Chapter 15
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Chapter 15: Family
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To Jeong-ah, the Head Steward was no different from a father.
Having lost her own father at a young age, Jeong-ah had seen her ties to her remaining blood relatives severed upon arriving at the Luoyang Sword Clan.
The Head Steward had taught and guided her with all his heart and soul.
Even with her exceptional talent, she was only human; she had made many mistakes and caused her fair share of trouble.
Yet, every time, the Head Steward had shielded her and always helped her walk the right path.
Had it not been for him, she could guarantee that she would have been swept away and vanished into the torrent that was the Luoyang Sword Clan.
He was the only person in this massive organization of the Luoyang Sword Clan whom she could trust.
The report he had sent to the Young Master—and the story contained at the very end—was something that could only deal her a massive shock.
"If she cannot discard her innate temperament and attempts to strike a deal with the Young Master..."
Her own father was advising the Young Master to kill her if she proved to be of no use.
Her legs buckled, and her strength drained from her body, causing her to collapse.
Her face turned deathly pale, and her hands began to tremble violently.
"Ugh—!"
She grabbed the railing and vomited onto the dirt floor.
Even after emptying everything inside her, she continued to retch for a long time.
When the retching finally subsided, she pulled out a handkerchief with trembling hands.
She wiped her face, which was a mess of tears and snot.
Even as she wiped, new tears flowed, and sobs threatened to escape her clenched lips.
She took a deep breath and steadied herself.
Her tightly clenched fists were devoid of any color.
"...Do you know why I showed you that report?"
Yeon So-hyeon’s voice was as relaxed as before.
However, Jeong-ah felt a cold darkness flowing from deep within that voice.
"...Yes, Young Master."
She straightened her posture, turned to face Yeon So-hyeon, and bowed her head.
"What is contained in this report is the Head Steward’s loyalty. I dare to surmise that you have shown me what that true loyalty is."
Even a child who was like his own flesh and blood was nothing before his master.
"Loyalty, you say..."
Yeon So-hyeon leaned back in a comfortable position and looked up at the ceiling.
"I consider it madness."
How else could one explain something that would lead a man to discard even his own child?
Jeong-ah bowed her head deeply.
"In general, that may be so."
She continued in a voice that had ceased its trembling.
"But if it is here—if this is the center of the Luoyang Sword Clan, called the First Family of the Central Plains, where all the desires for conspiracy and power ultimately converge..."
She once again became aware of where she was.
She once again confirmed her own situation.
"This is loyalty."
Yeon So-hyeon lowered his gaze and looked at Jeong-ah slowly.
"...If I were to accept you still, would you wish to serve me with loyalty?"
Jeong-ah smiled.
That smile was as beautiful and radiant as a flower blooming under the sunlight after the rain had stopped.
"No."
She prostrated herself and pressed her forehead to the floor.
"Whether or not you accept me is entirely the master's prerogative. I shall simply serve my master with loyalty."
Yeon So-hyeon sensed that the flower named Jeong-ah had fully bloomed.
The flower carried a deep, dense fragrance.
A fragrance by the name of madness.
"You are my only master, Young Master."
Yeon So-hyeon smiled.
It was a thoroughly satisfying answer.
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The night at Won-gak Pavilion was as quiet and peaceful as ever.
As the wind brushed past, colorful petals scattered and danced in the air.
This was thanks to the temperature, which was kept relatively warm by the supreme formation surrounding Won-gak Pavilion.
Jeong-ah lit the oil lamp and sat near the brazier to continue her story.
"...And so, our family’s merchant group, which had been so harmonious, collapsed in an instant."
"The Ghost Bone Faction and bad luck, you say..."
Yeon So-hyeon still held a book in his hand, but he listened to her story, occasionally interjecting with questions.
"Yes, that is correct. My older sister, who was overflowing with business acumen, tried to turn the tide with my father several times, but in the end, with the bad luck piling up, there was nothing to be done."
"Even if she was your older sister, there wouldn't have been much of an age gap between you. Was she really involved in running the merchant group?"
Jeong-ah moistened her throat with a sip of alcohol and replied.
"My sister is truly an amazing person. She was the pride of our family from a young age, and she remains my pride even now."
Like Jeong-ah, her sister had been sold off to a family somewhere, but she had utilized her skills to buy her own freedom soon after.
"She is currently working as an information broker in Luoyang. It seems she has settled in and is making a name for herself."
From the way Jeong-ah spoke of her sister, one could clearly feel how proud she was of her.
"...And according to a letter my sister sent a while ago, she said she had found the mastermind behind the bad luck that plagued our family."
Her face darkened.
"That mastermind was none other than the very person who forced us to use the Ghost Bone Faction."
Her hand gripping the wine cup tightened.
"I still cannot forget it. That man named 'Geum-jil,' with his greasy face and bloated body, who brought our family to ruin..."
Yeon So-hyeon’s eyebrows shot up.
"Geum-jil, you say?"
Jeong-ah looked at Yeon So-hyeon with puzzled eyes.
"Yes, that was definitely the name. It does not seem to be his real name, but I remember everyone calling him that. Is it a name you know, Master?"
Instead of answering, Yeon So-hyeon turned his head and looked into the distance.
"Geum-jil..."
The memory of last night surfaced in his mind.
