Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 262

262. Homecoming

The middle-aged man asked the scholarly-looking young man,

“You don’t seem like a merchant. Is your home in Gwangju?”

The young man hesitated for a moment before answering in a barely audible voice,

“…It is my hometown, but it’s been so long…”

“Is that so? Well, I come often, but Gwangju is always new. So many people, so many goods, so much activity. Ships even come from the distant Western Regions, you know.”

The middle-aged man said, leaning back comfortably.

He didn’t care that the people on either side were giving him annoyed looks because he was taking up too much space.

“So, there are many opportunities here. If this deal goes well, I’ll make a tidy sum. It’s a transaction with the Hoam Merchant Guild, no less.”

He said, quite boastfully.

Others, tired of the merchant’s obvious bragging, frowned, but some showed interest.

“The Hoam Merchant Guild?”

The young lady across from him asked, her eyes gleaming.

Because of this, the two did not notice the scholarly young man’s eyes wavering.

“Isn’t Gwangju known for the Hwanam and Jin-ga Merchant Guilds?”

“Oh my, this young lady is talking about old times…”

The middle-aged man said with a chuckle.

“Now it’s the Hoam Merchant Guild. Of course, Hwanam and Jin-ga can’t be ignored, but isn’t Hoam one of the top three merchant guilds in the world?”

The Hoam Merchant Guild’s reputation in the merchant world had changed significantly.

Being in the top five was a thing of the past; now, it proudly held its name among the top three merchant guilds in the world.

“They’ve only been in Gwangju for less than a year, and they’re already raking in money. Medicine, iron ore, even grain—their hoarding is unbelievable.”

“And the other guilds are just standing by?”

“Of course, there was a lot of backlash. But what can they do? They’re buying at high prices. Thanks to that, many small and medium-sized guilds have gone bankrupt. They had supply contracts but couldn’t get the goods.”

“What about the authorities?”

The middle-aged man smirked.

“When it comes to greasing palms [bribing officials], the Hoam Merchant Guild is second to none. Of course, so are the Jin-ga and Hwanam Guilds.”

The ‘greasing palms’ he mentioned was clearly bribery. The young lady frowned slightly, but the middle-aged man continued.

“Anyway, things got so bad that the conflict between the Hoam Merchant Guild and the existing guilds reached its peak. Eventually, something happened.”

The young lady’s eyes sparkled. The middle-aged man spoke in a rather low tone.

“The Hoam Merchant Guild’s caravan was attacked by unidentified thugs. Near Cheongwon, where we just passed.”

The term ‘unidentified thugs’ was quite deliberate.

The young lady understood the implication.

“Are you saying another guild hired them?”

The middle-aged man shrugged.

“Who knows? They’re unidentified, after all. Anyway, over thirty people died in that attack. But the Hoam Merchant Guild’s goods were untouched. Do you know why?”

That was certainly strange.

But the young lady blinked a few times and soon realized the answer.

“Could it be that the dead people…”

The middle-aged man smirked and said,

“That’s right. The dead were the thugs. The guards protecting the caravan were incredibly skilled. While over thirty thugs were being killed, the Hoam Merchant Guild people didn’t even get a scratch.”

Clack, clack.

Was it because of the mention of people dying? A moment of silence fell in the carriage.

“Which sect was in charge of guarding the Hoam Merchant Guild at that time?”

The young lady suddenly asked.

Her question was sharp.

With that level of skill, they must belong to a sect closely related to the guild.

“I don’t know. Anyway, after that incident, no one dares to touch the Hoam Merchant Guild. The ones dying are the small and medium-sized guilds. The Hwanam and Jin-ga Guilds are fine because their foundations are strong.”

Meanwhile, the carriage was entering Gwangju.

The middle-aged man glanced at the young lady and said,

“If you have time, would you like to have tea together? I know a lot about the Hoam Merchant Guild…”

The young lady smiled and said,

“No, thank you.”

She answered firmly and turned her head away.

“Oh my, I didn’t even break even. Hahaha.”

The middle-aged man laughed it off, as if embarrassed by the others’ attention.

But judging by his unchanging expression, he was clearly a thick-skinned merchant.

