Chapter 6 — An Escort Job Offer
Jaha understood Byeokho’s feelings.
Long ago, Byeokho had even considered marrying Lee Yeombang.
If he did, Qingyun Martial Hall’s finances would improve, and he would be able to give his fellow disciples better food and clothes.
But he could not do it.
There was another woman Byeokho truly loved.
However, whenever Jaha tried to recall the face of the woman Byeokho loved, the memory refused to surface clearly.
It almost felt as though Byeokho’s spirit was deliberately blocking that memory.
When Jaha returned to Qingyun Martial Hall, he saw three rough-looking men standing all the way inside the front courtyard.
He immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Hanseol looked as though she had committed some terrible crime, while Jo Unryong stood protectively in front of her, breathing heavily with anger.
“What is going on?”
As Jaha walked inside and spoke, Jo Unryong’s expression brightened.
“Senior Brother Byeok!”
Hanseol, however, shrank back even more.
One of the men looked at Jaha.
“Ah, so you’re the second disciple of Qingyun Martial Hall who recently returned from Taiyuan?”
“I am.”
“Good. Then this should be easier to discuss. A year ago, your junior sister borrowed money from our bank. She still hasn’t repaid it, so we came to collect.”
“Money?”
“That’s right. At the time, she borrowed quite a large amount to pay for your eldest senior brother’s funeral and your master’s medicine.”
Jaha had never even thought about that.
In truth, Hanseol had barely been able to afford one meal a day because all their money went toward their master’s medicine.
So where could she possibly have found the money to pay for their eldest senior brother’s funeral?
And how had she continued buying medicine until Byeokho returned?
The training fees paid by the few children Unryong taught were nowhere near enough.
It was obvious if one thought carefully about it, yet Jaha had overlooked it until now.
Back in the Demonic Cult, subordinates had handled all these small matters for him.
There was no reason for Jaha to understand such everyday financial troubles.
Perhaps Byeokho’s spirit also felt ashamed for overlooking it, because Jaha’s face suddenly flushed red.
“How much is it altogether? I’ll repay everything.”
When Jaha spoke confidently, the man answered.
“I heard the second disciple returned from Chengdu after making quite a lot of money. It seems the rumors were true.”
Apparently, word about Jaha had already spread throughout Yeongje County.
Otherwise, these men would not have come to collect the debt so quickly.
Jaha turned to Hanseol.
“Junior Sister, don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
“I’m sorry, Senior Brother.”
“What are you apologizing for? Because you were here, Eldest Senior Brother was able to have a proper funeral. I should be the one apologizing. I didn’t even think about how you paid for everything.”
The man looked at Jaha.
“Let’s go to the bank. We’ll need to draw up the contract again.”
Even though his junior sister had borrowed money, Jaha had no reason to act ashamed.
“Junior Sister, wait here. I’ll go to the bank and come back.”
Jaha then headed toward the bank with the three men.
The place where Hanseol had borrowed money was Xiahou Bank, the only bank in Yeongje County.
Xiahou Bank had originally been established by an influential local family native to Yeongje County.
However, a little over ten years ago, an underworld faction absorbed Xiahou Bank and expanded its operations.
Using high-interest loans, the faction rapidly grew its influence and eventually unified the underworld forces throughout southern Shanxi.
It was known as the Western Gorge Gang.
The Western Gorge Gang had originated in Sanmen Gorge, and its name came from its location west of the gorge.
Xiahou Bank was essentially the Yeongje County branch of the Western Gorge Gang.
The person in charge of it was Geol Jejong, the Western Gorge Gang’s branch leader in Yeongje County.
Xiahou Bank occupied a large manor consisting of one huge main building, a garden, and a rear courtyard.
It was especially famous for the small yet elegant old-fashioned pavilion in the rear garden.
As if everything had already been arranged beforehand, the men did not lead Jaha into the bank itself.
Instead, they brought him toward the pavilion.
“This way.”
When they reached the pavilion in the rear courtyard, a man was already standing there, watching Jaha approach.
“Branch Leader, we brought him.”
Their behavior was strangely polite for members of an underworld faction.
Jaha decided to continue watching and see what they were planning.
The man spoke first.
