Chpater 280

Gathering - 6 Martial Arts Training. I haven't been neglecting my martial arts training since coming to this world. It's just like a working person studying for certification exams—sometimes, you have to push priorities back momentarily. After almost dying again on the trip to Sichuan, I've been making more of an effort to find time for it. I wake up early in the morning to cultivate Qi energy with the practice of Soyunshimsang. I consistently circulate my energy, and in my spare moments, I train to retain the martial arts I've learned. "Today, my hand feels especially precise." Thwack! A hidden knife embedded itself in the wooden board with a sharp sound. I practiced Tang Family's hidden weapon techniques so diligently that I could almost taste bile. I had become so adept that I felt I could hit close targets even in my sleep. Nevertheless, a constant practice was required to maintain the sense of touch. This time, I threw three consecutive knives—one straight, one curved, and one at a right angle. The Tang Family’s hidden weapons, capable of sending even second-rate martial artists to the underworld, embedded consecutively into the board. It seems strangely well-suited to my nature, this Tang Family's hidden weapon technique. Could it be that I have a hidden talent for becoming a dual-position player in the major leagues? Enough with the idle thoughts—time to start the light-body technique training. "Today, my steps in Muyoungshin technique seem to be on point too." Arriving at the finish line, I looked back at the steps Im Ha-yeon had marked on the ground with the Muyoungshin technique. Although I was nowhere near her level, I could follow the marked steps better than when I first started. "......" Lost in thought? Im Ha-yeon stood silent, staring at the ground with a tightly sealed mouth. "Ha-yeon, young lady?" "......" "Ha-yeon, young lady!" "W-what? What is it!" Startled, Im Ha-yeon finally looked up at me as I approached her. "Have you been preoccupied with something? You seem distracted lately." Recently, she's been making more mistakes at work too. — Sister-in-law, you ordered twice the usual amount. Is this correct? — That can't be right. Oh? That's strange. Although she sometimes showed a scatterbrained side, Im Ha-yeon was mostly someone reliable enough to be trusted with important tasks. Why does she seem so restless and anxious these days? "I'm not worrying about anything..." She glanced at me briefly before turning her head away listlessly. Really? Then what about the dark circles under your eyes and your dry hair? "Don't keep secrets from me. We're close, aren't we?" "Hmph... some people..." She pouted her lips and looked up at me. "Hmm?" "Ugh, it's nothing. It's not that I have a concern; I'm just a bit tired." Im Ha-yeon's shoulders drooped as she spoke. As an essential person in our food delivery business, she not only had significant existing duties but also needed to establish two branch locations simultaneously, pushing herself hard with the 'Eight Extreme Training.' She was so helpful, even aiding in my light-body technique training without complaints. I felt apologetic. Now that she mentioned being tired, Im Ha-yeon did look like an office worker who had worked overtime all week and was facing a Thursday—not a day off. How could I lift her spirits? "Ha-yeon, young lady. Let me do something for you." An idea struck me. I stepped closer to her. "What?" "Close your eyes." "What??? Why, why, why?" Why is her voice trembling? "I'm not going to do anything weird. Just close your eyes." With a doubtful look, Im Ha-yeon stared at me briefly before obediently closing her eyes. "Eep!" She let out a startled squeal as I cupped her face with my hands. Her face is really small. I tilted her chin upwards to view it better, sensing her trembling. Perfect angle. Now... "Ouch!" "Bear with it. This is a facial massage good for fatigue." I started pressing on her eyelids and around her brows. Here's a special facial massage from Kang Yoonho. I learned it back in college, thinking I could get close to the girls I had an interest in with some sneaky skinship, dreaming of a pink-tinted campus life. — Senior, what are you talking about? What a pipe dream it was. I could still vividly remember the cold voice of the junior, resounding in my mind. I was just trying to help because she said she was tired at the library. I