I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 40

< Gathering People (1) >

Im Bon-jae presented a piece of paper with ten names listed.

“I’ve listed them in order of fame and potential.”

“You didn’t just bring a list, did you?”

“Of course not. I’ve also looked into their backgrounds through the Hao Mun.”

Jo Gwang-yun checked the name at the top of the list first.

“‘Quick Sword Master’ Kwon Jung-won. What kind of person is he?”

“As his title suggests, he is a master of quick swords. He currently lives in Jungmo.”

Jungmo is very close to Gaebong.

“I heard he had a son late in life. Perhaps that’s why he settled down.”

“So, does he have a wife too?”

“Yes. Not his original wife, though… I don’t know when they became involved. The Quick Sword Master has been living with her for four years. His son is seventeen.”

“So, the mother raised him alone and then they met again… I bet the woman is responsible for their livelihood.”

“He has spent his life traveling the world with a sword. He doesn’t know how to make a living, and he can’t wield a pickaxe instead of a sword.”

Im Bon-jae spoke as Jo Gwang-yun frowned, as if defending the Quick Sword Master.

“He’s just an irresponsible man. Well, not that I’m criticizing… It should be easy to approach him since he lives in poverty.”

“I think it would be better to approach him from a different angle.”

“A different angle? You mean he has another problem.”

“Yes. His son shows considerable talent in martial arts. Blood doesn’t lie.”

“So, is his son a martial artist too?”

“No. The son wants to make a name for himself. His dream is to become a military official… That’s why there’s a lot of conflict.”

“A guy dreaming of an impossible dream because his father isn’t an aristocrat.”

This is an era without a civil service examination system. It is a world only for those born with a silver spoon in their mouths, where nobles recommend each other and endlessly pass on high positions.

“That’s fortunate. It’s not impossible if he becomes a government soldier and gains merit.”

“Is there no glimmer of hope?”

“No. The Quick Sword Master has killed many corrupt officials. So, he is praised by the people as a righteous hero, but if his identity is revealed, he will be beheaded immediately.”

“He killed officials appointed by the emperor, so he’s a traitor.”

Because of his father’s righteous actions, the son cannot dream of anything more than being a farmer. If his father’s identity is revealed, he will be beheaded or become a slave, let alone a farmer.

“You’ve found a very good person. Well done. But are you sure that the Martial Arts Alliance won’t object to this person’s name?”

Im Bon-jae nodded.

“His martial arts are great, but he was also famous as a righteous hero. He is also known to have considerable connections with the leaders of the Nine Great Sects.”

“Oh! If he has connections with the sect leaders, there won’t be any problems.”

However, Im Bon-jae’s expression was not so bright.

If they could bring him in, there would be no problem. But there is no way such a master would put his name on a shabby sect like Changryong Mun just because they gave him a few bucks for living expenses.

The reputation he has built does not match Changryong Mun at all.

“What are you going to do?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’ll take care of bringing him in. Master Im, please prepare for the aftermath.”

Well, this guy has never taken back what he said.

Im Bon-jae thought that Jo Gwang-yun could do anything.

* * *

Jo Gwang-yun frequented the Hyeoncheong [local government office] for a while, meeting with the Hyeon-gam [local magistrate] and the officials. After obtaining all the necessary information, the place he found was a remote area of Gaebong, with only about six houses nearby.

Standing in front of the most humble thatched house, Jo Gwang-yun cleared his throat to make his presence known.

“Who is it?”

The young homeowner, who opened the door, seemed surprised to see Jo Gwang-yun illuminated by the lamplight from inside the room.

It was because no one wearing fancy silk clothes had ever visited at such a late hour.

“Is your name Jang Cheon-yang?”

“Yes, it is.”

Jo Gwang-yun bowed.

“I am Jo Gwang-yun. I know it’s rude to visit at this late hour, but can I come in and talk for a moment?”

Jang Cheon-yang, after confirming the name, seemed even more surprised than before. He glanced at Jo Gwang-yun for a moment and then nodded.

“It’s humble, but please come in.”

Jo Gwang-yun, who followed him into the room, quickly examined the interior.

It was old and shabby, but neatly organized, which spoke to the owner’s character.

