abcnovels
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Chapter 28 – At the Threshold of Spring (3)
The next day, Song Hwa-rin came to see me again.
“Did you talk to Clan Leader Byeok?”
I could tell she was anxious. It seemed Song Woo-gyeong was in the mood to make a decision any day now.
“I didn’t.”
Disappointment spread across her face.
“I see. It can’t be helped. I’m sorry for making an unnecessary request.”
She immediately turned to leave.
“I think the method was wrong.”
“What?”
“It’s human nature to want to do something more when told not to. Yes, as you said, if my father earnestly tries to dissuade him, he might give up. But won’t he keep regretting this matter?”
She was speechless, as if she hadn’t thought that far.
“Moreover, it could create a rift in the friendship between my father and yours. That’s not what you want, is it?”
“Of course not. I don’t want this matter to change their relationship either.”
“That’s why I think even if he gives up on this matter, he needs to go through a process where he can be fully convinced himself. Or find a definitive reason to refuse.”
“A definitive reason to refuse?”
She had clear opinions, but wasn’t the type to be stubbornly insistent for no reason.
“You’re right. But… how exactly do we find that reason?”
“Have you looked?”
“What?”
“I’m asking if you’ve looked. Other than those suppressed desires you mentioned, have you looked for concrete reasons to dissuade him?”
She flinched as if I had hit the nail on the head. Then she shook her head.
“I looked. And through our Chief Steward, I found out one thing worth checking.”
“What’s that?”
“A few months ago, the Shandong Merchant Association was trying to start a big business. But at some point, talk about it disappeared.”
“What kind of business?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know if it’s related to this matter. But I feel we need to find out why that business was suspended. We could understand their attitude and intentions towards martial arts sects.”
“But we don’t have time. Father will give them an answer soon.”
“There’s a way to find out by today.”
“How?”
“We buy information from an information broker. It’s the fastest and most accurate way to find out.”
“An information broker?”
Her voice trembled. Well, she probably hasn’t used an information broker before.
“We need money.”
“How much?”
“A thousand nyang? Two thousand? I’m not sure exactly. Probably the more we pay, the more accurate information we can get.”
“Are you crazy? Two thousand nyang is an enormous amount.”
In my experience, the most effective thing to say in this situation was:
“The choice is yours.”
Two hours later, she came back with the money. I didn’t ask where or how she got it. As the successor of the Song clan, she should be able to get two thousand nyang. Of course, it must have been quite a strain. Two thousand nyang was quite a large sum for a twenty-year-old woman.
I went with her to find an information broker. On the way, we bought two wide-brimmed hats and wore them low. She seemed nervous and trembling about this whole process.
She had a poor impression of information brokers. She had a vague fear that it would be a dark and rough place, and also distrusted that they would just take the money and deceive us.
It’s natural for someone who hasn’t used an information broker before. Moreover, from her perspective, her companion wasn’t a trustworthy person either.
There were various information brokers in the martial world. From small-scale operations run by individuals to large-scale brokers with branches throughout the martial world.
I knew them very well, of course.
The Righteous Thought Pavilion, led by Gal Saryang, was fundamentally an organization that dealt with information.
Therefore, they not only had their own information network but also exchanged information with various information organizations in the martial world. In particular, they had deep exchanges with the Heaven’s Net Association[1], which means “net of heaven.”
The Heaven’s Net Association is one of the three major information organizations in the martial world, along with the Ghost Eye Valley[2] and the Omniscient Association[3].
I had already looked into various information brokers in Shandong.
There are two things most crucial in greatly expanding the Byeok Clan Sword Manor.
Money and information.
Without mastering these two things, it’s impossible to grow into a strong sect. That’s why I had looked into what kind of information brokers existed here in Shandong.
So I knew there was a branch of the Heaven’s Net Association here in Qufu.
I took her there.
At the entrance, she hesitated to go in.
“I’m nervous since it’s my first time.”
“Then you’ll get ripped off.”
“What?”
“Don’t show that it’s your first time.”
“Okay.”
She took several deep breaths. She tried to calm herself by slapping her cheeks.
A middle-aged man with a goatee greeted us. He had a meticulous and careful look that seemed like he wouldn’t miss even the smallest detail. Though not a likable appearance, it was well-suited for the profession of an information broker.
“What kind of information do you want?”
“I want to know about the Shandong Merchant Association.”
There’s a set price for all information. Of course, information prices change faster than any other commodity. Information that cost ten nyang yesterday could be worth a thousand nyang today.
“Fifteen hundred nyang. It was originally two hundred nyang, but the price has gone up recently.”
It was a meaningful statement. It meant there had been a reason for the value of this information to rise recently.
I looked at her.
She was hesitating.
I said to the information broker,
“Please give us a moment.”
“Of course.”
As if it were a common occurrence, the information broker willingly left us alone.
She and I took off our hats. She asked with a worried face,
“Is it really worth fifteen hundred nyang?”
“We can’t know.”
It’s impossible to know before the broker opens his mouth.
“What would you do?”
“If it were me, I’d buy it.”
At my unhesitating answer, she asked,
“Why?”
“Because it’s about your father. I wouldn’t want to leave even a one-in-a-million possibility.”
This time, she didn’t hesitate. She nodded, putting her hat back on.
When the information broker returned, she put out fifteen hundred nyang.
“I’ll buy it.”
“Very well. I’ll tell you.”
