Chapter 116 : Oh Jeong-san (2)

The merchants lowered their voices as they spoke.Their demeanor was solemn and secretive, as though they were discussing some sinister plot.

The story was fairly long, but in summary, it was this:

The merchants’ festival, the Merchant Festival.

At the opening ceremony, the banners of the great trading companies sponsoring the festival were raised.

Naturally, the greatest sponsor was Myriad Gold Manor, known as the Merchant King.

Someone had bribed a martial artist of the Jingzhou Merchants’ Association to steal away Myriad Gold Manor’s banner.

If Oh Jeong-san went through with the opening ceremony unaware of this, he would not only suffer great humiliation but also appear as the one who mocked Myriad Gold Manor.

If, while all the sponsoring banners rose high into the sky, only the spot for Myriad Gold Manor remained empty, it would likely seem as though Oh Jeong-san had deliberately insulted them.

Even if the absence of the banner was discovered beforehand, it would still be a problem. To retrieve another banner from Myriad Gold Manor, he would have to admit to negligence in management…

‘It certainly wouldn’t be a pleasant matter for Myriad Gold Manor.’

A banner was the face of a trading company. Admitting that it had been lost would ensure that Myriad Gold Manor would not look kindly on Oh Jeong-san.

The merchants who said this chuckled.

Whether they hated Oh Jeong-san or simply enjoyed watching others in trouble was unclear.

Jin Seong-un let out a small sigh.

‘…So childish.’

When he was just living as an inn boy, he hadn’t known.

But after opening Seong-un Inn, learning martial arts, and interacting with more people, he realized that the grand merchants and martial artists he had once thought so lofty were, in truth, incredibly petty.

After all, they too were only human.

They envied, they grew jealous, they sought to undermine one another.

By the time the merchants’ story ended—

Jin Seong-un quietly slipped out through the back door of the inn and put on a mask.

.

.

.

That dark night.

After visiting every inn in Yichang, Jin Seong-un returned with a banner in his hand.

The next morning.

As they were preparing to open for business, some commotion arose outside.

Seomun Ak, Jang Gwang, and Jin Seong-un stepped outside to watch the scene.

“What do you mean, a thief broke in overnight!”

A stout, bearded middle-aged man was clutching the innkeeper and shouting angrily.

The innkeeper looked extremely troubled as he replied.

“Did something of yours go missing, perhaps? Tell me, and I’ll do my utmost to help you find it.”

“No…!”

The middle-aged man could not bring himself to say what had been stolen. Of course he couldn’t. How could he admit that it was Myriad Gold Manor’s banner?

Clicking his tongue softly, Seomun Ak spoke to Jin Seong-un.

“This town is crawling with thieves. We had better watch our things closely too. Especially in times like these.”

“You’re right.”

Jin Seong-un nodded calmly, fixing the face of the middle-aged merchant in his memory.

The man looked quite decent, so it was hard to imagine that he had been involved in such underhanded schemes behind the scenes.

It seemed one truly couldn’t judge people by their faces.

‘Well…’

Jin Seong-un glanced at Seomun Ak and Jang Gwang.

The two had no idea what he was thinking and merely nodded.

.

.

.

Shortly after the morning business ended.

The inn’s members gathered together for a meal. While eating his noodles, Jin Seong-un spoke calmly.

“I think I should attend the Merchant Festival.”

Han Seong-chun responded with visible delight.

“That’s a fine idea. If you meet many merchants there, you’ll surely learn much as the innkeeper.”

“Have you been there yourself?”

“I went once when I was young. Back then, I worked at a famous inn, and the innkeeper there was a great merchant who ran both an escort agency and a bank.”

“Oh.”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

There must be a reason why Han Seong-chun, who had worked in inns for decades, was this openly supportive.

“And especially, Innkeeper Jin—you must go even more. You’ll probably meet many people who will be of help to you in the future.”

“I only run a small inn in this town. Would I really have reason to meet such people?”

“Well.”

Han Seong-chun smiled warmly.

In his eyes, Seong-un Inn had already far surpassed the level of a mere local inn.

Its growth rate, the standing of the regulars who frequented it comfortably, and even the renown of Innkeeper Jin himself—

‘Perhaps I’m witnessing the early days of a great trading company.’

Han Seong-chun truly believed so.

Jin Seong-un shrugged lightly, then glanced at Jang Gwang and Seomun Ak.

In truth, Jin Seong-un was also curious about the Merchant Festival. But leaving those two behind worried him.

