Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 348

348. All’s Right with the World

The day after Dok-seon treated her, Ah-ryeong regained consciousness.

At first, she couldn’t even stand properly, but with each passing day, Ah-ryeong’s health began to improve.

She could play outside without collapsing, and she didn’t fall ill from touching dirt.

The agonizing pain that used to wake Ah-ryeong in the middle of the night was gone.

A bright and radiant smile bloomed not only on Ah-ryeong’s face but throughout the entire residence.

In the backyard of Naval Commander Jin-rim’s residence.

Un-hyeon and his group, along with Jin-rim and Gwan Cheol-hun, were sitting at a table under the shade of a tree.

Savoring the cool breeze and the gentle aroma of tea, the group watched Ah-ryeong playing with affectionate smiles.

“Here! Over here!”

Ah-ryeong, who was playing in the dirt, eagerly called for a maid.

As the maid quickly approached, Ah-ryeong placed something in her hand.

It was a bug, wriggling in her palm.

“Eek!”

The maid was horrified.

Ah-ryeong giggled.

“Ahahaha! Why are you so surprised? It’s so cute. It’s wiggling.”

“M-Miss!”

The maid was disgusted, but Ah-ryeong didn’t stop laughing.

Jin-rim smiled contentedly at the sight.

“Indeed, she’s my daughter. I used to play pranks like that on her late mother. We were very close since childhood.”

Muttering with emotion, Jin-rim turned his gaze.

“Esteemed Guest, and Master Un.”

The portly Jin-rim bowed respectfully.

“Thank you.”

Raising his head, Jin-rim spoke with a sincere look.

“Healing my daughter is akin to saving my life. Although I am bound to the government and must dedicate my life to the country, I will gladly offer anything else. Just say the word.”

Dok-seon didn’t even pretend to listen and merely savored his tea.

Un-hyeon bowed politely in response.

“Thank you, Commander Jin.”

Looking at Jin-rim, Un-hyeon continued.

“As you already know, I am acting under the Emperor’s orders……”

“You don’t need to explain.”

Jin-rim said with a smile.

“What can this Jin-rim do?”

Un-hyeon smiled.

Then he said.

“Conduct naval training in the Jang River [Yangtze River].”

“Hmm.”

Jin-rim nodded.

He understood Un-hyeon’s meaning at once.

“You’re referring to the plan to cut off the Jang River, which you mentioned before.”

“That’s right.”

After stroking his beard for a moment, Jin-rim nodded.

“That’s not a difficult task for this Jin-rim. Do you want me to make the League of Heroes wither and dry up?”

That was neither an exaggeration nor a boast.

Under the pretext of training, he could forcibly detain ships carrying the League of Heroes’ funds and begin inspecting all merchant ships that seemed to be related. No matter how powerful the League of Heroes was, their financial lifeline would inevitably dry up.

Of course, resistance from merchants and local officials in nearby regions who would experience inconvenience was expected, but they couldn’t utter a word against the Naval Commander directly under the Emperor.

In the end, for the League of Heroes and related merchants, the Jang River would be completely cut off.

“There’s no need to go that far yet.”

Un-hyeon said with a gentle expression.

There was no need to rush into an all-out war with the League of Heroes right away.

Now that he had secured the cooperation of the Naval Commander, time was on Un-hyeon’s side, and it was more important to understand the purpose and intentions of the Merchant Prince.

“It would be best to proceed slowly in consultation with the Namgung Clan.”

The Namgung Clan was well-versed in the affairs of the Jang River.

They would know what kind of controls would be effective in which cities.

And of course, it would help restore the Namgung Clan’s influence.

“The Namgung Clan, I understand. The League of Heroes will have a hard time from now on. I know very well what it feels like to have your money cut off. Hehehe.”

The sight of the portly Jin-rim shaking his shoulders and laughing was truly that of a corrupt official.

Un-hyeon smiled and asked.

“Now that Ah-ryeong is healthy, there’s no need to hoard wealth anymore, is there? And you can speak comfortably.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly do that to my daughter’s benefactor. And the reason I hoarded wealth was not only for my daughter, but……”

Shrugging his shoulders, Jin-rim said.

“I’m just naturally greedy. Hahaha.”

Un-hyeon was slightly taken aback.

For an official to openly admit to being greedy was completely unexpected. Especially a Naval Commander.

“So, the fact that your office is so dazzling is just a matter of taste?”

