Episode 79: Each Moves With Their Own Thoughts (1)
Light Novel: Volume 4 Chapter 2
Manhwa: Chapter 67
Chapter 2. Each Moves With Their Own Thoughts (1)
Life within the Ten Thousand Merchant Union was more uneventful than expected.
The squad members, who had been excited to go out of their quarters every day out of curiosity at first, now stayed indoors because the excitement had worn off.
During that time, Woon Dae-yeon and Lim Sobo hadn’t shown themselves even once at Squad 13’s lodging. Rumor had it that they were engaged in fierce negotiations with the upper leadership of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union every single day.
There was no telling when the negotiations would end.
Until a clear conclusion was reached, all Lee Gwak could do was pass the time freely.
Since entering Ten Thousand Merchant Union, Cheon-wol had locked himself in his room and not come out. He was immersing himself in the Hidden Sword Art.
Ki Jinhwi also hadn’t come out, holed up in his room doing something with items he had purchased from the black market. The other squad members each spent their time in their own ways.
It was on the fifth day since entering the Ten Thousand Merchant Union that Lee Gwak stepped outside for the first time. Until then, he too had stayed in his room, devoting himself solely to martial cultivation, but he could only do so much in such a small space, so he had come out to give himself a break for a day or so.
The Ten Thousand Merchant Union had a distinct air of freedom and spontaneity.
The streets bustled with merchants making deals—not with common folk, but between merchants themselves.
Sparks flew from their eyes, and a tense atmosphere lingered in the air. With just a few words, profits of hundreds or even thousands of nyang could shift, so it was only natural that everyone was on edge.
“For an item of this quality, it should fetch at least a hundred more silver nyang.”
“That would be true if they were in pristine condition, sure. But look at this blemish. With that, you’d have to knock off at least a hundred and twenty silver nyang. I’m only offering this much because we’ve done business for a long time.”
“Hey now! That’s no way to talk. Slashing over a hundred nyang for a minor flaw like that? Forget it. I won’t be doing business with you.”
“Come on now, why so hasty?”
One side would try to end the deal, and the other would cling to it—the scene repeated itself again and again.
Lee Gwak watched the dealings between merchants with keen interest.
‘They may not be wielding swords, but these people are waging war all the same.’
To earn even a single nyang more in profit, they didn’t hesitate to engage in psychological warfare and heated verbal exchanges. In some ways, their battles seemed far more intense and ruthless than the fights between martial artists.
Such negotiations were happening all over.
Overwhelmed by the heat radiating from their fervor, Lee Gwak shook his head in disbelief.
Only then did he realize—
How the Ten Thousand Merchant Union had come to possess the greatest wealth in the world.
‘Rather than engaging in direct trade, the Ten Thousand Merchant Union laid down the groundwork for merchants to trade freely. By creating a space where the great merchants of the world could gather and trade without worry, wealth naturally converged here.’
For Lee Gwak, who had always thought of the Jade Heaven Alliance as the center of the world, everything unfolding in the Ten Thousand Merchant Union struck him with refreshing shock.
It was then.
“Out of the way, please!”
A booming voice suddenly rang out from behind.
When he turned his head, a grand procession was entering the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
An overwhelming convoy of cargo wagons stretched as far as the eye could see, leaving even Lee Gwak stunned, his mouth slightly agape.
At the head of the wagons fluttered a large banner emblazoned with the words Heavenly Control Escort Agency.
At that moment, another group emerged from deeper within the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
Judging by their attire and presence, they were clearly key figures of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
Lee Gwak watched the entire scene with eager interest.
He had no idea what kind of goods the Heavenly Control Escort Agency had transported, but it was evidently something of great value—valuable enough for the upper echelons of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union to come out and receive it personally.
As if to confirm his suspicion, the surrounding merchants began buzzing with noise.
“It’s the Heavenly Control Escort Agency.”
“For Escort Agency Master Mo Yong-shin to come in person… they must be transporting something truly extraordinary.”
Hearing the murmurs of the merchants, Lee Gwak realized that the martial artist riding at the head of the procession was indeed Mo Yong-shin, the master of the Heavenly Control Escort Agency.
The Heavenly Control Escort Agency was the only escort agency directly operated by the Ten Thousand Merchant Union. Mo Yong-shin, known throughout Jianghu by the title Escort King, had a fearsome reputation, and was said to be a close confidant of Eun Won-ho, the master of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
The very fact that Mo Yong-shin had personally taken on the escort mission was proof enough of the tremendous value of the goods being transported.
Lee Gwak’s gaze shifted toward the officials of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union who had come out to greet him. He was curious to see who would personally receive Mo Yong-shin.
At that moment, Lee Gwak’s eyes widened slightly. There was someone unexpected among them.
It was a merchant who appeared to be in his early forties, with a sly but easygoing expression. Fanning himself lightly with a small hand fan, he wore a faint smile at the corners of his lips.
