Man Geum-jeon’s mansion.
Some were sitting in the garden, pondering life and succession issues, while others were just too busy due to the sudden succession crisis.
“Did you say the young master was kidnapped while collecting debts?”
The Head of Guards frowned at the urgent news that flew in.
“Uh, the young master mobilized the martial artists to collect debts, but ended up getting caught himself!”
“What the… How could that even happen…?”
With the succession test for Man Geum-jeon in full swing, the grandsons of Man Geum-jeon were not exactly managing their expectations.
“They said they’d kill him if the debts weren’t paid back. Uh, what should we do? It seems impossible for them to resolve it among themselves.”
“Un Yeop, step in.”
After a deep sigh, the Head of Guards called for his son, who had been listening to the situation.
“If negotiations don’t pan out and you can’t show any strength, we’ll transfer the debt over to the young master.”
Jeon Woon-yeop quickly decided on an action plan with a few martial artists and set off for the kidnapping site.
Watching his late-born son, whom he had raised with great difficulty, behave differently from the ruffians brought a deep sense of gratitude to the Head of Guards.
But that was not the end of the matter.
Creditors and debtors. Party A and Party B. Since the rascals had transformed into debt collectors, there was no telling how rough things would get.
“They threatened to sell my daughter and wife into brothels if I don’t pay up?! What?! My wife is from a noble family?”
“We’ve officially received a complaint from the noble family.”
“Didn’t I tell you to be careful to avoid such matters?!”
“I mentioned it beforehand, but anyway, the in-laws paid the debts for us, so they say it’s all good now.”
“Hah…”
“What? The young master has gone missing? Why are you asking Man Geum Battlefield about this? He must have headed out to clear his head after failing the second test! Do you think this is a lost-and-found service for children?!”
“What? Climbing over the wall at night? He was trying to steal a famous painting instead of money? Is he out of his mind?!”
“He destroyed all the furnishings at the inn because they didn’t pay?!”
“The young master is asking if he can deduct the compensation fees from the debts.”
“Pfft….”
The Head of Guards desperately missed the cigarettes he had given up long ago.
——
“Lord Jeon.”
The troubles were still not over. The former Head of Guards felt wrinkles forming on his face as he had to report the rascals’ stories to the master.
“Have you arrived?”
Man Geum-jeon greeted him with a smirk while not taking his eyes off his documents.
“You seem to be in a good mood today.”
The Head of Guards asked curiously about Man Geum-jeon’s rare demeanor.
“Kang Yoon-ho. That kid sent the second repayment.”
Man Geum-jeon laid down the documents, keeping the smile off his face as he replied to the Head of Guards.
“Wait, are you talking about money from someone other than the Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol? It hasn’t even been a few days since we resolved the issue with the Three-Eyed Sword!”
The Head of Guards couldn’t believe his ears for the first time today. The debt ledger that Kang Yoon-ho had taken was created under the Head of Guards’ leadership and with Man Geum-jeon’s approval.
While it wasn’t an impossible ledger for collecting debt, it certainly didn’t have a list of individuals from whom money could easily be retrieved.
“Jung Mun-won brought back the money he borrowed.”
“Jung Mun-won, you mean… the Inspector?!”
“I thought he’d have no money to repay, so I figured it would be a blessing if I could use it later as rat poison. But he actually brought it back.”
“When it comes to the Inspector, I thought for sure he wouldn’t have the means to repay. How in the world…”
Things were getting ridiculous. He wasn’t even a low-ranking official, but an Inspector!
The Head of Guards couldn’t have believed the unbelievable news unless he had seen the documents stamped with Jung Mun-won’s seal in front of him.
Man Geum-jeon found the Head of Guards’ astonishment amusing and continued.
Hehe. “He’s just so unpredictable, isn’t he?”
“What? The Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol and Inspector Jung Mun-won? While other masters bully and threaten debtors like other masters, how on earth did this happen?”
The Head of Guards recalled the behavior of the other succession candidates.
They’d demand money with threats, bring in martial artists to intimidate, seize expensive items—the kind of racket that made the Head of Guards shudder.
Had Man Geum-jeon not mentioned that he was monitoring the situation, it wouldn’t have been strange for someone to end up dead.
Even those ruffian young masters wouldn’t choose the impossible ledger.
Seeing Kang Yoon-ho’s choice, he thought he’d found a fresh competitor. What a foolish guy. Clearly, the barbarian doesn’t know his place. Everyone couldn’t help but snicker.
Yet, already two from the impossible ledger that even ruffians had given up on.
Man Geum-jeon had some good news for the astonished Head of Guards.
“By the way, the guards from the mansion that brought back the Inspector’s money were present at the Three-Eyed Sword’s debt collection meeting. Let’s listen in.”
——
“You tricked the Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol into giving you money?”
