The place Gong Suchan and I arrived at was a small academy located a little away from the bustling streets of Hwanggang. It seemed we were here to meet the teacher of this academy. Classes were in full swing, but the teacher was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a girl who looked about twelve or thirteen was teaching her peers.
She was an adorable girl, perhaps around fifteen, with captivating eyes that drew you in. Her voice was clear and melodious, a pleasure to listen to. Initially, I thought it was just her voice that was enchanting, but her teaching revealed a depth and calmness beyond her years.
Gong Suchan and I stood at a distance, observing the class.
“She’s a remarkably bright child,” I remarked.
“Indeed, she is,” Gong Suchan replied with a smile that hinted at a deeper meaning. It seemed he knew the girl, likely the daughter of the teacher we were to meet.
As the class ended, the girl saw the children off.
“We intended to watch briefly, but ended up staying until the end,” I commented.
Gong Suchan just smiled enigmatically.
The girl approached us, and Gong Suchan bowed respectfully.
“It’s been a while,” he greeted.
“Good to see you again, Mr. Gong,” she replied.
His demeanor towards her was exceedingly polite, and I realized she was the person we had come to meet. Yet, it was puzzling. She appeared no older than thirteen.
“I’ve received the gifts you send every year. The children and I enjoyed them very much.”
“It was nothing, but I’m glad you liked them.”
My curiosity grew. Who was she that Gong Suchan sent gifts to her annually?
After their exchange, Gong Suchan introduced me to her, revealing a surprising truth.
“This gentleman is much older than I am.”
“Older than Mr. Gong?” I was taken aback.
The girl smiled and explained, “I have a condition that prevents my body from aging. I’ve stopped growing at this appearance.”
Despite sharing such a personal tragedy, her expression remained bright.
I had heard of such a condition but never imagined meeting someone with it.
“Please, come inside,” she invited, leading us to a residence behind the academy.
We sat at a low table, and she served us tea. Once I saw her as more than just a girl, I noticed a grace in her actions that I hadn’t before.
I asked the question that intrigued me most.
“How did you two come to know each other?”
Gong Suchan’s answer was astonishing.
“This lady is the elder sister of my master.”
“What? She’s the sister of the Chief Inspector?” I was truly shocked. It was surprising enough that she was related to him, but to be his sister!
The girl formally introduced herself. “My name is Jong Sa-hee.”
“Forgive my impertinence, but how old are you?”
“I’m seventy-six this year.”
Good heavens!
At seventy-six, she was indeed my elder.
Silence fell. Gong Suchan and Jong Sa-hee gave me time to process this revelation.
“Do you live like this indefinitely?”
“No, only my appearance is like this. My lifespan is the same as any other person’s.”
Even after revealing her age, she maintained her courteous demeanor.
“I don’t have much time left,” she said with a bright smile, a strange feeling given her youthful appearance.
One might think living young would be desirable, but her case was different.
Wouldn’t it be nice to live young, you might think?
But she couldn’t live a normal life like others. She must have wandered the world, unable to settle. People would have treated her with prejudice once they learned of her condition. She couldn’t have loved anyone. To her, it was a curse.
Finally, Gong Suchan revealed why he had brought me here to meet her.
“In running the merchant guild, I’ve been investigating the financial networks of the Central Plains. I’ve relied heavily on my informants and the Three-Eyed Pavilion. But there were parts I couldn’t understand.”
“What parts?”
“I discovered suspicious movements of funds. Large sums of money would suddenly disappear. Normally, one might assume it went into someone’s pocket or was used somewhere. But the funds I found simply vanished without a trace.”
At that moment, I had a hunch. Those funds were likely being used as military funds by a hidden power.
“I thought it might be related to your endeavors, so I brought you here. Lady Jong has extensive knowledge of the financial networks of the Central Plains.”
Now I understood why Gong Suchan had brought me here.
Jong Sa-hee smiled faintly. “Mr. Gong is flattering me, but I’m just a woman with an illness.”
Of course, that couldn’t be true. If it were, we wouldn’t be meeting like this.
I studied her quietly.
She was of a similar age to me. We were born in the same era and lived through the same times.
What kind of person was she? Could I learn about her from this meeting? Could she be trusted?
Regardless of Gong Suchan’s trust in her or her being the Chief Inspector’s sister, I needed to objectively assess her character. I had to make my own judgment and bear the responsibility for it.
In her eyes, I saw goodwill. It was the kind that couldn’t be feigned.
I finally spoke earnestly.
“What I’m about to say is the absolute truth.”
I candidly explained the current situation to her.
“There are those who seek to manipulate the Martial Alliance and its leader from the shadows.”
Jong Sa-hee showed no surprise. Her reaction made me think she might already be aware of this.
“Myself, the former Chief Military Officer, the leader of the Fierce Tiger Group, and Mr. Gong here are working together to oppose them. We suspect that Seong Wang-bo, the head of the Continental Merchant Guild, is involved with them. That’s why we’re here for the Great Merchant Gathering.”
To be met with sincerity, one must be sincere. To hear the truth, one must speak the truth.