Even now, they were glaring at each other over their meal. Healthy competition could be helpful, but if it went too far, it would surely become poisonous.

It was then that—

Sensing Jin Seong-un’s concern, Han Seong-chun spoke as if to himself.

“You never know. If the innkeeper goes to the Merchant Festival, a new wind may blow through the inn as well. It may be the time for it to truly establish itself as a large inn. There will be far more staff, and when that happens…”

Casting a sidelong glance at Seomun Ak and Jang Gwang, Han Seong-chun smiled subtly.

“There will be need for a proper hierarchy. The innkeeper won’t be able to personally manage everyone.”

A thunderbolt struck the heads of Seomun Ak and Jang Gwang.

Han Seong-chun’s meaning was clear.

Management positions!

Even in the Seomun Clan and the Yangtze River Stronghold, such figures existed. A clan head or stronghold leader could not personally oversee everyone.

Managers received more pay and wielded more authority. But more importantly—

‘It would mean putting that guy beneath me.’

Both Seomun Ak and Jang Gwang thought the exact same thing. Immediately, a new sense of responsibility settled in their eyes.

After all, the most basic quality of a manager was ‘responsibility’—the ability to keep things running smoothly on behalf of the master.

As martial artists accustomed to strict hierarchies, their train of thought flowed naturally.

Han Seong-chun chuckled and neatly wrapped up his words.

“Of course, it’s only a supposition, only a supposition.”

Having secured a perfect retreat, Han Seong-chun.

Jin Seong-un once again realized that he was truly a seasoned merchant.

Jingzhou, Hubei Province.

The heart of the Yangtze River’s midstream, where numerous waterways converged—this place had long been renowned as a hub of transportation.

Trade had gathered along its many routes like clouds, creating prosperity early on, and as a result, the city boasted a scale and vitality comparable to Wuhan, the provincial capital.

At the very center of this splendid city stood the Jingzhou Merchants’ Association.

Inside the association’s office—

Oh Jeong-san pressed his temples hard with a face that showed clear signs of a headache.

“The banner disappeared?”

“…Yes.”

Before him, a martial artist stood like a criminal, hands clasped together and head bowed. He was the man in charge of the banners for this Merchant Festival.

Oh Jeong-san had checked and rechecked all preparations before the event.

It was then that he noticed the absence of the banner and sent his subordinate to look for it.

“I am sorry, Chairman. I will do whatever I can to retrieve the banner…”

Oh Jeong-san raised his hand, cutting the man off. He did not lash out or berate his subordinate.

Emotions could not solve the matter.

He closed his eyes briefly, devising countermeasures.

‘Three days until the Merchant Festival.’

The best course was to recover the banner before then.

The likeliest possibility was that someone had stolen it.

Out of so many banners, only Myriad Gold Manor’s had vanished so precisely.

If it could not be found, the second-best option would be to explain the situation to Myriad Gold Manor and request another.

But in that case, relations with them risked becoming strained.

It was then—

A man’s voice rang out from outside the office.

“Chairman Oh, are you inside?”

The voice was familiar.

Oh Jeong-san rose immediately and opened the door himself, greeting the man.

“Oh my, what brings such a busy man here so early? There are still three days until the Merchant Festival.”

The man who entered was massive and rough-looking, yet his smile was exceedingly kind.

He grinned broadly as he spoke.

“Hahaha, I came early because I wanted to see our Chairman Oh.”

It was Song Jae-mun, Master of Jo-yang Escort Agency.

A magnate who had seized the position of one of the Hundred Great Merchants of the world in merely five years since opening his escort agency.

With a kindly smile, he continued.

“Tsk, it wasn’t that I meant to overhear, but…”

Oh Jeong-san forced a bitter smile.

He had not expected an outside merchant to enter so early, with days left until the festival—his mistake.

“Yes, that is the situation. It is my fault.”

“How could that be your fault? No doubt it’s the petty tricks of small-minded men jealous of your recent success.”

Recently, the Jingzhou Merchants’ Association under Oh Jeong-san had been expanding rapidly.

The reason was simple. Business in Jingzhou had reached stability, while ventures in Yichang were growing enormously.

At the center of it all was, of course, Jin Seong-un.

Just recalling him made Oh Jeong-san chuckle warmly, as though well-fed and content.

“Even so, I should have managed things better. I’ll search as much as possible, and if worst comes to worst, I’ll explain to Myriad Gold Manor honestly.”

With that, Oh Jeong-san naturally guided Song Jae-mun to a seat.

The two sat across from each other at the tea table in the middle of the office.

