Chapter 120: Shared Roots of the Good
A late night when the moon shone brightly.
Although the Merchant Festival was still in full swing, Jin Seong-un had finished tidying up his drinking party with the merchants and slipped away.
His destination was the Jingzhou Merchants’ Association.
Jin Seong-un tied a letter to the leg of a carrier pigeon and sent it flying toward Seong-un Inn.
It was a letter asking who had hired the Shui Band to annihilate the Red Cliff Escort Agency’s escort party.
Of course, if the client had been truly thorough, no evidence would have been left behind.
Still, there was nothing to lose by trying.
After sending the letter, Jin Seong-un left the association building and walked down the street for a while.
The early summer night carried a pleasantly cool breeze from all directions.
“Hmm.”
The eyes of some merchants lit up when they spotted Jin Seong-un. Since he had long grown used to such gazes, he immediately used New Form.
He leapt leisurely from rooftop to rooftop, walking as though on a nighttime stroll, his heart at peace.
No one disturbed him, the moon shone brightly, and the wind was cool. It was a truly pleasant night.
How long had he walked like that?
From a spot slightly away from the busy district, faint commotion reached his ears.
Naturally, Jin Seong-un’s steps carried him in that direction.
A deserted, shadowy alley.
Three sturdy martial artists surrounded a lone man.
That man was the same one who had previously attacked Song Jae-mun—the one who had claimed to have lost his escort agency and family because of him.
Among the men surrounding him was one of Song Jae-mun’s guards, the very one who had rushed over during the earlier ambush.
Song Jae-mun, who had spoken of Heavenly Fortune before the merchants and displayed magnanimity…
‘So he no longer wishes to forgive after all.’
That was what Jin Seong-un thought as he watched.
The martial artists began to drag the man away.
The man did not resist. His body was limp, as if his acupoints had been sealed.
Jin Seong-un observed quietly, then with unhurried steps followed them.
The martial artists led the man farther and farther from the trading district until they reached a deserted riverside.
One of them tossed the man roughly onto the gravelly ground, then drew the sword at his waist.
The man’s eyes trembled.
The moonlight glinted coldly off the blade aimed at him.
He had steeled his heart, but now that death loomed before him, fear inevitably welled up.
He had planned to postpone his revenge, just as Guest Dragon had advised.
In hindsight, he regretted having acted too emotionally.
For the time being, he had decided to gather more information about that bastard Song Jae-mun and wait for the right opportunity.
But before he could act, Song Jae-mun’s guards had suddenly appeared and dragged him here.
Looking down at him, the martial artist spoke calmly to his comrades.
“Let’s slice him up from about here to here, and let the pieces float slowly downstream.”
He was clearly experienced—this was not the first time.
This was the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, from the perspective of Jingzhou.
The next bustling city was far away, so with this method, the corpse would never be discovered.
The martial artist aimed for the man’s neck and raised his blade.
Just then—
“Out for a stroll, are we?”
A voice suddenly spoke from directly behind them.
The martial artist instinctively spun and swung his sword. Since he had been caught, it was only right to kill the witness and bury him together.
Everyone had a plan… until their blade was caught barehanded.
Jin Seong-un had casually grabbed the sword mid-swing.
Then he said,
“I thought Escort Leader Jo of the Jo-yang Escort Agency had said he would not bother chasing after this man.”
“……”
The martial artists’ eyes quivered.
Jin Seong-un calmly asked again.
“Has the Escort Leader changed his mind? Or are you acting on your own?”
The martial artists exchanged troubled glances.
Reading their eyes, Jin Seong-un asked,
“Perhaps you also mean to silence me?”
At that, their gazes softened.
They recognized his face.
Guest Dragon, one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Even if it had been any of the others, they would not have been able to act against them.
And Guest Dragon’s name was among the most respected of the group.
After a brief silence, the highest-ranking martial artist among them finally spoke.
“…This was our own decision. We happened upon him on our way back from dinner.”
“Yet the Escort Leader explicitly said he would not seek revenge against this man.”
“We are guards. If there’s a potential threat, it is only right to deal with it.”
Jin Seong-un nodded.
That was a fair point.
“Unfortunately, I happened to witness this while out walking. If you kill him before my eyes, the Escort Leader’s show of generosity will be tarnished.”
“……”
The martial artists exchanged glances, then sighed.
“You are right, Master. Consider this the man’s Heavenly Fortune.”
The martial artist released the man’s acupoints and told him to get lost.
The man glanced at them both, then quickly fled.
Jin Seong-un sent him a Voice Transmission.
If you can stake your life on your words, then seek out Chairman Oh Jeong-san of the Jingzhou Merchants’ Association instead.
After that, Jin Seong-un shrugged at the martial artists.
“Let’s head back together. Conveniently, we’re staying at the same inn.”
The martial artists reluctantly nodded.
They had no other choice.
Jin Seong-un and the martial artists returned to the inn.
When Song Jae-mun saw them together, his eyes widened.
“How come you return together?”
Jin Seong-un scratched his head awkwardly, as though covering for their secret.
Song Jae-mun’s mind worked quickly.
If he did not ask further, that in itself would be suspicious.
In an instant, he finished his calculations, then asked again in a feigned innocent tone.
“You wear a troubled look. Speak freely. After all, I am close with Chairman Oh, and you and I, Guest Dragon, are practically sworn brothers.”
“Hmm, truthfully, I was just out for a walk……”
Jin Seong-un recounted exactly what he had seen and experienced.
After finishing his explanation, he stared straight at Song Jae-mun.
‘Now, how will you respond?’
His eyes seemed to be asking that very question.
