“So, are you going to torment the herbalist again just based on your intuition? Were you always a childish bastard who harasses someone you like? No, you weren’t. If you’d made him drink your blood from the start, you’d have known, so why did you corner him like you were hunting a rabbit?”
“It was the last resort, fucking hell. If he died after drinking my blood, I’d have to find another one.”
“Well… that’s true. Hey, but give the herbalist a break. The guys are complaining they’re bored to death digging into the herbalist’s background.”
Of course, even the report was boring to look at, save for the midnight trip to the mountain and the bizarre tree trunk on the fifth floor.
“Mu-won.” Tae Cheon-oh, resting his arms on his knees, looked up at Mu-won. “You should be able to admit when you’re wrong.”
“The bastard who just got peed on is talking shit.”
“Ha, that felt fucking great. I lost some money because he whined so much, but still. Look at me, you bastard. I do whatever I want and still don’t get hated. Why? I pay well, my cock is solid, and I’m good-looking, so who would hate me? So, whether the herbalist is Flower Clan or not… No, if he’s fine after drinking your blood, he’s not, right? Tae Mu-won, don’t you love circumstantial evidence?” Tae Cheon-oh was long-winded.
“All the evidence points to a no, so for you to be this interested, I see another meaning. But you’re burnt with the herbalist anyway.”
Mu-won, finding the sight of Tae Cheon-oh talking to himself amusing, asked to see how far he would go.
“Why?”
“You stripped him naked, made him drink blood—he thinks you’re a complete psycho. Do you think just giving him twenty thousand Hwan will fix it? Not a chance. When you gave him that twenty thousand Hwan, you should’ve said, ‘Oh, Cheongyeon, Oppa was too harsh, right?’ and patted him. You should be nothing but gentle and kind, but instead, you’re secretly investigating him. He’ll never think highly of you.”
Mu-won replied to Tae Cheon-oh’s nonsense with a hollow laugh.
“Fucking hell, so should I call the herbalist Oppa?”
“Huh? Why would you...?” White smoke leaked from Tae Cheon-oh’s mouth, which held the cigarette.
“Wait, is the herbalist older than us—no, no, is he our Hyung?”
“Uh-huh,” Mu-won affirmed indifferently, just as the booming sound of the ship’s horn announcing its entry into Cheonghwajin harbor rang out. Mu-won stood facing the lighthouse illuminating the wharf. After gazing at the lighthouse for a moment, Mu-won abruptly opened his lips.
“Gently.”
The face that spoke of gentleness was full of malice. However, Tae Cheon-oh didn't grasp the malice and brightened up by himself.
“Hey, that’s a great idea! If you’re interested, approach him gently. Haa, tears cloud my eyes. Our Mu-won, who didn’t know love, is falling for a man—and an older man at that.”
The boredom vanished from Mu-won’s perpetually impassive face, replaced by a glint of interest.
“Ah, that sounds fun too.”
As if an enjoyable game had come to mind, a malicious smile spread across Mu-won’s face. It was the smile of an evil deity contemplating how to play with a powerless human.
******
The wharf was noisy. The largest fishing vessel in Cheonghwajin, the whaling ship, had succeeded in a hunt. It had been nearly a month since it sailed out.
Cheonghwajin, which had no notable special products, occasionally traded with the First Continent thanks to whaling. However, the whaling ships often returned empty-handed.
Thus, whenever a hunt was successful, Cheonghwajin was nothing short of a festival. Moreover, the ship returning today brought the surprising news that it had captured a sperm whale.
Sperm whales were not used for food due to their high fat content, but their refined oil was used as fuel for warships and luxury vessels. Furthermore, ambergris from the sperm whale's intestines was called gold of the sea. It was used as an ingredient for the finest perfumes and was literally priceless.
First Continent merchants, who rarely visited Cheonghwajin, were already lined up at the wharf to purchase the ambergris.
Hearing the news of the First Continent merchants’ arrival, Cheongyeon also started moving busily early that morning. He hoped he might be able to get his hands on some dried Vengenace flowers.
Of course, merchants wouldn't likely bring dried Vengeance flowers, which were not profitable, to Cheonghwajin. However, if he commissioned them to find the flowers, he could receive them later.
The problem was the timing of the First Continent merchants' arrival in Cheonghwajin. They wouldn't set foot in Cheonghwajin unless it was for a sperm whale. Sperm whales were caught at most once every three months. Often, they would return empty-handed for over six months.