Dam So-ha interjected abruptly.

Since she was not yet a formal official and her jurisdiction was completely different, even the Naval Commander didn’t seem that intimidating to Dam So-ha.

Or perhaps it was just her unavoidable nature.

“Not at all. As you can see from this residence, my taste is more old-fashioned and simple.”

Indeed, Jin-rim’s residence was far from extravagant.

“But I have to keep my office flashy, so that this comes in a lot.”

He subtly made a circle with his fingers, clearly meaning money.

Of course, what he received was not mere copper coins.

“You know, the givers also put a lot of thought into it. Preparing two letters with promissory notes inside is the standard these days.”

“Letters?”

“You can’t just bring a box full of silver or gold to the Naval Commander’s office, can you? Usually, they use bearer promissory notes from large merchant guilds. They don’t leave any traces.”

Jin-rim, who cherished his daughter, had never allowed visits to his residence.

But that meant he had received them in the Naval Commander’s office, which in a way was quite bold.

“Really? Then what are the two letters for?”

Dam So-ha showed curiosity at Jin-rim’s explanation.

Yeong Ho-jun, Jin Ye-rim, and Jo Gwan were the same.

“It’s to assess the other person and gauge their intentions. To see if they should give a large amount or offer a small amount. This battle of wits is surprisingly fierce. If you make a mistake, you’ll be criticized even after giving, and if you give too much, they’ll expect more.”

“Then Commander Jin, you must always receive the larger amount?”

“Tsk, tsk, how could that be?”

Jin-rim said as if it were obvious.

“Of course, I have to receive both. If I lose in the psychological warfare even though I have the upper hand, I can’t be the Naval Commander.”

“Ooh.”

Dam So-ha nodded in agreement, and Yeong Ho-jun’s face was full of admiration.

“Distinguishing whether it’s okay to receive or not is also a basic skill. Being a Naval Commander is actually quite difficult.”
The reason why being a Naval Commander was difficult wasn’t for those reasons, but Jin-rim even let out a deep sigh.

Un-hyeon, who was wearing a wry smile, asked Jin-rim quietly.

“But Commander Jin, are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“If it becomes known that you’ve cooperated with me, the people in your faction won’t look kindly upon you.”

Naval Commander Jin-rim also belonged to a political faction.

And that faction was deeply hostile to Lord Bak.

Un-hyeon couldn’t help but worry.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Jin-rim said firmly.

But the words that followed made Un-hyeon smile wryly again.

“If I offer a suitable amount, nothing will happen. I may still be at odds with Lord Bak, but Lord Bak isn’t the type to suspect Master Un, so it doesn’t matter anyway.”

Although Un-hyeon was Jin-rim’s benefactor, he had no intention of changing his political stance or switching factions.

Jin-rim was still standing in the opposing faction to Lord Bak.

“Come to think of it, this is truly a win-win situation. Master Un has achieved his goals, I’ve cured my daughter’s illness, and I’ve even saved money. It’s a very pleasant day. Hahaha.”

The satisfied laughter of the portly Naval Commander Jin-rim echoed.

The blue sky above the residence was clear without a single cloud.

***

Un-hyeon and his group bid farewell to Jin-rim, Gwan Cheol-hun, and Ah-ryeong.

Ah-ryeong even shed tears as she hugged Dok-seon, but Dok-seon remained calm until the end.

Receiving the farewells of the three, the group left Jin-rim’s residence and headed towards the Namgung Clan.

Clatter, clatter.

Inside the carriage, Dam So-ha said with admiration.

“Commander Jin is a very human person, even though he’s the Naval Commander.”

“What?”

Jin Ye-rim frowned immediately.

“What’s so human about him when he’s so blatant about taking bribes?”

“But he doesn’t grant favors in return. And he’s grateful to Esteemed Guest, plus he’s on our side.”

At Dam So-ha’s words, Jin Ye-rim grimaced.

“Still……”

“The Censorate [an agency that supervised the efficiency of all public services and officials] is already aware of Commander Jin.”

Censor Jo Gwan said.

“However, the quid pro quo is ambiguous, and his achievements and abilities as Naval Commander are certain, so there are many who defend him, and no action is taken.”

There was no way the Censorate wouldn’t know about Jin-rim.

That meant the Emperor also knew.

Despite that, the fact that Jin-rim was in that position meant that the Emperor trusted Jin-rim.