Jong Sa-hee regarded me for a moment, then smiled.
“You have a strong will for someone your age.”
Perhaps she felt a similar dissonance in me as I did in her, between appearance and reality.
She posed a question.
“Do you know who the wealthiest person in the martial world is?”
“Is it Seong Wang-bo?”
“No.”
“Is it the owners of the Northern Merchant Guild or the Yellow Dragon Merchant Guild?”
They were, after all, the heads of the three major merchant guilds in the martial world.
But her answer was unexpected.
“Not them either. There’s someone with far more wealth.”
“Who is it?”
She spoke calmly.
“Have you heard of the underground financial world?”
The underground financial world?
“Do you mean things like the Flame King Treasury?”
Gong Suchan also seemed unaware.
She explained further.
“That’s a common assumption, but no. The underground financial world I’m referring to is different. Just as you mentioned someone behind the Martial Alliance, there are those who control the financial markets of the Central Plains from the shadows.”
The idea of a hidden power even in the financial world made my hair stand on end with shock and anger.
“Who are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“When did they emerge?”
Could they have existed even during my time as the leader?
“They’ve been around for a long time. At least since before I was born. They never reveal themselves.”
I was momentarily stunned. I never imagined such entities existed.
Her explanation continued, and she made an important mention about me.
“Even during the time when the Heavenly Sword suppressed the demonic sects and quelled the internal strife of the Martial Alliance, they existed. They profited immensely from the chaos and wars.”
Damn it! I know all too well what that means. Wars require all sorts of supplies, in unimaginable quantities.
While the supplies might have been handled fairly and legally, if they were involved behind the scenes…
“Do you know how many of them there are?”
“No. The leadership consists of ten people.”
“You said they never reveal themselves. How do you know this?”
For the first time since we met, she sighed lightly.
After a pause, she spoke.
“My younger brother was involved with the underground financial world. Specifically, he served one of those ten people.”
I was stunned by the revelation. In other words, the Chief Inspector had been involved with the underground financial world. It was truly shocking.
Seeing my surprise, she continued.
“To cure my illness, he desperately sought wealth. In his youth, he amassed a considerable fortune. But it was far from enough to cure me. In his quest for money, he crossed paths with them.”
Her words were calm, but I could sense the deep regret within them. The guilt of having altered her brother’s life was something no comfort could alleviate.
“How did the Chief Inspector escape from there?”
“He was lucky. Most who try to leave are silenced under the guise of confidentiality. But there are good people even there.”
I never imagined the Chief Inspector had such a past.
When I awoke, it was the Chief Steward who had tended to my wounds.
Now I understood why he was so knowledgeable in medicine. He had learned it to cure his sister’s illness.
“I’ve heard their leader is called the Dark Merchant,” she added, as if reaching a conclusion.
“The upper echelons of the Central Plains are controlled by the Dark Merchant and his ten lieutenants.”
“The Dongho Trading Company has made extensive preparations for this event. The grand banquet is set to proceed without a hitch. The venue will be the main guest hall of the Dongho headquarters…”
Seong Wangbo barely listened to his subordinate’s report.
His mind drifted back to that night with the Dark Merchant, where they drank until they were both inebriated.
“Why did we bring him into our fold again?”
“To seize power.”
“Right. And why do we want power?”
“To gain influence.”
“And why do we seek influence?”
“To make money.”
“Exactly. We must never forget that reason.”
Seong Wangbo knew well. The Dark Merchant had managed to hold his position for four consecutive terms because he never lost sight of his purpose.
“We need to eliminate him.”
“It’s not easy. With Tian Hwa-jin dead, he’s now the greatest in the land.”
“If he truly were the greatest, he wouldn’t be struggling against his opponents like this.”
”…!”
The Dark Merchant spoke.
“Fight poison with poison. Draw him to our side and then eliminate him.”
“And what about the remaining poison?”
“Neutralize it with money. Clean it up and place it in his position.”
“He won’t be swayed by money.”
“Why do you think that?”
“He managed to recruit Galsaryang as his subordinate. I know Galsaryang well; he was a top strategist. He’s not someone who serves others easily. If he has such a person under him, it means he’s not a man who bows to gold. That’s why the Tian family’s blade hasn’t pierced him.”
Yet the Dark Merchant remained steadfast in his belief.
“I believe he can be bought. If he can’t, it’s only because we haven’t offered enough.”
He emptied the glass in front of him. Seong Wangbo was curious. Why was this intelligent man so stubborn in his belief?
“Are you curious? Why I believe so?”
The Dark Merchant, who could read his thoughts just by looking at him, asked.
“Yes, honestly, I am.”
The Dark Merchant emptied another glass.
“If the belief that anyone can be bought with money crumbles… then we become nothing.”
Seong Wangbo snapped out of his reverie.
His subordinate stood silently behind him, having finished the report.
Seong Wangbo asked him, though it was more a question for himself.
“What kind of person am I?”
He couldn’t bring himself to add, “without the desire for money.”
Because he already knew the answer.