At the Threshold of Spring (3)
The next day, Song Hwarin returned.
“Did you talk to your father?”
Her urgency was palpable. It seemed Song Wookyung was on the verge of making a decision.
“No, I haven’t.”
Disappointment spread across her face.
“Well, I understand. I’m sorry for asking.”
She turned to leave immediately.
“I think you’re going about this the wrong way.”
“What?”
“The more you try to stop someone, the more they want to do it. Sure, if my father earnestly tries to dissuade him, he might give up. But won’t he always have regrets about this?”
She seemed taken aback, as if she hadn’t considered this.
“Not to mention, it could strain the friendship between our fathers. That’s not what you want, is it?”
“Of course not. I don’t want their relationship to change because of this.”
“That’s why, even if he decides to stop, he needs to come to that conclusion himself. Or find a compelling reason to refuse.”
“A compelling reason to refuse?”
She was strong-willed but not stubborn without cause.
“You’re right. But… how do we find that reason?”
“Have you looked?”
“What?”
“Have you looked for a concrete reason to stop him, beyond just suppressed desires?”
She flinched as if hit by a revelation, then shook her head.
“I have. I found something worth checking through our general manager.”
“What is it?”
“A few months ago, the Shandong Trading Company was planning a big venture. But suddenly, all talk of it disappeared.”
“What kind of venture?”
“I don’t know. I can’t even be sure it’s related to this. But we need to find out why it was halted. It might reveal their true intentions towards the martial arts sects.”
“But we don’t have time. My father will give them an answer soon.”
“There’s a way to find out by today.”
“How?”
“Pay an information broker for details about them. It’s the fastest and most accurate way.”
“An information broker?”
Her voice trembled. She had likely never dealt with one before.
“We need money.”
“How much?”
“A thousand nyang? Two thousand? I’m not sure. The more we have, the more accurate the information.”
“Are you crazy? Two thousand nyang is a huge amount!”
In my experience, the most effective thing to say in such situations was this:
“The choice is yours.”
Two hours later, she returned with the money. I didn’t ask where or how she got it. As the heir to the Song family, she could probably gather that much, though it must have been a stretch. Two thousand nyang was a significant sum for a young woman of twenty.
We went to find an information broker together. On the way, we bought two hats to cover our faces. She seemed both scared and excited by the whole process.
She had a poor impression of information brokers, fearing they were shady and would take her money without delivering.
It was natural for someone who had never used one before. Besides, I wasn’t exactly someone she could fully trust.
There were many information brokers in the martial world, from small individual operations to large networks with branches everywhere.
I knew them well.
Jeonguigak, led by Galsaryang, was fundamentally an organization dealing in information.
They had their own network and connections with various information groups, especially with Cheonmanghoe, which meant “Heaven’s Net.”
Cheonmanghoe was one of the three major information groups, along with Gwiangok and Mantonghoe.
I had already researched the information brokers in Shandong.
To grow Byeokrigeommun, two things were crucial: money and information.
Without mastering these, we could never become a strong sect. That’s why I had looked into the information brokers in Shandong.
I knew there was a branch of Cheonmanghoe in Gokbu.
I took her there.
She hesitated at the entrance.
“I’m nervous. It’s my first time.”
“Then you’ll get ripped off.”
“What?”
“Don’t let them know it’s your first time.”
“Got it.”
She took deep breaths, slapping her cheeks to calm herself.
A middle-aged man with a goatee greeted us. He had a meticulous and detailed demeanor, not particularly friendly, but fitting for an information broker.
“What information do you seek?”
“We want to know about the Shandong Trading Company.”
Every piece of information had a price, and it could change rapidly. What cost ten nyang yesterday might be a thousand today.
“Fifteen hundred nyang. It was two hundred, but the price has risen recently.”
His words implied that something had increased the value of the information.
I looked at her.
She hesitated.
I spoke to the broker.
“Give us a moment.”
“Of course.”
He left us alone, as if it were a common request.
We removed our hats. She looked at me with concern.
“Is it really worth fifteen hundred nyang?”
“We can’t know.”
You never know until the broker speaks.
“What would you do?”
“I’d buy it.”
Her eyes questioned my certainty.
“Why?”
“Because it’s about my father. I wouldn’t want to leave any possibility unexplored.”
This time, she didn’t hesitate. She nodded, putting her hat back on.
When the broker returned, she handed over fifteen hundred nyang.
“I’ll buy it.”
“Very well. Let me tell you.”
I asked about their dealings with martial arts sects. He provided the information.
