The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

It seemed that the head of a large merchant family and the general fortress master of the Green Forest, who would never have met, were facing each other.

"I thought it wasn't the Green Forest's way to plunder only small merchants."

"It's not our way."

"Then why did the Green Forest do such a thing? And what is the reason for touching Sohyun?"

"That was just the deviation of one fortress master. I never ordered such a thing. Besides, it was your eldest son who came to see me directly."

"You're saying Sohyun came to see you directly?"

"You could say that."

'Don't tell me it was to find out who was behind it?'

Jin Seomok learned that Jin Sohyun had personally entered the tiger's den to find out who was behind the plundering that was happening in Shanxi.

'It was my mistake!'

It was something he had done just because he wanted Jin Sohyun to go outside the family estate.

But to think that it would become poison.

As Jin Seomok blamed himself, wiping his face, Kang Seopyeong was puzzled.

When it came to martial prowess alone, Jin Sohyun was a strong person who could destroy dozens of mountain fortresses single-handedly.

But Jin Seomok treated Jin Sohyun like a child left by the water's edge.

"To think that young child would climb a mountain until he was exhausted just to be of help to his family..."

"...What?"

"That delicate child..."

"What..."

Kang Seopyeong was dumbfounded.

Whether he knew of Kang Seopyeong's feelings or not, Jin Seomok said with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Although Sohyun learned martial arts from Elder Kang, he only learned a few self-defense techniques. He is still a child who doesn't know the ways of the world, so he did something as reckless as going to a mountain fortress alone."

"He only learned self-defense techniques?"

"I was greedy because the child was a little lazy. Although the cause of everything is you, thank you for handing over my son unharmed."

Jin Seomok expressed his sincere gratitude, and Kang Seopyeong was contemplating how to accept it.

'It seems he doesn't know that we fought, risking our lives. No, in the first place, he doesn't seem to know how strong his son is.'

Should he tell the truth or not?

Kang Seopyeong decided to choose the latter.

If he told the truth as it was, he didn't know what Jin Seomok, whose eyes had gone crazy, would do.

"Well... we didn't want to be on bad terms with the Jin Family either."

"But I need to know the reason for the plundering in Shanxi. Why is the Green Forest plundering the merchants of Shanxi?"

"It's funny for a bandit to say this, but we have our own sense of honor."

Although he didn't say it directly, Kang Seopyeong neither admitted nor denied that there was a real mastermind.

But for Jin Seomok, that was enough.

"It's fine as long as it wasn't the Green Forest's sole doing. That's enough, so the Green Forest should withdraw from Shanxi now. I will bury the plundering you have committed so far, so go back to where you were."

"You don't need to find out who's behind it?"

"I'll take care of that myself. It will take some time, though."

"How about we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

Jin Seomok's face contorted nicely.

"Although I am facing the general fortress master of the Green Forest because of the situation, I will never compromise or make a deal with a bandit."

Despite not having learned martial arts, a dignity befitting the head of a family could be felt from Jin Seomok.

"There will be no deal between us."

As Jin Seomok stood up from his seat to end the conversation, Kang Seopyeong smiled and said.

"The reason the Green Forest came to Shanxi is because there is no other hunting ground as tempting as this."

"Did you just say hunting ground?"

"There are no notable sects or martial families in Shanxi. Moreover, thanks to the excellent merchant family of the Jin Family in Shanxi, numerous merchant groups, escort agencies, and merchants gather. From a bandit's point of view, there is no better hunting ground than this."

"What are you trying to say?"

"The lifespan of a general fortress master is not that long. The day I step down from the position of general fortress master, the Green Forest will covet Shanxi again."

"When that time comes, the Green Forest will have to be prepared. I will not let it pass peacefully like today either."

"Hahaha! I like it. In that sense, I'll give you a gift."

"I don't need a bandit's gift."

"You're so picky... take it. This is to repay the debt I owe your son."

"A debt?"

Kang Seopyeong, who had nodded, said something to Jin Seomok, and Jin Seomok's eyes, who had heard it, widened slightly.