Clack, clack.

The other passengers in the carriage began to gather their belongings.

“Don’t worry too much.”

The middle-aged man said to the young man looking out the window, as if tossing the words away.

“Everyone’s trying to pass the civil service exam these days, so if you open a village school, you won’t starve.”

The young man hadn’t said anything, but the middle-aged man already regarded him as a failed scholar.

“Gwangju! Gwangju!”

The coachman shouted as the carriage arrived at the post station.

The passengers rushed out of the carriage.

The porters busily moved the cargo the carriage had brought, and the people disappeared in their own directions.

The middle-aged man spoke to the young lady once more, but she left the post station without even looking at him.

Thud.

The young man was the last to leave the post station.

He recalled how the young lady had maintained her posture throughout the long journey, but soon shook his head.

It was none of his business anyway.

The Hoam Merchant Guild, the masters, the sects, and martial arts.

As if afraid of the unfamiliar streets, the young man lowered his head, hunched his shoulders, and moved his feet weakly.

***

The Un-ga Merchant Guild was a native guild of Gwangju.

Due to its relatively conservative family traditions, the Un-ga Merchant Guild never engaged in unfair transactions or actions that would invite criticism.

Perhaps because of this, it never made great profits, but everyone acknowledged the guild’s integrity.

That integrity became its greatest asset, and the Un-ga Merchant Guild boasted a fairly solid size among the many small and medium-sized guilds in Gwangju.

But that was all in the past.

‘W-What is this…’

The young man couldn’t hide his surprise at the sight before him.

The main gate of the Un-ga Merchant Guild was desolate, without a single person.

The bustling and lively atmosphere was nowhere to be found, and only an empty courtyard lay beyond the wide-open gate.

A dilapidated and decaying old guild.

That was the appearance of the Un-ga Merchant Guild.

“What’s going on?”

A voice full of vigilance flew out.

When the young man raised his head, a servant holding a long broom in his hand was staring at him with suspicious eyes.

“Who are you?”

The young man was momentarily flustered.

A stranger in shabby clothes was suddenly looking for the master, so he couldn’t help but be wary.

“Um, where is the elder right now…”

The servant’s brow furrowed.

“Who are you? Who do you think you are, looking for the elder so carelessly? If it’s some trivial matter, I’ll give you a good scolding…”

It was when the servant was about to speak in a harsh voice.

“What’s all the commotion?”

A heavy voice was heard from inside.

The servant quickly turned his body and lowered his head.

“C-Chief Manager.”

“Why is there such a commotion in front of the gate?”

Thud, thud.

The person who appeared from inside was the Chief Manager Kang of the Un-ga Merchant Guild.

He was beginning to enter old age and had sharp eyes and a cold impression.

He was strict and taciturn in everything, so the servants of the Un-ga Merchant Guild found him difficult to approach.

“T-That person suddenly said he wanted to see the elder…”

Chief Manager Kang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A strange scholar in shabby clothes was standing in front of the gate.

“Young man, I don’t know what your business is, but…”

Chief Manager Kang, who was about to say a word, suddenly realized that the scholar’s appearance was somewhat familiar.

It didn’t take long for him to recall an old name.

“…Young Master Un-hyeon?”

Chief Manager Kang said with a surprised expression.

The scholar hesitated and answered in a low voice.

“…It’s been a while, Chief Manager.”

The scholar, smiling awkwardly, was none other than Un-hyeon.

After leaving his hometown for over ten years, he had returned to the Un-ga Merchant Guild.

***

The head of the Un-ga Merchant Guild, Un Il-pyeong, sighed deeply.

Even though it was his nephew who had come to find him after more than ten years, he couldn’t help it.

Anyone would feel the same if they saw Un-hyeon’s current state.

“What happened?”

Un Il-pyeong asked, staring at Un-hyeon for a while.

Un-hyeon had clearly passed the civil service examination and become a Jin-sa [a successful candidate in the civil service exam].

He had received a position as a scholar and was living in Beijing without any financial difficulties.

More than ten years had passed since then, so he thought it was time to hear news of his marriage, but suddenly, what was the meaning of this state?

