Chapter 169: Descendant and Disciple
How long had it been since he had such a sound sleep?
At least since being with Ha Joo-yeon, Lee Seowon had not once properly rested even for a single moment.
Because he had goals to achieve, he treated sleep as a luxury, and since Ha Joo-yeon was always causing trouble, he hardly had time to rest while cleaning up the aftermath.
For the past several years it had only been consumption without recovery. But at this moment, Lee Seowon felt for the first time that his mind and body were regaining even a small measure of strength.
Lee Seowon opened his eyes, feeling slightly refreshed.
“……”
His gaze met Jin Seong-un’s, who was quietly observing him.
Lee Seowon’s sharp mind pulled him back to reality in an instant.
The events from just before passed through his mind like a painted scroll.
‘Ah, that stupid bastard died, didn’t he.’
So it had come to that.
Years of effort had vanished in an instant, yet he felt no regret. Ha Joo-yeon was hopeless from the very beginning.
More importantly, another problem was right before his eyes now.
“I was planning to move you if anyone came along, but thankfully no one did, so I simply waited.”
That calm voice, for some reason, brought Lee Seowon a sense of ease.
He thought briefly that this man would probably speak in the same tone even in the midst of war.
“…Is that so.”
“And let me clear the misunderstanding. I have no intention of forcing you into the position of General Manager by threatening you with a blade. If you dislike it, leave. I won’t force you.”
Lee Seowon rose to his feet, coughing awkwardly.
After all, he was a man, and fainting in fright was somewhat embarrassing.
“Then why are you trying to bring me in as General Manager? Until yesterday, we were enemies separated by just one street.”
“It wasn’t exactly a fight. The Geumun Inn was the one that kept picking quarrels, and we merely responded one by one.”
“……”
Annoying as it was, it was the truth.
Ha Joo-yeon, and the schemes he devised, had not been able to deal the Seong-un Inn a single blow.
If anything, the outcome only heightened Seong-un Inn’s reputation.
Lee Seowon spoke in a slightly twisted tone.
“So what I’m asking is, why would you want to bring such an incompetent person as your General Manager?”
“You’re not incompetent. It’s just that Ha Joo-yeon’s recklessness overshadowed your ability. And since our goals are similar, I thought it would be good to have you as General Manager.”
“Goals?”
“You said your goal was to take back the Myriad Gold Manor, didn’t you? My situation is similar. Unintentionally, I’ve come into conflict with the ‘current’ Myriad Gold Manor.”
Lee Seowon narrowed his eyes at Jin Seong-un.
“Do you also kill people unintentionally?”
“That was intentional. By conflict, I didn’t mean this incident, but the long-standing bad blood between me and the Myriad Gold Manor.”
Lee Seowon already knew of the matters between Jin Seong-un and the Myriad Gold Manor.
He had heard that in Sangmunje he had killed Song Jae-mun of the Jo-yang Escort Agency, and in Hunan Province he had killed Nam Il-ju, the master of Namcheon Trading Company.
Both men had been protected by the Myriad Gold Manor for various reasons.
In Lee Seowon’s judgment, those two men deserved death. Protecting them had gone against the founding philosophy of the Myriad Gold Manor.
“But that doesn’t add up. You only heard my goal after chasing me here and offering me the General Manager’s position. So how could you say you wanted me because our goals aligned?”
“Uh…”
So this was the trouble with quick-witted people.
When Jin Seong-un hesitated, Lee Seowon pressed in a firm voice.
“The relationship between a General Manager and his liege is based on trust. If you tell me the truth, then I can at least consider it.”
Jin Seong-un smacked his lips.
He was never good at lying to begin with, and now he realized that if he worked with Lee Seowon, hiding anything would be even harder.
“Then let me be honest first. I am a descendant of the Merchant King. My reason for reclaiming the Myriad Gold Manor is that very fact. The world believes that because the Merchant King had no children, the Ha family General Manager inherited after him. But that is not true.”
Lee Seowon’s eyes sank low at his words.
He continued.
“It was their unilateral seizure. Of course, I know it sounds unbelievable.”
Lee Seowon thought Jin Seong-un must be taking him for a liar.
There were always one or two fools in every town who claimed to be distant relatives of the imperial family.
It felt as if he had become one of those boastful liars.
But the reply was unexpected.
“Why would I have reason not to believe you?”
