Chapter 120 : Pungun Merchant Guild
[There is something I would like to tell you about the Demonic Cult.]
Namgung Hui, in disbelief, rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the words written on the letter were indeed 'Demonic Cult.'
Why on earth would a merchant guild he had never even met bring up the dangerous topic of the Demonic Cult?
'What are they plotting? I guess I have no choice but to meet them.'
"Brother. How much longer until we reach the Pungun Merchant Guild?"
"If we travel diligently until tonight, we should be able to arrive. But aren't you participating in the martial arts tournament right now? Father also said he would go with the Moon Maiden Palace Lady in time for the main tournament schedule. Did you perhaps lose in a duel?"
"Brother. Unfortunately, there is no one among the young martial artists who can defeat me. Today's schedule ended early, so I came out for a short walk."
"A walk? Wait. It's a few days' journey from Zhengzhou, where the Martial Alliance is, to here..."
Namgung Hui cut off Namgung Chan's suspicious words and said.
"Never mind that. Brother. I must go to the Pungun Merchant Guild as well. The contents of this letter are unusual."
"Alright. It would be reassuring if you came with me. Since you finished your preliminary schedule today, you should be free tomorrow, so let's go."
Namgung Hui nodded and got into the carriage.
And just as Namgung Chan had said, they were able to arrive at the Pungun Merchant Guild when the sun set and the sky grew dark.
Getting out of the carriage, Namgung Hui looked over the Pungun Merchant Guild, nodded, and said.
"It's not as big as the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, but the three major merchant guilds of the Central Plains are certainly huge."
"You're saying the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild is bigger than this? I can't even imagine. The Pungun Merchant Guild before my eyes is no different from the imperial palace."
"Come, come. We don't know what the inside is like, so let's go in and take a look."
Even as Namgung Hui walked with firm steps, he did not neglect to be wary of his surroundings.
Now that the words 'Demonic Cult' had come up.
The Pungun Merchant Guild could be a tiger's den.
'It could be a trick by the Hoicheon Association. If they capture both me and my brother at the same time, the Namgung family would be as good as gone.'
Even if it wasn't that, it wouldn't be strange if there was some other plot that Namgung Hui didn't know about.
In a merchant guild, secret struggles, not martial arts, were the norm.
As the Azure Sky Escort Agency group approached the main gate, the warriors on guard duty readjusted their spears and said.
"Are you from the Azure Sky Escort Agency?"
"That's right. I am the Escort Agency Head, Namgung Chan."
"For the Agency Head to come in person. You have made a precious trip. Please come right in."
Perhaps because they recognized the flag of the Azure Sky Escort Agency and the martial arts robes of the Namgung family, there was no separate identity check.
Well, Namgung Chan's distinguished appearance and Namgung Hui's handsome face could be said to be a substitute for an identification tag.
Guided to the reception hall, Namgung Chan and Namgung Hui drank warm tea and looked around the hall.
"Just that calligraphy and painting hanging over there looks like it's worth dozens of silver taels."
"Is one painting that expensive?"
"Of course. The value of art is limitless, isn't it? Just as the value of a martial arts manual changes depending on the true meaning contained within it. Oh. That porcelain seems to have been brought from Joseon. It is quite beautiful."
'My brother has been engrossed in commerce for a while, and his eye for things seems to be outstanding. Should I invest in him a little?'
He had told Cheon Yeohwa at the family estate to set up and run a merchant guild.
It seemed it wouldn't be a bad idea to expand the merchant guild in connection with his brother, Namgung Chan.
At first, he had set it up to track the movements of the Blood Cult and the Hoicheon Association, but now that its necessity had been somewhat diluted, it seemed he could turn it in a different direction.
-Knock, knock. Sreureuk.
With the sound of a knock, the door opened, and a young man entered the reception hall.
As he entered, the smell of ink wafted out, as if he had just been wielding a brush until a moment ago.
The still-damp ink on his sleeve turned his guess into a certainty.
"I apologize for being late. I was in the middle of something. I offer my belated greetings to the Escort Agency Head."
The young man politely cupped his fist and sat down opposite Namgung Chan.
"It's alright. We are the ones who came at a late hour, so you don't need to mind. This child who resembles me is my one and only younger brother, Namgung Hui. And Hui, this gentleman here is Lord Kang Yuseong, the young guild master of the Pungun Merchant Guild."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Kang Yuseong. By the way, are you the one who sent the letter?"
"Yes. I sent it. If you'll excuse me, may I speak with the Agency Head here first?"
"Please do. I will step out and wait for a moment then."
Namgung Hui gave a slight nod and left the reception hall.
He didn't need to listen to the business talk.
And more importantly, he wanted to first figure out what dangers might be lurking inside the merchant guild.
Namgung Hui stood in the center of the merchant guild and spread his electric net.
A fourth sense that spread out in all directions like an insect's antennae.
How many martial artists were there.
How the formations and mechanisms were installed.
He thoroughly checked for any hidden poisons or assassins.
'Hmm... There are more masters than I thought, but there don't seem to be any suspicious people. The level of mechanisms and formations is what a merchant guild should naturally have. Well, I guess it passes.'
However, what stood out was the unusually large amount of grain and supplies piled up in the warehouse.
It looked like a merchant guild hoarding food in preparation for a war.
That point was a bit strange, but thinking about the current times, he thought it wasn't entirely impossible and just let it go.
It wasn't a confirmed fact that a war would break out, so it could just end up being a waste of supplies.
Just as Namgung Hui had finished inspecting the merchant guild, Namgung Chan came out and found him.
"Hui. What are you doing there?"
"The night sky is just clear, so I was looking at the constellations."
