Chapter 309

“Grand Merchant Lord, it is good to see you.”

Alliance Leader Cheol Gun-ak returned Grand Merchant Lord Ho Yeonwon’s greeting with a slight bow of his head, then continued.

“I hurried back as soon as I heard you were coming, but it seems I was still a step too late.”

Grand Merchant Lord Ho Yeonwon quickly bowed again.

“Alliance Leader, please do not say such a thing. You must have countless matters demanding your attention, yet you have welcomed me so warmly and even graciously opened the Zhenjiangkou docks to our merchant fleet. I am deeply grateful.”

Cheol Gun-ak shook his head.

“We have always done as much. What is there to thank me for? Besides, the Zhenjiangkou docks happen to be empty at present.”

The Martial Alliance vessels that had been moored at Zhenjiangkou had departed to transport the campaign force against the Demonic Eight Divisions, leaving the docks vacant.

“Grand Merchant Lord, stay as long as you wish. A few days or more is perfectly fine, so make yourself at ease before you leave.”

“Nothing would please me more than to accept your kindness, but time is gold to a merchant expedition. Once the fleet arrives tomorrow, we will remain at anchor for one night and depart the following day.”

“Very well. Do as you see fit.”

Cheol Gun-ak nodded, then asked,

“Did you encounter any difficulties on your journey?”

“Thanks to your assistance, Alliance Leader, this expedition also passed without incident.”

“Ha ha. I cannot imagine what help I have ever rendered the Great Flame Merchant House to warrant such modesty.”

Cheol Gun-ak laughed heartily and continued.

“Everyone under heaven knows that the centuries of virtue accumulated by the Great Flame Merchant House open every road before it.”

The Great Flame Merchant House, which had held its place as the foremost merchant house under heaven for generations, was renowned for its charitable works.

It had established relief centers throughout the Central Plains to aid the poor and founded charitable halls to care for orphans. Praise for the Great Flame Merchant House could be heard throughout the realm.

For that reason, not only the orthodox path but even the unorthodox factions and the demons of the demonic path hesitated to approach any merchant caravan flying its banner.

Among their own leaders, there was invariably more than one person who had benefited from the Great Flame Merchant House, openly or in secret. The losses they would suffer for attacking one of its caravans would also be immense.

The virtue and reputation accumulated through centuries of charity had become the Great Flame Merchant House’s most dependable assets, guaranteeing the success of its ventures wherever it went.

Even so, it restrained its commerce within the Central Plains and concentrated on trade with foreign nations in the Western Regions.

This kept it from clashing with other merchant guilds. Instead, merchants throughout the Central Plains lined up for the opportunity to supply it with goods.

One might say the Great Flame Merchant House came closer than any other to realizing the ideal of governing the world and aiding the people through commerce.

Thus, alongside the Confucius House of the Literary Sage and the Martial Sage House of the martial world, it was revered by the people as the Wealth Sage House.

That was also why the Martial Alliance readily opened the Zhenjiangkou docks to its merchant fleet.

“By the way, Grand Merchant Lord, you must be disappointed that the Grand Strategist is away.”

Whenever Ho Yeonwon visited the Martial Alliance, he invariably met with Grand Strategist Sagong Ui.

That was partly because Cheol Gun-ak had long since withdrawn his hands from routine affairs, but also because Sagong Ui and Ho Yeonwon were old friends.

“It cannot be helped, so there is no reason for disappointment. For my part, I am pleased to have this rare opportunity to meet you instead.”

“Ha ha. I cannot imagine what pleasure there is in facing an old man such as myself, but I appreciate you saying so.”

Cheol Gun-ak smiled faintly and continued.

“As it happens, I had been hoping for an opportunity to see you.”

“...?”

“Has your precious daughter not been promised in marriage to the eldest young master of the Martial Sage House? How could I fail to congratulate you on such a joyous occasion?”

“Thank you. I am honored that the Lord of the Martial Sage House has looked so favorably upon my daughter. The Martial Sage himself has as well.”

“If even the Martial Sage approves of her, then your daughter must truly be a peerless beauty seldom seen under heaven.”

Ho Yeonwon gave a clasped-hands bow.

“You praise my inadequate daughter so highly that I hardly know what to do with myself.”

“Grand Merchant Lord, there is no need for modesty. I have heard that all children remain young in their parents’ eyes.”

Cheol Gun-ak shook his head and continued.

“In any case, a marriage alliance between the Martial Sage House and the Wealth Sage House is a great celebration for the entire martial world. When will the wedding be held?”

“My daughter has lessons she must complete. We intend to hold the ceremony once they are finished.”

Assuming that the daughter of the Great Flame Merchant House was simply undergoing the training expected of a young lady from a distinguished household, Cheol Gun-ak nodded.

“For my part, I hope that day comes as soon as possible.”

“...?”

When Ho Yeonwon looked at him, Cheol Gun-ak gave a bitter smile.

“I simply do not wish to miss such a grand occasion for both the martial and mercantile worlds. I am not a young man anymore.”

Having subtly hinted that he intended to step down as Alliance Leader and retire into seclusion, Cheol Gun-ak quickly changed the subject.

“Grand Merchant Lord, with a family celebration ahead of you, your next expedition will surely be affected.”

“That is true, but in any case, I intended this to be my final journey.”

“...?”

A peculiar light entered Cheol Gun-ak’s eyes. After himself and Uncheon Zhenren, he was now witnessing yet another man bring a lifelong undertaking to its conclusion.

“It may be presumptuous of an ordinary man like me to say this before you, Alliance Leader, but these expeditions have never been easy. I intend to use my daughter’s marriage as an excuse to stop leading them personally.”

Cheol Gun-ak noticed the gray at Ho Yeonwon’s temples and nodded readily.