“……”
“If Ha Joo-yeon and you both spoke different words, anyone with half a brain would believe you.”
In truth, Jin Seong-un had already suspected as much.
He wondered what Master Merchant King would say when he heard this story.
Now, he had even greater reason to bring Lee Seowon into the Seong-un Inn.
Since the other had spoken candidly, he too felt the need to reveal some truth.
“I am the Merchant King’s disciple.”
“……”
The situation was reversed.
Lee Seowon, who had been worried about being seen as a liar, now looked at Jin Seong-un as if he were insane.
The reason for his disbelief was clear.
The Merchant King had no disciples. Lee Seowon was not only his direct descendant but also the son of the chronicler who recorded the history of the Myriad Gold Manor. There was no way he would not know.
Moreover, the Merchant King had lived centuries ago. What disciple could there possibly be?
“It was a pleasant conversation.”
So saying, Lee Seowon turned away.
Any conversation with a liar would be nothing but a waste.
But then words from behind stopped him in his tracks.
“Since I fully mastered the Black Wolf Saber Art, doesn’t that make me his disciple?”
It was the same as with the Falling Flame Manor.
Since he had inherited the martial arts of the Divine Thief, he called himself a disciple.
Perhaps because he had already used this line once, his tone was more natural this time.
Lee Seowon turned his head to stare at Jin Seong-un.
His eyes asked, “How could you know the Black Wolf Saber Art?”
The Black Wolf Saber Art belonged to the unorthodox path.
That was why the Myriad Gold Manor, which had to uphold the Merchant King as a legendary figure, went to great lengths to hide it.
Jin Seong-un’s words continued.
“Do you know the techniques of the Black Wolf Saber Art?”
“I don’t know the principles. I only remember the forms written in the secret manual. My memory simply doesn’t forget what I’ve seen once.”
Jin Seong-un nodded and assumed a stance.
Though there was no weapon in his hand, his posture was as if he were gripping a straight saber.
Jin Seong-un began to move slowly, unfolding the techniques.
The Black Wolf Saber Art was originally a saber art that pursued extremely fast strikes, but now he executed it as slowly as possible so that Lee Seowon could see it clearly.
If anyone saw him imagining a straight saber with bare hands and moving as though he held it, they might find it ridiculous.
But as the techniques flowed one after another, Lee Seowon’s eyes grew wider.
‘That is unmistakably the Black Wolf Saber Art. And not only that…’
Even the Myriad Gold Manor of this generation did not know the complete Black Wolf Saber Art.
When the Ha family seized the Myriad Gold Manor, it was said that the ancestors of the Lee family had deliberately damaged the Black Wolf Saber Art’s manual.
Because of that, the techniques were riddled with gaps, nothing more than a half-finished form.
But the techniques Jin Seong-un displayed filled those gaps. Even to Lee Seowon, who was not well-versed in martial arts, the movements looked as natural as flowing water.
After finishing a demonstration, Jin Seong-un spoke in his usual calm tone.
“I cannot tell you right now how I learned it. That belongs to the realm of martial artists.”
Insistence.
If the opponent was a merchant, he insisted in the manner of a martial artist. If the opponent was a martial artist, he insisted in the manner of a merchant.
This was one of the few lessons Jin Seong-un had learned about life.
“But I can confidently say that I was taught more formally than anyone else of the Myriad Gold Manor. If you, as General Manager, believe I am still lying, you may leave. Of course, it would be best if the conversation we just had remains secret.”
That Jin Seong-un had inherited the Merchant King’s saber art.
That Lee Seowon was the direct descendant of the Merchant King.
If the world learned of it, both of them would be burdened with endless troubles.
“No, don’t call me General Manager on your own. For now, let’s assume what you say is true. But why would you trust me with such words? If the Myriad Gold Manor learns of this, their hostility will grow far sharper.”
“You told me earlier to speak honestly.”
“Well…”
Lee Seowon, uncharacteristically, was at a loss for words.
After a brief silence, he finally forced himself to speak.
“What exactly do you want to accomplish through the Seong-un Inn?”
There was always a saying that followed the name Guest Dragon. Was he a merchant, or was he a martial artist?
Lee Seowon also felt confused. If they were to work together, it was necessary to know which path he intended to walk.
Jin Seong-un answered without the slightest hesitation.