“You, perhaps…”

A sense of foreboding suddenly flashed through Un Il-pyeong’s mind at the sight of Un-hyeon, who was drooping his shoulders like someone who had committed a crime.

“Were you involved in some major incident?”

It was not uncommon in the court for someone to receive punishment and be stripped of their official position overnight for siding with the wrong faction.

The court was a place where even a well-regarded official could fall to the bottom in an instant with a single mistake.

The problem was that such events had a significant impact on the family as well.

If that were the case, the problem would become very serious.

“No, I wasn’t.”

Un-hyeon shook his head.

Inwardly relieved, Un Il-pyeong asked Un-hyeon again.

“Then what on earth is going on?”

At that moment, Un-hyeon was at a loss for words.

What should he answer? What should he say had happened?

After hesitating, Un-hyeon slowly opened his mouth.

“…Somehow, it turned out like this.”

His voice contained deep regret.

Un Il-pyeong sighed.

‘Something must have happened…’

There must have been some deep story.

But Un-hyeon didn’t say anything.

Judging by his appearance, it seemed like he had suffered great hardships, but what on earth had happened?

Un Il-pyeong looked at his nephew with a heavy heart.

As far as he knew, his nephew was not someone who would cause trouble for others.

The fact that he had come to him in this state meant that there was nowhere else for him to go.

“…Alright, I understand.”

That was all Un Il-pyeong could say.

No matter what anyone said, he was the only son of his deceased brother.

“Go and get some rest. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Un-hyeon bowed his head deeply.

Un Il-pyeong felt uneasy at the sight of his nephew, who looked so pathetic.

Clack.

Un-hyeon left the room, but Un Il-pyeong couldn’t shake off his troubled expression.

‘Why does this have to happen at a time like this…’

Did bad things come all at once?

Even in the difficult circumstances of the guild, the appearance of his nephew in such a pathetic state made Un Il-pyeong’s heart even more troubled.

It was then.

Thud.

The door opened without a word. Un Il-pyeong said with a surprised expression.

“Wife.”

The person who opened the door and entered was his wife.

With a stiff expression, she entered the room without hesitation and sat across from Un Il-pyeong without a word.

“What’s the matter?”

“What do you think is the matter?”

She said with a cold gaze.

Un Il-pyeong knew what she meant.

“He’s still family, and he came to find us.”

Un Il-pyeong said in a low voice.

“He doesn’t look to be in good shape, how can we turn him away?”

“Then what about us?”

“Wife.”

Un Il-pyeong said, but she didn’t back down.

“After ten years, someone who shows up in that state, what are we supposed to believe? What if he’s involved in some kind of treason? How are we going to deal with the aftermath?”

“That’s impossible.”

Un Il-pyeong shook his head. But she didn’t believe it.

“Are we in a position to take someone in right now? We’ve been supporting him for the civil service exam for years, isn’t that enough? Why take in someone who’s completely useless…”

“Wife!”

She stopped speaking at Un Il-pyeong’s stern voice.

“Even so, he’s my brother’s son. He’s my nephew, and he’s your nephew too.”

She closed her mouth. But her expression was far from convinced.

Un Il-pyeong said in a calm voice.

“How could that child not have any thoughts? He may be in that state now, but he was originally a bright child, so won’t he take care of himself?”

His words were also his own wish.

Un Il-pyeong looked at his wife and said,

“So, please bear with it for a while, even if you don’t like it.”

She closed her mouth and said nothing.

She was originally a bold and strong-willed person. But she only yielded to one person.

That was her husband, Un Il-pyeong, the owner of the Un-ga Merchant Guild.

“…Alright.”

She said after a long time.

“But don’t think I’m going to be nice to that child.”

She stood up from her seat.

As if expressing her dissatisfaction, she left the room without even saying goodbye properly.

Thud.

The door closed, and Un Il-pyeong sighed once more.

Another difficulty was added to an already difficult situation, so all that came out were sighs.

But there was no other way.

‘All I can do is endure somehow.’

With a troubled expression, Un Il-pyeong closed his mouth.

He clenched his fist as if to strengthen his resolve, but even that hand felt somehow empty.