When the First Snow Falls Again (1)
The next day, the people I had been waiting for finally arrived.
“Young master!”
Gwangdu charged at me like a bull, as if we were reuniting after decades apart.
I sidestepped him and walked over to Gongsuchan, who was following behind.
“Thank you for making the journey.”
“Have you been well?”
As I greeted Gongsuchan first, Gwangdu looked at me incredulously.
“Wow. You go straight for the money, huh?”
“Oh, so you see our dear Gongsuchan as nothing but money?”
“No, that’s not what I meant!”
Gongsuchan smiled at the flustered Gwangdu.
“It’s alright.”
“No, really!”
“I’m someone who manages money. I interpret the world through it, so such comments don’t bother me at all.”
“Why are you like this? We had such a good vibe coming here, didn’t we?”
As expected, Gwangdu’s presence brightened the atmosphere. He had a unique energy that only he could bring.
Gwangdu sidled up to me and whispered, “I get why you greeted Gongsuchan first. You like to save the best for last, right?”
“Sorry, but I’m the kind of person who believes that if you save something, it turns to waste.”
Ignoring Gwangdu’s pout, I led the way into the inn.
“Thank you for coming all this way. You must be hungry, so let’s eat first.”
Gwangdu’s eyes widened at the spread of dishes unique to Hubei. I had ordered enough to break the table legs.
“Wow! This is delicious. Wuchang is truly something else. It’s nothing like our little village!”
“Eat to your heart’s content! If it’s not enough, I’ll order more.”
“See? There’s no one like our young master!”
After filling our bellies, we finally got down to business.
“How are your parents?”
“They’re doing well.”
“They don’t miss me?”
“They haven’t mentioned it.”
“Hmm. That can’t be right.”
“Young master, you might not know this yet, but as parents age, they sometimes wish their children would move out. Kids aren’t always cute forever, you know? You should visit Donggyeong once in a while.”
“Hahaha.”
Having been teased, I had to return the favor. I had a good comeback ready.
“How’s Dosoon doing?”
“Oh, you never miss a chance to dig into that, do you?”
“How could I forget my first love?”
“I’ve told you many times, she wasn’t my first love!”
Gongsuchan, who was listening, chuckled softly. He looked like he would bet on her being the first love if there were a wager.
“By the way, young master, don’t you miss Miss Song?”
“Is she well?”
“She’s become even more beautiful.”
“How do you know?”
“She visited the matriarch recently.”
I felt grateful to her again. It was especially appreciated since I was away from home at the time.
I knew her actions weren’t to impress me.
She was experiencing changes in her life too. Things she used to overlook now seemed important. Taking care of my mother was one of those things.
Change is like that.
When one thing changes properly, everything changes.
After catching up on all the news from Shandong, I brought up the reason I had called them.
“Let’s start a trading company.”
Gongsuchan nodded calmly, as if he had expected this.
“I had a feeling you might say that when you summoned me here.”
“What do you think?”
“As you know, starting a trading company isn’t easy. It requires a significant amount of money.”
“I’m aware. So let’s start small, with a focus on scalability.”
“Scalability?”
“This company will eventually expand throughout the central plains. We’ll start small, but I want this beginning to be the root of a great tree. Let’s not create something haphazardly; let’s build it with future growth in mind. That way, we can quickly expand the organization whenever we need to.”
It sounded simple, but it was far from easy. After a moment of contemplation, Gongsuchan nodded.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
There was a gleam of anticipation in Gongsuchan’s eyes. It seemed like this might have been a long-held dream of his.
“And establish a communication network between Wuchang and Shandong.”
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
“How much money will you need?”
“Even for a small trading company, we’ll need at least fifty thousand nyang. I’ll start by conserving the funds I manage…”
I handed him a promissory note. It was money I had set aside from the battlefield.
“One hundred thousand nyang. Use this to start properly.”
Gongsuchan was taken aback. Gwangdu, standing beside him, widened his eyes.
“Can I touch it just once?”
Gwangdu trembled as he caressed the note.
Starting a business with money taken from villains—something my past self would never have considered. I would have thought it went against the code of chivalry.
But now, it doesn’t matter. I won’t repeat the same life. I regretted living bound by reputation and honor.
I don’t care if I’m not called a hero. I’ll focus more on reality than on my reputation.
Though this money came from evil, its origin wasn’t inherently evil. It was merely the result of exploitation.
I hope this money flows to a good place through my hands. If that happens, it doesn’t matter what I’m called in the martial world.
“This money is more than enough. We can establish the trading company you envisioned.”
“If you need more money, let me know. If you need more people, recruit them. I’m entrusting this entirely to you, Gongsuchan.”
“Leave it to me.”
I turned to Gwangdu.
“While the work is ongoing, you’ll be in charge of protecting Gongsuchan.”
“Yes, understood.”
Gwangdu replied with a joyful expression. He seemed thrilled to be part of such an important task.
Gongsuchan stood up, ready to start immediately.
“Rest today and begin tomorrow.”
“No, I can’t rest knowing there’s work to be done.”
Gongsuchan looked at Gwangdu.
“Are you okay with that?”
“Of course. We’ll be off then.”
The two left the inn.
Watching them move energetically, I felt the fatigue from Wuchang melt away.
The next evening, I took Gwangdu to the Fengju Tavern.
On the way, I saw a group walking in the distance.
Leading them was a man named Macheolgun.
I had seen him during my time in Mengju, so I knew a bit about him. I remember wondering if Mabonggi had a son like him. After a few conversations, he seemed smart and had a good personality.