I asked about their dealings with martial arts sects. He provided information on that part.
“A few months ago, the Shandong Merchant Association joined hands with Yang Minor Faction and advanced into Hebei.”
“Yang Minor Faction!”
She and I were shocked for different reasons. It was a name we never expected to hear.
A few months ago would have been when Yang Gi-cheol was still the leader.
“As you know, for a merchant group to advance into another region is as difficult as a martial arts sect expanding. Because existing merchant associations won’t just stand by.”
“So they pushed forward relying on Yang Minor Faction’s power.”
“That’s right. In the process, there was a conflict with the Seok Clan Leader supporting the Hebei Merchant Association. Local skirmishes broke out, and it could have escalated into a larger fight.”
It was a surprising event that hadn’t been revealed externally.
“But with the death of Yang Minor Faction’s leader this time, the Shandong Merchant Association was caught off guard. Because Jeong Yeo, who became the new leader, cut ties with the Shandong Merchant Association. Currently, the Shandong Merchant Association is like a kite with its string cut.”
“How are the Hebei Merchant Association and Seok Clan Leader reacting?”
“Of course, they’re itching for revenge. I even hear rumors that the Hebei Merchant Association is looking to advance into Shandong in return. Well, that’s all the information related to the Shandong Merchant Association.”
If this information wasn’t helpful to us, fifteen hundred nyang would have been an absurd price.
But she didn’t express any dissatisfaction with the price.
As soon as we left the information broker, she exploded in anger at the Shandong Merchant Association.
“The Shandong Alliance was all nonsense. They were trying to drag us in to escape the pressure from the Hebei Merchant Association and Seok Clan Leader.”
I nodded in agreement.
“You’ve seen it accurately.”
And one more thing.
“They put forward the issue of the Shandong Alliance to focus attention there. While the essence was somewhere completely different.”
Even Song Woo-gyeong was so focused on the Shandong Alliance that he didn’t notice they had other intentions. It means the Shandong Merchant Association has a capable strategist.
“…It’s frightening.”
“Yes, it is frightening.”
She was quite shocked, but in fact, this is nothing. In the martial world where conspiracies abound, this level is just a bit of clever thinking.
“I need to go tell Father about this right away.”
She ran off a bit, then turned back to look at me.
“Thank you.”
“You bought this information with your money. No need to thank me.”
After staring at me for a moment, she turned and ran off.
While there was some consideration for her, a much larger part was to preserve the friendship between our fathers.
It was certainly something worth preserving.
***
Song Woo-gyeong rejected the Shandong Merchant Association’s proposal.
Of course, he politely declined without revealing that we had uncovered their hidden motives.
Because of this, Song Woo-gyeong and Song Hwa-rin visited our house again.
In front of everyone, Song Woo-gyeong expressed his gratitude to me.
“I heard it was thanks to you that we uncovered this fact.”
“That’s not true. Rin uncovered it. I just accompanied her briefly.”
“I know that’s not the case. If it weren’t for you, our sect would have been in a very difficult situation.”
It seems Song Hwa-rin had explained in detail that this was all thanks to me.
Song Woo-gyeong took my hand. His large, rough hand was unexpectedly warm.
“Thank you so much.”
I could feel trust in his gaze towards me.
If I had to attach meaning to this incident, it was repayment for the deep friendship with my father.
“It was thanks to Rin.”
Until the end, I gave her the credit.
Song Hwa-rin stood silently. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
Song Woo-gyeong said to my father and mother,
“Thanks to our son-in-law, our clan was able to avoid a big disaster. I’m truly grateful.”
Father and Mother couldn’t hide their joy either.
Father, in particular, was greatly pleased that I had played a decisive role in helping the Song clan out of a difficult situation. It showed in his expression. But he wasn’t the type to openly boast about his child.
“It was possible because Rin boldly got the money.”
I supported my father.
“You really have a wonderful daughter.”
Song Woo-gyeong looked back and forth between me and Song Hwa-rin and said loudly,
“Looking at them like this, they seem like a match made in heaven. Hahaha.”
Mother didn’t miss the opportunity.
“They really do look good together.”
Sensing that if we stayed any longer, the atmosphere might turn to setting a date right away, I went outside with Song Hwa-rin.
And so, the Song clan overcame one crisis.
I was surprised anew that everything was connected to me. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t killed the leader of Yang Minor Faction. If I, as the Alliance Leader, hadn’t died, the strategy of the Shandong Alliance wouldn’t have come up either.
She apologized to me for the first time.
“I suggested breaking off the engagement first, and then made this request. It must have seemed shameless. I’m sorry.”
She bowed her head slightly and said,
“Thank you, really.”
I smiled faintly.
I have no ill feelings towards her at all.
If I were younger, and if I liked her and wanted to make that beauty mine, I would have attached meaning to all these events. I would have scrutinized every little thing. Like how the previous Byeok Ri-dan went to find her and caused trouble, I might not have been able to control my emotions.
But I’m someone who has lived seventy years of life.
I fully understand her who couldn’t tolerate Byeok Ri-dan’s misbehavior, her who suggested breaking off the engagement, and her who made a request for her father’s sake.
“As I said before, it was all your doing.”
She turned around. As she walked away, she looked back at me once. When I waved my hand, she gave an awkward smile and then ran off.
I support her twenty-year-old youth.
I only hope she achieves her dreams well.