Dam So-ha looked at Jin Ye-rim as if to say, “See?” and then blurted out.

“Oh, then does that mean Master Un has connections to both factions?”

“Really?”

Jin Ye-rim said with wide eyes.

Lord Bak, a powerful figure in the court, was Un-hyeon’s biggest supporter.

Naval Commander Jin-rim, who belonged to another faction that checked Lord Bak, regarded Un-hyeon as his lifelong benefactor, so he had strong supporters in both factions.

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Dam So-ha said with admiration.

To be precise, he had connections to both the imperial eunuch organization centered around Lord Bak and the bureaucratic organization to which Naval Commander Jin-rim belonged, but Jo Gwan decided to pretend not to know.

“Haa, having connections with both sides……”

Jin Ye-rim sighed and shook her head.

Un-hyeon could only smile wryly.

“……Um, excuse me.”

Yeong Ho-jun opened his mouth cautiously.

He asked Dok-seon with a very respectful attitude.

“Have you ever saved a village that was dying from a plague? It was an unnamed mountain village north of Guiyang in Guizhou Province……”

“North of Guiyang, are you talking about something that happened seven years ago?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I did stop by for a while.”

That was as good as Dok-seon admitting it.

“So, Esteemed Guest, or rather, Dok-seon, was the divine doctor from that rumor.”

“I am not a divine doctor.”

Dok-seon said calmly.

“Nor am I a physician.”

He wasn’t a physician, yet he cured the Severed Meridian Syndrome, and he wasn’t a divine doctor, yet he saved a village from a plague.

But Yeong Ho-jun had no intention of refuting Dok-seon’s words.

“Yes. I understand. Esteemed Guest.”

Yeong Ho-jun said, bowing respectfully.

Jin Ye-rim let out a burst of laughter as if she was dumbfounded by his docile appearance.

But she couldn’t blame Yeong Ho-jun.

If Dok-seon said he wasn’t, then he wasn’t.

Yeong Ho-jun had no intention of speaking carelessly in front of Dok-seon, who was a symbol of terror.

But not everyone in the group felt the same way as Yeong Ho-jun.

“Then did Esteemed Guest join the Azure Dragon Society?”

Dam So-ha asked.

Yeong Ho-jun was startled, but Dok-seon said.

“No. I am merely with this one.”

Dok-seon pointed to Un-hyeon with his chin.

“Ah, I see.”

Dam So-ha nodded.

Yeong Ho-jun was burning inside.

‘How could you ask Dok-seon such a rude question!’

To ask Hwanwooocheonjonin [One of the Four Heavenly Kings] Dok-seon if he had joined the Azure Dragon Society was, depending on how you looked at it, a statement that could greatly offend his pride.

Yeong Ho-jun had told them that the Esteemed Guest was actually ‘Dok-seon,’ one of the Hwanwooocheonjon, and a very terrifying person, so they should never make a mistake, but Dam So-ha and Jin Ye-rim’s attitudes hadn’t changed much.

That might have been because of Un-hyeon.

Dam So-ha and Jin Ye-rim had already seen Un-hyeon defeat Cheolhyeolsawang Yeom Jung-bu, one of the Hwanwooocheonjon.

So they weren’t really feeling the terror of Dok-seon.

“Come to think of it, it’s almost dinner time? What should we eat today?”

Dam So-ha said to Dok-seon as if she was enjoying herself.

Un-hyeon kept his promise to Dok-seon.

While traveling down the Jang River by boat, he prepared the local cuisine of the areas where they docked, and while staying at Jin-rim’s residence, he brought in specialties from Nanjing.

It wasn’t as difficult as he thought.

Maehwageom [Plum Blossom Sword] Yeong Ho-jun knew all kinds of food from each region, and Dok-seon was satisfied with having a special meal only once a day.

The ones who worked hard were Chief Military Officer Yeong Ho-jun and Naval Commander Jin-rim, but neither of them had any complaints.

Yeong Ho-jun, who knew Dok-seon’s terror well, and Jin-rim, who was treating the benefactor who had saved his daughter’s life.

“Thanks to Esteemed Guest, meal times have become more enjoyable.”

Dam So-ha said with a bright smile.

Thanks to Dok-seon, the group’s meals had become much better than before.

Jin Ye-rim was also satisfied.

Clatter, clatter.

While only Yeong Ho-jun swallowed a bitter smile, the carriage was heading towards the Namgung Clan.