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"My lord! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Stop the pleasantries and just guide me in the right direction."
"O-over there!"
The middle-aged man, despite limping and having a body that was in a miserable state, managed to guide Yeon So-hyeon.
He was none other than the very middle-aged man who had been beaten by the men Yeon So-hyeon had taken care of.
"If you save my family, I will never forget your grace, even in death! I will repay your kindness, even if it takes generations!"
After offering his thanks to Yeon So-hyeon repeatedly, he immediately clung to him, begging him to help his family.
"I know it is a shameless request, but please, I beg of you!"
"...I understand, so just guide me."
He stumbled several times, but every time Yeon So-hyeon tried to help him, he refused, stood up, and continued to lead the way.
"Over there, it's over there!"
Before long, his shop and home came into view.
His shop, illuminated by the dim moonlight, was in shambles.
"Oh, my dear! My dear!"
The middle-aged man, shocked by the sight, ran into the courtyard.
"Husband?! What is this mess?!"
"Father!"
The vivid sounds of a heated family reunion echoed from the courtyard.
Sighing softly, Yeon So-hyeon stepped inside, and something crunched under his foot.
"...A mask?"
Everything rolling around in the ruined shop was a mask.
There were masks used in wedding ceremonies, and masks hung up in hopes of bringing good fortune to the household.
'So he was a mask artisan.'
As Yeon So-hyeon stepped into the courtyard, he saw the family clinging to each other and weeping.
"My lord...!"
When he appeared, the mask artisan prostrated himself at his feet and bowed deeply.
However, perhaps misunderstanding something, his wife began to kneel before Yeon So-hyeon and beg.
"Oh, my lord! We will pay the interest soon, so please forgive this man just this once! He needs to have his limbs intact to pay back the money, doesn't he?"
She then burst into loud wails right there on the spot.
"No..."
Before So-hyeon could even say anything, his children popped out and grabbed his pant legs, clinging to him.
"Please spare our father! We were wrong! Please, just forgive us once!"
They even rolled around on the floor.
"No, you people! This lord is not 'that kind of lord'! He is the one who saved my life!"
It seemed the mask artisan had been calling those who came to collect debts "my lord."
As the mask artisan hurriedly brought his family under control, his wife and children stood up looking embarrassed, and before Yeon So-hyeon could say a word, they began to perform deep bows.
"My lord, thank you!"
"Thank you!"
At the chaotic yet orderly scene, Yeon So-hyeon couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
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"It is humble, but please, sit here for a moment."
The mask artisan, who had guided Yeon So-hyeon to the inner quarters, seated him in the warmest spot and stirred the brazier to revive the flames.
Then, while his wife brought out hot water, he rummaged deep into a wardrobe and brought out a small, hidden jar.
"It is tea leaves. It is nothing but cheap stuff, so I worry it might ruin your palate..."
"It is fine. Put it away."
Because tea leaves, unlike the common grain teas people drank, were incredibly expensive items.
The mask artisan called it cheap, but any tea leaf was equally prohibitively expensive.
"How could I do that?"
Before Yeon So-hyeon could stop him, he emptied all the tea leaves carefully kept in the jar into Yeon So-hyeon’s cup and poured hot water over them.
Following this, the children entered carrying a wooden bowl filled with snacks.
The children placed the bowls on Yeon So-hyeon’s table as respectfully as possible, then retreated to kneel on the floor.
Then, the mask artisan and his wife also knelt in front of the children.
"My lord, thank you!"
"Thank you!"
Yeon So-hyeon shook his head as if he had no choice and lifted the teacup with an elegant demeanor.
"...It is good tea."
At his praise, the children, who looked to be about six or seven years old, beamed with joy.
"My lord, how can we ever repay this grace as deep as the sea..."
Yeon So-hyeon waved his hand to stop the mask artisan.
"That is enough. I did not do this expecting anything in return."
"But, my lord...!"
"More importantly."
Yeon So-hyeon set down his teacup.
"Who are the ones who oppressed you and caused this havoc here?"
The mask artisan bowed his head and replied.
"...I understand those men are the ones who have a contract with the Ghost Bone Faction."
"The Ghost Bone Faction?"
The mask artisan began to recount what he knew, speaking with measured care.
"Yes, that is correct. The Black Bone Faction is a horrific group of the Black Path led by a woman known as Geum-ju, who is said to be the daughter of a man called Geum-jil."
Geum-jil, and his daughter, Geum-ju.
"The Black Bone Faction acts on behalf of this man named Geum-jil. From loan sharking to gambling dens, they are a massive organization that inserts itself into every place where the scent of money can be found."
"What was the reason you went to the gambling den?"
The mask artisan pressed his forehead to the floor and replied.
"That is their method!"
"Their method?"
The mask artisan poured out his pent-up resentment as if releasing a dam.
"Exactly! Since the interest rates on private loans are strictly limited by law, they force those who have taken out such loans to participate in gambling, using it as a tactic to inflate their debts!"
"Ha..."
At those words, Yeon So-hyeon let out a bitter laugh.
The interest rate cap in Luoyang was a past achievement that his father had accomplished through negotiations with the government offices.
And the person who had first investigated, researched, and codified that law was none other than Yeon So-hyeon himself, back in his youth.
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