Song Jae-mun furrowed his brows briefly, then without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand.
Smack!
He struck his subordinate across the face.
Not stopping there, he threw the man to the ground, stomped on him, and beat him mercilessly.
Naturally, the subordinate did not resist. Though it was humiliating, Song Jae-mun’s blows did not hurt much.
For quite some time, Song Jae-mun continued pummeling his man until, panting, he finally spoke.
“I cannot forgive disobeying my words. But since your excessive loyalty led to this ‘mistake,’ I will consider it as such. However!”
As he said this, Song Jae-mun glanced at Jin Seong-un.
“To dare raise a blade against Guest Dragon! Do you even realize how precious this man is?”
Song Jae-mun went on and on, praising Guest Dragon’s accomplishments, his deeds as a chivalrous hero, and his brilliant future as a merchant.
The reason was simple: to apply subtle emotional pressure on Jin Seong-un.
Indeed, even as he berated and beat his subordinates, he kept glancing at Jin Seong-un.
By now, it was only natural for Jin Seong-un to say something like, “Oh, please stop. I truly don’t mind.”
“……”
But Jin Seong-un merely watched calmly. And so, Song Jae-mun had no choice but to continue beating his men.
Time passed.
When Jin Seong-un never said the words he expected, Song Jae-mun eventually tired and stopped, breathing heavily.
Then he turned and apologized.
“My apologies. Forgive my subordinates’ mistake. This is truly a disgrace. Before so many, I spoke of Heavenly Fortune, and yet my men committed such a ‘mistake’ without my permission……”
In other words, he was asking him not to spread word of this.
A classic method—excessively punishing one’s men in front of another, forcing the witness to feel indebted.
Moreover, he kept emphasizing the word ‘mistake,’ leaving himself a way out even in the worst case.
Jin Seong-un nodded casually.
“But do you truly believe in Heavenly Fortune?”
An abrupt question.
Song Jae-mun waved his men aside and replied.
“Of course. Thanks to you, I survived that danger. If that isn’t Heavenly Fortune, then what is?”
“But there are those who suffer misfortune despite being innocent, are there not?”
Song Jae-mun nodded.
“There are such people, indeed. Likely they sinned in a past life. Why, even Buddhism has the concepts of reincarnation and karma. Once they atone for their karma in this life, they will be blessed in the next.”
Jin Seong-un knew little of Buddhism.
Even so, he felt that Song Jae-mun was spouting nonsense.
The reason was simple.
If his words were true, if all Buddhists shared that perspective—
Why then would Shaolin continue to do good, striving to save the common folk?
By his logic, all the weak and the unfortunate were merely atoning for their karma.
It was nothing more than twisting lofty concepts into a convenient excuse.
“I see.”
Jin Seong-un nodded calmly.
His face clearly said, ‘Nonsense.’ Song Jae-mun coughed awkwardly.
Soon after, Jin Seong-un exchanged a few words of farewell and left the room.
Song Jae-mun’s gaze on his back was nothing but cold.
The Jingzhou Merchants’ Association’s headquarters.
Oh Jeong-san sat late at night across from a man who had come unexpectedly.
After much hesitation, the man began recounting everything he had endured—from when he ran Uiseong Escort Agency to the night he attacked Song Jae-mun.
His explanation was disjointed. That was only natural—ten years of pent-up emotions weighed heavily.
Still, Oh Jeong-san listened slowly, silently, without interruption.
When the man finished his tale, Oh Jeong-san poured out the cold tea and refilled his cup with warm tea, speaking gently.
“You must have endured a truly difficult life.”
“……”
It was the man’s first time experiencing something like this.
In the past, he had exposed Song Jae-mun’s deeds here and there.
But no one had believed him.
There had been no evidence, and Song Jae-mun had already begun building his reputation.
Everyone thought he was just a failed escort master jealous of a newly successful merchant.
As Song Jae-mun’s fame soared over the past ten years, the perception only deepened.
Eventually, the man had long stopped telling anyone about his past.
“…Do you believe me?”
“No. I do not.”
An unexpectedly firm answer.
Disappointment flashed across the man’s face.
But Oh Jeong-san continued.
“Nor do I completely disbelieve you. That would not be the stance of a merchant…”
He sipped tea, then went on.
“In any case, you were sent here by Seong-un. That boy has never once made a wrong judgment.”
The man thought of Jin Seong-un.
So, the name of the Guest Dragon who sent him here was Seong-un, he realized, before asking:
“Who exactly is that man?”
A question heavy with meaning.
Even to him, Jin Seong-un was far from ordinary.
His prodigious martial prowess and talent aside, the man had appeared before him at crucial moments, lending aid.
A most peculiar person, indeed.
After pondering his words, Oh Jeong-san replied:
“An inn waiter. No one else sees him that way, of course. But if he insists, what can we do?”
The man chuckled unexpectedly—and was startled at himself.
For years, the only laughter he had known was bitter, born of resentment and despair.
Oh Jeong-san continued in his calm tone.
“In any case, Seong-un was right. To be blunt, what can you do now? I will arrange lodging for you outside the festival grounds for the time being. Of course…”
He looked straight at the man.
In his gaze were pity, doubt, and a fervent wish.
“If you insist on handling this alone, I have neither the reason nor the right to stop you. Do as you will. But I hope you consider carefully.”
The man thought again of Jin Seong-un. Astonishingly, Jin Seong-un had spoken to him in almost the exact same words.
Of course, I have neither the reason nor the right to say this. But at least, don’t die today.
There was an old saying:
Good men share the same root, but evil men each have their own reasons.
The wicked were wicked for countless reasons, but the good—eventually, they resembled one another.