“A few months ago, the Shandong Trading Company partnered with Yangsobang to expand into Hebei.”
“Yangsobang!”
We were both surprised by the unexpected name.
This was during the time when Yang Gicheol was the leader.
“As you know, expanding into another region is as challenging for a trading company as it is for a martial arts sect. Existing companies don’t just stand by.”
“They relied on Yangsobang’s strength to push through.”
“Exactly. In the process, they clashed with Seokgajang, which supports the Hebei Trading Company. It could have escalated into a major conflict.”
This was shocking news, not publicly known.
“But with the death of Yangsobang’s leader, the Shandong Trading Company is in trouble. The new leader, Jeongyeo, severed ties with them. Now, the Shandong Trading Company is like a kite without a string.”
“How are the Hebei Trading Company and Seokgajang reacting?”
“They’re eager for revenge. There’s even talk of the Hebei Trading Company planning to expand into Shandong.”
“That’s all the information on the Shandong Trading Company.”
If this information hadn’t been useful, fifteen hundred nyang would have been an outrageous price.
But she didn’t complain about the cost.
As soon as we left the broker, she vented her anger at the Shandong Trading Company.
“The Shandong Alliance was all nonsense. They just wanted to drag us in to escape pressure from the Hebei Trading Company and Seokgajang.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Exactly.”
And one more thing.
“They used the Shandong Alliance as a distraction. The real issue was elsewhere.”
Even Song Wookyung had been focused on the Shandong Alliance, missing their true intentions. It meant the Shandong Trading Company had a capable strategist.
“Scary.”
“Yes, it is.”
She was quite shocked, but in the world of martial arts, this was just a minor scheme.
“I need to tell my father about this right away.”
She started to run, then turned back to me.
“Thank you.”
“You bought the information with your own money. No need to thank me.”
She looked at me for a moment, then turned and ran.
I did it partly for her, but mostly to preserve the friendship between our fathers.
It was worth protecting.
Song Wookyung declined the Shandong Trading Company’s proposal.
Of course, he didn’t reveal the true reason, but turned them down politely.
Afterward, Song Wookyung and Song Hwarin visited our home again.
In a gathering of everyone, Song Wookyung expressed his gratitude to me.
“I heard it was thanks to you that we uncovered the truth.”
“Not at all. It was Hwarin who discovered it. I merely accompanied her.”
“I know that’s not true. Without you, I would have been in a real bind.”
It seemed Song Hwarin had credited me with the success.
Song Wookyung took my hand. His large, rough hand was surprisingly warm.
“Thank you so much.”
His gaze was filled with trust.
If I had to attach meaning to this, it was a repayment for the deep friendship with my father.
“It was all thanks to Hwarin.”
I gave her the credit until the end.
Song Hwarin stood silently. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
Song Wookyung spoke to my parents.
“Thanks to your son-in-law, I avoided a great disaster. I’m truly grateful.”
My parents couldn’t hide their joy.
Especially my father, who was delighted that I played a crucial role in helping the Song family out of a difficult situation. It showed in his expression, though he wasn’t one to openly boast about his children.
“It was Hwarin’s boldness in securing the funds that made it possible.”
I supported my father.
“You have a wonderful daughter.”
Song Wookyung looked between me and Song Hwarin and laughed heartily.
“You two seem like a perfect match. Ha ha ha.”
My mother seized the opportunity.
“You look really great together.”
Sensing that if we stayed any longer, they’d start planning the wedding for tomorrow, I stepped outside with Song Hwarin.
And just like that, the Song family managed to avert a crisis.
It was astonishing to realize how everything was interconnected. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t killed Yang Sobangju. If I hadn’t survived as the leader, the Shandong Alliance strategy wouldn’t have come to be.
For the first time, she apologized to me.
“I’m sorry for asking you for this favor after I was the one who called off the engagement. It must have seemed shameless.”
She spoke with a slight bow of her head.
“Thank you, truly.”
I offered a faint smile.
I held no ill will towards her.
Had I been younger, had I wanted to claim her beauty for myself, I might have found meaning in all these events. I would have scrutinized every detail, unable to control my emotions, much like the old Byukridan who once caused a scene with her.
But I’ve lived seventy years.
I understand her actions—her inability to tolerate Byukridan’s outburst, her decision to break off the engagement, and her request for her father’s sake.
“As I said earlier, it was your doing.”
She turned away. As she walked off, she glanced back at me once. I waved, and she responded with an awkward smile before running off.
I wish her well in her youthful journey at twenty.
May she achieve all that she dreams of.