“I will do business. That is my only path. No matter what happens, that will not change.”
“Business.”
Lee Seowon murmured softly.
Jin Seong-un’s words had always strangely aligned with the philosophy of the Merchant King. If he had inherited his martial arts, perhaps he had also inherited his ideals in the process.
After a moment of consideration, Lee Seowon spoke.
“But the Myriad Gold Manor will not leave you alone.”
“I have no plans to leave the Myriad Gold Manor alone either.”
“Puhaha.”
Lee Seowon suddenly burst out laughing.
It was the first time in his life he had heard such words.
Yet he found them strangely pleasing.
He soon came to a conclusion.
“Then, in the end, our goals are similar. So, how much is the monthly salary for a General Manager?”
Jin Seong-un boldly raised three fingers. Seeing that, a flicker of curiosity appeared in Lee Seowon’s eyes.
“Three taels of gold? That’s rather generous for the monthly salary of an inn’s General Manager…”
Of course, the true strength of the Seong-un Inn was not the inn itself.
As someone who had once been Jin Seong-un’s opponent, Lee Seowon had already gathered all sorts of information.
The money earned from the Seong-un Inn was but a fraction compared to what Jin Seong-un earned through various other channels.
But then, Jin Seong-un slowly shook his head.
Lee Seowon flinched at the sight and carefully asked again.
“Ah, is it silver then? Well, I suppose gold would be too much…”
“……”
Jin Seong-un shook his head once more.
With an incredulous look, Lee Seowon spoke.
“That’s too much, isn’t it?”
“Our inn, by chance, has become somewhat unusual. So we adopted a different kind of payment system from other inns.”
“Somewhat unusual? It’s extremely unusual. And soon the rumors will spread far and wide.”
“Rumors?”
“That an ordinary inn defeated the Myriad Gold Manor. It is an unprecedented event in history.”
The rumors would spread nationwide like wings on the wind.
The prestige of the Myriad Gold Manor was like that of an emperor, and the tale of a small inn run by a young man defeating it would sound like a legend.
With an expression that showed he already felt tired just imagining it, Jin Seong-un said,
“Anyway, for that reason, we chose a different system instead of the ordinary salary. Sometimes we cannot do business for days at a time.”
“The Bonhwaseo system? Where the members receive their shares according to performance?”
Jin Seong-un’s eyes lit up.
Until now, when he explained business matters to Seomun Ak, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Jang Gwang, he had always had to speak in endless detail.
After all, they were martial artists and didn’t know much about this trade.
But Lee Seowon understood instantly.
“Yes. Thirty percent. Of course, since we divide almost all of the inn’s earnings, it cannot be compared to the monthly salary of a typical inn.”
“Will that be all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The results I produce as General Manager will be worth an enormous amount in money. I might even end up taking home more than the innkeeper himself.”
“Hmm…”
Jin Seong-un thought again that this man truly was the descendant of Master Merchant King.
The distinctive confidence, the unoffensive arrogance—it was exactly the same.
“Very well. If it is achieved through the General Manager’s ability, then of course the reward should match.”
“Good. Then I shall begin my first duty as General Manager. That cannot be left as it is. If the Myriad Gold Manor learns of it, it will bring trouble.”
What he referred to as “that” was none other than Ha Joo-yeon’s corpse.
Jin Seong-un asked,
“Do you have a method?”
“They’ll find out eventually, but we can delay it as much as possible. And even once they know, we must ensure they cannot act recklessly.”
For once, Jin Seong-un’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Seomun Ak, the tireless inn waiter. Jang Gwang, and Seo Yu-gyeom, the former assassin with extraordinary talent in cooking.
His gaze now resembled when he had gained those three.
Lee Seowon continued,
“Do you enjoy reading documents, by any chance?”
“…Are there really people who enjoy such things?”
“If you become my liege, you will have to learn to enjoy it. Ha Joo-yeon couldn’t, and that’s why he ended up that way.”
Jin Seong-un glanced at Ha Joo-yeon, then nodded.
“Hmm, I will try.”
“Good. At the very least, I will ensure for now that the Myriad Gold Manor dares not touch the Seong-un Inn.”
The two men nodded at each other.
The descendant of the Merchant King and the disciple of the Merchant King.
And, beyond that, the Merchant King himself.
The Seong-un Inn had become the one and only inn in all ages to embody all three.