A large market was invariably set up at the wharf on days when First Continent merchants came. As it was a busy season, Cheongyeon also loaded his bicycle with medicinal herbs and arrived at the wharf. The bicycle he had recently bought climbed the slopes much more easily than before.
Shop owners from various regions, like Cheongyeon, brought their goods and spread them out on the ground for sale. The entrance to the wharf and the prime central spots were already taken. Flags depicting banknotes were planted at their locations. They were drawings of the 100-Hwan banknote, which was commonly used in Cheonghwajin and other continents.
The center of the 100-Hwan banknote was adorned with a skull encircled by a snake and flowers, the emblem of the Merchant Union.
Not just anyone could join the Merchant Union. One had to consistently achieve a certain level of sales or more to be eligible. The Dandelion Tavern, where Cheongyeon had worked, was part of the Merchant Union, but 'Cheongyeon Medicine Shop' couldn't even put a toe in the Union.
Cheongyeon settled in a corner of the market, which was not easily noticed, and spread out a worn blanket. On it, he laid out trimmed balloon flower root, gossam with the beard roots removed, dried dandelions, and cut Ogapinum branches, among other things.
He also stuck-up signs with the name of the herbs and their simple effects written by hand. He also started selling dried lotus leaf tea, which he had lost a client for.
[Lotus Tea (15g) 300 Hwan - Tonic for Health and Vigor]
He vaguely worded the benefit, as writing something about it being good for virility might invite unnecessary arguments if the effect was minimal. In any case, it was too expensive, and hardly anyone would buy it. He could only hope for the luck of a First Continent merchant recognizing the value of the goods and buying them.
“Huh? Why is the lotus tea so expensive?” A man in a dark navy coat and a stylish fedora pointed at the price written on the sign. Judging by his neatly ironed coat, he seemed to be a First Continent merchant.
“The effect is as good as the price is high.”
“For boosting immunity?”
“For virility.”
The merchant, who had been laughing at Cheongyeon's humble stall, showed curiosity at Cheongyeon's response. He then leaned toward Cheongyeon, who was crouched down.
“Are you trying to give me a signal now?”
This kind of come-on was rare. Cheongyeon replied flatly.
“No. I only sell medicinal herbs.”
“How much are you trying to sell yourself for? Would five thousand Hwan be enough?” The merchant pointed to the bag carried by the servant behind him, indicating he had plenty of money.
“As I said, I only sell medicinal herbs.”
“Yet you mention virility.”
Cheongyeon was often teased by the people of Cheonghwajin, but it only went that far.
“I’ll pay you well, so don’t be so stuck-up.”
The people of Cheonghwajin didn't press him seriously like the First Continent merchant.
‘Cheongyeon the Herbalist has the fate of consuming people.’
They didn't treat that fact as a mere rumor.
Cheongyeon was well aware of the rumors surrounding him. The false rumor that the flower shop owner who raised him had drowned, and the truth that those who tried to harm him had disappeared without a trace.
Cheongyeon let most of the rumors pass, neither denying nor confirming them. However, when he heard that the flower shop owner had tried to sell him to pirates, he would vehemently deny it, clinging to his rebuttal. But the rumor was never corrected.
Cheongyeon looked up at the merchant, who was needlessly touching various herbs. If he wasn't going to buy, Cheongyeon wished he'd leave quickly without dirtying the products. He had no intention of asking this merchant for anything. If he commissioned him for dried Vengeance flowers, the merchant would surely attach some strange condition.
“Hwangran-nim, I’ve been looking for you.”
Cheongyeon turned his head at the sound of an unfamiliar yet not entirely unknown voice.
Standing in the direction he looked was To-seong, a bear-like man. To-seong was greatly flustered the moment he saw Cheongyeon. His eyes suggested he had found someone who shouldn't be there. Cheongyeon gave a short bow to To-seong, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. To-seong, still frozen, looked around, rolling his eyes back and forth.
“Hey, I didn’t, didn’t go to the herbalist. I just met him by coincidence outside.” To-seong stammered, his face flushed. Then, he nodded vigorously to himself and pulled a banknote out of his suit pocket.
To-seong, checking the sign with more confidence than before, pointed to one item.
[Lotus Tea (15g) 300 Hwan - Tonic for Health and Vigor]
“Is this the most expensive thing here?”
“Yes.”
“Then give me this.”