‘Lee Shin-chung!’
Lee Gwak recalled his name.
He was the one who had once led a massive convoy of wartime supplies into the Jade Heaven Alliance. At that time, Cheon-wol had merely been one of the porters under his command, and due to an accident, had injured his leg and been cast aside.
Although Cheon-wol had been driven out miserably, Lee Shin-chung had shown enough courtesy to Lee Gwak and Cheon-wol that Lee Gwak’s impression of him wasn’t entirely negative.
Even now, tucked inside Lee Gwak’s robe was the bronze plaque engraved with a sword emblem that Lee Shin-chung had once given him.
“Mm!”
Lee Gwak had assumed Lee Shin-chung was just one of many merchants. But judging from the way the others were reacting, it was clear that Lee Shin-chung held a fairly high position even within the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
Mo Yong-shin got off his horse and walked directly toward Lee Shin-chung.
“Haha, you came out in person?”
A bright smile spread across his face.
Lee Shin-chung gave a polite bow in return.
“The esteemed Agency Master has returned from a long journey despite his advanced age, of course I had to come out to greet him, shouldn’t I?”
“Oh, come on now! What do you mean advanced age? Do I look old to you?”
“I only meant your age, not your health. There’s no one more vigorous than you, Agency Master. Even the Union Master often expresses his envy.”
“You rascal! Got oil on your tongue, have you? You’re impossible as ever. Let’s head inside. There’s a lot we need to talk about.”
Shaking his head, Mo Yong-shin placed a hand on Lee Shin-chung’s shoulder. Lee Shin-chung smiled as he walked alongside him.
Despite his dignified exterior, Mo Yong-shin turned out to be quite a chatterbox, talking on and on about who-knows-what.
‘My ears are going to fall off.’
Lee Shin-chung sighed inwardly as he looked around.
Though he was genuinely fond of Mo Yong-shin, the man’s endless chatter was hard to endure.
While young people talked about the future, old people often glorified the past.
Mo Yong-shin, in particular, had a habit of recounting past tales and war stories to an excessive degree. Because of this, many people in the Ten Thousand Merchant Union avoided going out to greet him—once you got caught, you’d be stuck listening to him for half a day.
Lee Shin-chung half-listened with one ear and let it out the other while glancing around. It was a habit he had developed whenever conversing with Mo Yong-shin.
‘Hm?’
Just then, an unfamiliar face caught his eye.
It wasn’t unusual to see strangers within the Ten Thousand Merchant Union, as there were countless people entering every day. But for some reason, Lee Shin-chung couldn’t take his eyes off that person.
Naturally, his gaze focused more intently on the man. After staring for a moment, Lee Shin-chung finally recalled where he had seen him before.
‘The Jade Heaven Alliance!’
Without realizing it, his steps began moving toward Lee Gwak.
“So anyway… Hey, wait a minute.”
Mo Yong-shin, who had been chatting away at his side, blinked in confusion as he watched Lee Shin-chung suddenly walk off.
Lee Gwak, noticing Lee Shin-chung coming directly toward him, wore a perplexed expression.
Lee Shin-chung then spoke to him.
“You’re Squad Leader Lee, aren’t you?”
“You remember me?”
“Of course, didn’t I even give you a sword plaque? But how did Squad Leader Lee end up here? Ah! Could it be that you accompanied Young Master Woon and Lady Lim who arrived recently?”
“Yes!”
“So it was like that.”
At Lee Gwak’s reply, Lee Shin-chung grinned broadly. He looked around and continued.
“By any chance, is Cheon-wol here as well?”
“Cheon-wol is resting at the lodging.”
“Then does that mean he’s officially part of the Outer Hall now?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s truly great to hear. I’ve had it on my mind all this time.”
Lee Shin-chung looked genuinely happy, as if it were his own business.
Just then, Mo Yong-shin walked up to Lee Shin-chung and asked.
“Who is this young man you’re greeting so warmly?”
“Ah! My apologies. This is Squad Leader Lee from the Jade Heaven Alliance. He’s here escorting the honored guests currently engaged in negotiations inside.”
Taking the opportunity, Lee Shin-chung recounted to Mo Yong-shin what had happened back at the Jade Heaven Alliance. As he listened, Mo Yong-shin looked at Lee Gwak with renewed curiosity.
“Ho! So that’s what happened?”
Lee Gwak found the man’s gaze rather burdensome.
Mo Yong-shin placed a hand on Lee Gwak’s shoulder and said,
“There’s no need to stand around out here—come inside, young man.”
“Ah, I… I need to wait here for my companions.”
“Your companions? Ah! You mean Young Master Woon and Lady Lim? I don’t know the details, but from what I hear, those negotiations won’t be wrapping up anytime soon. It’ll probably take at least five more days. Don’t worry about them and come in with me. As a man, you should have that much camaraderie, no?”
Mo Yong-shin smiled as he patted Lee Gwak’s shoulder with his large hand.
