Market (1)
A moment later.
Not a single member of the Green Forest Bandits who had attacked us was left standing.
“It's over.”
We nodded at Ha Cheol's words.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
Many of the Green Forest Bandits were dead, and many more were injured and unable to move.
But they had only themselves to blame.
If they hadn't attacked us, none of this would have happened.
I could sense the presence of a few people hiding in the distance. Judging from their lack of killing intent, they weren't here to attack us.
They were probably here to assess the situation.
This will probably make the Green Forest Bandits in this area even more hostile toward us.
A bad reputation among the Green Forest Bandits is like a powerful spear and shield. They will be careful not to provoke us.
I gathered my energy to remove the smell of blood from my body, then got into the carriage.
I said to Miss Seo Hyang, “It's over. We're safe now.”
“It's over. We're safe now.”
“Is that so?”
“Still, it looks a little unsettling, so it would be better to open the windows later.”
“Yes.”
Neither Miss Seo Hyang nor her maid had ever seen a scene with blood spattered everywhere. Seeing it now might be too much for them.
They would see it someday if they accompanied me, but it would be better for them to see it after they had become a little more accustomed to it.
It was really difficult for me when I first encountered such cruelty.
When I took someone's life for the first time, the aftermath lasted quite a long time.
Of course, I know that they are not weak-hearted people. On the contrary, they are strong-hearted, which is why they are able to live without losing their will to live despite the difficult circumstances they have endured.
Seo Hyang's maid must also be strong-hearted to have chosen to serve her.
“We are leaving.”
“Yes.”
Soon, the carriage I was riding in began to move.
.
.
.
Once we entered Hebei Province, our journey became easier.
This was because the roads were well maintained and the public safety was very good, as it was close to the capital.
This meant that we could relax a little.
It is very difficult to walk while being tense all day long.
Finally, we arrived at the Beijing branch of the Eunha Trading Company.
“Lieutenant Kwak! Welcome!”
“We've been waiting for you!”
“Do you know how hard it was without you, Lieutenant Kwak?”
Perhaps they had heard news of our visit, because the North Sea branch welcomed us.
But for some reason, they seemed to be happier to see Miss Seo Hyang than me.
“It's because I'm lonely.”
“You really do liven up the atmosphere.”
Ah... It's not the same.
They are more happy to see Young Mistress Seo Hyang. I said with a sullen expression.
“This is disappointing. Can't you see me?”
“Hahaha, how could that be?”
“My Hyung-nim is here too...”
“Huh? Second Captain is here too? But...”
The deputy governor of Yeochang tilted his head.
“You look much worse than when I saw you last time.”
It was probably because they had not only fought many battles on their way here, but also continued to spar in groups.
In my opinion, the hardest part for Jin-ho must have been writing the battle reports...
At that moment, Head Escort Ha said,
“The trip here was a little difficult. We brought some grain with us, so…”
“I see.”
“That must have been difficult.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
I smiled to myself and said to Branch Chief Eun.
“We plan to rest here for a while and then head back to the North Sea.”
“I understand. I will keep that in mind.”
“And since we're here in Beijing, I have some business to take care of. I'll head to my office in a moment.”
With that, we all went to our respective quarters.
When the Beijing branch was built, it was made very large with the future in mind, so there was plenty of room to rest.
I entered my quarters and said to Pal-gap before washing up.
“Pal-gap. Do you think Gwak Bu-gan will come to work?”
“Isn't that obvious?”
“Then go tell him. Tell him not to come to the office today, and to just eat something and go to sleep.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell him this is an order, and that I will check myself to see if he goes to sleep.”
Miss Seo-hyang was more stubborn than I thought.
If I didn't tell her this, she would definitely come out and work.
The journey from Hubei to Beijing is not an easy one. The same goes for the journey ahead.
No matter how much martial arts she learns, it would be more harmful if she overexerted herself and fell ill.
Therefore, resting well today would make her work more efficient.
Then why don't I rest?
Because I'm the king. Damn it.
After washing up and filling my stomach, I headed to my office.
“I'll be right in.”
As if waiting for me, the deputy governor of Yeochang arrived immediately.
“These are for your approval, Your Majesty.”
“There aren't as many as I thought.”
“I took care of the unimportant ones. These are the ones that require your approval.”
Well, I did delegate that task to him.
I thought it was a good decision. If I hadn't, I would have been buried in a mountain of documents.
He looked at me and said, “By the way, where is Lieutenant Kwak?”
"I told him to take the day off.
“Oh, I told him to take the day off. It would be a disaster if he got sick from overworking himself.”
“You made the right decision. Yes, that's right! Please call me if you need any explanation.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the deputy governor left, I began to look through the documents that needed to be approved.
However, another visitor arrived shortly after.
This energy feels like Branch Chief Eun.
“Your Highness, Branch Chief Eun here.”
“Come in.”
The door opened and Branch Chief Eun entered.
“What is it?”
“Actually, this letter arrived a few days ago.”
He handed me the letter he was holding.
“It is clearly addressed to the Third Captain, but there is no sender.”
I took the letter.
The letter, addressed to “Captain Eun Seo-ho,” had a familiar aura.
The cold aura of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
This is a letter from Palace Head Bing Hae-rin. I opened the letter.
“When the hour of the dog arrives, look for a person named Lin at the Cheongpung Inn near the Beijing branch.”
Bing Hae-rin, the junior palace master, must have already arrived.
By the way, the hour of the dog...
That must mean the hour of the dog (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.).
Tonight is going to be busy.
.
.
.
Night fell.
I took Jin-yu and Yeo-eung-am with me and headed for the Cheongpung Inn.
I was familiar with the place because I sometimes stopped by when I was working at the Beijing branch.
