Baek Muryang’s study inside the manor.
Baek Muryang asked once more.
“I heard you coaxed Heonso and Yeonyeon into going along with you, then somehow maneuvered Gu Ak into acting as your escort for the outing. But what exactly is all this? Tell me what happened afterward.”
Yanghwi answered briefly and succinctly.
“Brother Gu and I raided one of the Blue Snake Gang’s secret caches.”
That alone was enough to make Baek Muryang’s eyes widen.
“Why would you do something so dangerous?!”
“It wasn’t dangerous.”
Yanghwi gave him the same explanation he had given Gu Ak, except this time he dressed it up to sound much more reassuring and far less dangerous.
“How could you possibly... Yanghwi, you truly are remarkable for a child.”
Baek Muryang wore an expression difficult to describe.
“No, even so....”
Damn. Did I overdo it? Father seems to think something’s strange.
Yanghwi would have been a little hurt if his father actually began to suspect him.
So he immediately offered an explanation.
“My birth parents may have abandoned me, but it seems they at least passed down some exceptional talent.”
“Ahem. Ahem, ahem. I-I see....”
Baek Muryang clearly had not expected him to say something like that.
Thanks to it, the faint sense of incongruity that had begun forming in his mind vanished without a trace.
“Then this wealth is your share?”
“Yes. Strictly speaking, though, it belongs to the Baek Family.”
Yanghwi pushed the pile of gold toward Baek Muryang.
“What do you mean?”
“You and the Baek Family took in an orphan with no one else in the world. I set out because I wanted to repay that kindness, and this is the wealth I gained as a result. It should be used for the Baek Family.”
Baek Muryang’s expression turned firm.
“The Baek Family contributed nothing to obtaining this wealth. It is yours by right.”
“It is mine, so please use it for the Baek Family as I wish.”
“Hah....”
In truth, Baek Muryang had intended to scold Yanghwi for getting involved in Black Path affairs.
But when Yanghwi claimed he had acted not out of greed, but for the family and to repay what he owed them, Baek Muryang could hardly bring himself to lecture him.
“Even so, I cannot accept all of it.”
Baek Muryang divided the pile of gold exactly in half.
Even so, each half was worth more than two thousand silver pieces.
“I will accept your intentions. But as your father, I am giving half of this back to you as spending money.”
Yanghwi did not refuse. He simply nodded.
“I’ll put it to good use. Thank you.”
I knew Father would do this. He’s never been the sort to covet another person’s wealth.
No matter how difficult the family’s finances became, Baek Muryang disliked acquiring wealth through improper means.
That was exactly why Yanghwi had framed it as repayment for the family’s kindness—so Baek Muryang would be willing to accept it.
“You don’t seem surprised. This is far too much money for a child to spend.”
“As you have commanded it, Father, I will obey as both your son and a retainer of the family.”
More precisely, Yanghwi had already figured out Baek Muryang’s intention.
He wants to see what I do with the money and judge my character from that. Even if he accepted me as his son, from Father’s perspective I’m still just a child he met yesterday.
“Father. What did you do about Heonso? If you haven’t disciplined him yet, please don’t be too hard on him. He only came along because he followed me.”
“It has only been a day since you became brothers, and you’re already looking after your younger brother? Good. Brothers should care for one another. As for Heonso... I did not scold him.”
Baek Muryang looked pleased.
“He said something rather remarkable to me. He told me that while following you around, he came to understand that no man stands above another, and no man stands below another. I thought of him as nothing but a child, yet it seems Heonso has grown considerably before I knew it.”
No, Father. Heonso is still very much a child.
Yanghwi decided to bury the truth so his father could continue enjoying the moment.
Well, if they kept spending time together, Heonso would mature far more quickly than he had in Yanghwi’s previous life.
That much was certain.
Not because Yanghwi merely hoped for it.
Because he intended to make it happen.
“That is all I wished to discuss. Go back, wash up, and sleep. You worked hard today.”
“What about you, Father?”
“I will finish a little more work before retiring. And... now that we have acquired this much wealth, I must decide how best to use it.”
Baek Muryang beamed as he looked at the pile of gold.
Apparently, the thought of finally being able to show some generosity to the retainers who had endured the family’s poverty delighted him.
Yanghwi almost warned him to be careful not to let the Blue Snake Gang catch wind of what had happened, but stopped himself.
Small though the Baek Family might be, Baek Muryang was still the head of a household.
There was no chance he had failed to consider something so obvious.
“Then I’ll take my leave. Good night, Father.”
After leaving the study and returning to his room, Yanghwi counted the wealth he had received.
Exactly two thousand and fifty-five silver pieces.
It was an enormous sum, enough to employ ten servants for well over half a year.
Far too much wealth to place in the hands of a mere child.
Put another way, it was also difficult for someone in a child’s body to find a meaningful way to spend it.