"Really? That's unusual. You, who wouldn't even look at the night sky after mother passed away."
That's right. His mother resembled the moon, so Namgung Hui was reluctant to look at the night sky.
Because thoughts of his deceased mother would make tears well up in his eyes.
But it was okay now.
He was grown up now.
And with the addition of his past life's self, he had matured, so he could even smile while looking at the night sky.
And it also reminded him of someone.
"I'm an adult now, aren't I? By the way, did the business talk go well?"
"It went too well, that's the problem. The conditions are suspiciously good. Well, they say it's a form of investment in our family, but you can't trust the words of merchants."
"Still, the fact that you made a deal means they are more trustworthy than other merchant guilds, doesn't it?"
"Yes. We've had a connection with this merchant guild since my grandfather's time. So I decided to trust the connection of three generations. You should also hope that my grandfather is looking after me, just as your ancestors looked after you."
"A meticulous person like you wouldn't have made a decision based on just that kind of connection. Well, that's for you to handle, so I'll go and meet the young guild master."
"Haha. Yes. Go ahead. I'm tired, so I'll go to bed first. You should also sleep in the guest room they provide here."
Namgung Hui also wanted to avoid unnecessary expenses, so he readily nodded.
"Yes. Then I'll go take care of my business. Sleep well, brother."
"Alright."
Namgung Hui looked at Namgung Chan's warm smile, then turned around.
The faint smile on his face vanished in an instant.
And a dark expression, like the night sky, took its place.
'Then, shall I hear the reason for bringing up the Demonic Cult?'
Sreureuk.
Entering the reception hall, Namgung Hui sat down in front of a steaming teacup.
He then placed the letter from his robes on the table and opened his mouth.
"Lord Kang Yuseong. You said you sent this letter, right?"
"That's right. I wrote and sent it myself."
"You wanted to talk about the Demonic Cult."
"Yes. Should I call it the Blood Cult now? Anyway. I have something to tell you regarding that place."
"It's getting late. Let's get straight to the point."
Slurp.
Kang Yuseong took a sip of tea and cleared his throat.
The atmosphere was quite serious, as if he was about to say something very important.
"The Blood Cult has contacted our merchant guild."
"Contacted? What did you talk about?"
"To be blunt, they demanded that we provide them with supplies. They threatened to destroy our merchant guild if we didn't supply the requested goods."
"Hmm... Then wouldn't it be better to ask the Martial Alliance for help rather than me?"
Logically, the Martial Alliance was established to handle such matters.
There was no need to go to Namgung Hui and ask for help.
In the first place, Kang Yuseong wouldn't know the extent of Namgung Hui's power, so this intention was just strange.
"I also considered the Martial Alliance, but Elder Cheongija recommended you, my lord, over the Martial Alliance."
"Cheongija?"
"Yes."
Why would Jegal Geon's grandfather recommend Namgung Hui?
Namgung Hui had heard about his insight from Jegal Geon until his ears bled, but even so, he would only be smarter than an ordinary person.
How much did that Cheongija know about Namgung Hui to recommend him over the Martial Alliance?
"What exactly did he say? The young guild master of one of the three major merchant guilds in the Central Plains wouldn't have chosen me based on just a few words of advice, would he?"
"That's right. I didn't believe it at first either, but after Elder Cheongija showed me a few things, I had no choice but to believe."
"What did he show you?"
"Hmm... I have a promise with Elder Cheongija, so it's difficult to say for sure. Anyway. There was evidence that I could trust. And based on that, I came to my current conclusion. That I need you, Lord Namgung Hui, more than the Martial Alliance."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Namgung Hui tapped the table and was lost in thought for a moment.
There didn't seem to be any lies in Kang Yuseong's words.
But it was also difficult to believe it at face value.
What on earth did Cheongija show and tell him that made him trust Namgung Hui more than the Martial Alliance?
'I'll have to meet Cheongija. I should ask Jegal Geon to set up an appointment soon. I did give him the Thunder Liquor for this purpose.'
And this matter was by no means a bad proposal for Namgung Hui.
On the contrary, he needed to investigate the Blood Cult, and this could be a perfect opportunity.
"I'll be honest. I'm an individual, not a group like the Martial Alliance, so I can't protect the Pungun Merchant Guild by myself. And yet you're still asking me for help?"
"Yes. Even if the Martial Alliance comes, they won't protect us with all their heart. We've had friction with the Martial Alliance before..."
Come to think of it, the Martial Alliance did not trade with the Pungun Merchant Guild.
Myriad Gold Merchant Guild and Golden Merchant Guild.
They only traded with these two.
It seemed the friction in the past was related to bribes.
'Is this also the reason why my brother chose the Pungun Merchant Guild? It seems they don't offer bribes.'
The atmosphere felt inside the merchant guild was also more neat and clean than flashy.
Not just the calligraphy and porcelain, but even the buildings like the pavilions seemed to have been built with extreme efficiency in mind.
For one of the three major merchant guilds in the Central Plains, it had a frugal feel, which seemed to have earned it good points with Namgung Chan.
"Alright. Then I will do my best to help the Pungun Merchant Guild. But it's only possible after the martial arts tournament is over. When is the deadline set by the Blood Cult?"
"The deadline they demanded is also after the martial arts tournament. And at first, we plan to provide the supplies they demanded."
"Is that why the warehouse was full of supplies? Well, it's not my money, so I don't care, but what's the reason for going that far?"
"One is to make them let their guard down. The other is to infiltrate the Blood Cult."
Namgung Hui, who was drinking tea, was surprised and asked back.
"Wait. Infiltrate?"
"Yes. What I want to ask of you, Lord Namgung Hui, is to infiltrate the Blood Cult."