For a man who had never trained in martial arts, traveling the long and treacherous road to the Western Regions could not have been easy.

“You must feel a great deal of regret, Grand Merchant Lord. I heard you had traveled that road since you were barely twenty.”

“Rather than regret, I feel both relieved and wistful.”

“...?”

“I have enjoyed traveling through the foreign lands of the Western Regions and seeing unfamiliar cultures. But in truth, I also witnessed many unpleasant things.”

Cheol Gun-ak nodded.

“Why should the foreign lands of the Western Regions be any different? People live there too, after all.”

“That is true. Wherever I went, it was still a world inhabited by people.”

“...?”

Ho Yeonwon’s voice carried such weight that Cheol Gun-ak found himself slightly puzzled.

Was there something more in what I said?

He had only offered a conventional response.

Sensing that there might be some story behind the Grand Merchant Lord’s words, Cheol Gun-ak studied him more closely. His gaze fell upon the ring on Ho Yeonwon’s finger.

At the same moment, he recalled the flame-patterned banner fluttering from the dragon ship’s mast.

“Grand Merchant Lord, I do not recall seeing that ring on your finger before.”

“That is because this is indeed the first time you have seen it, Alliance Leader.”

“I noticed your dragon ship at the Zhenjiangkou docks on my way here. Today, instead of the banner of the Great Flame Merchant House, it was flying one bearing the same design as that ring. I had been wondering about it.”

It was an indirect way of asking what the design meant.

“This ring bears the crest of my Main House, passed down through the generations. It is taken out and worn whenever we stand before an important undertaking.”

Assuming the important undertaking Ho Yeonwon meant was his daughter’s marriage, Cheol Gun-ak replied lightly,

“Then that ring is a kind of protective talisman for the Great Flame Merchant House.”

“In the narrowest sense, it does carry such a meaning.”

With that, Ho Yeonwon firmly closed his mouth.

For a guest to fall silent in the middle of a conversation was a tacit request for permission to withdraw.

Cheol Gun-ak had already felt inexplicably unsettled all day. He readily nodded.

“I have kept a man weary from a long journey for too long. I ordered a guest residence prepared, so you should retire and rest from your travels.”

At the Alliance Leader’s dismissal, Ho Yeonwon rose as though he had been waiting for it.

“I shall obey your command and withdraw. However, I would feel uncomfortable if the entire Martial Alliance had to concern itself with my presence alone, so I must respectfully decline the guest residence you prepared.”

Ho Yeonwon meant that he intended to remain aboard his dragon ship rather than stay in the Martial Alliance’s guest residence. Cheol Gun-ak readily nodded.

“I had forgotten that the friend with whom you would have shared wine through the night is away. And consequently, that the guest residence would only feel humble and uncomfortable to you.”

“Thank you for not rebuking me for being narrow-minded.”

“I know you are merely being considerate of how busy the Alliance is.”

Cheol Gun-ak smiled at Ho Yeonwon, then turned to Hocheon Unit Lord Myung.

“Unit Lord Myung, escort the Grand Merchant Lord back to his dragon ship.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

After giving Cheol Gun-ak a cupped-hands salute, Myung Jincheon turned to Ho Yeonwon.

“Grand Merchant Lord, allow me to escort you.”

Only after Ho Yeonwon had left Righteous Heaven Hall under Myung Jincheon’s guidance did Cheol Gun-ak realize that there was one answer he had never received.

Why had the dragon ship raised the flame-patterned banner in place of the Great Flame Merchant House’s own?

It was only natural for the Grand Merchant Lord to wear a ring that served as his family’s protective talisman.

But what meaning was there in placing the talisman’s design upon a banner?

And why deliberately hoist it from the dragon ship’s mast?

No matter how much it might be regarded as a protective talisman, it made no sense for a man of the Grand Merchant Lord’s stature to replace his merchant house’s banner with a painted charm.

Cheol Gun-ak puzzled over it for a moment, then shook his head and dismissed the question.

Perhaps the unpleasant feeling with which he had begun the morning had simply made him overly sensitive.

When they emerged from Righteous Heaven Hall and reached a point overlooking the Zhenjiangkou docks, Ho Yeonwon abruptly addressed Myung Jincheon.

“I heard from the Grand Strategist that you also enjoy West River Fragrance, Unit Lord Myung.”

“...!”

Myung Jincheon flinched, then nodded.

“That is correct.”

“This journey took me through the West River region, and I obtained some West River Fragrance of the finest quality. Yet the Grand Strategist, with whom I would normally share it, happens to be away. I was hoping you might join me as a companion over tea instead.”

“...!”

Seeing the surprise in Myung Jincheon’s eyes, Ho Yeonwon gave a bitter smile.

“You never imagined that I would be the one to offer you West River Fragrance, did you?”

“...No, I did not.”

“Why should that surprise you? I am only one person among many.”

“...!”

Ho Yeonwon looked down at the docks beneath the cliff and continued.

“You know what the banner on that dragon ship means.”

Myung Jincheon nodded, his face darkening.

“I do.”

“When the Grand Strategist first offered you West River Fragrance, he must have told you the same thing. We force no one to choose.”

“...”

Ho Yeonwon’s own expression hardened as he looked at Myung Jincheon’s rigid face.

“I will wait through the night. Should you wish to join me as a friend and share West River Fragrance, come aboard.”

“...”

“Unit Lord Myung, you need escort me no farther.”

Having said all he intended to say, Ho Yeonwon began descending the stairs that led to the Zhenjiangkou docks.

Myung Jincheon kept his eyes fixed on the crimson flame visible beyond the departing Grand Merchant Lord.

After a moment, he turned and looked back at Righteous Heaven Hall.

Vengeance and grace.

Caught between two things that could never coexist, Myung Jincheon felt himself shrinking into nothing.