As Oh Jeong-san began brewing tea himself, Song Jae-mun suddenly spoke.

“In fact, I’m just about to establish direct trade with Myriad Gold Manor.”

Oh Jeong-san’s eyes widened.

Merchants who dealt directly with Myriad Gold Manor were few indeed—and all of them were considered the greatest magnates under heaven.

“Well now, my heartfelt congratulations. You never cease to bring astounding news, Master Song.”

Oh Jeong-san sincerely admired him.

It had not been long since Song Jae-mun had first made a name for himself in the business world.

Yet he had already displayed remarkable skill, becoming one of the foremost merchants in all the land.

His Jo-yang Escort Agency had long established itself as one of the two great escort agencies of Hubei Province.

The Red Cliff Escort Agency ruled the waterways, and the Jo-yang Escort Agency ruled the mountain roads.

Considering that Red Cliff had built its reputation over a hundred years, Song Jae-mun’s accomplishment was truly astounding.

With an embarrassed smile, Song Jae-mun offered,

“If you don’t mind, I could speak to a close acquaintance in Myriad Gold Manor and obtain a banner for you. Of course, it might raise some suspicion, but still…”

“What? No, that would be too much. How could I ask such a favor of you?”

Oh Jeong-san waved his hands quickly.

Even Song Jae-mun could not treat Myriad Gold Manor lightly. Surely there would be costs incurred in the process of retrieving the banner.

But Song Jae-mun grinned and said,

“It’s no one else but you, Chairman Oh. I believe you and your association will flourish greatly in the future. As a merchant, I want to invest ahead of time.”

It was blunt, yet pleasing to hear.

Even if he suffered some loss in this incident, he was willing to help—so long as Oh Jeong-san would help him in return someday.

Such a move could only be made if one truly believed in the other’s growth.

Scratching his head, Oh Jeong-san laughed.

“Even without this, should you ask me for aid in the future, I would surely respond. Merchants of Hubei should support one another, after all.”

“Well said! And as a merchant of Hubei myself, I’m offering to support you now. Don’t be burdened—just accept my goodwill.”

Oh Jeong-san’s face tightened.

Because of his earlier words, it had become difficult to refuse Song Jae-mun’s offer.

If he kept declining, it would amount to rejecting Song Jae-mun’s goodwill outright.

‘Still… I feel sorry about this.’

By nature, Oh Jeong-san disliked being indebted.

Merchants from martial backgrounds especially carried this trait strongly, as favors and grudges in the martial world could involve life and death.

He forced an awkward smile, while Song Jae-mun now wore the confident expression of a merchant who had secured the upper hand.

Just as Oh Jeong-san was about to reluctantly accept the goodwill—

Chairman, Master Jin has arrived.

At that moment, Oh Jeong-san sprang to his feet.

There was only one person his subordinates would call “Master Jin.”

Even back in Yichang, he had always been pleased whenever Seong-un visited. To hear that he had now come all the way to Jingzhou—it delighted him immensely.

And since a great figure of Hubei was here as well, he thought it the perfect chance to introduce Seong-un to Song Jae-mun.

Running an inn, there would surely come a time when the aid of an escort agency was needed.

“He is a younger brother I truly treasure, as well as a merchant. You may have heard of him—recently he has been called the Guest Dragon…”

“Guest Dragon!”

Song Jae-mun jolted in shock.

As a merchant of Hubei, how could he not know that alias?

A merchant who had become one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes. Those he associated with were none other than the most powerful factions of the era.

And what was more—he was young, with a future solidly guaranteed.

In that instant, far greater desire and goodwill filled Song Jae-mun’s eyes than he had shown even to Oh Jeong-san.

“Haha, it was truly wise to come early.”

Oh Jeong-san laughed with joy and ordered his subordinate to bring Jin Seong-un in.

The moment Jin Seong-un entered the office—

Oh Jeong-san and Song Jae-mun’s expressions both shifted strangely.

They were not looking at his face, but at the large object wrapped in white cloth he carried.

“Seong-un, you’ve come. But what is that you’ve brought…?”

“A banner.”

“A… banner?”

Wordlessly, Jin Seong-un unwrapped the white cloth.

The glorious banner of Myriad Gold Manor, symbol of the greatest trading company under heaven, revealed its majesty.

In that instant, Song Jae-mun’s expression twisted.

It lasted but a fraction of a moment—so brief that neither Oh Jeong-san nor the subordinate noticed.

But Jin Seong-un alone caught it and fixed it in his memory.