The vegetable porridge there was so delicious that people lined up in the morning to eat it.
I had tried it several times, and every time I did, I was impressed.
When we entered the Cheongpung Inn, there weren't many people eating.
Perhaps because it was late, there were only a few people having a late dinner or a late-night snack.
“Welcome!”
The waiter greeted me.
“Is there anyone here named Lin?”
The waiter replied to my question.
“Yes, I have a request. Please have a seat and wait for a moment.”
“All right.”
I nodded and headed for a suitable seat, and the waiter went upstairs.
A moment later, I sensed Young Master Bing Hae-rin coming down.
Her face was still cold.
And the fragrance of orchids still lingered around her.
I stood up and greeted her with a clasped hands greeting.
“It's been a long time.”
“Yes, it has. Shall we go outside for a moment?”
I nodded at her suggestion and followed her out of the inn.
The place where Palace Head Bing Haerin led me was familiar.
It was where I had spoken with the Grand Master of the North.
Suddenly, I remembered.
Come to think of it, the fact that she brought me here means that she is concerned about security...
I also found it suspicious that the waiter earlier had the aura of a Northern Sea Ice Palace disciple.
I started the conversation lightly.
“It seems that the Northern Sea Ice Palace disciples are spread out in more places than I thought.”
“That's right.”
She nodded.
“The North Sea is so remote that it is inevitable that we are ignorant of outside news. That is why my disciples are working hard to find out what is happening outside.”
She continued.
“It seems you noticed the aura of the waiter at the inn earlier.”
“That's right.”
Bing Haerin, the Palace Head, sighed.
“I heard the rumors. You brought a tremendous amount of grain, didn't you?”
“Rumors travel fast.”
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for your efforts on behalf of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“Not at all. As the head of Seolpung Palace, it is my duty.”
Binghaerin nodded in agreement.
“As I expected, you have indeed become the Palace Head. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
I accepted her congratulations with a light clasped hands greeting.
“By the way, is there a reason you came to such a quiet place?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“I am concerned that a subversive organization knows about the situation at the Northern Sea Ice Palace.”
“A subversive organization?”
“Anywhere. The Northern Sea Ice Palace has more enemies than you might think. Once we appear in the martial world, we cause a bloodbath, so we have many enemies.”
“I see. But I have never heard of the Northern Sea Ice Palace appearing in the martial world.”
“As you know. But even if a favor lasts only fifty years, a grudge can easily last a hundred years.”
“...”
He couldn't refute that.
There were quite a few people who lived as enemies for generations because of old grudges.
“Besides, there are many who want the Northern Sea Ice Palace's unrivaled martial arts skills.”
“It's a more difficult place than I thought.”
Once again, I realized the significance of Seolpung Palace.
Seolpung Palace was the first line of defense against those who sought to attack the Northern Sea Ice Palace at the entrance to the North Sea.
“However, the letter I received said that food supplies were not stable. I would like to know the details.”
She replied to my question with a complicated expression.
“You know that we mainly sell elixirs to procure food, right?”
“Yes, I heard about it before.”
“But...”
She frowned and said.
“They say that the elixirs we sold to the merchants are fake.”
“What?”
“They say they can't buy fake elixirs, so we have no way to procure food.”
The Northern Sea Ice Palace would never sell fake elixirs.
Then the problem must lie with the merchant who appraised the elixirs.
“Have you been doing business with that merchant for a long time?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“So we took the elixirs back and had them appraised elsewhere, but the results were the same.”
Bing Hae-rin said.
“We had them appraised at several places, but the answer was the same. As a result, the Palace's food supplies ran out, and we had no choice but to ask the Palace Head…”
“Just call him Captain.”
“Yes, we asked the Captain. We thought he would know better about merchants.”
“I see.”
Certainly, the merchant who first appraised the elixir is suspicious, but there is no evidence.
If other places had said that the elixirs were real, it would be different, but they all said that the elixirs were fake.
The disciples who brought the elixirs are also a little suspicious, but there is no need to say that now.
“Then, can't you bring other elixirs?”
“The elixirs we brought are not common. Considering the high price of food these days, we brought some that are quite expensive. The most expensive one can only be obtained once every hundred years, and even the cheapest one takes a month to obtain.”
“I see. That must be difficult.”
“That is why we had no choice but to bring money and jewels to buy food...”
“It must not have been easy.”
“Yes.”
The famine was that severe.
Furthermore, those who had food would try to take advantage of the situation to make a profit.
“We are sending food little by little as we can, but it is not nearly enough.”
“I see. Since it is urgent, let's move the grain we brought first.”
“Yes.”
The next day
We left immediately.
We had originally planned to rest for a few days before leaving, but according to Palace Head Bing Haerin, the situation was serious.
Palace Head Bing Haerin quietly joined us the day after we left.
That evening.
We ended up spending the night outdoors, and I asked Palace Head Bing Haerin.
“You said the merchant who claimed those elixirs were fake was from Yōnōng, right?”
“Yes.”
Yōnōng... It's a remote region that's difficult to investigate, but it's not difficult for me.
My close friend is the person who controls the merchant guild in Yōnōng.
“I suspect that merchant from Liaoning. The most likely possibility is that he replaced the items he was entrusted with fake ones.”
“I thought so too. So I secretly searched his residence, but there were no elixirs anywhere. And there is no evidence that they were distributed.”
“Is that so?”
Then I will have to take another look.
Bing Hae-rin, the Palace Head, is a martial artist, and martial artists see things differently from merchants.
If we still can't find it, it's likely that it has already been distributed.
Bing Hae-rin, the Palace Head, said there was no evidence that it had been distributed, but there is one place in Liaoning where it could have been distributed secretly.
I'll visit there for the first time in a long time.
It's an interesting place in its own way.