But that’s just a guess. That was the first and last time I saw him. How many times have I been deceived by first impressions in my life?
Anyway, I heard he was temporarily leading the Cheondomun in Mabonggi’s absence. What brings him here?
Beside him was an elderly man with a calm demeanor, followed by seven men. Even at a glance, they were skilled fighters, and I recognized them.
They were the Cheonryong Chilgeom, the seven swordsmen who guarded the Cheondomun leader. They used to protect Mabonggi, but now they were guarding the interim leader, Macheolgun.
What caught my eye was a man standing a bit apart from them.
His eyes were cold and emotionless. Seeing him reminded me of Chilho.
It’s them.
He must have been trained in the same organization.
Since I assigned someone to Majeongsu, it made sense to assign people to other successors too. But I was surprised they had someone with Macheolgun as well.
Something was happening.
But it wasn’t something I could get involved in right now. Let them do as they please. I’ll focus on becoming stronger.
“Is something wrong?”
Gwangdu asked cautiously. My expression must have been serious for a moment.
“It’s nothing.”
“Young master, if something happens, you have to tell me first.”
How could I not know how much he cared for me?
“Alright, if there’s danger, you’ll be the first I think of.”
Leaving a flustered Gwangdu behind, I strode forward.
“No, you don’t have to do that. There are plenty of moderately dangerous things…”
I introduced Gwangdu to Baekpyo like this:
“This is Gwangdu, my subordinate. He’s the person I trust the most.”
It was a moment of introducing the person I trusted most in this life to the one I trusted most in my past life.
Though their personalities were completely different, they shared one common trait.
They both had an unexpectedly emotional side.
Gwangdu, buoyed by the words of trust, playfully said, “Thank you for taking care of our young master all this time.”
To Gwangdu, I had only introduced Baekpyo as the tavern owner I befriended here. It was just a light introduction for the first day.
Unable to join in the teasing, Baekpyo waved his hand dismissively.
“Not at all. Thanks to Mr. Byeok, I’ve had a lot of fun lately. And business has been booming too.”
I sat with Gwangdu at our usual spot and ordered drinks and food.
“Wow! The taste of this drink is amazing!”
At Gwangdu’s exclamation, I laughed and said, “Doesn’t it taste like the wind?”
Gwangdu looked shocked.
“Did you borrow money from the owner or something?”
Baekpyo, who was listening, burst into laughter.
During my time in Wuchang, I noticed that Baekpyo laughed a lot. I don’t recall ever seeing him laugh during his time as the leader of the Mengho Group.
That night, back at the inn, Gwangdu and I had another drink. We brought the drinks and snacks upstairs and sat by the window in the guest room on the second floor.
We drank and gazed outside for a long time.
As people made their way home from work, the streets were alive with the mournful songs of staggering drunks and the purposeful strides of warriors, swords at their sides. Each person moved to their own rhythm, and simply watching them filled me with a strange sense of wonder.
It was Gwangdu who finally broke the long silence.
“I think I understand why you like the owner of the tavern.”
“Did it seem that way to you?”
I was taken aback. All I had done was introduce the two of them and share a quick drink. I hadn’t thought I’d shown any particular emotion.
“Isn’t it true?”
“What makes you say that?”
“He didn’t seem like just any tavern owner. I can’t quite put it into words, but being around him felt comfortable. He’s different from the other tavern owners I’ve met.”
It was something I had grown too accustomed to notice, but Gwangdu, meeting Baekpyo for the first time, had sensed the calm he exuded.
I explained to Gwangdu that Baekpyo was once the leader of the Mengho Clan in the Martial Alliance and that he was currently in a difficult situation, which I had secretly helped him with.
I didn’t want to deceive Gwangdu, and I hadn’t yet made up my mind about Baekpyo.
Honestly, I wanted to bring Baekpyo into my fold. I hoped to persuade him, to win him over, and have him join me. But I was uncertain about the path ahead and whether it was right to involve him.
Of course, regardless of my resolve, making him one of my own was nearly impossible. He wasn’t the type to easily serve another.
Gwangdu, perceptive as ever, seemed to have read my thoughts.
“You should tell him, you know. That you helped him. That you saved his family.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because he should know. He should thank you.”
“Am I a debt collector? Just because I give, doesn’t mean I should expect something in return.”
“If you don’t say anything, how will he know? How can he understand your heart? I know you don’t like to boast, but the world doesn’t work that way. If you don’t speak up, he’ll never know.”
It was something Gwangdu must have learned from his own experiences.
“It would be more impressive if you told him later, rather than me saying it myself.”
“Ah, so that’s why you called me here.”
“Hahaha.”
I raised my glass, and Gwangdu clinked his against mine.
“Sir.”
“What is it?”
“Be honest and tell him you want him with you. I saw the way you looked at him earlier. I’ve never seen you look at anyone like that before.”
“Not even at you?”
“Well, I can’t judge that objectively.”
It wasn’t an easy thing for Gwangdu to say. He must have known that if Baekpyo joined us, his own position might be overshadowed, that he would have to share the attention and affection he received.
Yet, he spoke up for my sake.
“Alright, I’ll think about it.”
Like the jealousy Gwangdu had emptied from his heart, his glass was now empty too.
“Do it. Please.”
The cold night breeze slipping through the window signaled the arrival of winter.
Though I lay down after the drinking session, sleep eluded me. Across the room, Gwangdu also tossed and turned, unable to find rest. He seemed to have a lot on his mind too.
Strangely, deciding on this matter felt more challenging than facing dozens of formidable foes.
And so, the night passed, filled with thoughts.