As expected of a martial artist who had reached a profound realm, the weight behind his touch was heavy enough to make most people waver like reeds in a storm. But Lee Gwak’s legs didn’t budge in the slightest, as if they were rooted to the earth. That caught Mo Yong-shin’s eye with a flicker of intrigue.
His voice grew louder.
“Now that I have met such a spirited young man, how could I not have a drink with him? Come now, let’s head inside together.”
“Am I even allowed to enter the Ten Thousand Merchant Union?”
“Didn’t you say you received a sword plaque from Vice Master Lee? As long as you show that plaque, you’ll be allowed through most parts of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union without issue. So don’t worry.”
At Mo Yong-shin’s words, Lee Gwak looked visibly flustered.
He hadn’t expected that the sword plaque he’d received would hold that much value within the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
“This is perfect. Squad Leader Lee, why don’t you go inside with us? I’ll speak with the Jade Heaven Alliance elders on your behalf, so you have nothing to worry about.”
With even Lee Shin-chung urging him, Lee Gwak could no longer refuse.
“Then I’ll be in your care.”
“Haha! There’s no need to say that.”
In the end, Lee Gwak followed Lee Shin-chung and Mo Yong-shin into the inner grounds of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
“Who is that guy for Vice Master Lee and Agency Master Mo Yong-shin to treat him so personally?”
The merchants watching Lee Gwak’s back couldn’t hide their puzzled expressions.
To them, Lee Shin-chung was a man known for his cold and rigid demeanor. He was especially notorious for being a strict stickler for rules, often criticized for his inflexibility.
For someone like him to show such warmth to a stranger was nothing short of extraordinary, at least to those who had frequented the Ten Thousand Merchant Union for a long time.
The place Lee Gwak was led to, following behind Lee Shin-chung and Mo Yong-shin, was the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.
“Mm!”
Lee Gwak’s pupils twitched slightly.
Like other parts of the compound, it was an open area with no tall walls enclosing it. But unlike the rest, this place was filled with subtle, hidden gazes. Countless experts lay in wait, concealed and on guard.
‘There are even trap mechanisms and formations in place. This is just as tightly secured as the Jade Heaven Alliance.’
Lee Gwak’s sharp eyes caught even the smallest of details, things that an average person would overlook entirely.
At first glance, the Ten Thousand Merchant Union appeared completely open, but in truth, it had constructed one of the tightest security systems in the entire world.
At that moment, Mo Yong-shin spoke to him.
“What are you observing so intently? Ah, I suppose it all must look new to you on your first visit. But compared to the Jade Heaven Alliance, this place must seem boring. There’s nothing particularly special about it.”
“No, sir. The Jade Heaven Alliance isn’t all that special either.”
“Heh heh! No need to be so modest. I’m only stating the truth. For now, go on ahead with Vice Master Lee. I’ll join you after reporting to the Union Master that I’ve returned.”
“You really don’t have to go out of your way for me.”
“It’s not about consideration. I simply want to drink with a young man for once. So don’t even think about running off or slipping away, understand?”
“Yes!”
Only after hearing Lee Gwak’s firm response did Mo Yong-shin head off toward the Union Master’s residence with his attendants.
Seeing Lee Gwak’s awkward expression, Lee Shin-chung spoke up.
“I must apologize, Squad Leader Lee. I didn’t expect Agency Master Mo to take such an interest in you.”
Lee Shin-chung looked genuinely apologetic.
He had only tried to divert Mo Yong-shin’s attention elsewhere, but instead, it had drawn him in even more.
There was hardly anyone within the Ten Thousand Merchant Union who didn’t know just how exhausting it was to be the focus of Mo Yong-shin’s attention, which was why many people actively avoided sitting with him despite their respect and admiration for him
Lee Gwak scratched his head. Even after hearing the explanation, he didn’t fully understand why this was such a big deal.
Seeing his reaction, Lee Shin-chung smiled.
Most people who met Mo Yong-shin for the first time had the same expression as Lee Gwak. But after a little time, they’d come to understand.
Understand exactly what kind of person Mo Yong-shin was and why people tiptoed around him.
As Lee Shin-chung looked Lee Gwak over more carefully, a glint of curiosity appeared in his eyes.
“That blade…”
“Pardon?”
“That’s made in one of the workshops affiliated with the Union, isn’t it?”
“You mean this?”
When Lee Gwak gestured toward the blade at his waist, Lee Shin-chung nodded.
“Yes. Where did you get it?”
“I bought it from the Yin Family Weapon House inside the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
“Ha! I knew it. The Yin Family Weapon House is one of the ironworks directly operated by the Ten Thousand Merchant Union.”
“Ah!”
Lee Gwak let out a sound of surprise, and Lee Shin-chung’s smile deepened.
“Would you like to have a look at the very place where that blade was made?”
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
Lee Gwak first met Lee Shin-chung during Episode 42.
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