"Let's meet again if we have a chance next time."

"That won't..."

Kang Seopyeong left without even listening to Jin Seomok's words.

Kang Seopyeong, who was walking to return to the mountain, stopped in his tracks.

"How long are you going to follow me?"

"This is unexpected. To think the general fortress master of the Green Forest would just give in without getting anything... may I ask the reason?"

The one who had appeared from the darkness was Gongsun Su.

"It's just a whim."

"For a whim, you don't seem to be in a normal state either."

Although Jin Seomok didn't know, Kang Seopyeong's breathing was not even.

This meant that the flow of his qi was not smooth, and Gongsun Su, who was an outstanding martial artist, realized through this that Kang Seopyeong's body was not in a normal state.

"What on earth happened between you and Jin Sohyun?"

"It's a secret."

Kang Seopyeong, who had smiled playfully, waved his hand and disappeared.

"Hmm."

What had happened on the mountain?

Siu and Mu Yonghu, who had woken up a short while ago, seemed not to remember what had happened.

"Something definitely happened between Jin Sohyun and the general fortress master..."

The questions grew, but the answers showed no sign of being solved.

***

"What the hell happened!!"

Dugu Ryong, the head of the Doheo Merchant Group, shouted, bursting with anger.

"All the bandits have disappeared!?"

"It's true. The bandits who were plundering the merchants of Shanxi have disappeared without a trace! According to those who climbed the mountain to confirm, the mountain fortresses were also abandoned, and there were no bandits."

"This is hell! Those damn bandits have deceived me!"

Dugu Ryong, who had paid a large sum of money to the Green Forest and had instigated them to plunder the merchants of Shanxi, was going crazy.

Even after Dugu Myeong had failed to assassinate Jin Seomok, the Doheo Merchant Group, which had been a famous merchant group in Shanxi, had to go through a long dark period.

They had just barely become a proper merchant group again, but the Green Forest had backstabbed them.

"Damn it...!"

A man approached Dugu Ryong, who was pulling his hair and getting annoyed.

"Leader. A letter has arrived."

"A letter?"

Dugu Ryong, who had received the letter from the man, read the contents and then tore the letter he was holding and huffed and puffed.

"I have a place to go urgently, so get ready!"

As soon as the preparations were finished, a carriage carrying Dugu Ryong left the Doheo Merchant Group.

The carriage ran along an inconspicuous forest road and then stopped and waited until the sun went down.

As the sun went down and dusk fell on the world, Dugu Ryong, who had gotten out of the carriage, looked around and climbed the mountain.

How long had he climbed?

Dugu Ryong, who had arrived at the appointed place, carefully entered an abandoned hut.

Someone was already there.

Dugu Ryong questioned the man whose face was not visible, buried in the shadows.

"What is the meaning of this! General Fortress Master! How much money did I give to the Green Forest!"

"Circumstances have arisen."

"Circumstances!? What on earth are the circumstances that made the Green Forest turn tail!"

"The Jin Family has noticed."

"N-Noticed what... what did they notice?"

As the figure, which had been hidden in the black shadow, slowly got up, the moonlight that came in through the gap of the broken window illuminated his face.

The man's revealed face was a face that Dugu Ryong knew well.

"That the Doheo Merchant Group used the Green Forest to plunder the merchants of Shanxi."

"J-Jin Seomok..."

At the appearance of Jin Seomok, Mu Yonghu appeared from behind him.

The blade, which was half-drawn from his waistband, reflected the moonlight and flashed a sharp light.

"Your predecessor tried to assassinate me, but I did not hold him responsible. But you are making the same mistake as your predecessor."

"Family Head Jin... Family Head Jin!"

"Thanks to that, I have learned one lesson. That the goodwill I have shown can sometimes come back as poison."

Dugu Ryong prostrated himself on the spot and trembled.

There was only one thing he could do now.

"Please just spare my life! This Dugu has done everything wrong!"