“Yes. He handed over the invoice willingly.”
The guards from the mansion where Kang Yoon-ho and Je-geal-hyang lived bowed their heads, unsure what to do during the sudden inquiry.
“The guy from the Three-Eyed Sword wouldn’t just get fooled that easily.”
“I was curious too, and if I were Cho Cheol, I think I would’ve been tricked as well.”
The guards began to recount what they observed and learned while guarding Kang Yoon-ho, laying it all out in front of Man Geum-jeon.
Hehe. “This is interesting. It’s interesting.”
Man Geum-jeon understood all too well how difficult it was to retrieve funds when a martial artist ran off with the money.
If you ask nicely, they’d threaten you with murderous intent in return. Raise your voice to demand your money back, and they’d just run away with their quick legs. Threaten with a sword, and they’d just laugh and throw the sword your way.
For someone like Man Geum-jeon, there were ways out, but there was no approach a mere young man could take.
But wait a minute.
‘No way he collected the money by suggesting investing in a promising business.’
As he imagined the scene of the Three-Eyed Sword, who wouldn’t be swayed by threats, willingly presenting the invoice, a joyful smile broke free from his lips.
“To deceive using his position and the Joseon people… Now I feel a chill running down my spine.”
The Head of Guards, stunned by this unexpected method, spoke up.
“Right. Yet if the Three-Eyed Sword learns he’s been fooled, he wouldn’t let it slide, would he?”
Man Geum-jeon understood the process of receiving the invoice. But the opponent was a martial arts master. It wouldn’t do to pull off the deception to the end; once he found out the money was used for repaying debts, he wouldn’t just sit around.
With a concerned expression, Man Geum-jeon turned to the guards.
“Well… in the end, he revealed the truth and used connections to sway Cho Cheol. I can hardly believe it myself. Truly… I thought anyone refusing to return money in that moment would not be a real man.”
The sudden confession from Kang Yoon-ho and the appearance of the Joseon people, coupled with Kang Yoon-ho’s charismatic rhetoric, left the guards in utter disbelief.
Hehe. “To be able to deceive all the way to the end, yet offer a chance to choose at the last moment… Truly skilled at trickery but also unhesitant to walk the righteous path. The more I know, the more fascinating this kid becomes. Don’t you think so, Head of Guards?”
“If a merchant is skilled at trickery, he’d struggle to reap significant gains and risk losing small profits if walking the righteous path. It’s hard to see it as something a mere young man can do.”
“A young sapling blossoming in the dry earth…”
There are countless fools who, even after being nurtured, never bloom due to rotted roots. They waste their lives, unaware of how blessed their circumstances are or how valuable their situation is.
Man Geum-jeon closed his eyes, recalling a single orchid that bloomed nobly.
The ground was parched, and nutrients were lacking. But that sapling would dig deep into the soil to survive by any means necessary.
Even in such conditions, the orchid does not fear to seek out the heavens. It strives not just to survive but to bloom.
Finding a rare orchid was a fortune in one’s twilight years.
“I remember Lord Jeon from back in the day. Like that time we colluded with the lord of the Eight Families to rob the posts. Even though it was a post office that never repaid, I never could have imagined you would go so far.”
Hehe. “Without that money, I’d be on the streets, so we squeezed our heads together. Those were fond days.”
Whether not getting paid or receiving a blade, he’d be dead either way. If he wanted his ship back, he had to cough up the money or threaten to sell off all the cargo.
It was only thanks to his brilliant youth and trustworthy friendships that he could even consider such things. Man Geum-jeon smiled as he remembered his younger days.
“Master Kang seems to have many similarities to you, Lord Jeon.”
Hehe.
Man Geum-jeon didn’t deny it.
“Lord Jeon. Although Master Kang has received his funds back, I’m worried Cho Cheol might harbor resentment later.”
Man Geum-jeon nodded at the Head of Guards’ concerns.
“Indeed. Do you think we might need more guards for Kang Yoon-ho?”
“Um…”
The mansion guards avoided Man Geum-jeon’s gaze at the question.
“Wait, is something really going on?!”
The temperament of a martial artist is unpredictable, and there’s no telling whether they’d suddenly hold a blade to Kang Yoon-ho’s neck one day, demanding their money back.
Having experienced it himself, Man Geum-jeon asked in shock.
“Did Kang Yoon-ho persuade the Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol and bring him to his side?”
Man Geum-jeon was momentarily speechless at the guards’ words.
The kid who carried the will of the Eight Families and whom he thought resembled his youthful self. An idea struck Man Geum-jeon’s mind like lightning.
“Business is not merely about leaving behind profits; it’s about leaving behind people.”
“…Head of Guards.”
“Yes?”
“That kid seems to be something more.”
A smile that couldn’t be hidden spread across Man Geum-jeon’s face.
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