But Yanghwi had already decided what he would do with the money before the day had even begun.
Invest it and make it grow. This much isn’t nearly enough.
Yanghwi’s goal was, after all, to make the Baek Family the Greatest Clan Under Heaven.
That meant expanding its manpower by at least several hundredfold and raising its martial strength to a level beyond comparison.
Even two thousand gold pieces, rather than silver, would have been nowhere near enough.
“Let’s see. Which merchant guild becomes the most prosperous in Jiangxi Province in the future?”
If he had his way, he would immediately seek out the Danseo Merchant House in Zhejiang Province, which would one day become the greatest merchant organization under heaven, and invest in it.
But with the body of an eight-year-old child, traveling to another province was impossible.
They were called provinces, but each covered an area comparable to an entire kingdom.
No matter how much knowledge Yanghwi retained from his previous life, his body simply could not endure the journey.
For the time being, I need to stay within Jiangxi Province. No—within Wuzhou. Ideally, I should limit myself to Agan County as much as possible.
The martial world was vast.
And because it was vast, it was equally dangerous.
Even with memories of his previous life, charging around without fear would be an excellent way to get himself killed.
Having spent more than a decade as a wanderer, Yanghwi knew that better than most.
“That place should work.”
Yanghwi recalled one merchant guild that would rise rapidly ten years from now thanks to its remarkable business acumen.
The Hundred Books Merchant Guild.
As its name suggested, it initially dealt primarily in paper and books before expanding into other businesses and growing dramatically. Around this point in time, if Yanghwi remembered correctly, it was still operating as an old bookshop.
The future master of the Hundred Books Merchant Guild... no, right now she’d still be the master’s daughter. Either way, I remember hearing that Chu Yongwol had quite the talent for business.
Good.
The Hundred Books Merchant Guild it was.
There was only one problem: it was located in Nanchang rather than Wuzhou, where Baek Family Manor stood.
But that was easily solved.
He would simply make them come to him.
*****
One month later, at dawn.
As always, Baek Muryang gathered the children early in the morning to teach them martial arts.
“Yanghwi, although you grasped the hidden principles of the Heaven-Covering Sword at a glance, your body is still only that of an eight-year-old child. You must therefore train it diligently.”
Yanghwi agreed completely.
Martial arts ultimately meant fighting an enemy with weapons, fists, and feet.
Naturally, the stronger the body, the greater the advantage.
“Do not neglect your internal energy training either. The Six Directions Harmonization Art is both an internal art and a moving cultivation exercise containing principles of external training. It allows you to accumulate qi while tempering the body at the same time.”
“Yes, Father.”
Yanghwi bowed his head and continued practicing the Six Directions Harmonization Art until Baek Muryang was ready to leave.
Its qi accumulation is slow, but the body-tempering effect really is excellent.
It might be a third-rate martial art.
But another way of putting that was that it was a foundational martial art.
Just as the Namgung Clan trained in the Flying Swallow Sword before learning the Azure Sky Sword, and Wudang disciples built their foundations with the Six Directions Sword before cultivating themselves through the Taiji Sword.
In that respect, the Six Directions Harmonization Art was an excellent method for laying down proper fundamentals.
Perhaps it was another remnant of the days when the Baek Family had once been a prestigious great clan.
“Your father will be going now. Continue training for another four hours, then eat and devote yourselves to your studies.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
Baek Muryang smiled with satisfaction at the chorus from his three children before leaving the training ground.
From that point on, Yanghwi taught Baek Heonso and Baek Yeonyeon whenever he had a spare moment during his own training.
“Heonso, when you perform the first move, extend your foot another inch.”
“But this is how I was taught, Brother.”
“That was before you grew taller. As your body changes, your movements must change with it.”
The retainers passing by no longer said anything when they saw Yanghwi instructing him.
Over the past month, Yanghwi had thoroughly impressed his talent upon every retainer in the household.
“Brother, what about me?”
“Yeonyeon needs to build a little more strength. Why don’t you practice the Six Directions Harmonization Art with me?”
“Okay!”
Watching Baek Yeonyeon bounce enthusiastically through the movements of the Six Directions Harmonization Art brought a smile to Yanghwi’s face.
“Oh, look at you. You’re doing great. At this rate, Yeonyeon might become the greatest martial heroine in the world someday.”
“Really? Hya! Hya!”
“That’s it! Well done!”
Yanghwi had been showering her with praise as though enchanted when he suddenly sensed someone staring at him and turned his head.
Baek Heonso was looking at him with an indescribable expression.
“Ahem. That’s enough training for now. Let’s eat and then go study.”
The Baek Family did not eat breakfast. Instead, they had an early midday meal and a somewhat more substantial dinner.
It was supposedly a family tradition...
Though in truth, it was an unspoken custom born from their strained finances.
Jeong Inhwa, the lady of the manor, joined them for the meal.