“I heard you are the second disciple of Qingyun Martial Hall. I am Geol Jejong, the man who manages Xiahou Bank.”
Jaha responded with a cupped-fist salute.
“Byeokho.”
Geol Jejong looked Jaha over for a moment before speaking.
“Please, come up.”
For members of an underworld faction, they were treating him surprisingly politely.
However, there was not even ordinary tea on the table.
That alone told Jaha that Geol Jejong did not truly consider him a guest.
It also meant these people could reveal their true nature at any moment if things went badly.
Jaha remained silent and waited for Geol Jejong to speak.
This was, in its own way, a psychological battle.
The person who spoke first would place himself at a disadvantage.
Even if he was the debtor, entering the negotiation as though he had already lost would only force him to make more concessions.
When Jaha continued waiting without saying anything, Geol Jejong smiled faintly and finally opened his mouth.
“As Young Hero Byeok already knows, the borrowed money has remained unpaid for more than a year. With the accumulated interest, the amount you now owe has become quite substantial.”
“May I see the contract my junior sister signed when she borrowed the money?”
A glint appeared in Geol Jejong’s eyes.
“As expected of someone who worked as an escort guard at the Taiyuan Escort Agency. You certainly know how these things work.”
Geol Jejong took out a bundle of papers.
“This is the agreement your junior sister signed.”
Jaha read through the contract and let out a low hum.
The original amount borrowed had been nearly ten taels of silver.
However, after a year’s worth of interest, the debt had now grown to ten taels of gold.
“As you know, ten taels of gold is no small amount. How do you intend to repay it?”
Jaha stared at Geol Jejong.
“I will repay it.”
There was no point arguing about the interest now.
These people were members of an underworld faction that earned money through high-interest loans.
Complaining about the interest would achieve nothing.
Geol Jejong continued.
“There is another solution. Simply hand Qingyun Martial Hall over to us, and the matter will be settled.”
“Impossible.”
Jaha rejected him immediately.
Geol Jejong raised an eyebrow.
“Then I wonder how you intend to repay such a large amount. You must have earned quite a fortune in Taiyuan.”
His mocking tone made anger boil inside Jaha.
Fortunately, Byeokho’s spirit seemed determined to endure, allowing Jaha to suppress his temper.
“Give me some time. I will definitely repay it.”
In truth, ten taels of gold could be dealt with once he went to Mount Lu and met the Yama Physician.
“You will definitely repay it. Those are good words.”
Geol Jejong smiled.
“And that is exactly why I am saying this. I can give you an opportunity to repay everything. Would you like to hear it?”
He continued before Jaha could answer.
“You won’t have to sell the martial hall. Your junior sister and junior brother won’t have to do anything unpleasant either. Young Hero Byeok will no longer have to suffer under this debt. Everyone benefits. You could call it killing two birds with one stone.”
Jaha inwardly sneered.
What kind of crap is this bastard trying to sell me? Why is he talking so much?
Jaha spoke calmly.
“I’ll hear the proposal first and decide afterward.”
Geol Jejong showed a trace of irritation when Jaha did not take the bait as easily as expected.
The man had nothing, yet after being treated politely for a short while, he was already acting so proud.
Geol Jejong found it ridiculous.
“I heard you have experience as an escort guard, so I would like you to transport something for us. If you deliver it safely, we will consider the money your junior sister borrowed completely repaid.”
It was an extremely attractive proposal.
They were offering to erase a debt of ten taels of gold in exchange for transporting a single shipment.
Anyone would be tempted.
However, Jaha knew that the more attractive an offer appeared, the more dangerous it could be.
He asked carefully.
“May I ask what the shipment is?”
“Just some rather valuable porcelain. They are gifts being sent to our superiors. That is all you need to know. Knowing too much would not be good for either of us.”
In other words, Jaha was not supposed to ask questions.
He was simply supposed to transport the goods.
That itself was not difficult.
Still, Jaha did not believe an escort mission worth ten taels of gold could possibly be simple.
“Where is the destination?”
Geol Jejong smiled.
He continued behaving politely, but whenever he smiled like this, his hidden intentions showed through his sinister eyes.
“Young Hero Byeok has not accepted the job yet. We cannot reveal too much information before you make your decision.”