“I don’t have anything to offer. Would you like a glass of water?”

“It’s okay. It’s late, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

“The best merchant in Gaebong has business with me? That’s interesting.”

The corner of Jo Gwang-yun’s eye twitched.

“How do you know me?”

“I sometimes go to the market to sell the harvested beans and the wood I’ve carried from the mountains. Every time, I can’t avoid Jo Ga Department Store, can I? It’s a specialty of Gaebong. I was a little surprised because you’re younger than I thought.”

It revealed the reality of a fallen prestigious family.

Plowing the fields and chopping firewood. And reading until late at night with a dim lamp to not forget their lineage.

“I see. Then do you know why I came?”

“Since you’re a merchant, you must have come to sell something… What should I do? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any money…”

“Would a merchant only sell? They also buy.”

“That’s the same thing. I’m too busy trying to make a living. I don’t have anything to sell.”

When Jo Gwang-yun pointed to the books piled up on one side of the room, Jang Cheon-yang said.

“You can buy as many books as you want, so you wouldn’t be buying books…”

Jo Gwang-yun’s eyes sparkled. He was a smart man.

“And my head is full of writing, but I don’t have any business skills, so you wouldn’t be here to buy me…”

Jang Cheon-yang stroked his chin and continued to mutter.

“Well, if I go on any longer, I’ll just be sad about my situation where I have nothing. Just tell me what you want.”

“Will you sell your lineage?”

“Lineage? Did you come to buy a family tree?”

“Yes. To be exact, I want to add one more person to the family tree.”

Jang Cheon-yang was not surprised, but only gave a bitter smile.

“I thought all I inherited from my father was a tiny patch of field and a collapsing thatched house, but I also had a family tree. I forgot.”

“How much will it be?”

“How much will you pay?”

“The buyer’s role is to lower the price. The seller has to call the price.”

Jang Cheon-yang closed his mouth again, and Jo Gwang-yun said.

“You’re selling something you’ve completely forgotten about. This is usually called a windfall.”

“Although it has fallen, it was once a prestigious family with a high name. You have to bring in someone whose seed you don’t even know into that family. The fallen family may be destroyed because of that person. It’s not a windfall.”

‘This guy. He’s more than ordinary.’

He turned a windfall into a risk of destruction. The risk is high, so the price has gone up. He saw him as a scholar who plows the fields and reads, but he got hit.

“You would have succeeded if you had gone into business. Your negotiation skills are amazing.”

“If you accepted it as a negotiation, you misunderstood. I’m curious about the person who will be on my family’s register.”

“A young man who had ambitions to go out into the world and become an official, but his path is blocked because his family is humble.”

“A young man who dreams of success. Usually, the disaster of destruction occurs when the position is high.”

“He aspires to be a military officer, not a civil official. I understand your concern, but you don’t have to worry too much.”

“Is he skilled enough?”

“The family tree only provides an opportunity, so success is up to the young man. Even if he fails to succeed due to lack of skill, you won’t be losing out. Isn’t that right?”

At Jo Gwang-yun’s words, Jang Cheon-yang frowned and even changed his tone.

“You, don’t you know your ancestors? Are you an orphan?”

He was flustered by the sudden change, but he had no intention of breaking the deal. Jo Gwang-yun wanted to hear this man’s words to the end, so he closed his mouth without answering.

“The family tree is a record of the family and ancestors. It’s too much to consider profit and loss in defiling that record, even if you’re a merchant.”

“You still haven’t turned me away, which means you’re not against selling the family tree, and if you’re willing to sell, you have to consider the profit and loss. If you miss the opportunity to make a lot of money with that record left by your great ancestors, the ancestors will be angry.”

“If you bring in a terrible person, the ancestors will be angry. It would be better to bring in someone who would raise the family’s name, and the ancestors would forgive you.”

“Either way, selling the family tree doesn’t change.”

“We also adopt. However, we only accept selectively.”

“You don’t take money for that. Isn’t that right?”

“When did I ask for money?”

Jo Gwang-yun’s mouth dropped open at the unexpected words. It was as if he had been hit in the back of the head.

< Gathering People (1) > End