“Heonso, Yeonyeon, did your morning training go well?”
“Yes, Mother! I practiced the Heaven-Covering Sword more than a hundred times from beginning to end today!”
“Me too! I practiced the Six Directions Harmonization Art really hard. Brother Yanghwi taught me!”
Jeong Inhwa smiled warmly, then gave a light cough.
“Cough, cough.”
Yanghwi quietly watched his mother.
Jeong Inhwa had been frail since childhood and rarely possessed the strength to leave the manor.
Giving birth to two children had also left her with a chronic illness, and by now she spent more than half of every day confined to bed, let alone going outside.
Even so, she was a loving mother who made certain to share at least one meal a day with her children.
She’s so kind that she even embraces me with affection, though I’m not a child she gave birth to.
Yanghwi could not allow someone like her to die of illness a mere five years from now.
I need to make more money as soon as possible. If only so I can keep seeing Mother smile.
With that thought, Yanghwi smiled and addressed Jeong Inhwa.
“Mother. Are you feeling very unwell?”
“I’m actually feeling much better today. Don’t worry.”
“I heard from Heonso and Yeonyeon that you spend most of the day in your room. If you ever get bored, please call for me. I’ll keep you company.”
Jeong Inhwa smiled gently.
“Yanghwi, you really are an affectionate child. Your mother is fine, so take even better care of your younger siblings instead.”
“I’ve always been overflowing with affection. I don’t think it’s possible to take any better care of them than I already do, Mother. Right, you two?”
“Mm-hm!”
“Yes, Brother.”
Yanghwi looked fondly at his siblings for a moment before turning back to Jeong Inhwa.
“Mother. What do you usually do while you’re in your room?”
“I read. I’ve enjoyed poetry and books since I was young.”
Yanghwi already knew that.
He also knew that her true favorite reading material was something rather different from poetry.
“Then, Mother, would you perhaps be interested in popular tales from the marketplace?”
Popular tales—stories traded among idle gossips, including accounts of heroes from the martial world.
They were commonly referred to simply as little tales.
Fiction.
“Popular tales?”
Jeong Inhwa’s interest was obvious.
Naturally.
Unable to go outside herself, one of her favorite pastimes was obtaining such stories and experiencing the wider world vicariously through them.
“Yes, Mother. I spent much of my childhood wandering through marketplaces, so I’ve heard quite a few entertaining stories.”
“Are you offering to become my storyteller?”
A storyteller was someone who entertained crowds in marketplaces, inns, or taverns with amusing tales in exchange for money.
“If you’re interested, I thought I could write down the stories I remember for you. Could I have a blank book?”
“Oh my. Of course. I’ll have one brought to your room.”
“Since I’m doing it anyway, could I have two instead?”
“That is hardly difficult. Very well.”
After enjoying the peaceful family meal, Yanghwi returned directly to his room.
Two blank books, along with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, had already been placed on a stool beside his bed.
Hmm. Which story should I start with?
Life as a wanderer sometimes meant long stretches when training was impossible—during escort missions, for example—yet there was still plenty of time to kill.
Whenever that happened, Yanghwi would buy popular fiction to read.
And any story he found entertaining remained in his memory without so much as a single word lost.
All right. I’ve decided.
On the covers of the two blank books, Yanghwi wrote the titles Eastern Lands, Western Soil and Love Beyond the Precipice, then began filling the pages in one uninterrupted rush of the brush.
A short while later, once both books were complete, Yanghwi picked up Love Beyond the Precipice and went to Jeong Inhwa’s room.
“Mother. It’s me, Yanghwi. I’ve finished writing it and came to give it to you.”
“Thank you so much.”
Jeong Inhwa accepted Love Beyond the Precipice and began to read slowly.
At first, her face showed only mild interest.
Then her expression gradually began to change.
“This is....”
“What do you think?”
“It’s fresh and fascinating. Where did you hear a story like this?”
Yanghwi smiled.
Of course it is. It’s a romance novel that becomes wildly popular in the future.
For reference, Yanghwi had well over a hundred such stories stored inside his head.
“I pieced together stories I heard here and there, then changed parts where I thought they could be more entertaining.”
“...Truly?”
“Yes.”
“My husband told me your talent for martial arts was extraordinary, but it seems your literary talent is anything but ordinary as well.”
Love Beyond the Precipice possessed a depth that seemed impossible for something supposedly written by an eight-year-old child.
It carried a weight beyond mere entertainment, as if shaped by experiences and realizations that could only come from having lived through life itself.
If he filled even those parts purely through imagination....
Then he was a genius.
A heaven-sent literary talent who might one day earn renown as a great author.
Jeong Inhwa gazed at Yanghwi in pure admiration.
Seeing her reaction, Yanghwi became certain that he could ask her one favor.
“Which reminds me, Mother. Could I send a letter to Nanchang?”
Now that he had his seed money, it was time to start making some real money.