Jaha was not stupid enough to blindly accept such an offer.
The sweeter the honey, the more bees it attracted.
“I appreciate the offer, but I decline.”
Geol Jejong’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.
It was such an enticing bait that almost anyone would have swallowed it.
Jaha stood.
“I will repay the borrowed money gradually according to the contract. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Remaining there any longer would only make him uncomfortable.
Geol Jejong assumed Jaha was bluffing in order to gain more favorable conditions, so he waited calmly.
However, when Jaha immediately stood and prepared to leave, Geol Jejong was the one who became flustered.
“Wait! I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
Jaha stopped.
Geol Jejong hurriedly continued.
“Listen to just one more thing. I believe you’ll change your mind after hearing it. If you still refuse after that, I will not try to stop you again.”
Thinking he had nothing to lose, Jaha sat back down.
Geol Jejong looked at him.
“There is a famous physician living at the place where you must deliver the shipment. That person might even be able to save your master. You can bring your master along in the carriage.”
Instead of feeling happy after hearing such an extraordinary proposal, Jaha felt his entire body turn cold.
“May I ask the name of this famous physician?”
Geol Jejong could at least answer that much.
“The Eccentric Physician.”
Jaha was slightly startled when an unexpected name came from Geol Jejong’s mouth.
The Eccentric Physician, Uk Gyeom.
He was one of the extraordinary individuals Jagang had once mentioned.
His medical skills were said to have reached a divine level, but his personality was so strange and his behavior so bizarre that he had earned the title Eccentric Physician.
If one named the three strangest physicians in the world, the first would be the Eccentric Physician Uk Gyeom.
The second was the Demonic Physician Chaepung.
And the third was the Yama Physician Seongseok.
Among those three, the Yama Physician Seongseok had been one of Jaha’s father Jagang’s most trusted subordinates.
Geol Jejong continued.
“Young Hero Byeok must have heard of him. If it is the Eccentric Physician, treating your master’s condition should not be difficult. He is on a completely different level from the ordinary doctors around here.”
Jaha stared closely at Geol Jejong, who was making him an offer that was nearly impossible to refuse.
Then he realized that Byeokho’s spirit was reacting to those words.
His hand was trembling slightly.
It was obvious how happy Byeokho was at the thought that their master might be cured.
At this point, Jaha could no longer refuse.
Besides, if Byeokho’s master fully recovered, perhaps Byeokho would finally stop resisting when Jaha left Qingyun Martial Hall.
Jaha made his decision.
“When do we leave?”
Seeing that Jaha had finally taken the bait, Geol Jejong smiled with satisfaction.
He was still slightly irritated that he had wasted so much effort convincing him, but the satisfaction of finally succeeding outweighed that annoyance.
Even his voice became gentler.
“We will depart sometime within the next few days. Stay at the martial hall, and I will send someone to inform you.”
“All of these conditions must be written into a contract.”
“Of course.”
Jaha rose from his seat.
“I have preparations to make, so tell me at least one day before our departure.”
“I will. And it would be fine for your fellow disciples to accompany you as well.”
Jaha stared at Geol Jejong.
The things coming out of the man’s mouth were becoming stranger and stranger.
Geol Jejong quickly explained.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. Your master will be traveling with you, so I merely thought it might be difficult for Young Hero Byeok to care for him alone.”
He continued.
“Our bank will send guards with you, but they cannot exactly spend the journey caring for a patient, can they? So discuss it with your fellow disciples.”
Jaha thought about it for a moment.
Unable to think of anything worth saying, he simply left the bank.
As Jaha walked back toward Qingyun Martial Hall, he continued thinking about the situation.
No matter how much he considered it, he could not understand why Xiahou Bank wanted him to carry out an escort mission under such extraordinary conditions.
However, Jaha also could not find a reason to refuse.
All he had to do was safely deliver the goods they wanted transported.
If that truly was all there was to it, the danger did not seem particularly great.
Still, these people clearly had another objective.
Not knowing what that objective was made the situation frustrating.
It doesn’t matter.
Whatever their goal is, I only need to accomplish mine.
At the thought that he might be able to leave Qingyun Martial Hall much sooner than expected, Jaha’s steps naturally became faster.