had a friendly smile, but she put up such a wall—it was awkward. Who knew the words I'd said to cheer myself up were overheard by my friend sitting next to me? And seeing her leave hand-in-hand with my friend on the day of the exam... "Ouch!" Oops. I accidentally applied too much pressure for a moment. Im Ha-yeon immediately grabbed my wrist. "Sorry. I'll stop if it hurts." As I tried to pull my hands away from her face, Im Ha-yeon gripped my wrist tightly. "N-no, keep going..." Well then, let go of my wrist. Luckily, the massage appeared to be working as well. The way her previously exhausted voice had turned soft was a good sign. I had never actually done it on anyone else before, but it seemed facial massages were rather effective. "You should rest at the inn today since I have someone to meet later." As I massaged her face in silence, the atmosphere started feeling strangely ticklish, so I awkwardly pulled my hands away while speaking. "Why? Who are you meeting?" Im Ha-yeon asked with a face of an executive who had suddenly received a notice of being excluded from work. "The social club. One member hasn't paid yet." "Oh! Then I'll come with you." "Wouldn't it be better to rest?" "Your massage was so effective that I feel energized now. Let's go together." Im Ha-yeon grabbed my sleeve, smiling as if she had never looked tired. ——— "You said your medicinal herbs were stolen?" The place I arrived at was the home of a Joseon doctor who also operated an acupuncture clinic in one corner of his room. "Yes. I had to forfeit the accumulated investment because of it, so I have to withdraw from the social club." The middle-aged Joseon man spoke, hanging his head low in apology. "What exactly happened?" "Though I run an acupuncture clinic, needles alone don't bring in much income." "If you're not an exceptionally skilled doctor, most profits typically come from selling medicines." The Hyundai Oriental Clinic's main income supposedly comes from selling medicinal herbs. In this world too, selling medicinal herbs yields more profit than writing prescriptions or administering acupuncture. “Yes, you’re well-informed. I tried to sell some herbs to my regular customers who came based on word-of-mouth, especially to middle-aged clients and third-rate martial artists, as those tonics can be sold at high prices.” “It's not an elixir like the Shaolin's Summoning Pill, right?” “How could something I make compare to Shaolin’s finest? It’s merely a tonic made from several ginseng roots carefully preserved by a local community member, using all the connections I could muster.” “And that’s what was stolen?” The doctor shook his head. “I don’t have the equipment to make the tonic myself, so I took the ginseng extract and some other ingredients to a pharmacy, asking them to prepare it for me. That's when it got stolen.” “Shouldn't the pharmacy be responsible, then?” “They claim the delivery rider ran off with it and refuse to take responsibility.” “That doesn’t make any sense.” In the case of a shipping error, the seller should take responsibility. “It’s absurd, I know. But they seem reluctant to compensate because the tonic was made from Joseon ginseng.” Even if Joseon ginseng is common, a tonic is still a tonic. It would be too expensive to reimburse for a shipping accident. “Are you just going to let this go?” “What can someone like me, an ordinary person with black hair, do here? In this area, if we get on the bad side of that pharmacy, we could lose our customers completely.” The doctor sighed heavily, lamenting despair. The pharmacy he mentioned was one I’d seen several times while walking past my inn. It was a much larger establishment, one that stood out even more than my inn. ‘It would be troublesome if someone dropped out of the social club right from the start.’ I could cover the financial loss, but if people could exit the club too easily from the beginning, it could jeopardize the entire group. Is there a way to resolve this? A runaway rider, a pharmacy, and a valuable tonic—I suddenly thought of a good idea. “What if I recover the tonic for you?” “Really? If the club president could recover my tonic, I’d not only re-join the social club, but I’d also greatly reward you! No, I’d give you half of the recovered tonic!” Giving me half of the tonic? This could be worth the effort. “Do you have any clues about the tonic?” “I don’t know the whereabouts of the rider. But I can describe what the tonic looks like.” “That will have to do.” “It’s a bright red pill. The box containing it and the wrapping paper designated for the tonic both have its name written on them. If you find it, you’ll recognize it instantly.” “What’s the name of the tonic?” “Ginseng Candy.” ----------------- "Hah... I thought I was getting used to this." I almost let out a laugh. Isn't naming a tonic 'Ginseng Candy' going too far? I mumbled to myself in a deflated tone as I left the acupuncture clinic. “Don't be too discouraged. Should we give up on the acupuncture clinic and use the lacking amount as operating expenses?” Im Ha-yeon seemed to have thought my subdued response meant despair and offered words of comfort. "Let's begin by finding the runaway rider." "In this vast land of Wuhan?" Im Ha-yeon's incredulity was understandable. It was like trying to find a taxi driver in Seoul who had disappeared after taking your wallet from the back seat without any clues. It would take too much time. It would be better to give up and get on with our work. Unless there's one way. “Jeomsoui, courtesans, gamblers, riders—what do they have in common?” “Low lives... Ah!” Low lives know other low lives well. “If you’ve realized it, let's go immediately.” This is Wuhan. The place where all the low lives of Hubei Province gather their information, the stronghold of Wuhan Hao Clan. I am an agent of the Yichang Branch Director, capable of requesting any information, and also part of the intelligence network of Wuhan Hao Clan. ------------- Im Ha-yeon began reading out the information sent from the Hao Clan. “We received the information requested from the Ma Clan. On the day the tonic was stolen...” “Wait.” “Yes?” “Let’s call it a tonic instead of Ginseng Candy.” Hearing the name made the dormant martial arts enthusiast in me stir. “Alright. Anyway, the day the tonic was stolen, no riders were headed towards the acupuncture clinic.” “The culprit is decided then.” “What kind of pharmacy steals its own medicine?” Im Ha-yeon seemed dumbfounded as she realized the situation. "Joseon ginseng might not be rare, but it’s still considered a valuable tonic. It’s not something easy to procure, especially for a major martial arts family like the Tang Family." Even historically, Joseon ginseng was treated as an elixir. In this martial arts world, it’s a genuine mass-producible tonic with internal energy-boosting properties. The Kang Clan became one of the wealthiest families in Joseon by selling gold and jewels acquired through smuggling. “The information from the Hao Clan mentions a rider delivering that box to a mansion used as a warehouse for medicinal herbs. Shall we gather our men and demand it back?” “If they deny it, there’s no other way. Forcing our way in might end in bloodshed over just ginseng. There’s no need to go that far.” “Should I sneak in?” "That’s a good idea, but the mansion used as a medicinal warehouse is too large. It could take days, and I don't want to make you suffer for that long." Though she complains in front of me, I’ve seen her work through her own tasks and even mine, sacrificing sleep. There's no need to exhaust her further. “...You know, sometimes barging in boldly like that is cheating?” “Hmm?” Im Ha-yeon pouted but then smiled as if she hadn’t said anything. “So what’s the plan?” “I have a plan. Geumdoong!” I called out to one of the young Jeomsoui working on the first floor. “Yes, boss!” “Get all the delivery personnel to gather here in front of me immediately.” “Yes!” In no time, all the delivery personnel working at the inn gathered in the office. “Boss! What’s the matter?” “Are we having a staff dinner today?” “Really?” "Quiet down! The boss is about to speak!" I silently glanced around at the delivery workers, waiting for them to quiet down before speaking. "Who among you has been inside the house operated as the pharmacy’s warehouse on the corner?" "I’ve delivered there!" "I was just there yesterday!" "You don’t mean...?" I nodded towards Im Ha-yeon, whose face was filled with surprise. There's no need for Im Ha-yeon to exert herself unnecessarily. If you've assumed a position to manage people, you should utilize them effectively. With a confident expression, I picked up a brush dipped in ink and spoke. "Alright, everyone. Share everything you know about that mansion. Let's start by drawing a map."