"I will give you a special choice."

"Just say the word! I will do everything you say!"

"The Doheo Merchant Group will have to compensate for the damages that the merchants of Shanxi have suffered so far. Of course, it will by no means be a small amount of money."

"I... I understand."

"Also, the Doheo Merchant Group will no longer be able to operate a merchant group in Shanxi."

"That's...!"

"If you can't fulfill even one of the conditions I have stated, I have no reason to show mercy anymore."

"I will... fulfill them."

Dugu Ryong had no choice but to swallow his anger and go back the way he had come.

Looking at the receding carriage of the Doheo Merchant Group, Mu Yonghu said.

"Is it alright to let Dugu Ryong go like this?"

"Since Dugu Ryong and the Green Forest have kept their line, I have to treat them accordingly."

If the Green Forest had harmed people because of the Doheo Merchant Group, Jin Seomok would never have forgiven them.

He would have used all the connections and funds he could to deal with the Green Forest and the Doheo Merchant Group.

"Sohyun is safe, and the Green Forest has withdrawn, so I should stop at this point. Let's go back."

"Yes!"

Mu Yonghu escorted Jin Seomok and left the hut.

"I almost made a very big mistake."

Jin Seomok, who had come out of the hut, closed his two eyes and clenched his two fists hard.

"My greed has put Sohyun in danger."

"Although it was certainly dangerous, thanks to Young Master Jin, we were able to drive out the Green Forest and find out who was behind it, weren't we?"

"Still, it was too dangerous. Perhaps this world is too dangerous for Sohyun."

At the back of Jin Seomok, who was going down the mountain with a determined face as if he had made up his mind, Mu Yonghu had one question.

'Why did the general fortress master of the Green Forest send Sohyun back safely? And it was Sohyun who knocked me out. He accurately pressed my acupoint.'

They were incomprehensible things.

Mu Yonghu, who could not confuse Jin Seomok's mind with uncertain information yet, had to put the questions he had back inside.

'I'll have to ask Sohyun or Siu next time.'

***

"It's a pity to give up the business rights of Shanxi like this. Moreover, useless rumors will start to spread among the Green Forest bandits who have watched the Fortress Master's fight."

"Simun."

"Yes, Fortress Master."

The two watched the procession of the Green Forest bandits leaving Shanxi.

"What do you think of the person named Jin Sohyun?"

"What? I certainly think he is a genius who has a martial art that cannot be possessed at that age."

"Such a person has been deceiving himself as the Slothful Young Master for over 20 years. The world only knows Jin Sohyun as a lazy bum of the world."

"Yes. Is there any problem with that?"

"What if that was his intention?"

"If it was his intention..."

Kang Seopyeong's gaze turned to the northwest sky where the Jin Family's estate was.

"That brat might be a much more dangerous brat than we think. So today, the Green Forest did not give up Shanxi, but gained the Jin Family, which harbors a monster named Jin Sohyun."

"Jin Seomok or Jin Sohyun won't think so."

"Jin Seomok is a merchant to the bone. He may be denying it now, but deep down in his heart, he will be thinking that he owes me a debt."

A few shichen ago, Kang Seopyeong had heard the news that the carriage that had left the Doheo Merchant Group had hurriedly returned, through the subordinates he had planted in advance.

This meant that Jin Seomok had accepted Kang Seopyeong's gift.

"Let's go back. One day, the martial world will have to face the Jin Family, and this will be an opportunity for the Green Forest."

Kang Seopyeong, who had obtained more than he had thought, turned his back on Shanxi with a good mood and said.

"Ah, Palbong."

"Y-Yes!"

Palbong, who had betrayed the Green Forest and had helped Jin Sohyun, had not been able to leave the Green Forest in the end.

Instead, Palbong, who had to stay by Kang Seopyeong's side, glanced at him, and Kang Seopyeong said.

"You will have a lot more to do from now on."

"Me?"

"Yes."

That day, Palbong did not know.

What he would do for the Green Forest in the future.

(End of Chapter)